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loux-luna · 2 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 20: Stay

Looking for a sense of stability with him, but he seems busy with post-heist things. Mood Music ⏬ Stephen - Stay (ft. Lindsey Cook) Intro - In The End | Ch.19 - Never Done This | Ch. 20 - Stay | Ch.21 - Break The Ice

The adrenalin crash hit hard, but I still managed to dream a little. It looked like I was in a beautiful wild world where the mountains rolled with an almost magenta fog, glowing with two suns on the horizon. I focused closer to myself and clusters of what looked like fiery orange lilacs caught my eye only slightly faster than the dark indigo leaves that shimmered with the light. The clouds stretched all the way to the earth I sat upon and I moved my hands through what swirled like smoke. The soil looked black where the moss didn’t reach, rich with life. I heard running water, and moved to stand, only to awaken in my seat. ___ I stared ahead, disoriented and wondering how much time had passed. The ship was parked in what seemed to be a spaceport garage, but Vee hadn’t left yet, “You need a doctor,” I reminded him. “Good morning to you too,” he replied, while stiffly gathering up his things. The energy in the cabin was somehow excited and tense at the same time. Sure our heist was successful, but I was from a race of empaths and something about him seemed off, and not in a pained sense. “Now what?” I asked, getting up to follow with a grin, though my gaze was cautious.

“We’re in a storage rental,” He didn't look at me, choosing to give the ramp controls and his jacket all of his attention, “Once I get in contact with my buyers, we split our winnings and you find a life for yourself.” Is that what was unnerving me? I frowned, “But- we’re a good team?” He sighed, seeming annoyed he had to explain himself, though at least he looked at me this time, “You were an in. Now you're free, and will have plenty of cred to get you on your feet.” The oxygen seals hissed while I stared at him, “But...” He turned again, starting down the ramp in his bloodstained jacket, “Come on. This place is well traveled and there's lots of folks in the ship trade. We’ll find you something with a living area and you’ll be good to go.” I stared quietly at the panels in front of me, my mind spiraling for a moment before I followed him to the ledge, scowling, “No,” I stated with as much confidence as I could muster. He looked back at me, seeming taken aback by my directness, “No?” “No,” I responded, holding the confidence but letting my tone soften ever so slightly. His hand moved up to rub his forehead in frustration, “Alright, what do you think you want; you want all the goods? Is that it? To pull it out from under me?” “I want to stay... With you.” His hand left his face and he looked at me, dark eyebrows furrowing as he appeared to inspect me with his own scowl. Then he straightened and crossed his arms, “No.” My heart was in my throat, expression melting with the fantasy I’d formed around us. I couldn't respond, I had no response, but my mouth opened with the urge to. He continued to observe my reaction with a steeled expression, his head tilting ever so slightly as if subtly urging me to push. Finally, but frantically, I forced out the words, “I’ll do anything.” He pinched his lips together disapprovingly before sighing. “You need a stronger backbone,” he stated bluntly, gesturing for me to follow, ”And if you’re sticking around, you're getting a bot to keep an eye on you. No questions.” My grin came back and I blurted a “Yes sir!” as I rushed to follow him further, noticing then that the jump engine wasn't with us, “What happened to the big thing?” “Not here,” he said, of course, while heading toward the door opposite where the ship had entered. He pointed to the door to our left, “That’s a rental room. Occupy yourself with the holofeeds or something while I’m gone.” I sighed and started for the indicated door, only really realizing how much blood I’d accumulated upon catching my reflection in it. I looked for the bathroom from there, hoping it’d at least have better towels than the last place. Thankfully, these rooms were relatively clean, but not devoid of staining in the corners; and the bathroom had both clean, dry towels and tiny soaps, which I used to wash the blood from my hands first, not wanting to leave a mess while I went through the drawers and cupboards for what I had to work with. Finding nothing extra, I used the tiny shampoo that waited for me in the standing shower, and the bar of soap I took from the sink. While I washed, I tried to think of what to expect of the outside world. How different was the trade? What do normal people do with their lives? Could I learn any of that from the holofeeds? How far from Gorm’s star had we even gotten? It was only as I was lathering that I realized my collar was missing, and like missing a tooth, I kept impulsively reaching for where it should have been, anxiously drawn to the empty space. Once clean, I stepped out, wrapped myself in a towel, and went directly to the screen in the main room. I was much too curious to dry off in the bathroom when I could be figuring things out. I had to at least keep up and I couldn't do that without information. I spun through channels, looking for someone facing the screen specifically; those were usually news adjacent which, theoretically, would have to say something about the location at some point. I dried myself while I listened and, frustratingly, came to the conclusion that even though they spoke in common, nothing they named sounded familiar. I was just as confused as I’d been upon entry, just cleaner. ___ I saw him enter the garage before he saw me, the window doing its job of letting guests keep an eye on their cargo. He was carrying a box that seemed to be full of some kind of techy junk so I met him at the door, opening it for him, “What’s that?” “For you, after I make sure all the bugs are squashed.” he said as he entered, going directly to the table. I peeked around him and into the box as he set it down, “A bot?” He pulled out a tech screen, “And a window to all the information you can think of. So-” He pulled it away as I’d unconsciously begun to reach for it. “After I make sure the coding is safe. You’ll have a thing to learn life shit on.” I nodded, pulling my hand back and holding it with the other, “What about your back?” He huffed, “The bullet was removed, the hole was resealed with fresh Vyta foam, and the top was covered with a Second Skin pad. You can relax.” I nodded again. The second skin meant he wouldn't need to have it looked at again for a while and time was all that was left for his healing. He looked past me to the screen, then focused back on setting out the tech, “We’re south-east of the core on a star map. Gorm is east-east. Direct to the core makes it-” “Easier to be tracked,” I finished for him, my hand drifting back to the empty space over my collar bone. “Yes. And your collar was thrown out an air lock.” he added before sitting at the table and focusing on the tech, “Watch whatever on the holo, I don't need silence to focus.” I nodded and took that as my sign to return to the couch. Besides room service bringing us food, the rest of the day was spent trying to occupy myself with shows while he did his tech thing. I may have also fallen asleep there out of a mix of boredom and wanting to stay in the same room.

