🌙 A villain's romance 💋
~ 🔞 ~
𝔏𝔬𝔲𝔵 𝔏𝔲𝔫𝔞
aka: Sygil Loux
─ ♠ ⚜ ♠ ─
♥ Stuff here will be 𝔏universe specific ♥ (working on moving unrelated stuff to other channels)
─ 👑 ─
Oh no he's stubborn about something stupid?
Good thing Gorm dealt in some strong uhhhhh herbs and spices...
Mood music ⏬ Transviolet - Fever
Intro - In The End | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend | Ch. 28 - Fever | Ch. 29 - Garden
It was half a cycle later when the office-gym door opened again and I looked over from where I now laid; across his bed. We made eye contact as he paused in the hallway, but he continued out toward the front door which had also opened. I got up quickly to watch for an opportunity to be useful. I had to be good.
I was barely in the hall when I realized that a humanoid bot had entered with a supply pack and was headed toward the kitchen– probably to do the things I thought I’d be good for. I backed back into the room and hid behind the wall. He didn't need me. He never needed-
“Lu’en,” he interrupted my spiral and I stepped out without thought.
“Yes?” I asked upon joining them in the kitchen where the air felt tense, and I tried to ignore the bot who had gone on to restock the fridge.
He set a note on the counter facing me, it had Clove’s name and what I assumed to be communication info, “what’d you tell them?”
“Nothin’ specific. Jus’ that we were together an’ vague answers to questions.” my gaze drifted over the new bot till Vee started reaching toward the trash chute with a bottle of capsules, “What’s that?”
He paused, “uh, garbage?”
“From the med-pack?” I clarified, having recognized the rattle from the package.
“Yeah. Garbage.” he repeated, going back for the chute.
“Wait!” I exclaimed as I rushed around the counter to slip between him and the chute, reaching for his outstretched hand and the bottle it held, “you can't just throw medicine away! What if something happens?”
“Then something happens.”
My hands wrapped around his, trapping the bottle within while I guided his hand toward me, “what are they?”
“Supposedly pain killers, but who fucking knows what shit they put in there.”
I was perplexed, “what are you talking about, you’re going to need those,” I argued, trying to coax the bottle free and into my own hands, “at least let me keep them for emergency.”
He huffed and let me take them, “knock yourself out.”
I could see him slowing down as the last dose he'd been given was reaching the end of its life, “what are you going to do when the last ones wear off?” I could feel him getting impatient with my incessant pushing too.
“Guess I'll be in fucking pain now won't I,” he grumbled.
No matter what I said, he would not budge on his decision, and I could see him stiffening as we talked in circles around the issue. Finally, I suggested a Gorm alternative, “Would you use something the Guarm pushed?”
He looked confused but, more importantly, a bit more open to it, “From the stash?”
“Yes. Urgu had stock. Holicap root and zeryn leaf resin become a numbing agent when you mix ‘em together. I can prep it with your grinder but you'll need a pipe if you want it to last. It stops working if you don’t dry the mix when it starts reacting.” I kept their addictive properties to myself. The idiot needed something while he healed, I told myself; the fact that I'd be needed to prep this medicine was just a fun perk.
“Fine. Oh-Five can take you.” he looked down at the crimson long-sleeve button up I'd fashioned into a halter dress using a tie through the sleeves, “You’ll need your own clothes eventually too…”
“That’s a later problem. Rest.”
He scrunched his nose at my words but I could tell he didn't have the energy to push the topic. “Yea. Bot’ll take you to the storage. Don't get in the way of the other ones I have sorting shit… Take a coat. The herbs will be split between refrigerator units.” he said before grabbing a bottle from the fridge and trudging back to his office, closing the door behind him.
“Alright miss,” droned the bot before wandering past me to wait at the door. “We’ll be taking the hauler when you’re ready.”
I scanned the bot with my eyes, wondering how much I could communicate with it before I heard Vee’s voice from its speakers, “I can assist remotely if needed. Try not to need it.”
Snapped out of my thoughts by his voice, I ran in to get a jacket from his closet and returned to the bot, “Ready.”
I felt no need to speak to it on the way there. It vocalized information on the way, robotically of course, “This is our hauler… Setting route to stock 3, refrigeration… We have arrived at our destination… The door is this way…” We passed more buildings than I could count.
Reaching the unit, I ran in; there was a bot sorting items on each side and the room was small enough that it could only be a fraction of the haul, “Holicap root?”
“There’s some root items in the back left,” Oh-Five responded.
“And zeryn leaves?” I asked, heading that way.
“Across the path.”
“Excellent,” I responded, already opening the lid to the first and frowning at what looked more like a tuber, “This isn’t-” then a scent hit me from one of the boxes being sorted, a flower that helped with relaxation, “Actually. Get some of that too.”
“Yes miss.” it replied, pushing a cart with a travel box toward it.
“The one I’m looking for is more… fuzzy?”
It paused, “Mushroom?”
“Yes!”
It popped the box beside it and revealed the fuzzy white-blue sheets of tangled mycelium, “This one?”
“Yes,” I replied before focusing on popping a few other boxes across the way to find the specific leaf; a thick spine of a thing about the length of my arm, “Gonna need a longer box for these.”
“Oh-Four will bring one.”
I froze, “We can’t bother the other-”
Vee’s voice interrupted us through Oh-Five’s speakers, “Let them help,” he sounded rough.
I didn't argue.
We packed what we could while the specialty box was delivered, and filled that even quicker with the extra help. The other bots went back to their sorting after and Oh-Five returned with me to the building, assisting in getting the packages up to the room.
___
I could smell alcohol the moment I stepped through the door but I was on a mission and didn't look for its source. Once everything had been set on the bar-table, the bot left and I dropped the jacket to get to work. I started by crushing the thistle-like flower in his mortar and pestle and stirred it into some hot water before bringing it to him. It'd be a quick-fix until I had worked the other ingredients together.
When I brought it to him, he was laid stiffly against the back of the couch and in too much pain for me to get a read on his emotional state, “The other stuff needs time to prepare,” I explained on approach “I didn't know he had these. It’ll relax your body while I mix the other stuff.”
