A Feeling You Don't Want To Fight

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

It was at times like these that Akeem did not understand women.

He'd been sitting with this girl at the table for a little while now. They had both been flirting, so hard that there was no place anymore to say the other one was mistaken. They shared enough compliments, smiles and even some touching to make their intentions clear. And, just like that, she was curious as to how his power worked.

Akeem just told her what his power was, what it could do. And she still wanted to know how it worked. He got her practically eating in his hand already and she wanted to know what pheromones could do to her. Unbelievable. But if she asked for it, she shall have it.

Since it was pretty clear he didn't need any pheromones to make her like him, he figured a bit of lust might just do the trick here. Hey, it was not like she didn't look like she was not up for it. What he did was not bad, if she would have fallen in his arms anyway. Perhaps she even wanted to experience that with the pheromones involved, although he could not see why.

He let the pheromones out and even grabbed her hand, playing with it, drawing shapes with his finger on her palm. It started to have an effect on her, that much was clear. Oddly enough though, the more turned on she was by this, the less he happened to be. Akeem was not desperate to the point of drugging a girl to get what he wanted. The closer she got from him, the more disgusted he was. This was too easy. He lost all respect he might have had for her.

She didn’t want him to go. Obviously. She was all hot for him now, all thanks to what he just did to her. The pheromones would not wash off in a matter of seconds and judging by the way she reacted to him before she was sprayed, he figured it would take a while before it wore off. He figured it would be better if he just left too.

Once he managed to have her let go of him, he promised to call her but that he had to go. Like now. It was urgent. She wanted to follow. Of course she wanted to follow. But he didn't want her to. Finally rid of her, he intended to walk back inside the school, hoping he wouldn’t get anyone caught in whatever remnants of lustful pheromones flying around him.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

At some point, Elsa was going to have to try and figure out how to explain to everyone that her and Felix just weren't quite working out. It wasn't a matter of not loving one another: chances were fairly high that they would always love one another on some level. It wasn't a matter of sexual compatibility either, as most people who knew Elsa knew fairly well. it was simply a matter of life pulling them in slightly different directions, and something there just not quite clicking like it should.

Which left Elsa hormonally askew. She knew it, and she could practically hear a few of the derogatory slurs hurled her way regarding it. She blamed going from having sex almost a few times a day to literally nothing. In short, Elsa was in withdrawal. She'd been putting her effort and energies into other things. There was a festival coming up or running along the time. There was the new school year and things to organize for that. There was her sister and the various propositions and details there. There was her own dancing, which Elsa had turned into a much more steady hobby now, privately a little thrilled that she might actually be better at something graceful and beautiful than her sister.

It was this Elsa who drifted close to Akeem as his leftover pheromones wafted around him. It was this Elsa who ended up craning her neck, turning to look at someone who she suddenly found almost instantly attractive, her attention wholly locked upon him for several long seconds.

he seemed.... familiar, and unable to keep her interest or her curiosity in check, Elsa reached out. Being Elsa Bellefonte, however, she did not reach out physically, oh no, Elsa instead reached out with her mind, diving into those thoughts and rummaging around like a noisy customer in a quiet bookshop.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Something stopped Akeem in his tracks as he was heading inside the school. It was not the girl who ran after him. Or another girl he ran into who decided to cling onto him. But there was something. Not on his body, in his brain. It was hard to explain what was going on inside his mind. It was like someone was playing in there. He was moving and thinking on his own, of course, but he sensed something, a presence that had nothing to do with his own. The feeling was rather similar to going into your room only to find someone rummaging through your underwear drawer.

Now, he knew where he was and what the people in this school were capable of. But he still couldn’t believe someone was inside his head. He looked around. Could the culprit really be so close to him? He didn't believe it too much, mainly because he knew if he could do that to someone’s mind, he wouldn’t let them see. At the same time, he figured some concentration was required, even though it was a terrible job if whoever did this tried to be quiet. There was this girl who was staring at him but how could he be sure if she was the culprit and not just someone who got a whiff of his pheromones as he passed by her.

In doubt, Akeem thought there was only one thing to do. He didn't know telepathy too well but he figured whoever was in his brain was able to hear him mentally right now. So he decided to give them one simple thought. An order that he tried to throw as much authority in the... could he say tone when regarding a thought? Either way, he tried to sound as commanding as possible. Get out of my head. And then he looked around in case someone would flinch or react to this.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa usually had more tact than this. If she dove into someone's mind, she generally did so with at least some degree of subtly. You didn't effectively grow up in a school for mutants in a town where mutants were fairly well known and not figure out how things work. However, something made focusing a good deal harder. Well, not so much focusing: the young man definitely held Elsa's attention, but more focusing on her task.

