#but also a bunch of NPCs appear and i'm about to tag them maybe HAHAH rip
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Those Who Leave, Those Who Remain
Description: After Lei's many near death experiences in the past three days, she gets a chance to gather her thoughts a little. She reflects upon the people she thinks she's lost or might lose, and also the people she has with her now. This takes place after the epilogue of the cyberpunk CoC campaign my friends and I have been playing from Jan 2023-Oct 2023.
Word count: Approx 19k words
Warnings: Some implied suspicious /spicy things but nothing is explicit. Some swearing.
In the cheesy and trashy movies she and Gigi used to watch in the cinemas Uptown when they were bored, the couple would ride off into the sunset toward their happy ending. But there is no sunset in the Mertalline slums, let alone a sun. And in this relentlessly cruel and seemingly hopeless world, a happy ending is simply something that does not exist.
Vail drives fast and the neon-polluted city blurs to the point where Lei gets dizzy and needs to close her eyes. She presses her face to his back and holds on tightly to him as they zoom past everything. Under the many layers of his clothing, his waist is surprisingly solid with what she thinks is hard muscle.
This realization only distracts her for a few seconds. No matter how she tries to think about other things, her mind continues to drift toward Ceres. Where is she now? Is she conscious in those test tubes? Is she in any pain? But even if she asks these questions and thinks these thoughts, there is nothing that she can do.
“Where do you wanna go?” Vail’s voice pulls her out of her thoughts.
She sighs heavily. “Good question.”
She hadn’t even wanted to drink today. After resolving the war machine situation, she had wanted to see the smiles of her friends again and enjoy her evening somewhat sober. But fate, as always, has other plans.
“Silver Tongue.” She finally decides. Maybe it’s the mere exposure effect again, but she has begun to like the place, as a sort of “safe” home base. Also, she needs to return the card Maria gave her for the backroom.
After Vail parks his red bike on the street, they enter Silver Tongue together. The main colours of the bar seem to be the red of the chairs and bar seats and brown from the wooden bar and tables. Instead of harsh neon lightning, the bar is warmly lit with a more soft orange glow, although their logo is in neon red. It is still early in the evening and there are no customers except for the two of them, maybe because of how the slums were attacked not long ago. Lei enjoys this subdued and quiet atmosphere, like the calm before the storm.
The android bartender, Sebastian, is cleaning glasses at the bar. She places the card for the backroom in front of him.
Sebastian looks at her with probably programmed surprise. “Thank you. I thought we might have to get a new one.”
“I’m sorry,” she says, “I needed to leave and forgot to drop it off on my way out.”
Sebastian comments no further, but Lei can tell he doesn't quite believe her. “Is there anything you or the gentleman would like to drink today?” He asks instead.
Lei glances at Vail, who is standing beside her diligently. “One Rocky Road, no ice, and a Long Island Iced Tea, please.” She holds her credit chip out to pay.
“On it.” The bartender puts down the glass he was cleaning, and then begins to mix their drinks with practiced ease. He slides the two drinks one by one: A short square-shaped glass with dark amber liquid in it and no ice and then, her cocktail in a tall glass with a cute red straw and lemon slice.
After they have these drinks in their hand, she pulls Vail over to one of the comfy red velvet seats in the corner of the bar.
“Have you been here before?” She asks as she sinks into the plush seat. Maria and Laura, she remembers, had a conversation here just yesterday morning. So many events happened all in the span of three days it feels like a long time ago.
Vail settles into the seat beside her and nods. “Yeah, this is Rose’s favourite place for drinks.”
“Right, he was drinking here… just yesterday morning. And also in the afternoon. And also in the evening… what does he even do?”
“He’s a sniper.”
Lei scoffs a little. “A sniper? Who misses half his shots? I am no expert, but I thought that snipers were supposed to be extra skilled in shooting.”
“Really? He’s usually pretty good at his job.” Vail sounds surprised. At least Rose has one friend who believes in him.
“Unfortunately, I was unable to witness that on the mission.” Lei shakes her head. “He even had the audacity to say he had a little to drink before… ‘only a couple sips’ he said.”
“Oh yeah, he does that sometimes.”
Concerning, but alright. Lei suspects Rose might have a slight alcohol problem. Actually, she suspects Rose has a large alcohol problem and she is concerned for his liver. She’ll be pretty pissed if he keels over from alcohol poisoning before she has convinced him to speak with Ceres.
She continues on with her rant. “And he even told me that it’s “hard to fire a sniper in the darkness”. I am no expert, but if that’s a problem he should get night vision goggles.”
Vail takes a sip from his drink. “Sounds like he’s coping to me.”
Lei can only laugh. “Right? I thought so as well.” When her laugh dies off, she sighs heavily. “I should stop talking badly about him. We all survived, and that’s what matters. Maybe he really was having a bad day as he said.”
Vail nods. “Rose has been through some shit…”
She doesn’t doubt this. All of the people in their group have been test subjects to an experiment that has a high lethality rate. And as slummers, their lives must not have been easy. Rose in particular, leaving his family in the Middle district at such a young age must not have been by choice. She cannot imagine what has happened to him, but it must have been something terrible.
“But… you too, right?” She looks at him with concern.
His eyes seem to shift away a little. “Eh… it’s not so bad. I’m here right now, aren’t I?”
You’re here for now, she thinks, but how much time do you really have? Even if you agree to stay with me, how high are the chances you’ll be taken from me too?
Although caring for someone can be a beautiful thing, when you lose them, those feelings become a poison that has no antidote.
And she only has so much to lose.
She leans in closer so she can talk more quietly. “What were you busy with last night and this morning? Keeper said you were helping Lexi.”
He glances around, but no one is here to listen to their conversation. He also leans in closer so now they’re having a very private conversation — practically whispering in each other’s ears. “The Jackals told Lexi to save the innocent people who weren’t involved in the E.S. experiment at Prism HQ.”
“Prism HeadQuarters?” The words come out of her like a breathless sort of gasp.
He nods.
Her initial reaction is surprise that Tiger would provide this sort of mercy for the innocents who are simply doing as Prism tells them and have no knowledge of Prism’s true cruelty and corruption. People like Lei herself, without the kill count, of course. Tiger’s claim to have saved Lei that night in Laura’s apartment might actually have been the truth, and Tiger herself outside the Jackals might have been a kind girl whose kindness was ripped out and shredded to pieces by the corps. Lei wonders, just for a brief moment, that if things had been different, she might have been able to help Tiger and her brother.
What would it have been like? She wonders. If only she were more knowledgeable about their situation and had a voice that could reach their ears, hands that could heal their invisible wounds. If only the circumstances were a little different, maybe she could save them all. But in this life, this is only something she can speculate and something she will never be able to achieve. This happy ending they all deserve — is it something that can exist in this world? She so desperately wants to believe. But this world has crushed so many of her dreams. And yet, she will keep dreaming.
As she is thinking quietly, she remembers the person she used to know that works for Prism. Or did, to her most recent knowledge.
“Do you think you'd be able to recognize someone if I showed you a picture?” She asks, a little hesitatingly.
“Maybe.” He says with a bit of a shrug. “My memory’s not that good, though.”
She sets her gallery to “oldest-to-newest”, glad she hasn’t replaced her phone for three years. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn’t really looked at her old photos in a long time. Perhaps, she did so to forget her past that she desperately wanted to abandon, but she realizes that she abandoned Gigi with it.
The last picture she took with Gigi was a selfie in a park, where they are holding up bubble tea they picked up along the way — sesame for Gigi and matcha for Lei. They had watched a movie and did some shopping that day, and as they passed the park, they spontaneously decided to stop by. It was the spring right before she moved to the slums, and the last time she got to hang out with Gigi. Gigi had gotten busy with her promotion to an Uptown lab right after, and then Lei was demoted to the slums as well.
This picture contains the memory of the last time she saw Gigi in person, the last time she saw Gigi smile. She stares at this picture for longer than she intends to, and then remembers she needs to show it to Vail. She peeks up at him, and he seems to have been looking at her patiently all this time. She turns the screen toward him.
He looks at it for some time before shaking his head. “No, sorry. Anyone else you’re looking for?”
Her heart falls, but it is something she already suspected. After all, if Gigi was last in those salt mines where the Jackals and war machine was… It is hard to imagine Gigi having escaped, even if Lei never saw the body.
She pauses for a long time, debating if she should ask about her eldest brother. The last time she had seen him, it was for his wedding around three years ago. “My eldest brother works at Prism as well — or did the last time I saw him. I don’t have any pictures of him though.”
“What does he look like?”
Lei smiles a little bitterly, her gaze cast down to the floor, which she now sees is carefully overlaid with classy tiles that look like wood, but are clearly not wood itself. “He looks like me. He has the same hair, eye, and skin tone as me. We both look like our father.”
Vail is silent for some time. Then, he says, “I think I did see someone with eyes like yours who got out.”
Lei can’t tell if he’s lying or not. She’s not good at reading people. But since he promised to tell her truth, she will trust him.
“He’s working at HQ now? He’s been elevated from his position as a surgeon.” Lei murmurs, like she’s thinking aloud. “My…my mother must be proud…” Her voice drifts off, much quieter at the end than it had started. She continues to look at the floor, refusing to look up. She is afraid to see his expression.
As soon as the words have escaped her, she regrets bringing it up. There’s nowhere for this conversation to go and she’s left swimming in a pool of her own vulnerability. Drowning in her own pool of shame.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” There is no judgement in his voice, only curiousity.
“Maybe.” She says, and can’t help the bitter tone in her voice. “Sorry,” she sighs heavily, “I don’t have a good relationship with my family. My mother in particular, has probably disowned me. I don’t contact them anymore, but this is besides the point.”
“Don’t be sorry. You can talk about whatever you want with me.” Vail tells her.
She desperately wants to change the subject, but this topic has made her curious about his circumstances. So hesitantly, she looks up and asks, “Do you… have any family?”
He shakes his head. “Long gone. Caught in a gang turf war.”
“I’m… sorry to hear that.” Lei says quietly. That is not uncommon in the slums. She wonders if he had a good relationship with his family, and she hopes he did. This is not the place to ask, though.
“Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.” His expression seems unphased so perhaps it has been a wound that has already long been sealed — whether forcefully or not.
Even so, she places her hand over his, in attempts to be comforting. Because sometimes you don’t need words to convey your thoughts and feelings. Hers are: I am here with you.
While she’s finishing her third (and intended last) drink, the door to Silver Tongue opens and four very familiar people pour in: Zoey, Keeper, Rose, and Liam.
Since she has raised her head to look, she manages to make eye contact with all of them. Zoey’s eyes seem to kind of recognize her and Vail, but she quickly beelines for Sebastian at the bar. Liam seems to give her some sort of nod of acknowledgement before following Zoey to the bar. Keeper looks a little curiously at the two of them, tilting her head in a very cat-like manner before also going to join the others. Rose, however, seems to give them a very knowing smirk which makes Lei feel a little icky.
“Wanna go?” Vail seems to make some sort of look at Rose she can’t read, before turning to her to ask this question.
“When I finish my drink.” She’s already paid for it, after all.
Their conversation dies off a little as they watch the four of them drink. Lei is a little concerned about the rate at which Zoey is chugging bottles of vodka in a way that is definitely going to get her blackout drunk. Rose seems to be pouring Liam some sake. Keeper seems to be sipping some sort of pink fruity drink and watching the others. Lei wants very badly to pat her head, and Keeper seems to look toward her direction when she thinks this.
