#bari x reader

“Relax a bit, you're so wound up!” Bari grabbed your shoulders gently. Her firm grip ensuring that you're fully leaning on her for support while she kneads the soft skin. “Manager~ what do you think of this special ‘Bari’ technique, hm? Is it up to your tastes?" Bari leans in—Close, really close. You can smell faint hints of blueberries and some... other chemical thing. Hopefully not enkephalin from the recent lobotomy branch raids. That'd be terrible.— whispering into your ear.

“Mm, it's sufficient.” You murmured.

“Just sufficient? Wooow...” Bari slowly, very slowly lifts her hands up, tracing the sides of your neck before eventually retreating onto her sides. “Would you prefer I get Demian, then? since clearly you don't have the curated taste...” Bari teased. Trailing off slightly

“Ah— wait,” You blindly took her hands—Your shoulders are straining. One of you winces, it's not Bari.— and placed it right back onto your shoulder. “Just... Do it until I have the refined taste for your massages. I don't mind.”

Bari lets out a happy hum. Continuing her work.

-ezzy

“Manager— wait. Want me to walk with you?” Bari had asked, mere moments after a rough fight outside of the bus— nonetheless, that didn't seem to stop her energy.

You gazed at the group behind Bari. The other sinners.. you'll patch them up. None of them got critically hurt or staggered— Well, nobody but Xichun, taking a mental note on patching her up, you nodded towards Bari's question.

Your pace started alongside Bari's. Thankfully, the bus wasn't parked that far away from the battle— Average bandits, really, you could see the fear right in their eyes as soon as you equipped the Fauvist IDS. Bari seemed to find amusement in it's absurdity when she was in the middle of the battle— clawing, jumping, or whatever she did out there with little to no hesitation.

You liked seeing her in that ID.

Maybe more than you should— as a manager, of course.

“Quiet today, aren't we?” Bari teased— Taking a moment to look at the Backstreets for a moment. You couldn't help but to stare at her, as if she was a fleeting thing, “You didn't get too captured in my performance back there, did you?” Bari shoved lightly at your side. Which earned her a reasonable yell of surprise.

“Do you think we're able to predict whose ‘turn’ it is now?” Bari asked.

“No, I don't think so— I've never been to any of these nests.” You replied. Instinctively, you looked back to check if the others had taken their pace on walking towards the bus— thankfully, for both your heart and mental capacity, they were.

“Mm, Don't you think things have changed?” Bari asked. “It's likely we're going to encounter something unexpected. But I'll always be by your side” She paused— “As always, from your loyal knight.” Bari smirked. You wanted to glare at her but alas, you didn't have the heart to. How benevolent of you.

“Keep up with this knight roleplay and I might just send you to a fantasy related wing..” you mumbled— well, a fantasy related wing did sound good on paper, but you knew better, hopefully.

“Enough of that, I'm sure it's accurate, manager— especially with how I've protected you when you gazed upon a certain identi—” you shoved your hand against her face.

“Sonya— Sonya! Let's walk together, please!” You called out to the group behind.

Bari making you go on a knight to knight sparring session to polish your skills as fixers. At some point things escalated and now you're stuck beneath her trying your hardest not to make it obvious you're not flustered to save yourself from her teasing

-ezzy

“One more second like this, and I’m not going to be able to stop myself from actually killing you.”

You heaved out. A wavy, messy line of pants and short lived deep breaths that follow little to no rhythm while your blade crashed against the concrete.

Your chest tightened— a pounding against your ribcage that felt more like an attack than a warning of some sorts. Your shoulders felt like it was going to burst if you happen to do any type of movement that it regarded as too much— your muscle twitched, you winced. A deep ache burrowing itself into the depths of your fat and muscle.

“Ack—!” And of course, you were punished. Your vision went backwards— No, more like upside down, actually, you saw tiny blobs of green before you eventually heard that god awful ringing in your ear. When did Bari even strike against your head? Or did she punch your jaw first?

“Haahh, Not bad.” The blue haired woman— Now on top of you, commented. Fresh blood poured from her nose, you can guess with your eyes closed that it was your doing, remembering the crunch of bone that followed when you.. What use was it to reminisce on things that made your spine shiver, anyways? Warm— Lukewarm, more like, blood dripped onto your forehead. You blinked. Time seemed as if it was on pause.

“...You’re looking at me weird.” Bari commented, once again.

“You're the one that's looking at me weird!” You replied, finally, your back ached from the rough handling— why did it occur to you that it was a good idea to fight someone that's out of your reach in battle? someone that your eyes could barely keep track of everytime—

“Focus, ____.” Bari teased— right after giving you a tiny slap in the face. A smug smile met your eyes— Despite her nose clearly broken, she was still giving you that attitude of hers. If it weren't for the adrenaline wearing off, you swore you'd crash her head straight against the pavements. “That's.. Hah, gonna cost you your life one day. If you aspire to become a fixer of righteousness, a replica of my ow—”

Bari was cut off by a groan. “I know, I know, I know..” You fixed your gaze onto something else— boring holes into the small space the trees provided. Your breaths mingled with each other due to proximity, you only turned your head in return.

.. Bari squinted, really hard. You could tell from the edge of your vision.

“You're blushing.” She concluded.

“No I'm not—” You retaliated— Pushing hard against her shoulders to get her off of you. Throwing her off guard. “God— Give me a break!”

“Don't be immature. Come on!” Bari wrapped her arms around you. Pulling you into a half reciprocated hug— You held on tightly onto Bari's sleeves. “You're so cuuteee..” She teased— Pulling your cheek.

... One more second of this, and you might as well just accept your fate into her grubby, dirty hands.

" Is that your last cigarette? "

Alas, the lighter's flame struck against the pale coverings of the cigarette. A deep ache settling between your heart the more people came in the club, your stomach felt as if it was going through it's own voyage at the seas— maybe it already is with the substances you've gulped down. Sailing beautifully towards your throat once it's had enough.

" Mm. " You don't answer Bari's question immediately. The lady was nice— More patient than anyone you've recalled interacting at this moment. " Probably. " It's too late for this, you don't carry a watch. You can't recall why.

The melody— remix of it, actually, buzzed against your heart. Each beat making it feel as if it's jumping between oceans. One moment it's dropping and buzzing, the next.. it's all the same. You swallowed back your bile— even if you didn't swallow anything but the various drinks the place had given you.

You're nauseous. You noted the first thing before trying to return to your senses— Probably from the alcohol or the cigarettes making its works known. You couldn't care less.

Cold. You noted second, it's cold out. And you don't have the company you expected to have in this place. Only the warmth of a hand on your shoulder, lazily slung over in an attempt to get you closer, probably.

" Do you have a ride, ____? "

" Mm, I'll walk home. " You mumbled. Looking at the roadside. Bari took a moment— Fanning away the smoke that came with the cigarette you were inhaling.

" Alright, where do you live? " What?

You tilted your head to the side. An act of confusion you've seen in the countless cringey romcoms you've been watching.

" I'll drive you there. Where do you live? "

Oh, that's what she meant, through your drunken haze, you started to try and recall the address that was supposed to be engraved in your mind.

You shrugged. " I'll just point you there. "

Bari let out a sigh of defeat.