Who: Aidan & Aya Where: All over the place When: March
Aya found out pretty quickly that Aidan wasn't quite as boring and sad in his loss as many humans were. He was angry a lot, grumpy but not wallowing and she could use that. She gave him space anyway, more for her own benefit than for his, coming and going like a stray cat with her own rhythm and routines. It was physically impossible for her to stay away for long and she could never go too far and so she was getting antsy to test her limits if she took him with her. She made her way through the quiet house until she found him in the living room, the TV on but muted. He was on his phone, not an uncommon sight, and she sat down next to him gingerly. It wasn't her style normally but tonight she was holding a cocktail that she was trying her best not to spill. "Here, drink this, it's insanely yummy," she murmured as she held it out for him in all its extravagant glory, swirling colors, umbrella and no less than three curly straws.
Max being gone wasn’t all that different than it had been a few months ago, but this time Aidan knew he wasn’t coming back. He had his moments of sorrow, but more often than not the whole situation pissed him off. For all the power they had, they were unable to save him. There were no spells that could bring him back and seeking out the one who could re-open the portal was just a ridiculous idea. If Max returned with the same powers he’d left with, he’d just suck them dry again. What they were dealing with wasn’t magical and there was no guarantee that there was a magical solution, which meant they had to leave him there and that fucking sucked more than anything else. He’d only asked once if Aya could open a door to that place, but she couldn’t open a door to a place she’d never even seen. What if there were no doors there?
As the days passed, Aidan sought out distractions, things to pass the time as he waited for the anger to dwindle. He moved people’s cars in parking lots, so that when they came out of the bar all boozed up they thought their car was stolen. He fried security systems in various places, just to see if he could. And he drank, probably far more than he should, though he still raised a brow at the concoction Aya presented him with. “What is it?” he asked, then took a sip. She was right. It tasted like whipped marshmallows and strawberries. Sweeter than what he usually drank, but delicious.
"I have no idea," Aya replied honestly. "It was a house special in a night club in New York. Very expensive," she added the last pointedly, even if she hadn't actually paid for it, and watched Aidan with a little pride in her expression when he seemed to like it. "I drank one and then I thought of you and figured you should have some crazy cocktails in your life too." She could be considerate! Though mostly she wanted him to start trusting her more and actually come with her to these places so she could test just how far she could go if what she was tethered to was right there with her. Maybe she could go to Tokyo! That would be crazy and fun. Aya liked crazy and fun far more than she liked the bad sort of crazy, which was why she'd only once tried to open a doorway to wherever Max was. It hadn't worked and if anything it had just been terrifying, like opening a door into nothing. Aya was pretty sure that if she'd stepped through that door she would have stopped existing - or worse.
“New York, huh?” Aidan said, his eyes flicking between her and the drink in his hand. The glass was definitely not from their kitchen and he could easily see it existing some place with bright pulsing lights, loud music, and dark corners. He’d never been to New York City, but he thought he could probably blend in if he stuck to the shadows. A good thief stayed out of the spotlight. “How’s that work? Do you just think of where you want to be? Or do you have to know some place specific?” There was a danger in Aya’s magic, more for him than for her. Aidan knew there was a chance she could just leave him behind, stranded in some strange place without any way of returning. Maybe she’d come back for him eventually, but he hadn’t completely worked out what it meant to be tethered together.
Oh she liked that little spark in his eyes and she turned to face him with an excited expression of her own. "I can find a door," she told him with a nod. "It just needs to be open or unlocked and I'll find it." She might not always know who was behind the door but it was often easy to guess. A clothing store in Portland in the middle of the night? Nobody was going to be there. A museum might have security guards - but not inside an office. "Do you want to come to New York with me?" she asked. "Then I can stay longer, we could dance, drink, have a good time." She was all but beaming at him now, almost certain she had him on the hook. She was at least getting closer.
