Misty was rich. Sophie had known she owned different properties around Night City but her assumptions were shattered after the third apartment building the older girl showed her.
“Hey uhh, Misty. How many buildings do you own?”
“Hmmm,” she paused to think as they rode the elevator to the top floor. “Not too many. I’ve got a few apartment buildings, some stores, a warehouse or two and a couple of other random places. Obviously I’ve also got my shop and Vik’s basement. I’m pretty sure I’ve got around the same amount as most people my age, right?” Sophie stared at her.
This girl is something else. What do you mean you have the same amount as most people your age!? How the fuck did you get all of that!?
“Right. Sure. Let’s just look at the apartment.” Sophie stopped thinking about it. As spiritual and clever as Misty may be, she could be incredibly weird and oblivious sometimes.
Sophie had high hopes for this apartment after the previous two. The others were nice but they didn’t quite fit with what Sophie wanted. She wasn’t even seven, so she was wanting a place that she could comfortably live in as she grew up. Considering her current location, a nice place in Charter Hill, she was keen to see her potential home. Walking in, she immediately decided she wanted it.
The door slid shut behind the two girls with a faint hiss. The air inside was undisturbed, the city noise fading away. She shot a questioning look at her friend.
“The whole place is soundproof up here. You’re the only one on the top floor.”
Sophie nodded. There was a faint trace of disinfectant, a smell the thief assumed meant Misty had the place cleaned before they arrived. The young girl was pleasantly surprised, however, that she could smell old wood. Maybe it’s just an air freshener? She scanned the main living area, taking in the muted tones. The main colouring of the apartment was a mix of blacks and greys. Wooden browns broke it up in certain places, though she wasn’t sure if it was real wood.
Her attention was drawn to the large, fully glass wall. It offered a decent view onto the street, although she doubted she’d spend much time looking out of it. Still, it was nice and it lit up the main, open plan room of the apartment.
“The glass is bulletproof,” Misty said, lingering by the door. “It’s standard anywhere with such a big window. Although don’t rely on it to block heavy calibre rounds. We both know they’ll get through regardless.”
Sophie stepped further into the living room, her shoes making soft noises against the faux-wood flooring. The whole living area was open plan. A grey couch, slightly faded in places, sat in the centre of the room, facing a wide holo-screen mounted on one of the walls. Beneath the screen, an empty shelf was available for use.
The kitchen was tucked into an alcove off the living space, separated by a low counter that looked sturdy enough for leaning but not much else. Sophie stepped into the narrow space, inspecting the steel fridge and handful of cooking appliances. Considering very few people cooked in Night City, even having appliances made the place stand out.
In the same corner stood a small metal table, surrounded by matching chairs. Sophie ran her fingers along the edge of the table, feeling the cool, polished texture.
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“Appliances work,” Misty offered as Sophie opened the fridge to multiple empty shelves. “They’re nothing special but they are reliable.” She smiled. “Though knowing you, only the fridge will see some use.”
Sophie nodded absently, running her hand across the laminate countertop. Misty was right. There was no luxury here, but it was functional, something that suited Sophie perfectly.
The next stop was the bedroom. Built above the main living area, a set of stairs led up to it. It wasn’t a large space but it had most of the essentials. A low bed sat flush against the wall, and a built-in closet took up most of the other side. Sophie pulled the closet door open, finding it completely empty but still in good condition.
A separate hallway led away from the entrance and main living space. It connected to four different rooms, all devoid of any defining features and fairly small. Sophie stepped inside, her mind churning.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to find a use for them all,” Misty said.
“Hey Misty, you own this place, right?” When her friend nodded, Sophie continued, “Any chance you’d let me knock a few walls down? These rooms are a little small by themselves but without the wall in between I could do a lot of things with them.” Misty thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.
“I don’t see why not. It might actually make the place better. Could always put up temporary walls if needed.” With that said, the walls could only despair as their fate was sealed by a small girl with too much time on her hands.
However, Sophie could see the potential in the rooms, even if the emptiness now made them look and feel useless.
The bathroom was narrow but practical, lined with simple black tiles. Sophie was very glad that the apartment had a shower. She was tired of stealing Misty’s or finding a public shower, considering how filthy they always were. A glass door separated the shower from the rest of the space, and a simple sink stood beneath a clean mirror. Sophie turned on the tap and let the water run, pleased when it came out clear.
“Hot water’s available, though don’t use too much. The water company is a real pain to deal with.” Misty complained and Sophie chuckled, quickly pacifying her.
“This apartment also comes with a private garage. It is the penthouse after all.” Sophie followed the older girl back to the elevator, riding down in a comfortable silence.
The garage was easy to access and any vehicles could easily be driven in and out. Inside, a soft light flickered above, illuminating the surprisingly large space. It was easily big enough to house two cars with plenty of room to move around. Shelves along the walls would provide storage for various knick knacks, tools or spare parts. The largest wall housed a workbench, a feature that Sophie knew she would take full advantage of.
“It’ll be perfect for your Shion.” Misty said and Sophie had to agree.
She ran her fingers over the workbench, lost in her thoughts. Her Shion definitely would look good parked here. The other half would also look good when it had something in it, though the thief wasn’t quite sure what kind of thing she’d steal to fill it. Misty’s voice broke her out of her daydreams.
“So, what do you think?” Sophie spun around to face her friend.
“I love it. When can I move in and how much will it cost me?”
They spent some time haggling, but Misty gave her a good discount considering Sophie’s age and their friendship. Still, the rent meant the thief would need to take on better paying jobs from the Mox. Her savings quickly dropped as she transferred money to her new landlord.
-----------------------
After Misty left, Sophie brought her Shion over and parked it in the garage. She then moved her meagre belongings up to the apartment and flopped onto the couch. The long day of apartment hunting had been exhausting. Yet as she looked around, it was all worth it. She also decided to finally choose her first Profession. She’d held off because she wanted to have a proper space to learn in. The garage was the perfect space and she quickly locked in her choice.
Profession selected: Mechanic
Skills Unlocked: Mechanics (Basic), Problem Solver
Problem Solver: Lvl.1
A passive skill that allows you to solve problems easier, faster and with better results.
Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Mechanics.
As she read the system messages, she noticed a few differences between professions and classes. However, before she could ask the system, an immense amount of basic knowledge flooded into her head. It took nearly 15 minutes for her mind to recover and even then, the intense headache prevented her from thinking properly.
“System, can you explain what the differences are between Professions and Classes?”
Professions follow the same upgrade structure as Classes. Using the knowledge or abilities will level up your skills, providing more knowledge or boosts. Unlike Classes however, Professions have fewer skills. The tradeoff is that Profession skills have a maximum level of 50, rather than 10. To change Profession, you must reach a maximum level of 100 by maxing out all associated skills.
“I see. I guess that makes sense. Might as well lump all of the relevant knowledge together into a single skill rather than having a bunch of overlapping skills. She asked a few more clarifying questions, then headed off to sleep in her new bed, her head still thumping from the influx of knowledge. As she crawled in, she idly realised it was the first actual bed she had slept in since arriving in Night City. It was nice.