No, no, go back to enjoying your evening, Lei thinks toward Keeper, don’t mind me~
Keeper turns back and Lei watches Liam clink glasses with everyone and also Keeper, who seems to be a little shy about it.
I was supposed to have a drink with them and Laura, Lei thinks. But since Laura’s gone now and Liam and Rose are leaving tomorrow, those plans will have to remain forever unfulfilled. She supposes, in a way, they’re kind of getting drinks together since they’re at the same place at the same time, although on separate sides of the room. It’s a little bit of a stretch, but it is better than nothing.
“Is it a runner thing to get drinks after missions?” She asks Vail, turning back to her companion.
“Yeah of course,” Vail says, “Since every job’s dangerous, gotta celebrate when we stay alive.”
“That makes sense,” Lei sighs, “But it makes me worry for all of your livers.”
“Eh, don’t worry about us.” He says in the frustrating way he always does.
Instead of explaining that saying that makes her worry more, the alcohol in her veins makes her press her finger to his mouth. “Shush, you. Stop saying that or I’ll make you shut up another way.”
“That sounds oddly encouraging.” He smiles a little at her.
She shakes her head at him, but she’s also smiling.
Around twenty minutes later when she’s comfortably finished sipping her drink, Zoey is already very clearly plastered and now seems to be trying to get on the tables to dance. Lei hopes that someone will take her home.
“Let’s go say goodbye to them before we go and get dinner.” Lei tells Vail, who nods.
They walk over to the four of them, who seem to be enjoying their night. Or perhaps the alcohol is helping them enjoy the night.
Rose raises an eyebrow at her and Vail as they approach. “So these were your plans?” He asks, his tone a little bit teasing.
She raises an eyebrow back at him. “And you’re drinking before going on a dangerous mission? Do you always drink before going on a dangerous mission?”
“Can’t back down from a promise.” Rose gestures to the others, “the mission is future me’s problem.”
“Right…” Lei feels a little guilty about not joining them. She usually keeps her promises with people, but she didn’t expect this one to take place at the same time as when she already made plans with Vail. Technically, she thinks, they did not tell me they would be getting drinks today here, so technically I was not invited, right?
“Did you come to join us in partaking with the devil’s drink, followers?” Keeper is wondering. Keeper doesn’t appear to exhibit any drunkenness, so Lei suspects she might have been drinking mocktails. This makes her seem extra adorable to Lei. Keeper just seems so innocent and lovable, which reminds her of a certain someone…
“Sorry, Keeper…” Lei begins to say, glancing at Vail.
“We have plans, Keeper.” Vail finishes for her. “So, no, not today.”
Keeper crosses her arms. “Hmph. To think that Shadow and Envoy of Death would abandon us and sneak off elsewhere to the unknown…”
While Vail is speaking with Keeper, she turns to Liam, who is still drinking his sake.
“Doc.” Liam gives her a small and firm nod in his usual gruff voice. He seems a little calmer and more composed than she last saw him. Perhaps she should say he looks more resolute.
She nods her head back at him. “Hello Liam, hope you’re enjoying your drinks?”
He makes some sort of noncommittal, gruff sort of noise that seems very typical of him to do.
“Good thing I ran into you, Liam, I need a picture of you.” Lei says.
Liam’s mouth is set in a flat line. “Why.” His mouth is set in a line as flat as his tone of words.
Lei sighs. “To remember you in a photo where my brain might fail.”
“I don’t need people to remember me.” Liam deadpans once again.
Lei has realized Liam can be very difficult to work with, especially when it concerns his own wellbeing, health, or just any positive impacts on his life, really.
She has to be smart about manipulating his feelings, in a positive way, of course. “Well, what if it’s as payment for all those times I gave you medical attention, then?”
At least a minute seems to pass where Liam doesn’t speak and she’s forced to simply look at him. But finally, he opens his mouth again: “Only one.”
So before Liam can take those words back, Lei whips out her phone and snaps an image. Luckily, she has steady hands, so the image is clear enough. The lighting of Silver Tongue is nice too, it is not as harsh as the darkness and neon lights outside.
“Perfect, thank you~” Lei smiles, satisfied. She puts her phone back into her jacket pocket. “I guess we won’t be getting those drinks after all…”
“You look busy.” Liam says, and since Lei is looking closely, his mouth might just be quirked up with the slightest bit of amusement. Maybe he’s picked up on the fact she’s on a date, which surprises Lei, as Liam doesn’t seem to be the most perceptive of people.
“That I am.” Lei says simply, “But we can get drinks when you’re back.”
He doesn’t correct her that he might not be coming back at all this time. “Sure,” he says, “take care of my things for me.”
“I will.” Lei says, meaning it. “You take care of yourself as well.”
Liam nods, and thus their last conversation ends.
For now, she thinks. It’s their last conversation, for now.
When Lei turns her attention back to Vail, he seems to be speaking with Rose. Since she also wants to say one more (and hopefully the last) goodbye to Rose as well, she makes her way over to the two men
Rose and Vail are staring at each other in a way that makes it seem like they’re squaring off. Lei realizes that despite them calling each other buddies, she hasn't seen them interact before.
"Good luck, buddy." Rose says, giving a hearty pat on Vail’s back. It’s easy for him when Vail is shorter than him.
"I should be saying that to you." Vail answers, giving Rose a slap on the back as well.
Then they do some sort of handshake that leads into a chest-to-chest hug. They don’t say any goodbyes or “see you again”s. As runners, perhaps those things are better left unsaid.
“I feel like this is the third time I’ve said it, but take care, Rose.” Lei sighs. “We’ll see you when you’re back. With Ceres.” Because she is not a runner, she will say all the pleasantries she wants as manifestations for the future.
“Yeah, yeah, you too.” Rose says, and then his smirk returns and he pats Vail on the shoulder again, “make sure to take care of Vail.”
“Oh, I will certainly take care of Vail~ You don’t have to worry about that at all.” Lei pulls on Vail’s arm so that he’s standing beside her now. She loves that with just a gentle little tug, he already knows what she wants and does so willingly. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have plans.”
“Yeah, yeah, enjoy your night.” Rose smiles.
“You too. Take Zoey home too, she looks like she had too much.”
On the way out the door, she catches the finger guns and wink Rose throws at Vail from the corner of her eye. She ignores this.
“You know why I like you, Vail?” Lei asks him when they’re having dinner.
He tilts his head at her. “If you put it that way, I am a little curious. Why?”
“It’s because you’re cute~” She gently boops his nose with her finger and smiles at his bewildered expression.
“Really?” His widened brown eyes are even more cute, she thinks.
“Well yes, I think you’re cute, but there’s more than that.” Lei rests her chin in her hands and gives him a little smile. “I like that even in this seemingly hopeless and cruel world where most people’s hopes are crushed time and time again, you still allow yourself to dream. That isn’t easy. It’s easier to give up and keep your head down when you’re just trying to survive day-by-day, and this is me speaking from experience”
“Ah.” He says. “To be honest, most times I don’t believe in them. I just like to imagine something better. It helps when you don’t expect anything.”
“Even so, I admire that and I love that you are a dreamer. I too, want to hope for something better for all of us, and you showed me that I am allowed to think that way.”
Especially since… you must have undergone so much pain being experimented on, and yet you allow yourself to dream. She wants to ask about this, but she doesn’t want to bring the trauma up, so she will wait until he brings it up one day. If he does at all. She is patient, she can wait.
He rubs the back of his neck a little. Is it bashfulness or something else? She hasn’t really seen this sort of reaction from him before. She hopes that she will continue to learn more about him.
She changes the topic. “What kind of dreams are you having these days? Are you still thinking of what it’s like outside the city and or slums?”
“Nah,” he says with a bit of a smile, “I promised someone I would stay here.”
Although her initial reaction is to blush, it soon fades as the words settle in and sink into the murky and dark place in her heart. “I’m sorry.”
His smile drops. “What for?”
“That we didn’t end up going to Adamawa. The Adamawa you described as a runner paradise sounded too good to be true. There’s clearly something sinister brewing there and that’s why Rose and Liam are going there. Even though you spoke well of Athena… in the end, a corp is a corp. Maybe they’ll start out as something beneficial for the runners, but corruption breeds true. In this world… I don’t believe there is such a thing as a good corp.”
Vail nods, serious. “You make some good points. I didn’t really think about that. I just thought, you know, if it were really better there, it would be nice for us.”
She nods. “I understand, after all I wanted to believe in it too when I first heard about it from you. But to be honest… after hearing about how dangerous it would be in Adamawa… I just didn’t want to lose anyone else important to me. Afterall Ceres…”
Has already been taken and is gone, Lei thinks. She tries to blink away the tears that threaten to fall out of her eyes all of the sudden.
“You know, it’s not too late,” says Vail, “I could probably still go and help Rose look for her.”
Suddenly it becomes difficult to breathe. Lei looks up at him, teary-eyed. She opens her mouth to plead for him not to go but no words come out.
“Is what I would say if I didn’t already promise you I’d stay.” Vail finishes, as if he has suddenly realized something important.
She wipes away some of the tears that have started to spill out. “Vail, I’m not sure if you understand the severity of the situation. Keeper said that even corpos have been taken, and the memory wipe has even affected CEOs. They managed to take Ceres from Paradise, which should be theoretically the safest place in this city and absolutely erase her existence from citizen records. It’s not something that can be easily solved. I want to believe in Rose and the other runners of Adamawa but…”
“We’re runners, we do all the jobs no one else wants to do or can’t do. They’ll get it done. Probably.” Vail’s tone of voice is adamant and firm, but perhaps it is because he wants to remain close to the truth he never believes in any absolutes.
Lei looks down, biting down the bitter words on the tip of her tongue, tears of frustration gathering once more. To her surprise, Vail reaches out a finger to her eyes and gently wipes them away.
“Lei,” he says gently in a tone she’s never really heard from him before, “don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.” He gently places his hand on hers.
She frowns at him and looks away, but she doesn’t pull her hand away. “You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better.”
“I haven’t ever lied to you.” When she looks back at him, his gaze does not waver.
She raises an eyebrow at him, trying to analyze his expression, but it is truly outside her expertise and she can’t tell. “Are you sure? Slummers are great liars.”
He does not look away, his face is serious. “I already promised I wouldn’t. Just sometimes I can’t tell you the full truth. But I haven’t lied.”
She thinks about it for a bit of time, and then nods her head. “I believe you. I want to trust you, so I will.” She turns her hand over and spreads out his fingers so that she can intertwine her fingers with his.
They stay like this for some time, just enjoying each other’s presence in comforting silence.
“You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Vail finally continues. “Plus, Lexi and her contacts are working on something, not to mention Keeper. We’re not fighting alone in whatever this is.”
Lei sighs. “You’re right. I don’t have the time to worry when there are more important things to do. I need to start working on a better medicine for you and the others. We don’t know the long-term effects of taking Whisper and Shiver, and I’d rather not have us find out through one of you.”
“Eh, it’s fine, we’re used to it.”
“No,” Lei shakes her head. “It’s not. It may be medicine to you… but in the end, they are drugs with side effects when overused. I don’t trust the work that Prism has done… so I will be the one to create an effective treatment.”
People might say she is being unrealistic with these expectations. But if she has nothing else, she is confident in her ability to make drugs. Before she was sent into the clinic in the slums, her job focussed on research. So she simply has to return to those roots again, and she has a few ideas where she can start.
