#if you consider all the thoughts and detail i put into it
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reckless
words: 2.3k
warnings: 18+ only, smut, p in v sex, unprotected sex, male receiving oral, aged up!rafe (28), age gap (reader is 20), reader kinda dumb and stupid tbh, breaking and entering but actually technically she didnt break anything so just entering, urban exploring
“stay away from that house.” your friend warns, following your eyesight to get light shining from only one window, the rest of the house covered in shadow.
“why?” you question, curiosity growing.
“some asshole lives there. i guess he got real rich when he was young and now he spends all his time inside hiding. the whole island hates him but nothing he did was bad enough to land him in prison…” your friend gives you a serious look. “or at least nothing they can prove.”
you're new to the outer banks, but she already knows your personality. you're defiant and confident, afraid of nothing.
it's why despite her warnings the next night you're scaling up the fence and hopping over to the other side. you note the well taken care of yard, whoever this guy is must still employ a lawn crew.
you keep your footsteps light but unhurried as you walk around the exterior of the enormous house, still just the one window with a light on, like no one else has been in any other part of the home for a long time.
you figure a house like this might have security, but you live only a block away and would certainly get to your house before any cops would show up.
you peer in a few windows, but it's too dark inside to really make out anything. you make your way into the backyard, looking down the long dock to see a yacht. you consider exploring that first before shaking your head and focusing back in on the house.
in your old city, you had a habit of breaking into places. not to steal or damage anything, just for the thrill of getting in and looking around, knowing you're not supposed to be there.
you peer in through the glass doors. it's not that late, only 11pm, but you figure the old man who lives here must already be upstairs and hopefully asleep as you grip the handle.
you wait to hear an alarm from just your touch, but when the house remains silent, you attempt to turn the handle, surprised and happy that it's completely unlocked as you slide it open.
you step into the living room, looking around at the intricate and clearly expensive decorations. your friend was definitely right about this guy being rich, but of course he is if he lives in a neighborhood like this.
“damn.” you mutter to yourself, stepping closer to a fancy vase sat on a table. you purposely leave the glass door open in case you need to make a quick escape out.
your eyes take in every piece of art hung on the wall and gold detailed lamps as you head further into the house, peeking into rooms as you quickly map out the layout. you note the stairs in the center hallway leading up, able to tell there's one light on and deciding quickly to avoid it.
you make like the rush of breaking into places, but you certainly don't like getting caught as you tiptoe into the kitchen next. out of pure curiosity, you open a couple cabinets to find them well stocked.
you focus in on the fridge next. you don't intend to steal but maybe this guy has a couple bottles of beer that won't be missed.
you frown when you realize it's mostly healthy food and energy drinks as you close the fridge, practically jumping out of your skin when you realize there's a tall man with his arms crossed, leaning against the cabinet.
“what are you doing here?” you yell, backing up and putting the island between you and him.
“bold of you to ask me that considering you're the one breaking into my house.” the man's voice is easy going and gentle despite the circumstances.
“your house?” you look the guy up and down. “i thought the guy who lived here was old.”
he moves to the island, placing himself directly in the middle so you can't bolt away, a movement you're very aware of.
“and what made you think that?” he questions. it's hard to tell in the low light, only the faint glow of buttons on the fridge and a bit of moonlight creeping in, but he looks young. your guess is late 20s or early 30s, not like the senior citizen you were picturing.
“my friend told me some asshole-” you cringe at the bad choice of words but continue on. “lives here who got rich when he was young.”
“hm, yeah that does sound like me.” the guy hums. “so what, you were gonna steal from me?”
“no.” you quickly shake your head. “i don't steal, i have no need. i just… like urban exploring.” you decide on saying.
“mmm, isn't that usually exploring abandoned places?” he questions, somehow still carrying on the conversation so naturally, like you're an invited guest rather than a trespasser.
“i thought this place was basically abandoned. like i said, thought you were old.” you shrug.
“well, im only 28, so if you consider that old.” he crosses his arms, muscles bulging.
“im 20.” you say, swallowing thickly.
you can see the gleam in the man's teeth as he smiles. “interesting… come with me.”
his command is so effortless, you find your feet moving before your mind catches up, following him deeper into the house and up the stairs.
“what are you going to do with me?” you ask, worrying he's going to call the cops. your parents would be pissed if only a week after they move you out of the big city you get arrested again.
“did your friend happen to tell you why i stay in this house?” he hums, opening a door and beckoning you in. you quickly realize this is the bedroom with the lights always on.
“um, just that you did something and no one likes you.”
“that's exactly right, even though i did nothing wrong. i only ever wanted to protect my family.” you see anger briefly take over his features as he relieves whatever memory that made him so hated. “but still, it's hard being lonely.”
he takes a couple steps forward, swinging the door shut behind him to keep the two of you in there, alone. “it's why id like your company…”
“y/n.” you mumble your name. you don't bother to give a fake name.
“y/n.” the name rolls seamlessly off his tongue, like a purr. “im rafe.”
“what do you mean by company, rafe?” now that you're in the light and can get a good look at him, you're hoping it's what you're thinking.
“isn't it obvious?” he quirks his head to the side. “i want you to sleep with me.”
“okay.” you whisper. you're certainly not inexperienced or against sleeping with random guys, even if your friend did warn you about him. you've already gone two whole weeks without getting anything, and you're starting to feel a little high strung.
“perfect.” rafe crosses past you, placing himself on the edge of the. neatly made bed. “undress.”
his command is once again so simple and effective that your hands begin moving instantly, pulling off your tank top to reveal your bright pink bra before sliding your shorts down next to show off the matching underwear.
you turn your back towards rafe and look over your shoulder as you slide your panties down, revealing your bare ass and pussy before kicking off your sandals.
you walk over to rafe slowly, a smile on your face as you undo the last piece of clothing covering you and let your bra drop to the floor.
“fuck, you're sexy.” rafe leans forward and grabs you, hands gripping your ass, squeezing the plump flesh there. he doesn't bother to wait for you to recover as he sits you onto his lap, cunt being pressed into his thigh as his mouth devours yours.
you can feel his need in the kiss, how starved he is from touch as you begin to kiss back, hands rubbing all over his front.
you only briefly stop the kiss to yank his shirt off. you're not surprised by his muscles, you could tell how perfectly built he was even in the dark kitchen.
rafe begins to slide your pussy against his pants, wetting his thigh as your clit drags against the material.
“fuck, you're already so wet.” rafe moans into your mouth. you don't pause to tell him that you always get a little bit wet in excitement when breaking into a new place.
“let me blow you.” you slide off, already missing the feeling on your pussy as you pull at rafes pants. he lifts his hips to help you and you waste no time, pulling his underwear down as well.
rafes cock pops up, hard and ready for attention. you push his thighs open with your hands so you can nestle between his legs, smiling as you watch a bead of precum from before licking it clean.
“god.” rafe groans, a hand fisting in your hair, tangling his fingers into the strands. “it's been so long since someone else has touched me.”
you feel bad for rafe in that moment, but it's quickly forgotten in favor of wrapping your lips around the head of his cock and giving it an intense suck, wanting to show him a truly good time.
you begin to bob your head, slowly taking more and more of his length into your mouth. he's not the biggest you've ever gotten with, but his girth certainly makes up for it as you get used to him pushing at the walls of your throat.
you'll certainly need more attention to your pussy to be able to take him as you reach down and rub your fingers against your clit, wanting to jump on his cock the second you're done blowing him.
“how are you only 20?” rafe asks, talking mostly to himself considering your mouth is occupied. “you suck dick so well.”
you don't want to comment that you've had lots of experience, but you have a feeling he won't judge you for it. so many guys sleep around yet want every girl to be a virgin, and that's certainly something you don't subscribe to.
with a final push, you're able to take rafe all the way down as you nuzzle your nose into his skin, gagging slightly but able to hold for a decently long time before you need to pull off to take a deep breath.
“come up here, baby.” rafe says, tugging your hand that isn't still playing with your pussy. “want to fuck you.”
you wipe your mouth before standing up, glad you weren't on your knees for long as you move onto the bed.
“fuck me good, daddy.” you purr out, staying on your hands and knees and swaying your ass to entice rafe as he moves behind you.
“oh, i will baby.” rafe rubs his cock through your folds, not bothering to offer to put on a condom when you so clearly don't care.
rafe teases you, pressing slightly against your entrance before going back to rubbing against you until you're frustrated and aching. you're about to open your mouth to complain, to tell him to hurry it up, when his cock plunges inside of you in one quick motion that has you screaming out.
“oh, fuck!” you squeal as rafe instantly begins pounding into you.
rafe smiles as he looks towards the window, slightly cracked. he hopes the neighbors hear your screams and moans of pleasure and learn that he's not just willing to stay inside for the rest of his life. no, rafe is crafting his revenge against the town and when the time comes, they will all regret the way they treated him.
rafe looks down at you as he thrusts into you, your head hung forward and curls bouncing with every movement as he punishes your cunt.
“shit.” rafe groans, pulling out to quickly flip you onto your back.
his mouth meets yours just as his cock reenters you, kissing you wildly while he thrusts without abandon, letting himself loose on you.
rafe can feel himself swelling inside of you and tries his best to hold back from cumming, fingers reaching to your clit to focus on your pleasure before his own, wanting to extend this as long as possible.
“god, you feel so good.” you moan out, jaw slackened even as rafe continue to kiss around your mouth, eyes glossed over in pure pleasure.
“yeah?” rafe smiles. “you gonna cum for me?”
“mhm. keep- keep rubbing.” you tilt your head back as he swipes over your clit, back and forth, building you up while his cock fills out your insides.
“come on, baby.” rafe moans out, kissing you again, unable to stop even though he wants to hear your moans. his hips move faster and faster until he can't hold back anymore, pulling out and releasing all over your stomach in long ropes.
you squeal out as he pinches your clit, triggering your own orgasm as your entire body shakes, back arching off the bed.
“fuck!” you shout. “rafe!”
you both flop against the mattress, breathing heavily as you recover, pussy dripping wet onto his blankets.
“thanks for the company.” rafe smiles, causing you to laugh.
“yeah, always happy to stick around.” you giggle, leaning into his side. there's certainly no shame cuddling up to him after what you just did.
“would you… would you come back tomorrow?” rafe asks, pushing a strand of hair off where it was sticking to your face.
“first week in a new town and i already found myself a fuck buddy? hell yeah ill come back tomorrow.” you kiss rafe quickly before standing up off his bed, putting your tanktop and shorts back on but leaving your wet panties and bright bra on the floor.
“but have pizza, im a classy girl after all, i only let you fuck me once before buying me dinner.” you walk out of the bedroom to rafes deep chuckle.
#rafe smut#rafe cameron smut#obx smut#outer banks smut#rafe fic#rafe fanfic#rafe fanfiction#rafe cameron fic#rafe cameron fanfic#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe x you#rafe x y/n#rafe x oc#rafe x reader#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x oc#rafe cameron x reader#rafe blurb#rafe drabble#rafe one shot#rafe imagine#rafe cameron blurb#rafe cameron drabble#rafe cameron imagine#rafe cameron one shot
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“Many places I have been
Many sorrows I have seen
But I don't regret
Nor will I forget
All who took that road with me”
-The Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd
This is an Adjuration by @not-freyja, after 86 chapters, 300k words, and 10 months of joy, laughter, tears, heartbreak and love, has finally reached its end.
Adjuration is a tragedy that is nothing short of an act of love. That much is clear in the passion and dedication put towards the story, the characters, and the message Freyja is trying to convey. This fic will teach you about love. About death. About the inevitability of existence and why despite knowing it will all come to an end, there is still meaning in trying and hoping and loving each other. In loving yourself. You will laugh, you will cry, you will hope and you will despair as you read this story, but you will not be able to put it down.
It’s hard to say goodbye to something that has been so important to and loved by so many people. So we won’t. Instead, we will say thank you for this incredible journey and the community this fic has built. For the friendships that have been made and the endless inspiration you have given us. Thank you for wanting to tell a story, and for letting us join you around the campfire to listen.
Thank you.
(If you like Linked Universe and haven’t yet read Adjuration, see below for spoiler free reviews of this fic and artist credits.)
