On Holiday
11/20
Aideen rushed to work. She was in no danger of running late. She just really wanted a coffee and a smoke before Luuke had a chance to throw her to the wolves. Like he did every night. The walkway was busy as always, especially for this time of day. Goddamnit, I knew I should have taken the alleys. Or the tunnels. It was too late now. Aideen swam against the tide of bodies heading inward towards the elevator terminals.
As she pushed through, her peripheral vision caught sight of a pair that stood out a bit. A tall woman with a single horn on her forehead and a pastel sweater that screamed punk, and a cat girl with a leopard print pattern in her hair. Why did they stand out? There was no ping, so they weren’t modded. That must have been it.
By the time she made it to the bar, Aideen received a ping from her facial recognition system. She considered checking it, but it could wait. Coffee was before her, and she figured she had about three minutes before her compatriot gave her the look that said “get your ass behind the counter and get to work.” Like hell she was giving up her coffee like that. Soon, the notification was forgotten, along with the rest waiting in her brain to be checked.
A few hours later, however, her secure messaging system pinged her in the middle of a rush on the bar. A quick glance showed exactly what she didn’t want to see. Her benefactor had seen the file she hadn’t taken time to check yet. Which only confirmed what she suspected.
She’d deal with that later. At the end of her shift, in her AR glasses, she was reading up on the personal file she had been pinged about earlier.
“Well. I see why you’ve got his interest. Shame, too. You’re a real babe.”
She closed out the file and dumped it in secure storage. It would be backed up in her vault as soon as she got in range of her apartment. Then, she looked at shuttle ticket prices for a trip to The City. There was a cafe she had been meaning to visit. Now was as good a time as any.
“Luuke. I’ll be outa town a few days for business. Give Gunnold my love, will you?”
A rude gesture flashed through the door. “Yeah, I love you too.” He’s gotta be an evil clone or something. She pushed her way out the back entrance into the Level 5 alleyway, lighting a smoke as she went.
------
“Hey. I’m heading to the city. I’ll be out a week or so. Maybe longer.”
“Oh really? Got a job? Or you just miss the weirdness?”
“Says the dark elf with the chips for brains.”
“Yeah, sure. So. What’s the job?”
“...It’s the Old Man.”
“Oh. Oh shit. Well, this gonna work off your debt?”
“I sure as hell hope so. Working for paychecks feels like whoring.”
“Well, I mean...”
“Not another goddamn word Teryl. I gotta pack.”
“Seriously. Send me something to dig up. I’ll have something for you to work with when you get there.”
“Yeah, sure. Don’t get too lonely while I’m gone.”
Sympathy for the Devil
-
Aideen Byrnes
- Junior Adventurer
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:15 pm
-
Aideen Byrnes
- Junior Adventurer
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:15 pm
Re: Sympathy for the Devil
Wicked Game
11/27
A young woman ran through the alley, hood up to keep the rain off her head. When she got under the overhang at the front of the cafe, she looked back. She never did get this magic stuff. She was freezing her balls off and there was still liquid rain. “Guess someone here likes the sound. Or something.”
The stranger pulled a smoke out of her pocket, holding it in her lips. No sign on the door, so she’d have to ask. She pushed her way in, finding herself immediately warmed by the fire nearby. “Oh, fuck, this is nice.” She looked around, scowling waking to the bar, pushing her hood back. “Hey, you guys care if I light up in here? Damn, that’s a lotta books.”
The boy behind the bar looked to the woman, grinning a little. "Away from the books. I got an ashtray here at the bar if you need." He watched her for a moment. "My fiancee puts a lot of work into this place, and the rain truly is relaxing. Makes snuggling so much more appealing." He grinned a little. "Need something to warm up?" A fuzzy ear turned at each sound, a tail swaying relaxed.
She looked over to the person. A smile touched her eyes. “Got anything that tastes as good as you look?” She flipped open her zippo and lit up, taking a deep drag ad the cigarette as she took a seat. “Something with caffeine and chocolate.”
He grinned a little. "Well, I've been told I'm pretty yummy." There was a wink. "As for caffeine and chocolate, we have the mystery man, mocha with a splash of tabasco. Not for the faint of heart, but I don't think that'll be an issue."
