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I think I've got something for you. You busy?

Not at the moment. Where do you want me?

[he figures whatever information she has is better shared face-to-face, you see]

[ he is one thousand percent correct, what a smart cookie. ]

The library. I'm at the back.

[ if nothing else, it gives a more solid illusion of privacy. she'll be the woman surrounded by stacks of open books. ]

I'll be down in, like, ten minutes.

[and true to his word, he pokes his head into the area where she's sitting some ten minutes later. when he spots her, he heads over immediately] Hey, sorry.

[ a reassuring headshake. ] You're fine. It gave me a chance to get us some coffee.

[ a brief smile touches her lips, breaking through the tired spell she's just finished pushing past. motioning to the chair across from her in offer: ]

I was hoping for another pair of eyes on this. [ especially with nate's knowledge on religion. ]

Coffee's always good.

[flashing her a smile, he slides into the seat across from her. when he sobers again, he starts:] But uh -- what've you got? [he's absolutely more than willing to be a second pair of eyes]

At first, I thought that answer would be nothing. Just stories about some bets between Lucifer and Barbas, with Lucifer managing to charm some of his legions. Petty stuff. B u t ...

[ she turns the book over so that nate can look at the implication for himself. ]

Doesn't this sound like Barbas was already in line to rule here before?

[he nods, and absently, as he reaches for the book:] Tracks with the rivalry thing, though.

[a pause follows, as he actually reads the page she has it turned open to. he glances up at her, when he's finished, shaking his head, though the gesture clearly isn't one of dismissal -- it's incredulousness]

It does, yeah. [a beat] Jeeze, that'd be a pretty big reason for Barbas to hate Lucifer.

[ elena nods her own agreement. ]

It always felt personal, but I didn't know just how far back it went. No wonder he's determined to claim us as his thirty-seventh legion. And I'm worried we don't have a lot of time before we can stop him. [ she looks around, just to be on the safe side, and then she leans in a bit more. ] The night of the dinner — I couldn't get as close to him as I wanted, not with his bodyguards on him at all times. But I did get close enough to hear him say to them that 'most everything keeps going according to plan.'

Still really wish we knew what the plan was.

[he doubts it's anything good, whatever it is, but it might help, knowing what's coming. maybe that way, they could find a way of sabotaging whatever he's working towards or -- something. something better than feeling so damn useless]

[blowing out a breath, he shakes his head]

[a moment of silence follows, then:] ... you know what? I'm gonna break into his office. [there has to be some time where he's not there, right?]

[ so.

this is probably the part where elena should do her voice of reason thing, right? she hasn't been called a buzzkill more than once over nothing, despite the fact she herself can be rather reckless when she decides it's worth the risk. that's the thing, though: the stakes are what they are, here.

she does exercise some amount of caution, though. she cares about what happens to him, and she knows caroline definitely cares. ]

I'm assuming you have experience with the whole breaking and entering thing?

[ you keep giving her indiana jones vibes, nate. not going to lie. ]

It's, uh -- [no reason to be shy, Nathan. what he does for a living will probably be common knowledge sooner rather than later for all that this place likes showing his list to complete strangers] -- it's kind of what I do, back home?

[a beat]

I'm a thief.

[it's more complicated than that, more nuanced, but. well, he basically is Indiana Jones, minus the day job as an archeology professor thing]

Edited 2021-04-14 12:01 (UTC)

[ elena understands complicated.

she was raised with firm lines drawn in the sand between right and wrong, but her life since discovering the existence of vampires and her own true legacy has required moral flexibility. ... and also, one of her best friends is neal caffrey. ]

So you really are Indiana Jones.

[ she just had to say it out loud, okay. ]

( never let it be said that caroline salvatore doesn't check in on her people. she lived in a small town all of her life and kept her friends close. she had two daughters. she is the friend that calls at the end of a week when you've been silent. she is the person that remembers something important happened and she calls to hear everything. she is also a mother who left her daughters to do good in the panic room while she crossed an ocean. in crossing that ocean, she missed out on the sacrifices that were made. but, she heard about them. people stayed behind, they fought, and they'd died.

lucifer bringing them back wouldn't change what happened.

but, she is out of the loop, especially with her more mercurial friends. she has been very daughter-focused. friend-focused. she thinks she's been guarding a powerful dark object. she's been taking care of those in different tents, passing out waters, and generally being a caretaker.

the ship is something completely different. it's almost as absurd as the spanish inquisition.

it's hard being in hell. keeping track of everyone you've met, care about, worry about, and try to get in touch with? well, that's always been a full time job, too. so some people slip through the cracks. she doesn't hate the ship. she splits her time equally helping do any good deeds or any cleaning up and enjoying herself. daughter time always takes precedence but they lived without her here for months, so her daughters also get space.

she'd meant to reach out, to message, something.

she'd hoped she'd run into nathan. this just isn't what she was anticipating. it's a sight she's seen before, just not from him. nathan dangerously close to the railing, empty bottles surrounding him. she frowns, stopping a few feet away. )

You should be careful, lost souls tend to claw their way up.

