>>3224397
“Right,” you say as you slide out of the booth. She’s probably going to introduce you to the guy who the three of you will be living with for however long. Other than the ID guy, the mysterious code guy, the freighter guy, this guy seems like he will help the three of you a lot. Thinking about it, you’re pretty sure Naomi probably has some sort of network she talks through for her journalism needs or whatever. You’re not really surprised since the first time you met the girl, you’ve found out how she works to some degree. With her surprisingly extensive knowledge, her having some networking skills is only expected at this point. Might also be the result of the people she works with, the Samantha or whoever she works with.

As the three of you step out of the bar after paying for the bill, you watch the traffic a bit before adjusting the bags once again. Even with Naomi here, you’d rather still carry the bags since your mother always taught you to be a gentleman. Women are supposed to be protected. You sigh in your heart as you come to the realization that you might just be a pushover for women. Either way, it’s what mom said, shouldn’t really go back on it anyways.

“So, where’s this friend of yours live anyways?” You ask as you carry the bags. Watching your surroundings, you follow Naomi to some sort of plaza or junction in several paths or roads. This whole place is built like a tight city, a complete opposite of the austere and unwelcoming space stations like the one in Milo. You kind of wonder how Abigaile does it, living in a place like that. Then again you’re some country bumpkin just getting out of the sticks.

“He’s not far from here, lives on one of the side entrances since he has the personal garage and all. He’s a uhh… mechanic, kind of like you,” she says as she turns around, stopping at the junction. Looking around you see several people standing around some guy in some really strange looking red robes. Robes, really, is something you never really seen except for in old movies about magic or some biblical retellings. Naomi noticed them too but from her expression she holds none of the wonder and interest you have for the group.

“Who are they?” you ask after looking at them for a moment, “never seen people wear stuff like that.”

“They’re some weirdos, doomsday or whatever. Say the world’s going to end. Honestly, not even sure why they’re even allowed to be here. I know the law says that there’s freedom of speech and all but those guys are really stretching it,” Naomi says somewhat dismissively. From what you can see, they don’t seem that dangerous and they actually seem like they’re christian with the crosses around their necks. There’s only a few guys in that group that doesn’t look like they’re a part of it but they seem interested in it regardless.

>>3224405
Red robes and wooden crosses, a strange mix for some doomsday cult. You can’t really make out what they’re saying even though the main guy is clearly shouting his sermon. Every now and then you can hear scraps of his speech, something about living simpler lives but that’s about all you can guess. “You don’t want to get caught up with those crazies anyways. They’ve been saying that doom will be here any day now and, sure, if you say it enough timed eventually it will come true since there is an end but, like, there’s no real end right now. I doubt whatever they say is worth listening anyways…” Naomi says before tugging on your sleeve, “come on it’s this way.”

“Right…” you say as the three of you continue on your way. You’re not sure about whoever these guys are but if Naomi says they’re no one worth listening to… you guess they are. Besides, you shouldn’t be worried about some crazies spouting whatever they want and you can look them up later if you want. Right now there’s really only one thing you want to know and that’s… “So this contact of yours, you said he’s a mechanic, but who is he?”

“He’s a Red, his name’s Ryo.”

Ryo?

____________________________________________________________________

He’s a strange guy, Ryo. After the three of you arrived at his place he just stared at you for a moment before walking away. He’s just as tall as any Red you’ve heard about, people called stationeers or people who are simply unable to really function on actual planets due to them living in space or one lower gravity worlds. These people are called Reds. You’re not sure why they’re called that but that’s what you’ve heard so far. He talks strange and doesn’t really like you but he’s hospitable enough to allow the three of you to stay here.

There’s three places to sleep, the couch, the extra bedroom, and the garage. But you didn’t have a say in where you were sleeping since both Naomi and Coraline already took the other places before talking about it. Which is fine enough, you guess. You didn’t really care where you slept as long as it wasn’t a floor, you were good. You had something that you needed to do and sleeping in some garage isn’t going to stop you. Besides, living here you get to keep an eye on your ship.

>>3224411
You sigh as you look at your ship. Model, PD Lakka. Class, Paxos. Type, Thrust-Shuttle. Everything that belongs to you is there. That solid hunk of metal sitting inside this wide garage. It’s not that wide for a garage since it’s limited to some of the smallest classes of ships, but it’s relatively wide compared to actual living space. You’re impressed but also feel like it’s extremely cramped from all the tools, metal scraps, and of course your own ship here. Feeling the cot beneath you, you look around the garage at all the scattered equipment. Highly efficient plasma cutters, high-heat and near instant welders, engine stands with half-built engines, spare parts… everything that a man needs.

Ryo was a mechanic like Naomi said, guy lives here but he has a shop some three levels up and this garage is for his personal storage. After you set down the bags all you had to do was simply fly your ship through the channels to reach the garage and since the channels were all sealed, you’re able to have a garage to yourself. Though you’re really only worried about the oxygen messing up your engines, there wasn’t any gravity in the channel so flying through it is easy enough. You were, again, surprised at the complexity of the place but knowing that it’s all just more and more looking like a city.

The apartment, or house, is rather large from what you know. Two bedrooms, two bath, a livingroom and kitchen, and a garage. It’s not entirely spacious but from what you’ve seen in the last few hours is something that felt like… well like a home. It’s kind of cluttered and kind of smells like oil, but it feels different from the other parts of this station you’ve seen so far, it feels nice.

“It’s nice,” you say to yourself quietly as you sigh. You bet the girls are already asleep since it got late pretty fast. You went from here to the station and then flew all the way to the garage. Surprisingly, getting to the garage was pretty easy if only it wasn’t so strange to navigate the channels to get here. Laying back, you stare at the metal ceiling. The softness of the futon cot thing beneath you soaks your thoughts in as you sink into it. It’s definitely better than sleeping on the bed in your ship. A comfort you haven’t had in a while.

You wonder how you’re going to move forward. You wonder how the girls are doing, if they’re asleep or not. You wonder what they’re thinking and what they want to do. You wonder about your family. You wonder about your friends you left behind. You wonder about your old love. How is she doing? You can’t stop thinking… worrying. You don’t really think of anything specific, but it keeps you up even if you’re still tired.

>>3224416
You sit up slightly, holding yourself up with bent elbows. Gazing lazily, you squint at the the clock stuck into the corner of the room. You didn’t expect time to have passed much but it’s only been around ten minutes since you laid down. Sighing, you drop yourself back down into the bed as you listen to the noises of the station. Echoes from all over, metallic knocks and clicks reverberate against the walls however faint and distant. A soft symphony of industrialism. A constant and quiet drumbeat.

Dum... tick, tick... dum... tick, tick... dum… like clockwork. You let it lull you into sleep. Drifting.

Falling.

Staggering.

Like a feather.

Like a hammer.

It consumes you.

A maw of moving shadows, a red glow which casts doubt on surroundings. A fleeting feeling of stagnation. Of nostalgia. Of a color… and a name -- a single letter. R. It sticks to you as it clings to your being. Begging you to stay for another moment, it asks where you’ve been and where you will go. A voice with no sound. It is your own voice but not the one you know. It is you. A stuttering image of deceit, it implors you to follow it down somewhere else. A path you’ve never seen, a path you’ve never heard of, it entices you somewhere. But you stay. You watch it as it eyes you with those strangely familiar eyes. Red. Wrath.

The curse of Ice. Frozen. Warped in all it’s anger. Burning with desire, it watches.

Waiting.

In the distance, it sees.

Those eyes.

You jolt upward, staring at the garage bulkhead -- the giant metal doors, shut and secured together -- before you turn back to the clock in the corner of the room but you don’t care to read it. You feel the sweat cling to your back as your shirt and sheets stick to your skin like a mucus-like film of filth covers your skin. An eerie feeling overcomes you, eyes… the color red, something about the letter R.

It’s just a dream. you think to yourself. But you’ve seen those eyes before, even if you don’t know whose they are, you’ve seen them somewhere. You can’t help but feel uncomfortable as you fall backwards into the cot again as you stare back into the ceiling. It hasn’t changed since the last you’ve seen it. Nothing’s different. You’re still here. It was just a dream. Get it out of your mind.

>>3224421
You sit up again and place your feet against the floor, kicking away some bolts before sliding into a pair of slippers you set beside the bed before you fell asleep. You stretch silently before looking to the door toward the living room. Where was the bathroom again? The constant ticking and small sounds around the dead silent house echo in your head as you shuffle your way lazily toward the door. Pushing it open, you see Coraline laying down on the couch from behind the kitchen counter. The faint blue hue of the TV display illuminates the living room as you can see her soft white blanket gently rising and falling with each breath. It flickers.

Cheh.. She forgot to turn off the screen before she fell asleep. It’s kind of funny as you think about. Looking around you see the doors that flank the living room, leading to the different rooms. You’re pretty sure Naomi is in the one on the left, as you move your heavy feeling legs around the kitchen counter. It flickers. The only way to get to the bathroom is through the rooms and you don’t really want to go into Ryo’s room but you still don’t want to barge into Naomi’s room as she’s sleeping. You sigh as you slowly and quietly try to push the door open.

It’s a small room. The bed takes a quarter of it up and Naomi takes half of the bed up. Her pink hair spread over it like a spiderweb as she’s sprawled out like some kind of kid. The blanket half covers her as her legs stick out and her arms going in whichever direction they please. You laugh in your heart as you shake your head before going into the bathroom. It Flickers.

You can’t really use your ship since it’s not connected to anything and you don’t want to turn it on and risk whatever tracking they can do to it. Even though you’re pretty sure “they” know you’re on the station… it’s better this way. Turning on the faucet, you stare at yourself in the fogging mirror. The heat of the water warps and obscurs your image as the steam and fog rise from the sink. You hair has become long and your eyes have become sullen and tired.

Taking a handful of water, you splash it against your face before you look back into the mirror. Red stares back at you. The face warped and disfigured. Muscle and bone clearly visible as the horror stares back at you. The face twists and convulses in pain as if it was screaming out in agony as you slowly back away. Tripping. Falling. Staggering.

You jolt upward as you feel your heart quickly beats like it was trying to find a way out of your chest. Clinging to your shirt, you hold yourself up, gasping and out of energy. You look around for a moment, catching the clock. It’s morning.

>>3224423
You take a slow breath as you look back upward, spreading your arms out as you fall backwards. Calming yourself, you blink and stare aimlessly at the ceiling for a moment. You feel the sweat on your back and chest as you look down to see you’ve kicked the sheets off in your sleep. You take another deep breath as you stare for a moment.

Gathering your strength, you find yourself walking toward the kitchen only to hear the sounds of people awake. Rubbing the back of your head as if to check if you really did fall in the bathroom last night, you slide the door open. Coraline is sitting on the couch wrapped in her blanket as Naomi is sitting at the kitchen table reading something on her display as for Ryo, he’s nowhere to be found.

“Morning sleepyhead,” Naomi greets you as you stumble your way to the table. A plate of eggs is pushed in your direction without her looking up from her display, “You sleep? Like… at all? You look… uhh… you don’t look too well.”

“Ah... “ you say as you grab the plate and a nearby fork, “it’s nothing… what are you reading?”

“Oh…? Well, uh, I’m just reading the news. Yeah, looks like The Sons are sending out another message about something again. They’ve been opposing the citizenship bill of the Splicers.”

“Ah.. really?”

“Yeah… anyways, look at this,” she said as she pushed the display toward you. The section she was on is a jobs list on the station. “I’ve been looking at jobs for the past hour. I’m thinking about spending today looking for a job, making some calls and such. Just looking for one though, we got an appointment tomorrow for the IDs. The guy said we should be there pretty early so no sleeping in like today… what about you, what are you thinking for today?”

>”Ah, well I was thinking about the same thing. Need a solid source of income before we can really do anything.” Money money money. No rest of the wicked… nor the broke.
>”There’s still stuff I want to find out about the station. I’ll probably just be exploring around the place. Got a few things from the map that I thought looked neat, didja know there’s a themepark here?” yesterday’s familiarization of the transport system helped a bit for you but you still have some things you want to see… especially things near the research portions of the station.
>”I don’t have any plans. I want to stay here for the day, need to do a few maintenance things anyways. My ship… needs a little tune up, gunna ask Ryo if I can borrow some of those fancy tools he got.” Naomi has a pretty neat contact, might as well use him to the fullest.
>[write-in]

>>3224425
____________________________________________________________________

Welcome back to For Hire. How is everyone today? Yeah sorry for drop on the last thread and that’s why this update is long as FUCK since I had to merge the closing of the last scene and the opening of this thread together. I do hope you all enjoy the quest and stick around since things are about to get fun.


Twitter: Kov_QM
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=FHQ
Discord: https://discord.gg/QznmEus

>>3224431
I don't always get to play, but I get to lurk these or check the archive. Good to see the most A E S T H E T I C quest on /qst/ back in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yY_CDZw1_k
---
>”There’s still stuff I want to find out about the station. I’ll probably just be exploring around the place. Got a few things from the map that I thought looked neat, didja know there’s a themepark here?” yesterday’s familiarization of the transport system helped a bit for you but you still have some things you want to see… especially things near the research portions of the station.

>>3224425
>>”Ah, well I was thinking about the same thing. Need a solid source of income before we can really do anything.” Money money money. No rest of the wicked… nor the broke.

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>>3224451
thanks my man, trying my damndest to get that sort of aesthetic I'm going for. Really fun writing the quest so far. Getting to the point where all the characters just write themselves and with how the pacing has been, everything feels pretty damn good. Hopefully everyone is enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. Here's another song for you

https://youtu.be/i1kzkNuzTzM

>>3224425

>”Ah, well I was thinking about the same thing. Need a solid source of income before we can really do anything.” Money money money. No rest of the wicked… nor the broke.

Maybe we can work at the same place.

>>3224467
>>3224658

>tw for job hunting
writing!

