[It's an awkward way to ask the question, he knows, especially given that they were just on a casual stroll through the office, but he isn't quite sure how to get around to it, and he doesn't really have a lot of other friends to ask to fill his plus one.
He holds up a hand to provide more context.]
I've been informed by my future sister-in-law that my plus one is not optional, and since I'm not seeing anyone right now, I figured I could bring a friend.
[A hot friend, but that's an opinion he's staunchly keeping to himself at the moment.]
( Connor doesn't just ask his paralegals to casually accompany him while he picks up legal precedents he's logged out, but, he also doesn't advertise that he doesn't do that. The attraction is mutual, but he also doesn't shit where he eats, usually, and Carroll's damn good at his job. And from Ireland. And maybe a protected class? Technically, as an associate, he is slightly above Carroll but not ethically above. Either way, he tends to not blur the lines until he's sure he wants to paint in water color, so-to-speak.
He doesn't know what's said about him around the office. How Donna recruited him out of prison. How the only person billing higher than him is Robin. How he was married once. And is now divorced. Damaged goods, they call it. How he never speaks to one of his best friends, anymore, because of a shoddy FBI deal. Because his rich dad wasn't consulted. He didn't have the high powered lawyer.
Here he's a face among the other associates. And paralegals. Including this very attractive, accented paralegal.
Also, he's tall.
Pretty damn good opening move if you ask him, though. Catch 'em off guard. He could be a lawyer. He wouldn't be asking if he didn't want to be given an affirmative answer. Also, score. Carroll's not seeing anyone. He was wondering. He assumed, no, because the guy's so quiet and lives with his brother, but, he's seen guys with less furniture get more tail. So.
Right. He was asked a question. His curled smile finally forms words. He has experience in weddings, though, so, this must be a formal affair. )
Pretty sure they pay more with plus-one's, but, maybe it's about even numbered guests. Either way, I'd be happy to be the one to your two. ( He holds the glass door open to the records room. ) I've never been to New Orleans.
[Attraction has always been a weird thing for him. He's too cerebral for a lot of things, and his romantic life is no exception. Bradan likely has a label for it, if he ever decided he wanted to risk talking to his matchmaker brother about it, but he is not that desperate. He's fine with being alone for the most part.
Until he finds someone that he actually likes, and the he can't seem to focus on anything else. It's truly unfortunate and he wished he could just be a normal person who could sleep around, but alas. That's not how it works.
Regardless, Connor has too many sharp edges to be interested in a guy like him, a guy who's life has been charmed enough to not relate, so he doesn't think he stands a shot. But friends is okay. Friends he can do.]
She promised him he could have a big wedding, so I'm sure she wants to make sure she can fill all the seats. The only one who's definitely getting out of this is Bairre and that's because she's not completely heartless.
[You don't ask a recent widower to bring a date to a wedding.]
But New Orleans is nice. My cousin lives down there. I went for her wedding.
[Which was ... an interesting affair to say the least.]
( His oldest brother. And a widower, if he listened properly. His big, crazy family has a lot of personality. A little like Connor's. Except his family is all extended. )
That sounds like its own story. ( He turns to the records woman. ) Connor Walsh. ( He hands her his work ID and turns when she goes to retrieve what he reserved. ) All my stories are painfully about Michigan. Family stories, anyway. I have a bunch about boarding school. Though, a lot of them are very NSFW, if you know what I mean.
I'm not sure any of my stories are much better. Though ... more safe for work.
[His time in school was not as adventurous, maybe. He glances away, towards the direction of the secretary desk still in front of Harvey's office, when he catches sight of something that shouldn't be there.
It almost seems as though it's a pair of legs, but there's something off about them. And they're lying on the ground. Then he sees the shoes, and starts going through the photo reel of shoes he's seen today on the various coworkers he's talked to and his eyes widen when the puzzle pieces click into place.]
( Feels like Carroll spaces out, but Connor's waiting for his checkout, so it's fine. He has a date to a wedding, now. While Carroll focuses, Connor retrieves what he needs and thanks Edie the records keeper.
And then, he's left alone - turning to watch him dart away. a (10) doesn't see what Carroll sees, but, ) Donna?
( Connor follows Carroll out of the room.
"Is Donna okay?" Edie asks, standing behind her desk. With his research under his armpit, Connor speeds up - catching up to his wedding date. )
Donna, Donna?
( Connor sees Harvey's not in his office - and besides the records-keeper, the floor isn't bustling like it should be. )
[Donna is not okay. In fact, Caroll's panic spikes when he lands next to her, and sees the gray tone of her skin and the dark raised veins. He gently examines her, searching for stakes or wounds or even bites that might indicate how this happened, but when his eyes reach her face again, he startles when he sees her eyes staring back at him, clearly alive.]
