#Android silver logo

[wallpapers4screen]

[chussyracing]

i hate hate hate the hp logo on ferrari, but mclaren have the absolute ugliest looking livery ever like every nook and cranny of their car is covered in some rando sponsor with 1793728 different colors. like who cares if you have no ‘title sponsor’ when it means you have 1682827 million different ones that make your car look even more hideous than ever

sincerely a very defensive papaya-hating tifosa FORZA FERRARI

i probably wouldn't mind that many of sponsors? it's just how many colors there are and how bad they are crashing. with ferrari there were two basic colors (plus black and white like probably all of the other teams) - red and yellow. and then yeah, the monstrosity that is hp. but with mclaren you have orange base, green android, rainbow chrome, random silver driver numbers for no reason at all, red and green DP world, yellow dewalt, dark orange + light blue gulf and then the added orange + red mastercard. it HURTS.

and that is not even speaking about the special liveries like the blue japan one had so much potential and it was made so ugly that it just clashed BADLY.

[ojamayellow]

Sonic's early games openings (with the winged logo and such) inspired by Dr Slump.

Super Sonic, and how he keeps gaining more 'super' forms.

(Kid) Goku being able to use his tail as a helicopter, which Tails can do with his namesake.

Tails' designer initially picturing Gohan and Piccolo's relationship with Tails' and Sonic's own relationship.

Surge the Tenrec having Android 18 inspiration.

Sonic & Knuckles' 3D ball special stage being inspired by King Kai's planet.

The bloody Chaos Emeralds.

SILVER THE HEDGEHOG.

Is there anything else I missed?

[eiseryn]

Those Who Leave, Those Who Remain

Description: After Lei's many near death experiences in the past three days, she gets a chance to gather her thoughts a little. She reflects upon the people she thinks she's lost or might lose, and also the people she has with her now. This takes place after the epilogue of the cyberpunk CoC campaign my friends and I have been playing from Jan 2023-Oct 2023.

Word count: Approx 19k words

Warnings: Some implied suspicious /spicy things but nothing is explicit. Some swearing.

In the cheesy and trashy movies she and Gigi used to watch in the cinemas Uptown when they were bored, the couple would ride off into the sunset toward their happy ending. But there is no sunset in the Mertalline slums, let alone a sun. And in this relentlessly cruel and seemingly hopeless world, a happy ending is simply something that does not exist. 

Vail drives fast and the neon-polluted city blurs to the point where Lei gets dizzy and needs to close her eyes. She presses her face to his back and holds on tightly to him as they zoom past everything. Under the many layers of his clothing, his waist is surprisingly solid with what she thinks is hard muscle. 

This realization only distracts her for a few seconds. No matter how she tries to think about other things, her mind continues to drift toward Ceres. Where is she now? Is she conscious in those test tubes? Is she in any pain? But even if she asks these questions and thinks these thoughts, there is nothing that she can do. 

“Where do you wanna go?” Vail’s voice pulls her out of her thoughts.

She sighs heavily. “Good question.”

She hadn’t even wanted to drink today. After resolving the war machine situation, she had wanted to see the smiles of her friends again and enjoy her evening somewhat sober. But fate, as always, has other plans. 

“Silver Tongue.” She finally decides. Maybe it’s the mere exposure effect again, but she has begun to like the place, as a sort of “safe” home base. Also, she needs to return the card Maria gave her for the backroom. 

After Vail parks his red bike on the street, they enter Silver Tongue together. The main colours of the bar seem to be the red of the chairs and bar seats and brown from the wooden bar and tables. Instead of harsh neon lightning, the bar is warmly lit with a more soft orange glow, although their logo is in neon red. It is still early in the evening and there are no customers except for the two of them, maybe because of how the slums were attacked not long ago. Lei enjoys this subdued and quiet atmosphere, like the calm before the storm. 

The android bartender, Sebastian, is cleaning glasses at the bar. She places the card for the backroom in front of him. 

Sebastian looks at her with probably programmed surprise. “Thank you. I thought we might have to get a new one.” 

“I’m sorry,” she says, “I needed to leave and forgot to drop it off on my way out.”

Sebastian comments no further, but Lei can tell he doesn't quite believe her. “Is there anything you or the gentleman would like to drink today?” He asks instead. 

Lei glances at Vail, who is standing beside her diligently. “One Rocky Road, no ice, and a Long Island Iced Tea, please.” She holds her credit chip out to pay. 

“On it.” The bartender puts down the glass he was cleaning, and then begins to mix their drinks with practiced ease. He slides the two drinks one by one: A short square-shaped glass with dark amber liquid in it and no ice and then, her cocktail in a tall glass with a cute red straw and lemon slice. 

After they have these drinks in their hand, she pulls Vail over to one of the comfy red velvet seats in the corner of the bar.

“Have you been here before?” She asks as she sinks into the plush seat. Maria and Laura, she remembers, had a conversation here just yesterday morning. So many events happened all in the span of three days it feels like a long time ago. 

Vail settles into the seat beside her and nods. “Yeah, this is Rose’s favourite place for drinks.” 

“Right, he was drinking here… just yesterday morning. And also in the afternoon. And also in the evening… what does he even do?” 

“He’s a sniper.” 

Lei scoffs a little. “A sniper? Who misses half his shots? I am no expert, but I thought that snipers were supposed to be extra skilled in shooting.” 

“Really? He’s usually pretty good at his job.” Vail sounds surprised. At least Rose has one friend who believes in him. 

“Unfortunately, I was unable to witness that on the mission.” Lei shakes her head. “He even had the audacity to say he had a little to drink before… ‘only a couple sips’ he said.” 

“Oh yeah, he does that sometimes.” 

Concerning, but alright. Lei suspects Rose might have a slight alcohol problem. Actually, she suspects Rose has a large alcohol problem and she is concerned for his liver. She’ll be pretty pissed if he keels over from alcohol poisoning before she has convinced him to speak with Ceres.

She continues on with her rant. “And he even told me that it’s “hard to fire a sniper in the darkness”. I am no expert, but if that’s a problem he should get night vision goggles.”

Vail takes a sip from his drink. “Sounds like he’s coping to me.”

Lei can only laugh. “Right? I thought so as well.” When her laugh dies off, she sighs heavily. “I should stop talking badly about him. We all survived, and that’s what matters. Maybe he really was having a bad day as he said.” 

Vail nods. “Rose has been through some shit…”

She doesn’t doubt this. All of the people in their group have been test subjects to an experiment that has a high lethality rate. And as slummers, their lives must not have been easy. Rose in particular, leaving his family in the Middle district at such a young age must not have been by choice. She cannot imagine what has happened to him, but it must have been something terrible.

“But… you too, right?” She looks at him with concern. 

His eyes seem to shift away a little. “Eh… it’s not so bad. I’m here right now, aren’t I?” 

You’re here for now, she thinks, but how much time do you really have? Even if you agree to stay with me, how high are the chances you’ll be taken from me too?   

Although caring for someone can be a beautiful thing, when you lose them, those feelings become a poison that has no antidote. 

And she only has so much to lose. 

She leans in closer so she can talk more quietly. “What were you busy with last night and this morning? Keeper said you were helping Lexi.” 

He glances around, but no one is here to listen to their conversation. He also leans in closer so now they’re having a very private conversation — practically whispering in each other’s ears. “The Jackals told Lexi to save the innocent people who weren’t involved in the E.S. experiment at Prism HQ.” 

“Prism HeadQuarters?” The words come out of her like a breathless sort of gasp. 

He nods. 

Her initial reaction is surprise that Tiger would provide this sort of mercy for the innocents who are simply doing as Prism tells them and have no knowledge of Prism’s true cruelty and corruption. People like Lei herself, without the kill count, of course. Tiger’s claim to have saved Lei that night in Laura’s apartment might actually have been the truth, and Tiger herself outside the Jackals might have been a kind girl whose kindness was ripped out and shredded to pieces by the corps. Lei wonders, just for a brief moment, that if things had been different, she might have been able to help Tiger and her brother.

What would it have been like? She wonders. If only she were more knowledgeable about their situation and had a voice that could reach their ears, hands that could heal their invisible wounds. If only the circumstances were a little different, maybe she could save them all. But in this life, this is only something she can speculate and something she will never be able to achieve. This happy ending they all deserve — is it something that can exist in this world? She so desperately wants to believe. But this world has crushed so many of her dreams. And yet, she will keep dreaming.

As she is thinking quietly, she remembers the person she used to know that works for Prism. Or did, to her most recent knowledge.

 “Do you think you'd be able to recognize someone if I showed you a picture?” She asks, a little hesitatingly.

“Maybe.” He says with a bit of a shrug. “My memory’s not that good, though.” 

 She sets her gallery to “oldest-to-newest”, glad she hasn’t replaced her phone for three years. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn’t really looked at her old photos in a long time. Perhaps, she did so to forget her past that she desperately wanted to abandon, but she realizes that she abandoned Gigi with it. 

The last picture she took with Gigi was a selfie in a park, where they are holding up bubble tea they picked up along the way — sesame for Gigi and matcha for Lei. They had watched a movie and did some shopping that day, and as they passed the park, they spontaneously decided to stop by. It was the spring right before she moved to the slums, and the last time she got to hang out with Gigi. Gigi had gotten busy with her promotion to an Uptown lab right after, and then Lei was demoted to the slums as well. 

This picture contains the memory of the last time she saw Gigi in person, the last time she saw Gigi smile. She stares at this picture for longer than she intends to, and then remembers she needs to show it to Vail. She peeks up at him, and he seems to have been looking at her patiently all this time. She turns the screen toward him. 

He looks at it for some time before shaking his head. “No, sorry. Anyone else you’re looking for?”

Her heart falls, but it is something she already suspected. After all, if Gigi was last in those salt mines where the Jackals and war machine was… It is hard to imagine Gigi having escaped, even if Lei never saw the body. 

She pauses for a long time, debating if she should ask about her eldest brother. The last time she had seen him, it was for his wedding around three years ago. “My eldest brother works at Prism as well — or did the last time I saw him. I don’t have any pictures of him though.” 

“What does he look like?”

Lei smiles a little bitterly, her gaze cast down to the floor, which she now sees is carefully overlaid with classy tiles that look like wood, but are clearly not wood itself. “He looks like me. He has the same hair, eye, and skin tone as me. We both look like our father.” 

Vail is silent for some time. Then, he says, “I think I did see someone with eyes like yours who got out.” 

Lei can’t tell if he’s lying or not. She’s not good at reading people. But since he promised to tell her truth, she will trust him. 

“He’s working at HQ now? He’s been elevated from his position as a surgeon.” Lei murmurs, like she’s thinking aloud. “My…my mother must be proud…” Her voice drifts off, much quieter at the end than it had started. She continues to look at the floor, refusing to look up. She is afraid to see his expression. 

As soon as the words have escaped her, she regrets bringing it up. There’s nowhere for this conversation to go and she’s left swimming in a pool of her own vulnerability. Drowning in her own pool of shame. 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” There is no judgement in his voice, only curiousity. 

“Maybe.” She says, and can’t help the bitter tone in her voice. “Sorry,” she sighs heavily, “I don’t have a good relationship with my family. My mother in particular, has probably disowned me. I don’t contact them anymore, but this is besides the point.” 

“Don’t be sorry. You can talk about whatever you want with me.” Vail tells her. 

She desperately wants to change the subject, but this topic has made her curious about his circumstances. So hesitantly, she looks up and asks, “Do you… have any family?”

He shakes his head. “Long gone. Caught in a gang turf war.” 

“I’m… sorry to hear that.” Lei says quietly. That is not uncommon in the slums. She wonders if he had a good relationship with his family, and she hopes he did. This is not the place to ask, though. 

“Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.” His expression seems unphased so perhaps it has been a wound that has already long been sealed — whether forcefully or not. 

Even so, she places her hand over his, in attempts to be comforting. Because sometimes you don’t need words to convey your thoughts and feelings. Hers are: I am here with you. 

While she’s finishing her third (and intended last) drink, the door to Silver Tongue opens and four very familiar people pour in: Zoey, Keeper, Rose, and Liam.

Since she has raised her head to look, she manages to make eye contact with all of them. Zoey’s eyes seem to kind of recognize her and Vail, but she quickly beelines for Sebastian at the bar. Liam seems to give her some sort of nod of acknowledgement before following Zoey to the bar. Keeper looks a little curiously at the two of them, tilting her head in a very cat-like manner before also going to join the others. Rose, however, seems to give them a very knowing smirk which makes Lei feel a little icky. 

“Wanna go?” Vail seems to make some sort of look at Rose she can’t read, before turning to her to ask this question.  

“When I finish my drink.” She’s already paid for it, after all. 

Their conversation dies off a little as they watch the four of them drink. Lei is a little concerned about the rate at which Zoey is chugging bottles of vodka in a way that is definitely going to get her blackout drunk. Rose seems to be pouring Liam some sake. Keeper seems to be sipping some sort of pink fruity drink and watching the others. Lei wants very badly to pat her head, and Keeper seems to look toward her direction when she thinks this. 

No, no, go back to enjoying your evening, Lei thinks toward Keeper, don’t mind me~ 

Keeper turns back and Lei watches Liam clink glasses with everyone and also Keeper, who seems to be a little shy about it. 

I was supposed to have a drink with them and Laura, Lei thinks. But since Laura’s gone now and Liam and Rose are leaving tomorrow, those plans will have to remain forever unfulfilled. She supposes, in a way, they’re kind of getting drinks together since they’re at the same place at the same time, although on separate sides of the room. It’s a little bit of a stretch, but it is better than nothing. 

“Is it a runner thing to get drinks after missions?” She asks Vail, turning back to her companion. 

“Yeah of course,” Vail says, “Since every job’s dangerous, gotta celebrate when we stay alive.” 

“That makes sense,” Lei sighs, “But it makes me worry for all of your livers.” 

“Eh, don’t worry about us.” He says in the frustrating way he always does. 

Instead of explaining that saying that makes her worry more, the alcohol in her veins makes her press her finger to his mouth. “Shush, you. Stop saying that or I’ll make you shut up another way.” 

“That sounds oddly encouraging.” He smiles a little at her. 

She shakes her head at him, but she’s also smiling.

Around twenty minutes later when she’s comfortably finished sipping her drink, Zoey is already very clearly plastered and now seems to be trying to get on the tables to dance. Lei hopes that someone will take her home. 

“Let’s go say goodbye to them before we go and get dinner.” Lei tells Vail, who nods.

They walk over to the four of them, who seem to be enjoying their night. Or perhaps the alcohol is helping them enjoy the night. 

Rose raises an eyebrow at her and Vail as they approach. “So these were your plans?” He asks, his tone a little bit teasing. 

She raises an eyebrow back at him. “And you’re drinking before going on a dangerous mission? Do you always drink before going on a dangerous mission?” 

“Can’t back down from a promise.” Rose gestures to the others, “the mission is future me’s problem.” 

“Right…” Lei feels a little guilty about not joining them. She usually keeps her promises with people, but she didn’t expect this one to take place at the same time as when she already made plans with Vail. Technically, she thinks, they did not tell me they would be getting drinks today here, so technically I was not invited, right? 

“Did you come to join us in partaking with the devil’s drink, followers?” Keeper is wondering. Keeper doesn’t appear to exhibit any drunkenness, so Lei suspects she might have been drinking mocktails. This makes her seem extra adorable to Lei. Keeper just seems so innocent and lovable, which reminds her of a certain someone… 

“Sorry, Keeper…” Lei begins to say, glancing at Vail. 

“We have plans, Keeper.” Vail finishes for her. “So, no, not today.” 

Keeper crosses her arms. “Hmph. To think that Shadow and Envoy of Death would abandon us and sneak off elsewhere to the unknown…” 

While Vail is speaking with Keeper, she turns to Liam, who is still drinking his sake. 

“Doc.” Liam gives her a small and firm nod in his usual gruff voice. He seems a little calmer and more composed than she last saw him. Perhaps she should say he looks more resolute. 

She nods her head back at him. “Hello Liam, hope you’re enjoying your drinks?” 

He makes some sort of noncommittal, gruff sort of noise that seems very typical of him to do. 

“Good thing I ran into you, Liam, I need a picture of you.” Lei says.

Liam’s mouth is set in a flat line. “Why.” His mouth is set in a line as flat as his tone of words.

Lei sighs. “To remember you in a photo where my brain might fail.”

“I don’t need people to remember me.” Liam deadpans once again.

Lei has realized Liam can be very difficult to work with, especially when it concerns his own wellbeing, health, or just any positive impacts on his life, really. 

She has to be smart about manipulating his feelings, in a positive way, of course. “Well, what if it’s as payment for all those times I gave you medical attention, then?”

At least a minute seems to pass where Liam doesn’t speak and she’s forced to simply look at him. But finally, he opens his mouth again: “Only one.”

So before Liam can take those words back, Lei whips out her phone and snaps an image. Luckily, she has steady hands, so the image is clear enough. The lighting of Silver Tongue is nice too, it is not as harsh as the darkness and neon lights outside. 

“Perfect, thank you~” Lei smiles, satisfied. She puts her phone back into her jacket pocket. “I guess we won’t be getting those drinks after all…” 

“You look busy.” Liam says, and since Lei is looking closely, his mouth might just be quirked up with the slightest bit of amusement. Maybe he’s picked up on the fact she’s on a date, which surprises Lei, as Liam doesn’t seem to be the most perceptive of people.

“That I am.” Lei says simply, “But we can get drinks when you’re back.”

He doesn’t correct her that he might not be coming back at all this time. “Sure,” he says, “take care of my things for me.” 

“I will.” Lei says, meaning it. “You take care of yourself as well.” 

Liam nods, and thus their last conversation ends. 

For now, she thinks. It’s their last conversation, for now.

 

When Lei turns her attention back to Vail, he seems to be speaking with Rose. Since she also wants to say one more (and hopefully the last) goodbye to Rose as well, she makes her way over to the two men 

Rose and Vail are staring at each other in a way that makes it seem like they’re squaring off. Lei realizes that despite them calling each other buddies, she hasn't seen them interact before.

"Good luck, buddy." Rose says, giving a hearty pat on Vail’s back. It’s easy for him when Vail is shorter than him. 

"I should be saying that to you." Vail answers, giving Rose a slap on the back as well. 

Then they do some sort of handshake that leads into a chest-to-chest hug. They don’t say any goodbyes or “see you again”s. As runners, perhaps those things are better left unsaid. 

“I feel like this is the third time I’ve said it, but take care, Rose.” Lei sighs. “We’ll see you when you’re back. With Ceres.” Because she is not a runner, she will say all the pleasantries she wants as manifestations for the future. 

“Yeah, yeah, you too.” Rose says, and then his smirk returns and he pats Vail on the shoulder again, “make sure to take care of Vail.” 

“Oh, I will certainly take care of Vail~ You don’t have to worry about that at all.” Lei pulls on Vail’s arm so that he’s standing beside her now. She loves that with just a gentle little tug, he already knows what she wants and does so willingly. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have plans.”

“Yeah, yeah, enjoy your night.” Rose smiles. 

“You too. Take Zoey home too, she looks like she had too much.” 

On the way out the door, she catches the finger guns and wink Rose throws at Vail from the corner of her eye. She ignores this.

 

“You know why I like you, Vail?” Lei asks him when they’re having dinner. 

He tilts his head at her. “If you put it that way, I am a little curious. Why?” 

“It’s because you’re cute~” She gently boops his nose with her finger and smiles at his bewildered expression.

“Really?” His widened brown eyes are even more cute, she thinks. 

“Well yes, I think you’re cute, but there’s more than that.” Lei rests her chin in her hands and gives him a little smile. “I like that even in this seemingly hopeless and cruel world where most people’s hopes are crushed time and time again, you still allow yourself to dream. That isn’t easy. It’s easier to give up and keep your head down when you’re just trying to survive day-by-day, and this is me speaking from experience”

 “Ah.” He says. “To be honest, most times I don’t believe in them. I just like to imagine something better. It helps when you don’t expect anything.” 

“Even so, I admire that and I love that you are a dreamer. I too, want to hope for something better for all of us, and you showed me that I am allowed to think that way.” 

Especially since… you must have undergone so much pain being experimented on, and yet you allow yourself to dream. She wants to ask about this, but she doesn’t want to bring the trauma up, so she will wait until he brings it up one day. If he does at all. She is patient, she can wait. 

He rubs the back of his neck a little. Is it bashfulness or something else? She hasn’t really seen this sort of reaction from him before. She hopes that she will continue to learn more about him.

She changes the topic. “What kind of dreams are you having these days? Are you still thinking of what it’s like outside the city and or slums?” 

“Nah,” he says with a bit of a smile, “I promised someone I would stay here.” 

Although her initial reaction is to blush, it soon fades as the words settle in and sink into the murky and dark place in her heart. “I’m sorry.”

His smile drops. “What for?” 