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.19 - Never Done This | Ch. 20 - Stay | Ch.21 - Break The Ice 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 8 months ago

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🌙 Luxe and Lunacy - 🔞 ~ a villain's romance 💋 — 𝔏𝔬𝔲𝔵 𝔏𝔲𝔫𝔞 aka: Sygil Loux —

Inktober 10:21 - Lu'en 2 "Tried drawing Lu'en again. Came out better but I'm beginning to think this style doesn't suit her. (Also I forgot the collar in the other one oops)"

Inktober 20:21 - The Collar "25th was our birthday so we watched anime. Anyway, the collar. Also where the ComChip clips in. Also the tubes glow light blue cause I said so."

Inktober 4:21 - Young Vee "Tried to draw Vee, he ended up looking super young and horns are a bit long but he still got that smolder so I'm happy. x3" __ ★ _________

Inktober 12:21 - Look - Vee

Inktober 12:21 - Look Makin them lovey eyez. 😏

Inktober 11:21 - Look - Lu'en __ ★ _________

Inktober 15:21 - ComCard "A Comcard with filler info cause I cant use Vee's, and Lu'en doesn't own one. :') Maybe later."

Inktober 2:21 - Gorm Buildings "The "termite mound-like" buildings of the Guarm on Gorm, complete with neon ads and tunnels."

Inktober 1:21 - Vee's Rental Layout "Vee's rental layout in the building owned by Urgu." __ ★ _________

Inktober 17:21 - ComChip "The ComChip that Lu'en uses."

Inktober 3:21 - The "Bouquet" "Something something 'hand-off'. (Chapter 9 reference lel)"

Inktober 5:21 - Blight "Vee's spiderbot "Blight." Which I apparently forgot to post here." __ ★ _________

Inktober 19:21 - Swimming Guarm (better) "Tried the swimming Guarm (Urgu specifically) again, it looks significantly less cursed imo."

Inktober 6:21 - 'Specimens' "Eyez. I can't say more without spoilers. :V"

Inktober 14:21 - Fuzzy Reaper "Skull mask and fur hooded cloak from chapter 9. :3" __ ★ _________

Inktober 7:21 - Cybernetic Eyes "Cybernetic eyes involve entirely too many circles. Also my yellow marker is dead so I used gold sharpie. (it went terrible) Another pic I forgot to upload."

Inktober 18:21 - Swimming Guarm (cursed) "I was curious what Urgu would look like while swimming and I regret it. And now I can't find the vid of an octopus doing this like I remember seeing when I considered the drawing idea originally. Spooky."

Inktober 8:21 - Lu'en 1 "Tried to draw Lu'en and it came out terrible. May try again tomorrow."

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loux-luna · 9 months ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 22 - Queen Of Nothing

They stop off at a place that could be "home," her bot is set up, and a fear becomes real. Mood Music ⏬ Elliot Lee - Queen of Nothing Intro - In The End | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing

Once we’d pulled into a port and parked, he put his jacket on my shoulders and took the box, before having me follow him out. I fidgeted my arms through the sleeves and hooked my arm with his the moment I had the space, using him as a lead so I could relax my eyes enough to focus on my peripherals. I felt observed but was able to keep calm so long as I felt alert and prepared. I listened to Vee talk with the garage guy and reflexively produced appeasement scents.

They talked like there was familiarity but they seemed to speak in code, “There's more where that comes from if you can get that shit buried,” Vee stated, “Oh, and might want to sell the ship in parts,” he added before we headed out of the room.

“Is that-” I heard the man start to ask before Vee interrupted.

He simply said, “Blight,” and the man dropped the topic. The bot chirped.

I wondered quietly what the bot could do that shut the guy up so fast, but no matter how much I wanted to ask, I suspected that anything could be bugged and held the question in. I wasn’t given a reason to believe otherwise either, so instead of asking, I found myself eyeing the bot more as we made our way to the ground floor.

“Blight, ride,” he said as we stepped outside, and the bot chirped before a nearby vehicle revved up. It hovered in front of us and the doors popped open, he gestured for me to get in and set the box on my lap before closing the door.

I found myself holding my breath as he made his way around to the driver’s seat; worried he might send the car off without him, I only relaxed again once he’d closed the door and strapped in.

“You're getting tense,” he commented while pulling his e-cig out, passing it to me as he continued, “We’ll be home free before dark.”

I accepted the e-cig gladly, whatever he had in it always took the edge off, “Safe yet?” I asked, looking back to the port.

“Yes. But we can talk when we get there. It’s more effective to silence an unmoving location.”

I of course nodded and watched what I could see of this world from the vehicle. We flew over red dunes to a solid lane where he took the controls and eased us onto the wheels. I watched the star set, and the sibling planet glowed as the sky darkened. ___

We reached a bustling city past the hills, and after winding through a maze of lanes we finally pulled down into a parking garage under what looked like rentals. The buildings here were much smaller than Gorm’s, and cleaner in many senses of the word. The air didn’t feel so heavy either, even the spirits seemed lighter before the door closed behind us, muffling my senses.

