Futurefic: AU that takes place a few years after everyone graduates Bloors. I am not going to guarantee any pairings as of yet, because I honestly have no idea who is going to end up with whom. I have ideas, but who knows…

A/N: So this was originally going to be a one-shot for Unusual Attractions…and then it grew… (multichapter)

Chapter One

In Which Gabriel is Ambushed, Emma Contemplates her Wolfish Roommate, Billy is Wrong Again, Tancred Wins As Usual, Charlie Ignores Several Phone Calls, and There is a Serious Aisle Crisis

Gabriel Silk loved department stores almost as much as he loved gerbils. Since the time he'd discovered his endowment, the huge stores had become a place of refuge, a place where he could become just another anonymous shopper basking in the glory of un-owned clothing. He reveled in browsing among items that hadn't been felt by human hands, clothing that hadn't been filled with memories, and fabric that wouldn't make him want to pass out when he touched it.

When he was little, trips to the department store usually occurred only once a year, so his mother could buy him school clothes nobody had worn yet. He'd always begged to go more often, but there'd always been reasons to put it off, or simply not enough money. After graduating Bloors, Gabriel had moved to the city, and taken a rather unfulfilling desk job with an antivirus software company, mostly because it provided little human contact. However, the job provided the money to buy an attractive Habitrail for his gerbils, and gave him the opportunity to visit department stores whenever he liked. Which was often.

Today he'd decided to peruse the third floor in hopes of finding a tie for Olivia and Lysander's engagement party. The two had announced their relationship a few months after Olivia had graduated (everyone had pretended to be surprised), and Lysander had proposed a few weeks earlier. Personally, Gabriel thought it was a miracle the two had lasted as long as they had, but he figured love was pretty inexplicable like that.

He'd never been in love himself. There had been a few girls at Bloor's, but he'd always been too shy to talk to them, or too scared of rejection. Even now, the girls he went out with rarely made it past date number two. He and Charlie had tried to figure out the reason for his lack of romance at the gang's ritual Thursday pub night, but they hadn't come up with any solutions (although to be fair, they'd both been highly sloshed, and Emma had been crying since Tancred had come with someone else…again. Gabriel thought the girl should just say something already. After all, it had been nearly ten years…). He shrugged to himself. Whatever the reasons, it had nothing to do with the here and now. Here and now, he needed a tie. Preferably a tie that came in its own plastic box. He'd just stepped off the escalator when he saw her. He'd become so used to the anonymity of the store that it took a moment to recognize the familiar face browsing half-heartedly among the scarves and tights.

Dorcas Loom.

Dorcas had been the only other endowed with a clothing related talent, although hers tended towards bewitching rather than extracting memories. Gabriel was shocked to see her in the store; he hadn't thought about her in years. He remembered she'd briefly dated Manfred during her last few years at school, but she'd inexplicably cut off her association with the entire Bloor family soon after graduation, and disappeared. Apparently she'd also moved to the city.

He edged forward, intrigued despite himself. She'd changed since she graduated. In school, she'd been a pale, puffy-faced girl with a sour expression and a perpetual frown. Ten years later, she'd lost quite a bit of weight, and her face had none of the hardness it had when at Bloor's. She was still rather short, and had the same long blond hair and huge blue eyes she'd possessed as a teen. Gabriel watched as she picked up a scarf, examined it, and set it back down. She didn't seem to be up to anything suspicious, but he couldn't be sure. Suddenly, she looked up, her eyes locking with his across the tie display. He instinctively ducked behind some handbags.

It wasn't until he was huddled on the floor that he began to get angry. The store was his sanctuary, his place of refuge. He'd nearly convinced himself that he was over the paralyzing shyness that had plagued him as a teenager, but one sight of his old schoolmate and he was suddenly thirteen again, and remembering the way his throat would close up when confronted with people he didn't know. He shook his head, mentally telling himself that he was twenty-three years old, and he shouldn't have to cower on the floor because of a girl (although he wasn't sure if he could call her a girl, despite the slim hips and large eyes). Lost in his mental battle, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Gabriel Silk?" Dorcas' voice had none of the malice he'd become used to hearing at Bloor's. Instead, it had only a gentle curiosity combined with vague amusement.

"Were you bewitching those scarves?" he blurted, since her amused gaze made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"No," she said slowly, "I was looking at them, so I could buy one. In case it escaped your notice, it is cold outside, and many people enjoy wearing scarves to keep their necks warm." She was still looking at him with a smile, and he was surprised to find he was blushing.

