[Shadowrun] Glitter and Chrome - [COMPLETED]

[Princess Scribe]

I didn't lie by the way, tomorrow is 4 chapters, 10k words, and the fic ends. Then we start posting a new project while we continue to write for Thanatomania and get a backlog up again.

 

[Thief of Words]

I didn't lie by the way, tomorrow is 4 chapters, 10k words, and the fic ends. Then we start posting a new project while we continue to write for Thanatomania and get a backlog up again.

Click to shrink...

I mean, deliberately contracting HMMV isn't so much sliding down the slippery slope as leaping off it into full free fall, so it's hardly surprising she's approaching the end of her tale.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Firebird's hideout is packed now. There's an ork wearing a vest, short sleeve shirt under it and distressed jeans, chuckling as he speaks to another man, a short human, maybe five six, who's playing with bottles of reagent whilst responding.

A troll of truly massive size is in the room, sitting still, staring forwards with the gleam of some sort of cyber, or maybe just truly empty eyes that catch the light in that way. Firebird's idly making some pre-packaged meal by separating it out and warming it in a microwave, eating chicken and hopefully real rice to pass the time until Violet arrives.

Baron is in this tight leather outfit dyed a crimson red, with cutouts on the sides of her thighs, waist and shoulders. While Violet follows, the bow on her back, She's wearing a head to toe milspec suit, like the others, with a full recording rig hooked into it like a body cam. She's followed by a small drone, and nanite's have been applied to her face to cover up the stripes. Her eyes are now their original color, a deep murky almost brackish brown. Her hair had regenerated, but the colour in the curls were now platinum instead of a fun pink. Mountains of arrows in her quiver.

Firebird notices the change in Violet immediately, the only one there who had the experience with her to know something is different.

"Heya, Vi. You feeling alright?" Firebird asks between bites of food, standing at the kitchen and eating.

With a smile that shows off fangs, Violet responds, "I feel like a new woman, better than I've felt in years." She takes off the bow, easily stretching the string back and forth, before returning it to her back.

"So you did take my advice." She chuckles, unclear if she's speaking to Violet or someone else. "It was excellent advice, no?"

Cracking her neck with a grin, "I had to be talked into it actually, but it was the best decision I've made. Plus… I'll get to be on the front lines with you all." She says with a grin, "Center stage once the BTL and commlink is delta'd in."

"You can have chrome as a vampire?" Firebird tilts her head, while Shrapnel nods. "Oh yeah, its all about rejection. Everyone has rejection symptoms, but a HMHVV infected individual also has a regenerative factor. Deltaware doesn't proc that factor. So its fine." The revelation having made Alexia, a few hours ago, blink.

"Well that's excellent then." The only elf here laughs, "Now, onto the second question, did you two….you know?" She giggles, pointing at Alexia and Violet with a finger.

"So to be honest, that, is not happening again, not with me, with anyone." Violet said with a sigh, "Never."

Staring at Alexia, Firebird groans, "Of course you're ace! The universe hates me. Me in particular." Its mostly a joke, though there's some announce there.

"Well, I love you, so the universe can suck it," Violet says with a laugh, though realising that the words just kind of came out. Then she growled angrily, "Shut the fuck up." To no-one in particular.

Ignoring the request entirely, Firebird gives a long, "Awwwwwwwww!" Nearly pouncing forwards with a grin. "Love you too!" She grins wider, taking another bite of food.

Violet growled with anger at herself, "Shut up, you're so annoying. Like an unneutered pet. I feel like I need to get a water bottle to get you to stop humping people's legs."

"Look, she's bantering with me! True love!" Firebird looks to the slowly growing amused room, almost laughing to herself.

As she turns around, a stream of water hits her in the back with a quiet tss tss. "I meant to say I did get a water bottle. Down. Off. Bad."

Firebird chuckles, turning with a smirk, "You don't need that to get me wet, Violet. Come on now." Making the room groan at her games. Everyone seems well used to them.

"No, I imagine it's not a very hard feat at all." Violet shoots back with a grin, twisting the squirt nozzle off the normal water bottle and sipping it, before putting the whole thing in a giant pocket for a grenade. "Everyone is aware this is on stream right? I just want to make triple sure, I don't like recording people without their consent. Seems… Icky?"

"Yup!" The ork laughs, "By the way, I'm Dutch, this is Honey." He points a thumb at the short human man next to him still fiddling with reagants. "We're the magic muscle, sort of, I'm the muscle magic, he's the magic muscle."

"Beautiful!" Violet said with a wink, though noting a slight shift in Paladin when her pheromones started to pour not entirely liking how… Stiff the man stood. She makes eye contact looking up, "So this is what I look like to most people," She still shot her winning smile, "Christ I'm terrifying!"

"Hn." The growl is bone rattling and makes the room a little nervous, as a gas mask is pulled out of a massive hip pouch and settled over his massive, tusked maw. "Don't do that." Paladin corrects once, a feeling that there won't be a second correction dawning on Violet.

"Right, sorry," She says very slowly, backing away from his gaze, "I've never met someone bigger than me. It's intimidating." She never stops smiling how ever.

"Don't mind Paladin. He's a teddy bear once he's filled up on murder." Firebird laughs, "I imagine he'll even crack a smile after the hundredth HRT he turns into a smear." She looks at Paladin, who shoots her a glare for engaging him at all.

"I got to test this bow, once and I'm so excited." She says, gesturing her head to Alexia, "We went to a junkyard, and the arrow went through like four cars. Solid tungsten rod, like my arms are a rail cannon now I'm so stoked." Cute, quirky, bubbly as Violet allows herself to slowly perk up and command the room filling with cheer and joy. Trying to heighten the mood.

"It'll be a great time!" The ork agreed wholeheartedly.

She turns to the human male in a dark corner, hidden from everyone else, who hadn't spoke yet, "You're… Ink right? You knew my girlfriend, Gadget? Well she knew you, I don't know how… Is that weird?" She said still smiling, faux stumbling over words to seem vulnerable and build rapport.

"Taught your girlfriend how to netrun. She was good, top five I think." Ink's calm, cool and a little rough around the edges. Smelling oddly like a forest for a man with a neuraljack that has a wire in it.

Looking at that Violet said, "So I guess you're the one who convinced her to go completely wired then? That's… Awesome, if you have stories I'd love to hear them once we're all on the other side." She said it like it was a sure thing, believing it wholeheartedly that everyone else started to doubt how it couldn't be true, if only for a moment.

"Sure, lets go with that." Ink shows a hint of amusement at Violet's words, "You remind me of someone, you know that?" He says, turning his gaze to Firebird, who raises a middle finger at him, rolling her eyes.

"Oh no," Violet whispers looking at her, "Now a big pink troll is going to kick my ass."

"I'm going to destroy you after this run, I do hope you've accepted that." Firebird nods sagely.

Violet squirts her with the water bottle, "Down." Then giggles.

