because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

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[rehire]

Lydia, we have a date tonight.

( But, he's not fighting her arm around him. It's unbecoming and not masculine, but his brain's also a little scrambled. Maybe he just needs a nap?

"I can help," Connor says. "Get him home." Four arms are probably better than two? )

Connor, you're not coming home with me tonight, Carroll, Donna, Connor will take over where I left off. You want in the big leagues, you got it. You need to learn to take the witches with the law. So, more law for you.

[beanchaointe]

[Lydia also raises an eyebrow in response to Connor essentially inviting himself on their date, but Harvey shuts it down, and she won't add insult to injury. Instead she'll just tuck herself into his side, and steer them towards he door.]

Oh, we're still having one.

[Just likely not the one they originally planned. But personally, she doesn't feel too safe in public given that Harvey was just attacked. So they drop by his office to get anything that needs to leave the office with him and head down to the car where Ray is waiting. Once they're both settled in the back seat, she glances over to him.]

We could go back to my place, if you'd rather have a change of scenery.

[It's smaller and cozier than his apartment, but still tastefully decorated.]

But if you're getting targeted, maybe we shouldn't be in public.

[rehire]

I hear the same idea, twice. And when have I ever hated privacy.

( So, yes, Lydia. Again, little bit dazed, but mostly kinda - you're pretty as his hand sort of, runs down her face. (2) is really keeping him into lethargy-town. )

I like you a lot.

[beanchaointe]

[The dopey-ness does make her smile, as she reaches up and brushes her thumb against the back of his hand.]

Oh, that spell got you good.

[She's teasing, but she won't leave him hanging in the lurch.]

I like you a lot too.

[rehire]

Donna's okay. I don't know what I'd do if Donna weren't. Also, my paralegal is watcher royalty. And my most important client is performing a final assault against his oppressive parents who want his body. For themselves. And I need to go to Paris.

( Sorry, Lydia. It's all kind of garbling out. )

[beanchaointe]

[Lydia listens to that ramble and decides to start with the least complicated thing and work her way up.]

You have to go to Paris?

[If it's work that would be a bummer, but if it's for fun then maybe Lydia could tag along. She hopes she could tag along. Harvey better not be running off to one of the most romantic cities in the world to meet with another woman.

(She doesn't think he is, but it's still a thought that crosses her mind.)]

[rehire]

The key to ending the Colony's reign is in Paris. David gave me the instructions, Ezra paid Donna an end of the line visit, and Jo called in the chip.

( He gives her a lopsided smile. )

I want you to come to Paris with me. My only part is leading the horse to water. They can drink without me.

[beanchaointe]

I would love to go to Paris with you.

[If for no other reason than to make sure he makes it to the meeting where he's leading said horse. It could be helpful to have someone who can blow out people's eardrums for fun.]

How long should I pack for?

[rehire]

Let's take the week. I do my part, and then we go to the South of France. Go off grid.

( Romantically and away from witches that might target him. )

Jessica won't blame me once she learns what happened. Not that I want Jessica to know three witches got the drop on me, but. Most of the senior associates are going to ground, anyway. Being a lawyer to anyone right now.

[beanchaointe]

Besides, it's the holidays. Do things slow down in the legal world?

[She feels like they do almost everywhere else, but maybe that's because it's when everyone decides to sue everyone else.]

[rehire]

They do if I say they do.

( Or, his associates will work doubly hard and he'll take calls or emails "here" or "there." )

[beanchaointe]

Then I think Jessica should be fine.

[She lets that settle for a moment, before glancing back at him.]

Are you worried about David? I know he's a client, but ... you've been pretty involved in this project.

[Is she dancing around that David might not be just a client and might also be Harvey's friend? Maybe.]

[rehire]

Jessica will understand. I haven't taken a real vacation in over a decade.

( Maybe, it's the magic wearing off, or the connection he has with Lydia that's steadily built. But, he looks down at his hands, then out the limo window, and back. )

David's a friend of mine. An old one, and this is as bad as it gets for him and his husband. If they don't come back from this, my portfolio's going to look a lot different.

[practicallyinvisible]

[They let Harvey and Lydia shuffle out and Donna gives a final closing remarks, before shooing them from her office so she can begin damage control. Carroll does as he's old, but since it is end of business...]