This is an Adjuration is the kind of story you fall in love with, the kind of story you think keep thinking about long after you put it down. The kind you keep finding hidden details in after you think you’ve got it figured out.
The characters are distinct and people with their own voices, motivations, relationships and histories. You’ll have your favourites but love them all. They influence how you’ll see the characters in everything else.
It’s full of moments where everything clicks and everything before is recontextualised in a way that’s so satisfying and make the whole story very re-readable. A time travel story where all loops are already closed, where you can know but not yet understand what will happen. It’s long, complex, and beautifully, meticulously planned and detailed. It’s clever and considered, funny and heartbreaking.
A story that whispers ‘it matters’ over and over. It is worth it to love, it is worth it if it doesn’t last forever, it is worth it to give someone a little more time, it is worth it to fight. It’s about loving others and your world and finding grace for yourself.
It’s loss and tragedy and the cruelness of fate. It is the sacrifice and the breaking.
Full of heart to both fill yours and break it in the best possible way.
It’s about love. Always.
By @toyouhellohowareyou
Sometimes, it’s hard to explain to others why art moves us.
I could tell you This is an Adjuration will make you cry, laugh, and sit at the edge of your seat in anticipation. And it’s probably true - I did all of that as I read, often with a coffee in one hand, early in the morning as I got ready for the day.
But that’s not the reason why I’m writing this.
The real reason is how it followed me during the rest of the day.
You see, at a certain point I realized this isn’t a story about Links going on adventures. Well, it does feature Links, and they do go on adventures, so let’s talk about that for a minute.
The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the characters. Each individual is unique, interesting, and exciting to follow. Not only are the Links individually compelling, but one thing that stands out in Adjuration is how the relationship between each Hero and their own worlds matter, and these connections shift, evolve, break and grow as the plot progresses.
Freyja does an incredible job of bringing together impactful storytelling with humor and heart. This is an Adjuration starts with an interesting premise, and then twists and turns in directions you wouldn’t expect. It’s rich in thought-provoking moments, soft joy and intense action, blended in with carefully crafted time travel and magic.
Adjuration sucked me into the world it builds, combining believable characters with fascinating stories, an unnervingly devious antagonist, plot twists, and lovingly crafted details that slip unnoticed until you’re surrounded on all sides. It made me cheer for characters I feel as if I’ve known intimately for years, made me worry for their safety as I would for that of a loved one, kept me hunting for hints and hidden references, pulling on a thread to try to find the end only for it to twist and loop into itself and show me a completely new side to the story.
Yes, This is an Adjuration is a fanfiction piece that explores the winding river flow of the Legend of Zelda timeline and how the stories of each Hero merge into each other. It also stands out for its heavy emotional content, and it doesn’t shy away from angst and hurt.
But to me, Adjuration is an epic journey that taught me how the choices we make, make us in turn. It’s a tragedy that deals with pain and healing, and it bares naked the non-linear nature of grief. It’s a celebration of the things that make us unique, of our flaws, an essay of the impact of little acts of love. Indeed, it’s a story about love.
I can tell you now, This is an Adjuration moved me. It still does. It has a special way to surface in my mind in unexpected ways at seemingly random times, from something as simple as tossing an apple core, to watching a lightning storm in the distance, or finding a picture of an old friend.
And every time, without fail, it makes me think about love.
By @sunny-porridge
This is an Adjuration is a wonderfully and beautifully crafted story about love, loss, and choice as the various incarnations of Link come together and travel through time. Freyja seamlessly weaves a tapestry of setup and payoff across different timelines and loops, in the best-constructed time travel plot I’ve ever seen on page or screen. Even at its surface, Adjuration is an emotional rollercoaster involving tragedy and the soft moments that make that tragedy worth it. But the deeper you look, the more meaning you can pull from every chapter of this amazing work. This work has made me cry, squeal with delight, and think more deeply about its themes all while having an absolute blast reading it. So in summary: READ IT. READ IT. READ IT NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
By @life-in-winter
While I love that every chapter is emotionally enthralling, with carefully woven, visceral tension you crave in any good story, yet Adjuration is more than that, and you feel it in the careful weave of each character and plot point. Nothing is lost or unanswered. It's the kind of story that, by the end, makes you stop and take a hard look at your own life. Are you appreciating the now? Are you savoring joy? Are you so wrapped up in fear that you can hardly take care of yourself? Do you know who you are?
This story is more like an external experience. It's riding atop a tsunami. How do you handle that ride, Link?
There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this fic is.
@needfantasticstories
Artist credit
Legend: @gia-d
Hyrule: @bittirsweeteer
Time: @toonblade
Sky: @noorahqar
Warriors: @whitewinterstar
Wild: @weavingstarlight
Twilight: @bluury2
Wind: @thewitchdoctor39
Four: @lunaopus
Red: @peepthatbish
Blue: @glowingmin
Green: @winterfen
Vio: @waterfallstream
Shadow: @deleetrix
Wolfie: @linkiscool333
Fierce Deity: @awildsilver
Ravio: @lele5429
Malon: @tooner-tastic
Dink: @passerinesoncaffeine
#linked universe#linked universe fanfic#linked universe fic#this is an Adjuration#this is an adjuration#lu legend#lu hyrule#lu four#lu red#lu vio#lu blue#lu green#lu sky#lu wild#lu warriors#lu time#lu twilight#lu wind#lu shadow#lu colors#lu fanart#lu dink#yiga clan
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Hiii I saw ur Scar hcs, and the TD Hybird part really piqued My interest. If Reader (gender-neutral), agreed to it, how would Scar react to it! And also Maybe, if it’s painful (because it probably is, considering it’s like shoving a whole New Lifeforce into your body) would He feel sorry for Reader? (I would feel sorry for myself if it Hurt 💀)
✧˖° scar's reaction to you agreeing to merge with a tacet discord. | scar headcanons.
⋆ ˚☁️ ⁀➴ synopsis: after some thought, you agreed to merge a tacet discord with your body just like your lover scar has kept asking you to do! how does he react, and what's the process like?
⋆ ˚☁️ ⁀➴ characters involved: scar, gender neutral reader.
⋆ ˚☁️ ⁀➴ warnings: none! no serious details of the transformation process, but if it's too much let me know and i'll change the warnings!
⋆ ˚☁️ ⁀➴ notes: hi hi pretty anon!! thank you for sending this wonderful ask in!! had me wondering for a long while how exactly scar shoved that whole other being into himself LOL!! (~ ~)" hope you enjoy this! requests are open as always! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ scar ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅
when you first come to him with the idea, he’ll blink once. then twice. then a third time.
did he hear you right?
he’d at first be shocked that you’d agree
he’s used to asking many people to join the organization and insert a tacet discord into themselves just to be met with rejection time and time again. it's a normal part of his job.
but for you to agree? and it being his lover nonetheless!
scar is over the moon, so happy that you’re aligning with his ideals! he knew you’d come around!
he’d immediately begin talking energetically to you about the side effects that he experiences, and what it’s like being able to transform and merge your body with a whole new life form.
it takes a lot of preparation for you two to be ready for this event, and when you’re all set up and ready to go, he’s the one that flicks the switch to begin the transformation.
sparks fly, and a bright white light appears in an instant, almost like lighting.
and he knows it’s a part of a process, and he knows what it’s like to be in there.
heck, he’s kind of got a manic happy expression seeing how successful the process of putting the tacet discord into you is going.
but can’t help how a small part of him feels his heart drop as he hears you scream, hears the way you’re in pain, sees the way that you’re in tears because of how painful it is.
watching you, his lover, get ripped apart in real time, and then getting pieced back together, hurts a part of him he didn’t expect to feel.
he almost wants to turn it off, to go back, but that in itself is risky. if he stops it now, he’ll be threatening you with being seriously injured or worse, dead.
so he lets the process finish, basking in your glory and shoving down his worries before it finishes with a halt.
some smoke appears, but when it settles, there you are.
you most likely have some new scars now or other physical changes due to the process, but he still finds you just as beautiful as you were before.
he’ll quickly rush to your side and for the next week or so, he’s stuck to your side. his eyes are always on you, and he’s essentially nursing you back to health.
you will be doted on to the fullest extent, and he’s suddenly the best house husband in the world.
he keeps telling you during this time how excited he is for you, how much of a stronger duo you two will be together, and how he’ll train you to be the best of the best just like he is.
but on the first night that he’s taking care of you, he’ll have his back towards you, sitting on the edge of the bed as you lay down. his tone gets softer, a little out of character for how usually smooth and charismatic he can be. after some silence, he breaks it.
“thank you for doing this for me. for a while, it felt as if this side of me was something i couldn't explain to you, but now, you truly are able to understand me for who i am. i will guide you through this new journey, and i will love you with all i can.”
probably also kisses the back of your hand after he says this KICKING MY FEET AND GIGGLING-
#the epitome of the “pissing all by yourself handsome?~” meme during the week of helping you heal#will not leave you alone#wuwa#wuthering waves#wuthering waves x reader#wuwa x reader#wuwa headcanons#wuthering waves headcanons#wuthering waves scar#wuwa scar#scar#wuthering waves scar headcanons#wuwa scar headcanons#scar x reader#wuwa scar x reader#wuthering waves scar x reader#qi writes
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⟡ ⠀between us⠀⠀⊹⠀⠀ guns n' roses & you
gn reader. poly relationship later on, reader is just messing around with them here, might be not fully canon-compliant. argenthill is established.
“remind me why i accompanied you all the way here”.
“to make idrila's grace known and help anyone in need.”
you watched from a distance as the cyborg gave a faint grimace of displeasure as he detailed his surroundings.
you knew perfectly well that the knights of beauty were destined to wander the cosmos in solitude
and that argenti had probably never asked boothill to go with him.
so the cowboy was here on his own free will and at his own whim.
you laughed as your gazes met.
soon you would be behind the galaxy ranger and the knight of beauty
you put your arms over their shoulders and hugged them, as if they were old friends
perhaps you considered them as such, given how long you had been following them.
you had played the highest notes in the intricate score written by aha, but your greed enveloped your laughter like poison ivy and it begged for more.
now you would take the role of the cat during this hunt, and play with your prey ruthlessly. you would be fine; the icicles rising from your fingertips would not let you get hurt.
“oh, knight. this world has just survived a tragedy and they are vulnerable to any word they hear; don't you think that's taking advantage of people's innocence?”
boothill's eyes bore into you like daggers.
on your lower back you felt some pressure, and assumed it would be the tip of the cowboy's gun.
that action alone caused a smile to spread across your face, amused.
apparently, the cyborg didn't like his boyfriend being messed with.
how cute
“my duty is to defend the honor of beauty, i don't intend to force others if they are unable to recognize it.”
you smiled as you held back your laughter
defend the honor of beauty?
hadn't Idrila already fallen?
you thought that the knights of beauty were like headless ants, walking around aimlessly.
“and you, beautiful masked fool? why do our paths intertwine today?
he took your hand, placing his lips on it, and it seemed to you that he almost kissed it.
it was an action that left you speechless for seconds.
“i came here to have fun”
and to hang out with them
but you wouldn't say that
“our definitions of fun seem to be different”
boothill didn't look like he was entirely comfortable with your company.
and he probably would have pulled the trigger if it hadn't been for the fact that they were in a bustling plaza
and because argenti had asked him not to resort to violence as much as possible.
you had heard that the anonymous had embraced this cold planet with a mellifluous warmth, and you were curious to witness the quiet waltz that the inhabitants of belobog now danced.
because to you, the monotonous melodies, the dramaless chants and soft intonations were meaningless. you wanted a world immersed in laughter, bursting with loud ups and downs and moving symphonies.
and what better world to build your own orchestra in than one that has already been kissed by chaos?
you laughed at the thought, earning a distrustful glance from the cyborg.
your interactions, with him at least, were bittersweet
you always looked so ethereal, enigmatic and singular— tracing icy paths before disappearing in a frozen blizzard
you laid a trap for them covered in unintelligible decorations, in fabricated snowflakes
though for you it was more like showing them your personality.
to make friends you have to grow closer, right?
you know them well enough, so the only fair thing is for them to get to know you better
beyond your facade as an icy wanderer.
for argenti: you still had an indescribable beauty— despite being a fool, you looked like an iridescent crystal butterfly, radiating a unique light.
worthy of being bounded by terms such as “beautiful, precious, one of a kind”.
and perhaps that's why boothill seemed to want you far away
because throughout the entire way, the knight of beauty kept on complimenting you
and you knew it was his nature
but you couldn't resist laughing with your hand covering your mouth every time the cowboy's gears screeched with rage.
it reminded you of when you checked into the hotel during the morning
you didn't have any money with you, and argenti offered to pay for your room
“why the fudge are ya offerin' to pay for this child of a nice lady's room?”
you laughed out loud at the censorship, and he was about to point his gun at you one more time.
in the end boothill paid for the rooms for both of you— he would share his with argenti
he showed you his middle finger before he went to sleep with his boyfriend
in response you froze it
he looked at you terrified, with his mouth wide open and teeth showing
that night you laughed so hard that tears formed in your eyes and you had to clutch your stomach between both hands.
part one
#hsr#honkai star rail#hsr x reader#argenti x reader#boothill x reader#argenthill x reader#boothill#argenti#honkai star rail x reader#hsr boothill#hsr argenti#sister's doctrine
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In honor of the 11th anniversary of EAH, I thought of sharing a WIP from my current animation. However, I realized that I haven't posted it's older, original version from 2 years ago here on tumblr yet, which is weird considering how many times I've mentioned it in other posts, so it's here now!
In a way, the animation (old and current) is a reflection of how I've changed over the years. I made the first half (the part with simple eyes 😶) in my early highschool years, and I made the 2nd half (the part with regular eyes 👁👁) in the later highschool years. The artstyle wasn't consistent, but I enjoyed the process. From where this video ends, I was halfway done, and I probably could've finished if I kept up the pace. But that's not what happened.
I wasn't satisfied with how the vid was looking, especially because I wasn't doing proper lineart, but I didn't want to drop the project. Instead, I decided to work on Brooke's animation rig, which was meant to be in the EAH style, and I got the idea to make the whole project puppet-animated EAH style. My struggle with making Brooke should've been enough to warn me that was a poor idea, but I still spent a year trying to make that happen. I didn't get very far, and by the end of that year, I stopped working on the project.
Eventually, at the start of this year, I decided to pick it back up again with a new goal in mind. I wouldn't be lazy, but I'd also make sure to not spend too much effort to the point of burnout. I would animate using puppets, but it would be in my artstyle, not someone else's. I intend to get this done, and I can't wait to show you guys the final video! Also here's some bits of "development" (if you could call that) behind the animation.
This is my oc Allison in the 3 different versions of the EAH rig, each labeled accordingly.
This is the final base rig, which can turn a full 360 degrees and has decent expression capabilities. The only characters ever put onto this rig were Apple, Allison, and Brooke, because the amount of effort it took for each character's details was too much. Apple alone was a nightmare to rig because of all the layers in her hair, and expressions only worked from the front.
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nora & trystan & pride
link to picrew
Hcs under cut:
Identity/Orientation: Nora's bi and ace (sex-indifferent), while Trys is aro and bi. More specifically, he is grayromantic.
Background:
N -> I did talk a little bit about how Nora's upbringing influenced her understanding of herself, but not to a grand detail. A chunk of her childhood involved processing trauma and healing, which left only a few good years in her teen-hood and early adulthood to give her bisexuality much thought.
She dated a bunch of people, had casual relationships with some of them, hooked up with others and learned that she didn't really look at sexual attraction the same way as others. To her, it wasn't that big of a deal, sexual attraction isn't really something she considers as an important thing. It took her quite a while to understand she was on the ace spectrum - mostly because she wasn't sure if her indifference/nonchalance to intimacy was due to her very humble/modest/sheltered upbringing or that if she actually was ace.
T -> Trystan had a completely different upbringing. His parents nor the environment he grew up in had this queer-positive vibes going on. Mostly because while they did recognize queer people existed, they would much rather have them be closeted instead or have their partnership be of some monetary/societal value (example: Sonja's mothers' names and wealth and connections giving their marriage some sanctuary as opposed to just giving them rights). It wasn't until the late 2010s that his parents even considered the possibility of their kids being queer and thought to understand them.
Trys was very footloose with his views on dating and such. It wasn't until their exile that they branched out beyond what's expected of them and he quite liked it. Casual dating here and there, not a ton of expectations on, he was free to like whoever (mostly people in his circles - the rumour mills are not going to do him a favour) and he wasn't forced to put a label on it. It took a while for him to piece together the bi and the gray-ro parts together, mostly because he wasn't sure if this is who he is or if this was a result of being told who to date, how to date strategically like a chess game nearly all of his adult life.
Some misc. relationship headcanons:
The best part about Trys being grayromantic is that it coincides perfectly with Nora's thoughts on love, etc growing up Asian (seldom did her parents really go all lovey-dovey). The pressure on the whole "I love you" thing, all those mandatory relationship milestones doesn't really exist anymore and they're free to do whatever they want to.
Not really having to change their relationship once they start going out. They're good friends, they're a contact on the other's phone, they hate the other's guts so fucking much, they're divorced with three birds and one dog, they make a good team but also aren't, they like hanging out, etc, etc. Not having to compromise one thing over the other.
Not a ton of pressure to find a middle ground which they had to learn the hard way. But it's okay anyway. They can co-operate on a case with their respective skins in the game, they don't have to find a middle ground.
Tagging @choicespride
(A/N- Ideally Nora would also be wearing a pair of earrings but I forgot lol. Imagine she's got something dangling from her ears lmao)
#thorne rose headcanons#send me some asks abt them if you want to!#trystan thorne#crimes of passion choices#crimes of passion#trystan x nora#Trystan thorne x mc
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The Taming : Part Two
A Clark Kent Mini Series
[THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN THEMES OF NON-CON/DUB-CON, MENTAL-EMOTIONAL-PHYSICAL ABUSE, ETC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 18+. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT]
WC: 5.9k
Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics
PART ONE | MASTERLIST | PART THREE
all AI images are created from prompts i wrote. they are not real images.
She thought she was clever. Her precious roommate never noticed her, but I sensed her the moment she entered the restaurant. She wore a significant perfume, one that made me think of the endless sandy beaches of Mexico. I smelled it on her on the subway that night. She had been so close. Close enough to touch, to grab, to hurt. Oh, how badly I wanted to have her against the subway walls. Her throat in my hands, her eyes glaring heatedly into my own. She had nearly embarrassed herself, trying to put me ‘in my place’. It was almost adorable. She didn’t know who she was getting tangled up with.
Even now, she sat facing us on the other side of the patio. It was a busy night, but she stuck out like a sore thumb. To me, at least. It was rare for a beautiful woman such as herself to dine alone. Yet no one sought her out. She was still dressed in her clothes from her day job. It was a wonder on why she worked a minimum wage job, a wonder I would soon understand.
I felt her eyes on me throughout the whole dinner. Her roommate, as sweet & beautiful as she was, was not the object of my desire though. She was simply a means to get closer to who I really wanted. And she only sat a few tables away.
Her poor roommate must’ve thought that I was smiling adoringly at whatever she was saying, but the smile on my face was due to the fact that this young woman, the one who wanted to hurt me as much as I wanted to hurt her, was losing control. She couldn’t stand seeing her roommate out with me. It made her blood boil. I could smell it. Taste it.
I hope she knows that I will be tasting it. Soon.
It was a little after five when you clocked out from your shift. You waved your good-bye’s to your coworkers & left the coffee shop. You sighed heavily to yourself as you hiked your leopard Sicily backpack higher on your back. It would be less than a minute walk to the subway station.
As you waited down on the platform with the rest of the Metropolis working class, you grumbled internally to yourself. It wasn’t that you needed to work because you absolutely did not have to. You could likely go your whole life without working a day in your life but about a year ago, you didn’t want to have to be dependent on your parents to fund your lifestyle. Working minimum wage in coffee, of course, was not going to keep up with your expenses, but it was enough to grant you the illusion of independence. Plus, you enjoyed coffee. And your coworkers, as middle-class as they were, weren’t half bad.
It was the middle of the week though. You only ever worked once or twice a week & you told your boss you’d only accept weekday shifts as you needed the weekends to do as you pleased. Fortunately, you boss was willing to work with you on that, but even if he hadn’t, you simply would’ve quit. Easy as that.
The subway ride back to your apartment was relatively quick, considering it was quitting time for a majority of Metropolis residents. By the time you walked up to your condominium apartment complex, it was a little after six.
You took the elevator to the 12th floor & entered your apartment. Your living room was always a welcome sight to see. You had decorated the interior of the apartment before Ariana moved in & for that you were grateful otherwise she would likely want the apartment to have those French-country details she liked so much.
There were no plans for your night. You were going to shower, do your skin care routine, check your social media, then make some dinner before lounging out in the living room to watch a film of your choice. But as you entered your bedroom & began kicking off your shoes, you heard a clatter come from Ariana’s bedroom down the hallway.
Checking the time on your phone, you thought it was strange that she was home. Ariana was in school, a French language major, & with the end of the school year only a couple weeks away, she was often at the campus library late studying. Her being home this early was out of the ordinary.
Tossing your jacket onto your bed, you began unbuttoning your white uniform top as you trekked down the hallway to her room. Her bedroom door was closed but you could make out the muffled sounds of her French 40’s music she listened to often. Knocking on the door, you waited momentarily for her to open the door but it never came.
“Ari.” You announced, leaning closer to the door. Only more clattering.
Not waiting for a response, you opened her door & stepped in.
Her bedroom was minimal & simple. It was the smaller of the two bedrooms but still had plenty of room. You peered around her room & noted some discarded clothes near the foot of her bed & her built in wardrobe with a vanity had hair & make-up utensils in a neatly order.
“Ari.” You repeated again.
The door to her en suite bathroom opened then & your cousin stepped out.
You raised your brows in curiosity.
Ari was dressed to the nines, at least to her nines. She looked diabolically adorable. But as cute as she looked, it only piqued your interest.
“Oh, hey!” She greeted, lowering her eyes as she turned her back to you to sit on her bed, slipping into some heels that matches the color of her dress.
“Hey, yourself.” You returned, stepping further into the room, “What’s the occasion?”
“Hmm?” She glanced at you over her shoulder before laughing half-heatedly, “Oh, nothing special.”
“Coulda fooled me.” You crossed your arms over your chest. You already knew where this was going. Ari had never been a good liar. She had the tell-tale signs of a someone who couldn’t lie even with a gun to their head. The biggest giveaway was her cheerful attitude mixed with her lack of eye contact. You knew well-enough that she was preparing to feed you some bullshit.
She stood then, meeting your eyes briefly before glancing down at her outfit, “Just going to a dinner with some classmates.”
“Really.” You pressed your lips together & cocked your head.
“Yeah.” She breathed out & passed by you to return to her vanity, sitting down as she applied some lipstick to her lips.
“Are your classmates dressing up, too?”
Ariana smiled nervously but shrugged, “Maybe.”
Sighing, you sat on the foot of the bed, staring at her in the mirror. But she was battling you. You would have to drag the truth out of her.
“Who is it, Ari?” You asked, tired of beating around the bush.
“Who is what?” She frowned at you but kept the forced smile on her face.
“Ari.” You shook your head, “When have you ever been able to lie to me?”
Part of you was impressed that she was committed to the façade, but the larger part of you was more annoyed. The longer she put up a fight the worse the truth was.
“Like I said.” Ari repeated, “It’s a dinner with classmates.”
“Okay, then.” You feigned belief, “Guess you won’t mind if I tag along then. I’ve had a long day at work, it’ll be nice to get out & mingle with your classmates. They can teach me some French—”
“God, okay!” Ari exhaled, her eyes fluttering closed, “I’m not going out to dinner with classmates.”
“Ya don’t say.” You gave her a pointed look.
She finally turned in her seat to face you, her hands in her lap as she played with the lace at the hem of her dress, “It’s a date.”
“Obviously.” You deadpanned. “Who is it?”
