Chapter 567

Chapter 567: Many Sides

“Fun...” I remembered muttering under a breath, staring, hesitating, and briefly considering second thoughts. “Seems about right.”

Following her lead, many guesses and theories came and went as I tried to solve the most elusive riddle – just what on earth does a detective succubus do for fun around here?

We passed by many answers, many outlets, many enticing avenues for fun. The captivating escape of the silver screen, the beeps and boops of the arcade machines, the echo of crashing pins down at the bowling alley – all she turned a blind eye to, and many more.

I was beginning to think I was looking at this all wrong. Maybe we were already doing it.

Maybe this was the fun – walking. Hooray! Yeah, that was my best guess until we took the next escalator to the tenth floor... the last floor.

For the record, I’ve never been to the tenth floor before... which brings us right back to my words, leaving my lips in a whisper.

Even just standing beneath the entrance, I could hear what awaited me – the spurt of gunfire, the splatter of bullets, and the defying cries resounding above it all – the chaotic symphony of a raging battlefield.

.....

A paintball arena.

Cute.

“Haven’t visited for over a week now... I might be a little rusty,” Irene said, glancing at me from the side. “Well then, are we all still too eager to have some exciting fun?”

I saw the peculiar look in her eyes – and matched it, gazing back at her with firm resolve in my own, “Where do I enlist?”

Fast forward a half hour’s worth of prep and set-up time – I was pretty much suited up, armed, and revving to go. I was given a rifle, a surplus of ammo in small canisters, and basically no direction or guidance as to what to do next.

Aim and shoot, I guess.

Oh, did I forget to mention that the three amigos would also be joining us in some guerilla warfare? Good. Because I didn’t realize it either... not until I saw three uniforms stroll right into the waiting room after us, bearing very familiar colors.

“You’re like little ducklings, y’know?” I said, sensing the smirks on their faces through the protective visors. “Must you really follow mama duck everywhere she goes?”

“Not everywhere,” refuted blue with a wink. “Only the places where it’s fun.”

“And paintball’s always fun,” said green, eagerly watching as the carnage in the field came to a close. “Especially when ya got a reigning champ on your side. Eh, detective?”

“Reigning champ?” I inquired.

And red readily stepped up to the platter, both sides of her goggles reflecting awe and respect. “The detective is undefeated in every game mode... she also won first place in a tournament held a few months ago.”

“First place...” I whistled, drifting my admiration over to the aforementioned champion sitting silently by my side. “You must really love doing this.”

Irene tightened the grip on her gun. “It’s just a hobby.”

“An interesting hobby,” I added. “Would have really loved knowing about this earlier. It could have made for an even better date last time.”

“You’d be sore in bed... pellets can hurt.”

“I would have ended up sore either way,” I said, snorting. “Even then, I don’t think paintball pellets can even compare to you on that particular night. Can still feel it sometimes, y’know?”

“Well, in... in any case,” She stammered, clearing her throat. “Now you know about my great big secret, congratulations.”

“My question is – why did it ever need to be a secret in the first place,” I said, eyeing her with a quizzical glance. “Are you afraid of something?”

“Not really,” Irene said. “I just don’t feel the need to broadcast every single little thing about me.”

“Not even to me?”

“Especially to you,” She said, blinking hard. “I want... I want to always be seen in the best light possible in your eyes. Any flaw, any shortcoming, anything that would detract from that view... I just... I just want to keep that perfect image that you see every time I see you look at me.”

I smiled. I swear, she just gets cuter and cuter every passing second.

“And you loving paintball is a flaw – how?” I asked, genuinely bemused by that vast leap in logic she took.

But as always, Irene had an explanation for everything – this mystery, in particular, having an answer far more straightforward than it first appears... with her going slightly pink around the ears.

“It’s embarrassing...”

“Ah, embarrassing, of course,” I nodded, reaching complete and utter understanding. “Just like singing was, right? Y’know, I think at this rate, everything’s going to become embarrassing sooner or later.”

“It’s childish...” She groaned begrudgingly. “I mean, it’s... it’s obviously not the me you know.”

“And just what do you know about the you I know?” I asked her. “I’m looking at you now... and even after knowing so much – nothing about you has changed for me since the first time I laid my eyes on you... and I doubt that’ll change anytime soon.”

Irene hastily muttered something I couldn’t quite catch, but from the way her body squirmed in place... it began to sound loud and clear like uncertainty.

“Embarrassing, childish, fiendish, selfish, you’ll still be you to me,” I assured her, gently laying a free hand atop of hers. “Listen, I didn’t fall in love with only one particular side of you, that was never the case... so batter it in your head, Irene, remember – I fell in love with you, end of story.”

Then there it was, and even beneath a layer of protective plastic, it did nothing to dampen it – that passion, that tenderness, swirling and glistening in the shimmer of her hazel eyes.