He was visibly unsure, but his body couldn't support his usual spark of rebellion, so he drank. I waited long enough to see him give an initial grimace; whether from taste or pain, I couldn’t be sure, and I didn't wait to find out. I had to get back to the kitchen to work on the main mix.
I cut a few thin slices off of a leaf, removed the thick green skin from the red fibrous jelly and cut that into tiny pieces that went in the bowl. On top of that, I crumbled the mycelium, eyeballing the measurements. Next, I ground them together into a wine colored, sticky, sand-like substance and flattened that onto a metal pan so it would dry and react faster.
I had to wait for the red to fade into the lighter purple that would indicate its reaction was far enough along to throw into the stove and finish the job. Though I hurried, I didn't have to feel rushed since a whole vresic flower would put him to sleep. Plus he’d put himself in sight of my workspace where I could monitor him.
The first dose was completed while he slept and I stopped to apply a bit to his gums so it would be working before he awoke. Then I went back to mix the rest of what I'd cut, I could make more when the need arose.
After all that, I moved to the couch with my own vresic flower, chewing a few florets to unwind.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend | Ch. 28 - Fever | Ch. 29 - Garden
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
He's Awake! Oh no!
Mood music ⏬ BAD OMENS - Just Pretend
Intro - In The End | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend | Ch. 28 - Garden
I was finally allowed to see him after they could send for the cyber-ware but he would remain in the tank-bed hooked up to several machines and in a drug-induced coma. He looked peaceful with his dark hair floating in the translucent green Vyta slurry. I pulled a chair beside the apparatus and spent the next few cycles waiting for them to get the replacements. Some of them seemed to be aware of my predicament; bringing me a blanket and sometimes little meals, but no one ever said anything outright.
I spent a lot of time pacing and trying to figure out how to handle the aftermath. Surely he’d be upset to know he would be running on tech, but he was alive. I was almost grateful that the whole situation meant he had a reason to keep me around a little longer. I could help with whatever he’d need done while he was healing. I reminded myself every time all of it felt too much, that it’d be worth it.
Finally, they came and rolled him away one last time. I was in the final stretch. Would he wake peacefully or go feral, I wondered. It was then that I realized I should warn them that, considering his strength and what I knew of him, he could potentially wake violently and cause damage.
I didn't see him again until they'd moved him to a room with a proper hospital bed, which he’d been strapped to, still hooked up to several monitors. They’d left the bed with a slight incline to both his torso and knees, and I couldn't tell his state of dress past the blanket covering him, but I could see the bandages wrapped around his upper body. His hair had dried in a mess I could only ignore for so long before trying to unstick it. He stirred at my touch and I flinched away, still afraid of how he’d react. Of course, I didn't want to wait any longer either so I reached back to caress his cheek, speaking softly, “Vee? You in there?”
He didn't respond immediately, but when he did, he grumbled and tried to move away; at least until he felt the restraints. Suddenly, I was almost dizzy with his panic as he snapped awake to struggle against his binds, only to realize with a pained wince, that he couldn't. Seeing me, he spoke, voice as low and pointed as the daggers he glared into my soul, “un-strap me.”
“Promise you won't pull stuff off,” I tried to demand but couldn't get the force in my tone successfully.
“No. I’m leaving.” His was a demand, if a bit slurred, “You’re taking this shit off and I’m leaving.”
“You almost died!” I yelled. I could feel his rage drop off into something eerily quieter but my body still vibrated with nerves, “Please.” His eyes had drifted around the room, taking in his surroundings, and his facial expression fell blank. “Just till we know you’re stable.”
Clove, the green blishi from the first night, came in with a screen, a recovery kit, and his clothes, still stained but cleaner; he didn't react. “Alright, he should be able to leave once stabilizers have drained.” I could feel the hair on my neck prickle as xey got closer to him to check the reservoir of stabilizer, “which will be momentarily.” Xey focused on him, “How’r you feeling? Can I get you anything? Painkillers working?” xey glanced to xeir screen, “I can offer a chair for a week too but a bunch of us pitched in on the hardware so we’re a bit tight on budget to not request its return.”
“I’m fine.” he stated, glowering at me again, “un-strap me.”
Clove glanced between us, suddenly looking troubled, “Go easy on ‘er. She only left your side for waste,” xey urged, with an anxious but played up glance around the room, feathery tendrils popping out from flared nostrils to test the air, “At least I hope?”
I nodded quickly but was more focused on what was being demanded of me, “Is it safe yet?”
“I mean. Sure, if he doesn't rip anything out,” xey said, looking directly at him to stress the point, “you need the full stability dose to prevent rejection and infection. The electrodes can be removed though.”
He didn't react to xem, only glared expectantly at me while my extremities tingled with the static of the panic I was trying to push through. “We can go over it later,” I urged, “Just promise you won't hurt yourself.”
“Fine,” he snarled, “I won't ask again.”
My hands were too shaky to grip the latch I went for but Clove hit a switch that popped them all open at once. The sudden combination of sound and movement made me recoil again but when nothing exploded, I stepped forward to take the kit and his clothes from xem. Intentionally putting myself between them as both a potential shield to Clove and a hindrance to Vee’s ability to stand for the remaining few seconds the reservoir needed to finish.
Thankfully, he was too busy pulling the electrodes off to notice, and waited for the beep of the stabilizer before taking those needles out himself, much to the blishi’s disapproval, “Where’s Blight.”
I blanked, I wasn't good at keeping tabs on bots, I wasn't even sure how my own had managed to keep up, “uh.”
He yanked his clothes from the pile of stuff in my arms and looked at Clove, “Leave us.”
Xey looked to me for some sort of confirmation and I nodded an ok. I didn't need my extra senses to see xey were concerned for me, but I’d handled worse. I knew he wouldn't touch me in public and didn't want to consider the after. It’d be fine. I’d be fine.
After the door closed behind xem, Vee swung his legs out of the bed, “Sparky, add control.” he growled as I rushedly tried to help with his clothes. “Say it.”
