trust me. // wraith x crypto

Chapter Six // Late Night

Renee felt the voices shroud her in an ocean of absolute doubt, an inexplicable feeling of suffocation tightening around her throat. Footsteps treading through puddles of rain against the gravelly sidewalks of the outlands, she carefully aligned herself beneath what little covering the towering buildings provided her from the midnight storm. Her vision faded in and out from brilliant illuminations of fiery reds and velvet lavenders as she passed by the neon signs of the neighboring shops, latching onto her eyesight as though begging her to come in and buy something. However persuasive their bright hues were, especially against the nothingness in the night sky, Renee's eyes remained fixated upon her arrival to what she would never dare to admit to be her second home.

Her shoulders carefully depleted without the knowledge that they had been anything but. Renee felt the tension in her nerves quickly dissipate as her eyes caught sight of a familiar face from beyond the glass shop window- a cocky smile and inviting eyes. The crashing of the rain droplets against the concrete floors just as loud as the ominous whispers in her mind faltered as she gripped the door handle and allowed more than the warm air of Paradise Lounge to greet her; she allowed herself the luxury of ease.

The gentle chime of the bar's entrance rang throughout the tall ceiling structure, Elliott's attention immediately fixating on Renee's presence despite having Ajay and Pathfinder in front of him. Renee's eyes scanned the situation, as if her gaze could trace the outlines of the words they spoke mid-conversation before she walked in. Ajay's innocent smile beamed brightly from across the room, her aura of care impossibly powerful. Pathfinder gave Renee an enthusiastic thumbs up upon seeing her, his machinery unable to contain his joy as he felt the presence of his closest friends near to him.

Renee's eyes fixed upon the shiny, tall robot across the room before they slowly drifted to observe the comforting sight of the sweet girl next to him, her usually double bunned hair left loose and relaxed after a long day. Her mind flashed with instances and memories of a million days she fought beside them, fought against them, and fought before them. She smiled cautiously until she shifted her attention away from the duo to Elliott behind the counter. Her lips fell into a scowl quickly.

Elliott's smile never faded, despite the clear awareness in his eyes acknowledging her negative, unrequited confrontation. He quickly averted his gaze to the table as he gently double patted the counter with his palms, before speaking in his usual quippy manner.

"Alright! Closing time! I gotta wash these dishes," Elliott looked at Ajay and Pathfinder with a gradual expression of inquiry, "Unless...Ajay...Pathy...you'd like to do the honors?"

Ajay blew raspberries as she slung her bag over her shoulder, waving her hand to him in refusal, "In ya dreams, Witt!"

Renee stifled a laugh, simply exhaling through her nose as she watched Pathfinder take a moment of silence to process Elliott's offer in which she could've sworn he blinked at him. Pathfinder happily bounced in place, "Would you like the cups washed before the pots and pans?"

Elliott froze, his smile not faltering in the slightest before he simply dropped his head to the ground and gently laid a hand on Pathfinder's shoulder to guide him to the door, "Uh, no, no that's...that's not necessary, it was a joke."

Pathfinder's screen flashed to an exclamation point, "Oh! I see! Haha! You're funny!"

Elliott began to guide him out with greater urgency as he laughed along with him out of what sounded to be courtesy, "Ah yeah, thanks, Pathy. You take care, okay?"

"Will do, friend!" Pathfinder turned to face him directly as he stood out the door, "You too!"

Ajay followed behind the two of them, carefully brushing past Elliott's back as she laid a hand on his shoulder to let herself out. She paused before lifting her hand off him to lock eyes, her brows furrowed in an expression of reassurance.