Thank god. Desiccated not dead.
[Desiccated he can work with. He reaches up to grab the letter opener from the secretary's desk and slices it across his wrist before placing it over her mouth, hoping that she'll be able to stop before she drains him dry. He doesn't relax until she revives enough that one hand comes up, holding his wrist in place.
He is also ... completely ignoring Connor. As good as he is, he's always been one to focus on one thing at a time.]
[Donna eventually releases Carroll's wrist, not enough to make her look completely alive - there's still some grayness around the edges - but enough that she has control of her limbs again.]
They took Harvey.
[Carroll's eyes widened. "Do you know who?"
Donna makes a face.]
Witches. I have a theory as to what coven, since I'm not dead, but I don't think Harvey's going to be so lucky. They went down the back stairs.
[Carroll nods, and it's that moment that he notices Connor and realizes the implications, almost as though he's come out of a trance. "Uh ..."
Donna waves a hand at him.]
No time. Go. I will take care of this.
[Carroll nods before running off towards the stairs, and Donna then extends a hand to Connor with a gentle smile.]
Sweetie, I know this is a lot right now, but if you help me get to my office, I can explain.
( Color returns to Donna's features in her face, but not around her ears, or up to her fingertips She's alive? "They" took Harvey, but she doesn't know who. And Carroll seems unfazed. )
Witches?
( He wants to run after Carroll, who's going after Harvey, his boss, who was taken by witches, but his feet are firmly planted, frozen.
Sweetie?
Donna, his lifeline, and the reason why he's even here was, or almost was dead, his mentor's right hand was kidnapped. Short-circuited, he's able to manage pulling her up to a sitting position and then braces as she pushes herself to her feet using him as leverage.
An arm around her neck, he helps her to her office, sitting her in one of the chairs before he releases the glass door so it closes. They should be alone for this, right? He turns around, still at a loss. )
She opens the fridge and retrieves the thermos there, before glancing up to look at him.]
If I'm right, they're pissed at Harvey because he's been helping a smaller group of witches overthrow a very powerful coven when he's supposed to be representing said coven. And when you're dealing with these kinds of clients, they're not going to file a complaint and have you disbarred - they're just going to kill you.
[That being said:]
They wanted me out of the way because they knew I would protect them. So they desiccated me. Because I'm a vampire, if I don't get enough blood, I turn all gray and gross looking, like you saw.
You're a - Donna, you're a lot. You're probably the most savvy person in this building, maybe New York ( and that's coming from him, he of the was the savviest guy - pre-Middleton ) but you're not - ( he turns serious again. ) you're not a vampire.
( Haven't said anything out loud to anyone, but his mother in a bid to just get her to stop asking, about said possible, maybe office crush. He tilts his head down, looking back, as if Carroll's going to just emerge and hear everything. )
Am I that obvious?
( More to the point. Vampires, witches and blood. )
Or, is that another vampire power. Bloody intuition?
It's not a vampire power. And it's not obvious to him. I'm just good at what I do.
[And what she does notice all the little things that people don't think the rest of the world notices. It helped her anticipate needs as a secretary, but really she's just a forever student of the human condition.
She places her thermos down on the desk before rolling in closer.]
Look, Connor, all of this is a lot. Our witch clients and me being a vampire is just a very small drop in an ocean of stuff that you may not want to wade into. You don't have to. One of my actual vampire powers is ... selectively editing your memories.
[So she can make him forget this ever came up, and he could go back to the blissfully ignorant world. She'll make sure Carroll is aware, and that will be that. She did say she'd take care of it. Carroll didn't specify how.]
( Harvey has had a proverbial gun pointed to his head before, but never this literally. Not making any sudden moves, or indicating he's a hostage, he and two witches - one he recognizes, one he doesn't - exit the stairwell into the lobby. They don't look like lawyers, or like clients of his, but, people don't question when Harvey Specter accompanies anyone.
He nods to the front desk, standing tall, and walks the two witches out the front door. )
Is this the part where you cover my head and shove me into an unmarked van?
["We have other means of getting you where we need you." The witches do lead him outside, moving them down the street and towards the crowds of New York City. They don't have to go far. There's any number of doors that they can choose from. They just have to get there before someone intervenes.
Fortunately, someone is going to do just that. Carroll spots them as they round the corner into a quiet alley, and he jogs forward to keep up, and as he reaches the mouth of the alley, he scans his options until he finds a piece of debris that will work as a weapon.
