[Taejix]

>>>>[You know, I shouldn't be surprised that there's another albino runner from chi-town. What with the everything birth defects are pretty common hereabouts.

... Come to think of it, that would explain that incident a few months back with the guy in the hat. Drek.

Nightmare, if this Frost friend of yours is female, let her know I might have a package that belongs to her. It's still unopened.]<<<<<

--Ruthless (12:07:13/07-01-2076)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Just got back from doing a little 'community service'. Taught a class at the Vigilant Iron, since the regular bladecraft instructor caught a bad case of lead poisoning. Might not be an adept, but I know a thing or two about combat, both against metahumans and against spirits, so I got an offer. Or rather, teaching a class there allowed me to open up contacts with a group that has access to talent I don't have, while I have talent (like healing spells) that they don't have. And since one of my safehouses is in Redmond, having friends among the locals isn't a bad idea. Especially since all it cost me was a couple hours of my time.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (14:47:23/07-01-76)

[Orbweaver]

>>>>[ So, if anyone still needs to do their good deed for the day/week/whatever, would you mind... ah... deleting pics of an aboriginal-looking woman with cyberears and balancing tail in the nude? Please and thank-you? I'm pretty sure I hit the source before it was able to spread so this might be just needless worrying. Not that these are pics of ME taken without my knowledge, of course. No need to worry at all. No-sir-ee.

Oh, and don't need any help tracking down the taker of the pics. We know EXACTLY who did it and they're getting a visit from a pissed-off augmented ork right about now.]<<<<<

--Orbweaver (1:15:25/07-03-2076)

[Nightmare]

>>>>[Thanks for the offer, Kitten, but I've got a spell slinger.  He's part of my Iron Knights squad and been here since we began.

I doubt this is the same Frost you know, Ruthless, cause the one I'm working with is male.  Sorry.

As for what's going down over here, Frost and Chowda arrived the other day and we started working on setting things up.   Had to find a different safe house to stash my tech talker so others don't start wondering what we're up to.  I considered keeping him at my current place, but with the fact that where my squad's shacked up is going to be pretty busy with my squad coming and going...well, rather not interrupt his searching.]<<<<

--Nightmare (09:16:23/07-03-2076)

[Solodice]

>>>>>[Ah, I missed all the Desert Wars talk. Was on a team (bonus points for those who can find which team) for a season. I obviously cared about the nuyen at the time but  also getting to test run weapons no else had before was like a dream come true. However, that was my first and final time working in the Desert Wars.

Anyways, it was nice to pop back in here after being gone for some time. With that I doubt any of you really cared where I've been.

@Orb I've gotten in contact with my hacker friends and is willing to help you out. Contact info has been PM'd to you.]<<<<<

-- Miner Fox (19:04:14/7-04-2076)

[Taejix]

>>>>>[I really shouldn't be surprised that there's that many albino runners in Chicago. I really shouldn't. I suppose I need to track down whoever actually owns this package, it's been sitting in my squat for the last few months.

It's not that we don't care Miner Fox... it's that we're polite enough not to want to know. Or I am, at least. I like some of you guys well enough, but I don't want you to know where I hang, and I'll assume the same applies unless you offer the info on your own.

Speaking of sharing personal info, I finally got back to chi-town. Got a bit distracted hiking back when Dog took me on a bit of a detour.

Is Initiation always like that, incidentally? Dog just sort of took off running and told me to follow. It was weird. We ran through a forest and then a wind came and it tore the leaves from the trees and it tore away the bark and the grass and everything else until it was a desert and then it started tearing me apart. But I kept running. It didn't really hurt, like I didn't need any of the things that the wind was blowing away and I was so much faster without them weighing me down. We ran through the desert, through the ruins of the city, across snow and over oceans until we came to a land where the earth twisted and warped beneath my feet... which I didn't have any more. Didn't seem all that strange at the time. It wasn't gravity pulling you down in that place either, it was the call of the earth that held you to it. Then the wind came and tore the earth apart and I jumped between the crumbling mountains until we came to the place where earth did not exist and we ran across the wind. And Dog just sort of turned and looked at me and asked me if I understood it yet? Except now we were back in the forest and I wasn't kicking off a cold wind from the west, it was a tree branch. We never left the forest.

And now I feel like... like I'm constantly hanging just above the ground waiting for that downwards pull that will never come in some sort of eternal hang time, like gravity is just a vaguely worded suggestion and I could just sort of kick off and touch the sky. If that makes sense? Does it feel different for magicians? Sorry if I'm rambling. Still kind of buzzed.]<<<<<

-- Ruthless (13:26:09/7-05-2076)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Ask twenty different mages what Initiation is like for them, and you'll get twenty different answers. For each initiation they've undergone. If it was the same for everyone, then you could prepare for it in some way, make it easier. Sometimes it comes with your mentor taking you and throwing you into the trial, sometimes you have to start the process yourself. Sometimes it comes as a flash of inspiration as you write a thesis on your latest research. Sometimes you awaken to it while meditating or undergoing ascetic training. Simply put, it is never the same twice. But it is always what you needed, even if you didn't know the lesson was something you needed before you began.

