Open Jinxed

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
- ATARI -

It takes a special set of skills to conceal oneself, and Atari was no stranger to that thesis. She prided herself on stealth and now was no exception.

She'd gotten the irresistable urge to infiltrate a system-- run a worm program and extract basic info about a few shipments. Just out of curiosity. She never liked Manticore anyway.

Perched atop a building like a lurking raven, she held a laptop open on her bent knees. Eyes on the ground below, she'd type a line of code, then sweep the area. Code, then scan. Code, and scan again.

Couldn't have anyone ruining her fun.

She furrowed her brow. Now came the final subroutine.

Once it was finished, the program would self-destruct, leaving only the tragedy of missing data behind.

Her neon eyes scanned the code, finally satisfied with the result. She hit the "run" command, and awaited the information.

The wind pulled a lock of blue hair out from under her hood, and she tucked it away instinctively.

Nobody to stop me? Boring.

A noise from behind her made a bullet of adrenaline pierce her heart, and she whirled around to look with wide eyes, breath catching in her throat.

[ open ]​
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1
*CLICK*
"Start talking..."

The moments leading up to her approach had all gone by so fast there wasn't really time to process what had even happened. Detecting the breach, seeing the chatter over the net, and now here she stood gun barrel pressed to the back of the girl's head with her hand still in the cookie jar. It was all so robotic, Alyse couldn't help but wonder if she was beginning to lose herself more and more with each passing day.

The feeling of her own reflective awareness was quickly overshadowed by the realization that this was easy, way too easy for a typical Manticore job... Something was off.

"Relax kid, I'm not here for you- I hate these pricks too. I'm here because the fucking Net is burning with corp chatter while I'm trying to scope out a plan. So let's hear it..." She had taken a moment to get an idea of who she was up against. Taken back as she had watched from a close-by rooftop, Alyse couldn't help but see a little bit of herself in the girl. She thought back to her younger years picking scores and side gigs as they came along, doing whatever she could to stay afloat; But this was a new world, a very different city from the one she grew up in and this was no place for a kid to be fucking about. Corpos would have her tossed to a scrap yard to be skinned alive off-the-record, let alone if one of the gangs got to her first. Alyse had no intentions of hurting the girl, let alone killing her but she didn't need to know that.

Nudging the pistol into the back of her head once more, she said in a more assertive voice careful not to yell
"Last chance.."

 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
*CLICK*
"Start talking..."

The moments leading up to her approach had all gone by so fast there wasn't really time to process what had even happened. Detecting the breach, seeing the chatter over the net, and now here she stood gun barrel pressed to the back of the girl's head with her hand still in the cookie jar. It was all so robotic, Alyse couldn't help but wonder if she was beginning to lose herself more and more with each passing day.

The feeling of her own reflective awareness was quickly overshadowed by the realization that this was easy, way too easy for a typical Manticore job... Something was off.

"Relax kid, I'm not here for you- I hate these pricks too. I'm here because the fucking Net is burning with corp chatter while I'm trying to scope out a plan. So let's hear it..." She had taken a moment to get an idea of who she was up against. Taken back as she had watched from a close-by rooftop, Alyse couldn't help but see a little bit of herself in the girl. She thought back to her younger years picking scores and side gigs as they came along, doing whatever she could to stay afloat; But this was a new world, a very different city from the one she grew up in and this was no place for a kid to be fucking about. Corpos would have her tossed to a scrap yard to be skinned alive off-the-record, let alone if one of the gangs got to her first. Alyse had no intentions of hurting the girl, let alone killing her but she didn't need to know that.

Nudging the pistol into the back of her head once more, she said in a more assertive voice careful not to yell
"Last chance.."


- ATARI -

Immediately, Atari felt her insides want to run for cover. A million different words and phrases went through her mind as she flew into a panic.

I'm dead; I'm so fucking dead. I have to get the hell out of here--

Heart thudding in her throat, her green eyes gleamed in fear as she stared down the barrel of the gun.

She gritted her teeth to ground herself, sliding the laptop into the fabric of her jacket. The messenger had already been dispatched-- it'd practically shot out of the computer like an arrow from a bow. What Atari wouldn't give to be fleeing at that speed.

She clenched her fists, and instinctively, she took a few steps closer to the edge of the roof. She could climb down... but it was risky.

Relax? She didn't know how many of the statements were true.