“Ah, that I wouldn’t mind trying. Gimme your best shot.” She winked back, putting her elbows on the bar and resting her head on one hand, the other handling the cigarette. “So, your fiancée runs the place, eh? It must be new. I don’t remember it last time I was in town.”
Wren chuckled slightly, beginning to whip up the drink. "It's been here a month or two by now, already quite popular, but fairly new in all honesty." A hand waved, letting a mage hand continue putting the drink together. "As for giving it a try, may need to wait till the end of my shift." Under the counter, he was shooting his fiancee a text. He didn't assume anything, but wanted to double-check with her even for the flirting.
The woman laughed. “I was talking about the drink, cutie. But the offer is noted.” She took a drag. “Yeah, it’s been about that long since I moved back south. I was thinking about taking a trip back up to the Big City, and when I saw that Tony Freaking Hawke was here, I couldn’t resist.” Another laugh. “Like, how the frick does that even happen? He’s dead in my time, and here he is in RhyDin at this random ass coffee shop.”
A tongue was stuck out, and the drink was slid across the counter. "From outside the city then?" He asked curiously. "As for Tony freakin’ Hawke, I don't think they even realized it was him until he was gone." He laughed lightly. "I know after he left we got flooded with fans."
“Can’t complain about free marketing.” She shrugged, taking a drink of the Mystery Man. She nodded approvingly. “That’s some good coffee. Anyway, yeah, I’m from Earth originally. Ended up here… somehow. Just kinda happened. I live on Mimisportr for the time being. Closer to the type of people I’m used to.” She waved about vaguely. “No magic where I’m from. Or cute catboys, for that matter. Well, I’m lying. I’ve worn those earphones and a tail. We’ve all had a college phase.” She raised her cup.
"Oh I think the only complaints any of us had were over the entitled customers." He grinned a bit. "Glad you like it, our fall drink is most popular, but this one is probably our second or third most popular." He pulled his own coffee to his lips. "So Earth. Specific time? Specific Terra?" He swapped between terms, before grinning, tail twitching at the compliment. "If people keep calling me cute I may never let this phase end, bet you were adorable with the ears and tail."
She grinned around her cigarette. “Well… the headphones I owned. I don’t even remember when I got them. Must have been drunk. Or high. Anyway. The tail was a dare. There’s probably pics on some asshole’s cloud drive.” She thought about the first question. “Earth? Like, I don’t know the coordinates or however you identify it. I’m sure as fuck not going back.” She dug in her coat pocket, finding a small bottle. “I left in… shit, 2121? CE if that matters. No aliens or magic, just a bunch of rich people and poor people and everyone has chips in their brains.”
Banjo looked curiously at the bottle. "Really, I'm more asking if you're from the same earth those I care about are." He liked to learn, understand their lives. "So it's a capitalist society?" Obviously. "Could always give you ears and a tail again if you wanted, magic is a thing here."
She raised her eyebrows. “True, but I’m hesitant to try something like that. Not sure how it’ll play with my electric parts. Plus…” She took a grey tablet from the bottle and downed it with her coffee, giving a grin. “my kind of tail is fun enough.”
He raised an amused eyebrow. "That so?" The grin turned into a flirty smirk. "Hmm... What can your electric parts do? I could see those being fun depending on function"
“Well, most of it is more fun for me than you. The rest…” she considered. “I guess you’ll just have to wonder what I can do.” She smothered the remains of her cigarette in the ash tray. “Wouldn’t want to steal you away from your beau.”
He sipped his coffee. "Well, that's a tad disappointing, was really curious you know..." He shrugged, letting it go. "Want a refill?" There was a pause for a second. "Or any kind of pastry or snack?"
She polished off the cup. Her face gave a transparently exaggerated pout. “Awe, c’mon. You’re giving up already?” She lit another smoke for herself. “What’s the fall drink you mentioned?”
He chuckled. "I know to take no as an answer, though if you want me to chase, I'll have you know she doesn't mind me flirting away. Fall drink is hot cider with chai and caramel, I like to think it makes people... *fall* for me." There was a wink at the awful pun.