It wasn’t that you were trying to be a helicopter parent, but Ari didn’t know any better when it came to men. She was still so naïve &, honestly, a little dumb. Sure, she had a good heart & preferred seeing the good in people but that’s what she had you for. To bring her back down from cloud nine & remind her that men, especially Metropolitan men, were only snakes in the grass.
“No one you know.” She responded.
“Even more reason for me to know.” You retorted.
“_____, please. You’re not my mom.” Ari rolled her eyes.
You scoffed at that, “Yeah, thank hell for that.”
You didn’t miss the glare she tossed you but it was quickly brushed under the carpet as you pushed on.
“Tell me who it is, Ari. I won’t ask again.”
“Oh, geez. What are you going to do? Call a P.I.?”
You only stared at her knowingly.
She sighed annoyingly, “Of course you have a P.I. on speed dial.”
“Of course.” You confirmed.
“His name is Clark.” She finally revealed as she applied some eye make-up.
“Where’d you meet him?”
Ari paused, biting her lip, “Technically, at school.”
You narrowed your eyes, “And not technically?”
She put down her make-up before facing you once more. It made you almost proud how she stared at you challengingly, “Not technically, I met him this past weekend. On the subway. After your birthday.”
You reeled at that, trying to put the pieces together. When had she met anyone that night? You were with her the whole time. But she said the subway. Who had she met on the subway…?
When it finally clicked though, you stood up from the bed, your stance firm, “No fucking way, Ari.”
“See? I knew you’d react like this, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you did!” You exclaimed, “You’re going on a date with that creep? How did you even meet him on campus?”
“He’s a student.”
“Bullshit. He’s like twenty years older than you.”
“Actually,” Ari glared at you, “He’s only seven years older than me.”
You laughed loudly at that. You remembered the man from the subway well. Though he had youthful features & a timeless look, the way he carried himself reeked of a man on the brink of being considered middle-aged.
“So,” you began, sneering at your cousin, “you don’t think it’s weird or strange or creepy at all that the man who groped you on the subway over the weekend happened to run into you on your campus. Really, Ari? C’mon, you’re smarter than that.”
“I am smarter than that, thank you very much.” Ari slammed down her make-up & stood up to face you head on, “And no, I don’t think it’s weird because it was me who noticed him. Not the other way around.”
“Please. Elaborate.”
“I was sitting on a bench in the middle of campus, reading, minding my own business, & there was a tour happening for new students joining the university next year. He was the one giving the tour. He’s been a student there for four years. He graduates this summer.”
“Mhmm.” You rolled your eyes, “And so then he spotted you & asked you on a date?”
“No, _____. I approached him.” Ari shook her head exasperatedly.
“You what?”
“Yeah. I approached him.” Ari repeated, crossing her arms. “And I apologized to him for what happened on the subway. He didn’t even remember at first! But once he did he said it was okay & that he didn’t lose any sleep over it. I explained to him that you’re just overprotective of me & he said he understood.”
You scoffed at that. Of course that stranger was playing the role of an understanding & charming man. How foolish could Ari be?
“Then it was me, again, who asked him out.”
“Oh, my god…” You hung your head in disappointment.
“And technically, it’s not a date.” Ari added, “I just asked if I could make it up to him with dinner. He rejected me at first but I insisted. Said that it was the least I could do after how you tried to humiliate him in public.”
“Wow, Ari.” You shook your head, eyeing her, “You’re a saint.”
“Oh, please.” Ari waved you away, “It’s called being decent. Nothing you know about.”
Ouch, but okay.
“So, what? Now you’re getting all dolled up for a date that’s not a date with the perfect stranger?”
“After tonight he won’t be, will he?” She stared at you.
“You’re really going through with this?”
“Yes.” Ari nodded, standing her ground, “Like I said. You’re not my mom. And I’m a grown up. If I want to ask a man out, I will. So, please, save your man-hating opinions for someone who actually cares.”
You bit your lip at that, shaking your head.
“Now, if you don’t mind. I have to finish getting ready.”
Ari pursed her lips, her defiance almost commendable, but only not since it was towards you.
“Fine.” You moved towards her door, “But don’t call me crying when he tries to get in between your legs at the end of the night.”
Ari slammed her bedroom door behind you & you stomped down the hallway towards your own before slamming your own door.
Fucking Ariana. You inhaled sharply, closing your eyes to calm your nerves. She was being stupid, ridiculously stupid. Date-raped & found along the riverbank half-alive stupid.
Opening your eyes, you stared out your windows. It was a city filled with millions of people, half of whom were men who only had bad intentions. As absurd as Ari was being, & despite what you said to her, you couldn’t let her go through with it. Not alone at least.
You smirked wryly to yourself.
You didn’t have time to change out of your work uniform by the time you heard Ari leave the apartment, so you simply added some items from your closet to your outfit to disguise yourself. You wouldn’t be as ridiculous as those scenes in films where they wore wigs & dressed like a man. All you needed was to just shield yourself enough from Ari’s eyes, not that she’d be aware of her surroundings.
Once a minute passed after Ari left, you took off after her. Once on the main level of your building, you waited just inside the lobby, spotting her outside as she waited for a taxi to notice her.
How tacky. You thought bitterly. He can’t even pick her up.
But the second Ari disappeared inside the back of a cab, you ran outside & waved one down yourself, directing the driver to follow the cab Ari had just gotten into.
The ride itself was roughly 30 minutes when Ari’s cab pulled over in the center of downtown Metropolis. You paid by cash to your driver & hopped out, following a few yards behind Ari as she walked towards the riverfront.
A hiss parted your lips as you got caught at a stop light. But fortunately, you spotted in the distance as Ari disappeared inside one of the riverfront restaurants. EARTH was an intimate fine-dining restaurant with views of Metropolis South across the bay. Had you not been in investigative-sleuth mode you might have been impressed that Ari was choosing to eat at such a fine establishment, but considering who she was dining with, you only felt annoyed. The man, Clark as she told you his name was, was really trying to woo Ari’s underwear right off her. You only hoped Ari would at least be smart enough to not fall for it.
Inside the restaurant, you were deterred from the host who asked about a reservation.
“I don’t have one. It’s just me.” You told the host but he only offered an apologetic smile, “Sorry, Miss. Reservations only.”
“Godfucking—” You waved him away, “Just hold on.”
Stepping back outside, you pulled out your phone & called Nicola.
“Nic.” You greeted as soon as she answered.
“What’s up, babe?”
“I need you to get me a reservation at EARTH for ten minutes ago.”
“Whoa, okay, everything alright?”
“No but it will be as soon as you can get me a table.” You had briefly recalled seeing Ari being led out to the rear patio when you first entered the restaurant, “And make sure it’s outside. Please.”
“Alrighty. I’ll do it. But I expect a call back later explaining to me the rush.”
“Of course.” You sighed, “Thanks, Nic.”
She kissed you through the phone & you returned it.
Other than being as equally beautiful & cold-blooded as you, Nicola was also influential. Not only did her father have a hand in a majority of the luxurious buildings built throughout metropolis but her former socialite mother’s name still carried impact.
You waited another two minutes before re-entering the restaurant, sure to silence your phone. This time, the same host as before greeted you with a menu in hand, “I apologize for that mix-up, Miss. _____. Right this way.”
Following the host, he led you to the outdoor dining portion of the restaurant. Immediately, you spotted Ari, along with that man from the subway, on the far end of the patio. The host began to lead you in that direction but you snagged the sleeve of his shirt.
“Right here is fine.” You told him as you sat down at a two-person table kitty corner from where Ari & her date sat.
“Um, Miss, but this table—”
“I said this table will do. Thank you.” You seethed, taking the menu from him.
“Of course.” The host forced a customer-service winning smile despite the irritable tone in his voice.
When the host finally disappeared, you pulled the menu upwards just enough to shield your face but peer over the top of it. It was late May & almost seven in the evening. It wouldn’t be strange whatsoever that you were still wearing your shades.
You watched as Ari & Clark sat perpendicular to one another, the two of them facing the bay. Ari’s back was to you but Clark was facing you three quarters of the way. It made your skin crawl how he watched your cousin, his eyes never leaving her face as she talked animatedly with her hands. He was grinning the whole time, as well. His perfectly primed teeth on display.
A server appeared then & began asking you what you’d like to drink, eat, etc. You mindlessly ordered, only glancing at the menu once before they left. Fortunately, they left the menu so you could still hide behind it. But after a while, you knew that would be more suspicious than anything you eventually lowered it, feeling confident enough in your disguise that you’d evade either of their curiosities.
After about ten minutes, a server brought a tray of food to their table. Ari was her usual cheerful & kind self as she thanked the server. You rolled your eyes. Clark then raised his glass to Ari’s, their drinks clinking together. The sight disgusted you. Ari was really falling for his bullshit.
But as you were stewing about it, Ari suddenly stood up & began walking in your direction. You leaned forward in your seat & hung your head, shielding your face with the brim of your hat as Ari passed you by, likely in search of the bathroom. It was tempting to follow after her & drag her out of the restaurant by her hair, but you would avoid making a scene. If she insisted on being independent & learning the hard way you’d let her, but you wouldn’t stand by for long.
While Ari was gone from the table, you took that time to observe the man. Clark. He was dressed handsomely in a navy blue button up tucked into a pair of black slacks that reached above his ankles. The sleeves of his button-up were rolled up, revealing the muscular contours of his forearms. The top three buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a display of dark hair. It was very similar to when you first laid eyes on him in the club. He sat leant back in his chair, admiring the views of the city & bay, totally unaware of your presence. You kept waiting for him to sneak a tablet of questionable intent into Ari’s unprotected glass of wine but it never occurred. He remained eerily still, like a statue, as he sat staring into the distance. The only thing about him that truly unnerved you though as you watched him was a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips. Like he knew something you didn’t. You imagined he was already picturing what it would be like to have Ari under him. Fucking freak.
It was then that Ari reappeared & sat back at her table with Clark. He grinned at her & gestured for her to begin eating. Once they started eating, it was then that your server appeared with your meal. You mumbled a thanks & rejected an offer to try the house wine. It was rare that you turned down alcohol but you needed your 100% sober & clear mind if you were going to stalk Ari & her date all night.
Over the next ten minutes, you hardly touched your food, only taking a bite when it seemed as if either of them would look in your direction. Other than that, you only twirled a butter knife in-between your fingers as you watched Ari & Clark talk & laugh with one another. What you could give to be a table or two closer to hear their conversation, but you couldn’t risk being discovered.
Their server returned to clear their plates before offering them another menu. You knew it to be the dessert menu as it was smaller than the dinner menu.
Clark seemed to order for the both of them before the server departed. You pushed your plate of food to the side, your appetite non-existent.
“Would you like the check?” Your server asked as they came to take your plate of food.
“Sure.” You replied, not thinking.
You remained sat there for a while, watching endlessly as Clark & Ari shared a slice of what appeared to be huckleberry cheesecake. Your fingers were tapping impatiently on top of the table.
Where the hell was the server with my check? You thought internally. You needed to be out of there & out front before Ari & Clark left themselves.
When your server appeared before, but for a nearby table, you threw your arm out as discreetly as possible.
“Excuse me, I’ve been waiting for the check.”
“Oh.” The server frowned, “I’m sorry, I must’ve forgotten to tell you. But your bill was already paid for.”
The server disappeared without another word, leaving you confused.
What? But you hadn’t paid. You knew you hadn’t. However, you then realized that it was likely either Nicola who covered your bill or the restaurant itself. Accepting it for what it was without any further questions, you departed from the restaurant. Crossing the street, you lingered behind a light pole, waiting for Ari & her date to appear. You genuinely hoped this would be the end. After all, Ari told you she only offered dinner. What else could they possibly do?
Apparently, a walk along the riverbank was on their agenda.
While they walked on the sidewalk closest to the river, you walked along the elevated sidewalk parallel to them. You could see them over the railing as you trailed behind their steps. If Ari did ever sense you, she would not think to look up, only behind. It was getting darker out at this point. The time on your phone said it was nearly 8:30.
You had a few text messages from Nicola, likely waiting for your call to update her, but you would have to do that in the morning. Right then, your priority was never letting Ari out of your sight.
