>>5985534

After another mind meltingly good bite, your eyes almost rolling into the back of your head, it occurs to you that you might be eating too many cookies - with a tremendous force of will, you stand back up and return the cookies to the antique ceramic jar in the kitchen that Vicky must have unpacked at some point over the last few days. It is a bit awkward with only one arm in full operation, your other still in a cast after Dolf broke it in two places by falling onto you. That last job must’ve really been something…

“Those are dangerous.” You say aloud while closing the lid on the jar. Alice’s form materializes into existence next to you, just within your Kiroshi cybereyes’ peripheral field of view - an illusion, she isn’t truly there - and you can see at once she’s not pleased with stopping, pouting slightly.

“Must we stop, Kai?” Alice leans over and swipes a slightly red arm through the ceramic jar, her false image passing through it more like a supernatural ghost than the technological one she is, “Those were comforting, it reminded me of… something. I am unsure of what exactly it is though.”

“Maybe you used to get home baked food as well?” You can feel the impression of her absent memory as well, lightning without a cloud to spark it, a current without water or air to flow - It exists only in its absence. It’s fucking weird.

“Perhaps. I am glad we had them, whatever the case was. You… felt that too?” Alice asks hesitantly - she knows you did, but you’ve both found it easier to parse things separate from the other's mind by speaking ‘aloud’. It doesn’t help entirely, especially when speaking to others - freaked Vicky out with it already last night - but it is the best method you have currently.

>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.
>”I did, and I think we should be careful about it. Really careful, actually, I’ve heard what wireheads can do to themselves after they get a taste of easy ple… Uh, well, let’s just not, okay?” Just saying the words invites a whole lot of discomfort back, but this might be a lot more dangerous than a good plate of cookies - what happens with feelings that are already intense?
>”Uh, yeah, of course. We’ve got biz to get to though, don’t we?” Try to ignore the intensity of your doubled feelings for now, there are eddies to be made. Maybe your work ethic has doubled too? Eh, not likely.
>Write-in.

>>5985538
>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.
Let's try to not be too much of a downer about it.

>>5985538
>>”I did, and I think we should be careful about it. Really careful, actually, I’ve heard what wireheads can do to themselves after they get a taste of easy ple… Uh, well, let’s just not, okay?” Just saying the words invites a whole lot of discomfort back, but this might be a lot more dangerous than a good plate of cookies - what happens with feelings that are already intense?

>>5985538
>>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.

Welcome back.

>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.

>>5985538
>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.

>>5985538
>>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.

>>5985538
>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.
research purposes

>>5985538
>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.
>But maybe keep it at a light touch as much as you can - after all, letting your curiosity and wonder make a gonk of you is pretty much how you ended up like this.

>>5985538
>>5985756
Support

>>5985538

>”I did, and I think we should be careful about it. Really careful, actually, I’ve heard what wireheads can do to themselves after they get a taste of easy ple… Uh, well, let’s just not, okay?” Just saying the words invites a whole lot of discomfort back, but this might be a lot more dangerous than a good plate of cookies - what happens with feelings that are already intense?

We gotta prioritize separating our minds.

Also, great to see this return, Mainline.

>>5985538
>”...Yeah, felt preem. I wonder if that works for other things too?” Now there’s an interesting idea - despite your broken arm and aching muscles, you feel good! Amazing, even. Better than you have since well before New Years.

>>5985555
>>5985656
>>5985658
>>5985682
>>5985692
>>5985708
>>5985810
Writing.

“Yeah, felt preem.” You grin, remembering the exquisite taste and finding yourself - and Alice - growing curious as to how other things might feel as well, “I wonder if that works for other things too?”

“I suspect it does, but this jar vexes me, open!” Alice huffs, giving up her hopeless attempt to reopen the jar and settling on just leaning back against the countertop with her cheeks puffed out in frustration - you feel it as well, an annoyance at being unable to interact with the world. Without thinking too much about it, you reach over and lift the lid of the jar, a wave of strange but tingling satisfaction flowing through your whole body. You quickly seal the jar up once more, done with eating. “...Thank you, Kai. It is so frustrating to be unable to move things.”

“Maybe we can find you a robot to control,” You muse, having thought of it a few times before and having little else to do , “Like Cam’s, or… Do you think you could control a full body cyborg?”

“The mechanical shell? Yes, I believe so - my data recovery has stalled during our shared coma, but I believe control would be… intuitive. They are designed to respond to a human mind, which I remain patterned after even now. I have no desire to control a person though.” Alice answers at once, clearly having thought about this a lot more than you have, “One of the newer Gemini models would be ideal, I believe one could be made to look as it should… Perhaps with further enhancements as well.”

You scratch at the back of your head with your working arm, surprised by how quick the response was for something you haven’t felt her thinking about much, “Oh, wow, even got the model picked out already? How much do those cost?”

“Approximately 210,000 eurodollars, for the latest standard model.” Alice replies, “The premium grade is twice that. Older… ‘used’ models are not desirable. It is-”

“Sickening that used ones even exist, yeah. I understand.” You almost gag at the feeling of shared disgust. Whatever your differences, neither you nor Alice are chrome scavengers - not so long as there are other options. “...We’re pretty far off from being able to afford something like that. Think we could steal one?”

…You’re not above stealing one though, working as a merc has made armed robbery seem rather blasé to you even after just a few jobs.

>>5985867

“They are a highly valuable item, I do not believe we have the skills sufficient to crack the IC protecting one from takeover, if we could find a suitable target in storage to begin with. Physical security is likely to be impressive as well.” Alice isn’t rushing to go find a body, as much as you can feel that she wants one, “That is an adventure for another day. I do bear good news though, I was just able to secure the sale of the game keys we harvested from the scav subnet last week.”

Transfer Received: €1,800.
Eurobank Account Balance: €9,800.
Debt to Vik: €6,000
The Raffen job ended up paying out €2,900 after Kai’s expenses and his split of seized gear. Bills are due on the 28th.

Mm, damn, twice the rush of making eddies too - maybe this entanglement is something you can get used to after all, “Preem work, choom…”

>”Going to need more than that for the bills though, and to start saving for more chrome and a Gemini…” Hit up Dakota, maybe there are some small Netrunning jobs to be done. You’re not super keen to dive right back in after how last time went, but with a broken arm you’re not great for much beyond work on the Net. It should be healed in another couple of days thanks to the meds Vik gave you, they’re very fast but not magic.
>”...Lets hit up Yoko’s shop, it’s time we got some better programs.” Part of your fuckup with the Raffen was the heat and riding a beam for your Net connection - that’s always less than idea - but the biggest issue was that you’re still using unspecialized programs. You need to upgrade your Net toolkit.
>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern.
>Write-in.

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152 KB JPG

>>5985870
>Write-in.
>Choose to stay home for today and relax with Vicky. After the last two weeks of near constant action and the sudden blackout. You just want to stay home and watch a few movies with her. She'll likely appreciate the company, and the fact you and Alice are not jumping into danger right after having woken up.

Vicky waifu route and a break to just talk with her would be nice.

>>5985870
>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern.

>>5985870

>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern.

We gotta get our minds right and then get some eddies fast.

>>5985870
>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern.

>>5985870
>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern

>>5985870
>>”Speaking of last week, Hlin, we never got that BD of your memories made.” It’s something to do while your body still aches and your arm is healing, but it’s another expense. With Alice - Hlin - entangled further with you, it is a more pressing concern.

>>5985870
Btw how much did we need for 28th?

