This world is not ideal.

[petal_storm]

Who: Orchid, Elora, Ixi, etc?

When: A few years into her arrival and work on Earth.

What:Orchid has to report in on progress, and it's another day in the life for the club?

Orchid sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear, refusing to bow down to her father's judgement. Her garden pool was a full holodeck tonight as she reported in, kicking her feet idly in the clean waters. She needed the purity most days, this world had honestly gone to hell in more ways than one, and her evening soak being interrupted was a bit of an annoyance. Still..."no father, I am not returning."

No.

"I have met all the criteria you laid out. My buildings and people are all self funded and self sustaining. I am draining no resources from the forward scouts, and amazingly, while I've not reached as many people as I wish yet, your own psychologists and Patrol have approved those few I've slipped out to them already." She was being effective here and that meant his entire drive was out of fear for her safety still.

"Your father's concerns are also that your work be seen as nothing more than insane attempts to aid people, with no reach beyond your our desire to help," one of the other council members spoke out. "Has there been rumor of an escape to space? Mumbles or thoughts that you are actually disappearing people?"

Orchid laughed a touch bitterly and shook her head slightly, "oh they think me insane certainly. Altruism is not a a trait most find honorable here. As for disappearing, no. Even my own people just shake their heads sadly when a drug addict or rescued prostitute disappears. They expect me to lose people. They just try to make sure I don't take it too hard when I do...and honestly, I do lose some back to the streets, or pimps, or bad choices. I don't keep people. I lose fewer than I save though." And that helped?

"We still want you in for a psyche eval Orchid, you know that."

"Procedure," she agreed. "That's why there's a tiger sitting at my desk now I assume?"

"Ignore me, I'm playing with a rubber band ball," Victor assured, laughing.

Of course. "And assuming I pass properly, I want to bring in Poppy. He works well with the larger groups we're going to start working with."

Her father winced, he hated the idea of both children at risk, e really did, but Poppy had just had a rather dramatic 'break up' with a dance troupe in the larger ship and was feeling more than a bit lost for direction and..."he'd appreciate working again I'm sure," he agreed at last. "As long as you ask him nicely."

"I doubt I'll need to do that much, he has three years of drama to catch me up on, he'll follow me until I've heard every bit of it," she teased.

"That's true," he father admitted, surprising her with a small laugh. "You're too serious without him, he too flighty."

"Hardly flighty, just focused on very different things," Orchid pointed out. "But he'd be a good influence here."

"You have to ask him properly still."

"Yes sir," she snorted. "May I finish my soak before Victor brings me up?"

"Yes, as long as it's no too long, I want to sneak off to have a meal with you both before you two go back to that planet," her father sighed.

"And as ever the council is busy," Orchid agreed. "We'll be up soon." And she'd get to see her twin!

* * *

Elora stretched and shook her hand out; she'd had to clock someone for trying to get a drug patch on Ixi as they danced. They didn't mind drugs, couldn't really stop them in this world, but they had to be taken voluntarily and they were NOT sold on premises.

And seriously, who drugged Ixi? Most people could have a tumble just by asking nice! Bah. ::Idiots,:: she snorted to Jaeger as the twin jackals dragged the idiot out and tossed him past the security curtain, sans wallet and gear. You pulled rule breaking here then you didn't get to keep your stuff. Nope.

::You figure why we lost our dancer Issel?:: It was starting to be a problem honestly. Not a large pattern, but good people, clean or cleanish, were...leaving. Or disappearing, and it was poking the back of her mind. She tried to keep the hunt need in check, a world this crowded, wandering could be bad, even if she had her flock, but it was...

...hard when they lost their own.

Comments

[code_jaeger]

Jeager was stitching up the latest attempt on thier territories sitting crosslegged on the bar he was also serving himself and others from. ::Someone has to be grabbing our people,:: he growled. ::No one else i asked tonight had any missing.:: And by asked... well it varried. Some he'd beaten answers out of and some hadn't needed that.

He checked his forehead in the reflection behind the booze rack and grimaced. Goddammit if that scarred... But what could you do.? Perils of holding down territory, and the largest at that.

