Manhattan - Columbus Gardens
Located near the banks of the Hudson, Columbus Gardens is a two building complex. A large outdoor swimming pool and central gathering area is set up between the buildings, allowing for those attending the nearby colleges and universities somewhere to lounge.
The building itself is fairly luxurious for the price of the apartments. Each apartment, no matter how small, has its own private patio.
The lobby itself is gotten into via a revolving door that is guarded day and night by a doorman. A burgundy carpet leads from the entrance toward the elevators at the back of the room. A small seating area has been set up by the mailboxes.
As an added bonus there is a gym on the top floor of the building.
Characters
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| Jenna Donovan | Chance Harper |
Jenna honestly hasn't gone far. She didn't have the energy to go all the way down the stairs, and when she thought about going to the elevator she heard Siobhan in the hallway.
So she's still sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Her purse is still up in the apartment, her bag of groceries is likely soaked by whatever happened in the kitchen, and there's no point in putting up the decorations to celebrate Quin's homecoming now.
That got ruined.
Though it's not at all ladylike or Upper East Side worthy, she wipes her eyes on the bottom hem of her shirt and stares straight ahead.
Jenna isn't waiting outside of the building. Considering that Chance has her purse in hand, he doubts she called a cab or called for a car. That means she's found somewhere to hide inside the building. Unfortunately there are three stairwells and one has roof access, so it might be something of a search.
Logic dictates starting with the closest one first. Chance pushes open the stairwell door and peers in, then steps further and peers down. It's not often that he gets lucky in the first shot like this, but he can see the top of Jenna's head.
"Jenna?" Chance calls out. He doesn't want to sneak up on her, and he doesn't want to upset her more. "I brought your purse."
Beat.
"I just want to make sure you're okay."
"Oh."
Beat.
"Thanks."
It's not very often that Jenna doesn't sound bubbly, or extremely happy. At the moment she just sounds tired, worn out, and hurt.
"I'm sorry for walking in on you in the shower." That's all she offers, and it's not exactly very loud.
Chance inhales and exhales slowly. He comes closer and hands her the purse, slipping past her to sit on the stair two below. It lets her keep her distance, but allows him to actually look at her. The sorcerer leans back against the wall, and stretches his legs across the stairs.
"You don't have to apologize for that." It does beg the question of why she walked in on his shower, but he'll get to that later. Maybe.
Chance is quiet for a moment, and then he sighs again. "Jenna, nothing happened with me and Siobhan, alright?"
Beat.
"We've been working together on her sorcerer magic, and we got to talking about potions. I'm not really good at it, but she has experience with it, so we were working on that this morning. Long story short, something went wrong, it exploded and we discovered that it was a little acidic. Honestly, that's all that happened." The proof is in the memories as well; having a hot girl in his shower and not getting turned on, and Chance doesn't even remember what color Siobhan's underwear were.
"I know."
Setting the purse beside her, she fires off a quick apology text to her bestie, and then drops the phone back into it.
"I know, Chance. I know she wouldn't do that to me." She can't say the same for him, because she knows that he's a bit of a playboy. "It was just in that moment I was stupid and irrational, and with Quintin walking in with that girl, and them hanging all over one another, and the conversation they were having and GOD how could I have been so stupid?"
Taking a deep breath, she waves it off.
"Sorry. I've got an abundance of emotions still, and not all of them are mine."
Okay, so there's a lot more going on here than Chance thought initially. Of course, he did miss a good portion of Jenna's conversation with Quin. If that's what it could be called. "You don't need to apologize for having emotions or for being what you are, either."
"Good," Chance nods. "I'm glad you know that about Shiv."
Beat.
"For the record? I wouldn't do that to you either, Jenna. I'm not a saint, and I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm something I'm not, but … I do like you. I'm not going to pull a stunt like that with your best friend."
Shifting, Chance reaches a hand for her and changes his mind. He's not sure what state she's in yet. "You weren't stupid. You saw what you saw and jumped to a conclusion. Anyone would have done it. What's important is that you calmed down enough to talk about it."
