Chapter Text
“-And I didn't hear back from him for a week. Next time we talked, he was carrying a wig and three fake passports.”
The speaker broke out laughing at her own joke, and nearby, in the back seat of the car, one of the passengers did the same. Near them, also in the back seat, another passenger, this one sitting behind the speaker, joined in the merriment, but quietly, as more of a token effort to feel included than genuine amusement from the joke. The driver, for her part, seemed disinterested.
The speaker leaned over and slapped the driver on the arm. “C’mon, Tex, that was funny.” Texas glanced at the passenger out of the corner of her eye, then shrugged. “Sure.”
The woman sitting behind the driver reached over and grabbed the passenger's arm. “It's okay, Exusiai, I thought it was funny.” Exusiai smiled briefly, before puffing her cheeks out into a pout. “Yeah, but you always find my jokes funny, Croissant. I don't care about that. Texas is my girlfriend, so she's supposed to find my jokes funny! And if she made jokes, I guarantee I'd find them funny.”
Exusiai twisted around to look at the woman behind her. “What about you, Sora? Did you find it funny?” Sora stared at her blankly for a moment, before smiling and nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, it was a great joke.” She returned to staring out the window.
The four were driving along the Lungmen highway. It was mid-afternoon and they had just finished a delivery job nearby. It was the sort of job where they didn't ask questions and the client didn't give answers. The sort of job Penguin Logistics dealt with often. Together, they had long since learned to not linger on the possibilities of what was in the sorts of packages they handled. It was a much better use of the time to, say, make small talk and crack jokes.
Sora tuned most of that out. She wasn't interested in conversation and she had long ago realized that her sense of humor didn't intersect with Exusiai or Croissant. Still, being an idol meant that she had the ability to feign interest in things she truthfully didn't take the slightest bit of interest in. Talking with her friends in Penguin Logistics was certainly better than wasting air on vapid words with publicists or hoards of fans. At least the people here treated her as one of them, as another human.
Sora did her best to not externalize the frustration she was bringing upon herself. Being able to hide such feelings was another skill learned from being an idol.
Truth be told, she had started to zone out from the conversation the second Exusiai said the words ‘my girlfriend’.
The car stopped and everyone got out. It was a while later than noon, but given they had been busy with the job since before sunrise, they hadn't had time to stop for lunch. Conversation continued as they walked into the restaurant that Texas had chosen. It was going to be on Emperor's bill, as was every other meal the group was going to have for the next week as part of the payment for the most recent job.
Once they were out of the car, Sora found herself engaging in a conversation more. Not being crammed in a vehicle helped her mood. So did sitting across from Texas at the table. Even if Exusiai spent the whole meal clinging onto her arm. It was still better than the car.
They ate slowly and talked a lot, so they were in the restaurant for a while. By the time they left, the sun was already beginning to vanish beneath the horizon. It was the time of year when that was happening earlier and earlier in the year, so it wasn't obscenely late just quite yet.
“Hey, Sora, are you gonna be coming back to the safehouse with us or should Tex drop you off at your apartment?” Sora spent a block thinking about the question. “Safehouse. Might as well celebrate a job well done with everyone else, right?” She gave Exusiai a bright smile in an effort to give off enthusiasm she didn't have.
Driving through the city streets of Lungmen, especially in the evening at rush hour, was a grueling experience. Even when drivers didn't cause issues, the sheer density of cars on the road meant that getting anywhere took forever. The Penguin Logistics crew had all the time in the world, but that didn't mean they liked to waste it. Nevertheless, Texas was a cautious driver, certainly more so than Croissant or Exusiai. That's why Sora insisted she drive. That was Sora's excuse.
They were still a ways away. Traffic was beginning to thin out, but it would be another quarter hour at least before they reached their destination.
And then another car hit the side of their vehicle.
It was in the middle of an intersection. They had the right of way, but a car came from the other direction and failed to stop early enough. In the moment of impact, Sora blacked out.
When she came to, the world was a cacophony.
All the windows had shattered, covering both the inside of the car and its inhabitants. An emergency worker was pulling her out of the car. Just in front of her, Croissant was doing the same for Exusiai. Sora looked around, but the driver's seat was empty. Texas was already gone.
Guided by one of the emergency medics, Sora made her way over to a nearby ambulance, where she sat down on the back bumper. From the corner of her eye, she could see Exusiai doing the same and taking a seat beside her.
“Your friend is, um… She got taken away to the nearest hospital. I'm not sure how much can be done for her, but I assure you, doctors will be doing their best to ensure her well-being.”
Sora figured that the medic’s words were meant to be reassuring, but they didn't make her feel any better. She didn't even look over to see if Exusiai felt the same way.
