Evelyn
With a forceful shove of the door, Evelyn Chevalier entered the hotel room that was assigned to her charge, the budding superstar Astra Yao. Evelyn was a woman of sharp-shoulders and supple sinew. Her lavender eyes collected myriad details and her trained mind filtered the information for dangers and inefficiencies. In two seconds, she reached a conclusion: this was a normal hotel room with no unique properties.
Yes, every inch of the room glittered with luxury and decadence, a testament to the interior designer's futile attempt at evoking warmth and welcome. Yet when Evelyn's jaded gaze evaluated the space, she saw only another hotel room amongst many, many hotel rooms. In her mind, one could dress a space up as much as they like, but it would ever be a generic, cold place that is not home.
Evelyn took out a handheld device and swept the room for surveillance devices, and found nothing. She moved on to the more important parts of the suite: Astra's bedroom, closet, and bathroom. If Evelyn was to find anything, it would be somewhere in here. Perverts, blackmailers, and ethically-challenged journalists could make a small fortune from private footage of Astra Yao.
Not on Evelyn's watch. No one would harm Astra, and Astra should enjoy every happiness life could provide her. That was Evelyn's new passion, and that passion was born somewhat from Astra's returned passion for Evelyn- an unforeseen but resurrective event in the life of… the person who now called herself Evelyn Chevalier.
Who was Evelyn before Astra Yao? What was that woman's name? What had she done and what had she failed to do? Who cared? Evelyn didn't even think about that person. That person was dead.
Evelyn Chevalier, a woman with a suspiciously clean official record and a resume devoid of any justification for her skills in combat and subterfuge, did indeed find one micro-camera in Astra's walk-in-closet. Likely placed there by some perverted hotel staffer who hoped to record Astra changing. That video would be worth a lot of money on the Inter-Knott. But, sorry-not-sorry, only Astra could decide who could see her dress and undress; and for the moment, Evelyn was the only such fortunate person in all the world.
Except… that silver-haired twink from that dinky video store? Could that be true?
Evelyn's lips twisted in a grimace as she plucked the camera from its hiding spot. She held it in her gloved fingers. A cheap little thing. Definitely a low-budget amateur pervert- no question. A small relief that. In Evelyn's experience, the more expensive the peeper's equipment, the bigger the problem.
The little camera went into a little bag that would go into the hands of PubSec. Evelyn used to hack the cameras, leave them in place, and then ambush the perverts after Astra Yao checked out- but that had become far too time consuming. As Astra's fame ballooned, the number of roaches that scurried around her exponentially increased.
Evelyn didn't have time to hunt them personally anymore, even though she thoroughly enjoyed that moment of fearful realization when she caught them. That delicious look on their faces when they realized the fucking-around part was over, and they were about to find out. Subconsciously, Evelyn's hand reconfirmed that her coils of razor wire were secure at her hip. Her thumb ran along the steel anchors along her waist-band.
The world was full of filth, and there was a tragic lack of people willing and able to do the cleaning.
Not that Astra saw it that way, of course.
Evelyn used to tell her about these little cameras found in her rooms, but Astra would simply blink, her smile would shrink ever so slightly, and she would change the subject. There were no perverts in Astra Yao's world. It was just a camera left there by mistake. By a slightly over-eager fan….
Because Astra lived in her own world of innocent positivity, and she defended the sparkling walls of her utopian worldview with zealous devotion- because somewhere behind those defenses lay the wellspring of her creativity. But if those were the ramparts of Astra's choosing, then Evelyn would hold them with her own life.
As if Evelyn's thoughts were a summoning, Astra Yao burst into the hotel room in a hurry, her elegant legs moving with haste. If any woman was made for standing in the center of a large room and being stared at, it was Astra Yao. She was ample in the perfect places to be ample, she was thin in the perfect places to be thin, and everywhere all over she was soft, and warm, and lovely. Evelyn had outlawed all computerized editing of Astra's physical appearance because any attempt to improve perfection ruined it.
Still unaware Evelyn was watching her, Astra turned with a swirl of the red fabric of her sleeves, and put her thin shoulder into the door behind her- clapping it closed. She sighed softly, body slouching in relief. Evelyn recognized these actions as the opportunistic movements of a starlet who just narrowly managed to shake off her most dutiful personal assistants.
Evelyn reviewed Astra's daily schedule in her mind's eye. It was 1:12pm in the afternoon, so Astra should be meeting with the possible cosmetic supplier in one of the hotel's conference rooms downstairs. She should be arranging the foundation of the Astra Yao cosmetic line that was the next evolution of the Astra Yao brand.
But here Astra was, in her suite on the top floor.
Astra put a hand to her breast and let out a relieved sigh, then turned to see Evelyn staring hard at her from across the room. Astra froze in shock, blinked, and then recovered immediately: she smiled her glittering smile and strode forward confidently.
"Eve! I'm happy you're here!"
Evelyn raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Are you? Is it because you need something for your meeting you are in? Right now?"