There was few people on the riverbank. Ari & Clark walked alongside one another as they spoke to one another. You weren’t close enough to make out their words but close enough to hear their voices. Ari was the one who spoke most of the time. Her voice was often carried lightly followed by her pathetically innocent giggles. It made you groan internally every time. If she weren’t your cousin, you’d destroy that naivete mercilessly. But she needed to grow a tough skin on her own, so you’d let her.
At some point during the walk, Clark made a bold move. He reached your cousin’s hand. Ari smiled up at him & accepted the gesture, tangling her fingers with his. It made your stomach roll.
He was so large. She looked like a child compared to him. He could overpower her easily, muffle her screams without thought. Ari had no clue how much danger she was potentially putting herself in. It was only a good thing you made the executive decision to follow her tonight. Because if that mountain of a man tried anything, you’d be right there to kick his ass. And it’d be your absolute pleasure.
But then what happened next made your heart stop.
Clark gently pulled Ari to a stop. They faced one another & you watched in horror as he cupped her face. Ari was staring up at him with stars in her eyes.
“Oh, fuck no.” You mumbled quietly.
Yanking out your phone from your pocket, you quickly dialed Ari’s number. The sidewalk lit up with the sounds of a classical French tune coming from Ari’s purse.
She frowned at that, apologizing to Clark before reaching into her purse.
You dropped to the ground to hide behind a flower bed as she picked up your phone call.
“What is it?” She asked.
“How’s it going?”
“Like you care.”
“I do, Ari.” You insisted, trying to sound calm, cool, & collected, “I can’t help but just make sure you’re okay. You didn’t even tell me where you’re going tonight.”
Ari sighed at that before she softly responded, “Well, it’s going good.”
“Good, good.” You lied, peeking over the flower bed. At this point, she had walked a few feet away from Clark as she spoke on the phone with you. “And where are you? When will you be home?”
“We’re walking along the river right now. And I don’t know, within the hour. I have class in the morning.”
“Okay,” you breathed out, “well, if you need me to send a car, I will.”
“No, thank you.” Ari laughed softly at that, “Clark will be dropping me off.”
Oh. “Oh.” You responded, “Okay. Don’t be late. If you’re not back within the hour I won’t apologize for sending out a search party.”
“Oh my gosh, okay, mom.”
“Be safe.” You added, “And don’t kiss. Not on the first date. If you really want him you’ll make him work for it.”
You didn’t actually want Clark to work for it, you just didn’t want Ari to let him in so easily.
“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, _____.”
“Night.” Then you hung up.
You continued peeking up over the flowers. Ari was a good couple yards away from Clark, closer to you than him. But as she walked towards him your own phone began to ring. And it was ringing, not buzzing.
7 Rings by Ariana Grande began blaring from your phone & you quickly clutched your phone from your pocket, racing to silence it. Once you had, you held your breath, listening for Ari.
“Everything alright?” Clark hollered from a few feet away.
“Yeah…” Ari’s voice returned, but she sounded suspicious, “It’s nothing.”
“What is it?” You heard his footfalls approach her.
“I just thought I heard my cousin’s ringtone.”
“Your cousin? The one you told me about?”
“Yeah, she, uh. She just called me but…she’s at home.”
Clark grunted at that, a smile in his voice, “She the type to follow you?”
Fuck. You began to crouch away from their location. You had to get out of sight. As you did, you glanced at your phone furiously. You swore you had silenced it. And when you checked it, you confirmed that it was indeed in silent mode. So, how?
Ari scoffed, “Actually, yes.”
“A control-freak, isn’t she.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah.” Ari replied irritably, “She is.”
“Think she’s up there.” You imagined him gesturing to the sidewalk you were on above them.
“Only one way to find out.”
At that, you stood up & raced towards the road where traffic was. They’d have to walk back down the sidewalk to take the incline walk up to where you were hiding. You’d have to be quick if you were going to get away.
Quickly, you raised your hand & hailed a cab. It barely came to a stop when you flung the door open & dived inside, slamming the door shut behind you. Rushing out the address to your apartment, you pressured the driver to move fast.
As he pulled away from the curb, you finally raised your head up enough to look out the window. As you rode away from the river walkway, you watched Ari & Clark stood where you were once hidden, Ari glancing around as Clark watched her.
You breathed out a sigh of relief. Normally, you wouldn’t have cared if you had gotten caught, but if she knew you were following her she’d only grow to be more secretive. And that you couldn’t have.
Once the cab turned the corner, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. Ari was calling. You ignored the call, not wanting to feed into your suspicions. As much as you loathed having to go back home & wait for her there, it was your safest bet to ensure her trust.
Your phone stopped buzzing then so you opened it, checking your call log. Her name was in red. That was not surprising, but what was surprising was the missed call just beneath hers. It was the missed call that had caused your phone to suddenly blare your ringtone.
And in red, the missed call was marked as ‘unkown’.
You were antsy waiting for Ari to come back to the apartment. As soon as you got inside, you quickly went to your room & took a quick two minute shower so your hair would be wet & drying by the time she got home. Then you changed into some comfy pj’s before entering the living room. You put on a random movie & muted it, listening intently for Ari’s key in the door. But as you mindlessly watched the scenes of the movie before you unfold, you finally heard a pair of footfalls sound in the hallway.
Unmuting the movie, you raised from your spot on the couch & crossed to the door, peering into the peep-hole.
Sure enough, Ari was there. Clark right beside her.
That bastard.
“Thank you for walking me to my door.” Ari smiled at Clark as he returned her grin.
“Thank you for a wonderful date.”
“I had a lot of fun.” She admitted, reaching into her purse to pull out her keys.
“Me, as well.”
You felt your nails dig into the material of the door as you watched them. But just as Ari was about to put her keys into the door, Clark placed a hand on her wrist, stopping her.
He then gently pushed her against the door, blocking the peep-hole.
No!
Uncaring about the furious look you’d get from Ari, you quickly unlatched the door & swung it open. Ari would’ve had to catch herself on the door frame if it hadn’t been for Clark securing her stance with an arm around your waist.
“_____!” Ari exclaimed as she spun around in Clark’s arm to stare wide-eyed at you.
You forced a pleasant smile on your face as you stared at the two of them, “I thought you were having trouble with the lock. My bad.”
Ari gave you a knowing glare but didn’t comment further.
“You must be Clark.” You turned your attention to the mountain man behind her.
“And you’re _____.”
“Yes, we’ve met.” You replied in a sickly sweet manner, though it was clear you were being anything but.
“I remember.” He replied, his eyes darkening as he stared at you over the top of Ari’s head.
“Thanks for getting her home, I got it from here.”
You then snatched Ari by the wrist & yanked her inside.
“_____!” Ari reprimanded but you ignored her as you pushed her further into the apartment behind you.
“Have a good night, Clark.”
Clark opened his mouth to respond but before he could you slammed the door on his face, securing the door with the lock.
“I cannot believe you just did that!” Ari stared wide-eyed at you in disbelief.
“Oh, please. If he really likes you he won’t care.”
“Uh, yes, he will.” She bit back, “Anyone would care if they were so rudely treated like that.”
“He’ll be fine.” You dismissed her concerns.
“You’re such a bitch.” Ari finally breathed out, her purse hanging loosely in her hands.
You rolled your eyes, returning to the living room to turn off the TV, “Yes, Ari, I am. Nothing new there.”
As you made to leave for your bedroom though, she stopped you with a question.
“Did you follow me tonight?”
Spinning on your heel, you gave her a ridiculous look, “Are you serious, Ari?”
“Did you?” She repeated, crossing her arms.
“No, Ari, I didn’t follow you. I got better things to do than stalk you & your date.”
You could tell she didn’t believe you. But if she attempted to challenge it you knew she would have no evidence to back it up.
“I can take care of myself.”
“Okay.” You nodded but didn’t agree.
“Do not ever interfere with my date like that again.”
You shrugged, “Okay.”
Rolling her eyes, Ari brushed shoulders with yours as she passed you by, “I’m going to bed. And I’m calling Clark to apologize again for you actions.”
“Whatever, Ari.” You waved her away as you made for your own bedroom, “Sweet dreams.”
With that, the both of you disappeared within your respective bedrooms, doors slamming shut.
In your bedroom, you approached the windows that overlooked the front of the building. You watched as Clark appeared 12 stories below, heading towards a sleek black town car. As he rounded to the driver’s side though, he paused. Then looked up.
You steeled yourself. You were much to high above him for him to truly see you but you felt it. Those eyes, watching you, seeing you. Much like they had the first night you felt them in the club, watching you from below.
Not waiting for him to get into his car. You snagged the sheer pink curtains & tugged them closed.
Pleased with yourself for preventing Ari from getting physical with the stranger, you collapsed onto your bed, a prideful smile on your face.
Clark, zero. Me, two.
If Ari insisted on seeing Clark again, you’d be sure to ruin every chance she had. If Clark really wanted your cousin, he’d have to go through you first. And you were a force to be reckoned with.
part two! i am SO EXCITED for this series. the plans i have for it are insane.
as always, please let me know your thoughts/feelings by dropping a comment, reblogging w reviews, or talking to me in the ask box. they keep me going.
thank you for reading!
oona<3
Read this post on why doing more than liking a tumblr writers work is essential to our content creation.
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#dark!clark kent#clark kent x reader#clark kent#clark kent fanfiction#dark!clark kent x reader#dark!fic#dark!fanfiction#non con fic#dc fanfiction#dark!dc#the taming part two
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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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Digital Circus AMA Notes
Digital Circus is getting a season 1 at some point!!!!
#webcore aesthetic board for the series design
Pomni was going to be a frog originally. 🐸
90s toys Zooble inspo
Caine is an antagonist, but not by active choice, he doesn't know he's not helping. He doesn't feel a whole spectrum of human emotions (he's an AI).
"Caine canonically just lets things happen if he thinks it's funny."
Characters eat like Chao in Chao garden in Sonic. The characters can eat the food, but they can't digest it.
Jax's favorite food is spaghetti.
Pomni likes salmon.
Q "Was the ending a 'Last Supper' reference?" A "in a very superficial kinda way yeah." Religious stuff is sometimes just used for the funny.
Gooseworx tumblr sketches MAY or MAY NOT be canon to the series, so it's up in the air for every single one.
People can abstract from feeling too much pain if it breaks their mind from it being too much. Characters feel pain from things, but not as intensely as they would in real life.
Zooble is gonna swap parts every episode (implying they have spare parts) except their body & head.
Jax chose his own name & gooseworx likes to think he chose Gangle's name.
Ragatha was named "Emmy" originally.
They (the cast of characters trapped in the circus) can't change their clothes but Caine can. It's part of their skin sorta kinda.
There's empty space under Pomni's hat because video game model physics.
Spamton was partially inspo for Caine, Caine's VA did Spamton dubs.
Gangle only has 2 masks. Why's it (her hapiness mask) break all the time? Mental state, but the "real her" is "harder to break."
Kaumfo was gonna be part of the main cast originally before Jax.
Kaufmo's model has nothing below the waist at this time, but was made for that promotional image on twitter.
Q "What kinda person was Kaufmo?" A "He was the same as Ragatha in a sense, goofy & cheery, sometimes toxic levels of positivity."
I'm paraphrasing for the sake of note taking in real time, go watch the stream playback for more context & details if you want.