With the scenery cut from view, I looked to him; just in time to catch him look away and act as if parking required his utmost attention. “Almost,” he said, prompting a restless huff from me. He seemed amused.

We pulled up in front of the hall of elevators and he took the box from my lap, “Bot’s got the parking. C’mon,” he said before climbing out with the tech. I followed suit and once the door was shut behind me I heard him give the command, “Blight, garage.” The bot chirped and the vehicle drove off to pull into a space near the back corner. When I looked back, he was already disappearing into a lift; prompting a panicked squeak from me as I rushed to catch up.

He was holding a button by the door when I stumbled in, stammering a quick, “Sorry.”

He released the button and the doors closed. “Don't be,” he responded, pointing to the buttons on the door, “this one goes to the rental floor. Remember it too,” he suggested as he pressed it.

I nodded as the doors sealed and the lift began to move; it felt slower but smoother, airy. I couldn't tell if it was the elevator, gravity, or purely my mind playing tricks on me so I didn’t dwell on it for very long.

Once on our floor, he led me to a door on the left and opened it, urging me inside with a finger to his lips before giving the bot its usual command once the door had shut behind us, “Blight, silence.”

I waited just long enough for the tone to drift off, “Now?”

He was already lowering his hand from its signal, “Sure.”

“The fuck can Blight do that scared that guy so bad?!” I blurted, still bewildered by what I had seen not too long ago.

He stared at me, also confused, “What do you mean?”

“At the garage. You said Blight’s name and the guy stopped asking questions.”

He stared a bit longer before busting out with laughter, confusing me further until he got to explaining, “It’s what Zathian’s call exiles. You’re a displaced person, therefore an exile of sorts. He stopped asking questions because he knows I won't elaborate on such things.”

My eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, “Are you a-”

He cut me off to repeat, “I won't elaborate on such things,” but with a bit more force.

I gave a complacent huff but dropped it, letting myself look around. It didn't appear very lived in, “So where are we?”

“Your new home.” he said, tension in the air dissipating with the dropped topic. He moved to check a delivery cupboard where a small package waited for him, “And the part I needed is already here, so I can get your bot up and running.” he added, closing the mailbox to wander further into the flat.

After the briefest bout of conflicting thoughts, I decided to keep on his heels, “What happens after?” I asked before I could register my fear of the answer.

Unsurprisingly, his answer was a non-committal, “One thing at a time,” but the dejected huff I gave in response drew his attention back and he sighed, “I can’t teach you everything myself so I’ll need to pick you up a tutor-bot, but I need to source it. You’ve already proven you can think on your feet, so that shouldn’t be an issue. That’s all I’ve got for you right now. Ok?”

It was my turn to sigh before responding with my own, “Ok.”

He turned away again, pulling a chip from the package and plugging it into a flat, box-shaped hunk of tech which he also plugged his small screen into. Prompts popped up on the screen and he moved through them quickly with several loading bars scattered into the mix. Some boxes popped up that he quickly entered data into, some censored some not - they seemed like command prompts.

When it became apparent he’d be at it a while, I wandered off to learn the layout of the place. It was built much like the humanoid rentals but the layout allowed for a small hall of extra rooms which I wandered down. Beside the workshop was a bedroom bigger than the ones I’d seen in the rentals, a cleanroom at the end of the hall complete with shower and washing machine. Across from them was another room but the door was closed, and since I didn't want to get into trouble for going someplace I wasn't allowed, I moved on; hoping it wasn't a room I'd be separated into.

I ended up wandering past the kitchen into the living area, looking over the powered down screen before my eyes settled on the balcony. The railings were layered in something metallic.

“Lu’en,” I heard him call from where I’d left him, and I rushed back.

“Yes?” I asked, stepping up beside him; the bot hovered over his hand now.

“Name it.”

I looked it over quickly, searching my mind for something that might make sense for a bot.

“Say it out loud,” he told me, tapping a key on his screen.

“Sparky?” I suggested - the bot made several chirps as its programming came online; I looked to Vee for approval but he was already focusing on the screen again. I reached up to anxiously fidget with a collar tag that wasn't there anymore, the motion catching his attention again.

He didn't look long before resuming the complicated techy stuff, “Collar is back around Asher station. He can’t track you.”

I nodded reflexively but had been more concerned with figuring out what to think of the empty space. I knew I should have been glad it was gone but something about it felt wrong, “Habit,” I replied. My mind spun as I stood there awkwardly, falling into my own uncertain thoughts which were only made louder with the amount of silence blanketing the space between us, “How do I know you’ll keep me without a tag?”

He looked at me, seemingly having to pause in his attempt to wrap his mind around the question, “Tags are for slaves.”

“What am I?”

“Freed,” he responded, returning to the tech.

I frowned; he was avoiding the question so I adjusted my approach, “I don't have a natural crown like yours, but a king needs a queen, does he not?”

He straightened with pride from my flattery, but instead of responding, he hit a few buttons more on the bot and it gave another chime, scanned me, then hovered over to my side. “Bot’s done,” he said, ignoring my question. “A part is fried so I’m going to have to source that but-” Blight signaled an alert interrupting him, and he looked back to the screen, “But I have to handle this!” he said, seeming a bit too relieved to escape my questions. He grabbed his bot and rushed past, heading into the closed room and exiting with a loaded weapon harness and a jacket.

“When will you be back?”

“I’ll be back when I’m back.” he responded quickly, slipping into his shoes, “Don’t wait up.” he added, closing the door behind him.

I stood there in silence. Alone.

