WWLAOS: They're here, because one of them owns the club, and I needed an outside perspective for this next chapter. As for not matching his memories, he's only encountered them all once before and it was far earlier in their own timeline. Another time, there was only one surviving sister and he became involved in the timeline for reasons that still aren't entirely clear. Josh is alright. He's just confused. Don't worry. You'll never guess it until I let it be revealed anyway.
"So this is Halliwell Manor?" Ron asked, as they pulled up to the curb. Adam didn't say anything, as he stepped out of the car. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, something, everything." Adam shook out his head. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Why?" Ron wondered.
"I have to ask entrance to the house before I step into the protective circle that surrounds the place, or I'll be in deep trouble." Ron stared, but Adam had already begun to intone in Latin. Ron shrugged, and started forwards, only to find his right arm wouldn't move.
"What happened?" He asked, but Adam didn't seem to hear him. Then there was a final word, and Ron fell back onto the sidewalk, as whatever was holding his arm let go.
"Guess the Lotus Blade needed to ask first as well." Adam replied, and stepped forwards across the threshold, arms crossed behind his back. Ron glared as he rose, and followed Adam to the door. Adam knocked, instead of ringing the bell, though why, Ron didn't want to know. Paige was the one to answer the door, and she half-smiled on seeing them.
"Come on in, Piper's in the living room. Pheobe is at work, but that's no big deal. Ron smiled back, and passed through the door. Adam had to stop again, and he muttered something before entering. Paige gave him a quizzical look.
"I practice polite magic, and always bid entrance before crossing thresholds into another's sphere of influence." He shrugged, and settled to a chair without saying anything. Ron sighed, and rolled his eyes with a grin.
"Don't mind him, he's always like that when he's talking magic." Ron shrugged. Paige waved dismissively.
"I'm glad for anyone we don't have to hide our secrets from. So, you're Ron?" She asked, being sure she remembered names right.
"Yes, that's me. And that's..." Ron began.
"Adam." Adam cut him short.
"What he said." Ron grinned at him. Paige stared for a moment, then shrugged.
"So, tell me about what your powers are?" She asked, with a grin. "The last few witches I've met didn't like magic."
"We aren't witches." Ron replied, echoing Adam the night before. "Though he tells me I can, I don't do magic. The only thing I can... I can't talk about." Ron sighed.
"We, make that I am a mage. Instead of needing spells, mages have the power to directly effect energy used in casting. It is some times simpler to use spells to accomplish the task, such as asking entrance." Adam shrugged, keeping his explanations concise, and short. "There are certain innate powers I have as a result of the magic, but... they're very minor. Slight healing, slight levitation, and I can do this." He waved his hand infront of his face, and it shimmered into Ron's. It shifted back. "The last takes the most energy to accomplish, but doesn't require any energy to hold."
"Slight healing?" She asked.
"It only works on others unfortunately." Adam shrugged again.
"Interesting." Paige started, at the same moment Piper entered.
"Paige, why didn't you tell me we had guests?" Piper asked. "I was baking... Oh, hi guys." She finished remembering them from the night before. "So, what were you and Paige talking about?"
"Actually, she and Adam were talking about magic. It's not really my thing. But what were you baking?" Ron asked, with a smile. "See, cooking is what I do best."
"That and get into trouble." Adam grinned. Ron coughed, and affected not to notice him.
"So, what were you baking?" Ron asked, extending his arm formally.
"A soufflé." Piper answered, taking his arm, and leading him away into the kitchen.
"Do you suffer from personal gain?" Paige asked.
"Sort of. It's rather indirect, and complicated. Remember the mentions of my restraining ring?"
"About being an ass without it?" Paige asked. Adam nodded.
"Exactly. I receive the effects of personal gain, as a modification to my personality. The ring also restricts a field, an aura about myself, that would otherwise temper the perceptions of people around me." Adam sighed.
"What do you mean temper?" Paige asked curiously.
"It sort of represses inhibitions of people around me." He sighed. "It also has a tendency to amplify certain emotions."
"Such as?" Paige asked.
"Attraction. Anger. And unfortunately, Lust." He answered, and hung his head.
"Why unfortunately?" Paige asked, before she realized what had probably happened. "Oh no, you didn't..."
"No, but I almost did. Things ended up far more complicated than they should have, because I couldn't control the aura." Adam replied solemnly. "I almost made several mistakes, and it was only accidentally that they were avoided."
"What do you mean?" Paige asked. Adam swallowed, and looked at her with an odd saddened quality to his eyes.
"Ever heard of Kim Possible? She's Ron's partner, in more ways than one. I almost made a mistake, that I probably wouldn't have been able to forgive myself for." And he launched into an explanation.
"So what is with you and your friend?" Piper asked. She was smiling as she cooked, glad to be able to simply cook without worrying about an iminent attack, and to be able to share her kitchen with someone so polite.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, stirring a sauce on the stove.
"Please, don't give me that strong guy routine. I don't know either one of you, and it gives me a fresh perspective on things that your bias might cloud." Piper answered. "Add that oregano please." She pointed to a bowl of the spice sitting on the counter. Ron tipped it in carefully, still stirring as he added it.
"I don't really know where to begin. No, I'll start at the beginning. Mind if I give you abriged version?" He asked. She laughed.
"As long as you keep stirring the Marinara sauce." She answered.
"Okay, then. I first met him when I was about ten. At camp, a particularly bad experience for me. I won't call him the only upside, but there were fewer upsides than down. In any case, we ended up corresponding to each other. That meant that he didn't meet Kim, my best friend, for eight years. She'd been my best friend since before Kindergarten, but that's not the point. Anyway, I had been shot, and had my leg broken by then. So he was supposed to be a temporary replacement. Unfortunately..."
"She fell for him. Stir a little faster." Piper responded.
"Right, and I don't know if it's his fault. He admitted he was attracted to her, I'd've had to punch him in the nose if he didn't, but..." Ron sighed. "Turns out, that he had an active power he couldn't control, and it affected Kim, so I know it's not her fault, but..."
"You still feel you need to blame someone." Piper reasoned quietly. She leaned past him, and salted the sauce a bit, not sure it was enough. Ron decided not to wonder how she knew, since he'd tasted it, but hadn't said anything. "So I'll tell you this then. Don't let it eat at you. Confront him about it. If you did, and it didn't resolve, do it again. Is she over it? If so, then you'd better do it quick, before someone loses perspective."
"You're right, but I don't want to push him away." Ron replied, realizing the argument was weak, even from his point of view.
"If he's a good friend, he won't be pushed away that easily, and if he's not then you don't really want him around do you?" Piper replied.
"I see your point. I'll talk to him. It's nice to have someone who doesn't mind listening. Adam tends to talk, and take over a conversation." Piper laughed.
"So does Paige. Guess we should go in and keep them from killing each other. Shut that off, it's done." He flipped it off.
