It's a wonder what the right motivation can do to reinvigorate someone on the verge of sleep, but after thoroughly commemorating their arrival on a new world in the only appropriate manner, the jetlag and exhaustion caught up quick, and Jessica and Yan Sun slept throughout most of the day. Long enough for the afternoon sun to have long since dried the traces of the previous night's rain by the time the two of them made it out of the apartment.
#HongKong – September 28, 2025
Not that there's much sun or rain to be found on the street outside their building - an elevated roadway blocks the sky almost entirely, leaving streetlights and the holography of the repair shops and tech stores that line the street to illuminate things. The street is busy - more so with pedestrians than cars, which seem to pass only sporadically. People mill about like ants, all of them human, and all of them headed somewhere. The air is
comfortably warm, but Yan Sun has opted to wear her hoodie regardless, the gray hood up and covering much of her head. The stated goal of the day is to find an access point that she can use to access the city's surveillance grid in order to update her cloaking tech, but there's something else to take care of first - as soon as they make it onto the street, Yan Sun nudges Jessica and beelines in the direction of a drugstore on the corner of the
Jessica hasn't exactly come equipped for the change in weather- her entire life fit into a duffelbag after all- so she's fallen back onto the tried and true white tanktop. Having lived in her cargo pants during the duration of their trip, she's traded them out. A laundry trip, and a shopping trip, are definitely in their near future. For now, she wears a simple pair of jeans and her white sneakers. Her fluffy hat has reluctantly been
left behind and if the current weather is anything to go by, it'll probably be taking the season off. The sunglasses, however, have made a return. Though, as they hit the street and she gets a sense of just how little sunlight there is to contend with, she adjusts, propping them up onto her head. An act that's made just a little easier now by the small amount of hair decorating her head. She follows alongside Yan Sun, small
smile lingering on her lips as she glances about. This is Earth. She finally made it. A thought that had been dulled by the exhaustion of the trip is reinvigorated after a night's sleep. The crowd isn't much of a surprise. Nor is the lack of aliens, the diversity tapered off heavily back at Arcturus. Still, it's undeniably something of a culture shock. And a reminder of just how alien she is, surrounded by people who
look and sound like her, and yet she can't help but feel more out of place than she ever did roaming the streets of Adrasteia. But it's just a fleeting thought. An amusing consideration that leaves her as quickly as it hit her as she picks up her pace to stay in step with Yan Sun. "Where we are going? Mm?" she hums distractedly.
Yan Sun points out the sign up ahead. "Just need to pick up a few things, should be quick." Alongside her hoodie, she's opted for her usual black jeans and boots - like with Jessica, some shopping certainly wouldn't go a miss. Her hoodie is fraying at the edges, and her boots show their share of wear as well, the unmitigated nature of Aite having treated them far more harshly than the city.
The sounds of the city around them are not entirely unlike Adrasteia, except... more. Much more. An unrelenting buzz of people talking, walking, and vehicles both grounded and airborne. And, of course, the ads - synthetic voices promote the various stores they pass, and ad drones find targets in the crowd to pursue. One such drone zeroes in on Jessica, the little metal orb entering into her field of vision and projecting a hologram which shows
a "before" image of a grim-faced woman with severe burns, and an "after" image of the same woman smiling wide, her skin smooth. "The MK Plastic Surgery Centre offers competitively priced synthskin substitution in a wide selection of skintones, or, as part of our popular premium package, guaranteed hue matching and extensive customization. With decades of experience, our trained professionals can help you look your best in no time. Why hesitate?
Jessica's gaze bounces about, very much giving away her tourist nature as she gives an idle nod to Yan Sun's answer. When the drone suddenly enters her personal space, she stutter steps, swerving as if attempting to lean out of the way of a punch. At first, she looks annoyed by having her personal space invaded. But soon, as the drone begins to spew its advertisement, she mirrors the grim-faced woman in the ad, looking very much like
someone who would not like to know more. A flash of that lingering self-consciousness that only occasionally makes itself known flashes as she shoots a glance Yan Sun's way, as if to make sure she hasn't noticed the ad, before swatting at the drone. "Fuck off!"
The drone dodges Jessica's swipe with a whir, the hologram distorting as her hand passes through it, but much like an annoying fly, it doesn't take the hint, continuing to hover just out of reach. The image changes to a long list of glowing reviews. "Don't hesitate in reclaiming the you that you remember! Our customer testimonials-"
Yan Sun initially tuned the drone out reflexively, but Jessica's agitation draws her attention to the hovering menace, and as soon as she actually registers what it's saying a scowl crosses her face. Her implants light up with a pulse of blue light, illuminating the inside of her hood briefly, and then the drone suddenly sputters, sparks, and falls to the pavement with a 'clonk', the hologram fizzling out of existence to the sound of
Jessica is just about to take another swing at the drone when it falls to the ground. At first she lifts her hands as she turns to Yan Sun, as if to say, 'I didn't do it' before Yan Sun has a chance to scold her. But it doesn't take long for her to realize what happened, the glow still lingering inside of Yan Sun's hood when she glances her way, drawing a small smirk from her. She gives the drone a swift kick without hesitation, sending
it clattering, and continues on her way with a roll of her shoulders. "Is always like this...?" she asks as she tucks her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "These fucks in your face all of the time?"
