<<Wednesday Afternoon - February 1, 2079 - Touristville, Redmond>>

It's been a week and a half since the adventure in the mountains, and five days since the training session at Brent's house. The teens, while tired from the school day at the end of a week, were dutiful students. The were attentive and took rigorous notes. AM, able to peek in on the process, founds an ARO that acted as their collective notes, like a wiki page where they added, edited, corrected, and offered their own interpretations on the lessons.

Has anyone just sat and written down what you've said before? It's an unusual experience. And a bit heady... you can imagine why teachers often get inflated egos when they have a captive audience hanging on their every word.

After the Friday afternoon lesson is done, Mato leaves town for the week. He says he's off to the "Wild Orc Recreation Ranch" where he's going to learn how to white water raft if it's the last thing he does. The ranch usually caters to summer tourists, but they're happy to commission a private lesson in the winter if there's someone silly enough to pay. Evidently Mato's pride - what's left of it - was rather hurt by his experiences on the river. He vows to do better by the daylight. He's also going to be learning some cold-weather survival skills, plus the basics of navigation. He says he'll be back the following weekend.

He's been gone for a few days when you get a call from Cutty:

<<Hey, got a situation down here at the gym and could use your help resolving it.>>

Jawsey had returned to SIS quietly. You might say uncharacteristically so, except that he continues to be pretty quiet so maybe that is the new 'characteristic' with him? For certain the month in his homeland has changed him. He doesn't say much about it other than that he went on a spirit quest but that it brought more learning than enlightenment. It is noticeable that he doesn't complain about discomfort as much as he used to; his back clearly still pains him at times but he doesn't complain about the damp weather or having stood too long.

Not that he is around the offices a lot, he spends a fair bit of time visiting Five Finger Gao, to get his weapon focus enhanced. It is still 'in the shop' when the call comes in from Cutty, so he grabs an ordinary cane and his jacket and hat and joins the others to head over there.

Bobby had gone into the training session with great enthusiasm - and little concept. His training relied mainly on getting the teenagers to lose their natural inhibitions to use effective violence. That included screaming as loud as possible, spitting, scratching and biting to get attackers to back off. Fear of making a fool of oneself was the first hurdle to overcome if you didn't want to be abducted.
Not everyone appreciated that revelation. Especially not when Bobby suggested weaponizing their own urine.

He was happy to see Jawsey return, but was a bit worried about his behavior shift. Still, he reasoned, having iniated was a sensation that you had to process. So he resolved to give it time, before addressing it.

As Cutty's call came in he replied instantly: <<We'll be there in in 5>>

Before Jawsey joins them, AM is surprised that not sharing a room brings all that joy that she thought it would. She likes to complain, and it is uncomfortable, but uncomfortable makes her feel safe. She does not feel safe since she finished her debt, luck has shined on her, so it must be a test. Something terrible is going to happen, and Iktomi would laugh hard at how gullible she is. She makes plenty of new dream-catchers in defense and places them near her bed and in the lodge. Yet, the days pass, and no meteor crushes from the sky on her precious Erika. Nobody even pulls a gun on her when she is on her way to the grocery store or at Gau—dreaming on a focus and exchanging notes on sorcery. She usually talks to Jawsey about sorcery, but he is gone to study on his own. It is the 1st of the month, and she does not have to meet TJ. No ice cream - and Bobby is less ceremonial about his debt collection. She gives him anything she earns until she owes nothing. The man embodies her deity - a shape changer that makes him especially dangerous and while she begins to grow fond of SIS. It is scary to owe money to someone with that kind of power.

She had the ceremonious dinner with Jimmy for completing the debt - and got offered a new debt for a bigger deck, but she refused. Knowing how much trouble the little Erika has gotten her, and she meets a few times with Kira online but the more experienced decker is often very busy. So AM gets little training. Redmond was getting more civilized -but nothing good ever happens without something bad to balance the score. Preparing for the worst, AM dedicates her time to worshipping Iktomi and being a better scholar of the Destroyer. She trains her muscles, mainly the magical muscles, to embody wisdom, trickery, and strength.

When Cutty's message arrives, she studies a sorcery e-book with a few interesting insights about shamanism. She places her armor jacket on top of her oversized t-shirt, for a moment she thinks about going to the bathroom to fresh up or look at a mirror. Then she decides to use the fashion spell instead, and look great without all the fuss of grooming. Being a woman became effortless once she opened up to the fashion spell. For a brief moment, AM even considers starting to dress like a woman. Though, she then remembers that she is an elf, and that the world objectifies her kind, and that she lives in the middle of multiple gangs filled with hormonal males.
Femininity and especially elf femininity attract too much-unwanted attention.

While Bobby works on getting the teenagers past their social inhibitions, Mato works on their logical side. The kids don't intuitively understand how to weaponize urine, but they do understand physics and biomechanics. Mato explains how even a minimum amount of force applied at the right place and in the right direction - eyes, knuckles, genitals - can produce a disproportionate result, which does make intuitive sense. Mato explains how bite strength can vary from 500 Newtons (females) to 800 Newtons (males), and that some jaws can even exert up to 1,300 Newtons under the right circumstances - namely being under duress and/or being Bobby. Bobby is only too happy to demonstrate, and his jaw strength is indeed truly savage. He tears apart of piece of meat (real meat, sparing no expense) to demonstrate the effectiveness of an uninhibited attack. The teens are horrified, but convinced.

Besides filling in some of the gaps in his skill set, Mato may have another motivation for getting away. He recently completed a piece of work the verified the infidelity of one of the locals, an older (60-something) human male named Sean Benton. The problem in this case is that Sean is popular. Sean grew up in Redmond, pulled himself out of the gutters, and made a name for himself playing Urban Brawl for the Seattle Screamers, even winning a championship as a novahot rookie back in 2050. Despite the fact that he's a multimillionaire, he still has the heart of a street kid who misses his own kind. A couple times a year he gives a party with doors open to all. He usually goes unnoticed - despite his flaming red hair - among the crush of so many guests.

So when Mato uncovered Sean's infidelity, the neighborhood response was decidedly unhappy and rises to his defense. "Sean's one of us." "Of course he's going to cheat. Isn't that what you do when you're rich?" "Why are these newcomers trying to pull him down." "If I were him, I'd cheat too!" "Sean's just spreading the wealth!" "Makes sense: that guy stole my girl back in 2050. Would have popped him at the time if I could, but looking back he did me a favor."

Sean, for his part, is embarrassed but has a PR team to keep a lid on things and stop them from spinning out of control. He doesn't seem overly vengeful, chalking it up as the price of business, so to speak. Sure, the wronged wife quickly files for divorce, but that's why he signed a prenup isn't it? But, just to be on the safe side, Mato makes himself scarce for a week for things to cool down. He uses the opportunity as an excuse to plop down ¥600 on a new outfit - Globetrotter clothing from the Ares Victory line, with a woodsy camouflage pattern and cold insulation for the winter weather - and takes off (on foot) for the mountains where the locals are unlikely to pursue him. Still, it puts a damper on your walk-in business, and the last week of the month is decidedly quiet. Cutty's call is the first thing that's happened in days.

You pack up quickly and head for the gym, which is a short walk away. The weather is typical for this time of year: 10 C, a bit breezy, and an on-again-off-again rain that's currently raining. Most people are inside due to the weather. It's late afternoon, about 17:00. With the heavy cloud cover it is pretty dark out; the sun will set in 10 minutes.

At the gym, you find a stand-off of sorts. Cutty is surrounded by six Halloweeners who have a circus/clown theme going. Bobby recognizes the “Rager” (the Halloweener lieutenant) who is in charge of this squad as Carn-evil, who looks like a demonic clown. The Halloweeners are crowding close to Cutty, who is standing his ground. He has his massive arms folded across his massive chest and he doesn't seem to be budging.

"It's the first of the month. Time to pay!" Carn-evil shouts.

"And I told you," Cutty replies firmly but calmly, "I already paid two weeks ago." Cutty is a huge human with dark skin, evidence of his half-Sioux and half-African heritage. "I'm on a fixed income here; I don't have the nuyen to pay twice."

"You didn't pay us!" Some of the Halloweeners play with lighters in a menacing fashion, flicking them open, lighting them, then snapping the lids shut with a loud CLACK.