She laughed. “In that case, sign me up. That sounds sweet and mellow as fuck.” She took another drag. “I was hoping to make you curious. How about this?” Her hair changes, from her shortish blue with purple highlights to a style that resembled Wren’s, except in snow leopard colors. No cat ears, though. “It’s nice to change things up when I don’t feel like being a girl. Or if I wanna disappear in a crowd.”
Wren got to work on the drink, whistling as the hair changed color. “That’s hella cool, I can do something similar but with magic. The second I hit an anti-magic zone, I short circuit.” He eyed her up, eyes never lingering long (that’s rude), instead just curious. “Is there a downside? Or limitations?”
She lifted the bottle and shake it, rattling the tablets inside. “Gotta keep up a steady diet of nano machines. My cyber bits don’t work on sugar and protein. Back home, most places have food that has some nano mixed in. It’s flavorless and anyone who’s all natural just passes it without a problem. So long as you stay hydrated. But it’s not the case here. So, I take my vitamins with every meal.” She put the bottle in her pocket. “Aside from that, basic functions are hardened and protected so I don’t, you know, die. But parts of my wetware are vulnerable as any computer with the right hacker. It’s expert mode and very few people can crack it, and my ICE is more secure than most, but I can be hacked.”
Eyes went wide, “So those are little nanites or something, which I imagine act… hmm, kinda like a red blood cell? Delivering nutrients to the organs, right?” The boy was smarter than he looked. “As for hacking, I would assume they would have to get… intimately… close to do it? Or have access to a port or something?”
She waggled her hand. “Eh. Physical links are most secure, actually. Easiest to lock down. Which is good. I like to touch. A lot. Repeatedly.” She giggled. “Besides, I spend most of my time wireless. I’m still connected to the ‘net right now.” She sipped her drink. “As for the nanites, yeah, they carry materials for self repair and physical functions. They also harvest small amounts of energy from my metabolism to power everything. I have to shut things down when I have a fever. Things get twitchy.”
His cheeks finally dusted pink, “Touching is nice, I imagine folks get… distracted though.” He grinned, not being at all subtle this time as he checked her out more blatantly. “Woulda assumed wireless hacking more difficult, but I can understand how being able to control a more… physical connection would make wireless simpler.” He thought for a moment about the last comment. “Similar to how when a tech-less body gets sick, it gets weaker? Shut down stuff so everything has the power it needs for recovery without getting weird?”
“Kinda?” She puffed for a second. “It’s more like… well, the nanites literally skim more energy because of the spike in metabolism. There’s power management in place that helps prevent damage, but it still makes things weird. So, I shut things down to make things less uncomfortable. Just basic processing and mobility for my arm.” She flexed her fingers on her right hand as though in demonstration. “As for physical security being easier, I don’t jack into a system directly from my brain to the computer. And I never Jack person to person. I always run through an intermediate computer that keeps everything separate. Kinda like a condom.” She paused a best. “Actually, that was meant to be a dirty joke, but shit, it’s accurate in ways I didn’t think about.”
“Hmm. So if I get past getting you coffees here at the bar, there won’t be a computer between us, right?” He went for it with a grin. Her joke may have been accurate, but he was really hoping his wouldn’t be proven accurate. “Apologies, but this tech stuff is incredibly interesting, if my questions make you uncomfortable feel free to let me know.”
She smiled. “I’m a hacker. I live for this shit. And surprisingly few people ask about my wetware, which is a bragging rights thing back home. Like, comparing mods and showing off new implants. So, don’t worry. I’ll let you know if it’s too personal, but it’s not like I’m taking my clothes off for you.”
.
“Damn and I was hoping we’d get there.” A wink and a smirk right back. “So you can change your hair, though the mods get twitchy when you get sick. You’re more durable. How far can the physical changes go?”
“Arbitrarily. Though, I wouldn’t say I’m more durable. Like, You could stab my right arm and I wouldn’t feel it if I turn feedback off. But the rest of me is all fleshy bits. Aside from my arm, most of my wetware is in my brain and my eyes. My hair follicles are all replaced. All of them.” She winked. “And I have some subdermal implants in my face and chest to make some subtle cosmetic changes. Sometimes I wear nanite nail polish that goes on clear and changes color at will. And there’s sensors scattered through my nervous system for control and feedback.”
