WELCOME.

.the library ll friday afternoon

She was looking for anything, anything that would give her answers. So far she had found nothing at all. To be fair Dominique hadn't been at the library that long, she'd just come in about twenty minutes ago. Immediately after finishing school, she skipped out on cheer practice and headed for the public library. Nicky preferred to do her research without any lurking eyes, besides she didn't want anyone thinking that she was into witch craft or anything like that. Besides, she was pretty sure that the librarians monitored everything you did on the internet, and she didn't want that. Whether or not the did that at the public library did not concern her, these librarians wouldn't call her grandmother telling her that Dominique was conversing with the devil. She really hated that old women, one of these days she was going to show her exactly what she can do, or at least the darker side of it. Then hopefully the old women would have a heart attack and die, hopefully. Dominique was sure she wouldn't feel bad about it, when it came to Rosa she didn't feel guilty about anything. After all it was that woman's fault that she was in this school girl uniform. Actually it wasn't that bad, but she looked like everyone else half the year, so it was pretty boring.

Dominique wasn't really to sure what to type in, she didn't exactly know what you called her "gift". She could change her face at will, alter her hair color, but she didn't know what else. Or why to be more specific. She'd been reading a book called Activating Evolution lately, but it didn't really give her much help. She thought she might try and find this Suresh guy, he was supposed to be in New York but she's had no luck. Also she wasn't too sure, if she really wanted to know the answer. Maybe she was sick, maybe she was crazy and imagining things, there were lots of possibilities. Then again, she did often use her ability for personal gain, and those around her didn't seem to notice.

After another twenty minutes Dominique logged off the internet, she wasn't finding anything. She thought she might as well, find a seat and starting studying this book. Dominique found a sofa at the back of the library and sat down. She opened the book to a random page, hoping to find what she was looking for. Currently, mankind uses less than a tenth of his brain power; there are even those who believe that we use much less than that. Dominique let out a small laugh, that was something she could believe, with no doubt. She knew lots of people who used much less than that. But what did that mean anyways? That she used more of her brain than others, she highly doubted that. Sure she studied, but aside from that she did nothing else. . And though the human brain is the most remarkable mechanism we know of on earth, it is still highly inefficient and can only interpret the most obvious and base of senses: sight, smell, sound, passion, fear..

"This is starting to make a little more sense." she whispered to herself. "Except its really boring."

This was the only thing that was only slightly similar to what Dominique could do. Still she didn't see anything that explained to her exactly what she could do. She began to think that she should either give up, or maybe look up the University this man worked at. Better yet, she should look him up, for all she knew he could be a dead man.

River wasn't quite sure what she was looking for. Granted, oftentimes when she came to the library she had no clear idea of what books she wanted to look at or what information she needed. She simply had a vague inclination to go to the library, so she went. Besides, she liked it there. It was almost always quiet, and the shelves upon shelves of books exuded comfort and... homeliness. That's what it was--the library was like a second home to the young girl. She loved reading above all else, and half the time she went to the library without knowing what she wanted, and leaving with an armload of books she could barely see over; that was more of a problem when she couldn't drive. However, this time wasn't like the others before it. She knew vaguely what it was she wanted to know, but she didn't really know what to look for. It was more like she had a question that she couldn't really put into words, but which she wanted answered. The question ran something along the lines of 'What am I?', but it didn't get much more specific, and she doubted there would be a book titled 'Celeste Keeves' which would hold the answer. Still, there was no harm in trying--maybe the books would help her find the question, as well as the answer.

River blinked a few times, her serene hazel orbs focusing on the bright red stoplight, patiently waiting for it to change to green. When it did, River eased on the gas and guided her silver Mercedes smoothly down the block, rounding the corner and coming to the library parking lot. It took her two minuets at most to find a place--it was remarkably crowded for a Friday afternoon. She walked up to the great stone building, her floor length, burgundy-colored skirt billowing about her legs as a breeze picked up. When she entered the building, out of the clutches of the wind, she took a second to straighten her white blouse--she wasn't exactly a neat freak, but she often came across as such.

Now, what did I come here to get? the young girl wondered, trying to pin a place to start her search--for what, she still didn't have much of a clue. Glancing around the first floor of the library, she saw one other person, odd considering how many cars were in the parking lot. But it was the girl that caught her interest. She looked very familiar for some reason, though River was sure she hadn't met her before, or she would have remembered. River absentmindedly rubbed her thumb over her fingernails as she thought, trying to think of why the girl looked so familiar--it was one of her habits, that and tracing a finger along the four crescent-moon scars each of her palms was graced with. They came from her first manifestation of her powers--when she had watched her mother die, she had clenched her hands into fists, and it wasn't until much later that she noticed they were bloody, when she finally uncurled them and saw how long and sharp her fingernails were.

