03-30-2015, 01:54 PM
As far as cities went, Moscow was pretty nice. Crowded, but she expected that. There was an energy here that she hadn't felt in a long time. Excitement and optimism. Everything seemed lit up, including the people. She passed a kid walking down the street with a shirt that was displaying ever changing images and scenes at a rapid but rhythmic pace. The style vaguely tickled her mind, though she couldn't put her finger on it. She hadn't grown up seeing much TV as a kid. One or two scenes made her raise her eyebrow and she laughed to herself. That'd go over real well in Idaho. The kid- maybe 19- looked her in the eye and smiled as he passed her.
Yep. Definitely an energy. In some places anyway. The higher the higher ups, the lower the lowly. She'd seen a bit, though she didn't really have much time to explore yet. She'd just gotten in yesterday and primarily had seen just the route to her hotel. The dinner in the lobby restaurant was good enough. Food didn't really interest her.
No, she was here for a reason, one that made it hard to sleep that night, so anxious was she. She'd gotten up early and gotten ready- simple black jeans and boots, white shirt and her grey leather jacket. It was cold, but she didn't notice it that much. She'd hunted in the north west in winter. You got used to it.
The sidewalks had been salted and her feet crunched their way down the street. The neighborhood had a quieter air about it, more relaxed. Small shops and houses lined the street, with the occasional market on the corner. She passed a bookstore with old books displayed in the window. She didn't bother stopping. She'd never really been interested in reading for fun.
Up ahead was a much larger building, really quite beautiful. It seemed like some old manor house or something. Stone steps lead to two polished wooden doors. Her wallet beeped. She was at her location. She stood there for a moment and then started up the stairs.
Once inside, she was questioned at the door. She gave the appropriate phrases and was taken to another room where, after an eternity of scans and verification, she was finally ushered into a library to cool her heels. There were a few tables about, but the room was empty. She did notice the cameras strategically placed throughout the room. She smiled at one of them and then leaned back to half sit on one of the tables facing the door while she pulled out her wallet and logged back into the darkweb and the Atharim forums for more research.
It seemed like forever before a robed priest, maybe her age, tall and whispy with thinning grey-tinged brown hair- no way was this guy a hunter- walked in. It seemed a bit odd to see a priest here, but she supposed there were all sort who were Atharim. "Ms. Cross. I am Father DeLuca. Would you follow me to my office please?"
She pushed off the table and slipped her wallet in her pocket. "Sure thing. Thanks."
She followed him through various hallways. She saw people sometimes walking about. It was quiet though. No seemingly idle chit-chat or anything. People seemed focused on their work. Well, it was what she expected, she supposed. An organization was an organization, after all. Especially at the heart. New heart maybe. She wasn't sure. Made sense, though. What with all that was going on in Moscow, it made sense to make this the hub.
The man let her into a small office and gestured to the chair before taking his seat behind his desk. "We were surprised at your message, Ms. Cross. We've had a few Americans join us here in DI. But in general, that branch of the Atharim tends to...keep its independence. What is it you want?"
She smiled and leaned back in her chair. She smiled. "Simple. I want to hunt gods. This new order. I want in."
The man looked at her for a moment over clasped hands. Finally his eyebrows raised. "The Order of the Archangels is by invitation only. The Regus himself is the one who chooses."
She laughed a bit. She understood of course. But it wasn't gonna stop her. "Well, then, let me speak to him. Simple as that."
She nodded at his computer terminal. "You have my record. You know what I can do, what I've done. You won't find many with more experience than me. Let me talk to him."
The man sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I'm afraid the Regus is very busy," he began but she interrupted him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he is. But it will only take a moment, I'm sure. Just let him know that I am here and..."
he voice trailed off as she tried to think of a word. One came to her, but she didn't like it. She wouldn't say 'request an audience', not for anyone. She tried to make her voice more friendly-like. "Ask to speak to him."[/color] Once she got to talk to him, she was sure he'd listen. She could be persuasive if she wanted to be.
