AN: Wow, I haven't done proper fanfiction in such a long time... but the ship called. Kind of. I don't know where I'll be going with this. It's more of an exercise before I go back to other things (if you're one of my readers, you should know what I'm talking about but it involves another girl on fire /cough cough/). This fandom is freshest in my mind, though, so why not use it for a test run. Hope it's enjoyable!

None of this is canon. Just saying...'cause, ya know.

Doppelganger

Odin glances over his shoulder at the young girl, her body curled up in a corner. He puts the ship on autopilot, scratching the back of his neck. Crow and Raven have taken to bed already; the journey from TITAN's planet to home might not be too far but, in hindsight, it's still quite a distance.

Ava sighs, worried about Maggie. They managed to find and take her with them, but Maggie had been less than welcoming. She's currently in another part of the spaceship, sleeping, thankfully. Ava thinks of dropping dead in the heavy blanket that sleep can provide. She yawns.

Odin clears his throat, "You can rest if you w-want."

Ava sniffs, rubbing her eyes, and she attempts to ward off the drowsiness by shaking her head. It doesn't work. She opens her mouth, unable to stifle another yawn.

"You're r-really stubborn." he says.

Ava sticks out her tongue.

He laughs—a quick rush of air, in spite of himself. He is uncomfortable with the desire that Pedri made before they joined together. Odin sighs, knowing that she's thinking about it too.

Maybe that's why she won't sleep. He peeps over at her again—slightly dark crescents are beneath her eyes, shoulders hunched forward.

Ava's head jerks down. She snorts a bit when she hastily catches herself. She pouts, groaning.

"Ava, go to sl-sleep."

"No."

Odin shakes his head, stretching in his seat, rolling back his shoulders, a couple of muscles popping. Ava winces before trying the same. The crick in her neck leaves and it's better, relaxing…

No, no, no.

Odin stands and her heart lurches, making his way over to her. She can feel it thumping, too quick—

He plops down in a lazy heap beside her. Odin blows air out his mouth in a whoosh. He reaches for his pipe out of habit, his fingers on the stem; he freezes, hand hovering. He doesn't have to smoke anymore. Pedri is part of him now…

Odin only began smoking to block out the demon haunting him. He didn't realize how much he actually liked the calm feeling he'd get. He sighs. Something else to get over. He decides to leave the pipe in his pocket. But without the scent of smoke, the distraction that it can provide, he's well aware of her body next to his, warm and inviting, though it shouldn't be.

That's, most likely, Pedri trying to make him feel attached to her. As much as he does rather like Ava, it's not in that way. Odin sums it up to Pedri being demanding; he decides to get this over with.

Odin lays back against the cushion of the seat, head lolling back onto the semi-soft space. He feels Ava scoot away. That's fine. They don't have to be that close for this to work…

Pedri prods him, he can feel it.

Don't move in—it'll freak her out.

Odin scowls, turning to look at her. He finds her face a bright red, and he's almost a bit concerned. "Y-You okay?"

"No, I'm not," she states, crossing her arms, "I don't want to sleep next to you."

"Do I f-finally smell bad to you?"

"W-What?" she asks. Ava then chuckles, her shoulders losing a bit of their tension. That's good.

She looks down, brushing red strands from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Odin almost reaches out to pull it back to the front, run his fingers through the fire. He frowns. That's not good.

"It's just… awkward." she mumbles.

The boy agrees, nodding, hand beside his pocket. Fuck it. He pulls it out, lighter in hand, the flame dancing in his eyes as he places the substance into the bowl. Ava watches him drag a puff of the florem mortem into his mouth, letting the smoke rush out in a shock of purple. She extends her arm out, the smoke fleeting as dreams they want. But she feels the tendrils curl about her fingers, thin, almost intangible, but there.

Odin eyes her fingers splayed, palm open, moving through the haze he's become familiar with. He lets out another waft of dark smog, breath soft as she continues to shift her fingers through. Ava attempts to grip the floating plumes, her expression the same as it was in the woods, where she fiddled with his ring—thoughtful and calm; admittedly, then and now are peaceful moments in the whirlwind he knows as life.

Does she ever get to simply be anything she wants to feel?

…This is not smart reasoning.

He has offered her to come with him many times, and she is with him now, but they are not even close acquaintances. They met by pure accident. There is no divine twist of fate to their joining, even if they are possessed by creatures that did all this on purpose. He had no real obligation to her and neither she to him. He knows she has a mind of her own, which is something he can respect—autonomy is important to him and she values it too, even when she was focused on rescuing her friend. Thus, if she leaves, and she definitely will eventually, he cannot tell her no.

Though Pedri will kill him before that happens.

