because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

Comments

[maleficum]

[George does not notice (3), too caught up in things to do.

"He's going to kill her, of course."

Because that is the way they resolve problems in the Colony. She's over five hundred years old. That's a long enough life.

They fortunately find John Gainor in the place Max needs to go, and Max is shuffled off to get fitted for his suit. "How's our doppelganger doing?"

"Small problem. As I thought, having two human doppelgangers is wreaking havoc with the magic. The power is trying to divert between the two of them."

"Ah." John sighs, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and placing it to his ear. "Rooney? Are you still watching Jericho? ... And is Katherine Pierce still with him? ... Good. Would you be so kind as to kill them both? Thank you. Call back when it's done."

He hangs up the phone and glances over as his son-in-law wanders in as that order is given. "Something wrong, Ezra?"]

[praevaricatio]

( He's not in a tux and tails, he's only attending the wedding. He was sent here as an errand boy. He had to be retrieved, so his (1) at not reacting to hearing Katherine's name shouldn't be a surprise, he hopes. He should they be reacting to any of this. )

You're just killing two people. Like you're ordering lunch. It's fine. I was told you might need something?

[maleficum]

[John ignores his comment about killing people. Ezra should know well enough by now. He's been married to his son for how long?

"Yes. Elton needs someone to stand as witness for the hand fasting. I know it's a bit in poor taste, but you're the one who knows him best out of everyone here, so I was hoping that would be you. The twins are standing for each other, and David is standing for Sierra."]

[praevaricatio]

Sure.

( Why not bear witness to his ex's forced marriage to someone he shares a mutual dislike with. Before both of them are erased entirely. If they don't succeed in any of this. )

What's a little poor taste in the face of ascending to a higher echelon.

[maleficum]

["Glad to see you understand."

Any glibness is taken as sincerity, because what choice does Ezra have. John pushes up, clapping his son-in-law on the shoulder before smiling.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it will be relatively painless."]

[praevaricatio]

I have a high pain tolerance. ( He shrugs. ) It was your choice to go to my ex. I married your son. He's the horse in my race. I just hope Max knows what he's getting into.

[maleficum]

["Oh, my dear son-in-law. He came to us."

Elton wasn't even on their radar until he put himself on their front door, demanding buy in to the main event.

"He decided to betray you all on his own."]

[praevaricatio]

Desperate measures. You know he took me before I good get my suit back from the tailor's. Lucky me, you're so well-stocked.

( Snark aside, he still sees how sinister his husband's father is. )

I shouldn't warn Elton there's a 45% chance he might be possessed tonight, should I?

[maleficum]

[He shrugs. "You could certainly try. I suppose it's simply a matter of whether or not he believes you."

It's too late for them to do anything about it now. They're already inside the mouse trap, and it's closed over their heads.]

[praevaricatio]

( He gently reminds himself he almost played his hand, but both his father-in-law and him remember his son, David, possessed. )

Or if he cares.

( He seemed to not. )

Power. ( Corrupts. Absolutely. It's a cliché. ) Anything else you need from me, or --

[maleficum]

["No, no. Go. The first ceremony will be starting in two hours."

The first being the girls, given that they're the ones with the actual relationship.]

[praevaricatio]

Okay. I love being shuffled around. I guess I'll go... be a best man.

( They're keeping him and David separated, because of course they are, but, he has access to the guy he never needed to see again.

Across the hall, Sierra comes out from behind a dressing partition. The dress is not of her taste. The woman she's marrying is, but under the circumstances? No. She locks eyes with David in the mirror.

"Hard to believe they've finally come around to us." )

[maleficum]

[David scrubs a hand over his face, before shaking his head.]

I think they knew that if they tried to marry you to Max, Jaqueline would murder them.

[All of them. Quickly and brutally. And they're trying to appease the children before they effectively kill them, not make things worse.]

Besides, Max was always his parents' favorite. They'd rather get rid of Jaq then get rid of him.

[ostensively]

And we are in endgame. Why not give us the illusion we're getting everything we've ever dreamed of.

( It's anything but.

She turns away from the mirror and takes a seat next to David. She sips from her untouched champagne. It's a "celebration" after all. )

They're getting rid of us all, aren't they? And, Elton?

[gambled_ourmistakes]

[It's been a long few months on the road, and Damian is feeling the exhaustion. He's not made for running, and it's become more and more clear, with the way that they can't seem to settle for more than a day or two anywhere at this point without Rowena's early-warning system going off.

They've managed to stay ahead of it as best they can, and part of him is starting to wonder if they're simply toying with him, but he's too tired to think it through now. Instead he just drops himself onto the edge of the bed and rubs a hand over his face.]

You know, I'm starting to admire more and more the five hundred years you managed to stay ahead of Klaus. I don't know how many more months I can keep doing this. Hopefully this business is settled soon.

[shreds]

I didn't spend 500 years with a periscope pointed at me.

( She's planted by the window, peering out of the drawn curtains. Being on the run now leaves her no time to really relax. She gets a few hours sleep in when she can. They take turns and rarely come together. One of them has to always be alert.

This is nothing like being on the run as Katherine Pierce. She could fade into the background and stalk people with Klaus on her tail. Not that she didn't learn later in her life that he merely planted rumors of himself looking for her to go on his own run.

Pathetic. She still avoids him. Ignores everything about him. He has a daughter? That's right. She facilitated that.

It's water under his bridge and she has better things.

One other difference, she had an army of people at her beck and call thanks to compulsion. She doesn't have that here. She only has Damian. And he's fraying at the edges. )

I thought Kirsanov would have teamed up with one of the already dead witches, but I guess he's connected to the parent of an heir. ( She looks back at him. ) It'll be over soon. I feel it. They have until the solstice, right? Either way. The way I see it, it's good guys or bad. They're only chasing us because we destroyed their oldest friend's body.

[gambled_ourmistakes]

Chasing, but not catching. It's almost like they're toying with us.

[It has been months, and he's starting to wonder what the hold up is. Whether it's worth the effort to keep them scared but not to actually kill them. Maybe they didn't care that much about Kirsanov, but still.

What are they after?

He looks back up at her and nods.]

But you're right. It's not going to be much longer now.

[He pauses.]

When this is over, we should take a vacation.

[shreds]

Almost.

( Or, they are. She suspected it a few months back when she was able to time his sigil like clockwork to the day they'd arrive somewhere else. They always got at least two days, but never five. And, if they gave any remote signs of settling, his sigil would sound. Or, brighten.

She turns back to the window. )

Sun and sand or Italian villa?

[gambled_ourmistakes]

Both? Maybe one then the other?

[He glances up at her with a smirk, still feeling the exhaustion in his limbs.]

Right now, I'll take anything with a very large, very comfortable bed that doesn't have murderous witches lurking outside it.

[shreds]

Or, under it.

( Or, nearby in the closet.

She leaves the window, dropping down on her side of the bed, letting herself feel her own exhaustion. )

The Winchesters owe us. ( She cracks her neck. ) I'll take first watch. You need a few hours. You're starting to look how you feel. ( He's looked how he's felt for a week. But, this is her being nice. )

[gambled_ourmistakes]

[He winces.]

Can't have that now, can we?

[He starts to shed his outer layers, prepared to climb into that very tempting bed, when the brand on his arm begins to pulse. Briefly at first before beginning to pulse faster and faster, and as he turns to Katherine, he just barely catches the glint (12) of a sniper rifle in the distance.

He doesn't have time to react, he just quickly pulls Katherine to the ground (18), barely seconds before the glass shatters above them.]

[shreds]

( A bullet graze's Katherine's arm (11), but the adrenaline from being pulled down, saves her from the pain as the bedspread is riddled with bullets.

She pulls him down onto her, trying to flatten them both as she spots their bags across the room, one on the chair and one by the bureau.

Once the bullets cease, she lets go so he can roll off of her and stay low. )

I guess they're done toying with us. Were you hit?

( She seethes, bleeding a little on the carpet, but otherwise okay. )

[gambled_ourmistakes]

[He shakes his head.]

Only just barely. That's ... significantly more brutal than they've been in the past.

[He stays hovering just slightly over her, acting as a human shield as he reaches for the gun sitting on the table nearby. He pulls it down, checks the magazine, before pushing up and trying to take two shots at the sniper in the distance (3 vs. 18, 10 vs 11), one going wide and one glancing off the tree.]

They're too far away. I can't get a good lock on them.

[shreds]

Cover me so I can get to my bag?

( She waits for a second attempt from then, but continues to lie flat (nat 20 to not be hit). When he makes another attempt at shooting back, she quickly army crawls over to her bag. (18) for stealth. she pulls out her own gun, double checking her magazine. witch-killing bullets. she shoves it closed again, and pulls her self up as she leans by the window whose drapes are still closed.

after a second, she attempts her own shots: (13, 4) )

[gambled_ourmistakes]

[The second shot misses (19), but it's mostly because they did not see the first attack coming (1), and Katherine manages to catch the sniper between the eyes, and there's a distant thud! of the body dropping from a tree.

Damian peers out with a smirk.]

Nice shot.

[He then glances to the side and frowns.]

But there's some coming to the door.