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whatdoseitmeantobehuman · 4 days ago

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Lens of survival part 4 Trust in small steps

"This is our primary monitoring hub," Cypher explained, gesturing to a wall of screens that made your stomach clench. He must have noticed your reaction because he quickly added, "These only show the facility's entry points and perimeter. No personal quarters, no private spaces."

You forced yourself to step closer, studying the setup. It was sophisticated but transparent - each camera's location clearly marked, its purpose obvious. Nothing hidden, nothing secret.

"The feeds are accessible to all agents," he continued, pulling up a simple interface. "Even you, once you learn the system. No single person controls the information here."

That was different. Your Cypher had kept his surveillance network close, using it like a web with him as the spider at its center. This was more like... a shared shield.

"Show me," you said softly, and his head turned sharply toward you, surprised by your willingness.

For the next few hours, he walked you through everything - the motion sensors, the perimeter alerts, even the simple AI that helped monitor patterns. His teaching style was patient, methodical, so unlike the manipulative half-truths you were used to.

"And this," he said, pulling up a final screen, "is the panic button system. Every room has one, including yours. One press, and help comes running."

You touched the small interface. "Even if... even if it's a false alarm?"

"Especially then," he said firmly. "Better a hundred false alarms than one missed call for help."

A comfortable silence fell between you, broken only by the soft hum of equipment. It felt... safe. Not the suffocating safety of constant surveillance, but the security of understanding and control.

"Thank you," you said finally. "For showing me all this. For making it... different."

He nodded, and you caught a glimpse of his eyes through his mask - warm and concerned, not calculating.

After Cypher finished showing you the security systems, you spent days planning in secret. The facility's kitchen became your sanctuary during off-hours, a place where memories of control couldn't reach you. With Killjoy's help to access supplies, you prepared a feast that would bring everyone together.

You spent hours cooking dishes from around the world:

For Raze: Spicy Brazilian feijoada with extra malagueta peppers and warm pão de queijo

For Sova: Hearty pelmeni in dill-heavy sour cream sauce

For Sage: Delicate dim sum - har gow, siu mai, and lotus leaf sticky rice

For Killjoy: Traditional German rouladen with spätzle

For Phoenix: Jerk chicken with rice and peas, spiced like his mum's

For Viper: A precisely composed salad with grilled chicken and complex vinaigrette

For Brimstone: Classic meatloaf with bourbon glaze

For Omen: Dark chocolate tart with espresso cream

For Jett: Steaming kimchi jjigae with extra tofu

For Breach: Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce

For Chamber: Coq au vin with perfectly roasted potatoes

For Astra: Jollof rice with spiced chicken

For Skye: Vegetable pie with herbs from her garden

For KAY/O: A note expressing appreciation

For Yoru: Japanese curry with tonkatsu and umeboshi onigiri

For Cypher: Moroccan pastries and lamb tagine

For Reyna: Authentic Mexican mole poblano with fresh tortillas and Mexican rice (your world's Reyna had once told you it reminded her of family dinners in Mexico, before she lost everything)

For Gekko: Spicy Mexican street tacos with all the fixings (your world's Gekko had sworn by street food)

For Harbor: Butter chicken and fresh naan (his favorite comfort food)

For Iso: Chinese army stew with extra spam (a guilty pleasure he'd admitted to once)

For Fade: Traditional Turkish menemen and börek (foods that reminded her of Istanbul)

You asked Killjoy to help send a facility-wide message: "Dinner in the main hall at 7. Everyone. Please."

Your hands trembled slightly as you arranged everything on the long table. Each dish was labeled, steam rising from the hot foods, everything perfectly timed. You'd even set up different beverage stations - Turkish coffee, Japanese tea, fresh lemonade.

At 7 sharp, they started arriving. You stood nervously by the entrance, watching their faces.

"Holy shit," Gekko breathed, Wingman bobbing excitedly beside him. "Are those real street tacos?"

"Damn," Harbor's eyes widened at the spread. "This is... this is incredible."

Fade approached the Turkish dishes, her expression softening. "This smells like home."

"Everyone," you called out softly, and the room quieted. "I... I wanted to thank you all. For giving me a chance. For showing me what a real family could be." You gestured to the table. "In my world, I knew all of your counterparts. Some better than others. They taught me these recipes, shared their favorites... before everything changed. I hope... I hope you'll share this meal with me."

The reactions came in waves:

Raze whooped at the sight of the feijoada: "THIS SMELLS LIKE MY GRANDMOTHER'S KITCHEN!"

Iso picked up his army stew, eyebrows raised. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," you smiled, remembering how your world's Iso would sneak extra portions during late nights.

Gekko was already stuffing his face with tacos: "These are better than the ones in Mexico City!"

The room filled with chatter and movement as everyone found their dishes. Chamber appreciated the wine pairing you'd selected. Fade closed her eyes at the first bite of börek. Harbor couldn't stop praising the butter chicken's authenticity.

Even the more reserved agents showed their appreciation. Viper nodded approvingly at her salad's composition. Omen found a quiet corner but cleaned his plate completely.

Reyna's reaction was particularly striking. She stood over her plate, purple eyes gleaming with an unusual softness. "Mole poblano... mi madre's recipe?" she asked, her usually fierce demeanor gentling as she took in the complex aroma.

"As close as I could get it," you admitted. "The other you... she spent an entire night teaching me how to make it right. Said some recipes carry the souls of those we've lost."

Reyna's hand briefly touched the heart locket she always wore. "Hermana would have loved this," she whispered, so quietly you almost missed it. Then, louder, with her usual confident smile: "Your soul is strong, pequeña. You honor our traditions well."

Yoru tried to maintain his gruff exterior, but you caught him getting seconds of the curry. And thirds of the onigiri.

Cypher... Cypher sat nearby, occasionally glancing your way as he savored each pastry. You pretended not to notice how he'd specifically chosen a seat that let him watch over both you and the room.

You watched as Reyna and Gekko good-naturedly argued over whose Mexican dish was more authentic, while she simultaneously kept refilling everyone's plates with mole, insisting they needed to "put meat on their bones." It was a side of her you'd rarely seen in your world - nurturing, almost maternal.

The evening evolved into something magical. Barriers broke down as agents shared bites of their dishes with others. Stories flowed as freely as the drinks. Even KAY/O joined in, sharing his observations about human bonding rituals over food.

"In my world," you found yourself saying during a lull, "we lost moments like this. The war took away our ability to just... be together. To share meals and stories."

"Well," Skye said firmly, squeezing your shoulder, "you're not losing these moments here."

"Never," agreed Harbor, raising his glass. "To family - across all dimensions."

"To family," they echoed, and you felt tears prick your eyes as every agent - even the most stoic ones - joined the toast.

Later, as people were helping clean up (despite your protests), Cypher approached with an empty pastry plate.

"You made them with pistachios," he noted quietly.

"Your favorite," you replied, then caught yourself. "I mean, his favorite. Sorry, I shouldn't assume-"

"No," he interrupted gently. "They're my favorite too. Some things, it seems, are constant across dimensions."

You looked around at the warm scene - Raze and Gekko arguing playfully over the last taco, Harbor teaching Phoenix the proper way to eat naan, Fade and Omen sharing the last of the Turkish coffee, Yoru pretending he wasn't wrapping up extra onigiri for later.

"Maybe the best things are," you whispered.

For the first time since arriving in this world, you felt truly at home.

#fanfic #valorant fanfiction #valorant x reader #video game #x female reader #x reader fanfiction #valorant fanfic #cypher #cypher valorant #cypher x reader #cypher fanfic #lens of survival

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tossawary · 10 months ago

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The AVALANCHE group in "Final Fantasy 7: Remake" keeps cracking me up. They're not wearing any face masks to hide their identities when busting into secure SHINRA facilities full of surveillance cameras??? They don't even change outfits when they're not running missions??? It's killing me.

Assuming that they are not outright killing every SHINRA trooper they encounter (maybe they are, idk), even if they weren't being caught on a bunch of surveillance cameras (the opening mission shows this happening), there's like dozens of people who should be able to give relatively detailed descriptions of them??? (Also, I laugh every time the screen says that Cloud has "defeated" a SHINRA trooper. If he's a super soldier swinging that much sharp metal around at high speeds, he should (realistically) be cutting people in half. It is amusing to me to see the people enemies just fall over and the machine enemies get trashed. I find it very cartoony.)

(I am still failing to properly watch my way through this series during work. I personally don't super love the hyperrealistic dolls design style and I don't think it jives all that well with the incredibly cartoony world building, clumsy "as you know" exposition, and wacky gameplay execution so far. It's just not my thing. Yet I found "Ace Attorney" utterly intolerable to watch but very fun to actually play through the wackiness, so I'll give FF7 the benefit of the doubt there and say, "Sure, I assume this is still really fun to actually play and that the world is immersive enough that way.")

This game is a "AAA" remake of a super popular game in a super popular franchise, but they apparently couldn't be bothered to make secondary "civilian" models for Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge? What is this? A cheaply made cartoon series? These characters are waltzing around the slums in their matching bright red bandanas and Jessie, who is apparently a former performer and therefore especially recognizable, is always wearing her silly tit-sculpted armor. AVALANCHE took a crowded passenger train home from their opening terrorist mission when they should rightfully all smell and look awfully beat-up and suspicious after fleeing a massive reactor explosion???

Like, I don't really care if the characters think they're hacking the camera systems here or if the game wants pretty character faces to be visible at all times. I also don't really care about faithfulness to the original setup. They could yank facemasks down during specific cutscenes? Cloud could lose his facemask at a dramatic moment during a cutscene? And Jessie could exclaim over how cute Cloud is at the end of the mission or whatever; you can frame all of their faces as a rewarding reveal at the end of the opener. I know that character models removing clothing is super hard in 3D animation, especially games, but there are storyboarding and model swap tricks for that. You can fake ripping off a facemask relatively easily.

If the point is for SHINRA to know it's them all along and to set them up to take the fall for something later, then AVALANCHE taking greater precautions and the Turks catching them out anyway could be used to make both AVALANCHE and the Turks look more competent / dangerous. Maybe you could generously interpret SHINRA's apparent failure to catch our protagonists out as the corporation being a bloated wreck of greed and incompetent, overly reliant on their technology and wealth, but that still doesn't really excuse for me making the AVALANCHE characters look this reckless. Jessie later visits her SHINRA employees PARENTS' HOUSE in her TERRORIST UNIFORM??? JESSIE, NO!!! That's so dangerous.

There's so much detail in the backgrounds here already! If it's a matter of resources, surely some random mob NPC models could be cut so that I could see Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge in cute civilian wear outside of their missions! I am already suspending so much disbelief for so much of FF7's wacky worldbuilding, but these little details are what's really tripping me up for some reason, like, come on. SHOW ME that these characters are good at what they do by having them take some basic precautions.

I laughingly shared these thoughts with someone and they said (jokingly critical of the game as well) that Barret probably doesn't bother with secrecy because he's already apparently the only big black guy around and almost certainly the only big black guy with a gun for an arm. Which is a point! But also, BARRET!!! YOU'RE A FATHER!!! SUNGLASSES ARE NOT SUFFICIENT ANONYMITY HERE!!! THINK OF MARLENE, MAN!!!

#tossawary ff7 #cloud strife #jessie biggs and wedge #barret wallace #long post #spoilers

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luna-andra · 1 year ago

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The Shadows Return | Simon 'Ghost' Riley x OC Retired AU | Chapter 8: Compromise

Summary: Andra wants answers, and Ghost has to choose

Word Count: 6.5k

If this is the first time you're seeing this, Chapter 1 is here. You can find the rest on my masterlist!

Content: slow burn, eventual smut, 18+, fluff, mentions of mental health, mild violence

The clouds on the way home were overcast across the afternoon sky. Johnny left Andra with several things to think over, bringing her back to a familiar train of thought from five years ago.

He gave her the same look that stirred shame in her belly. She didn’t like being on a different level of rationality – or lack thereof – with the people once close to her.

It was declared by the officer that showed up there was no indication of foul play. The possibility of an incompetent and inconvenienced officer being sent to her call was in the forefront of her mind, and also the possibility of any traces of someone’s presence could have been washed away from the thunderstorm by the time they came out to investigate. The whole process of filing the report gave her no peace of mind, but she took the advice of setting up surveillance seriously.

A precautionary that she should have done ages ago.

The quiet, quaint life out on the farm had soothed her troubled worries all of these years, making her forget for a moment what it was like to live looking over her shoulder every moment. She wasn’t naïve, no, she knew how to take care of herself when the seldom case of harassment arose. Andra should have never gotten so comfortable the way she did.

