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Post by swapgo on May 31, 2023 1:33:57 GMT
An unexpected bustling crowd gathered around a quite district of Buster City, as a brand new food joint opened ahead of schedule. Tenko Bento seemed like it would become just a small, traditional family owned business that would have to fight tooth and nail to succeed in the City's cutthroat economic landscape. However, after an equally tragic and fortunate windfall, the business was transferred to more ambitious, eager hands, opening to a much more exotic, yet still affordable locale that was celebrating its grand opening. The queue was quite long, but the lively atmosphere made it bearable, surely it couldn't hurt to give it a shot?
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Post by notdomino on May 31, 2023 1:34:47 GMT
Competition? "GO THERE AND FIND OUT WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT? I'm not gonna lose at my own game!" Boss man's words reverberated through her head as she rode her motorcycle through the city streets. This was a petty assignment if she'd ever known one. This wasn't a delivery for Buster Box, but a mission for Fanny to research the competitors. She'd park her bike and sit for a moment. Hmph, what a line... "Guess I'll be waiting a while. " She exclaimed, fixing her hair to throw a cap on. She sighed out of disinterest, but it was better than waiting for her a delivery request or manning the register. To be honest, things were slow with both her normie job and her underground occupation. She hadn't done any jobs or favors for the Platform in a while. It wasn't that she didn't want a real mission, it was just that... her cat was always somewhere and never with her. A shadow waved over her. Well, well, speaking of the cat-devil... [align=center]https://youtu.be/TcJR7cCAFlY[/align] [glow=purple]
'Oh, you're here." [/glow]A less than astute observation from an alarmingly deep voice. Nero the Neko flew over her head in a circle. [glow=purple] "Well... since you ARE here... I'd like to give you a message from your grandfather. "[/glow] This "cat" would land beside her and open its mouth, playing the recorded message. He could do that? It wasn't quite what she had in mind. [glow=#BF8040] "Fanny, hope you've been using your time wisely. Listen closely... You need to start networking. I understand you're just starting, but networking is key in the Platform. It's how we accumulate favors and people owing us. The REAL money comes when you find your first sucker. I know you can do it! I'll be sending you more special requests, and maybe a few trades if they come up. For now, start making some valuable friends. Stay safe out here. Love ya.
-Gramps" [/glow] Before she could ponder a message back, Nero had already taken flight. "Wait, what about my message back?!?!" [glow=purple] "It's been a few weeks, and you've made little to no progress. Most humans I'm assigned to have a bit more upward mobility. Perhaps it's because you're a teenager. Regardless, I don't want to be around you until you provide me a better living quarters. Have some respect for your messenger. I used to be Mr. Fanahashi's you know... besides there are other associates of the platform that I must see. Until I get a mission for you, or until you upgrade from that hovel, I want nothing to do with you..."[/glow] Nero would leave it at that, and fly off into the distance. She cursed under her breath. Did she have to deal with such a pompous animal? Was a studio apartment that bad? Well it wasn't a mission, but it was nice to hear from her gramps. She made it to the end of the line and would wait, while thinking of the cat's words. Was she really doing that bad of a job, or was Nero's standards to high? The line moved up, so she'd stride forward two paces along with it. OH RIGHT! She was still on the clock! She'd send the boss man an update that she arrived. Just on appearances, this place was nicer. It was an actual restaurant compared Buster Box's model... a lowly convenience store with popular Bentos being sold from the tiny kitchen in the back. To say the least, the crowd was lively and excited to try something new. To an extant, Fanny herself was finding herself swept up in wanting to try a few different meals.... for research!... It wasn't that she was tired of her own job's cooking at all~~~~~ |
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Post by swapgo on May 31, 2023 1:35:53 GMT
As much as it was called a "Store", Tenko Bento was a strange marriage of the efficiency of a fast food joint and the atmosphere of a restaurant. From the clear pane windows, one could see tables rearrange themselves from the floor to accomodate customers that chose to eat indoors, while a lobby was available for those waiting for their food to arrive, be it from inside on the outside. This, given the incredibly modest pricing structure. It sounded too good to be true, anyone with experience would notice the place was operating at a loss, though the reason as to why was up for debate.
