Brink

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

Pfff that's me. Rule breaker. Rebel.

But yeah I don't think I'll have proper internet for another 13 days at least? so feel free to take your time haha

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

I'm not overly pleased with it tbh but I'm happy to get a post out finally! Sorry for the wait and I hope it suffices. Seems the broken links are to do with my Imgur? I'll only have access to that in a couple weeks when I have my desktop and interwebs going sadly.

P.S I hate writing up posts on my phone -_-

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

_{January 12 2079}

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Thundering vibrations shook the walls. Springing from his bed as if reanimated, Artem’s shock quickly receded as his eyes regained their glazed no interest. His hand crumpled the cigarette packet he first thought to reach for, none left. Taking a large breath his lungs filled with the musky cold air of his apparetment before climbing from his slumber. Clattering a fist against the wall with a grunt of displeasure, the music was quickly turned down. Another thud interrupted the patter of bare foot on tile, the moment Artem punched the shower button steaming water spewed forth. Pushing a hand over his buzz-cut head he took a other deep breath. He leant on the button before grabbing a towel, pausing for a moment as the pipes audibly ached. Artem’s morning shower was more of a wake up than a hygiene routine. Before long he was dressed. A bag across his back, scarf wrapped around his neck, he had to adjust the beanie to better protect his ears but Artem was already out the door.

At this time of morning the streets of St. Petersburg seemed almost deserted. Artem blew through the trails of steam floating away from the few shops open this early, his face displaying all the colours of neon thrown at him as he walked by. The sun, low in the sky, brought about an almost painful sense of reality. It's heat contrasting the snow his feet had to wade through. The little shipyard that Artem worked for, Zero-One, was subtle in its nature. Easy enough to find, if one were to look for it, but in amongst the taller buildings and overstated advertising bilboards it's an easy miss too. Reaching the elevator Artem clasped the iron frames together as it jerked into life, it's single measly purpose to climb this tower.

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Later that day…

Sprocket wrench in hand and chin raised high Artem shoved his hand between the pipes. The shop had several small cameras capable of reaching the claustrophobic innards of an engine, yet Artem prefered to feel his way around. Every expression of frustration and hope managed to cross his face before he pulled himself back out. The wrench crashed back amongst it's peers as the oil from his fingertips was wiped clean. Relief was next as he flicked an LED switch, the green light signifying a job done.

“Artem!”

The unmistakable voice turned his head immediately. Gesturing for Artem to follow him Oleg walked the width of the bay, with a push of the oxidized metal door he stood in the adjacent motor pool. Artem pushed the tool draw closed, not forgetting to grab his fresh pack of cigarettes before walking through the open door. With another instructive gesture Oleg asked a young woman to join them on the shop floor. Watching as she hovered down on the dolly Artem smirked at her apparent irritation. Raising the packet to his face his lips loosely plucked a cigarette free. Rummaging around his overall pouch for a lighter the white stick was snatched from his mouth.

“Not in shop.”

By the tone of his voice this wasn't Artem’s first offence, but the look of a disciplined boy faded quickly as he saw the girl approach. She was staring, presumably at his prosthetics. Artem watched her watch him as long as their eyes didn't meet, he noted their grey colour.

“We have a shuttle coming in. Top of the line Royce. I need you both on it.”

Always a man of few words, Oleg was on his way as soon as he had arrived. Turning his head back Artem could still feel her eyes scanning him. Pulling yet another cigarette from his packet, placing it between his lips, Artem extended a hand as the corners of his mouth curled in a friendly measure.

“Dzagoev, Artem.”

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

Great first post! As you know but just to announce on the off chance we have some masochistic lurkers, I'm in the process of moving and so my first post will be delayed but I will do my best to get it up soon. Then we can set a pace :)

Again great post, this will be fun!

