>>634647
>>Say hi to Lorelei, if she's around. Been a bit since you just sat and talked, and she's good with gossip.

>>634647
>>Go see how Izumi's doing. You're still unsure about her current situation and have been wondering...

>>634647
>Say hi to Lorelei, if she's around. Been a bit since you just sat and talked, and she's good with gossip.
Probably catch up with both our colleagues?

>Sal was ecstatic with his portion of the take, and attempted to hug you (you didn't let him). He left saying that he'd put the motes to good use, and you proceeded to reward yourself with a nice, long, hot bath, enjoying the freedom of doing absolutely nothing for a bit.
Did this happen offscreen, or did I miss something?

>>634664
Offscreen. It hasn't been that long since you got back, time-wise.

>>634647
>Go see how Izumi's doing. You're still unsure about her current situation and have been wondering...
We're the senior MG of our company, and we should take care of our juniors.

Oh, I completely forgot:

Previous thread: >>612754
Character Details: http://pastebin.com/9J70gqM2
Miranda's Techniques: http://pastebin.com/eTu7U2PZ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MGFHandler

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1= Lorelei
2= Izumi

Which one is Lorelei and which is Izumi?

>>634708
Lorelei= Youngest, Brunette, Scatterbrained, clever.

Izumi= Moralistic, near you in age, having job issues.

Writing.

Eh, you’ll go and see how Lorelei’s doing. It’s been a little bit since you last talked, and you’re pretty sure she’d get a kick out of hearing how you did in what she’d usually consider ‘her’ specialty. At least, provided she was around. Lorelei had a tendency to go out and about a lot, and liked to pal around in the Festival District more often than not. Noooot really your speed.

After you’re out the bath, dried off, and dressed, you make your way to Lorelei’s apartment. Hers is in a different complex a few blocks down, closer to the Festival District. Another reason why she went there often, you suppose. That and it was cheaper, anyway. A girl with her...tendencies on missions probably needed it.

When you get to her apartment on the second floor, it’s barely two knocks before she answers, all bubbly and frizzy haired. “Ey, lookit who it is! Been a while, Mimi!”

“One day, I’ll teach you to stop callin’ me that.” You really didn’t like that nickname, but she kept insisting. Everyone keeps insisting on nicknames, oy.

“Aw, you know you love it! C’mon in, I was just baking some brownies!” You follow her in wordlessly, taking a look at her space. Unlike you, she’s got...a lot of color. Paintings of animals you’ve never seen, portraits of people and her smiling and hugging, books aplenty, even a few statue busts here and there. Lorelei’s a real artsy type, and it shows, both in her everyday life and her operational style- she preferred to use stealth, disguises, and subterfuge more often than anything else to get her jobs done. Wasn’t a big fan of extermination jobs, but she wouldn’t say no.

“Sooo, how you been? I saw you were on a job yesterday- I guess you wrapped that up?” she asks as she peeks in her oven.

“Yeah,” you confirm. “Wasn’t easy, but that’s because I picked the hard way on purpose.”

“Neat! Hope you at least got paid worthwhile. I got back from a quick one a couple days ago myself. Some old guy wanted some set of fancy gems to power some giant laser or machine or somethin’. They were all in vaults in some kinda museum, so I had to…” aaaand she’s off to the races. You have to admit, she's a flair for making them sound fun, even though you know they're likely anything but. But she's clever. Making herself look like a clown, involving the fire department, hiring a second team to steal something else entirely...

"But then they asked me to help them with another heist because they were impressed even though I used them, so I was like, 'yeah sure!' And that was pretty fun, so we kept that up for a bit, but the guy got mad once I tried to leave, and one of the gems got cracked. That sucked. BUT!" She holds up a finger and everything. "I STILL got paid since it still worked. At least I think it did, I didn't stay long enough to find out."

> "...you really need to stop with the side jobs on mission."
> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."
> "Neat. So, you know what's up with Izumi?"
> Other

>>634789
>"...you really need to stop with the side jobs on mission."
>Other: "Secondary and Tertiary objectives are one thing, but completely different side-jobs are another."

>>634789
>> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."

>>634789
> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."

>>634789
> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."

>>634789
> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."
For the same client, that is.

>>634789
> "I ended up taking a page out of your playbook recently, myself."

It's always good to get inspiration from your peers.

Writing.

Wait, the guy got mad when she tried to leave?

So there's the case where clients try to force the MG's to stay on permanently?

I cannot imagine that ends well for the dumb bastards.

>>635029
Likely a breach of contract.
The rest is up to the former contractee to obtain payment (and any extra the MG thinks about.)

>>635029
Might trigger an escape clause like them trying to skimp on payment

>>634789

You sigh. While you’d love to reprimand her on her flighty attitudes, you’d just be going in one ear and out the other. Might as well keep things light. “Well, I ended up taking a cue or two from you in my last mission, considering it was all swords and sorcery-type stuff.”

“Oooooh!” She immediately plops down on a chair near the table- she’s keeping a close eye on those brownies. “Do tell!”

