03-27-2023, 06:25 AM
So wandering around the tunnels had started to suck ass. Enough that he was loosing his adventure hard on. Instead, it was dark and quiet. And the stench. What a wonderful smell he'd discovered. Which he'd known. Yeah. The clothes from his last field trip had ended up in the dumpster. Andre had been right about that. Couldn't complain about that. Not really.
So here he is, wandering around, trying to keep a mental map of where he was- oh yeah, that was gonna be a problem too, he was sure. Problem for later, he supposed. Anyway, so yeah, wandering around and probably getting lost and here he was without any breadcrumbs or anything to show his way out.
But no...he refused to believe this was a waste of time. Not that he hadn't had wild goose chases. Geese chases? Whatever it was, he had gone home bored and frustrated and ended up having a drink or three, light up blunt or maybe take a bump, watch a little porn and rub one out and then go to sleep.
God, he hoped that wasn't tonight. The city was priming and he was frustrated. The Yakuza were making some serious moves and the underworld was shifting. The mighty were falling again- just as it happened with his pop's crew. People who thought they were on top suddenly finding themselves hitting the ground and wondering why they weren't in charge no more.
Nothing was forever. That was why. Duh! The lesson had been burned into his brain. It was expected. It was life. It was the Lady, Fortune, playing her games. He wasn't special or immune. But he also didn't fight her or expect anything from her. And so she seemed to let him have his fun, to peer behind the reality, to see all the shit she was stirring. He didn't begrudge her her games or whine or complain.
Instead, he figured, why not join her and play along? And somehow, that was enough. She even let him in on the joke most of the time.
Life was a game and they were all on borrowed time and he just hoped to enjoy himself as much as possible before the ride was over.
So shit smells and tunnels were an annoyance, sure. Or rather, the lack of adventure so far. But he'd push on. See what he saw
Like for instance he thought he heard some noise in the distance. Some grunting- not a bad thing, in his opinion- but far away. Like it was a few tunnel turns too many. Still, it was something.
Power wreathed at his fingertips, he tried to figure out which direction to go. After a moment he laughed. The Lady was either with him or not. So...he looked one way, then another, and then chose one at random. Sort of, anyway. The flame at his finger tips had danced a bit in that directions. Good enough for him. It was a 50 50 chance anyway.
And at the next turn, same thing. The flame. The chance. And maybe he thought he heard something too. Hard to tell. And again, a few more times.
And yep, he thought he heard laughter. In his head anyway. The Lady- this time she wore Spectra Lin's face. Made sense. If this night went bust, as it had seemed it might, he'd probably have gone home and took care of himself by watching a few of her vids before clocking out for the evening- anyway, yeah, so the Lady wearing her face was grinning that grin that said, 'Well Mik? You said you wanted fun. Whether you actually think it's fun, is another story. Fun for me, not for thee, sweety."
Which was fair. Or not. Kinda the point really.
Anyway, Mik heard a woman's voice call out, telling him to show himself. Not like he planned on hiding or sneaking about. He put on his winningest smile- the one he normally used when ordering at a diner or bar- and sauntered around the corner. He wasn't worried, per se. The power was in his hand, just in case. Fun was fun, after all. Fucking, fighting, it's all the same, really.
There was a flashlight ahead and it made it harder to see who it was. Besides a slight silhouette anyway. The power was ready, that fire whip ready to strike in less time than it tool to blink. But no tension showed in his voice. Not like he was dressed like the Ninja lady- Tenzin- or anyone else. Blood red leather jacket, gray laced collar t shirt and black jeans and boots. Not the outfit of a spy or assassin.
Which meant if he ever decided to get a spy or assassin gig, he would totally wear that outfit.
The thought made him laugh and with a smile on his lips he said "Hey. Didn't mean to startle you. You mind not shining that thing in my eyes? Don't want to be blind down here, after all."
So here he is, wandering around, trying to keep a mental map of where he was- oh yeah, that was gonna be a problem too, he was sure. Problem for later, he supposed. Anyway, so yeah, wandering around and probably getting lost and here he was without any breadcrumbs or anything to show his way out.
But no...he refused to believe this was a waste of time. Not that he hadn't had wild goose chases. Geese chases? Whatever it was, he had gone home bored and frustrated and ended up having a drink or three, light up blunt or maybe take a bump, watch a little porn and rub one out and then go to sleep.
God, he hoped that wasn't tonight. The city was priming and he was frustrated. The Yakuza were making some serious moves and the underworld was shifting. The mighty were falling again- just as it happened with his pop's crew. People who thought they were on top suddenly finding themselves hitting the ground and wondering why they weren't in charge no more.
Nothing was forever. That was why. Duh! The lesson had been burned into his brain. It was expected. It was life. It was the Lady, Fortune, playing her games. He wasn't special or immune. But he also didn't fight her or expect anything from her. And so she seemed to let him have his fun, to peer behind the reality, to see all the shit she was stirring. He didn't begrudge her her games or whine or complain.
Instead, he figured, why not join her and play along? And somehow, that was enough. She even let him in on the joke most of the time.
Life was a game and they were all on borrowed time and he just hoped to enjoy himself as much as possible before the ride was over.
So shit smells and tunnels were an annoyance, sure. Or rather, the lack of adventure so far. But he'd push on. See what he saw
Like for instance he thought he heard some noise in the distance. Some grunting- not a bad thing, in his opinion- but far away. Like it was a few tunnel turns too many. Still, it was something.
Power wreathed at his fingertips, he tried to figure out which direction to go. After a moment he laughed. The Lady was either with him or not. So...he looked one way, then another, and then chose one at random. Sort of, anyway. The flame at his finger tips had danced a bit in that directions. Good enough for him. It was a 50 50 chance anyway.
And at the next turn, same thing. The flame. The chance. And maybe he thought he heard something too. Hard to tell. And again, a few more times.
And yep, he thought he heard laughter. In his head anyway. The Lady- this time she wore Spectra Lin's face. Made sense. If this night went bust, as it had seemed it might, he'd probably have gone home and took care of himself by watching a few of her vids before clocking out for the evening- anyway, yeah, so the Lady wearing her face was grinning that grin that said, 'Well Mik? You said you wanted fun. Whether you actually think it's fun, is another story. Fun for me, not for thee, sweety."
Which was fair. Or not. Kinda the point really.
Anyway, Mik heard a woman's voice call out, telling him to show himself. Not like he planned on hiding or sneaking about. He put on his winningest smile- the one he normally used when ordering at a diner or bar- and sauntered around the corner. He wasn't worried, per se. The power was in his hand, just in case. Fun was fun, after all. Fucking, fighting, it's all the same, really.
There was a flashlight ahead and it made it harder to see who it was. Besides a slight silhouette anyway. The power was ready, that fire whip ready to strike in less time than it tool to blink. But no tension showed in his voice. Not like he was dressed like the Ninja lady- Tenzin- or anyone else. Blood red leather jacket, gray laced collar t shirt and black jeans and boots. Not the outfit of a spy or assassin.
Which meant if he ever decided to get a spy or assassin gig, he would totally wear that outfit.
The thought made him laugh and with a smile on his lips he said "Hey. Didn't mean to startle you. You mind not shining that thing in my eyes? Don't want to be blind down here, after all."
"Good and ill.
We're like the wind,
we blows both ways."
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods