for the rest of us death will be a relief

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, I heard.

[Hunters sleep light, even when they're not in a place where they have to. He scrubs at his face before pushing up.]

I'll grab my stuff.

[slavophile]

( He kisses Cooper's bare shoulder in thanks. )

I promise we'll both get sleep after. You got the silver and the holy water?

( He's up, going for his closet, because he will not go in just underwear. )

[positiveinfluence]

Yep.

[He holds up his flask as he finishes getting dressed. Silver flask with holy water and vervain and whiskey. Might as well cover all the bases.]

With all the weird going on, I'm sure it's fine. But better safe than sorry.

[slavophile]

Yeah, I don't think either of them are ghouls or zombies or a third thing, but, just in case we have the outliers here in Star City.

( Essentially, the same. Better safe, than sorry.

In the back of his car with Cooper, he speaks, scrolling the group chat. He has a patient driver, neither him nor Cooper should be driving at this hour. He doesn't use him often. He used him more before Cooper. It's still something he's working on. )

I do think I have my work cut out for me, because this is a lot of dead people, though.

[positiveinfluence]

Is there someone else you could tag in to help? I mean, maybe the Winchesters have their own resources.

[All the hunter fake IDs come from somewhere, sometimes the hunters themselves but sometimes there are people that they tap to help, if they can afford it.]

[slavophile]

That I'd trust to do it like me, my sister, and Zari, who's already in the group chat. ( He thinks hard. ) I don't deal in a fake ID network. The Winchesters might know somebody.

( He makes a good point, so William pulls up a direct line to Sam.

Have my hands full on the West Coast, do you and Dean know a guy or girl who are good with a legit fake? )

Maybe I'll get good news and only have the West coast contingent of drops to work on. Sorry I woke you.

[positiveinfluence]

[True to his word, Sam is not sleeping so William gets a response back fairly quickly: I can ask around. We mostly make ours and they don't have to stand up to much scrutiny.

But maybe some of the people there have a good connection.

Coop shakes his head.]

It's fine. Let's go see what we're dealing with.

[And off they will head to the hotel, where Melanie has set them up in her suite. Melanie has very specific needs when she travels, always has a suite with a kitchenette so that she can store her blood bags, as well as any alcohol she has on hand. She's mixed everyone a drink and ordered meals from the hotel restaurant and now they're all waiting for William and Mia to arrive.

Mia catches sight of her brother as she's moving towards the elevator and she pauses to wait.]

[slavophile]

I asked Sam if they have any help on their end. With identities.

( He will wait as she presses the elevator button. )

[blackstarred]

[Mia nods, because that makes sense.]

I can help too. I'm a little rusty, but I still remember how it all works.

[And either he or one of the Tarazis can doublecheck her work.]

[slavophile]

( She learned from the Tarazis and from William, rusty or not, she has a big lay up on anyone else. )

Let's just see what the situation is, then go from there. It's confirmed Bonnie's grandmother and Lorenzo are both dead?

[blackstarred]

Bonnie's grandmother yes.

[That, she knows. She can google, and Sheila has an obituary.]

I don't know about this Lorenzo guy.

[slavophile]

Nobody's sent up any flares or red flags, so I'm going into this friendly.

( And helpful. The elevator arrives and the three of them step on as he tries to stifle a yawn. )

Don't tell me what time it is.

[indurare]

["I won't," Mia smirks as she makes her way to the door and knocks.

A few minutes later, Melanie opens the door and she flashes them a smile.]

Mia, lovely to see you again. And this is your ... brother?

[There are two young men at her front door, not one, so she's not sure which of these young men Mia is actually related to. Mia helps her out by placing a hand on William's shoulder.

"This is William, that's his boyfriend Cooper."

Melanie nods, smile brightening.]

Melanie Hamilton. A pleasure to meet you both. Please, come in. We've all been having drinks in the lounge area.

[marinates]

( "What she said," William says, in go mode. He leaves the yawning in the hallway as he, his sister, and Cooper all shuffle into the impressive hotel room.

Enzo has been conversing with Sheila and enjoying Melanie's taste in spirits. During a proper refill, he grilled Wes about his relationship, what's his secret. Jay Michael seems pretty devoted.

Jay Michael stayed with Sheila, asking about the seventies, and then also... death, which felt tactless and he apologized for it before they got too into the subject.

William surveys the scene, recognizing Mickey as Enzo walks Wes back in. Peering around, William points first at Wes, but draws his finger to point at Enzo. He just looks more like - British vampire.

