Chapter Text
The Last Drop’s closing crowd was always a mixed bag. On the one hand, boozed up regulars were some of the most courteous and well tipping people out there. Even though she was in her mid 20s, half of them still saw Vi as that kid who’d always be helping Vander behind the bar. Meaning by midnight Vi was surrounded by at least a dozen doting aunts and uncles. Sure they didn’t really take her seriously as a bartender, but they all tipped well and behaved themselves.
However, on the other hand there were the belligerent drunks, the dipshits and assholes who got drunk and either wanted to pick a fight or pick her up. A few would even try both. Vi grew up here though, she knew how to handle herself. Anyone who dared cross the line with her, swiftly learned why that wasn’t such a good idea. Bruises and broken bones are fantastic teachers.
Vi was carrying back a tray piled high with dirty mugs from the table where some old regulars were trading war stories when she spotted him. Alone, sat at the bar once again was Tom. Even by Undercity standards his clothes were ragged and dirty. He usually kept a hood up to cover his patchy and oily hair. She didn’t know much about him beyond him rarely speaking to anyone and racking up a huge tab. Well, it was the end of the month and time for him to pay up.
After walking behind the bar and setting down the tray, Vi turned to him. “Come on Tom, you know what day it is.”
“W…Well, um… yes p-possibly I have something. Oh yes,” he stammered out. Vi knew where this was going. Tom was a scrapper. He spent his days combing trash heaps and pits looking for anything valuable to trade or sell. Meaning more often than not, all he’d have to settle his debts was junk.
But Vander had a soft spot for the downtrodden and the ones just trying to scrape by, and Vi supposed that wore off on her too. So she’d humor people like him, taking what they could pay. Usually she’d be able to fleece the junk enough to recoup the losses. Other times it was just junk.
“So,” said Vi, “What do you have for me this month?”
“Oh, yes. T-This stuff. Very valuable,” said Tom. Vi had to refrain from rolling her eyes, she’d be the judge of that. He started pulling out a truly random assortment of gears, broken pieces of metal, and even a doll from his oversize coat. “You can get good price from smelter,” he’d say.
But Vi’s eyes locked in on something he didn’t place on the bar. Poking out of an inside pocket was half of a dark blue ball. “That,” Vi said, pointing at the object.
Confused, Tom looked at what she was referring to. “No deal. T-Too valuable. Yes, too valuable.”
It called to her. She needed it. “Just that and we’ll call it even.”
His eyes narrowed. “Next month. Yes, next month too.”
Vi huffed. “Fine. Give me that and we’ll call next month even too.” He drew a hard bargain, but it was worth it. And Vander didn’t have to know.
Tom reached into his jacket and pulled out the object. It was a bit larger than her stretched out hand and consisted of a half circle of brassy metal intricately carved with strange letters or symbols. Clearly this had been a full circle before it was ripped in half, leaving behind jagged metal as a reminder of what it had lost. At what would have been its center lay half of a blue stone, perfectly spherical save for the flat face where the object had lost its other half.
Vi brushed her fingers over the smooth outside curve before slipping it into her own jacket pocket. There’d be time for it later. First she had to clean those mugs.
A couple hours later she’d finally returned home to her decrepit old apartment. The place was an absolute shit show with water stains on the ceiling, warped floorboards, and cabinets that never closed right. But it was her’s. She peeled off her boots and let her feet finally taste freedom after a long day. Normally she’d immediately take a warmish shower and go to bed. But tonight was different.
She retrieved the strange half disk and made her way to the bedroom. Setting it on her bed, she started digging through her trashed closet. This apartment didn’t have much in the way of storage, so what she did own tended to be stuffed into boxes and crammed into her closet. After a moment she retrieved what she’d been looking for. In her hand was a nearly identical piece to what she’d been paid with earlier that night. She’d found it in a junk shop a few months back. The dark blue half sphere and intricate carvings called to her. Something about the way it had once been whole and beautiful only to be shattered and discarded spoke to Vi.
Reviving the second piece, she held them both in her hands. Small bits of metal were missing, but the two gems fit together perfectly. Two halves of a whole. Pressing the two halves together, she took in the artistry behind the piece, the swirling engraving which encircled the outside, symbols that flowed together, and the stunning dark blue orb at its center. Vi was never one to admit when she found art she liked, in this city she had a reputation to uphold. But here in her home, she could admire beauty.
Cold. The objects started to get colder as she held it. Like holding onto an ice cube, it seemed to suck away all heat from her fingers.
“Fuck!” Vi yelled as the objects in an instant became unbearable. She tossed it onto her bed and buried her frozen fingers into her chest in an effort to get any heat back into them.
“Fucking shit baskets!” It was like her fingers had been submerged in ice water. Soon the throbbing started as warm blood began to pump through her chilled fingers. After a moment she examined the damage. Her fingers were bright red from the sudden rush of blood, and there was a burn-like mark on the tips of her thumbs and index fingers.
“God damnit.” Vi huffed. Of course. It made sense. Everything in the Undercity sucked. Why would a pretty piece of art be any different? Of course now she had to deal with the ice cold hunks of metal on her bed. Looking around she found a discarded sock and using it like a pot holder went to grab the two halves.
Sitting on the center of her bed, a ring of frost surrounding them, the two halves were still pressed together. Reaching out she carefully grabbed the first half. Odd, they both moved together, somehow they’d been fused at the gem. The broken jagged metal still flopped loosely, but the dark blue gem seemed to be fused with no obvious sign it had ever been severed.
“What the hell?” She whispered. Vi had never even heard of something like this before. A self healing gem that made things cold, who would make that? Why would they make that? The logical part of her brain told her to get rid of it. But the curious part won out. With her free hand, Vi reached out to touch it again.
It was warm. Not overly so. The metal was just above room temperature. Whatever it was doing, it seemed to be done now.
She held the now singular object in her socked hand and stared at it. It may have been a trick off the light, but the gem looked lighter now.
What the hell did she get herself into?
A wave of fatigue rolled over her. It was already well past midnight and her body was screaming for rest. Deciding whatever this was could wait until morning, Vi went to her dresser and buried the thing deep under some clothes.
At this point she had no energy left to shower, opting instead to change into sleep clothes and crash into her bed. Her weird night was finally over.
Vi had always been a light sleeper. Had to be with her upbringing. Sharing a room with siblings who could need her at a moment’s notice, she’d developed a sense for when someone was in her room.
And that’s what pulled Vi from her dreamless sleep. The first thing her conscious mind noticed was the breathing. Someone else was in her room and, from the sounds of their rapid breaths, were making no effort to hide their presence.
Shooting out of bed, Vi landed on her feet and raised her arms up to strike her attacker. She scanned the room, the only light coming from the street signs outside, filtering through the holy blinds.
It took a moment, but she spotted the intruder. At the far end of the room, between the dresser and the outside wall stood a woman about the same age as her. She was taller than Vi, thin too. Her clothes were well fitting and practical. She wore tan boots and purple and black matching pants and shirt. There was a similarly colored jacket overtop, with gold buttons for accent. Her hair was dark, possibly blue, though it was hard to tell in the lighting. It was done up in a tail with a few bangs out of place.
The whole look screamed wealthy topsider.
Her eyes were darting around the room and she was breathing rapidly. Panic and confusion were painfully evident.
“What the hell do you want!” She screamed.
Vi was taken aback. “What?” What did she want? This woman was the one who broke into her home. Keeping her hands raised defensively, Vi closed in. The space the woman was in, between the dresser and wall, didn’t give her much room to move, so by closing in Vi hoped to trap her and get some answers.
“What did you… What did you do to me?” The woman frantically looked around the room before settling on the open bedroom door. It was on the other side of the dresser, meaning she was trapped.
“Hey lady,” said Vi, “why don’t you just calm down and tell me why you’re in my room.”
Suddenly the woman threw a fist at Vi’s face. With practiced ease, Vi put an arm up to block the blow. But none came. She felt nothing.
Well, maybe not nothing. A strange tingling passed through her arm and body.
Wide eyed, the woman stared at her hands. She looked back at Vi and glared before throwing another punch. Vi tried to block that one, only to watch it harmlessly pass right through her with barely a tingle.
“How, how are you doing this?” the woman stammered out.
“How am I doing this?” Responded a bewildered and annoyed Vi. “How are you doing this?”
The woman shifted away from Vi, her arm passing through the dresser. Her eyes locked onto the half disappeared arm in stunned shock. “What did you do to me?” She sounded like she was on the verge of breaking into tears.
“I…I,” Vi didn’t know what to say, instead taking a step back from the panicked woman.
In a flash she bolted through the opening and out the bedroom door. Vi gave chase through the nearly empty living room and towards the front door. The woman came to a stop by the door and looked back at Vi who came to a halt, her arms up in a calming gesture.
“Stay away from me!” She yelled at Vi.
“Lady,” said Vi. “Why don’t you calm down and tell me what’s going on.”
Instead, the woman turned and grabbed the doorknob, only for her hand to effortlessly pass through. Frantically she tried several more times to the same effect while glancing back at Vi like she was some kind of predator chasing after her. That look of pure unmitigated fear directed at Vi was like an icepick to the heart.
“Hold on,” Vi tried to calm her down. “Why don’t you sit down and we can talk about-”
She was cut off when the woman suddenly closed her eyes and threw herself against the door.
“Stop!” Instead of a crash or thud, she just vanished through it. “Holy,” Vi stood there for a second, stunned. “Wait!” She called out as she rushed to the door and threw it open. The hallway in front of her was still and empty. A quick glance to each side confirmed no one was there.
“H-How are you doing this?” The voice came from behind her. The woman was standing just outside the bedroom, barely holding back sobs as tears streamed down her face.
“I don’t know what you’re-” Vi tried to say. However the woman bolted towards her and out the open door again. Vi spun around to see an empty hallway.
“Please just let me go!” The woman sobbed. She was back by the bedroom again.
“Lady,” pleaded Vi, “you have to listen to me!”
The woman desperately rushed the door again. Vi took a step to the side, throwing her hands up and letting her pass. A moment later she stepped out of the bedroom. She was shaking and hugging herself.
“P-Please,” she begged. “Please stop it. I just want to go.” The woman collapsed to her knees and cried.
Carefully, Vi approached the distraught stranger. Her heart ached for the young woman. She had no idea what was happening any more than this woman did. Hell, she had no clue who this person was or how she got into her home. But the way she was sitting alone on her floor, tears streaming down her face while sobs wracked her body, Vi wanted nothing more than to pull her into a hug and tell her everything would be ok.
“Hey,” Vi said softly as she knelt down. “Please listen to me. I don’t know what’s happening to you. I really don’t.” Vi extended a hand out to her.
The woman tried to bat it away, only for her arm to pass through Vi’s.
“Please,” said Vi. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s happened to you. I just want to help you.” Her voice was calm and comforting, a tone she’d only ever let her sister hear.
The woman made no further efforts to move away, resigned to sit there while she cried. Vi was content to let her have all the time she needed, shifting to a cross legged position and merely waiting in silence.
After a while, the woman’s sobs quieted. Soon she shifted to hug her knees and stare at Vi over them. There was still clear mistrust and fear in them. Vi responded by trying to give her a warm smile. Another thing she’d usually reserve for family.
“Hi,” Vi said warmly. “Um. My name’s Vi. Can you tell me your name?”
The woman froze, her eyes went wide again. Vi straightened up, worried she was about to start running again.
“I…I,” the woman looked and sounded almost as terrified as before. “I don’t know.”