Wellsprings

  December 2nd

  2069

  Sophie stared at the blonde in front of her, face painted in irritation.

  “And then I…”

  She’s still going. I haven’t seen her breathe in over a minute. It’s just like last time. What is this creature? She’s scary. After another minute of babbling, Sophie finally held up a hand.

  “Lily. You called me over. Why?” The girl froze for a moment, then nodded. Sophie could have sworn she started vibrating in place.

  “Yeah! I wanna go shopping! With my best choom!”

  Ignoring her sudden and odd designation as Lily’s best friend, Sophie frowned. “Didn’t we do that a month ago?”

  “Yeah, but that was a month ago! There’s new stuff out. Come on, let’s go!” Lily hooked their arms together and started pulling her towards Sophie’s Mackinaw before she could voice any further objections. After the bus fiasco the last time she was with Lily, due in part to her not owning the car at the time, she’d thought it wise to bring it as their mode of transport.

  Sophie let out a quiet sigh but didn’t resist, aside from untangling their limbs. She got a pout and some grumbling in response. “Hmph. Meanie.”

  As they climbed into the pickup, Lily looked around like a curious child, running her fingers over the dashboard. “Wow! I’ve never been in something like this! It’s so blocky! Where’s the driver?” She paused, noting Sophie’s position. “Huh? You can drive?” Her face seemed to light up at the prospect.

  “Yes? Why wouldn’t I know how to drive?”

  “Wow! But why? Can’t you get someone else to drive for you?” Sophie scrutinised Lily for a moment. All she saw was genuine confusion and innocence. She sighed.

  “No, Lily. Personal chauffeurs aren’t normal. Most people in Night City know how to drive. I imagine it’s the same everywhere else.”

  She tilted her head slightly and let out a small ‘huh’. “Can you teach me to drive then?” The question came just as Sophie was about to pull out onto the street. She slammed her foot on the brake and looked at her passenger. Images flashed through her mind of Lily driving some kind of supercar through the city like a maniac.

  Night City is crazy enough. No need for her to get behind the wheel. “Hmm, maybe.”

  Lily grinned, leaning back in her seat as Sophie finally pulled onto the road, heading toward Corpo Plaza. They lapsed into silence as the blonde pressed her face against the window, staring at the city with undisguised awe. It’s just like last time. Does she not go out much? Sophie didn’t voice her questions.

  The towering buildings of the City Center loomed overhead as they arrived, neon signs flashing advertisements in a never-ending cycle. The streets were bustling, filled mostly with corpos in pristine suits.

  Lily wasted no time, immediately darting into the first clothing store that caught her eye. Sophie followed at a much slower pace, hands held close to her weapons in case they were needed. She took in the sight of Lily enthusiastically sorting through racks of designer outfits.

  “What do you think of this one?” Lily held up a pretty, fashionable dress. The shimmering black fabric caught the artificial light, making it look like part of the night sky had been turned into clothing.

  Sophie gave it a quick glance. “Looks expensive.”

  Lily rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I asked.”

  Sophie shrugged. “It’s nice, I guess.” It was a beautiful dress. She couldn’t deny that, despite having little personal interest in it. But it wasn’t a practical piece of clothing and that’s all she cared about. There was nowhere to hide weapons, not to mention how tight and long it was.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  Satisfied, Lily draped it over her arm and continued her hunt. Sophie followed her through multiple stores, watching as Lily picked up everything from jackets to accessories, seemingly never tiring. After what felt like an eternity, Sophie finally spoke up as the mental exhaustion of dealing with Lily’s enthusiasm started to creep in.

  “Are you done yet?”

  Lily turned to her with a blinding grin. “Nope! But I’m getting hungry. Let’s get food.”

  Sophie mentally groaned but didn’t argue. The two of them found a shop tucked into the bottom of a shopping complex, its menu filled with some weird fusion of Mexican and Asian cuisine. Lily ordered quickly and they took seats at one of the metal tables nearby.

  Lily happily dug into her meal, humming slightly. “Hmm, it’s not bad. Although there’s a funny taste…”

  Sophie nodded slightly. “That’s scop. Everyone eats it.” She wasn’t one for casual conversation, but Lily seemed perfectly content filling the silence herself.

  After they finished eating, Lily wiped her hands off and turned to Sophie with a mischievous glint in her eyes. The merc immediately felt a shiver run down her spine. “Alright, now it’s your turn.”

  Sophie raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

  “Shopping, duh.” Lily grabbed her wrist, dragging her toward another clothing store before she could protest.

