City of Fire and Ink

The Sunbeam, the Cobra, and Summer Wine

"What do I wear?" I was laying down on Inez's bed, the eight potential outfits I hauled through the light rails strewn around me. "I could go punk leather, or forest witch or sexy fairy or casual masc. . Ughh help."

"I can't think with you yammering." Inez was walking around in a lacy coral bra and I was praying to all the gods that I didn't believe in that my face was not the same color.

"Whatever happened to Seojun, I'm the only of us with a brain cell right now which means if you have the brain cell, then you are legally obligated to help me pick an outfit." I laid back on the pillow and smirked at her. Inez responded with the bird and a pillow wack. I squawked in outrage.

"How dare you?!"

"I'm trying to pick an outfit too. Do you want me to look hotter than you or not?" Both answers to those questions were dangerous, so I grouched something incoherent and rolled over to look at Inez's options.

"What do you think of this?" Inez pulled several items from her closet. After getting dressed, she positioned herself in front of the mirror, considering the outfit. She wore an olive green body con dress with a sheer white flowery robe over top. It was belted with a thick black belt- not quite a corset, but almost. The belt accentuated her curves (not that I was looking) and tied the whole outfit together in a perfect mashup of fairy, forest, and pirate. I wasn't convinced I'd make it through the night without staring (covertly!), but I'd do my best to function normally.

You're so dramatic.

My gay self is dramatic. You should be used to this by now.

"You look like a forest witch. I love it!" I chimed in. Inez was twisting herself in the mirror, examining the outfit. A small smile at the corner of her lips told me that she hit it right on the first try.

"I look ethereal." Her brow arched in the way that meant she was feeling confidant.

Inez might have been salty most of the time, but she got positively glowy at genuine physical compliments. I wanted to see if this time, I could make her breathless. "I feel like I should warn you that that outfit you're wearing is giving off major gender is a construct and bows only to me vibes."

Score one for Seojun. I loved making Inez blush and right now, their face was all pink and they were smiling in that I just got an awesome compliment type of way. And yes. . . they were a bit breathless. Honestly, giving them gender euphoric compliments was one of the best parts of my day.

"If I keep blushing, then I'm never gonna find you an outfit, seeing as I'm the only one with a brain cell today." Inez winked at me and I practically died inside. I'm in so much trouble.

Inez, oblivious to me being useless and gay, returned her attention to my clothing predicament. "You know, for a gangster, you have very colorful fashion sense." Gangs in Pardahna mostly wore all black, but they accessorized with chains and jewelry, leather, sheer mesh and strategic rips. The only color came from your emblem, black for Lourdes Priori and Nostras, red for Thornwood and Red Genesis, and green for Cobras.

"Just because I'm supposed to be all scary now doesn't mean I can't like orange. It 's so bright and happy."

"I'd be concerned if you stopped wearing color. But, if I somehow manage to die before you, then I'd like you to show up to my funeral wearing red lingerie and black leather, and promise you'll guard my gaming secrets to the grave."

"Inez, don't say that." My tone came out sharper than I meant it to.

"Seojun. I was joking about the lingerie bit. . ." She looked at me, confusion and worry warring in her eyes. "I didn't mean. . "