So it looks like you'll be playing as Anzai Yuuki, Lycoris graduate! Fun fact: this name option was a mashup of certain VA names. 'Anzai' from Chika Anzai, who voiced Chisato, combined with 'Yuuki' from Aoi Yuuki, her long list of characters including Lucy in the Edgerunners JP dub! It's pretty fitting for a character in such a crossover setting huh? Well, thank you for voting, and writing will begin soon.
"I'm Yuuki," You slowly tested, your own name unfamiliar on your tongue. You admitted, perhaps you had been a bit more uptight and adherent to your identification code than other Lycoris, focusing on the job above all else. But now, it felt right to finally go by a more personal form address, now that you were about to finally bloom, so to speak. "I'm Anzai Yuuki. Lycoris Cleaner," You quickly added while taking a seat to join the small gathering.
"Behold!" Mitsu pointed at you dramatically with a wide smile. "She does have a name! One that shall make the heavens tremble before her!"
"More like, summon a blizzard!" Momiji added with a giggle. "Not too far from snow drop, right? Do you maybe want one instead of a spider lily next week? I could like, try to find one!"
"It's already almost spring, I don't think that's going to be around," Arisu pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "It's honestly a miracle that we get real spider lilies for our graduation, what with how so many things are just artificial these days. It's difficult to cultivate naturally as well."
"Like, it's totally a metaphor for us!" The airy Lycoris seized upon and reflected on. "We're spider lilies, we're so pretty!"
"Hmph. I would much prefer something like a cherry blossom!" Mitsu proudly declared and raised her arms in triumph. "We bloom beautifully in such a magnificent display, then we disappear for another year. But we never fade away from memory!"
Momiji suddenly perked up at that phrase and Arisu groaned, putting a hand to her face. "Oh no, look what you've done."
"Huh?" You voiced confusedly, then blinked when your fellow Cleaner burst out into a tune.
"A thing of beauty, I know...will never fade away!" She sang lightly, totally catching you off-guard. There was a shocking energy to Momiji when she grabbed her crutch and pretended it was a microphone stand for her little performance. "What you did to me, I know...said what you had to say! But a thing of beauty, I know…!"
"She's a massive Samurai fangirl," Arisu explained to you with a shake of the head and quiet smile. Her eyeglasses suddenly lit up with a digital glow, perhaps indicating cyberware activation. "Set her off, and you're in for an impromptu karaoke session."
You tilted your head and glanced at your colleague with an interested look. For what it was worth, she clearly had singing talent, hitting the right tones for the popular song. Your own eyes lit up and added Momiji definitely had talent as an entertainer somewhere, somehow. Maybe that was how she helped Lycoris cover-ups. Why, it was almost like you could hear the song itself-
Hold on, you could. The rec room's speakers cackled to life all of the sudden and began to play the distinct electric guitar riff of Johnny Silverhand and Kerry Eurodyne, though it lacked any of their vocals. Momiji eagerly took their place though, easily slipping into the karaoke version without pause. You stared, then turned to Arisu just as her glasses deactivated.
She caught your look and shrugged with a quiet giggle. "Karaoke's better when you have the song going on, right?'
"And drinks too!" You nearly leapt out of your seat when suddenly, Mitsu was pressing a chilled can into your hand. You felt the condensation on the surface and realized it had to be from the fridge across the room, but the way the seats were arranged made it impossible for the self-proclaimed ronin to reach that without crossing your vision. She caught your confused look and grinned knowingly, tugging at her collar to reveal the metal lump sticking out from the back of her neck.
Ah. That explained things. She did cross your vision, just too fast to be tracked by normal optics. You accepted the drink gratefully and cracked it open, only to pause when you realized Mitsu was still looking at you. "Is something the matter?"
"Nay, simply that you should endeavor to smile more!" She offered and tapped her can of Nicola to yours. "Such sights should not be so reserved. Indulge more!"
You simply brought the drink to your lips in response.
Perhaps it was the fact you spent all of it in the medical ward focusing on healing up. Perhaps it was the fact that it was the very last week before graduation. Perhaps it was the looming reality that it was going to be your 18th birthday, the day when you were legally an adult.
