Nightmares were something Shay was more than used to. She had them every night, always gruesome versions of her own death. So, it was saying something that her most recent nightmare had put her off.
It had all been darkness, fear, and creepy voices. The strangest part was -- it was about Gabriel Baltimore. Shay had never seen him clearly in the dream, but she knew it had to have been him. She felt it. He had been shapeless and monstrous. Even now, looking back, Shay wasn't sure what it was she had seen glimpses of, and when she had looked upon him fully, she could never comprehend it.
Whether it was Gabriel doing the killing in her dream or not was up for debate. All Shay knew for certain was she had been scared of him in her dream -- and that fear had transferred when she awoke, breathing hard and in a terror daze.
Shay had spent the entire day thinking about the experience and had come to the conclusion that she needed to speak with him. Alone. Not at a party, not as a child. Just talk and learn. That felt right in the pit of her stomach.
If Shay had been doing things with a clear mind, placing all the pieces strategically, she'd have tried to catch him at Temptations. It was land as equally hers as it was his (not that she'd have said that), but instead her gut led her to Gomorrah. She'd have questioned it, but Shay had stopped doubting her instincts years ago. It was strange, going into the belly of the beast, the snake's den, but she didn't feel unsafe.
The only problem? The bouncer wouldn't let her in. She was human they said and were firm about that, even as Shay vehemently disagreed.
♠♠♠
Shay's instincts were right.
As shiny as Temptations was, Mikhainon's primary was Gomorrah. When all was said and done, Gomorrah had the biggest significance to him. It was, after all, his temple. The walls, the staff, and the loud celebration — they were all his. Klaus owned him to some degree, but in general, Mikhainon wasn't the type to share. He was a god.
Mikhainon was in his office, filing paperwork when one of his bouncers informed him that there was a small girl that wanted inside Gomorrah. It wasn't allowed, but Mikhainon had a feeling he knew what sort of little girl wanted him. It was a small, particularly nosy one.
"Send her in. No detours, please. This place isn't for someone like her." The bouncer nodded and closed the door. When he got back to the entrance, he gestured for Shay to follow him.
"Boss wants to see you," the large, chunky bouncer said, leading Shay through the first floor and into the elevator with no detours, just like Mikhainon said. The elevator dinged at the third floor. There was nothing here than an empty hallway leading to one room. The bouncer knocked on the door, and opened it.
"I knew you'd seek me out on your own one of these days," he told her, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk. "Please."
Mikhainon nodded at the bouncer behind her. "Leave us, and close the door."
As shiny as Temptations was, Mikhainon's primary was Gomorrah. When all was said and done, Gomorrah had the biggest significance to him. It was, after all, his temple. The walls, the staff, and the loud celebration — they were all his. Klaus owned him to some degree, but in general, Mikhainon wasn't the type to share. He was a god.
Mikhainon was in his office, filing paperwork when one of his bouncers informed him that there was a small girl that wanted inside Gomorrah. It wasn't allowed, but Mikhainon had a feeling he knew what sort of little girl wanted him. It was a small, particularly nosy one.
"Send her in. No detours, please. This place isn't for someone like her." The bouncer nodded and closed the door. When he got back to the entrance, he gestured for Shay to follow him.
"Boss wants to see you," the large, chunky bouncer said, leading Shay through the first floor and into the elevator with no detours, just like Mikhainon said. The elevator dinged at the third floor. There was nothing here than an empty hallway leading to one room. The bouncer knocked on the door, and opened it.
"I knew you'd seek me out on your own one of these days," he told her, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk. "Please."
Mikhainon nodded at the bouncer behind her. "Leave us, and close the door."
Shay huffed once the bouncer informed her Gabriel wanted to see her. It would have sounded intimidating if that weren't the reason she'd come here in the first place. Her cheeks were warm from growing frustration, but she followed the bouncer without hesitation. It did surprise Shay somewhat when she was led to the third floor and down a long hallway to Gabe's office. What had she said about not being intimidated before?
