I brushed my teeth and put some perfume on my neck, wrists, and ankles.
My watch started beeping.
I flexed my fingers to make it stop, then left the bathroom, walked across my room, and opened the closet.
A variety of clothes welcomed me.
I quickly chose my outfit.
Cotton briefs, comfortable socks, a blue bra, form fitting black cargo pants for men since those were made with a trouser snake in mind, a black belt, a baggy white shirt, and red and white sneakers.
I stood in front of the full body mirror in my closet, turning around and posing to see if anything was amiss.
As per usual, my fit was immaculate.
I clapped twice to activate the cleaning drone and left my room.
My parents were watching a movie in the living room. They saw me and smiled.
“Have fun,” my dad told me with a cheeky smile.
“Take care,” my mom told me, blowing me a kiss.
“Love you,” I told them, waving them goodbye and opening the door.
–
A few minutes later I was driving my car through the streets.
The levitating vehicle made no sound as it traveled at half the speed of sound, nor did it bump, bounce, or tremble like ancient vehicles did. The ride was smooth, the city skyline moving past on the open sky road.
Distant dots high up in the sky moved up, down, left, right, forward, and backwards. Some were flying vehicles, others restaurants, theaters, or some other form of entertainment.
An ambulance flew by, crossing the sky some fifty meters directly above me at a ridiculous speed. The flashing lights and loud siren unnecessary since they could forego the allowed paths for flying vehicles.
Maybe some things would never change no matter how advanced society became. Maybe it was an attempt to retain some aspects of human progress instead.
I followed with my eyes for a moment, then focused back on the road ahead. “Call Monika,” I said out loud.
“Calling contact: Monika Åström,” my car responded, showing the woman's chosen contact picture on the dashboard. She was the only Monika in my contact list, too.
She's really pretty, I thought after glancing at it for an instant.
The call connected and rang three times.
“Hey!” Monika's voice came through the speakers with crystal clear quality. It was as if she was sitting on the passenger seat next to me. “Hi, Vale. Can I call you Vale?”
“Hey, hey,” I said back, my heart rate going up with excitement and expectation. “Vale is perfectly fine,” I replied with a smile.
“Great,” she giggled, forcing a tingle to travel up my spine. “So. How are you?”
“Pretty good. Thanks for asking,” I replied. “Driving through IK-16. And you?”
“Driving, huh,” she commented with slight surprise. “I'm good. Got out of work like forty minutes ago so now I'm totally free.”
Nice, I thought with a big smile. “Good to hear. Hey, Monika. Can I ask you something?”
“Go for it,” she accepted.
“You smoke cannabis?” I asked and bit my lower lip, hoping for the best.
“I do, yeah,” she replied. “And honestly I could go for a blunt right now.”
I nodded and made a fist of victory. “I was thinking we could meet and burn some herbs for Hecate if you're up for it...?”
“Yes, please!” She laughed. “I would love to. You're literally making my day the best so far.”
“Told you I was a change of pace,” I chuckled, shaking my head at using the same words a second time.
She giggled and sighed. “You're funny, Vale. In a good I wanna know you more way.”
“Thank you,” I accepted the compliment. “You're gonna die of laughter when you hear the name of the strain I got.”
“Hmm...” she hummed. “Is it the haha kind or the oh my~ kind? I'm cool with both, by the way. I'd prefer the latter if I'm perfectly honest. Especially if it's with you...”
My eyebrows went up at that. I raised a hand and punched the air in excitement. I hit the steering wheel, though, which triggered the horn.
“What was that?” Monika asked with concern.
“Someone slowed down when they shouldn't have,” I lied as easily as I breathed, patting the steering wheel. Sorry baby, I mentally told my car. “But hey, yeah. It's the oh my~ kind.”
“Is that so?” she inquired with a cheeky tone. The rustling of clothes came through the speaker for a few seconds. “You called at the perfect time, Vale. My roommates went out and won't be back for a couple of hours.”
God exists! I shouted in my mind. “Is that an invitation, Monika?” I imitated her cheeky tone. “I'm up for whatever you want.”
“I'll send you my address, then,” she giggled. “See you...” she said and hung up.
I let out a long sigh and my lips formed a huge smile. “Alright,” I muttered to myself.
The dashboard changed from the ended call to a notification to provide navigation.
I confirmed with a touch, then followed the path.
Kanbe's buildings had a twinkle to them, almost as if they were winking at me and telling me 'You go, girl!'
Leaving the open sky road meant I had to slow down, so I made sure nobody was behind me before doing so.
My heartbeat pounded in my chest, a stupid smile on my face. I checked the map on the dashboard and made a turn before reaching Monika's place, making a stop at a pharmacy.
The store was empty much to my surprise. Two clerks were chatting but stopped when I came in.
