he's a magic man

"Well, don't let me stand in the way of you networking. I can find someone else to dance with." Lacy smiled at him. There was no way he was going to walk away right now, but she had always loved teasing him.

"You're so bad," Mitchell chuckled as they danced even closer. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his wife, there was nowhere he wouldn't go. Whatever she wanted, she'd get. Mitchell was so willingly badly influenced by her and he wouldn't it any other way. He kissed her back enthusiastically, only a little worried they would accidentally barrel into one of their neighbours.

"Ugh, you've just reminded me of the abysmal fangs they all had on that show." Alex shuddered as anyone in his position would at the vivid imagery. It was almost enough to shake him out of his funk but Scott Smith brought him right back in. The worst of it was that he couldn't even be that mad about it - the guy had just nearly died, after all. Confirmation that Ian hadn't seen Carrie with him was a small consolation, at least. "Right. He's an asshole to nearly everyone if that soothes you." He used to be an asshole to everyone, Carrie included. Alex remembered as much from high school. "But he's okay now? I assume a full recovery being in your capable hands?" This sire bond nonsense had him at 50/50 for Scott's untimely demise and Alex feared that his normal level of concern for his team wasn't quite delivered by his forced questions.

"Oh, shit! Right? That must be so embarrassing. Major weak sauce from the prop department," Ian sighed, shaking his head in solidarity with his fave vampire. "That does soothe me actually, thank you. You know I like to believe that deep down, no one can resist my goofy guy charm. And if not, they at least have pause over how perky my ass is... Guy's just hurtful. Must be a British thing, I don't know," Ian shrugged. He raised a brow at Alex's questions. He was, like, sensing a vibe here. "Oh, yeah. He's gonna be just fine, my guy. Back to being a total snore in no time and then some. Don't tell me you two are secretly besties or something? I'll be hurt, Al. I'll be real hurt, actually."

At the gesture for the refill, she asked, "oh, are you going to get me one too? It'd be rude not to, you know." She shrugged. "What can I say? Many people have called me a genius. My plans today? Well, if I was going to a meeting that involved plotting to take over the world, I wouldn't be telling you about it, now would I? No offense, but you'd probably try to stop it or talk me out of it or something boring like that."

"Fine. Hey, Greg! One for the wicked witch too, please. There - you happy?" he asked with a grin. Ian snorted a laugh at her answer, shaking his head before downing his next drink. "I don't do that shit anymore, Sophia. In case you haven't noticed, I don't care how evil you are while there's still tequila in this bar."

Meghan enjoyed seeing Ian lose it. She could see the fight back in him for the first time in a while. She was wondering how far he could go with it. Maybe he could give her some entertainment. It had been a while since she had a good time in Havensdale; maybe this was her chance.

"Ian, leave her be," Mitchell chastised, a hand still clutching his chest as he struggled to get his breath back. After all that had happened between them over these years and he was still herding cats. Of course, before, their bickering and fights were grounded in love. They weren't so venomous. He hated to see it in his son almost as much as he hated to see the indifference in his daughter. Although, perhaps for just a moment there was a flash of something in her expression. Mitchell's instinct was to downplay it, to protect them from every ugly truth. He leaned too much on his son now, trying so hard to hold it all together for them.

"Dad! She shouldn't even be here-," Ian scoffed, suddenly feeling like a little kid again. Only Meghan wasn't stealing his toy truck and there was no fixing what had been broken here. "You shut up, it's none of your business. You're not a part of this family anymore." Man, he hated feeling like this. The anger was like bile in the back of his throat, it felt like a hand around his neck. Ian could hardly face what she had done to him nevermind get past it and, god for-fucking-bid, forgive her. Having her around their dad - upsetting their dad - now was beyond his last straw.

"You're such an asshole," Ian breathed, shaking his head at her. Maybe it was surviving this latest near death experience that had lit a fire under his ass, but he was suddenly so sick of this. Playing along with this bullshit. His heart pounded, palms sweated, he was haunted by real life fucking ghosts and it was her fault. As she said Olivia and Ava's names, and brought it all up again, it felt like the last straw. "You know what, Meg---," but whatever he was going to say, whatever he thought he could do, didn't matter. As soon as his dad walked into the room, nothing else mattered.

Meghan enjoyed seeing Ian lose it. She could see the fight back in him for the first time in a while. She was wondering how far he could go with it. Maybe he could give her some entertainment. It had been a while since she had a good time in Havensdale; maybe this was her chance.

"Ian, leave her be," Mitchell chastised, a hand still clutching his chest as he struggled to get his breath back. After all that had happened between them over these years and he was still herding cats. Of course, before, their bickering and fights were grounded in love. They weren't so venomous. He hated to see it in his son almost as much as he hated to see the indifference in his daughter. Although, perhaps for just a moment there was a flash of something in her expression. Mitchell's instinct was to downplay it, to protect them from every ugly truth. He leaned too much on his son now, trying so hard to hold it all together for them.

lowe stood stunned that he would even form the answer to her question when a question of his own "yes, ian. not let it do that" she sighed, pulling him into a hug "you scared the life out of me. don't ever do that again"

"oh, hey... i'm sorry, i didn't mean to scare you-," he hushed, hugging her back. ian was so used to flying by the seat of his pants, he almost forgot that other people might be worried about him. "i promise. are you doing okay?"

"Probably when you stop following it around." Julian teased Ian; the man had to have some of the worst luck he had ever witnessed, but at least he was still kicking it.

