for the rest of us death will be a relief

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[decoys]

As soon as I can get my kit restocked, find a car to drive and my mother will let me out of her sight, I'll probably just go back to hunting.

[It's what she's good at, what she's always wanted to do, and as long as Ellen is okay with it, she will be to.]

Maybe help my mom get another Roadhouse going. I know the boys have some kind of bunker now, but they can't just invite all the hunters into their house.

[They need places to socialize, trade information.]

[woodenbullets]

Roadhouse? That was a place for hunters?

( He doesn't know what hunters would do on their off-time, though he doesn't think every hunter would stay in a bunker, especially a personal one. It's big enough to have Elena and all his friends a few months ago but not every hunter that passes through. )

[decoys]

It was a bar. My mom ran it. It got blown up by demons a while back but maybe the world could use a new one. Hunters gossip like little old ladies, so it was a good place to swap information.

[Hear about cases, round up backup. Demons blew it up for a reason.]

[woodenbullets]

So do small town housewives.

( Also cops. It's like a high school. Or, it was. He's so far removed from that. )

I could do what I can to help. I worked at a bar through most of high school.

[decoys]

That'd be good. It'll take time though. For now, I think I'll just be hunting.

[She takes another sip of her drink as she looks him over.]

Could probably use someone to watch my back on that too, if you're interested.

[woodenbullets]

Hunting. That's Jeremy's thing, Elena's brother. Does he do it like you?

( Not a no! )

[decoys]

Not sure. I haven't talked to him much yet.

[She doesn't know how hard he goes.]

But basically we use the news to track down cases, drive in, investigate and solve the problem. A lot of it is restless spirits.

[woodenbullets]

Don't know if that's his MO. I just know, he left town lying to Elena about art school. Lost touch after that.

( Mystic Falls chaos. )

You know, there were two times in my life I remember Mystic Falls being vampire free. One time, because there was some kind of anti-magic spell still going. And, the other, because Caroline and Stefan compelled everyone to move away. I think they called it a gas leak.

( He always stayed. )

[decoys]

Sounds like it had a rough history. There are a lot of towns like that.

[Beacon Hills, New Orleans, Sioux Falls.]

They get a history or the right people hole up there, and they become magnets for things.

[woodenbullets]

It's the vampires, for sure. But, I'm long past the grudge I held. I'm ready to move forward. With you, if you'll have me.

( His sister and mother are dead. Elena has a boyfriend and parents back from the dead. Tyler has his mother back from the dead. Jeremy, the same. So. )

[decoys]

Yeah. Sounds like fun.

[It'll be good to have a partner again, especially if it's someone who gets what she's been through. The lull in the conversation hits, and she's still not ready to sleep.

So she suggests an alternate instead.]

You any good at Quarters?

[Why get sleep when you can get drunk?]

[woodenbullets]

( His mouth turns upward, opening as he decides on what he wants to say. He can't do better than that right now. He's also wired. )

Let's see how I do.

( He's played it before, of course. But, his reflexes and limbs were dead.

And with that, they settle in at a nearby table and proceed to get drunk. )