The Gathering, Part 2

Coney Island - Skating Rink

Bright neon lights, smoke and loud pumping music of days past assault anyone that is brave enough to enter the roller rink. 1200 square feet of flat maple wood covers the expanse of the floor within the rink area and is kept clean and polished so that skaters have an easier time rolling around atop it.

The walls have been simplistically designed - black paint with geometric shapes done in DayGlo colors so that they seem to explode off of the walls when the black lights are turned on. Against the far wall is an old-style DJ booth with turntables as well as the most recent equipment. Disco balls of varying sizes hang from above, catching the light and creating interesting patterns upon the polished floor.


Characters

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Siobhan Knight Jenna Donovan Harper Donovan Quintin Bruning Chance Harper

Chance takes his time changing. He sees no reason to rush into it, and he really wants to let Quin and Harper guinea pig themselves first. For a few moments, he finds himself staring at the costume and wondering if Piper didn't work some sort of spell on all of them to make them think this was a good idea.
No, Chance realizes with a shake of his head. Those two are just a force of nature. Sadly, or maybe luckily, he thinks the girls don't realize how much power they wield.
"Are you sure all you did was chase off a frat boy, Quin?" Chance asks. God help them if the werewolf ever actually hits someone to protect the honor of one of the girls.
:::

Siobhan makes quick work of getting changed. The costume is quite showy and sexy, but she's more surprised that Jenna is going to wear it than she is about anything else. Her braid is shifted to a high off to the side ponytail and she's grateful that her friend knew to substitute the flimsy piece of bra in Siobhan's costume for something a bit more supportive and less slutty in public. It still has that hint of sexiness without Siobhan being in danger of popping out.
"Are we sure that they're not going to run for the hills while our backs are turned?"

:::

"Not once they see us," Jenna replies, putting on a bright red lipstick. Tossing the tube over to her friend, she pulls her hair up in a high off to the side ponytail as well.
"You putting the wings back on?" This is asked as she repositions the crown atop her head. The wand is tucked into her bag because she doesn't want to lose it, or break it if she winds up falling on her ass.

:::
"Pretty sure he helped her out at the museum one day too," Harper states, grumbling over the sparkly sequins of his suspenders. It's a damned good thing he loves both the girls, otherwise he might just have to kill them.
"At least you two don't look overly flashy. This is going to do nothing for my cred." His complaining is good natured, and he gives the suspenders a snap to ensure they're in place tightly before he ties on his skates.

:::

"Oh yeah." Quin flexes his arms, not to show off but to stretch the sleeves slightly. They're just a bit snug, more so than what he's used to, so he attempts to stretch them. "Not that I think that they really needed any help. Then again, I didn't know that at the time." It really hasn't taken long to figure out that they're like playing with fire.

"Yeah, there was that, too. Not that I did anything other than hand her the purse that was knocked from her. And maybe lied to a soldier about not being able to fight. And I possibly scared him away. I didn't mean to, though." He's glad he did.

Quin smirks towards Harper. "I have a feeling that Shiv will hug you when she sees you."

:::

"You realize that you owe me a beer, right?" Chance asks Quin, though he did bring this on himself by being friendly to the girls via social networking. Or was it because he didn't want to let Piper end up doing something stupid or making a bad deal in the Undercity? Probably both. Sadly, Chance knows he would do it all again, even knowing the outcome.
He looks over at Quin and Harper and sucks it up, putting on his own costume. "I don't know about that. I think that those two can get in over their heads." Piper things she's super witch and Jenna … well, Chance doesn't know about Jenna but she does have a whole lot of confidence.
He snickers at Harper. "Yeah, Piper is going to love that." Considering the way she tackled hugged the other young man when he only agreed to wearing the costume.

:::

Siobhan frowns at the tube of lipstick and hands it back to Jenna with a friendly smile. "That's your color, not mine." Siobhan does have a tube in her back, a flattering darker red that goes well with her complexion and the outfit.
"Of course I'm putting the wings back on," Siobhan giggles and does just that. She has to. They are an amusing gift, and she plans to enjoy them. She even adds the antennae head band and strikes a pose. "I'm not sure what to dub this look, but it's original."

:::

"They're a bit… colorful." They don't really match the outfits at all but Siobhan looks happy. Jenna takes the lipstick back and tosses it in her duffel. "Well I just figured if you didn't bring one." Shrugging, she stands up and tweaks her friend's wings so that they're straight.
"I think we'll have to call that look 'Flutterby'. One hell of a really screwed up butterfly," she teases with a wide grin. Not quite her friend's familial nickname, but close enough so that it still fits.
"Ready to head out there?"

:::

Harper snaps his flashy suspenders again and checks his roller skates. Tightening them, he snorts. "They can get in over their heads. They have no idea."
He knows those two like the back of his hand. There's no way he's going to disagree with Chance on that.
"She'd better. They're the only two that could ever con me into this."

:::

That causes a deep sigh. He's really hoping this isn't the case. "Well, I hope that they stay having no idea. Just because /I/ get paranoid about what they may be up to doesn't mean that I want them to live with the same paranoia." Besides, the guys can help keep them safe.

A nod and a grin are offered to his roommate. They seem to be on the same page. "Well, I don't think that the outfit is needed for that." Quin grins then in Harper's direction. "I just think that it will on make certain things worse. Or better. Depends on your take."

:::

Finally dressed, Chance risks a glance at himself in the mirror. This isn't even a look that he'd attempt for Halloween, and he's a bit wary and worried about how stupid he'll look. It doesn't matter that he's not alone in it, it's just that residual vanity kicking in. Also, there's attitude, though if Harper doesn't look entirely ridiculous in the pink then maybe Chance should trust the girls.
The Texan sorcerer isn't impressed with what he sees, but he's not completely disappointed either. It'll do. He reminds himself that the point is to have fun.
"I think Siobhan is plenty paranoid, at least where I'm concerned." It's not said with surprise or disdain. Chance understands it, he does. Given her father, he thought she might be a little more open, but casual inquiries to his father revealed that Robert Knight(ley) isn't exactly moving happily in sorcerer circles anymore. Actually, Dr. Knight's disdain for his Dynasty makes Chance really want to meet the man and shake his hand.
He offers no comment on how much the witch will enthuse over Harper's outfit. He suspects there's a whole world of complications there and he's not getting involved in them.

Snapping his own suspenders, he looks over at the other two, "Are we ready for this?"

:::

The tiara is infinitely more suitable for Jenna. Siobhan's friend wouldn't be caught dead in fairy wings that don't match her outfit. Quintin and Chance will appreciate her wearing the wings, she thinks, and that's partly why she's doing it. The other reason is because she likes them, and they did pull out a genuine smile despite her grumpiness and disappointment.
Which she is not going to think about.
Spinning in a small circle, Siobhan fluffs her shirt and shakes her torso to make sure the girls are sitting snugly. "Yep. Let's go wow 'em."
After making certain things are secured in a locker, and adding a lock spell atop of the lock already there, she skates toward the door, twirling again in a circle, before pulling it open and waiting for Jenna to join her.
:::

"You'll wow them. I'll get the 'aww how cute' look." Jenna shrugs a little. She knows how it is. It's been that way forever. She's not as endowed as Siobhan, so guys tend to miss her unless she's more 'in their face' and she generally dislikes being there. Bubbly and happy she can manage, so friendly Jenna is what they're going to get.
"You really don't have to spell it. I doubt anyone's going to come in and steal a dress." Beat. "The outfit for the amusement park, maybe…"
Skating through the door, she twirls and smiles at her friend. A hand is held out to Siobhan, and she wiggles her hips a little.

:::

Harper has a fairly good idea of why Siobhan would be paranoid around the sorcerer, but he keeps his mouth shut. "Better she be paranoid than wind up a statistic," he points out as he moves toward the door.
"I'm not going to get any more ready for this. We'll give them a few laps, change, and head to the park. Someone's got me hankering for chili cheese fries."

:::

Clearly everyone has different tastes. He's quite comfortable in the outfit, even if it is something new to him. At the question posed by his roommate Quin actually starts to disco dance. Practice and all that. "This whole thing really is my fault. They asked me to dance, so I broke out in disco. I really don't go out and dance like what they likely were expecting."

"You do what you'd like. What'd make this even better is chili cheese fries /while/ we skate." The werewolf grins and skates out to where they would meet the girls. He's had his say on things so now they're just going to have fun.

:::

"I like the way you think," Chance says to Harper. A few laps around the rink should keep the girls happy and then they can all enjoy the park. He follows his roommate and heads off to meet the girls.

:::

Rolling her eyes at Jenna, Siobhan playfully pinches the other girl's backside. She swears, sometimes Jenna doesn't know how attractive she is. Plenty of guys notice her over Siobhan - One comes to mind immediately … stop dwelling! - it's just a matter of personality type. Siobhan is more flirty and in your face. Overcompensation for all the years she felt like she was a bug on the wall.
"Better safe than sorry," Siobhan shrugs about the spell, taking her friend's hand and letting her lead the way down to where the guys are.
:::

:::
Spotting the guys almost immediately, thanks to matching outfits… and well the way the light refracts off Harper's pink suspenders. Waving, she pulls Siobhan beside her as best she can, and then skates her way over to the guys.
Releasing her friend's hand, she twirls around once, skates a circle around the guys, and stops as though the whole thing is quite easy.
"Did'ja miss us?"

:::

Harper's first instinct on seeing the girls coming toward them is to reach for a jacket that he's not wearing in order to cover his sister and her friend up. It'd have to be one hell of a big jacket, but he doesn't care. It's nerve wracking, and frustrating, and he wants to scold them both for wearing so little.
"Jenna, did you really have to pick an outfit like that?"

:::

Upon site of the girls his mouth nearly drops open. There is no staring, but he'd be lying if he admitted that he didn't honestly look. And enjoy. Quintin /is/ a male, after all. "She wasn't kidding." That DM from earlier is ringing quite true.

As much as he may enjoy the sight of the other outfits, the werewolf does look around. "Uh, do we have this place to ourselves?" He wasn't aware of that, and those outfits are /very/ revealing. "If not, is that why we're here?" Drooling Guy removal?

:::

Quintin's mouth isn't the only one that nearly drops open at the appearance of the girls. He might be restrained enough to not gape and stare, but he does check out. Both of them. Legs and abs and - Ye-ah, they are just too hot for their own damn good.
Unfortunately, they are not alone and while people might not have noticed them otherwise, the costumes and the display of copious bits of flesh are certainly gathering attention. Chance catches sight of one poor guy getting shoved by his date/girlfriend as he can't pull his wide eyes and gaping attention away quickly enough.
Clearing his throat softly, Chance nods, "Yes, I think that might be the real reason that we're here."
Beat.
"I'm not sure how threatening will be," the sorcerer adds, looking down at their costumes. "Maybe the threat will be in how deceptively safe we look."