There's another pause and then he sighs, "Quin showing up with her really bothered you, huh? Even though you knew he was taking her to Vegas with him?" At least Chance is assuming that's the girl Quin took to Vegas.
"Thank you," Jenna says to him when he iterates that he wouldn't do that with Siobhan. Not so much that he wouldn't do that with someone else, but that he wouldn't hurt her friendship with Siobhan, and Siobhan's relationship with Harper.
That is important to her.
"It was hard not to jump to that conclusion after Quin and his friend."
She knows she looks awful. Eyes puffy and red. She doesn't care.
"Only because he promised that she was just a friend, and the conversation they were having and the way they were clinging together? That was definitely not just a friend. I'm pretty sure they slept together, and not the way we did."
Beat.
"But on the flipside of that, I guess I told him that I wanted to date and that I wasn't ready for something serious. Maybe she is, and I can't fault him for wanting that."
Biting her lip, she tries not to sniffle.
"It doesn't stop it from hurting though."
"C'mon. We both know that Shiv would fry my ass and your brother would kick it, if I tried anything anyway." It's said with a smile and to be a bit humorous. The lighter side of the whole thing.
It's a lot to process, but the sorcerer tries. He honestly doesn't know if Quin slept with Kay, and it's really none of his business. He can say that they did look a bit chummy, but then again, he looked like he'd been getting freaky with Siobhan, so looks can be deceiving.
Chance does reach out now and take Jenna's hand in his. He hates to see his friends upset and whatever else may be going on with Jenna, she is his friend. Ironically, in a way Quin was the competition and if he's moved on, he's taken himself out of the picture, if Chance wanted to pursue something with Jenna. He's just not that guy, and especially not now. "You really like him, no one's going to fault you for being hurt by it, if it is what happened. We've all been there, I think, and it's not fun."
Chance sits up and slides onto the step beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Are you regretting it? Telling Quin that you didn't want something serious?"
"Yeah, she would," Jenna says, laughing through her tears.
Chance takes her hand, and she blinks down at it. Slowly, she smiles and seems to relax. "I really like you," she points out quietly. "I don't even know why I'm so hurt. I mean, I'm the one who told him to date. I think I was just surprised, and wanted to talk to Shiv, and then ran into the two of you in the shower, and I couldn't focus any more."
Leaning against his shoulder as he wraps an arm around her, she sighs.
"No. I don't regret it, Chance. I wasn't ready for something serious when I said it. I'm not ready for something serious yet either. I'm not my twin, and I'm not my best friend. I'm not ready to lock into a forever type relationship… and that's what I think Quin was looking for."
"I know." Chance is aware of how Jenna feels. He's aware of how Quin feels, or how he thought Quin felt, and he's aware that while Jenna might not want something serious, she also doesn't want to be just another fling for him either. It puts him in an odd place, trying to figure out what to do about Jenna's feelings and his own. Especially now if Quin has moved on and effectively cleared the field. Now, when she's still smarting, probably isn't the time to talk about it.
Chance rubs her upper arm and presses a soft kiss to the top of her head. "You're hurt because you told him to date, but you didn't expect him to move on or take dating to a different level." It's Quin, after all, and sleeping with someone is a high level for the werewolf. "You thought you'd have time to figure out what you wanted."
Chance presses another kiss to her head, this one to her forehead. "Those two are a little bit intense, aren't they?" Chance asks. "Shiv and Harper I mean." He shakes his head and chuckles. "You're only twenty, Jenna. You don't have to be ready to lock in to a forever relationship. And you don't have to feel guilty about it either."
"A week, Chance. He went from… insisting this girl was just a friend, to whatever they are now, in less than a week. I may have wanted time to actually get into a dating groove and feel out what I really wanted, but you're right. I didn't expect him to move things to a different level as soon as he had the opportunity."
That is really why it hurts. Because it makes her think horrible things about Quintin, and she knows that's not fair. She's left wondering if that's all he wanted from her too.
"They are, but it's been building for a long time. I mean, I don't blame them. They're ready for forever. I just want a for now."
