I'll Be Your Animal - Part #3 -
Val / Emmerick
12 JUNE 2077
They walk together to Tom's Diner. Val has her hands in the pockets of her jacket. He's a foot taller than she's, but she keeps pace with her long legs. They don't talk.
There aren't many customers at this time of the day. Late night guests are already gone and there aren't many for breakfast yet. Emmerick nods towards an empty table at the window. Val slides on the bench with her back to the wall.
There aren't many customers at this time of the day. Late night guests are already gone and there aren't many for breakfast yet. Emmerick nods towards an empty table at the window. Val slides on the bench with her back to the wall.
She takes of her aviators and puts them on the table as Emmerick sits down opposite her. She unzips her jacket half and takes a look around. His gaze falls on her hands. Sure, there is chrome on her knuckles and joints, and the ballistic coprocessor in the palm of her right hand. And her long nails might be chrome, too. But besides that she has 'ganic hands with fine fingers.
„You come here often?“ She rests her hands on the table and looks at him. First time seeing him close in lighter surroundings. Outside the windows it's almost daylight.
He quickly looks away from her hands, turns his head to look at the counter instead. „Maybe once a week.“
She looks at him, examines his face. Cyberware on nose and jaw. She's seen this kind of chrome before - on Animals. 'Not the right time to ask about it...'
He quickly looks away from her hands, turns his head to look at the counter instead. „Maybe once a week.“
She looks at him, examines his face. Cyberware on nose and jaw. She's seen this kind of chrome before - on Animals. 'Not the right time to ask about it...'
Then Val follows his gaze and looks at the menu above the counter. „I've never had breakfast here... So, what do you recommend?“
„Hmm...“ He thinks about it, then Emmerick looks at her. „Pancakes, if you like it sweet.“
She answers his gaze with a slight smirk. „I like it good.“ Her smirk widens. „Doesn't matter if it's sweet or hearty or spicy.“ Val looks him in the eyes.
„Hmm...“ He thinks about it, then Emmerick looks at her. „Pancakes, if you like it sweet.“
She answers his gaze with a slight smirk. „I like it good.“ Her smirk widens. „Doesn't matter if it's sweet or hearty or spicy.“ Val looks him in the eyes.
Emmerick has no time to think about the ambiguity of that when a waitress approaches their table. „Coffee and pancakes“ Val orders with a smile.
„Same for me.“ The waitress nods and walks away. Emmerick looks at Val and she returns his gaze. She don't know what it's exactly, but she likes his optics.
„Same for me.“ The waitress nods and walks away. Emmerick looks at Val and she returns his gaze. She don't know what it's exactly, but she likes his optics.
„So... did we ever actually introduce each other... at some point?“ He asks.
She laughs. „Oh, I introduced myself - after you called me a clown.“ She smirks at him and he can't help but smile. „You did not, 'cause you 'had work to do' and didn't wanna talk.“ There's an evil grin on her face now. „But well, I scanned you.“ She shrugs.
„'Course you did.“ He slightly shakes his head in amusement.
She laughs. „Oh, I introduced myself - after you called me a clown.“ She smirks at him and he can't help but smile. „You did not, 'cause you 'had work to do' and didn't wanna talk.“ There's an evil grin on her face now. „But well, I scanned you.“ She shrugs.
„'Course you did.“ He slightly shakes his head in amusement.
The waitress brings coffee and food. „So, you can call me 'Em' - almost no one calls me by full name.“ He takes a sip of hot coffee.
„Yeah, and you can call me 'V' - absolutely no one calls me by real name.“ She winks at him and takes a sip of her own coffee.
„Yeah, and you can call me 'V' - absolutely no one calls me by real name.“ She winks at him and takes a sip of her own coffee.
They eat in silence, but it is not an awkward silence. His eyes are on her hands, on her purple lips and on what he can see of her tattoos under her half opened jacket.
And her eyes are on his gold chain and neckline, on the edge of his collarbones and on his big hands and the rings on his fingers.
And her eyes are on his gold chain and neckline, on the edge of his collarbones and on his big hands and the rings on his fingers.
When Val's finished her meal she puts the fork away, takes a sip coffee while leaning back in her seat. She crosses her legs under the table and her foot touches his leg for a brief moment. „You were right - that's good.“ She takes another sip and he his last bite. „...but I really need some sleep.“ She puts her cup on the table and takes her aviators.
She stands up and walks to the counter, hand in her pocket, searching for some eddies. Emmerick stands up too and is now behind her. „That's on my tab.“ The waitress looks at him, past Val.
„No, it's not!“ She says firmly and puts some eddies on the counter. She turns around, nods at Emmerick. „See ya.“ He doesn't answer her, just looks at her as she leaves the diner.
„No, it's not!“ She says firmly and puts some eddies on the counter. She turns around, nods at Emmerick. „See ya.“ He doesn't answer her, just looks at her as she leaves the diner.
She's tired as hell. Her head is empty. Music plays somewhere on a radio, but she doesn't even notice the song. She looks up and the small piece of sky she can see is cloudy. 'Perfect day to lie in bed and sleep during the bad weather.'
