Chapter Fifteen – I’m Not Wiser, Just Older

Chapter Fifteen – I’m Not Wiser, Just Older

“Oldmaxxing is the fashion trend, inspired by men of the 80s and 90s. It includes a focus on browns and earth-tones, belts and simple walking shoes, and most eye-catchingly, the fashion often includes a particular Oldmax hairstyle where the front of the scalp is shaved back along the crown to give the impression that that oldmaxer is losing hair, while the rest of their hair is left to grow longer than usual and is combed back.

Oldmaxers often combine this with the habit of smoking traditional paper cigarettes and listening to vintage early-2000s music.

-Excerpt from ‘Styles of the 2030s’, Second Ed. 2044

***

Wake up, Catherine.

I winced, then blinked my eyes open. It was dark, but I still recognized that I was in my bedroom. Lucy was pressed up next to me, and I’d recognize the feel of her anywhere.

I tilted my head up and tried to scan the room. My organic eye was adjusted to the dark, but I still couldn’t see much, which made it weird as my cybernetic eye could pick things out much better.

There wasn’t anyone in the room. Which… why had I woken up, then? I was definitely still tired.

I’m the one that woke you up.

“Oh,” I said as I let my head fall back. I had asked Myalis to wake me up the night before at around seven-ish. I’d even gone to bed yesterday, as opposed to early this morning. “God, I’m so fucking stupid,” I muttered.

“Mm,” Lucy said as she rolled over so that she was back to me. I didn’t know if that was agreement or not, but her cold toes against the side of my leg almost did more to wake me up than Myalis talking in my head.

“Myalis?” I asked.

Yes, Catherine?

“Do you have a snooze function?”

No. Wake up.

“Urgh,” I groaned, but without Lucy holding onto me, I didn’t have any real excuse to stay in bed. So I rolled over, then untangled myself from the blankets until I was sitting on the edge. I rubbed my face, then gave in and stood up. Technically I’d gotten enough sleep. I was probably going to wake up on my own soon enough.

The problem was, I’d kinda gotten used to just… Cuddling with Lucy for an hour or so in the morning while scrolling through my media feed and overdosing my early-morning brain with brain-rot slop. Sometimes we’d even fuck.

But no, I just had to insist on being responsible on my first day off after the whole school thing. What was I even thinking?

Complaining about it wouldn’t help any, so I got up and got going.

Morning stuff, then breakfast, then getting dressed properly. By the time seven-thirty or so rolled around, I was ready to face the day. Then Lucy ambled out of the bedroom, looking a little lost, with her hair all poofed up on one side and squished in on the other. “Why did you leave?” she asked. It was a bit whiny. “It’s cold.”

“Sorry,” I said before folding her into a hug. “I’ve got a busy morning. Trust me, I’d much rather spend it with you. Even if your feet are cold.”

“My feet aren’t cold,” Lucy lied.

“Sure they aren’t,” I pretended to agree, because I am a model girlfriend. “Anyway, you have classes this morning, right?”

“Yeah,” Lucy said. She yawned cutely, then reached her fingers into her hair to scratch at her scalp. “Oh… you don’t, right? I guess I can use a taxi, or call in a favour or something.”

“I’ll drive you over,” I decided. “And I think the Bastion’s auto-pilot is good enough to get you to the school and back. Usually I’d let you just go with that, but I might need it. We need to get you a car.”

“Sure?” Lucy said. “I’ll go take a shower. I’ll be ready in a bit.”

I nodded, then watched her go. Once she disappeared back into our room, I let out a sigh and wandered back to the kitchen. I found a can of coffee in the fridge and popped the tab. It tasted like ass, but it had 400% of my daily caffeine in it, and I needed that at the moment.

“So, first plan is getting into contact with the Nachtwächternetzwerk and the Keiretsu, right?” I asked aloud. I was impressed that I was able to say that without stumbling. “Can you send a message to the Doc and… crap, what was his name… Susano? Yeah, him. Send them both a message telling them that I’m down for a meeting in like, an hour or so. Whenever I’m back from dropping Lucy off.”

Message sent.

“Thanks,” I said.

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At this rate, you’re going to need to purchase a secretary AI catalogue.

“Would it be better than you?” I asked.