The Heart System

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I needed one more quest to hit the 180 credits for two Time Stops, but this damn system was serving up the most fucked-up options I'd ever seen. Sneaky sex on public transit? Fucking Kim's ass while anal-fisting Jasmine? Playing master/slave with Tessa and making her pee outside like a dog? Jesus.

The Kim and Jasmine quest was doable, but if they thought I wasn't fully focused on this Guy situation and chasing after my own pleasure, they'd pull back, and I couldn't risk losing them.

Then there was this other one: call Mendy and say "I love you." What the fuck? But… 30 credits. Enough to cover the Time Stops with some left over. Maybe I could call her, say it, then play it off like I dialed the wrong number. Sorry, meant to call someone else. Could work.

"Hmm…" I muttered, rubbing my temples.

I opened the door to my apartment and plopped onto the couch, yanking off my tuxedo and tossing it on the floor. The Mendy quest had no timer, so I could accept it now and deal with it tomorrow. Guess that was the plan.

Not five minutes later, a knock came at the door. I dragged myself up, leaned into the peephole, and froze. "Cora?"

"H-hey," she said, her voice shaky through the door. "May I come in?"

I rubbed the back of my head, uneasy. "Uh… sure."

"Heh-heh. Thanks."

I opened the door fully, and Cora stepped inside, her movements shy, her dark hair spilling over her eyes. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, hands clasped in front of her. I closed the door, just as awkward, then gestured to the couch.

"Sit, I guess."

She flashed a nervous, almost creepy smile, nodded, and sat, her legs dangling off the edge.

"I… know things are rough right now, Evan," she began, her voice soft, hesitant. "With Guy."

"How do you…" I started, narrowing my eyes.

"Heh-heh… I just know," she said, brushing hair from her face, her smile twitching. "Do you want my help?"

"Help… how?" I asked, sitting next to her, my elbows on my knees, wary.

"I could kill him, and when the cops catch me, I can—"

"Uuh, no. No, no, no," I said, shaking my head hard. "No. Just fucking no. Nuh-uh. No."

"Okay…" she said, her voice small, almost disappointed, her fingers twisting together. "Then what are you going to do?"

I leaned back, exhaling, staring at the ceiling. Yeah, what was I going to do? First, I needed those credits for two Time Stops. Then, break into Guy's place, crack that safe, and hope it held something incriminating. It had to—why else would he lock it away? But what if it was empty? My gut told me that wasn't likely, but the doubt gnawed at me.

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice low. "Guy's a petty bastard. He won't stop until he sees me crushed. I've gotta deal with him somehow."

"If you need anyone," Cora said, her voice softening, "you can always use me, Evan."

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Well, 'use me' sounds harsh, but… if something comes up, I'll ask for your help."

"No, no," she said, her eyes lighting up as she crawled closer on the couch, her smile turning eerie. She grabbed my hands, pressing them to her chest, right over her heart. "I mean it. Use me. Please. Heh-heh…"

I yanked my hands back, clearing my throat, my skin prickling. Cora was… strange. Her intentions didn't seem malicious, but offering to kill Guy? That was next-level unhinged. Still, she was loyal in her own creepy way, and I couldn't ignore that.

"Thank you," I said, keeping my tone even. "It means… a lot."

"Always," she said, crawling back to her spot, dangling her legs off the couch like a kid, her smile still unsettling.

I clapped my hands and got up, heading to the kitchen to open the fridge. Damn, there was actually something edible in here—some fruits, even. An apple, huh? Good thing I let Kim handle the shopping. Less beer, more healthy stuff.

"You want something?" I asked, glancing back at Cora. "I can slice some apple for us if you want."

"S-sure," she said, standing up, her oversized hoodie swallowing her frame.

Well, shit. I'd never sliced an apple before, and I was kinda hoping she'd say no and leave. I felt pretty pathetic not knowing how to slice a fucking apple, but I had to try. I grabbed an apple from the fridge and set it on the counter. Picking up a knife, I pressed it against the apple, trying to halve it. Nothing. The blade just slipped, barely denting it. I was definitely doing something wrong, and it was fucking embarrassing, my cheeks heating up as I fumbled.

"You don't have a chopping board?" Cora asked, her voice soft, tilting her head. "I-it'll dirty the counter."

"Oh… well, I kinda never sliced an apple before, so…" I mumbled, scratching my neck.

She perked up, stepping beside me. "I can do it."

