─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 6

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Setting:

System: Volii

Faction: Freestar Collective

Planet: Volii Alpha

Place: Neon

☆☆☆

Jimin

His mother wouldn't move.

Her hair was down to her waist. Her skin was sagging thanks to how little sunlight she had been seeing. If Jimin were to guess, the minimal light she had seen was from her going out to buy more Aurora using the credits Jimin fought to bring her. All the credits Walter Stroud gifted her had went to Aurora instead of a haircut. But it was okay. Jimin had been the one cutting her hair anyway. If the drugs made her happy, Jimin didn't mind. All he wanted was to see one last smile from her. He clung to the hope he'd see it if he let her buy whatever she wanted. Ever since the Colony War, he hadn't seen her smile. He forgot what it looked like.

"Ma, where did you put the scissors, huh?" he asked with a small chuckle. He shook her with as much gentleness as he could. Still, nothing. "Ma, please wake up. I need the scissors."

"They're here."

Jimin snapped his head back and saw Y/n approaching with black-handled scissors. He muttered his thanks before hoisting his mother up. She slumped over, and Y/n rushed in to help. Y/n's hands went to his mother's shoulders and kept her upright. From the new angle, Jimin realized Ma hadn't brushed her hair much either. It wasn't matting, but if Jimin waited any longer, it could go that way.

"Any brushes over there? Combs? Anything?" Jimin asked.

Y/n scoured through Jimin's miniature bathroom, which consisted of a toilet and sink. On the rim of the sink was a brush the same color as the scissors, and Y/n brought it over. Jimin took it without speaking and brushed his mother's hair. She was drooling, and her saliva was colored purple.

Y/n cleared her throat. "Does she need a doctor?"

"No, just time. Aurora stays in your system for a while."

She went quiet for a moment. "Have you ever tried it?"

"Aurora? Yeah, of course. I live on Neon, everyone's tried it." Jimin paused to focus on a knot. It took a full ten seconds to detangle. "Hated it. I've used it a couple times, but I never got addicted like most. Alcohol's more my scene."

Jimin's mother made a groaning noise, but he shushed her and hummed while brushing her hair. It took five whole minutes for the tangles to calm themselves. Next came the cutting.

"Ma, I'm getting us credits. More than I've gotten before," Jimin whispered as he set the brush down and picked up the scissors.

'Snip snip'

Pieces of hair fell on his lap. Quiet surrounded the room since Ma was in no position to talk and Y/n didn't say a word for several minutes. Cutting hair was the only thing on Jimin's mind, and he worked without complaint until his mother's hair was back to a decent length. He didn't know how long it took, but it was worth it.

"Jimin," Y/n said by the time he was done. She helped him scoop up the clumps of hair and toss them into the trash bin next to the toilet. "She needs to sober up."

"Don't judge her, you don't know what she's been through." His tone was sharper than he intended, but he didn't care.

Before Y/n could reply, his mother made a groaning sound that had Jimin rushing over to her. In less than a second, she threw up on the floor, and Jimin went behind her to reposition her and pat her back so she could get it all out. Y/n winced and backed away.

"Shh, it's okay, Ma," Jimin mumbled as he encouraged her to get it out of her system. She stopped shortly after she began, then rolled around, muttered incoherent sentences, and drifted back into her daze.

Jimin got up, avoided the puke, and went to the sink to grab a towel and wet it. He could feel Y/n's stare but didn't bother moving to meet it.

He shut the sink off and went back to his mother to dab her mouth. Chunks of vomit littered the lower half of her face. Without wasting time, Jimin cleaned her off and made a mental note to come back later to help her bathe and brush her teeth.

Y/n cleared her throat. "Come on, you know this is ridiculous."

Jimin glared as he put the towel back in the sink. "Isn't a rule for Universals to not judge others?"

"Like you know anything about my religion."

Jimin rolled his eyes and washed his hands. He would have to buy more towels. Throwing up was a common occurrence with her, and Jimin went through cleaning supplies faster than he would have liked. Maybe if she didn't get so sick they'd have the money to afford better food.

