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+--- Thread: We Used to Love Liberty (/showthread.php?tid=194049)
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Reeves - 10-25-2022
Her mention of gene-therapy obviously struck a nerve, because for a split second he became perfectly still and it seemed as if the features of his face shifted towards absolute hate. But then as quick as that had happened, it was gone. "Yes, I imagine it would be quite helpful to know somebody in my industry." It was a polite answer, but it sounded scripted, like some soulless corporate employee had been trained to deliver it with the utmost apathy. The cherry on top was the forced smile which followed, too shallow to wrinkle the corners of his eyes and formed from contempt.
"Sadly, gene-therapy is an impossibility in your case. You're a packaged deal already and we can't reassemble the way you were put together. For the best results, you have to work with a blank canvas like how I was made. Plastic surgery is still possible but it's far from perfect, you'd have to make sacrifices. Even then it's not like it'll last, you'll start to look more and more like a malformed jigsaw puzzle as you age instead of just allowing yourself to age gracefully. I wouldn't give this advice to my usual clientele, so consider yourself special. So I conclusively recommend nothing, because there's nothing more you could possibly need and nothing we could alter that wouldn't just ruin what's already there. You're perfect, we're perfect. Leave surface level appeasement to the insecure and fickle creatures who are too deluded to compete." If he was playing the role of the false identity he used to blend in and escape scrutiny by the authorities, then it wasn't clear. It was entirely possible that he was playing his part so well that this seemed like it truly came from him and was delivered with sincerity.
He also never broke eye contact, even when slowly and carefully slicing up a piece of sausage for himself and using a practiced motion to stab a clump of scrambled egg. The simplest conclusion was that while he was no longer truly part of Liberty's aristocratic clique, some essence of the "elitism" remained with him. It must have practically been hardcoded into the most basic fiber of his being, like a biological mandate to stand above the rest.
"Sadly, gene-therapy is an impossibility in your case. You're a packaged deal already and we can't reassemble the way you were put together. For the best results, you have to work with a blank canvas like how I was made. Plastic surgery is still possible but it's far from perfect, you'd have to make sacrifices. Even then it's not like it'll last, you'll start to look more and more like a malformed jigsaw puzzle as you age instead of just allowing yourself to age gracefully. I wouldn't give this advice to my usual clientele, so consider yourself special. So I conclusively recommend nothing, because there's nothing more you could possibly need and nothing we could alter that wouldn't just ruin what's already there. You're perfect, we're perfect. Leave surface level appeasement to the insecure and fickle creatures who are too deluded to compete." If he was playing the role of the false identity he used to blend in and escape scrutiny by the authorities, then it wasn't clear. It was entirely possible that he was playing his part so well that this seemed like it truly came from him and was delivered with sincerity.
He also never broke eye contact, even when slowly and carefully slicing up a piece of sausage for himself and using a practiced motion to stab a clump of scrambled egg. The simplest conclusion was that while he was no longer truly part of Liberty's aristocratic clique, some essence of the "elitism" remained with him. It must have practically been hardcoded into the most basic fiber of his being, like a biological mandate to stand above the rest.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Fiorella de Marco - 10-25-2022
She slowly resumed her breakfast, watching her companion with a slightly amused expression. She herself often turned her gaze to her food or the view from the window directly in front of their table, but always returned her piercing blue gaze to his eyes.
She paused for a long time as she sipped her coffee again and gazed thoughtfully at his face. Her face held only her slight smile, her face gave no indication of anything else.
She took a deep breath and paused briefly as she ate another bite of her breakfast, refusing to speak with her mouth full. When she finally swallowed her bite, she glanced briefly to the window and turned the subject to the very near future.
"You are correct - there is nothing about my exterior that needs plastic surgery."
"However - believe it or not - I have had two plastic surgeries. I had my scars removed after a serious accident."
She paused for a long time as she sipped her coffee again and gazed thoughtfully at his face. Her face held only her slight smile, her face gave no indication of anything else.
"You might be perfect, Mister Doe, but I still have room for improvement - I still cannot play the harder sonatas on the piano, I have not broken the two-kilometer mark in sharpshooting and there are still gaps in my expertise, especially in the sciences."
She took a deep breath and paused briefly as she ate another bite of her breakfast, refusing to speak with her mouth full. When she finally swallowed her bite, she glanced briefly to the window and turned the subject to the very near future.
"But do tell me - What is our schedule for today, what shall we see of this picturesque world and paradise today, Mister Doe?"
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Reeves - 10-27-2022
While he considered the options of where else they could go, it seemed as if he was staring right through her. After a few seconds of contemplating intensively enough that her presence was even utterly discounted for a brief moment he had an answer. "I have to pick something up from our neck of the woods, it's a rough place but the people there are on our side and have been for a long time. Still, keep your wits about you and don't say anything that might come across as pretentious." Unlike her, he didn't touch his cup of coffee until he was nearly done with the meal on his plate, inclined to save that for last so that he could properly enjoy the small luxury that was caffeine.
