I'll Be Your Animal - Part #4 -
Val / Emmerick
20 JUNE 2077
It has been one week, maybe two, since her breakfast with Emmerick. Now Val enters The Afterlife like usual - she opens her jacket, takes off her aviators and puts it into the front of her top. The loose neckline's pulled down a little and shows more of her chest-piece.
Emmerick smirks slightly as he sees her and today he is the first who says something. "Hey", he says, unusually friendly, as if him greeting a customer isn't unusual enough. But Val pays no attention, just answers mechanically, “Hey.” She doesn't look at him and has almost passed him when Emmerick asks frowning, “You okay?”
Val stops, now standing beside him, and turns around a little to look up to him. “Why?” she asks defiantly.
Now as he sees her up close, she seems tired and exhausted. He looks at her with a frown. “You look tired.”
“Yeah, thanks.” She turns away and shows him a finger over her shoulder while she passes the door.
“Hey, V!” Claire greets her as Val walks over to the bar. “Haven't seen you in a while.” But now Claire can see her up close and the dim neon lights making the dark shadows under her eyes even bigger.
“How are you?” Claire sounds worried while looking at Val.
“Do I look that awful or why does everyone ask me that?” Val sits down on a bar stool and frowns. “You...” Claire hesitates. “...you look like you haven't slept in days.”
“Mhm...” Val shrugs. “Maybe. What day is it?” She smirks, like she always does - but without the spark in her eyes.
“Seriously, you should take care of yourself. You need a clear mind in your biz.”
Val groans and rolls her eyes. Claire adds quickly: “And I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do.” She takes Val's hand in hers for a moment. “I care about you.” Val sighs, but her face becomes softer, less aggressive. But this way she looks more tired, too. “I know... just... gimme somethin' with caffeine. Lil' more work and I can get some sleep.”
Claire still looks worried and Val adds, “Just talking, no gig.”
“Okay...” Claire hands her a cola.
Two or three hours later, Val leaves The Afterlife. She doesn't pay attention to Emmerick, but he eyes her carefully. She walks slower than usual and she doesn't swing her hips like all the other times his gaze was drawn to her bottom. At the first staircase Val winces. “Oh, shit...”, she gasps. Then she stumbles and falls at her naked knees, trying to hold herself with one hand at the wall.
A few other customers are looking, but Emmerick is faster. “V!” With a few long, quick strides he's at her side. With his arms around her shoulders, he holds her and helping her to stand up. She leans forward, eyes closed, heavy breathing, looks like she's in pain. He can feel her shiver. Emmerick doesn't know what to say. “You okay?”, he asks carefully. 'What a gonk question.'
“No!” Val's voice is quiet but defiant, almost aggressive. She opens her eyes and looks up at him. So much pain in her eyes. Then she's gasping for air, turns away from him and coughs in her sleeve. Breathing heavily, she lowers her head and he can see blood at the sleeve of her jacket. “You should see a ripperdoc.” He sounds worried.
“My ripper knows about it.” Val tries to get rid of him, but is too weak to shake him off. “Just let go... just some air and I'll be fi...”
And then Emmerick feels how she gets limp between his hands. “Oh no, you won't,” he says firmly. Then with a calm voice, almost caring, “...come here,” and he picks her up with no effort. One hand at her butt, one at her back, he holds her close to his torso. In every other kind of situation, Val would've enjoyed this. His big hands, his strong arms, his hard chest. But now there's no time to enjoy anything. She needs all her concentration to just breathe. Breathe and try to ignore the pain in head and chest.
A new wave of piercing pain in her head. “Fuuuck,” she swears with a faint voice. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leans her forehead against his shoulder while he carries her upstairs.
He can feel her shivering and cold sweat at the skin of her naked legs. Upstairs, Emmerick sends a few people away so that he can set Val down on the unused steps going up.
“You should've not...” Val's voice trembles. She sits on the stairs with head down and forearms leaning on her legs.
“It's part of my job...” He leans against the wall and looks down at Val.
'His job... as bouncer... of course... what was she thinking...' Val closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. And then she can't breathe anymore. She coughs and Emmerick sits down next to her, lets one of his big hands rest on her back. She doesn't try to get rid of him. Then she spits out some blood at the floor between her shoes. She closes her eyes and concentrates on her breath again. “You need somethin'?” He eyes her worriedly.
She shakes her head. “Just a few minutes and I'll be fine.” Her voice is weak, but no longer trembles. She raises her head, but she's not looking at Emmerick, just straight ahead. “If it were serious, I would've passed out by now.” He can see a small grin at her face. “So this happens more often?” Now he sounds really worried. But Val just shrugs. “Really need nothing?” He stands up and looks down at her.
She shakes her head, still heavily breathing, and doesn't look at him. Then she sees that some data being sent to her. Contact data.
“Just gimme a call if so.” And then Emmerick walks down the stairs again. Johnny appears glitching where Emmerick just stood. “Might have gotten his number easier...”
“Oh, just shut up!” Val's shouting at him through her thoughts. Then she stands up. Her legs, already weak from being up for way too many hours, are trembling. She walks a few steps and leans against a railing to breathe in the fresh air deeply. Well, as fresh as air in backyards of Night City can be.
Ten minutes later...
Emmerick smirks slightly as he sees her and today he is the first who says something. "Hey", he says, unusually friendly, as if him greeting a customer isn't unusual enough. But Val pays no attention, just answers mechanically, “Hey.” She doesn't look at him and has almost passed him when Emmerick asks frowning, “You okay?”