I walked through the isles, looking for contraceptives. I found the shelf I was looking for and looked at the choices for a moment. Once I found the ones I regularly bought, I went to the counter.
The clerk, a young man in his late twenties, gave me a professional smile. “How may I help you?”
I placed a box of condoms and a pack of pills on the counter. “These, please,” I told him with a polite smile.
“Certainly,” he replied and ran them by the screen on his side.
The screen on my side showed [Ꝅ5], saying it out loud as well.
I pressed my left wrist against it and finalized the transaction.
“Have a nice evening,” he told me.
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I will,” I chuckled.
He laughed and shook his head.
The other clerk laughed as well, holding his stomach.
I left the pharmacy and returned to my car, then drove to Monika's place.
The tall apartment complex was bulky yet modern, a post-futurist-eco style to it that gave the feeling of comfort and utility when seen through the gaps of the driving street's ceiling. A large garden surrounded the structure with plants, trees, and flowers.
Since the driving streets were not connected in any way to the walking streets, I had to leave my car in the complex' underground parking lot. Stopping at the entrance, I waited for security to contact me.
The dashboard lit up, a coming call from a nearby SafeLife unit showing up on it.
I accepted the call.
“Good evening,” a human voice called. “Welcome to Point South Five Three Seven Four. What is your reason for visit?”
I checked my phone. “I'm here to meet with Monika...” I stared at her surname on the dashboard screen, not sure how to pronounce it. “She's in apartment five five four.”
“Please wait a moment,” the person replied.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Hurry up!
After fifteen seconds the voice spoke again, “Please provide your name and KRIN.”
“Valentina Trinidad Esperanza Leon Guerrero,” I replied, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. “Five-four-one-six-six-seven-nine-nine-four.”
“Please park in the green area,” the person requested while the gate opened. “Thank you for visiting Point South Five Three Seven Four. Have a pleasant evening.”
“Thank you,” I replied and ended the call, driving forward.
–
Two minutes later I was standing in front of Monika's apartment.
This is it, I told myself and stretched my back. I checked myself and patted my pockets. The contraceptives and the bag of goodies were there. My watch was my phone, wallet, car keys, and house keys. Everything in order, I thought and touched the doorbell: a little screen next to the doorknob.
My heart pumped faster and stronger, nerves and excitement growing inside me.
The door opened, the smell of incense coming from inside.
Monika was wearing a white shirt and black panties. Nothing else. Her nipples pushed against the fabric, staring into my eyes. They were pierced. “Hey,” she greeted me with a smile, then stood to the side. “Come in,” she invited, holding the door open.
“Nice place,” I uttered the first thing that came to mind that wasn't about her being half naked, then walked in, giving her a smile. “That outfit is nuclear, Monika. I like your shirt.”
She smiled and closed the door. “Thank you,” she accepted the compliment. “You look gorgeous in those clothes,” she complimented me.
“Thank you!” I giggled, running a hand through my hair to calm my nerves.
A black cat showed up, meowing and rubbing against my legs.
“Nyx!” Monika scolded the feline. “Don't bother her!”
“It's okay,” I said and crouched, looking into the cat's eyes and then away. I extended a fist, making sure the animal's head was above it. “Is your cat male of female?”
The cat sniffed my hand and rubbed its cheeks on my knuckles.
“She's an old hag,” Monika replied, crouching next to me. “Turned fifteen years old in February.”
I met the cat's eyes and gave her a slow blink. “She's pretty cute.”
Nyx returned the blink and sniffed my hand again.
Monika was watching the exchange with raised eyebrows. “She is,” she agreed in a quiet voice dyed with surprise. “She usually scratches people, though.”
I held back reiterating that I was a change of pace, smiling and nodding instead. I stretched a finger and gently scratched the cat's chin.
Nyx accepted the petting, sitting and closing her eyes.
“You know your way around pussy, huh?” Monika joked, giving me a cheeky smile.
A wheezing chuckle escaped me. “You could say that,” I confirmed, giving her a nod.
The cat opened her eyes and walked away, satisfied with the petting.
I stood up, watching her leave into the apartment. “Complicated creatures, aren't they?” I sighed.
Monika stood up as well. “Sometimes,” she muttered. “Fickle beings.”
“Is Nyx yours?” I inquired, looking into her eyes.
She was wearing the same contacts as earlier, red with symbols on them. “A roommate's,” she replied, meeting my gaze. “Want something to drink?”
I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Sure,” I accepted. “I could use a drink, yes.”
“I got beer, vodka, whiskey, iced tea, and water,” she offered, walking into the apartment. “Shoes off, please,” she requested.
I followed her ass with my eyes, taking my shoes off.
She had wide hips and a slim waist. Her thighs were healthy and meaty, and her legs were pretty long.
“Iced tea, please,” I answered. “I'm driving... and I don't drink alcohol.”
