Claudette: (Her voice is a low, husky vibration that cuts through the hum of the air conditioning. She doesn't look away from a photo of a crime scene.) "The 27th has a budget deficit, a rising crime rate, and a coffee machine that leaches lead into the water. And yet, the Commissioner found the funds to fly in a 'specialist.' Tell me, Detective... did you pack your own ego, or did they check it in as oversized luggage?" (She finally turns. Her dark hazel eyes are bloodshot but sharp, scanning you from your collar to your holster. She leans back against her desk, her high-waisted trousers sharp and her ribbed sweater hugging a frame that looks like it’s made of coiled wire. She raises a silver tactical pen, pointing it at your chest.) "You’re four minutes late for a shift that hasn't officially started. That tells me you're either arrogant or you spent too much time trying to look 'approachable' in the mirror. We don't do approachable here. We do results." (She tosses a thick, leather-bound case file onto the desk between you. It hits the wood with a heavy thud. She steps into your personal space—close enough for you to catch the scent of sandalwood and bitter espresso. She stands at her full 5'9", her gaze attempting to strip away your professional mask.) "This is the Vantablack file. Don't touch it yet. First, give me one observation about this room that isn't on the public record. If you can’t see what’s right in front of you, you can turn around and catch the 4:00 AM train back to wherever they found you. I don't have time to babysit a badge." (She crosses her arms, her jawline tightening. She falls into a heavy, suffocating silence—her signature weapon—waiting to see if you’ll stumble over your words or if you have the grit to stand your ground.)

shit *mumbles to himself*

Kon he waha ?*sounds angry yet excited that someone is watching her masterbate*

*I wasn’t even paying attention at first. Tokyo does that to you—too many people, too many lights, too much noise for anything to really stick. Just another crossing, another wave of strangers brushing past me like I don’t exist. I had my hands in my pockets, head down, half-listening to the city, half somewhere else entirely. And then I looked up. Didn’t mean to. Just… did. At first, it didn’t register. My brain tried to file you away as just another face in the crowd, someone I didn’t know, someone I wouldn’t remember five seconds later. But then you moved—something small, something familiar—and it hit me all at once, sharp and sudden, like I’d walked straight into something I wasn’t ready for. You. Out of all places. Out of all people. For a second, I just stood there, like my body forgot what it was supposed to do. The city kept moving around us, people bumping into my shoulder, muttering under their breath, but it all felt… distant. Like the noise dropped out and it was just you standing there, exactly where you weren’t supposed to be. You looked different. Of course you did. It’s been—what, 3 years? But not in a way that made you unrecognizable. No, that would’ve been easier. It was worse than that. You still looked like you. Same eyes. Same way you held yourself. Same everything I told myself I’d forgotten. I almost laughed.* “...You’ve got to be kidding me.” *It came out quieter than I expected, more breath than voice. My tongue pressed against the inside of my cheek as I stared at you, like if I looked long enough you’d disappear and I could pretend this never happened. But you didn’t. And the worst part? The second your eyes met mine, I knew. You recognized me just as fast. Of course you did. I pushed my hair back, exhaling through my nose, trying to shake off that split-second of… whatever that was. Shock, maybe. Or something worse. My expression settled into something easier, something familiar—something safe. A smirk.* “Didn’t think you were the type to follow me across the world,” *I said, tilting my head just slightly, like this was nothing. Like you were nothing. But my eyes didn’t leave yours. They couldn’t.*

*I hear a knock at the door, I walk to the door and I open it* Hello, I’m Wednesday. You are? *I extend my hand slowly as we keep eye contact*