With the cup to his mouth and the pleasant steam washing over his face, he closed his eyes and just savored the beverage with small sips, quietly hoping she wouldn't spoil the moment by trying to say something.
With the cup to his mouth and the pleasant steam washing over his face, he closed his eyes and just savored the beverage with small sips, quietly hoping she wouldn't spoil the moment by trying to say something.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Fiorella de Marco - 10-27-2022
She finished her breakfast about halfway through before it was obvious she was feeling full and had no intention of continuing. She neatly folded the cutlery onto her plate, wiped her mouth with a small napkin and crumpled it into a small ball and placed it next to the cutlery. She then picked up the napkin from her lap and folded it next to the plate carefully. She took a slow breath to resume her conversation with her companion, but the sanctity of morning coffee for John Doe did not escape her attention, and so she decided to remain silent - for now.
She smiled slightly and began to pick up the dishes from the table with her calm, slow movements and carried them to the dining cart where she structured them and prepared them for room service to take away - leaving only their coffee cups on the table with their respective plates and spoons. She was barely audible while the dishes were being put away - not only did she not make a sound, but thanks to her smooth and careful movements, even the dishes being put away did not make any noise. It all looked like a silent, slow dream.
When she was done, she sat back down at the table and quietly sipped coffee from her cup, watching her companion and waiting patiently for him to finish his coffee. She was almost completely still as she did no nervous movements to keep herself amused - she was only watching him. Only then she asked him a short question.
She gestured with a simple motion of her right hand towards his empty cup.
She smiled slightly and began to pick up the dishes from the table with her calm, slow movements and carried them to the dining cart where she structured them and prepared them for room service to take away - leaving only their coffee cups on the table with their respective plates and spoons. She was barely audible while the dishes were being put away - not only did she not make a sound, but thanks to her smooth and careful movements, even the dishes being put away did not make any noise. It all looked like a silent, slow dream.
When she was done, she sat back down at the table and quietly sipped coffee from her cup, watching her companion and waiting patiently for him to finish his coffee. She was almost completely still as she did no nervous movements to keep herself amused - she was only watching him. Only then she asked him a short question.
"How does it feel?"
She gestured with a simple motion of her right hand towards his empty cup.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Reeves - 10-27-2022
When his eyes were open again and she'd visibly shifted from where she had previously been seated, he didn't seem all that surprised. If anything, he'd come to expect her to exhibit catlike behavior on a regular basis, this was just her nature. "Satisfying, as always." This must have been a persistent "ritual" in his life, that regardless of what was happening or what he might have to do during the day ahead of him, he made time to enjoy a hot beverage and to enjoy it thoroughly. That time was absolutely his, and devoted to nothing else other than a token comfort.
"We can get going now and check out if you're ready?" Having risen to his feet, he was waiting for her affirmation before getting his things.
"We can get going now and check out if you're ready?" Having risen to his feet, he was waiting for her affirmation before getting his things.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Fiorella de Marco - 10-27-2022
She finished her morning coffee and nodded her head slightly in silent agreement. She rose from her chair again and gathered the empty cups from the morning coffee from the table in their suite and placed them in the room service cart. She then slowly walked over to the sofa and picked up her folded red leather jacket, which she put on and left unbuttoned. From her bedside table she took her commlink, the latest model made by Kishiro, and from the bathroom she gathered her circular earrings, bracelets, and necklace, which she set aside there for the night.
Fiorella walked to the mirror by the front door and began to prepare to leave, pulling her long black hair into a loose ponytail, putting on her white gold jewelry and checking her pockets one last time to make sure she had not left anything in the apartment. She checked herself one last time in the mirror and slipped on her high suede boots.
She pouted her lips in slight amusement and looked at her companion.
Only now was she ready to leave the apartment with her companion and follow him down the elevator to their hoverbike.
Fiorella walked to the mirror by the front door and began to prepare to leave, pulling her long black hair into a loose ponytail, putting on her white gold jewelry and checking her pockets one last time to make sure she had not left anything in the apartment. She checked herself one last time in the mirror and slipped on her high suede boots.
She pouted her lips in slight amusement and looked at her companion.
"Dangerous neighborhood? Well - I hope your gun is loaded and ready to protect us both, Mister Doe."
Only now was she ready to leave the apartment with her companion and follow him down the elevator to their hoverbike.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Reeves - 10-30-2022
The bike was exactly where he'd left it, although a few of the other vehicles that were parked here the evening prior were now gone. Most were likely delivery services providing the ingredients and items needed for the hotel to function, even if that wasn't going to be the case for all that much longer.
Getting on first, he took a few seconds to check everything and make sure he was ready to get going. She could have also gotten on the passenger seat during this time or just waited until he gave her a nod. Regardless, once they were set he pulled out of the parking lot swiftly and set them on a fairly lengthy trip to the outskirts. Law and order was thinnest there, and oftentimes people formed their own militias to ensure the particularly rowdy elements didn't just rule the roost. "This'll probably take a while. Two hours, if I really gun it." That was an indirect choice she could make, he could really push the envelope here and test what the bike could handle or just take it easy. Although the latter prospect was contingent on finding something interesting to talk about so this didn't become some boring Sunday stroll.
