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Sonia set down a Yamper mug on the table, one not too unlike the Sirfetch’d mugs he had back in his own lab. In fact, this lab was near identical to his own back where he was from, albeit with a bit more clutter, and a few differences in interior. He shot a soft smile towards the woman as she moved away to pour herself her own cup of tea, in an identical mug to the one he had given her. He leaned back into the chair, getting himself comfortable against the pillows and his labcoat that he had draped across the back of the chair.
It was almost odd to be experiencing such hospitality from her. She may have been identical to the Sonia he knew back home, but the way they acted and presented themselves couldn’t have been any more different. He was even more surprised by her sense of fashion, matching his own to a t, crop top and all. She set her own cup down, barely managing to join him across the table before her Yamper jumped into her lap. He rolled his eyes. If there was one similarity between them, it was that both of them spoiled that puppy far too much. Sordward has never been huge on dogs. They always tended to bark at him on the street for no apparent reason, so after a while he started developing more and more of an aversion to him. Maybe it was a fear, but that’d be the last thing he’d be willing to admit.
“So, Sonia…” He chuckled, before clearing his throat. “My apologies, it’s a bit strange to be calling you that, I’m so used to my Sonia by now.”
“Likewise. In comparison to the Sordward I know you’re a bit…” She looked him up and down for a moment, before silently returning to petting Yamper as she thought about what to say. “Well, I mean, you still have the hair and all, but you’re definitely not as bombastic as he is.”
He raised an eyebrow. It was admittedly hard to hold back from instinctively using the same sarcastic tones and responses he would when talking to the Sonia he knew when talking to this one. But it’d be best to just let it slide, after all, he wouldn’t know what kind of a nightmare the Sordward from this place was if he was anything like the spoiled princess he knew the Sonia back home to be.
Sonia seemed lost in thought, twirling her hair for a moment, a habit that was all too familiar. He stared at her, wondering if she was going to say something. He near enough jumped out of his seat when her eyes lit up, and she suddenly slammed that free arm on the table, leaning onto it.
“I know, why don’t I call you Sordy to differentiate you?”
“I would prefer you didn’t.” His face flushed a bit in embarrassment. Just who did this girl think she was, suggesting using a nickname for someone she barely knew?
“Aww…I’m guessing you’re in the same boat as my Sordward for that kinda thing then.” She lifted her hand as Yamper jumped out of her lap and back onto the floor, taking a small sip of her tea now that her hands were free. “He doesn’t like the whole nickname thing either, he thinks it’s disrespectful for me to be giving him nicknames, as if he’s not the one who constantly hangs around my lab and annoys me and my assistants.” She murmured the complaint of the last part, shaking her head in disapproval.
“He’s not a bad guy or anything though! Well, he is, he’s…I dunno. It’s a bit hard to explain. He’s doing his best, but he’s still kind of annoying to be around.”
“Oh, I get that feeling.” He followed suit in taking a sip, the heat radiating from the cup fogging up his glasses, an annoyed grumble making it’s way out of his mouth as he took them off to clean them. “Always hanging around the lab? I know someone who does that as well. It’s not too bad. Sonia is a smart girl, and no matter how she puts it, you can tell she’s genuinely trying to help me out with things.”
There was a grin tugging at his lips, that he was desperately trying to hold back. And he wasn’t doing a very good job at doing so, with Sonia starting to quietly giggle.
“You really like your Sonia, don’t you?” She leaned across the table, nudging him. “Does she know?”
“I don’t–!” He took a deep breath, putting his glasses back on, a smug expression forming on his face after a few moments. “What about you? I mean, surely if your Sordward even measures up to half of what I am you’re bound to be swooning over him. Smart, handsome, stylish…”
Sonia let out a nervous chuckle, her expression shifting as she desperately tried to retain a forced smile.
“Maybe you’re not too different from Sordsy after all…”
“Hey, I thought we already established that neither him nor I appreciate the nicknames!”
The nickname clearly struck a chord with him, much to the amusement of the woman sitting across from him. Even with how much more agreeable this Sonia seemed, with being so similar to him yet different enough that it wouldn’t start to annoy him, that same nickname seemed to persist even in this place as well. He let out an exasperated sigh, continuing to drink his tea.
What a pain.