June 1.0, 2080
[X] [Mitsu] "I think she'll at least be open to working with your famiglia, but maybe not the others and definitely only when on the job. She's might like the Vendetta compared to a lot others, but she follows her own code as well."
You felt a little out of place speaking for your partner, but at the same time, you were her Fixer now. You had to have a good hand on what sort of jobs and clients she would be comfortable working with. She was trusting you to handle that and all the others background info while she was the muscle that focused on getting stuff done. So you spoke for her now, hoping you weren't overstepping. "I think she'll at least be open to working with your famiglia, but maybe not the others and definitely only when on the job."
"Just an associate?" Erika asked with a slightly disappointed, but understanding tone. "What a shame. I think she would fit well, but you have a better measure on what she's like."
"Don't take it the wrong way, especially because she has a good appreciation for the Vendetta. But I really doubt that she's going to limit herself to your gang so," You elaborated while twisting a dial on the coffee machine to finally let the hot steam warm the drink in your hands. "She might like the Vendetta compared to a lot others, but she follows her own code as well."
The young assassin hummed and helped wipe down the nozzle when you were finished. "That, we can at least respect," Erika finally admitted with a nod. "Or at least the ones I work with. I'm sure that a lot others don't share my commitment, but it's nice having colleagues that can."
Before you could comment on that, the front door to your shop suddenly slid open and none other than Mitsu raced in with wide eyes. Her head snapped around and spotted you, a cry spilling from her lips in an excited yell. "Yuuki, your- huh?" She fumbled her words, spying Erika standing next to you. "Who might this be?'
You quickly introduced your first two employees to one another and Erika perked up when she connected the dots. "You're the one who took on EGO Security, right? At their corporate officers, no less?"
The Lycoris Third's cheeks flushed for a moment and she coughed. "It wasn't just I alone, I was blessed with backup from a Netrunner, a master of her craft no less. She alone handled the most dangerous aspects, whilst I simply the one with the gun."
"Don't sell yourself short, I distinctly remember you holding out alone against both office security and a response team until I was done," Said Netrunner mentioned while descending down the stairs, her head cocked in curiosity. "What's all the noise here about?"
Mitsu seemed to finally recall her message and waved her hands about frantically while turning back to you. "Yuuki, Yuuki! Your flowers, they have blossomed most beautifully!"
Your heart shot up into your throat and you hastily stepped around the counter with clear eagerness. Now it was time for you to stumble over your words, not sure what to say about your very first blooms. "I-I suppose I should have a look, oh kami!" You exclaimed with a stutter, as if just told you were now a parent to children of all things. "But, training's not yet done-"
Then you felt a gentle push on your back. It was Erika, and she gave a small laugh at the distressed expression on your face. "I can tell between you two, this is big, so go on! I think I saw them earlier on the way in, so I can understand your nervousness. Just take a break and have a gander. I can even take pictures if you like."
"Pictures!" Mitsu gasped and ran to the supply closet, already undoing her clothes. Arisu gave a teasing wolf whistle and was rewarded with the bike jacket being flung into her face. "I must be clothed most appropriately for this occasion! I will be with you shortly!"
True to her word, barley moments after the privacy door was closed, your partner burst back out, stumbling and hastily adjusting her newly don maid dress. Now there were three in service costumes, all of them the total sum of employees for Kagoshima Fragrance. The only one present not in uniform was Arisu, who was very much not a member of the flower cafe you wished to open.
Finally after a little bit more of hand wringing and fumbling words, the door to your flower garden slid open and you let out a loud gasp when you beheld your very first flowers.
(Flower Garden (Red Spider Lily): 88 +20 (Tending Bonus) = 108)
Arisu peaked around your frozen form and her eyes shot up. "Well now. Ignoring the rather interesting choice of species, this…my word."
"Boss, now that I'm looking at them properly, they look just...amazing. Nova. Preem," Erika summarized with a slightly excited look. "Is this your natural touch around flowers? If so, this place's going to bloom like these!"
"Bloom beautifully, bloom nobly, bloom lively!" Mitsu sang and squeezed past you to do a little dance. "Congratulations Yuuki, you have created life!"
Your hands shook as they slowly raised to press against your warm cheeks. Even though the touch of your left arm was dulled by the machine, the sensation of wet fluids pressing into your digits was unmistakable. Bit by bit, your fingers crept up to encompass your eyes, trying to rub at your rapidly blurring vision that was being obscured by overwhelming tears.
Tears of happiness.
For a moment, perhaps you saw it. Your fingers stained in red blood, clutching a smoking pistol. A corpse at your feet, the first takedown having not finished them off. So you had to finish the job yourself, for the organization that had taken you in and given purpose to this life of yours.
But now, your heads were now coated in the red of vibrant life as you ran them carefully through the unfurled Lycoris Radiata. Once where you had believed you could only take away life, you now sowed it anew, however minor it was. For a moment, you wished never to pluck them, perhaps hoping to preserve their fleeting existence however possible.
Then reason kicked in. You had to carefully harvest them to actually made sure their beauty would never wither. They were at their prime now, and if you lingered, they would soon fade away. You hesitated, then turned to your employees with a wide smile. "Let's take pictures of these now, then of our bouquets made from them. Each of you, take a turn holding them. Arisu, could you be the photographer?"
"I'd be honored to help," The Netrunner promised and you held your hand to your chest for a moment, grateful for your life so far. All the bumps in the road, all the suffering, it felt worth it for this exact moment.
Even the dwindling numbers of your bank account couldn't damper your mood at all.
