Work Text:
It was another late evening as the last of their customers went out the door. The place was still open for another hour or so, but it was the middle of the week, and many people were interested in getting some rest so they could get their work done and prepare for Halloween earlier. As such, there would likely be few people coming in now for one last drink that day.
Suits me just fine - it’s been a long week, IRyS thought to herself, cleaning the counter with a rag. Behind her, she could hear Bae going through the rows of alcohol on the shelf, making sure they were all in the correct place. Neither were in any rush, the calming atmosphere being helped by “Let Me Stay Here” playing over the speakers. (They had set the jukebox not to play selected songs more than three times in an hour, after the incident with “Ochame Kinou,” allowing for active music again at all hours.)
Once she was sure that there were no spots left on the counter, the Nephilim adjusted her black work dress and turned to her wife. “You know, we could close up early today. We might even be able to pick up some candy for trick-or-treaters on our way home.”
The Embodiment waved away her words, switching two bottles’ positions on the rack. “Nah. I don’t want to miss out on any sales. You just know that our house is going to be overrun with fans on Halloween. So I want to make sure we get the good stuff for them. Full-on chocolate bars, and big lollies... Er, lolly pops .”
IRyS snorted, never failing to be amused by her lover’s Aussie slang. “Fair enough. Not sure we’re going to get too many more people, though.” She tapped her chin, looking up at the ceiling. “I wonder if we should do anything special for Halloween. We haven’t exactly decorated or anything. We haven’t even looked at any costumes!”
“Kind of silly for mythical beings to put on costumes of other mythical beings,” the rat-girl responded, not turning from her work. “Anyway, maybe we can do something next year. We only got started with this place last month. Let’s give it until Christmas before we try to do any fancy decorating.”
“Okay,” the Nephilim conceded. She walked over behind the redhead, wrapping her arms around her. “But I like the costume idea. Sure, it’s a little ridiculous, but aren’t holidays like this about having fun? It could be a real blast.”
Bae finally turned her head to look her wife in the eyes. “What would we even dress up as?”
“Well, this year, I was thinking that maybe I could be a witch,” IRyS explained. “I could carry around a broom and everything. You, on the other hand, I thought would make a dashing vampire. You already got the teeth for it.” She smiled seductively. “And you also know how to bite very well.~”
This caused the Embodiment’s face to heat up, chucking nervously. “I-is this just some elaborate way to get us to roleplay in the bedroom?”
“Not entirely,” the Nephilim said cheekily. “I really do think costumes at work would be nice. Trying out roleplay later would just be a bonus. I’m curious to see what the appeal is.”
“Well... I guess there’s nothing wrong with it. We can look at costumes later, and-” The rat-girl paused suddenly, giving her lover a suspicious look. “Wait, were you thinking regular costumes, or those ‘sexy’ ones some stores have?” When all she got was a smile in return, she just sighed and got back to moving drinks. “We’re not getting anything too revealing, you hear me? I’m not giving a show like that to young adults.”
“Your normal outfit has a belly window,” IRyS pointed out.
“Yeah, but that’s not intentionally sexy!” Bae countered. “It’s meant to be cute! Not my fault I attracted people with a fetish.”
Laughing at her wife’s misfortunes, the Nephilim continued to lean on the other woman. She kissed her on the cheek, which earned her a small smile from the smaller woman. The two fell into silence as more of the alcohol was rearranged, enjoying the serenity of the late hour...
...After a while, however, IRyS narrowed her eyes at a few of the drinks arrangements. She had memorized a chart her lover had given her on opening day, to make retrieving drinks easier. It had taken a while, but she was pretty good at noticing discrepancies now. “Wait a minute... isn’t that bottle supposed to go there? And what’s a beer doing in the wine section?”
The Embodiment froze for a second, eyes going wide as they darted around. “Well, I, uh...”
