[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

"Cool, I've got chairs too." Sonnet tries to ignore the fact that her voice comes out huskier even than normal. Instead she careful leads Evelyn into the building. The night watchman glances up as she enters, but knows better than to comment on her arrival. She'll have to ensure that his envelope is extra thick this month, she doesn't want any word of her having a female guest to spread, no matter how innocent. She stays away from Evelyn in the lift, consciously controlling their proximity. At least there is a handrail in there, so Evelyn should have no need of Sonnet's support. At least not until they arrive on Sonnet's floor. She takes her arm again then, steering her carefully through the corridors until they arrive at her own door. It only takes a moment to get the door open and Evelyn into the apartment. She leaves Evelyn at the door, striding away into the kitchen to pull a bottle of sake from the cupboard. It's good stuff, but it barely touches the sides as she twists the cap off and pours a good measure down her throat. It burns on the way down, and she gasps as the sensation wakes her a little. It won't take long for the booze to kick in, but right now the strong flavour has sharpened her senses. She turns back to the door, to Evelyn. A careless gesture appears to take in the entire apartment. The room is open plan, a well fitted kitchen and breakfast island taking up one side of the room, while expensive designer furniture in black and white fill the lounge. The bed is large, immaculately made, and dressed in silk sheets. The wooden katanakake stands in the corner, brooding. It's been a while since she drew one of those swords in anger. "Make yourself at home…" The buzz is definitely making itself known at the back of her skull now.

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

”Chairs…” she repeated happily, content. Barely conscious of her surroundings, she followed Sonnet into the apartment building, tripping over her feet, steadying herself on Sonnet’s shoulder. She giggled a little at her own clumsiness. For some reason, everything was a lot funnier than it used to be. For a moment she wondered why that was, then remembered the alcohol. She let out yet another drunken laugh for forgetting the reason she was in this state.

Sonnet distanced herself from Evelyn in the elevator, which upset Evelyn. She missed the support and she liked Sonnet’s touch. It was comfy. Did she do something wrong? Did she upset Sonnet? She wanted to ask, but the movement of the elevator made her stomach lurch. As her body moved up, her stomach moved down. It was highly uncomfortable, and she was once again afraid that if she opened her mouth all that would spill out would be the contents for her stomach. She leaned heavily on the handrail and focused intensely on keeping what was inside of her body inside.

She hummed happily as Sonnet took her arm again, letting the woman lead her to her apartment. Once they arrived, Sonnet left Evelyn at the door. She held onto the door frame, her stomach swirling around inside her body. Once she felt steady enough, she walked into the apartment and collapsed into the nearest aforementioned chair. She furrowed her brow as she saw Sonnet in the kitchen drinking what looked like alcohol. ”Gimme some,” she said, stretching out her arm, making a grabbing motion with her hand.

She looked around the apartment. It was a nice place, though something in particular caught her eye. ”Are those swords?” she asked, squinting. ”Why do you have swords?” She got up from the chair and stumbled her way over to the weaponry. ”I’ve never used a sword before, I’ve always just used knives.” She grabbed one and swung it awkwardly in the air, giggling at the movement of the blade. ”This is fun. Do you cut people with this?”

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

Stiffening up, Sonnet takes a half step towards Evelyn as she catches up the sword from the katanakake. She's halfway to hitting the other woman, and it is only because of her clear intoxication that she holds back. Even the danger of the idly swung sword wouldn't have stopped her. Despite her restraint her fists clench and her jaw tightens. Her whole body is vibrating like a bowstring. The sword is one Sonnet never takes out, a fine length of folded and beaten steel that screams quality and age. It used to belong to her father. Rarely, if ever, she might remove it from the katanakake, but never would she swing it so carelessly. Carefully, Sonnet sets the bottle on the kitchen island. This also gives her the excuse to move closer to Evelyn without appearing to do so with hostile intent. Every fibre of her being is screaming at her, but she holds back. "Evelyn…" The tension is clear in her voice, if it wasn't already clear enough on her face. She can feel the buzz, and it isn't helping any with the emotions running through her body. She feels like she is on fire, her skin burning at the touch of even her clothes. She hovers by the kitchen island, torn between springing forwards to intervene, and simply allowing Evelyn to continue as she is for fear of damaging her father's katana. She holds out a hand. "Just let me have it Evelyn… I can show you but… please… don't…" Her voice chokes, perhaps the alcohol is affecting her more than she thought, but she's growing emotional. "Let me have the katana."

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

Evelyn furrowed her brow. Something was clearly wrong with Sonnet. She seemed...emotional. That was unusual. Sonnet was usually stone cold. Or angry. She seemed angry a lot. But now something was affecting her pretty badly. Did Evelyn do something wrong? She hadn’t stabbed Sonnet today. People didn’t like it when they got stabbed, she knew that much. She knew that very, very, very much. So, that begged the question: why was Sonnet upset?

”Waz wrong?” she finally asked. She let out a loud belch, then giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand. ”I’m drunk,” she said as if that wasn’t already very, very, very obvious. She put the sword by her side, keeping her hand over her mouth. A bit of bile had risen with that belch, and she wanted to keep it down. She didn’t want to vomit in Sonnet’s apartment again (although this one was much nicer than the one they’d ended up in during their last encounter).

”Oh, this,” she held the sword out in front of her. Or katana, as Sonnet put it. ”Is this a no touch thing?” she asked, studying it carefully. She ran her finger along the edge, it was sharp, but Evelyn didn’t cut her finger. Even in her inebriated state, she knew how to handle a blade. For a moment, she was mesmerized by the katana, seeing her face reflected in the metal. She wondered how many people had been killed by this sword. She wondered if she could kill someone with this sword.

After that brief moment of thought, she thrusted the sword toward Sonnet, blade first, before stopping herself. ”Oops, here.” She turned the sword upright and handed the weapon to her by the hilt. Then she crashed back down onto the chair. ”I didn’t know the sword was-” she let out another burp, ”was such a big deal for you. What’s the big deal anyway?” She slouched down, melting into the chair.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

Carefully, reverentially, Sonnet takes the blade from Evelyn. Though she has been watching the other woman the whole time, she still takes a minute to run her eyes and hands over the full length of the blade, checking for any damage that might have been done. She cannot help but release a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding when she confirms that it is, in fact, undamaged. With equal care and reverence she carries it back to the katanakake, carefully returning it to it's saya. There is a faint scrape as the deadly weapon slides home into its scabbard. She taps her fingers on it thoughtfully for a moment before they drop to her side. Sonnet doesn't turn though, not for a long time, speaking as if to the sword rather than to Evelyn. "It was my father's." She looks at it for a moment more, before turning away. Would he have disapproved of this? Perhaps, perhaps not. He'd never been much for following the rules himself. He'd used her as a lookout, and later for other things in operations. Her mother had been furious with him. He'd always apologise then drop Sonnet a sly wink when he thought her mother's back was turned. Then he'd fallen ill. The worst thing wasn't that he was gone. The worst thing was that he had been gone long before his body had breathed it's last breath. The man who'd raised her, taught her to fight, made her who she was. There'd been almost nothing left of him by the end. He'd not even been lucid at the end, hadn't recognised her… She cuts off her train of thought before it continues. The alcohol is making her melancholy as the several bottles she has already drunk finally hit home. Turning away from the sword stand, she finds Evelyn deposited in a chair as if her bones have liquefied. Seeking for some way to change the subject, she starts back towards the kitchen. "I'm hungry, are you hungry?"

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

She scrunched up her mouth. Sonnet’s father must have meant something to her. Evelyn couldn’t say the same for her parents. They were absent for most of her life, busy with work, forcing an awkward family dinner once every couple months. Her general lack of empathy for anyone but her brother certainly didn’t help their relationship. When her mother and father died in a car crash when she was eighteen, she couldn’t bring herself to even pretend that she cared. Axel, of course, put on a whole show, “grieving” as melodramatically as he could, but that was Axel.

When Axel died, she cared.

