Nate Kelly (somedaymaybe) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-03-22 17:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | #october 2017, nate, nate x reagan, reagan |
Who: Reagan and Nate
When: Tuesday, Early evening, October 9th
Where: Dragonfly
Status: Complete
It had been awhile, in Reagan’s mind, since she had talked to her brother. Some quick texts here and there didn’t really count, and she had been pretty preoccupied with work and helping Caius look through their old family journals for anything that might help them track down a descendent of Abigail Baron. Because she had the evening off, Reagan decided to drive over to Dragonfly to check in with Nate. It was easier this way, than inviting him over, or waiting for him to do the same. They didn’t have the weekly, or even biweekly, family dinners that the D’Onofrio’s had. The less Veronica Kelly had to deal with her wayward son, the better, no doubt.
Reagan found a parking spot and headed inside, immediately searching the bar for her brother. If he wasn’t on the floor, she would find him. Reagan supposed she should have checked to make sure he was evening working today, but luckily she had seen his car outside, so it wasn’t a waste of a trip. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind her dropping in unannounced.
It was early enough that the bar was mostly empty, Tuesday being one of the lightest days of the week. It gave Nate a chance to check their stock and, if the bar was truly deserted, check the charms as well. The ones on the bar itself tended to wear out first and needed the most refreshing, but for now they felt good, the runes still warm with positive energy. That left only the vodka to be restocked. He was carrying the second in when he spotted his sister wandering, likely looking for him instead of a drink.
“Hey you,” he smiled. “Can I offer the bride a drink? Since, you know, you didn’t invite me to the wedding.” To be fair, Nate knew she didn’t invite any of them to the wedding. That’s what happened when you got married in secret. He wasn’t exactly happy about it, her relationship with Caius had never been fantastic in his eyes, but he wouldn’t deny her her choices in life. Of course, hearing there was a curse amid it all didn’t really help. It was rare for Veronica to reach out to Nate and fill him in, but this had been an exception to the rule.
Reagan smiled when she spotted Nate, and she headed toward him. "It's probably too early in the evening to be drinking, but what the hell. Do you have any Riesling?" Nothing too hard, and a glass of wine might relax her before she headed home. "And don't feel too bad about the wedding. Caius and I didn't even know there was going to be a wedding until maybe an hour beforehand." A decision fueled by lust and love and liquor. She didn't regret it. Reagan helped herself to one of the seats at the bar and set her purse on top of the counter. "I'm assuming mom has pulled you into the family drama. If we suffer, you have to suffer with us. How are things going?"
“It’s never too early in the evening to be drinking,” Nate grinned. If it was evening, there could be drinking. “Morning” could be reasonably argued. He turned towards the wine cooler and selected a Reisling for his sister, then grabbed the foil cutter. “That’s usually the case when people elope. I’m sure mom’s heart is broken. Or will there be a big wedding anyways?” He hadn’t gotten all the details from his mother, not wanting to get into wedding talk, since that would just as likely end with her lamenting his own life choices. “She got me up to speed. I’m a little confused about why we’re just now hearing about this, like it wasn’t going to eventually backfire on one of us. But things are good around here. About as normal as this place can be.”
"She was pretty pissed, though I think that had more to do with Anthony D'Onofrio telling her the news instead of me," Reagan said with a shrug. "And... there was going to be a wedding here, but now I'm not sure. I guess it all depends on if we can figure out how to get rid of this family curse, which by the way, is so cliché and obnoxious. I mean, I've cursed people before, but their entire family? That just seems petty." Reagan sighed dramatically and watched Nate as he worked on opening the bottle of wine. "I don't know what they were thinking, Nate. But they tried their hardest to keep Caius and I apart. And here I thought it was just teenage drama that followed us into our twenties. You're lucky that you and Caius's sister weren't born closer together, or it could have been you dealing with this crap."
“I’m pretty sure me and Caius’ sister is illegal, so yeah, let’s say it’s a good thing it’s you two and not us. Could be worse. Could be me and Caius,” Nate teased lightly. Not that he was interested in Caius now or ever had been. He forever associated him with being his sister’s boyfriend. Just the thought was as weird as being cursed with Serafina. “Cursing an entire line is pretty dramatic. And it does make me wonder if the curse is responsible for drawing you together. Or is it just the destruction part?” He asked, pouring her glass and offering it to her. “Have you found anything on how to break it?”
