The thwuck of Eisen’s empty RedBull alarmed a lady’s poodle as he missed the mouth of a trashcan. “Sorry” He shrugged and ran across 50th Street, coming from a weird double date with Dawn and Jane and Shaheik. 

Never again was he going to be pressured to pity-chaperone a guy with severe social anxiety, meeting an online date, pretending to be his sister’s lover from France. The free three course meal sat in his belly, but the silences and body picking and over apologetic duel of the awkward parties left an aftertaste in his mouth he needed to shake off. The Redbull wasn’t enough.

One of his clients, a sweetheart by the name of Maggie, who got a tattoo of her dog on her left thigh, invited him to her cousin’s wedding’s afterparty somewhere in the Bronx. Eisen hadn’t the care to take her up on the invite— sure she’d been crushing on him hardcore. But he craved some social interaction right now to stave off the anxious energy he just endured.

After arriving home, taking a long awaited dump, and jumping into a not so-wrinkly set of dress pants, wife-beater and loose fitting button-down, he hitched a ride on a few buses that brought him blocks away from a  dainty little pent-house, lit and alive from a distance.

The sun had just come down, meaning he was at a perfectly late time to arrive. Passing through a nearby park, he stopped for a second to admire a lady in stone. A street performer, he presumed. But this was at a corner where there was little to no traffic.

“Hey. You should probably pick a better spot.” He ambled up to the stone girl, then realized it looked so real. So stone.

He reached out to touch her face and continued touching her face because it turned out to be an actual statue.

“Holy fuck. That’s insane. Thought you were real.”

The last of the fading light disappeared from the stone.  As the light crept away, the stone started to soften, weaken.  Tiny pebbles of sediment crumbled down at the joints.  The bends of the knees, elbows and around the neck.  Cassandra could not see inside her stone incasement, but she could hear muffled somethings from the outside.  It sounded as if someone were talking to her.  Cracks raced down the sides as she shifted, pushed.  It gave way.  The first stone to break was around her knee.  Her jeans were ripped at the knees, and pale skin exposed first.  Then faded denim.  Then her whole leg.  Cassandra kicked through the rest of the rubble until all of the stone on the right side fell away.  Her arm emerged and she tore frantically at the bits holding her midsection in place.  Still her face was stone.  Hidden away behind a statuesque mask of sadness.  She had been frowning when she got imprisoned.  The frown had shown up on the statue's face.  It seemed as if the statue was coming alive and slowly dissolving at the same time.  The claws on her right hand dug into the stone covering her face.  It tore like paper and she clawed away what remained.  

She never had trouble breathing when she was trapped.  Her body just seemed to go into a low power mode requiring much less oxygen.  It was kind of like hibernation every night.  She cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders.  She could feel rubble falling down the back of her shirt, into her shoes.  She didn't care it was good to be out.  She stepped down from the inch high platform that was her concrete shoes.  She hadn't bothered to look around.  She almost stepped right into a person.  Oh yeah, that's right.  Someone had been talking.  Cassandra stumbled back a few steps.  Stepping in what remained of the stone and smashing it beneath her combat boots.  She crouched and took a defensive stance.  Her wings reflexively stretched out to their full wingspan.  She flapped them a few times as her tail whipped excitedly around behind her.  She raised an eyebrow.  Long, blue locks fell into her face.  Her hair was scattered and wild as were her eyes.  She licked her lips as she looked at the man.  Not necessarily because he was good looking but because she was hungry.  Though, she had deicded a while back it wasn't such a good deal to be a cannible.  People tended to frown on that sort of thing.  

She looked him overe.  He looked like he got dressed in the dark, in a hurry.  A smirk spread across her pale face.  Standing up she decided she didn't really fear him.  If anything, he should fear her.  Cassandra looked around and didn't see much of anyone else around for the moment.  It was just the two of them here for now.  In this awkward meet cute.  She rubbed her neck.  It was stiff.  "Damn, that's one hell of a crick in my neck!" She said more to herself than to him.  Then she looked back at him.  "Buddy, you got a cigarette?  You wouldn't believe the morning I had."  It was a joke of course.  She had spent her entire morning in that very spot.  Stupid really.  She had come to the park last night, lost track of time and got caught in the sunlight.  The moment dawn's light hit her skin she froze there.  Where any drunk whino could have stumbled into her looking for a park bench to sleep it off.  It only took one topple to make all the cards come crashing down.  Game over.  If she shattered she wouldn't wake up so daisy fresh.  She'd be a million little Cassandra pieces in the grass, simple as that.  

