Digital Higanbana (Lycoris Recoil x Cyberpunk Quest)

Ryouji Mitsu (Lycoris Samurai)
Empathy: 10 (Base) -2 (Old Tongue) = 8
Cool: 10 (Base) +3 (Lycoris Samurai) +3 (Street Vigilante) = 16
Reflexes: 10 (Base) +3 (Lycoris Samurai) +5 (Lycoris Graduate) = 18
Body: 10 (Base) +2 (Surge Sandevistan) +2 (Iron Gut) = 14
Intelligence: 10 (Base) -3 (Street Vigilante) -2 (Iron Gut) = 5
Tech: 10 (Base) +2 (Motorcycle Enthusiast) = 12
Proficiencies: Handgun, SMG, Melee

Futai Erika (Vendetta Runner)
Empathy: 10 (Base) -3 (Scav Victim) = 7
Cool: 10 (Base) +4 (Vendetta Marker) = 14
Reflexes: 10 (Base) +4 (Vendetta Marker) = 14
Body: 10 (Base) +3 (Cyber Runner) = 13
Intelligence: 10 (Base) = 10
Tech: 10 (Base) -3 (Vendetta Marker) -3 (Scav Victim) = 4
Proficiencies: Handgun, SMG, Rifle

(Manage the Cafe (Flowers): 27 +15 (Intelligence) +12 (Rank 6 Botany) = 54)
(Manage the Cafe (Cooking): 50 +14 (Tech) +12 (Hinata) = 76)

+800 eb (16350 +800 = 17,150 eb)
+800 eb (17150 +800 = 17,950 eb)

You checked the new numbers in your bank account with a pleased hum, seeing it rise with the effort you've been putting into your business. It was only a little bit at a time, but it definitely worked out to a rather respectable number when all tallied up. You had a feeling that you could perhaps even indulge in a little, funneling some of that hard earned eddies into some of your personal indulgences.

Which was why you were currently relaxing and enjoying a cup of tea out in the Kagoshima countryside, far from the bustling city. All you could hear were the quiet chirps of the grasshoppers and cicadas in the summer heat, a rather welcomed noise that helped fill the emptiness of the countryside with life. "Perhaps I should move out here when I grow older," You mused aloud.

"Eugh." Umi who had decided to invite herself along to sharing a cup of tea with you made a face and drank her serving in one go. "Take it from somebody who has to live out here: you get bored real quick, day in, day out. You can only weed so much and then sit around doing nothing but watching whatever crappy television programs manage to reach out here."

"Surely you have other ways of keeping yourself busy?"

"Not without my brother pitching a fit when he finds out." She giggled and poured herself another cup. "Ah, that's when things really get exciting. Sneaking out late at night to meet with some chooms, loading up on the trucks, and then driving out to the beaches to have some fun."

She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and you choked, hastily coughing to the side to clear your mouth. "Aren't you a little young for that?" You weakly suggested and Umi frowned.

"What, too young to take potshots at passing smugglers? Never too young to learn how to use your iron out here."

There was a moment of silence as you stared at the farmer girl, then shook your head. "I blame Arisu," You flatly declared and waved off the confused head tilt. "Think nothing of it. I suppose that you're an okay shot then?"

"I'm probably the best out here in the weeds, there's a reason why I'm the one who only can face down the gangs when they try to muscle in-!"

"Much to my dismay when you decide to pick a fight with them instead of letting them go on peacefully. Not every rough-looking fellow who stops by out here is going to rob us blind," Banri chimed in while carrying along a small box. "If you've the energy to chat, then you've the energy to go check the leaves. I know you haven't done so yet today."

His sister's response was to stick out a tongue before begrudgingly getting up and dusting her pants. "Fine, fine, but I'll be claiming the baths first then when I get back. Hot water will be mine!" Umi declared before striding off to carry out her errands. Her brother watched her go with an exasperated but fond sigh at her disappearing figure.

"She's getting too big for this place, and I dread the day she's of age. She might just head straight out to the city itself to try and get away from here," He wistfully remarked, then shook his head. "Ah, but I shouldn't really talk about it all with you, dear client. You have enough on your plate already."

You gave a noncommittal shrug, then turned your attention at the box in Banri's hands. "So what do you have for me today?" You eagerly asked and he set down the container to unpack.

