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Prince Diamond Berry
448d82
“What?”
…
It's all that comes out of my mouth and it isn't that I remember something, but more I come to a realization, I am an idiot.
“ah... Yes” I say awkwardly.
The Lizard man looks at me sceptically.
He looks at the catkin called Reeb, then at me.
“You lossst your memory, didn't you? Well I am Aiisss, owner of this fine bar”
“Yes, I mean no, I... how did you know?”
Aiis closes an eye before replying, “Well I am quite adept in the art of guesssing, and I've dealt with people foolish enough to lose their written mindss”
Written minds? Odd phrasing, Reeb winces as if the comment was directed at him rather than me, wait... he just called me foolish, isn't that a bit insensitive?
“Well, I did, got in an accident, lost my memory...”
[Aiis]“Accident? More like your mech blowing up, given your extenssively modified body, you look very different to the way did the last time I sssaw you.”
“...”
Less art of guessing and more infallible pinning of the truth, Ow.
“Well that's pretty much it, so anything you could tell me would help”
[Aiis] “Not really anything I could tell you that would help”
I'm about to open my mouth in protest.
“You kept to yourssself mosstly, never sspoke much, ate your mealss, paid for them, never flirted, never talked, didn't really drink, you played on the machiness a bit, though there was one person”
“One person?”
[Aiis]“ I could only describe your relationsship as that of... Rivalss”
“Rivals?”
My memory doesn't recall anyone like that, but then the fact of my visits to this place, I haven't remembered anything, not that I like shark, that just a fact a found out...
I've remembered nothing, but how to fight.
I hear a small delicate voice sound out.
“Rivals? How can you dignify a miserable sod such a him as my Rival Aiis!”
I spin round on my chair, and what greets, or perhaps assails my eyes is what seems to be a small girl, I can't tell what race she is, a child?.
Her hair is more like an emerald mane than normal hair, scales lightly cover her cheeks and fore-arms, which also sport fetlock like strands of hair. A pair of black horns, sweep back from her head. She wears a simple but elegant white coat, reaching her feet. Imperious Azure eyes glare at me, as if I'm some kind of blister or worm. I stand, she's really small, barely coming to my chest even.
My rival is a child?
Just As I realise I said that out loud, I feel a sharp blow to my shin.
I tumble to the ground clutching my leg, pain dominating my senses, man it was just a little kick, so why does it feel like I was shot?
“I am no child, Worm, You have the honour to be in the presence of Ozillyhana Vil Cazelterg” she replies, face bright indigo, looking both embarrassed and angry.
“He has lost his memory, has he Aiis?”
Aiis nods, smirking, curse you Aiis, you're enjoying this, aren't you?
“If your mind has forgotten I shall just make your body remember!”
Wait what? I don't like the sound of that, not liking that at all.
I close my eyes as a finger descends to point at me.
“Play me!”
What? No What? My mind is in pieces, what is happening here?
“A game of Gunwieltun IV!”
Huh?
In a daze I'm led to one of the machines in a corner, I look at it, then at Ozil.
“Aren't you too short for this?”
Why mouth, why do you wish pain on me, I cringe in anticipation of the shin kick that never comes.
Pouting, she points at a box, which before I know it, I've moved in front of one side of the machine.
The game is a fighting one, Cyborgs, guns, teddy bears, it's pretty Zany. I don't remember it, but I find the combos flow out of my, my fingers and thumbs remember this, and sweep over the crystal control ball. In spite of being able to play, I don't win once...
But then neither does she, furiously concentrating we draw, each time, neither of us can gain the upper hand. I finally remember something.
In all the times I played against her, we never told anything to each other, knowing only each other's names, we had our rivalry, and nothing else... at once heart-warming and empty...
I can remember how to play, the rivalry persists, it is enough for her, we never sought more than that, or was it me?
Who was Nao? I feel such a disconnect. Aiis has my meal ready when we finish, she sits beside me eating a parfait, that Aiis makes parfaits strikes me as more odd than her eating with her rival, only natural that rivals should eat together, or so I think.
We finish without speaking, we exit without speaking and we part with nothing but a promise to beat the other. I walk through the dark rain filled streets back to my mech.
Later I rest warm and safe inside my Yodhfen, looking for work to do...
I come across many options, but I narrow them down to five.
FIND MY CAT
One mission stands out because of it's oddity. It's to find a woman's Cat... I was a first confused as to why a mech is needed to find a cat, but then well the cat in question is sightly larger than my mech and has to be non-lethally subdued, well not exactly, just have to get it home. Interesting, but likely to be difficult, in spite of the Cat's supposed tameness. Private contract of course. A noble by the name of Selayna Muikro, Looking up the Muikro brings up all kinds of things, Quite a big family, Losing giant cats is pretty tame for what happens in regard to them. High standing family all the same, they have connections.