“Alright.” Vail says. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
Lei makes a sound of disbelief. “You’re so busy, though. I won’t bother you if it’s not necessary.”
“You’re not a bother. I can always make time for you.” His brown eyes are soft, like pools of melted chocolate. Equally sweet is his smile.
Now she definitely feels the heat creep up to her cheeks. She has to look away from his eyes. “If you answer your phone.”
He laughs a little. “When I answer my phone.”
While they’re walking to his bike after dinner, the streets are still concerningly empty. Perhaps most people are still hiding away in their homes after the attack. There do seem to be a few more people who are on the streets than before, though. As they say, the city never sleeps.
“You said I could ask you anything, right?” She asks him.
“Yeah, I did. What do you wanna know?”
“The Whisper you bought,” She whispers to him, “Is it just medicine for your condition? Or do you really have trouble sleeping?”
She already knows that both Rose and Keeper need to take Prism’s Shiver for their conditions. The Shiver Vail bought before was probably for them. He could be taking the Shiver himself, but she suspects that the Whisper is for him.
“Ah, that?” He says, “Yeah, I need to take them when I use my power a lot. I usually don’t need them.”
That explains why he hasn’t visited the Prism clinic for three months. At least, she thinks, he wasn’t getting them from someone else.
“Well,” She sighs heavily and looks down at the dirty asphalt, “I’m just glad you’re not using them to sleep. Or drugging other people with them.”
“About that…”
She immediately whips her head to look at him. “So you do have trouble sleeping?” She hopes he doesn’t mean that he is drugging people with them. Although it is ironic of her to think this way when she has done so twice herself.
“Eh…” Vail sounds unusually hesitant. “I wouldn’t say it’s that I have trouble sleeping. It’s more that I can’t fall asleep at all.”
“...” She has no words. Yet again, she has been given another piece of information that feels like cold water to her face. “Then,” she finally says after some time has passed, “How have you been getting your rest?”
“Sedatives, getting other runners to knock me out. Things like that.”
“...” Once again she has no words.
“That’s…That’s not healthy. That’s not even really sleeping but just going unconscious. Especially being physically knocked out!” She’s started to realize that Vail makes her worry about him a lot. Actually, all the people closest to her make her worry about them.
He shrugs, seemingly uncaring, or seemingly without options. “What can I do? I can’t not sleep.”
They’ve reached his red bike by now and Lei sighs heavily once again. That is another problem she’ll have to worry about as she develops a better treatment for the E.S. test subjects. There has to be something that will work on him… maybe melatonin injections or another similar hormone. Sleep after all, is one of the most important things a human body needs.
“I don’t know if those sleeping techniques are going to work anymore…” She mumbles to herself. She was thinking that he had trouble sleeping, not that he couldn't sleep at all. The teas, essential oils, massages, and lullabies don’t seem so applicable anymore.
“What was that?” Vail asks. He’s on his bike by now and is waiting for her to get on behind him.
She doesn’t reply immediately and leans forward to hug him just as she had done the day before. It only takes him another second for him to reciprocate and wrap his arms around her.
“Just talking to myself.” She tells him. After all, she still has a few more “techniques” that might help induce sleep. If nothing else, it will release some nice hormones like vasopressin, oxytocin, and serotonin or dopamine — assuming they affect his body the same way they do for others. That’s just an experiment they’ll have to conduct.
The drive to his apartment in the Middle slums doesn’t take too long. It should be an honour, Lei thinks, to be able to go to his place. It shows her that he trusts her quite a lot. But she is still a little nervous.
She holds onto his arm as they walk toward the residential building that looks identical to all the others in the area. The three drinks she’s had have all worn off by now, but she'll take any excuse to cling onto him. Whether or not he is aware of this fact, he certainly doesn't seem to mind.
“Thank you for the ride. I'll give you one later~” She is not nervous enough to not say things like these. The liquid courage in her stomach certainly helps.
"I thought you said you weren't good at driving." Vail says, clearly confused.
Am I being too subtle, or is he really bad at picking up innuendos? Lei wonders. She ends up justifying that it has been a long tiring day. She also has trouble processing information when she works overtime.
She gives him a little wink. "I'm not talking about a bike or car here."
“Ohhhh, of course.” Despite saying these words, his face tells her that he might not quite understand what she means. She’s starting to suspect that he has no experience in this regard at all.
But it’s alright, she will show him what she means. That’s a promise.
As Vail opens the door to his apartment, Lei first hears soft jingling and then very loud and adamant meowing. They quickly enter the apartment and shut the door as a small cat comes barreling toward them, screaming its lungs out. The jingling sound is coming from an ice blue collar with a silver bell on it.
The cat seems to not be fully grown, but is already quite fluffy and judging by its bushy tail, will likely be quite longhaired. Its base coat is off-white and has the darker markings around its face, paws, and tail that makes it look like a toasted marshmallow and makes it distinctly a colourpoint. Additionally, its eyes are ice blue. All in all, it looks quite like Cillin, the robotic cat she herself owns.
Vail goes to a cupboard and takes out a plastic tube of what Lei thinks is cat food. He squeezes it out into a bowl and places it in front of the cat, who has been following Vail around and meowing all the while. The cat excitedly and immediately shoves its face into the bowl, and begins to eat messily.
After slipping her boots off by the door, Lei walks over to the cat and crouches down to pet its head while it’s still eating. “When’s the last time you fed it?”
Vail seems to pause for a bit before answering. “This morning… I think?”
Well, that’s concerning. “We should get it an automatic feeder so that when we’re both busy, it’ll still get fed.”
He tilts his head at her in a confused and somewhat cat-like manner. “A what?”
Right, he seems to be bad with technology. “It’s a piece of technology that will drop food into a placed bowl at programmed times during the day. Since you're busy being a runner hero and my shifts as a doctor are at least ten hours long each, it would make sense. I like Keeper, but I don’t want her to have all the monopoly on our cat.”
The gears in Vail’s head seem to be turning, which is very slightly endearing. She wants to pat his head, maybe she would be able to hear the braincells clunking around in his skull.
She shakes her head, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, it was my idea so I will get it.”
From his position standing up, he smiles down at her. “Alright, I’ll count on you for that.”
Lei notices there’s no tag on the cat’s collar. “By the way, what’s its name?”
Vail shakes his head. “Didn’t name it yet. Since it’s your gift, I thought you’d want to name it.”
Aw, well that’s sweet. Lei scoops the cat up in her arms, who seems rather quiet and placated now that its belly is full. The cat, Lei discovers, is female, and she purrs in Lei’s arms. She seems to flop over as Lei holds her.
So cute~ Lei thinks as she uses two fingers to scratch under the cat’s furry chin. The cat closes her blue eyes and purrs even more loudly.
“Why did you pick this particular cat?” Lei asks him as they settle on the couch together. The cat is still complacent, resting peacefully in Lei’s lap, and she can feel the vibrations of the cat’s deep purrs. They both take turns patting her.
“You have a robot that looks like this. Thought you’d like the real thing.” He replies simply.
Lei is a little touched that he remembers, or cares to remember. “That I do~ But I don’t think I want to name them the same thing.”
Lei has to use all of her brain energy to think about it seriously. It sort of feels like she’s naming their child, and perhaps, it sort of is. Names cycle through her head: Whisper or Shiver? For the drug he always buys from her and sort of the reason why they met? Now that she knows what those drugs are for, it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. She could name it after insulin to match Cillin, but it doesn’t seem suitable. And she certainly doesn’t want to give the cat a human name.
“What about Meng?” She finally says. “The Chinese word for “dream”. Afterall, owning her is a dream come true for the both of us.”
He nods. “Sounds good to me.”
“Really? Are you sure? She’s our cat, so I want to make sure you like the name, too.”
He smiles at her. “Really. I’m sure.”
“Alright,” She says, resting her head on his shoulder. “If you are sure, then our cat’s name will be Meng.”
Lei then suddenly remembers that Keeper will also be a co-owner and that she should ask for Keeper’s opinion. It only takes her tired brain a few more seconds to remember that Keeper will probably give the cat a nickname no matter what. So perhaps it’s fine to not ask for Keeper’s opinion.
“She’s getting sleepy.” Vail points at the cat, whose blue eyes are starting to droop and close.
“It must be since she’s just eaten.” Lei gently slides the cat off her lap and onto the other side of the couch. She wants to make sure Meng sleeps as undisturbed as possible. Meng’s darker paws are tucked underneath her chin and her nose twitches cutely as her tail tip brushes over it.
Lei makes sure to drop her voice to just a whisper as she looks to Vail. “Can I really stay with you tonight?”
He smiles at her again. “Of course, already said you could.”
She smiles back, and then in one smooth motion, she pushes herself up from the couch and swings her knee over his thigh so that she’s straddling his lap. From her partially standing up position, she’s able to look down on him. She holds her face gently in her hands, and now her hands are glove-free, the skin-on-skin contact feels a little bit electric. “You did say that, but are you sure you won’t regret it?”
“Regret this? Never.” He’s still smiling widely, and she wants to reach out to touch his prominent, slightly-elongated canines. Maybe later, she thinks.
“I’m glad to hear that.” And then she leans down to capture his lips in a deep kiss. To her delight, he kisses back with the same passionate energy, although a little more clumsily. His hands even migrate to the small of her back, where they rest comfortably and support her position.
She only pulls away when she needs to take a breath. When she looks at his face in the dim light, she notices that she’s made him into a bit of a mess. Her red lipstick has smudged all over his lips and he’s breathing a little heavily. His cheeks are flushed a pretty pink and his pupils are dilated. She might be imagining it, but she is pretty certain she is actually sitting on a noticeable bulge now.
“Why don’t we continue this in your room and I’ll show you those techniques I talked about~” Shifting slightly, she takes one of his hands on her back and guides it toward her thigh. She presses his hand against her thigh and helps him slip a finger into her sheer thigh high socks, showing him what she wants him to do.
“Of course~ I’m looking forward to it~” He plays with the lace band. In the dim light, his brown eyes seem to sparkle.
— INSERT VERY SUSPICIOUS LINE BREAK —
When she finally wakes to consciousness again, she is afraid to open her eyes and find Vail gone from her side. She is first reassured that it wouldn’t make sense since they’re in his apartment, but then she remembers that he tends to disappear a lot. Additionally, people have been disappearing from the city in general.
But when she finally gathers up the courage to open her eyes, he is blissfully still there. His eyes are still closed and he’s breathing softly. She lets out a breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding, and then worms over to him, nestling herself close to his well-defined chest so that she can listen to his heartbeat. The steady, constant rhythm is her favourite sound in the world. It is the proof of living.
This seems to wake him up though, as he begins to stir and slowly opens his eyes. He blinks at her slowly, only opening his eyes about halfway each time.
“Did you sleep well?” She asks, and her voice comes out much more croaky and hoarse than she expects.
He nods, seemingly still sleepy, as his eyes flit between half-closed and completely closed. His arm slides over the blanket that’s covering the both of them and pulls her a little closer to him. “The best I’ve slept in a long time.”
O-oh?
“Did you?” He asks her back. His morning voice is also a little hoarse.
“I did…” Her voice drifts off and now that it’s morning, she feels a little more shy in his embrace. “Maybe because I was in your arms~”
His grip seems to tighten a little, sliding down to rest on her waist. “Then we will have to make sure that it happens more often.”
