Shay had promised herself she wouldn't do this. And she wasn't -- not in the way she'd originally planned. No poking today. Not if she could help it. Besides, what Vito didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Sports jacket. Sports jacket must have meant practice in the field. She'd seen Nick with a sports jacket, hadn't she? So, to the sports field she went.
Today, Eroshay Rosales felt particularly unobtrusive. It was a feeling that accompanied her best work. She climbed the bleachers on the outside of the field and found herself a seat before scanning the field for Nick. Once she found him, she lounged and waited for him to be done practicing (playing? Whatever sports people did).
Shay looked up at the overcast sky, a book laid out in her lap. She wasn't happy, or sad. It was a feeling that transcended everything she'd ever experienced. Uniquely it's own. She could recall only a few other times in her life that she'd felt it. The closest comparison was full. Full of purpose, or just at ease. Like this, she felt the whole world as it was. She felt her place in it. All that anger in her heart, the discontentment, the mortal worries, all those vanished. It was cathartic.
And Shay wasn't sure how, or if the sensation was genuine, but she felt her magic working. As if all the channels were opened and it wasn't fighting itself for once. That was new. She'd never experienced such a thing before. Eroshay closed her eyes to follow the feeling as it swept over her bare hands, lit up the tips of her fingers and left her sensitive to her newly gained perception of the world and everything around her.
She smiled, taking it all in. Who knew how long it would last, this feeling or this comprehension. Nothing inside fighting itself. Even with her eyes closed and her head turned skyward, Shay's magic was honed in on Nick. Intuition alone let her know that. It was that strong pull, likely two ways, but Shay couldn't be positive on that front.
Shay normally would have considered her magic subtle, but there was something insistent about it today. It said, "look at me. Come here. Where you belong. Fall into place. It will feel good here."
Was that only to her? Was it more subtle to other people? Shay didn't know. She didn't care. It felt right, and that was all she needed right now. There was no urge to run from this place, and she wasn't kept here by fidgety, excited energy.
She opened her eyes and gazed down at the field.
♠♠♠
Say what you will about Nick Morgan, but he put heart into everything he did. Butchery was an area he put most of his passion in, but now that he wasn't The Butcher anymore, he had more time to peek into the dumb shit teens did back in High School. He didn't have an eventful school life way back when, mostly because he focused his attention to murder and ungodly carnal acts, but those things have lost their glittery shine to him in his old age. Bah. That thing they said about teen hormones were too damn true.
Nick found that he had a lot more interests than he thought. Sports was always something he was passionate in, though prior to Nick, he was more spectator than player. Now that his body was young and strong, it was easier to train it to play than his much older one. He made quarterback during tryouts. It was a position he held with respect, and he swore he'd bring his A-game everywhere, whether it was practice or the actual game.
Nick was usual focused and alert during games, but not this afternoon. There was a magic pulling him in, drawing him close like a beautiful woman's perfume. He didn't understand the sort of emotion it tried to dangle in front of him — comfort? He didn't care much for that, but he did like possessing seductive things. His head was muddled with images of large breasts and creamy thighs before he heard the whistle. The coach signaled the end of practice. Nick bumped shoulders with his team, muttering apologies about not being his best, before taking a jog around the field.
Ah. That was why. Nick stood in front of Shay, grin lopsided, a bit irritated but mostly amused. "Look who it is. Shoulda known it was you, girlie."
Nick found that he had a lot more interests than he thought. Sports was always something he was passionate in, though prior to Nick, he was more spectator than player. Now that his body was young and strong, it was easier to train it to play than his much older one. He made quarterback during tryouts. It was a position he held with respect, and he swore he'd bring his A-game everywhere, whether it was practice or the actual game.
Nick was usual focused and alert during games, but not this afternoon. There was a magic pulling him in, drawing him close like a beautiful woman's perfume. He didn't understand the sort of emotion it tried to dangle in front of him — comfort? He didn't care much for that, but he did like possessing seductive things. His head was muddled with images of large breasts and creamy thighs before he heard the whistle. The coach signaled the end of practice. Nick bumped shoulders with his team, muttering apologies about not being his best, before taking a jog around the field.
Ah. That was why. Nick stood in front of Shay, grin lopsided, a bit irritated but mostly amused. "Look who it is. Shoulda known it was you, girlie."
Shay was in and out, mentally speaking. Lost in thoughts and the sky, magic fluctuating and reaching and living. When Nick stopped in front of her, Shay snapped back to attention. His closeness had her magic buzzing, but it too settled down once things were in place. So he had felt it. Otherwise, Shay was sure he wouldn't have approached her.
To the girl, it was a strange sense of smugness that someone else got a taste of how it felt for her. To be pulled and prodded, mind distant with hazy, warm magic pooling in the stomach. Like being submerged with only one thing in focus.
"So you felt that?" she asked, just for clarification on the point. It was so unusual a thing that Shay didn't even bother hiding her bewilderment at the fact.
Now, Shay wasn't sure where to start. How to say it. Hey, don't murder and rape my family and loved ones, you. Nick wanted to pretend he totally wasn't Billy and, hey, Shay was all right with that. It made things easier.
