Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Beans
Guild of Gamers: The Architect
Chapter 05:
– Gloria Martinez –
"My apologies for the invasive scans, but if you know half of the biological threats that had been foolishly unleashed, you'd thank me for ensuring you aren't carrying any of them," the woman said with an almost kind smile.
A germophobe?
"Threats?" Gloria asked, seeing the smile turn wry.
"The corpo wars may have ended, but a second round is inevitable and each side is rushing to find the next weapon that'll ensure their victory when conflicts occur once more. Ignorance is bliss, and I slept happier before I knew how far biological warfare has come," she replied simply. "But where are my manners? Please, take a seat."
Gesturing to the seat in front of the desk, the woman waited a moment as Gloria obeyed. She seemed friendly enough but that just put her more on edge.
"You said you had a business opportunity for me," Gloria prompted. A friendly corpo was about as safe as a smiling shark, and unfortunately she was bleeding into the waters.
"Correct. I do apologise for the abrupt summons, but I wanted to get you before someone else did. You didn't know at the time, but Maine is currently employed on a job by a member of Arasaka Counterintelligence and your message would have pinged on his bugs if I didn't redirect it first," the woman explained, her eyes flashing as a holographic screen appeared on the desk, showing her Maine and his crew meeting with a dangerous looking Asian man. "Seiji is not someone you want having leverage on you."
"And you are?" Gloria challenged, despite knowing it was a stupid idea.
"As much as any corporate executive can be, yes," she replied with another wry look. "What I want from you is to keep doing what you are already doing, only exclusively for me. Considerably less risky than your current scheme, and better paying, I can assure you."
"Why? I'd have thought a corpo wouldn't need to rely on the black market," Gloria pointed out. "And do I get to know who I'm talking to?"
"You'd think so, but I have a need for off-the-books cyberware," the woman replied simply. "I am Seto Harumi, an executive for Vault-Tec Incorporated. You haven't heard of us, yet."
She wasn't wrong. Gloria didn't delude herself into thinking she knew every corp out there, but the name didn't ring any bells. She was also well aware that she was a street kid at heart and had no idea how corporations functioned.
"What happens if I say no?" Gloria asked, cutting to the chase. Sometimes she wished David could be more… cautious but she was well aware that David inherited his stubborn pride from her.
"My associate here will knock you out, again, and relocate you away from here so you don't learn my location. As long as my name remains off your lips, that will be the end of it," Harumi replied simply. The heavily armed muscle behind Harumi said nothing, his hand resting on his pistol. She doubted the guy was simple huscle, he looked too professional. "However, this also means I have no incentive to protect you or your son. You are fortunate that Meatwagon is so lax in their standards, as Trauma Team would have caught and dealt with you years ago."
In truth, that was why she had been willing to do this. She'd only started after seeing how lazily her employers handled the bodies they ended up with. Nobody important had a Meatwagon subscription and it wasn't uncommon for them to engage in what people called 'Meat Jumping', where they'd arrive to another corporation's clients and effectively kidnap them, either making them disappear to make Trauma Team or other rival companies look bad or extorting them for treatment.
It was highly illegal but was just seen as part of the game. She'd even heard rumours that Meatwagon worked directly with the Scavs, though she'd never seen it herself. It was hypocritical of her given what had gotten her in this mess, but the rumours of Meatwagon clients never making it to hospitals had been going around for decades. Some just… vanished after being collected, especially if they had valuable cyberware.
At least she only stole a piece or two after the client died, instead of ushering them into the grave so she could harvest them. She'd never done anything to endanger her clients, but half the time they were dead before she arrived.
In truth, she knew that the main reason she'd gotten away with it was due to the lack of value of the cyberware she took. The Sandevistan was by far the most valuable piece she'd ever lifted and she had been instantly punished for her greed. She should have stuck to stealing minor cyberware nobody would notice was missing, but bills had been piling up and David's education was proving far more expensive than she'd expected, as beyond tuition fees they always needed new soft or cyberware for him to have a chance.
"You should know that David got into trouble again today," Harumi continued, getting her attention instantly. "His braindance wreath caused a spike due to its faulty software, causing minor damage to all his classmates."
That little shit! She'd told him to leave the update to her, but he must have gone to the Ripperdoc he was 'friends' with and gotten a bootleg version.