“I could say the same to you. Resting is very important for a runner hero looking out for the slums.” She places her hands on his abs and gently traces their outline.
“It sounds like we have mutual interests.” He presses a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder, which she greatly enjoys.
Both of them doze off for a little bit longer, as Lei is lulled by the comforting and consistent rise and fall of his chest, but now she’s been awake for a while, the soreness is starting to get to her.
“I need a shower.” Lei slides off the bed, picks up her underwear from the floor, and turns her head around to look back. “Care to join me? To save water and all~”
He sits up almost immediately. “Of course, you don’t need to ask me twice.”
— INSERT ANOTHER VERY SUSPICIOUS LINE BREAK —
When they are both actually clean and dressed, him in his usual black techwear, and her in his hoodie she’s borrowing, they venture in the kitchen for some much-needed food. Meng meows at them insistently as they both come out of the bathroom, clearly eagerly awaiting her morning meal.
While Vail feeds Meng, Lei peeks into his fridge, which is concerningly empty. “You don’t cook much hmm?”
“Slummers don’t cook much in general.” Vail replies. “I typically eat out.”
“It does take a lot of effort, and you do seem very busy.” She nods. “But it’s healthier. I’ll cook for you sometime. What’s your favourite meal?”
“Food in the slums generally sucks, so I can’t say I have one.”
“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” She sighs. “But maybe if you eat my cooking, you’ll change your mind~” She winks at him.
This may be just an excuse to get him to come over so that she will see him more often. But that’s her little secret.
He tilts his chin up a little and smiles. “Yeah? I’m looking forward to that then.”
“Do you prefer rice or noodles?”
“Both are fine. I’m not too picky.”
“Hopefully I can impress you with both then~”
“Oh, I’m sure you will~” He continues to smile at her, making her feel for just a moment, that things will be alright.
Between bites of an energy bar, she tells Vail of her plans today. “Elise and I are going to be setting up our clinic today. Are you free to be our muscle?”
“I’ll check if Lexi has anything she needs me to do. If not, then yes.”
Vail pulls out his phone to text and Lei notices that he types very slowly, seemingly pausing to find letters on the keyboard. Lei herself remembers she needs to ask Elise for the address, so she also sends a text to Elise.
LEI (9:34AM, Sept 21, 2332): Good morning, Elise! Where is the exact location of our clinic?
ELISE (9:36AM, Sept 21, 2332): I’m still checking on the patients in the outer slums. I’ll send you the location, but it might take me an hour and a half to get there.
Outer slums? Now that she is reminded of it, Laura’s friend Bayleaf was in one of the camps there. Even if Laura’s last words to Lei were like shards of glass that hurt something deep within her, Lei keeps her promises.
LEI (9:38AM, Sept 21, 2332): No problem. I have some business there anyways so I’ll meet you at the clinic in an hour and a half.
ELISE (9:42AM, Sept 21, 2332): See you then.
She turns her attention back to Vail, who is still looking at his phone. “What did Lexi say?”
He looks up from his phone to reply. “She said it’s fine for me to help you and Elise today.”
“Well, I need to visit one of the camps in the outer slums, so you can go help her for a bit.”
“Are we going right now?”
Lei almost nods, but then remembers Elise requested a resume from her. Elise probably was joking, but it might be funny if she actually brings something with her. However, she hasn’t been able to go back to her apartment, and she’s actually a little afraid to. So she might have to make one by hand.
“In fifteen minutes or so.” She decides.
As she pulls out her lab notebook to write a short little resume for Elise, the pages it opens on are the ones with Liam’s photos. She stares at them for some time, looking at the notes she wrote yesterday in her neat and bubbly handwriting based on the descriptions on the back of the photo.
Remembering, she thinks, is a responsibility that Liam gave me.
But she realizes, there are many more people that she wants to remember.
Lei pulls out her phone. “Vail, smile for me.”
He immediately does so. She really likes how he follows her instructions without question, as if he trusts her. As if he believes in her.
She quickly snaps an image of his smiling face. She likes his softer smiles better, the genuine ones that catch her off guard and make her feel all mushy on the inside. Fortunately, she saw some of them yesterday.
“Can we have a picture together?” Lei asks, feeling a little shy.
“You want one?”
Lei nods and with a smile as charming as she can muster, she says, “Because you’re mine now, right~?”
“Of course~” When he says things like that in that tone it makes her feel just a little weaker than she should.
“You can’t be like this with other girls, alright?” She puts her hands on her hips. “Because I do get jealous.”
“Eh, I don’t think you have to worry about that.” He smiles at her softly.
“Really?” She can’t help but smile back when he’s looking at her like that.
“Yeah,” Vail says, “I’m only like this with you. I promise.”
Looking at his face, she nods. “I trust you.”
So she goes over to his side, pulling him close to her so they’re almost cheek-to-cheek and snaps a selfie. In this image, they’re both smiling in the way she likes.
After Vail drops her off at the building, she has to walk around and ask people with the picture Laura sent her. Most people eye her with suspicion and claim they do not know, but after much effort, she eventually is sent to a room where Bayleaf is supposed to be.
She discovers the room is locked, so she knocks on the door. There is no reply, although when she presses her ear to the door, she can clearly hear the sounds of breathing and slight shuffling noises.
“Mr. Bayleaf? Laura sent me here.” Lei calls out to the closed door.
It takes a few minutes, and Lei waits patiently, but the door finally opens a little crack. The hazel-eyed man in the picture is sitting in some sort of wheelchair and he peers up at her curiously. “Who are you?” He asks.
“A doctor. Most people, including Laura, call me ‘Doc’.” Lei says simply. She doesn’t need to give her name to a stranger. “I understand I might seem suspicious, so let me play you the voice message she has for you.” After all, she doesn’t have a doctor’s coat on — as long as she can help it, she will never wear a Prism coat ever again. She’ll have to wait until she checks the clinic for any of Elise’s extras. They are approximately the same height, after all, although Elise’s clothes might be a little baggy for Lei’s very slight frame.
She swipes through her phone until the bright, almost ear-piercing voice of Laura plays out. “Hey Bay Bay~ Since your leg is all busted ‘cause of me, I sent you a doctor to look at it. You could say it’s a last gift from your girl~”
Maybe he’s trying to hide it, but Lei does notice that Bayleaf’s mouth twitches a little into what must be a smile. One he might be trying to subdue since Lei is here.
“So, may I take a look at your leg?” Lei puts her phone back into her pocket.
“I guess if she went through all the effort of sending you.” Bayleaf says, crossing his arms. “Not sure what you can do though.”
Since he’s not shooing her out, Lei opens the door and steps in so that she can properly inspect her patient. The cast proves he has already received some sort of medical attention. The only question is, how proper and how good the care was. Judging by the cast, possibly not very good.
“Did the doctor leave any notes about your leg when they treated you?” Lei has to ask.
“Doctor?” Bayleaf scoffs. “Lady, I got my buddy Jim to fix me up.”
She stares at his leg again. “Your buddy Jim is not very good at making casts. Mind if I redo his work?”
Bayleaf sighs. “Fine, since Laura sent you.”
“Mmmhmm, your girl, right?” Lei means in it a way to just try to make conversation, but she notices the slight flush of his cheeks when she says these words. She takes out her portable medical bay and lets the nanotechnology do its thing.
“Damn, nanotech?” His tone of voice suggests he’s slightly impressed, so hopefully Lei’s credibility has increased.
Lei nods. “It cost me a minor fortune, but I’d say it’s worth it. Would you mind getting on it?”
Bayleaf struggles a little, but when Lei tries to step forward to help him, he brushes her off. So she waits patiently until he’s fully settled on the table.
She takes her tools, and snips away at the shoddily-made cast. Now that she’s inspecting it, it looks like it was done in a hurry. Underneath, the flesh is horribly swollen and horribly bruised purple. She sees some stitches in, which implies “Jim” has done some surgery for Bayleaf to hopefully set the bone in place, but she is not about to open him up and check.
“You need a splint for this.” Lei sighs, and fetches the appropriate material. She makes sure the wound is clean, before applying the splint, and then starts to apply wrap his leg in preparation for the cast.
“So how did you meet Laura?” Lei asks, trying to distract him as she begins the work.
“I should be asking you that.” Bayleaf says.
“Oh, you know, how meetings go,” says Lei, “By chance.”
“You could say it’s the same for me.” Says Bayleaf.
“You’re handling this pain surprisingly well.” Lei comments.
“I’m a slummer, this is nothing.”
But Lei did see a bottle of strong painkillers on the table, so she suspects Jim hooked him up with something. She is glad, since she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to prescribe things now she’s not working for Prism.
“There,” she says, when she’s finished her work a while later. “All done.”
He stands up and hobbles back to his wheelchair. “It feels a little less painful.” He admits.
Lei nods. “Glad to hear it. Try not to take those painkillers too much, they’re opioids, very addictive. Go with an NSAID like ibuprofen or acetaminophen as soon as you can.”
Bayleaf stares at her blankly.
Lei smiles sheepishly, realizing she is used to talking to other doctors. “You know what? Just talk to Jim when you can, alright? Ask him for weaker pain meds in about five days or so.”
“Whatever you say, Doc.”
She’s about to leave, but she turns back right when she’s at the door. “Do you want the voice clip?”
Bayleaf seems to first freeze in place, and then he glares at her. “What?”
She sighs. “The voice clip of Laura. Do you want that? You can say no.”
He seems to hesitate for a bit of time. But he finally nods. “Sure.” He says simply.
So she sends it over to him: One of the last things that proved Laura was once in this city.
She shakes her head as she leaves Bayleaf’s room. See, Laura? No one told you to leave this place. You are the one who decided that yourself. And in doing so, you left some of the only people whom you formed connections with and cared for you.
Next, she goes to the camp they were at the day before, close to the Middle slums. It feels like Lexi hasn’t moved since Lei saw her yesterday afternoon. The aforementioned red-haired woman is still standing in the centre of camp, directing slummers and runners around.
“Did Liam and Rose leave already?” Then she adds an additional question, because Lexi is not the type to give extra information, if she answers the question at all. “And if they did, when did they leave?”
Lexi nods. “Early this morning.”
“I see.” Lei says.
So, that’s it, she thinks. They’re gone now. Off on a dangerous mission to Adamawa where something apparently horrible is happening. And here, we can do nothing about it except wait, and search for more information about how and why these people are disappearing, and how and why some people still remember.
She must believe that they will return. Otherwise… There is no hope at all.
“Lexi,” Lei asks, “Can I have a photo of you?”
Lexi stares at Lei. Really looks at her, and then turns back to doing her work. “Sure,” she says, simply.
It seems the slums are truly being carried upon Lexi’s back. Lei is so very glad that Lexi was not abducted, since the collapse of the slums would likely be inevitable after.
Since Lexi is very clearly busy, Lei has to take the photo from a slight angle, where Lexi is not facing the camera. The 3/4 angle she takes it in accentuates Lexi’s beauty and strength, and her red hair is like a flame that ripples behind her. She looks like the main character of those VR games people like to play in Uptown/Downtown.
Why is everyone hot? Lei sighs. It is as if everyone is blessed except for herself, which just feels a little unfair, y’know?
“Elise and I are opening a clinic, hopefully soon. So please let me know if you ever need a doctor for your work, Lexi. ” Lei says. “Especially one you need who can take shots herself.”
Lexi’s pretty lilac-coloured eyes shift to her for a second. “You and Elise should focus on saving lives. Leave that to us runners.”
That might be the longest sentence she’s said to Lei. Lei is honoured to have said something worth so many words from the Lexi who usually speaks as minimally as possible, or with actions instead.
“Sure, sure.” Lei smiles at Lexi, even if she’s not looking this way anymore. “If you have any needs for drugs, let Vail know and I’ll synthesize them for you. Or, If I can do anything else for you, please let me know.”
After Lexi nods, Lei leaves to let Lexi do her work.
She finds Keeper on the roof of the residential building, looking over the rest of the camp with her arms crossed. It wasn’t that Lei was looking for the cute little cat girl or anything, but since she was in the area anyway, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to look at someone adorable. It is to increase morale, Lei justifies.
“Envoy of death, we meet again.” Again, Keeper does not need to turn around to know who is approaching. Lei wonders if it’s because Keeper can somehow sense the brainwaves from those nearby. She can’t think of any other plausible explanation at the moment.
Lei walks up to right beside the cat-eared girl, looking down at the view as well. “Good morning, Keeper. It was nice seeing you last night~ Are you feeling better from yesterday?”
“This arbiter is as well as she could be. There is no need to worry, as this Keeper of Secrets has overcome a very minor setback.” Keeper lifts her chin up, as if she is proud of herself.
Well, she certainly sounds like how she was when Lei first met her. Although sometimes it may be a little difficult to understand the chuunibyou version of Keeper, Lei is glad because Keeper seems less in pain in this state.
“Do you want to see a picture of our cat, Keeper?”
Keeper’s bright blue eyes light up, but she turns her head away. “There is no need, when fate has allowed it, I shall meet with the beast of darkness.”
Lei shakes her head, smiling. “Let me rephrase my words: I am going to show you a picture of our cat, because I want to show her off. This is non-negotiable.”
She pulls out her phone and pulls up the gallery and holds it toward Keeper.
Keeper’s ears twitch under her hood, and finally Keeper turns her head a little toward the phone. “If my follower is insisting, then I suppose I can indulge her just this once.”
“Yes, yes, how benevolent you are~” Lei says to Keeper. In her head, she swears that she will break down Keeper’s walls in the future. She just has a strong feeling she will.
After they’ve gone through all the pictures of Meng, Lei asks, “Are people still being abducted?”
Keeper nods solemnly. “Mortals are still being consumed by the boundary as we speak. As it approached the early hour, I sensed the consuming energy coming from the skies above. The boundary of consumption still lingers. We must act soon, follower.”
Lei sighs. “We really have our work cut out for us, don’t we? I’ll have to start my work at my clinic as soon as possible and start looking into this.”
Keeper nods her head. “You will have my aid when it comes to it.”
Lei wonders if Lexi would let her borrow Keeper as an assistant for the clinic. Keeper is able to borrow both Elise and Lei’s skills, which they might need as they don’t have any other employees at the moment. Also, Lei thinks that Keeper would be excellent morale support. This is something she’ll have to ask Lexi when Elise and her have the clinic fully set up.
“Can I ask for one last thing?” Lei cannot leave until she’s obtained one more important thing.
Keeper puts her hands on her hips. “What is it that you seek from the Keeper of Secrets?”
“May I take a picture of you?” Lei holds up her phone.
Keeper shifts her arms back to being crossed. “And what is it that you would do with a mirror image of myself?”
“Didn’t you know? Seeing a cute face every day is good for your health~” Lei can’t help but tease. She isn’t really lying about this, it certainly does lift her mood when she sees cute things. Or cute people, whom she is certainly surrounded by.
“Y-your flattery does not work on a Keeper of my caliber!”
She’s even more adorable when she’s flustered, Lei thinks. She wants to tease her even more to see more of this reaction. Lei wonders if she’s blushing under the mask she wears.
“It’s not flattery~ It’s the truth~” Lei continues, giving Keeper a little wink.
“You and your mortal, silver tongue will not cause me to waver! Your insolence knows no bounds!” Keeper says, but she seems to be sputtering a bit as she hesitates to find the right words.
“I am telling the truth in that I like to see cute things everyday~” Lei says, but her smile drops a little so that she can show Keeper she’s being serious. “But the other part of the truth is that I’d like to take photos of people I’d like to remember and print them out so that they’re affected by any digital wipes… I don’t know if I’ll be affected by the memory wipe but it’s my responsibility to remember.”
Keeper seems to calm down a little and her tense folded arms relax. “So you have finally admitted the truth, follower. It is a noble responsibility you have set on your shoulders but you need not burden yourself with such trivialities.”
“It isn’t a burden at all. This is something I want to do for the people I care about or want to care about.” Lei says. “If it helps, I can offer a form of payment.”
“This keeper is beyond mortal currency and temptations.” She lifts her chin haughtily, which Lei still finds adorable. Lei finds almost everything about Keeper adorable.
“Even if it’s a shiny holographic business card?” Lei should still have some from Gigi and Elise, back in her apartment, if it hasn’t been affected. Keeper probably doesn’t have one of Gigi.
Keeper’s cat ears seem to twitch under her hood again. “Follower, you know of my mortal weakness and are causing me to toe a dangerous line.”
“I’ll even offer unlimited headpats as a bonus~” Lei adds.
“T-that is something I do not need.” She turns her head away a little.
“It’s a bonus thrown in~” Lei smiles, “No refunds. Now turn your head this way, please.”
She ends up getting the picture, although she can’t tell if Keeper is smiling under the mask or not. Maybe she’s pouting. Or maybe she’s even blushing. Only the Keeper of Secrets herself knows this little secret.
On the way to visit the black market for drug materials, Lei runs into Zoey, who seems to be holding her head in one hand, and a little bottle in the other.
Lei smiles at the blonde girl. “Oh, hello, Zoey, how are you doing? I’m glad you got home safe… you were pretty drunk last night.”
“Hey Doc,” Zoey’s voice has an underlying weak groan to it. Her high ponytail seems a little wilted, as if it is a plant that has not received enough water. “That’s why I went to get a wake up shot. I fucking hate hangovers.”
She chugs it down right after she says this, and less than a minute later, her usual energy seems to return.
“I’m okay. The slums are a mess, though.” Zoey says, now calm as ever. Lei wonders if she ever gets frazzled. “I did check my masks storage though, I have some in the Nekomata line if you still want one.”
“Anything black or white with green accents?”
Zoey shrugs. “Yeah, probably. I didn't realize before, but I have a fuck tonne of masks.”
"Uhm… that's… nice. Shall we go take a look at your mask storage?”
"Yeah, sure.”
When they go to where Zoey stores her masks, Lei realizes Zoey is not joking. The closet is almost completely filled with masks and they’re stacked up to the ceiling.
“Now where were they?” And Zoey starts to go through the stacks, one by one, in a very inefficient manner.
Lei can’t help but let out a little giggle. “Maybe next time you could set aside the ones you found.”
“Ah, good idea.” Zoey says, as she continues to rummage through the piles. “I’ll do that next time.”
While she waits, Lei inspects the room of masks closer, seeing all the assortment of shapes and colours that Zoey owns. She sees Zoey’s signature demon masks, dragon masks, bird masks, dog masks — name the animal or mythical creature and it’s probably here. She might even spot a Jackal mask, although not the exact same one the Jackals wore. “You could open a store with this many masks.”
“Funny you say that, ‘cause that’s what the store owner thought when I bought his whole stock.”
Lei is not surprised at this statement, but she does not comment.
“Found it!” Zoey pulls out a white cat mask with black and green markings. Some of the markings are even flowers. It really fits Lei’s whole aesthetic, which she greatly appreciates.
“It looks perfect~ I will take it.” Lei smiles at it, holding it up to the light to admire it better.
Since it is immune to gasses and flashes, it would be good for her when she’s working in the lab, right? Much more fashionable than a gas mask, so you could say this is a business expense.
After they make the transaction, Lei remembers that she should probably ask Zoey for a picture as well. “Can I take a photo of you?” She asks.
“Yeah, sure.” Zoey doesn’t even hesitate.
After her difficulty with Keeper, Lei is surprised how easily Zoey agrees. “You’re not even going to ask what I’m going to use it for?”
Zoey blinks at her. "Am I supposed to?"
“No… you don’t have to. I’m not going to use it for anything bad… just to… remember.”
Zoey shrugs. “You seem decent enough and Liam seems to trust you, so that’s good enough for me.”
Lei quickly snaps the photo before Zoey changes her mind — although she doesn’t seem like the type who would do that. “Thank you, Zoey.
“No need to thank me.” Zoey says. Lei’s not sure, but maybe, just maybe, Zoey’s mouth quirks up a little.
After she picks up some raw drug materials, she meets up with Vail again so that they can go to the location of the clinic together. The materials are to synthesize Whisper and Shiver for Lexi’s group. She’s decided that because her main skill is organic synthesis, she’ll make sure they don’t have to pay for the medicine they need again. Like Elise’s code of honour where she does not take money from fellow doctors, Lei’s code of honour will be that she won’t take money from Lexi’s group for these drugs they need. Well, being realistic, maybe she’ll need to ask for funds for the raw materials, as they seem to have more money than she does, but she’ll definitely do the work for free as long as she’s able.
When she sees him this time, his fingerless gloves and jacket sleeves have a few blood splatters on them. She raises an eyebrow at him, but doesn’t question it. The less I know, the better, she thinks, but she already can guess.
It doesn’t bother her as much as she thinks it would. Maybe it’s because she trusts him and she still thinks he’s a good person. After all, this world does not allow for pure and innocent people with hands that are not stained. Those who are pure and innocent, if not protected, are extinguished like a light in this world of darkness.
Elise is already there when they arrive. Clearly, she is more efficient than Lei with actual doctor work. Lei can justify that it is because Elise has six more years of experience and also does more patient care than Lei. In truth though, Lei knows she did not do that much doctoring around this morning.
Elise raises an eyebrow when the two of them walk in together. “Brought a friend, Lei?”
“Hello Elise,” Lei waves weakly, “I brought someone to help do some heavy lifting! Not... not just a friend though.”
Vail waves from beside her. “Hey, Elise.” He does not correct her.
Elise’s eyebrows rise even more. It looks like she’s caught on to the situation. “I see.” She says.
For some reason, Lei feels more nervous not seeing much of a reaction from Elise. She isn’t sure what she was expecting, but this was not it.
“Perfect,” continues Elise, “I started bringing over the equipment from the hotel, but there is plenty more that we need to fetch.”
Lei looks hopefully at Elise and can’t help but smile a little. “Did you fetch the lab cart?”
Elise nods. “It’s in the other room.”
“Why don’t you show us around first?” Lei requests. Despite everything, Lei is excited at the prospects of being able to work in a clinic/lab again. It gives her the sensation of normality after all the adrenaline-inducing things she did outside her expertise the past three days.
The clinic isn’t very big, which is expected in the Mertalline slums, but it’s a nice space. Lei has to be thankful to Tiger again. Whether or not an afterlife exists — if there is Heaven/Hell, reincarnation, or nothingness — Lei can only hope that wherever Tiger is now, she is in a better place than she was. She knows she’ll have to tell Elise about Tiger’s fate at some point, if Elise hasn’t already found out.
The main reception room has a space for their receptionist desk and chair, where they will put their computer and all the paper patient files. There’s a little room for a few chairs in case patients need to wait until they receive treatment, as well as a counter if someone really needs to lie down or if they need to administer emergency care at the door.