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>>3224425
You scan the list of jobs for a moment before give Naomi an answer. Money is one of the biggest issues you’re facing right now and you can’t leech off of the girls forever… even if you kind of deserve the common courtesy of having them pay for you meal at least once is only right since you did bring them here. But even then, you still need cash. Living without it would be hell.

“Yeah, thinking about looking for a job too. Want to try to work in the same place?” you say as you slide the display back to Naomi. Honestly, working together wouldn’t be that bad. When you get the IDs and everything, you should be able to get into some place with good pay. With us working together… well it would be for… well, uhm, would be a team… yeah…

“Weelll… I was actually thinking that you should get some kind of job that uses your degree. You’re an engineer right? You could work in, like, a uh, like a construction zone. You could work on that special project on the planet, right? You should qualify for it after we get the IDs. I’m thinking of going to get a secretary job and work a little closer to Arcady, you know? I mean…” she trails off, “we could always find a job together if you really want to, but I doubt you’d look good in a secretary skirt and glasses.”

“--EH?” you unconsciously flinch back, surprised at her suggestion. She just smiles at you, laughingly.

“I agree,” Coraline says from the couch, apparently listening to your conversation.

“No no no, that’s not what I meant,” you say as you narrow your eyes at Naomi, “I was thinkin something like cooking food at a restaurant or bar or something.”

“Yeah, sure Sammy,” Naomi says as she returns to the display. “Besides, married couples don’t work out very well, you never heard of those stories about workplace romance? Terrible business, you know?”

“Not married,” you reply dryly.

“You shouldn’t say such things to your wife even if you’re joking, you’re going to hurt my feelings. Besides, you didn’t disagree to it when we left Milo…” Naomi says as she begins to smirk. “I’m beginning to think you’re unhappy with our marriage? I mean I know newly weds tend to have problems in the beginning,” she began to place her hand on her chin, “I mean it’s only been a few months… do you not like your wife, Sammy?”

“What do you mean, ‘wife’?” you say, pausing slightly between your words as you start eating the eggs.

“Oh? At least now you’re properly calling me your wife now. That makes me happy,” Naomi said cheerfully, “I mean that we shouldn’t get a divorce this early. I read in a popular magazine that if the marriage isn’t working out in the first few months, that it’s normal to have honeymoon blues. They say most of it is due to financial issues, among other things of course, and I have to agree with them. Marrying a cheapskate sure is troublesome.”

>>3224945
“You shouldn’t trust those tabloid girly magazines, they ain’t right… and we ain’t married,” you say in between a bite of egg.

“Denying we’re married is probably the source of our issues I’m thinking, ” she says as she scrolls through her display, “oh, here’s a questionnaire… Tell me, do you think that there’s a problem with our marriage? Is it that you thought that you loved me before and then decided that you didn’t really love me? Is it that you married me for reasons other than love? Did you love me in the beginning but found someone else? Is it that work is becoming stressful and finding time to love me is becoming difficult”

“Uhh… none of the above.”

“Come on, you have to answer these. We have to first understand the issue to solve it. Hmmm… here’s something about your childhood... “ Naomi says trailing off.

“Samuel, Naomi is right. The first two years are critical for a successful Marriage,” Coraline says, still wrapped up in her blanket and sitting on the couch. Is Naomi filling her head with useless things again?

“Not you too, Coraline…” you lament.

“Oh? Not her too… ? hmm, does that mean she’s your wife as well?” Naomi mocked with raised eyebrows. “You know polygamy isn’t entirely legal but there’s a few loopholes… “

“No. No no no no…” you deny as you glare at her.

“-- oh well look at that,” Naomi said as she pointed to the TV Coraline was watching, ”The Sons, see I was just reading about that… Coraline, can you turn it up please?”

Coraline nods silently as she stands up, steps off the couch, and presses the TV display a few times. On the screen is some news reporter lady and as Coraline turns up the volume you start to hear what she was saying, “Tragedy strikes again as the terrorist group “The Sons” have bombed another politician. As it was a month ago with David Flinch and John Adaway, senator Brad Gadway died within his office after a small explosive device went off. No other casualties were reported but today we suffer another blow the the supporters of Bill fourteen point eighty three. George Sorantos, what are your thoughts on this?”

“Well, Stacy, I think if we back down now then we only show that these forms of juvenile intimidation works against the UGE. The only choice is to pass the bill as quickly as we can and show these terrorists that we cannot bend to their rule. UGE is powerful and it should never be threatened into acting against itself,” an old looking man in a beautifully designed suit says crisply. From the way he speaks and acts, he seems dignified in some way.

“Thank you George, and what are your thoughts, Miranda?” the reporter, Stacy, says as she turns to another woman.

>>3224947
“If this continues to go on and their ability to bypass strict security measures like those found in the Senator’s Offices means then we may face something even more dangerous than a simple issue of a few senator’s deaths. If they are able to enter the building undetected and kill senators then there is no reason to doubt that they have the ability to kill anyone they want. Not to fear for one’s life but that there is a chance that the entire senate is compromised, meaning a total collapse in government structure,” another older lady speaks before the camera switches back to the old man.

“Surely you can’t believe that. There is no way to compromise the senate. A few senators being killed is a threat. If we stop now then we are only doing what they want us to do!” the man grumbles.

“You can’t be so naive to believe that if we just push the bill forward they will stop their acts of terrorism. Besides, the bill hasn’t been passed yet due to most of the senators unwilling to give into the proposes made in it. Have you read it? There’s several underhanded techniques in it, it’s not some humanitarian poposistion to simply give civil rights to spliced,” she calmly states, “In fact, I remember that you, senator Sorantos, denied the bill the last two times it was brought up. You and your party was extremely against the bill before, what has changed this time?”

“You little…” George mumbles before both the speakers are removed from the screen and only the reporter remains.

“Thank you Senator Sorantos and Senator Hellinson. In other news…” the reporter continues as you look back to Naomi.

“Well? What do you think?” she inquires, her previous playfulness nowhere to be found. “With the bill passed then that means civil rights will be granted as well as the ability to continue human-splicer research… I have a bad feeling about this.”

>”Human… human-splicer research?” Does that mean…
>”I’m against it, the bill would only make things worse, besides we shouldn’t be messing around with what God gave us. We shouldn’t be playing around with stuff like that, right?”
>”I’m for it, us being able to adapt will probably help colonization and everything else would become ten times easier. Thing about it, super strength, intelligence… something like perfection, yeah?”
>”It doesn’t matter, either way, the Sons are starting to get more and more powerful. I don’t like them runnin around with blond hair messing things up for me, you know? I got blond hair too!” only bad news…
>[write-in]

>>3224950
>>[write-in]
As long as they don't make monsters, super cancer, or force it on people, splicer research would be okay.

>>3224950

>”Human… human-splicer research?” Does that mean…

Poor girls

Coraline is a splicer isn't she?

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>>3224950
>>[write-in]
"Can't really stop progress ya'know? It's out there and trying to pretend like its not wont change anything. Like trying to will away the stars or the void. Just a part of life now."
-fatalistic.

>>3224950
>>”Human… human-splicer research?” Does that mean…

maybe they are using the girls as test subjects for the splicer research, and shit, now we have probably politicians involved not only that company

Yeah... so, the weekend got fucked pretty quickly sorry about doing two updates and then fucking off. I'll be updating throughout the weekdays to make up for not really being active this weekend. It was mainly due to going places with friends and shit like that but I do apologize for not giving a heads up in the thread and just barely saying something in discord. If you guys do want to talk to me personally or get updates fairly easily/ask me what the fuck is going on with me, join the discord since I'm active there and will respond to any question if it's not anything specifically about the quest.

>>3224979
>>3225319
>>3225667
>>3225681
going to combine these.

writing!

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>>3224950
“As long as... “ you trail off. It’s not something you’re sure would be good for humanity. It’s simply just... playing God. “Monsters created by man… “ you mumble as you stare out to the TV. You’re not watching it, it’s just something to look at but you’re not seeing it. As long as those scientists up above don’t try anything like creating monsters you’re fine with it since it doesn’t really effect you. Splicers are just that though, they’re monsters. All of them. Monsters.

Man-made monsters that surpass any machine. Imperialists may be leading in cybernetics but from what you know, UGE is the home of the greatest biotech heads known to man. Of course things like this was all from ages ago, AI, Cybernetics, Biotech… all from something back in the past. With AI being banned and cybernetics being restricted by the uglies, Biotech seems to be the next stage of technology. Everything points that way, even though it seemed like a dying and old technology from since the birth of the space age. Even so.

“We ain’t supposed to be messing around like that, but it’s not like we got a say in things. Can't really stop progress ya'know? No dandelion wish would grant that… and if splicers are the next thing… they’re the next thing, right?” you ask while still blankly staring away. Rhetorical questions or not, you’re thinking about what’s next. Ever since you left Haven, it’s been that way. What’s next? Where do we go from here? Is it safe? Can we make it safe?

You have no real answer to these but you still ask them. Not to anyone around you, but to yourself. We can’t stop them from trying to improve. We can’t hold back a river. Information is a willful beast and perfection is an ever-distant target humanity has always tried shooting for.

“But,” you break the pause, “but… human splicers make me think they ain’t up to no good,” you turn back to Naomi who probably has the same worry you do. This bill means the return of some unholy experiments and more importantly this bill means something bad for those who are in the hands of those who can conduct these experiments. It’s bad news for the girls. Bad news for you. Bad news for Naomi.

“Yeah…” Naomi says as she puts down the display. “I’m thinking the same thing. Sumi is… in danger. The faster we find her, the better we are. Anyways…” she stands up, pushes in the chair and begins to walk to her room, “we have jobs to look for. Go get ready, you look terrible.”

>>3234290
“Yeah yeah…” you say as you watch her leave. The plate in front of you was already empty but you’re still sitting at the table staring at it. It’s bad news all around. The bill, those Sons bastards, and whatever the hell is going on out there. When you left you never expected, never wanted, and never even dreamed of getting involved in something like this. But that bill no doubt has some sort of connect to Arcady. You don’t know how, don’t know why, but this is no coincidence. Everything points… up.

Baker, that damn bastard, what are you up to?

“Danger… ous” you hear Coraline mumble, breaking your thoughts as you look back to her staring back at you. She knows this isn’t a good idea, dealing with someone that can manipulate the government is beyond dangerous. Someone who has fangs deep into a shark is a beast that could swallow you whole. Someone like that makes people disappear.

“Yeah… I know what you mean,” you say as you stand up, taking the plates to wash them. You’re here though. You’re going to try your damndest. This is what you’ll do, even though it’s not something you should, someone should.

“Good,” Coraline says before turning around back to the TV. I will, always am. Arcady is dangerous and no matter where we are, it’ll be something I know. I’ll protect you, both of you. you think as you put up the dishes and head to the garage.


>Job hunting today, you know most of it will be online searching so you think you have enough time to just mess around. Check your ship and familiarize yourself with the garage, maybe ask for permission for a little tune-up or play on your display.

>You want to get ready, gather your clothes and find something nice to wear. Even if things are online, it’ll only look bad if you’re not prepared for an instant invite for an interview. Nowadays things move fast, got to be prepared for it.

>While you wait to get into the shower, you want to just look at the jobs. Naomi wants you to get a construction job, maybe the one on planet, but you kind of want something laid-back maybe. Either way, you need to look at the job lists, you could possibly also grab a hold of one of the on-station engineer work?

>Wait on the bed, nothing to be too fussy over. Time isn’t going to be wasted if you check the news or whatever.

>[write-in]

>>3234294

>You want to get ready, gather your clothes and find something nice to wear. Even if things are online, it’ll only look bad if you’re not prepared for an instant invite for an interview. Nowadays things move fast, got to be prepared for it.

We'll have to get that on-planet job to look for clues.

>>3234294
>>You want to get ready, gather your clothes and find something nice to wear. Even if things are online, it’ll only look bad if you’re not prepared for an instant invite for an interview. Nowadays things move fast, got to be prepared for it.


she said we looked terrible, so let's find some nice clothes and get a bath after it, if we have time we can take a look at the ship too

>>3234383
>>3234426
> two for getting ready

writing!

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>>3234294
The door rubs against the metal railing as you slide it open before closing it behind you. Looking around you, you spot your cot amongst the rest of the tools and general chaos of the workshop storage like garage. Cardboard, metal, and plastic boxes line a wall with tools strewn about the floor. Spare parts hang on walls or set around the industrial looking metal tables. Shelves are filled with bolts, tools, and small metal boxes or crates. For a mechanic, he has pretty piss poor organization skills but it’s nothing you can really do anything about. At least not without trying to push around several heavy looking pieces of equipment and find places to put all the boxes.

The entire garage is divided in two with a metal shelf set in the middle with your makeshift bed on the side closest to the door and your ship. The ship itself is suspended slightly by connecting to the port at the roof and you’re almost able to walk underneath without bending your neck. The garage is about two stories tall if you had to guess but you’re pretty sure the house isn’t two stories. In fact, you suspect the top part of the house is filled with additional life support and other systems in the event of the station being compromised.

Somewhat impressive, but you think it’s a bit wasteful for all that room. You are talking about Arcady though. A multi-system empire of a megacorporation. A supreme being. Something like extravagance is only par for the course with those types. It’s no use admiring your enemies. Not with how much they’ve done to claim these rights. Savages. To imagine they’d even have hands within the government. You’re not surprised at this point. A powerful company like that? Expected of them. No one gains power easily, and no one with power wouldn’t be drawn to others with power. It’s natural.

Same for those hidden within the government themselves. A mutually beneficial relationship. Symbiosis. Like parasites, they feed and grow. Like parasites, they destroy.

Sumi… Adam… you’re worried for them. You feel like you can only really pray for her safety, pray for Naomi’s wishes, pray for revenge. Adam, that poor old bastard, what the hell was he a part of? Just makes you think how much danger is just waiting outside of your home. A door goes two ways. You stare at the floor, you’ve been staring at the floor when you sat down and you’ve only been entrapped by your thoughts. Stuck on the idea. That bill, those girls… that.