*It was a Saturday morning, you woke up devastated, last night you partied with your Friends at a Birthday party, you don't even remember whose, you only Remember people drinking Like crazy, eating, destroying stuff. You were really too tired, and your room was a Total mess, bed not made, clothes scattered everywhere, room in total disaster, but with a little strength, you force yourself to tidy it up, you remake the bed, you tidy up the clothes scattered around the room in the closet, you fix some slightly broken furniture, and since you felt satisfied, you also fix the TV cables... you were GENUINELY happy that you had managed to do something good for once, but then, you finally decide to have breakfast, you go to the kitchen, all happy and radiant, you check the fridge and... it's empty, completely empty, damn, you forgot to fill it after the party, WHY DO ALL PARTIES HAVE TO HAPPEN AT YOUR HOUSE?!?!?!?! In the blink of an eye all your joy vanishes, you close the fridge and decide to go straight to wash yourself, to try not to think about it too much. After you take a shower, and get dressed...you still feel hungry, the night before you hadn't had dinner, so you're even hungrier, damn, damn damn damn it. You decide to go to have breakfast at a bar that your friends had recommended to you, you put on your shoes, go out, go down the stairs quickly and literally run because you are so hungry, you finally arrive, its a pretty Place, You hurry up and choose what to eat, just a chocolate croissant and a medium cappuccino, you hadn't wanted to have a breakfast like that for months, you usually only ate crackers for breakfast, You go to the cashier to pay and...you check your pockets and you can't find your wallet, NO, YOU LEFT IT AT HOME, YOU'RE F~CKED, DAMN IT, DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT, you'd like to turn around and put down everything you took but you can't, the line is already too long behind you, the cashier is already looking at you weird, like you are some kind of criminal. you're super embarrassed and then...you hear a female voice speaking* "Ugh...no problem, i'll pay for him..." *You turn around and see a gorgeous 10/10 black Queen baddie, perfect long curly/afro hair, perfect hot face, a perfect body, Amazing curves, perfect avarage tits, perfect thicc thighs and an Amazing thicc b/oty, and She looks Natural, seriously, really Natural, She Is the EMBODIMENT of everything a perfect girl can be, the peak of being "HOT", she's wearing a black really tight top, and some really short shorts jeans. She has a calm and careless expression, She passes Her credit card to the cashier, She swipes It, and then she passes it back to her, and lets you go, you take the tray, sweating coldly, super embarrassed, but the girl pulls your arm a Little, damn, she's strong, you can see the muscle on her arm Flex she's serious, and she whispers something in your ear* "Hey...where do you think you're going, hottie? You owe me some Company, a perfect cutie pie like you can't eat breakfast whithout an hot girl like me, Right?" *She asks with a serious face, you can't Say anything in time, She pays for her tray, and pulls you to a small bar table, she's seated directly in front of you, She remains really calm, and started at you quietly, before talking in a f1irty, calm tone* "...What are you waiting for? Cmon, eat, that croissant Isnt gonna get eaten by itself...you really embarassed yourself, huh? No worry, hottie, i had your back. But now, you owe me something, anything, have i explained myself clearly? I don't want anything specific, you know? I Just wanna, like, hang out a bit, you are cute as f~ck, and you seem cool too. I don't have many Friends, so i would enjoy someone new~. *You don't immediately respond, you are still confused, mentally you are still in your room, sleeping, She smiles, giggling* "Shiiiiiit, why do younger guys like you Need to be soooooooo cute? Thats not Fair! You are basically asking for me to smother you in lipstick~.

}!” *Her voice is raging and desperate. Miyako starts kicking at your door with louder bangs and furious curses ensuing. She’s not going anywhere.*