The reception room is attached to a hallway, which has multiple rooms. The largest room is hidden in a little alcove and Lei imagines that it will be her lab where she will be slaving away developing and synthesizing drugs. There are also two smaller rooms that are perfect for seeing patients, and two medium sized rooms where Elise already has some surgical equipment set-up. Aside from the two available washrooms, at the very end of the hallway and beside the storage room, much to Lei’s delight, is a little room where she assumes is the staff room with its own washroom. This is where she’ll force Elise to take breaks, assuming they take the same shifts. If Lei doesn’t do the scheduling herself, she feels like Elise will be stretching herself too thin.
“This is like a dream come true.” Lei says, her voice coming out a little breathless with wonder.
“It seems like a nice place.” Vail agrees.
Elise nods. “We’re very lucky to have obtained this place. It’s in a good location, too.”
When they’re back in the reception room, Lei turns to her two friends. “Vail, can you take a picture of Elise and I?”
“Of course.” Vail holds out his hand for her phone, and she makes sure the camera app is already active before handing it to him.
She walks over to Elise and places a hand on her shoulder. “Smile, Elise! We need a commemorative photo for our new clinic.”
After Vail takes the photo, Elise and Lei crowd around him to see the results.
“Vail, it’s blurry!” Lei exclaims, but she can’t help laughing.
Elise seems to be trying to hold back by covering her mouth with her hand, but it doesn’t help as giggles still escape her.
They make him take another one, laughing all the while.
When they’ve sent Vail with the car to pick up more of the equipment from Meowmare Hotel, Elise and Lei work together on moving the equipment Elise has already obtained — mostly stuff she fetched for the surgery room. Surgery might be Lei’s second-least favourite type of care, so she hopes they hire more specialists.
“So, Vail, hmm?” Elise asks with a raised eyebrow.
Lei hesitates for a little before answering. “... Yes.”
“I guess you do not need me to set you up anymore?” Elise’s slight teasing tone is back, which Lei didn’t realize she missed until she heard it again.
Lei has to look away in embarrassment. “... Please forget about that. I was very drunk. Clearly, I don’t have any cognitive functions when I have too much alcohol.”
“Apparently so.” Elise murmurs in agreement.
“You’re not going to question my choices?” Lei asks, a little surprised that Elise isn’t being more critical.
“He is not a bad person, so I have no reason to be against it,” Elise says. “As long as he is good to you and treats you well, I will support it.”
Lei smiles a little bashfully and her cheeks warm up a little. “Well then, that’s not something you have to worry about. I think he’s rather sweet.”
Elise seems to mutter under her breath something along the lines of, “we will see”. She says it so quietly that Lei is not sure. For all she knows it could have been “must make tea” or something.
“The plans I had yesterday were with him~” Lei also adds. She doesn’t need to tell Elise this, but maybe she just wants to share the joy a little. She has no other close friends to tell, after all.
Elise’s raised eyebrow returns. “Did you have a good time?”
“I had a lovely time~ Thank you for encouraging me to follow through with those plans.” Lei will spare Elise of the dirty details. She imagines Elise would not want to know. “How about you, Elise? Did you get to rest up and sleep more?”
Elise nods. “Ever since you gave me the E.S. drug, my fatigue has faded away. It’s like my body has been renewed.”
Well, that’s a little concerning, Lei thinks. Now with such a superpower, Elise may be more tempted to not take care of herself, but even a superpower has its limitations, as evidenced by the Shiver and Whisper the other test subjects need to take. But she will not regret it, never. Not when this choice saved Elise’s life. Lei will simply have to learn to deal with the consequences of these actions.
“But… you did rest and sleep, right?” Lei tries to confirm.
Elise looks away.
“Right, Elise?” Lei’s voice grows harsh in tone.
“I’m just kidding, I did.” Elise turns back and smiles cheekily. “Last night at least.”
I have my work cut out for me, Lei thinks. But she doesn’t mind that much.
When they’re cleaning up the reception room, Lei decides to ask about other employees for their clinic. After all, with just Elise and her — two people — this clinic will not be able to run. Elise had tried to shoulder everything by herself, and according to Ceres’ anecdotal evidence, was not successful.
“Elise, do you have any candidates for other employees you want to hire for our clinic?”
Elise shakes her head. “Not particularly. I could call those from my old clinic. Why do you ask?”
“I had some coworkers I liked back in Prism… if they’re still alive. I was thinking we could reach out to them… I don’t trust them as much as you and Ceres, but talking to them was bearable.” Lei says.
Elise puts down the paperwork she’s sorting behind the desk. “Who were you thinking?”
“Leon Lopez and Melissa Balm.”
“Leon…” Elise has to think for a bit. “I think I have met him before. He came to the slums only a little before you did. Based on my perception, he seems decent enough. I don’t know Melissa though.”
Lei nods, expecting something like this. “Leon is a general doctor and surgeon like you are, so I thought it would be helpful for you to have someone backing you up. To be honest, I didn’t like him when I first met him… but under his prickly surface, I think he genuinely cares about people’s health.”
“As for Melissa? She’s a synthesist like I am, and it would be nice to have an assistant, especially one who knows Prism’s recipes. She does her work competently, although we can’t have her working reception. She’s a bit like an anxious little puppy. She kind of reminds me of Ceres…”
And then suddenly she starts crying again. Even if she’s been trying not to think about it, pushing down her feelings continuously means that at some point, the pressure will build and they will suddenly explode outwards.
Elise walks toward her briskly and envelopes her into a warm hug. “It’s alright,” she murmurs, “it will be alright.”
Lei can only shake in Elise’s arms. “I miss her… I want to see her again… Ceres…”
She hears the door opening and footsteps, which she thinks is Vail, but with her face buried in Elise’s shoulder, she can’t check.
“What’s wrong?” It is Vail.
She raises her tear-streaked face up and watches him put down the Prism computer he’s carrying by the door before walking closer to the two of them. She reaches out her hand to him and he comes over. Elise shifts over to make room for him.
“You two are all I have left.” She cries as she holds on to the both of them, “Please don’t leave me too, please… please…”
But even if she is saying this to the two of them, perhaps she is begging the world not to take them away from her. She is praying, to a god she does not believe in, that no one else she loves will be taken from her.
The two of them do not say any words, but they hold her, and here in this moment, she is safe; she is loved.
When she’s calmed down a little and has wiped away her tears, she feels a little very embarrassed to have shown so much vulnerability. After all, with how the city is going to be embroiled in further chaos, she needs to remain strong. “Sorry…” She murmurs to the two of them.
Elise gently strokes her back. “Do not apologize. We will take care of each other, remember?”
Lei smiles weakly at Elise. “Thank you, Elise. I should be saying thank you instead.”
Then she dares to look at Vail’s expression. It doesn’t look angry at her at all, instead of his usual neutral and unphased expression, she might even describe his expression as worried.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine now.” She smiles weakly at him as well and reaches out to pat his head. Despite the layered look of his hair, it is quite soft, although it does feel a little synthetic probably from the blue dye.
“Now I kinda get what you mean about telling people not to worry.” He says, but he does lower his head a little for her to access it easier. Not that he needs to, he’s not much taller than she is.
She smiles more genuinely after. “Right? It’s frustrating.” She shakes her head. “But I feel better now, so back to business. Do you know any deckers? There’s a computer I want to get into.” Lei points at the Prism computer that he put down by the door.
Vail nods. “A few.”
“Are any of them trustworthy? Or at least, somewhat?”
Vail hesitates for a bit, as if he’s thinking that there is no such thing as a trustworthy decker in Mertalline. “Of the ones I know, Timberwolf seems to be okay. Her prices are a bit on the higher end and occasionally asks for favours instead, but she seems to keep her mouth shut.”
Lei nods slowly. “I’ll trust you, since I don’t know any other deckers. Can you try to contact her once we have the clinic fully set up?”
He nods. “Yeah, sure, no problem at all.”
“Sorry, I have to go.” Vail tells her a little while later. “Lexi needs me for something.”
“Don’t be, I understand.” Lei says. “I’ll walk out with you.”
When they’re walking out of the clinic and onto the street, she tells him, “Thank you for your help today. Not just helping us with the physical setup, but for comforting me as well.”
“Of course, it’s the least I could do.”
They’re right in front of his motorbike now so she impulsively reaches out to hug him. “Come back safely, please.”
“Of course,” he says, “I’ll bring the cat to you later.”
Despite everything, Lei still gets excited at the prospects of seeing Meng again. “Oh, sure, I’ll text you my address.”
“Don’t worry, I know where it is.”
Lei’s eyes widen. “You do? How?”
“You told me?”
She did not remember this event having ever happened. “I did? When?”
His eyes flit away. “You were drunk, around three weeks ago.”
Three weeks ago was when they last went out for drinks, and it is true she doesn’t remember the majority of the night, including how she got home. If he knows her address, it’s likely he was the one who took her home. Lei is worried about what else she might have said three weeks ago when she was apparently so drunk she’s forgotten things. But perhaps she doesn’t have to worry about it too much if he is still talking to her.
She quickly presses a kiss on his cheek before he puts on a helmet. “That’s for good luck.” She tells him.
He smiles at her. “Take care.”
She smiles back. “You too.”
She’s walking back toward the direction of the clinic, about to call the number of her favourite taxi driver, when she notices that a familiar yellow cab is parked on the street. She approaches it and peers into the window of the driver’s seat. Indeed, it is Flash who is sitting there.
What a coincidence he always shows up when I need him, Lei thinks.
“How’s my favourite taxi driver doing?” She asks him, smiling, but notices he’s looking in the direction where Vail left.
“Oh!” Flash seems a little surprised to see her. “I’m doing good.”
Something about his reaction doesn’t seem quite right for Lei. She tilts her head at him, thinking for a few seconds before something clicks.
“Did you… see that?” She asks him, a little hesitantly.
Flash seems to avert his gaze a little. “See what?”
So he did see. How embarrassing. That's definitely not something she wanted him to see, although she supposes it's her own fault for doing so in a public space. People usually don't pay attention, but perhaps Flash is not your usual person. He is certainly someone a little extra special.
“Can you pretend you didn’t see anything?” She has to look down a little, since she can’t meet his eyes right now.
“Don’t worry, I am good at doing that.” He makes an O.K. hand sign, which Lei sees from the corner of her eyes.
Good at surviving, not perceiving, and driving? Flash is a man of many talents.
“Good,” She says, looking back up again, “I actually have some errands to run and I might need a ride. Would you mind waiting around 5 minutes?
“Since it’s you, I don’t mind.” He smiles a little bit, but at this point she’s not sure if this is a genuine smile or simply one for customer service. She is assuming it’s the latter.
He’s probably just saying that because I give him a lot of business, but even Lei has to pause a little to properly process these unexpected words.
“Thank you, I appreciate it!” She jogs back into the clinic.
The reception room is empty, so Lei walks down the hall and finds Elise in one of the patient rooms, putting equipment into cupboards. She turns around as Lei shows up at the open doorway.
“Elise, could I take about an hour off to run some errands?”
“You could take the rest of the day off, we’ve already finished setting up the basics.” Elise smiles, the sort of fake lying doctor smile Lei can easily recognize.
Lei places her hands on her hips and gives Elise her best angry glare. “I know you’re still going to keep working even when I leave. So I’m coming back for you right before dinner time to make sure you eat and rest and then we can continue working together.”