"Hear what..?" she choked out, working around the knot in her throat. "Take one more step and I'm jumping. You have... y-you no idea what I just released, and I... I-I wrote it. I wrote it!" she was gaining a bit of confidence by bluffing about the threat level of the program-- but one wrong move, and she was tearing out of there. She might even jump off the edge if she had to.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Alyse sighed a light breath; "Look kid, I'm reaaaaalllly not in the mood for a chase and I'm sure CitySkrub doesn't want to pick you off the pavement if you miss a beat- Something tells me a 15 story drop and you won't get along well." She surveyed the girl's subtle movements, waiting to see if she would draw a weapon. A casual slide of the laptop, balled up fists, something told her that she wasn't ready to fight. Lowering her weapon slightly, pointing it more towards the girl's knees and feet, she lightened her tone a bit. "I want to know what the hell you're doing on this rooftop and what you're after. Did Jev tell everyone about this fuckin' job?!" Obvious frustration and confusion oozed from her face, clearly they weren't there for the same reason but it wouldn't be the first time Alyse had been burned like that.

Raising her left arm slightly, she skimmed through the Biomonitor on her wrist, almost appearing to ignore the girl for a moment. "Hmpf, Net can't get a solid read on you. You a runner? If so, I'm not so sure we are after the same prize here..."

Pausing for a moment, Alyse stopped to stare off in the distance looking as if she was a statue frozen in time. Something on the Biomon had grabbed her attention. Suddenly, she ran full steam at the girl, tackling her off the edge of the building into the edge just as bullets began to rip where they had just been standing to shreds. Corpos...

With little time to react, she had decided to spare the kid and take her unexpectedly on the plunge, falling with Alyse nearly 15 feet onto the metal grate of a fire escape. The metallic thud was jarring but it didn't take more than a second for her to scramble to her feet and pull the kid up. "FUCKING MOVE!" she yelled as she began pushing her down the fire escape catwalk.

The sound of an AV took overhead and yelling could be heard from Corporate Enforcement disembarking and moving towards their previous location. This was no accident or job gone wrong, this was an ambush.
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1

Alyse sighed a light breath; "Look kid, I'm reaaaaalllly not in the mood for a chase and I'm sure CitySkrub doesn't want to pick you off the pavement if you miss a beat- Something tells me a 15 story drop and you won't get along well." She surveyed the girl's subtle movements, waiting to see if she would draw a weapon. A casual slide of the laptop, balled up fists, something told her that she wasn't ready to fight. Lowering her weapon slightly, pointing it more towards the girl's knees and feet, she lightened her tone a bit. "I want to know what the hell you're doing on this rooftop and what you're after. Did Jev tell everyone about this fuckin' job?!" Obvious frustration and confusion oozed from her face, clearly they weren't there for the same reason but it wouldn't be the first time Alyse had been burned like that.

Raising her left arm slightly, she skimmed through the Biomonitor on her wrist, almost appearing to ignore the girl for a moment. "Hmpf, Net can't get a solid read on you. You a runner? If so, I'm not so sure we are after the same prize here..."

Pausing for a moment, Alyse stopped to stare off in the distance looking as if she was a statue frozen in time. Something on the Biomon had grabbed her attention. Suddenly, she ran full steam at the girl, tackling her off the edge of the building into the edge just as bullets began to rip where they had just been standing to shreds. Corpos...

With little time to react, she had decided to spare the kid and take her unexpectedly on the plunge, falling with Alyse nearly 15 feet onto the metal grate of a fire escape. The metallic thud was jarring but it didn't take more than a second for her to scramble to her feet and pull the kid up. "FUCKING MOVE!" she yelled as she began pushing her down the fire escape catwalk.

The sound of an AV took overhead and yelling could be heard from Corporate Enforcement disembarking and moving towards their previous location. This was no accident or job gone wrong, this was an ambush.

- ATARI -

"I don't know who the hell Jev is," Atari hissed, flinching backwards. The gun had moved, and she took this chance to make an escape-- but of course, right as the bullets hit, the stranger pulled her off the ledge.

The impact was much more painful than she'd originally expected. Her torso made contact with the metal frame and for a moment, she thought she'd broken a rib or two. Yeah-- yeah, definitely broke a rib.

Slowly the stabbing sensation began to ripple through her torso, and she clenched her jaw, letting out a choked cry. She let out a few curses and clawed at the ground below her.


The fragile body beneath her unassuming clothes certainly didn't hold up well under blunt force trauma.