“Hmm… may need to see it to believe it…” He grinned a little. “So nothing super duper drastic, but a good chunk of selection of cosmetics to play with, as well as practical stuff.” At some point he had began to make his way around the bar as another tender took over, “What’s your dream piece of tech?”
She thought about it. “Maybe full body prosthesis. Just my brain left. Well, parts of it. It’s tricky and doesn’t always work, so it’s reserved for very special cases. And, well, they say physical sensations feel different. Like, weird. And they say it all but kills your sex drive, so maybe not something I’d actually do.” She scrunched up her face. “But, the ability to control and modify any part of my body arbitrarily? If I could be a true cyborg and still have all the benefits of my meatware?” She looked thoughtful.
“Hmm… can’t have the sex drive killed.” Yes, Wren, that was the important part of that sentence. The shapeshifter looked down at himself. “Sometimes changing your physicality on a whim has downsides. My body changes based on feelings, whether I want to be out or not. Part of the downsides of being an untethered familiar, but the upsides are I, well, look and have the body I want.” He shrugged. “Potions and things with a limited duration have better control.”
“So, like, when you’re feeling sexy and all hot and bothered? What kinda cat person would I be staring at?” She set her head back on one hand as she looked at him.
“Depends on the day. Sometimes you’ll see me as I am now. Sometimes I’m a cute cat lady, other times, though rare, I can be a sexy badass.” Gender not specified. “Though usually, when I’m all hot and bothered my legs will be crossed to hide it.” His one leg was brought over the over, perhaps subconsciously at his own words.
She raised her eyebrows. “That makes me wanna ask all kinds of questions that I think I’d rather figure out myself. But one I do wanna know.” She sipped her drink in though. “Shit, I can never figure out the polite way to ask this. What are you? Like, cat person? Cat-like person? Person-like cat?”
“A shapeshifter who favours the enhanced senses being part cat provides.” He grinned. “Though, it’s an added perk when the person I’m marrying is into it. That’s the real win.” He paused for a long moment. “Also, sunny windows are great. So is catnip, maintaining the cat features enhances those effects.”
She was looking at him as he talked. She pointed at his ears. “Um… I’ve been thinking this all night. Can I?”
Wren lowered his head so the ears were more accessible. “You may, thanks for asking.”
She pet at the closest ear with her left hand, gently playing with it with her fingers. “Oh my God. So soft.” She was grinning. “Okay, this made my day. I could play with it all night.” The scritching found its way into the boundary between ear and hair.
“ I mean…” He grinned, a soft purr echoing his chest. Not near as loud as when Mira played with them, but definitely still there. “You could.” His head tilted slightly to the side,.“I have an apartment just upstairs?”
She teased her fingers through his hair. “Is that an invitation…?”
“It might be” He grinned, gold eyes locking onto hers for a second. “You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back…” He winked. it was very much an invitation.
“Well then…” she leaned forward. “If you insist…” she intended to meet him part way, closing her eyes. If he wanted her to follow him up, he’d have to come to her.
He gently leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, and his hand moved behind her head. He backed up after a minute, grinning like a loon. “Shall we?”
She drank in the kiss, a bit surprised at how into it she was, if she was being honest. “Aideen. I’m Aideen. No sense in bringing some nameless girl to your bed.”
------
DarkWebSteve: Hey! Aids! Why aren’t you answering your phone?
K1tsune: I was busy
DarkWebSteve: What the hells kept you so busy all night?
DarkWebSteve: oh
DarkWebSteve: shit
DarkWebSteve: DO NOT ANSWER THAT
K1tsune: A lady doesn’t kiss and tell
DarkWebSteve: Let me guess. Found a nice piece of ass and forgot why you were there?
K1tsune: Yes and no
K1tsune: It was the barista
DarkWebSteve: So probably literally the first person you saw?
K1tsune: He’s a catboy, Ty! Ears and everything!
K1tsune: and he’s her fiancé
DarkWebSteve: I could have guessed
DarkWebSteve: Wait, seriously?
DarkWebSteve: Talk about in through the back door.
K1tsune: She came home part way through, and now I have a place to crash as long as I want
K1tsune: they’re... really sweet
DarkWebSteve: It’s a shame you’re working.
K1tsune: im on vacation
DarkWebSteve: wait
DarkWebSteve: Don’t tell me
K1tsune: It’s just a bit of fun. I might never get a chance later. I want to enjoy myself before I have to work
DarkWebSteve: Don’t let the Old Man find out
K1tsune: so what? It’s just having some fun
K1tsune: as long as he gets what he wants, I get paid right
DarkWebSteve: Yeah, true. Check in later. And please don’t give me another heart attack like that
-LOG OFF-
11/27
A young woman ran through the alley, hood up to keep the rain off her head. When she got under the overhang at the front of the cafe, she looked back. She never did get this magic stuff. She was freezing her balls off and there was still liquid rain. “Guess someone here likes the sound. Or something.”
The stranger pulled a smoke out of her pocket, holding it in her lips. No sign on the door, so she’d have to ask. She pushed her way in, finding herself immediately warmed by the fire nearby. “Oh, fuck, this is nice.” She looked around, scowling waking to the bar, pushing her hood back. “Hey, you guys care if I light up in here? Damn, that’s a lotta books.”
The boy behind the bar looked to the woman, grinning a little. "Away from the books. I got an ashtray here at the bar if you need." He watched her for a moment. "My fiancee puts a lot of work into this place, and the rain truly is relaxing. Makes snuggling so much more appealing." He grinned a little. "Need something to warm up?" A fuzzy ear turned at each sound, a tail swaying relaxed.
She looked over to the person. A smile touched her eyes. “Got anything that tastes as good as you look?” She flipped open her zippo and lit up, taking a deep drag ad the cigarette as she took a seat. “Something with caffeine and chocolate.”
He grinned a little. "Well, I've been told I'm pretty yummy." There was a wink. "As for caffeine and chocolate, we have the mystery man, mocha with a splash of tabasco. Not for the faint of heart, but I don't think that'll be an issue."
“Ah, that I wouldn’t mind trying. Gimme your best shot.” She winked back, putting her elbows on the bar and resting her head on one hand, the other handling the cigarette. “So, your fiancée runs the place, eh? It must be new. I don’t remember it last time I was in town.”
Wren chuckled slightly, beginning to whip up the drink. "It's been here a month or two by now, already quite popular, but fairly new in all honesty." A hand waved, letting a mage hand continue putting the drink together. "As for giving it a try, may need to wait till the end of my shift." Under the counter, he was shooting his fiancee a text. He didn't assume anything, but wanted to double-check with her even for the flirting.
The woman laughed. “I was talking about the drink, cutie. But the offer is noted.” She took a drag. “Yeah, it’s been about that long since I moved back south. I was thinking about taking a trip back up to the Big City, and when I saw that Tony Freaking Hawke was here, I couldn’t resist.” Another laugh. “Like, how the frick does that even happen? He’s dead in my time, and here he is in RhyDin at this random ass coffee shop.”
A tongue was stuck out, and the drink was slid across the counter. "From outside the city then?" He asked curiously. "As for Tony freakin’ Hawke, I don't think they even realized it was him until he was gone." He laughed lightly. "I know after he left we got flooded with fans."
“Can’t complain about free marketing.” She shrugged, taking a drink of the Mystery Man. She nodded approvingly. “That’s some good coffee. Anyway, yeah, I’m from Earth originally. Ended up here… somehow. Just kinda happened. I live on Mimisportr for the time being. Closer to the type of people I’m used to.” She waved about vaguely. “No magic where I’m from. Or cute catboys, for that matter. Well, I’m lying. I’ve worn those earphones and a tail. We’ve all had a college phase.” She raised her cup.
"Oh I think the only complaints any of us had were over the entitled customers." He grinned a bit. "Glad you like it, our fall drink is most popular, but this one is probably our second or third most popular." He pulled his own coffee to his lips. "So Earth. Specific time? Specific Terra?" He swapped between terms, before grinning, tail twitching at the compliment. "If people keep calling me cute I may never let this phase end, bet you were adorable with the ears and tail."
