Deep Vengeance..., ...is the Daughter of Deep Silence Options

[BishopMcQ]

The rest of the afternoon, Cypher began to make arrangements to pick up the items that he needed from his apartment. The apartment had come furnished and his old life was a shambles. His landlord hadn't quite locked him out yet, but there were only three days left on the rent before a padlock would appear on the door. He talked with folks in the garage, handing tools as needed and bracing equipment, about how often folks from the community traveled out to Renton.

It took a few hours of helping mechanics to find someone who was headed out at least far enough to catch a bus, but the work felt good. His muscles were sore from exertion by the time Cypher found his way to the pod Aideen set aside for him.

The rising sun brought with it the noises and smells of a farming community. Stretching, Cypher shrugged back into his clothes from the day before and headed off to find the laundry. With his own clothes cleaned, he felt a bit more like his life was starting to organize itself. The Community moved around him, full of energy and purpose. It was a paradigm shift from the corplife and wearing a white hat, but gray suited him well. Aideen's suggestions certainly sweetened the deal too.

After breakfast, the hacker caught a ride towards his old place. He swung into a Stuffer Shack to pick up a spare pack of batteries for his flashlight and a larger duffel bag. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but his life compressed down to two week's worth of clothes, some electronics, a gun, and a small vacuum drone that bounced off walls and was guaranteed to keep the floor clean. Everything fit in two duffel bags. If that didn't confirm that his life didn't have much holding it together, nothing else would.

He walked to the garage and tossed the duffel bags across the front bench of the van which served as his mobile electronics workshop. The van's transmission slipped as it found the gear, but soon enough Cypher was back at the Community. He waved to the guards and had a rifle pointed at him for the trouble. An hour later, with a search of the van, and a call to Aideen, the guards let him into the compound. His van gave up pretending to limp along and backfired, coughing out a cloud of smoke as he parked it. Shaking his head in disbelief, the ork grabbed the bags and headed back to his pod to unpack.

Another afternoon was spent in the garage, talking with the mechanics. Now that he had his tools, the hacker offered to work on the pile of electronics in the corner that were broken for one reason or another. Commlinks, radios, remotes, and walkie-talkies, all sat on a workbench, clearly a lower priority than fixing the heavy equipment needed to keep the commune alive on a day to day basis. He started at the top of the pile and worked on each piece, identifying what could be repaired and what would just serve as spare parts.

Cypher tried to find Aideen for dinner, and set aside a few hours for a nap before the evening's work. He bartered for passage back out of the Community and arrived at the Looking Glass a few minutes before the meeting. Looking from the crowd's attire, and then his long coat, dust covered boots and pants, it was obvious that he'd stand out. He headed straight for the doorman.

"Hi, I'm here for the Prodigal Daughter. We're supposed to be meeting in a couple minutes."

[Buddha72]

Zerone
The Reverend's dry laughter fills the space, the rich timbre of his voice echoing off the walls.

"Yes bullets can be tricky. I think I can help but Im not sure if the people I know will have everything you need. I have minimal contact with them since their path is not my own. Why don't you leave me a list of what you need and I will see what I can do? If it seems they can help you do His Work then I will found out who you will need to contact for future needs."

He slides a tablet towards you and hands you a stylus to write down what items you think you might require.

"I"m glad you were able to look into the issues surrounding the Yakuza though I suspect more troubles will arise in the future. Please do what you can, I would see the amount of evil is this world lessened if at all possible and you are uniquely poised to do so. I do not diminish the jeopardy you place your body and soul in to do this but we must all play our part in His Great Plan. Remember His Word and be guided by your connection to His Will, you will succeed."

As he speaks you see the glory reflected in his eyes, the passion moves within him and and fills his voice. You feel the power in it, the influence of this man and the raw charisma as he urges you to follow his vision. Abruptly it ends and leaves you feeling shaken and hollow inside as if the light of the sun had left you.

"Was there anything else I could do to help you my son?"

[Buddha72]

Emilio
The sounds of the explosion is muted out by your ear plugs as you watch with satisfaction as the van's forward compartment is engulfed in flames. You see the data stream by your field of vision - the heat flare and targeting reticle moving across the scene for another target. You stride forward to confirm the kill and make sure the deliver won't reach it's destination. You feel the weight of the shaped charge on your back, you just need to slap it on the fuel tank and the rest of the van will be so much hot smoking slag.

