บท 63: Stardom
"So, how're things?"
"They're going... I guess? Still not found a trace of Cat, but I've got people looking into it now. It's only a matter of time..." he says, feeling his mood drop from the mention of it.
She sighs, "That's a shame... I asked around but no one I know has any way of helping with this kinda thing. Sorry..."
He shakes his head, "Don't be, it ain't your fault, you tried as well, more than I can say for anyone else who survived Casinha..."
"What are you doing for work? It can't be easy given you lived most of your life underground..." she looks him over, "You don't seem to be doing too bad though."
He looks at the window and wets his lips, "I-er-uhh... I've become a kind of cleaner. I doubt you spend much time in Mega Buildings, but I'm sometimes around those places... Cleaning up..."
"Ah, like a janitor?" she questions to which he nods.
"Basically." he vaguely answers. "How about you? Got any new songs you wanna leak to me?... For publicity's sake I mean."
She giggles, "I would if I could, but if the suits got a peep of it they'd string me up with my contract." she jokes and sits back in her chair, "Seriously, while I'm the one who makes the music, they're the one playing us like instruments!"
"Really? I'd have thought someone as famous as you would have some leeway... They can't make you disappear as easily as the rest of us."
"You'd think that wouldn't you..."
"What about your bandmates? They having trouble too?"
Christy snorts but widens her eyes at her own reaction, holding a hand up in front of her mouth, "Excuse me... Ahem, my bandmates and I don't have the best relationship. We got back together for the Eddies, they're not very nice people if I'm honest..." she admits.
"Hmm." Ori hums, his eyes darting to the table as two segments come apart before rising up like a mini elevator. Their drinks rise into view and they both take them, allowing the table to reset.
He sips the coffee, which tastes slightly better than the average coffee you could get in Night City... With how much more it cost he didn't think it was worth it.
"Any good?" he asks her.
"Yep, shame I can't just bundle up whatever machine makes the drinks and drag it to the studio..." she looks like she wants to carry on but pauses as her face begins twitching... "H-hey, Ori... You'd tell me if you needed help, right?"
He tilts his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I mean like, if you got in trouble-," she glances around the store conspiratorially, "With the law...?"
"Er-..." how was he even supposed to respond to that?
"Nevermind... Oh, why don't we take a picture, to celebrate your birthday." she offers, standing and sitting on his side of the table next to him. She holds up her holo-phone and takes a couple selfies, but frowns when she pulls them up.
Obviously, Ori's face was completely artifacted due to his software blocking it. If Maelstrom security cameras couldn't get past it, there was no way in hell her holo-phone was gonna do it.
"Huh... Must be something wrong with my phone...?"
Ori nods, "Y-yeah, turn it off and one, might work then." he states, quickly turning his software off to allow the selfie. She takes it and moves back to her side of the table with a big smile, sliding a rectangular box to him.
"What's this?"
"A present... You mole-people accept those, right?"
He chuckles, "Obviously, I still have that-..." he falters, "Ah... That autographed record you sent, it's probably a pile of ash in my old house." he mutters in realisation.
"Has anyone ever told you that you brood too much? Now come on, open it."
He does so, opening the box and finding two Shards... One containing another five thousand Eddies, same as what she gifted him last time, and the other... A complete list of all the songs she'd ever produced until now. Unfortunately missing her unreleased ones. "This-..."
"I know it's not much but I remembered you kept asking me to sing for you... There's more under that."
Raising a brow, he lifts the false bottom on which the Shards had been laying and spots a ticket of some sort. "Two VIP tickets to the UnSomberley concert in Heywood..."
"How about it?" she asks, grinning. "You can bring your Uncle with you too!"
"O-of course, I'd love to go. You sure it won't be a problem though? Can you really just go handing VIP tickets out like this?"
"Hehe, those are the only two I'm handing out, so count yourself lucky!"
He smiles at her, happier than he'd ever been since Casinha, "I am... Lucky to have a friend like you, Christy..."
*Beep-Beep*
Both of them pause at the sound of of an alarm, he looks at his Interface but finds nothing, meaning it'd come from her.
She looks at her holo-phone and frowns, "Ah, the studio wants me to redo a chorus... Even though it was already perfect!" she complains before quickly getting to her feet. "Again, Happy Birthday Ori, sorry if this seems abrupt but-"
"No, it's fine. I get it, go deal with work, maybe we can do this another time."
She nods at that and rushes off, leaving Ori sitting alone, still looking down at the tickets... Was this the greatest present he'd ever received? Yes, definitely. Nothing even compared to VIP tickets to see her sing.
He gives a small fist pump, drinks the rest of his coffee, activates his facial obfuscation software, and leaves. Before he gets home however he stops by a few shops, picking up some clothes while also taking the chance to check the Cyberware he might buy in future...
The day had only just started and it was looking up for him. Absolutely nothing could ruin this day!
...
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บท 64: Surprise!...?
By the time Ori gets home it's around midday, he steps through the apartment and tosses the bag containing his new clothes onto the couch, before noticing the note stuck to the wall.
"Hey Ori, when you get the chance could you deliver my tools to the lounge across Dickey's Diner? I've got an appointment with the guy there but won't have time to grab my stuff... Thanks!" the confused birthday boy reads aloud, his expression drooping as he reads it again.
"How fucking obvious do you wanna make this, Bats... Seriously, an 'appointment'? Who'd want an unverified Ripperdoc checking their shit out? Unless they wanted to get scrapped by scavs that was fucking awful idea.
He rubs his face, concealing his smile. "Whatever, I'll follow along... See what you've got prepped."
--------------
Ori walks through the door of the private room that'd been rented and gives no reaction as Bats, Rebecca, Judy, and surprisingly Hazel jump out to try and surprise him... There were a couple other people present that Ori wasn't overly familiar with, but he did notice the lack of Six's presence, the guy probably wasn't big on parties. Not that he could blame him.
"Kid, we went through all this trouble, at least give us a fake reaction!" Bats complains.
"As much as I appreciate this, you could've at least put more effort into hiding it... Really dude, 'an appointment'?"
"That's what I said!" Rebecca remarks.
Ori shrugs, "I'm honestly surprised he remembered my birthday at all, Bats has always been shit with dates." he says, causing the man's lips to thin as he looks away, embarrassed.
Judy awkwardly chuckles, "Ah, I'm actually the one who arranged this..."
"I helped though!" Bats adds.
"Heh, keep saying it, it won't make it true!" Rebecca says, patting the guy on the arm 'comfortingly'.
Ori sits down at the provided bar and can't help but laugh as Bats fails as making a cocktail Rebecca requested. The guy barely remembered the ingredients, yet he still tried to flip the bottle for 'flair', only to shatter it and two others... His drink-making duties were relinquished by Judy, who didn't want to pay to replace the entire bar.
"Surprised you're here..." Ori states, looking over at Hazel who seemed to just be vibing.
"Oh, why? Aren't I the closest girl to you?" she grins, hopping her chair closer, only for Rebecca to place her own in between them.
"SO! How'd you two meet? Bet that's an interesting story, huh?" she questions almost conspiratorially.
Hazel looks over the intruder before a gleam flashes in her eye, "It is quite the story.-" she goes on to describe the events of Ori defeating her stalker, then takes great satisfaction at describing what occurred afterwards.
"That was nasty." Judy remarks as she slides some drinks of them, "Ori, did you really have to send me a vid of it? I could've done without ever seeing your 'equipment'."
"Sorry, I don't remember why that was even sent... I was pretty out of it at that point." he mutters as a blush creeps across his cheeks.
"That's because I'm the one who sent it... Judy's become awfully prudish lately, I thought that might get her interest." Hazel interjects, causing both of them to gape at her.
"What? Are you going to say you having 'flicked the bean' at the vid, Judy? Or you Ori, you haven't watched it back over for your enjoyment?" Hazel questions.
"N-No! I'm not into stuff like that!... Especially of people I know!" Judy sputters, while Ori just sits there silently...
"So... You're just a slut..." Rebecca states, continuing to glare at the Joytoy.
"'Becca!" Judy chides.
"No, no, it's true..." Hazel answers, leaning towards the pale-chibi, "I enjoy my work, pleasing men is fun... Or women... If you'd like to try?"
"What!? No way! Who knows what I'd catch from you!"
Hazel continues to tease Rebecca as Bats sits next to Ori, "So, what were you doing in the morning? I know you didn't have any work to do, as for your excuse about 'chores'? As you said, 'put some more effort into it'."
Ori shrugs, sipping his drink, "I met with Christy."
"Hm...? Christy?" Judy wonders aloud after listening in, "Name ring's a bell, but I can't put a face to it?"
"That BD star, Christy D'Clert." Bats offers.
Judy's eyes widen as she snaps her fingers, "That! I remember now, saw her when I looking into your identities."
"Er, what?" Ori asks.
"You didn't think I'd investigate you after our first meeting? That's basic stuff." she remarks.
He shakes his head, "No, I meant, what do you mean when you say you saw her investigating me? There shouldn't be any photos of anything of us together. Like, at all." he explains.
Judy just crooks a brow at him, "No, it was on her page and social channels... Just, wait a minute." she says, grabbing her bag and pulling her laptop out, pulling up Christy's various social pages, fan pages, etc.
Ori was shocked, to say the least. Many photos of Christy doing charity work in Casinha were available, some even including himself, even if he was in the background.
Seeing his reaction, Judy tilts her head in confusion, "Didn't you know about this? This is like, publicity one-o'-one. Do some 'good' deeds, have someone record it then present yourself as an inspirational figure. This was around the time she and her band split too, probably started because her solo career wasn't going so hot."
...
He just stares at the pictures in shock, dumbfounded at how he'd never noticed this before... Why had she never said anything... It was obvious now he was actually looking at it, Christy was clearly posing for the 'hidden' camera in each shot.
He remembered thinking it odd when he used to watch her, taking too long to pour soup, holding a lost child to her chest while smiling somewhere else...
*Ping!*
"Oh... Ori..." Bats mutters, eyes numbly blinking as another photo was released... One of Christy and Ori sitting at a table, showing the BD star gifting him something... The title of the post was the worst however... '
[Christy D'Clert spotted looking after orphan boy who survived the Casinha massacre]
The picture was taken from an odd angle, and while Ori wouldn't have been too bothered by this... Some of Christy's actions and words made a lot more sense... The selfie, it was to goad him into deactivating his software so his face would be visible...
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