Anti-antithesis

Roger

As I laid in bed in the middle of the night, staring into the textured ceiling, I relished the feeling of warmth from a guest I had not expected to connect with not hours earlier. Daliah was a brilliant, terrifying woman who helped me understand that, no, my ambitions weren't a problem, and that I should do more than settle for a merch company. I already knew that Vic would support me if I wanted to do more, but I was still not sure how he would react if I told him I wanted a seat on the city’s Corporate Council. I actually wasn't certain how any of them would react.

Buddy was easy to guess, as he would probably want to open a cooking institute or something, which would be helpful to a lot of people, boosting our credibility. Cody would be wary, of course, and he had every right to be, we had seen too much for him not to be. I could reassure him easily with promises of strict oversight from Outsider and Bahamut, which I would have done, anyway. While I would have no reason to embezzle or abuse my authority, I could not say the same for whoever worked below me. And the one thing I could never abide by was a broken promise.

Jill… She was a wild card. I knew she cared about us, that she could, has, and would kill for us and our safety. But I didn't know her leaning towards corpos. I mean, I knew she didn't care for their security, or their shitty management personnel, and I think it may be safe to assume that she didn't like the actively malicious ones, but I didn't know how she would react once I told her she was already a shareholder…

I had already started the process, of course, laying the foundations for the future. The Real Dreams Corporation was the first real pillar I had erected, one that would, in time, solidify to be able to support my family and me should something happen to Vic. Not that I would ever wish for that, nor expect it. After all, my ambitions relied on my brother being alive. But the age old wisdom of “hope for the best, plan for the worst” dictated that I had to plan for that possibility. Even if he didn't actively help me, just the fact that we were brothers would be a huge deterrent. All I had left to do was prepare for the target I would place on my back once I made my intentions known to those currently in power.

I turned my head slightly to the woman who draped herself over me. I felt her shallow breaths flow against my skin, her long hair ticking my arm she had pinned below her. Seeing her so subdued, quiet even, contrasted greatly against the beast she was as we entered my room hours ago.

Did I know that her ambitions ran just as deep as mine? Of course I did. Like recognized like, after all. Did it bother me that she saw me as prey right now? No, not in the slightest. I would do the same in her position. I have done the same to get information before. Yet, not only was the sex incredible, visceral even, but I knew that if we could come to an understanding, or dare I hope, a true partnership, this city would be ours.

No, what bothered me was that my little brother, my sweet, innocent Victor, had conspired to set us up. I knew that Babushka had a hand in it, yet he sent Daliah my information unprompted and basically handed me over to her on a silver platter!

I smiled to myself at the thought. I knew Cari was a wonderful influence on him, corrupting him in just the right ways, yet this was entirely unexpected. I couldn't wait to see how Opal and her friends changed him further.

I loved my brother, but he was so… dull before. Lacking a color to his soul, so to speak. Back at the dorm, Jill was akin to a burning red surrounded by shades of a putrid blue, Cody was yellow coated in shifting greens, and Buddy was a soft blue all the way down, with a kernel of red hidden in his depths. But Victor… he had a spark of blue in him,sure, but it was smothered by an oppressive off black. I tried a lot of things to add color to him, from ratting out unrelated corpos to my personal hobby, but nothing stuck. Nothing but games and drones, really…

Then he initialized and started building more family members, and his colors started growing, shifting. But it wasn't until Cari arrived that he started to shine. Cracks forming in the black that shrouded him, hinting at his growth. Maybe now he would enjoy my tutelage… or maybe not, considering he never really enjoyed causing pain, even in games.

I felt Daliah shift, indicating she was still awake, as she adjusted herself on my right arm. I felt her hand rest against my chest as she looked at me, smiling softly, seductively, calculatingly. “Couldn't sleep, either?” she purred out.

I smiled lazily as I placed a brief kiss on her lips, running my hand through her silky blond hair. “Never been one to sleep for long.” I said quietly. “Not to mention sharing a bed with someone adds a new layer of change.”

“Hmm,” She agreed, “surprising. Based on your actions earlier, I would never have guessed you were a virgin.”

I chuckled. “Never said I was, Daliah.” She smiled into my shoulder, understanding my meaning.

She then rolled out of bed and stretched before sauntering off to the restroom, her silhouette highlighting all her wonderful features that she was extremely proficient in using.

I sighed contently as I opened my aug file about my new body. It had been an ongoing process for a week or so now, especially since Vic kept unlocking new, interesting catalogs. Synaptic helped add things here and there, indicating that he would have to unlock a new catalog anyways due to Cari's insistence at protecting his life. Something that I am still ashamed to have only realized recently that he held in such little regard. Hopefully, Cari and her friends could make sure he treasured his life a bit- no, a lot more, considering I failed to do so.

I shook my head as I refocused. Enhanced skin durability and nerve strengthening, neural upgrades, a full bone replacement, and a bio-nite healing factor apparently, were some of the things that I had workshopped with Synaptic. Plus, a more lithe shape with more defined muscles. Not bulging, but noticeable, tasteful even. I looked over the whole body and adjusted one more thing. If I planned on staying with Daliah, a baculum would be necessary… maybe a bit more girth, as well.

