Grind 4.1

January 8, 2011, Highgate Plaza - Brockton Bay, 11:32 AM

I had already mailed Lisa that I was bringing Taylor. I had also told her a bit about Taylor, nothing that Lisa couldn't glean from one look at her. The PRT storming into Winslow was already news. The details of what happened had already been leaked by overenthusiastic students - for Lisa that'd be a whole omnibus.

Previously I'd have never thought to send that mail and get her confirmation, amazing how high charisma can save you from the odd faux pas like that. Just when we were about to leave I was texted the location of a nearby mall. Which would be incredibly creepy if it weren't Lisa, I hadn't even given her my number.

Taylor was apparently a very punctual person. Well I wasn't. For the first time in my life I'd been nagged via mental spamming of 'are you ready yet?' messages. Anyway, we managed to arrive mostly in time. Lisa was sitting in a coffee joint near the entrance inside the mall. She waved at us. I spammed a quick round of Observes around us, nothing suspicious.

She was looking quite nice, in her demure but not austere shirt and denims. I was in my tried and tested 'Marquis' deputy' getup. Taylor, even in a hoodie and jeans looked and moved much better than before. Figures, because even though it was only 8, her charisma was still more than double her initial value. Absorbing dance and martial arts had given her some of that catlike grace too. Though her levels in martial arts were lower than mine, I guess unlike my gamer's body, hers didn't transfer that learning into full muscle memory; nor did she go around drop kicking mooks every night.

Lisa's eyes kept widening as we walked over though, I introduced them. "Lisa, meet Taylor - friend and fellow. Taylor, meet Lisa - friend and potential fellow." Taylor thrust her hand out, Lisa awkwardly shook it, still in a daze. We sat down at her table.

I was curious, "what?"

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, gave me a mock piercing look and said, "Who are you and what did you do to the lanky somewhat cute nerd I met last week?" Gosh, she said the nicest things.

I merely shrugged, she shook her head and gave Taylor a once over, then facepalmed, "Urgh, another person whose 'what's are clear but 'how's give me headaches." Taylor was a bit taken aback by the frustration in her voice. She didn't have the Social Reading skill (since it's mana based) to see the amusement behind it.

"No no no, don't be sorry, I'm not blaming you at all. I'm sure it's all this guy's fault somehow." Lisa pointed at me.

I cleared my throat, "Ahem, Lisa, she can't read you."

She facepalmed again, "My bad, my bad. Sorry Taylor, please don't freak out if I seem to be responding to your thoughts?"

Taylor shook her head, "Um, no, it's alright. Are you? Uh..."

Lisa smiled and put a finger to her lips. Taylor nodded and gave a relieved yet nervous smile, "Okay then, don't wait for me to speak, I'll get used to it."

Lisa grinned, "Thanks, it's a relief to not have to wait."

I already had my Gamer's Mind fully relaxed for the same reason, "Lisa, do I have your permi..."

"You really are a gentleman you know? All prim and proper, I was expecting her to already know! Yes yes I know you wouldn't do that, very nice of you. But of course you have my permission! After all, she is, as you say, my potential fellow." Her teasing lilt was back.

I nodded and let most of my embarrassment leak out just to appease her. Her smug grin intensified, I was sure that it was more due to her knowing that I allowed it to show than just me being embarrassed. I messaged Lisa's Observe results to Taylor. Her eyes first widened, then filled with both wariness and sympathy.

Lisa was dumbfound, mouth agape. She glared at me, "I keep telling you telepaths don't exist! Stop breaking my worldview! And you're lucky I've been practicing shutting down my Sherlock assist, or else you'd be dealing with a catatonic me right now!"

Then she turned to Taylor and sighed with a brittle smile, "Things a girl has to do for a living, like literally" she said with a shrug.

After giving a reassuring headshake to whatever Taylor was thinking, Lisa turned to me again, eager to change the topic, "Seriously man, if by 'steadily growing abilities' you meant you start looking hotter and moving like you're taking lessons from frigging Crane the Harmonious? I have just one thing to say - where do I sign up?"

This time I did block the embarrassment, but allowed myself a prideful smirk. "Easy there girl, we've first got to get rid of your snakebite problem."

I made a show of taking her mug of coffee and taking a sniff. When giving it back to her, I palmed a memory chip with my research notes on the 7 names dada had given me. It had taken me half a night of browsing through umpteen anonymous redirects. I did not know what kind of cybersecurity Coil maintained, but I didn't want his eyes on me researching his civilian persona. I gave Lisa her mug, passing the chip between her fingers with a bit of Sleight of Hand (I had 18 levels in it).

She narrowed her eyes when she felt it, then nodded. Then her eyes almost popped out for a moment, "Bull. Shit." Ah, she'd just figured out where the chip came from.

I smirked and shrugged. Taylor was looking a bit confused, I messaged telling her what happened, she chuckled. Lisa's head whipped to face her, "you can do that too?"

Taylor shook her head, "not like that I can't. Not yet."

Lisa shook her head, "such modesty from the girl who's got the PRT by the balls. Oh, oh you didn't know!"

I interrupted, "Lisa, don't spoil it, I've told her if she can't figure it out by the weekend I'll tell her." Of course Lisa would know, she could crack passwords with a guess or two, diving into interesting case files was probably her hobby.

Taylor was contemplating, surprise still visible on her face, "so the reason the PRT was so accommodating towards you includes me somehow, and some kind of leverage, but what? Give me a clue here guys!"

Lisa shook her head again, "I'm not gonna ruin the surprise then, keep an eye on the news for the next few days, that's the biggest clue you'll get from me." Then she turned to me again, "anyway, honestly, why can't I sign up before the snake is caught?"

"It takes a while to be able to hide the effects completely from certain kinds of thinkers." I was quite certain that without the anonymity protocols and/or emotional controls, Coil's precog would catch on to her fresh Gamer-ness in a jiffy.

She gave the both of us alternating looks, then sighed, "I see, yes, even for me she's way easier to read than you are. And I'm not even a precog." I nodded.

Lisa asked me, "So do the dossiers have photos?" I nodded. "Are they numbered?" I nodded again. "Good, I'll get back to you with a number in a day or two. And no, you don't have to remind me, I'll check them in a secure zone using a secure system." I gave an exasperated sigh, who wouldn't believe her if she claimed to be a psychic?

I was curious about something else though, "So why the sudden change of venue?"

She shook her head, "He has eyes on the boardwalk, we were lucky last time, no taking chances." Taylor and me both nodded, OPSEC is something that we specifically studied a lot about. We lapsed into a moment of contemplative silence.

Lisa was eyeing Taylor critically now, who was trying her best not to squirm under scrutiny. I started checking out the menu to see if they had anything interesting. Lisa looked back at me, "Nope, not happening. Aveek, I'm sure you'd like nothing better than to sit here and drink tea all day - but firstly, the tea here is crap. Secondly, I didn't call you over to a mall to drink tea. And finally, you're going to use your newfound sense of style to help us girls pick out clothes."

I sent Taylor a desperate message, 'I haven't learned any fashion skills!' Damn traitor, she just giggled while Lisa dragged the both of us out into the mall proper.

As I was saying; man proposes, man has no fucking idea.


Beta by MaddTitan