Firebird, showing the first sign of annoyance, gets to the fridge, opens a bottle of water, and then chucks it at Violet with impressive velocity, the whole thing splitting open in a spray of water. "Down." She giggles back.

The giggling is immediate and tinkles like crystal goblets at a banquet, "I'll take the hint this time I think." She said, knowing that she had somehow won this encounter.

"Mhmm, good girl." FIrebird grins, moving back to eating her food as the group is now openly rolling their eyes and chuckling, Baron having sat down smiling. Ink even having a smirk on his face and Paladin seeming only a tad annoyed.

Rolling her shoulders letting the muscles loosen a bit, she continues drinking water. "I'm actually full for the first time in three months. The dietware, Shrapnel's modifications were nice, but now that it's completely gone I can be not hungry again. I don't think I've been this clear headed since I was like… Twelve? It's awesome." She's practically bouncing, trying to figure out which conversations to have. Everything seeming to move in slow motion around her.

"Mission. Running. People to kill. Let's get a move on." Paladin interrupts the games, starting to tap his boot, a crashing noise.

"Yes sir," Violet said in deference with a nod, "We can talk if you want to do intros in the back of the van, it's on a thirty minute delay, so your intros should be playing just as we ice the first tech. It's your choice, I'm offering a bonus however, a cut of the stream donations if you do." She says as they move to the ambush spot where Shrapnel will renew her Doc Wagon contract to steal entrance into the facility. Pulling out a commlink, but finding the screen hopelessly antiquated and difficult to manage, especially with her giant fingers.

"Don't care." Paladin answers while Baron, Dutch and Honey seem far more interested.

"No, no, we can record the intros here. Like, reality TV style!" Dutch laughs, "Hey, my name's Dutch, I'm from Washington DC! All that stuff!" The ork keeps chuckling at the idea.

"Fuck. Yes." Violet says with a happy squeak. "Alright, rig's going on put any sensitive info away, remember PI Protection!" Then with a laugh, she makes a clicking noise to activate the camera.

The light turns on, showing it's recording "Hello wonderful viewers, once again we meet in the shadows, more literally this time," She giggles, "As always, it's me your lovely stream Miss Violet Velvet, and I have a new team here with me as we pull off one of the biggest jobs in a very long time. Don't worry, I won't spoil it, it'll be on the news aaaany second now." She gives a few seconds of dead air, for notifications to get cut in with their post production team, "Yeah, that sounds right, alright let's meet our lovely crew!" She gestures at the camera to purvey the room.

Firebird grins, "Hello lovelies. You all know me." She leans onto the counter in front of her, looking into the camera with an intense focus, "Chicago, born and raised, and now I'm in Seattle for some more fun. Remember that if one of you can put together a hundred thousand Nuyen of ammo, I'll be happy to give you my number." She lets the words purr out, swaying slightly as she speaks, viewer count sure to spike when they see that.

"One of our many streamer rewards! Check the link in the stream bio, or type !kisses to get a full list of perks offered to our donators." Violet said as the drone lingered on Firebird's face, "Whose up next?" She asks the room.

Dutch chuckles, raising a hand, letting the drone flick to him with an easy smile, "Hey hey, my name's Dutch, a reference none of you probably understand. I'm from Washington D.C, the ugly sibling to this here beautiful Washington state, and I can't wait to see how many of you show up to watch this once in a century Run." He's going to be a hit, long eyelashes, filed down tusks, an easy time with the camera. He's a media personality, it's easy to tell.

"I should remind young men and women in chat, that all messages will be given to any requested runner that was introduced as long as there's a donation attached. Look at him, I'd say shoot your shot." Violet laughed. Then flicked the drone around as it used a laser to follow the guide of her hand, Looking at Honey and Ink, but not pointing it at them. When Honey nods she puts him on camera.

Honey is shy, but eager, "Hey, my name's, uhm, Honey!" The tone he uses is going to be all over the net. "I'm from, uhm, Jacksonville, and I'm really glad to be here. Remember to send up some help, alright? We need you guys and gals!" A winning smile covers up nerves and he shoots a thumbs up at the camera.

Violet's eyes are glowing with glee instead of cybernetics, "They're going to eat you up," She mouths to Honey with a smile. Looking to Ink and Baron, not pointing the camera at them waiting for consent. Ink shakes his head no, and Baron smiles and nods.

"Hello, lovely viewers." She's got the camera hooked onto her, obviously the only other actress here, angling herself in the light, leaning forwards at an angle and smiling lightly to add a sense of mystery, "My name is Baron, and I'm from lovely Los Angeles, about eighty or so years back." Alexia puts a giggle to her voice at the end of that sentence, "If you've never seen me before, you're in for a treat tonight, and if you have, I'm glad my fans have stuck with me so long!"

Leaning onto the table proper to stand up and walk to the camera, maintaining a slow, photogenic pace, she continues, "This is going to be a once in a lifetime, once in a century, once in an eternity show. The stakes are high, the danger, higher." Alexia is now staring into the camera from maybe five feet away, eyes obviously unnatural, "And you'll be there every minute, start to finish, so make sure to do your part and join the fun."

"After all, don't you want to be involved?" She grins at the camera, fangs clearly visible, "In the opportunity to get even with the world? To throw a punch back at the ivory towers, watch them have to get dirty like the rest of the world?" An anarchist vampire's going to send the Net spiralling. "Come on chummers, let's burn this city down." She winks into the camera, the natural cut there.

 

[Princess Scribe]

The van ride is entertaining at least, Shrapnel is tapping at a keyboard, using an intermediary to avoid a horrific biofeedback incident in case IC hits back. Ink is humming to himself, eyes closed as he does…something. Paladin has a minigun in hand. An assault rifle filed to a pistol grip pinned to his waist, an assault cannon on his back, a grenade launcher on his other hip, also filed to a pistol grip, and a pouch of high explosives that weighs nearly fifty kilograms.

Dutch is chuckling with Honey, both in body armour that's sleek, well fitted and very protective. Rifles on them, though Dutch has two revolvers on side holsters for his own peace of mind. Baron is tapping her foot, a gun next to her, a monowhip in hand, but most importantly, vials of blood all along her waist, dark, murky stuff that reeks of power to Violet's nose. A double image sometimes flickering to those with the right senses, revealing a stormy goddess with her face, flickering with arcs of blood and fire and death around her, eyes red with power, hair moving in an invisible wind.

Firebird is humming a similar song to Ink, checking her rifle carefully, an expensive model that was custom fabricated for her, the ammunition in each magazine worth well over six hundred nuyen a piece. Armour Piercing High Explosive ready to do horrid damage to anyone. On the van's floor, there is more of Paladin's panoply. Disposable anti tank launchers, more ammunition boxes, a hammer the size of an ork, and about as heavy.

The team's van is parked in a secluded alleyway near the Doc Wagon clinic, hidden from view but still close enough to the main road for their plan to work. Inside the cramped vehicle, the runners are making their final preparations.