Reagan took the glass and arched a dark brow before smiling. "You and Caius would make beautiful babies," she teased before taking a sip of the wine. Her amusement faded at his questions and she set the glass carefully on the bar top. Reagan knew how she felt, that she was willing to die for Caius, but yes, occasionally she wondered if that feeling was legitimate, or if it was the magic. She knew Caius harbored the same doubts, although they always came back to reaffirming that their love for each other was sincere. "I don't know, Nate. I don't have any answers. I've been in love with Caius since I was fourteen. If it's just magic, I don't care. I don't want it broken. I just want to sever whatever it is that seems set on destroying us. Mom and Anthony gave us our family journals to try and figure something out. We're starting to look into finding someone from the Baron bloodline. If anyone knows how to stop it correctly, it's probably them."
“Damn right,” Nate grinned. “So long as they have my hair.” He knew he’d thrown some pretty serious questions out there, but he thought it was something they probably needed to consider before breaking the curse. Not that there was an alternative. Staying together despite it was like a ticking time bomb. At some point they would explode. “I’m not saying you’ll fall out of love with Caius. Just… that you might want to be prepared for something to change, just in case.” The more he thought about it, the more he realized that was an issue for the future. If they broke the curse and suddenly realized they hated each other, then all their talk of love beforehand would be meaningless… and neither were likely to care. “Baron… I don’t recognize the name, but that doesn’t mean anything. If they had girls, it could’ve turned over multiple times since it was cast. Any idea how far this goes back? Or why?”
As much as she didn't want to hear it, Reagan couldn't exactly get pissy at Nate for cautioning her. She and Caius were well aware of what could happen. What if they managed to break this curse and it severed everything? What if it really was magic that drew them together? What happened if that magic dissipated with the curse itself? It was a frightening prospect, but they had no other choice than to risk it. "I know, Nate," Reagan murmured, reaching for her wine again. "I think we've thought about every possible outcome, some of which are terrible. But we have to try, otherwise we reach an unfavorable conclusion regardless of anything else." She took a sip from her glass and nodded softly before answering. "We know where the Baron line ended, at least in terms of records. Rachel Hobbs was a great, great, great, however many greats, granddaughter. Rachel lived in Point Pleasant, but there's nothing about her children, or anything like that. The records just stop. So either she died childless, or her family went into hiding. We're trying to figure it out."
Nate gave a little nod, not wanting to push on something that only had the ability to hurt. The focus needed to be no the curse, since that’s what was affecting them now. They could worry about the repercussions of breaking it once they figured out how to do so. “Well, if this has been going on for generations, it wouldn’t surprise me if we retaliated at some point.” In fact, it was almost a guarantee. It made him wonder how many curses and how many deaths had resulted from the original incident, and if anyone even knew what it was. “You know, if you had their bones or something, you might be able to do some kind of a tracer. Not really my style, but…” Reagan might be able to do it. Or Caius. Someone more proficient in blood magic than him. There was a lot that could be done with blood and bones. The trick was sometimes getting something to start with. “I dunno. There’s got to be a way to break it. There always is.”
"Sure, but wouldn't there be something to point us in that direction?" Reagan asked. Retaliation wasn't impossible, of course. But the family journals were so meticulous. Though she did fear maybe someone in their bloodline killed off the Baron bloodline completely and effectively ruined any chance they had now of breaking the curse. It was probably better if she didn't let her mind go down that path. Reagan's brows lifted at Nate's suggestion, mostly because it wasn't an altogether horrible one. "Bones," she repeated, feeling a spark of hope inside of her gut. Surely the Baron's were buried in the cemetery with the other witches from that era. They had to be. "You know, I hadn't thought about that at all. Caius might be able to make it work, and if not... Anthony." She knew Caius was more skilled in blood magic than she was, but Anthony... well, Caius had to have learned it from someone. For the first time in what felt like forever, Reagan felt a relieved sort of smile cross her face. "I knew there was a reason I came to see you, big brother. I would kiss you right now if I didn't want to smudge my lipstick."