"Arasaka technology rarely plays well with bootleg software. The soft wasn't actually faulty, but Arasaka screens for unauthorised software to prevent espionage. David triggered it with his unregistered update," Harumi said, confirming her suspicions. "This led to a confrontation between him and a classmate, Katsuo Tanaka, which turned physical. David lost, considerably given Katsuo's far superior cyberware and skillsoft."
"How- how do you know all this? And how badly hurt is David?" Gloria asked, hating how defenceless she felt. Harumi was soft-spoken and almost seemed sweet in some ways, but Gloria was certain that the woman was one of the most dangerous people Gloria had ever met.
"He was well enough to walk away, despite being called to the principal's office. As for how I know all this? I have contacts," Harumi replied simply. "I have several highly placed contacts within Arasaka. Katsuo is the son of a decently high level executive but a phone call was enough to convince Mr Tanaka that getting involved in his son's school rivalries was not worth his life."
Again, she sounded so sweet when she spoke… even as she was calmly threatening a high-ranking member of Arasaka.
"I have… brushed this incident under the rug, and it will not be on his permanent record. I take care of my employees, Mrs Martinez. If you agree to supply me with cyberware, I can ensure that David's path through the academy is a smooth one, including upgrading his… substandard cyberware so he can actually keep up with his class," Harumi finished. It was no wonder she was so convinced Gloria wouldn't refuse.
"Meatwagon will notice if more expensive pieces keep going missing around me," Gloria pointed out.
"Won't be a problem. Show her," Harumi ordered as the silent huscle finally moved. Pulling out a wire, he connected to her desk and the holographic screen changed again to show her… some kind of back door meeting? "Your employers have been naughty boys in their efforts to keep up with the far superior Trauma Team, and I'm afraid the rumours of them working with Scavs are very accurate. I have acquired evidence of their actions and my associate… convinced your boss to ignore your actions in exchange for our silence. Any report that reaches his desk will never go any higher."
"Everyone has heard the rumours-"
"Ah, but nobody has to act on rumour alone, do they?" Harumi asked in amusement. "Rumours affect stock prices, but never result in legal action. And true, posting this online or sending it to some media with an axe to grind would likely not do much damage. Sending it to Trauma Team, however, would. The grudge between the two corps has not faded, only gone into a colder war than before. As with any weapon, it's all about how you use it. In the right, or wrong, hands, my evidence could cause REO Meatwagon devastating issues. Given their already spotty record and the fact that they're selling customers to the Scavs, anything you take is a small price to silence me."
As much as Harumi claimed she'd be let go if she refused, Gloria knew better. Anyone who could pressure an Arasaka exec and an entire corp at the same time, just to get their hands on someone like her? They weren't someone she could refuse.
"And all I have to do is bring cyberware to you? I won't kill my clients to harvest them," Gloria warned. She had some morals left, at least.
"I am aware. Yes, that is all. I will supply you with better optics, allowing you to scan any deceased client you are transporting. The soft will highlight the noteworthy pieces and the price I am willing to pay for each," Harumi assured her. "Speaking of which."
Looking to her huscle again, he gestured to Gloria as his eyes flashed behind his helmet. The notification of a eurodollar transfer made her pause before she had to force herself not to shout at the price.
"For the Sandevistan," Harumi explained. The woman was definitely paranoid about something, never connecting to anything but her own desk, having the bodyguard do it all for her. "It's a fascinating piece, truly. So, are you interested?"
"Yeah, I'm in," Gloria agreed simply. She truly was interested, even if she felt that any other answer had the armoured guard burying her body in the badlands. The complete stillness he had when he wasn't being addressed by Harumi genuinely unnerved her more than the way his hand never moved away from his weapon.
Plus, she didn't know if he was the Netrunner who'd taken her down in the first place. There could be a hidden runner waiting to strike.
"Excellent. Kenshi?" Harumi said as the huscle moved. "You'll be dealing with Kenshi for the most part, delivering the parts to a dead drop or to him directly. He'll also be handling your payments. It's nothing personal, I just prefer to limit my exposure."
Definitely paranoid, but then she'd made Gloria go through a full scan and decontamination before coming here.
"Understood," Gloria said, keeping it brief and professional. Something about Harumi just tickled her the wrong way. Maybe it was the finely tuned danger sense every Night City resident who lived to see adulthood had, telling her that this was not someone to fuck with.
"Follow me," Kenshi, definitely a code name, said simply, giving Harumi a nod. At least he wasn't holding his gun anymore. Not that Gloria wasn't sure that the tall man couldn't rip her apart in a dozen ways without it.
