i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

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post-explosion murder party

[an_honestword]

[Mississippi: Faith, Buffy, Rhett, Scarlett, Mia, William, Stefan, Melanie, Damon, Rusty, Ezra.

Muir Woods: Scott, Davina, Allison, Sam, Josh, Aiden, Chris.]

the riverboat | faith, buffy, rhett, scarlett, mia, william, stefan, melanie, damon, rusty, ezra

[an_honestword]

[Rusty provides them all with a location where they can prepare and get ready before they move on to the main event. He fills the empty warehouse with a number of options for weapons, fancy attire and other supplies they may need. When the door slides open and he sees the faces of one of his oldest friends - sometimes father - step into the room, he smiles wider as he makes his way closer for a hug.]

Been a long time, Rhett.

[Far too long, but if this gambit he's on succeeds, maybe it will be much more often. He glances over Rhett's shoulder at his wife and smiles.]

Scarlett.

["Russell," she says dryly. "I hope you have a plan."]

[persistingly]

( Everyone is given a time to arrive, staggered to not throw any suspicion their way, and the O'Hara's arrive first with Melanie in tow.

Come here into this hug. He remembers raising Rusty so clearly. But it still feels like another life. )

Russell. It has been too long. I hope these efforts prove fruitful so that we may spend more time with our other son. Wesley sends his best.

[an_honestword]

I would like that too.

[He would like to have a life where he's not looking over his shoulder. He doesn't know what he will have to do with himself. But at least he'll be free.

He glances over to Melanie with a nod and a smile.]

Have a good flight?

["It seems to me those planes keep getting more and more uncomfortable." Of course they flew first class, but still. "I don't think it will ever be my favorite way to fly."]

I have to say, I agree.

[persistingly]

I do miss Pan Am.

( Deeply. It's all gone down hill from there. )

Once all the guests arrive, you'll put forth your ingenious plan?

[an_honestword]

[He nods, glancing back to the table where he's laid everything out.]

There's a lot of moving pieces, but if we time things right, we should be able to pull things off.

[The schematics of the boat, the travel lines, everything he knew about the operation - all of it was on that table, as well as the most recent pictures of Wallace and Corsair.]

[attainathons]

( Rhett peruses the plans on the table, proud of his son and his defiance.

"That is our boy," he tells his wife.

Buffy arrives next with Faith, Stefan, and Damon in tow. She sports a chip on her shoulder and a look of determination. She skips pleasantries, zeroing in on the table and the elaborate setup. )

Is this the plan?

( She stretches her arms over one another, cracks her neck, taking a walk around the table.

"Faith," she says to Russell. "This is Stefan and Damon, or what we like to call them, Hero Hair and Who Invited You?" But she smirks, looking back.

"And my answer to that, is the group of witches who sicced a vampire corporation on me, my brother, his future bride-to-be, his estranged Gothic friends, etc," Damon retorts, Buffy glancing up briefly. )

Keep talking like that and someone's invitation might get lost in the mail.

( Rhett peers around at the guests and back to Buffy, 'Are you getting married,' his expression puzzles out. Had he missed this. He does love a good party. She shakes her head. Considers. Half shrugs. Avoids Stefan's eye-line as she focuses on the plans again. )

Looks like timing is key.

[an_honestword]

[Stefan is rolling his eyes behind his brother's back. Can't you just let him have something without color commentary? But that's a conversation for another time.

Rusty, however, keeps his focus on Buffy. She doesn't seem to want to deal with pleasantries, so fine by him.]

We'll get on at their stop in Arcadia. Scarlett will smooth the way but I and another witch friend coming along will obscure you and the other Slayers with illusions so they don't know who they're letting on board. Once we're on the boat, we'll wait until we move into this crest of the river, we'll be blocked from prying eyes by the shore. That's when we'll make our move.

[Rusty's personal preference is no survivors to tell the tale. Let the bodies continue to float down until the ship reaches it's cradle.]

[attainathons]

( Faith started it! )

I hope our move is swift and merciless.

( She looks at the layout of the boat. )

Will Wallace and Corsair be in the casino?

[an_honestword]

No.

[He shifts the maps and taps the VIP deck.]

They have personal quarters on the boat. Once things get messy, they'll probably barricade themselves there, but Ezra and I will get to them while you deal with the vampires.

muir woods | scott, davina, allison, sam, josh, aiden, chris

[imnot_likeyou]

[After a quick shopping trip and an evening drive up to Muir Woods, they spent the night in a local motel room, trying to figure out what they could about the location. It's a couple hours hike into the woods to start finding the signs Rusty had delivered through Ezra, but it takes some time before the feeling of the woods begins to shift.

A thickening tension, fed by the lessening of other forms of life. Almost as though the local animals don't want to be here.

Sam glances down at the map again before nodding.]

I think we're getting close.

[matriarchate]

( davina learns about both bodies top to bottom, including the two intricate and individual spells accompanying them. in both cases, there were no threats, unless you counted a back-from-the-dead very paranoid hunter who, yes, got the drop on dean, but in his defense, nobody was expecting someone to come out from the wall. he describes the magic as ancient, and more primitive, probably in an effort to not break it easily.

where there are covens that pass their knowledge down, the colony does not, preferring its' best kept secrets closer to the vest.

like the damnum essentia, for example which shouldn't have gotten out.

allison tells everyone to keep their eyes peeled and be ready for anything. the bodies should be apparent and they should burn. that's when something happens.

she volunteers sam and her to approach once they do reach their target in case their is some kind of magic blowback. at least, then, davina might be able to do something and she and the two werewolves and the vampire can help if need be.

as for lydia, muir woods is a tourist destination and national monument. it's a curious case for bodies to be hidden, but it's clear the monument went up well after the bodies were placed. it's federally protected. it's a refuge (there's animal life) and a testing site. it's a lab. redwoods are thought to be natural conduits to magic and energy, and the ley-lines under muir woods are bright. it gives off nematon energy, but not like a magnet.

it must be the magic preserving wallace and corsair's bodies.

tickets purchased, the group plays tourist deceptively: allison (3), scott (6), josh (12), chris (2), allison and chris stand out in their california baseball hats and his vest. josh turns his baseball cap around and looks like a gay tourist. scott isn't a tourist and is more - foreboding about everything. so his smile is strained when he hands his ticket in.

stepping off the trail itself and past what must be the building the lab is in, the group heads into a denser part of the forest.

the further in they go, the less they hear, the tourists behind them no longer chattering. or, maybe they are and it's just blocked out. something about the canopy above them and the shape of the forest itself, it's as if it's keeping the sound in.

the closer they get, the more davina will feel the vestiges of magic. it's not pervading, but something was done here a long time ago. and it maintains. again, likely, the bodies.

eventually, they reach the clearing they're looking for.

two gnarled trees stand in the center, clearly different from the redwoods around them. they aren't the height of 1000 year old feats of nature, but something else. they look out of place. the two trees's branches wind into one another at the top, creating a shape between them. perhaps made together. perhaps clinging to one another for life. )

Up ahead.

( allison stops. )

[regentem]

[Sam (19) is leading the way almost as though he's the hiking guide they all hired to lead them through the woods, and Aiden (9) plays tourist well enough - mostly because he is one. He takes a deep breath with the smell of the woods, staring up at the giant trees as they make their way through.

Davina (1), on the other hand, is the most distracted. The thing about Muir Woods is that these trees are giant, ancient beacons of power. She knows immediately why they chose to hide the bodies here without having to ask them, and she can't help but find herself smiling as they move through the trees, occasionally pausing to rest her hand against one of the trunks and feel the hum of decades if not centuries of natural renewal.

Even though French Quarter witches do not lean into the spirits of nature, that doesn't stop her smile from widening as it calls to her magic and draws her in.

"D," Aiden says softly at one point, drawing her attention back to him.]

Oh, sorry. I'm coming.

[She jogs to catch up, and as she crosses the line from the good part of the forest and into the bad she makes a face.]

Yeah, we're definitely close.

topside 🪾

[commend]

( Scott's senses haven't been this alive in awhile. Being a werewolf, they always are, but being in Muir Woods, there's something that taps into his power. He feels a bit unstoppable, and at the same time, connected to everything. While Davina is distracted by the power and the trees, Scott's moving a little slower, lagging behind, behind he feels like - maybe they want him here.

It unnerves him and intrigues him, which is a scary and curious combination.

Allison grabs Scott's attention, mouthing his name, and he nods, catching, up to. And then he sees the trees. They feel like death. And he shouldn't be able to feel them. )

How many bodies are we looking for?

( "Two," Allison says, stopping a few feet away from the trees. )

Maybe one for each tree?

( Chris is the most alert, wanting to draw his weapon at anything that might come out. He didn't like any of the stories he'd heard from Allison, and filled in Aiden and Josh on what might await them, so he flanks everyone.

Davina, drawn to them, Scott, wary of them, Sam, leading, and Allison, sure in what they are are closest in an arc they don't mean to form.

The forest goes silent before the trees both go up in otherworldly flames.

"Get ready," Allison says, drawing her knife. Scott gets his claws ready. The flames erupt and then die down leaving nothing in their wake and then - nothing.

Nothing happens. )

That's it?

( "They always burn fir--" Allison start's before she's pulled.

Davina, Scott, Sam, and Allison's ankles are grabbed by hands that burst up from the ground and before anyone can do anything, they're pulled down, almost like quicksand. Hands grab Josh, Aiden, and Chris, but only to hold them in place, to watch their companions disappear.

"Davina!" Josh yells.

As they struggle, one more hand, an arm, bursts through and pulls them what looks like underground, except where they stood, the ground rights itself as if nothing happened.

The hands let go of Aiden, Josh, and Chris, leaving them alone.

Josh runs forward to where Davina once was, dropping to his knees and digging into the Earth furiously.

"HELP ME!"

Aiden can't smell them anymore, only where they once were. But, he does smell something else. A putrid, rising scent of decay. Burnt wood.

In three corners of the clearing, forming a triangle around them, a set of arms burst through the surface again, but this time, they pull and contort themselves out from the ground.

As each figure turns, Chris is confronted by a decaying, singed late wife, Aiden, with a dirty, leaf-haired Dahlia, and Josh with a gnarling, gnashing -- Tina - the best friend who Klaus killed. )

[packguy]

[Sam and Davina panic, Davina trying to summon her magic and Sam reaching for his gun, but before they can get too far, the ground is swallowing them whole, faster than even Aiden or Josh could get to them with their supernatural speed.

Aiden does move to Josh to help him, wanting to get Davina back just as much as he does, but before they can get too far, the zombies shamble onto the scene, two of which he doesn't recognize, but one he does.

Something about her face, even in this state, makes his heart begin to race. It teases at the edges of his memory, feeling something akin to fear as two realities begin to tear at themselves.

One, the feather brush of magic gripping his heart, tugging through his chest cavity, shutting down his ability to resist or fight back before it even started. The other is an empty ally with a greying corpse bearing an all too familiar face.

Aiden doesn't know which one is real. Both of them terrify him, but he shakes his head and focuses back on the information in front of him.

This isn't really Dahlia. Dahlia is dead and has been for a long time. He'll ensure that she stays that way, as he bears his teeth and charges forward.]

[vampasm]

( Dahlia (19)
Chris (19)
Aiden (14)
Josh (11)
Victoria (5)
Tina (4)

"Dahlia," attempts her first strike, ambling forward. She throws her arm out, branches extending to try and wrap around his throat. (10)

Chris makes his will save (16) to not freeze in front of his dead wife, but he also knows it's not his dead wife. The last two bodies brought forth Elena Gilbert's parents, this is not that.

He pulls his gun out, trying to fire one bullet straight at "Victoria's" heart, and while she blurs through, she blurs straight at him to intimidate and he lands his shot (6, 1). She cries in agony and sounds just like her. )

[packguy]

[Aiden dodges easily, reaching over and snapping off one of those branches into his hand (20). He then charges forward, looking to shove said branch somewhere where he hopes it hurts (19).]

[vampasm]

( He gets Dahlia in the shoulder, hard (12) and she cries out.

"Always ignorant to your plight. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time," she hisses at him.

Josh, frozen in place, fails his will save (11), because he hasn't seen his former best friend in years. The sting of her betrayal seeps into his very being as he relives the memory of her grasping for the coin first.

Victoria slams her arms down, branches extending into the ground. Jagged pieces spring up underneath Chris (17) who gets nasty gashes along his legs (5).

Tina grins a toothy, wooden, oozing grin.

"Klaus regrets not choosing someone as ruthless as me," she harps, her arm becoming a projectile. (2) Still frozen (nat 1) Josh gets impaled through a rib and drops to his knees.

Dahlia attempts to absorb the wood in Aiden's hand further, and Aiden to bring him closer to keep him there, fused, and to headbutt him. (16)

Chris lets off another shot. (19) And Victoria is hit again, hard as she gets thrown onto her back. )

[packguy]

[Aiden had things under control, but Josh gets impaled and his focus is disrupted at the last minute (15). Dahlia's head cracks against his and he stumbles back with a hiss, eyes glowing gold in response before moving to try and stab again (13).

He throws a glance over his shoulder at his husband in the process.]

Josh?

[There's a pit of terror growing, but he shoves it down, trying to focus on the matter at hand.]

salem 𐂷

[matriarchate]

( The minister stands, addressing his Sunday crowd of puritans and godly folk.

"Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck, and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God."

Darkness pervades until Scott and Davina's eyes open. They are in a crudely built chapel, made from wood and stone. A fire rages behind the minister in hearth, flanking the minister on his pulpit.

Davina's hand is in Scott's, and if they look around, they see each other, but in very puritanical garb for the time, like the others around them who are all focused on the sermon,

"For this end, we must be knit together, in this work, as one man. We must entertain each other in brotherly affection. We must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of others’ necessities. We must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality. We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body."

Sam and Allison's eyes open, both sitting in a separate pew to the side besides a few others, hands clasped in front. They see each other, but nothing seems amiss. They also see Davina and Scott, midway down the pews.

Scott lets go of Davina's hand. Even though his instinct is to stand, he locks eyes with Allison who shakes her head. Carefully, she scans around them, trying also to listen to the sermon addressing them. She is effective at making it look like she's taking in his words, while also casing the small chapel they're in. They're is an area above them, others in pews there - poorer than them. Sam and she are sitting along with four others, dressed a bit more lavishly, but not by much. It is evident they are a council of some sort and Scott and Davina are among the populace. There is one exit at the back and a door by them, on the other side of the fireplace. (18)

"So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with."

The congregation erupts in amen. Scott naturally follows suit (maybe from his wolf instincts, or knowing he needs to play along) (20) and Allison, too focused on her surroundings misses them entirely and one of the women in her row gives her a look. )

Amen, amen.

( She drops her head, half bowing and the woman seems to be fine now.

The crowd slowly disperses, Scott looking to Davina, finding her hand and giving it a squeeze.

The woman gives Allison the stink eye as everyone else stands around Sam and Allison as well. )

[imnot_likeyou]

[Sam's eyes scan through the church, unsure what to make of any of this. The sermon is both familiar and not for a man who hadn't spent much time in church, but he can sense the rote comfort born from a practiced ritual.

They shouldn't cause a scene. They should get the hell out of here and figure out why they seem to be trapped in a weird production of The Crucible.

He meets Scott and Davina's eyes in the crowd and tips his head towards the exterior of the church. They probably shouldn't interact until they figure out if they should be caught interacting.

He then glances to Allison, also unsure how they shoulder interact, before deciding the gallant offering of an arm is likely his best bet. And once she's close enough he'll whisper:]

What the hell?

[Davina reaches for Scott's hand in return, wanting to keep him close. She never went to church so much as took refuge in one, and she remembers enough the familiar rhythms of Kieran hosting mass that it's enough.

She also tests to see if her magic will come to her holding her breath as she tries to summon just a subtle gust of wind (19).]

[matriarchate]

( Allison does the most Shakespearean curtsy (3) having not read The Crucible in high school (someone was laid up after being impaled by an Oni) and not knowing quite what to do before taking his arm. She gives the snide woman a smile as she passes, leaning in subtly, herself. )

I don't know. Let's --

( She smiles, nods her head to other -- people from her bench? What are they?

A tiny, wisp of wind blows some dirt and pebbles across the aisle. A nearby woman pulls her shawl closer from the draft.

Davina has magic.

One of the last members of Allison's pew turns back to them, "Waiting to speak to the minister?"

Allison looks over to the minister stepping down from the pulpits, greeting his parishioners and she smiles, again. )

Yes, we are. We will see you later on. In the day.

( The woman bows her head, gives Sam an, 'what is with your wife, does she need to be checked out,' look and leaves.

Scott and Davina are left with about... 1/3 of the devotees still getting their things together.

Everyone on the top floor has exited.

Scott keeps Davina's hand in his, standing straight, feeling unbalanced in his tall hat.

"Are we?..." )

[regentem]

Maybe?

[She squints around as she takes his arm, trying to see if this is some kind of illusion or chambre de chasse. She lifts her skirts, before turning to move towards the door.]

Let's see if we can leave the church.

[That will at least confirm or eliminate one of those options.

Sam follows Allison's lead and moves them towards the minister, eyes scanning the church to take in the tenor.

"From the look of things, I don't think we're in California anymore."]

[commend]

( Scott, the gentleman, lets Davina navigate her way out from behind the pew. He gives one look to Sam and Allison, tries not to - smile, but just - you know, a, 'we're okay,' before he and Davina indeed leave out the front entrance. The crowd's dispersed, most people having returned to their homes or their various chores.

Tables are being set for something in the middle of the town.

Inside the chapel, Allison frowns, waiting in line to speak to the minister, because that's what... she said she was going to do. )

Want to bet, Massachussetts?

( (nat 20 history check.) )

The clothes. The language. The judgment. I don't want to say it out loud.

[imnot_likeyou]

[She wishes to continue to use her magic to her advantage. Stepping outside the church means probably not a chambre de chasse. That's good, at least. She then decides to take in a breath, expanding some magical feelers to see if she can sense anything familiar (11).

Sam takes in the details before nodding slowly.]

Maybe 1600s, give or take? Things seem pretty ... rustic.