Something Wicked - Independence Day

[Dawn OOC]

Earlier on the Fourth

 

Bey-bey’s hooves beat a steady tempo on the ground as Quinn rode. For once, she was alone, just her and her horse, on her favorite trail. She loved the way the trail switched back and forth, and how there was a steep slide to one side and a softer drop on the other side. Silas had offered to come, but she’d said she needed to focus on refining her pacing. He’d known that it was an excuse to be alone but he’d just smiled and said he’d see her at the celebration. 

 

That was, she reflected as the chestnut Arabian kept up her trot, the best part about Silas. He knew her so well she didn’t always need to tell him what was going on. Which made her wonder why she hadn’t told him about Keith. They hadn’t really had time to just sit and talk, but she could have brought it up. 

 

Honestly, though, she didn’t want to. Quinn could never remember having a subject that she didn’t want to discuss with Silas. There’d been things she’d hadn’t cared enough about to bring up, but nothing she’d actively not wanted to talk about. It was weird, and uncomfortable, and she didn’t like it.

 

A bicycle shot down the hill to her left, zipped across the path as its rider yodeled an alarm, hit a rock to the right of the path, and somersaulted into the trees. Bey-bey neighed in alarm at this strange creature and spooked to the right, nearly throwing Quinn. 

 

“Shit, whoa! Baby, it’s okay, whoa, whoa, it’s okay!” Quinn said soothingly as she kept the horse from bolting for home. Once she had the mare settled, she slid off and hurried to where she’d seen the biker disappear. From her angle on the path, all she could see were wheels and the bottom of someone’s sneakers. “Ohmigawd!” she yelped, pulling her cellphone out. “I’m calling 911!”

 

“No, no, that’s okay.” Keith grunted and his shoes disappeared into the brush. “I just gotta-- Shit! Good news.”

 

“I’m not talking to you,” Quinn said icily. 

 

“Good news, I found a blackberry bramble,” Keith continued, “bad news, I really need help getting out of here, Quinn.”

 

“I should leave you!” she yelled. 

 

“What’d I do?” he protested.

 

“You lied!” 

 

“Did not!”

 

“Did too!” 

 

“Did not!”

 

“Did too!”

 

“Fuck! Owwwww! About what?” Keith yelped.

 

“You said Silas called me stupid!” Quinn barked. “He never would!”

 

“He di-- Look, I’m gonna pass out if I can’t get rightside up, and if I don’t get help, I’m not going to be able to father children cause the seat post is driving a thorn right into my dick!” Keith’s voice had become pleading. “Look, you’re mad, but you’re not a monster!”

 

Quinn rolled her eyes. “I should let the bike geld you--”

 

“Quinn! Yer violating my Geneva Rights!” he yelled. 

 

She blinked. “I… am?”

 

“Aren’t reproductive rights protected by Geneva?” he asked nervously. “Someone protects it, I know it!”

 

“Of course someone male does, since all men protect each other’s dicks,” Quinn mumbled and led Bey-bey to a small tree. She tied the mare there with a lead rope, then eased down the slope. The blackberry bramble was small, as they went, but Keith had landed right in the middle of it. With her pulling on the wheels of the bike and him wiggling, they managed to save Keith’s ability to procreate. He wasn’t able to escape without a number of scratches, and Quinn winced when he finally stood next to her on the path.

 

“You look like you pissed off a million cats at once,” Quinn remarked.

 

“I wouldn’ta hit Silas if he hadn’t called you stupid, Quinn,” Keith said earnestly. “I think you’re the smartest girl I know, and I couldn’t let him say that!”

 

“Oh! My! God!” Quinn jabbed a finger in his chest. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You, Beau-- Y’all need ta back the fuck off because I can handle myself!”

 

“Alright,fine, I got it, so can we say what happened between Silas and I is between us guys, and you and I can stop fighting about it?” Keith asked.

 

“No, you owe me an apology,” Quinn said, folding her arms.

 

Keith narrowed his eyes and Quinn sighed as she realized he had no clue. “I’m sorry,” he said.

 

“For?”

 

“Foooooor,” he drawled, clearly stalling, “telling you that Silas called you stupid?”

 

Quinn untied the horse and mounted back up. “Think on it and try again,” she said. “Maybe ask Jo?” Then she spurred Bey-bey to a gallop. He yelled after her, but she didn’t stop, and she didn’t stop when her text notification chimed either. 

 

Once he was out of sight, she checked the message from Keith. //Are you coming to the 7/4 party tonight? I wanna win you a stuffed bear.

