p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"–/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A carefully measured tincture was added to the concoction Rachel was levitating in a field of dark energy. Balancing multiple bottles in the air with her mind, she quietly recanted the proper words, and the appropriate amounts of each liquid were swirled out of their containers and into the mixture before being vigorously yet precisely shaken./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Another perfect potion, of a sort./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"When she was finished, she whipped her hands around in a literally spellbinding flourish that sent every bottle back to its designated location on the shelves, simultaneously pouring the finished result into a rustic goblet. With a dry smirk, she tilted her head to her left, sliding the goblet in a shield of black magic across the counter where it primly stopped, not a drop spilt, for its intended use./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A small smattering of applause rang out through the small, seedy dive bar before Rachel's customer went about consuming their drink. Rachel went back to cleaning beer glasses as whatever glimmer of pride she had just exercised in her showmanship withered out through a quiet sigh. The banter of her clientele was not lost on her hearing, though it was shrouded in a wash of grunge metal seeping through the outdated speaker system in the bar's corners./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"See? /spanemToldja /emspan style="font-style: normal;"it was really her."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Well, shit...Woulda thought all those Soops'd left Jump City by now."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Nah, most of 'em are still here, just goin' about their business."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Hey, so, Raven!"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils, eyes glazed over at her dish-washing./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Yea?" she called back from across the bar./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"How come this place ain't crawlin' with fans o' yours? Why ain'tchoo advertisin'? Can't even tell a Soop works here."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel, still avoiding eye contact, shrugged up one shoulder as she dried a thick pint glass in her hands./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"This is a bar," Rachel dully retorted. "Not a stage show. Not an amusement park. Don't exactly want all the attention."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;".../spanemHuh. /emspan style="font-style: normal;"Fair's fair, I guess."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel's eyes skirted to the clock on the wall. Her regular, who had made the request being currently consumed, choked out between sips./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Ahhh, yea, yea, we'll get outta yer hair. Ready to close up shop, enh?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Mm," Rachel hummed out nonchalantly, all the while feeling the late-night exhaustion of hours of social interaction weighing heavily on her psyche./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"So, see? Saw it with yer own eyes. That's Raven, like I said. Time to pay up."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Yea, yea..."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A green note of paper was begrudgingly exchanged, the end result of a bet Rachel had been the subject of. Just before Rachel could let this moment deteriorate her ego a chip further, the person who had bet in favor of her finished chugged their drink, and with a satisfied belch, made a visual gesture of slapping the money they'd received beneath their emptied goblet, signifying it as a tip for the service. Rachel tilted her chin up in a vague expression of gratitude as the last two customers of the night bid their farewells, grumbling amongst themselves as to how and why any super-powered people would be tending a lowly dive bar tucked in a side street on the outskirts of town./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"At the stroke of midnight, right at the closing time, Rachel's phone vibrated from within her hoody pocket./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"( From: Kori )/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"( Has the coast been cleared? )/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel replied with no words, just a thumbs-up emoji./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"She had once sickened herself at considering the very prospect of using 'emoji' as...a /spanemthing. /emspan style="font-style: normal;"But she couldn't deny their exceeding utility in conveying emotions and ideas with minimal energy and effort. This was especially useful in her relationship with Koriand'r, as it helped smooth and round out the differences between their communication styles and emotional needs. Not that Rachel was struggling with such matters /spanemnearly/emspan style="font-style: normal;" as much anymore, of course, but...small graces and conveniences added up over time./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel opened the front door to her independent bar, taking in a breath of fresh midnight air stifled by city scents of garbage and burnt rubber. A delicate and quiet push of wind caressed her from her right, and there Kori was, having drifted downward from some