”Right,” she said quietly as her blade slid off his neck as if it were made of metal. Of course he was a metahuman. It seemed like every person she met nowadays was a metahuman. And as far as she knew, she had no way to hurt him. It was a difficult fact to accept, but one that had become easier to digest with time and experience. That certainly didn’t mean she was okay with being more or less helpless. Far, far, far, far from it. But she’d also come to accept that she, in comparison to metahumans, was the underdog. She just had to find a way to get the upper hand, if need be. Though it seemed Arthur had no intention of harming her. Still, it was good to have a contingency plan.

She studied him for a moment longer. There was something about him, something...familiar. Something that, of all things, reminded her of her brother. His eyes. When he looked at her, his pupils didn’t move. There was no empathy behind those eyes. Axel, of course, had empathy for Evelyn, but not for anyone else. She observed, when studying his countenance while he socialized with others, that his pupils remained static while the pupils of others would contract and dilate in accordance with his perceived emotions. Axel had confirmed that her pupils behaved similarly. And now, she was seeing the same thing in Arthur. How intriguing.

She watched closely as Arthur demonstrated his powers. As his tendrils touched her scarred wrist, she violently recoiled her arm, a flash of panic screaming in her mind, exploding in her chest. “Do not touch me,” she said, managing to maintain her monotone, though the speed of her voice picked up ever so slightly. Were his flesh capable of being penetrated, Arthur would have had a blade perforated far into his spleen.

Dropping her weapons to her side - though keeping them tight in her fists, muscles tense - her eyes scanned the man in front of her. ”I did,” she replied, voice even. She listened as he listed off his abilities. He was not lying; she could tell (unless being about to perfectly mask his body language was one of his abilities). This contingency plan would be difficult to formulate, but she’d come up with one eventually. She always did (unless she ran into things foolishly and underprepared, but she’d learned her lesson in that regard; her overconfidence had waned greatly since her incident in San Francisco). Who knows; perhaps she could use his powers to her advantage. He certainly seemed to be on her side.

She eyed the rather delicious looking head, admiring its beauty. Cat had once again begun hissing and growling, but Arthur had not yet entered his territory, so he had not yet attacked. She stepped aside. ”You can come in,” she said. She looked down at the small, ferocious animal she’d shared her life with for the past couple years. ”Cat,” she said, a suggestion in her tone, far from the monotone she’d used to communicate with Arthur. Cat hummed a low growl in annoyance and slunk back into the trailer.

The trailer in question was busy, compact. Half eaten taxidermied animals hung from the walls and stood on top of shelves and counters. They were all gifts Cat had laid at Evelyn’s feet. She’d decided to make the best of them. There was a large workstation which contained a myriad of tools, small robotics, and blades of all shapes and sizes in various states of completion. There were cans of beans stacked in the corner. A half eaten can was sitting by her workstation, plastic fork dug into its contents. There was a bathroom, a sink, some cabinets, and finally, a small bed - hard mattress, rough sheets. She didn’t mind the discomfort. It wasn’t like she got much sleep anyway.

”I’m afraid there’s not much space to place our lunch,” she said, just a hint of jest in her voice. She found herself surprisingly comfortable around Arthur (though when you factored in her comfort levels around most other people, that really wasn't saying much).

Arthur Rachade

Never in her life did Evelyn think she’d have a girlfriend.

Never in her life did she think she’d have any kind of relationship with anyone besides her brother. Sure, she’d had a brush with friendship here and there - her partner at work, the nurse at the hospital, the patient at the psych ward - but they never stuck. All those people had simply faded into oblivion.

And her brother, of course, died.

But since then, she’d developed a deep and loving relationship with a cat, who was walking with her now - white fur patched with pink, twisted scars, lost tail replaced with a deadly cybernetic prosthetic.

And now she had a girlfriend.

Even after all these months, it still felt weird to think about it. She silently mouthed the word. “G-ir-l-fr-ien-d.” Odd. But she liked it. She still wasn’t entirely sure what it meant or how she was supposed to feel about it, but so far the experience of dating had been a net positive. She planned to continue doing it for as long as it remained so.

She was wearing a form-fitting black tank top; her strong, lean muscles were defined and prominent (as were her scars). Her usual baggy pants and combat boots hid her cybernetic prosthetic leg. The sun felt good against her skin, and the cool breeze ruffled her long and somewhat unkempt hair.

