The Found Arcana - Ninth Interlude [IC] Options

[Tecumseh]

<<Saturday Morning - March 11, 2079 - Seattle>>

The holofaxes and screamsheets can only talk about one thing this morning: Denver.

Yesterday, March 10th, Ghostwalker's deadline for all foreign governments and citizens to freely leave the Front Range Free Zone (FRFZ) was reached. Per their orders from the great dragon, the Zone Defense Force (ZDF) locked down the city. Airports were closed and all of Denver’s major entrances and exits were blockaded. A Matrix blackout was initiated, isolating the Denver Grid from the public and megacorporate grids. (AM, being savvy about such things, knows that some information is still managing to get in and out through the Denver Nexus.)

One passenger jet liner, Shin-Delta Flight 401, ignored the order to turn away and was shot down for entering restricted airspace. It's a scandal of international proportions.

Razak to Tamarind: <<This is why we ordered you out. Those still inside the borders but trying to leave are being sent back. Inbound traffic is turned away.>>

UCAS and CAS forces had previously assembled along the border in a standoff with the Zone Defense Force. The UCAS task force commander ordered all forces to attack. (The CAS forces however held fast). Sixteen UCAS aircraft were lost in the brief aerial skirmish. Ghostwalker himself made a battlefield appearance, casting a spell described as 'a massive wall of white hot fire' between the FRFZ and UCAS forces. UCAS forces then disengaged and withdrew from the FRFZ territory.

Razak: <<You want a juicy tidbit? This is what Ghostwalker said in the middle of the battle: "This is once again my domain, whole and complete. Everything and everyone within it belongs to me. Those who wanted to leave had their chance. Consider this my final warning: do not attempt to return, for if you do, you will only find death. For now, leave with your lives while you still have them." The UCAS was dumb to make the first move but it provided valuable intel. Looks like Ghostwalker wasn't bluffing like they thought. Feels good to be right.>> (Last month Razak correctly predicted that Ghostwalker's warnings were not a feint or a bluff.)

The national governments of the UCAS, CAS, Pueblo Corporate Council, Sioux Nation, and Aztlan (really, Aztechnology, but they let Aztlan pretend) are all convening today to discuss the developments. Saber-rattling senators rattle their sabers. Talk show pundits are practically rabid, frothing at the mouth as they yell over each other. The Salish-Shide Council, California Free State, and Tir Tairngire are all monitoring the situation "with concern".

It is against this backdrop that we find our team of scrappy-yet-increasingly-professional investigators... moving into a new house.

[Tecumseh]

<<Saturday Noon - March 11, 2079 - Crossroads, Bellevue>>

Crossroads is the neighborhood in the northeastern corner of Bellevue right before you reach Redmond and Touristville. It's not far from SIS HQ, but mentally it is worlds apart. Knight-Errant patrols the border regularly and does its best to keep the violence on one side of the curtain.

Mato has signed the lease on a 200 square meter house with four bedrooms, a two-car garage, a yard, a garden, and a spot for a magical lodge. It's spacious, and there are even things like a lawn and trees to call your own. In the backyard there are a pair of very tall Douglas fir trees that provide a sweeping canopy over the rear of the property.

The bad news is that it's square in the middle of the most cookie-cutter, homogenous neighborhood that you could imagine. Every house looks like it was stamped out of the same mold. They're all painted a shade of white that doesn't look quite right. All have grey trim. The lawns are bright green. Looking up and down the street, it's almost impossible to identify any features that distinguish your house from any of the others. Upon close observation, you conclude that your trees in the backyard are slightly closer together than everyone else's trees in their back yards. That's as much as you have to work with. It's a very respectable middle-class neighborhood of young families, middle managers, and moderately successful entrepreneurs.

Mato is unloading furniture from a moving truck, using his cyberarms to manhandle large pieces of furniture easily. Realizing that the house was empty and that people would want things like beds and chairs, he went out and made a large purchase. (In anyone asks, "Where did you get that?" he'll shrug and say, "The gettin' place.")

It's still technically winter but the weather is unseasonably warm. Today the thermometer will reach 16C for the first time in 148 days, which triggers an unofficial but widely observed celebration in sun-starved Seattle. This weather is causing the neighbors to mill about outside, and there's an impromptu soykaf party on your new front lawn as they congregate to meet you. The friendly, attentive, highly-suspicious and nosy neighbors are doing a good job of cornering each of you and peppering you for information.

"Is this your place?" a young human Chinese mother asks Raven. "Are these your friends helping you move in?" Evidently Raven looks like the most likely resident among you.

"We have a neighborhood watch!" an older human Caucasian woman with a big head of white hair tells Bobby. She holds out a piece of electronic paper proudly. "We're always looking for volunteers!" She leans in with her eyebrows raised, looking expectantly at him.