Atari wanted to yell out a "wait! I'm hurt!" to the stranger before they could move, but she was forced to stumble along anyway. She'd die if she waited any longer.

She found herself crumbling into the wall, trying to steady herself. She could taste blood. She figured it wasn't from the rib issue, more likely from somewhere in her mouth. It still wasn't very pleasant.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

As she started pushing the girl forward, Alyse heard the pained murmur of her groans become louder and louder. The kid had taken the brunt of the fall and it was showing in her eyes. Unrelentingly, she forced them down the fire escape floor by floor stopping for a moment as the young girl slammed up against the wall before recovering herself once more. As they neared the bottom 4 flights, Alyse paused to assess the situation. The alleyway below them was still clear but she figured it wouldn't take long for Corps to be scrambling after them. Spinning back from the railing, she notice a stream of blood running from the girl's mouth; In a brief moment of compassion, Alyse pulled a small rag from her pocket, tossing it to her. "Just a scratch, you'll be alright. Bite on this if you need. We need to- AGH!" A quick splatter of blood a the pained outburst took the scene as a bullet cut through Alyse's synthweave jacket and grazed her right arm. Stumbling back in a mix of pain and survival instinct, she felt herself push back against a windowsill as bullets chipped away at the outer railing of their platform. "I'll live, it skipped me! We- *cough* We aren't going to lose these fuckers this way. If we can get to the streets, I know a bar *cough* that'll let us lay low."

Grabbing at one of her sidearms, Alyse smashed out the window before throwing herself sideways against it. She tumbled into the interior of the room, stumbling up over bits of broken glass. Waiting for the stranger to climb in, she glanced at the bed to see a couple midway through intercourse looking back at her in shocked silence and disbelief at what they had just witnessed. "El' least we aren't the ones getting fucked tonight." Alyse chuckled lightly as the she rushed the room exit door.

They had run right into one of the notorious no-tell motels, one of many across the city. The name itself yielded a good idea of quality but the place was no exception to the reputation it had gained over the years. The dingy, musky room was lit with a dim yellow bulb flickering lightly. Pulling one pistol up towards the side of her head, Alyse cracked the door open and peeked her head down the hallway. It was littered with peeling wallpaper, plenty of booze bottles and other trash, but not with Corpos so it was a welcomed enough sight. "Clear. Let's keep pushing- and here- don't shoot me in the back of the fucking head, please and thank you." she said in a hushed tone as she slipped the girl her other pistol before slowly creeping out into the hallway.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1

As she started pushing the girl forward, Alyse heard the pained murmur of her groans become louder and louder. The kid had taken the brunt of the fall and it was showing in her eyes. Unrelentingly, she forced them down the fire escape floor by floor stopping for a moment as the young girl slammed up against the wall before recovering herself once more. As they neared the bottom 4 flights, Alyse paused to assess the situation. The alleyway below them was still clear but she figured it wouldn't take long for Corps to be scrambling after them. Spinning back from the railing, she notice a stream of blood running from the girl's mouth; In a brief moment of compassion, Alyse pulled a small rag from her pocket, tossing it to her. "Just a scratch, you'll be alright. Bite on this if you need. We need to- AGH!" A quick splatter of blood a the pained outburst took the scene as a bullet cut through Alyse's synthweave jacket and grazed her right arm. Stumbling back in a mix of pain and survival instinct, she felt herself push back against a windowsill as bullets chipped away at the outer railing of their platform. "I'll live, it skipped me! We- *cough* We aren't going to lose these fuckers this way. If we can get to the streets, I know a bar *cough* that'll let us lay low."

Grabbing at one of her sidearms, Alyse smashed out the window before throwing herself sideways against it. She tumbled into the interior of the room, stumbling up over bits of broken glass. Waiting for the stranger to climb in, she glanced at the bed to see a couple midway through intercourse looking back at her in shocked silence and disbelief at what they had just witnessed. "El' least we aren't the ones getting fucked tonight." Alyse chuckled lightly as the she rushed the room exit door.

They had run right into one of the notorious no-tell motels, one of many across the city. The name itself yielded a good idea of quality but the place was no exception to the reputation it had gained over the years. The dingy, musky room was lit with a dim yellow bulb flickering lightly. Pulling one pistol up towards the side of her head, Alyse cracked the door open and peeked her head down the hallway. It was littered with peeling wallpaper, plenty of booze bottles and other trash, but not with Corpos so it was a welcomed enough sight. "Clear. Let's keep pushing- and here- don't shoot me in the back of the fucking head, please and thank you." she said in a hushed tone as she slipped the girl her other pistol before slowly creeping out into the hallway.

