A laughing emoji formed and Kate returned a laughing anxiety emoji.
"I'll bare that in mind then. Don't want to hate you before I get a chance to bond with you."
Maddy said.
"Ha! Well, I'd like that. I bet you're fun."
Kate said.
Bet you're fun Kate? Are you some kind of predator? Kate's mind demanded.
"It's a promise, then we can hang out."
"You saying you want to strangle me?"
"You think there are no good ways to be strangled?"
Kate giggled despite herself, her cheeks flush.
"Looks like you're more like Sakura than Genevieve."
Kate said trying a new angle.
"Is Gen playing it frigid?"
Maddy asked.
"Playing it? So she's not that into me?"
Kate asked.
"Should everyone be into you?"
Maddy asked.
"Ouch, and you had just lifted my self-esteem."
Kate smiled while holding onto her spiritual heart, which was gushing blood, it squirted loudly between clenched fingers.
"Well, Gen is everyone. I am special. And we weren't kidding about Edna."
Maddy said.
"Ha."
Kate said, unsure what to say.
It suddenly dawned on her that Madison was fencing with her! The cuts lining her chest weren't a coincidence. Maddison swung and flicked her rapier with subtlety and grace, leaving a wounded Kate breathy in the physical world. Damn girl!
"Oh would you look at that. I see what you mean by deleted comments."
Maddy said.
Kate went from breathy to breathless.
"Woah wait now."
Maddison said before Kate had a chance to consider what to even think.
It was just so important that she speak. To put a shield up as the tip of that blade whipped and whirred, slashing Kate to shreds.
And Kate would bet her life that Maddison was being nothing but lovely.
"No need to worry. I am just looking. It looks like, okay. Edna turned it off. She requested higher privileges privately and it was given immediately. I can understand why."
Kate's heart slipped off its perch, bouncing onto her diaphragm, rolling, tipping over the edge in a gap between the rib cage and diaphragm, slipping through and splashing into her stomach and burning in her acids.
She waited for the magic words of consolation that would do everything but console her. The nonsense of understanding and care.