"There's a home owner's association," an older human Caucasian male with a round belly tells AM. He looks retired, but he still wears slacks, plus a sweater vest over a dress shirt. "Meetings are the second Tuesday of every month, which means that there's one coming up in a few days. You should swing by, say hi, introduce yourself."

Tamarind sees a middle-aged dwarven Japanese woman making a beeline for her. "Hi! I just came by for some snooping, I mean some sugar!" she says, blushing at her verbal slip. "Are you Denver refugees?"

"Dreadful business, that Denver," agrees the older human woman.

"Quite right," agrees the older man, sipping his soykaf. "I called our senator this morning. I registered my stern objections to his admin assistant."

"Dragons," the young mother says, shaking her head sadly. "What sort of world are we leaving for our children? One with dragons in charge?"

"Someone should do something about all these problems!" the female dwarf nods.

There's a general hum of consensus about this point. Everyone looks to you expectantly, confident in your swift agreement.

[Thanee]

Rachel has been following the news. It all seemed so far away, yet somehow around the corner. She wonders how this new situation will affect their lives. Will it, really?

After staying in the nice casino hotel for about a week, she is a bit spoiled, but also happy to finally see their new place. It's so much better than the first one. Sure, the whole area is a bit uniform and corp-like, she would have prefered a bit more individualism, but they can do that inside their new headquarter and give it its own touch. Surely, this will feel like home in no time. Mato actually bringing in some furniture is a good first step. Rachel helps putting it in, and finding a good place for the various pieces.

When they are being greeted by their new neighbors, the young witch isn't annoyed at all by the plethora of questions. She happily mingles and chats with them.

"Mine? Oh, no... well, yes. Also. This is going to be our new headquarter. We are a small investigation company. You know, like private eyes. It's so nice of you to make the effort to welcome us to the neighborhood. Hi, I'm Rachel."

She offers the young mother a friendly hug.

"Please, tell me something about the area. Is everyone always so nice here? Where are the best shopping spots? Where do you go for entertainment? You look so fit, surely you must work out. Any nice parks here for a morning run? There is so much to learn still."

Rachel will also slip her senses to the astral and observe the various neighbors to get a good impression of them.

[ Spoiler ]

Just buying 3 hits for Assensing

[Gilga]

Earlier
Visiting my mother did not go as planned; it pressed on all the painful points and memories and only took me a few days to break. Almost 31, and my mother can still make me feel like an insecure girl that needs to be sheltered from the world, and the fact that I mingle with crimelords, gangsters, and bullies and thrive - means nothing. It just shows my “poor judgment” and that I should - no, must leave that terrible “Redmond” place. Jewsey running away to the other side of the world to help “his people” does not help. How can he go around helping his tribe when I can’t even stand my mother?

It has been a year since I left, where I’ve been very low and then gradually climbed out of the gutter—clawed my way up, learning and adjusting and finding my inner confidence. I met with Urubia - I spoke to an actual dragon -- and speaking to my mother is worse. She is just so set in her ways, and she makes everything I do seem so small. Iktomi is my imaginary friend, and sorcery is just something that “would get you killed” and that “getting me educated is worth nothing if I can’t find a good job”

I should go “play it safe” and get married and have a few babies --- my mother is not getting any younger, and she wants to know that I am well off and see some grandchildren before she passes. I am an elf, with a biological clock that ticks slower, and she looks at me, and she resents me - she is afraid that I would never give her what she desires and to be honest. Perhaps I never wanted all these things, and perhaps I wanted to feel something real before it was my time.

After all, a safe job, small risks, keeping your head low, and working hard, and then... you find yourself running the mouse wheel with no end in sight. You get married, have a few children, and then teach them that piece of wisdom so that they, too, can run endlessly, and the vicious cycle repeats, and nobody ever gets ahead.



After a few days with my mother, I couldn’t stand her anymore. I find myself driving aimlessly into Sioux nation. Stopping and firing a few bullets at soda cans and bottles. Missing my father. He is so close and yet so far. His kids have left the house and gone on their way, but his wife is still there, and I can’t just show up. I returned to my mother's home with the realization that there was nothing waiting for me out there I couldn’t take vacations because there was nowhere to go - but I told everyone I’d be away for several weeks. Going back so soon feels wrong, so I stay, and I grind, and I make a few coins to pull my weight around home and to give mother fake hope. I train at a local gym, and I help people with my useless shamanic healing, making a few coins and putting some food on the table.

