Work Text:
Judy's back ached like hell.
She spent the majority of her day editing and tuning BDs, and her body clearly wanted a break. It wasn't that she disliked her job, but sitting without stretching or even walking for over 10 hours was taking its toll on her. Still, it could be worse. At least she wasn't practically owned by a megacorp. The Mox gave her about the best working conditions anyone in NC could hope for. Plus, she could always order a drink upstairs at Lizzie's Bar.
She yawned and looked at the time. 6:30. She still had an hour and a half left. She looked back at her monitor to see what she was editing. It was just a fellow Mox with a client. All she really had to edit was up the pleasure a bit and soften the background noise. Thrilling. It had been a while since she got to edit anything fun.
She took a long sip of her lukewarm coffee she had made that morning. Bitter. It was better when it was warm. She looked back at her clock. 6:40. God, could time move any slower? Surely there was some sort of implant she could get that would make time feel faster. A reverse kerenzikov. Not that she would have the money for it.
Maybe she could ask to leave early. She was a good worker, and most of the things on her daily to-do list were completed. Even if she wasn't on the best terms with her boss, she'd probably let her leave this once. But she might also not. Better not to risk it, Judy thought.
As Judy thought to herself while tediously editing, she heard footsteps outside her room and the door open, as a welcome voice cut through her boredom.
"I brought you a coffee from Tom's Diner." Evelyn said whilst holding said coffee. She was wearing a pink faux-fur coat, with a relatively practical black dress underneath. Her techhair was tied back. Her outfit was surprisingly practical and modest, at least for her. "I also got you pancakes, if you want. They're kind of crappy, and I know they're a breakfast food, but it beats scop for dinner."
"Thanks, Ev." Judy replied, while subconsciously analyzing Evelyn's facial features maybe not as subtly as she thought she was. Evelyn really was quite beautiful.
Evelyn and Judy met at Clouds. Or, at least that was the best guess the two of of them could come up with. They had known each other almost as far back as either could remember. Evelyn was a doll at Clouds, and Judy was an engineer. Neither of them particularly enjoyed it. Tyger Claws aren't too great at worker's rights. Judy eventually joined the Mox and left to work at Lizzie's Bar, and Evelyn left Clouds soon after. She never officially received employment, but she always seemed to have enough eddies to get by and Judy never questioned it.
By extension, she didn't question Evelyn's frequent visits to Pacifica either.
While Evelyn didn't officially work at Lizzie's, she was usually around that area, presumably to spend time with Judy. Her best friend. Judy always hated when Evelyn called her that. She never admitted to herself why.
"I'm starved." Evelyn dramatically said as she grabbed Judy's shoulder softly. She looked radiant in this lighting. "We should get something to eat. I know a spot near Kabuki with decent ramen. I'll pay."
"I'm working." Judy groaned, slightly disappointed. She would give anything to leave work and get dinner with Ev. "Besides, didn't you already get something to eat at Tom's Diner?"
"Well, yeah." Evelyn replied, "but you weren't there with me at Tom's."
Judy looked into Evelyn's eyes more. They were quite possibly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "It pains me to say this, Ev," Judy spoke melodramatically, "But I really can't. Susie's already upset with me, and I still have too much work. Maybe another tomorrow?"
"That might not work too well for me. Not the next week or two." Evelyn commented with a strange mix of disappointment and longing. "I've got a job. Or, I'm part of one. I'll tell you about it later, maybe."
Shit. Every time Evelyn contacted a fixer to hire a merc for anything, it went sideways. She never was good with these things. Something was different about this job, though. She sounded more anxious. She didn't seem worried, although, she never seemed worried about anything. But this job seemed bigger than previous ones she had.
"Ev, you can tell me about it now if you need. I'm busy, but I'm never too busy for you." Judy commented with a small tremble in her voice. It might have not come across how she wanted to.
"It's just..." Evelyn replied, fidgeting with the cuffs of her sleeves. "Have you ever heard of Dexter DeShawn?"
Dexter DeShawn. Almost everyone in NC knew about him. To the average merc, he was just about the best fixer anyone could hope to have, maybe aside from the Queen of the Afterlife herself. But, to anyone who put in more than 5 minutes of research into him, everything he touched stunk to high hell. A few years prior one of his jobs went to shit, and he disappeared. This was the first time Judy had heard his name in years.
"I've heard of him." Judy replied, "didn't he vanish off the face of the earth a while back?"
"Yes." Evelyn responded with a monotone voice. "But he's around the best fixer I can afford. And he's been professional enough. He already has 3 mercs in mind for the gig."
"Hold on," Judy said while cutting Evelyn off. Less than a minute ago, she didn't even know a gig was happening, and now Dex DeShawn was involved. Too much and too little information was being revealed simultaneously. "What was this gig again?"
"Stealing a relic prototype from Yorinobu Arasaka." Evelyn answered in a robotic tone. " I have a sponsor. If we manage to pull it off, I- we- can get away from hear. Start fresh. You and me, we'd be set for life."
"We?"
"You and me."
This situation seemed to grow shittier by the minute. This was too much to digest, especially all at once. Somehow, Evelyn was going to get ahold of the prized possession of the heir to the biggest company on earth. And somehow, Judy was involved too.
"If they find out about any of this, we're dead." Judy said while wiping the sweat from her brow. It was cold in her office, but that didn't stop her. "Everyone close to us is dead."
"That won't happen." Evelyn replied all too confidently. She was too certain she could go against Arasaka and live. Her attitude was reassuring, even if Judy knew better. "Someone is going to come over tomorrow. One of the mercs. Their name is V. I need your help."
"Christ, Ev..." Judy rubbed the bridge of her nose. She felt the corners of her eyes start to sting. It didn't make sense why she would cry in this situation, but she was starting to cry regardless. "You can't just drop this all on me at once."
"I know. But if I waited it wouldn't have changed anything. I need you to walk V through a BD of the inside of Yorinobu's suite at Konpeki Plaza to try to find where the relic is." Evelyn explained while standing boldly. She began to rub Judy's shoulder, reassuring her it would be okay. It worked, somehow.
"You said it would be you and me. Why are you starting over with me?" Judy asked. All the information she received in the past 2 minutes was jarring, but that throwaway sentence stood out to her.
"Judy, I-" Evelyn studdered. She had remained stoic for everything else, it almost seemed rehearsed when she spoke, but that question knocked her off her metaphorical footing somehow. "There could be an us."
...
Judy stated at Evelyn wide eyed. Out of all the things Evelyn could have responded with, that was the least expected.
A rush of emotions filled Judy's brain. Relief, fear, anxiety, and, perhaps the least expected, misery. Those words were all Judy wanted to her from Evelyn, whether she would admit it or not. So why was she so miserable?
"Before you say anything," Evelyn said, shakily moving her hand to Judy's cheek. Her eyes were the wateriest Judy had ever seen them be. "I just- I-"
Evelyn held Judy's head with her hands, and kissed her on the lips. Judy felt her stomach twist. She felt nauseated. This was all she thought she wanted, but all she could think of was the most likely fate for Evelyn, or anyone who tried to steal from Arasaka would be. It was like kissing a corpse. A tear fell down Judy's cheek. How long had it been?
Evelyn backed away. Judy rubbed her lips slowly.
"I- I f-" Judy stuttered before being cut off.
"Don't bother." Evelyn said in a blank voice as she turned towards the door. "Tomorrow. Be here between 6pm and 6am. Please, for our sakes."
Evelyn walked out the door.
A walking, talking, corpse.