Mistress (Adagio's Big Comeback)

Your sudden expectoration did little to stop Adagio and Sonata hugging it out. By the time you finish cleaning the sink, used the bathroom, gargled some mouthwash and returned, the pair have finally broken apart, still wet eyed, and just smiling at each other.

“You have no idea how much I've missed you, Sonata,” Adagio says.

Sonata's smile grows wider, but it slumps. “I was, like, so worried you still hated me for leaving.”

Adagio's struggling to maintain eye contact and eventually just gives up, steps away and stares at the floor. “I won't lie, I was angry, furious even, but I still overreacted. Over time, and especially lately,” she says and glances at you for a moment, then back to Sonata, ”I've realised that I should have been a better leader... a better sister instead of parading you two around to gigs and saying things would get better, like a carrot on a stick.”

Sonata blinks. “Wait, you were giving us carrots? I don't remember that? Oh, do you mean that's why you bulked out the tour bus meals with veggies so much? And, like, where do sticks even come into it?”

“Sonata, just... ugh,” Adagio sighs, pinches her brow, takes a deep breath and pats Sonata on the head with a smirk. You feel like she's secretly missed this. She continues, “I meant I was just leading you on with promises I was never able to keep, then I'd just insult you when things went wrong. I was a terrible sister and I let you and Aria down. I just never thought we'd be split up like that, but when you did, I panicked and said things I shouldn't. I hope you can forgive me.”

Sonata squeezes Adagio's shoulder. “Of course I forgive you, Dagi. I'm just happy to see you again.”

You gulp down some water and say, “so why did you leave?”

Adagio shoots you a harsh glance. “Don't mind him. He just likes to pry, and he can get obsessive over things until he works them out.”

Sonata looks at you with confusion. “Who is he, anyway? Your slave?” She then grins at Adagio and teases, “or is he, like, your boyfriend.”

Adagio mulls the question over for some time. “Yes.”

“Which one?” Sonata asks and tilts her head.

Adagio doesn't answer. She just smirks at you, then leads Sonata over to the couch. Once they sit down, Adagio says, “he's a scientist and an inventor, and that's part of the reason you're here. But business can wait, I want to catch up with you. Why did you leave, anyway? I won't be mad, I promise.”

Sonata fidgets. “Super promise? Pinkie promise?” She holds out her hand, pinkie finger extended.

Adagio rolls her eyes, but sighs, and seals the pact as she says, “pinkie promise, so long as there's no 'cupcakes in the eye' nonsense.”

Sonata strokes her ponytail, hand-over-hand. “I was worried I was the reason for everyone fighting.”

“Oh, Sonata, no...” Adagio seems to shrink in on herself.

“We were always arguing,” Sonata says and fiddles with her fingers, “and I know I'm not, like, the smartest, but I figured if I wasn't there, maybe you wouldn't be mad all the time.”

Adagio covers her mouth somewhere between being horrified and guilty, but dead silent.

Sonata continues to look contemplative, but damn, your heart's aching at this. Throughout your time as a fan of the Dazzlings, you knew they weren't exactly the nicest people around. You still liked them, but your time with Adagio's already proven that, as intense and cunning as she is, she's still flesh, blood and, most importantly, has a heart.

Sonata though? On the back of Adagio's stating that Sonata was the most reactionary and able to acclimatise to human life? She's reaching kitten levels of adorable, but the mood's sinking fast and it's time to try and cheer up the room.

You think back to Sonata's career and ask, “so how's working on a cartoon?”

Sonata pouts. “Um, Guardians of Gale Glade's not just a cartoon! It's, like, a rich, deep story about coming together, and being more than the sum of our parts and stuff. For realsies, it's got the deepest lore!”

Adagio glances at you. She looks appreciative for the change of topic. “You're really giving it your all, huh?”

Sonata's smile couldn't be bigger. “It's the best! Everyone's super nice, and I get to sing, and the fans are awesome. And it's so well written!”

She gives you the basic idea about the core plot; sentient animal species as factions swearing to protect their territory of the titular Gale Glade, once fairly straightforward rivalries, but then an outside threat (clearly an analogue for urban progress) forces each to send a champion to talk to the venerable and fading spirit of the glade, receiving powers in turn. It's standard stuff, a light allegory of togetherness and setting aside individual differences to become stronger as a team with a green message, but it's hard not to feel a sense of hype about watching it with the way Sonata gushes over it, and you get the impression she's giving the series her all.

