City of Fire and Ink

Covenant and Cobras

"Breaking news on Pardahna Daily. A recent drug outbreak in Eastern Pardahna has been tied to Big Five activity. Confidential sources report that the leak was a potential collaboration between Houses Thornwood and Cobra. This new partnership could be catastrophic for government attempts at limited gang power. Local hospitals are at full capacity, using all available resources to treat the virus, which seems to have originated from a drug called Tigris. Yep, that's the one. The drug known as Tigris, credited with causing the most recent Nasibu crash, is carrying a deadly virus with a death rate of 100%." 

I spit out my matcha. "There's been another outbreak?!? I thought Dominic and Orion were keeping it under control. It wasn't supposed to make the news."

"It doesn't sound so under control to me."  Inez's wet hair clung to the back of her neck. They were up this morning before I was even awake, to do yoga in the sun room. Her arms were crossed as she stood at my kitchen sink. 

"Dominic promised he wouldn't let it out in the city. He said we were keeping it for observation purposes only, waiting to see what it was."

"Did you know it was a virus?"

"The last information I got on it was that everyone who's taken Tigris has been admitted to the hospital and died of organ failure. But the number was only 3 or 4. Is there a death toll?!?"

My implant immediately interrupted the broadcast to search that up. "Current death toll of Tigris, subheading, narcotic, is unsure, but estimates by local statisticians are around two hundred."

"Shit, Seojun. You didn't tell me it was that bad." Inez's face had that look where they were thinking a million miles a minute.

"I didn't know. We thought it was just people overdosing. But it looks like the drug itself is an actual problem." I pushed away my matcha. The thought of drinking something made me want to vomit.  "Wait, why haven't I heard from Ha Kun?"

I checked my implant. No mixed messages. "I'm going to the Abascal's mansion. I need to figure out what the hell this is and I'm not going to show up like a summoned lackey."

"Good strategy. I like it." Inez's expression was cool, with a hint of pride. "But don't you have work today?"

"It's not due for another few days. I can do it later. Yay for independent work schedules."

"Does Kazembe know that they're enabling your gang affiliations?" 

"Well it benefits them, so I should hope so. You don't have to work either?"

"I don't have to go in till this afternoon. I knew the night after a concert I'd be wrecked so I shifted my schedule around."

We looked away from each other at that. Aside from gushing over our favorite moments from the concert, the only references to Inez's "distraction," had been a few blushes, me confirming that I had enjoyed myself, and the very awkward reassurance that it was nothing to be awkward about. I was dying to ask if Inez would do it again, but couldn't muster up the courage.

 I was her best friend. I was stressed and she wanted to make me feel better. We were both sex positive people. That was it. It didn't have to mean anything. I busied myself with rustling up breakfast so I didn't have to feel so sad about it. 

On the way out the door, Inez stopped me. I was expecting her to say something like be safe. I think their mouth even formed the words. But instead, she gripped my arm fiercely. "You're powerful. If they don't know that, make them remember."

I nodded mutely. "I'll try."

"You will." Their grip tightened. "And try not to die loser."

"Before beating you at Genshin? Never. You couldn't wrest that title from me if you tried."