“Well, you’re dealing with witches on both sides. Makes it a little easier to disappear, I think.” Nate imagined that there were plenty of ways to skew public record if need be. At some point tracking people down by paper or computer could be difficult, even if they weren’t a witch. At the mention of Anthony D’Onofrio, Nate curled up his nose, making a face. The man gave him the creeps. He always had, even if he couldn’t say why. “Hopefully Caius can do it,” he said, always a little worried when blood magic was involved, but couldn’t help but smile when Reagan did. “No reason to ruin your makeup,” he grinned. “I hope that works, or at least gets you started on the right path. I truly do believe any curse can be broken if you look hard enough.”
"It has to be, there's no other option," Reagan said firmly. "I know witches in both of our families have tried to break it for years, but I don't think they were as talented as Caius and I are. So if anyone is going to find a way, we will." Yes, she was aware of how 'conceited' that sounded, but Reagan didn't care. She was confident in herself and her abilities and that's all that mattered. Reagan knew Caius was capable of the kind of magic they would need. After all, he had almost killed her with it. Reagan drank more of her wine, her mind racing over the possibility that she and Caius could track down the proper bones in the cemetery. But she didn't want to rush off so soon after sitting down, and Reagan didn't think there was anything wrong with finishing her drink. She waved her hand a bit dismissively. "Okay, enough of that for now. Tell me what you've been up to. I feel like my entire life for the past couple of weeks has been Caius and this curse and... I need to hear something different."
“Nice to see your ego’s intact,” Nate said with a little smirk. She was a fantastic witch, that he couldn’t argue with, but he did hope she’d be careful. Those were the kinds of spells with some serious backfire. The kind that got people killed. Sometimes it wasn’t about how powerful you were, but how smart you were. “Just don’t do anything rash, okay?” All he could do was warn her, though he felt like Reagan would do things her way no matter what he said. He let her drop it and move on to less important things, well aware he had nothing near as big to fill her in on. “Nothing really new with me. Just working, hanging out. I broke things off with Marissa. It just… didn’t feel right. I dunno. Could’a kept it going, but I wasn’t as invested as she was and it didn’t seem fair.” It didn’t seem right to lead her on, no matter how hot the sex was.
Reagan merely arched a brow as she drank more of her wine. Yes, some might call it ego, but she called it confidence. She'd had it since she was a kid, and it was what carried her through life. Reagan did not like to fail at anything, and so she didn't... most of the time. "We're not going to do anything stupid," Reagan assured him. "We're aware that we might only have one shot at this, so we're not going to risk blowing it all up. You don't need to worry about us." She and Caius would worry enough for everyone, she was sure. Reagan grinned a touch at the mention of Marissa. "Oh, that's too bad... I didn't like her anyway. You'll find someone better suited for you, Nate. Someone mom will absolutely hate. Let me know if you want me to set you with someone." Her smile widened before she hid it behind her wine glass.
“You know I’m still going to worry, right?” Nate said with a little smile. It was just his nature and she was his baby sister. As different as they’d been as kids, as much as they’d fought, he would always worry if she was in danger. And even when she wasn’t. Her telling him not to wasn’t going to change that. “Mom hates everyone I like,” he said with a little laugh. It felt like a running joke, so much so that Veronica had decided he was picking people specifically to annoy her. Like that was qualifying criteria. “I’m not exactly desperate,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Why? Do you have someone in mind?”
Reagan couldn't help but laugh a little. "I could find someone, Nate. I wouldn't torture you with any of my friends, but give me some time and I bet I could find you someone you like who mom might also approve of. Not that you care about that, of course, but it would probably make your life a little easier. I wouldn't put it past mom to slip you a love potion eventually." Reagan was only partially teasing. Veronica was capable of many things, especially trying to control the lives of her children. She had been doing it since they were kids, and now Reagan knew just how far she would go. She still wasn't sure she had even forgiven their mother for it yet, or when she would.
Nate shook his head, even though he knew Reagan was joking. “Too much maintenance. I would definitely notice is mom started buying me a drink once a month. Or bringing me coffee. Besides, it wouldn’t change me, which is usually where her problem is.” It was a little unnerving that he could come up with that that fast, that his mind was already looking for the holes in that solution, as if his mother might actually try such a thing. She could really fuck up his life if she wanted to, at which point Veronica would find out just how much her son knew about magic. “I doubt it’ll come to that,” he grinned. “Though now I’m curious. If you found someone that could skirt that line, I’d be impressed.”
