Darkness Reborn

(I hope this is okay!)

After Callum's initial contact with Melissa when they'd done the magic transfer trick, Callum had come to realize something: his magic had returned a little. It wasn't much, but it was there. He could feel it and he craved more - he needed more. Because of his habits of using his magic for... Not so wonderful reasons, his magic had been torn away from him, and he'd felt completely empty without it. With the loss of the one thing that made him feel any semblance of the normal that he was meant to feel, he, admittedly, felt more than a little bitter.

But, his magic was back, even if it was only a little. He was able to do small things, and, while that was a letdown in itself, the fact that he was able to do anything at all with his magic came as a relief either way. But he still wanted more of it. He wanted to be powerful again. He wanted to feel powerful again. And, he knew there was only one way to do that: he needed to get close to another witch. Of course, he knew that Melissa was off limits now, and all of her friends in her circle would be off limits as well. He didn't need them trying to kill him or anything, so his only option was to find another witch, which he figured wouldn't be hard in a town like Chance Harbor.

---

While they'd been in Chance Harbor for a short amount of time, Letha was already finding herself incredibly bored. Stretching out on the couch, she looked over to her siblings, trying to debate on what to do. They were meant to try to get close to their other sisters, but it seemed like it would be a bad idea to jump straight to trying to get to know them. It'd be best to try to run into them naturally and go from there, but that was difficult itself with it being summertime and everybody doing their own things. Stretching out, she moved to stand up.

"Viv, do you feel like wandering around town a bit today?" she asked as she glanced over at her sister. They hadn't had the chance to really explore lately; they'd each been busy trying to avoid attracting attention to themselves. After all, they were sure their father had at least brought them up in some way, and it would be best to avoid attracting suspicion by announcing their new presence in Chance Harbor too soon. It seemed like enough time had passed by now, though, so she was sure they could try to enjoy themselves for a bit before making any contact with their sisters. "Maybe we could go shopping for supplies." Surely, they had some form of shop that sold occult things under the guise of being a joke.

(It's great!)

Boredom was a feeling that was shared throughout the younger Blackwell siblings, Vivian was sure of it. In all it was six, but currently in the house she shared, she had her sister, and her two brothers. The eldest brother insisted on them keeping a low profile. And because he was the oldest, he was the wisest at least that's what he tells himself. If it wasn't for the fact that her rebelliousness might cause peril to her siblings, Vivian would have ignored his requests a long time ago, such as she had prior to them coming to Chance Harbor.

The young female had been trying her hand at the latest makeup trend when her sister asked if she'd like to go explore the town. She glanced over at her brothers, who had their noses deep in planning before looking to her sister. "Do you even have to ask? " She replied before rising to her feet. "Anything is better than sitting around here, waiting to be included in whatever the Wonder Twins are planning. "

---

The Circles are coming together. Your fight is far from over...

Those words continued to play throughout his mind ever since he got that letter from his grandpa. It had been a few months since Cassie and Diana killed Blackwell, and Jake could swear things were back to normal, but he knew better. Things had never been normal, why would it start now? Part of him wondered if he should tell the remaining part of his circle about his note, but with how scattered everyone had been lately, the blonde haired male wondered if they would even come together at then mention of such knowledge. Things were different, with Diana out of town the circle was incomplete. He couldn't help but wonder if he had been wasting his time trying on his own to track down the other Circles.

Without all of his Circle members present, Jake felt that they would be blindsided when ever the Balcoin children decided to attack, regardless of their preparation. Still, better late than never, right? With that in mind, Jake went to what could be deemed a 'spice shop' in order to get some ingredients for spells that they had ran out of back at the abandoned warehouse.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Callum stepped out of his place to go wander around. If he knew one thing, it was where to find witches. They'd either be meeting in secret or they'd be out shopping for ingredients if they were practicing - and, right now, Callum needed a practicing witch. He knew where to get ingredients in Chance Harbor, even if he wasn't the biggest fan of the small town. He'd kept up with important information like that, especially ever since he realized his magic had been jumpstarted. But, for the most part, he'd kept up with it beforehand, since there were still a few things that he could do without magic.

It wouldn't take long to get to his destination, he knew that. He'd have to make sure to avoid running into anybody from that circle - or, if he did run into them, he'd have to make sure that they didn't recognize him or weren't suspicious of him. The last thing he needed was for one of Melissa's circle members to ruin things for him before he could even get heavily involved in fulfilling his plan to get his magic completely back. His eyes scanned around as he came upon the shop he was heading towards and he slipped inside. After a quick lookover, he couldn't see anybody worthwhile inside, but he lingered in the back, waiting for anybody of interest; he knew how to tell the witches from the occult-obsessed-fans.