Beat.
"Still want to take a puffy-eyed, emotionally unstable girl to the Ball?"
"She's like him." It's not a good explanation, but on the other hand, it is a good explanation. Like attracts like. Not to imply he's going to go hook up with a witch or find a good looking sorcerer, but Quin did talk about the draw that wolves have toward one another. It doesn't stop Jenna's hurt or make it go away.
Chance rests his cheek against the side of her head, hugging her close. "You wonder why it wasn't you and why he couldn't wait, and whether or not you were good enough." Yes, it could very well be the voice of experience talking.
"For now is a good thing to want," Chance says quietly. "I think at our age, 'for now,' is a very good thing to want. Logical. Comfortable. Reasonable."
He looks down at her, tilting her face up to look at him. "Yes. I still want to take a beautiful, puffy-eyed, emotionally unstable girl to the Ball. I'll have the prettiest emotionally unstable girl there."
Beat.
"I think you're good enough. Maybe too good."
"I know." Siobhan did mention that in the email, but that doesn't mean she expected Quintin to jump into bed with the woman.
"Surprisingly, I don't care that it wasn't me. But why couldn't he wait? Or why couldn't he just tell me that it was a possibility? I could've handled it then." Or even if she couldn't handled it, she could have handled it better than she did.
Jenna knows that Chance is trying to make her laugh, and while she doesn't do it again, she tilts her head enough to smile at him.
"You do?"
That broadens the smile, and she reaches over to squeeze his hand.
"Thanks, Chance. It was sweet of you to come find me."
"At the risk of sounding like a cliche, maybe it was meant to be? Maybe Quin needs her and you need … something else." It's not to say that they can't be friends, but maybe not lovers. Just friends.
"I do," Chance says with a soft exhalation of breath. "More along the lines of too good. You're too good for me, that's for sure."
The sorcerer glances down at her hand on his and smiles softly. "You're my friend, Jenna. You were upset. I was worried." Beat. "I have to be honest though, if you hadn't talked to me, I would have called Harper." Normally, it would have been Siobhan, but that wasn't an option.
"Maybe."
Jenna won't deny that Quintin likely needed to have another werewolf as a friend, nor will she deny that he likely needed to date just like she does.
"Tch. I think you've got that wrong, Chance Harper. You're too good for me."
Smiling at him, she uses her free hand to wipe her eyes again. "Still, not many friends would come after someone after they made an accusation like I did. I appreciate that you did."
Beat.
"I like talking with you, Chance. It's easy. I mean, it's comfortable."
"I'm sorry. If I'd been thinking, I would have brought kleenex." He's not perfect in these crying girl situations, but at least he doesn't run away from them.
Chance brushes away her tears with his fingertips. "You were upset and jumped to a logical conclusion. Emotions were running high. Like I said, I wanted to talk and explain, but even if you hadn't I would have gotten your twin here."
Beat.
"I put Shiv in a cab and sent her home. She wanted to go, but she didn't want to wait for a car." Chance hasn't a clue what got the witch as bent out of shape as she was, but he didn't argue with her desire to put as much space between the apartment and herself as possible. "She wanted to come after you, but then, I think she got too worked up and needed to calm down."
Beat.
"Really? I don't think anyone has ever told me that before." He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I like talking to you, too."
"I don't need kleenex. I'm good." Not perfect, but good. She's calmer now. Emotions have settled. Her own are still a little up and down, but for the most part now that she's aware of what it was that was bothering her she's got them under control.
"You know, I was running to hide in the bathroom to ask you to call Siobhan." Biting her lip, she leans over and hugs him. "Thank you for making sure she got home alright. As much as you try to be down on yourself, you're a good guy."
Beat.
"Really," she whispers. "I can't explain it. From the moment we met in the Undercity, I was comfortable around you."
Chance rubs her back in a friendly, comforting manner. "Here I thought that it was because you were just dying to turn the tables and see me in a towel."