He picks the remains of a two by four, flips it over in his hand, before moving closer and swinging it at the back of one of the witch's heads (13 vs. 12), which doesn't loosen his grip in Harvey, but does cause him to stumble slightly.]
[Witch 1 recovers, but barely (13), trying to lift a hand to cast another spell at the intruder, but before he can (reaction time 3), Carroll swings in again (9 vs. 11), and while he misses, Witch 1 can't cast the spell and dodge his two by four at the same time.
Catroina Ford taught her boys a lot of things when it came to dealing with the forces of the supernatural. None of them other than Beck took to it as a profession, but Carroll remembers it all and her lesson on witches was clear: They can't cast spells if they can't speak or they can't use their hands. So Carroll was going to keep that target in mind.
Witch 2 just looks confused, trying to draw Harvey back and out of range of the crazy man with a piece of wood - the Inner Circle was clear that they wanted to talk to Harvey before they killed them. "Where the hell did you come from?"]
Donna sent me.
["But wasn't she - "]
Not anymore.
[And he swings the two by four again (18 vs. 2), this time completely laying out the witch in question and forcing them to let go of Harvey.]
( Harvey ducks when the witch lets go and drops behind him, picking up a nearby trash can and chucking it at the remaining witch (4). It's more about distracting him to grab Carroll and get the two of them out of there then actually hitting him, but it throws way too wide and a third witch has joined the party at the alley entrance.
Harvey grabs a different 2 x 4 from the pile, he may not be able to do much, but he can give them advantages.
He taps his piece of wood to Carroll's. )
Commodum.
( Giving them advantage for the next minute of combat. )
Witch 1 wrestles himself off the ground and goes to try and throw a spell at Carroll (9 vs. 19), but Carroll dodges it thanks to that shiny advantage Harvey gave him. He swings back in return (10 vs. 4) and slams him back into the dumpsters again.
Witch 2 takes a swing at Harvey, trying to re-grapple him (15), looking to try and regain some control of the situation.
Witch 3 is mostly just swarming, lobbing another spell at Carroll since he's not the one they care about (11 vs. 19), and Carroll manages to dodge it again, but is starting to feel the pinch.]
(Harvey dodges the swing (17), and tries landing a blow to Witch 2's side (18), before attempting a spell in Witch 3's direction. He's still new and still technically learning - so, what he sends - if it works is a spell to stupify him. What he does, if it's effective, is to render him speaking nonsense for the next minute, unable to really communicate. (13) )Stultus!
[Harvey's blow lands (14), and the witch looks winded, stumbling to the side. Witch 3, on the other hand, deflects the spell (17).
Witch 1 starts to try and craft a spell again (6 vs. nat 20), but Carroll pushes the advantage and slams him back into the dumpster again, and Witch 1 drops to the ground, out cold. Carroll then turns on Witch 3 (19 vs. 10), swinging and catching the witch on the shoulder, trying to render one arm useless.
Witch 2 tries to throw a binding spell at Harvey (5), but he's still winded so he can't quite get the words out right unless Harvey rolls real bad.
Witch 3 turns his focus on Carroll, feeling less precious about this no one who's interrupting their plan (1 vs. 18), but Carroll, again, slams the two by four into his shoulder and there's the snap! of breaking bone as he manages to hit it just right, and one arm hangs useless.]
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
carroll, connor, donna & harvey | new york city
[It's an awkward way to ask the question, he knows, especially given that they were just on a casual stroll through the office, but he isn't quite sure how to get around to it, and he doesn't really have a lot of other friends to ask to fill his plus one.
He holds up a hand to provide more context.]
I've been informed by my future sister-in-law that my plus one is not optional, and since I'm not seeing anyone right now, I figured I could bring a friend.
[A hot friend, but that's an opinion he's staunchly keeping to himself at the moment.]
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He doesn't know what's said about him around the office. How Donna recruited him out of prison. How the only person billing higher than him is Robin. How he was married once. And is now divorced. Damaged goods, they call it. How he never speaks to one of his best friends, anymore, because of a shoddy FBI deal. Because his rich dad wasn't consulted. He didn't have the high powered lawyer.
Here he's a face among the other associates. And paralegals. Including this very attractive, accented paralegal.
Also, he's tall.
Pretty damn good opening move if you ask him, though. Catch 'em off guard. He could be a lawyer. He wouldn't be asking if he didn't want to be given an affirmative answer. Also, score. Carroll's not seeing anyone. He was wondering. He assumed, no, because the guy's so quiet and lives with his brother, but, he's seen guys with less furniture get more tail. So.
