Fixers
| “ | The whole market’s a red ocean. Everyone wants to be a Fixer. | ” |
–Roland, Hook Office Episode 1, Pre-Battle | ||
Fixers are hired mercenaries that operate throughout the City. They are one of the main types of guests in the game.
Description
Overview
| “ | Funny, isn’t it. You jump into the Fixer business trying to earn money, but you need to get into debt and spend money to be able to do proper work. How ironic is that? | ” |
Fixers are hired hands who perform a multitude of tasks ranging from dangerous activities like combat, assassination, or expeditions to the Ruins, to less directly violent tasks like negotiating contracts or gathering intelligence; in short, any job requiring skills that the average person would not have. Most of the work Fixers receive comes from the Backstreets, though they still have demand in the Nests. While overall rates of crime are lower, Nest residents may still seek the protection of a Fixer, while corporations may require their specialized skills.
The lifestyle of Fixers is seen by outsiders as idealistic, and many view Fixers as real-life heroes.[1] Common Cityfolk hear the adventures of famous Fixers and view the profession as an escape from monotonous everyday jobs, as well as a chance to make a quick profit. Becoming a licensed Fixer is as easy as passing a physical test given by the Hana Association, the organization officially in charge of all Fixer activities.[2] Unfortunately, this is the easiest part of Fixer life. Putting aside the dangers of the business, it also offers none of the freedom that people would believe it to have.
Most lines of Fixer work are life-threatening to begin with, on top of the lawlessness of the Backstreets. Even a pack of Rats can potentially overwhelm a novice Fixer.[3] Not even Offices, the business organizations and home bases of Fixers, are safe, as criminal Syndicates will periodically conduct Office raids without warning for various reasons, going so far as to wipe them out entirely; it is not uncommon for a Fixer to lose their colleagues in this way.[4] Because of their high death rate, Fixers tend to avoid forming close social ties with each other. As a result, the common understanding amongst Fixers is to stay professional, keep personal life and work life separate, and avoid any passionate or sympathetic feelings. This doesn't mean that relationships between Fixers, especially romantic ones, do not occur, but they are more likely than not to end in tragedy.[5][6][7][8]
Earning a living as a Fixer is not as easy as it is believed to be either. Proper equipment and physical augmentation are all but required just for basic protection, both of which can reach inordinate prices, especially in maintenance costs.[3] Making matters worse is a heavy tax levied on Fixers by the Head, on top of other taxes associated with City life.
Independent work is not easy to come by. Fixers take work based on requests made by a client, and are paid upon each request's completion. There are no restrictions on the type of request or client they receive, though this is not the issue. With the high number of Fixers and Fixer Offices throughout the City, competition is intense, and only those who stand out above the others will be visible to the public. Independent Fixers rarely find success because of their inability to market themselves as well as a formal Office, though this is more of a concern for lower-end Fixers. Under an Office, the freedom of a Fixer is further limited, as any task they try to undertake must be approved by their Office. There are some exceptions and loopholes, but generally, true self-determination without answering to any superior is almost impossible to attain for an average Fixer.[2][9]
The only requirement of a Fixer when taking a request is that it must be logged and reported to the Hana Assocation, and that Fixers must not threaten clients to get requests.[10] However, a common practice is for both sides of a request to make a binding contract, as it is too easy for either side to betray their agreement without one. Entire Offices exist to create, verify, and enforce contracts—the only solid assurances of sincerity in the City.[11]
Hierarchy
| “ | Who said a Fixer is a free man? Must’ve been some no-good showoff who told you that… Kid, that’s just our dream and nothing more. | ” |
–A Grade 7 Fixer, Page 3 | ||
The Fixer hierarchy is built on meritocracy, where more capable Fixers are granted increased work options, pay, and recognition. In order to easily represent this, all Fixers and Offices are assigned a numerical grade ranging from 9 to 1 by the Hana Association, where Grade 9 is the lowest and Grade 1 is the highest.[12][13]
While Grade 9s are considered not much stronger than a pack of Rats, Grade 1s are seen as capable of handling jobs like bringing down a Star of the City. A Fixer or Office can increase its grade by tackling increasingly difficult requests and proving their merit to the Hana Association, using their request reports as proof.
Offices and Associations
- Main articles: Offices and Associations
Most Fixers belong to an Office, which is a formal business entity that handles requests for multiple Fixers under its ranks. Being a member of an Office is seen as favorable, especially for novice Fixers, because finding work and advertising themselves is difficult otherwise.
Above the Offices are the twelve Associations, which are major Fixer organizations that manage and regulate all their lines of business. The Hana Association leads the Associations and sets the model for how a Fixer should act, as well as handling the licensing and grading of Fixers, Offices, and requests.[14]
Fixers work directly under an Association, with more benefits than most Offices can provide, but also more risks due to the higher tier of work that Associations take on. Unlike associate Offices, which are only affiliates and not employees, associate Fixers they are not allowed to conduct freelance work, because their actions will be interpreted as those of their organization. As such, associate Fixers must act with more professionalism and impassiveness.[15][16]
Colors
- Main article: Color Fixers
Rarely, there are Grade 1 Fixers who greatly surpass others in some way, whether it is strength, intellect, or some other form of prowess. In such cases, the Fixer may be assigned a special title by the Hana Association to distinguish them as the optimal choices for felling Stars of the City, serving as a model for the ideal Fixer.