”What’s your dad do?” she asked. ”He swing swords?” Not the most elegant way to ask a question, but it was the best she could do with her alcohol addled brain. The alcohol could also be attributed to her lack of tact, though that could simply be ascribed to her personality. Evelyn had never been sensitive to the emotions of others. That was Axel’s purview.

God she missed Axel.

”Hungry,” she repeated without really grasping the meaning of the word. After a second, she understood what Sonnet was talking about. Food. Her stomach having rested a little bit, she realized the only thing she’d consumed today was alcohol. As if on cue, her stomach let out an angry little growl.

”Yeah I’m hungry. What’ve you got?” she asked.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

"Only when he needed to." In truth Sonnet's father had been one of the most powerful men on the east coast. He'd been the Oyabun of the Yamaguchi-Gumi on this entire side of the country. He likely still would be if it hadn't been for his illness. She closes her eyes briefly, seeing him as he had been, before his illness. It was he who had taught her how to fight, how to use a sword. She'd taught herself to kill. What would he think of her now? She turns away from the memory, and from Evelyn, as she starts opening cupboards looking for food. There is a lot, she makes sure to always keep a plentiful supply of calories. Her ability requires a fuel source, and she'd rather it was food than her own body. The food in her cupboards was eclectic, noodles vying for space alongside pasta while tinned tomatoes were crammed in next to tinned peaches. Not that she feels much like cooking. "Fuck it. Let's just get takeout." It would probably take about the same amount of time considering their current stages of intoxication. Fishing in her back pocket, she produces an iPhone and holds it up to her face to unlock it. Swiping through to the right app, she makes her slightly unsteady way over to the chair Evelyn is currently occupying. Balancing precariously on the arm, she extends the phone towards Evelyn. "Whatever you want."

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

”Mm, that sounds fun,” she said. ”Swinging swords.” Had Evelyn and Axel had the resources to acquire swords, they no doubt would’ve used them. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), their location in a rather small yet affluent suburban area restricted them from obtaining any bladed weaponry larger than a hunting knife. She could just imagine hacking into one of the large trees that surrounded their mansion with a katana, or playing sword fight with Axel.

”What’s food up there?” she asked, turning her head to see Sonnet’s shelves stocked to the brim with food. ”Lotta food,” she noted astutely. Evelyn didn’t eat much herself. Oftentimes, she got so focused on a particular task that she would forget to eat. She didn’t like taking time aside to refuel, though she knew it was needed, and when she did eat, she didn’t indulge in luxuries, often just digging into a cold can of beans.

”Takeout.” Takeout was like a foreign concept to her. She hadn’t had takeout since Axel (her deceased brother seemed to be invading her thoughts today). After her...incident, she’d had a lot of paranoia. She stowed away in a trailer in the woods, a place that no delivery could find her. She also had difficulty trusting people to give her food in general. For a while, she’d thoroughly test any food she got from the grocery store for foreign chemicals. She had gotten over that phase, but she still felt nervous eating food without testing what was inside it.

This, of course, all went to the wayside in her inebriated state.

She grabbed the phone with a sloppy hand. “Let’s get pizza,” she said. Drunkenly, and with many mistakes, she ordered a large cheese pizza, a large mushroom, and, horrifyingly, a large hawaiian. ”Gotta put in your address,” she said, handing the phone back to Sonnet.

Looking at the other woman, she noticed an unsteadiness, a haze in her eyes. ”You drunk too?” she asked, smiling wide at Sonnet.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