#these are all from GLITCHX 2023 on the glitch productions youtube channel btw#for anyone curious as to where I got the screenshots & details#theory crafters pop off with this#someone else can reblog this with time stamps if you want I'm pretty tired#I'm not going back through that stream right now; I'm sure someone else will put timestamps in the comments maybe#but yeah consider the amazing digital circus officially greenlit for a first season I guess! :D#tadc season 1 eventually baybeee!!#I'm hyped! I wonder if the pilot will remain canon into season 1 or if we'll get a new introduction into the series.#Wonder why Jax called Gangle... well Gangle 👀 maybe he just thought it sounded silly or something i'm curious as to what gooseworx thought#Caine's AI really thought Pomni running around looking for him & Kaufmo abstracted in his room was funny 😐 or his AI is glitchy#(we saw him glitching out already in the pilot) alternatively I think Bubble could be distracting Caine on purpose but idk just yet#imagine how much pain Ragatha was in since they can all actually feel that though like being body slammed & thrown against walls & stuff 😬#also excited to see some Gangle-centric content in the future based on that comment about the 'real her' 👀#Kaufmo would probably make jokes at really dark moments when it wasn't appropriate because that was a coping mechanism for him poor guy 😭#mine#op#the amazing digital circus#tadc
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wow my last post was in Feb so despite not really having a following here I still feel obligated to say I'm going through a Bad Time both mentally and physically rn I can't even be bothered to think about or play Yakuza or do anything really. not dead but I sure feel like I'm on the way there rn. won't be here for a while take care everyone
#ray txt#well if you really wanna know the tmi details I'm putting it in the tags because I love overshsring#short version is entered depressive episode couldn't regulate my emotions constant crying and racing thoughts and mood swings#eventually psychosomatic symptoms caused by anxiety gets bad enough I start also having health anxiety and freaking out that I had some#disease or illness and that I was gonna die#if you've ever had your body feel like it's dying because of anxiety it's the typical shit#chest feels tight and like it's being crushed and like I can't breathe#random pains all over sometimes muscles or stabbing pains across torso#random nausea sweating and constant loss of appetite but maybe that was the depression#anyway after multiple crying sessions and nights where I couldn't sleep until like 8am and my parents considering putting me in#psych rehab (idea got scrapped) I go see some specialists#they check my blood piss uterus (irregular cycles I only get it every 2-4 months for years now)#and x-rays and they tell me actually everything looks fine physically! there's nothing wrong anywhere they can see and all my Levels are#perfectly Normal and Average I don't have a disease or illness or deficit#so all those pains and suffering really was just psychologically manifested and my brain made it up#andi know it's true because after that visit the chest pain was a lot less Andi can breathe better now#wait but that's not the end of it!#the gyne thinks I could have PCOS but can't confirm so I get my hormones tested and turns out I have more prolactin than normal#that fool made it sound like I Needed to get a MRI scan to check the gland that produces it in my brain or whatever#i go see an endocrinologist who says oh actually the extra prolactin is most likely just from your psychiatric medications#turns out if you take those it's commonly seen to go up so I didn't have to get scanned#this was optional but he suggested I take cabergoline to lower it and also get my menstruation regular again#and that's what I'm doing now but I feel like I had forgotten what having a period is like after always going for months without it#Oh and then I saw a new psychiatrist. because I had serotonin syndrome before and my body reacts badly to medications I've taken#he suggests a sensitivity blood test which I agreed to IMMEADIATELY because I've spent almost a whole decade taking all sorts of meds and#none of it working out#I haven't gotten the results back but he also said SSRIs are out of the question#although I've tried a bunch of antipsychotics and (prescribed) ADHD medications and they didn't work out#really want this fucking test because taking a med and then getting blasted with side effects makes me feel like a guinea pig being#experimented on
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Okay so gameplay wise there is nothing out there except the Ghosts. The area literally drops off and flattens out for a long time with no recourses. Only reason to go out there is to see how long you can outlast the Ghosts. If you manage to get far enough away i believe you just get teleported back to spawn.
Lore wise, its called Crater's Edge because the area the player crash lands in is basically a dormant undersea volcano that had the top leveled (a guyot i think) and that section/drop off is the end of the Guyot into open waters to the rest of the planet. This area is filled with nothing but plankton and leviathans. (there're theories on whether a certain leviathan actually used to live there or not before the games events)
There is more to the planet but as players you only know about/have access to The Crater. You only find out about there being more to the planet in the second game since it takes place on the same planet but in a different area entirely.
So sorry for rambling. I'm probably missing some information, but this is more or less what I mean by there is something out there. Though I originally meant for the ask to be a joke when I said "Three Adult Ghost Leviathans that will stop at nothing to get to you" part (that is a thing though)
Hope you have a nice day/night dear. Take Care!
oh huh! i thought they put an actual boundary in but guess not
didnt know that! i thought the crater('s cross-section) would look like this from the side
where youre just kind of stuck and surrounded by mountains. guess not then! maybe we will be able to go to the giant shipwreck, provided the ghost leviathans dont fucking kill mc somehow. doubt it though
ohh so this is what it looks like
#ask#anon#thanks for telling me all this!#all the details that arent part of the plot im pretty clueless about#<- has not played the game for that long and is still in the beginning#i considered before putting the setting into below zero#but i really wanted to include kharaa so that would just straight up end with everyone dead#i love pengwings though rip they cant be in the fic#i mean i knew things would kill you at craters edge i just thought it was like. the actual edge of the crater#crater being a concave area of land thats pretty isolated
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Was thinking about cookiezilla again
#vaguely thinking up ways to make it work#can't decide if i like the bottom being like a big bird bell with the legs sticking out or big godzilla thighs#considering hiding seethrough mesh all over to let you see out and let the whole thing breathe better. that's important.#neck wrinkles would make for a great hiding spot for holes to see out of#probably could tuck the pulley that makes the fake arm movement happen in there too#I've been looking up how the actual godzilla suits are made and it turns out i know how to do that a lot more than i thought i did#it's a weird thing to see the inside of a godzilla and be able to go 'wait shit i literally have that same foam and can tell what they did'#can't expect to lift a finger to make this happen until i can like. stand up or use my hands consistently#but it's fun to think about#this seems like the sort of thing that people would love to be photographed with#surface detail pending just putting some ideas down#looks like i can still draw just not for very long#also like. no idea how you get in and out of it yet#probably zipper under the spine ridges
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Terry Pratchett about fantasy ❤
Terry Pratchett interview in The Onion, 1995 (x)
O: You’re quite a writer. You’ve a gift for language, you’re a deft hand at plotting, and your books seem to have an enormous amount of attention to detail put into them. You’re so good you could write anything. Why write fantasy?
Terry: I had a decent lunch, and I’m feeling quite amiable. That’s why you’re still alive. I think you’d have to explain to me why you’ve asked that question.
O: It’s a rather ghettoized genre.
Terry: This is true. I cannot speak for the US, where I merely sort of sell okay. But in the UK I think every book— I think I’ve done twenty in the series— since the fourth book, every one has been one the top ten national bestsellers, either as hardcover or paperback, and quite often as both. Twelve or thirteen have been number one. I’ve done six juveniles, all of those have nevertheless crossed over to the adult bestseller list. On one occasion I had the adult best seller, the paperback best-seller in a different title, and a third book on the juvenile bestseller list. Now tell me again that this is a ghettoized genre.
O: It’s certainly regarded as less than serious fiction.
Terry: (Sighs) Without a shadow of a doubt, the first fiction ever recounted was fantasy. Guys sitting around the campfire— Was it you who wrote the review? I thought I recognized it— Guys sitting around the campfire telling each other stories about the gods who made lightning, and stuff like that. They did not tell one another literary stories. They did not complain about difficulties of male menopause while being a junior lecturer on some midwestern college campus.
Fantasy is without a shadow of a doubt the ur-literature, the spring from which all other literature has flown. Up to a few hundred years ago no one would have disagreed with this, because most stories were, in some sense, fantasy. Back in the middle ages, people wouldn’t have thought twice about bringing in Death as a character who would have a role to play in the story. Echoes of this can be seen in Pilgrim’s Progress, for example, which hark back to a much earlier type of storytelling. The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest works of literature, and by the standard we would apply now— a big muscular guys with swords and certain godlike connections— That’s fantasy. The national literature of Finland, the Kalevala. Beowulf in England. I cannot pronounce Bahaghvad-Gita but the Indian one, you know what I mean. The national literature, the one that underpins everything else, is by the standards that we apply now, a work of fantasy.
Now I don’t know what you’d consider the national literature of America, but if the words Moby Dick are inching their way towards this conversation, whatever else it was, it was also a work of fantasy. Fantasy is kind of a plasma in which other things can be carried. I don’t think this is a ghetto. This is, fantasy is, almost a sea in which other genres swim. Now it may be that there has developed in the last couple of hundred years a subset of fantasy which merely uses a different icongraphy, and that is, if you like, the serious literature, the Booker Prize contender. Fantasy can be serious literature. Fantasy has often been serious literature. You have to fairly dense to think that Gulliver’s Travels is only a story about a guy having a real fun time among big people and little people and horses and stuff like that. What the book was about was something else. Fantasy can carry quite a serious burden, and so can humor. So what you’re saying is, strip away the trolls and the dwarves and things and put everyone into modern dress, get them to agonize a bit, mention Virginia Woolf a few times, and there! Hey! I’ve got a serious novel. But you don’t actually have to do that.
(Pauses) That was a bloody good answer, though I say it myself.
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impatient — t.n.
pairing: theodore nott x fem!reader
warnings: smut 18+, unprotected vaginal sex, degradation, face slapping, creampie, cursing, dirty talk, cum eating, public bathroom sex
word count: 2.3k
summary: it was difficult keeping your hands off your boyfriend while with his friends, so you decided to tease him until he gave him.
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You couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was that made you so incredibly horny tonight— whether it was your boyfriend’s piercing blue eyes staring at you, or his expensive cologne filling your nostrils, or his deep voice and Italian accent, or maybe all of it combined with the alcohol in your system. Whatever it was, you felt an ache between your legs, prompting you to rub your thighs together to create some friction— you desperately needed to feel him and it consumed your mind.
Theo was completely oblivious as he chatted with Draco— a cigarette in one hand and the other arm wrapped snugly around you. You were discreetly watching him, observing every single detail as you bit your lip, yearning for his touch. Poor Pansy was busy prattling on in detail about her new crush, but it was one ear in and the other out as you were distracted by Theo's gentle touch beneath your shirt, his thumb tracing slow circles on your skin, and the way his eyes occasionally met yours, making your heart flutter.
Even though they were more Theo’s friends rather than yours, hanging out with the Slytherins was usually fun, however, this time around wasn't quite as enjoyable. Your mind was filled with countless thoughts and fantasies of Theo fucking you in every way imaginable— missionary, with your hands pinned above your head, or doggy style, while he roughly pulls your hair, or— “You alright, cara mia?” Theo’s deep voice snapped you back to reality, causing your eyes to widen as you blinked rapidly, nearly choking on your saliva.
“Y-yeah, why wouldn’t I?” You responded quickly, furrowing your brows and forcing a smile, masking your true thoughts as you gazed up at him, trying your hardest to hide the fact that him, naked, on top of you is the only thing on your mind right now. Theo’s blue eyes briefly narrowed, considering your behaviour to be somewhat strange but he shrugged it off, taking a drag from his cigarette.
His rough hand roamed over your body, from your waist down to your thigh, dangerously close to where you craved his touch the most. You bit your cheek, struggling to maintain composure as you were practically eye-fucking him and watched the smoke lazily drift from his lips. Fuck it.
“Actually, no. I am not alright.” Theo redirected his attention to you, his brows drawing together in puzzlement as he gazed down at you before you rose from your seat and moved to sit on his lap, facing him with your arms wrapped around his neck. He spread his legs wider so you could sit on his right leg more comfortably, his eyes tracking your every movement.
“What’s wrong, Piccola? Talk to me.” Theo asked with curiosity as you drew closer to him, your nails lightly grazing his skin, sending shivers down his spine as you gathered the courage and whispered into his ear. “I’m so fucking horny, Theo. I need you. I need to feel you inside of me.” His eyes widened a bit and his jaw clenched as he uncomfortably shifted in his seat, taken aback by your response. Theo collected himself quickly before taking another drag from his cigarette and exhaling the smoke, its scent filling your senses, before putting it out.
“You’re gonna have to wait, princess.” “But Theo-“ “I said, you’re gonna have to wait.” He repeated himself with his gaze fixed ahead of him and his voice cold and devoid of any emotion. His authoritative tone and piercing gaze made you feel a chill to the bone, yet it somehow only fuelled your desperation. Pressing your lips to his neck, you placed soft kisses on his skin while wiggling your ass right on his crotch, causing him to instantly grip your hips with one hand, holding you firmly in place, his nails digging into your flesh.