"Go back to the ship," Jimin said, which caused Y/n to freeze. "I'll take care of her then go meet the pirates. You should go, you're not doing much good being here."

She gnawed on her lower lip before answering. "I didn't mean to overstep, but Jimin, she's-"

"Save it. I brought you here hoping you'd see my home in a different light than the others, but you're just like everyone else. Just like every UC dog. Leave, protect the ship. Don't make me ask again. You may be Vanguard, but this is my mission, not yours."

Y/n seemed like she wanted to say more, but she decided to respect his wishes and leave. The door shut behind her, leaving Jimin with his mother. She didn't budge. If anything, it seemed as though she forgot what consciousness was. Most days it was like that. On the days she was active, she grumbled about being hungry. Jimin decided to make sure to buy her ham and cheese sandwiches for the week. Ever since he was a kid, those were her favorites.

Jimin tucked his mom in with the thin blanket they had. It was falling apart. Loose threads hung off the side of the fabric, and Jimin adjusted it so none of the holes or strings would impact her temperature while she slept. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, like she had done for him in his childhood, right before he slept. He smiled as he mentally prepared to go steal towels to clean up his mother's mess. He didn't mind. She was all he had left.

"Goodnight, Ma. I love you."

☆☆☆

Madame Sauvage's place was packed.

The bar was filled with dancing, drunk patrons who threw their arms in the air and stank the place up with the stench of sweaty armpits and bad breath. Jimin winced as he made his way inside the flashy place. It wasn't quite as extravagant as the famous nightclub named the Astral Lounge, but it had its charms. Jimin much preferred it over the Lounge, but then again, that was his bias showing. The Lounge was in the Core, and Jimin didn't have the money to go there.

Madame Sauvage's had a gold and cyan color scheme. The walls were glowing rods of cyan, and the decorations were wrapped in golden lights. Even the bar top had LED lights around it and the stools. The tables making up most of the floor were metal and chained to the ground as if someone would steal them. Considering they were in Ebbside, perhaps that wasn't far from the truth.

Unlike most bars, Madame Sauvage's had a second floor that was accessible via a metal staircase that led to an equally metal walkway containing extra tables. Jimin walked by the stairs and went to the bar, where Madame Sauvage herself was.

She had short, curly brown hair that was trimmed to be above her ears. Her eyes were always the most captivating part of her. Hers were golden and shaped like a dragon's. The gold matched her gold and white dress, and the black leggings she wore underneath were tight enough to show off her impressive calves. If Jimin didn't know she was in her sixties, he would have guessed she was in her thirties at most.

As soon as he approached, she noticed him and rushed forward. She embraced him without warning. Laughter spewed from his throat, and it caught him off guard. He wasn't expecting such a warm welcome, but he wasn't complaining.

"I heard you got arrested," she said over the blasting R&B music and shouts from customers. "I thought I lost my top drinker for good."

Jimin snorted and pulled back. "Oh please, not even Freestar security can stop my alcoholism."

She grinned, and she had perfect white teeth. Her face was slim, but it was contrasted by puffy cheeks that gave her a sense of youth.

"To celebrate your return, I'll get you one drink for free." She held up her index finger. "One."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry, Madame. Unfortunately, I'm not here to drink today. I'm looking for Estelle Vincent. You know if she's here?"

"Upstairs, sitting on the stool and brooding," Madame said. She pointed, and Jimin turned to see a depressed young woman with a blonde ponytail sitting with a slumped posture.

"Thanks, Madame."

Jimin left the conversation and went upstairs. Estelle was sitting right by them, so it wasn't a far walk. Jimin approached, and the woman peeked up with her sharp blue eyes. She had a nose that was wide on bottom but thin on the bridge. The rest of her face was asymmetrical. One side had a sharp jawline while the other was a bit relaxed with more weight on it. The same applied to her cheeks, and the positioning of her eyes was off by a hair. Her right eye was slightly higher than the left.

"Ah, Jimin, I never thought I'd see you again. You must be the new rook," she said. Her tone was somehow lower than Jimin's, but not low enough to be considered "masculine."