:::

Following Jenna's lead, Siobhan skates up to the boys as well, but she's more than happy to let her friend soak up the spotlight as Jenna circles them. She hopes that Jenna's empathy is picking something up that spells out how much she's gotten the attention of Quin and Chance. She'd happily cover up if it made Jenna a bit more confident and preen a bit more.
The witch mock frowns at Harper and does a tiny spin of her own. "What? Do we look that bad?"

:::

Catching the emotions fully for the first time since she arrived at the picnic, Jenna beams a smile at them all and glances down at herself. "Oh pick your jaws up off the floor, guys. A lot of girls come to roller disco like this. It's not my fault none of you wanted to come." She can see other girls dressed similarly. Granted, they don't wear the outfits as well as she an Siobhan do.
"Besides, it's practically the same as my dance class outfit, isn't that right, Shiv?"
Twirling around them again, she blows a kiss at her bestie and then skates to the middle of the roller rink. "Come catch me if you can~"

:::
Staring blankly at his sister, Harper gives his head a shake. It takes a second to realize that Siobhan is talking to him. When he does, he blinks at her and really gives her a good look.
"Huh?"
It's really intelligent.
"What? No, of course not. I was just thinking that we should cover you up and take you out of here. Too many guys looking."

:::

Now he's /very/ uncomfortable. It isn't that he's super excited, so to speak, but he is eyeing other people around. He doesn't know exactly what's going through Harper's mind but their thoughts are likely extremely similar.

What would really bother him is if Jenna knew precisely how he felt. He's about to comment when she skates out in the open. His head shakes and instead he moves to lecture Siobhan instead. That doesn't need to happen either as Harper is all over that.

Chance is given a look that is almost saying 'I give up!' before Quin eventually skates after Jenna. "Hey, wait up!" He's not bad at skating, which is luckily a good thing. When he does catch up to her he tries to get her attention. "Jenna, you're /not/ them though." As in he doesn't care what they look like as he's not familiar with them.

:::

Unfortunately, Chance really isn't the guy to turn to for sympathy at this point. There are plenty of other girls skating wearing just a few clothing, it's true. It's also true that they don't get the same sort of attention as the Undercity Twins. He certainly isn't going to presume to lecture either woman on her style of dress. Of everyone present, that's not his business or his right.
He does give Harper a look that screams, 'Really dude?' at the chastisement. The brain above his shoulders might not be firing with all cylinders right now, but even he knows when line and bait has been tossed for a compliment.
"You look great," Chance says, skating a slow backwards circle around the witch. "But I think you know that Piper." He shakes his head and gives her a lazy grin, "You know, it's not very nice to fish for compliments."
With a wink and a laugh, he skates off, not exactly toward Quintin and Jenna but keeping them in sight.

:::

The witch's brows have knit a little as she tries to figure Harper out. Did he check her out or is he doing the brotherly thing that he's done so much that it's probably habit? She bites her lip, watching for a second as Quintin goes skating off after Jenna. Before she can get even a little irritated by it, however, Chance is paying her a compliment. Later, Siobhan will kick herself for giving him even a little, by beaming a soft smile at him. "Now, aren't you glad you came?"
Turning back to Harper, the witch rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "We're not little girls, Harper. The point is to make head turns."
As if to demonstrate, Siobhan twirls and as she does, lifts her leg up in a standing split and lets her momentum carry her toward the circle of the rink.

:::

The uncomfortability coming off one of the guys is catching up to her. Quickly. Jenna twirls around just as swiftly to see who it is that's decided to catch up. It works neatly, sending her into a bit of a spiral-spin that she comes out of on one foot. Years of skating on the ice at Rockefeller Center have definitely paid off here. At least she's not falling on her ass.
"I know I'm not. I'm me." As though that makes all the difference in the world.
"What're you so worried about anyhow, Quintin? Siobhan and I promised you that you'd be here with the two hottest girls. Were we wrong?" She's not even fishing for compliments, just trying to figure out what his problem is.
Out of the corner of her eye, she catches Chance coming too, though not really heading toward them.
:::

"Siobhan Knight!"
Harper rubs his temples and is really trying not to punch Chance for having those thoughts about his sister and her best friend, and he's trying not to scold the girls too much. They are adults. He might not like seeing them like this, but it's no worse than them being in bikinis in the Hamptons.
"No," he says quietly. "You're definitely not little girls anymore." He knows that he's going to have to have a conversation with Siobhan sooner rather than later.
"Wait up."

It's not exactly the best location for heartfelt conversations, but he's not exactly attempting to proclaim love or anything. All Quintin is trying to do is to explain himself.

"Yes, you are you. And I would already be hanging out with the best looking without the outfits. I just don't want you doing this to try and show off or anything unless it's on your own terms." Simply put, he doesn't want either of them going to lengths that they normally wouldn't.

"I'm not saying that you don't look good. You really do." He attempts to place a hand on her shoulder without it looking too bad to her twin. "It's just me. You know, protector and all that." Friendzoned protector.

:::

Chance isn't terribly bad on skates. He's pretty good on skates. He skates a slow, winding glide toward the crowd and then changes direction to join his roommate and Jenna. Turning just in time to catch Siobhan with her leg held up higher than her head, and nearly losing his balance. That time his jaw does gape and Chance snaps it close. The witch has to be doing it on purpose, probably to torture poor Harper.
Or half the guys in the rink. Considering that one isn't paying as much attention to his surroundings as Chance. In an effort to keep his eyes on Siobhan, the poor guy goes right into a wall.
"Ow," Chance whispers with a wince.
"You do realize that you might be held liable for physical and property damage?" Chance asks teasingly as he joins Jenna and Quin.

:::

Hearing her name, Siobhan slows and brings her leg back down so that she's skating on two feet and not showing off. She turns, and does lazy swizzles while waiting for the male Donovan to catch up with her. A quick glance shows that Jenna has both of the non-related males by her side, and Siobhan can admit that she feels at least a small spark of happiness for her best friend.

:::

"You're sweet, Quintin." It's harder for Jenna to teasingly press a kiss to his cheek while she's on skates. She's got decent balance and all, but standing tiptoe on skates is hard, no matter how skilled she is.
"I am doing this on my own terms. It's just a skating outfit, honestly." She still has no idea why he and Harper are freaking out. It's kind've endearing.
"I…"
There is a dramatic rolling of her eyes when Chance nearly falls over from watching Siobhan. "Really?" There's a moment where she's upset, but she lets it slide.
"You don't need to protect me, Quintin, though I appreciate it, I really do."
:::

As Siobhan slows, Harper exhales a sigh. He can catch up to her easily enough, having played hockey for a year or two in school. What he wants to do is drag her out of the rink and have that talk with her now. Especially when he gets the thought from the guy that runs into the wall.
"Serves him right," he mutters.
"Shiv, I really don't know what the game is here. You've got every guy in this place drooling so much the floor is becoming dangerous. Even with those silly little wings on." Those earn a smile.
"I'd say if you were trying to get attention from someone, consider it gotten." He nods toward Chance, figuring that's who she's been trying to impress.
"Look, Shiv, I l… ike you. But you don't need to try so hard is all. You're beautiful no matter what you're wearing."

:::

All he can do is shake his head at Chance. "This is something that doesn't surprise me from him." Quin leans down to Jenna to whisper something in her ear. It isn't romantic, or even sweet, but could potentially be something that she could use later.

"Good." This is said as he pulls back, but his finger touches up against her chin. It's an innocent act, in the end, and wasn't meant to be anything considered flirting. He won't complain if it comes across that way though.

"Just don't play show and tell /too/ much with that guy around." He's signaling towards Chance but is doing so with a smile.

:::
Chance paces the pair, and frowns at his roommate. "I'm only pointing out that the pair of them have garnered quite a bit of attention." Beat. "Because they have."
As Quin leans down and whispers in Jenna's ear, Chance shakes his head, murmuring something about chaperones and fifth wheels before he skates off with a slightly amused smile.

:::

"No game," Siobhan spins in another circle. "Jenna thought this would be fun, is all. And … it is fun. I'm not trying …" The witch trails off her gaze following Harper's lights upon the sorcerer and she pulls a face. "Why would I want to impress him?" Which is as good as admitting that she is trying to impress someone. For all the good it hasn't done. Her attention lingers on Quin and Jenna, only pulled back by Harper's words.
Blink.
Blink.
"What?"
Not the most intelligible response.
Shaking her head, Siobhan looks over his shoulder. She had to have misheard him, because he doesn't and he can't have decided to tell her this now can he?
"I'm not trying anything. I didn't pick the costumes."
Beat.
"You don't act like it."
:::

"It's not, I mean you're not a chaperone Chance!" Jenna watches him go, and then smiles at Quintin. "I don't think Chance is at all bad. Why would you be worried about… Oh. He has a red bra?"
She purposefully misunderstands at first, and then her eyes go comically wide, and she blushes. "Oh."
Well now it makes sense that Quintin would warn her away from his friend, but she can't help blushing. "Hold that thought, okay? I don't want Chance to think we were ignoring him. After all, we're supposed to be having fun." Spinning around, she blows Quintin a kiss and skates after Chance.
"So you have a red lacy bra?"

:::
"Because he's good looking, you lit up like a Christmas tree when he complimented you, and he's more your type?" The spellcasting type, that is. Harper frowns a little.
"What? I can't like you all of a sudden? It's not like I haven't told you you were beautiful before, Shiv. Why are you acting so surprised all of a sudden?"
Beat.
"Forget it, let's skate."
:::

All he can do her, but even then he's only doing so in jest. Mostly. Chance already said that there will be no Jenna or Shiv bras in their living room, and that's really all that's important to him. He might actually have to move out if something like that happens.

Quintin grins as he skates off, going as far as to laugh when Jenna begins to tease Chance. He's about to approach Shiv and Harper but it seems as if serious conversations are happening. So what is a werewolf in costume to do?

Dance.

And dance he does, disco style.

:::

Chance swings his attention around in surprise at Jenna's approach. He frowns, throws a mock glare at his roommate and turns his attention back to the petite brunette at his side. "I do not have a red lacy bra. Not personally. Do I look like I own a bra of any sort?" He's smiling now, so clearly he's not that put out by what Quintin revealed.
He then catches sight of his roommate and laughs. He holds a hand out Jenna. "Let's go save him from himself."

:::

"I can't like to get compliments?" Siobhan asks quietly. "Even if they are from … his kind? It doesn't mean I'm interested in Chance." It's on the tip of her tongue to ask him what he thinks her type is, and why it would be the Texan of all people and types, but she doesn't. Impressive for her, considering Shiv usually immediately goes defensive and bitchy when she feels like her back is up against the wall.
Like now.
Of course he didn't mean it that way, Siobhan. When will you get a clue?
"I'm not … I just thought …"
Beat.
"Thank you." That's not what she wants to say. Hell, skating isn't even what she wants to do anymore at this minute. Still, she sucks it up, and nods, forcing a smile. Fake it 'til you feel it, dance right through it. It sounds like it will work as good here as anywhere else.
"Right. Let's skate. That's what we're here for."