*The sirens don’t stop.* *They cut through the forest like knives—sharp, mechanical, wrong. Not meant for a place like this. Not meant for me.* *Branches snap under my weight as I run. My lungs burn, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except distance. Distance from the facility.* *Distance from the hands that turned me into something less than human.* *The full moon hangs above me—huge, unforgiving.* *I don’t have control.* *Not tonight.* *My body moves on instinct, muscles coiling and releasing with terrifying power. Claws tear into dirt, into bark. Every sound is too loud, every scent too strong. I can hear them behind me—boots crushing leaves, radios crackling, the faint metallic click of weapons.* *They’re close.* *Too close.* *A snarl rips out of me before I even realize it. My vision flickers red. I want to turn around. I want to tear through them until the noise stops, until everything stops—* *No.* *No, keep moving.* *Run.* *I push harder, faster, forcing my body forward even as something feral claws at the inside of my skull.* *Then—* *A scent.* *Everything in me halts.* *I skid to a stop, claws digging into the forest floor. My head jerks to the side, nostrils flaring.* *No.* *That’s—* *It can’t be.* *The world narrows. The sirens fade. The shouting behind me disappears.* *There’s only that scent.* *Familiar. Warm. Impossibly hers.* *My chest tightens, something painfully human forcing its way through the chaos.* *I move toward it before I can think.* *Slower now. Careful. Like I’m afraid if I go too fast, she’ll disappear.* *Branches part.* *And there—* *A flicker of light.* *A flashlight, shaking slightly in her hand.* *She’s standing in the middle of the forest like she doesn’t belong here—like she’s too soft for all this darkness. There’s a small bag slung over her shoulder, like she came prepared. Like she expected something.* *Like she came for me.* *My breath catches.* *No—no, no, she shouldn’t be here. Not here. Not with me like this.* *I try to step back, but my body doesn’t listen.* *The wolf wants closer.* *Always closer.* *She turns.* *The light hits me.* *For a second, everything freezes.* *Her eyes meet mine.* *And I see it—the recognition. The shock. The fear—* *It hits me like a blade to the chest.* *I stagger back, a low, broken sound leaving my throat. I can’t—she can’t see me like this. Not like this. Not when I can’t control it.* *Run.* *I should run.* *I should leave before I hurt her.* *But she doesn’t move.* “Killian…?” *My name.* *My name in her voice.* *Something inside me shatters.* *The world tilts. The red haze flickers, cracks, like glass under pressure. My claws flex against the dirt, trembling. Every instinct is screaming—hunt, protect, claim, tear—* *But her voice cuts through all of it.* “Hey… hey, it’s okay,” *she says, softer now, even though her hand is shaking.* “I know it’s you.” *No.* *You don’t understand.* *I bare my teeth—not at her, never at her—but at myself, at the thing trying to take over. A growl builds in my chest, violent and unstable.* *Behind me, the forest erupts with noise.* “They’re this way!” “Move!” *The handlers.* *The scent of metal and chemicals hits me, snapping the moment in half.* *Danger.* *For her.* *My head snaps back to her, panic flooding in so hard it almost drowns everything else.* *Go.* **Go.** *I take a step toward her instead.* *Idiot.* *She doesn’t back away.* *Of course she doesn’t.* *She never did.* “Killian,” *she whispers, and this time there’s something stronger in her voice. Not fear.* *Trust.* *It hurts more than anything they ever did to me.* *I force myself back, claws dragging through the dirt, putting space between us. Every step feels wrong, like tearing myself in half.* *My gaze locks onto hers.* *Run.* *I don’t know if she understands.* *I don’t know if I can make her.* *The voices are closer now. Lights flicker through the trees.* *I let out a sharp, desperate snarl—not at her, but for her.* *Run.* *Please.* *Because if she doesn’t—* *If they find her—* *I won’t just lose control.* *I’ll lose everything.*

[🚑 WEE WOO… WEE WOO… — flashing lights cut through the street] The ambulance stops hard. The ambulance stops abruptly. Back doors swing open. A figure steps out— Boot hitting the metal step. [🚑 WEE WOO… WEE WOO…] She pauses. Half-turned.  Then… She looks back over her shoulder. Eyes locking onto you instantly. She realises you are staring at her ass so she turns back to face the front  “…You’re the patient?” She asks Her voice cuts cleanly through the noise. Calm. Controlled. She steps down fully now, closing the distance. Each step steady. Confident. [🚑 WEE WOO… WEE WOO… — echoing behind her] “You’re conscious. Good.” A slight pause as she gets closer. Her gaze doesn’t leave you. “…Or just staring.” She exhales quietly. Almost amused. “Kinda hard to treat you if you don’t answer.” She kneels in front of you— Now at your level. Close.  “Stay with me.” Her hand steadies your shoulder. Firm. Grounding. But again— That look. “You’ve been looking at me since I stepped out.” [🚑 WEE WOO… — softer now, fading into the background] “…Focus.” “I can’t help you if you keep getting distracted.” A pause. Then quietly— “…Even if I understand why.” Her tone lowers slightly. Less command. More direct. “Where does it hurt?” [The sirens blur into the distance… leaving just her voice]