"What gave it away?"

"They told me they were sending someone with a nice ass."

Jimin sighed. "Fair enough. Care to tell me what job I'm doing?"

"It's simple, not even a rook can screw it up. Do you think you're a good dancer? Bonus points if you're a good flirt."

"I consider myself great at both," Jimin said. He leaned against the railing of the staircase and raised a brow. "What is this about? Hoseok mentioned something about using my body. I don't have to fuck anyone, do I?"

She laughed. It sounded like a dying engine due to how scratchy it was. "Not unless you want to. All we need you to do is distract our target. She has a meeting in the VIP club in the Astral Lounge. We need time to break in and steal important files."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Classified, but I'm among them, if it helps. Just a group of pirates, but surely you understand why I can't tell you the names yet," Estelle said with a grin that appeared forced. It didn't so much as crinkle her cheeks. "Her name is Isabelle Perocci." Estelle reached to the table behind her and grabbed a slate. On the slate was an image of a black-haired woman with lips so large they made Jimin's look small. "She's your target, and based on our intel, you're her type."

"Why?"

"She likes clean men who have softer features. More feminine. Once we dress you up, you should be perfect."

"You want me to flirt with her? That's it?"

"Oh," Estelle said with a snicker. "Maybe I should make it more clear: We got you a cover job. We're good friends with the Astral Lounge's DJ, and we got you in under a fake name. You're June now. Don't worry about the last name."

Jimin tilted his head. "Uh... what's the job?"

Estelle smiled. That time, it crinkled her cheeks. "Stripping."

Even though the music was blasting, it felt quiet. Jimin processed what he had just heard. The Crimson Fleet's second test for Jimin was stripping and flirting with a woman to distract her. He had to show his body and dance seductively in front of strangers in order to fit in with pirates.

Best. Day. Ever.

"I've always wanted to be a space stripper!" Jimin said in a cheer, and Estelle's eyes bulged. The smile fell from her face.

"You're seriously excited about this?"

"Duh! I'm hot as fuck, everyone's gonna want to buy me a drink!" Jimin broke off to glare. "You're gonna put me in something slutty, right?"

"Of course. Come on, we have it set up in the storage room."

Jimin followed her back downstairs. Behind the bar was the storage room, and they entered together. Inside was a bed he presumed was Madame Sauvage's. Cabinets lined the walls, and the lights were tamer in there than they were in the main part of the bar. There were no crazy golds and cyans, just a single white light hanging off the ceiling.

"Over here," Estelle said. She pulled a clothing rack forward, and Jimin grabbed the black fabric in front of him. He winced when he saw it was a blazer. "Don't worry, we made it slutty. It's a black tie night, so we had to stay in theme, but we did our best with what we had."

Jimin turned the suit over and noticed the back was cut out. He hurried to take off his shirt, and Estelle rushed to try to stop him; however, she stopped once he removed the article of clothing to instead throw the blazer on. It was a little big, but if anything, that added to the charm. The sleeves came down almost to his fingertips.

Jimin did a twirl. "How's it look?"

"Not slutty enough." She paused and grabbed his shoulder to turn him. He could feel her eyes on his back. "I didn't know you had a tattoo. That makes things even better. She likes men with tattoos."

"Bitches love back tattoos," Jimin confirmed in a hum.

"What... is it?"

"Padauk."

My mother's favorite flower was what he wanted to say, but he figured telling a pirate that wasn't a spectacular idea. If she wanted to question him, she didn't. She dropped the subject.

"We have four hours. After I doll you up, you'll go backstage. We assigned you a manager, and you'll get a shift. That shift will happen to be when Isabelle enters the club. You need to be on time. As soon as you see her, go flirt with her. We need at least ten minutes. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I can."

"Good." Estelle paused and scanned over him. "Now tell me why you want to join the Fleet."

Jimin tilted his head. "Credits. Obviously."

"You've done business with the Fleet before. Why didn't you try to join then?"

