[Keita]

>>>>>[ Okay...I got her in the car. That spirit is still babbling at her and insists on coming with. She...I can hear her voice in my head. She...wants me to take her home. Which home? Aunty Zee? Which home? Yours or...? Yes. Count Mirikon said he's coming...oh...he's...um...I'm not going to tell him that! No way! Will you shut up already? No, not you! That fragging spirit! Fen! You're NOT driving! Mirikon, she says she's fine. Just...drained badly I guess. I'm taking her to her lodge. She says the spirit...hired her. It was the ally of that toxic...but before he went toxic. Um...does that  make any sense? She...uh...helped it escape...and...then stole the spirit formula and gave it to the spirit? Some such. Maybe you can make better sense of it. She says you don't have to come. She's just tired. And...she's pretty pissed off at me for telling you all this... ]<<<<<
          -- Ysoni (16:45:28/02-07-75)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[<sigh> So, the spirit hired her to get the toxic's spirit formula. My guess would be to either put its friend out of its misery, or to find some way to 'redeem' it. Don't know if the second is possible, actually, but there's a lot about spirits we don't know. Anyways, tell her that I'm still coming. Oh, and before she's able to move, I have something I want you to do for me, Ysoni. If you look in her sock drawer, you'll find some restraints. I'm going to be yelling at her, so I'd appreciate it if you could keep her from running away before I get there.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (17:16:18/02-07-75)

[All4BigGuns]

>>>>>[Ice, would you like for me to put a call in to my hermetic cousin to help you out with that situation?]<<<<<

--Predator (20:32:23/02-07-2075)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Oh, no need. Dealing with angry spirits is something I'm good at. Once I get Xerena to spill what the spirit hired her for, whether it was extermination or otherwise, I'll have a better idea of what needs doing. But first, the yelling.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (21:25:28/02-07-75)

[All4BigGuns]

>>>>>[All right. Offer's still open just in case. Make it a double dose of the yelling for me.]<<<<<

--Predator (21:42:09/02-07-2075)

[Keita]

>>>>>[ Okay. Ysoni got the story all wrong. He got a little bit excited and wasn't thinking straight. The toxic shaman was...an old friend of mine. Back in the Yukatan, before I left for Bogota, before I came to Seattle, he and I helped each other initiate. He conjured an ally spirit at that time, and we did some good work together. Unortunately...he chose the toxic path. It...wasn't something his ally spirit could accept. I guess he never managed to corrupt his ally, and it kept fighting him until it finally got free. It...hired me to retrieve its formula from what used to be my friend. Only...he turned out to be a fair bit more powerful than I thought. He must have Been a level or so more advanced. But...I won in the end. It was...difficult. He was mu friend, and I had to kill him. Anyway...that's the story. Ysoni didn't tie me up. He wouldn't dare. Sorry, Mirri my dear, but my boys know better than to do that. You were never going to get that kind of help from them. He did yell at me, though. It was a splendid little fight. Not that I had the energy for a prolonged fight.]<<<<<
.       -- Madrecita (03:13:08/02-08-75)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[And this is why you don't go alone against toxics. If magic is the mage manifesting their will upon the world, then there is a power in the single-minded insanity that most toxics exhibit. I'd be a happy elf if I never had to fight another toxic shaman again. The toxic Shark shaman I fought once still haunts me. He was what you might call a Reaper. He turned from Shark the Destroyer to Shark the Ravager, and sought nothing more than spreading death. He was the more powerful mage, but he was not trained in melee combat, which proved his undoing. Still, it was a close thing.

I think every mage who's been around has a story like that, where someone they knew went down the dark paths.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (08:45:22/02-08-75)

[Devil]

>>>>>[The glass is half full, Wolfster. At least I know enough not to stick my neck out for anyone.]<<<<<

-- Joker (02:24:22/02-08-75)

[Wolfboy]

>>>>>[And that Joker, is why yours is the first throat that gets cut in risky situations. If you aint willing to put your neck out for others, then others wont put their necks out for you or usually even have your back.

Ice, Madre, I have a chance to give you one other gift, though I dont know how you would take to it. I have four canids at the house, two wolf, two mastiff and they end up breeding at about the same time. I can offer either a pure breed of either or a mix of both, your choice.]<<<<<

Wolfgar (20:20:20/02-10-75)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[He's right, Joker. The reason I have people willing to lay their lives on the line for me is because I've done the same for them. Sure, most of them will still expect a payday at the end of it, or at least a favor to be repaid later, but that's just business, and I'm the same way. But if you don't learn to take some risks, you'll be the first one gunned down when some Johnson decides that the runners he hired know too much, or that hiring a group of gangers with assault rifles is cheaper than paying you. Or maybe the corp you just hit decides to take a page out of the Azzie playbook and get a mad on for revenge. If you don't have people willing to take risks for you, then you're going to be in a bad way.