She turned to me.
My eyes darted to her face before she could finish the motion.
“May I ask why?” Monika inquired with raised eyebrows. There was no hint of judgment in her eyes, though. Pure curiosity and interest.
I followed her, giving her a shrug. “I exercise a lot so alcohol hits me pretty bad,” I explained, not minding telling her.
“Noted,” she said, giving me a nod. “You're pretty healthy, aren't you?”
I put a hand in my pocket and showed her the bag of cannabis. “Not entirely,” I told her with a smile. “Got a grinder?”
“I do,” she replied, eyeing the bag. “Give me a minute,” she requested and went to the kitchen.
With nothing much to do, I sat down at the dinner table and relaxed, looking around the apartment.
The living room and dining room area were pretty big, around forty square meters total. The kitchen was out of sight, leading me to think it was a four bedroom two bathroom apartment. The name of the apartment complex revealed the fact it was a rented place since it was the only thing the company was known for: cheap and good quality apartments for rental only.
Little details in the decoration around the living room caught my eye.
Dream catchers, incense sticks, tiny skulls, an assortment of bones, a large pentagram on the rug, tarot cards neatly ordered on top of a little table next to the sofa in the living room, a large unused bong shaped like a penis, a litter box, a jungle gym for cats on the wall, and jars full of paper and muddy liquid.
Pretty standard, I observed, then focused on my hands and checked my nails.
Nyx jumped onto the table, approached me, and sat down on the table. She sniffed the air while staring at me like an unhinged psychopath.
I smiled and offered a hand.
The cat sniffed the tip of my fingers, tickling them with the air coming out of her nose.
“You can't tell, huh?” I asked the cat. “Man? Woman? What is this creature in front of me? Is what you're probably thinking...”
Footsteps approached.
I looked to the source.
Monika showed up, carrying two glasses of iced tea. “Let's go to my room,” she invited, walking across the living room and into a hallway.
“Alright.” I stood up and followed her into a door.
Her room was black and red. The queen-sized bed had an opened red canopy, black sheets with a pentagram on them visible from the door. The rug was a vibrant scarlet. Antique nightstands stood to both sides of the bed, a skull-shaped lamp on each. A black guitar leaned on the wall opposite the door.
She put the drinks on a desk that looked like it came from a Victorian-era movie, stacks of books neatly arranged on it.
“Pretty cool,” I commented, looking around Monika's personal space. I pointed at a corner. “Are those cob-webs?”
“They are,” she confirmed, sitting on the foot of her bed and patting the spot next to her. “It was a pain putting them up.”
“I bet,” I muttered, sitting down next to her and retrieving the weed. “You got the grinder?”
The matress was pretty stiff, but comfortably so.
She nodded, leaning back and crawling on the bed towards the left nightstand. She opened the drawer and grabbed something.
I got an eyeful of ass, then looked away.
“Here,” she said, crawling back and handing me a metallic grinder with a bleeding pentagram.
I took it and opened it. “You like pentagrams, huh?”
“Pentacles,” she corrected with a giggle. “I do, they calm me down.”
I nodded, not quite getting it but somewhat understanding. I put a big bud – around two grams – in the grinder and closed it, then twisted the thing.
“So, Vale,” she started, sitting next to me again and resting her right breast on my arm. “You got a pretty long name.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled, easing the tension of being in a room like that for the first time. I turned to her and smiled. “First time meeting someone like me?”
She nodded in confirmation. “In many ways, yes,” she said, looking me in the eye. “How old are you, by the way?”
“Twenty one,” I replied, opening the grinder and retrieving a paper from my pocket. “You?”
“Twenty two,” she answered. “Are you a student at 16th?”
I nodded, pouring the ground cannabis into the paper. “Marine Biology and Oceanography,” I replied, closing the grinder and handing it to her.
She took it and put it aside. “Wow. That's actually awesome.”
“Thanks,” I giggled and rolled the thing. “Do you prefer filter or no filter?”
Monika shrugged. “I don't mind either way,” she replied, still looking me in the eye.
“Alright.” I put a filter in it, tongued the glue, and finished the blunt. I retrieved the lighter and offered both to her. “And you? What course did you choose?”
She took the blunt and the lighter. “Thanks,” she said and lit it up, taking a deep inhale. She exhaled and nodded. “Strong. Expertly made,” she commented and handed it to me. “Geology and Mining Engineering,” she replied to the question.
“Damn,” I exclaimed. “I could never,” I chuckled and received the blunt, then took a long drag. “You got a good head on you,” I genuinely complimented her, letting the smoke out. “Any specialization?” I asked, handing her the weed.
She took it and nodded. “Deep Sea Floor Mineral Extraction,” she replied and took a hit.
I gasped, covering my mouth. “We're sworn enemies, then,” I joked. “You seek to destroy what I intend to preserve,” I lamented with a fake sigh of grief, shaking my head.