"She checked her watch.  Grateful to see that it had gotten dark a little early tonight.  "What's your name anyways handsome?"  She said.  She foled her wings back.  They compiled and seemed to shrink in size until she was able to tuck them away into two little slits in the back of her shirt.  That's where she kept them when she was around the normies.  She didn't have to hide.  She could handle herself if someone wanted to make a big deal about it, but why go through the bother?  When you could just pretend to be somewhat normal.  Her tail flicked again.  There wasn't much in the way of hiding that though.  She had tried.  "I'm Demon."  She said proudly.  She didn't bother to give her human name.  People never seemed to be interested in it anyways.  She was had much more mystique with her given moniker. 

Eisen pulled his hand back as the statue wasn’t a statue at all, but a prank of sorts. The crumbling stone that made a soft little sand-waterfall noise against the city landscape was calming, but he took a few steps back then looked around him. No one else was seeing this right now.

If he had been in a rush, Eisen would have left the person alone to do their stone stripping, but it wasn’t everyday that stony creatures stripped in front of him. He had a lot of questions. Though, given the state of their times, this was either a person trapped by someone mutation, or a Welldrinker spell, or it could have been a mutant themself.

As the stone crumbled, Eisen wiped away some of of the dust that fell on his feet. The process was rather slow, but eventually the creature— which seemed more like a blue haired female with wings— so definitely a mutant — spread its wings and did a spooky face-reveal. 

Eisen clapped slowly, the female emerging from the cocoon. And wanted to respond to her comments, but she didn’t give him time to speak, between the lip licking, the stretching, and the tail flicking and the flattery.

“Hold on, sweets. I don’t think you’re done — isn’t more supposed to come off before you reveal your stage name and I slip in some dollar bills? That tail’s pretty kinky.” Eisen was aware, she could probably leave him bloody and bruised. But as soon as she sheathed her wings, he realized she didn’t seem intent to cut his head off just yet.

“You can call me Pause, little Demon. And if you wanted to give a show, I’m on my way to an after party. You’d probably make more cash there.” He winked at her and offered her his elbow. He’d seen his fair share of creature-mutations, and her demonic appearance was a pretty flattering one. If she didn’t have a sense of humor, however, he’d have to revisit his game plan.

Demon's eyebrow was apparently going to be permanently raised with this guy.  She had to make a conscious effort to lower it.  Most people avoided her.  He was flirting with her.  Sort of.  It wasn't very flattering.  Then again, She didn't take well to flattery in the first place.  She was more of a loner, and apparently he didn't have any smokes either.  That was a bummer.  "Sweets? You're a real charmer.  Do they call you Pause to remind you not to put your foot in your mouth before you speak?  They should call you STOP. As in stop while you're ahead."  Whatever his deal was he didn't seem the least bit threatened by her.  She hadn't even begun to threaten him, but even though he basically called her a working girl she had a playful smile dancing on her lips.  It was a little refreshing to talk to someone snarky like her.  Looking around she did hear sounds.  There was a party going on nearby.  And so close to the park.  

Reaching back she pulled a hair tie off of her wrist and threw her hair into a ponytail.  It was hastily done, and a few strands fell down and dangled in front of one bright blue eye.  Her eyes narrowed at him a moment and she shrugged.  What the hell?  Why not?  Where was she even going?  She had no plans.  Tonight was an open slate.  She couldn't remember the last time she had actually enjoyed someone's company.  He thought her tail was kinky.  It had honestly, been the thing that brought the smile to her face.  Flattery might sit better with her than she thought.  "Fuck it.  Why not?  If you bore me I could always eat you."  She joked.  She was sort of joking.  Red meat was her favorite.  Though, she perfered it with a little more fat on it.  For now she stuck with her assumed name.  Cassandra was a little too cozy for stranger in the park after sunset.  

"Lead the way, wait, there's food at this party right? Kind of starving actually..."  

Not only did the little demon have a bite, she had a bark too. Eisen puffed out his chest while placing a hand over his heart over her snarky little comment. 

“If I need a foot in my mouth, you’re going to need something bigger for yours.” Eisen pretended to be flabbergasted, though a small smirk arose between the corners of his mouth. He left the innuendo hanging in the air for her to pick up on if she wished. The so called demon was feisty alright, but did she have stamina? Or was she going to fizzle out before the night even started? Eisen was one to give most a chance, and this gal had promise. Unlike Shahiek and that horrible double date earlier. 

“I’d prefer to go for a couple drinks before I let people eat me.” This girl was getting unnecessarily spicy, and for him not even trying, Eisen was pretty ecstatic. He wondered what that tail of hers would do after a few drinks, though he wasn’t one to dine and dash nowadays. At the very least, she could be his plus one at this after party. If her wings didn’t cause a stir, who knows what would happen afterwards. The night was still young.