(Ocha Plantation: 56 +15 (Intelligence) +12 (Rank 6 Botany) = 83)

"Plenty of options, you'd be pleased to learn!" He happily told and began to take out a dizzying array of seeds that made you giddy. "You showed me some pictures of those flowers blooming wonderfully and that convinced my family to expand what we should offer you. You clearly have a great talent and we'd love to supply you with more options, as well as recurring ones."

"I'd love nothing more," You promised and saw a familiar packet among the new unfamiliar types. "Speaking of which, is that what I think it is?"

"More Red Spider Lily, of course. I can't help but notice how prevalent it is all over your outfits. You must really like the flower of death, huh." You were glad that Banri was focused on organizing the offerings to not catch the flash of expression crossing over your face. "With that in mind, I took the liberty of scooping up a related flower seed that you might be interested in."

You peered over to have a better look and read the packaging. "Atropa belladonna. Nightshade."

"Another flower of death, but one that's more commonly associated in the West than East," He cheerfully narrated, a semblance of passion shining through. "It's going to be a slight challenge for you in this weather, as it prefers the cold, so please keep that in mind. But perhaps you'd enjoy the challenge."

"It would be quite interesting indeed. What's the third option?"

"A timeless classic of Japan, Rosa multiflora. The Japanese rambling rose, as it's more commonly known." The packet showed a picture of a beautiful white flower that looked surprisingly unlike the stereotypical image of a rose you had in your head. "It grows quite easily, perhaps a tad bit too much so. I hear that in America, they're quite grumpy about how quickly it spreads. Makes you glad that these ones should be sterile then, huh?"

"I suppose so." You hummed and considered the seeds before you, debating which one to buy and plant in your garden.
Choose what flower seeds you would like to purchase.

-[ ] [Flowers] Red Spider Lily Seeds (200 eb)

-[ ] [Flowers] Nightshade Seeds (200 eb)

-[ ] [Flowers] Japanese Rambling Rose Seeds (200 eb)

-[ ] [Flowers] None

- I might tweak how much money you get from bouquets depending on what I decide to do with coffee mixing in the end. I would like for flowers and coffee to have different specialized payouts, so we'll see.
- Your front garden can hold up to four flowers at a time, but each one of them will consume an action to plant. This is due to needing to make sure each of them has the right conditions, the right soil, etc. Tending to all of them at once is just a single action in comparison.

-600 eb (17950 -600 = 17,350 eb)

In the end, you opted to buy the entire collection. It wasn't like it was particularly expensive in the first place, so it was no big deal. You were sure though that the tea plantation appreciated some extra change to fiddle about with, especially Umi who looked ready to snatch some of those eddies and have some fun around their little rural neighborhood.

You were already missing the sights when you watched the bus come to a stop next to your destination and sighed. In contrast to Ocha Plantation in the countryside of the Kanoya District, the headquarters for International Standard were located next to the bustling harbors of Kiire District. Even though this was still gang territory, there was a certain sort of class and refined standard being held about that made you feel conspicuously out of place in your casual wear.

This was only further reinforced when you dared to stop into the lobby and felt almost everybody's eyes latch onto you with clear judgment, like eyeing up a cub who had stepped into a lion's den. Your lips felt dry in that moment and you swallowed, resisting the urge to reach for your concealed pistol. This was completely unlike what it felt like in the Arasaka headquarters, truth be told.

There, you were judged as simply a potential combat threat. Fair enough, you had been trained and drilled on how to fight your way out if need be. But here, in International Standard, they weren't thinking about how you could handle yourself in a fight. No, you were willing to bet you could beat them all one-handed and blindfolded.

But it was the power they commanded that was on different scale that made it feel a lot more personal. Arasaka? You weren't even worth their gaze turning their way, such was their vast empire across securities, manufacturing, banking, and more. But International Standard was the megacorp that focused solely on foodstuffs, the largest network of shipping networks across the world that saw fruits and spices from one land sell in another. They even had subsidiaries such as Continental Catering that focused on the part about selling their imports, appealing primarily to corporate customers willing to pay their prices.