Only present for but a single second, unfortunately, before she blinked them away... and felt the strong impulse to clear her throat again.

“For future reference, I would have loved if you had told me that in a place that isn’t constantly crackling with gunfire,” She told me, her finger suddenly getting quite itchy against the trigger. “Or at least somewhere where we won’t be overheard by some nosy busybodies just begging for a pellet in the face any moment now!”

She raised her voice, snapping her gaze forward, and at that exact moment – all three girls just inexplicably happened to be preoccupied, abruptly blind, and deaf to any and all happenings prior and after.

“We’ll do a warm-up round,” Irene suddenly announced, rising from her seat. “A four-person free-for-all, three rounds, just enough for you to get your bearings... after that, we’ll move on to the real deal, alright?”

Honestly, I was good with pretty much anything just as long as I could see her in action myself – after hearing what I’d heard, I was more curious than anything now to witness her in the field.

A staff member came in and got us settled in a smaller, more compact stage – perfect for quick in-and-out skirmishes. A makeshift battleground filled with bunkers, barrels, and broken cars all given a botched paint-job of rainbow splatters and streams across every inch of space.

Along the way, we came across other would-be players just gearing up... and judging from the lingo and jargon they were throwing left and right, I guess I was in the presence of some mighty war veterans here.

I would have loved to listen in on more of what’s the perfect sight to realize and why James can’t aim for shit, but then all of a sudden, collectively, the entire room plunged into an instant deafening quiet the moment Irene strode past them.

Some gulped, a few went pale, while others hung their heads under their arms, utter defeat reflecting in their sullen, gaunt expressions – but most just continued to gape at her in, staring awe-stricken, just as red was a few moments ago.

Guess that’s what happens when you come face-to-face with a living legend.

Alright, so there’s gotta be an interesting story there somewhere... a story for another time, unfortunately, as Irene urged me forward, swinging open the fence gate that led to the combat zone.

“So...” I did a full 180, surveying the battle-hardened field around me. “What’s the play?”

“As I said, three rounds, single-life, no winners, no losers,” Irene explained. “Just a warm-up, no pressure.”

“Boo – boring!” whined green, swaying her gun limply around. “No stakes, no bets! C’mon, detective, we always bet!”

“And you always lose anyway,” the harsh detective quickly rebutted.

“Yeah, but that’s what makes it fun!” green said, widening her stare, as if pointing out the glaringly obvious. “You take away the stakes, all we have left is, um...”

“A warmup...” red whispered.

“Exactly!” She spun away in a huff. “Like I said, boo – boring!”

“Holly’s got a point detective,” blue chimed in, an ever-familiar look of mischief to her gaze. “Or don’t tell us you’re only omitting the stakes because you want to go easy on your darling sweetheart here.”

Have I become leverage or something? I feel like I’m slowly turning into a bargaining chip... and goddamnit, why am I so effective?

“Fine,” Irene conceded, stroking away an irritated crease from her forehead. “Stakes then. If I win, it’s double shift for a week.”

Suddenly, the trio didn’t seem to be as eager as they were before about this added stipulation.

“Yikes...” blue hissed, her bravado faltering slightly. “A-Alright, but if we win, then you’ll have to accompany us to every outing we do for two weeks!”

“And you’ll also have to bring your boyfriend here with you,” stepped in green, with a sinister snicker. “We ain’t done assessing him just yet.”

There goes that feeling again.

Red slowly turned towards me, her head in a slanted stare, “And what about you?”

“Me?” I stammered for a bit, not knowing what to think. “Umm, uh... in the fat chance I win this...” I gave a half-hearted shrug, meeting the piercing brown gaze across from mine. “I’d like to listen to you sing another one of your favorite songs... if you have any more favorites, that is.”

“Oh, she has more, alright,” blue eagerly nodded.

“Lots, lots more!” green added playfully.

Well, well, I’m just learning so much, so fast today, aren’t I? These three are like a treasure trove of sizzling hot secrets.

“Alright, then it’s going to be best two out of three,” Irene said, maintaining a straight, rigid face. “It’s not too late to back out now if you want to.”

“Yeah, you wish we would,” said blue, her gaze blazing the fire of conflict. “Sorry, detective – but it seems your boyfriend is going to see more sides to you than you really want to.”

“Fine,” there was a rustle, a click, and within a fraction of a second, Irene had her weapon loaded to the brim, a bloodlust to her ominous gaze, and a sudden longing thirst to her words. “Your funeral.”

Then as everyone dashed and bolted, disappearing in a flash for some immediate cover, I stood in place still, dumbfounded... wondering if it was already too late to sit this one out.

Yeah, it’s probably too late, wasn’t it?

Oh well... I’m sure those rumors of paintballs hurting like a bitch were just that – rumors.

Rumors, right?