After sitting there for a few minutes, ambulance attendants made the pair stand and do basic check-up exercises. Sora could stand, albeit with some trouble, she could walk in a straight line, which, again, was with some trouble. She could recite her name, race, and birthplace. That gave her pause, but not because she couldn't remember. It was hard to keep her lies in order. Lastly, she had to count from one to ten and back in her native language. Again, lies were told.
Croissant needed no such tests. The ambulance staff were quite astounded by how little the events had gotten to her, especially considering her proximity to the impact, but in her words, Forte are built different.
One quick call later and they had a backup car on the way. After some back and forth with the ambulance staff, it was decided Sora and Exusiai were fine to leave on their own, especially considering Croissant was with them. The area was still an accident zone that had to be cordoned off, but with no more medical support needed, the ambulance made its leave.
Sora was shell shocked. Things like this had happened before. Worse, even, be it crazed stalkers or mail bombs. Public fame had its drawbacks. Something about the mundanity of the crash made it all the more lucid in Sora’s mind. She knew from experience, a trained assassin couldn't have planned this better.
“I don't know how I could possibly make up for this. I'm so sorry. I was on my phone and I wasn't looking and I missed the light. It's all my fault. I feel awful about this.” The other driver's apologies made it clear this wasn't a hit. An assassin wouldn't stick around like this, wouldn't make themselves so known, wouldn't exchange insurance information. They wouldn't be the ones to call an ambulance. That did some good to clear the minds of the three who remained.
Sora, Exusiai, and Croissant had nothing to do but wait and watch. Slowly, the crash was worked around and traffic was diverted. Still, it stayed there for as long as they waited.
It wasn't a question that the car was ruined. The driver's seat window was caved in entirely and the engine was ruined. Sora was glad that she hadn't been conscious when Texas was taken away, because she wasn't sure she could've handled the sight of what had become of the Lupo. She could tell Exusiai was barely holding herself together. While they waited, not a single word was said. Gone was the energy and life they had just shortly before.
When the replacement car finally showed up, they quickly stuffed inside the vehicle. The silence between them stood for the rest of the ride back. The car had come with its own driver, so they didn't need to worry about that aspect, but sitting there, Sora felt a shroud of unease cover her. If she could have walked home instead, she would have felt more comfortable doing that.
The driver offered to drop her off at her apartment. Sora gave the idea more thought this time, but in the end, she stuck with going back to the safehouse. She didn't want to be alone.
But once they arrived, the three of them split apart. Croissant returned to her room and Exusiai retreated to the on-site firing range. Sora felt like going to her room in the safehouse would be pointless, because if that was her plan, then she could have gone back to her apartment. So instead, she laid on the couch in the living room and watched local news television until they started reporting on the crash, at which point she switched to some channel playing an untranslated foreign movie she didn't understand. It provided sound and pictures to look at, which was enough of a distraction to keep her from the edge of being catatonic.
At some point, Exusiai and Croissant came back into the front room. “Hey, um, Sora, I'm not sure if you want to, but Croissant and I were going to head over to the hospital and see how Texas is doing. Do you w-” Exusiai stopped and shook her head. “Sorry, I don't know why I'm inviting you like we're going out for dinner or something. Should I just text you if we hear how she's doing?”
Sora sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I'm… probably fine to come with. I'd rather hear it from a doctor than secondhand. No offense”
“None taken.”
Sora stood and took a deep breath, then turned the TV off. “Do you know which hospital T- which hospital she was taken to?” Exusiai nodded. “One of the people with the ambulance gave me an address and said that she was going to give the front desk my name so they know we're people they can talk to.” As they stepped outside, the Sankta continued. “I'm not sure if our relationship status means anything if we're not married. Or maybe that's why the nurse said she would do that.”
Exusiai was about to continue when Croissant cut her off. “The hospital ain’t exactly nearby. We're gonna need to drive. Ya gals up for that?” Sora and Exusiai both nodded, leading Croissant to continue, “Alrighty, good. I'll drive. There might still be some damage from the crash that ya haven't noticed yet.”
Exusiai raised an eyebrow. “And what about you?” Croissant chuckled. “I already told ya, Forte are built different. I coulda been hit dead-on ‘n walked it off.” As she looked at the other two, her positive expression died. “Maybe it woulda been better that way.”
“Maybe.”
The drive to the hospital was uneventful. It was well past sunset now, so the streets were clear. However, in spite of the ease of travel, Sora's mind was focused on tragedies of unimaginable fates. When the car finally stopped suddenly, she couldn't have been more thankful.
Before Sora got out of the car, she reached into her purse and pulled out a face mask. She was dressed inconspicuously, but she didn't want to take chances. In the time it took to put that on and get out, Exusiai was already halfway to the door. Croissant had waited behind, however. She and Sora walked side by side towards the building. As they stepped inside, however, they saw Exusiai at the front desk talking to the receptionist, so Croissant pointed to some nearby chairs and the pair sat down. Croissant grabbed a magazine from a nearby table while Sora pulled out her phone and started checking social media.
