IC: Fade to Blood, From Light to Shadow to Blood Options

[Tashio]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:00
London

Harry Dresdens Office
Harry

The antique clock in the corner stuck 8, one chime for every hour passed midnight. Harry Dresden slept, his head resting on his folder arms.

The thick London fog closed in dispersing the light shining from the street light above. Figures moved about casting shadows. Feeling something brush up against him, Harry spun around to find nothing. The bells of Big Ben chimed in the distance.

The dream faded into reality the chiming of Big Ben and the clock in sync.


Rest for the Weary
Sean

The shelter bustled with the early morning traffic, those who had slept the night and those seeking food to start the day off. Sean had been awake for over an hour, running relays of food back and forth. The constant babble of noise was disturbed by the clash of a metal tray and a loud yell.

An elderly orc stood, confronted by a young man, his plate of food tipped on the floor.


Streets of London
Valya

Valya dashed down main street, her grapple attached to one of the local cabs. Last of the early morning deliveries done, she had about an hour before businesses were up and running. The taxi turned left without warning sending Valya wide across the lane. Quick reactions brought her back inside avoiding a collision with an oncoming bus. Heart pumping, adrenaline rushing through her body, she released the grapple ditching the cab.


Rest for the Weary
Ashton

Ashton woke with a start. A loud crash and yell roused him from his sleep in an out of the way corner. It had been a late evening, cruising the matrix, trying to find scoops on the latest tech and hot ware. Putting a mental note away to find a quieter and more private place to sleep, Ashton got to his feet. Tony faded into view.

"Oooh a fight lets go check it out, more interesting than watching you sleep."

[Trigger]

Monday February 17th 2070, 08:01

Rest for the Weary, London Barrens

Ashton

"Everything's more interesting than watching me ain't it Tony?" Ashton rhetorically asked the virtual person standing above him. Why in the bloody hells don't I ever shut him off?.......Because then I wouldn't have no one to talk to in this hell hole Ashton debated with himself as he slowly drew himself up from sleep. His left side ached like hell, his cyberarm and leg tight and unresponsive in the early morning. Cheap bastards he cursed his parents and their social stature once again as he stretched the metal limbs as he has done for the last year since losing them to some fraggin' drunk bloke on the road.

Cueing into the cheap commlink on his wrist he summoned up his virtual hellhound pup Cinder to keep him company, much preferring the loyalty of the virtual pet to the extroverted and wild musings of the virtual man. His AR glove still stuck to his hands from his virtual browsings last night, so he felt the slight tactile resistance as he reached out and petted Cinder behind the ears, smiling to himself at the deep rumbling sound of joy that came from the throat of his friend. Remebering why he was awoken he grabbed his discarded long coat from the pile of random articles of clothing that acted as his sheets and donned it while slipping his worn out Ruger Warhawk into the concealed holster inside and a couple of speed loaders into his pockets. Lastly he grabbed his glasses from the side table, actually an old milk crate, next to his bed and put them on as well. It was sort of a habit to wear them, even though they were no longer needed since he got his cyber replacements, but they were comfortable and they helped to hide the obvious signs of the fake eyes.

He quickly cued up his list of subscriptions on his actual commlink in his PAN. The comm hidden away in his skull was something he hadn't minded putting out the 'yen for, making it much harder to steal and mucher easier to access. His biomonitor showed that he was healthy, albeit a tad under nourished, and that his drone buddies were active and well hidden aroudn his room. He called one of the Dobermans from an alcove in the closet to his side, syncing the virtual pet program of Cinder to the overlay of the drone as he did so. The drone danced around his feet like the puppy it now resembled and Ashton smiled all the wider at the display. Finally feelign prepared for the harsh world of shadow London outside his door he turned to Tony and said, "So lead me to this disturbance you seem so fond to find."

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday February 17th 2070, 0801

Rest for the Weary, London Barrens

Sean

Oh Bloody Hell... they're starting already thought Sean. He looked in the direction of the impending rukus, while Rest for the Weary was a good place to work and live it was definately a little on the "rough" side as shelters went. Of course here in the Barrens everything had a ragged edge to it. Wouldn't hurt (too bad) so long as you didn't rub it the wrong way. The trick was knowing which way that was and Sean was definately on the steep end of that learning curve.

