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[/center][right][b][code]The Vanburen Estate[/code][/b][/right][hr]

[quote][color=coral]"Have we thought about just [i]giving them[/i] the skull? Maybe they'll leave us alone."[/color][/quote]

[colour=SteelBlue]"Can't imagine that'd be a good idea."[/colour] Shane said, continuing to look across the field. [colour=SteelBlue]"Teenagers or not, they are still a cult. One that's apparently already got people tryin' to leave. Skull doesn't seem so friendly, so giving it to some stupid kids'll just cause more problems."[/colour]

Part of him tried to be a little less blunt. He understood Sabrina's plight to be done with this mess but he really hoped to shutdown that line of thinking before somebody else tried to jump onboard. He seriously doubted the kids or the skull were directly related to the Vanburen's current affliction, but they'd absolutely do nothing good if left to their own machinations.

In truth, the skull slightly unsettled Shane. Enough for him to turn and watch it when it threatened that kid, Justin. He didn't think it was in great hands with the family but, better them than anyone else. He found himself so contemplative of the skull and caught up in Sabrina's plan that Georgie's had completely went by him for a moment.

[quote][color=CE6857]"It's what I would do. So, we either go with your plan and feed her convincing bullshit to gain her trust while throwing her off, or we could go with my idea: stay here and do nothing. They're bound to try again, which means we fortify the mansion and stay vigilant. We'll have home advantage and can make several plans centered around the layout of the house. Having the home advantage, we could wipe them out."[/color][/quote]

It was pretty fucking moronic, as far as Shane was concerned. The house was already barely standing in places and as Justin and Sabrina pointed out, they had no idea if their conditions might worsen which wasn't likely to improve their already pretty poor cohesiveness as a group. Couple that with the fact that the family really didn't have much clue what other magical crap might be hidden in the walls of the estate. Georgie did have enough foresight to comb through James' books with the others to get an account of the artefacts he had, but if there was one thing the Vanburens knew about their father, it was how much he kept from them. Today was likely the most any of them had learned about him beyond the base qualities everyone knew already. It wasn't unreasonable to assume there was plenty more dangers here that James hadn't written down for one reason or another. The last thing Shane would want to do is find out while fending off another attack.

Shane shook his head, not even wishing to dignify the idea with further response. Instead glancing at Arabelle and Ezra.

[colour=SteelBlue]"If she gave you the skull and we're willing to take the risk. It's worth a try, I suppose."[/colour]

He wasn't crazy about the idea. A number of things could go wrong from it but thus far every idea presented carried some irritating degree of risk. Aside from the mouthy red head, Morgana, Shane didn't really get the feeling any of the teenagers were overly malicious. Beyond their blasé treatment of property that Ezra and the staff likely wouldn't forgive them for. 

Speaking of, Shane was also not crazy about being in the same boat as his elder brother. If for no other reason than considering, in his experience, Ezra usually played an ulterior angle. The fact that he was already trying to commandeer duty over the skull seemed to give credence to this. He never counted Ezra as a charismatic negotiator, but he was a shrewd one.

Even still, the plan had the best possibility for success in Shane's mind. Or, at least, the one with the least possibility for bloodshed. He confirmed his standing with a curt nod to Arabelle. Turning and leaning against the railing to face everyone else.