onebehind: (this is gospel for the fallen ones)
Special Agent Dylan Rhodes ([personal profile] onebehind) wrote in [community profile] self_inflictedexhile2019-09-26 04:11 pm

nysm / tvd } { if you will, please move in closer

In another lifetime, Dylan Rhodes never existed. In another lifetime, he didn't need to, because Lionel Shrike never drown in the Hudson River, Dylan Rhodes stayed Jacob Shrike, and his life went in a very different direction.

At age fifteen, his father started teaching him the tricks of the trade: sleight of hand, how to build a rig, how to do a little bit of actual magic, despite the fact that probably wasn't something he should be sharing, just yet. Shortly after that, Jacob met a young Alma Dray, tagging along with her grandfather, a friend of his father's, stopping by to check up on him. They grew up together, life continued on, and Jacob eventually went to college for Theatre Design and Stagecraft. At twenty-two, just after graduation, Jacob was chosen to join the Eye, his test to help the LVPD clear the name of another magician, despite all the evidence in the world making him seem guilty as sin. There, Jacob met Michael Fuller, his partner a lifetime away, and the two became friends as they managed, despite all odds, to pull off what had been asked of Jacob by the Eye. He continued on into a career as a stage magician in the Eye, eventually married Alma, and continued to occasionally work with Fuller as a consultant, when time allowed.

Over the course of the next few decades, Jacob and Alma tried to have children and failed, and eventually adopted one Jack Wilder, age 10. Using Eye resources, he helped Merritt McKinney get a good lawyer and clear his name after his brother screwed him over. He followed the rising stars that were J. Daniel Atlas and Henley Reeves, and when they decided to call it quits, pulled the both of them back together, forcing Daniel to give Henley a more active role in the show. And eventually, yes, he called the four of them together, not for revenge but something similar, to get them into the Eye. And somewhere along the way, Jacob and Alma tried for children again, and this time managed, giving Jack a brother, Lio, Lionel, named after his grandfather.

Basically, this is the best possible timeline.

And now, it's just after dinner, Jacob off to his nightly rehearsal at 5Pointz, that his space, now, like his father before him. He takes a detour tonight, though, to grab a cup of coffee, beforehand, a little bit of magic pulled around him, to make himself not completely invisible, but at least a little less noticeable. Normally, he doesn't mind showing off or signing autographs, when a fan approaches, and fans do often approach, his notoriety somewhere up there with Penn and Teller, Seigfried and Roy, but -- not tonight. He's not feeling it tonight, a little tired for whatever reason, hence the coffee, so magic it is. And now he's sitting at a table, idly people-watching as he leans into his cup. Have at him, if you can still see him (or, maybe, in certain party's cases, sense him) despite his best efforts.
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-01-26 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
She knows that he's calling her out on her deflection and she shakes her head. "Look, growing up has been ... a lot of trauma and a lot of heavy stories, so yeah, I'm sure there are more horrifying things for me to tell you, but ... nothing that is immediately impacting my future."
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-01-27 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
She nods, understanding, but she's already tired and it's a lot of emotions to delve up all of it. "I'll tell you at some point. I'm fact I'm sure there's probably some stuff about me in the Eye's records that might leave you with ... questions."

Like the dark magic issues she had in high school.
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-01-31 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
"I appreciate it." She sighs, before finishing up the rest of her coffee. "But I should really let you go home now."
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-02-01 01:49 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll call you. Promise."

She smiles up at him, before nodding.

"Thanks again, for the help. I really appreciate it."
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-02-28 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
Josie does have plans, but as soon as she sees that text, any intention of keeping them flies out the window. Finch coming to the city had been intended as a distraction, to try and keep her from spinning out about why this was taking so long, but Dylan's text sets changes into motion. It's about the merge. Finch will understand.

Nothing. Where do I need to be?
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-03-04 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
She drops a pin for her location, which is essentially her apartment. She hasn't left the house yet today so feel free to swing by to pick her up.

I'll be ready in 20.

That should be enough time to shove some food in her face, get dressed, and give Dylan plenty of travel time.
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-03-07 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
On the second knock the door opens, but Josie isn't the one who answers. The short woman giving big werewolf energy eyes him up and down, before asking:

"I take it you're Josie's witch friend?"

Finch isn't judging ... well, she might be judging a little given Josie's history with older men who have taken an interest in her, but Josie claims that Dylan is, in fact, a friend and not trying to get her to do messy dark magic. He's trying to help her with the Merge, she says.

Forgive Finch if she feels the need to squint at him a little regardless. Josie's judgment can be a little questionable.
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-03-07 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately for Dylan, Finch is not a magic person, but she does spend a lot of time with them so while the name is familiar it takes a second for her to place it.

"Finch." No last name. How many Finches do you actually know? She steps back to let him in, before tossing back over her shoulder. "Like that stage magician Lizzie's obsessed with?"

Josie pops out of the kitchen, shaking her head as she finishes chewing on her frozen waffle sandwich. "No. Related though, that would be his son." A beat. "Hey, Jacob."

"Ahhh," Finch nods. "Got it."
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-03-13 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Hey."

She moves towards the door to grab her shoes, shoving them onto her feet so that she's ready to leave. She's anxious to get going. There'll be time to let Jacob and Finch get to know each other, but she'd much rather focus on the task at hand.

"Where are we going? Can you tell me?"
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-03-21 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
She waves him off, indicating that she's not taking it personally. "I'm part of the Gemini Coven. We put paranoid secret hide outs on a whole other level."

"Yeah, I'm less enthused about that." Finch crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Is this one of those places where if I try to call her, she won't be able to pick up?"

She's not that find of Josie disappearing off the radar for three days at the whim of this mysterious magic organization because in her experience, secret supernatural organizations are never good.
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-04-01 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Finch, I'll be fine. I trust him."

"No offense." That's more for Dylan than Josie. "But those words coming from you can be a little sus. And you know that."

Josie takes a deep breath, because she knows that it's a mix of Finch being protective of Josie and also werewolf instincts that can live a little too close to the surface. She reaches over and places her hands on Finch's shoulders.

"This is my chance to see if I can find an end to this curse once and for all. Just ... trust me on this? Please."

Finch takes a deep breath and looks away, and then back at Dylan. "If you disappear and don't come back, I'm telling Hope and letting her go nuclear all over this."

Josie nods. "I'm sure Lizzie will help. But I'll be fine."
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[personal profile] polydeukes 2022-04-21 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
"We're good," Josie speaks up, before Finch can try and twist the issue further. Finch takes a deep breath, then nods, and turns to head towards the back of the apartment.

"Good luck."

"Thanks," Josie nods, before turning back to Dylan. "Okay. Let's do this."

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