"I paid the Crimson Crush. Y'all a syndicate now, right? Paying them is the same as paying you."

The Halloweeners have bottles with them. A quick glance at the astral tells you that they're agitated but not drunk. That must mean that there's something else in the bottles...

You're approaching from behind the Halloweeners. Cutty, looking over their shoulders, notices you but doesn't give any indication that you're there. His eyes shoot off to the right before looking back to you. Following his look, you see a group of street kids huddled together in the gym, obviously scared by the proceedings. They look frozen in place, as if moving might draw attention to themselves.

"Who? Who did you pay?"

Cutty looks exasperated. You can tell the conversation has been going like this for five minutes since he called you. "I didn't think it was my place to ask for a name," he says in a cunning display of verbal jiu-jitsu.

At his hip, you notice his hand making a subtle motion. It's Sioux Sign Language for "calm, peace". His eyes dart to the kids again to reinforce the point.

Bobby stopped dead when he saw the display. Six guys. Just three too many to just kick out. And Cutty didn't want the kids to end in the crossfire.

<<We have to secure the molotov cocktails somehow. AM, how many things can you control at the same time with your telekinesis? I can take out two guys reliably with one spell.>>

Jawsey looked grim when he saw the six Halloweeners. With superior numbers they were not apt to give in to either threats or persuasion easily. Well, he could even up the numbers a bit, 6 to 5 was better than 6 to 4. A quick thought and then he reached out to Woman-Like-a-Shadow. The sly spirit made him pay a bit for the privilege, but in a second a tall woman with a head like a totem-pole carving of raven, clad in a cloak of the blackest fur, walked alongside the SIS team.

He let the others know <<She can grab things from a distance, hopefully tie up at least one of the bottles, if it comes to that. Probably mostly useful just as a show of force on our part>>

AM responds ">> Trouble can reach for the bottles with telekinesis. I can only levitate I can do all of them, but they might spill.". She quickly assesses the situation and decides that buying some time is the best priority. Get them talking, the longer that passes without a confrontation the better. They can always use violence but even if it works, humiliating the Haloweeners would be a shortsighted victory.

She uses the techniques her mother taught her to sound authoritative and says "I rigged this place with security cameras. So how about, I show you the trogs that stole your money. She pauses, hoping to get their attention, and then adds If we can remain civilized, I'll even help with finding and identifying them." She says confidently, it would take a few minutes to find the trogs on camera, and either it works, or it gives them some time to come up with a plan, and ask for more details.

The Halloweeners spin to confront AM.

Tactically, this is a mistake, as they've all turned their backs to Cutty simultaneously. Cutty being Cutty could easily smash two of them before the others had a chance to react, but it's clear from his body language - namely, the distinct lack of head-smashing - that Cutty wants to keep things non-violent.

"What did you say?" one of the Halloweeners asks AM. Upon review, it seems that this Halloweener is an ork who probably didn't appreciate AM's use of the word "trog". "Say it again, you back-stabbing knife-eared dandelion-eater. Say it to my face." In fairness to AM, they're wearing so much makeup that it can be hard to tell the orks from the humans.

Carn-evil isn't exactly a diplomat but this doesn't seem to be the discussion that he/she/it wants to have. "Your cameras don't matter. Don't try to make his problems into my problems. I don't care if he paid the Crimson Crush. His problem is that he hasn't paid us."

So what is this? A miscommunication between the members of Urubia's syndicate? Or are they double-dipping, knowing that there's nobody around to stop them?

Carn-evil turns to Bobby with a baleful grin. "I remember you. The Funhouse. I told you that you’re not part of this agreement, so it would be open season on your hairy hoop. Yet here you are.”

<<I can also levitate on or two. Well, might be hard with the big ones.
And that wouldn't stop them from throwing their toys. >>

Jawsey cuts in before Bobby has a chance to respond, hoping to divert things away from that particular line of discussion. In a relaxed voice he comments "I don't see how it isn't your problem. Someone else goes into your stuff and takes your drugs, no amount of yelling at your sack is going to get you high. Someone goes into the fridge and eats the lunch I put in there, kicking the fridge doesn't fill up my belly. Someone comes through your territory and takes all the money that people have, burning them out doesn't earn you a single Nuyen. Face it, the Crush stole your lunch, or else you were hoping there were leftovers, and there aren't."

He'd added in little actions to go along with the words, to keep things light, but now he stops that, and says seriously "I'd be mad if someone stole my lunch. But throwing a temper tantrum won't bring it back, so instead I go talk to the people responsible instead of taking it out on the fridge. Besides, kicking the fridge is going to hurt me more than the fridge."

He's not sure if they'll follow his metaphor well enough to catch the implied threat, and he's not sure if he should have made it or not, but it was too good to resist.

"Oi, it's squishy-smoothie," says the trog after Jawsey speaks. "Mr. Limp-Wrist Noodle-Dick!" he says to laughter, apparently referring to Jawsey's physical infirmities. Evidently this one only insults people in hyphenated phrases.

Carn-evil isn't buying what Jawsey is selling. "Get out of here with your false equivalences, your mistaken metaphors," they say, using several more syllables than you might have expected. "Is the man here an inanimate object? Or are you just trying to rob him of his agency in the matter?"

Carn-evil extends their hands and gestures to the gym. The kids wince, fearing they are about to do something.

"This place has been here, what, a month?" That's approximately correct; you last helped Cutty on January 1st. "Do you think a gym springs up out of nothing, like Pallas Athena from the forehead of Zeus? Carn-evil mimes an explosion on their forehead. "No, it takes capital. You don't run a business like this without expecting some losses at the front end."

Cutty involuntarily winces behind Carn-evil's back, suggesting there's truth to what Carn-evil is saying.

"So consider this an investment. Part of the start-up costs. It's a nice gym." (It's not, really.) "Be a shame if something... happened to it."

The Halloweeners shake their bottles as if they're full of champagne ready to be sprayed in celebration. They whoop and holler. Now, objectively, almost everything in the gym is concrete and/or iron. It's actually not a good candidate for arson. But there are people inside who would presumably object to being lit on fire, yourselves included.

On the astral, you can tell that this is part of the act. The Halloweeners are threatening but don't really seem overtly violent. This demonstration is how they get their kicks, how they instill fear and respect among the masses.

Carn-evil steps into Bobby and gives him a theatrical sniff. They twist their face and give a sour look. "You might actually smell better after burning."

Up close, Bobby can see a light in Carn-evil's eyes, a glimmer. Bobby recognizes it as lucidity. Carn-evil might be psychopath but they aren't stupid. The vocabulary suggests as much. There's a reason Carn-evil is a Rager rather than a rank-and-file ganger.

AM deflects some attention from Bobby. "Carn-Evil I presume. You do not normally *work* in Redmond. You guys party here but you make a living downtown. This turf normally gets collected by Big Stank, and by Andru before that. Even if you manage to collect a few pennies from Cutty, our next stop would be talking to Big Stank asking for explanations. I presume he would not be very happy about the Haloweener's double collecting in his Turf.

She pauses and breaths, There would be consequences as it makes Big Stank look weak. I am not sure exactly what Big Stank would do. He can retaliate directly, or go to Nightmare, or perhaps even to the Dragon. It's even bigger than Big Stank, Urubia runs this place, and if you would set fire to one of her tax-paying assets. Very bold, but not very smart.

Now if there is a bigger reason for you being here rather than downtown. We would be happy to help out as we want to be on better terms with the powerful Haloweeners.

Carn-evil gives AM an appraising look, and then a withering grin.

"Urubia doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty metahumans walk under her huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves."

In case the meaning isn't clear, Carn-evil summarizes: "Urubia don't give a drek."

Are they smiling, or is that just the demonic face paint?

"Nightmare and Big Stank can hack it out. But that's their problem, not yours. Your problem is that dues are owed, and dues will be paid."

Carn-evil doesn't directly address the question about working in Redmond vs. partying here. AM is correct: the Halloweeners hang out at The Jackal's Lantern, and maybe even sleep nearby, but most of their nuyen comes from Downtown. Or did that change with the syndicate? Has the gang evolved under Nightmare and/or Urubia? Carn-evil doesn't seem inclined to say.