It then clicked in the Nephilim’s mind what was going on, and she gave the redhead an incredulous look. “You’re intentionally putting them in the wrong places, aren’t you?! To embarrass me in front of customers as I tried to find the right bottle!”
The rat-girl gave a sheepish smile. “Heh. I mean... it would have been funny, right?”
IRyS glared at her wife. “Oh, I’ll show you funny!” She then put the other woman into a headlock before she could react, giving her a noogie. The Council member, for her part, could only flatten her rat ears and flail her legs around, begging for mercy.
This might have gone on for a while, if not for the sound of the door opening. The two of them paused, before quickly separating and fixing their uniforms. The Nephilim, being in charge of the bar today, turned to greet the customer. “Hello, welcome to-” She stopped short, recognizing the short woman in the blue hoodie approaching. “Oh, Gura! Good to see you!”
“Hey there, guys!” the Atlantean greeted back as she reached the counter. With a small hop, she managed to pull herself onto one of the bar stools, her legs dangling below her. She looked around the room, giving an appreciative hum. “Wow, Calli wasn’t kidding. This place really does look nice. Good job with everything.”
“Thank you!” Bae replied, who always seemed happy about people recognizing the work she put into the place. “So, what can we get for you?”
The shark-girl shrugged. “Not for me to pick - I’m not the one ordering. I was just taking the reins in case we bumped into people on the street. Just give me a second to...”
Gura closed her eyes for a moment, seeming to concentrate on something. Neither IRyS nor her lover interrupted, having an idea of what she was doing. And sure enough, they watched as the blue highlights of their friend’s hair turned a crimson red. There was also a small shift in the short woman’s posture, to signify a bit more confidence.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, revealing the red irises that indicated that her other personality, Gawr, had taken control. She gave a toothy smile to the couple. “Are you two bitches going to just stare, or are you getting me a drink?”
A brief ack came from the Embodiment, who quickly cleared her throat. “That’s... I should have expected that sort of greeting from you, but I just didn’t for some reason.”
“It’s not like I’m out often - probably not used to me is all,” the Atlantean offered. She then leaned against the bar, using one hand to wave toward herself. “But seriously, a drink, please. Hard whiskey if you have it. Maybe a bit of cinnamon in it.”
“Coming right up,” the Nephilim replied, choosing to ignore how odd it was to also hear a request for strong drinks from their Senpai. She went over to the shelf where she knew they had a bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. She removed it from the wall-
-only to realize that she was holding a bottle of apple cider, and not even a heavy alcoholic one at that.
She barely had time to react to this before her wife stepped next to her and removed the drink she was looking for from the wrong place it was supposed to be. The rat-girl gave her a sly grin that only she could see, before turning back to their customer with a more happily amused smile. “Here you are. Let me pour you a glass. Poor IRyS over there is so bad at keeping track of where the drinks are. It’s kind of sad she hasn’t learned after all this time.”
Cheeks heating up at the trick, IRyS stomped over and roughly grabbed the bottle from the redhead, pouring the glass herself. “That’s not true and you know it! Stop lying to our Senpai and admit you switched the bottles around!”
Bae gave her an innocent look that she begrudgingly admitted looked pretty convincing. “Huh? Why would I do that? We’re trying to run a legitimate business here. That would just waste our time.”
The half-angel glared at her lover, silently sliding the glass of whiskey to the shark-girl. Said woman did not seem to care about who was telling the truth, snickering to herself as she watched both of them. She glanced off to the side at one point and mumbled under her breath, talking to Gura inside her head. “Oh, she’s definitely lying. But damn is it a good show.”
The couple did not have a chance to question who she was referring to before she downed her whole glass, coughing and hitting her chest afterward. They blinked in surprise at this, with the Embodiment being the one to speak up first. “Um... are you okay there?”
The coughing stopped a moment later, Gawr giving them a smug smile. “Of course I am! Not only does it burn, but I can tell we’re going to get super drunk from this! What could be better?”
“That’s... nice,” the Nephilim said, once again fascinated by the difference between the two personalities. Gura did get drunk on occasion, but she was usually slow about it, rather than priming herself to get hit all at once. “Should we call you a cab or something to get you home? We have a direct line to the local taxis.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the Atlantean reassured, leaning against the bar with both arms. “Ame’s nearby at a flower shop and said she’d be by in a few minutes to pick me up. Just got to step outside and wait for her.”
IRyS shrugged. “Good enough for me, I guess. But will you be fine on your own for that brief time? I mean, it’s not a bad neighborhood, but if anyone were to try something, would you be able to...?”
The shark-girl smirked at her, raising one hand to the side, palm facing them. A moment later, there was a light blue flash as her signature trident formed in it, dripping water as if it had just been submerged in the relatively dry room.
“...Fair enough,” the rat-girl responded, glancing down at the floor. “Can you not summon that while you’re here? We’re going to have to dry that up before we leave.”
For a split second, the red-personality seemed apologetic as she summoned her weapon. “Yeah, of course. Sorry about that.” Her grin quickly returned though as she shook her head. “You poor things - having to wipe a bit of water off the floor. I hope you don’t chip any paint off your nails. The horror!”
The Nephilim rolled her eyes, but smiled at her Senpai’s antics. This personality may have been rather impulsive - rude at times, even - but she was as caring as her other self, whether she realized it or not. Both sides of her often mentioned their brutal past and the monster they were, but as far as she and many of the others were concerned, they had far moved past those days and become some of the most supportive people around. Maybe we can get that into Miss Edgelord’s head one day.
Another thought occurred to her then, making her furrow her eyebrows as she looked at her friend again. “Hey, I just realized that you pretty willingly came out to talk to us.”
The comment made Gawr raise an eyebrow, finger playing with the rim of her glass as she waited for the alcohol to take effect. “Is there a problem with that?”
“Absolutely not!” Bae was quick to reassure, putting the whiskey bottle back up. “It’s a real treat, honestly. I think I know what she means, though. Normally, it practically takes making a sacrifice of our dignity to make you come out to even tell a joke. Only other times I can think of you coming out are when Gura doesn’t want to cry in front of everyone over something.”
The Atlantean glanced over to the side. “Told you people noticed.” She looked back at her Kouhais. “But yeah, I’ve not really been too keen on coming out for long periods before. Gura is the better people pleaser by far, and the longer I’m out, the more likely my impulsiveness might get us into trouble. Been that way long before we joined Hololive.”
That got a frown out of IRyS, but she decided not to comment on the slight self-depreciation for now. It was said more as a fact than something she was upset about, anyway (which... might be more concerning, actually). “So what changed here recently, then?”
“Don’t know,” the shark-girl replied with a shrug. “I think being out more with Calli has caused me some inspiration to... try hanging out with you guys more? Gura’s also always trying to get me to hang out with you guys, and after so much success with the woman we love, I guess I’ve decided ‘screw it! Let’s give this a shot!’ It’s partially why I came here - as a test run to see if I don’t cause too massive of a headache for people.”
The Embodiment smiled at her. “Well, I would rate it as a success so far.”
“In being able to talk with people, or giving headaches?” Gawr asked.
“The first so far, but we’ll see about the second,” the Nephilim answered, getting giggles out of everyone. She then looked over the red-personality, a thought occurring to her. “Hey, speaking of you ‘being out,’ if you don’t mind me asking, have you ever spent long with anyone outside of Calli in Hololive?”
“Depends what you mean by ‘long,’” the Atlantean said. “For a while now, I’ve been spending time with Calli for entire days, which is far longer than anyone else I’ve known for nearly two millennia. Most of you guys I’ve been out for five minutes at a time, at most.” She rubbed her chin. “The only exception has been Watson. I’ve spent over an hour with her on certain days in the past.”
