i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

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[deathlessness]

["Everyone phones a friend until everyone who needs to know, knows." Much easier to do in the modern age of cell phones.

Freya in fact will be found in the tower, finish up some last minute projects before dinner and also hiding from her brother who is on the warpath in terms of decorating and planning. If she's handling witch business, he can't conscript her into heavy lifting.

She glances up when she hears Hope and Alice come in, and raises an eyebrow.]

Time for dinner already? I didn't think I was working for that long.

[bereavements]

More like, time for The Gauntlet, according to Alice's mom. Rebekah is firing up the phone tree.

( it's flippant, but she'd love to know if her aunt knows about it! )

Scotland was attacked, for whatever reason, but Wynonna thinks that witches everywhere are going to be targeted. So, it's Tuesday.

[deathlessness]

Mmmm.

[Because yes, that doesn't sound like a Tuesday, but she can't think of a prominent coven in Scotland that would set off something like the Gauntlet.]

Did she say who was attacked in Scotland?

[Alice shakes her head. "Just that there was a big attack. She was more worried about the witch stuff because I've been hanging around a lot of witches lately."]

Fair enough.

[She considers for a moment before pushing up to head back down the stairs.]

Did you see your uncle or Bela when you were looking for me? They're the ones who would know the European landscape best.

[bereavements]

I didn't seek them out.

( Things are still rough and tough. This is better than outright ignoring them. But, they might have been on one of the balconies having coffee together. She overheard something or other. Glimpsed. They're here.

Still, she leads her aunt and Alice, as they keep gaining people, to the aforementioned balcony. Elijah turns from leaning.

"Hope, Freya. Alice. We're taking in the Quarter before Klaus recruits us. I made a fresh pot downstairs. Ethiopian."

Maybe trying too hard is still trying. )

Maybe later. We're here on witch business. And - Alice. Do you know why Scotland would've been attacked and how that might lead back to some big witch war which needs a better name? Or, at least a Wiki page?

[enjoythe_ride]

[Bela pauses, her brow furrowing, before glancing over to Alice or Freya.

"The Gauntlet," Freya supplies, and that has her straightening because yes, she is indeed familiar with that particular problem.

She also doesn't know what could be targeted in Scotland, exactly, but she will glance over to Elijah and ask.]

When Stefan Salvatore came to London after the Knightsbridge attack, didn't he come from Scotland?

[bereavements]

( "He did, but Stefan Salvatore doesn't usually keep the company of witches." Elijah confirms, but remembers more. "He'd fallen in with an outfit." A beat. "Of slayers." And exactly what witches might attack.

Hope looks between all of them because a girl with a (10) in the arcane (even with a +3) is drawing a blank. )

I don't think I've ever disliked a word more if it involved my school's namesake. What is Stefan doing involving himself in a group that advertises -- ( She turns back to all of them. ) Tell me he didn't turn off his humanity.

[enjoythe_ride]

No, no. Vampire Slayers. I believe he was spending his time with Buffy ... Summers.

[Eventually the dots connect before she glances between the two Mikaelsons with growing concern rising at the idea that someone might have done something stupid.]

You don't think someone went after the Slayer castle, do you? That is in Scotland.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

If Stefan were involved... That's the only explanation in Scotland. Thinning the heard as the Gauntlet begins proper?

( Less threats on the playing field?

"What kind of name is Buffy and what is Stefan doing with a vampire slayer, anyway? Did someone give him the cure when we weren't looking?" )

[deathlessness]

Given his dating tendencies, from what I understand, Stefan Salvatore has always enjoyed playing with fire.

[Katherine, Rebekah, he definitely flirted with Freya once or twice, and now Buffy. Seems like that all tracks.]

So someone's targeted the Slayers, and this is feeding into the Gauntlet. Lovely.

[Bela reaches for her phone, and scrolls through her messages. "David hasn't been returning my calls lately. I can't say for sure how far into the Gauntlet they are at this point, but the Inner Circle informed the heirs of their intent several months ago. They must have finally contacted the last one."]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Which means they are all in one place.

( He frowns. )

Odd to target the slayers, and on a holiday. Do you know if Daniel Brighton was there? Or Bonnie Bennett?

( "Aunt Bonnie," Hope asks, looking to Freya and back to her dad, then to Bela. "I don't know, is Bonnie in Scotland?" What is she going to tell Lizzie? )

[enjoythe_ride]

Last I spoke to her, Bonnie was in London with Danny, helping him acclimate as leader of his coven. I also know that she and Danny went to Scotland after the attack on the coven at the spring solstice, so they could have been invited there.

[Alice glances between everyone as information volleys around, and she frowns. "Should I call Lizzie?" See if she can get ahold of her boyfriend?]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

They were in Scotland before Prague. I could see Buffy Summers inviting them back, especially with her connection to Stefan.

( Mystic Falls has always been an insular group with a small town mentality.

"Call Lizzie," Hope decides, stepping away to call her girlfriend. )

[eredite]

[Alice nods before stepping off to the side and pulling out her phone. Not that all the vampires in the room can't hear it, but she wants at least the illusion of privacy.

Ring, ring Lizzie phone.

Josie ... does not answer. Not because anything's wrong but more because she's busy chatting with the new surprise family members.]