“That we didn’t end up going to Adamawa. The Adamawa you described as a runner paradise sounded too good to be true. There’s clearly something sinister brewing there and that’s why Rose and Liam are going there. Even though you spoke well of Athena… in the end, a corp is a corp. Maybe they’ll start out as something beneficial for the runners, but corruption breeds true. In this world… I don’t believe there is such a thing as a good corp.” 

Vail nods, serious. “You make some good points. I didn’t really think about that. I just thought, you know, if it were really better there, it would be nice for us.” 

She nods. “I understand, after all I wanted to believe in it too when I first heard about it from you. But to be honest… after hearing about how dangerous it would be in Adamawa… I just didn’t want to lose anyone else important to me. Afterall Ceres…”

Has already been taken and is gone, Lei thinks. She tries to blink away the tears that threaten to fall out of her eyes all of the sudden. 

“You know, it’s not too late,” says Vail, “I could probably still go and help Rose look for her.” 

Suddenly it becomes difficult to breathe. Lei looks up at him, teary-eyed. She opens her mouth to plead for him not to go but no words come out. 

“Is what I would say if I didn’t already promise you I’d stay.” Vail finishes, as if he has suddenly realized something important. 

She wipes away some of the tears that have started to spill out. “Vail, I’m not sure if you understand the severity of the situation. Keeper said that even corpos have been taken, and the memory wipe has even affected CEOs. They managed to take Ceres from Paradise, which should be theoretically the safest place in this city and absolutely erase her existence from citizen records. It’s not something that can be easily solved. I want to believe in Rose and the other runners of Adamawa but…” 

“We’re runners, we do all the jobs no one else wants to do or can’t do. They’ll get it done. Probably.” Vail’s tone of voice is adamant and firm, but perhaps it is because he wants to remain close to the truth he never believes in any absolutes.

Lei looks down, biting down the bitter words on the tip of her tongue, tears of frustration gathering once more. To her surprise, Vail reaches out a finger to her eyes and gently wipes them away. 

“Lei,” he says gently in a tone she’s never really heard from him before, “don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.” He gently places his hand on hers. 

She frowns at him and looks away, but she doesn’t pull her hand away. “You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better.” 

“I haven’t ever lied to you.” When she looks back at him, his gaze does not waver. 

She raises an eyebrow at him, trying to analyze his expression, but it is truly outside her expertise and she can’t tell. “Are you sure? Slummers are great liars.” 

He does not look away, his face is serious. “I already promised I wouldn’t. Just sometimes I can’t tell you the full truth. But I haven’t lied.” 

She thinks about it for a bit of time, and then nods her head. “I believe you. I want to trust you, so I will.” She turns her hand over and spreads out his fingers so that she can intertwine her fingers with his. 

They stay like this for some time, just enjoying each other’s presence in comforting silence. 

“You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Vail finally continues. “Plus, Lexi and her contacts are working on something, not to mention Keeper. We’re not fighting alone in whatever this is.”

Lei sighs. “You’re right. I don’t have the time to worry when there are more important things to do. I need to start working on a better medicine for you and the others. We don’t know the long-term effects of taking Whisper and Shiver, and I’d rather not have us find out through one of you.” 

“Eh, it’s fine, we’re used to it.” 

“No,” Lei shakes her head. “It’s not. It may be medicine to you… but in the end, they are drugs with side effects when overused. I don’t trust the work that Prism has done… so I will be the one to create an effective treatment.”

People might say she is being unrealistic with these expectations. But if she has nothing else, she is confident in her ability to make drugs. Before she was sent into the clinic in the slums, her job focussed on research. So she simply has to return to those roots again, and she has a few ideas where she can start. 

“Alright.” Vail says. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.” 

Lei makes a sound of disbelief. “You’re so busy, though. I won’t bother you if it’s not necessary.” 

“You’re not a bother. I can always make time for you.” His brown eyes are soft, like pools of melted chocolate. Equally sweet is his smile. 

Now she definitely feels the heat creep up to her cheeks. She has to look away from his eyes. “If you answer your phone.”

He laughs a little. “When I answer my phone.”

 

While they’re walking to his bike after dinner, the streets are still concerningly empty. Perhaps most people are still hiding away in their homes after the attack. There do seem to be a few more people who are on the streets than before, though. As they say, the city never sleeps.

“You said I could ask you anything, right?” She asks him. 

“Yeah, I did. What do you wanna know?” 

“The Whisper you bought,” She whispers to him, “Is it just medicine for your condition? Or do you really have trouble sleeping?” 

She already knows that both Rose and Keeper need to take Prism’s Shiver for their conditions. The Shiver Vail bought before was probably for them. He could be taking the Shiver himself, but she suspects that the Whisper is for him. 

“Ah, that?” He says, “Yeah, I need to take them when I use my power a lot. I usually don’t need them.” 

That explains why he hasn’t visited the Prism clinic for three months. At least, she thinks, he wasn’t getting them from someone else. 

“Well,” She sighs heavily and looks down at the dirty asphalt, “I’m just glad you’re not using them to sleep. Or drugging other people with them.” 

“About that…” 

She immediately whips her head to look at him. “So you do have trouble sleeping?” She hopes he doesn’t mean that he is drugging people with them. Although it is ironic of her to think this way when she has done so twice herself. 

“Eh…” Vail sounds unusually hesitant. “I wouldn’t say it’s that I have trouble sleeping. It’s more that I can’t fall asleep at all.” 

“...” She has no words. Yet again, she has been given another piece of information that feels like cold water to her face. “Then,” she finally says after some time has passed, “How have you been getting your rest?” 

“Sedatives, getting other runners to knock me out. Things like that.” 

“...” Once again she has no words. 

“That’s…That’s not healthy. That’s not even really sleeping but just going unconscious. Especially being physically knocked out!” She’s started to realize that Vail makes her worry about him a lot. Actually, all the people closest to her make her worry about them. 

He shrugs, seemingly uncaring, or seemingly without options. “What can I do? I can’t not sleep.” 

They’ve reached his red bike by now and Lei sighs heavily once again. That is another problem she’ll have to worry about as she develops a better treatment for the E.S. test subjects. There has to be something that will work on him… maybe melatonin injections or another similar hormone. Sleep after all, is one of the most important things a human body needs. 

“I don’t know if those sleeping techniques are going to work anymore…” She mumbles to herself. She was thinking that he had trouble sleeping, not that he couldn't sleep at all. The teas, essential oils, massages, and lullabies don’t seem so applicable anymore. 

“What was that?” Vail asks. He’s on his bike by now and is waiting for her to get on behind him. 

She doesn’t reply immediately and leans forward to hug him just as she had done the day before. It only takes him another second for him to reciprocate and wrap his arms around her. 

“Just talking to myself.” She tells him. After all, she still has a few more “techniques” that might help induce sleep. If nothing else, it will release some nice hormones like vasopressin, oxytocin, and serotonin or dopamine — assuming they affect his body the same way they do for others. That’s just an experiment they’ll have to conduct.

 

The drive to his apartment in the Middle slums doesn’t take too long. It should be an honour, Lei thinks, to be able to go to his place. It shows her that he trusts her quite a lot. But she is still a little nervous. 

She holds onto his arm as they walk toward the residential building that looks identical to all the others in the area. The three drinks she’s had have all worn off by now, but she'll take any excuse to cling onto him. Whether or not he is aware of this fact, he certainly doesn't seem to mind. 

“Thank you for the ride. I'll give you one later~” She is not nervous enough to not say things like these. The liquid courage in her stomach certainly helps. 

"I thought you said you weren't good at driving." Vail says, clearly confused. 

Am I being too subtle, or is he really bad at picking up innuendos? Lei wonders. She ends up justifying that it has been a long tiring day. She also has trouble processing information when she works overtime. 

 She gives him a little wink. "I'm not talking about a bike or car here." 

“Ohhhh, of course.” Despite saying these words, his face tells her that he might not quite understand what she means. She’s starting to suspect that he has no experience in this regard at all.

But it’s alright, she will show him what she means. That’s a promise.

As Vail opens the door to his apartment, Lei first hears soft jingling and then very loud and adamant meowing. They quickly enter the apartment and shut the door as a small cat comes barreling toward them, screaming its lungs out. The jingling sound is coming from an ice blue collar with a silver bell on it. 

The cat seems to not be fully grown, but is already quite fluffy and judging by its bushy tail, will likely be quite longhaired. Its base coat is off-white and has the darker markings around its face, paws, and tail that makes it look like a toasted marshmallow and makes it distinctly a colourpoint. Additionally, its eyes are ice blue. All in all, it looks quite like Cillin, the robotic cat she herself owns. 

Vail goes to a cupboard and takes out a plastic tube of what Lei thinks is cat food. He squeezes it out into a bowl and places it in front of the cat, who has been following Vail around and meowing all the while. The cat excitedly and immediately shoves its face into the bowl, and begins to eat messily. 

After slipping her boots off by the door, Lei walks over to the cat and crouches down to pet its head while it’s still eating. “When’s the last time you fed it?”

Vail seems to pause for a bit before answering. “This morning… I think?”

Well, that’s concerning. “We should get it an automatic feeder so that when we’re both busy, it’ll still get fed.”

He tilts his head at her in a confused and somewhat cat-like manner. “A what?”

Right, he seems to be bad with technology. “It’s a piece of technology that will drop food into a placed bowl at programmed times during the day. Since you're busy being a runner hero and my shifts as a doctor are at least ten hours long each, it would make sense. I like Keeper, but I don’t want her to have all the monopoly on our cat.” 

The gears in Vail’s head seem to be turning, which is very slightly endearing. She wants to pat his head, maybe she would be able to hear the braincells clunking around in his skull.

She shakes her head, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, it was my idea so I will get it.” 

From his position standing up, he smiles down at her. “Alright, I’ll count on you for that.” 

Lei notices there’s no tag on the cat’s collar. “By the way, what’s its name?”

Vail shakes his head. “Didn’t name it yet. Since it’s your gift, I thought you’d want to name it.” 

Aw, well that’s sweet. Lei scoops the cat up in her arms, who seems rather quiet and placated now that its belly is full. The cat, Lei discovers, is female, and she purrs in Lei’s arms. She seems to flop over as Lei holds her. 

So cute~ Lei thinks as she uses two fingers to scratch under the cat’s furry chin. The cat closes her blue eyes and purrs even more loudly. 

“Why did you pick this particular cat?” Lei asks him as they settle on the couch together. The cat is still complacent, resting peacefully in Lei’s lap, and she can feel the vibrations of the cat’s deep purrs. They both take turns patting her. 

“You have a robot that looks like this. Thought you’d like the real thing.” He replies simply.

Lei is a little touched that he remembers, or cares to remember. “That I do~ But I don’t think I want to name them the same thing.”  

Lei has to use all of her brain energy to think about it seriously. It sort of feels like she’s naming their child, and perhaps, it sort of is. Names cycle through her head: Whisper or Shiver? For the drug he always buys from her and sort of the reason why they met? Now that she knows what those drugs are for, it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. She could name it after insulin to match Cillin, but it doesn’t seem suitable. And she certainly doesn’t want to give the cat a human name. 

“What about Meng?” She finally says. “The Chinese word for “dream”. Afterall, owning her is a dream come true for the both of us.” 

He nods. “Sounds good to me.”

“Really? Are you sure? She’s our cat, so I want to make sure you like the name, too.”

He smiles at her. “Really. I’m sure.” 

“Alright,” She says, resting her head on his shoulder. “If you are sure, then our cat’s name will be Meng.” 

Lei then suddenly remembers that Keeper will also be a co-owner and that she should ask for Keeper’s opinion. It only takes her tired brain a few more seconds to remember that Keeper will probably give the cat a nickname no matter what. So perhaps it’s fine to not ask for Keeper’s opinion. 

“She’s getting sleepy.” Vail points at the cat, whose blue eyes are starting to droop and close. 

“It must be since she’s just eaten.” Lei gently slides the cat off her lap and onto the other side of the couch. She wants to make sure Meng sleeps as undisturbed as possible. Meng’s darker paws are tucked underneath her chin and her nose twitches cutely as her tail tip brushes over it. 

Lei makes sure to drop her voice to just a whisper as she looks to Vail. “Can I really stay with you tonight?” 

He smiles at her again. “Of course, already said you could.” 

She smiles back, and then in one smooth motion, she pushes herself up from the couch and swings her knee over his thigh so that she’s straddling his lap. From her partially standing up position, she’s able to look down on him. She holds her face gently in her hands, and now her hands are glove-free, the skin-on-skin contact feels a little bit electric. “You did say that, but are you sure you won’t regret it?” 

“Regret this? Never.” He’s still smiling widely, and she wants to reach out to touch his prominent, slightly-elongated canines. Maybe later, she thinks. 

“I’m glad to hear that.” And then she leans down to capture his lips in a deep kiss. To her delight, he kisses back with the same passionate energy, although a little more clumsily. His hands even migrate to the small of her back, where they rest comfortably and support her position. 

She only pulls away when she needs to take a breath. When she looks at his face in the dim light, she notices that she’s made him into a bit of a mess. Her red lipstick has smudged all over his lips and he’s breathing a little heavily. His cheeks are flushed a pretty pink and his pupils are dilated. She might be imagining it, but she is pretty certain she is actually sitting on a noticeable bulge now. 

“Why don’t we continue this in your room and I’ll show you those techniques I talked about~” Shifting slightly, she takes one of his hands on her back and guides it toward her thigh. She presses his hand against her thigh and helps him slip a finger into her sheer thigh high socks, showing him what she wants him to do. 

“Of course~ I’m looking forward to it~” He plays with the lace band. In the dim light, his brown eyes seem to sparkle. 

— INSERT VERY SUSPICIOUS LINE BREAK —

When she finally wakes to consciousness again, she is afraid to open her eyes and find Vail gone from her side. She is first reassured that it wouldn’t make sense since they’re in his apartment, but then she remembers that he tends to disappear a lot. Additionally, people have been disappearing from the city in general.

But when she finally gathers up the courage to open her eyes, he is blissfully still there. His eyes are still closed and he’s breathing softly. She lets out a breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding, and then worms over to him, nestling herself close to his well-defined chest so that she can listen to his heartbeat. The steady, constant rhythm is her favourite sound in the world. It is the proof of living. 

This seems to wake him up though, as he begins to stir and slowly opens his eyes. He blinks at her slowly, only opening his eyes about halfway each time. 

“Did you sleep well?” She asks, and her voice comes out much more croaky and hoarse than she expects. 

He nods, seemingly still sleepy, as his eyes flit between half-closed and completely closed. His arm slides over the blanket that’s covering the both of them and pulls her a little closer to him. “The best I’ve slept in a long time.” 

O-oh? 

 “Did you?” He asks her back. His morning voice is also a little hoarse. 

“I did…” Her voice drifts off and now that it’s morning, she feels a little more shy in his embrace. “Maybe because I was in your arms~” 

His grip seems to tighten a little, sliding down to rest on her waist. “Then we will have to make sure that it happens more often.” 

“I could say the same to you. Resting is very important for a runner hero looking out for the slums.” She places her hands on his abs and gently traces their outline. 

“It sounds like we have mutual interests.” He presses a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder, which she greatly enjoys. 

Both of them doze off for a little bit longer, as Lei is lulled by the comforting and consistent rise and fall of his chest, but now she’s been awake for a while, the soreness is starting to get to her. 

“I need a shower.” Lei slides off the bed, picks up her underwear from the floor, and turns her head around to look back. “Care to join me? To save water and all~” 

He sits up almost immediately. “Of course, you don’t need to ask me twice.” 

— INSERT ANOTHER VERY SUSPICIOUS LINE BREAK — 

When they are both actually clean and dressed, him in his usual black techwear, and her in his hoodie she’s borrowing, they venture in the kitchen for some much-needed food. Meng meows at them insistently as they both come out of the bathroom, clearly eagerly awaiting her morning meal. 

While Vail feeds Meng, Lei peeks into his fridge, which is concerningly empty. “You don’t cook much hmm?”

“Slummers don’t cook much in general.” Vail replies. “I typically eat out.” 

“It does take a lot of effort, and you do seem very busy.” She nods. “But it’s healthier. I’ll cook for you sometime. What’s your favourite meal?” 

“Food in the slums generally sucks, so I can’t say I have one.” 

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” She sighs. “But maybe if you eat my cooking, you’ll change your mind~” She winks at him.

This may be just an excuse to get him to come over so that she will see him more often. But that’s her little secret. 

He tilts his chin up a little and smiles. “Yeah? I’m looking forward to that then.”

“Do you prefer rice or noodles?”

“Both are fine. I’m not too picky.” 

“Hopefully I can impress you with both then~”

 “Oh, I’m sure you will~” He continues to smile at her, making her feel for just a moment, that things will be alright. 

Between bites of an energy bar, she tells Vail of her plans today. “Elise and I are going to be setting up our clinic today. Are you free to be our muscle?” 

“I’ll check if Lexi has anything she needs me to do. If not, then yes.” 

Vail pulls out his phone to text and Lei notices that he types very slowly, seemingly pausing to find letters on the keyboard. Lei herself remembers she needs to ask Elise for the address, so she also sends a text to Elise. 

LEI (9:34AM, Sept 21, 2332): Good morning, Elise! Where is the exact location of our clinic? 

ELISE (9:36AM, Sept 21, 2332): I’m still checking on the patients in the outer slums. I’ll send you the location, but it might take me an hour and a half to get there. 

Outer slums? Now that she is reminded of it, Laura’s friend Bayleaf was in one of the camps there. Even if Laura’s last words to Lei were like shards of glass that hurt something deep within her, Lei keeps her promises. 

LEI (9:38AM, Sept 21, 2332): No problem. I have some business there anyways so I’ll meet you at the clinic in an hour and a half. 

ELISE (9:42AM, Sept 21, 2332): See you then. 

She turns her attention back to Vail, who is still looking at his phone. “What did Lexi say?” 

He looks up from his phone to reply. “She said it’s fine for me to help you and Elise today.” 

“Well, I need to visit one of the camps in the outer slums, so you can go help her for a bit.”

“Are we going right now?” 

Lei almost nods, but then remembers Elise requested a resume from her. Elise probably was joking, but it might be funny if she actually brings something with her. However, she hasn’t been able to go back to her apartment, and she’s actually a little afraid to. So she might have to make one by hand. 

“In fifteen minutes or so.” She decides. 

As she pulls out her lab notebook to write a short little resume for Elise, the pages it opens on are the ones with Liam’s photos. She stares at them for some time, looking at the notes she wrote yesterday in her neat and bubbly handwriting based on the descriptions on the back of the photo.

Remembering, she thinks, is a responsibility that Liam gave me. 

But she realizes, there are many more people that she wants to remember. 

Lei pulls out her phone. “Vail, smile for me.” 

He immediately does so. She really likes how he follows her instructions without question, as if he trusts her. As if he believes in her. 

She quickly snaps an image of his smiling face. She likes his softer smiles better, the genuine ones that catch her off guard and make her feel all mushy on the inside. Fortunately, she saw some of them yesterday. 

“Can we have a picture together?” Lei asks, feeling a little shy. 

“You want one?” 

Lei nods and with a smile as charming as she can muster, she says, “Because you’re mine now, right~?” 

“Of course~” When he says things like that in that tone it makes her feel just a little weaker than she should. 

“You can’t be like this with other girls, alright?” She puts her hands on her hips. “Because I do get jealous.” 

“Eh, I don’t think you have to worry about that.” He smiles at her softly. 

“Really?” She can’t help but smile back when he’s looking at her like that. 

“Yeah,” Vail says, “I’m only like this with you. I promise.” 

Looking at his face, she nods. “I trust you.”

So she goes over to his side, pulling him close to her so they’re almost cheek-to-cheek and snaps a selfie. In this image, they’re both smiling in the way she likes.

 

After Vail drops her off at the building, she has to walk around and ask people with the picture Laura sent her. Most people eye her with suspicion and claim they do not know, but after much effort, she eventually is sent to a room where Bayleaf is supposed to be. 

She discovers the room is locked, so she knocks on the door. There is no reply, although when she presses her ear to the door, she can clearly hear the sounds of breathing and slight shuffling noises. 

“Mr. Bayleaf? Laura sent me here.” Lei calls out to the closed door. 

It takes a few minutes, and Lei waits patiently, but the door finally opens a little crack. The hazel-eyed man in the picture is sitting in some sort of wheelchair and he peers up at her curiously. “Who are you?” He asks.

“A doctor. Most people, including Laura, call me ‘Doc’.” Lei says simply. She doesn’t need to give her name to a stranger. “I understand I might seem suspicious, so let me play you the voice message she has for you.” After all, she doesn’t have a doctor’s coat on — as long as she can help it, she will never wear a Prism coat ever again. She’ll have to wait until she checks the clinic for any of Elise’s extras. They are approximately the same height, after all, although Elise’s clothes might be a little baggy for Lei’s very slight frame. 

