Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Passing out anywhere seemed to be the right choice, though given her actual place of rest, it was no surprise when River woke up a disgruntled mess with a sore neck.

As far as she knew, there wasn't anything pressing today, but there was of course all the various hints and leads in the information she had browsed. It was up to her really. Since she was paid now on salary, it didn't matter if she didn't have a job lined up, it seemed Corvinus was more the On Call type anyway. She was just expected to answer her phone and do her job when called on. Then there was all the other bullshit to deal with, a stalker, and monsters. Sure! Just a normal day! Fuck.

Looking around, she didn't see any messages waiting, it was almost noon, and her hair was doing a very good bride of frankenstein impersonation. Looking at the still on video game, the steering wheel laughing at her softly, River was pulled from her musings by normal morning routine and a growling stomach.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River jumped awake at the sound of a car passing by hers in the game, her own car parked nose first against a building with “LAST PLACE“ dominating the screen in angry red letters as a nightmare faded from memory, something dark and chasing haunting her sleep. She groaned slightly, stretching her neck out and looking out the window, sun already high in the sky.

The woman‘s hair was usually what people would likely consider ‘wild‘, but having tossed and turned in a chair all morning, it was considerably worse. She let out a renewed groan as she stood, going to grab a hairbrush and tame the mop on her head before it finished turning to dreds, ignoring the gnawing in her belly for the time being. She recalled Chuck was supposed to be visiting today, but she had no idea when, so she busied herself with tidying up the shopping bags and calling up some breakfast.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As soon as River called down for breakfast, and blessedly calmed the mess that was her hair, Chuck appeared, smiling and holding a tray with the usual eggs bacon and toast fare of most of the human race. It was said that some could not like certain parts of this meal, but no one could hate all of it, and come on, Bacon was amazing. He looked a little different today however, his doorman's uniform swapped for a suit much like Corvinus' a violet tie splitting the black jacket as he smiled. "I'd say good morning Miss River, but we're well passed that point. Still, you're awake, I have food, and from what I've been told, you've been caught up on everything. So I suppose it's another Question and Answer session." He said smiling, as polite as ever before setting the tray on the table and taking a seat.

Whether anyone wanted her there or not, Henrietta came bounding in right behind him in a yellow sundress, still holding her doll and shouting a cheery Good Morning! to River as she acted like the child she looked like, though getting her to sit still was probably going to be a problem.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River offered Chuck a smile, which faded slightly as Henrietta bounded in after him. "Hey guys, go ahead and get comfy. Thanks." She said, taking the plate of food from the man and finding somewhere to sit herself. "I didn't realize this was another debriefing. Didn't really know what it was, to be honest." She admitted.

She took a few bites while she gathered her thoughts, watching the small girl bound around the room for a moment. "Corvinus said you're a mage, right? What's it like?" She asked, shrugging slightly.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Chuck thought for a moment, before answering "Honestly? It's a little strange. If I concentrate hard enough I can just change the facts of the situation, I can literally change the reality to fit my own interests. So it's easy to forget that really, I have no more right to anything more then everyone else. You have to struggle to remember that everyone around you matters, because if you really tried?" He finished, holding up a fork, which vibrated slightly, before turning into a glowing red ball of molten slag which he floated in his palm.

"It's the kind of thing you need to be careful with, and responsible with all the time. Henrietta here can focus on certain things and move them or tamper with a mind, but a mage can cause destruction with a stray thought, such as blowing open a wall or heating the air. Even something as simple as a misspoken phrase, like I hate this job, or I wish he were dead, could have a disastrous reaction. Hell, could even kill me if what happens is beyond my ability to handle. Granted, most of these problems are for when you're younger, still learning, but... they stay with you, if you learned them well."

Chuck cooled the ball that had been the fork, and set it on the table, before molding it into a little silver unicorn that he handed to Henrietta, who clapped excitedly and looked at it, thinking it all a terrific game, and to a child like her, what wasn't.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River watched and listened intently, her featured reddening slightly int he glow of the melted spoon before it was changed to a toy for the girl, who renewed prancing around the place. "Watch the cord to the wheel, there." She warned as Henrietta neared her impromptu gaming station, turning back to chuck after.