Val stops, now standing beside him, and turns around a little to look up to him. “Why?” she asks defiantly.
Screenshot by Nereol
“You okay?” - “Why?”
“Yeah, thanks.” She turns away and shows him a finger over her shoulder while she passes the door.
“Hey, V!” Claire greets her as Val walks over to the bar. “Haven't seen you in a while.” But now Claire can see her up close and the dim neon lights making the dark shadows under her eyes even bigger.
“How are you?” Claire sounds worried while looking at Val.
“Do I look that awful or why does everyone ask me that?” Val sits down on a bar stool and frowns. “You...” Claire hesitates. “...you look like you haven't slept in days.”
“Mhm...” Val shrugs. “Maybe. What day is it?” She smirks, like she always does - but without the spark in her eyes.
“Seriously, you should take care of yourself. You need a clear mind in your biz.”
Val groans and rolls her eyes. Claire adds quickly: “And I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do.” She takes Val's hand in hers for a moment. “I care about you.” Val sighs, but her face becomes softer, less aggressive. But this way she looks more tired, too. “I know... just... gimme somethin' with caffeine. Lil' more work and I can get some sleep.”
Claire still looks worried and Val adds, “Just talking, no gig.”
“Okay...” Claire hands her a cola.
Two or three hours later, Val leaves The Afterlife. She doesn't pay attention to Emmerick, but he eyes her carefully. She walks slower than usual and she doesn't swing her hips like all the other times his gaze was drawn to her bottom. At the first staircase Val winces. “Oh, shit...”, she gasps. Then she stumbles and falls at her naked knees, trying to hold herself with one hand at the wall.
A few other customers are looking, but Emmerick is faster. “V!” With a few long, quick strides he's at her side. With his arms around her shoulders, he holds her and helping her to stand up. She leans forward, eyes closed, heavy breathing, looks like she's in pain. He can feel her shiver. Emmerick doesn't know what to say. “You okay?”, he asks carefully. 'What a gonk question.'
“No!” Val's voice is quiet but defiant, almost aggressive. She opens her eyes and looks up at him. So much pain in her eyes. Then she's gasping for air, turns away from him and coughs in her sleeve. Breathing heavily, she lowers her head and he can see blood at the sleeve of her jacket. “You should see a ripperdoc.” He sounds worried.
“My ripper knows about it.” Val tries to get rid of him, but is too weak to shake him off. “Just let go... just some air and I'll be fi...”
And then Emmerick feels how she gets limp between his hands. “Oh no, you won't,” he says firmly. Then with a calm voice, almost caring, “...come here,” and he picks her up with no effort. One hand at her butt, one at her back, he holds her close to his torso. In every other kind of situation, Val would've enjoyed this. His big hands, his strong arms, his hard chest. But now there's no time to enjoy anything. She needs all her concentration to just breathe. Breathe and try to ignore the pain in head and chest.
A new wave of piercing pain in her head. “Fuuuck,” she swears with a faint voice. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leans her forehead against his shoulder while he carries her upstairs.
He can feel her shivering and cold sweat at the skin of her naked legs. Upstairs, Emmerick sends a few people away so that he can set Val down on the unused steps going up.
“You should've not...” Val's voice trembles. She sits on the stairs with head down and forearms leaning on her legs.
“It's part of my job...” He leans against the wall and looks down at Val.
'His job... as bouncer... of course... what was she thinking...' Val closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. And then she can't breathe anymore. She coughs and Emmerick sits down next to her, lets one of his big hands rest on her back. She doesn't try to get rid of him. Then she spits out some blood at the floor between her shoes. She closes her eyes and concentrates on her breath again. “You need somethin'?” He eyes her worriedly.
She shakes her head. “Just a few minutes and I'll be fine.” Her voice is weak, but no longer trembles. She raises her head, but she's not looking at Emmerick, just straight ahead. “If it were serious, I would've passed out by now.” He can see a small grin at her face. “So this happens more often?” Now he sounds really worried. But Val just shrugs. “Really need nothing?” He stands up and looks down at her.
She shakes her head, still heavily breathing, and doesn't look at him. Then she sees that some data being sent to her. Contact data.
“Just gimme a call if so.” And then Emmerick walks down the stairs again. Johnny appears glitching where Emmerick just stood. “Might have gotten his number easier...”
“Oh, just shut up!” Val's shouting at him through her thoughts. Then she stands up. Her legs, already weak from being up for way too many hours, are trembling. She walks a few steps and leans against a railing to breathe in the fresh air deeply. Well, as fresh as air in backyards of Night City can be.
Ten minutes later...
I'm on my way - so not your problem anymore. V.
“How are you?”
“Do I look that awful or why does everyone ask me that?”
“You look like you haven't slept in days.”
“Maybe. What day is it?”
Screenshot by Nereol
Screenshot by Nereol
I can't breathe
So pull me up from down below
'Cause I'm underneath the undertow
Come dry me off and hold me close
I need you now, I need you most
I'll never bow,
I'll never break
'Cause I'm a warrior, I fight for my life
Like a soldier all through the night
And I won't give up, I will survive,
I'm a warrior
And I'm stronger, that's why I'm alive
I will conquer, time after time
I'll never falter, I will survive,
I'm a warrior
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