=================== Rafe/Brygid and the dead hacker ===========
Nexus Plaza
Cicada awakens.
Cicada leaves south.
Brygid shakes her head.
Brygid mutters, 'Some people.. Always sleeping in the middle of the street.'
l brygid
Thick red curls cascade down her back, a few stray strands escaping to frameher angular, slightly freckled cheeks, small nose, and angry emerald eyes. She moves with the grace of a panther, lithe and beautiful, but deadly if provoked.
<About Body> a terrycloth bath robe
<Lower Legs> some wool socks
Rafe beams happily and holds out his pen, showing it off.
Rafe giggles.
Brygid looks at Rafe.
Brygid arches her eyebrow. 'Nice pen there, bud.'
Brygid grabs ahold of an Armalite AR15 rifle.
Brygid shows off her Armalite.
Rafe smiles shyly. 'Watch this...' He turns the pen upside down and giggles.
Brygid grins.
Rafe oohs appreciatively at the Big Gun (TM).
Brygid says, 'Hey, whatever smokes your bowl.'
A newbie hacker arrives from the south.
You tell Brygid, 'it's a nudie pen.'
Erinys arrives from the north.
Brygid suddenly shoves a newbie hacker in front of a passing truck, where he is crushed under the vehicle's tires and mangled beyond recognition.
Brygid laughs hysterically.
Rafe gasps in horror.
Rafe clutches his pen tightly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Rafe sniffs sadly.
Sethys arrives from the west.
Brygid looks at Sethys.
Rafe's lower lip quivers as he turns unsteadily towards Sethys.
Sethys looks at Brygid.
Brygid nods to Sethys. 'Be careful, man. Lots of traffic on this street.'
Rafe says, 'Sh... sh.. she...'
Brygid says, 'Truck drivers these days, they just don't know what to do.'
Erinys steps around the carcass and sets a foot on the railing.
Sethys says, 'Traffic's not a problem. A good leap onto the hood works fine for me.'
Rafe clings suddenly to Sethys' arm. He's trembling violently.
Brygid nods in the direction of a bloody pulp in the road. 'That daemon over there just tripped all over himself, got himself crushed.'
Sethys says, '...Ah.'
Brygid says, 'I tried to grab him and stop him...'
Rafe shakes his head back and forth, tears running down his cheeks. He looks imploringly at Sethys.
Sethys' arm is clung to. He grins down at Rafe.
Brygid says, 'He just threw himself in front of the truck though.'
Sethys asks, 'What's up?'
Brygid comments, 'Poor guy.'
Sethys says, '...Maybe he went suicidal.'
Rafe bawls loudly.
Brygid nods to Rafe. 'I think it just drove this poor guy crazy.'
Rafe points at the dead, mangled body, then at Brygid. 'Sh...sh...'
Brygid nods sadly at Rafe. 'Grabbed his shoulder, tried to stop him, but he was just too heavy for me.'
Sethys asks, 'She what, Rafe?'
Rafe wipes his running nose on the back of his hand. He blinks tears from his eyes, trying to compose himself.
Brygid winks to Rafe.
Brygid calmly walks north, ignoring the puddle of goo in the road.
Rafe's eyes suddenly get even wider. His mouth falls open and he stares openly at Brygid.
A nearby cleansing pod begins hosing the road with a spray of water. Crimson tinted streams of blood flow from the spot in the road to be collected by the cleansing unit.
Rafe tugs on Sethys' sleeve. 'N.. no!'
Sethys asks, 'No what?'
Rafe fails to compose himself and starts crying again, sobbing onto Sethys' shoulder.
Erinys says to Rafe, 'You seem a little troubled. See something?'
The body of a newbie hacker is carried off by a Medipod.
Rafe's shoulders shake, and he glances over his shoulder at the area being cleaned. He winces at the sight of blood, though he can't have been surprised by it.
Rafe turns his tear-streaked face to Erinys and nods, unable to speak just yet.
Eric arrives from the north.
Sethys pats Rafe on his head. 'There... There?'
Erinys gives Rafe 3 credits.
Erinys says, 'But yerself a drink, man.'
Rafe leans into Sethys' gesture.
Erinys leaves north.
Rafe notices Eric. He looks anxiously at him. 'Did... did you see that?'
