I was sitting on a bed with leopard-print duvets cast in red light. Tiger stripe patterns lined the walls of the dimly lit room. I heard the sound of the shower running, and could see a vague shadow in the stall as Rebecca moved inside, washing herself. The scent of the room was strong and citrusy. I quietly leaned back on the bed as I stared at the ceiling, a single thought forming from the many neurons bouncing around the inside of my skull.
I.
Was not prepared for sex.
I wasn't sure why, honestly. I damn well knew that I had a libido, considering how often I had to keep my eyes from sliding down from Rebecca's face and appreciating everything that she bared.
And what was more, I loved being wanted. Desired. It soothed my soul in a way that nothing else did. Being found sexually appealing? That was one of the most intoxicating feelings I'd ever felt. Even the thought of it made me feel giddy.
I definitely wanted to grow closer with Rebecca. To be more intimate, and to understand her better. Was sex the way to go for that? Honestly, who knew? Not me, that was for sure. What did we have? Didn't know that either.
We'd dated, if you could call getting together to wander the streets of Night City that, or watching movies together… Okay, now that I thought about it, we'd dated. I just… hadn't really expected anything else to happen. Or at least, not without a great deal of setup. A movie. A romantic dinner. Something other than a quick dive through a night market and a brief run.
There was something that I was certain about, however. There was a terror in me that I couldn't name or explain. A screaming chimp with a hammer smashing every cognizant thought I had into dust. I was terrified of moving forwards, and I couldn't tell why for the life of me. Every train of thought that I had stalled in its tracks. Every attempt at introspection was strangled by the deadline of Rebecca's shower ending any second now.
I'd been all but physically led to the room that we would be staying in for the night. It was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. My mind was simply too busy trying to determine what I was going to do to handle anything else.
Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. I knew my course, there could only be one course. I just had no goddamn idea if I was ready for it, which… explained everything.
Yep. It was absolutely clear to me, now.
I was completely certain of it.
I had absolutely no fucking clue what I was doing.
Help me, wisdom of the fucked-up future! I ripped the agent out of my pocket, my heart hammering in my skull. Words tumbled out in typing.
"First sex what do"
I clicked the first site that popped up and scrolled quickly, before nodding to myself as I read through.
"Protection". Right, because protection was important. I didn't want any pregnancies. I didn't have a condom, but there were probably condoms somewhere in this room, right? I got up off the bed, digging through the drawers, I tugged out a small packet and stared at it, before nodding. Then, I went to my agent and made doubly sure that this night wasn't going to result in consequences that I was not fucking ready for.
Then what? "Foreplay". Of course! That would help smooth things out until time came for the main act. But that was advice for when things actually started, and I needed advice for what led up to that. Best to keep it in mind though.
What else? "Realistic expectations"? Sure. Okay. Next thing.
"Location". Can't change that now. Next.
"Take it slow". Makes sense. Next.
"Make sure you feel relaxed". Oh yeah, real fucking helpful!
I briefly considered hurling my agent at the wall, before taking a deep breath and thinking of loud, buzzing static. Like a TV tuned in to dead air. I kept the static buzzing in my skull as I heard the shower tap shut off, and the sound of water being wrung from hair.
Calm. I was calm. I wanted her. She wanted me. Plenty of people had been in my position before. Hell, I bet all my ancestors had been like me once upon a time. What was the worst that could happen?
…I quietly buried every worst-case scenario that immediately sprung up with more static as Rebecca stepped out of the shower with a smirk on her lips. She threw a towel over her shoulder that covered one tit but not the other, and her smirk widened when she noticed me taking in every detail.
It wasn't just lust that motivated me to stare, but also an aesthetic appreciation. Her blue skin and hair contrasted with her pink tattoos, pastel colors standing starkly together. I found myself fascinated by the way that the ram's skull on her stomach contorted as she shifted her balance, a cocky smile on her lips. "What's the matter? Can't get enough?" She teased.
Whatever hesitation I had wasn't enough to hold my answer back. "No." I replied honestly. Then, it occurred to me to give my best smile.
She chortled briefly a moment later. "Gonk." She stepped over to a short desk with a hairdryer on. "Shower's yours, if you want one." Her smirk suggested that I could just as well skip it.
I considered the stall, before glancing back at Rebecca. "Sure. Need to freshen up after that run, anyway." I didn't, but I needed just a little bit more time to myself to get ready, and this would serve as a good excuse.
