"Alright," Lynx muttered, looking around the dirty park- she was running late. "Where to hide, where to hide…"
Her eyes wandered, for a few more moments, before sparkling, settling on an old sewer grate- the metal was rusted, and a long, dry tunnel lay beyond. Hurrying toward it, Lynx raised her leg and kicked, hard- the metal bent, and when she kicked again, with an explosion of rust, the bars she'd kicked exploded back into t he tunnel. At first, she knelt to inspect the tunnel carefully- and then, she heard the rumbling of a motor approaching, and dived forward, rolling to her feet, looking around.
A small ways ahead, the tunnel split into two directions- both spanning farther than even she could see through the darkness. Still, she ducked to the left, pressing her body flush against the wall and breathing deeply, silently, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself.
"Yo. Are you here yet?" A masculine voice outside- not particularly close. "Eh, whatever, I'm early." The crunch of gravel- he was sitting, Lynx noted, ears twitching.
This is fine. I'm not really going all vigilante on him, Aerendyl wouldn't be so mad at me for this. I'm just doing a friend a favor, and making sure an innocent girl doesn't get kidnapped. Besides, this isn't even official CA business, so I'm not lying to anybody… I'm not going to get myself in trouble. I'm gonna be good, Alice is going to worry too much, Nara will refuse to comment but she'll be impressed- wait I don't care about impressing them! I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do.
Ugh, what is wrong with me…
I wanna be a big bad cop cat and I'm sitting here blushing imagining Alice whispering about what a good job I'm doing…
Yeah Lynx, you got issues. How can you think like that standing in some gross, dark abandoned sewer tunnel… ugh. Eh- what was that-
Footsteps? That sounded like it was in the tunnel with me, though- slapping concrete…
Then came the crunching of gravel, and Lynx breathed a quiet sigh of relief, deflating some. It was just somebody walking down one of the concrete ramps outside, nobody was in the tunnel with her…
"Hi! Hey, so I was told you've got the good stuff!" The woman's voice, from outside. Lynx inhaled, slow, and focused on leveling her breathing, staying silent.
"Lynx? Is that you?" She froze, eyes widening in shock- that was Alice's voice. It didn't come from outside, though. Slowly, she turned, staring into the dark- but even with her heightened vision, she couldn't see so far into the dark. "Lynx? Is that you? Lynx? Is that you?"
From deep in the tunnel, Lynx heard a quiet, near-breathless giggle, and she froze- to run out was to interrupt the drug deal and break her promise- sort of- to Aurelia. To stay…
"Lynx? Is that, you?" Another giggle, from deep in the tunnel- Lynx wanted to move, but she couldn't- she couldn't breathe, and her heart beat in her chest so powerfully that her right shoulder began to cramp, sweat beading between her breasts, along her back, neck, forehead.
She swallowed.
Tried to leverage the strength to move. Step back. Run. Ruin the deal. I don't care.
Petrified, regardless. Unable to move, Lynx stared into the darkness, throat tightening until it was a struggle to get air, to swallow. Her throat throbbed with a terror she couldn't comprehend- like ice and fire seeping into her veins, numbing her hands.
"Lynx… is thAT, YoU?" The voice distorted; Alice's but not, and Lynx tried, so hard, to move. Her ears pasted back, her tail stood up, bristling… but the voices outside had faded to nothing. There was only the darkness, the oppressive weight of- of something, approaching.
Lynx? Is that you? This time, she didn't hear it with her ears- no, the voice whispered into the space behind her eyes, and Lynx gritted her teeth, trying and failing as ever to tear herself backward. There were footsteps, now- misshapen, wrong, and she could see something approaching, in the shadows… and then it was gone. Silence, in her mind and around her.
"You sure you didn't bring anybody?" The drug dealer? Their voices were back-
"No, I'm alone, really, I just want something to get me through the stress of entrance exams." Lynx gasped silently, as her body was freed from whatever had magically bound it. The feeling rushed free of her veins, and she collapsed to her knees, barely able to take the care to land silently, her tail thrashing now.