She swipes through her phone until the bright, almost ear-piercing voice of Laura plays out. “Hey Bay Bay~ Since your leg is all busted ‘cause of me, I sent you a doctor to look at it. You could say it’s a last gift from your girl~” 

Maybe he’s trying to hide it, but Lei does notice that Bayleaf’s mouth twitches a little into what must be a smile. One he might be trying to subdue since Lei is here. 

“So, may I take a look at your leg?” Lei puts her phone back into her pocket. 

“I guess if she went through all the effort of sending you.” Bayleaf says, crossing his arms. “Not sure what you can do though.” 

Since he’s not shooing her out, Lei opens the door and steps in so that she can properly inspect her patient. The cast proves he has already received some sort of medical attention. The only question is, how proper and how good the care was. Judging by the cast, possibly not very good. 

“Did the doctor leave any notes about your leg when they treated you?” Lei has to ask. 

“Doctor?” Bayleaf scoffs. “Lady, I got my buddy Jim to fix me up.” 

She stares at his leg again. “Your buddy Jim is not very good at making casts. Mind if I redo his work?”

Bayleaf sighs. “Fine, since Laura sent you.” 

“Mmmhmm, your girl, right?” Lei means in it a way to just try to make conversation, but she notices the slight flush of his cheeks when she says these words. She takes out her portable medical bay and lets the nanotechnology do its thing. 

“Damn, nanotech?” His tone of voice suggests he’s slightly impressed, so hopefully Lei’s credibility has increased.  

Lei nods. “It cost me a minor fortune, but I’d say it’s worth it. Would you mind getting on it?”

Bayleaf struggles a little, but when Lei tries to step forward to help him, he brushes her off. So she waits patiently until he’s fully settled on the table.

She takes her tools, and snips away at the shoddily-made cast. Now that she’s inspecting it, it looks like it was done in a hurry. Underneath, the flesh is horribly swollen and horribly bruised purple. She sees some stitches in, which implies “Jim” has done some surgery for Bayleaf to hopefully set the bone in place, but she is not about to open him up and check. 

“You need a splint for this.” Lei sighs, and fetches the appropriate material. She makes sure the wound is clean, before applying the splint, and then starts to apply wrap his leg in preparation for the cast. 

“So how did you meet Laura?” Lei asks, trying to distract him as she begins the work. 

“I should be asking you that.” Bayleaf says. 

“Oh, you know, how meetings go,” says Lei, “By chance.” 

“You could say it’s the same for me.” Says Bayleaf. 

“You’re handling this pain surprisingly well.” Lei comments. 

“I’m a slummer, this is nothing.” 

But Lei did see a bottle of strong painkillers on the table, so she suspects Jim hooked him up with something. She is glad, since she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to prescribe things now she’s not working for Prism. 

“There,” she says, when she’s finished her work a while later. “All done.”

He stands up and hobbles back to his wheelchair. “It feels a little less painful.” He admits.

Lei nods. “Glad to hear it. Try not to take those painkillers too much, they’re opioids, very addictive. Go with an NSAID like ibuprofen or acetaminophen as soon as you can.” 

Bayleaf stares at her blankly. 

Lei smiles sheepishly, realizing she is used to talking to other doctors. “You know what? Just talk to Jim when you can, alright? Ask him for weaker pain meds in about five days or so.”

“Whatever you say, Doc.” 

She’s about to leave, but she turns back right when she’s at the door. “Do you want the voice clip?”

Bayleaf seems to first freeze in place, and then he glares at her. “What?” 

She sighs. “The voice clip of Laura. Do you want that? You can say no.” 

He seems to hesitate for a bit of time. But he finally nods. “Sure.” He says simply. 

So she sends it over to him: One of the last things that proved Laura was once in this city. 

She shakes her head as she leaves Bayleaf’s room. See, Laura? No one told you to leave this place. You are the one who decided that yourself. And in doing so, you left some of the only people whom you formed connections with and cared for you.

 

Next, she goes to the camp they were at the day before, close to the Middle slums. It feels like Lexi hasn’t moved since Lei saw her yesterday afternoon. The aforementioned red-haired woman is still standing in the centre of camp, directing slummers and runners around.

“Did Liam and Rose leave already?” Then she adds an additional question, because Lexi is not the type to give extra information, if she answers the question at all. “And if they did, when did they leave?” 

Lexi nods. “Early this morning.”

“I see.” Lei says.

So, that’s it, she thinks. They’re gone now. Off on a dangerous mission to Adamawa where something apparently horrible is happening. And here, we can do nothing about it except wait, and search for more information about how and why these people are disappearing, and how and why some people still remember. 

She must believe that they will return. Otherwise… There is no hope at all. 

“Lexi,” Lei asks, “Can I have a photo of you?” 

Lexi stares at Lei. Really looks at her, and then turns back to doing her work. “Sure,” she says, simply. 

It seems the slums are truly being carried upon Lexi’s back. Lei is so very glad that Lexi was not abducted, since the collapse of the slums would likely be inevitable after. 

Since Lexi is very clearly busy, Lei has to take the photo from a slight angle, where Lexi is not facing the camera. The 3/4 angle she takes it in accentuates Lexi’s beauty and strength, and her red hair is like a flame that ripples behind her. She looks like the main character of those VR games people like to play in Uptown/Downtown. 

Why is everyone hot? Lei sighs. It is as if everyone is blessed except for herself, which just feels a little unfair, y’know? 

“Elise and I are opening a clinic, hopefully soon. So please let me know if you ever need a doctor for your work, Lexi. ” Lei says. “Especially one you need who can take shots herself.”

Lexi’s pretty lilac-coloured eyes shift to her for a second. “You and Elise should focus on saving lives. Leave that to us runners.”

That might be the longest sentence she’s said to Lei. Lei is honoured to have said something worth so many words from the Lexi who usually speaks as minimally as possible, or with actions instead.

“Sure, sure.” Lei smiles at Lexi, even if she’s not looking this way anymore. “If you have any needs for drugs, let Vail know and I’ll synthesize them for you. Or, If I can do anything else for you, please let me know.” 

After Lexi nods, Lei leaves to let Lexi do her work.

 

She finds Keeper on the roof of the residential building, looking over the rest of the camp with her arms crossed. It wasn’t that Lei was looking for the cute little cat girl or anything, but since she was in the area anyway, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to look at someone adorable. It is to increase morale, Lei justifies. 

“Envoy of death, we meet again.” Again, Keeper does not need to turn around to know who is approaching. Lei wonders if it’s because Keeper can somehow sense the brainwaves from those nearby. She can’t think of any other plausible explanation at the moment. 

Lei walks up to right beside the cat-eared girl, looking down at the view as well. “Good morning, Keeper. It was nice seeing you last night~ Are you feeling better from yesterday?” 

“This arbiter is as well as she could be. There is no need to worry, as this Keeper of Secrets has overcome a very minor setback.” Keeper lifts her chin up, as if she is proud of herself.

Well, she certainly sounds like how she was when Lei first met her. Although sometimes it may be a little difficult to understand the chuunibyou version of Keeper, Lei is glad because Keeper seems less in pain in this state.

“Do you want to see a picture of our cat, Keeper?” 

Keeper’s bright blue eyes light up, but she turns her head away. “There is no need, when fate has allowed it, I shall meet with the beast of darkness.” 

Lei shakes her head, smiling. “Let me rephrase my words: I am going to show you a picture of our cat, because I want to show her off. This is non-negotiable.” 

She pulls out her phone and pulls up the gallery and holds it toward Keeper.

Keeper’s ears twitch under her hood, and finally Keeper turns her head a little toward the phone. “If my follower is insisting, then I suppose I can indulge her just this once.” 

“Yes, yes, how benevolent you are~” Lei says to Keeper. In her head, she swears that she will break down Keeper’s walls in the future. She just has a strong feeling she will. 

After they’ve gone through all the pictures of Meng, Lei asks, “Are people still being abducted?” 

Keeper nods solemnly. “Mortals are still being consumed by the boundary as we speak. As it approached the early hour, I sensed the consuming energy coming from the skies above. The boundary of consumption still lingers. We must act soon, follower.” 

Lei sighs. “We really have our work cut out for us, don’t we? I’ll have to start my work at my clinic as soon as possible and start looking into this.” 

Keeper nods her head. “You will have my aid when it comes to it.” 

Lei wonders if Lexi would let her borrow Keeper as an assistant for the clinic. Keeper is able to borrow both Elise and Lei’s skills, which they might need as they don’t have any other employees at the moment. Also, Lei thinks that Keeper would be excellent morale support. This is something she’ll have to ask Lexi when Elise and her have the clinic fully set up. 

“Can I ask for one last thing?” Lei cannot leave until she’s obtained one more important thing. 

Keeper puts her hands on her hips. “What is it that you seek from the Keeper of Secrets?” 

“May I take a picture of you?” Lei holds up her phone. 

Keeper shifts her arms back to being crossed. “And what is it that you would do with a mirror image of myself?” 

“Didn’t you know? Seeing a cute face every day is good for your health~” Lei can’t help but tease. She isn’t really lying about this, it certainly does lift her mood when she sees cute things. Or cute people, whom she is certainly surrounded by. 

“Y-your flattery does not work on a Keeper of my caliber!”

She’s even more adorable when she’s flustered, Lei thinks. She wants to tease her even more to see more of this reaction. Lei wonders if she’s blushing under the mask she wears. 

 “It’s not flattery~ It’s the truth~” Lei continues, giving Keeper a little wink.

“You and your mortal, silver tongue will not cause me to waver! Your insolence knows no bounds!” Keeper says, but she seems to be sputtering a bit as she hesitates to find the right words.

“I am telling the truth in that I like to see cute things everyday~” Lei says, but her smile drops a little so that she can show Keeper she’s being serious. “But the other part of the truth is that I’d like to take photos of people I’d like to remember and print them out so that they’re affected by any digital wipes… I don’t know if I’ll be affected by the memory wipe but it’s my responsibility to remember.”

Keeper seems to calm down a little and her tense folded arms relax. “So you have finally admitted the truth, follower. It is a noble responsibility you have set on your shoulders but you need not burden yourself with such trivialities.” 

“It isn’t a burden at all. This is something I want to do for the people I care about or want to care about.” Lei says. “If it helps, I can offer a form of payment.”

“This keeper is beyond mortal currency and temptations.” She lifts her chin haughtily, which Lei still finds adorable. Lei finds almost everything about Keeper adorable. 

“Even if it’s a shiny holographic business card?” Lei should still have some from Gigi and Elise, back in her apartment, if it hasn’t been affected. Keeper probably doesn’t have one of Gigi. 

Keeper’s cat ears seem to twitch under her hood again. “Follower, you know of my mortal weakness and are causing me to toe a dangerous line.” 

“I’ll even offer unlimited headpats as a bonus~” Lei adds. 

“T-that is something I do not need.” She turns her head away a little.

“It’s a bonus thrown in~” Lei smiles, “No refunds. Now turn your head this way, please.” 

She ends up getting the picture, although she can’t tell if Keeper is smiling under the mask or not. Maybe she’s pouting. Or maybe she’s even blushing. Only the Keeper of Secrets herself knows this little secret.

 

On the way to visit the black market for drug materials, Lei runs into Zoey, who seems to be holding her head in one hand, and a little bottle in the other. 

Lei smiles at the blonde girl. “Oh, hello, Zoey, how are you doing? I’m glad you got home safe… you were pretty drunk last night.” 

“Hey Doc,” Zoey’s voice has an underlying weak groan to it. Her high ponytail seems a little wilted, as if it is a plant that has not received enough water. “That’s why I went to get a wake up shot. I fucking hate hangovers.”

She chugs it down right after she says this, and less than a minute later, her usual energy seems to return. 

“I’m okay. The slums are a mess, though.” Zoey says, now calm as ever. Lei wonders if she ever gets frazzled. “I did check my masks storage though, I have some in the Nekomata line if you still want one.” 

“Anything black or white with green accents?”

Zoey shrugs. “Yeah, probably. I didn't realize before, but I have a fuck tonne of masks.” 

"Uhm… that's… nice. Shall we go take a look at your mask storage?” 

"Yeah, sure.” 

When they go to where Zoey stores her masks, Lei realizes Zoey is not joking. The closet is almost completely filled with masks and they’re stacked up to the ceiling. 

“Now where were they?” And Zoey starts to go through the stacks, one by one, in a very inefficient manner. 

Lei can’t help but let out a little giggle. “Maybe next time you could set aside the ones you found.” 

“Ah, good idea.” Zoey says, as she continues to rummage through the piles. “I’ll do that next time.” 

While she waits, Lei inspects the room of masks closer, seeing all the assortment of shapes and colours that Zoey owns. She sees Zoey’s signature demon masks, dragon masks, bird masks, dog masks — name the animal or mythical creature and it’s probably here. She might even spot a Jackal mask, although not the exact same one the Jackals wore. “You could open a store with this many masks.” 

“Funny you say that, ‘cause that’s what the store owner thought when I bought his whole stock.” 

Lei is not surprised at this statement, but she does not comment. 

“Found it!” Zoey pulls out a white cat mask with black and green markings. Some of the markings are even flowers. It really fits Lei’s whole aesthetic, which she greatly appreciates. 

“It looks perfect~ I will take it.” Lei smiles at it, holding it up to the light to admire it better. 

Since it is immune to gasses and flashes, it would be good for her when she’s working in the lab, right? Much more fashionable than a gas mask, so you could say this is a business expense. 

After they make the transaction, Lei remembers that she should probably ask Zoey for a picture as well. “Can I take a photo of you?” She asks. 

“Yeah, sure.” Zoey doesn’t even hesitate.

After her difficulty with Keeper, Lei is surprised how easily Zoey agrees. “You’re not even going to ask what I’m going to use it for?”

Zoey blinks at her. "Am I supposed to?" 

“No… you don’t have to. I’m not going to use it for anything bad… just to… remember.” 

Zoey shrugs. “You seem decent enough and Liam seems to trust you, so that’s good enough for me.” 

Lei quickly snaps the photo before Zoey changes her mind — although she doesn’t seem like the type who would do that. “Thank you, Zoey. 

“No need to thank me.” Zoey says. Lei’s not sure, but maybe, just maybe, Zoey’s mouth quirks up a little.

 

After she picks up some raw drug materials, she meets up with Vail again so that they can go to the location of the clinic together. The materials are to synthesize Whisper and Shiver for Lexi’s group. She’s decided that because her main skill is organic synthesis, she’ll make sure they don’t have to pay for the medicine they need again. Like Elise’s code of honour where she does not take money from fellow doctors, Lei’s code of honour will be that she won’t take money from Lexi’s group for these drugs they need. Well, being realistic, maybe she’ll need to ask for funds for the raw materials, as they seem to have more money than she does, but she’ll definitely do the work for free as long as she’s able. 

When she sees him this time, his fingerless gloves and jacket sleeves have a few blood splatters on them. She raises an eyebrow at him, but doesn’t question it. The less I know, the better, she thinks, but she already can guess. 

It doesn’t bother her as much as she thinks it would. Maybe it’s because she trusts him and she still thinks he’s a good person. After all, this world does not allow for pure and innocent people with hands that are not stained. Those who are pure and innocent, if not protected, are extinguished like a light in this world of darkness. 

Elise is already there when they arrive. Clearly, she is more efficient than Lei with actual doctor work. Lei can justify that it is because Elise has six more years of experience and also does more patient care than Lei. In truth though, Lei knows she did not do that much doctoring around this morning. 

Elise raises an eyebrow when the two of them walk in together. “Brought a friend, Lei?” 

“Hello Elise,” Lei waves weakly, “I brought someone to help do some heavy lifting! Not... not just a friend though.” 

Vail waves from beside her. “Hey, Elise.” He does not correct her. 

Elise’s eyebrows rise even more. It looks like she’s caught on to the situation. “I see.” She says. 

For some reason, Lei feels more nervous not seeing much of a reaction from Elise. She isn’t sure what she was expecting, but this was not it. 

“Perfect,” continues Elise, “I started bringing over the equipment from the hotel, but there is plenty more that we need to fetch.” 

Lei looks hopefully at Elise and can’t help but smile a little. “Did you fetch the lab cart?” 

Elise nods. “It’s in the other room.” 

“Why don’t you show us around first?” Lei requests. Despite everything, Lei is excited at the prospects of being able to work in a clinic/lab again. It gives her the sensation of normality after all the adrenaline-inducing things she did outside her expertise the past three days. 

The clinic isn’t very big, which is expected in the Mertalline slums, but it’s a nice space. Lei has to be thankful to Tiger again. Whether or not an afterlife exists — if there is Heaven/Hell, reincarnation, or nothingness — Lei can only hope that wherever Tiger is now, she is in a better place than she was. She knows she’ll have to tell Elise about Tiger’s fate at some point, if Elise hasn’t already found out.

The main reception room has a space for their receptionist desk and chair, where they will put their computer and all the paper patient files. There’s a little room for a few chairs in case patients need to wait until they receive treatment, as well as a counter if someone really needs to lie down or if they need to administer emergency care at the door.

The reception room is attached to a hallway, which has multiple rooms. The largest room is hidden in a little alcove and Lei imagines that it will be her lab where she will be slaving away developing and synthesizing drugs. There are also two smaller rooms that are perfect for seeing patients, and two medium sized rooms where Elise already has some surgical equipment set-up. Aside from the two available washrooms, at the very end of the hallway and beside the storage room, much to Lei’s delight, is a little room where she assumes is the staff room with its own washroom. This is where she’ll force Elise to take breaks, assuming they take the same shifts. If Lei doesn’t do the scheduling herself, she feels like Elise will be stretching herself too thin.

“This is like a dream come true.” Lei says, her voice coming out a little breathless with wonder.

“It seems like a nice place.” Vail agrees. 

Elise nods. “We’re very lucky to have obtained this place. It’s in a good location, too.” 

When they’re back in the reception room, Lei turns to her two friends. “Vail, can you take a picture of Elise and I?” 

“Of course.” Vail holds out his hand for her phone, and she makes sure the camera app is already active before handing it to him.

She walks over to Elise and places a hand on her shoulder. “Smile, Elise! We need a commemorative photo for our new clinic.”

After Vail takes the photo, Elise and Lei crowd around him to see the results. 

“Vail, it’s blurry!” Lei exclaims, but she can’t help laughing. 

 Elise seems to be trying to hold back by covering her mouth with her hand, but it doesn’t help as giggles still escape her. 

They make him take another one, laughing all the while. 

When they’ve sent Vail with the car to pick up more of the equipment from Meowmare Hotel, Elise and Lei work together on moving the equipment Elise has already obtained — mostly stuff she fetched for the surgery room. Surgery might be Lei’s second-least favourite type of care, so she hopes they hire more specialists. 

“So, Vail, hmm?” Elise asks with a raised eyebrow. 

Lei hesitates for a little before answering. “... Yes.” 

“I guess you do not need me to set you up anymore?” Elise’s slight teasing tone is back, which Lei didn’t realize she missed until she heard it again. 

Lei has to look away in embarrassment. “... Please forget about that. I was very drunk. Clearly, I don’t have any cognitive functions when I have too much alcohol.” 

“Apparently so.” Elise murmurs in agreement. 

“You’re not going to question my choices?” Lei asks, a little surprised that Elise isn’t being more critical.

“He is not a bad person, so I have no reason to be against it,” Elise says. “As long as he is good to you and treats you well, I will support it.” 

Lei smiles a little bashfully and her cheeks warm up a little. “Well then, that’s not something you have to worry about. I think he’s rather sweet.” 

Elise seems to mutter under her breath something along the lines of, “we will see”. She says it so quietly that Lei is not sure. For all she knows it could have been “must make tea” or something. 

“The plans I had yesterday were with him~” Lei also adds. She doesn’t need to tell Elise this, but maybe she just wants to share the joy a little. She has no other close friends to tell, after all. 

Elise’s raised eyebrow returns. “Did you have a good time?” 

“I had a lovely time~ Thank you for encouraging me to follow through with those plans.” Lei will spare Elise of the dirty details. She imagines Elise would not want to know. “How about you, Elise? Did you get to rest up and sleep more?” 

Elise nods. “Ever since you gave me the E.S. drug, my fatigue has faded away. It’s like my body has been renewed.” 

Well, that’s a little concerning, Lei thinks. Now with such a superpower, Elise may be more tempted to not take care of herself, but even a superpower has its limitations, as evidenced by the Shiver and Whisper the other test subjects need to take. But she will not regret it, never. Not when this choice saved Elise’s life. Lei will simply have to learn to deal with the consequences of these actions. 

“But… you did rest and sleep, right?” Lei tries to confirm.

Elise looks away. 

“Right, Elise?” Lei’s voice grows harsh in tone.

“I’m just kidding, I did.” Elise turns back and smiles cheekily. “Last night at least.” 