Atari was mostly along for the ride at this point. She had no idea where she was going or who she was dealing with, but thank the fates or whatever the hell was out there watching, that this woman wasn't going to kill her. At least not yet.

The shenanigans that went down between the catwalk and the motel room was already beginning to fade into a blur.

It was like waking up from a dream, only to find yourself in another.

She would probably regret the images she'd seen in the motel much later in the day, once she'd recovered, but the whole rib-thing was distracting her a bit too much.

She yelled out an angry, pained "FUCK-" almost right in Alyse's ear at one point. Thankfully the rag in her mouth kept her from making too much of a racket. She squeezed her eyes shut and tears began rolling down her face, reflecting the green glow that shone through her eyelids.

She gripped the pistol as best she could. "I need to stop," she whimpered, spitting the cloth out and wincing at the stains of red fluid. "I need... I need a break..."

She felt bad asking. But at this point, she needed to assess the damage.

"Who the hell's after us..? Why would... why would they want you... and me..?" she panted, one arm wrapped around her torso.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Watching the girl wrap her arm and slide down the hallway wall, Alyse knew they had to stop for a moment. The kid didn't seem to take the fall too well and looked pretty beat up, but she knew damn well that they couldn't stick around for long with Corps still on their ass. Feeling around in her inner jacket pocket for a moment, Alyse produced an inhaler and handed it to the bloodied woman, watching for a moment as she sucked in the medicated breath. "Manticore, who else? Apparently they didn't like your little stunt on the roof, must've found us the same way I found you. Someone was watching the activity on the Net while you were up there doing your thing. Why they want us? Well I'm not sure what you did but now I'm guilty by association." Alyse chuckled a light breath. " 'El the corps and I didn't get along too well anyhow, I've got a ticket a mile long in their records I'm sure."

Looking down at her own wound, she couldn't help but notice she had bled a good amount. However if she had any doubts, she sure couldn't show it now. It was obvious they weren't in the best shape to continue onwards but they had no other choice. Covering the wound the best she could, Alyse leaned down to grab under the girls arm and pull her up. it had obviously caught her off-guard with a quick hesitation showing, but she was in no position to fight it. Alyse cradled her arm under the girls to help stabilize her enough to stand. "We're gonna have to have a little trust here. You don't pop me, I won't drop you. Deal?"

After all, it was only a few floors. If they could clear out, they were home free...
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1

Watching the girl wrap her arm and slide down the hallway wall, Alyse knew they had to stop for a moment. The kid didn't seem to take the fall too well and looked pretty beat up, but she knew damn well that they couldn't stick around for long with Corps still on their ass. Feeling around in her inner jacket pocket for a moment, Alyse produced an inhaler and handed it to the bloodied woman, watching for a moment as she sucked in the medicated breath. "Manticore, who else? Apparently they didn't like your little stunt on the roof, must've found us the same way I found you. Someone was watching the activity on the Net while you were up there doing your thing. Why they want us? Well I'm not sure what you did but now I'm guilty by association." Alyse chuckled a light breath. " 'El the corps and I didn't get along too well anyhow, I've got a ticket a mile long in their records I'm sure."

Looking down at her own wound, she couldn't help but notice she had bled a good amount. However if she had any doubts, she sure couldn't show it now. It was obvious they weren't in the best shape to continue onwards but they had no other choice. Covering the wound the best she could, Alyse leaned down to grab under the girls arm and pull her up. it had obviously caught her off-guard with a quick hesitation showing, but she was in no position to fight it. Alyse cradled her arm under the girls to help stabilize her enough to stand. "We're gonna have to have a little trust here. You don't pop me, I won't drop you. Deal?"

After all, it was only a few floors. If they could clear out, they were home free...

Atari spat out a clot of blood and wiped her face with one hand, catching her breath.

"I sent out a worm," she panted, eyes flicking open, then falling closed again, as if the light was injuring them.

"Just a little thing. It'd gather addresses and contact info and.. you know, just sorta... probe the surface... like a Trojan horse..."

She pocketed the gun so she didn't have to hold it. "I... I guess I trust you," she winced. "But... I might as well ask. Who... who are you?" She didn't really plan on attacking her, given the fact she was pretty inexperienced with a gun. Besides, she didn't recognize the kind of pistol she'd been given, and didn't know how to work it.