That piqued the interest of the couple, with IRyS continuing the questioning. “Really? What do you do with her in that time?”
“Mostly combat training at first,” the shark-girl replied. “Once I ensured that she was the most badass detective around, though, we ended up having a bit of small talk. She’s someone I trust to call me on my bullshit if my aggression and stuff get too out of hand. It’s even gotten to a point where I’m... okay with being out the whole time for quick cases she asks us to go on.”
The rat-girl raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the case, then why do you need us to be a ‘test’ for the others?”
Gawr rolled her eyes. “Even I recognize the importance of seeing if something is a pattern rather than an exception. She could have been unique in liking me for all I knew. Calli reassured me more about the possibility, and you guys...” A warm smile came to her face. “I think you’re convincing me I might not screw this up.”
Once more a frown crossed the Nephilim’s features. “Gawr, you shouldn’t think-”
“No, seriously, I’ve caused problems in the past. Not everyone likes me, whether because I’m different from Gura or because they think I’m an asshole.” The Atlantean suddenly reached out, grabbing their hands and looking at them with watery eyes, tail swishing behind her. “Thank you for this. I... I promise once I’m more comfortable being out, we’ll get to know each other more. For now, though, just... thank you for not being weirded out by our situation.”
The couple was shocked for a moment, baffled that the normally smug persona was so earnest toward them. As IRyS looked closer, though, she noticed a heavy flush to her cheeks, and that she seemed unsteady on her chair. That was when she realized what was happening. “Um, Gawr, I think the whiskey has finally taken effect.”
“Oh yeah!” the shark-girl agreed happily, moving back a bit as she sighed in bliss. “It’s so nice to let go of my pride a bit and just let my thoughts become like the swaying currents of the ocean. Not all the time, mind you, but it really helps to get what I want across.” She gave them a wink. “So enjoy that little confession, because I’ll slap you on the head if you bring it up when I’m sober enough to care again.”
They stared at her for a moment, before Bae let out a small chuckle. “Well, thanks for that. Though, maybe you should learn to do it without needing a drink.”
“So Gura keeps telling me. Heh, you should hear her in our head right now - not being in control does not stop her from getting drunk, too. She’s a giggling mess.” Gawr stretched her arms over her head. “Well, I should probably go find Watson before she gets worried about me. A bit of water to help with a potential hangover, please?”
The Nephilim nodded, using the tap nearby and pouring a glass and using one of their magi rods to chill it a bit. Once it was in the hand of her Senpai, she decided to ask one last question. “Hey, can I ask one thing about your relationship with Calli, if it’s alright?”
“Shoot,” the Atlantean said after a few sips of water. “I was wondering when I’d get the ‘protective little sister and sister-in-law’ treatment.”
“That’s not really a part of what I want to ask... yet,” IRyS teased with a smile, though then put on a more curious expression. “It’s just that when she was here the other week, she had a... bite mark on her neck.” She shrugged. “Now, far be it from me to question what you do in private - nothing wrong with being kinky. But... I was wondering why you put it in such an obvious spot. Seems like something you’d want her to be able to hide to avoid embarrassment.”
To her surprise, the shark-girl chucked darkly, giving her a wide smile filled with razor-sharp teeth. “Oh, you sweet little thing... I put it in an obvious spot because she likes being embarrassed.”
This earned her a raised eyebrow from the Embodiment. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, she acts all tough, even when she shows everyone that dorky side of her,” Gawr explains, still grinning. “And she may try to deflect people when they make her all flustered. But I can see the truth... that she would love nothing more than to be stuck in that feeling, her heart constantly beating quickly and her thoughts a jumbled mess. So while Gura gives her the doting girlfriend treatment for casual hangouts, I help awaken her desires and make her delightfully humiliated in ways casual friends can’t.