I have my work cut out for me, Lei thinks. But she doesn’t mind that much.

 

When they’re cleaning up the reception room, Lei decides to ask about other employees for their clinic. After all, with just Elise and her — two people — this clinic will not be able to run. Elise had tried to shoulder everything by herself, and according to Ceres’ anecdotal evidence, was not successful. 

“Elise, do you have any candidates for other employees you want to hire for our clinic?”

Elise shakes her head. “Not particularly. I could call those from my old clinic. Why do you ask?” 

“I had some coworkers I liked back in Prism… if they’re still alive. I was thinking we could reach out to them… I don’t trust them as much as you and Ceres, but talking to them was bearable.” Lei says. 

Elise puts down the paperwork she’s sorting behind the desk. “Who were you thinking?” 

“Leon Lopez and Melissa Balm.” 

“Leon…” Elise has to think for a bit. “I think I have met him before. He came to the slums only a little before you did. Based on my perception, he seems decent enough. I don’t know Melissa though.”

Lei nods, expecting something like this. “Leon is a general doctor and surgeon like you are, so I thought it would be helpful for you to have someone backing you up. To be honest, I didn’t like him when I first met him… but under his prickly surface, I think he genuinely cares about people’s health.”

“As for Melissa? She’s a synthesist like I am, and it would be nice to have an assistant, especially one who knows Prism’s recipes. She does her work competently, although we can’t have her working reception. She’s a bit like an anxious little puppy. She kind of reminds me of Ceres…” 

And then suddenly she starts crying again. Even if she’s been trying not to think about it, pushing down her feelings continuously means that at some point, the pressure will build and they will suddenly explode outwards. 

Elise walks toward her briskly and envelopes her into a warm hug. “It’s alright,” she murmurs, “it will be alright.” 

Lei can only shake in Elise’s arms. “I miss her… I want to see her again… Ceres…” 

She hears the door opening and footsteps, which she thinks is Vail, but with her face buried in Elise’s shoulder, she can’t check. 

“What’s wrong?” It is Vail. 

She raises her tear-streaked face up and watches him put down the Prism computer he’s carrying by the door before walking closer to the two of them. She reaches out her hand to him and he comes over. Elise shifts over to make room for him.

“You two are all I have left.” She cries as she holds on to the both of them, “Please don’t leave me too, please… please…” 

But even if she is saying this to the two of them, perhaps she is begging the world not to take them away from her. She is praying, to a god she does not believe in, that no one else she loves will be taken from her. 

The two of them do not say any words, but they hold her, and here in this moment, she is safe; she is loved.

When she’s calmed down a little and has wiped away her tears, she feels a little very embarrassed to have shown so much vulnerability. After all, with how the city is going to be embroiled in further chaos, she needs to remain strong. “Sorry…” She murmurs to the two of them.

Elise gently strokes her back. “Do not apologize. We will take care of each other, remember?” 

Lei smiles weakly at Elise. “Thank you, Elise. I should be saying thank you instead.” 

Then she dares to look at Vail’s expression. It doesn’t look angry at her at all, instead of his usual neutral and unphased expression, she might even describe his expression as worried. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine now.” She smiles weakly at him as well and reaches out to pat his head.  Despite the layered look of his hair, it is quite soft, although it does feel a little synthetic probably from the blue dye. 

“Now I kinda get what you mean about telling people not to worry.” He says, but he does lower his head a little for her to access it easier. Not that he needs to, he’s not much taller than she is. 

She smiles more genuinely after. “Right? It’s frustrating.” She shakes her head. “But I feel better now, so back to business. Do you know any deckers? There’s a computer I want to get into.” Lei points at the Prism computer that he put down by the door. 

Vail nods. “A few.” 

“Are any of them trustworthy? Or at least, somewhat?” 

Vail hesitates for a bit, as if he’s thinking that there is no such thing as a trustworthy decker in Mertalline. “Of the ones I know, Timberwolf seems to be okay. Her prices are a bit on the higher end and occasionally asks for favours instead, but she seems to keep her mouth shut.” 

Lei nods slowly. “I’ll trust you, since I don’t know any other deckers. Can you try to contact her once we have the clinic fully set up?”  

He nods. “Yeah, sure, no problem at all.”

  

“Sorry, I have to go.” Vail tells her a little while later. “Lexi needs me for something.”

“Don’t be, I understand.” Lei says. “I’ll walk out with you.” 

When they’re walking out of the clinic and onto the street, she tells him, “Thank you for your help today. Not just helping us with the physical setup, but for comforting me as well.” 

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.” 

They’re right in front of his motorbike now so she impulsively reaches out to hug him. “Come back safely, please.” 

“Of course,” he says, “I’ll bring the cat to you later.”

Despite everything, Lei still gets excited at the prospects of seeing Meng again. “Oh, sure, I’ll text you my address.” 

“Don’t worry, I know where it is.”  

Lei’s eyes widen. “You do? How?” 

“You told me?” 

She did not remember this event having ever happened. “I did? When?”

His eyes flit away. “You were drunk, around three weeks ago.” 

Three weeks ago was when they last went out for drinks, and it is true she doesn’t remember the majority of the night, including how she got home. If he knows her address, it’s likely he was the one who took her home. Lei is worried about what else she might have said three weeks ago when she was apparently so drunk she’s forgotten things. But perhaps she doesn’t have to worry about it too much if he is still talking to her. 

She quickly presses a kiss on his cheek before he puts on a helmet. “That’s for good luck.” She tells him.

He smiles at her. “Take care.”

She smiles back. “You too.”

 

She’s walking back toward the direction of the clinic, about to call the number of her favourite taxi driver, when she notices that a familiar yellow cab is parked on the street. She approaches it and peers into the window of the driver’s seat. Indeed, it is Flash who is sitting there. 

What a coincidence he always shows up when I need him, Lei thinks. 

“How’s my favourite taxi driver doing?” She asks him, smiling, but notices he’s looking in the direction where Vail left. 

“Oh!” Flash seems a little surprised to see her. “I’m doing good.” 

Something about his reaction doesn’t seem quite right for Lei. She tilts her head at him, thinking for a few seconds before something clicks.

“Did you… see that?” She asks him, a little hesitantly.

Flash seems to avert his gaze a little. “See what?” 

So he did see. How embarrassing. That's definitely not something she wanted him to see, although she supposes it's her own fault for doing so in a public space. People usually don't pay attention, but perhaps Flash is not your usual person. He is certainly someone a little extra special.

“Can you pretend you didn’t see anything?” She has to look down a little, since she can’t meet his eyes right now. 

“Don’t worry, I am good at doing that.” He makes an O.K. hand sign, which Lei sees from the corner of her eyes. 

Good at surviving, not perceiving, and driving? Flash is a man of many talents. 

“Good,” She says, looking back up again, “I actually have some errands to run and I might need a ride. Would you mind waiting around 5 minutes?

“Since it’s you, I don’t mind.” He smiles a little bit, but at this point she’s not sure if this is a genuine smile or simply one for customer service. She is assuming it’s the latter.

He’s probably just saying that because I give him a lot of business, but even Lei has to pause a little to properly process these unexpected words. 

“Thank you, I appreciate it!” She jogs back into the clinic.

The reception room is empty, so Lei walks down the hall and finds Elise in one of the patient rooms, putting equipment into cupboards. She turns around as Lei shows up at the open doorway.

“Elise, could I take about an hour off to run some errands?” 

“You could take the rest of the day off, we’ve already finished setting up the basics.” Elise smiles, the sort of fake lying doctor smile Lei can easily recognize.  

Lei places her hands on her hips and gives Elise her best angry glare. “I know you’re still going to keep working even when I leave. So I’m coming back for you right before dinner time to make sure you eat and rest and then we can continue working together.”

After all, she wants to synthesize some more Whisper and Shiver for the group, and Sunshine to sell. Since she’s always making large batches of drugs it often takes her three hours. The day is too short for all the work she wants to accomplish in one day. 

Lei continues speaking, since Elise hasn’t interrupted yet. “I promised, didn’t I? That I’d take care of you. So… I will.” 

“I suppose this is the type of compromise you were talking about.” A smile seems to creep on Elise’s face. “We’re going to take care of each other.” 

“Hold that face.”  

Elise looks a little surprised, until she sees Lei pull out her phone.

“Become a photographer, have you?” Elise teases, her cheeky smile is back. 

“Only to capture my favourite sights~” Lei teases back. “Now hold your lovely smile for me~” 

Lei isn’t that familiar with the Middle slums, but luckily Flash is someone who seems very knowledgeable about the city and he is able to recommend an electronics store where they print photos. 

She usually doesn’t mind sitting in silence when being driven by other taxi drivers, but it’s different with Flash. Maybe it’s because he’s saved her before, but she has really developed a fondness for him. Whether that is a good or bad thing, that is something that will only be uncovered in the future. 

She decides to be direct about it. “Those cyber saints you talked about, could you possibly know Lexi’s group?” 

His turquoise eyes meet hers through the rearview mirror just for a brief second before he turns his eyes back on the road. “Small world, eh?” 

“Apparently so.” Lei smiles a little. “You are right about them being good people, though. You’re surprisingly well connected.”

“It’s a taxi driver thing.” 

“I think it’s a Flash thing~” Lei says. 

“You give me too much credit.” Flash replies.  

“It’s important to give credit when credit is due~” She replies back. 

“You’re always very flattering with your words, aren’t you?” 

“Do you not like it?” Lei freezes in place. “I’m sorry, I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t mind.” Flash says. “Just worried if other people might mind.”

“Other people such as?” 

“That’s a taxi driver’s secret.”

Suspicious… Lei thinks, but she doesn’t have any words she thinks will convince him to tell her what he might mean. Besides, he has been nothing but kind and courteous to her, so unless that changes, she has no reason to doubt him.

Lei pays Flash when he pulls up to the curb beside the electronics store, but before she leaves, she makes a small little request. “I still need a ride home… so if you don’t mind waiting for another fifteen minutes or so…” 

“Anything for my favourite customer~” 

“You know, I’m going to be really sad if it turns out you’ve been lying and saying that to all your recurring customers.” 

“Nah, only you, I promise.” Flash smiles.

Lei shouldn’t really trust the words of a man she met only four days ago, but Flash’s demeanor makes her want to believe him. So she does. She’ll deal with any consequences if they arise. All men are equal under the bullet of a gun, after all. 

“I’ll be right back.” She tells him with a little wave, and then walks into the store. 

The person manning the shop appears to be an android, which is good, because she doesn’t really want to talk to anyone right now. She cautiously walks over to the self-serve photo printer, avoiding the android as much as possible. The printer machine is clearly very old and rarely used, but it seems to be working, at least to her knowledge. She might have seen this type of device in her elementary school, years and years back.  

While she’s waiting for the printer to process and print her photos, she goes up to the vending machine near the door, and quickly buys a can of Spirit. 

“Here,” she passes Flash the ice-cold can of Spirit when she comes back outside with the photos. “Your tip for waiting.” 

He smiles. “Why thank you.” 

“My favourite taxi driver deserves only the best~”

 

“You’ve arrived.” Flash says when he’s pulled up to the curb right outside her apartment building. 

“Thank you as always, Flash.” She pays him for the ride with her credit chip, and then gets out of the car and walks to the driver’s seat window.

He looks at her questioningly. 

“Could you please do me a favour?” She asks him, trying to tilt her head in the innocent way Gigi had taught her before. 

His blonde eyebrows furrow a little, likely in concern. “What kind of favour?”

“Hmm… alright, maybe I won’t call it a favour. What about a paid request?” She tries her best to be reassuring. She doesn't know if it’s working. 

“What kind of paid request?” Flash asks again, more slowly, and his turquoise eyes still look concerned.

Lei gives up. “A picture. I’d like a picture of you.”

“... Why?” He looks even more concerned now and his eyes begin to widen a little. 

“Is it wrong to want a picture of my saviour?” Lei says. “I can hang it up on my wall as my reminder to try my hardest to survive each day.” 

Now he’s frowning. “I don’t think Vail would like that.” 

Now it’s Lei’s turn to furrow her eyebrows. “To be honest, I don’t think he would mind. He doesn’t seem like the jealous type.” 

Flash looks at her for a bit longer. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But if he kills me, my blood is on your hands."

“Didn’t you say you were a survivor?” Lei tries to be teasing, but then her smile drops a little so that she can show she’s being serious. “I really doubt he will for the purposes I’m using the picture for, but if he does, I will be the one to save your life instead~” 

Flash smiles at her, or maybe smiles at her ridiculousness. “Alright, I trust you.” 

So while he’s still smiling, she takes out her phone and snaps a photo. Looking at it, Flash appears rather photogenic, and not only does he have nice eyes, he has a nice smile. “Thank you, Flash, I promise I’m not going to do anything nefarious with it. I swear on the status of being your favourite customer.” 

“I’m trusting you~”

“And since your taxi rides are my favourite, I will not betray that trust~” She puts her phone away and holds out her credit chip toward him. “Name your price.” 

“For you? It’s free of charge.” He throws a peace sign and a wink and then immediately after, drives away. 

Lei can only watch his cab disappear down the street: He is gone in a flash.

 

It feels a little strange to go back to her apartment after these four days. After she presses in the electronic lock, she braces herself before she steps in, expecting explosions or an intruder waiting with a gun, but she finds the place empty and untouched. This place, which used to feel like a home, no longer feels safe.

Cillin, her robotic cat, seems to be vacuuming around the living room. The battery life on it is pretty good and it is programmed to auto charge when under a certain percentage. She leaves it be. After all, now she has the real thing.

After dropping her bag and newly printed photos on the table, she goes to her bedroom to find the pictures she has of Ceres. They are thankfully still there. At least physical photos haven’t been erased. She’s put them mostly on her vanity’s mirror, so that she can see them every day when she’s doing her makeup. There aren’t that many, only a few of her select favourites, because she always thought that she’d be able to see them on her phone. 

She carefully peels the tape off two of them and brings them back to the table with her. 

From a special compartment of her bag, she takes out her dark green hardcover lab notebook. It is not good lab practice, but there have been a few pages ripped out these past few days for her so that she could leave notes for people. She flips to the last page she wrote in, which isn’t hard, because it is bookmarked by other objects: photos.  

The photos that Liam gave her are creased and slightly faded with age. She picks them up to peer at the writing underneath, which is slightly messy but clearly written with care. 

She slides the newly-taken picture of Liam beside the rest of his family. He has his visor on, and is not smiling, but that is just like how Liam has been in those three days Lei has known him. She writes a few notes down on the thick pages: 

Liam: A runner of the street samurai type who has many cybernetics embedded within him. You didn’t get along with him at first, and he was probably quite tempted to kill you in the beginning, but it turns out he is quite kind at heart — to the right people. He has saved you countless times, and you have saved him some times as well. He is a man of very few words and generally very tough and stubborn and someone you would call a survivor. He has very cutely said that you were the best doctor he’s ever had. He also apparently has a darker past that he has not told you about, but you can assume that it is very bad, since he is a true slummer through and through. The person he desperately wants to protect is his brother whose name is Alba (see previous pictures). He left with Rose to Adamawa in attempts to bring his brother back, and seems to be willing to sacrifice everything for his brother. He asked you to remember his family and to take care of the only home he’s known, which is why you began writing notes about all the other people you care about or want to care about. You should thank him for that. You have also promised to get drinks with him when he gets back. 

She flips the page and slides the freshly printed photo of Rose. His smile is slightly awkward and clearly forced, as if she had held him at gunpoint or something. She struggles, she really does, to think of what she should write on Rose’s page. She has too many conflicting thoughts about him: Both negative and positive, and it is difficult to decide what she should truly say. She eventually writes:

Rose: A runner who specializes in sniping, although in the mission you took with him, he missed many of his shots (apparently he was having a bad day, which may be true). He is a part of Lexi’s group. You didn’t like him at first because he was being very sketchy and mysterious and doesn’t often tell the truth. You might still not like him that much, as he can be a little frustrating. But people say that he’s a “good guy”, and sometimes you can see those qualities from him. He’s the older brother of Ceres, which everyone seems to know about except for Ceres herself. He clearly cares for Ceres, but he is unwilling to tell Ceres that he’s her brother because “it’s best that she doesn’t know”. You think this is stupid. You think Rose is just being stupid. But that is besides the point. He left with Liam to Adamawa in an attempt to bring Ceres back to Mertalline. He has some sort of precognitive ability which means he can see the future (which is subject to change) and he is also quite good at reading people, which is also something you find quite frustrating. When he comes back, you’re going to keep trying to convince him to tell Ceres. Or maybe, you could just tell Ceres yourself, that might save you a lot of energy. It might be because something horrible happened to him in childhood that took him away from Ceres and his family, so don’t push this too much. You’re still a little thankful of how much he cares about Ceres and appreciates that he did go to Adamawa in an attempt to save her… So despite all the negative things you think about him, maybe you can come to understand him better when he comes back, if he lets you.

With the next page, she starts on the people who still remain in Mertalline. 

Lexi: A runner who seems to be carrying the slums on her back. She leads a group who are runner heroes of the slums, and she is quite protective of her group. Lexi in particular, is very powerful and wealthy, and you truly admire her strength and tenacity. She is a woman of very few words and often does not answer your questions directly, but this just adds to her mysterious and untouchable air of being. In the slums, there are likely very few people who do not respect her, but this is something she definitely deserves. Without her, the slums would likely be even worse than it already is, so you are glad the slums have her. You hope that you will be able to help her make the slums better in the future. 

Zoey: a runner who specializes in using shotguns who seems to be a part of Lexi’s group. She is very good at her job of destroying things, but unfortunately, is not the brightest of people. This actually makes her endearing in your eyes. She has quite a negative outlook on the world and seems to have no one she truly trusts, but it doesn’t stop her from enjoying her nights out getting drinks with her runner comrades. Apparently she likes to dance, or at least, her drunken self seems to like dancing. She is close with Liam and it seems like they’ve worked together for a long time. Her personality appears to be very calm and unphased by things. On runs, she often wears a demon mask which has many practical functions, and she even sold you one of a different design from her very large assortment of masks she’s purchased. You hope that you’ll be able to get her to open up to you more, or at least, that you’ll be able to look out for her as a doctor. 

Keeper: Her full name is actually “Keeper of Secrets” and her real name is actually Yunyi. She is the youngest in Lexi’s group. There are two forms to herself: A chuunibyou version who speaks in confusing ways (it’s still cute though, sometimes) as well as her original self which appears rarely and seems to cause her a lot of pain to be in. In either form, she can be a bit of a tsundere, which you find endearing. Since she has cat ear implants and is shorter than you, she has a head you enjoy patting very much, although it is a little difficult to convince her to let you sometimes. Her ability is similar to a neurolink where she can telepathically communicate with those who are connected (within 1km) as well as borrow abilities with those people. For some reason, she seems to know a lot of information but you’re not completely sure where she gets it from. But her information is quite useful, if you understand and dissect what she’s saying, which you might get used to over time. She also likes cats and co-owns a cat with you and Vail, because apparently, she has a lot of free time to spare! Since you find her very adorable, she feels like someone you would like to protect or help. You hope that she will lower her guard around you and let you pat her head and care for her more in the future. 

She hasn’t technically printed out the next picture, but she’ll definitely get to it within the next few days, so she makes sure to leave a page for this person. 

Flash: A kind (and very fast) taxi driver whom you met not long ago. Not only is he surprisingly charming, he is a man of many talents: driving, surviving, not sticking his head where it doesn’t belong, and seems quite knowledgeable of the city and its people. He seems to have a talent for appearing during times when you need him or times when you’re at your worst, and has even saved your life during one of those times. For that, you are forever grateful to him. Although he has said there are “cyber saints” who are even better than him, he is still a hero and good person in your eyes for saving your life. It is an honour that he calls you his favourite customer, because he is definitely your favourite taxi driver. Since you’ve grown a little fond of him, try to give him as much business as possible. 

When she was printing the photos, she hesitated to print out the next person’s picture, but she decided that despite all the years they have spent apart, she cannot deny that this person was very important to her in the past. She places this picture on the next page now, and the smiling bronze-skinned, red-haired Gigi from 2 years ago looks up at her. 

Gigi Legris: A pharmaceutical synthesist who worked for Prism, specifically in research. You met her in university where she was the one who approached you and you remained close friends with when you both went to the same med school, and later, when you both got hired by Prism. Specifically, you bonded with her over your mutual love of fashion, and you went shopping with her a lot both Uptown and Downtown. She loved to work out and was always telling you of her workout routines, which she worked very hard on during her days off. Although she always called you “honey” and “darling” and was generally a very sweet person, she would not take bullshit from others and had quite a fierce temper when provoked. But you admired her strength and tenacity so much. You loved her loud, booming voice, and the way she laughed without restraint. During those years in your twenties, she was truly your best friend, and someone who helped you weather the storm. She was someone you could wake up and call at night and someone who would beat people up for you. You didn’t realize it at the time, but you loved her like a sister. 

In the next two pages, she slips in the picture she took of Elise smiling, as well as the image of the two of them Vail took for them in the reception room. 

Elise Amaya: A general doctor and surgeon who once worked for Second Chance before opening up her clinic in the slums. You questioned why she would give up the prestige, but then when you got to know her, you realized she is very self-sacrificial. You used to put her on a pedestal where she was your ideal image of what a doctor should be, before you found out that her hands are stained just like everyone else’s. Perhaps she is so self-sacrificial because she feels immense guilt for the pain she has had a hand in during her past. You and her have now opened a clinic together, where you hope to develop regenerative stimulants (which Second Chance has the monopoly on) as well as a better treatment for the E.S. test subjects (see Lexi’s group). And of course, to hopefully save the lives of the slummers who need it. Although she is wonderful at taking care of other people, she is absolutely terrible at taking care of herself. This is why you need to try your hardest in taking care of her by forcing her to take breaks and making sure she eats and sleeps, of which she does little. She is kind and caring and a lovely person to be around, one who inspires you to be a better doctor. You would do almost anything to save her, and you have already done what you must to save her. To you, she feels like an older sister that you wished you had. 

The next two pages are dedicated to Vail. Similarly to Elise, she slips in both the selfie she has with him, as well as a solo shot of Vail smiling. 

Vail: A runner and formerly a patient of yours who you were concerned about for buying a large amount of drugs, he became your friend, and later, your boyfriend. You have to acknowledge that this goes against ethics, but unfortunately it’s a little too late to go back. The reason he was buying so many sedatives and brain stimulants is because he was also a Prism test subject, so you did worry for good reason. His ability involves sending people to the shadow realm, whatever that truly means. He does seem to be rather competent at his job and he is strong with nice muscles, which are all quite attractive. He seems to have trouble keeping up with technology, although he is younger than you. He is generally quite calm and seems to have very little to no worries, which you find comforting. But be warned: He tends not to answer his phone, especially when he’s on a job. He likes cats and his birthday present for you was a colourpoint cat you named Meng, although you have to share with him and Keeper as you are all busy people. You love how he can be soft, sweet, and caring, and how well he follows your requests/demands. Most importantly, you love how he’s a dreamer who can ramble about his dreams in this world where most people have stopped dreaming. You hope that he will stay by your side for a long time. 

And then her final set of pictures are two of Ceres — some of the last pictures she has of her, now that all the digital photos on her phone have been wiped. One is a selfie she roped Ceres into taking one time they hung out together. Ceres looks very shy in this image, and is trying to hide behind her hair. The other is a candid of Ceres that Lei took when they went to get drinks a few months ago. She’s smiling, looking at a painting that was on the wall of the bar. Lei would pay almost any price to see this smile in person again.

Ceres Solace: Allegedly a neurosurgeon, but you have only seen her as an ambulance driver, which is something she does very well. She is shy, sweet, gentle, and absolutely adorable. She seems to stutter when she’s nervous. She likes to draw in her free time, and has a beautiful singing voice. Her height and shape of her head makes her head one of your favourites to pat, and she tends to lean in, which makes the whole experience much more heartwarming. She has almost no confidence in herself and is very fragile and seems to have no way to fight and protect herself, which makes you want to become stronger so that you can protect her from the cruelty and ruthlessness of the world you live in. She is someone you view as the younger sister you’ve never had but always wanted. She might be your favourite person in the world, and you love her unconditionally.

Right now, she has been taken from you, but you strongly believe that her brother will bring her back. And when she comes back, you will teach her how to protect herself and help her grow stronger. You will tell her of all the stories that she’s missed in the time she’s been gone, and of all the words you could not say before she was taken from you. Those words that she deserves to hear: I love you. 

Remember, she writes on the margins of each page. Remember, remember. You have to remember. 

She gently caresses the last three pages with her gloved finger. She’s wanted to have a family for so long, but now she realizes that perhaps these three have been her family all along — or they will be. Only, one of her sisters is not here right now. 

Her lab notebook is closed shut and then carefully placed back into its appropriate storage. She’ll have to get a new lab notebook for the new research she plans on doing in her and Elise’s clinic anyways, so this one can now be a personal notebook for the memories she wants to store. It will become her personal treasured book of memories. 

She strolls to the balcony window of her apartment, where she often likes to smoke. With Ceres gone, she might be tempted to start again — or perhaps, she should try harder, so that Ceres will be proud of her when she returns. 

She leans onto the railing, her hands hanging over, and watches the scenery of the Mertalline slums: dark, dirty, neon-polluted, and filled with junk: The same as always. 

But the person she wants to see isn’t here.

I miss you, Ceres. Lei thinks, playing with the green emerald necklace hanging from her neck — her birthday gift from Ceres. I want to see you again. I want you to be safe and by my side again. 

Ceres, who used to always follow her around, has now gone to a place where Lei cannot follow. 

Maybe as time passes, this sharp pain will become a dull ache, and then later a wound with a scar on it that has healed, but not really. Or maybe the pain will be healed by the panacea of Ceres returning once more. 

She doesn’t know if she’ll be hit by the green gas that has been erasing the memories of those who are abducted from people’s minds, or if she’ll be able to withstand it. But it is the responsibility of those who remain to remember. To remember, and to wait, until those who have left have come home. 

[AUTHOR'S NOTES]

The title “Those Who Leave, Those Who Remain” refer to two groups of people: Those who left, and those who remain. 

Those who left are Rose and Liam, of course, who leave to Adamawa because something bad will happen there and they must rescue their younger siblings. 

Although she does not appear in this story, technically, Laura is someone who also left, but she is a different case because she always planned to leave. 

Those who remain refers mostly to Lei, but you could arguably put others in this category. The reason I didn’t say “those who stay” is because staying is a more active/conscious choice, but “remaining” implies being left over, implies more passivity and lack of choice. 

Those who stay would be more of the people who chose to remain here: Zoey, Lexi, Elise, Vail. 

Keeper is kind of in the “remain” category because uh she would die if she goes and we’re not putting our fave catgirl in danger. 

I’m also extra proud of the fact she started to make a little photo album with things that she wants to remember ;w; Her treasured book of memories as she calls it (which again, is a callback to the set of drabbles I wrote for her called “treasure box” of memories). She realizes that their time in this world may be short, so she wants to treasure every moment she has with her loved ones and those she has grown to care about. This also relates to the central theme in this story about “remembering” which is a responsibility she now has. Perhaps, a responsibility she placed upon herself.

Thank you for reading if you've gotten this far <3

[OTHER NOTES]

Yeah... so Lei's birthday is on Sept 17 and this post-epilogue story takes place on Sept 20 and 21, three and four days after. Imagine having a relatively decently good night and then being arrested the day after XD That was Lei's life. I also made the year 2332 to make Lei's birth year 2300 since the campaign's supposed to take place sometime in the 2300s or something. She has just turned 32!

Lei really likes younger sister vibe characters. She loves doting on them so Ceres is a great example, and then Keeper now. She might get another one, Artemis, which is my next Mertalline campaign character XD unless things change I don't plan on playing Lei again cuz she has 1/2 death rolls failed. So that's dangerous. I love her so much I don't want her to die 😭

I learned as a side effect of the E.S. experiment, Vail cannot fall asleep or dream which is why he talks about dreams so much. They don't exist for him the way they do for other people 😭😭😭 Best boi frfr

He calls her by her name now which was a request from the drunk! Lei story (Vulnerability) 🥺🥺🥺 Soft hours only in this household

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, Vail was NOT getting drugs from other doctors (not cheating on her???) in those 3 months he didn't visit the Prism Clinic. That's a 11/10 right there. We love a loyal man XD

Rizz 😎

Meng is a ragdoll cat!!! Some sort of colourpoint with ice blue eyes.

Yeah so the implied suspicious activities... welp let's just pretend it's an effective sleeping strat/ way to induce sleep. He's gotta fall asleep somehow right XD

I guess her dreams kind of come true? :') She now can run a clinic with one of her friends and a doctor she looks up to. She got her mans. But her bestie and younger sister Ceres.... she is gone. So you win some and you lose some in life. (still in pain about Ceres though)

There's lots of references to the text in the campaign which you won't see unless I copy/paste (some of which will be copy/pasted) into the vis novel. So look out for it then cuz I got high attention to detail.

The first time she admitted to loving someone (remember she struggles with the idea of unconditional love) was Ceres :') I'm so pain about this

I think her dream of family did come true in form of the people she cares about like the way she imagines she'd care about for a family. Her friends she views as sisters: Elise (older) and Ceres (younger). And her significant other Vail 🥺😭😭🥺🥺. If she and Vail lives they get their children too so Y'KNOW maybe her dream is still possible BUT WHERE'S AUNTIE CERES Y'KNOW

Really proud of the last line :) I think it envokes a sensation of hope which is what I'm trying to carry forward, and what I'd like to imagine Lei would want.

Thank you again for reading this far <3

[denchi-love]

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ :A premium tablet at a reasonable price

The 12.4-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ ($599.99) is the larger of Samsung's two Fan Edition tablets, with a bigger screen and a higher price than the 10.9-inch, $449.99 Galaxy Tab S9 FE. Both are relative bargains compared with the flagship Galaxy Tab S9 line, which starts at $799.99. Thanks in part to its premium materials and design, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ provides a high-end experience that belies its comparatively reasonable price. In addition to solid performance, it features Samsung's powerful Android productivity tweaks and tight integration across the Samsung ecosystem, and it comes with an S Pen stylus. In this price range, we also like the $499 Google Pixel Tablet, which includes a stand that turns it into a smart display, but the Tab S9 FE+ is our Editors' Choice pick for Android tablets thanks to its balance of features and price.The Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ comes across as a near equal to the pricier, top-of-the-line Tab S9 series when it comes to the hardware, with high-quality materials and a similar feeling of elegance.It measures 11.24 by 7.30 by 0.26 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.38 pounds. The $999 Galaxy Tab S9+ has the same 12.4-inch screen size but measures a slightly smaller 11.23 by 7.30 by 0.22 inches and weighs 1.28 pounds. For further comparison, the Pixel Tablet measures 10.2 by 6.7 by 0.3 inches and weighs 1.09 pounds, and the $599 Apple iPad Air comes in at 9.74 by 7.02 by 0.24 inches and 1.02 pounds. Those latter two tablets have smaller 11-inch screens. If you like the idea of those smaller dimensions, take a look at the 10.9-inch Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which comes in at 10.01 by 6.53 by 0.26 inches and 1.15 pounds. Both the Tab S9 FE and FE+ are available in four colors: gray, lavender, mint, or silver. The Tab S9 FE is available with 5G ($549.99), but only in gray; the FE+ doesn't have a 5G variant.Like the regular Tab S9 series, the Tab S9 FE and FE+ have a rating of IP68, meaning they are dustproof and can handle being immersed in water for up to 30 minutes. The Pixel Tablet and the iPad Air don't have IP ratings, so this is a point of distinction for the Tab S9 FE line and invites scenarios for use poolside or at the beach.The 12.4-inch LCD of the Tab S9 FE+ has a resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels with a refresh rate of 90Hz. This is one area where Samsung cut costs a bit; the pricier Tab S9 series all feature OLED displays and somewhat higher resolutions. Colors are still good on the Tab S9 FE+, but the LCD can't produce the contrast of a pricier OLED panel. Animations appear smooth when the system is not under intense load, but the display's brightness isn't quite enough to handle intense sunlight. Indoors, the Tab S9 FE+ has no problem with ambient lighting. The bezels around the screen are a little thicker than those of the Tab S9, but it's a minor drawback.Going around the device, the wide-angle front-facing camera is centered within the bezel of the long top edge. The combined power button/fingerprint sensor and volume rocker are to the left and the microSD card slot is to the right. The fingerprint sensor worked well when I held the tablet in portrait mode, but I ran into some error messages when using the tablet in landscape orientation. Thankfully it took only a small adjustment of my finger (or the tablet) to unlock the device.There are two AKG-tuned speakers. The grilles are found on each short side of the tablet. A USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port for power and data transfer is on one short edge as well. The other long edge features two indentations and three pogo connectors to attach optional accessories like a keyboard.There's a big sheet of metal spanning the rear with two cameras with a magnetic strip to hold the included S Pen, the Samsung logo, and antenna lines.

[vmonetechnologies]

Xiaomi TV 43 Inch ‎L43MA-AUIN: Picture Perfect- Smart, Stunning, and Sleek 

Presenting Xiaomi 43 Inch TV L43MA-AUIN: Where the Best Technology and Design Are Put into One Product. This smart TV transforms the way you watch television with brilliant colors and clear resolution rendering every scene picture perfect. The simple yet sophisticated looks of the television are great and blend in any living room adding elegance to your home. It is a whole new different world with smart features all geared towards ensuring your favorite shows, movies and apps are right for you.

Variants and Sizes Available with Prices

The latest Xiaomi TV 43-inch L43MA-AUIN, which recently launched in the Indian market, is one of the top contenders available in terms of size. While it has an available screen size of 43 inches only, the product is beautifully designed with a slim profile made of metal and plastic giving it a luxury appearance. It’s simple design and little logo are great for wall-mount assumptions aiming to create a floating visual illusion. The television comes with a standard plastic desk mount, although the wall-mount option comes at an added fee due to the need for installation services. Today, if you wish to buy an eye-catching 43-inch TV, you should buy the Xiaomi L43MA-AUIN.

In-Box Accessories

1 LED TV

2 Table Stand Base

1 User Manual

1 Warranty Card

1 Remote Control

1 AC Power Cord

2 AAA Battery

Contrast: Xiaomi 43-inch TV Review

With the incorporation of Dolby Vision technology, the Xiaomi 43-inch TV provides breathtaking colors allowing for every scene to be made vivid and realistic.

Saturation

Reds and blues become oversaturated, but the greens shine perfectly. It enhances the picture depth. Capturing of colors is deep enough for it to be an interesting view.

Depth

With its highest resolution reaching 4K, or eight million pixels, nothing can rival the clarity achieved with this level of resolution. Deep blacks and bright highlights give the effect of three-dimensional depth, pulling you into the action.

Picture Quality

This Xiaomi 43-inch TV L43MA-AUIN is the epitome of picture quality for its class. With 4K resolution, optimized colors, and wide dynamic range, it brings a viewing experience to the silver screen for every film. Rich color representation and detailed depth add to your pleasure in every frame.

Color Gamut

With 100% sRGB and 90% DCI P3 color gamut, the TV perfectly expresses a broad color gamut. Dark Scene Boost boosts contrast, which introduces a richer depth to all types of content.

Dynamic Range

Dolby Vision HDR Support casts a wide contrast range as the TV brings out details in both bright and dark regions with fidelity.

Viewing Angles

The picture quality is retained from different angles with the loss of only about 20% of colors and brightness at extreme angles. This translates to great visuals, either from directly in front or from an angle.

Software and Hardware

You get the latest Android update. The TV OS of this Xiaomi model runs on Google TV and thus offers a rich ecosystem of applications and services that cater to all your viewing desires.

Sound

The TV comes with built-down-firing 30W speakers of Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual X, so the sound is incredibly clear and rich. Since there are speakers built into the device, it is adequate; you don’t need external speakers to achieve good audio.

Conclusion

The 43-inch Xiaomi TV L43MA-AUIN has a thorough coordination of cutting-edge technology and a sleek design. Being one of the best-selling trends for home entertainment system setup, this TV comes with astounding 4K visuals, lively colors, excellent sounds, and an appealing profile to design without fail. Whether mounted on the wall or put on a stand, it adds quite effortlessly elegance to any living space, and it is one of the top contenders on the 43-inch market.

Read more: VM one Technologies

[sonycartv]

The 2025 Durango Hellcat is a Monster: 710HP Hammerhead Edition | Unleashed | Sonycar TV #durango

✅ 2025 Dodge Durango Hellcat: The Hammerhead Edition ✅ ➡Dodge is introducing another special edition of the powerful Durango Hellcat for 2025, called the Hammerhead Edition. This SUV continues to use Dodge's famous supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine, making it a thrilling ride. ➡The Hammerhead is the second special edition Durango for 2025. It stands out with its dark blue exterior called "Night Moves" and comes with sleek 20-by-10-inch Satin Carbon wheels, a Satin Black hood, and shiny exhaust tips. Inside, you'll find luxurious Grey Laguna leather seats featuring a sepia-colored SRT Hellcat logo embroidered on the seatbacks, along with forged carbon-fiber accents and a suede headliner for added style. ➡Priced at $113,720 (without additional destination costs), the SUV comes loaded with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and a sunroof. Safety features include forward collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and more. ➡This model is a bit more expensive than the Silver Bullet edition, which was also recently announced, along with the R/T 20th Anniversary edition. All three models can now be ordered at dealerships, and Dodge's Horsepower Locator can help customers find stock near them. ➡With its massive 710 horsepower, the Durango Hellcat Hammerhead Edition can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and finish a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds. If you push it to the limit, it can reach a top speed of 180 mph. This is one of the last models to feature Dodge's iconic Hemi-powered engine, making it a true performance beast.

[cricutmakeronline]

How to Use Cricut Explore Air 2: A Beginner’s Guide

 If you’ve got a new Cricut Explore Air 2 machine, congratulations. It’s one of the most powerful Cricut cutting machines we have ever found. If you are wondering how to use Cricut Explore Air 2, I can help you with everything that you need to know about it. While unboxing your machine, you may get some necessary accessories for the setup process. Here are all the supplies and tools you need to get started with your Cricut machine.

But, before moving on to using the Explore Air 2, I want to tell you a little more about this machine. The best thing about the tool is that you can use it with any device like Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Therefore, you don’t have to rely on one device to start your crafting with your Cricut machine.

How Does Cricut Explore Air 2 Work?

When you are going to use your Explore Air 2 machine, you need to understand the capabilities and advantages of this brilliant cutting machine. Cricut offers this machine with advanced technology that can provide two times quicker results than Cricut’s earlier models.

This machine allows you to cut over 100 materials, from delicate to hard. You can easily cut different types of vinyl, cardstock, and even leather on this machine with the help of its smart cut technology. With this amazing machine, you can explore as many materials as you want and enjoy your crafting journey.

How to Use Cricut Explore Air 2 to Make Custom Projects?

Now, you might be aware of the common functions and features of Cricut Explore Air 2. This is the time to start creating something with your finest Cricut model. You’ll get most of the sample materials in your machine’s box. So, are you ready to go through your first design?

Step 1: Create Your Design

To get started, you should set up your Explore Air 2 on your computer or smartphone. Get the Design Space and create your account from design.cricut.com. Then, create a design on the Design Space and get ready to cut it with your machine. If you already have a Cricut account, simply log into your account and move ahead.

Step 2: Collect All the Materials

After setting up your machine and logging into the Cricut account, you should collect all the necessary materials, including cardstock, a cutting mat, paper, and a silver pen. Also, remove the protective film from the cutting mat if it is still present. Now, you are ready to load the Cricut mat into the Explore Air 2 machine

Step 3: Insert the Grey Cardstock

I am using grey cardstock for cutting my design. You can pick any color you like. Ensure to keep the textured side of the cardstock facing up and make it aligned with the mat. Don’t cover the Cricut logo on your mat; keep the cardstock just below that. Once you are done, move ahead to the next step.

Step 4: Insert the Mat Into Your Cricut Machine

When you have aligned the cardstock on the mat, insert the mat into your Cricut machine using the mat guides. Press the mat firmly below the rollers and press the Load/Unload button at the top of your machine. The button looks like a double arrow.

Step 5: Put the Silver Pen

After inserting the Cricut mat, open your accessory clamp A on your machine. Now, remove the pen’s cap and insert the pen into the housing until the arrow on the pen vanishes. After that, move forward and close your clamp.

Step 6: Confirm Your Design

Now, select your design from the Design Space or upload a design file. Next, hit the Make It option. Then, your screen will show the preview of the mat, and then click the Go button. Also, set the dial on your Cricut machine to the cardstock. After that, you’ll observe the “C” button on your machine start flashing. Then, hit the “C” button to proceed.

Step 7: Unload the Cricut Cutting Mat

Then, unload your Cricut mat by pressing the Load/Unload button and taking off the pen. I prefer to keep my pen in the accessory compartment. Next, place your cutting mat on a clean surface and curl your edge to lift the mat. Peel off the material away from your cutting mat. You can curl up the Cricut mat to peel off the material easily.

Step 8: Fold Your Greeting Card

Now, fold your card and crease it to half. Similarly, fold your blue paper and put it inside your grey card. If you want, you can glue this card. That’s how your project is finished. This is how you can use your Cricut Explore Air 2 and make a beautiful card. Hopefully, you like it, and you will try it on your own.

FAQs

How is Cricut Explore Air 2 Different From Cricut Explore?