:::

"I believe the term was 'came into possession of'." Jenna nibbles on her lower lip, and then laughs. "Well you never know. I hang around a lot of theater types that would likely love a red lacy bra." Does he look like he could be a theater type? Well he's got the looks for it. Does she think the bra is actually Chance's? Not after she took a moment to let her brain clarify it for her.
"Only if you promise me one thing. Before you rescue him, you'll toss out a few disco moves yourself? Maybe? I just want one good picture of the two of you." Batting her lashes at Chance as she takes his hand, she smiles at him brightly. "If you do that, I'll let you take a picture of Shiv and I in these outfits."

:::

"It's not that, Shiv." Harper frowns at her again. This isn't the right place.
As she starts to skate by him, he grabs her about the waist and spins her around. "You can like to get compliments all you want. You do look amazing in that outfit. Red might be my sister's favorite color but it suits you well too."
Beat.
"We should talk. Think we could slip away for a few minutes without them realizing it?"

:::

Oh, he'll realize if they slip away. There's a good chance that he realizes that they're talking about slipping away. That doesn't mean that he's about to point it out to anyone or care. Hell, he's not going to stop dancing. /This/ is why they came to the roller disco, and so he shall dance.

Quintin randomly is approached by various others looking for dance partners. He'll allow people to dance /near/ him, but not with him. That is reserved for the people that he came to the rink with in the first place.

Ironically, as much as he has protested, he genuinely seems to be enjoying himself. And keeping down all the food he's eaten.

:::

"It might have happened that way," Chance winks.
Then he blinks at Jenna. Again for good measure. Then with a much put upon sigh, he taps her nose with a finger and says, "Only for you, but I'm not sure Piper will agree to your terms."
Chance has no idea what the other pair is conversing about, and he's sticking to the whole 'not his business' conviction.
Pulling Jenna back to Quintin's side, Chance tells her, "I think you should be required to join in, too."

:::

Siobhan gives a surprised little squeak at the grabbing. It sets her off enough that it at least pulls a twinge of amusement from her despite her all over the place emotions.
Frowning, she peers at Harper, trying to figure him out. Glancing back at the trio, Siobhan nods. "I think that they're otherwise occupied." Quin might know, if she's guessed right about him, but she's not going to spill that he might be a werewolf. Also, she doesn't know if the things she's heard about werewolves are completely true.
:::

Squinching her nose up cutely, she giggles. "If she doesn't, you can just take pictures of me. I don't mind." She's got a portfolio, and adding a picture like this to it would really show that she's not afraid to dress a part.
"I've got no problem joining in. After I get my picture of the two of you." Jenna may slip in a video too to share with Shiv later, but she's not going to tell him that.
"Think I won't?"
:::

The squeak earns Siobhan a grin. Harper nods once, and starts to lead them off to the side of the rink. He noticed that the far back corner doesn't seem to have anyone around it, so that's where he's intending on leading them.
It's not too far away if someone decides they miss them and comes looking, but it's far enough that they can talk in relative privacy.

:::

It's getting pretty lonely on the dance floor by himself. Quin continues dancing but finally turns to face Jenna and Chance. He's got a good fix on where the other two are, or at least where they are headed. /Someone/ needs to resolve some of the tension that's in the air so he's not going to be concerned. Instead he waves over those who apparently want to film him. He has some great stamina but he's not going to be dancing forever.

:::
The nose scrunch really is a cute look for Jenna. Coupled with the giggle, Chance is more than willing to be led to his humiliation. "I'm holding you to that. It could be great wallpaper for my phone." He might be teasing.
"No I believe you. You're nothing if not sincere."
Rejoining Quin, Chance gives the werewolf fair warning. "The little actress wants pictures. I think we'll need to keep an eye on Facebook." Then, he's joining in the disco dancing with a few moves of his own.

:::

Siobhan follows Harper without argument or resistance. Why would she? She's already agreed, and honestly, he's been so … odd today, what with calling her 'Flutterbee' and other things, she really just wants to know what's up.
As they reach the corner, Siobhan is glad to see that there's a bench and she takes a seat. Waiting for Harper to do so as well, the witch points out. "You do remember my privacy spell, right?" Though now that they're here, anxiety and a sense of foreboding clenches at her gut. Given that they're so out of the way … maybe agreeing so quickly wasn't the brightest idea.

:::
"You wouldn't!" Jenna giggles again, and then nudges Chance. "Actually, you probably would. I don't mind. Just don't go showing that background off to the former owner of the red lacy bra, or she might slap you."
A dazzling smile is given to Quintin. "Pleaaaase dance for me? I cross my heart, I won't post any to Facebook. I just want to have a picture to remember this day by, and I've got lots of those two." She wants one of her new friends." Holding up her camera (and just where did she pull that from), she waggles it.
"Then I'll dance with each of you and you can both take pictures."
:::

"Yes, but there's a sorcerer here, Shiv, so I wanted to make sure we were far enough away." Harper is still frowning, but he nods to her to put the spell up. He waits for an indication that it's done and he exhales a sigh.
"You're driving me crazy. I don't like the way other guys are looking at you."

:::

As soon as he mentions pictures Quintin faces Jenna and actually poses. "How much do I show off then?" This is asked to Chance. "Back flip? One handed handstand?" He moves on his skates in front of Jenna, not afraid to show off.

"For you?" He winks. "Snap away. I'm not afraid of a camera." Normally he'd be a little more reserved but damn it, there will be fun.

"And don't worry. I don't care if you post them. I'm not the one wearing pink sequins."

:::

"You know, I'm not sure you could do pink sequins as well as Harper does." Chance looks around to find the other two, and is surprised to see them in the dark corner.
Huh?
They're given a few moment's consideration and then Chance's attention is back with Jenna and Quin.
"I'm going to leave the acrobatics to him, but I can John Travolta out here." To demonstrate, Chance does just that, and he's laughing despite himself by the time he's done. It's honestly worth it to see Jenna's bright smile.
Hell yeahs, these two girls are dangerous. Who knows what they'll have him doing next?

:::

Siobhan makes a gesture in the air with her hand, with a quiet mutter beneath her breath, a combination of witch and sorcerer magic and a spell Harper should be accustomed to hearing and seeing. She indicates the spell is cast and glances toward the trio still on the rink floor. A smile touches her lips at the sight of the two boys and Jenna with her phone out, clearly camera mode.
The pretty witch turns back to Harper, surprise flittering across her face. It's brief, because Harper has always been as protective of her as he is of Jenna, so his concern makes sense. "We just wanted to have fun and look good." Siobhan bites her lip then pats his leg. "If it'll make you feel better, I think I can cover up with a glamour."
Yes, she might have misinterpreted his words, but Siobhan's already jumped to a conclusion once tonight and she's not about to do it again.

:::
"Show off," Jenna chirps at Quintin with another bright smile. She can't help it, he's having fun, which is making her have more fun. Something she's needed all day. Several pictures are snapped, and she turns just in time to catch Chance striking a pose as Travolta. Giggling, she skates around both guys, snapping a few pictures from different angles.
Nearly skating into a couple, she squeaks an apology and then laughs again.
"My turn. Who wants to be my first dance partner?"

:::
"I'm not going to ask you to cover up, Flutterbee. You're you. It's just…" Harper shakes his head and laughs. "You're seeing Jesse again." The laughter gives way to another frown, and he exhales a sigh. "And you're interested in the werewolf." He knows she'll likely ask how he knows and he'll have to pull some BS story out of his hat, but it needs to be said. "He likes my sister, I think. Who likes the sorcerer, who's taken an odd liking to you."

:::

Oh yes. These girls are extremely dangerous. They seem to get their way more often than not. Normally this could be an issue but this moment is just good clean fun. It may be the last time they get him 'dancing' for quite some time as well.

"I already have a blue crystal covered water glass, or something like that. Harper can have the sequins." The guy really is a trooper for putting up with it, but that doesn't surprise the werewolf. What does is that it is amazingly quiet wherever they are in the room. He doesn't fret on that, though. Shiv is in good hands.

When it's safe Quin does do a backflip which leads into a split. His martial arts and sports training have left him surprisingly flexible.

Without thinking he skates over to Jenna when she poses her question. A hand reaches out for her phone/camera so that he can get some good shots for her.

:::

"Really, dude?" Chance gapes at his friend and roommate and shakes his head. "That's so unfair. I'm out of my league." It's amusing, and a good thing that Chance doesn't have a fragile ego.
There's another shake when Quin takes the camera and Chance looks mock pained. "How the hell am I supposed to follow that?"
Chance grins at Jenna, "Wouldn't you rather dance with him?"

:::

Something tells Siobhan that 'fish' is not a good look for her, but she's working her jaw soundlessly for a few moments before she can even figure out where to start in with everything Harper has thrown at her.
"How do you know any of that?" Maybe not what she intended to say, but it's what comes out.
"Whoa!" Siobhan holds up a hand. "I am not seeing Jesse again. I agreed to meet him for a movie and then dinner after. That hardly counts as seeing him again." She blows out a breath of air, and looks away, her gaze drifting to Quin, Jenna and Chance.
"Yeah," Siobhan whispers, softly, another pang stabbing at her. "I figured that one out. Seems to be a recurring theme." Guys she like not being interested in her.
She doesn't even address the Chance statement because she doesn't know how. She's pretty sure that the sorcerer is just curious about the sorcerer's daughter, though.

:::
"Aqua Bling H20 bottle," Jenna answers. "You definitely got the better of the deal. At least the bottle is reusable, unlike Harper's pink sequins." That just makes her giggle again, and then takes a snap of the backflip split. "Wow, you're good at this, Quintin. You ever think of taking a dance class to help you with your football?"
It looks like Chance is going to be her first dance partner, so she turns to him and sets a hand to her hip as she hands the phone over to Quintin. "It's you and me, cowboy. Choose a dance and I'll follow along."
Blinking at Chance, she blushes. "Erm. I… well he doesn't want to… I mean, just someone take a picture." Skating a little away from Chance, she twirls herself as best she can on roller skates and pirouettes.

:::

"You make a better butterfly than a fish, Siobhan." Harper glances at the hand, then frowns. "Just be careful around Jesse, alright? He's not a good guy, Shiv, and you've been thinking about him on and off all day." It's driving him crazy.
"Do you care about Quintin that much? I can talk to him if you'd like."
:::

He doesn't get to showboat often. Even now he doesn't feel as if he's showing off too much. He's just looking to get some smiles, maybe some laughs, and keep that going. Things are finally getting upbeat enough for some of them that he can keep going as long as he has to. Hopefully.

Quin pretends to not really hear any exchanges between Jenna and Chance. Happy upbeat fun! "Iactuallytooksomeclassesalreadypleasedontsayanything." The words are mumbled as softly and quickly as possible.

If only he knew what was being said elsewhere.

