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neoelysium · 5 months

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OtLWD: Fate, Up Against Your Will

A/N: Part 3, baby! Since this has turned into an ongoing series of sorts, I’ve named this saga “On the Long Way Down”, and have updated post titles to reflect this. Part 4 in progress! It’s gonna be a real change of pace. :D

PREV. PARTS: PART 1 | PART 2

Vanity sat on the balcony of Gen’s apartment, leaning against the railing, legs, augmented from the knees down, dangling free in the open air below; it looked exceptionally dangerous, although there wasn’t nearly enough space between the rails for her to fall through. She stared at the skyline of Downtown in the distance, vision still blurred from the intoxication — it was gaudy, cluttered with advertisements and flying vehicles passing through.

She sighed, focusing hard. “Call Mags.”

The communicator rang out, Vanity’s leg shaking worse and worse with each passing ring. After six or so rings, Mags accepted the call.

“Van-Van,” Mags yawned. “What’s got you up so late?”

“I-I, um,” Vanity stammered. “I need some help. Got myself, and Magellan, into a messy situation… had this contract with TriSec to destroy this microchip — a chip that Miss Eve Bishop also wanted, because the universe is a real fuckin’ comedian like that,” she explained further. “Gen tells her someone in the Reaper’s Disciples breaks in and smashes the chip, which he says she didn’t seem to believe.”

“I see… and what exactly would you like me to do about it?”

“I don’t know, pick one of the Disciples and pin it on them, or something?”

“That target on your back grows larger by the day, sister,” Mags replied.

“Rather it be the Reapers than Bishop.”

“No shit. Lovely woman, Miss Bishop, but don’t cross her… I’ll start creating that misinformation immediately — but you understand this is going to generate some heat, right?”

“I’m well aware.”

────────────

Gen jolted awake suddenly — he’d slept in too late for his own liking, the clock reading 12:19 PM. Dragging himself out of bed, he examined his apartment; Vanity was fast asleep, curled up on his couch. He shook his head, unable to think about anything but the previous night, throwing on a jacket before heading out to grab some lunch.

“Hello.”

“Look, I really don’t feel like doing this right now, okay?”

“Your former lover formulated a plan last night, we heard the entire exchange. It would be in your best interest to listen.”

“My former lover? Not exactly what I’d call it.”

“Then what would you call it, Genesis?”

“I don’t know… a couple of momentary lapses of judgment, I suppose.”

“Such an explanation seems absurd — unlikely, at best. The likelihood of repeated—”

“Hey, can you assholes stop exploring my mind like it’s a goddamn ghost-town-tourist-attraction?”

“It is, in a sense, a ghost town. A graveyard for mere moments in the passage of time.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Just stay out of there while I’m stuck with you… seems like the only shred of the human experience any one of you in there retained is being an obnoxious dickhead.”

“We are curious. We seek understanding.”

“Seek it elsewhere. So… you said Vanity had a plan?”

“She and Mags Martinez are going to place the blame on a specific Disciple.”

“And bring them to my fuckin’ doorstep, naturally.”

“We believe it is the optimal path forward.”

Gen exploded into uproarious laughter at MINDEYE’s response. “Alright then…”

He entered a little ramen shop, about a mile down the road from the apartment complex, sitting down at a table near the back. He scrolled through a small menu kiosk on the table, ordering a bowl of ramen and a cup of tea.

He watched as pedestrians passed by outside as he waited for his food, already planning for trouble with the Reapers. It wouldn’t have been the first time, of course — pretty much all mercenaries in Neo-Elysium had their run-ins with the gang from time to time. This, however, felt like it had the potential to spiral into something else entirely. A full-blown war with the Reapers was less than enticing, even with the probability of adequate backup. Nonetheless, it was preferable to any level of conflict with Bishop.