Reagan lifted her shoulder gently, nearly finished with her wine now. She could sort of understand where their mother was coming from, but on the other hand, Nate was who he was. Maybe he wasn't how their parents wanted him to be, but he wasn't going to change. Maybe Veronica ought to start working with that instead of resisting it. "She loves you," Reagan reminded him. "I know she can be a pain in the ass, but... I don't know, I feel like if she didn't, she would have just dismissed you by now." Cold, but true. Reagan sighed and then smiled. "I'll see what I can do about finding you a suitable date. Suitable by your standards, not mom's. But if I find someone, you have to promise you'll give them a chance."
“She loves what I could be if I’d bend to her ideals,” Nate said with a roll of his eyes. Sure, Veronica loved him, but she didn’t love him. It was something he’d come to terms with a long time ago, but it still grated on him. He was never going to be good enough for her, so he just needed to be good enough for himself. “How do you know what my standards are?” he said with a little laugh. He wasn’t in need of a date. He really wasn’t. But a part of him was dying to know what kind of person his sister thought he’d be into. “Sure, if you find me someone, I’ll give ‘em a chance.” It certainly wouldn’t hurt anything.
"What kind of sister would I be if I didn't know what your standards were?" Reagan asked. She had never been overly fond of Nate's romantic choices, but Reagan supposed that was just the sister inside her. She was picky because she felt like he deserved the best. Maybe she was a bit more like her mother than she wanted to admit. Reagan smirked and brought her glass back up to her lips to finish off her wine. "Basically a woman who is the complete opposite of mom?" she teased. "At least in terms of personality." She knew Nate didn't need a woman in his life to keep him happy, but it was still fun to mess with him a little.
Nate laughed at his sister’s assessment and gave a little nod of his head, figuring that was probably accurate. He couldn’t have said exactly what he wanted in a person himself. Everyone he’d dated had been vastly different from the last. But maybe that was part of his problem. “I just don’t want someone who wants to change me,” he said. Challenging him was fine. So was standing up to him. He don’t want a doormat. But if they don’t like what they were starting with, it wasn’t going to work. Usually that wasn’t a problem, but he’d dated a few people that thought they could improve upon him. Once he realized what was happening, he tended to break things off quickly. “And it doesn’t have to be a woman,” he reminded her with a little wink.
"Yeah, so like I said, someone who's like the opposite of mom," Reagan pointed out as she slid the empty wine glass away from her. It was definitely going to help relax her some before she headed home. Black Cove was a bit farther away than Overlook from where she was, and the thought had her wondering if she and Caius ought to figure out what to do about the fact that they owned two homes now. They only needed one. Reagan waved her fingers. "Yes, yes, I know that. It gives me some more options in the matchmaker game, at least. Let's just see what I come up with. It'll be a nice distraction from everything else." Reagan sighed and rested her folded arms on the bar top. "I should go. Are you going to come home for dinner soon? Mom is desperate for me to forgive her for being an evil witch, but I don't want to deal with that on my own. It would be nice if you came with."
“Yeah, pretty much,” Nate grinned, taking her empty wine glass and setting it aside to be cleaned. “Well, knock yourself out then. Distractions are good, especially with all the shit you’ve got going on.” They both knew the curse would take priority and that he didn’t really need her to set him up with anyone, but if it amused her, then he didn’t mind. “I suppose,” he said with a sigh and a smile. He could put his mother off for months, but all it took was a request from his sister and he was willing to bend. “We’re closed on Mondays if you want to do dinner. I can maybe arrange for someone to cover on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but I’ve gotta be here the rest of the week. Can you make that work?”
Reagan nodded. "I'll make it work. I'll send you a text once I've talked to mom." She was going to give it a couple more days, at least. Let Veronica dangle for awhile. She deserved worse, but Reagan knew her mom and Caius's dad might be vital to getting rid of this curse, so she would have to let up on her anger eventually. Reagan pushed up on the bar top to lean over and press a kiss to Nate's cheek before she leaned back and picked up her purse as she got down from her chair. "Be good, okay? We'll talk soon."
“Sounds like a plan,” Nate said, smiling when she kissed his cheek. They’d come a long way from the bickering children they’d been, still so different, but understanding each other better now. “I’m always good,” he laughed as he waved her goodbye. “See you later, Rae.”