Never Lost

01 - Places Kevin Eats Off Of

01 – Places Kevin Eats Off Of

Kayda was tired.

She had always been one for flamboyant – ness. There was nothing she would logically let sit between her and creating a good spectacle. Maybe it was her rearing. Years in the dueling underground left her with little choice but to put on a show. Maybe standing out was her key to survival. Since it was the only way she could guarantee a way out.

It was a shitty key – if that's what it was – and now, she couldn't even muster the energy to keep up the show.

The midnight was like any other. Dark and cloudy, with just a hint of ambiance to make it feel wrong. The streets were painted blue with bursts of yellow wandering under the light poles. Kayda tugged at the sleeves of her jacket. It was the perfect article for the imperfect weather. Not that it was comfortable, since no matter what time she wore it, she was either a bit too hot or a bit too cold. But at least the jacket felt familiar, even if it was the umpteenth time it's changed.

A woman walked by her side with steps as soft as a frozen breath. It was almost as if the world was silent, with no cars or voices, just gentle light that floated around them like a presence. Despite her brighter attire, the woman seemed to sink into the shadows better than Kayda did. Her stride was calculated like the twinkle in her eyes, bright and lighthearted if you liked danger enough to look.

"Kayda, do you want to stop for a drink?"

Kayda stopped and jammed her hands into her pockets. The movement stretched the straps on her cape. It seemed like she was outgrowing her Neo Neo Neo look and was in need for a change of pace. "We should really hurry," she murmured; her eyes dancing cautiously with the shadows that hid behind every corner. "It's not safe here anymore."

"It was never safe," Torch replied with a glance over her shoulder. "Not for people like us."

Kayda raised her eyebrows and allowed herself a wary smile. "So, you think that means throwing caution to the wind?"

Torch paused and looked back at her with an iron stare. "Always were the calculated one, weren't you?"

Kayda relaxed visibly and let out a cheerful half laugh. "You know nothing about me." There was a pause. "I suppose one drink couldn't hurt."

"That's my girl." A pair of warm hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and guided her forth along the sidewalk with a renewed sense of urgency.

Yeah, the twinkle in her eyes was beautiful – even more so that no one cared to look for it. No one even tried.

It's funny how things turn out. This time last year, Kayda would never have seen herself on the run for her life. Yet also this time last year she never would have known she'd be walking into the bar with probably one of her first sworn enemies. It was like something out of a bad fan fiction. It was crazy and time consumingly hard. Maybe there wasn't any time to do it, yet the whole thing was enough to make your head spin.

And Kayda's head was spinning like a top nowadays.

"Does a gay bar sound fine to you?" Torch asked as she messed around with the specs on her mobile device. "Less chance of us being bothered, I think."

"Sounds good to me."

"Google says there's one down the street," Torch replied a moment later. "That was convenient."