@Celeshiro What is the difference between Kagoshima Fragrance and Flower Cultivation Ocha Plantation? I want to plant new flowers to sell in the shop, which one would be the most optimal ? Because I don't really see a difference...
I like this plan because it gives our group some leisure time after all the scrambling that had to be done, we can take a partial break week and then start on the grind again next week.
[X] Plan: The Fixing Fixer -[X] [Living Life] The Way
-[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van
-[X] [Kagoshima Fixer] Media Rumors
--[X] Lycoris Fixer Anzai Yuuki -[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
Arisu made a face when she checked her messages. "Jeez, my professors are really far too stuck up. They're screaming that if I'm not attending class by the end of the week, they're actually going to dock my participation score. And that'll chip at my grades."
"In case you travel up to Tokyo, I'd offer to room you in return but I'm afraid we'd be three sharing one bed then. And I don't feel like being a third wheel between you two."
-[X] Plan: Take a Break, Break a Leg
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] International Standard
--[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
--[X] [Living Life] The Way
Now that our café is open, we should take a small break from work, fix the van for future use, go finally check some good coffee for our Kaori, and let off some steam in a club and training time with Mitsu. Next week, we can go deeper into Fixer work.
-[X] Plan: Take a Break, Break a Leg
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] International Standard
--[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
--[X] [Living Life] The Way
[X] Plan Business Woman
-[x] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Manage the Cafe
-[x] [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.
-[x] [Kagoshima Fixer] Lycoris Sighting: Out of all things, a Lycoris First had been sighted shopping at your business. Thing was, this wasn't Kyoto, so what was she doing here? You're eager to look for your possible sister in arms and connect with her.
--[x] Lycoris Fixer Anzai Yuuki
-[x] [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.
--[x] The Commander
Meh, we can take a break after we establish ourself further. Taking a step back right after opening week isn't the best look.
Scheduled vote count started by Celeshiro on Feb 5, 2024 at 12:12 AM, finished with 8 posts and 7 votes.
[X] Plan: The Fixing Fixer -[X] [Living Life] The Way -[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van -[X] [Kagoshima Fixer] Media Rumors --[X] Lycoris Fixer Anzai Yuuki -[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
[X] Plan Business Woman -[x] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Manage the Cafe -[x] [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. -[x] [Kagoshima Fixer] Lycoris Sighting: Out of all things, a Lycoris First had been sighted shopping at your business. Thing was, this wasn't Kyoto, so what was she doing here? You're eager to look for your possible sister in arms and connect with her. --[X] Lycoris Fixer Anzai Yuuki -[x] [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. --[x] The Commander
-[X] Plan: Take a Break, Break a Leg
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van
--[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] International Standard
--[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
--[X] [Living Life] The Way
[X] Plan: The Fixing Fixer
-[X] [Living Life] The Way
-[X] [Kagoshima Fragrance] Fix the Van
-[X] [Kagoshima Fixer] Media Rumors
--[X] Lycoris Fixer Anzai Yuuki
-[X] [Living Life] Go Clubbing
(Fix the Van: 97 +14 (Tech) +10 (Delayed) = 121)
It had been a long time coming, but you finally found some time to return to working on the damaged scav van that had been sitting in the driveway all this time. It was honestly a minor miracle nobody had already broken into its empty shell to steal the copper wiring or something to that nature, but perhaps it was because Mitsu always was mindful of it, taking time to roll her motorcycle up besides it. She'd certainly notice if somebody were trying to fiddle with it.
At the same time though, you felt a pang of guilt at how she had to awkwardly move around due to its immobilized state and resolved to at least fix it up to move, even if you didn't plan on keeping it so. Though a van could have perhaps be of use to either your main and side businesses. Perhaps even both at the same time.
You shook your head and focused back on your task. With practiced experienced of years as a Lycoris Cleaner, you carefully removing the last off the broken windshield glass on the van, dropping the sharp edge into a bag to dispose of later. Once that was safely tossed into the dumpster, you took a step back and studied the overall status of the shot-up vehicle now.
It looked a lot less damaged now, though it was heavily stripped down now when you removed anything that had been damaged in the firefight against scavs. That meant most of its front chassis was a flat write-off, along with the aforementioned shot out glass. You scowled when you studied the engine still sitting in the vehicle and rubbed your chin thoughtfully. Before, with the advantage of Lycoris' vast budget, it was simpler to just replace the entire thing. That was if they didn't just pretend to tow the car to a secret repair facility while giving the owner a generic parking ticket meant to lead them in circles until the fix was done.
