Emotions Rules Them

After the job with Jules. Jisoo told me that she has business elsewhere. I wanted to explore the city so I took my car to this place where they showed the history of the city. Old pictures were displayed behind this red rope. The curator spoke this: "The city was once made from a marshland. Ever since then the city relied on wooden foundations and a bit of ingenuity of the people of the marshland to create a solid foundation. It is only during this time period they poured concrete into the foundations that the city is able to expand."

The curator spoke steady and clean enough for the visitors to understand. After spending time in the museum I went out to the harbor where I saw sailing ships. Most of them had a streamline look. There was only a few sailing ships. It tasted and smelled salty. There were fishermen here. Rest were relaxing by the small docks.

I got into this small part dedicated to this man. The words on the plague was intelligible and the face of the statue was blurred. Usually there was a digital display, but this park, they didn't even bother. A guy smoked on a bench. There was a mother who was looking at her child while conscious about whether she should breastfeed her child.

It came to me that beyond the alternate world. There are people here who are living their lives peacefully without knowing about the Augmented or the Criminals of the Cities. If anything it was rare for them to meet one. Perhaps because of this that I think it is quite odd. I don't think that I am normal. Yet lately there was a good part of me that wants it too.

But I agreed to Jisoo's suggestions. If anything she found it odd how easy for me to beat a man near-death, but would show such moral hypocrisy when it comes to killing. I had to explain myself that I would shoot a man in self-defense. I was simply not a damn killer.

It was cool in this small park. There are teenagers and students as well. Clueless of whatever world they are living in. I found it strange. No, it's clear that my self-assurance made me think that I can fight well. It was still fighting. Why did I fight? No, it's to earn money.

Jisoo cannot possibly leave such life so easily. It was the one thing she truly was best at and she obviously could not settle down like a civilian. She is a mercenary at heart and because she is also Augmented that she knows that such calm life wasn't for her. If anything she probably thinks that she'd die as a merc.

We get along well. We can communicate easily and yet because we have this rather smooth balance that it made me careful around. I observed that she was stepping on her toes as well. It was also perhaps because she's just lonely after getting rid of her clan's killers.

The old guy next to me was loud as day. He dropped his wallet and I called him. I returned wandering around the city listlessly not knowing what to do in my free time. I don't really want to involve myself in the affairs of this world. Who in their right mind would want to face monsters and scheming bastards whose justification to start shit.

It makes me want to question life. What kind of assholes just think that they might as well fuck people over because of some petty reason? And maybe because I was away from that city and was alone that my mind worked again. Anyway, a lot has happened since I got into this world. And maybe because I found some relative peace that I was able to somewhat get a piece of my mind back.

[Status: Stable]

My status changed. It was Unstable a while ago so seeing this made wonder what lifted my mood because it sure as hell wasn't the damn old man eating his pie or the child reaching out to her mother.

I left the park. Rode my car. Drove my car to a diner and got myself something to eat. Thing is that beyond Pacifica City I know only so little. I mean Pacifica City itself is big and most of the events happening in the world were either focus on Pacifica or happening in small scales that I didn't bother remembering beyond Pacifica. I got my gear. I have my weapons and I didn't really care about upgrading my stuff unless it was necessary to do so.

Morgan's gear is high-tier and I doubt that I would want anything else. I didn't want to do anything unless it was a job. If anything I was asking myself if I want to work the jobs that Jisoo might want to do.

I didn't know what to do so I sent her a text message. I told her that I did a job and got ourselves paid. The duffel that I got from the gangs harassing the boat riders and extorting the boat operators. I deposited the money to a bank. I had proper income beforehand so it wasn't that surprising if I suddenly deposit a lot of money. After spending time in diner and having scoured the city for anything interesting. I went back to our shared safehouse. She was not around. I found that I got used to Jisoo's presence quickly. I didn't have anything to do. So I laid flat on my back. Then thought of my old world and then for some reason accepted that there is simply no going back.

Why it took me this long to accept it is strange. I guess there isn't really some awfully emotional moment of realizations to have. There are just days that you just accept how things are and you sleep like a log in hopes that you'd feel better the next day.

***

Jisoo sat down. She eyes the person in front of her.

"You found him?"

"I did."

"How is he? Will he take the job? I fear that he quitted after some complications. Have you figured it out?"

"No. He was on vacation. That's all."

"So have you asked for him to do it?"

"He won't. He isn't going to accept the job easily. And have you forgotten that there is simply no reason for me to accept the job as well?"

"It pays well."

"It does. But the thing is that it is no interest to me. You can't threaten me with that and at the same I doubt that you'd be able to find anything. I'm here because I want nothing to do with this task."

"You are awfully protective of him. Did he bewitched you?"

"Your network wasn't there when my clan got hit. The Red Sun is no more. And I paid the blood debt by killing those who had shed the blood of my clan. I told you where I was because I made it clear. He will not be joining this and as his partner I will not allow you to put us both in danger. The law is uptight these days and I rather not do this."

"Strange. I heard that you two took care of the gang bothering the tourists."

"I need pay. We got enough from the last job and it was a semi-legal work from the Gov. Don't bother telling me that isn't the case, Jiang Shi."

The person sat upright. "I will leave you alone. But answer me this. Have you became?"

"Partners. We are partners. He suits me and I think I like him enough."

"He must have a silver tongue to get you interested. I'd like to meet him. Oh please, don't glare at me like that. It's not business."

"I don't like you meeting with my man."

"Goodness. Either you are being careful with this or are you afraid? Poor Ms. Kim looking for something to hold on to after being alone."

Jisoo glared. Jiang Shi laughed.

"Leave us alone. If you cannot do that and you insist on bothering me or him. I'll kill you and give your folks a good reason to wear black all day."

Jiang Shi shrugged. "I will. I do not like meddling into other people's affair. I just find it interesting that you of all people got a man. And this man hasn't spent that much time. I would like to know how he had you charmed."

Jisoo started walking, then she stopped.

"Try to bother me and my partner and I will personally tear your head from your shoulders. We are done, Jiang Shi. If you want to deal with the problems in Pacifica. Do it on Pacifica. Leave me and my man alone. This is your last warning. We were friends. But right now there isn't a lot of folks that I care about. And you are not one of them."

Jiang Shi smiled.

Jisoo left while barely controlling her emotions.