Astra/Evelyn & Miyabi

"Oh~! The only words I wanna to hear are~!?" Astra raised her fist into the air.

The crowd of a hundred thousand yelled out, their joined voices booming over the sound system in a rhythmic chant: "LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!"

Astra was filled with the exhilaration of being the absolute focus of their captivation. This might be her best crowd ever. They seemed to know exactly what she wanted them to do. It was like they were all singing together!

"...And the only thing I wanna feel is~?!"

"LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!"

As Miyabi watched Astra perform on stage, she found herself enthralled; though she wasn't particularly captivated by the music itself. It was peppy and nice and she sometimes discovered her own foot tapping to the beat, but nothing seemed to hit like the song that had made Miyabi's tears flow just before the earlier attack. She was enthralled by Astra herself. As Miyabi watched Astra prance about, she couldn't help but watch the motion of her soft, voluptuous form. Miyabi's mind silently descended into steamy fantasies about what it might be like to run her hands over Astra. Fantasies which she would then admonish herself for and try to banish... only to sink back into the fantasy again.

Standing nearby, Evelyn's mind held no such fantasies because she already knew intimately what it felt like to run her hands over Astra's body. But Evelyn was admiring Astra, too. Specifically, the superstar's current connection with the audience. The Astra Yao was fully operational, blasting out pure enthusiasm at the roaring crowd, leading thousands of people into singing her own lyrics back at her- it was a masterful performance, even by the high standards set by Astra's seemingly inborn talent as an entertainer.

But Evelyn was also nervous. The crowd that stretched endlessly out around the impromptu stage was not secure and it had likely grown to over 100,000 people by now. Over half of them had not passed through any form of security. Evelyn knew that in a sea of people that large, there were surely guns amongst the audience- it was a simple statistical surety. And if someone desired to aim them at Astra…

There was little Evelyn could do about it. Astra wanted to perform this secondary concert and refused to be denied. The lights were too bright and the crowd too large for Evelyn to watch it all herself, but the Astroloop's full staff and several squads of PubSec officers were out there. Still, it was a lot of people. Too many people.

But it was almost over. Thank goodness.

Ending the final song of her set, Astra Yao waved to the crowd. Evelyn and Miyabi were watching and waiting behind an impromptu billboard that had been put up to create a "backstage." It wasn't much for privacy, but it was to this small oasis that Astra retreated to wait out the ritualistic calls for an encore.

Astra bounded offstage, the amble parts of her body jiggling pleasingly with each step. Her skin was glistening and she looked radiant in the afterglow of her performance. She flashed a dazzling smile at everyone, accepted a water bottle from a staffer, and arced her graceful neck back to guzzle the contents.

Though they did not know it themselves, both Evelyn and Miyabi stared at Astra with similar expressions of smitten awe. They both found her stunningly beautiful, both their minds paralyzed by an inability to put it to words. Astra smiled at them, instinctively feeling both of their reactions. The crowd was one thing, but seeing the obvious admiration of these two powerful and competent women was something... more- it pushed Astra's enjoyment of the evening to a new level of satisfaction.

"Let's go to dinner after the encore?" shouted Astra over the crowd's chanting for said encore, pointedly looking at both women.

Evelyn nodded, a given; but Miyabi nodded at almost the same moment.

"ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!"

"Evelyn!" shouted Astra. "Let's go get hot pot after this! The three of us!"

Astra's completed what would eventually become to be known as her "Loop Attack" show- a live performance that would be regarded as one of the most momentous in music history for the next seventy years. Blissfully ignorant of the future; Astra Yao, Evelyn Chevalier, and Hoshimi Miyabi were spirited away in a PubSec squad van, courtesy of Captain Zhu Yuan, who wanted to get the V.I.P.s out of her workspace ASAP.

Their chosen destination: the back entrance to a small hot pot place that Astra favored. The van took them to the next district, which wasn't too far away. Astra directed the driver down a narrow alley that could service the back entrance of her desired restaurant.

"Queen Bee delivered," said the PubSec driver as he stopped the van to let them out.

"What?!" said Astra, on her way out the door. "What was that? Officer Lowell?"

The young, white-haired, feline thiren man looked back from the driver's seat and smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Oh, uh, that's your codename, Ms. Yao. Queen Bee."

"But- why that?!" said Astra, mildly distraught.

"Uh," said Officer Lowell.