You naturally didn't have that luxury of an unlimited budget and had to make do. Thankfully, from what limited knowledge you had about cars, you were pretty sure that the engine wasn't totally destroyed. At most, you'd have to purchase replacement parts for the broken components along with whatever else the van needed to be installed, then have to fix the parts on yourself. It wasn't going to be cheap, but it was doable.
It still meant though that you had to pull the damn thing out and you let out a low groan at that task. Then blandly decided that could wait for another day. For now, you felt hot and sticky from working outside and needed to freshen up. You had plans to stroll about the city tonight.
There was a wrench thrown into your plan then when you stepped into the shophouse and a bokken was hurled at you. If it weren't for your eyes, you maybe would've been struck by it instead of catching it and wordlessly raising an eyebrow at the grinning Mitsu. "Tis time for practice!"
You opened your mouth, then considered you were already a sweating mess. With a casual shrug, you hefted the wooden sword and decided you might as well make the most of it. "To your dojo then?" You asked with a small smile.
Mitsu visibly preened at the mention and grinned. "To the arena!"
(The Way:7 +10 (Reflex) +15 (Mitsu) = 32)
You two descended to the basement and then eagerly went at it once ready. Unfortunately, it seemed that since having been gifted the space, Mitsu had truly honed her skills even further. Perhaps too much so, as she unleashed a smattering of attacks that you could barely fend off, much less learn from. She was unrelenting despite not even using her cyberware, and you wondered if she even needed that anymore in a regular fight.
A misjudged parry saw your bokken being solidly knocked out of your grip and you quickly held up your hands just as the tip of your partner's wooden blade touched your neck. "I yield, I yield!" You let out a sigh when she finally withdrew the practice weapon and rubbed at the skin. "You're moving too fast, I can barely keep up."
"Mmh?" Mitsu blinked and tilted her head curiously. "Whatever do you mean? I have been purposefully holding back without cyberware."
"And you're still quick without it," You pointed out while picking up your fallen sword. "Really, I think you've actually improved even more since we last sparred. You've been practicing in the dojo then?"
"I have committed myself to daily practice, indeed!" She declared with great pride. "At least an hour everyday to exercise, without fail. A samurai is not one who grows complacent in victory, but one who strives to forever walk the Way blindly forwards!"
"Guessing you can't slow down for me then?" You joked, then held up a hand when she hesitated. "No, seriously. Don't hold back, because this is just as much practice for you as it is me. I'd rather face the terror now than out in the field."
Mitsu pressed her lips together, then nodded. "Better to bruise yourself now, than to bleed later," She firmly stated and raised her weapon. "Another bout?"
"Much as I would love to, I actually want to take a walk about the city," You politely turned down with a shake of the head and walked over to respectfully store away the bamboo sword. "And I want to look presentable while doing so. We might not be Lycoris anymore, but appearance still matters if I'm going to be talking to new faces."
(Mitsu's Availability: 62)
"Would you perhaps require an escort?" Your partner eagerly offered, lightly making her way to mirror your actions. "My schedule has me free this evening as well, so we could make it an outing together!"
You let out a hum in consideration. Bringing Mitsu along hadn't been in the original plan, but perhaps you could benefit from having a reliable muscle in case of an emergency? It did mean though that you'd have to put up with her mannerisms and sense of honor from going to any of the shadier or darkest aspects of the city. She also might get distracted herself if there was anything to draw her attention and appeal to her desire to do justice. That could be a real bother.
But on the other hand, she was your partner, Lycoris or not.
You sighed and mentally reviewed what neighborhoods might be a good place to hang out, meet new faces, and perhaps get a lead on trying to muscle in on the media.
Pick a neighborhood to walk the streets in.
[ ] [Neighborhood] Kamoh Gardens. Being your very own neighborhood, there surely must be something in the area for the corporate families to connect at. And through them, perhaps a connection to what you seek.
[ ] [Neighborhood] Aira. The area's a hotbed for the well-to-do, and there's plenty of corpo celebrities who supposedly live there. Try to find a nice place to catch them out and get your in.
[ ] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
[ ] [Neighborhood] Eaglesworth. If there's any nation that loves television more than any other, it has to be America. There surely must be more than a few Western media influences in the wealthy tourist district.
