Coven
"So Dylan is a shapechanger. Normally he can only make changes in himself,
but because Poppy's his twin, once in a while she's affected, " Paige summed up.
"It usually wears off right away," Dylan said .
"How long has she been invisible?" .
"Sixteen hours," Poppy's voice answered. "Since last night, about eleven. Dad tried a couple of reversal spells. No dice."
"How'd you ever keep your mother out of the loop all that time?" Paige asked.
"Practice. Lots and lots."
Phoebe shook her head. "That's not right. He should have told her."
"Miss Halliwell-- Or is it Mrs.?"
"No, you got it in one. Piper's the only Mrs. anything now."
"Ok. Miss Halliwell, New York may not be Salem, but it's not California either. I know magic and witches are 'trendy'-- still, not everyone understands we aren't demon worshippers. And Mom makes most skeptics look wishwashier than Charlie Brown. Short of actually using his powers right in front of her, I don't think she'd believe it--"
"-- then why doesn't he?"
"His powers are the killing touch and firestarting. Which one do you think he should use for a demonstration?" Poppy retorted.
"Hold on, I think I have an answer. Dylan, have you been in the same room as Poppy since this happened?" Piper interrupted as Phoebe started to argue.
"Pretty much. She hasn't slept, that's why she's so cranky. "
". Leo, will you take him 'upstairs' for a few minutes?"
The Whitelighter orbed away with Dylan . "Poppy, come over here, stand by the table."
One of the chairs was pulled out. "I'm here."
Piper motioned for her sisters to stand back. She grabbed the salt shaker. Walking clockwise around the table, she made a rough circle on the floor. When she returned to her starting point, she stepped outside the salt, and closed it up. "No magic cross from either side, within the circle no spell abide," she said clearly. Poppy appeared, sitting in the chair. "Thank you!"
"I warded them from each other temporarily," Piper explained. "I figured the link between them might be screwing up the reversal spells, those aren't designed to be used on more than one person at a time. With this twin connection of theirs, it's like they're-- not exactly separate beings."
"Is she going to turn invisible again when he comes back?"
"No. I can feel it when there's magic going between us," Poppy said. "I just couldn't figure out how to turn it off . " She pushed tangled, damp chestnut hair out of her face. "Thank you, and I am grateful you thought we might be good candidates for this coven you're trying to put together, but, could we maybe talk about it later? Dylan's right that I couldn't sleep, I..." she winced.
"C'mon," Phoebe invited. "I'll show you where you can lie down."
They left. Poppy gestured, not looking back. The chair slid in to bump against the table.
"She's good," Piper said. "P--most telekinetics have to see what they're moving."
"We're going to need more adult witches," Paige said dubiously. "I mean, they're good kids, and obviously talented--"
"Phoebe had a good idea about that," Piper reassured her . "Two good ideas. She suggested I talk to another witch we know, a friend of ours named Stevie.She could help us weed out the wannabes from the real talent. And she suggested another possible candidate- - a guy, one Prue identified as being a potential witch, though he hasn't learned the craft. He's not too old or inflexible to start."
"Oh. Where is he? Is he cute?"
"Prue thought so. I'm going to phone him." Piper skimmed through the phone book.
"You don't have his home number already?"
"Ah, well, he's not living at home yet. Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to one of the inmates, please? Bane Jessup is his name. Thanks-- Yes, I'll hold."
Leo orbed in while Piper talked animatedly on the phone. "Where's Dylan?" whispered Paige.
"He's kind of shy. I think that might've been what led to this whole 'disappearing act'."
"Don't tell me he's--"
"No, just trying to be unnoticed." Leo held up a neatly folded pair of argyle socks.
"That's too bad," Piper said as she hung up. "I was going to make lasagna, with Italian sausage, but if Dylan's not interested....."
Dylan hastily morphed into human again. "Oh, I am," he said. "Lasagna's my favorite. I'll even help make it."
"Why argyle?" Paige wanted to know.
"It's safest. No one touches me if I have stripes or if I'm plaid."
Paige blinked. "You know what's scary to me, this is the most logical conversation I've had all day," she said to Leo.
"Whoa! That is disturbing." Leo chuckled. "Come on. Let's get out of here, let these two be alone with the noodles and you can tell me why today was so strange."
"Definitely. And I want the skinny on this Bane character."
"You can ask him yourself," Piper said. "He's out on parole in three days. He'll be here in four. "
"You think he's honestly changed for the better?" Leo glanced over his shoulder.
"We'll find out. We'll handle it, either way."
"So Dylan is a shapechanger. Normally he can only make changes in himself,
but because Poppy's his twin, once in a while she's affected, " Paige summed up.
"It usually wears off right away," Dylan said .
"How long has she been invisible?" .
"Sixteen hours," Poppy's voice answered. "Since last night, about eleven. Dad tried a couple of reversal spells. No dice."
"How'd you ever keep your mother out of the loop all that time?" Paige asked.
"Practice. Lots and lots."
Phoebe shook her head. "That's not right. He should have told her."
"Miss Halliwell-- Or is it Mrs.?"
"No, you got it in one. Piper's the only Mrs. anything now."
"Ok. Miss Halliwell, New York may not be Salem, but it's not California either. I know magic and witches are 'trendy'-- still, not everyone understands we aren't demon worshippers. And Mom makes most skeptics look wishwashier than Charlie Brown. Short of actually using his powers right in front of her, I don't think she'd believe it--"
"-- then why doesn't he?"
"His powers are the killing touch and firestarting. Which one do you think he should use for a demonstration?" Poppy retorted.
"Hold on, I think I have an answer. Dylan, have you been in the same room as Poppy since this happened?" Piper interrupted as Phoebe started to argue.
"Pretty much. She hasn't slept, that's why she's so cranky. "
". Leo, will you take him 'upstairs' for a few minutes?"
The Whitelighter orbed away with Dylan . "Poppy, come over here, stand by the table."
One of the chairs was pulled out. "I'm here."
Piper motioned for her sisters to stand back. She grabbed the salt shaker. Walking clockwise around the table, she made a rough circle on the floor. When she returned to her starting point, she stepped outside the salt, and closed it up. "No magic cross from either side, within the circle no spell abide," she said clearly. Poppy appeared, sitting in the chair. "Thank you!"
"I warded them from each other temporarily," Piper explained. "I figured the link between them might be screwing up the reversal spells, those aren't designed to be used on more than one person at a time. With this twin connection of theirs, it's like they're-- not exactly separate beings."
"Is she going to turn invisible again when he comes back?"
"No. I can feel it when there's magic going between us," Poppy said. "I just couldn't figure out how to turn it off . " She pushed tangled, damp chestnut hair out of her face. "Thank you, and I am grateful you thought we might be good candidates for this coven you're trying to put together, but, could we maybe talk about it later? Dylan's right that I couldn't sleep, I..." she winced.
"C'mon," Phoebe invited. "I'll show you where you can lie down."
They left. Poppy gestured, not looking back. The chair slid in to bump against the table.
"She's good," Piper said. "P--most telekinetics have to see what they're moving."
"We're going to need more adult witches," Paige said dubiously. "I mean, they're good kids, and obviously talented--"
"Phoebe had a good idea about that," Piper reassured her . "Two good ideas. She suggested I talk to another witch we know, a friend of ours named Stevie.She could help us weed out the wannabes from the real talent. And she suggested another possible candidate- - a guy, one Prue identified as being a potential witch, though he hasn't learned the craft. He's not too old or inflexible to start."
"Oh. Where is he? Is he cute?"
"Prue thought so. I'm going to phone him." Piper skimmed through the phone book.
"You don't have his home number already?"
"Ah, well, he's not living at home yet. Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to one of the inmates, please? Bane Jessup is his name. Thanks-- Yes, I'll hold."
Leo orbed in while Piper talked animatedly on the phone. "Where's Dylan?" whispered Paige.
"He's kind of shy. I think that might've been what led to this whole 'disappearing act'."
"Don't tell me he's--"
"No, just trying to be unnoticed." Leo held up a neatly folded pair of argyle socks.
"That's too bad," Piper said as she hung up. "I was going to make lasagna, with Italian sausage, but if Dylan's not interested....."
Dylan hastily morphed into human again. "Oh, I am," he said. "Lasagna's my favorite. I'll even help make it."
"Why argyle?" Paige wanted to know.
"It's safest. No one touches me if I have stripes or if I'm plaid."
Paige blinked. "You know what's scary to me, this is the most logical conversation I've had all day," she said to Leo.
"Whoa! That is disturbing." Leo chuckled. "Come on. Let's get out of here, let these two be alone with the noodles and you can tell me why today was so strange."
"Definitely. And I want the skinny on this Bane character."
"You can ask him yourself," Piper said. "He's out on parole in three days. He'll be here in four. "
"You think he's honestly changed for the better?" Leo glanced over his shoulder.
"We'll find out. We'll handle it, either way."