I don't recongnize them, but that doesn't mean much. I've only been here a week or so. Better see if I can sort this out before the old sodder gets hurt. Sean quickly serves the two "patrons" at the table in front of him, then he straightens his priest collar and slips his silver crucifix back under his shirt from where it had fallen out earlier. It's not "magic" (though he's starting to have his doubts), but there still seems to be a modicum of sanctity and respect given his collar, even in the Barrens. He's not sure of his standing with the Church, but until told by God to take them off he'll keep wearing the traditional black and collar and trying to help.

He starts to make his way toward the disturbance, carefully picking his way around tables and pallets. Tactfully trying not to jostle any of the various humans and metas in various states of cleanliness and disarray. While stepping over a particularly large and aromatic troll, he quickly looks around for his friend Ashes. They'd met when Sean first arrived at Rest for the Weary and Ashes had begun helping Sean get his bearings in the squalid Barrens. "I thought I saw him come in last night, but that kid can be hard to spot if he wants to be... it'd be good to have him here in case this gets, well, 'ugly'" He's close enough now to start taking in the details of the altercation, not that you have to try too hard...

[warrior_allanon]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:00
London Harry Dresdens Office

At the chiming of the clock Harry finds himself with his head already raised slightly, and staring at the old skull on his desk. "What the?" he starts to ask himself and then his brain finally kicks into gear once more. Closing up the loose ends on the case for scotland yard thats what he had been doing. Studying his case logs so that when it came time to be in court in a week he would be ready. Dragging himself to his feet he wanders over to the ice box and pulls out a can in with an almost ancient monogram on it. He opens the coke as he walks over to the window and looks out. The london barrens isnt exactly the best part of town, but it was what he could afford on his retainer, not to mention the only place where he wouldnt be encountering extremely high tech equipment in the buildings very construction.

Out across the way was the "Rest for the Weary" shelter whose occupants were also getting their day started. From where he stood though, he didnt like what he saw. An older orc was standing, confronting a younger man with something in the floor between them and to one side. Harry couldnt see what it was but he could guess. "Hey Bob." Harry turned and looked at the skull who slowly grew glowing orange eyes.

"Stars and stones harry what time is it." The skull answered, "Sweet goddess its only 8 oclock, wake me in 12 hours."

Before the skull could completely blank out again harry responded, "Yes its 8, and i'm going down to get some breakfast, watch the office till i get back."

A mumbling is heard from the skull but it sounds like assent so Harry grabs up his duster, staff and checks to make sure his bracelet is on before heading out the door of the second level office and locking it behind him, walks toward the ruckus.

[HeySparky]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:00
Valya's Neighborhood

Big Ben tolls in the distance, it's peals echoing far and strangely in the fog. It's drizzly. Cold. The jumpsuit spares her, even at speed, from the worst of the chill. Wind driven drizzle has reddened her cheeks, plastered them with strands of electric peacock blue hair. She grins to herself, she'd just scored a nice tip from a job. Scrip, so nothing she had to report. In her head it was already spent and she hadn't yet brought herself down with the knowledge that there really wasn't ever any extra money. But it was a nice dream, and, as the luxuries went, pipe dreams were cheap.

The cab she's grappled makes a sudden turn. Whooping in startlement she raises her arms to balance. Recently retreaded wheels read the terrain and compensate. Propelled by the cab's sudden turn, the girl rockets along on her new, faster, slightly-unfavorable-and-potentially-abruptly-uncomfortable trajectory. She pops her wrist just so and the head of the grapple takes a higher arc. That gives it more time to spool up as the servos buried deep in her upper arm whicker to life. She crouches and shoves her legs away, leaning left, swerving past the bus back into the regular flow of traffic. She flashes a tusky grin at the driver and flips him a salute. The kind generally not sanctioned by military authority, where they take all that rubbish very seriously. She catches a glimpse of the driver as his hostile, screwed-up face flashes by, his hand coming down on the center of the steering wheel. Val's audio dampers kick on an off.

The road slopes down, disappearing into thicker fog in the lower troughs of the streets of her neighborhood. She wipes the drizzle building up into bonafide droplets on her goggle glasses. Bleedin' peat, can't see my nose. Brake lights flare ahead and she hops sideways onto the sidewalk. Honest folk are indoors, at home or at work already. The sidewalk is mostly clear. A guy steps out from a building. No glance side to side. No warning. Just steps out. Right in front of her. Wanker. Valya clenches her teeth and pushes the tail of her plank forward. Her jobs are done. She's in no hurry. And he's sorta good looking, in a rumpled, scruffy sorta way. She leans back and skids to a juddering halt just a hands' breadth from bone jarring collision. Just like she likes it. Standing on her board she's under six feet tall. She steps off of it and is more like five and a half feet. She gives the plank a smart kick and with one hand catches the end that pops up obediently; the other hand shoves the goggles up onto her forehead. She scowls up into the man's face, "Oi! You ruddy bacon, mate?"