- The van just needs one more successful action with a payment, then it's should hopefully be good to go. If it goes well enough, Yuuki might even be able to actually pick up something about fiddling with vehicles from it all.
- I already have an inkling of what people are going to pick, but I will stress again Mitsu may or may not change how things unfold. Depends on what the dice say about what you find.
Six hour moratorium to clean yourself up for the clubs.
I already have an inkling of what people are going to pick, but I will stress again Mitsu may or may not change how things unfold. Depends on what the dice say about what you find.
lol, as if this is a real choice. Any time spent with Mitsu is good time. The real question is where to take her. I'm thinking a nice candle lit dinner.
I think the gardens or kokubu. Those seem the most useful for a small, local business.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want. [X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
How could I turn down an opportunity to get a Mitsu documentary? She honed her skills just in time to impress the media.
Setting aside that it's good for making media contacts, Kokubo is one of the areas the Jetstream Clan is active in. In case we end up rolling a gang encounter, Samurai action with Mitsu sounds like the best of times.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want. [X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want. [X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
Since we've chosen to investigate the media shenanigans, we could find some clues and maybe advertise the café with Mitsu dressed as a maid at some conventions!
The van is still not done!? Aaaaa. This better be the greatest or most educational van ever after all these actions. Van finishes next week I guess, pain. We even rolled 100+! Ah well.
I envisioned this action as a nice relaxing time, so let's take Mitsu along. We can always pursue the darker aspects alone at a later date.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
[X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
The mental image of Yukki driving the banged-up van near a school with "candy inside" written with black marker make me giggle.
"Hey kids, wanna become a Lycoris?"
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want. [X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
It was honestly a minor miracle nobody had already broken into its empty shell to steal the copper wiring or something to that nature, but perhaps it was because Mitsu always was mindful of it, taking time to roll her motorcycle up besides it. She'd certainly notice if somebody were trying to fiddle with it.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
I wish I had any artistic talent at all to depict this, omg.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
The mental image of Yukki driving the banged-up van near a school with "candy inside" written with black marker make me giggle.
"Hey kids, wanna become a Lycoris?"
I mean, honestly? That's not too far from what Lycoris have canonically done. In the official manga, Takina actually assumed that the kindergarten Chisato was helping out with was a Lycoris affiliate program, and decided to try and help give them an headstart on their education. The education being "the most efficient way to hit somebody's vital parts." That was where I got inspiration for that earlier mention of Lycoris coloring books that were actually assassin training exercises...
The mental image of Yukki driving the banged-up van near a school with "candy inside" written with black marker make me giggle.
"Hey kids, wanna become a Lycoris?"
I feel like the biggest problem with that plan is that in context, the candy van means people will likely misunderstand her as saying:
"Hey kids, wanna become liquorice?"
That stuff is a bigger turn off than the actual serial killer vibes.
I mean, honestly? That's not too far from what Lycoris have canonically done. In the official manga, Takina actually assumed that the kindergarten Chisato was helping out with was a Lycoris affiliate program, and decided to try and help give them an headstart on their education. The education being "the most efficient way to hit somebody's vital parts." That was where I got inspiration for that earlier mention of Lycoris coloring books that were actually assassin training exercises...
I can imagine a young Mitsu sitting in class and getting reprimands because she's insisting on challenging the vile miscreants to a duel instead of shooting them in the back.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kamoh Gardens. Being your very own neighborhood, there surely must be something in the area for the corporate families to connect at. And through them, perhaps a connection to what you seek. [X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
We need to know our area and its residents from top to bottom first.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kamoh Gardens. Being your very own neighborhood, there surely must be something in the area for the corporate families to connect at. And through them, perhaps a connection to what you seek.
[X] [Mitsu] Bring your partner along.
[X] [Neighborhood] Kokubu. The gathering grounds for conventions must be a place where media spokespersons frequent. They could even be from out of town, giving you potentially direct access to what you want.
Even though she wasn't riding her motorcycle this time, Mitsu still wore a bike jacket regardless. It clung to her tightly, aided by the various straps of her sword sheath and the Lycoris schoolbag. The thought of the later made you slightly conscious about your own bag and you thanked that it could easily double into a carry bag to look less awkward for a grown woman to carry about.
You didn't even consider the idea of going out without it, not when it was the perfect concealed holster for your pistol. Perhaps in a gentler world, bringing a gun on causal outings would have been considered overkill, but this was the 2080s. Not having a piece on you in case things went down was asking to be flatlined on the streets of Kagoshima.