Or perhaps it was the fact that you spent the time with the other surviving Lycoris to get to know one another in greater detail. It was probably the most socializing you've ever done in your life, more so than even with your old squad. Your placement with them had been more simply like a workplace assignment, one based entirely around simply seeing each other the most when on the job. Other than that, you never really got to know them.
A small part of you whispered that you never could anymore. They had been among the confirmed casualties list.
Maybe it was that guilt which pushed you to reach out and finally get to know your fellow Lycoris. Like how Mitsu dreamed of being a hero of justice, no matter where she went. Like how Arisu was interested in attending university to try and land a nice cushy job. Like how Momiji undoubtedly wanted to pick up a musical instrument and begin a rise to stardom like her idols. In turn, that made you consider what you really wanted to do with the rest of your life.
Just what will I do when I graduate? You pondered, even when you stood on the stage behind the Commander giving the farewell speech. There was a slight nudge to your side and you snapped out of your musings just in time, giving a slight nod of gratitude to Arisu while reaching the end of the speech.
"...and so, despite tragedy, we push on to commemorate and honor those who today have proven themselves without a doubt to be some of the finest operatives. we have ever seen," The Commander stated, turning to face the four graduating Lycoris. "Juliet 702. Delta 120. Alpha 417. November 117.
"No. I should be now calling you by your names. Yuuki. Mitsu. Momiji. Arisu." The older woman smiled and reached into her uniform, withdrawing a small canister filled with red flowers. "Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Today, you may consider yourselves freed from any obligation to Lycoris, and may do with your lives whatever you please."
The container slid open with a hiss and you tried your best not to flinch when Lycoris radiata was tucked into your hair, the blossoming of the spider lily marking your ascent into adulthood. You swallowed and stood at attention, with only your eyes wandering to look out over the audience of the graduation event. As Lycoris were all orphans, it only made sense that there weren't any sort of beaming or proud parents to witness the moment their child became independent.
Instead, the audience consisted of very few adults, namely those like the MedTechs or intelligence analysts who worked in the background to keep the organization running. The vast majority otherwise were other Lycoris, all girls younger than you by either only a single year, or even as young as 10 in the most drastic of cases.
Your throat tightened up at the thought. A necessary sacrifice for the public safety of Kyoto, You told yourself unconvincingly. If not for us, how many more would suffer? It's the only way….right?
You managed to hold back a contemplative sigh to respect the rest of the ceremony. There was one final call and salute from the Commander and audience, one that the graduates returned. Then it was all over, with Lycoris dispersing quickly to return either back to their duties, or to finish packing up.
You returned to your empty dormitory and considered your worldly belongings, now all in a single roller suitcase. You hesitated, then undid your Lycoris school uniform for one last time, putting it on a hanger for somebody else to use. In its place, you dressed up in civilian clothes you rarely touched, loose clothing that felt odd compared to your work outfit.
At the very least, that was the only thing you couldn't wear anymore. You were still allowed to take your Lycoris schoolbag with you, a neat little bit of technology that combined bullet-resistant construction with incredible utility. It was both a form of emergency armor protection and your firearm holster. A quick flick had the side fall out to reveal your service Towa 14 Pistol, waiting for you to reach and draw quickly in an emergency. A test shake with am electronic trigger had a magazine drop out from the bottom and land neatly in your hand, ready to be loaded.
You nodded and returned everything back into place, making sure that your newly minted government ID was also snugly tucked within. According to what the Commander had mentioned during the final debrief, the ID actually also included a special permit for ownership of your service pistol. This made it exempt from Japan's very strict gun control laws. Notably, it also permitted access to police armories to purchase spare ammunition, assuming that said police were cooperative in that regard.
Notably, it did not cover ownership of other firearms. Neither was it a blanket pardon for usage. The Commander had jokingly warned the graduating Lycoris to avoid committing crimes, but the truth was that so long as one of them didn't suddenly decide to reenact the Night City Holocaust, the graduates had the freedom to pursue whatever they wanted. That was the big kicker now for you, and you sat on the bed mattress, staring at your weathered schoolbag and the pistol within.
What could you do? You supposed that you could choose to follow one of your fellow graduates as a companion in their journey. Perhaps you yourself could also join in pursuit of their dream, one way or another. At worst, you could be a roommate to help split the rent expenses, which could help your own finances as well.
The idea of finances put you then in a gloomy mood, a reminder that now as an independent adult, you had to actually pay bills and manage a budget for your own lifestyle. You did have a nice little nest egg from Lycoris, a backlog of 'pay' amassed from service, but life out there was expensive. Rent, food, even little utilities like your phone bill, it all added up and you were going to need to find some way to make money. You sighed, wondering if perhaps the legends of Edgerunners on the streets making fistfuls of cash every gig had any substance to it.
Then an idea struck, one that had your hand moving to push the holster back into the schoolbag. You did have some marketable skills. You were a deft hand at repairs, and you also had considerable experience in botany. Perhaps you could lean on one of those skills to find a specialized job. Also rather obviously, you were Lycoris, a government-trained assassin. Your combat skills were no joke and you could make a pretty penny selling out as a mercenary, a 'Solo,' if you recalled the term correctly.
Perhaps then, that meant that you could maybe become a true independent, owning your own business-!
Suddenly your opticware lit up with the notification of an incoming call. You glanced at the ID and immediately accepted. "Commander."
"Not your Commander anymore technically," The woman teased before growing serious. "But more importantly, are you available?"
"...I'm not your subordinate anymore," You tersely reminded.
"Of course. Which is why I'm asking if you're interested, instead of ordering you." The Commander's image stared at you directly. "If you're not, I'll drop the matter and let you be on your way. But if you're say, willing to go on a mission that only a graduate can do, approach my office for details. Please only do so if you are intent on accepting, so as to maintain secrecy."
"I see." You let out a breath and nodded. "I'll think on it."
The call ended and you leaned back, putting hands on your former bed. You supposed that was also another route in the end, to continue working with the government and take on jobs they would struggle with. Lycoris especially as an organization was rather limited, and veteran agents were a precious commodity. Maybe you could live your life that way, though it sounded like this tasking wasn't a true commitment to that, more like a one-off thing maybe.
You chewed your lip and considered if you wanted to accept this mysterious mission then.
[ ] [Lifepath] Approach the Commander's Office. You're a Lycoris, first and foremost. If the Commander has a mission that only a graduate can do, you've a duty to oblige and volunteer for it. Perhaps she'll even pay you for it.
[ ] [Lifepath] Mitsu's Wanderings. Mitsu has expressed a deep desire to become a hero somewhere somehow, even if it means wandering the world to find and defend the weak. Join her journey and roam the world as her companion.
[ ] [Lifepath] Arisu's Exams. Arisu has plans to study and apply for college exams, wanting to experience real school life for a little while, then perhaps landing a comfy Netrunner job through it. Maybe you could also share in the experience for a bit.
[ ] [Lifepath] Momiji's Star. Momiji wants to become an entertainer one way or another, through song or other media, and she's going to immediately try to audition and grow a fan base. Help her debut in the entertainment industry in a memorable way.
[ ] [Lifepath] Yuuki's Way. You're not interested in anything else, this is your life now. You alone know what you want, and you'll set out to make it a reality.
- Please note that if you decide to do the Lycoris gig, it is not yet a full commitment to that path, but more like the first step. I'll also make mention that for said gig, you could perhaps ask for one of the others to help you out. Afterwards, who knows?
The way I see it, Mitsu is joy, Mitsu is life, Mitsu is in dire need of somebody that has their head screwed on tight and has the skills to judge people to avoid dying a tragic and inglorious death, as her chosen path in life is not a gentle on. Because of that it's probably not the "best" path from a purely practical standpoint, but it's the one with the most Mitsu, so that ought to be worth the trouble.
Beyond that, we might be a suprisingly good fit for helping out Momiji through a mix of keeping an eye out for seedy offers and a hand for PR/presentation. Unless we want to make it a team act and become an entertainer ourself, that's much more of a supporting gig though. It could maybe be interesting as a one time thing to help her out, but I'm really not feeling it as a lifepath choice.
All of them are cool, I'm very curious at what to Commander has for us.
Every option present is ambitious and I can sense to hardships that it might bring, the same with not choosing them. I fear for Mitsu's lifepath since... Cyberpunk but I'm sure she can handle it herself even we don't pick her option.
