"I'll share with you," Shay said with a grin as she looked pointedly down at the food they were sharing. "Can take a sip of my drink, too, but that squicks me out. Drink sharing is kinda gross."
Eroshay glanced at the title of his book, somewhat disappointed to see it was only a school book. She'd been hoping to learn more about him, but whatever. Nosy, nosy child.
"Nooope. Honestly, people are still pretty freaked about the cannibalism stuff, but it's more understood around here than other places. Not that I know that from experience. As for human bits," Shay rubbed thoughtfully at her jaw. "You'd be better off asking Brad when you went to his shop. I think the best sellers are calves and thighs, also the fatty bits in the stomach. You'll want to avoid the heart for sure, those are pretty gross to just eat."
Valentine's father being more snake than Demon had Shay wondering about how, exactly, that had happened. Wasn't Vito's dad just a snake? She really didn't know. Demons were weird with reproduction.
"At least you only have patches of scales. My dad is all scaly, and I think he sheds." Shay paused, face bright with embarrassment. "I think you're pretty. The scales that is. But I've lived here my whole life, not a ton freaks me out or puts me off."
Shay barked a bit of laughter before she covered her mouth and shook her head. "S-Sorry. Just no one ever seems to realize that would be the case. My body is one hundred and ten percent fighting itself all the time. You might notice I don't come to school for a few days. That's 'cause I get really sick."
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Valentine spared a glance the plate, only registering the thought that they'd been sharing the food before he even thought about it. Then again, most people just did that for him so he never really put any thought about sharing any sort of food at all. He just quietly turned down sharing drinks though, feeling just as uncomfortable with the idea of it.
"Well, if people knew there were man-eaters around the island I think there would be more people open to the idea of some control over their eating habits just to feel a little secure. I'd feel relived there's less chances of me getting eaten alive compared to the actual number of man-eaters around," he mused aloud, taking another nugget to just nibble on. "Then again, I could always just bite them first and then run if I have to," he quietly added before falling into a thoughtful silence. "I'll keep those in mind when I get there," he said quietly.
Valentine could only make a face at the idea of shedding. The patches on his skin dried out sometimes but they never actually did flake off or anything. Did his dad actually shed though? He remembered he was snakier without the glamour — Valentine remembered enough that his dad used glamour. But he doesn't remember any other behavior, let alone knowing something like if he shed his scales. Valentine avoided visibly shuddering by shaking his head, willing the mental image away — if there was even one to begin with.
It wouldn't have been noticeable how he also looked uncomfortable about commenting on his scales though, considering the topic it went from. It never really felt like something to be proud of. "Wish I'd live here all my life — people off the island just thought it was a birth defect when I was younger. I wasn't allowed outside too much since almost everyone freaked out."
Valentine looked a little dumbfounded when Shay suddenly broke into a fit of laughter, not expecting the reaction from her. Or the confirmation at all. "Honestly, that was a wild guess," he admitted. He knew blood incompatibility was a thing, he didn't think magic incompatibility did worse things. His expression turned a little cautious. "Is it going to be too much to ask how bad it gets?"
"Well, if people knew there were man-eaters around the island I think there would be more people open to the idea of some control over their eating habits just to feel a little secure. I'd feel relived there's less chances of me getting eaten alive compared to the actual number of man-eaters around," he mused aloud, taking another nugget to just nibble on. "Then again, I could always just bite them first and then run if I have to," he quietly added before falling into a thoughtful silence. "I'll keep those in mind when I get there," he said quietly.
Valentine could only make a face at the idea of shedding. The patches on his skin dried out sometimes but they never actually did flake off or anything. Did his dad actually shed though? He remembered he was snakier without the glamour — Valentine remembered enough that his dad used glamour. But he doesn't remember any other behavior, let alone knowing something like if he shed his scales. Valentine avoided visibly shuddering by shaking his head, willing the mental image away — if there was even one to begin with.
It wouldn't have been noticeable how he also looked uncomfortable about commenting on his scales though, considering the topic it went from. It never really felt like something to be proud of. "Wish I'd live here all my life — people off the island just thought it was a birth defect when I was younger. I wasn't allowed outside too much since almost everyone freaked out."
Valentine looked a little dumbfounded when Shay suddenly broke into a fit of laughter, not expecting the reaction from her. Or the confirmation at all. "Honestly, that was a wild guess," he admitted. He knew blood incompatibility was a thing, he didn't think magic incompatibility did worse things. His expression turned a little cautious. "Is it going to be too much to ask how bad it gets?"
"You're smart," Shay commented as she watched that thoughtful haze take over his eyes. She knew what that was like from personal experience and it tickled her to be on the opposite side of the situation for once.
She stared at him, eyes intent and narrowed. Like trying to make sense of a complicated math equation, but with the interest that good literature brought. Shay decided right then and there that she was a fan of this boy. Her smile turned lazy, and she leaned heavier on the table, feeling a surge of love and affection overtake her.