Reward: 300,000 Kens + Repairs
A 200,000 bonus if the cat is found and returned home on the day of acceptance.
RAID ON LAIFET CULTISTS
This is part of a larger op, backed by the Order of the Maimed Hand, Supposedly it's only my past history that allows me to access it, basically a heretic Chlan-worship cult is going to be hit and some extra mecha are needed, there is no chance of enemy mechs, but several large and small scale Chlan are predicted, there is the possibility of the Cultists summoning a Colossus Class Chlan, the main reason for the mechs, get a bonus for each Chlan killed and if the Colossus Class comes, everyone gets a big fat pay check whether it's killed or we're forced to retreat.
Reward:
200,000 for taking the job
500,000 Kens per Chlan killed
1,500,000 for appearance of the Colossus Class
200,000 bonus if the cult is completely wiped out.
100,000 bonus for dealing the final blow to the Colossus
All repairs energy and ammunition paid for.
Only offered to those who have a record of anti-monsterous fights.
I'd have to be ready for tomorrow evening, that's when the raid is due.
Order of the Maimed Hand are a mercenary hunting organization, behind a lot of cult smashings, they do some security work when the cults aren't acting up. Public quite likes them, not that they like the public much. Not hot about Gemchildren either, but they'll keep away.
DROMFORGE LABRATORY DEFENCE
Seems that a company by the name of Dromforge Industries is scared that some “bandits” might try raiding their lab, bandits being rogues hired by catspaws of their compeditors. It's a week long contract, just until they have their current “prototype” finished and moved off securely, fairly standard, however, they are offering two further deals.
Any Mech pilot who tries out some of their experimental equipment gets a bonus per each item tested, either in the field or in combat against any “bandits” compensation for any damage resulted from testing is included.
Also, anyone can assist guarding the Prototype while it's in transit, this is a strictly opt in contract, it'd count as an extension of the existing contract.
So, in total...
One Week starting immediately tomorrow, 750 an hour, energy, meals and board paid for.
Repairs are covered if you test out five experimental items.
100,000 bonus for each “bandit” popped
200,000 bonus for testing experimental items.
The escort duty is a Flat 300,000 take it or leave it, with the bandit and item bonuses still being open.
The bandits are likely to be mech users, perhaps a manufactured monster or too, the threat is played down, but clearly Dromforge is worried about not having enough Guards, perhaps they've spread their private security too thin? Well in anycase, taking the job and the escort duty nets you a bit of experimental tech if they decide they like you.
RELIC SHIPMENT IN NEED OF PROTECTION
An expedition of archaeologists is bringing a shipment of relics, which always attracts attention, they want some aid in securing the the shipment when it arrives, and then protecting it, while it's loaded off into something... more fortified. The Relics are apparently quite fragile, or are they volatile? In anycase, they wouldn't be surprised if there was an attempt to grab the relics, and even if there isn't, they've had problems with Chlan all throughout the transportation.
Repairs covered.
300,000 for the Job
100,000 bonus for each nasty
500,000 if anything goes really bad.
Due Sometime in the next few days, 50,000 for each day on watch for the Shipment to arrive.
Then... the last job that was of interest,
Sir Jagdwuir
A private request, Within three days I have to go to his manse for the details, which are negotiable.
…
Seeing Jagdwuir is in my contacts I decide to do a bit of research on him.
Well...
Sir Hyleath Jagdwuir, Son of Airen Jadgwuir. He's a Duke of Dome, and a Goblin Prince, a Shareholder in many companies, Head of a textiles empire, that really isn't much of an empire any longer. Patron of various charities and arts, owner of various esoteric things. A collector of any pre-cataclysm armour, as long as it is black. Quite Social, he's not taken a bride though. His political views and his views on the mixed-blood/gemchild situation are a secret well kept sercret, has a fondness for Crunchy fruit and Hunting Hounds. As with most Noble Goblins, Crystals a source of fascination. The Daily Judgement has rated him number 6 in Dome's best dressed individuals. His aloofness and mind-boggling ability to avoid the media at large has made him something of a figure of Interest, who still manages to remain an enigma.
Or so Lexiconnect says.
I close the ethernet connection, and close my eyes...
Well a few more things learned about Nao Fontyane, I'm in the low-mid level, I've got a really clean record, so much I'm offered jobs that require my silence afterwards.
What mission should I take?
I have some evening left...
I could go somewhere, wander the streets, or something.
I could do some research into those other contacts I have.
I could look for some other missions, ones in the coming days, rather than tomorrow, but I need cash badly.
Or I could just bum inside Yodhfen scanning the ethernet until I fall asleep, suppose I could try finding a Ethereal Tale to read...
Right! lets get this show on the road again! consistant like!
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