Chapter Text
The corner of the rather expansive room provided just enough shadow to keep you out of sight, but not suspiciously. You nursed a gold-rimmed glass of a drink you didn’t quite care enough to recall the name of. The near deafening sounds of idle chatter and forced laughs were merely background noise as your pale-yellow gaze casually scanned the attendees. From the way they were dressed and the appearance along with the overall atmosphere of the occasion, you'd think you were in Topside.
But no, this was Zaun.
Parties of this caliber were often held by high profile figures… or chumps with too much money in their pockets that refuse to turn Topside.
Your eyes flash as they finally land on your target of the evening, all other thoughts neatly filing themselves away to make way for more tactical thinking. Maverick Zil. Self proclaimed ‘Top Arms’ dealer in all of Zaun. Your fingers trace the glass as you watch him closely, his attention plastered all over the small gaggle of Babette's girls, of which you have snuck in with.
Smoothly, you reach down into one of the side gaps of your snug dress that exposes your thighs. A mask sat tucked against your skin by the strap of your garter, to which your nails lightly snagged it free, lifting it swiftly to sit on your face. Disguise in place, you step from the shadows, revealing small, golden chains that dangled from your dress, along with a rather fashionable black, hooded cowl that kept other distinguishable features at bay.
You added an extra sway to your hips as you approached, exchanging your mostly empty glass with a waiter for two along the way. By now, Maverick’s attention had fully been snatched by your arrival, his hands dismissing the other girls, who in turn cast curious and confused glances in your direction.
“Well now, where has Babette been hiding you?” He hummed appreciatively, making a move to close the distance with you as you fought the urge to lean back.
Your lips curl into a falsely pleasant smile just under the mask as you reluctantly step into his space, keeping his view from the drinks. “I was actually brought here specifically for you. She mentioned you had rather… exotic tastes that I could assist with.” You keep your voice just barely above a whisper, hypnotic gaze forcing him to maintain eye contact. All the while, you had set the drinks down, your body shielding them from view as your fingers become coated in a pearlesent liquid, delving themselves into the drink you’d intended for him.
He was far too enthused to remove his gaze until the word ‘Exotic’ caused his eyes to widen a fraction. His body moves further into your airspace when you lift the drink to his lips, sinking your teeth into your bottom lip to reveal a set of slightly sharper than normal canines. That must’ve done it for him, as his arm had snugly become wrapped around your waist. You fight the urge to peel his gripping hands from you, recalling over and over why you are here to begin with.
“I do believe my evening has suddenly become rather available for you to provide such services. I’ve always wanted to try a Vastayan .” He chuckled darkly, grabbing the drink from your delicate fingers and downing it greedily. You force your expression to remain flirty and endearing, though inside, the shock from how easily he decided to chug the drink without a single care. This would be easier than you thought.
“Please, do lead the way.” You purr into his ear, earning an unpleasant grip of his hand that dared to venture lower down your backside, feeling for something specific. The two of you made an exit from the main event room, heading towards what you could only assume to be his room. All the while, you swear you can feel a pair of eyes tracking your movements. With a quick glance around, all you take in is the chattering party guests and the occasional patron mingling with some of The Garden’s girls.
Grey eyes.
You see them before you are sharply tugged into the room he finally managed to get open, only for it to shut just as quickly behind you both. With a quick glance around, you realize this wasn’t a bedroom, but an office. A desk sat neatly in the middle of the room, paired with a comfy looking sofa and two large bookshelves. Behind the desk, a window. An exit if things should turn south. Despite his ‘special’ drink, he still seemed rather cognitive.
Seeking to stall a little longer, you move into his space, tracing your hands along his clothed arms. “This is such a big place. I imagine you do important work to be able to afford it.” You hum curiously, hoping he’d take the bait.
He smiles smugly, a wave of relief washes over you.
“I sell and trade all the best weapons and materials Zaun can possibly get a hold of.” He seats you on the sofa next to his desk.
“You must know a lot of people.” You gaze up at him from beneath your mask, batting your eyelashes. Playing up this ‘delicate and fragile’ persona was slowly beginning to eat away at your patience, but in the end, it would all be worth it.
“Oh Doll, you bet I sh-do.” He slurred, leaning closer into your space. “Gotta big ‘ol list of ‘em. Distributors. Sourcing. Miness.” Your fuzzy ear under your hood twitched, at that, unfortunately earning his still focused attention.
“Now, about my exotic tastes...” His tone dropped into a gravely one that spoke volumes of depravity. You giggle, cleverly hiding the gagging noise you originally intended to release as you fall back slowly against the sofa. Your hand comes up to behind his neck, hovering just slightly as something begins to spark around your finger tips. Right as your palm nearly lays flat against his neck, the door is obnoxiously kicked in, startling him enough to snap back from above you.
You both stare at the hulking shape that stood in the doorway, a pair of cloudy-grey eyes burning holes into the man above you.
You’d never seen her in person, but you knew who this was. Sev-
“Sevika! You’re uh… early!” He rambles, unsteadily moving from on top of you to fix his suit and tie.
“Silco’s given you plenty of time to come up with what you owe, Maverick. Now it’s pay-time.” She grumbled, waiting for a few moments before ultimately deciding to shut and lock the door.
This was… problematic. Silco’s right hand barging in right before you got to… well wait this may actually benefit you. Before you could let your gaze roam the room in search of what you were truly here for, Maverick turns back to you, firmly placing a hand on your shoulder to keep you on the sofa.
“Just give me a few moments, Doll. After this little chit chat we can pick right back up.” You scan his face instantly noticing how pale he’d become, then your gaze shifts to Sevika, who hadn’t paid you a lick of attention. Good. The less she looks at you the better.
Just as quickly as he’d turn to you, he pivoted back to the mass of muscle in his office, speaking in a slightly lower tone, as if to keep you in the shadows of his debt. “So, I know we agreed on 100k to settle the outstanding balance but…” You tune him out, instead redirecting your gaze to quickly take in his office.
Nothing of importance on the shelves. A scattered bag or two. Stack of papers on the desk.
A name catches your eye in said stack of papers. Some stuck up piltie that you’d done deals with before. It was then that the conversation was getting harder and harder to remain turned out of.
“...You’ve had six months, Maverick. You think that it’s still that amount from six months ago? Now there’s interest. You shouldn’t have borrowed so much if you couldn’t even pay back 1% of it.” Her voice was mocking and demeaning, earning a slowly souring expression on his face. Now this is amusing. Too amusing to the point that a soft chuckle briefly escapes your lips. His posture slumps and leans slightly as he moves to try and stabilize himself on his desk. You’d believe that at least if he didn’t subtly try to reach under the lip.
You flick your eyes up to Sevika, curious if she’d noticed. Then everything was a blur.
He ripped a gun out from under, fingers haphazardly pulling the trigger. It was, however, now pointed at the new hole in the ceiling, a large, mechanical arm gripping the muzzle of it so hard you could hear the squeaking of the metal as it became crushed, smoke still billowing from the end. They both didn’t move however. You spent longer than you’d like dissecting that magnificent arm with your eyes. What you wouldn’t give to inspect it closer. Take it apart. See how it works . You were mesmerized until smaller details began to bother you. A small ticking from a few gears. A low whine and hum from the wrist joints. What knucklehead of a tuner did she have?
Curiously, you trace your eyes down Sevika’s frame, struggling not to admire her build and exposed stomach as well, only to realize where the issue resided, and why neither of them were moving. Another gun, pressed flush against her, rather lovely, skin. You cursed yourself, such distracting thoughts had no place for a time and place such as this. Now was as good a time as any to see yourself out however. All you needed now was a line to latch onto…
“Hey Doll, do me a favor and head down the hall and grab one of my boys? I’m sure they’d love to take their time with this one.” He huffed out, shaking with likely a mixture of adrenaline and fear. A line is a line. Slowly, you move to stand, lavishly taking your time to saunter behind him instead of to the door. Sevika eye’s you with glared daggers and curiosity. Weren’t you going to do as your client asked?
Instead, you lift your hand, firmly planting it to the back of his neck as you’d originally intended. You allowed yourself a gleefully sinister moment to enjoy the look of confusion and realization that passes over his eyes. A small spark turned into violent currents of golden electricity, coursing throughout the entirety of his body until he fell limp, slumping and smashing into the ground.
Sevika fixed you with a bewildered and accusatory look, “You–”
“You have fifteen minutes.” You whisper, turning on your heel to quickly zip around his desk, snatching the stack of papers and tucking it into the strap of your garter. You make quick work of his drawers, searching for anything else of value. Ah! Royalty purple bag with a golden ‘D’ engraved. You snag it by the string with a sharp nail, turning to face the window.
In the reflection, you barely register the movement behind you, gasping as you notice Sevika rushing you. “Oh no you don’t!”
You fling yourself out the window thoughtlessly, the clinking of her metal arm grasping air where the end of your cowl had been. Thankfully, it was only two stories high. You landed gracefully on a lower rooftop, skillfully maneuvering your way down as something becomes loose behind you. You allow your body to slip off several pipes until you land effortlessly in an alleyway, a long, smoky-black tail waving behind you against the ground that had been providing extra balance.
Glancing up, your eyes lock with those cloudy greys as they glare down at you. She ducked back suddenly. Must’ve decided to take the stairs. Works for you! You’d have enough time to work out your surroundings, figure out your location, head home–
A massive shadow launched out from the window. You’ve got to be kidding me. A red cloak had been discarded, floating down from the window as, none other than Sevika herself, came barreling down after you.
You could hear the hissing steam from her arm as it clocked back, glistening in the moonlight as it prepared to absorb the impact of her dissent. Oh that’s right, she was coming down after YOU.
Opening the bag, you quickly folded the papers from your garter into it and tugged the strings impossibly tight at the entrance, tossing the neck of it between your teeth as you bolted down the alley.
All you needed was a few sharp corners and you’d be able to vanish. Such wishful thinking wasn’t a luxury however, as with each corner and bend, that annoyingly gorgeous mechanical arm would sink its claws into bricks and launch Silco’s second hand closer and closer behind you. She was leaving you with very little options at this point. Every turn and corner felt like she was one step closer to–
“OW! Let go!” You yelp between your clenched teeth upon being yanked back by your tail. The bag slips from your mouth, plopping on the ground. Thoughtlessly, you slashed a hand back against the metal, sending off a spark that overtook her entire arm, rendering it useless for a few moments.
“Shit.” You hiss, rolling back off your shoulders to take on a defensive hunch, remaining low to the ground. The bag was now between you and her. You narrowed your eyes, beyond annoyed at the turn of the situation. Your tail made no effort to hide your displeasure as it lashed slowly, hovering just above the ground behind you.
“The fuck did you do to my arm!” She spat, huffing and panting as if she ran a marathon, which in her defense, she practically did. You were almost impressed with how well she was able to keep up with you, if not for the reason the chase took place to begin with. You struggled to ignore how her panting and huffing sounded. What they made you think of and imagine… What was getting into you? A quick glance at the sky confirmed your suspicions, a soft ‘tch’ leaving your lips.
You refused to speak. Now that you’ve had a good look at her, you know you’ve seen her more times than not, and weren’t entirely sure if it went both ways. You had a disguise now thankfully, but something told you that if she’d heard you speak loud enough, you’d be found out rather quickly within the next few days.
Weighing your options as time ticked by, you needed to make a choice and make it now. Your hand reached for the garter on your opposite side, snatching out a small, golden sphere with slots and engravings on it. Sevika had only a moment to take in your appearance fully to memorize before you tossed it out towards her, a small static charge leaving your fingers along with it. Your tail made a quick effort to wrap around the bag as you made a move to launch off.
Her eyes widen with panic as she moves to lunge after you, her arm coming back to life mere seconds after you just barely get out of reach, only for them to snag on the end of the bag tearing it open. The sphere jolted and bounced violently along the ground, snapping open in half as it whirred to life, assembling itself into the form of a small canid creature. Its head spins, locking in place in Sevika’s direction, its eyes glowing the same color as the spark. She has a mere moment of eerie silence before it pops open its mouth and starts yapping wildly, diving after her ankles.
“The fuck?!” She snaps in surprise, tumbling back, just barely pulling each leg back in time for its small jaws to lock on nothing. It refused to go after anything vital, instead seeming hellbent on biting her ankles.
Papers scatter about along with a variety of stones. You curse under your breath, snatching what you could before rolling away across the ground. In much different circumstances, Sevika could’ve admired the clenching and flexing of your thigh muscles as they moved you along the ground. Despite being in a dress, you were quite mobile, quite flexible. Golden sparks envelope your frame, stripes appearing along your body in the same color, blinding light beamed in all directions, forcing Sevika’s eyes closed.