Rebecca gave an uncharacteristic snort as she shook her head with a grin, and I quietly stripped down, tossing my items over to a corner as I stepped in. There was a brief whistle that I couldn't help but give a startled laugh at before I shut the door.
Tepid water ran down my body and dripped from my hair. I simply stood still for a moment, watching water fall down in droplets. I took some deep breaths, before rubbing my face with my hands.
This was it. No more delays. All that was left was the doing.
…Heh. Doing.
It was liberating in a strange way. The counting down to zero. The last of my time was running out, and there was nothing to be done. There were no more preparations that I could make that would matter. It was a sensation I knew well, from past assignments and projects that came to their deadlines.
When you had twenty four hours, it was a mad scramble. Could I have done this better? Could I have done that better? Was I repeating myself too much? Too little? So on and so forth.
But when you had five minutes? That was that. No more point in fear or worry or anything like that. All that was left was to put faith in everything I'd done. And a little faith in Rebecca too, along with a few other things.
My mind emptied, thoughts ushered out by choice. Enough introspection. Reflecting on how little I knew wasn't going to get me anywhere.
Yes… No thoughts. Head empty.
And after that, all that was left to do was to turn off the shower, dry off, wrap the towel around my waist and take a step. Then another.
I walked into the room to see Rebecca lying on her side on the bed, completely bare and kicking her legs. I couldn't help but use [Reflex] to take in the moment, and to take in the sight of her as well.
Her pale blue skin was bared for the world to see, along with her pink tattoos, while her light green hair was kept in a pair of ponytails by the only thing she wore. Her red and green eyes turned in my direction in slow motion, seeming hilariously innocent due to how wide they were generally opened. It felt strange to see her without her jacket, like she was missing some vital component, but its lack revealed her slightly thick thighs and rear, so I certainly couldn't complain.
She perked up as I walked in, I smiled as we made eye contact, snapping my fingers and giving her the finger gun as I walked over, the other hand preoccupied with holding the towel up to my waist. I sat down on the bed with an impact that caused her to bounce briefly. "Kept you waiting?"
Her gaze roamed my body. "For way too long." She declared with a lecherous grin. "Comeon. Pants off. Let's see what I'm working with, here."
I shrugged and tugged the towel off. Her eyebrows raised briefly, "Not bad." She said, sitting up from her position.
"Expecting something else?" I probed as the two of us sat and studied one another, not yet making any moves to familiarize ourselves with each other's bodies.
"Heard all kinds of stories of people getting Mister Studds that are waaay too big to fit." She snickered. "Wondered if I'd have to stick to my hands for the night."
I snorted. "Do I seem like a guy unhappy with his lot in life?"
"..." Rebecca's smile twitched, and her hands came up to my shoulders. In lieu of an answer, she pulled me in, forcing me to lean down a little to get my head level with hers. In lieu of an answer, she gave me a forceful kiss, pushing her tongue into mine. Slowly, I began to reciprocate.
I could think about the lack of an answer later. No thoughts. Just action.
----------------------------------------
Rebecca couldn't help but crow in the depths of her brain. Victory tasted fucking sweet. It hadn't been a short campaign. It'd been long. Hard fought. She'd had to struggle for every inch of ground that she gained, but the breakthroughs here and there and the moments they had kept her from growing frustrated enough to call it quits.
Razzle had a gift for making it impossible to flirt. Every time they went out, it was always for something casual or touchy-feely. Entire days would be spent messing around with guns, chrome and clothes, often with David in tow, whereas he seemed downright allergic to bars and parties. So she'd been forced to wait for her chance, like it was a goddamn stakeout and not a chance to blow off steam.
It made her want to pull her hair out, at times. It was fun, don't get her wrong. Seeing his wide-eyed reaction to everything was goddamned adorable. The way he'd excitedly yammer on about Malorian orbital workshops or AV programming only to trail off self-consciously whenever he realized that she hadn't said anything in the past few minutes made her want to squeeze him like a plush animal.
But she didn't just want a friend, she wanted benefits.
Which meant that rather than the tried and true methods of spilling a drink and rubbing their crotch, she'd had to employ the slow, methodical art of seduction. Little looks and smiles. Physical proximity. She'd gotten lucky late one night, yanking him off the street and getting him onto her couch. It hadn't been what she'd hoped for, but the skinship afterwards had been nice. And what was better, she didn't even have to initiate!
Which meant he wasn't just into her like his wandering eye said he was, but that he was into her.