Sonnet adds another pizza to the order, along with wings and fries, then sends it. She's used this app often enough that it's saved her delivery address, and she drops the phone onto the coffee table before leaning back on the chair arm. She lets her head roll over to the side so that she can see Evelyn properly. She snorts, "Not as drunk as you are." It's true that Sonnet is no longer as sober as she had been, the addition of the potent Saki in her cupboard pushing her over the edge and into the realm of intoxication. Even so, it's relatively clear that she's far more comfortable and capable in this state than Evelyn is. After all, Sonnet spends a great deal of her time with some level of alcohol in her system, and has the benefit of a metabolism that seems to burn off everything she throws at it. It's probably already started it's inexorable work on the booze she's drunk, so she should make sure to drink more if she wants to keep the buzz she's currently enjoying. Reaching out, she pats Evelyn's cheek gently, leaving her hand there for just a fraction of a second too long before she draws it back and stands up. "Maybe I should catch up." Still walking in a relatively straight line, she snags the mostly full bottle of Saki from the countertop. It's good stuff, not the best she has, but good enough to make getting drunker a pleasant experience at least. She tilts the bottle to her mouth again, drinking a smaller amount this time, but keeping a hold of the bottle rather than releasing it like last time. Letting it hang from her fingers, she pauses to press something on the screen of her phone, before turning and making her, still mostly straight, way back to Evelyn. Using the same hand that holds the bottle, she wags a finger. "No more for you until then."

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

Evelyn giggled as Sonnet added even more food. The woman did eat a lot. Yet she was so tiny. How the hell did that work? ”How do you eat so much?” she asked. ”You look so good.” Evelyn was far from aware of the words that were coming out of her mouth, much less the implications. Alcohol was a strange kind of truth serum. It conjured thoughts Evelyn didn’t know she even had and made her vomit them out without her even realizing what she’d just said.

As Sonnet reached out to touch Evelyn’s cheek, her heart jumped a little. This confused her. At first she thought that might be a fear response, but she wasn’t afraid. No, this was different. Anxiety inducing but...better. Good. It was a good kind of anxiety. Like something right was happening. This was an unfamiliar sensation. Very rarely since her brother died had anything ever felt “right.” Her cheeks flushed even more and her smile widened. This felt right.

”Yeah, get drunk,” Evelyn said. She rolled her head to watch Sonnet grab some more alcohol of her own. ”Honestly, I didn’t know getting this drunk would feel this good,” she slurred with a grin. ”If I did I’d do it more often.” She looked down at her scarred hands. ”A lot more often,” she said solemnly. If there had been something available to ease the pain right after the incident, she would have jumped on it immediately. Unfortunately, she was stuck in the hospital for quite some time. No alcohol available there.

”Aw,” she complained, somewhat facetiously, as Sonnet refused Evelyn any more alcohol. She supposed that was for the better, however. She’d seen the effects of alcohol on others. She didn’t want to black out. No. She was, for once, having a good time. She wanted to enjoy this moment, experience it, savor it. She didn’t want it to end.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

"Well you're in the right place for it." Sonnet's voice is still relatively controlled, though probably more as a result of her speaking a second language rather than because she's not feeling the effects of the alcohol. "Plenty of places to get drunk in New York…" Sonnet pours more of the Sake down her gullet. It is good stuff, though it is certainly not intended to be drunk from the bottle. Sighing, she briefly debates getting out the proper glasses, before realising that at this point there is little reason to. Instead she tips the rim of the bottle back to her lips. She should probably slow down if she wants to remain in control, but she's aware that sobriety is probably already now receding into the distance. Swaying very slightly, Sonnet becomes aware that it has been a while since she has had someone other than herself in this apartment. Evelyn is also the first woman other than her mother and the maid who has been a guest here. She wants to sit down but doesn't, for some reason, want to move too far away from Evelyn. Instead she returns to her previous perch on the chair arm, resting the bottle on her leg. "Why don't you… get drunk more often?" Sonnet has been wondering for a while. After all, it's fairly clear that Evelyn has more reason than most to drown her sorrows. She lost a brother, and whatever gave her those scars must have been agonising. Sonnet lost her father and the only reason she's not technically an alcoholic is because her metabolism burns off the alcohol almost as fast as she can drink it. It's taken three bottles of very expensive and very strong alcohol to get to this point. Most people would be considering alcohol poisoning and liver damage at this point. She jumps up as her phone pings, announcing the arrival of pizza. A couple of minutes later she returns with several boxes stacked on top of one another. The smell of fresh pizza and melted cheese soon fills the small apartment as Sonnet drops two of the boxes onto the coffee table, then tosses one onto Evelyn's lap. She sits on the floor with one open in front of her, and promptly starts to demolish the deliciously hot pizza. The place is cheap, but the pizza is good, and it helps that it's fresh. "I'm pretty sure I…" She pauses to take another bite of pizza, "Keep these guys open by myself. My power needs the fuel, and pizza is one of the best."

