Turn 2:
Kenji was already waiting when you turned, the worn photograph still clutched in your hand. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held something sharper than usual.
"You broke into my room."
"You left the key," you shot back, unfazed. "I didn't break in."
His frown deepened. "You stole my supplies."
"I can literally make the ammunition you lost," you huffed, crossing your arms. "It's not like you would have noticed."
Kenji exhaled through his nose, his gaze never leaving yours. "I notice everything you do," he corrected. "And I report everything to your parents."
"Then why not tell them the truth?" you challenged, voice edged with defiance. "Tell them I'm not living up to their expectations. That I'm wasting my potential."
That made Kenji pause. He studied you, his silence stretching long enough to feel like a verdict in itself. Then, finally, he sighed and pointed a finger at you.
"Because I care."
You scoffed. "You have a funny way of showing it."
The air between you both was heavy now, thick with unspoken things. Kenji tilted his head slightly, considering something. "So… that's how you want to play it," he murmured. "But maybe you're right. Maybe I haven't shown it properly."
"I don't want that," you said, voice quieter now. "Not out of a sense of duty. I want you to care because you actually do."
That made him smirk, a rare ghost of amusement flickering across his features. Then, without warning, he reached into his coat and tossed something your way. You caught it on instinct, your fingers wrapping around cold metal.
A revolver.
It had weight. Balance. A relic of an older era, well-maintained, well-used. You flipped it in your palm, then glanced up.
"What's this?"
Kenji gestured with his chin. "Spin the cylinder."
You hesitated for half a second, then did as he said. The metallic click and whir of the cylinder was oddly satisfying. When it settled, you looked back at him.
"What's the reason for playing Russian roulette?"
Kenji extended his hand. "We're not playing. Hand over the gun."
Something about his tone made your stomach tighten. You passed the revolver back, your mind racing with possibilities. Kenji caught it effortlessly, flipping it open with the smooth, practiced motion of someone intimately familiar with weapons. The single bullet gleamed in the chamber, a small but undeniable promise of finality.
"This," he said, "is a lesson."
You frowned. "What is the lesson?"
Kenji spun the cylinder again, watching you. "You can do far more by playing to expectations than by trying to break free outright. When you are patient, when you are careful… when you are wise… you see what everyone else misses."
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he opened the cylinder fully, tilting the revolver slightly. The bullet tumbled out, hitting the floor with a hollow clink. You stared.
The casing was empty.
If you had played the game the way you thought you were—if you had pulled the trigger—it wouldn't have mattered. There was never a real risk.
Kenji met your eyes. "You need to learn to be more than just an engineer. More than the one who thinks he can change the future with sheer force of will."
Your fists clenched. "And what do I need to learn, then? To be what they want me to be?"
Kenji exhaled, shaking his head. "No. You need to learn that you are the future. That nothing your parents, or Arasaka, or even I, can do will change that."
His words settled uneasily in your chest, but before you could respond, he continued. "And that means they can't control you any more than you allow them to."
Your jaw tightened. "I've never allowed them to—"
"Then you're not thinking properly." His voice was calm, but there was steel in it. "Everything you do is about distancing yourself from them. Every choice you make, every act of defiance… it's all in reaction to them. That's not freedom. That's rebellion."
You hated how easily he unraveled you.
Kenji watched you for a moment, then bent down to pick up the empty casing, rolling it between his fingers. "Real freedom," he said, "isn't about running away from something. It's about running toward something."
He turned the empty casing over in his palm, then held it out to you.
"So tell me, Senji… what is it you're running towards?"
You paused. "I don't know."
Kenji then smiled. "First honest answer I've heard from you for a long time…" He paused. "Think about that… then come back to me when you're ready to truly embrace the freedom that this city can provide."
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You have 3 Actions (That are considered safe actions) Safe Actions: You have safe Actions, these actions can be taken without any repercussions or roll against you by your parents or other forces.
You can take up to 6 actions, but if you do, know there will be consequences for doing that. Doubly so if you fail them.
[]Maintain the Academy: You are requested to fix something that the faculty is not able to deal with. So here you are. (A required action)
[]Wake up, Go To School, Stay Alive: You are going to focus on your studies. And honestly, you might as well try to make some noise. Mom and Dad are expecting things from you.
[]Try to Speak to Kenji: Maybe you have an answer for him. Maybe
-[]Write in for an optional what you think you are running towards.
