Cosmic Nova (Cosmic Witch x Kosmik Khaos)

[Kosmik_Khaos]

​

A pair of cars sped through the wet streets of Nova, weaving in and out of traffic, on more than one occasion nearly clipping a pedestrian or another car.

"Fuck man. This isn't good. He's bleeding."

"Of course he's bleeding he got fucking shot! Keep pressure on it."

"I'm trying man but there is more than one fucking hole in him!"

Two of the occupants in one of the cars were yelling at each other, one from the driver's seat the other in the back. The man in the back had a body face down draped over his lap doing the best he could to hold a torn jacket to the still bleeding wounds on the man's back.

"Shhhhhhh!" A harsh shush came from the face down man.

"Lee you're awake!" The man in the all but yelled.

"Toki, I said to be quite." Lee spoke this time, his voice a bit weak.

"Oh shit, sorry Lee." Toki instantly lowered his voice and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Good to hear you alive back there Lee." The driver called back.

"Yeah, thanks. Doesn't feel good though. What happened?" Lee asked still trying to shake the fog from his head.

"We got ambushed by those Sage Spider dicks." Toki spat out the answer almost before Lee finished his question.

"I see. Was it a set up?" Lee followed up with another question now that his thoughts were clearing.

"As far as I can tell no. The client got merc'd right after you took that first shot. It put you on the floor and the next five where caught by him head on." The driver answered.

"How many did we lose?" Lee asked next bracing for the answer. He knew it was inevitable with this kind of work but he hated loosing his people.

"We only lost Banks. I took a couple hits in the fight and got a cut, Rickie took a several shots but with as modded as he is be brushed them off. Elliot barely got touched Gen got ko-ed and Toki just took a shot to the shoulder." "Yeah the right one, I can get that buffed out in the morning. Right now we gotta get Lee to the clinic so step on it Ty!" Toki cut off the driver at the end of his recap.


Grimmaced at the news of Banks going down. It was a shame. She was damn good people. "Chill Toki, I'll be fine, or did you forget I have the subdermal bullet proof lining?" Lee remined Toki of his own modifications. "Yeah Boss but that's just a lining, it's not the plating like Rickie's got so something could've punched through." Toki argued right back. Letting out a groan of a sigh Lee gave up the argument, he was hurting to much for it anyways.

A handful of minutes later both cars whipped into a clinic's parking area. A giant of a man pulled himself from the passenger seat of the second car and walked to the first opening the back door and looking inside. "Still breathing in here Lee?" He asked his deep voice filling the cab of the car with a slight reverb.

"Yeah Rickie, I'm still breathing." Lee answered lifting his head up slightly to better see the man staring down at him. "Help me inside."

Before he could protect Rickie reached in and pulled Lee from the car and with surprising gentleness cradled the bleeding man instead of letting him stand on his own two feet. "Help Elliot get Tiff in, I got Lee" Rickie told the duo and walked off before they could protest. Rickie carried the bloody Lee right into the clinic and cleared his throat as soon as he was in the lobby. "We have a gunshot wound here." He said loudly, but calmly, just trying to grab someone's attention not cause a scene. "Not sure how bad he is, he took a buck shot round to the back. He's responsive and conscious." Rickie continued to give the now moving staff a bit more info, informing them about the mod that mostly likely saved his life and that there were a couple more injuries coming in behind him. Not a moment after he spoke the rest of the crew came walking in, Tiff being carried by Ty.

 

[Cosmic Witch]

"Yeah... Mhm... I'm close enough to the clinic... Sammie, we both know you can't afford my weekend rates..."

The woman spoke through the connection, emerald orbs following the data strings in the hologram display located above her forearm. With a distinct lack of urgency, she continued to stir in her drink, some obscure cocktail that tasted more like fruity motor oil than anything else, while she listed to Sam explain the alert he'd just received. The status report boiled down to incoming trauma patients and him being severely understaffed, just like every other Sunday. More like every single day of the week but he always insisted that it was bearable outside the weekend. A lie - they both knew it. "Fine.", Margo conceded with irritation, nostrils flaring in a huff before downing the drink in front of her. "Put it on the tab, Joe.", she called out to the barman then stood from her seat and headed for the door, pausing just before the exit. "Tell Rayne I gotta take a raincheck. Emergency and all that jazz." The older man behind the bar nodded in understanding and the medic made her way out of the shoddy establishment.

