#9: illegal activities are a grey area and can be negotiated, with right reason
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"𝐘'𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, 𝐈 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇," Pip carefully balanced the drinks on his tray. "It's like, a culture for the mentally exhausted."
"College students." Rue offered, paperbag of pastries clutched in one hand.
"That's what I said."
Noon was upon them, and bright sunshine brushed their skin as the street passed by. The pavement was blazing hot with gravel.
"Who's the orange soda for, anyway?"
"Oh-Dai. I know she feels weird about getting it, but-" Rue shrugged. "She likes it."
"Axel once mixed two redbulls with sprite and cold brew and called it a cocktail." Phillip reminded. "I think orange soda's normal enough."
"Don't remind me. Didn't he challenge Val to a dance fight?"
"I still have footage in case we ever need to blackmail him."
"Ah. Smart."
The Young House glistened in its glory. But wait.
The front door was swinging, completely open.
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"Holy fuck holy fuck holy FUCK." Rue dropped her bags and bent to look at Lavinia's ashen face. She lay on the ground before the kitchen entrance, limp and unmoving.
"Where's Val? Shit, shit. Where the fuck is Val-"
"SHIT." Pip sprinted up the stairs, panic thumping in their ears. "Val? Valentine?"
They kicked the door open and there, on Dai's soft carpet, was Valentine Diaz on her side, hands curled into fists, pink hair falling over her forehead and across her shut eyes.
She wasn't moving, either.
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"Pip? Everything okay?" Dai bit into her waffle cone, the last bit of her ice cream gone. Axel and Thomas, across the table, engaged in a dramatic sword fight with red popsicles.
"NO. Val-V'Vinia, they-we found-" Pip struggled for words. "Bad."
"What's bad?" Dai stood, cupping her mouth. "Pip, listen to me. Breathe. What happened?"
"On the ground. Not moving. Just-completely."
"Check if they're breathing right now." Dai got her coat. "I'm on my way. Stay calm."
"Call 911-should-should we?"
Her chest tightened. "No. The nearest hospital is miles away, and we can't afford the medical bills. Where's Rue?"
"Upstairs." A muffled sound came from the other end. Pip seemed to sink in relief. "They're breathing. Steady heartbeat."
"Good. We're getting back as fast as we can. You know what to do."
Dai turned to face her friends, concern melting through their eyes.
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Rue propped a stack of pillows under Valentine's ankles. The door downstairs swung open aggressively, and Dai burst through in a rush.
Pip watched in concern as Dai filled two bowls with tap water. Thomas assisted by dumping ice cubes in as they passed by him.
"What-exactly-are you doing?"
Dai didn't answer, instead flying past Axel in the doorway and to Lavinia on the couch.
"I'm very sorry about this," She said, before firmly splashing the entire bowl in her face.
Valentine awoke when her entire torso was drenched in ice water.
"What the actual-" She was ready to murder, even if her vision was still blurry. "Who the fuck-?"
She was immediately scooped into a bone crushing hug.
"Dai?" She guessed from the warmth.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fi-"
"I'm going to kill whoever did this to you."
"I mean, if you wi-"
Valentine couldn't keep talking as Dai clamped her hands around her cheeks and examined her face closely.
"You're okay," She mumbled, and let go.
Rue helped her up, and Axel poked his head out of the bathroom to toss her a towel and a reassuring grin.
"Sorry about the ice water to te face," He said, as Valentine mopped the droplets off. "It was Thomas' idea."
"And it WORKED," Thomas added, nodding wisely. "Clearly, it was a necessary evil."
"You're a necessary evil."
"I will fight you right now-"
"-QUIET," Dai stopped them from getting any further. "Val, do you remember who your last client was supposed to be?"
She thought hard. Nothing. Haziness clouded her mind.
"S'okay," Pip pulled out their phone and began to type. "I have the spreadsheet."
"Right, secretary."
But Phillip had frozen. His hand trembled slightly as his lips parted, eyes dilated.
"What?" Thomas noticed. "Who was it?"
Axel peered over his shoulder, tilting his head curiously. They crowded around Pip, staring at the blinking cursor.
No, not the cursor. The name before it.
"Ari St. Lai," Dai read, vowels soft, danger seeping underneath. "Do any of us know him?"
a/n: am i dead?
only on the inside
but fr comments are actually my lifeline now. if i have a shitty day i just pick a long and detailed one and unwrap it like a chocolate truffle and giggle to myself and shit smh