"Well, yeah," Shay said this as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. How could Gabe not know? That wasn't even comprehensible. While Shay hated saying it out loud, she was nosy as all hell.
Briefly, Shay toyed with the idea of remaining on her feet, but Gabriel wasn't her enemy, not as far as she knew. It was better that she didn't treat him like one and make him into an enemy, or a force to avoid. She sat and waited until they were alone before speaking again.
"I had another dream about you," she said, as though she had even informed him of the first. "And that's not a lame attempt at a pick-up line. What I see is true, not always in this timeline, but it's still true." And somewhere, somehow, Shay would see Gabriel was... that. She would fight him or fight alongside him.
Now that she was in front of him, the visions of the night terror were getting clearer. She wouldn't have brought it up (as she hadn't the first) if not for the strange occurrence that it was the only dream she had had that night. That almost never happened.
♠♠♠
"Ah..." Mikhainon reclined on his chair and studied Shay, golden cat eyes practically glowing, intimidating. There was really something about this little girl. He was old enough to recognize her type. Nosy, of course, but magnetic within that. Their paths being intertwined was inexorable, but he could say that about the other people in her life. She was like gravity. Things fell to her favor. For how long, however?
Luck was a mercurial thing. Gravity pulled in all things undesired and dangerous. It wouldn't take long something sharp headed to her direction. Could she keep this up? Or would she one day bite more than she could chew? Even if he didn't teach her a lesson, others surely will. There were bad men in the world. She knew them, but didn't understand to fear them.
"You've dreamed of me," he repeated, a smirk on his face. "Do you know what I am? Can you handle it?"
Mikhainon drew his sigil on his desk with a finger, and it glowed a brilliant gold. He looked at it. "The symbol of charisma, wealth, and prosperity, used even in ancient times. People throughout history would use this symbol to gain advantage in politics and business, but they can't comprehend where the power drew from. They think they can control it. They think their weak minds could comprehend. Do you think you can? Do you want to mess with forces bigger than you are? I'd show you, if it weren't for your father. Humans tend to learn from their mistakes, if they survive it."
Luck was a mercurial thing. Gravity pulled in all things undesired and dangerous. It wouldn't take long something sharp headed to her direction. Could she keep this up? Or would she one day bite more than she could chew? Even if he didn't teach her a lesson, others surely will. There were bad men in the world. She knew them, but didn't understand to fear them.
"You've dreamed of me," he repeated, a smirk on his face. "Do you know what I am? Can you handle it?"
Mikhainon drew his sigil on his desk with a finger, and it glowed a brilliant gold. He looked at it. "The symbol of charisma, wealth, and prosperity, used even in ancient times. People throughout history would use this symbol to gain advantage in politics and business, but they can't comprehend where the power drew from. They think they can control it. They think their weak minds could comprehend. Do you think you can? Do you want to mess with forces bigger than you are? I'd show you, if it weren't for your father. Humans tend to learn from their mistakes, if they survive it."
"No," Shay answered when Gabriel asked if she knew what he was. "We had that conversation. You can't be defined." As to whether she could handle it, that had yet to be seen and depended entirely on the situation.
She had learned something about herself since becoming a Rosales. She didn't like to define things because it took too much time away from examining them. She felt things, understood them the best she could in the recesses of her mind, but to try and explain them clearly out loud was a madness she wanted no part of.
Eroshay watched, fascinated and wary, as Gabriel drew a symbol on his desk that glowed too brightly for comfort. Shay had heard the stories, and now she'd met him face to face. Gabriel was like the Fae, mercurial at his core. Trusting him was deadly. If you could survive it, you'd learn and experience an adventure like no other, but if you couldn't -- well, there were things worse than death.
Shay messed with forces bigger than she was all the time because everything was larger than she was. There had been a time, so very long ago, that Shay was a jovial child who tried her damnedest to stay out of trouble. That had all been shattered, and she'd learned there was no way to stop it. Those things came to her if she didn't find them first. Acceptance and anger, that was how she'd survived up until now.
"I want to see," Shay said, still staring at the figure. The statement held the edge of a challenge. Part of her was peeved. It was like a threat, a fear tactic, and Shay had never responded well to those. He wanted to scare her? Teach her a lesson? Then why didn't he? Klaus be damned.
♠♠♠
I want to see, said the stupid child to the monster. He would show her his kingdom, but he wasn't in the habit of listening to the requests of stupid children. He had a leash, and he'd rather it not be tugged.
But he would show her a glimpse of it, if she so wanted it. Mikhainon circled the table and stood in front of Eroshay, taller and more powerful even if she weren't sitting. He touched her face with a cold, porcelain hand, stroking her cheek almost affectionately. He smiled. "Sweet, stupid child. You're the reason adults write fairy tales."
His fingers climbed up her nose, and stopped between her eyes. And then, he pressed his thumb between her eyebrows, and through that, a concentrated telepathic surge would violently force itself into her mind. In that ten seconds, flashes of eternity would pour forth inside Eroshay's head, pictures of ancient kingdoms, feelings of overwhelming pain, power, and consumption not fit to be handled by the human body, an eternal hunger that will never be sated. At the end of the flash, a silhouette of his true form would appear — a pillar taller than the heavens, made up of ungodly tentacles, thousands upon thousands of eyes staring directly at her. Its biggest eye at the center of its helm would gaze straight at her, and she would feel as if she got stabbed straight in the head.
The vision would end, making her feel like she was there for eternity even when it had only been ten seconds. He tilted his head, curious of her reaction.
But he would show her a glimpse of it, if she so wanted it. Mikhainon circled the table and stood in front of Eroshay, taller and more powerful even if she weren't sitting. He touched her face with a cold, porcelain hand, stroking her cheek almost affectionately. He smiled. "Sweet, stupid child. You're the reason adults write fairy tales."
His fingers climbed up her nose, and stopped between her eyes. And then, he pressed his thumb between her eyebrows, and through that, a concentrated telepathic surge would violently force itself into her mind. In that ten seconds, flashes of eternity would pour forth inside Eroshay's head, pictures of ancient kingdoms, feelings of overwhelming pain, power, and consumption not fit to be handled by the human body, an eternal hunger that will never be sated. At the end of the flash, a silhouette of his true form would appear — a pillar taller than the heavens, made up of ungodly tentacles, thousands upon thousands of eyes staring directly at her. Its biggest eye at the center of its helm would gaze straight at her, and she would feel as if she got stabbed straight in the head.
The vision would end, making her feel like she was there for eternity even when it had only been ten seconds. He tilted his head, curious of her reaction.
Shay didn't fight that assessment. She was, probably, but she'd survived this long so obviously she had to have some idea of what she was doing and what her body could handle, and if Eroshay happened to push those boundaries sometimes, well, who could blame her?
It was a strange thing people kept suggesting to her, that she wasn't sure how things worked or didn't know her place within them. Strictly speaking, that was true of the intellectual aspect, but not the instinctual one. If she didn't ignore such statements, she might just lose it at them.
Shay was too nervous about Gabriel's caressing her face that she didn't even take the chance to enjoy the soft, seemingly sweet touch before his thumb was pushed to her forehead and white hot pain drowned out all her senses.
Eroshay felt like she was on sensory overload. The consumption, the want, the agony, those things filled her up until she was sure she was choking on them. Shay assumed he must have transported her somewhere because how could any of this been an illusion?
Maybe it was such intense terror that Shay felt numb because of it, or maybe she had come to terms with the idea of dying? Shay wasn't sure. She didn't try to define it -- the feelings, the thoughts, what she saw, none of it. Defining something suggested one understood it, could comprehend it. Shay couldn't. She took things as they came.
She stared at the mass of tentacles, darkness, and eyes, like a deer caught in the headlights. Too anxious, too overwhelmed, too intrigued. This place wasn't comforting in the least. And all at once, all of those initial sensations exploded again. This was worse than the first.
Shay reached up and held her head, cried out. When she opened her eyes, it was to the sight of carpet. To the air of Gabriel's office and the only semi-familiarity of the man himself.
Eroshay's eyes watered from pain, but Goddamn. She wasn't weak; she wasn't. What was she supposed to say after all that? Pain radiated her body even now, but she was used enough to that to know how she outta sit or how to alleviate it best.
She rubbed the moisture from her eyes and sat up, straight and stiff. "You're right. I'm the reason they make fairytales like Handsel and Gretel." Shay's voice was a hoarse, as though she hadn't used it for a thousand years. Eternity, even.
When she looked up and met those beautiful cold golden of his, Shay felt the light prick of a sword in her head, not enough to make her look away, but enough to remind her what she had seen.
♠♠♠
And just like that, the natural order of things was back.
Shay writhed in pain on the floor, while Mikhainon stood and watched. Hubris, a tale as old as time. He wondered if she was going to keep pushing. He knew everyone that did always got what they deserved: a fate worse than death.
As entertaining as this was, Mikhainon extended his hand for her to take. He tsked, condescending, looking at her with nothing but pity, the same way people looked at wobbling, injured animals knowing they'd never make the light of day.
"Come on. Do get up. I'm not your enemy, Eroshay, unless you make me one. My kind cannot be so easily boxed in as evil. I'm the finest ally a person can have, if you were to let me."
Shay writhed in pain on the floor, while Mikhainon stood and watched. Hubris, a tale as old as time. He wondered if she was going to keep pushing. He knew everyone that did always got what they deserved: a fate worse than death.
As entertaining as this was, Mikhainon extended his hand for her to take. He tsked, condescending, looking at her with nothing but pity, the same way people looked at wobbling, injured animals knowing they'd never make the light of day.
"Come on. Do get up. I'm not your enemy, Eroshay, unless you make me one. My kind cannot be so easily boxed in as evil. I'm the finest ally a person can have, if you were to let me."
Shay wouldn't have considered herself excessively prideful, but there was a strength in her more deemed for a powerful immortal, rather than a thirteen-year-old little girl. She didn't like to feel small, even while she knew she was. The way he was looking at her like she was nothing. He was proud to have hurt her -- tried to put her in her place.
When Gabriel offered her his hand, she glanced at it and had half a mind to slap it away, wondering if that would be a smart idea and part of her not caring. She did so and stood on her own, wobbling a little but otherwise standing tall.
"Fine," she nearly spat, "but I'm not bowing."
It made Shay wonder why he'd even want to consider himself her ally. He was Klaus' ally, why did he need her? Did he even? Was he playing with her.
It made Eroshay both nervous and somewhat turned on that Gabriel stood between her and the door, so very very close. And he was tall, with that beautiful red hair and those intelligent golden eyes of his.
♠♠♠
Such pride! Did she forget she was the one that came to him?
Mikhainon frowned as his hand was slapped away, golden eyes glinting and dangerous. He rarely extended thoughtfulness to people. He didn't appreciate having it thrown back at his face so carelessly, and in his temple to boot. He circled her and went back behind his desk.
"The only person that's disrespected me as much as you have is my daughter, and you don't have the benefit of being related to me by blood and magic to protect you." Teenagers. He disliked all of them. They were always so impudent, biting things they didn't even understand. He pressed a buzzer. Two large, beefy looking men entered, both standing near the door. "Now, out with you, or I'll have my men escort you out. You've wasted my time and you've only succeeded in ruining my mood. I won't spare even a second more with you."
Mikhainon frowned as his hand was slapped away, golden eyes glinting and dangerous. He rarely extended thoughtfulness to people. He didn't appreciate having it thrown back at his face so carelessly, and in his temple to boot. He circled her and went back behind his desk.
"The only person that's disrespected me as much as you have is my daughter, and you don't have the benefit of being related to me by blood and magic to protect you." Teenagers. He disliked all of them. They were always so impudent, biting things they didn't even understand. He pressed a buzzer. Two large, beefy looking men entered, both standing near the door. "Now, out with you, or I'll have my men escort you out. You've wasted my time and you've only succeeded in ruining my mood. I won't spare even a second more with you."