“But I don’t plan to stop at hickeys - no, sir. Eventually, we’re going to reach the point where she’s comfortable having sex. It’s there that I’ll finally be able to show her just how much I love her in all the ways I feel I’m not able to right now. And when I do...” Her teeth flashed again, her red eyes becoming more like slits. “I’ll make her unable to deny how much of a sub she is. I’m going to absolutely break her, in all the ways she secretly wants to be.”
The intense look from her friend made a shiver run through the Nephilim. In the corner of her eye, she could see her wife having a similar reaction. Even without being the target of the other woman’s lust, it felt as though the room had gotten a bit warmer... and that they would be in danger if they denied her the prize she sought.
Not seeming to care about their reactions, the Atlantean finished her water, causally jumping off her stool and heading to the door. “See you two later! Pick a date next month - we can play some shooters together.”
Silence ran over the bar for a while, even after the shark-girl left. Then, with a thick swallow, it was the rat-girl that finally broke it. “I’m simultaneously scared for my sister and feeling like she’s the luckiest girl in the world.”
IRyS gave a small hum of agreement, then gave her lover a teasing smirk. “Well, it sounds like I know what to do next time in bed, huh?~”
A dark blush came to Bae’s cheeks at the implication. She pointedly turned her head away, gathering up the glasses to wash. “I... don’t know what you mean. I’ve been a dom plenty of times - no need to ‘break’ anything.”
Sure... about a tenth of the number of times I’ve been the dom, the Nephilim thought. The redhead definitely could lead her along if she wanted to - had done so before - but she rarely exercised that control. She may jokingly complain at times about not getting to live her sub dreams at times, but considering the expressions and noises she could get the other woman to make...
Well, she considered it a more than fair trade.
Any further lewd thoughts were cut off, however, as the door opened again and a new customer walked in. She turned to this new person, and a smile adorned her face. She had not had much time to talk with this gray-haired woman, but she was always happy to talk to her Kouhais. “Hello, Zeta! Welcome to ‘Chaos’ Drop of Hope!’”
“Hey, IRyS,” the virtual agent said happily, giving a wave. She was not in her usual streaming gear, instead sporting a black sweater and gray sweatpants. The keyhole between her chest and neck still stood out, though, despite the usual black clothes being gone.
“Well, first, congratulations on being the first ID girl to pay us a visit,” the Nephilim said as the other woman sat down. She gave a mock stern look. “And second, you better not be here to steal my wife. You’re on thin ice after your streams together.”
“I’m sure I am,” Zeta said sarcastically before giggling. “But seriously, I would never dream of trying to get between you guys. Plus, I don’t exactly feel love to begin with.” She tapped her keyhole for emphasis.
“Maybe, but I’ve got my eye on you,” IRyS replied, though her smile took away any potential bite. “So what can I get you?”
“Do you have any non-alcoholic beer?” the virtual agent asked. “I’m not really looking to get drunk - just unwind a little bit. I had a long day of streaming.”
“Coming right up!” The Nephilim went over to the shelf. She paused, however, before reaching for one of the bottles, looking over at her wife. “Bae, you didn’t move the Clausthalers, did you?”
Finishing up with the glasses, the Embodiment looked at her with an innocent smile. “What do you mean, honey? Why would I-”
“Either tell the truth, or you’re sleeping on the couch for the next week,” IRyS deadpanned.
The threat made the rat-girl’s tail straighten as her eyes went wide. A moment later, her animal parts drooped as she nodded demurely. “Y-yes, they’re still in their usual place. You caught me before I could move them.”
“Thank you,” the Nephilim said brightly, grabbing the bottle and pouring a glass in quick succession. She handed it over to her Kouhai. “Here you are.”
Zeta nodded in thanks while giving an amused look to the still-fidgeting redhead. “You really have her whipped, huh?”
“I think we have each other fairly whipped, to be honest.” IRyS leaned in closer to the gray-haired woman, speaking conspiratorily but loud enough for her lover to hear. “She’s definitely more whipped, though. She’s just too much of a brat to admit it.”