She's halfway back at The Afterlife when she hears heavy, fast steps behind her. 'Oh, please, no. Please, no hassle now.' She rolls up her sleeves out of instinct while still walking. All she wants is being in her bed. And maybe a shower first.
She's halfway back at The Afterlife when she hears heavy, fast steps behind her. 'Oh, please, no. Please, no hassle now.' She rolls up her sleeves out of instinct while still walking. All she wants is being in her bed. And maybe a shower first.
„Hey.“ A strong hand holds Val on her right arm. Instantly she turns around, the Mantis Blade on her left arm flips out and she raises it. All of this in one smooth move she stands there in front of and with the blade at the throat of... Emmerick.
„Whoa!“ He gasps in surprise and looks at the blade, holding her back with his left hand still on her right arm.
„Whoa!“ He gasps in surprise and looks at the blade, holding her back with his left hand still on her right arm.
Val sighs, takes her left arm down and lets the Mantis Blade slide back in her arm.
„No one told ya' 'bout sneaking up on mercs?“ Val sounds pissed and frowning she looks down at her arm where he still holds her with his hand. He takes his hand away quickly, and she turns around. On her way to The Afterlife again.
„I thought, it's obvious that's me.“ A few steps and he catches up with her.
„No one told ya' 'bout sneaking up on mercs?“ Val sounds pissed and frowning she looks down at her arm where he still holds her with his hand. He takes his hand away quickly, and she turns around. On her way to The Afterlife again.
„I thought, it's obvious that's me.“ A few steps and he catches up with her.
„Nothin's obvious with you.“ Val moves on in a hurry. The sky is dark as she looks up. „When I tried small talk you refused... then you didn't say a word in weeks... and today you asked me out for pancakes and run after me?“ She doesn't look at him while he follows her. She chuckles, amused but without joy.
„So what's next?“, she asks, still not looking at him. At this moment it starts raining as if it were an answer to her question. „Oh, for fuck's sake!“ Val swears loud, closes the zipper of her jacket and quickens her walk. In the underpass behind The Afterlife she stops and starts searching the pockets of her jackets for her key.
Emmerick catches up with her again. „I can drive you home.“
Val looks up to him, eyebrows raised, and stares at him in disbelief.
„Not exactly perfect bike weather,“ he continues and shrugs. He avoids her piercing gaze and looks at her Arch.
Val looks up to him, eyebrows raised, and stares at him in disbelief.
„Not exactly perfect bike weather,“ he continues and shrugs. He avoids her piercing gaze and looks at her Arch.
„I'll be fine.“ She finally finds the key. „Not even five minutes to my place, a hot shower and finally some sleep.“ She walks over to her bike.
When she mentions the shower, he can't help but picture her naked for a moment. The step from loose top with side-boobs and hot pants with under-butt to naked doesn't take him a lot of fantasy.
Emmerick shakes his head to get rid of the pictures, puts on the hood of his jacket. He follows her across the parking lot. „You sure?“
When she mentions the shower, he can't help but picture her naked for a moment. The step from loose top with side-boobs and hot pants with under-butt to naked doesn't take him a lot of fantasy.
Emmerick shakes his head to get rid of the pictures, puts on the hood of his jacket. He follows her across the parking lot. „You sure?“
Val's sigh is the only answer, and she climbs on her bike.
„You're fucking stubborn.“ He crosses his arms in front of his torso.
She starts the engine. „Yeah, thanks.“ And then she drives away without another look.
„You're fucking stubborn.“ He crosses his arms in front of his torso.
She starts the engine. „Yeah, thanks.“ And then she drives away without another look.
„He's just tryin' to be nice.“ Johnny's voice in Val's head.
„Yeah, I don't care about nice.“ She answers in her thoughts as she takes the next turn.
„So, good thing I'm here for you.“ He has no chance to show himself, while Val is on the bike. But she still can see his smirk in front of her. And she grins, too.
„Yeah, I don't care about nice.“ She answers in her thoughts as she takes the next turn.
„So, good thing I'm here for you.“ He has no chance to show himself, while Val is on the bike. But she still can see his smirk in front of her. And she grins, too.
Just a few minutes later Val pushes the button for the eights floor while water drops from her to the floor of the elevator.
08:Apartments
"So, what do you recommend?“ „Pancakes, if you like it sweet.“ „I like it good. Doesn't matter if it's sweet or hearty or spicy.“
Screenshot by Nereol
Screenshot by Nereol
I can flip like a switch and I cut like a blade
I ain't no stupid Barbie doll
I got my game on
You gon' watch me prove you wrong
Well, there you go again
telling me where I belong
You put me on the bench,
don't think that I can play strong
So quick to condescend well,
you think I'm empty, I'm not
You won't be so confident
when I'm crushing you from the top
I'm no one's
little puppet
'Cause I can be zen,
and I can be the storm, yeah
Smell like a rose,
and I pierce like a thorn, yeah
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