They are both smiling at her and shaking their heads. Just past them and weaving through all the massive trees, are the rest of their group. Up this high, she can literally see the woods that go on forever it seems. The breeze plays through her hair, and a sense of peace settles over her. She could have stayed up there forever, if not for her friend’s cat calling to her.
A comment about her nicely shaped inner thigh, from no other than Raven, she catapults over the side and lands right beside them in one swift movement.
The feeling she got when she landed, was like nothing she ever felt before. Alright, so that isn’t true, she had felt it only once before. Back at Gordon’s house, after she kicked the intruders from here to kingdom come.
It’s almost like an adrenaline rush, but something so much more; something akin to feeling indestructible. Unlike that night, now she doesn’t feel out of control, just the opposite in fact. She can feel her persona coursing through her entire mind and body, yet it stays back and doesn’t over power her.
Arms laced between the two girls and walking towards the rest of their party, Moira only wishes she could have gotten this control without having to come as far as she had.
The feeling even lasted all the while they weaved in-between the hundreds of trees, and when they finally came to a clearing in the brush. She didn’t know what she expected, but what they walked into, certainly wasn’t it. It’s obvious at first sight, that the fire pit and long benches set up had been their longer than her lifespan.
It just reeks of ancient, and in a weirdly good way.
The pit itself is nestled into the earth, and is roughly the size of a compact car. Lining the edges of it are greying or maybe charcoaled white stones the size of beach balls. A foot away from the pit, are massive logs that circle the entire clearing; while still leaving a good amount of space from the tree’s. The log she is currently sitting on was clearly plucked from this very forest, as it’s incredibly big, but it’s aged nicely enough that she is comfortable.
If only Lucas wasn’t still trying to hit on her, then she’d be in mini Moira Heaven. Thankfully though, Raven is on her other side, in her own version of a mini skirt and low-cut top. The downside of course, is the fact that the girl is oblivious to anyone other than the adorable William. On their other side is Ray and Daisy, and they too are lost in their own little happy bubble.
As is ever other person, sitting around the intensely hot fire pit. It’s strange to think that anyone could be at ease with nothing else to do but sit, and oddly enough it is peaceful. And here she thought she wasn’t a woodsy type of girl.
Her worst nightmare would have been if she and her friends got too much attention, and started asking all these uncomfortable questions. But, they are all too busy clearly making out to want to know anything about her.
Then there is Lucas, who seems to be quite interested in both talking and making out; and with her no less. The only person that appears to be uncomfortable person here is a girl that is sitting so stiffly on Lucas’s other side, and it makes her slightly uneasy too. She is a tall waif of a girl, with the wildest mass of brown spirals that Moira has ever seen.
It definitely puts her own limp waves to shame that’s for sure.
She had heard that her name was Gianna, and might find a kindred spirit with a funky name like her own. Only the girl could care less about anyone, including Moira. She is wondering why the girl would even come out here, if she just hates it, when Lucas chooses to finally make his poorly played move.
This is to not so subtly place his meaty arm across her shoulders while grinning at her like it’s going out of style. She does have to give him credit though; she’d never have the nerve to make a move on someone who is ignoring me.
Before she can tell Lucas to kindly remove his arm from her, the girl on his other side, Gianna, starts to snicker. Moira leans around the wall that is Lucas, and pears at the other girl. Who is watching them with a sort of pent up laughable tension.
Their eyes meet, and Moira has the feeling she isn’t the first girl to fall under this boys arms.
“Luc, why don’t you leave the new girl alone huh? It doesn’t look like she is too interested.” Gianna says in a spicy sweet voice.
Lucas turns towards the voice, and since she is locked in his embrace, she gets moved from the motion too. It’s hard to stumble while you’re sitting up, but that is what she does.
And before she knows it, she is somehow leaning completely into his chest, as if she wanted to give him a hug; or worse yet, a lap dance. This makes Lucas shake with laughter, as he holds onto her tighter still.
“See, Gia? She does like me, so why don’t you mind your own business.”
Gia looks like she wants to say or do something, and Moira gets the feeling she let this stupid situation get a little bit out of control. She is pulling out from under Lucas’s hold, when Liam charges into the clearing.
He arrived so fast that she didn’t even get a hint of cinnamon first, and it’s not lost on her that he is in full persona and looking pissed. Most everyone jumps up in alarm and turn to him; oddly enough looking guilty rather than afraid. While Lucas snuggles in closer to her and, there is no way she can miss the smirk he sends at Liam.
Sighing, she thinks about stupid boys and how they infuriate her, as she shimmies out from under his arms and gets to her feet. It’s a struggle though, since Liam’s persona is calling hers and she has to keep down.
So much for her iron willed control.
Chapter Twenty Five
The first and only thing Liam sees as he pushes through the tree’s and into the clearing, is Lucas sitting entirely too close to Moira.
This makes him furious for reasons he doesn’t know, but all of them are things out of his control. It could be the fact that Marty and Gordon are missing and it’s his fault, Moira hating him, him still feeling connected to her, and then possibly seeing her in the arms of a deush like Lucas.