After that though, things had gotten tough to push forward. Where did you go after a night of cuddles? Nowhere she knew, that was for sure. You'd think that the fucking would come first, but apparently Razzle liked going around with the map upside down. They'd had more meets, but those always had a casual air that she just couldn't breach.
Until now.
Dancing. Fighting. Things which made you feel alive, and brushes with death that made you thankful for it. That was what led to the clearest shot. It was like science! So when she'd noticed the look of visceral satisfaction in his eye as the Claw broke a tooth falling down the stairs, the need for more time with her warring with his caution, she'd taken her shot.
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And now… all she had to do was put on the moves, so that he'd come back the day after, begging for more. Who said she couldn't do strategy? Half of the strategy was just taking advantage of opportunities, after all!
The other half was having the bigger gun.
His kiss back was hesitant. Slow and careful, not entirely sure what he was doing. She couldn't help but smirk a little as a conscious mental nudge set her Midnight Lady sexual implant to a lower sensitivity. She was going to rock his goddamn world.
Her legs folded around his back as she pulled back, smirking as his cock smeared pre all over her stomach. "Now then. Why don't you lie down and let me show you how it's done?"
There was a brief chortle. "And let you have all the fun?" He said, raising an eyebrow. There wasn't a hint of the nerves, and unfortunately he wasn't using the sinfully slow and deliberate tone that he sometimes had. Instead there was this casual, friendly tone, almost like they were going to the arcade instead of screwing each other.
"Oh, I don't think you'll feel left out at all." she declared, doing her best sultry look as she leaned into his face, her hand gripping his crotch. She grinned as she felt a shudder run through him though the other hand laid over his chest, satisfied at the effect her touch had. She got to work, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. First, she'd get it all wet and sticky, and then she'd let the Midnight Lady go to work.
At first, she thought nothing of it as his hands went to her chest. There wasn't much there, sure. She knew that better than anyone else, but at least he was giving something back rather than just sitting there. His fingers brushed along her nipples, she couldn't help but squirm slightly at the sensation. "Hey, no pinching, okay?" She immediately announced, "Not that kinda girl."
He gave an absentminded nod, and resumed his motions. She sucked in a breath, a wave of goosebumps spreading over her as he applied just the amount of pressure to run his fingertip over the nub without pushing it down. He leaned in as she did so, paying close attention as she grit her teeth. She hadn't expected him to figure out something to do so quickly. Or for it to be so effective.
Fuck it. She was slick enough, and so was he. She let go of the meat-stick, pulling herself up by his shoulders, her legs still locked behind his back as she grinned up at him. Then, once she finished positioning herself over him… she let herself drop in one smooth motion, taking him all the way in. Even through the halved sensations, she could feel her insides begin to pulse and shift as the implant went to work. Her grin grew even wider as Razzle's eyes flew open, a twitching smile on his face. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"Nope." He wheezed, seemingly frozen, brief jitters appearing here and there as he struggled to regain control of himself. He stared up at her in shock and bemusement. "Is that a Midnight Lady?" He asked, thoroughly distracted by the sensations of nubs and folds squeezing down, stroking and sucking all at once.
"Rolls like the waves. Or at least, that's what they say on TV. How's it feel?" She probed. She'd tried sticking a finger inside and turning it on, and the experience had been… strange. Like being vacuumed, massaged and washed all at once. She wondered what it was like with something more sensitive.
"Great. And also a little terrifying." He'd muttered the last part, but she heard it nonetheless.
She couldn't help but hug him close and give him a cutesy smile, amusement and adoration roiling in her stomach. "Awww. Scared of little ol' me?"
"I just hope whoever built that implant knew what they were doing." He muttered with a wince of concern that made her heart soar.
She cackled at the look on his face, but it was cut off with a small shriek as she suddenly felt another faint, goosebump-inducing brush along her chest. "Hey!" She complained.
There was a smirk on his face now. "Defenseless." He simply declared, his hands seizing ahold of her sides as his thumbs began rubbing in circles, somehow maintaining that perfect amount of pressure and speed even as she writhed.
Oh no he didn't. "I'll show you defenseless!" She shouted out with a feral grin, unlocking her legs so that she could kneel on the bed. Then, she lifted herself up before slamming all her weight back down again. And then she did it again, and again, and again, her conscious desire holding her walls tightly together as she bounced up and down on the bed, doing her best to break the damned thing. Or at least bust a spring.