"Oh," he said lamely, since there didn't seem to be anything else to say. He looked down at his feet, and wondered what, exactly, a person was supposed to say to someone who didn't exactly seem to be a mortal enemy, but certainly wasn't a friend.

"So, how've you been?" she asked, as though he hadn't just made a complete and utter fool of himself.

"Good…really…good," he managed, standing and attempting to recover what was left of his dignity, hoping that she couldn't tell he was lying, but pretty sure she could.

-x-

"I really think this one is going to work out," Asa proclaimed, dropping a grocery bag on Emma Tolly's kitchen table and leaning his elbows on the counter. Emma looked up blankly from the eggplant she was chopping.

"Did you guys get another gig at that brewery or something?" she asked, neatly scooping up the purple vegetable and adding it to the pan of stir-fry she was making. She honestly had no idea what her roommate was talking about, but with Asa, it was usually better to hazard a guess than say nothing.

"No, I mean the new band!" He leaned forward, watching her as she moved on to another eggplant. "You know I haven't been with Fluorescent Robots since they wanted to do a cover of 'Dust in the Wind.' I told them last week that I had my standards, and Kansas is not included. I could handle Annie Lennox, but I do draw the line at Kansas."

Emma smothered the sarcastic reply on the tip of her tongue. Fluorescent Robots was the fourth band Asa had quit in the last month (in addition to being fired from two jobs), but no matter what, he remained stubbornly optimistic that there was something better on the horizon. Now he stepped back, sniffed the air, then flopped onto the couch and fixed Emma with a baleful look. "Also, you know I hate eggplant. I'm a red meat only kinda guy."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Eggplant was the cheapest vegetable at the grocery store. If someone hadn't gotten fired, again, and forgotten to pay his share of the rent this month, we might have something different. You'll eat what I cook and like it."

Despite her words, there was no real rancor in her voice. She knew as well as he did that no matter how much he complained, he always ate whatever she made since he couldn't cook his way out of a paper bag.

"Sometime, when I get enough money, I'm going to bring home burgers, and then we'll see who's laughing," he said darkly, pushing his messy red hair out of his eyes and scrunching further down onto the couch.

Emma sighed, knowing it was always best to use a distraction when Asa started talking about meat (since she didn't feel like reminding him that she'd been a vegetarian for the past eleven years) and said, "So, tell me about the new band."

He brightened, sitting up. "Well, they're called 'the Sneakoscopes' and as far as I can tell, they are kind of Journey meets John Mayer meets U2 meets Scorpions with a dash of the Cure and some Poco for variety. You know, pretty standard."

"Huh," Emma said, turning back to the stir-fry.

"They actually have some fairly decent originals though, and their covers aren't bad," Asa offered. "I have a gig with them next Thursday if you want to come."

"I have to work late, but I'll try to make it," she said, pulling the pan off the stove and emptying it onto their plates. "Here, have some stir-fry."

He grinned at her and stood up, stretching his arms over his head, and causing his threadbare t-shirt to ride up slightly. Emma hastily looked down, focusing on the vegetables. Moments like this sometimes made her forget that she was already in love, and had been in love, with Tancred Torsson almost her entire life. Even if he hadn't realized it yet, she was sure it was just a matter of time.

Besides, Asa was a wreck. A complete wreck, she told herself firmly. He constantly switched between playing in bands and working, and lately it seemed like the smallest excuse was enough to quit. He quit bands because he "hated the set list" or "the sound at the gig wasn't mixed right" or "their name sounded stupid." He was fired because he "got bored" or "mouthed off" or "accidentally set fire to one of the printers." He'd recently been fired from the marketing company he'd been working for and was working for minimum wage at a local record store. Not exactly Emma's idea of an ideal provider.

Although, Emma conceded, it wasn't exactly as though she was living her dream job either. Working long hours at a desk on a salary that could barely keep her dressed was not really where she'd imagined herself when she'd graduated. She told herself she was just working her way up. Eventually people (ok, Tancred) would see how valuable she really was, and then she'd be promoted, with a corner office, and even her own extension line. It was just a matter of time. At least that's what she told herself when her boss made her stay late without pay… again. However, Emma was getting used to living life in a way that wasn't exactly planned…like having Asa as a roommate.

