01-11-2023, 11:30 PM
[[Dammit. Posted it in the wrong thread.]]
This wasn’t the entrance he was expecting. Certainly wasn’t the restaurant that was promised. The walk stirred up Jay’s stomach all the more, and that cheeseburger was going to be necessary soon. It wasn’t like the dance clubs that he imagined pocketed around Moscow’s rich and famous neighborhoods. Not that he went to places like that. There was only one dance club anywhere in driving distance growing up, and that was all the way in Des Moines. And that wasn’t much to brag about. Jay preferred the comfort of a familiar bar. Karaoke in the patio. Building pyramids of empty shot glasses on the table. The twang of live bands and flirting with waitresses. He could fall right into a place like that without a blink.
As he followed Seven, he checked out the guy at the door that let them in. Still no surname, but Seven was apparently known enough to be let in. The change of money wasn’t lost on Jai either, and he had the feeling it was for more than a cover charge.
“You bribed him to get me in?” he asked after a few steps. Seven neither confirmed nor denied the statement. Jay might have shrugged it off, but he was too interested in their surroundings to decide whether he was excited or wary of what they were about to walk into. He was curious how much the payoff required, though.
The hall wasn’t exactly well lit. There were a few fluorescent lights along the way casting that eerie white-green glow. Nothing on par with the creepiness levels of the tunnels. Given the freshness of the underground memories, Jay had nothing to be nervous about. Except that this hallway would make for a fine funnel in close-quarters combat. Not that would be a problem for him these days. They walked for a while, taking turns and descending steel and rivet-bound stairs like they were delving through connections between the buildings. There was a sense of going down. Another familiarity that couldn’t hold a candle to the Undercity carnage of the last week of his life.
He couldn’t help the thoughts that followed next.
They’d been thrilled to be alive. Exhausted and thrilled. The power was a rush better than any drug (not that Jay had any experience to compare - nope. None). The high of it flooded his body until it felt like they were floating. Floating on a cloud of death. On a river of blood and guts. Yeah. And fucking alive. They’d done it. Done exactly what they set out to do. The moment was a rush as strong as any pull of the Power. Even then, his heart beat a little faster in his chest. He felt himself glaze with the memory. That connection of shared terror turned to triumph. The heat of it so strong it pulled them together like a force neither could ignore. Nox hadn’t resisted. He pulled at the buckles of armored clothing. Shoved the weight of packs from his shoulders. One cryptic comment had been the only hesitation. One that made perfect sense now he knew the context. A boyfriend. It wasn’t like Jay wanted a relationship with Nox. He didn’t even think of the other guy like that. It definitely wasn’t love. Not the kind that fluttered his head empty and made him do stupid shit he would probably regret later. Jay barely knew what a relationship was. The last one that came close led him to realize his life was over before it started, and he ended up working for Jacques Danjou to escape monogamy. And avoid blowing his brains out. The girl had been fine. It wouldn’t have been the worst life. But it was fucking nonsense to compare the two-whatever-they-were. One fucking handjob, and Nox cuts him out of his life? Like the whole time since they had met had been fucking meaningless. After kicking out Anne-Marie from that casino hotel room, it had been a message from Nox that made him laugh through the slick of shit that was that day, and he outright did the dirty tango with her. Then later, after Cayli died and escaping Placaso’s chair, it was a steamy photo that made him grin. He didn’t know Nox had it in him. A proud moment for the guy to really start to live comfortably in his own skin.
But it was all bullshit.
It was about then that they entered the bar.
The stark contrast to the earlier hallway dislodged some anger. Not all of it, but it was something of a distraction. Leather and velvet made for posh decorations. In the middle, a lavish bar with every kind of bottle illuminated on the wall behind. Now that’s a bar, he nodded in approval, already eyeballing a tequila he was going to try first.
Well-dressed people likely a thousand times richer than Jay spoke in groups. No overt threats lingered among them. Bottle service occupied most of the tables. Beyond, a staircase plunged to yet a deeper level.
He slapped Seven on the shoulder.
“Good choice,” he said and straight as an arrow, he was at the bar ordering the kind of tequila that was going to make the night and usually out of his reach. Technically, he ordered two, and pushed one in front of Seven as a means of thanks.
The amber liquid was smooth and buttery and helped swallow some more of the previous anger. The familiar bite in the back of the throat made a pleasant burn that warmed him from within. It wasn’t hard to start to relax, but the holoscreens were awake with information. After a moment’s puzzling, Jay quickly figured what kind of entertainment was coming.