Right. He was asked a question. His curled smile finally forms words. He has experience in weddings, though, so, this must be a formal affair. )
Pretty sure they pay more with plus-one's, but, maybe it's about even numbered guests. Either way, I'd be happy to be the one to your two. ( He holds the glass door open to the records room. ) I've never been to New Orleans.
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Until he finds someone that he actually likes, and the he can't seem to focus on anything else. It's truly unfortunate and he wished he could just be a normal person who could sleep around, but alas. That's not how it works.
Regardless, Connor has too many sharp edges to be interested in a guy like him, a guy who's life has been charmed enough to not relate, so he doesn't think he stands a shot. But friends is okay. Friends he can do.]
She promised him he could have a big wedding, so I'm sure she wants to make sure she can fill all the seats. The only one who's definitely getting out of this is Bairre and that's because she's not completely heartless.
[You don't ask a recent widower to bring a date to a wedding.]
But New Orleans is nice. My cousin lives down there. I went for her wedding.
[Which was ... an interesting affair to say the least.]
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That sounds like its own story. ( He turns to the records woman. ) Connor Walsh. ( He hands her his work ID and turns when she goes to retrieve what he reserved. ) All my stories are painfully about Michigan. Family stories, anyway. I have a bunch about boarding school. Though, a lot of them are very NSFW, if you know what I mean.
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[His time in school was not as adventurous, maybe. He glances away, towards the direction of the secretary desk still in front of Harvey's office, when he catches sight of something that shouldn't be there.
It almost seems as though it's a pair of legs, but there's something off about them. And they're lying on the ground. Then he sees the shoes, and starts going through the photo reel of shoes he's seen today on the various coworkers he's talked to and his eyes widen when the puzzle pieces click into place.]
Shit, Donna.
[And then he's off running towards the desk.]
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And then, he's left alone - turning to watch him dart away. a (10) doesn't see what Carroll sees, but, ) Donna?
( Connor follows Carroll out of the room.
"Is Donna okay?" Edie asks, standing behind her desk. With his research under his armpit, Connor speeds up - catching up to his wedding date. )
Donna, Donna?
( Connor sees Harvey's not in his office - and besides the records-keeper, the floor isn't bustling like it should be. )
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Thank god. Desiccated not dead.
[Desiccated he can work with. He reaches up to grab the letter opener from the secretary's desk and slices it across his wrist before placing it over her mouth, hoping that she'll be able to stop before she drains him dry. He doesn't relax until she revives enough that one hand comes up, holding his wrist in place.
He is also ... completely ignoring Connor. As good as he is, he's always been one to focus on one thing at a time.]
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Not again.
( His hands find his temples as he tries to not completely lose it, because he's standing right over her but he has a record. Except -- )
Desiccated?
( Eyes wide, he watches Carroll slice into his wrist, confusion across his features. )
What are -! ( Donna's arm comes up, her hand holding Carroll there, eyes open now -- color slowly returning to her form, because... ) She's --
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They took Harvey.
[Carroll's eyes widened. "Do you know who?"
Donna makes a face.]
Witches. I have a theory as to what coven, since I'm not dead, but I don't think Harvey's going to be so lucky. They went down the back stairs.
[Carroll nods, and it's that moment that he notices Connor and realizes the implications, almost as though he's come out of a trance. "Uh ..."
Donna waves a hand at him.]
No time. Go. I will take care of this.
[Carroll nods before running off towards the stairs, and Donna then extends a hand to Connor with a gentle smile.]
Sweetie, I know this is a lot right now, but if you help me get to my office, I can explain.
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Witches?
( He wants to run after Carroll, who's going after Harvey, his boss, who was taken by witches, but his feet are firmly planted, frozen.
Sweetie?
Donna, his lifeline, and the reason why he's even here was, or almost was dead, his mentor's right hand was kidnapped. Short-circuited, he's able to manage pulling her up to a sitting position and then braces as she pushes herself to her feet using him as leverage.
An arm around her neck, he helps her to her office, sitting her in one of the chairs before he releases the glass door so it closes. They should be alone for this, right? He turns around, still at a loss. )
Did you say witches kidnapped Harvey?
( What's Carroll going to do about that? )
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Donna, on the other hand, nods as she slumps in her desk chair, before rolling over to the small mini-fridge, hoping she has blood on hand.]
Yes, I did. Witches are real. And ... take up a large portion of our clientele here.
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( It was like they'd drained the color out of her skin, but the more Donna moves, more pigment returns. )
Hey, don't strain yourself if you don't have to.
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[Mostly because technically she's already dead.
She opens the fridge and retrieves the thermos there, before glancing up to look at him.]
