[] Kai – Mao and Mori walk ahead of you, and that leaves you back with Kai. She doesn't say anything – and compared to the chatterbox that was Mao, you find Kai both comforting, and unsettling. But if you're going to work with her, then you're gonna have get used to her. You're reminded to how she fought back then with Ran – maybe you could ask her about that?
[]
Weapons – You like your crowbar. You don't think you'll be changing that, but that doesn't mean your crowbar has to stay as is. Just as there are augmentations to the body, there are also augmentations to the weapon. Kai's sword, for example, you know well could do something funny.
...
As both Mao, and Mori take the lead ahead of you, standing side-by-side, you find yourself inevitably matching Kai's steps. There's an oddness to it that make you watch your own gait. Stiff, but not from fear.
Calculated, and
coordinated, each step no shorter, or longer than the last. It sends the hairs on the back of your neck standing. Distracting yourself with watching Mori, and Mao talking – Mao more than Mori – you think that Kai is unsettling as fuck. The way she walks, and the way she stares; almost lifeless, yet focused all the same. And the way she fought a couple days ago; a complicated dance that belies her stiffness – a certain intensity that was difficult to look away; a pressure that you realize you're lacking.
Kai is unsettling in a way that you've found Mao initially unsettling – but at least there's something familiar to Mao: her swagger, and cat-like smirks that looked more like a shark's. There's none of that in Kai.
… But you're going to be working together, you eventually come to that dreaded conclusion. At the very least, you should try to get used to her, right? – you almost snort at that. Fuck. Mao's to blame.
Unfortunately, that same snort is what catches Kai's full attention; pale-blue eye piercing deep. "Something funny?"
You blink, grimacing under her blank stare. "Uh. Nothing."
She looks back to the road. "I see."
"… Yeah."
What a great start. You look forward, just in time to catch Mao glancing back; her eye meeting you, curved into that punchable smirk.
Fuck her. You growl under your breath, before forcing yourself to take a deep breath. "So," you start, and curses as Kai turns to you. "Uh. Hey," Kai stares at you, brows slightly furrowed. "Name's Lily."
She tilts her head, before nodding. "I know," she says. There's a pause. "My name is Kai."
"Yeah, I know."
She nods again. "Good."
And just like that, the conversation trails back into silence. Ugghh. You grimace. Fuck off. Fuck this. Fuck her. Why do you gotta be the one who starts the convo, huh? So what if you're bad at this – you never tried this shit, and at least you tried. What's
her fucking excuse, huh? She's fucking horrendous, and that's not on you; that's not on her, so fucking whatever, aight? Fuck this bullshit, you're –
"You returned from your mission unharmed," you jump as Kai speaks. You blink, shooting her a look. Her brows are lightly furrowed. "How is that?"
You frown. "Didn't Mao already go through it?" at least, you think she did.
Unharmed, the word latches like a parasite, and you gotta wonder about that. Pride is a privilege you don't got, you tell yourself, but it still fucking sucks shit. "She talked them out of it."
"I am aware," she nods, lips twisting into a frown. "But how, and why? She never explained it."
You recall back to the debriefing. "I guess she didn't," you admit, grumbling. You kinda glazed over her debriefing – like, what's the point, you were there, right? "I told them to fuck off. I fucked up. Mao followed it up, pointed how
she's outta their league, and they fucked off."
She blinks. "You made the decision?"
"Huh?" you cock an eyebrow, before snorting. "Guess I did – though it's probably the same choice she'd make. Client didn't want to have her place covered in blood," you grumble, glaring the back of Mao's head. It's a very glare-able head belonging to a very glare-able face. "I did fuck all though, unlike you – "you cut yourself immediately. Fuck. Why did you say that? You grimace. You and your goddamn mouth. "Fuck. Forget I said that."
"No," Kai shakes her head, and you snap at her a look. She meets it dead-on with one eye. "Senior Mori underestimated his own contribution," Kai continues, and you blink. She turns her eye back to the road, point made. "It is true that I both uncovered, and found the candle, but it was Senior Mori who realized that something was wrong. Without his order to, I would not have bothered to look," she pauses, her fingers touching her bandaged eye. "More than that, the Distortion… it was strong. If not more Senior Mori, I would be dead – and even killing it resulted in damaging his arm."
