The Failing Sense (CassandraClare Fanfiction)

Chapter Two- Strangeness and Strangers

Chapter Two – Strangeness and Strangers

“A different object do these eyes require;

My lonely anguish melts no heart but mine.”

                      -Thomas Gray

                “You’re the Dilettante...” Luca realized. She spoke blankly and more to herself than him. She could feel a dull sense of unjust disappointment begin to creep along the fringes of her mind.

                The boy sat up off her, still casting a wary stare in her direction. “The what?” He asked, perplexed. When Luca did nothing but look down, he went on. “Why did you stop me?”

                Luca didn’t reply, as she had just been wondering the same thing herself.

                To her surprise, the Dilettante began laughing. She must have had a ridiculously vacant look on her face, because amusement had quickly altered the boy’s features. He had a charming smile, she noticed. It completely transformed his face, making him appear even more beautiful than before.

                “What is it then? You came up here and pulled me off that ledge with no rhyme or reason as to why?” The Dilettante seemed to find the entire situation beyond hilarious, as he was still laughing hysterically at her.

                Suddenly angry, Luca retorted shortly, “I saved your life.”

                “Sweetheart, one would think the reason I was here was because I didn’t want it saved.” Remnants of the boy’s entertainment still glittered in his eyes. The Dilettante’s strange word choice and light English accent gave him an antiqued feel, and made him sound like he was from a different era, throwing Luca off. She just stared at him, mouth gaping wide to counter his remark, though the words weren’t there.

                He smiled at her warmly, as if she were his only personal inside joke, which only fuelled Luca’s unfathomable annoyance towards him, and said, “Well, come on then. You look positively distraught. Let me buy you something to drink.”

                Unable to come up with a reason as to why not, Luca rose to her feet as the Dilettante began in the direction of downtown, strolling almost nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, which only served to agitate her all the more.

                “My name is Akira Masanori, but you can just call me Akira. And what would your name be? If you don’t mind me asking?”

                “I don’t care what your name is, and I’m not telling you mine,” Luca spat out, surprising even herself. When had she become so angry? This wasn’t like her at all. “I want to go home.”

                Akira stopped abruptly at this and turned around to face her, one eyebrow raised. “Alright, alright,” he said, deliberately.  “I hadn’t meant to overdraw my boundaries. However, it is getting rather late, and a pretty young girl like you doesn’t do well around here at this time of night. At the very least, allow me to walk you there.”

                For the first time since leaving the bridge, Luca took in her surroundings. She had been wildly distracted during her conversation with Akira, and as she looked around, now realized she had no idea where she was. The night had advanced upon the two quickly, veiling the entire area in darkness. How had she not noticed that? On either side of her stood various old buildings she had never seen before. Red brick apartment buildings like the kind seen in movies occupied most of the street, interrupted by a few decrepit storefronts embedded at irregular intervals on each side. Luca couldn’t decipher their contents from where she stood, but the various outlets seemed to have collectively strange names in some foreign language.

                Luca felt a minute prickle of fear besetting her as she looked around. She shouldn’t be here, her very presence felt wrong. She glanced up to see Akira still looking at her expectantly, watchful amusement plastered on his face.

                “Let me take you home,” he recommended, a small smile playing on his lips.

                Knowing he had won, Luca dropped her head in compliance. She had no other choice but to give him her address and follow him closely all the way back. It was only when she saw the bright blue door to her apartment building several minutes later, that the unsettling foreboding that had followed her from that street finally rose off of her. With that out of the way, her annoyance towards Akira then became apparent again when as she realized what he had done.

                She shoved past him and raced up to the doorway, fumbling the keys in her haste.

                She heard Akira’s soft laughter behind her, and shut her eyes in embarrassment. She felt heat rise up in her face, knowing she must be a bright shade of red right now.

                Finally, she got the door open and slammed it behind her without looking back or muttering a single word of gratitude towards Akira.

                As she walked up the endless flights of worn and crooked stairs that led to her top-floor apartment, one thought replayed in her mind, over and over.

                She hated that infuriating man.