She grinned around her cigarette. “Well… the headphones I owned. I don’t even remember when I got them. Must have been drunk. Or high. Anyway. The tail was a dare. There’s probably pics on some asshole’s cloud drive.” She thought about the first question. “Earth? Like, I don’t know the coordinates or however you identify it. I’m sure as fuck not going back.” She dug in her coat pocket, finding a small bottle. “I left in… shit, 2121? CE if that matters. No aliens or magic, just a bunch of rich people and poor people and everyone has chips in their brains.”
Banjo looked curiously at the bottle. "Really, I'm more asking if you're from the same earth those I care about are." He liked to learn, understand their lives. "So it's a capitalist society?" Obviously. "Could always give you ears and a tail again if you wanted, magic is a thing here."
She raised her eyebrows. “True, but I’m hesitant to try something like that. Not sure how it’ll play with my electric parts. Plus…” She took a grey tablet from the bottle and downed it with her coffee, giving a grin. “my kind of tail is fun enough.”
He raised an amused eyebrow. "That so?" The grin turned into a flirty smirk. "Hmm... What can your electric parts do? I could see those being fun depending on function"
“Well, most of it is more fun for me than you. The rest…” she considered. “I guess you’ll just have to wonder what I can do.” She smothered the remains of her cigarette in the ash tray. “Wouldn’t want to steal you away from your beau.”
He sipped his coffee. "Well, that's a tad disappointing, was really curious you know..." He shrugged, letting it go. "Want a refill?" There was a pause for a second. "Or any kind of pastry or snack?"
She polished off the cup. Her face gave a transparently exaggerated pout. “Awe, c’mon. You’re giving up already?” She lit another smoke for herself. “What’s the fall drink you mentioned?”
He chuckled. "I know to take no as an answer, though if you want me to chase, I'll have you know she doesn't mind me flirting away. Fall drink is hot cider with chai and caramel, I like to think it makes people... *fall* for me." There was a wink at the awful pun.
She laughed. “In that case, sign me up. That sounds sweet and mellow as fuck.” She took another drag. “I was hoping to make you curious. How about this?” Her hair changes, from her shortish blue with purple highlights to a style that resembled Wren’s, except in snow leopard colors. No cat ears, though. “It’s nice to change things up when I don’t feel like being a girl. Or if I wanna disappear in a crowd.”
Wren got to work on the drink, whistling as the hair changed color. “That’s hella cool, I can do something similar but with magic. The second I hit an anti-magic zone, I short circuit.” He eyed her up, eyes never lingering long (that’s rude), instead just curious. “Is there a downside? Or limitations?”
She lifted the bottle and shake it, rattling the tablets inside. “Gotta keep up a steady diet of nano machines. My cyber bits don’t work on sugar and protein. Back home, most places have food that has some nano mixed in. It’s flavorless and anyone who’s all natural just passes it without a problem. So long as you stay hydrated. But it’s not the case here. So, I take my vitamins with every meal.” She put the bottle in her pocket. “Aside from that, basic functions are hardened and protected so I don’t, you know, die. But parts of my wetware are vulnerable as any computer with the right hacker. It’s expert mode and very few people can crack it, and my ICE is more secure than most, but I can be hacked.”
Eyes went wide, “So those are little nanites or something, which I imagine act… hmm, kinda like a red blood cell? Delivering nutrients to the organs, right?” The boy was smarter than he looked. “As for hacking, I would assume they would have to get… intimately… close to do it? Or have access to a port or something?”
She waggled her hand. “Eh. Physical links are most secure, actually. Easiest to lock down. Which is good. I like to touch. A lot. Repeatedly.” She giggled. “Besides, I spend most of my time wireless. I’m still connected to the ‘net right now.” She sipped her drink. “As for the nanites, yeah, they carry materials for self repair and physical functions. They also harvest small amounts of energy from my metabolism to power everything. I have to shut things down when I have a fever. Things get twitchy.”