As long as she could control that stone thing, that is. He wouldn’t want to get stuck… or something. 

“Hungry huh? Add that on top of sore and thirsty. Got it. Party’s that-a-way and there’s probably some leftover cake or something. Iunno. Didn’t stay for the wedding.” Eisen pointed over yonder at a glass-encased pent house jutting into the sky with strobe lights and techno blasting into the New York, light-polluted atmosphere. From his guess, it seemed to be at least on the 20th something floor. Little Maggie from the shop didn’t seem like she’d have cash cows as cousins, but then again, appearances weren’t everything.

“You wouldn’t be able to, uh. Give us a lift, would you?” He made little flapping gestures with his hands.

Demon had to admit, his charm was certainly his own.  It was his own brand of brutishness that she usually didn't jive with.  Usually assholes picked up broken teeth with broken fingers, but this one.... Well, let's just say she had found him amusing so far.  Demon, despite her name wasn't an inherently violent person.  Sure she liked the occasional mauling, but only when they actually deserved it.  She had taken to flying out of the city and into the rural areas for hunts.  Deer, elk, stuff like that.  Taking down an elk was kind of exhilarating.  Taking down a man who was running his mouth was sometimes more fun.  She was a scrappy little scraper and she didn't let her feminine traits hold her back.  She was the type of girl who liked to get her hands dirty and plenty of blood beneath her fingernails.  She had claws and she scratched. 

"Did anyone ever tell you, you are quite the gentleman?"  She asked reproachfully.  She tried to see if her comment had any effect, but gave up when a scream caught her ear.  She turned her head towards the party and sighed.  It was a scream of excitment.  Idiot people living their idiot lives.  She never screamed in excitement.  Rage and frustation sure, but never because she was having a good time.  She couldn't honestly remember the last time she let herself have a good time.  She only had the nights to play with.  She supposed it was no different then most people working third shift in some screwed up, overtime mandated hellhole.  Sleep during the day, party at night.  But Demon never even had the option for party in the daylight.  She honestly wished she knew what sunlight felt on her skin.  She sometimes imagined it to be warm and soothing, like pushing against a hard body when your shaky breath was all you could comprehend in your stupor.  When was the last time that had happened?  A flutter of well forgotten memories hit her. 

She bit her lip, a little too hard drawing blood at the corner of her mouth as she considered him.  In the span of a few moments his enuendo had compromised her tough outward shell and left her guessing.  Why was he getting under her skin she couldn't even begin to guess.  Looking around on the ground she scanned the grass.  She had a leather jacket yesterday.  It wasn't on her slender shoulders so it had to be.... There.  She saw it halfway under some bushes.  Her tail moved slyly over to it and hooked it.  She raised it above her head and raised her arms.  Her tail lowered it until her arms were sliding into the sleeves in a fluid practiced motion.  Look ma! I'm a big girl and get dressed all by myself.  She felt more settled with her blue leather jacket.  It was the same color as her hair.  Metal studs decorated one collar's lepel, cheetah print adorned the other.  Slash marks cut arcoss the back were covered in silver duct tape in an X pattern.  It scramed punk rock.  It screamed leave me the hell alone.  And that's how she usually liked it.  

For once though, she found herself not terribly hating the company.  "You said it was a party, not a wedding."  The irritation was back.  Climbing its way onto her face and making her dimples at the corners of her mouth tighten.   Her lips drew together in a tight thin line of sour amusement.  "Okay princess Jasmine.  I'll take you for a ride on my flying carpet, but if you start singing it's a whole new world; I'm dropping you.  You won't get refunded for your ticket comprende?"  Despite her bitter words she was still smiling, a little.  She stretched out her wings.  They slide through two verticle slits in her jacket between her shoulder blades.  In between them was the duct taped X.  "Grab hold of me, and don't get fresh!"  She warned.  She'd hate to see her new friend as street pizza flattened on the city below the clouds, but her stomach was growling now.  She was about to get hangry.

Eisen’s grin grew to envelop his whole face. Normally, his poker face — a tool he used to get out of so many social pickles — kept his excitement under wraps. Bars, clubs, people’s estates— if you have enough confidence and get people to believe you know what you’re doing, it’s hilarious what one can get away with.

But he let his excitement show for a moment, before he hid it again at her comment. “Gentle? Now, now. We just met. You haven’t even seen my tableside manners yet.” He straightened his collar and adjusted the button-down, which was a rayon -blend smooth to the touch, as it curved around his chest and met at his belt-buckle, revealing his douchie wife-beater underneath. 

