[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/f6e51908-1bfd-4bf4-ad4f-752ff8799754.png[/img] [h3]2PM. Day of the Handover Ceremony[/h3][/center] A run of sweat ran down Cait's arms as they dropped limply to her sides. Thought the afternoon at seen to the usual Northwest chill, she was running hot right into her core. The sleeves of her lined plaid shirt had long since been rolled up to her elbows, allowing the late autumn air to cool her heated skin; as she gathered her strength and will, she unbuttoned the shirt and removed it entirely, tossing it into a crumpled ball behind her next to a light jacket she had removed not much earlier. Her upper body was now stripped to just a plain, gray, t-shirt. She craned her neck gently towards the calm sky above. At her nudging, a soothing breeze danced against her. Until her most recent training session with Daniel she had nearly forgotten that the element of air was something she could influence; she had spent the week since rediscovering that part of her magic. [color=bc8dbf][i]"Wish I could show him.[/i][/color] The day would have likely seen another secret rendezvous for practice, but the Handover Ceremony that would officially ascend Carlisle into the Leadership of the Coven was cause to leave the session until another day. She shook off her head, undoing a few knots in her hair as she lowered her eyes to a [url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.crystalclearpond.com/images/product/airmax/truerock-covers/airmax-truerock-boulder-small-greystone-1000.jpg]large rock[/url] sitting otherwise comfortably in the back yard. Setting her legs in a horse stance, she proceeded with the routine movements of her recent learning. [color=bc8dbf][i]Arms out. Extend energy through the hands. Concentrate on your goal...[/i][/color] The sense of pushback from her projected grasp told her she had the rock in hand. While the use of both arms was physically unnecessary, the mental factor made the process of heavy lifting that much easier; when she imagined she was lifting with both arms, she felt stronger... she wondered if Daniel would have any tips on getting over that. Her mind processed the mass it was holding. By some odd 'psychosomatic mechanism,' as Dan had put it, her arms began feeling the resistence of the same weight. Heart slamming, she steadily pulled her arms up. Tethered to her by her telekinetic influence, the stone, an estimated 175lbs, rose from its spot in the dirt. There, she held it, three feet up, soil trickling down off the bottom. With a slow, arduous rowing motion, she pulled the rock towards herself; with a pressing movement following, she pushed it back to the space she lifted it. [color=bc8dbf][i]Repeat.[/i][/color] The more she did these exercises, the more it felt like how she practiced skating... repetition bred refinement. "Impressive." It came at the apex of the 6th rep. Cait's focus broke. The tether of her magic around the stone snapped like a rubber band. She dropped onto her back, spread eagle on the back lawn, looking up at the upside-down face if her father looking down at her. [color=bc8dbf]"Dad!"[/color] "Sorry. Sorry." Marcus Elliot Cade took a step back. Cait turned, still on her back, reaching out to her father, who helped her back to feet. "Need to work on concentration," Marcus said, in much the same tone as a teacher. [color=bc8dbf]"Yeah. So... what's up?[/color] Marc looked at his watch, smiled, and said, "Well, as happy as your mother and I are to see that you're finally embracing your magical potential, you should probably start wrapping it up for today. We've got to get cleaned up and dressed for the ceremony tonight. Your mother is getting a head start." [color=bc8dbf]"Oh... Yeah... that.[/color] Cait soured slightly at the mention. She hadn't forgotten, but earnestly had hoped that wouldn't come up from her parents. [color=bc8dbf]"I was kinda thinking a might... maybe sit this one out.[/color] "Why? I thought you were getting on well with people again. You have that guy that's coaching you..." [color=bc8dbf]"That's one person though. And it's more of a teacher-student thing."[/color] "Have tried reaching out to anyone else? You used to hang out with Victor quite a bit. And you used to say that you liked spending time with Lilith." [color=bc8dbf]"Vic's going through some sh-- heavy stuff. And Lil..."[/color] "All the more reason to be at the ceremony. Sometimes just being present is all you need to do for anyone." [color=bc8dbf]"I...[/color] "Caitlin Morgan Cade." Marcus' voice was uncommonly calm for using his daughter's full name. "You chose to stay. You said that to us the night after the Werewolf attack. But if all you do is hide around the house and out in the woods, is that any different from leaving again?" Cait reeled back. She stared at her father, no words to come back with. He was right, and there was no denying it. Daniel had been the only other person she had spent any time with. Even her friends outside of the sphere if the Coven were left waiting on replies to messages and plans to be made. Ushered by her father, Cait picked up her shed clothes and walked back to the house. [center][h3]~=======~[/h3][/center] The bedside clock changed to 4:00PM. Cait, showered and groomed was busy mulling over how she was supposed to dress for a Handover Ceremony. Fashion wasn't particularly her strong point; in high school, one of her superlatives had been "Most Likely to Underdress." She couldn't recall owning anything suited for a formal; she had rented a dress a shoes for senior prom... only to bail on it for a night in a half pipe. "Stumped, huh?" Morgan Elizabeth Cade stepped into her daughter's bedroom, making Caitlin jump. [color=bc8dbf]"Uh... yeah."[/color] Cait grinned. [color=bc8dbf]"I've never cared for playing dress up."