"Meeting? What meeting?" Astra smiled, and then faltered before Evelyn's glower. "Oh, that meeting! Right. Well- the man wouldn't give me a straight answer about animal testing, so I told him no and left. The meeting is over."
Evelyn's mental itinerary blacked out the meeting that should be happening now and opened two hour-long blocks in the next two weeks. Astra would never change her mind about that company now, so there were now time blocks to fill with other prospects regarding Astra's brand. Perhaps a start-up brand would be better poised to grow in the way Astra would prefer- and Evelyn could train it into their ideal, captive cosmetic manufacturer. Like a sort of corporate bonsai tree…
"Your afternoon half-concert is-" began Evelyn as she scrolled down her mental schedule.
"At 3:30! I know Eve. I know," said Astra. "Which means I have over two hours to actually enjoy a hotel suite. Have you had a look at this place? It's wonderful!"
Evelyn had had a look about the place, yes. It was fine. A bit tacky and trying too hard, but fine. She'd also found that pervert's camera. But Evelyn said: "I'm glad you think so. Do enjoy it."
"I will. Didn't you say this place had a jacuzzi? I think I will start there. The new dance routine has so many squat motions, Eve! My thighs are still a bit wobbly."
Evelyn stood aside as Astra strode towards her room, those supposedly wobbly thighs illuminated by the light coming in through the windows. She could use more muscle definition, thought Evelyn. Stronger legs would improve Astra's chances of escape if Evelyn was tangled up by enemies and-
"Eve," said Astra, stopping before her.
Evelyn blinked. "Yes, Miss Yao?"
Astra smiled. "We're alone, Eve. You can drop the miss. And also: would you want to join me? In the jacuzzi?"
Evelyn felt a shudder of surprise run through her body, and a subtle glow of desire. Join Astra in the jacuzzi? Evelyn's mind bucked her own self-control and fed her a fantasy of wrapping up Astra's soft, fragile body in her arms, both of them luxuriating in the heat and jets of a tiny tub. They'd have to be right on top of each other to both fit… Yes. Evelyn very much did want to join her.
"Not at this time," said Evelyn, her voice short to her own ears. "I have too much to arrange for your double-header tonight."
"Aw, foo," said Astra, a look of sincere disappointment on her face. "Well, maybe later then? It feels like a two bath kind of day~"
Evelyn was almost swayed by the expression on Astra's face. Almost. Their relationship had become something much different one, relatively recent, steamy night. And one night turned into two. And two into four. But much of whatever… this was... remained unsaid.
The only thing definite to Evelyn was that she and Astra were now linked- but not exclusively. And again Evelyn's thoughts turned to a recently met ally. Where did he fit in? She was tired of wondering.
"Astra… that man from the video store…" said Evelyn, halting Astra's progress into her bedroom.
"Wise?" blinked Astra, the image of innocence. "What about him, Eve?"
"...I keep finding you with him."
Astra blinked and then smiled. "He's helping me with things. He's nice."
"...is that it? Astra?" Evelyn took a deeper breath. " You have a dozen P.A.s for that."
Astra's brows furrowed slightly. She was catching on that Evelyn was asking about something deeper. She moved closer to Evelyn and looked up into her face, her expression serious.
"...Wise looks at me and sees me, Eve. He's nice to hang out with. It feels… normal! He doesn't see Astra Yao. And he's not constantly thinking about getting into my pants. The sister, maybe. But not Wise."
"..." said Evelyn.
Astra's eyes narrowed. "What's that look for?"
"I can't remember the last time you even wore pants."
"Oh, har har. But anyway: Why does it matter? Eve?" Astra's eyes narrowed further. "…Jealous?"
"..." said Evelyn.
"You are! Oh! Eve! I thought we understood-"
"We do!... I do, Astra. I do understand. I just… if you were to… with someone like Wise… I don't think I could…"
Astra looked thoughtful in the face of Evelyn's halting silence, parsing what was left unsaid. "Oh… Oh. I see. But don't worry about Wise. We're not like that. That man has a dozen pretty girls he calls friends, and I'm one of them. A friend."
"...I see."
Astra stepped in and placed a hand on Evelyn's bicep, and her hand ran upwards slowly and fondly to grip Evelyn by the leather body straps that wound about under her shoulder. She tried to playfully shake Evelyn, but she wasn't very strong, so she just tugged impotently at the leather.
"And.. Eve? Its not if I find someone to… its if we find someone to… okay? I promise."
Evelyn looked down into the sparkling rosewater of Astra's eyes. She wanted to believe that promise.
"Yes."
"Good," said Astra, giving Evelyn a final fond clap on the shoulder with her palm. "Now. Can I skip the pre-show press conference? I want to-"
"No."
"Awww! Eve! We were having a moment!"
"You're going to the press conference, Miss Yao."
"Miss Yao again is it!" Astra put on her cutest pouty face, but Evelyn was not moved. She gave Astra her best poker face and eventually the starlet gave it up and went off to her room to the bath. Evelyn remained in the main room, her eyes wandering the hotel room as she considered Astra's words.