Her foot pressed down heavily on the brake pedal as she waited at a stop light to rub the exhaustion from her eyes. She was just a few more turns from home, she reminded herself. The caffeine she had ingested all throughout the morning was threatening a big crash.

Andra drove slowly down Middleton Lane as she spotted the first right turn to the private dirt road of Ghost’s property. Then her truck came to a full stop. You know what-

Her hand turned the wheel right as her tires skid around the corner.

Andra didn’t know what she was doing, or what she would exactly say to him, but she needed to know what was going through his head.

Andra parked behind his truck and turned the key out of the ignition. She paused for a few seconds to take a breath and gather at least the first sentence that would come out of her mouth.

Her phone vibrated.

I’m in the garage.

Of course Ghost knew Andra had arrived, another sign that she definitely needed to do the same thing to her property. Cameras and motion sensors.

She shut the door behind her as she made her way to the garage off to the right of his house. One of the metal double doors was left cracked open, and she could hear the metal clink of a tool being put down.

The garage was Ghost’s own personal auto shop, with an incomplete classic-looking car taking up majority of the left. The wall was lined with tool boxes, yard tools, and almost a pallet’s worth of army green ammo cans. To the right, a rudimentary gym setup took up another portion of space, with a bench press, a high pull-up bar, seemingly crafted and welded together amateurly, and a rack of assorting dumbbells and plates to complete it all.

Ghost was hunched over the open hood of the car, one hand on the lip of the hood as he kept his attention on whatever he had been working on before Andra’s unannounced arrival.

“Is this your way of letting me know that you’re pushing me away again?” Andra sharply said to the backside of Ghost.

Ghost tossed a tool onto the toolbox on his left side and retrieved a rag, wiping grease from his stained hands. His muscles tensed in his back as he turned to Andra’s direction. “Today has been a really tense day. I wanted to give you some space to come down from last night.”

Andra clenched her jaw. “I don’t need space, I need answers. I feel like I’ve been kept in the dark about something I have no control over.”

“That’s because you don’t.”

She could feel her blood simmering already. Not how she wanted this to go. “I don’t because you never gave me the choice to take control.” Andra couldn’t recognize the person she was talking to. His stare was cold and dark. If his goal was to anger her into cutting her losses with him, it wasn’t going to work. “You didn’t tell me anything because we lost touch the first time, fine, I get it. But you went ahead and told Johnny? That’s what I can’t get passed.”

Ghost trudged out of the garage with Andra following behind him. “He and I had an eye on things. We had it under our thumbs.”

Andra tossed her hands up. “Had what exactly?” Her voice echoed all around them. “What the hell is going on with you?”

He turned back to her, stopping her in her tracks before bumping right into him. Ghost peered down to her, his eyes burning the same heat. “What do you want from me? You want me to take back what I did?”

Her fists clenched hard enough for her nails to dig into her palm. “No, I just want you to stop being such a hard ass and talk to me.” Her carotid artery strained against the muscles in her neck. “Tell me what you think is going on and we’ll deal with it together.”

He flinched as if her hand flew across his face.

“You keep acting like you’re looking for an excuse to push me away, for an excuse to leave.” Andra’s chest rose and fell with a heavy rhythm. “You act as if one morning I’ll wake up and you won’t be here, and you’ll just be a memory for me.”

His eyes squeezed shut as his own breath left him.

“You’ve thought about it, haven’t you? Leaving without another word, taking your shadows with you.” There was a shiver in her voice.

“I have.” Ghost finally answered. “I could leave in a moment’s notice. I’ve done it before.”

Andra didn’t doubt him. She had done it herself, she knew how easy it was to pack a couple of bags and leave. “What’s stopping you this time?”

Ghost opened his eyes to meet hers.

She scoffed and turned away from his silent response. The wind picked up and wisps of her hair flew around her face. She had to squint her eyes at the unbearable overcast sunlight. “I was able to forgive you for cutting me off the first time. I shook it off because there was no expectation for you to keep in contact after fixing my truck. Then you came back, and I thought you wanted me in your life, and maybe we even had something. Cool. Great, even.

“But when you brought up the transpiring events, the person driving up our street and telling me there have been people on my property?” She shook her head. “You think you’re handling this on your own but you’re not. I won’t let you. Either you let me know what’s going on, or you’ve lost my trust.”

His eyes were unreadable when she saw him once more.

Andra reached into her pocket and flipped her keys into her palm, the key ring sitting on her index finger as she clenched them tight. “I’ll see you around, Ghost. If you figure out what you want to do, you know where to find me.”

The screen door smacked the side of the house harder than it should. Andra wasn’t paying attention. Her face still felt hot with anger. Sammy darted outside for her chance to do what she does, leaving her alone in the house.

The air felt thick, charged with energy that wasn’t there when she woke up the morning before. Or maybe it was her mind messing with her. Either way, her house felt compromised.

The tears collected in her eyes out of nowhere, and she quickly wiped them away. This is stupid. She felt ridiculous for letting it get to her. For letting a shattered window re-surface the fear that drove her away to another country.

This was all going to blow over. The tracks in the woods were a random coincidence, the car meant nothing. And the rock flying into her window was just a freakish feat of nature. She’s witnessed some heavy storms in the countryside in her years of living here. It wouldn’t be the first time something has sustained damage on her property, and it was bound to happen again.

“Be kind to yourself.” Andra whispered to herself as she kicked her shoes off, remembering what she was taught in therapy and from self-help reading. However, being kind to herself was proving difficult with the lingering anger from talking to Ghost.

The nerve of him.

But also, the nerve of her. She felt the weight of her corrosive past. An affliction, threatening to dismantle the life she had built. It had to be irrational, she was no one. She wasn’t worth being tracked down, right? That’s the rhetoric she kept force feeding herself. They had succeeded in getting rid of her, she made sure of it. At this point, if anyone wanted to pursue in finishing the job, she would end up burning a hole in their dirty wallets.

And if Ghost was going to play the need-to-know card, two can play that game.

She stopped in her tracks as she walked into the kitchen, catching a glimpse of the black trash bag covering her window. It crinkled and swayed inward and outward with the passing wind. The ever-growing chasm in her chest was making itself comfortable, and she couldn’t stand it.

-----

Ghost knew Johnny would stop calling after the second time he reached his voicemail. The third call in a row told him that he better answer the phone. His heavy hand reached out to the nightstand for his phone, swiped his thumb across the screen and pressed it against his ear, eyes closed. “Yes, sir.”

“You broken, Simon?”

Price’s gravelly voice came through the speaker on his phone, and it was like a splash of cold water on him. It was a question he was familiar with Price asking, except he’s no longer checking for missing limbs or hemorrhaging blood loss. Ghost sat up on the edge of his mattress and rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes. “M’solid.”

“When’s the last time you got a full eight hours of sleep?” Price asked.

Ghost took a quick glance at the time on his phone before returning the receiver to his ear. “I was getting’ rest before you woke me up.” He was only asleep for two hours, and his pounding head reminded him that it had been a restless 72 hours.

Price doesn’t reach out very often. The captain – along with the other lads – will dedicate an amount of time out of the year to catch up with the former task force in person. It was an annual event of spending the holidays doing anything but celebrating Christmas and New Years. When he hears from Price before November, it’s because he’s been tipped off on Ghost’s concerning behavior.

“Soap tells me you’re acting barmy, you think you’re being followed, son?”

There it was.

Ghost didn’t respond for a few beats, his feet felt like lead against the cold wooden floor. “A couple of events transpired, would put you on edge, too.”

He could hear a deep sigh come from the other end of the line, and it had Ghost clench his jaw. “Get yourself to an appointment or a meeting, or I’ll bring the meeting to you.”

Price’s demand sent a wave of guilt and shame through Ghost. The memories of being pulled up off the living room floor and thrown into his tub flashed behind his heavy eyelids. Price, Johnny and Gaz showed up. Ghost reeked of alcohol and piss. They had him hauling bags of sand back and forth from his backyard to the range on his property for several hours, making him sweat and puke the remains of alcohol in his system.

“I’m still sober.” Ghost gritted his teeth. He made Ghost sound like an addict.

Price clipped his words, “See your doctor, and get out of bed for a sweat.”

Ghost opened his eyes to the void of his darkened room and sighed. “I’ll set up an appointment today.”

“Good lad.” Beep-beep-beep went the line as Price disconnected the call.

Sleep had eluded Ghost once more. He sat there at the edge of his bed and rolled his neck, failing to relax the knotted muscles at the base of his neck. His eyes burned, and his headache pressed down on every surface of his skull. He felt an irritation for Price waking him up, but rationality told him it wasn’t his fault.

Since sleep was out of the question, Ghost stood up and peered out the bedroom window. The sun wasn’t due to come up for another couple of hours, but he insisted to listen to Price’s advice. Get a workout in, then when the office opened, call doc to get that appointment.

His feet were heavy as he shuffled to the bathroom. Ghost always looked down to the basin of the sink before turning on the lights, avoiding the reflection staring back at him. He watched as his hands gripped the edge of the counter. Scars littered his knuckles, the skin over bone splitting open too many times for him to count.

It was when he was sick of looking at the reminders of his violence when he slipped and the person he hated stared back with cold, dead eyes.

You’ve tried killing me so many times, but fail every single time. You need me. You need the mask. You need it to hide so there’s never a chance to hurt again. You don’t deserve her. You try and pretend to be someone worthy of a teaspoon of affection, but you’re not what she needs. You’re filthy. You’re-

The glass shattered against his fist as he struck as quick as an asp. He hissed between clenched teeth, cursing as the reached for a towel and covered his bleeding knuckles.

If one thing was for certain, his reflection was right.

He didn’t deserve her.

-----

Andra flipped closed the back end of the book and placed it on her blanket covered lap to rub her tired eyes. Every night she would read The Operators when it was evident she wouldn’t be getting peaceful rest, or when something had her jolting awake. She had no clue how many hours she had slept in the past couple of days; definitely not enough to keep her from loading up on caffeine and making her debate breaking her years of being nicotine-free.

She could hear the roosting of her birds out in the coop. Andra leaned her head back against the headboard and sighed. There wouldn’t be time to try and fall asleep. Her day had to start.

After the morning chores, Andra headed inside for another cup of coffee. She stared out of her newly replaced window, out into the distance. It was hard not to; it was as if something – or someone – was going to come storming out from the brush and trees. All remained quiescent in those groves, as logic would have it.

The rattling sound of her plastic phone case vibrating against the countertop broke her focus. She swiped her finger across the screen and pressed the speaker button. “What’s up, Johnny?”

“I need to ask a favor.”

His voice was hushed and the words were muddled like he had the phone pressed against his mouth, and she could hear the workings of the auto shop in the background.

“I need you to go check on Ghost for me, he called out of work this morning.”

Andra felt her chest and throat tighten all at the same time. Johnny wasn’t aware of the fallout between her and Ghost from the sound of it. Or if he did, he must be extremely concerned for Ghost’s silence. I figured he would be used to it by now… she thought bitterly. “You need me to go immediately?”

“Take yer time, a mate of ours reached him this mornin’. Just pop over there when you get a chance. Gotta go, text me.”

The line went dead before Andra could say bye. She released a heavy sigh after taking her first sip, her fingers tapped against the countertop as apprehension churned in her gut.

Maybe Ghost took their last conversation as motivation for him to actually leave.

Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes, and she rubbed them away with her thumb and index finger, pushing her fingers together to pinch the bridge of her nose. She didn’t want their relationship – friendship – whatever they had, to end on that note. Fuck, I messed up.

She took a deep breath to regain composure. You don’t know if he’s gone. Andra decided she would go by after her run to the post office to pick up her package. With a quick rinse of her empty coffee mug, she headed to the front door to collect her keys and purse.

The sound of gravel crunching and a vehicle engine made her pause in her tracks. Her heart raced, she could feel her adrenaline dump. Her shaky hand moved aside the curtain to look out the window beside the door, and the sight of Ghost’s truck had her releasing a heavy breath.

It took everything in her not to throw the door open and run to him. She took another grounding breath and unlocked the door, opening it to Ghost preparing to knock.

Andra swore her heart was going to burst. The look in his eyes mirrored the same surprise she displayed. The discernible presence of a bandage wrapped around Ghost’s hand caught her attention in the corner of her eye.

He noticed where her eyes fell to, and shoved it in the pocket of his jacket. “You got a minute to speak?”

His voice sounded like sandpaper. He looked just as sleep deprived as she felt. Andra couldn’t say anything, so she just nodded. She closed the door behind her and opted to sit on the wooden bench, leaving a space for Ghost to sit beside her. He never did, instead he decided to lean against the railing, his ankle crossed over the other.