Suddenly alerts pop up all around you as your ware and sensors pick up multiple heat signatures and register over a dozen contacts. You look around you to see figures ripple out of the air as a curtain of magic that was concealing them is peeled away. You spare a glance to the van and see no driver at all but enough tech debris to suggest remote operation. You curse under your breath and whip your rifle around and launch a single grenade into the largest group of ambushers and feel a momentary wave of hope as they are scattered by the explosion. The feeling is brief as you feel several points of contact along your torso and legs. You shift looking down and see lead wires trailing away as current is pumped through your body. The liquid agony washes over you and through you, several more alerts flash in your vision - warning of equipment being taken off line as the electricity plays havoc with your gear. You see three figures sprinting towards you as you struggle to regain some control of your limbs.

One figure misjudges your incapacitation and gets close enough for you to act, swinging the rifle around you slam the butt of it into his face and feel the crunch of bone and soft tissue as he stumbles back. Continuing in a circle you squeeze off what you hope is a full burst of auto-fire into the others but the smartlink for the gun is fried so you have no idea. You hear at least one body hit the pavement before a boot connects with your chest as your vision still tries to resolve into something clear and definable. You roll with the blow and feel the ware in your body dealing with the damage. You come up on your knees and hands as waves of dizziness threaten to drag you under. You see another boot fly in towards your ribs but this time you react, grabbing the foot you throw your weight to your back and roll. You see a body fly over you and feel it impact the asphalt next to you. With a smile you give the foot a sharp twist and feel the bones snap in the ankle, your reward a scream of pain.

The exultation is short lived as another wave of taser darts hit your arms and chest. The smell of ozone washes over you as your body spasms from the new wave of electricity. You struggle to keep conscious but realize its futile as the darkness crashing in around you. You hang in the dark void - not certain if you've died or if you will wake up again.

[Notsoevildm]

Eklipse becomes aware of a beeping sound, it's regular beat much faster than that of his heart or the air rushing in and out of his lungs. He can smell his own fur trapped inside the form-fitting armor and his legs, stiff from sitting in lotus position for several hours while waiting for Widget's reply.

He unfolds himself from the bed and feels the blood flowing back into his legs as he reads her message. Quite the mercenary, our crazy rigger fraulein.

<<@Widget: I am afraid that you have already taken most of my salary from our previous business for my new SINs. I can spare a thousand or maybe two but then will need some work or Mr Bo Bo will eject me from the nice apartment you found for me at the end of the month. {Credit transfer: 1000 yen}. Here is some up-the-front money to get you started.>>

With that he picks up his helmet and leaves into the night.

---

The next morning he is awakened by her second message. He rolls over and reads it, then falls back alseep. Awaking in the early afternoon, he spends an hour practising katas at the temple then heads back to the Looking Glass for a shower and a hot soymeal. He heads down to the bar later in the evening. He has shaved and tidied his hair. He wears a baggy black T-shirt with a flourescent logo of a one-hit wonder synth-blues back, cargo pants in forest camo and aqua blue flip-flops. He almost fits in with the Looking Glass crowd, but not quite. He is drinking a triple-C (Citrus Caffeine Chameleon) a non alcoholic cocktail of soykaf, protein shake and fake orange juice with added vitamins and minerals. He has heard the some of the more noctural of the Looking Glass' changelings just calling it 'breakfast'.

He tells the barman he has a meet with a 'Frau Prodigal Daughter', then settles himself to watch for her arrival or a signal from the bartender.

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
"Good morning, honorable shen Chen," Fat Man replied, also in Mandarin, greeting Hao Chen formally in the appropriate manner for an elder.

"I am Zhi He, a humble priest who seeks further knowledge about the world beyond. When I spoke with the brothers and sisters here, they spoke most highly of your wisdom and enlightenment. I would be most grateful for any guidance you would be willing to impart to me."

[Buddha72]

Ayo
You feel the residual magic dance along your nerves and the pleasant surge of your new magic gifted to you push it away. Your smile is full of promise for the next time you face Awakened prey. YOu make your way back to your apartment, using the roofs and alleyways to arrive. You take a different route every time to make sure you make any other hunters job that much harder. Already three had tried to claim your life and so far none had succeeded. The thought of those hunts warms your blood and brings the edge to your senses, the feeling you always seek in the chase.

