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bookmaker-untaken · 1 year ago

Text

defiantly almost a mitski lyric

vyn richter x reader // to the moon au

Word Count: 1,598

Summary: If your job has taught you anything, it’s that dying pretty fucking easy. Everything else about being human, though? For the birds.

Author’s Note: I was going to beat this chapter if it was the last thing I did wether you'll liked it oR NOT. Likely OOC as hell, tbh. New at this whole thing...

The funny thing about University campuses – well, not funny ha-ha, funny annoying as hell – is that you can spend your entire tenure in your little corner without ever venturing into the other buildings. It is, for this very reason, you are standing in the Phycology Building’s pristine hallway, looking incredibly confused and narrowly avoiding being trampled.

“Dr. [Name]!” You whirl around, squinting at the young man who strides up to you, a smirk forming.

“Marius!” You give him a quick hug, guiding yourselves out of the worst of the foot traffic, ending it with a clap on his shoulder.

“Don’t tell me you’re lost, Doc,” Marius teases.

“It’s not my fault the Phycology Building’s built like the little rat mazes y’all like so much,”

“Nobody does that anymore,” He says with an indulgent little smile and a roll of his eyes. “You looking for Vyn’s office?”

“Guilty,” You shrug.

It’s always weird hearing “Vyn” instead of “Dr. Richter” or “your-annoyingly-show-off-and-smug-about-it partner” (not that Marius calls him that). He always makes sure to add Doctor to your name, though – “diversity hire,” he had joked when you’d joined the team. You think he does it to piss Vyn off, but you can’t ever tell if it’s working or not.

“Did he give you directions?”

“Yeah,”

“But you weren’t listening,” Marius sneers.

“I was. I just didn’t take notes,” Marius laughs.

“Well, for starters, you’re on the wrong floor.”

“What? Well, shit,” He chuckles.

“I can walk you up, if you want,”

You glance down at your watch.

“Nah. I’m a big person. And don’t you have somewhere important to be or something?”

He checks the phone in his hand. “Well, shit.”

You laugh.

He gives you a wave, talking over his shoulder. “It’s down the hall and up two flights of stairs on the right!”

“Thanks!”

“Yeah! Bye, Doc!"

ii.

After only a few turnarounds, you reach Vyn’s office.

It’s predictably neat, clean enough to be reminiscent of a museum, save for the occasional accent – the pillow in the chair across from the desk, the papers strewn about the desk, a leaning book to cover for a missing one.

Vyn’s white lab coat lays on the back of his chair. Even now, he’s elegant, chin perched on his wrist, golden eyes scanning the holograph document. He brushes the silver hair out of his eyes slides his finger to turn the page.

“Dr. Watts,” He greets, sitting up straight.

You suddenly feel bad for shattering the little scene of comfort before your arrival.

“Dr. Richter,” You give him a two-finger salute. “You owe me lunch,”

He smiles lightly - the painted, perfect thing. “That I do,”

“Is that a new case?” You ask as he rises from the chair.

“I’m afraid it’s not nearly as interesting,” He says. “Only grading papers,”

“Yikes,” You say, as if you’ve never graded papers.

“I like it,” He says. "It’s interesting to see the generations thinking on a particular matter,”

You quirk an eyebrow. “Of course you’d say something like that,”

He simply smiles.

"And before you ask, no – I don't agree," You say. "They think just 'cause they can build a robot, suddenly means they don't have to have a conscious or empth – Wait… isn't that Marius?"

"And Captain Morgan." The two of you watch for a couple of seconds before he starts to take the handcuffs out.

"Shouldn't we ... stop him?"

"He has the bail money," You cut him a look and start to walk.

"Oh, hi, Rosa," You say, and her face relaxes in relief when she recognizes you.

"Dr. Watts?"

"You know each other?" Marius whines. "You've been holding out on me, Doc?"

"What's going on here, Officer?" Vynn asks. "Marius here is under arrest because he's a person of interest – "

"Of course," You and Marius say simultaneously - you annoyed, Marius smug.