Seconds passed before anything was said. “I’m not good with words, you’ll have to bear with me.”

Andra folded her legs beneath her and clasped her hands together. Her eyes remained on him as she waited to hear him out.

His head tilted down. “I gave a lot of thought to what you said, about losing your trust.” He rolled his neck, rolling the nerves and giving him a chance to think. “And I realized, taking a bullet is far less painful than that.”

Andra could see his adam’s apple bob in his throat underneath the fabric of his mask as he tilted his head back with closed eyes. She felt her throat tightening, and had to swallow to relieve the ache.

“So, I’ve come to terms with if I want to mend what I had with you, I’m going to have to find a way to tell you what you need to know.” Ghost’s eyes found hers, searching for a response.

She gave him a subtle nod, letting the words sink in. “How are you going to do that?”

Ghost uncrossed his ankles and took the two steps to sit beside her. It was a struggling few seconds for him to begin speaking. “Did you ever pick that book back up?”

Andra was confused by the approach he was taking, but went with it. “Yeah, I finished it actually.”

"Did the author talk about some of his assignments?" Ghost asked patiently.

She recalled what the author was able to talk about and reveal. "Not specifics, but he went in detail with Selection, and then the training thereafter and some events that happened in the 80s in Northern Ireland."

He nodded as he listened. "What did the training entail?"

"Physical training, a lot of sleep deprivation, weapons and vehicle tactics, photography, interrogation..." Andra's words drifted as she continued her recollection. She wouldn't say this out loud, but it was a dry read.

Ghost cut in at the mention of the last topic. "Interrogation, okay." His shoulders rose and fell as he let out a deep breath, and his hands flexed over and over. "I've been on both ends of being interrogated. Not just in training, but out on the field." His red-rimmed eyes aged several decades, and her chest grew heavy. "And there were times the bars and stars – officers that outranked me and my team – had ordered us to let go of the person we had just roughed up.

"They were dangerous people, Andra, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Andra was piecing together why Ghost had given her that book to read. It was more than just what was on the surface. The selection process, the training, the assignments, the images in the book illustrating the teams with black lines redacting their eyes. It occurred to her then when she was reading it all, Ghost was another one of the SAS operatives that had an alias, he had paperwork with his name on it that contained redacted information on what he and his team had accomplished, but now discussing it all solidified it for her.

Not only him, but Johnny as well, and Johnny had brought up a few other names. People that were also special forces.

It was sobering. She never took the time to sit with all of this information and come to terms that these men had enemies that went deeper than just being from differing nations. Enemies that may or may not still be alive out there, preying on the downfall of the men she had come to know.

“Has anyone ever found you or Johnny?” Andra asked with a tremble in her throat.

“No.” He answered definitively. “And I would like to keep it that way.”

Andra nodded, as she fully agreed with him.

Ghost leaned back against the bench. “I truly never intended to alarm you and bring you to endless conclusions. I wish I could take it back, my foolishness, everything.”

“You can’t help that, though.” Andra defended. “It was a really messed up chain of events.”

There was a pregnant pause. “I have moments like these when there are too many coincidences happening at once. I’ve been working on how I handle it.”

Andra turned to him. “Do you… talk to someone about it?” She felt hesitant to ask.

Ghost’s eyes slid back to her. “Does that bother you?”

She shook her head swiftly. “No, oh Gods, no I didn’t mean it that way.” Her hands covered her face for a moment. “That was wrong of me to ask.”

Ghost reached for one of her hands. “You have every right to know, doll.” The calloused pad of his thumb brushed the top of her hand. She could feel a tremor in his touch.

It would have warmed her heart had it not been for the churning contrite souring her stomach. He had every right to know, too, but how would she even begin to tell him?

His injured hand was holding hers. She took this opportunity to distract herself from the guilt eating at her. “What happened to your hand?”

“Ridiculous accident with some glass.” He answered too quickly. Andra could feel him wanting to recoil, but he continued to let her hold his hand. Her peripheral vision gave her a peak of Ghost studying her face. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look exhausted.”

Andra let go of his hand and rubbed her eyes. “I really haven’t been sleeping. Every little noise wakes me up, and I lay there for hours.”

Ghost’s eyes turned serious. “What can I do to remedy that?” Andra started to shake her head. “No, I’m responsible for this. Name it, I’ll do what I can.”

“I was actually on my way to go pick up a security system I ordered from the post office.” Andra raised her hand with her set of keys jingling.

Ghost stood from the bench, Andra followed in suit. “That I can do.”

Her smile returned. If it was one thing Andra was certain about Ghost, acts of service was how he communicated his apologies. It was easier to demonstrate with his hands than words.

After picking up the hefty box of camera and motion sensor equipment, Andra worked around the farm after her and Ghost discussed where the best places to set up the cameras would be. He got it done in less than a few hours, giving them time to pick up food together.

As they traveled, she remembered Johnny was waiting for an update from her.

Ghost is fine, we’re picking up food.

“So, you read the book in the past three days?” Ghost asked to start up chatter. Look who’s talking more now.

She hummed. “I read when I can’t sleep, and found it sitting there on the table before I locked up for bed.” Andra glanced at him. “What do you do when you can’t sleep?” Her phone vibrated with a response.

Thank you.

Ghost shrugged. “I lay there hoping I fall asleep.”

“I would get so bored.” Andra confessed, tapping her hands on her thighs. “You don’t even scroll through Netflix or something to try and turn your brain off?”

“I don’t have Netflix.” He responded.

Andra shook her head and blinked. “Remind me to give you my login.”

“I don’t watch TV or movies.”

Now she was looking at him like he was crazy. “You’re lying. You’re a liar.”

He rolled his eyes. “I do watch movies, but they’re all old war movies or westerns on DVD.”

Andra narrowed her eyes. “What are you, fifty?”

Ghost chortled. “I have a while before I hit fifty, thank you for that.”

“How long is a while?” Andra smirked. “Five years or six months?” His mouth opened, but she kept going. “Wait, I bet you have M.A.S.H. all on DVD, don’t you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with M.A.S.H.” Ghost defended.

“Yeah, when you’re as old as my dad and watching it on your days off as you doze on the living room couch at eleven in the morning.”

“You’re pushing your luck, doll.” Ghost warned with a grin in his voice. “Let me put it this way, I joined the Royal Air Force after the events of 9/11.”

Andra’s face went slack and her eyes were as wide as saucers. She turned to the passenger window with a hand pretending to scratch the side of her head and wondered if he would be weirded out if she told him she was in grade school during 9/11.

Her silence was loud in the cabin. “We’re not that far apart in age if you know M.A.S.H.” Ghost resumed.

Andra raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you saying I look old?”

“No.” His accent thickened as his voice dropped. “I didn’t say that.”

She was having too much fun busting his chops. “We have a tad bit of an age gap,” she demonstrated with her thumb and index finger with a small gap, “I’m a ninety’s baby.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Three years is a tad of an age gap, not a whole decade.”

Andra rolled her eyes. “Is this what I have to look forward to in my thirties?” She laughed at the flash of astonishment as he panned a look at her. “I’m kidding! Well, kind of, but I’ll be thirty next summer.”

Ghost smoothed his hand over his covered mouth. “You’re killing me, woman.”

“Best stay on top of those heart meds then – ooh!” Andra shot forward and was caught by her seatbelt from Ghost slamming the breaks harder than normal. “You’re gonna cause an accident, sir.”

After a few beats of silence, Ghost changed the subject. “I hope the camera system will give you some peace of mind.”

“I’m sure it will.” She nodded with a hopeful smile.

Ghost ran inside the chip shop they ordered from while Andra sat in the truck to keep it running. Her head tilted back onto the head rest as she stared up at the roof of the truck. The lack of sleep was catching up to her, and now that there was less of a problem with surveillance around the farm, she felt the muscles in her shoulders relaxing.

The sudden sound of the driver door opening had her jerking back awake. She attempted to cover up the fact that she had dozed off in his truck with a little stretch of her legs.

Ghost handed her the bag of food without noticing her brief second of sleep and drove back to her house.

-----

“I get why you go to this place.” Andra spoke in between eating in the living room with him. “It’s not bad.”

“It’s also because Johnny has been getting us discounts from his little girlfriend.” Ghost wiped his mouth with a crumpled napkin.

Andra looked over the app on her phone that connected her to all of the cameras on her property. The feed looked really good, giving her confidence that she could point out important details if she ever had to. She switched to the camera that aimed at the dirt driveway with both trucks sitting outside. Her thumb and index finger spread across the screen to utilize the zoom feature; she was able to read off the license plate numbers from each truck.

“Thank you again for setting up the cameras.” Andra locked her phone and placed it down on the coffee table.

Ghost covered the lower half of his face back up with the balaclava as he finished his own meal. “Thank you for letting me.”

Her heart fluttered at the sudden drop in his voice. His eyes were set on her when she turned to look at him. Despite not being able to see his expression, she could feel a softness in his brown eyes.

“Let me get these out of the way.” Ghost insisted as he began to collect the takeout containers. Andra sucked down the last of her drink in her Styrofoam cup and tossed it into the bag Ghost was using.

Andra slipped a hand in the back pocket of her jeans. “You staying for a little while?”

“I can.”

She felt some relief for having to spend less time by herself for the evening.

While Ghost did his thing, Andra browsed her bookshelf in search of a new read.

“Anything interesting?” Ghost asked as he returned.

Andra chose Dune from the shelf. “Maybe.” She returned to her designated reading lounge chair and curled her legs up. “How far did you get with The Outsiders?”

Ghost scratched the back of his head. “Maybe the first fifty pages.” Then, he tilted his head. “How did you know I had it?”

Andra smirked. “It was gone the following morning after you left.”

Did she have him flustered? The indecisive glance to the couch and back to the front door then back to the kitchen was amusing enough to have her grinning.

“I have it in the truck, actually. Be right back.” Ghost made his way outside, letting in a kissing, chilly breeze.

It must have been the book she chose, or the way she receded back into the cushions, but she felt the wave of sleepiness return back. Or maybe it was Ghost’s presence, knowing he was only a few feet away on the couch with Sammy next to him. He emitted an aura that Andra could only classify as comfort. Safety.

She knew he was safe to fall asleep around, she knew he would keep her safe.

Andra flinched out of the sleep she was slipping into and let out a disappointed sigh. Her book was still in her hand, but the pages were damp from the warmth of her fingers holding them in place. She closed the book, not worried about where she left off because she wasn’t paying attention anyway and softened her movements as she looked to her right.

Ghost’s head lulled to one side from the upright position he fell asleep in, his arms crossed over his chest and his own book sitting on the table with Sammy resting in her own bed by the window. The heavy breath he suck in and released told her he was deeper in that sleep than she was.

How is he sleeping with the mask on? Andra wondered.

With light movement, Andra rose from her chair and padded quietly to the hallway closet to retrieve a blanket. He looked as tired as she felt halfway through the day, and she wasn’t about to wake him up and send him home. She unraveled the blanket and moved to lay it over Ghost just above his arms and below his collarbone.

But his awareness was more keen than Andra had anticipated. Ghost reached out, throwing the blanket off and swiped her wrists single-handed. The room went spinning, and she let out a small yelp as her back met the bottom cushions of the couch, his grasp securing her wrists above her head.

Ghost’s eyes were wild with alert, then widened as he realized who he just wrestled down. It startled her at first, but out of nervousness a chortle escaped. Then a chuckle, and confusion wrinkled Ghost’s eyebrows.

She probably looked insane to him. She was supposed to be frightened, but all she was was dizzy. And too aware of how his body hovered over her. The grip on her wrists eased up but remained there. Her giggles dissipated, along with whatever she was about to say. She was too absorbed by Ghost’s eyes darting all over her face, and she wasn’t too sure, but she was almost certain he kept looking to her mouth.

Before Andra could register what she was doing, she pressed her lips against the teeth of the skull pattern on his mask, hitting her mark as she felt his lips beneath. Ghost pulled away like she had put his hand in an open flame, his eyes widened. Oh shit, what have I done –

His empty hand shoved up the fabric of his balaclava and he smashed his mouth against hers. Heat blazed through her face, molten liquid flooding her core as she took in every sensation overwhelming her. The fierce hunger of his kiss. The friction of their bodies pressed against each other. The solid grip Ghost had on her wrists.

She couldn’t get close enough to him. Her leg attempted to hook around his waist, but only succeeded in wrapping around a thigh that nestled its way between her legs.

