Rin Mori

Rin Mori was walking down the steps of the University of Proserpina. Rin felt an overwhelming sense of dread as she had embarrassed herself as per usual. This time she had attempted to fist bump the Chancellor.

Beads of liquid were dripping from her face, although Rin was not sure if they were from her tears or her sweat. But, that was all in the past, she mustn't forget the reason she attended the school in the first place, she would become the best goddamn mech pilot out there! She told herself this every day. As she wiped the unidentified liquid from her face, she continued to walk down the steps. Also walking down the steps where a flock of the girls, one of them crying, although not at all like Rin. She was crying because she would miss her friends. Rin only thought one thing, "Rich bitch". Even though she knew full well that she was being a hypocrite as she was a noblewoman of the Mori clan. But the Mori clan was a clan in disrepute and even amongst her own clan she was not well respected. Rin was just glad that it was over with and she let out a smile through her tears...tears, they were tears, they tasted of salt.

Rin hit the bottom of the steps, she tried to hurry home before she created a scene, one person took note of her sobbing and had begun to approach her. Luckily she was able to escape the inevitable awkward exchange of mumbled apologies and small talk. When finally reached her apartment most of her tears had dried out. She fumbled with her keys for a moment then finally found the bright yellow key and opened the door, inside was a Spartan apartment. It had three rooms, a bathroom, living room/kitchen, and bedroom. Rin scanned the room, on the left of her was a kitchen integrated into the living room, to her right was a couch, implying she ever had company. The floor of the apartment was carpeted, the carpet was stained with red wine, presumably from the previous owner, and she started to scold herself for coming to tears over such a minor mistake but quickly refrained as it would do nothing but worsen her feelings towards herself. But that didn't matter, she was finished. She couldn't help but find a little joy in that fact. Rin changed into her casual clothes and resolved the epidemic that was formal attire. She then looked around her room again in search of something to occupy her mind. She could easily afford something bigger and more spacious but she didn't feel as though it suited her. She sat down in on her 2nd to only piece of furniture, her couch and pondered. Feeling as though her mind was too cluttered she decided to meditate.

The next morning she woke up with a jolt from her "meditation" to a knock on the door.

She crawled to her feet and questioned herself on if she would answer that knock. But before she could decide she reflexively blurted out a soft but loud "Just a minute." She began to panic and rush for the door. She forcefully opened it. On the other side was a very perturbed looking mailman. Rin now realized she had slammed the door on the wall, cracking it but not quite putting a hole in it. She loosened her muscles and attempted to look somewhat casual and meekly asked "Yes?" Her attempts were in vain as the mailman still looked concerned.

When the mailman reluctantly gave Rin the parcel she was surprised of the weight of the box. She put it on her kitchen counter that so happens to be her 1st piece of furniture. Written on the box a note read "From your special friend" Rin was taken aback. She had no friends after all, finding this a bit creepy she decided to have her evening walk now. After all it was seven AM already.

On the 4th km of her 7 km walk of fear Rin stopped by "The sketchy alley" in search of the cutest kitten with mange that Rin had ever seen. But she only made it to the opening. In "T.S.A." shesaw a giant man mugging the girl who she had labeled "Rich Bitch". This stopped her. What kind of MechWarrior would she be if she couldn't even stand up for a collogue.

When Rin finally talked herself into it, she jumped on the hulking man's back attempting to choke him. She was immediately filled with regret for this action as the brute grabbed Rin by the shoulder and flipped her on her back smashing her head against the concrete. Rin could see that the man was brandishing a knife that was ridiculously small for his meaty hand. The man then attempted to crush Rin's head with his boot. Rin grabbed his foot in time, in order to move his foot enough to miss her head she had to take a hit to her ribcage. This action both tripped the brute and winded Rin. When Rin brought herself back to her feet, the man was doing the same. A brief second passed before the man charged Rin thrusting his knife at Rin's heart. Rin narrowly dodged back. The blade made contact with the left side of her sweatshirt and ran down to the inside of her leg. Rin let out a screech, she fell back to the floor. The man placed his knee on her chest putting enormous pressure on her torso and he jabbed his knife at her throat. She caught his blade arm and twisted it, disarming him, and clamped a grip on his neck. The man did not go for his blade. Spotting his tactical advantage he began to repeatedly punch Rin's face while Rin desperately held his jugular. The man's punches began to weaken until he was finally unconscious. The man toppled on top of Rin's delicate frame pinning her to the ground.

Rin was bleeding, bad, her femoral artery had been badly lacerated. Rin, laying in a pool of her own blood, began to question herself. "Why would I help someone at a price of my own life?" she thought she began to inspect the mugger atop of her. He was a grizzled man with numerous bruises on his face. Rin gazed at the knife, her hair long black hair soaking in the blood giving it a reddish hue. The knife was just out of Rin's reach, Rin used the remains of her strength reaching for the blade. Her efforts were in vain. Her vision was beginning to narrow and her muscles were weakening. Rin heard a car roll up to the alleyway she heard two men exit the car. "Is that Tuna?" One exclaimed "Is he bleeding?" Then Rin fell unconscious.

Rin awoke to the sound of two arguing men "Just because she's not who we wanted doesn't mean she isn't worth something!"

"Heh, a Mori clan? Doubt it, we'll be lucky to get a 50k C-bills."