Violet, seated near the rear doors of the van, is bouncing with barely contained excitement, trying hard to maintain a calm and cool demeanor despite her growing anticipation. The camera is off, and her mind races with thoughts of what will happen when it comes back on and the real action begins. Nervously plucking her bow string over and over —Twang… Twang… Twang…— she bites her lip, her eyes darting to the duffle bag at her feet, packed with thousands of arrows in multiple quivers, ready for the moment they breach the clinic. Her camrig, dutifully plugged into Ink's setup, streams to the production team Firebird has hired. At this moment, it's just Violet, her magic, and her bow.

"Okay, I've got the subscription ready. Just need to hit go and you're a super-platinum customer again," Shrapnel says confidently from the front of the van, turning to show Violet the screen with a bright green 'Accept' button.

"Alrighty!" Violet responds with a grin, turning on the recording. "Remember that this content may be disturbing for sensitive audiences at home, viewer discretion IS advised." Just as they practiced, Shrapnel ices Violet on camera, blood and gore splattering across the van's interior.

It's a super platinum package, response is fast. Ink mutters, "Turbo-fan in the air already. Its got a twenty mike-mike on the chin. Fuck they're sending an escort." Making the rest of the team groan. Paladin picks up a rocket launcher with a bolted on electronic sight as the van stops moving.

Paladin slides open the van's side door and dumps Violet's "corpse" onto the street. The Doc Wagon helicopter, already hovering nearby, lowers a winch, and the paramedics quickly secure Violet's body, raising it into the air and flying off toward the clinic.

As the rotors fade into the distance, Violet's keen ears pick up the sound of the other helicopter approaching rapidly. "Turbo-fan in pursuit," Ink warns over the comms.

Suddenly, the sound of rockets firing fills the air, and the Doc Wagon helicopter shudders as Paladin engages the pursuing craft. Violet trying to stay limp among the chaos around her. Firebird kicks the van into gear, racing as their surface to air battle begins. Viewer count is spiking, comments spiraling out of control at the team's dramatic intros and the unexpected twist of the second helicopter, donations rolling in large waves as each runner plays their part in the unfolding scene.

The interior of the Doc Wagon helicopter is cramped, with just enough space for the pilot, security, and a small medical team to work on patients in the back. The walls are lined with medical equipment, monitors, and supplies, all securely fastened to prevent shifting during flight. Two armed security personnel, clad in black body armor and helmets, sit near the rear of the cabin, tasked with protecting the medical crew and their high-value patients.

Once inside the helicopter, Violet's eyes open up wide and she says, "Howdy!" Before stabbing an armor piercing arrow into one of the security team members, the razor-sharp arrowhead punching through his body armor and slicing his throat open. She delights in his fear, absorbing it and using that to power herself into another swing, slicing the second security guard open in a spray of blood that paints the helicopter's interior crimson.

The medical team, terrified by the sudden violence, scrambles to escape the confined space. They rappel as the chopper is moving, eventually tumbling onto the rooftop below. Which causes the helicopter to veer dangerously, the pilot struggling to maintain control with Violet's claws at his throat.

With a smooth as silver voice that hits at a cross between intimidation and seduction, one that's frighteningly attractive, Violet sinks her words into the pilot's ears. "Hey chum, mind giving me a ride?" She whispers, gently squeezing his throat, her razor-sharp talons pressing against his skin, tiny pinpricks of blood making it very clear what "no" would mean.

"...Sure thing." He gets out, staring at the cityscape, crashing being a new fear the pilot has just now acquired. "T-they'll pay ransom for me." A light stutter hits his words as he tries to keep calm, his knuckles white as he grips the controls tightly in the confined

"Honey," She says smooth as silk, "You're making out of this alive. You're going to land, where ever the emergency team meets, and we're going to get run in. Then you leave, that's it. You're so lucky, you know that?" Violet says with a grin looking at the pilot. "You are one of the few people who gets to walk away."

His nod of appreciation is interrupted by remembering where the claws are, turning to a half-nod and staying like that. "G-gotcha. Much appreciated, miss Velvet."

With that she lets go, "Oh my god, crazy idea?" She says bubbly, using charm and pheromone to suck the tension out of the chopper immediately, "Do you want an autograph? You could sell it or I can sign it, I have a paint marker with me!" She pulls out a fat marker with a thick sponge and metal nano paint. She shakes it as a magnet slides back and forth in the tube activating the nano adhesive. A more permanent marker than any other permanent marker of bright neon pink.

"Since I'm not gonna have a job after this." The pilot sighs, the ice of a professional realising he's not going to be one for much longer, "Can I have two?" He laughs, the pheromones making him play his part for the camera and control the vehicle calmly.

"Sure!" Violet says with a grin, and she takes out two gold credsticks, "I don't have any paper so I'll just sign these okay?" She signs both in fluid pink ink, and tucks them into the pilot's pocket ready to be locked to his print and transferred at his behest. "I dunno what your salary is, but!~ Interviews from news agencies could be on the way as well!" Vi is bubbly and charming on screen, sweet like sugar, handing money and favours out like candy. "I have a deal with a news agency? I'll get you in touch! They agreed to pay for exclusive interviews."

"Awe–" He rips the tilt-rotor to the right as a missile streaks past from the clinic just fifty metres below, "I think they know!" The pilot growls.

"Well, no worries then!" She says looking out the side, pulling out her commlink, "Hey they know, plan B." She says into it quick, pulling up an AR Hud showing them arriving to the site. "Alright well. You were just lovely, And I didn't put your name or face on camera." As the chopper cuts and dodges another missile, she gives him a quick peck on the exposed neck beneath the helmet, before opening the chopper door and leaping.

With a manic wild laugh as she free falls through the air, tightening her bow and firing an explosive arrow into the roof. The shot landing with a —CRACK-A-BOOM— As the hand of god smites a hole into it, punishing it for being between Violet and her goals, she crashes through that, the second floor, and the first. Quick mapping soft pulls up on her commlink, but she's lost without the AR Display. She can't help but start smiling as alarms go off. The hallway was covered in rubble, with two holes that lead into a starless night sky. The vinyl floor in alternating patterns of mint and stained yellow while lights flickers, and panicked people flit throughout the halls.

Then she locks eyes with a man in a doctor's coat who looks frightened at the beautiful nine foot tall troll in full milspec armour approaching moving so so much faster than he had ever thought possible, being lifted off the ground and gently but firmly removed from the ground and pinned to a wall. "Hi! My name is Violet Velvet! I'm famous, it would be bad for my image to splatter your brains across the wall. Couldn't we just be friends instead?" She said with a smile, a slight nod from the panicked doctor, "Beautiful, you're coming with me to open doors I'll protect you with my life okay?" A second choked nod. "Beautiful!" She says again, "Get me to the car port please."