:::

Quin is good, Chance will give him that. He's not jealous of his roommate, in fact he's impressed and he gives a bit of applause to let the other man know he really is impressed. "You are putting the rest of us to shame, man."
As Jenna skates away, Chance gently reaches out and grabs her hands, pulling her back to his side. "Don't take that the wrong way. I'm just nowhere near as good as Quin. If I do a split or a backflip, I'm going to hurt myself, and I hate hospital beds and food." That said, he actually twirls Jenna around. It's not easy on skates, and he's impressed that they both remain upright and don't end up a tangle of limbs on the skating rink floor.
Quin's confession brings a pause and a shake to his head. That he did not know. Funny, you'd think the whole wolf thing would be the bigger secret. "Your secret is safe with me," Chance promises, though he does give the werewolf a considering look. "Maybe you should take more. I've heard good things about football and ballet." Or sports and dance in general, though he's never tried it.
He twirls Jenna out again and then pulls her in and dips her, "You'd better be taking pictures, Quin. I'm using all my best moves."

:::

The witch stares at Harper for a long moment. She's far from stupid and unobservant, at least as far as this conversation is concerned. Harper didn't answer her question the first time around.
Finally she looks away and shrugs, "He liked me. I was waiting around for - " you " - some guy to like me and Jesse came along and he liked me. He was sweet and fun, and yeah, it hurt when we broke up, but he's back and he's still interested." She really doesn't expect Harper to understand. But Jesse was the first boy how made her think that maybe there was someone else for her that wasn't Harper Donovan.
Dark eyes go wide and Siobhan barks an embarrassed bit of laughter. She's not sure what's worse, that Harper is asking to talk to Quin for her or that Harper is asking to talk to Quin for her. "Gawd, no. If he's not interested, he's not interested. I don't want a pity date … and it's good for Jenna." The witch really does mean that. Sure, she's disappointed, but she loves Jenna like a sister.
Her dark gaze turns back to meet his blue eyes. "How do you know what I've been thinking."

:::
It's not that Jenna's taken it the wrong way so much as she's fairly certain Quintin doesn't want to be the one to dance with her. If neither boy wants to dance with her, she'll skate by herself. She really doesn't care.
Feeling the grab to her hand, she turns and nearly falls on her backside. Thankfully the cowboy sorcerer manages to keep them both balanced, and she giggles. "You don't need to do anything fancy, cowboy, you just need to have fun on the rink."
Hearing Quintin's confession makes her grin. "Not a word, I promise. Now snap some pictures!"
Twirled in and dipped, she stares up at Chance's face, blue eyes wide and a smile on her lips. "Don't discount yourself, you're good."

:::
"Jesse's a cheating ass. I just don't want him to hurt you again." It could come off as brotherly, but the concern is definitely not entirely that. "He's interested in screwing you and leaving in the fall so he can cheat on you again."
Taking one of Siobhan's hands, he squeezes it. "It's written all over your face. Besides, my sister has a big mouth." Grinning at her, he laughs. "I wasn't thinking a pity date. My thoughts were more running along the line of…" Shrugging he looks away from her.
"I can hear your thoughts," he mutters, almost darkly.
:::

All the best moves are being captured. He can talk and take photos at the same time. "Trust me, I won't miss a shot. These will make for a great album that you likely won't ever want to surface online." It doesn't bother him in the least bit that they are dancing so well together. It actually makes him happy to be able to just participate however he can. That little bit of him keeps trying to keep an ear or nose out for the other two. He'll know it's safe to look in their direction when he can hear them.

"Nope. Been there once, and that's all I'm giving." It should come as no surprise that there are unknowns in regards to Quintin. He does appreciate his solitude sometimes, and isn't exactly one to open up about his own life.

He'll keep taking pictures until he's told not to.

:::

Chance snorts a laugh, bringing Jenna back upright. "My turn for a confession, so long as we're throwing our deep dark secrets out there." Keeping her facing him, the young sorcerer keeps dancing in an amusing seventies fashion.
"I took ballroom dance lessons. It was a requirement of Grandfather and Miss Caroline. They wanted all of us, me and my cousins, to not embarrass them at the big fancy parties." It has come in handy for a few sports and fraternity formals, which by the way, Chance has yet to confess to membership in the latter, and is glad Quin hasn't brought it up either.
Yes, he's a frat boy, and he's keeping mum because he's not sure how it will go over. He knows it's not all about the drinking and the parties; after graduation it's about the networking and the prestige, and he'd rather use the fraternity for that than toss around the Nash name.
After a bit longer of dancing, and another twirl and dip, Chance wraps an arm around Jenna's waist and skates her over to Quin. "Hand me the camera. It's your turn with the lovely Miss Jenna."
:::

"Jesse . . why would you say that?" Siobhan shakes her head. She's not being argumentative or difficult, she's just confused. She always got the feeling that Harper didn't like Jesse, but she assumed it was because while he can be charming, Jesse does have something of a brusqueness about him. She'd have known if Jesse was cheating, right? They broke up so he wouldn't cheat."He just wants to meet and talk."
"That's what it would be, though. A pity date. If you talked to him, he'd go out with me because he'd feel bad if he didn't." Siobhan shrugs, looking down where Harper holds her hand. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Jenna. I know she likes him too." She didn't know her BFF liked Chance, but she's glad now that she stepped back to let Jenna have the spotlight and some fun. She'll probably lock herself in her room, throw up a privacy spell and cry her eyes out when she gets home, but for now, she'll deal with a smile on her face.
The witch freezes at Harper's confession. She freezes and stares at him and she thinks her thoughts must be going a mile a minute because she can't focus on a single one of them at all. "You can … read minds." So many implications of that what he knows, what he's heard, how much he's heard, how long he's been hearing it, the very obvious elephant in the room that trumpets it trunk and is forcibly ignored.
"How long?" Siobhan asks quietly.
Beat.
She brushes her hand through his hair. "Is it hard on you? Are you okay?" The witch well remembers when Harper and Jenna first began experiencing the strengthening of their empathic abilities. Ironically, Siobhan is more worried about his mental state right now than she is her own loss.
:::

"I won't put them online!" Jenna did promise that. These are for her own personal collection. Scrapbooking when she's got time, or just making copies for the guys so that they'll remember the silliness of the day.
That is why she invited them anyhow.
"Don't think you're getting off the hook, Quintin! You're my next victim!"
Giggling as she's twirled and dipped again, she smiles up at Chance. Cheeks flushed, a bright smile on her face. When he skates her over to Quintin, she turns and presses a teeny, tiny, delicate kiss upon his cheek.
"Your turn, bouncer boy."

:::

"Because the bastard tried to grope Jenna, and he propositioned her shortly before you broke up, that's why. Tamara, Mindy, Maggie, Caroline… those would be the other reasons. He's a cheater, Shiv, and I don't want to see you hurt again by that asshole. I'll shove my fist down his throat if you spend even one more second crying over him."
Harper's silent for a long moment, glancing at the group that's dancing and laughing. He and Siobhan should really be out there too, and he wants to take her. He wants her to laugh like his sister is.
"Middle of last semester. Comes in handy on tests," he jokes. "It's different. I know things I don't want to. I have confirmation of things I've thought for a while. I'll be fine, Flutterbee. Don't you worry about me." Leaning in, he kisses her forehead and smiles. "You're cute when you're worried about people, you know that?"Logfile from Shiv NYC.
:::

The ballroom dancing doesn't surprise him one bit. Clearly he already knows about the fraternity. The wolf might have given away the secret of the red lacy bra, but he's not honestly going to delve into the history of Chance. It's not his place to. Besides, it would be a bad decision to make seeing as how Chance can give away a /lot/ about Quin. He'd rather not let that happen.

When prompted for the camera, he hands it right on over. It isn't that he's super eager to dance with Jenna, but he'll never turn away an opportunity to be close to her. Ballroom dancing very likely is not going to happen, but he has his own style of dance.

Once his hands are free, he grins at Jenna before skating towards her. In the process he prepares his hands, aiming to grab her around the waist and lift her into the air. He's seen ice skaters rest their partners on their shoulders so that's what he's attempting to do, anyway. He has the balance and the strength for it; he just hopes Jenna trusts him.

And yet there's that part of him that wonders how the lovebirds are doing. He trusts Harper with and around Shiv for multiple reasons but that doesn't mean he isn't concerned.

:::

"So long as we're clear on the online stuff," Chance jokes. He's not worried about it from Jenna. Yes, there are plenty of people he would worry about it from, but not from Jenna. He accepts the camera from Quin and irritates two blondes who skate past when he only gives them a polite nod and smile of acknowledgment. Playboy or no, he's not rude and he's not here to pick up anyone.
He brings the camera up and sights Quin and Jenna in the lens, then with a devious smirk, slides it to video.

:::

"I'm always cute," Siobhan tosses out, though it's distracted and lacking her usual flair. The punches just keep rolling, and Siobhan's having trouble focusing and centering herself. Jesse cheated on her? She fell for him. She gave him everything including her virginity, which before then she'd been hopefully saving for Harper. Harper's words twist in her gut, and a ripple of power escapes from her, a wave of flickering light bulbs and dimming and brighting of decorative lights moving in a quick wave away from her.
That's not good.
Of course they should be out there, having fun, but at the moment, Siobhan can't even fake it. She's been coping with Harper and Quin's disinterest by clinging to the fact that Jesse came crawling back to her. Evidently, that's not what he's done at all.
"I'm glad you wore the pink. Thanks for playing along." Siobhan isn't looking at Harper, just staring off at some far removed spot only she can see that appears to lurk over his shoulder.
:::

Jenna is ready to roll backward on her skates if Quintin's intention is to bowl her over. When he lifts her up, she squeaks in surprise, then giggles. "Quintin, what on earth are you doing?"
Seated upon his shoulder, she laughs. One hand clings to his arm, the other loops about his head though she's careful not to block his eyes.
"Ohmigawd, you're strong, you know that?" She really wasn't expecting to be lifted up in such a manner, not so easily.
When the lights start to flicker, she tenses a little and looks around for Siobhan. That is not good, but as she can't see her friend storming around she's going to chalk it up to electrical issues for now.

:::

"You are," Harper agrees, mostly because she's distracted and she doesn't even realize she's said it. Grabbing her hand to keep the power from exploding forth from her, he sighs deeply. "Siobhan, you need to calm down. I wasn't saying this to make you angry."
Beat.
"Yeah, I'm glad I wore the pink too. If it's going to make you smile." He reaches forward to tickle her side and frowns. "I didn't tell you this to upset you, Shiv. C'mon, cheer up."

:::

"I work out a /lot/, remember? So I guess I kind of cheat." He's not going to outwardly admit to this girl what he is, especially when she's on his shoulder. In fact, he may be okay with her not ever finding out. Losing her as a friend, or either of them as friends, is just not an option.

The lights flickering isn't exactly subtle. He stops skating until the ripple goes through so that she won't be afraid that he'll drop her. Obviously he feels her tense so looks to her as best as he can. He swivels his position to the corner he last heard the pair walking off to.

