Behind the storeroom door was a corridor with honey brown walls and a few doors on the left and right. The bartender walked behind Viscus, only telling him to "Keep moving forward." Due to his nervousness, Viscus couldn't bother imagining what lay behind those doors, though that made him wish he mentally prepared himself better before entering the lion's den. At the end of the corridor stood a door directly opposite to the one he came from, and a dome style camera above.
Before Viscus could react, the bartender overtook Viscus and pressed on a button that he concluded was the ringing bell. Unlike the rest of the doors in the corridor, which were wooden, this one was made of metal, which appeared even sturdier than the entrance to the bar, only serving to prove that what stood behind it was of importance. As the mechanism did its magic and the door automatically slid open, the bartender stepped back and stared Viscus in the eye. "Tell the boss Quartz sent you." The blond heard a small mutter after, "though he should already know that." The bartender, Quartz, then pushed Viscus into the room and took off back into the corridor, which meant Viscus was going to be alone with this 'boss'.
Viscus expected to be pushed into the boss's room. Instead, he was stuck in an elevator with only two buttons. "0 and B1", it read. Before the blond tried to push any button, he glanced around the elevator and saw gridded and what he assumed to be removable steel plates that he was quite sure were not related to maintenance. Sighing, he pushed the B1 button and the elevator started dropping down. It didn't drop a lot, only moving one floor below, but Viscus couldn't help but feel claustrophobic for a moment. The elevator could only fit two people at once, and the ventilation felt horrible.
Uncaring of Viscus's troubles, the elevator stopped in front of another metallic door which then slid open by itself. Apparently, he still wasn't in the boss's room, but in another corridor. This time, the corridor didn't have the brown walls. The walls were painted gray, and the corridor only led to a single room at the end. Viscus stepped inside and walked slowly to the room, a camera installed above the door tracking his movements. The room's door was also metallic like the ones before it, but Viscus didn't have to ring any bells before it opened on its own. Cold sweat ran down the blond's neck, causing him to shiver - that, and the chilly air emitting from the room.
Viscus stepped through and was greeted with the same honey brown color as that from before, but the most eye-catching object in the room was the person sitting behind a brown desk. Black shoes were the first part to enter Viscus's eyes, since they were leaning on the massive wooden desk decorated with papers on one side and multiple screens on the other. Deep blue business trousers and a brown Gordon Gekko styled shirt with a tie and bracers. "Without a doubt, that man should be the boss", Viscus thought. The man in question was staring at his screens until Viscus was inside the room, and that was when the door closed behind Viscus, causing him to jump in surprise.
The man switched his gaze onto Viscus, and the blond couldn't help but feel an instinctual fear toward the man's eyes. Sporting purple, slicked hair and blue eyes with a round, shaved face, the man seemed even more intimidating than Viscus would have liked. "Q-Quartz sent me" the blond stuttered, realized his mistake as the boss's brow arched, and steadied himself. "Quartz sent me.. For the delivery job." The man stayed silent, only blinking every now and then. Suddenly, a pink bubble inflated from his mouth, and popped. The man pulled back the gum and started chewing on it again, and this time Viscus couldn't help but be the one to arch his brow.
"Who told you?" The boss finally revealed his voice, and Viscus tilted his head in confusion. "Told me?" Narrowed eyes glared at the young man. "Kid, you shouldn't be here." That statement had many meanings, but Viscus couldn't deduce which one was intended. "Could you clarify that?" The boss took his shoes off the table and leaned forward in his chair, not breaking eye contact with Viscus. "Not a lot of people know where this place is, even less who would come knocking at my door for a job." The man spoke confidently, "Shouldn't kids like you be looking for some honest work?" Viscus took a second to formulate his response. "No one referred me to this place." he paused for a moment. "And I need money quickly."
"You know what we do here?" Viscus had no idea, but didn't want to answer in a way that may offend the man. He shook his head, and the man held a pile of papers in his hand. "We deal with information here. We don't deal with drugs, arms, grunts." The papers dropped back on the desk. "I could introduce you to an acquaintance. He always needs men, and he pays well. What do you say?" Despite the man's kind words, the blond couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. Every fiber of his being told him to refuse, and he followed his instinct without hesitation. "No."
The man went silent, his sights on Viscus unmoving. "What's your name?" the man took his gaze off Viscus, and the pressure disappeared. Inwardly, the blond couldn't help but feel like a mountain was lifted off his shoulders. He took a deep breath and spoke. "Viscus Lime." Giving a fake name shouldn't provide any kind of advantage, Viscus concluded : he wasn't a part of this world, so he doubted his true name would matter. "Want some gum?" The man offered but Viscus shook his head. "Where you from, Viscus?" That question made the young man pause.