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

”There are,” Evelyn agreed. She’d been to plenty of those places with Axel during their trips to the city. Bars and clubs were Axel’s favorite hunting grounds. Evelyn accompanied him, both because she enjoyed his company and because Axel tried to use the opportunity to teach Evelyn social skills. He never succeeded. He would try to introduce her to people, but, being unable to emote, she quickly alienated anyone they talked to. Most of the time she’d just end up in the corner, watching with a blank face as Axel moved in on his prey. ”Interesting we keep meeting at the same one,” she said.

Evelyn smiled wide as Sonnet downed her alcohol like she was pouring the liquid down a drain. ”Chug, chug, chug, chug,” she chanted playfully, weakly banging her fists on the arms of the chair. She laughed as Sonnet swayed from side to side. Evelyn was learning that it wasn’t fun being drunk alone. She could use some inebriated company. Plus, she was curious to see how Sonnet acted drunk. She seemed so tightly wound. She would love to see her unwind.

Evelyn twisted her mouth to the side and looked at the blurry, swirling floor. ”Dunno, it’s just…” She paused for quite a while, trying her very best to think. ”It’s just...drugs killed Axel, and alcohol is like drugs and…” She scratched the side of her face, nails scraping against her Glasgow smirk. ”I just...I didn’t wanna be around the stuff that killed Axel. It’s not the same. I know it’s not the same. But...I avoided it for a long time. Because of. That,” she muttered. She bit her lower lip, staring intensely at the ground.

She was startled out of her sorrows by the pinging of Sonnet’s phone. ”Wassat?” she asked. She watched as Sonnet left the apartment and returned, several minutes later, with a large stack of pizza in her arms. Evelyn smiled wider than she had in years, stretching the scars on her face. The smell was so amazing that it made her want to vomit. It was a strange dichotomy.

Evelyn took the box Sonnet tossed to her and rolled onto the floor, scooching over to Sonnet, placing her box on the coffee table as well. ”Gotta share the pizza,” she said, stuffing a slice in her mouth. ”Can’t have just one kind, you gotta have all of them.” Plus, she wanted to be close to Sonnet. She wanted to be drunk together.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

Sonnet is surprised to suddenly find Evelyn beside her at the coffee table. It's not an unwelcome one however, pizza or not, and she shifts slightly, both to allow Evelyn easier access and, apparently by accident, moving herself closer to the scarred woman. She manages all this while still helping herself to a substantial slice of pizza, mastering eating alongside whatever else she was doing having been one of the first skills developed when she discovered her ability. The pizza is good, hot, fresh, covered in melted cheese and with no shortage of any of the other toppings requested. Making short work of her first pizza, she makes sure to leave a couple of slices for Evelyn as she reaches over and opens a second box. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I can eat all of them. And there's wings somewhere as well." Probably in the bag that she'd dropped near the coffee table. She takes a bite of the pizza she's got in front of her now, rolling her eyes in pleasure at the flavour bursting in her mouth. "Here, try this one." Without thinking Sonnet offers the slice in her hand to Evelyn, moving it closer to the other woman's mouth. Eventually, three pizzas and a box of wings later, Sonnet relaxes in the warm sensation that comes from having recently sated her appetite. She doesn't bother returning to the couch, in the pleasant drunken glow she is enjoying, it seems easier just to lean back against the foot of the piece of furniture. It's comfortable enough, and this way she stays closer to Evelyn. Reaching forward, she pulls the other woman back to lean against the couch with her, though at this angle it has the effect of pulling Evelyn even close. Sonnet finds herself face to face with Evelyn. In any other situation it might have been uncomfortably close, yet they remain like that for some time. Eventually it is Sonnet who breaks the moment, reaching one hand up to brush Evelyn's hair back. She can't explain why she does what she does next. Some unspoken instinct, a need inside her pushes forward, and she leans in to kiss the other woman.