“Hey - don’t be filling our Kouhai’s head with lies!” Bae exclaimed, rushing over and tugging on her wife’s arm, giving a petulant pout.
The Nephilim gave the virtual agent a smirk, gesturing as if to say “see what I mean?”, making said woman break out into giggles. The Embodiment sighed at this, but accepted her loss as she crossed her arms, looking away from them both. More giggles were shared between the other two at this. Truly the best tsundere wife I could ask for. Not that I don’t like it when she decides to be more open instead.
Looking between her lover and Kouhai, though, something that had been nagging at her came to mind. So, clearing her throat, she turned back to the grey-haired woman. “Hey, is it okay if I ask you something about that keyhole of yours?”
“Yeah, go ahead,” Zeta replied with a smile. “I’m not embarrassed by it or anything. Ask whatever you wish.”
“... Is Bae’s key the one that goes to it?” IRyS asked. She quickly raised her hands to avoid any misunderstandings. “I mean, I’m not worried about her using it on you if it is. I was just curious if you gave it to her for safekeeping or something. I don’t remember her always having it when we first got together.”
It was the rat-girl who answered before their friend. “No, it is not her key, whatever the fans might speculate. It’s just a plastic one I got because I thought it would look funny on me.”
The Nephilim rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.”
The virtual agent laughed at their banter, then added her own input. “Well, if you’re wondering about the actual key, I keep it hidden at my house, locked up safely. It does actually looks like hers, though, except that it’s made of real metal. It almost looks like silver, but I think it’s just the magic imbued into it.”
“So the whole thing is magical in nature?” IRyS asked.
Raising an eyebrow, Zeta gestured to her keyhole. “You think I could just have a random hole in me without it being magical? How would it even seal away part of my emotions unless it was, too?”
The Nephilim blushed, smiling awkwardly. “I... didn’t really think about that. I thought it might have been tech, or... I don’t know, honestly.”
Bae chuckled next to her. “Looks like I didn’t need to move the bottles after all. You embarrass yourself easily enough as it is.” Ignoring the glare she got from that comment, she turned back to the gray-haired woman. “So what’s it like not being able to feel love, anyway?”
This made the virtual agent frown as she rubbed her chin. “Um... fine, I guess? Like, I can still form personal connections with people - my emotions just can’t develop to the point that I want to kiss them and stuff. The same applies to feelings of lust, too. It all kind of... plateaus at some point.” She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
“I was just wondering if there are certain social situations where it creates a different feeling than the ‘normal,’” the Embodiment clarified. “I mean, I assume there was a time you can remember when that lock wasn’t inhibiting part of your emotions, right? If so, you must have noticed some differences in how you feel things.”
“Ah, I see what you mean now.” Zeta took a sip of her beer while she pondered the question, answering a moment later. “ I suppose how I feel embarrassment from teasing and lewd stuff is the most obvious. I feel awkward about it, but... it doesn’t connect with me. It doesn’t cause me to have fantasies, or make my heart and mind race like I know that sort of affection usually causes. Though, it’s a bit more complicated than how I’m describing it. After all, it’s not like I would develop a crush or desire their body after just a few teases if I never had the lock.”
IRyS leaned in, finding herself interested in this conversation. “Can you tell when your feelings would develop into love and lust with someone normally?”
“Sometimes, but not always. When my emotions reach that upper limit, they sort of fade into the background for me and get siphoned away to prevent them from passing that point. I’d normally have to be pretty focused to tell that sort of thing consciously.” The virtual agent gave a small smile to the couple. “I don’t normally care about that sort of thing, though. The friendships I’ve developed on the job and now at Hololive have always been enough for me.”
Giggling lightly, the Nephilim smiled back at her. “Corny as hell, but I like the attitude. Take it from someone married, though - there are ups and down to love, but...” She turned to her wife with soft eyes. “When you have that special someone in your life, it can make so many bad parts of life fade away when you’re with them.”
The rat-girl’s face lit up, then she hugged the half-demon with a giddy smile. “Aw, IRyS...”
Zeta gave a small laugh at the interaction. “Well, I’ve certainly seen some good relationships since I joined you guys.” She swirled the remains of her beer in her glass. “I’m not opposed to love by any means. I just haven’t decided who to trust with my heart yet. It’s a nice but vulnerable place to put yourself in, so I want to make a good choice.”
The bar owners tilted their heads at this, separating from their embrace. Bae, being the one who started the conversation, was the one to speak. “That’s a... slightly strange way to put it. Are you just being poetic, or...”
The virtual agent blinked at them before giving a sheepish laugh. “Right, I guess I’ve not fully explained how my lock works, huh?” She looked between her two friends. “Well, you see, it’s not that turning my key in it will simply unlock my emotions. Instead, I shall quite literally fall head over heels for the person who turned it.”
IRyS was shocked by this, and by her lover’s wide eyes, she was feeling similar. “Wait, seriously? No choice in the matter?”
“Not at first, at least,” Zeta said casually. “Doesn’t really matter who they are - man or woman, nice or rude, skinny or built like a tank. They’ll become the object of my affection, and I will do what I can to try and please them. There are some limits based on my own personality and beliefs, but overall, I will want to stay with them regardless of even major flaws.”
“That’s... very concerning, actually,” the Nephilim said, a deep frown on her face. “Like, what if someone abusive gets your key and manages to use it on you? You’ll just stick around with them and take their beatings?”
“Yeah. There’s a reason I have the key hidden away, in case it wasn’t clear.” The virtual agent waved away their concerns. “It’s not quite as bad as it seems, though. I still have enough preservation instincts to stop any genuine attempts on my life in that state. And those effects only apply for the first twenty-four hours. After that, my love gets sealed away again.”
This brought some relief to the couple, but the Embodiment was apparently not done asking questions. “So you can only feel love in daily intervals.”
“No, that’s just when I’m given the option to choose,” Zeta clarified, speaking quickly before anyone could become confused. “Once the twenty-four hours are up, I’m given that moment to ‘analyze’ how it went. So far, I’ve always decided that I don’t like the relationship I had with the person, whether I willingly gave them the key or they stole it. Once I make that choice, the key doesn’t work for another day for safety reasons, or longer if I will it to be so.” She gave a dark grin. “Those who forced the situation on me are always so shocked when I suddenly don’t like getting treated like shit... and normally take the prison option over the stabbing one from me.”
A shiver ran through IRyS at that look. “You know, you’re kind of like the ID version of Ame in terms of the gap between your streaming and job.”
The rat-girl nodded with her. “Yeah, no kidding. Pretty funny to watch on streams, albeit for different reasons, but when on their actual jobs... sometimes we forget how scary you guys can be.”
“I would think that this applies to a lot of people in Hololive. Such as, say, the whole generation of JP girls made of criminals? And you guys have quite the juxtaposition yourselves with your jobs.” The virtual agent giggled at the blushes she got from that. “To finish my explanation, though, I do get the option to accept the love of that person, which should theoretically make me less compliant and allow things to develop like an actual relationship. I’ve never done that with anyone, though.” She shrugged slightly. “Despite the risk of some vile people getting the key, I do like having control over who I fall in love with, instead of being at the whims of hormones. It also helps to avoid falling in love with a person who has eyes for someone else.”
“I guess that’s a plus,” the Nephilim conceded, though still frowned a bit. “Just... promise you’ll keep being careful with that key, okay? I’d hate for you to be manipulated by it.”
“Can do, Senpai!” Zeta replied with a grin, finishing off her drink. “Well, I better get a move on - I have a stream first thing in the morning. I’d close up early if I were you guys. The streets are dead out there, so I doubt you’re getting any more juicy gossip and information.”