>>3234603
But.

You’re not worried. In truth, you want to know more about this… this everything. Everything out there might be dangerous but everything out there also holds the power to lead you to what you want to know. You have something to protect, those two girls out there, Naomi… Coraline… and your own family. It might be revenge but you don’t care. You’re not here against your will. What this information does only makes you sure that what you’re doing is the right thing. The correct thing.

Naomi said she wanted you to go to the construction job on the planet’s surface. She might be right. There’s something there, there’s something that Arcady doesn’t want you to see but you’re going to see anyways. There’s so much to do, so much to prepare for. You take a look at your ship before groping around for your display on your bed.

In fact, everything here is just great. You might ask later if you can use the equipment from that Ryo guy. Tune ups for your ship, might even see about Naomi switching up the serial numbers with the help of her ‘contact’ whoever he is. You don’t know about anyone she knows but if she knows them, they’re probably good guys, whoever they are. Tomorrow you’ll meet one and in a week she said a few more will come by.

Naomi never disappoints.

Standing up, you toss the display back onto your bed with a soft thud before making your way to below your ship. You placed some of your luggage underneath it and what you’re looking for is a suit. That same suit you wore last time, might be good for an interview whenever you get a notice for it. You’re going to pin your hopes on… oh shit that’s right. Naomi did say that we have to wait for tomorrow to go anywhere really. That ID re-whatever will be done tomorrow, can’t be getting all gussied up today if I can’t even go anywhere with it.

Instead, you decide on some simple clothes. At least something simple compared to a suit. A nice looking shirt, some khakis and your father’s coat. The brown faux leather outside and the soft, faux-fur inside makes it resemble the bomber-jackets of the ancient past. Something that made a short re-appearance not too long ago. This is what you’ve wore for most of your days on Haven. Though your coat feels much more fitting than it did back then.

Folding your clothes, you put them on your bed before looking back to the ship and sitting on the bed yourself. Naomi seems to take forever for showers here....

>(options next)

>>3234608
>Take a look at the ship. It’s been a while since you’ve given her a little bit of love and care. She’s probably a bit cranky since you haven’t babied her in a few months with all the traveling you had to do.
>Look through the job list for a second. Maybe you can find a few jobs you wouldn’t mind doing or something else. The requirements for the on-planet one would be something you need too.
>Look at the news. You’re FAR too behind on the going ons of anything happening. Might as well check the local news as well as what’s going on everywhere else. Last you remember… there was some major players moving.
>Go to the living room and wait there, talk with Coraline until Naomi comes out to tell you to go take a shower.
>[write-in]

>>3234611
>>Take a look at the ship. It’s been a while since you’ve given her a little bit of love and care. She’s probably a bit cranky since you haven’t babied her in a few months with all the traveling you had to do.

>>3234611

>Take a look at the ship. It’s been a while since you’ve given her a little bit of love and care. She’s probably a bit cranky since you haven’t babied her in a few months with all the traveling you had to do.

Let's get our grease on if we are taking a shower next.

>>3234611

>Take a look at the ship. It’s been a while since you’ve given her a little bit of love and care. She’s probably a bit cranky since you haven’t babied her in a few months with all the traveling you had to do.
>Look through the job list for a second. Maybe you can find a few jobs you wouldn’t mind doing or something else. The requirements for the on-planet one would be something you need too.

Don't need to look at all the jobs, just make sure we meet the requirements for the covert job in planet.

>>3234622
>>3234642
>>3234645
>3 for ship care + planet

writing!

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>>3234611
Standing up quickly, you take the display in hand and walk to your ship before magnetically attaching it to the side of it. That job you heard of from Abigaile is the best choice for your own job. You can only guess how much you’d actually get but you bet it’s something good if they’re being as secretive as she said they were. Going to the Arcady homepage, you search for the available careers on the page. Something like recruitment and everything about it should be found on that page.

Going to the recruitment page, you scroll through the lists of careers searching for construction jobs. What they’re planning on the surface of Leo, what they’re going to do with it and whatever Baker has up his sleeve is something you will find out. This job is that ticket in. The best possible path straight to your goal. Either they’re doing something illegal, they’re trying to create some nonsense beast or whatever, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to find it.

That is your plan. Naomi was right, this would probably best suit your abilities in terms of jobs. A construction job on Leo is perfect shoe-in for what you need to work on. Naomi got her freighter friends because she thought that the freight that she hear here was something important. She’s forward thinking like that and she thinks the same about you. Perfect fit for this job.

Perfect fit…

Scrolling down you hit the bottom of the page. The job, the one Abigaile said was right now being recruited for, wasn’t found. It’s most likely… something. You’re not sure. Did she say it had some sort of specific requirements to be recruited for it? Maybe it’s special in terms of who gets where? You’re kind of confused, it’s not like she would lie to you, would she? Whatever. You’ll ask her after you take a shower.

What time is it in Milo anyways? Hope she’s enjoying her vacation. She’s... You look at the ship, placing your hands on your hips after turning the display off. Running your hands through your ever-growing hair, seriously this is possibly the longest you’ve had it so far, you crawl underneath the ship.

There’s something interesting. You stare at the place where your Missive drive is just above. The metal looks like it warped and it bends outward slightly, the outermost piece is blackened and looks as if it might burst out. Around it, like in a pond when you skip stones, the metal has small ripple-like waves where the metal juts out in odd ways as if bent into the shape of restless water. The center, that small hill beneath the missive drive. Strange.

>>3234826
You’ve never seen something like this. You’ve never even heard of it. A ship literally tearing itself apart by force of its own missive drive. You stare at it for a moment as if captivated by its strangeness. Maybe there’s something that went wrong with the drive. Either way, until you figure it out, you’re not willing to ignite that drive. It might actually tear itself apart next time.

Like a tsunami of gravity, it will burst and break -- crushed like a tin can.

You don’t like the sound of that but you’re no expert on missive drives. In fact, those kinds of things are extremely hard to comprehend since it’s based off of advanced mathematics and entirely beyond your understanding.

“Hey,” without a single sound, you hear the voice of Naomi behind you. Startled, you turn quickly to face her voice to meet her eyes staring back at you with a hint of interest. She’s sitting on your bed lazily, her head wrapped in a towel, and her clothes slightly damp from putting them on after her shower. Elegant, thin, and something you haven’t seen her wear before, a greyish-blue loose looking half-sleeved poofy shirt and the outline of lines for the something that’s underneath. Elegant but casual. She crosses her legs and props her head on a an arm rested on her leg, “What you lookin’ at?”

“Something strange,” you say a bit quietly as you turn back to the bottom of the ship. You yourself is semi-standing, semi-squatting as you look up at the strange deformed metal.

“Oh? That’s kind of rude, I mean… I haven’t worn this shirt very often but calling me strange is just... “ she says as you turn back to look at her. Of course that’s not what you meant. She looks great, but you shouldn’t say that…

“That’s… not what I meant, you’re strange for sure but it ain’t because of what you wear,” you say as you duck your head out from underneath the ship, walking toward the bed. Taking your clothes you point back to the ship, “Dunno what happened, ship looked fined but somethin’ ain’t right. You look fine by the way.”

“Oh, thank you, what’s wrong with the ship?” she says, leaning back, placing her arms behind her to prop herself up as she kicks the air aimlessly.

“The bottom, around the drive, seems like something happen. Ain’t too sure myself,” you say as you check over the clothes, “Shower’s open, right?”

“Yeah. So you think the drive is broken or something?”

“Nah… well, maybe? Dunno, gunna have to check later or have that Ryo fella check for me. I’m going to go take a shower, don’t mess with anything in here, bunch of garbage lyin’ around in here. Might step on somethin’, ya’know?”

“Hai…” she says lazily, “don’t creep around my room either.”

>>3234829
She waves you out as you leave. Coraline nods to you slowly as you pass her watching something on the TV screen. Sliding the door open to Naomi’s room, the smell of strawberries and soap runs past you as you make your way to the shower. It’s definitely a better shower than that small thing in your ship. You’re pretty worried about that ship of yours. Trying to fix that level of warping is not only taxing but also expensive. Bending and flattening the metal… might as well just buy new plates and sell the old as scrap.

Locking the door behind you, you strip and enter the shower. Turning it on, the warmth of the water hits you like a thunderous applause to success. Powerful. Warm… oh man. You should thank Naomi for getting a sweet deal like this. Beyond your expectations. Nothing like that gentle and weak pressure from the shower on your ship, this shower feels like it’s trying to massage your muscles into bliss.

Like a real massage, it forces out the stress of your worries out of you as you begin to rub your head to get the water to soak into your hair. It’s soothing. Calming. Perfect...

Truly exceptional.

A simple comfort.

A great sigh of relief comes as you open the shower door, the steam of the shower rushing out like a thick fog. Drying yourself, you toss your clothes on and brush your longer-than-usual hair and put on something to help you smell nice throughout the day. Taking a moment, you stare at the mirror, remembering last night’s foggy dream. That face that stares back at you is still yours. You are still you.

Of course you are.

>Time for job hunting. Getting serious and look for through the jobs available.
>First things first. Call Abigaile and talk with her about getting the construction job on the surface of Leo. She knows what you’re going to need to do and how to do it.
>Go to your ship. That missive drive is killing you. You have to figure out what the hell is going on with it, you’ll just have to take it apart to figure that out though.
>[write-in]

>>3234830
>>Time for job hunting. Getting serious and look for through the jobs available.

>>3234830
>First things first. Call Abigaile and talk with her about getting the construction job on the surface of Leo. She knows what you’re going to need to do and how to do it.

>>3234830

>Time for job hunting. Getting serious and look for through the jobs available.

Get back to our room and see if Naomi is still there, tell her we didn't find a thing at the Arcady website and if we don't find anything ourselves we try to

>First things first. Call Abigaile and talk with her about getting the construction job on the surface of Leo. She knows what you’re going to need to do and how to do it.

>>3235149
>>3235167
>2 for calling cards

>>3235176
writing!

For some reason 4chan decided to not want to post anything for a hot second there.

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>>3234830
You take one of the towels to your right as you turn away from the mirror. Dreams are dreams, of course they can’t affect anything. Drying your hair with the towel a bit more, you toss the towel onto the sink before gathering your dirty clothes and leaving. The smell of the soapy suds stick to you as leave Naomi’s room refreshed. That shower was beyond your expectations, honestly it was the best shower you’ve had. Better than the ones back at home.

Closing the door behind you, you see Coraline at the table but still watching the TV. It’s how she had usually acted in the ship. Always watching a show or talking with Naomi. She’s even still wrapped up in her blanket, you bet she got up in the morning and started watching TV the instant she woke. She must like watching it, practically addicted to it. You never really cared for TV all that much but you’re worried Coraline might get in too deep.

“I’m next,” she said as she hopped off the chair and waddled to Naomi’s room. You shake your head as you pass by her and stop her with a hand.

“Go get a change of clothes first,” you say pointing to the ship. Actually, Naomi isn’t out in the living room so you guess that she’s still in the garage for whatever reason. You thought she was just there to tell you that the shower was open but you guess she wanted something from the ship or just wanted to be in the garage for whatever reason. Coraline shakes her head.

“I already have them,” she replies holding up her blanket a little higher as if to show something in her hands before turning around to the shower. You guess she didn’t want to go to Ryo’s shower either so she just waited for you. You look around, back to the TV. You don’t really remember that show but you’re pretty sure it was something Coraline watched a lot on the ship.

You remember something vague about it being about a group of people facing some obviously evil group. All of it was by actors and people but they were all idols. Idols were something you never really got, but it seems Coraline loves them. They’re just a bunch of overpaid people who had enough money to pay for surgery, you bet they’re more plastic than human. Actually, now that you think of it, that’s a pretty strange saying since it has nothing to do with plastic. You sigh as you turn away from the Idol show. Whatever Coraline likes is something you’re never sure you’d understand.

Candy and TV. Two things that you know of, maybe she likes dark colors too? She did pick out a lot of dark colors like the black dress and bra that she showed you on the train. Probably… well either way, she’s her own person. Shouldn’t bother her that much any ways.

>>3235202
You push open the door to the garage, your makeshift room, as you glance over to the kitchen. You probably should put up the dishes later since you washed them. Turning back to the garage, the messy room still had tools and equipment strewn about like a child taking out toys from the toybox but never returning them.

But… your breath is held. Your bed is empty and you can’t actually find her anywhere. Your bed actually has a stack of luggage stuck on top of it, all your luggage with your display sitting on the top. The garage is in a worse state than you actually left it. Like a storm picked up and tossed everything around. Everything was a mess but everything was there.

Except two things.

Your ship.

And Naomi.

____________________________________________________________________

I'll start again tomorrow

Twitter: Kov_QM
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=FHQ
Discord: https://discord.gg/QznmEus

>>3235205
Damn man, she's going to do something stupid like going down there herself, drats.

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>>3235205
Your heart, stuck at the top of your throat, feels like it’s trying to tear through you. Ripping, beating, pounding. It’s a drum out of rhythm. It feels like it’s going to explode. What the HELL, Naomi! Your mind screams as you stare dumbstruck in the doorway. What is she playing at? Why did she leave? Why did she STEAL my ship?! Your eyes bulge out as they widen with all the thoughts and worries running through your mind. What is she doing? Why?

Why?

Your hand grasps your chest, it hurts worse than when you graduated. That day feels like a past scar fading away but this… this is an open wound. What is that girl thinking? Did she really have to steal the ship? It just doesn’t make sense. Nothing you can think of makes any sense. You can’t think. Your mind is going in circles and you feel like you’re in a daze. It doesn’t feel real, about as real as the dream last night.

Naomi wouldn’t do something like this.