Leading her out of the office, he closed and sealed it behind them. That room was definitely air-tight. Just what was Harumi so afraid of? Maybe she didn't want to know.
She liked being able to sleep at night.
"So, is this the part where you threaten me?" Gloria asked, almost just to break the silence. Sometimes, she wondered why David was such a gonk when it came to picking fights. Then she remembered that he was her son, and it all made sense.
Kenshi paused, turning to her. She couldn't see his face with the armoured helmet, but she could almost sense his amusement. Which was better than the icy cold stare, she supposed.
"Sure, why not? Betray Miss Seto and David won't even be able to identify what's left of you," Kenshi said, his tone entirely flat. Despite his amusement, she believed every word.
"Have you two known each other long? You don't exactly feel like the typical hired muscle," Gloria asked, unable to quench her curiosity.
"Since the day she was born," Kenshi responded bluntly. Siblings? Or something else. She had no idea how old Kenshi was, but with biosculpting treatments Harumi could be anywhere between early twenties and late nineties.
Now that they were away from Harumi, Kenshi was far more relaxed. He didn't see her as a threat to him, turning his back to her as he gathered something.
"What are these?" Gloria asked as he offered her two cards.
"Trauma team subscriptions. Employee benefit. Miss Seto finds the idea of losing valuable assets due to random violence displeasing," Kenshi replied in that same flat, blunt tone as she examined them. One for her, another for David. When had she set this up? "I've set up an appointment for you and your son at a clinic in north Kabuki. Your upgrade has already been decided, but Miss Seto has given you a… discretionary budget to pick out upgrades for your son."
"I guess that Sandevistan was worth more than I knew," Gloria half-laughed, mentally glad to be rid of the damn thing if it was truly worth this much. Especially if Harumi really had a gun to the head of her boss. "How did you know I wouldn't be working when you set up the appointment?"
"Because your schedule is whatever I tell your boss that it is," Kenshi replied blandly. "Miss Seto is too polite to talk about the cruder details. I didn't invite him over for tea and explain matters in a diplomatic way. I kidnapped him from his apartment, beat the gonk when he tried to fight back and made it clear that the evidence of his wrongdoings could fuck over his entire corp, something the higher-ups would skin him alive for. If he tries anything, it'll be a race to see who kills him first and in what spectacularly painful way. Me, the Scavs or his bosses. And I'm a damn good racer."
"Ah," Gloria replied, not really knowing what else to say.
"Ah," Kenshi agreed, again sounding mildly amused. "He'll be giving you a pay raise, not enough to be suspicious but a nice one all the same, and you'll be sent on jobs more likely to result in better cyberware. I expect half your coworkers will just assume you're fucking him."
She should be offended at the idea, but the asshole had hinted at her earning a bonus or two before and refusing usually resulted in her being sent on more dangerous jobs. The idea that someone else had him by the balls was fairly amusing.
"He wasn't the one who got an eyeful of me," Gloria pointed out, well aware that she was dressed in a skintight bodysuit that was practically clinging to her curves, tugging at it lightly. "What is this thing, anyway?"
"Vault suit," Kenshi responded. "Your clothes have been decontaminated. You're free to change back when you're ready to leave."
"Don't suppose I'll get some privacy this time?" Gloria asked.
"Nope," Kenshi responded, and this time he definitely sounded amused.
Yeah, she thought not.
"…seriously, what's with the decontamination? You're acting like I carried a bioweapon into your secret lair," Gloria finally asked, getting a snort from him.
"Do you want to see the report on the amount of contaminants, diseases and threats you were unknowingly carrying?" Kenshi asked plainly.
"…on second thought, no," Gloria decided.
"Thought not."
— Seiji Moriyama —
Originally, I intended Gloria to simply be a source of Cyberware but she sent me on quite the trip into wonderland.
I've long known about Meatwagon's questionable practices, because Arasaka works with Trauma Team. Finding evidence of their wrongdoings took me about two hours, with a couple more to relocate her branch's boss for a polite conversation on the importance of doing what I wanted if he'd like to keep his kneecaps. I was highly amused to find out that the mid-level corpo exec had a Trauma Team card, rather than a REO Meatwagon one.
But half my targets have had Trauma Team subscriptions and the hack to block their tech from sending out distress calls has been in Arasaka's hands for a long time. He claimed it was a mugging gone wrong, because I was being serious to Gloria.