You were gone.
Small remnants of static dancing where you had been.
A sharp pain pierced her ankle, earning Sevika’s attention down on the small mechanical creature that gnawed mindlessly at her. It then dawned on her that it was harmless, not evening drawing blood. It locked its jaw before seeming to die down, life leaving its eyes.
She released an exasperated sigh, rubbing her hand across her face as she stood in silence. What the fuck just happened? What sort of nonsensical bullshit just occurred? Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, her gaze lingering on the scattered pages and stones along the alley ground. Clues if anything. Wordlessly, she scooped them up after prying the little ankle biter off, opting to take it with her as well.
–
You ran on all fours, small jaws locked desperately around torn pieces of paper and rocks as muffled noises of discontent growled around them. Everything had been going to plan! You’d been so careful. Plotted everything out step by step. Little did you know, keeping tabs on your target’s financial status seemed to now be the new standard.
You hadn’t been counting on an uninvited guest, much less Silco’s ‘collection hound’ to come bombarding in.
Your claws latch onto the railing of a patio, pulling the rest of your fuzzy body up and over until you land square in the middle.
It annoyed you to no end. Something you didn’t account for, or at least, never would’ve thought to in the first place, ruined just about everything. Thankfully , he had drunk the laced beverage. It contained a highly, yet controlled, conductance serum that carried your current to all the right spots. Enough to render unconscious and induce a blank spot in the memory. Perfect for erasing a face, and leaving a piece of shit, unfortunately alive. You needed your tracks covered in the event you needed to encounter him again. Though now that Silco is on his ass, he’s likely as good as dead.
You moved to the door on the patio, stretching languidly across the ground as sparks overtook you once more, lighting up the golden stripes along your smokey-black fur. With a brief shake and roll across the floor, you were back to your original form in a flash.
Your gaze glared down at the torn halves of paper and scattered rocks. Was it even worth it?
Bending down, you scoop them up with a sigh, other hand reaching to turn the knob to allow yourself in.
“R-Roh?” A solid black mechanical feline approached rapidly from another room, emitting low noises in imitation of a purr as it rubbed against your bare legs. You smile sweetly, leaning over to brush your fingertips along its stiff ears.
“Hello, Lovely. I’m sorry I’m home late, I’ll recharge you in a minute.” You hum adoringly to the creature, stepping over it to a hook along the wall that held a robe. You grab it in passing, making your way to a desk in the corner of the room as you drop the papers and rocks along it.
“Now, let's see what we can piece together here…” You sigh, tying the rope of the robe together in the front as you take a seat. Almost instantly, the mechanical feline found its way into your lap, continuing to purr until it jerkily got comfortable in a loaf-like position. Your hand lifts, moving to just above its head as your fingers rubbed together, generating static before touching its head. You continued to pet it, smiling sweetly as you refocused at the task at hand. You lean forward, mid-shoulder length strands of glossy black hair cascade around your face along with the occasional chunk of blonde.
You skimmed the half pages, taking note of one of which being a list of names, likely vendors for materials. Next to them were the mine locations, many with large red crosses through them. You continued to read silently what you could, setting the papers down in favor of rummaging through the small pile of rocks. As you run your thumb over a pale rock, the ridges catch your attention, pulling your pale gaze from the words over to its structure. It occurred to you that you’d never seen one like this before.
Pale white, a bit smoother than other stone textures.
Turning it over, you eye it in wonder, racking your mind for any similarities, finding none. Perhaps the little heist wasn’t entirely fruitless afterall. However, a quick glance over your other findings was enough to tell you this wasn’t nearly enough. Not enough to sell. Not enough to experiment with. Just… not enough. Dark rounded ears that sat on your head pinned back in mild annoyance.
Which meant… you’d need to pick up some shifts at The Garden.
A wave of warmth suddenly washed throughout your body. A less than subtle warning. The fur along your tail raises, tingling before settling back down. The timing was good at least, you’d always preferred to work during this time. Always earned you heavier coin than usual.
Aah.. The Garden.
Would she be there?
You knew of her. Caught a glimpse from time to time around the streets, but never did tie the name to her face. The very name that would float around the beaded curtains of that hazy establishment of pleasure. You’d be lying if you weren’t curious. If the tales were true, she could probably even satisfy you during that state.