Damnit…
For a long moment, she only knelt, listening to the conversation outside.
"Aight, and you got friends trying to get into this? I got it straight from the best den in the country, heard?"
Steadying herself, Lynx turned, and her heart stopped for half a second at the sight before her, blocking her way out. Spider-like limbs of flesh bridging the tunnel, and Alice's face, but wrong, distorted, bleeding and stretched out longer than her torso. When she spoke, brackish blood spilling from her chin, the voice was perfect.
"My Lynx,"
She should have turned, run… but something in Lynx's muscle memory screamed, and she turned, leveling the strongest kick that she could with the creature's demented face. The Alice-from-hell gasped, and the conversation outside stopped- but it didn't move, and there was no opening. Lynx turned- when she'd been loooking at the picture of the underpass with Aurelia- there was a service door, down the tunnel a ways. Before the monster could recover, she'd bolted, as fast as she could, loose gravel spilling down the hall in her wake, trailing her fingertips along the concrete wall.
"LYNX!!" Another perfect imitation. "THAT- I LOVE YOU, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Resisting the gut urge to vomit, Lynx, finding the rusted metal that should have been the door, wound back and jumped, kicking off the opposite wall with everything she had, shoulder ramming the door. With an explosion of dust, rust, and pain in the back of her mind, she rolled to her feet, backing away across the concrete, away from the door, eyes wide in horror.
"Yo, I t hought you said you didn't bring anybody!" The demon dealer walked toward her, raising a firearm, but when Lynx turned to him, eyes still wide, he dropped the gun instantly, staggering backward, falling onto his ass.
"H-Hey, I don't want any trouble," He pleaded, a dark spot appearing at the crotch of his jeans. "I'm sorry, alright?! Listen, this d-dose can be free! The whole vial! On my momma, j-just LET ME GO, PLEASE!!" He screamed, and Lynx only stared as the demon hauled himself to his feet, running away, fast, hard, shoes slapping on the concrete. Lynx looked back at the door, edging away again… but there was nothing. Silence, until…
Thud. She stepped into something- someone.
Oh right- the girl. Aurelia's friend.
"You okay?" Lynx whispered, eyes wide. "We need to go- there's something in the tunnel. Come on, I don't care, just get out of here," She whispered, looking around- the dealer had dropped his bag. As they walked off, Lynx hooked her foot into the strap of the bag and kicked it up, catching it, ushering Aurelia's idiot friend up the ramps and away from this damned place. "Go. Go. No drugs for you. Idiot."
She couldn't see straight- LYNX, I LOVE YOU, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! LYNX, I love you- my lynx- why would you do that-
"H-Hey! I had myself taken care of, did Aurelia send you?!" The girl was trying to complain, and Lynx grabbed her by the jaw, glaring.
"Shut up, and go home." Shoving the girl back, Lynx kept walking, shaking her head, tail thrashing. Lynx, I love you, why would you do that-
"Ugh…" She kept walking. Walking. Walking. The sun began to rise, but it didn't matter- Sunday, her day off. Walking, until she was back at the dorms. Back in her room, currently empty. Stripping. Collapsing into the shower.
Lynx, I love you- why would you do that- Lynx, you do know you're a horrible person, yes? Demon or not-
Eh?
Who's that…?
A knock, at the front door of her dorm suite.
"Lynx…?" Alice.
"Aurelia said that you're home." Nara. "She said you looked… as if you are not okay. May we please come in?"
"Could really use some some space right now!" Lynx shouted. Let them in. Idiot. The sight of that warped Alice still swam behind her eyes, the brackish blood, the way her mutated body had filled the entire tunnel… what the hell is living in those sewers?
"Is it really space that you need?" Alice called from the hallway. "If that's true, we'll go… but if you're just trying to be strong, then please, don't force it, okay?" Silence, for a long moment. Lynx opened her mouth to speak, then angled her head, looking down and away, into the bottom of the bathtub. She wanted to ask them to come in- she did, but she couldn't, the words wouldn't spill off her tongue. She grit her teeth, frowned- tried- but it felt a physical force holding the words back. Stop being stubborn Lynx- ask them to come in, come on!
"Lynx?" Alice called again.
"Listen," Nara cut in. "I understand the desire to be strong, Lynx. You replied. We know that you can hear us. Just say, no. If you truly need space, say no, and we will go, immediately. However, if you continue not to reply, we will come in. Deal?"
Ugh… don't do that, don't understand me, Lynx thought, wrinkling her nose, self-disgust striking… but she kept silent.
"Alright, we're coming in," Alice called gently a few moments later, and the door clicked open as Lynx yanked the shower curtain shut, still sitting in the tub, starting to scrub her hair as the two girls stepped inside. For a moment, they chatted amongst themselves- Lynx couldn't hear over the water rushing past her ears, hitting them.
Then, they were there, sitting on the bathroom counter.
"Hey, Lynx," Alice began, hesitant. "You know… dating you or not… whatever we are… you know that I love you, right?"
"Yeah." Lynx snapped, taking a slow breath. Control yourself, bitch- don't be mean to Alice. Or Nara. Take a deep breath. Be nice. They don't deserve your bad mood. "Sorry, I spaced- can you please repeat that?" She added, upon realizing that she'd missed the next thing Alice said, whilst berating herself.
"I just said that we're worried," Alice repeated, soft. "Aurelia said that you looked like you'd been chased by a god, for how terrified, pale, you looked. Are you okay? What happened, where were you?"
"I…" Lynx swallowed, shaking her head. "I… I'm not ready to talk about it," She decided, swallowing. "I…"
Don't do this Lynx.
Don't shut her out.
Don't with the self sabotage.
"Can I just finish my shower in peace, please? I'll tell you the whole story afterward. Promise."
"May I…" Nara spoke, now, clearing her throat. "Is there any way that I might, please, perhaps, wash your hair? Silently, of course. I just wish… for you to feel taken care of," She stammered awkwardly, and Lynx raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like the last thing you wanna do, Nara. Don't force yourself to be uncomfortable just because you're feeling bad for me."
"No… I am, just, inexperienced with matters such as taking care of those you might… love," Nara sighed. "I do want to take care of you, if possible. You may return the favor later, naturally."
"Mm…" Lynx sighed, shaking her head. "Let me do it myself this time, pretty girl. But please, if you want me to feel cared for… just stay with me a while."
"Of course," Nara spoke, and Lynx could hear the smile in her voice.
"I'm here too," Alice chimed in affectionately, voice dripping with warmth, and Lynx sighed, still scrubbing her hair, pulling her fingers through the few knots that had formed.
"Stupid…" Lynx swallowed. "Aurelia has some stupid friend that's becoming a drug addict. Aurelia wants to help, but not in a way that puts the friend in danger. I think she said she's going to tip off an RA, have the drugs found while she's at home and safe. Last night, though, I was asked to watch over her from out of sight, while she was buying from a dealer that Aurelia wasn't familiar with. New guy, not the usual, or something."
"So?" Alice asked, almost too-eagerly. "What happened then?"
"Well, she's safe. Or she was when we split ways. Don't think the dealer will stay in the business- or at least, he'll have more decorum. I didn't hurt him- gave him a good scare, that's all. Not even a scratch. Just… gave him a look."
"Hold on…" Alice muttered, and through the curtain, her shadow shook its head. "Lynx, you do understand that you've used magic quite a few times, right?"
"I…" Lynx swallowed. "I don't really understand it, but I think so. Been too busy, mentally, to try and figure it out. Y'know, understand it properly. Sometimes, though, yeah. I just, I look at them, and I need them to understand, and… and they just do. I'm not stupid enough to think it's just my beautiful eyes- but at the same time, what kind of useless magic is it? Emotional manipulation? Oh wow, I can make somebody really sad."
"Well, I do just, wonder how far it can go," Alice voiced her curiosity, kicking her feet. "This becomes a different level of magic if you can make somebody shoot themselves, or stop somebody from committing a crime by giving them an order. A conversation for later, though- what happened in the middle? What did the drug dealer do that made you act up?"
Scrubbing her already-clean skin, to stay busy, Lynx sucked a breath through her teeth.
"In the sewer tunnel. I've seen. I've seen demons that look human, but there was a demon, it was a monstrosity. Some kind. It got into my head," She explained, shuddering, shaking her head. Still, she could see it- it was haunting, made her stomach churn. Half of her wanted to shut down, tell Alice to get away, leave, and take Nara with herr… Don't shut them out, though. "Looked like Alice had been infected with some eldritch horror virus. Took up the whole tunnel, flesh like… like a spiderweb," She spat, slowly hauling herself to her feet and leaning on the wall, sighing, enjoying the feeling of the hot water hitting her chest, leaving her skin red.
Yo. Why are they kinda big though-
"Uh. Sorry. Got distracted. Anyway," She continued, "-It was… ugh. Yeah. I know I'm talking about it pretty easily, but no, it was all brackish blood and sinew and spiderwebby flesh. Gross. I don't know, it must have pulled thoughts from my head, is all- it was saying creepy stuff like oh, is that my Lynx, is t hat my Lynx… and then, when I was close to it- it got behind me a-and I," Lynx swallowed, pausing. She felt nauseous, sick, but ignored the way her stomach churned and continued. "I punched it in the face, ran. Didn't look enough like Alice for me to hesitate… and it was crying. Lynx, that was mean, I love you, why would you hit me, or something… I got outside through an old service door, and when the drug dealer saw me… he felt, as scared as I did, I think," She admitted, leaning harder against the wall, panting. "Gods, I feel sick remembering that, please, fuck, I don't wanna think about this anymore- but whatever it was, it's in those sewers. I don't know if it lives there or what-"
"Will you tell Aerendyl about it? I'm sure he'll pass the information to the right people," Alice spoke with a smile in her voice. "If you don't want to think about it anymore, let's change topic. Problematic demons exist, so just, promise to tell Aerendyl."
"I swear. I'll tell him. What have you been up to, today?"
"I, had my first therapy session," Nara offered, quiet. "It was quite… stimulating. Productive. Even though it was mostly just for the sake of getting to know one another."
"Ah. Good. Adjusting from dinosaur times must be hard, great grandma," Lynx exhaled, chuckling lightly, and Alice giggled, Nara snorting in a way decidedly unladylike. "You two get out for a second? I'm gonna step out and get dressed."
-
Hours later, Lynx lay quietly staring up at the ceiling, unable to nod off. To her left, Alice drooled into a pillow, wiggling her hips a bit as she lay on her side, mumbling about boba tea and cinnamon, or something. To her right, Nara had nodded off, still dressed as if to head to school, curled up neatly, head on her own fox's tail. Alice's laptop fans still whirred quietly in the nighttime peace, the screen displaying a message; "Are you still watching?"
Swallowing, she slowly sat up, groaning and stretching, cracking her back. When she managed to get herself to the floor, without waking anybody, she headed to the kitchen, glancing back. Nara nara nara… we're sleeping together and you don't know what we are? Hah. It's fine though. Titles are overrated anyway. Still, going from naked feral sleepy forest brat to refined lady…
Snagging a water bottle and opening it as silently as she could, throwing back a swallow, Lynx thought, pacing silently toward the door. My steps are so quiet now- is that part of being a cat, or was I trained to walk like this?
For just a moment, the distorted face of the Alice in the swers came to mind again… but she swallowed, shook her head, and glanced back at the real alice, still snoring and whispering nonsensical nothings in her bed. Right there. Real. Not a trick, or a demon.
