Who: Max & Shayna Mae Where: Their house in Blackwater Woods When: Late night Friday 1/12 Status: Complete
Max had been lounging on the couch watching a rerun of some true crime show that had way too many recaps and ad breaks but he was too sleepy to reach for the remote and find something better so it was what it was. He'd somewhat hoped someone would come downstairs if only to hand him the remote but his dad was asleep and his siblings were busy so he watched it with bleary disinterest until he fell asleep. It was kind of nice sometimes, sleeping on the couch with dumb TV in the background, but not tonight. He woke up with a start shortly before midnight, his heart pounding and his senses sharpened by sheer panic. Something was wrong, someone was coming for him. He didn't know how he knew it, he just did, and he got up quickly and turned the volume on the TV down. He never really cared about guns and weapons but he found himself mapping out the quickest and safest way to get to Patrick's hunting rifles just in case. After standing there in the middle of the living room, holding his breath and listening for any intruders he walked as quietly as he could out of there, stalking up to his sister's room. Shayna Mae was better than any rifle, she would have ways to protect him like she had for years now.
Shayna Mae had been planning to talk to Max ever since Rost and his lovers had left the day before. But Max had been off doing his own thing, and Shayna Mae had been in her workroom, reading and trying to find any kind of solution or hint as to what might be going on with Greer and her brother. Deep in her gut, she knew this wasn't magic. It was something else. Something dark and otherworldly. It was because of the fog. It had to be. She just had to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
She knew Max was home now, but she had spent most of the evening with Knox in bed. Maybe it was selfish to want to feel good with so much uncertainty happening around her, but she needed it. And Knox was extremely hard to say no to. Why would she ever want to do that? It was after he had fallen asleep that Shayna Mae slipped from her bed to slide on her nightshirt and robe. She tied it tightly and quietly left the room, heading for the stairs to try and find Max. It didn't take her long. He was coming up the stairs towards her and she paused, her hand on the rail. "What's the matter?" she asked. He looked worried and pale.
Max closed the distance between them, grabbing her arm as he side stepped around her, putting her between himself and the stairs. "Someone's after me," he whispered. "I don't know if he's - they - are in the house yet but he's... Someone wants me dead." It had been a few minutes now and he was starting to have the clarity to think that maybe he'd just had a really bad dream, but the feeling lingered, that need to run and hide still intense and oppressive. "Can you- are the wards all in place?" It might seem stupid to hide behind his tiny sister but she was far more powerful than he was and he knew on some very instinctual level that whatever was after him didn't want to hurt her or anyone else in this house. Just Max.
Shayna Mae's brows drew together in concern and then confusion. "The protections are in place, Max," she said quietly. "And if they weren't, if someone had gotten through them that meant you harm, Knox would know." But he had been sleeping soundly when Shayna Mae left the bed, so she knew everything was as it should be. "How do you..." She trailed off, looking past Max down the hall and then back down the stairs. She didn't want to wake anyone, and she had no idea where Aya was at this point, so she took her brother's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go downstairs and talk so we don't wake anyone."
Max hesitated because that fear was still there and it had felt so strong when he was down in the living room. He eyed the dimly lit staircase warily before making the executive decision to suck it up. "Okay," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair and nodding sharply. The wards were in place, Knox would know if someone was here. That didn't mean they weren't out there looking for him, but he was safe in the house and he had to believe that in order to function. He still let Shayna Mae lead the way, barely keeping from clinging to her by tightening his hands into fists by his sides.
Shayna Mae led him downstairs into the living room. She flipped on one of the lamps and then picked up the remote to turn off the television before she sat on the couch and beckoned him to join her. "Why do you think someone is after you? Did you have a nightmare before you woke up?" That would be the most logical explanation, but knowing what she knew now about the healed wound in his leg, it could possibly be more. She couldn't exactly dismiss his fears, especially since he knew everyone in this house was safe from danger. Her magic made damn sure of that. She just had to piece together what had happened and what could possibly be happening now.
"I don't remember a nightmare," Max muttered as he slumped down next to her and moved to sit close. "I just know someone's after me, I don't know how I know but I do." Which the more he thought about it the less it made sense. He wasn't a witch and he wasn't psychic. "Maybe I'm going nuts," he groaned and that would make sense at least, he'd been through a lot in the last two years, especially the last few weeks, and maybe it had broken his brain and he was now a paranoid lunatic. Fun. "I'm sorry, Shay, I'm just... I woke up fucking scared."