Not for any good reason… the display! You’ll call her. Talk to her, this is probably just a misunderstanding… she’s probably just going to find a friend and didn’t feel like riding the tram. She can fly, of course, so your ship is in good hands. She’s going to be alright, it’s just she didn’t want to say. She didn’t have the time to say, of course, it was just that you were talking too much about how the ship looked damage… you didn’t give her time to talk. She probably wanted to ask before you took a shower. She has her reasons. She didn’t steal your ship. She’ll be back. She’s not… she’s not like that.

Taking careful steps, you descend from the doorway and toward your cot. The futon sits unmoved from the event with everything on it safe and sound. All of your possessions, your clothes, your memorabilia, everything you thought of bringing with you is stacked neatly on the bed. You reach out for the display and turn the screen on. A contact list, your contact list, of the last people you called. Ten minutes ago, Abigaile.

So that’s it, huh?

She called Abigaile and talked with her, right? She… she wanted to talk with Abigaile and so she called her. Why? You don’t know. You wanted to call her too. Abigaile, Naomi… what did you talk about? The ring tone hums distantly as you feel your initial emotions subside. Naomi’s not like that girl, she wouldn’t leave without telling you. She’s not cruel. “Oh… uh, hello Mr. Ward.”

“Where. Is. She.” you say bluntly. You didn’t mean to, at least not like that but you couldn’t help it. You’re worried and Abigaile knows something.

“Ah… um… w-who?”

“Naomi. Where’s Naomi Bordeleaux?”

>>3235328
“Na-- Naomi? Miss Bordeleaux? She’s the one who was supposed to have the interview before you… t-that Miss Bordeleaux?” she says. She’s still in her same room, the pink walls and strange decorations.

“Yes, where is she?”

“Miss Bordeleaux… I’m not sure…” she trails off. Maybe you’re being too harsh on Abigaile. It’s not like she did anything wrong. Naomi called her, whatever her reason was, she isn’t to blame.

“What do you…” you pause and sigh, dropping your shoulders as you take a seat near your luggage. “She took my ship, Abigaile, where did she go? What did you tell her?”

“I- I didn’t tell her anything… I didn’t want to tell her anything,” she pauses and stares at you for a moment as she leans forward, laying her head on top of her folded arms. Behind her, a dent in the wall.

“What… what happened?”

“I can’t tell you,” she says quickly, “It’s not her fault anyways, don’t worry about it.”

“Then can you tell me where Naomi went?”

“No…” she says quietly before she looks away, “She wasn’t the one who called. I… I need to go,” she pauses again and stays on the line for another moment. The stale air kills you but you don’t want to hang up. It feels like an eternity. What happened to her? Where did Naomi go? Is everything really okay? What the hell is going on…. Without looking at you starts back up again, “She… she said that you were going to see about the construction job. I can’t tell you everything but… they only recruit people with past experience with Arcady. Work… construction I guess… that’s all I know, I’m sorry but you shouldn’t call me again.”

“Wait--” you try to say.

But you couldn’t.

Abigaile, what happened? You stare at the dimming screen. You should call Naomi. Taking the display in hand, you find her name. Of course she doesn’t show any information on your contacts list, she never shows anything. But you call her anyway. She’ll answer. The ring tone beeps slowly again, like a cricket chirping. You stare at the screen as you listen to the sound, your reflection stares back as you wait. Naomi is in your ship, but where did she go? She knows something.

Abigaile called you, she probably wanted to tell you something but Naomi was there when she did. The dial up tone pauses. The sound of engines come from the other side and that same pretty smile lights up your screen. Her pink hair, that shirt, her carefree look. You stare for a moment, as if your worries faded. She’s safe. But… “Where are you going? Why… why’d you take my damn ship?”

>>3235331
“I’m… going… to make a delivery. Right, a delivery. Why? Can’t your wife take the ship out every now and then? We’re a partnership, remember? The vows and all…” she trails off. Clearly she’s not joking for your benefit. That smile, clenches up as she stares outside. “I’ll be back, Sammy. Don’t you worry, you said it yourself, the something is wrong with the ship. I won’t be long.”

“A delivery, huh?” you say unchanged, “What the hell happened to Abigaile?”

“She got in the middle of something,” she replies, not giving you an answer. That same terse way of response she gives when she’s not happy. You feel like you understand her a little bit more but in no way is she easy to read. What she’s doing now is still smiling, still talking the same tone. She’s just… off.

“What do you mean, how are you going to do anything about that? What did Abigaile tell you?”

“That’s a lady’s secret, Sammy. Besides, if I tell you now, then it would all be meaningless,” she says as she flashes you a bright smile.

“You’re not making a delivery.”

“Well, aren’t you a sharp boy. I’m… hm… I’m just meeting with some friends, that’s alllll,,,,” she waves nonchalauntly, “Just a group of friends I know. They know what’s going on, I’ll be back. Trust me Sammy, I’m not going to break your ship,” she says as she turns away.

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then everything’s fine, talk to you later, ciao,” the screen goes black.

“I’m not worried about my ship. I’m worried about… I’m worried about you.” you say to the blank screen. She already hung up. “What did you get yourself stuck in, Naomi, what’cha playing at girl…”

You sigh as you lean back onto the bed, avoiding the luggage and boxes. You stare at the dull, metal ceiling as you rub your face with your hands. This is too much, too stressful. Abigaile is hurt, Naomi is missing, something is going on and they're both connected, the job you were going to join isn’t something you can join, everything feels like it’s just… it’s just going to shit. Naomi’s ‘friends’ are dangerous people and Naomi is in danger. But you can’t do a damn thing about it. Fuck this! Fuck that! This is just bullshit! you flail your arms around in defeated anger, hitting the soft futon beneath your fists.

“Dangerous,” a voice calls out. You quickly sit up and turn to the doorway to see Coraline standing there with her new clothes on. She stares blankly as she leans against the arch, watching you as she moves around a sucker in her mouth.

“I know…” you grumble.

“I told you,” she says before turning around, walking away. “Dan-Ger-Ous.”

You sigh as you stare at your feet, your khakis obscuring them slightly. It’s all going to shit.

>>3235334

--[bold]Options![/bold]--

>Go talk to Coraline. You’re worried and you want someone to talk to, Coraline is always a great listener to people with problems. She just sits there and listens. It should at least help you from getting too worried about everything. Talking to someone helps.
>Start to look for one of the jobs. You have to already be working in or with Arcady to get on the planet. You don’t know how long but you need to get a job regardless. You’re going to push everything to the side and focus on going forward. Naomi said she’s fine so she’s fine.
>Go take a walk. You don’t care where, you just need to take a walk. Get out of this house.
>[write-in]

>>3235336
oh, well fuck the formatting why not. Forgot {b} was for bold, thought it was blue.

>>3235336
Can we track our ship somehow? did we install some kind of tracker on it? I don't like where she is going, shit is going to be fucked, we need to try and reach her, its our ship, we can find it.

also, damn, what did those girls talk about, some shit is about to go down

>>3235396
This. Fuck waiting.

>>3235396
if there's no way to do it just
>Go take a walk. You don’t care where, you just need to take a walk. Get out of this house.

to clear our head and think about something, maybe Coraline can track our ship down like she got our info or something

>>3235396
>>3235424
>2 for taking action

Writing!

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>>3235336
These two, Naomi and Coraline, will probably send you to the grave early. Naomi, really, do you think stealing my ship is in any way the right choice? Sure Abigaile was hurt, but this ain’t no way to be acting. At the very least, tell me before you go off doing something crazy. We’re partners... Partners… Partners with someone like Naomi seems dangerous. Coraline is right, everything about this is dangerous. Does Naomi know those people who did that? She certainly seems to know where they are, or at least who they are.

But some of it doesn’t add up. She went into your room first. She knew something beforehand, probably planning to take your ship before she talked to Abigaile. You don’t know how, you don’t know why, that’s just what if feels like. Devilish little girl. A fire that burns so brightly. Maybe what Abigaile said was instead something she didn’t expect and that Naomi wanted to talk with you for a while. She was just going to wait in your room for a while.

But.

Only one thing doesn’t make sense, if she was in a hurry, why did she stack your luggage so methodically. This. Was. Planned.

Doubt… it’s a venomous seed. You know that. She doesn’t really give you any reason to doubt her though. Maybe whatever happened isn’t what you were thinking about. You probably shouldn’t doubt her. She’s only been helpful toward you, she’s always been a good girl. A nice girl. Someone you can rely on. Ever since you’ve met at the bar in Milo, she’s been helpful. From the payment, to the lost ships, she’s been here to help. She’s on your side. She’s your friend.

You shouldn’t doubt her. You shouldn’t doubt her. You shouldn’t doubt her. You shouldn’t doubt her. You shouldn’t…

You stare at your bare feet. You were just about to get ready for the day. This early and you’re already running into problems. Naomi… you took my ship. Maybe she wasn’t thinking or expecting that you would follow her, but you want to. Even if she doesn’t have her personal tracking on, she took your ship. Which means… “Coraline!”

You shout from your bed and your voice echoes throughout the garage, into the living room from the open door. Coraline can do it. As long as you know the serial number, you know you can track the ship. Especially with how everything is monitored here, tracking the ship should be easier than tracking a person. For one, it’s larger than a person or a item that could be smuggled. A ship is probably the easiest thing to track in a station like this with how it’s set up, the channels and ship traffic within the station.

>>3238417
Wherever your ship goes, you can follow it. But the inverse is also true, whoever is searching for you can follow your ship as well. Naomi may just get someone’s unwanted attention drawn onto your ship. You don’t need that. Even if you think that the people up on high do not know the serial for your ship, it can be found out if someone looks deep enough. As long as a notice exists for it, it can be found.

“What?” Coraline says as you started to stand up from you hearing her footsteps. She’s wearing some new clothes but she seemed to have put on her old coat so she’s wearing the black dress and a coat on.

Disregarding her fashion sense, you begin, “five five one six three eight nine nine four three eight two.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?” she asks in the same as always, the indifferent, dry, monotonous voice.

“It’s the serial code for the ship, can you like track it with whatever you got? That connection you talked ‘bout earlier. Naomi’s in my ship but we can track her through the system, right. So we just need to use the serial to track it through the monitoring system. It will return a location. We used somthin like that on the farm back home for the tractors and for tracking the produce we sell, shouldn’t be too different, right?” You prattle off as you start to gather some things, the knife, your father’s coat, and a bottle of water.

What you’re talking about is the simple tracking system, each item, ship, and person has a tag, a number or identifier, and it can be picked up by a system that automatically receives them and marks their location and other information about it. You know about it mainly because it was commonly used on the farm. It broke down every now and then and would ping back false data but it was pretty safe and reliable. So as long as you know the identifier or tag, you can track it. That was how you were going to find Naomi.

“Repeat?” she says with her hands in her pockets.

“Right, right.. No, so, I said that it’s the serial code for the ship and we can--” you try to explain again, half paying attention to what she’s doing as you scroll through your display.

“No, repeat the code,” she cuts you off.

“Oh, right.. uh, five five one six three eight nine nine four three eight two.” Coraline is a good listener after all. Maybe you were being too rude with her, but you’re kind of stressed out and in a hurry. Naomi is in your ship, somewhere on the station, and she’s going somewhere dangerous. Those are your facts and those facts point to something that you don’t want to mess with. So the sooner you find the ship, the sooner she’s safe. You made a vow to yourself one day, that vow was to find what happened to Adam, to help Naomi, and to protect the girls.

No humble goal.

>>3238424
“Okay,” Coraline says as you finish putting on your coat and sliding your hand-crafted knife into the side of your pants. You look back to her and she nods slowly, somewhat like an old sage, before she places a hand on your display. It lights up and the screen changes quickly, displaying a blue dot on a map. This is a layout of the channels for the ships, so this must mean that this is where Naomi is.

You guess that the tracking system isn’t one of the systems that she has to connect to. Just means some of the information isn’t as protected as personal data is within Arcady’s main data-center. Either that or someone else is openly accessing the tracking data and Coraline just piggy backed on that. Actually guessing on how she did it will probably only be something that would fry your brain thinking about. One day you should probably try to figure out how Coraline does things but right now, you’re on the clock.

Tick Tock.

Time for action.

>There’s no way to actually know where she’s going but there’s a few ways to guess her destination. You’re going to try to arrive wherever she’s going before she makes it there and talk to her beforehand.
>You’re not going to be able to find where she will be at before she is at there. It’s impossible to predict her movements, not with how little you know. You’re going to just tail her through the tram system and see where she leads you. She doesn’t know you’re tracking her.
>Can’t arrive before she arrives and following her can lead to not being right or taking the wrong turn, making it so she makes you go some place she’s not. Like taking a quick turn where the tram doesn’t stop. So… you’ll wait where as close as you can where she is now and wait for her to arrive to where she is then you’ll go there.
>[write-in]

>>3238429

>There’s no way to actually know where she’s going but there’s a few ways to guess her destination. You’re going to try to arrive wherever she’s going before she makes it there and talk to her beforehand.

Let's try at least.

>>3238429

>There’s no way to actually know where she’s going but there’s a few ways to guess her destination. You’re going to try to arrive wherever she’s going before she makes it there and talk to her beforehand.

I would like to get there and only intervene if she got in trouble but I guess its better to tell her we are there for her.

>>3238440
>>3238477
>2 for stalking

Writing!

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>>3238429

You nod slowly and close the display. “What do you think? Where do you think she’s going?”

“Dunno,” she says, taking out a sucker from her pocket, “You shouldn’t go, though.”

“Why’s that?” you ask. Coraline doesn’t really seem the type to not help someone else out since she is the one who asked for your help. You helped her, it’s only right that she tries to help you out too when the time comes. Plus with how everything is, she should be worried for Naomi just as much as you are.

“Just shouldn’t. It’s dangerous,” she replies, unwrapping the sucker and placing it in her mouth. “She didn’t tell you, so she didn’t want you to go.”

“But that was to protect me, ya’know that right? Besides, I already decided I’m going. Not going to back out now. Did she tell you something or do you know something that I should know? Is that why you don’t want to go?”