Evelyn just wanted the let the officer get back to the crowd of over 100,000 people that they'd left behind. "That's not the officer's prerogative, Astra. Let's go."

Astra pouted but slid out of the van. Miybai had already disembarked on the other side. The PubSec vehicle drove off down narrow street, leaving the three of them in a quiet alley.

"But why Queen bBe?!" said Astra, a makeup mirror suddenly in her hand. "Why not Princess? Or something? Am I really looking like a mother already!?"

Evelyn could only roll her eyes. Astra was in the full bloom of youth, but one of the company reps had recently brought up Astra's inevitable aging and its potential negative impact on 'Astra Yao' as a brand. Since then, Astra would not let this idea go.

"It's because of the swarming instinct," said Miyabi suddenly.

Evelyn and Astra looked at Miyabi. She stared back at them, her expression as stoic as seemed normal for her. A silence stretched.

Realizing Miyabi was not going to elaborate, Evelyn provided the question: "What do you mean, Lady Hoshimi?"

"The swarming instinct," said Miyabi again. "When queen bees migrate, their workers and soldiers swarm about them and create a dense ball. Miss Yao's fans behave the same way towards her. So: I think that is why Captain Zhu Yuan gave her that code name."

Astra and Evelyn shared a look of wonder with each other. That… made sense.

"Do you like bees, Lady Hoshimi?" said Astra.

"Yes. Their larva is a delicacy. The Hoshimi clan keep many hives. For that- and for honey."

That did make sense.

"Well," said Astra thoughtfully. "That does make me feel better. Thank you, Lady Hoshimi. But that also reminds me: can we all drop the formalities? Don't we all think we can use our given names at this point?"

Miyabi looked at her without replying and Evelyn's names were all given already, so Astra was left alone as the sole initiator of casual address.

"Call me, Astra," Astra said to Miyabi. "Can we use your name? Miyabi?"

"Yes," said Miyabi.

Astra looked at Evelyn.

"Evelyn," said Evelyn.

"And again: I'm Astra, helloooo~. Well- then there we have it," said Astra, satisfied. "Let's get some dinner!"

Evelyn and Miyabi nodded their muted agreement, both looked at Astra and not each other. Astra turned and led them into the restaurant, a small sigh of frustration on her lips. Astra was sure that Evelyn liked Miyabi. She hadn't said as much to Astra, but she sure hadn't denied it either. Meanwhile, Miyabi was a bit hard to read, but Astra knew the gleam of entrancement in someone's eyes when she saw it; so, Astra was already fairly confident that Miyabi was attracted to her. Call it an idol's instinct.

But Astra also knew that attraction and doing something about it were two very different things for some people. Was it an attraction that Miyabi wanted to act on? Was she aware of it? And did that potential attraction also include Evelyn- or could it? These were all suddenly very interesting possibilities for Astra to consider, and she was 100% sure that Eve, if left to her own devices, would remain professionally distant and let a great opportunity slip through her fingers. I mean, come on Eve! This was Lady Hoshimi Miyabi! Take a risk! …not likely. But Astra smiled to the waitress who met them and thought resolved to use this dinner to shove Eve and Miybai together- because if anything was going to happen, that was what it was going to take!

Following behind, Evelyn's eyes searched the small restaurant for signs of a threat. There wasn't any, of course. The place was something of a hole in the wall, but the food was good and it had a small private room that was the perfect way to have a peaceful meal with the superstar Astra Yao. Having Hoshimi Miyabi join them was a mixture of the welcome and unwelcome. Astra had as much as told Evelyn that Miyabi was a viable third to their couple- but while that idea was appealing and exciting and interesting… it hardly seemed realistic. Lady Hoshimi Miyabi? The Void Hunter? Was she even into… other women? Was she even single? And foremost if those things both were true... Evelyn could see Miyabi being with Astra, but the idea that Miyabi would also be interested in Astra's bodyguard…? That seemed too absurd to be anything but a fantasy.

In the rear, Hoshimi Miyabi wasn't entirely sure why she was here. When had she last been to dinner with… anyone? Anyone other than Yanagi? But, well, Yanagi was busy with her boytoy proxy. And Yanagi's acquisition of said boytoy had been something of an emotional blow to Miyabi, though she herself was not sure why. Yanagi was a friend, perhaps even a sister, but it was obviously never to be anything… other than that. And though not aware of the fact consciously, Miyabi's heart needed something more than friendship right about now. But all that she was aware of inside herself was that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes away from Astra's legs and Evelyn's curvature. Miyabi felt hot on the inside, and thought maybe she should have turned down dinner and just did double training until she'd fallen asleep exhausted.