It wasn't teenage infatuation; it wasn't romantic or sexual in any nature. But it was overwhelming in warmth and light so brought it was hard for Shay to see anything bad about Valentine at all. She'd encountered this sense of admiration more than once in her young life. Always, it had something or another to do with her Reaper half. A resonation of acceptance and the deeply seeded desire to be around them.
"There really is a birth defect like that," she commented. "But it doesn't make your scales a different color. From what I hear it sucks. I mean, yours sounded like it sucked too. I'm sorry to hear you were kept inside so much. You deserved better than that."
No, Shay didn't know Valentine well, but she said this with the confidence of long-lost friends reconnecting. She wouldn't have budged on the subject, either. She never did. A decision had been made. She'd read him and decided he was good, more or less.
Eroshay shook her head, gave a one-shouldered shrug. "No, that's fine." If Logan had taught her one thing (one appropriate thing), it was about opening up. Scary, but it needed to be done, especially in her line of work.
"It depends on a lot of factors. The weather, stress, and how much I use my powers are a few. It can get bad enough to have me bedridden or landed in the hospital. I could die, so I hear, but I've never gone far enough to be in danger of that."
Shay paused to look about the lunchroom again. Their time was coming to an end, but she knew she'd see Valentine again, even if she had to force it.
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Shay wasn't the first person to callm him that, no. He'd heard it countless times, but the last few didn't carry any good will. Not to him at least. Valentine had been mostly occupied with his own thoughts that he barely noticed Shay's gaze on him, much too absorbed with a fleeting memory of having been safer indoors, with the quiet thought of wishing he didn't go past that fence. There was a lot of regret, but he decided to move past that a long time ago. This was here and now.
"That was a long time ago. I'm out here now at least, and I don't have a reason to be hiding my face," he said, rather casually, though his hand flew up to touch something that wasn't there around his neck. When he raised his gaze up again to meet her's, there was a confident grin on his face but he said no more than that.
"You're right, that is really bad," he mused aloud. He'd considered the posibility of one's own magic going against them but it was different hearing it actually said by someone. He couldn't quite put what he was feeling. Was it dread? Pity? Or a strange curiosity. For what, he wasn't sure either. But he decided he would be content on just that though. "I actually do hope that won't be happening anytime soon." Valentine's voice trailed off as he followed Shay's gaze as she scanned the room, only finally noticing the number of people have lessened then. Right. Class.
"It's almost class time. We should get going," he stated, almost to himself as he mechanically cleared up their table. He was already about to leave, already well off from his seat, when his thoughts came back to the present and remembered hadn't gone there alone. When he turned to her, he looked rather puzzled for a moment, before averting his gaze. "Right. You can head to your class. Or something. I just need to stop by somewhere for a while." Without anything else, turned to leave, not expecting Shay to follow after him.
"That was a long time ago. I'm out here now at least, and I don't have a reason to be hiding my face," he said, rather casually, though his hand flew up to touch something that wasn't there around his neck. When he raised his gaze up again to meet her's, there was a confident grin on his face but he said no more than that.
"You're right, that is really bad," he mused aloud. He'd considered the posibility of one's own magic going against them but it was different hearing it actually said by someone. He couldn't quite put what he was feeling. Was it dread? Pity? Or a strange curiosity. For what, he wasn't sure either. But he decided he would be content on just that though. "I actually do hope that won't be happening anytime soon." Valentine's voice trailed off as he followed Shay's gaze as she scanned the room, only finally noticing the number of people have lessened then. Right. Class.
"It's almost class time. We should get going," he stated, almost to himself as he mechanically cleared up their table. He was already about to leave, already well off from his seat, when his thoughts came back to the present and remembered hadn't gone there alone. When he turned to her, he looked rather puzzled for a moment, before averting his gaze. "Right. You can head to your class. Or something. I just need to stop by somewhere for a while." Without anything else, turned to leave, not expecting Shay to follow after him.
Shay watched as Val gripped his neck, wondering if it was a collar he was searching for or a rope. She wasn't sure why, but she imagined it could have been a constricting scarf.
She was staring into his eyes when he gazed back up at her, smile half gone and replaced by a cautious inquisition. Shay wanted to reach out and touch his cheek. It wasn't a romantic thought like it might have been for others, but rather something of comfort and kinship.
Valentine was not a criminal, as far as Shay knew, which would have led some to be surprised by her interest. Truthfully, Shay didn't always search out criminals, but those certainly involved the funniest stories to share. She was just as likely to seek out someone broken. Anyone who needed just a little guidance, or a friend.
"Me, too," Shay said and smiled, masking that intent penetrating stare.
The worst part about quiet, connecting moments was when they were broken. Always followed by automatic actions and hurried words. The desire to say or do things that each party would likely deny. But Shay didn't want to suppress the urge.
She stood and followed him so that she was nearby when he turned to look at her and speak. He was going to walk away, and while Shay knew they would see each other again, there were situations in life that couldn't be passed by. Things that could never be taken back or done again.
She reached out, gently caught his arm in trying and turning him around. Shay hugged him, a full arm around the neck kind of gesture. She'd have said something, but words would have diminished the strength behind the embrace.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Val. Have a good day," she smiled once they were apart.
Nope. Not the last of him she'd be seeing at all.
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