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Does not incldue side stories.", "count": "65", "submission_left_submission_id": "1498149", "submission_left_file_name": "2121237_TerraMGP_by_right_wounds.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2121/2121237_TerraMGP_by_right_wounds.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2121/2121237_TerraMGP_by_right_wounds.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2121/2121237_TerraMGP_by_right_wounds.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "1497947", "submission_right_file_name": "2120909_TerraMGP_by_necessity_priorities_part_2.doc" } ], "description": "This one keeps gripping me so I keep writing. Don't worry, effed up kinkyness is coming, and then, a Christmas story!\n\nHope you guys enjoy.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "This one keeps gripping me so I keep writing. Don't worry, effed up kinkyness is coming, and then, a Christmas story!

Hope you guys enjoy.", "writing": "By Necessity: Priorities part 3\nBy TerraMGP\n\n\tA small, blank, white space. Not even a room. A room after all needed doors, walls, a ceiling. At the very least a floor. A room had dimension and weight. At the very least some semblance of time or place. Unless you knew what you were doing, that was. Then that slag just ended up being a hindrance.\n\n\tKanina sat in the nothingness of that space. No form, no substance. Just a mote of raw, immutable ‘self’ floating in a blank sea filled only with a hazy cloud of stomp trance songs that seemed doomed to obscurity simply because the bunny liked them.\n\n\tShe gazed at the amorphous field of flickering blue from her nowhere-perch and slowly worked to bend and tug it this way and that. The bare basics were simple enough. A bunny, naturally. It was tempting to go purple as well. But that seemed a bit too on the nose.\n\n\tShe gazed at the form a long moment, twisting the shape. Tall to short, heavyset to impossibly rail thin. Curvatious bombshell to, well, something only slightly more gawky and scrawny than Bri. Possible only through the ‘magic’ of an artificial environment.\n\n\t“Gods, why is it always so hard to get these things started.” She muttered to herself, even as the automated play list algorithm once again shifted to something it thought she may like. Some stiff, comedically rigid and dry audio from a ‘cast about the new Battlers that were launched not too long ago. It would take a mere thought to silence it. Another to put on something she found more interesting. Unfortunately that was far more effort than she was willing to invest, given the hanging frustration at her own indecisiveness.\n\n\tShe finally settled on a simple starting base. A bunny body, though leaner and toned past what any physical body would allow. Sleek, almost flat muscles that would make her limbs look like they were smoothed over cables with a few innocuous bulges and bumps, until someone felt them. She also pulled out the ears impossibly long, simply because she could. Less to be aesthetically pleasing, more to see how it would work. From there Kanina started to look at the rainbow wheel of colors that could be used for the baseline fur for the Avi. The massive circle formed right before her non-existent eyes as Kanina started to spin it around and around. Watching the colors and tones of the basic fur shifting and twisting to match the various frequencies she tested.\n\n\tShe finally stopped after the fifth time cycling though everything and simply opened up another tab nearby. Instead taking the very rough body she’d started on and playing around with various markings and perception filters. Things that might catch her interest enough to help lock down the color after.\n\n\tShe went though the list of her favorites and maybes largely the same as she had before, stopping briefly after the third go-round on a heavily stylized, shaded sort of perception filter. It made the figure look odd, unique, like something out of some cheap hand-drawn comic or painting. A quick impulse caused the white nothing to fade away, replaced by a sample capture of a branch of the Yggdrasil networks tree overlay.\n\n\tThe contrast was immediate and severe. Striking in a way that made her phantom-ears twitch. It totally didn’t fit with the current body. But at least she had a starting point now.\n\n\tThe bunny now went back to the color wheel, having some idea what the finished product might look like. She just started her first pass when a small ripple in the backdrop began to form. A figure with a stylized blue hanfu and fan-like headdress stepping out of it mere meters away from the protoform bunny avi. The figure, a young pig woman pushing her late twenties, moved up to the stylized rabbit body a moment and looked it over once before turning to the invisible point from which Kanina’s perception radiated, the trim of the hanfu starting to glow a bright neon yellow.\n\n\t“Can I help you?” Kanina muttered in annoyance as she willed the figure further away from the inspecting avatar.\n\n\tThe pig shook her head and smiled a sweet, sickening smile. “oh I was simply curious what you were doing in here. I noticed you had set up a little private node, so I figured I’d take a peek.” the figure giggled softly as she held up a fan before her face and nodded to the nothingness Kanina occupied.\n\n\t“You ever think I was maybe looking for some privacy in that ‘private node’?” She grumbled.\n\n\t“Perhaps. But then if you were I would have presumed you would put up better security.” The figure replied flippantly.\n\n\t“Never needed it before.” Kanina muttered as another avatar figure slipped in to being from the point she had been occupying. A black haired cream-colored bunny girl in an elaborate steam punk outfit complete with an airship captains coat and goggle-like eye patch. A set of dice held between the third knuckles of each finger on her left hand.\n\n\tThat sudden shift put a smile on the pig woman’s lips as she nodded her approval. Glowing eyes blue as a planetary sky sparkling with cloudlike images drifting though the irises. “So it wasn’t applying any tweaks to your gang avi, I see.” She nodded. “Good. I got a read that you were tampering with some base code in here.”\n\n\t“What, were you spying on me, Kat?” Kanina growled a bit “Busting in on a private node is bad enough but that’s pretty damn low.”\n\n\t“Not spying, no. But I am keeping an eye on all internal network activity for the time being. Emperor is worried that we might be attacked soon and he wants to make sure any holes are plugged. As his empress, I am obliged to give my man what he desires” The tone from the data construct was innocent and demure in a way the real Kat could never pull off. Even going so far as to finish with a lilting giggle. “But I must confess it’s boring spending all day playing sys-admin.”\n\n\t“Still not an excuse for barging in here.” Kanina muttered. “How do you know I wasn’t with someone?”\n\n\t“Oh your dirt girl, perhaps?” Empress murred “Because she can hide herself about as well as Moons socks in the common area. I’m pretty sure that she’s still using that same junk avi you made for her years ago, yes?”\n\n\tIt took everything Kanina had not to snap at the other woman. She instead started to walk slowly along the branch towards her current project, flipping and fidgeting the dice in her left paw to burn off a small mote of the growing anxiousness. “When she gets a halfway decent jack put in, I’ll be happy to help her upgrade an avi to match.” She noted “Just because she’s not molten with her coding don’t mean she’s some scrub.”\n\n\t“As you say, Fortune.” The Empress murred. Her feet barely making a sound as she all but floated up behind the bunny. “Though considering how often you just go to her house and crash, I’m wondering why you’d even bother. It’s not like she’s important enough for anyone to really pop in and mess with her data, right? I’m sure there’s only so much someone could do with bad yaoi holos and pictures of rocks anyways.”