[]Bullying the Bully: You have a .44 Magnum up your sleeve, time to use it to make sure no one ever messes with you ever again.
[]Kids with Guns, having Fun: The younger students have been... trying to get you to work with them. you'll relent.
[]Surfing with Stella: So Stella wants to have some fun screwing with the Local Arasaka net. you will assist her, maybe you can even help her with whatever she is doing.
[]Sneaking out and other signs of freedom: You are going to sneak out and go out on the town. Sure you may be a corpo, but honestly, who would care about you?
[]Ghost in the city: You want to look into the Rumors and legends of the city. You want to see if there is any truth to some legends.
[]A Concert: You want to have fun, and going to a local Rocker Boy Concert at the restaurant seems very entertaining.
[]Dumpster Dive Again: Return to your favorite early-morning haunts for parts. You never know when you'll hit a jackpot, or a gang will take offense to your presence.
[]A Corpo Party: You have been invited to a fellow student trying to host a get together. It's going to have everything. Drugs, booze, chrom… everything… maybe you can use it…maybe it will backfire, you don't know. But you do know, that not going there might cause you to lose something.
[]Assist a Fellow Student: A desperate classmate needs help repairing a project. They might owe you later, or you could hold it over their head.
[]Tweak the Faculty's Systems: Subtly alter the Academy's grading algorithms to favor yourself or sabotage someone else.
-[]Help Yourself
-[]Sabatoge someone else.
[]Develop a 'Personalized' Curriculum: Use school resources to work on your own tech project under the guise of coursework. Sure it's Dangerous, but maybe the faculty aren't stooges working for your mom and dad.
[]Meet with a Ripperdoc: Underground doctors for hire. They are usually discreet, but honestly… you never really know with them. There is a ripper down the street and you can meet him.
[]Join a Night Market: Set up shop at one of the infamous underground markets, where you can trade your creations and make connections with other outcasts and opportunists.
You have One Workshop Action (This is separate from the actions above)
The Workshop is where all the magic happens, where you can gather materials, build weapons and armor, and begin to make your mark… one weapon or armor at a time.
You get 1 Rare component every turn.
Current Components:
75 Common Components (These are the standard components, and they are used to build anything. They offer a malus of -1 to the quality of the final product)
40 Uncommon Components (These are less common but no less useful components. Using
They offer no bonus or malus to the quality of the final product)
11 Rare components (The Best of the best that money can buy. Using Them offer a +2 to the quality of the final product)
Very Rare components (The kind you have to make yourself. You do not have the equipment to upgrade components to this tier. Using Them offer a +5 to the quality of the final product)
Super Rare Components. (The kind that requires special equipment to make, you do not have the equipment to make. Using Them offers a +8 to the quality of the final product)
Legendary components. (You can only gain them through successful edge runner missions from people who use your weapons. Using Them offers a +10 to the quality of the final product)
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[]Build a Weapon (A Preexisting Design): You want to try your hand at making a weapon. Something that already exists that you can replicate.
-[]What weapon do you make?
--[]What type of components do you use?
--[]How many do you make (You can make only 5 weapons in total) Pistols, knives and blunt weapons and SMG's cost 5 components. Rifles cost 10, Heavy Weapons cost 20. These component costs can very depending on the weapon, and will be subject to QM statments.
[]Make Ammunition: You will make ammo for weapons. It might not be sexy, but it's neccesery.
-[]What Type of ammo do you make?
--[]What type of components do you use.
[]Create a Custom Design: You will make a wonderful ne design that no one ever has seen before. (Goes to Design Miniturn)
-[]What type of Weapon do you want to make? (For ease of convenience so that I can prepare it better)
[]Firearms Licenses: You've decided to take the plunge and become a licensed gunsmith in Night City. On paper, it's a simple process: pay the city 20,000 eddies, and you're officially in business. In practice, though, it's anything but clean. The shadows of the old Mob still linger, even after being shoved out by the corpos and their bought-out cops. (Note costs 20,000 eddies… and can lead to hidden dangers)
[]The Workshop Powerstatintion: You think that if the School is bad, maybe your apartment is worse. maybe you can even fix it?
[]Upgrading components: You will modify and make the components better.
-[]What components would you like to upgrade
--[]How many (Every component costs 2 to upgrade 1 tier of component better. Can only get up to Rare as you don't have the equipment for upgrading them to that.)
AN: Enjoy and vote in plan format please!