Playing it safe, and after two weeks, I leave. I can’t take it anymore. Iktomi has taught me the most painful truth - I have no home. There is nowhere to return to, and I can’t stand my mother, I have no real place in my father’s life. I love them, but I don’t like them. So instead of breaking, I reach for an outdoor shop and get some equipment, and I spend another week in the cold outdoors. Speaking to my imaginary friend, that does not answer. Not this time, I am not getting off so easily. I am all alone, and I gradually reach a decision to change. All the limitations and rules and social stigma is in my head, and I am a sorcerer - Bobby can change into all the animals. Why can’t I be taller, faster, and stronger and have a body that projects strength? Why must I feel small and powerless among orcs and trolls? There are some technical difficulties, but I am determined. A few weeks later, when I am ready to leave, my oversized clothes suddenly fit, and I have figured out how to keep the spell I had known for years already - with me indefinitely.

I get into the car, stops at a motel wash, and examine my new body. It is everything I ever wanted to look at, but genetics and nutrition disagreed. I feel great, but I also feel terrified. People look at me differently, which forces me to look at them differently. Then I returned to Redmond and found SIS abandoned, damaged and cold, and alone. I knew it I talked to Mato the other day, and he caught me up on recent events and told me that they all live in some Hotel now and live the good life. I wanted a moment alone with the pain of change, and if I wanted a fancy Hotel staying with Black was nicer, I did not have many girlfriends.

Black took me dancing and shopping, and she let me ride her motorcycle in a few races. It was exciting, and I felt so much sharper and quicker to respond - it was amazing.


*****
AM feels stressed when the neighbors come looking she loved the fact that her house looks just like the rest of them, and standing out brings troubles, but somehow despite that, it feels like everyone has come to look at them. She was carrying heavy equipment with relative ease using her new and improved augmented body and feeling as if she was enjoying it too much. When the man addresses her she fakes interest and smiles "A home owner association? I'll be happy to introduce myself, but we don't actually own this place... is that still relevant for us?" she asks smiling at their misfortune.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby had been busy. AM could reliability levitate stuff, but having a gorilla to haul furniture around was just unbeatable.
After that, Bobby had vanished for 24 hours, stuffed himself from the fridge and crashed in his cot for 12 hours.
But a careful observer could see that the two Douglas trees now sported birdhouses, a bird bath and a separate feeder for squirrels.
Also, the little gardening drone had been disconnected and brought in. Instead an open seed package for wildflowers rested now against the wall of the backyard.
In contrast, the front yard had been mowed down to the last blade to exactly 30 mm.
Unrelated to that, some neighbor kids had told their parents that the new neighbors had let a goat out to graze at night.
Kids and their imagination...

At the housewarming, Bobby was cheerful and very keen on the neighborhood watch scheme:
"Great, where can I sign up? You know that there is a pretty suspicious van parked down at 122? Smells like PVC, so either a dealer for Eros or worse, one of those guys selling those pink flamingo garden features.
Also, 344 has a rat problem in their cellar. The urine traces are pretty obvious in near uv light. I'd guess they are keeping a python and some of its food escaped."

[Tecumseh]

Mato is a bit put off by AM's new physique. Okay, more than a little. She is now taller than him and he can't quite get used to looking up at her. His arms are still stronger - a point he tries to demonstrate through ridiculous feats with the furniture - but AM now has legs for days. Mato's legs are sleek things of a long distance runner. AM now has the legs of a sprinter, with powerful quads and calves.

The young Chinese mother's name is Yao. "But my friends call me Bao." She laughs nervously at the mention of an investigative agency. "We're zoned for single-family residential properties, not commercial..."

"She's right you know," the older human male agrees. He sticks out his hand. "Danforth Ableworth, of Danforth Commercial Properties. Retired, but I like to keep my head in the game."

Raven can see that Danforth is missing some Essence, but she can't see why. The logical conclusion is some sort of bioware or high-grade cyberware that can't be seen at a glance. (Closer examination would see that that Danforth has both a sleep regulator and a mnemonic enhancer.)

"You’re allowed to run a business out of your home in Bellevue as long as it doesn’t interfere with other residents in the neighborhood. The home occupation rules in the Bellevue Municipal Code - also called the BMC - contain limits designed to minimize the impact your commercial activity has on your residential neighborhood. For example, the ordinance says that your business cannot produce noise, odors, or other emissions that can be detected from your property line."

"We'll be maintaining an office elsewhere," Mato chimes in as he passes by. It's unclear if this is a lie to assuage the residents. SIS HQ didn't burn to the ground but it's a shell of its former self. There's a good of water damage from the fire suppression systems, plus the Halloweeners took chainsaws to the walls inside and the furniture you left behind.