\n\n\tKanina started to look over the figure of the blank bunny with a discerning eye even as she tried to get a good idea of what build she wanted it to be. It was tempting to just be lazy and go with specs akin to her meatspace body. But then that might have been just a desire to get out of the conversation and jack out.\n\n\t“So can this lowly supplicant assume there’s something you had in mind beyond barging in to my personal space, oh Empress?” the bunny muttered as she continued to circle her creation. Tugging and tweaking the ears by hand now.\n\n\t“Oh come now, there’s no cause to be rude about things, dear.” Kat pouted as she moved up to the figure and touched the empty avi on the nose. A sheet of sharp face paint like that of some ancient handmaiden.\n\n\tKanina growled and quickly snapped the makeup away with a huff. Shoving her current form between Kat and her project. “Will you knock that off? Look if you have something to say just say it. I got other stuff to work on right now.”\n\n\t“Geez, touchy aren’t we? Don’t get spliced, Fortune. I’m just trying to alleviate some boredom. You know, fun. You remember fun, don’t you?”\n\n\tThe words bounced off of her head as she slipped down and started to work on tweaking and adjusting the legs. Any patience the bunny held had long since evaporated, causing her to twist the dice in her fingertips and bounce on the balls of her big bunny feet as she slowly tweaked and adjusted the legs. “So you’re bored enough to subject me to the Borte thing you do as fun?” she sighed. “Because if you really wanted to do that I’m sure I could dig up one of my old political intrigue games for you to try out. Woz but that was a bad phase.” She muttered.\n\n\t“That would get too distracting. I admit it sounds fun, though. Maybe when this newest job is done with.” Kat noted.\n\n\t“What job?” Kanina muttered softly.\n\n\t“Oh, nothing you need o worry about just yet. Just a bit of a data grab. I’m sure Emperor will tell everyone once things are locked in. Though speaking of games.” she said, waving at the Avi. “I still don’t think you’ve told me what it is you’re working on here. I can’t imagine it’s a new setup for jobs. Especially not if you’re putting so much work into the bunny form. That would make things very problematic when shifting species to hide.”\n\n\t“If you really have to know.” Kanina muttered as she finished getting the legs in a somewhat acceptable shape. “It’s to hang out with Brinna a bit more often.”\n\n\t“The dirt girl?” she asked, puzzled “But why? You’ve spent almost as much time with her as you have down here, even back when you were in that silly public school.”\n\n\tThe proto avi flashed to a shade of yellow and Kanina balked a bit. Slowly adjusting away from anything on that end of the spectrum. “Yeah, well, It’s a bit different now. She’s got that new job, or class, or whatever it is. The commute.”\n\n\t“Her new lover?” Kat murred in a tone that seemed to shatter every filter of false innocence she has put on the empress avatars speech. Based on the smile she wore, it was pretty clear she had no problem with that fact either.\n\n\t“I just want to spend a bit more time with my friend. That’s not so bad is it?” the bunny muttered “And I don’t see what business it is of yours. Though I also think it’d be pretty stupid dragging her avi around with the one I use to run jobs. A good way to get her in trouble and blow all our cover. So maybe you could let me finish?”\n\n\tIn spite of the regal bearing pre programmed into the avi, the pig still managed to roll her eyes as she turned slowly and shrugged coyly at the snappishness. She was bemused, though part of Kanina had to suspect it was just her reading that into Kat after knowing her so long. Or maybe just being agitated. “Well, either way I hope your little friend appreciates how much work you’re going to just for the sake of staying in touch with her. It makes me wonder.”\n\n\t“Kat, don’t.” Kanina grumbled.\n\n\t“Oh I’m just saying, Fortune. Do you think she’ll really appreciate it? I mean you know how a Class 1 can be, Hell class 2s tend to be a pain in the but most of the time.”\n\n\tThe words seemed to hit home just enough for Kanina to pull back slowly and turn her full attention to the other ganger. “And?” she asked, the words hanging far more fearfully than she wished them to.\n\n\t“Nothing. Just realized it might be a concern that the dirt girl might end up outgrowing you? What with her new owner around to take care of her.” With that Kat shrugged and once again began to make her way along the tree branch, a small portal-like ripple warping a few meters further down. “Then again, Why would someone that loaded be cheap enough to find a slave on a dating site, instead of just buying something?”\n\n\tWith those words left hanging Kat vanished from sight, leaving a frustrated Kanina to stew in her own frustration. The bunny stamped her foot on the ground, sending shockwaves thought the nodespace as she ran her fingers though the overly-thick mane of hair resting on her head. “Why is everyone suddenly getting on me lately?” She sighed. The frustration with Kat was admittedly not that unusual. But it was also a bit comforting. It distracted her.\n\n\tWith no way to really respond to ‘empress’ and her jabs, the bunny girl turned her attention back to the color pallet. Scratching her chin a moment before pausing, smirking, and bringing up one of her more obscure editing apps. A small display showing an old archaic hex code system for color. One of the earliest forms of monitoring digital colors back with the advent of computers. Woefully obsolete by modern standards. But when dealing with the kind of ICE that could crop up in this day and age, it was important to have every little tool one could in their bag.\n\n\tShe first selected the color of her own real-world fur. Making sure to get it as close as possible by using a reference picture of herself. That done, she looked at the hex code and inverted it. Grinning ear to ear as the new color popped out.\n\n“CC2388. Huh. I like it.” She laughed. Basking in the afterglow of one minor victory.\n\n--------------------\n\n\tEven in the dregs of society, economic engines turned. It was part of what kept corps turning. Brinna was used to it, naturally. The crowded little dive shops full of cheaply printed knockoff products and food so plastic it was almost inedible to anyone who didn’t grow up with it. It was one of countless things that seemed almost a given, and yet since Brinna had started her new apprenticeship and begun to hang around her future Master the whole thing started to feel noticeable.\n\n\tIt was how she felt now. Tapping her foot nervously in a small five table dive café. Truth was she never went out much before. She had a passing familiarity with the little chain shop simply because they all seemed to be the same. Places where workers would line up to pay out more than they could afford for a mix of sweetened chemicals, protein and flavors that would keep them somewhat alert and awake though the next shift. It was a sharp contrast to the little hole in the wall faux dives her fellow students would frequent to discuss their glorious futures or extravagant adventures and vacations. It was, however, just as uncomfortable, if for different reasons.\n\n\tShe looked out of the dingy, bar covered window with a small nervous tingle running up and down her spine. It was hard to say if that was more he cheap stimulant laden drink in her hand or just a general dislike of being out in public like this.\n\n\t That nervousness wound around her heart like a coiled spring by the time she finally saw the purple bunny girl wander in to the small shop. Kanina slipped down behind the other end of the table and smiled as she reached into her pocket and withdrew a thick meal bar. One of those chalky, oversweet things more athletic types like her seemed to absolutely love.