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(Setting) Capsule Bar
| > For the person behind the bar however, this meat that there wasn’t anything to really do since there was next to nobody around. She sat on the bar-top itself, a slit in her dress revealing one of her legs for all to see. She glances around lazily, hoping for someone to come
> The only thing that could be heard was the knocking of something against wood and faint idol music on the speakers, very unfitting for the dive aesthetic of the place, but the girl didn’t seem to care.
| > Finally, her gaze shifts fully and she peers at the entrance and glares, hoping that would be enough to get someone to come through and save her, if even for a single minute. Hopefully, she thought, that would be enough to bring someone in. Or maybe keep them out.
| >The door on the entrance swings open as a couple enters the bar. The first, would most likely be recognized by the person behind the bar as Red, dressed in a grey jacket and a pair of navy blue trousers, a beanie covering his slicked-back black hair.
>Following him is a young woman, who the bartender might recognize as Alix. She wears a grey-white sweater and grey trousers. A sling bag hangs by her side and a beanie matching her companion covers her long black hair.
| >The couple make their way towards the counter, meanwhile taking a look around the relatively empty bar. Red greets the girl behind the counter with a wave before taking a seat.
"Yo, what's up Dusty. Bit slow today in Motor, huh?"
| >>761343
"Well, well, look what the coyotes dragged in for me. Y'all picked a hell of a time to show up, so I guess this means I need to get to work"
> Dusty stretches herself out and gets off the bar and actually behind the bar, like one should
"Yeah, there are some races going on by the docks so everyone is down there. Lots of them, actually. Anyone who's anyone is there, but I have to run this joint or else the cops will show up again. Long story, don't ask."
| >>761344
"Guess we have the place to ourselves then."
>Alix replies, turning to flash a smile to her partner, who also smiles back before saying;
"Kind of weird though, isn't it? I'm too used to this place being busy and noisy and all that. We arrived at the right time, it seems."
| >>761348
“It’s so weird! I’ve been bored out of my mind just sitting around and killing time on that dumb message board. What are yall drinkin’ anyway? Might be one to have one with ya”
> She slumps slightly on the bar as she talks before perking back up to get ready to get drinks going
| >>761351
"How about a piledriver, I heard you guys swear on that one. I think Alix will probably have a sunshine cloud, no karmotrine."
>Red replies, turning to his companion.
"Actually, I feel like switching 8t up a little. I'll have a... blue fairy, with karmotrine."
| >>761354
“All right all right. I can get yall those. We actually *got* the right glasses and they decided to show me what goes in what so it’ll look more… normal now. Does that make sense?”
> When she finished, she moves to fix up the drinks. She’s not as quick as maybe a *professional* would be, but the drinks come out looking right and even tasting like they should
> as she finishes, she pulls out a brown paper bag that holds a can of some sort
“Shall we?”
| >>761357
"Yep, makes sense."
>Red nods and holds out his glass, waiting for Dusty. Alix does the same.
"Right then, cheers."
| >>761361
> Dusty raises her brown paper bag drink to their glasses and also says cheers, drinking down her mystery can when she finishes
“What brings you two down here anyway? I’d figure yall would want to go see what the buzz is further down where the races are happenin’”
| >>761362
"Oh no, we aren't interested in all that. We just figured we should drop by and hang out a little before we go on our way to pick up our dog. A little bit of catching up or something."
>Red also takes a sip from his drink.
"Besides, I've been meaning to take Alix on a date a few times now, but we've both been a bit busy lately."
>Alix nods in agreement before taking a drink of her own.
| > A black haired catboomer woman steps into the bar, her eyes critically scanning the interior before settling upon the bar.
>She takes a seat away from the other two guests, adjusting her black coat carefully. A faint clicking comes from her gloved hands as she adjusts them on the counter and waits silently.
>The woman takes the time to continue looking around the bar, rather than stare at the patrons or the person currently behind the bar.
| >>761368
"I get ya, yeah. Well, glad y'all can help this girl out of her own jam while yer at it. Let me go help out this other person right quick, yeah?"
> Dusty walks over to the new person at the bar and eyes her over, as if trying to learn something from looks alone
>>761414
"You look new around these parts. The races ain't your thing either i take it? What are ya drinkin?"
| >>761420
>The woman glanced up at the bartender and gently unfolded her hands.
"I'm new to this city, yes, I transferred here shortly before my contract was over as a gift. The races don't particularly interest me, I am passing time while waiting for a meeting, and this place seemed suitable enough."
>The woman glanced towards the other patrons then back at the bartender.
"And currently, quiet enough. I will take something sweet, with plenty of karmotrine."
| >>761421
"You picked a hell of a time to drop in. Usually, this hole is full of other bikers and gang members. So good on you for having that kind of luck."
> Dusty fixes up a blue fairy, albeit slowly. Looks like she doesn't skimp on the karomtrine in the slightest
"I'm Dusty, if you need anything else. No, autographs don't count."
| >>761422
"I've been regarded as skilled and punctual, rarely lucky. It is refreshing to assume that I benefit from something outside of myself."
>The woman gave Dusty a small, symmetrical smile before returning to her neutral near-frown of a face.
"My name is Tierra. I do not believe I would require anything other than a top up depending on how quickly I get through this."
>She lays a cred stick upon the counter, nodding towards Dusty.
| >>761424
"Well, someone's luck is always generally someone else's misfortune. At least that's what it was like in my old line of work. So it goes. If you do need anything, just give me a yell."
> Dusty leans back on the counter behind her and grabs her bagged can once more to drink from. She really played the part of the uninterested bartender well
| >>761436
>Tierra gave a nod towards Dusty before lifting and sipping at her blue fairy. She gave a small murmur of approval before she began the slow process of nursing on the drink.
"I always have to order drinks like this if I want to feel anything. Alcohol gets metabolized out of my bloodstream too quickly otherwise."
| >>761438
"Oh, does that mean you have like, an implant or something? Do they make those?"
> Dusty looks on, curious. It doesn't seem as if she fully understood what was said
| >>761465
"An implant, yes. Although its function wasn't meant for alcohol itself, it's simply an incidental side effect. I don't drink too often, so it doesn't have much of an impact on my daily life."
>The woman sipped at her blue fairy again.
"It was part of my severance package, rather than expensive surgery my company just let me walk almost as I was when I worked for them."
| >>761488
"So it's like... corpo stuff then? They just give stuff away? Huh. Guess it's too late for me then to hop aboard that kind of train, but it's also not like I'm hurting for money anyway. If I had that, I probably would drink the same as I do now so, I guess maybe we got that in common"
> Dusty finally grows tired of standing normally, so she hops and sits on the counter she was leaning on
| >>761490
"Corporate products, yes. It would be too late, you are too old to be hired for the position I worked for; therefore, the augments would be out of your reach."
>Tierra finished off her blue fairy and gently sighed, her eyes faintly glowing for a few moments before returning to how they were.
"The issue is less money and more of my body's tolerance to separation. It's grown acclimated to the augments and removal could be... dangerous. A second drink would be appreciated"
| >>761491
> Dusty hops off the counter and moves to work on a new drink. Doesn't seem like she noticed anything odd about Tierra or her eyes
"Well, this is the first time that anyone has called little baby me 'old' so I think I should be glad. Usually everyone thinks I'm still 19. Guess this makes me glad that I still have no robot parts inside of me, only scrap."
> She talks as she works, and finishes a little more slowly. She swaps the glasses and puts the dirty glass away
| >A small Oni walks into the bar. She has long, wavy, cream colored hair.
>Large horns adorn her forhead, covered by cloth "caps"
>It's Chanka!
>And she's wearing civilian clothes for once, a T-shirt and some tights.
>She approaches the bar with a skipping step.
| >>761503
> Dusty shifts her focus and looks at the Oni-hybrid. She didn't know that horn length was so varied. Maybe it depended on physical height, she thought.
"You look familiar little Oni, but I don't know from where. Drinking here tonight? I don't have much that's nonalcoholic."
