[Stuttrboy]

It's a beautiful day in the Barrens today.  Well beautiful for the Barrens anyway.  For instance, it's not raining and the sun actually peeks through the ever present cloud layer on occasion.  The screams, wailing and gunfire seem further away today as well.  You take solace in the slightly withered garden that you struggle with on a daily basis, even though you use good soil and purified water the lack of sunlight tends to take its toll.  Weeds aren't so much of a problem as the cigarette butts, inhalant ampules and other various trash that your, not so nature conscious, neighbors toss into it.  The garden takes up the better part of your section of roof but the adjoined rooftops of the run down brownstones that dominate the landscape of this particular part of the neighborhood makes it impossible to keep them out of it.

The pop of gunfire from nearby jolts you out of your moment of revelry as you see your neighbor Carter taking pot shoots at one of the terrier sized rats poking around a dumpster.  He winks at you and tsk's Damn, think I winged it at least.

Is this all you really want from life, you think to yourself?  A crow caws as if in answer.

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

~Beats being in a ditch somewhere, Cuervo.~ Sky looks at the sun, pointing between the clouds. She sighs with a small shake of her head. *But no, of course not it isn't. You're just too afraid to start something real and loose it.* she looks at her attempt of a garden, a bit depressed *With a better place, I could get artificial lights. And I could ask a spirit of Plant to help me, whereas is, it's best to avoid it...* she snorts at her own thoughts *But all this requires money. And the only ways you could get money, are illegal. Or just plain stupid. Often both.*

Sky smiles at her neighbour "Hombre, I hope for your sake you never have to depend on your skills with this gun to eat."

~No Cuervo, it's not all I want from this life. But could I get more and still be myself?~

[Stuttrboy]

As you muse to yourself you hear the sound of thunder in the distance.  So much for the lack or rain.  The raucous cawing of crows directs your attention to the sudden appearance of an entire murder of them.  Their motions and flow make interesting geometric shapes and the cawing becomes rhythmic, together the effect is hypnotic and you find yourself a bit woozy.  For a moment everything seems to stand still, become quiet, then the flock takes on the shape of a giant raven and they caw as one in unison with a peal of thunder.  In an instant you find yourself astrally projecting.

Your totem floats before you and gestures towards the sea where you see a great maelstrom brewing.  You barely catch a glimpse of a shape within it before snapping back to your body.  You come out of it with Carter holding your head looking down at you with concern and that sort of hopefully lustful look you have come to expect from most men.  He seems to be asking if you are okay but your ears are still ringing with the message you heard quite plainly without spoken words.  "A storm is coming.  Prepare yourself."

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Sky doesn't move for a moment, gazing into space. Absent-mindedly, she removes her head from Carter's hands with a whisper "Mierda." She slowly shakes her head, and, a bit more focused, says "You should get back in Carter, it's going to rain soon."

No waiting for an answer, she does just that...only to get back out a few minutes later, with her jacket - in which she stuffed her Cobra. Like often, when she doesn't know what to do of something, she goes to Isac's clinic. Maybe clinic is a strong word. Anyway, while Isac doesn't understand anything about magic, he's a good listener. Maybe because he doesn't really listen, focused on whatever medical task he is performing at the moment. But it always helps her to make sense of things. Or well, not always always, but often enough. She could go to Cayenne, she understands magic. But they are not close enough for this kind of drek. Plus, Isac's down-to-earth attitude might be what she needs right now.

[Stuttrboy]

Saying it's going to rain in Seattle is kind of like saying the sun will rise and set but the thunder you had heard and any tell tale signs of rain seem to have evaporated and you wonder if part of that may have been in your head or from the "vision" you received.  That is all you can think that it was.  Raven had never taken that specific or direct of an interest in you even while you were following her across the Americas it was never that direct, more like gut feelings and intuition.  No this was something different.  The trip to Isac's clinic, if you can really call it that, is uneventful.  When you go in you see Isac through the reception window he sets the box he's lugging on a rolling chain puffing a bit before he notices you.  Oh!  Hey Sky, come on back.

When you enter the back room Isac has the box open and you is pulling a bag of eyes out and transferring them to a freezer unit he has locked into a corner of the office.  You don't appear hurt, I'm happy to say, you here to chat or business?

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Sky laughs "Nah I'm fine. No putting your hands on me. I had a weird... I don't know. A kinda vision, entendes?" she shakes her head, hopping on the table. "Cuervo told me a Storm is coming. That's weird ombré, it's the first time since I got here that it told me something like that, so directly so... I can't really say clearly since it wasn't clear at all. But before that it was only...gut feelings, you know. Intuition. Whereas here..."

She groans "I don't know, it's weird. And when weird is a qualifier applied to magic, to tends to be dangerous..." she stays silent for maybe a second, then asks "And whatever the frag are you doing with so many eyes? You're afraid your two won't be enough?"