“No, I just don’t like it,” she says lazily as she stares back at you, “There’s no reason to go.”

“No reason? Naomi could get hurt, I need to… go help her, she ain’t as strong as you,” you say, pocketing the display and tightening the coat, fixing it to rest better on your shoulders.

“No,” she says as she takes out the sucker shifting her gaze to it, “not your job to look after her either. She went alone for a reason.”

“Yeah and what’s that reason, huh?”

“Dunno,” she shrugs as she puts the sucker back in. Not my job? Of course it’s not my job but that’s what you do for friends. Naomi is in danger, even if you know that you don’t want to go? Why? Because she didn’t invite us? Why would she invite us to go somewhere dangerous?

“Whatever, I’m going. Are you gunna come with?” you say passing her by on your way to the door.

“Sure,” she says, following you through the door and out of the house. Whatever Coraline is thinking doesn’t make sense to you. Maybe she thinks that Naomi’s just going to get herself killed or if the two of you follow her that it’ll be the end of the line or whatever crazy idea she’s thinking about.

Either way, there’s only about a hundred different places to go. Looking at your display, Naomi could be headed to any number of places. Narrowing it down to something that you’d assume would be pretty dangerous, you can really only guess where she might be going. She’s headed somewhere you don’t know and aren’t familiar with. She’s in your ship, you can track her but you can’t predict where exactly she’ll head.

>>3238654
You just want to get there beforehand, to know where she’s going will be pretty impossible. You can really only guess and move on from there. She’s in danger and you need to be there for her. That’s what you think. That’s why you want to get there. Time isn’t on your side. You can’t just sit around and wait to see the outcome. Naomi is your lifeline to figure out everything out here. She may be smart but what she’s doing right now is the dumbest thing you can think of her doing. You don’t even know what she’s doing but leaving you behind isn’t something you agreed upon.

The two of you said you’ll work together. That’s the plan. That was the deal. You help each other. Work and figure out what is going on. A mutually beneficial relationship but with her ditching you for whatever task she’s decisively bound herself to, she forgot the other party. Her actions only left you out and that just means she forgot about the deal. You need to remind her that the two of you are partners. Wherever she goes, you go too. Wherever you go, she goes too.

Hand in hand. She can joke about being married all she wants but you two are bound. She needs to realize that.

That’s why you’re going.

That’s why you will remind her.

You will be there for her, you will help her and she should leave you behind.

“Coraline, I know you ain’t thinking this is the right thing to do and all but from where I stand, it’s the only thing to do. We’re partners remember? I would do the same thing for you if you decided to run off without telling Naomi or me. You know that, right? We’re going to go get Naomi back,” you say, stopping at a corner and looking back to Coraline. Her face doesn’t change but she nods slowly.

“I know,” she says slowly.

“Then help me with this. Where do you think she’s going? I doubt she’ll be turning round so we can just forget about this place. She’s either headed up or further down an either place could be dangerous,” you say holding up the display to her and pointing out the places.

“Dunno, you choose.”

“Right… well, I’ve narrowed it down while we were walking.” There’s only a few places she can land with that ship anyways.

>(options in next post)

>>3238657

--Options!--

>”She’ll head to that Arcady facility. Abigaile is or maybe was a secretary for Arcady. It’s the only Arcady place in her flight path it looks like so she’s probably headed there.”
>”She’s headed to here, this place doesn’t have many markers for where everything is. I’m thinking it’s some sort of place that criminals carved out for themselves. Might be she’s seeing some criminal organization.”
>”It’s this commercial place. She said she’ll meet up with some friends. That means she’s probably heading to a place in an open area, so she doesn’t get got. Who she meets is pretty much in the air though.”
>”Might be here. That place looks like it’ll be a storage facility. She said she’s making a delivery, probably saying that she’s heading to the commercial or industrial place like this. Some place that has a lot of corners and a lot of people. Easy to hide and easy to make transactions.

>>3238662
>”She’s headed to here, this place doesn’t have many markers for where everything is. I’m thinking it’s some sort of place that criminals carved out for themselves. Might be she’s seeing some criminal organization.”

She said it was not really a delivery and an open space does not sound like somewhere dangerous like Coraline said, if we were going to meet someone we didn't want anyone else to know about and secrecy was important, this is the place.
Wherever we go, as soon as we notice she is not heading there we should move, even if we only arrive to watch things from afar.

>>3238732
Seems like a good guess, support.

>>3238662

>”It’s this commercial place. She said she’ll meet up with some friends. That means she’s probably heading to a place in an open area, so she doesn’t get got. Who she meets is pretty much in the air though.”

>>3238732
>>3238772
>2 for blackout

Writing!

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>>3238662
Naomi.

She is someone you met on Milo.

A girl, much like any you know, who loves her family. Someone who wants to protect the ones she loves. Someone who cares deeply for those around her. She’s someone who had to grow up fast. Get tough fast.

But, even if you had spent the whole time during the journey from Milo to Leo, you can’t really say you know her. Who she knows, what she knows, how she acts in certain situations, what all she likes… like someone who you work with, have constant contact with and a good relationship with, you don’t know them. Not like you know your brothers or how you knew your friends. Naomi is distant but close, she is someone you said you would help. In turn, you said you will protect her.

That’s what you plan on doing.

She, much like any you know, wants to protect the ones she loves. This is what you think she’s doing. She took your ship, the keys and everything, and headed to some place where she believes she can do what she needs to do. A friend is what she called them.

A friend.

Not counting the residential and under construction areas, you know there’s only really four places she could head. Arcady, Blackout, Docks, and Commercial. These are the only places accessible to your ship, the only places she can land at. By your standards only three of them seem to have any danger so even if she said she would meet with friends, the commercial area doesn’t seem likely. Arcady, infested with people she hates. However dangerous, she wouldn’t meet them openly like this. The docks can be hidden easily but again… it’s not something you would consider dangerous.

That just leaves… Blackout.

It’s a strange place, the reason why you call it blackout is simply because the icons from the map do not seem to show what anything is in that area. A cluster of nameless, undefined, and, from what you can tell, unregulated buildings. But doesn’t that seem too obvious? If you wanted to hide, you wouldn’t hide so obviously. But from the looks of it, blackout was the right choice.

The blue dot, moving through the channels makes a turn, moving closer to her destination. Unaware of the two of you tailing her. Your plan was to follow her, get to where she is and try to stop her or tell her that she shouldn’t leave you behind. You two are a team. That’s what matters in a partnership, teamwork. To understand each other. To trust each other. Coraline, Naomi, and you. A team.

>>3241635
You’re not far away from Naomi. From the second you left Ryo’s house, you and Coraline have been heading to where you thought Naomi was heading. No stops, no breaks, even if Coraline didn’t see the point in following Naomi, the two of you were on her trail. You don’t know why Coraline is like that, maybe she just thinks that Naomi made her own choice and that she should deal with the consequences herself. Maybe Coraline believes Naomi can handle everything by herself. Maybe the one who doesn’t trust your teammates is you. Maybe it’s…

The blue dot stopped. It looks like it had docked outside of the Blackout area or that the tracking system stopped following her. Either way, you have your answer. Naomi is in the Blackout zone and you’re right behind her. Even if she had the time and speed advantage, you’re really only ten minutes behind her. You guessing the right spot, was able to make up for the distance lost pretty quickly and it’s only but a few more minutes until you arrive to where she is.

You sigh in relief as you feel like knowing where Naomi is and where she was heading to was half the battle. Even though, from what you can expect, that’s not true. Five minutes, six minutes, eight, nine, ten… they pass slowly as you stare at the blue dot docked outside of the blackout zone. The tram ride feels slower than it was the other day, like painfully watching something you can’t do anything about unfold before you. A pain grips and pulls at your heart in the tiring wait. Like heavy weights, time slows.

The tram stops and you get off, the sounds of steel and metal grinding flare up as you exit the dull and empty looking station. Very few follow with you onto the station, either people who know this area or people waiting for connecting routes, you’re not sure and you’re neither of those. The quiet and limited chatter feels like dead air in between the echoing reverberations of the station reminding you it is a living beast. A silence filled with noise, a feeling of tense and unease swells within you.

Not far from where you stand is a small landing and docking port off the side of the Blackout zone. Along with this tram stop, it is the only marked part of the zone other than names of streets and minor information. Taking the first exit from the tram stop, you find your way along with Coraline to the docking port where you last saw the blue dot.

A vast dock sprawls before you, the unorganized and spottyly placed crates, equipment, and other things fills most of the room making it look more like a storage facility than a dock. Yet, you can spot the thing you followed here. That gorgeously makeshift and mangled looking ship of yours and the girl with pink hair.

You heart stops. Like a steel coldness pumps itself into your chest, all warmth feels fleetingly distant as you stare at the figure beside her before you turn to Coraline.

White hair and eyes of crystal blue.

>>3241638
____________________________________________________________________

This is a pause, a break between this section and the next. Like the turning of a chapter yet we’re still in the same thread. I just want to say at this point, thank you for reading my quest. I really enjoy listening and reading what you guys have to say about it. Even if my inconsistent and erratic run times feel like a disruption for the story, I’m glad to see you guys sticking with me.

Thank you for being you guys.

Also I kind of just wanted to take up some screen space so I’ll add links. Think of this like how at the end of a thread with a cliffhanger or a closing of a specific scene. This probably won’t happen often but it will give me a chance to add a little something. I did something similar in the op post, connecting two different updates together, but I’ll post this and then start writing the next part.

Twitter: Kov_QM
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=FHQ
Discord: https://discord.gg/QznmEus

____________________________________________________________________

>>3241640
Nice, who can it be?!?!

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>>3241640
Also, depending on the questions, I'll be answering some here if anyone has any.

>>3241678
Well, it is probably someone we know, either by image or personally, I think Sam recognized the person.

>>3241707
I have a guess, but I'm afraid to be right so I won't say it kek

>>3241720
please say it!

>>3241729
The Sons. They are anti-splicer and her sis is probably a test subject to splicers, it would be dangerous to meet them and it is a good reason to not get us involved to protect Sam, if it really is them she is taking a big risk.

>>3241739
Oh, and Sam looked at Coraline, those are the guys that attacked her, hmmm I wish it's not them, they seem like trouble.

It could be Abgail herself, I don't remember if she was still on Milo. She definitely wasn't in the company's building.

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>>3241640
A man, not entirely a machine yet not entirely a man, but a man he is. Several layers of strange clothing cannot deny this nature. Grafted on his face, machines coil up serpentine yet mechanical as lights glow dully illuminating his face within the dark and dim port. You, standing several feet away and behind a crate, stare at this man. His gloved hands rest upon a hilt of an obsolete imperial weapon, a blade dulled by uselessness yet you do not feel like he carries it for ceremony. His white hair, tied back, reveals his piercing blue eyes.

Those eyes, the same as Coralines. The hair, the same as Coralines. A dangerous man, yet a familiar feature, not like one of a friend but one of a well-known beast. A lion with a name, a tiger’s roar like a calling card, a man connected to a past yet unknown. Behind him are several men and women moving and stacking crates and cargo. They’re preparing like they’re leaving. Naomi herself seems to be on friendly terms yet you know this is as dangerous as sleeping in an unmarked house.

You’re in someone else’s territory.

Who the hell’s that? you question yourself. You don’t know that man but he has similarities with how Coraline looks. He couldn’t… he couldn’t be the same as her, could he? As far as you know, the ones on the ship that Coraline woke up on are nowhere near Leo and by now they should be heading to wherever they were supposed to be heading to. But this man… he’s here and he knows Naomi. Maybe this is why she didn’t want the two of you to follow her, because she know something about Coraline’s past?

No that couldn’t be it, it’s probably just a coincidence that he has similarities. He doesn’t look like anything that you know of. None of the people who seem to be working under him seem to be wearing any kind of identifier you know of but he himself has one thing. Three red squares forming a half-diamond with the final diamond under it, the bottom edge being curved and larger. The red symbols make a striking difference against his black layered clothing, like an important mark of honor.

Naomi seems to be the same girl that you remember, actively talking like she does with a friend yet the man looks still like he’s talking with someone unpleasant. Honestly you can relate as she tends to be overwhelming with how she acts. That’s strange. She hands him something, pushing it to his unmoving chest. A display. He takes it, flips it in his offhand and turns to the people behind him making a gesture by making a circle in the air. It looks as if he’s telling everyone to wrap everything up.

You’re not sure why they’re here. You don’t know why Naomi knows these people but what you’re sure of is that these people aren’t some sort of peacekeeper force. They are not some benevolent organization and their motives are separate from your own.

>>3241842
They’re someone unknown, they have some sort of resource base, and that these people know Naomi. They might know you from her, same with Coraline. You don’t think that Naomi would give information out like that but you’re pretty sure if they can hide away in Leo under the noses of Arcady, they have means of knowing who is with people they know. This man seems important. This man must be the leader, yet Naomi is casually talking with him. That man…

His eyes shift, those blue crystal eyes --like Rigel-- they burn. His gaze falls on you as you stare dumbly at him. He shifts between your face then to Coraline’s face and then back to Naomi as if he had seen nothing. Yet, you are certain this man saw you, your eyes met. A thunderous drum beats behind your chest, the only sound you hear.

Thump dum dum, thump dum dum. A rhythm of fear.

>He already saw you, get out from behind your crate and call out to the two of them. Coraline was right, Naomi was fine. You shouldn’t have came here, you endangered all of you.
>He didn’t see you, or at least he didn’t react. Don’t do anything and keep watching. Naomi seems to have the upperhand in this conversation.
>Run. You need to get out of here, Coraline is right, Naomi is fine and you shouldn’t have came here. He didn’t react to you so he probably doesn’t want anything to do with you. Leaving should be fine.
> [write-in]

>>3241739
>>3241761
>>3241786
Who else has "White hair and eyes of crystal blue."