Adagio's listening with rapt attention. It's an intense stare, like she's taking in every word and committing it to memory.

Sonata finishes saying, “... and my character was the villain for the first few episodes, but then we become besties! Everyone's, like, super into it! And you have no idea how many people want to have sex with my character on the forums! I'm like, 'duh, you can't? She's a rabbit?'”

You can't help but laugh. Poor, innocent Sonata.

Adagio breaks from her reverie and says, “wait, you're that rabbit? You don't sound anything like her.”

“Yep!” Sonata says. “It's called 'voice acting', Dagi. She wasn't my first choice either. See, I wanted to be Glitsen, the ditzy deer character who can turn into, like, living crystal and shoot light lasers? But the only role left when I got the audition was Tantra, the snooty, prideful and uppity bunny who makes earthquakes by stomping the ground. I didn't, like, know how to really be uppity, prideful and stuff, but my agent just said 'channel someone you know' and I got the part!”

Tantra, huh? Probably a play on tantrum... wait, uppity and prideful? You hesitate, but ask, “wait, did you channel Adagio?”

Adagio shaves a few years off your life with her death glare, but Sonata claps and laughs. “Yep, I totally did! Wow, you are smart!”

“Hey, I'm not uppity... am I?” You've never seen Adagio look like a scorned puppy before, but that's the look she gives you and Sonata as her whole personality is boiled down into a cartoon rabbit and Adagio's pride takes a blow. You can't help but chuckle along with Sonata and, to her credit, Adagio does finally see the funny side and joins in.

You say, “I guess I'll have to watch it if you're putting that much effort into it.”

Sonata smiles at you. “Yay! You'll love it! We're making another season next year,” she says, then pouts, “it's so far away... I need to know what happens to Tantra!”

“Does that mean you're not doing anything now?” Adagio asks. “Like I said, I wanted to see you and reconcile, but also because of something Ray's making.”

“Sure!” Sonata beams a huge smile. “I've got, like, a press thing in a couple of weeks, but for realsies, you couldn't have called at a better time!” She takes off her hoodie, revealing her curvy body clad in a plain pink halter top. You also see a familiar red stone inside a small of a silver locket around her neck.

Adagio looks at it and sighs. “I'm surprised you're still wearing it.”

Sonata nods. “Yeah. It makes me feel a little happier. I almost never take it off.”

Adagio blinks, then stares at the necklace again, then you, then your main device and finally her bedroom door in sequence. Her brow creases and furrows, eyes widen and narrow, focus darting here and there. Finally, a classic Adagio sinister grin that makes you feel outright afraid.

She suddenly says, “Sonata, could I see your necklace for a second?”

Sonata clutches it and bites her lip. “Uh... why?”

“I just wanted to see it. For old times' sake.”

After some hesitation, Sonata takes it off and hands it to Adagio. “It's still broken and stuff.”

“I know. Hold on one second. Ray, why don't you tell Sonata about your device?”

You shrug. “Sure, I guess? It's a little complicated though.”

Adagio smiles and says, “see, he's building this machine that's going to make us a fortune. He'll explain it. He's better at it than I am.”

You watch Adagio stand and head into her bedroom, and you barely get beside your device when Adagio returns, with your emitter in hand. She pushes a few buttons and casually places it on the table, pointed at Sonata.

“Oh, ow... what the heck?” Sonata shivers and winces. “I feel all icky.”

What the fuck is she doing? You go to walk up to Adagio, but she pushes past you but stops shy of where the emitter would be broadcasting what you can only assume is the anti-siren signal beam and says, “oh, what's wrong, Sonata?”

Sonata bites her lip. “I don't feel well...”

Adagio gasps. It's almost convincing, at least to you. “It must be because I took away your stone! Hold on, I'll get it back!” She nods you towards to the emitter as she races back into her bedroom and returns with Sonata's necklace, hands it to her sister.

By that time, you've turned off the emitter and Sonata seems to calm down, but still looks uncomfortable. Adagio says, “It's worse than I feared! What little power is left in our stones is keeping us from... degrading further. Maybe even dying.”

Sonata whimpers. “What!?!”

“Do you feel better now?” Adagio gently holds Sonata's necklace-clutching hand and gently strokes her head. Like a good, supportive, manipulative bitch.

“A little... that was, like, the worse thing I've felt in forever.”

