audio; un: fiona

[cachemoney]

[This pops up on the magitek a few days after the dossier for the upcoming mission; Fiona's voice is smooth and friendly, like she's quite practiced at speaking to people.]

Hey, Ophelia. Fiona here.

Looks like our next mission requires some backstory work -- and unlike last time, we can't rely on "ignorant tourist." So, because of my experience with this sort of, uh... situation, I'm willing to help everyone out, because I'd rather we didn't all get thrown in cyber-jail because one of you screwed up.

I'm also from a universe where cybernetics are commonplace, so I can help you get the lowdown on that. [Just don't ask her about technical details. It will be embarrassing for everyone involved.]

So, let me know if you need help, advice, whatever -- we're all in this together, after all. And, as you all know, I'm an altruist.

Comments

[cachemoney]

[She really does not care about his daddy issues, and is about to say as much when he comes out with this chestnut.]

Don't worry, the poorness won't rub off on you. [Defensive? Maybe.] You're not going to fit in with the upper class unless you have fancy cybernetics, so deal.

1/2

[somelikeitcold]

[????? Did he? Say something wrong???]

[somelikeitcold]

...I was more concerned with not giving ourselves away.

[cachemoney]

[ok, fair point, but her hackles are already raised and they don't come down easily.]

Just act normal. They're people, not a different species.

[somelikeitcold]

[Oh. Now he gets it. He sighs, frustrated.]

That's not...

[Well, it's something that's definitely on his mind, but there's also another issue.]

The middle class and poor try to get cybernetics too, at whatever level they can afford.

[He raises a hand to his face, touching the edge of the angry red mark there.]

Something as large and obvious as this...to have made no effort to hide it, in a society that values physical appearance to the extent they do....I'd have to be obviously destitute.

[And he's not. His face, his frame don't have the gauntness that comes with long-term malnutrition, the brink of starvation. He's healthy and fit, even athletic. There's barely any wear and tear to his clothes.]

There are going to be questions.

[cachemoney]

[This is some kind of super stubborn desire to be singled out, jeezy petes.]

I really think you're overestimating how much people care. Maybe where you're from, people ask questions, but the "destitute" have their own problems to deal with. Besides, nobody is going to buy cybernetics with money they could use for food.

If you're that worried about it, just slap some makeup on.

[somelikeitcold]

[Be it for good or ill, he's spent his entire life being singled out in some fashion or another; first it was as Endeavor's "masterpiece" son to be forcibly crafted into the ideal Hero to surpass All Might, and then again in the public eye, as Shouto Todoroki, the child of the #2 hero, expected to be at the top of his generation. He's still having trouble figuring out who he is, now that he's stopped defining his life around defying those expectations.

He frowns, looking away from the screen for a moment. Maybe he is reading too far into the disadvantages of lacking cybernetics, or the importance of hiding physical imperfections. The only time he's ever really had to think about stealth was the time they were retrieving Bakugo from Kamino, after all, and even then his "disguise" was basically just a wig and he didn't actually have to talk to anybody....]

......I don't know anything about makeup.

[being a 15-year-old boy who never really bothered with his appearance before now]

Is that something you can help with, too?

[cachemoney]

I'm not talking contouring or anything. There's a shop in the promenade, just find something that's your skin tone and put it on. Super easy.

[somelikeitcold]

[what the hell is contouring]

I see. Thanks for letting me know.

[He's not going to ask which store because he has a feeling she's not particularly interested in what he has to say right now. He'll figure it out on his own later.]