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

_{DearTrickster | Brink | Cyberpunk | 1x1}

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_{❖ I N T R O D U C T I O N & O V E R V I E W}

_{Welcome to any visitors that may pass us by! Neon Nohl (The Russian word for zero, by the way) will be a one on one between myself and the effervescent DearTrickster. After a number of weeks and several brainstorms we have narrowed it down to a story of morals set in cyberpunk Russia. We're looking to throw our characters, Varya and Artem, amongst the Bratva Mob. Forcing them to tackle some less than ideal situations and testing their moral ideals. This is the first time either of us have ventured onto the 1x1 boards and we hope it goes well! anyone whom wishes to read along are more than welcome but please refrain from posting on our thread, if you wish to get in contact then please don't hesitate to send me a PM!}

_{❖ S E T T I N G & P R E M I S E}

<sub>We find ourselves in a frost-bitten St.Petersburg in the new year of 2079, warmed only by the technicolour lights that flood its streets. A busy, sprawling hive it's port serves as a major hub of the Russian economy and as such people from all walks of life are attracted to it. Buried somewhere in amongst the cities forthright skyscrapers and its insidious alleyways sits an understated business venture, Zero-One Shipyard and Repair and it is here that our story begins.

Whilst some might question the subtle nature this particular shipyard there is reason for it. Owned by the Bratva mob, Zero-One serves as both a distribution outlet and a laundering outfit. A very select client list will often employ the shipyard to maintain personal shuttles, small transport ships, even luxury vessels and it is through these interactions that the mob is able to move its considerable position in the global heroin market.</sub>

_{❖ L O C A T I O N S}

_{Below are listed some of the reoccurring locations of Neon Nohl, some based off real locations that can be found in St. Petersburg.}

Zero-One Shipyard

❖Zero-One Shipyard❖
_{Luxury & Personal Vessels Repair Shop - Owned & Operated by Oleg - Vasileostrovsky District
This particular shipyard has open garages for easy access for pilots and chauffeurs, insulated garage doors close against cold winter winds. It's age shows on the beams facing salty ocean breezes but meticulous care by Oleg keeps rust to a minimum. The shop comes equipped with heavy equipment, cranes, and it's own on-site generators for powering the facility, operators and mechanics are hired to keep the shop running smoothly. Depending on the vessel there are docks stretching out for tying off personal vehicles. It is located on the far northern end of Vasileostrovsky Island close to the bay and lifted above streets for, again, easy access for pilots. Artem and Varya are currently employed there as mechanics.}

Soul Kitchen Bar

❖Soul Kitchen Bar❖
_{Nightclub and Live Venue - Owned & Operated by Elena - Tsentralny District
Established back in the early 2000's as a Nightclub attached to a hostel, this popular venue for drinks and live shows has grown with the city as it has entered a new age of technology and space travel. It has a very artisan underground aesthetic, water pipes and vents exposed, and abstract art hung on it's walls. It's patrons must descend a set of stairs to arrive to the main bar. However the hostel has rooms above with scenic views of the city. Even stranger, it is owned and operated by an AI Android, upon terrible accident that took Elena's last human link in the line of inheritance. It subsequently freed her of obligations to the family and placed the nightclub in her name. Elena continued to run it, acting as a bartender and manager. Artem and Varya find themselves able to relax here, an area relatively untouched by Bratva, but a favourite spot for Yakuza gang members.}

Neon Nohl's Playlist - Spotify Link
Youtube Link

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_{❖ D I S C L A I M E R}

_{This story has mature 18+ themes, explicit violence, organized crime, and language. Minors beware.}

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Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

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_{Age
29
Date of Birth
2052
Current Residence
Petrogradsky District
Gender
Male}

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Appearance

At an average height on 6'0" and a rather slight 155lbs, Artem mostly relies on his intimidating aesthetic to make his way through the Russian underground. His tattoos, which include several murals to lost friends, compliment his traditional buzz-cut and round off a menacing look.