nearby rooftop. She was swathed in a dorkish but warm-looking ensemble of black sweatpants (branded with green caterpillers) steel-toed working boots, a cat-eared black beanie hat, and a purple puffer jacket with a faux-fur collar./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Upon landing, Koriand'r immediately leaned forth, hands stuffed in her pockets, and puckered her lips out against Rachel's cheek. Despite the cold night air, Kori's lips were toasty to the touch, and Rachel felt her opposite cheek crumple upward in an approximation of a smirk as she received the kiss before returning one softly against Kori's face in kind./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Was your working shift laborious or enjoyable?" Kori asked quietly as she was led inside./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Locking the door, Rachel made a similar half-shrug motion as she had at her customer's question mere moments before. She knew Kori might start to worry at this evidently nonplussed expression, so she added some kind of verbal response./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Was fine. I guess."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Ah, that is wonderful," said Kori, immediately going about helping Rachel with the last-minute tidying of the bar. She had done this enough times where she seemed to have somewhat memories part of Rachel's closing routine and would handle it of her own accord, unasked and unannounced. "'Fine' is better than yesterday's status of 'tolerable,' and /spanemmuch /emspan style="font-style: normal;"improved from earlier this week, when Tuesday produced a reply of...'fucking bullshit?' I believe was the phrase you used?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel puffed out a snorting laugh at this, and at the sly grin Kori wore as she swore out loud. The woman knew full well how comical it was to Rachel when she spouted English earthling vulgarities. Rachel had originally tried to hide how adorable and funny she found this, especially since it made little sense and just made her feel like a child to chuckle at. But it still made her chuckle. So, screw it. She started letting herself chuckle at it. And Koriand'r was wise to only pull out the curse words at unexpected moments, so as to not outstay their welcome, and, as she had put it, 'maximize the potential for comical effect.'/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel loved how much thought Koriand'r put into the smallest of things./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Today /spanemwas /emspan style="font-style: normal;"much better than Tuesday," Rachel agreed with her girlfriend's assessment. Tuesday had been /spanemterrible./emspan style="font-style: normal;" She'd even needed to call Jinx in to help, something she really didn't like doing if she could help it. It made her feel like a terrible manager if she couldn't let her single employee have a day off when she was scheduled to have a day off. "What about you?" she asked, redirecting the topic around./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Oh, it was rather enjoyable," Kori chirped, hovering around as she helped wipe the countertop down. "I partook in /spanemwelding /emspan style="font-style: normal;"today. A delightful word for a delightful task. /spanemWelding. /ememstrongOh! /strong/emspan style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"And/span/spanspan style="font-style: normal;" I prevented an accident from occurring, I think."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel finished washing the goblet her final customer had used as she sought clarification on this point./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"You...think?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Mm-hm. It is difficult to say whether or not Bruno would have been critically injured were it not for my intervention. The trajectory of the steel beam against his own velocity of escape...-? I honestly believe he would have been able to avoid severe injury, if not injury altogether. But he seemed incredibly grateful for my assistance, and my manager was pleased that I was present and attentive."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel's stomach churned slightly at the prospect of her girlfriend, a renowned super-powered being capable of inhumane strength, laser eyes, and /spanemthe ability of flight, /emspan style="font-style: normal;"was working under a foreman's supervision instead of...well, having more control over her life. But then again, Kori was the one really bringing in the money they needed to exist in the manner they were. And at the end of the day, that seemed to entail not a direct line from those doing the most work or the most /spanemdifficult /emspan style="font-style: normal;"work, but an aggravating chain of economic frustration. Jump City's taxes were no longer paying their bills, certainly not after all of the political action taken against superheroes as the need for them decreased drastically. All the while, men like Kori's boss were probably the exact kinds of backwards-thinking people preventing any kind of meaningful policy from taking hold in even a /spanemsemblance /emspan style="font-style: normal;"of preventing the planet from being degraded all in the pursuit of...fucking /spanemimaginary numbers going up /emspan style="font-style: normal;"to be hoarded like magical treasure by wrinkly /spanemdragons /emspan style="font-style: normal;"in their stupid caves, inherited from their racist ancestors, while the majority of the sentient population was stuck with no other choice than grinding their souls into dust or being /spanemhomeless, /emspan style="font-style: normal;"despite there being more than enough resources to /spanemfix /emspan style="font-style: normal;"at least /spanemsome of/emspan style="font-style: normal;"-/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"strongspan style="font-style: normal;"-CRACK-/span/strong/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"A nearby shot glass burst into brilliantly blackened shards, spilling all over the bartop and nearby floor. Bits of glass bounced and echoed slightly off the ceramic floor tiles./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori was frozen in place, her feet slowly sinking to the ground after she had gasped from the sudden noise./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"G'luthnog...?" Kori eked out sheepishly, attempted to bring some humor to the situation. This was a Tameranean equivalent to 'bless you,' more or less. Kori had taken to saying this whenever this happened, rare as it was now. As if Rachel's powers slipping up was a super-powered equivalent of a sneeze./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel took a deep breath and laughed weakly in spite of herself. Her laughter continued for a few moments./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Is-...Are you no longer 'fine,' dear Girlfriend?" Koriand'r was grinning nervously, clearly unsure of how to react, and giving a wide berth of space in case that was what Rachel needed./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel fanned at her reddened face, exhaling to dissipate her snickering./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"I'm good," she choked out, recovering from her laughing fit. "No, sorry, I'm OK, I just...-" Shaking her head slowly, a sigh drizzled out from fluttering lips as she wiped hair strands behind her ears./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"With a flick her wrist and a snap of her fingers, every shard of broken glass she'd scattered was scooped into a lump, compressed, melded together, and reshaped into a shot glass, if slightly different than the one the matter had comprised of moments before. Her powers might have still slipped out of her control on occasion, but it wasn't as if she hadn't come a long way over the past decade./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori had cautiously drifted over to Rachel's side as she'd conducted this ritual, and was reaching out a hesitant set of fingertips toward Rachel's shoulder, waiting to ensure she wasn't overstepping. Rachel closed her eyes and leaned sideways into Kori's floating form. Firm arms and adroit fingers held Rachel up as a small kiss was planted against Rachel's temple, over her side-bangs, like a seed of calm to be grown from the twilight hours' moonbeams./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Shall we take a moment?" Kori asked gently, nudging Rachel aloft slightly, up from the tiled floor./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel nodded, understanding the intent, and floated herself up and over the bartop. Cross-legged, the pair both sat on the counter, hips pressed together. They positioned their hands in a meditative stance, took in deep breaths, and spent a minute or so in quiet, mind-clearing reflection./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"It was not Rachel Roth's responsibility to save the world./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Despite everything she had accomplished, everyone she had protected, defeated, banished, and saved...the world was still not at all lacking in problems, big and small./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Dick seemed incapable of letting go of the unending vacuum of greed at the root of so many problems. Rachel worried he would inevitably get sucked into that black hole eventually./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"But it was not Rachel Roth's responsibility to save him, much less the world./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"There was no use stressing herself out over things beyond her control./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Being mindful of those things was enough./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Her mind tidied up, at least for another evening, Rachel was stirred out of her numbed state by Koriand'r, who had brazenly /span/spanemspan style="font-weight: normal;"licked /span/emspan style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel's cheek./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;""emspan style="font-weight: normal;"Gugh-?!/span/emspan style="font-weight: normal;"" Rachel spurt out, flinched at the slimy dab of sensation on her skin. She fell flat onto the counter, having inadvertently levitated off of its surface during her meditation./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori wore a mischievous grin, producing some kind of feral, playful hissing sound as she flashed green light from her eyes. This instantly dissolved into a giggle as she squinted her eyes shut and covered her mouth with her palm, rocking outward through the air from off the bar's countertop./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Wiping her cheek dry with her hoodie sleeve, Rachel shot Kori a deadpan glare, though the corner of her lips wrinkled upward, just a little./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A carefully measured tincture was added to the