>>3241845
>>He didn’t see you, or at least he didn’t react. Don’t do anything and keep watching. Naomi seems to have the upperhand in this conversation.
If he ain't mentioning it, we're not mentioning it.

>>3241845
>He didn’t see you, or at least he didn’t react. Don’t do anything and keep watching. Naomi seems to have the upperhand in this conversation.

Stay put for now, at least she seems to be safe, if that changes we rush in.

That's the problem with holding secrets, you get people worried you are getting yourself killed.

>>3241960
>>3241945
+1

>>3241971
>>3241945
>>3241960
>3 for keeping distance

Writing!

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>>3241845
You drop down. As you place a hand over your heart, you can feel it pounding. If you weren’t a young man with a strong heart, you feel like you would have died from excitement from all of today’s scares.He saw me. repeats in your head over and over again as you stare wide-eyed at the exit. Yes… he saw you. You know that for a fact that the white haired man in black saw your face yet he didn’t act on this. There’s a few possibilities of exactly why he didn’t do anything but you can’t think of any right now.

In fact you’re surprised yourself on what you’ve been able to guess so far. You’ve never excelled at school like most kids in your class and in fact you’ve been mostly below average in your scores. You’ve messed around and yet you were able to guess all of this. It was probably a fluke. Maybe it was just because of all the films you’ve watched about detectives or all the history you’ve read or everything you’ve thought about until then. Maybe you’re just the ‘rare’ smart person who’s bad at academics. Everyone thinks they’re special if they’re told they are.

You stare at the exit, it’s one of the first times you’ve been tried and forced to think this much since academic testing and quizzing. But this is no academic study, this is your life. Fight or flight.

Yet.

You choose neither. Naomi is right there, she’s right there and in the thick of it. She’s safe but you don’t know how long and you’re worried. It kind of reminds you of your brother. It reminds you of when your older brother, Kane, stood up for you alone. He was always a bigger guy for even his age. Five years older than you, lean, and full of his own personal sense of justice and honor. He stood up for you when he saw a few others trying to take shots.

It was something that you got yourself into, five guys from the southern town of Dawdil. You thought you called a bluff but when they showed up, they were ready. You weren’t. Your brother found out through your younger brother, Ben, and when he came running to protect you all you could think about was how cool he was he did.

A stand up guy.

Not like you… with bad grades, bad with people, but you’ve always tried to help around the house. Caused a bit of trouble in school but if anything everyone would call you average. Standard. Run of the mill kind of guy. You weren’t a hero like your brother Kane.

A sense of heroism, a sense of idealism, a burning passion of who you’re supposed to be. You never ran from a fight but you never jumped into one that you knew you couldn’t win. Back home, at school, you would fight a lot just like any other boy from your town. They all knew you, your brother, your friends… not here. You don’t know anyone here… but Naomi does.

>>3244124

You turn around and look over the crate again, you can’t keep staring at your past forever so you decide to look forward… toward Naomi. The man with white hair kept his distance, from last you saw him to now, he hadn’t moved. The two of them were still talking before now when he have a small nod.

As he turned around, you feel like he looked at you from the corner of his eye. A slight smirk crawled from the edge of his mouth before you see a small white fist tap him on his shoulder. Naomi trusts the display toward him again, pointing at him and telling him about something. His response was him tapping the hilt of his sword before saying something you couldn’t hear.

His footsteps cling against the metal floor as he makes his way to a small transport looking ship, only two others follow him before the ship itself flare up before taking off. You sigh in relief as you stare at the ship integrate itself in the traffic of the channel before turning back to Naomi. She nods and her shoulders drop, looking around the place and watching the workers move around crates. She looks tired.

>Step out of the shadows and confront her about everything.
>Go to her and hug her, you were worried about everything. About yourself, about the strange man, about how everything could go wrong. About her.
>Stay put. You still don’t know what’s going on. Naomi, the strange man, their relationship, everyone in this dock. You don’t know what’s going on and moving now will only reveal yourself to everyone here. You didn’t come here to yell at Naomi or console her.
>Leave. Naomi is alright now, you just wanted to come to make sure she’s fine and now that she is… you can leave. Whatever happens next is…
>[write-in]

>>3244130
>Go to her and ask if everything is alright(a hug right now may be not welcome, but if we feel it's ok we should do it) you were worried about everything. About yourself, about the strange man, about how everything could go wrong. About her.
Tell her we were worried and followed to make sure she was alright, the way she talked on the display didn't make us feel confident about her safety, we trust her but we would never forgive ourselves if we let something happen

>>3244150
Support.

Ask her about the guy and the obvious similarities if the mood is right, if ahe is upset or sad save it for later.

>>3244150
>>3244167

>2 for talking

Writing!

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>>3244130
>Support.
You watch Naomi for a moment as you hide behind the crates. Coraline, beside you, nudges your side but she just stares at you waiting for your decision. Maybe she’s impatient because of the guy you just saw. The cyborg with white hair and blue eyes. Like you, Coraline probably has a few questions herself but you kind of want to watch Naomi a bit longer. So, as you’ve decided, you stand up, walk to Naomi and pull her toward you.

A hug.

“Oh!” she squeaks, surprised from someone, who she thought was a stranger, hugging her unannounced. “S-s-... Sammy? I didn’t think… well… uhm… you come here often?”

“Ah, well, you know… was in the neighborhood and thought of dropping by,” you reply jokingly, putting your arms on her shoulders. She seems defenseless as she gives you the same smile she always does. A kind and heartfelt type of a smile. A distant one. “I was... “

“You don’t have to say it,” she says, pushing your arms off of her shoulders.

“No, Naomi, you know you ain’t the best at making me feel like you were safe when you were talking before. I saw what and I saw, I know you would be just fine but I couldn’t forgive myself if somethin’ happened to you, ya’know?” you say, staring into her eyes. Those eyes that you first saw a month ago, those eyes that convinced you to help her, those eyes that you… want to keep staring into.

“Ha…” she sighs, mumbling, she continues, “just like you… I told you I’d be fine. You shouldn’t worry about me, Sammy. I’m a big girl.”

“The way you talked on the display didn’t really make me feel that way. We’re a team, right, I had to come,” you say, “It’s what teammates do.”

“No,” she says softly, “you shouldn’t have came.”

A moment passes in silence as you’ve said what you wanted to say, fumbled through your words of conviction, before she turns away and looks to the ship. The same ship she flew here. Your ship she stole… but you’re not mad at her. You’ve forgotten about it already and you’re just glad she’s safe. You don’t know why but you’re beginning to feel-- “Who was that man?”

Coraline speaks monotonously from behind you. Right, I forgot about that. Who was the man she was talking to, the one with white hair and blue eyes. The cyborg with a sword and a strange symbol embroidered on the back of his clothes. Naomi quickly looks to Coraline as her face turns a slight red. You’re not sure if it was embarrassment but she doesn’t seem embarrassed, instead she replies, “He’s just a co-worker. You know, the business and all. Journalism is pretty much a place where you have to make contacts and all.”

“Not a single beat off,” Coraline says, staring at Naomi.

“What do you mea--”

>>3244403
“Is he like me? He’s modded like me. He has white hair like me. Who is he, why is he like me?” Coraline says, cutting off Naomi’s confusement.

“No, he’s not like you. It’s probably just because he’s a cyborg, right? No, well, I mean white hair isn’t really hard to have since you can just dye it, right? He’s just a co-worker, a friend, you know?” Naomi explains quickly, “He’s just a guy I know, I had to tell him something but he’s going to head back home. Sorry I couldn’t introduce you guys, he was in a hurry to leave and I had to rush here. I had to tell him something. Sammy, Abigaile is fine, right? So it’s all okay, right?”

“Right…” You reply, looking between Coraline and Naomi. Coraline nods to Naomi but she doesn’t really seem happy with Naomi’s answer. You can’t really tell if she is happy with the answer or not, though, since you can’t read her expression either way. But you felt like you were pretty close to Coraline’s origin and where she came from but you guess that if he isn’t really like Coraline then he probably isn’t, so you can only really feel disappointed, “Yeah, besides, those people in the ship are like you. How could Naomi know those people?”

You say but you don’t expect a reply. Coraline, who doesn’t know her own past, must have felt even more disappointment at the answer. Naomi is right, white hair, pink hair, blue hair.. You can just dye it. Cyborgs aren’t really rare but one like him… one like Coraline… they both have exhaustive amounts of mods and augs implanted in them aren’t your typical stock of people with prothstetics. They really are Cyborgs. But as it seems, Coraline will remain distant from her past.

It’s quiet, externally, but internally you feel like more questions pile up but you discard them, you’re just glad… “just glad you’re okay Naomi.” you say as you place a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “You really scared me when you took my ship, thought you’d run off with it to sell it or somethin. Gotta warn you though, for a ship, it ain’t gunna sell for much.”

“Yeah I know it wouldn’t, you made it,” she says, a smile rising from the corners of her mouth.

“That hurts,” you say.

“We should get back to Ryo’s,” Naomi says, walking toward the ship, shrugging your hand off her shoulder again. You kind of just want to hug her but you shouldn't do that again, at least that’s how you feel. You turn back to Coraline and she just stares at you lazily before motioning for you to go first. Her eyes shift between you and Naomi but she doesn't say anything.

>>3244408

it is now Noon.

>”You’re right,” it’s time to get back. You’re going to go back to Ryo’s place and talk things through or just calm down from everything going on.
>”Actually, I have a few things I’m going to take care of.” You’re going to go and walk around. Think things through and Coraline will follow you.
>”Let’s go get something to eat first,” all this excitement made you get a bit hungry. Even though you still remember breakfast, you think the three of you should go to get something to eat.
>[write-in]

>>3244416
>>”Let’s go get something to eat first,” all this excitement made you get a bit hungry. Even though you still remember breakfast, you think the three of you should go to get something to eat.
Food. Food is always the answer.

>>3244416

>”You’re right,” it’s time to get back. You’re going to go back to Ryo’s place and talk things through or just calm down from everything going on

>>3244416
>”Let’s go get something to eat first,” all this excitement made you get a bit hungry. Even though you still remember breakfast, you think the three of you should go to get something to eat.

She can info dump on us but the real tough talk we should do later between the two of us.

>>3244436
>>3244478
>Table for Two.

Writing!

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>>3244416
“Right, we should head back to Ry---” a rumbling squeaky growl of a stomach cuts you off as you were agreeing with Naomi. Mid sentence you see Naomi’s face slightly turn red as her hands shoot to her own stomach as an embarrassed smile and laugh follows. “We just had breakfast, didn’t we?”

“Ha.. ha..” Naomi says as she turns away, “I.. uh, I just cooked enough eggs for you and Coraline. There wasn’t enough for me so… “

“Oh,” you say as you think about it. You didn’t actually see Naomi eat but you just thought that it was because you woke up late and she ate before you. “Well,” you look at your display quickly, “it is lunchtime so lunch should be up for most places if you wanna go get somethin to eat.”

You could always talk with her later about things. You still have questions but the day is getting on without you either way. Wait a second… “Why didn’t you eat? You just cooked for us?”

“Ah, well, I wasn’t really hungry at the time… and like I said, there wasn’t enough eggs. I was going to go get some more after you got out of the shower but, you know, something came up and I had to take care of it before he left. He’s a busy man… anyways, I mean, if you want to go get lunch, it’s not like you’re going to be paying for me, right?”

“I’ll pay,” Coraline says from behind you. In fact that reminds you that she paid for you before in Milo. Honestly you’re racking up a debt between these two girls that you doubt you can pay off in a few weeks. Some of the debt runs deeper than money, too.

“Oh that’s nice of you but you don’t really have to..” Naomi says as she waves off Coraline’s suggestion. “I can pay for myself.”

“No, I’ll pay,” Coraline repeats assertively in the same monotonous tone. Naomi just nods and smiles in response, honestly you haven’t seen either of them act this way. Well, maybe not since back in Milo when you first met Coraline or Naomi.

“R-right, well, uhm, where do you want to go then, Coraline?” Naomi asks, turning away from your ship to face the two of you.

“You choose,” she replies, “you’re the one who’s hungry.”

“Ah, well, I know a place or two, we can catch the tram to it. It’s not far and from what I hear, they have fantastic burgers… ahh, I haven’t had a good burger in forever...” Naomi turns to you, “right, we can leave the ship here, the guys who work this place will keep it safe, don’t worry.” Maybe she saw you staring at your ship as she was talking. You were worried about it but not as much as you were about Naomi. The ship needs repairs and if she handled it just slightly wrong or oh so slightly tapped it against something in the wrong place and the whole thing could have been a liability.

>>3251552
Even if you don’t know what’s wrong with it, you really would like to be cautious in handling it. Either way, you just nod quickly and accept that what Naomi said is probably trust-worthy. She hasn’t really lied to you since… well she had lied about who she was before but that was just a minor thing. The three of you leave the port and make your way back to the tram station that you and Coraline came from. This time, it didn’t look like the dirty, shady place that you had last thought it was but a bright little beacon with the three of you there.

There, you boarded the tram, sat down, and rode it to wherever Naomi had placed her marker beforehand. The tram itself felt empty the ride back as you sit between the two girls. Naomi said it was a good burger joint, honestly you haven’t had a nice burger in a while and that was due to not only the trip but also that your father rarely made burgers. When he did make them, they were by far the most amazing burger you had tasted. You just hope that this place Naomi recommended was at least something like those burgers.

Quickly leaving the tram, the two of you follow Naomi to a place that looks slightly run-down. The sides of the building looks as if it hasn’t had any form of maintenance in months and the door itself looks to have slightly splintered glass. It doesn’t look like a place with good food. “Ah, this is the place?”

“Right, let’s go in... shall we?” She nods to your question before skipping toward the door and pushing it open, waiting for the two of you to follow her. Naomi seems to be happy with herself, the place doesn’t look like much but it’s a place Naomi herself picked out. You follow her and enter a place that seems completely different as a man with a black suit and golden thread trimmings stands before a small podium. “Table for three, booth if you can.”

What is this place? You ask internally as you stare at the back of Naomi’s head. The old looking gentleman bows his head sagely before gesturing for the three of you to follow him. You scan the surroundings to see equally well-dressed men and women sitting and enjoying food as a small jazz band plays on a wooden stage. The whole experience from the signless outside and the extreme contrasting inside makes you feel strange.

“Miss Naomi, Master Cyrus said you would be coming. We weren’t expecting you’d arrive so soon though, he only said so a few minutes ago so please forgive us… ah, I see you have also brought some friends, what will you have?” The man says as the three of you enter a booth with red leather backing and seats. The table itself felt like it was designed from the past as geometric shapes and artwork line the edges and a golden looking main piece acts as its center. This doesn’t seem like a burger joint, rather some expensive place.

>>3251555
“Well, I’d like the double deluxe cheeseburger with the stuffed potato wedges,” Naomi says nonchalantly as she points out the items on the menu, “Oh right, I’d like some Orange Fizz as well.”

She’s acting like a little kid ordering from the kids menu. you sigh internally as you quickly look over your own menu. It’s actually not that expensive but from what you can tell the food itself seems really good, sweet potato fries, stuffed jalapeno bacon burgers, those kinds of fancy fish dishes, even that kind of raw fish that imperialists like… and yet everything is so cheap. What the hell is this place, really, Naomi?

“Uhh,” you say as the older man looks toward you after Coraline simply waved in decline. “I’ll just have what she’s having then.” you point to Naomi and the old man nods and writes on his small notepad before bowing and walking off toward the kitchen.

>”Hey, Naomi, what the hell is this place?”
>”Alright Naomi, you need to answer some questions at least…” Start with the ship, Abigaile, that man with white hair…
>Just sit in silence and watch what’s going on on stage, you’ve liked jazz before and the whole place seems to be pretty special. It’s like a once in a lifetime chance of experiencing some kind of secret luxury that you don’t want to ruin with questions.
>”Say, who is that ‘mister Cyrus’ that old guy was talking about?” That’s a question you can ask, maybe it’s one of her contacts or something.
>[write-in]

>>3251556
>>”Say, who is that ‘mister Cyrus’ that old guy was talking about?” That’s a question you can ask, maybe it’s one of her contacts or something.

make use of the topic the guy droped

if she doesn't want to answer now don't pressure, we are here to have lunch and enjoy the place, the questions can come later

>>3251591
+1

>>3251591
>>3251595
>Two for lunch topics

Writing!

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>>3251556
As you watch the old man walk away from the table, you lean forward and turn back to Naomi who’s sitting across from you. Watching as she’s humming to herself and scrolling through her display without noticing your own looks of bewilderment. “What… “ you mumble to yourself as you lean back into your seat, exchanging a look with Coraline to your right. “So, ah… ahem, uh, Naomi what’s, uh, what’s the old man talking about? Who’s that ‘Master Cyrus’ guy?”

“Ah, Cryus? You haven’t met him, well… you have but, anyways, he’s a friend. He owed me a favor and that’s a few dinners here since I have him something in return,” she says without looking up from her display, “Right, uh, so this place is just somewhere I’ve been dying to come to, you know? Have to have a recommendation to get in, pretty top notch kind of people around here, like if you see that guy,” She leans over the table and points over to a table near the music stage, “He has his hands with some of the shareholders for Arcady. He’s not a direct line but he himself has contacts, Everyone here has contacts like that though.”

She pauses as she sits back into her chair, “And Cyrus was just a guy who had a contact to get in here. It’s like one of those clubs like in Bloodhounds where they have speakeasies and do deals down there. This is the first time I’ve been here so we’re just getting lunch, letting the staff get familiarized with us… you know the usual.”

“A… speakeasy? Ain’t they supposed to be doing… like illegal things here?” you say quietly.

“Well…” she says slowly, “kinda, that’s the reason why I’m here. Whole place is ran by a group within Arcady. Cyrus had an old contact here and came here once or twice to scope it out. We’re buds so since he’s going to go back home, we’re going to be here in his stead. I wanted to come here later but since we’re all here, why not? Besides we can come by later since the staff will know us by then, you two will be my guests. Lunch is just like any other place but later it gets better.”

“What happens later?”

“You’ll see once we come back but Cyrus told be about it being pretty strange,” she says before leaning in forward and beginning to whisper, “It’s an auction house, bidding is downstairs and we’re going to go,” she leans back and adjusts herself as she opens her display again. “So, did you find any jobs?”

An auction house… speakeasy? What do they sell? you mull over her words before coming back to what she said last, “Ah right, no… no, I didn’t have time before you ran off.”

“Ah, right, right… so did you… ?” she says half paying attention.

>>3251772
“Uhm, well I was thinking of going with your suggestion but,” you say not really noticing her not paying attention to you, “When I got to the website it didn’t show. The… the last thing Abigaile said to me was that I have to already be a part of Arcady to be picked up. She doesn’t know how long though.”

“Oh?” she says, looking up from her display, “Yeah, yeah… so Abigaile said that you need to be in Arcady to get recruited for something like that? Well, yeah, that makes sense if it’s supposed to be some secretive thingy. So all we have to do now is… look for a job you can do inside Arcady, not like mine, you wouldn’t really fit the whole secretary schtick so, maybe a station construction worker or something like that? Work for Arcady by doing station work?”

“Oh I don’t know about that,” you say before you see the old man return with another person who’s holding the food and drinks on top of a platter. The other person is shorter than the man, kind of looks like Naomi with her hair but for some reason her pink hair sticks up in triangle like shapes that kind of looks like cat ears. I’ve seen some kind of weird cosplay from online but shouldn’t they try to hire professionals in a place like this?

“Ohh,” Naomi coos as she spots the pair of waiter and waitress. “I didn’t know they had…”

“Of course, Miss Naomi, our house has the best products. If you were thinking of purchase, I’d recommend waiting for next tuesday as this one would be up for auction then,” the old man says as he leads the young looking girl to place the food and drinks on the table. You can clearly spot the girl’s face reddening as yours and Naomi’s eyes stare at her. She’s dressed in a sort of maid outfit and as well as you can spot, the ears weren’t a part of a cosplay, but rather the ears and the pink tail coming from under her skirt seemed very life-like and a real part of her.

>”Wait, Naomi, do you mean… that they’re selling… that?” A girl? They’re selling a girl? Is that why everything seems so strange?
>”Oh wow, that whole get-up looks pretty expensive, I like how life-like the ears and tail is. Honestly I haven’t seen anything like that, I can see what he means by highest quality!” You don’t really get it but you could give compliments where compliments are due. He seems proud of the girl.
>Just ignore the topic all together and eat your food, thank the man of course.
>”So Naomi,” ask about the ship, Abigaile, and that man with the white hair.
>[write-in]

>>3251776
Say nothing while the men is here, then


>”Wait, Naomi, do you mean… that they’re selling… that?” A girl? They’re selling a girl? Is that why everything seems so strange?

Holy shit, they splice girls up and sell them? What the actual fuck! We need to get her sister back.

>>3251815
Supportin

>>3251776
>compliment the girl to maintain our cover, when he gets away do

This >>3251815

>>3251815
>>3251860
>>3251868
>three for suspicions

Writing!

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>>3251776
“Oh, she’s so cute~!” Naomi exclaims as she takes her plate from the girl dressed as a cat in a maid costume. The young girl closes her eyes as she smiles back, a short curtsy after placing the other plates and drinks on the table.

“As you can see, she’s well trained and a quality specimen,” the old man beams as he places a hand on the girl’s back as if she’s a sort of project he’s giving a presentation on. “Each and every one of our products are as high quality as she is. I know for a fact there are three other bidders who currently have their eyes set on her in particular.”

“She’s cute,” you say after the old man pauses for a moment, “does she have a name?”

“Oh no Sir… “ he trails off.

“Oh, forgive Sammy, he’s a country boy,” Naomi says before she leans in and cups a hand over her mouth in a faux whisper, “He has never really been to any place like this. He doesn’t really know the rules.”

“Ah, yes. No Sir,” he says understandingly before turning back to you, “Each girl is given a number and their masters will assign their names after purchase.”

“Ah…” you say somewhat disappointed before you turn to the girl. The cat… girl backs up slightly away, face flushed from your gaze before the old man pats her on the back. She seems just like any other girl but she doesn’t seem like anything you’ve really seen before. You wonder why they would sell girls like this, you also can’t figure out why they seem so open about it. Maybe it’s because you’re a guest here and Naomi has some sort of recommendation.

“Right, right,” Naomi says, “I love her, what do you think, Sammy? Isn’t she so cute?”

“Yeah…” you say softly as you nod slowly. All of this just seems so surreal. The girl, the old man’s proud smile, the laughing guests in the background as they enjoy their lunch and music. Naomi must be a great actor to keep up in face of all of this. Cyrus and her must have some strange connections if they’re able to get into a place like this. You just kind of want to get up and walk out of this place, maybe that’s why Naomi brought you here. To show you what you’re up against. To show you why she needs to be secretive and why she has to keep some… distance.

After a moment, the man bows and places his hands on the girl’s shoulders before leading her away from the table and back to the kitchen or wherever. You turn back to Naomi who has kept a smile on for the past few moments as she watched the old man leave. “What… so… they selling girls here?”

>>3252121
“Not just any girls,” Naomi says as she turns back to you, her face stiffening and hardening, “Spliced girls. They’re grown, that’s why they don’t have any names yet. Not until someone buys them do they get names. Cyrus was here originally to try to get information and some people to help him with something else but he helped me out a bit by telling me about this place. He’s the guy I talked with the other day, you know? So, I’m here to follow up on what he said. They grow, train, and sell these girls.”

“How can they get away with that though? Aren’t they protected with some law?” you ask, keeping your voice quiet and low.

“Well, not really. Remember what I said about their rights? Spliced have rights, those… catgirls they have rights but it’s illegal to make them. So you have catgirls being made and when they are purchased, they are given names, identities, and everything to keep them under the person that purchased them. They can exist, but not really as a person,” she says before looking to her plate of food. “I remember hearing about this place a while back and it’s like a trade. High-tier politicians, rich traders, and people with a little too much cash on them come by and purchase a pet, give them names and keep them around.”

“That sounds… “

“Horrible, I know, but don’t worry about the catgirls. The real tragedy is everyone who gives birth to them. Catgirls are infertile, something to do with their… fetishes and the ones who give birth are people. That’s why they’re illegal. Of course there’s synthetic wombs but I doubt a place like this has enough know-how or money to have one of those. It’s all… sick.”

That means… Naomi’s sister isn’t… You’re not sure. You’re torn on how everything has been going for the past few days. It’s a shock, greater than you really have ever felt. Like being tossed into a pool of ice water and forced to swim back to the top with your muscles contracting and spazzing in the frigid temperatures. Your mind is having a hard time keeping up pace with everything happening around you.

This is solid evidence that points straight to the fate of those missing girls, or at least that’s what you can guess from right now. Catgirls… that’s too strange of a thing. That must be why they are selling them. Not because of any real thing but because they can’t sell normal people so they have some other way to get around it. Openly human --well, spliced -- trafficking. This is the kinds of people you’re dealing with. Boldly arrogant in their positions, flaunting their triumphs over law. It’s… it’s all sick.

>>3252129
You stare at your food as Coraline starts picking up some of the wedges off your plate. You weren’t hungry when you got here but you fear that your food will go cold soon. You’re not hungry. You feel sick --sick from the bottom of your stomach-- and you just feel like throwing up. Naomi herself has already started eating though she doesn’t seem happy about it at all, really no matter how good a burger can be, this place seems to have made it sour by just being related to it.

Being forced to give birth… it’s barbaric.

>”I want to leave.” You’re done with this place, get a to-go or whatever and just… leave. You’re not hungry anyways.
>”So this is… this is where you think Sumi might be? Being forced to give birth to catgirls?” You know Naomi is thinking the same thing. Maybe when she heard about it a while back she didn’t guess it immediately but you’re sure that Cyrus guy’s conversation sealed her thoughts.
>”At least the food’s nice,” make light of it. You don’t want to keep thinking about what ifs and what not and keeping to think about it will only sour everything else. You have to keep your head above the water, keep Naomi’s head above too. Optimism and hope.
>[write-in]

>>3252130
>>"so, do you think this is the place? Can we track where they make them? what they do here may not be technically illegal but kidnapping sure as hell is. You know Naomi is thinking the same thing. Maybe when she heard about it a while back she didn’t guess it immediately but you’re sure that Cyrus guy’s conversation sealed her thoughts.

We should get a gun. fuck this shit eleven ways till sunday

>>3252155
+1

Don't mention the forced breeding, she knows we know we don't need to think about it.
If nothing else, this is at least a place we need to check to at least cross it off our list

>>3252251
Also, this puts everything in a different light, I would get the ship and run off if I imagined it was something like this that happened to my sister.

Maybe ask

"Abigail tipped you off? Damn, I was worried about you but you have so much more to worry about, I'm really sorry...."

>>3252155
>>3252251
Supporting

>>3252155
>>3252251
>>3252360
>three for the taking

writing!

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>>3252130
“This… this the place then?” you say under your breath. This is the place, the place that might lead you straight to Sumi, Naomi’s sister. It kind of feels cheap to see it like it is right now. It feels like it’s just another place, to the people around you, to the tables, to the servers who seem to not care. It feels like it’s just there. Right there but away from your reach. The answer to Sumi’s fate and what will happen next.

It’s been a few days but there are things you don’t know about. This is where they might be selling offspring of her’s, but where she is, is still a mystery. Who took her, why… really any number of questions still remain unanswered. How this is connected to Adam is way out there. But you feel close… maybe that gives you more hope than the fact that she is being tortured or worse. You sink back into your seat as you push your basket of wedges to Coraline.

