_______________________________........ |  The Underground · The Core · |@Mistress Dizzy] & |@Exit] CollaborationThe Underground · The Core · @Mistress Dizzy & @Exit Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________.
Mistress Dizzy
Jin was mid-breath, about to continue with their worried ramble, when Nelu’s hand softly met theirs. The word 'beautiful' drifted to Jin’s ears. Between the low quality oxygen and the Captain's hand being so close to their heart he could have counted the beats, it was suddenly hard to breathe.
"...Seriously?" Jin froze up, obviously confused.
Like a computer with too many tasks to process, Jin’s mind ground to a screeching halt.
Exit
Nelu gave Jin a carefully controlled nod, suddenly realizing what he was saying as his mind erupted into all out war. His mouth continued to move however, already satisfied with the way things were going. ”Not that yo-”
...STOP…
Nelu very quickly pivoted. ”...ooou know, I should be surprised. It’s Doc Li’s work. Of course it’s going to work. Even on me.” He removed his hand from its place just below her neckline and tapped his chest. ”I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve got you with me. If all that time training with you taught me only one thing, it’s that I’ve got nothing to worry about with you around.”
Mistress Dizzy
After Nelu spoke, there was nothing from Jin but silence. As the length went from "thoughtful pause" to "incredibly awkward", their eyes fluttered shut. Jin inhaled slow, and exhaled deep.
The Captain had lied.
But that wasn’t the unusual part. He was an interrogation specialist, after all. The man could sell hot tea in midsummer. Nelu could smile, frown, stare you in the eye, and spin bullshit with so much detail it was like you were there too. There was a reason they called the best ones "con artists", after all. Whenever Jin got to watch him work, it was like watching Hokusai paint live while they tried to follow with fucking fingerpaint. It pissed Jin off, every time.
The unusual part was that he had lied to Jin, directly in their face. Just as soon as they had figured out how to trust. Typical.
Jin opened their eyes, as if nothing was wrong. "The dress could make anybody look hot. Even a scrawny lil Roach." They grinned, and lied in their Captain's face. "I'll always have your back, Cap."
...
Exit
It only took the pair a few hours of digging through the Underground to find the information they needed. Given that the tunnels and ratways were bereft of RSF and there was no shortage of criminal activity, sensitive information was not exactly kept secret. A few had been wary of the ‘strangers’ wandering around asking questions but eventually, thanks in large part to Jin knowing where to go and who to ask, a man was kind enough to point them in the right direction.
It was odd however. The attitudes they were given. The looks and responses. It almost seemed like pity. Like those in the know wanted to help. Like a curse such as theirs was a worse fate than being born into the darkness under the city.
It was impossible to tell the time down here. According to Nelu’s watch, it was late approaching midnight but the energy almost felt as if it could be midday. If anything, it felt as though time didn’t pass. He and Jin simply moved from one place to another. Now, they were standing on a platform cut into a wall under an unusually tall ceiling. Down below them, the entrance to ‘The Core’ glowed in lights meant to draw in the moths of the sewers. Promises of sin and sleaze spilled from the mouth of the club as men and women of the dirt clambered about outside. Most of them cared little about prying eyes in the sewer streets and continued galavanting around practically naked.
The rest were, again, dressed in extravagance. Like the market before, the trash of the world had been repurposed into something that could be called fashion and once again, Nelu found himself being treated to the lights and colors of another world. He was already beginning to acclimate.
Mistress Dizzy
By the time the pair reached the Core, Jin was beginning to feel frayed. It had been a long time since they’d gone to the Underground for anything more than a quick visit or an off the books shopping trip. It was intoxicating, being back. And yet - it wasn’t quite a triumphant homecoming. Everything was different, and Jin couldn’t work out if the environment had changed, or they had.
And then there was Nelu.