He points as security teams seem to swarm through the halls, but between dermal plating, military plating, and active regeneration, they simply bounce off like bbs or marbles. The doctor held in front of her as she barrels through doors occasionally putting the doctor down to open it, and firing a highly explosive arrow down hallway to stop the securities approach as infernos blaze on stream for the world to see. "You can't see my face chat, and we had to remove the BTLs but I'm having the time of my fucking life." She screams, "You guys should try sticking it to these corporate fucks, nothing better in the world than the smell of blood and cordite."

The doctor is shivering, now. The voice is so sweet and charismatic but the words are horrid. He opens the final door, and it swings open as Paladin fires another missile from the back at a chopper. "Violet squees with excitement as the crowd gets her point of view watching the chopper explode into stars of light and fire, the plume of smoke streaming to the ground.

"Remember boys and girls," She says, "Dangerous toys are fun but someone might get hurt. Make sure they're wearing a suit." Notifications chiming into her ear from the start of the stream now, when she first gifted the pilot the credsticks.

---

You're watching Soft_Like_Velvet! On Pinch.TV

Thekawaiimonkey: Oh my god did she give him 200k

victomat: bro the missile

BlindxAF: missile gang rise up

KronLulz: missile gang rise up

tummythicc: missilegang rsie up

issacdeesnutss: lmao do a flip

---

The team is breaching in, or, more accurately, walking in. The useful doctor terrified as Paladin points an assault rifle at him, considering whether or not to finally start killing up close, or let the urge drag on a little longer.

"Need him to open the surgery bay." Violet says quickly, "That's where all the ware is makes this whole thing pointless if he's dead." Not telling Paladin what to do, just giving him the information for his own choice.

"Lucky meat." He rumbles, pointing the rifle at a security officer.

She points down a hallway as she moves, "Those guys though, are free game." There's a squad behind a security officer rumbling down the hallway. Seven highly armored corporate security, wielding Ares Alpha's almost freezing as two highly armored trolls one double, the other triple their size fire into them.

A wall of munitions leaves Paladin's double drum-magged Ares rifle, ripping into the squad, tearing them to pieces with armour piercing rounds. Nearly a hundred slugs sent down the hallway. A small bark of what could be laughter seemed to escape, the rest of the team chuckling as he speeds off.

"Ah, Paladin. Always a treat." Firebird purrs out with a look of enjoyment on her face, behind the plexiglass of her helmet. Her helmet having an inwards facing camera, just for her expressions.

"You're right he's much cheerier on the job, practically bouncing." Violet laughs, once again picking up her precious parcel, the six foot tall quivering key, throwing him over her shoulder. "Hold on buddy, but look! I definitely saved your life, aren't I grand?" She laughs.

The man nods quietly, and then Violet gets a bit annoyed, "No you fucking say it." She hisses.

"You're… You're grand?" The doctor mumbles eyes wide by fear.

She clicks her tongue with her teeth, "You are too kind you know that, very sweet." Knowing post production would cut the threat out. "The absolute, best."

Baron is somehow ahead, whip coiling around her, handled much like Firebird, but better. An extension of her body rather than a controlled weapon. Its slicing through a ten man team in a blur of monomolecular wire and blood.

"She's an artist chat, a real artist. Practically a Banksy in red." Violet chuckles as she catches up and puts the man down, "Hey are you a surgeon, a head doctor, pediatrician?" She asks the doctor as he opens the door to the surgery ward, behind them gunfire from Paladin's cannon exploding sending ripples through the halls.

"Cy-cybertherapist." He shudders at the question, a security team pointing guns at Firebird as she squeezes five shots, splattering the surgeons and civillians behind them with brains as the APHE detonates their helmets in sprays of blood, polymer and ceramic.

Violet nods with glee, "I need you to help me find mages for deltaware, so I can protect them from my friends, do you think you could do that for me," feeling a new power something exciting and different as she reaches into the man fiddling with his soul. "Come on baby, for me?" And she gives him a light kiss on the head.

There's a calm nod as his face goes a bit slack and serene, pheromones, charm, natural star talent, crafted beauty, and fame mixing into this swirl as he slowly falls to Violet's suggestions. "There's… A surgery going… On right now…" He says muttering as if suddenly stunned, "Horizon… Los Angeles… Head of People Ops in the talent ward. Full team… You'll keep them safe?" There's a big dopey smile.

"If they listen, absolutely honey." She says watching the words curl around him, "I can't control what people do, but I can try and give a good argument." The wink is so… Special to him, a memory he'll cherish forever outside of the trauma.

The ward is easy to push through, and the in-progress operation is interrupted by Dutch strolling in with a rifle shouting affably, "Come on, on the ground! Don't make me pick someone, you might be important!" Making the civilian team freeze and obey almost immediatley.

The room slackens as Violet finally enters the room, "Hey everyone, this is Shrapnel," Violet says to the woman in the wheelchair behind her. "Your new head surgeon for the evening. We're going to be working together to install Cyberware isn't that wonderful?" She hands out credsticks to them, gently patting one in each scrub pocket, "You're getting paid to do what you were already doing, as long as you remain useful you get to be alive. You know what's even better?" She says as they look at her.

"You're basically proving to the Shadow world, right now that you're useful, skilled, and willing to bend the rules a bit. If, and that's a big if, Doc Wagon cuts you loose? There's still bright new careers ahead of you. Right Dutch? How much your last run make, ballpark it for me."

"Last run?" Dutch faux-questions, putting his rifle barrel to his chin in a wildly dangerous display, finger still on the trigger, "Must have been a hair over nineteen million a month." He grins at the memory.

---

You're watching Soft_Like_Velvet! On Pinch.TV

Thekawaiimonkey: >me when gun safety

BlindxAF: the face noooo point the gun somewhere else

victomat: lmao

DeadlySync: omg nooo

YofukashiNo: <donated 5,000¥> to play a message [PLEASE DON'T POINT A GUN AT YOUR FACE!!!!!!!]

[|>] Broadcaster - Some_like_it_Dutch: lol

---

The messages played thirty minutes later for the runners, but instantly on screen. Donations roll in after and the city is responding. Outside, vehicles can be heard, exterior drone cameras seeing fifteen HRT's surrounding the clinic, barking conflicting orders into megaphones hooked into speakers. Vehicles point machine guns and cannons at the clinic, its highly reinforced walls too resistant and its internal employees too expensive to just liquidate.

"So, Firebird, you're the expert. Why do you think they're not just leveling the place." Violet says as the personality, interviewing her while Dutch, Honey, and Shrapnel line anyone they can grab around the operation theater as security, "It's because of Doc Wagon's overwhelming love for their employees right?"

"Exactly, or more accurately, their generous life insurance policies." Firebird giggles, waving a hand at the surgical team huddled in a corner. "That and the fact that these walls are very well armoured on all levels, including spiritual, if what Honey was telling me is accurate. Poor them!" She laughs.