Wolfgar, out of respect to Xerena, I'd have to say the pure wolf.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (20:44:02/02-10-75)

[Devil]

>>>>>[You are saying that you are safe because you put yourself in unsafe situations that you don´t have to. Might wanna examine your logic on that one.]<<<<<

--Joker (13:06:55/02-12-75)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Kid, there's no such thing as 'safe' in this line of work. There's only more or less fragged. And because I played to the edge of my abilities for people before, they're willing to do the same for me, meaning when someone really wants to put me in the ground, I have people who I can call on to scoop me out of the fire. You don't understand, because you've only been around a short time. But if you aren't willing to do for others, don't expect anyone else to do for you. Even Wyrmy would probably agree with me on that one.

And that's simple experience. Logically, I should be dead several times over by now. This world is not a logical place. It is full of all kinds of chaotic elements that can save you or damn you at a moment's notice, and unless you start lining up variables on your side, you're going to find the odds piling up against you, and eventually you're not going to make it.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (14:18:22/02-12-75)

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

>>>>>[Euchh.  I have to agree with Mirikon on something?
          Joker, the real world doesn't work on logic.  For teammates, for contacts, even for normal people if the risks aren't very high, you go out of your way to not be an asshole, to pull them back from the fire, to cover their tails while they get clear.  You do that, they do the same for you because y'know, they want their bacon saved again, and you've done it for them before.  It's called not being a rat bastard.  If you are a rat bastard, expect other people to stand by and applaud when you get screwed over instead of helping you out.
          So how's the wedding prep coming? ]<<<<<
          -- The Wyrm Ouroboros (19:45:00/02-12-2075)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Well, there's always coercion and blackmail. If you find the right lever, it works well on nearly everyone and for bonus, if you're smart, you can even survive on that for a very long time!

Me, I do get out of my safe zone for a few people! Don't get wrong though! Don't find any true altruism there because, well, it's me we're talking about! But I do like to collect favors, lots of them, I find these most useful! If you choose grant them to the right people and work like a professional, they can go a long way to guarantee a better chance of  daily survival and get what you want! But the best is to use everything in the book! Favors, blackmail, coercion, seduction, manipulation, anything to get people to do what you want! The right means, in the right situations for the right end games! One as to choose well! Although, I'll admit, it is preferable if they don't resent you for it afterwards! Hahaha!]<<<<<
     -- Smiley (22:20:06/02-12-75)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Blackmail is tricky, especially when your ass is in a sling. You got to do it with just the right touch, and not let the mark know what trouble you're in, or they may just decide to get rid of you (and thus the blackmail attempt) instead of helping. Always make it seem like what they are going to do for you poses a lot less risk than what you could do to them. And then sweeten it with a little something extra, just to take the edge off the resentment.

But yes, Smiley is a good example of what I'm talking about. You stick your neck out for some people, and then you get a favor you can call in when you're in trouble, or when you need a piece of gear that you simply can't get through normal means, or whatever. Always be a professional, even when you're blackmailing someone. That also plays into how effective your blackmail attempts are. Once a blackmailer starts getting emotional about things, it is all downhill from there.

Wedding prep is going fine. We have a date and a location for both the ceremony and the reception. The ceremony is going to be formal wear, obviously, while the reception at Penumbra will be a theme party, with everyone in their '50s runner chic. Invites are on their way. Wyrm, Xerena insisted one go to you, so there is one. I'll guarantee security at the ceremony and the reception. Getting in and out of the Tir is your business. If you like you can just come to the reception, if that will simplify your arrangements.

Still working on some of the details, like the menu, and the caterer. Mother is talking to a 'friend' at Charisma to line up a couple people to do live music. Not confirmed yet, so I can't give the names or the managers will throw a fit. I'll be wearing my dress uniform, and Xerena's narrowed the choices down to something like ten dresses at last count. Smiley's been talking with my brothers about the bachelor party, and all I've been able to find out from them is something about changelings and a pixie. Your guess is as good as mine what that is about.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (01:19:37/02-13-75)