She's decked out in a safety yellow jumpsuit, complete with helmet, festooned with RFID beacon tags. Shoulder insignia identify her as a courier with one of the big franchises in town. Though she's not packing a grapple gun. She must be off duty. A rounded chin, lifted angrily. High cheekbones. Pale skin. Bright blue hair and dark brown eyes. The eyes look to be natural. Or a really nice vat job. Just now they're flashing a challenge at the stupid ped who cramped her run.

[warrior_allanon]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:08
Valya's Neighborhood

Harry whipped around at the screaching stop of the jumpsuited boarder and tried to get out of her way yet only managed to get more into it.

"Oi! You ruddy bacon, mate?" she yells at him, confirming his assumption of gender, the shoulder flash says she's a courier, and for her metatype, fairly attractive.

"Sorry miss," Harry responds, "Let me make it up for you by getting you some breakfast." He gestures across the street at the shelter, but he's got some scrip in his hand so he's planning on giving a donation for their trouble.

[Trigger]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:03
Rest for the Weary, London Barrens

Ashes gimps as quickly and quietly out of his room as he can, which isn't very well considering the fact that his cheap cyberleg is about an inch shorter than his actual meat leg. That and the Nissan Doberman on his heels was as loud as a drunken troll trying to be sneaky. The halls going up and down from his room are relatively quiet compared to the rest of the building, the only other occupant of them at the moment being an ork passed out in a small pool of what Ashes hoped was its own vomit. The virtual extrovert Tony danced down the hall towards the entrance of the place, whistling a ridiculous 'trix jingle from some Sim Porn site that Ashes had stored in the memory of his false commlink. The thing on his wrist was trashy and beaten as all bollocks and loaded to the gills with Porn, sim recordings and BTLs, all to throw off any clue of his real Matrix skills.

Following the lead of the digital fairy that he called a friend, Ashes stepped out of his hallway towards the entrance only to see Warren, the Rests owner, in an argument with a scrawny human bugger, probably some dealer that Warren didn't want dealing in his establishment. Ashes wasn't too worried about Warren though, the old ork could handle himself pretty well, but he left Cinder a command to watch the argument and to protect Warren if he needed it. Then he gave a quick look around the Rest to see who else was up and about because of the spat. If the wrong tenants got involved things could get real ugly real quick and Ashes really didn't want that happening so early in the morning. he quickly picked out the black of Father Chulain among the crowd, apparently already doing some work with the sick this morning. The man was nice and fiercely dedicated, but very much lost here in the Barrens, much like Ashes when he first arrived. Ashes had taken it upon himself to help the man get acquainted with the underground world around them and he had quickly grow to count the man as a friend.

"Oi, Chulain, don't you ever sleep?" Ashes asked the priest as he gimped slowly towards him, offering a friendly smile to the man.

[Tashio]

Monday February 17th 2070, 0801
London, Rest for the Weary

"Buzz off you wrinkled old toad. Don't need your kind around here," the kid yelled at the orc.

The elderly orc seems to slouch in a sigh. Bending over in an attempt to pick up the fallen tray, the kid brought his elbow down on the back of the orcs head, knocking him to the floor, his face landing in the spilt food on the floor.

A circle of people formed around the pair, a combination of people avoiding the altercation, those watching out of curiosity and a group of young kids cheering in support as the orc hits the floor.

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday 17 February, 0805
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

Sean

Before Sean has a chance to respond to Ashes, his eyes widen as he hears the younger antagonist yelling and then the distinctive sound of a body hitting the floor. "Let's go." he says as he nods Ashes towards the sounds of a fight getting underway.

He shoulders his way through the growing crowd of onlookers just in time to see the elderly ork's face land in a pile of eggs. "That is QUITE enough of THAT!" shouts Sean as he clears the crowd. He kneels down to see if the ork is hurt and glares at the younger assailant. "What is the meaning of this?" He demands. His Irish accent thickens almost noticably with all the emotion straining through his voice. He holds the boy's stare intensely and without wavereing while waiting for an answer.

[Tashio]

Monday 17 February, 0805
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens


The young man stared back at Sean meeting his glare.
"If it isn't the pathetic priest to the rescue, you can't save the world you know."

He spat in the orcs face before turning and storming off into the crowd. The group that had formed around the altercation split up and returned back to the morning bustle.