She appreciated the supportive gesture. The pain was becoming a bit more bearable now, but it still hurt to take full breaths.

She did her best to walk with her and keep up the pace, ignoring any weird stares the motel patrons gave them.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Eyes glared the typical judgmental stares you would get at a place like this. The truth was, none of the passerbys in the hall way looked any less seedy than Alyse and the girl, even with the bloodied outfits and tattered bodies. "Name is Alyse, I do a bit of this, a bit of that. Like I said, I caught wind of your little- well- activity across the Net while doing a bit of my own recon and figured I'd see what the fuss was about. Didn't expect to be diving through sleezy motel windows today but I guess it's not the worst day I've ever had- heh." As they rounded the corner of the hallway, they snuck out a door to an interior stairwell. Hobbling their way to the bottom floor, the pair slipped out an emergency exit. Alyse managed to convince the girl to hop in a taxi with her to get out of harms way for a short while. The taxi was the perfect disguise because they were able to glide right under Manticore's radar in plain sight. Pulling away, the taxi drove past the building they had just leapt from minutes before; A hovering drone could be seen scanning the surrounding area while an armed, uniformed man with a visor helmet watched towards their direction for a moment. Alyse kept her cool as the man observed them as to not draw attention, however she knew all too well who it was. The uniform was recognizable as "Strigon Team", a specialized taskforce within the Manticore Elite who's job was to hunt domestic threats within the city. When she was a kid, rumors of their presence had been no more than words in the wind, but recent years had shown their appearance frequently throughout the city with a trail of blood that followed. Manticore wasn't know for their hospitality in the slums to begin with, but Strigon made them look like patron saints comparatively. Alyse held back a slight shiver as she felt a chill shoot up her spine.

There wasn't much exchanged during the taxi ride, Alyse wasn't sure if it was from the sheer exhaustion or awkwardness of the ride but she was certainly fine taking a breather. The taxi stopped in front of a dimly lit neon plaza with a sign overhead a door reading "Lex's Lounge". Reaching forward to grab the exchange slot, Alyse slid a little bit extra in for a tip to keep the driver's mouth shut. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink before I figure out what to do with you." She shot a grin and a wink towards the girl but wasn't sure if her crude humor was lost on her or not. As the pair pushed the door open, a smoke filled room came alive showing a large central bar surrounded by empty chairs and patrons alike. There was a loud techno song blaring overhead that was almost so deafening you couldn't make out individual sounds. On the right side of the building, pool and card tables were blocked by the backs of hollering scavs and chooms hoping to make a buck over another. As they approached the bar top, Alyse could help but notice the girls nervous face as she realized that Corporate Enforcement officers were sitting a few stools away being swooned by 3-4 pleasure girls hoping to make a mark. "Relax hun, they aren't here on business... They'll get what they want out of those girls tonight and then probably toss the book at them if they even so much as mention pay. Typical sight around here but certainly doesn't stop them from trying to get live out that Corp Penthouse dream they fantasize over." Alyse pulled out a chair for them both at the bar and took a seat, leaning on the top of it looking over. "Well, I guess we better get the formalities out of the way then... What's your name, and what's your poison? I'll buy the first round."
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
Atari didn't say much over the course of the trip. She wasn't one for conversation...

Alyse, huh...? Interesting... she mumbled internally, as she limped down the stairs. Not exactly feeling up to giving out my name just yet. Not even my alias.

She had a strong sense of unease wash over her as they got into the cab. She... wasn't the fondest of traveling by taxi. She had an irrational fear of taxis, but more specifically their drivers. She figured that they'd rape and kill her one of these days-- she'd heard way too many horror stories about that sort of thing.

She pressed up against Alyse when she saw the masked man outside, fearing that he'd see her. She could tell that Alyse was unnerved too, and that already raised some red flags in her mind.

She kept from panicking most of the drive, but couldn't help leaning on Alyse to help her feel more calm.

---

Atari cringed at Alyse's remark as they hopped out of the taxi. I hope that was a joke. I genuinely hope that was a joke. You could be in your thirties for all I know...

The atmosphere of the club was almost as thick as the haze. She honestly missed going out to places like this. Granted... it wasn't often she could do something like this, since her roommate wasn't fond of clubs. She would always say, "one or the both of us is bound to get knocked up by some pimp by the end of the night, what's the point?" To which Atari would respond, "It isn't just men that go to clubs."

