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(Setting) The FalkMartell 532 (la continued)
| "Are you okay!?"
>Lennart put a hand on Jòsef's shoulder and leaned in to check if he was hurt.
| >Jòsef shaked his head a couple times, took a step backwards and then let out an awkward smile.
"Y-yeah, I guess."
>He quickly looked to the left, then to the right.
"I just really hope no one else has seen this."
>He opened the door and went inside, waiting for Lennart.
| "Don't worry, it happens to all of us."
>Lennart smiled knowingly at Jòsef as he walked inside. The interior of the store was only distinguishable from the exterior by the rows of minimalistic product displays, the upbeat ambient music pumped in by unseen speakers, and the lone customer service representative—an attractive lilim in a pinstripe grey skirt suit—who silently bowed to the two new customers.
"Right, phones are... Right over here."
| >Jòsef followed Lennart's direction, then asked him in a lowered voice.
"So, uhh, which ones would you recommend? I really don't want ask the representative. They usually all about selling stuff to you and not so much about getting stuff you need."
| "I've never actually used a phone to be honest. I can look up the specs and reviews for any model you might be interested in, but I don't actually know anything myself."
>Lennart looked back at the lilim near the entrance.
"That said, the customer service people in upscale places like this tend to be more helpful than you might think. Customer satisfaction and reputation are more important than just moving as much product as quickly as possible."
| >Jòsef also looked back at the lilim-representative.
"You will probably laugh at me, but I'm really not good at interacting with lilim. Like, I dont have anything against them or something like that, but I always get this very uncomfortable feeling when talking to one. I don't know how to describe this."
>He shook his head slowly.
"I even visited a specialist once, just to check Im not going crazy, but they couldn't tell me whats wrong with me and lilim."
| "Really? But.. Well, you've been interacting with me just fine, and I'd say I'm further removed from the basic model of humanity than most lilim I've met. Or is that not it?"
| >Jòsef made a very weird face and opened his mouth to say something but then broke into a paroxysm of coughing. He reached into his pockets but didn't find any tissues left, so he just wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaving a faint red stain on his cheeck.
"Allright, you got me here. I have been sure you was a human up until this moment, and I definitely don't feel much discomfort right now. But I do feel very uncomfortable with, at least, lilim I dont know personally."
| >Lennart winced in sympathetic pain as Jòsef flew into a fit of coughing. For awhile he silently debated with himself whether or not to insist on taking Jòsef to a doctor, but eventually gave up on the idea.
"W-well, I'm glad you aren't uncomfortable with me. Really. Thank you."
| "You're welcome. Although I'm not quite sure whether it's due to me being somewhat familiar with you, or simply because I still don't see you as lilim."
>Jòsef made a vague gesture.
"Or maybe it's just this city's atmosphere. I've noticed myself being way more open with people ever since I moved in here."
>Jòsef made a deep breath, then coughed a couple more times.
"And you are right, let's try talking with the representative."
>He waved to the lilim at the entrance.
| "O-oh, I'm not a lilim, I'm just so heavily hybridized that I'm not really sure if I ca-"
>Before Lennart could finish, the customer service representative, apparently named Adelina according to employee ID, approached the two.
"Good evening sir, Mr Achterberg. How may I be of assistance?"
| >Jòsef winced slightly when Adelina addressed him, raised his brow in amusement at "Mr.Achterberg", but for the most part keeped a straight face. He smiled politely.
"Good evening. I have been looking for a smartphone or its analogue, for personal use, something functional and durable, suited for a person not exactly used to the modern electronics. And Mr Achterberg has been so kind to recommend me your store. So, if you could provide any advice it would be the most appreciated."
| >Lennart's face reddened slightly in embarrassment, while Adelina's eyes lit up at the mention of phones.
"I highly recommend the HPTC 3210. Its seamless carbon fiber body and screen are nanofabricated around its internal components, meaning it has no structural weak points or cracks for dirt or liquid to enter."
| "That, in combination with its smart-PCM thermal management system, allows it to operate at peak performance anywhere in the world, regardless of temperature, air quality, or number of leagues below sea level, while sustaining abuse that would render most phones inoperable."
>Her demeanor grew more excited, though not to an unprofessional degree.
| "I've personally dropped one off the top floor of a 257 story tower in the Arabian Desert, during a sandstorm, in the middle of the hottest month of the year, while running enough apps to kill most processors outright. Not only was it still on and functioning like nothing happened, but after touching up the paint a little, it was indistinguishable from a mint in box unit."
| >Jòsef's smile widened a little.
"Allright, sounds durable enough. What can you say about its functionality?"
>He took a brief look at Lennart.
| >Lennart had wandered away from the conversation, having been distracted by a nearby display of miscellaneous electronic parts.
“These days, even the most basic phones can handle pretty much anything the average user could ever need it to do. Unless you’re a serious AR gamer or work in a field like cybersecurity or investigative work that requires the use of resource-intensive apps, you’re very likely to be able to do whatever you’d like with whatever device you choose.”
| “So long as it’s built well, of course. Build quality is really the most important aspect of a phone in the long run.”
| "And this particular model? TCH something? On a scale from the most basic funftionality to the most advanced tech, where would I find it?"
>Short man crossed his arms.
"A price is also important to me. My wallet is somewhat limited these days, so something crazy expensive just wont do no matter how good it actually is."
| “I’d say it’s pretty high up there. The 3210 is more than powerful enough to handle any task most users could ever need it for. For AR gaming, it’ll easily run less demanding games off the shelf, and with a few small upgrades it can handle just about anything else.”
| “As for the price, it *is a part of HPTC’s professional line, so it’s going to cost more than an entry-level device. But we actually just got in a new shipment of lower cost models that I personally-”
>Lennart held up a hand as he continued to browse the display.
“Don’t worry about it.”
| >Jòsef waved his right hand slightly.
"Simply saying 'more than an entry-level device' doesn't tell me much. Would you tell me exactly how much does that model cost? Then we might think about checking out cheaper ones."
| >Lennart picked out a few random bits and pieces from the display, then returned to Jòsef.
“Really, don’t worry about the price. I’ve got it covered. It's not expensive, especially after my resident discount.”
| >Jòsef turned to face Lennart.
"Well, if you promise me that your "not expensive" is nowhere near hundreds of thousands nuyen... You know I'm gonna look into the pricing later anyway?"
>He turned back to Adelina.
"Allright, let's say I'm... We are going to buy that model. What additional accessories would you recommend and why, if any?"
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| >Jòsef kept looking at Lennart as they spoke, so when he approached the glass doors, he tried to go straight through the glass. He expected the doors to slide away automatically, as most doors at the shopping malls in his homeland did. However, these ones did not share his enthusiasm. Jòsef rammed the glass at top speed, turning his head just in time to let out confused "ughh" as his face slammed against the door.