Another day, another injection, 50 more debt. Zelda sighs and closes the medication cabinet. Her skin is peeling. She scrubs her face, ignoring the rawness of the skin.
+50 Exp Debt Update: 661178 Exp current Debt for Dragon Blight Suppressor Dose
Must have been 30 cycles. She leaves the bathroom.
Mail Notification: Potential Individual Buyer of Debt
Zelda deletes the mail. She was uninterested in being under the purview of a single owner. As awful as the corp debt was, they were soulless and ready to wait the long game. An individual wants something.
Mail Notification: Potential Individual Buyer of Debt
Annoying. She deletes the message again and blocks the sender. She picks up her shield and heads out the door. She can't rent her sword for another day, otherwise it would be a continuation of the previous warranty. A lesson learned the hard way. Perhaps there will be some porter work. Deep mines perhaps? There is no late stay for this outing. She opens the door and sees a huddled form in front of it. Her eyes pan down to find the calico cat person waiting.
Why? Zelda slowly steps over the form. An ear twitches. Cute, no steady Zelda, no strays. Slowly, she closes the door and begins to walk away. Something catches her foot. Someone. Shit. She turns to see the offending arm of the cat holding her ankle while their eyes twinkle with mirth.
“Not so fast, why the rush?” They purr the words, but of course Zelda has to read them.
The caught woman sighs.
“Why were you waiting on me?”
“I haven't heard your answer on joining my party.” They say, still holding the ankle. Their strength is greater than Zelda's. Best not to try to pull away, a snap ankle is a 1,000 exp to fix.
“Ignoring you was not answer enough?
“Nope, I just figured you were too tired to bother reading anymore.”
Zelda gives the cat an incredulous look. The cat for their part has a look of mirth in their eyes.
“Are you going to let go?”
“Are you going to answer?”
“No.”
“The same.”
Perhaps risking a 1,000 exp is worth it. Zelda sighs.
“Why are you attempting to recruit me?”
“Because you're a disposable meat shield who won't stay dead.”
Yep, worth it. Zelda tries to retrieve her foot. Just as she puts enough effort to heave, the cat lets go. Zelda falls to the ground with a rather painful amount of curses uttered. She is tackled by the cat.
“Better positioning, lovely.” Another purr in Zelda's ear. The words writing on her eyes.
Zelda struggles instead of replying. It's in vain but she needs to prove to herself she tried. A minotaur shaped man walks up the stairs. I recognize those hoofs. The struggle increases. The hoofs stop at the pair.
“She's mine, find your own debt sink.”
The real reason.
“Quite certain Miss Smith43 debt is to Red Deliverance Corp and no one else.” A deep baritone answers. He bends down so Zelda can see his face.
“I took my medication.”
He shakes his head slowly, “You need to read your mail before you decline them.”
Zelda quirks her eyebrow. They sent mister cracks a lot of bones for that?
“Noted.”
He stares at the prone woman with the cat on her. The cat ears are pointed back and flat against their head. He sighs.
+5 Exp Debt fined for non-compliance.
Zelda simply stares at the bull.
+50 Exp Debt fined for continued non compliance.
The stare contest continues.
+500 Exp Debt fined for continued non-compliance.
+5000 Exp Debt fined for continued non-compliance.
“Thats the maxium. Left hand out Miss Smith43.”
Non-compliance here is worse than compliance. She puts her hand out. Fingers splayed. He bends down, his thumb is over her pinky.
“Read the mail.”
The stare continues. A crack is heard. The cat winces. The bull huffs. And Zelda thinks about the cost. Another 1,000 debt and a lecture. The thumb hovers over the ring finger. Zelda unblocks the latest sender.
Mail Notification: Potential Individual Buyer of Debt
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She looks at the bull, he stares back. Thumb at the ready. Another sigh sounds out.
Miss Smith43,
I would offer to purchase your debt in its entirety. Same conditions apply as current. To be dispensed with on my death. No inheritors. Willing to negotiate further terms if a mortal time limit is not enticing enough.
Grant Pinok Yester the 3rd
Accept, Counter Offer, Decline
Knows I’m blighted. Zelda declines. She looks at the enforcer. He nods and stands up.
“Sure you noticed how stubborn this one is, Miss Dagnit.”
A hiss issues out as he walks away.
“I'll heal the finger if you do another run with my party.”
Zelda huffs another sigh. 500 debt instead of 1,000 and one less lecture.
“Fine, tomorrow.” The cat doesn't get up. “I need to wait a day on my sword rental.”
“You rent? I thought you dropped it off for maintenance.” She says with quite a bit of incredulousness.
“I don't even own the armor your fat ass is compromising.”
The cat laughs at that. She puts a hand over Zelda's left pinky. The woman winces as the bone realigns. The cat huffs a bit.
“Best to go tomorrow anyways. Healing is expensive.” With that she gets off Zelda. “So where are you off to?”
Zelda gets up, and heads out without answering. The cat follows. After entering the lift the cat places herself in front of the destination panel. She quirks her eyebrow. Another sigh.
“Deep Mines.”
“Don't look like you got a lode disruptor. Nor a bag.” She still hasn't moved.
“Porter work.”
“You don't pay for a key to lug their stuff do you.”
Zelda simply stares at the cat.
“And the cart?”
The stares continue. The cat turns around and pushes what Zelda hopes is Deep Mines. A few minutes later, her hopes are answered. She starts to walk towards the already sparse crowd. Missed the regular recruiting window. Zelda frowns. The cat grips her shoulder. Zelda's frown grows larger.