Didn't stop her from hearing the almost shouted command. Whenever someone attempted to "speak" at Elsa, it always came off the same way. It was as looking at print that had suddenly gone bold and all caps, or possibly even three dimensional. Elsa could no more ignore the thought than she could lose her gift.

It still made her let out a laugh though. "Most people usually add an 'or else'," she informed the young man, raising her brows. Why did she have the sudden urge to impress him? She wanted to wave the thought away: she needed to have her normal sharp mind here. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure," she continued, taking another step forward. After all, it should have been obvious who'd been prodding around in his thoughts by now. Elsa withdrew several degrees... but not totally, oh no, not quite yet.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

He was right, it was this girl who had been going through his mind with as much subtlety as would a tornado in a library. It was weird, this feeling of being mentally raped. If he couldn’t say she did anything wrong in there, at least it didn’t appear as though she did, it remained weird enough for him to believe that it cannot entirely be right.

Maybe he should be happy this made her laugh but he couldn’t find it as funny s she did. He approached her as she said that normally people added an ‘or else’ to their threat. He shrugged at that. “What’s the point in making big threats when you’re not even certain if the person can get it?” he replied. After all, he had no idea what she had been doing in his head or if she could get his thoughts. He was not even sure his message would reach her or have the strength he meant to give it. Apparently it did for he couldn’t feel her in there anymore. He was glad of that. Who knows what she might have found in there had she kept looking.

“No, I don’t think we have. Was that what you’ve been looking in there?” he asked as he tapped his temple a few times. The feelings of having fingers playing in his brain returned. It was more subtle this time but he could still feel something. So she didn't totally leave after all. He raised an eyebrow. Normally, she should have realised she’d been spotted and stop. The fact she did not intrigued him. “What are you looking in there exactly?”

[Elsa Bellefonte]

"Posturing, mostly," Elsa replied, almost dismissive. Why else did anyone make threats? Elsa did note that the young man seemed to be talking "The game" as she liked to think of it, the whole doubletalk that most people who had ulterior motives learned about the time they could recite their ABCs. She couldn't help but find her attention focused. Her curiosity had stretched her mind to him too, though she thought she was pulling back.

Apparently not enough, given his reaction. "Curiosity more than anything," Elsa replied, mostly truthful. "Seems odd that you didn't respond by giving a name," she raised her brows, "that is the usual polite response to the query," and something about this conversation said that they should be falling back on at least some part of the social script. Strange that she couldn't help but continue to be distracted. Made her wonder if there wasn't some sort of mutant power going on here. It did make more sense than not...

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Elsa was right to think Akeem was the kind of person who constantly had an ulterior motive. The young man couldn’t help to judge people based on what he could get out of them, whether it was money, influence or just amusement. You really should not underestimate someone who can distract you from boring or tedious matters. He did not do it to be cynical or manipulative, it was instinctive. It did not matter what he talked about with someone, school, politics or just the latest silly outfit a celebrity chose to go out in, he analyzed the other person, what they said and how they acted to see what he could get from that. Amusing him with a five minutes conversation before he forgot your name was not the worst that could happen, really.

Right now however, Akeem was divided between not wanting to be around people with his pheromones out and the curiosity he started to have for Elsa. She was a new one and like any kid with a new toy, he wanted to play with it and test its limits. It was why he stayed. Because the curiosity she claimed she had for him, he was pretty sure it came only from him and not because she thought he was an attractive and interesting kind of guy. His pheromones made him second guess a lot of people.

She pointed out he didn't give away his name. “You could not find it in my head?” he asked on an amused tone. “It’s true that I don’t spend every minute of the day thinking of myself. Despite what certain people may believe. It’s Akeem,” he introduced himself. He didn't really know Elsa but he had seen Erika. The girl was more popular than her sister, although perhaps not that much if you listened to hearsay. It was how he knew her. “You’re... Elsa, right?” he said, pointing a finger in her direction, as if it was not clear enough he was talking of her.

Akeem couldn’t help looking around for the girl he had been previously with. He never knew the reaction his pheromones could cause on people and he was just hoping she was not the stalking, jealous type. Because that was a scene he didn’t want to see. Well, two girls fighting, sure. But he might be a bit too close and be the bad guy in this and that, that was bad.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Yes, Elsa could go about doing thing normally. But: "And where would the fun be in that?" she replied, sliding the comment in the middle of his discussion. The name rang a bell, and Elsa was pushing through her slight mind-fog to try and get to her memories. As she thought, it was clear that Akeem finally put things together, figuring it out. Elsa simply nodded along with it: no point in denying it. She did so prefer the years when people had simply asked if she were Erika or outright confused her with her sister. Those days were long passed.

