Yours Sincerely
by Diamonde
DISCLAIMER: Eris belongs to me. Natalie belongs to Alicia McKenzie. Tetherblood and the universe technically belong to Marvel, but these versions belong to Alicia and the Summers-writing pair of us respectively. I borrowed Ali's stuff with permission so I could torture them a little. All in the spirit of good fun, of course. ;)
The people pushed past her, ignored her, dismissed her without a thought. Eris hadn't realized how much it would irritate her, keeping her on the edge of anger almost constantly. At times it was all she could do to prevent herself from screaming and using her power in the most spectacular ways she could think of, even though that would completely destroy what she was trying to accomplish.
How dare they? How dare they not recognize her as their superior, the most powerful being that would ever enter their uncivilized, grubby little lives? They should be respecting her, fearing her, rushing to obey...
But for now she would have to tolerate their disrespect, bow her head and look humble to every pretentious fool who fancied himself important. Never mind that she had been the highest but one and could be the 'but one' herself in time, if she wished. For now subtlety was the key, subtlety and patience.
Eris was more than capable of the former, but the latter had always been a problem.
*Boring...* The thoughts of the surrounding people washed over her, a babble of small minds engaged in small matters. Not a rebellious thought to be heard anywhere, not a single spark of telepathic talent amongst the rabble. In other words, nothing that she could wave in front of the Canaanites as a demonstration of her 'loyalty'. Haight was already half hers, but she needed to move slowly at first and avoid ruffling too many feathers. That meant making herself useful and not alerting them all to the true extent of her power... yet.
Eris squeezed through a narrow doorway and climbed to the small room her poor cover identity had rented. It was easier to watch from above, especially in the heat of afternoon. Besides, she was more than a little tired of being crushed among the stinking hordes, dodging the hands of anyone who noticed her long enough to try for a casual grope.
Footsore and lulled by the dull mental roar of monotonous normality, Eris drifted into a half-doze. Thoughts overheard turned into dreamy images, twisting slowly past her mind's eye like a gentle rain. Rain, thoughts, life... all that same soft roar, all tumbling gently by in a multitude one could never grasp all of. She could watch one drop, one mind with ease. But each addition increased the difficulty exponentially until it combined into that indistinguishable tumult.
One part that caught her attention could be singled out at the cost of the others, or all could be ignored, turned to white noise as she focused on something else. Or she could just drift, as she was doing now, letting all it rush past her. All the same... routine thoughts, running over the same mental pathways as they did the same old things the same old way. Even their interactions were the same... not really noticing one another, just following a formula.
That the formula included poverty and hopelessness didn't make much of an impression on Eris. It was everywhere. Even in the rich houses of the most privileged mutants were dull-eyed servants, acting and thinking like mobile furniture. That's rather how she thought of them. Insignificant, not worth paying attention to unless you wanted something done or someone to be angry at and scare or hurt. Given this attitude, the entrance of a less resigned mind cut through her drowsy reverie like a knife.
Eris sat up, blinking. The new mind was bright and fast, watching and analyzing everything it perceived even as it trotted happily through its own thoughts. Even more startling was what Eris discovered as she reached out to it, pushing through a surprising level of shielding.
What the new mind was thinking about was Natalie Dayspring. And it was thinking about her with a level of doting, faintly guilty affection that Eris found infuriating. *We'll see about that...* Eyes narrowing, she searched quickly. Natalie wasn't with him. No, he was meeting her later... in a day, not far from here. He was looking forward to it. *Like a pet.*
Leaning closer to the window she soon located the tall, dark-skinned man on the opposite side of the street. *Not bad at all. What a waste.* She watched him for a few seconds as he talked to a woman selling highly dubious food. He seemed calm, completely at ease with his surroundings and was unusually courteous. Eris frowned. He was obviously richer and more powerful than they were, why did he bother?
Strangely curious, Eris probed further into his mind. A single touch and she was flooded with a torrent of images and emotions. His name was Tetherblood. He was Natalie's best friend. And she had no idea he was in love with her. The honest, selfless love swept up and overwhelmed Eris for a moment before she pushed it back, scared by the intensity. Then it was gone, leaving a horrible feeling of loss behind. Eris pushed that aside as well, narrowing her eyes as she tracked Tetherblood up the street.
Natalie. The bitch had to have everything, didn't she? Not that she actually valued any of it, just assumed it was her due or didn't even _notice_... "Not this time," Eris hissed softly. "Poor man... All he wants is you, 'sister'. Can't blame me for giving him the... improved version."
Eris made a few benign notes to keep the people she was supposed to be working for happy, then set to work. She washed and changed her clothes, having scanned Tetherblood's memories she knew Natalie was likely to wear. Far more effective to simply build acceptance of what was there instead of creating an entire new reality.