---

Letha couldn't help the grin that formed on her features, because she knew they both needed to get out of the house. They'd been almost completely stuck in the house ever since they got there; the only time anybody really left was to go get food. But, they'd laid low enough, in Letha's opinion, so they might as well make some sort of debut in the town. Nodding, she went ahead to slide her sleeves down to cover the scar burned into each of their hands. "Let's go, then. It shouldn't be too hard to get stuff," she hummed out before she moved to lead the way out of the house.

At least their brothers weren't trying to stop them, too busy with their own planning. She figured she and Viv would probably be included in the plans later; but, in the meantime, she and Viv could come up with their own plans. If their brothers were going to keep them out of the loop for now, they might as well did whatever they wanted until the guys decided it was time to include them. "While we're out and about, we might be able to get information on our sisters," she mentioned after a moment. From what it seemed like, the circle was laying low as well, and Letha wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Grabbing the black pair of her laced gloves, Vivian slipped them on before following her sister out the door. Surely they couldn't only be getting ingredients, right? Vivian hoped not. If so, it would just be simply a round trip ticket for an extra dose of boredom. The only change was that there were no longer four walls confining them. "What things did you see that we needed?" She asked, trying her best to show interest in the more complicated part of the spells. "Maybe after we could go to the mall, and get you some new clothes. Ones that don't have flowers on them." She added with a soft smile as she looked over her sister's earthy tones. It wasn't long before they arrived. When they entered, Vivian couldn't help but to laugh some at the various objects within the shop. "Hey Letha, would you like to damn any one of your exes with this hex book?" She spoke with a smile as she looked through the contents. It was merely food recipes in Latin. "I can't believe some people actually fall for this stuff."

---

Jake had a list in hand for the items that were needed back at the warehouse. As he made his approach he wondered how they were going to find these mystery siblings before they found them. It wasn't like they all looked alike, Cassie and Diana were clear points. Maybe, if they were already in town, they'd mess up somehow, and that way his group would be able to get the upper hand. It would take luck for that to happen, and going from past events, luck wasn't on their side. Looking to the list, Jake ripped it in half, as some of the items he knew he could find out in the woods. His eyes then began their search.

Callum glanced around the shop as inconspicuously as he could. He spotted one of the circle members nearby, but, so long as the guy remained engrossed in whatever it was he was looking at, he didn't really have anything to worry about. Maybe Callum could find what he needed, talk to a witch or two, then bail before the guy even noticed his presence at all. Shrugging the thought aside, he glanced around once more, though his attention was caught by a conversation he could hear. They were talking about the hex book, sure, but they were clearly calling it fake. While he knew some people called out fake items as they were and that it didn't mean they practiced - it could just mean that they were more or less disinterested in magic and more so on calling out phony stuff - it did at least pique his interest. Moving closer, he decided to keep listening in while he pretended to be interested in something on the wall.

---

Letha held up the list she had, figuring that it would come in handy so long as they could actually find what they needed, though she made an amused face. "You wound me, Viv," she teased lightly, "But, I'm completely up for a new wardrobe." She didn't really have any complaints. Her wardrobe currently was mostly simple; she'd packed things that she figured would work for most seasons, because she wasn't sure how long they'd stay in Chance Harbor or whether they'd convince their sisters to join them, then leave. That thought aside, her attention got caught when she heard about the hex book and she snorted as she moved over. "That looks ridiculous. I hope this place isn't a complete bust." It wouldn't be the first time they'd gone to a place that had stuff for fools but still have important items for those who actually practiced, though.

As Letha held up the list, Vivian looked over her sister's shoulder and read some of the items off in her head. The shop was of medium size, and there wasn't that many things they had needed. "I'll take the left side, you take the right." She stated. That way they could get the task done in a more timely manner. "But if you find anything as amusing as this book, give me a shout." She added with a smirk before closing the book with a sharp snap, and placing it back on the counter. Vivian then went to the left and grabbed some matches and a few candles before going over to where the herbs were placed, and reading the cards of information per herb.