Yan Sun shoots Jessica a smirk of her own in return, watching the wrecked drone roll into the gutter as they continue on. "In the central districts? Pretty much," she sighs. "Unless you're paying for an adblocker. Orrrr... if you make sure they can't see you." The last bit is said quieter than the rest, almost mumbled, right before they step into the drugstore. This, at least, is not particularly different from Adrasteia. The brands may be
different, and the selection may be wider, but the store itself is nothing unexpected. The place is small, crammed with shelves, and Yan Sun makes her way down one of the aisles, grabbing a few basics - toothpaste, pads, soap - but she also grabs a box of face masks. "Anything you need?" she asks with a glance Jessica's way.
Jessica snickers as Yan Sun alludes to her intentions, offering a small roll of her eyes at the woman's confidence in her skills. "Mm." she hums. An affirmation that's repeated when Yan Sun asks her question. She peruses the small, cramped aisles, following beside Yan Sun at first to collect a few of the same necessities before splitting off on her own just to browse and see what else the store has to offer.
Yan Sun grabs a few more things before calling Jessica over and paying for their purchase at the kiosk by the counter, briefly watched by the bored druggist on the other side of the counter before he returns his attention to his datapad. With the exception of the masks, she stuffs the things they bought into her backpack, which she emptied on the bed before they left - actually putting the contents of her bag away can wait until later,
Jessica has caused what should've been an in-and-out trip to take far longer than Yan Sun had probably initially intended. She scours the aisles, scanning her omni-tool along whatever grabs her interest if it doesn't have English text and isn't immediately obvious what it is. She also spends more time perusing the toothpaste than should be considered legal, brow pinched in a mix of deep contemplation and confusion as she looks between
two contenders. Being out in the ass end of the galaxy, Adrasteia wasn't first on any vendor's lists. No big corps were sending cargo haulers to deliver freighters of toothpaste. Off-world supplies were often procured through deals with ships that regularly passed through the Terminus Systems. And, often, options were slim, mostly consisting of popular brands. Overstock that was sold on the cheap to someone with a side hustle
that would resell it at a markup in places that had no other means to acquire such things on the scale they needed. What was on offer would change from year to year or even month to month. Sure, there were some mainstays, but often? You just got what they had. If Yan Sun had asked Jessica before this very moment what kind of toothpaste she used, she probably would have looked at her like she was an idiot and weaponized the
phrase, 'The normal kind.' But that answer changed on this day. As she sets one box back down, she peers across the top of the aisles to seek out Yan Sun, lifting the small box that remains in her possession and delivering her new answer with a disinterested shrug fitting such a toothpaste conundrum. "Peach." She joins Yan Sun at the counter, laying out her items and making sure the employee knows about her selection as
Yan Sun doesn't seem to mind the delay in the slightest, watching Jessica browse the store's selection with fond amusement. The store employee doesn't share her investment, rudely disinterested in Jessica's choice of toothpaste. In any case, Jessica's items - including the peach toothpaste, find their way into Yan Sun's bag as well, and she exits the store with a goofy grin on her face, unable to keep from looking her way. It's so very easy
to forget how many things that are utterly unremarkable to her are entirely new to someone who grew up on the frontier.
Jessica furrows her brow in confusion at the big stupid smile on Yan Sun's face. The stupid look eventually draws a smile out of her as well, against her own wishes, which only seems to annoy her. "What you are looking at, slut?" she asks.
Yan Sun tries and fails to suppress her smile. "Nothing..." she lies, bumping Jessica's shoulder with her own as they step back out onto the street. She makes a mental note that they should definitely check out a mall later.
Jessica doesn't look particularly satisfied with that answer, assuming whatever it is must be at her expense. "Uh huh..." She gives Yan Sun a playful shove to the back as she lags a few steps behind. "I will kick your ass, kitty cat!" she threatens through a grin.
Yan Sun stumbles in the middle of opening the box of face masks, nearly dropping them. "Hey, watch it!" she exclaims, but her smile lingers, before disappearing as she straps one of the masks to her face. For a brief moment she's about to offer one to Jessica as well, but the moment her gaze falls on her arms she realizes the futility of that, instead crumpling the box into the pocket of her hoodie. It shouldn't really matter anyway, it's
not like anyone is looking for Jessica here, and if all goes well, they'll both be invisible before the end of the day.
Jessica makes a show of scrutinizing Yan Sun's new look before offering a few nods. "Mm." she hums. "This is much better, kitty cat. It hides your stupid face."
Jessica cackles, amusing herself if no one else, that annoyingly smug grin on her face. As she meanders down the street beside Yan Sun, a thought hits her, causing her smile to slip away. "The mask is for-..." she trails off, glancing to Yan Sun and giving a small lift of her head which is supposed to signify... something? Presumably the day's mission? "You think you are needing one..?"