 

Quinn smiled a little, then stuffed her phone in her pocket. Ignoring further texts, she focused on what she came out here to do: improve herself in the sport she loved.

 

That evening

 

Quinn and her family rode into the fair together, parking on the street and opting to walk the short distance. Before they had even fully arrived at the gates, they were met by Marion Parker. She was well-known to them as she headed up 4-H in the area and had been trying to get the Hollins kids involved for years. Hence, none of the Hollins thought much of it when she hurried toward them as they walked. However, instead of launching into a passive aggressive attack on her favorite dead horse, she said, “Quinn, sweetie, oh I’m so sorry!”

 

David and Holly exchanged looks as Quinn wrinkled her nose in confusion. It was Beau who said, “What’s goin’ on now, Mrs. Parker?” 

 

“Oh, I just know how close Quinn and Silas are, and I was just coming to make sure she’s okay,” Mrs. Parker said. 

 

“I think she’s fine, thanks,” David said quickly, unsure what this was about but knowing that in addition to running 4-H, Marion was an incorrigible gossip. There was no telling what she might be about to console his daughter for, and David wanted to head it off.

 

“Oh, are you sure?” Mrs. Parker asked, turning to Quinn. 

 

“Did Silas get hurt?” Quinn asked, trying to figure out exactly what she meant.

 

“Oh, I just meant because he has a,” she paused and added with scanalized delight dripping from her voice, “boyfriend.”

 

Beau snorted. “No way.” His father cleared his throat, and Beau hastily added, “Mrs. Parker.”

 

Quinn had about two seconds to decide how to play it and she went for casual and hoped she’d made the right call. “Yeah, you mean Dylan, right?” Mrs. Parker blinked in shock and Quinn shrugged. “I’m not thrilled but it’s not a big deal.”

 

David and Holly exchanged another unreadable look and then Holly said brightly, “I believe that I finished my chores this morning before you other losers, so I’m owed some cotton candy. Who’s paying?”

 

“We all are,” Beau grumbled, “since you won’t shut up about it.” 

 

Holly backhanded him lightly on the arm and he staggered sideways dramatically, catching himself on the fence. “I think I just heard the Tribute speak up,” David said with a laugh.

 

“Yeah, totally.” Quinn dogpiled eagerly on her brother.

 

The four of them headed for the main drag, staring around at setup. Quinn rolled her eyes at the sight, thinking It’s no wonder Evelyn’s parents got found and killed by bad guys if this fanfare is normal. Might as well mount a glowing sign that says, “Kill me here”. It was excessive and extravagant, and Quinn vowed she’d never go this crazy with magic. 

 

“Hey.” Beau had sidled up to her and leaned down to mutter in her ear. “Is it true?”

 

“What?”

 

“Silas and that trap.”

 

Quinn punched him in the arm, scowling at him. “Don’t talk about Dylan or anyone that way, asshole. Christ, if Mom heard that--”

 

“Mom is hearing cussing, and she’d better stop hearing it,” Holly called over her shoulder with a meaningful glance at her daughter.

 

“Ow!” Beau said, rubbing his bicep. He said it loudly enough for both parents to hear but as usual, they ignored Quinn beating on her brothers. “God, Quinn, that hurt!”

 

“Good!” Quinn caught his arm and stopped him in the crowd, shaking her other finger at him as if he were still five. “I get not liking Dylan, but this is what Silas wants so you’d better not talk like that in front of them! Or I’m gonna tell Mom you’re an asshole and she can deal with you.”

 

“I just… Silas’s never looked at boys that way,” Beau said, batting her finger aside with a push.

 

“That you know,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes. “And why would he tell a hormone-laden Neandetral who talks like a f-- effin’ bigot?”

 

“Hey, I was jo-- Fine, I’m sorry,” he grumbled. One difference between the Hollins kids and their peers were that their parents had both gone to liberal colleges, and had somewhat more left views than their neighbors. “I mean, what’s he see in him?”

 

Quinn rolled her eyes. They must be ‘soulmates’, she thought sarcastically but didn’t say it aloud. “I dunno, he’s pretty I guess, but I couldn’t tell you either.” They started walking again, following their parents’ path toward the sugar. “Just don’t be an asshole about it, okay?”

 

Beau pressed a hand dramatically to his chest and grinned. “Who, me?” She punched him again, in the same spot. “Ow! That hurt. Ya better be nicer or you’re gonna die an old horse lady.”

 

“Yeah,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes at him, “that’s the actual life plan, dummy.” It was Beau’s turn to roll his eyes. “And I mean it. You better stand up for Silas.”

 

“Or what?”