But well- she was already here, now...

The waitress took Astra and her party to their usual private room and Astra plopped down happily into the seat. Embedded in the table before her was the induction stove that powered the hot pot soup that was soon to appear. Evelyn settled into the booth beside her, and Miyabi, after a half-second of hesitation, sat down alone on the booth opposite. Astra thought that hesitation curious- was she nervous? Was she entertaining the idea of leaving? Uhoh!

The waitress delivered some hot hand towels and the promises of water glasses to come. She turned to leave but Astra immediately ordered four bottles of soju. Social lubrication! Stat!

Astra looked at Evelyn, then at Miyabi- both women immediately becoming intensely focused on their hand towels- both seeming suddenly quite shy. Since Astra was pretty sure that Evelyn was overthinking something or other… it was hard not to think that Miyabi was doing something very similar inside her own head.

This dinner might be more of a challenge than Astra had initially expected. She became mildly annoyed with the two: both of them were not living in the now!

Astra almost wanted to shout out in bemused exasperation: 'Look up at the beautiful person across from the table from you! Live! Be in the moment!' But actually doing that would just torpedo the entire dinner.

Then: Evelyn's cell phone rang. And much to Astra's displeasure, Evelyn TOOK the CALL. Miyabi and Astra gazed at her during what sounded like an important conversation about the dispersal of Astra's tour staff- but still! Miyabi's expression was stoic, but her hear twitched. Astra plastered her most cheerful smile on her face, all efforts at socializing stymied by Evelyn's damn phone!

The soju arrived. Four smallish green bottles and three little clear cups. Evelyn continued to talk on the phone, giving orders. Astra wanted to pinch her kneecap under the table, but that would just make Evelyn frustrated. Eve wouldn't be able to enjoy this dinner and relax until she finished whatever she was doing. Astra forced herself to wait by pouring out three glasses of soju for them all, Miyabi quietly watching her with mild curiosity.

Evelyn finished the call. Finally. And Astra pushed a glass of soju before both her and Miyabi, the clear liquid jostling in its tiny cups.

"To a successful show!" Astra toasted towards Evelyn, who begrudgingly lifted her glass.

"To a new, live-saving friend!" Astra toasted Miyabi, who warily lifted her own glass and nodded in return.

"To being alive!" Astra toasted the table and then tossed back her shot of soju, gulping it down with practiced glee. Meanwhile, Miyabi and Evelyn barely wet their lips with their own liquor and then set their glasses back down, entirely full.

Astra cursed inside her mind. Neither Eve or Miyabi were interested in drinking. This was going to be harder than Astra had thought…

Well- you know what?! She'd almost been murdered today! Fuck it! She was gonna drink as much as she wanted and if Eve couldn't catch her own fox by the end of tonight, then that was her problem! Sheesh!

Evelyn poured Astra another glass of soju. Astra buried her frustration deep into her soul and managed a usual dazzling smile at Evelyn. Though maybe she'd oversold it, because Evelyn's lilac eyes gained a sudden wary look.

The waitress placed the big cauldron of soup stock into the stove alcove. She turned it on and promised to return with all the food items.

Tossing back the second glass of soju, Astra steeled herself again to being the facilitator here; because it seemed like both Evelyn and Miyabi were equally hopeless. Currently, Miyabi was watching the broth settle in the pot, the deep red liquid nearly the same color as her eyes. Evelyn was staring silently at Miyabi, as if the Void Hunter was a work of art to be admired from afar.

As Astra turned her attention back to Miyabi, Miyabi looked up to meet Astra's gaze, then her eyes flickered to Evelyn. Her ear twitched, and then Miyabi looked back to Astra. Her expression was stoic.

Astra realized that she desperately needed to get some conversation going. Did Miyabi perhaps feel put on the spot, looking across the table at the two of them? A little ice breaking conversation was well past due.

"Sooo," said Astra, kicking things off. "What's life like for a Void Hunter, Miyabi?"

"It is a lot of waiting," said Miyabi, her expression stoic and serious.

A short silence stretched, and Astra was naturally impelled to fill it: "Waiting? Waiting for what!"

