The club's opening party was over. There was no cleaning staff hired, nor were there any cleaning machines. The entire maintenance and cleaning were the Microbots' job, and a dumb AI made by Atlas to run the maintenance of the club.
But the Microbots couldn't co out unless the club was empty, and while all guests had left. Even T-Bug, as sore as she was between her legs. There were still two people sitting in the bar area on the lower floor.
"What's going on?" Cypher left his backroom and went downstairs.
The disco lights were still flashing, but the music volu was down. He walked behind the main bar's counter, eyeing the two won seated on the other side, two glasses of so drink sitting in front of them.
"Cyyyyph! The party was… crazy. Loved it!" Judy slurred, raising her glass, grinning ear to ear, clearly drunk.
And then there was the other woman, with blue hair, a fur-collared cloak over her glittery silver dress that showed too much of her chest, and barely covered her legs. Evelyn Parker only gave him a simple nod while raising her glass.
Oh? Where's the usual bitchy hostility?
He poured himself a glass of whiskey as well, the older one, and focused on Judy, the only one that mattered to him there. "So, what d'you say? You cool if I snag Lizzie's hottest BD editor for myself? I swear it'd be a sweet office with a view."
Judy chuckled at his flirty offer. "Whoa, that sounds… too good! But I can't, Cyph. I didn't sign up at Lizzie's just to edit BDs. Hey though, I can part-ti here, right?"
Cypher sighed, acting defeated and sad. "Well, guess I'm stuck with the consolation prize. You're cool to hang here whenever, Jude. Hell, I'm up on the top floor, you're always welco."
"Preem! Now, excuse for a sec." Judy put the glass down. "Since there's no one around to bug, I'm gonna go check out those classic BDs. No clue where you scored them, but they're good... Like the stuff chooms go totally gonk for."
"She's thanking you, Atlas."
[It was hardly a challenge. They were simply sitting unclaid on the Old Net.]
"Learn to take a complint, buddy."
Cypher focused back on the excited techie. "Sure, it's all yours. Tell you what, you can copy one. Just one, alright?"
"I can do that?!" Judy wasted not a second. "You coming, Ev?"
"No, I need to relax."
Cypher noticed, though. The way Evelyn side-eyed him while sipping her drink. She had sothing to say, he knew that much. Atlas had told him she was searching for him while he was busy 'admiring' his netrunner.
"Suit yourself." Judy shrugged and skipped away to the BD counter upstairs.
Cypher didn't speak, watching Evelyn's face. It felt pretty organic, pale skin, a hint of acne. Her green eyes looked natural, too, but he knew they were Kiroshi. Her lips were nice, clad in dark red lipstick. Down the wide neck of her silver dress, there was much to miss, as she wasn't as 'blessed', but there sure was allure. Her finger tips were covered with artificial, pointy nail-caps, likely for self-defense.
Ugh, that damn hairstyle.
What he didn't like much was her weird hairstyle. The blue color was gorgeous, no doubt. But that funny front looked like she wanted bangs and decided to use scissors at ho, and it turned out fucked up.
"So, what's the deal with you and Judy?"
Finally, Cypher heard her speak and put down his glass. "Nothing. Just friends."
"Really? You two sleep naked. Saw her pressed up on your chest, your dick between her legs. Looked a lot more than friends to ."
Cypher shrugged, not minding her interrogative eyes. But the way she spoke, it sounded like a surrender, a defeat. That haughty, bitchy, questioning Evelyn had vanished. "I know. It's kinda weird. We just cuddle, that's it. She's not even into dudes anyway."
"She seems real into you. Enough to go that far. The Judy I rember wouldn't let a guy feel her up like that."
"Yeah, I'm confused too. I dunno why she lets , or just does it herself. But she says she likes it; it helps her sleep, so I'm not gonna fight it. She's warm, soft, and my best friend. I got no regrets," Cypher said, pouring Evelyn a drink, making one for himself too. "Why? You into her?"