His cheeks finally dusted pink, “Touching is nice, I imagine folks get… distracted though.” He grinned, not being at all subtle this time as he checked her out more blatantly. “Woulda assumed wireless hacking more difficult, but I can understand how being able to control a more… physical connection would make wireless simpler.” He thought for a moment about the last comment. “Similar to how when a tech-less body gets sick, it gets weaker? Shut down stuff so everything has the power it needs for recovery without getting weird?”
“Kinda?” She puffed for a second. “It’s more like… well, the nanites literally skim more energy because of the spike in metabolism. There’s power management in place that helps prevent damage, but it still makes things weird. So, I shut things down to make things less uncomfortable. Just basic processing and mobility for my arm.” She flexed her fingers on her right hand as though in demonstration. “As for physical security being easier, I don’t jack into a system directly from my brain to the computer. And I never Jack person to person. I always run through an intermediate computer that keeps everything separate. Kinda like a condom.” She paused a best. “Actually, that was meant to be a dirty joke, but shit, it’s accurate in ways I didn’t think about.”
“Hmm. So if I get past getting you coffees here at the bar, there won’t be a computer between us, right?” He went for it with a grin. Her joke may have been accurate, but he was really hoping his wouldn’t be proven accurate. “Apologies, but this tech stuff is incredibly interesting, if my questions make you uncomfortable feel free to let me know.”
She smiled. “I’m a hacker. I live for this shit. And surprisingly few people ask about my wetware, which is a bragging rights thing back home. Like, comparing mods and showing off new implants. So, don’t worry. I’ll let you know if it’s too personal, but it’s not like I’m taking my clothes off for you.”
.“Damn and I was hoping we’d get there.” A wink and a smirk right back. “So you can change your hair, though the mods get twitchy when you get sick. You’re more durable. How far can the physical changes go?”
“Arbitrarily. Though, I wouldn’t say I’m more durable. Like, You could stab my right arm and I wouldn’t feel it if I turn feedback off. But the rest of me is all fleshy bits. Aside from my arm, most of my wetware is in my brain and my eyes. My hair follicles are all replaced. All of them.” She winked. “And I have some subdermal implants in my face and chest to make some subtle cosmetic changes. Sometimes I wear nanite nail polish that goes on clear and changes color at will. And there’s sensors scattered through my nervous system for control and feedback.”
“Hmm… may need to see it to believe it…” He grinned a little. “So nothing super duper drastic, but a good chunk of selection of cosmetics to play with, as well as practical stuff.” At some point he had began to make his way around the bar as another tender took over, “What’s your dream piece of tech?”
She thought about it. “Maybe full body prosthesis. Just my brain left. Well, parts of it. It’s tricky and doesn’t always work, so it’s reserved for very special cases. And, well, they say physical sensations feel different. Like, weird. And they say it all but kills your sex drive, so maybe not something I’d actually do.” She scrunched up her face. “But, the ability to control and modify any part of my body arbitrarily? If I could be a true cyborg and still have all the benefits of my meatware?” She looked thoughtful.
“Hmm… can’t have the sex drive killed.” Yes, Wren, that was the important part of that sentence. The shapeshifter looked down at himself. “Sometimes changing your physicality on a whim has downsides. My body changes based on feelings, whether I want to be out or not. Part of the downsides of being an untethered familiar, but the upsides are I, well, look and have the body I want.” He shrugged. “Potions and things with a limited duration have better control.”
“So, like, when you’re feeling sexy and all hot and bothered? What kinda cat person would I be staring at?” She set her head back on one hand as she looked at him.
“Depends on the day. Sometimes you’ll see me as I am now. Sometimes I’m a cute cat lady, other times, though rare, I can be a sexy badass.” Gender not specified. “Though usually, when I’m all hot and bothered my legs will be crossed to hide it.” His one leg was brought over the over, perhaps subconsciously at his own words.
She raised her eyebrows. “That makes me wanna ask all kinds of questions that I think I’d rather figure out myself. But one I do wanna know.” She sipped her drink in though. “Shit, I can never figure out the polite way to ask this. What are you? Like, cat person? Cat-like person? Person-like cat?”
“A shapeshifter who favours the enhanced senses being part cat provides.” He grinned. “Though, it’s an added perk when the person I’m marrying is into it. That’s the real win.” He paused for a long moment. “Also, sunny windows are great. So is catnip, maintaining the cat features enhances those effects.”