The effect was paralyzing, driving the breath out of him with every bounce. It seemed like all he could do was hold on to her, his grip nearly crushingly tight on her petite body. His gaze was wild and unfocused as he gasped, and Rebecca felt a flush cover her cheeks as she felt him shudder under her, partially from exertion, partially from excitement.
She savored the look of bewilderment on his face, the shock at the idea that someone as small as her was pounding him so goddamn hard he left an indent on the bed. She liked it almost more than the sex.
Almost.
She began to pant in time with her hammering. Even through half-sensitivity, she could still feel the rod in her, hard as chrome. Her hands gripped his back, savoring the hard coils beneath and the smooth skin, uninterrupted by metal or wiring.
Even when setting sensation aside for a moment, the situation was pushing her buttons in more ways than one. The lack of experience on the other end, the tinge of competition between the two of them, the way she overwhelmed him utterly. It all drove her to ecstasy, like she did him.
"Had! Enough! Yet?!" She punctuated every word with another slam. Her frenzied grin was met with a challenging smirk.
"Not even close."
Without warning, Rebecca was scooped up with a squawk. She kicked a little as she was turned around, before being held from behind, long arms holding her tightly, keeping her from pounding into him. She squirmed for a moment, trying to free herself. "Hey, what gives?" She yelled, before she seized control of herself, and she thumped her head softly against his chest. "Too much for ya?"
"Just felt like sharing the love." His hands ghosted over her chest, fingertips once again finding that familiar rhythm, but jokes on him, she was used to that now!
"Can't just do the same thing over and over and expect it to work every time, ya know." She smugly muttered, feeling the second-hand sensation of her implant still going to work on him. She could appreciate the effort, but she had a plan for the night. Step A.) Milk him dry. Step B.) Cuddle the shit out of him.
Becca. Master of strategy and tactics!
"Guess I can't." She felt a brief shudder pass through her as he draped himself over her and sighed into her ear in a breathy tone that she'd never heard before but goddamn did she want to hear again. There was a hint of resignation in those words, but it also dripped with a quiet confidence that made her feel faint.
Hands slowly circled her nipples, framing her blue aureole. Every now and then, his finger would brush against the nub, but it felt deliberate. Like he was teasing her with every fleeting flicker of contact. Rebecca bit her lip and held her breath. Goddamn- why didn't she think to get the breast sensitivity package too!?
"Oh?" There was a carnal and casual delight to his pleased exclamation. "Rebecca, are you trying to hide your reactions from me?"
She huffed. "Got nothing to hide! Now let me go so that I can finish pounding you into the floor!" She hotly declared.
Instead of doing as she said, he held her even tighter, his grip all encompassing as he leered at her from above, squinting at her with a cheeky grin. "Oh, you adorable little minx!"
A flash of hot, uncontrollable rage briefly rushed through her. "Shaddup! Don't call me that!" She squirmed harder against his hug, not yet putting everything she had into writhing her way out, but still putting some effort in.
She felt him freeze in surprise. "Ah, sorry about that." He muttered, all the brevity gone from his voice. She winced as the sudden shift in mood struck her like a bullet. Fuck, and she'd just managed to get him to start joking around again, too! Stupid, stupid-
"It's fine." She hotly declared. "Just… it's a stupid hangup." She muttered, crushing the dying embers of her anger.
"I'll make sure not to do it again." Fuck- And that had been the sincerity and quiet determination he sometimes showed, except it was killing the mood and why did she have to open her fat mouth?!
"I said it's fine!" She yelled, tilting her head all the way up to look him in his eyes, open in surprise and showing both crosshairs and iris. "Just-" She needed to say something, but what?! "Just…"
"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you." Her entire body seemed to twitch as a smoky, sensual sigh made its way through one ear, filled her brain and passed out the other. She was probably making an utterly slutty face right now as her teeth clenched and her eyelids twitched, but she didn't care. She'd kill to hear more of that voice whispering sweet nothings.
Well, she'd killed for a pack of chips before, but that didn't devalue killing! Much.
Razzle's attentive touch returned to her body, but rather than teasing her chest like always, one slowly began to glide downwards, tracing around her tattoos as it did so, while the other slid up, brushing over her throat. She felt oddly vulnerable, her neck clenching and heart pumping as she felt a nail drift over what felt like a throbbing vein. The touch paused as he noticed her tiny reaction, but continued its path upwards without comment, culminating in a gentle touch on her jaw.
