Evelyn giggled before appearing right before her. Clara only saw a blur, but she felt the cool peck against her cheek, which put a smile on her face.

“Merci,” Evelyn said. “Clara has barely been coherent since the incident. It’s just… been… me…”

“I can’t imagine what you went through,” Clara said. “A question remains…”

“How do you get back to your love?”

“I’m more curious to see how I can get her to skip laundry day…”

Evelyn’s jaw dropped and she froze in place. The vampire’s heart kept beating strong and true, and did not waver even as a pillow whizzed by Clara’s head.

“Putain!” Evelyn swore.

“Vas donc te faire foutre,” Evelyn yelled. (Go fuck yourself.)

While the words were menacing, that smirk on her lips implied it was all for show.

“Answers,” Clara taunted.

“Ans(swer?)—What were the questions?”

Those razor-sharp talons were out, but an impish grin remained firmly in place. She figured that Evelyn was playing her part… and enjoying it.

“Yes, that I miss this too,” Clara said. “Yes, that I’d love to… and yes that it would be cheating.”

Evelyn made it clear in the past that she was fine with Clara taking others to bed. It came with the lifestyle, but taking another Evelyn to bed would be like playing with napalm… neither could forgive themselves, the other, or me…

After that last word there came a pause. Evelyn’s mask was once more gone, showcasing her level of fatigue.

“I miss this,” Evelyn whispered before resetting her mask and acting as though nothing happened.

“Yes.”

That single answer led Evelyn to cock her head and press her index against her chin.

“Pardon?”

“Yes.” Clara repeated.

Evelyn’s head moved back about a hand.

“What do you mean?”

“Yes.” Clara pushed.“

Vas donc te faire foutre,” Evelyn yelled. (Go fuck yourself.)

It conjured up the imagery of a dark shadow stalking women in the night… Like something straight out of Nosferatu.

The fact that Evelyn’s hearing was superior and did not seem to care made the situation more worrisome… she has to know that creature is there…

“It’s funny how two versions of you don’t seem all that surprised that I’m a different Clara.”

“Ma chère,” Evelyn began. “I have centuries of life experiences on you. One either learns to be adaptable or ends up with a stake through their heart.”

Clara furrowed a brow. That last line did not entirely make sense.

“That’s not an effective weapon on you. At best it would—(slow you down).”

“Why do you think we continue to perpetuate that myth?” Evelyn said before winking.

The longer she was in this body, the more she became aware of its limitations. A dull pain was constant, as was the itching. She took the latter as a sign that new skin was growing back… clearly more than my wings were scorched…

She also became aware of something skittering in the distance. It was much larger than a rat, and yet could not pick up its heartbeat. The most disturbing element was the sound of it sniffing the air… as though searching for prey…

It conjured up the imagery of a dark shadow stalking women in the night… Like something straight out of Nosferatu.

“Change a couple of variables and the world comes to an end,” Evelyn mused.

“Or end up getting lost, jumping from one version of yourself into another,” Clara said.

“That… would be unpleasant.”

She wondered how her Evelyn was doing. Was the vampire worried sick, avoiding reality by hiding in her studio. Did Evelyn notice that Clara had yet to report in… I’ve been gone for longer periods without contact before…

“I’m not sure this qualifies as paradise,” Clara said.

If there was a clear point where their realities diverged, this was it. Going to The Grand allowed her to make peace with Hecate and her sister… The humiliation my sister endured on livestream meant that her allies abandoned her…

“Change a couple of variables and the world comes to an end,” Evelyn mused.

Clara noticed that Evelyn’s dress was grimy. It was odd to see the vampire who was always dressed in the latest fashions had grime on her dress. Clara was also willing to swear that Evelyn had some grey in her hair, along with crow’s feet by her eyes… It makes her look more human….