---

Jake took out his pen and scratched off the items he had already gathered on the list before furrowing his eyebrows as he looked for the last few things on this half of the list. Turning sharply, Jake didn't see the being behind him until he had collided with them, dropping his own pen and a couple of held items in the process. Kneeling down to gather said things, Jake apologized before looking up to make eye contact with the person before him. "I-" He stopped mid-sentence as his fingers lightly brushed her knuckles when he went to reach for his pen. His own cerulean orbs then met with her chestnut ones when he looked up. "Sorry again. Jake." He then added, extending his hand out to meet hers.

When Callum spotted Jake closer to one of the girls, he decided straight away that he did not want to be anywhere near there. He didn't need the guy to notice him, so instead he focused his attention on the other sister. She caught his attention more, anyways. From the conversation, she definitely had a bit more sass in her, and he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't interested in that. With a small smirk, he decided to test his theory and find out whether she was a witch or not. Moving over, he watched her for a moment, his eyes falling on the cards she was reading for the herbs. Shifting closer, he placed a hand on her shoulder gently to get her attention. "Sorry, do you mind if I get around you to get some dittany?" he asked with a small smile. He had no need for the dittany, of course, but he definitely wanted to test his suspicions and, with the way he felt the jolt of magic from her, he knew his suspicions were correct.

---

Letha watched her sister wander off with amusement before she shook her head. She'd gone back to focusing on getting what they needed, only for somebody to bump into her. Really, she'd been ready to apologize, even though the entire thing hadn't been her fault, but she held back and offered a small nod. "It's fine," she told him as she went to pick up the pen he'd dropped, only to freeze when they made contact. Quickly, she drew her hand back, but she did peer up at the guy, watching him for a moment to gauge his reaction as she offered another nod. "It's fine," she repeated quietly before she cleared her throat and placed her hand in his to shake. "Letha." She could feel the magic flowing from him and she wasn't really sure how to feel about that. Was he part of their sister's circle? Was he from another circle in town? "It's nice to meet you." Or it might not be.

The things Vivian set out to grab were almost completely captured, when she heard the sounds of people gasping. Her attention turned in the direction of the sound to find her sister speaking to a blonde haired male, one that was quickly apologize, as far as she heard. It wasn't a massive event, minor to say the least, but that didn't stop the protective flames within Vivian from sparking at the simple possibility of one hurting her sister. It seemed Letha had everything under control, so Vivian turned her attention back to the herbs. At the feeling of a hand gently grasping her shoulder, Vivian looked up to meet the being behind the voice. The words he spoke didn't match his looks, they were polite while his looks screamed 'run'. "Dittany?" She repeated in a questioning manner while taking a small step to the side. "Do you even know what it's used for? " She then wondered aloud.

---

Jake wanted to confirm what it was he thought he had felt which is why he made himself vulnerable by offering, not only his name but also by possibly exposing himself. As she took his hand, Jake's thinking was correct. He felt that familiar serge of magic. "Pretty name. " He replied with a light nod before releasing her hand. Was she from one of the other Circles? More importantly, was she one of the Balcoin kids? He wasn't sure, but he knew she was a witch. "You as well. " He started with a smile. "What brings you to town? " He then asked, putting the pen in his jacket pocket. "Chance Harbor is the kind of town where everyone knows everyone, and I haven't seen you before. " He quickly explained, as he knew she was probably wondering how he knew she was new to the place.

Callum grinned lightly in response to her question, ducking his head for a bit. "Well, it's usually used for medicinal purposes, healing and such," he told her before he watched her. "But, I'm certain you knew that already, didn't you?" He wasn't going to just pretend that he didn't know what she was now that he'd gotten to test out his theory. No, it was better to throw himself fully into this if he wanted to get what he wanted, if he wanted his powers back completely. Beating around the bush wouldn't help him any. Shrugging, he reached around her to grab a bottle of dittany without looking at the label, because he knew his herbs and items well. "Not that I'm one to judge, but what's a pretty witch like you doing in this crappy shop?"

---

Letha offered a small smile, though she wasn't really sure that she'd call her name pretty. Her mother had given her the name because of how close it was to lethal, even though Letha didn't really live up to that... namesake of sorts. She nodded, though, and turned her attention back to searching through things for what she needed while she listened to him. Admittedly, his questions and explanations made her a little suspicious, but she did her best to not show it. "My brother thought it would be a good place to live. It's calm, quiet, small," she answered with a small shrug. "Far less opportunities for us to get in trouble without attracting attention, which keeps us on a leash of sorts, I suppose." Her answers were as vague as she could manage and mostly misleading, as she hoped to avoid raising too much suspicion in this guy.