An accident he suffered as a child resulted in his entire left arm being replaced bionically. It has gone through many iterations and such are the costs of high-end bionics he has resorted to a rather mundane Bar-Helix design. His right forearm however was a matter of choice. Replacing his tendons and fingers has lent heavily to his work making him stronger and more precise.
The last bionic addition Artem has is a filtration system embedded in his neck. Attached to his windpipe it filters out the daily multitude of cigarettes. The smoke is then released in a rather sinister nature through two small holes hidden by the dogs open maw tattooed across his neck.

Personality

Calm
"Lets just take a breath."

Skeptical
"He is hiding something, that friendly front he puts on? nah man, I'm not fooled."

Hardworking
"The more you sweat on the training pitch the less you bleed on the battlefield."

Assertive
"You sure about that? step to me and we'll find out boy."

Compulsive
"Tsk, just let me do me man it's my life."

Whilst many like to pretend they don't judge someone the moment they meet it's an unfortunate truth of the modern era, one that Artem has sought to take advantage of. His tough, tattooed exterior quite violently contrasts the person underneath. Yet owning such menacing features has paid off many times throughout Artems life.

To the select few that really know him Artem is a hardworking individual that generally prefers to keep to himself. After a troublesome childhood that thrust him into the Russian underground, he has found it much more applicable to simply keep his head down. However Artem is not completely passive. When the situation calls for it he is able to feign a personality not unlike his appearance suggests, allowing him to be assertive and intimidating when he wants to be.

History

Artem was not born in St.Petersburg but in Moscow. His father, a man of renown in certain circles, was a Mob Boss at the point of his birth. As such Artems upbringing would be considered unfortunate by many, he was constantly surrounded by drugs, guns and the various paraphernalia of the underground scene. It was his mother that somehow managed to instil some morals in the young boy before she passed. At the tender age of eight Artem found himself motherless and in the hands of a unfit father whom was intent on raising a future kingpin.

Throughout his teen years Artem often chose the company of his fathers henchmen. Being his fathers son he was naturally treated well, and as friends at school were a rarity it was with those thugs that Artem sought friendship.

During his time throughout school and particularly in college, Artem started to resent his father and the reputation it garnered for him. He did not make friends easily and those that would speak with him often did so at arms reach. The cohort of goons he once knew as friends had shifted significantly, some were lost, some replaced. It was not a source of emotional stability for Artem, something he had been seeking since the death of his mother. He believes this to be why he loves mechanics. Choosing the path during college and later university, Artem found the time he spent on the inner workings of engines and gas lines, manifolds and fuel pumps to be soothing. It was an escape, one that could only end in work being done and not on the end of a gun barrel. Or so he thought.

It took only a few months after his graduation, from Moscow technological university no less one of the few advantages of his birth-name Artem could tolerate, for his to decide his immediate future. He was not interested in being a Kingpin, he found the world of Russian crime to be cold, unrelenting and in its entirety damaging. He took the last picture of his mother he owned and left his fathers home, no word to anyone. It didn't take long for his absence to be noticed and the one thing Artem realised very quickly was that if the mob wanted to find you, you had better hide yourself well.

He was now in his mid twenties. Forced back into the life he did not want. Finding it much easier to acquiesce to his fathers hand that rebel it is during this time that Artem donned his rough aesthetic. With a new bionic arm courtesy of his father, a vicious reminder that a Dzagoev cannot escape the life laid out for them, Artem could only hope to escape once more. This time however, he was smarter about it.

St.Petersburg has been a safe haven for Artem. The presence of the Yakuza more often than not maintains the focus of the Bratva and so it is easy to stay hidden. He has been gone for nearly two years, worked as a Mechanic for a little over one. And whilst it was always going to be impossible to avoid the mob, Artem is content being on the other side of that dark line.