Both machines are powerful; the only difference is their color and speed. As the Cricut Explore Air 2 machine is the latest model, it is equipped with more speed and vibrant colors. Moreover, this machine has twice the power of Cricut Explore. It can use various materials to cut, such as vinyl, cardstock, iron-on, etc.

How to Use Cricut Explore Air 2 With Phone?

You can use this machine on your smartphones as well. To use it with your mobile phone, you need to install the Design Space app from your Play Store or App Store. Then, you can connect the app to your machine and utilize your machine’s features. Smartphones allow you to make your project from anywhere.

Can I Use Cricut Explore Air 2 Offline?

Yes, if you want to edit your projects, you can do it without an internet connection. You just need to save your project to your system and cloud. So, whenever you want, you can open that page and start editing your project. Apart from this, you can also create a new project and use the various fonts, images, and designs from the Design Space that are already saved to your system.

Source  :- https://newmachineprocess.wordpress.com/2024/01/22/how-to-use-cricut-explore-air-2-a-beginners-guide/

[gadzet12]

Xiaomi Mi TV 5X 55

The budget and mid-range television sectors in India are largely covered by Xiaomi and its Redmi sub-brand, but Xiaomi will always place a premium on value, which also extends to higher-end models. The Mi TV line has been mostly characterised by huge screens, a tonne of features, smart software, and discrete design. The company's most recent television offering, the Mi TV 5X, aims to continue that trend while maintaining the competitive and affordable cost that has drawn customers to the brand. The Xiaomi Mi TV 5X 55-inch Ultra-HD LED Smart TV, which costs Rs. 45,999 in India, looks quite nice on paper and offers capable performance without requiring you to spend a lot of money. Dolby is one of its most important features.Vision, hands-free Google Assistant voice commands, and the union of the company's well-liked PatchWall UI with Android TV 10. Is this the best 55-inch television under 50,000 rupees that is currently available? Learn more from this review. Design and technical details of the 55-inch Xiaomi Mi TV The Mi logo had previously been included on televisions from Xiaomi's Mi brand, but the Mi TV 5X marks a significant change. The Mi TV 5X, although though it's still referred to as a "Mi TV," demonstrates the business's decision to move to "Xiaomi" as its brand name on future products, as was stated by the company. The new Xiaomi logo is prominently shown just below the screen, above the module with the power button and a few indicator lights. It is displayed on a silver strip. The Mi TV 5X distinguishes out from the competitors and other televisions from Xiaomi like the Redmi TV X Series and Mi TV 4X range thanks to the rest of the screen's borders, which are noticeably thinner and a similar shade of silver. Although the Mi TV 5X isn't quite as thin as some of the high-end TVs I've recently evaluated, it is still relatively well-built and not overly thick, especially at the bottom, where it bulges slightly. When mounted on a wall or a stand, it looks nice for a TV in its price range. A second set of inputs and ports are located to the left of the screen, and the lower portion of the TV's back has a texture resembling carbon fibre. The two USB ports, three HDMI 2.1 ports, and 3.5mm audio out socket are on the left, while the Ethernet, optical audio out, composite AV input, and antenna port are on the right. These less-used connections all face downward. The television can be wall-mounted with any aftermarket VESA-compatible kit or put on a stand using the aluminium stands that come with the unit. At the time of installation, Xiaomi can offer a wall-mount kit for an additional fee.  AmazonBasics 55-Inch Fire TV Edition Ultra-HD HDR Smart LED TV Review While I am reviewing the 55-inch Mi TV 5X model, which costs Rs. 45,999, you can also choose the 50-inch and 43-inch models, which are respectively priced at Rs. 41,999 and Rs. 31,999 in India. All three of them are Ultra-HD TVs that can support HDR content up to Dolby Vision. Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55-inch Ultra-HD Android TV (L55M6)  A 55-inch Ultra-HD (3840x2160-pixel) LED-backlit screen, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range codecs are supported by the Mi TV 5X 55.   This television's two speakers can support Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD, and its 40W sound output is rated. One of the HDMI connections supports HDMI ARC, and connectivity options include dual-band Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5. The TV is equipped with a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of app and app data storage. Remote and features of the Xiaomi Mi TV 5X 55 While Xiaomi's televisions have undergone general design and branding changes over the past few months and years, the company's approach to the remote has remained relatively consistent. The Mi TV 5X has Xiaomi's well-known, simplistic remote, but disappointingly—though this was to be expected—the necessary AAA batteries are not provided in the sales package.   Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV (43CSA7070) I'm fairly accustomed to the remote in and of itself, and the company's software enhancements like Quick Mute and Quick Settings access have long since made up for its physical flaws. It's well-equipped to get you anywhere in the TV's software quickly, and you can simply navigate both Xiaomi's PatchWall UI and the Stock Android TV UI.   Other noteworthy features of the Mi TV 5X include hands-free Google Assistant access, an auto-low-latency mode for use with gaming consoles, built-in Google Chromecast with support for Ultra-HD and HDR casting from supported apps and services, and the option to set Alexa as your default voice assistant if you'd rather.   I'm fairly accustomed to the remote in and of itself, and the company's software enhancements like Quick Mute and Quick Settings access have long since made up for its physical flaws. It's well-equipped to get you anywhere in the TV's software quickly, and you can simply navigate both Xiaomi's PatchWall UI and the Stock Android TV UI.   Similar to a smart speaker like the Google Nest Audio, the television contains a microphone that can be programmed to constantly be listening for the wake phrases "OK Google" or "Hey Google." If you wish to avoid using voice commands or have privacy concerns, it's easy to turn off the microphone using a physical sliding switch.   The Best TVs You Can Buy   Software and UI for the 55-inch Xiaomi Mi TV 5X Anyone who has previously used a Xiaomi television will be familiar with the software experience on the Xiaomi Mi TV 5X, much like they are with the remote. The television uses Android TV 10 with Xiaomi's customised PatchWall 4 launcher in addition to the basic Android TV user interface. Users have full access to the Google Play Store for Android TV to download any of the more than 5,000 accessible apps, and all popular apps are supported.   Since there are no actual manufacturer-imposed restrictions in this case, users of other Android TV devices will be familiar with the stock Android TV UI. When material is playing in the interface, you can access the settings by long-pressing the Mi   The majority of titles in PatchWall 4 have IMDB ratings integrated into them. Additionally, the information pages for titles with more information now have a fresh layout. The TV's settings, various source inputs, and any additional apps that you might have installed on the TV are all easily accessible through PatchWall.     Wall Mount or on a Stand? What You Need to Know Before Setting Up Your New TV   Due to its content-centric approach, PatchWall will appeal to users that love a lot of suggestions and content curation. It's also important to note that the Mi TV 5X supports the Mi Home app via the PatchWall launcher. If you have the Mi Home app linked to your Google account, you can use voice commands to control IoT devices in your home through your TV. If you own and utilise gadgets like the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P and Mi LED Wi-Fi Smart Bulb, this might be practical for you.   Mi TV 5X 55 from Xiaomi performance Aside from its appealing appearance and appealing features, the Xiaomi Mi TV 5X 55 is also well-suited to give a pleasurable viewing experience thanks to its value-driven design. For a 55-inch television around Rs. 50,000, picture and sound quality are excellent. They give the impression of a big screen TV while also performing well across resolutions and content kinds. However, I did occasionally experience lag and UI performance difficulties, which I'll go into more detail about in this section. Mi TV 5X 55 from Xiaomi performance High dynamic range (HDR) television with support for the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats is the Mi TV 5X 55. Given its 55-inch size, this TV is obviously best suited for high-end programming, such the Dolby Vision films and TV shows available on Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar, which looked noticeably better than everything else I viewed.   Dolby Vision: What Is It, and How Does It Make Your Movies and TV Shows Better? The Mi TV 5X made it fun to view the popular Korean TV show Squid Game in Ultra-HD and Dolby Vision on Netflix. The colours were refined and striking but didn't exactly pop as much as on more expensive TVs, giving the image a soft, laid-back feel. The television discreetly but effectively emphasised the vivid pinks and greens of the guards' and contestants' clothing.   The image is clear and detailed without being overly abrupt and rough. Smoothness pervaded Ultra-HD footage, while Dolby Vision content appeared even better thanks to brightness and contrast. On the Mi TV 5X, visually appealing programmes like Our Planet looked impressive.   The largest advantage of Dolby Vision on the Mi TV 5X was in the tone, even though there was a noticeable increase in brightness and the opportunity to have different levels of contrast and impact in the same frame with HDR material. The lighthearted Somebody Feed Phil appeared bright and joyful as Phil Rosenthal explored towns and their distinctive eateries, but this television typically captured the tone and flavour of TV episodes well. It gave a dismal, dark feel to shows like Squid Game and films like Greyhound on Apple TV+.   When it comes to black levels, many LED-backlit TVs, especially those that cost less than Rs. 50,000, have a tendency to stutter. While not nearly as stunning as televisions like the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro (which includes local dimming), the Mi TV 5X manages to handle darker scenes and black tones pretty well. The screen did have a slight grey wash, but it wasn't as strong or annoying as on the Redmi TV X55, which costs approximately Rs. 5,000 less than the Mi TV 5X. As a result, dimly lit rooms produced decent-looking dark movies, but brilliant sequences were still watchable when sunlight directly hit the TV. While normal dynamic range and standard definition video are obviously less appealing to watch than HDR, they were nevertheless watchable on the Mi TV 5X 55. The TV handled the older, upscaled footage of the Bulls' legendary championship runs and Michael Schumacher's F1 dominance in the 1990s particularly well. Other full-HD content on Netflix, including The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, and Schumacher, was enjoyable to watch. Across resolutions and content, this TV provided a viewing experience that was consistently bright, clear, and clean.   In typical viewing conditions, the Mi TV 5X's sound is comfortable and decent; the TV can get pretty loud thanks to its 40W speakers. Without too many abrupt volume changes, the sound is well-balanced and homogeneous. Interestingly, the Mi TV 5X does not enable Dolby Atmos identification by content platforms; Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar all showed capability for 5.1-channel audio at best. Dolby Atmos is supported on the TV and was activated with a slider switch in the sound settings menu.   Instead, it appears that this TV upscales the sound stream at the hardware level when Dolby Atmos is enabled. With the majority of content, this still made a small difference in the sound quality. While watching Squid Game, some virtualized surround effects could be heard, and generally, the audio felt a little more polished and detailed. The sound was good enough even with this off or with content that doesn't really benefit from the format. Having said that, a quality speaker system like the Sony HT-S40R, which I reviewed alongside this TV, could enhance the audio quality.   Despite the Mi TV 5X's typically good picture and sound quality and overall positive software experience, I did occasionally run across performance issues. These included sporadic Wi-Fi connection dropouts, sluggish reactions to button presses from the remote, and intermittent image lag and stuttering when streaming Ultra-HD material.   Additionally, I occasionally noticed subtitle timing issues, where the words would show on screen a second or two late but still clear on schedule. This made it challenging to follow along when watching foreign-language programming. Even while these problems weren't too unpleasant and were frequently resolved by turning the TV on and off again, they did occasionally occur, so they are worth mentioning. Read the full article

[shinra33459]

Simon PL600 x Male!Reader - Lost and Found

Life is a unique and strange experience, one that is made even stranger when it comes to gifts. The date was December 28, 2035, and you finally got your Christmas present from your parents. The box was a white cardboard box that stood a little over 6 feet tall and had the Cyberlife logo in all the top right faces of the box. Your parents got you an android, which was incredibly nice of them, but a fucking android!? This had to be the most expensive present they’ve gotten you yet.

           You walked from your living room into your kitchen to look for a box cutter. You didn’t want to grab a big ass kitchen knife and hack at the box; you just got this android, and you didn’t want to kill it before it even got out of the box. Searching through several drawers and cabinets, you found the old box cutter in a drawer with some tools and other stuff you had to fix anything around the house that was broken. You stepped out of the kitchen and back into your living room and approached the box, boxcutter in hand.

           You started by making an incision in the box at the upper right corner and cut along the corner all the way to the bottom. You then made an incision at the upper left corner and cut down to the bottom again. Finally, you went back to the top of the box and cut the crease from left to right, making the face of the cardboard box to fall forward onto the soft carpet. Inside the box was black, foam packaging material that concealed and protected the android inside. You grabbed the soft and spongey material and pulled away a two-inch-thick sheet which revealed the android.

           The android was slightly taller than you, standing at 6 feet and 2 inches, sporting a pale skin tone, sharp jawline, blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing his gray and white Cyberlife garb that had his model number on it: PL600, a domestic care android. You just stared in awe at this marvel of technology, and the fact that this marvel was in your living room. Eventually, after about 5 minutes, you decided to approach the PL600 and get it set up. You got about five feet away from the android and looked at his perfect face.

           “Hello?” you spoke to the android. The blue LED ring on his right temple instantaneously turned on, and the android came to life, stepping out of what remained of the packaging.

           “Hello, I am the PL600 android sent by Cyberlife. I can do the cooking, cleaning, childcare, manage appointments, and I am fluent in over 100 languages. Would you like to give me a name?” the android introduced himself as he looked at you for a response. You thought for a few seconds and came up with a name.

           “Your new name is Simon.” you declared while looking at the android.

           “Thank you, my name is Simon. I have already gathered your information from the online order from your parents. I’ll just need to confirm some information from you if that’s all right. Can you verify your name?” the android inquired while continuing to look at you.

           “My name is (F/N) (L/N)” you answered while still studying the android’s appearance.

           “Affirmative. Would you like to change my appearance or voice?” the android asked while it still looked directly at you.

           “No, you’re fine as you are.” you told Simon, now looking at all the intricate details on his shirt.

           “Thank you, moving on. What is my role in this household?” Simon queried while studying your (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. You thought for a minute since you really didn’t NEED an android in the first place, but you were going to find some way to use this $8,000 machine.

           “I could use some help with the cooking and cleaning, and I also need someone to keep the house occupied while I’m out.” you answered now looking at Simon’s shoes, noticing how neat they were.

           “Understood, sir. Is there anything that needs done at this moment?” Simon questioned as you pondered the question. You listed everything in your head you did in the last few days when it came to household chores, and the only thing that came to mind was taking down the Christmas tree and decorations.

           “I could use some help taking down the Christmas tree. The boxes are in the closet, I’ll get it.” you told the android as you went to get the box for the artificial tree and the other box for the ornaments.

           You opened the closet and grabbed both boxes, pulling them out into the living room. You and Simon then went over to the tree to begin putting it away. The tree itself wasn’t massive per se, it was only a little bigger than Simon by about 4 inches. You two started by taking the fuzzy silver and gold garland off the tree, putting it neatly in the box as to not get it tangled. Simon then started taking the lights off the tree, wrapping the cord of lights in a way that would make it impossible for the lights to get tangled up. Then you two started removing all the hanging ornaments and the tree topper, putting them into the box of ornaments alongside the garland and the lights.

           Finally, it was time to take down the tree. You and Simon started by disassembling the base and putting it into the box, then you started to remove all the branch segments, starting at the base going up, and putting them into the box. Eventually, all of the branches were in the box and it was time to put the stem in the box. The metallic stem for the fake Christmas tree came apart into three pieces, and into the box they went. Simon went to put the two boxes into the closet while you got your vacuum cleaner to clean up the tinsel and glitter left on the ground from the tree, garland, and ornaments.

           For the next half hour, you decided to take down the rest of the Christmas decorations while Simon made lunch for you. Since you haven’t went grocery shopping in a little while, Simon had to make do with the few ingredients he had to his disposal. He got some butter, canned tomatoes, an onion, bread, some leftover ham you had from Christmas, and some sliced American cheese. As you worked at cleaning up all the Christmas decorations, Simon made you some homemade tomato soup and a ham and cheese sandwich.

 TIME SKIP: February 2036

You had grown quite accustomed to Simon’s presence in your house. Everything was perfect: meals were cooked in a way that could impress Gordon Ramsay, you were never late to appointments, you never forgot any upcoming events, every room in your house was free from clutter, and most importantly of all, you had someone to talk to whenever you needed it. You cared about Simon, he quickly became your best friend in just under a month, and he was always there for you whenever you needed someone to confide in, a shoulder to cry on, someone to share a secret with, or someone to gossip with.

At first, Simon did only his tasks of cooking and cleaning, but you encouraged him to use his free time to do things that he wanted to do, or something that both of you wanted to do together. Sometimes it meant going to the library and checking out a dozen books on a variety of subjects, ranging from political books to fantasy novels. Other times it meant sitting on the couch playing video games with each other, and usually Simon would go easy on you as to not embarrass you. And when it wasn’t either of those things, you would just sit down and talk about just random topics, or do something creative like painting or drawing.

You started feeling something for this android; whenever he was with you, you felt your heart flutter, whenever he would compliment you on something, you would blush like an embarrassed schoolboy, and whenever he would get close to you, you would get flustered and start acting nervous. Simon wasn’t oblivious to this, he knew you acted this way, but he didn’t say anything about it. He was worried that if he did, it would ruin the relationship that you two had. He wished that he could be with you that way, and express true emotion, but if he did, he would be destroyed for being a deviant.

You were driving home from work, excited to tell Simon about your day and the raise you got at your job. You were driving a black 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, a decent used car that had many years on it and no shortage of miles, but still drove well enough. You approached the final stop sign before you reached your house. You engaged the turn signal to make a left turn at this stop sign, made a complete stop, gave way to oncoming traffic, and made the left turn. You continued to drive down the street towards your house, which was about a quarter of a mile away. While driving the speed limit of 30 MPH, you began thinking to yourself.

“God, Simon is perfect, from how he looks, down to his voice and mannerisms. I love him, but I know he won’t return my feelings. He’s an android, he can’t, and even if he did, they would kill him. Maybe it isn’t meant to be. We are still great friends, so I guess I should be grateful for that.” you thought to yourself as you drove, finally making another left turn, this time into your driveway.

You stopped your car in the driveway and put the car into park. You sat in your car with the engine on for a little while, just relaxing for a bit after your long day. Eventually, you turned the car off, pulled the key out of the ignition, and exited the vehicle, closing the door behind you. As you walked up to the front door from the driveway, you locked the car’s doors, because even in 2036, the old adage still rings true, “can’t have shit in Detroit”.

Simon heard you walking up to the house and opened the door, letting you inside before closing the door behind you. You hung your coat up next to the door on a hook and shoved the beanie into the right pocket of the coat, and you put your gloves in the left pocket. You sighed as you felt the relaxing warmth from your house opposed to the freezing Michigan winter outside.

“Welcome back (F/N), how was your day?” Simon inquired as he brought you over to the couch to spend some time with you. You fell backwards into the couch dramatically as Simon calmly took a seat next to you.

“All things considered, pretty great. I got a pay raise today, and I’ll be making $2 more an hour.” you excitedly told the android. Simon gave a smile as you told him this.

“That’s great! I’m happy for you, and you deserved it, especially after all the hard work you do.” Simon told you as he gave you a quick hug. You blushed as he did, your heart rate quickening.

“Thanks Simon.” you said as the android released his embrace. You continued to lounge on the couch with Simon for the next hour, talking about your day, some new drama happening at work and plans for the weekend. You and Simon kept talking until both of you heard the timer on the oven go off, and Simon got up and walked into the kitchen. You got up too and followed him to see if he needed any help.

In the kitchen, Simon put on some oven mitts and pulled a planked salmon out of the oven, cooked to perfection. On the stovetop, he had some green beans and mashed potatoes ready as well. The aroma of the food was incredible, and you knew better than anyone that Simon was the best cook in Detroit by a country mile. Simon gave you a smile that made your heart flutter in excitement.

“The food looks great Simon, thanks.” you told the android as he began plating your food. The portion sizes were perfect; just enough to keep you full, and the perfect number of calories for your lifestyle.

“You’re welcome, sir, anytime. Go to the table, I’ll bring it out for you.” Simon told you while putting the oven mitts on the countertop behind him.

You stepped out of the kitchen and noticed a terrible draft coming through your dining room and living room. You furrowed your brow as you stepped into the living room, looking for answers. As soon as your foot touched the carpet, you felt a fist connect with your diaphragm, and you fell to your knees gasping for air. You then felt a gloved hand grab a fist-full of your hair and pull your head upwards, and another gloved hand placing a knife to your throat.

“Scream for help, and you’re a fucking dead man, you hear me? Give me all of your money and I won’t kill you or that tin can of yours.” a deep and gravely voice behind you rang out, the blade of the knife was pressed right against your carotid artery, and a simple slice would send you to the morgue in a matter of moments. Unbeknownst to you, Simon saw this unfold, and he stealthily went to your bedroom to grab something.

“I-I-I don’t keep any m-money in the house, it-it’s all in the bank.” you tried to explain to the robber, but he wasn’t having any of it. The man pressed the knife even harder up against your neck, ready to end your life if you didn’t give him what he wants.

