[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

While the beating heart of Tokyo’s technology scene could be found in the industrial zone of Tokyo’s bay, its face was represented in a place far more suited for putting on displays — Shibuya. More specifically, within a stadium had been requisitioned and repurposed as an event venue for a tech expo by the various players in the game. Including Sovereign Technologies, the main host of both the event held quarterly known as Grand Design and of Kioko’s ire.

She stalked through the sea of people flowing through the avenues in between displays of gears and gadgets. As always, Kioko was dressed to kill with a cold expression that matched. Those that did have the misfortune to fall victim beneath the heavy weight of her metallic serpent’s stare parted from her path more easily than others. The latter were otherwise navigated by virtue of her equally imposing frame — whose visage further conjured fear.

Kushiki Kioko was a known murderer after all.

And the last person one might expect at a trade show run by her family’s company. Yet here she was, seemingly on the prowl for something specific. Eventually she found it sequestered far from any exits. How unfortunate for whatever poor soul was burdened with running the booth containing her quarry on behalf of the company that had created it.

The object that claimed her desire was a 3D printer. Not just any 3D printer though. It was a prototype that could theoretically make use of any solid material to make its creations and built to be smaller, faster, and more efficient. The amount of time it could cut down on producing commonly used parts without the need of entire facilities dedicated to manufacturing the various odds and ends Kioko regularly needed from the relative comfort of a small workspace made it worth any price tag.

Not that Kioko planned on paying.

Her eyes flitted from the prototype printer to peddler. “Tell me about your product.” A demand issued from forked tongue and backed by the fangs that framed it behind dark painted lips. Given her presence deterred that of any other potential investors in the project, there were precious little options to divert a much shorter young man’s attention away from the shadow-clad monolith.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada | Outfit

[Kei Hada]

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Well, maybe that was an over-exaggeration, given how often he'd done something like this by now. But since the company was one of the biggest in Japan, it was possible the description was apt after all.

Kei was a volunteer at the Grand Design Tech Expo. The very same one hosted by world-renowned Sovereign Technologies.

Yes, he was aware of the scandal surrounding the company. It couldn't even be called a scandal really, someone died. Two known figures in fact, and the woman who was meant to take over was the cause of the second death. The average person would probably not want to work for a place with such a dark history. Kei wasn't superstitious though. For all the omens Sovereign Technologies had, the fact that the person involved was no longer associated with the company was enough for him to add his name to the list of people who could help with the event.

So the sophomore was at the venue manning a booth. He'd pat himself on the back for how well he was answering the attendees' questions on the product on his display if he wasn't, you know, answering their questions. He was only slightly overwhelmed but that was a given in a space filled with lots of bodies and talking.

The noise around him grew quiet at one point though, which struck Kei as odd. He became more alert when the group he was speaking with moved away, voices hushed as he struggled to listen to their reason for leaving. It wasn't until a shadow was cast over him that he turned his head upward.

Standing before him was Kushiki Kioko herself, ex-future head of the company and said person who caused the second death. Which was her own brother by the way.

God. Maybe he should believe that bad luck was a thing.

Kei might've been openly staring at the woman before him. How could he not really? Even if she didn't kill anyone she still held such an imposing presence that the UAU student was on the verge of just running away. But she asked a question and he was obligated to answer as a volunteer helper should.

Of course he belatedly realized she spoke at all, so his initial greeting was high-pitched. "Kushiki-san, welcome! It's an honour to see you here!" Was it really? Probably not, but her previous status was all he could remember as he overdid his bow to the ex-heiress.

He awkwardly coughed before gesturing to the device in question and let rehearsed lines take the wheel. "This is the Highly Versatile Engineer, or HIVE for short. 3D printers are nothin' new but the innovation with this one is in its efficiency. Even as a prototype it's capable of creatin' parts out of any material fast, while the machine itself fits in a small space and is light enough to carry." As he spoke he would point at the measurements outlined on the table and even lift the device with one hand to show off its weight. And also the cable that kept it attached to the booth should anyone try and fail to nab the thing.