With a giggle along with her doing a quick pan around the room, she continues to the point of her interview, "So… What do corporations do when there isn't a life policy on staff. You've been on lots of runs right?" This is why she needed to stream, only realising it in the moment. Telling the world exactly how fucked the corporations are. Vindicating their fear and hatred, inspiring them to do something about it. Be an icon, a legend, an inspiration, a hero.

"When there isn't?" Firebird says with a purr, "Well, they like to start shooting much earlier. A few years ago, Renraku sent in their drones on a run I was on." She recalls, taking a shot through a window at a sniper, "And they designated everyone in the building as targets. I don't think being eviscerated by arm blades was on the employee hiring agreement!" The elf laughs at the memory as she racks the bolt on her heavy rifle.

Shaking her head with a grin, before firing a high explosive arrow watching it punch through and inside an APC. She said, "Oh shit, you know what we were just on a run last week that kind of proves that point. Which premium users who donate can get access to the archives of by the way, that definitively proved that Knight Errant was more than willing to decimate a tenement building for…" Violet quickly tapped her chin, "I think that Warehouse had maybe a hundred thousand dollars worth of goods retail? Now, weren't the Tenement buildings behind the warehouse, and Knight Errant, in front? Weird, ricochet does weird things I suppose."

"Such weird things." She considers, "But…If I remember correctly, didn't that shell never hit the building at all? Must have bounced off the air." Firebird snorts, taking another shot at a sniper. They keep dropping them on the same building as she waits.

"Maybe, I guess only premium users, will know!" Then very quickly she adds, "By the way, if you can't afford premium access, please do not give us money. All videos will be piratable I am positive, I don't want your food money." Then staring at the snipers dropping over and over and over, she says, "This is definitely what regard for human life looks like I think. A brainless rush into enemy fire." Before Firebird can answer, Shrapnel walks out of the surgery room on new legs, new ware, looking like a new woman.

"Chat I'd like to point out, that at the beginning of this Shrapnel was in a wheelchair. Doc Wagon had everything here to let her walk again." Approaching the Doctor with glee, watching her blush as Violet approached. "They just… Didn't want to share! So we're making them share, and because we fought back one of the most brilliant minds in the country gets to walk out on her own two legs. That's what your donations are going too. Paying people like Shrapnel, so she can keep people like us on the streets, doing work, and pissing off the powers that be." There's a slight hiss of static that almost sounds like a giggle on her comm. Violet only able to pick it up because of her new vampiric hearing, though adrenaline was too high to really focus on it.

"Okay," Violet whispered with glee, "You ready? I'm ready."

"I warmed it up for you." Shrapnel laughs, as she points to the stark white, clean and spotless operating table, a hundred mechanically actuated surgical tools all around it. "Hop on! We're gonna be here a minute!" She's grinning maniacally, bouncing from foot to foot with a pneumatic hiss.

"Hell yes. Remember chat, once the BTLs are installed, I'm back on the front lines, and you'll get full video, audio, smell, touch, and taste access to the entire stream." Vi said with a laugh, before quickly crawling into the surgical table. "See you in just a minute." Then she signals to cut the face cam.

---

Its a warzone while Violet is under. Firebird is on the rooftop, taking shots in the slim time before air assets are too dense to fight under. Firing hypervelocity slugs from a railrifle a loving donator had dropped off by drone, the whining boom repetitive as she squeezes every ounce of use out of it. Paladin has decided he dislikes the front door being covered, and pushed out of it to cut a swath through the HRT's with cannon shells, detonating LAV's and exploding infantry.

Baron is currently in the underground basement, where an access tunnel apparently had been dug by Doc Wagon for just this eventuality. A nine foot troll with absolutely no humanity in its eyes stares at her in the dark, cyber glinting obviously.

"Hello there." She purrs at it, letting her gun drop as the monowhip coils and uncoils, a wave of comments and donations spilling forth at her low, cat-like stance seen from multiple drone produced angles as the troll rushes forwards silently, save for the crushing tread of cybernetics.

Baron jumps up as the troll reacts fast, jitter-reflex of wired nerves making it almost as quick as she is, and stronger by far. It grabs her leg and crushes it in a spray of blood, armour plate undamaged, but the limb beneath a ruin just as her monowhip coils around its neck in a lasso-like throw, before she bends back midair and pulls the entire thing taut.

Cybernetic and flesh alike tears on the trolls neck as the monomolecular wire cuts straight through, making its grip fall loose instantly, Doc Wagon stamp on its body armour coated with a slick spray of oil and blood while Baron falls, landing on a healed leg in a three-point stance.

More people come up through the tunnel, making her sigh and uncoil the whip again, absolutely drenched in blood.

---

Anaesthesia is odd, it feels like swimming. A sea of black shot through with light as something coils through Violet, implanted tissue and metal alike making her aware of so much more than flesh could provide.

A presence, that's what it is. Something watching her. A new fan?

---

Knight Errant arrives with a bang, an armoured vehicle slamming through the front door and getting stopped by Paladin ramming his shoulder into it, a brutal clang of metal on metal as his musculature beats the roaring gas turbine of the tank.

"They sent a tank!?" Dutch laughs wildly as its machine gun starts to drench the halls in bullets, making him dive into a sideroom while Paladin just takes the fire, putting his hands underneath the lip of the armoured vehicle, "No. No fucking way!" Dutch says in disbelief behind cover, watching the troll give a roar that shatters nearby glass.

The tank shifts. It rises, and with another roar, he overturns the sixty tonne tank. The stream goes wild as he pumps shells into the lightly armoured underside, killing everyone inside and turning the vehicle into an armoured barrier for the front door.

Dutch is laughing wildly as Honey grins at another spell washing off his barriers and countermagic, the Astral a sea of curses and spirits he's working against in verbalized motions and racing thought. "Could really use more ammo." He comments idly to the stream, getting nine different drone care packages sent, prompting a shy smile from him.

---

A thousand attack vectors. Every angle is under assault. Smartlink hack attempts met by Ink head on, seeming to be able to look in a dozen different matrix direction at once. Being everywhere, all at once. Deck's are fried, deckers cooked, drones overpowered and anything electronic is waged war upon.

---

 

[Princess Scribe]

Hey, Vi, wake up. Something calls out as Violet's head stops hurting, a presence. Its quiet, gentle, soft. Time for the show.

That wakes Violet up immediately, her eyes flickering open as she stares around the room. Her throat parched and dry, her body aching. Trying to get a sense of her surroundings. Why did installing a simrig and a simlink hurt so bad? How long was she out? Trying to get her head together pinching her eyes which felt… familiar, not in a great way. Gently tapping one with a nail causing a light tink. Did I tell anyone that I just wanted the streaming stuff done? Her mind swims as her commlink comes up with stream notifications, chats, and data readouts, but it's too hard to focus.

Shrapnel is there, panting looking at Violet, "It's done, the new you."

Violet vomitted when she realised her new arm was metal.

Her emotions were sickening and raw her body, her new body had the entire old part list installed. She'd never mentioned she only wanted the rig now. Her new life was already tainted by the modification of others. She choked the bile down, she'd have to deal with the feelings later.