With traffic as congested as a seasonal flu, Margo decided she'd actually get there faster if she were to just walk the couple of blocks to the clinic. Just like every government financed institution that didn't operate within center districts, the Viron District Medi-Synth Clinic dutifully kept to those subpar standards. Perpetually understaffed, with ridiculously outdated tech and constantly out of medical supplies, it was barely a few steps above getting yourself sorted with an expired emergency kit found in an abandoned van. But why bother complaining? Nobody would listen anyway. Outer edges were never a priority past being harvested as resources for the growing economy, be it through labor, consumption or the occasional nonconsensual organ donations.

When she arrived, the patients were already gathered in the lobby, dripping blood on the floor as Sam tried to organize everyone in whatever empty beds they still had. Her eyes quickly scanned over each of them, assessing the potential damage, until a familiar face came into view and her eyebrows shot up curiously. Was that her tattoo artist? "Well, I'll be damned." Judging by the bullet holes, this was some kind of gang incident and with his perpetually calm demeanor, she never would have thought he was part of one in the first place. Though in these decrepit areas, who the fuck could afford to not be neck deep in criminal shit? Bills wouldn't pay themselves and repos would take payment in kidneys too.

"Ghost! You're here! Take room-", Sam began barking out rushed orders but she waved him off with a hand casually, as if he wasn't the one paying her contractor rate today.

"Nah, man. I'm taking this one. He did my ink. The others are yours." Marching to the beat of her own drums, the woman passed her boss to nudge the brutish man with her elbow, beckoning him to follow her. "Come."

Taking the lead and opening the door for them, she lead the pair inside the cramped space, pointing at the examination table while she began rummaging through the med drawer. "Lay him down on his stomach and take a seat somewhere.", she instructed calmly while shifting boxes and vials around until finding the familiar tube with a blue, viscous substance inside. With a glance over her shoulder, she pinpointed the position of that walking wall of muscle and threw the device towards him. "Looks like your wounds are superficial. Get some MediGel on them and you'll be fine. Wash up at the sink before though.", the same tone continued without a hint of urgency as the medic went through her motions, unzipping her jacket and throwing it over the back of the chair.

With the Viron Medica being just a public clinic and not a hospital, they were ridiculously underequipped for complex surgery and it reflected in everything, down to the damn watercooler that couldn't spit out anything colder than room temp. There wasn't even an official operating room in the building and Margo, or 'Ghost' as she'd come to be known by in these parts, loved that challenging aspect about it. She was a walking medical toolbox anyway, so aside from the concerning lack of a sterile environment, there were few situations she couldn't manage.

"Okay, bud. I need you try and sit still for me, yeah? My turn to poke needles into you.", the medic joked with a soft chuckle as she approached the table with a blood bag she'd gotten from the little fridge in the corner. After hooking it up to a vein in his forearm, her right hand split open in modular devices from the tips of her fingers all the way to her elbow, revealing the extensive system of mods and augments she had installed. Most of which worth more than the clinic and its staff combined. If that wasn't enough, a mechanical whirl circled in her irises as she activated the x-ray overlay embedded at the back of her sockets.

"Old-school bullets. Nice. Been a while since I've seen anything besides lasers. Traumatic pneumothorax caused by penetration, damaged subdermal linings, torn tissue due to shrapnel..." Ghost observed in a mumbled tone, meant more for herself than for him, as a thin beam cut through the fabric of his clothes to reveal the wound properly. "I'm gonna give you a local anesthetic and some pain killers." Just as she'd announced her process, a needle connected to her integrated chipset stuck into his neck and she injected the small dosage of chemicals into his jugular. After the first few years working in the slums, she quickly learned that it was best she kept a few doses in her mods to save herself the disappointment of having none to work with due to shortages. Installing that molecular sterile field also helped, since she could really function well with gloves when pointy, sharp bits and bobs sprung from your body.

