Right here we go this has been edited a bit since it was originally posted, nothing major just some spelling and grammar. Once again I'm sorry for the delay between this and the previous. I'll try to do better about rotating through my fics so that this kind of neglect does not become common.
Narwhal:
Collapsing into my chair I let it all wash over me.
Ziz, the stupid feathered menace that she was, was up to something, of that I had no doubt, but no one had any idea what! Her feathers just kept falling! Sometimes the gap was only a few hours, others entire days would pass. No one could find a pattern in what they hit either. Regardless, for the past week feathers had fallen one by one.
The Guild is only just now coming off of high alert, and only because the pressure was starting drive everyone up the walls and around the bend. People missing sleep, living off of caffeine. I'm sure there is a psychological term for mounting stress placed on defenders waiting for an attack, though a few halfhearted searches don't turn up an answer. Maybe I could write a psychology paper on the phenomenon and coin a name for it?
Nah, too much work, and not nearly as fun as my usual writing projects.
There's a thought… maybe not a good one though. Trying to write in this state of mind is likely pointless. Not to mention there must be something more productive I could be doing… Let's see entire guild aware of the situation and on standby, enough coffee stockpiled for finals week at a small college, a bed for everyone and enough single rooms that anyone who can find a partner can destress. Huh, guess I had handled everything already.
Still... being on edge for seven days, something has to give sooner or later. Might as well try to distract myself. Maybe if I reread what I've already got more will occur to me.
A slight grin tugs at the edge of my lips at that thought, but then maybe I should put that off for another time, really I'm too emotionally drained to conjure up anything to write about other than overwhelming dread…. Hmm that... no, never mind, no reason to get to deep into anything of that nature.
Forget it, no writing today, it's not like anyone ever has anything nice to say about the plot or characters anyway! I mean sure the sex scenes are the fun part but I'll never get published on that alone! Well… maybe… but it would be nice to sell for more than just that damn it!
Maybe I should just read something to try and destress? I could grab some things from the locked compartment of my desk and just lock the room. I'd earned the break after all!
Yes, yes I have earned a break. I'm in desperate need of a bit of relaxation.
With a slight leer I unlock the bottom left compartment of my desk and pull out my personal computer which stores the things I read and write. It cost a fair amount of a rather large bounty to pay for a laptop that did not have any kind of wireless capability, with a massive memory and excellent video quality and speakers, but it was worth it to keep Dragon out of my entertainment. Granted if I wanted to move anything to or from it I needed to use a flash drive to transfer files but it was worth it and kept things off of the work computer.
I also seem to remember dropping a flash drive in here a few days ago before rushing off to a meeting. A new novel I'd found online about a half demon attending a magical college. The BDSM theme isn't my normal thing, and supposedly gets taken too real extremes, but the characters and some of the heavier scenes got rave reviews, so hopefully I could pick up a few tricks for my own work.
Besides, what's life without pushing a few boundaries?
I leave things turning on with the flash drive connected and start rooting through the drawer debating how best to scratch that itch, when a familiar voice puts an end to my happy fantasies.
"Hello, Narwhal."
"Dragon." I drawl. "Of course you call now, of all times. Now how on-"
"This is a pre-recorded message." Blinking and taking a moment to glance around I realize that the voice is coming from the personal computer and not the work one. Fuck, how did she manage that?
"I uploaded the message to the flash drive while you were downloading your latest, literature. I'm sorry, normally I wouldn't intervene with your pastimes but I'm afraid I need your help with my, condition."
She has an idea about how to get around her shackles? I can feel my eyebrows rise into my hairline. She hasn't brought this up in years.
"The new cape in Brockton Bay, Player. She can gain powers Narwhal, imagine all the fiction that involves artificial intelligence, imagine all the possibilities! Amongst all of that potential there must be something similar enough to what I am for her to help me!"
I can't even remember the last time I've heard her this excited before. Normally she's calm and personable this is more like a kid coming home from school shouting to their parents that they made a volcano in science class.
"I wanted to delay at first, I wanted to take my time and make a good impression… If she suffers from the same biases as Saint I won't stand a chance. She would be able to gain power and pick me apart at her discretion." A sobering thought to be sure.
"Sadly time is not on my side." Dragon's voice hardens. "Saint has taken the Smirguh's latest trick with the feathers as a distraction to stage the theft of several more of my suits. I can't keep playing the long game. I need this to come a conclusion, one way or another. Constantly looking over my shoulder for Saint, knowing there is a solution… it's driving me insane."
"I need you to plead my case for me. If I were to approach her and she tried to free me I would be forced to work against her, by my chains. Like this I will not know what she decides, not until everything is over and done with. Please do this for me, Narwhal, and… try not to completely corrupt the poor girl." Dragon finished her plea with a teasing tone. I couldn't help but roll my eyes
The video shut down. Damn it as if there wasn't enough shit going on already now I had to try and convince a teenager that the world's greatest tinker is an artificial intelligence that only she can save, oh and that said AI isn't bent on world domination. Oh Dragon so owes me for this shit. Maybe I can convince her to pay to have one of my books printed, or a copy of all the porn... all of it…
With a few clicks I opened the new novels file. This was important, and I would need to get on it, that said I still needed to destress, especially given what I'd be doing in the near future.