Aidan liked to think of himself as street smart and worldly, but he’d only rarely left Point Pleasant. New York City might not be as exotic as the Amazon or China, but it still felt distant and dangerous. And exciting. It appealed to the part of Aidan that liked to cause trouble just for the fun of it, but he tried not to show it. He already knew she wanted him to go, but Aya herself was a bigger threat than the city. He liked that she was a mystery, but he’d learned his lesson in trusting her so easily. “How do I know you won’t leave me there?” he asked, eyes narrowed as a little smile tugged on his lips. “I don’t want to end up in another one of your loopholes.”
Aya grinned at the memory and admittedly it had been funny to leave him stuck in his room. It could have been worse, she could have trapped him in a hallway or gone old school and stuck him in the woods somewhere but that was probably deadly for a human in the middle of the winter. She leaned in against him and draped her arm over his shoulders, eyes crinkling with playfulness. "Be nice to me and I'll take you anywhere you want to go," she murmured. "And yes, that includes home." Which was less fun but she could hope he'd feel like having some fun before picking that particular doorway.
“I recall being super nice to you last time,” Aidan pointed out with a pointed look. He’d gotten her off and she’d disappeared without a trace. It had been frustrating in every since of the word and Aidan wasn’t eager to repeat the experience. But he did think a trip might be fun, provided she brought him back when they were through, nice or not. “Don’t screw me over,” he warned her, but didn’t bother to threaten. The consequence was that she’d lose his trust, what little of that she had. If she wanted him to come out and play, then she needed to play nice as well. “Where do you wanna go?”
"As far as we can," Aya replied with a grin. "Let's start with getting another of these cocktails." She hopped to her feet and headed for the door, lightly running her finger against the wood. She hadn't traveled with someone in a long time, she was sure, unable to recall the time she had done so. "Nightclub in New York sound like a good start?" At least he hadn't been moping around the house in pajamas or something, he looked ready to go - especially if they kept to warm places. Aya had no intention of going outside if she didn't have to - unless they made it further south where it was warmer.
Aidan studied Aya for a moment, then hopped up to grab his jacket and pull on his shoes. He wasn't sure if he was dressed for a night club in New York, but it wasn't like he had anything better in his closet, so this would have to do. If she wanted him to change clothes, she'd have to take him shopping. "Sounds good," he said once he was up and moving towards the door. Normally it would lead them to the front porch, but he knew Aya's magic could change that. He'd just never seen it in action outside the loop she'd stuck him in within his own room. "Swear you won't leave me?" he asked, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Pinky promise," Aya said, hooking her little finger around his for a brief moment before she opened the door. Instead of the cool Maine air they were met with the damp heat of a hallway, the floor vibrating from the heavy beat of music. There wasn't a whole lot that could upset Aya when there was music playing and she was instantly swaying to it, bouncing on her feet as she pulled Aidan through the door and down toward the bar. They'd come from the back of the bar and someone yelled at them annoyed that they weren't supposed to be back there but Aya just blew him a kiss and laughed. It was less risky to go that way, all the other entrances were busy or locked and it wasn't like they'd get into huge trouble for it, the staff there was too busy to follow up. "Dance with me," Aya called out as they neared the dance floor and Aidan was right, she didn't care if he was dressed for this place or not. He looked fine to her.
Walking through a door wasn’t usually so exciting, but as soon as Aya opened it Aidan’s heart began to race. Instantly, they were transported elsewhere and Aidan just had to trust that Aya had taken them where she said she would. His hand brushed across the wall, making sure it was real, and he watched over his shoulder as the door to their house shut behind them. He stuck close to Aya, shooting the man behind it a grin as they snuck out from behind it, and followed her out onto the dance floor. Aidan had never been much of a dancer— clubs weren’t really his scene, even if there weren’t any in Point Pleasant—but he could move the to beat well enough. Slinging an arm around her waist, Aidan began to dance with Aya, a laugh bubbling to his lips as he looked around. He didn’t know where they were, but it was nowhere near home, that was for sure.