As you arrive, your vision is filled with an alert that you have an incoming message from her - just the the thought of her brings the rush of raw need and hunger. She is a hunter no less dangerous than you but her methods were more insidious. You have watched her leave men empty shells, their secrets ferreted out and laid bare by her will alone. Perhaps she has another sacrifice for you to offer to Panther whose goodwill you were still trying to regain. You open the message and see the text scroll by.

<<This man is responsible for the deaths of over 30 people, he has killed other hunters and has hunted those unworthy of the honor. I have attached his last known address as well as the most recent picture. I have placed some items of his in a locker, the usual one. Kill this man and offer his heart to Panther.>>

You look over the data and see a man, scarred and weathered. His face speaks of a life of violence and hard living. A mercenary perhaps or a runner, more than likely both at this point. You begin to map the shortest route to the locker and the address for this man. Tonight Panther would have his heart and you would be back in his favor.

[Buddha72]

Zerone
Your meeting with the Reverend ends shortly after you give him the list of things you think you might need for your upcoming work. He escorts you to the door and encourages you to stay for the afternoon service. Maggie smiles at you as you depart, clearly engaged in several tasks in AR - she has the unfocused look you have come to associate with deep immersion in AR.

The next day in the mid morning hours you receive a package containing the items you requested plus a card with a name and a number, a Joseph Goodman.

[Buddha72]

Fat Man
The small child listens and then nods.

"I can offer what knowledge I have. What is it you seek? The question can be just as important as the answer."

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
"As I am sure you can see from my astral form, I have come a very long way from my home, and I fear I have begun to lose my way in the world of metahumans. I cannot return, so I instead must go forward - but I believe that I would best do so as part of a community, rather than in isolation.

"I am most especially interested in learning how to maintain peace and balance within myself without cutting myself off. I know that some of my people were once able to mask their astral forms so as not to stand out among humans - much as I saw you doing. I am not yet sure where my life's journey will take me, but I believe it will be among metahumans - and I believe I must learn how to blend in without losing myself, if I am to do any good here."

[JxJxA]

Zerone thanks the Reverend for his time, and also waves a silent goodbye to Maggie---not wanting to disturb or accidentally distract her from what she is doing.

I believe you will find this a wise investment, my friend, but do not let these items become a crutch. They will help you, but it is your faith in Him and your dedication to our training that will be your salvation in times of battle.

I understand, Follower.

I am glad to hear you say it with words, but show your conviction through actions. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says."

James 1:22?

Indeed. Though it refers to His Word, I find it to be good advice for any occasion.

[Buddha72]

Fat Man
The spirit considers your words before speaking.

"I know of two groups within this place that have others like you. The first, serve an ancient being who struggles to remember his life from before. This immortal sees the city as his responsibility and has gathered others like you to patrol his territory. They all answer to a Master of the Hounds and keep their regions free from influences that would threaten his plans. He also employs two lesser beings from his lineage, an attempt I think to keep him connected to the present since he swims in a deep well of his own past. He most frequently battles against an order of warriors known as the Templars."

He pauses and seems to think further on your question before speaking again.

"The second group, the Hengeyokei serve as a clan to one another. It was founded by a fox who followed the Way of Bushido and sought out others like her to band together and help one another. They work to protect other shapeshifters and work to improve the lives of those around them though they are left to pursue that goal as they see fit. I should mention that they also police their own and when a shapeshifter threatens the safety of the others they take action and decisively. They have had to do so twice since their inception and have done so with great reluctance and sorrow."

The spirit looks you directly in the eyes, his gaze steady and strong.

"That is what I know."

[Fenris]

Gasping, he limped through the streets, one hand pressed to his side. He pulled the hand away, grimacing at the smear of dark blood against the black material. As he continues walking, though, the look on the face concealed by the mask is one of joy and harmony.

The man had fought well. He was obviously experienced, and he had known Puyallap better than Ayo had. He had run, and the chase had been glorious. Down back alleys, through dive bars...Ayo had never been cut with a straight razor. But he wore the wound proudly. The man had been no addled drug addict, no desperate scientist. He had been a hunter, and he'd shown that to the last, and Ayo would have new scars to prove it. But in the end, he'd fallen, one hunter to another. That was the way, the right way. The Right Path.

He looked at the blinking readout in his display. 3 shots missing from the pistol. It had taken him three tries, three times running down the prey and cornering it, three times taking that single shot that was the display of prowess he offered up to Panther with every kill. In the end, though, his heart had been offered up to Panther, and with it, his repentance for his failure was complete.

He thumbed the commlink to life, finally willing to look at the message from Widget. Just enough time to sleep and wash the blood off his clothes before the meet was scheduled.

Later...
He arrived at The Looking Glass clean if not dressed to the nines. Staring at the crowd in the lines, he actually reached up and tugged the mask from his face. It would make him stick out more than the marks Panther had left on him.

"I am here for the Prodigal Daughter."

[JxJxA]

When Zerone finishes looking through his new effects, tries them on. He manages to fit into the form-fitting body armor, although it is a slight struggle to put on and he is still unsure how he will peel himself out of it. He slips the goggles on and momentarily blinds himself when he accidentally dials the light intensity to maximum. He pulls them off, rubbing his eyes until the stars subside from his dazzled vision. He is much more careful with the earbuds, and takes care not to do a thing with them before he reads through the manual.

He jumps back, startled when he sees Widget's message scrawl across his vision. He reads it and then gathers up his gear, putting his street clothes and jacket over his new armor. He double checks to make sure all of his foci are in place and secures his Gideon taser in its concealed holster before walking out the door to the nearest metro stop. As he waits for the bus, he begins drafting "thank you" notes to the Reverend and Joseph Goodman...

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
"I have no quarrel with this Master of Hounds, but I hesitate to involve myself in a feud that I do not truly understand. The Hengeyokai sound as thought they are what I am looking for. Thank you greatly for your assistance - do you know how I could contact them?"

[Buddha72]

Fat Man
The spirit child bows once deeply as he replies.

"A wise choice I think considering what unfolds around you. You will need to speak to a shapeshifter named Hito, he serves as the point of contact for the Hengeyokai in this city. I will send word that you seek a meeting and I will contact you when one can be arranged."

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
"Thank you kindly for your assistance, wise one," Fat Man said, bowing again, "I am indebted to you for your advice."

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
After returning from his meeting with Hao Chen, Fat Man remembers about Widget's message. A few whacks later, he had directions to The Looking Glass instead of the nearest cosmetics store, and caught up on his sleep in preparation for another late night.

The last run went well... hopefully this one will, too.

The Looking Glass
Fat Man shows up early, hoping to get a better feel for the place before the meeting. After looking around, he decided to play it safe and retired to a corner of the bar, then started downing immense quantities of alcohol to no noticeable effect while idly munching on soychips.

[Buddha72]

The Looking Glass
The line outside the club is about a block long and clearly populated with tight knit groups of friends or associates. The theme is young, weird and urban. You quickly see mutations and alterations that bring back the terror-filled weeks of the comet's passing. Changelings, both subtle and overt fill the line. The more "mainstream" members of the team get the suspicious stares and whispers as you take your place to wait to get inside. As you approach the doors to the club you see a large hulking figure at the door - the bouncer.

His body is covered with a course black hair peeking out from his club chic attire, the collar of his shirt and the cuffs of his jacket. He quickly pats people down as they enter before directing them through an archway, clearly some sort of security scanner. A stylish name tag is pinned to his lapel identifying him as Mr Bo Bo - head of security. As he moves you can clearly the butts of two heavy pistols slung in under arm holsters, they have words emblazoned on each - Respect and Courtesy. As you arrive at the front of the line you see his feet are more like hands and he is shoeless. His whole body is clearly simian in form and structure, ape is what your brain latches on to. Just behind him is a sign that reads:

You are welcome as a guest of the Changeling community but any behavior deemed inappropriate by the management will lead to you being asked to leave with all the respect and courtesy such a situation requires.

You pats you down and upon hearing the mention of the Prodigal Daughter he grunts and chuckles deep in his chest.

"That girl is going to get a heap of shit from her Uncles. Head in and look for the private booths to the right and back near the bar. If you get lost or can't tell your asshole from your elbow then look for Izzy. Can't miss him, look for the living rainbow."

As you enter the club you feel a moment of disorientation as the AR around comes alive in a way that makes it almost impossible to tell which layer is reality. The music thrumming through your chest and body pulses in time with the AR. You see this club exists simultaneously on both layers with the club goers holding elaborate conversations that are almost pictorial. You see dancers on under the lights making impromptu art in the AR around them. You see simsense feeds available to add a further level of immersion. People are literally feeling the music, tasting the art and smelling the mood of the club. Club wear of every stripe floats through the space - gothic, neo-punk, and urban chic leap out at you with AR flourishes overlaid each patron. It's a grand parade of the strange and freakish with a mad edge of excess thrown in for good measure.

You make your way through the crowds and make your way towards the bar and the booths. You are brought up short by an explosion of color and light. At first you think you need to edit out an AR feed but quickly realize what you're seeing is not digital but based in the physical world. A tall and slender man stands near the bar, talking and smiling with other guests. His skin is scaled like a lizard or snake and every single one reflects a vivid spectrum of color as the light strikes them. He looks like a living holo-display, a being of pure light and hues. His body language is relaxed and welcoming, he seems well known as people stop to say hello and a swarm of AR activity surrounds him as messages flow back and forth between him and the other guests in the club.

Just beyond him you see the private booths. They are recessed and are nestled in alcoves with heavy curtains on either side to be drawn across for more privacy. The AR space around the booths are clean and free, some sort of additional privacy screen it appears. You see Widget settled into one, her hair pulled up into pigtails and her face dusted with jewels and glitter. She's dressed in a shimmering bodysuit of black and deep purples with an industrial set of boots on her feet. Multiple strips of leather worked with tech and metal loops around her waist, neck and wrists.

[JxJxA]

When Zerone approaches The Looking Glass and sees the attire and somewhat suspicious attitudes of its patrons, he can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up out of fear. He has heard of and seen places like this before---in fact, some of his fellow church members frequented them---but he has never been in one before. The aggressive beat of the music, the bizarre dress of its clientele, the unfamiliarity of the entire situation put him on edge.

Psalms 118:6.

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

Precisely, my friend. Remember those words and take heart: He is with you. Always.

Zerone nods to his invisible companion, takes a deep breath, and forces himself to be calm. He walks into the club, taking care not to bump or jostle its patrons. Unfortunately, he does manage to bump into a large simian bouncer wearing the tag "Mr. Bo Bo." The bouncer grunts and looks at the frail, now scared elf.

"I'm looking---ah, sorry, I'm looking for...um...'The Prodigal Daughter?'"

When Mr. Bo Bo laughs, Zerone begins to feel at ease. He unholsters his "Gideon" taser and foci and presents them to Mr. Bo Bo when the bouncer begins his pat down.

"If you...uh...need me to check these---"

Mr. Bo Bo points to the sign. Zerone takes a moment to read it, nods, and bows to Mr. Bo Bo. before entering the strange and novel world.

With lights, AR, sound and novelty assaulting his senses, Zerone puts his head down and quickly makes his way to the private booths. This time, he redoubles his effort not to accidentally bump into people---especially large, gun-toting bouncers. He gives a quick prayer of thanks when he manages to find Widget, and quickly slips into the booth. He smiles and tries to banish his anxiety from the whole club entrance episode.

"Hello. I...uh...I'm sorry if I look a bit pale. I'm not used to clubs."

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man

The Looking Glass isn't Fat Man's place, but he understands it's nature; a place for Changelings to belong, normal among others like themselves.

How ironic that at the same time as I, an outsider here, search for others like myself, I find myself in a different group of outsiders. Their haven seems overloaded with chaos and hedonism... but a monkey makes fun of the red behinds of his fellows. Better not to judge them for their indulgences; this world is harsh to those who don't belong.

The chaotic overlay of AR combines with the swirling eddies of excess and hedonism on the astral combine to make the club a confusing mess of sensory overload. Fat Man is glad as he spots Zerone heading into a private booth where Widget is waiting, and he finishes his drink and follows them into the quieter space, free of strobing and shifting AR.

"Widget,, you look well today. Mr. Zerone,, have you been good?" Fat Man asked, as he nodded in greeting to Widget and offered Zerone a careful and light handshake before sitting down.

[JxJxA]

Zerone noticeably perks up as he sees Fat Man. Thankful to see another familiar face, he gives his fellow magician a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Fat Man. It is good to see you again. I am doing goo...uh...well---that's the right word to use, well not good, right? I've been doing well, and you?" He returns the handshake.

[Fenris]

He strides through the crowd easily. The suit made him stick out a bit, but his face clearly marked him as one who belonged. He glanced around, eyes darting from one outrageous figure to the next, his own visage almost nondescript compared to the plumage and other displays. He stepped up to the table, glancing around at those that had already assembled.

