Park Slope Studios - Brooke's Studio Apartment
The large studio apartment offers a great deal of open space. The studio has been recently renovated to include walls between the rooms, and though it's only 900 square feet seems much larger due to the open concept.
Two bedrooms can be found in the apartment, though only one is an actual bedroom. The second, which looks out onto Prospect Park, has been set up as a home office for a budding new business. Filled with filing cabinets, a computer, several calendars, extra day planners, the office manages to look both comfortable and busy at the same time. Several client clipboards hang on the wall.
French doors separate the two bedrooms from the main living area, which encompasses both a small living room and a dining nook. The living area has exposed brick wall with a fireplace. The remainder of the walls are a soft cream in color, and all the furniture is black.
The small kitchen is simple and elegant, with hardwood floors, and wooden cabinets to match. The appliances are older, but still in good working condition. There's no balcony, but there is access to the rooftop garden through a stairway that runs alongside the entrance.
Characters
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| Siobhan Donovan | Brooke Bishop |
Siobhan spends her first night back in New York City in a hotel room. Although she's talked to Preston, face-to-face even, she still feels horrible about what happened and hasn't really stopped beating herself up for it. He's Preston though, and even though he said all is forgiven, she knows that he had to be upset and out of sorts by it as well. No matter how open and unconventional their relationship, there are still certain lines; add in the fact that she also cheated on her husband, and she doesn't know what if anything, Jenna knows, no, the little witch was not ready to go home yet.
She couldn't stay at her parents. They might not ask why, but they'd wonder and they'd exchange those looks. The ones she doesn't want to deal with.
Of course, Preston might not have been home, but on the off-chance he was, and Cooper was … and that's just too much of an awkward mess even without the extramarital sex. Per Ariel's request, she's giving her fellow dancer his distance, but it's just been driven home more and more frequently that Cooper needs to know what he is.
She'll have to go home eventually, especially if Preston lets on to Jenna that Cooper is back, but taking a day or two to herself isn't such a bad thing. Even if she spends it, chasing her thoughts in circles.
When she's tired of talking at herself, Siobhan finally calls Brooke. If nothing else, she figures she can talk to the older witch about Cooper, and about whether or not Regina is off her cracker.
~*~
Whatever else Brooke might tell Siobhan, and given the fact that she's currently dating a vampire which in itself could get her in trouble with the Coven (even if it was per Regina's orders), she will definitely tell her that Regina is off her cracker.
The door is open, and Brooke told her fellow witch to just come on up when she arrived.
The redhead is currently laying on the floor, holding a little dog up above her head and playing with it. It looks ridiculous, but she doesn't care. She and Lady both enjoy what little bonding time they can get.
~*~
Siobhan smiles at the sight of Brooke and the puppy. It's an adorable, heart warming sight and it's probably the first genuine, relaxed smile that Siobhan's expressed since she woke up naked and found out she was in Cooper's bed. She slips out of her coat and hangs it on the hook by the door, setting her purse on the floor beside the coat rack.
"You two look cozy," Siobhan remarks as she makes her way across the room after closing the door behind her.
~*~
Glancing over at the younger witch, Brooke laughs. "See that, Lady, we look cozy. I wonder how cozy we're going to look in a larger space." Especially one with an indoor pool, and everything else. Shaking her head, she sets the small dog to the floor and sits up.
"So, what was with the mysterious call from a hotel?"
Beat.
"You know, if you're in trouble or you need a place to stay, you can crash here. I can always go to Kieran's and give you some privacy."
~*~
Perching on the couch, Siobhan regards her friend curiously. "A larger space? Are you moving?" The dancer looks around. Siobhan might have grown up on the UES with the finer things, but she's not a snob. Brooke's loft is cozy and full of character. Not sterile like so many of the homes on the UES, that have more empty rooms than they do warmth. Even her grandmother's sprawling plantation home has that feeling in some of the rooms.
"I'm not in trouble. I'm playing ostrich." Siobhan shrugs her shoulders, "You know, hiding my head in the sand to avoid dealing."
"I wasn't ready to see everyone yet."
~*~
"Kieran asked me to move in with him. I think part of it is because I can't manage to see him every night like he'd like, and having me living there will ensure that he'll see me even if it's just for a few minutes." Brooke rolls her shoulders in a shrug, and then smiles. "But it all depends if I can get someone to sublet or buy out my lease."