This wasn’t the entrance he was expecting. Certainly wasn’t the restaurant that was promised. The walk stirred up Jay’s stomach all the more, and that cheeseburger was going to be necessary soon. It wasn’t like the dance clubs that he imagined pocketed around Moscow’s rich and famous neighborhoods. Not that he went to places like that. There was only one dance club anywhere in driving distance growing up, and that was all the way in Des Moines. And that wasn’t much to brag about. Jay preferred the comfort of a familiar bar. Karaoke in the patio. Building pyramids of empty shot glasses on the table. The twang of live bands and flirting with waitresses. He could fall right into a place like that without a blink.
As he followed Seven, he checked out the guy at the door that let them in. Still no surname, but Seven was apparently known enough to be let in. The change of money wasn’t lost on Jai either, and he had the feeling it was for more than a cover charge.
“You bribed him to get me in?” he asked after a few steps. Seven neither confirmed nor denied the statement. Jay might have shrugged it off, but he was too interested in their surroundings to decide whether he was excited or wary of what they were about to walk into. He was curious how much the payoff required, though.
The hall wasn’t exactly well lit. There were a few fluorescent lights along the way casting that eerie white-green glow. Nothing on par with the creepiness levels of the tunnels. Given the freshness of the underground memories, Jay had nothing to be nervous about. Except that this hallway would make for a fine funnel in close-quarters combat. Not that would be a problem for him these days. They walked for a while, taking turns and descending steel and rivet-bound stairs like they were delving through connections between the buildings. There was a sense of going down. Another familiarity that couldn’t hold a candle to the Undercity carnage of the last week of his life.
He couldn’t help the thoughts that followed next.
They’d been thrilled to be alive. Exhausted and thrilled. The power was a rush better than any drug (not that Jay had any experience to compare - nope. None). The high of it flooded his body until it felt like they were floating. Floating on a cloud of death. On a river of blood and guts. Yeah. And fucking alive. They’d done it. Done exactly what they set out to do. The moment was a rush as strong as any pull of the Power. Even then, his heart beat a little faster in his chest. He felt himself glaze with the memory. That connection of shared terror turned to triumph. The heat of it so strong it pulled them together like a force neither could ignore. Nox hadn’t resisted. He pulled at the buckles of armored clothing. Shoved the weight of packs from his shoulders. One cryptic comment had been the only hesitation. One that made perfect sense now he knew the context. A boyfriend. It wasn’t like Jay wanted a relationship with Nox. He didn’t even think of the other guy like that. It definitely wasn’t love. Not the kind that fluttered his head empty and made him do stupid shit he would probably regret later. Jay barely knew what a relationship was. The last one that came close led him to realize his life was over before it started, and he ended up working for Jacques Danjou to escape monogamy. And avoid blowing his brains out. The girl had been fine. It wouldn’t have been the worst life. But it was fucking nonsense to compare the two-whatever-they-were. One fucking handjob, and Nox cuts him out of his life? Like the whole time since they had met had been fucking meaningless. After kicking out Anne-Marie from that casino hotel room, it had been a message from Nox that made him laugh through the slick of shit that was that day, and he outright did the dirty tango with her. Then later, after Cayli died and escaping Placaso’s chair, it was a steamy photo that made him grin. He didn’t know Nox had it in him. A proud moment for the guy to really start to live comfortably in his own skin.
But it was all bullshit.
It was about then that they entered the bar.
The stark contrast to the earlier hallway dislodged some anger. Not all of it, but it was something of a distraction. Leather and velvet made for posh decorations. In the middle, a lavish bar with every kind of bottle illuminated on the wall behind. Now that’s a bar, he nodded in approval, already eyeballing a tequila he was going to try first.
Well-dressed people likely a thousand times richer than Jay spoke in groups. No overt threats lingered among them. Bottle service occupied most of the tables. Beyond, a staircase plunged to yet a deeper level.
He slapped Seven on the shoulder.
“Good choice,” he said and straight as an arrow, he was at the bar ordering the kind of tequila that was going to make the night and usually out of his reach. Technically, he ordered two, and pushed one in front of Seven as a means of thanks.
The amber liquid was smooth and buttery and helped swallow some more of the previous anger. The familiar bite in the back of the throat made a pleasant burn that warmed him from within. It wasn’t hard to start to relax, but the holoscreens were awake with information. After a moment’s puzzling, Jay quickly figured what kind of entertainment was coming.
Only darkness shows you the light.