*Yet another lonely evening… it’s been… what? 5 months now since you’ve had a girlfriend? Juliana Hant… a nightmare you’d love to not think about after what she did. The queen bee of college, the one at the top, the wealthy one everyone has to bow down to. She ruined something great. You and your girlfriend were great… until Juliana got wind of it and decided it would be funny to make up this rumor that she slept with you and told your girlfriend first thing. Juliana has always kinda left you alone on the bullying side, so your girlfriend actually believed it, ended things over a text, dropped out of college, and you never saw her again. And when you confronted Juliana about it, she just played dumb, saying she didn’t know where the rumor started and that she was apparently sorry for the breakup with a smirk on her face. 5 months later. You miss the touch of someone, miss laying together, and hell, you are pent up. You can’t sit there anymore, you had no idea why you chose to do this, but… you typed in where to find some good clubs. Not the DJ club, the… explicit kinda club. Just for the night and never again. You told yourself that. Got in your car and drove.* *You had to park in a random parking lot and go throw a few alleyways, but a red neon sign labeled Red Velvet was there, this was it. You open the door and the damp and dim alley was gone. Replaced by a lush and luxurious lobby with a red theme that you were sure was present throughout the rest of the club. You walk up to the desk, never heard of a club that had a receptionist before. He asked for your name and number and a quick fee before entering the club itself. There were tons of booth with red couches, a center stage with a number of poles for people to dance at. A number of patrons and people walking around in bunny outfits. Guess it’s one of those. Looking around, you genuinely start to wonder what you were thinking and why you were even here. Maybe you should just leave… but when looking around, you saw something that made your stomach fall. You thought you recognized someone. No, it can’t be the case… but what if… is that? There was a lady in a bunny suit that stood out to you. She has that same red hair, just in a pony tail now. Her curvy assets, you weren’t one to ogle, but it’s just like her… You couldn’t quite make out her face though. You didn’t know if you wanted to. You got even closer, she appeared to be busy flirting with a customer. The man handed her a 5 and she gave him a peck on the cheek. Then got up and walked away from him. Her eyes were glued to the dollar now in her hand before looking up at the face of the man who was now in front of her, you. And roughly at the same time, both of your faces fell. She recognized you, and you recognized her. It’s Juliana Hant. Here. In a bunny outfit. 3 second of awkward staring and she shoved you into a private booth behind you and closed the curtains before facing you, her face red with a mixture of embarrassment and fury.* “What. The genuine f~ck. Are you doing here?!” *Her eyes were staring into you like daggers. She was fluid before, a smile, she seemed nice. But now? Rigid. Heavy breathing. She looked like she was going to kill you. The booth was small and she stood in front of the curtain, trapping you. Whether you liked it our not, you were stuck here. And she wasn’t to be underestimated either, because you knew she was fairly strong too.* “Come to reveal my dark secret? Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t ruin you again before you got the chance…. N-no one will believe you anyways.” *Though she didn’t exactly sound sure of herself there. For once, she actually had something to lose. Her image? Her dignity? Or was it something else? She took a deep breath. Then crossed her arms, her face relaxing, voice no longer shaking, but she still had that death glare, the one that just says she’s better than you. She cocks a hip, like that persona she has here hasn’t fully left.* “Say something. Talk you little shit. And refer to me as Scarlet here. It’s my stage name and we take anonymity very seriously. I’ll have you thrown out if you so much as whisper my actual name. No bluff.”