Her friend didn't really have luck with either of them.

She averted her eyes at the scantily clad women. Not because she felt... turned off or anything, it was quite the opposite, actually. She just felt for them... turning to a life of prostitution to make a living, probably. Her heart sank at that thought. Nobody should have to stoop that low. Selling yourself for a-- shit, Alyse is talking. Say something...

"I'm... I-I'm Atari," she mumbled, barely audible over the music. "I'm... not exactly a big drinker or anything, I... is there anything that... you'd recommend?"
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Alyse nodded at the name. "Atari... I dig it." Motioning her hand towards the bartender, glancing up at the menu screen hanging down above the bar. "Let's do uhhhh- two Kevlar punches and an order of Slasher fries, hold the heat." She turned back towards Atari looking her over to get an idea of her condition. "After all the action today, I don't think I need any jalapeños taking me out of the fight, heh. How you hanging in there, kid? Shit getting any better? That was a bit of a beating."

A few minutes later the bartender approached with 2 mugs, as well as 2 full accompanying shot glasses. Alyse grabbed the shotglass filled with a bright red concoction and dropped it into the larger mug, watching as the red liquid flowed inside the blackened beverage. "S'posed to look like a gunshot is what they say, all I know is that it gets the job done." She said, throwing the drink back just in time for a large plate of fries covered in cheese, salt, and synthbacon approached. Licking her lip, ignoring the light taste of blood, she grabbed a small handful and snacked; Sliding the plate towards Atari, she glanced towards it. "Get something in your system, it'll help you recharge a bit."
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1

Alyse nodded at the name. "Atari... I dig it." Motioning her hand towards the bartender, glancing up at the menu screen hanging down above the bar. "Let's do uhhhh- two Kevlar punches and an order of Slasher fries, hold the heat." She turned back towards Atari looking her over to get an idea of her condition. "After all the action today, I don't think I need any jalapeños taking me out of the fight, heh. How you hanging in there, kid? Shit getting any better? That was a bit of a beating."

A few minutes later the bartender approached with 2 mugs, as well as 2 full accompanying shot glasses. Alyse grabbed the shotglass filled with a bright red concoction and dropped it into the larger mug, watching as the red liquid flowed inside the blackened beverage. "S'posed to look like a gunshot is what they say, all I know is that it gets the job done." She said, throwing the drink back just in time for a large plate of fries covered in cheese, salt, and synthbacon approached. Licking her lip, ignoring the light taste of blood, she grabbed a small handful and snacked; Sliding the plate towards Atari, she glanced towards it. "Get something in your system, it'll help you recharge a bit."
Atari chuckled a little. "I'm glad you like it, I picked it out myself."

She wasn't one for crazy-spicy things either. She wouldn't mind a bit of a zing, but honestly... she wasn't in the mood for that at the moment.

"I'm... getting there," she admitted. "I just wish that I had some kind of painkiller on me. That'd make it a bit less distracting."

She watched the woman mix her drink, and furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment as she listened. Then as Alyse explained, she started to understand. "I see. Creative. Dark, but creative."

Atari gave her a glare, watching her dip her bare hands in the food without so much as an inhale.

She wasn't horribly fond of the manners, or lack thereof, that Alyse presented.

She glanced around, trying to locate a package of silverware or something like that, groaning quietly when the search yielded no results.

Eventually she gave in and used her fingers to grab a few fries, wincing as she chewed.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Watching the girl for a moment, Alyse caught glimpse of the wince. "You sure you're good?" She could tell the girl was holding back some of her pain and wasn't sure if it was being done out of necessity to appear tough, fear to show weakness, or pure stubbornness but Alyse knew she wasn't going to be able to put up much of a fight in her current state. "If you need a ripper or so'thing, I can get you to one." Surveying the bar crowd, everything seemed pretty standard; A chill still sat in the back of her mind realizing how close they had come to near certain death without so much as a moment to take a breath. "I'll be back in just a minute, need to go rinse my face."