IRyS nodded. “Thanks for the advice, though I think Bae is pretty set on-” She cut off suddenly as the last part of what her Kouhai said registered. She raised an eyebrow at her. “Wait... what makes you think we’re after gossip and stuff?”
“Um, all the questioning you gave me this evening?” the virtual agent replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s clear that you guys are at least partially using this place as a way to learn more about the mythical beings in town, and maybe a few other oddballs, too. You certainly have a good setting for getting people to loosen their lips. I was happy to indulge, though.”
“That... wasn't our intention - really,” Bae said. “We’re just doing this to avoid boredom and to make a bit of money. Small talk with you guys is simply a bonus.” She leaned on the counter, rat ears twitching. “ But I’m curious to know what you mean by ‘good setting.’ I had some similar thoughts a while ago, but I’d like to hear from an expert.”
Zeta stood up from her seat, but still faced them and provided her full attention. “Well, a bar is a good place to make a person drop their guard. It’s not just alcohol that makes people lower their inhibitions and filters - though that certainly helps. The setting also has this view in our culture where you can take a load off and vent your day’s frustrations. A place where you can say whatever you want to the barman and not have to worry about it later, almost like a therapist. And any breaches of this can act as a deathblow to an establishment in this day in age, as if there is an unspoken contract you’ve gone against.”
The Nephilim scratched her head at this information. “All this is a fact?”
She received a small shrug from the virtual agent. “Admittedly, I don’t have an exact study to point you toward, but that’s what I was taught during my training with the Secret Archives Unit. Keep asking questions to your friends, and you’ll see what I mean. You have the added advantage of being familiar faces, too, which I imagine will help. See what you can learn - as long as you don’t do anything malicious with the info, I’m positive most of our friends won’t mind.”
Without further words, Zeta gave them a wave and turned away. The couple gave their farewells as she left out the door, leaving them to their thoughts. The Embodiment rubbed her chin, seeming to contemplate the possibilities. “Hm... I would love to know more about everyone. So that I’m better able to help out, you know? But... it feels like I’d be taking advantage of them.”
IRyS reached out and gently petted her lover’s hair. “Don’t worry about it too much. If what we ask is too personal, I doubt they’ll say anything regardless of the setting. We can be extra careful about what we bring up if they're drunk, too.” She gave a kind smile. “Besides, I don’t see this as any sort of interrogation. I see this place more so as a convenient way for us all to get together if you ask me. To meet some of our Senpais and Kouhais we haven’t had a chance to interact with yet.”
Her petting and words appeared to put the rat-girl more at ease as she relaxed. “Yeah. I mean, that was my intention to begin with. I think the way Zeta explained it made me feel awkward, but... I’m good now.” She gently removed her lover’s hand from her head. “So do you want to head out now? If there really isn’t going to be anyone else- ack!”
The noise was caused by her forehead getting flicked by her wife. The Nephilim gave a stern look, not forgetting the redhead’s earlier actions. “We’ll leave once you put all the drinks back in their correct place.”
Bae groaned, clearly having hoped that her stunt would be overlooked until another incident occurred. “Alright, fine! It’s going to take a while, though. I did the same thing with some stuff in the back.”
IRyS huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well then you better get started, huh?” An idea then occurred to her, making her smirk seductively. “Plus, if you do it fast enough... I’ll give you some nice hickeys to hide under your choker. On top of plenty of other things tonight.~”
The Embodiment stared at her with wide eyes for a moment. Her face was blank, but her swishing tail and dilating pupils revealed how she felt. Then, with seemingly inhuman speed, she bolted over to the shelves and began to rapidly change bottles around fast enough to risk one breaking.
The reaction caused the Nephilim to laugh, watching her wife with amusement as she worked. Thank you, Gawr, for helping me find a way to get her motivated...
(On her next stream two days later, the rat-girl refused to answer her chat about why she kept scratching at her neck. She also became strangely quiet if they jokingly asked if IRyS was involved.)