Seen for the first time without a mask, it was obvious why the 'runner kept his face covered most of the time. Dark, short fur covered his head, shifting and glimmering slightly with some sort of natural color-adaptive response. His eyes were yellow, pupils slitted and vertical in an unsurprisingly feline manner. A row of bone ridges rode along along the crests of his cheeks and up his forehead, starting just above the bridge of his nose and traveling up and over his skull. He sported no actual hair on the top of his head, the entirely still covered in fur. All in all, the impression on walked away with was prehistoric cat. Behind him, a long, furred tail twitched and swayed with first his movements and then the music as he stopped at the table.

"Ayo," he rumbled, the sight of the fangs filling his mouth giving an obvious reason for the gravelly tone and pronunciation.

[Notsoevildm]

Eklipse watches as the team begins to arrive. They stand out in their normalcy almost as much as he blends in. Except for the cat Ayo. Apart from the suit, he could easily fit in and looks like he knows it. With a growing eagerness, Eklipse picks up his drink and crosses the dance floor to the private booth.

He gives a short nod to the assembled group as he enters. "Guten Abend, meine Damen und Heren. And please, forgive my attire", he apologises indicating his flourescent T-shirt, baggy lime-coloured combat pants and clashing aqua-blue flip-flops. "I am attempting to blend in with ze locals. Although not very successfully I must admit."

His grin is a little forced and nowhere as toothy as Ayo's. Nor does he have a tail, but his long pointed ears, short dark blue fur and natural elven grace do give him a vaguely feline appearance. He slips into the booth next to Widget and places his extravagant drink on the table.

"Breakfast", he confesses. "Non-alcoholic. Mainly caffeine and vitamin C."

[BishopMcQ]

Inside the club, Cypher cranked down his filters in an effort to block out most of the AR noise. Holoprojections and lights cast thousands of shadows, though he could at least see past the reach of his arm. The crush of bodies was claustrophobic.

No one knew what was happening. Janice had almost finished her Christmas shopping when security doors around the food court slammed shut and claxons began sounding. The voice from the overhead speaker hadn't finished it's "ladies and gentleman" before static cut it off. Maybe it was terrorists, or SINless scum come out of the gutters and barren wastes, to ruin a perfect shopping day at the SCIRE. Security would deal with it. Renraku was the best of the best, industry leaders in automated security and robotics. She just needed to get out of the promenade and back to her home upstairs. Nathan should be home soon, and he'd laugh and explain everything.

Panels along the wall slid back. Large sentry guns pushed out and spun into service. They turned to the doors leading outside, preparing for a threat. Then the security doors near the front slammed shut and the guns rotated inward. The noise was deafening as sentry guns opened fire in the promenade. They echoed through the hallways, building on the screams and the shattering of glass. Everyone ran. The bodies pressed tightly together in a panic. She tripped as one of her heels snapped. In the panic, everyone was running from the sentry guns. She felt heavy shoes crushing her hand, a rogue kick broke her nose. She huddled in, protecting her body with her arms and legs. Others fell on her, their blood warm as it poured out of baseball size holes in their chest and stomach.

Terror overwhelmed her.

An industrial boot clipped Cypher in the shoulder. The girl had skin that looked like plastic, and stiff movements in her joints as she stared down at him.

"Are you okay?" she shouted over the noise.

The hacker shook his head but accepted her hand in standing. His throat was dry from the flashback and his skin still tingled with remembered bruises and broken bones.

"Sorry," he croaked and stumbled away towards the bar. Standing with his hands on the bar, the ork took several deep breaths. In his peripheral vision, rainbows flashed off the skin of another one of them. He needed to finish this meeting and get outside to clear his head. With a drink, coffee or something stronger was what he asked for, Cypher waited until the tingling stopped then looked around. AROs bent and twisted in his vision, but he finally spotted Widget, and got a better look at some of the people who saved him.

He made his way over to the table and slid in. The longcoat covered the loose t-shirt and dust covered jeans, but did nothing to hide the mud-stained workboots.

"Umm, hi, again. I'm here to balance my chit with you guys and help out a friend of Widget's."

[UmaroVI]

Fat Man
"Ayo, Eklipse, it is good to see you again," Fat Man said, greeting the runners he recognized with a smile and a polite handshake, "good companions on the road makes the long journey shorter."

We are as odd a group as the disciples of Xuanzhang.