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 1 year ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 21 - Break The Ice

Finally out of Guarm space and general sight, she tries to connect. Mood Music ⏬ Britney Spears - Break The Ice Intro - In The End | Ch. 20 - Stay | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing

I awoke alone in the bed again, but I could still smell him on the sheets so he couldn't have been gone long. The simple outfit he’d given me had been waiting on the bed, implying he’d been here before meeting me for the mission, and I’d slept in it so it’d taken on some wrinkles since. I slipped out of bed and made my way out of the room, hands idly trying to deal with those wrinkles while I went looking for him. He was in the kitchen where I joined him with a confident stride, slipping past to hop onto the counter beside where he fiddled with the built-in Caffe machine. He looked me over once with a raised brow before focusing back to getting his cup filled, “Bold.” I looked in said cup, the liquid was dark, “Me or the drink? Y’got sweetener in that right?” “You’re on the counter.” he responded simply, “And Zathians can’t taste sweet things. I believe it’s a carnivore thing.” I frowned, “Tragic.”

He shrugged, “Make your own," he said, gesturing to the cupboard above it, “Stuffs all here or built into the machines,” he informed me before wandering back to the table where he’d left the tech he’d been working on. I grumbled and eyed said machine, scanning the buttons before grabbing my own cup, actively trying to look as competent as I could. Then I joined him, sitting at the other side of the table where I could see him and resting my chin on crossed arms, “Can we talk now that we’re outa Urgu’s reach or you just quiet normally?” He glanced up at me then back down to the tech, “I have nothing to say.” I hummed, watching him, I wanted to push, “Where's yer tattoos?” “My back.” He paused, “and calves.” He wasn't giving off anything that felt like irritation yet. “Did you take your face one off?” I asked, that got a spike of something negative and there was danger in the eye-contact he made with me in response. I sat up quickly, raising both hands to signify innocence, “Hey, no judgments here. I just wanna know ‘bout my savior, y’know?” He huffed and focused back on his work, “Alright, if you want to talk so bad; when were you planning to tell me you could pilot off auto?” I shrugged, “You never asked,” I replied, mimicking his own half answers. He gave me the side-eye momentarily before continuing, “What else can you do?” I faltered, unsure what exactly he was looking for, “besides sex or?” He waved it off, “No, something useful. First aid, languages… whatever pheromone shit you can pull that isn't sexual.” I answered the ones he said specifically, “Yes. Guarmyn and Bli’esh. Can make folks gather, more agreeable, or panic. Can sense when they’re overwhelmed,'' before adding a few more, “I can also handle more hard drinks than all advanced humanoids I’ve encountered, am good at gambling, sense Umbrites, and pilot some pretty messy lanes… Could use some practice shooting though.” He hummed thoughtfully as he drank, gaze distracted by the tech in front of him, “Yet you were owned by Urgu, who was clearly not too bright.” I shrugged, “Dumb luck, last guy had a gambling problem.” He let out an amused breath, “and the others?” I hesitated, trying to compile enough information to answer, “Before that, the family didn't like me; somethin ‘bout bloodlines. And before that, he tried to use me fer political sway but I was better at it than him. Then was the school.” He looked at me, “The school?” I shrugged again, “One of the ships where the Guarm train servants.” He squinted, then his focus moved away again, “And how did you end up there?” I huffed, not wanting to answer that one, “When do I get to ask questions?” “You don’t want to answer that one do you,” he stated, trying to make a point that I refused to look at. “I was sold,” I answered defiantly, but my voice cracked. “Parents didn’t want me ‘cause I didn't look like ‘em.” I could feel his mental disarmament when I shoved through what I interpreted as some sort of bluff; hoping that I could earn an answer by pushing through the topic. Unfortunately, I’d salted my own wounds in an effort to get the upper hand and my nervous system began reacting hard. My body began to vibrate, even without having drank any of the Caffe I was now white-knuckling. I attempted deeper breaths to calm myself but those only made me more aware of the heart now trying to pound out of my chest. He looked across to where I was now hyperventilating with tears streaming down my face and rolled his eyes before getting up to disappear into the bedroom. He returned soon after with his jacket which he draped over my shoulders, “We understand why the topic is best left unaddressed now?” he asked above me. I pulled his clothing tight around my shoulders and tried to make myself small in them, nodding. I heard him slouch into a sigh before he rested his hand on my shoulder, then reached it in front of me to coach my hands away from the cup. “Squeeze my hand,” he insisted, “put your emotion into your grip and focus on your senses.” I did as I was told, slipping my fingers between his and gripping the man’s hand with both of mine, his skin was warm and his scent lingered. I could hear the machines in the walls and smell the Caffe, his shirt was a black pinstripe - and a smile pulled at my lips. “What?” He looked down to see what I was seeing. “Same shirt pattern ye gave me before.” “It’s a pretty solid style,” he responded, “You did pick from my clothes, remember?” I nodded, smiling up at him, “It looks better on you,” I teased, trying to pull myself into a lighter mood. His flash of a genuinely amused smile helped but he looked away to his project soon after, “We’re going to have to head planet-side for a part,” he said, changing the topic, “It’s just a couple skips off. I already have a place there but we should load the cargo into the unit and ditch the transport before anyone realizes it’s hot.” I nodded, releasing his hand to return to my cup, “It’ll help the jitters too.” He shrugged, leaving his own cup to get to the job at hand, “Don’t be too long, I’d like to get going sooner than later.” and left me to finish my drink. I didn't waste too much time but I did let myself enjoy the Caffe before joining him.