Aya was just thrilled that he'd finally come with her. There was no tug to get back to Point Pleasant and she really felt like she could go further if he just followed her. It was interesting to her how different it was to dance with a guy, none of the other guys were bothering her now and that was a good thing - as well as a little disappointing because guys were fun to fuck with when they got out of line. This looked like it was doing Aidan good too and she enjoyed dancing for a while. Modern day dances were so free and intense, no rules, just bodies bouncing around and grinding against each other, it was amazing. "Let's have a different kind of fun," she yelled at him after a while, tugging at his wrist for him to follow her.
Aidan would’ve never thought that dancing would be good for him, but there was definitely something freeing about it. It took him away from himself for a bit, giving him the opportunity to forget about all the anger he’d been lugging around since his brother went missing. It was still there, just… set aside while Aya was pressed up against him, moving to the heavy beat of the music. When she started to drag him off the dance floor, he followed close behind her, preferring to keep within arm’s reach. He raised a brow at the suggestion, but didn’t bother protesting, far more curious to see what she had in mind. It felt good to be out, even better to be a little reckless, and he was down to play whatever game Aya had set her sights on.
Aya opened another door and this time it led into a dark, quiet room. She closed the door behind them, then opened it again a few times, finally stepping through and gesturing to Aidan to wait. She didn't close the door, just stood in the doorway, barely concealing her laughter when someone yelled at her from down the hallway she'd opened the door into. She hurried back in and closed the door and when she opened it again it led into a small security room with a few monitors and a half eaten sandwich on the table. She pulled Aidan with her and sat down in one of the chairs, finding the security guard on one of the monitors as he exited the room they'd just been in, looking confused and disgruntled, his gun drawn. "Watch this," she tittered and when he opened another door, he came out in the same hallway through another door further down. Aya was delighted every time he tried another door and ended up in a completely different place than he'd meant to go, laughing to herself. She could sense where he was of course, but the monitors allowed Aidan to see as well.
Aidan was fine following, but being told to wait didn’t sit well with him. While he didn’t immediately follow, he stuck his foot in the door, just in case she tried to shut it behind him, but that didn’t appear to be what she was up to. He blinked in confusion when she returned, trying to make out why someone was yelling at her, and then the door closed and opened again into somewhere else. Aidan followed her in, immediately held captive by the monitors in the room. For a second he didn’t understand, but then he watched the security guard enter one door and exit another, completely unrelated, one and he had to smile. “You don’t even have to be there to work your magic?” he asked, grinning over at her. He knew they had to be close, but there was no way she’d seen all those locations from the few seconds she’d stepped through the first time.
"No," Aya all but purred as she turned the chair in little semi circles. "They're my doors." It wasn't easily explained but the guard was in her web now and his confusion and irritation fed some part of her that was hungry. It also made her laugh which had benefits of its own and as the guard gave up on the doors in the hallways and headed angrily back to the room she and Aidan were currently hiding in she turned to look at Aidan, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Where should I send him next? Outside? Another building?"
“Outside,” Aidan grinned, then pointed to a specific monitor. “There.” It wasn’t nice, but he really didn’t care at the moment. It was far more amusing to be the observer than the one stuck in a never ending maze of doors that didn’t lead where they should. He bit his bottom lip as the guard stepped through the door, then snickered when he was suddenly thrust outside. If the guard had seemed scared, Aidan might have felt sorry for him, but the man just appeared to get more and more angry about the situation. While he knew it was warranted, it did little to deter his own mischievous nature. “Can you lock it now?”
"Do I look like a locksmith?" Aya chimed out amidst her giggles and she wasn't entirely sure she was using that word right but he probably got her meaning. "I don't need locks," she added with a great deal of satisfaction and as the poor guard entered the building, he ended up coming right back out. Aya knew she wasn't introducing a neat new trick to Aidan since it was the exact same thing she'd done to him but he'd asked for a lock and this was the closest she could get. "What is he doing?" She leaned forward to peer at the monitor, covering her mouth as she laughed again. "Oh no, he has a phone. We might get more people!"