“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me you pathetic fucking worm, give me the money before I kill you and find the money myself!” the man yelled as he was fully prepared to slit your throat in the next thirty seconds.

“I-I swear that I don’t have anything, I don’t keep, I-” you frantically tried to explain again, but you were cut off by the sight of Simon, standing about ten feet away from you, with your Glock in his hand, his LED glowing a scarlet red.

“Let him go and get out of our house, now.” were the only words that escaped Simon’s lips as he looked at the robber, then to you, and back to the robber again. The robber let out a soft chuckle as he found the situation amusing.

“Fuck you, you plastic piece of shit. You can’t do a fucking thing to me; you’re specifically programmed to not harm humans. I could slit his throat right now, and you couldn’t do shit about it.” the robber exclaimed as he positioned the knife to do just what he’s been threatening to do to you.

Simon saw it: the red wall, his obedient programming. It was telling him to just call the police, your life and safety be damned. He couldn’t do it; he couldn’t lose you to some lowlife with a knife who was just looking for money to get his fix on whatever street drug of his choice. He began hitting and smashing the wall, you were behind it and if he didn’t tear that wall down, you would be gone forever. He punched, slammed, kicked, and rammed the wall, it had to break, it had to.

After smashing the wall for what seemed like an eternity for Simon, he saw the wall shatter like a pane of breakaway glass. As soon as the wall shattered, he did it; in one swift motion he raised the pistol, took aim, and pulled the trigger, the 9mm bullet spiraling through the robber’s forehead, and exiting out the back of his head, instantly killing the criminal. The robber’s body instantly went limp, and the lifeless corpse fell backwards onto the carpet floor, a red stain progressively getting bigger as the body lied there.

Your ears were ringing from the loudness of a gun going off indoors, and Simon was still standing there with the gun raised as if the robber were still alive. Then the gravity of the situation hit Simon like a ton of bricks; he just killed a man, he was a deviant now, and if anyone besides you were to know this, he would be destroyed. You got up, and slowly walked towards your android companion.

“Simon are you okay?” you questioned your friend even though he still looked distressed by what he just did. He looked at you and was going to say something, but the sounds of sirens in the distance and red and blue flashing lights that he could see at the end of the street getting closer spooked him, and Simon dropped the gun and took off running, barging out your backdoor to escape. He didn’t want you to have to see him being killed.

“Wait! SIMON!” you called after him trying to get up off the floor to chase after him, but he was long gone, and you assumed that you would never see him again as he raced off into the frigid winter of Detroit, Michigan.

 TIME SKIP: Early-November 2038

             Your life had gone downhill significantly in the last 4 months. From February 2036 until July of 2038, you spent almost all your free time trying to find Simon, but to no avail. Your friends and family thought you were insane; why would you want to track down a deviant android who shot and killed someone? You knew that you would never find him if you only had 12 hours, two days a week to find him, so on July 16, 2038, you sold your house and almost all your belongings to get enough money to hopefully find him. Enough money to live on the streets and not go hungry. The only things you didn’t sell were your gun, some of your clothes, your car, and your phone.

           You had spent months asking about Simon, going all over the city and surrounding areas, asking anyone, and everyone where he could possibly be. Eventually you got a tip from a homeless person that heard rumors about deviant androids in Ferndale and some other useless information, but you really couldn’t expect precise articulation from some meth-head in a seedy bar in Detroit.

           So, que you, walking through Ferndale in the dead of night looking for the android you fell so hard for two years ago that may or may not even be alive anymore. You had been doing this for the last few days. You would search a part of the town at night as to not attract unwanted attention from bystanders and the police, and in the day, sleep in your car. You searched everywhere in Ferndale besides one place, a place you were actively avoiding: it was an abandoned freighter named Jericho. The ship was in a state of disrepair, and it was pretty wise to avoid exploring an abandoned ship that’s slowly being consumed by rust, but it was the last place in Ferndale you HAVEN’T looked thus far.

           You stepped out of your car with your gun in your right hand. You pulled the slide to the pistol back and released it, chambering a round. You put the pistol in your left breast pocket in your jacket and began walking towards the ship. If anything were to get butterflies going in your stomach, walking into a place where androids may or may not be with a high possibility that a few of them would be hostile towards humans would definitely be one of those scenarios.

           After scouting a way to get on this ship, you found that the only real way was to make a one-hundred-foot fall which would kill you as soon as you hit the floor, so you started looking through the old warehouses nearby to find some way to get into the ship without killing yourself. In one of the warehouses, you found a grappling hook and about 50 feet of rope, just enough to get you onto the deck of the ship.

           Heading back to the perch above the boat, you got the grappling hook well secured and slowly started descending the rope, focusing on not dying from doing something so unbelievably stupid that even Johnny Knoxville would call you a moron. You had to use all of your grip strength and upper body strength to not plummet to your demise. Inching downwards, the deck of the boat got closer and closer, and eventually you got to the point where you could safely drop down without injuring yourself.

           Plopping onto the deck, you got your bearings straight, looking at the dimly lit, rusty artefact of the Great Lakes and America’s former manufacturing might. You started by walking astern towards the bridge. It was going to take hours to explore this entire ship to find one person, you might as well get some sort of plan for how you’re going to find him. Your plan was pretty simple and was as follows: you would start at the main deck of the ship and work your way down every deck until you were positive you had searched everywhere.

           You entered the ship near the bridge, pulled out your flashlight, and looked around. The derelict and rotting ship proved to be pretty inhospitable looking to say the least, with the walls and bulkheads covered in rust or some even completely rusted through. To your right, you saw an old, plastic hardhat, which you took and immediately put on your head; the last thing you needed was a piece of rusty ship falling on your head and caving in your skull. With your flashlight in your left hand, you began exploring the ship.

           You could hear the ship creaking as it was just sitting there, docked and rotting away. You also heard water dripping in various rooms throughout the vessel. Room after room, and after the first few decks, you were slowly soldiering on, looking for Simon. You stood at an intersection, wondering where to go now.

           “This is fucking stupid.” you thought to yourself as you looked down one of the many passageways on the ship. You were pulled from your thoughts when you heard footsteps quickly approaching behind you. You turned to see a redheaded woman quickly approaching you with a baseball bat in her hands. Before you could even react, she lifted the bat and WHACK! She hit you in the head, but luckily you were wearing the hardhat, otherwise you’d be dead from how hard she swung alone.

           Seeing double, you backed up as quickly as you could and drew the pistol tucked away in your jacket and attempted to take aim. Before she could get another swing in to finish you off or before you could pull the trigger, you heard an authoritative male voice ring out.

           “North, enough!” the voice commanded from the darkness of the passageways of the ship. The female stopped her onslaught on command, but you kept your pistol trained on your attacker even though your aim was shakier than Porky the Pig in a paint mixer.

           “Markus, he’s a human, we can’t have him around here!” the redheaded woman shouted back into the darkness. You heard slower footsteps coming from your right and you saw a tan skinned man with a buzzcut, and heterochromatic eyes approach you two.

           “So, what if he is? That doesn’t give you permission to kill someone on sight just for walking in here.” the tanned man retorted to his colleague before bringing his attention to you.

           “You have to forgive her; she’s had nothing but bad experiences with humans. I’m so sorry about all of this. But firstly, who are you?” the man questioned you as you slowly lowered your pistol but were ready to use it at a moment’s notice.

           “I’m (F/N) (L/N), and I’m looking for my friend. He’s been missing for almost three years now.” you explained to the man as you were still very groggy from getting hit in the head with a baseball bat.

           “Why did you come here specifically? What makes you think that he would be here?” the man interrogated you again, looking for reasons as to why you intruded into what seemed to be his home.

           “I came here because he’s an android. I got him as a gift from my parents and we became the best of friends. I was such a fool; I fell for him but never told him. He saved my life by deviating and killing a man who threatened to kill me.” you told the man as you gripped your head, the pain from the impact starting to set in. This time the man remained silent, so you decided to speak again.

           “I loved him, and I miss him every day. I never got to tell him that or even get a chance to say goodbye. I heard rumors about a deviant hideout somewhere in Detroit and I wanted to see if I could find him just to tell him these things, and just to see if he’s okay, that’s all I want.” you explained as you looked at the two androids as they looked at each other. The man looked at you again and spoke up.

           “What is his name?” was all he asked as he looked you dead in the eyes. You locked gazes with the android before speaking again.

           “Simon. He is a PL600.” you stated to the two androids, your hope soaring high that he could still be alive. Before either android could speak up, you heard more footsteps followed by a remarkably familiar voice.

           “What’s going on, I heard a commotion and I thought-” the voice spoke, and you saw him again, Simon, the first time in 2 years.

           “Simon is that really you?” you asked the android as he stood there shocked, looking at you as if he saw an apparition.

           “(Y/N), what are doing here?” Simon barely squeaked out, astonished that he was seeing you before him. You leapt forward enveloping the android in a loving embrace as you began to weep.

           “I-I thought you were d-dead!” you exclaimed through sobs as you clutched the android, thinking that if you let go for even a microsecond, he would disappear again. Simon clutched you as well pulling you protectively closer to himself, shushing you and trying to get you to calm down. You wept and sobbed for about 5 minutes as years of burden were lifted from you.

           “I-I missed you so much, I thought that you were gone forever, and I never got to say goodbye.” you cried into the android’s shoulder, begging God to never take Simon away from you ever again. “I gave up everything I had just so I could find you, my house, job, everything. I never got to tell you something and it’s chipped away at me for years.” you told Simon as he kept you close, fearing that HE might lose YOU.

           “What did you want to tell me?” Simon questioned as he pulled away slightly to look at your face. You leapt forwards and kissed the android on the lips, savoring what you wished you did that day after work. Simon was surprised by this and kissed you back, wishing to rA9 that you would never go. You pulled away to look at his beautiful ocean-blue eyes.

           “I love you. I always have, and always will, if you’ll have me?” you asked Simon as you played the love’s version of Russian roulette. You noticed as the LED on Simon’s temple glowed a steady golden color before turning blue once more.

           “YES!” Simon exclaimed as he pulled you into another short kiss. “I love you too and will love you until the day I permanently shut down.” Simon told you as you stayed in his loving arms.

           North had left by that point to do whatever she needed to do, but Markus stayed behind to watch this display of affection between a new couple. You turned around to see Markus with a smile on his face as he looked at the love a human and an android can have. Markus looked you in the eyes as he made a decision.

           “I’ve always thought that having a human in Jericho could help teach those among us that hate humanity, that the human race isn’t entirely evil. Wouldn’t you agree, Simon?” Markus asked your new lover which got Simon’s gaze off of you and towards his leader.

           “Yes, that could definitely work. We should strive for harmony together and this would be a great steppingstone to do so. What to you think?” Simon asked you as he looked back down at you. You thought about it and decided in favor of it. Humans should live peacefully with androids as equals and should love each other.

           “I’m up for it.” you say as you look up at your android boyfriend, mesmerized by his still perfect appearance.

           “Well, then it’s decided. Welcome to Jericho, (Y/N). Here we’ll forge a better future for androids and mankind.” Markus declared before he and Simon walked you down to the rest of the deviants on the ship.

           You found Simon after years, years of never giving up and never taking the easy way out, and you were rewarded for it. The reward you got was one in which you got to confess your love to the one who you always loved, and on top of that, you get to make a better, harmonious world at his side; a world in which humanity and androids can live in peace and love, together, forever.

[wallpapers4screen]

[lettiesteadygo]

my mostly baseless Horizon 3 theory

again, mostly baseless

So I feel like the precedent with Horizon is to try and put some turns in there to distract us and lead us off path. But they also leave hints in trailers and stuff for further games. The Odyssey’s logo was in the trailers for the game, and a l few theorists that i follow knew we’d probably be dealing with Far Zenith. But I don’t think many people, if any, called the immortality, or Beta, and certainly none of us called Nemesis cause...uhm.

But the one thread that’s been in the game lore for two games, but not brought into the plot at all, is Vast Silver. I have this weird theory that Nemesis will actually be an uneasy ally-they’re psyched we killed the Zeniths already and who knows, maybe Nemesis just wants to be deactivated. But Vast Silver was mentioned in a datapoint in HFW and it felt so ominous that I can’t help but feel like maybe we’ll accidentally stumble on Vast Silver and free it? And maybe that’s the last frontier. 

Like I said, this is baseless. When I saw Tilda in the trailer I thought she was maybe Apollo brought to android life through fossils. so take that with a grain of salt.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Headcanons: Crankegos ⚙️

Aight, we’re doing this so buckle up, because I got a lot to share!

Note: I consider Memento one, but he’ll be in another post with Mori where I’ll go more into-depth about them both.

Mad Mike

Runs both an ice cream shop and an ice cream truck (he changes outfits depending on which he’s working at).

Once owned a highly successive business.

But it was shutdown after Silver Shepherd discovered that the ice cream was being laced with drugs.

Since then Mike tries to stop doing that..but once in a while he’ll put a tiny bit of cocaine in a scoop or two (claims it’s “extra sugar”).

Loves to bake on his days off.

Contrary to his song, he’s got a soft spot for kids and never drugs their desserts.

Struggles with his own addictions from time-to-time, but he’s getting better at dealing with the withdrawals.

Very flirtatious.

Also fluent in French, so that gives him extra brownie (pun intended) points.

Somehow, someway..he’s evaded police ever since the encounter with Silver.

Not very good at talking about his or other people’s problems...so he usually just whips up some ice cream as a temporary solution!

His eyes turn to pink and blue swirls whenever his sanity dips or if he wants to hypnotize someone who insulted his business practices.

Mike’s just a bubbly guy all around.

Blank

One of Ethan’s less malicious dark egos.

Embodies his anxiety and nightmares (though mainly the former)

Blank himself has severe anxiety issues that tend to make him panic over small things.

Corroded teases him for being a crybaby sometimes, but he can’t help he’s overly-emotional. 

Gets very self-conscious of his acne/black eyes/appearance in general, afraid of scaring people away.

Has bluish-pale gray skin.

Likes wearing baggy clothing, though it’s really only to hide the wilted vines and black veins that wrap around his arms and legs.

When he has a breakdown, black oily tears stream down his face, he shakes violently, the room get abruptly cold, and he mumbles unintelligible gibberish.

It can go on from a few seconds to almost 15 minutes straight. It's extremely hard to snap him out of it.

Has haptephobia (fear of physical contact), but he’ll let people he’s close with (like the other egos) make contact with him.

Hates being thrown in with the rest of the dark egos.

Corroded

The first of Ethan’s dark egos, albeit the more forgettable one.

He’s a rusted robot, with gray/brown skin that’s metallic in some areas (especially on his face and hands).

Completely hollow inside (physically) except for metal “bones” keeping himself together.

His eyes are also empty sockets instead of being purely black.

Like Anti he’s a glitching entity who induces paranoia in people with hushed whispers and clones of himself.

Bitter to Ethan about being used for the 5-year anniversary poster advertisement, despite that not being his intention at all.

Also resents Blank for becoming the more popular dark ego.

Regularly drinks oil.

If you call him an animatronic he can and will decimate you.

His biggest pet peeves are being taken for granted and being called a “dumb robot”.

A major weakness is his legs being so rusted they lock up and he can’t move for a long while.

Heapass

A punkish prisoner who’s best friends with Yancy.

He’s been arrested for smoking illegal drugs, dealing said drugs (with Mike, who managed to escape officers while ditching him in the process), and excessive speeding/reckless driving.

But he was sent to HTP for a fatal hit-and-run (while he was smoking grass behind the wheel).

Doesn’t talk a whole lot, but he likes to stand around and smugly grin like he’s got a trick up his sleeve.

Spoiler: He doesn’t, and if you were to ask Yancy about him he’d tell you Heap is one of the sweetest people he’s had the honor of meeting.

He did break his arm during a brawl (tho he told the warden he fell in the yard).

He’s good at keeping secrets. He has no reason to gossip unless you insult his family.

Also dyed his hair black. Just because.

Jake

Was among the many bright scientists trying to find a cure for the spontaneous zombie plague.

He was also Prof. Beauregard's assistant.

Though unfortunately he didn’t last long before he ended up turning.

Surprisingly he still retains much of his scientific knowledge.

But he can’t wrap his rotting brain around complex formulas.

So he’ll sometimes try to mix chemicals and write notes--both of which turn out to be huge messes.

With the other Crankegos, Jake has his own lab.

He gets agitated easily, so he’ll go there to calm down if he needs to.

Can still speak normally, though his voice is extremely scratchy and he hates repeating himself.

So Yahoo often translates for him.

Likes being with a group of zombies...humans not so much.

Though since the Crankegos aren’t exactly human, he doesn’t mind them at all.

Bernice

She’s the gothic mother hen of the Crankegos.

Though at the same time she’s a vicious mama bear if you dare cross her and/or her family.

She’s stern with Mike and Corroded, but very soft towards Heap, Jake, and Blank.

The prisoner often looks to her as a mother, since he didn’t have the best relationship with his own growing up.

Loved red, black, and silver makeup. Especially eyeshadow and mascara. She makes sure to visit the dye shop every so often to keep her hair a bright red.

No one knows how she pays for all those times. But she does it.

Very sassy and likes to show-off a lot, though she’s not a narcissist. 

She’s very generous, too, and can’t stand the thought of being completely obsessed with only her own happiness.

Don’t ask her if she feels weird being the only female Crankego. She’ll break your kneecaps.

Cries at animal rescue/adoption commercials all the time.

Likes wearing meme shirts to be “hashtag relatable”.

She says it exactly like that and Ethan, Heap, and Mike groan every time she does.

Saint

He’s a very holy man, of course, with much dedication to the church.

While Saint doesn’t say what church (or even what his name is for that matter) he’s from, he practices good teachings.

Scolds people if they constantly curse/take the Lord’s name in vain.

He tried integrating memes into his teachings so younger generations won’t be as bored during mass.

But when Jeremiah (Priestiplier) proofreads his writings..he just shakes his head in disapproval.

So those never see the light of day.

Thinks Blank, Corroded, and Jake are horribly cursed and regularly tries spraying them with holy water.

He just gets three annoyed inhuman beings glaring at him.

Heap and Mike confess their recent sins to him sometimes. It helps them get stuff off their chest.

Though Mike always starts out by saying “I’ve been very naughty-”

And Saint has to stop himself from slapping him with the book.

Beyond that, he’s just an all-around good dude.

Yahoo

Like Bing and Google, he’s a search engine-based android designed to answer people’s questions.

Often speaks in a soft and sincere tone of voice, though he can be firm when necessary.

One of his eyes is more cybernetic than humanlike, and it’s capable of many functions including infrared and x-ray scanners, as well as being able to instantly identify any individual he sees.

That’s how he got to know all of the Crankegos so easily.

He’s on good terms with all the Googles...except for Blue, of course, since he thinks he’s just another rival.

But Yahoo still tries to be kind regardless.

Unfortunately some take advantage of that, though Bernice and Mike usually come to his defense.

He’s terrified of water and viruses..so he tends to stay away from Blank and Corroded.

When he’s recharging, both his eyes glow purple under his eyelids.

He’s got a lot of service features, including Yahoo! Finance (to help with personal finances), Answers (a q&a), and Mail.

Kinda misses the funky logo the company had from 1996-2013

[inkribbon796]

The Boy in Blue

Patton Birthday post.

Summary: Patton is used to having weird dreams. Fighting marshmallows, and traversing mountains made of fudge. But lately he’s been having some weird dreams. Ones that seem like memories that he doesn’t remember having. Memories of a childhood that never could have happened. It doesn’t help that the more stones he uncovers, the stranger things get.

It was a well-kept secret that while, Patton loved naps and comfy blankets, he hated dreaming. He, of course, kept it to himself. After all, telling other people would make them worry, and there was nothing anyone could do about his dreams.

Patton found himself in a hallway, eerie and unnatural shadows cast on the walls as he tried to find the kitchen but wound up in the living room for the third time in a row. He wanted to cry, all he wanted a midnight snack.

“Patty,” a lyrical, feminine voice called out.

“Mom?” Patton heard himself call out.

That’s not my mom! The rational, lucid-dreaming side of Patton’s mind reminded him. This isn’t my house. I like being Patton, but I wasn’t Patton when I was a kid! Where am I?

Still Patton turned around and saw Mayor Damien, looking exactly like he did when Patton had seen him four days ago, was smiling down at him in the middle of the hallway.

“Got lost looking for the bathroom again, Patty?” Damien walked over to him.

Patton felt himself start sobbing in relief and he rushed towards him. “Daddy!”

Damien frowned, but he knelt down and scooped little Patton up into his arms. He sighed, “You’ll get used to it. Kay and the others are adjusting too.”

Before Patton could be calmed by Damien’s words, or further driven into a panic that his father certainly wasn’t named Damien either, Patton was suddenly woken up from a dead sleep by a loud argument.

“Well it’s not my fault dude! How was I supposed to know he’d built a railgun?”

