In Secret (Sequel to Behind the Scenes)

First Experiences

She lined up her shot, her friends standing back to give her space. Taking the blade by its point, she singled out a bright red balloon, pulled back her arm, and snapped the knife into the wall between two balloons a foot below the one she was aiming at. That earned the first growl. She picked up her next, tossing it straight into the air once and catching its hilt. Carefully sighting the red balloon again, she adjusted her stance and launched the knife, this time somehow hitting two feet to the left. Snarling louder, she snatched the final knife and flicked her wrist straight out, popping the blue balloon attached to the wall just above her target. There was a definite heat in her gaze as the young man working at the booth chuckled her and handed her the pity prize, a small flower.

"The fuck 'm I to do with a flower?" She growled, fishing more jewel out of her purse. "Jo... language." She waved a hand over her shoulder, acknowledging Levy's chastisement. "I want another turn, mate. But I ain't usin' them shit daggers." Shaking her arm a little, one of her own knives dropped out of the sheathe that she wore up her sleeves. Without a single hesitation, she flicked out her wrist, a resounding "POP!" accompanying the thunk her blade made. She grinned, throwing both arms out to her sides, knives seeming to appear of their own accord for a brief moment before they too were flung into balloons, popping them with the same ease they had been thrown.

There was a burst of applause behind her as the other kids stepped forward, Sam somehow holding Jo's knives in her hands. No one had even seen her appear by the wall and pull them loose, the man working the counter still just staring at Jo. She took her knives from the little teleporter, grinning smugly as she slid them back up into their sheathes. She stepped forward with a smile, pointing at the massive teddy bear hanging from the roof of the stall. He simply pulled it down, handing the stuffed animal to her and turning to blow up more balloons.

***************

"C'mon, c'mon. Away you should look." I turned my head, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. It sounded familiar, but not quite like the children I was with. The voice had certainly felt male, but I couldn't place who it belonged to. Finally my gaze settled on Rat, the boy standing casually next to the booth we were currently playing at. The thing that caught my attention was actually how casual he was. Rat was never casual, typically skulking around the edges of the crowd or standing sort of hunched over, that was part of why he was given the name that he had. That and the fact that he refused to tell anyone what his name actually was. I'd heard him say a few things, please and thank you and that sort, but mostly he just communicated with people through his telepathy or gestures.

"Over there, you should look." His thoughts weren't exactly commands, for that I was happy. I'd lectured him extensively on the morals of reading people's thoughts without their permission or using his magic to force a command on someone. Scarily enough, he HAD that ability. Luckily for us, he was ridiculously sweet and respected privacy above just about everything else. I continued watching him as his gentle suggestion echoed in my mind. I wasn't feeling any nudge to do anything, so I don't think he meant it to bleed over to me as well, he was just not focusing as much as he could have.

I followed his line of sight and saw the man at the stall next to us. His daughter was maybe five years old, and had buried her face against his leg, sobs wracking her body. "A cheat, the man is, Levy-san." I blinked, looking back at the boy. He hadn't shifted his focus or his stance at all. "You knew I was listening then? Of course you did." I thought back at him, allowing amusement to color my thoughts as I shifted my attention back to the scene occurring next to us. "Her money was stolen. Should have won, that child." As I watched, the man working the booth slid forward, a smile on his face that made me cringe.

"That's just how these things go sometimes. You're welcome to try again." His words and voice felt oily, making me wish I could wash myself, just from listening to him. I was distracted just a moment later however as Rat scuttled forward. If I hadn't been watching, I don't know that I would have noticed. At this point, he actually had sent out a suggestive thought to anyone in the immediate area. "Look not at me." He snatched one of the biggest stuffed animals there and disappeared around the back of the booth. I stifled a laugh and turned back to Jo's throwing exhibition. While I couldn't directly condone theft, I didn't doubt in the least that the man running the booth was a cheat.