Entry tags:
Original Fiction: On Commission
(Crossposted from Patreon, SFW, 1,385 words, Gen. Content warnings: unhealthy coping mechanisms, implied child abuse.
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“So. You know I hate asking my favorite tech broker not to do business,” said Digit, leaning against Ash’s table with a casualness that absolutely was not backed up by the distinct current of concern that ze was broadcasting.
“Favorite?” Ash asked, mock-affronted. “You got other brokers, Didg? Someone else been finding you implants?”
“Don’t be stupid,” ze scoffed, and not being stupid, Ash let the teasing drop. There were some of his clients who he did have to worry about showing up with some kitbashed circuitry installed by who knew who, but Digit had always been cautious. A single high-end emotional broadcast and receiver gadget that must have cost hir six months’ pay, and frequent debugs and appropriate software updates. Digit was one of his clients who he didn’t worry about ending up hemorrhaging in a seedy cafe somewhere.
It meant that he took hir seriously. Sometimes even when ze was right out in the open about it maybe costing him a commission. He gestured at the seat across from him, an invitation that Digit completely ignored.
Ash sighed. “What’s going on, then.”
( “Kid over there’s been asking some <i>really</i> telling questions,” ze said, with a slight gesture of hir chin across the room. )
Thank you, as always, to all of my generous patrons for their support! If you'd like to make a recurring contribution to support my writing or art, get special behind-the-scenes material, and help decide what characters I write about next, consider becoming a patron as well?)
“So. You know I hate asking my favorite tech broker not to do business,” said Digit, leaning against Ash’s table with a casualness that absolutely was not backed up by the distinct current of concern that ze was broadcasting.
“Favorite?” Ash asked, mock-affronted. “You got other brokers, Didg? Someone else been finding you implants?”
“Don’t be stupid,” ze scoffed, and not being stupid, Ash let the teasing drop. There were some of his clients who he did have to worry about showing up with some kitbashed circuitry installed by who knew who, but Digit had always been cautious. A single high-end emotional broadcast and receiver gadget that must have cost hir six months’ pay, and frequent debugs and appropriate software updates. Digit was one of his clients who he didn’t worry about ending up hemorrhaging in a seedy cafe somewhere.
It meant that he took hir seriously. Sometimes even when ze was right out in the open about it maybe costing him a commission. He gestured at the seat across from him, an invitation that Digit completely ignored.
Ash sighed. “What’s going on, then.”
( “Kid over there’s been asking some <i>really</i> telling questions,” ze said, with a slight gesture of hir chin across the room. )