River realized she probably looked a little on the loony side, staring off into space in the middle of a library like she was. So she approached the girl, glancing at the title of the book. 'Activating Evolution' was the title, and she thought it might just have some of the answers and questions she was seeking. "Interesting book, that," River began, in her normal, cheery voice. "Sounds like something I've been looking for myself, recently," she added, voice slightly distant as her eyes glazed over for a brief moment, remembering... but then her gaze refocused once more on the girl before her. Why did she look so familiar? "Have we met before?" River asked, tilting her head, giving the girl a questioning look.

The book was stupid.

Okay no it wasn't, but Dominique was honestly not finding anything useful in it. It said a lot about human evolution, but nothing directly related to her or what she could do and that's what she was curious about. Not how some lizards could regrow their foot if they wanted. Who the hell wanted to read about that? Dominique was staring at the pages but she wasn't reading them she was thinking. She wondered how far her abilities could go, if maybe one day her entire body could take on another humans form, or perhaps even an animal. She could change her face anyway she wanted, but that was the extent of it all. In fact, if she wanted to look ugly and bloody, she was sure she could that. But could she grow whiskers if she wanted? Most importantly why didn't the rest of her change? And why couldn't she change her skin color? This book did not have answers. Finally shutting the book, she pulled out a small silver mirror and stared into it. Easily her eyes changed from their ice blue color, to gray, then green, then finally back to blue. She supposed she could have kept them gray or green, but she didn't want to. Gold eyes would be so awesome! she smiled to herself.

"Interesting book, that," River began, in her normal, cheery voice. "Sounds like something I've been looking for myself, recently,"

Dominique turned her eyes away from her mirror slowly. Right now she was feeling pretty self conscious. She was very worried that the girl might have seen what she just did then, and she couldn't think of any believable lies to tell. Sure she was good at them, but something like this would be hard to explain. What would she say 'Oh it's nothing, just some really cool contacts.' or 'It's a disease.' Actually for all Nicky knew, it could have been a disease. Dominique looked up at the girl reclining in her chair, and examined her. Very pretty, but that skirt. It was so long, and so burgundy, that was the ugliest color on earth. She couldn't take her eyes off of it, the thing looked like something her grandmother would by from a thrift shop. 'Such a lovely face, but such terrible fashion sense, worst than Micheal Jackson.' Dominique didn't realize that she was slowly shaking her head until the girl spoke again.

"Have we met before?"

Dominique examined the girl yet again, still not saying anything. What did she want? Of course they hadn't met before, she'd remember. Ever since she got her ability, or at least realized she had one, she made a point of memorizing people's faces so she could copy them later. She took a close look at the girl, she did look a little familiar now that she was really seeing her. But who was she? She honestly couldn't put her finger on it, and now it was starting to drive her nuts. Nicky supposed the only way to find out would be through introductions. There was no other way, it's not like either of them were wearing a name tag. So it left her with no choice, she really wanted to know where she remembered her from. Not remembering someone or something was the most obnoxious feeling ever, it drove Dominique nuts.

Normally Dominique would never introduce herself to a stranger, especially not this one. She could have been a crazy serial rapist or something. "No...I don't think so..." she said before returning to her book. That's right the book, the girl had said something about it earlier. "So what exactly about this book attracts you..uh?" she tried to find some indication of the girls name. "Sorry who are you?" that came off a lot ruder than Dominique would have hoped. Normally she was pretty sweet to strangers, and cold to...well sadly friends. "Sorry. I'm Dominique Smith, you are?" This time she made sure to be polite about it.

'Why the hell did I just tell granny my name?'

If River hadn't trained herself from a fairly young age to trust her instincts, she would have thought that what she had just witnessed was a trick of the light. After all, how many people stared into a mirror to watch their eye color change? Her instincts, however, told her not to dismiss what she had just seen as anything less than what she perceived it to be--a power of some sort. Sure, River's eye color tended to change, ranging from bright green to dark blue, but only in accordance with swings of emotion, and they never did cycles like that. Interesting... River mused, a thoughtful look in her eyes. From the expression on the girl's face, that was something she hadn't meant for anyone to see, which further cemented her suspicions. She didn't want to mention it, though--she had spent enough of her life keeping knowledge of her power from others that she could recognize when someone else was doing the same. She doubted the girl would fess up to being an 'evolved human', even if confronted, so why bother? Either she'd get comfortable enough with River to do so, or she wouldn't, and with the reaction River was getting, she suspected the latter.

She glanced down at her skirt, noticing that the girl seemed to be staring at it, and smiled herself; she recognized that expression. Many a person wore that look when glancing at her in whatever outfit she had chosen for the day. She never pretended to be one of those girls who was wrapped up in who was wearing what and what blouse went with what skirt, and looking perfect every minuet of the day. She had her own style of dressing, and while it wasn't up to par with what most people considered 'good fashion', River couldn't care less what others thought. She wore what was comfortable and what she liked the look of. She couldn't help but shake her head a little as the girl continued to stare at her skirt. She thought it was funny how superficial some people--in fact, most people--could be.