“Sparky, add control?” I wasn't about to argue, and it chirped from a counter.
He stood from the bed with a noticeable caution but I felt small again, “Sparky,” it gave the same chime as the time I named it, “ride,” he finished and it gave the same chirped response that Blight would have, “Lu’en, keep up.”
Already on his heels, and seeing Clove just outside with the mobile device, I asked, “Do we need the chair?”
He didn't stop, so neither did I, “I’ll be fine.”
I still looked back to give xem a quick, and hopefully reassuring wave before following him out.
___
The trip back to the apartment was taken with a tense silence that didn't break until the door was locked behind us, “Blight,” there was a chirped response in the room he'd collapsed in, and he went there to retrieve it before crossing the hall to the closed room.
“I can clean up. You heal.” I interjected before he could speak.
He huffed, activating the silencer before getting into different commands; a supply run most notably, before glaring daggers through me again, “If you don't help me get my data wiped from that place, you’ll get nothing but the clothes on your back and more sob story for whoever else’s problem you become. Got it?”
I was frozen by the threat but forced a, “yessir,” with my eyes falling to the recovery kit in my arms. Which was when he opened the door to see the pile of weapons laying haphazardly around the entrance and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I can clean that too,” I added quietly.
“It’s fine.” he grumbled, taking the recovery pack, "don't wait for me.” he added before disappearing into that room. It locked behind him.
Wanting to put off the emotional spiral a little longer, I focused on cleaning up the stains instead. That wouldn't take long however since the materials of the worktable and the floor seemed to be sealed in something I eventually learned was a hydrophobic spray. It wasn't long before I was laying on the floor with the cleaning supplies and staring up into the light. He couldn't be mad forever, I told myself, silent tears falling down into my hair. I just had to pretend a bit longer.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend | Ch. 28 - Fever
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
Oh no! To the Hospital!
Mood music ⏬ New Years Day - 2 in the Chest, 1 in the Head
Intro - In The End | Ch. 25 - Guest Room | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend
After a while he sent me into the kitchen to get him some kine and a cup of blood. I assumed he was attempting to get me to stop staring holes into his back and tried my hardest not to rush. I'd been desensitized to prepping this kind of meal for so long it felt normal, and the slab he brought home was pre-butchered which made it even easier.
I poured myself some citrus for my irritated throat first and drank it while I plated his meal, it helped me pace myself. Then I cut a good thick slice from the fresh slab for his plate, and poured the new blood into a cup to bring back after making myself finish my own drink.
Plate in one hand and cup in the other, I returned; and for a split second, I thought he’d left the room. Until I realized he was on the floor. Unconscious. Again.
“Vee!” I gasped, putting his food on the nearest surface as I rushed over to him, dropping to his side. His breath was shallow and I wasted no time in pulling his top open to get a better view of the wounds; slugs, and they were fresh. It was getting to a point where I started wondering how common this was for him. I didn't know how fast his pulse should be but it was slow and his gums lacked color, so I figured that was enough of a reason to take action. I had to think fast. Blight wasn't an option, but maybe the other was! What did I call it, “Sparky?” it chirped a reaction and I was filled with tentative relief, “Sparky, alert a medical transport or something! Quick. Send them here.”
There was a strange trill from the bot and a click, “Medbay, what’s your emergency?”
“My uh- partner’s unconscious. I don't know the area. Please send help.” I rattled everything off hoping I was on the line with another person who could put it all together.
“We’ve sent a vehicle to your general area. Are they breathing?”
I felt for the breath under his nose and the pulse on his neck again, “Breathing is bad, pulse is… also bad. Please hurry.”
“Can you be outside so we can get a lock on this signal? Allow broadcast if the signal is blocked.”
“Is the balcony ok? How will I know the vehicle?” I asked in a panic as I grabbed the bot and dragged myself away from his side.
There was a hesitation on the other line with a confused, “Eh? Yes. The flying vehicle with the lights? Are you ok?”
Oh, that was something people knew here, “I, uh. Yes.” I said passing through the outside door, “Sparky, allow broadcast?” It chirped. “Can I leave the bot outside and keep an eye on Vee?”
“You’ll be more visible than a bot.”
It wasn't a no, and I had to throw a bunch of weapons somewhere they wouldn't get us in trouble; they weren't the source of the wounds but the medics wouldn't know that. “I’ll be back out in a sec, I gotta check on him.”
“Ok-” was all I heard as I ran in and did a quick scan of the place. I gathered all the weapons using my- his top as a pouch, and dumped them in the second room. A door I now closed myself before sprinting back to the balcony, from where they were already in sight for me to wave down.
The vehicle made a weird beeping as it hovered sideways toward the building and a door lowered with the balcony railing to create a walkway. The vehicle settled on two thick posts that had popped out of the building with some mechanical noise - which was when the beeping stopped. I didn't have time to think about it, “Where are they?” they asked, pushing a gurney inside with me already in the lead.
“This room.”
I felt a wave of something akin to frustration, “Zathian,” he said into his comm before moving to check his vitals with a weird device he hovered over a few locations; wrist, neck, chest, and forehead, while watching the data on a small screen.
Another guy entered, “Here.”
“Pulse is weak, air is weak,” started the guy with the machine as they lifted him onto the gurney together.
I didn't give them the chance to question if I was coming with them, I just followed as close as I could without getting in the way, and they didn't argue. They split up back at the vehicle, one taking the role of driver while the other took medic, and we left the building behind. I stared quietly at Vee’s bare, bloody chest, trying to will it to raise and lower like nothing was wrong, while the other guy tried to steady the vitals in more useful ways, while updating me I think - I didn't understand most of it, I was too busy watching the only thing I was familiar with slipping away. Again. For sure this time.
“-replace his lungs.” I caught the medic say as the vehicle slowed and I snapped back to reality.
“What?” I stammered.
“There’s a lot of damage here,” he spoke slower, ”we may have to replace his lungs.”
I nodded slowly but the look on my face held confusion, “What happened?”
