—
—
“Frankly I don’t see much of a difference of disparity here than I did back in the State… I still see homeless washed up old rejects sleeping among trash cans and I’m one of them much like I was before I got here. Nothing’s changed, nothing’s better. Same ■■■■, new scenic view. All while that same drugged out ■■■■■ is being presented as this figure of ‘prosperity’ out here… Sure, prosperity for those in charge maybe, but where’s my prosperity?”
- ??? ‘Okiku’ ???
“You poor thing.”
May 18th YC 123
6NJ8-V IV - The Rabbit’s Warren Fortizar, leisure district detention center
“Hello, what can I do for-… Oh ■■■■! You’re uhhh… You’re that Suha Raibuya chick, yeah?”
“That’s me~. A pleasure to meet you.”
“No kidding! Uh… What brings you here? What can I do for you?”
“Well, I heard about someone important to me being arrested and detained here. I was hoping I could speak with them and maybe negotiate their early release.”
“We can work something out, what’s their name?”
“…”
“…”
“… Uhhh.”
“… Do you not know their name?”
“Well… No, I don’t. Bit embarrassing, I get it. Erm… I know that they’re of young age, between 14-16 maybe? They were detained for vandalism and stealing from someone’s trash.”
“Oh, you’re talking about ‘Go ■■■■ yourself.’ Aren’t you?”
“E-Excuse me?”
“Mean no offense Ma’am, but when I asked for the brat’s name the response I got was First name: Go - Middle name - ■■■■ - Last name: Yourself. And that’s exactly what I have here in the database for her.”
“Oh… So you faced the same problem I have. I see, I see… Erm, may i go speak with her?”
“… I dunno, at first i was expecting you to be her mother or something, then you came at me not knowing her name so that tossed that possibility out the window.”
“I assure you have no malicious intent.”
“Ehhh, I gotta have some standards here Ma’am. Gonna have to pass.”
“I’ll pay you your entire yearly salary to let me pass.”
“Alright ■■■■ it, go on in. Cell at the very end of the whole to the left.”
“Thank you~.”
“Hello there~!”
“… Are you ■■■■■■■ kidding me?”
“Nope~! It’s me again! You feeling okay?”
“■■■■ off Lady, I’m eating.”
“Maybe we can go get something more appetizing than that detention center slop.”
“Sure, and afterwards you’ll finger-■■■■ me against my will.”
“What is wrong with you with this crazy imagination that I would do such things to you?”
“Why else would you be here? I see the gameplan, you caught wind I was here and you’d figure you’d swoop in and spring me out and make me eternally grateful so I become a loyal obedient ■■■■-toy for you.”
“I assure you, I have no such intentions… Don’t you want out of this place? To have your freedom back?”
“Firstly I’m gonna be released in two days - Secondly, have you considered that maybe I wanted to be placed here?”
“Huh?”
“Well the forcefield between you and me is nice, but really I’m just here for the food, eating out the trash of some of the restaurants here is nice on certain days, stale bread sticks, partially eaten burger, maybe half a can of Quafe. Other Times it’s nothing, so it’s nice to have something consistent for a week even though it does taste like artificially made sludge. Also being able to sleep somewhere with a flattened surface that ain’t the floor is a bonus…”
“You poor thing.”
“Save me your pity Lady, I ain’t looking for it.”
“I could give you all of this! You won’t have to worry about another day going hungry! Or having to sleep somewhere unsafe or unsanitary!”
“Sure, in exchange that I give you my body whenever you want, yeah?”
< Suha slamming her fists on the forcefield. >
“Listen you little ■■■■! I’m trying really hard to help you out and you continue to assume the very worst of me as you keep up this hardass attitude! You think I’m the one that’s gonna bend you over and ■■■■ you? Im the one here bending over for you to ■■■■ by opening my door to you and giving you whatever comfort you desire! Maybe you have a bad run of luck with people offering you help, but for once just believe that someone genuinely wants to ■■■■■■■ help you!”
“… Why do you care so much?”
“I… I’m not quite sure myself I suppose. Maybe I just feel bad for you, seeing you now taking this detainment as comfort hurts me even more to see. You’re intentionally getting yourself arrested just so you can eat? That’s horrible!”
“I ain’t the only one… See, you can come here wanting to shower your wealth down on me, but what about the rest of the downtrodden on this station? You think everyone is living comfortable lives?”
“It’s… it’s unfortunate and I’m trying to help anywhere I can.”
“Are you? If you were, I’d think you’d wouldn’t be coming directly to me to improve my standard of living but going out to improve the standard of living of everyone else that’s having to sleep in alleyways or dig through trash just like me.”
“I… I agree that maybe there’s some problems that I should be trying to fix.”
“Doesn’t look like there’s anything to fix here, these problems are pretty much inherit to the economic situation here. I heard about this banking system that is dealing out loans to Gurista and Guristas alone to start businesses. All that tells me is this whole game is rigged in their favor.”
“That’s just how it has to be at the start! One of these days we will broaden eligibility when we know how to sustain such a program.”
“Whatever you say…”
“… Maybe you can help me?”
“With?”
“Help me understand these issues people like you are facing. So we could do something about it! We could work together to improve everyone’s life out here! Maybe I am naive about these things… I live a rather comfortable life now and I perhaps lost sight of those that don’t have it as well off as me. You could give me a new perspective! I… I wanna offer you a job I suppose.”
“A job?”
"Err the specifics are a bit unclear, and frankly I don’t have a title or position in mind… But you can work alongside me! Together we can help bring further Prosperity to this region! I’ll even pay you! You won’t have to live off my goodwill, you can earn your keep… Ontop of being able to help make a difference!
“You’re just gonna hire some street urchin out of a cell to help you figure out why poor people are poor and how to make them not poor?”
“In a way, yes…”
“…”
“…”
< 'Okiku Tossing food tray to the floor >
“Well… I do admit I am rather tired of eating literal and artificial garbage. I wouldn’t mind a hot meal for once…”
“I can arrange that~. I do have one request though.”
“And what’s that?”
“What’s your name?”
“… Just call me Okiku.”
“Okiku it is~. Now, let’s get you out of here…”