As the water from the showerhead rained on his face, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. It always circled back to the voice invading his mind, to the dream from last night. He hadn't had any luck finding a telepath and that theory was starting to wain quite a bit anyway.
The face in the dream haunted him. Even now, it gave him chills as he imagined it, that laugh, those eyes...
As he turned the water off, he decided it was time to get proactive. If he did nothing, things were only going to get worse. He dried himself off and went to his chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. He hurriedly then threw on a pair of socks and slipped into his black boots. He hadn't had much luck in acquiring useful information from his fellow students, so the next best bet was to try the school's fount of information. He closed the door to his dorm and headed toward the library.
Ashford's library was expansive. Drake stood in the entryway for a moment, a little taken aback by the selection of literature.
Where the hell do I even start...? He looked to the counter area where he expected to see a librarian, but the post was currently unattended.
Damn. He was at least hoping for a little direction, but it looked like he was on his own. Drake sighed and stroked his beard, preparing himself for the burden ahead. One foot in front of the other. He took his first step forward and the hunt was on.
The aisles were towering, each one with its own dedicated rolling stairway to reach the books that were too high from arm's length. His eyes quickly scanned the spines as he moved slowly down them, hoping to see a keyword that might be helpful. He reached the end of the aisle he chose with nothing to report.
This is going to take freaking forever. He closed his eyes and shook his head, pressing his thumb between his eyebrows as he tried to combat an inevitable headache. As he opened his eyes again, he scanned this new area of the library for any sign of staff. His mission failed, but his eyes widened all the same when they fell upon Aya. His demeanor perked up as he walked over exclaiming, "
Thank you, Jeebus! Aya, is there any chance you saw the librarian or anyone who works here? Where the hell do I go to look up crazy dreams or telepathy or burning insides?! How much money did they spend acquiring all these friggin books?! Oh, and how are you?"
Aya jumped in her chair when an increasingly familiar voice cut through the library. She'd sequestered herself away into the furthest corner of the library she could find, trying to drown out her thoughts with books. Aya looked up to see bright, miss-matched eyes. Her cheeks heated -- first that she'd been caught hiding, then that
he'd been the one to find her, (
did no one else exist on this campus?) but she didn't have time to be embarrassed. The milk man rattled off a slew of questions.
"The books are in the mental health section, probably," she quipped before she could stop herself. Aya's eyes widened and she cleared her throat.
"...How are you?" She thought back to that glazed, manic look in his eyes from this morning. He was clean now, at least. Aya closed the book she was reading, keeping her pointer finger in between the pages to hold her place.
"If you're having that much trouble, the teachers would probably help you. I didn't see the librarian when I came in... I'm not actually even sure they have one on staff." Aya stopped, her skin heating again.
"Also... I'm sorry, but what's your name?" Drake's head retracted for a second as a puzzled look fell over his face.
"It's me... Drake... We just saw eachother earlier this morning and last niii-I never told you my name," the realization was slow, but he finally got there. "
Holy sh-. So sorry," he said, palming his forehead in embarrassment. He was a drunken idiot when they met. "
Drake Edwards," he declared, "
and ya, the mental health section is clearly where I need to be," he said with a smirk. He nodded at Aya's book before asking, "
So what are you getting into, anyway?"
Aya's free hand slammed over the cover of the book.
"Nothing!" Now her face was definitely on fire. Aya glanced down at the book, catching sight of the cover art between her fingers: a voluptuous woman with a torn dress hanging off of a chiseled man with flowing hair, sea foam splashing behind them. She looked back up at Drake with wide eyes. Biting her lip, she forced herself to speak.
"I uh... when I need a distraction I read the worst romance book I can find." Sliding her hand away, she picked it up to show him.
For the Love of the Ocean.
"This seemed like my best bet." "
Huh," was the intelligent response that Drake went with. He looked the cover art over before sliding out a chair and taking a seat. "
I gotta admit, he's pretty sexy." His eyes darted from the man in the picture to Aya in repetitive, rapid succession as he tried and failed to suppress a smile. Something about seeing Aya squirm was just as cute as it was entertaining.
"
Well I can't argue with your choice." He silently read the title again. "
Certainly seems to fit the bill." His attention then moved from the book to the person. "
So Aya needs a cheesy romance novel to distract her," he summarized. "
From what?"
Aya nearly threw the book at him as he teased her. She put it back on the table, (face-
down) and dropped her hands in her lap. She looked up at Drake's question.