Behind Bishop’s charming, polite demeanor slept a more ominous, stern side. In the decade he’d been associated with her, Gen had seen just about all of it — his mind always conjured up images of his first major assignment for her; he had been paired with an arrogant hacker, whose name he failed to remember, who decided to push their luck, demanding a higher fee from Bishop in exchange for the data the pair had just nabbed. Within seconds, the hacker was surrounded by her subordinates, forcibly restrained, and connected to the Web. Unable to fight back, the hacker’s consciousness was uploaded to the Breach — without assistance, a move that was irreversible. A grim moment, one that was instrumental in teaching Gen that Eve Bishop was not to be trifled with.

“Despite your initial concerns, it seems your past has now reminded you that this outcome is most desirable.”

“As it stands, it’s unavoidable — conflict. No one’s gonna back me, or Vanity, if we bring a fight to Bishop’s doorstep… but the Disciples…”

“The aid is all around,” MINDEYE replied.

Gen nodded, sipping at the steaming cup of tea that had just been sat in front of him, along with his bowl of ramen. He briefly enjoyed his meal in silence, sighing in defeat as his communicator rang out. He attempted to ignore it, continuing to enjoy his lunch, finally giving the call enough attention to be answered.

“Mr. Magellan,” Eve’s voice greeted him from the other side.

“Miss Bishop. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I have some news you might be interested in.”

“Hit me,” Gen responded, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Kharon Wiles. Name sound familiar?”

“Reaper. Top enforcer. Long tenured.”

“So, you do know him… Connections received word that he’s been boasting all around the city about breaking that chip.”

“Figures,” he replied. He couldn’t believe Vanity and Mags’ lied had worked so easily.

“You want the other half of that payment?” Her tone sounded promising, convincing.

“To take out Wiles? Would love to help, Miss Bishop, but I’m afraid—”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. You set this madness into motion, and you will fix it, Mr. Magellan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s more like it.”

────────────

Vanity’s eyes slowly opened, taking time to adjust to the brightness of the sun, gleaming through the apartment’s windows. She stretched her arms, yawning, unsure of exactly how she wound up in Gen’s apartment — her head was still buzzing, the events of the night before a total blur.

“Must have brought me here from Astro’s,” she grumbled to herself, clearing the sleep from her eyes. She sat upright, checking her communicator for messages; one sat in her inbox, from Mags, reading ‘all set in motion, good luck’.

All of a sudden, the apartment’s front door swung open. Vanity jumped in surprise, her eyes darting towards the doorway; it was only Gen, takeout container in hand, a complete look of neutrality painted on his face.

“Oh, you’re up. I went for lunch, didn’t want to disturb you… Hope you still like yakisoba, extra peppers.”

“Still my usual… it’s not like I’m a totally different person or something, Gen.”

“Tastes change. Just ask bot-brain. Lectured me the whole time about how I might have picked the wrong dish. Oh, and, speaking of…”

“It’s temporary, chill out,” Vanity waved her hand, as if dismissing the discussion.

“Yeah? How about you? Direct line at all times? You on TriSec payroll now?”

Vanity’s eyes shot wide open, staring him down in shock. “Me? Ya joking?”

“Stranger, more baffling things have happened,” Gen shrugged, “bot-brain’s already confirmed that you have been working for them.”

“Just the one job,” she explained, “been connected to the bot for almost two months now. Month and a half of recon, plus the actual payoff last night. Connection is fading as we speak.”

“Wonderful. They must be absolutely fuckin’ dandy about this whole thing, right about now.”

“Oh, please, drama king. They’re not monitoring our usage of the bot.”

“Incorrect,” MINDEYE chimed in. Gen raised his eyebrow at Vanity.

“Okay, so they are… but not in any meaningful capacity.”

“Correct,” MINDEYE replied. “We are connected to many users simultaneously. It is neither worth the effort, nor the cost, for them to track each and every one of your movements and actions.”

“Really comforting,” Gen retorted, voice drenched in sarcasm.

“So,” Vanity began, clearing her throat, “I heard Mags found a fall guy…”

“Yeah, and she really went for it, too. Kharon Wiles. Know ‘im?”

“Heard of him. Big shit in their ranks, if memory serves me right.”

“You’d be correct — their top enforcer, actually. Eve says I gotta scrap his ass.”

“Need some help with that, babes?”

“Seeing as you got me into this mess? Yeah, I’d love that.”

