I am the End ; There are no Beginnings

“Tai chi and S.C.A.R.S., if we’re being specific. My mother trained me when I was a teenager,” she said calmly, a smirk beginning to tug at the corners of her lips. She herself was a weapon, whether or not she was holding a loaded firearm or a steak knife. Her hands had snapped the necks of god only knew how many men, and she always relied ultimately on her own devices to save her ass. Nothing more powerful than the human body itself, in her opinion. One of her eyebrows lifted quizzically. “Familiar with any of those?”

"Sounds like you have never been able to taste the sweetness of ordinary life.”, Perses said with a hint of pity which he didn’t really mean from his heart - but he was really interested in how she’d react to that. William had never missed his ordinary life once after he had left it - but not ever experiencing it? Leaning forward, listening to her choices of martial arts surprised him. “I used to watch a group of old men and hippie students practice Tai Chi when I was working on my master’s. And I’ve never heard of S.C.A.R.S., although it does sound delightfully as if it catered to fifteen year olds in a rebellious phase.” His smile was back. “Show me.”

“how old is it,” he asked from the counter, where he was inspecting the kitchen tomatoes with a great degree of uncertainty. he made a face as he put one down, deeming it unacceptable for use in his food, and then turned to perses. “if it’s recent, try hydrogen peroxide. usually works, mixed with a little bleach. but if it’s old then…” he shrugged, sighing in disappointment at the tomato selection. “you’re shit outta luck.”

Surprised, William turned around to see that he was not the only late-night kitchen visitor - and for a short moment, he was disappointed. Being around other people always sent him into his usual antics, as if it was his calling, his job. Playing them, pretending, trying to cut them up to read their inner most thoughts. Tonight, though, - weirdly - Perses decided that no, he was really just too tired. The first agent in this entire tower that would get to experience the most raw version of Perses, and they wouldn’t even know it. “It’s from today, I wear outfits every day, but recent?”, Perses said and pulled on it further to have a better look, “Could be from midday, could be from half an hour ago. What do you say?”

She couldn’t resist the almost ridiculous grin that spread over her lips, as she fondled a knife absentmindedly in her hands while trying to seem the least bit interested in him. “Knives are a favorite but they’re not my weapon of choice. Weapon of choice is the one I came programmed with,” she said, gesturing down towards herself. “The human body can be a powerful thing.”

Perses had no inhibitions following Hera’s gesture down towards her body. What a two-faced answer - the human body. Was this a situation of any other ocupation, what would have followed this statement would surely be an office liason, was she willing, but here, in espionage, it had another meaning. A meaning that made Perses eyes get a little darker. He was impressed, always most fond of using his raw fists himselves instead of gadgets and gizmos. “It sure can be.”, William said, eyebrows raised before he ripped his bold gaze away, taking note of all the lean muscle Hera implied. “Martial arts?”