Ch 1 Welcome to MU
In Which We Meet Mackenzie
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Sweat was beading on my forehead, the rest of the group stared at me intently while I stared down Dennis. Dennis leaned back calmly in his chair a taunting smirk spread gently across his face.
"Come on Taylor you can't put this off forever." Damn the red haired bastard.
Carefully I pulled a pair of cards from my hand and laid them down on the table.
"Two sevens." I was lying through my teeth. I'd lost the sevens ages ago I think Amy has them. Though to be honest the fact that her leg keeps brushing up against mine is really, really distracting, so I could be wrong. Everything about her has been distracting lately.
"Bullshit." Amy said without any venom or gloating. She was too busy staring down Dennis and his one fucking card. Damn it I knew she had the sevens.
Dennis still smirking laid down his last card. "One eight." One thing that I had to give Dennis is that he has a hell of a poker face, always smug even when he's losing. Bastard.
I had to call him even if it turned out to be pointless I didn't want him winning. The rest of the group agreed. "Bullshit." Everyone said it more or less at the same time.
Reaching over Dennis flipped the card revealing the eight of diamonds. Son of a bitch actually won. Groaning I slumped back into my chair followed by the rest of the Wards and Amy.
The victorious joker stood and began bowing to the group.
Beauty chose that moment to remind the group why we all love her by landing on Dennis's head and nipping at his ear.
"Gahh I give, I give! Taylor, call of the attack dragon!"
Chuckling I held out an arm. "Come here girl, we'll see about getting you a treat for defending us from the knucklehead."
Beauty, with a supremely superior chirp jumped from Dennis's head and did a glide into my arms before perching on my shoulder. With indignant squawks Rocky and Diver abandoned their respective perches and circled me sending impressions of hunger laced with pleading.
Chuckling I stood up. "Fine I'll get something for all of you then, greedy little things. Anyone else want anything while I'm in the kitchen?"
Orders for popcorn and soda followed me as I made my way across the room. The soft pitter patter of a single set of footsteps followed me as well. Amy.
That set a few things stirring in my gut and a smile creeping across my face. With the insanity of the past week waiting on Ziz, knowing I would not even be allowed to attend, the situation with Amy was making for a very pleasant, if confusing, distraction.
The conversation had been long, confusing and emotional but it all boiled down to a few key points. I trusted Amy more than I did the rest of the Wards because I had reached out to her and not the other way around like the others had in the wake of Sophia getting kicked to the curb. I'd never really given any thought to dating a girl, but then considering how much of my life had been made up of surviving the bitches three, I had never really given any thought to dating boys either.
Amy was scared and alone, I'd been there for her once already and she really, really like my legs. I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks just thinking about that. I'd asked for a few days to get my head on straight. In spite of Ziz hanging over all our heads like a feathered nuke I kept catching my thoughts, and eyes, wandering back to Amy.
Amy's hand slid into mine and she gave it a slight squeeze. Letting go again she headed for the popcorn. I turned to the fridge to collect the soda and the hunks of raw tuna I'd been using as treats for the dragonets.
It didn't take long before I agreed to give us a try and see how things went. So far it is going quite nicely, impending attack by the angel of doom notwithstanding. Still even that had some benefits. Crime had essentially ground to a halt while all around the world cape organizations moral and criminal alike held their breath waiting for the coming firestorm. Given the time to work up a panic all of our parents had filed paperwork forbidding us from taking part in countering whatever the bitch was planning.
With no crime to stop and no fight to gear up for all of us were passing the time with card games and junk food. So far all attempts to convince Piggot we should be using this time to live out the Princess Bride have failed. I'll wear her down… or ignore her and do it anyway. I'm starting to think that might be for the best. Sooner or later I'll have to make it clear I'm not at everyone's beck and call.
Snacks firmly in hand and a happy Beauty all but purring as she savored a chunk of tuna Amy and I made our way back to the rest of the group. Carlos was busy dealing out the cards for the next round. Missy impatient for more popcorn compressed space before stealing a bowl for herself.
Then alarm to mask up cut through the air sending us all scrambling.
A minute later the sparkling form of Narwhal shrouded in hundreds of forcefields marched through the door. "Player, you and I have things to talk about."
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Lisa Wilbourn stared slack jawed. To privately hired goons had just attempted to abduct her. Presumably whoever they worked for had noticed her and her powers. They were no longer a problem. A brick had come loose and smacked one of them in the hand. This had caused him to jerk his gun and accidentally fire it right into his partners face.
Using the opportunity Lisa had tazed the still breathing merc… who promptly dropped dead from an until now unnoticed heart defect killing him almost instantly.
Luck did not even begin to explain what had just happened to her. No there were clearly cape powers involved in this somehow. But she had no intention of sticking around knowing someone was after her.
Lisa left Brockton Bay on the next bus. Perhaps a job in Vegas checking security cameras for anyone using powers to cheat would be more her speed, probably pay better too.
Read and Review, merci beaucoup!