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch. 20 - Stay | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 14: Magnet

They end up at his rental again, she wants answers. Mood Music ⏬ Lindsay Lohan - Magnet Intro - In The End | Ch.13 - Bad Things | Ch.14 - Magnet | Ch.15 - Use Me

I took up the new job under the guise of trying out for a host position. I’d have to abandon my usual autopilot to flit between tables for meaningless chatter like a proper social butterfly, but I also had to stay on the floor where most public access was; this allowed me to turn down room jobs, an act which made me feel surprisingly powerful despite the metallic taste of adrenalin I got every time. I had stopped to idle between booths, staring blindly to the side as I tried to listen to the chatter around me, taking a mental breather. “How the fuck did you land a host job so fast?” he asked in a sharp whisper. I squeaked excitedly, recognizing his voice and scent before I could even look to confirm. He raised an eyebrow as our eyes connected, clearly waiting for me to answer. “I uh,” I gave a quick glance around before grabbing his arm and pulling him away from any potential listeners, “There was an explosion.” I explained in a hushed tone, watching his eyes for any sign of recognition. He squinted slightly and tilted his head, prompting me to continue, but I had been waiting for this since hearing the news.

“I went over when he was poppin' mad an’ found out. Did some askin’ around fer suspicious activity an he jus’ made it my job to find more when I brought him some,” I whispered before squinting, looking him up and down once, “this is the part where you give me an alibi an’ help me find you a fall guy.” His eyebrows and palms raised defensively, “Alright, don't get carried away here.” “And your number.” I added, holding up the Com device I’d been granted. Smooth. He opened his mouth as if to speak before scowling and glancing around the place before his eyes settled back on me. He fished his ComCard from his pocket and held it up, “Got time?” I grinned openly, this was already going the best possible direction in my mind, “Only for you~” I replied playfully, emphasized with a wink. I was definitely on a bit of a power trip. He rolled his eyes and dropped a payment on the screen behind me before resting his hand on the back of my neck and leading me toward the elevator. Back in his rental, he had me set the Com device beside Blight before giving the usual silence command. My outfit was more draped silks than harness this time and provided more coverage than I usually had so he hesitated, looking the outfit over, “Your gown is in the closet if you’d like to change-” but then he continued straight on into, “you realize that device is probably bugged right?” I looked over to the Com and slouched; I knew he had to be right. There was a heavy silence before I looked back to him, eyebrows furrowed in frustration, “Was it you or not? I needa know if I gotta make shit up.” He sighed, “While it would be optimal if he’d agree to move his hoard, I can’t tell you if or when I’m involved in a job you’re not on.” “And if I told you I heard him mention moving it?” His eyes were suddenly glued to mine, “When,” he demanded. I shrugged, “Help me come up with a way t’make him think it was someone else an I’ll suggest havin you guard it in transport.” His eyebrow raised, “I told you, my end is handled. Give it a few days.” I grumbled, “An how do I know you won’t jus’ leave me here.” “We both know I can't offer collateral. You can’t even keep a shirt.” I took a deep breath, reaching into myself for the nerve to make the demand, “Swear on your honor as a Zathian.” They were a proud race, surely he could do that much. One corner of his mouth turned up in contempt, “You think I have honor among Zathians? With these scars?” he rolled his eyes but didn’t elaborate, instead making a counter offer, “I can give you my word. How’s that?” I hesitated, I could hear the negativity in his voice but didn't push for answers, accepting what I could get with a quick nod. “Suggest me to escort the shipment, tell him you can control me. Your motive will be to earn Urgu’s respect and gain status above servitude. Got it?” I nodded again, not knowing which questions my brain wanted to settle on. “I’ll elaborate on the hows and whys when we get to the other side of this. Don’t lose focus.” I grumbled lightly, wanting the answers now. “If you know too much, you’ll become a liability; to both of us. Understand?” I gave a heavy sigh of discontent but couldn't argue. He was right. I fumed quietly to myself while he awaited a response; I nodded. “Can I count on you to pull the trigger in a pinch? Should your…” he waved his hand dismissively, “pheromone thing not work?” My eyes shifted away from him as I considered the weight of the question, “You’d put a gun in my hand?” I asked, my gaze settling on the simulated flicker of the fireplace. “Yes,” he said. “And my pheromones are part of the plan?” I clarified. “That part should come natural to you,” he said. I frowned, “And what about you?” “Can you fly a ship?” he asked, waiting till I shook my head to add, “So it will be in both our best interests to not incapacitate me, won't it.” My eyebrows furrowed and I nodded before he took my chin to lead my gaze back to him, his face only inches from my own, “Can you shoot.” The butterflies in my stomach fluttered into my chest and I responded shakily, “I- it can’t be that hard can it?” I cleared my throat, trying to sound more confident as I added, “line barrel up an’ shoot, an’ keep it pointed away from anythin’ important. Easy peasy.” It was his turn to sigh, “Good enough.”

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.13 - Bad Things | Ch.14 - Magnet | Ch.15 - Use Me 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 13: Bad Things

She hears some curious information and looks for more. Mood music ⏬ Summer Kennedy - Bad Things Intro - In The End | Ch.12 - Is There Somewhere | Ch.13 - Bad Things | Ch.14 - Magnet

I spent the next week on my very best behavior and hating every minute; trying to be as attentive to Urgu’s needs as I could when he’d enter the vicinity of my usual jobs. Being able to sense another’s shifts in emotion made it easier to anticipate the Guarm’s needs but it only worked if I was close enough or I could see him. I was unsure if the line-of-sight version was connected to my race’s tele-empathy or my questionable upbringing, but it felt the same. It meant I spent less time putting on a show for the regulars to this den of debauchery, and more close to something that looked like the embodiment of gross; a large, slimy, blubbery mass that folded into itself with the weight of gravity. Even the sounds from the suction cupped tentacles on the floor was so unsettling that the most hardened folk passing through would cringe, even if they didn’t outwardly show it. The Guarm knew, and would often do it to show displeasure, inflicting the sound as a sort of psychological jab to the listener’s nerves. I heard that familiar, terrible, moist popping from Urgu’s booth and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, not because I wasn't used to it by now, but almost sympathetic to the business partner he appeared to be displeased with. Their skin was probably crawling based on how much displeasure I was picking up from them at the time. Of course, fueled by thoughts of ruining Urgu, and the potential for freedom, I pushed myself toward the very loud feeling of displeasure and looked between them, holding both in my peripherals and a bottle of something strong, “May I offer my masters something to lighten the mood?”