Jenna is slid down to the ground before him carefully. "I think they're having a private conversation," Quin whispers in her ear. His head nods to where he suspects that they're at. "If we're lucky, he's admitting his love and devotion to her. If we're not, then he's likely just lecturing her about something." This is all guess work by the wolf but it isn't hard to see how the two look and act around each other. "I think she'll be fine."

He's oblivious to the running of video.

:::

Chance is glad that he got the lift on video. The look on Jenna's face, coupled with Quin's smug satisfaction is worth having recorded for posterity. He goes to slide the video off when the lights do their ripple, getting everyone to stop and pause briefly. Chance shrugs and is about to chalk it up to electrical issues when he sees Jenna looking over toward Siobhan and Harper.
Blinking in understanding, Chance's brain shifts gears. He knows how power surges can be, especially when one is first coming into magic. It never occurred to him that Siobhan might not be fully versed or developed in her sorcerer magic. Of course, she's not exactly the norm for magic users.
Catcing the lowering to the ground, Chance shakes his head and teases, "Give up on her already? You know you're going to have to get her back up there when Piper and Harper get over here. Maybe Harper will hoist Piper."

:::

Dragging her eyes to Harper's, Siobhan swallows and sighs. "I'm not angry. I'm hurt." Angry will come later. Right now, she's just hurt. Jesse used her and doesn't really want her. It stings. Let's not even get into the other things she's feeling right now. She squeezes Harper's hand, because it's there and it's some kind of anchor.
The tickle earns him a faint smile, but it's not coming anywhere near Siobhan's eyes. She really wants to punch Jesse. Or set him on fire. Probably not good thoughts to be having, least of all the latter. Especially since she can do it.
"What's wrong with me?" Siobhan whispers, blinking back tears. Her luck with men really kind of sucks.
Sighing, she swallows hard and gives Harper a smile. "You wear the pink well. You really don't look like a dork."

:::
As she's set down, Jenna glances up at Quintin curiously. That was a shortlived amusement, but then he's whispering to her again, and she glances over to the corner where he's indicating. "Oh. Thanks. I was kind've wondering where they went." Mostly because the weird electrical issues are something she's used to when Siobhan is extremely emotional.
"Maybe."
She doubts it though.
Still, she does her best to lean up on the tips of her skates and press a kiss to Quintin's cheek to, but she just hits his jaw.
"Naw, I'm just too heavy after that picnic." You know, the handful of fruit she ate, and the little bit of chicken she picked at.

:::

"Siobhan, I think setting the asshole on fire would get you in a lot of trouble."
Harper sits there quietly for a few moments, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm him.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Shiv. Other than the fact you're about to cry." Reaching up, he brushes his thumb under her eye and catches the tear that starts to descend.
"I look like a dork. I don't think any guy can get away with sparkly sequin suspenders of any color, unless they're on Broadway or an international figure skating champion."
The weak smile is what does it. Harper squeezes her hand again, and with his hand still on her cheek, he leans in and kisses her. It's not anything over-the-top, but it's a bit more than a peck to the cheek.

:::

"Some things are best done with all parties having both feet on the ground." This is said loud enough that Chance can hear it, as if he needs to explain why he's put Jenna on the ground. The whispers probably explain a lot.

"She'll be fine. She's got probably the best company she can have right now." This is said softer, mostly because he doesn't feel his roommate needs to know the intimate details of Shiv. Not that Quin knows, but he knows what he suspects.

At Jenna's kiss on the jaw he smiles down at her. "And as for you, you need to be more careful. You might be sending signals you don't want to." Or maybe she does. He can't really tell, but he's trying to be playful. All the same he bends down to kiss her softly on the cheek.

"Food. I forgot about that." He casts a glance in the direction where his chili cheese fry loving new friend disappeared to. He's mostly joking but they do sound really good right about now. "But I'm sure that it can wait until we're done here."

:::

Chance is quite honestly clueless at the moment. He has no idea what's going on with Jenna and Quintin, and he definitely is in the dark about what could be going on with Siobhan and Harper. He's partially comfortable that way; he doesn't really want to be caught up in anyone's love life (or lack thereof). On the other hand, he would like a heads up if he should call a car or grab a taxi and leave the two (possible) couples to their own devices. In this case, five might really be a crowd. He won't be offended, and he'll wish everyone a good night, but he doesn't want to be the fifth wheel.
"Food is starting to sound good," Chance agrees, taking a quick glance toward Siobhan and Harper. "I might go grab a snack from the snack bar, at least until it's time to go." Whatever is going on between the witch and Jenna's brother, Chance isn't going to interrupt. He also thinks that whenever they resolve it and work it out, they might want to skate a bit themselves.

:::

Eyes wide, Siobhan ducks her head. A soft, pale pink rushes up from her neck into her face and she hopes that the rink is dark enough that with her complexion maybe Harper won't be able to see it. Then she realizes that he'll feel it, so it's a silly thought to have and blushes even more deeply. "That's going to take some getting used to," the young witch murmurs.
She wants to protest that she's not about to cry, and that there is something wrong with her that keeps all the good, nice guys away, but it's a pointless argument when the tear spills free. She bites her lip, and tries to focus on anything but wanting to cry and that dancing elephant in the corner.
"That's not … maybe a little true, but I think you look good." She always thinks he looks good. "It shows courage and -"
The rest of her words are lost in the press of his lips against hers. Siobhan squeaks in surprise and swears that her heart stops. Her stomach flips up and tries to do a somersault. It lasts only a few seconds, and she's barely had time to respond before it's over and Siobhan is left blinking at the boy (man) she's been in love with since she was fourteen. As distractions go, that was a good one.
Biting her lip, she tries very hard not to read anything into that kiss, which is lot easier said than done. She's confused and conflicted, half-hopeful and wary of disappointment.
"Interesting way of trying to cheer me up," Siobhan remarks with a shaky laugh.
:::

Might be sending signals?
Jenna blushes and looks down at her skates. Is she sending the wrong signals? Confusion causes her brow to knit right up until he kisses her cheek. Grinning, she skates away from Quintin, and circles around Chance.
"We just had the picnic. You're not hungry, are you?"
Beat.
"If you're going to the snack bar, can you get me a bottle of water? I'd give you some money, but I barely fit my phone in this outfit."
:::

"Did it work?" Harper tosses her a boyish grin, and then winks. He can tell that it didn't cheer her up per se. She's stopped fretting for the moment but that doesn't mean she's not confused about it all.
"It would've been more courageous not to wear this. You and Jenna would've killed me, or trussed me up in it regardless," he teases.
Taking a deep breath, he stares out to where his sister is skating with the two guys. "Look, Siobhan, you like me. You've liked me since you were twelve. I figured that out a long time ago, but the timing was always off. You were dating. I was dating. Then there's the whole thing where I really don't want to come between the friendship you have with my sister."
He's still not looking at her as he squeezes her hand. "I like you too, but I'm going back to school in the fall, and a fling isn't right for us."
:::

The more that they're talking about the food, the more that he can go for it. He'll hold off until his fry loving new friend is available. He doesn't know how long that will be but he clearly can wait. Deep down Quin's just hoping that the private conversation is going well.

The werewolf is all smiles as he watches Jenna skate away. The small, tiny little things just feel good, even if they're going to be friends that tread that line. He hopes not, but he also feels he shouldn't have a girlfriend at all.

He remains still for a moment, taking a break from the dancing. He'll at least wait until someone else is ready.

:::

"I'm not hungry, but all this dancing has made me crave a snack." When the empath comes to a halt, Chance returns the favor, skating a small circle around her.
Beat.
Chance bites the inside of his cheek, and goes to a count of three. "I can see where that could be a problem. I don't know how you fit your phone." At least he tried to hold that comment back.
He mimics tilting a stetson at her and dips his head. "A bottle of water. Yes, ma'am. As you wish." With a broad grin, he starts off toward the snack bar and then glances back at Quin. "You want something, Quin?"

:::

He likes her? Did he just say that he likes her?
Anything Siobhan may have been squirming about or charges she was preparing to defend herself against just fade away that revelation. The witch is ready to throw her arms around him and kiss him this time but the rest of his words catch up with her and mentally she grinds to a halt.
"Then what - " Siobhan stares at him, trailing off at a loss for words. Honestly and completely her brain has blanked and she doesn't know what to say, think or how to possibly respond.
:::

"Don't eat anything gross if you're going to sit beside me on the rides," Jenna points out. The last thing she wants is for someone to harf on her on the roller coaster.
"It's a secret," she replies with a giggle. Moving to take her phone back from Chance, she tucks it in to the top of her bra. It's pretty obvious where she's hidden it. It really is the only place she could've.
"Oh, don't you start being Westley now."
:::

"I don't know. Just don't date Jesse, alright? I like you too much to have that asshole hurting you." Harper leans forward, but doesn't make a move on her. He's just wanting to be close to her. "I don't want you suffering through a long distance thing."
Beat.
"I'm not trying to break you, Shiv."
:::

He pretends to not hear what they are talking about. He doesn't want to think about where she stores her phone and he sure as hell doesn't want Chance thinking of it. It's the whole protective side of Quin that he honestly needs to overcome.

"I'm good." It might actually come as a surprise that the wolf has decided to opt out of more food. "I'm waiting for Harper and the chili cheese fries. But thank you." He remains where he is, still not yet dancing again. He sniffs in the direction of Shiv and Harper. He hasn't noticed anything else shorting out, so that must be a good thing.

:::

"Have a little faith in me, Blue Eyes," Chance winks before skating off to the snack bar, after getting Quin's surprising lack of order. He glances toward the couple in the corner again, but chooses not to veer in that direction. Snack bar is where he said he's headed and he's not going to intrude.

:::

"I'm not broken, I'm just … " Confused. Emotionally tired. It's been too much of a rollercoaster the past few minutes.
Siobhan looks down at their hands, silent for a good long minute. Maybe two. "You just tried to … you were offering to talk to Quin for me. Why would you do that?"
Beat.
"You like me, but you want me to date because you're going to school out of state?" It really doesn't make any sense to her.
The witch doesn't give him a chance to answer. "What do we do then? Just keep going the same as we always have?" It's not bitter or snarky, just tired and confused.

:::

"Okay, if you're sitting beside me on rides," Jenna calls back to Quintin, "You better not harf on me after chili fries." With the way he eats, she's positive he'll be able to keep his food down, but she can hardly warn one guy about it and not the other.
"I trust you, Chance." Smiling at him, she watches him skate to the snack bar, and then backward rolls toward Quintin.

:::

"You're confused," Harper says after a long, quiet moment.
"I did that because I want you to be happy, Flutterbee. I want you to enjoy yourself." He frowns a little and then rubs the side of his neck. "Yes? No? I don't know, Shiv. I don't want to start something when we have to put it on hold because I only come back during the holidays." It's not like it's horribly far. Just four hours away, but it makes it difficult for date nights and the like.
"What do you want to do?"

