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You reminisce on a few past encounters with your closer acquaintances - but who of them are you waiting to meet up with? Who could you possibly call... "friends"? Choose two of the acquaintances below.
>Fatima, medicae, eternal victim
She's arranging medical supplies with trembling fingers when I approach. Three miners fidget behind me, their black hands already fishing their pockets for extra coins.
"P-please forgive m-me," she stutters, performance already in full swing. "I-I-I'm not sure I c-can help you today." Her eyes dart nervously to the side. "M-my supplier was caught by the Arbites."
Right. Of course. Something always happens. I slide six coins across her table. Only then do her eyes widen - a real reaction breaking through the act.
"P-perhaps I could make an exception," she whispers, deliberately fumbling with the Forza vials.
I steady her hands with mine, and fake a smile. Playing her pointless game. Always the same.
>Twitch, fellow miner, ambitious boast
He bounces over to me, his pale-blue eyes wide as ore-plates. Morning dose already kicking in hard.
"Goggles! You beautiful bastard!" His voice cracks, eyes around us turn our way. Guard at the corner fingers his shock-maul.
"Got myself triple quota yesterday - triple!" Fresh bloodstains are on his nose-tubes. Left eyelid spasms wildly. "Celebrating at Mama Mira's tonight." His voice stinks of cheap happydolly. "Got enough for a whole night with the redhead. Yep, that one - oh baby!"
I nod. Know the routine. By midnight he'll be face-down in some drainage ditch, robbed of whatever coins he didn't already pump into his veins.
(Still one more post left)
