ego volō cupī

Jade knew loneliness. She had been in hiding from the world since everything stopped, almost a hermit. She envied Lilia for fighting in the Madhouse. Jade had never been there, but heard stories. She could imagine Lilia fighting like old times, Jade looked at the sugar packets on the table, and lifted her fingers. The sugar packets lifted into the air, in their own bubble of zero gravity. “I really miss feeling special.” she chuckled. “I miss my powers making me feel special. Not like I’m some.. “ Murderer  “Monster.” 

Jade shook her head and sighed, the packets falling to the table. “Ok, no more sob story sappy bullshit. We should do something fun. Something crazy.” Jade looked out the window, and could see an abandoned train over the city’s horizon. “Wanna go destroy some stuff?”

“Maybe you are. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.” Lilia had spend countless hours as a teenager, newly realizing her abilities, convincing herself not only that she wasn’t a monster just because she was a meta, but also that she didn’t want to be a monster. However, once she had done what could never be taken back, that sentiment didn’t last long. She had long made peace with being a monster and loving every second of it. 

An impish smirk spread across her face at Jade’s suggestion. She extended the nail of her right pointer finger into a claw, taping it theatrically against her bottom lip in a pantomime of deep thought. She then brought her hands down abruptly to the table top, glancing at Jade with that wicked look in her eye. “Do you even have to ask?” Lilia stood abruptly, holding out a hand to the other. “Got any ideas?”

Ari purred leaning into the woman’s touch which is something he never did. The big cat had no problem with people petting him. It was just most of the time the person would get scared whenever he relaxed or, even went in to lick them. But this woman had no fear in her heart from being so up close and personal with him. It honestly surprised Natalia who didn’t miss the slight change in the woman’s eyes. She realized her volunteer had to be a meta of some type. Which she didn’t mind at all that just made this all the more fun.

“Well since you’ve taken such a liking to my friend why not go through the obstacle course with him?” She suggested with a small smirk Ari perked up at the thought of the obstacle course. He let out a roar and circled the woman.

Lilia gave one last little smile to the lion, running a thumb gently down his forehead. At the mention of an obstacle course, her eyebrows climbed high on her forehead. A peal of laughter left her lips when the creature perked up, encircling her. In some ways, she truly believed she got along better with felines than people and they had a tendency to pull genuine emotions from Lilia, rather than the usual facade she presented to the world.

Schooling her face back to the closet she could get to indifference, she gave a shrug and let a smirk curl at her mouth. “Why not?”

She was a bit surprised that the woman actually accepted and came down to join the show. Natalia took a quick look inside her head to see that the woman had a slight interest in Ari. While she was originally going to wait till later on to use the lion in the show. This woman didn’t seem like she would be a fan of one of her more eccentric tricks. She wanted something nice and simple, besides everyone was a fan of seeing her play with the animals anyway. It was especially a hit with the little kids. “Of course not just a little show with Ari here” she reassured the woman. At the sound of his name he came bounding off the platform to stand in front of her waiting for her signal.

“Now most people here think that this animal here is just a mindless beast. Who will attack and turn on me or any of you at. Any given moment and you’re not exactly wrong.” She gave the lion a look and he roared and turned on the woman. Ari took off towards her snarling ready to attack. The crowd grew nervous and scared some of them actually thinking about making a run for it themselves. “Halt Ari” she called out, and the lion came to a complete stop only a inch away from the woman. Most of the crowd let out a sigh of relief. “But you’re not right either lions are more than beast. There are intelligent creatures who can be understood. If only given a chance.” She turned to the woman “see just a simple trick.”

A genuine smile split across Lilia’s face at the sight of the lion bounding across the stage towards her. The smile even stayed in place as he came up right in front of her face, lips peeled back to reveal his rather ominous looking fangs. She only wished she could possess a form such as the beast that stood before her. Perhaps one day....but that would certainly take time and practice, as her current forms took shape from the native wild cats of Washington state. 

With the face of the lion barely inches away from her own, Lilia allowed her eyes to shift into their feline state, slitted pupils circled by a tight ring of blue-ish green, swimming in a see of gold. Carefully, she brought a hand up, gently running manicured nails down the side of the beast’s face. Slowly, she lead her hand down the his face until her palm cupped the chin of the lion that stood before her. Lilia held no fear in her heart that the lion would attack her for such a personal gesture, as her mutation left her with the ability to connect with felines on a personal level, as if she was one of their own. “He is beautiful,” she sighed dreamily, “I can see the intelligence in his eyes...”

“Villains together,” Jade said quietly with a hum. Whenever that terrible side of her broke through the cracks, she felt awful, but maybe having someone with her… She’d feel like a person again. Like a real Meta. “I’d like that.” She tilted her head at Lilia. “And what about you? Where did you go when the fight was over?” She asked, genuinely curious as to who Lilia was now. 

She noticed the incomplete touch, and silently wished she had finished it. Simply because Jade’s hug had left her hungry for a real human connection. “Tell me, what has your life become?” She asked, stirring the iced matcha that had come to their table. “I’m sure the strong, capable Lilia Kijek is handling domestic life a lot better than I.” 

"Glad to know I have an ally, then.” Just because Nephilim technically did not exist anymore certainly did not mean that Lilia had decided to live a moral lifestyle. Honestly, she didn’t think she was capable of living a moral lifestyle. To have someone by her side, someone she knew would understand to some degree, would help.  

“Heh, would not go so far as to say that. I left for Nevada right after, stayed there for a spell. But in case you did not know, Nevada fucking sucks. Like if you mix Utah and California, eugh,” she replied, adding a full body shudder for effect. “I fight for Madhouse now, the stimulation, the fighting, it−-keep me out of trouble...for the most part,” Lilia added with a wink. She heaved a heavy sigh, finally reaching forward to actually place a hand over Jade’s where it sat on the table top. “But...it’s lonely, always looking over shoulder, never trusting anyone. I missed having a friend.”

“I think maybe he knew he couldn’t take you as a human and that’s why he shifted.” After all if one is a meta why not use their abilities to the fullest. “If anything I found what he changed into to be more boring.”

When she brought up money David chuckled. “Indeed you did. Perhaps I can buy you a drink to thank you? It might take away the sting of your new art.” Plus people always seemed to be looser when they had a drink or two in them. Perhaps he could get some interesting information out of her.

“Hmm,” she began, eyebrows raising in question. “Perhaps. Although you would have to give me a minute to change, I of course would need to slip into something to compliment my new art.” Don’t get her wrong, Lilia was rough and tumble at heart, always craving a fight or a scuffle wherever she could get it, but she did always have a taste for the finer things in life. Fortunately for her, both her sticky fingers and prize money from the Madhouse allowed her to get her hands on mostly whatever designer goods she desired. 

Lilia paused for a moment, eyes narrowing as she took in the form of the man standing before her. “But what do you want from me? A drink is a debt and I have no interest in men and no desire to pretend I do.”

Jade sighed, looking at her fists. Jade could remember being here since the dust settled. She hadn’t left, and she wasn’t sure why. “Yeah, this whole time. I try to live a normal life, but god… it’s like a monster who creeps out sometimes. I just get so angry or sad.. It’s a rollercoaster. Sometimes I tell myself to just let myself be the villain.” Jade was often terrible to people, to keep them away. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed with friends, or had a nice dinner party. So utterly lonely. So deserving. 

Lilia leaned forward a bit in her chair, rolling her next words around in her head before she spoke. “Normal is boring. We are not normal, why pretend? We are better than normal.” While she never bought into the Nephilim rhetoric of meta supremacy, she whole heartedly believed that metas were different and should not have to contort themselves to fit the mold of human society. “You are smarter, stronger, more resilient.” 

“Who cares what people say or believe. Do not let them change you because they are afraid of you. Be the villain. I am.” Lilia made an aborted movement to place her hand overtop Jade’s where it sat on the tabletop before deciding not to, pulling away. “We could be villains together.” 

The short time span Jade took to walk to the cafe and obtain a table, she was able to comfort and center herself. Simply seeing Lilia had shaken her, so not facing the woman allowed her to relax and prepare herself for this impromptu coffee. She didn’t like coffee and hoped there was Matcha. Once she’d set her things down, she faced Lilia, and stopped. Despite the war and madness, they were two women, meeting again.

 Jade sighed, and finally offered the woman a meak smile. She wrapped her arms around Lilia, and gave her a genuine and long hug. They were both such strong women who had such high, thick barriers. One hug did a world of good. She pulled away and looked at her old comrade. “Goddamn your hair is great.” she chuckled, finally sitting. 

The hug took Lilia by surprise and she froze momentarily. Her arms came to awkwardly hover over Jade’s shoulders until she let out a quiet, shaky breath and returned the gesture. A small lump formed in her throat at the simple action. She had forgotten just how−solitary her life for the last two years had been. Lilia was no stranger to solitude, but her time with Nephilim had made her accustomed to companionship. Now, she couldn’t even remember the last time she touched someone and wasn’t about to punch them in the face. 

“Flattery will get you everywhere, my friend, you know that about me. It’s my homemade conditioner, by the way,” she responded, stilted at first, until she sat back in her chair and allowed herself to simply enjoy the chance meeting that this was. A gentle smile pulled at Lilia’s lips and she nodded her chin between the two of them. “What a chance. Have you been in Pansaw this whole time?”

Jade had lived about 5 years in silence, and peace since the chaos. That is what Jade called it. Chaos. When Lilia touched her, Jade was spiraled into defensive mode. This wasn’t fair. For fate to drop a memory that was Lilia. It was like a drop of water in a still pond. Ripples. Jade held a hand to her forehead and shook her head. “Lilia, I can’t do this here.” She said quickly. Jade collected a few things from the stall, paid, and then nodded toward a cafe. 

This is who Jade was now. carrying paranoia and fear on her shoulders, but strength and perseverance in her eyes. But how could a meta, who was also a villain to most, live correctly? 

