"This is it."
Sachi unhooked her seatbelt and pointed at the great little coffee shop that she'd discovered a couple months ago. It was in the older, less visited part of town, and it almost appeared like they were trying to hide it.
Coffee in a Cauldron. Ridiculous name, in Sachi's opinion, but it was a great place and busier than expected. Sachi wasn't a huge fan of talking to people, but the owner of the shop was one of the very few lucky people that she put onto her contacts list.
Mostly because he supplied her with what she needed to live, but also because he was such a relaxed person. Sachiko didn't ever feel as nervous around him as she did the people in the real world, and she wasn't sure why.
"Sachi?" Emmie had gone pale. "You can see it?"
"Uh, yeah Em. I get coffee here on a weekly, and sometimes a daily basis."
"You can SEE it." Emmie repeated, this time more a statement.
"Yeah. It's kinda hard to find, but a building is really hard to miss. Especially with that big sign." Sachi tilted her head and looked at the large sign.
"What are you?" Emmie asked seriously.
"According to you, obsessed. C'mon, you'll be fine." Sachi opened the car door and ducked out.
Emmie didn't move. She was studying Sachi with a suspicious stare.
Sachi grinned at her and walked toward the coffee shop, waiting patiently outside the door, motioning at Emmie.
The door swung open and two very loud chattering girls walked out. Two obvious popularity obsessed fashionistas. The kind you see in high school. The were both wearing strappy sandal heels, even though warm weather didn't start until the END of April, a few weeks away. They wore Glittery skirts and soft looking blouses that fluttered as the wind caught on them.
They opened the door right into Sachi who let out a Yelp as it hit her in the face.
Both girls looked shocked.
"Um, sorry!" Sachi squeaked, uncomfortable at their staring, disapproving looks.
They continued to stare.
This made Sachi really nervous, so she glanced desperately towards the car to telepathically beg Emmie for help, but her friend was walking, almost jogging, toward Sachi, looking so pale that she might be sick.
The first girl bumped the second one and whispered something. It probably wasn't very nice, because without moving their gazes, they both broke into giggles. Then they turned and walked down the sidewalk, as if Sachi hadn't been there in the first place, or wasn't worth their attention.
Emmie was only a few feet away when girl two spoke, this time not bothering to lower her voice.
"As if he'd be interested in someone like HER. Weak. I bet he doesn't even look at her."
They both let out twinkling laughs and linked arms as they got farther away.
Sachi shook a little from that encounter.
Emmie grabbed her shoulder, looking far more disturbed than Sachi, even though she was in the car for the start of all of that.
"Sachi, maybe we should just-"
They had obviously made that comment thinking about the owner of the shop, who Sachi wasn't interested in romantically anyway. Still, that comment stung. She pulled open the door and a little bell chimed inside.
Emmie looked resigned.
They stared at each other silently communicating.
'This was your idea.'
'I changed my mind.' Emmie stared, her eyes begging.
'I'm tired.' Sachi's shoulders slumped a little.
Emmie sighed and shuffled in the door, swallowing hard.
Sachi quirked a smile at her friend's attempt at humor. Gently, she pushed Emmie into the coffee shop.
It was bigger on the inside, with comfy chairs of different shapes and sizes that made it look both eclectic and homey. There was an alcove with a couch that was by a short, long coffee table. There were stools and cushioned seats and armchairs around other tables of various sizes and shapes and colors.
Sachi sat at the one near the back, closest to the counter. A taller table, it had Long, tall chairs, one Metallic, one a sturdy dark wood with a cushion, and a tall spinny stool made for a French fry place.
Sachi hopped onto the stool, while Emmie slid onto the metallic chair, her eyes flicking around the room.
"Sachi! Great to see you! You look-woah. Did someone hit your puppy? Are you okay?"
Akiva Ferrix was a tall, thin guy. His features were charming, but serious. His chocolatey skin was the perfect match to the coffee he served, and his pulled back hair a slightly darker shade. He had an accent very close to a Brit, and the manners to match it.
"Actually, today involved Orca, but I took her back to my brother's house."
"Aw, you know she's welcome here. I love to get my puppy cuddle time in." He pouted his his lips and Sachi smiled.
"And who is your lovely friend?" He gestured to a very hostile Emmie who appeared to be snarling.
