evensong

Eve was now officially embarrassed. She wanted to walk off the face of the earth and simply pass away. What was even her goal in trying to leave? It’s not like she knew where anything was as it was dark now, and Eve had stayed out longer than anticipated. “I-I’m sorry I don’t mean to get like this,” she paused, “it’s just when things get exciting and happy it kinda sends my brain into overdrive and it has a meltdown.” This was the sweet simple version but it’ll do. Eve was throwing hand gestures in over-stimulation. Realizing what her body was autonomously doing, she knew she needed to get it together and quick. One deep breath through her nose and everything was good. “What about coffee? Tomorrow? Um, I don’t really drink it but I’m assuming they’d also have like hot chocolate or something? I also don’t know where anything is, so I guess you’ll have to figure that too.” 

Blue looks on, trying to hide her confusion. She didn’t understand, but she could empathize. Everyone had their own shit at the end of the day. “Hey, that’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.” If there was ever a silver lining, Eve saying that she was happy and excited would be one. But if this was what she was like then, Blue wondered what Eve’s brain was like when she was upset. “I think that’s a perfect idea. Ah, see, we already have one thing in common! I don’t like that weird bean juice either.” She ventures to her purse again, this time opening up a small compartment that held her chapstick, Metrocard, and about 5 different scraps of paper with her phone number written on them. In Blue’s opinion, she never knew when she’d need them but assumed it’d come in handy in a night out at the bar, or in situations like this, with Eve. She grabs one and hands it to the girl. “Figured you’d probably need it.”

“It’s just a personal preference, I don’t mind if others do.” Cussing just wasn’t something that interested Eve at the time, she was certain there were far more colourful adjectives that could properly describe her emotions whereas others use crass language. “I’m sorry, again, I shouldn’t have assumed. I meant it as a general faux-pas.” In all honesty Eve knew she was in over her head. She could feel her excitement emerging as anxiety. Her heartbeat quickened with every activity listed and her throat was closing up. Why did she feel guilty? “Oh no, this is not a good idea,” Eve quickly grabs her purse and searches for an exit, for real this time, “I’m sure you’re a very lovely person but I don’t think I can do thi-” Eve couldn’t finish the sentence before her ears began to ring. 

“Again, don’t worry about it. It was an ego boost, to be honest.” Blue watches the range of emotions spread across the girl’s face. Before she can even part her lips to ask what was wrong, Eve was grabbing her purse. She furrows her brow off of Eve’s panic. She isn’t sure what she’s said to cause it, but she feels terrible. “Eve, hey,” Blue says more calmly, trying to distract her from leaving. She sighs. “Hey, look i’m sorry, I don’t want to you to feel like i’m forcing you or anything! They’re just ideas! Fuck brunch! We can, like, read or something. Or just sit in the park. Or whatever you’re comfortable with.” The corners of Blue’s mouth tug to a frown. “It’s fine! Really, really, really, it’s fine. I’m so sorry.”

“My mom did, we listened a lot growing up.” Her mom would sneak in as much as she could when she could, Eve always loved the sound of the strings; part of the reason she was so drawn to the church; her brain automatically connects the two together. Eve blushed at the thought of someone referring to the Eve as a ‘badass’. “Well I guess that’s one word for her, I agree; she was a bada-,” she stopped herself “a strong woman.” Grinning, Eve felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had to put her faith into someone right now, and Blue was just going to have to be that person. “I’m not going to do anything crazy, you get that right? Like, this” Eve motioned towards herself, “does not, nor wants to partake in any illegal-ness.”

Blue smiles as a reply, not wanting to be temped to talk about her own past with music. Maybe she’d discuss it with Eve another time. Not now. Blue gives a confused laugh, Eve’s rewording catching her off guard. ‘Not even ass?’ she wonders in her head. She didn’t know too many people around their age who didn’t swear. “No cursing, hm. That’s in-ter-esting.” Blue’s hand finds its way to her heart. She gives Eve an earnest look before speaking again. “You think I do illegal things? You really think i’m cool?” Had she finally won Eve over? She hopes so. The thought of it makes Blue immensely satisfied. “Don’t worry,” She starts, words dripping with enthusiasm. “We’ll do boring things like museums and public libraries and - I don’t know, brunch. But then we’ll do fun things like psychic readings in the Bronx, and that speakeasy on 3rd Avenue.” 

A dark brow rose in mild surprise at the woman addressing him. Surely she was meant to be speaking to someone else? Glacial eyes glanced around, noting only himself in the wrinkled clothes he had worn at the bar the night before, and her. With a sigh of breath that surely smelt like stale booze, he gazed intently at her. What could she possibly want? Azrael could not help the gruff chuckle that passed from parted lips at her next words. “The stars don’t know shit, and neither apparently, do you.” 