The guest looked positively rattled but Urgu only seemed a bit disgruntled. Both wordlessly pushed their glasses toward me for filling, which I did, equally silent. I lingered a little, blatantly eavesdropping under the guise of settling their nerves with scents. “Just move hoard. Is not big deal.” he told the blue humanoid, waving his hand to dismiss me. It sure sounded like a big deal, Guarm always kept their treasures close but hidden, “should I be keepin an eye out fer suspicious folk?” I asked. Urgu looked at me and I felt myself freeze up, holding my breath as he responded, <Someone sent a bomb to my main vault.> he responded in his language. <You know anything?> “No, sir.” <Then yes. Keep an eye out and report to me if you sense anything suspicious.> I nodded and wandered back behind the counter, eyeing everyone in the room as I cleaned up after busy servers and wondered if any of it could be connected to Vee. I didn't dare bring him up for fear of outing his plans but I was definitely looking for a red herring to offer the Guarm as a distraction just in case. What if I foiled a fake plan to poison him? No. It could incriminate me and him through me… I suppose all I could do was gather information. But from where? After another quick glance around I stepped up beside the purple Blishi who had just re-joined me behind the bar, “Hey, ye noticed anyone actin’ particularly fishy round here over the past few days?” I asked directly while helping xem get a tray of orders together. “Not really. There were a couple drunken altercations that got physical and the muscle removed them for the night, but that’s not too out of the ordinary ‘round here.” I nodded, setting the last of the meal on the tray, “Got this?” I asked. Xey nodded back and picked it up, “Got it,” and headed back out onto the floor. I looked out over the booths and tables for whoever else was working the floor with me; ideally someone who handled muscle jobs. However I settled for someone who wasn’t busy; another Blishi, xe was pink but xeir eyes were blue. Xe was also a favorite around here so surely xe’d have heard some dirt. I grabbed another bottle of Urgu’s favorite drink and headed back out to the voluptuous Blishi where xe was looking over the section xe’d got a moment of quiet from, relaxing pheromones drifting with me, “Hey Bubble. Ye see anything suspicious lately? Heard some folks been kicked out er somethin.” I started, once again, straight to the point. Xe shook xeir head, hair-blobs bouncing lightly, “It was just a couple people getting rowdy after too much to drink. You know how it goes.” I watched xem give me a curious glance and could tell I wasn't going to be getting out of this without being questioned myself, “Why, what’d you hear?” I sighed, “Urgu just… feels off?” being a sense only Faejhans had, xey couldn't really disprove it. I looked back out over the floor, taking my excuse as a launching point to get myself back out of the conversation, “Anyway, takin him a refill. Lemme know if I gotta watch anyone specific.” xey nodded and we split up, xem behind the bar counter and me back toward Urgu’s booth with the bottle. They stopped talking as I got there and pushed their glasses toward me, <updates?> Urgu asked. “Couple of the Blishi say some folks got rowdy but didn't seem like a problem outside of indulgence.” I replied, refilling both glasses. He nodded, gesturing back to the floor, <Keep your senses out. You'll be acting as a floor monitor for now. Find me if there's more.> he paused, <And leave the bottle.>

I set the bottle on the table and gave a small bow, before turning to leave. It seemed it’d managed to get a position upgrade of sorts; but of course, it was a boring night.

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.12 - Is There Somewhere | Ch.13 - Bad Things | Ch.14 - Magnet 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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I MADE A THING [also put it on redbubble cause I CAN]

the eye is funny, you’ll find out why later

#title #by me #Luxe and Lunacy #lux #luxe #lunacy #lu #lu'en #luen #pics #words

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 1: The Hunter

The strange scarred hunter breaks the ice. Mood music ⏬ Adam Jensen - The Hunter Intro - In The End | Ch.1 - The Hunter | Ch.2 - Beautiful Dangerous

It started unassuming enough. One in the sea of faces I was forced to interact with, likely doing some sort of shady business with the higher ups in the cartel. He still managed to be on my radar though; he was beautiful, sure, but the scars on his face weren't the carefully etched designs one usually saw on Zathians, nor was his attire typical for the bounty hunter type aside from the weapons. I couldn't resist the pull of curiosity, all things considered. One work cycle, after a particularly grueling shift brought on by some bullshit cover party - after the dons had all concluded their business and retired to their homes - I had flopped into a booth, exhausted. I couldn't have been there for more than 5 minutes before I was startled upright at the sound of someone setting a glass on the table. The Zathian had brought a tall glass of ice water and was in the process of sliding into the seat across from me, “Hope this seat’s not taken.” he commented, pushing the glass toward me, “You looked like you could use this.” I was confused, why was this man interacting with the help? I glanced around the room quickly before my gaze settled on the glass; considering the risks before looking up at him again. My hands both grasped the cup, the cold alone was soothing, and somewhere in my mind I was scared to lose it, “Why?” “Why not?” he responded. Unable to sense malicious intent after a long, narrowed look at him, I took that risk and drank the whole glass in one go. It was cold, it was clean, it was heaven on my dry throat, “Been a while?” he asked, watching my display. I nodded, catching my breath and pressing the cold glass of the now empty cup to my forehead, “Usually given somethin’ with alcohol if someone’s lookin’ t’ get a room,” I commented.