( and sad or not, drunk or not, quiet and as radio silent or not, nathan does not deserve to go overboard. )

I was going to ask where you've been, ( she was going to be cute and flirty and add 'stranger' on the end, but instead. she sighs. ) Nathan.

Yeah, well.

[lost souls tend to claw their way up. they already have, in a manner of speaking -- he's a little lost, and has been, since he died. since he came back. he knew, going in, that that was a risk, a likelihood, but he thought he'd get lucky. he'd thought he'd never see it coming, if he didn't. he'd thought it wouldn't hurt, that it would be okay, that he would be okay, and while he doesn't quite regret it -- well, he's not okay. he's not okay, he's a little drunk, yes, and as much as he wishes it would, all the alcohol in the world isn't fixing his laundry list of problems]

[damn it]

[sighing, he turns to face her, still draped over the railing, though now backwards, propped up on his elbows]

Sorry. I didn't mean to ...

[worry her? was she worried? was anyone? he died alone]

( worry her is also her first question, and he would've had everything else not been happening. life passes far too fast then it did in Mystic Falls. more happens in less time and then it feels like she has downtime in her life between crises. she hasn't adjusted to a different pattern of concerns. )

You didn't. Do anything to me. Now, though. I am, Nate.

( how can she not be? )

Can you tell me what happened?

[he reaches back for the beer he's currently working on, sitting on the railing a few inches away. rather than take a drink from it, though, he just cradles it in his hands -- something to focus on rather than her]

You really don't wanna know.

[she doesn't need the gory details of his death, even if it couldn't hurt to talk about it. nothing else is helping]

( she doesn't make any sudden movements. she knows he climbs. he explores. he's intrepid. he's balanced. but, startling him... )

Actually, I asked. And that usually means I do. If I didn't want to know, I'd leave you here among the bottles. But, if you don't want to talk about it, then we can go and get you cleaned up. Maybe recycle some of your dead soldiers.

[I'd leave you here among the bottles -- something about that stings, even if that's not what she's doing, even if she's still here. maybe it's because he's drunk. either way, he flinches visibly, and the yes, does take a drink of his beer]

[he resets then, resumes just cradling it. after a heartbeat, two, he shrugs]

I was on the wrong side of Mola Ram, this time.

[he wasn't Indiana Jones, this time. he was the guy who got his heart ripped out by the aforementioned cultist in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]

Um -

( It seems like, at least now, with something breaking through, Caroline can approach, perch herself next to him so she can be close. Because she does want to hear him out. )

Is that a who or a, a weapon? ( It does occur to her. ) Did you stay behind?

Bad guy from one of the Indiana Jones movies. He --

[well, it's not ultimately that important, is it? he lets it go, then, on another heavy breath out and with a shake of his head. another pause follows before he reaches to pull the neck of his shirt down. Lucifer brought them all back, sure, but they still all bear the scars of their deaths. there's a crater the size of a fist over his heart, now -- like a bullet scar, worse]

I stayed behind. It didn't go too well.

Edited (html fail.) 2021-04-26 20:48 (UTC)

( Her brow furrows, as she turns, one hand on the railing. Resurrection magic, it always brings with it scars of some sort. Be it magical, physical, or mental. She knows what it takes. That Lucifer brought everyone back, it couldn't be without side effects not in this number. )

Nate...

[he drops his hand away from his shirt, collar snapping back against his neck]

I thought -- I don't know. I thought this was right up my alley, maybe? I mean, hey -- not the first time I've fought a demon army. [kind of. honestly, it's debatable as to whether that was actually happening or if he hallucinated the whole thing, but still. he has fought ghouls and yetis. he knows that mostly everything will die if you shoot it enough times] But they just kept coming.

[and while they'd been handing out ammo like candy on Halloween, before the battle had started, he'd run out at some point. he'd gotten tired, using the stock of his rifle like a club, after. and then -- ]

[he turns, too, then, leaning back out over the railing, feeling all at once nauseated as the memory of the taste of his own blood in his mouth creeps up on him along with very real bile]

[he can't help but chuckle, at that]

Yeah, something like that. [a beat] I'd say 'with less Nazis,' but uh ... [he's had his share of Nazis, back home. the ones he ran into were dead for the most part, though, thankfully]

( she hesitates, fingers stretching out before she decides to make contact, slowly rubbing his back with her right hand. )

We couldn't know how many demons were under Barbas' control, or what would be awaiting us with rebellion.

( he wanted to do something. he'd wanted to help. she can fully understand that. there was a time when she didn't want to just be the blonde distraction. when she lived on the outskirts of everything having to do with Elena. but, she'd come into her own.

she was also a vampire.

she stays leaned to her side, hand making slow circles, here to listen when she hasn't been. )

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text: un: sicparvismagna

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cause the more i drink the more i drink

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