 

“Or I’m gonna get in a lot of fights and Mom and Dad are going to have questions for why you ain’t lookin’ out for me.” Quinn smirked as Beau sighed. “Now, yer gonna buy me a corndog or I’m gonna have a crying fit in front of Dad about the trap thing.”

 

“God, you are the worst,” Beau growled, but he still bought the food for her.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Dawn OOC

[Shameless]

Hank of course did the job well, even if it was only fifty bucks.  Still, Warren had been good to them so he put his best effort into things.   He found himself thinking about Dani Church, and wondered if he should have let her have her way.  Still, as he tended to do when he was on his own, he erred on the side of caution.  She probably thought him too straight and uptight for it, but it wasn't like everyone didn't know he was a boyscout.   He let out a sigh as he head back home, he needed a good shower before her and his family went out for the day's festivities.
 

His Dad of course participated in the boat parade, and both his sisters went with him.  They came back with the customary sunburn, since they just wouldn't put on sunscreen without their mother present.   Hank got a laugh out of it, and shook his head.  "You know mom's gonna yell at you."  he was looking at his dad and sisters, and it wasn't clear if he was speaking to them, or to their dad, who just shrugged.  
 

"We've Got a number of very comfy couches for a reason son."  He said before going to get ready.
 

Once his mother got home from her halfday shift, technically it was her off day, but she still went in for half a day to make sure things were taken care of.  She showered and got ready, and the Leesford family went together to the park for the yearly festivities.   When Hank saw the spread, he smiled, and nodded.  "Mr. Claiburn pulled out all the stops for this."
 

His mother and father both nodded.  "It's certainly bigger this year than it has been in years past." his father added.   "Looks like he thought of everything.   Are you all getting along with that girl you mentioned, Evelyn?"
 

Hank nodded.  "Yeah we are.  I'm sure she'll be here today, and we'll all meet up I imagine."  it was his roundabout way of asking to be allowed to go hang with his friends after the requisite amount of family time.   
 

"I thought as much, still it's good to make the rounds as a family together, then you can meet up with your friends Hank."     His mom answered, and his sisters frowned.  "he always gets to go off on his own.."  
 

His dad chuckled.  "He's alot older, and will only be alone until he finds one of his friends, which won't take long, I'm sure."

[Asarasa]

The Foodland was a nightmare. Jordan despised grocery shopping at the best of times. Besides being used as a mule, being taller and stronger than most full grown men, it felt like she couldn't go two steps without someone asking her to get something off a high shelf, or to put something heavy in someone's cart or to bring to the front for them. Or even bring it to their car! And these weren't the best of times. Because it was the Fourth, the Foodland was only open for a half day and it was crazy packed with people stocking up and looking for last minute supplies for Independence Day cookouts and parties.

But when she saw Meeks Park, all of Jo's irritation was flushed away in excitement, the big girl practically bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands in delight. The only magic she saw in the extravagance was the magic of money and she wanted to ride the rides and play the games - the ones based on skill instead of luck anyway - and win herself one of those big stuffed animals. She didn't need a boyfriend to win her a prize, and she would have been affronted if her supposed boyfriend had offered. The smells coming from the BBQ Pit were delicious - this was most definitely going to be a cheat day.

Jo was sure glad she'd earned herself some pocket money this summer. She was probably going to spend a good chunk of what she made on this one day.

Her parents Grant and Sky went off with her eldest brother Aidan and his petite girlfriend, while she went off her own way to explore and participate, Banner at her side, the twins Craig and Keith following her after sharing a look and a bout of twin telepathy. They wouldn't compete against her in any of the games - unless if was for fun and they didn't mind losing - but they weren't above taking advantage of her athletic prowess to win some side bets, or egging others on to challenge their oversized sister.

The Johanssons had all noticed Keith's state, as though he'd lost a fight with barb wire, but to all inquiries by Jordan, Craig, Aidan, Grant, and Skye, he'd resolutely remained mum, though his face had reddened in embarrassment. Keith was summarily teased mercilessly by his siblings as they conjectured what he'd done.

While Jo and her brothers strode through the fair, Jo trying this game or that, Craig noticed her looking over the crowd with casual intensity, as though looking for someone. Dressed in a pair of Daisy Dukes - Banner's leash threaded through the loops as an impromptu belt - and a white Amazon^TM T-shirt that had been a size too small last year when Roach had gotten it for her and now looked like it was about to explode, leaving no doubt as to the colour of the bikini top she wore underneath and a wide swath of hard, deeply incised midriff bare, Jo drew her own fair share of attention.

"If it's Dex you're lookin' for, Jo, he ain't back in town," Craig offered. Jo might tower over him by closing in on a foot, but she was still his little sister.