He raised both his hands, showing his palms, “No rooms,” he countered, “Just water.” I squinted at him, unable to tell if I was sensing danger or being paranoid, “What’s the catch, Drugs?” I asked, looking in the cup for anything strange.

He chuckled at my question, “No catch. Been working for your boss. Seen you eyeing me, thought I’d introduce myself.” he explained before reaching a hand out to me, “I’m V”

I accepted the handshake “Lu’en” I replied with my own name while still confused by the questions in my mind; was Vee a Zathian name? He grinned, flashing the intimidatingly jagged teeth of a carnivore, “Been here long?” I shook my head, setting the glass down, “Not particularly.” His grin faltered and he tilted his head, giving me a curious look, “Oh?” “Been other places longer.” I said with a shrug. “They all want Faejhans. Pheromones an’ all that,” There was a spike in his emotional state I couldn't quite decipher, but I thought I knew what was coming next - “I imagine there's a tracker in that collar, huh?” I sighed, “No, not all Faejhan’s are re-” i cut myself off, realizing he hadn’t followed the usual response to the revelation, “What?” I reached for my collar, “I uh- Yes?” He nodded slowly, eyeing its data-plate carefully before offering another smile and taking the empty glass, “I’ll tell them I enjoyed the drink.” he said with a wink before getting up and wandering off. I stayed in that booth trying to make sense of the strange man’s gesture for some time; did I just dodge a kidnapping? Would it have been a bad thing? I was only pulled from my thoughts when my collar took to sounding its alert to get back to the bunks before curfew, so I went.

Mood music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.1 - The Hunter | Ch.2 - Beautiful Dangerous 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Intro: In The End

A taste of later when the stakes are high (this is not the end). Mood music ⏬ Linkin Park - In The End Intro - In The End | Ch.1 - The Hunter | Ch.2 - Beautiful Dangerous

I opened my eyes before snapping them shut again, the flashing lights from sparking electronics above me exacerbated the already stabbing pain in my skull. How hard did I hit my head? I touched the congealing blood on my forehead, eyes opening again to confirm what was on my fingers. I looked to the pilot’s seat, my savior was slumped over the controls and a screen was flashing an alarm indicating our current trajectory was aimed directly for the asteroid belt and the ship in pursuit was gaining. The approaching danger set a burst of adrenaline free, dulling my pain as I threw myself to my feet to get to the controls. Even with the boosted strength I struggled to shove him off the console, mentally cursing how deceptively heavy Zathians were before turning my focus to the wheel and pulling it toward me to direct us away from the danger. It was locked. I pulled harder. Nothing. I stared blankly at the lights around me, searching for options and quickly descending into hopelessness. If something didn't change, and soon, we’d both be space dust. I shook the thought of impact out of my head and turned back to the man in the pilot’s seat, shaking him by his shoulders in desperation, “Wake up!” I yelled, but he was barely breathing. I looked to the small spider bot on the dash but had already learned it only followed commands in its master’s voice. I was out of ideas. I breathed a heavy, defeated sigh while looking at the man, “I envy yer unconsciousness,” I muttered, grabbing the flask from out of his pocket and raising it to the unconscious Zathian, “may this numb my…” I flopped across the co-pilot’s seat, popping open the cap, “...everything.” and drank. I guess I had it coming.

Mood music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.1 - The Hunter | Ch.2 - Beautiful Dangerous 🚨 They're basically villains, they're gonna act like it. 🔞

#fantasy #fiction #getaway #in the end #drinking #unconscious #zath #spaceship #romance #zathian #by me #lux #luxe #lunacy #lu #lu'en #luen #words #Luxe and Lunacy #LxL #act 1

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sygil-loux-hq · 6 years ago

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I saw him looking to speak to the hutt for smuggling work. I’d seen him manipulating slaves against their masters when he thought noone else was listening. I liked his style, a zabrak with a fashion sense, intelligence, and a god complex. Something told me I could use him to get me out of this hell hole, so I made myself available.

It wasn’t long before I was the slave he had alone, speaking twisted silver lines against our masters to push us to rebellion. I hung on every word spilling through his jagged teeth and used the one on one time to twist him in my favor. I called his horns a crown and he ate it up. I don’t think I meant it back then. Not at first.

#lu'en #lu'en raal #random writing #fiction #bored and high #now im tired #long live the king #king #first person #star wars #zabrak #zeltron #hutt #gonna sleep nao

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loux-luna · 3 years ago

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Luxe and Lunacy

Chapter 18: Hit and Run

The heist begins! Mood Music ⏬ LOLO - Hit and Run Intro - In The End | Ch.17 - People I Don’t Like | Ch.18 - Hit and Run | Ch.19 - Never Done This

The next eight cycles consisted of the slowest time I had ever felt, and to make it worse, I didn't sleep well either. All I could really do to keep myself distracted was pass out drinks, dance, and catch up with what gossip I could. It felt like I had only slept a couple hours the night before, but knowing there was potential for freedom pushed me beyond my usual limits. I still jumped awake and robotically got myself out of my bunk, grabbed the ComCard from a hole in my pillow, and tossed some old worn silks on. I then headed for the door where I’d told Vee to meet me. I was early and took the precious few minutes of alone time to lean against the doorframe with my eyes closed and arms crossed, hoping I could trick myself into feeling more rested. “You look like shit, are you sure you can handle this?” Vee asked as he approached, standing against the wall beside me, a decent sized gun on a sling across his back.