“He’s been shot. At least one lung shredded from ricochet,” he explained as the vehicle pulled to a stop at a building, “but can't be sure what bio-matter will be salvageable till we get in there.” The door opened with other medical staff to greet us, one on either side of the gurney with medical tech. They whisked him away with the one I’d been talking to, his attention now on filling the others in as they left.
A green blishi came to lead me in after them, an almost soothing presence; something my mind saw as ‘same’ even if they had probably chosen to be here, “Would you like to wait inside?”
I nodded quietly and followed xeir lead, one hand anxiously rubbing the empty space on my neck again.
“What are you to them?” xey asked.
“Uh-?” I didn't know the right answer, so I fumbled through mine, “Together?”
Xey nodded, glancing to a screen in xeir hand before continuing, “He’s not on our records so you may have to make some… tough decisions. Are you-”
“Anything!” I interrupted, “Give him the best replacement you can if you have to! I can't do this without him. I-” I trailed off, my mind wanted to flood with fear but I couldn't risk my emotions being felt by anyone else, so it did what I’d been trained to. I shut them off.
Xey nodded again, gesturing to a small room with seats and a few silent screens with text and faces facing the screens, something I’d usually want to pay attention to but couldn't, “He’ll be brought through here. It could be a while. I’ll be back with an e-note of options when we know what’s savable, please wait here.”
I nodded again and made my way in to sit where directed. The bot, Sparky, hovered to rest on a nearby surface and the subtle sound of its mechanisms fell silent. Still, the room felt loud.
The screens played information that was important enough for them to place in a room of chairs but I couldn't take it in. I could only stare through them with unfocused eyes. I wanted to wake from this nightmare but was growing more and more conscious of the sting of my eyes being open. I was out of tears and emotional energy. I could barely hold a thought that wasn't Vee on the floor, unconscious and bloody. The smell was still stuck in my nostrils… unless- I looked down to see it on my trembling hands, again. I couldn't wipe it on my clothes because they were his too. I couldn't wipe them on anything around me, I had to be good.
I don't know how long I was frozen before the blishi returned with a datapad and addressed me, xeir voice finally snapping me out of it, “Excuse me miss…”
I looked up from my hands, a thousand-yard stare in xeir direction, “yes?”
Xey hesitated, “The washroom is around the corner if you’d like to clean up.” Everything was too much. “It’s the one with…” xey trailed off before dropping the formal posturing to something more supportive, coming in and holding a hand out to me, “I’ll show you. Can you walk?”
The shift in approach took the choice out of it, making it just a bit easier, but I didn't accept xeir hand. I couldn't touch anything. I followed xem through the strange hall with my hands held awkwardly in front of my chest. Xey held the door open for me and I went inside before finally stopping to stare at the wall of sinks. They had no handles?
Xey shut the door before Sparky could follow me in and I heard it collide with the door, “are you… from around here?” she asked, moving to the sink in front of me, waving their hand across the front of the tap’s neck like swiping a ComCard and it turned on, turning back off a moment after.
I moved closer and tested the sensor with the back of my hand, mimicking their action with the same result before holding my hand there. I didn’t answer because I didn't know how to, and I was more focused on getting the blood off my hands.
“There’s soap. Sensor is under that boxy thing.”
I looked up, tested the action and used it. Only to keep getting more because I couldn't. Stop. Feeling. His. Blood.
“Try this,” she said waving a hand under another weird thing that lit up, “it dries.”
I looked over, then down to my hands, and back. I had to be good. I did as I was told. There was a comfortable warmth from the lit parts and everything dried faster than I expected. My hands still felt stained.
“You from off planet?” xey asked.
I nodded.
“Can you tell me where?”
I hesitated, and that seemed to be enough of an answer for xem.
“Do you have the freedom to leave?”
I hung my head and felt the shock of it all slip just enough for tears to fall as I choked, “He’s why I can.”
I felt a strange excitement rise in xem but also noticed xey had started looking at the screen on xeir forearm display. Curiosity drew my despondent gaze too as xey finally let my bot in. “Good thing they’ve got him stable then,” xey commented before adding, “He’s breathing by machine but like- there's some real good cyberware on market for hominids these days.” I made eye contact with xem, my visible confusion prompting xem to hold up the screen xey’d been carrying, it had images of tech on its display, “I can help.”
We found our way back to the section’s waiting room and xey helped me pick out the lungs for him. Something extra durable and made for heavy athletic use, shock resistant with a sleek surface; xey recommended a filter system when e-cigs came up. I also learned that pheromones were picked up in the nose. Unfortunately.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 25 - Guest Room | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head | Ch. 27 - Just Pretend
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
some of you really aren’t gonna like this, but a creator’s wishes should never dictate what fan content is produced for a piece of media.
in the past, authors like anne rice have tried to limit the production of fanfiction. but at least rice was honest - she thought this infringed on her copywrite. back in the day, this was considered a valid argument to not create any fanfiction at all for her works.
do you understand what i’m saying? while you may sound valiant for placing a creator’s “discomfort” above the fan’s natural proclivities in fandom, really you’re just continuing to advocate for censorship in fan spaces.
and for anyone who is a creator, or who wants to become one - get comfortable with the rules of the internet. there will be erotic content made of your characters, there will be weird AUs made with your characters. there will be strange pairings and headcanons, no matter if you interact religiously with the fans or not. you cannot stop people from connecting with and wanting to be creative with your characters.
A fandom mindset that really needs to come back: Don't Break the Fourth Wall
Make whatever you want, but don't show it to the original creator. Writers legally cannot read fic of their work. It is a perfectly reasonable boundary for actors not to want erotic art of their characters thrust upon them. Don't link copyright holders to fan merch of their IP. And for the love of fuck, stop @ tagging the people who make the thing you're a fan of to validate your headcanons or rebuke someone else's.
And creators? That goes both ways. Block, mute, ignore, set and enforce whatever boundaries on what you don't want to see, but don't for a minute think you can stop a fandom from being a fandom.
Grief hits, and maybe some peace?