As he continued to speak, Vivian watched him move about as well as his facial features as he spoke. However, she couldn't quite lay a finger on what it was about him that stuck out. Well, aside from the obvious bad-boy vibe she got from him. At his first question, Vivian raised an eyebrow. "Any Harry Potter fan would know. " She replied. "But one can never be certain when they're getting the real deal. " She then added as she looked up at him before turning back to the herbs and picking up a small vial that said 'mistletoe', before laughing lightly at his next question. "Careful, accusations like that could get you castrated. " She answered as her eyes met his, purposely avoiding his question, before going over the list in her head and moving to another section on the left side of the store.

---

As she spoke, Jake listened carefully to the words she said. She and her brother could be the missing siblings. There's six in total. And seeing as Cassie and Diana were in the same Circle, his grandpa did say 'the Circles' for all he knew, it could've been two children per Circle. The thought caused him to feel uneasy as Diana and Cassie were at odds, if the woman before him and her brother were Balcoins and they somehow managed to lure Diana to their side, then they already have half of the Circle. "So, you're a bad girl then? I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover. " He replied with a friendly chuckle as he pushed his thoughts to the back of his head.

"Do I look like I've read Harry Potter a day in my life?" Callum asked as he glanced down at himself as if checking, but, really, he knew exactly what he looked like. He looked like bad news and, while sure some Harry Potter fans got too interested in the occult, he definitely wasn't a fan. He watched her, his eyes going to the mistletoe. Now, what exactly was she planning to do with that? "I think an accusation like that would only get me castrated if it was true and somebody didn't like being called out for what they are." His gaze returned to her, his eyes locked on hers before she walked away, though he was quick to follow after her. "I never thought I'd see other young witches here in Chance Harbor." The only ones he'd met so far had been Melissa and her circle. "I hope you're more interesting than the ones I know."

---

A quiet snort escaped Letha when she heard his words. "I wouldn't necessarily say that. But, it's best to avoid attracting attention," she told him, "After all, the wrong sort of attention can cause a lot of problems." With him clearly being a witch, she hoped she wouldn't have to elaborate. It was clear he was curious and she suspected he knew something, but it was best not to trek through that territory for now. No, for now, she was talking about the dangers of being exposed without actually saying anything about it. Witches were very real and people in the world knew that, hunters knew that. Any smart witch wouldn't want to catch that attention; it was best to fly under the radar. Shrugging, she moved to grab another item, though it was mostly just something insignificant - twine - in hopes of keeping his attention away from what they were getting.

Vivian couldn't help but to smile some as he asked if he appeared to be a reader. "You're right, " she started before making eye contact with him again, "you look more like a movie watcher." She finished with a light smirk. She could tell the mere thought of witches excited the male as he continued to press with his speech. She ended up shrugging some as he mentioned the accusation she claimed. "Or by someone that is just simply crazy. " She said in a matter of fact tone. Vivian knew they had sisters in this town, but she didn't think people would be so open to exposing themselves, at least those were the thoughts she was gathering from the male beside her. His next sentences caught her attention. Had he known her sisters? "Oh? Care to indulge me? If there are boring ones around here, perhaps I should show them how to have a good time. "

---

Jake dissected her words as she spoke, hoping to catch a slip up but he could only catch the obvious facts. "Right. " He started with a nod of his head, knowing that keeping their existence a secret was key all things considered. "Is it just you and your brother? Or is there more? " He then asked. "I always wanted a big family, but with the threats we face being what we are, I'm glad to be the only child. " He finished, offering up what could be deemed his own history with only slightly alterations. Observing the twine she now held, Jake furrowed his eyebrows as there wasn't a spell that involved it, at least not one that he came across yet. "How much experience do you have? I thought I knew everything, but evidently not. " He then said with a light laugh.

"You wound me," Callum said almost dramatically as he watched her, a small smirk forming on his own features. While he'd expected it to be easy to call her out on what she was, she was still beating around the bush for now, not admitting but not denying. And, surprisingly, he was rather enjoying the conversation with her, which he hadn't necessarily expected at all. But, that made it easier. Keeping the conversation flowing and avoiding boring her meant he had a chance to get closer to her and use her for what he needed. "Oh, they're all boring around here." He motioned to the blonde-haired male near the girl that he'd seen Vivian talking to. He supposed they were sisters or good friends, but he didn't question it. "That guy? He's in a Circle with this girl Melissa and plenty of others. I think their names were... Adam, Cassie... Faye and... Diane? No, Diana." He nodded slightly. "All boring. All by the book. All super worried about exposing themselves. All super careful." He rolled his eyes to make a point. "Oh, did I say boring?"