She was looking at him as he talked. She pointed at his ears. “Um… I’ve been thinking this all night. Can I?”
Wren lowered his head so the ears were more accessible. “You may, thanks for asking.”
She pet at the closest ear with her left hand, gently playing with it with her fingers. “Oh my God. So soft.” She was grinning. “Okay, this made my day. I could play with it all night.” The scritching found its way into the boundary between ear and hair.
“ I mean…” He grinned, a soft purr echoing his chest. Not near as loud as when Mira played with them, but definitely still there. “You could.” His head tilted slightly to the side,.“I have an apartment just upstairs?”
She teased her fingers through his hair. “Is that an invitation…?”
“It might be” He grinned, gold eyes locking onto hers for a second. “You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back…” He winked. it was very much an invitation.
“Well then…” she leaned forward. “If you insist…” she intended to meet him part way, closing her eyes. If he wanted her to follow him up, he’d have to come to her.
He gently leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, and his hand moved behind her head. He backed up after a minute, grinning like a loon. “Shall we?”
She drank in the kiss, a bit surprised at how into it she was, if she was being honest. “Aideen. I’m Aideen. No sense in bringing some nameless girl to your bed.”
------
DarkWebSteve: Hey! Aids! Why aren’t you answering your phone?
K1tsune: I was busy
DarkWebSteve: What the hells kept you so busy all night?
DarkWebSteve: oh
DarkWebSteve: shit
DarkWebSteve: DO NOT ANSWER THAT
K1tsune: A lady doesn’t kiss and tell
DarkWebSteve: Let me guess. Found a nice piece of ass and forgot why you were there?
K1tsune: Yes and no
K1tsune: It was the barista
DarkWebSteve: So probably literally the first person you saw?
K1tsune: He’s a catboy, Ty! Ears and everything!
K1tsune: and he’s her fiancé
DarkWebSteve: I could have guessed
DarkWebSteve: Wait, seriously?
DarkWebSteve: Talk about in through the back door.
K1tsune: She came home part way through, and now I have a place to crash as long as I want
K1tsune: they’re... really sweet
DarkWebSteve: It’s a shame you’re working.
K1tsune: im on vacation
DarkWebSteve: wait
DarkWebSteve: Don’t tell me
K1tsune: It’s just a bit of fun. I might never get a chance later. I want to enjoy myself before I have to work
DarkWebSteve: Don’t let the Old Man find out
K1tsune: so what? It’s just having some fun
K1tsune: as long as he gets what he wants, I get paid right
DarkWebSteve: Yeah, true. Check in later. And please don’t give me another heart attack like that
-LOG OFF-
-
Aideen Byrnes
- Junior Adventurer
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:15 pm
Re: Sympathy for the Devil
-SESSION OPEN-
Welcome K1tsune
3 December, 2021
Checking GPS...
04:27 Local
Open NetConnect
Connecting...
Ping: 647 ns
Open VPN profile: ‘City-Holiday’
Routing...
Routing...
Routing...
Ping: 1293 ns
Connection successful
Dashboard
26 New Messages
4 Urgent
17 Redirected to Spam
Connect: MercuryNet
New Message
DarkWebSteve: Aideen what the shit
DarkWebSteve: seriously where have you been?
K1tsune: hold on I’m calling
-LOG OFF-
MercuryNet -set: Ghost
Call: Ty
Connecting...
-superCom Transcript Active
“Fuck, Aideen, you go dark for three days? What happened?”
“Look, I’m sorry. Things came up and I had to lay low a few days.”
“Your server’s been idle. What’s going on?”
“I told you. Something came up.”
“Alright. This isn’t like you. What’s up?”
“...”
“C’mon Aid. It’s me.”
“Meet me in Star’s End tomorrow. You know the place. You know the time.”
“That serious, huh?”
“Yeah. It is.”
“Alright. You got it. See you there.”
-CALL END-
SetEnvironment: External
Connecting...
External environment active
CyBrain: Ghost
-SESSION CLOSED-
-superCom Uploading Session...
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests