![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yesterday evening I met up with Mouse at Dark Wine and Roses' cafe. She wanted me to check out a piece of that bramble fruit she had to see if it was addictive. I didn't notice any addictive properties when I looked at a couple other samples Val had brought me much earlier, but maybe the fruit Mouse had was different than the one I had. (The fruit I had earlier definitely tasted as if it had an identity crisis, though. All kinds of unexpected flavors--though none particularly unpleasant.) I looked the new piece of fruit over and nada. That didn't please Mouse much. Apparently that meant someone she'd told not to touch it had been eating it against orders. I talked a bit about how I used to be super-rebellious when I was younger. Mouse said she was equally rebellious. And it sounds like it's just a kid being a kid, basically. Not some direct challenge to her authority. So maybe Mouse'll go easy on him--or just let it slide.
We got to talking a bit more about how I might help shield the minds of any Walkers who participated in the Plasticorp battle, but how I'd need to be able to identify them. Before I came to my senses, I was stepping through the front door to the Glass Walker's home base. (Really, Nick? Really? What the hell were you thinking last night?) The lobby area was fairly crowded. Rina I recognized immediately--we'd met earlier in the park with Mouse and Mouse said she was kinfolk and introduced us to one another (as if I hadn't known her since high school). Some Indian-looking (overseas Indian, not native American) guy, Kavi, who's clearly head-over-heels for Rina, Flint Madden (the missing kid I called the search off of recently), Lefty (don't know her), Devon (don't know him), and some other guy who left to go get "Gaian" brownies and never said his name. It was SUPER awkward, and then Mouse took me upstairs to the fifth floor to see where the Glass Walkers only area was. Big security door and keypad restricts entry. I was tempted, but didn't cheat and watch what the access code was. The topmost floor was.... actually kid of normal, really. Roaches though: must not step on the roaches. (Of course, my idea of normal has gotten warped over the years: I used to have a live quetzlcoatl frozen like a statue and being used as a coat/hat rack.) The 5th floor also had security cameras. Mouse said if there was ever something recorded that shouldn't be, let her know and she'd purge it. Then we went back downstairs after discussing how the Walkers were largely comprised of gun-toting teenaged boys. (Having been a teenaged boy.... ew.)
When we arrived back downstairs, everyone but Kavi and Rina had bailed. Finally Mouse mentioned a garou term--galliard (storytellers and artists)--in relation to Kavi being one, indicating that the people in the lobby were "in the know," so I finally introduced myself as being kin--and promptly claimed I hadn't before because I wasn't sure who was in the room. That seemed to ease a lot of the awkward tension that was going on when we passed through the first time--me just being "random guy with Mouse" and no introductions or anything beyond normal names. (I think Mouse's head is still a little scattered--or she's really preoccupied with things. She seems to have a lot on her plate right now.) Had a very brief conversation with Kavi and Rina before Mouse came back with a key to the tenement and the passcode for the security door upstairs to the Walker Lair. Holy shit. This still is blowing my mind. She really trusts me that much? And I swear I have not used any Jedi Mind tricks on her!
Kavi and Rina left shortly thereafter and Flint reappeared. We talked a little. I told him his grandparents had hired me to find him--and how I didn't when I figured out what was up from Mouse. I also told him that when I handed the case over to the police, I softened it from being a potential amber alert down to it being a case of a kid running away because he wasn't getting along with the grandparents his mom dumped him on. Got a text from Val then that mandated that I head out.
Apparently someone slipped a card (with a picture of a raven/crow flying into a house) into Val's hand without her even noticing. I texted her back to come crash on my houseboat, and I took it out and moored it away from the dock for extra security and isolation. She took me up on the offer. I told her I'd warded the boat against scrying, but I'm not sure as to how effective it might be. Better than nothing, though! And I think her apartment has nothing in it.
Belatedly, in thinking about this..... Paper.... I wonder if it's that fox-shifter, Rajani?
In the morning, right after I got to the park to do parkour with Emma, I got a call from a mage I know somewhat down in San Fran. His cabal needs help with a project involving ritual magick. I kind of owe him a favor, so.... Emma showed up, I told her I was bailing and would be gone a week or two. Something has gotten into her--I'm not sure what it is.