After his family had nearly been killed, Asa completely disappeared, and Emma nearly forgot about him until he had inexplicably turned up on her doorstep with no job, no money, and a plea to stay "just a few days" until he "got things settled." Emma, bleeding heart that she was, couldn't refuse.

He was much thinner than she remembered, though he had been skinny to begin with. There were new shadows under his eyes, and his trademark smirk had been replaced with a wary, hunted expression. His hair was much darker, and his freckles had faded, as though he had spent a long time indoors. The combination of changes made him appear almost delicate, although when he met her eyes, Emma could still see traces of the predator buried below his cautious exterior.

A few days had turned into a few weeks, which eventually turned into a few months. She'd never told him to leave, and he'd never found a new place. Emma found she was more or less stuck with Asa Pike as a permanent roommate who couldn't cook, couldn't hold down a job, was usually late on the rent, and somehow always managed to convince her not to kick him out. He now had two drawers in the bedroom, shared the closet, slept on the couch, and occasionally fixed the leaky showerhead.

"Why me?" she'd asked him once. "Why not Charlie or Lysander?" He'd avoided her eyes and tried to change the subject, but she'd badgered him until he finally said, "You saved my life once, you know. I figured you'd be pretty good at it a second time around." Secretly Emma suspected it was also because Lysander was getting married and Charlie was mostly too frazzled to live with anyone.

She snuck a glance at Asa, who was eating his vegetables with a contented look on his face.

Sometimes Emma wondered what had happened during the time between graduation and when he'd turned up, hollow-eyed at her door. It was one of the few things they never talked about; he didn't bring it up, and she didn't ask.

"Oh, Emma, I forgot to tell you, Mrs. Readling in 4C called again. Apparently Mittens is missing again, and she suspects foul play. I told her you'd look into it," Asa mumbled around a mouthful of vegetables. Emma mentally resisted the urge to throw the frying pan at him.

-x-

Billy Raven watched with satisfaction as the doves carried the delicately scented arrangement of lilies to the third floor window. He'd given extremely specific instructions this time, and was confident that the flowers would actually reach their intended destination. He watched the doves tap the window, and then saw a slender dark-haired girl lean out to take them. She opened the card and read it, brow wrinkling in confusion. It was then that Billy noticed that her hair was somewhat longer than it had appeared from outside the window. He felt his heart sink.

He'd gotten it wrong again. He knew he should have used pigeons.

Although he'd worked with Inez Branko for almost a month, they'd never actually spoken, a situation Billy intended to change as soon as possible. They'd shared several looks across the room, and Billy had come up with the idea to have some of his dove friends deliver a bouquet to her house. He'd picked the perfect flowers and found the prettiest doves. Unfortunately, the doves had delivered the bouquet to her twin sister Idith.

He'd thought the doves had simply made a mistake, and had tried again the next week, and the next. Now, watching Idith gaze out the window with a small smile on her face, Billy was beginning to suspect foul play. Looking up at the window, he narrowed his eyes. Certain winged creatures had some explaining to do.

-x-

Tancred glanced blearily at Manfred, who was clutching his cup and looking completely sick.

"Give it up Bloor, you can't handle any more," he said, nearly falling off his seat and reaching for another glass.

"I can call my second, can't I?" Manfred said peevishly, gesturing to Joshua, who was glancing at the two with an expression of revolted fascination.

"No! You know the rules!" Tancred said, wiping his mouth and picking up his cup again. "Last one to finish all ten milkshakes has to buy drinks for the winner and his friends at the pub next Thursday. We've been doing this for three years and you ask the same thing every time." And I've won every time too, he added mentally. Manfred sighed, but reached for his drink. Joshua gave a half-hearted clap, while Zelda didn't even bother to pretend she was interested. Dagbert was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't surprising, since the drowner usually didn't show up until the end of the weekly challenge anyway. Tancred simply concentrated on his drink. A little bit of healthy competition always made him feel more in control, and more ready for the week. One last sip, and he set his glass triumphantly on the table.

"I win," he said, striving for nonchalance, but only managing smug. "See you on Thursday for drinks then." He stood, dropped a handful of cash on the table and sauntered towards the door, leaving Manfred and his disgruntled followers with a parting breeze. Victory was sweet indeed.

Joshua gave Manfred a reassuring pat on the back. "Maybe next week we shouldn't suggest a physical challenge. I bet you could beat him in Pictionary."