BTLs are on, don't let them see it, "Thank you Shrapnel," Violet quickly said, picking up her bow. "You're the best. Time to exfiltrate chat."

With a deep breath of apprehension, she pulls up the team HUD the production team provided, trying to figure out who was dead.

Honey

Health Monitor: Still sweet!

Injuries: Migraine making me frown! 😢

Mood: I love making other Mages work for it!

Paladin

Health Monitor: Fine.

Injuries: None.

Mood: More.

Baron

Health Monitor: Regeneration in progress!

Injuries: Shatter-Pieerced-None-Broken-None-Bleeding-None

Mood: I wonder if that song still has copyright protection?

Firebird

Health Monitor: Health is nominal, doing fine and feeling well.

Injuries: Nothing sustained majorly so far.

Mood: Still born to kill.

Shrapnel

Health Monitor: Excellent!

Injuries: My hips are a little sore from jumping too much!

Mood: God I love skipping.

Violet

Health Monitor: Feeling better now that you're here lovers

Injuries: My ego, all this glory and none for me :'(

Mood: Upwards, forwards, and only improving.

​

"Well," Violet said with a winning grin pumping her arm, "It's time to go home."

The bow is now light almost delicate, the drawback is easy and when she fires an arrow, it breaks the sound barrier fired ten times the speed of a normal one as a uranium cored shaft makes an APC tip over in the distance. She almost reaches down to grab Shrapnel, before saying, "Oh right, I don't need to do that now!"

"Mhmm, let's get out of here. Ink says they paid off the local Ares office!" Shrapnel warns, smiling and anxious at the same time, starting to run hard.

Violet leaps out and sprints with manic glee into the group of runners, now more metal than woman. She was Firing arrows so quickly now that her part list has been completed. Reflexes move at light speed, while muscles fire at sixteen times a normal man could pull. Each one breaking the sound barrier like a jet plane, causing the atmosphere to buckle behind it.

"Okay, so we had two plans, one was the tunnel deploying the smart platforms to cover the escape. That means running a few miles into a war party. There's the van but that means breaking out of here through an entire siege. Or a wild card option that might show up, like Chat doing something nutty, or something salvageable falling too close to the hospital. Any wild card show up?" Violet was a natural leader, if not a planner. Corporate training, natural charisma, and winning smile getting everyone to grin with her.

Donation Received, 9,000,000 Nuyen. Loremaster.

Everyone blinks at that, except Firebird who hisses, and then grins. "That fucker." A message was sent with the donation.

"Read it out Firebird," Violet said with grinning eyes, "Nine million we can't use text to speech."

"Fine." Firebird mock-complains, "I'll be your wildcard," She purrs out, affecting a light German accent from the donors geolocation data.," And there's a string of coordinates, about a mile out from here, at an…airport?" The elf frowns.

There's something tingling in the back of Violet's head, streambaiting always being a possibility. "You know Loremaster on Shadowsea right? Can you just fire a quick PM to confirm?"

"The last person to mimic Loremaster was quite literally crucified." Firebird shakes her head, "Man is obsessive with his identity. Its real. I just don't know what the fucker means by wildcard." Dutch takes a shot at an incoming team, dropping the leader and making the rest scramble for cover behind a window.

"Nine million nuyen, and an airport?" Violet says quickly, a sanitised search quickly pulling up information, "Looks like it's owned by ATT, subsidiary of SK. Whoa. Okay, big play we charter a flight! We haven't pissed off SK yet."

Ink talks quickly, "There's a flight…for six, nine million for all the tickets." He's deeply suspicious, huffing and puffing to keep up with everyone else, eyes distant, probably in the Matrix.

"Sick." She says trying to consider the angles, "Think about what a rad show that is, a mile to the airport a quick jump onto the plane. Thoughts?"

"They won't shoot at the airport, unless they want Saeder-Krupp to shoot back." Baron arrives drenched in viscera from the literal hundreds she had to slaughter in the tunnels.

The BTLs record a skip in the beating heart of Violet as she sees it, the viewers can feel the blush in her face, her pupils dilate her breath catching, "Yes." Then quickly adding, "Is what I'm thinking I mean, I'll climb on top then and ward people off. Honey can keep spells off, while You, Paladin, and Dutch are free agents to do as you please. Someone needs to drive. I can definitely balance on the roof."

"Of course I'll drive." Firebird chuckles, "Can't trust any of the rest of you with a steering wheel." There's spatters of blood on her helmet and body armour looking almost artistically painted on, the crackling ozone filling the air. She turns and joins the quick step to the van.

Climbing onto the roof of the van causes it to shake and the roof to sink just a tad violently as she kneels to lower her centre of gravity. Punching the horns through metal so she has something to hold onto. With a deep breath, she looks at her quivers, trying to deciding on high explosive arrows. A wild eye to her as she realises how strong they are. How strong she is.

The van squeals out of the parking lot and onto the road, receiving a wall of fire from the surrounding Knight Errant and Doc Wagon forces and shells retarget, guiding in around the van, shrapnel spilling from real artillery, a staccato boom of volleys landing in rippling succession. Aircraft jet by in the sky, spotting the van as it moves.

"Three minutes." Firebird purrs into the comms, kicking the engine into gear. A tilt-rotor swings past a building, only to receive a rocketing arrow from Violet, detonating outwards on impact while Paladin rips open the back doors and starts firing belt-fed shells from his Panther, ripping into pursuit vehicles.

A feeling passes through Violet, a hair raising paranoia as the sound of jet engines fills her senses. A tilt-jet bearing ARES MACROTECHNOLOGY on its hull, looking thickly armoured rumbles in front of the van, going to VTOL mod to hover and float ahead, automatic turret on the chin marking targets with a visible laser, settling on the front windshield of the van.

With a quick drawback Violet fires an arrow forward, letting it go free at the speed of a gunshot. It sails forward towards the windshield, slicing into it as the expensive smart arrow slightly adjusts mid-air and cracks into the jet punching a hole in the armour and then exploding violently.

The autocannon barks as the jet jerks right, sending shells into the van and raking left through a building as it tries to readjust to the damage while the van shifts and squeals, going lane to lane as Firebird tries to get control back, blood on the underside of her chin in the helmet cam and a look of pained focus on her face.

"Two minutes." She growls rather than purrs, kicking the engine into even faster motion, the heavy vehicle straining with ever increasing demands of speed.

Something in Violet awakens as vampire magic flows through her something primal and adept, time seems to slow and the world makes sense light glowing off her body with the next draw. Sparking feeling somewhat drained, then releasing. This one sparks and jerks as it flies, her strength seeming to preternaturally guide it. Remembering her parents, her family, everything moving through her. Knowing that taking this life is bettering herself, and through bettering them both bettering the world.