Bobby kept uncharacteristically calm, despite the provocation.
"I've got only one question for you: are you here for business or pleasure?
If it's business you can wait here until BS has been contacted and things sorted out - preferably between you too and outside.
If you are just here for a lark... That means you are out of order of your new world order.
I told you back at the fun house about the loss of autonomy. And you told me you are totally cool with living with a boss that tells you what to do.
Long words to say: you have no backing. We can bundle you up and give you to the CS for poaching. Or we can get rid of you for good.
The dragon doesn't care, there are enough hungry ghouls around and the Crush doesn't mind either.
There are rules now, territories and quarterly reports. There's even a god damn customer hotline. Welcome to the brave new world. Dues are to be paid, but only once per month.

So what's it gonna be? Business or a brawl?"

Only written because I did not see Bobby's post. She would have kept quiet in this case.

AM does not blink "If you wanted to burn the place, you would not have waited for the three Sioux mages and their spirits to arrive. You have been in this standoff for what ten minutes before we arrived? We are trying to help. Let's figure out a solution where everyone saves face.

Now you clearly need money quickly because otherwise, you would not be here right now. You admitted that you are working alone and that your actions would create problems between big Stank and Nightmare. You are risking a gang war or to the very least few dead friends for a bit of cash? We can go to a private room without Molotov and terrified children and figure it out. Perhaps, we can help each other without appealing to higher powers."

Carn-evil locks eyes with Bobby, psycho-to-savage. They study each other intently, looking for a gap in their psychological armor.

Bobby's words don't seem to bother Carn-evil, but there's something about Bobby's tone... or maybe it's the shock that Bobby delivered back at the Funhouse... or maybe it's AM's reference to three Sioux mages and their spirits...

Carn-evil blinks.

Carn-evil's leans in close and drops their to a whisper so that Bobby (and perhaps AM and Jawsey) can hear: "We'll see who has no backing. You're going to find out who is on the outside of the new world order."

With that, Carn-evil shoulders past Bobby and heads toward the exit. The Halloweeners are initially confused by the cessation of the hostilities but they fall in line and follow Carn-evil out. If they're going to say anything - like "why aren't we burning them alive??" - they save those comments for when they're outside and out of earshot.

AM is agitated and says perhaps to herself perhaps to them. "Out of all the characters in Redmond, we managed to pick a fight with the only person quoting Shakespeare as naturally as we speak modern English.

As soon as the gangers are gone Jawsey casts Clairaudience on Mato, realizes that the spell came out super weakly and drops it, muttering "Never mind" (while internally screaming) then quickly drops to the floor and leaves his body to follow the gangers. He makes sure they leave the scene, and keeps an eye on their emotions.

Bobby slightly shook his head: "It was only a matter of time until that wannabe-Harlekine-poser run into each other again. The fight was picked then, all we can hope for is to end it before it spills over to Cutty and his customers. And unless we want our stuff burned, we'll have to do something about them now.
I should have just turned him into a sloth with osteoporosis and ripped his heart out. No that's not an obscure metaphor. Sloths can't run away and it's easy to get into their ribcage with claws."
Bobby picked up Jawsey and pulled him onto a bench for a more dignified posture.

He turned to Cutty: "Did you actually pay or was that a line of bullshit, because you called the bluff of those bozos?"

Jawsey catches a "Where are we going?? Why aren't we-" "You'll see" before he drops his clairaudience spell. Zipping after the Halloweeners on the astral, he finds Carn-evil rather agitated. Their pride has been wounded. The other Halloweeners are confused and angry and violent and clearly not in the right minds (although "right" is a relative term for Halloweeners). But, for the moment, they're following Carn-evil's lead, even if there are seeds of doubt among them. For what it's worth, they're not walking toward SIS headquarters, nor are they setting an ambush; they seem to be heading back toward The Jackal's Lantern.

Back at the gym, Cutty says, "I did pay. I paid the Crimson Crush two weeks ago, not long after opening, and figured I was good for a month. But I don't know how things work around here: maybe they go by calendar months rather than 30 days since your last payment. But I doubt my payment was prorated for being in mid-January."

He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Could I have paid? Yes, I suppose, if it came down to that or violence. But I'm already on a diet of rice and beans. If I'm lucky, I get some hominy or winter squash. Maybe a turnip. I add flavoring to my soy with a medicine dropper." He mimes doing so. He juts a thumb over his shoulder. "I sleep on a cot in the back under a wool blanket that's scratchier than steel wool. There's just not a lot of places where I can trim my budget."

He holds up his hands. "I don't want violence over a misunderstanding. I know the syndicate is new. They probably have kinks to work out. But I can't afford to pay double while they straight out their bureaucracy."

It's seems strange for him to be defending the syndicate, or at least being sympathetic to the notion that their administration doesn't have everything smoothed out.

Or maybe they are double-dipping. There's no more competition, nobody to push back and tell them 'no'.

"I just want to be a place for the kids, you know?" He indicates the street kids, who are still anxious. "Keep them dry. Put some maize and beans in them.

"The streets aren't safe, neh? For a lot of them, home isn't safe either, if they even have a home. How else would you ever end up with folks like that?" He gestures after the Halloweeners. "I don't think those clown fellas are the product of a warm and loving home environment.

"I just want to help without it hurting too much. Not me, not anyone else if I can help it."

"Eh, no complaints from me - I'm fully on board with not letting them ruin you before you get off the ground. We know you are doing good work here. I just wanted to know if we can actually call the CC.
Now, don't worry too much - Carn-evil has a lot of bad karma on his shoulders. Types like that don't get old. We'll just have to make sure you and your gym outlive him."

Bobby didn't mention that he was right now contemplating how to accellerate that proposed timeline.

AM takes off, her coat and takes a pair of boxing gloves. It is a bit chilly without it as Cutty is not big on heating the place, but she will keep moving to stay warm. She has improved her fitness and confidence a bit in the last month but is miles away from looking like someone that can actually fight with fists. She gets in front of her punching bag and hopes that this time - she can hurt the bag more than it hurts her hands. She is very upset - about this situation and the way things escalated, and tries to vent her emotions into boxing trying to attain clarity as to the violence that may engulf them in the near future. The lank elf feels a bit out of her depth regarding the stressful situation and is comfortable half earing the conversation between the ex-military men. Being female, a street kid, and growing in a mentality that avoids confrontations, by a combination of either giving up or trying to change the nature of the relationship to a more mutually beneficial relationship. She does not anticipate that her opinions would be very popular.


AM makes half a grin when Cutty mentions keeping the kids safe... She thinks or perhaps explains to Iktomi whom she imagines is right there with them. "He would only make for more skilled gangers. Yes some of them join the gangs because they need some love or a sense of family. This is an individual story, but there is the economic reality. There are not many legitimate ways that a SINless can sustain herself. Gangs offer jobs and are a big part of the economy of Redmond. No amount of boxing or martial arts could ever change that fundamental fact. Carn-evil for all his downsides keeps a bunch of misfits well fed and entertained and they usually only hurt the rich people. He is not the monster that Bobby is making him up to be. Urubia's vision may actually reduce the number of gangers because they'll be more legitimate businesses to work in - and more tourists visiting Redmond. Which means a more normative economy and less criminal economy.

She punches badly, and shakes her hand, thinking "If he wanted to really keep them off the streets he should teach them computers like mommy taught me. That method works, they may live in Redmond, but in VR you can exist outside of your physical status. There are fewer boundaries and you can interact with people over great social and physical distances. It makes money as rich people are lazy and would always throw a few crumbs and outsource jobs to skillfully SINless. Anything that would make them appear more productive among their peers."

Iktomi does not answer or at least does not answer with words. She only saw him once in the light of day and at that point, he was as real as Bobby. He makes her feel less alone in her mind and helps her to come up with something that works.

AM works the punching bag while half-listening to Cutty's conversation with Bobby. It's strange because Cutty seems to be addressing AM's thoughts, even though he obviously can't hear them. (Or can he?)

"It's that feeling of family, that sense of belonging and togetherness through shared hardship. Like you get in the military. Yes, you're teaching them tools of violence, but they come with rules of engagement and a value system. A code of honor, if you will. You give them a constructive outlet for their aggressions with structure to keep things safe and disciplined. The training is a lightning rod that intercepts the violence, grounding it."

Just as Cutty says this, a fat, hair spider crawls around the punching bag and AM's fist - already in flight - SLAMS it. AM looks to see what she's done. But there's no spider guts on the bag, nor are there any on her boxing gloves.

