because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

Comments

[tearhiseyesout]

["Good for you" feels too sarcastic and she doesn't want this to become that. She's possibly incapable of restraining her barbs on a good day.

She also doesn't want to barge in with what's actually bothering her either. Because she knows what Sierra will say, and it will only make things worse when she says no. So she'll transition to something more neutral.]

They're hiring Damian Jericho to go after David.

[ostensively]

( That's calculated. She remembers Damian's dealings with their families. They are all different, according to whom calls upon him, her parents always being the least severe. But, David's parents. Would they ask for him alive? )

Do they want him dead or do they want him back?

The rumors are that they had him possessed and lost control. Amateur work, if you ask me.

[tearhiseyesout]

They picked Jericho because they want him back alive.

[Damian Jericho does not do wetwork - not intentionally anyway. There's also the chance that the demon might have already gotten himself stabbed or worse. But for now, they're assuming that he is alive, and will remain that way.]

They still have no idea where he is. Seems the demon has warded himself against being re-summoned.

[ostensively]

If I were a demon, it's the first thing I'd do. That, and get as far away from where I was. They should look into distant ties. Maybe from our childhood. You remember those twins from California, from boarding school. That's where they should be looking. Personal ties he can exploit.

[tearhiseyesout]

Already tried that. There have been a lot of heads of other covens wandering in and out to answer delicately placed questions.

[They've maxed out the obvious choices and now are moving on to the less obvious ones.]

Wherever the demon wearing David is, he's far off the grid.

[ostensively]

Maybe he's finding himself.

How are your parents taking it? How's Maxie?

[tearhiseyesout]

They're fine.

[It's impossible for them to blame the disappearance of her fiancé on her, thankfully. Not when there's such concrete evidence of his family's mistake. But she can still feel the tension growing.

What will they do with Jaqueline without David to dispose of her onto?]

My mother says I should try and prepare for "new suitors."

[ostensively]

What does that entail? Cottillion?

[tearhiseyesout]

I would murder them and she knows it.

[Cotillion? Absolutely not.]

No, it's more a lot of "my dear old friend is coming to town and oh look, they have a son your age. Please dress nicely for dinner."

[ostensively]

Only sons? The antiquation continues.

[tearhiseyesout]

I think she just wants to be rid of me as expediently as possible. It's easier to push me off on a guy than it is on a woman.

And I think she still expects me to have children.

[To which Jaqueline's response is absolutely fucking not.]

[ostensively]

I don't know if expect is the right word there.

[tearhiseyesout]

[It's not, but it's what she feels comfortable couching herself in right now.]

Maybe not. But I would rather rip out my insides with a rusty knife than birth a child, so that's the world we're going to use.

[ostensively]

Then that's the watchword. You're surviving?

[tearhiseyesout]

More or less.

[And they're far enough in that the emotions don't feel as much like a heavy weight around her neck.]

I miss you.

[ostensively]

I miss you, too. Every day. In my bones.

I'm sorry I left like that. I should've included you. Been honest. I was terrified. To be honest, I'm still terrified.

[tearhiseyesout]

Have you found what you were looking for?

[Is it too much to hope that when she does, she'll come back?]

[ostensively]

I don't even know what that is anymore. Every time I find something

Maybe I was the broken one all along

Do they miss me?

[tearhiseyesout]

Your mom asks me a lot if I've heard from you. I tell her no.

[Aside from being mostly true, she doesn't want to be the one to carry their messages for them.]

Your dad's been in his lab a lot.

[ostensively]

Some things never change.

I should miss them.

I miss you.

[tearhiseyesout]

[She's not going to repeat her feelings. Instead, she'll divert from the things that she doesn't know how to handle.]

I'll let you know if there's any sign of David.

[ostensively]

Thank you. Breakfast time.

[tearhiseyesout]

[And it'll be a few more years before that news comes. Jaqueline will be slightly better at keeping in touch, if nothing else for a lack of someone to talk to. She moves out of her rooms at the compound, which affords her enough privacy to upgrade from text messages to phone calls.

But she still doesn't leave. Max holds her in place like a magnet, and she won't apologize for that.

But then they do find David - more specifically, Jaqueline finds David. She manages to get out of Damian Jericho that David was found and exorcised but naturally did not want to return to the coven that had him possessed in the first place. He also gave her a name: Ezra Adin. It doesn't take much to find David after that.

The problem with David coming back, again, is that Jaqueline is clearly not considered. Jaqueline's father is furious that the Gainors are allowing David to go through with what he considers a farce of a wedding, spitting in the face of the Melrouxs good grace. He takes it out on Jaqueline, as she is the one available, which leads to her being a little ... out of it at the wedding. Not incapacitated or unable to make her own decisions, but slightly shell-shocked.

It's for that reason that she almost thinks she's seeing things. Tucked back in a corner, there's an unfamiliar face that is also so incredibly familiar at the same time. As David and Ezra work through their vows, her eyes are in the woman in the back corner.

As they filter out to the reception, Jaq peels away from her brother and parents and wander through the crowd to find that woman. She follows her, up into the balcony of the rental space, to where it is quiet and they won't be seen, at least not right away, and asks the question she probably shouldn't ask, but will.]

Is it you?

[ostensively]

( Her hair has been dyed more auburn, but it's her. Under the sunglasses and all black, it's the woman she remembers.

Eventually, she gives up on finding David. She has to focus on herself. But, she finds even that's not enough. What she does realize is that once she stops trying, once she lets the universe come to her, things do fall into place. She makes friends she otherwise wouldn't. Allies she still has to this day. One ally keeps tabs where she needs, along with everything else they track.

Route-witches have several talents, only one of which is unlocking the cheat codes to get you somewhere faster. Another? Tracking.

She knows when David surfaces almost when Jacqueline does. Well, physically. She knows David has beaten the possession. That's the first thing. But not where or how.

And then there's a wedding. Someone loyal, someone still in the colony's employ reaches out. Knows about her friendship.

She can't not go.

Sierra doesn't look back as she's followed out and up the stairs, slipping behind the curtain of upstairs storage. There weren't enough guests for it to be treated like a balcony, or they'd be in full view right now. She turns back, taking off her sunglasses and her oversized hat. Her hair is different. Her lip is purple. But it's her. )

If you asked me, you dodged a bullet. He's always been his own brand of difficult.

( One she's loved in her own way. But, not one that would mesh well with Jaq. )

[tearhiseyesout]

[Jaqueline likely should have some kind of response to that. Should have a witty rejoinder to match Sierra's dry comments. But the fact that she's here drowns out everything else.

She's here, and Jaqueline is finally free.

She glances over the edge of the balcony, making sure that no one is focused on or following her, before stepping closer, closing the small distance between them, and kissing her deeply.]