Giving Lady a scritch behind the ears, she grabs a puppy treat from atop the table and feeds it to her.
"Avoid dealing with what?"
~*~
Siobhan gapes at the elder witch. She looses a whistle and claps her hands. "That's pretty serious, yeah? Moving in together. Also, it's really sweet that he likes seeing you that much. It's romantic."
Siobhan watches the puppy for a moment, and tucks her feet under her on the couch. She looks down at her lap. "I screwed Cooper."
Beat.
"I don't remember anything about it, but I woke up naked in his bed. I could have pretended like I didn't know what happened, but … there are certain feelings you don't have unless you've been pretty active all night long."
~*~
"I guess it is serious. He's got a lot of room at his penthouse though, so it'll be difficult to make it homey or cozy." Frowning at that thought, Brooke sighs. She'll have to ask Kieran if it's alright to decorate a little and make the penthouse less clinical.
"You what? Cooper… he's the tall, dark dancer, right?"
~*~
"Pick a room, or two, or maybe a whole section to make it yours," Siobhan suggests. When you live in a museum, you have to do what you can. While she doesn't, she's had friends who do, and certainly with the off-limits areas at her grandmother's, having a comfortable space was paramount. "If he wants you there, he should be able to make that sacrifice. Tell him he can keep his bachelor whatevers, and you need your space too."
She smiles faintly for a moment, reflecting that she's glad that she and Harper will be moving into a place that's new for them both. The smile slowly slides as she thinks about everything else.
"I had sex with Cooper." Siobhan nods, "The one who looks like your boyfriend and Mr. Blackwell had a love child, if such a thing were possible? Yeah, he'd be the one."
Beat.
"Like I said, I woke up in his bed naked and the last thing I remember was feeling a little bit tipsy because he accidentally magically spiked the punch."
~*~
"That's the plan. I'll definitely have my office as my own space, but I'd like to have a little sitting room somewhere that's cozy." Even if Kieran makes her buy new furniture and not bring her hand-me-downs to his place.
"Well, I can't say I'd blame you for having sex with him when you put it that way. Both Kieran and Bryn have a way about them…"
But.
"But there's your husband to think about, which is why I'm assuming you're hiding from everyone?"
There's a beat, and then a sigh.
"Maybe a magical roofie? There are spells that can have that reaction if too much power is put into them. They're old. Rare even. I've seen them in some of the grimoires though."
~*~
Siobhan nods her head slowly. "I found this Coven when we were in Chicago, and went and saw a local witch there as soon as I could. She could still his magical energy and she said it was a lust spell."
The witch fidgets, twisting her wedding ring on her finger. It makes her feel new guilt whenever she touches it or looks at it, but she won't dare take it off. "He doesn't know what he is, you know? Cooper, I mean. Lately he's been having these little bursts of wild magic. I've never heard of anything like that before but … he's a very carnal person."
"Maria, that was the witch, she had a theory, but no way to prove it." The puppy is done with her treat and Siobhan reaches down to scratch behind her ears. "She said that my magic might have responded to his when I was already being influenced by alcohol and sort of intensified everything."
~*~
"Lust magic doesn't generally erase memories though." Brooke pushes up from the floor, moving toward a chest in the far corner of the room. Pulling out a book from the chest, she flips it open to where she's written down several of the lust spells she's found throughout the years. Sorcerer spells, witch spells, and the odd combination of the two.
"Wild magic? At his age? I mean, there are plenty of witches that never know what they are and stumble upon it accidentally later in life, but not with wild magic. That usually only happens when someone first experiences their magic during puberty, because of the hormonal changes… or in the rare instances it's done, when magic is bound."
Frowning a little more, she nods. "Did you use sorcerer magic around him? If so, that's a good possibility as to what happened."
~*~
"I know it doesn't," Siobhan confesses. She keeps scratching the puppy's ears, and then beneath her chin. "I swear, I don't remember anything, though. I've tried. I don't think it'll make me feel any better, but it's scary having this black hole where there should be something."
Siobhan nods. "I know, it's weird. I didn't think that it happened this late either, but it's not the first time I've seen it or detected it around him. It's always been when he's been emotionally charged or … well, horny. Well, in Cooper's case, hornier than usual, I guess." Which is saying a lot, though having not met Cooper, Brooke really won't get that.