"For the brass to make a decision. For the next operation," Miyabi paused as the waitress deposited their drinks. "...For the meetings to end."

"Ugh!" said Astra gamely. "I hate meetings! They're the worst! How much time do we need to listen to what we could have read a million times faster! Just send an email"

Evelyn thought she saw a ghost of a smile on Miyabi's face, but maybe not. Either way, Astra seemed to have Miyabi engaged and attentive. That was ever Astra's specialty.

"Yes," said Miyabi. She already had several anti-meeting allies in the form of Harumasa and Soukaku. Poor Yanagi.

Astra expected Miyabi's monosyllabic affirmation, and so continued: "Luckily, Evelyn is very good with meetings. She goes for me and takes all the notes and just asks me about the important decisions."

Evelyn felt an old, exasperated annoyance even as Astra's arm ran over her back. She narrowed her eyes at Astra: "I do not go for you. I go with the reasonable expectation that you will be there also. They are your meetings."

Astra looked up at her with an innocent expression. "But they go perfectly well when I am not there…'

Evelyn rolled her eyes. That wasn't the point and Astra knew it. But this was becoming such an oft-repeated conversation between them in the presence of new social company that it was practically a bit.

Miyabi began to think that Evelyn sounded a lot like Yanagi. So, Evelyn was also a highly competent office person? Something about that… Miyabi found it attractive: the ability to turn reports and meetings and paperwork into power and influence. It was a really impressive skill that Yanagi was a master of. And so too, apparently, Evelyn…

"I am the same," confessed Miyabi. "I do not think I offer much to meetings. Most meetings."

As one, Evelyn and Astra looked to Miyabi. She was offering personal insight about herself. This was a first for the night.

Miyabi was looking at them both stoically. "My deputy chief, Tsukihiro Yanagi, handles many of the meetings. I do not wish to go to them because they are mostly a waste of time for me. Yanagi would prefer I was there, but-"

Miyabi hesitated, her eyes drifted away from the others for a moment. "-but she is better at being the chief than I am."

Astra didn't miss a beat. "Just like how Evelyn is better at doing show-business than I am! I just do the show!"

Astra reached her hand halfway across the table, her hand up in a high-five position over the soup pot that was beginning to steam: "It's good to be the talent, amirite?! Miyabi?"

Miyabi stared at Astra's offered high-five for a long moment before lifting her calloused palm and smacking it into Astra's dainty hand. The sound of the high-five was a loud slap and Astra laughed warily while also wincing slightly. Miyabi's stoic expression didn't seem to indicate that she realized she'd high-fived a bit too hard- or maybe Miyabi was just a bit too strong to realize how strong she actually was.

It was such unexpectedly mild slapstick humor that Evelyn couldn't help but chuckle. Miyabi's hand-clap back in the Astroloop had been strong, too; and incredibly loud. Just how strong was Hoshimi Miyabi? And that internal question finally gave Evelyn an idea for a change of topic that she could initiate. She felt relief as she realized how to contribute to this dinner's conversation.

"How much do you train, Miyabi?" said Evelyn. "What exercises do you do to keep in such perfect form?"

Miyabi blinked at Evelyn in surprise, wine-red eyes gleaming in the cozy light of the room. One of her ears twitched. Evelyn was interested in her training? Astra's Yanagi was interested in what Miyabi did? Evelyn even thought Miyabi's body was… a perfect form?

"Perfect form? I- I have not attained that," said Miyabi. She hesitated and Evelyn again noticed the hints of a blush. "But it is… kind of you to say."

Not attained perfection? Evelyn had seen Miyabi move faster than the Astroloops's cameras could record. As someone who depended on her body professionally, Evelyn was personally interested in the training regime of a Void Hunter.

"I'm not just being kind, Miyabi. If you don't mind, I would like to hear what your daily routine looks like."

Miyabi blinked at her again, seeming somewhat surprised by Evelyn's genuine interest. "Well-..."

Astra put on a polite smile and nodded her head along as Miyabi spent the next few minutes explaining her morning exercise routine and how it rotated depending on the day of the week and the weather. It was a lot of strength training, so not Astra's particular interest. For Evelyn, it was a treasure trove of new ideas. For Miyabi, it was a warming novelty to share a major focus of her daily life, and to have her audience be interested.

