rcer stretched lazily, clocking out early since everything that needed arranging had been taken care of. Only after stepping outside did he notice that it was already dark.
Just as he walked out, he spotted a bonfire blazing not far away, with Panam laughing and chatting with Lucy and the others.
Mitch was belting out a rather off-key Arican country song while strumming his guitar, and Scorpion sat quietly beside him as usual.
Besides them, Cassidy was chatting with a sowhat scruffy-looking middle-aged man. Spotting rcer, Cassidy waved him over.
"rcer, co here. This is Saul, the current leader of the Aldecaldos in Night City."
rcer smiled and walked over. Saul didn’t dismiss him due to his youth but instead stood up warmly and extended a hand for a firm handshake.
"Saul, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Alex rcer," rcer said politely.
"Ha! Cassidy was just telling about your adventures on the road. rcer, no need for formalitie, sit. We Aldecaldos don’t stand on ceremony."
At this mont, Saul still seed ambitious and full of vigor, laughing heartily as he pulled rcer down to sit. There was none of the desperation or lancholy he’d shown in the ga when driven to seek refuge with Biotechnica.
"I’ve heard about your friends’ situation. Don’t worry, the Aldecaldos won’t let a bunch of kids take on dangerous tasks. Those who want to stay can stay. Folks with hacking skills like yours are exactly the kind of talent our family lacks right now."
"I heard you’ve got business in the city tomorrow? Need a couple of bodyguards?" Saul added, "Night City isn’t a safe place, rcer. It’s more complicated and dangerous than the wilds."
"Thanks, but Panam will be enough. I’m not planning to go anywhere risky tomorrow, just getting so cyberware installed and eting a few people."
As he spoke, rcer glanced over at Cassidy. "Might need to use your bank account and our savings tomorrow."
"No problem, use it as you need. We grabbed plenty of cash from those bandits on the road. Plus, all the weapons and gear we brought back sold today around the camp, scraped together, it’s about forty thousand eddies."
Cassidy agreed without hesitation.
"Right, I’ll need a fair bit for now, new clothes, so equipnt. As for the agreed share-out, let’s hold off a little longer, till I offload the cyberware." rcer paused, then added, "When the ti cos, you’ll each take ten thousand."
"rcer..." Daichi started to refuse, but rcer cut him off with a wave.
"You’ve got no inco in the camp for now, and even though I took down most of the targets, hauling all that stuff alone would’ve worn out. Consider it hardship pay, just take it. Ten thousand eddies might seem like a lot now, but it won’t last. You’re here now; can’t just freeload. Use it as startup funds, then figure out what work you’ll take on here."
He spoke with such blunt generosity that it left no room for argunt, then rubbed his head and said, "Alright, enough of these botherso matters. A bonfire party should have the atmosphere of a bonfire party."
Saul smiled, turning to Daichi and Leon, and said gently:
"Don’t refuse a friend’s kindness. When they need it, just give your all, that’s one of the nomad’s creeds."
"Mhm, rember that. From now on, you’ll be following his lead," rcer quipped, then lay back without a care.
Above, the stars shone brightly; nearby, the crackling bonfire snapped and popped. Squinting, he breathed in the evening breeze of the wilderness, no strange odors, just the scent of dust.
Mitch resud playing, this ti humming a little tune, and soon everyone slipped back into the earlier relaxed and carefree mood.
So chatted, others drank, and no one deliberately sought out rcer to talk, or perhaps they intentionally let him savor this comfortable feeling.
rcer yawned, slowly closed his eyes, and before long, soft snores escaped him.
Lucy stopped her conversation with Kyoko and simply turned to gaze at his sleeping profile.
It was her action that made the others realize rcer had fallen asleep, and the bonfire area grew quiet.
"Seems like the kid’s exhausted," Panam said, though her eyes held a hint of admiration, since she’d just heard from Cassidy and Kyoko about the troubles they’d faced along the way.
In Panam’s view, for a fourteen-year-old kid like rcer to bring this whole group all the way here was rather impressive.
From a nomad’s perspective, this kid had the makings of a good clan leader, ambitious, goal-oriented, able to take care of those around him, and, importantly, he respected everyone’s freedom of choice.
Not bad-looking either, just a pity he’s so young...What am I thinking?
Panam jolted, feeling a bit perverse.
"Alright, you’ve all traveled a long way. It’s ti to rest early," Saul suggested, and everyone readily agreed.
"Wake him up or cover him with a blanket. Though winters here aren’t cold, sleeping through the night in the breeze could still give him a chill," Saul added.