Two fingers stopped just short of her crotch, before slowly beginning to rub the puffy folds. She felt a brief moment of relief as she felt him experimentally yet gently working her over, never were there annoyingly direct pokes and prods, instead it was like a continuous caress, or a stroking that shifted and changed but never outright stopped.
The effect left just a little to be desired, but it was no wonder, with her lowered sensitivity barely letting her feel even a tinge. Waffling about for a moment, she decided to turn the sensitivity back up, just a notch. It'd be a shame for him to put all this effort in just for her not to feel it, after all.
The moment she went to 75%, she felt a bone deep shudder pass through her as the new level of sensations began to flow through her. The affectionate rubbing briefly slowed, before finding a new pace, still trying to ferret out her weaknesses even as her implant did its best to milk the other party.
And yet he seemed unhurried, like he was too busy playing with her meat to pay attention to her goddamn chrome. Rebecca ground her backside against him, a brief burst of satisfaction rolling through her as she felt him still for a moment. She smirked and lapped at one of the fingers on her jawline, "Not bad, loverboy." Then, she nipped at it. "But if you really want me to feel it, you're gonna have to pound me like a drum!" She growled out around the finger between her teeth.
"All in good time." The hand on her jaw guided her into turning her head up. Then, Razzle's head came in from above, pressing his mouth against hers.
But this kiss was different. He didn't just push his tongue into her mouth without any thought, there was a plan. She felt her own tongue being lapped at and circled around like candy, only for her eyes to shoot open and her heart to leap into her throat as suddenly she felt teeth scraping along the surface of her tongue. The strangled yelp she let out was swallowed up as the rubbing suddenly intensified. There was too much to think about, to react to, to feel.
Rebecca felt a nuclear blush cover her face as her trains of thought crashed into each other, her mind blanking entirely. Thoughts of resistance melted, and she simply let herself be possessively held as he toyed with every part of her he could touch. It took an embarrassing amount of time for Rebecca to realize that she was moaning lowly, too distracted to do anything else.
Fucking- How had he learned so quickly?! It wasn't goddamn fair!
The rubbing began to slow, and she felt her breath hitch as her lower lips were suddenly spread open, her aching, quivering clit now exposed to the open air. She couldn't help but break the kiss, gasping at the sensation.
She could hear the smug smile in his voice as he spoke up again. "And here… we… go."
Rebecca tried to say something. Wait, maybe. Or something else. Maybe she was just going to swear. That seemed more likely. But as she tried to suck in air and expel words, the fingers dug in, gently pinching her helpless clit between them and rubbing together, spiking her heart rate and forcing her to let out a wordless squeal through clenched teeth.
He started to play around with the sensitive nub, applying the slightest of pressure between his fingers, stroking over the top with his thumb, letting his nails scrape along its surface in an impossibly gentle way. His coordination was impeccable, and his touch inescapable no matter what she did.
And throughout it all, the only thing she could do was writhe. Shaking her head from side to side, ponytails whipping back and forth wildly as her legs clamped together and her toes curled. There wasn't a single cognizant thought running through her mind, only a steady stream of swearing that grew louder and louder as time passed.
The taste of salt pulled her thoughts back together, allowing her to notice that there was a finger hooked into her cheek and pulling it out. The endlessly changing stream of pleasure held its pattern for the moment, allowing for her mind to adapt, for her to think.
"Feeling better, now?" Something in her bristled at the cocky tone, but it was undermined by the rest of her shuddering so hard it felt like she would shatter as the frequencies of his faint amusement traveled through her.
"Just fucking fuck me already!" Rebecca's slurred, shrill voice rang out, simultaneously a strangled demand and a breathless plea.
His answer was casually given. "Hmm. Give me a moment. I want to test one more thing."
"Fucking shit-sucking cock-fucking-" Despair and need ran rampant through her. She didn't respond, instead trying to lift herself up by her arms pulling at his shoulders behind her, trying to get her quaking legs beneath her, trying to do something to actually pump the rod in her. It was uncoordinated and frenzied, resulting in little other than clawing at his arms as they looped around her waist, holding her hips still as two fingers held her clit still.
She heard a hiss as he took a deep breath in, air whistling through teeth as it entered him. Then an intense puff as he breathed out. His breathing steadied, constantly flowing back and forth in a rhythm. For a moment, she thought about asking what he was doing.
She never noticed the glittering sparks traveling down his arm, into his hand and directly through her captive clit.