“It wasn’t personal.”

“Wasn’t doin’ me a favor, either.”

“Oh, really? Because I don’t see Stalker anywhere around this apartment, and they could have easily sicced him on your ass like it wasn’t shit.”

“Oh how I wish they would.”

#my writing #worldbuilding stuff #short story #writeblr #cyberpunk #neoelysium #oc: gen #oc: vanity #oc: mindeye #oc: mags #oc: eve #ok i think thats it

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galaxysgal · 3 months

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just started s10 when tami is pregnant asf so now i’m thinking about lip with a lovey needy pregnant gf 🧸🩷 ((not edited + been awake 24hrs+))

“good morning baby,” you croon, watching lip come sleepily down the stairs. he runs a hand through soft, messy curls and waves to franny, who had started giggling the moment she saw him. you sat at the table with her while debbie was in the shower, filing out your crossword and letting franny ask you questions she had about her new baby cousin in your tummy.

“what uh-, fuck, what time is it? how long’ve you been up?” lip asks, rifling through the cabinet for a half-eaten, half-stale box of cereal. he’s tired, you can see the dark circles from across the room. you’d made the decision to let him sleep in, leaving him in the morning with a sweet kiss on his cheek before drawing the curtains and shutting the door.

you shrug, “about noon… been down here since seven. this baby sure is a gallagher, ‘cause he’s real hard headed and stubborn,” you say, playfully pointed at your baby bump.

“baby gallagher,” he mumbles, almost in awe as he pours two bowls of cereal.

you stand, one hand on your back to ease the constant weight of your pregnancy belly, and make your way over to lip. he smiles knowingly as you hold out the fruit basket to him, and takes a banana to cut up in your cheerios. just the way you like it.

he’s thoughtful in that way, knowing what you wanted, what you needed, understanding you in a way no one has before. while lost in thought you feel his arms wrap around your middle, hands resting gently on your baby bump. then, you feel your son kick right under lip’s hand. sure, there’s discomfort attached, but it’s all worth it when you look back at the sweet smile on your boyfriend’s face.

“hey buddy, how ya doin’ in there? hm?” he murmurs down toward your tummy.

“he’s been rowdy this morning,” you confess. you’d barely slept because of your son’s constant kicking. “i think he’s ready to be outta there, aren’t you little man?”

lip laughs softly at that, moving to finish slicing up the banana for your cereal. “you should’ve woke me up. i could’a helped try and get ya comfortable or somethin’,” he tells you, turning his head towards you with concerned eyes.

you just shake your head with a dismissive smile. “you needed the rest, lip. i let you sleep in.”

“hey, look at me will ya?” he says, reaching a hand out to guide your cheek. you meet his eyes, seeing him softly search your face. “you gotta rest too, mama.”

you shrug him off, but fall in at his side as grabs the milk from the fridge. “baby keeps me up, then i think about all the shit i gotta do and-“

“nuh uh, none of that, we’re in this together yeah?” he says bluntly, cocking an eyebrow at you.

“of course,” you respond with a kiss to his cheek. his skin is still warm from sleep, and you breathe in the scent of tobacco and cologne.

lip nods, satisfied. “there we go, end of discussion. you wake me up next time, you hear me?” he says playfully. he turns around to grab the shaker of cinnamon but you reach out and catch his sleeve, pulling him in so your faces are nearly touching.

“thank you,” you murmur to him, hand coming up to stroke his cheek. “and i love you. so, so much.”

you can feel lip heat up at your words, but he kisses you softly instead. the two of you are so close together, the world falling silent as you lived in this brief, shared moment.

“yeah, yeah,” he murmurs, laughing softly, but after a moment his shifts into a genuine expression as he adds, “i love you too. so much.”

end.

#i’m high asf and sleep deprived but i needed to say thjs #tbh this could be nonsense k didn’t rlly proofread #and also i’m so fucked up rn !!#lip gallagher x reader #lip gallagher imagine #lip gallagher fanfiction #lip gallagher x oc #lip gallagher x y/n #mags writes #🍃 posting #shameless fanfiction

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