After he spoke, Lucy nodded softly and replied, "Let him lie a bit longer. I’ll go get a blanket. He rarely sleeps this soundly."
"Okay~" Kyoko smiled at Lucy. "Then we’ll head back to rest first."
Panam also grinned, raising an eyebrow at Lucy. "Seems the kid wasn’t just boasting about his charm."
"No... it’s just..." Lucy stumbled over her words. She couldn’t quite define her feelings for rcer, but she knew it probably wasn’t love, or maybe there was a little, but mostly, it was gratitude and reliance.
Besides, rcer had a thing for older won...
Such an early bloor, huh.
In the end, she simply ignored the others’ expressions, fetched a blanket and pillow, covered him gently, and carefully tucked the pillow under his head.
She then lay down beside him, gazing up at the stars and the moon.
The moon in the sky cast a soft, serene glow, as if it belonged to a world entirely separate from this grimy one.
A sudden whimsy struck Lucy, if she could one day go up there, what would she feel? Lost in her thoughts, Lucy couldn’t help but glance back at rcer, and suddenly, her fantasy of going to the moon seed to lose its appeal.
He’d probably be too busy to take a trip to the moon anyway.
Going to the moon alone?
Just the thought felt lonely.
She drifted through these scattered musings until, without realizing it, she fell asleep under the moonlight.
—--
The next morning, a hand pinched her cheek.
"Mmm, just five more minutes... Kyoko."
"You can sleep a bit longer, but I’ve got to get up and head into the city for work."
rcer’s teasing voice jolted Lucy awake. Her eyes flew open, and she realized she had sohow ended up all over rcer...literally.
Her head was resting on his arm, she’d stolen most of his blanket, her body was pressed against his side, and her arms were wrapped tightly around him.
Her face flushed bright red in an instant, and she practically leaped away. "I, uh... it’s just..."
"Save the embarrassnt. You could put that energy into massaging my arm instead, half the night I thought a ghost had by the neck, trying to drag to hell."
rcer laughed as he flexed his arm, working feeling back into it after what felt like forever.
Lucy was mortified, especially since the extinguished campfire was right at the edge of the campsite.
Early in the morning, the hardworking Aldecaldos were already up and busy.
Hearing the commotion, a few Aldecaldos nearby smiled kindly at Lucy and rcer.
Even Kyoko, who was usually late to rise, poked her head out of a nearby tent with a teasing look.
This kind of public humiliation was too much for Lucy, who was only fourteen. She turned away, covering her face. "I’m going to wash up first."
rcer couldn’t hold back a stifled laugh, while Kyoko, further off, brazenly laughed out loud, hands on her hips, not even flinching when Lucy shot her a glare.
Panam, holding rcer’s cyberware case, checked the ti and said impatiently,
"Done enjoying yourselves? Then get up and help!
This is the cyberware your friend said you needed installed. Go check if anything’s missing and load it all up.
It’s already past eight. Did you even make an appointnt with the ripperdoc in town?"
rcer’s expression shifted. "I have one at nine."
"Then hurry up!" Panam jerked her chin. "Take my Mackinaw, and don’t forget your gun."
rcer rushed to get ready.
After swiftly organizing everything, he climbed into the passenger seat of Panam’s truck.
rcer waved a hand. "Let’s go, Little China."
"Ugh, morning traffic there is a nightmare.
Buckle up, I don’t want you to be late. Those city docs have massive egos.
If you miss your slot and they refuse to see you, you’re screwed."
Panam slamd on the gas.
rcer, sowhat embarrassed, fastened his seatbelt. "I’m usually a light sleeper, four to six hours max."
"That’s a good thing. ans you were wound pretty tight before. But hey,
from what I saw this morning, you two were wrapped up so tight, you must’ve slept great."
Panam laughed, giving rcer a suggestive look. He covered his face with one hand and sighed after a mont, "It was cold last night, and the blanket got tugged around a lot."
[Lucy: rcer, uh, what I an is, it was really cold last night, so I fell asleep out of instinct.
You know.
Anyway, if Kyoko asks you, just say that, because it really was freezing.]
[Kyoko: Was it really that cold last night? Really? Really?]
Under Panam’s barely suppressed grin, rcer closed the ssaging app expressionlessly, turned to look out the window, and rolled his eyes.
Whatever.
Gotta say, even though Lucy’s a bit small now, she’s soft and slls nice... I’m such a creep.
The car sped all the way to Little China in Watson District with the pedal to the tal, but even rushing like hell...
rcer still ended up late for his first eting with Vik.
--------
Bonus Chapter @1500 power stones.
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