[/color] "I know. Come on. I'll give you a hand." [center][h3]~=======~[/h3][/center] Cait descended the stairs behind her mother. Morgan doned a simple, sleek brown dress; her feet slipped into a pair of white heels, though she carried a pair of flats in hand for later. From the pile on Cait's bed they had managed to tidy up an off-white button-up and a pair of navy blue slacks. In what Morgan called a small stroke of luck, they had also managed to pull a blazer that matched to the pants. Lacking any dressy footwear, Cait dug out a fresh, unscuffed pair of black, leather Converse. A belt that matched to the shoes capped her look. "You pull off a Ben Stein kind of look well," Marcus commented as he looked Cait up and down. "Best she dresses comfortably," Morgan stated pointedly. "So, Marc, what are we taking?" "I was kind of hoping you'd let me take the Wrangler." A gleam of excitement flared in Marcus' eyes, and he met gazes with Cait, who returned a smile. "Ugh. Your TAILGATER?" Morgan, though chuckling, was also rolling her eyes. "Babe, we're going to the Coven House, not Lumen Field. That thing will be an eyesore." "No one has to look at it." Marc was already taking the keys to the Jeep off if the hook in the entryway. "Besides, with everything going on, I haven't had much chance to use my season tickets. Thing hasn't gotten out of the garage since January." "OK then." Morgan laughed, and conceded. "Just this once though. Is that clear." "Crystal." Marcus nodded. He spun the keyring around his index finger. The remote flipped into his hand, and with point into direction of the garage he clicked the start button. The revving of the SUV hummed through from the mudroom and the trio of Cades made their way to the vehicle. [center][hider=The Whip][img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5H33dcqf6bvRp4jTPBYKDOVBboQZ_kN5o1A&s[/img][/hider][/center] [center][h3]~=======~[/h3][/center] [center][hider=The Cade Fam][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/b671a2fc-b743-4660-a65d-82c650eb3109.jpg[/img][/hider][/center] As 6:30PM rolled around, so too did the Cades pull in to park on the lawn at the bottom of the Coven yard. The sound of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" could briefly be heard blaring out from open windows before dulling as they rolled up, and cutting off entirely as Marcus shutdown the engine. The three hiked their way up to the house, merging in with the river of friends, guests, and dignitaries of the magical community. In a procession that felt much like going through a concert queue or amusement park line, they made their way up through the doors into the foyer. On the other side of the doorway the leaders of the Coven stood, greeting people as they entered. Though for the most part a friendly experience, the Cades couldn't help but feel collectively put off as they passed the Astons. Amanda showed them only the faintest of expression; Carlisle, while courteous to his coming position, was quick with them, and only spared Cait a passing glance before turning to greet the next people in line. "Par for the course with those two, eh?" Morgan whispered just audible to her daughter and husband. "Well..." Marcus searched carefully for his words. "You know... things have been rough lately. Werewolves, passing the torch." Mark gave a sigh. "Plus I'd say that probably haven't been too quick to forget or forgive... certain hi-jinx." He and his wife both turned to Caitlin. [color=bc8dbf]"What?"[/color] Cait's eyes rapidly darted between her father and mother. "Just... be on your best behavior," her father said. "Better, at that," her mother added. "Everyone who's anyone between the Covens and the Magi Guilds are here. Some of them already have their eyes on you... and me, to be fair. Just don't do anything to draw too much attention." "Anyways, your mother and I are going to go catch up with a few people." [color=bc8dbf]"So what do I do?"[/color] "Go mingle. After tonight, your generation will be responsible for the Coven and its duties. You'll have to get on working terms sooner or later." Morgan looked over at Marcus after she spoke. Marc nodded. "Once they hear you've been practicing I'm sure more of them will come around to you." [color=bc8dbf]"Yeah."[/color] Cait dodged her father's eyes; she had no intention of telling anyone else that she had been training. Little more to say to each other, Cait and her parents parted to their own devices. [center][h3]~=======~[/h3][/center] "Eyes on you?" Marcus whispered into his wife's ear. "You know my family is crazy. Or did you forget our wedding day? There's a reason none of them were invited." "Ah. Yeah. The Zealotry... That's why your father came here though. To get away from it. That's why you cut them off from us... and Caitlin." "That doesn't matter much here. You should know that, Marc! As far as most anyone else is concerned, I am my family." "Yeah." Marcus side stepped, pulling his wife with him as Amanda rushed pass them. "Wonder what's got her like that," Morgan spoke in a hushed tone. "Probably that," Marc nodded to the line of people still flowing in, where Mary looked to have taken a place by Carlisle. "That'll do it I guess... Marc... are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "Huh?" He squinted... how hadn't he noticed before? "Is that..." "Claire Montgomery?" "She's dead though..." [center][h3]~=======~[/h3][/center] Cait wandered through the droves of visitors. However crowded the house had seemed a month ago paled in comparison to how it was now. Every direction she looked, it seemed people were want to stick their noses up at her. Even the other Tanner Coven members came off mostly in a rush to shake her off. A look through the guests was fruitless in her finding company. Daniel was either not arrived or caught up in the sea of people, as was Victor. She spotted Lilith, but she was with Miles; the last buzz Cait had heard was the two were together, so she kept away for the moment. Resigning to her loner status, Cait made a beeline to a set if tables spread with hors d'oeuvres and, more importantly, glasses of wine. She flitted into the line, floating a glass over to herself, drawing annoyed looks from a few people in front of her. She downed the glass like it was a shot of whiskey, set the glass down, and found herself a spot out of the way to sit down and people-watch.