After waiting a minute for the blend of drugs to take effect, the medic began her work in repairing the damage. The occasional metallic would clink loudly through the room as she pulled shrapnel pieces from his back and let them drop in the metal tray besides the table. Through whirls and buzzes, Margo continued to work on stopping the bleeding, patching the hole and reinflating his lung, as well as fix the broken mod. It wasn't necessarily a common medic's specialization, but she'd learned more than most with her family producing the high grade ones en masse.

"You're done, bud. You'll live." The woman called after about half an hour, retracting her medical devices back under the synth skin of her forearm. With a pleased expression, she admired her work on his back, following the fluid lines of black painted muscles. Whoever worked on him did a wonderful job and she almost felt bad from the now blank spot in the middle of a design. While she fixed up the skin to a point it was smooth and unblemished, with no trace of a scar, there was little she could do about the ink. Wasn't in her competence or job description. Skin could be replicated, but ink was another thing entirely. Besides, she didn't have one artistic bone in her entire body. "You'll have to get that tattoo redone but you need to wait at least two weeks for the cells to settle."

With her task completed, Margo let him sit up from the table if he wanted, walking instead back to the drawers to find a foil of antibiotics. "Two a day for an entire week. One in the morning and one in the evening, after a meal. And try to rest as much as possible. The soreness should die out in a couple of days.", the medic instructed in a profession voice before her face broke out into a wide grin. "Now, since you've been so behaved, should I find you a lollypop? I'm sure the nurses have some."
​

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

Rickie followed the bossy woman and did as he was told laying Lee face down on the table and getting out of her way. He was a bit shocked when she handed him the MediGel but didn't complain about it. Most of the time places like that would ignore the minor wounds he got in scraps like tonight. "Presh." He rumbled as he walked to the sink and started to wash the wounds the best he could before applying the gel to them letting it do it's work. He placed himself in the corner of the room out of everyone's way but able to see the door and everyone in the room without having to move his head. He only needed to be ambushed once per night.

"Sure." Lee replied simply and laid completely still as she hooked him up to an IV. Needles obviously didn't both him and he didn't make a sound or even twitch when she stuck him. Lee could hear the Doc's mods whirring to life and he wanted to turn to see what she was packing but knew better than to move when being worked on. "Yeah bullets still have their uses when it comes to gang wars." He replied of handily. "Cheaper to get a hold of too." Richie added from his spot in the corner.

"That's not nec-" Before he could finish rejecting the medicine the needle was in his neck. As soon as the drug was detected by his body on of his most valuable, and illegal mods took action. It was some kind of experimental blood scrubber that would, in theory remove any toxins from a persons body. What was considered a toxin was unfortunately for Ashley, a great many things, including most medications and anesthetics. It even scrubbed out alcohol from him before he could get properly drunk. Sighing as the numbing sensation started only to be ultimately fought off Lee prepared himself for a very uncomfortable time.

The next half hour really tested Ashley's patience and pain tolerance. Getting tattooed for hours on end was one thing. Having someone dig bullets from your back and then regrow the skin was something else entirely, but he didn't allow himself to move while she worked on him. He was a bit surprised when she announced she was finished. "That was good work Margo." While she was working on him he had time to recall her name. He always made it a point to know the name of the person he was putting his art on. "But I liked it better when you were the topless on and I was poking you."

Lee was disappointed with the news about his back piece, he knew in his heart he was going to have to get it replaced after this but the original artist was no longer alive to fix it so he was going to have to find someone new to do a new piece. Sitting up he watched the medic as she made her way around the room getting him the meds which he was unsure of if they would work or not. He hadn't taken antibiotics like these in years. With an affirming nod he slid the foil into his pocket.