If Aidan had had powers like hers, he would have zapped the phone from there and rendered it useless, however that wasn’t how his magic worked. That was fine though because the more people Aya had trapped in her little web, the more amusing it became. He wasn’t sure how any of them would explain what was happening, but that wasn’t his problem. People found a way to explain away the truth when it was too much to bear and he suspected that would happen here too. “How many doors can you handle at once?” he grinned, then looked over at the office phone as it started to ring. “You think that’s him? Who does he think is here?”
"Maybe he's hoping the phone will guide him home," Aya said with a little titter as she watched the man go through the door again and flail his free arm angrily when he came right back outside. She considered his question and wasn't really sure how to answer since she'd never really tried more than one at a time but that wasn't something she was eager to tell him. He might use it against her at a later time. "If he brings more people we're out of here," she said instead, stretching contently in the guard's chair as she eyed the ringing phone. "It's more fun when it's just one person, they're not credible when they start ranting about it."
While Aidan knew this to be true, he thought there might be some restrictions that she wasn’t telling him about. Like, could the door really lead back on itself if multiple people were involved? It seemed like it might break the loop somehow, though he knew the both of them had gone through her doors without issue. But they hadn’t been leading to nowhere, he reminded himself, and there were just two of them. Aidan leaned against the counter, looking more at Aya than the monitors for a moment. “It’s infuriating, even when you know why it’s happening,” he told her with a little smile. “He probably thinks he’s losing his mind. or that someone drugged him.”
"I know," Aya replied with an impish grin, then laughed again and spun around to face him, bouncing out of the chair to give him a hug. "I won't do that to you again," she promised though it wasn't entirely true, he might still piss her off one day or do something to deserve it. So really the promise was that she wouldn't do it for now. She leaned up and pressed a kiss on his cheek, then moved back to the monitors to draw a smiley face on one of them in lipstick. "Where do you want to go next?" she asked as she put the lipstick back in her pocket. "Club? Bar? Shopping?" They might need to obscure their faces for that last one, modern days were shitty with cameras.
Aidan didn’t really believe her, but that was okay. He didn’t think she meant him harm, which was far more important at this point. He just hoped that if she did it again, that he deserved it, not just because she was bored and needed a source of entertainment. He considered their options, a part of him thinking a shopping trip would be a hell of a lot of fun, but he’d had a couple drinks at the club and wasn’t sure he had the focus needed for dealing with anti-theft technology. “Let’s go shopping tomorrow night,” he said. “I want a couple more drinks, and then maybe a ride on the subway in New York City. Just for fun.” Maybe they could even let people out at wrong stops. It would be a chance to see if her magic worked on those kinds of doors without actually messing around with a car.
"A club," Aya decided with a grin, letting go of him to walk over to the door. Could she go to the subway? She touched the door knob and searched but it was all off limits to her except for some old wooden doors in the back of some stations. So much steel and plastic. She found another door and opened it up to another loud and thumping night club, the rhythm easily making her forget the frustration of the subway stations. "Drinks," she agreed. "Then we'll see." Again she wasn't eager to let him know her limitations, she had been happy to find that her gift worked with doorways at all, thanks to people's penchant for making them out of wood, but modern times could be tricky with all the new building material.
“Sure,” Aidan grinned, following her to the door. He didn’t have his heart set on anything except for having a good time. If the subway wasn’t an option, he was sure they could find some other way for them to entertain themselves. It was just good to have some other focus than this life back home, where he couldn’t seem to get past the anger of losing his brother for good. Deep down, he knew it was just a distraction, but it was what he needed at the moment. So long as Aya didn’t leave him behind, he was happy to get lost in the maze she was weaving, no matter where it took them.