Raven's hug catches Yao off-guard, but Raven's warmth quickly wins her over. "Well there's tremendous shopping just a kilometer that way." She points. "So many good places to eat! So Tasty - that's the name of the restaurant, but it is so tasty - Joy Box, Ezell’s Southern Accent has Confederate cuisine, The Mogul, Silver Fools, Happy Lamb Hot Pot..."

"Have you been to Chilibee's?" Danforth asks. This is a chain restaurant with scientifically-designed flavors that are customized to please a mass-market audience. The marketing is soulless and completely unobjectionable, as is their food. "I love taking the missus to Chilibee's on Mondays. They have the best specials on Mondays. Go before 17:00 for a good discount."

The older human female's name is Edie. She looks enraptured at Bobby's enthusiastic response. "Oh, you'll be perfect," she says, placing a hand on his arm. "Ever since my husband Ron died, we've been looking for a big, strong man to take his place..."

"Kelsey Creek Park isn't far that way," Yao says to Raven, pointing to the southwest. "It's really big. Great trails for running there. Glendale Country Club is over there too. If you get there first thing in the morning you can jog around the golf course before the first tee time. Sometimes they chase you away but I bet a pretty thing like yourself won't have any trouble with that..."

"Doesn't matter at all!" Danforth responds jovially to AM concern about not being a homeowner. "About a third of the residents here are renting. It's always great to get to know your neighbors. Builds community, you know? Builds trust." He says the last word with special emphasis.

Looking around the astral will reveal a great deal. Underneath their warm and welcoming veneer, the residents are intensely anxious. Edie's fear might be manifesting itself with a surge of arousal while speaking with Bobby, but the others are deeply uncomfortable. Is is because Rachel mentioned the business? Or because Mato is an ork with obvious cyberware? Or because some of you are clearly Amerind? Or is simply because you are new?

Edit: fixing speech color

[Beta]

Tamarind relaxes as the neighbours congretate. This is the best case situation, in her opinion. Crowds are pretty easy to deal with, compared to a lot of one on one time. And it is easy to smile at the dwarf who hands her a story so neatly packaged. She looks at it quickly from a couple of angles and decides that the straight truth is indeed fine to share.

"Actually, yes, I was living in Denver. Well, not the city itself, the Front Range Free Zone has more open territory than Seattle does and I was in the less settled parts. Transportation logistics. I left about a month ago, but it took us a bit to find this house." She looks around at the area fondly, then asks "Please share your favourite local places? We don't have our kitchen set up yet, I'm about to order in coffee, I might as well get extra, to go with the sugar you know."

Shortly she sends the more intact of her travel drones off to get a large to-go box of coffee and a stack of cups. Might as well get the neighours used to her having her own delivery drone, since she may be using it enough. It could always carry the smaller ones and then deploy them once away from the house.

[Gilga]

AM responds to the introduction by "Emma Miller... but my friends call me 'em'". She then adds trying
to be open to the concept of a homeowner association where people get to be privy about her life.
"We'll be there." she promises more to herself than to the old man. As long as their communal lifestyle is acceptable, there is something to work with, but their kinks would require a lot of social lubricants like smiles and cake to smooth out. She is a fish out of the water, but she disguises it -- never show weakness, just like in Redmond.

She understands the desire to be rich, she wants shoes and fast cars, a better deck, powerful foci, and a larger wardrobe, and all these things cost a lot of money. Does she want a nice house with pine trees and nosy neighbors? Do people even enjoy that sense of community? Perhaps when they are not illegal, and walk around with a highly illegal deck, sport guns, and practice sorcery. Redmond is not safer, but she understands the dangers there. Here, not so much - but her spider-sense is tingling. She looks at Mato that carries the refrigerator without effort; it is an impressive feat and is very masculine. It would have been a job for the levitate spell, but he insists on that... perhaps Mato feels the other way? He was rich; he wanted life to put him back where he belonged. Or perhaps it is post-trauma after being blown to pieces? That changed everything - even for her. She realizes. Perhaps this is why he insisted on a place with a neighborhood watch. She muses.

Bobby also seems to be doing better than herself, and Rachel - well, she is already hugging the neighbors and not even pickpocketing them. Which is the only situation AM can think of herself doing something like that. Genuine warmth - she is a natural. Perhaps it is just AM that does not fit in civilization? Even Tamarind seems to find something relatable to say - but what can AM speak about which is socially acceptable? AM's eyes look for Trouble; while she is always connected to the spirit, she wants to see him in his majestic lazy glory. Trouble is indifferent to the entire social situation and does not feel a need to help with the move or talk to the neighbors - no... he is just lazily lying down on the grass enjoying the sun. She would have switched places with the cat in a heartbeat.

... she gathers her witts and tries to form some rudimentary social connections - "Is there a nice place to workout around here? I miss the old place already." she asks.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby kept up the chipper facade as long as he could, but his social batteries were draining quickly.
He made sure to read the neighborhood watch pamphlet, before signing up.
After all, he intended to keep watch anyway, so why not looking out for the whole neighborhood. At least this would give him some form of legitimization to hang around and be nosey.

So he smiled and then used the first opportunity to get away from Edie by taking over the task to refill everyone's soycaf.

He discreetly sent the others a message <<Whatever you do, don't tell them we can do magic. And no hacking or drones or anything else beyond those people's horizon.>>

[Thanee]

"Of course, it is all legal. Don't you worry. There will be the occasional visitor, but other than that, you won't even notice us. I mean, discretion is kind of our job. Change is always a little scary. It is the same for us. This is all new, but I am sure we will settle in quickly."

When Yao lists some of her favorite spots, Rachel comments: "Ah, so many places. Great! I will have a lot to do. The Park sounds nice, and maybe I will check out that Country Club. Does anyone here play? I heard golf is a very relaxing sport."

While they speak, she also takes a closer look at Danforth.

[ Spoiler ]

Danforth closer examination with Assensing: 4 hits

[Tecumseh]

Danforth looks pleased as punch to hear that AM will attend the Home Owners Association meeting.

Raven's closer examination of his reveals common health problems related to being a well-fed older man. In addition to his cultured bioware, she notes that his blood pressure is too high. But maybe that's related to this meeting?

"You poor thing!" the middle-aged dwarven Japanese woman tells Tamarind after hearing about her exodus from Denver. "I'm more of a tea drinker myself but the soykaf lovers all rave about 'Hye Life'."

A quick Matrix search reveals a cafe offering a strange combination of Armenian coffee and pastries along with American barbecue. Tamarind sends a drone zipping off for more soykaf. Despite Bobby's concerns, the neighbors don't seem to think much of the drone. Edie, the older female, watches for a moment as it zips away and seems to marvel a bit, perhaps remembering a time when drones were not ubiquitous.

The fridge is a bit of a problem for Mato. It's not his arms that are the problem but his legs. They are his weak link, at least in terms of raw strength. He can get the fridge off the ground but then actually walking with it is a chore. At some point he swallows his pride. "AM, can I get some help here," he says, sweating.

"I play tennis at the club!" Yao tells Raven enthusiastically. "Do you play? You have the legs for it. I don't golf but Mr. Ableworth does!"

"With a 10 handicap," he admits, indicating an above-average golfer but still an amateur. "I'll get it down to single-digits one of these days, I swear. I can get you in as my guest anytime. Members' privileges!"

Raven is accustomed to this treatment from men, especially older men.

"There's a gym at the country club, of course,"2 Danforth says with a swish of pride. "But you look like you could use something a little more... serious," he adds to AM, gauging her bodybuilder volume of muscle. "Maybe try Good Time Fitness."

"We have a private contract with Sakura Security," Edie tells Bobby. (Folks can roll a knowledge skill here if they wish.) "You'll see them on patrol white cars with a cherry blossom on the door. Lovely folks, but we still feel the need to have a neighborhood watch make the rounds. As good as they are, a security company will never know as much about a neighborhood as the neighbors!"

Edie looks proud of this fact, and also determined to keep it true.

"I'll get you an arm band," she tells Bobby, using it as an excuse to grab his bicep. "Oh, and please make sure that everyone - including your visitors - is broadcasting their SIN at all times. Otherwise Sakura will stop them to investigate."

Mato is avoiding much of the conversation by moving a lot of furniture. The neighborhood residents don't seem to think that this arrangement is unusual.

[Gilga]

When Mato's request arrives, AM grins at Danforth and rolls her eyes "duty calls" she apologizes, then she goes to Mato, carefully balancing the awkward thing. She is happy with the chance to escape the social situation - if only for a short while. While they all seem nice enough, she always looked at such people from the sidelines, and here they are, assuming she was part of them - and perhaps she was? As her father says, "as long as you don't get caught." So while she would normally levitate a heavy object, the presence of so many nervous spectators, Bobby's warning, and her new and improved body allowed her to try something new.

She looks at Mato and the awkward piece of metal he is carrying, and it takes her a moment to understand what to do. Mato does not need that much anyhow. No matter how strong he is, it is too much weight to wave it around. Two people splitting the weight among them would do the trick. "Praise Iktomi for yet another unusual experience." she thinks when she finally realizes - that SHE is helping Mato with the refrigerator and that it is not such a difficult task between them. After the way Cutty had looked at her just a few months ago, promising to teach her something that does not rely on physical strength - after living an entire life without physical strength, here she is lifting a super heavy refrigerator - well, helping - but Mato asked her -- not Bobby. It got to mean something, and she is thankful for the opportunity to do things differently.