Curious, she circles the bag looking for the spider but it's not there. Then she checks the floor, thinking it must have been knocked off onto the ground. But the smooth, clean, concrete floor is devoid of spiders.

Looking up, AM notices the spider climbing the chain that attaches the bag to its stand. There, she finds herself standing under an intricate spider web that's been woven at the top of the stand. She was under it this entire time.

So why don't you do it? she finds herself thinking involuntarily.

Do what? she asks herself in response.

Teach them computers, she answers unconsciously.

AM studies the web, which is riddled with bugs. Despite being the middle of winter, the spider has been eating well.

"So my favorite Wakan Tanka is strong in here." She says, grinning, glowing a spiderweb is always a good omen. She is back to boxing, and the questions in her head are strange. It is not normal for a mage to hear or almost hear voices that are not her own. That part happens all the time, and it happens more the more you widen your connection. She wonders if Jawsey is ready for the experience, for the humility and a bit of insanity of occasionally seeing things that aren't there or hearing voices that nobody else can listen to.
Jawsey's magic is growing day today, and he will be better than her soon. What would it feel like to be a strong mage? For Bobby, his connection likely damaged his career. It is not healthy to blame the totem for your misgivings - a strong mage should resist the totem. Yet, it gets more complicated the stronger and more connected you are.


When questions are raised in her mind, she answers.
That is a strange question... pausing Studying computers got me out of trouble growing up, but then it got me into serious troubles. The same knowledge that kept me safe now keeps my life very dangerous. Life is not about safety - it is about freedom.

You Ksa, once I got good at computers - I did not want to live on scraps; I wanted to live a good life, have a nice home, a car perhaps. First, the plan was to find a good marriage, but we both know how that turned out. I have never been intimate with a guy since these events - memories are too painful.

Then I run-off to Seattle on the surface because I was ashamed of freezing and failing to protect my investment, my lover. I was a different person then, and could not face a wildcat.

Though, if I dig deeper, I did not want to go back to my mother. It was safe, but I would have been miserable. I never had freedom except when my dad took me driving on the open roads for a few days. For a few days, I had the freedom of movement and felt loved. He had other kids that knew nothing about me, but he wanted to be my daddy too. So he took me on his business trips as a driver and taught me some fancy driving. He also taught me how to fire a pistol - he thought it was the parental thing to do. He planted a seed of self-reliance and freedom, and I took it all in because I wanted a daddy.

She punches a bit more and continues thinking of Iktomi.

Now, I got here, and I needed money. The crumbs I was earning were not going to cut it. Otherwise, I'd have a fake SIN decades ago. I figured that I needed a deck to make money for the new SIN and possibly buy a new one every year. This is how they get you with the fake SINs. They are good until they randomly get burned, and if you are not arrested, you need a new identity. I had Kira vouch for me and took an insane risk that could just as well have gotten me killed. I took over 60k from the Mafia at insane interest rates. Now the interest alone was like buying a new SIN each month -that crazy. I am not sure if money means anything to you but let's go over all the crazy shit I have done just to pay for the deck and SIN.

She punches again and again, with some happiness in her motions. The body pains already, but there is some satisfaction.

I befriended Andrew, negotiated with crimelords, rescued a kid from the Haloweeners, chased elusive arcane artifacts, disabled an actual bomb at the art gallery without any prior training... Thanks for your help, by the way. I then sold explosives to a street gang and survived a gang war that was prolonged by the explosives I sold.
I meddled in the affairs of a dragon, and I even protected an actual noble family, grew fond of an actual duchess. I levitated her most terrifying Katya. I illegally crossed an international border twice yesterday, got nearly blown up, petrified a mage, and narrowly evaded the Salish army.

You see, Iktomi - teaching them *anything* be it computers or fighting skills, is a terrible idea for keeping them safe. You take the most dangerous people in the entire world. These people are wronged the most, that have the least to lose as they are deprived of any place on the social ladder. You take these timebombs, and then you make them more powerful. You are not getting them safe, you are getting them killed and a lot of other SINNers in the way. They do not want to be safe; they want to be free.

I was given something in my world. My SINNer dad loved me; he managed to get me educated. My rage is dulled because normative society has eventually done something for me. I swore to protect the Sioux society - and it was the hardest oath of all. I suddenly needed to love the tribe that I hated my entire life - my oppressors. I had to be a meaningful figure to Sioux traditionalists to wield magic. I took this oath - as painful as it is. I accepted my heritage as half Sioux. I wanted to understand who I am, and what is this connection that I feel.

My own bomb was defused, and I am not as dangerous as I was beforehand. Some of these kids never got anything from UCAS society. Most of them will never get any kind of recognition. There is nothing to defuse their bombs. Teaching them plants the seeds of anarchy and revolution. Cutty does not understand it because he is a SINNer and a respected member of his society. His perception of reality hides the true nature of these kids. He does not understand the poison, the hate, and the burning desire for justice.

So to put it bluntly, I am the last person one should take advice on being safe... However, my moral obligation is only to preserve Sioux society, I never took an oath about Anglo society. I sympathize with the SINless more than I do with the rich people. So I do not mind increasing the risk for these Richy rich Bellevue kids. Perhaps I will teach someone if they ask me nicely - and don't stare at my hop or laugh at me when I box."

Do not be too swift to judge, AM admonishes herself. Cutty's motivations and intentions may differ from my own, but the outcomes may yet be the same. After all, we have some of the same friends.

After a moment of reflection, AM thinks she (?) might mean Captain Razak of the SDF, who initially requested that Bobby check on Cutty and 'render all necessary assistance.' Is Captain Razak helping Cutty as a favor to a friend, an esteemed colleague? Or does the SDF want what AM wants?

Our thoughts are a carousel, a merry-go-round with no destination. Every freedom granted is another lost. Safety is merely freedom from physical danger, from fear. But such safety demands the surrender of other freedoms. And so The Wheel turns.

The children sense that the immediate danger has passed, and slip away into the rainy blackness outside.

The fate of mortals is beyond our horizon. Worms eat manure. The worm does not wish to be eaten by the hen, but doing so transforms it, uplifts it into a higher form. I do the same to the chicken, taking its molecules as my own. In this way I am made of drek. The worm and the hen did not wish to be eaten, but they are improved in the process. I do not wish to eat drek, but I do. In such ways the greater world is formed.

These thoughts are strange, seemingly poured into AM's head from above. The voice is her own but the thinking is foreign.

Am I free? Or am I caught in Iktomi's plots, as surely as those flies in that web? If I am not consumed in flesh, am I in spirit?

AM continues to hit the bag, the spider as her audience.

She grins at Iktomi. "I am not a fly caught in the web. I am part of the web. I am Amy Green, and I am also Shaman Maka, but I am also Iktomi, Ksa, the Destroyer, and the Trickster. I am everything, part mortal, part Wakan Tanaka. Freedom is the autonomy of deciding which identity to follow at any given time. Interestingly, the Spyders weren't naive to follow my advice, they saw me as I truly am. They followed their own totem. That means that these are the actions that bring hardships to anyone around me. Cutty thinks I helped him, but have I? Perhaps it was cheaper to just pay up and shut up. Power and mischief, actions and consequences."

She hangs the gloves a bit exhausted and fills a glass of water. With the kids gone, she feels freer to speak up.

"Problem solved for now, but Carn-Evil would do more problems. This is a shame because I am almost certain that something is going on downtown pushing him toward Redmond. It is a shame if he becomes our problem instead of Seattle's problem."

Jawsey followed the 'Weeners for a while, decided that they were not going to do anything of great interest, then went roaming around the neighborhood for a bit. After all, if the 'weeners were acting uncharacteristically there was a chance that something else was going odd.

After that he returned to the gym, surprised to find himself up on furniture. His back was stiff of course, but he applied his new discipline to ignoring it and not letting it spoil his mood. He mentioned "They don't seem happy, but not doing anything immediately. Carn-evil is for sure disturbed in some way, but I couldn't tell you in what way, and that isn't a big surprise. So, are we going to wait to see what they do next, or are we going to war with the Halloweeners?"