And here you were, just a flower cafe shop owner, trying to step up and grab the attention of your supplier for perhaps preferred attention. It was awfully nerve-racking and you had half a mind to flee already, to abandon your appointment with whatever corporate executive was in charge of your case. Then you sucked in a deep breath and thought about all your employees counting on you to maintain friendly relationships with your supplier. Flaking on an interview, especially with camera evidence of having already stepped into the lobby, was not going to endear you to that.

To help keep your nerves off, you idly activated your police facial scanning program for a semblance of familiarity. You almost did a double take when you approached the receptionist, only for multiple 'circumstantial evidence' files to pop up next to her face. You numbly mumbled out your name and the confirmation number to the bored secretary while your eyes darted about, locking onto faces and grabbing file after file of police speculations.

Circumstantial evidence, suspect alibis, witness bullying- what a collection of suspected activities on the various individuals eyeing you up. You felt oddly more...relaxed knowing all this information. It definitely made the various suits in the room with you feel even more dangerous, but now it was a familiar edge that you could handle. An assurance that in the end, they were still human that would probably try to flatline you one way or another as a direct method of elimination, all the while you were still a paying customer.

It made sense. The corporation would never turn away a customer, but the individual could take offense. You could only hope now that you didn't immediately give a reason for said offense when the receptionist called you back up and handed over a visitor badge that doubled as a building guide. When you affixed it to your outfit, it processed for a moment before displaying a direction where you were apparently supposed to go. The badge took you through the elevators and onto a floor higher up, then to a small plain meeting room. It looked like you were being asked to wait here while your corporate contact was preparing.

You took a seat as instructed, carefully putting your Lycoris bag to the side at your feet. It was tilted in such a way where you could idly lean down and grab your pistol from the holster in a single smooth gesture, if worst came to worst. But you hoped sincerely otherwise, daring to believe that whoever stepped through the doors to greet you wouldn't be one who looked at you with such scouring eyes.

To your surprise, it wasn't very long before the door to the meeting room opened up and you straightened up, but not leaving your seat when a clean looking businessman in a suit stepped in. He was carrying in a small bag and studied you with a carefully calculated look, pushing up his glasses in the process. He looked more like an accountant than a food vendor manager, but there was no denying that this was your corporate contact.

Especially when your still-running profiling system identified him as so.

Name: Kuga Fuji
Job: Executive
Affiliation: International Standard
Talent: Discovery

You could feel a muscle in your cheek twitch slightly at that last bit. As always, Lycoris' systems could be frustratingly vague in that regard sometimes. But you hid your frustration with a deep bow of the head, one that he matched elegantly while taking a seat across you. "Good day. I am Anzai Yuuki, owner and proprietress of Kagoshima Fragrance. I am honored to meet my contact at International Standard after all this time."

"Mmh." He observed you for a moment before giving his own response. "I am Kuga Fuji, and I am the executive in charge of your account at International Standard. We are honored to be your first choice in supplying your necessities and will strive to deliver quality products in a timely manner as requested. Now then, might I ask the reason for your visit today?"

He was straight and firm, his eyes not wavering or flickering in the slightest. You realized that your new corporate contact was indeed one of those who definitely cut to the throat of any manner, not wiling to put up with superfluous pleasantries or time wasting to decorate his words. He was blunt, direct, and focused at the matter at hand, not distracted by anything else.

Perhaps he could've been a Lily Bell operative in another life.

You focused back to his question and sucked in a small breath. "I'm looking to expand my catalog of offerings to more than just the regular selections," You put out, watching for his reaction. "Something that helps make what we serve at the cafe truly unique and worth putting on the map."

"A unique product." He leaned back in the chair and put a hand to his chin, clearly giving it some thought if nothing else. "A big ask. International Standard does have many clients and while we do wish to offer solutions to all their needs, uniqueness is a tall order."

You nodded slightly. "I understand, but I'm sure that there must be something that we could try for creating local appeal. Some special drink perhaps."

"...you would be on the right path." Fuji now reached below and grabbed the small bag he had carried in. He unpacked its contents onto the table and your eyebrows shot up at the sight of several small bags of coffee beans of varying types. "If you would permit me to explain? We can't offer a unique drink to each and every one of our clients, our infrastructure tragically cannot handle it so. But what we can offer is the materials to make your own unique blend."

"A unique blend using your coffee bean selection."