concoction Rachel was levitating in a field of dark energy. Balancing multiple bottles in the air with her mind, she quietly recanted the proper words, and the appropriate amounts of each liquid were swirled out of their containers and into the mixture before being vigorously yet precisely shaken./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Another perfect potion, of a sort./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"When she was finished, she whipped her hands around in a literally spellbinding flourish that sent every bottle back to its designated location on the shelves, simultaneously pouring the finished result into a rustic goblet. With a dry smirk, she tilted her head to her left, sliding the goblet in a shield of black magic across the counter where it primly stopped, not a drop spilt, for its intended use./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A small smattering of applause rang out through the small, seedy dive bar before Rachel's customer went about consuming their drink. Rachel went back to cleaning beer glasses as whatever glimmer of pride she had just exercised in her showmanship withered out through a quiet sigh. The banter of her clientele was not lost on her hearing, though it was shrouded in a wash of grunge metal seeping through the outdated speaker system in the bar's corners./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"See? /spanemToldja /emspan style="font-style: normal;"it was really her."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Well, shit...Woulda thought all those Soops'd left Jump City by now."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Nah, most of 'em are still here, just goin' about their business."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Hey, so, Raven!"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils, eyes glazed over at her dish-washing./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Yea?" she called back from across the bar./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"How come this place ain't crawlin' with fans o' yours? Why ain'tchoo advertisin'? Can't even tell a Soop works here."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel, still avoiding eye contact, shrugged up one shoulder as she dried a thick pint glass in her hands./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"This is a bar," Rachel dully retorted. "Not a stage show. Not an amusement park. Don't exactly want all the attention."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;".../spanemHuh. /emspan style="font-style: normal;"Fair's fair, I guess."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel's eyes skirted to the clock on the wall. Her regular, who had made the request being currently consumed, choked out between sips./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Ahhh, yea, yea, we'll get outta yer hair. Ready to close up shop, enh?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Mm," Rachel hummed out nonchalantly, all the while feeling the late-night exhaustion of hours of social interaction weighing heavily on her psyche./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"So, see? Saw it with yer own eyes. That's Raven, like I said. Time to pay up."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Yea, yea..."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"A green note of paper was begrudgingly exchanged, the end result of a bet Rachel had been the subject of. Just before Rachel could let this moment deteriorate her ego a chip further, the person who had bet in favor of her finished chugged their drink, and with a satisfied belch, made a visual gesture of slapping the money they'd received beneath their emptied goblet, signifying it as a tip for the service. Rachel tilted her chin up in a vague expression of gratitude as the last two customers of the night bid their farewells, grumbling amongst themselves as to how and why any super-powered people would be tending a lowly dive bar tucked in a side street on the outskirts of town./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"At the stroke of midnight, right at the closing time, Rachel's phone vibrated from within her hoody pocket./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"( From: Kori )/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"( Has the coast been cleared? )/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel replied with no words, just a thumbs-up emoji./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"She had once sickened herself at considering the very prospect of using 'emoji' as...a /spanemthing. /emspan style="font-style: normal;"But she couldn't deny their exceeding utility in conveying emotions and ideas with minimal energy and effort. This was especially useful in her relationship with Koriand'r, as it helped smooth and round out the differences between their communication styles and emotional needs. Not that Rachel was struggling with such matters /spanemnearly/emspan style="font-style: normal;" as much anymore, of course, but...small graces and conveniences added up over time./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel opened the front door to her independent bar, taking in a breath of fresh midnight air stifled by city scents of garbage and burnt rubber. A delicate and quiet push of wind caressed her from her right, and there Kori was, having drifted downward from some nearby rooftop. She was swathed in a dorkish but warm-looking ensemble of black sweatpants (branded with green caterpillers) steel-toed working boots, a cat-eared