His breath gently lets out several strands more of amethyst. She still has not grown bored with sifting through it.

Without thinking, his hand rises and pokes her forearm. She jumps slightly. "Sorry."

"S'o-okay," he murmurs, the taste of the flower stuck to his teeth.

Ava shifts in her spot, trying to get more comfortable. The smell is rather pleasant, which is strange since she never thought she'd like the scent of cinders. But it goes nicely with the aroma of pine that Odin has…

"So…you do live in a forest?" she asks.

Odin glances at her sidelong, a bit startled by her question. He didn't think she cared to ask him more about his life. Sure, she asked about his sisters but it was random… this isn't necessary. "Y-Yeah,"

"What's that like?"

Odin thinks, chewing on the bit, "It's pretty n-nice."

"I've never been to a forest with pine trees," she tells him.

"No? You're m-missing out."

"Well, living on that corporate planet does that,"

"H-How'd you know wh-what it smells like then?"

"Pine-scented sprays," she answers, her hand motioning the act of shaking a can and pressing down the nozzle.

"We'll just ha-have to change that, then," he tells her, not liking the idea of one of his favorite places in the world stuffed in a cylindrical canister, as though it can be replicated.

Ava feels a shiver slide down her back, the feeling not unwelcome. She appreciates that he seems to want to include her in things, even if he wasn't the nicest person she met at the beginning. And that's putting it very, very mildly.

She yawns again. This time Odin does the same.

"Why don't you sleep?" she questions, gaze returning to the hypnotic sway of violet vapor, bright eyes moving along to the source, the pipe smoldering. Ava eyes the shape of Odin's mouth, forming an 'O' to release the collected smoke. She keeps her stare on his face, waiting for a reply.

Another inhale; another exhale, "W-Waiting for you to sleep,"

Ava sighs, holding her head. Her eyes are closed and they don't want to open. "It's too weird."

"I'm n-not too enthusiastic about the results e-either."

"Don't want to be in my head?" Ava teases.

Odin's mouth tips upward at the corner, "I guess… minds sh-should be private, right?"

"Yeah…" she whispers, suddenly somnolent.

She knows that Wrathia would much like to reunite with her husband, even if it's not in the material world. Both of them had been separated for fifteen years so it was not impossible to comprehend their desire to see each other. Ava still found it a little perturbing that she and Odin had to be nearby for this to happen. The only way for other souls to communicate would be to sleep by the other. After what happened with Maggie, Ava is a bit apprehensive as to the outcome.

She turns to Odin; his eyes are shut, arms crossed over his chest, pipe still illuminated and giving smoke.

What would his mind be like?

She doesn't know enough about him to wonder.

Ava rests back, sleep at the farthest shore, though she gives her eyes a respite.

Surely his mind is better than hers—this amalgamation of thousands of drawers, ugly, crude and breaking, with thoughts she can remember and others she is afraid to unearth. She still can't believe they managed to get off TITAN's planet relatively safely. Odin had come out of nowhere, sisters in tow, of all people. Odin would've taken her alone if she hadn't pulled her hand back and shouted at him not to forget Maggie.

He'd let out an exasperated groan but did as she said, rushing to where the other girl had last been seen. In one swift movement, he'd tossed Maggie over his shoulder, Ava hastily explaining, and being cut off abruptly when he reached for her hand and ran with her at his side until they reached a ship.

"Ava, what the hell!" Maggie screeched, face twisted in anger.

Ava had held up her hands, trying to calm her down, "Maggie, I was only trying to help—"

"How would you know what could help anyone? I was fine where I was!"

"Maggie, please, I didn't want to leave you behind with TITAN."

"I wasn't with TITAN, you idiot! I was with Gil, who has done a lot more for me than you have,"

Ava could feel the tears threatening to sting her eyes but she held it in, looking at her feet. Why did she always have to feel shame when she did things? "I… just wanted you to be okay."

Maggie's arms coiled into bark and leaves, eyes narrowed, "Well, now you're not going to be,"

Ava snapped her head up, watching the arms lengthen out to her—

Odin tackled Maggie to the ground, gripping her limbs behind her.

"Odin, don't hurt her!" Ava yelled, the pair wrestling against each other on the hard floor. Maggie kicked out, trying to pull back from the boy, screaming and thrashing.

"Y-You're n-not going to do what you d-did last time!" Odin shouted.

Ava turned to find his sisters behind her, their faces perplexed and alert, each with weapons in hand.

Maggie's arms enlarged into trunks as wide as he was, her emotions a torrent in her mind. Furiously, she threw him off her, his body flying against the wall, the sound of bone on metal rattling through the space. Ava felt guilt and worry burn inside her chest, neck hot with searing lava.

