"Let me see if I can remember -- I don't want to get it wrong..." Hideko pulls out her com and clicks it so that the screen glows. It helpfully shows her the time.

"Mm. The agency has reason to believe that several different crime syndicates have branches here, and that they intersect in certain venues and events. The agency believes that those syndicates also intersect in various illegal enterprises. Apparently we received a tip that Naikeni is a nexus for sex trafficking, possibly with multiple contributing organizations. Naikeni might also be a nexus for parties thrown by rich sex traffickers. These events host enough people who've raised red flags that the agency thinks even without direct ties to the sex trade, one of these galas is worth mining for information."

She clicks the screen off and looks up at Tamako, widening her eyes just slightly. "It's complicated, isn't it? I'm supposed to teach you how to walk nicely in heels, and then we'll go make polite conversation while you plant bugs on as many criminals as you can. Those are also in the case."

"...Huh." She picks back up her suitcase and tows it over to the unoccupied bed, then plops down beside it. "Are you nervous? About this being your first real assignment? It's sort of intense."

"It is, isn't it? Do you think we'll be in much danger?"

Uh. Well they are spies, on a mission with a component of illegal surveillance. It has never been clarified to Sookhee how much, if any, leeway the agency has been given by any sort of governing party. It doesn't really matter to her; she was going to be making a living illegally some way or another. But she does, if she thinks about it, qualify that as 'danger.' 

And then there's the fact that the spy mission in question involves infiltrating a sex trafficking ring, which even more definitively constitutes danger. 

Who let this girl become a spy. Is this what rich people do when they get bored? They could at least let a poor person know that a spot in elite society has opened up.

"Uhhh, no! No, not really, miss. -- Miya. We might be around some pretty dangerous people, you know, at the party, but -- I'll show you how to be careful with who you talk to and what you say, so that no one gets suspicious. I don't think you need to worry, we just have to be careful. And -- you know, I have a chip." She wiggles her elbow. "So that even if the worst thing happens, the agency will be able to find us."

Technically if they get swallowed up by a sex trafficking ring they will probably be separated by the time the agency tracks Sookhee's location, and Miya probably will not be fine. But being scared would only make Miya more likely to mess up and get them both in trouble, so she doesn't feel too bad for lying.

...hm. A tracking chip is interesting. That possibly changes the shape of the most efficient plan moving forwards, but she doesn't yet know enough to be sure.

"You must be very experienced."

Relative to Miya, that unfortunately seems to be the case.

"I haven't been with the agency for that long. I've got a lot of experience -- getting stuff like this done, I guess. But going to fancy parties and talking to powerful, wealthy people... I don't have any experience at that."

A shy smile. "That's my job, then. Gala events really aren't that exciting. Or difficult. I'm sure you'll fit in perfectly."

"...Can I ask why you took this job? If you were already rich -- unless you're not, sorry, but -- it seems like you were already -- if you have nice clothes and you can already go to nice parties and go wherever you want, why would you agree to go into the field at all? Why sign up for this kind of risk?"

She'd considered a lot of different risks. Joining the agency was the only one that had come with a suicide capsule. 

"Isn't it fun, to experience new things? If I'm already going to nice parties, I might as well be doing something useful at the same time. I haven't done very many useful things, in my life."

That's so naive that it hurts her chest a little.

"I think that's really good of you. Should we get started getting prepared, then? Have you..." She glances at the case. She doesn't want to seem like she's disproportionately invested in the pretty dresses, but she's pretty invested in the pretty dresses. "Have you tried on the clothes they've given us, yet?"

"Not yet. I looked at them, though, they seem suitable. Do you want to try them on and practice posture?"

Is her posture that bad. She hadn't thought that it was that bad. Sookhee eyes how elegantly straight Miya is sitting and tries to very inconspicuously sit up a little taller.

Objectively, there are higher priorities in preparing for this mission than playing dress-up. Such as making sure she's familiar with the equipment she's supposed to bug partygoers with, or going over the layout of the building where the party will be happening, or reading up on every person of interest who is expected to be in attendance.

But. Trying on the dresses would not only involve wearing pretty, sparkly things, but also seeing Miya in pretty sparkly things. And there will still be time for everything else, won't there.

Sookhee wasn't recruited for her impulse control.

"Yes, if you want to! Then I can practice the good posture while we prepare everything else."

Hideko rises from the bed and walks gracefully over to the black suitcase. She moves like she's performing. (She's always, always performing).

"Here they are," she says quietly, pressing her thumbs lightly to the buckles. The buckles scan her prints with a quiet hum and then click open. Hideko opens the case. Inside are two pairs of glossy heels and two neatly folded evening gowns, one a shimmery gold and the other a deep, silky blue. There's a bubble-wrapped, clear packet of what appears to be jewelry.

"...pretty," she whispers eventually, reaching out to touch the blue dress with a single finger. One day she's going to own things this nice, things this soft. Becoming a spy was such a good decision.

The dresses really aren't anything special, but it's cute that Tamako is so taken with them. Hideko picks up the jewelry packet and starts unwrapping it, the material crinkling as she pulls out a necklace dripping with finely cut blue gems.

"I've always liked sapphires," she says quietly, offering the necklace over to Tamako.

Sookhee snorts. "These aren't sapphires."

"-- uh, I mean -- it's still! Beautiful! It would look beautiful on you, you would look -- I mean -- there's nothing wrong with synthstones. The necklace is nice."

It couldn't have cost the agency more than five credits, but like. If rich people don't know what rocks look like, that probably won't be a problem.

"...mm. How do you know that it's synthstone?"

"I mean, the weight is off slightly -- too light -- and sapphires can be lots of different shades of blue, but the light always refracts in them more than it does in this necklace."

"How interesting. Where did you learn that?"

'A life of thievery' is probably not an answer that will put her rich, sheltered newbie partner at ease. "Uh. My aunt really likes geology. She took me to museums when I was little."