Brushing past a few tables, Alyse slipped into the doorway of a restroom and found herself scooping a few handfuls of water over her cheeks to wipe off some of the grime and blood that had covered her when she was scrambling out. Reflecting over everything, it had almost felt like a fever dream how quickly shit had gone from bad to worse. Why had she gone after the kid in the first place? What had really compelled her to do so? Personal pride? Had she caught a reflection of a past life? Or perhaps she really was just losing her fucking mind... at this point it felt hard to tell anyways. She felt the shot starting to kick in as the tension started leaving her chest. They had made it and that was all that really mattered for the moment. As she approached the bartop once more, Alyse motioned towards the bartender, making a "two" finger gesture towards them to line-up another round of drink. "I'll be the first to admit, I feel like hell after all that fun. But hell, what can you really do about it?" Throwing back another drink, she began to loosen her demeaner a light bit, even going as far as to pull her shirt out of her waistband to let it flow freely untucked and cover her hip holsters. Rarely did she ever relax these days, but it felt long overdue. "So where ya' from kid? You look like you've got a story."
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
Atari glanced down to avoid eye contact with her.

She was hiding for practically all those reasons, she wasn't sure what "route" of the three she should take.
She didn't quite know what a ripper was. She had an idea, but wasn't completely convinced she entirely.

Atari watched her leave, stomach pitching. That was her meat shield! She muttered to herself and held her forehead.

She kept glancing around the room, watching-- waiting-- if someone was going to approach her.

The eyes of several men, much older than her, began to gravitate towards her, and the familiar nauseous sensation of fear returned to her stomach.

She wanted to spit in their eyes, kick them in the teeth-- or something... but she couldn't. She was far from experienced with hand-to-hand combat.

It felt like an hour before the pink-haired woman returned, and she sighed with relief. She did her best not to fidget in her seat.

At the remark Alyse made, she sort of just... shrugged. What could you do?

She listened to Alyse, tucking a piece of blue hair out of her eyes. "I... I've lived in this area all my life. But... I ran away from my folks a few years back. Mostly because of conflicting viewpoints. I'd much rather them think of me as raped and murdered as alive and... living with someone whose guts they hate." She was referring to her current roommate, a long time friend of hers. She didn't want to reveal much else about her, though.
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1

Alyse sighed a light breath, "Yeah, family can be a tough subject..." Choking down the rest of her drink, she sat up in her chair a bit, watching a game of pool shoot in the corner. Four men surrounded the table, 2 with gang markings on the neck that looked to be from the Tenochi Clan; The Tenochis were a stim dealing group that pushed out weapons and drugs to low level street dealers, nothing major. However she didn't see anything of value in either of them and they were probably just dealer trash themselves. "I betcha if we really wanted to, we could clean sweep all 4 of them with only a slice of what we gave earlier, heh. They think they are so tough with their little gang drawings."

Leaning up at the bar, Alyse ordered a beer and glanced at Atari to see if she wanted one. Sliding her hand on the inside of the grip and starting on the mug when it was presented, Alyse kicked her feet down and pushed herself out of the chair to a stand. Glancing over at the girl, she notioned her head back towards a dimly lit corner of the bar. "Come on, I know something that might take your mind off shit for awhile!" Rounding the corner of the bar room, she brushed past the same girls they had mentioned earlier and kept her ears open as they passed, hoping for something juicy to be heard. As usual, it was the same "big dick" contest that every Officer partook in talking about how they were the hotshot around the office and they girls should be impressed; Same story, different mark. The bar was surprisingly calm today and she had no complaints. In the corner sat 3 dust ridden machine with large blurry screens glowing out the front, arcade machines. Appearing almost giddy, Alyse shot back a grin towards Atari. "Used to hang out here for hours when I was your age, some of the only games I've found like this that still exist. No virtual reality, no holo, just good old pixelized adventure."

Giving a tap on the side of the machine, it appeared to stir to life as a short digitalized tune played and the screen booted to life. "This is pre-corp technology, back before they owned everything with a lightbulb in it." The game had a title over it, "Lex's Quest" and it played vaguely familiar to something in a past life. A small female character jumped across the screen making leaps over anthropomorphized characters in the shape of animals. Every so often, Alyse would jump into an area where a snack would fall and give her a power-up. A smile shot ear to ear across her face as she stared at the screen, eyes twitching as she followed the pixels side-to-side. Almost forgetting where she was, Alyse looked over at Atari and shot her a question before sipping her beer, "You want a turn?"
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
"I wonder if they'd stand a chance..." Atari mumbled absentmindedly, staring at them with an unamused expression. "I don't like getting into fights, honestly."

Atari refused the offer, shaking her head. She didn't want to wind up the next morning with a pounding headache.

She kept herself silent for the next few moments.

She overheard the conversations but tuned them out, unimpressed.

The setup of the arcade sent a feeling of childlike fascination through her. Her eyes widened, and she looked over the machines, examining the finer details.