Utilities: 150 eb
Food: 1000 eb
Transportation: 100 eb
Rent: 800 eb
License: 500 eb
Total Costs: 2550 eb
-2550 eb (12950 -2550 = 10,400 eb)
You have gained a Red Spider Lily Bouquet of Excellent quality!
Choose up to four (4) actions you'll carry out through the week
Kagoshima Fragrance (Kaori)
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van: The Scavs had a cheap utility van that's gotten shot up pretty badly, but you think you could maybe fix it back up. It could be handy for either an infusion of cash to your new business or an asset for the business itself. Try your hand at being a mechanic for a bit.
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Grand Opening: All the preparations are finished, and you're ready! Formally open the doors to your newest venture and behold the results of your labors. Then get to work to try and begin making some revenue.
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Candidate Interview: Make some calls and try to arrange for a good time to sit down with a potential employee candidate to get an idea of what they could bring to help out.
-[ ] The student, Osaka Hatate
[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Hire Employee: Send a message and finalize the paperwork for hiring a new cafe employee!
-[ ] The unemployed, Morales Hinata
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Advertise Word: Go spreading fliers and putting up posters of the soon-to-be-opened Kagoshima Fragrance around the neighborhood to try and drum up interest for the eventual grand opening. The more buzz you create, the more attention could be drawn to the big moment.
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Ocha Plantation: A tea plantation that supplies your cafe with seasonal flowers in bulk, one of your shop's main products. Take a visit to see if you can buy some new flower seeds from them.
-[ ] [Kagoshima Fragrance] International Standard: To provide high quality authentic coffee, you've turned to rely on purchasing your beverage ingredients from a well-known corporation that specializes in imports. They surely should have an expert when it comes to picking specific ingredients, so pay them a visit to see if you can perhaps improve your blends.
Flower Cultivation
-[ ] [Flower Cultivation] Ocha Plantation: A tea plantation that supplies your cafe with seasonal flowers in bulk, one of your shop's main products. Take a visit to see if you can buy some new flower seeds from them.
-[ ] [Flower Cultivation] Sow Seeds: You've got your hands on some seeds that you want to begin growing! Take some time to till the soil, plant the gardens, and watch new life being to sprout.
--[ ] You currently have no seeds.
[ ] [Flower Cultivation] Tend to Gardens: Devote a part of your week entirely to making sure you tend to the gardens as diligently as possible, plucking out weeds and making sure each sprout gets just the right amount of water and conditions to grow splendidly.
None
Shinohara Securities
-[ ] [Shinohara Securities] Visit the Office: You've made a contact in the form of Security Chief Azumi, the leader of an elite corporate police task force. Pay her a visit to chat and see what opportunities she can offer you.
-[ ] [Shinohara Securities] Part-Time Patrol: As Shinohara Securities was perpetually shorthanded, they didn't have enough security patrols going around to keep the neighborhood safe. They've offered to pay you a fair sum to do so in their place. It'd be like a Lycoris patrol, but this time, you get paid!
Secondborn Ronin
-[ ] [Secondborn Ronin] Visit the Pauper: The Pauper is the Fixer of the Secondborn Ronin and is a bridge between the corporate world and streets. Go to the public library to chat with them about what opportunities they can offer you.
The Vendetta
-[ ] [The Vendetta] Schedule a Ripper: La Peste is a mysterious but talented RipperDoc who has offered their expertise if you wish to see them for a health checkup or discrete cyberware surgery. See if they have an opening in their schedule to meet them.
Lycoris Graduate
-[ ] [Lycoris Graduate] Call a Lycoris: There's times where you miss the organization, as unbelievable as that might sound given their grim task. You certainly don't hold it against any of the other Lycoris and want to have a chat with them to see how they're doing.
--[ ] The Commander
--[ ] Misaki Arisu
--[ ] Nakaiji Momiji
Living Life
-[ ] [Living Life] Browse the Library: The public library in your neighborhood has a wide selection of information datashards covering a variety of topics. You can read them to your heart's content in the facility, or you could pay a fee to make a copy and take it home to study.
-[ ] [Living Life] Find a Black Market: As so many things are restricted from sale or possession in Japan, you can only find these prohibited items at a black market somewhere. They're surprisingly common enough if you know where to look, though having some caution about the quality of their myriad of wares is a smart idea.
-[ ] [Living Life] Go Clubbing: Risk the nightlife of the city and visit one of the many neon hangouts around the city to experience something new, maybe even meet some new folks or have magical encounters.
-[ ] [Living Life] The Way: Mitsu's offered to take some time out of her week to help train you in the sword and by extension, other melee weapons. You even had a great dojo to practice in, so it was time to spar to your heart's content.
Miscellaneous
-[ ] [Miscellaneous] Scrap the Van: It's not worth your time or effort to patch it up. Rip it apart and find a seller for the parts.
Available Bouquets (Max 2 per turn)
--[ ] Red Spider Lily: The Lycoris flower, the undeniable flower closest to symbolizing who you are before, now, and forever more. Its presence is enough to invigorate you like never before, and you find yourself giving it your very best. Action Effect: Yuuki gains one (1) reroll for this action. This is doubled if Excellent quality.
---[ ] Normal: 0 (Value: 1,000eb)
---[ ] Good: 0 (Value: 1,500eb)
---[ ] Excellent: 1 (Value: 2,000eb)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- And so, the first bloom hits, and my word. What an occasion! As you can see now, flower bouquets are going to be how Yuuki digs deep to get some powerful temporary effects, either for important actions, gigs, or big sales. You can use one bouquet per action, and a maximum of two per turn when you start getting a lot.- I'll make mention that as you've been purposefully timing your opening for these, there is a hidden bonus effect in choosing to use this bouquet for the opening.
Six hour moratorium to come up with a weekly plan.
Last edited: