Tangled Currents - Spriggan, Stormy Waters subthread Options

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:35; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan was tired, with a nagging headache behind her left eye to remind her of the perils of recklessly channelling wayward mana through her aura. Still keeping the tatters of her invisibility spell around her, for all the bloody good it seemed to be doing, she stared at the man...

"Yes, I'm looking for Felix, but not enough to invite any more trouble. I have a package for him, one that I'm not going to just give up before you get any ideas like those clowns on the bus..."

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1735; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"Ooooh maaan, I'm not doing anything like that, pretty chica. But I can take you Felix, reeeal easy." He had a way of bobbing his head and shrugging his shoulders as he talked, as if constantly trying to reassure with his body language. It made hte gold chains around his neck jingle slightly.

"He won't want to meet you out here in the open, though. You gotta come with me, si?"

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1735; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan studied the weasel in front of her and couldn't decide whether he was on the level or not, probably not she reflected, but then what choice did she have? Kit was going to owe her big on this one!

"Ok, you take me to Felix and I can deliver his package to him..." she modulated her voice to contain just the right amount of warmth "and then I can see that you are properly rewarded..."

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1735; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

The young Latino licked his lips at the mention of reward. "You can trust me. Just come this way." He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks and slouched his way into the maelstrom of ruined houses and debris that surrounded Paco's. Rats scurried away, or not, as they traversed garbage-strewn mud puddles shimmering with the greens and purples of spilt petroleum products, and things scurried about on the rooftops overhead, occasionally dislodging a bit of detritus to fall at their feet as they walked. Soon Spriggan was struggling to keep her bearings in the maze. Just as she wondered if she'd better do something to avoid being lost in this place, the man opened a door and entered a dark little hovel.

Waving his hands, a few scattered LEDs came on. They were either faulty, insufficiently powered, or had been set to give off only a dim illumination. There was a table with half melted candles at the corners. These he lit with a touch of his finger. Some dingy sofas without feet sat low against the walls, and there was a strong smell of marijuana and deepweed.

Once hte candles were lit, the man waved his hand again and the LEDs went out. The candles were just enough to see him, the walls receding into shadow. The table was marked with lines that may or may not have been random. He dropped back and down onto one of the low sofas, leaving only his face lit, body gone from sight. Spriggan's vision, however, was good enough in the dim light that she could tell the darkness concealed no monkey business. Probably.

"Okay," he nodded, and shrugged. And nodded. As if she should already know what he was going to say. A short pause. Another shrug. "I'm Felix. Yeah, cliche, I know. But I guess that's why it's a cliche, si? So whatchu go for me, beautiful messenger chica?"

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1740; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan laughed, a musical lilt in the dimness... "how do you know what I look like under all this getup...?" and she tapped the side of the gas mask "I could have a face like a slapped arse under here!"

She pulled the satchel around to her front and lifted the squirming package out

"I was told to give you this and vid your reaction back to the client so I'm assuming it's not going to explode or anything..."

[Aria]

Edit double post...

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1740; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan was wary of the situation but enjoying the rush of adrenaline...this situation was right on the edge and the murk of astral and the dampening of her Gift only increased the challenge...no doubt if she was a street sam she'd be popping her spurs and revving wires about now...

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~1740; Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"No no no, it won't essplode." The man showed a mouthful of teeth, his incisors capped with gold. "Put it right there, si, riiiiiight there," he said, pulling a small knife and indicating the exact center of the sigiled table, between the candles. Once the twitching package was there, he used the blade to slice away the packaging until it all fell away, revealing a neon-pink kitten, apparently just a few weeks old. Finally freed of its prison, it gave its tiny head a shake and began mewling softly, alternating its gaze between the two metahumans.

"Si, now thass what I'm talking about." He proferred Spriggan the knife, hilt first. "Go ahead, keep filming while you cut its throat."

