[VegasRigged]

"You are not 'contaminated' though your aura shows signs of your skill and experience. Currently I'm trying to assemble a coalition of independent forces in the Chinatown barrens, gangs who don't want to work for the triads will end up working for me. I could use some help when the time comes to 'unite the tribes' as it where, we are only now starting a long road. As to your second question..." I glance over my day planner to ensure a few hours before any meetings then levitate the food off "it would appear I am... available."

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1420  Sylvia's Suite


Sylvia smiles as the food tray moves off the bed then moves closer and begins showing you that her stamina has indeed returned.  The interlude is extremely pleasant and you are both limp and quivering from the exertion when your internal alarm lets you know that you need to get up and shower in preparation for your dinner appointment.  She gets up with you and walks to the shower.  "I can soap you down.  You know, just to make sure you do not miss anything.  So where is this dinner tonight?"

[VegasRigged]

"I have a meeting in Chinatown again, working with a wolf mothering demon child to unite the forces of greed and hate for the benefit of mankind. Care to join me? I'd love to have a trained killer on hand if it turns out to be a setup. Plus you get to meet her, and offer a first hand opinion, I'm told she's a wild card."

I head to the shower and consider my outfit, electing for the overcoat over the armored suit and a scarf to cover my face. I can't look like I belong, but I can look like a mysterious stranger, which may deter some of the fools.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1425  Sylvia's Suite


Sylvia joining you in the shower does not really speed thing up, but it does leave you a bit breathless.  While drying off, she looks at you and nods.  "Apparently you got in and out last time with no trouble, so I doubt you really need my help, but I think it could be fun.  And two sets of eyes should be better than one.  Count me in."  She puts a robe on and walks you to the door, patting your butt as you leave, telling you that she will meet you in the lobby.  You put the codes in the elevator and descend to your floor and make your way to your room.

[VegasRigged]

I dress and, as an afterthought, tuck one of the kitchen knives into my jacket. I'm not likely to need it, but knives are a more obvious threat then telling someone your going to magically cook them alive. And it's hard to cut rope with a lighting bolt. The scarf easily wraps around in the fashion of a hijab, concealing all but my eyes, which I cover with glasses. Satisfied with my disguise I pocket the glasses and wear the scarf as normal until such time as we near the Barrens.

Finally I take a moment in the Zen garden to center myself. I focus upon the essential principles of Buhdism and new-Buhdism, the teachings of Shinto and daoism and confusionism. There is much wisdom in these teachings, but today they serve to clear my mind and return focus. I have a very important meeting to attend, and I must put my best foot forward.

Centered and ready I head down to meet Sylvia and together we head for the barrens.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1600  Seattle Chinatown


As the two of you exit the cab, you notice that the area is very bust.  Several large tour buses are parked in a special lot, and you watch as a couple of hotel shuttles drop off and pick up passengers.  The pedestrian street is fairly crowded as you move under the large arch that acts as a demarcation line between Chinatown and the rest of Seattle.  Shops and bars alike call attention to themselves, sometime with the aid of a man on the street touting that the wares inside were the best bargains you could expect to find in all of the Sprawl.  Sylvia sticks close to you to avoid being separated in the throng.  You pass Ni NI's shop and head off to where you remember the entrance to the Barrens is.  Reaching the alleyway, you notice three toughs lounging just inside the narrow passage, tossing dice in some sort of game.  An elderly tourist couple stops to ask what is beyond and one of the men politely tells them that the street is very dangerous.  The couple looks askance and the young man points out that it is better if they stay where the crowds are.

After the pair move off, the man turns to find you standing near and offers the same advice.

[VegasRigged]

"I'm aware of the risks, don't try to stop me." And a step past them and into the barrens. I walk purposefully towards the spot where Sian and I met, confident that from there I can retrace the way to her lair. During the walk I establish a text chat between myself and Sylvia so we can communicate without words through commlink into my glasses and whatever method she has on hand.

I also send Sian a text, informing her of my arrival in the Barrens.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1605  Seattle Chinatown


As you step past the toughs playing dice in the alley, they just shrug and tell you that it is on your head if you do not come back.  The narrow way is mostly deserted and you see only four people passed out on drugs or chips and one person weaving along the alley from the direction you are going.  Sylvia stops you once the man goes past.  "Please wait a minute so I can get ready."  You turn and see her face and body changing.  Her breasts shrink to nothing and her face takes on the features of a young Chinese man while the hair turns black and lengthens to the middle of her back.  She catches the hair up and makes a ponytail out of it and removes a small red ribbon from a pocket that she ties to her left arm.  You know from your time in Hong Kong that the ribbon is widely accepted as denoting someone in the sex trade.  When she speaks, it is with an English accented with the perfect tones of a young Chinese man.  "One hundred nuyen all night.  Many times sex.  Two hundred I can bring another if want.  Boy or girl."

Sian sends you a response.  >>Nice to hear from you, partner.  I will meet you at the same alley.<<

[VegasRigged]

I stare at Sylvia for moment, thought my expression is hidden my body language clearly states surprise and alarm <what... I don't understand... what are you>

[Mercy Merchant]

The young man laughs.  "I am still who I have always been, Marisa.  The magic of science allows me to be pretty much anyone I want to be.  Do you think the disguise is too much?  I can go back to the Sylvia form if you like."

[VegasRigged]

I process quickly, science is doing it, some kind of gadget set, I can get behind that. We're going to be discussing this further but for now the meeting is more important.

I turn and resume my walk >>It's quite an impressive trick, though we are meeting and underworld elite so street walker might send the wrong message. Can you do season tough? Unaffiliated and recently over from Hong Kong, I have a few pictures of the tattoos you'll need<<

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1608  Seattle Chinatown Barrens


Sylvia laughs.  "And I have such a good sex trade chatter all ready, too."  She groans just a little as she morphs her body again.  By the time you step into the main thoroughfare of the Chinatown Barrens, she has bulked up a bit in her body and face, shortened the hair a bit, and added some scars.  The red ribbon is nowhere to be seen."  "Let me see those tats.  Hmm, not too hard to duplicate.  OK, so how do I look now?"

When you look over at her, she could be any one of the toughs on the narrow street.  The entire transformation had taken just less than a minute.  She is twisting her head about as if looking for something then gives a soft cry and bends down, coming back up with a short length of wood.

[VegasRigged]

<<and now you look positively scary, the perfect out of town muscle to back a serious but annonomys new player. If you need it I have a knife. Who am I kidding, you probably have twenty. We'll be meeting my contact momentarily, try not to get too far separated, I probably won't recognize you at a glance with all the thugs down here>>

We walk together, Sylvia just at my shoulder, until we reach the intersection where previously I met young Sian. As we arrive I cast detect threats, better safe then sorry, and asense anyone nearby.

[Mercy Merchant]

Your spell does detect several people who appear to be looking at you as if they wished to do you harm, but it could be that they look at everyone that way.  The narrow street is quite crowded on this Saturday afternoon, full of people going about their business and others trying to make a living by preying on the weak or unwary.  Since you appear to be neither, you are not really bothered by those who are content with weaker victims.  The alley you are looking for is several blocks into the Barrens and during your walk you are approached by several prostitutes on the street or from darkened passages leading to who knows where.  Sylvia has changed her voice again as well as her form and the deeper tones are still a bit disconcerting when you remember that the man beside you is really a woman.  "So who is this person we are meeting in this cesspool of humanity?"

Sian is standing at the entrance to the alley, leaning against the wall and talking to an older man.  As you approach, you see her hand a small packet over to him and he gives over a credit stick then walks away.  The teenaged drug dealer looks up at you as you approach and nods.  "An unafilliated guard this time, I see.  Smart move.  You might survive down here for a while after all.  You want to go visit a guy?"

[VegasRigged]

<<Her name is Sian, she's a drug dealing demon with a pair of trained hellhounds. She's going to connect us to a few of the local leaders looking to move up in the world.>>

To Sian I nod and follow as she leads us deeper into the Barrens. "How goes business?" I ask her, by way of casual conversation.