everyonelives | for the rest of us death will be a relief

[Elton sets his jaw, before shrugging.]

I may not have survived yet. They may still come after me, which is why I'm here. Figured better to be somewhere where I know I'll have backup. But if you'd rather I go, I can find somewhere else to lay low.

I thought the prom -- court were taken care of?

( This is a weird metaphor. )

Don't go anywhere. We just got you back. Do you want me to involve your mom?

The court was taken care of. The other prom dresses may still have it in for me. David Gainor is ... terrifying.

[And it was his husband Elton stabbed in the back.

But at the mention of his mother he shakes his head.]

Absolutely fucking not. I just ... I don't want you guys to get caught in the crossfire.

You're lumping Ezra in with the prom dresses?

( Just so it's clear. )

You don't even know if there's going to be crossfire. You didn't stick around long enough for the dust to even settle, did you? What exactly happened. You kidnapped Ezra, were a party to whatever... attempt was made on their bodies and yours?

[He takes a deep breath and sighs.]

Avery died and after I took care of the witches who came for us, I knew this was about the Gauntlet, and the coven - the Colony had means of getting around the natural order so I thought maybe if I won, then I could bring him back. So I went and presented myself as a viable candidate, and they said if I brought in Ezra, I would be ascended to the Inner Circle and have access to whatever power I wanted.

[And that, naturally, was bullshit.]

We got pretty far through the motions before I heard that they had taken the Petrova Doppelganger. Which probably was their first mistake, because the Petrova Doppelganger is currently keeping company with a Winchester so naturally the Winchesters came, bringing Stefan Salvatore and Elijah Mikaelson and after that it was a bloodbath.

[He scrubs a hand over his face.]

Max - my ... ascension partner, I guess - and Ezra both got stabbed, but the Inner Circle was on the ropes too so I had to make a choice. And I chose to help the Max and the rest. Enough for them to get healed by one of the vampires present, and get the upper hand on David's parents. And once they all were dead, I just slipped out while they weren't paying attention. But if that wasn't enough and they're still missed at me, they may come looking.

And the Inner Circle let that fallacy circulate, because people like you took to it.

( Sisters get commentary privileges. )

You were in the middle of all the heavy hitters. And, technically, on the wrong side of that war.

( Semantics. )

Because the ascension didn't result in someone taking your body - if I haven't said it yet, I'm happy you still have it - you survived. Can you explain to me the partner part? You betrayed Ezra - whose partner was - David?

David is Ezra's husband, they got married years ago.

[He's not going to call Max his husband, he's not going to call Max his husband, he's not -]

They paired us off, because the Inner Circle witches that were remaining were all couples. Since the David and Ezra were already a couple and Max's sister already had a girlfriend, they did pair the spares with me and Max.

Paired the spares? Very The Crown. ( Wait a second. ) Elton.

( She's suddenly feeling like taking the bottle away was a bad move because now she wants it. She wants all the alcohol. Because her boyfriend coming back to life is one thing, running her father's empire, all well and good, but did she miss her brother's wedding? )

No.

[He's not calling it that, even if that's what it is. This is like the mystical version of a magical wedding in Vegas and he's not acknowledging it as such. At all.]

It's just ... no. I'm not calling it that.

Well, call it something. Because, from what you're telling me, you are now bound to a very powerful witch whose other powerful witch friends may be coming to find you. ( He holds up two fingers. ) They have two pair. And only enough for a hand of poker. Do you even know what it means?

They weren't exactly forthcoming on the details.

[His fingers flex around the glass.]

And our portion of the ceremony was interrupted so maybe it didn't take.

Maybe, but you ran away from the only people you could ask. Probably. I could do a little digging in the meantime. Put some feelers out.

( Maybe ask his mom without involving him. )

In the meantime, you need to get some sleep. Do you want your usual room?

[He isn't sure he trusts any of them which is also part of the problem. But that's probably a better problem for an Elton who's had some sleep.]

Yeah, if that's okay.

[He knows he hasn't been the most reliable lately, but he would rather sleep somewhere he feels safe. He stands a higher chance of actually getting sleep that way.]

Done.

( She lets the moment drag on before she leans over again, grabbing the bottle and her glass this time, filling her own and then his. )

Lucas' parents were brought in to help with your future prom dresses. Not them, specifically, but other members. Your bodies weren't the only ones on the line. Because they were involved, he was returned to them, along with another girl's parents. Dean Winchester has a girlfriend, apparently, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Yeah. It's Elena fucking Gilbert.

[He caught a quick glimpse of them having a moment as he was making his way you. He reaches for his freshly filled drink and tips his head to the side.]

Do you think putting two death magnets together actually reverses the process?

[That's mostly sarcasm, but also given precedent maybe it's a little true.]

I believe that ancient witches have strange senses of humor.

( And a lot of failsafes. )

Fucking Elena Gilbert. How do you know about her?

She's the Petrova Doppelganger and you've met my mother. Even if she was never going to use her for anything, she likes having information.

[Or at least he hopes that his mother doesn't have any plans involving doppelganger blood. Not after how this evening went for the Inner Circle.]

Her and Katherine Pierce have been floating around for a while.

[A beat.]

Unless you mean how do I know about her and Dean, and it's because he's the knight in shining armor who rode to her rescue.

Yeah. The latter.

( But, good to know his mother has one eye on her. )

Elena Gilbert was invited to prom?

Elena Gilbert was the ... prom crown?

[Is there a proper comparison that fits with this analogy.]

She was the upgrade to the ascension ceremony. Her blood was part of the spell that wasn't just going to allow them to highjack our bodies but also make us immortal in the process.

Ah, the piéce de resistance.

( She smirks, shaking her head. )

And Dean Winchester, naturally, brought his brother and who knows who else because when you go after one of them...

His brother, Elena's brother, I want to say Allison Argent?

[It looked like Allison Argent, so he doesn't really know her.]

And then throw in Stefan Salvatore and Elijah Mikaelson for good measure.

They really have friends in high places. The Argents working with the Winchesters now. I heard there were sightings of each of them in New Orleans, but they weren't reported being together.

( Maybe that was deliberate on their part. )

Well, Stefan Salvatore, because of the obvious. Elijah signals that Dean Winchester has finally gotten over his Bela grudge. Also, that he knows Bela's even alive.

At this point, I want to know who wasn't there.

Actually, I think Bela was there on other business.

[She seemed to have an in with David Gainor, though what is yet to be determined.]

That may have just been a coincidence.

Your wedding was a regular who's who. Was Elena Gilbert on the groom's side or the groom's side?

( Give her just a little more ribbing time and then they'll get down to it. Also, he's so tense. He needs a smile. )

It wasn't a wedding.

[There's barely any fight in that, but he's not calling it that, he won't. Even if it absolutely one hundred percent was.]

And she wasn't there.

[So he doesn't know.]

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