"Sounds like the kind of power nobody should have, to be honest. How well do you have to know what you're changing? Do things go wrong if you don't know what you're changing well enough? Like, that toy there, if you wanted it made of silver instead of silverware, would that be more difficult?" She asked. "What did you mean, 'your ability to handle'?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Well, Heating something, even to high temperatures is easy, as is reshaping it, but you have to know the material pretty well, the better you know it, the easier it is. If I were to know, say, the chemical makeup of this table intrinsically for instance, there would be almost no limits outside the materials own that could exploit and change. As for Handling something, it's more a question of effort, like flexing a muscle I suppose. The more often you do something, usually the easier it becomes. Creating matter though, is still impossible, as is energy, we simply redirect it and reshape it. But if we were to try something, I dont know, especially grandiose or dangerous? The effort alone could kill me outright. I could probably bring this whole building down with a titanic show of force, a high strain project, OR, I could weaken the supports and let gravity do the work, the easy way. That means I'd need to know where the supports were, what they were made of, and be close enough to interact with them. It's all a balancing act, we just tip the scales when we want to. Making fire is simply vibrating molecules in the air, creating heat is the same. It's all physics in the end, though... there are a few things that lay distinctly outside those laws... Personally, I'm not sure anyone should have this kind of power, but they do. And that's the end of it truly. So, say I wanted to change that silverware into silver, I could do it, provided I had the material on hand to do so. And there are a few things Mages can make from scratch that can substitue for the actual silver, they're expensive and dangerous to craft, but it's possible." Chuck said, smiling.

"Honestly, today is more about getting used to having at least 1 escort, one of the 4 currently. Myself, Henrietta here, Hervo, or Jessica, but it helps to find whats the most comfortable and fitting, so today is test day."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Sounds like fun. I take it there aren't any packages planned for today, then?" River said with a shrug, sliding her now-empty plate away a few inches and sliding back in her chair, glancing over at the box her exercise bar was still packaged in.

"Aren't you going to miss your hobby of playing doorman at all? I heard you're like, second in command of the entire place. Easy to turn or not, I doubt I'm worth this kind of effort. Kind of disturbing, really."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Well, on your own, you probably wouldn't be, it's true. I suspect that this is also to try and increase the chances of catching John Doe. He's still tailing you, even here. He's like a dog with a bone, if he'd have left and gone on his way, we still would have extended these courtesies, in for a penny, in for a pound, but I believe that is the other half of the reason. There are other people here living safely, protected from this or that. Whatever their reasons. If we provide sanctuaries to those Races and Peoples who have power, why shouldn't we offer it to humans as well? This has always been standard policy, in your case, you're not human, more to the point, you have more to lose and a higher risk, especially already being followed by John, and hunted by a Wraith." Chuck said quietly, rubbing his forehead.

"As for my hobbies, they'll live, they're just hobbies after all."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River shrugged again, her gaze following Henrietta blaze around the room. "I've had people want to hunt me down before. Usually just, lay low, wait for them to decide I'm not worth the hassle. For the most part, worst times have been running packages for suits, then the hunt stops the second I land the package, they don't care about me anymore." She commented slowly, reliving some old memories.

"So, both of you are just gonna be following me around today? Don't think I had much planned. Still need to figure out how to get a hold of the new computer Corvinus mentioned, other than that, was probably just going to hang out the gym level, unless I was needed. Do you have any other hobbies? Could fill the time, perhaps."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Ahh, the computer is probably down in the workshop just waiting to be carted up, I'll leave a note with the front desk for them to bring it up and install it for you. no worries. As for following you around... we'd like to avoid that, or rather, we'd prefer to do it as unintrusively as possible. We'll be around, but hopefully next to unnoticable. We're very good at this Miss River, please don't worry. Henrietta! We're working now, act like it."