You follow her stare down to Mori's prosthetic arm. It's slack, you now notice, hanging on by his side. Looks worse inside than outside, then. "You did something, at least," you point out, and inwardly, you wonder why you got mouth.
"Perchance, had I acted sooner, I would not have to," she responds quietly. She closes her eye, and quickly opens it back. "I was told, by my mother, that your first mission will never be perfect," Kai states, before sighing. "I wanted to disprove her, but it appears I have failed."
Guess you both fucked up then.
You frown, catching what she said. "… Mother?"
She blinks, her shoulders jumping, head twitching. That might be the first reaction you got from her. "… Yes," she responds, after a moment. "She's a Fixer of some Grade, experience, and renown."
Well, that's vague as shit. "Huh," you cast back to how she fights yesterday; her sword, seeming to emit cold fog, and her equipment, better quality than the bunch maybe excepting those two nest kids. "… Guess that'd explain it, then."
She tilts her head. "What does?"
"Your fancy sword," you tilt your head down to her hip. "Your equipment. And how you fought back at the exam. It ain't like nothing I've seen before."
For some reason, your words make her lips curl slightly. You didn't think she could do that. "My sword was a parting gift from her. A product from the Hans Atelier. It is cold, and each increasing stab makes it worse. But the way I fight… she does not approve."
You blink. "No? Shouldn't she –"
"It is not her style," she shakes her head. "It is mine. She does not like it. Too dangerous. Too inefficient. She might be right," she admits, and even you could hear the tinge of bitterness there. "But it is mine."
"I don't get it," you mutter. Your parents were… you couldn't even remember their faces, but you do remember what they did, however vaguely. But you got no teachers. At best, you could count Landlord Lin as one, but ultimately, you fight because you had to – and you learn how to fight from the fighting itself. You look down to your side, at the crowbar hanging by your side, feeling a grimace on your face. You got no 'style'. "But good for you, I guess?"
"… Thank you."
Your skin crawls at that. If you don't care about food, you might just vomit. "Sure, whatever."
The conversation dies pretty much after that. That's good enough for 'getting used to her', right? Your skin's not crawling anymore when you look at her, so probably. Yeah. You'll take it. Mao's words reach you, but the words are incoherent due to the distance. In comparison, Kai remains silent.
Yeah, you'll take this over her any day of the week.
...
Eventually, the Workshop Street comes into view, and the silence which you enjoyed is broken as both Mao, and Mori stop for you to catch up. You have never been in this part of the Backstreets, but it looks almost exactly as you pictured it. A long strip of road stretching beyond what your eyes could see; a series of neon signs promoting shops of all kinds, not just Workshops – all of those
contained within the neighborhood. It's hard for you not to notice it, the divide between "inside" and "outside", the bustling road to the desolate outside. Rats stalking inside the dark alleys, looking on with a familiar hunger; lifeless people going to work, dragging their feet. Broken down shop signs with broken down street food vendors. It's a familiar sight.
And inside the Workshop Streets… hah. It's torture, ain't it? Fixers stand around by the 'entry', and they don't stop you as both Mao, and Mori lead you inside. People of all sorts come here – Fixers, ordinary people, and even Syndicates; those in the high, and those in the low flowing together, mixing as well as water and oil. Mouths move, and the words mixed so incoherently none of them ever match. Scents of food wafting into your nose; H Corp substituted skewered meats grilled in the open air, and bone-broth noodle soup that advertises itself as 'all natural, no T Corp tomfoolery' –
and tellingly empty of customers – mixing with the stench of blood, and iron, and oh so many things.
"Try ta not get lost, kids," Mori remarks lightly, smiling lazily. "These aren't your ordinary streets. They'll shank you, but not with knives."
"But with honeyed words," Kai continues blandly, her eye drooping slightly. "They will lure you into their parlor, offer you offers you want not refuse, and put collars around your neck."