His blue eyes meet hers earnestly. "I'm ok at the friends thing. It's the other stuff that I'm crap at." That's what he's talking about when he puts himself down. He's not putting himself down; he's being honest. Chance gives her a light grin, "I have to take care of Shiv. We're going to take over the world together someday. Show the rest of our kind that we can all get along and kick magical ass while doing it." Another joke to make her laugh.
Beat.
"Oh good clearly the empath trap was working even if the witch one failed," Chance winks at her. His ears might just be a touch pink. "I'm … glad you did. Things might not gone as well if you two had been left on your own devices."
Beat.
"It's easy to be comfortable around you, too."
"Nope. It's because I let my emotions take over for a little bit, and needed a place to hide." Jenna had her back to them most of the time he was in a towel anyhow, so it's not like she got to enjoy the show.
"You're more than okay at the friends thing. I think you'd be just fine at the other stuff too, whenever you're ready to be." He's already got the most important point down; he's honest. To Jenna that's a big thing so far as friends and relationships go. "I want in on that. I might not be able to use magic, but you know what? Why stop at just witches and sorcerers? Wouldn't it be good to show everyone that all us 'weirdos' can get along?"
Beat.
"It definitely was. I think that's one of the few times I could read your feelings loud and clear." Smiling at him, she shifts just a little. "I know. It's bad enough that Siobhan had to give up a bit of her blood. That can be used against her, can't it?"
"You're welcome to hide in the bathroom with me anytime," Chance teases, giving her a one-sided, one-armed hug and squeeze. "I hope you won't have to. I prefer that a pretty girl in the bathroom with me is there for reasons other than tears or injury." Which covers both the reason Jenna was there and Siobhan.
"Why not? There's plenty of spaces left open in the regime."
Chance sighs, stroking his palm down her back. "Yes, it could be. Not by Ansalem. If he says something then he'll stick to it, but a lot of vendors down there aren't so trustworthy." Not that Ansalem is, just he is true to his word. "Witch and sorcerer blood are considered pretty powerful. Siobhan and her brother have both. A lot of spell casters and non-spell casters would love to get their hands on that blood."
Realizing he may be worrying Jenna, Chance gives her a side hug again. "You don't have to worry about them. The Coven is protecting them and where they're lacking, no one wants to take the chance that Dr. Knight's Dynasty won't step in if a move is made against his family. They may not be powerful here, but they are overseas, and they have clout and connections." Chance has been learning a lot from his father since he befriended the witch-sorcerer.
That tease causes her to giggle a little. Jenna bites her lip, then leans up quickly and kisses his cheek. "I know I've said it a lot already, but thank you, Chance. For talking with me, and for cheering me up."
Beat.
"And for taking care of Siobhan. You haven't done anything for your wounds yet either, but here you are making sure someone else is alright before worrying about them." His whole demeanor goes against everything she was ever taught by Robert about sorcerers.
"So she is really going to have to be careful down there. Have you told her? That her blood could be used against her? She might take more precautions next time if you warned her about that."
Jenna is worried, but she knows that the Coven will protect her friend.
"You're welcome." He dips his head a bit, almost as though he's embarrassed to be thanked and praised for being a good guy.
Beat.
"First degree. No worse than a sunburn. A sort of random splotchy sunburn. I've got sunburn gel around here somewhere, and burn ointment too." It's uncomfortable, but it could have been worse. He laughs. "All the times I've thought about whisking a girl off and carrying her into the shower, that was not what I had in mind."
Chance nods his head. "She is, yeah. She - " He stops and thinks about it. "No, no I haven't. I guess I never thought about it. My dad warned me about the Undercity, but Shiv's parents don't even know she's going there alone, do they?" He wonders if he should find a way to get word to them. Sure, Shiv will be pissed at him; but she'll be safe from herself. "I'll talk to her. She listens to me now. Sort of." If that fails, he'll have his father call hers.
"Do you have a healing spell?" Jenna's words are soft and quiet as she asks. "Or did you want to talk to Dr. Knight? I mean, you don't know what the lasting damage is going to be from the potion. Maybe it'll turn your hair green." The empath is joking. Mostly. She's seen some of Siobhan's potions go bad before and they generally have… interesting results.