"It's okay. If someone is after you, I promise we won't let them anywhere near you, Max. We'll protect you." She reached out to take his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Look... Knox told me that your leg healed pretty fast. And he said that when he touched you, he felt something strange... something that definitely wasn't magic. I think it's because of what happened to your leg. And I don't know if this feeling you're having now is connected to that or not... it could just be you're experiencing some lingering fear from what you went through. But something is going on."
Max wasn't sure when Shayna Mae had become so... Was maternal the right word? Not really, she was still his baby sister, tiny and fragile looking with a soul-power that rivalled the cosmos. But she'd definitely stepped up to the task of being the strong woman of the household when their mother died and Max really felt that now. Shayna Mae even looked a bit like her and Max felt that loss keenly in that moment, wishing he had his mom back because she could somehow fix all of this just by the virtue of being his mother. He squirmed in closer, tucking his head in the crook of her neck and wrapping his arm around her. After Celeste died, Shayna Mae was really the only woman Max felt any sort of kinship with and she'd gone from idiot younger sibling to somehow wiser and stronger in no time. It had irked him sometimes, how much more powerful his siblings were, but right now he appreciated it more than he could say. He believed she could fix whatever was wrong with him and while he had a feeling it'd probably be a weird and uncomfortable process, it was better than this fear.
Shayna Mae frowned, but wrapped her arm around Max when moved in closer. She wished she could tell him what was wrong. She wished she could just find a spell and fix it. And hell, maybe there was. She just had to find out what it was. A lot of her family's safety had become her responsibility but that was okay. That was what Shayna Mae had wanted, and why she had stepped in to take over. Her father was too much of a drunk. Aidan was too irresponsible. And Max... well. She sat there with him in silence for a few moments, hoping that the comfort somehow made him feel better. "You're not the only one this is happening to," she murmured softly. "Someone else came to see me yesterday. They were hurt in the fog too, and they're going through the same things you are. It doesn't answer much but it's a start."
That got Max's attention and despite wanting to stay curled up against her he raised his head, squinting at her. "Who?" he asked raspily as he also wondered just which 'same things' they were going through. He wasn't even sure if it was reassuring or somehow worse that he wasn't the only one going through this. If he could chalk all of this up to being scared, traumatized, whatever - that was better than thinking this was really some supernatural infection from whatever it was that slashed him up in the fog. He felt less afraid now, so that was a start, but that knowledge someone was after him hadn't faded like he'd hoped it would, not like a bad dream feeling would once he sat down and talked to someone. It loomed over him still, like he knew Shayna Mae was right there or how he knew the other family members were right upstairs. He Knew.
"Greer? We met her at Zania's party over Christmas. She came here with Rost and Devlin. She got hurt in the fog, and she healed quickly. She's been experiencing mood swings too. Knox touched her and he felt the same thing he'd felt with you. Whatever's wrong, I think it has to do with those creatures in the fog. But it's not magic." Shayna Mae sighed and ran her hand over his hair. "I'm going to talk to Caius D'Onofrio and see if he can help us. Or at least see if he knows what could be going on. Maybe everyone who had been hurt that day is going through the same things as you and Greer."
Max's brows rose slowly, seemingly trying to reach his hairline. He remembered Greer, they'd had a quicky at the Castell Christmas Party but somehow he didn't think that was related. Just a weird, fucked up coincidence. "Well fuck," he muttered. "Can you do a... purifying ritual or something? Burn some sage on my leg or something." He knew that wasn't how it worked; while he hadn't paid too much attention to his siblings' education - for the obvious reason that he would never need it himself - he'd caught a thing or two on the fly. A purifying ritual though, that sounded like it might be legit. Some kind of 'decursing' or 'illness be gone' spell.
"I'll do whatever you ask me to do. But without knowing what this really is, I can't guarantee anything I do will help. It feels like this goes deeper than magic, Max. But I'm going to do everything that I can to find out what's wrong and how to fix it." It was one thing to manipulate the world around her on this plane, but those fog creatures hadn't belonged here, so Shayna Mae knew her magic likely wouldn't work the same way in handling this. But if she could find out what it was, she would know how to look for a solution. "I did give Greer some herbs to help with her moods, so I can give you those too, if you think you need them."