"Enzo," he says.

"In the flesh, so-to-speak. You must be our mysterious supplier. They speak highly of your work in false documentation," he says. )

[bennettblood]

["We were trained by the best," Mia says with a smile.]

And I'm Shelia.

[She gives a small wave over to the newcomers. Her eyes roam over to Coop.]

So if they're the tech experts, you are?

["Cooper. I'm here to do the uncomfortable hunter thing."

She doesn't seem bothered.]

It's fine. Part and parcel with coming back from the dead.

[She holds out her hand and Coop passes over the flask. Sheila's eyebrows go up.]

Much nicer than having to cut yourself.

[She takes a swig before making a face.]

I take it back. That is foul. Though, before you pass this to our friend, you may want to take the vervain out. He's supposed to be a vampire.

["Noted. I'll mix something fresh from the bar." He takes his flask back and goes to do just that.]

[marinates]

Much obliged.

( "Sheila, I'm William Queen. My sister, Mia. My boyfriend, Cooper. Once he confirms you're both you, we'll get started. I hear we need to get you on a plane today." As William speaks, he pulls out his equipment and sets up at the dining room table. Moving around, he plugs in his spare monitor and laptop.

Enzo meets Cooper halfway, his glass now empty, anyway.

"What's in this mixture that will ensure we are who we say we are?" he asks. Vervain, he assumed, considering Sheila's ask. )

[positiveinfluence]

Vervain for vampires, silver for shapeshifter or zombies, holy water for demons, and whiskey just to make it go down a little easier.

[He dumps and washes out the current contents of the silver flask in the kitchenette sink, before moving to the bar to mix all of it back together, minus the vervain as promised. Once done, he passes it back to Enzo.]

Any of the above you'll smoke or blister, or whatever kind of reaction.

[marinates]

I don't have trouble flying, so I'd rather not be incapacitated.

( But, he does as he's asked. He tips the glass, keeping a poker face going. Sheila is right. It is disgusting. Letting the rest swish back, he holds the glass back out. )

That swill.

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, it's gross. But look at that. You pass. Everyone's what they're supposed to be.

[Melanie raises an eyebrow with a smirk. "With flying colors it seems." She pauses, then turns back to William. "So what do we need to get our recently resurrected friends where they need to go?"]

[marinates]

As opposed to -- ?

( What was he supposed to be? Back wrong? Back differently?

William unpacks another bag he'd slung over his shoulder, pulling out a camera."Blank backdrop?")

[positiveinfluence]

A shapeshifter that's stolen your face and is pretending to be you. Or, alternatively, a zombie who hasn't started to get a hankering for the taste of human flesh yet. There's also a chance that a demon could have possessed your dead body and is wearing it around for fun.

[The world is a messy, gross place.

Melanie pauses for a moment, before tipping her head to the side. "The bedroom has a clean white wall without any furniture. Would that do?"]

[slavophile]

( "Demon," Enzo repeats.

William turns toward her, nodding, before checking with the room, because isn't Enzo a vampire? He hasn't been paying all that much attention. Does JM have a reflection? )

That should do nicely. Does... Enzo show up in pictures?

[positiveinfluence]

Yep.

[It's a real free-for-all out there. Shelia's brow furrows at William's question. "How many types of vampire are out there now?"

Coop glances back with a sigh.]

Three. The soulless kind, the alive kind and the kind that have issues with vervain, and since I'm assuming Enzo is the latter, he ... should? I think the only ones that can't do mirrors are the soulless kind.

[slavophile]

Like a Spike. Though, he does have a soul in him, now.

( And he's alive again. Separate from all of these other alive people.

One by one, William takes the pictures. Straight on, very little smile. Best DMV face you got, he tells them. It takes a few hours, because he also has to build fake passports, but he's good with his equipment and his sister has expertise with the laminator.

He tests each of them out in his hands, trying to rip them. He has paper specifically dedicated to this, too. He dates the passport recently, just so there's no question of where they haven't been. Not that people stamp anymore. )

I uploaded your images to CLEAR as well, and nationally. Your passports will pass muster, but everything is facial recognition these days. If you don't have that, you'd be flagged.

[bennettblood]

Don't I look good for my age.

[Assuming it's her original date of birth on it, it helps when you die and then don't age for a while. She looks over the license and passport with a nod, before glancing back to William with a smile.]

Thank you. I appreciate your help and if there's any way I can return the favor, please let me know.