For Jawsey, flying around the astral in Touristville is a strange combination of foul and familiar. It's his home ground and thus strangely comforting in a way, but the background count here feels like driving a car on the highway with no windshield, bugs and dirt and grime smashing into your face at 100kph. It's curious to contrast it with the astral space of Tsimshian Nation, which is a strange combination of pristine and pollution thanks to Mitsuhama.

Nothing seems terribly out-of-the-ordinary in the neighborhood. The rain is moving the inevitable conflict and arguments inside. But the malaise is at it's usual levels for the neighborhood.

Jawsey follows Carn-evil and the 'weeners until they get into a vehicle - Jawsey can't tell what kind from the astral, but it's on the larger side to fit seven of them (a decidedly demented clown car) - and continue driving toward The Jackal's Lantern.

Bobby had talked with Cutty when Jawsey came back. He turned to the mage and replied: "Ideally, we don't let it come to a war. But first things first: Are all our expensive things save? Mato took the car, so that's out of danger. That leaves our armor and gear. We should store that for a few days. We can expect them to burn down our house in retaliation. Unless they meet one of us beforehand.
In any case, I think I have to go and ask Lysander if there is anything going on that promted the clown posse to resurface here."

Through their group chat he added: <<I'm afraid, we have to prepare for a first strike and make it look like an accident. Maybe one of your spirits can curse their vehicle. Otherwise I'll have to arrange a little explosive surprise. The remnants of the brain eaters owe us a favor.>>

<<Hey Lysander, I need some infos on what's going on with the Helloweeners - meet you in an hour at the diner?>>

<<Should we talk to Andrew, too? For his 'taxes' hopefully he's also keeping an eye on what is going on with the other players. I'll reach out to him unless anyone objects.>>

Jawsey thought about his possessions at the house. He'd miss his pretty-good mattress, and the fancy uniform from Christmas. The uniform he could take to a cleaner and pick it up in a week. Ah, and his Psyche stash -- that he should secure for certain.

While he was here he practiced the sword moves that he'd been taught. He'd run through them occasionally while up on Haida Gwai, but he hadn't been too serious about them. Sounded like he should get more serious about self-defense.

Lysander replies: <<Alright but it's dinnertime so you're buying.>>

AM texts the team> Mato did not take the car, so we have two. I can stash them if we need no worries. We should talk to Andrew if we decide that we are not going to do a preemptive strike. You see, once you appeal to a higher power you have to do what they tell you to do. So I'd hold my horses with Syndicate contacts until we decide how to play our hand.


I think we should learn who he is - and why he is collecting in Redmond on his own. Iktomi would not object to strike him down but a wise Sioux would understand the consequences beforehand.

As for a safe house, Jhonny likes me enough to take a bit of heat for us, and he has a hiding place. I also have a very good friend that is a well-established decker and would probably do us a solid if we need to. I am not sure we should leave SIS... We are powerful so it would send the wrong message. We leave they burn our place, score settled. We are not okay with that. We'll lose our deposit and plenty of income until we set up again. If they come for us, we kill them in self-defense and nobody would blame us for it.



She texts Black - a decker named Kira Benson, usually located downtown in the new Hilton hotel. AM and Kira are gaming buddies from AM's childhood. Kira is one of the reasons AM chose Seattle out of all places to move to. Kira vouched for the Mafia to grant AM a deck loan and instructed her in the skills necessary to put such a deck to good use.
>> Black! How are things? It is good with me, really good. Couldn't thank you enough for doing all this for me. I needed to pick your brain on something - is there anything you know about the Haloweeners? Did something unusual happen in your local gang front? Can we talk, privately?

<<He didn't take the car? Well, time to put it in a upscale parking garage - preferably with our valuables inside.
I agree with you, AM, getting the Yakuza involved likely will not save us, but take away options. And yes, we should stay at home and defend it - at least I intend to do so. But you can bet that the rest of the gang would blame us. So getting intel on Carni is a good thing.
Let's wait with the final decision until I've spoken to Lysander. Information is ammunition - and I'd prefer if someone else would pull the trigger.>>

Bobby replied. To Lysander he wrote: <<Deal.>>

"Take care Cutty. We are going to look into that whole thing - we'll get back to you once it's resolved."

Black is a loyal friend and responds to AM's message right away.

<<AMY MAKA!>> Her excitement at hearing from AM is obvious.

<<Halloweeners, eh? I don't run into them much professionally; they don't have any Matrix presence or talent to speak of. As far as home life goes, they've been quiet recently. They haven't been around here in weeks. Maybe they did something .>>

<<Some of the old timers around here tell stories about what Downtown was like in the 2050s. You didn't really go out at night. Basically all of the arcologies and office buildings went into lockdown, like castles pulling up their drawbridges and dropping their portcullises. Then the Halloweeners would rip up and down the street, drag racing and tossing Molotovs. It was a thrill gang for anarchists, a way for pyromaniacs to thumb their nose at the corpers. That's why the wageslaves jumped at the chance to live in the arcologies: the represented safety, protection.>>

AM thinks back on her discussion with herself (?) about safety, the freedom from danger.

<<Kinda hard to wrap your head around now, isn't it? Downtown being a AAA neighborhood and all. But that's what things were like 20-30 years ago.>>

<<Not my area of expertise but I'll tell you what I know. You wanna come down for some drinks? The hotel restaurant has a cozy fireplace. I can, ah, hack a reservation to get the table next to it.>>


-----

Bobby meets up with Lysander at Downfall, which is a short drive away nor far from where Bellevue meets Redmond. By Redmond standards, the Downfall is a fairly clean, safe place to stop in for a couple of drinks. At least part of the bar’s reputation seems to stem from a few Awakened patrons, who have been willing in the past to use non-lethal magic to put a stop to any trouble.

It's a good place to meet. There's enough background noise that it's hard to be overheard but not so much that you can't hear the other people at your table. Bobby finds Lysander at a booth in the back corner. He already has a drink that looks suspiciously expensive.

Lysander looks up and sees Bobby. "Alright," he says after Bobby has been seated and greetings have been exchanged, "Halloweeners are on the menu tonight? What are you ordering?" Bobby understands this to mean 'what are your questions so I can tell you how much it will cost'.

AM says >> "Yes! I'll be there soonish, would be an excuse to dress up. In Redmond, I wear such oversized clothes that I almost look like a dude. Less unwanted attention. Looking forward to meeting you! Kisses. "

She waves at Cutty and sends him a warm grin, "it is always fun to visit the gym, even if I punch like a girl. I'll figure it out eventually." Getting in contact with her totem is likely more important than punching bags. However, physical exercise is good for her, and despite being able to petrify people, she still feels extremely vulnerable in Redmond due to her gender and physical weakness.


Heading downtown gives her the excuse of parking the car out of some warzone. She is perturbed about how SIS is gearing toward a violent conflict that all her streetwise tells her they need to avoid. She talks bravely with SIS, and she has what to contribute in a fight. It never feels right. There were always stronger people, and some looked bigger than life - but many of these people are dead now, and the weak elf girl survived without petrifying people or even owning a firearm. She feels like she needs someone to talk to before she returns to yet another day at the edge of chaos.

Strange how when Andrew offered wetwork, the boys refused, and she would have said yes, fear not having enough money. Now it feels like SIS is looking for someone to do their wetwork, all for what standing up for Cutty? Sioux fellowship? She needed a friend and emotional support, the kind that SIS could not give her.

It was also a good excuse the wear her modified suit from the castle job. She made that quite nice and has altered its color since Bernt's appointment. She would like to vary it occasionally to give the illusion that she has more than a single good set of clothes. So every time she met a downtown contact, she wore something slightly different, which was the same suit after yet another fashion spell. She'll get home and take the Ford to the hotel to meet Black. She was leaving the boys to do their thing.

Texting the team she says
>> I'll take the Ford to meet a friend at the new Hilton and leave the ford parked overnight at the hotel's parking lot. It should be safe enough. You can pick me up after your deal with Lynster or even join us if you can dress appropriately for the new Hilton.

Bobby took a seat, ordering only a water and some finger food. When the conversation arrived at business, he said:
"You remember the big party at the Funhouse? I gave you some juicy intel about the happenings then. Crimson Crush, Halloweeners and all the other larger and smaller gangs got incorporated with Urubia. Since then, things have been kinda stable and quiet.
But now, all of a sudden Carn-Evil and his clowns go around the neighborhood, double dipping the already paying customers of the protection racket in CC territory. So the question is: Has something changed of late, what's going on that they would risk backlash in the finely ordered new world. I might have to go spying a bit, depening on what you tell me."