Blue tilts her head to one side, studying him for a moment. She isn’t sure if she should take offense to his words or not. She chooses the latter, but is cautious about what she says next. “It’s not good to disrespect the stars like that, you know. They’ve seen everything since the beginning of time.” She shrugs. “Besides, it’s all in good fun, if you let it be.”

       galileo groaned lightly, “oh c’mon babygirl, you’re gonna tell me you don’t want all of this?” he laughed dancing a bit. the male bit his tongue as her finger lingered on his cheek. the fucking effect she had on him goddamn. “how about my future favourite thing to eat? cause if that works then i’m gonna need a picture of you to show the artist.” he drawled with a wink.

Blue shakes her head in amazement as she watches him dance. She really didn’t know how he’d kept this up for so long. She nudges his shoulder. “Leo, even if I wanted it, I don’t think I could ever handle all of that.” She scoffs at him, biting back a smile. Sometimes it was hard not to admire how bold he could be. “Ugh, never mind. You don’t deserve my horoscopes, dummy.” She says with a wave of her hand. She was never actually upset with him, not really. Blue liked to be around Leo, genuinely. He was one of the only people who could make her laugh this much. “Hey, wait, didn’t you say that you were getting new stuff in today?” She asks coyly, though she already knows the answer. This was the part that Blue didn’t like so much. She couldn’t tell if she was toeing the line of manipulation or not. She likes to think she wasn’t, it just an invitation to hang out.

“Sorry, I kinda geeked out a little too hard on that one.” Eve laughed. Her mother was a kind woman, a kind but distant woman. She was always there to kiss the cuts and wipe the tears but never tried to prevent the hand who dealt the damage. Anyways, that’s a can of worms to open another day. “Yes, the name is quite corny, I hear it all the time.” Eve rolled her eyes chuckling. “Not really no, I’ve been here about a week, I’ve been trying to be more social but some of the locals make it extremely hard to be friendly.” Quickly realizing what she said could be taken offensively, Eve quickly recanted. “I mean, not you,-” “Well actually yeah you kinda.” Eve sighed. “Does this mean we’re gonna be friends?”

“You into 19th century waltzes too?” She didn’t ask on her behalf, but rather her mothers. As much as Blue liked classical music, her mother was the enthusiast. She’d grown up listening to every symphony there probably ever was. Blue shakes her head. “Corny? No, anyone who told you that was probably a man. Eve was a badass. I bet you're one too.” Blue gasps before she can stop it, suddenly very excited. She tosses her cigarette to the side and stomps it out with her shoe. Her hands find Eve’s and she holds them gently, unable to contain her enthusiasm. “You think you can just tell me you’ve only been here for a week, and that you think i’m cool, and that you want me to show you around, and we won’t be friends? Eve.”

Eve picked her head up and pushed her shoulders back a bit.  The tension in the air dissolved and Eve felt semi-comfortable. She didn’t mind the cigarette smoke, her father wasn’t perfect either; it actually reminded her of home. Her ears perked up when Blue mentioned the Orchestra, “Your mom sounds like an incredible woman.” Eve met Blue’s gaze “I’m Eve.”

Blue grins at the thought of her mother, how giddy she’d always be to tell Blue the story of her name - how proud she was of it. She missed her. She thinks for a moment about how far they were from each other (in more ways than one), but as much as she hates to admit it, the distance was good for them. Blue makes a mental note to call her later. “Incredible is a little flipp, I think. But she’s cool.” She takes another drag of her cigarette. “Eve.. You know, the name suits you well. You been in the city long?” Blue wouldn’t say so, but using the conversation as an indicator, she’d guess that the answer was no.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t just assume.” Eves mutters sheepishly. God, she really was awkward. “Blue?” Interesting. “Is that your legal name?” It’s clear that Eve has no regard for personal space once you pop her imaginary bubble. This was certainly not the person she thought she’d be having an in-depth conversation with, at least not this explicit. These conversations have lingered in the back of Eve’s mind for almost two decades. She always had questions, but no one was willing to give her the answers. 

“Don’t worry about it.” She says with a wave of her hand. Blue looks down for a moment, rummaging through her purse for a cigarette and her lighter. She nods a few times at the question. “Yup. After the Blue Danube because, respectfully, my mom’s a fucking nerd.” Placing the Marlboro in-between her teeth she lights the end and takes a long drag. She exhales away from the girl, guessing that it would probably bother her otherwise. “What about you?”

Stumped, Eve laughs. She had to admit, the other woman could make her crack a smile. The mention of sex however - sends Eve into a schoolgirl-like being. Her ears burn bright red and she can feel her heart in her throat. “I do NOT want to have sex with you!” Eve exasperated. “I mean I don’t care if you’re a lesbian or whatever but I am not.” Eve wasn’t homophobic, in all honesty she could care less about who has sex with who, as long as it wasn’t her.  “I don’t even know your name.”