He couldn't help but return the smile she gave him and shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I already have my eye on the sweet treat I want." Piercing blue eyes locked onto Margo. "I just lost the closest thing to a medic my group has. Come work with me and I can pay you better than this little shithole can. Plus you get a members discount on any artwork." He pitched her the deal to join his gang out of nowhere, even catching Rickie off guard for a moment. "You sure about this Lee?" He questioned half heartedly. Rickie had watched the lady work and she was damn good. Plus she was packing some serious hard wear. "Yeah Rickie, I'm sure." Lee answered his oldest, and most loyal companion. The massive man grunted and nodded offering up no more protest. "So what do you say 'Ghost', are you willing to become an Orphan?" Ashley's smile grew dangerous as he slide of the table and took a step towards the medic, arm casually extended, hand out for a handshake to seal the deal.

 

[Cosmic Witch]

Her left eyebrow twitched in question and Margo stared back at the man with amusement, grin never leaving her lips. Such a shameless flirt. "Oh, yeah? Try the nurses. You'll have an easier time.", she retorted humoruously as her greens trailed down towards his exposed torso, following the inky ribbons decorating almost every inch of skin. It'd be a blatant lie if she said he was anything but a damn fine specimen, and although those thank tops he wore back at the shop left little to the imagination, she'd never seen his top half completely naked. Fine specimen indeed. "Or maybe you'll give them something sweet and that's gonna get them off my ass for a week or two. Sounds like a fair exchange to me.", she snapped her attention back to his face while giving a casual shrug, not prepared for what he'd offer next. Her tattoo artist was just full of surprises, wasn't he? A sort of jack-in-the-box.

During those few half-day sessions while he tattooed her back they never talked about themselves past their names; not about their jobs, their friends or their lovers. He didn't carry himself with the typical Viron aggression of someone part of a gang, let alone someone leading one. But the way he talked, offering to pay her without prior discussion with a superior... The way the brute in the corner hesitated in questioning the idea and immediately accepted after a brief confirmation... There was no mistaking that Lee was, in fact, the leader of the Orphans. She'd even heard of them before - causing the usual menace while dealing in black market mods.

Pausing before the extended arm she shook her head and walked right past him so she could grab her jacket from the chair. "Nah, I'm neutral. You can't afford the price I'd ask to take a side.", Margo refused as she picked up the coat and slid it back on, zipping it about halfway. "It'll cost you an arm and a leg, but we can talk about you keeping my services on retainer. I won't join shit though." It wasn't about the money, the woman could afford to buy the entire district if she batted her eyelashes sweetly enough at her father. Instead, her central interest was the experience itself, irreplaceable even with the advanced simulations offered at the Opus University. The free clinics weren't so bad either but every major gang had their own medic or team, which meant she only got to see the aftermath of small skirmishes and nothing of significant substance.

"You agree I come in when you need me and not as a permanent fixture, give me full authority over the space I operate in..." Margo began enumerating the terms of her counter-offer as she maneuvered around the room to organize it back to some tiny standard of cleanliness. "Equip said space to standards, don't fucking complain when I ask for restocks of supplies...", her melodic voice continued the list of demands, pausing next to the mountain of a man so she could pluck the remaining MediGel and throw it back into its drawer. Pleased with her efforts, the medic stepped back in front of Lee to finalize her version of the deal, a wide grin challenging him in amusement. "And all the ink I might get is free of charge. Deal?"

Just like he'd done earlier, Margo also extended her hand towards him, inviting him to shake on it officially. "Shit chance you'll get a better medic in these parts and I don't ask questions.", whether he accepted the offer or not, her hand fell back at her side afterwards and Margo left for the door. "Also, you owe me a drink. I got interrupted from mine to come in and glue your ass back together. And put on a shirt! There's a box in the corner with lost and found stuff.", calling out over her shoulder, the medic walked over to the reception so she could fill in a brief report on her surgery and the state of her patient. "Thanks, Mira. Anything else you need me for tonight?" Margo handed back the holopad after checking the relevant boxes to the mousy blonde behind the desk who shook her head in response. "No, Sam is finishing up with his patients and there are no more emergencies in waiting."

"So, drinks?", Margo asked expectantly, turning back to find Lee and look at him with a playful gleam in her eyes.