After all, she wants to synthesize some more Whisper and Shiver for the group, and Sunshine to sell. Since she’s always making large batches of drugs it often takes her three hours. The day is too short for all the work she wants to accomplish in one day.
Lei continues speaking, since Elise hasn’t interrupted yet. “I promised, didn’t I? That I’d take care of you. So… I will.”
“I suppose this is the type of compromise you were talking about.” A smile seems to creep on Elise’s face. “We’re going to take care of each other.”
“Hold that face.”
Elise looks a little surprised, until she sees Lei pull out her phone.
“Become a photographer, have you?” Elise teases, her cheeky smile is back.
“Only to capture my favourite sights~” Lei teases back. “Now hold your lovely smile for me~”
Lei isn’t that familiar with the Middle slums, but luckily Flash is someone who seems very knowledgeable about the city and he is able to recommend an electronics store where they print photos.
She usually doesn’t mind sitting in silence when being driven by other taxi drivers, but it’s different with Flash. Maybe it’s because he’s saved her before, but she has really developed a fondness for him. Whether that is a good or bad thing, that is something that will only be uncovered in the future.
She decides to be direct about it. “Those cyber saints you talked about, could you possibly know Lexi’s group?”
His turquoise eyes meet hers through the rearview mirror just for a brief second before he turns his eyes back on the road. “Small world, eh?”
“Apparently so.” Lei smiles a little. “You are right about them being good people, though. You’re surprisingly well connected.”
“It’s a taxi driver thing.”
“I think it’s a Flash thing~” Lei says.
“You give me too much credit.” Flash replies.
“It’s important to give credit when credit is due~” She replies back.
“You’re always very flattering with your words, aren’t you?”
“Do you not like it?” Lei freezes in place. “I’m sorry, I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t mind.” Flash says. “Just worried if other people might mind.”
“Other people such as?”
“That’s a taxi driver’s secret.”
Suspicious… Lei thinks, but she doesn’t have any words she thinks will convince him to tell her what he might mean. Besides, he has been nothing but kind and courteous to her, so unless that changes, she has no reason to doubt him.
Lei pays Flash when he pulls up to the curb beside the electronics store, but before she leaves, she makes a small little request. “I still need a ride home… so if you don’t mind waiting for another fifteen minutes or so…”
“Anything for my favourite customer~”
“You know, I’m going to be really sad if it turns out you’ve been lying and saying that to all your recurring customers.”
“Nah, only you, I promise.” Flash smiles.
Lei shouldn’t really trust the words of a man she met only four days ago, but Flash’s demeanor makes her want to believe him. So she does. She’ll deal with any consequences if they arise. All men are equal under the bullet of a gun, after all.
“I’ll be right back.” She tells him with a little wave, and then walks into the store.
The person manning the shop appears to be an android, which is good, because she doesn’t really want to talk to anyone right now. She cautiously walks over to the self-serve photo printer, avoiding the android as much as possible. The printer machine is clearly very old and rarely used, but it seems to be working, at least to her knowledge. She might have seen this type of device in her elementary school, years and years back.
While she’s waiting for the printer to process and print her photos, she goes up to the vending machine near the door, and quickly buys a can of Spirit.
“Here,” she passes Flash the ice-cold can of Spirit when she comes back outside with the photos. “Your tip for waiting.”
He smiles. “Why thank you.”
“My favourite taxi driver deserves only the best~”
“You’ve arrived.” Flash says when he’s pulled up to the curb right outside her apartment building.
“Thank you as always, Flash.” She pays him for the ride with her credit chip, and then gets out of the car and walks to the driver’s seat window.
He looks at her questioningly.
“Could you please do me a favour?” She asks him, trying to tilt her head in the innocent way Gigi had taught her before.
His blonde eyebrows furrow a little, likely in concern. “What kind of favour?”
“Hmm… alright, maybe I won’t call it a favour. What about a paid request?” She tries her best to be reassuring. She doesn't know if it’s working.
“What kind of paid request?” Flash asks again, more slowly, and his turquoise eyes still look concerned.
Lei gives up. “A picture. I’d like a picture of you.”
“... Why?” He looks even more concerned now and his eyes begin to widen a little.
“Is it wrong to want a picture of my saviour?” Lei says. “I can hang it up on my wall as my reminder to try my hardest to survive each day.”
Now he’s frowning. “I don’t think Vail would like that.”
Now it’s Lei’s turn to furrow her eyebrows. “To be honest, I don’t think he would mind. He doesn’t seem like the jealous type.”
Flash looks at her for a bit longer. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But if he kills me, my blood is on your hands."
“Didn’t you say you were a survivor?” Lei tries to be teasing, but then her smile drops a little so that she can show she’s being serious. “I really doubt he will for the purposes I’m using the picture for, but if he does, I will be the one to save your life instead~”
Flash smiles at her, or maybe smiles at her ridiculousness. “Alright, I trust you.”
So while he’s still smiling, she takes out her phone and snaps a photo. Looking at it, Flash appears rather photogenic, and not only does he have nice eyes, he has a nice smile. “Thank you, Flash, I promise I’m not going to do anything nefarious with it. I swear on the status of being your favourite customer.”
“I’m trusting you~”
“And since your taxi rides are my favourite, I will not betray that trust~” She puts her phone away and holds out her credit chip toward him. “Name your price.”
“For you? It’s free of charge.” He throws a peace sign and a wink and then immediately after, drives away.
Lei can only watch his cab disappear down the street: He is gone in a flash.
It feels a little strange to go back to her apartment after these four days. After she presses in the electronic lock, she braces herself before she steps in, expecting explosions or an intruder waiting with a gun, but she finds the place empty and untouched. This place, which used to feel like a home, no longer feels safe.
Cillin, her robotic cat, seems to be vacuuming around the living room. The battery life on it is pretty good and it is programmed to auto charge when under a certain percentage. She leaves it be. After all, now she has the real thing.
After dropping her bag and newly printed photos on the table, she goes to her bedroom to find the pictures she has of Ceres. They are thankfully still there. At least physical photos haven’t been erased. She’s put them mostly on her vanity’s mirror, so that she can see them every day when she’s doing her makeup. There aren’t that many, only a few of her select favourites, because she always thought that she’d be able to see them on her phone.
She carefully peels the tape off two of them and brings them back to the table with her.
From a special compartment of her bag, she takes out her dark green hardcover lab notebook. It is not good lab practice, but there have been a few pages ripped out these past few days for her so that she could leave notes for people. She flips to the last page she wrote in, which isn’t hard, because it is bookmarked by other objects: photos.
The photos that Liam gave her are creased and slightly faded with age. She picks them up to peer at the writing underneath, which is slightly messy but clearly written with care.
She slides the newly-taken picture of Liam beside the rest of his family. He has his visor on, and is not smiling, but that is just like how Liam has been in those three days Lei has known him. She writes a few notes down on the thick pages:
Liam: A runner of the street samurai type who has many cybernetics embedded within him. You didn’t get along with him at first, and he was probably quite tempted to kill you in the beginning, but it turns out he is quite kind at heart — to the right people. He has saved you countless times, and you have saved him some times as well. He is a man of very few words and generally very tough and stubborn and someone you would call a survivor. He has very cutely said that you were the best doctor he’s ever had. He also apparently has a darker past that he has not told you about, but you can assume that it is very bad, since he is a true slummer through and through. The person he desperately wants to protect is his brother whose name is Alba (see previous pictures). He left with Rose to Adamawa in attempts to bring his brother back, and seems to be willing to sacrifice everything for his brother. He asked you to remember his family and to take care of the only home he’s known, which is why you began writing notes about all the other people you care about or want to care about. You should thank him for that. You have also promised to get drinks with him when he gets back.
She flips the page and slides the freshly printed photo of Rose. His smile is slightly awkward and clearly forced, as if she had held him at gunpoint or something. She struggles, she really does, to think of what she should write on Rose’s page. She has too many conflicting thoughts about him: Both negative and positive, and it is difficult to decide what she should truly say. She eventually writes:
Rose: A runner who specializes in sniping, although in the mission you took with him, he missed many of his shots (apparently he was having a bad day, which may be true). He is a part of Lexi’s group. You didn’t like him at first because he was being very sketchy and mysterious and doesn’t often tell the truth. You might still not like him that much, as he can be a little frustrating. But people say that he’s a “good guy”, and sometimes you can see those qualities from him. He’s the older brother of Ceres, which everyone seems to know about except for Ceres herself. He clearly cares for Ceres, but he is unwilling to tell Ceres that he’s her brother because “it’s best that she doesn’t know”. You think this is stupid. You think Rose is just being stupid. But that is besides the point. He left with Liam to Adamawa in an attempt to bring Ceres back to Mertalline. He has some sort of precognitive ability which means he can see the future (which is subject to change) and he is also quite good at reading people, which is also something you find quite frustrating. When he comes back, you’re going to keep trying to convince him to tell Ceres. Or maybe, you could just tell Ceres yourself, that might save you a lot of energy. It might be because something horrible happened to him in childhood that took him away from Ceres and his family, so don’t push this too much. You’re still a little thankful of how much he cares about Ceres and appreciates that he did go to Adamawa in an attempt to save her… So despite all the negative things you think about him, maybe you can come to understand him better when he comes back, if he lets you.
With the next page, she starts on the people who still remain in Mertalline.
Lexi: A runner who seems to be carrying the slums on her back. She leads a group who are runner heroes of the slums, and she is quite protective of her group. Lexi in particular, is very powerful and wealthy, and you truly admire her strength and tenacity. She is a woman of very few words and often does not answer your questions directly, but this just adds to her mysterious and untouchable air of being. In the slums, there are likely very few people who do not respect her, but this is something she definitely deserves. Without her, the slums would likely be even worse than it already is, so you are glad the slums have her. You hope that you will be able to help her make the slums better in the future.
Zoey: a runner who specializes in using shotguns who seems to be a part of Lexi’s group. She is very good at her job of destroying things, but unfortunately, is not the brightest of people. This actually makes her endearing in your eyes. She has quite a negative outlook on the world and seems to have no one she truly trusts, but it doesn’t stop her from enjoying her nights out getting drinks with her runner comrades. Apparently she likes to dance, or at least, her drunken self seems to like dancing. She is close with Liam and it seems like they’ve worked together for a long time. Her personality appears to be very calm and unphased by things. On runs, she often wears a demon mask which has many practical functions, and she even sold you one of a different design from her very large assortment of masks she’s purchased. You hope that you’ll be able to get her to open up to you more, or at least, that you’ll be able to look out for her as a doctor.
Keeper: Her full name is actually “Keeper of Secrets” and her real name is actually Yunyi. She is the youngest in Lexi’s group. There are two forms to herself: A chuunibyou version who speaks in confusing ways (it’s still cute though, sometimes) as well as her original self which appears rarely and seems to cause her a lot of pain to be in. In either form, she can be a bit of a tsundere, which you find endearing. Since she has cat ear implants and is shorter than you, she has a head you enjoy patting very much, although it is a little difficult to convince her to let you sometimes. Her ability is similar to a neurolink where she can telepathically communicate with those who are connected (within 1km) as well as borrow abilities with those people. For some reason, she seems to know a lot of information but you’re not completely sure where she gets it from. But her information is quite useful, if you understand and dissect what she’s saying, which you might get used to over time. She also likes cats and co-owns a cat with you and Vail, because apparently, she has a lot of free time to spare! Since you find her very adorable, she feels like someone you would like to protect or help. You hope that she will lower her guard around you and let you pat her head and care for her more in the future.