Darius regards both of you tiredly. "For the death of Estelle Marino,"

"Oh damn," You say.

Vyn hums in agreement.

"I suppose we should come with you, considering you were going to call us already, right?"

iii.

"Oh, thank god," You say when you arrive and they already have your stuff out. "Oh, right, you've never seen a Memory Editor in person before,"

Rosa shakes her head. "I've only heard you mention it in court,"

"It's only /interesting/ in court," You say. "Now it's just a bunch of digging in trash cans,"

"They mean investigating," Vyn said.

"Right," You say. "Sure,"

"It's legal," Vyn says to Rosa's shifting.

"I'll help," Rosa says. "What are you looking for … exactly?"

While the two of them go across the apartment, you walk over and boot up the machine. It's not hard, but it's a long process, and there are a lot of little settings that could mess things up along the way.

"There we go," You say. "Now we wait,"

"Do you have to wait a lot?" Rosa asks. "I mean, I try to be forgiving, considering it's resurrecting memories from scrach, but yeah,"

Rosa looks between you and the machine. “Dr. Watts?”

“Hm?”

“What does it … “

iv.

“…Feel like?”

Like … being thrown into a pool. But it’s not a cold pool - it’s warm. But not, like, the weird kind of warm, either. And all the little bubbles rushing up are, like, feelings and - memories instead. And when you open your eyes to peer into the depths …

Who am I?

You are a beautiful woman.

Or not.

Fuck if you know.

You’ve got dark hair that falls effortlessly over your shoulders and thin blood-painted lips. A grand necklace with jewels reminiscent of the pools reflecting the night sky, held together with diamonds rivaling the constellations sits upon your slim and perfect neck. But your eyes are bloodshot and puffy and your dark mascara is smudged. You delicately raise your manicured fingers to eyes that are not yours -

“Dr. Watts -“ You jolt.

“Jesus,”

“Dr. Watts,” The voice glides over your senses like a clear stream and you swallow, hand on your chest. You are alone in the bathroom. “The time of death approaches. It will likely be gruesome,”

“No shit Sherlock,” You grumble, shaking your hands into the sink and palming at one of the plush towels. “Poisoning sounds, like, super uncomfortable!”

“Shh,” The voice reminds you, and you unwittingly clamp your mouth shut with a frown. “We wouldn’t want to alert your husband, would we?”

You toss a glare at the wall, try not to sputter over his choice of words. You brush your perfectly manicured fingers over the magazine cover, a dull feeling half love half anguish blooming in your chest. It’s sickening. Your husband is smiling, but his eyes are distant. The silk-gloved magician he is playing isn’t far from his role in your secret married life - disappearing and reappearing, disappearing and reappearing.

I’m sure you just wanted to tell me to shut up. Idly,you hover over the chocolate box given to you by that young upstart. He’s cute, but he has nothing on your man - even if said man thought so.

There was never anybody else.

There never could be.

There is no reply from the voice, but you know him - you can see, clear as day, that annoying little coy quirk of the mouth he makes that’s so frustratingly -

“Hmm?” He hums. You roll your eyes and throw a chocolate into your mouth. You can’t place the aftertaste - it’s strange. Sour. Citrus zest? No… You start to grasp at your neck. The necklace is too tight. You keep gasping for air and coming up empty.

“Help!” You’re screaming, banging on the door, but it isn’t enough.

“Help! Janus!” You’re clawing at the shared door between you and your beloved husband.

“Help! Janus! Please! Janus! I can’t - “ The hard-wood of the door peers down at you.

“Help!” You screech, falling to the floor. “Help! Vyn! Help me!”

You can’t swallow - you can’t - it’s getting dark.

Why would your husband not hear you? Isn’t he just on the other side?

It hits you, right as your vision fades to black and the door creaks open.

Ah. That’s why.

You inhale deeply, eyes darting around.

Who am I?

“[Name.]” Vyn has you by the elbow and you swallow harshly.

Rosa is absolutely terrified, big eyes blown wide.