He couldn’t pull himself away, and instead fed the part telling him to nudge his knee where she wanted it. Ghost freed her hands to grip the thigh pulling him in, giving her free reign to cradle his stubbled jaw. His fingertips worked divots into the fabric of her jeans, earning a small sound from her tightening throat.

Andra hoped there would be marks later left where he was squeezing.

Her tongue slipped out between her lips and playfully swiped across his mouth. Oh fuck, the sound that just came from him… Andra had never heard arousal so delicious before.

All of Ghost was crashing through her like a freight train. His taste, his heat, his sounds. Her head felt like it’s been shoved underwater, and she has no intentions surfacing for air. Not when drowning in all of him felt this good.

Ghost reciprocated her invitation and found his tongue pushing through the slit of her lips. She felt her own arousal winding tightly in her warmth. Anything more was likely going to set her off. There’s no way I’m coming just from this, she cursed herself.

Ghost pulled away, hit hot breath fanning over her face. He moved his free hand to his mask, but it remained there. One second, two seconds. His mouth slackened into a frown, lips parted with labored breathing. The trance had been broken between the two. He retreated from where he had Andra pressed into the couch, his hands ran down his face and stayed there as he battled with himself.

Andra adjusted her shirt as she sat up and gave him a nudge of space. “Hey,” she softly said as she brought his hands down, cradling them in her own. “You don’t need to.”

“I want to.” He rasped, breathless from their kiss. “I don’t know why, but I can’t.”

“It’s okay.” She took his hand away from his face and stroked his knuckles with her thumb.

Ghost blinked a few times like he was waking up from a dream. “I shoved my tongue in your mouth.” He stated, a little too forward. His words had heat rushing to her face. “The least I can do I show you who is beneath this.” He gestured to the mask covering half of his face, a bitterness in his words directed to his disguise.

Andra slowly raised her hands to the bottom half of his revealed face. He flinched away from the contact, but settled as she let her thumbs brush against the stubble on his jaw. She made no subtle movements; just exploring the craters and slits across his skin.

Ghost watched her silently, attentively, his eyes flickering back and forth. She can feel the intensity, a man questioning the intentions of the woman touching him, holding the privacy and secrecy he clings to. He sucked in a breath as she took hold of the balaclava and didn’t exhale until Andra had pulled it back down over his face.

“If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready.” She affirmed.

His bandaged hand brushed Andra’s disheveled hair behind her ear. Ghost leaned in and pressed his covered mouth against her forehead. Andra gave him a meek grin as he pulled away.

Andra felt this moment building up to a goodbye, but she took his hand again. “You can stay here for the night. I don’t want you driving back even if it’s just down the street.”

He reached down on the floor and picked up the blanket. “If that’s alright with you, I’ll take up the couch-”

“Sleep on a bed, for gods’ sake.” Andra nodded her head to the stairs. “I have an extra room upstairs.”

Thankfully, Ghost didn’t argue. Heavy feet dragged themselves up the stairs, Sammy following them both. They took pause as both turned to each other from across the hall. There was so much she wanted to say, but the brief, drowsy goodnight that was exchanged had them retreating into their respective rooms. Andra leaned against the closed door, clouds in her head and lips swollen with the phantom sensation of their catalyst.

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elvenbeard · 1 year ago

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Paranoia

Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfic

Summary: Something is off with V's medication, but there are many leads and the clock is ticking. What is Mr. Blue-Eyes planning and who is the rat that sold V out? With little expectations, Kerry begins an investigation on his own. (Post-Sun-Ending, mostly canon-compliant, Chapter 11/?, 6999 words, Kerry Eurodyne/V - notes at the end) >> Previous Chapter >> Read from the Beginning

“Vik told you to take it easy, Vince,” Kerry urged, placing his hands on V’s shoulders from behind. He had been lingering on his desk ever since they’d come home instead of finally joining Kerry on the couch downstairs. Watch a show, or just listen to music, just… exist and forget about all the existential dread at least for an hour or so, but no...

V’s half-empty martini glass stood close by the left edge of the table. Gently massaging V’s tense muscles, Kerry leaned down to give him a quick kiss on his flushed cheeks. He hadn’t made his drink that strong, as requested, but V just really didn’t react well to alcohol. In a way it was adorable. This seasoned merc, Night City’s bad boy number one, couldn’t hold his liquor.

“One sec,” V said, a little absentminded, eyes glued to the screen displaying a timelapse of various views of security cam footage of their penthouse. Kerry suppressed a sigh, and he opted now to loosely wrap his arms around V’s shoulders, trying to get his attention away from the computer like this. When he would not budge still, he rested his chin on V’s head and then reluctantly looked at the screen as well.

Selected in the security system’s overview was one of the cameras in the garage, the one in the elevator, one in the armory. Three more that overlooked the exterior of the house, including the entrance. Kerry knew of a couple more that V wasn’t monitoring at the moment. The timestamp in the corner of the footage was racing backwards, as was the video itself, and V had reached mid-August, briefly after they’d moved in here. The recordings eventually stopped at various still frames of him testing the setup on the day he’d had it installed.

“I wish I had footage of my old apartment,” V murmured, more to himself than to Kerry, “Was still spending a lot of time there when I got the first batch of pills from Vik.”

“Nothin’ suspicious here?” Kerry asked.

“No… at least, nothin’ apparent, as in…,” he gestured vaguely, “Masked intruders with blue glowing eyes.”

Kerry chuckled at his sarcastic undertone.

“That would be too easy.”

“I guess…” V shrugged, finally leaning back into Kerry’s embrace now, although with the backrest of his chair between them it was kinda awkward. Kerry shuffled and shifted slightly to better see V’s expression.

“How’s your head?” he almost didn’t dare to ask.

“Alright,” V said, eyes unfocused, but then he paused, “No actually it… was better earlier. Think Vik’s stuff’s startin’ to wear off. But I’ll manage.”

Kerry lowered his head and briefly closed his eyes. The heat of his own drink long worn off he basked in the warmth V was radiating. His warmth, his glow… how many more – or how few – setbacks would it take until it would all fade away forever?

“I gotta cross-reference this with my schedule,” V changed the topic back to the footage, “What date I got which batch of pills, and then see if there’s any weirdness here around those timeframes… Second prescription was around the time we moved in, but there were so many people in and out all the time… And if they got here before the security system was up and running the next best thing is the building’s surveillance outside, but that’s shitty quality and bad angles…”

V rubbed his face with his right hand and took a deep, heavy breath, as if an immense weight lay on his chest. Kerry clutched him a little tighter.

“Ooor, “he suggested in an attempt to ease the tension, “You could just chill until Nix does his job. ’Cause if this AJ chick lied to ya, you’re wastin’ a lot of energy on somethin’ pointless right now.”

“Don’t think she was lying…” V shook his head and finally moved to get up, Kerry letting him, “If she did, she should apply at some corp’s CI department. Better suited there instead of a dingy drug lab.”

He slipped out of his chair and picked up his leftover martini in one fluid motion, bringing the glass to his lips with some reluctance though.

“Y’know, I’ll happily finish it for ya,” Kerry offered with a wink, his forearms resting on the chair’s backrest now, fingers loosely interlocked as he played with one of his rings. V’s eyes met with his, a challenging glimmer in them, a cheeky smirk on his lips. He emptied the rest of his drink in one go. Letting out a long, deep breath V set the glass down and leaned back against the desk, healthy hand holding on to the edge for support.

“I’m so gonna regret this, but…” he still smiled at Kerry, “Not gonna lie, that was pretty good.”

“Despite the olive?” Kerry teased, then slowly pushed the chair aside, and stepped in front of him.

“Even that wasn’t so bad,” he said as Kerry’s hands trailed down V’s sides, then slipped under his t-shirt. Kerry grinned when goosebumps rose under his fingertips as they wandered around V’s waist, down to the small of his back.

“Picked a good one,” he said, trying to keep his mind from wandering as well, too fast, too far.

“Yeah, I did,” V smiled, and Kerry paused for a moment, noticing the slight tilt of V’s head, how he pursed his lips, amber eyes looking up at him through long dark eyelashes. Yeah… he wasn’t talking about the olive anymore.

“Gonk,” he muttered, but then he leaned in, no longer able to resist to kiss V’s cheeks and neck and chest, tongue and lips guided by the dark pink flushes speckled all across pale skin.

“What was that about takin’ it easy?” V whispered hoarsely, grabbing on to Kerry’s waist, leaning into his touch.

“Yeah… you lean back and relax,” Kerry breathed against his neck, “And lemme do what I’m good at…”

V giggled as Kerry slowly guided him over to their bed, accompanied by more kisses, little gasps, and fleeting touches.

Drunk sex usually guaranteed that V would be out cold (blissfully, of course) for at least a couple of hours afterwards. It had been one rollercoaster of a day and night… of a week, really, with both of them getting too little restful sleep. So, Kerry hoped this impromptu afternoon nap would do V good, or at the very least give him a little rest from everything. He seemed at peace at least, lips slightly parted, breathing slowly and deeply, huddled into their lightweight silk blanket the same way he’d been this morning. Kerry stayed by his side for a little while longer, just watching… but Lee and Vicki and a few other studio assholes kept messaging him, interrupting their domestic bliss once again.

They had been trying to get in touch all day, reminding him of deadlines, work that needed to be done, promo events, concerts, collabs… And Kerry had been patiently ignoring them while out and about with V. All he wanted was to stay in bed with him now, help him get the help he needed, force him to take it easy when he just wouldn’t listen to his doctors telling him to.

He lightly brushed his fingers over V’s cheek, the hint of patchy dark stubble along his jawline, eyes lingering on his pulse point for a moment. Kerry had sucked an almost purple bruise into his flesh, right where skin and cyberware met, as V had been flinching and whimpering under him…

Blip beep. Another message from Lee forced the steamy mental image out of Kerry’s head. He huffed and quickly checked his phone, with no intention to respond.

“The situation in regard to the video is somewhat under control now,” it read, and Kerry shuddered, “But N54 News’ showbiz representative sent in another exclusive interview request. They agreed to scratch the questions that had been bothering you in their previous e-mail, but in return they want a statement on the video and your relationship status. Same conditions as before. I think this is as great chance to clear things up and gain you some sympathy – also in light of already circulating rumors. I wrote up some possible responses (attached below) if you want to read them in advance! Maybe we can meet up some time later today, or tomorrow or… whenever fits best. To talk things through, discuss the next steps for the album and everything else. Please just quickly let me know if you’ve read this so I know you’re okay and onboard!”

Kerry suppressed an annoyed groan to not wake V. After a few more minutes of failing to doze off as well, he decided to get up. Drink some more maybe, have a smoke. Smash his phone with a hammer. In fact, what he really wanted was to get high out of his mind, knock himself out with vodka and pills, and sleep for 72 hours straight. Had he been alone, just lil’ old Kerry back at his villa in North Oak… he probably would’ve, and without hesitation.

Instead, now, he slipped into his bathrobe hanging over the gallery’s rail, and as he passed by V’s desk to get to the kitchen, his eyes got caught by the screens once more. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that V was still asleep. He had been so sure to find something suspicious on the security footage… but he’d also been high on Vik’s drug cocktail, dizzy from drinking Kerry’s actual cocktail, and pre-occupied with too much else. No surprise he hadn’t succeeded. If there even was anything to find at all.

Then again, Kerry barely knew what he was doing when it came to their house’s security system either. He had left these types of things to his management team for decades, and so far, that had worked out just fine. Mostly, at least. V had said himself, back when they had this installed here, that there simply was no system that was one hundred percent safe and impenetrable. There were always loopholes, exploits to use, and all that other fancy tech terminology Kerry only half understood but loved to hear V talk about.

“You can never fully rule out human error, either,” was what he liked to say.

Hence why Kerry felt a little silly when he pulled out the desk chair after standing, staring, and pondering it all for too long. All camera views were still selected in the review tool, V was visible in one of them, the 180 degrees view into the armory. He was looking up at the lens, at Kerry, pensive and serious. The timestamp read “August 3rd 2077 – 11.46 a.m.“. Just a little over a month ago, but he looked so much less tired than he did most days now. But also, at this point, he must’ve already been working for Blue-Eyes behind the scenes. Kerry realized that maybe that was exactly why he had been so keen on upgrading the security system before they’d even properly settled in.