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan cocked her head to one side, aware that the gas mask and tatters of the invisibility spell kept the disdain on her face from showing

“Whilst that thing may be an abomination of nature, and most certainly of good taste, I see no reason to kill it,” she reached out to stroke its head, ignoring the proffered knife

“I’m the courier, not a butcher, if you want it dead do it yourself…I’ve delivered the package, my work is done!”

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"No no baby, it needs to be you that does it, si? Sure, I know nothing's free, right?" He opens a drawer of a ramshackle bureau and pulls out a handful of loose cash. And then another. And then another, notes overflowing his grip and falling back into the drawer. Lays it all down next to the pink kitten. A stray hundred-nuyen bill brushes one of the candle flames and drifts burning to the filthy linoleum floor. "There. Gotta be ten large there at least. It's a cat. If you got morals, you do the cat, then take half of that and save ten kids' lives out here in the barrens, keep the rest to party on." He picks up the knife and offers it to her again.

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

“It has to be me? Why, do you think kitten killer would look good on my résumé? What you are talking about smacks of blood magic and that’s something that my mentor will want no part of…she may be capricious, cruel even at times, but this is tainted and no street kid or party is worth that!”

Spriggan was increasingly certain that Felix was going to start frothing at the mouth and she mentally prepared herself for fight or flight…were it not for the drain on her Gift she might have considered an illusion to give Felix what he wanted, but he had already seemed to see through her spells and she had no idea whether he was awakened himself…yet

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Felix stood across the table from Spriggan. On the table, the candlelit pink kitten mewed amidst the pile of loose cash.

"No chica, you are definitely going to cut that gato."

Spriggan sensed of a sudden that she was not alone with Felix in the room. Feeling a shuffling presence behind her, she turned to see two huge anthropomorphic heaps of sludge flanking her, glowing yellow eyeballs glaring down balefully at her from near the ceiling. She could smell them. She could hear the slow gurgling intake and outflow of something like breath.

"Now this the last time I'm asking you nicely, messenger girl."

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Well frag, this wasn’t exactly how she’d intended to spend her evening but who wanted to live forever anyway? Spriggan reached up to the clips of the gas mask and with a hiss of escaping purified air she lifted it away from her face and shook her hair free so that it framed her face perfectly. With her natural glow filling the darkened hole more details stood out, none of them made her any happier, but she ignored that for now and turned the full force of her personality on Felix, letting the sexuality radiate off her like a summer heat haze

“Oh, Felix, there’s no need to be like that! You just need to woo a girl a little more, you know? No need for threats…”

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan could feel heat on her back as the two spirits edged closer to her, but Felix's face went momentarily strange. He licked his lips, but it was nervousness or confusion, not lust. His eyes looked up, but then he corrected and returned his gaze to the girl before him. Reaching onto the table to stroke the mewling kitten, he said, "Sure baby, I can play nicer. Thing is, I need this done, and I need you to do it. So if it's not money you want, why don't you tell Felix what sort of wooing it is you need to make you see things my way?"

He made a point of surveying her figure, but it struck her as more an afterthought. Something was wrong.

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan began to dance, a sinuous, sensuous sway that slowly ramped up in a way designed to make the blood boil. Her Glamour mixed with her Gift and natural talent to mesmerise in the way that a cobra transfixes its prey, despite the turgid manascape.

Moving slowly around the table she traced fingers across Felix’s chest and gaudy bling, acclimatising him to her touch, all the while she slid and spun, rotated her hips, undulating her torso and arms. While he was frozen, gaze locked on her, she reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a Laés patch, peeled off the backing and pressed against his exposed wrist… the effect was pretty much instantaneous as the awakened drug coursed through his system and he collapsed like a wet rag at her feet. Satisfied that he was out for the count she turned back at the mewling of the abominable kitten…damn! The spirits hadn’t gone…

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

...but another appeared.

An apparition took shape between the two monstrosities, its features sharpening even as theirs translormed. With a few instants there were two huge, bipedal cats flanking the immaterial form of the Celtic witch called Morrig.

One of the cat spirits walked over and picked up the kitten, holding the small creature under its chin and stroking it gently.