Those dark thoughts were gently shaken from you when Mitsu nudged and you realized the transit had reached your destination. You two exited the carriage and walked out of the train station together, stepping out into a neighborhood neither of you had ever spent time in before. This was incredibly evident when Mitsu gasped and tugged at your arm, pointing eagerly at an advertisement billboard. "Kami above, they're hosting a blade convention in a few week's time! I surely must mark the fated day down so that I may be in attendance!"
"You do have opticware," You causally reminded with a tug at your lips. Your partner brightened up at the reminder and stared intently at the announcement, likely taking a picture and putting it on her electronic calendar. In the meantime, you looked a bit further and surveyed Kokubu as a whole.
As indicated by the announcement, this area was a major tourist hub for Kagoshima. There were plenty of hotels with varying luxury levels scattered through the streets, with the largest of them clearly boasting convention areas for organizations to host events in. These were currently empty or closed this time of the night, with no ongoing singular event catching your eye for the moment. Perhaps in the future, there could be something out of town coming here that would be of interest for a Fixer.
But that was in the future. For now, your eyes sought out other possibilities, thinking of the hotel customers who could be here in the off-season. They'd likely be people more interested in touring Kagoshima as a whole, at all times of the day perhaps. So it should come as no surprise that there was a definite night life around here, just waiting for you to pick one to try your luck at.
(Generating Nightclub…)
Your eyes finally settled on a neon sign pointing to a set of stairs leading into the basement of a building. That looked promising as anything. "Over here," You gestured and Mitsu turned to examine your find with a raised eyebrow.
"Wako's Tap? Hm." A frown emerged and she made a face at that name. "Aren't they nomad pirates? Is the establishment perhaps operated by such...distasteful individuals?"
You pressed your lips together, then shook your head firmly to push on. "Maybe, but my gut's telling me that this one is worth having a look. Let's just grab a drink or two there, then move on if it's not to your taste."
After a moment, Mitsu gave in and accepted your suggestion. "I suppose a drink wouldn't be amiss. In fact, my throat is admittedly parched. Though I lack faith in the tap."
"We'll see." You led the way down the small flight of the stairs, drawing short when you realized there was actually a bouncer standing right before the door. Said guard eyed you up and grunted stiffly, not quite barring the way but also not convinced that you weren't a tourist who wandered into the wrong establishment. That made your eyes narrow in suspicion- just what was this doing here then in a neighborhood meant to cater to visitors of the city?
Then Mitsu ambled her way down and spotted the bouncer, her eyes mirroring yours. "Is there an obstacle?" She calmly asked, shifting ever so slightly to show off the hilt of her katana poking over her shoulder while also making it easier to reach. The bouncer noticed the gesture, then stepped aside to let the two Lycoris enter the bar proper. Mitsu still gave them a stink eye on the way in, then she coughed when she was caught off-guard by the smoky interior. "Ack! A poisoned atmosphere-?"
"A layered one," You corrected softly, adapting quicker to the pungent smell of tobacco and other sort of narcotics wafting about. It was easy to see the source of these, with at least half the bar's patrons holding burning cigarettes in one hand while their chromed hands grabbed at spirits. Your entry had caused many of their eyes to flick in your direction, glowing orbs piercing through the gray smoke in appraisal.
One that many found lacking given you and your partner ljust ooked like two young women in out of their heads. The average patron meanwhile had a considerable amount of either chrome, leather, or chains on them that definitely screamed 'gun for hire.' That was when you realized just what this was, the pieces coming together when you observed the lack of uniform features among them.
This was a mercenary bar, one for those from out of the city.
And now many were watching you with hawkish glares when you stepped to the counter top. You sauntered up to the bartender and plainly ordered a drink, which they provided after a moment's thought. A strange clear liquid was poured out into cups and pushed at you, an unknown spirit that was perhaps a test or trial for those watching.
Your hand paused when reaching for one of the drinks, something feeling off. Quickly, your mind reminded you that if this was a test, then no way just being able to down a strong spirit was enough of a trial, especially for mercenaries coming from out of town. Your eyes darted about and noticed that none of the other patrons had drinks that looked anything like what was being offered.
Mitsu coming up besides you stared at her serving, then spoke for both of you with a hard glare at the bartender. "Tis clearly poison," She flatly told and roughly pushed the drink away with a sneer. "How crude. I say we seek better venues elsewhere now."
"Oh, that depends." You pushed your drink away too and casually placed a hand on the counter, then gripped tightly. The artificial limb dug into the weathered wood with a loud crack and you leaned at the bartender with a sharp grin. "I think you owe us a drink or two now for that attempt now, don't you think?"
They paled and opened their mouth to say something, only to be suddenly cut off with a rough laugh from a seated bar patron watching the exchange. "Ah, don't be too harsh. It's a right of passage, to see if you're smart enough to realize, or nuts enough to go through anyway." They shifted about to reveal a grinning older woman, her body decorated in scars where it wasn't covered in chrome. She even had a bulky looking targeting cyberware installed over one of her eyes in a manner not unlike an eyepatch. "That callout though? Pretty preem. I'll buy you a drink if nothing else."
"My thanks," You smoothly told and took a seat. Then you realized that it was only you and turned to see Mitsu leaning casually against the bar, pointedly keeping on her feet while she surveyed the rest of the bar warily. Even when the presumably safe drinks were served, she pointedly did not take it still, on her guard the entire while.
The scarred woman laughed at the sight and smooched her lips together mockingly. "Little guard dog, huh? How adorable," She teased, getting a heated stare from your partner in return.
"I prefer justified vigilance," Mitsu hissed back and added her own insults. "When in a den of snakes and vipers, one does not sup on their venom."
The woman growled lowly and shifted about, body aggressively posturing. "I don't like that. Don't insult the good drinks here."
Before the heated insulting could continue, you made your move and placed a hand reassuringly on your partner's shoulder. "Relax. We're here for drinks, not a fight. Plus, it wouldn't be good to start trouble yourself, yeah?" You suggested and your partner recognized your words with a slight bow of the head.
Then you turned to the smirking woman and unleashed your own counterattack. "And you're awfully sensitive about these drinks, despite serving us venom at the start," You pointed out and made a point by drinking from the safe alcohol now. "So I'd say you're biased, don't you think? Miss Bar Owner?"
"Niece, actually," The woman grumbled and shook her head. "Damn, you're observant. What that what gave it away?"
"Your accent, it's not from around here. Combined with the bar name and your quick defense, means you've got a personal connection to here." Your hand idly swirled the cup about and you gave a pointed look, not mentioning at all that you also had a police report visible in your eyes. "That make sense?"
"Suppose so." The woman drank deeply from a bottle before nodding, coming to a decision. "Right. I like you. Name's Shuiwei, and I help my folks out in running this little gathering of like-minded spirits. I'm captain of a little proud runner out on the docks otherwise. You just blow in from outside?"
"We're actually new locals," You explained, earning an 'ah' of understanding from the identified ship captain. "Getting a feel for the city, making connections, getting into trouble with other locals."
"Hah, well, welcome to Kagoshima." She made a mocking toast and laughed, taking it as an excuse to take a drink. "Still, you wanna hire somebody here? We've got plenty of folks here that wouldn't mind giving you a hand...for the right price."
"Not today. Here, I'm looking for information." You quickly laid your inquiry for something to pry into the media industry somehow. Shuiwei listened intently and hummed thoughtfully, thinking if there was any way to point you in at least a general direction.
"Unfortunately, we don't really get many of those around here," She finally told with a shake of the head. "Sorry, but this neighborhood hasn't seen the likes of them for a while. You're looking in the wrong place. Maybe try Eaglesworth, they slurp up that drama real quick. I'll keep an ear out though, and let you if anything pops up. Shoot me your deets and I'll call."
Your shoulders slumped slightly, but you accepted the frank answer for what it was. At least if nothing else, perhaps you've made an interesting contact in this part of the city, if you decided that Shuiwei was worth keeping in touch with. She definitely sounded like somebody who could connect you with mercenaries that pass through the city, in case you wanted some one-time muscle for a job.
Yes, perhaps it was worth sharing your contact info then, much to the dismay of a grumpy Lycoris.
[ ] [Shuiwei] Share your call number for not just word on the media opportunity, but others in the future.
[ ] [Shuiwei] Share your call number, but only keep the contact until you grab the media information.
[ ] [Shuiwei] Politely insist on having a few more drinks first.
- While you didn't succeed in getting info, you definitely are proving yourself as capable of holding your own in these sort of standoffs. So perhaps that's a success in itself, along with a nice drinking hole.