When she slunk her sweater on with the tail, he couldn’t help but whistle. If it could put on clothes like that, imagine the opposite. Eisen watched with fascination, as he reminded himself, the night was young. He didn’t know what else her mutation consisted of — pain tolerance, self-regeneration, maybe paralyzing venom. As long as he avoided getting her truly pissed, there was nothing to worry about… right?

When he saw her wings protrude from the sweater, he pumped his fist and muttered “score!” under his breath. Another crack in his poker face.

“It is a party. After. Party. After—a-wedding-party. Everyone knows weddings are about the party, the show — you don’t need people around to make a commitment to another person.” She then mentioned about riding her like a carpet, and Eisen was even more totally on board. If she had said no, that would have sucked arse. But a mutant strong enough to carry him? That’s exciting. Why settle for this one party when they had a whole city of possibility now?

“I’ll sing whatever you want, babe. I can DJ while you drive. Beyoncé? MC Hammer? Bruno? My karaoke game is strong.”  When she told him to hold on, he hoped he was doing it right — he stood in front of her and turned his ass in her direction— it wasn’t Captain America’s ass, but it held its weight.

Then reached for her hands to place them on his waist.

“Ready when you are.”

—— —— —- 

At the party itself, the guests were just beginning to transition to bridesmaids vs groomsmen beer pong. Around fifty people, give or take a few stragglers with people coming in and out, made the place lively enough with the crowd still interested enough in each other to keep the vibe fresh. Most were gathered outside beside the pool and would definitely notice Pause and Demon as they arrived. Nothing like uninvited guests on the best day of your life, right?

Demon had done this before.  There were a few occasionns when she had flown other people around.  Tight spots when it was necessary.  She didn't make it a habit.  She didn't exactly have many friends.  None to be more exact.  She didn't have bedside manner herself.  She wasn't gentle.  She was hard edged and abrasive most of the time.  She hadn't really spent a lot of time aroudn people.  She found odd places to sleep.  Abandoned subway stations, and sewers and quiet rooftops mostly.  Anywhere where the population density was at an all time low.  That was her sweet spot.  Socializing?  Actually going to a party?  Well, this was a new one even for her.

Wrapping her arms around him she couldn't help but notice the firm muscle beneath her fingertips.  Her lip was throbbing from where she had bit it before.  Biting it again now sent a jolt of pain that made her wince.  She licked at the corner of her mouth and tasted the sweet, coppery taste of blood.  But it was gone now.  Swabbed away by her darting tongue.  She gave no warning.  No, smart ass quips about putting on his seatbelt.  She flapped her wings and took off.  It might have been shocking how fast they launched.  Moving up five stories in the span of a few seconds.  The wind ripped at her hair.  Sending her messy ponytail into disarray.  More strands of blue shrouded her face.  Her skin was as polished bone and under the gleeming moonlight she almost seemed to shine.  She was in her element now.  She twisted her body sending the duo into a corkscrew spiral as they ascended.  

Flapping her wings to gain altitude.  Her tail had moved down and wrapped tightly around his ankle.  In case he slipped he had a safety net.  With a name like Demon you could just tell, she was all about safety and teamwork.   She didn't try to speak.  The wind was loud in their ears.  Pressure pushed against them as wind ripped and roared past them.  It was like being in a tunnle with a wind storm.  She loved it.  It was like a private 'turn your brain off' button.  She couldn't even hear her own thoughts at this speed.  Just the rush of wind.  They reached the top rather quickly.  She could see the poolside, rooftop party.  Strobe lights and music.  It was like a rave.  Her leather jacket shifted on her shoulders as her powerful wings flapped harder and in quicker succession.  She was hovering now.  The two of them just a dark silohuette against the full moon backdrop behind them.  

Flapping her wings more rhythmically they lowered to the rooftop.  People were staring.  The music had pretty much stopped.  Well, if they wanted to make a flashy entrance it had been accomplished. When her boots touched the ground she let go of him.  Her tail silthered away from his ankle and her wings naturally receeded back inside her jacket.  She looked normal aside from the swishing tail, that never seemed to sit still.  It moved back and forth like a cat surveying it's surroundings.  It was Demon that broke the silence.  "What?  I'm his Uber driver.... Um... Flyer."  She smiled an honestly dazzling smile.  Pearly white teeth with two pointy fangs at the corners.  It was the kind of smile you'd see on a vampire in a colgate commerical probably.  "And my shift is over.  I need a beer.  This is a party right?!?"  Her question was answered by a drunken salute from some random party goer guy.  "Fucking right it's a party!"  He raised his beer in toast and Demon grabbed a beer from a passing by waiter and raised it, toasting him right back.  Okay, maybe tonight could be fun.

Any trace of his poker face vanished like a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of a fat kid with no self-control. The sudden 0-100, feeling his skin almost peel away as the beastly wings of his new acquaintance thrust them off the ground, and the fact his slobber spewed from his open mouth as he screamed “YEAAHHHH!” Made him look like a kid who lost his roller coaster virginity.

Though the feeling was pretty similar to falling, the acceleration upwards as the ground seemed to flee and the skyline greeted them with a big ol’ hug made the leap into the sky, the corkscrew, all of it, rush into Eisen’s senses with no politeness whatsoever. His senses were getting fucked and he loved every moment.

He wanted the feeling, over and over and over again but it was over almost as soon as it started.

Once the airborne duo slowed their pace and hovered over the neon-reflection of the poolside party, Eisen began to whine. “That was it? So not fair.” The music stopped to greet them and many of the partygoers quit their conversations and cascaded into confused gestures. Some were so spooked they ran inside, while the bride and groom seemed unphased.

The scene played like a silly clip in a sitcom, where his partner unabashedly gave a half-ass introduction about Uber, as if there would be no consequences. One of the guests broke the silence, and the groom stepped forward drunkenly waddling on his two feet with his unbuttoned dress shirt and wasted expression.

“This is fucking awesome! Did you hire this mutie Bert?” The groom rushed forward at hearing Demon’s Uber flyer comment. Poor Bert.

Since the groom seemed comfortable with it, the music resumed as murmurs began to start in the crowd. Not everyone was sold. The bride began to muddle with her bridesmaids and the groomsmen hesitantly watched the groom from a distance.

“My turn! Me next! Take me to the Empire State, baby!” He stood in front of Demon yelling unnecessarily loud.

Not wanting the vibe to end, though all things considered things were going much better than planned, Eisen stepped up to the groom — thankfully Maggie had shown a picture of the couple beforehand— and patted him on the shoulder.

He remembered how hungry Demon seemed to be, and things began to click in his head. As much as carnage wasn’t something that bothered Eisen, he didn’t want to deal with any chaos just yet. For what it was worth, they had just arrived at the party. 

“Hey, fella! You’ll get your night ride soon. She’s picky and flies better with some alcohol in her system.” Eisen’s blood began to boil just a little, but the groom was already emotionally so compromised that he questioned nothing. Instead he frowned, but like a big boy, nodded in understanding.

“I have dibs though!” He yelled towards present company as the rest of the party resumed with a palpable uneasiness.

Eisen shrugged, patted the groom on the back and followed Demon’s lead by grabbing a drink. Poor Maggie. Eisen looked around for the gal who had invited him, the adrenaline coursing through his veins overriding his slight nervousness about bringing Demon in front of these normies. Once he had a few more drinks, though, he would probably stop caring.

Demon may not have been a very violent person by choice, but she had violence within her.  Tight, blinding violence that could spiral out of her core and out of control.  The thing about Demon was, she had a switch.  If you tripped it, she wasn't able to control the rage that piled into her ribcage.  She would become a tornado of teeth and claws.  Porcelain chaos clad in a leather jacket.  She considered herself pretty talented at keeping the switch from being triggered by every asshole who gave her static.  This was New York after all for crying out loud.  Having a short fuse with people that pissed you off in the city that never sleeps?  Well, it wasn't exactly the best combination.  Nothing pissed her off more than feeling singled out.  When the drunkard dickhead called her a mutie, as if she were beneath him; she bared her fangs.  She was curling her fists so tightly into her palms that pinpricks of blood ran down her fingers.  Staining the moonlight shade of her skin, a crimson regret.  

She remembered why she didn't party.  She remembered why opening up sucked.  Because the second you did you were also singled out.  Pointed at, laughed at.  It hurt.  Despite her tough exterior, and her hard outter shell.  It freaking hurt.  She spent all of her time alone so she didn't have to be the but of the joke.  She sometimes wished she was normal.  To not have wings and a tail and the cursed existence thing.  She thought about it sometimes when she was concrete cocooned.  She would have been a news anchor.  Someone respectable.  Someone who  reported on the news.  Not someone who was a part of the news.  "Tonight at 11 a crazed woman destroyed half of downtown Manhattan...."  Some shit like that.  