The other picked Felix up and set him more comfortably on one of the ratty sofas.

"Well, he he'll not remember your scandalous dance, but he doesn't fancy women anyway. Ye really threw the poor fellow off his game - he did his best to stay in character but had no idea what the standard reaction would be to that sort of display, I fear."

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan had just been turning round to say ‘just you and me then boys?’ when her former mentor appeared…

“Morrig? What…? What are you doing here?” before another thought flitted through her head “Scandalous?!? Don’t give me that, don’t forget I watched you dancing at the Beltane celebrations in Cornwall last year! This had nothing on that, at least I wasn’t naked!

So what’s this about? A test of some sort? I’d have come back to the UK if you’d asked, no need to make me dance on your strings through this hellhole! And what about him? I’m just glad I didn’t do anything more drastic to the poor fragger than a dose of fairy juice…”

She gestured at the purring kitten

“…and as to that thing…!?”

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"The UK is not where I need you, dear," the manifestation of Morrig replied. "And the test was not for my benefit, but for that of others' whose trust and assent I require." She looked at the two giant cats. "Why don't you two make yourselves useful and at least make your master more comfortable, so he doesn't wake up with a crick in his neck or something."

The two cats shrugged, and the one petting the pink kitten bit the scruff of its neck to free its hands. They walked over, and picked Felix up and placed him gently on the sofa. Then the one resumed stroking the baby cat, then licking its coat.

"And don't worry, Felix would never have let you hurt one of his babies. Pull up a chair."

She seated herself, in appearance at least, on another chair. The flicker of the candlelight was reflected in her form - one moment she was opaque, the next translucent.

"Something important is going to happen. Soon, but we're not sure when. And nearby, but we're not sure where. And depending on how it goes, something much more important will then happen. It could be very bad for, well, everyone. So a number of us are working together. We've pooled a lot of resources. But for reasons unique to fantasy novels and also the Sixth World in which we are blessed to live, only a select few individuals will be allowed to intervene in this event. The screening process is a bit muddled, what with the mix of traditions in play, but I do believe you've shown your mettle here. Willing to risk almost certain death to save the life of a kitten? That would be stupid. But willing to risk your life to stick to your principles? Maybe not so stupid. So I think you passed."

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan just stared at her former mentor and then masked her face once more behind the faceless gasmask…hopefully she hadn’t breathed in too much airborne crap. She settled in to one of the chairs, alarmed that it creaked under even her slight weight and clasped her hands in her lap to stop her agitation showing in drumming fingers

“I’m not sure passing was in the best interests of my continued health and wellbeing, but you know me, I’m happy to throw myself into a challenge! Is this part of Silk’s, er, my sister’s prophesising stuff, or something different again? I know she’s mixed up with a strange crowd, lots of talking about the Pattern, but not something that has ever grasped Mab’s attention really…and not something she has really discussed with me!?”

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"Silk has not been brought into this. Although trustworthy, her fingers are in enough pies that some of our number fear for the safety of our secrets. But she is not the only one with insights into the Pattern, and yes, we do rely upon it. Probably too much, in fact, but that is all I can say for now. I'm going to take you answer for a yes, swear you to secrecy even from Silk, and send you on your way. Now that you've been selected, it's important we keep you as far out of things as possible until you are absolutely needed. Don't go poking around - it would only muddle things. We will contact you soon. Now, do you have any questions that I cannot answer before I fade away? My stew will be coming to boil about now..."

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan shook her head gently, keeping stuff from Silk would be like telling the tide not to come in…not that she had any intention of mentioning it but she knew her half-sister had fingers in exactly that many pies because she ferreted out secrets on behalf of who the hell knew who…precognition, divination, whatever it was she had an uncanny ability to know there was a secret to be found

“Ok, no digging, I can manage that…what about him…” and she nodded at Felix “want me to hang around until he wakes up? Or is he one of the things that I’ve got to keep far away from? I can’t say that I’m enjoying being in the Glow much…perhaps any further tests could be in a nicer environment? One that doesn’t feel like my head is wrapped in slime?”