In her pacing, Lynx kicked something and looked down, narrowing her eyes- the bag. The drug dealer's bag that she'd brought home. Kneeling, curious, she capped her bottle and set it aside, opening the school-style black bag and starting to sift through it as quietly as she could. A few vials of the golden fluid spilled out, and her eyes widened, staring, catching them and lifting, inspecting.
Don't lick it.
Setting the vials aside with a small snort, Lynx kept searching- a wallet, but empty. Completely. Weird. A cell phone with 32 missed calls and 47 missed text messages… the most recent notification read simply; Tomorrow at noon, Tuxedo's. Be there. With my money.
Angling her head, Lynx dropped the phone and pulled out her phone, doing a quick search under the word 'Tuxedo'. There were articles and sales links to suits, no sort of location…
Filter by near me.
Ah. Tuxedo's Family Diner, on the corner of North and Steelcap. All day breakfast. Owned and operated By Mr Edo. Is his first name Tux? Please tell me it's not, that'd be so dumb.
So what do I do…?
Lynx's eyes drifted slowly to the golden vials, again. She had classes tomorrow, she should pass the info along to Aerendyl, or, anybody…
Lunch breaks at 11:30 though… I gotta be back by 1:30…
I could go. I could look for info. Show Aerendyl that I'm ready. Or, do I pass the info on… would the self control speak louder, to him? No, screw that- he isn't here.
Shaking her head, Lynx bundled everything back into the bag and shoved it under her bed, sighing and standing up.
"Lynx?" Alice was sitting up now, blinking slowly, half asleep. "Are you… okay?"
"Uh. Yeah." Lynx swallowed, nodding.
"Are you about to do something stupid…? You've got that look in your eyes."
"Wha- what look- no I don't, what look?" Lynx huffed, shaking her head. "You're full of it."
"Lynx." The succubus slowly pushed her hips forward, setting her laptop on the nightstand and sliding to the edge of the bed. Once there, she sank to her knees in front of the blonde, wrapping her arms slowly around Lynx's neck, leaning close. "Please," She whispered, and Lynx shuddered, eyes narrowing as Alice kissed her gently, chastely. "-No more running into danger. Let the right people take care of it. Just this once."
"I can be the right people," Lynx whispered, and Alice nodded.
"You can. Then what. I have to fill out a statement. You spend a few nights in a cell, and hope Aerendyl bails you out again? Come on, love, there are laws for a reason- just finish your lessons and then you can do all of this legally. Please, tomorrow. Don't leave campus. For me."
Lynx swallowed. Alice kissed her again; gentle, slow, before drawing back, her eyes pleading.
"I…" Lynx trailed off, and Alice kissed her again, leaning forward. Lynx shifted, swallowing, her back hitting the wall as Alice slid further into the blonde's lap, deepening the kiss, her hands finding their way to cup the cat girl's cheeks. She held that kiss for a long moment; deep, and then slowly drew back, not seeming to mind the spit bridging their bottom lips.
"Please, Lynx?"
"Alright."
"You promise?" Alice whispered, her eyes searching Lynx's, as if trying to bore into her soul and find the truth.
"I promise," The blonde nodded, sighing. "I'm talking to Aerendyl, though. Not the normal CA."
"Deal," Alice smiled and leaned in, quietly brushing her lips against Lynx's, gentle.
"Alice, quit with that," Lynx mumbled, no real weight to her words at all, cheeks dark with color.
"I'll stop with that, if you come back to bed and let me sleep on you," Alice spoke in a purr, and Lynx chuckled, hauling herslef to her feet as the white-haired succubus staggered back, out of her lap.
"Fine, fine. I'm tired, anyway."
"Yeah you are. I'd tired you out, but then we'd wake Nara up," Alice smirked, flicking her tail. "Go to sleep, stupid kitty~" With a playful grin, she straddled the catgirl's lap and lay down, nuzzling into Lynx's chin.
"This won't work," Lynx snorted, shifting.
"You're right. Boobs too big." Alice, huffing, rolled off, curling into the blonde's side. "Good night, Lynx."
"Gnite Alice."
"Stupid kitty, hehe…"