The only piece of advice I can offer for those looking to undergo initiation is to gather your wits about you, and be ready to adapt to things as they happen. Preconceptions will be your undoing. Indeed, often facing one of your preconceptions is at the core of an Initiation, even if you only realize it at the end. I hear it is much the same for Technomancers with their Submersions.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (15:25:23/07-05-76)

[horngeek]

>>>>>[Is this thing working?  This code is ancient, didn't think my commlink would interface properly for a moment...

Anyway, just posting to say hi, and to settle in to try and learn from some runners who've been around longer than I have.  Both in the area and in general. Also, I'm looking to find a good fixer if anyone's got a job offer.  I don't do wetwork, but other than that... just looking to get a name for myself, so I figure I can't be too picky.]<<<<<
     -- Gunspell (10:28:04/07-07-76)

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

>>>>>[ Bull's code is fine - he just likes the look.  Might be you need to get your own gear checked out. ]<<<<<
          -- The Wyrm Ouroboros (14:15:00/07-07-2076)

[farothel]

>>>>>[ The code is fine indeed, but there can be connection issues with the latest commlinks.  If you're not good with commlinks it can be difficult to put the configuration exactly right.  When I have some time I'll put a user guide together for the configuration. ]<<<<<
          -- Black Panther (21:06:52/07-07-2076)

[horngeek]

>>>>>[I'm more a magic and guns person, not so much comms, so some help with config would be appreciated, thanks.]<<<<<
     -- Gunspell (05:29:28/07-08-56)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Hoi, chummers. Been gone for a while, but there is a reason. Angel and Redeemer, they convinced me to go on this new therapy thing, and it seems to be working. At least, it keeps me sounding more normal as long as I take my meds.

For those of you who wondered why Aces in Redmond is in pieces, I'm afraid part of that's on me. New outfit in town was looking for some muscle. Called themselves the Cooperative. Things have been light, so I figured a steady gig might be good. But they creeped me out bad. They weren't bugs, but they still had that hive-mind thing going on. Other than the one they called Control, they all acted like drones. I mean, their attacks were all like taking attacks from a drone dog-brain on a tac-net. Tried to be identical as possible, down to the way they dressed, and their identical blue cybereyes. That brought up some bad memories, so I tried to call it quits, but they didn't want to let me go. And that's when one of them pulled the minigun. Which is why Aces is in pieces, and I'm laid up. Sold the meat to the organleggers, the ware to my fixer, and kept their commlinks so Angel could try sorting through for any hard data.]<<<<<

--Faust (16:22:23/07-07-76)

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

>>>>>[ If I were one of your people, yeah, that'd make me twitch too.  If you can get any of those commlinks, I'd appreciate it in a very monetized form - and if you can get a neural tissue sample from one of these guys, preferably from the cranium (cerebral frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex, or cerebellum in order of preference, if you have anyone who knows what they're doing with a scalpel) it'll be even higher.  This is important, though: follow the highest-level protocols you can to prevent a contact-required infection.  Afterwards, burn or melt down everything used.  Metal you can keep, presuming it survives the fire.
          Take it to Dr. Carey Walson at Seattle Gen.  Let me know when you or your courier are on their way, I'll arrange for payment via the aforementioned physician. ]<<<<<
          -- The Wyrm Ouroboros (19:15:00/07-07-2076)

[horngeek]

>>>>>[That's disturbing.  I might not be the best or most experienced person to help out, but if someone's doing that sorta stuff...

Well, Dragonslayer's been bugging me about getting a good, honest fight.  I'm in agreement with him there, and this... I'd happily help take down something like this, if you need an assist.

On a... well, somewhat related note as far as helping out goes, I'm still looking for a good fixer, if anyone has any hints.]<<<<<
     -- Gunspell (9:22:50/07-08-2076)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Infection? Drek, that's just what I need to deal with. Couple of those kills were up close and bloody (it happens when you're running through alleys trying to keep ahead of the guy lugging the minigun). I'm pretty sure the bodies have already been... redistributed by my contact. Lots of hungry mouths out there, if you know what I mean, and they didn't ask to be what they are. Commlinks are on the way via courier now.

So, you don't think this is that 'head case' thing I've been hearing about on the street, do you? What symptoms should I look for if they were head cases and a couple of them bled on me?]<<<<<

--Faust (20:35:21/07-07-76)