[adamu]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

"Oh silly me, yes, of course you must get yourself clear of this polluted place. Don't worry about Felix, his familiars will take the best care of him. Now go and keep yourself safe. If you're going to get killed, it needs to be for our cause, not in some reckless motorcycle accident. I cannot overstate the importance of the task that awaits you, so go and make yourself ready." And with that the woman was gone, leaving Spriggan alone in the candlelit room with a sleeping Hispanic barrens shaman, a tiny pink kitten, and two giant cat men.

[Aria]

Tuesday, 19 November, ~17:40; Felix’s Place, Glow City, Redmond, Seattle

Spriggan shrugged, she loved Morrig but when she was like this she could be damn annoying! Waving goodbye to the slumbering Felix and his two catlike minions with a “shame you won’t remember all this” she left the room the way she’d come, and then, not able to resist a touch of mischief, slipped back in and delicately drew a spider web design on Felix’s cheek… “Bye boys, look after him” and then she was out of the door and using her ‘link GPS to trace an approximate route back to her bike.


Wednesday, 20 November, 00:17; Kit&Kat’s Doss, Elven District, Downtown Seattle

Kit stood on the mezzanine looking down at Spriggan who was stood looking out at the Seattle skyline singing softly to herself. Dressed in a simple white shift the lights of Downtown did little to mute the soft glow emanating from her body. He liked the day time Spriggan with her fire and wit, but this was Evie, softer and far more vulnerable. He hadn’t managed to wrangle the story of today’s delivery out of her yet, but he would…whatever had happened she was much more contemplative than he would ever have imagined she could be…

Kat’s arm draped over his shoulders “come back to bed, leave your musings for the morning, our new pet will still be here then” he frowned back at his sister

“She’s more than that and you know it…don’t pretend you don’t like her too, I know you, sister mine and jealousy doesn’t suit you…”

She laughed, a musical sound that fitted perfectly with the singing drifting up from below, undisturbed by their wrangling “come, whatever it is can wait, and the bed is getting cold!”

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 2075, 1222, Elven District, Downtown Seattle, Seattle Metroplex

Spriggan was doing some tedious basic maintenance on her bike when a giant cat manifested before her. It was less humanoid than Felix's familiars, but she nonetheless sensed the Hispanic shaman's features in the massive feline's visage. "Your're up, chica, and seconds count. Plaza in front of the Azzie pyramid. Grab Lady Tanya Marisart. And go matrix dark right now." And he was gone.

[Aria]

Friday, 22 November, 2075, 1222, Elven District, Downtown Seattle, Seattle Metroplex

Well well well, the game's afoot and all that! Spriggan dropped the rag she'd been wiping down the bike with and reluctantly toggled off her 'link...it would certainly make a Downtown trip interesting if some nosy KE drone decided to question why she wasn't broadcasting a SIN but she had to assume that cat man knew what he was about...or Morrig did at any rate, she had less faith in Felix. Scooping a few stray wisps of hair out of her face she settled the bike helmet on to her head and wheeled the bike around to get a clear run at the street. At least she could travel light, one of the benefits of not relying on ironmongery to deal with threats! Revving the engine her bike purred out on to the rain slicked streets and she was racing south towards the Pyramid...

[Aria]

Friday, 22 November, 2075, 1234, Downtown Seattle, Seattle Metroplex

The rice rocket between Spriggan’s legs allowed her to weave through the traffic with deceptive ease, the engine whisper a counterpoint to the rumble of the larger vehicles around her. The pyramid loomed over the skyline almost immediately giving her a rapidly growing target to aim towards… as she got closer she reached out with her senses to one of the sylphs that was riding the air currents generated by the traffic along this stretch

~Please little sister, will you help me to search for this woman, or someone who looks like her…?~ And she pictured Lady Tanya in her mind’s eye as she had last seen the socialite on one of the many society news feeds that she monitored… ~she should be somewhere ahead of us, near the big scary pyramid!~