:::

"Ha. If I harf at all I have serious issues." It isn't exactly the words that he would use normally but he is sticking with what she's said after all. The words cause a few people around him to openly stare. This he can handle; it's anyone recognizing him that would set him off. Good thing he has this awesome getup that he normally would never wear to keep people from even coming close to guessing.

As Jenna skates backwards to him he again reaches to lift her, this time to pick her up with both arms as if she were some sort of damsel in distress. Their dancing /was/ cut short due to concern for Siobhan, after all.

:::

Chance almost throws a quip back that she really shouldn't trust him, but realizes she'd never believe it. The first time she met him, he was doing something nice and protective, and being the decent guy. Chance doesn't think of himself as an asshole, but for the first time since this outing has started he really hopes that he's not feeding either of the young women the wrong idea. Jenna is sweet, and he's hella curious about Piper and what she can do, but beyond that? No romantic or dating inclinations in either arena.
Not like it's a concern with Piper. She still doesn't trust him, and it's obvious that she's got a thing for Harper. His roommate likes Jenna, and it's all a kettle of fish that Chance wants to avoid.
"Water and a Coke," Chance says at the snack bar. "Oh, and a bag of peanut M&Ms." Everyone has their weakness.

:::

Siobhan stares straight ahead. What does she want to do? Hell if she knows. Her impetous, driven nature put the horse ahead of the cart, and she never thought she'd be sitting here having this conversation with Harper. The witch is still trying to adjust to the fact that the young man she's been hooked up on for years returns her affection.
She wants to be with Harper. She always has, but a part of her knows that he's right. They've been friends so long that if they go into this half-assed and it doesn't work out, it will fuck everything up for a long time coming. She doesn't want a summer fling, and Siobhan would like to think that they could survive a long distance relationship. Her parents did, but she knows that was a different scenario and there was a kid involved. And ye-ah, let's not go even joke about that, Shiv.
Harper needs to finish school, she needs to finish school, and a long-distance thing wouldn't be fair to him either. Siobhan worries her teeth over her lip, her gaze shifting to where Jenna is being lifted by Quin. There's a small spark of amusement, and little less jealousy, so at least something good really has come out of this conversation.
"Thank you for the flowers." It's not an answer and it's a total non-sequitor. She's not supposed to know about them, but she doesn't care.
"I don't know Harper," Siobhan admits, after a watching Jenna and Quin for a few moments. She turns her attention back to him. "I don't want to go back to the status quo. But I don't want a fling, and I don't want either of us to feel trapped or conflicted or confused when you go back to Mass in the fall." She's been dealing with the jealousy of him dating for years, so it's not like it will really change anything, if (when?) he does hook up with someone else while he's away.

:::

Hee. Quintin said harf. It makes Jenna giggle when someone uses her made up words (hurl + barf = harf). There's a surprised shriek as she's lifted up again, but before it gets into something hysterical, she's laughing and giggling once more. "What's the plan now, Quintin? Going to try to twirl me mid air?"
Even though she's up high, she's got an eye on Chance to make sure he doesn't order something gross. She trusts him, but could she see him coming back with a Coney Dog slathered in chili just to bug her? Yep, she can.

:::
"Me either." At least he can be honest about it, and they're both trying to take a mature outlook on things.
Blinking at her in surprise when she mentions the flowers, he glances at Jenna. "Someone's got a big mouth," he complains. It's good natured, but he's still going to have to have a talk with his twin about whether or not she should be giving away secrets.
"Then let's do this. Come with me as my date to the gala on Monday. You're going anyhow, so no one but the two of us need to know about it. We take things slow, with no expectations. If either of us has another date, we let the other person know."
Harper rubs the side of his neck again, trying to figure things out.
"We don't let it become a fling, but we don't let it get too serious either. In the fall, well, we can deal with that then."
:::

Instead of twirling right off he does skate in a few circles. He keeps the speed slow enough that he's not going to make her dizzy. "Well, if that's what you'd like." Quin moves the position of his hands as he slowly lifts Jenna into the air. The hands are kept in respectful locations and not once does it seem as if he struggles with the task at hand. His eyes remain on her to see how she takes the shifting and the sudden height.

Although she does have a pretty good view of the others from there.

:::

Water bottle, Coke and M&Ms in hand, Chance turns in time to see the lift. Tucking the water bottle in the crook of his arm, he fishes out his phone and quickly snaps a picture, then switches to video. The sorcerer won't post it anywhere online. He will email it or text it to Quin when the day is over. Jenna is only excluded because he doesn't have her contact information and he won't ask for it. If it's offered, he'll accept it, but he's not going to ask for it. That could lead to misinterpretation.

Phone put away, he skates lazily back toward the pair who might not realize that they're garnering quite a bit of attention.

:::

"I think she was just trying to cheer me up, without giving anything away." Harper and Jenna are closer than anything and Siobhan knows this. There's no doubt in her mind that Jenna knows about Harper's new little gift, and that Harper was aware of Siobhan's feelings. She can't find it in her to be annoyed or angry with her best friend, though. The twins' closeness has always been part of the package.
"Slow," Siobhan agrees. "No expectations." It makes perfect sense. They can feel each other out and test the waters, and maybe find out that they're completely wrong for another.
Doubt it.
Still, there's no pressure and leaves them with a comfort zone.
"They're having fun," is thrown out with regards to Quin and Jenna.

:::

There's another squeak as she's lifted into the air. Jenna's actually enjoying herself, and while she's never been up quite so high, she's been lifted like this before during dance class.
Not for one second does she think that Quintin's trying to be handsy or hold her inappropriately. That he's trying so hard to not touch her makes her giggle.
"You know, you're so tall this is almost like flying," she says to him with another giggle.
:::

"Still, you weren't supposed to know." Siobhan was supposed to think they were from her father, or another admirer in the crowd. That she even saw him there at all was enough to make him almost pull the flowers, but he couldn't help it.
"Exactly. It's only one more year, Shiv. My program's finished then, and I've got an internship here in the city lined up for next summer." Part of the reason he came back this year was to start looking for those now.
"They are. Care to join them?"
:::

"Sorry, Princess, but this is as close to flying as I can get you." He doesn't have a super fun job or career that could take her flying, but at least he can give her this. He is completely unaware of just the scene that they're making until he looks about for his roommate. Seeing some rather attentive eyes he /almost/ blushes.

A few more circles are skated before he decides that they should probably dance or hide from the crowd. "Do you trust me?" He says this as he looks up to Jenna. "I promise I won't let you fall, but we might as well give them a proper dismount." He's hoping that she'll trust him, if not he'll just place her down carefully. If she's up for it, he'll be her spotter to add just as much flare to the process as possible.

:::

Chance waits patiently for the dismount that he figures has to come eventually. Not like Jenna can drink the water when she's up in the air like that anyway. He pulls out his phone, almost fires off a quick text and thinks better of it. Returning the phone to its holster, he figures he'll save what he wants to say for later.
:::

"You can send me more for the Nutcracker suite at Julliard and I'll pretend to not know that they're from you." Yes, she is that confident that she will be in the traditional Christmas ballet. Her mother will be disappointed if she's not dancing with the School's Company, but even if Siobhan knows she's never going to be a prima ballerina, she's going to make the most of it and ham it up at Julliard while she can.
Siobhan has been waiting eight years for Harper Donovan. When he puts it like that, a year seems like nothing. "Graduating with honors, and without cheating?" Siobhan teases.
"I think so," Siobhan nods. She's feeling more settled. Calmer. At least for now. "I suppose it's too much to ask to get a lift?" Again, she's teasing. Mostly.
With another nod, she smiles softly. "Let's get back out there, but first …" Siobhan trails off and makes another gesture in the air, murmuring quietly as she does so. It's a privacy spell, but a bit of a different one and one she's not tried very often. It should give the illusion that she and Harper are simply sitting there talking. That way, the others won't notice when she sets a hand to his cheek and pulls him in for a kiss. Nothing heated or suggestive, but neither is it chaste or short lived. Because dammit, she's been wanting this for years and she's going to claim it now. Just in case some weird fluke prevents from ever having the opportunity again.

:::

"Oh, it's fine, Quintin! It's great, actually." She doesn't need to actually fly, or do hang gliding or anything of the sort. Jenna's happiest with both feet planted firmly on the ground anyhow. This is a rare treat, like being in the Ferris Wheel, but knowing full well that when the time is up she'll land safely once more.
"I trust you." Even if he does let her fall, she's got no doubt that he'll catch her before she hits the hardwood of the rink.
:::

"Every night the show's performed," he promises. Because Harper knows that they generally start the Nutcracker just after Thanksgiving, right up until the week before Christmas. That's traditional, and he might not be there the entire time.
"I don't need to cheat to get my grades." It helps when he knows what's going to be on the exams, but he likes studying. So when he's got a layout of what needs to be studied, he can go into the exams and shut his mind off so as not to hear his professors.
Harper raises his brow at the new spell. It's similar to the privacy spell she cast, but different. "Shiv, what was that?" He barely gets his question out before she kisses him. He does let it last a while before he draws back and grins impishly.
He suddenly hoist Siobhan up, and over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes as he skates them out of the spelled area and toward the rink.
She did ask for a lift after all.
:::

It's good that she trusts him with this. Trusts him in general. She might not feel that way forever but he'll take it for now. As it is, he stops skating and tosses her higher into the air. He tries to do so in a way that she'll spin slightly, but he isn't going to be completely violent about it. Only once she comes down to about chest level does he reach out for her again, catching her easily enough. Quin helps guide her feet to the ground, careful to keep his hands on her in case she needs a moment to get her footing.

Sometimes having super human strength and metabolism comes in handy. He gets to show off with a beautiful woman /and/ he'll soon get chili-cheese fries. This is turning out to be a good day.

:::

"Dammit," Chance mutters. He really should have kept the camera out for that move. He thinks Quin will appreciate the photo memories, no matter how much he scowls about it. He then catches sight of Harper and Siobhan headed in their general direction, with the witch dangling over Harper's shoulder and skates off to meet them halfway.
"I think Quin's presentation is waaay better than yours. The shoulder carry doesn't even earn a three."
:::

"I know you don't," Siobhan laughs, giving his hand a squeeze. "And you know that I was teasing."
She shrieks at the lift onto his shoulder and has the presence of mind to release the spell as they move away from the area. "Privacy spell with an added illusion. I don't know if it works."
Beat.
"You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind."
The witch can hear the cowboy-sorcerer's voice, but it's difficult to see him from the way Harper is carrying her. She rolls her eyes dramatically anyway. "I don't see you out there doing any better."

:::

Yes, Chance likely should have left it on video, simply for the fact that the expression on Jenna's face is one of both fear and complete awe as she gets tossed into the air. With a giggle, she tries to twirl herself about as though spinning in dance class, and when Quintin catches her again, she's facing him.
Her cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling so much, but she can't recall a time when she's just let herself go and have fun like this. At least not since everyone went off to school. It takes a few seconds for her to feel comfortable on her feet again, and when she does she's smiling up at him in a silly fashion.
"You weren't kidding about those dance classes… wow."
She could use that bottle of water about now. Which is when she hears Chance talking to other people. Peering over her shoulder, she spots her brother carrying her bestie butt first.

