Chapter Text
Ephai wasn’t used to being seen. Hell he wasn’t used to a lot of things - basic things like a bed of his own, stable food and amenities and the like, but for some reason the idea of community and a community, by nature of suddenly being a teacher of all things, he was on some level forced to actually participate in was the one that felt the most foreign to him.
Not that he didn’t try his best to still stay hidden. Waystation was… overwhelming to say the least. Everyone was always talking, and he had been in many places before in his travels where people would of course talk - it was inevitable. Other than the odd dead plane, he was constantly moving and existing, invisible within throngs of people and their everyday noises of home, but something about this was different. He was new. He was an exciting little thing to focus on, a change within the world of these people. And he hated it. They were kind enough, but it was all still too much for him. It was much harder to ignore what everyone was saying when they were actually talking at you, calling your name… and god was it weird to hear other people actually call him by it. Even Apollo barely used it with him - for one it seemed a little pointless, who else would he be talking to after all, but mostly he preferred to call him by any variety of insulting things. To be referred to by his name, and not even in necessarily a kind way, even just neutral, was an active force in legitimizing… well, him. He couldn’t be invisible, he was a person. He took up space and existed and the other teachers and staff made sure to acknowledge him, prove his signs of his life, made him feel so visible, too visible, too much, even when most of the time he barely looked at them, let alone responded back.
The most he could say about Waystation, really, was as overwhelming as it was, there were also many hiding places, and he often found himself hiding in the little nooks and crannies, the more shadowy corners, and quiet pockets of less traveled halls, for any moment of quiet respite. The library, in general, was particularly good for that. He was fond of the library. It was supposed to be quiet as a rule, something he was more than happy and eager to abide by, but also he just liked books. He didn’t really have that many possessions or things he could truly call his own when he came to Driftwood. He had a few spare clothes, some basic things for survival, his mouse of course, but what he would truly consider to be more unnecessary and frivolous were the few books he had collected from various planes and kept with him throughout it all. There was a comfort he found in books and words.
Abberon also frequented the library. He was just as eager to learn, hungry to study as always. Ephai didn’t know much about him - not that that was saying much, he didn’t know much about anyone here really by choice, but Abberon especially was a particular mystery. Where practically everyone had tried talking to him, were always trying to include him, and on some level he did appreciate the efforts even if he vehemently refused, Abberon had stayed mostly distant. Anastasia, in a meeting, carefully introduced him to his new coworkers, Abberon, along with everyone, had introduced himself and offered some help if he needed it, to which Ephai responded to as he did with everyone and everything here - silence and barely making any eye contact. After that, Abberon, uniquely, kept his distance. He gave him space after their more than awkward meeting, although Ephai could tell he was often watching him. Studying him in a way. After a month of silently existing and struggling at the school, he had started to find a strange sort of rhythm with an eccentric group he desperately tried to stay invisible in, more often than not staying in his room or visiting the library and maintaining a little understanding and coexistence with Sullivan who always seemed to have little snacks and drinks ready for his visits even if they largely left him alone now, and Abberon who would often sit nearby but quietly kept to his own business - that’s when he first reached out.
Ephai, as he usually did, was trying to read a book. He wasn’t even entirely sure what it was about, he just needed some type of distraction. Apollo had been particularly active the past few days, yelling more than usual, possessing him at least once where Ephai had come back again suddenly deep in the woods to him laughing in his head, barely letting him sleep - he wasn’t sure what had gotten him so riled up this time. Perhaps, it had more settled that Ephai wasn’t leaving this time and wasn’t moving and running like he always did and Apollo was acting out, upset at the sudden change, maybe it was just a general boredom and wanting to fuck with him like always. Who knew? Certainly not Ephai. Apollo had taken to singing now, some song Ephai didn’t recognize, and he had grabbed the first book he saw, desperately trying to read or anything to try and block him out. Try anything to distract himself, find some peace. It was barely working. He had been reading the same line over and over and over again, unable to focus, when Abberon’s voice cut into his mind.
‘ Hello, I don’t mean to intrude. I know you don’t like to talk it seems, so if that is at all difficult, I just wanted to extend another level of communication if you would like and ever need any help with anything.’
Ephai couldn’t stop himself from jumping in his seat at the sudden voice, hitting his knee on the table’s edge. Even Apollo seemed surprised, suddenly stopping his onslaught of music. Ephai could almost cry at that alone, someone actually able to make Apollo be quiet for even just a moment. Abberon for his part was watching him curiously and hopeful, and Ephai looked back, haggard but awestruck at the new unknown power this practical stranger had, the relief he had surprisingly given him. It was enough that Ephai barely even took in what he actually said, just focused in general on his clear voice cutting through all the chaos in his mind, even before Apollo’s silence, where he nearly forgot to actually respond back. He scrambled, desperate to maintain the link, thinking back.
‘ Why is the sky purple?’
It was a stupid question. He kicked himself for it, he knew it was stupid. Even Apollo, though more quiet now, curious to see where this was going, made some sort of smirking scoffing noise at him. But Abberon seemed delighted. His face lightened more, a small smile breaking out on his face. Though he maintained their small distance apart, he turned to face Ephai more, messaging back and going into a long lecture about the plane, the arcane properties and effects. Apollo had shrunk back, or if he had kept talking or singing or anything, Ephai couldn’t hear it anymore. Abberon’s confident voice sang in his voice, and it was far better distraction than any books or anything could ever be. He settled in, leaning his head against his crossed arms on the table, watching Abberon outwardly silent, but slightly still excitedly emoting whenever Ephai asked another simple question to maintain the little moment and peace that Abberon had built.