"Maggie, stop!"

Ignoring her, Maggie raised the trunks high above her form, bringing them down onto his head—

His hands shot up, arms bending under the weight, but held still the blow. No one expected that.

What they expected even less was the way the trunks began to decay, leaves withering, curling in on themselves until they dryly hit the floor. Maggie screamed in terror, holding her arms against her chest, the bark recessing into flesh, her feet crunching on her own dead parts. She looked at the limbs in horrified confusion until they resembled human hands again.

She turned to face him, shaking, and voice unusually low, "How…"

Odin got to his feet, standing tall above her, "I'm n-not going to say it again. You either do as you're told or I'm abandoning you in the m-middle of space. You've c-caused a lot more trouble than you're worth. I'm fed up with it, and you're trying m-my patience at this point. You attempt to hurt anyone again, and I'll do more than rot your arms."

Maggie simply stared at him. Everyone did.

He turned to his sisters, "Raven, Crow, t-take her to one of the cabins."

Without even quips on him ordering them around, they each took the green-haired girl by suddenly limp limbs.

As they left, Maggie looked over her shoulder, remarking, "And you said I'm a monster."

Ava had looked at him, his back to her as he stared out the window of the ship.

"Odin…"

He didn't look at her.

"When could you do that?"

He sighed. "Just re-recently."

She wrung her hands together, folding them into his jacket. She had thought of the strange symbols that moved on his body in the alleyway and she suddenly felt stupid.

"Do you have a spirit haunting you?"

Odin finally looked at Ava completely, expression one of surprised confusion, "Yeah… b-but we made this pact and now h-he's part of me."

"He? What's his name?"

"P-Pedri. And—"

"Pedri?"

Odin took a step back, "Y-Yes," Suddenly his eyes became slits, peering at her intently, "H-How do you know about him?"

"Oh…" Ava paled before turning a bright orange under his scrutiny. She folded her fingers together, "I… have his wife bonded to me."

Odin quirked a brow, breathing deeply in and out. "I s-see."

They were quiet for several moments, each absorbing the new information. Ava had thought she was incredibly lucky, for once in her life—not only did Maggie have a demon, but Odin did as well. Wrathia might not have use for Tuls but she would most certainly be pleased about her finding the host of her husband. Ava had almost brought that up when Odin had suddenly gone to sit in the seat closest to the piloting system. It obviously bothered him. Maybe he didn't like his demon either. Ava knew how that felt.

Ava walked over to him, staring at the distant planets that peppered the vast darkness. She couldn't find any words to say to him, and there was really nothing to offer that could console him, if that was even the type of assurance he needed. Ava sighed, to which he looked over at her.

"So y-your demon," he began, "Is th-that why you have those fire powers?"

Ava gave him her attention, "Uh, yeah. I still can't control it, as you've seen a couple times."

"With p-practice you'll get the ha-hang of it," Odin said, putting in a few coordinates manually.

She felt much better hearing that but then she scowled, narrowing her gaze, "Wait, if you just bonded with Pedri, how is that you could do what you did to Maggie like that?"

"A f-fluke," he answered breezily, "It wasn't a-all m-me."

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"He's…" Odin broke off, trying to find words, "V-Very protective of you."

Ava blinked, before she muttered, "Right… of course he would be."

Odin glanced at her askance, "When were you s-saddled with yours?"

"Birth."

"F-Fun," he quipped dryly.

"Yep. When did you get him?"

"I was a-about three,"

"That's pretty young,"

"Not as young as bi-birth,"

Ava hummed agreement, somewhat. But she can't help except to think how different this might be for others—Maggie and Odin had gotten Tuls and Pedri out of nowhere, seemingly after living normal lives. She had known Wrathia since forever. She, despite disliking Wrathia, had been used to her all of past and present existence. They did not. Were their adjustments dissimilar? She sighed.

"A-Ava,"

"Yes?"

"…I h-have to ask you something,"

Ava slowly rotated her head to him, "Okay,"

"Pedri, ah… w-wants to see his wife."

"Uh-huh…"

Odin coughed, his fingers moving up to massage his neck, "So. Is there a-anyway to do that?"

Ava felt the blood suddenly burn her cheeks, "No."

"You're l-lying."

"I don't have to tell you anything,"

"Alright, th-that's up to you. But it'll be a lot e-easier if you did."

Ava huffed, chewing the inside of her cheek. That's easy for him to say. "You wouldn't like it."

"It c-can't be that b-bad."

Ava swallowed, turning away from him. Odin edged closer, which caused her to further move away, suddenly too aware of his company. She's not exactly used to that sort of thing.

"Y-You act like it's something…perverted."

