<strong>Hero Points:</strong>2 (everyone);<strong>Conditions:</strong>None<br/><br/>The man was in a state of bliss as Yuko drained him, giving no resistance as she immortalized his last spurt on the worldwide web.<br/><br/>“Thank you,” he said, returning the kiss. “But I must go now. Maybe if you’re here tomorrow?”<br/><br/>Yuko recognized this as an indirect way of asking for a date.<br/><br/>Already her phone was getting several notifications.<br/><br/>From Harmonia: Looks like Freud’s not the only one with dick on their mind here.<br/><br/>From Zofia: Lol. Did you know she’s at the Freud Museum, Yuko? I’m in Alsergrund. Nice place.<br/><br/>From Amalia: Srsly, my plane just landed! Why is this the first thing u send?!<br/><br/>Although part of their group chat, Hua was unresponsive.<br/><br/>From Zofia: Anyone heard from Hua? She may be here last.<br/><br/>From Harmonia:There was a Crime League attack in Volkavia last week. She’s fine but may make travel harder.<br/><br/>From Amalia: I hope she’s ok.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/lM4VgZD.png)</div>The text was broken up by a phone call. Her father, Koga Kawasaki, was still old-fashioned enough to use that as the primary means of communication by phone.<br/><br/>“Five minutes and we depart for Tomorrow Technologies,” he said. “The chauffeur downstairs will take you to the limo.”<br/><br/>He didn't say anymore, or wait for a response before hanging up.<br/><br/>The streets of Vienna were busy, like any large city. The hotel parking lot lined up with taxis awaiting passengers, but Yuko had no need to wait. A tall man in a dark buttoned suit with white gloves and a hat hailed her as she exited the hotel, escorting her to a stylish limousine. Koga was inside, writing notes in a personal pocket journal while listening to a bluetooth headset. He silently gestured with a hand to the limo’s minibar and charging stations for phones and other electronics, and being the only other person in the vehicle there was plenty of space for Yuko to sit or even lay down.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center">(https://i.imgur.com/3BmT6TO.jpg)</div><br/>Tomorrow Technologies was one of the newer buildings in town. The lobby echoed with footsteps besides Yuko’s own from multiple directions, even though it seemed that everyone was at the far end of the room. Holo-visual projectors turned on as people approached within close proximity, showcasing the company’s most renowned products and products-to-be.<br/><br/><em>“Portable artificial lungs, take back your life today!”</em>one ad played.<em>“Our respiratory enhancements also come with sensory features scientifically proven to be compatible with 98% of human genetic structures. With this new technology, miners, firefighters, and rescue workers can sense carbon monoxide leaks and other harmful chemicals, while doctors can more easily detect traces of harmful drugs and poisons in patients. Now available in Costazul, the Maldives, Peru, and Qatar!”</em><br/><br/>A short teenage girl of East Asian descent was admiring one such display, part of a larger group of older, more uniformly-dressed businessmen. By the time the advertisement ended, Yuko was close enough to spot Hua’s rather familiar black cap and gold star combo upon her head. It was apparent that the group was waiting for them (Koga specifically), exchanging a flurry of handshakes and greetings with Yuko’s father.<br/><br/>“Hello Yuko, Mr. Kawasaki,” Hua said. “Glad to see you both here!”<br/><br/>“Hello there,” Koga said as he greeted her with a handshake. “You must be one of Yuko’s friends. Hua, correct? I thought you were still studying at the Academy of Set?”<br/><br/>“I was sent here as a consultant, actually,” Hua answered with a hint of pride in her voice. “I’m eager to prove myself! As for why I was unresponsive earlier, Yuko...I tried to Uber instead of fly, but it turns out that service is banned in Hungary. Ain’t doing that again.”<br/><br/>“I see,” Koga said with a bit of disinterest in his voice. “As long as there were no complications.”<br/><br/>One of the businessmen shot Hua a brief glare, quick enough for Yuko to catch.<br/><br/>He then turned to Yuko. “There’s a waiting room for you and her until the other representatives get here. You’ll be summoned when ready. Remember all I taught you; this acquisition may just prove to be the biggest breakthrough for the Kawasakis yet!”<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The waiting room was much less impressive than the virtual ads in the lobby. Fortunately there was a password-protected WiFi which the receptionist was more than happy to tell the girls, although Hua had a few questions of her own.<br/><br/>“Have they told you anything? You know, about the visit?”<br/><br/><em>Below are some likely questions Yuko may have in return for Hua.</em><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">No, why?</div><div class="spoiler_body">“Me neither. If I had to guess there's some backroom deals going around. Over in the States this tech billionaire died and now every suit is scrambling for who will own what."</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">So, what’s it like in Volvakia/the Academy of Set?</div><div class="spoiler_body">”It’s a lot roomier than Singapore, I’ll tell you! We more or less have our own dorm rooms, but they’re arranged in a circular pattern with a common area in the center. They say it’s to ‘foster community spirit’ or whatever, although there’s a few students who complain that they can't get to class fast that way. Phhffft, as though crowded halls would be any better.”<br/><br/>“The rest of Volvakia is pretty quiet lately. Most people get inside by dinner time, even before the nationwide curfew that went down from that Crime League attack. Caused a major concert to close down, too. Pretty blah month, I was looking forward to some local music.”</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">What kind of consultant work are you doing?</div><div class="spoiler_body">“I can't really say much, but it involves cryptology, languages, decoding stuff.”</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Did you see what I texted?</div><div class="spoiler_body">“I did not. Phone was on vibrate because I was in the middle of my ‘concentrance.’ You know how I get when I’m absorbed in something. The last time I forgot to do that my aunt’s constant calls made me lose the Abyss Watchers boss fight. I was <em>so pissed</em> for a week after that, remember?”<br/><br/>She opened up her smartphone to check. The first few times she would have blushed or gasped, but such reactions were now replaced by drab sarcasm. “Oh wow, you blew a guy. I’m shocked.”</div></div>