Digital Higanbana (Lycoris Recoil x Cyberpunk Quest)

"So in the end, you couldn't decide between two models and need our opinions to make a proper decision," Arisu summarized with a hum. "Because as it turns out, you can't just buy them all with your current bank account."

"Not if I want to be able to pay rent at the end of the month," You grumbled and moped slightly about in your medical bed. "I'm burning eddies real quick, and I'm not making them back anytime soon without both arms to work with."

"Do you require monetary aid?" Mitsu slowly asked, pressing her lips thinly. "I did get some funds back from returning the sniper rifle, so if you need some cash…"

"It's fine, so long as I just keep to buying one of these things." You gestured to the two boxes on the bed, each of them containing your possible new left arm. "But only one, and that's why you're all here. I need help in figuring out what I should buy."

"I see. Well, let's pop open the boxes and take a look at the chrome first then," The Lycoris Netrunner suggested. You agreed easily and the Arasaka-branded containers were cracked open to pull out your possible replacement arms. They were gingerly handled with care, though you were sure that according to the specifications they could both take a bit of wear and tear. "Hm, looks like this is the 6b one. It's already even got RealSkinn coated on, with the proper interface to adjust the color to whatever skin tone you prefer."

"And this must be the Silverhand!" Mitsu declared, restraint barely keeping her from holding it up triumphantly like a war trophy. "A replica arm of an infamous rockerboy, now turned into commercial product! Hm, the quality is rather extraordinary I must say!"

"Surprisingly so. Makes me wonder if it's another snub at the legend, some say that his arm was so bad that it drove him insane." You fell quiet for a moment and studied both arms before glancing at the stump of your shoulder. "I hope none of these push me over the edge like so. Cyberpsychosis is always a worry to take into consideration."

"It is definitely," The Lycoris Netrunner instantly sympathized with a head nod. "I've already seen so many of my classmates go a little too metal, trying to chip in everything to deal with the stress and anxiety from the academic standards. Luckily as their implants were usually of the academia fashion, they couldn't do much, but there is a reason why EMP turrets are installed in libraries to stun possible outbursts."

"Chrome is both a blessing, and a curse," Mitsu gravely intoned and gently placed down the fashionable arm. She looked at you with a slight tilt of the head, trying her best to imply a question without giving away sensitive information. "But for those of your class, you were gifted more than us no?"

You reflected that in fact, you did when you were a part of Lycoris. Being a Lycoris Second, you were augmented with more cyberware compared to the Thirds, but less than the extraordinarily rare Firsts. It was tied to how experience or talent often indicated a greater ability to handle more cyberware, so it was only natural to put the most useful cybernetics in those who had the greatest ability to make use of said implants.

That, along with them being usually affixed in a developing body, usually warded off the most extreme cases of cyberpsyhosis among Lycoris. Perhaps that was just yet another reason why agents had to be taken in at a very young age, so that they could grow and adapt to cyberware as if just another part of their bodies. Hell, you rarely really thought of your special opticware and the programs stored within as anything unnatural- they had been wired in at the right time for your brain to naturally adapt to as just part of your adult body.

However now, adding a cyberlimb was certainly going to feel unnatural as you didn't have the benefit of adolescent youth to swallow the changes on the go. You had to carefully figure out if adding new chrome would mess you up mentally. The Arasaka MedTechs had said that it was very rare that anybody would be driven to such means from just a simple cyberlimb attachment, but it was still something worth considering.

"For what it's worth, according to studies, cyberware with RealSkinn coating n show demonstrably less chance of inflicting lasting cyberpyschosis," Arisu mentioned with a hopeful pat on the limb she held. "So if you just want to play it safe, go with the Model 6b. It even is the more commonly available model, so I think you might have a better time trying to fiddle about with it."

"But this one is superb as well," Mitsu pointed out and ran a finger along the chromed cyberlimb. "It is more than just admiration of a Night City legend- it is a declaration of fashion, and of style! Something that marks you unhesitatingly out among a crowd as being not like common folk. Something rebellious and free, which we never could have been before. A statement that you walk your own path, perhaps making a new legend with said chrome."

"You'll only happen to be possibly mistaken as a poser for said figure, that's all," Arisu dryly countered with a shrug. "But I'll admit that chrome skin is preem, no matter what. Maybe I should get some chrome hands, how's that sound? It'd certainly reduce the chance of carpal tunnel from all the typing for programming."

"Just so long as you don't make them rocket fists," You joked with a laugh, remembering that discarded option. "Even that was just a bit too much for me."

"But imagine a punch of justice!" Your partner immediately whined. "That would be nova!"

"Lots of nova things you can do with cyberlimbs, and honestly? Both the 6b and Silverhand do have universal ports for such things. Worst comes to worst, you're handy with a screwdriver, right?" She made a spinning gesture. "Crack open that chrome and get modding. Change the color of your skin, add some little threading, or even cram a weapon inside. That's the real preem stuff where you do it yourself."

"Just like how you make your own programs?"

"Nothing can compare to seeing your labors finally bearing fruit," Arisu firmly insisted and it was easy to agree with that. Her eyes then trailed over to the cyberlimbs with her brow scrunching up. "Speaking of which…"

Her wrist bent at an angle and your fellow Lycoris pulled out a cable out of her arm. She jacked it into both replacement arms with a considering hum, eyes glowing. Mitsu frowned and voiced her suspicions. "You think they're bugged?'

"No harm in double checking." After a moment, Arisu shook her head. "They're clean, but they're filled with that typical 'anonymous data collection' junk. It obviously won't record your voice, but it'll record how much pressure and force is being applied at times. Probably stuff that could either useful research datapoints, or legal proof for revoking warranties."

"In short, practically ordinary corporate trickery," Mitsu flatly summarized with a roll of the eyes. "I say purge it all."

"I could, but I don't imagine Arasaka is going to be happy about that if you return the spare limb and they have to redo all that. Probably just best to only purge the one you plan on buying, so that they can at least just wash their hands of the matter." Her glowing eyes turned towards you. "So, which one will it be?"

You hummed, then made a final choice on the matter.

[ ] [Cyberlimb] The Model 6b.
--[ ] Change the appearance

[ ] [Cyberlimb] The Silverhand
--[ ] Change the appearance

- Looks like with the help of Xon, we got tallies back and working. Absolutely preem.
- You'll notice that this vote helps subdivides into appearances, so if you decide you want to spice/alter the cyberlimb appearance for free, now's the time. It should hopefully help so that if you want, you can recolor the Siliverhand to not be so Poser and just go for the mechanical effect. Or perhaps you want to actually make the RealSkinn arm some demonic color for style points. Remember, half of Cyberpunk is doing things stylishly, even in failure.