From what? From...
everything. Aya opened her mouth. She paused, closing it again, looking down at the wood grain on the table. Thoughts swirled around her mind as she searched for something to say -- something she could safely share. What surprised Aya though, was that... she
wanted to share. Not everything, but... she was so tired of keeping everything in. Eventually she tried again, eyes still glued to the table.
"My mom called. She wants me to move in with her, but I didn't tell her I was here. She flew all the way to Hawaii from Japan, and just...expected me to--" A hint of anger stained her voice. Aya forced out a sigh, her hand coming up to run through her hair.
"Sorry," she said, glancing back up at Drake, her anger gone.
"Moving in with her is probably the smart choice." And yet it was even less appealing than being
here.
"We just don't get along." Drake's face remained serious as he listened. Her story was in stark contrast to his in terms of parental engagement. He hadn't spoken to his family in quite a while. Every time he had the urge, he bailed on it. Why complicate things further? Let sleeping dogs lie. Even thinking about it stirred up mixed emotions and proverbial butterflies in his stomach.
"
So you've got a 'Smother'," he concluded. Over-attachment could be very annoying and very flattering depending on the circumstance. By Aya's tone, Drake surmised that this was a case of the former. He thought about her words and tried to read in between the lines, forming the full picture in his head. "
So your smother flew across the world on a whim without telling you to a place where you weren't at. She doesn't know you're here." It was a statement, but an inquiring one. Drake's put his elbow and leisurely covered his mouth with his fist, holding his chin up with a thumb. None of Drake's family knew he was here, either. He couldn't help but personally identify with the predicament. In the back of his mind, he rejoiced in the fact that there was someone else like him in this place, someone who shared roots, beyond just another person with powers.
An amused eyebrow lifted, the corner of Aya's mouth quirking up.
"Not quite a 'smother'. She left when I was in middle school. She tried to take me with, her actually." Aya wasn't looking at Drake, instead gazing down and to the side as she remembered the day.
"We kept in contact, but..." Aya shrugged. She blinked and her eyes refocused on Drake.
"I was kind of hoping she'd never find out I was here," she confessed. Though she'd always known it was a foolish thing to hope. Of
course she'd do something like this.
"It makes sense though... her doing something like this. My... my dad's gone." Aya's throat closed up but she stopped and took a breath.
"Since May. If she thought I was just sitting at home doing nothing then yeah, the 'motherly' thing to do would be to try and bring me back." Aya cleared her throat.
"What's your family like?" she asked with a weak smile.
Drake rolled his eyes, not at Aya but in response to the question. "
I've got a twin brother named Shawn. Good guy. Smart guy. Easy guy to like. And my parents do. A lot." Drake huffed a little as he thought about it. "
They like me, too, but not enough to take any real interest." He was second string in his family and he knew it. Thinking of the movie
'Twins', Drake was definitely Danny DeVito to Shawn's Arnold Schwarzenegger. Every one of Drake's accomplishments were considered underwhelming by default. "
I've gotten past the point of expecting my parents to care. But I'm like you; none of them know I'm here and the only guilt I have is not telling Shawn. Screw ma and pops." He straightened up a little. "
Sorry to here about yours, though. Your old man, I mean."
Drake let a beat of silence pass before he asked, "
Does she know what you are? What you can do?" Drake still wasn't quite sure what Aya could do, himself. The mystery was intriguing, though, as he ran through various possible scenarios in his head.
Aya shook her head.
"No one does," came her soft reply. Learning that she was a mutant had been the single worst event of her life -- and that was counting her mom leaving
and her dad dying of cancer.
"My dad... he was the best person I knew. But he was really anti-mutant. I wanted to think that he loved me enough to..." to
accept her. To hold her close and tell her everything would be ok as she cried.
"A good daughter would've had faith in him. But I was too scared." Aya swiped at her suddenly damp cheeks. She looked back up at Drake, embarrassed, but feeling somehow
lighter. She'd never told this to anyone before. Aya sniffled and tried to compose herself.
"You should tell your brother." Another sad smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"For both your sakes." Seeing her tears triggered Drake's protective instincts. "
Hey," he said, taking one of her hands in his and giving it a squeeze. "
You're right. I should and thank you. Thank you so much." If asked why he hadn't done it already, why he hadn't opened up to his brother, Drake wouldn't have a good answer. It's stupid that it was taking him this long to truly consider.
