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twispiteficTitle: Shifting Colours, part 5
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
celticlonging
Fandom: Fifty Shades trilogy
Rating: PG-13, because it talks about Christian Grey and mentions a sexual act that happens in Fifty Shades canon
Warnings: Brief mention of sexual act
Word Count: 1818
Inspiration:gehayi and ketmakura’s sporking of Fifty Shades Darker
Summary: The Mendozas continue to observe.
Author’s Note: I don’t own anything from Fifty Shades. I’d like to say a big thank-you toscribal_goddess for the loan of Officer Emily Rayne. I tried to make Grey seem threatening in this chapter, and probably failed abysmally.
“We’ll lead the way to The Walrus and the Carpenter in our car,” Grace said as she led the party out of the house. The air was pleasantly cool, with a slight breeze rustling the leaves. It was going to be a beautiful evening.
“Elliot, Mia and Kate, you’re with us.” Carrick closed the front door and locked it.
A tall figure stood beside a sleek car that could only belong to Grey. Grey walked over to the car and got in; the figure opened the car door for Ana, shut it again and moved to the driver’s seat. He nodded in the direction of the Mendozas, a small smile on his face.
Robert nodded in reply.
In the car, he made sure to keep Carrick and Grace’s vehicle in sight.
“I think I recognise that guy,” Toby said to his father. “Wasn’t he the one you helped at the ball?”
“Yes. His name’s Jason Taylor.”
“Dad, what happened back there?” Toby asked, a frown on his face. “Why didn’t we do anything to help Ana?”
“Because if Grey is a Compeller, he was using his powers to make us stay out of it. You didn’t see the way his colours flared up when Kevin was giving Ana the biscuits.”
“I did feel like I shouldn’t be talking to her,” Kevin admitted, staring out the window.
“Why?”
“Sorry, Dad?”
“Why did you feel you shouldn’t talk to her?”
“I don’t…I don’t know.”
“OK,” Robert said. “If that happens again, you fight it. That goes for both of you. Understand? If he thinks he can manipulate you, he’ll do it again.”
“Have you eaten here before?” Kevin asked Elliot as the small party walked towards the door of The Walrus and The Carpenter. A cloud-shaped sign with the restaurant’s name hung on the outside of the brick building.
“Oh yeah.” Elliot leaned in closer to Kevin in order to mutter: “If Kate likes it, I might take her here again for a little private dinner, if you know what I mean.”
Robert, who had overheard, smiled to himself. He had noticed the subtle way Elliot and Kate’s colours behaved whenever they were close to each other: they looked as though they had been delicately overlaid with a thin, transparent coating of silver. It was a contrast to the harsh metallic tones Grey’s had taken when Ana had been touching him at the hall.
“Wow,” Toby said as they stepped into the restaurant. Lamps and a large chandelier hung over the bar area; the shelves behind the bar were filled with bottles containing all kinds of beverage. Yellow and white chairs were arranged around grey tables. The place seemed to glow with a warm, welcoming light.
“Welcome to The Walrus and The Carpenter!” A young woman dressed in black trousers, a white shirt and a black apron walked towards them, a friendly smile on her face.
Robert wasn’t at all surprised to see that Jason hadn’t accompanied them inside.
“Good evening,” Carrick said formally. “We have a reservation under the name of Grey.”
The young woman didn’t seem to be listening. She was staring at Grey, her mouth hanging partially open. Her colours – a bright, enthusiastic green – were slowly glazing over. After a brief moment, she seemed to shake herself and focused on Carlisle.
“I’m sorry – did you say you have a reservation?”
“Yes; a table for ten under the name of Grey.”
“OK. I’m sorry about that.”
She led them over to the far left corner of the restaurant, where a small group of tables had been put together. As the party followed her, Robert noticed identical reactions in women and teenage girls seated at nearby tables. Even the girl behind the bar barely managed to stop herself from overfilling a glass.
I’ve never seen colours behave like that before. I know Grey’s an attractive guy, but every woman in the restaurant noticing him? And why aren’t his girlfriend’s colours doing that?