"What? No! Ah ain't lookin' for nobody!" Jordan protested sharply, tanned cheeks pinking as she turned away from looking for someone wearing a leather jacket despite the heat, to brace the crossbow against her shoulder at the target shoot stall. She glared down at Craig and he thought it was probably a good thing Dex wasn't around with Jo having a weapon - even if it was a Carnival version - in her hands. "'Specially not Dex!"

Past noon, Jo had a giant, stuffed, green - ... she called it a tiger, since it looked like Tigger to her - riding her shoulders, her other prizes dropped off at the Twins' pickup. Her big Kangal Shepherd trotted happily her side, a pink giraffe or dinosaur held in his mouth. He'd destroyed the purple frog in seconds. She won far more than she'd lost and had dominated the High Striker. There'd been a guy there even bigger than her there, but he'd been clumsy with the mallet and she'd hadn't been.

It never even occurred to her that she might have been able to use magic to skew the games even more to her advantage.

Now she was gunning for the BBQ Pit for a lunch break, Keith breaking out from his sullen slouch with the same idea. Craig slumped after them, looking a little green after a milkshake and some corndogs and being whipped around on the Sizzler.

[Kelindel]

Darryl was in a good mood for once, though he did his best to not show it. Things were finally looking back up again. Maybe, just maybe, Dad could turn things around and they could get out of this two horse town. Or maybe he wouldn't be so lucky and something else would happen. But hey, at least there were the trails, those were fun with his bike. And the big girl, she had been fun. The dreams... yeah. Things were looking up. Though there was this carnival... fair... whatever it was that they were taking him to. Dad said it was some kind of tradition in these parts, but ugh, what could be so good about it.

 

Boy was Darryl wrong. It turned out to be rather decent, for a small town of course. And they had actual good food. His parents and he avoided most of the games that seemed rigged, instead going for the skill based ones. Darryl managed to get a stuffed monkey from the game where you throw darts at balloons and pop them. All the while he kept his eyes and ears open, scanning the top of the crowd, but nope, nothing, didn't see her.

He frowned to himself and shrugged, looking for his opportunity to ditch his parents and go off on his own. It was isolating not knowing anyone here... but how the hell was he supposed to meet anyone with his -parents- around. Soon he would find his moment.

[Nina]

The Fourth of July Celebration was a hit, Meeks park was overflowing with citizens of the county and more. Warren Clairburn spent most of the time in the company of the Blairsville Mayor, Jim Conly and his wife. Evelyn had been by his side for most of the day as well. A little after 1:30 Dr. Edgerly arrived with the Higgins’ and introductions were made as Dr Edgerly explained that the House they would be occupying was being supplied by Mr. Clairburn.

 

Darryl only halfway listened to all of this instead he was drawn to the sounds of some very un-country style music which was drifting his way from one of the side stages. Making his excuses to his mom he set off that way to see and hear more.

 

Hank did his family duties but as the afternoon went on he begged off to go find his friends. He wandered through the park until he came up on the west side stage there he stopped. There was a band of young people on stage playing guitar rock he recognized some of them as kids who had gone to Blairsville high but were already graduated, except for one of them. Up on stage a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth was Dani Church playing lead guitar.

 

Jo had finally separated herself from the family and was wandering through the crowds in the fair park looking for Darryl although she didn’t realize that that was what she was looking for until she spotted him heading toward one of the side stages where a local band was up on stage playing loud rock music.

 

Quinn was enjoying her corndog when she saw Silas and, ugh, Dylan through a gap in the food stalls. She noticed that they at least weren’t holding hands, but they were walking pretty close together and Dylan was carrying a big blue stuffed bear. She looked around and saw that Beau was still chatting up Wendy Bell the large breasted senior who was working the corndog stall. Quinn looked back to see where Silas was heading and saw that they were heading toward the nearest side stage. “Hey Beau, I’m going up to the stage and see who’s playing” If her brother heard her, he didn’t show it.

 

Dylan had been pleased with the bear it was damn near the softest thing he had ever held in his hands and it smelled good. Everything smelled good, even the stuff that didn’t. He could smell and taste and touch and the sensations were not at all like he remembered. He looked over at Silas and smiled he wished he could explain it all but he just didn’t have the words. Suddenly he heard a sound he had never heard before. “What is that sound?”

 

Silas glanced at Dylan, “Which one? “ He laughed. “It’s like music but I ain’t never heard no music like that.”

 

Silas listened, they were close to one of the stages and he could hear loud bass and a screaming electric guitar. “Some one playing rock, I think”

 

“Rock?”