Here she was, standing in front of a crowd with dwindling patience and a drunk guy screaming in her face.  Calling her baby.  It could have been worse.  She could have ate him.  Demon reached up and grabbed him by the throat.  Her tail shot forward.  It pierced through his stomach and came out his back.  A shower of gore covered several people behind him.  The tail went through him, and wrapped him up, pulling him closer the way an anaconda puts the squeeze on it's meal.  As he spun like a top his body went limp.  Each spiral, each rotation he lazily flopped a little closer until he was cheek to cheek with Demon.  She was smiling at him.  Her big blue eyes were alive with hunger and madness slow dancing in them.  She stared at him the way a lover might stare at a particularly amazing partner.  Then she sunk her teeth into the side of his face.  It was warm and acrid and sticky and hot.  It stained her lips, and she felt her shirt get wet from the spray.  As she did this she flapped her wings and soared into the air.  Taking the dead groom with her severl dozen feet before dropping him on the roof.  If he wasn't dead before the broken neck didn't help his cause.  Demon wiped the blood from her face and took one last look at her new friend, the one she had arrived with.  "I'm sorry."  She said.  And flew away.

Then a voice filled her ears.  It was dismissive and cold.  She blinked a few times.  She was still standing on the rooft.  The drunk groom was still talking.  He was calling dibs.  Demon had been in the middle of a very vivid imagining.  She smiled easily, thinking back at how his blood felt on her chin.  She could settle for imagination.  This was the happiest day of his life right?  Too bad he didn't also know it was the luckiest too.  She had not killed him.  She had not sunk her teeth into his eye scocket and she had not dropped him on his thick skull.  She did not do these things because, well.... She didn't think that Pause would approve and for some reason she found herself caring what he thought just a little bit.  It was like when you really wanted to make a good first impression with someone you ordinarily didn't give a shit about.  Something like that, but also more than that.  She liked this shirt.  She didn't want to get blood on it.

Demon threw back her beer instead and chugged it.  Gulp after gulp after gulp until it was gone.  She set the beer down on a nearby table.  "Okay, you say this is a party.  That means dancing.  Come show a lady a good time."  She winked at him.  Part of her wanted to blend in.   The other part wanted to disappear.  A surprising part of her still wanted to have a good time.  She wasn't going to let some obnoxious drunk ruin her evening.  She was thicker skinned than they.  Demon put her empty bottle down and pulled Pause out onto the dance floor.  The song was vibrant and full of energy.  This wasn't no slow dancing diddy.  It was something you could hop around and grove too.  

Eisen watched Demon carefully, there was something about her energy that was off. He’d had his fair share of being around miserable people, and the way Demon moved quick, like a lion was staring down the back of her throat and she was a white little bunny, made him pity her.

Had that guy really gotten to her? 

Just as brutishly as she took to the skies, she yanked him and his drink onto the dance floor. So much so that he dropped the glass he was holding and it shattered on the floor. But she didn’t seem to mind, and Eisen could care less about the glass. It was Demon he was worried about.

Eisen responded to her wink as the crowd parted to give the two of them space. He leaned toward Demon, dancing steady to match her pace. “You alright? I saw that back there. How he pissed you off.” Expressing genuine concern, Eisen would have to worry about Demon’s emotional state later. Some people were deciding to leave the dance floor because of them.

Eisen wouldn’t have it. He began to dance to and around Demon, bearing his chest and coaxing people to come and dance closer. “Turn it up, DJ!” The music was a subtle mashup of 2000’s classics, Britney, Jason Derulo, Shakira, and other snippets put to electronic beats. Must have been a custom request by the married couple. It would do. People started feeling at ease again.

When the thin crowd began to thicken, Eisen then moved in closer to Demon and pressed his body closer to hers. Throughout, he tried to keep her attention focused on him. Reaching for her shoulder, throwing his hands outwards like a gawking swan, then switching to something professional like a tango step with his eyes locked on her. And whatever she was doing, he’d mirror too and riff off of. Looking for any opportunity to crack a smile on her face.

Demon was honestly touched.  He honestly seemed to be making a genuine effort to make her feel comfortable.  No one had ever done that for her.  Not even her worthless parents who decided high society rich snobs wouldn't agree with a devil baby.  She would have been an embarrassment at their fancy cocktail parties.  Cassandra was dumped at a church on the doorsteps in the rain, in a baby carriage.  That old cliche.   Sometimes cliches were cliches for a reason.  Now she was here, obviously making people uncomfortable.  That was nothing new honestly.  And usually she had thicker skin than that.  One random asshole in her face making her feel less then was no problem.  When it was a crowd of people juding her and looking down on her, well usually she would have flown the hell out of there by now.  Pause was the only thing that gave her pause.  She didn't want to leave him behind.  

Nevermind the whole Cinderella aspect of this.  She could only have the night with him.  In the morning he would forget about her, move on with his life.  Hard to have a life with someone who turned to stone when the sun came up.  Demon didn't do relationships.  She had watched the crowd thin out, then people join back because of Pause's antics.  She was appreciative he was here.  A mutant with a temper and sharp claws around judgey people wasn't really the best combination.  When the next song came on and slowed down the tempo Demon pulled him close.  She rested her head on his shoulder.  Her arms finding their way around him and holding him.  It felt nice.  She had a few casual flings with a few guys two drunk to notice the tail, or the wings.  They must've been really drunk.  But she hadn't met anyone in her life who just accepted her.  