Robert wasn’t the only one noticing the reactions. Ana’s colours had turned an aggressive shade of dark pink that bordered on red. Grey’s, on the other hand, had turned a very light green. Robert recognised the shade as satisfaction.
You egotistical son of a bitch.
When everyone was seated, a blonde waitress came over and handed out menus. Much to Ana’s disgust, she stood very close to Grey as she did so. Grey looked slightly purple as well.
“How’s your new job, Ana?” Kate asked.
“I like it,” Ana replied as she studied her menu. “SIP’s a good place to work.”
“I hope your boss isn’t a slave-driving nutcase!” Kate’s voice was teasing, but both Grey and Ana’s colours flared up with anger and alarm respectively.
“Shall we get some olives to start with?” suggested Grace.
“Oh yes, that sounds great!” Mia squeezed her hands together. “We haven’t eaten here in ages!”
“The bill’s on me,” Carrick announced, “so you can have whatever you want.” He touched one of the menus with the tip of one finger without looking at it. “Good; they haven’t changed anything.”
Toby looked up from his menu. “I haven’t really eaten this kind of seafood before.”
“I seriously recommend the fried oysters; they’re absolutely delicious.”
“You know, oysters are supposedly an aphrodisiac,” Mia said, grinning.
“Are they, now?” Elliot replied. “I didn’t know that. Put me down for some!”
Kate blushed and smiled, and nearly everyone else at the table laughed good-humouredly. Grey and Ana did not look impressed. In fact, judging from their colours, they were outright disdainful.
In the car, on the way back to the house
“So you think Grey is deliberately trying to dazzle women just so he can get an ego trip?” Kevin asked.
“That’s the impression I’m getting.”
“What about his girlfriend? Did her colours show the same thing?”
“No.”
“Maybe he doesn’t need to attract her because they’re already in a relationship.” Toby’s face was briefly illuminated as they passed under a street light.
“That’s a good point. Either way, Ana knows other women are ‘attracted’ to her man, and she doesn’t like it.”
“So he’s trying to make his girlfriend jealous?”
Robert shook his head. “I don’t think he cares about what she feels. It makes him happy, and that’s what counts for him.”
“Can this guy get any creepier?” Toby sounded utterly disgusted.
Next morning
“Good morning!” Mia said brightly as she emerged from the bathroom. “Sorry – didn’t mean to make you jump. Mum says that since it’s a lovely morning, we’ll be having breakfast in the garden. Oh and don’t worry about showers because we’ve got plenty of hot water. Breakfast is in half an hour. See you later!”
She practically skipped down the stairs, leaving Kevin and Toby (who were still in the sweatpants and scruffy T-shirts they had slept in) staring after her. After a moment, Toby cleared his throat.
“Um…you want to use the bathroom first?”
“Yeah, thanks. We should go see Dad.”
When they entered Robert’s room, he was already holding his mobile to his ear. On seeing his sons he put the phone on his bed and pressed a button.
“Mark Nicolson.”
“Hi Mark, this Robert.”
Toby shut the door, thankful that Grey’s bedroom was on the opposite side of the house.
“Morning, Robert. I’m gonna make this quick. Officer Rayne told me that Grey is being investigated for fraud and identity theft, so they will probably want to prosecute him before we can deal with him.”
“OK – what else did she say?”
“She told me a bit more about Grey. He doesn’t just own Grey Enterprise Holdings, Limited; he owns a chain of beauty salons called Esclava and recently bought Seattle Independent Publishing.”
“Seattle Independent Publishing? SIP?” said Toby. “That’s the company Grey’s girlfriend works for.”
“Fraud and identity theft aren’t the only charges racking up against Grey. There’s blackmail, intimidation, and that’s just the stuff Emily – sorry, Office Rayne – told me about. She says there’s a strong possibility of some delicate charges, but they don’t have enough proof yet. My point is that even if Grey isn’t a Compeller – hell, even if he isn’t Gifted you’re dealing with a very dangerous man.”
“Thank you, Mark. I’ll call you this evening and let you know how we’re doing. Bye.”
“Bye, Robert.”
To all appearances, the Greys had a perfect garden. The viridian lawn was immaculate and there wasn’t a weed in sight. A white metal table had been placed in the shade; on the table were baskets of fruit and French breakfast pastries. The Greys and their guests were seated in chairs around the table.