Why was Elsa having such a hard time focusing on her actual thoughts and maintaining some sort of distance and control? Akeem... Akeem was...

"Akeem Ten-Amen," Elsa said, the memory surfacing. She looked at the young man and quirked a brow. "Would you be surprised to hear that people have warned me about you? Or is that just something you've come to expect?"

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Elsa Bellefonte. Of all the girls he could accidentally charm through pheromones he had to get Elsa Bellefonte. Maybe fate could be nice sometimes. Maybe he managed to win enough points to get good karma. Or maybe it will come back to bite him at some point. For now though, the fact that he studied her enough to realise who she was made him want to stay, chasing away his primary idea of locking himself away from people who might suddenly find out they loved him.

Akeem wondered if the girls would have been this popular had their name not been Bellefonte. Probably not. Even the Dirty Laundry wouldn’t have talked to them so much had it didn’t known it would make people read the stupid entries. But the fact was that it would and it didn’t matter if names were not used, it was clear enough who they were talking about. They were Bellefontes, that alone made them known to the other students. It was not common enough a name for anyone not to associate the girls to the school. He knew there were other members of the family at school but no one really cared about them. At least not as much as they cared about these two. And Akeem ended up with one of them. Who might just like him right now. Although he could wonder how long that would last. If she could play in someone’s mind like that... No, there was no reason to believe her mental ability made her any stronger against other mental abilities. After all, Ellen fell for it. And she had a much similar power to his than Elsa. Even Akeem could fall for it if someone used pheromones on him.

His thoughts on the matter were interrupted as she said his full name. He did not bother with the last name but she knew it. Of course, Akeem must not be a common name around here but it was still surprising that she would know who he was. Until she said that people had warned her against him. They had? “They have?” He was actually surprised and not sure how he should take it. It was something he needed to take into account and determine how to get past anything she heard about him. “Can I ask who talked to you about me?”

[Elsa Bellefonte]

"They have," Elsa repeated. She was now finding it a bit easier to keep her mind steady. She tried putting her mental shielding up, but she wasn't entirely certain that would actually work. Not every ability that messed with judgment and emotion worked through the brain directly. That and Elsa's own ability seemed to have some eccentricities of its own.

The second question didn't get quite as prompt a response. Elsa let out a sharp laugh at that, shaking her head slightly. "Why would I divulge my informant?" she asked. "Are you curious who would be talking about you? You could always work your way through your various acquaintances, figure out who's most likely to blab."

Ellen had made him sound very nearly like Priya Kuar, and that was enough to set Elsa on edge. That was most definitely still a fresh wound, and if this guy was anything like that, well, this time Elsa would be ready.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Should he be worried she had been warned about him? He was not entirely sure and certainly wouldn’t let it show either way. He’ll just be more careful. Anyway, right now, she was likely hot for him, even if it was something that would fade away in a short while. He didn’t have to worry about her. Except perhaps over the fact she might try to get in his head again.

Akeem wished he knew when his pheromones worked and, most importantly, when they ceased to work. But he was never sure, just like he could not predict the reactions he would get. It was certainly his pheromones that made her dg into his head like that. But he wouldn’t tell her as much until he knew she was aware of his ability. Then, it might not hurt to apologize and assure her she was not meant to be affected. It was best to have a Bellefonte in his pocket rather than have her against him. He shrugged when she refused to tell him who spoke to her about his person. “I did my high school here before leaving. Then I came back. There might be a lot who graduated since then, and a few staff changes, but that’s still a lot of acquaintances. If you want to keep whoever that is your secret, fine though. I was just curious what they said and depending on who talked to you, I could have guessed just what you heard,” he explained. Or she could just tell him. That would work too.

Although, Akeem was pretty sure that most people who could talk of him to her wouldn’t have very nice things to say. He heard she had been at the head of the school for a short time. Anyone working for the school could have told her why he was back. Ellen didn’t like him much but she liked to think he was her lackey. Even if he proved her wrong. As for Evelyn, it would make sense for them to talk since their connection through their siblings, she too would have less than pleasant things to say on his account. “I hope whatever you heard though that you are able to make your own opinion of people.”

[Elsa Bellefonte]

he'd been around? Elsa was almost tempted to immediately disagree with that statement. Surely if he'd been around before now, she would have noticed. But instead Elsa managed to keep herself silent on that regard. She could still feel that subtle pulling, an almost insistence that she do what it took to get him to like him. Elsa most certainly didn't like it, and she kept trying to feed information to the logical parts of her mind, letting it figure out what was the best direction to take the conversation.

"A mutual acquaintance," she offered, gesturing airily, "of the female persuasion, who was quite adamant in warning me about you," that had her raising brows and the lips twitching again. That should let him figure out a bit more.