Mood music ⏬ Echos - Guest Room
Intro - In The End | Ch. 24 - Come For Me | Ch. 25 - Guest Room | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head
I managed to keep it together long enough to get back to the apartment but the moment the door sealed, the tears broke free again. I was interrupted by a tap on the balcony door window which I initially expected the worst from till I saw that the bot Vee had left with me had been trying and failing to keep up. It still made it back to the apartment at least. Somehow.
I opened the door to let it hover itself back into the flat but didn't linger to keep track of it. I was too busy drowning in my thoughts; lost and alone, where nothing was familiar, and his scent wasn't even strong here. I dragged myself to the bed and climbed into the covers, pulling them over my head.
I cried till I couldn't cry any more, then I kept going. I screamed into the pillow till my throat was raw. If he hadn’t included me from the start I’d at least be somewhere I understood, where I knew the power structures and had the chance of being lost the way I was won. I wouldn't have gotten my heart wrapped up in him if he had kept his physical distance… even if I initiated. I could’ve ended up with another who didn't have their guard up to the pheromones I shed. The empty space where my collar used to sit longed for the familiar weight which I tried to compensate by resting my palm at the base of my throat.
I passed out eventually, only realizing when I woke to different lighting, still wrapped around the pillow.
Not knowing what to do and deeply depressed, I stayed there. Staring. At walls, sheets, items on the dresser. The pain in my chest dulled as I mentally detached, and the strange setting made it feel even less real. Maybe I’d wake up back where things made sense. Maybe I’d wake up someplace… worse but familiar.
It couldn't have been more than two days since I’d adventured out. I needed to retrieve my shoes. The longer I put it off, the less likely they’d be there, so I dragged myself out of the sheets to the main room, turning to the kitchen. I needed the energy to get there and back, and something to replenish my fluids. I also grabbed a small gun for the trip, refusing to repeat the mistakes of the last one. The next person to touch me wouldn't touch anyone again, I told myself.
I tried to mentally pre-plan for the trip while ingesting the necessities; check the alley where I left the shoes. If they're not there, knock on the back door and ask whomever answers if they’d seen them, go from there. Return.
I rigged a gun harness under another one of Vee’s shirts. Check the alley. Ask. Return.
I stood in front of the door, armed. Alley. Ask. Return. I could do this. I told myself.
The door opened. Vee stood there with a duffel bag, dropping my shoes inside the door as he saw me, “Oh. Hi.”
I stared, suddenly unsure if I was awake or dreaming.
He walked past me and stiffly plopped the bag on the counter to pull out some items he replenished the fridge with. “Blight, silence.” He unloaded some boxes of tech parts and held them up, “I found what I needed to maximize the bot’s use.”
I hesitated a moment longer before throwing myself at him, wrapping my arms tight around his torso and whimpered, “I thought you’d left for good!”
He winced at my touch, “Yea well,” he pushed me off, I could smell something metallic, “Your friends from the bar won’t bother you again. You’re welcome. We can talk after I’ve fixed the bot.” he said, walking past me. There was a couple relatively small but concerning spots of blood soaking into his shirt around where I’d held on.
“Wait, my what?” I kept on his heels, following him into the room he’d dedicated to tinkering.
“The ones you beat the shit out of. Now shh, you don't have to leave, just let me work.”
I nodded and sat on the floor beside the door. I felt like he’d disappear if I didn't keep an eye on him and I wasn't sure how serious the blood on his shirt was. He was too guarded to tell for sure and he seemed laser focused on completing his task.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 24 - Come For Me | Ch. 25 - Guest Room | Ch. 26 - Two in the Chest, One in the Head
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
Fight AND flight.
Mood music ⏬ Halsey - Ghost
Intro - In The End | Ch. 23 - Ghost | Ch. 24 - Come For Me | Ch. 25 - Guest Room
He was really gone. I was really alone. The deepest sadness washed over me and the laughing around me stopped. They would have felt something akin to a heavy dread in the pits of their stomachs.
“You feel that?” they asked each other in uneasy tones.
There was a hesitation as they checked the surroundings, “Something’s up, let's jet.”
There was a unanimous agreement and I was dropped in a heap with the trash before they started toward the street. Tears streaked my face as I pushed through the fog, clinging to the emotion with clenched teeth. A spark to the flame of a lifetime of buried rage lit in my belly and somehow burned through the last of the drug’s effects. I’d make them regret targeting me.
I grabbed something solid from the trash beside me, a plank, and left my slip-ons behind in favor of a more silent step. They didn't get to the street before I had begun my retaliation.
I rushed them, grabbing the closest one by the collar of his clothes and yanking him off his feet. I threw him to the ground before swinging the chunk of wood for the next’s head; it knocked him out. I swung back for the last one on his feet but he’d had a bit more time to block the board.
Startled curses fell from the lips of the remaining two as they tried to counter my assault. I swung for the head of the one trying to get to his feet to keep him down. It connected with a clonk, but the one standing was able to grab my wrist and pull me in, pinning my arms to my sides to disable my blunt weapon. I dropped the board, but I threw my head back into his face and his grip faltered enough for me to grab the multi-tool on my belt, pop the blade, and jab it into his ribs, he yelped - they asked for this.
I heard the crash of trash from the door followed by another man’s voice, “The fuck-?!” was all I heard before darting off, and I had run most of the way to my sanctuary before I could think. Unfortunately that was also when I realized I had probably lost my shoes back there.
If I couldn't get those back, they’d be harder to replace on my own, but I still opted to return without them.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 23 - Ghost | Ch. 24 - Come For Me | Ch. 25 - Guest Room
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
Left alone in a strange place, she panics and finds herself somewhere she doesn't want to be.
🚨 TW: Drugging and almost SA 🚨
Not graphic but also it was hard to write so giving heads up in case it's hard to read. Take care of yourselves <3
Mood music ⏬ Halsey - Ghost
Intro - In The End | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing | Ch. 23 - Ghost | Ch. 24 - Come For Me
I stared at the door as the idea that he might not return began to sink in, time slowed to a crawl around me. How long were cycles here anyway? What do free people even do? I tore myself away from the door to investigate the fridge; surely he’d be back if it wasn’t empty, right?
I crossed the kitchen and pulled it open, tentatively relieved to see several cuts of different meats - bloody but contained, with a jug whose label claimed it held blood on the top shelf; I’d seen worse around Gorm. Besides that, there were several meal boxes with Faezic on the labels, and citrus cartons, clearly for me. He’ll be back - I reassured myself - meat doesn't keep forever.
A vehicle of some kind flew past the balcony, catching my eye as I closed the fridge, prompting me to move closer to look out, but not far enough to open the doors. There was a decent flow of traffic as far as I could tell which meant I wasn't isolated if he didn't return; a pro as well as a con.
I didn't want to be still long enough to think about being alone so I wandered away from the door towards the previously unidentified room; the bot following along behind me, just out of reach.
The room looked like an office on one side with a desk and several wall-mounted screens. On the other side was some mechanical equipment I inspected curiously. I figured it was for exercise but couldn’t make the mechanisms move for the life of me.
I was grateful it wasn’t a second bedroom at first, but eventually, the cycle’s light began to fade to night and I slept alone regardless.
___
Screens became my life for the first few cycles. When I wasn't trying to parse some societal norms from its media, I was people watching from the balcony, or rummaging through the things left behind - even the locked ones after the first handful of cycles. I found documents with conflicting information, and weapons in the weirdest of places; behind chairs, holstered to the underside of tables - I even started poking at random objects when moving a tray in the kitchen made a section of the cupboard pop down with more weapons. It wasn't the only time it worked either! a small army could have stocked up here.
I observed traffic to identify rush times and directional patterns. I’d have to go out there eventually; the meal bars were getting low and the meat was starting to grey. I could feel time fraying the thread of hope I had been clinging to.
Cautiously, I moved my people watching to street level with a multi-tool clipped under the button-up I'd made a dress out of. I followed the traffic, stopping to ask what folks did for fun around here on the way. I was informed of some street lined with clubs only a couple blocks away before they added that I could probably get into some for free if I flirt with the right people - while looking me up and down in the process. It sounded like some things weren’t so different here; another pro as well as a con. I, of course, pretended not to notice and they didn't push a reaction, but I still crossed the street to avoid being followed too close.
I poked my head into a couple bars, trying not to stand out and leaving before I could be bothered about not ordering. I idled by the wall of the dance floor and ruminated on how to proceed, only interrupted by a server coming over to say someone had bought me a drink - which I accepted. I’d have to find someone to attach to if Vee had left me here; another in a history of broken hearts for all I knew. I had a sip of the drink, somewhat disappointed that it wasn't something harder. I could sense something in him that he wouldn't show though, and I wanted to draw it out. Perhaps I had already scared him off by trying. Oh how I hoped he’d show up to prove I wouldn't need another, but I was running out of time.
Everything began to feel heavy, and the room kept going if I turned too fast. I realized quickly that I was in danger and had to get somewhere away. I didn’t know who was safe so I opted to attempt sneaking out the back, but I was met halfway to the road by a vulture of a man whom either caused or sensed my predicament. Two others came out of the door behind me and it became apparent that they were working together, and they could tell I was out of touch, making it known with the words they used to pull my attention.
“You look lost” said the one between me and the road, all of them moving closer with unsettling looks in their eyes.
With hominids being much smaller than Guarm, it felt a lot less imposing of an interaction in comparison, but I still felt small, “I’ve dealt with bigger things than y’all three combined,” I hissed.
Of course, I still found myself shoved against a wall with the three of them blocking me in. “You wanna give us a demonstration?” They laughed.
My vision flashed and spun with the impact and I found myself lagging against the vertical surface. My body was better equipped to handle filtering substances than other hominids but I still didn't know how long it would linger. I could potentially manipulate them away if I could lock onto the right emotion but with how my mind swam, it didn't appear to be an option.
I wanted to fight. Things were supposed to be different. This wasn't what I wanted at all. I wanted to go home, whatever that meant. Or him. I wanted Vee.
I was made to face them, one on either side gripped my arms to prevent resistance and to keep me upright. “Oh yeah, it's got her reeling” sneered the third, exposing himself just in time for my peripheral vision to fade out.
I closed my eyes. Maybe it'd hurt less to pretend it was just a game with Vee. No strangers. Just him and me.
And someone holding me up… to help?
That didn't make sense.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing | Ch. 23 - Ghost | Ch. 24 - Come For Me
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
She hears some curious information and looks for more.
Mood music ⏬ Summer Kennedy - Bad Things
Intro - In The End | Ch.12 - Is There Somewhere | Ch.13 - Bad Things | Ch.14 - Magnet
I spent the next week on my very best behavior and hating every minute; trying to be as attentive to Urgu’s needs as I could when he’d enter the vicinity of my usual jobs. Being able to sense another’s shifts in emotion made it easier to anticipate the Guarm’s needs but it only worked if I was close enough or I could see him. I was unsure if the line-of-sight version was connected to my race’s tele-empathy or my questionable upbringing, but it felt the same.
It meant I spent less time putting on a show for the regulars to this den of debauchery, and more close to something that looked like the embodiment of gross; a large, slimy, blubbery mass that folded into itself with the weight of gravity. Even the sounds from the suction cupped tentacles on the floor was so unsettling that the most hardened folk passing through would cringe, even if they didn’t outwardly show it. The Guarm knew, and would often do it to show displeasure, inflicting the sound as a sort of psychological jab to the listener’s nerves.
I heard that familiar, terrible, moist popping from Urgu’s booth and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, not because I wasn’t used to it by now, but almost sympathetic to the business partner he appeared to be displeased with. Their skin was probably crawling based on how much displeasure I was picking up from them at the time.
Of course, fueled by thoughts of ruining Urgu, and the potential for freedom, I pushed myself toward the very loud feeling of displeasure and looked between them, holding both in my peripherals and a bottle of something strong, “May I offer my masters something to lighten the mood?”
🌙 Luxe and Lunacy -
🔞 ~ a villain's romance 💋
— 𝔏𝔬𝔲𝔵 𝔏𝔲𝔫𝔞 aka: Sygil Loux —
This is Urgu, a lower-mid-class Guarm with 2 full tentacles and 2 stumpy ones growing in (max is 6 full grown)
The ugly race I designed for the Luxe and Lunacy universe (to replace Hutts lel).
The number of tentacles tends to indicate status, will be explored more in-story but i wanted to finish before starting the next chapter.
🎬 See it shaded here!
🌙 Luxe and Lunacy -
🔞 ~ a villain's romance 💋
— 𝔏𝔬𝔲𝔵 𝔏𝔲𝔫𝔞 aka: Sygil Loux —
Inktober 10:21 - Lu'en 2
"Tried drawing Lu'en again. Came out better but I'm beginning to think this style doesn't suit her. (Also I forgot the collar in the other one oops)"
Inktober 20:21 - The Collar
"25th was our birthday so we watched anime. Anyway, the collar. Also where the ComChip clips in. Also the tubes glow light blue cause I said so."
Inktober 4:21 - Young Vee
"Tried to draw Vee, he ended up looking super young and horns are a bit long but he still got that smolder so I'm happy. x3"
__ ★ _________
Inktober 12:21 - Look - Vee
Inktober 12:21 - Look
Makin them lovey eyez. 😏
Inktober 11:21 - Look - Lu'en
__ ★ _________
Inktober 15:21 - ComCard
"A Comcard with filler info cause I cant use Vee's, and Lu'en doesn't own one. :') Maybe later."
Inktober 2:21 - Gorm Buildings
"The "termite mound-like" buildings of the Guarm on Gorm, complete with neon ads and tunnels."
Inktober 1:21 - Vee's Rental Layout
"Vee's rental layout in the building owned by Urgu."
__ ★ _________
Inktober 17:21 - ComChip
"The ComChip that Lu'en uses."
Inktober 5:21 - Blight
"Vee's spiderbot "Blight." Which I apparently forgot to post here."
__ ★ _________
Inktober 19:21 - Swimming Guarm (better)
"Tried the swimming Guarm (Urgu specifically) again, it looks significantly less cursed imo."
Inktober 6:21 - 'Specimens'
"Eyez. I can't say more without spoilers. :V"
Inktober 14:21 - Fuzzy Reaper
"Skull mask and fur hooded cloak from chapter 9. :3"
__ ★ _________
Inktober 7:21 - Cybernetic Eyes
"Cybernetic eyes involve entirely too many circles. Also my yellow marker is dead so I used gold sharpie. (it went terrible) Another pic I forgot to upload."
Inktober 18:21 - Swimming Guarm (cursed)
"I was curious what Urgu would look like while swimming and I regret it.
And now I can't find the vid of an octopus doing this like I remember seeing when I considered the drawing idea originally. Spooky."
Inktober 8:21 - Lu'en 1
"Tried to draw Lu'en and it came out terrible. May try again tomorrow."
They stop off at a place that could be "home," her bot is set up, and a fear becomes real.
Mood Music ⏬ Elliot Lee - Queen of Nothing
Intro - In The End | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing | Ch. 23 - Ghost
Once we’d pulled into a port and parked, he put his jacket on my shoulders and took the box, before having me follow him out. I fidgeted my arms through the sleeves and hooked my arm with his the moment I had the space, using him as a lead so I could relax my eyes enough to focus on my peripherals. I felt observed but was able to keep calm so long as I felt alert and prepared. I listened to Vee talk with the garage guy and reflexively produced appeasement scents.
They talked like there was familiarity but they seemed to speak in code, “There's more where that comes from if you can get that shit buried,” Vee stated, “Oh, and might want to sell the ship in parts,” he added before we headed out of the room.
“Is that-” I heard the man start to ask before Vee interrupted.
He simply said, “Blight,” and the man dropped the topic. The bot chirped.
I wondered quietly what the bot could do that shut the guy up so fast, but no matter how much I wanted to ask, I suspected that anything could be bugged and held the question in. I wasn’t given a reason to believe otherwise either, so instead of asking, I found myself eyeing the bot more as we made our way to the ground floor.
“Blight, ride,” he said as we stepped outside, and the bot chirped before a nearby vehicle revved up. It hovered in front of us and the doors popped open, he gestured for me to get in and set the box on my lap before closing the door.
I found myself holding my breath as he made his way around to the driver’s seat; worried he might send the car off without him, I only relaxed again once he’d closed the door and strapped in.
“You're getting tense,” he commented while pulling his e-cig out, passing it to me as he continued, “We’ll be home free before dark.”
I accepted the e-cig gladly, whatever he had in it always took the edge off, “Safe yet?” I asked, looking back to the port.
“Yes. But we can talk when we get there. It’s more effective to silence an unmoving location.”
I of course nodded and watched what I could see of this world from the vehicle. We flew over red dunes to a solid lane where he took the controls and eased us onto the wheels. I watched the star set, and the sibling planet glowed as the sky darkened.
___
We reached a bustling city past the hills, and after winding through a maze of lanes we finally pulled down into a parking garage under what looked like rentals. The buildings here were much smaller than Gorm’s, and cleaner in many senses of the word. The air didn’t feel so heavy either, even the spirits seemed lighter before the door closed behind us, muffling my senses.
With the scenery cut from view, I looked to him; just in time to catch him look away and act as if parking required his utmost attention. “Almost,” he said, prompting a restless huff from me. He seemed amused.
We pulled up in front of the hall of elevators and he took the box from my lap, “Bot’s got the parking. C’mon,” he said before climbing out with the tech. I followed suit and once the door was shut behind me I heard him give the command, “Blight, garage.” The bot chirped and the vehicle drove off to pull into a space near the back corner. When I looked back, he was already disappearing into a lift; prompting a panicked squeak from me as I rushed to catch up.
He was holding a button by the door when I stumbled in, stammering a quick, “Sorry.”
He released the button and the doors closed. “Don't be,” he responded, pointing to the buttons on the door, “this one goes to the rental floor. Remember it too,” he suggested as he pressed it.