While being able to continue being a Secret AgentTM and doing Super Agent things is cool, I do feel like Yuuka finding her place in the world after years (and formative years at that!) of being part of a child soldier program is alot more interesting then immediately diving back into Direct Action.
...On the other hand I'm a sucker for being the deadpan sidekick so I'm also partial to Mitsu's Wanderings. So with that said:
[X] [Lifepath] Yuuki's Way. You're not interested in anything else, this is your life now. You alone know what you want, and you'll set out to make it a reality.
[X] [Lifepath] Approach the Commander's Office
While being able to continue being a Secret AgentTM and doing Super Agent things is cool, I do feel like Yuuka finding her place in the world after years (and formative years at that!) of being part of a child soldier program is alot more interesting then immediately diving back into Direct Action.
Same. Even if we do eventually end up diving back into the Secret Agent game, I'd much rather do once Yuuki's has actually had a chance to figure out who she is outside of it.
Then again, apparently the Commander's request isn't as strong of a commitment as the others? So perhaps a compromise would be asking if Mitsu wants to team up with us on this one mission before going off on our own way?
Question, @Celeshiro, how strong of a commitment is Yuuki's Way? Like, does it completely lock us out of interacting with all of the other characters featured in the other Lifepaths?
[X] [Lifepath] Approach the Commander's Office
[X] [Lifepath] Yuuki's Way
I hope this is how this works. First time voting so please tell me if I did something wrong.
Side note, @Celeshiro, thanks for hosting this quest. Seeing Lycoris Recoil stuff just made my day. Not to mention, the idea of following a cleaner Lycoris who reasonably could have been a street sweeper is fun.
Question, @Celeshiro, how strong of a commitment is Yuuki's Way? Like, does it completely lock us out of interacting with all of the other characters featured in the other Lifepaths?
It does not, but it's more like an indication you'd want to strike out by yourself for some time. You can keep in touch with the others, but you might not even be in the same city as them for a while.
I mean the plan is that we run a cute little Florist shop somewhere, which also does cleaner work as part of the side business. A lot of the same materials are used, for example Florists regularly purchase a good amount of bleach to mix in with the flower water in order to keep harmful bacteria away from the flowers.
Plus it wouldn't be too difficult to get a van that can do the cleaner job while looking like the Florist van.
Edit: Side note with our eyes we could probably also be a pretty decent Fixer, nurture young talent and set them up for jobs. Helps that they can then become clients for our cleaning service.
No, but the opportunity can be time sensitive. Showing interest in them straight out of graduation would be a fairly large investment, though out of all of the options, the Lycoris one is the least "immediate commitment."
No, but the opportunity can be time sensitive. Showing interest in them straight out of graduation would be a fairly large investment, though out of all of the options, the Lycoris one is the least "immediate commitment."
Arisu: Is actively looking for a stable life, so getting into contact shouldn't be too hard if we know what college she goes to/her adress.
Momiji: Might become temporarily unavailable if she's on tour or something, but she's actively trying to become a public figure, so keeping track of her in general shouldn't be too hard.
Mitsu: A reunion could turn out rather difficult after she starts wandering off to god knows where. (At least she gets to see the world. Who knows, she could even end up in Hawaii.)
Side note, in terms of our look I propose we go for a classic yellow raincoat as part of our usual get up. As a florist we can justify it was keeping our clothes from getting too wet when watering the plants and it will likely be easier to wash blood off of when we need to kill someone.
Plus it can look pretty cute then switch to creepy if we put on a good mask.
So I was looking up concept art for Lycoris Recoil to get inspired, then I stumbled across a translated interview with the series character artist. As it turns out, my odd Cyberpunk vibes of the anime weren't out of nowhere, they too had the same vibe with the first script reading! I give you what an Edgerunner Lycoris could look like.
No, but the opportunity can be time sensitive. Showing interest in them straight out of graduation would be a fairly large investment, though out of all of the options, the Lycoris one is the least "immediate commitment."
While I'm in with the florist plan, maybe a college degree might be a good idea to get? Maybe get some skills related to poisons/medicine alomg the way?
[X] [Lifepath] Yuuki's Way. You're not interested in anything else, this is your life now. You alone know what you want, and you'll set out to make it a reality.