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

Lee watched as Margo approached then walked right past his extended hand. Lowering his arm back down he watched her move about the room listening to her reasonings and then counter offer. It wasn't unreasonable, in fact a lot of it was things he was already in the process of working on for Banks before she was killed. He also wasn't going to let her know the 'members' discount was free art. When she finally returned to him and extended her hand he didn't hesitate in taking it and sealing the deal. "We have deal." Looking away from Margo he gave Rickie a look and the man met his eyes. A silent conversation happened with that simple look. It wasn't the best deal, but they needed a good medic so Lee compromised with himself and took what he could get.

Looking down at his bare torso he then turned his blue eyes back onto Margo when she told him to put on a shirt. He then pointedly looked from her, to himself then to Rickie towering in the corner, back to himself, then to her once again. "Rickie isn't wearing one." Was he reply to which the large man in question shook his head and laughed quietly. In spite of his answer he did as she instructed and rummaged through the box and found a good enough shirt to toss on. It was a bit too small across his chest and shoulders but it covered him.

The two men followed Margo out into the reception and looked around. Elliot and Ty were waiting and walked over to them as soon as they spotted their boss. They arrived just as Margo turned around and asked about the drinks. The two new people gave Margo a quick once over and Elliot let out a sultry laugh at the question before answering in Ashley's stead. "Oh yes, he will most certainly be taking you out for drinks, and anything else you want." Her voice matched the sultry tone of her laugh and all but caressed the ears of those that heard her speak, but it was clear that was a touch of mockery in there, but not directed at Margo.

Lee started to say something when Ty cut him off. "Lee we got this. Gen is still being looked at and Toki is playing puppy to her. Don't let tonight be a total bust." Waiting to see if he was done speaking Lee just stared at the two before looking over to Rickie. "I'll get the kids home, go have fun." He answered Lee's unspoken question and with a shrug he stepped up to Margo. "Alright, things here are handled. Lets go for a drink." He finally agreed walking with Margo out of the clinic.

Once they were outside he glanced over at her. "So where am I taking you for drinks?" He asked walking towards one of the cars he arrived in. Opening the door he saw the blood still covering the inside. Closing the door he tried the second, it was better, but not by much. "Unless you got a ride or we walk it's gonna be a bit messy." He said closing the car door and leaning against it, his attention fully on Margo, waiting for her next call.

 

[Cosmic Witch]

As Margo turned around to wait for her answer, two more people showed up from one of the examination rooms, one of the men she'd glanced at while walking into the clinic and a gorgeous woman she hadn't seen before. Though, now that she'd agreed to help the Orphans, they would surely meet in the future. Before Ashley could give her an answer, the ebony beauty proceeded to lead the conversation herself, confirming the outing before the leader had any time to protest. It seemed most of them were eagerly encouraging him, in fact. Taking over remaining responsibilities while cutting his dialogue short. Might not have seemed like a long exchange but it was enough for the medic to deduce the sort of relationship Lee had with the rest. While there was a clear hierarchy of subordination, they also seemingly had a casual friendship with each other and that in itself was a rare little gem in a place like Nova.

With things settled, Margo gave the woman a knowing wink then turned on her heels and rushed out the door before Sam would be done with his work. He had this annoying habit of requesting things last minute if he caught her lingering around too much. "Friendly bunch back there.", she commented while following the man to the car, stopping by the door as he opened it. Peeking inside she could see the blood drying on the leather seats and her nose scrunched up at the idea of getting any on her clothes. "Yeah, no. I generally like to contain messy body fluids to the clinic. We'll just take a walk to one nearby." Lifting up her forearm, the woman dragged two fingers in a line across the skin, prompting the holo display to activate and light up. While she could have suggested they head towards Joe's bar, the friend she stood up this evening was probably still hanging around and would certainly have a few dozen questions if she showed up with Lee. Or employ some half-assed seduction attempt. The idea made her chuckle.

"Looks like a we have a couple options pretty close by." Margo finally answered as her eyes scanned the digital map, little green dots gleaming with succinct information underneath. "Noxia... rave club... happy hours...", the words came out in quiet mumbles as she began moving down the street in a casual pace. "Or Daze... casual lounge bar..." It wouldn't take much thought to pick the more relaxing option that lacked the distinct thundering music. Glancing at her side she measured Lee's current state, searching his figure for any manifestation of unexpected discomfort. While he looked to be in shape, probably best there weren't other bodies constantly slamming into him from all directions. "Mhm, Daze it is.", the medic resolved with a pleased grin, leading them both through the crowded streets until they reached the entrance of the establishment.

The name of the place was written in a bright pink logo with a palm tree arching over it, neon flickering on and off at random intervals. At least it wasn't completely busted. Pushing open the doors, she took a cautionary step inside, taking in the details of the bar. Oddly enough, the interior was a complete contrast to what you'd imagine life in Nova to be, decorum and furniture all resembling something you'd find in a more beachy location. Certainly a little tropical hole in the wall you wouldn't expect to find in the Viron District. Surprised but not upset, the woman pushed further inside, searching around for an empty table. There were patrons scattered around and filling about half the space, but there were still some private areas towards the back. "There?", Ghost directed both of them to a booth on the opposite side from the window, taking a seat on one of the plush looking couches. The green velvet was slightly worn out, with little holes burned into it in places, but it was comfortable enough and she relaxed against the back of it.

Picking up a menu, Margo began scanning the options while her companion took a seat as well. "Tell me about that alpha version chemical selector mod you have.", without shifting her gaze, the medic spoke softly over the ambient music. While working she noted his occasional squirms and the way his muscles were in perpetual tension, which only meant the anesthetic wasn't very effective on him and the painful sensations weren't numbed. Impressive he sat quietly through all of that without needing a break. There wasn't much she could have done about it though, her augments not allowing the space for multiple doses. "What does it filter out?" Like mostly everything else, the first models were designed for combat use and meant to keep assets from being affected by chemical attacks. Of course, after much trial and error, they were eventually fine tuned and allowed to allow more leeway for medical and recreational use. "Actually, after there's a room set up, I can go through the functions and tweak it myself." Finally, she returned the laminated menu to the small coffee table and returned her attention to the man, the sight of him making her chuckle with amusement. "That shirt is awfully tight. Try not to flex or you'll probably tear through it."

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

"Don't let that fool you. They are all bastards." He said with what might have been affection in his voice. "But I wouldn't want any other bastards watching my back." Lee was glad when she decided against the blood soaked cars and chose instead to walk. "Works for me I rather not be in that mess either. Lee's sharp blue eyes caught Margot's movement and he watched her pull up a holo screen and start searching for a place to drink. It was becoming clear to Ashley that this woman wasn't just some clinic worker. She was packing some seriously high tech mods, not that he wasn't riddled with his own, but most of his were experimental, stolen, or black-market made. He could tell hers was the high end stuff. "You pick the place I'll cover the drinks." He gave his opinion on where to go, or more lack of one.

Even with her words being muttered to herself Lee easily picked up on them as they walked down the street side by side. Again he was satisfied by her decision. Lee didn't really care for crowds. Following by Margot's side he carried himself like the dangerous man he was. Back straight, head high, shoulders squared and a confident steady stride that held a touch of an intimidating swagger to it. Even to a casual observer it was clear Ashley was not someone to be lightly messed with. "A quite place works great for me." He said returning her grin with a hint of a smile.

Lee eyed the flickering sign of the establishment and cocked an eyebrow at it. He had never heard of this place, but that wasn't a surprise. This was more Elliot's scene, or so he thought until he walked in and looked at the place. He quickly back peddled his last thought, Elliot wouldn't be caught dead here, but Toki would probably have a ball in a place like this. He was a strange one. "There?" Margot's question pulled Ashley's wandering thoughts back on track. "Sure." He agreed easily and followed behind her across the room. Reaching the booth he slid into the seat across from her. Ashley sprawled out across the couch, his long legs stretched out under the table the toes of his boots easily reaching the bottom lip of the couch across from him. Both his arms were lifted, his elbows resting on the back on the couch and his head lolled back face pointed skyward. He took a moment before answering her sudden and very personal question.

Lifting his head Lee looked Margot in her eyes and held the stare. She wasn't and Orphan, yet, but she had agreed to help them and she need to know what she was working with. "It filters out all foreign toxins, drugs, poisons, medications. Even down to alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. If it's not naturally produced by my own body and in the appropriate amounts it flushes it." It was clear in his tone and the way he almost snarled the word toxins that he didn't appreciate the severe limitation put on him. "But it is wonderful for intimidation." A devilish smile graced his lips. "You do mod work?" He questioned growing even more interested in the woman across from him. Lee glanced down at his borrowed shirt and had to agree, his piercings were clearly outlined, and his muscular was heavily hinted at if not flat out being shown off. "Yeah, it was this, a very unflattering dress, or a shirt that would be loose on Rickie." Lee was a large man, but Rickie was creeping on 7 feet tall and dwarfed even him.

The server finally approached and took their orders. Lee ordered a Lemon Drop Martini no sugar and let Margot order. He waited until the server left to start speaking again. "So back to my question. Mod work. Do you do it?" Lee needed to upgrade several things and had a few choice mods stored away until he found a trusted mod doctor. "Since I already have to replace some ink might as well get an overhaul before I put fresh work on me."

The server soon returned with their order and Lee paused his talking while they were there. While waiting for the server to be out of ear shot Lee sipped his drink and let out a satisfied moan. "Delicious. I might have to come back here for another one of these." He spoke more to the cocktail in his hand than to Margot. [Ty: Got Gen. Back to parlor. Don't be early.] The message popped up in the periphery of his left eye. [Lee: Send Call. All Orphans Home.] Lee was pissed about what happened tonight and he was going to do something about it. Ty would handled rounding up everyone and by the end of the week the Sage Spiders would be exterminated. [Ty: Heard.] Dismissing the messages Lee took another drink from the cocktail he was still holding up then sat the drink down and leaned forward resting his elbows on the table. He was finally giving Margot his undivided attention, and it was clear in the intensity of his eyes on her. She was the center of his absolute focus now, he had plans and if she was willing and better yet able to help with this he could move things forward much more quickly.

 

[Cosmic Witch]

Margo met those icy blues with her warmer greens, listening intently as Lee elaborated on the details of his filter augmentation. A selection process began at the back of her mind as she tried to point out, with a reasonable degree of certainty, what version would be installed in his body and concluded that it was most likely one of the prototypes. Not quite experimental but far from the fine tuning you'd achieve today with the latest model. Chewing on the inside of her unconsciously, the medic phased out of the conversation for a few moments to decide what option would suit him best on a reasonable budget and decided that simple software update wouldn't make enough of a difference. "Hmm...", humming quietly to herself, the medic decided he'd need an upgrade in hardware; third generation nanites at the least. Fortunately, she knew exactly where to get some without rising too many questions.

Her attention snapped back to the conversation on the mention of a dress and she rose an eyebrow to measure him up again. "I mean... you could have rocked it. I'm sure it would even show less cleavage than your normal tank tops.", she teased with with a shrug, remembering just how low they hung whenever he would be bent over her with the needles. Not an unpleasant view if she had to be honest. The server approached and she paused all conversation to place her order; a whiskey sour with extra of the sour to hide the taste of whatever cheap alcohol they used in these parts.

At his question she merely nodded in reply, not giving out more information about her aptitudes besides than the bare minimum necessary for a collaboration. He was in no position to ask for background checks and Margo would rather just be known as Ghost in these districts. Walking around with a name that coincided with the biggest medical tech empire was the sort of thing that'd place a big, shiny target on your back. Convincing her family that working outside the labs was essential for professional development had been a monumental task as it stood. For a few months she even had to negotiate with her father to not have hired escorts constantly breathe down her neck. Eventually they did manage to compromise on installing some emergency protocols but he wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea even then.