"Heard that from someone?" Mao ask, and you blink, watching her sidle up to Kai's side. Kai jumps slightly, eye widening. She nods, and Mao smirks. "Little Kai got it about right. Place might not look it, but it's in a constantly shifting war with itself," she tilts her head to the side, and you notice the Fixers standing outside each Workshop's entry. On their shoulders, or breasts are patches, or badges denoting the Workshop employing them. "One day a Workshop might be standing, but the next, another would replace its spot."
You snort, understanding what she's implying. Everybody wants a spot – and there's not enough of them. And in here, there are dozens, to hundreds of Landlord Lins, each preying for someone like you. It's fucked up.
It's the Backstreets.
"Yeah, I got it," you grunt.
"Yeah, so I'll be going to Santiago," Mori drawls out, gesturing at his limp arm. "He's gonna get fucking pissed, so if someone wants to look at body mods…" he trails off, eyeing both you, and Kai meaningfully.
You frown, shoving your hands into your pockets. "M'looking for weapons myself," your movement jostles your crowbar slightly.
"I will come," Kai steps forward. Mori blinks. "I am interested in augmentations."
"Great," Mori nods. "We can get someone look at our wounds together then – two birds and one stone."
"
With one stone," Mao corrects, smirking.
Mori's shoulders sag. "Yeah, got it," he sighs, letting out a soft chuckle. "C'mon then, Kai. Meet at Sim's in 3?"
Mao responds with a lackadaisical thumbs up.
He leaves then, taking Kai with him, and leaving you with…
You groan. "And here I thought…" you trail off into a grumble.
"What," Mao throws her hand over your shoulders, lips stretching from ear-to-ear. "Think y'can get rid of me? You know better, Lily. I'm like rust. Even when you scrub the shit outta me, I'll get back one way or another eventually."
You open your mouth, trying to find a comeback, and close your mouth when you realize you got nothing other than – "Fuck."
Mao hums, shoulders shaking. "Well, we got 3 hours 'fore we
rendezvous and get you, and Kai a new suit – so what're you looking for, Lil?"
"Lil," you scrunch your face, before scowling. "Really?"
Mao shrugs, grinning. "It's shorter."
You let out a hefty half-sigh, half-growl. "Name's Lily, not
Lil, so stick with Lily."
"Okay," Mao nods, pulling you along the road. You blink at that. "Lily it is then."
You grumble under your breath.
"C'mon, tell me what you're lookin' for, and I'll find you it," she smiles, like last night. "It's my treat, like I promised."
"What did Kai say... Something about honeyed words?" you ask. Mao snorts, and despite yourself, you smirk. "Whatever. I'm lookin' for..."
So, What Types of Weapon Upgrades/Mods Are You Looking For? (Choose 1)
[] Symmetral Atelier specializes in 'living' weapons – as in, their creations are the sort that requires a link of sort to the wielder, making it literally a part of yourself. According to Mao, even the untalented would look like naturals – and if you're already a natural, then… you think you get the picture. [Gains "Living" Weapons (Bionic Weapons). Improves Skills.]
[] Goliath Workshop specializes in heavy weapons. Mao doesn't mean 'heavy' as in sledgehammers, or big-ass swords, though they do that too. No, she means heavy. Heavy to the point of explosive. Coincidentally, this is Burke's favorite, for obvious reasons. [Increases Damage Dealt]
[] BloodLetter Workhop specializes in, well, making your enemy bleed. Sharp stuff. There's more to it – something about the materials they use that make your wounds keep bleeding, though it's all secret. All in all, you and Mao could agree that bleeding kinda sucks. [Bleed. Inflicts Damage over Action]
[] Talos Workshop specializes in creating sturdy weapons. It's a bit boring, but they've been here for months for a good reason. Old dependable, Mao remarks. Her machete, for example, rarely used as it is, is a Talos product – and it has never cracked once under pressure. And since she only uses her machete during a pinch, it has been under a lot of pressure. [Defensive Boost]
[] Knock Workshop specializes in "Impact" Weapons. According to Mao, their "Impact" doesn't really make your weapon any less, or more damaging – other than, y'know, it'd hurt to get slammed into concrete. Regardless, their Weapons have an effect with 'knocking' people, each connective hit throwing them out of balance. [Debuff Effect: "Off Balance" -- Enemy inflicted with Off Balance will have their next action weakened (receives a negative modifier).]