The orc slowly tried to get back onto his feet. "Thank you kind sir."

[Trigger]

Monday 17th Febraury, 2070
Rest for the Weary, London Barrens

Ashes hobbled over to the outburst of violence as quickly as he could, but he couldn't keep up with the priests pace. So, instead he quickly ordered the Cinder/Doberman down from the fight, knowing it was cycling up to claw and bite and shoot anybody who got near to the old man. Instead he had the drone circel around the priest and the orc, hoping to keep more of the onlookers away from the fight.

Ashes pruposefully ran into the young man as he retreated from the priest, glaring the punk down. While doing so he quickly hacks the kids commlink on the fly, breaking through what Firewall the kid has implanting some spyware that will make the kid a spam bullseye in any node. With that he moves on to the priest and the orc to check and see how the old man is doing.

[HeySparky]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:03
Across from Rest for the Weary, London Barrens

Oh, one of those. And a septic, too. Her eyes rivet on the scrip in his hand. It's a hefty donation for the Rest. Her belly rumbles and happy spendthrift dreams for her own scrip fade. Meal's a meal. She pulls her eyes off the scrip and looks up at the yank. She shrugs and and peels the helmet off, keeping the goggles loose around her neck. Her hair is packed down, darker patches of blue where she's sweated. She scrubs a hand across her head to loosen up her do.

She squints at the man, "I'd put that up." Across the street at the Rest some chump is hassling an old man. A priest is scurrying up. No one that Valya recognizes. "So, yank, you new 'round 'ere? Need someone to show you around?" She eyes the scrip again. What a creep. Nice eyes though.

[warrior_allanon]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:08
Valya's Neighborhood

"Yeah, kinda new" harry said sliding the scrip back in his pocket, "Did some work for the bobby's back home an now they need me to testify about it. Lousy thing is that they're not putting me up so i need to get some work around here to pay the bills, know what i mean." thinking for a minute as they cross the street, "Yeah, i could use a guide, all i could assure is you'll be well fed, but if any work comes our way i'll split the take with you 50/50."

[Tashio]

Monday 17 February, 0805
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

The youth scrambled to his feet, cursing at Ashes, running almost before he was fully up.

The doberman drone, quickly convinced anybody thinking of sticking around to do otherwise.

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday 17 Feb 2070, 0806
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

As Sean gently helped the dazed and bruised ork slowly to his feet his hands began to shake. The ork collapsed into a waiting chair and Sean relaxed into another nearby chair. He brushed his jet black curls out from in front of his eyes, bright green eyes that were jerkily scanning the aftermath of the outburst. I can't believe I just did that. What came over me? Sean's heartrate and adrenaline levels slowly return to normal as he focuses inward and lets the normal sounds of the shelter wash over and through him. His turns his focus from inwards and then back outwards... his focus continues outside of himself and when he opens his eyes they are glowing a piercing emerald green. WHAT?! What's happening? Everything in the shelter has taken on a faded and offset appearance... except the patrons. The people all seem to be shining with an internal brilliance that is similar yet distinctly different from each other. He tries to concentrate on Ashes... and, odd... things begin to become more clear...

[HeySparky]

Monday 17th February 2070, 08:09
Valya's Neighborhood

This bloke's dim or dangerous. She whistles under her breath, "Trusting sort, eh?" She grins to herself, shaking her head. She strolling along easily, comfortably. So it's strange when she half-staggers and catches herself, eyes wide. The priest, his eyes...

[Trigger]

Monday February 17th 2070, 08:06
Rest for the Weary. London Barrens

Ashes follows Chulain and Warren back into the Rest, helping the orc into a chair inside. He kneels down next Warren and quickly scans the orc over with a trained medical eye, making sure that nothing was broken or seriously injured. The old orc had a slight bump on the back of his head, but nothing serious and besides that he looked more disheveled than hurt. He would give him a scan over with his Biomonitor later though and treat anything needing attention with his Medkit at that time too.

He heard Chulain slide down into the chair next to Warren and after inspecting the orc he turned to his friend to make sure he was alright as well. What he found was Chulain staring at him with the most piercing emerald eyes he had ever seen, glowing slightly and looking at him, but not really at him. It was as if the priest were staring through him, into his soul and counting his sins. Ashes couldn't make himself move from such a stare, he felt guilty under it and it weighed upon him like the cyberware on his left side.

Dear God, I am sorry...