His protest made her laugh and shake her head slightly. "I do make my own judgements, but if someone you trust gives you an assessment of someone, than that surely factors into the equation, doesn't it?" And again she had to arch her brows and smile, feeling a hand go to brush back some of her hair, keeping it free from her face. To make sure it wasn't distracting, of course: not for any other reasons.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

It was weird, all those younger college kids who likely felt even younger to him when he was in high school, if they had been here at all then, coming to him like they owned the place and he was a newcomer. In a way, he was, as he came back, but he knew the place, the rules, some of the staff and students... He was not as much of a newcomer as the gaze Elsa gave him made clear she believed he was. She didn’t know him well enough and apparently that meant he was new. For some odd reason.

“Ah,” he let out as she gave him some clues as to who talked of her about him. “That narrows down but not only to one person. I’ll go for it however, if you want to leave it at that.” Ellen or Evelyn. Both fit and could have told her. But he preferred to act as though he didn’t care. Either way, he was aware it meant they would have warned her against him. They wouldn’t pain a very nice portrait of him, either of them. He smiled to Elsa, trying to ignore it. At least he knew now what she might have learned about him. It was what really mattered here.

He kept his smile on as she argued that you can still trust someone’s judgement while making your own. He tilted his head slightly, trying to appear only amused by all of this. It was safer to act as though it did not matter. Even if it might. “Was the warning about my personality or about my power? Because if it is the latter, let me apologize in advance. That was not intended to you, someone wanted to know how it felt and you just ended up walking straight into it,” he explained. If she was affected, she might not be able to think straight enough to remember this fact, unless she had no idea. It was not like she could not find out. The two girls knew for sure, she easily could as well. Why else would someone warn her about him? “I’m afraid I cannot control who is affected, but I can promise you I won’t do anything about it.” He still had a little smirk about him as he said that but he tried for his eyes to make him appear as innocent as possible while toning down the smile. Of course, if she wanted him to do something...

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Were Elsa aware of the two people that came to Akeem's mind, she likely would have laughed. Ellen would certainly have warned her: their relationship was one that had at least that much support. In point of fact, that was who had been the culprit in this particular case. Evelyn Conner, on the other hand... well, Elsa fully believed that Evelyn would gladly offer her a cup of gasoline were she on fire.

The thoughts did flicker through Akeem's mind, and Elsa thought she picked up names. However, her mind and will were so focused on keeping herself somewhat balanced and aloof that she couldn't really check on something. The very reason she kept a heavyhanded presence in Akeem's mind was the fact that her own wasn't quite as sharp as it should have been.

Personality or power. He did apologize for unleashing his power on her, and Elsa offered up a tight smile at that, and a "hmm" in response. He even attempted to be charming. "It was your power, in fact, that I was warned about. It does seem as though the personality was attached to the power. Do you normally have women falling all over you? Because if you're waiting for me to do so, you'll be standing there a very long time." Elsa pointed at the spot before raising her brows challengingly.

Though she did have to admit: Akeem was... interesting.

[Akeem Ten-Amen]

Elsa’s presence was still in his head and it was a strange feeling. It was not what he normally meant when he kept having someone in mind. He tried to ignore it. It was like an itch you shouldn’t scratch, you could feel it there but if you stopped paying attention to it, it was like it was gone. He figured why it stayed there though. That girl, not her, the one before, wanted him to toss away some pheromones. And he sent her love ones. Now Elsa must have been affected and she apparently did not have as much control of herself as she liked to believe. She would not be the first. Luckily for him, it should go away soon. Surely the pheromones were not longer in the air, or soon to vanish completely. After that, it was only a matter of time before she regained control of herself. He couldn’t tell how long exactly though. The fact she appeared tough meant nothing here. She might look like it but that didn’t mean she was.

Of course she had to be warned about his power! Although, Akeem could ask why the need to do so. It was not like he spent his days spreading pheromones around himself to keep beautiful women at his arms at all time. He tried to laugh at her comment, no matter how insulted he actually was of it. That sounded like something Evelyn would say, that he would spread pheromones your way to sleep with your or anything like that. Though Ellen might say something of the like as well... “I usually don’t need that, believe me. But someone was interested in knowing what it felt like so I complied,” he explained. He would not let people turn him into a grotesque character.

There seemed to be a challenge in her words though and Akeem was one to take the bait at that. “Are you sure about that? You only got a faint scent of those, what if I hit you with more?” he asked her, a little smirk coming over his lips. He waited there a few seconds, only staring into her eyes. “No. There is something rather pathetic in it being the only way to be interesting, wouldn’t you say?”