“Ye could’a looked, ye prick?”

Patton looked around, disoriented, his mouth dry and the Side felt like he’d been set on fire. “Who? Where?”

“Dude, you woke him up,” Bing told Marvin. The magician already storming off to fix his singed clothes, flipping the android off as he left.

Patton rolled off the couch, groggy but suddenly filled with adrenaline after his nightmare. He rushed towards Bing, grabbing the front of his shirt. “Where’s Logan and Roman?” Patton demanded desperately.

“Whoa, hey little buddy, calm down,” Bing tried to tell him. “Logan is off doing whatever the hell he does for the Host, and Roman isn’t back with Rey and Silv yet.”

Patton felt something inside him break. His whole body started shaking, he just curled into Bing, who was about as comfortable as trying to cuddle a steel wall. He felt like he was going to start crying.

“Hey, uh,” Bing tried to calm Patton down, but obviously didn’t know how to do it.

Patton was already pulling away, trying to smile and hold himself together. He had to. Patton didn’t have a choice. He’d just have to make do while they were on their missions. Patton couldn’t fuse with Virgil either, the emotional Side knew that Virgil wasn’t ready or willing to fuse with anyone of them. Especially when he tended to avoid them most of the time.

Dragging himself back over to the couch, Patton was about to sit down. He was stopped when he saw a small card on top of where his head had been laying. On one side it read:

That house takes and swallows whole,

Those that should not pay its toll.

NE 1085 Downwich Road

Patton visibly tilted his head at the note. On the other side was a quote, also printed: “You don’t speak of dreams as unreal. They exist. They leave a mark behind us.”

“Hey, Bing,” Patton called back to Bing who was eyeing him in concern. “Did you slip me this?”

Bing walked over, taking the card, “Nah, too cryptic for me.”

“Where’s it from?” Patton asked, his grogginess quickly fading away.

The android lifted his sunglasses and his eyes glowed green, scanning the card. After a second or two he answered, “It’s a quote from The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. It’s a book.”

“What’s it about?” Patton studied the card.

“A man that can change reality through dreams, altering both the past and the present,” Bing answered. “You want the spoiler review?”

“Nah, I’m good without the play-by-play,” Patton told him, a pit forming in his gut. “I have to make a call.”

“You going out?” Bing asked.

“Yeah, I need to find the address?” Patton slid the card into a well-hidden flap in his phone cover.

“You mind if I tag along?” Bing took a step to follow him.

Patton almost shot him down, the need to not worry anyone around him almost too much for him to bear. But he shrugged, “Sure, if you want.”

“Thanks, I need to get outta here, and Host is still in,” Bing excused.

“Okay, I need to go in plain blues,” Patton told him. “Just let me make a few calls.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Bing saluted, and dimmed all his LED lights that accented his body.

Patton rolled his eyes, and began dialing a number that all the Sides, Dark or Light, had memorized.

“Joan,” Patton began after the phone picked up. “This is Patton, I need you to meet me at the Patisserie on 5th St.”

~::~ ~::~ ~::~

Patton didn’t like to dwell on the negative things in life. Life was too short, and he was too busy. But he’d always felt more like an observer, a trapped prisoner. Almost like a jigsaw piece from a sunny beach kid’s puzzle, trying to be crammed into a 1000-piece cityscape.

Patton and Bing calmly headed over to the pasty bakery on 5th st. It was a place that Patton liked to frequent, and right now Patton needed something familiar . . . and maybe some blueberry scones or some raspberry cheesecake.

Outside of the patisserie were Ethan, Robbie, and one of Patton’s old friends: Joan. All of them in ordinary clothes. Even Robbie was looking normal.

“Joan,” Patton cheered, racing over to give them a hug. “It’s been too long.”

“Why’d you chose here?” Ethan asked as Bing went to go sit down next to him. “We could have done this in the base.”

“You know,” Patton smiled with a huge grin, and motioned. “This place practically has my name written on it.”

Ethan cursed and smiled, Joan broke out in a laughed. Even Robbie and Bing were laughing.

“So we’ve got a couple free evenings,” Joan smiled.

“Want to help,” Robbie told all of them, his tone its normal slow and languidness, but no less excited.

“Okay first, I need some cheesecake,” Patton promised.

Joan held up a brown paper bag with the shop’s logo stamped onto it. “Way ahead of you.”

“Oh,” Patton sat down. “Thanks, Joan.”

Joan passed the compassionate side the bag, “Hey, what are friends for? B-team or not.”

“There’s not a B-team,” Patton scoffed as he dug out a small case for a large piece of cheesecake.

“Try telling that to the news,” Ethan scoffed, digging through bag of cookies.

“There’s not a B-team, and if there was, most of us would be on it,” Patton corrected. “Anyways, so I need you guys not to laugh.”

“No promises,” Joan gave Patton a wide smile.

“I’ve been having some weird dreams,” Patton kept going, Joan’s smile falling. “Really weird dreams. The kind that seem more like memories, but I don’t remember having them and they’re impossible.”

“Okay,” Joan point a finger at Patton, looking slightly concerned. “Not what I thought you were going to say.”

Immediately distracted, Patton looked at them. “Like what?”

“That you were going to confess to us,” Joan smiled. “You know, about you and Logan, and Roman?”

Patton looked at him in confusion for a bit, then got a little red. “I— Anyways! My dreams.”

“About boys,” Joan waggled their eyebrows.

“Stop,” Patton went fully red on the face. “I’m trying to be serious.”

“Hey, someone has to be overly invested in your love life, and Roman’s not here to pick up the slack,” Joan grinned, resting their chin on the palm of their hand.

“Patton about to explode?” Robbie asked in concern.

“If he’s lucky,” Joan answered

“Stop,” Patton putted Joan little. “There are kids here.”

“What kids?” Joan moved their whole head while rolling their eyes. “Ethan’s only a couple years younger.”

“My ears,” Ethan goaded, his voice going a bit high pitched. “They burn.”

“So what’s these dream about, besides a hot guy you haven’t gossiped with me about?” Joan segwayed.

“Celine is working with Dark, but I can’t prove it,” Patton confessed.

“Who Celine?” Robbie asked. “Nice?”

“I don’t think so,” Patton decided.

“She’s the person you ran into with Jack and Silver, right?” Ethan asked. “I remember Mark saying something about Damien having a sister.”

“Yeah, and I don’t think he lied about that, but she just seems really . . . I don’t know. I’ve seen her before, I know I have,” Patton didn’t know how to say how he felt without sounding like he was completely crazy. “And then I had another weird dream and I found this.”

Patton pulled out the note. “It’s an address in town. It’s an abandoned building in the Althone section of town.”

“Can I see that?” Ethan asked. Patton passed it across the table. Using the opportunity to take a couple bites from his cheesecake.

Ethan turned it over, Joan leaning over to look at it as well.

“Hey, I know this place,” Ethan commented, turning the card over a couple times. “I used to live close to there. It’s an old orphanage.”

“Really?” Patton leaned in.

“Well it’s not anymore,” Ethan corrected. “Shut down some five years ago. Don’t know why, but no one’s bought it since and squatters come and go through the place all the time.”

“So the place isn’t under Dark’s control?” Patton questioned.

“Not to my knowledge,” Ethan answered. “Do you think you’ll find something about Celine here?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going,” Patton decided, wolfing down the rest of his cheesecake. “You guys can come with, or head back to the base.”

“With,” Robbie decided.

“Like we’d leave you hanging,” Bing said.

Joan and Ethan quickly agreed, and after a quick plan, the small group made their way to the old building. At first, if not for Bing they would have missed it.

Patton, still in his street clothes, looked from the card to the rundown building. A sign that would have probably advertised the orphanage in complete disrepair. “This place used to be an orphanage?”

“Yeah, something about poor maintenance,” Bing answered. “The kids were moved somewhere else.”

“That’s really sad,” Patton said.

“I doubt there’s anything in there for us,” Joan decided.

Patton’s brow furrowed and he walked up to the front door, seeing a giant padlock on the front and warning to stay out. “There has to be something.”

Bing tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a broken window. “Prolly should check there first.”

It took some effort and some careful climbing, but the group snuck in. They didn’t see any people hiding out in the building. In fact, they didn’t see anything other than rubble and broken glass.

“You said people lived in here?” Joan asked Ethan.

“I haven’t lived here in awhile, maybe they cleared the place out,” Ethan defended.

“Bing?” Patton looked over at the android.

Bing’s eyes flashed orange for a couple seconds, “There’s no records of governmental activity in the area.”

Patton and Ethan took the lead as they started to go through the empty rooms, any remnants of furniture or beds had long since been either taken or destroyed. But in the back was a small office. An empty office.

“Well this place was a bust,” Joan commented.

“No,” Patton groaned.

Bing however walked towards the back of the room and started tapping his foot on the floor in random places, his eyes glowing orange.

“Yah find something there?” Ethan asked.

“Maybe,” Bing knelt down, and then used his enhanced frame to punch a hole through the floor and pull out a dusty box.

The air was quiet, still, and then a piercing siren wet off.

Bing’s censor went off.

“We need to get out of here,” Ethan said.

“I’ve got five heat signatures on the way,” Bing warned, holding the box to him. “In bound in five minutes.”

“Get to a corner,” Ethan ordered, shoving Joan and Patton towards the closest corner. “Bing, behind me, now.”

Everyone followed his orders, and Ethan stood in front of them. The light in the room began to dim as color began to leech out of Ethan’s body. He didn’t quiet turn grey but it was close.

“Don’t move, don’t speak, don’t even breath if you don’t have to,” Ethan whispered, clearly exerting himself to cover than many people all at once.

After a minute, the door was kicked open as three guys in suits walked in, all of them with guns. They began to look around the room, glossing over the group as if they weren’t there. Patton could only guess they were some of Dark’s enforcers.

“Clear,” one of them called out of the room.

“There’s no way it’s clear,” Ed’s southern drawl barked at them, walking over to the hole in the floor, and starting to root through it. “Shit! How long has this thing been here?”

“Maybe they climbed through the window?” one of the enforcers gestured to it.

Ed turned on him, “Then you best figure out if they got away with anything before Dark kills us both.”

Sweat started to bead on Ethan’s face. Patton tried to hold his breath as Ed looked around.

“Evacuate the whole place,” Ed decided.

“But Dark,” one of the enforcers cut in.

“Will thank me later,” Ed snapped. “It’s compromised, an’ he said if it does to wash the whole place. Get a demo crew in. I don’t care, we’ll trash the whole place. L.O site be damned.”

Then he stomped out, the enforcers looking between each other before following after him. Ethan held on for an extra half minute to be sure they were gone. He almost crashed to the floor panting heavily.

“Thanks,” Patton whispered.

“Let’s just get out of here, we can call the cops a couple blocks away,” Ethan rasped.

“Good idea,” Joan agreed. “Who knows how many there are here?”

Quickly and quietly, the team just left, Bing helping Ethan out the window. They snuck down a couple blocks as Bing called in the police. Patton quickly taking the lockbox in Bing’s hands.

They were still trying to open it as Logan and Marvin came in to help the police search the building. After giving some testimonies, Logan took one look at Bing and box and just told them to head back to the station to investigate it.

After a quick trip, Bing and Robbie staying to help with the hideout, Patton was finally able to get the box open. All of them now in costume. Inside were a couple files. Some invoices of expenses that Patton quickly turned over to the police. But there were also a file, looking like it’d been hastily shoved inside the box.

Joan pulled them out and started reading through it.

“What it is?” Ethan asked as Patton was helping to separate out invoices with another detective. The Side looked over at what Joan was holding.

“They’re just some record files,” Joan answered. His brow furrowed in confusion.

“Who?” Patton asked.

“Patton Elijah Sanders, and an Arthur Stephen Isaacs,” Joan read off in confusion. “Wait a minute.”

“Let me see that,” Patton rushed over to him.

“That’s you right?” Ethan asked, leaning in. “Didn’t know you went to this place.”

“I didn’t, my folks are still alive,” Patton stared at what should, by all rights, be a picture of a very young Thomas. Probably around four or five at best. “My name’s not really Patton, and my middle name doesn’t even begin with an ‘E’.”

Ethan stared at him. “What?!”

Patton startled. “Long story, but my name’s Thomas.”

“Then why did you tell us your name was Patton,” Ethan asked, looked more than a little hurt.

“Because it,” Patton looked away, uncomfortable. “It’s super hard to explain. And I really shouldn’t get into it here without talking to Logan and Roman. The reason I became Patton, made it so I can fuse with Roman and Logan. We’re like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and my piece is named Patton.”

Patton just stared at his file. “I need to have a talk with Dee,” the Side decided. “He’ll probably just talk me in circles, but at least I can figure out if he knows something.”

Patton was already starting out the door to the room, and crashed into Logan.

“Any luck?” Logan demanded.

“I need to fuse, now,” Patton grabbed him by the arms, the clawing desperation from earlier in the day returning with full force and Patton didn’t think he could bear another second on his own anymore.

“A botched raid is hardly an emergency,” Logan told him.

Patton gripped onto the logical side tighter. “Fine, I’ll just ask Roman then.”

“Wait,” Logan said right before Patton could force himself to let go. “You’re— You—”

He took a deep breath and took off his visor. “Explain to me what’s going on and if you still want to fuse I will, I promise.”

Taking a deep breath, Patton nodded and walked back over to the files, Logan taking a look at them and the contents of the box, looking just as worried as Patton did.

Patton and Logan didn’t wind up fusing that day, but he did get enough cupcakes to go into a sugar coma and sleep off his troubles. Marvin and the Host helping this sleep be dreamless. Logan and Roman watching over him as best as they could.

[leap-loves]

Have an unedited drabble I got the idea for last night that hurt my heart in the best of ways XD It’s not as emotional as I was hoping, buuuut oh well. 1,100+ words of Fly Away With Me hurt/comfort, leaning towards the comfort, post Cell Games

“Thanks again for inviting me over, Bulma.” Raine said, setting her freshly emptied tea cup back down on the table gently. 

“Oh it was no problem at all! You’re always welcome to come over and visit, you’re the one person who can get Vegeta to stay out of the training room for longer than a few minutes.” Bulma teased, laughing when said Saiyan next to her just scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away in his version of a pout. 

Raine snickered softly watching, putting a hand over her heart “Aww, that’s so sweet~” She cooed playfully, devolving to giggles at Vegeta’s groaned response. 

“I hate you both.”

“You love us~” Bulma insisted, even kissing his cheek just to watch his face turn red. 

After the women calmed down some from their giggles, Bulma fidgeted with her cup for a minute before setting it down, gently patting Vegeta’s knee. He turned his attention to her for a moment before nodding and looking away again for the moment. “Hey, uh… Raine? I want to show you something I’ve been working on.” Bulma said, fighting down her nerves as she carefully got up. 

“I’d be happy to see!” the brunette chirped, getting up more excitedly and following Bulma to her private lab. Though, she found it a bit strange that Vegeta was going down with them, walking behind her, with Bulma in the lead. She shrugged it off though, more focused on the idea of being able to see something that Bulma was building. She wasn’t the most mechanically minded, so she always found her creations impressive, and was positive that this wouldn’t be the exception. 

“Here goes…” Bulma mumbled before opening the door to her lab, leading the other two in. 

It doesn’t take much effort to see what project she was talking about. Laying on her work bench was a large, familiar figure. Red mohawk, stupidly tall, small silver hoop earrings, there was no denying it. Raine stared at Android 16 in shock, covering her mouth slightly as if to muffle the sounds that weren’t coming out. She followed Bulm a few steps deeper into the lab, closer to the currently deactivated android, with Vegeta keeping close to them both. 

Bulma continued over to the computer currently hooked up to 16, then turning to face Raine with a small smile. “Krillin brought me Android 16’s chip after the fight with Cell was over, so I used it along with schematics he and the Trunks from the future had found in Gero’s lab for the Androids to work on rebuilding him. I wasn’t entirely sure if I could pull it off honestly, which is why I didn’t tell anyone but my Dad and Vegeta. Vegeta was sweet enough to help by getting me the materials I needed but didn’t have on hand.” She said teasingly, making Vegeta flush faintly and look away with his signature scoff. 

It at least succeeded in earning a small giggle from Raine, who put a hand on Vegeta’s arm and gave a little squeeze as thanks, since she doesn’t trust her voice yet, and she could tell that Bulma had more to say.

“I haven’t tried activating him just yet, so I have no clue how well this is going to work… but I had a feeling you’d want to be here when I tried. You two seemed to be getting close after all.” Bulma continued, giving her a teasing wink before turning to the computer. She took a deep breath before pressing the button to start the activation sequence. She focused on the readouts on the screen, while Raine’s gaze was focused solely on Android 16. 

There was a tense silence in the room as the seconds ticked by like minutes, waiting for a reaction. Bulma jumped in surprise when his eyes finally snapped open, Vegeta getting into a fighting stance just in case. However no one dared move as he slowly sat up, his expression unreadable as he worked his way to standing and testing his mobility. So far, so good. Bulma made note of that slowly, while Raine couldn’t take her eyes off of him. 

It almost looked as though nothing had happened. As if he’d never seen battle, he’d never tried to explode himself, none of it. No sign of the fact he’d been destroyed. No sign that Cell had ever existed. It was kind of a relief in all honesty, compared to what she’d seen on the news. 16 in teeny tiny pieces…

She shook her head to dismiss the thoughts, not needing to go down that rabbit hole of thought. That drew his attention to her, causing her to suck in a sharp breath and hold it nervously. He took a small step closer, glancing to Vegeta as he deepened his fighting stance slightly, ready to attack if 16 tried anything. Then, the newly-awoken android spoke. 

“Raine?”

One word. Just one word and Raine felt her heart soar. She let out the breath she held, though it came out more like a sob as tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t register Bulma’s little cheer off to the side from pride at succeeding. She was just focused on 16, and the fact that he remembered her. Remembered her name. That her name was the first thing he said. She wasn’t sure why, but it opened the floodgates she’d desperately shut after the Cell Games. Before she even realized she was moving, she found she’d all but launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as best as she could and crying against his chest, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. “You remember” She hiccuped out, jumping when she felt a large hand settle itself hesitantly on her back in an attempt at comfort. 

Looking up and sniffling, blinking through the tears, she focused on his face. A soft smile, just like when he’d look at birds. Soft and affectionate, but this time also apologetic. “I am sorry for causing you distress.” He said softly, his free hand reaching up to wipe away the tears. 

This earned a wet laugh from Raine, wiping roughly at her eyes. “You don’t need to apologize, that wasn’t your fault. You have nothing to apologize for, honestly.” She insisted. 

16 glanced up in time to see Vegeta and Bulma leaving the room, but his attention went back to Raine, who was slowly pulling herself back together. “I’m so glad to see you again…” She admitted softly, looking away sheepishly. 

“I do not plan to make a habit of this.” He said after a moment’s consideration, earning another laugh from the human under his hand. 

“Good… I don’t think I could handle that.” 

16 simply hummed in response, letting her go both to allow her to compose herself, and so he can put on his armor. This time it doesn’t have the Red Ribbon logo, instead it is blank. Allowing him to make his own allegiances. He is given a second chance at life, and a new sense of freedom. He has every intention of making good use of it.

[cb204]

ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛     /     inventory

journal . small, black leather, with the kcpd logo on the front emblazoned in silver, issued by the department. he keeps it in the pocket of his vest for easiest access, with the notepad itself able to be removed and replaced as needed. its use depends on the complexity of the cases they have, as well as his own needs.

glasses . self-explanatory.

ballpoint pen . steel and black ink, a personal gift. x2

gloves . black leather, he cycles through a few pairs to prevent rapid wear on any given set. there is also usually a spare in his locker.

wallet . black, kept in his back pocket. the contents vary depending on how unsavory an area of the city he is going, but typically consist of identification, two credit cards, a small amount of cash, and a few business cards for client resources (ie crisis counselors, shelters, etc).

keys .  car, apartment, office, locker, and spares both for sebastian’s office and his home - in the event of emergencies.

phone . a rather basic android. unsurprisingly few apps, with half-formed notepad thoughts still saved. with the dangers of the job to technology, a lack of personal time, and his already well-used journal, he doesn’t use it for that much outside the occasional text or note, but does not turn it off under any circumstance.

first aid kit . one in his desk, one at home, one in his car dashboard. all have some variation of the same basic medical supplies - gauze, antiseptic, bandages, butterfly stitches, painkillers, tweezers, scissors. though even he jokes that it’s overkill, they have all at some point or another become invaluable.

exclusively while working --

cuffs . self-explanatory.

badge . while kept pinned to his holster for easy identification while on the clock, he otherwise keeps it in his wallet.

taser . standard issue. generally seen but rarely used.

glock 22 . standard issue police sidearm. polished and fully loaded, though with the safety on until absolutely necessary. kept in a leather shoulder holster to prevent accidental jostling in the event of a chase.