Kerry sighed, leaned back in the chair, and then pulled up his own schedule. They’d just talked about it, the day Viktor had delivered more bad news to V regarding his initial treatment plan was the same day Kerry finally got out of the contract with Kovachek. The same day Blue-Eyes got in touch with his convenient help offer. He had to scroll past walls of texts and messages, but he finally found the invitation for the meeting with the studio bosses. July 22nd. Yeah, no footage for that. They had been talking about moving in together for a while at that time already though… early, really, given how they first met back in May only. But V had spent most of his nights at Kerry’s villa anyway, and Kerry sought refuge at V’s apartment all other days. Finding a place for them both together had simply felt like the right next logical step. It still did, more than ever. And with how little time they seemed to have left at the moment, there was no “too soon” for nothing, really…

Kerry held the thought and continued to scroll further up through his appointments on his planner’s interface. The scheduled meeting during which Lee had signed him on, a few days after the final conversation with Kovachek. The appointment with the realtor to view the penthouse. Moving in day, various important events at the recording studio, and with medias. A handful of parties, occasions, dinner dates with V sprinkled in-between, an invitation from River to come over some time… He hesitated for a moment at August 20th. It had been surprisingly hard again this year, but V made it easier, like so many other things...

After a few more studio-related appointments Kerry had reached present time.

He looked back at the computer screen in front of him, had to search for a play button. Then the recordings started moving again, at a quite high speed.

“Ah fuck…” Kerry hissed and looked for a way to slow the footage down, clicking some random buttons, but without success. Before accidentally deleting something, Kerry decided to just keep his eyes peeled for anything out of the usual as best as he managed, but there was nothing too obvious… Them both or either of them leaving and coming back home every day around similar times, AVs or delivery drones landing outside. There was quite the commotion with the moving company in the beginning, lots of strangers all at once, but Kerry didn’t recall any of them behaving weirdly, or even getting near where V stored his pills at the time.

Since there was only about a month of footage sped up dramatically, Kerry opted to just restart it a handful of times whenever he reached the end. Lee showed up in person at the entrance quite often in the beginning, but rarely made it all the way into the penthouse… Kerry hadn’t been aware just how often he did it though, seeing it happen again and again now on loop. He assumed that during some occasions neither he nor V were home to let him in. Kerry in fact remembered only one time Lee had been here in the early days, and how pissed he’d gotten at him for showing up unannounced over something completely trivial. He’d told him to meet up at the studio for these types of convos in the future and he had assumed that was the end of the story of unannounced visits.

Apparently not. Because right now he saw Lee coming back day after day… then not anymore for a few weeks. Then again on two days in a row at the end of August, the 24th and 25th. Kerry was not there to invite him in for any of those visits either…

He paused the preview at Lee just getting out of the penthouse and into the elevator on August 25th. His heart was racing faster than the footage had been, raking his brains… Had V let him in? He doubted that…

He pulled up his holo screen again to read back through the endless wall of text messages Lee had sent him since. Finally, the 25th, on which there had been a little bit of back and forth between them actually, and Kerry’s tension dropped slightly.

“Lee, I’m fucking busy tonight. Shard with demos is still at my new place. If you really need it that desperately, you gotta go get it yourself,” had been Kerry’s final message that night, and it fit the timeframe Lee was at the penthouse.

So, he’d let him in remotely to pick up that shard, just how he did the other day to feed the cat. Temporary access token, no big deal, right…

Kerry scrolled further back through his messages, but there was nothing in his texts, nor his e-mails, nor his appointments that would explain Lee’s visit on the day before though. Only a reminder to himself about “date night with V <;3”, the reason for his pre-occupation on the 25th and neither of them being at the penthouse.

He dismissed his schedule and stared back at the screen. At Lee with his ridiculous pompadour, bleach-blond still at the time, in his over-priced suit, stumbling into the elevator, frozen in time. Going by the timestamps, he’d been in the penthouse for 15 minutes to pick up the shard which seemed… long for a task that simple. Unless it wasn’t the only thing he’d done there while Kerry and V were out on a fancy date.

No, not him though. The thought alone was fucking insane. That man’s spine was a slinky toy. He almost shat his pants whenever he had to call or speak to Kerry. If all that was an act and he was secretly one of Blue-Eyes’ agents, he deserved a fucking Oscar. Kerry shook his head at his own paranoia, took a few moments to rationalize, think it through. Lee was notorious for his bad timing and inability to just leave him the fuck alone. There were a million possible explanations that made more sense than any deeper, darker purpose behind these numerous, persistent visits and incompetence of fulfilling easy tasks in a timely manner…

He scrolled back through the footage to the several days in a row Lee was there at the start of August, shortly after they moved in. Kerry had his messages to him from that timeframe at the ready.

The one time he actually remembered Lee coming to the penthouse to talk was a Sunday. He didn’t even have a proper reason, apart from “getting to know each other a bit better” and discussing future plans and whatnot. Nothing they couldn’t have done over the holo. Hence why Kerry had been so pissed off, apart from Lee invading his living room unannounced. V hadn’t been there, thankfully.

The day after this incident Lee was on the footage again… No messages in Kerry’s inbox, but a calendar appointment for booking a recording booth. Kerry wasn’t home, and going by the footage, Lee didn’t get into the house either. He lingered in front of the intercom by the entrance a long while though, and Kerry noticed that he was talking – to V maybe, home that day, but telling him that Kerry was at the studio? Lee left the entrance area of the building with reluctance. Then he came back the next day, and again, Kerry couldn’t make a connection to his visit with any of the entries in his schedule or his messages. And then, August 11th…

“Lee… got a problem, forgot to fill the cat feeder this morning. I’ll be at the studio for a while still. Sending you a temporary access token. Cat food in the shelf next to the fridge.”

“You can never fully rule out human error…” shot through Kerry’s mind again. But yes, of course he’d give him access to their house, repeatedly, for stupid little tasks like that. Why wouldn’t he? Lee was a fucking pathetic little loser. He could never harm them in any way apart from maybe, psychological damage, right?

Kerry continued to stare at the screen, the timestamps. Lee arrived on the 11th and then spent almost 45 minutes feeding the cat. Kerry jumped forward to near the end of the collection of recordings, to a couple of days ago. The day he’d been at the med center and instructed Lee to feed the cat as well. Lee arrived at the penthouse quickly and sent his photo of Nibbles eating 5 minutes later. He was out the front door again after just over ten minutes. What had he done for the more than 30 extra minutes during the first “feed the cat” visit? Even his incompetence wasn’t great enough to need that long to locate the cat food and put it in the feeder.

Kerry’s ears were ringing as he watched himself in front of the computer from above. He hadn’t had such an intense out-of-body experience in a while. Trying to come up with a more logical explanation than “he probably searched for and swapped the pills during that time”, he was unable to even lift a finger. The thought ate itself into his brain like acid.

“Lee swapped the pills…” he wasn’t even sure if he said it out loud, so insane the mere idea. For money, for power, for chrome? What could a Mr. Blue-Eyes offer a small light like Lee… Well, everything he wanted, probably, and more. And Lee was dumb enough to believe him, too, if even V could be lured in by someone like that with promises big and times desperate enough.

When Kerry arrived back in his own body eventually, his paralysis was slowly but surely replaced by rage.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill that bastard…” he muttered to himself, got up from the chair, and instead of drinking more, maybe having a smoke, he went to grab his clothes from the wardrobe and then his gun from the armory. V was still fast asleep and none the wiser by the time the Aerondight left the garage.

Of course, Kerry wouldn’t kill Lee. Not really. Probably. But at the very least he wanted to scare the shit out of him and make him talk. Even if he had nothing to do with all of this in the way Kerry assumed, something was up with him, and Kerry needed to give him a piece of his mind before he imploded for good.

He arrived in front of the MSM recording studio in Charter Hill much faster than anticipated… so much so that his impromptu plan to get Lee to talk was still somewhat fuzzy around the edges. He was in the mood to storm in, guns blazing, but there was no guarantee Lee was even there. Maybe he should’ve checked that before coming here. Kerry cursed between his teeth, slightly clammy hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he parked straight across from the building’s main entrance. Reluctantly he decided to simply call his manager, something he usually never did. It rang a handful of times, longer than he would’ve expected.

“Kerry?” asked the shaky voice on the other end of the line.

“Certainly not Lizzy Wizzy,” Kerry replied deadpan, “Where are ya?”

His heart was beating in his throat.

“I’m at the studio! I’ve been waiting to hear from you, been worried that –…”

“I’m outside the front door,” Kerry interrupted him, “Come down, let’s talk.”

He tried not to let his nerves show, and he was thankful for his AudioVox evening out the slight tremor in his words.

“Uh… why don’t you come upstairs to my office?” Lee evaded, “Vicki just dropped by with two new demos you can listen to, I think – …”

“No,” Kerry said sternly, but he was grasping at straws for a reason as to why they had to meet outside that wouldn’t leave Lee even more suspicious.

“Bring the demos with ya, we’ll listen to ‘em on the road,” was the best thing he could bullshit this quickly, “Been too stagnant lately, gotta move around a bit, get the creative juices flowing.”

Empty phrases he’d flung around a million times before, but they usually worked with types like Lee.

“Oh… okay?” Lee said, then there was silence for a couple of seconds, “Okay, I’ll be right there but… I need to be back at the studio at the latest in an hour, got an important appointment...”

Kerry didn’t reply and simply hung up. No promises.

Lee appeared at the building’s main entrance around ten endless minutes later. Maybe he was truly just very bad at fulfilling simple tasks quickly. Kerry’s doubts were loud in his head as his right leg bounced in a shaky rhythm, the gun in his jacket’s pocket, heavy as a brick, bruising his thigh. Lee jogged across the street, black and blue designer coat fluttering in the wind. When he approached the passenger side of the car, he tried to put on a smile, but it was slanted and forced. Kerry opened the door for him.

“Get in,” he ordered, demanded almost, and Lee slightly flinched, fumbling in his pockets and pulling out a handful of shard cases.

“Got everything with me, I thought maybe we could start with the song demos? But just in case I also brought the interview questions I mentioned, and some other things you can decide on for the upcoming promo events.”

“Wow, great. Now get in,” Kerry repeated himself with zero enthusiasm and finally Lee slipped into the seat. The same seat V had fucked Kerry in so gloriously yesterday… and now Lee desecrated the space with his presence.

Kerry closed the door again and sped off before Lee could say another word, headed towards the highway that would lead them out of the city.

Lee kept babbling without pause, played the demos for Kerry and recounted the producers’ notes on what needed to be changed still and what was good, as well as the opinions of the studio bosses Kerry didn’t give a fuck about. But he had to just nod and smile, because in the end they were the ones that determined his success to an essential degree.

About twenty minutes into their drive, with buildings left and right becoming scarce and nothing but the near-deserted Badlands ahead of them, Lee grew quieter. He stared blankly ahead at the CrystalDome screens.

“Uh, Kerry, at the latest at five I need to be back in Charter Hill,” he reminded him.

Kerry did not respond, only half heard him really, his thoughts racing, eyes scanning for a secluded place he could pull into, wary to not be tailed by gangers, or worse, paparazzi. His GPS navigation pointed out a little dead-end road not far ahead, leading to an old racing track. He remembered the place, knew where he was now. He’d been here with V, very early on in their relationship, blowing off steam after something V couldn’t talk about at the time. That was before Blue-Eyes even, Johnny was still around… In hindsight Kerry was sure it had had something to do with that whole Dogtown mess.

His Aerondight squealed and rumbled across the uneven dirt road, he physically couldn’t go much further than a couple of hundred yards away from the highway, so he pulled over to the side of the road behind a large rock and turned off the engine.

“Uh, Kerry, we still have a long drive back ahead of us, and I gotta – ,“ Lee wanted to protest and Kerry slipped his fingers around the grip of his gun. He tried to breathe away his shaking, but it was no use. They were here now, he had to seize the opportunity, because who knew when – or if – Lee would ever get into the same car with him again.

He pulled his gun and pointed it at Lee, who let out a brief but surprisingly controlled scream and immediately raised his hands.

“K-Kerry I mean… Let’s talk this through, I’m sure you don’t wanna –…”

“Shut your fucking second asshole, Lee, ‘cause there’s only shit comin’ from it anyway,” Kerry ordered sternly, somewhat surprised at his own bravado, “Turn off your phone and put it in the glovebox, and then get out. No tricks, no messing around.”

“Okay, okay!” Lee whimpered, pulled out his phone with a feverish expression and squashed it in the glovebox between condoms, unpaid parking tickets, and one or two satchels of colorful pills.

“Get out, hands on your head,” Kerry repeated, “And slowly start walkin’.”

“Okay!” Lee squealed, eyes big and teary, then Kerry unlocked and opened the door for him before getting out of the car himself.

He looked over his shoulder, listened into the distance, but the desert was quiet. No roaring engines, no gunshots, no yelling. Yet.