Even as the cool, calculating part of her mind swept her hair up and attended to little details, the rest of her was burning. Anger, old anger newly revived, was scorching her soul and driving her on. And feeding it were feelings she didn't want to face, wouldn't put words to, but couldn't quite deny. Soft whisperings that told her Natalie couldn't be happy, couldn't have something that Eris did not. Because if she did, that somehow meant she was more deserving. And Eris wouldn't allow that idea any legitimacy, not while she was still breathing.
She was unremarkable as Natalie - the dull, loose clothes hid the figure she'd just finished growing (and was quite proud of) and Natalie's brisk manner didn't do much for what remained.
Eris tsked quietly at the lack of taste but didn't really mind too much. She was only planning on getting the attention of one man this time, and at least she was comfortable. Eris was still morally outraged at how hot it remained even in the late afternoon. The breeze had picked up enough to make the heat less oppressive, but nowhere near enough to make the ten-minute walk pleasant.
The faint trace of dust and sweat she had picked up by the time she reached her destination added to both her authenticity and her resolve. Thus the illusion Tetherblood was presented with was completely convincing.
"Nat?" He looked surprised.
Eris smiled. "Miss me?"
"Not a bit." Tetherblood closed the door behind her and put the gun back down. "But then, you're early."
"Didn't take as long as we thought," Eris shrugged, soothing his curiosity and doubt as she spoke.
Tetherblood blinked, then accepted it. "That's good. Get into any trouble?"
"No." Eris wandered over to stand by the window, making a small show of enjoying the breeze. "Oath, it's hot."
"That happens in deserts, Nat."
"And I don't _like_ deserts." Eris untied her ponytail with genuine relief, closing her eyes and running her hands through her hair to cool her scalp. The fact that the shirt she was wearing was thin enough to show a perfect silhouette of her body against the light when she lifted her arms was not coincidental, although it looked innocent enough. It was as seemingly accidental as the way she opened her eyes and looked at him, to find him looking at her. The blush was appropriately virginal and she dropped her arms, but gave a considering look up through her lashes. A girl who had just discovered that maybe there was more to her than she'd thought.
Eris slipped into the role like a fish into water, leaving hardly a ripple.
"Sorry," Tetherblood mumbled, turning away. He could fell his face burning, and the guilt was back. Nat was supposed to be a little sister... She had been. A headstrong, sulky, opinionated little sister who he'd platonically loved to bits. Then somehow it had changed, little Nat had become Natalie, somebody he wasn't entirely sure he knew but desperately wanted to.
"My fault." Her eyes dropped and the left began to glow a tiny bit.
"Forget it."
"No." Natalie looked up again, stubborn nature surfacing. "What the flonq just happened there?"
"Nothing."
"Look me in the eyes and say that."
Tetherblood looked her in the eye and lied. "Nothing."
Natalie stepped forwards until she was _almost_ touching him, only a deep breath separating them. "Still nothing?"
"Natalie..." he tried to sound warningly adult.
Natalie looked innocent and breathed deeply. "Yes?"
For a moment, he didn't dare move. Because he had no idea what he'd end up doing if he tried. "Nat, really. Listen." Words helped, he brought his hands up to her shoulders and took a step back. "Whatever you're thinking, this isn't it. Okay?"
"Even if I wasn't a telepath, I know you too well for that. Did you really think I wouldn't_notice_?"
Up until now she hadn't seemed to. But Natalie could be like that sometimes. "I don't think _you're_ thinking."
"I am so. With the rational part of my brain, even." She brought up her right hand to rest gently on his wrist. "What are you thinking with?"
He paused and blinked.
Thankfully, Natalie continued. "Probably that nasty complex that thinks I'm still a little girl. I'm not." She lifted his hands off her shoulders and stepped forwards again. This time she didn't leave any space, and her breasts brushed gently against him as she breathed.
Tetherblood would have taken another step back, but the room was tiny and he was nearly against the wall as it was. But Natalie just looked up at him thoughtfully, then brushed one hand down his chest and sighed before stepping away again.
"Not that you'll ever believe that."
For a second he almost wanted to protest that he'd been right on the verge of believing it, but she'd stopped trying to convince him too quickly. Then the next heartbeat drove blood back to his brain and squashed the thought. "You're not a kid, Nat. You weren't when I _met_ you." They both knew that too well. The government might have changed, but childhoods still tended to be short and brutal.
"So what do you plan on doing about it?" A flash of distinctly-unchildlike mischief flashed across her face, then disappeared again.
"Absolutely nothing."