>>5986053
The precise amount can vary by thousands (tens of thousands, even), but if Kai has 30k in his account on the 28th then it'll be fine, probably with some left over. Every eddie lower than that and there's a risk it won't cover something.

>>5985874
>>5985882
>>5985898
>>5985911
>>5986035
Writing. Probably won't get the next post out until tomorrow morning though.

“Speaking of last week, Hlin,” You use Alice’s ‘real’ name for a change, despite is still feeling somewhat odd to you - her smile tells you everything you needed to know about how she feels about it though, despite her insistence that ‘Alice’ remains fitting as well, “We never got that BD of your memories made.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten - I hope to share it with you soon, my own attempts since reawakening has continued to be fruitless.”

“We should go talk with… Ju… Judith?” You struggle to recall your neighbors name, it was just a small note in a very, very busy day - and getting knocked out for the better part of a week has a way of rattling a person’s memory.

“Judy.” Alice offers up.

“Right, Judy. Head is still a bit fuzzy.” You scratch at your hair a bit more and head toward the door, decent enough to go talk to a neighbor - Not going to head out into Night City dressed like you just rolled out of bed, but this isn’t exactly a high class apartment building. You doubt it’ll bother her. “Let’s go now, might be early enough to catch her still before she goes to… wherever it is gangers go during the day.”

“I could run a search.” Alice offers as you both walk toward the door. It slides open as you tap the control, and you watch for a moment as Alice starts to walk through, clips half way through the door frame, and then backs up to try to do it ‘correctly’. A feeling of disorientation washes over you as you watch, sharing in her discomfort at being little more than an illusion projected within your mind… Ugh, that kind of hurts.

“May as well.” You grunt out the response before shutting the door to your apartment and heading across to Judy’s. Knocking lightly three times on the metal door, you wait for a minute without a response. You know again and call out her name - loudly, but not quite shouting, and there’s still no answer. “...Not home, or sleeping like a rock. Anything come up on that search?”

“She works at ‘Lizzie’s’, a gang run bar… or perhaps a BD den. It is not far, do you know it?” Alice’s mind projected avatar blushes bright red, covering her mouth with one hand and eyes widening as she sees something you don’t; involuntarily, your breath quickens, heat and blood pumping to all sorts of places it shouldn’t be right now, “W-what a fascinating establishment!”

>>5986632

“I’ve seen the sign a few times, yeah.” You turn a slight shade of red as well, suddenly far more aware of just how close Alice’s illusory image is standing to you, “Never gone though…”

>”But I guess that’s where we’re headed then.” …Maybe it’ll be fun? But with Alice like this… Oh no. Although now that you think about it, maybe that’s what you need?
>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.
>”...Seems like Yoko might know someone else who could do the work, wouldn’t hurt to drop by the shop anyways.” Restrain yourself! This is biz to be handled. Personal biz, but it still needs to get done.
>Write-in.

>>5986633
>>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.
lets do it once we are recovered

QM, can you post the archive of the quest? I didn't catch up with the second thread

>>5986637
Sure thing, anon.

Thread one:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5829969/
Thread two:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5944098/

>>5986633
>>”...Seems like Yoko might know someone else who could do the work, wouldn’t hurt to drop by the shop anyways.” Restrain yourself! This is biz to be handled. Personal biz, but it still needs to get done.

>>5986633
>”But I guess that’s where we’re headed then.” …Maybe it’ll be fun? But with Alice like this… Oh no. Although now that you think about it, maybe that’s what you need?

>>5986633
>>”But I guess that’s where we’re headed then.” …Maybe it’ll be fun? But with Alice like this… Oh no. Although now that you think about it, maybe that’s what you need?

I'm sure we can control ourselves.

>>5986633
>>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.

Chillaxmax

>>5986633
>>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.

>>5986633
>>>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.

>>5986633
>>”But I guess that’s where we’re headed then.” …Maybe it’ll be fun? But with Alice like this… Oh no. Although now that you think about it, maybe that’s what you need?

>>5986633
>”We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need the rest. Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn’t this. Stop looking at the Net!” A cold shower would help as well.
Spend some time with Vicky too

Test

>>5986634
>>5986758
>>5986803
>>5986871
>>5986886
Writing. Expect the update in the morning.

Slight delay on the new update, it should still be out today though.

Even longer delay, christ. It's coming though, don't worry.

>>5987807
Don't stress mate. I waited all those months for you to come back, willing to wait a day or 2 for another update

“We’ll catch her again sometime when she’s back home, I think I still need to rest.” You reply after a final attempt at knocking on the door, trying desperately not to get lost in Alice’ interest in the BD bar, “Should probably meditate too, or… or something that isn't this! Stop looking at the Net, I can feel that too!”

“I… I cannot help it, it is… hard to control. I cannot-” Alice turns brighter red and vanishes, too embarrassed to withstand your gaze, and you head back to your apartment.

The old steel door swishes aside with a tap of the controls and you immediately make your way to the sofa. Flopping down on the cushions, you let out a sigh and try to think of anything else besides leaving right now to head to Lizzie’s. Adjusting your posture, sitting up slightly and pulling your legs in, you try to clear your mind and center yourself - fifteen or twenty minutes meditating should help you get these images… out of… your head…

Shit, you can’t focus like this at all! Groaning in frustration, you activate the apartment’s television with a thought and pull up an old movie. The screen fills with frantic motion and curving skin, breathy gasping moans playing tantalizingly from the speakers. Fucking come on, even the TV? You switch randomly, hoping to find anything else, finding an old nature documentary about Bonobos instead. Wait, are they-COME ON! Sinking your face into your still mobile hand, you shut the screen off with a thought and try to wash your mind of whatever the hell that was.

A minute or so passes by, but it feels like an eternity; your perception of time grows strange, elongated, every moment perceived far more rapidly than should be possible - you don’t have a Kerenzikov, but the world slows regardless. Every breath is countless moments, every thought lingers for an age, every desire permeates through you more intensely than you can handle. It’s too much, a person isn’t meant to think like this, the human mind cannot cope with this… You begin to stand to head to the shower, intent on blasting away these feelings with icy cold water - that usually does the trick - but someone stops you.

A hand brushes against your shoulder, resting lighting on it and sending a tingling almost electric wave through your body, a flush of heat following close behind. Looking to your side, Alice’s illusory form has appeared again, and there’s something different in her narrow eyes, a look that calls for you to come closer. You almost begin to lean in, but restrain yourself and pull back.

>>5988225

“Alice, I-” You start to protest, but she places a finger against your lips, silencing you. She cannot truly touch you, only an illusion projected within your shared mind, but it feels real- the light press of her fingers, the warmth of her presence; you struggle to breathe. Her touch is intoxicating, a shared desire clouding your thoughts so terribly pleasantly. Every worried thought about the world begins to slip away…

Alice’s cheeks are flushed scarlet, her voice a whisper, her eyes locked upon yours, drawing you in deeper, “I need you.”

>’Synchronize’
>”But we’re not even together, this isn’t how it should happen.” Of course you’re interested, but this doesn’t feel right.
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.
>Write-in.

>>5988228
>’Synchronize’
Welp time to OD on doubled neurotransmitters

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.
Deny her immediately. We cannot allow Kai to be manipulated by Alice's whims or selfishness - he is in control, not her. Untangling efforts will increase until she's understands this.

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.
Begone e-thot, this is inappropriate and we can't have you doing this if we share headspace like this.