"Check mate, man. I didn't know you were gonna be eating me up today, I would have worn nicer underwear," he grinned before shooting Julian a wink. "Oh, yeah. That is gonna be the bubble bath of a lifetime, I can tell you that for free."

"that's not a good thing but i suppose you being here does limit the amount of injuries you can sustain further. honey, i'm going to parties you're not invited to. you can keep your kegstands and frat boy idiocy" she gave her usual subtle smile. rare in appearances to most, frequently to ian and his antics.

"yeah, they've pretty much locked in me not doing anything majorly reckless for another day or so. in my defense, i didn't cause the earthquake. well, maybe, anyway... i was actually mid gearing up to rockin' a certain someone's world and she mine. dude, you're killing me," ian laughed, shaking his head at his cousin but thankfully he caught that near-invisible smile.

Benjy wanted to roll his eyes at Ian, but he couldn't help the smile on his face. They had been close when Ian had dated Ava. He always wanted a big brother, and Ian had been a good substitute. They hadn't talked since Ian had come home, definitely a long-overdue conversation.

"Whaaaat? I'm filing a complaint! I didn't know it could be even more awesome. Next time I'm coming in with gnarly tonsils, I swear. Oh, yeah. There's no stopping her once she sets her mind to something," Ian smiled fondly as always. He had, of course, already seen Ava. He'd seen her pretty much every other minute he'd been conscious in this place. He'd even been hidden in the bathroom when Faye was visiting her earlier.

"Aww, does Ian need someone to take care of him? Don't worry, I am sure Mom or one of our cousins would love to take care of you. Had my fill of that personally." Meghan would be here, actually checking on Ian if she weren't a warlock. If she could feel anything, she would be more concerned about him. "Damn, there goes my career prospects. Guess I will have to stick to being a warlock instead."

Mitchell Morrison had always been a hopeless optimist. He believed in the best of people, he believed that heartache couldn't last forever and that there were happy endings. Of course, these past 3 years, had worn him down. Mitchell still hoped, though. He was in the hospital now not only to visit his beloved, reckless, son but to attend another check up. A check in. Nothing had changed beyond the usual. Perhaps it was getting worse, it was so hard to tell with dark magic. Whatever was plaguing Mitchell's body now was unpredictable and it certainly didn't show up in any medical journal.

"You're such an asshole," Ian breathed, shaking his head at her. Maybe it was surviving this latest near death experience that had lit a fire under his ass, but he was suddenly so sick of this. Playing along with this bullshit. His heart pounded, palms sweated, he was haunted by real life fucking ghosts and it was her fault. As she said Olivia and Ava's names, and brought it all up again, it felt like the last straw. "You know what, Meg---," but whatever he was going to say, whatever he thought he could do, didn't matter. As soon as his dad walked into the room, nothing else mattered.

"Aww, does Ian need someone to take care of him? Don't worry, I am sure Mom or one of our cousins would love to take care of you. Had my fill of that personally." Meghan would be here, actually checking on Ian if she weren't a warlock. If she could feel anything, she would be more concerned about him. "Damn, there goes my career prospects. Guess I will have to stick to being a warlock instead."

Mitchell Morrison had always been a hopeless optimist. He believed in the best of people, he believed that heartache couldn't last forever and that there were happy endings. Of course, these past 3 years, had worn him down. Mitchell still hoped, though. He was in the hospital now not only to visit his beloved, reckless, son but to attend another check up. A check in. Nothing had changed beyond the usual. Perhaps it was getting worse, it was so hard to tell with dark magic. Whatever was plaguing Mitchell's body now was unpredictable and it certainly didn't show up in any medical journal.

this family was going to be the death of her. the stress alone was ready to send her over the edge, and ian being the number one cause of the stress hadn't changed since when they were kids. lowe approached his room and the smell of sandalwood was overflowing into the corridor.

"um... to not let it do that?" ian answered coyly, barely fighting off a grin as lowe entered the room. "in my defense, i did try to get flattened more like a crepe than an og pancake. my bad it didn't work out that way, though."

"calm down, paul bunyan. your sandalwood must isn't doing anything but choking us all. and if you think i'd be caught dead in chinos and partaking in a keg stand, you've got a rude awakening coming in that vision of yours" she smiled and entered the room, taking a seat in the chair next to his bed.

"the digs... they are harsh, lux. good thing i'm already in the hospital, huh? i guess everyone's perfect fantasy world needs one party pooper. you will page me when you're ready to come join me in the land of awesome though, right?" he joked, barely containing his own laughter. there was no denying his cousin wasn't exactly doctor party, but he loved her nonetheless. very brave of him, really.

"Oh, if it's just a tiny teeny eensy little bit, then there's nothing to worry about. We're fine. Good as gold and all that." Another clink of her glass against his, another small sip of her drink (Sophia was most definitely not going to be matching Ian drink for drink; she wanted a clear head for now). "I can't believe you'd say that, darling; I'd never let your sister close enough to kill me." She'd kill Meghan first, but that was too cruel even for her to say.

Ian waved for another refill, unsure if there was enough fruity liquor in the world to get him through this day. He really needed to stop hanging out with warlocks, it was beyond bad for his health. "Yeah, we're perfect. Can't think of anything wrong with us," he added, polishing off his glass. "Well, that makes one of us smarter than the other. So, uh, you got anything else on today? Big evil meetings and what have you?"