Skills

Artems speciality is in engine maintenance and fabrication. He understands the intricate nature of the CNEE or Contained Nuclear Energy Engine and it's component parts. He was hired on at Zero-One to maintain and tune the vast majority of vessels that stop by whilst the mob do their thing.
Artem also has a love for fabrication, making body kits and chassis joinery are particular delights of his and he always pushes Oleg to give him a couple hours in the Fab department if business is slow.

Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

_{DearTrickster | Brink | Cyberpunk | 1x1}

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<sub>❖ N O N - P L A Y E R C H A R A C T E R S

We might add NPC's over time and this is where we will log each significant one with a small descriptor as to their role.</sub>

_{❖Dina and Yuri❖
Law Enforcement - Old Timer & Rookie - Tradition & Idealism
Dina and Yuri the faces of justice, well meaning police officers forced to bend with corruption of their department.}

_{❖Iskra & Dimitri❖
Bratva Brigadier - Authority Leader & Glorified Assistant - Crime & Cybernetics
Iskra and her AI android Dimitri, the near constant presence of Bratva in Zero-One. Iskra keeps Oleg under her heel, the mysterious Dimitri answers to every order given by Iskra only.}

_{❖Oleg❖
Lead Mechanic - Zero-One Shipyard Owner - Wise & Kind
Oleg the lead mechanic and owner of Zero-One Shipyard, the man Artem and Varya answer to directly while at work.}

_{❖Elena❖
AI Android - Soul Kitchen Bar Owner & Bartender - Free & Cynical
Elena is the sole survivor and inheritor of her commissioner family's estate, namely ownership and management of Soul Kitchen Bar. Technically free to do as she pleases, decided to continue managing Soul Kitchen Bar.}

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Neon Nohl [Brink & DearTrickster Cyberpunk 1x1]

It begins!

Patronage of the Gods

Hades

H A D E S

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_{H u m a n F o r m}

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_{◆ A W A K E N I N G}

_{The bittersweet tale of Hades and his most precious consort Persephone has been sung by many a bard. The ground turns cold and the nights long when she makes her journey to the underworld. It is an event that the world of old recognised, for Hades it was his candlelight in an otherwise dark existence.
As the centuries passed the Olympian myths and their divine characters were forgotten, muddied or lost. As belief ebbed so did the strength of the gods. For Hades his mind was so transfixed on his beloved, that his grip eased. The underworld is not what it once was. Many souls have escaped, some even stolen, trespasses that once incited his fury have since been ignored. Were it not for his muse, Hades' indignation would surely come to pass once more.}

_{◆ P E R S O N A L I T Y}

<sub>Having regained his perspective on the world and the duty he long abandoned, Hades is intent on tightening his grip over the dead. Those whom he meets will often first notice his attention is elsewhere. It is likely that his scrutiny is sharply focused on those whom have left his realm, the other possibility being his search for Persephone. Whichever it may be Hades' mind is rarely at the behest of those that seek it to be, which many a soul will tell you is a good thing.

It is when someone has the full attention of Hades that his true nature arises. He has no tolerance of those that undermine his authority or lacks recognition of the part he plays in the world. If truth be told Hades is quietly insecure. He is aware that his two brothers were more widely accepted that he was and at times the pain of being relegated to the underworld shows itself, but rarely. No, there was not a soul upon the earth that wished for Hades attention wilfully. Yet with a new world comes new principles, and as the Olympian gods fell from favour so did the fear felt by man. Hubris is rife in the modern world, Hades is not one to take it lightly.</sub>

_{◆ F O L L O W E R S}

_{Hades is a fickle god. If you cannot further his goals then you are of no use to him. He admires those who have ambition, men or women who are willing to do what it takes to spread his name. He accepts those that are passionate, that have something to lose so as to encourage them further. Above all Hades demands loyalty. A disloyal act towards Hades is an act of defiance, of Hubris. Souls like that are found nowhere else but Tartarus.}

_{◆ L O C A T I O N}

_{Tartarus, Hades}

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_{T r u e F o r m}

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