Kim wasn't really the kind to stay in one place. She was an adventurer, her father would tell her, and adventurers could never go back home, because home wasn't what you thought. She didn't think she would've been happy to be back home, but she had a feeling it was less about the fabulously dismal weather outside, and more about the stunning redhead grinning at her from behind the counter.

"Uh. Sorry." She said quietly. "Could you repeat that?"

The barista's smile widened even further (god, who was allowed to have that white of teeth?). "It's cool. Do you want whipped cream or not on that?"

"Either, please."

The red-head laughed, throwing her head back. "You'd be surprised on how often I get that. Except, it's usually with coffee cream, not hot chocolate. I'll be honest, I have never had anyone older than sixteen order hot chocolate."

Kim blushed and managed to stutter out, "Maybe I'll have-have to be the exception."

"Maybe." The girl grinned at her. "What's your name?"

"Kim."

The red-head nodded as she wrote down her name on the cup. "Well, pleasure to meet you, Kim. My name is Lucinda."

Ever since the name passed her red lips, Kim was stuck saying it to herself. Lucinda. Lucinda. Lucinda. "Lucinda." Shit.

She snuck a glance at her best friend slash older brother Garroth, and was mortified to see him raising an eyebrow at her.

"Who's Lucinda?"

She flushed red, grateful the sun had already set so Garroth couldn't see her rapidly blushing face. "She's this girl I met today." That sentence didn't do Miss Goddess any justice. It was more like, "Wow, I met the literal description of perfection today at a hipster coffee store and honestly hearing her say my name made me so happy I almost dropped the hot chocolate I bought." But she wouldn't say that. Even Garroth would think she was crazy.

God help me, She groaned internally.

"That's my little sister!" Garroth cried triumphantly, grabbing her around the shoulders and giving her a noogie. "Only a day back home and already in love!"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Kim pried herself from his abnormally strong grasp and playfully hit his arm.

"Ouch." He smirked down at her. Shaking his head and pulling a candy bar out of his back pocket, he peeled it open and offered her a bite. She groaned.

"Garrrrrrooooth," She whined, pouting, "you know I'm on a diet."

"Right." He paused, and suddenly snorted. "So I take it when you heard the news about Dad, you were not crying into a bucket of ice cream?"

Kim rolled her eyes and leaned back onto the railing of her apartment. "Please. That man only did two good things in life; adopted me and gave you your powers."

Their father, Garte Ro'Meave, head of the largest underground drug operation in Portland, father of three (technically four), and winner of whatever prize they offered to people who donated often. Also recently deceased.

It was a good thing most of her wardrobe was black.

"So, remind me not to fill up the candy bowl with Skittles on Tuesday." Kim could hear the smirk. She scoffed, turning to face him.

"With the sweet tooth this family has acquired over the years, I'm surprised Dad didn't die of a heart attack."

"Oh he had it coming. But he died from electrocution before the sugar could bite his deserving ass. By the way, speaking of which, we haven't gone over some of the details. And, uh, quite a few people are mad you missed the funeral."

"Good thing I don't care. Besides, we both know if all three of us had been there, even fewer people would've showed up. And Dad would've burst the lid and started strangling us."

Garroth laughed to himself quietly before succumbing to full-blown laughter. "Oh my- Kim! Oh my god! What the actual hell?"

Kim joined in on the laughter, both of them doubling over like they were kids again and had shaken Garte's soda he left in the fridge.

Garroth recovered first, shaking his head in exasperation. "Regardless, some could take that as a sign of weakness on your part."

"Regardless yourself, Mister. It's not my fault I was literally on another continent."

Garroth paused, the subject obviously over.

"Illusion is still out there," and just the word had Kim's lip curling and her hands turning transparent. "and if I were you, I'd start helping Vylad track her down. Her and her 'vigilante' team."

Kim walked over to the cooler resting on the corner of the balcony, grabbing a bottle of water. "I know, I know," she said as she walked back over to her brother. "I sent him some maps of old hideouts that they could be using as base operations."

Garroth smirked, icy blue eyes alight with a dangerous fire. "Good. Let's kill these sons of bitches."

Kim held up her bottle, and Garroth hit his chocolate bar against it. "Cheers to that." She said, and leaned back against the rail, Lucinda's name still on her lips.

"It's the! Eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight! Rising up!-"

"Complete one more verse of that Lucinda, and I will light your hair on fire."

Affronted, Lucinda put her hand on her hip. "Pardon you, Mr. Zvahl, but I thought Survivor was your type of edgy emo music."

Laurance Zvahl, Lucinda's co worker and permanent annoyance, leaned over the edge of the counter and stared her down.

"Never insult Fall Out Boy like that again."

Lucinda laughed joyishly and started sweeping again, humming alternative music as she swept dust and mud into little piles. She made a face. "'Take a day off,' they say, 'You've earned it', they say. Well, I've had ten days off, and I like being out in the field, thank you very much."

Laurance shrugged and finished cleaning the pile of mugs in the sink. "They aren't wrong, you know. It's not everyday a member of the Phoenix Alliance takes down a crime boss. It's even rarer that the crime boss happens to be Ro'Meave, the drug lord that's been terrorizing Portland for a decade."

Lucinda swept the last pile into the dustpan and emptied it into the trash. "Ro'Meave. Scmo'Meave. I want to be on a mission!"

The hothead raised an eyebrow. "Well, when you get home, ask Aph about taking us out on a mission. In the meantime," he tossed her a roll of cash, "there's your tips for the day. Go relax, at least for one more day."

Lucinda screeched her thanks as she barrelled out of the back door, and sprinting down the street. The rain had stopped earlier today, but puddles still lined the edges of the sidewalk, so she made sure to avoid those. She whipped around the corner, just in time to see the most gorgeous individual to ever grace this planet close up shop on a jewelry store.

"Katelyn!" She called, rushing up the sidewalk as the girl turned around.

It was hard to believe people as gorgeous as Katelyn were allowed to exist. The first time Lucinda had met her when buying herself a necklace, Katelyn had been wearing quite possibly the cutest dress Lucinda had seen. When Lucinda took one of her rare visits to the gym and saw Katelyn lifting weights, she almost passed out because what kind of god would allow someone to have such perfectly toned abs and perfectly shaped biceps. Like, Lucinda wasn't as desperate as Laurance claimed, but damn, she would let Katelyn crush her head with those thighs.

"Hey Lucinda!" Katelyn greeted, and Lucinda just about melted into the concrete as the bluenette smiled at her. "Thought I recognized your voice."

Lucinda beamed. "You must be coming to Meteli too often."

Katelyn laughed. "Me? Go to the best coffee place in the world too often? I would never!"

They stayed in comfortable silence for a few seconds, before Katelyn coughed. "Well," she said brightly, "It's back to the apartment for me. What about you?"

"Yeah, back to my apartment as well. Aph is making spaghetti for dinner tonight."

"Nice. I would kill for some noodles right now. See you tomorrow!" And with that, she was going up the street, blue hair shifting in the wind. Lucinda made sure she was fully out of sight before pumping the air in victory. Not only was she about to go back into the field, but she got to see Katelyn? What a fabulous day.

And with that, she sauntered through the city