---

"You're quite intent on trying to pry information, aren't you?" Letha asked as she peered over at him, tilting her head slightly. "There's my sister, over there." She motioned to Vivian lightly, but she didn't bother mentioning her other brother. The only reason she mentioned the oldest one was because he was over everything - he owned the house they were living in and he basically had custody of them. It was easier to bring him up than to admit to not having any parents around. "As for my experience?" She arched a brow, dropping her gaze to the twine. They hadn't openly acknowledged each other as witches, so she had no intention of going along with that. "Isn't twine used for crafts and fixing things, tying things up? I don't expect you'd need experience for that unless it's complicated."

At first, Vivian thought he was just some guy that had a supernatural fetish, but the more he talked, the more information he provided and the more Vivian became intrigued, especially when he started to speak of her sister's Circle. "You seem to know a lot about the town and it's inhabitants. " She said with a light shake of her head. "What's your name? " She then asked. Maybe, just maybe all their waiting had finally paid off as it seemed they had finally caught a real lead as to where their sisters are. Vivian decided that it would be best to keep talking to the guy. And keep the lines of communication with him open. As he may just be able to help with the long awaited family reunion. "And please do explain what you mean by Circle? I simply thought it was a shape. "

---

At her words, Jake chuckled some before shrugging his shoulders once. "If you don't ask questions, you never learn. " When she gestured to her sister, his eyes followed only to narrow slightly upon spotting Callum. There were more important things to worry about than that low-life. Like how there was yet another sibling for Jake to worry about. Turning back to the girl, he nodded his head some in acknowledgement of her words. "It seems beauty is in your family genes. " Her next set of words caused him to raise an eyebrow as she seemed to dance around the elephant in the room. "And one could have experience in such hobbies. I only ask because I'm not exactly talented in the arts of sewing and I may or may not have put a hole in my father's Thriller jacket. " He finished sheepishly.

"Well, it's always best to know those around you, especially if they have somewhat, even minimal, interests," Callum replied casually. Still, he couldn't help the slight smirk that came to his features when she asked for his name. That was usually a good sign; if one didn't plan to have further interactions, they would merely avoid knowing the other's name. "Callum. Do you have a name that matches you?" Arching a brow, he eyed her curiously. Eventually, though, he snorted to her question, because he wasn't sure if she was actually clueless or if she was merely playing a game, not that he'd complain to either. "You see, witches tend to lose control of their magic on occasion, so we bind our powers with that of five others and create a Circle that binds our bloodlines and helps us control our magic." This time, he spoke lowly, because he didn't really want to be overheard when explaining these specifics.

---

"To be so quick to try to learn, though, would mean that something caused you to be curious enough," Letha pointed out as she watched him, admittedly growing curious about him. He seemed a bit too curious to her, and usually it wouldn't be a problem, but she and her siblings were doing their best to lay low, and she was sure she was doing a horrible job at sating his curiosity and preventing him from delving too deeply into everything. She was pretty sure he was lying about the Thriller jacket, but she didn't call him out on it. The last thing she needed was to call the guy a liar and force him to get even more curious about it. "I can tell you that twine won't help you fix up a jacket. Your best bet would be to get thread for it, but try to get a shade that matches the color of the jacket as close as possible so that it doesn't get noticed too easily. So, apparently, you don't know everything," she said casually, adding his previous words to her statement to use against him all while offering a smile.

"True. Common interests can lead to rather, informative conversations. " She responded. Vivian began to wonder if he and her sisters were well acquainted. At least enough for him to be their in. And if not, well, he could always be used as bait. "Well Callum, my name is revealed on a need to know basis, and I don't feel you need to know it just yet, "she started as she looked up to him, "but stay tuned. " She then finished before grabbing a small glass jar and some wax sticks. As he explained the meaning of 'Circle ' Vivian laughed softly before turning to face him fully. "Do you really expect me to believe that you're a witch? I mean, yes you have the whole goth look and everything, but let's be realistic and bring you out of the clouds. "

---

"What can I say? New faces spark my curiosity. " Jake replied with a slight tilt of his head. "Are my questions too prying? " He then asked with a raised eyebrow. He had to admit, when it came to keep secrets Letha was on her way to winning the trophy as it seemed Jake couldn't get her to budge. As she mentioned what it would take to repair the jacket, Jake took out his pen and made a quick note, showing that he was interested in what she was saying, and that he was taking her advice to heart. Her using his own words against him, caused him to smirk some before he put his pen back into his jacket pocket. "And any advice on avoiding the wrath of a angry father? Since you seem to be oh so informative. " He then finished with a smile.