Once inside the house, she utters a grateful "Thanks" at Mato, "I already agreed to participate in a homeowner meeting; only the Wakan Tanaka knows what more I would have consented had I stayed in the conversation."

[Jack_Spade]

"We have a private contract with Sakura Security," Edie tells Bobby. (Folks can roll a knowledge skill here if they wish.) "You'll see them on patrol white cars with a cherry blossom on the door. Lovely folks, but we still feel the need to have a neighborhood watch make the rounds. As good as they are, a security company will never know as much about a neighborhood as the neighbors!"

Edie looks proud of this fact, and also determined to keep it true.

"I'll get you an arm band," she tells Bobby, using it as an excuse to grab his bicep. "Oh, and please make sure that everyone - including your visitors - is broadcasting their SIN at all times. Otherwise Sakura will stop them to investigate."

Mato is avoiding much of the conversation by moving a lot of furniture. The neighborhood residents don't seem to think that this arrangement is unusual.

Bobby nodded and thanked the old lady: "That will be very useful. I'd like to read the contract as well - you can never be too careful with the fine print. Did the HOA sign the contract? Maybe I should visit the next meeting too."
Bobby had some idea of what this particular subsidiary was most well known for. Beating up metas in the back of their cars was one of them - though that was probably true for all of those companies. Knowing their patrol routes would be very important to him if he wanted to move around in different guises.
The attention of Edie was not particularly bad, but neither was it pleasant. But with the inherent racism in these neighborhoods, it seemed an Amerindian was preferable to an orc.
He certainly would enjoy the retreat that his next initiation would require from him.

[Thanee]

"Tennis? No, never tried that myself. But the outfits are certainly cute," Rachel comments.

"A trial run on the golf course would be great. Maybe that could be something for me. Are there some ladies at the club, too? Or is it more of a gentlemen thing?"

The witch wonders, how easy it would be to cheat at these sports with a subtle application of Magic Fingers. Do they have magicians overseeing the games? Or spirits?

[Tecumseh]

"Yes, of course!" Edie says. "I'll forward it right away. Now where did I put it..." She starts to flit through her commlink but it's clear that she's no expert in technology. After two minutes she eventually finds it. Bobby sees that the contract with Sakura Security was signed by Edie, acting as the President of the Highland Home Owner's Association. Evidently that's the name of the neighborhood.

Bobby knows that Sakura Security is a subsidiary of Mitsuhama. Sakura has a reputation for mostly employing humans and elves, with the occasional dwarf that isn't too ugly. Most of their contracts are for nice neighborhoods that expect a certain level of deference and customer service, especially those with high concentrations of Japancorp employees. Their employees aren't thugs or killers; they prefer discrete conflict resolution whenever possible. They're more likely to hit you with chemicals than clubs. AM knows that their Matrix patrols are mostly automated agents, but with spiders on call to respond to alarms.

Inside, Mato nods to AM. "Staying on the right side of the HOA is important. They can make your life a living hell. Not in the way the Halloweeners do, of course, but through rules and fines and other rigmarole. If we miss a meeting then I guarantee there will be a rule passed that will annoy us."

"Many ladies at the club," Danforth nods to Raven. "None so pretty as yourself, if I may." Again, Raven is accustomed to the raw flattery. "They do discourage jogging around the links, especially by guests, but of course exceptions are made."

"Yes, the outfits are the cutest!" Yao agrees enthusiastically. "The tank tops, the little skirts, the short shorts." She twists and strikes a pose for Raven, showing off her legs. "I like jogging outfits too. Although these days I'm mostly jogging with a stroller, and it's harder to look cute with a stroller."

Some research will indicate that amateur rounds of golf are not observed by spirits, watchers, or magicians, except in the capacity of security. Telekinetic cheating is certainly possible, but relatively rare given the limited number of magicians in the world.

Tamarind's drone returns with soykaf and a stack of cups. The older Japanese lady declines, but Edie, Danforth, and Yao all readily participate. They looked pleased at the hospitality.

"Oo, that's strong," Edie says with a wince. Indeed, the brew is intense.

"They grind it really fine, almost like powder," Yao explains. "And then they add it to water and boil it. No filters! Just pure soykaf power." She flexes a bicep.

[Beta]

Tamarind makes sure that those who want the 'kaf have some, then tries it herself. "Oh, I think I have a new favorite soykaf place! This reminds me of how my Dad made it. I was too young to really appreciate it back then except mixed with a lot of soymilk and sweetener, but this brings me back. I'll have to go visit in person at some point. After a few years working out in the country, it will be nice to have local places. Being able to take a quick drive instead of sending drones off for pick-ups all of the time." She skips over her weeks in Redmond, best not to emphasize that part. For that matter, if anyone gets the impression that they'd all been in Denver, that would be fine by Tamarind, but she isn't going to try and actively push such a story.