With his gun he gestured Lee towards the old racing track, and whimpering Lee obeyed and marched on, white syn-leather boots soon turned orange from the dust. They quietly walked on until Kerry felt there was enough of a distance to the road, and they were at least partially obscured by the tall coarse rock formations and sparse vegetation framing the location.

“That’s far enough. Turn around,” he ordered, gun still pointing at Lee, he gripped it tightly with both hands to keep it steady. His manager slowly did as he was told, turning on the spot, slightly hunched over and squinting against the sun and the barrel of the gun. Kerry just stared back at him, tried to make sense of it still… and wondered if he had maybe lost it for good now. In the end, he had only a vague suspicion, no proof, no nothing. The uncertainty began to gnaw on his to-begin-with shaky confidence in all of this.

“Kerry listen,” Lee then pleaded, “I’m sure this has got to be a misunderstanding of some sort! Let’s just… talk, okay? Without the gun, maybe?”

“Shut it,” Kerry ordered, “I’m makin’ the rules here.”

“Okay, okay,” Lee lowered his head slightly, whispering something under his breath Kerry didn’t quite catch. He never took Lee for a religious person, but a little prayer probably couldn’t hurt in a moment like this.

Kerry still didn’t have a plan of action in his mind on how to move forward. In a movie the hero would probably hold a dramatic speech now, confronting the villain about his crimes and all, but truthfully, Kerry wasn’t the hero here. Holding a whimpering mess like Lee at gunpoint at least had nothing heroic about it. So, he decided to just cut straight to the point.

“Did you swap V’s pills?” he asked, voice not nearly as firm as the grip around his gun. He didn’t even have his finger on the trigger, but the visual alone was intimidating enough, he hoped.

He expected confusion, more bargaining, or just downright denial from Lee. Not for his eyes to grow wide, the remaining color to fade from his face. And for once in his life, Lee was dead silent, stared at Kerry open-mouthed. He’d hit the nail on the head.

“You fuckin’ asshole!” Kerry hissed and took a step towards Lee, pointing his gun straight between the fucker’s eyes, near-blinded by anger at Lee’s reaction. Lee screamed and flinched back, stumbling almost. Now the bargaining began.

“Please, please, I had no choice, they threatened to ruin me!”

“Well, tough shit, guess I’ll do it for ‘em now!” Kerry barked, his chest tight and face hot, and Lee kept screaming, pleading.

“No, no, no! Please!”

“You fuckin’ son of a bitch! To save your own sorry ass you, you – …”

Suddenly Lee’s persistent fear of Kerry and V made even more sense. If he’d been behind this from the start, he’d probably been scared they’d figure it out somehow, sooner or later. Every time they were alone together the bastard was a shaking mess not because he was so bad at his job, but scared for his life. Well, a little bit of both maybe.

“Who told you to do this?” Kerry then asked, “And you better spit it out quickly and as detailed as possible, or I’ll leave your sorry ass to rot out here.”

Lee whimpered and now sank to his knees, hands still on his head, facing the ground and actually sobbing.

“I don’t know them, I swear!” he sputtered, “Never saw their faces, never spoke to anyone in person. It all went over the holo. Directed me to pick up spots and gave me a certain timeframe to do… to do the swap. And if I hadn’t, they’d’ve ruined my life. Oh god… they’re not gonna just ruin my life, they’re really gonna kill me now that you know!”

He tumbled over forward, face-first into the sand and his sobbing intensified. Kerry couldn’t help but feel sorry for him now, a pathetic little loser in way over his head. And his story sadly sounded plausible with the little Kerry and V knew about Blue-Eyes and his associates.

“Fucking hell…” Kerry muttered and lowered his gun, then he closed the remaining distance between himself and Lee. He bent down and firmly grasped him by the back of his collar to pull him back up. Lee neither resisted nor made the feat easy for Kerry.

“Get it together, man,” Kerry hissed through gritted teeth and Lee fell backwards on his ass and just sat in the sand now, a picture of misery. His face and hair were encrusted with dirt, wet streaks running down his cheeks, his hands rested in his lap in resignation.

Kerry knelt down on one knee in front of him, gun still at the ready just in case, and tried to catch Lee’s gaze.

“Hope they at least fuckin’ paid you well,” Kerry said, trying his best to remain calm, scared that Lee would actually pass out if he intimidated him even more. Lee shook his head and Kerry frowned.

“They blackmailed me,” he explained sniffling, “I don’t know how but… They have so much information on me that I was sure no one knew about. How I never went to a prestigious school, the shit my parents did, how many of my credentials are… polished at best, how I… I never would’ve made it this far up at MSM if I hadn’t… improved my background here and there. I’m gonna lose everything if that information reaches the wrong kinda people...”

Kerry sighed deeply.

“Why am I not surprised,” he muttered, but knowing that Lee acted for purely selfish reasons made this somehow so much worse than if he’d just done it for a huge chunk of money. Not that it surprised him though, that was Night City in a nutshell. He got up again and started pacing in front of Lee.

“Lemme guess, you also didn’t know what you were even swapping there, right?” he asked, anger creeping back in, “Cause, surprise, you didn’t exchange some ibuprofen with sugar pills!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few deep breaths. They still didn’t even know exactly what these pills had been doing to V, but whatever it was, if they came from Mr. B, it couldn’t be good. Some kind of preparation to put V in that artificial body at best, mind control that was killing him even faster than his own body at worst. Everything in-between and beyond seemed possible and plausible, too.

“They said it was none of my concern and the less I knew, the better,” Lee admitted quietly, and Kerry couldn’t help but laugh out loud in frustration.

“You… pathetic shitstain!” he now yelled, so close to losing his temper again, “You’re the worst kind of scumbag, aren’t you? Messin’ with someone else’s life and health without asking any questions, just to save your own sorry ass. Believe me, you fit in just fuckin’ right with MSM and that whole fucking’ shitshow of a corporation. Such a brave obedient little corpo soldier, aren’t ya? Fuck!”

He kicked a small rock into the distance, swirling up orange dust, and its impact against one of the larger rock formations echoed across the desert. The sun was beginning to set over the city far behind them, and Kerry paced back and forth, back and forth, failing to find a solution. Lee held his head low and said nothing either, too shaken and guilty still, probably packing his bags in his mind already. Or shoveling his grave.

V would know what to do now, or at least be able to improvise something, but Kerry was at a loss. He eventually stopped in his tracks, still clutching his gun tightly, but despite his seething anger at Lee he still had no intentions of killing him. The guy had killed himself long ago already by weaseling his way into MSM through crooked schemes. Blue-Eyes was only serving him the bill for it now.

As if he could sense Kerry staring at him, Lee looked up and their eyes met.

“What now?” he asked shakily.

“Dunno, whaddaya suggest?” Kerry shrugged, “Wanna have me put ya outta your misery right away?”

“No no no!” Lee stammered and raised his hands again, hunching over in fear, “Please I… I know I fucked up, big time!”

“That’s the understatement of the century…”

After a moment of hesitation Lee looked back up at him again, carefully.

“I… if there is anything I can do to make up for this…”

Kerry couldn’t help himself but laugh.

“Well now I’m curious what in the fuck you’re gonna offer.”

“I… dunno…” Lee’s brief moment of confidence was blown out like a candle in a storm.

Kerry didn’t know either because, as usual, Lee was useless. Or at the very least he didn’t see a solution that could actually help them either. He needed to tell V about this. As soon as possible.

“Get back in the car,” Kerry then ordered, waving with his gun, “Takin’ ya to your stupid appointment.”

Lee’s eyes grew wider.

“What? Am I… I’m just supposed to continue as normal?”

Kerry frowned.

“What did you expect, that I’m gonna help you escape into a cozy exile somewhere nice and sunny while we clean up your mess and deal with the consequences?”

Lee just stared in response, but Kerry wouldn’t have let him answer anyway.

“You stay put and behave exactly how you always do, play the manager. And you sure as hell will not tell anyone anything about what we just talked about,” he ordered, “If your creep friends call you and ask you to run another errand, you will do exactly that, and don’t let show in any way that would suggest V and I caught on.”

“I… what?” Lee stammered.

“I’m not done yet,” Kerry interrupted him sternly, “Not done with you, either. You will make up for this shit you caused. And I promise you, if I get as much as a whiff of you tryin’ to rat us out or bail or whatnot… V knows people that will track you down to the dark side of the moon to blow your lights out, if necessary.”

The last one was a bluff, although he was sure, with some persuasive words and favors exchanged here and there, even that would be possible, should the need arise.

“Okay, okay!” Lee whimpered, “Understood. I… This meeting never happened?”

“Damn straight. Now back into the car, asshole.”

Kerry was elsewhere with his thoughts for the entirety of the ride back into the city. It wasn’t much, but if Lee managed to keep his mouth shut and not draw Blue-Eyes’ attention, they now actually were a step ahead. Kerry just didn’t know how to use this tiny edge yet, if they could use it at all… and all of course under the assumption that Blue-Eyes wasn’t listening in or watching them 24/7 through some fucked up means already anyway.

“Don’t forget your phone,” Kerry said when he stopped in front of the studio to let Lee get out. They were back early enough so he still had some time to clean himself up, get himself back together before his appointment.

“Yeah, right, thank you,” Lee stammered and stumbled out of the car and slowly started walking towards the building without further words.

The passenger door slid shut and the warm interior lights of the Aerondight engulfed him, but still, it was far from enough to soothe his nerves. Kerry rested his forehead on the steering wheel and let out a deep breath. Something in his guts told him that the studio would call him tomorrow morning to inform him of Lee’s mysterious disappearance or death, and that they already had the next replaceable guy lined up to take over…

“Fuck…” he muttered, smacked the steering wheel, and unlocked his own door. He jumped onto the street, a car passing by honking at him, but he ignored it. He turned to the main entrance of the studio building where Lee was just about to walk through the door.

“Lee!” he called, and Lee flinched and turned around with wide eyes, like a deer in headlights.

“Get back here,” Kerry waved, and hesitantly his manager returned to the side of the car.

“Yes?” he asked shakily, clutching his phone still. Sand was still dripping from his hair and the dirt on his face had dried.

“Get back in,” Kerry decided, and Lee gulped audibly, “Don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone right now. These guys that made you do this stuff…”

He didn’t have to say anything else, Lee nodded in strong agreement.

Edge or not, it was so small, so insignificant almost… And no matter how much he hated Lee’s guts sometimes, if Blue-Eyes snuffed him in his sleep tonight… Lee could know more than he let on, maybe even subconsciously. Him already being involved in this whole mess against his will also made him a better ally than any new manager that could be one of Blue-Eyes spies for real this time.

Lee got back in the passenger seat, and Kerry behind the wheel, turning on the engine. How the hell he was gonna break this to V he didn’t know yet. Right as he wanted to drive off, back home, he noted a dark van parked across the street, in good view of them. Kerry hesitated. This was nothing, probably, delivery guys, technicians. Although, no markings, names, or logos on the car.

Maybe this shit was getting to him more than he realized, seeing enemies where there were none. But it had ended with a black van with the Peralezes as well…

He tried to write the thought off as paranoia once again, but just in case, Kerry made extra sure they weren’t being followed before even getting into view of Watson.

*****************

>> Next Chapter

*****************

Notes:

It's been a hot minute, so much has happened since my last update, and I'm so happy I can finally share this ;__; I really had a lot of fun writing Kerry on his own little adventure for this chapter, and I think a few of you will be happy to see Lee back as well XD I've grown quite fond of him and had really been looking forward to this little reveal ever since I first introduced him xD I hope it came as a surprise but not entirely unexpected that he's involved in this mess a bit more deeply than he let on so far.

I hope the next chapter update won't take me as long as this one did, as with black vans showing up unannounced and Mr. B's schemes slowly becoming unravelled I can't wait to continue telling this story! :3

I put a little nod at Dogtown in this chapter, but to anyone who hasn't played Phantom Liberty and wants to continue reading: fret not! Since I started writing this story before the expansion and planned it out without any ties to it, the events of PL will not be majorly referenced here, not beyond what I did in this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed reading this, as always, and are looking forward to how it's all gonna continue (hopefully soon). I would say, we're about to reach the midway point of the story!

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#cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk 2077 fanfic #cp2077 #cp2077 fanfic #cyberpunk fanfic #cyberpunk fanfiction #kerry eurodyne #cyberpunk kerry #kerry eurodyne x v #cyberpunk v #vincent ezaki #otp: to bad decisions #my writing #love is stored in the olive jar

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toujokaname · 11 months ago

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Game master / Episode 23

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiiro, Rinne, Aira, HiMERU

"Before that could happen, before the starving monster devoured everything in its path, I threw just enough bait into its mouth to satisfy it."