Watching the emotions move across Jade’s face, Lilia felt something building up inside her, something she hadn’t felt in quite sometime−guilt. She didn’t feel guilt over the things she had done while with Nephilim, but she also knew that the other woman probably felt differently, and that seeing Lilia most likely stirred up some less than pleasant memories. The nausea that swelled in her stomach at such a feeling reminded her why she never let herself feel that way. She swallowed it down, cutting her gaze down to the ground. 

“Of course,” she replied softly. Abandoning her quest for sugar scrub supplies, she followed Jade to the cafe, feeling as though her tongue was tied in knots. 

C.A.R.M.A had received a tip that someone recognized a Nephilim – or perhaps former Nephilim seemed better – member fighting in the Madhouse. These sightings seemed to be few and far these days with the supremacy group scattered after their defeat years ago. The ones that hadn’t already been captured were still pretty high up on C.A.R.M.A’s “most wanted” list, considering these particular Metas to be the most dangerous given their former associations. 

He’d entered the arena just in time to watch the fights, searching out for this particular Metahuman with his telepathic abilities. Gotcha. He thought to himself as he pinpointed his target as the masked feline-like character in the ring. He opted to watch her fight for reference, figuring she wouldn’t be coming in quietly (like so many others C.A.R.M.A arrested, naturally), and it might suit him to learn how she worked in combat. Once the fight finished, Manny waited for a minute before gaining access for himself behind the scenes. One of the benefits of working for C.A.R.M.A included free roam throughout the whole Madhouse since many of the Meta agents used the facilities here for the occasional training. 

“You’re right, it’s terribly rude of me. But maybe you can make an exception, considering who I am,” Manny said, pulling out his holographic C.A.R.M.A-issued badge to show Lilia just who he was. “Lilia Kijek, correct? I have orders to bring you in for being involved with the Nephilim attack. I’d highly suggest you do this the easy way.” 

Lilia’s breath caught in her throat. She lowered her eyes from the gaze of the man behind her to a very interesting spot on the floor. She didn’t think she could completely lie her way out, maybe if she hadn’t gotten registered when she returned to Pansaw, but that was a lost cause. Of utmost importance, she knew, was to not think too long about it before she acted. Lilia had absolutely no clue who this man was, what he was capable of, what his abilities might have been; hell, for all she knew he could be a mindreader. But then again, he also had no clue what she was capable of. 

With her back still to the man, Lilia sniffled softly ( but just loud enough for him to hear, of course ) and began toying with the hem of her shirt nervously. Next, she bit her lip and exercised the muscles of her throat, pushing her larynx down further and further, digging her teeth into her lip deeper and deeper, until she felt that familiar heat begin to prickle behind her eyes. One tear slid down her face, then another, then another, and there we go; the floodgates had opened. Allowing her breaths to come quicker and shallower, she brought both hands up to her hair. “Oh, god,” she whispered, letting her accent thicken around her words to really play it up. Her breath came out in short, wavering huffs, and she sunk to the ground, sitting back on her heels. 

“I should not have listened, even when they threaten my family,” Lilia mumbled into her knees, just soft enough to give off the impression of speaking to oneself, but loud enough to be heard. “Even if it meant C.A.R.M.A. agent take me. Whatever they would have done to me would be better than what they made me do,” she spat out the last half of the sentence, letting shameful disgust infuse her words. Lilia slowly turned her body to face the other, still crouched low, and glanced up at him through disheveled bangs and tear-clumped lashes. “What happens now?”

Jade simply expected the woman to be a normal person in the market, not a bittersweet memory of the years past. Though it took Jade a few blinks to realize just who was standing before her. However, they both had changed drastically. While Lillia wasn’t speckled with dirt and blood, or missing feline features from battle, Jade’s hair was much more kempt, rather than her usual messy bun she sported during those days. They were two seemingly normal women on the street. Jade stuttered before giving a dry chuckle. “Lilia.. I can’t believe your’e here! What are you doing here?” 

Lilia was struck with a rare moment of inarticulacy. She opened her mouth as if to speak, looking a bit like a fish with a gaping mouth, only to close it moments later. Jade looks so different, she thought, she looks....better. “I−I was...looking for supplies...for my sugar scrub,” she replied lamely. Feeling her face heating at how obviously frazzled she appeared, Lilia deflected into anger...as she always did. She could not let herself appear bewildered to others, even to the one person she allowed herself to call a friend. “Then this fucking vulture saw bruise on my face and dove in with his healing plants.” 

Putting a hand on Jade’s shoulder, Lilia carefully pulled her in closer, curling her own shoulders in to create somewhat of a shield against the crowds of the marketplace. “I...I thought everyone had left sometime ago. After...everything. But here you are,” she whispered with a dazed chuckle. 

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Myers-Briggs: ESTP-A ( The Entrepreneur - Assertive )

Enneagram: Type 7 ( The Hedonist ) / Wing Type 8w7 ( The Maverick ) / Tritype 478 ( The Messanger )

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Kinsey Scale: 6 ( Exclusively homosexual )

Hogwarts House: Slytherin 

Ilvermorny House: Thunderbird

Patronus: Hippogriff

Temperament: Choleric

Archetypes: Rebel ( 55 %) Explorer ( 25 % ) Royal ( 20% )

Soul Type: Sage

Bending Type (Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra): Firebender