Siobhan shrugs. "I think so, maybe, I don't know. One of the last things I remember is thinking that I should get rid of whatever he did to the punch, and I felt magic, but I don't know what I did. Or if I did anything. The rest of the night is just … gone, after that."
~*~
"The only way I know of to restore memories is through a fey, and she's a bitch to reach at the best of times." Brooke wrinkles her nose, handing the book to Siobhan. If the younger witch has experienced lust magic, it might help her to have something to look at in regards to it.
"Your magic is difficult, because I think the two are so intrinsically linked in you that you could've drawn from either source for the spell." Which means she likely drew more from sorcerer magic to counter, which would be the natural instinct for a sorcerer.
She does try not to laugh, but a small chuckle escapes anyhow. "He sounds like Kieran, only Kier doesn't have that magic to him." He's got a lot of something else, but it's not magic.
~*~
Siobhan accepts the book and begins leafing through it. "I'm not sure I want to remember."
Beat.
"I … feel guilty, Brooke. That's why I didn't want to go home. Even though it was probably magic, it had to be magic …I didn't stop it."
Siobhan's face falls and she looks up, positively guilt striken. "I'm a witch and sorcerer. I know my powers and I'm stronger than he is. I should have been able to stop it magically. Or at least stop him and I didn't. I keep thinking that he's hot, and I'm not blind, and maybe I didn't stop it because I didn't want to stop it. Maybe it was an excuse."
Beat.
"What does that make me?"
Siobhan gives a soft laugh, if only so she doesn't do the opposite and let her guilt send her to tears again. "Kieran's constantly horny? How do you have energy to walk around?"
~*~
Sighing, the redhead moves to give the younger witch a small hug. "Siobhan, sometimes we can't stop magic that's used against us. Especially if it's wild magic. No matter how well trained you are, wild magic is dangerous. Hell, I'm lucky to still be alive after my experience with it, and he's much older than I was. Which means that the magic has been building in him for what? At least eight years? If not more? Just waiting to burst out. It sounds like he let a lot of it off all at once, and is still completely unaware of it."
Beat.
"The guilt you're feeling is natural, but I really think that you shouldn't feel as guilty as you seem to. There wasn't a damned thing you could have done except lock yourself in a bathroom, and by the time your mind likely thought of that it was morning."
There's a small laugh after that, and a nod. "Calisthenics."
~*~
The younger witch gives a soft sigh and a nod. "Logically, I know that. My brain knows that, but what I feel right now …" Siobhan looks down at her wedding ring again. "It's been so tense when I talk to Harper. I'd never, ever betray him like this intentionally, I love him so much but things are so strained. I think a part of him …"
Beat.
"I sometimes think he thinks I might have known what I was doing all along and that I'm using magic as an excuse."
She blinks rapidly, forcing herself to not get all teary-eyed over things. "Anyway, I really think that I need to figure out what to do about Cooper. Magically, I mean. All Regina says is that I can keep watching him, and that she'll talk to the Elders. He needs to know but he saw my cousin lose control of magic - all she did was levitate a few things - and he completely freaked."
"Even if things weren't weird as hell between us before, they're more weird now and I wouldn't know what to say to him."
~*~
"Have you actually seen Harper since it all happened? He's… a telepath, right? He's used to hearing what's on your mind, and that's got to be difficult for him to do over the phone."
Brooke looks over at the wall a moment. "He might also be feeling a little insecure. Cooper is, by your own admission, hot. Harper might be thinking that you think you've made a mistake. You're both young, and I think you need to talk before you start drawing conclusions about what the other is feeling or thinking."
It's not meant to be a lecture, not really. It's the same advice she'd give Wanda in this situation.
"Regina…" Pinching the bridge of her nose, Brooke makes a face. "Yes, having the Elders approach him will go over so well if he's already freaking out over things."
Beat.
"I can talk to him, if you'd like. I can handle the freaking out. Or perhaps you can get your mother to talk to him."
~*~
"No." Siobhan shakes her head. "We've only talked on the phone. Barely even Skyped or used Face Time. I look at him and I just feel guilty all over again."