@AM
AM drives Downtown to arrive at the new Hilton. Her outfit - highly fashionable - is in stark contrast to the Ford Americar, which is the epitome of suburban boring. A valet might realize how nice the Americar is inside, but - alas - there is no valet. AM parks herself in the parking garage below the hotel, despite the steep overnight fee. Tonight, that's the price of safety.

Going up the elevator, AM arrives at the lobby, which has improbably been decorated in celebration of Groundhog Day (February 2nd), the corps' latest attempt to commercialize a not-particularly-commercial holiday. She works her way around the celebrations of Punxsutawney Phil to make it to the restaurant. It's clean, crisp, comfortable, and so safely corporate as to be utterly bland. There is a small dispute at the hostess' stand where the poor hostess is trying to explain to an aggrieved couple that no, they didn't reserve the table next to the fireplace, they must be mistaken, the ledger clearly has it reserved for someone else.

AM sees Black seated at the desired table and slips past the hostess. Black, excited, jumps up when she sees AM to give her a hug. They sit next to the fireplace and open their menus.

AM has an opportunity to study Black for what feels like the first time in a long time. Black is an elf native to Ukraine, about 40 years old, not that age means much to elves after 25 or so. She's not a traditional beauty, especially by elven standards, and AM has often wondered if that lack of physical beauty pushed Black toward the Matrix, toward a virtual world where looks don't matter. Beauty expectation are challenging for women everywhere, and doubly difficult for elves who are expected to be effortlessly gorgeous. Perhaps "Black" and "Triple Zero" were subtle commentary on those expectations: all cats are black at night. And yet, the woman is not without her charms, including her incredible stories about art (and, for her trusted friends, captivating stories about stealing it).

Plus being rich affords Black the opportunity to maximize her gifts, such as they are. She wears a sleek black dress that may or may not be juggernaut hide. She clearly goes to the salon regularly and gets manicures as often as she wants. For Lordstrung's is just three block away for those who can afford it, and Black clearly can.

"So," Black asks, smiling after making her drink selection from the menu, "to what do I owe the pleasure? What has you mixed up with the Halloweeners?"

@Bobby (and presumably Jawsey)
Lysander looks pretty androgynous - good looking, professional, but no gender defining attire. It's not the worst choice for an infobroker, who often benefit from a tricky balance of anonymity and brand recognition. A subtle hint of eye liner and lip blush accentuate Lysander's looks. His suit jacket is lavender and slim slim slim. It's not a common look for Redmond, but Downfall is a safe enough space to get away with it.

"The full meal deal, eh?" Lysander asks. "The family platter, in a manner of speaking."

He nods after ordering a salad with salmon from the AR menu. (Few patrons can afford it, but the Awakened ones - and the market prices they can command - can.)

"You didn't give me some juicy intel; I paid you handsomely for it," Lysander corrects Bobby. "And, yes, it shed a lot of light onto a complicated subject.

"The district is changing. There's speculation that Urubia wants Redmond to declare its independence... or have it declared for it. She wants a little fiefdom like Ghostwalker has Denver. It's unclear if it would then merge with the Salish-Shidhe Council or if it would be a small independent nation. As you may know, she holds dual-citizenship between the Salish-Shidhe Council (since 2046) and the UCAS (since 2057). As such, one wonders if this would be considered sedition, punishable by up to 20 years in prison."

He smiles wanly at the notion of imprisoning a dragon.

"The thinking is that Seattle wouldn't be sad to see Redmond go, although UCAS politicians might object on nationalistic grounds. But so far the primary opponents have been Redmond Mayor Sonya Scholl and Kalanyr. Urubia and Kalanyr have been seen together in the past and the common assumption is that they mated. Is their opposition a lovers' quarrel? Dragon flirting? Fallout from a lover scorned?" Lysander shrugs.

"Either way, the gangs have been behaving differently since the formation of the syndicate. There have been some growing pains, as you can imagine. Administering anarchists isn't the easiest. That innate sense of rebellion might be why they're double-dipping. Or maybe they're bored. The Halloweeners aren't venturing out as much. One theory is that if they're on Urubia's payroll then they don't have the same economic motivation to go out and hold people and businesses hostages. Or, new theory based off of your finding: Nightmare might be one of those free spirits that can generate precious metals, jewels, and other rare items of great value out of nothing. A strong spirit can often generate 30,000 or 40,000 nuyen every month." Lysandar arches his plucked eyebrows. "Really simplifies payroll. Plus I think that might be how Nightmare is growing in power so quickly: generating wealth and paying people for spirit pacts to drain them of their life experiences."

Lysander mimes a shudder. You're reminded uncomfortably of your experiences with Green Toes.

"But, even so, what do you do with a bunch of bored gangers who signed on to burn drek down and blow drek up? If you ask me, I think the syndicate leaders are ratcheting up the internal tension on purpose."

To what end?

"To unleash on Seattle. Fiery fury so ferocious that the politicians are ready to wall off Redmond, to jettison it right into Urubia's waiting arms. I mean wings. Whatever dragons have."

When?

"Tonight. Imbolc."

Imbolc?

"A pagan holiday. February 1st, about halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. The symbolic start of spring. Usually celebrated with a big-hoop bonfire."

So why are you in Redmond tonight??

"I actually figured Redmond would be safer that the rest of the city. The Halloweeners don't drek where they eat. Usually."

Lysander looks around a bit, presumably to confirm that the bar isn't on fire. It isn't.

Jawsey would be the first to admit that he isn't the hero-holding-the-fort kind. At least not usually. But SIS headquarters has been the best home he's had, at least in many ways, and he's reluctant to see it gone. So when AM and Bobby head out to work their contacts he stays at headquarters.

He'll bug out if he has to. He sends his good suit off with AM, along with his better clothes and their good camera. A good Jawsey move, limit losses, play it safe.

But he summons a water spirit to be on standby, and alternates staring out the windows with short astral jaunts.

===================================

During one of his astral jaunts he tracks down a cluster of the kids he's been occasionally sending food to. He manifests, and tells them the location and time when this week's pizza delivery will happen. As usual they keep their distance, and as usual he doesn't try to get closer. But this week he does one more thing, he tells them "A reminder that I'm part of Seattle Investigative Services, the detectives with the building down the block. If anything happens to drive us away, like our building being attacked or burned down, well then I won't be around to order you food" (never mind that for the past few weeks he had Bobby handle the deliveries)

"I'll never ask you to take action against older gangs. But if you hear that anyone is coming after us and get us warning ahead of time, I'll be grateful and will show it. But I'll know if you are lying, so don't think you can just make something up."

Maybe they'll trust him more now that he has shown he wants something in return?

===================================

During his first period of looking out the windows, he gets in touch with Five-Finger Gau. He presses the talismonger to finish up with his sword cane, finally offering a 700nY bonus if the cane can be delivered to him by the end of the day, and that finally gets an agreement. Not that his weapon focus will help him in the slightest if the Halloweeners come for their headquarters, but he'll feel better with it in his hand.

===================================

During another watch interval he reaches out to Comcomly. He's always gotten along well with the fixer, but they haven't done as much business since Jawsey joined SIS. Still, Comcolly is based in downtown and keeps a pretty sensitve ear to the ground, so he sends him a message asking of the Halloweeners have been behaving odd in a different way lately.

==================================

Besides those diversions, he watches.

"Semantics, I gave you good intel and you gave me good money. Doesn't make the intel worse or less valuable."
Bobby pondered over this new information: "Honestly, that makes Carn-Evil's behaviour even more confusing. If they are preparing for a large firestorm of violence they should all be giddy with anticipation - not trying to nickle and dime local entrepreneurs. Their need for ready cash only makes sense if they want to purchase something that their higher ups aren't providing for them and which therefore isn't furthering their plans.
Secession of Redmond would have a hard boarder as a result. I'm sure that would cut into profits and fun times for a lot of people. Hm...
Are their rumors about what will be the main target of this reaving? There must be something with high symbolic value.

Almost looks like I have to do a bit of spying of myself before shit hits the fan. If I get back to you in time, can you sell the intel to the people who need it in time as well?"