If REO Meatwagon has to choose between wiping out the entire Night City branch or taking it on the chin, they'll clean the slate without a moment of hesitation. The entire corp is dirty, but they'll sever a branch without hesitation before they let it drag the rest of them down.
But my little adventure had me delving deeper into Scav business. Frankly, I don't usually bother. Scavs aren't a unified gang, for the most part, but dozens upon dozens of smaller operations that are vaguely connected. Unlike the Tygers, Mox, Sixth Street, Maelstrom and even the Animals, you can't really do much about scavs because for every one you kill, three more crawl out of the woodwork.
Sure, Arasaka uses them sometimes since their insulated nature means manipulating a group won't get the attention of the rest, but I've always preferred to just wipe them out. Too unreliable for me. Unreliable assets are just as dangerous as competent enemies.
I won't have my operations go sideways because of some drunk, XBD addicted chrome junkie who can't follow a simple plan. It's easier to hire professional mercs who can actually follow orders and know their part.
But in my little adventure to get a nice, thick evidence file, I found myself dealing with a small band of Scavs who had pulled quite the trick, living in a Ripperdocs basement.
Charles Buck thought he was so very smart with his little deal with the Scavs. In truth, I was mildly impressed.
Didn't save him.
I decided he'd make a good test subject for my third-gen synth infiltration test. The Institute truly does have some wonderful toys, and the only people Charles interacts with are fucking Scavs.
The real Charles is dead, his body harvested and melted down. The Charles Buck that is running his Ripperdoc shop is about two days old, but has all his memories, all his skills. My own pet Ripperdoc synth.
He's primed to blow if the heat gets too much, but the wonderful thing about this world is that metal in bodies is about as unsurprising as it gets. Nobody is going to scan him and be worried by his cybernetics because this is a world where a lack of cybernetics would be more suspicious. Third-Gen Synths were effectively undetectable in their world, but I need to work out how good they are in mine. 'Charles' has no idea that he's a synth, that I have a back door into his head. All he knows is that he has a corpo boss who he cannot under any circumstances betray or disobey.
Even if this ends with me having to blow the entire shop sky high, having already planted the charges, it's still been a success. Charles has become a source of Cyberware and Eddies, and the downloaded knowledge is worth more than his memories.
As scummy as the man was, he was a talented ripperdoc. Now, I can mass produce Synths with this exact skillset. Which also means I should be on the lookout for people with talents I don't have a copy of, who won't be missed.
If everything goes to shit, the Scavs are all set up to take the heat for this. I also used it as a chance to set up a teleportation relay in his store, also rigged to blow at the first sight of trouble. Now, my teleportation range covers Kabuki and Watson.
These are two of my greatest weapons. Teleportation allows me to get into places I have no business being in, and my Synths allow me to well and truly infiltrate any group. If the test with Charles goes well? I can use both to rapidly abduct and replace people of interest to make my future plans infinitely easier.
But I can't risk replacing a corpo, even a middle management nobody like Gloria's boss. Any time I go into the office, I get scanned a dozen times. If anything would notice a synth, it's the endless scans that every corporation has. Sure, REO Meatwagon is no Arasaka, but I need a better way to test it than replacing someone and giving away the game if their scanners can pick up the changes. I'll need a chance to probe those scanners and work out how easily they pick up Synths.
Besides, teleportation has worked wonders in crippling V. I've worked with her long enough to know that she's really bad at doing jobs that she isn't sure will end well. The fact that she keeps losing me, only for me to show up on cameras somewhere miles away is crippling her willingness to strike. She's cautious, but Jenkins is pushing her for results so she can't back down. Basically, I'm delaying her so she has to attack during the job, not before.
Her current theory is that I have a bio-sculpted body double. Since she rightfully fears my reprisal if she strikes and misses, she won't attack unless she's certain that it's me. The only time she can be certain that it's really me is on the job, because much like how I know she's overly cautious, she knows I'm a control freak and would never leave a job to someone else.
V has hired a Netrunner onto this job of hers to help track me, named 'T-Bug', on the suggestion of Jackie Welles. She's pretty good, I'll admit. I'm probably going to kill her. Or download her memories and skills to make synth Netrunners. Depends on how much of an issue she proves to be. For now, she's just as confused by my disappearing act as anyone else and my ICE is too foreign for her to breach. It's given V another piece to the puzzle, but not enough that she can see the whole picture.
She's leaning towards me having sided with another corp to get out of this mess. Not entirely incorrect, given Vault-Tec, but also not even close to the truth. All those little discrepancies are paralysing to someone like V who needs to know all the parts before she makes her move.