With no means of escape - yes, he checked - all Kei could do was continue with a strained smile. "Would you like a demonstration of the printin' process?"

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

One needn’t Kioko’s penchant for a piercing gaze to see through the lie masquerading as polite manners to the nervousness below. It wasn’t an honor to see her there. Most would have summoned security as a safety precaution. Though he did not, the young man’s anxiety drenched every aspect of his person as he scrambled to fulfill the duty he had taken on for the benefit of others besides himself. His payment? Exposure to and within the industry and unfortunately for him, it was an industry that still held Kioko’s interest.

While he’d be a fool to be at ease in her presence given her reputation and demeanor, the fearful reactions of the general populace had yet to become something Kioko was truly numb to beyond her conscious self-denials. It resonated against the icy walls she had built around her more fragile parts. The fortifications grew taller and thickened defensively in response to the more personal reaction to her presence and she grew more imperious as a result through an even more rigid stature, a colder gaze, and a haughty tone as she replied to the question about a demo.

“Obviously.”

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

God, why did he even ask that? Of course she would want a demonstration. Everyone who stopped as his station asked for one as soon as he explained what the device he was looking after could do. It took all his willpower not to just shrink at her stare, surely judging him for asking such a stupid question. Which prompted an equally stupid answer. "Yeah okay." He sure was on a roll today.

Delving back into his usual motions as that's all he can rely on right now, Kei woke his laptop out of sleep mode, typing something on it before turning the screen towards the woman. "This is the schematic for a hand. Usually you can only use one material but-" Honeycomb-shaped compartments would appear on top of the device, prompting the student load it with several different plastics. "With multi-material printin', you can use the sturdiness of PETG, the grip and flexibility of TPU and the affordability of PLA, all at once, in the same print."

Kei pressed the enter key and the compartments sunk into the device before the nozzle began to move, expelling the loaded materials in a pattern below. As they waited, he gestured towards projects from past demonstrations, ranging from a small camera to a desktop fan. "It's not just plastics of course. It can also print usin' glass and metals." One of his favourites was the Venus box, which he actually picked up and opened and closed for Kioko, his earlier anxiety squashed by his excitement. "Even wood if you want to use up some branches."

The machine eventually beeped, which signalled Kei to place the box close to the woman so she can toy with it while he grabbed the finished hand. Wiping off the excess stringy bits, he bent each finger and smiled. "Somethin' this complex, made in minutes. It won't be long now before high-quality prosthetics become that much more accessible."

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

The air of haughtiness that draped itself around the exiled heiress often led people to believe she was impatient. There were moments and areas in which that was true. Most of them involved Sebastian. The rest involved people equally foolish. The young man before her toed the line momentarily before delving into a topic for which Kioko was infinitely patient. She watched the machine at work and listened to the explanation with equal focus.

Much of it sounded like standard marketing. Perhaps he had been fed lines to include. Perhaps he simply bought the company line on his own. The best of all words, the words insisted. A promise of accessibility to things that would drastically improve the quality of life for the masses — provided someone of the Samaritan quality could afford the price tag attached to such an invention up front. Most could not, and those that could, weren’t exactly in the business of generosity. But it was a step in the right direction. A part of Kioko buried in the tomb of her past whispered a wish in the back of her mind that she was still in a position to take the next step needed with it to be that Samaritan. Alas, she wasn’t that person anymore. How could she be with blood on her hands, revenge in her mind, and a violent fury in her heart?

She trailed a finger along the dome of the Venus box absentmindedly. Or so it seemed. She was applying pressure to the construction to test the strength and integrity of the material. Flaws in 3D printing often led to structural weaknesses that were equally to blame on devices and materials in many cases. Finding none in her brief examination, she addressed another facet of her curiosity in the form of a question.