As Fanny made it to the queue, she would notice that she was moving forward quite more expediently than she would have expected from afar, and it wasn't because clients were going through the shop. Clients in front of her were slowly bailing out of the queue, all for seemingly different reasons. One of them took a phone call and scrambled away, a second one saw an acquaintance and walked off with them, a third cited stomach distress, slowly but steadily pushing her forward. She finally came to a stop as the next person in line was a young, bespectacled lass with leather streetwear with her head buried on her phone. She seemed to awkwardly take glances at every direction, except the actual queue, surely causing a hold up.
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Post by notdomino on May 31, 2023 1:36:22 GMT
The line was moving at a nice pace as this place bustled and hustled. Wiith a glance, many people seemed to be leaving the line. That was okay. It only meant Fanny could get closer to order. One of the windows has a QR code, that she could scan. Way more convenient than her boss's method. At Buster Box, one has to stand order from a slowly shuffling tv screen. Honestly, it was a good idea in theory, but it spent way too much time on the featured items screen and not on the menu screen. She'd give her boss a text.
-These guys move quickly, and they are pretty up-to-date and state of the art. The inside have a dining area too! I'd say you could learn a lot from them, but we don't have to space for a dining area... They aren't a convenience store though, so people from the neighborhood still have to come to us for their usual needs and snacks. I think their demographic looks younger too. Our regulars are usually business guys on the way home, who are too lazy to cook. OH! They even have a social media page. You gotta get with the times boss man! - And SEND.
Whilst on her phone, Fanny took another step mindlessly in anticipation for the line to move, but flinched realizing she almost walked right into someone. More accurately the line moved up, whoever this girl was DIDN'T. "Ummmm. HelloOOOO~~~ If you don't wanna eat here anymore move like the others! The rest of us wanna try this new restaurant!" She glared at the girl.
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Post by swapgo on May 31, 2023 1:36:41 GMT
When bumped girl very quickly let go off her phone that seamlessly fell into an open bag, running her hand through her hair and clutching her black beret as she stiffened up towards Fanny in what appeared to be practiced efficiency. Maybe it was her enormous round glasses that amplified her puppy doll eyes, but even though she hadn't apologized, it was almost bad to stay mad at her. The girl took her scolding in silence before decompressing and turning around, "Yes, sure, sure...phew", she muttered as she paced along and took a deep breath to decompress. There were no more lucky breaks and the queue was about to enter the locale, the AC could already be felt from the wide open doors.
"Hey, uh, excuse me", the lass turned to gauge Fanny again, with her composure back, she looked way less aloof. "Do you mind if I ask you...about the cat", she lowered her voice, leaning back rather than forward as if that made it somehow easier to understand her.
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Post by notdomino on May 31, 2023 1:36:57 GMT
Fanny dialed back her rage to analyze the girl. She seemed...sheepish. Fanny recoiled, already thinking back on her grandfather's words. The first sucker, eh? Was an opportunity presenting itself, or was she going to have another episode? For some reason, things always went left very fast for her. As they moved up in the queue Fanny was delighted as the ac wafted over them each time the door opened. Today was a bit warmer, so getting inside would feel like a blessing. Back on the girl though...
"I guess?" in response to her inquiry. She wasn't going to tell everything of course, mainly because she didn't know everything herself. A disclaimer, she" Be fair warned that the bastard was forced onto me, and I am a dog person at heart..."
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Post by swapgo on May 31, 2023 1:37:28 GMT
"Oh sure I understand! I hear it's standard procedure", the lass regained her lost ground, seamlessly backpedaling into the queue. The bustle inside would make more casual conversation difficult, perhaps a cosmic attempt to spare Fanny of this stranger's sudden and uncanny interest. The airflow of the restaurant was masterfully crafted, the AC blew air from the kitchen only in brief, irregular intervals, as to tempt the clientelle's nostrils without overwhelming the atmosphere.
"So do you...enjoy the gig?", the lass got back to Fanny, making some bold assumptions about her line of work. "I hear not everyone gets used to being introduced to the whole paranormal ordeal".
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Post by notdomino on May 31, 2023 1:37:41 GMT
Fanny recoiled at the inquiry. She was nosey, that was for sure. Scanning the girl up and down, she didn't seem like the type to be in the business, but if she was going to make assumptions like that... Actually, this was Buster City after all. Nothing and no one were as they seemed. She couldn't rule the girl out based on appearances. "It has its perks. I just needed a swift kick in the ass to get started. " She paused. If she were to make a friend out of this person, the least she could do was get the formalities out of the way.