Ava whirled to face him, his form barely inches from hers; she lurched back hastily. "It's not perverted!"

His face slackened, unimpressed, "Then wh-what's the problem with i-it?"

Ava hurriedly pushed back the lava threatening to climb in her throat. "It's… well…"

Odin waited, propping his chin on his hand.

"We… have to, um… sleep together."

Odin's face suddenly turned an unobtrusive shade of purple, but it was still there, which showed he couldn't believe it either. Though bewilderment won out as the strongest emotion he showed, his voice managed to remain steady.

"W-What? Sleep together?"

"That's what I think triggers it; or causes it... I'd been thinking and, when I slept beside Maggie, I was able to get in her mind. I think that's how that works."

Odin gradually was blushing less, though violent hues still remained a bit. "Ah… well, if t-that's a-all—"

"What do you mean that's all?" Ava hissed.

Odin returned to a normal hue, with Ava continuing to burn a blazing orange, "We only have to b-be by each other when we sleep. That's n-not as bad as you m-made it seem. Relax, you're go-going to burn right through the f-floor."

"It's too weird!"

"At l-least it's not sex,"

"Odin!" she exclaimed.

"Ava!" he retorted.

The girl's face glowed hotter at that, her hands balling into fists as she glared steadily at him. Odin met her eyes just as easily, seemingly apathetic to her embarrassment; yet beneath the gaze she knew that he was enjoying this, the same way as before. He was teasing her.

"You're such a jerk," she whispered.

"And you're a p-pain."

She glowered at him, his countenance challenging. Neither looked away.

The doors slid open, his sisters standing there. Odin and Ava both turned. She was a bit relieved by the intrusion, since it had begun to feel strange to stare at him like that.

"Odin, come here," the one without the bow in her hair said.

Getting up, he headed over to them, communicating quietly as Ava continued to sit there. He might say she was a pest but he could be cumbersome himself. Ava eyed the siblings over her shoulder, their whispers generally soft until one giggled—the one who did wear a bow—and Odin slapped the girl upside the head. Ava blinked, revolving in her seat. They argued a little more, weapons pointed at him. He didn't even bat an eyelash at. Finally he shooed them out, their voices ringing down the hallway.

He settled beside her and she couldn't help but be a bit fascinated with how he acted with his sisters. She never had the opportunity to have brothers or sisters—the closest she had considered was Maggie herself… the way he and the girls were together made a pang of longing suddenly constrict her chest.

She swallowed, clearing her throat, "What did they want?"

"J-Just telling me your friend's asleep."

Ava sighed, hand on the drawer to her other soul, "Oh, good."

He nodded, eyes set forward.

"What are your sisters' names?"

"C-Crow and Raven. Crow d-doesn't wear the bow," he added for her.

"Ah," Ava said. Then, "They seem nice."

He snorted, "They're f-frigging crazy."

Ava smirked, "They must be related to you."

Odin glanced at her, surprised at her teasing before he smiled a bit, shaking his head.

"How long until we get to your home?"

She didn't see, as she was staring out the window to her right, but his face softened, "A co-couple hours."

They had been silent after that, until they felt the dragging weight of fatigue and here they were.

Ava sighs, breaking out of her reverie. She glimpses at her side, Odin's head bent down; the pipe no longer awake. His head slumps to the side, snoring quietly, his crossed arms slack.

She does not know why she gently takes the pipe from his lips and carefully places it behind his head on the cushion. She does not know why she moves closer to this stranger, his scent a comforting one, a feeling she never thought she'd associate with this boy. She does not know why she pulls his jacket tighter around her body, her heart a cacophony of noise in her ears, boldly placing her head beside his shoulder.

She tells herself she's cold, a flimsy lie.

She tells herself it's so their demons can meet, which is a half-lie, and twice as worse.

She stares at the trail of gooseflesh lighting up her skin, nervousness wracking inside her core. His breath is warm in her hair, a shudder threading down her spine, hitting nerves she wasn't aware of, settling at the base. His face rests snugly atop her crown, tucking her in the crook of his neck. She breathes forests she's never seen and smoke she's never tasted.

She thinks of how easy it'd be to find out the latter, then hastily buries the random thought into drawers, locking them behind other drawers and she won't be able to tell which one contains that notion.

She does not know why.

She blames her demon.

That's always easiest to do.

Sleep comes in a wash of sable colors.

Her demon eyes her curiously. Ava points at the darkness.

Wrathia doesn't need words. She flies, a fleeting light, into the space Ava will not follow.

She doesn't seek him out.

Her body might be by his, but their souls do not have to be—it's only the other two.

The loneliness is not as bad as the fear of someone seeing her psyche and rejecting it.

That she does know.