“With its ability to print objects using multiple materials in a single process, is it capable of inlaying functional circuitry and wiring into the prints provided the design allows for it and the correct materials are present?”

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

Kei may be a pessimist in many aspects of life, but the advance of science was not one of them. People will always be innovative no matter the state the world was in. It was seen in eradicated viruses. it was seen in the dawn of Quirks. It was seen now, in a little device capable of printing entire projects in minutes. While the printer currently had a high price, it wouldn't be long before someone came in to make its manufacturing so cheap that the cost of the item itself would be lowered as well.

Or the price stayed the same and the creators kept the ever-growing profits. Okay, so maybe there's a bit of cynicism sneaking in but he wants to remain hopeful!

At the woman's question, Kei's smile brightened. "Yeah!" He coughed again to reel in his excitement. "I mean- yes, it can." Placing the freshly printed prosthetic down, he then brought in another previously made item: a block with a screen display. On it was the number 263 in red against a black background. "I printed this to count how many people visited this booth so far. LED screen, plastic casin', rubber button." He clicked said button to increase the number to 264. Kioko did count as a visitor.

Kei turned the device to reveal the back was made of clear glass, to fully display the circuit board running it. "This whole thing was printed together. Dependin' on how well you can organize the wirin' in a small space, you can make it come out already assembled. No solderin' necessary."

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Serpentine eyes peered down at the tally counter with mild interest. The device itself was of little consequence to Kioko beyond the fact she was included in its tracking of visitors. She didn’t want to be remembered. Not like this when years prior, she had been among the sponsors at her mother and grandfather’s sides — and not when she had plans with which she didn’t want her presence associated. Alas, she was rather unforgettable, even without the clicker.

The interest she held had nothing to do with any of that though. He had answered her question with the display. Possibility and potential rapid fired ideas back and forth through her mind. Additional questions followed in their wake. Her gaze shifted back to the nervous young man.

“You mentioned the use of branches earlier and one of the main features is its ability to convert any material for printing use. How much work is done on the user’s end prior to the machine’s conversion? Does the material need to be broken down to specific dimensions or require any pre-treatment before the process? Beyond the obvious of just being able to fit into the material port.”

Her second line of questioning would wait until he had addressed this concern. Kioko was still figuring out how to phrase it in a way that wouldn’t open the door for further scrutiny with its implications. How fortunate it was that she had always been good at lying. The phrase silver tongued had practically been made for her.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

All things considered, Kei was holding himself quite well. Here he was, answering all of Kioko's questions despite all the pressure he should be under from conversing with the previous head of the very industry whose event he was volunteering for. Maybe it was his excitement over the project's ingenious design. Maybe it was due to how prepared he was from his research on it. Maybe it was because of the warmups he had going through the same questions from previous visitors. Whatever the case may be he should reward himself or something once he was done for the day.

The support student shrugged, waving his hands around a bit. "Teeechnically no, the HIVE's capable of workin' with whatever you give it as it breaks it down to be used in its processes. It won't malfunction or refuse the item. It will however count the whole branch as one material type, so when printin' somethin' with it, you'll see discolouration in the final product from the dirt and leaves because it doesn't try to separate it from the actual wood of the branch. It'd be interestin' if only appearance mattered, but if you don't want strength to be compromised because debris got woven into your request, you'd need to ensure the materials you're puttin' in are pure."

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

“I see.”

The cold drawl of Kioko’s voice belied the interest her questions and focus implied. Kei’s answer had more of an impact on her plans than she had expected. She could only ensure the purity of exactly one material — mercury. Her access to anything beyond that had been neutered by her circumstances. The intent had been to turn scrap into more useful forms, but Kioko couldn’t risk the integrity of her creations. Except when she wanted them to fail. Which meant her heists to feed the machine would need to revolve around higher end technology.