It had taken Jin far longer than they had liked to work out the barest clue of his lies. If Captain Dermok had a consistent tell, Jin wasn’t good enough to spot it. But they had picked up a few things. Usually it was in his voice. Not what he said, but how he said it. The slightest little vocal hitch, as if he had to slip an untruth through his teeth.
Jin knew for sure, now, that the Captain was not okay. That lie had been less of a hitch and more of a hiccup. Clear as neon at night. But they had the sense that there had been a second lie. Unfortunately, they had no clear way of telling what it was.
Exit
”Have you been inside before?” He had asked them as they watched the entrance.
Mistress Dizzy
Blinking twice, Jin answered Nelu’s question as if they hadn’t been deep in thought. “Nah. Never had a reason. Couldn’t afford the cover price if I did.” They peered toward the club below. “I really hope we can get the info and just… bounce.” One hand went to the clasp, again. Instead of toying with it, they slipped a fingernail in the back, revealing a false back. Inside lay a nearly microscopic network of wires and the tiniest bit of glass Jin had ever seen.
Carefully, they pressed a small button. A red light began to blink within, and then Jin closed it up, setting it back on their neck as if it was just another bauble like any woman would wear.
“Say hi to the Doc, Captain.”
Exit
Nelu turned to Jin at the mention of Doc Li and then looked down at the necklace. Of course it wasn’t the first time he’d seen it, but this was the first time he was being directed toward it for a reason and Immediately he understood what was going on. He felt a small piece of himself die inside.
”Are we sure that hasn’t been on the entire time?”
Of course there would be eyes on them, even down here. And given Li’s skill, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume she’d managed a live feed despite them being separated by layers and layers of dirt and concrete. When it was her, nothing was entirely out of the realm of possibility. He had to wonder what she’d already seen if the camera had indeed been on. His blushing? His touching Jin’s chest? The stupid shit that was coming out of his mouth?
Mistress Dizzy
Jin gave him a curious look. Either they were misunderstanding his tone, or the Captain was nervous. “Hm? Yeah. The battery’s limited.” They turned their body toward the club, lifting a hand between them. In the dim light, they made 3 separate military hand signals. -Commander- -All Clear- -Follow-
And then they started heading down toward the club without further explanation. Maybe the Captain was just getting the subterflu or something. Whatever it was, Jin needed to be sharp and ready enough for them both.
Exit
Nelu noted the hand signs and followed after Jin. They made their way down a sloping path that carved between stone and metal structures buttressed against bedrock. Stepping over wiring and loose stone and exiting into the open ‘street’ below: ‘The Bowl’ as it were or the very bottom of the known world. Here, a causeway of sorts kept feet dry and most out of the muck swimming along the sides. The trash and grim however was ignored. They were little more than embellishments in a place built around the filth. What was more pressing was the weight of the air. It was heavy and thick and somehow inebriating and as the pair approached the entrance to ‘The Core’, it only grew worse. Jin had already gotten used to it. Nelu was still… acclimating, but he was a quick learner. Despite never having been down this far and despite the lack of clean oxygen and the way Jin had been pulling at his attention all night, he was able to remain somewhat level headed and keep on mission.
Like before, his eyes weren’t the only eyes sticking to Jin’s form. Although the disguise was made to blend in, it was almost working too well. Jin was standing out in a crowd they belonged in. People weren’t eyeing them in scrutiny but in awe.
Nelu smiled.
He wasn’t sure if it was the sound of the bass, the lack of air, the way Jin had been messing with him or if it was because he knew Doc Li would be watching, but suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Their mission was intelligence and they were entering ‘The Core’ through the front door. He could have told himself it was part of the disguise but he knew it wasn’t true. They had time and he had Jin.
While onlookers were eyeing them both, some seeming like they wanted to move in and make a move on Jin themselves, Nelu stepped up first. He whispered into Jin’s ear as he approached them from behind. ”Hey.” He began, holding out his hand this time. ”Come on. It’s my turn and I have to make up for that ‘dance’ from earlier. Wanna give the doctor a good show?”