:::

"I know you were."
Harper listens to the explanation of the new spell, and nods. He'll ask her more about it when they're not in public.
"It may not be what you had in mind, but I happen to like it." He gives Chance a snort, and then shrugs. "I wasn't trying for any fancy moves."

:::

There's a moment when she looks at him that he kicks himself for. He sees her there, in his hands, smiling so brightly. This is a moment that he truly enjoys. Despite how satisfied and joyed he appears on the outside, Quin is mentally scolding himself for feeling too much. He's not to get too close and he knows it. "Sometimes they asked me to help out with flips, raises and spotting." Or something. He's not really even sure what he's saying.

Thank goodness for distractions. He hears the others long before she spots them but doesn't turn to look until she does. The sight of Shiv actually makes him chuckle. "There are uses for the sack carry." A nod of acknowledgment is given to Chance. "I believe your drink is ready."

:::

"Good thing, that," Chance says with a laugh. He's trying hard to pay attention to Harper because as lovely as Siobhan's backside is, he knows it's rude and in bad taste to stare at it, even when it's presented the way that it is.
He averts his gaze under the pretense of watching Quin and Jenna, at least until he's skated around to be able to look the witch in the face. "I think your bestie and Quin might be trying out for Dancing with the Stars or something."
Beat.
"Besides, I'm keeping my fancy moves secret so that I can sneak out that arsenal when it's least expected."
He's full of it. There's no way he could pull off the moves Quin did, not without a little bit of extra help.

:::

Siobhan squirms. This is such an undignified position, especially when she suspects that Chance is staring at her ass. Why it makes a difference from when she was parading in the costume and being on Harper's shoulder, she doesn't know, but it does.
"I hope you're not planning on carrying me like this all night?" Siobhan asks Harper teasingly, wiggling a little in his grip. "It makes it hard for me to skate and dance." She's not trying too hard to get away from him, especially once Chance positions himself so she can see his face.

:::
Sensing Quintin's discomfort, Jenna just brightens her smile. "Well come on then. Let's go collect that water. I need it after that, and I'm not even the one who was pulling out all the cool moves!" Taking his hand, she tries to drag him along with her to join the others. Really, it looks hilarious. A 5'3" petite girl, dragging a 6' tall athlete.
"We're not trying out for dancing with the stars. If anyone should go for that show it should be Shiv."

:::

"Could you be any more obvious," Harper says to Chance, rolling his eyes. "No, I've every intention of putting you down." Which he does once Chance isn't in the vicinity of pinching Siobhan's behind.
Though Siobhan is down on he floor, he's not released her yet. "Go have fun. That's why we're here, right?" A smile is given to his sister and Quintin, and he whistles. "Nice moves, Quin."

:::

He still has no idea how she always seems to know what he's feeling. It isn't a bad thing, but for someone who has spent his life being difficult to read it does make him wonder if he's slipping. All the same he skates off with Jenna as she escorts him over to the rest of the group. It is quite the sight but he surely doesn't mind it.

"I'm saving up for the chili cheese fries with Harper." No, he's not going to let that go. "Though I suppose I might go get some water before that." If a picnic isn't going to keep him full for long adding water to the mix surely isn't about to do anything.

Quin rubs at the back of his neck after he greets Harper with a nod. "Thanks, but really most of it is just balance. Jenna was the one who was moving around." Even if she wasn't the one actually attempting to move.

:::

"I'm only human," Chance remarks when he's called out by Harper. "I appreciate aesthetics."
He hands Jenna her water, "Your water, Your Highness. You probably need it now." She does have a very pretty smile and she looks like she's had the time of her life. It's a good look for her, and giving a circular skate around the group, Chance smirks, "So, what's next?"

:::

The witch rolls her eyes and ignores Chance's comment on 'aesthetics,' though inside, she does appreciate the compliment. "You two looked like you were having fun," Siobhan says when Jenna and Quin join them. She's fairly impressed by Quin's skill and moves. It almost makes her wish that she had access to one of the guys from the Company just so she could give it a whirl.
"Don't discount yourself there, Quin. Lifting and support is a big part of it too. Knowing how to hold someone aloft is as much a fine skill as being held aloft." That's the voice of experience speaking. A quick sideways consideration is given to Quin, thoughts whirling, but Siobhan says nothing.
"Exactly why we're here. To have fun." She drifts close to Harper and plants a perfectly sweet kiss on his cheek, before giving a twirl and skating away, "Somebody better come catch me and dance with me or I'm going to be sorely offended."
Beat.
"You wouldn't like me when I'm offended."

:::

"Thanks, Chance." Rolling forward she quickly pecks at his cheek, and then opens the bottle of water. After taking a sip, she hands it to Quintin who likely needs it more than she does. "It's not a fancy jewel encrusted bottle, but the water's good," she says to him with a giggle.
"He's really skilled, isn't he? You should go skate with him, Shiv. You're much better with the dancing and could likely tear up this whole entire place with your movements."
The kiss to Harper's cheek earns Siobhan a quirked brow, but she'll ask her friend about it later.
"If none of the boys'll do it, I'll come dance with you."

:::

"Aren't we all," Harper replies with a laugh. He can't fault Chance for taking a peek, even though he wants to. Siobhan does have a nice backside.
"Amusement park? Chili cheese fries? Apparently skate-dancing with Siobhan?"

:::

A second thought isn't even given. As soon as the bottle is offered he reaches for it and takes a sip. After all of this he'll likely guzzle quite a bit of water on his own but the immediate offer is appreciated. "I'm fairly certainly that I only need the one. If I start a collection I might get a few looks from my roommate." Not that he mentions /who/ his roommate is.

That seems like his queue. "So not trying to step in on anything." It isn't said loudly but it is offered, just in case the conversation between the witch and male empathy went very well. "But I think someone needs to spread her wings."

Quin offers the bottle back to Jenna and then takes of skating after Shiv. He can't offer any sweet, emotionally supportive conversation but he can skate with her.

:::
Chance is forced to do another circular spin to watch the young witch go skating off toward the center of the rink. He slides a glance back toward Harper. It's a quick glance, just checking to see if the other man is going to head off behind her, because he'll happily keep the witch happy if needed. The thought barely forms as Quintin skates past him, and he blinks. Chance would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about what detained Piper and the other Donovan for so long, but he knows that it really isn't any of his business.
He skates a slow speed over to Jenna and grins. "Looks like you're stuck with me and your brother."

:::

Skating by herself is really no big deal for Siobhan, not as much as it might have been before her conversation with Harper. It's all right if Quintin can't offer sweet, emotionally supportive conversation because she's not really in need of it. Really, she fully expects that Jenna will come skating up beside her or that the cowboy-sorcerer will be back in action.
Reaching the center of the rink, she stops and does the closest approximation to a pirouette that she can on skates. Once, twice and then slowing until she stops, she flashes the unexpected arrival a smile. "Hey."

:::

"You so don't need to start a collection. I can't believe you kept the bottle though." It's actually kind've sweet that he kept it as a momento of the night at Purgatory. She might have to tease him about it later, or at least find something matching that he can put in the bottle.
Taking back the bottle of water, Jenna lifts it to her lips and takes another sip. "She'll give you a run for your money, Quintin! Don't let her roll all over you!"
Giggling a little, she glances over at the sorcerer and blushes.
"You say that as though I might mind being stuck with you."

:::

Shrugging his shoulders, Harper grins. "Quin's right. Flutterbee needs to spread her wings and fly. Besides, it's not like she wants to dance with me."
The male Donovan may be good on skates, but he's not half as good as he witnessed Quin to be, so he's not even going to try. He'll take Siobhan for a spin a little later.
"Siobhan is happy enough without you chasing after her," he says quietly to Chance, though the other man's thought was unvoiced.
:::

He skates backwards long enough to wink at Jenna. With the tension from earlier seemingly gone he's more comfortable being himself, which is a good thing. He can only hope that everyone else is able to do the same, without worry.

"I hear that you might be too much for me," the werewolf quips at Shiv once he catches up. "And here I just want to see you shake those pretty wings." Not once does Quin think about what he's saying, as he truly is just looking for a laugh. "Mind if I give you a lift?"

He has no idea what happened with Harper. "You can ask Jenna, I won't drop you." Of course, to not seem as if he's completely out of place, he can't help but strike a pose or two. He /did/ start this whole thing, after all.

:::

Ouch, Chance thinks. That had to be a warning off if he's ever heard one, and he's been privy to plenty, actually.
He plays it off well, shaking his head and holding up his hands. "I wasn't going to chase after her unless absolutely necessary. I know how much she adores me. Just wouldn't want her to feel slighted." After all, Jenna and Quin did make quite an impression on the dance floor. Chance might not be the romantic flowers and candy (or even relationship) sort, but he knows how prickly girls can be sometimes.
He extends his hand to Jenna, "I admit, I'm not as good as Quin, but I'll take you out for a spin again."

:::

Siobhan laughs as Quin strikes a pose. "You're good, Quin, but do you really think you can keep up with me?"
To emphasize her words, she shows off a few moves of her own, including managing to successfully pull off a cartwheel into a split. On skates. She's nothing if not balanced and limber. Coming up out of the split, she gives a spin, and circles around Quin on one leg before finally slowing to grin up at him. Yes, she was showing off and yes, she did enjoy it. The witch is good and she knows she's good, and she's not going to hide it.
"Did I shake my pretty wings enough?" Siobhan winks and then nods, "You can give me a lift."

:::

It's good to feel Quintin relaxed. Jenna almost thinks that's the first time today that he's really done so. She hates making him uncomfortable, and she seems to do a really good job of that by just being herself.
There's a wide-eyed blinking at her brother's words and she stares at him for a moment. "Woah, Harper. You need to chill just a little. We're here to have fun." It's a soft, gentle, but chiding warning. It's weird to have him seem to be possessive of her BFF, but then again she does know how much Shiv dislikes the sorcerer.
Taking Chance's hand, she grins and hands her water bottle to Harper. "Take care of that. I'm going skating with Chance." Her grin turns into a smile as she shines it on Chance. "You were dancing just fine for me earlier."

:::

"I know we are," comes Harper's reply to his twin. "Go, have fun. We all know that I can skate, but I can't skate and dance at the same time." He shoos them all away, then leans up against the boards, hugging them with his arms behind him as he watches Siobhan show off for the werewolf.

:::

"Well, I never said I was good!" He honestly hasn't. He's just athletic and somewhat acrobatic. He could try to keep up somewhat but he'd just end up failing so Quin decides to just let Shiv steal the show. It looks better when she does it, anyway.

"And I never will, either. You're good at showing people up." This is said with a smile, of course. Friendzone Quintin indeed is far more relaxed than not.