"And your name? I usually just go by Fanny." At the bare minimum, she'd offer the girl a handshake. She wouldn't apologize for getting angry earlier, but this hopefully would show that she wasn't a complete asshole.
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Post by swapgo on May 31, 2023 19:35:12 GMT
"Ah oh-of course, nice!", the lass stammered, backpedaling slightly as the queue seemed to have once again sped up. "I go by Rika, it's a pleasure! I'm sorry if I have to tune off unexpectedly I'm expecting a-", the girl gasped and opened her bag once again, peeking it and frenetically typing on her phone, her glasses once again turning pale white with reflective glimmer as she entered some sort of trance. Whether or not Rika was the first workaholic Fanny had met, something felt off in the air again, distinctive for the now increasingly cramped atmosphere that couldn't have been foreseen from the outside. At least she was backpedaling as the queue moved forward and thus wasn't holding the line back.
She was, however, not mindful of closing her bag, there were perhaps three phones inside of it, as well as a proper journalist camera. Most disturbingly, they were floating in what appeared to be a sea of pictures that Fanny could likely not interpret without risking breaking this delicate meditation.
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Post by notdomino on Jun 2, 2023 17:01:26 GMT
As they made it in, Fanny was shocked at the hustle and bustle. It was far different than Buster's Box's' more casual demeanor. Well... it was it's opening day, this was to be expected. And outside of her bosses orders to get intel on the competition, she met someone. A friend? A..errr? What was Rika to Fanny? They'd just met. And she was giving off some strange vibes, but some like a nice person. With the bag open, Fanny's interested rose. "Expecting aaaaaa? Holy shit, You must be working for the local newspaper or something. " Fanny inquired, blatantly pulling a finger to open the girl's bag and peer in.
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Post by swapgo on Jun 19, 2023 16:20:35 GMT
It was difficult to grasp the whole picture, most of the visible borders and corners were too colorful to make out of. The topmost one was of a group of students at Buster High, though the shot composition was terrible.
A gasp could be heard as Rika tipped her glasses upwards and broke out of her trance, hurriedly zipping her bag shut and stepping aside whether or not Fanny was spry enough to remove her finger from it. "Oh uh...yes I do, I do actually it's...not been going well but I...", Rika struggled to regain her breath for a moment, her eyes unsure of where to go as her mouth was on what to say. "It's a personal project! Yes, perhaps I will turn it in eventually, officially, in the big news, like I uh should, that's my job yeah I will get to it", she continued to overjustify her actions. Her phone was secured to her hand thanks to the case having a circular handle for it, it only revealed some sort of conversation app, and a very colorful phone background of some nondescript heroine.
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Post by notdomino on Jul 6, 2023 2:15:50 GMT
"Ahhh, so that's it. I never would've guess that of you. " She'd glance the girl up and down. "Well, maybe. Now that I'm getting to know you more. They say people look like their occupation, but I don't think that's always the case." She'd say with a giggle, very obviously looking into the bag before her new friend decided to close it.
Fanny's eyes widened. NOW, things were getting interesting. "Oh I used to know some of those girls. I dropped out... So I'm probably some distant memory to them." The zipper would run into an extremely solid surface, but if would close the bag more fluidly as the barrier queen removed her finger. "Buncha weirdos, and people obsessed with popularity. I was never meant to fit there. I was too focused on money!" She' exclaimed with a wink. It was a lie... She was dirt poor, BUT it never took away from her charisma. The question was how Rika's beginnings were.
"What about you? You don't look much older than me! I'm sure your days in high school musta been fun."
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Post by swapgo on Jul 16, 2023 13:23:04 GMT
"Guess wh-...what exactly?", Rika continued to hurriedly zip the evidence, a bit too intimidated with Fanny's bravado to notice the unnatural causes as to why her bag wasn't closing. Her worry seemed to briefly turn to a gasp as Fanny mentioned knowning these people, though it quickly scrambled back as she realized that did not add up, and how she threw them all under the bus. "I...well school wa-school is, it's-...*sigh*...it's just-", a weird buzzer fired off from the ceiling above Rika as she tried to step back in, causing her to stammer back and fall onto her butt. "No skipping the line, lass!", some security person inched towards them from afar to call Rika out, pointing at the boundaries of the floor, the line had a physical boundary, and she backpedaled out of it from the pressure. "But I-I was in the lin-them's the rules, girl, go back or get out", she flinched again, breathing heavily on the floor for a spell.
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