It comes from Jenkins being such a perfectionist. Failed missions came with hefty consequences, even beyond the usual Arasaka discipline. She's so used to Jenkins needing everything to go perfectly that she hesitates to make a move if there's unknown variables.
Just another way that Jenkins has been a deadweight, holding her back. I really am going to need to either make a deal or just deal with her the moment Jenkins is dealt with. Without him holding her down, she might just become a genuine threat to me.
Returning to my penthouse, I move to my terminal and get to work. At this point, I don't care if Jenkins thinks I'm not working on his mission as much as I should be. The psychopath wants me dead either way so I can afford to take my time while I line up all the dominos.
The truth is, I'm a little too much like V. I don't like making my move until I'm sure all the variables have been accounted for either.
My personal comm rings, making me pause and frown at the unknown number. It's linked to Clouds, but they shouldn't be contacting me like this. Unless Woodman needs another reminder that I'm not one of his dipshit clients that he can try and pressure.
"Speak," I say, answering the call with my best 'don't waste my time' voice. I didn't even give Clouds my personal number. As the line connects, I get a look at the latina woman on the other end, well dressed but not a corpo if I had to guess. Attractive, but not enough to be a doll.
"Oh, err-" a female voice says, clearly caught off guard. "My apologies if I am calling at a bad time, Mr Moriyama. I am Anjelica Milioti, Senior VIP Services representative at Clouds."
…what?
"It's fine, you caught me in the middle of something but I have time to speak," I continue, the corpo voice going strong.
Clouds never contacts me, because I specifically told them not to. I message them when I want their services, not the other way around.
"Thank you, sir," Anjelica says respectfully, clearly used to kissing the ass of high-ranking corpos. Which is odd, because while I have influence in Clouds due to having power over the Tyger Claws from my job, I'm not that high ranking in Arasaka by design. Why would they start treating me like an exec? "I was just calling to welcome you to the VIP program. At Clouds, we pride ourselves at ensuring all of our VIPs' desires are satisfied."
I'm not in the VIP program?
"I wasn't aware I was eligible for the VIP program," I reply simply, once again seeing her pause in confusion.
"Hmm, that's strange. You have been elevated on our system, it seems to be a benefit of a recent promotion from our notes. One Director Abernathy called us directly to arrange it," Anjelica explains.
I physically hold in a sigh.
"Ah, no, you're correct. Director Abernathy did mention several benefits to my new position but it is very new. This was likely a surprise, as she knows that I'm a frequent client already," I reply, my tone relaxing as she lets out a sigh of relief, no doubt fearful that she'd found herself stuck in a Corpo power play.
Which is exactly what this is. Abernathy once again showing me that she knows far too much about me while at the same time, showing me the benefits of working for her.
"Ah, I understand, sir," Anjelica says, with clear relief that the tension is fading. "I see you have frequently hired Maiko Maeda. Are you satisfied with her performance thus far?"
"I am. Maiko knows my tastes and interests well," I agree, throwing Maiko a bone. No doubt she's also heard, or is soon to hear, that I've been raised to their vaunted VIP status which will only push her to continue her current scheme harder.
"Excellent. I can also see that you requested that she arrange a second Doll for a celebration. At the moment, she is leaning toward one Evelyn Parker, one of our most popular girls. I'm sending her details through now," Anjelica continues, sending a package.
Hm. Evelyn is certainly beautiful. The full body nude model of her is a nice touch.
"I see I was right to trust Maiko to pick for me," I say, putting on the image of a hedonistic corpo.
"Would you like any adjustments to be made to either girl? As you know, Clouds has access to top of the line biosculpting and as a VIP, we'd be happy to alter any girl to better fit your fantasy," Anjelica offers. "You need not decide immediately. I've sent both girls models, and our catalog, to your registered email. The app will allow you to make any alterations you desire to the models, and once sent we can have the surgery done within six hours."
"I enjoy Maiko as she is, but I will certainly take a look at the app," I confirm, mildly amused at how much they're kissing my ass. The fuck did Abernathy tell them?
"Of course, take your time, sir," Anjelica agrees quickly. She's scared of me, which only adds to the fact that Abernathy has made it clear that I'm someone powerful.
Yeah, she's telling people that I'm going to take Jenkins' job, isn't she? Arasaka Counterintel has one hell of a reputation, even amongst other corps, and if Clouds think I'm the next head of the NC department, it would explain how much ass kissing they're doing.