The man compressed his lips, but said nothing. Finally, he typed something into his computer and she heard a chime a few seconds later. He looked at her and then said, "It seems the Regus is free for a brief visit. I will take you to him." A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "I do hope you remember that you asked to see him."
Yep. Definitely an energy. In some places anyway. The higher the higher ups, the lower the lowly. She'd seen a bit, though she didn't really have much time to explore yet. She'd just gotten in yesterday and primarily had seen just the route to her hotel. The dinner in the lobby restaurant was good enough. Food didn't really interest her.
No, she was here for a reason, one that made it hard to sleep that night, so anxious was she. She'd gotten up early and gotten ready- simple black jeans and boots, white shirt and her grey leather jacket. It was cold, but she didn't notice it that much. She'd hunted in the north west in winter. You got used to it.
The sidewalks had been salted and her feet crunched their way down the street. The neighborhood had a quieter air about it, more relaxed. Small shops and houses lined the street, with the occasional market on the corner. She passed a bookstore with old books displayed in the window. She didn't bother stopping. She'd never really been interested in reading for fun.
Up ahead was a much larger building, really quite beautiful. It seemed like some old manor house or something. Stone steps lead to two polished wooden doors. Her wallet beeped. She was at her location. She stood there for a moment and then started up the stairs.
Once inside, she was questioned at the door. She gave the appropriate phrases and was taken to another room where, after an eternity of scans and verification, she was finally ushered into a library to cool her heels. There were a few tables about, but the room was empty. She did notice the cameras strategically placed throughout the room. She smiled at one of them and then leaned back to half sit on one of the tables facing the door while she pulled out her wallet and logged back into the darkweb and the Atharim forums for more research.
It seemed like forever before a robed priest, maybe her age, tall and whispy with thinning grey-tinged brown hair- no way was this guy a hunter- walked in. It seemed a bit odd to see a priest here, but she supposed there were all sort who were Atharim. "Ms. Cross. I am Father DeLuca. Would you follow me to my office please?"
She pushed off the table and slipped her wallet in her pocket. "Sure thing. Thanks."
She followed him through various hallways. She saw people sometimes walking about. It was quiet though. No seemingly idle chit-chat or anything. People seemed focused on their work. Well, it was what she expected, she supposed. An organization was an organization, after all. Especially at the heart. New heart maybe. She wasn't sure. Made sense, though. What with all that was going on in Moscow, it made sense to make this the hub.
The man let her into a small office and gestured to the chair before taking his seat behind his desk. "We were surprised at your message, Ms. Cross. We've had a few Americans join us here in DI. But in general, that branch of the Atharim tends to...keep its independence. What is it you want?"
She smiled and leaned back in her chair. She smiled. "Simple. I want to hunt gods. This new order. I want in."
The man looked at her for a moment over clasped hands. Finally his eyebrows raised. "The Order of the Archangels is by invitation only. The Regus himself is the one who chooses."
She laughed a bit. She understood of course. But it wasn't gonna stop her. "Well, then, let me speak to him. Simple as that."
She nodded at his computer terminal. "You have my record. You know what I can do, what I've done. You won't find many with more experience than me. Let me talk to him."
The man sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I'm afraid the Regus is very busy," he began but she interrupted him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he is. But it will only take a moment, I'm sure. Just let him know that I am here and..."
he voice trailed off as she tried to think of a word. One came to her, but she didn't like it. She wouldn't say 'request an audience', not for anyone. She tried to make her voice more friendly-like. "Ask to speak to him."[/color] Once she got to talk to him, she was sure he'd listen. She could be persuasive if she wanted to be.
The man compressed his lips, but said nothing. Finally, he typed something into his computer and she heard a chime a few seconds later. He looked at her and then said, "It seems the Regus is free for a brief visit. I will take you to him." A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "I do hope you remember that you asked to see him."