The Ironwood Rave: Brain Freeze

“The place where they make it all homemade? You know? Where they have plum, chestnut and matcha flavors? And you can have and can have one flavor stringifed over another flavor?” Vas said excitedly.

“And where are we gonna get the credits for that?” She asked, now wanting ice cream really badly. “I just threw mine away, and you- where would you get credits? Let’s just go home.”

“I …” Vas cleared his throat. “ … have some …”

“From what?” Serena said accusingly.

“Uhh … well. Does it really matter? Ice cream right?” Vas said with a bashful smile.

“Uhh, yes, it does,” Serena shot back in a slightly mocking tone. “I had to tell you the truth and get rid of my payday score, an’ you can’t even tell me?”

“You definitely might get mad though …” Vas said making a face.

“I won’t get mad, or yell at you,” Serena promised, echoing his words. “You can talk to me, really.”

Vas made a face. “You know when you throw my own words at me it not as cool sounding …” He crossed his armed like she did not to long ago. “ … ugh. Fine. I may have beaten the shit out of one of the guys chasing you and a credstick might have fallen out as tossed him in a dumpster and I may have taken it thinking … hey … its the least they could do for ruining the night …”

Serena made a motion for him to hand it over.

“Aaaawwee come on … I got it fair and square.” Vas complained. “It’s first credit eever got too …”

“Don’t make me ask a second time,” she said, repeating the gimme gesture.

“I gave you at least one more chance …” Vas huffed.

“I’m shorter, like my patience,” Serena said, stealing the phrase Cyd used on Mathias whenever they argued.

“Low blow Serena. Low. Blow.” Vas grumbled handing over the credstick.

“You’re just mad on account of you know I’m right,” she mocked.

“Yea yea less with the mocky mock more with the is the credstick any good?” Vas snorted.

“Not enough for a new couch, that’s for sure,” she told him. “They were gonna rip me off, an’ they were tryin’ to take my picture.”

Vas raised an eyebrow. “I shoulda hit them harder.” He griped. “Is it enough for ice cream?”

“Not as fun bein’ on the other side, is it?” Serena asked, handing the cred stick back. “They were bullshitting me, only got 30 credits on the stick. Enough for ice cream.”

“Hey my crime was nowhere near as bad. Plus I don’t have a Cyd or Mathias to hound me.” Vas pointed out logically.

“You beat up three people who might be jaggs,” Serena warned him.

“Should I go back and finish the job?” Vas asked as if that was a perfectly reasonable solution.

“Killing a cop I think is worse than sellin’ Carbon Copy,” she told him. “I just hope they don’t come back. Cyd already calls you a hobo.”

“Only if you get caught.” Vas added rasing a finger. “And I might be less of a hobo I got a lead for some work, finally. So I might be ditching the Hobo status soon!”

“Yeah?” Serena asked. “Doing what, for who!”

“Some guy saw me doing some heavy lifting in a junk pile. Though I was chromed or something, I didn’t correct him, said if I’m looking for some day work, no idea what that means, they there a construction crew just outside of Elysiem.” Vas explained. “What do you think?” He asked looking down at Serena. She had way better street sense then he did.

“They do that with a lotta people from the sprawl,” she explained. “Pick ‘’em up for construction work, credits at the end of the day. It could be legit, he give you a card or something?”

“Yea but I left it at home. Give it a look over later? I could so use the win when it comes to earning credits you know?” Vas said with a deep sigh.

Serena softened, and nodded, deciding not to mention that she probably could have floated him with credits had he not made her throw away a sure thing. “Course,” she told him. “We still watch each others backs. Thanks… for havin’ mine.”

“Duh … I don’t know anyone else in this place.” Vas shrugged. ‘You’re all I got. Sides something ‘bout ‘em really ticked me off and I saw them chasing after you and all I saw was red.” He admitted.

“I got a bad feelin’ about them, ‘specially when I found out they had cameras an’ was recording,” She told him.

