—
—
“She’s a troubled girl… While her whole story is still a mystery to me, I can’t help but see pain and abuse weigh down on her shoulders. Experiences that have molded her into who she is, I find it all heartbreaking that a girl so young and talented lives in squalor and considers this the norm! Yet… I also find her willpower to be admirable! I can tell she’s faced many trials in her life and all they’ve done is made her stronger… at least on the exterior. It’s not going to be easy to make any ground with her… With some patience, maybe I can get her to come out of that shell of hers.”
- Suha Raibuya
“Comes off as one giant vanity project to me.”
May 21st YC 123
6NJ8-V IV - The Rabbit’s Warren Fortizar, personal quarters of ‘Okiku’
< Spray paint can hissing >
“I… Like what you’ve done with the place?”
< Spray paint can stops hissing >
“What? You’re not actually gonna say that it’s improper and ugly to have a bunch of garish scribbles all over the walls and every little niche spot?”
“Well I’m curious as to what brought this on…”
< Spray paint can hissing >
“You said this is my place now, right? If so then I’ll do whatever I want with it. Truly make it mine by leaving my mark all over it…”
“You’ve certainly done that… Though have you ever considered using a canvas for your art and framing it instead?”
“I’ve worked with canvas long enough that I don’t find it as meaningful as tagging walls. Why use some thin disposable slip of paper when the whole world can be a platform for my artwork? I can lay down a piece on any solid surface I see while more ‘proper’ artists are limited to a bit of paper… But I’d Imagine that’s something you won’t understand, Lady-”
“-My name is Suha Raibuya and I’d appreciate it if you started referring to me as such! And while admittedly I’m not much of an artist, I can see the appeal in doing this… Yet, I can’t help but see doing it so extensively in your own home to seem… Messy.”
< Spray Paint can being set down >
“… Messy? See, like I said… You won’t understand. This is a mess to you? This is my own personal god damn museum to me!”
"I-I didn’t mean to offend… I clearly see you’re very passionate about your work.’
“Whatever… What the hell brings you here?”
“I… I wanted to see how you were settling in. I’d imagine it must be nice to have a warm bed to sleep in for once! Right?”
“Sure.”
“And I can tell you’ve already made use of the showers here since you no longer smell like a three month old dead Fedo left in a sewer!~”
“You get used to it…”
“Yet you’re still wearing the same clothing from the first time I saw you… Maybe that’s what we can sort out next! Purchasing some new clothing!”
“Is there anywhere to even buy clothing here?”
“Well, I know of one store that the Depository bankrolled… Though their selection is a bit inconsistent so I’m worried if they even have anything in your size.”
“Geez, it’s like it’s entirely supplied by piracy and nobody here actually makes clothing but just sells whatever the hell they get their hands on…”
“We must make do with what we can get, maybe one of these days a promising entrepreneur will set up shop in the region and start producing clothing locally!”
“Or maybe they’ll go to the Federation where they have a bajillion potential customers and don’t have to fear getting their throat slit by a bunch of ruthless hardass pirates…”
“Oh, I assure you they’re fine people when you get to know them!~”
“Suuuuuuure…”
“… M-Maybe that’s something we can do!”
“Huh?”
“Maybe we can bankroll the start of a local clothing brand! W-We don’t have to be outlandishly fashionable, we can keep it simple and just ensure the region has a consistent flow of general purpose clothing! Shirts! Pants! Undergarments! Things everyone needs!”
“What is this obsession you have with businesses inside this region?”
“Well… This is my home! I care very deeply about it and work to strengthen it! Since militarily is more of a Guristas matter… I’ve dedicated myself towards helping bring in a prosperous economical future to Venal!”
“Off the backs of the actual economies of New Eden…”
“I dream of more self sufficiency, such things would only make us better off. Until then, we must do what we must to ensure a flow of good and raw material.”
“Sounds like you’re just giving the Guristas a free pass on their indiscriminate parade of violence and robbery.”
“Well… I suppose I am, yes… I’m in no position to condemn the piratical actions the Guristas take, I’ve benefited from it growing up and understand why it must continue for our own survival. I’m not a person that claims to look out for the interest of every corner of New Eden. My interests and concerns are here in this region and this region alone. To me, this region’s needs come before anyone else.”
“… Well, this is a level of honesty I wasn’t expecting. Just to drill it home however… you ARE admitting to giving the Guristas a free pass, yes?”
“… Yes. If we’re being technical. The rest of New Eden would sooner see this region razed and every man and woman shot and killed for daring to associate themselves with the Guristas. While I do not wish the same on anyone else, it makes it hard for me to shed any tears for a freighter getting knocked over or a corporate warehouse being plundered. All I care for is a new sofa and curtains for my windows, these people want death and destruction and project that desire onto what the Guristas as a whole want to justify seeing them slaughtered indiscriminately.”
“Isn’t money the only thing the Guristas want? And resort to killing and destroying to earn it?”
“Which organization in New Eden doesn’t want money? It’s the most simplest and flexible resource in New Eden… Why fight for one thing when you can fight for one thing that can be turned into anything else? Every Empire claims that they exist because they believe they have some greater purpose to fulfill, but reality is they only care about obtaining new resources to consume as they continue to expand, and they will harm, kill and destroy in the interests of seizing said resources. They will dress up their actions as steps to their noble cause, the Guristas will at least be upfront about it. They look after their own survival and interests first as much as the State, Federation, Republic and Empire would. What some would call selfish, I call genuine.”
“So you don’t find it troublesome to support an organization that doesn’t claim to fight for a specific cause beyond something as vague as ‘survival’?”
“I don’t, because such things are for the individual to decide. This notion that every soul in the Guristas ranks only fights for money is a misconception, while most certainly those people exist in abundance, the amount of personal reasoning people in the ranks harbor come in many varieties. Some may even fight for money only as a means to see their ambitions and goals be made into reality. I myself don’t care much for money itself, but see the need to obtain it just to see my true goals of a new era of prosperity for this region. Every scrip or kredit earned I want to seen turned into something more meaningful! Something like… A record label!”
“Mhmm!~ One of our next biggest projects!~ We’re going to make it that much easier for the people of this region to use their natural musical talents and create a career out of it! Allowing for their work to be distributed all over for more to hear and enjoy! And well….”
“Well…?”
“I… Maybe I wanna have it to start up my own music career!”
“… You? What kind of music would you even create?”
“Well, I find the popscene of the Federation to be quite spectacular! The scale, energy and passion their concerts have… that’s something I want to see here! And if nobody else is going to do it, maybe I should…”
“You seem to be trying to become alot of things at once… You’re some entrenched business mogul and I hear you’re some kind of spiritual ‘Guru’ after word of your shrine being blown up and i came across some Bad Bunny magazine with your face on it… Now you’re trying to drop an album as a Guristas popstar?”
“Maybe a single at first and if that goes over well I can think about doing a proper album…”
“You’re missing my point… I’m expecting that once the album is made you’ll open up your own holo-reel studio just so you can film your own movie with you playing the star role.”
“That’s not a bad idea…”
“See? It seems you’re more interested in starting these ventures so you can use it to support your own image and projects before others.”
“It’s a matter of proving that this region Is capable of having such things. I use my image to promote these services to inspire others to follow through and produce their own content. And why shouldn’t I be taking advantage of these services I set up? I see to them being created for a reason after all, I should be using them as anyone else should.”
“Comes off as one giant vanity project to me.”
“Call it what you will… Maybe one day you’ll see these things as I do.”
"With enough Blue Pill in my system, maybe.
“I assure you my vision is one conjured in sobriety… But you’re welcome to try some from my personal reserve if you want! Could help give you a smile for once!~”
“You seem very acceptive of getting a child hooked on drugs…”
“Oh it’s just blue pill! I start taking some when I was fourteen and I turned out just fine!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
< Suha giggling >
< ‘Okiku’ sighing >
“… So how about it?”
“■■■■ off, no. I’m not getting high with you.”
“Oh! I-I mean getting you some new clothing! If we’re lucky we could find something in your size! And if not we could maybe put in a custom order!”
“Yeah, let’s put in a request to have a hauler be raided and plundered so I can have a few new shirts and pants. Sounds like a plan.”
“I knew you’d agree!~ Come! Maybe there’s even a sale going on right now!”
“How about you tell me where this place is and I’ll go myself…”
O-Oh… Are you sure?"
“Quite, you already gave me money upfront, I can buy the clothing myself and would much rather look for myself instead you pulling anything off the rack you’d think look cute on me… Frankly that start giving me the wrong kind of vibes.”
“I… See. Very well then, if you don’t want me to tag along, I’ll let you handle it yourself. It’s in the fortizar’s leisure district north of the food court. Should be a map kiosk if you get lost.”
< Spray paint can being shaked >
“Good. Now you mind pissing off so I can finish my work here?”
“O-Oh… O-Okay! Sure… I-I look forward to seeing it when it’s done!”
“Sure you do…”