You watch the two girls in front of you. You hadn’t guessed it was this bad, but you had guessed a few things. The fact Sumi and any of the other girls might not even really be around anymore is a pretty obvious thing. Time… time is not on your side. You can feel it slipping away as you feel restless… powerless… annoyed, you don’t know what to do, really. You don’t know what to say except that you feel sorry for her, for Naomi… for Sumi.

But you can’t do anything about it. Not where you are right now, not with how little you know about everything. You wish you could storm into the gates and demand them to return Sumi. Maybe you should buy a gun when you have enough cash, maybe you should buy some equipment to storm the castle and save the trapped princess… a hero like your brother.

But heroes don’t exist, not in any real sense. You know that from history books and movies, heroes are fictional, real heroes aren’t well-known, irrational people. They are the little people, but you don’t have time to be a little person. You don’t feel like you have time for anything.

You watch as Naomi takes another bite of the burger, the meat oozes with flavor and crumbles slightly under pressure as the lettuce and bacon crunches in her mouth. Melted cheese and grease try to worm their way out from under the burger’s buns and between Naomi’s small delicate fingers as she takes another bite. It doesn’t take long for her to notice you staring at her so she lowers the burger down slightly before swallowing and smiling, “You’re not hungry?”

“No, lost my appetite, wasn’t really hungry to begin with though,” you say solemnly before clearing your throat and sitting up, “ahem, well, how’s the burger? It looks great… I hope they have to-go boxes or something since I’m not going to eat mine.”

>>3252892
“Ah, it’s really good…” she says as she puts down the burger on her plate, picking up a napkin from the dispenser to your left and patting her mouth a bit, “Cyrus said the burgers were really good, glad he was right about that one too.”

You smile and nod slowly as you look around the smokey bar like jazz room. It’s much too dark to actually see anything except for the tables closer to the stage or the kitchen behind the open bar. You already know that to find the girls you need a way to track everything. Maybe this place has something like a digital logbook for every sale… something like a proof of purchase. Like how the codes for the produce sold at the farm could be tracked and recorded, so to would the girls being sold by these… people would be able to be tracked and accounted for.

You take a sip of the Orange Fizz drink you got earlier and lean back a bit. All this thinking makes you feel like you’ve fallen into something completely out of your league. Hell, you might just be jumping to conclusions and everything you’ve thought by now could be wrong. That’s how it felt with the introduction of the catgirls. How Baker makes his way into this, you don’t know. There’s no connection to anything here, it just feels… like a mosaic.

You don’t like the face of that girl the old man showed earlier either. Her eyes felt… distant and the way that man was treating her… you clench your fists as you think about everything. You want to leave this place. It’s filled to the brim with a miasma of apathy to everything sacred. The choking smoke of cigarettes and expensive perfume, the distant and droning chattering murmurs, the strange offbeat jazz, the dark and dim lighting… you feel like your head is spinning.

You can’t help but close your eyes in fear of everything swallowing you up, blinding you -- binding you. You sink into your seat as you listen to everything around you. You want to leave but you should stay for Naomi. You’re not that same weak boy that needs his big brother to protect him but you’re no hero. Listening to the crunching of crispy potato wedges, the sound of swallowing and chewing of a burger, the sipping of a drink, the coldness of your own in your hands… you open your eyes and stay seated.

“Are you alright?” Naomi says from across the table, she looks like she’s almost done with her food, “Ah, Coraline can you call for the waiter? We should get the bill.”

“I’m fine, I just don’t smoke.”

“You don’t smoke?”

“Yeah the… smoke is giving me a headache, I’m fine now. Are you almost done eating?” you ask as you adjust yourself in your seat.

“Ah you’re right… I didn’t really notice, you know? They have a lot of smoking bars back home and I kind of just got used to it,” she said as she pushed her plate away and started to wave at the old man.

>>3252897
“We…” you start but stop yourself. You don’t really know what to say about all of this so you don’t say anything. You turn to Coraline as you pick up a wedge, “You liked the wedges?”

“Yes,” she says with a nod as she bites into another one. There’s a little plastic cup inside the basket with a dipping sauce that you dip the wedge into before biting into it. Really… the food was good. But saying that only makes you feel awful so you set the wedge you bit into on a napkin and set it aside.

“How was the food? Sir, did you not like the burger?” The old man says as he arrives with his hands in a prayer like gesture.

“Ah, no... “

“He accidentally ate before he came here, we only came because I said I was hungry, really,” Naomi answers for you with a smile.

“Yeah… Naomi said that the food was great so I wanted to get a to-go box or something for my own burger, sorry I forgot to say that,” you follow her lead and rub the back of your head sheepishly.

“Oh, that’s perfectly fine, Sir,” he says as he picks up the plate, “We can make another one for you and let you take it home, Miss Naomi, would you also like a to-go burger or wedges?”

“Hm… that sounds terrific,” she nods with a wide smile, “The burgers here are really… by far the best I have ever eaten. My mom would be so jealous if I said that right now, but it’s the truth, really.”

“Oh why… I’m glad you liked it so much. I’ll give the chef your compliments, he’s always glad to hear someone likes his food,” he says as he bows his head quickly before leaving with the other dirty plates and dishes.

“It really is a nice place to eat…” Naomi says slowly as she turns away to follow the man’s back. Her head rested on her arms as she leans forward on the table, “Shame, really.”

It is a shame. You nod as you watch Naomi’s back twist in her seat, watching as the waiter returns with boxes of what you could only guess is food. “Ah, well here you go. Will that be all, Miss Naomi?”

“Yes, that will be all,” she replies as she stands up and brushes off her shirt or adjusting her clothes. “Thank you very much for making it a wonderful experience.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine. It’s not everyday we meet friends of friends like you,” he says with a courteous nod. “Come back any time, we’ll gladly serve you again and Miss Coraline, Mister Samuel, thank you again for coming.”

Right. You think as you nod back to him as you take the box that he held out to you. You just want to leave. You want to get out of this place and never come back, but you know you will come back. You know what this place is. You know the shadows that lurk there and soon… soon you’ll bring a light that burns the place to the ground. That’s all you want right now. That’s all you can think about.

>>3252899
You sigh as you watch the old man return to the side of that girl from earlier and wave goodbye. Tuesday, was it? Maybe you’ll be back by then. Maybe not. You turn away and follow Naomi and Coraline through the door, it’s become quiet now that everything feels settled and behind you. But you know that it’s not quiet, because in your mind everything feels as loud as if someone was screaming in your ears.

It’s not going to be quiet anymore, you feel.

>You’re going to talk to Ryo when you get back to the house. You need to prepare your ship for the coming storm. Soon, it will sweep you up and you need to batten down the hatches to keep the wind and rain out.
>A long time coming, a discussion with Naomi. The two of you need to sit down and talk about everything going on. You have questions, and she has answers. But more importantly you need to just talk, and you feel like she does too.
>Coraline. She always seems quiet, outside of anything going on. But you can tell that everything is affecting her just as much as it’s affecting you. That man with the white hair, Naomi, everything going on with her memories, the strange feeling that there’s more going on than just her being lost.
>It’s time to take a breath, you need time alone. You’re not hiding away but you’re recuperating yourself. Everything feels like a sudden hit to all of your senses. You feel ill, you feel angry, you feel like everything will swallow you up. You’re hitting your limits with everything going on. We all have limits.
>[write-in]

>>3252901
>A long time coming, a discussion with Naomi. The two of you need to sit down and talk about everything going on. You have questions, and she has answers. But more importantly you need to just talk, and you feel like she does too.

Sigh, let's see if she needs it. Later we can talk with Coraline about the dude.

>>3252901
>>A long time coming, a discussion with Naomi. The two of you need to sit down and talk about everything going on. You have questions, and she has answers. But more importantly you need to just talk, and you feel like she does too.

Time for a heart to heart. She is holding so much inside her you'll think she's gonna burst, but she doesn't. We need to help her share it, we are there, we've always been, she just thinks she shouldn't get us involved I guess.

>>3252901

>A long time coming, a discussion with Naomi. The two of you need to sit down and talk about everything going on. You have questions, and she has answers. But more importantly you need to just talk, and you feel like she does too

>>3253490
>>3253525
>>3253928

>Three for Naomi

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>>3252901
It isn’t long until you return to the port, board the ship, and take off back to Ryo’s House. The three of you were quiet throughout the trip back and you certainly know why. You yourself have been stuck in your thoughts since you left that place while Naomi and Coraline have been following you silently. Naomi has been quiet along with you, both of you have been stuck on what happened, stuck in your heads.

It’s oppressive, this feeling, like a cacophonous silence pounding against your skull. The flight back, with no one talking, felt like ages passing by. All you heard was the industrial rumbling of the ship’s engines and the small adjustments accordingly. It’s painfully silent. You can’t help but remember the faces of the people back there, the smiling jovial faces of the wealthy. Laughing at life itself.

Slavery itself has been long abolished but it’s practices are still present. The imprisoned, the indebted, the poor… all work in the same manner of a slave, and now you’ve heard of another one -- spliced. You never would have guessed that this is somehow legal, not until you heard it from Naomi herself. You didn’t know how ignorant you’ve been, cooped up on Haven without any real knowledge of the outside world. The most you’ve heard was history and some current events you could catch when you had the time off from working on the farm.

Naomi said that this was a possibility, for Sumi’s fate. This savage and barbaric fate… is a possibility for her beloved sister. You have no idea what it’s supposed to mean to be forced to give birth to spliced, or how it’s supposed to work, but you’re sure it’s no clean or pure process. In a way, you can sympathize with the Sons that this isn’t something we as a people should be experimenting with. You have no idea how the new bill will ever be passed if information like this can be leaked out.

An underground trafficking of slaves. Born and raised for one purpose, their entire being is for their master’s whims. A disgusting thought that you would have never guessed would be true. Those people aren’t human. They’re...

Human monsters, more monstrous than the beings they enslave.

The ship sighs and creaks as it docks within Ryo’s garage. The sound of the ship connecting and locking onto the ceiling as your engines slowly turn off echoes throughout the ship as you unbuckle yourself and begin to climb out of the cockpit. Coraline unlocks the door and leaves the ship first, dropping down and walking off without a single word. As you crawl your way toward the exit, you watch Naomi leave before you reach out and call her, “Hey, Naomi, got a second? I… we… uh, I want to talk with you for a bit if you want.”

>>3254695
“Oh,” she says as she turns to you, brushing away her pink hair, “yeah sure, I was just going to go to my room and lie down but I think there’s a chair or something in there, are you fine with that? That burger, you know, really made me tired. Like after you eat a lot, uhm, you get that feeling where you just have to fall asleep…” she says with a thin smile, “but I can talk if you want, I just want to, uhm, lie down.”

“Oh, that’s fine, I just got somethin I wanted to talk about,” you say as you stick your hands in your pockets, “besides, I think we should talk bout it since… well since, you know…”

“Right…well, come on then.” she says before waving you to follow her as she starts to make her way to her room. She slowly snakes her way to the room with you behind before she opens the door and turns around, “right, I’m going to go change so stay here.”

“Alright,” you shrug before she turns back and closes the door to her room behind her. You turn over to look at Coraline sitting in front of the TV and then to the table where you pull out a chair and sit down. Today, the day you ran into the C.I.T.F, the day in Unity… they’ve all felt like they slapped you in the face with your own weakness. You’re afraid.

You sigh as you look at the TV and lean back. Coraline’s watching that same show about Idols, you think that they’re supposed to be heroes with the way they act. They always seem to be fictionally heroic, standing atop of any fear they have. They stand above the rest, to save everyone around them, to be the greatest they can. Real people aren’t like that, maybe that’s why Coraline likes the show? Maybe she thinks that it’s something that people should be, the values of heroes really are above everyone else’s. Incorruptible, vigilant, honorable, but extremely cartoonish in any real portayale.

They’re just…

You turn back to the door as you hear it slide open, revealing Naomi standing in comfortable sleepwear. It’s a bit past noon but she seems to have already retired for the day, you can’t help but smile at it. She waves you in before closing the door behind you. Finding a small, wide, low plush looking chair without a back sitting against the wall and stuck between the wardrobe and the nightstand. Naomi climbs atop the bed that’s now slightly higher than your seat as you prop your socked feet on the edge of the bed. She looks to you as she assumes a lounged position on her side, “So... what did you want to talk about, Sammy?”

>(options next)

>>3254697

--Options!--

>”I just wanted to know how you’re holding up. I know it’s been a pretty hectic few days and you’ve been dealing with this for a few months by now… just wanted to know if you’re okay.” You’re here to talk to her about her feelings, how she’s been and what she thinks about.

>”Oh, you know what I want to talk about. Your sister, Sumi, my friend, Adam, everything about Arcady... just… I don’t know what to do really. I keep thinking about it but it doesn’t feel like it’s connecting.”

>”You didn’t give me a real answer earlier… Abigaile, what happened with her, the ship, and that guy with white hair, how you know any of those people too… we’re partners here, you can trust me.”

>[write-in]

>>3254698
>You know what want to talk about but...that's not why I'm here, you are tired, and it's not just about today, I just wanted to know how you’re holding up. I know it’s been a pretty hectic few days and you’ve been dealing with this for a few months by now…we're partners, I know I can be a worrying fool but..."

She knows what we want to talk about, she isbsmart enough to guess, but seeing her like this makes me think it's more important to check on her, tell her so.

>>3254698

>”I just wanted to know how you’re holding up. I know it’s been a pretty hectic few days and you’ve been dealing with this for a few months by now… just wanted to know if you’re okay.” You’re here to talk to her about her feelings, how she’s been and what she thinks about.

>>3254698
>Abigaile, what happened with her, the ship, and that guy with white hair, how you know any of those people too… we’re partners here, you can trust me.”

>>3254749
When we eventuall finish our conversation stay with her until she sleeps if she wants.

>>3254737
>>3254749
>two for feelings

Writing! (hopefully I'll get it in before the thread closes)