Besides when they entered the Underground, Jin had been leading them the entire time. Nelu was almost sure they would have gotten here all on their own, and much faster if he hadn’t been around to slow them down.
Mistress Dizzy
Jin was acutely aware of the eyes on them as they approached the Core. They let their gaze sweep the crowd, not making direct contact with anyone. This disguise was maybe too good. Everyone wanted the platinum lady, and no one could see that she was just a silver floater. Just another lie.
Nelu’s voice caught them two steps from the front entrance. As he held out a hand, Jin hesitated. On one hand, they were supposed to stay under the radar as much as possible. On the other, what was life without a little dramatics?
And besides, it wouldn't hurt to pretend to be someone worth Nelu’s attention for a few more hours, would it?
Jin lay a hand in Nelu’s, grinning wide. "Whatcha got in mind?"
Exit
“A date.”
Nelu winked at Jin and pulled them a little closer as they both stepped under the glowing arches of the entrance. Light fell over them like a curtain; a ‘hot’ orange that clashed with the brilliance in Jin’s irises and the lights embedded in their dress. The walls and ceiling here were made to look like molten rock and would have been an eye catching visual if not for the very obvious distraction. He held Jin’s gaze as he led them further inside. ”How does that sound?”
Around them both, the air began to vibrate to the sound of music pouring from inside.
Mistress Dizzy
“A da-”
Jin blinked as their brain shorted, shut down, and reset in the span of a second. The lights lit their face orange-red. “...Damn. You really do want to make the Doc squirm.”
They had to work to tear their eyes away from Nelu’s. The longer he stared, the more Jin felt like diving into things headfirst, consequences and all.
Jin had to fight back a wave of tremors, ones that had nothing to do with the bass starting to rattle their eardrums. This whole mission was getting out of hand. There was a small part of them that wanted to leave Nelu and his pretty brown eyes outside the Core. It wasn’t as large a space as they’d thought. With the Flying Frog part of their mind back in play, Jin figured there would be plenty of ways to slip into Hunang’s little bender bash.
But, even with his increasingly bizarre behavior, Nelu was still technically in charge of this whole operation. Jin would catch all kinds of heat for going out of bounds, even if it did work. Perhaps one of these days, they’d get to plan it their own way. That was if the two of them survived the night in one piece. Frankly, there wasn’t much to work with. Apparently they were going to put some skills into play that were downright rusty.
Jin turned back to Nelu, flashing a charming smile. Their eyes peeked upward at Nelu through dark lashes. The expression was pure calculation; from the ever so slightly leaned posture, to the come-hither gaze. Lesser men would drop their last yuan, climb the walls of Omashu barehanded, commit a miracle or a murder - anything a lady asked when the move was used by a master practitioner of the bedroom arts. Jin was no master, but all they needed Nelu to do was follow.
“It sounds fantastic. Let’s go!”
Exit
It was always interesting to watch how someone might handle surprise; what’d they say or do or the faces they’d make. Nelu saw it all the time when he was doing interrogations. The best liars could mask their emotions, take the new information and turn it around to their advantage. The worst froze up, didn’t know how to react and would spend the next few minutes stumbling over their own words to try and dig themselves out of the hole they’d been put in.
Jin was by no means an amateur… but even then, just like Nelu before, their body betrayed them. Nelu had frozen for far too long. Allowed himself to be enraptured in Doc Li’s work and let his eyes wander, giving Jin quite possibly the clearest picture ever to that part of him. When it was Jin’s turn, to their credit, they never actually froze, not like before. All Nelu was given was a stop mid sentence. Their pivot too was remarkably fast as if they’d sorted through what they were feeling and what they had to do in a matter of a second. It wasn’t a surprise really. Jin had always been good at calculations on their feet although recently it had become obvious that cracks appeared when they were around Nelu. Their small reset was not enough to tell him what he wanted to know. The blush, however, was. Despite orange stained cheeks, a slight red hue showed through… and would have been more than enough of an answer. But Jin didn’t stop there.