"I'm hoping to cultivate some flowers. Any rules or customs around front yard flower gardens I should know about?" She hopes that will get someone talking, and let her just nod along, needing only occasional questions and comments to keep the conversation going for a while. She has visions of growing something with some height, to leave the front lawn quite so boring, but she suspects that in this area they'd prefer some low standing annuals, and maybe the conversation will even enlighten her on that front.

Of course, in the back they will hopefully be able to put in a good vegetable garden. That is something that she won't ask about, sometimes out of sight, out of rule enforcement.

[Gilga]

AM sighs "Some people have too much free time, but politics are everywhere, even with the Halloweeners.". Redmond was impossible, but Highland? Did they have a chance to make it work? She asks with curiosity. A commune in suburbia... Three girls, two guys, a home business, I feel we're wired for a disaster. They all live in families. How do we fit in here? It has been five minutes, and you decided to play the mover. They'll eventually figure out that you live here too." she asks, a bit puzzled by Mato's low profile when he is the one person among them that probably understands the rules of the game.

[Tecumseh]

"We pick our battles," Mato says, taking a break and leaning on the refrigerator he just put down. "They happen at the time and place of our choosing.

"Playing the mover is a practical matter, since there's work to be done today. Tomorrow I'll wear a suit, my Sunday best - I could use some help with alterations, by the way - and will ease them into the idea of being around more often. I grew up like this, so I know my way. Eighty percent of the time their bias is socioeconomic, not racial. If you live like them, dress like them, and talk like them... you still won't be them, but they'll, mm, benignly tolerate you.

"Plus, if they like you then I benefit from that association. So get back out there and play nice."

[Gilga]

She opens her mouth, but no words get out. All her friends are from the wrong side of the law. Or perhaps it is the right side to be, the side of anarchy and freedom rather than soul-crushing rules and regulations. She has some smart or sarcastic stuff to say about the situation, but how helpful would it be? She has been the least involved as possible in the move, she wasn't even there and the house in Redmond was trashed again - they did not blend in - with the criminals as well.
"I'll give it a shot Mato, I mean I owe you turned out okay despite knowing what an HOA is.

She looks at the kitchen with frustration, it is not ready. "We need tea" she says half to herself she adds " it is the one thing that won't freak them out. ", but she hastily cleans up her worn-out, male armored jacket. Her social armor, is filled with frustration and pain. A testament to all that she has lost - which somehow brings her comfort. She owes Mato her best effort, and Iktomi is likely entertained by the entire oddity of the situation.

Looking for her place in the crowd she approaches Rachel and Yao, You should try our tea, we grow our own herbs, it is very calming and healthy."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby had enough - his social batteries were empty and all he wanted now was to turn into a ferret, curl up under a sofa cusion and wait until the neighbors went away again.
"Thanks, I'll come by soon and send you a report if I see anything else suspicious. If you excuse me, I've got to make sure that the wooden floors aren't scratched up. You never can have enough felt stickers under your furniture."
With that inane parting words, Bobby hurried inside, leaving Tamarind and Rachel to fend for themselves.
Once inside, Bobby saw that Mato and AM had things well in hand. Looking around a bit aimlessly, his eyes finally fell on a carton with a fresh shipping label from a well known electronics wholesaler.
"Finally arrived. Took them long enough." He ripped open the parcel and took out two bags labled "Stealth Tags" and a complete electronics tool kit, as well as a bunch of thin cables.
"I've watched some of those hacker vlogs, those hacker club types have. Pretty clever ideas for a bunch of underage trust fund babies.
Yell, if you need my help with something."

Bobby went upstairs into his designated room.

[Beta]

Seeing Bobby retreat, Tamarind figures it is time to start driving the neighours away, slowly. She messages Rachel <<I don't know how much more patience for this lot you have, but I'm ready to start boring them away. I think gardening nerd talk ought to deal with most of this crowd, and any who stick with it I'll walk around and look at gardens for a bit longer, before saying that I should help with unpacking>>

And then she gets on with that job. "I've done my gardening on the other side of the Rockies, where it is dryer and and cooler. The flow prospects here seem lovely, but I'm looking for ideas. . Yao, do you have flowers that we can go look at? Or any of you really."

[Thanee]

"We definitely should go shopping at some point," Rachel says to Yao.

