[PRP] Grubby Little Paws (Jamie & Preacher)

[The Semblance of Unity]

It was a matter of choosing who seemed the least threatening. All the moonwalkers were automatically threat level charlie, if not delta, for Preacher. Even Alexis' danger aura didn't compare. Not that they had their dangerness right now, but that was a problem for a later time. However, even if Preacher took into account the weres' various threat levels, it didn't mean she could go willy-nilly and find one. Technically, while abusing her ability to gather information as the police chief's secretary was possible, she preferred not to.

That was why, when seeing Jaime Delacroix, were-rabbit extraordinaire, coming out of a grocery store, she decided it was now or never.

"Hey, Jamie, you got a mo'?" She jogged over, hoping he wasn't gonna cut and run.

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

How tempted Jamie was to cut and run (very tempted) would be plastered all over his face. Now, he honestly hated to make anyone privy to the fact he was uncomfortable with them. On the contrary, Jamie's ideal world was one where everyone got along, even if they weren't the best of friends. To that end, he usually kept his expressions soft and kind—though he wasn't the best at it—even if he wasn't feeling it. Preacher had just, well, she'd caught him off guard, to say the least. What could she possible want with him after the way they'd parted last time?

"Um..." he bumbled, grabbing his colorful fish bag close, a defensive gesture. "I... I guess?" Shiloh had taken the truck today, so Jamie's only option was make up an excuse and walk the entire way home or give her the time of day while he waited for the bus. It was a long walk.

"If, um, you don't mind heading for the bus stop..."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher arched an eyebrow. She hadn't even laid a hand on his dumb a**, and he was still just as frightened and rabbit-like. Whatever.

"Yeah we can go wherever ya want." She began to walk alongside him. "I need ya ta touch me."

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

"This way, then..." and Jamie began to walk to his stop, all the while wondering what the heck she could possibly want with him. Cue his anxiety building, but Preacher got straight to the point and everything seemed to pause. It was a blessing and a curse all wrapped in one. "What...? Wait, I thought you... hated pack touch? Why would you w-want that?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I do ********' hate it." She made a gagging noise. "But I gotta test some s**t. N' gotta ********' get used ta it or somethin'." Preacher's expression was filled with disgust.

"I'll... I'll owe ya or somethin', so lemme."

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

Somewhere between a rock and a hard place, that's where Jamie felt right about now. No, he didn't want to let Preacher touch him. The thought of it wasn't revolting or anything of the sort, but he hated to be used like this, he hated knowing he'd be the one to cause her discomfort over some kind of weird experiment or something.

That look on her face... She looked disgusted and he felt awful.

"Okay, I guess so... but," he actually looked up at her for once, "only if you tell me why you're really doing this..."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She huffed out a breath. "Well, no one wants to get rid o' tha damn touch 'cept for me, yeah?" Preacher shifted uneasily. "So I gotta get used ta if or it's gon' be a ********' handicap I ain't afford to have."

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

"Oh." Jamie had never thought of the pack touch as a weakness, but he also craved affection and acceptance. Everyone was different, he tried to remind himself. "I'm sorry. I would think we could... make it optional. It, um, seems like we can do a lot of stuff if we're specific enough..."

With a small sigh, he shook his head. They were at the bus stop, now was as good a time as any. "Okay, you can... do it now."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Nah, lit' no one but me hates it, so-" No one would care enough to alter it, she thought. Tentatively, she reached out her hand and put it on Jamie's arm.

And had to resist the urge to pull back, to shove Jamie away. A sense of warmth, of family, of togetherness churned in her gut. Her fingers tightened on his arm, her ears ringing. It built and built and built until finally she couldn't stand it anymore. Pushing Jamie away, she doubled over and vomited onto the sidewalk. Preacher felt dirty and used and horrible. Like even if she took a million showers she couldn't wash the feeling away, like ever if she gouged out her stomach, that forced feeling would permeate her.

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

Jamie could honestly say, no lies or falsehoods intended, that he'd meant to follow through with the idea of making the pack touch optional. After all, he'd been the one to suggest it at the meeting. It only felt right to follow through.

He'd surprise her, he thought, whether she believed him now or not. Unfortunately, she would be the one to surprise him first, and not in a good way.

The touch washed over him in that familiar way it did, all warmth and belonging. That it came attached to someone like Preacher, someone he was undeniably wary of, was definitely weird, but it wasn't enough to spoil it completely. He let his guard down, he relaxed, but then she was squeezing his arm a little too hard and Jamie flinched. What was wrong?

By the time he looked back up at her, she was already shoving him away. It felt like a memory, the sidewalk became a hallway at school. And then Preacher was heaving all over the goddamn hallw- sidewalk and Jamie's head was spinning. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"W-Wh- A-A-A-Are you okay??" he stammered, sick to his own stomach now. Was this his fault? How, he wondered, could anyone react so violently to what was such a wonderful feeling?

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Her stomach heaved a second time, but nothing came up. Swiping her mouth on the back of her hand, she looked up at Jamie, pale and sweaty. "M'fine," Preacher mumbled. She was not, in fact, fine, but since they were no longr touching, the feeling was fading.

She took a shakey breath. "Sorry 'bout that." Her stomach still turned itself in twists. "Made a mess."

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

Made a mess sounded like something you said when you spilled your cheerios on the floor, not when you vomited in the middle of the sidewalk by the bus stop out of literal no where. They were just lucky no one else was around right now.

"I-It's... okay," Jamie said with a huff. Except he felt pretty weird, unsure, and uncomfortable.

"I hope you're not gonna keep doing that..." Because who in their right mind would continue with something that was so wrong it made them feel ill?

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"What - pukin' up m'guts? Don' worry, princess, I'm done." Just then her stomach rolled uneasily. Sighing, Preacher knelt next to the splatter and began sketching glowing lines onto the sidewalk near her own vomit.

"I can't jus' leave this mess here.," she muttered. With a loud hiss of pain, she tore open the cut in her thumb and slammed it down onto the sidewalk smack dab in the middle of her glowing mark. The concrete pulled at the edges of the cut painfully as she dragged her thumb in a semi-circle. Then, she pulled it up.

And, like magic, the vomit seemed to shrivel up on itself and flake away. Preacher huffed and watched it go, trying to put off saying 'thank you' to Jamie.

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

"Um... I meant touching other moonwalkers a-actually, but I guess that, too." It all sort of went hand-in-hand, didn't it? At least in this situation. All Jamie knew is watching someone projectile vomit onto the sidewalk wasn't his idea of a good time.

He sighed and started to turn towards the street, content to look anywhere but at it. The smell was bad enough and- Wait. What was she doing?

Jamie's eyes grew wide as he watched her work, watched her draw something, watched her mark it with her blood. "Is that a sigil?!" he hissed as the vomit seemed to evaporate into thin air. Had she practiced them? It looked so effortless and that... that was the kind of work Jamie needed to teach the schema. It felt like his heart would beat out of his chest in his surprise.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She snorted then, as the sigil completed its work, erased it with a pass of her hand. She should probably find out if casting mini sigils was bad for the environment.

Preacher glanced up at Jamie. "Yeah, it's a sigil. Mini-one - ain't do no big s**t, but lil' ones're easy peasy. Whyfor?"

saedusk