> She takes her bagged can out once more and takes a drink from it while eyeing down the new person at her bar.
| >>761504
>Chanka sits down and pouts
"I'm not small! I'm an adult!"
>She puffs her chest out with a smug expression on her face.
"Familiar am I? Well! I am after-all a very well known!"
| >>761503
>Red at the table turns to take one look at the oni and stands up to salutes Chanka.
"Good day, major!"
>He smiles.
| >>761420
"Yeah, sure."
>Red turns to glance at Tierra, taking another drink from his glass. Mention of augments and corporate products seem to spark his interest.
>>761491
"What did you guys do in the corpo that they need to gave you implants for?"
>The man asks the catboomer.
| >>761508
"Major... Yeah, dunno why I'm drawing a blank. But girl, we're in the same boat. Still doesn't answer my question of what are ya drinkin. Unless you want a surprise that is."
> Dusty sets her paper bag down and assumes a bartender's stance as she stares at her, hoping to figure out as much as she can just from her own intuition
| >>761517
>The tiny Oni returns the salute with gusto, it's a perfect exemple of how to salute, arm bent just the right way.
"That's right, Major Chanka! Don't forget that name!!"
>She says while grinning smugly
>>761525
"Maybe you don't deal with police often then!! That's good!"
>Major Chanka says, sitting back down
"I'll have something strong, very strong! and sweet too!"
| >>761518
>Tierra looks up from hew newest drink at the man on the other side of the bar. She takes a sip from it before setting it down.
"CorpSec, most of what I did is unfortunately still signed off by a NDA as a part of both my severance and contract."
>Tierra lifts the blue fairy to take another sip from it, giving a hearty sigh of relief.
"Honestly, it's somewhat disruptive to have moved to Glitch City. I am not used to such... free form lifestyles."
| >>761528
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
>Red continues.
"I will never forget your name, ma'am, not after the tampon supplies went missing, truly an act of god, ma'am."
>Alix giggles at the mention of the tampons.
| >>761530
"CorpSec, private military? Guess we have something in common then."
>Red holds out his hand, a grin on his face.
"Red, ex-PMC."
| >>761534
"I suppose private military is a rather accurate if not uncouth term."
>Tierra pauses for a moment before reached out and shaking his hand. Her grip feels incredibly firm with hardly any give.
"I'm Tierra, Ex-CorpSec I suppose. Just... on retirement, as early as one could be."
| >>761528
"Oh, I've dealt with the cops plenty enough to know that they don't like me and more than I like them. The less time they spend snooping, the better."
> Dusty mixes up another Blue Fairy, putting the absolute maximum amount of karmotrine she can before the drink is rendered disgusting. She places it down in front of Chanka and reassumes her neutral stance
"Just don't go flashing any badges around here. Not many like that kind of thing"
| >>761536
"Well, I guess I'm not retired just yet. I'm just not working for the corp anymore."
>Red replies. The girl next to him peaks over his shoulder.
"Hey, I'm Alix."
>She said.
"You seems... awfully tense."
| >>761548
"Yeah yeah, sure it is. We got rules and one of them is no cops flashing shit. Wouldn't want me to flash my piece around here now would you? Same line of thinking."
> Dusty finishes up whatever is left in her can and throws it at a trash can nearby, where it hits the rim and falls in noisily.
| >>761560
>Chanka grumbles something about "Deliquents" and their lack of "Badge style"
>But she doesn't argue any further, she's in plainsclothes anyway.
>She sips her drink with a furrowed brow
| >>761546
>Tierra perked her brow at Alix.
"Tense, I wouldn't say I'm exactly tense. I'm just waiting on a meeting. Supposed to be speaking with an agent in regards to my living situation."
>She sipped again at her blue fairy.
"This is just how I sound. It worked in my years in the field, I think it's suitable enough for conversation in a bar. It is just unusual for me to speak so candidly. Normally I'd be filing paperwork or... doing something else."
| >>761565
"Yeah, I get it."
>Red replies, turning back to take another sip from his piledriver.
"Well, you gotta loosen up a bit, because this isn't the field anymore, whatever your field is. Keep talking like that and people'll think you're a weirdo."
| >>761561
> Dusty exhales from her nose sharply, as if to show her position of authority over someone else in the bar. She also seems a little proud of herself for not using force for once. Her focus then shifts over to the others
>>761568 >>761565
"Y'all playing nice over there? I'll turn this bar around if you start a fight, just so we're clear"
| >>761568
>Tierra gives a shrug in response to Red.
"It is not my prerogative to care what others assume about me. If they believe me to be strange then perhaps it shall lead to an underestimation of my capabilities, which is fine by me."
>>761571
"Of course, it is not my intention to cause any fights. I have no interest in causing problems within Glitch City itself. I am trying to enjoy a simpler lifestyle now."
>Tierra shook her head before focusing on her drink again.
| >>761571
"Yeah, this gal's my new best friend, isn't that right, Tierra?"
>Red gives Dusty a thumbs up.
>>761574
"Right, people hate us ex-corpos regardless. Good point, we'll settle it at that."
| >>761576
"A hasty assumption after a short conversation over drinks. Perhaps should we meet a few more times and I find your company preferable over any other person in this city."
>Tierra's mouth curled into a smile as she sipped at her drink.
"I have not noticed yet, but then again I do not go around announcing my history too often."
| >>761574
“Well shit, I can drink to that. Here’s to you being able to that, Tierra. Heh… our names are even similar”
> Dusty fetches two cans of beer and sets one down in front of Tierra as she giggles to herself over the name similarities
“Don’t worry about this one. It’s on me.”
> She opens her own can with a loud pop and hopes the new girl does the same
| >>761580
>Tierra shrugs before setting down what's left of her blue fairy and joining Dusty by lifting and opening her new can of beer.
"I will gladly take this gift, then."
>She raises the can into the air for a friendly exchange of suds before taking a sip from the can. She stares down at it for a few moments.
"Tastes different than what I used to drink on break. The beers in this country are somehow so similar yet so different."
| >>761581
> Dusty takes a hearty swig and sighs upon finishing, as if she were waiting to do something like that.
“Yeah, I dunno what’s in these canned beers but they definitely don’t taste like the ones in the Border Zones. Those cantinas have special stuff I guess. Wow I forgot how good work beer is until now.”
> she takes another swig. Despite her size, she’s drinking the beer as if it were water
| >>761579
"So a 'maybe' then. I'll take that as a win."
>Red cracks a smile again,
"Now, have you been here long?"
| >>761584
“You got it, Boy. Give me a sec here…”
> Dusty grabs the empty glass and puts it into a dishwasher. She pauses as she forgets what she’s doing before going back and fixing the drink up correctly and serving it. Seems like this one she knows how to make well
“One piledriver for the straight-shooter”
| >>761582
>Tierra reservedly sips from her own can of beer, the motion being remarkably similar to that of when she sipped from her blue fairy.
"In Nu'Saka I had a much different selections. I never drank much, but there were a few I preferred over others."
>>761584
"I've only been here for a week now. I've been enjoying the hotels here before my apartment was prepared for me. That's the call I'm waiting on now."
>She sipped at the beer again, glancing at her blue fairy.
| >>761589
"Right, right, your agent."
>Red nods.
"Man, I wish my company had your kind of severance package, instead of just fucking off the moment shit goes awry."
| >>761589
“I won’t keep you long then”
> She focuses back to Red, perking up upon hearing Pete’s name
>>761590
“He’s good! He’s going to have his anniversary soon. I’m working on getting him a present. His baby is looking KIND OF cute. Babies are so weird. Look”
> Dusty hands over her phone which already has the picture of Pete and his kid loaded. His head and the baby are both covered in soap bubbles. He looks incredibly happy. The baby looks grumpy at bath time
| >>761593
"Oh, that's... great."
>Red was... less than enthusiastic at the mention of a baby. Alix, on the other hand, jumps up to see the picture, her face immediately lighting up at the sight of the man and his child.
