The States

The Consequences of Dating the "Mother" of States

or, Scott gets the shovel talk. Multiple times.

Wesley
Scott is kind of expecting some kind of shovel talk from Wes.

He is, after all, Liz's twin, and Scott's dating Liz now, and it's great and new and perfect, and that seems to be the thing™ that happens in all those rom-coms Liz gets him to watch with her.

Somehow he's still a little surprised when Wes sits across from him while he's waiting for Liz and says, "So. You're dating my sister."

It isn't a question, but Scott nods anyway. He can't help the brief flare of anxiety he gets when Wes narrows blue-green eyes at him. Wes's opinion still matters so much to Liz.

"Well, I hope you realize Lizzy's the best you're going to get, and that she could probably end you with nothing more than a flick of her wrist. Like really, have you ever seen her do magic? Or fence? Or literally ever during her navy days?"

Scott nods again, because yes, he has realized this.

"Basically in summary, I don't need to threaten you. Lizzy could fuck you up all by herself, and I'd come along to help her hide the body. Okay?"

"Okay." Scott doesn't bring up the fact that states are immortal, and so there wouldn't be a need to hide the body. Somehow he doesn't think it would go over well.

Caden
Caden gets on Scott's nerves, and maybe most of it stems from the fact that he'd once had a relationship with Liz and they were still ridiculously close, but part of it came from the fact that Caden is insufferable.

But he has to respect the nerve it must have taken for Caden to stop him in the hallway, because Scott has about four inches and fifty pounds on him.

"Look, you've put Liz through hell several times over throughout our lives. Somehow, she still loves you despite that, and I'll give it to you that you make her happy." Caden sighs, and continues. "And maybe I'm not an original, maybe I'm not as strong or old as you, but if you hurt her, I will drown you in the Mississippi River because Jesus Christ, she doesn't deserve any more hurt."

Caden turns to leave, then seems to think of something else, and faces him again. "Um, fair warning, don't interrupt Evangeline."

What is that supposed to mean?

Evangeline
Caden's warning makes sense a week later when Evangeline corners him in the Virginia house kitchen at six in the morning

Never in a million years would he have expected this from Evangeline.

And Scott can honestly say this is the scariest shovel talk he's had so far. He didn't often think of Evangeline as intimidating, but today, everything about her is- from the hard look in her eyes to the four-inch strappy heeled sandals she was wearing (and using to meet his height) to the finger she had pressed against his chest.

"Listen. I don't really like Elizabeth. We fight more than we get along, and I think she's a haughty bitch half the time-"

Scott opens his mouth to disagree with that, but Evangeline's eyes flash dangerously and sparks crackle at her fingertips and maybe it isn't in his best interest to speak right now and perhaps he should have listened to Caden's warning.

Evangeline continues. "But she has helped me out a few times when she didn't have to, and she's the only real competition I have in fencing and magic, and if you do something that upsets her and makes her all sad and depressed and boring like she was during the civil war, I'll kick your ass."