\n\n\t“You’re late.” Brinna whimpered softly.\n\n\t“only like, ten minutes or so.” Kanina shrugged\n\n\t“Yeah, but I mean, couldn’t we have met at my house or something?” Brinna sighed as she leaned back and took another hard sip of the drink. The gesture meant to help calm her nerves. Any hint of that quickly cut off by the rush of stimulants hitting her system.\n\n\tKanina leaned back as far as the seat would let her and ran a paw though her sweaty mop of hair. She then rolled her hand over to the side of her head and with one firm tug her neck popped like a string of fire crackers. She then moved her arm down to rub the small bump of her jack port jusf a bit. Lately it almost seemed like she could feel the carbon weave lacing in the skin around the device giving way, growing the slightest bit loose. It was always the fear with back-ally ‘ware. If the guy putting it in your body knew what the heck they were doing, one had to wonder why they weren’t doing it for a real hospital or the like. It was getting to be a bit of a bother. But one she could worry about later.\n\n\t“I just needed a change of pace.” Kanina shrugged “I got no problem heading there in a bit. But really I needed to just go somewhere quiet and clear my head.” She sighed.\n\n\tA small sympathetic sigh slipped from the dormouse as she nodded and snaked her tail around to wrap up and coil on her friends ankle “Problems with your mom again?” she asked as she titled her head.\n\n\t“Something like that.” Kanina sighed. “You know, I remember back when we were starting our last year of school. I have to admit I was really freaked out. I mean, unless you get snatched up by some corp program, there’s not a lot that smarts will get you if you’re class 3. At least not book smarts. I kinda figured you’d end up stuck with your parents forever. Painting car doors with your mom and getting injuries from shoddy equipment.”\n\n\t“Gee, thanks.” Brinna muttered flatly.\n\n\t“No I, look I don’t mean it that way squeak. You know that.”\n\n\tBrinna nodded and smiled a bit. “No, I get it. I do. It’s the same worry dad had. It’s why they put so much into keeping me on that site. Which, I mean I’m glad they did. Now at least.”\n\n\tKanina shook her head quickly. She did her best to hide the small wince that brought to her and just slumped back devouring the last bit of the bar. “Yeah, yeah all that. Lucky break, huh? Look my point is, I got to worry about you. I got to take care of you some. Now that you seem kinda set. I guess I’m just starting to think about some other things. You know?”\n\n\t“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Brinna muttered.\n\n\t“Oh don’t take it that way.” The bunny grumbled as she tossed the wrapper at her friend “You know how I meant that.”\n\n\t“Sure I do.” The mouse let a wry grin pass her lips. Tilting her head a bit as she leaned in and murred “You’re saying that my situation was one where you felt comfortable transferring your anxiety to me because you were confident that you could at least survive in some capacity. Now that I no longer have that risk you have no excuse to hide behind my real-world ineptitude you have to face your own demons and you weren’t prepared to do that yet. Right?”\n\n\tThe bunny’s brow shot up as she leaned in a bit. “What are you…”\n\n\t“Therapy.” Brinna interrupted flatly.\n\n\tKanina pinched the bridge of her nose where it met her muzzle and started to rub it in frustration. “You know I’m starting to think that therapist is a bit bad for you” she laughed softly “Just, do me a favor, ok? Try not to make me into the root of all the problems in your sessions? Just let her blame your mom or whatever those people do.”\n\n\t“Come on, now. You can’t tell me you’re one of those people who freaks out over psychology. I mean dentists sure, but you can’t say psychs freak you out.”\n\n\tThe bunny pulled another bar from her pocket and shook her head “Nah, not really. But I also know how you get, Squeak. The second you latch on to something you rip it apart and start to fixate. Remember that whole year you thought you were getting deep dive syndrome and kept insisting you could only do games in AR? Or the shoes you tried to print when you were sure you had caught some degenerative doohickey.”\n\n\t“Ok, ok. I get it.” She sighed “Brinna over think equals bad.”\n\n\t“No, it equals cute.” Kanina insisted “Just not when it goes sideways.”\n\n\tBrinna nodded and finished her drink and shifted back in her seat, thumbing the lid of the cheap cup softly. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about? I assume if you just wanted to hang we would be going somewhere more fun” She chuckled.\n\n\t“Oh we can go somewhere fun at some point. But nah I did have a reason for calling you out here. I’ve actually been thinking about it. Since you’re going out more, and you have an actual job. Like a job job, I thought it might be time to help you out with your jack. I mean I know it’s not much but…”\n\n\t“Ohh! That reminds me, Check this out.” Brinna squeaked. She pulled down her collar a bi to show off the small stud where her old jack had been. Now there sat a bright, beautiful disc of smooth black opal with a brilliant blue triune symbol seemingly laid into it. The port for the direct connection cable sitting right in the middle almost impossible to notice. “I wanted to surprise you. What do ya think?”\n\n\t“Wow. That’s. Wow. So, what, is that something he got you?” The almost hurt tone creeping into her voice. “Don’t tell me he got you that new cover.”\n\n\t“No. Well, kinda?” Brinna said with a small blush “Actually he kinda commissioned me to make it, but in secret. Sort of a gift for myself I guess? I think. I mean I really like it” she smiled wide and reached up to touch it “But I feel, I don’ know. I almost feel like it’s showing off. Like I’m bragging somehow with it.”\n\n\tMost people would probably be shocked by that logic. Most people didn’t know Brinna. Kanina rolled her shoulder and smiled softly at her friend “Look. I think it’s a bit silly to shove something that nice on your junk jack. Butt I gotta admit that if nothing else, it’s really nice. You made something awesome. As for bragging? So what? Slag it. It’s nice and it’s all yours. You’re not a bad person if you accept the fact that you have talent, silly squeak.”\n\n\t“R-really?” Brinna blinked.\n\n\tEven as she said it, Brinna looked up. The sound of a throat clearing tickling her ears, and he source of that annoyed tone quickly apparent. A tabby with a moss brown apron tapping his foot as he looked between them, arms crossed. “look if you two aren’t going to order anything else we need to ask you to clear a table, ok?” He muttered with al the tact of an annoyed bouncer.\n\n\tKanina stuck her tongue out at him and sighed as she pulled herself up “yeah yeah. Can’t let a couple girls talk a bit can ya?” She waved to Brinna as the dormouse pulled herself up behind and the two started out and into the crowded streets. The bunny quickly turning towards Brinna’s place simply out of lack of better hangout spot.\n\n\t“Sorry about that.” Brinna noted after they had managed to slip though the light crowds. Most people were either on shift or asleep at this point. Few having any sort of off-shift. She soon moved into a near lock step just behind Kanina, shuffling her feet a bit in an old familiar pairing as they walked along down the road.\n\n\t“No, no sorries.” Kanina sighed “You literally did nothing wrong.” The bunny was a bit annoyed. It was the truth, but her words lacked a bit of conviction. “Well, Regardless that’s a bit lucky in the end that he got you a new cover. It means my gift is gonna be even better.” She grinned.\n\n\t“Wait, gift?” Brinna blinked “But it’s not the solstice yet. No fair.”\n\n\t“Says the girl who got me something already.” Kanina chuckled.\n\n\t“That was birthday, too.” the dormouse noted “I mean it did come out of my quota for experimenting. So I kinda had to make it both. Not that it’s a bad thing” she corrected quickly “I mean, I really liked making it. I just, well, I would rather save my stipend to help my folks out. You know?”\n\n\tThe bunny rolled her eyes and sighed. “Squeak, please, relax. It’s fine.” She sighed “You don’t need to get me anything else. Honestly that whole thing was amazing. I got it locked up next to my data backups and Mr. Shaky”\n\n\tThe dormouse blinked a bit at that and gripped her elbow nervously, rubbing the overly-large jacket shoulder up and down slowly “Wait, Locked up with Shaky? I… I didn’t think that meant so much” She whimpered “Now you’re gonna just make me blush.” She slumped her shoulders and shook her head.\n\n\t“Fine. Well, just know it was special” she chuckled “and because of that, I figured I’d help you out setting up a new Avi. I’ve been playing around with a new one anyways. I just thought we could talk it out. Maybe go on a dive. I got a few out of the way spots where I can make a node.” She grinned “I mean it would take a few of your free days to get it just right. But considering what I made you last time. Yeah, I won’t lie. I’m still a bit ashamed of that.”\n\n\t“You were twelve.” Brinna noted “Kids do dumb things. I mean, Remember when I insisted on dad letting me try out for the local Rugby team?”\n\n\tThe two smirked at each other and chuckled, the conversation shifting to warm old memories and nerdy nothings. A near skip slowly working its way into Kanina’s step as she led the way down the street acting as a spear tip to part the crowds for her friend. \n\n\tBy the time they got to the apartment block Brinna was already ranting about the new battler set and how it was almost enough to get her back into the game, though Sean had apparently insisted she give it a few more months to make sure the new set wasn’t a fluke. It was advice that Kanina simultaneously found bristling and oddly a bit affirming. It was, admittedly, hard to keep up with most of her old hobbies since moving in with the Tarot full time. Not that she could tell Brinna about that part of her life.\n\n\t“So you’re sure you have some free time to work on this? I mean I know you’re super busy lately.” The bunny girl asked as she scratched the back of her head. Ears perked up in spite of her reticence.\n\n\t“It should be fine.” Brinna giggled “I actually got my parents tickets to a show tonight. Part of their gift. I’m trying to pay them back a bit, I guess” she shrugged “But that means we should have plenty of time. You can set up the node, we can work on an Avi. I can try out one of the new programs for my food printer.” She grinned.\n\n\t“You’re gonna get pudgy if you don’t lay off that thing.” The bunny teased. The only response a teasing little thwap from the mouse as they moved along towards her hallway.\n\n\tAs they made the turn, Kanina stopped cold dead for a moment. The all too familiar form of the grizzly stood leaned against Brinna’s door. His big heavy boot tapping to some unheard song. The skip in her step faded as they approached the door. The smile on her face a bit more forced as they approached Sean, as her friend gave him a nice big hug.\n\n\t“There’s my little Gem.” Sean said with a grin as he hugged her tight and scooped her up, smooching the dormouse girl on the forehead. “I was wondering where you got off to.”\n\n\t“We didn’t have anything scheduled today, did we Sir?” Brinna whimpered nervously. “I was sure I was getting better at organizing my schedule.”\n\n\tSean shook his head and set her back down, giving Kanina a gratingly friendly nod. “Nah, But I think you forgot I still gotta come check up on you.”\n\n\t“Check up on what?” The bunny tilted her head and cocked her hip a bit “I mean I know where we live ain’t sunshine and roses but it’s not that dangerous.\n\n\tBrinna, meanwhile, blinked in realization and reached up to touch her new jack plate. “Oh! Right! I almost forgot.”\n\n\t“I don’t know how you could.” Sean sighed “Honestly whoever put in your old jack should have their license to practice medicine revoked. I’m not even sure how you kept hold of that thing so long without needing some kind of repair or something.”\n\n\t“Being sedentary, sir.” Brinna said with a note of mock-pride in her voice.\n\n\tKanina blinked and tilted her head. “Wait, You got a new jack?”\n\n\t“Yuh huh.” Brinna nodded “A couple weeks ago, well it went in then.”\n\n\t“And you didn’t talk to me?” The bunny said. This time unable to keep the frustration and pout from her voice.\n\n\t“I, uh. Well no. Is something wrong?” The Dormouse whimpered loudly.\n\n\tThe purple bun was quick to shake her head and smile wide. “nah, I just didn’t expect that. I spent a lot of time trying to dig up cheap stuff hat would work with your jack but still look ok for a new Avi. Kinda annoyed at that now. But hey, it is what it is. I’m the one who wanted it to be a surprise.”\n\n\t“Hey, Brinna. Mind go getting the kit I left here?” Sean said as he patted the thick mop of black hair the dormouse sported. Brinna nodded and dashing in quickly as Sean slumped back against he wall, casting a glance at Kanina. He watched her look back at him a moment. Watched her shifting uncomfortably as she leaned on the other side of the door. He twisted himself around a bit at the small seed of discomfort. “So. Really that upset I got her a new jack?” He asked with a sigh.\n\n\tKanina shook her head and looked off to the side as her ears drooped almost enough to cover her face. “It woulda just been nice if she’d told me. She knows I have the market down pat. I coulda been a huge help.” A smirking chuckle from Sean twitched her ear as she looked up at him and half-scowled. “What’s so funny?”\n\n\t“Nothing. Sorry.” he chuckled again “Though she did mention you’re pretty molten when it comes to coding and tech.” The lingo was a bit more practiced for him than she’d expect, those bright blue eyes sparking with bemusement. “I’d say we should talk next time she needs to get some chrome, but Brinna really isn’t the kind of girl to go out for any of that, is she?” he asked.\n\n\tThe back of Kanina’s running shoe hit the wall firmly as she bit back her frustration. Those red eyes slipping shut for a long moment as she took a few deep, calming breaths and gripped her crossed arms hard. “No, she’s not. And it’s fine. Don’t even worry about it. I’m assuming you won’t mind if I help her work on a new avi, though?” She asked bitterly.\n\n\t“Why would I mind?” Sean smirked “The poor girl barely had the capacity to run the one she had before. Must have taken months to get that thing looking anywhere near decent on that hunk of junk. Be nice to see her enjoy something with decent senses and some actual looks to it.” The bear pushed off the wall and looked in to see Brinna setting up the small examination kit on the couch. Already struggling to get her mane of hair pulled to one side and her collar pulled down enough to have it looked at. “I assume that’s what you girls were about to get up to?”\n\n\tKanina nodded somberly.\n\n\tSean nodded back. “Then I’ll leave you to it once I’m done. Just gotta make sure there are no signs of rejection. Oh, and Kanina?”\n\n\tShe looked up at him and tilted her head. The strong, ominous blue eyes catching hers hard. An odd air surrounding them.\n\n\t“Next time try to find a better opening. No way you’re getting anywhere into my jack without a dive. Especially not with the setup you have now.”\n\n\tWith that, Sean walked into the room and started his examination, leaving Kanina to simmer in her growing aggravation.\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "By Necessity: Priorities part 3
By TerraMGP

\tA small, blank, white space. Not even a room. A room after all needed doors, walls, a ceiling. At the very least a floor. A room had dimension and weight. At the very least some semblance of time or place. Unless you knew what you were doing, that was. Then that slag just ended up being a hindrance.

\tKanina sat in the nothingness of that space. No form, no substance. Just a mote of raw, immutable ‘self’ floating in a blank sea filled only with a hazy cloud of stomp trance songs that seemed doomed to obscurity simply because the bunny liked them.

\tShe gazed at the amorphous field of flickering blue from her nowhere-perch and slowly worked to bend and tug it this way and that. The bare basics were simple enough. A bunny, naturally. It was tempting to go purple as well. But that seemed a bit too on the nose.

\tShe gazed at the form a long moment, twisting the shape. Tall to short, heavyset to impossibly rail thin. Curvatious bombshell to, well, something only slightly more gawky and scrawny than Bri. Possible only through the ‘magic’ of an artificial environment.

\t“Gods, why is it always so hard to get these things started.” She muttered to herself, even as the automated play list algorithm once again shifted to something it thought she may like. Some stiff, comedically rigid and dry audio from a ‘cast about the new Battlers that were launched not too long ago. It would take a mere thought to silence it. Another to put on something she found more interesting. Unfortunately that was far more effort than she was willing to invest, given the hanging frustration at her own indecisiveness.

\tShe finally settled on a simple starting base. A bunny body, though leaner and toned past what any physical body would allow. Sleek, almost flat muscles that would make her limbs look like they were smoothed over cables with a few innocuous bulges and bumps, until someone felt them. She also pulled out the ears impossibly long, simply because she could. Less to be aesthetically pleasing, more to see how it would work. From there Kanina started to look at the rainbow wheel of colors that could be used for the baseline fur for the Avi. The massive circle formed right before her non-existent eyes as Kanina started to spin it around and around. Watching the colors and tones of the basic fur shifting and twisting to match the various frequencies she tested.

\tShe finally stopped after the fifth time cycling though everything and simply opened up another tab nearby. Instead taking the very rough body she’d started on and playing around with various markings and perception filters. Things that might catch her interest enough to help lock down the color after.

\tShe went though the list of her favorites and maybes largely the same as she had before, stopping briefly after the third go-round on a heavily stylized, shaded sort of perception filter. It made the figure look odd, unique, like something out of some cheap hand-drawn comic or painting. A quick impulse caused the white nothing to fade away, replaced by a sample capture of a branch of the Yggdrasil networks tree overlay.

\tThe contrast was immediate and severe. Striking in a way that made her phantom-ears twitch. It totally didn’t fit with the current body. But at least she had a starting point now.

\tThe bunny now went back to the color wheel, having some idea what the finished product might look like. She just started her first pass when a small ripple in the backdrop began to form. A figure with a stylized blue hanfu and fan-like headdress stepping out of it mere meters away from the protoform bunny avi. The figure, a young pig woman pushing her late twenties, moved up to the stylized rabbit body a moment and looked it over once before turning to the invisible point from which Kanina’s perception radiated, the trim of the hanfu starting to glow a bright neon yellow.

\t“Can I help you?” Kanina muttered in annoyance as she willed the figure further away from the inspecting avatar.

\tThe pig shook her head and smiled a sweet, sickening smile. “oh I was simply curious what you were doing in here. I noticed you had set up a little private node, so I figured I’d take a peek.” the figure giggled softly as she held up a fan before her face and nodded to the nothingness Kanina occupied.

\t“You ever think I was maybe looking for some privacy in that ‘private node’?” She grumbled.

\t“Perhaps. But then if you were I would have presumed you would put up better security.” The figure replied flippantly.

\t“Never needed it before.” Kanina muttered as another avatar figure slipped in to being from the point she had been occupying. A black haired cream-colored bunny girl in an elaborate steam punk outfit complete with an airship captains coat and goggle-like eye patch. A set of dice held between the third knuckles of each finger on her left hand.

\tThat sudden shift put a smile on the pig woman’s lips as she nodded her approval. Glowing eyes blue as a planetary sky sparkling with cloudlike images drifting though the irises. “So it wasn’t applying any tweaks to your gang avi, I see.” She nodded. “Good. I got a read that you were tampering with some base code in here.”

\t“What, were you spying on me, Kat?” Kanina growled a bit “Busting in on a private node is bad enough but that’s pretty damn low.”

\t“Not spying, no. But I am keeping an eye on all internal network activity for the time being. Emperor is worried that we might be attacked soon and he wants to make sure any holes are plugged. As his empress, I am obliged to give my man what he desires” The tone from the data construct was innocent and demure in a way the real Kat could never pull off. Even going so far as to finish with a lilting giggle. “But I must confess it’s boring spending all day playing sys-admin.”

\t“Still not an excuse for barging in here.” Kanina muttered. “How do you know I wasn’t with someone?”

\t“Oh your dirt girl, perhaps?” Empress murred “Because she can hide herself about as well as Moons socks in the common area. I’m pretty sure that she’s still using that same junk avi you made for her years ago, yes?”

\tIt took everything Kanina had not to snap at the other woman. She instead started to walk slowly along the branch towards her current project, flipping and fidgeting the dice in her left paw to burn off a small mote of the growing anxiousness. “When she gets a halfway decent jack put in, I’ll be happy to help her upgrade an avi to match.” She noted “Just because she’s not molten with her coding don’t mean she’s some scrub.”

\t“As you say, Fortune.” The Empress murred. Her feet barely making a sound as she all but floated up behind the bunny. “Though considering how often you just go to her house and crash, I’m wondering why you’d even bother. It’s not like she’s important enough for anyone to really pop in and mess with her data, right? I’m sure there’s only so much someone could do with bad yaoi holos and pictures of rocks anyways.”

\tKanina started to look over the figure of the blank bunny with a discerning eye even as she tried to get a good idea of what build she wanted it to be. It was tempting to just be lazy and go with specs akin to her meatspace body. But then that might have been just a desire to get out of the conversation and jack out.

\t“So can this lowly supplicant assume there’s something you had in mind beyond barging in to my personal space, oh Empress?” the bunny muttered as she continued to circle her creation. Tugging and tweaking the ears by hand now.

\t“Oh come now, there’s no cause to be rude about things, dear.” Kat pouted as she moved up to the figure and touched the empty avi on the nose. A sheet of sharp face paint like that of some ancient handmaiden.

\tKanina growled and quickly snapped the makeup away with a huff. Shoving her current form between Kat and her project. “Will you knock that off? Look if you have something to say just say it. I got other stuff to work on right now.”

\t“Geez, touchy aren’t we? Don’t get spliced, Fortune. I’m just trying to alleviate some boredom. You know, fun. You remember fun, don’t you?”

\tThe words bounced off of her head as she slipped down and started to work on tweaking and adjusting the legs. Any patience the bunny held had long since evaporated, causing her to twist the dice in her fingertips and bounce on the balls of her big bunny feet as she slowly tweaked and adjusted the legs. “So you’re bored enough to subject me to the Borte thing you do as fun?” she sighed. “Because if you really wanted to do that I’m sure I could dig up one of my old political intrigue games for you to try out. Woz but that was a bad phase.” She muttered.

\t“That would get too distracting. I admit it sounds fun, though. Maybe when this newest job is done with.” Kat noted.

\t“What job?” Kanina muttered softly.

\t“Oh, nothing you need o worry about just yet. Just a bit of a data grab. I’m sure Emperor will tell everyone once things are locked in. Though speaking of games.” she said, waving at the Avi. “I still don’t think you’ve told me what it is you’re working on here. I can’t imagine it’s a new setup for jobs. Especially not if you’re putting so much work into the bunny form. That would make things very problematic when shifting species to hide.”

\t“If you really have to know.” Kanina muttered as she finished getting the legs in a somewhat acceptable shape. “It’s to hang out with Brinna a bit more often.”

\t“The dirt girl?” she asked, puzzled “But why? You’ve spent almost as much time with her as you have down here, even back when you were in that silly public school.”

\tThe proto avi flashed to a shade of yellow and Kanina balked a bit. Slowly adjusting away from anything on that end of the spectrum. “Yeah, well, It’s a bit different now. She’s got that new job, or class, or whatever it is. The commute.”

\t“Her new lover?” Kat murred in a tone that seemed to shatter every filter of false innocence she has put on the empress avatars speech. Based on the smile she wore, it was pretty clear she had no problem with that fact either.

\t“I just want to spend a bit more time with my friend. That’s not so bad is it?” the bunny muttered “And I don’t see what business it is of yours. Though I also think it’d be pretty stupid dragging her avi around with the one I use to run jobs. A good way to get her in trouble and blow all our cover. So maybe you could let me finish?”

\tIn spite of the regal bearing pre programmed into the avi, the pig still managed to roll her eyes as she turned slowly and shrugged coyly at the snappishness. She was bemused, though part of Kanina had to suspect it was just her reading that into Kat after knowing her so long. Or maybe just being agitated. “Well, either way I hope your little friend appreciates how much work you’re going to just for the sake of staying in touch with her. It makes me wonder.”

\t“Kat, don’t.” Kanina grumbled.

\t“Oh I’m just saying, Fortune. Do you think she’ll really appreciate it? I mean you know how a Class 1 can be, Hell class 2s tend to be a pain in the but most of the time.”

\tThe words seemed to hit home just enough for Kanina to pull back slowly and turn her full attention to the other ganger. “And?” she asked, the words hanging far more fearfully than she wished them to.

\t“Nothing. Just realized it might be a concern that the dirt girl might end up outgrowing you? What with her new owner around to take care of her.” With that Kat shrugged and once again began to make her way along the tree branch, a small portal-like ripple warping a few meters further down. “Then again, Why would someone that loaded be cheap enough to find a slave on a dating site, instead of just buying something?”

\tWith those words left hanging Kat vanished from sight, leaving a frustrated Kanina to stew in her own frustration. The bunny stamped her foot on the ground, sending shockwaves thought the nodespace as she ran her fingers though the overly-thick mane of hair resting on her head. “Why is everyone suddenly getting on me lately?” She sighed. The frustration with Kat was admittedly not that unusual. But it was also a bit comforting. It distracted her.

\tWith no way to really respond to ‘empress’ and her jabs, the bunny girl turned her attention back to the color pallet. Scratching her chin a moment before pausing, smirking, and bringing up one of her more obscure editing apps. A small display showing an old archaic hex code system for color. One of the earliest forms of monitoring digital colors back with the advent of computers. Woefully obsolete by modern standards. But when dealing with the kind of ICE that could crop up in this day and age, it was important to have every little tool one could in their bag.

\tShe first selected the color of her own real-world fur. Making sure to get it as close as possible by using a reference picture of herself. That done, she looked at the hex code and inverted it. Grinning ear to ear as the new color popped out.

“CC2388. Huh. I like it.” She laughed. Basking in the afterglow of one minor victory.

--------------------

\tEven in the dregs of society, economic engines turned. It was part of what kept corps turning. Brinna was used to it, naturally. The crowded little dive shops full of cheaply printed knockoff products and food so plastic it was almost inedible to anyone who didn’t grow up with it. It was one of countless things that seemed almost a given, and yet since Brinna had started her new apprenticeship and begun to hang around her future Master the whole thing started to feel noticeable.

\tIt was how she felt now. Tapping her foot nervously in a small five table dive café. Truth was she never went out much before. She had a passing familiarity with the little chain shop simply because they all seemed to be the same. Places where workers would line up to pay out more than they could afford for a mix of sweetened chemicals, protein and flavors that would keep them somewhat alert and awake though the next shift. It was a sharp contrast to the little hole in the wall faux dives her fellow students would frequent to discuss their glorious futures or extravagant adventures and vacations. It was, however, just as uncomfortable, if for different reasons.

\tShe looked out of the dingy, bar covered window with a small nervous tingle running up and down her spine. It was hard to say if that was more he cheap stimulant laden drink in her hand or just a general dislike of being out in public like this.

\t That nervousness wound around her heart like a coiled spring by the time she finally saw the purple bunny girl wander in to the small shop. Kanina slipped down behind the other end of the table and smiled as she reached into her pocket and withdrew a thick meal bar. One of those chalky, oversweet things more athletic types like her seemed to absolutely love.

\t“You’re late.” Brinna whimpered softly.

\t“only like, ten minutes or so.” Kanina shrugged

\t“Yeah, but I mean, couldn’t we have met at my house or something?” Brinna sighed as she leaned back and took another hard sip of the drink. The gesture meant to help calm her nerves. Any hint of that quickly cut off by the rush of stimulants hitting her system.

\tKanina leaned back as far as the seat would let her and ran a paw though her sweaty mop of hair. She then rolled her hand over to the side of her head and with one firm tug her neck popped like a string of fire crackers. She then moved her arm down to rub the small bump of her jack port jusf a bit. Lately it almost seemed like she could feel the carbon weave lacing in the skin around the device giving way, growing the slightest bit loose. It was always the fear with back-ally ‘ware. If the guy putting it in your body knew what the heck they were doing, one had to wonder why they weren’t doing it for a real hospital or the like. It was getting to be a bit of a bother. But one she could worry about later.

\t“I just needed a change of pace.” Kanina shrugged “I got no problem heading there in a bit. But really I needed to just go somewhere quiet and clear my head.” She sighed.

\tA small sympathetic sigh slipped from the dormouse as she nodded and snaked her tail around to wrap up and coil on her friends ankle “Problems with your mom again?” she asked as she titled her head.

\t“Something like that.” Kanina sighed. “You know, I remember back when we were starting our last year of school. I have to admit I was really freaked out. I mean, unless you get snatched up by some corp program, there’s not a lot that smarts will get you if you’re class 3. At least not book smarts. I kinda figured you’d end up stuck with your parents forever. Painting car doors with your mom and getting injuries from shoddy equipment.”

\t“Gee, thanks.” Brinna muttered flatly.

\t“No I, look I don’t mean it that way squeak. You know that.”

\tBrinna nodded and smiled a bit. “No, I get it. I do. It’s the same worry dad had. It’s why they put so much into keeping me on that site. Which, I mean I’m glad they did. Now at least.”

\tKanina shook her head quickly. She did her best to hide the small wince that brought to her and just slumped back devouring the last bit of the bar. “Yeah, yeah all that. Lucky break, huh? Look my point is, I got to worry about you. I got to take care of you some. Now that you seem kinda set. I guess I’m just starting to think about some other things. You know?”

\t“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Brinna muttered.

\t“Oh don’t take it that way.” The bunny grumbled as she tossed the wrapper at her friend “You know how I meant that.”

\t“Sure I do.” The mouse let a wry grin pass her lips. Tilting her head a bit as she leaned in and murred “You’re saying that my situation was one where you felt comfortable transferring your anxiety to me because you were confident that you could at least survive in some capacity. Now that I no longer have that risk you have no excuse to hide behind my real-world ineptitude you have to face your own demons and you weren’t prepared to do that yet. Right?”

\tThe bunny’s brow shot up as she leaned in a bit. “What are you…”

\t“Therapy.” Brinna interrupted flatly.

\tKanina pinched the bridge of her nose where it met her muzzle and started to rub it in frustration. “You know I’m starting to think that therapist is a bit bad for you” she laughed softly “Just, do me a favor, ok? Try not to make me into the root of all the problems in your sessions? Just let her blame your mom or whatever those people do.”

\t“Come on, now. You can’t tell me you’re one of those people who freaks out over psychology. I mean dentists sure, but you can’t say psychs freak you out.”

\tThe bunny pulled another bar from her pocket and shook her head “Nah, not really. But I also know how you get, Squeak. The second you latch on to something you rip it apart and start to fixate. Remember that whole year you thought you were getting deep dive syndrome and kept insisting you could only do games in AR? Or the shoes you tried to print when you were sure you had caught some degenerative doohickey.”

\t“Ok, ok. I get it.” She sighed “Brinna over think equals bad.”

\t“No, it equals cute.” Kanina insisted “Just not when it goes sideways.”

\tBrinna nodded and finished her drink and shifted back in her seat, thumbing the lid of the cheap cup softly. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about? I assume if you just wanted to hang we would be going somewhere more fun” She chuckled.

\t“Oh we can go somewhere fun at some point. But nah I did have a reason for calling you out here. I’ve actually been thinking about it. Since you’re going out more, and you have an actual job. Like a job job, I thought it might be time to help you out with your jack. I mean I know it’s not much but…”

\t“Ohh! That reminds me, Check this out.” Brinna squeaked. She pulled down her collar a bi to show off the small stud where her old jack had been. Now there sat a bright, beautiful disc of smooth black opal with a brilliant blue triune symbol seemingly laid into it. The port for the direct connection cable sitting right in the middle almost impossible to notice. “I wanted to surprise you. What do ya think?”

\t“Wow. That’s. Wow. So, what, is that something he got you?” The almost hurt tone creeping into her voice. “Don’t tell me he got you that new cover.”

\t“No. Well, kinda?” Brinna said with a small blush “Actually he kinda commissioned me to make it, but in secret. Sort of a gift for myself I guess? I think. I mean I really like it” she smiled wide and reached up to touch it “But I feel, I don’ know. I almost feel like it’s showing off. Like I’m bragging somehow with it.”

\tMost people would probably be shocked by that logic. Most people didn’t know Brinna. Kanina rolled her shoulder and smiled softly at her friend “Look. I think it’s a bit silly to shove something that nice on your junk jack. Butt I gotta admit that if nothing else, it’s really nice. You made something awesome. As for bragging? So what? Slag it. It’s nice and it’s all yours. You’re not a bad person if you accept the fact that you have talent, silly squeak.”

\t“R-really?” Brinna blinked.

\tEven as she said it, Brinna looked up. The sound of a throat clearing tickling her ears, and he source of that annoyed tone quickly apparent. A tabby with a moss brown apron tapping his foot as he looked between them, arms crossed. “look if you two aren’t going to order anything else we need to ask you to clear a table, ok?” He muttered with al the tact of an annoyed bouncer.

\tKanina stuck her tongue out at him and sighed as she pulled herself up “yeah yeah. Can’t let a couple girls talk a bit can ya?” She waved to Brinna as the dormouse pulled herself up behind and the two started out and into the crowded streets. The bunny quickly turning towards Brinna’s place simply out of lack of better hangout spot.

\t“Sorry about that.” Brinna noted after they had managed to slip though the light crowds. Most people were either on shift or asleep at this point. Few having any sort of off-shift. She soon moved into a near lock step just behind Kanina, shuffling her feet a bit in an old familiar pairing as they walked along down the road.

\t“No, no sorries.” Kanina sighed “You literally did nothing wrong.” The bunny was a bit annoyed. It was the truth, but her words lacked a bit of conviction. “Well, Regardless that’s a bit lucky in the end that he got you a new cover. It means my gift is gonna be even better.” She grinned.

\t“Wait, gift?” Brinna blinked “But it’s not the solstice yet. No fair.”

\t“Says the girl who got me something already.” Kanina chuckled.

\t“That was birthday, too.” the dormouse noted “I mean it did come out of my quota for experimenting. So I kinda had to make it both. Not that it’s a bad thing” she corrected quickly “I mean, I really liked making it. I just, well, I would rather save my stipend to help my folks out. You know?”

\tThe bunny rolled her eyes and sighed. “Squeak, please, relax. It’s fine.” She sighed “You don’t need to get me anything else. Honestly that whole thing was amazing. I got it locked up next to my data backups and Mr. Shaky”

\tThe dormouse blinked a bit at that and gripped her elbow nervously, rubbing the overly-large jacket shoulder up and down slowly “Wait, Locked up with Shaky? I… I didn’t think that meant so much” She whimpered “Now you’re gonna just make me blush.” She slumped her shoulders and shook her head.

\t“Fine. Well, just know it was special” she chuckled “and because of that, I figured I’d help you out setting up a new Avi. I’ve been playing around with a new one anyways. I just thought we could talk it out. Maybe go on a dive. I got a few out of the way spots where I can make a node.” She grinned “I mean it would take a few of your free days to get it just right. But considering what I made you last time. Yeah, I won’t lie. I’m still a bit ashamed of that.”

\t“You were twelve.” Brinna noted “Kids do dumb things. I mean, Remember when I insisted on dad letting me try out for the local Rugby team?”

\tThe two smirked at each other and chuckled, the conversation shifting to warm old memories and nerdy nothings. A near skip slowly working its way into Kanina’s step as she led the way down the street acting as a spear tip to part the crowds for her friend.

\tBy the time they got to the apartment block Brinna was already ranting about the new battler set and how it was almost enough to get her back into the game, though Sean had apparently insisted she give it a few more months to make sure the new set wasn’t a fluke. It was advice that Kanina simultaneously found bristling and oddly a bit affirming. It was, admittedly, hard to keep up with most of her old hobbies since moving in with the Tarot full time. Not that she could tell Brinna about that part of her life.

\t“So you’re sure you have some free time to work on this? I mean I know you’re super busy lately.” The bunny girl asked as she scratched the back of her head. Ears perked up in spite of her reticence.

\t“It should be fine.” Brinna giggled “I actually got my parents tickets to a show tonight. Part of their gift. I’m trying to pay them back a bit, I guess” she shrugged “But that means we should have plenty of time. You can set up the node, we can work on an Avi. I can try out one of the new programs for my food printer.” She grinned.

\t“You’re gonna get pudgy if you don’t lay off that thing.” The bunny teased. The only response a teasing little thwap from the mouse as they moved along towards her hallway.

\tAs they made the turn, Kanina stopped cold dead for a moment. The all too familiar form of the grizzly stood leaned against Brinna’s door. His big heavy boot tapping to some unheard song. The skip in her step faded as they approached the door. The smile on her face a bit more forced as they approached Sean, as her friend gave him a nice big hug.

\t“There’s my little Gem.” Sean said with a grin as he hugged her tight and scooped her up, smooching the dormouse girl on the forehead. “I was wondering where you got off to.”

\t“We didn’t have anything scheduled today, did we Sir?” Brinna whimpered nervously. “I was sure I was getting better at organizing my schedule.”

\tSean shook his head and set her back down, giving Kanina a gratingly friendly nod. “Nah, But I think you forgot I still gotta come check up on you.”

\t“Check up on what?” The bunny tilted her head and cocked her hip a bit “I mean I know where we live ain’t sunshine and roses but it’s not that dangerous.

\tBrinna, meanwhile, blinked in realization and reached up to touch her new jack plate. “Oh! Right! I almost forgot.”

\t“I don’t know how you could.” Sean sighed “Honestly whoever put in your old jack should have their license to practice medicine revoked. I’m not even sure how you kept hold of that thing so long without needing some kind of repair or something.”

\t“Being sedentary, sir.” Brinna said with a note of mock-pride in her voice.

\tKanina blinked and tilted her head. “Wait, You got a new jack?”

\t“Yuh huh.” Brinna nodded “A couple weeks ago, well it went in then.”

\t“And you didn’t talk to me?” The bunny said. This time unable to keep the frustration and pout from her voice.

\t“I, uh. Well no. Is something wrong?” The Dormouse whimpered loudly.

\tThe purple bun was quick to shake her head and smile wide. “nah, I just didn’t expect that. I spent a lot of time trying to dig up cheap stuff hat would work with your jack but still look ok for a new Avi. Kinda annoyed at that now. But hey, it is what it is. I’m the one who wanted it to be a surprise.”

\t“Hey, Brinna. Mind go getting the kit I left here?” Sean said as he patted the thick mop of black hair the dormouse sported. Brinna nodded and dashing in quickly as Sean slumped back against he wall, casting a glance at Kanina. He watched her look back at him a moment. Watched her shifting uncomfortably as she leaned on the other side of the door. He twisted himself around a bit at the small seed of discomfort. “So. Really that upset I got her a new jack?” He asked with a sigh.

\tKanina shook her head and looked off to the side as her ears drooped almost enough to cover her face. “It woulda just been nice if she’d told me. She knows I have the market down pat. I coulda been a huge help.” A smirking chuckle from Sean twitched her ear as she looked up at him and half-scowled. “What’s so funny?”

\t“Nothing. Sorry.” he chuckled again “Though she did mention you’re pretty molten when it comes to coding and tech.” The lingo was a bit more practiced for him than she’d expect, those bright blue eyes sparking with bemusement. “I’d say we should talk next time she needs to get some chrome, but Brinna really isn’t the kind of girl to go out for any of that, is she?” he asked.

\tThe back of Kanina’s running shoe hit the wall firmly as she bit back her frustration. Those red eyes slipping shut for a long moment as she took a few deep, calming breaths and gripped her crossed arms hard. “No, she’s not. And it’s fine. Don’t even worry about it. I’m assuming you won’t mind if I help her work on a new avi, though?” She asked bitterly.

\t“Why would I mind?” Sean smirked “The poor girl barely had the capacity to run the one she had before. Must have taken months to get that thing looking anywhere near decent on that hunk of junk. Be nice to see her enjoy something with decent senses and some actual looks to it.” The bear pushed off the wall and looked in to see Brinna setting up the small examination kit on the couch. Already struggling to get her mane of hair pulled to one side and her collar pulled down enough to have it looked at. “I assume that’s what you girls were about to get up to?”

\tKanina nodded somberly.

\tSean nodded back. “Then I’ll leave you to it once I’m done. Just gotta make sure there are no signs of rejection. Oh, and Kanina?”

\tShe looked up at him and tilted her head. The strong, ominous blue eyes catching hers hard. An odd air surrounding them.

\t“Next time try to find a better opening. No way you’re getting anywhere into my jack without a dive. Especially not with the setup you have now.”

\tWith that, Sean walked into the room and started his examination, leaving Kanina to simmer in her growing aggravation.
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