It's not if I find someone… it's if we find someone...
It was an intriguing statement, but Evelyn wasn't quite sure what to make of it. What she and Astra shared was a… powerful, quiet thing- like a river under the earth. No one else but they could feel the thrum of its motion. Or at least, that's what Evelyn thought of it.
But that thrum was quiet and distant in moments like this. While Evelyn stood idle near the couch, looking out the window at the city skyline; Astra was busy with being Astra Yao, and Evelyn was… just standing here… alone. And there very much was a great deal to be done to prepare for the two shows this evening. There really was no time to play like Astra did- cast off her duties, and hop into a mid day bath.
It would… perhaps… be nice to have a thing that was other-than-Evelyn for Evelyn to be when Astra was busy being Astra Yao. And with another person.. Involved: Evelyn could focus on the managerial tasks she currently had to delay when she was actively guarding Astra. Being both a career manager and a chief of security to Astra Yao's growing fame was becoming too much to handle solo.
Evelyn sighed. Another someone? But who in this world was worthy of Astra? Evelyn barely believed that she herself was worthy of being with Astra- and that was only due to Astra's vehement affirmations in Evelyn's favor. There was assuredly no other person on this earth that would ever meet Evelyn's uncompromising standards. No such person existed, and so it would only ever be the two of them.
Of that, Evelyn was entirely confident.
Miyabi
Hoshimi Miyabi felt her ear twitch as she accepted the envelope. It was a sparkling golden thing, ribboned with silver. The glittery material of the paper gave it a sandpaper feel on Miyabi's fingers.
"Lady Hoshimi," said the bowing man as he surrendered his gift into her possession. "Please accept this gift as a representation of my gratitude to you. For the lives of my team, and for my life: thank you. Thank you very much."
"Oh," said Miyabi.
This was somewhat awkward. Miyabi had encountered this man's H.I.A. squad in a hollow purely by chance. She'd come upon the hollow investigators as a pack of ethereals had surrounded them, and she had killed all the ethereals in front of them. This bowing man and his team had apparently interpreted this act as a rescue.
Miyabi had simply intended to kill the ethereals. The presence of the desperate H.I.A. people had been a coincidence; and frankly, a somewhat immaterial event in her memory. But this man was deeply moved that she, Hoshimi Miyabi, would kill ethereals? Was that not the same as being impressed by water moving downhill? By the sunrise? Should she be thanked also for the act of breathing?
Miyabi, at a core level, witnessed the man's gratitude and felt nothing but mild embarrassment.
"Thank you," said Miyabi as the man stood up. "Do be more careful out there."
The man's eyes went wide and he bowed deeply again, his forehead straining towards his own knees. "I shall! Thank you again!"
Miyabi walked away, almost immediately forgetting the man. Across the H.A.N.D. campus lobby, she saw Tsukishiro Yanagi's tall, matronly figure waiting near the elevator bank. In fact, it was the ever big-sisterly Yanagi who had encouraged Miyabi to go see what that man wanted in the first place. Miyabi hadn't even realized the man was in the lobby before Yanagi had said someone was staring at her.
"That's a pretty envelope, Chief," said Yanagi, pushing the elevator call button as Miyabi approached. "What is it?"
"A gift for rescuing them," said Miyabi.
"Clearly," said Yanagi as they entered the elevator.
As the doors closed before them, Miyabi reviewed what exercises were on her agenda this afternoon. It was.. Tuesday? Resistance training was her menu, was it not? Did she remember to bring her clean gym clothing from home? Had she remember to take home the dirty stuff for the maids to clean? She couldn't remember.
"What is it, chief?" said Yanagi.
"What is what?"
"The envelope. The gift!"
"Oh," said Miyabi. She'd forgotten she was holding it. She again looked at the glittery thing. "I don't know."
"Chief! Just open it!"
Miyabi opened the envelope. There was a pastel blue and yellow slip of paper inside. A pretty, black-haired woman in a red blouse was imprinted on it. Miyabi turned it over. There was nothing but a barcode and some numbers on the back.
"What is this?" said Miyabi.
"Oh my! Chief! That's an Astra Yao concert ticket! Those have been sold out for months!"
Miyabi's brow furrowed at the stylized picture of the woman who was apparently called Astra Yao. She looked like a glamorous woman. A concert ticket, huh? But there was only one of them… it must have been expensive.
"Do you like her?" said Miyabi. Maybe Yanagi wanted the ticket. Or Haramusa?
"No. No, chief," said Yanagi in her big sister tone. "You're going. Life training, remember? We agreed. You're going to do things in your life now- not later."
Miyabi's ear twitched. That was such a pesky agreement. Life training didn't bring the destruction of the hollows any closer. Going to watch a singer sing didn't make her any stronger. What was the point?
Yanagi snatched the ticket from Miyabi's hands and readjusted her glasses on her nose. "When is it? Tonight?! You're going to the concert tonight."
Miyabi sighed.
This was a very pesky agreement.