"Maybe." She glanced down, slowly running her finger around the edge of her glass. "First, I figured you were so gonk she found on the streets and took in. She's too compassionate sotis."
"Ain't really any different. I was strung out on glitter and BDs, and she used to hook up with the BDs. Then things got real bad, I almost OD'd, thought I was done. When I tried to clean up, she was right there, like a damn guardian angel or sothing." He let out a quiet laugh, staring off past Evelyn with a warm look. "And she helped sell those old BDs from my collection, get so eddies in my pocket. Then she saved my life when I was dying, bleeding on my fucking porch, and she never asked for anything in return. Yeah, she's way too kind for this city, but I'm real glad I t her."
"You like her?" Evelyn asked, looking at him with puppy eyes.
Huh? She's heartbroken or sothing?
"Like? Hey, I love Judy about as much as a straight dude can love a lesbian, which ain't really different from normal, but you catch my drift. I'd never hurt her or step over that line we built with our weird intimacies. Shoot, I'd fuck up anybody who sses with her, no questions asked. She's as important to as air, because she's the first ever decent human I t in this rotten city. And if you ain't gonna cherish soone like that, man, just kill yourself."
"..."
"Atlas, am I drunk? Why am I rambling?"
[You are profusely drunk, Cyph.]
"Hmm… Zap if I go too far."
[Define too far.]
"If I start talking about you, our business, or my itches. Ain't gonna happen, but you never know."
[Understood. I shall nullify your conscience in such a circumstance.]
"You an knock out, right? What the fuck does nullify an?!"
"I'm jealous," Evelyn muttered.
Cypher focused back on the woman. He saw the look of longing in her eyes, sothing born out of desperation and hope. He'd seen that a few tis, in Gloria most recently after her fuck-up.
Evelyn raised her glass and downed the entire drink. She crossed her arms, leaned forward on the bar counter, and looked up at his face. "Judy's lucky she has you watching her back. Wasn't easy finding all that out. Nomad, racer, gun for hire, zeroed dozens solo, filthy rich corpo. Comforting knowing she has you as her friend."
Cypher rely nodded, trying to read her. As soone who knew about her future fate that may not co to pass this ti, he sympathized with her. However, those fuck-ups were of her own making. Yet, he also knew why she was doing it.
Like most other people in Night City, she wanted freedom and a better life away.
[I sense a spike in heart rate, Cypher.]
"It's nothing, Atlas. I'm just thinking. I know how it goes for her. She's gonna screw up hard, get her doll chip fried. Then her boss is gonna… violate her. After that, they'll sell her off to Scavs who'll… make XBDs with her, you know how that gets. By the end, she'll be broken, and she'll end it herself."
[What will be her motivations?]
"Freedom. One big job to cover her way out and a better tomorrow. Atlas, am I the asshole if I just sit on it after knowing all that?"
[What has not yet happened is not your burden to carry. I see no evidence that Evelyn Parker stands among the good in this city. In contrast, Judy and Panam act with rare selflessness. Evelyn does not. She is driven by selfish intent and clouded judgnt. She carries herself as though she alone holds wisdom, reducing people to tools to be spent.
[I believe she requires consequence, reflection, and growth to evolve into sothing better. If you intervene now, you will only reinforce her narcissism.]
"You saying she'll get worse if I help her?"
[You and she share nothing beyond Judy as a mutual contact. Right now, you stand as a renowned corpo executive in this city, and ruthlessness is your expected nature. Offering her aid would contradict the very nature of this city and your occupation, and her expectation. She understands you will refuse, but she still dips her toes in, asuring the waters.]
"So she's just poking around, seeing if she can use , huh. Yeah, figured that. Still kinda sses with knowing the future."
[Which may never co to pass.]
"Yeah, you're right."
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Check out Cypher X Panam, Cypher X Gloria, Cypher X Judy NSFW ART, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 8 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 26-30 Webnovel chapters.
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