“It’s that or die.” I replied, not even bothering to open my eyes, “Second in command should be here any minute,” I said, intentionally slipping off the frame to lean on him instead, he always smelled amazing, “You ready?” I could almost feel him roll his eyes before he rested his hand on my back, “So you weren't given a location to go from here?” I shook my head, “It’s gonna be a need-to-know, but this is the right time and place.” And as if on cue, the ComCard in my hand chimed before Urgu’s voice came through, <Drain 7-2-8-5.> “On it.” I replied through the device without much thought and started for the usually off-limits tunnels, Vee following close behind. “Ever been in the labyrinths?” I asked, leading him through the first gate to a large tunnel with several twelve by six foot doors along the walls, most of which led to even more tunnels. “Which ones?” he asked. I looked back at him as I shoved open the door across the hall and to the right of where we’d entered, “Any?” I replied before proceeding through. He shrugged, holding the door with a lot less effort than I had needed as he passed through, “Not exactly.” I rolled my eyes this time, this tunnel started a slight decline but we only needed to travel to the first door on the left, to an even steeper hall. All the tunnels, while huge, looked a lot alike, and I was tired, anxious, and didn’t want to get lost, so I just let him get away with his non-answers and focused on the path ahead. Fourth door to the left and Vee had moved ahead of me to open it; I entered under his arm, seeing Urgu once the Zathian wasn't between us. <Next door. Hurry up.> the Guarm said, passing me two data drives before slithering into the first room to the right. I nodded before we ran forward to enter the door beside it; Urgu could move quickly when he wanted and was definitely in a rush. This room was a check in. I used the ComCard to unlock the next door and it opened immediately, the launchpad had already been drained and one of the ships engines were already whirring for takeoff. Urgu’s voice came through the speakers as we made our way to the ship, <Bot will take you to the location of the vault trailer. If you sense anyone, kill them. Complete this job and you get a real promotion.> I signaled that I'd heard him from the ramp before joining Vee inside. I could feel Vee’s anxiety in the prickling on the back of my neck, “Trust me,” I stated in a lowered tone as I passed, not slowing my progression toward the pilots cabin and letting my pheromones calm his nerves as he followed. “Yes,” he responded, no doubt glaring daggers at the bot piloting; it was armed as well. I climbed into the copilot seat and Vee strapped into the seat behind me, “Click, click, ready to go,” spoke the bot the second our belts had been secured, and the ship started its forward momentum into the tunnel out. I looked at the screen on the dash where it showed the blast doors crash shut behind us, preventing the tunnel from flooding with the hangar. I counted tunnels, not actually paying attention to our trajectory but keeping track of mainline connections and potential exits, the tunnels forming a rough 3d map in my mind. “How long?” I heard from behind me. “Classified,” retorted the bot. Then came the resulting indignant huff; I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was waiting for me to slip up. - A short zig-zaggy trip later and we entered some unlit tunnels, eventually ending up in another hangar, this one dark with small blue lights. There were four armed bots guarding the trailer, “Phase 1 complete,” commented the pilot as we landed, “Phase 2,” it looked at me, “Guard the door.” I nodded and got up, looking to Vee, “Guard me from the ramp,” I told him; I didn't trust the bots to make an effort to get me back on board. “Wait,” he pulled a pistol from inside his coat and placed it in my hand, “Guard yourself,” he stated. I nodded and continued out toward the door, keeping my senses alert while the bots connected the trailer; except I was more focused on keeping track of the bots than monitoring the umbra. They were eerily silent, likely communicating through a closed network. Vee took his weapon from its strap and stood beside the ramp, looking like a proper bodyguard though he also appeared to be exclusively watching the bots. More reason for me to assume he was the one to have found the previous vault. I didn't like being outnumbered or feeling like anything I did could be reported in an instant; and I knew I could pilot us to the surface without their help. Surely Vee would be done with them once the trailer extensions were connected. I fidgeted with my weapon, palms clamming up from nerves while I plotted out my first moves, waiting. Finally, when the others were focused on the last of the connections, I strode purposefully back toward the ship and positioned myself beside the pilot, “Not leavin’ without me,” I muttered, as if it were why I’d returned prematurely. The second I heard the connection had been secured, I pressed the barrel of the gun to the main stacks of the first bot and pulled the trigger. Weapons popped out of the other four’s arms that instant and swung to aim toward the sound; Vee quickly shot two of the ones nearest him at the connector, barking expletives over not having factored this into his scheming. The final two bots began emitting a painful screech as I ran back to the ramp, “Get in!” I yelled. Vee was already on his way in and still shooting, he even managed to take out the remaining bots in time for three more to spill in through the main entrance. I left him there to get the ship in flight while he guarded the ramp as it closed; where I could only hear bullets clanging against the metal. However, I was much more focused on getting us back into the tunnels, with the weight of the freight, before the blast door could close. Vee made his way back into the seat beside me, my own senses had dulled with the adrenaline, “What the fuck was that,” he growled, barely a question, as he strapped himself in before my flying could throw him around the cabin. I couldn't look at him but his tone was enough to tell he had been caught off guard, “Once I get us to the surface, it’s home free.” I said, assuming he didn't think I could navigate them. “I need the controls from the surface,” he sounded tense; maybe he wasn't comfortable with someone else’s jerky flying. “Gotcha,” I responded, navigating the last patch of tunnels I’d mapped in my mind’s eye on the way back..

Mood Music:

youtube

Intro - In The End | Ch.17 - People I Don’t Like | Ch.18 - Hit and Run | Ch.19 - Never Done This 🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞

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