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[ Read on my site for a better viewing experience using Ois~su ♪ ]

Season: Winter

Location: Matrix Stage

Hiiro: Fumu... It seems like various mysteries have been solved, but now we've been left with even more questions.

So, in the end, what did Nii-san want?

Rinne: The main objective was to satisfy the public's intellectual curiosity.

Everyone was interested in our hometown. So, I gave them the information they were looking for.

By showing a fake Amagi Village, the superficial contact point with the outside world, and dishing out some answers to their questions.

Obviously, those answers are chock-full of lies—and, y'know, they're pretty incomplete.

Still. If they get something that resembles an answer, they'll all be satisfied with it.

This time, by presenting the fake Amagi Village as the setting for Matrix, for the time being, the public will be content.

The real Amagi Village, which has been hidden for generations, will be shielded from their prying eyes.

By only seeing the superficial shell, everyone's gonna buy that it's the Amagi Village and find satisfaction in it.

Rinne: Matrix was originally planned for that purpose. Initially, I intended it to be like a low-budget paranormal or travel show, buuut...

Anzu-chan's involvement blew it outta proportion for no reason.

That skilled producer responded perfectly to ES's unreasonable request and turned Matrix into a major event.

I had to scramble... Anzu-chan really brought a lot of attention to Matrix.

ES also kept sending in more and more hand-picked staff members to make the project a success.

It ended up wasting both time and effort to win over those staff through various means.

By the way, the ones I managed to persuade are now at my beck and call. They've been doing a great job following my instructions.

They snuck off to avoid being seen by you guys, then, they wore masks and some makeshift costumes to launch a surprise attack on you.

Aira: T-Those weirdos were actually staff members?

Rinne: Yeah. There were also guys from the Amagi Village who'd listen to anything I said.

To convince you lot and those watching Matrix back at home that there really was a spriting away—

I got the villagers to clear out their homes and gather here.

Look around. See those folks waving glow sticks awkwardly? They're all Amagi Village locals.

Aira: Uh-huh... But why go to such lengths to stage a spiriting away? What's the point of such a trivial setup? Why go through all the hassle?

I was really freaking scared?! I seriously thought we got caught up in some bizarre phenomenon unique to a backward village!

Rinne: Yeah, that's right. I showed them the sight they wanted to see, the one they were expecting.

Even now, we're showing this truly mysterious space as footage.

The Amagi Village was indeed a strange place where strange phenomena occurred. Those who were spirited away would end up in a mysterious mayoiga.

If you go to the Amagi Village, you will experience mystical events. And every bit of it was captured on camera.

Our panicked reactions at your disappearance, and when you stumbled into the eerily empty mansion after being spirited away.

All of it was recorded by the surveillance cameras set up all over the place. Put 'em all together, and you have a complete backward village-style paranormal phenomenon—a spiriting way.

Everyone will be satisfied in viewing such mysterious, expected footage. The Amagi Village was precisely the strange backward village they hoped for.

HiMERU: Right. Ultimately, most people won't question that the facade shown is anything but the real Amagi Village—they won't dig deeper into it?

Rinne: Yeah. Once humans get some kinda answer, they're usually satisfied and stop thinking. They rarely go any further.

And so, the truth of the Amagi Village stays hidden. While I may not be a good monarch, I should still act the part every once in a while.

Right now, ES is breaking the taboos ordained by God, impudently desecrating places once deemed off-limits.

Sooner or later, they would've come stomping into our hometown with their boots on.

And then, they'd destroy Akan-san and her family's peaceful life.

Before that could happen, before the starving monster devoured everything in its path, I threw just enough bait into its mouth to satisfy it.

That's basically the truth behind Matrix.

Rinne: By capturing the fake Amagi Village on camera, ES thinks they've broken the taboos set by God. Happy with conquering even the forbidden areas.

And so, they won't invade further.

Our hometown will be protected.

For ES, it's just the fact that they broke the taboos set by God that matters.

That which used to be God's property, the idol industry—this world, they can bask in the feeling that they're in control of it.

They think it proves they're no longer at God's beck and call.

ES will be satisfied, and I get to protect the peace of the real hometown where Akan-san lives. Everyone will smile. It's a happy ending, right?

HiMERU: Being dragged into such a charade is hardly tolerable from our end though, is it.

Rinne: Wasn't it nice? Didn't we all travel together, enjoying delicious food, partaking in various competitions, and having a blast?

You're gettin' paid for your work, so ain't that your reward? And if you had "fun" on top of that, it's a win-win situation ♪

So do you really got anything to complain about, soldier bees?

HiMERU: Hiiro-san. Since we're firing that tyrant, would you consider becoming our leader again?

Hiiro: Hehe. I'll politely decline.

I belong to ALKALOID. In fact, I like my position very much.

No, more than that, this is my life.

Rinne: Alright, no more questions.

I know you guys're students whose job is to study, but when you're working people—when you're idols, you've got other duties to do, don't you?

Let's sing and dance happily under the pretense of celebrating Otouto-kun's group returning safely from the spirit world ♪

Rinne: No, actually, I insist it's some kinda ritual to rescue people from the spirit world, apparently passed down in our Amagi Village since ancient times!

HiMERU: That's too wishy-washy. Besides, we've been put through the wringer in many respects, so we're tired? And you're still expecting us to do something?

Rinne: It's a job, so work for your paycheck.

AnzuP, famous for always putting in too much effort, whipped up some exclusive outfits for Matrix.

So, let's change into them and have fun singing together.

For the staff who went along with our farce and the fans worldwide who watched attentively...

Let's sing happily and enjoy ourselves too.

[ ☆ ]

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#akira #event story #matrix #hiiro #rinne #aira #himeru

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aghost-writer · 3 months ago

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Goddess

Chapter 10

This is a Yandere Haikyuu x Female Reader Fic!

MDNI!!

The moon hung high in the night sky, a brilliant silver disc that illuminated the streets below with an ethereal glow. Y/N’s heart raced with anticipation as she approached the Nekoma gym, the familiar structure looming in the darkness. The bustling energy of the day was long gone, replaced by an eerie stillness that felt almost electric. This was the perfect moment to execute her carefully laid plan.

With a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching, Y/N slipped through the heavy doors of the gym. The creaking sound echoed softly in the silence, a reminder of the secrets contained within these walls. As she stepped inside, the comforting scent of polished wood and sweat enveloped her, invoking memories of countless practices and matches that had taken place in similar spaces.

The gym was shrouded in darkness, save for the faint beams of moonlight streaming through the high windows. The court, usually vibrant and alive with activity, lay empty and still, almost as if it were holding its breath. Y/N felt a thrill of excitement coursing through her veins. This was a moment of purpose, and she was determined to see it through.

She pulled a small backpack from her shoulder, its contents meticulously prepared for this night. Y/N had planned for every eventuality; she was here to gather intel, to provide her beloved Ittetsu with an edge over Nekoma. Moving swiftly and silently, she began placing the small cameras she had brought with her in strategic locations around the gym. Each camera was compact and easy to conceal, designed to capture every angle of the court without drawing attention.

Y/N positioned the first camera high on the wall, hidden behind the scoreboard. She adjusted it slightly, ensuring it had a clear view of the entire court. With practiced ease, she continued her work, tucking other cameras behind the bleachers and near the training equipment. Each placement felt like a small victory, a step closer to achieving her goal.

As she worked, a smile crept onto her face. This was all for Ittetsu, her beloved, and she wanted to do everything in her power to support him. She envisioned him practicing with the knowledge that he had an advantage over Nekoma, and the thought filled her with warmth. With the cameras in place, she would be able to analyze their strategies, giving him insights that could make all the difference in their future encounters.

Once satisfied with the camera placements, Y/N turned her attention to the microphones she had brought along. She meticulously set them up, making sure they were discreet yet effective. Testing the first one, she leaned close and whispered, “Can you hear me?” A faint crackle echoed in response, and a triumphant grin broke across her face. Everything was working perfectly.

As she moved through the gym, her heart raced with a mix of exhilaration and anxiety. The emptiness of the space heightened her senses; the silence felt almost deafening. She could almost hear the echoes of past practices and games—the shouts of encouragement, the squeak of sneakers against the polished floor. Each sound was a memory, a reminder of the camaraderie and passion that came with being part of a team.

Finishing her setup, Y/N took a moment to admire her work. The gym would serve as her secret surveillance hub, providing insights that would give Ittetsu the advantage he needed. She felt a swell of pride in her chest; this was her way of contributing, of showing him just how much she cared. She was determined to do whatever it took to help him succeed.

With one last glance around the gym, Y/N confirmed everything was in order. Her heart raced with excitement, but a flicker of nervousness also crept in. What if someone discovered her? What if Kuroo or one of the other Nekoma players happened to walk in? But the thought quickly dissipated; she was careful, and the night was still young.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N prepared to leave. She stepped quietly towards the exit, her senses heightened as she scanned the gym one last time. She had done what she set out to do, and the thrill of it coursed through her. “Just wait, Ittetsu,” she whispered to herself, her determination unwavering. “I’ll help you win.”

As she pushed the heavy doors open, the cool night air washed over her, refreshing and invigorating. She paused for a moment outside the gym, looking back at the building that now housed her carefully placed cameras and microphones. It was a small victory, but it felt monumental. Each device was a step closer to Ittetsu’s success, and she knew she would do whatever it took to support him.

With a final glance over her shoulder, Y/N turned and stepped into the night, her heart light and her mind racing with plans for the future. She had successfully set up her surveillance system, and it was just the beginning of her mission. She couldn’t wait to see the results of her hard work, to help her beloved prepare for the challenges ahead.

As she walked, her thoughts drifted to Ittetsu, the image of him smiling encouragingly as he practiced, and the thrill of the matches they would face together filled her with hope. Each step she took was fueled by the promise of their shared future, one where she could stand by his side, offering her support in any way possible.

With newfound determination, Y/N quickened her pace, ready to return to her hotel and await the next step in her plan. She felt a sense of purpose coursing through her veins, driving her forward as she ventured into the night, determined to protect her beloved and help him achieve greatness. ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡ ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡

As Y/N stepped out of the dark, empty gym, the cool night air enveloped her like a shroud, invigorating and brisk against her flushed skin. She had completed her mission, successfully installing cameras and microphones throughout the space to gather crucial intel for Ittetsu. The adrenaline of the act coursed through her veins, and a wicked smile crept across her lips as she thought about the information she could obtain. Every step she took echoed in the stillness of the night, amplifying the exhilaration thrumming inside her. This was her world—one of secrecy and cunning, where risks led to rewards.

As she strolled down the deserted street, her heart raced not just from the thrill of her successful operation but from the anticipation of the next phase of her plan. She needed to get back home quickly; the public transport system at this hour was out of the question. So, she scanned the street, her sharp eyes searching for a vehicle.

Not far ahead, she spotted a sleek, black car parked under a flickering streetlamp, its polished surface gleaming in the moonlight. The sight sent a thrill through her; it was perfect. Y/N had stolen cars before—this was not her first rodeo. It was a necessary skill, one she had honed over the years, always careful and calculated. Tonight, she felt the familiar rush of adrenaline bubbling inside her, eager to take control of the situation.

The street was still, the faint sound of rustling leaves the only noise breaking the silence. She approached the car cautiously, her pulse quickening with each step. The moonlight painted the scene in a silvery hue, but she paid little mind to the beauty around her. This was about business, and she needed to focus. She glanced around, ensuring the coast was clear before making her move.

With a swift, practiced motion, she picked up a hefty rock from the ground. The weight of it felt good in her hand, solid and reassuring. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, before lifting it high and bringing it down onto the driver’s side window with all her might. The glass shattered, sending shards flying into the interior of the car with a satisfying crash. A rush of excitement flooded through her as she quickly reached inside, ignoring the danger of the jagged edges.

She deftly unlocked the door and slid into the driver’s seat, adrenaline heightening her senses. The interior smelled of leather and faint remnants of cologne, a scent that reminded her of the rush that came with breaking the rules. Her fingers flew to the ignition, ready to put her skills to the test.

Y/N remembered the tricks she’d learned from countless tutorials online. As she pulled the wires from under the steering column, her heart raced in anticipation. She could already picture Ittetsu’s smile when she returned home, and that vision fueled her determination. With nimble fingers, she stripped the insulation off two wires, connecting them with a sense of purpose.

The engine roared to life, breaking the night’s silence. A triumphant grin spread across her face; she hadn’t lost her touch. The thrill of stealing a car was intoxicating, and she reveled in it as she shifted the vehicle into gear. The street was empty, a vast canvas for her night of freedom.