The second one doesn't just hit it flies through the Jet, exploding just behind it throwing it just low enough to fall into the ocean, a wing tip just an inch too low that yanks it into the water causing it to smash to pieces against the depths. Behind them are people that don't look like any security, but look almost more dangerous. An enemy runner team getting to the fight as they were leaving. These ones are much harder to hit, technologically enhanced people who have turned themselves into weapon glide past Violet's arrows, only managing to nick a single bike causing it to go up in flames.

Her bow leaves huge pock marks in the asphalt making it hard for more to following, and she catches a spray from an assault cannon that blows a huge chunk through her armour, blowing off a piece of her chest. Fire is returned.

"One minute." The Van kicks and dives and swerves underneath Violet, and she looses her balance, almost rolling off the back. The enemy team are climbing, firing at her as she tries to block the back of the van with her body. Only a minute, only a minute.

Paladin jumps out of the van in a roar, landing hard on an armoured car, crunching the engine block as he is rapidly left behind, the pace too fast to even react to the trolls decision as an assault cannon roars into the surviving people inside it.

"Shit." Dutch gurgles, patching up the injury to his chest as best he can with shaking hands, the autocannon having torn a grizzly hole in his right lung, shattering two ribs. Ink has shrapnel in his hand, hissing at the twisted metal breaking his focus. Shrapnel is down on the floor, keeping low in the firefight, covered in blood mostly not her own.

Firebird is bleeding a torrent as she swings the van into a parking lot and then fails to break, slamming it into the airport itself, coming to a halt in the processing area, slumping against the steering wheel.

"I'm carrying people, it's not optional." Violet said, as with one hand she gently cradles Dutch to her chest, and then grabbing Firebird as well cradling them in her arms like children. Her AR display pulls up where the plane is and she starts to walk trying not to shake them, as the enemy seems to almost hit an invisible barrier, one maintained by trained auto-cannons. "Alright, alright, Baron you good?" She says, looking around.

Baron has Honey on her back, the Mage having a bandage over a clear gunshot wound to his neck. "I'm fine, we need out." She throws her gaze around the place, looking for an exit, spotting behind the check-in counters leading directly into the air field.

"The flight's chartered, we're here. Just follow me." Violet said flashing a winning smile, "We got this." Finally, grabbing Shrapnel by the hem of her milspec suit by her teeth, she sprints with vampire speed. Legs, pounding against the ground, saving just one little piece of energy for herself, for this moment as she feels bee stings on her back from a cavalcade of gunfire against her, the giant pink woman with the entire team carried with her. The mother of all targets. Bullets slam, and are healed, and slam again, the suit starts to peal off from the fire, until it's hitting raw underskin dermal panels piercing her body. She's past the chain link gate, past the hangar, and there it is, a luxury liner looking like a B-52 and a 747 combined, soft, lush, luxurious.

The gunfire stops as they make it to the airfield, Saeder-Krupp airforces lifting off on rotors and VTOL engines alike, heavy cannons scanning at the wall of chasing forces, shouting electronic commands for Doc Wagon and Ares to stand down. The crew slip into the aircraft as it starts takeoff procedures and Shrapnel looks over the wounded.

"Are they going to make it," Violet asks, knowing the BTL is there, knowing the answer either way is where the cut needs to be. "Shrapnel, can you do it?"

Shrapnel looks over the three, eyes intaking the biological data fast, and all she can say is, "I'll try." Descending on the wounded with her medical kit and whatever high quality medicines can be salvaged off the plane. Violet nods quietly, taking a deep breath as she places them where Shrapnel needs.

"Do you need anything?" She asks, about to sign off.

"H-hey." Firebird whispers, bloody chunk of her body armour missing, the shell having ripped through her shoulder.

"Hey Firebird," Violet says kneeling down, "This doesn't look that bad honestly. Kind of hot." With a joke laughing, trying to make the moment better. "How you doing?"

"Mhm, been b-better." Firebird smiles up to Violet with a half-blood covered face from the splatter of her own injury. Shrapnel pours some sort of almost metallic powder that makes Firebird freeze and gasp, "-a-Ga-h!"

"Well, hey it's like when you pinch yourself to ignore a worse wound somewhere else. Mind clearing right?" Still trying to joke, to help her pull through. "You'll be good, you all will be fine." They don't look fine, and Violet knows they won't be fine, but she has to say it. It's not even for the audience now, it's for her.

"C-can I have that k-kiss?" The elf coughs, trying to get the words out as she pales, regenerative factor not keeping up with the injury.

Nodding pushing everything into the pheromones, and the vampire magic to feel more true and genuine than anything else, as the deep sadness and distaste sink beneath it, she leans forward ever so slowly, gently opening her mouth and letting the lips touch. Kissing her deeply, letting her lead following when she pulls, trying to seem accepting, loving and kind.

It's a short kiss, Firebird leaning away with a gasp of pain as she clings on to life, Shrapnel, in a quick triage, focusing on the other two first, trying to save the likely survivors first. "You're great, Violet." Firebird whispers as the plane takes off, rising into the air for a flight eastwards, far away from Seattle.

"Told you," Violet said, "If you stay awake I'll let you know what really happened to the last girl I kissed." The secret now offered in earnest, still thinking about the performance, the character interplay the implied backstories. While still dearly and desperately wanting Firebird to hold on for dear life. "That means you have to make it to the end of the stream though."

Coughing with strain, though no blood comes from her mouth, Firebird grins, "You're so demanding." Her voice is cracking, vulnerable and scared as she starts feeling very cold, Shrapnel injecting and prodding and working as fast as she can.

"Come on Firebird, come on you gave me everything, this last thing is too much. I love you too much, stay with me." Sad, scared Violet cries quietly, "Stop being a stubborn asshole stuck on dying."

"I-." Firebird tries to get out something as her eyes get hazy, "Love you too." She whispers, barely loud enough for the cameras to pick up.

"You want some… Novacoke?" She laughs embarassed, "I couldn't do drugs before they took my implants out. I bought it for us to celebrate, stupid. I know."

The elf smiles at the words, "I think that'll kill me, Vi." She gives a quiet chuckle at her words as Shrapnel works faster and faster, something rushing her.

"Sorry, not really a medical professional, more of a party girl. I… You're so cool." She says, falling to childish compliments, pheromones and magic turning the real Violet into something almost deific. "Your friends are so cool."

"Mhm," Firebird smiles, trying to keep her eyes open. Shrapnel doesn't stop for a moment as the elf flags. "I am pretty cool." She whispers.

Nodding quietly looking at Firebird, she touches her arm. Feeling something trying to take some of the pain away, but nothing happens. Violet has nothing to give her, nothing left, just emptiness and realising for the second time in her life someone desperately important to her, someone she didn't even realise was that important, was going to die. Die because of her.

"Firebird, you're not getting a plaque today. You're not. You're going to stay with me. I'm not giving you an option here. I'm begging, I'm literally on my knees for once." Violet says quietly, shuddering. "I don't do that for just anyone."

"I'm proud of you, Vi." Firebird whispers, smiling, "You did it, you did the impossible." She breathes out the words, struggling to breathe back in, eyes drifting shut and fluttering barely open in a terrifying teeter-totter.

There's a shake of Violet's head as she starts crying, cyber eyes that she didn't want now blocking any tears, "Nah, I just showed up you did all the work! You made the friends, got the skills, the connections, the money. You helped Gadget, you helped me. This is your victory. This is what you did. Come on Fi." She whispers, "Come on, I'll make a trade, a deal, tell me what you want just pull through."

Firebird shudders, breathing out, "S-sorry." She apologises for something, starting to get very cold, very limp as Shrapnel curses under her breath. "I s-saved thi-this one." Firebird mutters, eyes getting hazy and cold.

Words leave her. There's no training for watching someone die in your arms. There's no manual to follow, or rote procedure that makes it okay. There's no magic trick you can pull out when the time comes. When it's someone's time, it's someone's time Violet realised. No matter how strong, or capable, or amazing you were. Eventually you punch out. "This was the best way to do it, Firebird. You're a legend through and through. I'll take care of Countdown okay?"

She realized that Firebird never heard her. The elf's body was limp, head lolling into Violet's embrace, the cold breath hitting her was just the last gasps of slack lungs. Baron whispers something, it's meaningful to her, something that has history, barely audible.

"Live fast, die hard. Leave a pretty corpse." Then, the stream ended.

---

 

[Princess Scribe]

Dust covers an elf, the ruins of a collapsed Mitsuhama skyscraper behind her in the open back doors of the van racing down the streets as thruster-driven aircraft hit the barrier of a Saeder-Krupp zone. She's got a cut on her cheek and a vest hanging off her, the rest of the body armour shoved into a corner.

Shrapnel works on the injured, grey hairs apparent, rushing to and from the others, gunshots and blade marks bleeding into the flooring of the van, making it slick. Baron breathes hard, dozens of gunshots still healing, nearly crippled.

"Hey, stay with me, you're fine." She looks down at Violet, a pulsing wound, burnt through her by some cutting edge weapon, not healing, the flesh grey and sickly with radiation. "Shrapnel'll get you up and running fast."

"One last lesson alright Fiona?" Violet says laughing, "Maybe two I'm chatt —nggh—" There's something terrible poured on her wounds that fucking hurts. "Say goodbye, before it's too late. Say what you need to say. Begging won't help." It's important, it's more important than anything else.

The troll looks exactly the same, still streaming now at the head of a little gaggle of streamers. All of them inspired, going out in the world, fucking up, dying, living, partying celebrating. This one's special though, this one's different.

Fiona Firebird is sobbing, holding Violet, trying to say something. Trying to find the words or tricks or something that'll make this go away. "Goodbye's for the l-last time you'll see someone, idiot." She scrambles for footing in her mind.

"No," Violet said, feeling very weak. Fucking wood tables, of course. This is important, millions see this. "No hon it's not, goodbye is for everytime. It's a just in case, never risk leaving things unsaid, the worst that—" She falls asleep for a second, and then has to be shaken back up.

"Wake up! Hey, don't you dare!" Fiona shudders again, staring terrified at the injury, having no solutions, nothing to offer.

"Sorry, sorry. " Violet laughs, gasping, "That's my point. It's for everytime. It's for EVERY time. You're my protege alright? I love you." She has to almost shout it for strength, "I love you like a daughter."

"Please." The elf begs, "Don't leave me." Tears in her eyes, new cybernetic models that allow that. "I need you, we won Vi. Please."

"You won kid, you did." She can't stop laughing, god fuck you Sable. "You did it."

"No!" Fiona shouts, "You-you got the jobs, you had the people, you did the plans, this is you Vi, this is your win, come on, just stay awake, we can drink and laugh about this, please!" She's shaking as she speaks.

"Fiona, if you don't say goodbye, it's go—" She roars and it sounds weak as she taps into some ancient reserve of strength, "If you don't say what you want. You'll regret it forever. I need you to get this one. I need you to get this one so bad."

Tears hit the larger woman, as Fiona finally wraps her head around there being no trick here. "Ok-okay." She whispers, "You're….I love you okay? You did it. Everyone k-knows your name." Its torturous to get out everything you need to get out, "Yo-you're a legend, Vi."

"You… become a legend… By making'em… You'll be better… You'll be the best." Millie whispered gasping, trying to keep on. "I'd be quick, kid." She can feel herself fading, but she's stronger, she can hold out a minute longer she's sure.

"...Bye…Vi." Fiona gets out, staring down in a cold malaise, lost and unable to find something to hold onto as Shrapnel attentions and needles are focused on Millie, the others stabilised.

Every new spell that Millie had learned, every new trick, every new cyberware, and upgrade, was something she chose, skills she chose, ways for her to comfort people. There was one last one she saved for the end. The very end, she touched Fiona's arm, and with her last bit of strength, a bit of blood, and an herculean amount of willpower, she passed on a touch of her strength. Taking just a bit of Fiona's pain away, and sealing her own body shut.

She died clean, no gore, no mess. Just a preserved body looking like it's gently sleeping in a beautiful dream.

Baron breathes out a whisper, frowning at the cycle, but letting herself play in it.

"Live fast, die hard. Leave a pretty corpse." Then, the stream ended.

 

[Thief of Words]

And so it ends, both exactly as expected and slightly better than, depending on angle of viewing.

Thank you for writing this.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Hello lovely readers, Dapper and I have started up an Original Fiction story. We're quite proud of it, and you should check it out!

Once a pirate now a wizard, A tiefling and her companions fight to save the last sparks of magic in a dying world. Original - Novel - Fantasy

A tiefling wizard and her eclectic band of companions embark on a quest to save a captured fiend. Along the way, they uncover the grim truth about the fading wonders of their realm and must fight to reignite the spark of magic while navigating the complexities of love, loyalty, and power...

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And, if you liked this have you tried the other story we've written?:

[oWOD] The Vampire and The Time Mage: Now, Then, and Forever - [COMPLETE] Mature - Modern - Romance

CW: Suicide, Sex Tags: Lesbian Vampires, Language, Gore, Explicit Sex (Co-Written with @Dapperlad1 ) Katherine is many things, an ex-cop, a photographer, in love with a vampire, suspended without pay, but there's one thing she isn't and that's stuck in time. Every time Katherine dies, she goes...

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Or maybe you're in the mood for something whackier? Did you know that Thanatomania is going to be coming off hiatus soon?

[Wh40k x Starcraft] A Sarah Kerrigan knock off MC sleeps her way through the imperium of man with increasing amounts of kink - We're off hiatus! Crossover - Mature - Romance

TW: Violence, Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Kink, Gore In Book 02, A Swarm Leader has found her place with her new burgeoning family, Saint Celestine and The Inquisitor Katarinya Grayfax. Now she adventures before a crusade, having her final moments before War hits her tired team...

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