If I'm right, they're pissed at Harvey because he's been helping a smaller group of witches overthrow a very powerful coven when he's supposed to be representing said coven. And when you're dealing with these kinds of clients, they're not going to file a complaint and have you disbarred - they're just going to kill you.
[That being said:]
They wanted me out of the way because they knew I would protect them. So they desiccated me. Because I'm a vampire, if I don't get enough blood, I turn all gray and gross looking, like you saw.
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( And they'll take Donna out to do it? )
You're a - Donna, you're a lot. You're probably the most savvy person in this building, maybe New York ( and that's coming from him, he of the was the savviest guy - pre-Middleton ) but you're not - ( he turns serious again. ) you're not a vampire.
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[She just wants to point that out, and yes, of course she's noticed that Connor has been giving Carroll the eye.
She's Donna. It's what she does.
(She's also noticed that it goes both ways, but let's not distract from the matter at hand.)
But she wants to see if he'll accept what was right in front of him before she ups the ante to something he really can't ignore.]
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( Haven't said anything out loud to anyone, but his mother in a bid to just get her to stop asking, about said possible, maybe office crush. He tilts his head down, looking back, as if Carroll's going to just emerge and hear everything. )
Am I that obvious?
( More to the point. Vampires, witches and blood. )
Or, is that another vampire power. Bloody intuition?
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[And what she does notice all the little things that people don't think the rest of the world notices. It helped her anticipate needs as a secretary, but really she's just a forever student of the human condition.
She places her thermos down on the desk before rolling in closer.]
Look, Connor, all of this is a lot. Our witch clients and me being a vampire is just a very small drop in an ocean of stuff that you may not want to wade into. You don't have to. One of my actual vampire powers is ... selectively editing your memories.
[So she can make him forget this ever came up, and he could go back to the blissfully ignorant world. She'll make sure Carroll is aware, and that will be that. She did say she'd take care of it. Carroll didn't specify how.]
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🎀
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He nods to the front desk, standing tall, and walks the two witches out the front door. )
Is this the part where you cover my head and shove me into an unmarked van?
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Fortunately, someone is going to do just that. Carroll spots them as they round the corner into a quiet alley, and he jogs forward to keep up, and as he reaches the mouth of the alley, he scans his options until he finds a piece of debris that will work as a weapon.
He picks the remains of a two by four, flips it over in his hand, before moving closer and swinging it at the back of one of the witch's heads (13 vs. 12), which doesn't loosen his grip in Harvey, but does cause him to stumble slightly.]
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Catroina Ford taught her boys a lot of things when it came to dealing with the forces of the supernatural. None of them other than Beck took to it as a profession, but Carroll remembers it all and her lesson on witches was clear: They can't cast spells if they can't speak or they can't use their hands. So Carroll was going to keep that target in mind.
Witch 2 just looks confused, trying to draw Harvey back and out of range of the crazy man with a piece of wood - the Inner Circle was clear that they wanted to talk to Harvey before they killed them. "Where the hell did you come from?"]
Donna sent me.
["But wasn't she - "]
Not anymore.
[And he swings the two by four again (18 vs. 2), this time completely laying out the witch in question and forcing them to let go of Harvey.]
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Harvey grabs a different 2 x 4 from the pile, he may not be able to do much, but he can give them advantages.
He taps his piece of wood to Carroll's. )
Commodum.
( Giving them advantage for the next minute of combat. )
Okay. Let's do this.
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Witch 1 wrestles himself off the ground and goes to try and throw a spell at Carroll (9 vs. 19), but Carroll dodges it thanks to that shiny advantage Harvey gave him. He swings back in return (10 vs. 4) and slams him back into the dumpsters again.
Witch 2 takes a swing at Harvey, trying to re-grapple him (15), looking to try and regain some control of the situation.
Witch 3 is mostly just swarming, lobbing another spell at Carroll since he's not the one they care about (11 vs. 19), and Carroll manages to dodge it again, but is starting to feel the pinch.]
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Witch 1 starts to try and craft a spell again (6 vs. nat 20), but Carroll pushes the advantage and slams him back into the dumpster again, and Witch 1 drops to the ground, out cold. Carroll then turns on Witch 3 (19 vs. 10), swinging and catching the witch on the shoulder, trying to render one arm useless.
Witch 2 tries to throw a binding spell at Harvey (5), but he's still winded so he can't quite get the words out right unless Harvey rolls real bad.
Witch 3 turns his focus on Carroll, feeling less precious about this no one who's interrupting their plan (1 vs. 18), but Carroll, again, slams the two by four into his shoulder and there's the snap! of breaking bone as he manages to hit it just right, and one arm hangs useless.]
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