Yan Sun shrugs slightly as they head down a side street, mostly empty aside from a few shuttered booths and an empty-fenced in construction site where the asphalt has been broken up. Ahead, sunlight shines on the bigger, busier street it opens up into. "Probably not, but... I'd rather be safe. I don't really know what's happened since I left. It'd be bad if a drone caught me poking around somewhere I shouldn't be."
Jessica opens her mouth to speak but thinks better and gives a quick glance around to make sure nobody is paying them any mind. Once she's confident she can speak freely, she gives Yan Sun another shove to the side. She brings a hand to Yan Sun's shoulder and pulls her to better face her. "I am thinking that you are just going to look at the thing and-..." she blinks hard to get her point across. Then blinks again when she's unsure if
Yan Sun caught the first one. She shoots another glance down the street to ensure nobody is eavesdropping. "You are not thinking maybe you should say something?!" she asks, keeping her voice low, "Like maybe I am not supposed to be wearing something like this?" Unable to yell, she gets her annoyance across by aggressively pinching at the neck of her tanktop and tugging it. She bites down, her lips a thin line as she holds
Yan Sun's gaze and extends her arms out, a silent allusion to the many, many identifying features she has on display. "Gah! How you are so bad at this?!"
Yan Sun 's eyes widen in surprise as Jessica stops her, darting away as Jessica exclaims her displeasure. "Well- I mean-" She scratches her neck. "I... didn't really think of that until we'd already left, and... it shouldn't matter anyway!" she hisses quietly, posture looking a little defensive. "You're not gonna be doing anything, and it's not like anyone is looking for you anyway, so..." she offers in a half-hearted defense of her
questionable planning, shrugging awkwardly, obviously embarrassed at being called out. Is she off her game after the technological wasteland that is Aite, or is she just unused to accounting for Jessica?
Jessica blinks. "If they are finding out that someone fucked with it, they will be looking at the cameras, yes? And they will see some person who is-..." she blinks. She blinks again. She blinks a third time. Somehow she manages to make blinking look aggressive. "...at their shit! And when they can not see who is the person they are thinking is doing it because of-..." she reaches up with her right hand, grabbing the mask on Yan Sun's
face between her index finger and thumb and pulling it back just a little bit before letting it snap back into place, "...and-..." she flicks the edge of Yan Sun's hood with her middle finger, "...Then who they are going to look for? Mmm?" Her head lulls to the side, eyes boring a hole into Yan Sun, hoping the answer is as obvious to Yan Sun as it is to her. "The muuuch sexier bitch who is with her!" Having to whisper her
Yan Sun recoils a little as the mask snaps back, trying to wave the following flick off. "They're not gonna find out!" she insists, but quickly adds: "...but, okay. Fair point." She looks Jessica over. "Easy to fix, though. Let's get you something to wear."
Jessica's hardened gaze remains fixed on Yan Sun. After a few moments, she reluctantly relents with a roll of her eyes. "Fine. But you are buying!" she insists. She turns and starts to continue down the street. She certainly has no idea where she's going, but it's about making a point, dammit! "And I am getting a hat!"
Yan Sun snickers, but hurries to catch up to Jessica and join her in continuing down the street. The larger one they emerge into is bathed in sunlight, and busy with cars and people both. The sky is mostly unobstructed here, aside from a lane of skycars far above, and a couple of pedestrian walkways connecting one building to another. The street itself is older than anything on Aite, cracked, sunbleached asphalt that's been paved many, many
times over the centuries, and antique concrete buildings that have been haphazardly updated with modern functionalities like holo-interfaces and automatic doors, although these updates are far from universal. A few of the shops that line the street even have signage in the old, physical style of centuries past, either as a deliberate retro statement or out of sheer apathy to galactic trends. The towering skyscrapers that rise all
around are at odds with the old-fashioned street-level, a strange and clashing contrast. Still, holography and buzzing drones keeps the place from feeling wholly out of time. As does the crosswalk that Yan Sun approaches. Holo-emitters set into the road project red stripes on the asphalt, and a hologram reading STOP - 停 blocks the way across, a slow ticking sound serving as a further cue to tell the people waiting at the crossing
Jessica's scowl as reduced to a mere frown by the time they approach the crosswalk. She continues to look about, but makes a mental note to take pictures later. Doing so now would undermine her frustration with Yan Sun and she's not about to let her off the hook that easily. "I am going to maybe need to teach you how to be better at crime, kitty cat." she lectures. "Maybe the people here are just stupider if they have not caught you
Yan Sun jabs Jessica with her elbow as they stand at the crosswalk. "Shutup..." she mutters through her teeth.
It's not long before the slow tick turns into a rapid tick-tick-tick, and the lines in the road turn green as the warning to stop disappears. Instead, red holographic barriers appear along the sides of the crosswalk, giving drivers the very same warning in a fashion that simply can't be missed, and in the process giving safe passage to the pedestrians that begin to stream across to opposite sides.
Jessica winces, body arching away from the elbow. She retaliates with an elbow of her own, the playful back-and-forth reluctantly diminishing her annoyance. Seeming to realize it's probably obvious, she finds the need to get one final dig in. "If I am getting arrested because of you, I will break out just to kick your ass, kitty cat." she warns, giving Yan Sun one final bump with her shoulder before starting across the crosswalk.