The server returned holding a tray with their order then placed each drink in front of them before leaving with a smile. Non-intrusive; she liked it. Picking up the glass, Margo swirled the liquid around before taking a sip. It was... passable. "Next time you might even get to enjoy the benefits of cocktails." After all, if you could release a week's worth of accumulated tension by drinking the equivalent of apple juice, would would chose to suffer the burning sensation of alcohol in the first place.

Seeing Ashley was currently being distracted with a conversation, the medic relaxed further into her seat, sliding one elbow over the back of the couch as she began taking in the details of the bar. Not exactly a sore sight, despite the signs of wear and tear of. Like the server, it seemed like the whole placed was designed to be warm but subtle, not intrusive to either the conversations or any of your senses. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the man shift his position and her attention returned to him, holding his stare with a casual one of her own. "Let's talk shop, yeah?" Lifting the glass again, Margo tipped back the glass and drank the whole contents before silently motioning with a wave for the server to bring another. "Keeping me on retainer will run you about 10k creds a month for the standard service. Check-ups, surgery-" Her head tilted to the side as she narrowed her eyes in a brief thought. "- probably mostly emergency surgery in your case, given your activity...", she mused with a smirk, knowing very well there wouldn't be 2PM calls just because someone had a little cough. "Treatment, recovery therapy, candy at the end for sitting still... All that jazz you'd get in a clinic.", the woman elaborated on the package waving her fingers as she enumerated the provided services.

The server returned with her second drink and until he left, she kept quiet, just smiling back in thank you. Her emeralds followed the footsteps until he was out of earshot before continuing. "Now, mod work-", interrupting herself, she took a sip from the cocktail then placed it back on the coaster. "That would rise it to 15k a month for installing and constant software upkeep." Margo was well aware her rates were center Nova high, certainly at least 5 times the numbers you'd see floating around in middle ring districts. But there was purpose behind them. "I'll keep a tab open and collect when I feel like it." She never did. Money was never an issue for her, nor was there an underlying need to hold debt over someone's head for coercion. Sammie himself theoretically owed her a few good thousands, though she'd lost count exactly how much since they never talked about it. No, the reason was much simpler: respect.

There was this bizarre value system she'd noticed in her first few months of working outside the labs, with the more... unfortunate people. They couldn't really afford medical but without a cost attached, they would be constantly doubting your abilities. Because if you were good at your job, why the fuck wouldn't you charge for it? Higher the price, higher the competence as well. And Margo wasn't here to change anyone's mind. She was here for practice.​

 

[Kosmik_Khaos]

Lee considered the upgrade, it had been a good five years since he last enjoyed a cocktail for more than it's flavor and familiar burn. Shifting from sprawled out to leaning forward, elbows on the table he didn't try in the least to hide his interest in her offer. He patiently listened to her demands, and explanations on what her services included. Once he was sure she was done speaking he didn't try to haggle, or negotiate in any way. Piercing blue eyes were locked onto Margo's face, a dangerous kind of hunger in them. "I accept." He answered simply a wolfish smile tugging at his lips.

Taking a moment to finish off his first drink, having declined a refill earlier, he gave the empty glass an appreciated glance before sitting it aside. "I need you to come by the parlor to see your new work area. I know it will need a lot of work and I am willing to get it done. Your clinic will be the apartment above the parlor, it's already been partially renovated for the job. Again I will be covering the costs of getting your clinic up to working standard." The sharpness of his eyes eased just a little. "I am sure we can work out any other details at a later time. I'm rather sore and would like to enjoy the rest of my night in the company of a beautiful woman."

Easing back into the couch again he let out a heavy sigh. "Have you ever been shot?" He asked while he looked for their server. Spotting the man he gave him a short nod and flashed two fingers. The server nodded in understanding and turned to head to the bar to bring another round of drinks. "I know a lot of crazy shit goes down in those clinics." He said in way of explanation. Right now he needed a distraction. He didn't show it outwardly but he was fuming. Not only did he loose a good person he also lost a potential supplier for his dealings. Thanking the server when they returned with the drinks he took a slow sip enjoying the sour tang before returning his attention to Margot. He was determined to enjoy the rest of the night with this mysterious medic.