CHALLENGE RULES:
1. No more than five hundred words. Minumum of one-hundred words limit.
2. Must be written from the viewpoint of a third party; could be a rival love interest, the hapless matchmaker, a sibling or best friend, et cetera.
3. EXTRA: include external reference to other media; could be from a book, tv series, song, internet memes, viral video, popular news story, et cetera. Bonus points the reference is included in the title.
Chemicals React
Ian had always been talented in chemistry. During his education, never once had his marks dropped below a 98%, and he had claimed the title of the highest-scoring student in the entire continent for seven years running. With a gift like that, it was hard not to draw parallels between the subject that he had always so effortlessly excelled in and the most important things in his life- and that included people. Especially people, actually. People, and the way they interacted- it was not so different to a reaction between two different chemicals.
Take Adam and Samus, for example. It was one of his most fascinating cases, one that he came back to time and time again.
His brother was easy to gauge; patient yet inexorable, versatile but knowing where his strengths lay best, a neutral figure but merciless when crossed- if ever there was a person who suited the element of water, it was Adam Malkovich. He could adapt to any situation he wanted or sculpt it into something to his liking, as cryptic and commanding as the ocean waves, but relentlessly warm and gentle as summer rain when he wished to be. But Samus; gifted and volatile in equal measures, passionate but disturbingly cold and aloof, utterly fearless on the battlefield with a frosty armour of steel guarding her gentle heart- the teenage warrior was pure potassium, through and through. Her spirit burned as blindingly white as the midday sun, but her exterior quickly sealed over with a dull and heartless shell as soon as the battle was over.
The analogy was perfect. Water and solid fire- what could be more appropriate?
His conviction was only compacted when he watched his brother and the rebellious soldier interacted; he noticed the silent irritation flashing in Adam's eyes whenever she openly opposed him in that curt tone of hers, saw the deeply envious but admiring expression that played across Samus' face whenever the commander pointed out a flaw in her logic or gave her criticism. Whenever he saw hit, he came back to it: potassium and water in a glorious explosion of purple flame, wisps of smoke rising from the surface that sparkled as though it was encrusted with amethysts. Every time they clashed, it seemed that the air might suddenly crackle with a flare of lilac sparks any moment, a burst of hydrogen gas ignited by the violent reaction of two very different substances, sending violet shadows dancing across the walls.
He didn't believe in such things, but in those moments, he could have sworn that the planets of the solar system all aligned.
Still- there was one more thing: something that had nothing to do with chemistry, but made him more certain than ever that, somehow, the meeting of Adam Malkovich and Samus Aran was preordained by fate. The reason why he remained silent- even if there was nothing in what he saw between them.
Ian smirked to himself.
His brother had always had a thing for blondes.