black beanie hat, and a purple puffer jacket with a faux-fur collar./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Upon landing, Koriand'r immediately leaned forth, hands stuffed in her pockets, and puckered her lips out against Rachel's cheek. Despite the cold night air, Kori's lips were toasty to the touch, and Rachel felt her opposite cheek crumple upward in an approximation of a smirk as she received the kiss before returning one softly against Kori's face in kind./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Was your working shift laborious or enjoyable?" Kori asked quietly as she was led inside./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Locking the door, Rachel made a similar half-shrug motion as she had at her customer's question mere moments before. She knew Kori might start to worry at this evidently nonplussed expression, so she added some kind of verbal response./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Was fine. I guess."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Ah, that is wonderful," said Kori, immediately going about helping Rachel with the last-minute tidying of the bar. She had done this enough times where she seemed to have somewhat memories part of Rachel's closing routine and would handle it of her own accord, unasked and unannounced. "'Fine' is better than yesterday's status of 'tolerable,' and /spanemmuch /emspan style="font-style: normal;"improved from earlier this week, when Tuesday produced a reply of...'fucking bullshit?' I believe was the phrase you used?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel puffed out a snorting laugh at this, and at the sly grin Kori wore as she swore out loud. The woman knew full well how comical it was to Rachel when she spouted English earthling vulgarities. Rachel had originally tried to hide how adorable and funny she found this, especially since it made little sense and just made her feel like a child to chuckle at. But it still made her chuckle. So, screw it. She started letting herself chuckle at it. And Koriand'r was wise to only pull out the curse words at unexpected moments, so as to not outstay their welcome, and, as she had put it, 'maximize the potential for comical effect.'/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel loved how much thought Koriand'r put into the smallest of things./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Today /spanemwas /emspan style="font-style: normal;"much better than Tuesday," Rachel agreed with her girlfriend's assessment. Tuesday had been /spanemterrible./emspan style="font-style: normal;" She'd even needed to call Jinx in to help, something she really didn't like doing if she could help it. It made her feel like a terrible manager if she couldn't let her single employee have a day off when she was scheduled to have a day off. "What about you?" she asked, redirecting the topic around./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Oh, it was rather enjoyable," Kori chirped, hovering around as she helped wipe the countertop down. "I partook in /spanemwelding /emspan style="font-style: normal;"today. A delightful word for a delightful task. /spanemWelding. /ememstrongOh! /strong/emspan style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"And/span/spanspan style="font-style: normal;" I prevented an accident from occurring, I think."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel finished washing the goblet her final customer had used as she sought clarification on this point./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"You...think?"/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"Mm-hm. It is difficult to say whether or not Bruno would have been critically injured were it not for my intervention. The trajectory of the steel beam against his own velocity of escape...-? I honestly believe he would have been able to avoid severe injury, if not injury altogether. But he seemed incredibly grateful for my assistance, and my manager was pleased that I was present and attentive."/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"Rachel's stomach churned slightly at the prospect of her girlfriend, a renowned super-powered being capable of inhumane strength, laser eyes, and /spanemthe ability of flight, /emspan style="font-style: normal;"was working under a foreman's supervision instead of...well, having more control over her life. But then again, Kori was the one really bringing in the money they needed to exist in the manner they were. And at the end of the day, that seemed to entail not a direct line from those doing the most work or the most /spanemdifficult /emspan style="font-style: normal;"work, but an aggravating chain of economic frustration. Jump City's taxes were no longer paying their bills, certainly not after all of the political action taken against superheroes as the need for them decreased drastically. All the while, men like Kori's boss were probably the exact kinds of backwards-thinking people preventing any kind of meaningful policy from taking hold in even a /spanemsemblance /emspan style="font-style: normal;"of preventing the planet from being degraded all in the pursuit of...fucking /spanemimaginary numbers going up /emspan style="font-style: normal;"to be hoarded like magical treasure by wrinkly /spanemdragons /emspan style="font-style: normal;"in their stupid caves, inherited from their racist ancestors, while the majority of the sentient population was stuck with no other choice than grinding their souls into dust or being /spanemhomeless, /emspan style="font-style: normal;"despite there being more than enough resources to /spanemfix /emspan style="font-style: normal;"at least /spanemsome of/emspan style="font-style: normal;"-/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"strongspan style="font-style: normal;"-CRACK-/span/strong/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"A nearby shot glass burst into brilliantly blackened shards, spilling all over the bartop and nearby floor. Bits of glass bounced and echoed slightly off the ceramic floor tiles./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori was frozen in place, her feet slowly sinking to the ground after she had gasped from the sudden noise./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"G'luthnog...?" Kori eked out sheepishly, attempted to bring some humor to the situation. This was a Tameranean equivalent to 'bless you,' more or less. Kori had taken to saying this whenever this happened, rare as it was now. As if Rachel's powers slipping up was a super-powered equivalent of a sneeze./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel took a deep breath and laughed weakly in spite of herself. Her laughter continued for a few moments./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Is-...Are you no longer 'fine,' dear Girlfriend?" Koriand'r was grinning nervously, clearly unsure of how to react, and giving a wide berth of space in case that was what Rachel needed./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel fanned at her reddened face, exhaling to dissipate her snickering./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"I'm good," she choked out, recovering from her laughing fit. "No, sorry, I'm OK, I just...-" Shaking her head slowly, a sigh drizzled out from fluttering lips as she wiped hair strands behind her ears./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"With a flick her wrist and a snap of her fingers, every shard of broken glass she'd scattered was scooped into a lump, compressed, melded together, and reshaped into a shot glass, if slightly different than the one the matter had comprised of moments before. Her powers might have still slipped out of her control on occasion, but it wasn't as if she hadn't come a long way over the past decade./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori had cautiously drifted over to Rachel's side as she'd conducted this ritual, and was reaching out a hesitant set of fingertips toward Rachel's shoulder, waiting to ensure she wasn't overstepping. Rachel closed her eyes and leaned sideways into Kori's floating form. Firm arms and adroit fingers held Rachel up as a small kiss was planted against Rachel's temple, over her side-bangs, like a seed of calm to be grown from the twilight hours' moonbeams./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;""span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Shall we take a moment?" Kori asked gently, nudging Rachel aloft slightly, up from the tiled floor./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel nodded, understanding the intent, and floated herself up and over the bartop. Cross-legged, the pair both sat on the counter, hips pressed together. They positioned their hands in a meditative stance, took in deep breaths, and spent a minute or so in quiet, mind-clearing reflection./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"It was not Rachel Roth's responsibility to save the world./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Despite everything she had accomplished, everyone she had protected, defeated, banished, and saved...the world was still not at all lacking in problems, big and small./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Dick seemed incapable of letting go of the unending vacuum of greed at the root of so many problems. Rachel worried he would inevitably get sucked into that black hole eventually./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"But it was not Rachel Roth's responsibility to save him, much less the world./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"There was no use stressing herself out over things beyond her control./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Being mindful of those things was enough./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"span style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Her mind tidied up, at least for another evening, Rachel was stirred out of her numbed state by Koriand'r, who had brazenly /span/spanemspan style="font-weight: normal;"licked /span/emspan style="font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Rachel's cheek./span/span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;""emspan style="font-weight: normal;"Gugh-?!/span/emspan style="font-weight: normal;"" Rachel spurt out, flinched at the slimy dab of sensation on her skin. She fell flat onto the counter, having inadvertently levitated off of its surface during her meditation./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Kori wore a mischievous grin, producing some kind of feral, playful hissing sound as she flashed green light from her eyes. This instantly dissolved into a giggle as she squinted her eyes shut and covered her mouth with her palm, rocking outward through the air from off the bar's countertop./span/p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;" /p
p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal;"span style="font-weight: normal;"Wiping her cheek dry with her hoodie sleeve, Rachel shot Kori a deadpan glare, though the corner of her lips wrinkled upward, just a little./span/p