In terms of self-determination, not much is different between a Grade 1 and a Grade 9, whatever their affiliation; they all have to obey the orders of their superiors and act to preserve the way of life in the City to keep their lives going. The Color Fixers are the only Fixers who truly have the freedom that Fixers wish for, being able to act more or less independently and with more of a choice in what they choose to accomplish. Because of this, every Fixer who dreams of freedom wishes to attain the rank of a Color, though there are only a select few who will ever reach such a height. Still, not every Fixer may be happy to be a Color, but if they qualify, they do not have a say. The Hana Association will forcibly give them the title with no way to refuse. And even with their greater freedom, they still must work within the confines of the City's status quo, or face being marked for elimination.[17][18]
Equipment
Augmentation
In the City, it is better to have physical enhancements than not. With the countless dangers that come with life in the City, augmentations are a way for people to protect themselves. Fixers, Syndicate members, and even the everyday Cityfolk know this, and it applies to them equally. A Fixer who does not augment themselves will only be at a disadvantage against competitors, not to mention enemies, who have already done so.
There are countless augmentation options available, from mechanical exoskeletons or bionic implants to prosthetic limbs and even full-body prosthetic replacements, all of which can be specialized for different uses. The only limiting factor is money, as top-tier augmentation procedures can be highly expensive, and less expensive procedures can be less reliable. The sheer superhuman capabilities that augmentations provide, however, are all but necessary for Fixers, which makes them well worth their price.[19][20]
Attire
Fixers adorn themselves with a wide variety of apparel and accessories, mostly based on their own preferences. In the business, attire also carries a marketing purpose, since a professional and uniform appearance makes Offices seem more reliable to potential clients. Because of this, many Offices use a strict dress code. Each Association also uses a distinct dress code fitting its identity.
While may seem otherwise, Fixer apparel does not sacrifice protection for style. Fixers pay close attention to the fabric used in their outfits, because the fabric is what makes them practical. Depending on its characteristics and quality, fabric can provide as much protection as plate armor if not more, as well as other tactical advantages such as increased mobility. High-quality fabric can even replace an augmentation procedure in terms of protection, making such textiles the ideal armor for Fixers. They will work closely with Tailors in order to obtain clothing with their desired specifications.[21]
Other, more specialized modifications to attire are possible. For instance, Fixers of the 
Liu Association wear outfits embroidered with the moonlight stone, M Corp's Singularity, which bolsters their resistance to psychological attacks.[22]
Weaponry
The weaponry used by Fixers is just as broad as their apparel, from hammers and batons to knives, swords, spears, chainsaws, flails, and much more. Most Fixers will acquire their weaponry and other tools from Workshops, which specially produce and market said products in order to profit off the lucrative Fixer trade. For example, Stigma Workshop creates melee weapons lined with heated wires, while Union Co. creates bionic weaponry that attaches to the body.
All weapons and tools used by Fixers are managed by the Tres Association, which tests and reviews weapon designs, files them to the Head, and charges taxes for them. Using any weapon that hasn't passed its evaluation is illegal.[23]
There is one category of weapons which are rarely used by Fixers: firearms. A number of factors make guns unfavorable to Fixers, mainly that they are uneconomical. In general, two full magazines of ammunition can cost as much as a gun itself, in addition to the heavy taxes the Head levies on all firearm purchases. Suppliers are also hard to come by, as only a select few Workshops are licensed to create firearms, and they are heavily limited on how they can design them.[24] This is a deliberate outcome on the part of the Head, which seeks to discourage firearm use, though no one knows exactly what motives they have for doing so.[25]
Despite their heavy costs and restrictions, some Fixers still use firearms simply because they are so effective. The upside to not many people using firearms is that not many people know how to counter them, either, and so they can quickly and efficiently clear out targets when they are used in the right circumstances.[26]
Fixer Insurance
In the City, Fixer insurance plans are one distinct category all on their own. Many insurance companies offer life insurance meant for Fixers, though most of these plans are outright scams. Fixers only qualify for the insurance benefits when they are on the verge of death, and a dead Fixer certainly can't use those benefits. Companies may even refuse to return the money if a Fixer terminates their plan. There are cases where Fixer insurance does end up greatly aiding a Fixer, such as the case of Pameli and her biological body-recovery insurance, but these occurrences are the exceptions to the norm.[27][28]
Notable Fixers
- Color Fixers
- Other
- Alloc
- Astolfo
- Bada
- Bayard
- Bono
- Bradamante
- Cecil
- Charles
- Chun
- Dalloc
- Dante
- Dong-hwan
- Eri
- Finn
- Hanafuda
- Harold
- Isadora
- Julia
- Liwei
- Lowell
- Lulu
- Mars
- Martina
- Maugris
- Mei
- McCullin
- Mika
- Mirinae
- Miris
- MuMu (formerly)
- Naimon
- Naoki
- Nemo
- Ogier
- Oink (formerly)
- Olga
- Olivier
- Oscar
- Pamela
- Pameli
- Philip
- Rain
- Renaud
- Roland
- Salvador
- San
- Stephan
- Taein
- Tamaki
- Tenma
- Thelma
- Valentin
- Walter
- Xiao
- Yujin
- Yun
- Yuna
- Grade 7 Fixers
- Grade 8 Fixers
- Workshop-affiliated Fixers
Gallery
Fixer 1 (Yun’s Office Episode 1)
Fixer 2 (Yun’s Office Episode 2)
References
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