© seadra of gs

[Evelyn Winters]

Evelyn watched with mild wonderment as Sonnet sucked up the pizza like a vacuum. She supposed that was what Sonnet meant by fuel. Still, it was a surreal sight to see such a tiny woman decimating a pizza as if she hadn’t eaten in three days. ”You should do one of those speed eating things,” Evelyn said, putting a slice in her mouth. ”You’d be good at it.” She started giggling. ”And no one would suspect you!” she laughed.

Wings. Evelyn looked around, seeing a bag on the ground near the coffee table. She strained to reach, but was unable to. So, believing she might fall if she stood up, she crawled over, grabbed the bag, and crawled back to where she was sitting, a bit closer to Sonnet. ”Got’em!” she proclaimed proudly. She pulled the styrofoam boxes out of the bag and placed them on the crowded coffee table.

Just as she was opening a box, a slice of pizza suddenly came into view. ”Woah,” she said, leaning back to see that Sonnet had shoved a slice in her face. Her surprised mouth morphed into a smile. Evelyn grabbed the pizza, taking a hearty bite. ”It’z good,” she said, mouth full. She started giggling again. She didn’t know why, but for some reason the whole situation was incredibly amusing to her. Her cheeks felt especially heated. She was happy. Very, very happy. It was an alien feeling, but an incredible one.

Sonnet had eaten a large majority of the food, but Evelyn still had her fair share. She’d always had what she’d referred to as a small stomach. She got very full very fast. Thus, after just a few slices and some wings, she slowed her eating dramatically, letting Sonnet absorb the rest of the food.

”Oop,” Evelyn exclaimed in surprise as Sonnet pulled her against the couch, though she didn’t protest. Suddenly, she found herself face to face with Sonnet. Her face reddened. Her heartbeat quickened. Her breath got warm and airy. Her eyes were glued to Sonnet’s face, noticing every detail, following every curve, eventually landing on her eyes, unable to look away.

Her face tingled as Sonnet brushed her hair back. Evelyn’s mind was overrun with emotions, emotions she’d never felt before. Something deep, instinctual. She didn’t think. She just did. As Sonnet leaned forward, so did Evelyn. Their lips met. Evelyn had never kissed anyone before, but she’d always been a fast learner. One could almost be convinced she knew what she was doing.

Sonnet Matsuda

[Sonnet Matsuda]

Shortcut My childhood spat back out the monster that you see + Evelyn Winters

The kiss sends a lightning charge through Sonnet's body. She's filled simultaneously with desire and revulsion. The confusing contradiction is enough to keep her there, in the moment. She's more focused on the kiss now than the thoughts that tell her to stop. Every part of her body says to keep going, while her conscious thoughts are screaming at her to stop. At least, most of them. They're still in the lounge when the sun breaks in through the large windows. It should be cleansing and fresh, but in the aftermath of last night it's harsh and brutal. It reveals a scene that should be innocent enough. There are several pizza boxes, mostly empty, scattered across the room. A bottle of sake, mostly empty, is standing on the glass coffee table. On the floor the two women lie entwined. Sonnet's arms are wrapped about Evelyn's torso, one leg hooked over her's at the knee. They are fully clothed. This fact offers little comfort to Sonnet when she finally struggles up from the depths of sleep to see Evelyn's countenance before her. She sits up suddenly, giving no thought to extracting herself carefully from the embrace. One hand goes to her head, she must have drunk a hell of a lot last night to actually be feeling this hangover. She looks down at Evelyn again, then swears in Japanese. Finally climbing to her feet, she is relieved to find that she is at least still completely dressed, with nothing missing or undone. There's coffee in the kitchen, and she makes her slightly unsteady way in that direction, only briefly considering the bottle of sake on the table. That was what caused this mistake, she couldn't simply drown this one in alcohol. Eventually she gets to the counter, pouring out the stale coffee there and starting a fresh pot. Slowly the smell of fresh coffee starts to drift through the apartment.

© seadra of gs