Rebecca shrieked as she felt a spike of sensation rip through her. Every single part of her clenched as lightning seemed to dance across her crotch. Her body felt white hot, and her brain like it was melting through her ears as her body bounced and shook. She could barely breathe, her nails digging into his arm as she convulsed.
As her mind rebooted itself, she noticed a few things. The silence throughout the room, a bone-deep ache as she laid on him, body still trembling, and a new stain on the bed, a wet spray over the sheet with a clear point of origin. She was the one who had cum.
Thoughts bounced through her brain like shell casings. How the fuck- What the fuck?! How had he- Was she really that fucking easy to… Fuck.
"You okay?" That goddamn voice, filled with concern and care swept it all away. Rebecca looked up to see Razzle staring down at her, eyes wide like a puppy's as he protectively leaned over her.
Her mouth twisted into a grin automatically, years of experience coming into practice. "Just need to catch my breath. Thas' all." She replied.
He sagged slightly. "Okay." He leaned back, a slight smile on his face as he looked down at her.
For a long while, the two of them sat there and stared at each other, too tired to do anything else. Then, a suspicion wormed its way into her mind. "Did you…" She began, before stopping.
His stare became confused. "What?"
"You know." She waved her hand limply, before letting it flop back down. "Cum."
"Oh." He muttered. He thought for a moment, before replying hesitantly. "No?"
She quietly stared at him, before she gave up. "You're going to have to do the rest of the work tonight. I just…" She trailed off, wriggling her fingers. Can't. The word refused to leave her mouth.
Razzle rubbed his chin. Pride in his accomplishment and worry for her warred visibly on his face. "...Maybe we can spoon and you can turn the thing on?" He offered. "No more rubbing or anything, just…" He shrugged.
She flicked the mental switch with a grumble, tuning her sensitivity back to normal. "Fine, but if anyone asks, I milked you like a cow."
Razzle gave an amused snort as his arms wrapped around her. "If anybody asked, they'd be a goddamn weirdo. Just say that you don't kiss and tell."
"Gonk." She mumbled into his chest.
"Minx." He muttered into her hair.
----------------------------------------
Regina Jones rapped her fingers along her arm in sequence, waiting for the call to come through.
For the most part, spreading the word had gone smoothly. Once her usual back and forth with Wakako had ended, with her telling the older woman to quit sending Tyger Claws her direction and Wakako insisting that there were plenty of rogue Claws that she had no control over, she'd given her the spiel. "Razzle". A simple gun for hire, who needed every detail for the job given, but would fulfill every detail to the letter.
A very brief explanation of observed skills and outfitted chrome had taken place, a shortened file had been sent, and that had been that. A bridge patched up for just that little bit longer. Wakako had hemmed and hawed but eventually signed off the call with an expression of vague interest after Regina explained that he was also staying in Japantown at the moment.
Then, she'd called up a few other faces. In the case of Padre and Reyes, mostly to discuss other business, though she'd found the time to warn that a certain merc with something to prove might be heading their way soon.
What she hadn't expected was for Dino to come forward with something when she made a mention of his propensity for revolvers. The usual amount of swearing afterwards, he'd told her that there was a man digging around for a blonde "gunslinger". He'd tried to dig, but she managed to infer that there was a bounty on the info.
A little bit of haggling later, they'd come to a deal, and Regina had a little more info and a new contact, though not a new name in her files.
Jimmy Kurosaki. An XBD editor, and a popular one to boot. His drek showed up all over Watson, and plenty of other places too. Schools, dimly lit alleys, his new releases of 'Edgerunner' were even highlighted at the Totentanz, because Maelstrom found plenty to admire in a walk in the shoes of a cyberpsycho.
She'd managed to get her hands on a few of those, to see if it would help her with her efforts to research a cure for the condition, though her attempt to gather the unedited scrolls were far less successful.
The XBDs served as useful research material to her, but it was still clear beyond doubt that the man was scum, through and through. At best he was a distant relative of the average media vulture, chewing up corpses and shitting out garbage. Rumors suggested that he was much, much worse.
But it didn't matter. Razzle was a grown man. He could decide for himself if he wanted to sink or swim. She'd put the two of them in touch.
Briefly, she wondered whether he'd see the job and the zeroes attached, or what she saw instead. Then, the call connected, and she shoved her distaste aside for the moment.
There was never a reason not to be professional, after all. Though that didn't mean that she couldn't be curt.