#elsewhere

A white light flashes, just a bit, strobing around the area.

She freezes still and encourages him to do the same. If tthey can press againstt a tree to throw of silouhette searches, the better

‘’Is someone out there?” It’s definitely female, lowering and hardening her voice to sound a bit more dangerous, or so she hopes. “I have mace!”

Does she recognize the voice?

Hard to tell, it is familiar though - maybe just because it’s a teenage girl.

Chuck, however, stirs. “Is that Kat?” He whispers.

Though he doesn’t move much, quite enjoying being pressed against a tree by Gwen.

"It's just us, Katrina, gwen and chuck" She dares "Everythingg okay?"

She just can't help herself sometime, the urge to help others. Maybe I'm part boggan?_

“I got turned around… is this the way back to the others?” Her steps come closer, and the light seen proves to be the flashlight from her phone. “I thought I saw lights over here, like a glow stick or something.

The flashlight flicks over them, and then away as quickly. “Shit.”

Well, Katrina's not enchanted,so she shouldn't see a troll, or so gwen hopes, just her and Chuck "relax, we .. we were just talking" A blush "Maybe a kiss or two. Come on, we'll guide you back"

“Nah, it’s cool - I didn’t want to interrupt nothing…”

Chuck DOES have his arm around her, pressed close. He whispers, “I’m sure she can find it…?” A touch reluctant to leave, his breath warm on her neck.

Chuck's warmth against her leads to some very selfish thoughts and feelings. "Well, at least let me ggive you some directions and point the right way?"

Katrina sounds reluctant to accept the help, but… the paths ARE twisty. “If I can find that main trail back, I can find the bonfire and get a ride home.”

At that, she stops "You need a ride home? How did you get here?"

“I rode my scooter, but… I think I’ll get a ride home. I think - anyway. My mom doesn’t like be riding at night.” Cars DO tend to speed fast around the curves of these backroads. At least, when Danica isn’t around in a speed trap, but one Officer can’t be everywhere…

Torn. A look to her boyfriend BIG eyes which might almost look comical on her true form

He exhales, and pulls her close for a quick, but THOROUGH kiss. When he releases, he says, his voice a touch husky, “No, yeah, wait - we were just heading back. I’ll drop you off.”

Toes curled at the kiss, and then at how nice he is "Yes, we'll take you, come on, Katrina. "

He keeps one hand in Gwen’s, and the other he lights up his own phone. “It was back this way… c’mon. I’ve been coming to fires out here since I was in middle school. Haven’t seen you at one though before. You’ll learn the trails…”

She nods, following along with them, a few paces away. She gives a few quick glances at Gwen, but tries not to be eyeballing the couple. “Mom wants me to get out more.”

"I Hear you. Some of my fam worries I work too hard at chores, is that weird or what?" A nod "If i weren't for Chuck here I'd probably ever go out for me time" A fond look at him "Well, 'we' time"

“Yeah…”

As promised, Chuck knows the way back, it’s not far, but it’s easy to get turned around. The bonfire still burns, with a smaller crowd - Couples here and there, but others just sitting and chatting, even marshmallows, showing that hookups are not the ONLY reason to come up, after all.

Chuck gets his hand held

B-Dubs has closed up business, and is telling a disappointed-looking fellow, “sorry, you drove - only one. There’s soda in the cooler. You know the drill.”

He takes a Mountain Dew and walks off, and the entrepreneur spies Chuck and the girls heading for his car - or rather, his mom’s car. “YOOOO C-Dog! I didn’t think you had it in you!” Eyeing the not one, but TWO girls he walks with.

Katrina flushes, perhaps embarrassed, but Gwen sees one of her hands curling into a fist.

A look back at B-Dubs "I don't share, B-Dubs. Keep your ideas in your fan fiction account" and she nods to Katrina

He holds up his hands, good naturedly. “Hey, it’s cool, you’re cool, I’m cool - we’re cool.”

Chuck shoots Gwen a thankful look. “Don’t think anything -I- said would have mattered. You want me to drop you off first?”

Chuck says "Nope. I want to stay with you as long as possible" She ttells Chuck

She is not goinng to kiss him, work him up, then put him to work, and run leaving him to deal with enchantment alone.

“Hm? Oh, Right.” He was staring into the fire, where flames dance - literally, taking the shape of vaguely humanoid figures that flicker and prance across the sticks and embers. Katrina is watching the fire as well, perhaps trying to see what has Chuck’s attention.

“I’ll come back for my scooter tomorrow.” She says. Nearby, an old - one might say Vintage - scooter, held together by airbrush and stickers as much as chrome, and with a helmet hanging off it that is similarly decorated, including a rainbow “BE GAY, DO CRIMES” sticker.

Seeing the glance, Katrina shrugs, “Keeps people guessing.”

"If you're sure" Gwen takes shotgun near her boyfriend and whispers 'Try nnot to let it distract you while drriving"

He does his best… A little surprised as what he thought was an oncoming car winks at him and vanishes, and when a doe, followed by a half-grown white fawn, runs alongside the side of the road for a bit - he rubbernecks, but with Gwen’s help, stays focused.

Katrina is dropped off with her thanks - one of those lights in the apartment building must belong to the unit she shares with her mom. And then on to Silverwolf… where Chuck GAWKS.

“I know you said you had a big house - but this is a mansion… nearly a castle!”

She squeezes Chuck

And whispers "She doesn't see it that way, not withher eyes"

“But now I do. And it’s amazing…”

"Yes sorry I..." A breath "It is. " And she does admire it

“Don’t be sorry…” he idles in the drive, gazing at the manor and then back at Gwen. “Thank you for showing me the real you…”

"Thank you for liking me anway" She kisses him, in fact, she lays a hell of a kiss, not just because he's s been so wonderful, but because he is

But also because she WANTS to kiss him

They connect with a tingle that’s electric, fingers intertwined, and Chuck runs a hand up her arm, over her shoulder, his fingers playing over her stone skin, marveling but not offput…

The car creaks slightly, weight shifting.

She looks to make sure she's not about to lose the brake or something "We are parked right?" Breathingg hard

“Yeah…” he pauses to glance over at the dash, and then stares back with a… a shriek sounds so unmanly, but it’s definitely shocked!

“Gwen! Look out!”

A gruesome visage is pressed against the windshield, bloodshot eyes, piggish nose in grey skin, a wide, WIDE mouth twisted into a grimace that has too many teeth, dreadlocked hair tangled into a cap that is stained and shiny with blood…

Briar GRINS

"Oh god" She groans...

And NOT with pleasure

"Damn it ,Briar"

Chuck is fumbling for the ignition key, slamming the door locks on, about to flee!

"Hey hey stop.. it's okay.. stop, she's.. my sister"

“That’s not- that’s a MONSTER!” He says before he can help it!

Briar cackles in glee. “Damn straight!” She drags her rough, chipped nails over the window with a screech. “Lemme in! Rip and tear!”

"Briar, if you keep this up I will tell Lin just WHO ate that pie she worked with Mariggold to make for the Chief, I mean it!"

The grin turns into a rather sullen frown, maybe even a pout on a less terrifying face.

“You get ALL the fun. I’m just playin’.”

Chuck is still deliciously wide-eyes with surprise, but he steadies a bit as Briar turns off the active attempt. He does NOT let go of Gwen’s hand, squeezing so hard she feels it even through the stone.

"Chuck, this is Briar, Briar, Chuck. " She winces. Itt's out, folks will know he's enchannted, so might as well play through "Chuck doesn't know many details, just that we're magic"