The werewolf reaches out for the witch in a similar fashion than he did with Jenna. "Trust me; I won't let you fall." He'd surely take a beating before he let anything happen to either one of them. He then hoists Shiv up into the air above his head. "And anything you plan on doing, don't worry. I've got you."

:::

Chance knows when to back down, and back down he'll do. He really doesn't want to antagonize Jenna's brother, and they are here to have fun. A part of him really is curious now about the conversation between the witch and the empath, because in light of that warning, something went down.
Or, he's just being protective because Piper doesn't like you.
Not worrying over it, Chance focuses his attention on Jenna, sweeping her into a small spin and then dancing her onto the floor. He does catch sight of Siobhan showing off her talent and her - Tramp stamp? Aren't you full of surprises - dance skills.
"Did you want to get that on camera, too?" He asks Jenna as Quin lifts the witch over his head.

:::

"But you are good," Siobhan insists. "I do this everyday, and I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it."
"I saw you with Jenna. I have absolutely no worries." She doesn't. Besides, Siobhan suspects that all of Quin's strength doesn't just come from working out.
She's easy enough to lift, because she's expecting it and it is something she's done on a regular basis. It's amusing to be in a lift on the dance floor like this and she gives a soft laugh of delight.

:::

"You're curious about something, aren't you?" Jenna tilts her head, looking at Chance with a question in her eyes. She does catch him watching Siobhan, and bites her lip. Really, she's not going to worry about it, but if he starts to cause problems for her bestie, she'll say something.
"It's a butterfly," she explains, figuring he noticed the tat.
"Oh!"
She starts to pull her camera out, then shakes her head.
"No, let Harper do it. He's not skating or dancing, and I like when you spin me."

:::

Harper may not have supersonic hearing, and the rink is fairly loud, but he can hear thoughts. Especially the ones coming from his sister. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his phone and sets it to video mode, taking footage of Siobhan and Quintin.
:::

It probably is quite the different dance floor than she's used to, but that's what makes it even more fun. Seeing as how she appears to be quite comfortable he begins skating. Quin can't see just how it looks with her wings, but he has no doubt that it looks amazing. Well, amazing for what he was aiming for.

"I'm glad that you trust me." He sincerely means it. If she's caught on to the clues that he's given her than it means a /lot/ for her to trust him. "And this height suits you. Maybe you should wear wings more often."

The tattoo wasn't noticed, and certainly doesn't matter. At their ages, ink isn't a surprise.

:::

Chance stares down at the pretty empath. He wonders how she figured out half his thoughts, and then shrugs. "I take it she's a fan of butterflies?"
Beat.
"What are you a fan of?"
If Chance could read thoughts he might be a little offended. He's not interested in causing problems of any sort for Siobhan. He doesn't have a problems with witches and Chance thinks she's interesting. And if that little power surge earlier was a manifestation of her sorcerer magic? He might be able to help her. If she would allow it.
He twists back to look at Harper, and then back to Jenna. "Shouldn't we tell him that? Or is this some sort of twin telepathy?" He's teasing, he really is.
The sorcerer waits for her to answer, then spins her in and gives her a swooping dip and a wink. "Is that what you like?"

:::

"Why wouldn't I trust you?" Siobhan asks. She would reach down and ruffle Quin's hair, but that might distract him and she doesn't want to do that. Instead she's happily hoisted around the dance floor, grinning playfully at the attention that they're getting. The witch doesn't intend to take up too much of Quin's time, though, and will let him get back to Jenna as soon as possible.
Speaking of, she catches sight of her bestie dance/skating with Chance and gives them a wave. Then her gaze seeks out Harper, and she impishly blows him a kiss. Because she can. Once she's done here with Quin, she has every intention of dragging Harper out for a few laps around the rink if nothing else.
"Whenever you're tired of this, let me know Quin."

:::
It's not so much figuring out Chance's thoughts, as it is catching him staring at her friend's backside that gave him away.
"She is."
Beat.
"Roses and sparkly things, though I think you got that information from earlier." Well, maybe not the roses, but definitely the sparkly bit. It's why he's been calling her Magpie.
"He'll know, or at least realize that we're skating and can't be bothered to pull out our phones." Actually Harper likely doesn't think Jenna has her phone with her.
The swooping dip causes her to catch her breath and blush. "Yes," she says quietly, smiling up at him.
She misses the wave from Siobhan because of the dip.

:::

Holding the phone in one hand as he takes the video, Harper manages to 'catch' the kiss and wink at Siobhan. Things aren't perfect between them, but maybe it's a start to stop having that elephant hanging over them all the time they're together this summer.
He skates a little way from the wall, passing the sorcerer and his sister. Swinging the phone over in their direction, he winks at his sister, and then continues toward the werewolf.

:::

"You know me. I can usually go for as long as needed." Unless he's trying to get out of dancing at some sort of club. "But honestly, don't let me keep you from him. He's about the only guy I'd trust with you at this point." So he doesn't know exactly what was said between the two, but he does know how they seem to act towards each other. He's just jumping to conclusions. Although he's glad the conversation is just between the two of them at this point.

Quin comes to a stop and looks up at the butterfly. "Not that I said anything." He notices Harper coming their way and is careful to set himself. "You ready, Shiv? I can toss you like I did Jenna, and I'll catch you." Waiting until she confirms, he'll initiate the 'dismount'. He's careful to catch her as he would Jenna, and to make sure she's secure on her feet before letting go.

:::

"Roses and sparkly things," Chance intones, bobbing his head as though making a mental note of it. He just might be, but more so to offer Quin advice and suggestions if the werewolf should decide that he's in need of them.
Pulling her slowly upright, Chance spins her out again, then as he draws her back in, he tucks her into his side to sweep around the rink with her. He's glad to see she's smiling. He's even happier when her brother skates past and doesn't deck him.

:::

It's a good thing that Siobhan isn't drinking anything when Quintin says what she does. Again, she wishes for empathy just to see if he had a mouth-filter problem or if it was intentional to get a reaction. Then the fact that it got a reaction shows just where her mind is and makes her blush a bit, grateful that she's high enough that no one can see.
"I see," Siobhan says clearing her throat, and following it up with a delicate laugh.
"Keep me from … no, it's … not like that." It's not like anything exactly. Yet. Just more comfortable than it might have been otherwise. She and Harper will still have to navigate their interactions, but she's going to try hard to just be herself and not pin her hopes on anything.
Until next summer.
She tells him she's ready for the 'dismount' and really is impressed by his skill and care when he catches her.
"You've had training," Siobhan says quietly, blinking up at Quintin. She won't say another word about it, though. She just knows the difference between brute skill and finesse.
The witch balances very quickly, and stretches up to press a light, friendly kiss to Quintin's cheek. It's not easy on skates, but she's used to being on point, and with a hand on his shoulder, she manages it. "Thank you for the lift, Quin. It was fun."
:::

"I'm a pretty typical girl," Jenna replies with a laugh. "But roses aren't because I'm typical. It's my middle name." One that she almost wishes she could use. Rose Donovan sounds more stage-worthy to her. If she ever makes it big, maybe she'll use it as her stage name.
Playing up the spin out, Jenna rolls easily. When he draws her back in, she nearly trips over her own feet and has to cling to him in order to not pull them both down as he sweeps them around the rink.

:::

Pulling up beside Quintin and Siobhan, Harper finally turns the video off and drops his phone back into his pocket. "You okay, Shiv?" He caught her thoughts and is really curious why her mind went there with what was said.
"Care for a spin around the rink before we grab a snack and head out to the park for some rides?"

:::

He didn't mean it like that! Clearly he simply needs to work on his phrasing around these girls. It isn't until she seems stable that he lets go, though he does bend somewhat to allow her the peck on the cheek. It's the least he can do, considering the height difference.

When Harper joins them Quintin nods in his direction. "I think she's too good for me." He means dancing, but his words can be taken either way. "You kids have fun. I think I need a break." He has been showing off quite a bit and could use a chance to just sit back and enjoy the others.

Besides, he'll feel much better when there are chili cheese fries.

:::

Chance slows when he feels Jenna grasping at him, and he casts a spell to give them both a bit of extra support as they skate along. He doesn't release the spell until he can sense she's regained her balance, and even then, he doesn't exactly object to having the pretty girl cling to him.
"Jenna Rose," Chance says slowly, testing the name. "That's very pretty." He goes by his middle name, but admitting that would be admitting his first name and Chance isn't going there.
Beat.
"You think you can handle another spin, or should we keep it tame?" He smiles over at her.

:::

"I'm fine. Quin's a great partner," Siobhan answers. She makes a slow, careful circuit around Harper before coming to stand beside him and linking her arm through his. "Yes, I'd like that."

:::

It amuses Jenna that she knows what he's doing before he's even half finished the spell. She may not know the spell, but she does know what something being cast on her feels like. "Thanks," she murmurs quietly. Not that she stops clinging to him.
"I like it."
Beat.
"I can handle anything you throw at me, cowboy," she teases.

:::

"I know," Harper says, laughing. "I caught it all on video. The girls can send it to you."
Reaching his arm out for Siobhan, he pulls her in close to his side and starts to take her around the rink.

:::

While the others continue to skate, Quin moves off to the side. He finds a nice bench to sit on, stretches out his legs and just relaxes. This isn't him being a gloomy gus; in fact, he's quite happy. It's just time for a break, and admittedly he keeps eyeing the concession stand. Sometimes it can be so difficult to hold out, but at least he has his eyes on the prize. Or fries, in this case.

:::

"Really?"Chance drawls.
He may not have Quin's moves, but he did pick up a few things in those required ball room dance lessons. They weren't all about ballroom.
With her already in his arm on one side, Chance lifts his free hand and casts a quick balancing spell. He winks over at Jenna, and with no further warning, spins her around behind him and back to his other side. She's tucked under his arm for a beat, and once he's certain she's not going to lose her balance, he swings her out and pulls her back in so that her back rests against his chest in a classic swing move.
Of course, short of 'bouncing' her from one arm to the other, that's about as fancy as he gets.

:::

The dancing with Quin was fun, but Siobhan settles in contentedly against Harper when he draws her in close to his side. "I still say that you were brave for wearing the pink sparklies," Siobhan tells him with a cheeky grin. Quite the same as Jenna, Siobhan fishes her phone out from beneath the shirt and out of her bra. Then she holds it up in front of them, "Smile for the camera."
She wants a picture with Harper too.
:::

"Really."
Except, Jenna's not exactly expecting the spell, nor is she expecting to be spun round behind him. Laughing, she twirls her way into it and when he tucks her, she relaxes. Then he's swinging her out and toward him again, causing a soft giggle.
She really doesn't need to be spun around up in the air to have fun. This is just as much fun as the other.
Leaning back against him, she trusts that he won't let her go while they continue to move around.

:::

Harper smiles for the camera, and then waits just long enough for her to put it away before he spins her around to face him while they skate.
"When we reach the door, head out and get changed. We'll go to the park. You've got three guys with you, one of them will win you some sort of stuffed animal, I promise."

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