The style was cute-- simple, but cute. Atari loved games, honestly... especially the "older" ones. Not as many ways to cheat.

"I suppose I'll try my hand at a round or so," she shrugged.

She took hold of the controls and did her best to test the functions before trying to continue.

The mechanical forearms she had certainly helped a bit.

"I don't get this kind of experience often... " she murmured. "I will admit I have quite a bit of experience, but it's more of a hobby really. Keeps my hands busy."
 

Alyse Ja'hal

Badass Bitch
Character
Dec 9, 2021
6
0
1
"Eh, probably better than keeping a trigger finger honestly- These things are few and far these days. Manticore bought out the company that made 'em, apparently they turned them into some sort of old-style war games training system. I've heard a lot of rumors about it as well." She watched as the girl moved her way through the game, clearly this wasn't Atari's first rodeo, even if she tried to hide a natural talent that was probably borderline addictive. Alyse took a sip of her drink, quickly deciding to polish it off before it got room temperature. "I heard a crazy ass story one time... something about a girl, one of the earliest netrunners, trying to jack herself into one of these machines to get a datarush. Apparently a bunch of pre-net technology gives your brain a light surge if you try to jack in; I guess it her in pretty good. Smoked her body and she died. Wild shit." One of the pleasure girls the pair had seen earlier walked by. She had a shiny pink synthleather coat on with a sliced up pair of cutoff jean shorts cradling her butt cheeks; Fishnets rode down her legs meeting a pair of gold tinted sneakers. A black beanie sat on her head covering up a mid-cut of bright white hair. The girl certainly fit the part well as she passed, licking her lip a bit and shooting a wink over at them. "Out in full force today apparently, heh." Alyse chuckled as the girl passed, giving her a longer look as the woman strutted towards the restroom. The game buzzed a loud noise, apparently she wasn't the only one mildly distracted by the passing.

"So you're a netrunner too, hm? What's that like? I mean I know the Net and all, but like, how does it feel? I can't imagine connecting my head to it."
 

Atari

Vigilante Hacker
Character
Dec 9, 2021
10
0
1
"Eh, probably better than keeping a trigger finger honestly- These things are few and far these days. Manticore bought out the company that made 'em, apparently they turned them into some sort of old-style war games training system. I've heard a lot of rumors about it as well." She watched as the girl moved her way through the game, clearly this wasn't Atari's first rodeo, even if she tried to hide a natural talent that was probably borderline addictive. Alyse took a sip of her drink, quickly deciding to polish it off before it got room temperature. "I heard a crazy ass story one time... something about a girl, one of the earliest netrunners, trying to jack herself into one of these machines to get a datarush. Apparently a bunch of pre-net technology gives your brain a light surge if you try to jack in; I guess it her in pretty good. Smoked her body and she died. Wild shit." One of the pleasure girls the pair had seen earlier walked by. She had a shiny pink synthleather coat on with a sliced up pair of cutoff jean shorts cradling her butt cheeks; Fishnets rode down her legs meeting a pair of gold tinted sneakers. A black beanie sat on her head covering up a mid-cut of bright white hair. The girl certainly fit the part well as she passed, licking her lip a bit and shooting a wink over at them. "Out in full force today apparently, heh." Alyse chuckled as the girl passed, giving her a longer look as the woman strutted towards the restroom. The game buzzed a loud noise, apparently she wasn't the only one mildly distracted by the passing.

"So you're a netrunner too, hm? What's that like? I mean I know the Net and all, but like, how does it feel? I can't imagine connecting my head to it."

"Having sharp reflexes is a must in this world," Atari mumbled at the first remark Alyse made.

She kept her focus on the pixellated world, the retro colors and sounds soothing her mind. Gaming always brought her peace. The constant stimulation appeased her overactive mind and... distracted her from other things.

She listened to Alyse and continued through the levels, feeling a cold pit in her stomach form as she heard the tale of the ill-fated netrunner.

Here's hoping that won't be me one day.

The movement off to one side caught gaze, and she kept her eyes on the "target" for much longer than she would be proud of.

When her avatar suffered a bit of damage and an angry buzz came from the speakers, it snapped her out of it and she cursed silently.

Sighing heavily, she nodded at Alyse's remark.

"I... wouldn't really call myself an official netrunner," she admitted. "But it's... it's kind of nice, actually. There's... good and bad stuff involved, and... it's hard to explain..."


Too janky to fully put it into words.