“This counts for the pinky.”
The cat just smiles.
-----
+500 exp Debt. Instance 374 assigned. Good Hunting
+1000 exp Debt for cart rental.
Still better than a lecture. Zelda pulls the cart. There would be no exp gain today. Just cart pulling. Every once in a while they would stop. Break another lode and make the cart heavier. Zelda simply saw it as mindless.
The cat was a female of the name Dagnit, no given last name. She either didn't have one or felt no need to tell Zelda. The short lizard man was Frankie. Zelda was not sure if it was the translation or really his name. The looming bird man was ‘Many Feathers Flock Together’ and now Zelda was convinced that was a translation.
“Still got stamina back there, 43?” Frankie asked.
Zelda had not deigned to give her own name. But Dagnit remembered what the bull called her. The Smith portion was dropped in favor of the number. It grated on Zelda to be called the one part that wasn't her given name but she wasn't going to bother correcting them either. I'll make sure to avoid them tomorrow. She continued pulling.
The box opened again. It was a small room this time. No chair or bed in the center this time. Not a surgery then. Surprising. A screen opens in front of the eye. First words in a rather flowing script were displayed. It changed to an Asian type of lettering. Chinese? Japanese? Korean? Vietnamese? I don't know. The screen changes again. Roman letters but not English words now. Another shift. Still not English. Finally it shifted to English.
Miss Smith43,
I would like to offer the return of yours should you allow the purchase of your debt. A mail will be sent for a location to meet to discuss further.
Grant Pinok Yester the 3rd
Mail Notification: Potential Individual Buyer of Debt
She sighs. Must have noticed the eye focusing. Looks like the latest buyer tracked me down. I don't care. Zelda opens the mail. Then she immediately deleted it.
-----
“Thanks again, 43.” Frankie shouts.
Flocks and him went ahead while Zelda slowly walked out. 1500 more in debt and no stat gain. Dagnit was behind her. Watching her closely. There was a moment she looked to the side then back at Zelda, there was a shrug and then she spoke.
“How bout I treat you to a meal, I feel bad for taking advantage so thoroughly.”
Zelda slowly turned and looked at the cat woman. She is not sorry at all.
“My choice of venue.”
Dagnit frowns for a moment, then replies, “Sure.”
-----
“43, I said I would treat you.” Dagnit growls.
“Do so, I want that one.”
Zelda points to the vending machine Everything Arthling Needs Nutritional Meal's Tuesday meal, flavor not guaranteed. The machine offered seven meals, which were really just thick dense bars of nutrition and calories. Should one eat the entire week, they would have met their nutritional needs for a healthy working Arthling adult. Or so the purchased research said. The important part to Zelda was that it was only five exp per meal.
“43, seriously, I will buy you a feast.”
“I have no desire to offset my carefully maintained diet for a day of frivolity.”
Dagnit resigned and pushed the button. Zelda tries to snatch it quickly, winces and slows her approach. She bites down in front of Dragnit to prove a point. She immediately regrets it. I don't have water to soggy this up. She tries to smile but it's a frown. Dragnit watches bemused.
“Don't wait on me, finish it up, 43.”
Zelda narrows her eyes at the cat as the cat laughs.
-----
Zelda walks through her door. She spies the box on the night stand. She knows what's in it. She checks anyway. She sees herself and the eye sees itself. The lid falls as Zelda clutches her right eye. She rushes into the bathroom. She looked at the mirror. The sclera of her right eye has black rivulets reaching towards her pupil. There are scales on the bridge of her nose. She quickly opens the medicine cabinet and fumbles the injector. She steadies her hand and sets it on its stand. Another click.
+5000 Exp Debt for extra Dragon Blight Suppressor Dose
She jams it into her throat, not trusting a slower diffusion in her arm. Her pupil dilates and she collapses.
-----
Unsure on how long she was unconscious, Zelda thinks time. Her status screen supplies the answer. Only fifteen minutes. She places the injector back into the medicine cabinet and closes it. The right eye is cleared. The nose bridge has a scale. She pries it off. Let it scar. She knows it won't. Another addition to the morning ritual.
She struggles out of the bathroom. The box is still there. She opens it from behind. Not risking seeing herself again. She sees outside the box from inside the box. The overlapping vision is uniquely nauseating. She closes the lid. Opens her door and throws the box like a frisbee. Don't fall open. It lands in the middle of the park below. Unopened. She slinks back to bed. Forgoing her shower.
+5000 Exp Debt for violating litter ordinance
Rather expensive today. Time to add more. She clicks the open vid selector. Finds she is locked out. Strange. She messages an administrator of the site.
+10 Exp Debt for contacting technical support
Mail Notification: In Response to Ticket Request#6479318
She sighs and opens it.
Smith43,
Due to an over abundance of fines today, user privileges have been suspended. Contact again in seven cycles to petition reinstatement.
Ticket Request#6479318 automatically closed.
What follows is some quiet screaming into a rough pillow. It would not do to cause another noise violation. Emotions spent she rolls onto her back.
Mail Notification: Potential Individual Buyer of Debt
She stares at the notification. It opens after a sigh.
Miss Smith43,
Seeing that I delivered what was yours as a show of good faith. Perhaps you would be inclined to have a conversation with me. Please reply when the earliest you can meet.
Grant Pinok Yester the 3rd
Zelda feels a bit of eye strain at the mail. She deletes it. She spends the rest of the night mentally going over her notes for Dragons. How to find them, fight them, kill them.