For once the hard edge bitchiness fell away.  She was a dough eyed blue bombshell with honesty and hopefulness on her face.  She looked up at him.  Blinking a few times she said "Thank you.  My real name is Cassandra by the way.  Cassandra Kruger."  She wanted him to know that.  If the clock struck midnight and she turned back into a pumpkin at least he would have known her name.  It was her opinion that his asshole act was all for show.  She knew a little something about being an asshole to keep people at arm's length.  She didn't know what he had to be ashamed about, but it couldn't be worse then the skeletons in her closet.  

What started off as a day with an incredibly uncomfortable double date ended with an unusual turn of events. Eisen felt Demon’s head against his shoulder, and could see her tail waving behind her. She felt like an ice cube was placed under a heating lamp, and the water was oozing off onto him. Then the exchange of her name.

Cassandra. What a pretty sound.

Eisen almost placed a hand on Demon’s head, and wanted to hold her closer. He knew this feeling, like the moment he met Xia all those years ago, when he had a spray paint can in his hand and no direction in his life. When she looked at him like he wasn’t some street punk and gave him a choice to make something of himself.

“Ah. You’re not trying to bite into my chest are you, Cassandra? I told you, a few drinks before you eat me. I’ve only had one.” He spoke softly and ventured to rest his hands on her waist. Though the music was upbeat and busier than the Subway at rush-hour, the two may have found a little beat of peace in it all. Just a beat.

“EISEN!!!!” A high pitch squeal erupted from behind and two energetic arms hugged around his torso. When he felt a sturdy pair of breasts press up against his back, Eisen knew who it was. 

“Maggie?” Eisen’s poker face swapped on, as if a patient had walked into his office and he was a doctor.

Like a vulture, Maggie swooped in between Eisen and Demon. The blonde who was almost as tall as him, gave Demon the cold shoulder and wrapped her arms around Eisen’s neck. Oh, Maggie had been into him when he gave her that tattoo, alright. It was obvious now. 

“So glad you could make it. I left cuz my cousins are lamefucks, but forgot my phone and came back to look for it. So glad I did!” She pressed her head against his chest as if they had been intimate before, the place where Cassandra’s had been just a moment ago. She was definitely already drunk, cocky and jealous, which Eisen would have soaked up and loved any other time than right now. His eyes turned from her to Demon. Fuck. 

Eisen channeled his mutation into the floor through his soles and froze Demon’s clothes into place, from her shoes to her shirt, before shoving Maggie aside and onto the floor. Anything that wasn’t wrapped in clothes, Cassandra was free to still move around.

“Eisen? What the fuck?” Maggie began to bawl as her shirt had ripped from being tossed to the ground. The crowd around them began to gasp and mutter to themselves.

Against his better judgement, he then let his mutation on Cassandra go so she’d be free to move and stepped in front of Maggie. Though he didn’t mind carnage, a loss of reputation by having the person who invited him get mauled by the person he invited, was something Eisen really wanted to avoid.

“I changed my mind. Eat me if you want, just spare the dumb blonde. Please.”

Before she knew it her Cinderella story was over.  Here comes the wicked step sister.  One with a lot of work done apparently.  Demon had never played with barbies as a kid, but she knew what plastic looked like.  She was shoved rudely out of the way and suddenly this bimbo was all over Pause, like he belonged to her.  It was a desperate woman trying to cover him in her scent.  Demon had a keen sense of smell.  Sometimes she hunted by scent alone.  It was, she thought, one of her finer qualities.  This woman smelled like an open bar dipped in cheap perfume.  Something that had a fancy lable and cost a lot of money, but was really just poorly crafted with a terrible scent signature.  It stung her nostrils.  Demon even bared her teeth a little at the mixture of smells alone.

Then something unexpected happened.  There was a shove and barbie was on her ass.  A small chuckle escaped her lips.  And while she wasn't exactly the most polite person you would ever meet, she raised her hand to her mouth to cover the laugh.  The last thing she wanted to do was deepen this woman's public embarrassment.  She didn't seem like the type of woman to handle that kind of thing very well.  The first thing Demon noticed was that she couldn't move her arms.  It felt as if her leather jacket was weighing her down.  She couldn't raise her hand to her mouth.  Then she realized her feet were rotted to the floor as well.  What the absolute fu...... Then she remembered his name Pause.  Was he..... Different?  Like her?  Maybe not like her, but certainly different.