Callum tilted his head with mild surprise when he heard her words, registering and processing them slowly. "I'm beginning to wonder if you're trying to offend me," he said simply, though he was hardly offended. He'd been told much worse than that somebody felt he didn't need to know their name. Shrugging the thought aside, he offered a small smirk. "Well, I don't know if there's much of a point in telling you the truth or not, since you seem so fond of pretending that you're like a tourist in a shop of trinkets, looking for souvenirs." He took her in for a moment, waiting for a reaction in hopes that he might be able to press a button or two. If he could find out how to approach her and how to get closer to her, then he wouldn't have to worry much about anything else, but it was a little difficult with somebody who wasn't all that eager to talk to other witches. "It's a shame, too. Who knows what kind of potential you have, that you're trying to hide?"

---

"Are you one of those guys who try to hook up with every new girl that comes into town?" Letha asked, figuring that it would be best to play along, because it would be easier than giving him much room to pry. If she kept at it, maybe she could get through this conversation without revealing too much. "For somebody who only just met me? Yeah, you do seem to pry a lot." She shrugged as she moved past him to look at one of the faux skulls, an eyebrow arching as she examined it. Idly, she thought about grabbing it just to throw him off more; maybe she could just pretend that she was into the occult crap rather than the actual witch stuff. "As for an angry father? I wouldn't know. I never had one. My mom was kind of a whore - which means that, if your plan is to try to hook up with me, you should probably look elsewhere. I'm not her."

At his first set of words, Vivian smirked lightly as she looked up at him. "If I wanted to offend you, you wouldn't have to wonder. " She went over the items in her head yet again, and everything was accounted for, but she didn't want to leave in search of her sister just yet. As he spoke of her pretending, Vivian rolled her eyes and shook her head some before ripping off a piece of paper from a notebook on her purse and grabbing a feathered pen off a nearby counter. "I'll tell you what, " she started as she handed him the slip of paper and the pen. "Give me your number, and I'll call you for entertainment, and who knows? Maybe you can tell me more about these 'witches' in a more private manner. " She added. Vivian didn't want to give up too much information, and why not take advantage of the male's enthusiasm to share?

---

Jake's mouth fell slack as she spoke the words that felt as if they were laced with venom. The being she described, that was Nick. Maybe it was even the old Jake, but so much has changed since then. Jake had changed. Closing his mouth, his lips formed a straight line as his eyebrows scrunched together. "Is that how I'm coming off? I'm sorry. We don't get many visitors and the last ones that came brought nothing but trouble. " 'A lot of people died' He thought the words but wouldn't dare say them aloud. "Let's just say really bad things happened. Excuse me for wanting to avoid anymore chaos in this place. We've been through enough. " The last sentence came out just barely above a whisper as memories of the past year flooded his mind.

Callum wasn't sure exactly how to feel about her words but he passed it off, focusing more on what she was saying last. His eyebrows arched with mild surprise, because he definitely hadn't expected that. Regardless, he offered a small smirk. Maybe he was making some progress after all? "Well, if the lady asks for it, I might as well provide, yeah?" he chimed casually as he took the paper and pen, offering an amused expression at the sight of the feathered pen, but focused on writing his number and name down. Scrawling it out, he soon offered the paper back to her while setting the pen down. "Try not to lose it. Who knows if we'll ever chance another random meeting out in public like this?" For a moment, he looked amused again, but he soon passed it off with a small shrug.

---

"A little bit," Letha told him casually, but it wasn't at all. She knew that she'd have to accuse him of something ridiculous, though, in an attempt to cover her tracks. If she accused him of trying to hook up with her, she wouldn't have to accuse him of being suspicious of her - because he definitely was. Accusing him of that would just raise more questions, though, because somebody would accuse somebody of having suspicions if there wasn't a reason for it. She watched him, though, listening to him as she arched a brow. "If you have that many problems, maybe it'd be safer to, I don't know, get away from it all? If this place attracts chaos, I doubt my siblings and I will be here for long." Once they got Cassie and Diana to join them, they wouldn't have a reason to stick around, anyways.