"I've taken the liberty of making Maiko your exclusive Doll, so she'll always be available to you. If you wish to change your exclusive doll, please do not hesitate to call," Anjelica continues. "I've also sent an app to your personal email. This will allow you to peruse our catalog to request any Doll be sent to your apartment, as we are aware you prefer your home to our private rooms."
I didn't give them my personal email either. Fucking Abernathy, she's becoming a thorn. I know what she's doing, she's showing off. It's annoying.
"Much appreciated, Miss Milioti," I say easily.
"It is my pleasure, sir. As always, Clouds exists to make your wildest dreams come true," Anjelica says, rattling off one of the dozen mottos of the dollhouse.
Saying goodbye, I end the call and my easy smile is replaced with a scowl immediately. Abernathy is becoming a problem. She's smarter than Jenkins but just as much of a control freak, and she won't stop inserting herself into every aspect of my life.
She's trying to do to me what Jenkins has done to V. Sure, she plans to give me his position but only if I accept her leash around my neck. If I didn't have my new 'powers', I might have even accepted it as you'll always be beneath someone unless your name is Saburo Arasaka. Now? I find myself less willing to submit and play the game her way.
If I was in Abernathy's position, I'd use this as a way to build blackmail on me. But she wouldn't entrust that to some VIP representative, or an idiot like Woodman. No, she'd use the 'manager' of Clouds, Tyger Claws lieutenant, Hiromi Sato.
No, she'd go even higher because she's too egotistical to work with a middle-management. She'd go to Hiromi's bosses, Jun Azegami and Marcus Ichida.
Well, I can play this game too. Only, I'm not going to settle for giving them orders.
I've found my next batch of Synth replacements, because I want the Tyger Claws answering my orders over Abernathy's.
My relay in Kabuki is close enough to cover a good part of Japantown, including my Megabuilding which also has Hiromi's penthouse and Clouds.
Abernathy thinks she's penning me in, but I'm going to turn the cage she's building into a trap for her. I can't risk replacing Corpos, yet, but gangsters?
Gangsters I can replace.
As for Clouds? Opening up the app (after running three different scans to check it for daemons), I look over the catalog before I get an idea.
They're eager to please, but I know exactly one girl that they won't expect me to choose. She's in the catalog, but unlike the rest she's not nude in the model because she's not a Doll.
But Clouds will do just about anything to please their new VIP, especially if fucking Abernathy has a gun to their bosses heads.
Besides, I've heard such wonderful things about her skill for tuning BDs and I could use that skillset for my… library.
— Bonus Scene — Judy Alvarez
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Judy said, staring at Maiko in utter disbelief.
"Look, it's not that bad-"
"Not that bad? I'm not a fucking doll! I just tune the BDs," Judy argued, staring at the VIP request for her in a mixture of shock and anger.
"You are a member of Clouds. Technically, it is in your contract, it's just never come up before," Maiko pointed out. Wait, what was in her contract? Since fucking when? "Like I said, it's not that bad. Seiji is a great lover, not into anything too fucked up and the pay's better-"
"I don't give a shit about the pay!" Judy cut in angrily. "I'm not a joytoy. Why the fuck does he want me anyway?"
"Honestly, I don't know. It caught me by surprise too," Maiko admitted, placing a hand on her thigh. "But you know this isn't really a request you can turn down."
"The fuck I can't. You think I care about this place enough that I won't just quit rather than get whored out?" Judy asked. "I don't even have a Doll chip, which is Cloud's entire thing."
"Judy, he's our newest Senior VIP and you know how few people get put on that list. What do you think the Claws are gonna do if you embarrass Clouds by refusing?" Maiko pointed out with just the right amount of worry in her tone to make it sound like she was worried for Judy rather than being worried about her fucking schemes she and Evelyn were working on.
"You can't be serious, Maiko-"
"I am, and you know Eve is going to say the same thing. Just put something nice on, smile the right amount and moan at the right times. He'll probably get bored after a night and you walk away richer, and more importantly, alive," Maiko reassured her.
"I've never even been with a guy before, you know that," Judy protested.
"Honestly, might be why he requested you. Virgins are a rarity, especially virgins working for a Dollhouse," Maiko mused. "I can show you how to fake it, it'll be fine. Might even be able to get myself invited along. Guys like watching girls put on a show for them."
Realising this was going nowhere fast, Judy let out a disgusted sound even as her traitorous mind pictured it.
Just fucking preem.