Entering the hotel, in a nice dress feels good and bad. Good because everything is so neat and abundant and shiny. A bit bad because these are all the things she never had, there is another world out there of people that figured it out. For Black, it is digestible because she is relatable - AM could fantasize of following these footsteps, but the Duchess and Bernt just got the entire cake deal where the rest of the world got crumbs. Interestingly, both of them had sad stories never-the-less. Their parents are dead, all that money did not keep them safe. It feels like it does not matter how much money you have you can still lose your parents. How lucky she is to have a relationship with a being that just cannot die on her and leave her alone. Perhaps money is just another obstacle to overcome, it does not grant immortality and does not prevent your loved ones to die.

"Good thing I got the gift of blending in in high-society and in low-society. I am sort of a shape-shifter myself." she comments because if the money it is an obstacle that makes people weak, it still tastes sweet. Good clothes, good music, good atmosphere. And a hint of chaos in the form of two entitled people bullying the hostess to something she has no control over. There are bullies everywhere, but the ones here have influence and power, rather than guns and Molotov's.

Hugging black also feels good, like really good. It disables some of the paranoia, and the fireplace and atmosphere. She could get used to it... Until the trickster breaks the world around her that is. Still, for this particular moment, AM feels happy and safeish.

Every relationship has its currencies, Black wants a good story because she does less of the exciting stuff herself nowadays. AM would tell the story in the most interesting manner she can.

"I would try to get along with the Adversary himself. Trust me that I would avoid conflicts with pyromaniac clowns as much as I can. Yet, you know how men are, especially when they are big and strong. I got three of them, all super-human in their own right. Two of them are aware of their superbness. They take it personally when someone wrongs them. They make enemies and allies and stand up for things.

She makes a gesture and sums it up Men... and takes a drink.

You put two dominant men in the same place... One was too savage even for the SDF, and the other is some form of an enlightened chaos bringer. Quoting Shakespeare with a Molotov cocktail and clown uniform. You offend that one simply by not being intimidated. So a friend asked us to help since the weeners came to collect, but he has already paid a different gang two weeks ago.

We came to help, we're friends and share backers. Being the least confrontational of the bunch, I tried to take the lead and avoid violence. Initially, I thought there was some sort of mistake. Redmond is now run by a syndicate of gangs led by Urubia. So I offered to help in identifying the people that collected earlier. Perhaps someone ripped them off and collected in their Turf sort-of-speaking. Then I realized that there is no problem, the weeners knew that they are the ones trying to double-dip on account of our friend. So I mentioned that their problem is bigger, and the syndicate would have backlash and they shouldn't do it. I even suggested helping them out in whatever is their cause for needing cash quickly. You know, usually, these guys ask nicely - and only when you say no they bring the Molotovs. They don't show up out of the blue asking for money right now. It is tax collection, but this time it felt like a bank robbery. So something was very unusual, and I am almost certain that Carn-evil is in a bind.

I thought of just throwing some cash to let them leave, but I don't have any because of the beautiful Erika. She is high-maintenance. Also, these people tend to come back once you feed them. So confrontation is inevitable, eventually but things change as we make plans so sometimes delaying is a solution. Especially since it was possible to lower the amount if we do not involve the syndicate. I had none, and my friends would likely not want to go there so that option closed. So I tried to reason with him, that having no backing and operating independently. He talks a big game but does not have the firepower to deal with mages and spirits, and ex-military veterans. I even offered to help him in whatever it is that got them to try such a desperate move. You see, I see everything as an opportunity - having them owe me a favor would be useful one day.

However, Carn-evil and Bobby are like oil and water, just having them in the same room brings out the darkest sides of their personalities. So Carn-evil left on his own, without burning anything and his pyromaniac friends were very surprised and disappointed. We did him a favor really, because with the way Redmond politics go right now - this kind of action would have backfired. Yet, somehow I have a feeling that this chaos-clown does not see it that way.
He lost face, and if he was desperate beforehand, he is more desperate now - and while he initially tried to double collect from our friend. I and my friends at SIS have humiliated him - so we may get the backlash of this action. Now, I try to minimize the damages and consequences of what might unfold. I don't want to escalate our conflict to their entire gang.

She pauses, and thinks for a brief You know, I negotiated with crime bosses before, they asked for a lot of money and I offered less. Once you take pride out of the equation, people tend to be more reasonable. This time it wouldn't work because he had his clowns there, and there were kids cowering in the gym, terrified of being torched alive. Now these idiots would speak to their friends about the Heroic Sioux mages, and thus I feel that Carn-evil is likely to retaliate somehow to maintain the fear factor. So, we come to help a friend and make an enemy. Tactical victory, but a strategic failure. "

@Bobby
Lysander works on his salmon salad while Bobby talks. When Bobby is done, Lysander speaks up: "I think your problem is that you're looking for things to make sense. You're looking for rational thought. This is the Halloweeners we're talking about. Completely id, no ego. Animal desires, completely unfettered by realistic and socially acceptable behavior. I thought you would understand that better than most."

Bobby feels The Beast growl inside him. Offended? Or in agreement?

"I don't have much on Carn-evil. But perhaps it makes sense if Nightmare is tight with the purse strings. Maybe Nightmare likes keeping folks lean and hungry: financially dependent so the spirit has a steady stream of takers for its Faustian bargain." Lysander means exchanging life experience for nuyen.

"You're bringing your your experiences into this. You have to think like a Halloweener. It's 18:00 so you've been up for, what 10, 12 hours by this point? Halloweeners are nocturnal. They're up at night because that's when their fires burn brightest. These Halloweeners have probably been up for, what, 2 hours? They probably weren't even intoxicated, were they?" This is true; they were not. "Making the rounds, collecting dues, it's like their day job, what they do when they first wake up. Burning stuff and tearing it up? That's what they'll do tonight when they party.

"There aren't any specific rumors about targets; this is my speculation based on what they've done in the past. They generally strike corporate targets, not mom-and-pop shops. Unless, of course, mom-and-pop have aggrieved them in some way.

"Who knows, maybe Urubia has them leashed. It could come to nothing. Welcome to 2079: the rules have changed. But if you find out something more, sure, I'll buy it from you."

@AM
Black is a good friend and listens patiently while AM pours out the situation. She nods encouragingly to indicate that AM should go on. Some finger foods arrive and Black nibbles on them: chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce, honey-glazed sea scallops, tiny crab cakes the size of a single bite. Black is not vegetarian nor vegan, like many elves. But is she a carnivore because she enjoys meat or because she enjoys the conspicuous consumption? It's another way for those with money to show it off.

When AM is done, Black pushes the small plates toward her, sharing them. "You have good instincts," she reassures AM. "Sometimes I think your biggest challenge is trusting them, following them to their logical conclusions.

"You thought about throwing some cash at them to make them leave, but you didn't. You say you don't have any but I know that you paid off your debt. That's why you're having drinks with me right now instead of ice cream with Tom Jones." She leans her chin on her hand and smiles knowingly. "Speaking of which, they have good gelato here.

"At some point, you'll need to reconsider your relationship with money. I know it's been tight for you, a source of anxiety. But if you've paid off your debt then your investment in the Erika obviously paid off. You might be tight at the moment, but you must have good cash flow to service that debt. Now that you're in the black" - she smiles - "you'll need to learn how to spend that money you're earning, how to think about it. Is it a symbolic representation of our worth to society? Or is it simply a tool? I say that it's a way to get things done, one of many.

"Back to the matter at hand. You don't want to pay and appear weak or vulnerable so that they come back for more, I get that. You don't want to feel like you've been taken advantage of. But what if I told you they could be bought off for a dinner and a six-pack, would you pay then? Hmm? Money is fungible; what does it matter if you pay them off in nuyen or in tacos and beer? Would that be a worthwhile investment? It might buy your some time. As you say, sometimes delaying can be a solution in and of itself."

What is she suggesting?

"I'm saying that sometimes the best course of action is to feed the mouth that bites you. It stings your pride and feels wrong, like you're rewarding bad behavior. But if you take pride out of the equation, people tend to be more reasonable."

She smiles again, then throws up her hands airily.

"Or maybe not; maybe they come back hungrier than before. But either way you've bought yourself some time and some information that you can use to make a better decision in the future."

