Lucy managed a small smile. “You sound like Barnaby.”
“Scary thought,” he said, and the corner of her mouth lifted a little more.
Byron wiped a streak of sweat from his chest, seductively. “I know you’re tense. I can take your mind off it right now! Everyone is busy, I can lock the door and let you take all your frustrations out on me. I mean it wouldn't hurt for you to vent on my ...” Before he could say it, she moved out the way “now is not the time, so no!” He turned to her with a grin, “I own younow Lucy, there is always time.” she swatted away his hands and started to run off towards, the door. “If I truly wanted to Lucy, I could chase you down and take you”.
She laughed “Sit down, Byron.”
Her tone changed mid-sentence it was sharp and commanding. His body obeyed before his mind caught up. He blinked, surprised, and then started laughing.
Lucy smirked. “If Iletyou, it’s yours. Otherwise? No taking.”
Byron pointed a finger at her, still half-smiling. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Morgan, I'm going to fuck you so hard later, you're going to regret restraining me”
“Maybe,” she said, hand on the doorknob. “But not right now”
Lucy opened the door, looked back, and smiled. “You’re free,” she said, then slammed it behind her and disappeared down the hall.
Byron sat where she’d left him, still grinning, shaking his head.
Lucy went in search of Michael and found him in the library.
He was sitting at the long table; papers spread in front of him that he clearly wasn’t reading. “You’re up early,” Lucy said, walking in. Her tone was friendly, casual, the kind that always made people lower their guard.
He looked up quickly, then gave a half-smile. “Yeah, sorry I missed the meeting, this morning, you can update me now if you want?”
“Oh no, that's ok, it was just general run of the mill stuff” she said this whilst taking the seat opposite him.
“Looks like you're preparing for something big” he said. “What's going on” She sighed. “Nothing you need to worry about”
He shrugged. Lucy studied him carefully. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes kept shifting between the door and the window.
“Mary tells me you’ve been asking questions,” she said.
Michael blinked, caught off guard. “I talk a lot when I’m nervous.”
“Mm. What were you nervous about exactly?”
He hesitated just long enough to confirm her suspicion. “Well,” Lucy said, leaning forward slightly “I'm just curious that's all” Michael responded back bluntly,
To ease the mood Lucy decided to switch it up a bit “You know, I was thinking, your ability intrigues me. Mimicry like that, it must take control.”
“Control, yeah,” he said cautiously. “Also, a good memory. And timing. Why?”
“I wanted to understand it,” she said. “Maybe practice with you. You could show me how it works. See how far it goes.”
He hesitated. “It’s not really a party trick.”
“Then think of it as a lesson,” she said warmly.
He nodded slowly, then his expression shifted. It wasn’t the skin melting or bones reshaping kind of change, it was subtlerthan that. His face softened, posture changed, voice dropped just slightly.
And suddenly, Lucy was looking at herself.
Her own features. Her own tone when she said, “So? Impressed?”
Lucy stared at him, then smirked. “You got the face right. But the energy’s off.”
Michael frowned. “Energy?”