Rin thought to herself "I'm not worth any C-bills?" Rin opened her eyes to an unfamiliar sight. It looked as though the house was in disrepair or abandoned. Outside there was a forest filled with green pine trees the room was dimly lit by a single hanging lamp. Rin looked down at herself, she had been striped to her underwear and was lying on her side, gagged. Her wound had been crudely stitched. Rin attempted to stand but to no avail as her limbs were tied by a thin length of industrial orange rope. Rin noticed that one of the people standing under the lamp was the one they called "Tuna". The other thug was slender but tall and had large round glasses. Both thugs were wearing a pink silk robes with red flower patterned across them. The skinny one noticed her struggling "She's awake" Rin then proceeded to cough blood.

Rin lifted her head in an attempt to rebel against the approaching figure, weighed down by her hair still damp from the blood. The man apathetically kneeled in front of her. Rin gazed into his eyes intently, partly to sense his motive, and partly as a plea to his conscience. The man's eyes met Rin's unwaveringly. Rin's tactic had little to no effect, as was evidenced by how he turned his head in disgust and tisked at her. Rin physically winced at his gesture of disrespect.

The man grabbed Rin's chin in a controlling manner "Don't give me that shit." Rin attempted to speak but only managed to get out a "Mmph-" before the man cut her off "Shut up bitch!"

He brought the a box-cutter up to her chin then ran it down her neck, then her chest, then down to her crudely sewn wound. He pressed just hard enough to draw blood. Rin began to convulse but stopped when the skinny man said "The more you struggle, the more I'll hurt you."

The large man stopped the psycho by grabbing his shoulder "She may not be the Ouchi bitch but a noble-cunt is still a noble-cunt." "Damaged goods aren't worth shit."

Lanky rolled his eyes so hard he almost rolled his second set. When Rin made fun of people in her head, it normally alleviated some of the pressure. This was not one of those times.

Four eyes obviously wasn't as smart as he looked, because when he rose to his feet he began to provoke the massive man. "Damaged goods, eh?" "Oh, so you're worthless because your mother dropped you on your head that explains a lot,"

It was clear that four eyes was trying his hand at dark humor but "Tuna" was having none of it. The massive man didn't hesitate. He batted the side of four eyes' head, slamming it against the table, which launched the knife across the floor, just within Rin's reach. Four eyes who was just conscious, saw where the knife had landed and attempted to warn "Tuna". To no avail, as Tuna was too busy crushing the man's diaphragm with his boot.

Rin swiftly got her hands on the blade, she easily cut her bindings with the box-cutter. Tuna finished with four eyes, and he returned his gaze to where he expected a woman would be. He quickly realized the foresaid woman was a foot from him on the tips of her toes reaching up at his neck with a razor sharp blade. …it was too late, he couldn't react.

Rin adorned "Tuna's" pink robe with a darker color, and rushed out the door of the abandoned building. She wanted to leave as soon as humanly possible not wasting anytime on footwear as the third kidnapper could return to the shed at any time. She ran for a full hour in the snow, now regretting her lack of shoes. He found foot prints and followed them, hoping they lead to the metropolis. She stopped herself, she was following the only pair of tracks leaving the building. Rin now heard footsteps, footsteps behind her which were lost on her in the panic and confusion, and the crunch of her own steps. Exhausted, Rin fell to her knees. The cold sent chills to the back of her neck, Rin was indifferent to the feeling. She had come so far… the footsteps drew closer…. and for nothing. She felt the gun barrel against her scalp, a female voice came from behind her "Thanks for offing those fucks for me."

Rin jumped, she was not expecting a woman, was she mistaken before? No, this was another one.

"I admire your resolve, you would have been a good partner, better than those hacks anyway, shame, if only you had killed the last one." Rin felt a grin coming from the woman behind her. A massive slug met with flesh and bone.

Rin felt the blood splatter across her back. She quickly rose to her feet and spun around. Rin wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what was before her. A figure in a black trench coat 500 meters away only visible because of the contrasting effect the snow gave on his all black getup.

Rin began to approach the man, stepping over the corpse. She wanted to know her savior, maybe he was handsome. Rin physically shook herself at the prospect. She began to run, then sprint. The man up the hill from her opened his car door. Rin slowed herself to a reasonable pace knowing she would never catch the man. Her heart was pounding. The man's car rolled away in silence. But hey, she had a road, she could work with that. When she reached the road she raised one thumb adamantly. A smile broadening on her face.

Epilogue

Rin fumbled with her keys for a moment then finally found the bright yellow key and opened the door, inside was the barren room just as she had left it, the box still sitting on her counter. She closed the door behind her. The door gave out a satisfying click. Unmoved by the boxes' vibes Rin mockingly waved her hands at it, as if she were to cast a spell upon it. Then she stopped herself and looked around the room to make sure nobody saw her gesture. Needless to say, there was no-one in the room with her. She gazed at the box which was also unmoved and gave herself a reassuring nod. She opened the box with her newly acquired box-cutter, inside was a carton of self-help books she had ordered earlier that week. Rin began to laugh hysterically. Rin's snort fest was promptly cut off by something left on the back of the door. A white flower, it was a Flureka flower, native to the planet New Samarkand, most commonly used to celebrate the joining of two clans through marriage, specifically the defloration of a bride. Rin hoped that this was not intentional and read the card that went with the ill-fully chosen flower, it read

"Dear Rin_

Sincerely _

Rin opened her door to see who had left her such a heartfelt and odd gift. She was not surprised to see a man in a trench coat entering the elevator. Rin grinned and re-entered her apartment.

Rin never read any of her self-help books.