You take a seat across from her at the table as well. “Well, it was just a few moments I felt like stealth would be better suited to the situation than force. In particular, there was a moment where I needed to break into a large church temple, and by that time I’d managed to make inroads with one of my targets- I needed to either kill them for flip them to the clients’ side, you see. Anyway, so I decided to…” And so you regale her with your own story. You’re honestly not nearly the storyteller she is- at least you don’t think- but she seems enraptured all the same, asking for details about the various people you met- she seems especially interested in Sorina, as well as the Prince.

She’s not afraid to criticize you, though. “Sheesh, Mimi, you got lucky under there! How you didn’t think to grab a robe from someone earlier, I don’t know. And no one remembered your face at the tournament?! Wow. Either your face was super plain or those people don’t have good memories.”

“I’d prefer to just leave it a mystery, thanks,” you state dryly. “Point is, I got a few close calls, but it all worked out. Even brought back some stuff. A pair of interesting swords and some potions that went unused.”

“Ooooh, can I see ‘em sometime!?” she asks. “You KNOW I love souvenirs!”

You shrug. “I don’t see why not. You’re better company than Sal at least.”

Lorelei lightly raspberries you. “Oh, Mimi, Sal’s not bad at all! He’s a softy, even!”

“How often does he steal YOUR food?” you level at her. Lorelei just rolls her eyes and looks away bashfully. “I thought so. Speaking of…” you tilt your head towards the oven.

“Oh! Right!” She hurriedly goes over, and after a quick check, you’re both eating a couple of brownies with milk. The girl’s a good cook, honestly. She could probably do decent in the Eatery District if she felt like it. “I’m wondering if there’s starting to be less transplants comin’ in, y’know?” she says through a mouthful of brownie. “I know there’s still some, bu-” she swallows quickly. “-but I’ve been seeing a lot less new faces in the Festival District, and that’s usually the first place people head towards when they show up.”

“I didn’t,” you supply.

“Well, yeah, you said you came right here.” she notes. “Still say you should take some time to enjoy yourself. We got all the time in the...everything, here!” She waves her hands around to emphasize. Her smile shows she doesn’t mean it harshly, but...

>Yeah…sorry, I’m just not the party type.
>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.
>So, what, you wanna do something now?
>Change the subject.

>>635202
>>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.

>>635202
>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.

>>635202
>>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.

>>635202
>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.
>We should ask if Izumi wants to come along. She's been having some problems with work, and maybe having a Girls Night Out might help.

>>635202
>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.

>>635202
>Yeah…sorry, I’m just not the party type.
Hot spring resorts, saunas, mountain lodges are more my thing.

>>635202
>>So, what, you wanna do something now?

Yeah sure whatevs.

Writing.

>>635202
>Maybe some time soon, then. You can pick.

“Eh. Maybe sometime soon, then.” You didn’t mind the idea of going out too much, you suppose. It might be a nice thing to break some monotony. “You know I’m not really good with this kind of stuff, so if you want to, you can pick what we do.” So long as it wasn’t too ridiculously, at least. You had standards.

“Sounds awesome! Who knows, maybe we can get Izumi and make it a thing! Oh! Didja know she got another job?” Lorelei asks.

You shake your head. “Not really. I heard she was having problems, but…”

“Yeaaah, she took on a side gig at a library in the Learner’s District. I guess it suits her- always been kinda quiet, and...well, bein’ honest, I dunno a whole lot about her aside from the fact that she’s always homesick.” There’s a bit of awkward quiet after that- you’d rather not travel down that road, and Lorelei seemed to understand what she’d said just a little too late.

Fortunately, she at least manages to make a bit of a save. “So! What’re you gonna do with the money? You ever thought about getting a better place, maybe gonna splurge on some new gear?”

“Probably look into both,” you admit. “It’s a decent sum for now.” You look back at your plate- you had three brownies and now they’re gone. They were better than you expected, really. “The brownies are good. Your own recipe, right?”

“Invented it all on my own!” she boasts proudly. “Uses a couple of spices I can’t get for too cheap, but it’s worth it!” You DID notice an interesting tang of flavor there. “Not gonna be an everyday thing, that’s for sure!”

>Anything else to say/ask to Lorelei?
>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>Head down to some of the Outgoer-centric shops for general gear.
>Other

>>635632
>>Maybe go visit Izumi...

>>635632
>>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>>See if there's a leftover brownie for her.
>>Also, ask if Lorelei can write down that recipe for us. We might not be a good cook, but still, couldn't hurt to try.

>>635632
>Maybe go visit Izumi...

>>635657
supporting lel

>>635632
>>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>>See if there's a leftover brownie for her.


It allows us to be nice and personable as well as give Izumk a 'you got a jerb' present.

However, we leave out the cooking part.
We ain't a cook, she just said the ingredients ain't cheap, and I'd rather not have to deal with whacky anime cooking hijinks. It's annoying enough in real life.

>>635632
>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>Make sure you show her those swords.

>>635632
>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>and supporting the leftover brownine plan
heh.

>she’s always homesick
huh.

>>635753
>>635632
>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>See if there's a leftover brownie for her.

