Road Hazard
rating: 0+x

Remember that NSFW warning earlier? I feel the need to call attention to it again.

Rukmini's new roommate was sprawled asleep on a ratty sofa as she opened the door to her new apartment.

Short, not quite tall enough to span the length of the modest couch she rest upon. The denim get-up, make-up, and number of hair-ties for her absurdly long hair suggested she had somewhere to be; the open laptop with a blinking power light suggested that was some time ago. At least she had the decency not to sleep with her shoes on.

Rukmini stepped into the apartment, and her roommate immediately woke up.

There's a moment, brief, where the roommate reached under the throw pillow, and muscle memory brought Rukmini's hand to her hip. Then, the roommate paused. "… Rukmini, right?"

"That would be me, yes. Then you're Sara?"

Sara yawned, lazily sitting herself up as she removed something from under the pillow to place in her jacket. "… ah, hell, it's past 3 PM, ain't it?"

"Well into 5 PM, it is."

"Ah shit. That's forty bucks and a refill down the drain." Sara gave Rukmini a once-over, clicking her tongue once before moving to stand up. "Well, glad to have ya. You, uh…" And then she broke eye contact to look over the (somewhat messy, if tastefully decorated) living room. "Yeah. Sorry for the mess, like… I don't even got an excuse, man."

Rukmini exhaled. "Definitely had worse. Many people come over?"

"I have a rich social life that consists of alienating the people around me." Sara scratched at her hair. "That, and I'm in a band. It's cool, if you like math."

"I'm more of an industrial bird."

"Long as it's not radio garbage." A pause. "You need any help moving in? I'm not working tonight."

Rukmini's mind drifted back to the ridiculous assortment of weapons, narcotics, and cursed magical objects in her various booby-trapped packs.

"I mean, it's going to get a bit messy, y'know? Better if I wait 'til you're at work."

"It's no problem, man. I work from home."

Oh dear. Rukmini shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. Really, it's…" … fuck it, Rukmini didn't have dignity worth keeping. "… stuff you wouldn't show your gaffer."

There was a brief moment where it looked like Sara might've said something. Instead, she shrugged. "Fair." Then, just as quickly as she had woken up, Sara fell back onto the couch and started typing away, like Rukmini had already left to unpack.

Something like a bug buzzed in her head.

"

Thanks to A Random DayA Random Day for the idea to write this, as well as (possibly, I wrote this first) some of the specific scenes.