Bobby popped a chickenwing into his mouth, pulling the cleaned up bones out after a second or so. It helped, that these things were fake, lab grown facsimiles of real chickens - abominations with eight legs and wings, at least according to conspiracy theories. Bobby doubted that they existed. He had tried turning himself into a gen-monster octo-chicken and had gotten nowhere.

"We'll see. For true randomness, you have to be smart. The dumber the animal, the more it's governed by simple stimulus-response. Can't be helped, though. Looks like I'll have to learn the hard way, what they are up to. Sorry, can't stay - have to use the daylight while I can. See you around."

Bobby left a stick to pay the bill and got up. While he went out, he composed a message to his colleagues with what he had learned.

<<... So looks like we can expect a party tonight - and if we aren't careful, we'll end up as the pinata. I'm heading out to the 'Lantern. Jawsey, can you meet me there and have a spirit on standby? I'll try to infiltrate the place and see what I can find out.>>

AM is technically vegetarian or perhaps even vegan but it is more about necessity than it is about ideology. Hunting is part of her Sioux heritage. She only had animal products a few times in her life, and she looks with curiosity at the unfamiliar foods.

She exhales "My relationship with money? I got used to giving it away to my creditors as soon as I get it so I don't get any ideas. I pay Bobby just as vigorously as I paid Jimmy. What to do once I am in the black?" pausing she realizes I don't know, I never had any money...
A private room would be a good start. I had one, but then I repurposed it as a magic room because I needed a place to study, but I am not allowed to sleep in the magic room. She adds, and hesitantly picks one of the sticks I want to help my mother, buy her documents bring her here. Let her start over in a place where she would not be an outsider. The thing is, I am her only child and after all the trouble she had to keep me safe, I could not tell her what I really do for money. I am a bit ashamed of it actually, every time I get a good job I feel like I am disappointing her. Every time I place my life on the line, I feel like I am betraying her trust. Not sure how to help her without destroying our relationship. I wrote to her that I am a secretary at SIS and that I only do desk jobs.

She then genuinely asks "What did you do with your money? How did you know what to do with it? she says and then finally puts the stick in her mouth.

@Beta
Jawsey does not notice much back at headquarters.

The streets seem relatively empty, perhaps due to the rain. But are they suspiciously empty? He goes on his astral float-about to find out.

He finds the street kids and promises them soy-pizza. They accept it readily but don't have anything to report. They seem at ease.

Swooping around the neighborhood, nothing seems terribly amiss. The background count is the same, the emotional state of the locals is much as it usually is, some combination of anxious and downtrodden and depressed. Jawsey doesn't detect any more malicious intent than usual, nor an alarming degree of anger. Just the usual antipathy associated with an oppressed existence in the slums of the Sixth World.

-----

@AM
"That's good!" Black tells AM. "You're on the right track."

She sips her cocktail, something bubbly.

"Look, you don't have to make all the decisions right here, right now. I just want you to think about it in advance. There's a notion from behavioral economics that talks about decision-making in a 'hot' or 'cold' state. A hot state is when we're being influenced by strong emotions like hunger, fear, exhaustion, or desire. It's obviously not a good condition to be making calm, reasonable decisions. A 'cold' mental state is one that is not being influenced by emotion and is usually more rational and logical. If you make a decision about how to spend the money in advance, you're more likely to stick to it and do something prudent. If you wait until you have the money burning a hole in your pocket to decide what to do with it, you're more likely to waste it or to get into trouble."

She finishes off her drink and signals for another.

"Truth be told, you'll never be free of needs; they just change over time. First you take care of your physical, physiological needs: water, food, clothing, sleep, shelter. Then you take care of your safety and well-being, like personal security and health care. Then you satisfy your social needs: connection with friends and family. Next you turn to status and recognition, both from yourself and from others. Only then, after all that, are you truly ready to reach your fullest potential."

Black leans back, letting it all sink in for a moment.

"I buy good clothes and nice food because I figure that if you have to have them, then they should at least be high-quality. I live Downtown because it keeps my body safe. I find my freedom in the Matrix, not out there." She waves outside. "I entertain myself with art, because it brings me pleasure. I have the resources to be picky with my work, to only accept the projects that are either fun or excite me in some way.

"In short, I figure out what my values are and then I spend accordingly. But it doesn't happen overnight; it takes some time and introspection to get there. That's why I'm telling you to get started now so that when you find yourself with a surplus you know what to do with it."

M sips from her beer, a dark lager like she is used to. The brand is a bit fancier, and they taste better than the fakes she orders in Redmond - occasionally when she goes out. It is similar so that she recognizes why she like this kind of beer, and better in a way to cause her some minor grief next time she drinks the cheap synthetic types. She comments, "It is a good suggestion about the clowns. Peace is expensive, I am not sure how much money they wanted, but considering the state of the gym, I don't think they expected much. I am not sure that we will not spend more by stashing the cars in safe places and buying information." She comments thinking about it some more "It is not even unusual, we pay gangers to leave us alone all the time, and downtown they pay the police so that the same gangers would leave them alone. It looks different, but it feels very similar to me, we all need security - which means that security is in high demand.

She comments to the team, wanting to text something before Bobby goes out on the field.
>> My friend Kira suggests we buy them dinner or a round of drinks. I am not sure it would resolve things, but it may be the cheapest way to defuse this situation. Bobby, if you want to go to the Lantern to spy, Jawsie and I can have spells to listen and see without ever setting foot inside. They are shareable also, which means you can use them before you go in.

@AM
"Exactly," Black agrees. "We all pay someone to do some combination of A) leave us alone or B) come when we need help. It's just the cost of doing business, the price of life. Put a line item on your spreadsheet, don't debate it, done. No emotion, no judgement, just commerce. Cool, blue reason."

AM thinks that Mato would like the sound of that.

Still, it's an easy argument for a rich person to make, someone with so much money that an additional fee is barely a blip in their budget. It's not the same for AM, who is still sharing a bedroom and whose home is prone to leaks, brown outs, and cold water in the shower at unexpected moments.

-----

@Bobby
Bobby has no problem locating The Jackal's Lantern: there's a huge column of smoke coming from the parking lot. Upon approach, Bobby finds a pile of tires on fire.

From his days in the SDF - specifically his insurgency training in the Scouts - Bobby knows that tire fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish. Such fires produce a lot of smoke, which carries toxic chemicals from the breakdown of synthetic rubber compounds while burning. The fire releases a dark, thick smoke that contains cyanide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and products of butadiene and styrene. They are difficult to cool down and the evening's rain doesn't have any obvious effect. It's unclear whether the tire bonfire has anything to do with Imbolc or if Halloweeners just like burning tires. If the neighbors mind, they're not saying drek.

The exterior of the bar is covered in graffiti and barbed wire. Besides the graffiti, old Halloween decorations are the primary decorations: lots of masks, lots of headless skeletons, lots of skulls that were probably once part of the headless skeletons. There's a giant, glowing pumpkin head that serves as a sign. That's the physical side, which isn't exactly welcoming.

The astral side is even more of a horror show. The background count is heavily tainted, and Bobby strongly suspects that Nightmare is aspecting the place to its liking. On the roof, on each corner, is a summoned fire spirit of moderate strength (F4). They all share the same summoner - a signature that Bobby doesn't recognize - and are clearly bound. The spirits are a dangerous combination of bored and angry. They are lookouts who are clearly desperate for a fight or something to do. Also, there are watchers patrolling the roof, doing their best to avoid the fire spirits.

Bobby doesn't see any gaps in the astral coverage from above or any obvious way to slip through the overlapping arcs of coverage. He's fairly confident that Jawsey could skewer the spirits astrally, perhaps providing a distraction that would allow Bobby to slip inside, but the consequences for failure are unpleasant to imagine. The other logical option would be to try to slip in through the sewers, which is also unpleasant to imagine but for entirely different reasons.

Bobby returned to his gear and sent a message to Jawsey and AM as soon as he had put on some clothes:<<Heavy security at the Lantern. They've got four bound fire spirits as well as watchers surrounding the place. Unless I'm up for a sewage dive - which I'm honestly not keen at - I need a distraction on the astral. I'm aiming for the backdoor with the dumpsters. I'll go in as a squirrel for speed and climbing ability. Can one of you arrange a little display in the astral that will draw the attention of all those critters for a few seconds?>>