The change in the small girl was almost instantaneous, as she stopped cold, floated everything back to it's proper place, and nodded. Focusing for a moment, before waving and for all intensive purposes leaving. *I'll be nearby. Think about me, and I'll answer. Promise* Her voice chirped in River's mind.

Chuck smiled, and stood slowly, stretching before heading on his way as well. "The day is yours unless I relay a job to you, hopefully you'll have a break before anything later tonight, might have another run to the factory for you."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Oh, easier than I thought with the computer then, okay. And if You guys are going to spend all day just hanging around, may as well chat as well. Figure it's better than being a creeper, anyways." River answered with a chuckle. Henrietta set everything back and left, getting a returning wave from the woman and a small shudder at the mental contact. "That definitely takes some getting used to." She commented with a wry grin.

She nodded along as Chuck continued, shrugging at the end. "Like I said, not much planned. Any ideas if this factory run will be as eventful as the last?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Hope not" Chuck answered, but he didn't sound sure, and from the files, the actual standing tactic for a wraith was wait for it to die... and as River pondered this, Chuck slipped out of sight and through the door, the sound of it closing leaving River alone for the most part.

She could talk to them if she wanted, or probably drag Chuck out of hiding and actually spend some time with him if she cared to, but the day was completely hers to do with as she pleased.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Well, lemme know, I guess." River replied as he left, shrugging.

She spent some time organizing, finalizing her unpacking and sorting through the things she had bought the day before, playing music from her phone into some headphones. When she was done with that, the woman left her apartment, taking the elevator down to the gym floor and started on the track there, doing a few laps before stopping for water. If the day continued without incident, she waould stay down there, focusing on stamina and upper body exercises, pausing for meals and water whenever needed.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Oddly enough, the compound seemed to be a great deal less busy then usual, the gym all but deserted, whether this made River's exercise better or worse was debatable, but she was left alone for several hours as she utilized the facility. Although freerunning through the city was better practice, there was no beating the utility of weights for full strength training and stamina exercises. Around 3 pm, a motion out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention

Hervo was now running on the track with her, wearing shorts and a white tshirt, scars showing up his arms and neck that were so fine, and so frequent that they could only have come from blades. Apart from 4 up his left arm and shoulder that were ragged, wide, and evenly spaced, as if left by a large animal.

Seeing her, he smiled, but otherwise kept running on his own.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River's eyes traced over the man's scars as she spotted him, already knowing what he did to cause the majority of them. She smiled back and gave a short wave, slowling down a bit until he circled around to her, then matching his speed. "Shift change for the watch?" She asked in a wry tone, amused.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Taken off duty for a few days because of what happened He answered, glancing at her for a few moments as they ran. figured I'd blow off some steam here. Heard Corvinus gave you the full intro. Welcome to the crazy family I suppose He said, still keeping a fairly steady pace.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Ah, gotcha. That rough, eh? Doing the whole thaumaturgy thing?" She said, nodding towards the scars on his arms. "Apparently I can more or less take my pick of all the fancy stuff around, don't think I can stand constantly cutting on myself like that."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Hervo raised his eyebrows before stopping and looking at himself, a chuckle forming on his lips. Some of these were me... but the others... Yea... Fun times! He said, shaking his head to clear the memory before wandering towards one of the weight benches and setting up.

Well if I remember right, that stupid terminal should have routed you to me for questions if you had any, honestly, better I be drunk before you start asking, I hate that, Why in all the gods names would Corvinus think that would be a fun conversation? Really! He seemed to just be rambling now as he started to lift the heavy bar, starting to rapidly bench the weight there almost as if angry. He was a confusing man for sure, not as mysterious or sometimes chilling as Chuck could be, but strange for certain. Hell, what even qualified as normal here anymore?

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River stopped with him, following him to the weight bench and spotting as they chatted. She raised an eyebrow at the speed he did his reps, the man didn't look quite muscled enough to handle the weight he was throwing around quite so easily.

"Well, it can certainly wait if ya want. Don't expect it to go much past the starting pitch anyways." She told him, strapping a few weights around her arms and ankles before heading to a bar for some pullups, confident he had his own weights under control.