The witch bites her lip, then snorts. "Yes, so is your boyfriend and I'm not going to go and jump him. Or Chance, or any other hot guys." She won't ever admit outside of this room that she lumped Chance in with hot guys. "I love Harper. I've probably loved him since kindergarten. I know that I've loved him since I was twelve."
Tugging her fingers through her hair, Siobhan sighs heavily. "Maybe after things settle. As long as he doesn't magically lust anyone in the near future. Maybe we could talk to him together? Things might be weird, but he does know me …"
"I get the feeling he might be a little pissed at me for keeping it a secret."
~*~
"That's the issue then. You need to have a face to face conversation with your husband." Brooke glances at Siobhan, then laughs. "No, but not all of them would be using lust magic on you either." Although, Kieran could use his lust powers on her to the same effect. He won't, simply because he knows that would upset Brooke, but he could.
"Then you need to remind Harper of how you feel, and apologize for what happened. Even if you're not at fault for it, and it was the wild magic… show him how sorry you are."
Beat.
"Yes, that's fine. If that's more comfortable for you than involving your mother."
~*~
"I have told him. I've apologized, and told him that I am sorry, because I am. I don't get in situations where I might be alone with Cooper. I don't even cast hidden spells around him. I made myself a protection charm, just to keep my wits about me, and I wear it whenever the Company is hanging out and partying."
Siobhan rolls her shoulders. "Ariel, my cousin, told him that it runs in the family. That's how he found out about me. If he connects the dots, and I have him sit down with me and my mother?" Siobhan says nothing else, letting Brooke fill in the blanks.
~*~
"But you haven't done it in person. That's the big difference, Siobhan. If Harper did something similar, you wouldn't believe he was sorry until you spoke with him."
Brooke slowly stands from the couch and moves toward the kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea, would you like anything?"
Beat.
"Well he'll have figured it out anyhow. If it runs in the family, that would be something all your family would have."
~*~
"I don't want to make things worse."
Siobhan watches Brooke, and stares up at the ceiling. "I'm afraid to see him. I don't want to see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. Not up close and personal. I'm afraid of how he'll look at me." She knows Brooke is right, but it doesn't make it any easier. She knows that she shouldn't wait until his graduation to actually see him, now that she's done with touring, but somehow the buffer of other people makes that sound more bearable.
"Yes, please."
~*~
Brooke is silent a moment, then reaches to take Siobhan's hands. "The longer you put it off, the worse you might make it."
Actually moving toward the kitchen, she exhales slowly. "You're married, and you need to talk to him, Siobhan. You can't keep avoiding him forever." Setting the teapot onto the stove after filling it with water, she leans against the counter and looks out at her 'protege'.
"No matter how bad it is, remember that he loves you."
~*~
"I know," Siobhan whispers, ducking her head. She nods slowly and follows Brooke into the kitchen. "I haven't been avoiding him. I've been on tour." Which is the truth. She couldn't even make Jenna and Preston's graduation because of touring; or Chance's, but she really hates that all she has of Jenna and Preston's day is pictures that they sent.
~*~
"I know, but instead of hiding out here, you should maybe head to Boston and meet up with him before the family gets there, don't you think? Give the two of you enough time to figure things out without all the pressure?"
Brooke reaches up into the cupboard for the tea, and sets the boxes on the counter so that Siobhan can choose what she wants.
*~*
At about that same time, the door to the apartment opens. Only it's extremely silent in the way it opens and closes. So much so that Lady doesn't even move from the living room where she's chewing on a small little rawhide toy. The two people who have entered both trace glyphs in the air, and the woman tosses out a small device that looks like it might be for electro-magnetic disruption. Only, when it pulses, it sends a ripple through the air that knocks out all magic within the building, except for that belonging to her and her partner.
~*~
The younger witch stares down at her feet and draws a breath. "I could call and ask him if he'd like to see me …" She's not going to invite herself up there or show up on a whim when things are already tense between them.
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she sends Harper a quick text. Just saying that the tour is over (which he likely knows) and that they need to talk. In person. She'll leave the next step up to him.
As she sends off the text, a tingle whips through her body, like someone poking at her magically with a magically charged stick. The hairs on her arms and at the back of her neck stand up on end and she shivers a bit, looking around.
That's when she sees the intruders. Her first reaction is a startled shriek, followed by, "Who are you? What are you doing? Get out!"
~*~
To Be Continued …