Just another reason to raid Sovereign Technologies’ warehouses — and their tech demos. To that end, Kioko brought her hand up to her mouth as if she was thinking about what Kei had said. And she was, but she was also covering the fact that that the tiniest trail of liquid metal was snaking past her lips to hide in her palm.

“A final question then.”

Where Kioko’s attention had been primarily on the tech before her, it now shifted wholly onto Kei. The full weight of her gaze settled upon him. Her hands braced themselves against the table that formed a barricade between the pair. The hand holding the key to her subterfuge rested next to the device which in turn provided cover for the coming act. The full force of her presence bared down on him to keep his attention on her and not the sleight of hand. Or rather, telekinesis and quicksilver as the latter integrated itself into the machine. There was already mercury within. It was a primary component of circuit boards in electrical devices. Her little addition would just make it easier for her to track later on as her Quirk resonated best with the metal she produced, though she could track its kin almost as well.

“How does the energy consumption of this device compare to common household appliances?”

Energy draw was a facet of manufacturing people outside of relevant industries didn’t consider with technology. Unfortunate considering how it directly impacted both consumer cost and the environment. More people should educate themselves on such things, but Kioko’s concern was for neither. She just needed to ensure the amount of power it took to function regularly wouldn’t draw suspicion to her or act as evidence against her through something as theoretically simple as the utility bills she had to pay at her apartment.

Plus, she needed to be able to afford said payments.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

Okay, so Kei thought he was holding himself quite well. He thought he was answering all of the woman's questions to her satisfaction: succinctly and with enough explanation in the pros and cons of the decisions made in the project. Evidently he was wrong because Kioko was glaring at him like an ant that needed to be squashed. Unbeknownst to him were the ulterior motives at play. His eyes were directed to the ex-heiress' face, missing the tracker added to the device in its entirety.

It took everything in him to not break out in a sweat. The reaction was used to lean back instead, to create distance between them without taking a step. "Uh," he gasped before his next words came out in a rush. "Its energy range is about the same as a fridge or a computer, reachin' the higher end when more materials are used simultaneously when printin'." With how stern she seemed, Kei hazarded a question despite the stress he was feeling. The delivery was just as squeaky.

"Is there a problem Kushiki-san?"

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

A turn released Kioko’s latest victim from her Medusa’s hold once he had satisfied her curiosity. She intended to depart upon its completion. A thanks for his time was barred from passing the gates of the serpent’s lips by a counter-question — something she had been actively avoiding. She had a lifetime’s worth of having her motives called into question. At least this instance wasn’t a public spectacle. Not that such a pivotal difference fully stopped Kioko’s ire rearing up from the depths.

Her rotation reversed and she faced Kei once more. When she had last fixed him within the full gravity of her stare, she had at least been leaning. Now the menacing mercurial monolith had drawn herself up to her full height to glare down upon him.

“A problem?”

She gestured broadly at the convention around them. “What could possibly be the problem?” Clearly Kei had not realized the minefield of irony he had tripped into with his inquiry likely meant to be more helpful than accusatory. Were they in another setting in which her emotions weren’t frayed by simple proximity to her former life, perhaps Kioko wouldn’t have reacted so volatilely. But they were here and so was the elephant in the room that Kioko now dragged into full view as an unlikely scapegoat for her future crimes.

“Imagine me having a problem here of all places. It is not as if fearful eyes follow my every movement accompanied by judgemental whispers and conspiracies. Would that not just be absurd?”

Her head whipped around to pointedly look at passersby fitting the summary she had just given. One of the women in the gaggle audibly squeaked in fright at the sudden attention. Kioko sneered in response, baring her fangs as a result and sending the group scurrying away as quickly as they could while still retaining any sort of dignity in the situation. It may have been an act on her part to divert attention from her questions and actions, but the thinly veiled scorn that haunted her presence in public stung no less beneath the fire and ice of her facade as she returned her focus to Kei.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

Kei was trying to be helpful. Really, he was. If his anxiety tells him he was causing an issue, you bet he'd do everything in his power to resolve it as quickly as possible. He didn't like inconveniencing others; dreaded the possibility that he was the reason behind someone's distress. In this case it wasn't distress but irritation in how the woman felt as if she couldn't just exist without others asserting their opinion on doing such a thing, internally or externally. Kioko displayed that well with scaring off a group of onlookers with her gaze alone.