If she'd been someone else, Natalie might have pouted. Instead, she just shrugged. "Fine then."
She had to be up to something. She couldn't possibly be dropping the subject that easily, not after that. Tetherblood watched his friend with narrowed eyes.
Natalie just sat down on the bed, crossed her legs and ruffled her hair again, apparently unconcerned. "So, where are we going next?"
"I don't know. Pick a direction."
Nat reached above her head in a satisfyingly langrous stretch. He looked away from quickly. Once caught, twice shy. But she just pointed vaugely east. "That way. Tell me what's over there."
Also sitting on the bed, since there wasn't any other furniture worth sitting on, Tetherblood thought for a moment. "A bit more desert, then a river. There's a string of minor cities next to it. Trade-cities, lovely and boring. Not many places for you to get into trouble."
Natalie laughed. "Who, me?" She glanced up through her eyelashes in a deliberately false impression of fascinated innocence. "What sort of trouble could little me possibly get into?"
"You continue to astonish me in that department."
"Good." She grinned. "Stops you getting complacent in your old age."
"Oh yes. Running and shooting and pain keep me young."
"Stop complaining, I'm not that bad."
He smiled, starting to relax again as they went through traditional bickering. "No, sometimes you're worse. I like fighting as much as the next guy, but you like starting things you can't finish way too much."
"Not always." Without any warning at all, she leaned over and kissed him. A soft kiss, but hardly uncertain.
Drawing away before he unfroze and broke the kiss himself, Natalie smirked. "See? That was a surprise, but it didn't hurt. No shooting. And I certainly didn't start anything I wasn't capable of finishing."
"Nat, I meant what I said before."
"I know. I was just making a point." And she sat back again with every appearance of casual relaxation.
"Not a very good one." He glared a little, angry at himself for letting the situation get out of hand and her for being too flonqing cute.
"Actually, there were two and they were very important ones. You wanted me to kiss you and I liked doing it. You can't just ignore that and make it go away. And I don't know why you want to. But I think I've got a solution." Natalie grinned. "If I seduce you, it can't be your fault, can it?"
Another kiss, longer but still light. Enough to push away some of his reservations, but frustrating all the same. So was the way she leaned in close enough that he could feel her bodyheat on his skin, but the only actual contact was those teasing brushes of lips.
"Admit it," she whispered softly against his mouth. "You want me to kiss you."
"Fine, I admit it."
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" The next kiss was deeper, firmer and frustrating in a much more enjoyable way. "Thank you." Her voice was much softer as she leaned her forehead on his shoulder.
"For what?"
"For wanting to kiss me."
"I'd be an idiot not to." He gently tilted her chin up so she had to look at him as he said it. "The TO doesn't bother me, Nat."
"Prove it." Her fingers toyed with the laces of her shirt, untying and retying and untying and twisting... "Please?"
If he turned away now she'd always think he'd been lying, and whether it damaged their friendship or not he couldn't do that to her. Gently untangling her fingers from the lacings, he loosened them and lifted the shirt over her head. Right-handed, his fingers brushed metal first. It was warmer than he expected and the texture didn't bother him at all. Admittedly he did prefer the silky skin, but the techno-organics didn't make any difference to the desire. The virus was a part of Natalie, part of what had made her the intense woman she was, and Natalie was what he wanted.
Eris frowned at the man who was finally asleep beside her, face peaceful in the moonlight. It had been an odd experience for her, previous partnerings had been for her own pleasure or to gain power and influence by pleasuring another. Sex where neither participant dominated and the goal was mutual enjoyment was... well, enjoyable, but seemed almost wasteful. She could have that kind of fun by herself and it didn't hurt.
Getting up and tugging her clothes back on, Eris winced as newly-inflamed internal scars pulled. However, in the last year or more they had become little more than an irritation and she hummed softly as she searched for materials to leave for a note for Natalie.
Natalie,
You're probably wondering why I did that. Pretending to be you and having sex with your best friend, that is. Well, set your small mind at ease, I'll tell you. Don't worry, I promise to use short words. Consider this a friendly reminder, sister. That what is yours, I can take. Whenever I wish. I will not disappear, and I will not forget, and I will not stop until your own face in the mirror revolts you because it reminds you of me. Or perhaps your face will remind Tetherblood of me? What I did to make him scream out your name... What a cheerful thought. You did know that he was in love with you, of course. Only a fool could have missed it, let alone a telepath. Then again, you have always been more of the former than the latter. So remember, twin, as you curl up in your virginal bed... I will not be finished until all that is yours has become mine, and nobody will ever see me coming.
Pleasant dreams,
Eris
-=End=- (For now. You think I can keep a girl like Eris shut up for long?)