Val's got the keys to my houseboat, permission to use it as a crash pad and hideout, and will take care of LOLcat for me while I'm away. (She really does not like cats at all. I hope the cat doesn't end up in the river, but I suspect he'll leave her alone completely unless she runs around in raven form inside. Hell, he might start begging at her for food before I get back.) Emailed Salem and Mouse to let them know I've got to leave town for a week or two, but I can probably come back for a day if the Walkers decide to get involved in the Plasticorp deal. All set. I've packed my bags--just two carry-ons as that's all the Toyota MR2 will carry in the passenger seat without being all obtrusive--and I'm heading out just in time to beat the rush hour traffic around Seattle.
We got to talking a bit more about how I might help shield the minds of any Walkers who participated in the Plasticorp battle, but how I'd need to be able to identify them. Before I came to my senses, I was stepping through the front door to the Glass Walker's home base. (Really, Nick? Really? What the hell were you thinking last night?) The lobby area was fairly crowded. Rina I recognized immediately--we'd met earlier in the park with Mouse and Mouse said she was kinfolk and introduced us to one another (as if I hadn't known her since high school). Some Indian-looking (overseas Indian, not native American) guy, Kavi, who's clearly head-over-heels for Rina, Flint Madden (the missing kid I called the search off of recently), Lefty (don't know her), Devon (don't know him), and some other guy who left to go get "Gaian" brownies and never said his name. It was SUPER awkward, and then Mouse took me upstairs to the fifth floor to see where the Glass Walkers only area was. Big security door and keypad restricts entry. I was tempted, but didn't cheat and watch what the access code was. The topmost floor was.... actually kid of normal, really. Roaches though: must not step on the roaches. (Of course, my idea of normal has gotten warped over the years: I used to have a live quetzlcoatl frozen like a statue and being used as a coat/hat rack.) The 5th floor also had security cameras. Mouse said if there was ever something recorded that shouldn't be, let her know and she'd purge it. Then we went back downstairs after discussing how the Walkers were largely comprised of gun-toting teenaged boys. (Having been a teenaged boy.... ew.)
When we arrived back downstairs, everyone but Kavi and Rina had bailed. Finally Mouse mentioned a garou term--galliard (storytellers and artists)--in relation to Kavi being one, indicating that the people in the lobby were "in the know," so I finally introduced myself as being kin--and promptly claimed I hadn't before because I wasn't sure who was in the room. That seemed to ease a lot of the awkward tension that was going on when we passed through the first time--me just being "random guy with Mouse" and no introductions or anything beyond normal names. (I think Mouse's head is still a little scattered--or she's really preoccupied with things. She seems to have a lot on her plate right now.) Had a very brief conversation with Kavi and Rina before Mouse came back with a key to the tenement and the passcode for the security door upstairs to the Walker Lair. Holy shit. This still is blowing my mind. She really trusts me that much? And I swear I have not used any Jedi Mind tricks on her!
Kavi and Rina left shortly thereafter and Flint reappeared. We talked a little. I told him his grandparents had hired me to find him--and how I didn't when I figured out what was up from Mouse. I also told him that when I handed the case over to the police, I softened it from being a potential amber alert down to it being a case of a kid running away because he wasn't getting along with the grandparents his mom dumped him on. Got a text from Val then that mandated that I head out.
Apparently someone slipped a card (with a picture of a raven/crow flying into a house) into Val's hand without her even noticing. I texted her back to come crash on my houseboat, and I took it out and moored it away from the dock for extra security and isolation. She took me up on the offer. I told her I'd warded the boat against scrying, but I'm not sure as to how effective it might be. Better than nothing, though! And I think her apartment has nothing in it.
Belatedly, in thinking about this..... Paper.... I wonder if it's that fox-shifter, Rajani?
In the morning, right after I got to the park to do parkour with Emma, I got a call from a mage I know somewhat down in San Fran. His cabal needs help with a project involving ritual magick. I kind of owe him a favor, so.... Emma showed up, I told her I was bailing and would be gone a week or two. Something has gotten into her--I'm not sure what it is.
Val's got the keys to my houseboat, permission to use it as a crash pad and hideout, and will take care of LOLcat for me while I'm away. (She really does not like cats at all. I hope the cat doesn't end up in the river, but I suspect he'll leave her alone completely unless she runs around in raven form inside. Hell, he might start begging at her for food before I get back.) Emailed Salem and Mouse to let them know I've got to leave town for a week or two, but I can probably come back for a day if the Walkers decide to get involved in the Plasticorp deal. All set. I've packed my bags--just two carry-ons as that's all the Toyota MR2 will carry in the passenger seat without being all obtrusive--and I'm heading out just in time to beat the rush hour traffic around Seattle.
On the plus side, the magnetism seems to be wearing off.