She hasn’t technically printed out the next picture, but she’ll definitely get to it within the next few days, so she makes sure to leave a page for this person.
Flash: A kind (and very fast) taxi driver whom you met not long ago. Not only is he surprisingly charming, he is a man of many talents: driving, surviving, not sticking his head where it doesn’t belong, and seems quite knowledgeable of the city and its people. He seems to have a talent for appearing during times when you need him or times when you’re at your worst, and has even saved your life during one of those times. For that, you are forever grateful to him. Although he has said there are “cyber saints” who are even better than him, he is still a hero and good person in your eyes for saving your life. It is an honour that he calls you his favourite customer, because he is definitely your favourite taxi driver. Since you’ve grown a little fond of him, try to give him as much business as possible.
When she was printing the photos, she hesitated to print out the next person’s picture, but she decided that despite all the years they have spent apart, she cannot deny that this person was very important to her in the past. She places this picture on the next page now, and the smiling bronze-skinned, red-haired Gigi from 2 years ago looks up at her.
Gigi Legris: A pharmaceutical synthesist who worked for Prism, specifically in research. You met her in university where she was the one who approached you and you remained close friends with when you both went to the same med school, and later, when you both got hired by Prism. Specifically, you bonded with her over your mutual love of fashion, and you went shopping with her a lot both Uptown and Downtown. She loved to work out and was always telling you of her workout routines, which she worked very hard on during her days off. Although she always called you “honey” and “darling” and was generally a very sweet person, she would not take bullshit from others and had quite a fierce temper when provoked. But you admired her strength and tenacity so much. You loved her loud, booming voice, and the way she laughed without restraint. During those years in your twenties, she was truly your best friend, and someone who helped you weather the storm. She was someone you could wake up and call at night and someone who would beat people up for you. You didn’t realize it at the time, but you loved her like a sister.
In the next two pages, she slips in the picture she took of Elise smiling, as well as the image of the two of them Vail took for them in the reception room.
Elise Amaya: A general doctor and surgeon who once worked for Second Chance before opening up her clinic in the slums. You questioned why she would give up the prestige, but then when you got to know her, you realized she is very self-sacrificial. You used to put her on a pedestal where she was your ideal image of what a doctor should be, before you found out that her hands are stained just like everyone else’s. Perhaps she is so self-sacrificial because she feels immense guilt for the pain she has had a hand in during her past. You and her have now opened a clinic together, where you hope to develop regenerative stimulants (which Second Chance has the monopoly on) as well as a better treatment for the E.S. test subjects (see Lexi’s group). And of course, to hopefully save the lives of the slummers who need it. Although she is wonderful at taking care of other people, she is absolutely terrible at taking care of herself. This is why you need to try your hardest in taking care of her by forcing her to take breaks and making sure she eats and sleeps, of which she does little. She is kind and caring and a lovely person to be around, one who inspires you to be a better doctor. You would do almost anything to save her, and you have already done what you must to save her. To you, she feels like an older sister that you wished you had.
The next two pages are dedicated to Vail. Similarly to Elise, she slips in both the selfie she has with him, as well as a solo shot of Vail smiling.
Vail: A runner and formerly a patient of yours who you were concerned about for buying a large amount of drugs, he became your friend, and later, your boyfriend. You have to acknowledge that this goes against ethics, but unfortunately it’s a little too late to go back. The reason he was buying so many sedatives and brain stimulants is because he was also a Prism test subject, so you did worry for good reason. His ability involves sending people to the shadow realm, whatever that truly means. He does seem to be rather competent at his job and he is strong with nice muscles, which are all quite attractive. He seems to have trouble keeping up with technology, although he is younger than you. He is generally quite calm and seems to have very little to no worries, which you find comforting. But be warned: He tends not to answer his phone, especially when he’s on a job. He likes cats and his birthday present for you was a colourpoint cat you named Meng, although you have to share with him and Keeper as you are all busy people. You love how he can be soft, sweet, and caring, and how well he follows your requests/demands. Most importantly, you love how he’s a dreamer who can ramble about his dreams in this world where most people have stopped dreaming. You hope that he will stay by your side for a long time.
And then her final set of pictures are two of Ceres — some of the last pictures she has of her, now that all the digital photos on her phone have been wiped. One is a selfie she roped Ceres into taking one time they hung out together. Ceres looks very shy in this image, and is trying to hide behind her hair. The other is a candid of Ceres that Lei took when they went to get drinks a few months ago. She’s smiling, looking at a painting that was on the wall of the bar. Lei would pay almost any price to see this smile in person again.
Ceres Solace: Allegedly a neurosurgeon, but you have only seen her as an ambulance driver, which is something she does very well. She is shy, sweet, gentle, and absolutely adorable. She seems to stutter when she’s nervous. She likes to draw in her free time, and has a beautiful singing voice. Her height and shape of her head makes her head one of your favourites to pat, and she tends to lean in, which makes the whole experience much more heartwarming. She has almost no confidence in herself and is very fragile and seems to have no way to fight and protect herself, which makes you want to become stronger so that you can protect her from the cruelty and ruthlessness of the world you live in. She is someone you view as the younger sister you’ve never had but always wanted. She might be your favourite person in the world, and you love her unconditionally.
Right now, she has been taken from you, but you strongly believe that her brother will bring her back. And when she comes back, you will teach her how to protect herself and help her grow stronger. You will tell her of all the stories that she’s missed in the time she’s been gone, and of all the words you could not say before she was taken from you. Those words that she deserves to hear: I love you.
Remember, she writes on the margins of each page. Remember, remember. You have to remember.
She gently caresses the last three pages with her gloved finger. She’s wanted to have a family for so long, but now she realizes that perhaps these three have been her family all along — or they will be. Only, one of her sisters is not here right now.
Her lab notebook is closed shut and then carefully placed back into its appropriate storage. She’ll have to get a new lab notebook for the new research she plans on doing in her and Elise’s clinic anyways, so this one can now be a personal notebook for the memories she wants to store. It will become her personal treasured book of memories.
She strolls to the balcony window of her apartment, where she often likes to smoke. With Ceres gone, she might be tempted to start again — or perhaps, she should try harder, so that Ceres will be proud of her when she returns.
She leans onto the railing, her hands hanging over, and watches the scenery of the Mertalline slums: dark, dirty, neon-polluted, and filled with junk: The same as always.
But the person she wants to see isn’t here.
I miss you, Ceres. Lei thinks, playing with the green emerald necklace hanging from her neck — her birthday gift from Ceres. I want to see you again. I want you to be safe and by my side again.
Ceres, who used to always follow her around, has now gone to a place where Lei cannot follow.
Maybe as time passes, this sharp pain will become a dull ache, and then later a wound with a scar on it that has healed, but not really. Or maybe the pain will be healed by the panacea of Ceres returning once more.
She doesn’t know if she’ll be hit by the green gas that has been erasing the memories of those who are abducted from people’s minds, or if she’ll be able to withstand it. But it is the responsibility of those who remain to remember. To remember, and to wait, until those who have left have come home.
[AUTHOR'S NOTES]
The title “Those Who Leave, Those Who Remain” refer to two groups of people: Those who left, and those who remain.
Those who left are Rose and Liam, of course, who leave to Adamawa because something bad will happen there and they must rescue their younger siblings.
Although she does not appear in this story, technically, Laura is someone who also left, but she is a different case because she always planned to leave.
Those who remain refers mostly to Lei, but you could arguably put others in this category. The reason I didn’t say “those who stay” is because staying is a more active/conscious choice, but “remaining” implies being left over, implies more passivity and lack of choice.
Those who stay would be more of the people who chose to remain here: Zoey, Lexi, Elise, Vail.
Keeper is kind of in the “remain” category because uh she would die if she goes and we’re not putting our fave catgirl in danger.
I’m also extra proud of the fact she started to make a little photo album with things that she wants to remember ;w; Her treasured book of memories as she calls it (which again, is a callback to the set of drabbles I wrote for her called “treasure box” of memories). She realizes that their time in this world may be short, so she wants to treasure every moment she has with her loved ones and those she has grown to care about. This also relates to the central theme in this story about “remembering” which is a responsibility she now has. Perhaps, a responsibility she placed upon herself.
Thank you for reading if you've gotten this far <3
[OTHER NOTES]
Yeah... so Lei's birthday is on Sept 17 and this post-epilogue story takes place on Sept 20 and 21, three and four days after. Imagine having a relatively decently good night and then being arrested the day after XD That was Lei's life. I also made the year 2332 to make Lei's birth year 2300 since the campaign's supposed to take place sometime in the 2300s or something. She has just turned 32!
Lei really likes younger sister vibe characters. She loves doting on them so Ceres is a great example, and then Keeper now. She might get another one, Artemis, which is my next Mertalline campaign character XD unless things change I don't plan on playing Lei again cuz she has 1/2 death rolls failed. So that's dangerous. I love her so much I don't want her to die 😭
I learned as a side effect of the E.S. experiment, Vail cannot fall asleep or dream which is why he talks about dreams so much. They don't exist for him the way they do for other people 😭😭😭 Best boi frfr
He calls her by her name now which was a request from the drunk! Lei story (Vulnerability) 🥺🥺🥺 Soft hours only in this household
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, Vail was NOT getting drugs from other doctors (not cheating on her???) in those 3 months he didn't visit the Prism Clinic. That's a 11/10 right there. We love a loyal man XD
Rizz 😎
Meng is a ragdoll cat!!! Some sort of colourpoint with ice blue eyes.
Yeah so the implied suspicious activities... welp let's just pretend it's an effective sleeping strat/ way to induce sleep. He's gotta fall asleep somehow right XD
I guess her dreams kind of come true? :') She now can run a clinic with one of her friends and a doctor she looks up to. She got her mans. But her bestie and younger sister Ceres.... she is gone. So you win some and you lose some in life. (still in pain about Ceres though)
There's lots of references to the text in the campaign which you won't see unless I copy/paste (some of which will be copy/pasted) into the vis novel. So look out for it then cuz I got high attention to detail.
The first time she admitted to loving someone (remember she struggles with the idea of unconditional love) was Ceres :') I'm so pain about this
I think her dream of family did come true in form of the people she cares about like the way she imagines she'd care about for a family. Her friends she views as sisters: Elise (older) and Ceres (younger). And her significant other Vail 🥺😭😭🥺🥺. If she and Vail lives they get their children too so Y'KNOW maybe her dream is still possible BUT WHERE'S AUNTIE CERES Y'KNOW
Really proud of the last line :) I think it envokes a sensation of hope which is what I'm trying to carry forward, and what I'd like to imagine Lei would want.
Thank you again for reading this far <3
#oc#my oc#not my oc#oc writing#writing#story#cyberpunk coc#lei#post epilogue story#what happens after#this is a chonky boy i'm really proud of it#but also a bunch of NPCs appear and i'm about to tag them maybe HAHAH rip#no one except me and a few friends have the context for this but that's okay#i think this is an exceptional piece of my writing#if you consider all the thoughts and detail i put into it#post campaign story#oc story#original character#original story#original fiction#my writing#okay time to tag all the npcs that appear lmao#vail#elise#ceres#but she's not physically there#SPOILERS LMAO#this is spoilers for the vis novel which i will dev in 2024#spoilers#lei's friends
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