A young woman placed a large plate of lightly-buttered toast onto the table. Robert saw Kevin reach out to take a piece – only for his eyes to light up appreciatively when he saw just how pretty the girl was. She was blonde and had a petite frame, a small nose and light green eyes. Robert guessed she was probably in her early twenties; however, she wore her hair in pigtails, a style that made her look about seventeen.
That is what someone’s colours should look like when they think someone is attractive.
There was nothing unusual about Kevin’s colours: they had only turned apple-green. The girl was standing uncomfortably close to Grey; her colours had glazed over and Grey’s had once again turned that irritating shade of light green despite the fact that he hadn’t even glanced at her once. Ana rolled her eyes and then looked anxiously at Grey, her colours flaring a disturbing yellow.
He didn’t seem to notice her.
“Thank you, Gretchen,” Grace said, nodding at Gretchen. Gretchen turned and walked back into the house.
There’s the fear again. Ana’s definitely afraid of Grey.
“How’s your youngest, Robert?”
Robert opened his mouth to reply – and then froze. Grey was looking at him from across the table, his mouth curved upwards in a small smile.
“He’s called Michael, isn’t he?”
It took every inch of Robert’s will to act naturally. He couldn't refuse to reply; everyone at the table, including his sons, was looking at him. “Yes, that’s his name.”
Kevin and Toby’s colours had gone an even brighter shade of yellow than Ana’s had. They were staring at Grey and their shoulders were tense. If Robert could see his own, he was certain his too would reflect his fear at hearing Grey casually mention his youngest son.
“I think I remember reading in the papers seven years ago about a kidnapping. Five children taken from their school by someone they thought was their carpool driver. Wasn’t your son one of them?” Grey shook his head. “It must have been very traumatic for him. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, knowing your child was in serious danger.”
Robert saw his sons’ colours darken to crimson. He clenched his fists under the table until his nails dug into his palms.
To be continued…
Author:
celticlongingFandom: Fifty Shades trilogy
Rating: PG-13, because it talks about Christian Grey and mentions a sexual act that happens in Fifty Shades canon
Warnings: Brief mention of sexual act
Word Count: 1818
Inspiration:
gehayi and ketmakura’s sporking of Fifty Shades DarkerSummary: The Mendozas continue to observe.
Author’s Note: I don’t own anything from Fifty Shades. I’d like to say a big thank-you to
scribal_goddess for the loan of Officer Emily Rayne. I tried to make Grey seem threatening in this chapter, and probably failed abysmally.“We’ll lead the way to The Walrus and the Carpenter in our car,” Grace said as she led the party out of the house. The air was pleasantly cool, with a slight breeze rustling the leaves. It was going to be a beautiful evening.
“Elliot, Mia and Kate, you’re with us.” Carrick closed the front door and locked it.
A tall figure stood beside a sleek car that could only belong to Grey. Grey walked over to the car and got in; the figure opened the car door for Ana, shut it again and moved to the driver’s seat. He nodded in the direction of the Mendozas, a small smile on his face.
Robert nodded in reply.
In the car, he made sure to keep Carrick and Grace’s vehicle in sight.
“I think I recognise that guy,” Toby said to his father. “Wasn’t he the one you helped at the ball?”
“Yes. His name’s Jason Taylor.”
“Dad, what happened back there?” Toby asked, a frown on his face. “Why didn’t we do anything to help Ana?”
“Because if Grey is a Compeller, he was using his powers to make us stay out of it. You didn’t see the way his colours flared up when Kevin was giving Ana the biscuits.”
“I did feel like I shouldn’t be talking to her,” Kevin admitted, staring out the window.
“Why?”
“Sorry, Dad?”
“Why did you feel you shouldn’t talk to her?”
“I don’t…I don’t know.”
“OK,” Robert said. “If that happens again, you fight it. That goes for both of you. Understand? If he thinks he can manipulate you, he’ll do it again.”
xxx
“Have you eaten here before?” Kevin asked Elliot as the small party walked towards the door of The Walrus and The Carpenter. A cloud-shaped sign with the restaurant’s name hung on the outside of the brick building.