[warrior_allanon]

Monday February 17th 2070, 08:09
Rest for the Weary. London Barrens

Snapping his sight from the astral Harry proceeded into the shelter and approached the elder orc and those around him "Perhaps i can be of some assistance father? I am trained slightly in healing and would not mind helping a bit."

Turning to the young man whom the priest is staring at so intently Harry says more. "And you son, are you injured or just spooked?"

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday 17 February, 2070, 0809
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

Sean glances at a young ork girl and an older man with a staff approaching, he starts slightly when he looks at the man. The man is... shining. What is going on and what is bothering Ashes so much? wonders Sean. He blinks a few times and somehow wrestles his perception back to normal. His eys slowly return to normal as he asks; "Ashes, my friend, what is wrong? The fight is over... there's nothing to fear anymore..."

The man with the staff arrives in front of Sean and askes to help. "Of course, my friend here has scanned this gentleman already," he gestures towards Ashes, "but if the gentleman agrees you may see if anything was missed." "Excuse me," Sean touches the now eating ork on the shoulder, "would you like this gentleman to examine you as well?" As Sean turns back to the man to intruduce him to the elderly ork, the man with the staff has just addressed a question to Ashes that Sean didn't hear. "Ashes?" Sean asks again, "are you alright?" What have I done NOW? wonders Sean concernedly as he looks at his friend.

[HeySparky]

Monday 17 February, 2070, 0809
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

He didn't even blink. Valya rapidly revisits her assessment of the man she'd thought to make some easy cred off of. She trails into the shelter behind him, looking warily between him and the priest with the now-returned-to-normal-but-previously-freakishly-glowing eyes.

[Trigger]

Monday February 17th 2070, 08:09
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

Ashes hears the voices addressing him, but he doesn't know what to do. Those eyes, the eyes of a messenger from God, they had dug into him....Ashes just shook his head and started up to his feet. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung loose on his neck.

"I'm fine, just a little worn out," he lied to them as he called Cinder over to him. Tony came strutting over too from the crowd, his virtual body still moving around each person instead of walking through them like he could have.

"Saw the angel, eh boy? What are you going to do now?" the program asked him, knowing quite well what Ashes thought. Ashes hated the virtual alter ego, the program created as a image of his subconscious thoughts.

What is Chulain? An angel? A magical hand of God? Ashes thought to himself as he found a seat and looked over at his concerned friend. What are you?

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday 17 February 2070, 0811
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

Sean watched Ashes make his way uncertainly to another table and sit down. I'll have to ask him about it later when he's perked up a bit thought Sean. He turnes to the formerly shining newcomer in the large coat.

"Welcome, welcome!" Sean beams, "Thank you for your assistance and I do apologise for the disruption, normally things are quite quiet around here, at least at breakfast... I'm Father Sean Chulain, and the good man whom, frankly I'm still a little worried about, is known as Ashes. He's been a great help to me as I'm still fairly new in the area." Sean is a still a little buzzed from the encounter and contines talking somewhat excitedly. "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name... oh! and this lovely young lady following you would be?" He finally pauses for a breath and thinks;That's a bit thick innit? I must still be nervious from, from... whatever that was that just happened. THIS man doesn't seem phased in the least at the event, wonder why? "Would you both like something to eat? I'm guessing that's why you're here, you can tell me about yourselves while I get the tea boiling."

[warrior_allanon]

Monday 17 February 2070, 0811
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

"While i dont know the name of my young guide yet, my name is Harry Dresden, I'm a private investigator and wizard for hire." Harry replied to the priest and then turned to Ashes as the priest walked away pitching his voice only for the younger man. "You neednt be afraid of either me or your friend the priest there, we both simply have somewhat of the same gift, though i would bet that his is tied more to his religion than mine is."

[HeySparky]

Monday 17 February, 2070, 0812
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

The young woman startles and snaps her mouth, which had been hanging indelicately open, shut. She shakes her head and blinks, "Pardon, Father. I'm Valya."

"Uh, breakfast would be brilliant."

[ErrosCallidus]

Monday 17 February 2070, 0813
Rest for the Weary Shelter, London Barrens

At the mention of wizards, Seans face suddenly clouds. It's gone as quickly as it's come and Sean is bright again as he turns to lead the way to the kitchen.

"Well, today all we've got is eggs and sausage. If we're quick we can grab a couple muffins before the other guests consume them all." He glances back to make sure he isn't losing anybody. When he notices Harry is a little behind and out of earshot he asks Valya, "So when did you meet Harry and what is it that you're guiding him to? Looks like he'll have to move fast to keep up with your wheels!" He finishes his question with a grin and a nod toward her board.