[Closed - Caden, Coop, Les & Robert]

[seas_open]

Whatever is responsible for this, April doesn't notice when it happens.

She and Caden have been back in town for a few days now and she knows he'll need to go back again in the next little while, but she plans on staying here. Not because she hadn't enjoyed her time in California, but given how much she's banked on Coop's generosity when it comes to her job -- the first legitimate job she's ever had and currently her only source of income -- she really thinks it's a good idea she stay and actually work a little.

She's unpacked, she's settled back in her apartment, and she spends a few days just settling back into town. It's a strange thing to feel, settled in any way, but she does. And she isn't entirely sure what she thinks of it, whether she likes it or hates it, but she's allowing herself to exist in this state, to give it a chance instead of rebuffing it as soon as she feels something out of the ordinary.

Whenever she uses her powers in Siren Cove, she does it almost without thinking. There are times she uses them to get what she wants, times when she's irritated and makes someone do something for her, but none of it is truly harmful in any way. Though it seems someone disagrees.

She's in a coffee shop, she's in a hurry, and she needs to get to the front of the line quickly, so she taps the guy in front of her on the shoulder, gives him a smile and asks him in a gentle, melodic voice if he'd mind letting her go ahead of him. In response he only rolls his eyes and turns away from her.

For the rest of the day she tries it on everyone she meets. She asks people easy favours, she suggests things for them to do, and while some people help her just out of the kindness of their heart, most just ignore her suggestions, and that's never happened to her before. She has never met anyone immune to her powers.

By the end of the day she's so furious she's trembling and she stands near the boardwalk, unsure of what to do or where to go. She needs to see Caden, she needs to tell him something is wrong, but she needs to see her father, too. Maybe he'll be able to track down whoever is responsible for this.

Staring out at the ocean, her jaw clenched tight enough to hurt, April finds the only thing she wants to do is scream.

Comments

[lesparker]

"I get it, April. Why you never said anything. I'm glad I know though," he says with a smile.

There's still something about April, something he feels connected to that's different from his other relationships. He has Raleigh and Coop and Audrey. People like Lara and Riley who push him to be better. And obviously Corry, he has her. But there's something different about April. He trusts her because in the end he thinks they are made up of the same stuff, the same shades of grey and broken parts. It's why he's not angry she didn't tell him. He imagines he would have done the same. And as it stands there's still much he's never shared with her. She never asked just like he never asked, and yet they still seemed to understand one another.

"We need to get your powers back," he continues on. "I'm not saying you can't do this on your own, but if you let me help you, I will." He pauses for a moment thinking. "It might be difficult. Even once we find them. It's gonna take...bigtime magic."

Reversing another witch's spell, one that was powerful enough to take her powers in the first place, it definitely didn't sound like a cake walk.

[seas_open]

"Yeah, well, you're lucky I trust you," she mutters, trying to make it seem as if it really isn't a big deal at all when it's maybe the most important thing she might admit to anyone. The list of people she trusts is very small and she doesn't really tell many of them she trusts them. It's not the kind of thing she has an easy time admitting to anyone and she doesn't think she's ever said it to Les.

And then he offers her help and she softens a little further, because she knows she needs it. Standing here on the boardwalk, she can't even begin to imagine who she might have pissed off to do something like this. There are so many people in her life she's screwed over, people who might be angry about this, but as far as she knows, none of the people she's ever done jobs on have ever had this sort of power. They might be able to buy it, but she doesn't know if they're even aware of this part of the world.

"I... I'll need help," she says, a little reluctant to admit it. "I don't even know where to begin."

[lesparker]

It's strange that Les thinks he's learning more about April now than he ever had when they were actually together. But then again they had never done things in a normal way. He's just grateful that they've managed to hang on to some semblance of a friendship. That she still trusts him. He knows her well enough to understand that she never would say it if it weren't true. It makes him feel good.

Where to begin, now that is the question. He is silent for several seconds thinking through spells and charms in his arsenal. All of them would be...difficult, but he gets an idea.

"Do you know anything about scrying?" He asks glancing up at her. "It's a way to locate people. My mom...she was incredibly good at it---" Rosalie was never something he spoke about often with April but if he's going to help her she'll need to know what he's talking about for them to figure this all out. "But she taught me how. If the asshole didn't travel too far I might still be able to do the spell. Your powers are a part of you so when I did the scry I'd be trying to find you."

"It could work..."

[seas_open]

Even having dated two witches now, even considering a witch one of her closest friends and her boss, two titles she wouldn't give to most people, April doesn't know much about what they can do. She knows their powers are varied, but she's always figured if any of them wanted to tell her about it, they would, and so she's never asked questions.

But Les is telling her now and she's willing to try just about anything, so she knows.

"Whatever it takes," she says. "Anything."

[lesparker]

"Okay." Les nods smiling a little that she thinks enough of him to trust this plan could work. It might not. His mother's scrying powers were far more advanced this his. If the person has traveled far from the area he would not be able to track them down. "We'll need time to gather up the supplies. I should be able to get most of it from Coombs and Co."

What he couldn't get there Riley would have. She was still out of town but she might be able help. He'd call her later tonight once he was back home.

"Do you want to come by my place in a couple days? We can do the spell then," he says.

[seas_open]

"Yeah," she says with a grateful nod and there's still a part of her that's terribly anxious, a part that feels wrong and out of place, but the idea of Les being able to help her puts her mind at ease just a little. She has no idea what might be necessary to make this right, but she'd meant what she had said. At this point, at the idea that she might be without her powers, she's willing to do absolutely anything to get them back.

"Thank you," she says, looking at him. "I appreciate that you're willing to help me."

[lesparker]

"Of course, I am. We're friends, right?" Les gives her a softer smile. He's always going to be willing to help her. Amazingly enough, she is still letting him, and it means more to him than he could probably ever say. Their relationship isn't like that. It isn't built on confessing everything to one another, but it worked for them and he is grateful for it. She is his friend, and she is in trouble. He'd do whatever he could to help her get her powers back.

He steps away from the railing with a nod. "I'll call you when I'm ready," he says but pauses before he walks away. "Stay safe. With Caden or someone. Who knows if somebody really is coming after you."