He was only one of several culprits, but he felt personally responsible all the same. Especially when she sent that stare back his way. She was very good at that. "Right." Kei bowed at her once again, this time more out of true sincerity instead of fear. At least he wanted it to be sincere. Jury's out on whether he was able to portray that with all his trembling. "I'm sorry for makin' you uncomfortable." Standing up again, he did his best to look up at the woman head-on, hands clasped together to will them to stop shaking. "You deserve for your presence to not be judged. You're just as much a guest here as everyone else."

He gave her his best smile; another attempt at normalcy in their interaction. He's just one volunteer, speaking to one attendee at the expo about his exhibit. "Let me try again- is there anythin' else you're curious about?"

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Silence hung heavy in the air between them as Kioko icily regarded the man before her as his words meant to mollify the riled serpent faded away. Were it not for the ambient sounds of the convention still playing out in the background soundtrack, it would have felt more like they had dared to disturb a mausoleum of something longer departed. And they were in a manner of speaking. Kioko had long since laid to rest the kind of person she had once been that deserved the concern or consideration of others. Still, he had tried when no one else did. If he was lucky, that meant something far beneath the mask of apathy Kioko donned.

“There is one other thing.”

She verbalized no gratitude for the attempt at a peace offering, but her voice had lost a touch of venomous edge earlier displayed. Her eyes were no less sharp and her face no less stony though as she asked the question to appease a new curiosity in the wake of his inquiry. “What is your name?” They had gone the entire exchange without introduction because Kioko needed none wherever she went and she had cared little in the beginning to know just who he was. Whether or not it was a good thing she asked now would remain to be seen in the future.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

Despite the sincerity behind the apology, Kei was still nervous, which only accentuated in the silence that followed. He didn't want to think the worst of every interaction but that was just built into him at this point; his mind already running through the possibility that he would not be forgiven for following the herd in their staring and gossip. It wasn't even because of Kioko's demeanour; he's just like that no matter who he talked to. So when she asked her question, his face morphed from pensive positivity to a look of genuine surprise. "My name?"

Come to think of it, he never did mention it did he? Oftentimes the guests were more interested in the product than the host - which suited him just fine since he wasn't the one who created it anyway - but it did lead to this scenario where only one of the two people holding a conversation knew the other. Which begged the question of why she felt the need to know who he was. What could she possibly plan when it's likely they won't see each other after the expo?

He was judging again. Asking for an introduction should be normal for everyone.

There came another bow on his part, a wordless apology. "Sorry-" A hiss escaped him at the mistake. So much for wordless. "My name is Kei Hada."

Kushiki Kioko

[Kushiki Kioko]

I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Kioko’s idle animation as she listened to the introduction lacked one key aspect — animation. Stillness a statue would envy only broke upon the revelation of Kei’s identity. Kioko turned away from him, seemingly satisfied with the answer to the point she felt no need to add anything else as she walked away. At least until she paused a few feet away from where she had once loomed over him to watch yet another group pass by with an obvious wide berth given to her immediate proximity.

She didn’t look back at him, but her melodic voice rose just loud enough to be discerned above the din and was clearly directed at him. “It has been a pleasure, Hada-san.” Her tone devoid of the emotion it claimed seemed to say otherwise, but few ever heard anything other than apathy or hostility in her voice. At least Kei was no longer on the verge of the latter. Nor the former either now as Kioko merged into the crowd with all the grace of a predator tracking new prey.

Notes & Tags: Kei Hada