She knew Sonnet would be uncomfortable being romantic in public. She had practically told her as much. But it had been months, and they had yet to meet in a public setting. Evelyn decided it was time to rip off that metaphorical band-aid. There were so many places she wanted to go with Sonnet. She was tired of getting drinks and eating food alone. She wanted to truly be with her - literally, physically, and that meant not just going on dates in her apartment.

She saw Sonnet before Sonnet saw her. A small smile graced her lips. Sonnet looked. Fucking. Adorable. Most might not have such thoughts about the woman, knowing what she was capable of, but Evelyn was far from most. Her smile grew as she saw Sonnet checking her hair in her phone’s camera. She never knew that such a small, pedestrian act could make her heart flutter.

Even so, Sonnet seemed on edge. Evelyn hoped she could soon assuage her nerves.

Her eyes narrowed, however, as someone catcalled her girlfriend. So this was what jealousy felt like. With them only meeting in private, Evelyn hadn’t had the opportunity to see Sonnet admired by someone else, especially not so aggressively. She did not like it. Instinctively, she reached for a knife, but paused. She couldn’t let herself get sidetracked. This day was about Sonnet, not whoever the fuck that was.

Her cheerful face returned as Sonnet finally caught sight of her. As she approached Sonnet, Cat stayed by Evelyn’s side, but he did not hiss or growl at Sonnet. She’d brought him with her a few times to Sonnet’s apartment, and while it was rough at first, Cat had become accustomed to Sonnet. That did not mean he liked her, but he didn’t take every opportunity he could to attack her. He tolerated her presence. ”I hope you don’t mind Cat. He likes to come with me when I go outside. He’ll probably run off somewhere at some point,” she said.

The side of her lip twitched upwards at Sonnet’s nervous greeting and failed attempt at a hug. Deciding to take the initiative, she hugged Sonnet herself, and though the gesture had romantic intentions, one could construe it as being platonic, and very purposefully so. She didn’t want Sonnet to get too nervous too quickly.

“That person that catcalled you, do you want me to stab them?” she said softly into Sonnet’s ear. “I can send Cat after them. Then their catcall would be appropriately answered.” She stepped back, releasing the hug, and paused for a moment, processing what she'd just said. “I just made a pun,” she said, amused with herself.

Sonnet Matsuda

Sonnet’s eyes met with her own. For a moment, she felt her heart flutter. She felt...something. Something warm and burning and bursting with energy. She couldn’t decide if she liked this feeling or not. She was not used to feeling emotions for people. People, besides her brother, were lesser; they were toys to be played with and eventually discarded. But Sonnet was not a toy; she was...human, just like her. Something had happened to Evelyn after her defeat, something she had yet to fully parse. She’d tried drowning it in alcohol, but that was a temporary fix. Here was this something staring her right in the face, and she didn’t know what to do.

All too quickly, Sonnet pulled her eyes away and went back to busying herself - again, Evelyn assumed, trying to escape her own thoughts. Evelyn had half a mind to do the same. But she quickly decided no; she would not back away from this. Whatever she was feeling, whatever change was happening in her, she was going to face it head on. She was no coward - never had been and never would be. She was going to confront this challenge no matter how strange or confusing or uncomfortable it may be.

Evelyn felt pain as Sonnet pulled her arm away - sharp, piercing, yet horribly numb. It was not physical pain, but something deeper, emotional. It was discomfiting. Evelyn did not like it. Part of her was starting to regret this whole intimacy thing, but a much larger part of her very much wanted it to continue.

Her heart, again, beat rapidly inside her chest as Sonnet’s eyes once again met her own, though this time they did not pull away. She listened to her words. There were so many things Evelyn wanted to say to Sonnet. She wanted to tell her she did not have to subject herself to the will of others, that she could be her own person, position be damned. She wanted to tell her to fuck the Yakuza, fuck anyone that would dare tell her what she could or could not do. But she knew it would not get through to her. Perhaps it could be a conversation for another time. Right now, all they had was this moment.

Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her, placing her forehead against Sonnet’s. "I believe I've made it clear I'm not accustomed to physical intimacy, but this is...nice. It can stay in this apartment if it must, but I hope the…emotional intimacy will continue outside the walls of this building." That was by far the most romantic thing Evelyn had ever said.

”You don’t have to let anyone hold you back,” she said quietly.

