because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

Comments

[affronting]

A party is as important as its' guest list, and ours was unmatched. ( Thanks, Stefan, you're a real one for coming. Even after - everything. ) Little did I know my bride-to-be had a family that could even rival my own.

( He liked them, though. Her aunts were quite the characters. And all the brothers were -- well, they were all on their best behavior, weren't they? )

[bravebartender]

It's true. I have a lot of cousins.

[She pauses, then she brightens.]

I think you know one of them actually. Beck Ford?

[attainathons]

You're Beck's cousin! So, you're who we have to thank for Lindsay's pre-wedding relocation. So - you used to be the leader of the human faction, then.

( Which, if she connects the dots, means Cami no longer can be. Unless her wires were crossed. Her vampire senses are going pretty haywire, but in a totally normal way. She is one, right? )

[bravebartender]

Yeah. Well, the factions were more nebulously defined when I was still human, but my uncle did a lot of work looking after the human portion of New Orleans. I took it up after he died, and when I got turned we had a local friend who took my place. But he recently passed, and I wanted to keep it in the family.

[Beck seemed like the best choice, and she's really glad that he stepped up to take it.]

[attainathons]

Your - big family. Cousins, everywhere, it sounds like.

( "Not as spread out as some," Klaus says. "Some in New York, London, Ireland of course. And now, here, with us. We're going to take great care of him." It sounds a little more menacing as intended. )

[bravebartender]

Colm started at Tulane last year. Klaus has been very tolerant of when he chooses to sleep on our couch.

[Stop being menacing about Beck please.]

But we're sure that the spot will be in good hands with Beck.

[affronting]

He'd earn a bedroom if he hadn't pouted his way into keeping a drum kit here.

( Klaus doesn't hate it, his drums just need an ensemble. He should be in a band. He's suggested it one or ten times.

"Me, too. And Lindsay will be great behind the scenes. She has a good head on her shoulders and oh, do you need a sheriff? Or, I guess. A mayor? Mayoral-type? Or like a ward...en?"

That's not what they call it, right? )

[bravebartender]

Sheriff is more for the parish than New Orleans proper but we do have a police force. I'm sure after the wedding is planned, she'll have plenty of ways to keep herself busy.

[Because for the moment, the wedding is very much the focus, and Cami supports that.]

[attainathons]

And, if that falls through, everything's coming up slaying.

( Like, always. She will have to think about a new headquarters, eventually. )

[somanyadjectives]

["Options are always a good thing."

Though hopefully she won't have to do too much slaying. The various members of the factions might not take well to that if Lindsay is slaying carelessly.

Stefan takes a sip of his drink before leaning forward.]

Just out of curiosity, Klaus, have you ever heard of someone called the Arbiter?

[affronting]

( Buffy's slaying in this case is more administration. Training. Maybe setting something up. Supernatural's pretty beefy here, wouldn't be a bad idea to bring some girls with strength behind them. Even things out.

Klaus looks thoughtfully at his old friend, shaking his head. )

I can't say that I have, you haven't dragged them into town after you, have you? Buffy's here to soften the blow...

( "Buffy's just here for Hello's and an alibi." And curiosity. "Possibly regarding the arbiter if he's called. It's a him. Ancient man in a suit. Well-coiffed and very serious. Ancient order. Possibly very dangerous. But, no, not dragging him along behind us like toilet paper on our shoe." )

[somanyadjectives]

One of the witches we were working with said he's some kind of supernatural judge? That he manages disputes between different groups.

[Stefan pauses, before teasing.]

I figured if there was someone who had pissed off someone enough to take him to Supernatural Night Court, it was probably you.

[affronting]

Oh, the cleverness of you.

( He hasn't. )

But, we both know I strike with purpose, and rarely shirk the responsibility. It sounds like you're looking for people who think they've gotten away with their misdeeds.

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan gives a small shrug.]

The guy we talked to has been dealing with a pretty nasty curse. His encounter with him didn't go his way. And the only other person who has experience with them is having a hard time remembering it.

[Cami raises an eyebrow. "Selective amnesia?"]

Apparently if you're only called as a witness, you don't get the pleasure of remembering the experience.

[affronting]

( Klaus does know Russell DeBrande, but Stefan stays vague and there are plenty cursed. )

Funny, you'd think they'd develop that for jury duty, all these years later.

[bravebartender]

I think that'd be a pretty powerful piece of compulsion.

[And speaking as someone who's been under a compulsion where she could only sometimes remember things, this does feel a little extreme.]

Did this guy have a name or something?

[Stefan shakes his head. "Not that we know. Rusty just called him the Arbiter."]

[attainathons]

Demons, or whatever he is, like that are too important for names. But, I bet there's record of him somewhere. Maybe under a different name altogether.

( A creature like that probably has gone by many names. )

[bravebartender]

Faerie has a thing about names, don't they?

[Stefan's brow furrows as he takes in that statement. "Do they? I can't say I've come across a lot."

Cami shrugs in response.]

I'm Irish with a very Irish family. I guess Celtic lore is the stuff I was raised with.

[attainathons]

( Both Buffy and Klaus roll low, so despite Brandon having full name knowledge amid the fae, neither of them do. )

Then please share with the entire class. Why do they go all Destiny's Child about names?

[bravebartender]

Well, they say that giving something your true name gives them power over you. So the fae usually hide their true identities in titles and honorifics and never really had out their real ones.

[Cami gives a small shrug.]

It's also why faerie do a lot of bargaining for names - or at least that's what the stories say.

[affronting]

( "Maybe he's got one then and we just have to find it," Buffy posits, a small plan forming. She hates the research part. Maybe she can put Dawn on it...

As Klaus speaks, she pulls out her phone from her purse.

Do me a favor? Got any time to do a little fae recon? Everything you can find on someone called The Arbiter. I'll explain later.

Also, love you. )

As fun as that sounds, I'll choose to stay off this arbiter's radar.

[bravebartender]

I agree. No matter what stories you heard, anything faerie is bad news.

[Shortly after, Buffy receives: Fortunately for you, I am currently in the secret warehouse of supernatural research with nothing to do but read. I'll let you know what I find.

Love you too. ❤️

Stefan shakes his head. "I have a feeling we're not going to be so lucky. But we'll be careful."]

[attainathons]

Dawnie's on it.

( She sets her phone back into her purse. )

Look, if we end up in its' crosshairs, then we beat its' system. Do the witness thing.

[somanyadjectives]

I think my concern is that we won't simply be witnesses. We'll be the ones being arbitrated.

[And they don't know what the scale of punishment looks like.]

[attainathons]

Then we arbitrate right back. They cast the first stone. People countersue all the time. Sue back? Resue?

( YOU KNOW WHAT SHE MEANS. )