He had actually managed a truce with the all girl gang that had recently come under new management as thier neighbors to the south. ::Girl gang is friendly now by the way. We can get to our sand folters now without hassle.::

[petal_storm]

::You really should let one of us do that you know, stubborn brother,:: she snorted. They stitched just as well as he did and it'd be easier on him! ::Flock has news on that soup kitchen that popped up. It's...legit. Just clean food and people taking nothing from the people in line. They don't even preach, just serve. The flock can't find any street gang or the like running them either...I may go stand in line next week and get a feel for them.::

To say that was weird was, well...

Yeah.

::Flock wants to steal their actual produce. Real vegetables. And meat scraps. They make on site by a window so it's clear nothing weird is added...::

::Hey, I like the idea someone is managing something good. I mean they haven't offered us territory rental fees so that's probably bad but...:: Ixi offered.

[code_jaeger]

::Wait, its in our territory?:: Jeager frowned.

[petal_storm]

::Part of it is. They bought the building on Bleeker, the one that runs into our territory, and part of the daily line goes down our streets?:: Elora mused. ::I doubt anyone has discussed territories with a soup kitchen. Or if they tried I've seen no evidence of gangs beating up the people there...::

[code_jaeger]

::Okay, lets go take a look.::

[petal_storm]

::Right now?:: she snorted. ::It's not exactly kitchen hours, there won't be anyone to talk to.:: By which she meant interrogate politely but hey...

[code_jaeger]

::When do they open?::

[petal_storm]

::Workers start arriving at dawn to start meal prep.::

[code_jaeger]

"Thats two hours lets break in and wait."

[petal_storm]

::...that could go poorly,:: she snorted. ::Sure. You're just bored and want to snoop don't you?::

::Don't you dare wreck anything Jaeger,:: Ixi growled. That rarely happened!

[code_jaeger]

::Yes. I wont wreck things.::

He was getting up and goung to the door yes.

[petal_storm]

::Go, Gi, you're in charge,:: Elora chuckled, turning to follow him, then yelping as Ixi jumped from the stage to join them.

In that way where the siblings were used to the 'catch Ixi in flight' way.

[code_jaeger]

It didnt take much to break in yeah.

[petal_storm]

No, it was nicely mundane. Secure enough to discourage people casually breaking in to sleep there, but there was nothing IMPORTANT or costly on site. Pots, pans, a clear and obvious water filter by the window...all just tools. Food came in with the volunteers it seemed!

The first of which was just a young lady with fading track marks on her arms as she unlocked and set a heavy, glass bowl of bread dough on a counter before she squeaked and blinked at them.

[code_jaeger]

"Hello there. We'd like to speak to your boss."

[petal_storm]

She..took the bowl and backed away until her shoulders bumped the wall? "You can't put anything in the food! No one gets to taint the food!" Why else would they be here? "And no recruiters," she swallowed nervously. "You don't get to take people..."

[code_jaeger]

"And you dont get to use pur territory for free."

[petal_storm]

"This isn't yours! The building is owned!" But she was maybe slapping an alarm button yes.

Because.

Was it any wonder other volunteers stopped at the door, watching the trio tensely before a purple woman in brown swept in and...weighed them for a long moment. "If you're going to be present then you can step this way, away from my poor volunteers so they can get to work, or you can pick up a knife and chop as we talk." Either or.

::Well...that's a new response,:: Elora chuckled.

[code_jaeger]

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You've encroached on our territory. We own this bit here."

[petal_storm]

"The building was sold as a whole with no mention of zoning issues," she countered dryly, pulling a bowl down herself to...start peeling potatoes as they talked. There was work to be done, whether people wanted to throw a fit or no. "So why were you not listed among the owners and take your cut there?"

[code_jaeger]

"Territory is always shifting." He laughed.

[petal_storm]

"And so is my patience," she agreed easily. "Now do tell me why I should find your spurious claim intimidating and you worrisome?" Honestly, if she bowed to each person who claimed her space belonged to the suddenly, well...

[code_jaeger]

"Because we will reclaim it if its not paid for."

[petal_storm]

"This building is paid for," she restated simply. "Please pass that grater above your head?" She needed it yes.

"Tell me why it's necessary for you to come here, with an ill defined claim, and attempt to scare me?"

[code_jaeger]

"This isnt intimidation."