“Yeah it’s a kind of loud music played with electric guitars.”

 

Dylan looked off that way his eyes bright with wonder, “I want to see.”

 

Roach looked across the center of the park through he crowds, there was Warren but he was with the Mayor and Dr. Edgerly and some other adults she didn’t know. She looked around for Evelyn but couldn’t see her. Well Warren will just have to wait I’ll go find the rest of the gang and let them know what I found.

 

She wandered of then stopped it was a big fair and she had no Idea where any of them might be, but she had used magic once she can do it again. Quinn lets find Quinn. She thought long and hard do things sort of like what Warren had taught her but in her own way after a moment, she felt a twinge and she knew where Quinn was and she headed that way.

 

Spoiler

All of you, except Evelyn, are now at the west side stage where a local garage band is playing some passable hard rock. all of you, except Darryl, can recognize some of the band members as former students at the high school except one, Dani Church, who is a current student although a class ahead of you. strangely enough you all arrive at the stage area at about the same time...

 

There are several other kids from your school here as well, such as Jefe Tate (who works with Hank) one of the few African Americans in school and his sister Natalie, who will be a freshman this year. and others.

 

RP a bit

 

[Malachite]

Silas laughed at the pure look of wonder in Dylan's eyes, just thrilled that the other boy was enjoying the fair. It was an all you could take bonanza of fried foods, candy & funnel cake, rigged games you still loved, and hot Saturday afternoon rolled into next-year's-nostalgia as you could get and Dylan seemed in awe of every moment of it. "C'mon, then, let's go watch. I think it's mostly kids that went to my school, too." 

When they got close, Silas waved to the others, angling him and Dylan over towards familiar faces. "Hey, look, there's Hank. . . and Roach. . . and Jo and Quinn. Huh, guess everyone heard the music." He chuckled, "It is a little hard to miss."

[SalmonMax]

Roach looked around, noting the others, and frowned a little as she went over towards the focal point...Silas and Dylan. Had the spell really worked, or had she just twigged consciously to some kind of subliminal thing Dylan was doing?

 

"Yeah. I thought I was tracking folks," she said, "but it seems like something else is going on too. Maybe Casper here can explain. Anyway, whatever."

 

She grinned and held out her hands with both thumbs up. "Who has two thumbs and cast a motherfuckin' spell, bitches?! Not like...buzzy hands or flicking lights on and off or anything like that. Get this. I like...enchanted my computer, to find dirt on the gal buying Hannah's place. And no, not Google. I mean...okay not just Google. Googling was involved, but all I turned up via legit sources was some kind of...steam boiled made-for-tv-sitcoms fake backstory. So I cast a spell on my computer. And now it's...it's uh, working. It's doing it's thing. By the time we're done here, it'll probably be done."

 

Rochelle trailed off at that, looking from face to face for signs of people being properly impressed.

[Malachite]

Dylan squinted at her. He suspected she wasn't speaking English, even if it sort of sounded like maybe a connected language? Silas had looked impressed for the split second between that and seeing Dylan's reaction; he couldn't hold firm against that confused, puzzled expression. His shoulders began to shake as he did his best not to laugh out loud. 

"Who. . . what?. . . is Google?" the former Casper asked. He glanced at the enormous blue bear in his arms. "Google. . . yeah, your name is Google." 

And the battle was lost as Silas doubled over. "Tha-that's a g-great na-me!"

[Nina]

Dylan smiled at Silas's laughter but really didn't understand why he was laughing, "Whats so funny?"

 

"Oh my gosh, that bear is so cute!"

 

The voice cut through the crowd and made Silas look up, they had drifted with the crowd and were now closer to the stage and to Silas's surprise had come up behind Hank who was talking to Jeff Tate while they watched the noisy band on the stage. And that is where the voice had come from.

 

Stepping out from beside Jeff was a girl who was well beautiful. It took Silas a moment to identify her since the last time he had seen her she had been just a skinny kid. Not any more It was Natalie Tate Jeff's little sister and she wasn't a skinny little kid anymore.

 

"Hi Silas1 I haven't seen you in forever," Natalie said as she came over to them, ignoring Roach, "such a cute bear." She looked up at Dylan. "I don't know you."

 

Spoiler

Natalie is a year behind the Kids and will be a freshman when school starts. Silas knows her from his beginning in A/V back in middle school. it is quite possible she had a crush. she also did not look as hot as she does now and she is just a freshman oh man....

 

[Malachite]

"Natalie," Silas said, blinking several times at the not-so-subtle changes in his previously kind dorky and almost forgettable classmate. "Um, this is Dylan. Dylan Coventry. He's here visiting family." 