Or maybe the fact that he thought she was in trouble when she obviously wasn’t; then there is the main thing that his ‘pack’ are disobeying orders. Yeah, he likes that one; it definitely makes him seem less like a lunatic.
Where his full persona doesn’t, he wonders?
Everyone is on their feet or in the motion of getting there, but none of that matters to him. A rage so strong that he can’t even understand is coursing through him right beside the humming vibrations of his persona. He sees red as he stares at Lucas; and the idiot has the audacity to smirk at him. Beside him is the apple scented Moira, with her own vibrating persona coming off of her in waves.
The odd thing though; she doesn’t even change forms.
That can’t be said for some of the kids around him. Growls fill the clearing, and it plays through his head like a fiddle being stroked at just the right note. And he is a little curious if her persona usually feels like this all the time, and how is it that she has control right now, and he doesn’t.
He notices Moira doesn’t look guilty or upset, well not upset about Lucas anyway, but she does glare at him like he did something stupid. Maybe he has. That eases his mind some, and the ugly head of jealousy tampers down some; but doesn’t go away though. There is too much on his mind, to even let this puck get away with it.
What, he doesn’t really know; it just sounds good at the moment.
He advances on Lucas then, and as he does, a vision of the boy bleeding play through his head making him smile. He has no qualms of smashing the boy’s face in; if anything it’s a little relaxing to know he can finally do something. And it totally helps that Lucas is smirking at him.
There is movement all around him, but he couldn’t care anymore less, what anyone else is doing. All he sees is Lucas before him and Moira right next to him. Time feels like it slows down to a crawl and as he moves, his body goes just as slow; as if moving through syrup.
He wonders if maybe he is just moving that fast, that everything is more hyper aware, but a brick wall stops his advances.
Well, a brick wall in the tall form of William anyway.
Somehow the boy had gotten between him and Lucas without him noticing, but Liam still tries to go through him. His mind is already too focused to just stop now. And for that, he gets firm hands on his chest; making him come to a stop.
He ignores the body in front of him, and glares around to Lucas; letting a deep rumbling bass growl slip through clenched teeth.
“Li, it wasn’t just his fault. We all just wanted one more night. What’s the harm?” Will says a little too loudly, trying to draw his eyes away.
In a way, it sort of works, but not in the way William was probably hoping for. Liam turns his glare around to face his friend, and raises his hands so that he can get a hold of the other boys on his chest.
At first touch, William flinches and tries to takes them away, but Liam is digging his nails in. They stand locked into a strange game of tug and war, one which Liam is winning. He doesn’t have time for this, even if he is his friend.
He will move him if he has too.
“Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” Liam forces out over his too sharp teeth, making it sound like just another growl.
William’s persona washes over him then, making Liam smirk and the urge to fight is back again with a vengeance. The need to pummel Lucas is fading to the back of his mind, and all he sees is William. He can see that Will now looks like he could go for a round or too, what with his hair and eyes the color of a deep jade that almost appears blue.
Liam is about to release his hold on him, just so they can properly launch themselves at each other, but there is more movement around them now. All the bodies in the clearing are advancing, meaning to stop the fight he is sure, but it only makes his blood pump harder. Color is everywhere, as everyone’s persona washes through the clearing like a multicolored waterfall; and he can feel it all like static across his skin.
Then a blood curdling screech cuts through the night, like a banshee singling its prey.
He and William go still, as do the other bodies of their peers around them. All eyes, including his, turn to face a now shaking Moira. Who is still standing near a surprised looking Lucas, because she is the one that screamed.
He can see it in the way everyone is watching her, and it’s just like the way he was getting looks right before he and Will began to grapple. That’s when he feels it; her persona. It is so strong, that it’s good freaking thing he and William are grasping one another or he’d be on the ground.
It fills his head, and wraps his own persona like an electric blanket set on high.
She is standing so still, and it’s hard for him to not look away from her glare, mostly because they are flashing in and out from brownish to a deep green. Her hair looks like a halo around her head now, as it keeps blinking in and out of different shades of auburn.
Almost like a tv channel having trouble with a signal, that is what her persona looks right now. What he can tell, is that she is trying to hold it back for some reason; and she is doing one hell of a job with it too. Her apple scent is so strong to him senses that he can practically taste apple cider.
In the next heartbeat, William makes the slightest of movements, ad Liam’s attention gets drawn away from her and back to him. Instantly, the feelings of needing to fight come pouring into him against his will. And Moira’s persona and scent only adds fuel to the fire.
Liam growls, making William’s head turn back around to face him. Both boys glare at one another, and Liam can feel that his friend wants to hit him as much as he wants to back.
They both tense, and he prepares to launch himself at him as the crowd around them take a collective breath. A smaller screech invades his senses this time, and like before, everyone’s eyes all turn to face Moira; including his and Williams as they freeze for a second time.
“Oh for the love of…” Moira says under her breath.