Aside from this feeling of knowing someone was after him, a feeling that wasn't fading as much as he wanted it to - like the aftermath of a nightmare might - Max didn't think he needed herbs. He'd been feeling good this week, closer to happy than he'd been in a while. He shrugged at the offer. "Might to good to have handy if my mood drops again," he agreed because his sister's herbs tended to be pretty awesome, especially the ones that got him high in a way drug tests didn't pick up on.
"Okay." She knew it wasn't much right now, but it was all Shayna Mae could safely offer until she found some answers. She grabbed Max's hand and squeezed it. "You should try to get some rest. And if anything happens, if you have any odd dreams, or don't feel like yourself, tell me. I don't think it's safe to dismiss anything that happens to you right now, okay?" She would still make sure Knox kept an eye on Max, just in case, but at least Max knew now that something could be going on.
Even if Max felt calmer now, soothed by his sister's reassurances and presence, he still had to fight the urge to wake Knox up and ask him to check their property. It helped the fight that he knew that nobody was going to be out there in the cold in the middle of the night and even if they were, there were wards on the house and the land around it. Whoever was after him was out there somewhere, but he didn't pose a threat to him in his home. "Glad you were awake," Max said quietly, gently butting her head with his. "Thanks, Shay."
Shayna Mae gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand again. "You're welcome, Max. It's late. Try to get some sleep okay?" Knox would likely know by now that she was out of bed, but he would know enough not to interrupt. She was eager to get back to bed with him, but she didn't want to leave her brother feeling out of sorts either. "Do you want me to make you some tea or something before you go to bed?"
"Nah, I'm good," Max replied and kissed her head before he got up. "Good now, anyway." He shot her a crooked smile. "Go back to bed with your familiar," he murmured because that particular change in their relationship hadn't escaped his notice. He hadn't asked them about it and it really was none of his business but maybe this was a probe for a confirmation of something he kind of already knew. It hadn't exactly surprised him, well, maybe a little since Knox was like a brother to him but at the same time... not at all. Witches and familiars, it seemed right somehow.
Shayna Mae smiled and got to her feet. She hadn't officially told her family about the change in her relationship with Knox, but she assumed they all knew about it already. They had a large enough house, but there were very few secrets among them. Max didn't sound upset, but she didn't think he would be. Still, Shayna Mae felt the urge to make sure he was all right with it. Shayna Mae loved both of her brothers, and despite the fact that she had taken control of the family, she still craved their approval and love. "It doesn't bother you, does it? That Knox is in my bed right now?"
Max snorted and shook his head. "Why would it?" he said with a little shrug. "Way better than you shacking up with some loser from town." It was a joke, yes, but there was truth to it. This was... easier. He loved Knox, he was already family, it was just easier. "Does dad know?" That part might not be as easy but Patrick was a witch, he had an even better insight into all this witch crap than Max did so maybe he'd understand it even better. It made Max wonder just how many O'Reilly lovers Knox had had through the generations.
Shayna Mae's lips twitched with mild amusement. Yes, this was probably easier on Max than if Shayna Mae had fallen for someone in town, loser or not. There was no new presence to get used to, other than Aidan's mistake. But it felt like this had been in the stars for years, and that was why she had waited to give herself to someone else. Shayna Mae had been waiting for Knox. When Max asked about their dad, her faint smile turned into a wince. "Not yet. I'll tell him soon. There's just been so much going on, and I need to try and talk to him when he's sober." Sighing, Shayna Mae stepped forward to hug her brother. "I love you, Max. Everything is going to be okay."
"Thanks," Max murmured as he returned the hug, holding her close for a few good moments. "I love you too." He was low key worried about Patrick as well but not so much because of the booze, Patrick had just been so tired all the time, harder to talk to for any length of time and Max had spent enough time with him to notice the pattern. He didn't want to worry Shayna Mae with it yet, for all he knew it was just seasonal depression. January was hard on most people.
She held on for another moment before pulling back. "Get some sleep," she murmured before rubbing his arms and then moving around him to head for the stairs. "You know where I am if you need me, or if anything else happens." Shayna Mae would tell Knox what happened, and they would all try to keep a better eye on Max until all of this resolved. Hopefully Shayna Mae would get some answers soon, or at least some help. She didn't want to assume she had plenty of time to figure this out. The sooner they fixed this, the better.