Story Reader / Affection / Vera: Rozen / Story
11:23 p.m. Outside of Babylonia Command Central
You were just leaving the building after being done with work, when a sudden wave of dizziness strikes you—something forceful is clamping on your nape and dragging you toward the glow of a street lamp.
You just never learn, don't you?
Vera has her knife poised before your neck. You feel the cold steel almost licking your throat, as well as the steadfastness of her grip through her supple fingers.
Need a lesson. Hm?
With that, Vera presses her knife closer and closer to your neck. Your breath pauses. Her eyes glow—red, sinister, obsessive. Staring, lips unfurling, crazed...
Begging for forgiveness? Now?
Hah, but the more you beg... the more it gets me going!
You raise your arm and lash out at her elbow to throw off her balance. She circles around you to regain posture, during which you hop back, gaining distance.
Still playing dumb? Then I'll just cut to the chase.
You've been looking into me, haven't you?
I'll take that as a yes.
You know I despise liars.
Vera rushes you with her knife raised. You dodge by the skin of your teeth.
Pushing it, aren't you? Get ready for a lesson.
...
On hearing that, Vera darkens up and her attacks grow more and more murderous.
And? Policing me, now, are you?
Pah... You think I need that batter to feel pain?
You know NOTHING about how hellish it gets on the battlefield.
Yeah? You ever had your squad mates dismembered, torn apart before your eyes? You ever had your people devoured by the Corrupted?
You ever felt despair? You ever tried to stop something—even throwing your life at it—and not make a dent in the slightest?
You ever died, only to live again?!
Vera's continual assault slowly edges you toward a wall. You find yourself overwhelmed and cornered.
Soldiers turn themselves into "machines," forfeiting their souls in battle. Ravenling, you have the best of the best under you. You know nothing of war. To win against the virus, your happy-go-lucky few won't cut it.
In war. You either grit your teeth and take it. Or you die.
I'm only choosing the lesser evil.
...Aha. Ahahaha...
My, oh, my. Mon cher Commandant. Are you naive or are you just dumb?
I'll put it this way then. Even as a Construct, doing so is no different from admitting defeat.
On the battlefield, pain is life.
Hah. You're the last person I need telling me what I should or shouldn't do——
Who cares if they live or die! As long as they don't stand in the way of my mission——
You perform the same move from before. She responds this time by twisting the cut downward, sidestepping to maintain distance. You catch her wrist with your left hand, then chop at her knife with your right.
Clink, clang——
Her knife falls to the ground with a melodious trickle.
You entangle her remaining hand with your right, now keeping both her hands locked. Vera slightly raises her brows. She did not expect it to turn this way.
"Commandant"... How long do you want to keep me pinned like this?
Now free, Vera strokes her neck meaningfully.
You touch your throat as well and find it wet. Raising your hand before your eyes, you realize that it is blood. Somehow, you feel no pain from the wound, only a slight tingling sensation.
If she truly wanted you dead, you would not have lasted more than a few seconds.
Guess it's impossible to get it through your thick skull... Hmph, consider our warm-up just now a little "hello," commandant of Gray Raven.
Vera spits the words out clearly. Her voice echoes like whip-cracks, demanding and intimidating.
Stay out of my life.
...Sure. Then why don't you wrap yourself up in a nice little gift box and send your rump over to my room?
Then get lost. Birdbrain.
...Oh. You aren't doing this so you can squirm out of this whole ordeal, are you?
Then let me save you the trouble. That thing about using your name? That was just me messing with you.
You didn't think I was serious, did you?
How adorable.
Your honest reaction to being messed with seems to have pleased Vera. She pats you on the head roughly.
Alright alright, I'll let you go.
Your name's clean. So shoo—fly, little bird. Never let anyone stop you.
And. Another tip. Stalk me again. And you'll get the full Vera treatment.
Damn right it is.
Vera eyes you thoughtfully all of a sudden, then squints. Something seems to have come over her.
Wait. Change of plans.
Meet me tomorrow. The current time. C-Labs. F23-C04.
The C lab blocks are all deserted, and a key card is required for entry. Why would Vera want you to meet her there...?
Come and you'll know.
Leaving you with this enigmatic farewell, Vera walks away.