>>635632
>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>See if there's a leftover brownie for her.

>Maybe go visit Izumi...
>See if there's a leftover brownie for her

Dead?

>>639271
Cooking more Spice brownies.

I'm just going to phone post from here on in. I'm not dead, but being on call at random means I have no consistent schedule like I'd hoped. I'm sorry to everyone who'd expected better of me, and to the people I might lose from this move. I'm trying to find a job with more consistent hours, but it's not easy.

>>639728
That's fine, as long as it's not abandoned.

>>639728
Perseverance is a virtue.

>>639728
Don't worry Handler!

>>639728
[waiting patiently intensifies]

“Well, visiting her sounds like an idea,” you consider. “Do you know if she's home or not?”

Lorelei thinks about it a bit. “Well, I don't know if she has a uniform or not, but I passed her earlier when I was coming back in from a quick shopping spree. She looks like she was talking to someone, but I don't know if they were coming or going. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you wave off. “I’ll just check around her place first then.” then a spark of inspiration hits you, and you look behind Lorelei to check in her pan. “Hey, do you have anymore brownies, because I was thinking of taking her one or two to say congratulations… you know, if she's willing to take it.”

Lorelei claps her hands in agreement. “Oh, that sounds great!” She's already up before you can say anything. “Here, I'll wrap ‘em up for you!”

If nothing else, Lorelei’s helpful.

And so you find yourself with three brownies wrapped up to go, on your way to Izumi's place. You knew where it was, but you didn't tend to go all that often, so getting there is a slight issue. Fortunately, you only got turned around once. Her room’s on the second floor of a different building, but at least it's in the same apartment complex as Lorelei. You’re the only one with a place in a different complex.

As you walk up the steps to her door you can see a light on in one of the windows and you can vaguely hear voices. Good, that means she's home and you don't have to go all the way to the Learner’s District.

The door is answered almost instantly after you are not, and you can see Izumi visibly jolt with surprise at your presence. “Oh...Miranda. I can't say I was expecting you, but it's nice to see you. What brings you here?”

Around the side of her, you can barely see her couch, and you can see the head of some scraggly-haired young girl sitting on it, sipping at something in a cup.

“Lorelei tell me that you got a new job. I figured I'd bring you a couple of her brownies as a congratulations.” You hold out the gifts.

“Well...thank you.” She takes the edibles, but you can't help but notice that she doesn't exactly seem very enthusiastic about her new employment. “Please, come in.”

As you do, you can see that Izumi’s decor is as light as ever. She's not exactly Spartan like you, but she tends to keep things to necessities, and a few distractions like television, books, and the occasional game board. “Sorry, I was busy talking to Miss Delilah about work, but it can wait a bit,” She says, motioning to the girl.

The TV is off, and the girl on the couch looks a little raggedy, but content as she waves at you shyly and sips her cup. Izumi heads towards the kitchen. “I'll fix us something with this. Not right to just have dessert.”

>Ask how she likes her new job.
>Ask her about Miss Delilah.
>Talk to Miss Delilah.
>Other

>>640303
>>Ask her about Miss Delilah.
"New friend?"

Welcome back, Boss. Good to see you.

>>640303
>>Ask her about Miss Delilah.

>>640303
>>Talk to Miss Delilah.

>>640303
>Ask her about Miss Delilah.

She's not yours, right?

Writing.

>>640614
Can we set traps in our apartment for Sal?

>>640303
You decide to follow her into the kitchen. You're not really sure how to treat the new face, and being left alone with her isn't exactly appealing to you. You are kind of curious though. Especially considering how she seems to be addressing the girl.

“So,” you ask after you’re both clear in the kitchen- her apartment has a bit of a separate area for it, instead of being merely connected to the living room. “Miss Delilah? She a new friend of yours?”

“We’re workmates, actually,” she clarifies. “In fact, she was the one who got me the job in the first place.” She goes about fixing a few sandwiches for you three as she speaks. “I didn't even go to the library at first, I went to the public advertisement boards in order to see if I could try to find something there. Something that could fit my skill-set that didn't...disagree with me.” You know that by ‘disagree with her’, she meant ‘didn't go against her morals.’ “I met Delilah there; literally bumped into her. Poor thing apologized, told me she was to look for someone who could help her out at one of the libraries. I was never a particularly big bookworm, but I'm not exactly opposed to the idea, so I offered. They signed me on almost immediately after they heard my history with Outgoer work.” She chuckles a bit as she finishes up. “What I didn't expect was that they would officially put me under Delilah until I got some more experience with how the system works. Apparently the girl’s been working there for at least a year or so. She's surprisingly clever. Resilient, too. Turns out she’s some kind of vampire, but wasn't aware of it…doesn't like to be reminded of it though, so shush,” she says as she finishes up the plate of sandwiches and heads back to the front.

>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?
>Huh. Well, I can't imagine she's very bossy…
>So you think it's worth it?
>Other

>>640806
>>Huh. Well, I can't imagine she's very bossy…
>>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?

>>640806
>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?

>>640806
> not doing outgoer work anymore?

>>640806
>>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?
>>Huh. Well, I can't imagine she's very bossy…

>>640806
>So you think it's worth it?
>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?

>>640832
>>641052
Odd. Now I see the post did get through.

>>640806

>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?
Then segue into
>So you think it's worth it?

>>640806
>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?
I hope this doesn't mean we can't work with her later on harder ops...
I at least wanted to see our allies in action. well, although we would most likely be going solo if we can for profit's sake.

>>640806
>>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?

>>640806
>So, you're not doing Outgoer work anymore, or…?

>>640806
“Hm. Well, I can't imagine she's very bossy to you…” It's a light joke, but she laughs anyway as you both make it into the living room. Miss Delilah seems a bit confused, but smiles anyway as she thanks Izumi and takes one of the sandwiches.

“Honestly, she's quite nice,” Izumi admits, and she looks at the person in question. “You're a very understanding boss,” She says with a smile.

Miss Delilah simply blushes. “I'm...not anything special, really,” She said. Her voice is light and raspy. “An I'm not your boss...she just said to show you how some stuff works…” She seems rather humble and shy. You suppose you can't really say much of anything about it. “You won't have to worry about me for much longer…” her wane smile gives away her, though, and both you and Izumi notice, Izumi frowning at the implications.

“You're not being a bother or anything. I actually rather enjoy my time with you, Miss Delilah.” Izumi wraps her around around her in a friendly hug, and you can see some sadness in her own eyes.

“I...it's just Delilah, if you want,” she says. “Not really old enough for a Miss yet, I don't think…”

That brings to mind another though, actually. “So...are you not going to be doing Outgoer work anymore, or...?” you ask to surprised looks from both her and Delilah. “We'd be poorer for the loss if you aren't.” You admit. Izumi, for all her hangups, was a very determined Outgoer and always held herself to an impressive level of professionalism and efficiency on her missions, while somehow doing everything in her power to assist the client without losing sight of the job. Her quitting would be...felt.

Fortunately, she shakes her head. “No, I'm still on call if you need me. But there aren't as many jobs that need someone with a strong sense of justice. You're more suited to handle such issues than me.” You're not sure whether that's an insult or compliment, but you choose to take it as the latter. “I still need to pay dues, of course, so…”

You nod. It makes sense enough, and you understood why since you first heard about it, but it's nice to know that she'll still be around and available for Outgoer work if necessary. “Good to know. I've got a couple of swords I'd like to show you from my last job. You might like them.” Clearly, the light in her eyes tells you she's interested.

cont.

>>646601
“Swords?” Delilah asks.

“Yeah, she's a bit of a weapons nut,” you quip.

Izumi huffs. “Weapons connoisseur, thank you.” You just chuckle. Izumi actually had a storage area all to herself with various weapons she'd had treated or intended to treat.

Wait. Was THAT another reason why she was so poor?

...nah. Izumi was more responsible than that.

“So...you're a friend of Izumi's?” Delilah asks. “Do you know a lot about her?”

“A fair bit,” you admit. “We’re worked together before and...are in the same company.” It's only just now that you realize that Delilah may not know exactly what Izumi does for a living; there are Outgoers that do more than just your type of mercenary work. If she doesn't know, it might not be your place to say…

“Oh, so...have you been to a lot of places together?” Gah. She's still being vague. Still, you shake your head.

“We tend to prefer different...assignment types,” Izumi explains, and leaves it at that. Delilah seems satisfied with the answer, at least. She simply says ‘oh’, and sips from her cup- which you just realized smells of blood. Makes sense if she's a vampire, you suppose. There aren't a lot of services for beings like her in the city, but you knew they existed, at least.

There's a bit more mild conversation, before you get a call.

‘Ey, babe!’ Oh, joy. ‘Fantastic news! Folks upstairs liked your hustle, so you’re getting a new toy or two! I'll give ya the rundown after you get back! Short version, though, you're gonna be able to get a lot more info quick, fast, and in a hurry!’

Oh, lovely.

"Do you have to go?" Izumi asks. "I was wondering if perhaps you'd have been willing to help with a small task for Delilah and myself, but if it's important, it can wait. Just a trip to pick up a few things."

>Eh, it can wait. What do you need?
>Sorry, you know how work is...
>Other.

>>646641
>>Last job seems to have made waves so the brass is sending me some new toys and Sal is getting antsy to brief me on them, he can wait tough. What do you need?

>>646641
Going with >>646690. We just got off the clock, work can wait.

>>646641
>It can wait

>>646690
This

>>646641
>>Eh, it can wait. What do you need?

Writing, then.

>>646641
“It can wait for a bit,” you decide. “I just got off the clock; work related matters can wait for a while.” Sal was quite the eager one, and he could sometimes forget that everyone needed a break from talking about work now and then. Frankly, you figured you were due for at least a few days’ break before heading back out, if not more. That was the lovely thing about interdimensional living. Time frames were a suggestion more than a hard measure.

‘Awww…’ Sal’s response is more playful than disappointment. ‘Well, you get back when you can, then. I promise, this is great!’ and he hangs up. Hm. Wonder what's so great about it? You simply shrug and put the phone up.

“So, what do you need done?” you ask. You can't imagine it's too much…

“Ah, well, before you showed up, Miss Delilah was telling me how she had forgotten to pick up a few things. Some for her health, and others for comfort.” Izumi explains. “She's not in any danger, but we agreed to go out a bit later to make sure that nothing ended up...out of sorts.”

Huh. “So...what, medicine?” you ask.

“Sorta…” Delilah says. “It’s uh...pills?” She looks up at you as if she's expecting a negative reaction. When you don't give her one, she continues. “I should take them...uh...once in a while. When I start feeling weird. I'm not yet, but…” She leaves the rest unsaid. It makes sense. A downside to time being a suggestion, though.

“However, there's also the matter of a couple of personal effects she left at the library,” Izumi mentions. “Obviously the medicine takes priority, but the rest, like I said, makes her sleep easier. Either way, Delilah has to be present to get the medicine, but you can go with her to collect it and I'll go get her stuff, or you can go get her things and she and I will get the medicine ourselves.”

>Get Delilah's personal items.
>Go get Delilah's medicine.
>Other.

>>647304
>>Go get Delilah's medicine.
>>Shell trust you more with personal items

>>647304
>>647304
>>Go get Delilah's medicine.

>>647321
>>Shell trust you more with personal items
As in Delilah trust Izumi more, so Iz should get the personal items

>>647304
>>Go get Delilah's medicine.

>>647304
>Get Delilah's personal items.

We can chat her up, learn about her and Izumi's situation. Also it'd be easier for someone that knows the library and Deliliah to get her shit.

>>647304
>>go get Delilah's medicine

QT vampire grill seems like a sweet friend to have, might as well get a couple minutes of personal time with her.

They aren't herbs.
Writing!

>>647304
All things considered… “I'll go with her to get her medicine,” you decide. “It'll be easier for you to get her things since they'd trust you more.”

Izumi nods. “Fair point. She actually has her own desk; which reminds me, Miss Delilah?” She holds out her hand expectantly. Delilah makes a small ‘oh’ of understanding and quickly reaches in her pockets to hand Izumi a key. “Thank you. I'm sure you realize Miranda can be trusted, right?”

She nods. “I, uh...I think I'll be fine. She seems nice.” You're not sure if you believe that last bit, but you won't argue the matter, at least. You, Izumi, and Delilah head off with a wave, the two of you splitting off from Izumi once you're down the street. “It's, uh...it's a little down this way…” She seems a lot more nervous all of a sudden, although all things considered, you can't blame her much. Friendly reassurance can only go so far.

Frankly, you're normally fine with silence, but the way she keeps looking behind herself at you is starting to get vaguely annoying. At least she seems to be more curious than scared of you...which makes you wonder exactly what she's scared of. “T-thanks for coming with me. I, uh...don't really go out often.”

“Yeah? Where do you live?” It seems a harmless enough question. Chances are she was still in the Care House…

“I...have a guardian. He watches me.” Oh. Well then, that's better than a lot, at least.

>You're lucky for that.
>Worried about the city?
>So, why the library?
>What do you think of Izumi?
>Other

>>647754
>>What do you think of Izumi?
At least it's a subject we have some proper input on

>>647754
>Worried about the city?

She seems young, scared, and inexperienced with the city. We've been around for a while, if there's something to be used to get in her good books and get her to loosen up, it's some advice and support for living well here.

>>647754
>>Worried about the city?
>>Theres not much that will phase me

>>647754
>>Worried about the city?

The city never sleeps, it's always hungry, and is a lot nicer than the initial description might suggest. Kinda like you.

Writing.

>>647754
After the umpteenth time she looks back, you decide to figure out the issue. Before she can turn all the way back around, you put your hand on her shoulder and hold her still- she freezes at the contact, but says nothing. “Hey, so why are you looking back every thirty seconds? Something about the city not sitting right with you?” The way she turns away seems to signify that you're right on the money. “Care to explain? Not much phases me here. If nothing else, I can give you some advice.”

She seems to hesitate at that suggestion, simply walking ahead for a bit. You give a grunt of dissatisfaction, but she seems to hear it and flinched slightly. Before you can say anything else, though, she speaks up finally. “I...I've been here for over a year, and I'm still scared. L-uh...my guardian is here, but...he's busy, and we barely make payments sometimes. Even with me helping...I worry that some day we'll just get tossed away...I'm scared of that.”

Ah. The perennial fear- getting ‘ejected’. You’d had the fortune of only actually seeing it happen once. The poor sap looked like he'd been struck by lightning, and he was rather high in the air, but you could still hear. They'd just read him some parting words, amidst his screams and begging, and...just chucked him out. There was a barrier, tall and colored a pleasant vanilla, so that people didn't just fall over by accident, but the Deal-Makers were the only ones who knew how to bypass it.

At least there wasn't any screaming. The barrier was soundproof.

“You'll be fine, so long as you pay something,” you say. Of course, ‘fine’ was relative to not getting ejected. They'd likely take away a lot of your privileges if you kept reneging on payment. That's just how it worked. “Keep as you are, you're good.”

She nods. “I know, but...it's still scary.” You can't disagree. “Oh, over here.” She turns a corner, and you follow her pointing finger to a pharmacy about a street down.

>So, what's this medicine for, exactly?
>What was back at the library?
>What does your guardian do?
>Other

>>648217

>>What does your guardian do?

>>648217
>>What does your guardian do?

>>648217
>What does your guardian do?
>Other: Supplemental income?

>>648217
>What does your guardian do?

>>648217
>>what's this medicine for exactly?

I figure it's so she doesn't rando catch fire because of vampire though.

The heck does this guy do?

Writing.

>>648419
Did handler pass out?

>>649639
He's on call at random.
>>639728

We laff you Heindeler-sensei.

>>648217
Well. Rather that than otherwise. At least she's cognizant of her circumstances. Others...weren't until it was nearly too late. “So, what does your guardian do?” you had to admit, you were vaguely envious. All too often kids didn't have guardians for a long time when they show up here. You in particular...well, that's in the past.

She doesn't seem reluctant, for once, but she hmms as you both walk into the pharmacy. “I think he's a security guard somewhere...he never actually told me where.”

You nod. Always useful, but most people here weren't all that malicious...although there were always a few. “Ah. That's good. Safe stuff, and pays well.” A kid like this, she needed someone that wasn't risking their neck all the time. You both step up to the counter, and the young man at the counter smiles in recognition.

“Just a moment, I'll have your medication out soon.” He heads to the back, and it's only a moment before he comes back out with a clear bottle of red pills with instructions and her name on it. “Was wondering where you were,” he says. “Didn't want you getting all delirious without your dosage!”

Delilah goes as red as a cherry. You just nod and pat her shoulder as she tries to hide herself under her own hair. “I've seen far worse,” you assure her. “Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“But I...might go crazy…” she insists. “What if one day I do and I forget everyone and…” She doesn’t finish the sentence. “I just...what if I do something to make him stop caring?”

> You've got someone who came here with you. That says miles about their devotion. Trust me, they won't stop caring.
>You keep like this, I don't think you have anything to worry about. You won't forget yourself.
>I'd say more important is anyone forgetting you at all.
>Other.

>>649699
>> You've got someone who came here with you. That says miles about their devotion. Trust me, they won't stop caring.

>>649699
> You've got someone who came here with you. That says miles about their devotion. Trust me, they won't stop caring.

>>649699
>I'd say more important is anyone forgetting you at all.
The bleakness of a 92-year old spinster who isn't a crazy cat lady.

>> You've got someone who came here with you. That says miles about their devotion. Trust me, they won't stop caring

>>649699
>>I'd say more important is anyone forgetting you at all.

>>649699
> You've got someone who came here with you. That says miles about their devotion. Trust me, they won't stop caring.
>I'd say more important is anyone forgetting you at all.

>>649699
You shake your head in disagreement as you both leave. “The fact that he came here with you says more about his dedication and devotion to you than anything else. Trust me, he won't stop caring.” It's true, in your head. As common as orphans and solo arrivals were, having someone WITH you that you already knew show up as well was a miracle.
She doesn't respond to you, but she seems deep in thought. It's a couple of minutes of walking before she speaks up again. “What about you?”

You give her a side eye. “Hm?”

She shrugs as if she's not sure how to phrase her own question. “I dunno. Do you have anyone here with you?”

… “No.”

“Oh…sorry.” You nod in acceptance, and she doesn't press the issue. Good kid.

The rest of the trip is in silence as you both walk the rest of the way back to Izumi's apartment. It seems like you've gotten back before she has, and as a result you're waiting outside of the door for her. Delilah just looks at you slightly uncomfortable as you both wait. A slight part of you feels guilty. It's not her fault she was curious, and it tends to be a topic that's less taboo, and more depressing. “It's just not something I like to talk about,” you say. “Sorry if I came off as rude.”

She nods in understanding, and she seems to get slightly less nervous.

Before much longer, you see Izumi coming down the street with a bag in her arm. “Sorry I took so long,” Izumi apologies as she walks up. “They thought I was there for unwanted hours. Had to convince them that I just wanted to get into Delilah's office to pick up a few things for her.” She hands over the bag to Delilah, who looks into it out of your field of view. She seems to be satisfied, nodding at the contents. “Thank you. I think I should get going soon, though…”

“Of course, Miss Delilah.” Izumi bows in respect. “Just let me know if you need anything, of course.”

“Uh...okay.” She still seems a bit uneasy about it, but she'll learn.

As for you…Oh, wait. “Izumi, that reminds me. Lorelai wants to take us both out for a girl's night. Apparently she thinks it'll do the both of us some good.”

Izumi sighs. “Oh dear. Well, I can't really say no. She's probably got the best of intentions, and I would have to admit that I need to loosen up a bit…”

You nod. “Good, cuz I'm not going out there with her by myself.”

Izumi laughs.

cont.

>>653013
Goodbyes are said, and soon you head back to your apartment. By the time you close the door, Sal’s waiting, spread out on the kitchen table like some sort of centerpiece. “And a helloooooo to you, superstar! The mercury-like creature slithers up from his posing position and assumes his full height. “Glad you could make it back. I've got a lovely little toy for you that will make your life a whole lot easier!”

“And that would be?” you ask, cooking an eyebrow.

In response, he hands you a small, silver, square-shaped device with a few buttons on the bottom. Wait a second… “This is a FutureSight.” The things were rare, and generally only reserved for top earners. You were good, you know that much, but Silver Eye Solutions wasn't the biggest outfit, so you had to make due with substandard gear. Personal PDA-like devices, FutureSight devices could list want ads, act as translators, local data scanners, encyclopedias, recorders, currency estimators...in essence, they’re like smartphones, only primed for Outgoer work. You had to ‘sync’ to them, but once you did, they wouldn't work for anyone but you until you unsynced it. For magical folks like you, it only takes a little bit of mana...and there. “ So how'd you manage to wrangle this?” you have to ask.

“A goooooood friend of mine owed me a tiny little favor,” Sal says smugly. “That and your sterling record made it easy to convince everyone relevant. You enjoy that, now!” and he almost immediately starts slipping out of the door. “I'd honestly love to stay and talk with you about your new best friend, but I'm afraid I have one or two places to beeeeeee!” He pirouettes out, and that's that.

Well. Lovely. But you still have some time off, and you're going to spend the majority of it…

>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.
>Training, mostly. Still need to keep in shape.
>Maybe you should reconnect with your...past.
>Other

>>653021
>>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.

>>653021
>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.
A little vacation.

>>653021
>>Maybe you should reconnect with your...past.

>>653021
>>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.

Fine, we'll..do...things.

Writing.

>>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.

This is gonna be a disaster and I wanna watch.

>>653021
>Actually being social for a change and spending time with Izumi and Lorelei.
I bet this is going to be more intresting than that arena fight with Adel.
I mean, can you imagine?

So what swimwear are we wearing this beach episode?

>>654852
I mean we've got the super peppy happy MG
Izumi is the depressed, beaten down by reality, MG
And we're the one that has embraced the idea of being a professional as our entire personality as a coping mechanism.

And the former wants to take the two latter to the party district.

There will be stories for years to come of this, and after every retelling someone will ask "Why did a no one do anything to stop it?"

>>653021
With lorelei's invite still fresh in your mind, you make the decision to go ahead and actually try to be social. For the next couple of days you make a concerted effort to go and visit the two when the mood strikes you, and sometimes even when it doesn't. Lorelei is happy to have you whenever, and you wind up getting a few impromptu lessons in baking, no less. You knew the principle behind it, and could make at least a cake.

Lorelei, on the other hand, takes it to an art form, mixing in various spices, fruit, and other ingredients that you had never really considered part of a standard baker's repertoire. You suppose you should have considered it at one point, but on the whole learning how bakers bake was never a high priority. You certainly didn't become a master overnight, though. In fact, you kind of still suck. But at the very least, the second time you tried to make a pie it came out edible. Had to count for something. You considered giving it to Sal, but knowing him, he’d eat it and say it was delicious. The jerk.

Izumi you mostly spend time with at her new job at the library. It's one of three, and of the smallest of them, but you figure that suits her better than anything else. It's rare that you seen her legitimately bored, but that's the best way you can describe her when you actually see her in ‘action’. There's definitely a sense of doing only the minimum necessary to get the point across. She at the very least continues to be professional and thoroughly makes sure the library patrons are satisfied. That's just Izumi all over. If nothing else, they seem to be very respectful of her time. Although they constantly seem to glance at you for some reason...you're not THAT intimidating, right?

After a few days, Lorelei finally calls you and Izumi, telling you to meet at her place. Seems that she's finally figured out what she wants all three of you to do together. As you both meet in Lorelei’s house, you both share a bit of a nervous glance at each other. Lorelei was rather more outgoing then the both of you, and you were concerned about what she might have in store.

Cont.

>>655523
“ARE YOU READY FOR AN AWESOME NIGHT!?” No. Lorelei’s giddy face belies the danger that you know is in store. “I've got so much in mind- we’re gonna hit the mall, maybe get in some play at the Festival District, a late bar crawl...”

You're not sure what face you're making, but Izumi looks like she's just been forced to swallow the foulest drink. At least Lorelei’s laughing. “C’mon, it'll be great!”

Sure.

First thing on the docket is the mall. Lorelei’s always been a clothes-hound, and she's not different here, dragging you both to a myriad of fashionable stores. You, frankly, think they're a bit too gaudy. Izumi seems...less than hating it- even cracking a smile at an old lady impression Lorelei pulls after you mention as such.

You're not a curmudgeon, you swear.

Still, they both end up trying on various different outfits...as for you. Well...there WAS one outfit you didn't mind, after seeing it in a far corner…of course, as soon as they heard you mumble as such, they pressed you into getting it and trying it out for them to see.

You weren't a model, but you at least thought you'd look good in this...

>A green three piece suit outfit. It made you look formal and official, and was something to wear around town to look important.
>A sports outfit consisting of a tank top and shorts. Was a nice, comfortable look, and showed off your fit musculature. Showing off without having to try was more your speed.
>A blouse and mid length skirt, with a nice hat as well. It reminded you of pleasant times long past, despite the heartache.
>Other

Dropped my trip.

>>655540
>A sports outfit consisting of a tank top and shorts. Was a nice, comfortable look, and showed off your fit musculature. Showing off without having to try was more your speed.

We're trying to have fun, I feel like we can somewhat unwind on the formalness. This seems like the casual that'd fit her best.

Also fuck, we're tsundere for Sal.

>>655540
>>A sports outfit consisting of a tank top and shorts. Was a nice, comfortable look, and showed off your fit musculature. Showing off without having to try was more your speed.
No need to get our baggage on in front of our friends. Yet.

>>655540
>A sports outfit consisting of a tank top and shorts. Was a nice, comfortable look, and showed off your fit musculature. Showing off without having to try was more your speed.

Seems fitting for Miranda at this stage.

>>655540
>A green three piece suit outfit. It made you look formal and official, and was something to wear around town to look important.
Suit!
Suit!
SUIT!

>A sports outfit consisting of a tank top and shorts. Was a nice, comfortable look, and showed off your fit musculature. Showing off without having to try was more your speed

>>655540
>A green three piece suit outfit. It made you look formal and official, and was something to wear around town to look important.

Sporty Miranda is a go.

>>655540
The only thing that really didn't outright offend you was a sporty outfit that was on sale. A tank top and shorts was all it was, but the stripe down the side make it look suitably sporty and casual- the tank top isn't practically showing any of your upper chest like you've seen some people wear, and the shorts are a respectable length. It's something that could easily be worn in public, and it seems to be made of a material that allows maneuverability well, and lets your skin breath easily. This plus some sneakers would make for a good casual outfit, you suppose.

When you open the curtains to show off the look to the other girls, Izumi just smiles and nods in approval. Lorelei, on the other hand…

“Eeeeeeee! You look so different! I swear, I'm getting tired just looking at you!” She pantomimes wiping sweat from her brow. “You’re gonna be such an eye catcher with those arms, I swear. Showin’ off juuuust enough, mmm mmm!” Wait, what? She keeps going on regardless. “So, I'm getting you this, and Izumi's getting the…”

Okay, no. “I can pay for myself. You don't have to worry about it.” Besides, she really didn't have the money to spare as far as you know. No use in throwing it away so wantonly.

But she shakes her head vigorously. “Nuh-uh, I invited you out here, I'll spring for you. I know you're not a big people person, Miranda, but we really need to change that. I mean don't get me wrong, this is just a one-time thing, but…”

>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.
>...Fine. I guess. I don't like it, though.
> You really don't have the money to be spending on this, last I checked. I'll put it back.
>I came out here because I wanted to. I'll pay for it myself.
>Other

>>656245
>>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.
Gives us an excuse to hang out again.

>>656245
>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.

More reasons to hang out with friends!

>>656245
>Other
Mix the last two together

>You really don't have the money to be spending on this, I'll pay for it myself.

We are the responsible one who is getting in the good books at the company. Neither of them are in the greatest financial situation given their various quirks, so treating having her treat 2 others ain't the greatest idea here.
Gotta look out for your friends.

>>656245
Supporting
>>656301

We the granny-est.

>>656301
Oh right. Supportin

>>656245
>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.
buy her some drinks tonight, get her wasted and she will regret her charity in the morning.

>>656245
>>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.

>>656301
sure

>>656301
can do this.

wish you guys had voted for the blouse though, a sports outfit isn't pure.

So I know that handler was surprised we didn't try to bring GeeGee & what's his name with us, but now that we know more about the intersection, I'm kind of glad we didn't try to bring them with us.

Actually getting stable here seems somewhat difficult as your very existence here relies on having money.
Just for their own alchemy they'd be paying for storefront and ingredients, neither of which would come cheap due to limited size in the districts and having to order ingredients from dimension hoppers. This means they'd be either taking out a huge loan that'd hang over their heads or be spending nearly everything they had to just get started.

Their only real hope for getting out of that would be to get long term deals with hoppers to supply their MG's & such with potions, but that'd require them to both have a reputation and be built up somewhat in the intersection, neither of which would happen quickly or cheaply.

They'd be between moderately and incredibly screwed for a long while in the intersection.

Hell, unless you have a useful, wanted trade/talent that doesn't have much of a startup cost OR you come in with a ton of motes, coming to the intersection seems to be pretty bleak for a few years at the minimum.

I am guessing that most people do not come to the intersection without extenuating circumstances. It'd be like moving to NYC to be be a walmart greeter.

>>658068
She'd live by mooching off us for the foreseeable future

>>656245
>Then I'll just owe you later, like it or not.
Caught up again, I missed the last half of last thread from work. It was pretty great.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Rolling for tiebreaker. 1 is iou, 2 is I'm paying.

I think I need to make another thread...

>>656245
I wouldn't mind mixing the last two as >>656301 put it.

New thread! >>661650