"Aww, they're so adorable! Right, Red?"
>Alix says, turning to Red and reaching her hand out to hold and squeeze his.
"Yes, honey, they're really cute."
| >>761591
>Tierra finished the can of beer after a single long drag before she set it down on the counter in front of her.
"Himura treats its employees humanely and with civility. Especially those with an unblemished track record. It is with luck, in my case, that nothing ever went 'awry.'"
>>761593
"Don't worry about it, he will call when he calls and I will likely be enjoying this drink until that happens."
>Tierra lifts her drink as she speaks before sipping at it.
| >>761595
"I thought you're more 'skilled and punctual', not lucky, isn't that right?"
>Red takes a jab at Tierra, taking another drink with a satisfied grin when he's finished.
| >>761649
"That would be correct, were I relying only upon myself. Unfortunately I worked with a team and it is with luck we succeeded despite their occasional ineptitude."
>Tierra swirls her blue fairy before nodding towards Red.
"I did not make mistakes. Were I to choose my own team, I would not have chosen mistakes either. My role was not in HR, I only did my job."
| >>761594
"Yeah. That little girl really is something else. Can't believe I get to be her aunt. Wild."
> Dusty goes back to perch herself up onto her counter, being mindful of her dress. She looks around to see if anyone could need her, but it doesn't look like anyone would just about now
| >>761729
"Must be... I would love to have children of our own."
>Alix replies as she looks down at her drink and smiles a soft smile.
"Yeah, we would *love* to, it's just not in our cards right now. We want to make sure we're really ready first, isn't that right, honey?"
>Red quickly adds, in almost a panicked way. Alix seems amused at the response. She sighs and rests her head on the man's shoulder.
"Guess so, it's alright, we can wait."
| >>761689
"Right, is everybody from your firm like this?"
>Red looks back, sighs, and take another drink.
| >>761733
"I don't know how Pete and his wife did it but they did. At least the old man is now more fitting of being called an old man."
> She sighs and slumps on the bartop as if somewhat accepting the situation there. She soon sucks it up and gets back to her usual self
"Probably will be taking time off to go see them soon. He's got a ranch in the Pacific Northwest now with all that sweet cash we earned together."
| >>761743
"Aw, that's nice. Settling down, I hope we can do that one day."
>Alix says, moving in even closer to Red, who throws his arm around her and starts talking;
"Somewhere back in Canada maybe? Move out of this overcrowded city. Just the two of us, have a kid or two."
>Alix's face lights up with a smile. She looks up at Red.
"So you *do* want a baby with me!"
>She exclaims.
"Of course I do! Just, not right now, okay?"
>Red replies back, giving her a kiss.
| >A rather small yet decently endowed lilim walks into the bar, her facial features being a dead giveaway at how seemingly confused she was. She had long blonde hair that was put up into two buns save for some swept bangs and long strips of hair hanging down past the sides of her face. Her 'skin' was pale as snow, contrasting with her piercing blue eyes and baby blue dress.
"Excuse me, could I please get some directions?"
| >>761748
"Take the gross cute shit outside you two. That's a personal rule when I'm up here"
> Dusty laughs it off slightly, hoping she shows that she's not serious about her so called rule before turning her attention to the new person
>>761755
"You're definitely lost if you found your way in here. Where do you need to go, kid? I'm not as good as Fox, but try me"
| >>761756
"Sorry, just one more."
>Alix softly mutters, Red complies and gives her another kiss. Afterwards, she springs back up from Red's shoulder and goes back to her drink.
"Okay, I think I'm good."
>She says, taking a small sip from her glass. Red streches out a little bit before he continue talking.
"Speaking of, how's Fox doing?"
| >>761735
"No, you could say that I was particularly unique in our division. As for the company as a whole... Himura Corp expects only the best from its employees. It is a very professional and rigid environment."
>Tierra glanced at her blue fairy before taking a final drink from it.
"One could almost call it stifling, should your arm be twisted to make certain decisions."
"What about you? What did you do as a 'PMC'?"
| >Chanka grumbles something about PMCs while she slowly sips her drink, holding the glass with two hands.
>She smiles as she enjoys the strong drink's sugary taste.
| >>761762
"Oh, loads of stuff. It's like being in an army, but paid better and you fight different people in different parts of the world."
>Red replies quite nonchallantly.
"Paid well, but if I could go back I would just stay in the army and go for SF. At least the moral compass won't get all fucked."
| >>761756 "Hey!" "I am NOT a kid!" "Anyways... I think I took a wrong turn somewhere after work, I haven't really been around here much if I'm being honest." "So is this like a bar or something?"
*The lilim girl pouted and crossed her arms, pushing up her breasts slightly. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves a bit.*
"Right so I work near the center of the city and live close by there as well. I really dont know where I am right now or how I ended up here."
| >>761817
"Which district are you from exactly?"
>Red turns to take a look at the lilim, cocking an eyebrow.
| >>761761
"He's fine. Just working more"
>>761817
"Oh you are *so* a kid. You're in the Motor District. This is a biker bar you just walked your ass into. That's some detour you must have taken. At this point in the night, the Caskets might have started their tolling so you're probably stuck here. Just grab a stool and rest.
>>761763
"Hey, they need money too. Not like cops can handle everything anyway. 'S how I had a job catching people."
| >>761819 "Ah well you see.." "I kind of never paid any attention to the names of them."
>She spoke that last part under her breath and absentmindedly brushed her bangs out of her face a bit before turning to the man.
"Anyways, what's your name?" "I'm Mira."
| >>761821 "Am not!!" "Just because I look young doesn't mean I am!" "I'm a fully functioning adult." "...Mostly."
>She kept her arms crossed and turned away from the bartender with a pout.
"Wait Motor District?" "Yikes I was told not to come here at night." "Guess I got too distracted walking home." "Ughhhh I dont want to be stuck here for the night, I have a plant that needs watering!"
| >>761824 >>761821
"I'm Red, this is Alix."
>He quickly introduces himself and the girl right next to him.
"Let me tell you; your plants is the least of your problem right now. You should probably focus on not accidentally running into a race track and getting squished, getting mugged on the way home, and getting caught in the middle of a gunfight."
| >>761821
"Any reason in particular, or is it just high season for courier service?"
>Red raises a curious eyebrow.
| >>761824 >>761828
“Gunfight, probably not. At least hopefully. But the others are pretty really possibilities. The Caskets aren’t violent so it’s not like anyone will argue with their toll ways. Might as well drink here, “Looking”
> Dusty laughs at her own little joke. Good thing nobody else has to know about her bad sense of humour
“Just have a drink and you’ll settle down.”
| >>761828 "Hi!"
>Mira gave them a small wave before sitting down at a stool and fixing her dress.
"Ughhh those all sound pretty nasty right now. I really have to get more used to walking home from work so I dont end up like this again."
| >>761834 "Well that's good at least I'm not really carrying anything on me." "At least not in the terms of firearms." "But what do you have for drinks?" "I don't really drink much at all but I have nothing else to do."
| >>761835
>Alix waves back at you.
"Do you remember where you work? Or who you work for?"
>Red asks.
"Middle of the city doesn't exactly narrows it down. Don't you have a business card or something with an address written on it? Or a phone, a map, even?"
| >>761836
> Dusty mechanically grand a can of beer and loudly pops it for Mira. She sets it down nonchalantly as if it were just a can of water
“Cheers then. We’ll start you on the shallow end for now. Don’t want you getting a Fringe Weaver now and have you bouncing off the walls like Fox does.”
| >>761849 "Of course I do!" "I'm great at my job!" "Let's see..." "I work at a hospital called uh.." "What was the name again?" "Something something General?" "Oh right the card!" "Here."
>She fishes around in one of the shallow pockets of her dress and hands Red a rather crinkled card with the hospital's information on it.
| >>761850 "Woah that was theatrical!" "Oh I'm sure I can handle myself with this kind of stuff, thank you!.