“You’re playing a dangerous game here.” he warned with his lips pressed tightly together, his expression reflecting a sense of disapproval. Challenge accepted. You knew you had his attention now, and you weren’t going to give up that easily as you gazed up at him through your eyelashes, batting your wide, doe-like eyes. The contrast between your innocent appearance and your naughty behaviour only turned him on more.
Normally composed and collected, Theo found it increasingly difficult to control himself as he prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue, growing visibly more frustrated. A cheeky smile spread across your face, knowing you were close to getting exactly what you wanted. “Just let me make you feel good baby, I know you want it. I’ll even let you cum inside me.”
Theo’s knee restlessly bounced up and down while he tried to focus on the conversations in the room— Lorenzo was once again bragging in detail about some girl he fucked the night before, but it became unbearable when you subtly began kissing and sucking on his earlobe while your soft hands wandered all over his tense body.
“I’m wearing that set you like. You know, the black one... with the pretty lace.” You paused, taking in his stressed form with a sly grin. “It’s just a bit… a bit uncomfortable, though. You should help me take it off.” Theo momentarily closed his eyes and inhaled sharply before unexpectedly rising to his feet, causing you to stumble forward. He forcefully seized your wrist and pulled you along as you struggled to keep up with his fast pace and felt his grip tighten with each step.
“Where are you off to?” Draco asked confusedly but Theo ignored him, his gaze fixed ahead as he purposely strode forward with long steps, as if driven by a clear goal. Opening the door to the dimly lit corridors, deserted at this hour, he forcefully dragged you along with him.
“Theo, where are we-“ “Shut up.” You gulped when his stern voice cut you off, taking long strides as the chilly air prickled your skin with goosebumps. He pushed open the door to the toilets and aggressively hauled you inside, causing you to let out a small squeal. After closing the door behind him, he turned, looming over you, his large figure pushing you towards the sink, causing you to stumble backwards and shiver as the cold porcelain met your back.
It was dark and quiet in the bathroom— shadows clung to the corners and edges of the room while moonlight softly illuminated your boyfriend's handsome features, providing the only light in the place. The occasional drip of water from the sink added to the mysterious and eerie atmosphere, emphasising that you were the only souls in the vicinity. An unpleasant mix of heavy cigarette smoke along with the faint lavender scent of soap entered your nostrils, only to be quickly overpowered by Theo’s cologne as he stepped closer and closer to you, his tall body pressing against yours.
Theo abruptly gripped your face, his fingers pressing into your cheeks as he forced you to meet his gaze. “You wanna behave like a fucking brat? Then you’ll get treated like one” He hissed as he let go before your face abruptly met the palm of his hand, slapping you with force. Your head cocked to the side as you felt a bit lightheaded due to getting more turned on with each passing second, your arousal dripping down the inside of your legs beneath your skirt.
Theo gripped the back of your thighs before swiftly lifting you up and placing you on the flat surface of the sink. He smirked when he noticed your wet underwear as he spread your legs before massaging his thumb over your clothed swollen clit, causing you to take a hitched breath. “So pathic. You just always need to be filled with my cock, hm?”
He moved his mouth to your neck, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine before he began sucking on your skin, leaving you covered in love bites. “Use your words and tell me what you want, bella.” He whispered, followed by him sucking and biting on your neck more aggressively, causing goosebumps to form all over your body before wrapping your legs around his body to pull him closer to you.
“I want— need to feel you inside of me, please.” you murmured, your fingers running through his soft hair while his hands wandered to the hem of your shirt before pulling it over your head and tossing it across the cold tiles of the empty bathroom. He met your pleading gaze with his own intense blue eyes, gleaming in the moonlight before removing his own shirt as well, revealing his muscular body and making you drool at the sight.
“And you think you deserve it?” he questioned while sliding your soaked underwear off and tossing them on the floor. You nodded cautiously, unsure of what answer he wanted to hear but the need to feel him taking over your entire brain. “You do? Such a stupid fuckin’ slut.” He growled before unbuckling his belt and pulling both his pants and boxers down as his erection sprung free against his abs, precum dripping from the tip.
“If you want it that bad, then I’ll give it to you.” He growled before he positioned himself in between your legs and pushed in with one quick thrust, no warning, making you moan out his name as you threw your head back. He quickly set an unrelenting pace, completely stretching you out as you felt a hint of pain that was soon replaced by immense pleasure as he pounded into you. His hand travelled over your tits, squeezing them firmly before putting his thumb in your mouth, forcing you to suck on it as you innocently gazed up at him. “That’s a good fuckin’ girl.”
He then removed his thumb from your mouth before his palm struck your face with force once again, the impact of the slap sending a burst of a stinging sensation through your skin, igniting a feeling of ecstasy as the tip of his cock simultaneously brushed against your sweet spot, causing you to let out a shattered breath. “You like that shit, no?” He asked with a condescending tone and a malicious grin on his face, his Italian accent heavier than usual. “Of course you do, such a naughty girl. Always beggin’ for my cock.”
You opened your mouth to respond, but were unable to form any coherent sentences, resulting in merely choked sobs to leave your mouth as his cock massaged your walls so perfectly. Theo gazed down to where your bodies met, watching his cock disappear into your body, making him groan. “Gonna fill you up so good, bella. You want that?” He asked, his voice raspy and hoarse.
You eagerly nodded with your eyes closed as his hips snapped against you and the sounds of smacking flesh echoed in the empty bathroom, along with your erotic moans as the pleasure kept building. He gripped your face, forcing you to look at him as your eyes shot open, “Use your fucking words.”
“Fu— fuck, please! I want it so fucking bad” he released your face before his hand roamed to your core followed by his thumb rubbing fast circles on your swollen clit, causing all of your muscles to tighten, your fingers gripping the edge of the sink as if your life depended on it. You felt your release nearing as his cock brushed against your g-spot over and over again, each hit sending a wave of pleasure through your entire body. You wrapped your legs tighter around his torso, bringing him as close to you as possible.
It didn’t take long before your orgasm finally struck you, causing your back to arch and your vision to blur as you clenched tightly around his cock, seeing stars as he fucked you through it. “That’s it, princess. Cum all over my cock.” He didn’t come long after you as his thrusts became sloppier and his fingers gripped the flesh of your hips firmly followed by him emptying himself, feeling the familiar pool of his warmth deep inside of you. A string of Italian curse words left his lips as he threw his head back and painted your walls white with his cum.
He rode out his high while you struggled to catch your breath, your chest heaving up and down before he gently pulled out. Your legs were trembling as you felt his sperm slowly trickle out of you, but Theo was busy putting his clothes back on before gathering your underwear from the floor and stuffing it in his pocket. “What are you doing!? I need that, I’m literally dripping everywhere!” You snarled, knowing that if you stood up right now, his cum would drip all over your legs. “No, you don’t.” Theo replied coldly before running his fingers over your cunt to gather your mixed juices, causing you to wince in overstimulation before he forcefully stuck his digits in your mouth, forcing you to suck them clean as you drooled all over them. “Problem solved.”
Feeling exhausted as your eyes struggled to stay open, you whined, “Let’s just… go back to your dorm and shower together, please? ‘m so tired.” Theo lifted you gently and set you down, causing you to sway slightly on shaky legs. He gathered your clothes, helped you dress, then planted a quick kiss on your forehead.
“Not a chance. We’re gonna go back to the others and you’re gonna face the consequences of your own actions.” He ordered strictly before taking your hand and dragging you through the door to the chilly corridors once again.
“But— but literally everyone can see we just had sex Theo, it’s fucking embarrassing.” “Good. Let everyone see. Let everyone see that only I can fuck you this good. Let everyone see that you’re all mine, cara mia. Mine and mine only.”
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Untitled #9
Wordcount — 1,618 words
Includes — Fem!reader, mentions of contraceptives, unprotected vaginal sex. Dubcon elements (but it is all explained in detail), mentions/fantasies of creampies, use of petnames (baby).
Author's note — Just a little something! I've had this thought for a while now, and I wanted to put it out there. Despite the dubcon elements of it, I really picture both parties being super into it with full consent —for this, the male character just puts up a fight because he considers things risky, but deep down he wants it just as bad. With that in mind, read this if you have no problem whatsoever with some dubcon. If it's not your cup of tea, just scroll!
Just thinking about a forced creampie with Chan.
He had been pretty vocal about how badly he wants to fuck you raw and come inside you, but the overly-reasonable, almost persecutory part of him doesn't let him get loose. Whenever he thinks about coming inside of you, he can't help but also overthink everything that could go wrong.
“Maybe I just need a little push, you know?” He told you right after you asked him what was stopping him from fulfilling his fantasies. “I tend to get too into my head, maybe I should just- I don't know, go for it in the heat of the moment”.
But even in the heat of the moment, Chan holds back. The amount of self-control he has is crazy, so as much as he wishes to get loose, he never manages to do so on his own.
You come up with a plan, but you first make sure that he is on the same page as you —that he wants this just as much as you. So you ask him just that, and the response you get is enough for you to proceed.
“I think about it at least twice a day,” Chan confessed. “I mean, not a day goes by without me thinking about how pretty your pussy would look leaking with my cum”.
So you start off slow —first, you convince him to fuck you without a condom, fully raw. He pulls out every fucking time, much against his lust's will, but you don't mind. At least not when you can now feel every inch of him, every thickness of his veins and the warmth of his bulge. And now, he gets to feel you too —like fully feel you. From your soft walls squeezing his dick, to the sticky arousal that drips out of you.
It doesn't take long for him to get addicted to that feeling, though —despite him “wanting to take things slow”, he soon becomes obsessed and the idea of using a condom ever again is discarded by Chan himself.
So it all starts off with fucking you raw, and it eventually ends up one night with you offering that much needed push to finally allow himself go.
You're on top of him, straddling his lap while his cock reaches the deepest spots inside your pussy. You can feel him twitching inside of you, and if that isn't enough confirmation that he is seconds away from coming, the grimaces of pain and pleasure along with the veins popping on his temple and neck definitely are.
His hands are bruising your hips pretty bad while he guides your movements on top of him —roughly grinding yourself against him, squeezing your walls to provide him with the stimulation he needs to come.
“Just like that,” he groans biting down his lower lip with furrowed eyebrows and eyes closed shut, “come on, fuck yourself on my cock just like that. Make me come”.
Coincidentally, you're trying to do just that. So when he bents his legs against the mattress, and his hands try to push your body away from his, you don't stop.
“Baby,” he groans out your name, whincing in pain the longer he tries to hold his orgasm back, “'m gonna- fuck, I'm close”.
You lean down over his body, placing chaste kisses along his jaw and neck, “give it to me, Chan”.
He squeezes his eyes shut, just as his body stiffens underneath yours, “move, baby”.
“Inside,” you whimper, shaking your head into the crook of his neck. “Come inside”.
Chan's back arches a little, just as he struggles to maneuver your body, but it's all useless —he doesn't have the strength to push you away, and he doesn't want to.
“No, baby,” Chan hisses, gripping your hips as rough as he can. “I can't- please, let me pull out”.
“Come on, Chan,” you plead into his ear, biting his earlobe while your walls clench around his girth, “I know you want to”.
He lets out a painful, exasperated groan in an attempt to hold back the pent up tension between his legs —you can see he is really trying his best not to come.
“Please,” you leave one last wet kiss on his neck before straightening up your body, going from grinding against his cock to fully bouncing on it, “please, come inside me. I need it”.
Chan swears he is going to lose his mind. Between the feeling of your cunt clenching around him, the sight of your pretty body bouncing on top of his, and the lewd words and moans that are leaving your lips, Chan is sure he isn't going to last any longer.
“Let me pull out,” he tells you once again, with no intention of ever wanting you to stop. At this point, Chan still puts up a fight because he doesn't want to give in too easily. But honestly, he is not interested in winning that fight whatsoever, “'m gonna come, baby”.
You press your hands against his chest and increase the pace of your movements, forcing his body underneath yours while caging it with your legs on each side of his body.
His face is flushed, and the painful grimaces and groans he lets out can only warn you that he might not resist any longer.
“Come for me,” you insist, digging your nails on the flesh of his chest, “please, fill me up”.
At one point, he just gives in to his dirtiest fantasies and carnal pleasures. Who is he to deny himself? You're begging for something that only he can give you, and he fucking will.
So the painful moans turn into primal ones, instictual and animalistic. He opens his eyes and stare at you, his hands going from your hips to your neck, choking you ever so slightly as you ride him to his high.
Not only that, but his hips start fucking into yours from underneath —if he is going to come inside you, he is going to have it his way. Meaning he is going to be the one in control, not you.
Your whole body trembles at the unexpected thrusts, and it doesn't take you long to feel a warm, almost hot sensation filling you up.
“You wanted me to come inside you?” He asks through gritted teeth, snapping his hips against yours while your whole body goes limp. Chan hugs you tightly in place, preventing his dick from sliding out of you, “you better not fucking waste it, then”.
He milks himself inside you with each thrust, letting out deep grunts of pleasure in between.
“Chan,” you gasp when you feel his cum oozing out of your pussy and around his cock, all while he is inside you, “fuck”.
Even after a few seconds, he feels he isn't done yet —he is still throbbing and pulsating inside your walls, and he just can't stop shooting his cum into you. This is the first time he comes like this, and it is as painful as it is pleasurable.
“It's dripping out of me,” you murmur when he finally slows down, looking down to where your bodies connect —it's messy, but neither of you can begin to care. At least not when it feels this good to be filled.
Chan lets out a deep exhale, his chest moving frantically as he tries to catch his breath. He feels defeated, and weak, but at the same time he can't wrap his head about how good it fucking felt to finally let go, to be able to fuck you full of his cum until it dripped out of your tight hole.
So much so, that the idea of pulling out and coming anywhere else it's just not an option any more.
And just like he got addicted to fucking you raw, he might be addicted to stuff you full of his cum now too.
He just needed a little push.
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11 and 21 with gojo please please PLEEK
One Bed + Hate Sex
⊱ ex!gojo x fem reader, smut, one face slap (on him), degradation but also praising ig?, possessive gojo, 2k words (this almost consumed me) ┊The Clichés ™
note: i got a litte crazy in the process of "why would i hate gojo" and ending up taking an extra prompt from the list for this so... ta dah ✨ ex boyfriend gojo enjoy
“It's been a while” Satoru greets.
One year it’s a long time, seeing him makes your stomach hurt but you realize you don’t carry as much resentment as you used to.
After your break you asked to be sent on missions far from tokyo, you knew eventually you would see Gojo Satoru again, and there he was, in casual clothes standing by the exit of the train station you agreed to meet at.
You felt him before you turned around the corner, and he felt you too. His six eyes could see the flames of your cursed energy increasing and decreasing as you tried to control your emotions. When you showed up he smiled, eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.
“Indeed.”
The director of Kyoto explained Gojo was meeting you there cause he got a lead on a special grade cursed object and you would be his companion on the search that would start tomorrow morning. That shouldn’t be hard, right?
“How've you been?” he asks politely.
“We don’t need to do that” you reply quickly as both of you made your way to the cabs.
“Why? Am I supposed to not care for your well-being anymore?” his question would seem innocent to anyone, but you have trained ears for Gojo Satoru, and you can tell when he’s being patronizing.
“Yes, just like I don’t care about yours” you enter the cab and give the driver the name of your hotel, Gojo walks around the cab and sits beside you. The close proximity of him in this confined space already makes you uneasy.
“Don’t be like that, I know that’s not true” he puts his arm behind you, his cologne invading your senses and you consider rolling down the windows, but nostalgia stops you, “No matter what you say, i can still read you like a book” he whispers moving some strands of hair out of your shoulder.
Gojo knows you’re too well-mannered to do or say anything to him in this cab, you don’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of the driver even though he’s a stranger. Gojo always hated how much you cared about other people’s opinions — one of the things that you constantly fought about near the end of your relationship — yet he knew how to use that on his advantage.
The cab drops you off in front of your hotel and you leave Gojo to pay for it while making your way to the reception, giving your last name.
“I’m sorry, miss, I couldn’t find a reservation under your name” the girl at the reception says.
“Wha— didn’t you make a reservation?” you ask Gojo.
“I thought you were gonna make it” he shrugs and you have to restrain yourself from attacking him.
“Fine. Two rooms for tonight only” you turn to the receptionist again.
“Sorry ma’am, we’re all booked for tonight” she explains.
“Can you check again?” Gojo extends a membership card and she types something on her computer.
“Oh we have one master suit available for premium members” you roll your eyes.
“We'll take it” he says.
“Wait, just one?” you intervene.
“I'm afraid so, it’s the only room available for tonight.”
“So what’s gonna be, baby? Sleep with me or on the street?” he pushes his sunglasses down his nose bridge, wanting to see in detail your facial expressions as he teases.
“Don’t you dare call me that” you growl at him, “I shouldn’t have agreed to this mission” you mumble the last part looking around and considering your options.
“But it was not your decision to make, was it? You’re too much of a people pleaser to even question an order from those bags of bones you respect so much” he mocks bringing in a frequent fight topic.
“We'll have the room” you turn to the receptionist after realizing you didn’t have much to do anyways, right now you just look forward to locking yourself in the bathroom for at least one hour while you wash all the Gojo Satoru out of your system.
Gojo offered to carry your small one-night bag, but as expected you don’t let him take it, once you arrive at the room you can’t help but admiring how fancy it is. Just the kind of place Gojo used to get for the two of you.
“Good thing it’s a king size” you murmur looking at the huge bed, should be enough to sleep without touching him.
Gojo walks past you, pulling his sweatshirt over his head, the shirt underneath raising slightly but enough for you to take a peek at his back muscles and gulp.
“I'm going to shower” you announce, taking some clothes out of your bag and leaving your phone at the nightstand.
“Without me?” he blinks suggestively.
“Ugh” you slam the bathroom door in disgust.
Gojo laughs and lays at the bed getting comfortable, he reminisce the times when you were dating and he showed up at your hotel even if he was not part of your mission, he would get you a secret upgrade for a room with hot tub and sat there with you leaning on his chest while you talked about a future where you would be a teacher alongside him and not need to travel so much. Later he would assure the two of you would make it work through kisses and sweet whispers while fucking you slowly and passionately and take you out on a nice restaurant afterwards.
Gojo is pulled out of the memory lane by your phone’s message tone, he doesn't think twice before reaching to see what's your notification.
> did you arrive well? Xx
Suddenly he sees red. The contact name is unknown to him and he prides himself on knowing almost every sorcerer in Japan. So who the fuck is that?
Once the bathroom door opens, Gojo confronts you immediately.
“You moved on quite fast” you look up, noticing the phone in his hand and quickly trying to snatch it back before he disappears from the bed and reappears behind you.
“Don’t fucking test me, Satoru” you try again.
“Who’s he? Huh?”
“None of your business” you get closer and on your tiptoes to retrieve the phone, Satoru holds your wrist with more strength than necessary.
“Is he a curse-user? Kyoto faculty? Answer me” he pushes you until your back hits the wall, throwing your phone over his shoulder — not giving two shits if it breaks — and moves to be in between your legs, holding both your wrists above your head in one hand.
“None, get off of me”.
“Non— you’re dating a civilian?” he laughs, the psycho laughter gives you chills.
“You have no right to speculate about my own private life!” you tried to kick him, but he closed your legs between his own.
“That's why you broke up with me? To be with a boring fucking no-one?” that’s the angriest you ever seen Satoru, even when you fought he always kept his voice down, as if to tease you even more.
“I did break up and you didn’t even question it, did you? Didn’t even put up a fight!” you yell like you’ve been meaning for so long, after a big fight you yelled that you two should break up and his ‘yeah, maybe we should’ shocked you.
Satoru’s grip loses around your wrists, his big blue eyes look down at your anger filled ones seeing a hint of hurt in the features of the girl he fell madly in love with.
Fuck, he missed you so much.
You're panting at this point, both of you stay silent until your gaze falls to his lips, that's all the encouragement he needs to close the gap and kiss you, you gasp when the towel slides down to your feet, now physically and emotionally exposed to him. Gojo groans when he touches the bare skin of your waist and your arms fall on top of his shoulders. It’s incredible how quick you surrender to him, lips parting for him to taste his beloved one.
You can’t help the way your body reacts to him, not even when you attempt to rub yourself on his thigh and he stops you.
“‘S your boyfriend not taking care of you?” his tone drips mockery, a hand crawls up grabbing your breast harshly.
Before you can send him to hell his tongue is shoved back inside your mouth and you rub your thighs together already feeling yourself getting wetter.
“Fucking slut” he groans on your lips pinching your nipple and moving to cup your cunt, “Does he touch you like this? Like the whore you are? Or he treats you like a little delicate thing you pretend to be?”
Your palm acts fast to slap his cheek.
“Fuck” he moans, the burn on his face going stray to his dick as he ruts against your stomach.
Satoru slides the hand between your legs to spread your slick and press the heel of his palm on your clit, you whine, pressing your back against the wall.
“You’re not getting away from me, so don’t even try” your former boyfriend pushes his fingers without much resistance from your moist walls.
“T-Toru” you shut your eyes letting the nickname escape. This is all he dreamed of, having his name come out of your lips again, but he still couldn’t get over the fact you let someone else touch you, especially someone that did not understand you like he did. Someone that had no idea the type of job you had and how dangerous it was. Someone that would stand up during the mission assignments to volunteer for the most dangerous ones so you wouldn’t go.
“That’s right, baby, say my name” he curls his long fingers inside you, moving one arm out of his shoulder to guide your hand into his pants, where you quickly wrap around his length. You move his pants and underwear out of the way, the hot skin of his dick touches your stomach and you look down. And god, he has such a pretty cock it’s unfair.
“Wanna suck me, gorgeous?” he murmurs, watching the lust in your eyes, “Missed my cock in your mouth?” he hits the sweet spot inside you harder when you don't answer, “Say it” he grabs your jaw forcing you to stare at the dark ocean in his eyes.
“Y-Yes, I missed your cock” you confess, letting out all the times you pretended it was him pleasuring you instead of your fingers.
You squeeze his base when he fastens his fingers and your orgasm approaches, but it doesn't take long before he removes them and you whine.
“You’re all bark and no bite, all it takes is having your pussy played with and you get quiet” he bites your lobe, his harsh words make you wanna hide your face in embarrassment.
“Satoru, please” you beg and pull his pants all the way down trying to move to get on your knees.
“No, you’ll take what I give you” he grabs your arm and pushes you onto the bed, discarding his shirt before moving to position your knees on the mattress, “You’re lucky if I even let you cum tonight…” he strokes his cock with your remaining moisture on his hand before moving to bury himself in your walls, “... after everything you put me through” he confesses the last part in a hush.
“M-Me? Fuck you, Satoru” he fucks you roughly, not giving you time to argue back.
“Yeah, you” he punctuates with a particularly hard trust, “Can’t believe you were sleeping with someone all this time” his voice breaks but his pace doesn't.
You feel him in your cervix, but his tone pulls you out of your pleasure to explain yourself.
“I’m no— not” you whisper and he stops to lean over you.
“What was that?”
“I’m not… sleeping with him, he’s not— he’s no one” you confess slightly turning your head to look at him, his eyes squint as you feel his hot breathing against your neck and chest on your back.
“Good” he straightens up and pulls out. You turn around sitting on the bed and pulling him by the neck to kiss you again, Satoru complies, crawling with his lips attached to yours, until you're laying on the pillows wrapping your legs around his waist so he’s back inside you, “Missed this cunt so bad” he cups you again, feeling the way your lips stretch to his length while sucking on your nipples.
You arch your back “Hate you so… much— agh!”
“No you don’t, you never have” he bites your nipple and your nails sink on his back.
“This is pretty empty for an all booked hotel” you comment when you sit at the restaurant for breakfast the next morning while a cup filled to the brim with coffee, having slept only 4 hours since Satoru kept you up all night, denying your orgasm until you begged and apologized.
“Is it?” Gojo tilts his sunglasses looking around, finding only four other tables occupied while you stare at him suspiciously. He wonders how long it’ll take for you to find out that on the way there he booked every single room except one so you wouldn’t have a choice.
see also: Gojo + Fake Dating # Toji + Forbidden Love
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