"No, no, you're the guest here," I said, gripping the knife tighter. "I should be able to…"

"Please," she insisted, her eyes eager, almost too eager. "Sit."

I stopped, looked at her, and sighed. "Alright. Sorry, I just… never cut an apple before. Don't remember the last time I ate a fruit, honestly."

"It's fine," she said, already rummaging through the shelves for a chopping board.

After a few minutes, she found one on the top shelf, stretching onto her tiptoes to grab it, her hoodie riding up slightly. She set it down and started slicing the apple, her knife moving with scary precision—quick, clean cuts, like she'd done this a thousand times. It made me uneasy, no lie. Was she just good with knives, or… used to cutting things? Alive or dead, I hoped neither, but with Cora, I couldn't be entirely sure. She was… something else.

"There you go," she said, placing the sliced apples in a bowl and bringing it to the couch, her voice light but shaky. "They look y-yummy, heh-heh."

"They are," I said as she set the bowl on the armrest.

We each grabbed a slice and started eating. Cora took tiny, shy bites, nibbling like a mouse, while I was already on my third piece, chomping away. Under that oversized hoodie and messy black hair spilling over her face, she looked… kinda cute, in a weird, unsettling way.

"S-so," I said, breaking the silence. "You have a sister, huh?"

"Yes," she said, her voice soft. "She's always sleepy, heh-heh. Such a silly worm."

"Silly worm," I repeated, chuckling. "That's cute."

"Heh-heh," she said, her cheeks flushing, taking another small bite.

"You guys live with your parents?" I asked, leaning back.

"N-no. Together," she replied, looking up at me. "We moved years ago."

"They in the city?"

"Yes. But we don't see each other."

I nodded, sensing a story. "If it's not personal… can you tell me why?"

"Father used to beat us. Mother wouldn't say anything," Cora said, her voice flat, like she was reciting a fact. "When I hit eighteen, I grabbed her and we moved."

"You guys ran away?"

"No, moved," she corrected. "My auntie had a house in the city, we went there. But she… passed away not long after. She was old. Eighty-nine."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that," I said, my voice softening.

"Thanks," she said, finally finishing her apple slice after a million tiny bites. "What about your parents?"

"Oh, they broke up, but I still see them," I said, grabbing another slice. "We're on good terms."

"Broke up, huh…" Cora said, her eyes on the floor. "Sorry to hear it."

"Trust me, it was for the best," I said, shrugging. "They'd always fight over the smallest things."

She smiled faintly, taking another slice. I watched her, studying her expression. Her father used to beat her, huh? Fuck, that was rough. My dad was never like that—I was lucky. I had a buddy in school who got it bad at home, so bad even the class bully backed off out of pity. I hoped Cora's situation wasn't that grim, but her curt answer didn't give me much hope.

"You and your father…" I started, hesitant. "How… was he?"

Her eyes darkened, strands of hair falling over them. "Bad."

I nodded, her short reply hitting like a brick. Yeah, that sucked. I didn't have the words to comfort her, so I reached out, hesitating, and put a hand on her shoulder. Fuck, I felt like a dick. I'd been so rough with her when I caught her in my room, and now, knowing her dad was an abusive prick, I felt like a fucking monster. I had to own up.

"Hey, Cora," I said, pulling my hand back. "I'm… sorry I was so rough on you when… I—uh, caught you in my room."

"No, no, no," she said, shaking her hands frantically, her eyes wide. "You don't have to. I like it when it's you."

That last sentence sent a spark through me, a heat I shoved down fast. Not the time, not even close. I gave her an awkward smile and kept eating my slice, my mind churning.

"I should go back," Cora said, her voice shaky as ever. "Esme is waiting for me."

"Esme?" I asked.

"My sister. You, uh, met her at that park."

"Oh, right." I said, nodding. "Yeah, sure. You taking the bus?"

"Y-yes?"

"I'll walk with you to the station." I said as I got up, wearing my tuxedo. "It's night. You never know what will happen."

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EVENT

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Cora's Interest +50

╰───────────╯

Damn, I only offered her to walk to the station and I got fifty points from her?

"I wouldn't want to be a bother," She said, her face getting red. "I can walk by myself."

"Ah, come on," I said, gesturing for her to come as I grabbed my jacket off the rack. "Let's go before the rain quickens."

"A-alright…" She said, getting up and walking toward me. "Thank you, Evan."

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