[Stuttrboy]

Isac raises an eyebrow at you No hands got it.  Is that some kind of Colombian saying?  I'm not sure I understand the reference.

I'm assuming this storm is some kind of metaphor, he says still unpacking things from the box. a cornucopia of organs follows the eyes.  Heart, lungs, kidneys and others you can't place.    Maybe less so than the intuitions you got before but something similar?  I don't really know much about magic, but it seems to me if vision was more specific than usual it was maybe more important?

He glances down at the organs he's been transferring.  These?  Just got in a restock, I do a fairly brisk business in replacement parts, you know how often people lose an eye around here?  You'd be amazed.  Had some type-o's fall off a truck.

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Sky chuckles "Yeah, I'd bet. Good for business then." She sighs then "I know it's a metaphor. And I know it must be important. That's not the problem." she grunts "When a real storm comes, you stay at home and make sure your lightning rod is in place, or you take a good coat if you have to go out. But here? What am I supposed to do?"

She shakes her head dejectedly "For all I know, the Barrens will be shaken upside down, Seattle will become Chicago 2.0 or... How can I prepare for something I don't understand? If I move, I'm likely to end up worse than if I stay home..." she grunts.

[Stuttrboy]

Isac stops what he's doing, realizing this is more than just a normal visit.  He takes a seat in his swivel chair and puts on his let's talk biz face and steeples his fingers.  Let's start from the beginning.  Tell me everything...

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Sky sighs "There's not much more than that to say really." With a small shake of her head, Sky tells him about her 'vision' of earlier. Once done, she lets a few seconds pass, then adds "So as you see, nothing much, and nothing concrete at all." she snorts "If everything goes to hell I'll be able to say 'Yep, I knew it', but that won't help much..."

[Stuttrboy]

So how does one metaphorically set out the lightning rod and batten down the hatches as a magic user?  It was be prepared, not fight it, not run, just be prepared.  I mean that's just all around good advice isn't it?  I'm doing this to be prepared for my customers.  There seems to be some urgency involved, maybe it was just a warning against complacency.  Is there anything you've been putting off, perhaps something you regret that you feel you need to make up for?

I'm just spitballing here.  I wish I could be more help but other than understanding metaphor I don't really get how the whole magic thing works.  I mean Ravens a trickster like Coyote in the native american lore I'm aware of, you don't think she just might be having a go at you? 

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Automatically, without even saying about it, Sky answers with a "Anything is possible." After a small pause, she adds "But I don't think it is. Problem is, you know how to prepare, and what to prepare against. Or for."

She grunts "It would be the same thing if I told you to be careful. You would ask of what. I'd answer 'just be careful'. And it wouldn't help you one bit. In fact, it would probably hurt you more than anything else, since you would second guess everything you're doing."

She frowns, pensive. After a couple of seconds, she adds "I don't regret anything, or anything I've done anyway. But... Well, maybe that because I've pretty much not done anything of note since I'm in Seattle. One might say I'm already second guessing myself at every step I take since I'm here anyway. It could be a way to tell me to move, to do something." Grunting, she concludes "It would a messed up and pretty convoluted way of saying that though... Plus what could I do? I mean seriously, who would want to recruit me for anything more than the odd job here and there?"

[Stuttrboy]

It sounded like a warning.  Maybe it's just because you've been second guessing yourself and you need to make a plan and stick to it.  Maybe it doesn't matter what you do exactly as long as you are trying to do something.  Maybe she thinks you know what to do but just don't realize it? 

You know if it was really a vision maybe there are clues in the imagery...maybe you should try to find someone who knows about divination, there could be symbolism they might recognize that we have no idea about.

[Imladir]

[Zyanya "Sky" Rivero - Unknown Date - The Barrens]

Sky sighs "Maybe it is all that." After a moment, she shrugs "Problem is, I don't know what t o do. Sure, I could go see Cayenne. Not sure she knows what to make of this, but she might know someone who does. But maybe I should just just choose by myself you know? I ended up here in Seattle by following Cuervo, and I pretty much didn't take one single important decision since I left what was left of my home behind. Maybe it's time I did. Decide what I want to do with my life, stick to that decision and make it work..."

[Stuttrboy]

Do you know what that might be?

Your comlink takes that moment to beep.  It's Gunderson.  I got a job for you.  I know you like to turn me down but this one you were requested by name.  Guy by the name of Pierre StJermaine.  So you dont take this gig, dont expect any more work from me.  Its just a pick up and delivery.  He has a package out in the boonies.  Come by here and I'll let.you borrow a dirt bike to get out there.  He's paying two grand for this little trip.  You want more you negotiate with him when you get there.