It is obvious enough, that most of their little group have no further interest in chatting with the folks from the neighborhood, so she smiles at the gathering and says: "It looks like the guys want to finish getting everything inside and set up before it is getting dark, so we better go and help them. Don't want to be called a slacker for no reason, right? It was so nice meeting you all. Such a nice gesture. Thank you!"

[Tecumseh]

"Oo, yes, please!" the Japanese dwarf says AM's offer of tea. Her name is Hina.

"Oo, yes, please!" Yao says to Rachel's offer to go shopping, and offers her commcode.

"Oo, yes, please!" Edie says to Tamarind's suggestion of touring gardens. "It's still early in the season so we're just now getting the first daffodils. But with a warm day like today I bet things will be popping soon!"

"I have a vegetable garden!" Hina says. "With the nice weather, I'm planting seedlings this afternoon! Broccoli, kale, kohlrabi... I started them indoors back in January and now they're ready to go into the ground. I have beet seeds too that I'll just plant straight outdoors; no need to start those inside. I love the greens they grow. You could do cauliflower right about now too but I hate it. Bleah! I'd rather eat polystyrene."

Rachel escapes inside while AM (having sweetly offered tea) and Tamarind (having sweetly offered enamel-stripping soykaf) are lead off on a tour of Edie's and Hina's gardens. Luckily both of AM and Tamarind know what they are talking about and manage some reasonable gardening insights during the tour. (Mato is a passable gardener as well and has expressed interest in some sort of greenhouse in the back yard.)

~~~

The time passes and eventually AM and Tamarind return to the house. Most of the furniture has been moved in, but very little has been unpacked yet. Mato drinks a cold soda while sitting on some new deck furniture (!) on your new patio out back (!) that also has a hot tub (!).

"Let's talk about life here," he suggests when the team is reassembled. "There are two bathrooms: one upstairs, one downstairs. As I'm sure you've noticed, the one downstairs has a sauna. But using it ties up the downstairs bathroom so let's keep it to 15 to 20 minutes unless we're all doing a sweat lodge.

"Technically we're only allowed to have a home office in a residential zone if the organization has three employees or fewer. Obviously we've tipped our hand that's not the case. As such, Redmond will still technically be our HQ, an office for meetings and walk-ins. No, it's not in good shape right now, but at least the building is standing. I'll get Waylon to work on it but it will be slow going. It's not livable right now, that's for certain. Well, maybe for Waylon it is.

"But let's talk about why we're here. There will be problems here, just as there are anywhere, but those problems should - in theory - be less homicidal than our previous problems. But we'll need to evolve accordingly too. We can't respond with force at all. Magic should be discrete. If we have a problem, we'll respond with legal counsel. That's how the game is played here. Wars are fought with words and conspicuous consumption. I'll leave it to you to decide if that's the more civilized approach or not.

"Questions, thoughts, concerns?"

[Gilga]

AM immensely enjoys the tour and the tea, she is a social animal once the anxiety goes down, and it does once it is on Hina's property. She likes gardening and sees it as part of her worship, but most of her knowledge, besides keeping a small hydroponic for herbs, is theoretical because she has had more urgent concerns than planting seeds since she arrived.

"... but you have to put yourself out there to grow," she remembers DB and his instructions when she was terrified after realizing which spirit had chosen her for a totem. "Iktomi would test you, take things from you, and trick you, but none of the Wakan Tanaka is evil, and they all encompass some of our wisdom."

Perhaps they are not so bad, these 'others' she envied, resented, and sometimes hated. The people that had all the nice stuff where had very little and always got it in some crooked manner. It was a digital world, and AM and her mother had no digital representation. They did not exist in that world - which is why the first fake SIN was such a big deal - she was suddenly a natural person as long as she did not try to do anything too ambitious with it. She could buy something at a store for some, not at some shady merchant at an actual store.

So she makes some herbal tea on her small gas stove, and then the tour, and she feels mellowed a little bit.


===
She comments humorously , "Not petrifying the neighbors even if they deserve it...", and then she strokes Trouble. "You too, little guy..." Trouble protests a bit about the no magic rule, but then he hurls when she scratches him the way he likes, kind of like how Urubia does it.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shrugged while he let his new toy glide through his fingers: "Conspicuous consumption... Getting eaten by a bear would qualify for that wouldn't it?
Nah, I get it. Civilized folk and all that. Don't worry. I'll do my part in the neighborhood watch. People are less likely to complain if they know their car could get towed for being parked on the curb. Don't see those rules around here as a prison. They are weapons. You can train to use them and when the time comes, eviscerate the opposition.

And believe me, our neighbors have plenty of skeletons in the closet. A surprising amount of secret rooms that look like amateur porn sets / sex dungeons. Also, lots of cheating spouses and a bunch of swingers going by the smells of their cars and garages.
Lots to work with."