"My cousin, Miss Evelyn, and her Uncle, Mr. Clairburn. Though I might stay for the school year." Dylan said without a hitch. He smiled at Natalie and hugged Google. "Thanks. His name is Google and Silas won him for me by whacking many moles."  

 

Silas flushed happily at that and glanced away, rubbing at the back of his neck. "It, uh, was good stress relief. So, Natalie, are you going to be in the Media Club this year?"

[Dawn OOC]

Once Quinn had seen all of the group -- she still had trouble calling it a Circle, even in her own head -- gathering, she tensed. She didn’t like all this magic shit that felt like it was invading almost all aspects of her life lately, and what she wouldn’t even have noticed before the sleepover was now a Sign. 

 

And of fucking course Roach was embracing magic and enchanting her computer, and casting spells all over the place like this was Hogwarts USA or something. It was exactly the kind of crap she’d pull.

 

As she wandered over in time to catch Dylan’s confusion about Google and Silas and Natalie talking, Quinn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Silas and Dylan were so cute it was sickening, and Natalie shared that opinion, if Quinn was reading her right. Honestly, Natalie’s reaction was something of a relief; Quinn had been sure that all the girls in the school would be trying to get into Dylan’s pants, so finding another without that opinion was nice.

 

She didn’t look too deeply at the way her stomach twisted over Natalie’s sweet smiles at Silas. 

 

Natalie, unaware of the suspicious/irritated/Quinn-ish thoughts rolling around in Quinn’s head, blinked away surprise at Dylan’s Google comment. Pulling her eyes away from him, she noted Silas’s growing flush and said, “Uh, yeah, probably if freshmen are allowed.”

 

“I think they are. I kinda remember Joey Hoss doing that last year, and he’s in our grade,” Quinn said conversationally. “Nice bear, Dylan. I can’t believe Silas won that.”

 

“Why not?” Dylan asked, frowning a little.

 

“Because I’ve seen him play those games,” Quinn said with a smirk, “and I would believe he’d have to buy it instead of being skilled enough to win. He must have been inspired.” The second she’d said that, she caught Silas’s expression and knew that something, and something not great, had happened. Before Dylan, she would have given Silas a hug of comfort; now it felt weird and awkward as she floundered with how to adjust to their new reality.

[SalmonMax]

"Yeah," Roach said with the type of grin commonly associated with eating shit, "Silas loves whacking things for Dylan. It's practically his new hobby. Lots of stress, lots of relief."

 

She came over to stand alongside Quinn, her sardonic smirk tuned on Natalie. "So...media club, eh? I applaud your courage. What's your poison? Print? Online? Telemundo?"

 

Normally she wouldn't have bothered picking on someone as hapless as Natalie, but that whole thing where the girl had just ignored her demanded some kind of response. And what was worth doing was worth overdoing.

[Malachite]

Silas looked down now, his flush fading as he shook his head. He glanced up quickly at Quinn, then away; Dylan wrapped his arm around Silas' and laced their fingers, squeezing tight. With that little bit of encouragement, Silas gave Dylan a small sigh and a nod. "I-my parents heard. I-I told them. About Dylan and me. Not-," he glanced over at Natalie and shrugged a little, just moving on. "Mom isn't - she. . . she's not taking it great. And she's looking for you, Quinn. Something about funnel cake?"

He took another breath and turned back to Natalie, giving Roach a deadpan look. "I was in Media Club last year, there's no grade requirement. If I have time, I'll do it again this year." He ventured a small smile for the not-so-much-a-kid-anymore incoming freshman. "You'd have at least one friend there, then."

[Shameless]

Hank had drawn near just in time to hear Roach's last comments about Silas and Dylan, noting the group naturally drawing together.   Natalie Tate was there, too.  He listened in, and sighed.   

"You never change do ya Roach?"  he muttered as he walked up.   He smiled at the group and looked over to Silas.  "We're in Georgia, Silas, the deep south, she probably wasn't gonna ever take it well."   He laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.   "She still let ya come out tonight though, so all hope ain't exactly lost though, right?"  

He clearly wasn't picking on him, in his own way he was trying cheer up his friend.  

[Dawn OOC]

Silas shook his head at Hank. “She found out here. I haven’t seen her since, but. . . she’s just ignoring it right now. Dad wouldn’t let her ground me for being bi,” he said, then ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t think, anyways. They didn’t order me home, so that’s something, I guess.”

Roach was twisting the knife, Silas was clueless, and Hank was supportive. Sometimes, it was funny that even with all the weirdness and magic that had bombed their lives, they were pretty much the same exact people as before.

