Holo-rain fell on a number of student-age youths who, while waiting for the teleport station to load, were gibgabbing, a now popular "slang" language that was once used in the Guard, away with no apparent care in the world. I looked at Valentine and wondered where my "date" was, let's just refer to him as "Blackie", while lighting up a bagshriah*. I thought back on the last couple of months since Blackie and I had arrived in this strange place, though in my opinion it was not half as strange as where we'd come from, and found nothing but morbid memories. Yeck.

The youths looked over at me as Blackie came up as they should for Blackie is a taller than an average man with broad shoulders that can only be achieved through actual hard labor and not a gym. His wavy black hair just brushes aforementioned shoulders, it's tipped with purple dye for some reason, and his green eyes only enhance an already handsome face that is currently grinning at me like we just won the lottery. I gave the youths the middle finger while Blackie was greeting Valentine and they all started saluting me as well as each other, laughing the whole while.

"Heyo, my honey. How was the walk?" he greeted me in a cheery voice that promised mischief. In my head I replied with a swift punch to the face but that would be rude so instead I said, "Jis danning ta ren. Wist were je?"

Confusion warred with amusement and amusement won though he tried to hide it behind a hand. He swallowed it down and said with barely contained glee, "You just said 'just standing in the rain and piss were you'! Oh, you are a laugh and a half! Ah, ah," he raised a finger, "Much as I would love to hear more about your morning, I have news that cannot wait." He paused and glanced at the youths pretending not to listen as their station buzzed in readiness. "Tell you what, I'll tell over, what did you call it the other day, ah right, brunch. My treat."

I handed Valentine's leash to him and he took off while several thoughts ran through my head as I followed him. For example: As if it'd be anything BUT your treat, you ass! Or Oh, no, no, that won't do! After all I'm just rolling in money why I should start a trend I'm so rich! But I suppose that would be rude and sarcastic so I shall continue to keep my mouth shut while he flaunts, yes flaunts, his carefree attitude. After all, he is an experienced con man with a history and I'm just a lowly misplaced soldier who doesn't really know anything worth knowing. Plus ever since that job we did he's been filthy rich so now it's a hobby to act like he's relatively poor.

What job you ask? You'll find out as soon as we sit down and order something, I'm sure.

We passed a number of likely places but continued past them which leads me to suspect we'll probably return to the crowded underbelly of the, I guess you could call it, city to pack into an already packed café that is very popular with the 'overworlders' as I like to call them. They think it's exciting and, oh me oh my, dangerous. And we've just entered an underport which has a door that leads to the infamous piano-staircase of Jillin, a suburb of Jillinksy which is a different story altogether so we shan't go there.

Blackie made music as he and Valentine skipped down the stairs and I made my usual pluh-pluh-duh-plink behind them (but with gusto so I wouldn't be chewed out again). And as usual, Blackie didn't bother to wait for me but Valentine did which lead to the tired argument of "he loves you more than he loves me. Why?!" to which I replied with the usual. All this eventually ended at The Duck, a lovely café made entirely of hardened plastic with threads of neon lights throughout its structure, where Blackie opened the door with a flourish and took up point in order to elbow our way through the throng while I kept an eye out for an available table. Or what passes as one.

Valentine panted happily while we turfed some night drunks out of their booth than crawled onto the seats and fell asleep. Blackie sighed and perched on what little seat was left as I picked Valentine's butt up and set it back down on my lap with pat to the bum. I looked through what passes as a menu and punched in our order while mister indecisive dithered over what he would get to drink.

"I know what I want." He said, a smile on his mug as he slid the 'menu' back into its slot.

"Don't bother. I already ordered for you. Now what is it that you want to tell me." I replied.

He stilled and glared at me while his brain processed the sentence then growled, "What'd you do with the wig and red contacts?"

I pursed my lips. "Sold the wig and kept the red. Never know when we might need them again, after all. We went over this last week. Stop sulking and spit it out."

He put his elbows on the table and folded his arms. "Ah. But that was before I found out that you planted evidence on the old man. A watch with your initials engraved on it and they were your real initials. So, when were you going to tell me, Caitri?" The ass managed to look like I'd just murdered his dog.

"Listen, Blackie, this system has nothing on me. Absolutely nothing. I don't exist as far as they're concerned and I never did! Besides, I told you to call me Coco, you asshat!" this last part said in my head while I took a deep, calming, breath. "This just makes the Underforces search in vain for someone called "C.O. Badoux" and she doesn't exist at all in this world. So stop giving me that look and spit out what this wonderful news is already!" Ok so I need to work on my calm. Big deal.

Blackie opened his mouth to retort but the ding! of our order landing interrupted him so I quickly began chowing down. I had a plate of unknown origin frittata with side of sushi and OJ while Blackie had his usual with a variation on the drink; a something called mak'lav which he claims they had in his land.

As I chewed I recalled a similar brunch with an entirely different human being, if Tilly can be called human, who was my bunker buddy back when we wandered the sand pit normally known as Formerly Afghanistan (or Fucking Asspit of the republic as dubbed by the marines)*. And just like that, memory's doors opened wide.

*bagshriah- a more healthy substitute for cigarette smokers with the added option of bubblegum flavor for those wishing to relive ye olden days.

*the opinions expressed by the characters in this story do not necessarily represent the opinions of the author.