"I'll tell you what. If you ever whisk me off to the shower, I promise one hundred percent less dramatics, and hopefully less burns."
Beat.
"I don't think they do. Not that she's going there alone. That was her first time, I think, without going with one of them or another witch."
"A mild one, and I'm not very good at it," Chance confesses. "My father is better, and it's part of the teaching trade Shiv and I have been doing. I teach her, she teaches me."
Scratching the back of his neck, Chance nods and sighs. "I'll talk to Dr. Knight. I think I'll skip explaining the whole 'shower with your daughter' part though."
Chuckling, Chance elbows her gently in the side. "Now, see, that sounds do able. Less dramatics is always a plus."
Chance makes a mental note and will figure out a way to slip that into his conversation with Siobhan's father. He doesn't want to rat her out, but he likes the witch and wants to make sure she doesn't get in over her head.
"Want to get some breakfast?" Chance asks. "I'd have to get changed, but you could wait here if you wanted and then we could go grab something." He brought her purse so she wouldn't have to go back in the apartment if she didn't want to do so.
"I figured that was the trade off. It only makes sense." Jenna wishes she could help him with spellcasting, and wonders if there's something in the Undercity that she could get to help him with that healing spell.
Biting her lip, she laughs. "Probably a good idea. Dr. Knight is sort've like daddy. He still sometimes sees her as his little girl, and that might upset him."
Beat.
"I'd love some breakfast. I haven't eaten yet, because I was coming over here to welcome Quin home, and, well… that didn't work out."
"She's a good teacher," Chance says. "It benefits us both, too." It really does in the long run.
"That should make things fun for your brother then," Chance jokes. "If he still sees Shiv as his little girl."
Beat.
"How about a do-over in the spring? I'm sure I'll have a game or two played out of town. If we win, you can come over and surprise me with food and welcome me home." It hardly makes up for the hurt and embarrassment of today, but Chance is trying to keep her spirits up. He leans in and whispers, "And if I go to Vegas, I'll take you with me."
"I'm sure it does. I'm just waiting to hear about when Dr. Knight takes Harper aside for the talk."
Beat.
"You're on. I can come over and welcome you with awful food, and a banner." No, it doesn't make up for the hurt and dramatics of today, but Jenna is still smiling at him.
"You don't have to do that! Well you can't do that until at least April anyhow. I'm not old enough." Wrinkling her nose, she laughs. "I guess that's why Quin never asked me to go."
"The 'what are your intentions toward my daughter and you better not hurt her' talk?" Chance has never been on the receiving end, but he's heard about those talks. "Growing up together doesn't grant him immunity?"
Beat.
"Sure I can. There's plenty to do in Vegas beside gambling. If all else fails, we'll order room service and gorge ourselves on appetizers and desserts for a weekend." Chance likes seeing her smile and he's glad he could put that smile on her face. He doesn't know what's going on with Quin and Kay which means he doesn't know what's going on with Quin and Jenna. He doesn't know what tipped Siobhan over the edge. All he does know is that he's at least cheered Jenna up a little and that's good enough for now.
"Let's get some food again. Give me five minutes?" He's not trying to leave her out in the stairwell, but he also doesn't want her to think she has to come back to the apartment if she doesn't want to do so
"That would be the one. I think growing up together makes him more susceptible to the talk, really. Because they were friends, and now they're more."
Jenna giggles at him, and then nudges his side. "How do you stay so skinny when you eat so much?" Beat. "I'm guessing it's just because you're hungry for breakfast now."
She has no clue what's going on with anything anymore and she's determined to not care one way or the other. If Quintin took her advice, and found someone he's more compatible with? She'll do her best to be happy for him. Once she stops smarting.
"Mind if we walk instead of taking the car? I'll go downstairs and wait for you if that's alright?"
Beat.
"Though you might want to put that bag of groceries I brought into the fridge."
"Whatever you want, Magpie," Chance gives her another hug and presses a sweet little kiss to her cheek.
Beat.
"Groceries. Check. I'll meet you downstairs."