Meanwhile, the broth pot was bubbling and the smell of pepper was growing thick in the VIP room. A small convoy of waitresses entered and nervously placed trays of raw meat and vegetables all over the table, as well as rice and noodles. All the requisite components of a hot pot dinner had finally arrived.

"And that is what I do for my morning menu," said Miyabi in a finishing tone of voice. "Then there are the afternoon and evening routines..."

Everyone began placing their desired items in the hot pot and the meal began in earnest. Exercise was the conversation of choice, and the somewhat inane details of routines, workouts and exercise venues were exchanged now that all three women realized the topic was a shared interest: Astra due to the need to maintain a swimsuit-model figure for her career, Evelyn due to old habits and her profession as a bodyguard, and Miyabi due to being… well… probably New Eridu's most powerful and effective warrior by a rather large margin.

As everyone became full, the eating flagged and Astra continued drinking steadily as Miyabi and Evelyn picked at choice items floating in the hot pot. Thinking suddenly that the crowded soup pot was somewhat similar to the crowded parking lot audience earlier tonight, Astra's mind recalled the concert and the ocean of people she'd somewhat seen through the glare of the stage lights.

"PubSec was a big help today," said Astra, idly. "I don't think I've ever had so many people at a concert before."

"It was over 100,000 people," said Evelyn. And thinking of PubSec reminded Evelyn suddenly of the beautiful officer she'd seen Miyabi talking with inside the Astroloop.

"Are you friends with that captain, Miyabi?" said Evelyn. "What was her name- ah: Zhu Yuan?"

Miyabi looked at Evelyn with surprise. "No."

"Oh, but you know each other," said Evelyn, who was sure they had a history of some sort. That much was obvious from what she'd overheard of their conversation after Astra's rescue.

"Yes," said Miyabi, not thinking anything particularly about Evelyn's questions. She dipped another bit of meat into the dwindling hot pot. It was a question and so she answered, but Miyabi did not divine Evelyn's intent.

Evelyn watched Miyabi and began to suspect that Miyabi was not trying to be evasive exactly, but she obviously didn't have an impetus to continue the line of conversation, either. That was curious. Evelyn liked to pluck at curiosities.

"How do you know her?"

Miyabi's eyes rose again and she wondered why Evelyn was so interested in this? "Zhu Yuan and I attended the same high school."

"Were you friends back then?"

Miyabi looked away, her ear twitching. "No. We dated. Briefly."

Evelyn realized in that moment that Miyabi was, indeed, a viable romantic partner. Obviously: if Miyabi dated a woman in the past, even if that past was high-school, she would most likely be open to the idea again in the future. Evelyn's mind began rapidly reclassifying the impossible fantasies of Miyabi joining her and Astra that she lost track of her train of thought. No. These thoughts were absurd. But were they, entirely? Maybe… not?

"Did you like it?" said Astra, a bit too loudly and joyfully- jumping headfirst into the conversation as Evelyn hesitated.

Evelyn immediately realized Astra was quite inebriated. She was stress drinking, but after today, Eve had no mind to hold it against her. It wasn't everyday you were almost killed on live television…

"Did I like what?" said Miyabi, with an even tone, apparently oblivious.

"Did you like it?" giggled Astra. "Kissing her? Kissing this… Zoo Yawn?!"

Miyabi blushed ever so slightly. If Evelyn hadn't been looking for it, she might have missed it. But surely Miyabi wasn't going to answer such a rudely blunt question like Astra's and-

"...yes," said Miyabi, a very evident blush on her cheek

"Did she like kissing you?" said Astra, leaning forward in her seat and losing her balance slightly- her hands springing forward to hold onto the tabletop.

Evelyn would have admonished that as another insensitive question made by a drunk, but- she was curious about Miyabi's answer, too!

Miyabi's ear twitched. "I think so."

Astra smile faded slightly. "...Why did you two stop kissing then?"

Miyabi frowned. "We… often made each other angry."

Astra giggled to herself and leaned into Evelen's shoulder. Her sparkling eyes looking up into Evelyn's before slowly closing.

"Miyabi likes kissing girls... just like us. There you have it, Eve. Mystery solved. Yer welcome."

And after dropping that loaded bombshell in a voice loud enough for Miyabi to easily overhear… Astra closed her eyes and fell asleep on Evelyn's shoulder. Evelyn felt her own cheeks heating up and she looked across the table to see Miyabi blushing slightly and staring at her. Miyabi's ear twitched.

Astra let out a soft snore into the awkward silence.