 

At least… for now.

 

“Funnel cake?” Quinn mumbled. “She did promise me one. Do you want me to avoid her tonight, Silas?”

 

“S’up to you,” Silas said, and tried to lighten the mood with a tease: “and how much you want free funnel cake. What’s your count at already?”

 

“Just the dog,” she said, holding up an empty stick wrapped in napkins. The nearest trash can was four steps further than she was willing to go right now. “I’m going light tonight. I’ll probably hit her up later, test the waters for ya.” 

 

“Thanks, but I wouldn’t bring it up unless you want the full waterworks,” Silas warned - Esther was prone to melodramatics when alone with only other women. “You know how she gets when she’s upset.” 

 

“Got it,” Quinn said, nodding.

[Nina]

Natalie had been processing and when she heard Silas say 'Bi', the process started all over again.

"You guys are so cool," she said stepping up beside dylan but grinning at Silas, "I sure hope i get to hang out with you guys."

 

Dylan for his part kept looking from Silas to Quinn then back then at Natalie and several time he opened his mouth as if to speak but then closed it just as fast.

[Asarasa]

Blonde head poking above most of the crowd, Jo had seen Darryl and her friends and forced her way towards them by dint of size and having a big dog at her side, licking the grease from the seasoned turkey leg she'd gotten from the BBQ Pit from her fingers as she grooved to the rock music. The band's music had good energy to run to and when biking up and down steep trails and she reminded herself to add some of their tracks to her playlists.

Giant green tiger riding her shoulders and Banner's giraffosaur hung by the loop of his leash about her waist, Jo joined her friends, though her eyes kept going back to track where Darryl was. Banner sat on his hunches by her side, gnawing on the turkey bone. She'd missed Roach boasting about her magic spell, but shrugged her shoulders awkwardly at how cute and publicly affectionate Silas and Dylan were being.

It wasn't that she had anything against the gays - or bisexuals or whatever - precisely, but she'd been called a lesbian and cruder synonyms more than once, just because she very athletic and muscular, and usually, it had been in an accusatory or disparaging tone. She hadn't care for it. If that was what Silas wanted, well, good for it. It wasn't her thing, but she'd stop anyone who tried to hurt Silas because of it.

Natalie got a wry look of commiseration. The Amazonian teen had developed before most of her peers too. And while sometimes the attention was pretty cool, it wasn't always fun and games. She hoped the freshman could handle it and that her brother kept an eye out for her - Natalie didn't have her size and strength to protect her.

Hearing Quinn talk about funnel cake and corndogs, she nodded back the way she'd come. "If yah get hungry, Quinn, yah gotta check out the BBQ Pit. Oh. Mah. Gawd! It's so gooood! Ah'm so going back. Ah wanna try the brisket. Way better than cake."

Jo stuck out her tongue. She ate less sweets than most of her friends - which they took full advantage of on Halloween - but made up for it in other ways. Assuming they weren't going to talk about anything witchy with Natalie here and her brother Jeff there, when Jo saw Darryl turn their way, she raised an arm to get his attention and tried to wave him over.

Hank gave her a questioning look and Jo grinned, though there was the slightest hint of her flush to her tanned cheeks. "Ah met a guy - a boy - the other day. Ah think he's new in town. Reckon he should get to know some others his age. He seems cool." There was a lingering pause before she added. "He gave me a ride on his motorcycle. Fun. Y'all, don't go be scarin' 'im off."

[Kelindel]

Darryl makes his way towards the music, pursuing the stage and the band while keeping an eye out for the tall blonde who had so captured his interests not soo long ago. He stands out amongst the crowd in his leather jacket in this heat, but he doesn't seem to care, favoring fashion over comfort. He takes in the various people moving about, most of them are wasters, not even worth h is time, but a few seemed promising, the town had a chance, if it could pull off bands like this, fairs like this one, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after Savanah.

 

Then his eyes find her, the tall blonde and he grins, waving to her. She is with a group of other kids and he considers them thoughtfully, taking each of them in. Carefully he shoves the stuffed monkey into an interior pocket of the jacket so it can't be seen, he'd give it to her later and then starts making his way towards the group at the invitation. He is careful to make it a casual, happenstance approach, not like he was eagerly coming over, because he certainly wasn't, but more the type of casual walk of someone  who has seen and acknowledged the invitation and looking to see if there is anything better, but upon not finding anything accepts it.

As he comes upon the group he gives a crack of a roguish grin to Jo and some of the other girls there, but mostly for Jo and then gives a small upnod to the group in general. "Sup?"

