because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

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[thefaxwhisperer]

Chair Olympics are not going to kill me.

[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.

[relationshipstatus]

Publicly. In broad daylight. Around people.

( 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.

[thefaxwhisperer]

You just watched your office crush bleed into my mouth and it bring me back to life, and you want to tell me I'm not a vampire?

[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.]

[relationshipstatus]

Okay, point. ( A beat. ) Office crush? I --

( 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?

[thefaxwhisperer]

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.]

[relationshipstatus]

I'd amend 'what,' to 'everything,' to your briefing.

( There isn't one thing he thinks Donna is incapable of. Perceiving how he feels about someone in the office. Apparently, living forever. )

Selectively editing? You could make me forget it? All?

[thefaxwhisperer]

It's called compulsion. I don't like to do it, but ... if there's a threat to keeping our existence under the radar, sometimes it's better to just let people go back to their lives before.

[Sometimes it's better not to be aware of the world around you, not if you can help it.]

But the more I have to compel away, the more complicated it is. So ... this is a serious choice. If you're in, you're going to be in. And you're going to have to live with that.

[relationshipstatus]

I'm in.

( He doesn't have to think long and hard. He'd become accustomed to the darkness, to the grays. He hopes this doesn't inch him back in the direction of jail, but he does like when the wool isn't pulled over his eyes. He always does better with all the information. )

What can I do to help right now?

[thefaxwhisperer]

Right now ...

[Well, right now is complicated. She rolls over to her computer and brings up the cameras outside of the building (her friends in IT continue to be her advantage) and she flips through the scenes until she finds where the fight is happening in the alley. Two witches down, one situation with Harvey in limbo, and Carroll barreling towards the last witch standing with a 2x4.]

Right now, maybe Carroll has things under control?

[relationshipstatus]

With the witches after Harvey.

( To reiterate. )

Guess I'll - hang back here. Something tell me I won't be able to concentrate on my research. So. Maybe, indulge me in a few more questions?

[thefaxwhisperer]

Fire away. There's a couple of things you need to know to boot.

[Vervain, not inviting randos in, etc, she will cover the general supernatural safety points while they wait for Carroll and Henry to return.]

[relationshipstatus]

( And after the rundown of the basics, he's hung up on the lack of privacy. )

So, you're saying vampires can hear everything. Say I had a private conversation with a client in my shared office behind closed doors, but a vampire walks by. He or she can hear everything?

[thefaxwhisperer]

Here? No. Most of the private offices and conference rooms are soundproofed. Jessica takes attorney-client privacy very seriously. But other places like a police station or the DA's office? Maybe.

[She hasn't checked lately if there's any new vamps in the DA's office. The last one she heard got bored and decided to find a different way to spent their time.]

Though that's not just vampires, that also includes things like werewolves and -

[Her voice cuts off when the door to her office opens, and Carroll helps guide Harvey inside and to a seat. "So that was thrilling, though not quite sure what we're going to do with the unconscious bodies in the alley?"]

If they're not already gone by the time we're done here, I'll take care of it.

[She glances over to Harvey.]

You alright?

[relationshipstatus]

Werewolves?

( They're interrupted by Carroll and Harvey.

Not knowing what to do, Connor hovers, not moving closer, but wanting to. They both look like they're in one piece. And not like they left some unconscious bodies behind. )

Just like that, you're going to... get rid of the bodies?

( It's so not that easy?

He leaves that alone to turn to Carroll and Harvey. )

Yeah, she said witches came after you.

( "They tried and failed. I'm fine. Carroll has a great swing. Remind me to book us for the batting cages. Also, no excuses this year for the firm's softball game."

[practicallyinvisible]

People are a lot easier to hit than a softball.

[Stating the obvious.

He moves to sit in one of the nearby chairs and turns his attention to Donna.]

You alright?

["I'm fine. I am curious though. You often running around waving bloody wrists in front of desiccated corpses?"

That makes him shrink a bit in his seat. Which is impressive because he is incredibly tall.]

Figured it was better than leaving you there?

[relationshipstatus]

That was quick thinking.

( How Carroll fits into all of this, he doesn't know, but he does prefer to be read in, over not knowing the truth. )

So, you have experience with witches and vampires.

[practicallyinvisible]

Kinda.

[A beat.]

My mother and brother are Watchers.

[Donna nods, because that makes sense. Then her eyes widen as she turns to face him. "And you bled in my mouth?"

Carroll shrugs awkwardly.]

You're Donna.

["I'm a vampire."]

But you're not one of the soulless ones, which are the real problem. And you're not one of the gross ones with too many teeth that are like a virus. And I'm on vervain so if you were using us all for juice boxes and compelling it away I would have figured it out by now.

[He shrugs.]

You're Donna. You've never given me a reason not to trust you.

[Donna looks touched, briefly, before wrinkling her nose. "Those other ones really do have too many teeth, done they."

Carroll nods.]

All in the gums too.

[relationshipstatus]

I'm hearing we're staying away from the ones with the gums. And that I think I need vervain. ( To Donna. ) ...No offense.

[practicallyinvisible]

["None taken. You should be."

Donna will never tell anyone not to protect themselves from vampires. It's how she wound up actually being one.

Carroll glances over and raises an eyebrow at Connor.]

So you're staying in this then?

[relationshipstatus]

First time I ended up in the middle of something like this, I had no choice in staying in it, I thought for a change I'd make one. I'm not going anywhere.

( He's finally back on an upswing. And while there's more carnage and unconscious (but not dead, right?) bodies, he can handle it better. And this is not his professor's crazy husband. This is much more macro. He can do macro. )

As long as I'm not at the center of it.

[beanchaointe]

[Carroll thinks they're unconscious? He didn't actually check. Whoops. But they were going to kill Harvey so fair is fair, right?

"Can't make any promises there, but we can try to keep you off their radar." Hopefully he'll be smart about it, which is all really Donna can hope for. She's about to pull back to the monitor to take another look at the situation when there's a third, unexpected voice coming from the door to Donna's office:]

What the hell happened?

[Lydia is here for a date. She had slowed her progress to the building when she saw the hubbub happening in the alley next door and hoped that her date wasn't going to actually be involved, but given the look of him, she's guessing she's not that lucky tonight.]

[rehire]

( "I'm not the one who ran after them," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. That's Carroll's albatross. )

You should see the other guys. I think one of them tried to put me to sleep. The Benadryl's still working its' way out of my system. ( A beat. ) It's 6, isn't it?

[beanchaointe]

It is, but the reservation isn't until seven-thirty, and I can cancel it.

[It seems like a to-go order and a night in might be more on their agenda, but that's fine. She's more concerned about the proverbial other guys. She glances over at Donna.]

Was it who I'm thinking it was?

["That's the working theory."]

Really wish David would hurry up and finish this already.

[Which translates to "kill them already" but they're in mixed company. She's met Carroll already (nat 20), and she definitely recognizes Connor, but she doesn't remember actually meeting him (19).

She'll figure that out later.]

[relationshipstatus]

Connor Walsh.

( He offers a hand. She's got great fashion, is dressed impeccably and - is dating one of his mentors. He should meet her, right? )

Who's David?

( "I don't have time for this," he says, a little dizzy as he tries to push himself up to his feet. )

[beanchaointe]

Lydia Martin.

[She does go to shake his hand, but Harvey swaying distracts her and his hands move to steady him instead. She looks concerned, but she can understand why he might not be in the mood for clarifying questions.

She glances over to Donna, and the other redhead nods. "Go. I can handle this."

Lydia nods.]

C'mon. Let's get you home.