"A coffee hater." Sachi informed him.
"Ah." Akiva looked unsure that this was the reason for the animosity, but he went with it. "We'll make a believer of you yet."
"So," he said conversationally as he worked, "What has you looking so tense?"
"I found a not-dead, partially naked guy in the woods and I'm worried about him."
Akiva stopped.
"Pardon me?"
"Yeah. He was pretty much buried and he looks like he hasn't eaten in days. There were some strange markings on his legs..."
Akiva looked concerned. He finished her drink and brought it to the table, passing a second cup to Emmie who hissed.
"I don't like coffee."
"That," Akiva informed her, "isn't coffee. It IS the best hot chocolate you'll ever drink."
Emmie muttered something that didn't really count as a thank you before grudgingly taking the cup.
Sachi sipped her drink and sighed.
Then she took another long sip, and another.
Then she sighed.
Sachi felt restless. She just wanted to get back to the hospital. Wanted to see if he was awake, ask what he meant.
Akiva took the remaining chair at the table.
"Why don't you tell me about this man?" he asked.
"I mean, I sort of told you everything I know-" Akiva's gaze was focused past her.
"Oh."
Emmie snarled. "I don't have to tell you anything. I've got this."
Akiva raised a brow.
"I'm not sure you understand your protective instincts."
"I'm a good friend."
He snorted.
"Besides, what would you know about it?"
"I have a theory."
"And that gives you the right to ask questions?"
"I know you, and I know some things about her. And her capabilities. And furthermore, I have a similar instinct that I've been researching, so yes."
Sachi twisted her head back and forth, sipping her coffee as they argued.
"Um, you guys know each other? And what does this have to do with Rescue Boy?"
Neither of them looked at her.
"Are you too coward to find out?" Akiva taunted. Sachi was shocked at his rude words, but Emmie was enraged.
"Are you so arrogant that you think I'll fall down and betray trust?" Her gray eyes swirled like smoke.
"Afraid of hurting Sachi? I think you're too proud to offer her any real assistance at all."
Emmie leapt up, and Akiva tensed, something in his expression turning dangerous.
"That's it." she snarled.
Both of them looked ready to lunge, and yet--
Nothing happened.
Emmie and Akiva both relaxed then turned surprised at Sachi.
She had one hand on each person, just laying on their arm.
"Maybe we should sit down. I don't know what went wrong, but let's try to get along in public establishments, okay?"
Emmie's eyes narrowed at Sachi, and Akiva studied Sachi, looking pleasantly surprised.
They sat down.
Emmie took a gulp of hot chocolate and slammed it onto the table.
She snarled at Akiva, understanding hitting her like lightning.
"You knew she has it?"
Akiva's expression went serious and his eyes flicked between Sachi and Emmie.
"Not like that. I had suspected a dampening curse that hides a true form because of her weak signals, but that display speaks otherwise."
Emmie snarled.
"Um, what the Minty Molasses are you guys talking about?" Sachi turned glancing from one to the other, flame against a solid earth.
"That was impossible. Emotional manipulation." Emmie hissed.
"Well," Akiva's brow furrowed his face going dark. "I'm not actually sure about what it is, which is why you need to tell me what YOU know about the-"
Sachiko didn't really hear the rest.
A haze settled into her mind, a ringing in her ears, and sound drifted through, echoing.
'Where .....am I?'
Sachi squeezed her eyes shut. Reaching for sounds, information.
'Did....did....did... it work? Oh God....."
Words fuzzed in and out like a bad radio connection. And something sharp stabbed into her mind.
"Popsicle sticks."
Sachiko clutched her head, focusing desperately, trying to hear the rest, but it disappeared and she crashed into the floor, sweating. Squinting, she tried to move her head to clear the black spots in her vision.
Strong hands lifted her up.
"Something's not right." Deep voice.
Sachi's head was spinning.
"What the hell-" A flash of red on the edge of her vision.
She snapped upward and scrambled for the door, struggling against the restraining hold on her.
"Sachi! Sachiko Sato!" Emmie snapped, bringing her back into focus. "What happened? talk to us."
Sachiko went limp and let Akiva adjust his hold that kept her from sliding onto the floor in a heap.
"He's awake. He's awake, and I'm not there."