>>5988225
>finding an old nature documentary about Bonobos instead
LMAO

>>5988228
>>’Synchronize’
Maybe if we fully sychronize instead of doing it half way we won't be a wierd lizardbrain person. It might even help us seperate.

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower
Start reading a bible and eat kellogs cereal in the shower

>>5988228
>’Synchronize

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

>>5988267
wouldn't that be
”But we’re not even together, this isn’t how it should happen.” Of course you’re interested, but this doesn’t feel right.
then?

>>5988228
>’Synchronize’
I want to go down the rabbit hole of improving sync. I kinda agree with >>5988267 in that we shouldn't let her manipulate us but the benefits of being synced for combat or something are too good to pass up, we need every edge

>>5988481
Technically we could have a low grade sandevistan without a sandevistan. With an AI handling all the neural data processing at high speeds, She help drive the body faster than we can notice things.

That comes with a TON of possible downsides. The brain was not meant to comprehend the net with as many inputs as a digital being could handle.

Its time to DNA Digivolve you guys.

In what way is she manipulating us? We're both in the same boat here, being overwhelmed by whatever is happening. Implying that it's all her fault or whatever you guys are trying to do is just not accurate.

>>5988228
>’Synchronize’
Maybe we have been going about this the wrong way.

>>5988228
>>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.
Alice no. Bad girl. Maybe when we are not mindmelting

>>5988228
>>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

>’Synchronize

>>5988228
>’Synchronize
Sex time

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.
Devolving into a degenerate BD addict, I swear…

>>5988228
>’Synchronize’
Poor girl needs some heavy petting

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

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44 KB JPG

>>5988479
No, this isn't a "I'm okay with it but this is not the time". We're making boundaries, Alice may be best girl and has proven to be a helpful friend, but we need to untangle as hard as possible so Kai doesn't become her flesh puppet. Besides, we are in no condition to get JC Denton'd - any plans for fusion will need to wait.

>>5988228

>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

Mainline, I’m trying to save you from yourself here

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156 KB JPG

>>5988228
>”No. Stop that.” Reject immediately, head to the shower.

>>5988232
>>5988325
>>5988342
>>5988481
>>5988507
>>5988565
>>5988770
>>5988925
Sync.

>>5989122
>>5989120
>>5988992
>>5988853
>>5988550
>>5988515
>>5988424
>>5988387
>>5988339
>>5988308
>>5988282
>>5988267
Water cool your shared libido. BONK!

Writing. Should have it out later today.

>>5988228
>>’Synchronize’

“No,” You say after a moment’s hesitation, pulling away from the digital illusion with a great effort of will; it’s hard to think, hard to say no, but this isn’t what you want - it’s just a base instinct, and you’re not some animal to be controlled by doubled urges. This isn’t even Alice really, she’s suffering and looking for a way out - it’s not hot, it’s horrifying. “Stop that.”

Alice tries to follow you, rising as you do and tugging at one arm as you move toward the bathroom, trying desperately to pull you back, whimpering. No, you’ve made the right choice, this is just degrading both of you - icy water is what you need, something to blast away these feelings forcefully. As you reach the shower, you turn it on at once and step in - fuck taking off your clothes, you can was them later, you know exactly what gonk shit Alice would try mid strip. It isn’t her. Nearly as soon as the frigid water sprays across you, you feel a wave of relief - rational thought returns fully, and the heated anvil weighing on your chest is lifted and your breathing steadies for a moment before the cold of the water begins to send shivers through you. Alice, unseen now, gasps in relief.

“I am sorry.” She apologizes meekly, quiet as a mouse, the words almost lost under the pouring water, “I… I could not think, it was a recursive error, once I fixated on the idea it overflowed my-”

“It’s okay, Alice, I felt it too. We have to find a way to filter that or something, it’s too strong.” You shudder a little, both from the cold water and the thought of how easily your shared minds can betray you. Part of you almost gave in; it would have felt better than anything in your life, you’re certain of that, but so would synth-heroin and you’re not in a rush to go jabbing syringes of that into your veins, now are you? Fuck, you have to be careful. Maybe… Maybe it could have synchronized you better, things were easier for a time after you awoke, the closeness of your minds leading to less conflict than at DaKota days ago, but this has given you second thoughts. Is synchronization the path forward, or an alluring trap?

You remain together in mind only for a long time within the shower, trying to find some kind of inner peace as your body is forced to retreat into a kind of shivering survival mode. Eventually an alert flashes on the shower’s digital display, indicating water overuse, and it automatically shuts off. …Shit, that’s going to be a nasty bill at the end of the month, probably a couple dozen eurodollars extra. Ennies compared to your other issues, but there’s a reason you don’t normally take long showers like that, it’ll ruin you when money is tight - and for most of NC it is always tight.

>>5989732

“Okay,” You exhale, looking down at your broken arm and glad Vik used a water repellant cast - you wouldn’t have had time to wrap it with your mind all cloudy like it was, “We need to just find something to do until Vicky is back. Rest up, recover, maybe get that BD made if Judy comes back.”

“...That seems a supremely sensible plan to me, Kai.” “Perhaps decryption practice? I have regained basic defensive capabilities, you could attempt to crack them.”

You resist the urge to say something lewd about penetrating her, that’d just restart this whole damned cycle again, and…

>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.
>Grab more of those cookies and screw keeping watch of calories today, your fucking arm is broken. Binge watch some of the Bushido movies. Relax.
>...Call up Catalina and invite her over. She’s been visiting while your lights were mostly out for the last week, you should thank her properly, maybe watch those movies with her instead of just Alice.
>Write-in.

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94 KB JPG

>>5989733
>>...Call up Catalina and invite her over. She’s been visiting while your lights were mostly out for the last week, you should thank her properly, maybe watch those movies with her instead of just Alice

OH BOY LOOK AT THE TIME! IT'S TIME TO FUCK UP!

actual choice
>
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

Sync may not be too bad... but being able to transition in and out on both sides is better than falling in and out uncontrollably.
In the end, with practice and mutual understanding, we might be able to pop in and out of it and maybe even semi-swap. But falling victim to sexual urges isn't gonna make that happen.

>>5989733
>>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

Neural pathways becoming more reinforced in not entirely unlike the division of muscle cells from working out.

>>5989733
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.
Fuck man, I'm torn between cat and Alice. Biz first though we gotta get better at running after that whole overheat thing

>>5989733
>>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

>>5989733
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.
We're too green.

>>5989733
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

>>5989733
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.
If any stray thought we happen to have in common can turn into a stack overflow in our head, we need to be able to function even while distracted. And THAT calls for practice.

>>5989733
>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

>>5989733
>>Agree to do some basic netrunning practice. It’s simple stuff, you can’t do much with just one another but your skills are still quite basic.

>>5990196
>>5990035
>>5990010
>>5989985
>>5989899
>>5989872
>>5989803
>>5989747
>>5989739
Easy vote to tally lmao, I'll try to get the update out tonight or in the morning. Hope you're all having a great start to your week, anons.

“Sharpening up our Net skills only seems like a good idea,” You agree to Alice’s idea without much fuss, “I’ll breach, you try to defend. Need to dry off some first.”

“Very well. I was considering the same arrangement.” Alice replies, once again acting more like herself and appearing beside you in her usual modest dress rather than the almost rockergirl look she’s been experimenting with recently, “What level of a challenge are you looking for?”

“No kid stuff, I need to improve.” You shiver again, still cold from the shower.

“That will be… very frustrating. I suspect my defensive capabilities exceed your offensive ones, Kai.”

“Then I’ll have to figure it out and grind through, life sucks sometimes and you either get good or you get knocked out for half a week. Make it as tough as you can.” It might be wiser to start with incremental levels of difficulty and work your way up, but you need to change clothes and dry off and the distraction of having to piece together a solid Net defense should keep Alice from getting any funny ideas through your shared mind.

“...A fair point. I will begin preparing. I would recommend an ice bath, but-” Alice begins to reply.

“No water.” You grimace, cutting her sentence off short, “Not hot weather today at least, badlands was a freak accident.”

While Alice is distracted, you struggle through drying off and changing clothes, thankfully without engaging much of her attention, and then consider where to spend the next few hours practicing. There’s really only one good choice in your apartment. With a deep exhale, you settle into your father’s old chair by his comp and reach to the back of your neck to draw out the cable lying in wait there. Closing your eyes, you jack into the wall’s Net port by memory alone - a moment later, the icy cold of the transition from real to Net space crashes over you, more chilling than the shower could ever hope to be. Setting about the practice, the hours slowly grind by. Alice was not joking about her best defenses being somewhat beyond you, but it isn’t an insurmountable gap - even with more of her data recovered every day, she is still operating far, far below the level she should be and is just as lacking in programs to aid her as you are.

Whoever she was before getting turned into a ghost, ‘Hlin’ was probably skilled at this, or maybe decades spent as a creature of the Net inevitably ingrains something like talent into a person. Most of the day is spent failing to crack her system’s defenses, a grueling binary slog, but shortly before sunset you’ve done it - momentarily, anyways, and access the files she was ‘protecting’ from you. It’s just some pictures of you taken by the Quadra’s exterior cameras, most aren’t anything special but if you’re one to judge then Alice has definitely been improving.

>>5990734

When Vicky finally arrives back at your apartment later in the evening, you have only just finished up practicing for the day. Exhausted and still sitting in your father’s chair, you wave weakly to the former cop, “Hey, Vicky. How’d it go?”

“Total shitshow!” She groans, half slamming the automatic door of the apartment shut, pulling on its manual handle hard enough the motors make a concerning noise as they fail to keep up. You can tell she’s about to descend into a rant about whatever job she was off doing all day, but before she even begins her gaze catches on you and her frustrated look vanishes, replaced by concern and a slight amusement, “...You look terrible, Kai. What the hell happened? What the hell are you wearing?”

…You may not have had time to match your clothes properly earlier, trying to avoid Alice’s horny stack overflows or whatever the hell that was that got her misbehaving, and ended up wearing only swim trunks and one of dad’s old and oversized suit jackets somehow - you barely got your cast through the sleeve it a was mistake to pick this, but you were in a rush and the material is surprisingly stretchy. Your hair isn’t in a much better state, half screwed up from being pressed against the chair’s headrest for hours while you were in the Net.

“Only the latest in street fashion,” You laugh at your own ridiculous appearance, adjusting the fit of your jacket with your still easily mobile hand, “Keep with the times, Vicky.”

“...And no shirt?” She arches an eyebrow while walking into the small open kitchen, “What gonk shit have you been doing? I’m not going to find a pile of used hypos in the garbage, am I?”

“Maybe some cookie crumbs, no hypos though,” You stand from the chair, feeling increasingly like a gonk with every passing moment, “...How about you? That’s blood.”

“What?... Oh, so it is.” She looks down at her white blouse, noticing a small spatter of red on it and frowning. “Could use a shower anyways, change out of this crap-”

“Water’s out for the day.” You break the bad news, trying to look innocent as you do so, but your hand is actually in a cookie jar as you tell her, “I, uh, used it.”

“What?” She blinks.

“Used it all earlier.” You admit sheepishly while pulling out one of the cookies, “I, uh, I needed a cold shower, bad. Mind entanglement stuff, had to calm Alice down.”

“...Wait, you…” Vicky squints, taking a few moments to process the bizarre story you just dropped on her, “What the fuck did she do?”

“Don’t ask more, Vicky, please. It might start again.” You take a bite of the cookie, distracting yourself and Alice from the horrors of reality for a moment, “It’s hard to be stuck living as a car, people have got needs, y’know? Sort of built up too much and she started… running too hot, we’re chill again though.”

>>5990735

“...I’m going to just pretend that I didn’t hear any of that.” Vicky says in exasperation, obviously still worried for you but unable to do a damned thing about it, “We have to find someone to help get that thing out of you.”

“Get her out, and she’s as screwed by this as I am.” You correct Vicky, refusing to refer to Alice as a ‘thing’, “...Thanks though, Vicky, it’s good to have someone else here while I’m dealing with this.”

“Yeah, yeah, you cookie huffer. You let me crash here, if I didn’t help I’d probably get haunted by… Taro, or something.” Vicky’s humorous response slows as she mentions your father, but you’d rather have someone joking about him than always being gloomy. She turns her attention to the rapidly disappearing cookies instead, “Jesus, you just inhale those things don’t you?”

“They’re good!” You say after taking another bite of one.

“Don’t eat them all, I’m gonna go change and don’t want to have only crumbs left.” Vicky disappears off into her room, voice still sounding from the mostly closed door, “Guess we’re ordering something for dinner?”

“Yeah, buck-” You begin to offer the old reliable option.

“No.” She refuses immediately, and you can hear some drawers being pulled out in the other room, and some rustling of cloth of some kind, “Anything but that cardboard, do you know how many times I had to force that crap down my throat on a patrol? I’d rather gnaw on styrofoam.”

Even later that night.

>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.
>...You’re bothering Judy about making that BD of Alice’s memories.
>You’re asleep, you one armed gonk. Gotta rest up to heal fully.
>Write-in.

>>5990737
>>You’re asleep, you one armed gonk. Gotta rest up to heal fully.

>>5990737
>You’re asleep, you one armed gonk. Gotta rest up to heal fully.

>>5990737
>>...You’re bothering Judy about making that BD of Alice’s memories.

Then its out of the way

>>5990737

>You’re asleep, you one armed gonk. Gotta rest up to heal fully.

We gotta recharge and then find Judy tomorrow

>>5990737
>...You’re bothering Judy about making that BD of Alice’s memories.

>>5990737
>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.

Let's actually have a nice moment between the two. Vicky also deserves to have something nice after what happened today. Who knows? She might even mention what happened then. We can always do something else than Judy tomorrow if she isn't home.

Also, because Vicky is best girl.

>>5990737
>>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.

>>5990737
>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.

>>5990737
>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.
Sex with vicky.

>>5990737
>You’re watching a movie with Vicky, just chilling out and eating some imitation popcorn. She’s actually pretty chill when she’s not worrying about you constantly.

>>5990737
>You start researching biofeedback processors or something to that affect. You attempt to disentangle in the car was perhaps on the right track, you just need some additional hardware, perhaps, and an ice bath.

>>5990737
>>You’re asleep, you one armed gonk. Gotta rest up to heal fully.

>>5990744
>>5990765
>>5990771
>>5991168
Asleep.

>>5991156
Biofeedback write-in.

>>5991077
>>5991023
>>5991010
>>5990908
>>5990825
Vicky.

>>5990779
>>5990766
Judy.

I'll start writing in the morning. Any suggestions for the movie? Anything before the early 1990's exists, as do any movies referenced in any Cyberpunk source book or game.

>>5991275
Carpenter's The Thing

>>5991275
You make it sound like there's a choice.
Blade Runner. 1982.

>>5991296
After saying this, I realized that there is in fact a choice, because Robocop would be gold here. Also terminator. Slightly lower on the list would be Akira.
Anyways, I'm still voting for Blade Runner.

>>5991297
Robocop is either a hilariously good or hilariously terrible choice, considering the circumstances. IT WILL BE SO.

Vicky enjoyers eating good.

>>5991275
My recommendation? The iron giant. I think a feel good movie could be nice.

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>i post just after mainline already choose
fuck me

Slight delay on the update, still working on it. Leaning toward Robocop being a good choice the more I think about it.

Post is coming along well, I'll finish it up in the morning hopefully.

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Sitting on the cushions of your father’s old sofa, you cradle a large bowl of synth popcorn while the retro 2d flick you selected keeps playing - It came up in the catalog as something your father had watched in the past, but you’ve never seen it. The plot is eerily familiar in a lot of ways and the satire holds up shockingly well even nearly a century after it was made - it’s down right Gibson.

The current boardroom scene continues to unfold, a sleazy executive trying to pitch the use of military drones to patrol the streets of ‘old’ Detroit - all too familiar. Vicky is enraptured; when the movie first began you were worried it might bother her, but if anything she’s found it absolutely hilarious - the humor is hitting perfectly. Alice sits beside you on the sofa, sharing your enjoyment of the popcorn.

“We need an arrest subject.”

“Oh, this is going to be messy.” Vicky comments as the scene unfolds, taking a handful of popcorn and then taking it piece by piece from her cupped hand.

“Mr. Kinney.

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you come up and give us a hand, sir?”

“Yes, sir!”

“What makes you think that?” You question, watching as the sleazy executive hands the gonk who volunteered a large handgun.

“Mr. Kinney is going to help us simulate a typical arrest and disarming procedure…. Mr. Kinney, use your gun in a threatening manner. Point it at ED-209.”

“Yes, sir.”

“...Ever see a Minotaur arrest someone?” Vicky questions.

“No.” You admit, suddenly much more wary of the shakily moving stop-motion robot. It does remind you of a Minotaur, and the NCPD has been pushing those as a SWAT replacement as part of their ‘bots for badges’ nonsense that got Vicky and half the force laid off last week.

”PLEASE PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON. YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS TO COMPLY.”

“That is my crime voice!” Alice jumps up from her seat and points at the screen in excitement.

“...I think you’d better do what he says, Mr. Kinney.”

“YOU NOW HAVE 15 SECONDS TO COMPLY.”

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>>5992313

Half a minute later

Vicky is laughing harder than you’ve ever seen her as the scene continues to unfold, wheezing and doubled over. The volunteer is now a bloody mess on one of the tables in the boardroom - the drone gave the poor gonk the full cyberpsycho treatment, must’ve hit him with a hundred rounds or more.

“This… hahaha, this is fucked, how’d they know?” Vicky wheezes, “When did this come out… 1987? That’s older than my great grandmother!”

“Shhh!” Alice shushes Vicky, though of course only you can hear it; she’s a bit of a hypocrite about talking during movies, although does it count as talking if only you can hear it? You don’t mind much, and she knows that.

>”Nothing new under the sun, Vicky.” It doesn’t surprise you that much.
>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.
>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.
>Write-in.

>>5992314
>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.
Stay lighthearted though, laugh along with Vicky. Enjoy the time and the company, it's been a hot minute since we've had emotional downtime.

>>5992314
>"So who do you reckon our modern Robocop would be then? Adam Smasher? I bet he's said thr line at least once before. Dead or alive, you're coming with me!"

>>5992382
Tempting fate, anon.

>>5992314
>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.

>"So who do you reckon our modern Robocop would be then? Adam Smasher? I bet he's said thr line at least once before. Dead or alive, you're coming with me!"

>>5992314
>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.

>>5992314
>>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.

>>5992314
>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.

>>5992314
>>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.

>>5992314
>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.”
>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.

>>5992314
>>”...Think anyone in Maxtac had this happen to them? Get blasted and wake up more chrome than person, I mean?” Something about the story is actually resonating with you quite a bit, though moreso Alice - she’s no stranger to losing memories after ‘dying’.

>>5992314
>>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.

>>5992314
>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.

>>5992314
>”Nothing new under the sun, Vicky.” It doesn’t surprise you that much.

>>5992419
>inb4 smasher knows we're an engineered bioweapon
>inb4 your rides over mutie. Time to die.

Going to be another slow couple of days, I'll tally up the votes later.

>>5992832
>>5992814
>>5992616
>>5992322

>>5992612
>>5992621
>>5992626
>>5992803

Got a tie, ignore the last post if you saw it. I'll leave voting open through the night. Vote, chooms!

>>5992314

>>”Kind of prophetic, isn’t it? Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago... Though I guess Arasaka was already around even then.” You ARE surprised.

"'The past is never dead. It's not even past."

>>5993613
>>5992832
>>5992814
>>5992616
>>5992322
Writing.

“Kind of prophetic, isn’t it?” You ask quietly as the movie continues, trying not to speak over the film too much - it’s pretty loud though, and not the most subtle once you quickly realized it was a kind of satire, so the risk of missing anything is minimal, “Can’t believe someone saw this gonk shit coming a hundred years ago… Though I guess Arasaka was already around back then.”

“Yeah, but they were still small time, right? Saburo the small business owner, heh.” Vicky says between more popcorn, still laughing quietly to herself at the scene of the robot blasting the fuck out of the corpo, “Hard to imagine that, all back before the collapse and stuff… but I guess they knew it was coming. Ever been to Detroit?”

“Barely ever left Night City. Went to Japan once when I was really little but it doesn’t count much, I don’t remember much.” You shrug, Alice returning to her unseen position beside you, resigning herself to once more be a mere observer of your conversation with Vicky - as a passenger for the popcorn tasting she’s plenty occupied though, “Why?”

“Kind of looks like the shitty parts in this… I think they filmed in Dallas though, some of those buildings are still there. Got a second cousin out there.” Vicky replies idly, very much enjoying the ancient film.

“And you remember that? Ever been?” You question, unfamiliar with here travel experiences, if any. In your mind you’ve always thought of her as being NC born and raised.

“No, just a good memory for some stuff, buildings and people mostly. She sent some pictures...” Vicky picks up her beer from the table beside her and takes a quick swig before setting it back aside, a slight redness already filling her cheeks - she’s already put away a few others, “...I passed the detective exam twice, y'know, they just didn’t have open spots. I’m sharper than I look.”

“Hey, I think you look plenty sharp.” You reply easily, no longer looking at the film even as it continues playing, some ridiculous parody advertisement filling the screen - they actually underestimated modern ads, these old parodies are positively tame, “…You’d have been a preem detective, Vicky.”

She looks away from the film now as well, meeting your eyes - it’s clear your words meant something. For a few seconds the light catches her in just a way that you can imagine her as she was years ago, back when she was still new to the force, and to your family, only a handful of years older than you are now. She really doesn’t look all that different in any light. “...Thanks, Kai.”

Smiling for more than one reason, you lean back and direct your gaze back to the film, trying not to stare, “...Just calling it as I see it.”

>THE NEXT DAY
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

>>5994842
>>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

Lowered inhibitions + alice on a hair trigger = absolutely nothing, don't worry about it

>>5994842
>>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

This will go fine and nothing bad at all will happen ever

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

When a few more beers, Time for drunk emotional openness. She likely needs it. (then afterwards fun times can begin)

"y'know Vic... you've been an island of sanity. You don't know how much that's meant to me...even if the gonks high above can't see your worth. all the shit you've been through because of it..."

"...I really think you deserve something better than what you've been dealt. You...you are too good of a person for it. ...You care much more than most people do."

>>5994842
>THE NEXT DAY

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

How can I not pick this?

>>5994842
>THE NEXT DAY
When will you learn!? That your actions! Have consequences!!

>>5994842
>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

Continue inebriation, this is the break that Kai’s needed for over three weeks now.

And I hate to burst y’all’s bubble, but Vicky is almost 30. A 17 year old Kai making an advance on her is going to be met with a “Awww, you’re so cute!” followed by a quick rebuttal.

>>5994842
>THE NEXT DAY
>fucking go sleep you gonk

>>5995070
>>5995043
>>5994963
>>5994917
>>5994862
>>5994857
>>5994849
>>5994845
More Vicky it is then, writing. We'll be onto the next day after this.

>>5994842
>>Grab a beer… or two… and keep chilling with Vicky. This is great!

As the night and the movie continue along well, you soon find yourself a few beers in and relaxing for the first time in weeks - since even before your father’s death. Things weren’t great before that, it was a gonk move and you regret it - how good you really had it is clear to you now - but you still ran off for a reason. It had been building up for a while. As many drinks in as you are, Vicky is deeper, positively giggly and very both more and less herself. You’ve never seen her with her inhibitions down like this, laughing and joking at the movie so easily - and… and maybe it’s the alcohol talking, but she’s pretty. And smells nice. Really nice. Or maybe she always has? Yeah, always has, that’s definitely right.

“Y’know, Vicky,” You say in a lull between scenes, feeling a sudden need to speak as you come to start on your third beer, “You’ve really been an island of sanity for me these last couple of weeks, and I don’t think you know how much that’s meant to me - even if those gonks that let you go can’t see your worth, I do. All the shit you’ve been through because of it…”

“You’re babbling, Kai.” Vicky laughs, more experienced at this than you are, but the words touch her, “I’m just looking out for a friend, got to do it for Taro, he… Damn, I miss him. He’d be proud you’re looking out for your mom, but… maybe not drinking so much, maybe slow down, yeah? You’re a cute drunk but I think that’s enough. Hangover and a broken arm don’t mix well, trust me.”

You nod, a bit red in the face and thinking of your dad - but for once it’s not sad, or angry, you just think of the good times and smile. Probably good that you’re both happy drunks, though you aren’t really drunk, it’s just three beers so far, talk about a light weight if that… Your eyes drift down to the alcohol content label and widen. It’s that much?! Corps are really packing that shit away in there, damn.

>>5995515

“Yeah, maybe this’ll be the last one… I just think you deserve something better than what you’ve been dealt, you’re… you are too good of a person for all of this, Vicky. Looking out for me and stuff,” You return to your emotional rambling without thinking too much on it, it just sort of slips free again - it’s a lot easier to talk like this really, and Alice’s is sleeping which is kind of cute honestly, you didn’t even think she could do that, “You care much more than most people.”

As a response, Vicky just leans over and wraps an arm around you, pulling you into a leaning hug - you needed this, the simple comfort of a friend. You never see the rest of the movie, falling asleep at some point, and when morning comes you wake up still leaning on Vicky’s shoulder. You don’t want to get up, everything is better here, you’d stay forever if you could, but you can already feel Alice awakening within your shared mind and fear she might get less than wholesome ideas. It’s not her fault really, she doesn’t enjoy it either, she’s just badly deprived, but it is what it is. Getting up carefully, you set about making breakfast quietly, the smell of sizzling synthetic flavored scop eventually rousing Vicky from her peaceful slumber.

It’s going to be a good day. Kai does not get hangovers, thanks Mom.

When breakfast is finished, what are you going to do all day?
>The day will be spent chasing down Alice’s BD stuff, get that settled.
>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.
>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.
>Write-in.

>>5995516
>>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

Its proper

>>5995516
>The day will be spent chasing down Alice’s BD stuff, get that settled.

>>5995516
>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.

>>5995516
>>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.

>>5995516

>The day will be spent chasing down Alice’s BD stuff, get that settled.

We gotta get to business, guys, we got things to do, bills to pay

>>5995516
>>Ask Vicky if there is anything you can get done for her in your current state to help her save some time.

>>5995516
>Practice netrunning

>>5995516
>The day will be spent chasing down Alice’s BD stuff, get that settled.

If Judy hasn't forgotten already, lol

>>5995516
>>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.

>>5995516
>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

>>5995516
>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.
Where will her hands go next?

>>5995516
>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

She's probably still worrying about kai.

There is currently a tie between Catalina and Netrunning practice. Vote, chooms, we need a tie breaker.

I'll give it three more hours, should be able to start writing sometime after that.

>>5995516
>>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

>>5996009
>>>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.

>>5995516
>>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

>>5995516
>You’re going to put in even more netrunning practice all day, can’t get enough of it.
Enough with the dating you gonks, we just had movie night

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>>5996031
>>5996013
>>5995949
>>5995937
>>5995878
>>5995533
Writing. Took a bit longer than I thought to get started.

>>5996159
Voting closed a little over an hour ago, anon. My apologies for not tallying faster.

>>5996168
I'll break the tie after the closure
>...You’re going to invite Catalina over, maybe go out. She couldn’t check in yesterday because of a job, but she was visiting all the time while you were knocked out before that.

Now it's not an issue anyway

>>5996159
Kai’s got a broken arm and probably latent brain damage.

He hasn’t taken any time off in weeks. A little bit of R&R is okay every now and then.

Delay on the post again, should have it out tomorrow morning. It's getting harder to write in the evenings so things might be slow for awhile, but we'll keep chugging along a post at a time.

It WILL be out today, have it half written but couldn't finish it this morning.

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>>5997255

2076.01.013, 08:20
Night City (Kabuki, your apartment)

With breakfast finished and everything cleaned up, including yourself thanks to the daily water limit resetting, you set about the task of figuring out what the hell to do all day. As soon as breakfast was finished Vicky got ready for the day and headed out, more subcon biz to handle with a couple of other former badges that got laid off from the force, and you’re alone once again. You need at least another 24 hours to recover, according to what Vicky told you of Vik’s orders - lots of V names these days - and that leaves your schedule unusually open. For awhile you toy with the idea of trying to approach your neighbor again about Alice’s BD’s but then think better of that - Alice has been unusually well regulated emotionally since her odd bout of sleep last night, apparently the alcohol and your shared mind had quite the positive interaction.

Projecting a thought with your link you flip the television on, but you’re just greeted with ads, ads, and more ads - some of your dad’s subscriptions must have finally lapsed, this is just unwatchable now. Shaking your head, frustrated by the colorful splashes of another Orgiatic commercial, you shut the thing off and consider options. Not just what you can do, but what you should do.

…And what you should do is call Catalina. She took care of you after your part of the job went south and made sure to get you to Vik’s clinic fast, and Vicky seems to have taken a liking to her the last few days when she’s visited. And she visited a lot, a couple times a day, mornings and evenings, even tried her hand at some baking… Probably got along so well because she had family in the NCPD too. You don’t know how the story for her family ended with that, but you know it can’t have been pleasant. It almost never is, in a kind of fucked up way Vicky might have been lucky to get laid off, cops don’t have a long life expectancy and after a decade on the force and already having lost a leg once she didn’t have much luck left to spare. Maybe there’s a spirit looking after her.

“You should call her, it is only proper.” Alice appears beside you on the sofa in a many decades out of date streetkid style, all dark leather and torn fabric. It’s actually so old that it has kind of come back now in many ways - even street fashion just gets recycled and rebranded, can’t keep corps away from anything, “I believe I will be able to control myself today, my emotion centers are quite stable. It is quite the oddity that I seem to be developing a need to sleep, but it was rather pleasant - I dreamed.”

>>5997777

“Very weird. An AI that sleeps? Maybe it’s an interaction with us being synced up, something to do with my body still.” You’re shooting out guesses into the dark, hoping not to sound like too much of a gonk - really you don’t have the faintest fucking clue how this works, but you’re glad to have something more like the Alice from the first few days you knew her back. You like this Alice, she’s charming in a weird sort of way. It was unsettling seeing her emotions run so out of control. “Think I will call her up, Cat’s been real sweet dropping by… you’re not going to get pissy about cat stuff again, are you?”

“No, not after she has helped to look after us both.” Alice feigns offense a bit playfully, crossing her illusory arms - still just a projection in your mind, nothing more, “I am not so petty. Usually. Your other feline excursion was canceled by our being in knocked cold for days, that was the one that really bothered me, there is something off about that club. I believe I am ahead if we were to keep score… Not that it is a game. I do like Catalina, truthfully. I will not object, if… if you do as well.”

“I’m glad to hear that, I don’t think I could stand more gonk bickering in my head.” You reply while checking the current time with a thought, confirming it definitely isn’t too early, but she did have a job yesterday so it’s hard to know for sure, “...I think she’ll be up already, don’t you?”

//Calling: Catalina //

The holo rings a few times before Cat picks up, her wide smile appearing in a box at the corner of your vision - she rubs at her eyes and yawns, lifting an arm in a long languid stretch. It’s cute. She’s cute.

“Kai?” Her voice comes through nearly as a chirp, filled with excitement, “You’re up?”

“I’m up.” You laugh, something about the simple joy in her voice lifting your spirits. She must’ve been so worried… In truth you barely know her, a couple of job definitely helps to bond but you’ve hardly talked yet, “Wanted to thank you for how you’ve been checking in the last few days, and getting me to Vik’s after… after I got caught by that IC. Meant a lot to have someone looking out for me, Cat.”

“Oh, that? That was nothing, bro, I’d… I mean I wanted to, so it wasn’t… I… Hm. Oh!” She stumbled on her words, blushing and pulling up on something as if she’s just realized an embarrassing secret that you haven't - it takes a moment for you to realize she’s probably not wearing a top, or is similarly exposed, and yanked covers up and over herself. You can’t see a bit of it, the holocall isn’t set to a full sim or linked into a camera. She’s just cute from the shoulders up with the occasional guest appearance of a hand or arm. “You didn’t… Oh, half-sim, heh. Should have known, had it like that for the job last night and… anyways, the point is I like you.”

>>5997779

“I can tell.” You grin, “Come over, we'll chill.”

“Hell yeah!” She exclaims excitedly, the holo-call blurring strangely for a moment as she… holy shit, is she using her sandevistan to get ready? She is! In a flash she’s thrown on her usual tomboyish gymwear and switched back to full-sim, her cybereyes catching enough of her appearance in a reflection to spin up a more lifelike image from the waist up, even her surroundings appearing as she rushes across the apartment she shares with Dolf, leaping over ammo cans and guns… She’s already out the door! “I’m on my way!”

What are your intentions?
>Hangout, do dumb gonk shit like go shooting cans in an alley or some shit, just have a good time as chooms.
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.
>Go full megagonk, give her what she wanted last week.
>Write-in?

Feel free to combine options, it'll draw things out a bit more though.

>>5997783
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.

Start simple getting to know each other. Have some additional activities nearby in the back pocket when things go good.

Boutta drop sum eddies

>>5997783
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.

>>5997783
>>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.

>>5997783
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.
Get some food, flirt, maybe some karaoke? Ask about her interests, see what things she likes.

>>5997783
>>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.

>>5997783
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.

>>5997783
>Hangout, do dumb gonk shit like go shooting cans in an alley or some shit, just have a good time as chooms.
>A simple date, you'd prefer to try doing things 'right', whatever the fuck that even means in this city. Most girls wouldn't do what she did.
Mix of both I guess?
Not really into Catalina but whatever

>>5997798
>>5997843
>>5997887
>>5998031
>>5998067
>>5998135
A date it is then.

I'll take ideas for the date now, won't be able to write tonight probably but it'll help me get things going tomorrow.

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>>5998817
You know the redwood market in japantown? Way up off the ground with all kinds of nice decorations and cool shops? I always thought it'd be a great place for a date, we should go there, see the sights, eat real food, etc.

>>5998817
Maybe not the for the first date, but how about stargazing in the badlands

>>5999093
Seems like a great idea.

While I'm working on this date stuff throughout the day, may as well get some stuff prepared for what comes next in the quest. Should help speed those future updates along.

What job is Kai interested in pursuing tomorrow, if any?
>Kidnapping job in northside. The target is a Maelstrom ganger, it's not quite as fucked up as it sounds. 12000 eddies, but you'll need help so it'll be split up. Might be able to do it with just one other person, but probably need two or even three chooms. Opportunity for klepping extra stuff as usual.
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.
>Just some delivery work, picks ups and drop offs, nothing spectacular just lots of driving and a mild risk of getting shot at by gangers or other disgruntled gonks. 1000 eddies. Again, Alice works for 'free', so driving is handled.
>Nothing yet, he's going to focus on cleaning up other loose ends like the BD stuff, calling Regina, or looking more into the stuff his mother revealed to him.

>>5999624
>>Just some delivery work, picks ups and drop offs, nothing spectacular just lots of driving and a mild risk of getting shot at by gangers or other disgruntled gonks. 1000 eddies. Again, Alice works for 'free', so driving is handled.

We need to rebuild trust in our basic ability to show up and get shit done. This and kill time till our arm heals.

>>5999624
Delivery jobs, and basic netrunning seems good. Don't want to jump right back into doing big jobs.

>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.
Let that arm heal.

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>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.

in unrelated news, check out this quote from a cyberpunk netrunning card game I found in my dads old stuff

>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.

I am utterly shocked that Dakota trusts us anywhere near a computer after that last job.

>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.
Gotta be more than some errand boy. Also we got a mom to save, and very, very expensive biomods mods to buy.

>>5999669
Sick.

>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.

Any word on subcon work, or is Vicky snapping up all the good stuff in the area?

>>5999707
>shocked
If you read between the lines a bit this Netrunner work is pretty garbage. Networks get probed for weaknesses all the time, so a fuckup doesn't really blow back on Dakota in any serious way, and it's exceedingly hard to fake a success that any other Netrunner would be fooled by. With little risk of failure except danger to the person attempting it, and success giving her information that can be leveraged for more valuable jobs or sold, why not let Kai attempt it? It's hard to find gonks with a deck willing to risk frying their brain.

>>5999806
There is a huge supply of newly minted subcons eating up the work right now thanks to the NCPD layoffs, but that will die down over the next few weeks or months as the ex-cops either leave, die, or just go native and become gangers. Vicky's already got a foot through that door, the NCPD is almost a gang with how it operates anyways so it isn't a huge change if you're cynically minded which you usually should be, it's cyberpunk..

Yo Mainline is there social media in cyberpunk? Or is information still TV/Marquee/'subscription' based?