I nodded as the doors sealed and the lift began to move; it felt slower but smoother, airy. I couldn't tell if it was the elevator, gravity, or purely my mind playing tricks on me so I didn’t dwell on it for very long.
Once on our floor, he led me to a door on the left and opened it, urging me inside with a finger to his lips before giving the bot its usual command once the door had shut behind us, “Blight, silence.”
I waited just long enough for the tone to drift off, “Now?”
He was already lowering his hand from its signal, “Sure.”
“The fuck can Blight do that scared that guy so bad?!” I blurted, still bewildered by what I had seen not too long ago.
He stared at me, also confused, “What do you mean?”
“At the garage. You said Blight’s name and the guy stopped asking questions.”
He stared a bit longer before busting out with laughter, confusing me further until he got to explaining, “It’s what Zathian’s call exiles. You’re a displaced person, therefore an exile of sorts. He stopped asking questions because he knows I won't elaborate on such things.”
My eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, “Are you a-”
He cut me off to repeat, “I won't elaborate on such things,” but with a bit more force.
I gave a disgruntled huff but dropped it, letting myself look around. It didn't appear very lived in, “So where are we?”
“Your new home.” he said, tension in the air dissipating with the dropped topic. He moved to check a delivery cupboard where a small package waited for him, “And the part I needed is already here, so I can get your bot up and running.” he added, closing the mailbox to wander further into the flat.
After the briefest bout of conflicting thoughts, I decided to keep on his heels, “What happens after?” I asked before I could register my fear of the answer.
Unsurprisingly, his answer was a non-committal, “One thing at a time,” but the dejected huff I gave in response drew his attention back and he sighed, “I can’t teach you everything myself so I’ll need to pick you up a tutor-bot, but I need to source it. You’ve already proven you can think on your feet, so that shouldn’t be an issue. That’s all I’ve got for you right now. Ok?”
It was my turn to sigh before responding with my own, “Ok.”
He turned away again, pulling a chip from the package and plugging it into a flat, box-shaped hunk of tech which he also plugged his small screen into. Prompts popped up on the screen and he moved through them quickly with several loading bars scattered into the mix. Some boxes popped up that he quickly entered data into, some censored some not - they seemed like command prompts.
When it became apparent he’d be at it a while, I wandered off to learn the layout of the place. It was built much like the humanoid rentals but the layout allowed for a small hall of extra rooms which I wandered down. Beside the workshop was a bedroom bigger than the ones I’d seen in the rentals, a cleanroom at the end of the hall complete with shower and washing machine. Across from them was another room but the door was closed, and since I didn't want to get into trouble for going someplace I wasn't allowed, I moved on; hoping it wasn't a room I'd be separated into.
I ended up wandering past the kitchen into the living area, looking over the powered down screen before my eyes settled on the balcony. The railings were layered in something metallic.
“Lu’en,” I heard him call from where I’d left him, and I rushed back.
“Yes?” I asked, stepping up beside him; the bot hovered over his hand now.
“Name it.”
I looked it over quickly, searching my mind for something that might make sense for a bot.
“Say it out loud,” he told me, tapping a key on his screen.
“Sparky?” I suggested - the bot made several chirps as its programming came online; I looked to Vee for approval but he was already focusing on the screen again. I reached up to anxiously fidget with a collar tag that wasn't there anymore, the motion catching his attention again.
He didn't look long before resuming the complicated techy stuff, “Collar is back around Asher station. He can’t track you.”
I nodded reflexively but had been more concerned with figuring out what to think of the empty space. I knew I should have been glad it was gone but something about it felt wrong, “Habit,” I replied. My mind spun as I stood there awkwardly, falling into my own uncertain thoughts which were only made louder with the amount of silence blanketing the space between us, “How do I know you’ll keep me without a tag?”
He looked at me, seemingly having to pause in his attempt to wrap his mind around the question, “Tags are for slaves.”
“What am I?”
“Freed,” he responded, returning to the tech.
I frowned; he was avoiding the question so I adjusted my approach, “I don't have a natural crown like yours, but a king needs a queen, does he not?”
He straightened with pride from my flattery, but instead of responding, he hit a few buttons more on the bot and it gave another chime, scanned me, then hovered over to my side. “Bot’s done,” he said, ignoring my question. “A part is fried so I’m going to have to source that but-” Blight signaled an alert interrupting him, and he looked back to the screen, “But I have to handle this!” he said, seeming a bit too relieved to escape my questions. He grabbed his bot and rushed past, heading into the closed room and exiting with a loaded weapon harness and a jacket.
“When will you be back?”
“I’ll be back when I’m back.” he responded quickly, slipping into his shoes, “Don’t wait up.” he added, closing the door behind him.
I stood there in silence. Alone.
Mood Music:
Intro - In The End | Ch. 21 - Break The Ice | Ch. 22 - Queen Of Nothing | Ch. 23 - Ghost
🚨 They’re basically villains, they’re gonna act like it. 🔞
Hi, yes, this was given a very needed glow up.
Those dots in the moon may also be an arm of my galaxy map. :B
The Stars are (from left to right):
• City planet,
• Where they first land (The Roes),
• Faejha,
• Then Gorm! (where the story starts)
And yes I am having fun hiding the galaxy in random artage. :3
⭐ Available on: ⭕ Redbubble - 6️⃣ Society6 - ➰ [Tee]Spring
the eye is still funny, you’ll find out why later.
🌙 Luxe and Lunacy -
🔞 ~ a villain's romance 💋
— 𝔏𝔬𝔲𝔵 𝔏𝔲𝔫𝔞 aka: Sygil Loux —
Hi, yes, this was given a very needed glow up.
Those dots in the moon may also be an arm of my galaxy map. :B
The Stars are (from left to right):
• City planet,
• Where they first land (The Roes),
• Faejha,
• Then Gorm! (where the story starts)
And yes I am having fun hiding the galaxy in random artage. :3
⭐ Available on: ⭕ Redbubble - 6️⃣ Society6 - ➰ [Tee]Spring
the eye is still funny, you’ll find out why later.