He looked back at Aya's glistening eyes. "
Not just for the advice, but for opening up." He wanted to console her further, to say anything that could bring a genuine smile to her face. Usually at this point he would try something sarcastic, but he didn't want to spoil the moment so, for just a beat, he let the silence permeate.
Aya looked at his hand covering her own on the table. She felt the callouses of his palm scratch lightly against her skin, the warmth in stark contrast to the chilled air of the library. There'd been so many small touches since she'd come to LA... Professor Everose, Uná, Danny, Drake... Aya felt greedy and touch starved, like she wanted to embrace and push and hold hands, just
touch other people to remind herself she wasn't the only person in the world. She tried to swallow around a lump in her throat. The quiet of the library stretched on, Aya's hand under Drake's.
"Do you want to see what I can do?" The words were quiet. Aya didn't look up from their hands, unable to look at Drake's face. Her heart stopped as soon as the words left her lips.
Drake looked at her softly before answering, "
Absolutely," he said in a near whisper, "
if you're comfortable."
Aya chanced a look up at Drake. Seeing his open, earnest expression, she quickly looked back down at their hands. Was... was she really doing this? Every instinct told her don't do it, don't do it,
remember what happened last time? But Aya was tired of being ashamed. She took a deep breath. Her hand turned under Drake's to curl around his wrist. She glanced up at him again.
"It... can be a little jarring." Holding his gaze for a moment longer, she closed her eyes. Her pulse was starting to race, she realized. Aya tried to ignore it. Another breath. Her eyebrows knit together as she searched inside herself for the power she'd tried so hard to bury. She'd never learned to control it properly yet and she still didn't quite know how it worked. Using her power was like trying to flex a muscle she never knew she had, or moving a phantom limb. The silence dragged on as they sat there, hands touching. A clock was ticking somewhere in the library, the sounds of the AC growing louder with nothing else to compete. Aya didn't know how long they sat for, still and --
The world fell away. There was no feeling except for the faint warmth of Drake's hand against her own, the hard edges of his palm scratching her. Sounds were muffled, like someone had put cloth over her ears. Aya opened her eyes.
The world was dark as the night sky, lights like tiny stars outlining the shapes and colors of the library. She saw Drake -- Drake's spirit -- in living color before her, wispy haze drifting away at his edges. His body was slumped back in the chair behind him, made of stars. A shiver ran down Aya's spine. She'd never grow used to this eerie world.
Drake's eyelids might as well have no longer existed, they were pulled back so wide as he started taking in his surroundings, his head darting in all directions. A maniacal grin formed on his face as he looked in amused bewilderment at the husks they left behind in the chairs. Everything was different.
Everything was different! Drake looked to Aya and just started laughing, clearly excited.
"
This is so freaking cool!" he attempted to shout, not quiet sure how sound worked in this... this... wherever they were. With his free hand, he tried to touch his body's face. His fingers went right through the surface of the skin and beyond. "
Ugh, gross!" He couldn't feel anything, but the idea that his spirit hand was swirling through his physical skull was a little unsettling. "
So this is your power," he asked, looking around, spinning in a slow circle. "
This is your world." His face settled in a crooked smile as he looked to Aya again. "
Amazing."
A shocked, disbelieving little laugh escaped Aya as she watched Drake. He shouted in amazement, his voice ringing loud and clear in the astral plane, though it echoed in this empty world.
Her world.
Drake had called it her world.
It was odd to think of. Nothing about her power felt like it really belonged to her. It felt like some cruel prank done to her, a fate forced upon her without her say. But watching Drake delight in it... maybe it wasn't so terrible.
"What did you do, you freak?!" Aya's breath caught in her lungs. Kainoa's voice echoed in her head, full of panic and rage. The smile drifted from her lips. Aya blinked. His face flashed before her, a mask of fear.
"What -- what is this?" The memory of her classmate stood behind Drake, invisible to him.
"Take me BACK!" The echoes of his words sounded again and again, the last words he'd ever said to Aya. Her blood had frozen over in her veins. All she could do was stare at nothing over Drake's shoulder, quiet panic, guilt,
horror rising in her chest.
Drake's eyes squinted in confusion as he looked upon Aya's reaction. He meant to turn around, but then heard something familiar, something very unsettling. It was that hiss of laughter, that hellish chuckle he heard in his dream. Behind Aya, shadow rolled in like mist, consuming the supernatural atmosphere. Following it were the hard thuds, the thunderous footsteps of the
thing from before. Drake's jaw fell open as the anxiety crept up his spine, giving him chills.