Silence permeated, and the boss turned his eyes back to Viscus after not receiving an answer. "Vale? Mistral?" The blond didn't react, and the man backed down. "You said you wanted a delivery job?" Viscus nodded, "What did you hear from Quartz?" The blond quickly recalled, "He said that you didn't have a delivery man for a while, and I'd be paid 100 Lien." The boss nodded. "Are you sure you want to take on that job? It is more dangerous than you think." Viscus pursed his lips. "What is the alternative for someone like me?" The man sighed, "Maybe not this line of work, kid?" The blond shook his head, and the man relented. "Don't hold me accountable for what you might see." The man pulled his chair back and stood up, towering over Viscus at 1.9m. The blond didn't know what the boss wanted, but he stood in place and didn't move. The man strolled around Viscus, inspecting him. "Hmm.." Nervousness engulfed Viscus again until the man took his distance and went toward his computer. "We did have a delivery due today, so you are in luck." He pressed on a couple of buttons and a printer in one of the desk's compartments revved up.
"From now on, you will call me Mr. L." He took the papers and folded them, then pulled an envelope out of a drawer. "Your job will be delivering these papers to a client of mine. Do you have a scroll?" Viscus shook his head. "No matter. Ask Quartz and he will show you where to go." He put the papers in the envelope and sealed it. "When the client receives the envelope, he will report back to me that the delivery is complete, and after that will you recieve your pay." He handed the blond the envelope.
"While you are at it, take a shower and get something to wear." Viscus froze as he was placing the envelope in his pocket. "Quartz should be able to help you with that. Just be sure to be in good shape so as not to tarnish the reputation of my establishment." The man sat back in his seat. "Now go." He shooed Viscus with his hand. The blond left with hurried steps after the door slid open, his mind busy with the implications of his current situation.
"I got it." He clenched his fist only to relax it quickly. The encounter with the boss, Mr. L, felt abnormal, like something was missing. It bugged Viscus, but he shook his head. Deal with it later, he decided. The envelope in his pocket went into his inventory as he walked toward the elevator, his mind blanking for a while. A pang in his stomach broke him out of his stupor, where he was directly in front of the door labeled storeroom. He pushed the door while navigating his inventory for food, which he noticed would run out soon at that pace. The bartender, serving no one at that moment, had his back to Viscus, but he faced the blond not a second later.
"I got the job." Viscus pulled out the envelope out of his pocket (which was in his inventory), and handed it to the Quartz. The old man glanced at the held out paper and Viscus, then pulled out his own scroll, something that the blond couldn't help but focus on in his curiosity. A few taps here and there and the bartender was displaying a map of the city. "Here." He placed his finger at where this establishment was, then kept following a road till he reached a certain building. Surprisingly, the minimap was updating for Viscus as he inspected the Scroll, but it looked pixelated and only showed the route to his objective. "The recipient is called Azul. Ask around for him there, he has distinct blue hair, so you shouldn't mistake him."
Viscus nodded, but ceased midway. He remembered something very important that Mr. L mentioned. "Uh, Mr. L told me that you could provide me with some clothing and a shower?" The blond checked meekly. Quartz looked at him up and down then nodded. "It will cost you." The words "cost you" only made Viscus flinch, but he kept trying to convince himself. "It is an investment. I can't meet the recipient like this." The words repeated constantly inside his head as he reentered the storeroom corridor with the old man, cold sweat running down his back.
-CEM-
Viscus found himself back in the alley, envelope in his inventory, and head banging on a wall. "My Lien.." When the blond followed Quartz, he expected to get handed some clothes then leave for his job, not to lose half his money. A quick glance at his inventory only served to further his sadness. "27 Lien.." He started with 60, down to 27 from his expenditures. He pushed himself off the wall and took a deep breath, looking at his situation from a more positive perspective. He was alive, with a new job, and wearing "fancy" new clothes. By fancy he means that he got a gray tank top and some shorts. Viscus stopped staring at his inventory and set on finishing his first job.
The minimap displayed the route, so all he had to do was follow through. Unfortunately, the sun was dead set on giving Viscus a sunstroke, so he had to move quickly. He ran off outside the alley and was greeted with the same view as before. Dirty streets, a toxic smell accompanied by fistfuls of sand flying through the air seemingly aiming for people's faces. One thing he noticed while moving this time was that many stores that were previously closed woke up and finally opened. He couldn't help but stop in front of the clothing stores, where they held clothes that earned a tiny chuckle out of him. "A Terrible Place To Visit, but You Wouldn't Want To Live Here.", on an article of clothing read, and seeing the state of the city, Viscus couldn't help but agree.
Grocery stores, electronics, hotels, they all looked so different from his world's that slowing down and silently window shopping was something he couldn't help. Many people on the way also got suspiciously closer to the blond, but he learned his lesson the first time. Viscus chose to dodge those he could, and growl at the ones he couldn't. It seemed that the people here reacted better to showing strength than being civil, something that he made sure to etch to his mind. He held down his curiosity and increased his speed, huffing as a side effect. The blond hoped that his stats, be it VIT, AGI or END, would increase from his mini workout, and sure enough, one did.
[For exercising vigorously, your AGI increased by 1!]