No, screw this. All the reconciliation, the good vibes, the sisterhood stuff just for Adagio to return to abusing her own family? You grab Adagio by the arm and pull her towards the bedroom. You snap, “sorry, back in a second, Sonata.”

You close the door behind you both, and get in Adagio's casually smirking face. You hiss in a whisper, “the fuck was that, Addy? What the hell do you think you're doing!?”

Adagio pats your chest. “Can't say, you know that.”

“I'm fine with a lot of things, Addy. Really, I believed you had changed, but this? Abusing your own goddamn sister!?”

She folds her arms and says, “keep it down, Ray. Do you remember that talk we had, back during the last time you got upset? When you met Sunset at the cafe and came back all angry and stupid? You're doing that again, and it's unbecoming of someone I thought was learning how to achieve his goals.”

“What're you talking about?”

She steps towards you and stares you in the eye. “Take nothing for granted, use every resource you can get your hands on and never expect everything to go as you planned. You, me, your devices, Sonata... all resources. Make absolutely no mistake, I care for her, and I care for you, but to get what we want, there's almost no limits to what I will do to get it. I understand your anger. What I'm doing isn't nice. If you want me to apologise, I'll do it...” She jabs a finger at your nose. “But only after we get what we want. Hell, I'll grovel at you and Sonata's feet if that's what it takes, but right now, do not get in my way!”

Shit. Shit!

You relent. “fine, but I swear, if you hurt any of us...” You leave the rest unspoken.

Adagio sighs and runs her fingers through her messy hair. “Good,” she says earnestly and kisses you on the cheek, “thank you. Now, I'm going to get dressed and I'm going to get some breakfast for us. Go and chat with Sonata, make her comfortable and whatever else she needs, but don't use the emitter. Let that feeling linger, at least until Sunset arrives. When she does, I want you to fill the room with a anti-unicorn signal. Not too strong, but I'm hoping it will stop her from being able to read too deeply. Also try and fill your head with random thoughts when it happens, or your research or something.”

You nod, but can't shake off the uncomfortable feeling of your standards and scruples being cast aside as you feel your kissed cheek, but you head back into the main room. The chances of her immediately betraying her sister in any drastic way can't be that high, right?

A few minutes later, dressed and with her more subtle makeup applies, Adagio heads out.

Sonata's good company, although considering her carefree attitude, you're not that surprised by that. After dealing with the careful dance Adagio makes you perform, which you've learned quite well you believe, Sonata's just a ball of positivity. Even despite her lingering mistreatment from the anti-siren signal, she recovers slowly and seems oddly calm about everything.

Sonata finishes listening to your extremely basic description of the stuff Adagio's been learning the last few days. You doubt she's understood it all, but it kept her distracted. She says, “wow, so you're, like, gonna be able to power TV's and stuff with this thing?”

“That's the plan,” you install a few more parts and pat the device like a beloved pet. “I'm hoping I can strike it rich with this device. Hell, it's getting to the point I'd be happy to unload this thing for a couple of grand just to get some breathing room. We've got just over a week before the rent's due and we're running out of cash.”

“For realsies?” Sonata's eyes go wide and she pulls out her phone. “Like, why didn't you say so?”

“I guess we were used to the- what are you doing?”

“Sending Dagi some money. I've still got her deets from when we split the gig money. How much do you need?”

“Hmm, you know, she's never said. I spent most of it buying parts for my machine, I know that for sure, and we had enough for a couple of weeks of groceries, but that's it..”

“That's so Dagi,” Sonata giggles, “she's always been too proud to ask stuff like that. I'll just send her a couple of thousand.”

Holy... “Shit, Sonata, are you sure? Just like that?”

“Totally! She's my sis!”

That's just taken all the pressure off of getting the device completed. You feel all fuzzy again, and even if you don't want to go against Adagio, you've got to do something for Sonata. “When I make my fortune, you're so getting a serious cut.”

“Uh, why would I want to be cut? Is this to do with the whole dying thing?”

While you still get Adagio's frustrations with her sister, now that you're used to Sonata's literal thinking, it's kind of endearing. You chuckle and reply, “no, I mean I'm already giving Adagio a good portion of whatever money I make, but I want to give you the same. If I make what I think this thing's worth, you'll never have to work again.”

“But I want to work! How else will I find out about Tantra's adventures?”

“You realise the show would carry on without-”

Stop, Radian, don't break her heart.

And never change, Sonata.

* * *