"
Uh... shit..." he managed to whisper. He threw his fist out to the side aggressively, intending to summon flames about it, but the summon was unanswered. Drake examined his bare hand with a look of fear and betrayal. "
C'mon!" Again he tried and again he failed. His eyes moved back up to the entity among the shadows. It was different now. It looked more menacing, more powerful. About its horned head danced flames which illuminated it's body in a silhouette. Drake could see its clawed hands, curled into fists, it's armored torso, its monstrous face. "
A demon."
It was the only word to describe it. Its red eyes danced with flame, looking directly at Drake, hissing in amusement as it approached slowly, methodically. Our of his peripheral vision, Drake saw his physical body twitch within the chair in which is was slumped.
"
We've gotta go," he said quickly, in a panic. "
We've gotta go! WE'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" By the end of it, he was shouting, his pulse racing. The demon picked up pace, his laughter growing full a hiss to a full bellow. Even in his spirit form, Drake felt his eye twitch and burn. He doubled over in pain, trying to rub his eye, but unable to create any physical relief.
Aya's gaze was still locked on the ghost of Kainoa when she was suddenly aware of something...
dark. Something evil that
should not have been there. A laugh slithered over her skin. Acrid smoke filled her lungs. Aya couldn't move. She managed to glance up at Drake. His face was a mask of fear as he looked at something over her shoulder. Aya turned. Screaming, she stumbled back, bumping into Drake as he tried and failed to call on his fire.
It was a demon -- terrible and towering, with fire burning under its skin like blood. It walked forward. Every nerve in Aya's body screamed at her this was wrongwrong
wrong, it didn't belong here! Drake doubled over behind her, crying out in pain. Aya spun to see him clutching at his eye. But worse yet -- his body in the physical world was beginning to move.
The demon moved ever closer.
Aya grabbed Drake's arm. She had to take them back. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Nothing happened.
Come on, come on, come ON! she begged herself. She looked over her shoulder again to see the demon almost upon them, its footsteps echoing in the empty world. Heat from the demons fire burned her skin, growing unbearably hot, it was almost there,
almost there --
Aya shut her eyes again against the demon and its fire.
The next moment they were back in the library. But it was still so hot, still so painfully,
suffocatingly hot. With a cry, Aya ripped her burning hand from Drake's where it rested on the table. Her palm was angry and red, pain seeping into her skin. Aya held her wrist with her other hand, trying to steady its tremors. She looked up.
"Drake?" came her hushed, shaking voice.
Drake violently came to life with an exaggerated inhalation of air. He looked at Aya, shock painted upon his face. "
You s-saw something," he said, "
but did you see... Did you see what I saw, too?" His face was that of a frightened child's, his eyes glistening with fear. His fully red eye and his now half-red/half-blue eye. Drake slowly exhaled before she could answer. After trying to focus for a minute, to gather his wits, he looked to Aya again and asked, "
Are you alright?"
Aya looked back down at her burning hand. She tried to move her fingers but pain shot through her hand and she grimaced.
"I'm -- I'm fine. What was that?" She looked up at Drake. Aya froze.
"Your eye. It's different. "
No idea," was his only reply as he shrugged off her second comment. His eyes darted down to her hand. "
Did I do that?"
Aya dropped her hand into her lap.
”It’s fine,” she repeated. It was silent for a moment.
”I should, um... I should get to class.” Without looking at Drake she started gathering her things, pushing herself up from the table. Her movements were too quick, too shaky to match her soft voice.
"
Hey!" His face was a mix of confusion and determination. "
Do what you need to do, but I'm sorry. Please don't leave me leave me. I swear I didn't mean to mess this up..." No tears would fall, but his eyes became glassy. He already knew he had issues. Why the hell would he bring someone else into this? It was a reminder as to why he hesitated to tell anyone, his brother included. Aya had been there, though, in the very short time they knew eachother, She was there to witness him dealing with his first encounter and had a front row seat to the second. "
Please..."
Aya paused, finally looking up at him. She looked at his eye, half blue, half crimson. She remembered that horrible face, the feeling of something dark and inhuman, the
fire. But... this was Drake. Guilt seeped through her. Drake had listened to her, supported her... he'd been the first person she'd ever really shown her power to. And for a moment... it'd been nice. Safe, almost.
Finally, she gave a small nod.
"I'll... I'll see you later. I promise." Timid sincerity rang through her words.
"But right now I need to go."