Her eyes moved to his.  She scanned his face and only saw apology there.  He asked her not to hurt the woman to hurt him instead.  She honestly rolled her eyes.  "You're a meathead you know that?"  She felt the grip release on her clothes.  Her limbs, whatever was holding her back was no longer exerting force on her.  She felt free to move.  The first thing she did was move towards him and throw her arm around his neck.  Before he could protest she planted a deep, thankful kiss on his lips.  Shooting a pittying look to the blonde Cassandra shook her head and pushed her way through the crowd.  This party stopped being fun almost exactly five minutes ago. 

She pushed her way towards the door and disappeared in the crowd.  She could have flown away.  Left in a way where he couldn't have followed.  But was that what she wanted?  She wasn't sure.  She wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone or if she wanted to be followed.   Did she want to be angry or upset, or happy?  A war of emotions whirlwinded through her mind.  She was confused and she found herself laughing in the stairwell.  Leaning over the railing because she was laughing so hard. Why was she laughing?  She had no idea, but suddenly it struck her very funny that someone could be jealous of her.

Demon’s lips against his were the last thing he expected. The woman swooped in and planted a specific type of poison on his face that Eisen avoided with a plague: authenticity.

Of all the women he’d slept with, Eisen knew he chose the crazy ones for a reason. They were always trying to avoid something, to run away, to hide for the moment so that the world would leave them alone for a few. Then the two would split, and it would always be the case. Cassandra, started off just like that. In fact, that was still the same vibe he was getting from her, but that kiss just now had so much of something he craved.

Gratitude.

Deep authentic gratitude, that Eisen himself would kill to get from most people. The way Maggie had interrupted a moment between him and Demon that could literally have cost her life, or at least he thought it would have cost it from her. But then he realized, just as he had done it, he had just lumped himself into the category of people that Demon herself must have despised. Those that viewed her as a mutant with a short temperament, dangerous physiology, and not worth trusting.

So when Cassandra walked through him like he was a memory already, it stung so much more than he thought. The past few years were characterized with Eisen living a double-life, in a sense. Hiding with the non-mutants, just because he could. Because his mutation was so invisible, he lost care that it was a part of him. But, just now, he remembered why Xia had been so important to him too. That what made him different also made him unique. Even if he wanted to ignore it and he had every right to. 

He stood in his stupor and stared at Maggie, whose mascara ran like the Euphrates. Eisen didn’t reach down to help her up. She would have clawed his face off. Besides, there was one other woman tonite whose claws he’d still rather not have to face.

“Security! This man just, ugh! HE PUSHED ME!” Maggie screamed at the top of her lungs to anyone who would listen, her damsel in distress kicking in. 

The bride rushed to Maggie’s side. That’s when Eisen knew the party was over. As soon as the bridesmaids followed and performed a protective circle around one of their kind, Eisen took it as a sign he’d better run. Now.

He pushed through the crowd to the ‘normal’ exit, not expecting to see Demon sitting there. He’d already assumed she didn’t want to see him anymore. The least he could do was respect that. Once he stumbled upon her cackling in stairwell, he now embodied his nickname, standing speechless. He kept his back sole focused on keeping the door spatially locked, in case some mob decided to ruin the moment. 

By ways of retreat, Eisen could have easily hopped off the roof and said sayonara, but deep down he also knew had run in the direction he thought Demon had disappeared to.

“So that taste was all you needed. I’m not even worth one bite, huh.” Eisen pretended to be insulted, but instead his face began to blush. Hold on, this wasn’t supposed to be happening. 

“Now you’re laughing… Probably at me, and you’d be right to. I am a joke. Inviting you to a party like a dumbass, thinking all would be fine. I get it, I’m a crusty ass chicken McNug, when you could go somewhere else to have actual chicken.” 

Fists began to bang against the door. Eisen extended his mutation through the ground and to  the clothes of whoever else was close to the door, so that screams could be heard about not being able to move. 

There was a small ladder headed upwards, probably to another side of the roof. He could make his exit there.

He calmly walked towards the ladder, careful to trade off connection from his mutation to the spatially locked people behind the door from one foot to another.

“This is probably your best way out. Wouldn’t want to ruin your night any further, Cassandra. You’re worth more than empty promises.”

As he gestured for her to climb, he bowed his head slightly. His disheveled clothes offsetting his gentlemanly pose. “The name’s Eisenhower, by the way. Eisenhower Brandt-Garcia.” 

The sound of hysteria continued behind the door, as they continued to scream about being stuck. He swore he could make-out Maggie’s frustrated voice through the mix as well. That would be his first unhappy customer in a while. He hoped, that tonight, the headcount wouldn’t turn into two.