“They did? I didn’t see nothing on them.” Vas admitted. “But I’m glad you followed your gut. Best to be safer then pinched right?”

“That’s what I figure. They already can’t get Isaac back, an’ Cyd says you get locked up for life for dealing.” Serena told him. “I’m glad you were there.”

“That's what I’m here for.” Vas said tugging playfully on a pigtail. “I get it thought. I do. But I'm sure you'll find a safer way to bring in credit to help out that won’t get you pinched or lectured.”

“I’m not real good at anything,” Serena confessed. “Cyd - Cyd is good at settin’ up raves an’ finding talent, an’ Isaac - he’s good at skateboardin’, an’ he’s funny, an’ Mathias is smart an’ he can make any kinda drug, an’... oh! We can’t go for ice cream! I gotta walk home with Mathias so he’s not alone on account of he got jumped.”

“Right … I forgot about that.” Vas said with an exaggerated sigh. “See? You’re good at stuff.” He elbowed the girl. “Arrite, let's head back, and this time no stirring the drug part. Pretty she tweedel Dumb, stupid and Idiot won’t be showing there faces around here anytime soon.” Vas said rather proud of himself.

Serena giggled. “On account of Hellhounds are made of some pretty stern stuff,” she added.

“Hell what now?” Vas asked with a puppy-like tilt of his head

Serena clamped her hands over her mouth. “Nothing!” she cried, her voice muffled. “I didn’t say nothing.”

Vas looked put out. “Not even a little?”

“A little what?” Serena asked, not uncovering her face.

“Info. It sucks. Not knowing. I’m always feeling like I'm missing something and I get close to thinking I might remember a detail and then …” Vas shrugged. “... like smoke.”

“You made me promise,” Serena reminded him. “You want me to break the promise I made to you?”

“It’s not my promise to keep. I trust you that what you doing is what's best.” Vas said. “Doesn’t mean I don’t feel frustrated sometimes.” He admitted.

Serena dropped her hands and nodded. “I know. Sometimes it hurts you don’t remember me on account of you said you’d never forget. You promised on Cassiopeia.”

“I know I wouldn’t have done it on purpose. I still don’t remember what happened. I do know Cassiopeia, kind of hard to see the star in the city though.” Vas said looking up.

“I’d tell you if it made you remember, but I don’t think it would,” she explained. “It would just make you even more frustrated.”

Vas nodded. ”Like I said. I trust you’re doing the right thing. Lets talk about something more fun … you think Mathias will let us get Ice Cream after we walk him home?” He asked hopefully.

Serena scoffed. “No, but we can bring ‘em home an’ then go get ice cream. He likes ice cream too.”

“Maybe we'll just get a pint and pig out, the three of us. No reason. Just cuz. Throw on a movie. Oh, or we can go to the place with the waffles and chicken! That was really good!” Vas said brightly. Anytime he talked about food he seemed to get excited but then again he was always hungry. Hard not to be dreaming about food when you were hungry all the time.

“Okay,” Serena agreed, keeping her voice even. “Sometimes… sometimes Mathias just wants to crash though. Not saying we couldn’t go, but if he wants to go home and sleep, he works super hard, and extra hours.”

Vas nodded shoulder dropping a bit. “Right … right … maybe I’m just a little stir crazy …” He said playing it off with a dismissive wave.

“Nuh-uh,” Serena giggled. “You’re not squeezing me for more info.”

“Then maybe I'll just try to and squeeze ya!” Vas scooped her up in a hug squeezing her, not too hard, but enough so she couldn’t wriggle out. “Maybe if I squeeze ya enough some info will slip out of your head.” He teased.

Serena laughed and squealed, pretending to struggle.

“Ya know not that I have you prisoner I have half a mind to torture with copious eating of ice cream. That’ll show ya.” Vas laughed hoisting her over a shoulder. “But I am a kind and noble hellthingie. So well go back to the rave … for now.” He said in an exaggerated ominous voice. “But we definitely need to get something to eat later!”