The next day after Shay had met Vince (and Klaus had found out, what a surprise. Sarcasm.) she went in search of Milo Constantin. She'd heard of him, knew he was the leader of the art club or whatever, but she didn't know much about him beyond that.
When she couldn't find the man in the school yard or the cafeteria, she traveled to the art club HQ. She knew well enough where it was because Shay had sat there plenty when she was still living at the orphanage. When she hadn't wanted to go home and needed some space to herself. Mostly, these back halls were empty; walking through them reminded her of life before she was a Rosales. It wasn't long ago in reality, but it felt like a lifetime.
She stopped at the door and looked in, gently tapping on it with her knuckles. She wasn't entirely sure why she searched him out. He felt unusual. That was a dangerous game. He was close to Vince and under no circumstance was Shay to interact with Vincenzo.... again. Shay had to stop gambling with her life and health, really, but she couldn't help it. These things were drawn to her and her to them. Danger was a way of life.
"Milo Constantin," she said in a neutral form of greeting. "I wanted to see how your campaign was coming along." Shay felt older then. Much older than she normally felt. It wasn't so much a matter of authority or maturity; it was power. Her name held power now and she was only starting to recognize it in any useful way. She would have to be careful with that. She was the weak link.
Milo was working away at his notes, drawing flowers that crawled up the sides of the pages and words as he went. He was resting on his back on one of the comfortable couches of the art club room, holding his notebook above him as he wrote, rubbing at his temples. His head was starting to hurt, and people kept telling him Milo, you're working too hard. Was there a such thing, with something you truly cared about?
When had he last gotten sleep? The answer was that it didn't matter. This was more important, and he could stand it. He'd had so much worse, and living with luxuries now didn't mean he'd forgotten his early childhood of abuse, isolation, and poverty. He stood through it all, remaining alive and thriving. He could suffer through little things like a headache from lack of sleep easily. It was nothing in the long run. The idea of making a big deal over it made him want to sneer. Don't insult him.
The art club room was currently empty aside from Milo, everyone else had gone home after checking in on him. His head quickly turned to Eroshay when she alerted him to her presence, alert. Had he been so zoned out that he hadn't smelled or heard her coming? Christ. Maybe he should be getting more sleep-- no, no. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Milo first eyed her, letting his notebook settle on his chest, then sat up properly. He didn't stand, wanting to be on equal ground with this girl, to keep eye contact and a firm, level gaze. It wasn't out of condescension, but respect.
"Eroshay Rosales," Milo returned, in the same tone. "Hello. Feel free to make yourself comfortable, if you wish. It's just us here. My club members have cleared out, and I can promise that my fiance isn't lurking around." He opened his notebook back up and kept scribbling obstinately in it. "I hope you don't mind if I continue working while talking. So, how's Lucas?"
When had he last gotten sleep? The answer was that it didn't matter. This was more important, and he could stand it. He'd had so much worse, and living with luxuries now didn't mean he'd forgotten his early childhood of abuse, isolation, and poverty. He stood through it all, remaining alive and thriving. He could suffer through little things like a headache from lack of sleep easily. It was nothing in the long run. The idea of making a big deal over it made him want to sneer. Don't insult him.
The art club room was currently empty aside from Milo, everyone else had gone home after checking in on him. His head quickly turned to Eroshay when she alerted him to her presence, alert. Had he been so zoned out that he hadn't smelled or heard her coming? Christ. Maybe he should be getting more sleep-- no, no. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Milo first eyed her, letting his notebook settle on his chest, then sat up properly. He didn't stand, wanting to be on equal ground with this girl, to keep eye contact and a firm, level gaze. It wasn't out of condescension, but respect.
"Eroshay Rosales," Milo returned, in the same tone. "Hello. Feel free to make yourself comfortable, if you wish. It's just us here. My club members have cleared out, and I can promise that my fiance isn't lurking around." He opened his notebook back up and kept scribbling obstinately in it. "I hope you don't mind if I continue working while talking. So, how's Lucas?"
Shay liked him. He was sober and firm, and she was finding she liked a level of seriousness in adults. "I wasn't worried about your fiance," Shay said, perhaps a little too sharply. Screw Vince. Screw his intimidation. Why did he want to bug her, anyway?
Shay came into the room completely, figuring he was fine with her entering and took a seat not far from him (but far enough as to be out of arms length). "I don't mind if you keep working, I'd rather you did, actually and Lucas is fine. He was nervous, but he's feeling much more confident now."
Eroshay was quiet while she stared, examining Milo. Why had she never realized how much she might like him? She had heard rumors about him. Founder of the art club, destroyer of bullies (a nickname some of her classmates called him by).
"I actually wanted to come and talk to you about your campaign and offer my support. I'll be voting for you and can assure you my entire class will, too." Shay didn't inform him how she was sure of that. With her family was it any wonder that she had likely bribed them? She hadn't, of course, but he didn't know that.
"I didn't suggest you were worried," Milo replied mildly. "Annoyed, more like. You really can relax, though. Nothing worrisome, annoying, or otherwise similar happening at the moment."
He nodded approvingly as she entered, then settling in again turning his gaze back down so he could work at the notes. "Good. He's got passion, I won't mind him having a place on the council, and only wish the best for his campaign." He could feel Eroshay's eyes on him, and was unbothered. He was used to staring.
However, when she made her reasons for visiting clear, he blinked. He set aside his notebook completely and focused his attention on her. "…So this isn't a social call, then," he noted, quiet and dry.
"Would you mind explaining further? I'm always open to talk, though I'd like to know your motivation first. I overheard a bit of your conversation with Vince, you hadn't even sounded interested in voting. Unless, of course, that was a ploy to make him leave you alone. If anything, I would've expected you to choose your family over an acquaintance." That wasn't to say they couldn't be friends, but that sort of relationship was typically earned when it was between two people like them.
He softened his voice. "Thank you, by the way, I appreciate things like that deeply. Where's the catch?"
He nodded approvingly as she entered, then settling in again turning his gaze back down so he could work at the notes. "Good. He's got passion, I won't mind him having a place on the council, and only wish the best for his campaign." He could feel Eroshay's eyes on him, and was unbothered. He was used to staring.
However, when she made her reasons for visiting clear, he blinked. He set aside his notebook completely and focused his attention on her. "…So this isn't a social call, then," he noted, quiet and dry.
"Would you mind explaining further? I'm always open to talk, though I'd like to know your motivation first. I overheard a bit of your conversation with Vince, you hadn't even sounded interested in voting. Unless, of course, that was a ploy to make him leave you alone. If anything, I would've expected you to choose your family over an acquaintance." That wasn't to say they couldn't be friends, but that sort of relationship was typically earned when it was between two people like them.
He softened his voice. "Thank you, by the way, I appreciate things like that deeply. Where's the catch?"
Milo intimidated Shay more than Vince had, odd. She liked it, though, in a strange sort of way. He was careful and smart. She could respect that.
"Is it ever?" Shay responded with her own dry smile.
"Luke is my family," Shay nodded, saying it more to herself than Milo, "and he's a good person, but he's not much of a leader. Too nervous and too prone to underhandedness that he can't follow through with because he's too kind.
"No, that wasn't a ploy. I hadn't planned on voting before -- I never much cared for school politics -- but Vince was right about one thing. One vote is powerful, and I have no right to complain about how things are run if I don't vote. I'm either all in, or I'm all out."
Shay narrowed her eyes, an intense move but not an aggressive one. Yes, she decided it right then and there, she wouldn't have minded being considered a friend to Milo, but should one really, truly befriend the ones they planned to do business with?
"After what happened, I asked around about you and your campaign. I like it, and I think you're a reliable person. There's no catch other than wanting my school to have the best and be well taken care of."
Her smile grew a little. "You're distrustful because of my family. That's fine, but I'm not part of the business, you know."
Milo agreed with what she stated on Lucas, nod slight, subtle, though he didn't speak on it himself. They didn't need to go into the matter further than that. She'd said all that needed to be said, and he didn't need to get too vocal about his more quietly kept opinions on the other candidates. The only thing that should be clear was that he was smart enough to notice those things at all, and he was going to win.
He then couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I'm glad something good came out of that whole fiasco. Legitimately pleasant surprises are always nice to receive, and I won't be fighting against that. I'd be a fool to." He wasn't a fool.
"Happy to have won you over, and let me know if you had any questions, since hearing things firsthand is better than from other sources." Milo paused, finding that to be worded interestingly. 'Other than', she'd said. It wasn't exactly denying the catch being there, more labeling it as a positive, nonthreatening one. This girl had been too deliberate in coming here, and going along with his realizing it wasn't a social visit. Where he'd brush it off with other children, not read into things so much, he didn't with her.
Milo smiled back. "Not quite. I may have certain standards, but the Rosales family actually holds some of them, despite my dislike of criminals." Which, he clearly had exceptions to. Vincenzo. Himself. Irony. On this subject, he got perhaps suspiciously chatty. "No hurting children, no discrimination- I like that. Besides, organized criminals are far better than petty ones, if only because they deal with their own and do a lot in their own little world. Also, why don't you give yourself more credit? Your last name holds power, you shouldn't be so quick to downplay."
He tilted his head. "I'm cautious," he said, adjusting it away from 'distrustful', "because you remind me of myself. But don't let that hold you back."
He then couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I'm glad something good came out of that whole fiasco. Legitimately pleasant surprises are always nice to receive, and I won't be fighting against that. I'd be a fool to." He wasn't a fool.
"Happy to have won you over, and let me know if you had any questions, since hearing things firsthand is better than from other sources." Milo paused, finding that to be worded interestingly. 'Other than', she'd said. It wasn't exactly denying the catch being there, more labeling it as a positive, nonthreatening one. This girl had been too deliberate in coming here, and going along with his realizing it wasn't a social visit. Where he'd brush it off with other children, not read into things so much, he didn't with her.
Milo smiled back. "Not quite. I may have certain standards, but the Rosales family actually holds some of them, despite my dislike of criminals." Which, he clearly had exceptions to. Vincenzo. Himself. Irony. On this subject, he got perhaps suspiciously chatty. "No hurting children, no discrimination- I like that. Besides, organized criminals are far better than petty ones, if only because they deal with their own and do a lot in their own little world. Also, why don't you give yourself more credit? Your last name holds power, you shouldn't be so quick to downplay."
He tilted his head. "I'm cautious," he said, adjusting it away from 'distrustful', "because you remind me of myself. But don't let that hold you back."
Shay stood. It felt safer, smarter. Standing was the position of power. If Milo tried anything she'd have the advantage. It wasn't that Shay really thought Milo would hurt her (plus she had unseen protection), but she followed the instinct anyway. Made her less nervous.
Shay crossed her arms over her chest for comfort as she paced and shook her head. "My last name holds power to intimidate," she said as if to correct him. "That's a good tactic in some situations, but this time isn't one of them." She stopped pacing to turn and look at him. "I'm not in the Rosales business; that is only a matter of fact. Too young." Her smile tightened.
She liked Milo, which was why she didn't say the next part of the sentence. No, she wasn't in the Rosales business, but she knew about it, and she was confident she could influence the health of those around her. Hint, hint. It was just tricky wording, something Shay had been practicing more and more lately.
"I won't." And she meant it. She wouldn't let that hold her back. Shay was only have sure of everything right now. The one real thing in her life that had been real before now was her lack of self-agency, and living with Klaus and Vito, she was trying hard to take that back.
Milo watched her pace coolly. "I'm not intimidated. I do have a sense of respect for it and shared values. And to some, it would make them want to suck up to you in hopes of getting involved, or other perks." He wasn't one of the latter people, not so shameless and desperate, but what he'd acknowledged of his own opinions was the truth.
Tricky tricky indeed. He didn't dig into it. Wasn't really any of his business, though he understood the implications easily enough. He had enough experiences with using such things himself, hunting down his criminal murder victims, and a fiance who enjoyed shenanigans far, far too much.
"Pleased to hear it," Milo said approvingly. "So. Your business? I'm listening, if you'd like to further detail this out, as nice as the vague, hm, small talk might be."
Tricky tricky indeed. He didn't dig into it. Wasn't really any of his business, though he understood the implications easily enough. He had enough experiences with using such things himself, hunting down his criminal murder victims, and a fiance who enjoyed shenanigans far, far too much.
"Pleased to hear it," Milo said approvingly. "So. Your business? I'm listening, if you'd like to further detail this out, as nice as the vague, hm, small talk might be."