Your tongue found your teeth as you mosied over the appropriate phrasing in your mind.
Heat.
The very thing that solidified Vastayan’s from others apart from their appearances. Your thoughts would always end up conflicting when it came to that topic. As a part of you as it was, you hated how vulnerable it made you. How clouded your mind became. How susceptible to suggestions you’d be. You learned early on that you were safer, ironically, in a brothel during those times. The girls would protect you. Keep you from being led out or putting yourself in dangerous situations.
A real win-win situation. A safe place to both earn coin, and satiate your Heat. You ignored what that would entail for you in the long run. Self therapy wasn’t until Sundays, and today was Tuesday.
You willed your mind to circle back to the original thought at hand. Silco’s muscle and loan shark. Tall, dark and broody.
Sensing a change in the atmosphere, the mechanical feline in your lap stretched against your stroking hand, absorbing whatever was left of the charge you wished to provide before hopping down with a soft ‘clink’, tapping down the hall into another room.
You snorted a laugh through your nostrils as your head came to rest on your arms along the desk.
She had a rather cute tooth gap. You’d never been in the same room as her to notice.
Briefly, your mind wanders back to the encounter in that office. Her broad shoulders in the door frame. The way her arm flexed in anticipation. The very arm you’d been curious how your fingers would feel trailing against. Gripping into.
A shaky breath.
Your tail flicked around the leg of the chair below you as your eyes fluttered shut. Another wave of warmth rose and lingered in your face.
Images of her taut abdomen, sneering lips, thick fingers. You huff suddenly, peering open your glazed eyes for a moment before they slid shut once more. It didn’t hurt to imagine. Not at all. It wouldn’t be weird to speculate how it’d feel to have those fingers grip your throat, or dig into your hip. Buried deep within you in the very place that seemed to pulse.
Your waist jerked at the thought, as if grabbed in that moment.
A scenario played out in your mind. A scenario in which you’d been there for entirely different reasons. Maverick nowhere to be seen. You, standing in that very same office. Those grey eyes locking onto you. Had that been a quirk of her brow? A flash of interest. Now that was a delusional thought. A thought that only delved deeper into fantasy as the warmth continued to spread and remain throughout your body.
You didn’t manage to get her scent. A soft breath escapes your lips as you wonder what she’d smell like. You recall the unique blue scarring along her neck and cheek, wondering for a moment how it’d feel under your tongue. Along with other things on your tongue. How she’d taste.
Your hips shudder and roll forward in your chair as your mind sinks further, soft panting breaths bathing the wood.
Your mind dances around the idea of her slamming you over the desk on your stomach, or forcing your face into the window. A bead of drool trickles from the corner of your mouth as your tail tightens around the chair leg. The thought of her hands roughly pressing into your thighs, the warmth of her human hand paired with the cold, unforgiving clawing of her metal. The thought alone coaxed a needy whimper from you.
Need.
You need something. Craved something.
“Sevika..” You test her name shakily on your tongue, breaking the silence and instantly jolting you from your fantasies. With a groan, you let your head thunk against the wood of the desk, discovering only one of your arms had behaved and remained under your head. The other had found its way down, nestled between your legs to make matters worse.
“Fucking hell.” You lean back in the chair, lifting said hand up into the light to reveal strings of collected slick. You normally get bad during your heats. A little enthusiastic even. Hence why you mostly took brothel shifts during them. Who wouldn’t want a ‘purring slut’ in their lap. You glare at the liquid, scoffing softly before turning your head to the side. The money would be good at least.
Yet another warning wave began to overtake you, causing your legs to react first, forcing you into a standing position. You had another day or two before it fully kicked in. Doing anything about it now would only make it worse for you later on.
With a heavy sigh, you recall the spark from the light above your desk, slowly making your way down the hall. To avoid any quirky dreams, you needed to keep your mind occupied. And what better way than working on your well beyond past due commissions. You made your way to the door opposite of your room, turning the knob to open it, revealing vast darkness. A flick of your wrist sent a spark into the bulb further down, illuminating a set of stairs.
You made your way down, eyes coasting over countless shelves of dismantled weapons and prosthetics. Your current project laid in the center of a table littered with parts and blueprints.
With a deep stretch, you cracked your back, releasing a well wound up sigh.
–