It’s past midnight when you tipsily knock on Lisa’s door.
She doesn’t answer. You shouldn’t have come; you’re not sure why you’re here. You remember your talk with Victory earlier—her red hair, vulpine smile, empty promises—and you just knew you needed to leave or you'd do something stupid. So now you’re in front of Lisa’s apartment.
You raise your hand to knock again, but the door opens. Lisa is there. She’s shorter than you by an inch. You’ve never noticed. Her boots usually give her a little extra height, makes her taller than you. But now she’s shorter. You’re not used to being the taller one. Even Scottie’s a little taller than you; they’re not very tall.
You realize Lisa is staring at you, a strange and amused little smile on her lips. You realize you haven’t said anything yet. Maybe you drank too much.
<<linkreplace "\"Hi.\"">>"Hi."
When Lisa smiles, the crow’s feet by her monolidded eyes crinkle. The neon signs nearby twinkle in the reflection in her dark irises, like night sky stars. Not that you can see the stars in the city, behind the giant holographic ads and the criss-crossing air-roads. You probably can’t see the stars at all, on the planet’s surface. You’d have to go out on a ship. Better yet, nab a one-way ticket off planet. <<linkreplace "You've thought about it before.">>You've thought about it before.
"Hi, Theo," Lisa says, her voice light. <<linkreplace "\"What are you doing here?\"">>"What are you doing here?" <span class="filler">filler</span>
<<linkreplace "\"I'm drunk.\"">>"I'm drunk." <span class="filler">filler</span>
<<linkreplace "\"I've noticed, Theo.\"">>"I've noticed, Theo." <span class="filler">fillier</span>
<<linkreplace "\"I'm dying.\"">>"I'm dying." <span class="filler">filler</span>
<<linkreplace "Lisa inhales, sharply.">>Lisa inhales, sharply.
<<linkreplace "\"I've noticed, Theo.\"">>"I've noticed, Theo." <span class="filler">.</span><<linkreplace "She pauses.">>She pauses. “I’m a doctor, and I’ve helped you through your episodes before. And you’ve lived out near the dome’s edge your whole life, <<linkreplace "where the planet’s toxic atmosphere leaks through—\"">>where the planet's toxic atmosphere leaks through--"
“Yeah,” you agree. You hardly need the reminder.
Lisa realizes that. She presses her lips together like she misspoke. For a moment she just studies you; <<linkreplace "trying to figure out why you’re here, probably.">>trying to figure out why you're here, probably.
“I wasn’t asking you to cure me or anything.” You swallow. “I just figured I’d tell you.” You give her a weak grin. "I’m a limited time offer, baby! On discount.”
She chuckles, surprised, face pinkish. <<linkreplace "\"Would you like to come in?\"">>"Would you like to come in?"
[[kiss her|kiss]]
[[holy shit, don't do that|don't kiss her]]
<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>You kiss her. It’s good. It’s soft. You pull back. She smiles at you, though there’s something doubtful in her eyes.
“You’re sweet,” she says. You try not to preen at the compliment. <<linkreplace "\"Would you be able to do that sober?\"">>"Would you be able to do that sober?"
“I don’t know,” you admit. You like her. But you’ve always been a coward.
She nods amicably, in a way that reminds you of a funeral hostess. “Come on in. I’ll get you some water.”
[[You oblige.|fin]]<</linkreplace>>
You’ve always been a coward; even drunk, you don’t think you can do it.
“Come on in,” she repeats, gently. “I’ll get you some water.”
<<linkreplace "You think that with Lisa you could have something good and soft and Victory would never use you again.">>You think that with Lisa you could have something good and soft and Victory would never use you again. You shake the thought away.
[[You oblige.|fin]]
<</linkreplace>>Fin.
[[restart?|1]]