  Sophie let out a sigh. “Lily, I don’t need any clothes.”

  “Yes, you do. Come on, just try some stuff on.”

  Sophie gave her a flat look. “Do I have a choice?”

  Lily smiled at her. “Nope.”

  Sophie reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled inside. The store was fancy and very modern, filled with rows of stylish, high-quality clothing. Lily wasted no time picking out outfits and shoving them into Sophie’s arms before pushing her toward the dressing rooms.

  “Go. Try them on. Now.”

  Sophie sighed but did as she was told, stepping into one of the booths. She changed into the first outfit, stepping out with clear reluctance. Lily clapped her hands together.

  “You look great!”

  Sophie frowned, glancing down at herself. “Feels weird.”

  Lily rolled her eyes. “That just means you need to wear it more often!”

  “Lily. I’m not wearing this. I don’t need it, nor is it my style.” She got a frown in response.

  “But I wanted to get you some clothes…” Suddenly, the blonde got all sad and Sophie rubbed her temples.

  “Alright, look. I don’t want clothes but I’ve been planning to get myself a better pair of boots.” The sad expression disappeared, immediately replaced by intense happiness. She’s a puppy. A human puppy.

  “To the shoe store!” She cheered, dragging Sophie with her.

  A few minutes later, they entered into the aptly named ‘Everything Shoes’. The store was stocked with everything from high-end designer heels to combat-ready boots. Sophie, of course, only had eyes for the latter.

  She made a beeline for the sturdier footwear, running her fingers along the thick soles and reinforced plating on a few pairs. Lily hovered nearby, watching with both amusement and horror.

  "It’s so not pretty! You could go for something a bit prettier at least! Why not try something like this, huh?" She asked, nudging a pair of corporate-style boots with large stilettos toward Sophie with her foot.

  Sophie shot her a dry look. "Yeah, no. I kill people for a living, Lily. I need clothes that help me do that better." The blonde flinched at the bluntness and the merc didn’t miss it. “Oh? Is that why I didn’t need to accompany you for a month? Were you scared of me again?”

  “Geh,” she let out a funny noise and looked away. A moment later she spoke in a quiet voice. “Maybe…Maybe just a little.”

  Sophie shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m just your bodyguard. No need for you to be so friendly with me.” She glanced up from the pair of boots she was looking at and noticed Lily staring at her.

  “You’re my choom. My best choom. I don’t want to be scared of you.”

  “No. I’m your bodyguard. We’re not friends. Hell, we’ve only met each other twice.”

  “I don't care,” she said petulantly. “I want to be friends with you. I’ll make you accept me.” Sophie gave her another look, seeing the determination on her face.

  “Eh. Suit yourself.” Silence followed the statement as Sophie continued to search for a pair of boots.

  She tried on a few different styles; some reinforced tactical boots with shock absorption, a pair of steel-toe work boots that felt way too stiff and even some military-grade stompers that were just a bit too bulky. None of them felt quite right.

  Then, her eyes landed on them. A pair of heavy-duty biker exo-jacks, black with subtle grey accents that covered her legs all the way up to her knees. She slipped them on, fastening the straps and flexing her foot. The fit was perfect and they weren’t the type with heel extensions either. She took a few steps, testing the weight and balance.

  “These,” she said, standing up fully and rolling her ankle slightly to test the range of movement. “I’ll take these.”

  Lily gave her a small, subdued smile. “Really? Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “Yeah. These are perfect.”

  At the register, Sophie went to transfer the eddies but was stopped by the cashier, who thanked Lily for her purchase.

  “Lily,” Sophie said warningly.

  “Too late! Already paid,” Lily sing-songed, sticking her tongue out playfully. And her childish mood is back. I think I’ve had enough interaction with this social butterfly for a while. My head hurts.

  With their shopping done, the two of them stepped out onto the street, Sophie carrying a box with her new boots and Lily carrying a handful of bags.

  Lily looked over at Sophie with a satisfied smile. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Sophie exhaled, adjusting the box in her hands. “Mmm. Could've been worse.”

  Lily laughed. “I’ll take that as a win.”

  The two of them made their way back to Sophie’s Mackinaw. As Sophie started the engine, Lily stretched her arms behind her head, clearly pleased with the day despite the small disagreement towards the end.

  “We should do this again sometime,” Lily said.

  Sophie gave her a sideways glance before focusing back on the road. “We’ll see.”

  She grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.” The only reply was a groan.