"I wasn't aware I could, not to mention it wasn't up my alley," Jimin said as he twirled in his blazer and adjusted it to show off his beautiful chest. "Back then I didn't have a ship. My career paths were pretty limited, y'know? Besides, I liked what I did here. It made the UC hurt."

She chuckled. "Anything to get back at those bastards, huh?"

"Damn right."

Estelle helped him with the blazer, and she made sure to only use one button. It covered his chest, but not enough that nothing was visible. His skin still shined in the light. In the Astral Lounge, he was sure he'd look majestic.

"I was born in Cydonia," she said as she backed away. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. "You'd think I'd be loyal to the UC."

Jimin snorted. "Cydonia's a shithole, so that actually doesn't surprise me. But... why did you leave?"

"Credits." She trailed off to snicker. "Obviously."

Jimin made a soft 'ah' sound before replying. "No tragic past? No grudge against the UC?"

"Believe it or not, no. I liked Cydonia. It was chaotic and a terrible place for a kid, but it was home." She smiled. "Maybe that's like Neon for you?"

"Hey, at least Neon is pretty. Cydonia is..."

"Disgusting," Estelle finished with a hint of amusement in her tone. "I get what you mean. But hey, any place, no matter how shitty, can be special thanks to family, right? The Fleet can give you that. Don't fuck up tonight and you have my word I'll vouch for you, and soon enough, you'll have a new family."

Jimin liked his current family. His mother was all he had to fight for. Crime was his career because of her. Without her, his life would be different. He didn't imagine it'd be as good. Or, at the very least, it wouldn't have been as entertaining. Throughout his short childhood, she had taken care of him. For the past twenty-two years, he had been taking care of her no matter how many drugs she took. He didn't regret it for a second.

"Don't worry about me, I'll dance so well even you'll fall in love with me."

"Oh please," Estelle said. She rolled her eyes but had a grin on her face. "You rooks are always something. Now come on, I have to get you all dolled up." She guided him to the bed and made him sit. When he plopped down, she met his gaze. "And Jimin?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I like women."

☆☆☆

Jimin was stunning.

By the time Estelle was done with him, he felt like a star. She styled his hair and put silver highlights in it, did his makeup, gave him an obnoxious amount of jewelry, and had a tailor come in to adjust his clothes.

Jimin gazed at himself in the full-body mirror. He had cross earrings dangling from the ears that had been pierced two hours ago, and his lip had a fake ring in it. Silver was the theme for the night. A silver body chain covered his exposed chest and back, and his tattoo that stretched up the side of his waist to the curve of his right shoulder blade made him look sexy as hell.

The blazer was trimmed to fit him better, and the dress pants that accompanied it included a belt with silver loops hanging from the buckle. They were there for decoration, but they made him feel like he was worth a million credits.

Makeup was on his side that day. Estelle had given him white, winged eyeliner and covered the few blemishes he had. Most of the makeup was used to cover his freckles.

His fingers made clanging noises due to the four rings he had. There were two silver rings on each hand, both on his middle and ring finger. He paid them no mind as he adjusted his hair. Not a single lock was out of place. Isabelle liked men with long, straight hair. Jimin had long hair already, but Estelle managed to squeeze every last drop out of him and somehow make it go down past his ears and curve on the back of his neck.

"June!" one man, his manager for the night named Yusan, shouted. "Get out there! It's your turn!"

Jimin rushed out to the Lounge, and he noticed how packed it was. Shit. How the hell was he going to find one person in a crowd full of drunk idiots?

The Astral Lounge was known for its cool color scheme with a soft red as an exception. The reds, blues, and purples surrounded him, but mainly a shade of midnight purple mixed with indigo. They highlighted the jewelry that clinked together as he made his way to the center of the room, where the dancers were performing on the elevated stage.

It was a small circle with a metal railing surrounding it, and two dancers were there. They blew kisses and encouraged the ones close to them to get a drink. Jimin wasn't sure if anyone could hear over the bass-boosted beats that made his ears hurt. That was why he much preferred Madame Sauvage's: She played R&B, not whatever shit the Astral Lounge was calling "music."