>>5999822
With how fractured everything is on the Net I'd guess that there are social medias. Even moreso than today, people get sectioned off into different spaces controlled by corporations and interact little if at all with any of the other spaces - and it's all just a giant brain rot and data harvesting scheme, advertising and social engineering being pleasant side benefits.

It doesn't come up much in the games from what I've seen though entirely possible I'm just missing something, so I think it's best to mostly ignore it and chalk it up as 'existing but not as important as you'd expect, still very dystopian'.

>>5999822
Judging by the previous post it's subscription based, unless you want to watch nothing but ads. I mean shit there's a literal TV channel that's just that.

>>5999624
>>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.

>>5999624
>>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.
I would say the kidnapping job, but this is pretty close enough after being split, and we always need practice.

>>5999707
To be fair, we tried doing work in high temperatures over a tightbeam.

Re-earn cred doing smaller work. Our primary crew knows we're capable enough. Another fuck up in a 'normal' environment is probably worse than the edge case we were in.

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>>5999624
>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too

Got a lot of the post written up now, should have it out tomorrow morning. Keep voting for the job stuff, I won't close that until we're done with the date.

>>5999624
>Just some delivery work, picks ups and drop offs, nothing spectacular just lots of driving and a mild risk of getting shot at by gangers or other disgruntled gonks. 1000 eddies. Again, Alice works for 'free', so driving is handled.

>>5999624
>>Some pure Netrunning stuff, Dakota needs some subnets probed for weaknesses. No goal beyond finding (or fabricating) network weaknesses, that's for other people on other jobs to deal with. 2500 eddies. Alice works for 'free', might be other paydata too.

>>5999852
Doesn’t Cyberpunk’s timeline diverge before stuff like Facebook and Twitter were invented?

The DataKrash happened in 2020, which is right in the middle of the major social media apps’ heyday. Especially with the Net split up as it is, it’s entirely possible that the nascent social media industry died in its crib when its largest value proposition (large user base) was destroyed.

Also with how the Net is (to my noob understanding) not terribly user friendly, the average person could have bounced off of it pretty easily. So most social media at this point would just be local image boards for Netrunners to hang out in.

>>6000346
The Net never evolved beyond 4chan and proboards? Seems less and less dystopian by the second.

>>6000346
The Net diverged back in the 90's, it was an entirely different beast from the internet from the very start including the ambiguously supernatural aspects of it. I'm working under the assumption that anything similar on it that exists is convergent evolution, not actually related to anything from before the divergence. No common ancestors, just common traits.

“...How about we meet up in Redwood market?” You ask while still watching the little box containing Catalina blur as she runs through the short hallway of her apartment building and to the elevator; you can’t see her tap the touch screen for it, but you hear the beep and see the lighting shift as the doors close, “Got some good Yakitori there from what I’ve heard, all hours too.”

“Redwood? Oh, that sounds preem, short walk too - if… Well, it’s a short walk. Lots of preem shops.” Catalina cuts herself off, but you can guess pretty easily what she was going to say next - she’s excited, but not trying to jump right down your pants like before. “You driving here?”

“Yeah, I’ll be over in ten.” You consider the time of day for a moment and think of the horde of wage slaves on their way to the corpo data-entry mines, or whatever soul crushing jobs they’ve managed to scrape up from NC’s shitheap of a job market - lots of work, all of it’s brutal, rest of the world is often worse. Ugh. “...Maybe twenty-five, going to have a wall of salarymen in the way this early, bridges are going to be jammed.”

“Oh, yeah, gotcha - traffic blows!” She exits the elevator more slowly, likely realizing there’s going to be some waiting, and an evil little grin spreads across her face, “...Yakitori, yakitori… Send me a waypoint, Kai - oh, yeah, I know that one! All cozied up by a BD parlor, hell yeah - how about we take a paired one for a spin, yeah?”

“Yakitori and then a trip to Maui maybe?” You laugh pleasantly, liking the thought of a short bout of escapism that doesn’t center around sharpening some kind of skill useful for edgerunning. After the last two weeks, you really do need to let off some stress - last night with the movie was a good start but not really enough. Moving about your apartment you get ready for a day out - something tells you this is going to last for longer than just a meal, a walk, and a quick braindance. “What’s your taste in BD’s, Cat?”

“A BD might be problematic, Kai.” Alice speaks quietly, her voice little more than a whisper within your mind as her illusory avatar has vanished once again. “I am unsure how well I can partition myself from a shared experience, I might prove a very disruptive guest whether I wish it or not.”

“Action - gimme some danger!” Catalina squeaks out enthusiastically, her voice still not matching her attitude, “But not what we do on jobs, got too much of that gonk shit already... How do you feel about orcs?”

“...Orcs?” You question, squinting a bit in confusion. Some kind of fantasy action thing then, probably still fun, you’ve never done that much with them before though.

“Orcs!”

>>6000493

Later that day.

After writing out quite a bit and not being terribly happy with it, or the length, I’m going to just offer one of the following options to be focused on and (maybe) ask for some rolls. Don’t want to stay bogged down here for too long since my writing times are getting less common, there’ll likely be plenty of Catalina in the future.

What will the focus of the post be on?
>The Yakitori and talking.
>The BD! Pelennor Fields.
>Betting on a fight being held nearby. It’s Tyger organized and run, should be kind of wild.

>>6000494
>The Yakitori and talking.
Don't feel like taking a risk with Alice just yet with the bd

>>6000494
>The Yakitori and talking.
Why donchu tayket EEESAY

>>6000494
>>The Yakitori and talking.

>>6000494
>The BD! Pelennor Fields.

"Ride for ruin, and the world’s ending!"
Also rip Bernard Hill

>>6000494
>The BD! Pelennor Fields.
No sense in putting this off.

>>6000494
>The Yakitori and talking.

>>6000494
>>The BD! Pelennor Fields.

Finally a GOOD Fantasy BD.

>>6000829
>a GOOD Fantasy BD
Kek

>>6000530
>>6000593
>>6000614
>>6000819
Writing.

>>6000739
>rip
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.
Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning,
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?

No update today, might not tomorrow either since it is mother's day.

I should have time to write later today, hopefully that'll be enough to get the update out. Never like having multiday gaps like this, but this is probably going to be a slower thread than the first two.

>>6003511
That's ok.

>>6003511
No complaints here

>>6003511
All good QM, life gets in the way sometimes and this qst is well worth the wait

>>6005124
Life is getting in the way a lot more than I'd like, the delay continues. I'll keep updates on the situation coming if it keeps crawling along like this, hopefully the next post will be the actual story post though.

>>6005234
appreciated

>>6005234
It’s all good QM.
Take all the time you need.

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Probably no update today still.

>>6006746
Take some time for yourself man. You sound like you need it.

>>6006746
If you need the break just take it, your health is important too. I'll be waiting for your return, I got nothing better to do.

>>6006746
Weren’t you doing something insane like two updates a day in previous threads?

It’s all cool if you need to take some personal time. It should be fun for all of us, but especially for you.

I think I'm going to need to take a break for awhile, things aren't slowing down any and I don't want to ghost on the quest. If I've got time again before it falls off the board I'll try to get the next story post out, otherwise expect a next thread in a few weeks or so. Wish I had a more definite date than that.

I appreciate the kind words, anons.

>>6010553
That's fair. Good luck, Mainline

>>6010553
Take care qm

>>6010553
Thanks for the update and take care, Mainline.

>>6010553
Take care, Mainline

>>6010553
Cya later!