She hadn't posted anything since the crash, but half the time her account was handled by her manager anyway. She considered posting about the crash, but decided against it. Perhaps her manager would deal with that later.
“Oh my God! Is that Sora?” Sora couldn't help but react to the mention of her name, but she did her best to downplay it. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as an Anaty girl hurried over, then gestured to a nearby friend. “Oh my God, it is Sora! Hey, Ying, come check this out, it's Sora.” Another girl, a Feline, stood up and hurried over. “Oh my God, Sora! I'm such a huge fan of yours. You! are! my! favorite! idol! I love you!”
Sora ducked her head further down and did her best to not glance at the girls as they continued to pester her. One of them ran back over to where she was sitting and grabbed her purse, before hurrying out. She pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and thrust it in Sora's face. “Can I have an autograph? Please?” The other girl nodded enthusiastically.
Sora tried to mumble out her pre-planned denial. Fans recognized her on the streets from time to time, so events like this were not out of the ordinary. She usually didn't have any problems with taking photos or signing loose objects, but after the first couple times, her manager denied it. In his words, such run-ins would lead to her being harassed in public and dealing with stalkers, but would also lead to her fan events being devalued. Eventually, she had her script she was supposed to say on such occasions and those moments became less common.
But they weren't unheard of.
Sora was too quiet. Even if they weren't excitedly talking in her direction, the girls would have had trouble hearing her. So, they persisted.
Croissant groaned and set down her magazine. She stood up and talked over to the girls. “Leave her alone. We're in a hospital, y’know. Y’all should be quiet ‘n more respectful. Y’all have no idea why she could be here, so ya shouldn’t be botherin’ her just because she's some singer ya like. If y’all really respect her, y’all should realize that she deserves the space ‘n privacy to not be harassed at a time like this.” She sat back down and grabbed the magazine, but before she continued reading, she said one last thing, “If she's really someone ya love, y’all would have the kindness to leave her alone.”
The Anaty girl looked up at Croissant. “Ugh, you didn't have to be so rude. You could've told us to go away politely.” The Feline chimed in, “Yeah, if you didn't want to be recognized in public, you shouldn't be a celebrity in the first place. A simple ‘Please leave us alone.’ would've been enough.”
Croissant rolled her eyes. “A simple ‘Leave us alone.’ wouldn't’a been enough.” She returned to her magazine. The girls rolled their eyes, but returned to their seats.
A couple minutes later, Exusiai walked back over to the other two. She waved, then started for the door. They reconvened in the car.
Exusiai swallowed, then began to speak. “She's still undergoing surgery, they say, but her outlook is good.” A collective sigh was let out as the tension in the car eased slightly. Exusiai continued, “I also got her room number. Even if she was out of surgery, it's out of visiting hours, but I'll come back tomorrow. I didn't get to talk to any of the doctors involved, but from what I heard, if the worst had happened, we'd already know. We aren't out of the clear yet, but she probably won't die on the operating table. Otherwise, um, I think that's it. Visiting hours are 9:00AM through 9:00PM. Family and loved ones can visit at any time, but apparently I don't count.” She let a beat pass before laughing it off. “That's kinda fucked up, isn't it? Apparently, if we were married, it would count.”
Not another word was said as Croissant started the car and left the parking lot. Sora rested her chin on the short window sill and stared out at the city. Lungmen was a city that never sleeps, so, drenched in neon and lights, it was practically bright as day, but the comfort of the darkness still brought her some relief.
“Should we pick up food while we're out, or are ya girls gonna make something when y’all get back?” Croissant gave the other two a short moment to respond before she pulled off the route back to the safehouse anyway. “Well, either way, I think I want to pick something up. It's getting late, you know?” Sora and Exusiai remained silent.
Croissant pulled into a drive-thru and started ordering. When she was done, she went to roll up her window, but before she could, Exusiai crawled over to her from the passenger seat and gave a quick order. Both looked back at Sora, who gave no indication she was paying any mind to where they were. The car rolled along forward and a few minutes later they were on the road again.
When they got back, Croissant and Exusiai each took seats in the living room and switched on the TV. It was still set to the news station. Sora walked over and took a seat on the couch next to Croissant. A few seconds later, she slumped over and laid her head on one of the couch’s arms. She watched the TV as Exusiai picked up the remote and began channel surfing until she decided on an old black and white film, some cheap western with Bolivar outlaws and a Columbian hero. It didn’t seem good, but it was enough to fill the background as she as Croissant talked over dinner.
On the couch, Sora just listened. The two didn't take an effort to include her and she didn't take an effort to be included, leaving her as a passive viewer. Slowly, their voices became mixed with the movie on the TV and the movie that replaced it, as sound and light became more distant and removed. At some point, Sora passed out.