Getting on first, he took a few seconds to check everything and make sure he was ready to get going. She could have also gotten on the passenger seat during this time or just waited until he gave her a nod. Regardless, once they were set he pulled out of the parking lot swiftly and set them on a fairly lengthy trip to the outskirts. Law and order was thinnest there, and oftentimes people formed their own militias to ensure the particularly rowdy elements didn't just rule the roost. "This'll probably take a while. Two hours, if I really gun it." That was an indirect choice she could make, he could really push the envelope here and test what the bike could handle or just take it easy. Although the latter prospect was contingent on finding something interesting to talk about so this didn't become some boring Sunday stroll.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Fiorella de Marco - 10-30-2022
She picked up a black motorcycle helmet with orange roses from his hoverbike and joyfully fiddled with it once before putting it on her head and carefully fastening it under her chin. Then it was just a matter of turning on the helmet radio and pointing the microphone in front of her lips before she sat down in the passenger seat.
At his question, she smiled again and looked straight into her companion's eyes with a slight, playful grin on her face.
Once he was settled in front of her, she wrapped her right arm around him and sat down in her seat for comfort while she lowered the visor of her helmet with her left hand.
She added in a poetic half-whisper into the radio, patting the bike as if to spur the horse into the sprint with her left hand.
At his question, she smiled again and looked straight into her companion's eyes with a slight, playful grin on her face.
"With an engine like that, do you want to drive carefully? It would be a sin not to rev this beauty into the red at least once - Am I correct, Mister Doe?"
Once he was settled in front of her, she wrapped her right arm around him and sat down in her seat for comfort while she lowered the visor of her helmet with her left hand.
"Straight to the horizon, Mister Doe, and then keep going up to the stars."
She added in a poetic half-whisper into the radio, patting the bike as if to spur the horse into the sprint with her left hand.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Reeves - 10-30-2022
"Say no more." She'd certainly made the more interesting choice and given him the freedom to really open up with the throttle. The second they were on that long and vast straightaway, he flicked switches and pushed a button on the left end of the handlebar. This in turn prompted the onboard computer to inform them that the safeties were off and the limiter for the main engine had been disengaged.
And that was when the fun started, because in a few seconds there was nothing else on the planet that could truly keep up with them apart from a ship with cruise engines on full tilt. Less of a bike now and more of an amber hued blur, the wake of dust being left behind was only just barely able to keep up. There wasn't much to hear either, besides the wind which they were cutting through, the consistent roaring of the engine and of course the faint echo of Morreti's laughter.
And that was when the fun started, because in a few seconds there was nothing else on the planet that could truly keep up with them apart from a ship with cruise engines on full tilt. Less of a bike now and more of an amber hued blur, the wake of dust being left behind was only just barely able to keep up. There wasn't much to hear either, besides the wind which they were cutting through, the consistent roaring of the engine and of course the faint echo of Morreti's laughter.
RE: We Used to Love Liberty - Fiorella de Marco - 10-31-2022
With increasing speed, she clung more tightly to her companion with her right hand. Her unbuttoned leather jacket, despite its stiffness, fluttered in the strong wind and so did her long hair sticking out from under her helmet. She stuck her left palm out into the airstream around their fast moving hoverbike - to feel the speed, apparently.
She said louder into the radio on their shared frequency and gripped her seat tighter with her legs until the material creaked softly. It was quiet, practically inaudible compared to the now roaring engine.
Once their machine was in the red, she let go of him and spread both palms into the airstream. Her companion, however, could sense that she had not fallen out of her seat - she held herself more than steady with her legs while flapping both arms in the gusty wind as if they were her own wings. It must have been very strenuous for her to keep her hands against the airstream in order to not let her unbuttoned leather jacket slip off, so after a few minutes she grabbed her companion with both hands again.
She added in a slightly raised voice and gave another short chuckle. She was sitting a little calmer now - the fact that both of her arms were slightly trembling with muscle fatigue probably had something to do with it.
"Fly faster, I feel like you can get more out of her!"
She said louder into the radio on their shared frequency and gripped her seat tighter with her legs until the material creaked softly. It was quiet, practically inaudible compared to the now roaring engine.
Once their machine was in the red, she let go of him and spread both palms into the airstream. Her companion, however, could sense that she had not fallen out of her seat - she held herself more than steady with her legs while flapping both arms in the gusty wind as if they were her own wings. It must have been very strenuous for her to keep her hands against the airstream in order to not let her unbuttoned leather jacket slip off, so after a few minutes she grabbed her companion with both hands again.
"The wasteland is passing us by like in a fast-forwarded movie!"
She added in a slightly raised voice and gave another short chuckle. She was sitting a little calmer now - the fact that both of her arms were slightly trembling with muscle fatigue probably had something to do with it.
"When was the last time you rode through the countryside with someone like this, Mister Doe?"