Viscus chuckled hollowly, realizing that the notification was a near exact copy of the one when he increased his strength. Suddenly, the blond felt something different. He stopped and turned his head, realizing that what he felt different was very noticeable. The air smelled less horrifying, and the streets looked mildly cleaner. Confusion filled Viscus, since he also noticed a clear lack of people walking the streets. In fact, the only signs of life here were shops that were scarcer than before. He was sure that he walked the correct pathing - he checked the minimap every 5 seconds. Despite the better atmosphere, Viscus decided it was better to move warily. He walked slowly, checking left and right, his hand ready to draw a dagger from his inventory.
After a few minutes and no action, he put more speed to his legs, the atmosphere still putting him on edge. Soon enough, he was at the delivery point. There stood a warehouse in the middle of what appeared to be a housing district. Nervously, he glanced left and right repeatedly until he heard a voice.
"Hey!" Viscus looked above him and saw that a dog faunus was staring at him from a window in the warehouse's second floor. "What are you doing here?" The faunus's tone didn't appear aggressive, but the blond could feel a hint of warning in his words. "Do you know where Azul is?" Viscus asked and the faunus raised his brow incredulously. "Stay where you are." The man left in a hurry, causing Viscus no small amount of alarm. "I didn't say something wrong, did I?" He asked himself, and was soon answered by a loud bang. The warehouse's door opened and the faunus came from it, who Viscus realized was armed. The window only showed his upper body, so he didn't expect that he could have been shot right then and there.
"You say you want the boss?" Viscus tilted his head, "Boss? You mean Azul?" The faunus looked irritated at the blond's lack of respect. "What do you want from him?" Viscus stared at the faunus for a few seconds, but after he saw him grow more and more agitated, he relented. "I have a delivery for.. Your boss." Viscus spoke slowly. The faunus then relaxed his guard a little, but not completely. "Show me the package." If it was to prove that he wasn't here to do anything harmful, then Viscus agreed to save himself the hassle. He pulled the package out of his pocket (aka his inventory), and handed it to the faunus.
The man took the envelope and inspected it, going so far as to smell it, before handing it back to the blond. "Boss has been expecting you. Follow me." The dog faunus motioned to Viscus and stepped toward the warehouse. They both entered in silence, then the door was closed. The warehouse, on the outside, appeared well maintained, but nothing more. On the inside, it was decorated with a lounge and a bar on the first floor where many people relaxed, but Viscus noticed they were wearing one thing in common, a black armband with a blue stripe.
Glancing at the dog faunus, he noticed that his band had three stripes, but didn't comment on it. "Uh, excuse me." The faunus turned his gaze to Viscus in response. "You don't happen to be a.. gang, are you?" Question marks seemingly floated around the faunus before he made an expression of understanding. "New around here?" Viscus nodded as they walked on the stairs leading to the second floor. "We govern around these parts." Viscus grunted in understanding. "Is that why the streets around here are clean?"
The faunus didn't respond, only stopping as they stood in front of a room. "Remember, you are standing in front of the boss of the Blues, be respectful." Viscus took the information to heart, nodding. The faunus knocked on the door then spoke. "Boss, a delivery from-" he paused then stared at Viscus who replied a split second later in realization. "Oh. Mr. L" The faunus repeated after the blond. "From Mr. L!" They stood there for a few seconds while waiting for the man to respond. "Let him in." The faunus opened the door and they were finally inside Azul's room. The man in question wore an open vest showing his well toned muscles with jeans on top. He was lying lazily on a couch with a T.V remote on his chest, hands held behind his head. Viscus's brow twitched, but he stepped forward nonetheless.
"The package from Mr. L." He took it out of his pocket, and the faunus held his hand out. Puzzled, he gave it to the faunus, who then gave it to the Azul. His clear golden eyes and wild blue hair gave Viscus an idea of his character. The blue haired boss smirked as he sat up and opened the envelope's seal then pulled out the paper. "Mr. L's new delivery boy, eh?" He glanced at the blond, who felt an entirely different pressure on him. If Mr. L's gaze was like being stared at by a cold beast, then Azul's gaze was like being cooked in an oven that Viscus truly started sweating due to the heat from his eyes.
"Do you know why you are here?" The blue haired man asked and Viscus tilted his head. "Isn't it to deliver you the info?" A chuckle escaped the man. "What do you think is written in this?" He waved the paper and Viscus gulped. "Something about a rival gang?" Azul folded the paper and placed it on the couch, then stood up.
He towered over Viscus, just like Mr. L did, and the blond couldn't do anything but stand in place and lean back as the man walked closer. "What if I told you-" A few more steps. "That this paper-" Face leaning down at Viscus. "Is about you, Viscus?" A terrified face reflected in Azul's eyes.
Something I've been quite curious about is people's opinions on my writing style. Regardless...
Pasta shall show you the might of his mind, and the poor luck of this blond.
No forgetti to check maakl2001 - CEM exists there too.