[Malachite]

"You okay?" Silas asked Dylan softly as the others spoke - missing most of Jo's introduction in the process. He gave Natalie a smile and an affirmative nod, a little off balance by being the person someone was looking up to.

Dylan nodded but leaned against Sylas, saying back just as softly. "Yeah, just a little overwhelmed by. . . e'erything." 

Silas stifled a giggle and returned in a whisper, "All we've been through and it's the fair that gets to you?" He bumped Dylan's shoulder with a grin and then, feeling bold, put an arm around him and pulled him close. 

Silas brought his attention back to the group and almost started at the new face. "Oh, uh, hi." He gave a friendly wave because his left arm was Dylan-occupied and introduced himself. "I'm Silas Walsh. Jo, um, says you're new to town?" He'd managed to remember that little bit, thankfully. 

[Asarasa]

When she saw Darryl approaching, Jo reached up an arm and grabbed the stuffed green tiger's paw, making it wave at the boy, her grin widening. Missing Silas' actions with her blue eyes on the leather-jacketed boy, when Darryl made his laconic greeting, she bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Hey." She glanced around her friends, tilting her head to nod down at Darryl. "Y'all, this here is Darryl. Darryl, Silas already gave his name. Th'others are Dylan, Natalie, Hank, Quinn, and Roach - Rochelle, rather, but damn near everybody calls her Roach. And that's Natalie's brother Jeff over yonder."

 

The big blonde identified everyone with simple nod, and a shrug and elbow for Jeff who was off a ways. Following up Silas' question, Jo added, "How you've been findin' Blairsville, so far, Darryl?"

[Kelindel]

"Yep, new in town," Darryl says with a bob of his head, his gaze passing around the group of people and taking in each of them in turn. He has a disinterested look on his features as he finishes his look around, though it might just be an affectation put on as easily as the leather jacket is. When Jo introduces him to everyone else he offers a faint smile her way and then pulls a hand out of the jacket pocket where it had been resting and gives a lazy wave to the others. "Yo. Good to meet you all."

 

When the question is posed to him about how he's finding Blairsville he pauses in consideration and then shrugs, "It's okay, not Savannah by any stretch of the imagination, but if it can pull off something like all of this, it isn't entirely awful. Got some good trails to ride along, so that's nice."

[SalmonMax]

"Darryl!" Roach exclaimed with a quick glance between him and Jo. "You're the one that gave Jo a ride on his hog! Congratulations, man, she's not into that kind of thing usually."

 

She dissolved into laughter at Jo's laser-eyed glare and waved a hand as if fanning smoke away.

 

"Anyway, don't get too impressed. The town didn't pull this off. This is the handiwork of a rich dude who really, really wants to be welcomed with open arms, and is willing to ejaculate moolah everywhere to get it done. It's a little gruesome, but there'll probably be a good fireworks show later, so that's cool."

 

With a deep breath, she finished with, "So what kind of ride do you have?"

[Nina]

Before Darryl could respond a voice spoke out loud and clear.

 

“You must be Darryl Higgins.” Said Evelyn startling everyone even making Quinn jump a little since it came from right beside her and she could have sworn that Silas had been the one standing there just a moment ago…

 

Darryl looked at the girl whom he hadn’t noticed before and saw a pretty girl with an incredibly haunted look about her, “Yeah that’s me but how…”

 

“Dr Edgerly was introducing your parents to my uncle,” she smiled at him then spread the smile around to everyone else, “Daryll and his family are going to be moving into Hannah’s old house. Isn’t that odd, we lose one friend to Savannah but gain another from the same place. Its like Magic”

 

Spoiler

yes Evelyn is just suddenly there. No none of you saw her walk up or pop into existence, or felt in weird surge in the magic fields. it is more like noone had noticed her but that she was there all the time. still it did startle everyone.

 

please continue

 

[Shameless]

Hank seemed quite surprised when Evelyn just appeared.   "Holy Crap, when did you get here?" He said before thinking better of it as he looked at Evelyn.  He hadnarrival,'s 't even had the chance to reply to Darryl's arrival, and shrugged.  

"Sorry for not saying Hi any sooner, Darryl.  It's nice to meet you."   Hank gave him a friendly and welcoming smile. 

[Malachite]

Silas gave Evelyn a small nod, catching the slow pitch point she was making. "Maybe we should do another sleep-over, give Darryl a proper welcome to the street. We could head out to the Cabin, go swimming in the lake, have a fire for s'mores, that sort of thing. It's the perfect time of year for that."

 

 He looked around the group, asking, "Sound like fun?"