You probably could use a drink, yeah?

[relationshipstatus]

( He has like, four more hours of work tonight. But, when has a lawyer ever not taken an hour or three between. )

I'm going to be at this all night. I'll take the drink. If you're offering.

( He can also pay. )

[practicallyinvisible]

[He nods, before tipping his head to the side to head towards the door.]

C'mon. I know a place.

[And take them to a place he does, a quiet little bar not far from the office which is less frequented by young professionals, which means it's quiet enough that they can talk without being overheard or drowned out. After they have their drinks and are tucked in a back booth, Carroll takes a deep breath.]

So. Got any more questions Donna didn't get to?

[relationshipstatus]

( Connor likes this side of Carroll. Knowledgable. Take charge. Quiet, but there are things brewing under the surface. He kind of always knew something was under there, but not what. He also has Donna's words in the back of his mind.

Man, old Connor would have this guys' legs up over his head by now. His phone vibrates in his pocket. Probably some guy on Humpr. But, he's fine right here. )

I don't think I'll ever stop having questions. And, I'm kind of surprised I haven't encountered any of this until now. ( he is questioning Eve's ethereal, timeless beauty now, though. maybe she was a vampire. ) I guess, if you come from this outlandish, monsters and magic are real kind of a childhood, why'd you settle for being a paralegal?

[practicallyinvisible]

Who says I settled?

[He leans back in the booth, running his finger around the rim of his drink.]

I like the law. I was always really good at writing those persuasive essays, you know? If I had the time to sit down and pull my citations and write it all down, I could always make my case. Problem is, I'm shit on my feet. I have an eidetic memory, but I'm not like Mike Ross where I can just pull it out my ass at a moment's notice. It's like ... I have to go in and dig through the file cabinet to find what I'm looking for. It takes time and you can't just stand there and think when you're in court.

[Personality-wise, being a full lawyer was never going to fit.]

Paralegal is the best of both worlds. I can use all the law knowledge I have an make the arguments when writing the brief but I don't have to make an ass of myself actually arguing it.

[relationshipstatus]

Nobody's Mike Ross.

( And, besides, he was infamous. Almost disgraced the law altogether. But now, saving the Earth one case at a time. )

I don't know, I couldn't see you making an ass out of yourself. ( He'd have to say something to do it. ) So, is your -- file cabinet digging, is that - magic? Is Mike Ross magic?

[practicallyinvisible]

As far as I'm aware, Mike Ross is not magic.

[Carroll on the other hand ... well, he might be a little more complicated.]

I'm not a witch, but it is a ... power. I got it when I turned twenty. I have the eidetic memory, but the downside is the file cabinet. Everyone in my family has one. We're not really sure where it came from.

[Though maybe they should probably figure that out.]

[relationshipstatus]

Everyone in your family has their own filing cabinet?

( Of powers? With power? He's rapt with attention, though. )

[practicallyinvisible]

Power. Not all of them are filing cabinets, but they all have their own downsides.

[He's not going to lay them all out, as they're not his secret to tell. Especially since Connor is going to be meeting all of them in about six months.]

[relationshipstatus]

With power. If there's one thing I learned, not everything has an upside.

( Sometimes upsides aren't worth it. Or apparent. Besides immediate gratification and anything HUMPR related. There are strings to family, to friends, to decisions, to believing in people. And limits. Love doesn't solve everything. )

You can search for it, find what good you can, sometimes it's all just bad. I'm guessing your brothers' powers, like everything else, have the good and the bad.

[practicallyinvisible]

[Carroll nods.]

And they're parlor tricks, in the grand scheme of things, really.

[Except for Cal's which is a bit messier, but again, they're not getting specific. For his brother's privacy and not because he has a sense that Connor might be intrigued and that's not a thought he needs.

Ever.

And not because he's jealous. Because he's not.]

Anyway, Beck's the only one who actually followed in Ma's footsteps deals with the supernatural on a regular basis. The rest of us are normal people. We just happen to know more than the average person about what's out there.

[relationshipstatus]

So, not normal. As much as you want to be. ( Something else he knows about. ) Normal's overrated. And, once you surpass it, you don't really go back. I know why you would want to. I tried. Multiple times. Find the good. Find normal.