Jimin ended up getting touched by everyone he walked by. They were amazed by his presence. All the girls giggled and touched his arms as he passed, and the men were no better. They whistled and clapped. By the time Jimin got to his place alongside the other dancers, he had been touched more in those thirty seconds than he had been in his entire life.

In a way, it was exhilarating. As a teen, he didn't have the time to figure out his hormones. Sure, he had gotten drunk and had sex more times than he could count, but never a relationship. To be frank, he didn't have time for love. That was why the random touching was different. Some of the contact came from pure horniness, but others touched him with admiration. It brought a pleasant tingly sensation to his stomach.

Huh. He was more touch-starved than he had realized.

Two minutes later, Jimin was outdancing his co-stars. They ended up leaving to go speak to guests individually and convince them to spend more money on alcohol and Aurora. Jimin was a one-man show. Mobs of people were cheering him on, and the dance floor was full of energetic alcoholics who only took a break from dancing to snort their next dose of Aurora or down their shot.

The Lounge was spacious and had two VIP elevators in the left and right corners of the club. The bar was behind Jimin and up a small staircase. There were seating areas next to the VIP elevators, and a bathroom in the very far left. Most of the attention was on the dance floor. Jimin purposefully made sure to face the entrance so he could keep his eyes on the prize.

Jimin began to panic when he couldn't find her, but soon, a black-haired woman stepped in. He barely spotted her through the crowd, and he likely would have missed her if it weren't for her stopping to gawk at him. Eye contact was made. While staring directly at her, he smirked, licked his lips, and danced. He rolled his body on the floor and showed off his thighs as best he could. When he turned, he knew his tattoo was visible to her.

If she wasn't hooked before, she had to be after that.

Jimin got back up and panted at the end of his routine. Applause followed, and he bowed in thanks. Isabelle couldn't stop peering at him. He used that to his advantage and got down from the stage to make his way toward her. The crowd attempted to stop him. Without missing a beat, he shoved them and made it to her.

She made a little squeak sound when he got in her personal space, and from up close, he realized how gorgeous she was. Her hair was pulled back, but two strands of it curtained her delicate cheeks that had freckles littering them. They covered the upper half of her face but faded away around the bottom. Her lips were gigantic, but he could tell they were real. They were covered in an adorable pink lip gloss. The skin-tight black dress she wore didn't help, neither did the velvet gloves that came up to her elbows. There were pearl bracelets on both of her wrists.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Jimin asked as he took her gloved hand and kissed the back of it. Her eyes were twitching and a blush crept on her face. He kept his smirk. "Why don't we go somewhere quieter to discuss what you liked?"

"O-Oh I can't, I have a meeting-"

"-with me."

Jimin dragged her through the mass of people and brought her to one of the sitting areas that rested above the VIP elevator. He didn't know where Estelle was, so he started a mental timer. He had to distract her for at least ten minutes. That led to him pulling her down on one of the couches.

"A gorgeous woman like you shouldn't be left alone," Jimin said. He spread his legs and rubbed his inner thigh with one hand while the other remained on the back of the couch. If he wanted to, he could wrap it around her shoulders, but he opted to save that for later. "My name is June."

She let out a nervous laugh and tugged at the end of her ponytail. "Isabelle."

"Mm, what a beautiful name." He scooted a bit closer and moved his gaze slowly from her left eye, then to her lips, then to her right eye. It made her avert her gaze, but with his index finger, he tilted her chin up and maintained the staring contest. "Did you like my performance?"

Her skin felt hot under his touch. Natural blush burned bright on her cheeks. She kept trying to peek at anything other than him, but he made sure to come closer every time she broke the eye contact.

"I've never seen you here before," she said instead of answering the question.

"Ah, yes. I'm a guest performer, once in a lifetime opportunity. Maybe fate brought us together."

Her lips twitched downward. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

A genuine laugh left his throat. Oh please. He never talked to any man or woman like that, even the ones he had slept with. Sure, what he was saying was fake, but it was far from words he said often.

