Everything happens in a snap's worth of time, it feels like. Had Scarlett pushed Isaac? And, she thinks, looking down at Scarlett's arm around her waist, held her and - she pops her head up, breath coming back to her lungs. They're on a patch of land down below, but not too far down.
She coughs from some of the debris, covering her mouth. She looks around them, before trying to yank herself out of Scarlett's arms, pulling herself, wobbly to her feet. He's not here. He didn't make it. )
Isaac!
( The sun has set and it's too dark to see where he landed - or could have. The moonlight isn't enough and a lot of the light that emanated from the castle seems to have been - blown? Away.
[She glances down, pulling off one heeled shoe that is definitely broken and she sighs, before shedding the other shoe as well. Then she pushes her feet, continuing to scan the area for signs of trouble.]
Whoever did this owes me a criminally expensive pair of shoes.
[And also better not have damaged her husband, or things will be getting much worse for them. But for now, perception checks, ladies.]
[Isaac can, in fact, swim. Bonnie would remember him mentioning off-handedly that his father used to coach the swim team. So he will be fine.
It's everyone else that's in trouble.
Scarlett, the one with the actual night vision, is unfortunately distracted (9) by the buzzing of her phone in her trouser pocket. She immediately reaches for it before bringing it to her ear.]
Wesley? Are you alright?
[She steps away to have a brief conversation, while Bonnie is free to focus on the landscape around them.
The fading light does not make it easy to spot, but Bonnie's eyes are sharp enough - probably from all those years of dealing with supernatural shenanigans in the dark - that while her human eyes can't make out strong details, she does catch sight of dark shadows shaped like bodies moving through the trees, making their way closer.
Scarlett hangs up a minute later before coming back.]
Damon and Wesley are trapped in the wine cellar, but they're otherwise fine. Unfortunately that means they're the only two we can currently account for.
[That said, she follows Bonnie's eyes to the tree line.]
Bodies. ( It's her default setting lately, and she clarifies. ) People. Moving toward us.
( Fast.
They're on an open bluff so there's nowhere to hide if they're enemies. Which, she's bet on, since everyone was just blown up. )
Lapsus locorum..
( The ground between Bonnie, Scarlett and the approaching figures slicks over about twenty feet out, giving the appearance of a sheet of black ice. DEX saves, dark shadows. )
[The first skids to a stop just on the edge of the spell (19), while the other two manage less well (14, 10), the latter slipping onto his ass though it may not have all been because of the ice. Because the first word out of his mouth as he lands is: "Scarlett?"
Scarlett tips her head to the side, studying the face and shakes her head.]
Oh, Randall. You've made a grave mistake.
[After which she takes a running leap over the slick space at the first vampire (20), shoving her hand into his chest cavity.]
[The other vamps rolled better (15) with Scarlett next (9), so they swing in first, trying to swarm the two of them. The one with Scarlett's hand in his chest (One) can't do much, though he tries to wrench himself free without letting Scarlett keep his heart (1 vs. 3), but Scarlett is a more skilled vampire, tensing her fingers and keeping him in place.
Two studies the slick surface, trying to figure out if she can get to Bonnie, then deciding to take a swing at Scarlett (18 vs. 4). Scarlett's head snaps back and blood spills from her nose and she shakes her head.]
You shouldn't have done that.
[Randall wastes his turn going "Scarlett, no!" as Scarlett divests One of his heart, and he drops to the ground.]
Randall, darling, you do realize that you just tried to blow up, not only myself but also Rhett and my son. How do you think am I taking this, when I do not even know if they are dead or alive?
["We didn't know you were in there. We were just trying to get the Slayers."]
[Randall shakes his head as he pushes it off (18), before glancing over back at the witch. "Scarlett, can we talk about this?"
Two tries to get past Scarlett to Bonnie (18 vs. 14), and she's fast enough that she succeeds, and manages not to wipe out on the rough terrain (13). She swings a fist towards Bonnie (7), while Randall tries to deal with Scarlett.]
Not unless you are interested in telling me what you want with the Slayers. The Tower made a point to stay off their radar. Why change things now?
["The witches. They said we had an opportunity."
Scarlett swings towards him, but half-heartedly (7 vs. 9), wanting to keep him talking.]
( Bonnie stands her ground (19) intensifying the spell to bring him to his knees.
With her other hand, she enhances Scarlett's chances (a nice +2 to her AC) inspiring her with her words: ) I got this one. You handle Randall.( A beat. ) Ugh, he made me rhyme.
( Then to her vampire, she leans down. )
Tell me. Tell me what witches did this and I'll let you go.
[Two cries out as they grip their head (12) and spits out: "Wallace and Corsair. The Colony."
Randall tries to get the jump on Scarlett (7 vs. 6) as she struggles to get a hold on him, and she swings another punch (10 vs. 16) that he wriggles out of the way of as he flips them so that he was on top.
"Nothing personal, Scarlett. But we don't want this getting out."]
( It's not her favorite form of magic, but - Scarlett needs help, so she closes her fist to break Two's neck and knock him out. (6) makes it hard to concentrate on one and do the other. )
Randall tries to shove his hand in Scarlett's chest, but she wrenches out of the way (8 vs. 16), and returns the favor (17 vs. 10). Blood sputters all over her clothes, but Randall collapses, and she shoves him off before tossing the heart away.]
The Ivory Tower is a vampire organization. Most of them are very old and very ... particular about how they engage with the world. I'm not a member, but they did aid me once when I was in a less than optimal state.
[She glances over the bodies.]
Though this may be finally burning that bridge. Rhett will be pleased to hear it.
( She releases the spell for a slick surface, leaving him in a heap. Giving herself leverage with her foot, she breaks a branch off and tosses it to Scarlett before wiping her sappy hands on her clothes. )
This is about the Inner Circle. Of course it is. I thought the Winchesters were spearheading that. How did they end up so far North?
[Scarlett will do just that, nudging the body onto it's back before shoving the tree branch down into his chest. With that done, she dusts off her hands and scans the landscape.]
Do you want to try and see if we can get back in to the others? Or keep patrolling for lingering vampires?
I don't know. There are probably vampires there, but not inside. But, I like the idea of there being less vampires for them to deal with. Let's see what we can do out here. You knew Randall. Chances are, you'll see another familiar face.
( And maybe more answers will come. And as they start a trek along the tree-line to get a better vantage point and catch anyone else off guard... )
Adopted. He came to us fully grown so I had no hand in raising him in his human life, but over time he's become ours in every way that matters.
[And after the Butlers' run with children, she can't say how she would feel if she hadn't heard his voice on the other end of the line. Now is not the time for her to start disassociating in grief.
Never mind that she has no word of Melly or Rhett.]
The Ivory Tower was actually how we met. The Tower ... favors discretion but also the old ways. They hire people - usually those with no other resource - to be dined on for the evenings of their salons. Wes was one of them.
That's - ( capitalism. gruesome. Actually, hired? Or, they say they hire but what they really mean is, do our bidding, be our blood bags? Something tells me 'the old ways' didn't come with insurance and a 401k.
Actually hired. Paid them quite well, if I remember. And most of the people they were getting didn't really care so much about the benefits. They just wanted the cash.
[Cash is still king after all.
As they make their way through, Bonnie picks up the sound of scuffling nearby. Scarlett picks up on it as well (17), head snapping to the side and reaching out - but dragging over something much warmer than expected.
Clara glances between them, eyes wide. "Bonnie? Is this a good vamp or bad vamp?"]
Apologies, I was not aware that vampires existed in the Wizard of Oz dichotomy.
( And maybe opportunistic, but putting a price on that. They weren't going to get aspiring people. People with futures. They were going to be people who had no other choice. Runaways.
A familiar face! )
This is Scarlett. She's a Glinda. ( Of course, Scarlett. There are good and bad vampires. ) And an old friend of Stefan's. Are you two okay?
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everyonelives2025-03-12 08:39 pm
no subject
Everything happens in a snap's worth of time, it feels like. Had Scarlett pushed Isaac? And, she thinks, looking down at Scarlett's arm around her waist, held her and - she pops her head up, breath coming back to her lungs. They're on a patch of land down below, but not too far down.
She coughs from some of the debris, covering her mouth. She looks around them, before trying to yank herself out of Scarlett's arms, pulling herself, wobbly to her feet. He's not here. He didn't make it. )
Isaac!
( The sun has set and it's too dark to see where he landed - or could have. The moonlight isn't enough and a lot of the light that emanated from the castle seems to have been - blown? Away.
She whips around to Scarlett. Assessing. )
Are you okay?
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[She glances down, pulling off one heeled shoe that is definitely broken and she sighs, before shedding the other shoe as well. Then she pushes her feet, continuing to scan the area for signs of trouble.]
Whoever did this owes me a criminally expensive pair of shoes.
[And also better not have damaged her husband, or things will be getting much worse for them. But for now, perception checks, ladies.]
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I think Isaac can swim.
( But does she know? She has to get it together. )
Everyone is in danger. ( That explosion was concentrated inside the castle. (18) for a perception check as Bonnie scans around them. )
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It's everyone else that's in trouble.
Scarlett, the one with the actual night vision, is unfortunately distracted (9) by the buzzing of her phone in her trouser pocket. She immediately reaches for it before bringing it to her ear.]
Wesley? Are you alright?
[She steps away to have a brief conversation, while Bonnie is free to focus on the landscape around them.
The fading light does not make it easy to spot, but Bonnie's eyes are sharp enough - probably from all those years of dealing with supernatural shenanigans in the dark - that while her human eyes can't make out strong details, she does catch sight of dark shadows shaped like bodies moving through the trees, making their way closer.
Scarlett hangs up a minute later before coming back.]
Damon and Wesley are trapped in the wine cellar, but they're otherwise fine. Unfortunately that means they're the only two we can currently account for.
[That said, she follows Bonnie's eyes to the tree line.]
What is it?
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( Fast.
They're on an open bluff so there's nowhere to hide if they're enemies. Which, she's bet on, since everyone was just blown up. )
Lapsus locorum..
