August bit her lip as she listened to Mary, watching her carefully. The emotions weren't fake. Mary had opened up something very deep and personal about herself. Looks like August's jab had hit something. Maybe she had been a little mean, none of them seemed particularly bad. Still, joining this little group without knowing SOMETHING about the others would have been downright stupid. The redhead quirked a brow, eyes flicking up to the light again. Her initial assumption was right, Mary was far more than just a simple druggy. Interesting. August could imagine the emotions this group would leave behind in the classroom. Then Mary blew smoke into Jackson's face. Though, the boy seemed to like it. Masochist? She could already imagine some form of BDSM between the uncaring Mistress Mary and the begging Slave Jackson. She quirked her mouth at the thought, then flushed slightly at the thought of Mary in leather. Then Kanoa...then Orion. Better tuck those visuals away for a rainy day. Quickly tuning into Maxwell's conversation at the last minute, the logic side of her brain reared up, smothering the lustful romantic within.

"Not to punch holes into the plan or anything, but you're suggesting asking some very emotionally fragile people to put some faith in a group of kids they've never met. We'd need to be extremely careful about approaching his parents, especially if all we have to go on is 'We think a ghost did it.' I mean, their kid is missing, has been for awhile. Most missing persons cases are dropped after...what was it, three days? They've probably been told by several people that he'll never be found, and then we just come out of nowhere asking about their kid and talking about ghosts? They could think we're making fun of them. But I'll go with what the rest of you guys think is a good idea."

The redhead looked at the leaf. Several thoughts went through her head. Maybe the leaf had some residual emotions left on it? The room most likely would, though getting in without breaking and entering would be a...unique...task. Her logical side had kicked in. A supernatural entity was quite a leap of logic. And how did Kanoa get the leaf in the first place? How could cousins be twins? August blinked at the Bowers for a moment before her train of thought barreled back into full gear. Kanoa was wrapping things up. August tugged slightly at the collar of her sweater, chewing her lower lip in thought for a moment.

"Can I see the leaf? I mean, I may be able to get some kind of read off it. Fear, happiness, sorrow. Maybe he left to kill himself, maybe he ran off with some secret lover from a rival family. Maybe he was kidnapped, but if it was a powerful emotion, I might be able to sense something off the leaf."

How Kanoa had gotten the leaf could remain a mystery, August wasn't too interested in that. At the moment, she was thinking of this like an electrical problem. Look at the symptoms, start simple, then get complex. If the boy left of his own free will, there would be an emotion that suggested that. Relief, apprehension, even acceptance. If he was taken forcefully, fear, sorrow, or anger would be present. August adjusted her glasses. Trying to read the leaf here would be silly. She'd need to try it in her room, where she'd notice the emotional change.

"I can bring it back tomorrow, unless you'd rather hold onto it. Either way, meeting up tomorrow is fine by me."