Manfred simply shot the younger boy a withering stare. "Joshua, shut up." He knew eventually, Torsson would get his, and then revenge would be sweet. It would be sweet indeed.

-x-

Charlie Bone woke up with a headache for the fourth day in a row, and was tempted to stay in bed. He'd let another call go to voicemail, which made three calls from Olivia, one from Tancred, two from Emma, one from Benjamin, one from Asa, and one from Fidelio that he knew he should answer, so unfortunately, staying in bed wasn't exactly an option.

Sometimes Charlie wished he hadn't been stuck with the job of being the glue in the group. He was happy that his friends trusted him, and liked being trusted with everyone's secrets, but lately, it seemed that whenever there was a problem, he was always the first one anybody called.

He checked his phone, sighing. It figured that out of all the people that called him, there were no messages from the one person he really wanted to talk to. Out of all his friends, Naren was the only one who never called him with her problems. He found that when he talked to her, he didn't have to help her. He could just be Charlie, not an advice guru or a problem solver; he could talk about anything. Except the fact that he loved her and she was dating his best friend. He hadn't quite gotten around to that part yet. Just then, the phone started to ring. Charlie buried his head under the covers and decided to phone in sick.

-x-

Olivia Vertigo wondered if there was an endowment that helped to get bloodstains out of other people's carpets. She'd tried several times to create the illusion of clean carpet, but as soon as she turned away or lost concentration, it faded back to its gruesome appearance. The more she concentrated, the more the stain seemed to spread. Honestly, how was she supposed to waltz down the aisle on the happiest day of her life when she was going to have to concentrate on making a huge stain disappear? Stupid bridesmaids, she thought, kicking at the stain vindictively.

"Rosalind!" she called impatiently. The wedding planner sighed, and turned from the caterer, where she was attempting to explain that the bride wanted tiny purple dancing princesses all over the cake. In French.

"Yes Olivia?" she asked, wondering what impossible thing the young woman would ask for next. Olivia's suggestions tended towards the impractical, fanciful, and occasionally bordered on downright absurd. Rosalind had already changed the food twice, the decorations three times, and the flowers five times.

"I don't think we can use this place for the wedding. There is a spot in the aisle. I cannot go forward with the greatest role of my career if the carpet is stained!" Her voice began to rise hysterically, and Rosalind hurried from the caterer to inspect the spot. She peered at the spot, finally making out a tiny brown stain near the corner of the aisle.

"I don't think that it's anything to worry about," she said neutrally, hoping to cut off another Olivia tantrum. Apparently though, it was the wrong thing to say.

"Anything to worry about? I am getting married in less than a week, and I am not walking down a filthy aisle!" Olivia shrieked.

"Something wrong?" a calm voice broke through Olivia's shrill rant. Rosalind looked up thankfully, catching sight of Olivia's fiancé, Lysander Sage. Lysander had been the bright spot about working with Olivia. He remained completely unruffled by the girl's indecisiveness, and usually managed to calm her down. Olivia looked up gratefully and clutched at his sleeve.

"Sander, we can't possibly get married! I do love you, but this church!" she pointed dramatically at the stain. "It can't possibly work out, and it's-"

"Maybe we can just put down a piece of decorative fabric or something," Lysander suggested mildly, cutting off his fiancée in the middle of her tirade. Olivia paused, and then pursed her lips, thinking. Then her eyes began to sparkle.

"Oh Sander," she gushed, "that is just so brilliant! We can do it in purple with sparkles and edge it with flowers-" Rosalind smiled to herself as the couple walked out of the church, hand in hand. As impossible as she was, it was nice to see kids who were so in love. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a young man with messy brown hair in wrinkled clothes, clutching a violin case.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he said hesitantly, "but I just talked to your secretary, and she told me you'd know where to find Olivia Vertigo." He ran one hand through his hair. "It's really important. I just…haven't seen her in a long time."

"I'm sorry, you just missed her" Rosalind said, but then because he seemed so desperate, she added "Can I give her a message for you?" He thought for a moment, and then said, "Could you tell her that Fidelio Gunn needs to see her?"

A/N: Sorry about the Cliffhanger end…updates as they come, classes are pretty crazy now, but I will try to update pretty quickly. Next chapter will hopefully have the gang together, and have Ben and Naren as well! Please Review (hint- the more reviews I get, the more quickly I tend to update…)