I'll Be Your Animal - Part #1 -

Val / Emmerick

Words: 895

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26 MAY 2077

It's been a while since Val was at The Afterlife the last time, the only time. That was before the... before everything went wrong. She walks down the stairs, puts her aviators in her pocket. Entering the first door, her eyes are on the bouncer. Emmerick. She doesn't know his name, because he told her. No, she just scanned him last time, first time she was here. And he's called her and Jackie 'Clowns'...

Hands sliding down from the zipper of her jacket, which she just opened. She hooks her thumbs in her hot pants pockets and stops in front of him. He stands there, like the typical bouncer. Upright, arms in front of his torso, legs slightly apart.
„Hey, how's things?“ Val smirks, head slightly tilted.

Emmerick has scanned her the moment she came through the door. V, only survivor of Dex's gig. But not quite well, not in one piece, if what he had heard is the truth. Wasn't at The Afterlife since then, but works for other fixers - quite successfully. She's on his 'positive' list, so he nods, holds a straight face and with one step aside he says, „You go in.“

Val stills and slightly shakes her head. „Well... good talk, thanks for nothin'.“ She turns her head to look at him.
Still a straight face, Emmerick says, „I've got work to do.“
„Yeah, me too.“ Val shrugs, then looks around. Now he turns his head to look at her. First time really look at her and in her eyes. Green. Bit too green, but still 'ganic looking. But he knows they're not. Not on a merc like her.

„But it's not like there's a queue, so I thought...“ She eyes him, „...you might be bored.“
His eyebrows furrow, just slightly, almost not notable for Val. She just shakes her head, waves dismissively with one hand. „Whatever, suit yourself!“ And without waiting for an answer she passes the next door, enters the Afterlife.
He blinks. 'What was that just about? ' Then back to normal, back to zero facial expressions.

Screenshot by Nereol

"Whatever, suit yourself!"

---

Val makes her way straight to the bar.
„Hey, V!“ Claire greets her cheerfully. She is one of the persons who called Val without her giving them her number. But that's what it's like as a merc. Last week they drove the first of four street races. And won. Val orders a beer and they're talking about the race.

„You here for work or just 'cause of me?“ Claire smirks at her.
Val takes a sip and grins back. „'Cause of biz, but I've got some time.“
Claire serves a few other customers, comes back to Val.
„So... your bouncer...“ Val's voice is calm and thoughtful.
Claire looks at her with raised eyebrows. „Em?“
„Yeah... he's...“ Val thinks about what to say. „He hates all people or just me in particular?“
Claire chuckles. „Why do you think he hates you?“ Val shrugs. Claire stops laughing, frowns and looks sharply at Val. „You like him?“

„What?“ Val shakes her head defensively. „No... I mean, yes. Sure he's hot, but...“
„Uh-huh...“ Claire smirks, cleaning a glass.
Val sighs. „That's not the point. I just tried bein' friendly, greeted - and he was just like 'you go in'.“ Val lowers her voice and sits up straight to imitate Emmerick.
Claire chuckles and shrugs. „That's not about you, he doesn't like small talk.“
Val sighs again and takes a sip of her beer. She leans against the bar and crosses her legs.

„Sooo,“ Claire just came back after serving some other people and smirks at Val, who raises her eyebrows. „But you think he's hot?“
Val shrugs, takes a sip. „Yeah, but that doesn't make 'im special.“ She takes a look around. „I consider a lot of people attractive and havin' no trouble saying it.“ She turns back on her stool. „Could point out like ten people, tell ya they’re hot.“ She points at Claire with her beer bottle. „You're one of 'em.“
„Oh stop it!“ Claire laughs and blushes just a little.
Val empties her bottle, puts it back on the bar. „Enough chatter. I've some work to do.“ She nods at Claire with a smile.
„I'll call you.“
„Mh-hm.

---

When Val leaves The Afterlife later this night, she pays no attention to the bouncer. And that's the same all the next times she's at The Afterlife. She greets him with a nod, sometimes even a smile when she enters. But a simple „Hey“ from time to time is all Emmerick gets from her.

He doesn't scan her anymore. She comes regularly, like most of the mercs. And she's quite noticeable enough to remember her. Her purple hair is in thick cornrows all the time. When she enters the first door and comes down the last few steps, she takes off her aviators. And she always opens her jacket in between the two doors, so he can catch a glimpse on her ink and what she's wearing under her thick bomber jackets - mostly crop tops.

When she leaves, he finds himself looking down at her bottom. She's wearing hot pants most of the time, often under-butt. And if she wears long pants, then extra slim fit ones. And she sways her hips in a way it's impossible to look away.

But like her, Emmerick say's nothing at all. Not when she arrives and not when she leaves.

Screenshot by Nereol

"You think he’s hot?"
"Yeah, but I consider a lot of people attractive. Could point out like ten people, tell ya they’re hot. You’re one of ‘em."

Screenshot by Nereol

Screenshot by Nereol

Oh, dear diary,
I met a boy

Got a figure like a pin-up,
got a figure like a doll

Don't care if you think I'm dumb,
I don't care at all

Candy bear, sweetie pie,
wanna be adored

I'm the girl you'd die for