The organic, cybernetic cat ears would give me increased spatial awareness, basically creating a model of the world around me in my head. It would also connect to a new implant Synaptic planned for me, something to help me get a read on people. Their emotions, their intentions, how nervous they were, how much fear I inspired in them. You know, basic social warfare stuff. My eyes would have some new spectrums I could see, further distances, better details, yet also be a piercing golden yellow.

The tail would be just that, a very fluffy tail that would assist me in balancing and tricking people, full of nerves to make grooming it meditative in nature.

However, the feature I was most excited for were the retractable claws. Synaptic assured me that Class II organic augmentations gave me a lot of options, and one of them were all natural monomolecular cutting claws, ones that I could load up with venom of my choosing. This led me to add a chemical synthesizer organ to my new form, one that I could program to be any number of fun toxins, drugs, or medicines.

A point total was displayed, as some things were required to be bought. Six thousand two hundred points and one token for the Nekomata Augmentation Catalog. Pricy, but also not as much as she was predicting Victor and Cari would spend.

The cat boy aesthetic was a guaranteed thing with all that, yet the color of the fur were things I was constantly shifting between. I couldn't decide between black, royal purple, dark cinder red, or calico. I felt Daliah crawl back under the covers, giving me an idea.

As she got comfortable once more, I flicked her the file. “I need some help coming to a decision. And since I feel as though I could trust you, do you think you could assist me?”

She giggled at me, biting my collarbone softly. “Only if you say please.” She purred out.

I smiled sharply, enjoying this dance of words and favors with someone I wasn't expecting to kill later. Babushka was spot on with her, wasn't she. “Would you please assist me?”

She smiled, reveling in her small triumph she knew I gave her, one that carried implications of building trust and hierarchies, as she opened the file. Surprise colored her face, followed by suspicion. “Is this a sudden thing? Or a joke at my expense?” If she had hackles, they would be raised. I wondered if she wanted to fully convert herself. Questions for later.

I shook my head, frowning. “Daliah, if I was the kind of person to make this a joke, I would not be asking for assistance, I would be openly mocking you. And I only do that to rich young masters who deserve it.” I felt her relax at my tone, so I placed another kiss on her lips. She decided to push a bit more in apology, and I felt her lean into me, her suspicion mollified, for now.

Her hand started to travel, nails tickling my chest, then stomach, but stopped as she pulled back, scowling. “After, Daliah.” She muttered under her breath, admonishing herself. “So, what's the decision?”

“Colors.” I said, feeling the heat she stirred up in me complaining loudly, causing me to have to force myself to continue with this request. “I can't decide between these four color pallets, and if we are going to make this work,” I emphasized my statement by grabbing her ass and squeezing slightly, causing her to giggle, “then I suppose you deserve a say, considering you might have to color match with me for more… official events.”

That caught her off guard as her eyes widened slightly, then quickly narrowed as she adjusted herself to lay atop me, pinning me beneath her. I let her, indicating a level of trust I held towards her. She knew I was strong enough to stop her if I wanted to anyway. “You would take me, a brothel owner and slut, to official, public events as your partner? For the world to see?”

I smirked as I ran my hands from her perfectly round ass up her sides, feeling her shudder unintentionally, before I gently held her face. “Daliah, my brother is a Samurai and I plan on ruling this city eventually. In that vision of the future, I cannot see anyone but you standing by my side. And believe me, I have been looking, yet every other candidate had too many strings attached, too many flaws.”

I wasn't even lying, as I had looked at various bachelors and bachelorettes in the city. All of them held numerous advantages in social capital, monetary capital, even military capital. Yet their strings were just as strong, with family ties, corporate stranglehold, or vices that would put them under my knife, not by my side.

“Plus, imagine the power play. You, a brothel owner with a heavily armed gang at your beck and call, and me, a former child soldier with my own PMC, walking into the halls of the elite, heads held high, knowing that we are better than them in every way that matters.”

I saw her imagine the scene, then felt something wet spread across my legs as she blushed.

I saw the file shift between the four colors suddenly as Daliah's augs lit up. “Hmm. Black is out. As much as it gives you the bad boy vibes, it would be counter productive for our goals and image. The cinder looks good, but it clashes with the eyes and makes you look more blood soaked than you might want in more public settings. And calico is a pattern only female cats have.” She smirked as she rolled us to lay on our sides, her arms wrapped around my neck. “And that only leaves the royal purple. An unorthodox color, to be sure, but with your eyes that border on gold, it will give you a regal look. Plus, if you add some black to the edges of your pupil,” the model zoomed into the face, showing the eyes change, making it appear as though the yellow-gold pupil was being invaded by shadows along its edge, causing me to grow excited, “then that would be just the thing to instill fear and respect into those you wish.”

I saved the choice as I rolled fully on top of her, allowing her another minor victory, just with me coming out on top this time.

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