>Mira smiles and gently holds the can of beer with her two small hands, taking a slow drawn out slurp of it.
| >>761856
"Right, so you can't remember the name of the place you work at. You can't remember which district you lived in. You somehow get lost jusy trying to find your way home. Yeah, Dusty's wrong; you're not a kid. You, ma'am, are a baby."
>Red says as he takes the card from you. Alix gives him a light slap on his arm.
"Ow, I'm just kidding!"
>Red exclaims. Alix turns to you.
"I'm sorry, that was rude of my boyfriend."
| >Mira was in the middle of loudly slurping her beer as she heard what Red said. She coughed and choked a bit before glaring at him, though with her features it really shouldn't have been very threatening to anyone.
"I am *NOT* a baby!!!" "I only left my guardians a few months ago and I think I'm doing pretty well thank you!"
>The lilim turned to Alix and nodded softly.
"Well at least you're nice. Alix right?" "So what do you do for a living?"
| "You seem way nicer than any of these meanies in here!"
>She emphasized her 'insult' to make it clear who she was referring to
| >>761857
“If you can’t, we have a special protocol for dealing with that fallout. Or at least I do, given it happens so rarely we just usually let that stuff sort itself out.”
> Dusty takes a drink out of her own beer, seeing as she only just remembered it was even open. She grimaced slightly, as if expecting a colder drink
| >>761860 >>761861
"Oh, he's just joking around. Red can be mean, but he means well."
>Alix smiles warmly back at the lilim, taking a second to steal a glance back at Red before turning back to Mira.
"I'm a novelist, as in, I write books for a living. What about you, what do you do?"
| >>761864 "Oh wow!" "I haven't heard of many of those around!" "I just work at the reception of a hospital!" "Maybe I'll become a nurse someday but for now I'm just doing what I can!"
>Mira slowly sips her beer again and then just sits down next to Alix and Red without asking. She hadn't thought it rude and she was interesting in hearing more from this woman.
| >>761868
"Hospital work is an honorable job regardless of what position you're in. Be lucky that you are in the business of saving lives"
>Tierra speaks up from her empty glass before looking up towards Dusty and calmly gesturing.
"Another, please. Something different this time. Sweet, bubbly, and plenty of karmotrine. I almost felt a tingle on the last one."
>She glances over at Mira again
"Still odd to see Lilims walking so casually in this city, it's different from home."
| >>761886 "Oh thank you!" "I've only been there a few months but its interesting!"
>Even just that one beer was having an effect on her already. Mira started acting much more bubbly. She headed over to where Tierra was sitting, staring at her ears.
"You think so?" "Where are you from?"
| >>761897
"I'm from New Osaka. Things are different over there. This city is much more... expressive for lack of a better word. That is not to say there's no expression over there, it's just different."
> Tierra rubbed the back of her head, a small flash of metal visible under her hair.
"Lilims are... recognized as sentient, but aren't given free reign in every district. You usually don't seem them outside of the core districts anyways."
| >>761908 "Huh, I've never been there before." "Secretly I was only made 3 years ago." "Shhh."
*Mira leaned in and whispered softly, not wanting to be called a child again, the age of a Lilim really didn't matter too much.*
"Jeez that's really messed up!" "I'm glad I'm here then." "So what's life like for you here?"
*She hopped up on a seat next to Tierra and kicked her legs absentmindedly. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink, not like her usual pale complexion.*
| >>761868
>The couple doesn't seem to mind you being there. Red take a look at the card you handed him.
"Now, let's see where you work so we can get you back."
| >>761913
>Tierra paused at the Lilim's eagerness to just plop down next to her, but she shrugged at Mira's question.
"I have only been in town for a small period of time. I do not have a routine or an expectation of this city yet. For the time being, I have lived in hotels purchased by my former company, and have visited bars such as this."
>Tierra scratched the back of her head again.
"You should be careful with how much you drink. You'll make mistakes."
| >>761886
> Dusty decides to mix up a new drink. She makes something blue with in a pretty sphere glass. Smells like a big Cobalt Velvet
"Here. I think these are pretty sweet. Probably too sweet, given how many times I've ended up in strangers' beds after too many of these. Last week was weird."
>>761913
"Don't get too drunk unless you want an express trip to my place. Fox has a place you can rest at, given he's also a Lilim"
| >>761970
>Tierra graciously took the drink and sniffed at it before sipping from the glass and giving a satisfied nod.
"This one is excellent. It is reminiscent of the drinks we used to have at parties, although a little more suited for this area."
>She continued to sip at the drink before her eyes following the conversation between Dusty, Red, and Mira.
| >>761967 "Oh jeez really?" "That must suck having to hop around to different hotels!" "You should stop by my place sometime!!" "Jerry would love you!" "He's my plant, you see."
>Mira bounced in her seat a bit, like an energetic kid. She hadn't ever really gotten the chance to speak to a catboomer before now and the alcohol in her system wasn't helping keep her energy in check.
"Anyways, you're super cute!!" "What is it like being that way?" "I've always been curious!"
| >>761970 "Who me?" "I'm not drunk!" "I can handle it just fine, really!" "What other kinds of drinks do you even have?" "Another Lilim?" "Well I guess I shouldn't walk home alone this late."
>>761971 "Ewww!!" "With a guy too?" "No thanks!"
>Mira made a fake gagging noise as she pretended to vomit at the idea of sleeping with someone out of nowhere like that. She wasn't that type of Lilim.
| >>761977
>Tierra looked down at Mira before lowering her drink and frowning down at her.
"It was not terrible, it was almost reminiscent of my time when working for Himura. As sure as I am that you would enjoy my visitation, I will have to decline. I'm not interested."
>Tierra hesitated after Mira's complement and rubbed the back of her head yet again.
"I have been considered for my looks before, I would not say it has impacted my business, therefore it is mostly irrelevant."
| >>761982 "Oh uh..." "Alright, that's fine." "Sorry." "I get commented on my looks sometimes but it's usually creepy." "I didn't want it to come across that way because I think your features suit you!"
>Mira couldn't help but feel a little hurt after hearing that, and with the way her words wavered it was pretty clear. She had never been good at hiding her emotions and the way things impacted her as a whole. This did seem like an unlikely place to make friends after all.
| >>761978 >>761971
"*Pfft* the only thing that Fox pounds is whatever surface he's running on. Not that it bothers him none. At least he's never seemed to mind whenever I walk around after a shower."
> Dusty eases up and finishes her beer, once more throwing the can at the trash and missing by at least a foot this time. She doesn't seemed bothered by this
>>761983
"You're just like Kitty all right. You two would get along just fine"
| >Chanka, the small Oni has finished her drink and now is pulling out several king sized candy bars from... somewhere.
>She begins unwrapping them, using the sharp claw like nails on her hands to do so.
"Can I get another drink?"
>She asks before stuffing her face with chocolate, chomping on it with her large sharp fangs.
| >>761987
"Sure, you've been on good behavior so far so I guess you can get another drink at least. Another just like what you finished up?"
> Dusty stretches a bit and leans just a *bit* too forward before remembering she's in a dress and not her usual attire, causing her to quickly snap back upright
"Uhh... sorry about that. Dresses aren't really my thing but the boy wanted me to quit dressing for a fight"
| >>761991
"Yaay~! I'll have one stronger than that!"
>She says, kicking her feet while she eats her candy.
| >>761994
> Dusty quickly mixes up a big Fringe Weaver and sets it down delicately in front of the small Oni.
"It's not as sweet as the last one, but even I start to feel these things hit after just one. Where did you get that candy actually too? We don't have like... a machine for that. Whatever. Sorry for accidentally flashing you, too. Totally my bad on that one"
| >>761985 >>761978
"Hey! There's nothing wrong doing it with a guy, okay?"
>Alix replies.
"Yeah, I'm sure Fox will perform just fine if he finds the one that he fancies."
>Red chimes in.
| >>761983
>Tierra hesitated before giving a placating gesture with her hand.
"It is not an insult to you, I just do not make it a habit of visiting the homes of people I've just met. I appreciate the complement, but I have heard it often from people who are attempting to get something from me."
>She took another sip from her Cobalt Velvet before sighing and chewing on a piece of ice. Tierra felt a little awkward with the atmosphere now.
| >>761997
>The Oni takes a sip and exhales loudly
"Puwah! Tasty!"
>She says, while closing her eyes and smiling widely.
"An adult lady is always prepared! Be in awe!"
>She lifts up her oversized T-shirt just a bit, exposing a slim bag underneath, tied up to her belly with soft elastic belts.
>There's a bunch of candy in there
>There's also an oversized Holster next to it, with an absolutely gigantic pistol within, a M200 cheytac Obrez, missing its magazine.
"See! I'm always ready!"
| >>762008
> Dusty gives a low whistle upon seeing the sight of the cut-down rifle. She instinctively reaches under the bar and gives her own former-rifle a few reassuring pats
"Okay okay girl, I see you. Just put that big iron away for now unless you absolutely plan to shoot. And hope you don't miss either."
| >>762011
>Chanka tilts her head before lowerong her shirt, seems she wasn't even thinking you could see her piece.
>She has a big dumb smug smile on her face, but her eyes are genuinely confused.
"Iron? Lady its chocolate!"
| >>762013
"Sure sure it's just some chocolate. Just don't go showing it off."
> She pronounces chocolate oddly, as if it wasn't quite english. Dusty gives a wave of her hand as well, as if doing her best to sell the idea that she didn't notice anything else, which probably wasn't necessary in the first place
| > Now that the attention was finally taken away from her and directed towards the smaller members of the bar, Tierra took the time to set her drink down and took her gloves off.
>Underneath the black leather of her gloves shine clean metallic hands. They weren't a mirror finish, but they certainly befit a corpo.
>Tierra picked up the glass again, the metal clinking against the Cobalt Velvet before she resumed drinking.
| >>762000 "Well yeah it's fine I just meant for me!" "I was never exposed to that sort of thing so I never picked up on it." "You can also blame my guardians for me not really caring about body gyrations until I find the one!" "Or if I find the one I guess."
| >>762001 "Yeah I understand." "Maybe it was a bit weird of me to ask." "I just.." "Wow this is getting depressing haha!" "Could I have another drink please?" "I promise I'll be fine!"
>Mira sure did feel an episode coming on, but she didn't want to ruin anyone's night especially her own. I mean it was already a strange one what with her stumbling in here and all. At least the alcohol made it easier to switch gears.
| >>762019 >Mira's eyes sparkled with excitement and interest as she laid eyes on Tierra's metallic hands. But based on their last conversation and the fact that the beer she had was wearing off slowly, she found it possible to just not say anything for once in case it bothered the catboomer again.
| >>762019
>Chanka points to Tierra's hands and with a wide smirk declares:
"See! That's iron!"
>She seems very happy about her observation, exhaling sharply from her nose as she closes her eyes and puffs her flat chest out.
>An aura of smugness radiates from the Chanka, at high intensity.
| >>761963 >The card is a little hard to read with all the crumpling but it shouldn't be impossible. It reads:
Dreamstate General Hospital
675 Cortex Place, Glitch City
| >>762066
"Dreamstate Hospital, so, Downtown?"
>Red takes a bit to read through the crumpled piece of paper. He looks up and returns the catd.
"Downtown? That's where we're picking up Fenrir anyways! We can take her with us."
>Alix pokes in, finishing her own drink. Red shrugs before turning to Mira.
"Eh, why not, if you wanna come with. We can take you back to Downtown."
| >>762062
"That ain't iron kid. But sure. I wouldn't want to get hit by that either. I'm keeping an eye on you..."
> Dusty makes a motion to show how serious she is as she walks over to where Mira is seated
>>762059
"What do you need? Is is dealer's choice or did you have something in mind?"
| >>762081 "Ah!!!" "Downtown, that's what it was!" "Just make sure that melanie doesn't do anything to me, hmph." "But thank you!!!"
>Mira perked up quite a bit from that, forgetting about her earlier slip of depression. She would have to commit where she lived and worked to memory, as well as the fact she had a piece of paper with that info on it, could he handy.
| >>762095
"Alright, but you're on your own once we get to Downtown; We need to meet somebody afterwards."
>Red replies, but Alix throws her arm around him, pulling him close and looking into his eyes.
"Oh, come on, Red. We can let them wait, they love taking care of Fenrir anyways. I'm sure a little detour wouldn't hurt."
>She gives Red one of those pleading eyes. Red looks back down and sighs.
"Fine, we'll take you to your hospital. You sure you can make it home this time?"
| >>762128 "Thank you!!!" "You're the best, Alix!!" "I'll be fine walking home from there this time really!" "I won't get distracted." "Well..." "I won't get *that* distracted." "Promise!"
>Mira smiled wide and let out a little squeal of happiness knowing she won't have to spend the night at some weird guy's place. And she'd get to make sure her plant was okay! Thinking on it though, maybe she should wander a bit more at a better time.
| >>762062 >>762082
>Tierra lowered her drink for a moment and glanced at her hands before nodding at both Chanka and Dusty.
"Metal, not iron. I apologize if they cause too much noise but I often tire of wearing the gloves."
>As if on cue, the shifting of her hands on the glass caused a few more gentle clinking sounds before she sat the drink on the counter.
"You did well on this one, Miss Dusty, I actually feel a slight buzz."
| >>762185
"Wish I felt anything while drinking..."
>The Oni mumbles as she drinks large gulps from her glass.
>She's so tiny yet seems to put it away quite nicely.
| >>762185 >>762192
"Well thanks. Maybe we can have a drinking contest to see who manages to feel something from the alcohol first. I bet shrimpy would win in that game but it would still be probably fun"
> As she talks, she moves to make a new drink for Mira. Looks like she's making a fluffy dream, only the 'fluff' is a little lacking, given Dusty isn't a real bartender. The Karmotrine was also pretty light for once.
>>762096
"Let me know what you think kid"
| >>762238
>Chanka pipes up
"Don't call me Shrimpy!!! It's Chanka to you!!"
>She taps the counter... it rattles dangerously.
| >>762238 "I will!" "But I'm not a kid!" "The drink looks pretty though, what is it called?"
>Mira takes a loud drawn out sip of it like she did with the beer, only this time it was quite the mistake. She teared up a little and scrunched her face up.
"Ahhhhhh!" "Owww that was too much." "You should have told me it was a sippy drink!"
>The Lilim already felt a bit buzzed from that, but she controlled herself this time, taking a little sip and experiencing the taste.
| "Oh its sweet!!" "I kind of like it!" "You picked out a good one for me!"
>That same light blush is back on her cheeks as she smiles and closes her eyes. Maybe she should visit bars more often, this wasn't too bad.
| >>762150
>Alix gives Red a kiss before she let him go. She turns to Mira.
"It's decided then."
>She then turns to flag Dusty.
"Hey, Dusty. Can I have another one of this please?"
>She says, gesturing to her Blue Fairly.
| >>762258 "Thank you!" "Just let me know when you're ready to go!" "I want to finish this drink though its pretty nice!!"
>Mira was unaware that the drink didn't have much karmotrine in it, but she had just assumed this one did. And if she thought it was alcoholic, then her body reacted as such even if it was just placebo.
| >>762266
"Oh, don't worry, I might have another drink as well before we go."
>Alix asks, waiting for Dusty for the refill.
"Are you in a hurry?"
| >>762267 "Not really!" "The people I work with are used to me getting lost and showing up late in the morning!" "I'll just sleep in!"
>Mira was in much better spirits now, not even recalling how she was feeling moments ago. To be fair, it was in her programming to be distracted by one thing after another.
"Oh but what is this Fenrir you keep talking about?" "And why is it Downtown?" "Is it some kind of secret passcode!?" "We have to pick up the 'Fenrir' wink wink."
| >>762240
"It's Shrimpy when you're in here."
>>762253
"That's a fluffy dream. They're good sometimes. Whenever I need to wind down, anyway."
> As Dusty speaks, she gets to work on making another strong Blue Fairy. She's getting a little better at this now. Once she finishes, she sets it down in front of Alix with a flash of finger guns
>>762258
"Cheers"
| >>762270
>Alix flashes Dusty back the fingergun, winks, and clicks her tongue.
"Thanks, Dusty."
>She takes a small sip while she listens to Mira, and proceed to almost spill it out the instant Mira talks about Fenrir.
>>762269
"Oh, what? No!"
>Alix chuckles at the thought of having Fenrir be a secret code with her boyfriend. She keeps laughing for a little while.
"Fenrir's our dog. Here, take a look."
>Red chimes in, handing you his phone with a picture on it.
| >>762270 "A fluffy dream?" "Why is it called that?" "It isn't very fluffy." "I like it though!" "I should get lost again sometime soon!"
>She flashed that now trademark warm smile of hers and took a little sip of the drink to not overdo it as she had before. It went down pretty smooth and left a nice sweetness on her tongue receptors.
| >>762273 "Hm?" "OH!" "A DOG!" "Pfftttt!!" "Are you sure??"
>Mira started laughing along with Alix as she reacted like that. It didn't seem very far fetched to her but in hindsight it was pretty funny. She looked at the phone and beamed, gasping and smiling up at the pair upon seeing the image.
"I've never met a dog before!" "Can I stay until then and then go home!?" "Pleaseeeeee." "But are you absolutely sure this isn't some kind of trick?"
| >>762298
>The picture on the phone seems to be taken inside another vintage-looking bar and features Red and Alix standing next to each other, arms around eachother, smiling at the camera. A black-white husky, presumably Fenrir, sits in front of the couple, tongue out and looking at the camera. One thing that stand out is that Red was wearing a military-looking kit over his softshell jacket and trousers, complete with a plate carrier, holsters, and a rifle slung over his shoulder.
| >>762298
"God, it's like god knew we were talking about having a kid and sent us one to see if we can handle it."
>Red comments, suppressing a fits of giggle as he takes his phone back.
"Come on, can't be too bad. Besides, Fenrir loves meeting new people anyways."
>Alix replies, still smiling from the comment prior.
"Alright, fine, but promise you'll behave."
| >>762300 "How many times do I have to say it?" "I'm *not* a kid!!"
>Mira pouts but then immediately squeals with joy when she hears she is allowed to come along and meet the dog.
"YAYYY!!!!" "This is going to be great!!!" "Yes I promise I'll behave!" "I've never had any kind of pets before!" "What is he like??"
>She can't help but bounce up and down, holding her hands close to her chest with closed fists. She looked up at the couple excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
| >>762318
"He loves kid, so you're going get along with him just fine."
>Red replies with a cheeky grin.
"Maybe don't... squeal too much, he gets spooked easily."
>That comment earns him another light playful slap from Alix, but she smiles and give him another peck on the cheek. She turns to Mira again.
"Oh, Fenrir's going to be the nicest dog you've ever seen. Well, he's going to be the first one you've ever seen, but that's not the point."
| >>762270
"Grrr.... Why is it so hard for people to just use my name!! It's not even a hard name to say, it's Cha-nn-ka!!"
>She ennunciates every syllable
| >>762323 "Yay!!!!" "I hope we get along!" "But I dont squeal!" "Meanie."
>Mira was a little too spaced out daydreaming about this dog she hadn't met yet that she completely missed that first part about how Fenrir gets along with kids. And she knew how to be quiet, she thought. There was never a moment she got worked up and too excited. ...Sorta
"The nicest first dog I ever met!" "You have to promise me though that if he likes me I can come visit!" "That's the rule!"
| >>762329
"Yeah yeah, Chan-ka-ah. We heard you the first time. Just let an old bounty hunter her joys in life tormenting a cop one more time with relative safety. Last time i could do this, I was still a kid."
> Dusty seems to be very amused with poking fun at the off-duty police officer, even knowing that it was probably a terrible idea no matter how one tried to look at it.
| >>762399
"I'm not meant for you to tease!!!"
>She resumes tapping upon the counter with open palms, her cheeks puffed up.
"Another drink!!!"
>She demands
| >>762348
"That's not fair, Fenrir likes everybody and I'm not going to give you our address. We need some privacy too, you know."
>Alix replies, flashing a wink back at her partner when she mentions privacy. She takes another sip from the Blue Fairy.
"Maybe, if Fenrir likes you enough, you could dogsit him every once in a while."
>Red says, finishing his second Piledriver.
"You need to learn to not get lost first though. Fenrir likes dragging people around the city."
| >>762456 "Don't worry!" "You can have your privacy I completely understand!" "I won't go in your room, promise!"
>Mira smiled and then swayed her hips cheerfully. It was a very nice change of pace for her and her life, even if she kind of turned it upside down just a few months ago. She never ever got to talk to people like this, not really.
"REALLY~!???" "I'll do great, trust me!!" "And we won't get lost!" "I just let my feet take me to wherever they want me to go~!"
| >>762468
"Uh... yeah, last time you let your feet lead the way you end up in Motor. So... maybe don't, your feet don't seem to know their way either."
>Red comments.
"Yeah, this city can be pretty dangerous. Be careful."
>Alix adds, a worried looks on her face. She turns to Red.
"I mean you as well, honey, okay?"
>Red nods, smiles, and kiss Alix again.
"Of course."
| >>762471 "Hey it all worked out in the end right~?" "I had fun for once!" "And I'm sure me and the puppy will have some great adventures!" "Really!" "So don't worry so much!" "I'm pretty responsible since I have a job and all!"
>Mira had to do her best to climb up and sit next to the couple, worried that by the end of her drink she might be a bit of a mess and get lost somewhere else.
"Oh yeah I heard it can be super dangerous out there!!" "I haven't run into much trouble yet!"
| >>762477
"Keyword, yet, you're lucky this side of Motor is empty and you ran into us. Just, don't let your luck run out."
>Red replies. Alix put her hand on his shoulder.
"Red, you're going to scare her."
>Alix says, but she sighs as she turns back to address Mira.
"But he's right, don't wander too much, especially at night."
| >>762412
"Hey, that's my line. If we're stuck in the same race, I'm at least going to jab you a few times to make myself laugh. No hard feelings; just the way shit does, Chank."
> Dusty takes a step back now, posting herself back up on the counter she calls her perch. She seems to be very comfortable and even pulls out an old oil lighter to fiddle with, attempting to light it but just producing sparks instead
| >>762488 >Mira's body started shivering but if that was because of the drink she thought was very alcoholic or because of what Red just said she wasn't exactly sure.
"O-okay I won't wander too much." "I was told to get a firearm once but I just never ended up doing that yet."
>She frowned and then took a small sip of her drink, nearly 3/4 of the way done with it.
| >>762558
"Oh, no, it's okay. Just be a little more careful next time, okay."
>Alix says in an attempt to calm Mira down. She promptly casts a 'I told you' glance back at Red.
"Okay, I'm sorry, that was a bit harsh."
>Red apologizes, then immediately tries to change the subject.
"You mentioned getting a firearm? If you still want it, I know someone who can help with that."
| >>762569 "Alright!" "I'll be more careful next time!"
>Her mood picked right back up again as she happily sipped her drink, making a loud slurping noise as she finished it all and the straw picked up nothing but air.
"Oh really!?" "Sure but I know next to nothing about them!" "Other than that they really hurt apparently!"
>She smiled and then giggled to herself, swinging her legs gently while staying seated. The room was starting to look a bit wobbly now, she thought.
| >>762412
> Dusty quickly remembers that she needed to make a new drink, so she quickly hops back down and decides to just make a whiskey on the rocks with a bottle that happened to be right above her head where she was perched
"This whiskey stuff is a little strong for me. Maybe it'll help you grow up as big and strong as Pete said it would do to me."
> She laughs a little at her own joke. Clearly, it didn't do anything for her own height
| >>762585
"Well, they do small arms training as well. I'm sure they can run you through the basic self-defense course."
>Red replies. Alix, however, put her hand on Red shoulder.
"...or this guy can teach you too, he taught me."
>Alix smiles devilishly at Red, but Red shrugs her hand off.
"We're going to go meet them anyways, they're the one dogsitting Fenrir, remember?"
| >>762590
"Whiskey? Hmm..."
>She takes the glass and peers into it, her face marked by a pondering expression.
>She sips on it a little, before furrowing her brow and swishing it within her mouth.
>She nods once, twice, thrice.
>And then downs the whole thing!
"Tasty!!!"
>She loves it!
| >>762592
> Dusty makes a strange face of horror, disgust and maybe a little bit of respect. That doesn't change the fact that she now understands what Pete must have felt when *she* did the same thing the first time he gave her whiskey
"I... uh... wow that's... okay then. I mean, do you want more? Fuck I might have one with you"
> Dusty feels like she's playing with fire but she hopes that she isn't.
| >>762601
> Dusty pours out two more glasses with ice for the whiskey. She practices some of her sharpshooting breathing exercises to steel her own nerves for the drink. Not like she was gonna let a cop show her up. She slides the fresh glass to Chanka and holds her own high
"All right. Bottoms up; let's fucking do this"
> She swirls her whiskey in ice and drinks it down as quickly as she can as to not break her focus.
| >>762613
>Chanka takes the glass too, and pours it down her throat with a quick motion of her wrist
>She closes her eyes and shakes a bit before sighing in delight, she seems to be enjoying the alcohol very much.
>Maybe it goes with being an Oni?
"That's delish!!!"
| >>762591 "Yay alright!!" "My arms are pretty small after all~!" "Did you have to do big arms training~?"
>Mira laughed at her own dumb joke and then smirked smugly at Red from her seat. Phew... There really must have been a lot of karmotrine in this drink, she thought. It was nice knowing Dusty saw her as an adult now!
"Oh yeah that reminds me!!" "Ummm.." "Right, yeah." "Where was that picture taken~?" "You looked like you were wearing some weird jacket and gun!"
| >>762616
> Dusty gives a harsh exhale. It feels like she's breathing out fire despite drinking something so cold. She doesn't make much of a face of pain, but she can feel some of the muscles in her back tense and loosen as she regathers her internal strength
"Yeah... it's... it's good I guess."
| >>762617 >>>762630
"Good job, Dusty, you got the kid drunk. What the hell did you give her?"
>Red says to Dusty after raising an eyebrow at the joke. He turns back.
"Yeah, let's keep the things with guns another day. Guns and alcohols don't mix."
>Alix looks at Mira as well.
"Oh dear, maybe we should just get you home."
| >>762666 "Awww okay." "But you have to promise me we'll go soonnnn!"
>She was feeling a bit tipsy but generally okay. That was until she heard what Alix said... She couldn't help but frown deeply, her lips quivering as she started tearing up.
"N-no please!!!!" "I'm fine really!!!" "Please let me see the puppy!" "Please.."
| >>762674
"Shit, not this again."
>Red groans, looking away. She takes a deep sigh before he turns back.
"Alright, alright, fine, you can go see the dog. Just... stop crying, I don't like it when girls cry."
| >>762676 "Really!?" "Yay!!!" "I was scared I wasn't going to be allowed!" "Who knows if I was even going to see you two again?" "And I'm sure I'll be fine." "After a bit.." "Just gotta sit here."
>Mira got the last of the remaining sniffles out and then sighed softly. She closed her eyes and noticed how heavy they felt. Is this what happened when people drank too much? Or was it a her thing?
| >>762666
> Dusty rushes to where Red is and leans in close to his ear where Alix can still see them both at the same time. She didn't want anyone else to hear it seems
"Yeah no. That act is all her. That last drink had zero actual booze in it. Sorry about that guy."
> She pulls away and clears her throat, as if to dispel any potential suspicion before turning her attention elsewhere
>>762690
"Yeah sure, give me a sec"
> She walks back, gets new ice and sets up another drink
| >>762696
>Tierra, having noticed the whiskey that Dusty used, perked up in her seat before finishing the last of her Cobalt Velvet.
"I really shouldn't, but... I noticed you had some whiskey. Would it be too much to ask for an old fashioned?"
>Tierra's hand quickly left the air when a device in her pocket began to ring. She stood up from the bar stool and walked away from the counter to take the call.
| >>762696
>"It's placebo then."
>Red whispers back. He gives Dusty a thumbs up and turns back to Mira.
>>762680
"Well, tell us when you're ready to go."
>Red tells Mira, while Alix finishes her secondly drink quietly.
| >>762717 >Mira opened her eyes and blinked a few times before nodding softly. She was starting to feel her systems wanting to power down for the night but she had to push through! She needed to meet this dog super bad!!!
"I'm ready to go when you want to~" "C-can I just have help getting up?"
| >>762727
>Red gets up from his seat and looks at the stumbling lilim. He chuckles and hold out his hand.
"Come on."
>Alix gets up as well, her feet making a 'thump' sound against the floorboard of the bar. She checks her sling bag and looks at Red.
"Alright, let's go."
| >>762696
>Alix walks towards the door, but stops almost immediately and do a 180 back towards Dusty. She fumbles around inside her bag and takes out a credstick, which she hands over to Dusty.
"Here you go, see ya Dusty!"
| >>762740 >She nods and grabs his hand gently before getting down from her seat. But even then she doesn't let go, just letting him lead her in case she falls. It was a strange feeling though seeing as his hand was much larger than hers. And unbeknownst to her at the moment, she really did look like a child then.
"Alright thank youuu~" "Bye Dusty~!!"
>She waved at the bartender with her free hand and then turned back around so she can leave with the couple.
| >>762757
>Red looks back at Mira once he realizes that she's not letting go. He sighs and smile. Alix looks at the pair and nods an approval, also smiling as she catches up. She leans closer to Red's ear and whispers, quietly enough so Mira wouldn't hear.
>"You're passing the dad's test right now."
>Red turns his head to Alix and cocks his brow.
>"Really?"
>Alix nods an answer and gives him another kiss before she offers Mira another hand to hold on to.
| >>762761 >Mira grabs onto her hand as well, walking with the pair while humming to herself and hoping Fenrir loves her, completely oblivious to the fact she was acting in a way most would call extremely child-like.
"So how old is he~?" "Is he super big?" "I know you showed me the picture but it's hard to tell!"
| >>762798
"Oh, he's pretty big alright, about his age."
>Red takes a few moment to think.
"Hmm... I'm not sure... Alix, when did we first start dating?"
>Alix looks back, a slight disappointment in her eyes.
"You can't remember? It's 9 years ago."
>Red looks on the floorboard again, doing silent maths and trying to recall the memories inside his head.
"So, we adopted him two years after we started dating and he was one when we adopted him. So he's 8 years old."
| >>762853
> Dusty waves goodbye with a wink before going on to see what everyone else needed at the bar. Whether or not Mira payed was irrelevant as far as she cared.
>>762697
"Oh, forsure. You are *SO* lucky that the Old Man loves these and so does the owner. Otherwise, you'd be out of luck, girl."
> Dusty quickly fixes up an old fashioned as if she's done it a million times before. She even throws in a cherry inside before serving
"Let me know what you think"
| >>762853 "Wow!" "My first dog and he's a big one too~!" "But jeez you three are olddddd!"
>Mira giggled and smiled wide. It was funny that if she went off of creation date at least, even the dog was older than she was. Not like she ever cared much about that but she did wonder what it would be like to have the ages match like people did. Yet at the same time, if that were the case she never would have met these two today. That would be pretty depressing.
| >>762865 >She walks outside with them, still holding onto their hands and taking in the sight of the Motor District after dark. It was weird she didn't remember how it looked even a little despite the fact she walked here earlier today.
"I know you said you weren't giving me your address but do you two live here?" "You seemed like you knew the bartender."
| >>762926
"Oh, Dusty? We're friends and we work together sometimes... let's just say that it's complicated."
>Red replies, taking in the view of Motor as well.
| >>762941 "Huh alright." "So are we driving there or walking there or something~?" "Also what are the people taking care of him like??"
>Mira started swinging her arms softly while still holding onto their hands. She was feeling much more excitable now that they had left the bar and she was on her way to meeting Fenrir~ So she was just bursting with energy and questions!
| >>762859
>Once her call was concluded, Tierra returned to the bar and sat down with a heavy sigh. She lifted the old fashioned to her lips and took a hearty gulp from it before setting it down.
"It appears that I might be staying in hotels for a little bit longer. Unfortunately, my agent is having trouble finding a place that fits my needs."
>Tierra ran her finger across the rim of the glass, resting her jaw in her other hand.
| >>762961
"At least hotel living beats getting stuck in shitty campsites. Must be nice to get someone to route all those issues out for you though. I always wondered what having an 'agent' would be like."
> Dusty rests herself on the bartop, as if she's going to take a nap then and there
"Does this mean you'll at least get to stay here for longer. I don't exactly want my only company to be little Tank Girl"
| >>762996
>Chanka is sipping the rest of her empty glass.
"Agents are stupid, and they usually stink too!"
>She says with a frown, grinding her teeth.
"I used to have one! Back in the White Knights!! Real stupid idiot! she kept trying to touch my horns too!!"
>This seems to be a particularly unpleasant memory for the small Oni, she's clearly upset at the mention of the word "agent" alone
"Another drink, with lots of ice!!"
>She demands!
| >>762998
> Dusty works slowly to make the drink and talk at the same time. She's been getting better at it tonight, at least
"The White Knights? Maybe you can look at the suit of armor I built and tell me why it doesn't work then. Based it off those leaked specs. Better to be out of them though. Even *I* heard about them before living here. Never wanted to have to face one so close"
> She finishes up the drink. It's very pink with a bunch of ice in it.
| >>763000
"Those were the days!!"
>Chanka exclaims, drinking from the glass slowly
>She takes an ice-cube within her mouth and crunches down on it, breaking it into a million pieces.
"You built your own suit?? Powered or not that's impressive!!"
>The Major is genuinly impressed.
| >>762996
"I saw the campsites on my ride in, they were unpleasant to look at."
>Tierra sipped at her old fashioned, eventually snagging the cherry between her teeth and casually crunching upon it as she thought.
"I can remain here for some time, there is no longer a time limit to my night. I am free to drink, relax, and discuss as much as I permit myself to."
>>763004
"A powered suit on your own? That is impressive. The techs back home would want to hear about you."
| >>763004 >>763009
"Mind y'all, it looks like the old WK suits, but it's much less flashy. I like my stuff having a consistent aesthetic and those suits weren't it. Check it"
> Dusty pulls her phone out and pulls up a picture of her in the suit. It looks less bulky than a normal suit would, although there doesn't seem to be a helmet included nor armor past the elbows. It definitely does look homemade
"It still hasn't been tested by fire, thankfully. Sadly. Both"
| >>763020
>Chanka seems curious
"Hmmm... Why is it so small?"
>She asks with a complex expression, her cherry colored lips trace a slight frown and her left eyebrow is raised a bit.
"Not big enough!"
>She exclaims!
| >>763023
"You're not that big either! I need it that size so I can still ride the Albatross, since it's the only thing that could handle the weight strain! I'd like to see you do better using just some stolen specs and limited programming skills."
> Dusty seems to be a little huffy, but still keeping her tone sound at least somewhat playful. Maybe this is justa sore spot for someone like her
| >>763027
"You ride a bird??"
>Chanka is even more confused now, her eyes are swimming as she tries to allocate the small ammount of brain power left within her head to figuring out what someone riding an Albatross would look like.
"I-I guess it couldn't carry too much weight!"
| >>763028
"Oh, she can handle the extra 250 pounds, but anything more and i risk having to do an overhaul on her suspension and propulsion system and that's more effort than it's worth."
> Dusty replied in stride, as if not even hearing the comment about riding a bird. She more than likely did not actually hear that part, or simply thought Chanka knew.
| >>763042
"BIRDS HAVE PROPULSION SYSTEMS???"
>Chanka gets up on her stool, in shock!
>Well, it actually made sense, there's no way birds could just fly by flapping wings, surely they needed rocket boosters too!
| >>763044
"Uhhh what? Oh. Right. Duh Dani, c'mon"
> She muttered these words to herself, not realizing that she never really explained what the Albatross actually was
"No, birds don't have propulsion systems. I name all of our motorcycles after birds. My best and most armored is the Albatross. They're so cool. I have whole books on different birds and the name just fit"
| >>763020
"I suppose you should be lucky you haven't been able to test it in combat yet."
>Tierra sipped from her old fashioned again.
"The combat test is the most dangerous phase. We lost a few interns due to it."
>She set her glass down on the counter, thoughtfully chewing on some of the ice left behind.
"Birds are certainly a more interesting name for your vehicles. Himura used the names of old naval ships for their models."
| >>763221
"Y-you scared me... I thought birds were in violation of the airlaws!"
>Chanka says, wiping off a few beads of sweat off her forehead.
>She didn't want to have to arrest birds.
| >>763223
"Oh! So like the Arizona and Midway and stuff? Those old kinds of ships? Pete told me stories about navies and big ships. They'd sound boring when I was a kid but I wish i would have paid attention more now."
>>763402
"If I actually submitted the schematics of my armored baby, I think I would be breaking quite a few laws so... better that you never see it, Major Shrimpy"
| >>763404
"Not quite battleships like that, but certainly battleships. Being founded in New Osaka means many of the names are after Japanese battleships."
>Tierra sipped from her glass again, the ice rattling around as the old fashioned neared completion.
"Large ships, often with guns capable of punching holes through the strongest of armor for their respective time periods. Much like the Platforms Himura operates with."
| >>763668
"oh. Oh. OH. Like real actual warships. I wonder if Fox knows anything about that. Or if his Caretaker did when he was still around. I guess you gotta be really smart then to do all that no matter where you are. That's still pretty cool, I guess."
> Dusty looked down a little bit, as if not sure how to now feel about knowing that information.
"Well, it beats boring names by a mile at least. I still remember all the old bikes I had fondly"
| >>763775
>Tierra tilted her head slightly before nodding somewhat slowly.
"Yes, I did not know what you had assumed before, but yes. They were named after old Japanese warships. If you were in design and research there was a great deal of intellect."
>Tierra sipped from her glass once more.
"I required a different sort of intellect, not for design or creation but for tactics and movement. As for your bikes, it is good to cherish the names you give them. May they serve you well"
| >>763807
"Names are silly! Why would you give hunks of metal names??"
>Chanka says, still drinking
"Just give them numbers or something! It's easier to remember those!"
| >>763807 >>763848
"HEY. They're not just hunks of metal, those were my bikes I built. Besides, what does something like the XSR95000 say about a motorcycle? Nothing at all. Red-Tail? Now that's a name that says exactly what she was for."
> Dusty just left that comment hanging, reminiscing on her time with the bike of the name instead of explaining what a Red-tail even is or why it mattered to her
This thread is permanently archived
| > Another early evening in the Capsule. Despite the usual reputation that the Motor District got, there weren’t as many races around the area randomly. Tonight, the particular corner where this bar rested was mostly empty, since the races and gang activity was happening elsewhere.
> The usual lazy activity was gone, with everyone off doing the more exciting race watching and betting, or maybe they were all simply busy with other aspects of their life