( The ground between Bonnie, Scarlett and the approaching figures slicks over about twenty feet out, giving the appearance of a sheet of black ice. DEX saves, dark shadows. )
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Scarlett tips her head to the side, studying the face and shakes her head.]
Oh, Randall. You've made a grave mistake.
[After which she takes a running leap over the slick space at the first vampire (20), shoving her hand into his chest cavity.]
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Randall?
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Two studies the slick surface, trying to figure out if she can get to Bonnie, then deciding to take a swing at Scarlett (18 vs. 4). Scarlett's head snaps back and blood spills from her nose and she shakes her head.]
You shouldn't have done that.
[Randall wastes his turn going "Scarlett, no!" as Scarlett divests One of his heart, and he drops to the ground.]
Randall, darling, you do realize that you just tried to blow up, not only myself but also Rhett and my son. How do you think am I taking this, when I do not even know if they are dead or alive?
["We didn't know you were in there. We were just trying to get the Slayers."]
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Two tries to get past Scarlett to Bonnie (18 vs. 14), and she's fast enough that she succeeds, and manages not to wipe out on the rough terrain (13). She swings a fist towards Bonnie (7), while Randall tries to deal with Scarlett.]
Not unless you are interested in telling me what you want with the Slayers. The Tower made a point to stay off their radar. Why change things now?
["The witches. They said we had an opportunity."
Scarlett swings towards him, but half-heartedly (7 vs. 9), wanting to keep him talking.]
Did they now?
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The tower?
( Bonnie tries her same spell again, but on Two who's right in front of her. (11) because he's in such close proximity. )
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Randall realizing that he's being pried for information swipes at Scarlett (9 vs. 11) and she dips back to stay out of the way.]
Hold on, Bonnie, will explain when we're done here.
[To Randall:]
And what did these witches want?
["I think I've said enough."]
Then that's very unfortunate for you, Randall.
[And she will speed forward, trying to get a hold of him (10 vs. 2), grappling him to the ground beneath her.]
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With her other hand, she enhances Scarlett's chances (a nice +2 to her AC) inspiring her with her words: ) I got this one. You handle Randall. ( A beat. ) Ugh, he made me rhyme.
( Then to her vampire, she leans down. )
Tell me. Tell me what witches did this and I'll let you go.
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Randall tries to get the jump on Scarlett (7 vs. 6) as she struggles to get a hold on him, and she swings another punch (10 vs. 16) that he wriggles out of the way of as he flips them so that he was on top.
"Nothing personal, Scarlett. But we don't want this getting out."]
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( It's not her favorite form of magic, but - Scarlett needs help, so she closes her fist to break Two's neck and knock him out. (6) makes it hard to concentrate on one and do the other. )
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Randall tries to shove his hand in Scarlett's chest, but she wrenches out of the way (8 vs. 16), and returns the favor (17 vs. 10). Blood sputters all over her clothes, but Randall collapses, and she shoves him off before tossing the heart away.]
The Ivory Tower is a vampire organization. Most of them are very old and very ... particular about how they engage with the world. I'm not a member, but they did aid me once when I was in a less than optimal state.
[She glances over the bodies.]
Though this may be finally burning that bridge. Rhett will be pleased to hear it.
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( She looks down at the vampire, having an idea. )
He's still alive. Would anything he say help us?
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I would put him out of his misery. I think revealing that the Colony is involved is the best we're going to get.
[More to the point:]
They don't. Explode castles that is. But if I remember Wallace and Corsair, that seems very much up their alley.
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This is about the Inner Circle. Of course it is. I thought the Winchesters were spearheading that. How did they end up so far North?
( Stabbity, Scarlett. )
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Do you want to try and see if we can get back in to the others? Or keep patrolling for lingering vampires?
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( And maybe more answers will come. And as they start a trek along the tree-line to get a better vantage point and catch anyone else off guard... )
Wesley's your son?
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[And after the Butlers' run with children, she can't say how she would feel if she hadn't heard his voice on the other end of the line. Now is not the time for her to start disassociating in grief.
Never mind that she has no word of Melly or Rhett.]
The Ivory Tower was actually how we met. The Tower ... favors discretion but also the old ways. They hire people - usually those with no other resource - to be dined on for the evenings of their salons. Wes was one of them.
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( (Perception 13 while she walks and talks )
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[Cash is still king after all.
As they make their way through, Bonnie picks up the sound of scuffling nearby. Scarlett picks up on it as well (17), head snapping to the side and reaching out - but dragging over something much warmer than expected.
Clara glances between them, eyes wide. "Bonnie? Is this a good vamp or bad vamp?"]
Apologies, I was not aware that vampires existed in the Wizard of Oz dichotomy.
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( And maybe opportunistic, but putting a price on that. They weren't going to get aspiring people. People with futures. They were going to be people who had no other choice. Runaways.
A familiar face! )
This is Scarlett. She's a Glinda. ( Of course, Scarlett. There are good and bad vampires. ) And an old friend of Stefan's. Are you two okay?
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