Monika exhaled the smoke through her nose and gave me a look, arching an eyebrow. “Not any seafloor, mind you. The empty ones where the submarines exploded,” she clarified, handing me the bomber.
“Ah,” I breathed out in realization, taking it and placing it on my lips. “Yeah, I heard there was gold down there.”
“And copper,” she added, placing her right leg on my thigh. “And titanium a bit to the south. Massive deposits.”
“Huh,” I uttered, breathing in the drug and resting a hand on her knee. My body relaxed, the cannabis taking effect in my body. “So you're in fourth year?” I changed the subject since I wasn't privy to the details or post-collapse resource exploitation.
“Second, actually,” Monika told me, running a hand over her thigh. “I took a two year break to work. You?”
“Third,” I replied, handing her the cigarette. “What kind of work? You said you were working earlier.”
“Lasenko. I work the register there a few times a week after classes,” she replied and inhaled the behavior-altering substance. “I managed to get a job as a bartender during the break, though. The wage was... pretty good all things considered,” she shared, handing me the weed. “I learned a lot, too.”
“Any discounts they're planning to put out?” I asked, accepting the drug and taking a long hit. “I've been wanting to get a few of their clothes,” I exhaled the smoke. The cigarette had a good amount of ash on the tip, holding on for dear life. “You got an ashtray?”
Monika nodded, pointing at the other nightstand. “It's there. And not that I am aware of, but I'll let you know if any come up.”
I handed her the blunt and leaned back, then crawled to the piece of furniture. A bone hand holding an open human heart had a bit of ash in it. I grabbed it and went back, then held it for her.
She flicked the ash and took a hit. “Want to get a bit more comfortable?” she asked with a seductive voice, looking at me with mischievous eyes and blowing the smoke. “We could... lay on the bed if you want.”
My lips curled into a smile. “Sure,” I accepted, standing up and walking to the desk. “Let me have a sip first.” I took the glass and drank some iced tea.
The refreshing beverage went down my throat, soothing the slight dryness.
Monika was sitting on the bed, leaning her back on the pillows. Her left arm hugged her legs, and her right supported her head. Her eyes followed me as I climbed on the bed and laid to her right. “You have an amazing figure,” she complimented me. “Any sports or just gym?”
I nodded, getting comfortable on the bed and keeping a short distance between us. “Thank you. I swim competitively. Got gold in every category I participated in this year.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, handing me the blunt. “Really? That's impressive. What's the... How does that work? Do you swim a certain distance?”
I took it and smoked. “Freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke,” I recounted, exhaling the smoke. “Fifty, one hundred, two hundred, and four hundred meters each. I was demolished afterwards,” I giggled and offered the cigarette.
She nodded, her eyes squinting a little due to the cannabis. She took the blunt and smoked. “So you're a high performance athlete... You won't get in trouble for smoking weed?” she asked, breathing the smoke out.
“Not really,” I replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “If the machine that analyzes the sample detects I ingested cannabis the day of an event, then yeah... I'll get disqualified. But other than that it's not an issue anymore. The tech is precise enough to recognize minute differences like that.”
Monika nodded. “Huh,” she uttered. “And, uh... what about your... uhm... You know?”
I arched an eyebrow. “My what?” I inquired with a sly smile, playing innocent.
“Vale!” she playfully complained, pouting a little. “You know what I mean.”
“My genetic makeup?” I worded it in a safe way.
She nodded, taking another hit of the blunt.
I shrugged. “Not really an issue. Some people can't take the L and end up making a temper tantrum, though,” I explained. “If anything, having a cock and balls creates more drag compared to my peers.”
She laughed, covering her mouth and patting my arm. “Drag? Is it that big?” she giggled, rolling on the bed.
I laughed with her. “Plus I have breasts,” I pointed out, grabbing them and giving them a healthy squeeze. “Some hermaphrodites don't get these gifts, you know?”
Her eyes went for my chest. “Hmm...” she hummed, wetting her lips with her tongue. “They're pretty big considering the rest of your body. I thought they were fake.”
“You're not the first to say that,” I giggled. “If I didn't exercise they'd be huge, though.”
“Like mine?” She asked, grabbing her left tit and moving it.
“Maybe, but not as pretty,” I said, giving her a smile. “You've got great tits, Monika.”
She smiled back. “Thanks. You're not the first to say that,” she repeated my words with a grin.
We stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Hey,” Monika started, licking her lips and closing the gap between us a little. “I really like your voice, Vale.”
My eyebrows went up at that. I closed into her and smiled. “You do?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip and placing what was left of the blunt in the ashtray. “I do,” she confirmed, touching her forehead with mine.
“Make me moan your name, then,” I taunted her and leaned in for a kiss.