[bibrid]

( Lizzie also does not answer, because she's as polite as her sister and they're entertaining!

Hope gets voicemail and figures if things were dire enough she'd probably know? So, she clears her worry, evens her tone and says "Hey, it's just me. Call me when you get this. Love you." )

[eredite]

[Alice will not leave a voicemail. But she will send a text:]

Heyyyyyyyyyyy.

Talk to Danny today?

[Because that's a random not at all weird question. She then pauses and swipes into Whatsapp because she remembers that even if Lizzie gets her in the divorce, she does have Danny's number for emergency and/or surprise reasons:]

You good?

[He also will not respond.]

Okay. There are texts, hopefully they will respond when they can.

[bereavements]

( Hope also texts Danny

Hey, happy Thanksgiving if you even celebrate that, just checking in! )

One voicemail, one text.

[deathlessness]

["So what do we do now? While we wait for them to respond."]

We spread the word. I'll go find Vincent. Have you all seen Rebekah?

["She said she was going to find Kol and Kieran."]

Alright. Who wants dibs on telling Klaus?

[She jests but also she's not jesting at the same time. She already called dibs on Vincent.

Alice's finger goes up to land on her nose. "Not it. He freaks me out, no offense Hope."]

[bereavements]

It's fine, it's nothing I haven't heard before. I assumed it would either be me, Uncle Elijah, or Bela. And, for the record, I don't care who does. He's not going to love hearing it either way.

( And she is a little at a loss, mostly because she doesn't know what she's talking about. (

But, I can go with Bela. Or, Elijah and Bela. Whatever. But, I think we all agree I shouldn't go alone.

[enjoythe_ride]

I'll handle Klaus.

[She may not be unkillable, but she can handle his moods. Maybe she'll pick up Cami on the way for extra measuring.]

Why don't you go with Alice to find your aunt and uncle?

[Because she also knows that Kol and Kieran have been wanting to have a conversation with Hope and if an witch war is oncoming, Kol may want to speed up certain timetables. Likely not how he and Kieran wanted to have this conversation, but times are what they are.]

[bereavements]

Whichever. And then we should all come back together. Strength in numbers.

( (14) Does her uncle need something from her? Still, she does love Kol and definitely takes Alice to Kol's bedroom, rapping on the door.

"Come in," he says, both dressed. Kol is working on his cufflinks and Keiran is at his mirrored bureau. How fortuitous. "Hope. I thought you might be your uncle hurrying us along to help with the manual labor." )

[transientem]

["Did we beat Rebekah here?"

Alice, giving away the game before they even get started.

Kieran turns, fixing her earrings as she glances between the two girls. Something is not quite right. She has a feeling they're not here just for manual labor.]

Everything okay?

[witchaffinity]

( Her aunt and uncle are - many, so, her thinking is, Kol. For someone mired in death and evil Hope is swimming in family. )

No. It's not. Or, we don't think it will be. We're a little scant on the details besides an oncoming witch assault, slayers in Scotland being attacked, and - yeah, that about sums it up.

( Rebekah is most likely still with Doc, if not possibly called by Donna or Aaalis. )

Sorry to barge in. It's just. ( She gestures. ) Witch. Have either of you heard of the Gauntlet?

( Like Hope, Kol remembers vagueries, stories that go bump in the night, that have no real name. He was more about the objects, the legacy, the chemistry, than actual witch politics, and so he turns to Kieran.

And in perfect timing, Julian goes to knock on his sister's door, but it's open. Crash is still getting ready. He doesn't pry into Crash's preparation for a party like this. He's already prepped his sister as it is. He doesn't care what anybody else here thinks.

"Is there a family meeting I need to step away from?" he asks.

"That depends,on if you want to be left out of the conversation about witch wars and assaulted slayers," Kol helpfully and glibly answers, but mostly he's giving the floor to Hope and Alice. And to his girlfriend, to see if they have more information. )

[transientem]

[Kieran also has no idea (5). She's being so unhelpful. Too bad the only one who can be helpful is still putting their face on - literally.

(And for the record, Kieran likes Crash. As long as Julian is happy, she's happy.)

Alice will give the run down of the call from her mother. "She was supposed to be having Thanksgiving diner with the Underground, so they might have information that she glazed over but ... she was pretty concerned."

Kieran turns and looks at her brother.]

Abernathy mention anything about a Gauntlet?

[tuumest]

Not to me, but I haven't filled out a W2. Most of them won't even look me in the eye, think I almost got people killed. ( Taylor and Sweets are nice. Angel keeps to himself. Cordelia is wary, but in a way where it feels like maybe she's dealt with people like him before. ) Which, I did. But, if anyone knows anything, it's Crash.

( "Is everyone bringing a plus-one tonight?" Hope asks, quite tactlessly.

"And to think," Kol starts. "normally, our family repels the invited." He smirks. When they're not the talk of the quarter, but they definitely aren't. Not with vampires, witches and humans having their own factions now. Everyone peacefully attended the policeman's ball. )

[boomgoesthedynamite]

Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my ... oh!

[Speak of the devil. They had come in search of Julian and instead found a crowd, and as all the heads whip around to face them, they raise an eyebrow.]

What? Do I have something in my teeth?