River focused once more on the girl before her, trying to place her face with a name in her head. The problem was, nothing was coming up. It was like meeting someone you last saw a lifetime ago, and their name is on the tip of your tongue... but you just can't figure it out, and it finally seems enough to drive you insane. It's like that 'brain itch', as River likes to call it, that you get when someone asks you a question, and you know the answer, but you can't put it into words. River was so wrapped up in trying to rake her memory for anything that might give her the answer she wanted, she almost missed it when the girl started to talk.

Hmmm, maybe I'm just psyching myself out, she thought, when the girl said she didn't think they'd met before. Besides, I'm good with faces; if I'd truly met her, I'd know who she was. She hoped, anyway. It was rather disconcerting to meet someone that you're certain you've never met before, yet equally certain that you should remember. "Sorry, who are you?" the girl asked, and River couldn't help but purse her lips slightly at the rudeness. She didn't like it when people were rude to her for no reason. Still, she supposed she had been rather abrupt and forward in approaching this girl, so it was only to be expected. Besides, she reworded the question in a much more polite tone. "Sorry. I'm Dominique Smith, you are?" River's hazel eyes widened, her mind jumping into overdrive. Smith? She can't mean... that would be too coincidental. I mean, there are tons of Smith families around... aren't there?

River realized that she probably looked like a gaping idiot, and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She offered a smile and held out her hand for the other girl to shake, if she so chose--it was force of habit for River, so she wouldn't be too offended if her hand went disregarded. "My name is River. Well, Celeste Keeves, but everyone calls me River." She hoped that the other girl would recognize her name as well, so she could convince herself she wasn't going mad. "As to your other question... I needed to do some research." It wasn't a lie--River didn't like lying. She just didn't give all the information. She did want the book for research, she just didn't care to give out exactly why she wanted to do said research. River was a naturally trusting girl, but she had known instinctively ever since her power had shown itself that she couldn't let normal people know of it. Luckily for her it was a small thing, but even so humans tended to be unreasonable when confronted with the unexplainable. River glanced down at the book on the table once more. "That book seems like it might have what I'm looking for."

Keeves? Why did that name sound so familiar?

It was like a math problem after hearing the girls full name, and staring into her face she finally remembered. She was little Celeste Keeves, from those family cook outs her parents used to have. That is before, Dominique's father died, and Elizabeth went crazy. But then it couldn't be her, she hadn't seen that family since she was five. Then again how many times did you run across a girl named Celeste River Keeves, it was a pretty unique name. Dominique frowned trying to think hard about what exactly those cook outs were. Her and River used to play together back then, but now it seemed both were older, and both very different. Even if they were both the same, they weren't five and agreeing to be "friends forever" wasn't as simple as exchanging a hot dog. "You're not Keeves, from those weird business cookouts are you?" she asked forgetting about the book. "Because there was this girl...."

Dominique was starting to feel very awkward sitting down, while River was still standing. As it didn't seem like there was anywhere for the other girl to sit, Dominique stood up to face her. No she was sure, it was her , she looked exactly the same....only older. Dominique smiled "Oh my God you are her!" This was the most excitement she'd had in, well since she discovered her abilities. Suddenly she'd forgotten about why she came to the library, about Suresh, the book, and whether or not River saw her little show. Wait, did she even call her River back then? It was a really strange feeling seeing her after, what was it, twelve years maybe. To be honest she didn't remember much about the girl, just her face and the name. Also a few games they used to play at those horribly boring cookouts but that was it. Dominique didn't have her abilities then, otherwise she would have probably occupied her time with that.

Dominique put the book down on the chair that was now behind her. Suddenly it wasn't as interesting, as Celeste...River. "So how's your family? Better than mine I hope." she smiled. She was being unusually pleasant to River, maybe it was because she no longer considered her a stranger. It was more like a very old friend. While didn't seem to like her much at first glance, she was willing to give her a chance. That is if River, didn't mind catching up with Dominique. 'Or maybe bringing up families isn't the best thing. If she asks about mine, oh that'll be embarrassing.' Dominique supposed she could always just lie, she was pretty good at that. However, her family problems being common knowledge was the small obstacle that stood in her way. They used to be so happy back when she knew River, that's what made her want to lie about it.

'Well I really do hope her family is in better shape.' Nicky didn't remember the Keeves very well, she knew River was the only child they had at the time, and they seemed very happy. For all she knew, she could be remembering the wrong parents. 'Too late to take it back now, might as well just grin.' That's exactly what she did, she smiled.