Eric looks up, distracted. 'Uh, see what?'
Rafe frowns worriedly and shakes his head. 'Uh, nevermind.'
Someone tells you, 'Nice RPin'.'
You tell someone, 'I've been practicing. Rafe's such a satisfying victim, dontcha think?'
Someone tells you, 'Oh yes.'
Someone tells you, 'Brygid is laughing her ass off.'
You tell someone, 'It'll be fun, next time Rafe sees Brygid.'
Someone tells you, 'Oh yes.'
Someone tells you, 'Interesting to see if you recognize Brygid again. :)'
Someone tells you, 'She is normally not in bathrobes and without her bodysuit.'
You tell someone, 'If you think I shouldn't, then please point it out. She wasn't wearing a mask, right?'
You tell someone, 'He saw her briefly, so maybe not. With Rob, he got a good look, even though he was wearing droog drag.'
Eric blinks, looks away. 'Oh.'
Rafe sniffs quietly. He seems to be recovering from whatever traumatized him.
Sethys asks, 'Holy hell, Rafe, what happened?'
Eric looks up again, genuinely worried frown on his face. 'What? Wha'happened?'
Rafe looks up at Sethys with red-rimmed eyes. 'Th.. that w.. woman. She... uh.. she...'
Sethys asks, 'She killed the man?'
Rafe points at the reddish blotch on the ground where the body was. He nods. 'Sh..she pushed him.'
Sethys says, '...That's... Cruel...'
Rafe's lower lip quivers like he's about to start crying again. He sniffs back the tears.
Rafe shakes his head slowly. With a tremor in his voice he says, 'It was... horrible!'
Rafe sniffs and shuffles out of the plaza. He avoids looking at the bloody spot on the pavement.
=============== Rafe/Jacobin/Machine at Corp Perks, part two ========
Corporate Perks
Basement Lounge
Jacobin is resting here.
Machine is sitting here.
Rafe wanders down the stairs. He stops, startled, and wipes tears out of his eyes. 'Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?'
Machine says, 'No, not at all. Have a seat.'
Jacobin says, 'No, it's okay.'
Jacobin asks, 'Are you alright?'
Machine looks concerned. "What's wrong?"
Rafe smiles gratefully and pulls up a chair.
Rafe sniffles and says, 'There was this accident near NP. A truck hit this guy, but... but...'
Machine asks, 'Yes?'
Rafe's lower lip quivers as he continues with an unsteady voice, 'Sh.. this woman.. she p.. pushed him.'
Jacobin asks, 'pushed who?'
Machine looks shocked.
Rafe bites his lip and tries to hold back the tears.
Jacobin looks concerned.
Machine says, 'Now, calm down.'
Rafe starts sobbing. 'I don't know,' he wails.
Machine fetches a glass of water and sets it down next to Rafe.
Rafe extends a shaking hand for the water glass. He sips carefully, trying to calm himself.
Jacobin nods and looks over Rafe.
Rafe says, 'He l.. looked like a hack.. hacker, I think.'
Machine cocks a brow.
Machine asks, 'And the woman?'
Rafe sniffles and takes another sip of water. 'She w.. was wearing a.. a.. bathrobe.' His brows crease in confusion.
Machine furrows his brow.
Machine says, 'Rafe, you're going to need to get used to this sort of thing. NA is home to a lot of very sick people.'
Rafe sniffs and shakes his head. 'But... but... she was so... happy about it!'
Machine shakes his head.
Rafe says, 'You didn't see all the... the... blood.'
Jacobin asks, 'what?'
Rafe's face pales.
Machine says, 'I'm a doctor, I've seen plenty of blood.'
Rafe seems surprised, but he nods. 'Oh. I didn't th.. think about that.'
Rafe makes a face. 'I could never be a doctor.'
Machine says, 'I know full well what people are capable of doing, from desperation or illness.'
Machine says, 'It's something you have to learn to accept. The world can be ugly.'
Rafe draws his lips into an unattractive pout. He remains silent.
Jacobin nods.
Machine pats Rafe. 'You need anything?'
Rafe shakes his head.
Rafe says, 'Thanks, though.'
Machine smiles blindingly. 'The ugliness just makes you realize how important the good parts are, ne?'
Rafe nods uncertainly. 'I suppose so.'