He is sincerely confused as he watches her approach him, and even more so, when she places her hands on top of his on Williams. She glares at him the whole way, and no makes a move to stop her, and not even him.
“Dammit Liam, you are such a pain in the ass, you know that? You seriously need to stop acting like I’m yours, and getting all jealous, because I am not yours. And don’t look at me like that, I can sense what you’re feeling so don’t bother denying it!”
She steps away from him and William, in one jerking movement, which causes him to let go of Will. They separate slowly while never once taking their eyes off of the very pissed of crazy girl.
He tries to interrupt her to tell her that’s not true; when she narrows her eyes at him. He gets the feeling that she is nowhere near done yelling at him, and he’s laugh if he still wasn’t feeling so worked up.
“I don’t need anyone to protect me; I can do that my damn self.” She says over sharp teeth that are beginning to elongate before his eyes.
She steps up close to Lucas then and turns her back on him, making Liam tense. But as she walks and gets closer to the boy, she calls on her persona in a move to fast for his own eyes to really comprehend. In a too smart move for the likes of the punk, Lucas steps away from her advances.
She grabs for him before he gets too far though, with one sharped nailed hand firmly around his throat.
Before anyone including himself can call out for her to stop, she is flipping him to the ground in one smooth jerk. He was airborne for an entire heartbeat, before she has him completely laid out.
She then holds him down with a foot on his back and a firm grip of one of his arms, twisting it back behind him.
The clearing is so quiet now, you could really hear a pin drop and then be able to pin point where it fell. No one moves, not even him, while all urges for a fight aren’t even in his mind anymore. If anything, now he kind of feels bad for Lucas; which is just weird as all hell. Even Raven and Daisy, who are Moira’s closest friends, are staring at her like she just grew a second head and asked them to make out with it.
Liam is almost afraid to move or say anything, as if it will startle her. But he didn’t have to worry, because clearly she is focused on the boy before her on the ground. With a strange little smirk on her playing across her features, she leans down close to Lucas.
“Still want to cuddle?” She says in a seductive voice that Liam has never heard from her before.
It makes chills run down his spine, but in a good way. He only watches standing perfectly still, as she abruptly jerks Lucas’s arm back just enough for him to cry out. This makes her laugh slightly, and she lets him go in the next instant.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so. Keep your hands to yourself yeah?” Moira says as she steps away from him, with a glare crossing her features again.
Liam watched her for the whole show with a stupid smirking smile on his face, and if they weren’t on the outs, he’d totally lift her up and kiss her. But they are on the outs, and he doesn’t.
She steps away from Lucas and gives him the equivalent of his own smirk and tilts her head in question at him. Not being an idiot, he knows better than to mess with a pissed of chick, that could probably kick his ass.
He lifts his hands in surrender.
“Point taken, Mo, no harm no foul.”
***
She can’t believe what she just did, and now everyone is looking at her like she is a freak. Great, she thinks, a freak among freaks; that’s just perfect.
At least the meditation with Marshall that morning helped with her control, she actually feels powerful enough without wanting to kill everyone.
Bonus; the boy, Lucas, gets to his feet and scurries away and gives her a wide berth.
She notices Liam giving her a curious look before he too glances away, and she turns so that her regular limp hair hides her face, and her blush. Controlling her persona enough to rein it back in takes a little more work than brining it forward.
As it takes a while to fade slowly away, the tingling hum of it still makes her senses heightened. And for the first time,
she can almost sense everyone around her and not just Liam for once. She can feel it as a dark haired boy pulls back his persona, causing his pumpkin colored hair to go back to brown. Then beside him, she can feel it as a girl’s persona fades making her jet black hair go back to a deep red color.
And somehow, Raven had gotten to the other side of the fire pit, and Moira can actually sense her too. It’s a strange mix of humming and buzzing that flows through her, as she watches Raven’s jade like likes lighten some as her eyes to go a lighter brown.
It’s more of the same as everyone shifts back to their regular prose, and then her eyes carry her back to Liam. He is still watching her with an intense curiosity, and she wonders if he too can sense everyone around them. She’d ask, but is way too embarrassed right now to even try. She is absolutely mortified at the way she yelled at him.
She knows it was probably a long time coming, and half of what she said wasn’t really true. But it sure did make her feel better to get it off her chest. Even now, as she blushes a deep scarlet, it feels like a weight has finally been lifted off her shoulders. As the tension all around then fades to a quiet wonder and confusion, all Moira can sense now is Liam’s cinnamon scent. For the first time since she slapped him after the warehouse, she lets the scent of him comfort her.
As if Liam can sense her newfound comfort, he visibly relaxes too, and as he does; so does everyone around them. The clearing comes to life with sounds as they all converge towards her as one, and begin asking her the questions she was worried about earlier.
She is instantly filled with an anxiety so strong, her vision blurs and her stomach bottoms out on her.
The once connection she felt with all these strangers leaves and all that is left is a strong suffocation feeling; one that makes her want to run away while feeling frozen at the same time. Before she can find out how fast she can really run, Liam is beside her blocking any advances.
Persona Page 39