True, good girls didn't make history, but constant fighting could wear on anyone, especially when one wanted to stay away from a survivalist mentality or break free of one.
♠♠♠
"Dunno what 'it' is, but sure felt something there. It ain't polite to distract a man during football practice, just for future reference." He sounded a bit displeased, but in the long run, he didn't care. Nick cared little for so many things. He crossed his arms and looked at her flatly. "Now, is there something you want or were ya just fuckin' with me? 'Cause I don't appreciate games when I'm busy."
Not here, and not in the open, at least. Nick only liked "games" that were rigged for him to win. And, aha, none of those games were child appropriate.
Not here, and not in the open, at least. Nick only liked "games" that were rigged for him to win. And, aha, none of those games were child appropriate.
"And, ah, for future reference, I'd not do it if I could control it any. Usually, it doesn't affect the other person so openly, is why I seemed surprised."
Shay cleared her throat and closed the book on her lap. His look reminded her of one Logan gave her frequently enough. Pleasant. She stood and met his eyes. Okay, now she wanted to leave. Saying anything to him about Dalia or any of the spiderlings, it wouldn't do shit. Nothing at all. Short of killing him, Shay didn't think she could have done a damn thing.
At the thought, her magic flared up again strangely warm and tingling, like static pulling them together. Shay wanted to scream and ask her magic what the fuck it wanted. Stop. Stop.
"Ah, no. I was... No, I was reading. But since you're here. Dalia isn't giving you trouble? None of the spiderlings are, right? I could tell them to back off."
Shay knew the feeling from experience, so she could say with clarity that the magic was working on her (maybe him, too, she again wasn't sure) like alcohol. Mind fuzzy, body warm.
♠♠♠
Nick shoved his hands in his pockets, looking her over like she was an object. Leering for lack of a better word. Nick ain't a fan of kids, but lovely, blossoming teenagers were a different thing. If she had bigger tits, she'd be perfect.
Spiderlings. Ah, right, those kids. They were cute, in that little kid sort of way. He wasn't a big fan of the spider legs, however. It did nothing for him.
"No, not at all. Dalia's a real cute. Ossa's... eh. I know how to handle kiddos, grew up with a lot of them at the farm." He climbed the bleachers, large steps going over the seats. He sat next to her and invaded her personal space, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close, almost forceful. "You really looked for me to talk about your cousins? How about we talk about something else?"
Spiderlings. Ah, right, those kids. They were cute, in that little kid sort of way. He wasn't a big fan of the spider legs, however. It did nothing for him.
"No, not at all. Dalia's a real cute. Ossa's... eh. I know how to handle kiddos, grew up with a lot of them at the farm." He climbed the bleachers, large steps going over the seats. He sat next to her and invaded her personal space, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close, almost forceful. "You really looked for me to talk about your cousins? How about we talk about something else?"
Shay tried to ignore the leering. She felt a burst of frustration at her magic. Why did it want her here? Why wouldn't it stop? There was nothing she could give someone like Nick. He was what he was. Unhelpable. He didn't want it. He liked what he was. Awful. Terrible. Disgusting. Even with a new cute face, that didn't change the inside.
Shay made a brief face as if to sympathise on the Ossa front. She wasn't sure how to handle that level of clingy and neediness, either. It was awkward. She should have figured he'd be okay with Dalia and the others near him. It made her want to sigh, but she suppressed it.
When suddenly Nick was closing the distance between them and forcing her to sit with him, lean into him. She felt awkward, sick inside and head spinning. Where before things were warm, they burned now and it had her on high alert.
"As I eluded to before, I wasn't really looking for you. Happenstance." Which, Shay supposed was a half-truth. She had and had not been looking for him. Maybe she'd hoped she wouldn't have had a chance to talk to him. That she could have said she tried and oh well.
She laughed a little, gently taking his hand and trying to unwrap his arm from her before standing again. "Wasn't looking, but it's good to know the cousins aren't annoying you. Unfortunately, I really should be off. Was nice seeing you."
♠♠♠
Nick looked at her flatly, grunting. He hated this whole consensual business. He didn't like talking to women, and this was just a prime example of them being a complete annoyance. He thought of pushing Shay down by force in his head, a desire he would've pursued had they been somewhere more private.
He pulled his arm back when she removed it, putting both at the back of his head and stretching his legs. He scoffed.
"Cocktease," he said, grunting. "Don't tease a man like this with your..." He waved a hand. "Magic thingers."
He pulled his arm back when she removed it, putting both at the back of his head and stretching his legs. He scoffed.
"Cocktease," he said, grunting. "Don't tease a man like this with your..." He waved a hand. "Magic thingers."
Shay's look was equally flat. She thought about again mentioning that, hey, it's not like she was controlling the magic and even less like it was some weird sexual based magic. But then, she was talking to a serial rapist cannibal, so maybe trying to be rational just wasn't the way to go.
She gave him a sharp smile and a brief thumbs up. "Right. Sorry. I'll remember that."
Shay, for once, didn't wait for a response. She leaped down the bleachers two by two and briskly jogged off. All too aware of eyes on her, or the strange tug she was experiencing. Like a thin, cutting string entwined in her body. She could ignore it, right? He could ignore it, right?
♠♠♠