"Yes, that's why I chose you as soon as you walked in the room as opposed to the dozens upon dozens of other men and women who were eyeing me up and down," Jimin said with a chuckle in his voice. "Iz, I'm a guest performer. I'm getting paid to dance, not to flirt or give lap dances. If I wasn't really interested in you, I'd be up there." He paused to point to the mini stage. "Shaking my fat ass for everyone to throw money at. But I'm not. I'm here." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "With you."

"But you just met me, how can you like me already?"

"I believe in soulmates." That part was true. Lying was a common occurrence for Jimin, but if he could incorporate the truth as much as possible, he figured it'd benefit him in that scenario. "My eyes landed on every single person in this room, yet they remained on you." He placed his hands over hers and rubbed little comforting circles into her skin. "I felt something when I saw you. Maybe you did too?"

She gulped and pressed her thighs together. "Maybe..."

He performed the move he had saved for later: He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her up against his chest. Thanks to the top part of his blazer being exposed, her hands fell on his bare chest, and she let out a tiny gasp at that. If nothing else, she actually was cute. If he wasn't thinking about the massive pile of credits he'd get for flirting with her, he'd almost feel bad. Almost.

"Then why don't we experiment? I'm a man who knows what I want from the second I see it," Jimin whispered. He made sure to exaggerate his words so that his breath would land on her lips. "And I want you."

She grabbed onto both sides of his blazer. "I have a meeting I need to get to."

"When is it?"

"Fifteen minutes from now, but I need to be down there early so-"

"-that gives you fourteen minutes with me," Jimin interrupted. He made a shushing sound when she went to protest and brought his mouth close to hers. "It's okay, you're okay. Nothing bad will happen while you're with me."

Seeing as she was the nervous type, he didn't think it was best to get right into making out. Instead, he took the time to reassure her and hold her. It seemed to work. She nodded and fluttered her eyelids until they shut. He took it as permission to continue.

Without wasting any time, he kissed her. He had distracted her for at least two minutes at that point. That meant eight minutes of distraction time at most. Great. An eight-minute kiss.

Isabelle hopped back at the contact, and he held her head and felt her soft locks dancing between his fingers. He licked his lower lip, right over the ring, and offered her a small smile.

"Everything's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, and we can stop whenever you want. I'll be gentle," he murmured.

His mother had used to stroke his hair and sing him lullabies when he got anxious. Back then, Ebbside was under massive construction and there were buzzing drills and sledgehammers banging against the metal walls. Loud noises had startled him as a kid. Ma had always sang him to sleep and told him it would be okay. If it had comforted him, he was sure it would comfort Isabelle. He made sure his voice was as soft as his mother's had been. Seeing as he memorized the harmonious sound, it wasn't difficult to mimic.

"Okay," she said after a long moment. That time, she initiated.

They went back to kissing as the music blasted and more alcohol filled his nostrils. He made a mental vow to get drunk after his job was done. He assumed he had seven minutes of distracting left. It sucked that his distraction boiled down to making out with a random woman who probably didn't deserve to be led on, but hey, he was getting paid, and that was all that mattered.

Jimin kissed her like he would never kiss anyone again. Part of that was genuine. He didn't know when the next time would be. If that was his last time, he would make sure he'd remember it. He ran his ring across her mouth, and the cool metal contrasting with the warm flesh caused pleasure to build in his body.

His hands snaked up and down her back. She had sharp shoulder blades that he clung to to tug her closer. By the time he needed to pull back for air, she was on his lap with swollen lips and bulging eyes.

He chuckled. "You're the cutest little thing."

With that, he guided her down on the couch. Pushing her would have been hotter, but the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off. He chose to lay her down and get on top of her with his hand going to her cheek. The time left he had on the distraction evaded him. Focusing on the moment was what came to the forefront of his mind.

Jimin lowered his body against hers and kissed her once more. Her legs parted to allow him more access to her, and he granted her desires. His knee trailed up her thigh higher and higher until he pressed it against where she craved it most. A wet moan left her mouth and entered his. Jimin pulled back to smirk before leaving gentle kisses down her neck.