"Exactly." He put the bag down and laced his fingers together, looking at you with a simple eye of anticipation. "I understand that you are a new business owner, perhaps new to the industry itself. But if you've gotten this far, surely you can understand the concept behind making your own blend. Could you show it now, so that I may best judge what level to begin you at?"

You winced, holding back a curse at your lackluster cooking skills. "I'll do my best," You said with a slightly wavering smile and reached for the bags of beans now. It had been fine to let Hinata handle all the cooking at the cafe, but when it came to making your own blends, there was nobody but you yourself to do it. Not if you didn't want to compromise your personal touch on things.

(Blending Coffee: 81 +14 (Tech) +2 (Rank 1 Cooking) = 97)

Despite your nervousness and relative lack of experience, somehow you still managed to correctly measure out the right amount of coffee beans into the measuring tools and mix them properly. More than that, glancing between the sample coffee bags, you had a very good idea about its flavor profile. Something bold and powerful, but not too overwhelming as to ruin the taste. You even adjust the ratio of the mixture to ensure that you could make the most of the combined flavors.

When you were finished, you finally looked up and nearly jumped out of your seat at the intense expression on Fuji's face. His eyes were glued to your blend intently, so much so that you had to gingerly wave a hand in front of his face to finally break the concentration. "Oh? Ah, my apologies. Just when I see a master of their craft at work, I cannot help be appreciate it so," He politely explained and you felt your cheeks heat up at the seemingly genuine compliment. "It is only part of our culture after all. But now then, I will confess, I am a little curious as to the actual taste of your blend. Might I indulge a little by asking for a cup?"

You hesitated, then gestured to the plain meeting room all about. He caught on instantly and got up, gesturing for you to follow. Fuji led you to what was likely a break room only a few hallways away, and there sitting on the counter top was a coffee machine not unlike one you had back in your business. With an approving nod, you stepped forward and began to process the blend you had just created, moving swiftly and accurately to produce a paper cup filled with hot coffee. "On the house today," You lightly teased and handed over to the amused suit.

"On the house, indeed." He sipped delicately and his eyes lit up immediately. "My. How invigorating and delightful. I might just have to become a patron of your establishment if this is the quality of drinks I can expect."

Your cheeks flushed again and you looked away. "Thank you very much," You decided on simply answering with a slight bow of the head. "I am still relatively new to the field, and I will do my best."

"If this is you at your newest, then I cannot wait to see you at your peak." He set aside the cup for a moment, his business demeanor returning in a moment but with a new addition: eyes that saw you as somebody certainly worth putting extra effort into. "I believe that this is indeed the start of a wonderful business relationship...but I think you could go even further."

Your head snapped back up and you turned to face him with slightly wide eyes. "What?"

Fuji seemed to think on it for a few more seconds before reaching into his suit and drawing out a small business card. One that he then grabbed a pen and scrawled on hastily. "This is my office line...and this is my personal number. I strongly encourage you to dial that one if you're interested in just being more than a simple flower cafe."

You numbly accepted the card and glanced at the two contact numbers written down there, your mind churning away to try and make sense of all this. It was clear what an office line meant, usually for official business especially as it was likely recorded, but then a personal number? One that he himself wrote down for you on a card that normally shouldn't have it?

Off the books discussion. Your head swam for a moment and you swallowed thickly. This was definitely more than you had just bargained for with this visit. Speaking of such visit, you looked up to notice the corpo returning back to his drink with a pleased sip, definitely not wasting it at all. Now you imagined seeing that being repeated in Kaori when you bought this back and sold it.

It would sell out rather quickly, but at a premium price much like your bouquets. What made it different though was that you could just make it on the side, then sell it instantly. No need to water and take care of it like your flowers! But a blend's uniqueness would wear down quickly and you'd eventually have to return to the drawing board to make a new one that would reignite the appeal.

As if sensing your internal debate, Fuji smirked and held up his cup. "So then," He began with a pleased expression, "Are you interested in purchasing some blend stock for this?"

[ ] [Blend] Purchase Blend Stock (200 eb)

[ ] [Blend] Do not purchase stock.

- Right, so what I've decided is that while your flowers are the quality premium product, blends are the quantity premium. You can make them easy and cheap, then flip them for a less but still bonus income for several actions. Each Blend Stock will give you 4x of it all at once, with price varying depending on the resulting quality. It's a way for you to get some eddies immediately instead of an investing game like your flowers.