As she drove away from the gym, the wind whipped through her hair, and she allowed herself a moment to bask in the exhilaration of the act. The streets blurred past her as she navigated familiar roads, the adrenaline surging through her like wildfire. She had always been good at this, always found a way to make things work to her advantage. This was just another step toward ensuring Ittetsu’s success.

As she entered the outskirts of town, the streetlights became sparse, replaced by the dark silhouettes of trees lining the road. The car felt like an extension of her, alive and powerful as she maneuvered it through the winding streets. She cast a quick glance in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see flashing lights behind her, but the road remained clear.

With every mile that passed, her confidence grew. Y/N was skilled at disappearing into the shadows, and she knew how to handle herself in tight situations. She was a ghost, drifting through the night, and tonight, she felt invincible.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally approached her driveway, the familiar sight of her home igniting a sense of relief within her. She parked the car with a slight skid, the tires gripping the pavement, and cut the engine, basking in the silence that surrounded her. It was a moment of victory, a reminder that she was willing to do whatever it took to help Ittetsu succeed.

Stepping out of the car, Y/N took a deep breath, the cool night air filling her lungs as she gazed at the stars twinkling above. She had come a long way, and this was just the beginning. She felt empowered, ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead.

As she approached her house, she couldn’t help but reflect on the night’s events. Stealing the car had been easy, but setting up the surveillance system was only the first step. She needed to prepare for the next phase of her plan, and she had to do it quickly. Every second counted, and she was determined to be ready for anything.

With her heart still racing from the thrill of the night, Y/N slipped through the back door, making sure to close it quietly behind her. The familiar surroundings of her home felt comforting yet charged with anticipation. She moved swiftly to her room, her mind racing with ideas and strategies.

As she settled into her space, she couldn’t shake the exhilaration that coursed through her. This was her world, one filled with shadows and secrets, and she thrived in it. Ittetsu was worth every risk she took, every law she bent. She would stop at nothing to ensure his success, and with the intel she now possessed, she was one step closer to achieving that goal.

Y/N smiled to herself, feeling empowered. She was ready for whatever came next, eager to dive deeper into the chaos and emerge victorious. The night had been hers, and she was just getting started. ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡ ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡

The morning light spilled into the room, casting soft, golden rays across the floor. Kenma stirred, blinking his eyes open as the sunlight cut through the remnants of sleep still clinging to him. He felt disoriented, his mind foggy as he tried to piece together the events of the previous night. His gaze darted around the room, searching for familiar shapes in the hazy aftermath of a restless sleep. It wasn’t long before he noticed the empty space beside him—the absence of Y/N. A pang of disappointment tightened in his chest.

“Where did she go?” he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he pushed himself up from the bed. The memory of Y/N's laughter, her teasing banter, and the warmth of her presence flooded back to him, but the happiness quickly morphed into worry. The last thing he remembered was her slipping away after pouring him a drink. Kenma felt a chill run down his spine. He shot a glance at Kuroo, who was lounging on the other side of the room, scrolling through his phone with a casual air.

Kuroo sensed Kenma’s gaze and looked up, a smirk dancing on his lips. “Morning, sleepyhead. You looked pretty cozy last night.” His tone was light, but there was an edge beneath it that Kenma didn't miss.

“Where’s Y/N?” Kenma asked, his voice sharp with urgency. He felt a twinge of annoyance as Kuroo shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“Beats me. You really think she’d stick around after you passed out?” Kuroo’s words dripped with sarcasm. “Probably couldn’t handle the embarrassment of being with someone who knocked out cold.”

Kenma felt a frown tug at his lips. “It wasn’t my fault! I wasn’t even tired until I drank that… whatever it was.” The memory of the spiked drink ignited a flicker of anger in him. “And Y/N wouldn’t just leave like that. She wouldn’t have done anything to hurt me.”

Kuroo leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms as he let out a soft laugh. “You really think she’s innocent in all this? She’s the one who gave you the drink, Kenma. Who knows what her real intentions are? Maybe she’s using you to get to Ittetsu.”

Kenma felt a flash of anger at Kuroo’s suggestion. “You’re wrong! Y/N isn’t like that. She actually cares about me.” The thought of Y/N plotting something sinister made his stomach twist in knots. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, and Kuroo’s dismissal of her made him even more frustrated.

“Caring or using, it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes,” Kuroo replied, his tone casual as if he were discussing the weather rather than accusing Y/N of deceit. “But you shouldn’t waste your time chasing after her. What if she’s planning something? What if it’s all just a game to her?”

Kenma shook his head, refusing to believe Kuroo’s insinuations. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right, that Y/N had been different. There was a bond that had formed between them, a connection he hadn’t felt before. “I have to find her,” he insisted, pushing himself to his feet despite the lingering grogginess in his limbs. “I’ll talk to her. She wouldn’t just leave without saying anything.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow, the smirk never leaving his face. “And do what, exactly? Make a fool of yourself? She’s not coming back, Kenma. You should focus on what really matters—like your training.”

“What really matters?” Kenma shot back, frustration bubbling to the surface. “She’s not just some distraction! You don’t understand!”

Kuroo leaned forward, his voice low and conspiratorial. “Do you really think she cares about you? You’ve barely known her. It’s easy to get swept up in infatuation, but you can’t let it cloud your judgment. Just look at how easily she slipped away last night.”

Kenma clenched his fists, trying to keep his anger in check. He didn’t want to believe Kuroo, but doubt gnawed at him like a persistent itch. “Maybe I can convince her to come back,” he murmured, uncertainty lacing his tone.

“Or maybe she’s just gone for good. Trust me, it’s better for you this way,” Kuroo replied dismissively, turning his gaze back to his phone as if their conversation held no weight. “She’s a wildcard, Kenma. You can’t trust her.”

Kenma felt a pang of betrayal, but he couldn’t ignore the growing feeling in his gut. He wanted to defend Y/N, to stand up for her, but the words escaped him. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. “You don’t know her like I do,” he replied, more to himself than to Kuroo. “She wouldn’t just leave.”

“Or maybe she would,” Kuroo countered, the edge of his voice sharper now. “You need to think rationally. If she really cared, she wouldn’t have let you pass out like that. You were vulnerable, Kenma. You can’t let someone like that into your life.”

“Why do you care so much?” Kenma shot back, his voice rising in volume. “You’re not the one who’s in this situation! You don’t know what it’s like to actually connect with someone!”

Kuroo stood up, a fire igniting in his eyes as he moved closer to Kenma, their faces just inches apart. “I care because I don’t want to see you get hurt. You’re too valuable to let someone like her drag you down. Think about it—what do you really know about her?”

Kenma opened his mouth to respond but found himself speechless. Doubt crept in once more, and he took a step back, feeling overwhelmed. “I know she wouldn’t hurt me,” he finally said, his voice softer but resolute.

Kuroo sighed, frustration evident in his expression. “Just promise me you won’t go looking for her. Let her go, Kenma. You’re better off without her.”

As Kuroo’s words hung in the air, Kenma’s heart sank. He felt the weight of the decision pressing down on him, the turmoil of emotions swirling within him. Would it really be better to let Y/N slip away, or should he fight for her, for the connection they shared?

“I can’t just forget about her,” Kenma said quietly, the words slipping out before he could stop himself. “I need to know if she’s okay.”

Kuroo’s eyes narrowed as he studied Kenma’s face, and for a moment, Kenma wondered if he would relent, if Kuroo might see things from his perspective. But the moment passed, and Kuroo merely turned away, brushing off Kenma’s concerns with a flick of his wrist.

“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Kuroo muttered, returning to his phone, the casual air of dismissal wrapping around him like a cloak.

Kenma felt his heart sink as he watched Kuroo’s disinterest. In that moment, he knew he was at a crossroads. Would he trust Kuroo’s words, or would he pursue the feelings he had for Y/N, no matter where they led him?

“Maybe I will,” Kenma whispered to himself, determination flickering within him as he steeled himself for the decision that lay ahead. ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡ ♡⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ⌒*:ﾟ♡

The next morning, Y/N was startled awake by the relentless ringing of her doorbell. She groaned softly, her entire body aching from exhaustion. She had barely slept the night before, her mind too restless, caught up in the adrenaline of everything she’d done. Helping her beloved, Ittesu, had left her with a strange combination of exhilaration and anxiety. Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and her limbs were sluggish as she dragged herself out of bed.

The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time. Y/N muttered under her breath, running a hand through her tangled hair. She shuffled toward the door, still half-asleep and completely unaware of what she was wearing—an old, oversized t-shirt that barely covered her upper thighs and her underwear. The shirt was worn thin in places, the fabric soft from years of use. Her skin was exposed, and the random scars that dotted her thighs were visible, faint reminders of things long past. But she didn’t care right now. She was too tired to think about what she looked like.

She fumbled with the door handle, blinking against the bright light of the morning as she pulled the door open. The cool air brushed against her bare skin, waking her up a little more.

And then she froze.

Standing in front of her, looking calm and composed as ever, was Ittesu.

Her heart stopped for a second. She hadn’t expected him, not this early in the morning. She wasn’t prepared—physically or mentally. And certainly not dressed like this. She glanced down at herself, suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that she was standing in front of her beloved in nothing but a ragged t-shirt and underwear. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

“I-Ittesu,” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. Her body stiffened, and she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover herself. The scars on her thighs felt like they were glowing under his gaze, even though he hadn’t commented on them.

Ittesu’s eyes swept over her, taking in her disheveled appearance. His gaze was steady, lingering a moment longer than necessary on her exposed skin. His expression remained kind, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that made her stomach twist with nervousness.

“Y/N,” he greeted her in that familiar, calm voice. His tone was gentle, almost amused, as if her embarrassment only added to his charm. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I didn’t think it would be this early.”

Her face burned hotter, and she tried to tug the hem of her shirt down over her thighs. “N-no, it’s fine… I just wasn’t expecting anyone,” she replied, her voice small, barely holding itself together. She wished she could disappear, wished she could find something—anything—else to wear. But she was trapped in the moment, exposed and vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected.

Ittesu’s eyes flicked down to her legs again, taking in the sight of her bare thighs and the faint scars that marked them. His gaze was unreadable, and for a moment, Y/N wondered what he was thinking. Did he notice the scars? Did he care? She felt even more self-conscious under his scrutiny, the heat of embarrassment spreading through her chest.

“You look tired,” Ittesu commented softly, his eyes meeting hers again. There was genuine concern in his voice now. “Are you okay?”

Y/N swallowed hard, her heart racing. She bit her lip and nodded, though she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes for long. “Yeah… I just didn’t get much sleep,” she admitted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The cool air made her even more aware of how little she was wearing, how exposed she felt in front of him. Her scars felt like they were glowing, as if they held more meaning than they actually did.

Ittesu’s gaze softened, his brow furrowing slightly in concern. “You really should take better care of yourself, Y/N,” he said, his voice low and intimate, the kind of voice that always made her feel something deep inside. “You don’t look like you’ve slept at all.”

She managed a weak smile, though her embarrassment still lingered. “I’ve just… had a lot on my mind,” she replied quietly. She couldn’t explain everything. She couldn’t tell him the real reason she was so sleep-deprived—the things she had done the night before, the lengths she was going to for him. He could never know.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them. Y/N shifted uncomfortably, still trying to hide behind her arms and the thin fabric of her shirt. Her skin tingled under his gaze, and she felt an overwhelming urge to retreat, to find something more appropriate to wear. But her feet stayed rooted to the spot, and she couldn’t escape the intensity of the moment.

Ittesu took a small step forward, crossing the threshold of her doorway. His presence seemed to fill the space, making her even more aware of the situation. His eyes swept over her again, and she swore she could feel the heat of his gaze on her skin.

“Y/N,” he said softly, drawing her attention back to his face. His voice was still calm, but there was something different in his tone now. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. There was something serious in the way he said it, something that made her stomach twist with nerves. She glanced up at him, her tired mind trying to process his words.

“Talk?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. She hadn’t expected this. Not now. Not like this.

Ittesu nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. “Yeah,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “Can we sit down? There’s something important I need to discuss with you.”

Y/N felt her heart race as the weight of his words settled over her. She nodded slowly, though her mind was still spinning. She couldn’t even begin to guess what he wanted to talk about, but the look in his eyes told her it was something she needed to hear.

“I… I’ll just…” she stammered, gesturing vaguely toward the inside of her apartment. “I’ll grab something… to wear.”

Ittesu smiled gently. “Take your time,” he said, stepping back slightly to give her space. But his eyes stayed on her, watching her every move as she turned and headed back into her apartment, her heart pounding in her chest.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this conversation was going to change everything.

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