Post by Bruce Hollister on Aug 10, 2010 21:19:14 GMT -6
It was the middle of the day when Bruce Hollister wandered into Night City.
The blond was working through a bag of potato chips. Every third or fourth chip was placed into the inside pocket of his coat.
He took in the towering skyscrapers of downtown. The windows on the tall buildings reflected bright blue. It looked like the sky was trickling down to earth.
"Bruce!"
A man waved the wanderer over. They grinned at each other and shook hands.
"It's good to see you again, Jack," Bruce said.
"Likewise!"
Some of the laughter went out of Jack's face. Bruce noticed it. "Something wrong?"
"Bruce, there's a rule in Night City. If you're not entirely human, then you have to report to the man in charge. It's just what you do."
The wanderer shrugged with a smile. "Nope. Not me. I'm nothing special."
Jack didn't look convinced. "You're sure?"
"Jack, if I weren't human, what would I be?"
After a moment, Jack sighed. "All right. C'mon, I'll show you to my hotel."
--+--
Comfortable in his room in the 45th Street Inn, Bruce began to get undressed. He threw his coat onto the bed, and it started to unfurl.
The coat morphed into a black beast. It had the body and head of a lion. A fluffy puff bobbed on the end of its tail. A long pair of hare ears, erect and alert, poked out of its scalp. Long feathery wings extended from its shoulders, and it had talons for front legs. It was as dark as ebony, save for sky blue eyes and a big blue tongue that hung out between its sharp little teeth.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. "You okay, Tepe?"
The chimera Tepeyollotl stretched out its body and yawned before padding into the next room. Bruce was just settling into a bath. The blond reached over and scratched the chimera's head.
"Okay," Tepe said. Its voice was musical and high, like a child's.
Bruce smiled. "You're certainly not human, but I am, so I don't have to see the boss. Besides, he's probably some bureaucrat's aide or something with queues out the door." He stretched, sinking into the water with a pleased sigh. "Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into this time, Tepe."
The blond was working through a bag of potato chips. Every third or fourth chip was placed into the inside pocket of his coat.
He took in the towering skyscrapers of downtown. The windows on the tall buildings reflected bright blue. It looked like the sky was trickling down to earth.
"Bruce!"
A man waved the wanderer over. They grinned at each other and shook hands.
"It's good to see you again, Jack," Bruce said.
"Likewise!"
Some of the laughter went out of Jack's face. Bruce noticed it. "Something wrong?"
"Bruce, there's a rule in Night City. If you're not entirely human, then you have to report to the man in charge. It's just what you do."
The wanderer shrugged with a smile. "Nope. Not me. I'm nothing special."
Jack didn't look convinced. "You're sure?"
"Jack, if I weren't human, what would I be?"
After a moment, Jack sighed. "All right. C'mon, I'll show you to my hotel."
--+--
Comfortable in his room in the 45th Street Inn, Bruce began to get undressed. He threw his coat onto the bed, and it started to unfurl.
The coat morphed into a black beast. It had the body and head of a lion. A fluffy puff bobbed on the end of its tail. A long pair of hare ears, erect and alert, poked out of its scalp. Long feathery wings extended from its shoulders, and it had talons for front legs. It was as dark as ebony, save for sky blue eyes and a big blue tongue that hung out between its sharp little teeth.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. "You okay, Tepe?"
The chimera Tepeyollotl stretched out its body and yawned before padding into the next room. Bruce was just settling into a bath. The blond reached over and scratched the chimera's head.
"Okay," Tepe said. Its voice was musical and high, like a child's.
Bruce smiled. "You're certainly not human, but I am, so I don't have to see the boss. Besides, he's probably some bureaucrat's aide or something with queues out the door." He stretched, sinking into the water with a pleased sigh. "Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into this time, Tepe."