Sonnet Matsuda

Evelyn was very good at picking out a liar. It was one of the first things the twins taught themselves. Axel picked up on it faster than Evelyn, obviously, but she soon caught up. It was a simple case of observing their eye line, their body language, their head movements. If possible, it would help to feel their heart rate, examine their breathing. With her intelligence and ability to pick up on small details, she could spot a liar from across the room.

Evelyn didn’t need to utilize these observational skills to tell that Sonnet was lying.

As her hand rested on Sonnet’s shoulder, she wondered what to do next. She had never learned how to comfort people. Sure, she’d comforted her brother on multiple occasions. He’d always been resistant to it; he always liked to act like nothing was wrong. But Evelyn always saw through his facade and knew just what to do to make him feel better. Though she doubted sparring or hunting (for animals or for people) would be the remedy to Sonnet’s (or most people’s) distress.

Thus, when Sonnet shrugged off her hand, she was somewhat relieved, but also confused, worried. Why would she not want her comfort? Sure, Evelyn had tried to stab her multiple times during their first encounter, but that was in the past; they were over that now. She watched as Sonnet moved to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. What was she supposed to do now? She didn’t like seeing Sonnet upset; she wanted to make her feel better, but she didn’t know how.

It seemed Sonnet was processing something, and was having difficulty doing so, though Evelyn didn’t know what. To her understanding, what they’d done last night was nothing unusual. In fact, it was probably the most typical human interaction Evelyn had had in years. It was far more typical than their first encounter.

“Physical intimacy is new?” she asked. She noticed Sonnet was having difficulty speaking, so she switched her speech to Japanese - which Evelyn was fluent in, along with quite a few other languages - thinking it might be easier for her. “I would imagine someone of your age would have experienced it already.” She took a sip of her coffee, then stood, tapping her finger against the cup, the metal of the prosthetic clinking against the ceramic. “I would understand, though. I’ve had an...unusual life myself.” The tapping quickened. ”Last night was my first experience with romantic physical intimacy, and I don’t believe I’m having as difficult a time processing it as you are, though I must admit, the aftereffects of the alcohol are making it difficult to think coherently, but I don’t particularly mind,” she said somewhat playfully, a slight smile forming across her face as she brought the cup up to her lips and took another sip.

Sonnet Matsuda

She winced as the buzzing from the machine pierced into her skull, squeezing her eyes shut and holding her head. She had memories from last night of enjoying the effects of alcohol. She supposed the aftereffects were why most people did not partake in it regularly so heavily. She’d heard of hangovers, but never experienced them. She was quickly learning that they were not pleasant. Worth it? Perhaps. Though she wasn’t sure she shared that sentiment at the moment.

Evelyn followed Sonnet’s gesture toward the restroom with her eyes. She felt a wave of nauseous pass through her head and into her stomach. It wasn’t strong enough to warrant a trip to said restroom, but it was unpleasant. She figured there was a good likelihood these waves of nausea would only increase in severity, thus her request for the location of the toilet. She didn’t want to vomit on Sonnet’s floor.

She liked Sonnet.

With slight hesitation, she wrapped her hands around the cup Sonnet offered her, instinctually giving the coffee a sniff. With sobriety, her paranoia about food had returned. Still, something inside of her told her that any food or drink Sonnet offered her was safe. It wasn’t exactly trust, but it was a small step towards it. She gave the coffee a small sip, her slurp audible. When she didn’t taste anything suspicious, she took a heartier drink.

Her eyes didn’t leave Sonnet. She did not find the silence heavy or uncomfortable, though it seemed Sonnet did. Analyzing her body language - flushed cheeks, wandering eyes - it was clear that Sonnet felt uneasy.

Physical intimacy was something Evelyn did not understand very well. There was an emotional weight that came with physicality, a weight Evelyn felt to some degree, though likely not in the same manner Sonnet did. While she didn’t fully understand this weight, she liked it. It felt good. She didn’t have the time or the capability to think about the hows or the whys or even the whats, but it was a pleasant sensation, and thus not immediately worth questioning.

She blinked. “Why not? I enjoyed it.” She tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. “Did you not enjoy it?” She brought the cup up to her lips. ”I’m sure the alcohol may have factored somewhat into my enjoyment, but...I would like for it to happen again.” She spoke without thinking, taking a sip of her coffee. Her head was too heavy for proper analysis, but she knew that she enjoyed kissing Sonnet, and enjoyable acts were worth repeating.

Sonnet Matsuda

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

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