“Oh yeah.” Elliot leaned in closer to Kevin in order to mutter: “If Kate likes it, I might take her here again for a little private dinner, if you know what I mean.”
Robert, who had overheard, smiled to himself. He had noticed the subtle way Elliot and Kate’s colours behaved whenever they were close to each other: they looked as though they had been delicately overlaid with a thin, transparent coating of silver. It was a contrast to the harsh metallic tones Grey’s had taken when Ana had been touching him at the hall.
“Wow,” Toby said as they stepped into the restaurant. Lamps and a large chandelier hung over the bar area; the shelves behind the bar were filled with bottles containing all kinds of beverage. Yellow and white chairs were arranged around grey tables. The place seemed to glow with a warm, welcoming light.
“Welcome to The Walrus and The Carpenter!” A young woman dressed in black trousers, a white shirt and a black apron walked towards them, a friendly smile on her face.
Robert wasn’t at all surprised to see that Jason hadn’t accompanied them inside.
“Good evening,” Carrick said formally. “We have a reservation under the name of Grey.”
The young woman didn’t seem to be listening. She was staring at Grey, her mouth hanging partially open. Her colours – a bright, enthusiastic green – were slowly glazing over. After a brief moment, she seemed to shake herself and focused on Carlisle.
“I’m sorry – did you say you have a reservation?”
“Yes; a table for ten under the name of Grey.”
“OK. I’m sorry about that.”
She led them over to the far left corner of the restaurant, where a small group of tables had been put together. As the party followed her, Robert noticed identical reactions in women and teenage girls seated at nearby tables. Even the girl behind the bar barely managed to stop herself from overfilling a glass.
I’ve never seen colours behave like that before. I know Grey’s an attractive guy, but every woman in the restaurant noticing him? And why aren’t his girlfriend’s colours doing that?
Robert wasn’t the only one noticing the reactions. Ana’s colours had turned an aggressive shade of dark pink that bordered on red. Grey’s, on the other hand, had turned a very light green. Robert recognised the shade as satisfaction.
You egotistical son of a bitch.
When everyone was seated, a blonde waitress came over and handed out menus. Much to Ana’s disgust, she stood very close to Grey as she did so. Grey looked slightly purple as well.
“How’s your new job, Ana?” Kate asked.
“I like it,” Ana replied as she studied her menu. “SIP’s a good place to work.”
“I hope your boss isn’t a slave-driving nutcase!” Kate’s voice was teasing, but both Grey and Ana’s colours flared up with anger and alarm respectively.
“Shall we get some olives to start with?” suggested Grace.
“Oh yes, that sounds great!” Mia squeezed her hands together. “We haven’t eaten here in ages!”
“The bill’s on me,” Carrick announced, “so you can have whatever you want.” He touched one of the menus with the tip of one finger without looking at it. “Good; they haven’t changed anything.”
Toby looked up from his menu. “I haven’t really eaten this kind of seafood before.”
“I seriously recommend the fried oysters; they’re absolutely delicious.”
“You know, oysters are supposedly an aphrodisiac,” Mia said, grinning.
“Are they, now?” Elliot replied. “I didn’t know that. Put me down for some!”
Kate blushed and smiled, and nearly everyone else at the table laughed good-humouredly. Grey and Ana did not look impressed. In fact, judging from their colours, they were outright disdainful.
xxx
In the car, on the way back to the house
“So you think Grey is deliberately trying to dazzle women just so he can get an ego trip?” Kevin asked.
“That’s the impression I’m getting.”
“What about his girlfriend? Did her colours show the same thing?”
“No.”
“Maybe he doesn’t need to attract her because they’re already in a relationship.” Toby’s face was briefly illuminated as they passed under a street light.
“That’s a good point. Either way, Ana knows other women are ‘attracted’ to her man, and she doesn’t like it.”
“So he’s trying to make his girlfriend jealous?”
Robert shook his head. “I don’t think he cares about what she feels. It makes him happy, and that’s what counts for him.”