Blue lifts her hands up in surrender, not meaning to set the other off. She felt bad about it, but part of her was also a little hurt. It was the first time someone had ever said that they didn’t want to have sex with her. At least, to her face. “Relax, Velma Dinkley! That makes two of us!” She laughs. This conversation had really taken a turn. “Well, the not being into you part. I don’t mind fucking girls. Anyway, I’m Blue.”

Could this woman seriously not hear herself? Eve knew people like this existed but she never thought she’d run into one, then again she never thought she’d leave Utah but here she was; in New York of all places. “Is this ‘third eye’ metaphorical or literal to you?” Eve was trying to gauge this woman’s mental competency.  The idea of people emulating animalistic sexual behaviour startled Eve.. “Do you do that? Are you trying to recruit me into your weird animal-sex cult?” Eve was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing as her eyes quickly searched the room for the nearest exit.

Blue smiles. It was written all over the girl’s face how she felt about what Blue was saying. But no matter how odd it all may have sounded, she was being genuine. “It’s both. You should read about it.” Her hand lifts to her lips to block the laugh from tumbling out of her mouth. “Do I look like I don’t have regular sex? There’s a right answer, by the way.” She realizes this is a loaded question. In truth, she only ever really had sex while she was high. But the other girl didn’t need to know that. “I’m not recruiting you in anything. And anthropomorphism is not my thing, thanks. If I wanted to have sex with you, I’d just ask.” She shrugs.

Eve was trying to analyze this situation, the conversation heading in several different direction was starting to become sensory overload. She genuinely had no idea what the point this deranged woman was trying to talk about. “Y’know, I appreciate the enthusiasm but at this point you’re kind of embarrassing yourself.” Eve laughed before cocking her head to the side to ask “What’s a ‘furry’?” 

“No, no, no. My third eye is open, girl.” She taps her forehead twice before continuing. “If you wanna survive in this world I suggest you open yours too.” A playful scoff escapes from her lips. She waits on the girl to let her joke land, but there is an awkward silence in its place. Blue realizes then that she wasn’t kidding. “What’s a - Oh.” She debates telling her, knowing it probably would be best to never find out. But she’d probably find out later, so what was the harm? “Alright imagine a fox. Now imagine someone dressed up in a fox suit. Okay, now imagine someone sexually attracted to that person, but they’re also in an animal suit. They’re both in suits. They’re fucking with paws and tails. You get it now?”

Little did this unknowing stranger know that they just proved Eve’s fact. “That was the stupidest thing I think I’ve ever heard, it amazes me how some simple minded people can cling to that as if it’s so simple as the ‘stars’ deciding our fates, what an absolutely ludicrous idealization.” The words fell out in a word-vomit-type way. Eve huffed. “Do you seriously rot your brain with this garbage?” 

Blue laughs a bit, tilting her head to one side. She knows the website was ridiculous, and it was meant to be, but she hadn’t expected it to cause such anger. She’s amused, but also feels a bit defensive. “Of course I believe it. The stars? They’re real. You wanna know what’s not real? The economy. But everyone clings to that in this country!” She makes a loose gesture toward the sky. “And anyway, everyone rots their brain with something, it doesn’t make it any more ludicrous than the other thing. Except maybe furries..”

Embarrassed, Eve’s face grew hot. She felt out of the loop, uncomfortable with new situations and topics she didn’t quite yet understand. She knew she needed to be nice-r to people, so she took the bait. “Um, May 4th, do you need the year?” She paused, “I’m 21 if that means anything to this” Making a gesture towards the smart phone.  

“A Taurus, hm?” She quints at the girl. Blue admittedly wasn’t an expert on astrology, but she gave off more of a Capricorn vibe. Maybe Virgo? No matter. “Unexpected. I dig that. Let’s see - It says that in the next week you should get a bold tattoo of two tigers dancing - Cute - And it should be right on your chest.” Blue takes a moment to look the girl up and down, then returns back to her phone screen. “Or, it says to get a nautical heart on your arm with the name of your second grade teacher. So, do whichever feels best I think.”

Minding her own business was Eve’s favourite thing to do. Quite frankly, Eve believed everyone else should also mind their own business, it’s a simple courtesy. While partaking in her favourite activity, someone decided to impede on her business. “My what?” Eve didn’t know whether to be insulted for the sheer stupidity of horoscopes or the fact this woman approached her speaking to her as if she already knew her. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Blue furrows her brow. Maybe she’d misspoke? “Your star sign. Like, for your birthday?” She repeats, noting the girl’s tone. It was odd for Blue to gain such a reaction. Normally people her age loved this kind of thing. It hadn’t really crossed her mind that perhaps it was a weird topic to spring on a stranger. “Do we have to know each other for me to give you your horoscope free of charge?” She grins. “Come on, it’ll be fun. They’ve got some good ones today.”