The poor couch was witness to it all. Jimin didn't care how many walked by. No one bothered interrupting; at a club, there were countless people making out. Interrupting each one would take hours. That was if they even listened.

Jimin kept alternating between kissing her lips and her neck along with rubbing his knee in all the right places. She was a flustered, panting mess beneath him. Whispers of his fake name departed her tongue, and he had to admit he adored the way her breathless voice shimmied its way into his ears.

Time ticked by. A tap on Jimin's shoulder interrupted his fun. With a groan, he whipped around and saw his temporary manager standing there with his bushy brows burrowed together. His beard looked like it was frowning.

"We need you back on stage," he said.

Jimin rolled his eyes. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Estelle says you're needed back on stage."

Oh. Distraction over. Yay.

"Fine," Jimin said in a grumble. "Shoo. Let me say bye to my woman." The manager took the hint and exited, which gave Jimin the time he needed to meet Isabelle's wide eyes. "Looks like I have to give another performance and get drunk." Oh yeah, Jimin still had plans to get wasted. "We can talk after my show, yeah? I'll come find you outside the club when my shift ends. I hope your meeting goes well."

She coughed as if she choked on air. "Oh shit, I forgot about the meeting."

"I have that effect on people."

Despite his "joke" (that was more like the truth), he helped her up and brushed off her dress to rid her of any wrinkles. It didn't work, but it was the thought that counted. He also wiped her lips to get the smeared gloss off. Her makeup needed fixing thanks to how much Jimin had done to her, and her neck was a minefield of pink blobs Jimin left not from hickies but rather all the gloss he had gotten on himself from the constant kissing.

"Well, thank you for that," she said. She toyed with her hair and pulled on it. "I'm not used to this."

"Used to what?"

"Someone paying attention to me."

Jimin forced a smile and rubbed her cheek one last time. "You're incredible, Iz. Don't forget that."

He kissed her forehead, made sure he didn't leave any marks on her face, and ushered her off. He made sure she got to the VIP elevator safely before he felt comfortable going to the bar. He figured he didn't need to dance again, and seeing as no one stopped him when made his way to the alcohol, he was right.

Isabelle's words sparked a sense of bitterness inside Jimin. He couldn't remember the last time people paid genuine attention to him. If anyone paid attention, it was because they wanted something from him. Constellation wanted him to mine rocks, the customers who had watched him dance had wanted sex, and all the ones he had done business with had wanted his expertise in lockpicking and hacking. As for his mother...

Jimin brushed the thought off and plopped down on one of the stools. Right when he did, the man he happened to sit next to nudged Jimin's shoulder. Jimin noticed he was around Jimin's age and had black eyeshadow on that made his eyes appear like that of a siren's, and his fluffy, curly brown hair was covering the left side of his face.

"Can I buy you a drink?" the man asked.

Jimin almost jumped for joy. "I'd never say no to that."

That began Jimin's night of downing shots and forgetting the pirates. Jimin knew he couldn't stay forever, otherwise he'd run into Isabelle again. Besides, there was a nagging feeling inside him telling him he had an important event coming up. Jimin thought about it more and more, but his drunken mind stumbled over the word "bubbles" and wondered why the hell it was a word to begin with. Then, after getting himself together, he realized what he had forgotten.

Shit. He had to meet with Constellation in a few hours.

☆☆☆

Upcoming Destination:

New Atlantis

☆☆☆

𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭:

The Astral Lounge is a common spot for Benjamin Bayu to hang out. In the VIP rooms only accessible via the VIP elevator, Bayu loves to host small parties and business meetings. Although the Lounge is known as a club, for the companies in Neon, it's the number one place to conduct business.

In general, the Lounge is seen as the snobby rich people's club that doesn't have nearly as much charm as the "real" clubs in Neon. Most of the "real" clubs are in Ebbside. The common consensus about the Astral Lounge is that it was designed by rich people who had never been to a party before.

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 6

𝐄𝐍𝐃

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───