“Can this guy get any creepier?” Toby sounded utterly disgusted.
xxx
Next morning
“Good morning!” Mia said brightly as she emerged from the bathroom. “Sorry – didn’t mean to make you jump. Mum says that since it’s a lovely morning, we’ll be having breakfast in the garden. Oh and don’t worry about showers because we’ve got plenty of hot water. Breakfast is in half an hour. See you later!”
She practically skipped down the stairs, leaving Kevin and Toby (who were still in the sweatpants and scruffy T-shirts they had slept in) staring after her. After a moment, Toby cleared his throat.
“Um…you want to use the bathroom first?”
“Yeah, thanks. We should go see Dad.”
When they entered Robert’s room, he was already holding his mobile to his ear. On seeing his sons he put the phone on his bed and pressed a button.
“Mark Nicolson.”
“Hi Mark, this Robert.”
Toby shut the door, thankful that Grey’s bedroom was on the opposite side of the house.
“Morning, Robert. I’m gonna make this quick. Officer Rayne told me that Grey is being investigated for fraud and identity theft, so they will probably want to prosecute him before we can deal with him.”
“OK – what else did she say?”
“She told me a bit more about Grey. He doesn’t just own Grey Enterprise Holdings, Limited; he owns a chain of beauty salons called Esclava and recently bought Seattle Independent Publishing.”
“Seattle Independent Publishing? SIP?” said Toby. “That’s the company Grey’s girlfriend works for.”
“Fraud and identity theft aren’t the only charges racking up against Grey. There’s blackmail, intimidation, and that’s just the stuff Emily – sorry, Office Rayne – told me about. She says there’s a strong possibility of some delicate charges, but they don’t have enough proof yet. My point is that even if Grey isn’t a Compeller – hell, even if he isn’t Gifted you’re dealing with a very dangerous man.”
“Thank you, Mark. I’ll call you this evening and let you know how we’re doing. Bye.”
“Bye, Robert.”
xxx
To all appearances, the Greys had a perfect garden. The viridian lawn was immaculate and there wasn’t a weed in sight. A white metal table had been placed in the shade; on the table were baskets of fruit and French breakfast pastries. The Greys and their guests were seated in chairs around the table.
A young woman placed a large plate of lightly-buttered toast onto the table. Robert saw Kevin reach out to take a piece – only for his eyes to light up appreciatively when he saw just how pretty the girl was. She was blonde and had a petite frame, a small nose and light green eyes. Robert guessed she was probably in her early twenties; however, she wore her hair in pigtails, a style that made her look about seventeen.
That is what someone’s colours should look like when they think someone is attractive.
There was nothing unusual about Kevin’s colours: they had only turned apple-green. The girl was standing uncomfortably close to Grey; her colours had glazed over and Grey’s had once again turned that irritating shade of light green despite the fact that he hadn’t even glanced at her once. Ana rolled her eyes and then looked anxiously at Grey, her colours flaring a disturbing yellow.
He didn’t seem to notice her.
“Thank you, Gretchen,” Grace said, nodding at Gretchen. Gretchen turned and walked back into the house.
There’s the fear again. Ana’s definitely afraid of Grey.
“How’s your youngest, Robert?”
Robert opened his mouth to reply – and then froze. Grey was looking at him from across the table, his mouth curved upwards in a small smile.
“He’s called Michael, isn’t he?”
It took every inch of Robert’s will to act naturally. He couldn't refuse to reply; everyone at the table, including his sons, was looking at him. “Yes, that’s his name.”
Kevin and Toby’s colours had gone an even brighter shade of yellow than Ana’s had. They were staring at Grey and their shoulders were tense. If Robert could see his own, he was certain his too would reflect his fear at hearing Grey casually mention his youngest son.
“I think I remember reading in the papers seven years ago about a kidnapping. Five children taken from their school by someone they thought was their carpool driver. Wasn’t your son one of them?” Grey shook his head. “It must have been very traumatic for him. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, knowing your child was in serious danger.”
Robert saw his sons’ colours darken to crimson. He clenched his fists under the table until his nails dug into his palms.
To be continued…
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-03 10:36 am (UTC)I'm glad Grey came across as intimidating at the end. Yes, he is a very unpleasant man.
Really? I hadn't noticed that.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-03 10:53 am (UTC)