The slight lean and the way they looked up at him. Movements familiar to him but unfamiliar on the person whose hands he was holding. The imitations of a woman enraptured that was reflected and then worn like so many faces before. It was the innate skill of the person beneath the visage of beauty and perfection before him and one of the many things about Jin that Nelu found… attractive. He resisted an urge but his eyes sparkled.
Despite what he was hearing and seeing, the answer was in fact ‘yes’.
”No.”
But the timing was all wrong. Nelu knew it as he turned to see a man standing in between him and the rest of the club. He was tall and wide, standing at over six feet and nearly blocking the entire path inside that was at least two people wide. The man himself was built like a mountain. His muscles flexed easily as he waved the others in and began to try and usher Jin inside.
”She can stay. You can leave.”
Nelu audibly sighed. For one, he knew walking right in was going to be too easy. Not just that, but every time he suggested something for them to do, playful or otherwise, the universe seemed to throw something back to interrupt. For another, the man, like everyone else they’d run into, was wrong. He fought the urge to correct him as it was Jin’s disguise after all. Saying too much might reveal the Flying Frog’s homecoming. ”She and I are together.”
”Not tonight, unless you can pay the entrance fee.”
Further behind the man, the light of the tunnel faded into darkness. Music continued to pour in from that direction but standing sentry were two more individuals. They were barely visible from the ambient orange glow that struggled to enter the dark. Those walking in were stealing glances at Nelu and Jin before continuing on inside. Each of them were similarly dressed up like Jin had been, though the look often paled in comparison.
Mistress Dizzy
Jin pivoted calmly, ignoring the go-ahead from the massive bouncer. If Nelu was still paying attention, he might detect a shift in their behavior. Their posture and presentation flipped from sexy to sweetie, all in a three second turn. Subtle, strategic, well-executed. If it was a Chuiwan game, there would have been applause.
They stared up (and up) at the man, sighing and pursing their lips. “Why can’t he come with me? He’s my date. A girl like me can’t go in a club like that all alone.” Back again was that high voice and prim speech.
Exit
”Oh don’t you worry. You won’t be alone, sweetheart.” The larger man gestured at one of the others and they peeled away from the shadows and began to approach Jin. ”You’ll have plenty of company tonight.”
Nelu’s eyes snapped over to them. This was a headache. Yet another one in a long line of them. ”How much is the fee?”
”A thousand Yuan.”
”A thousand Yuan?”
Mistress Dizzy
It was a testament to Jin’s talent, the way they managed to keep the sheer irritation from showing. There was no time for this game, but what could they do but play along? "A thousand? That's… a lot." They scowled and sighed, looking back at Nelu. "I guess we'll just have to drink water, sweetie."
Exit
”God you are good…”
Mistress Dizzy
A placating smile was flashed at the bouncer. "Fine. We have a formal agreement? One thousand Yuan and he can join me?"
Exit
”That’s right.”
It was Nelu’s turn to sigh as he reached into the fold of his jacket and pulled out a small wad of cash. ”Really bleeding me dry, huh?” He shook his head as he thumbed through a few bills, counting up to the desired amount before the man’s larger hand clasped down over his and pulled the entire stack out of his hands. A total of 2000 yuans, plucked away as if he were taking candy from a child. Nelu feigned surprise.
Mistress Dizzy
Jin also played indignant, face screwing up into a pout that was actually kind of adorable.
Exit
”That should cover it.” The man said, picking through his take and waving Nelu on dismissively. Not wanting to waste time with a door that could close on him at any moment. He simply nodded and moved to Jin.
Behind the bouncer, the other individual had by now closed the distance between himself and Jin. They placed a hand over Jin’s wrist as if they meant to take them aside, but before they could, they were immediately interrupted by Nelu. Nelu’s fingers wormed their way under the man’s thumb and as he pulled back toward himself, he torqued the man’s wrist in the wrong direction eliciting a yelp of pain. Nelu didn’t say a word. Only stared him down, but even from the side Jin would notice a fire in his eyes. An anger they seldom saw or never have that seemed to vibrate the air around them.
”Let them through.”
”Agh! What? Why?! The bitch is mine!”
Nelu applied more pressure and the man's face contorted as his breath caught in his chest and he dropped to a knee.
”He paid, yuh idiot. Let them through.” The bouncer waved the wad of cash in the air so everyone could see.
Nelu released his grip on the man and allowed him to nurse his nearly broken wrist. When he could finally focus on something other than the pain burning through his arm, he looked up and gave them both a curt head nod toward the entrance. ”Get on then. You two have fun in there…”
”Thank you.” This time, Jin would feel Nelu’s arms slip around their back and his hand grip just above their hip. He kept them close to him as they both continued onward.
”Sorry. I hope you don’t mind me being a little selfish and keeping you to myself tonight.”
Mistress Dizzy
Jin was so startled by what had happened a few seconds ago that they didn’t seem to notice Nelu’s closeness or his touch at first. They were looking back over their shoulder, watching the two bouncers with a wide gaze. It was over, but for how long? “I coulda helped.” They murmured quietly, refocusing with a mild sigh.
Then the lack of space between Nelu’s body and theirs smacked Jin square in the base of their overworked brain. To Jin’s credit, they had been on high alert the moment that second bouncer had touched them. The Core was unknown territory - anyone could be an enemy. It was game on; neither of them could afford any more slip ups. They didn’t make a noise, and even managed to keep from blushing. The only reaction they couldn’t completely bury was a shiver that ran through them, from head to toe. It would be impossible for Nelu to miss the goosebumps, so Jin simply kept their eyes fixed ahead. If they registered anything else about the whole situation, they would not be able to complete the mission safely.
“Hope that wasn’t your cash back there.” Their voice was back to their usual octave, too low to be heard by anyone else. “I’ll pay you back later. Loving the overprotective boyfriend bit, too. You really sell it.”
Exit
”Well considering I’m not…” Nelu shook his head and snorted, turning to Jin with a light in his eyes that seemed almost brighter than theirs. He could feel it. Feel them and their body reacting to his touch and their proximity. They were dancing on a cliff and Jin was skirting on the edge of it, anchored to safety only by Nelu’s whim. The mask they wore said they were fine even as they knew they could fall at any moment, but then so too did Nelu’s.
”Come on.”
Jin would never know how he felt. How every time their hand was in his, electricity burned across his skin. How every time they looked up at him, he felt his chest tighten and the air leave the room. How right now, their warmth pressed into the crook of his arm and into his side was everything to him. They would never know, because the blush in his cheeks was colorless.
Was colorless…
Mistress Dizzy
“Yep. Lead on.” Jin glanced aside at their Captain, briefly, before facing toward the destination.
A thief’s eyes had to be sharp. A sniper’s eyes, sharper. Jin knew what they’d had seen, even in just a second’s gaze. The Captain was… blushing. Although they didn’t flinch or falter, their mind was in a sudden free fall. A dozen data points from over the past several hours started to puzzle into place behind Jin’s false blue eyes.
Things had been a little odd from the start, it was true. But the Captain was getting stranger and more erratic by the minute. The staring, the touching, the way he’d damn near ripped that bouncer’s hand off, and now the absolutely adorable anomaly of his blush…
Understanding clicked behind their brain, from one step to the next. Suddenly, everything made complete sense. Except, of course, why it had taken Jin this long to work it out in the first place.
As the two stepped into the Core’s interior, Jin could feel nothing but the overwhelming pulse of the bass, and the solidity of warmth of the man beside them. They let their hand slip into Nelu’s for the briefest of moments, and gave it a squeeze. A silent promise, to him, and themself. One way or another, they’d make it back out. |
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