Chaper 14: The Blessed

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"I think there are some aprons in the kitchen." Keitoleinen says to Lumina. All is well and things seemed to have calmed down. Keitoleinen turns his attention back to Anthony and the liquid creature. Obviously, drinking the creature didn't work, nor does boiling. Keitoleinen assumes that it could possibly be frozen..since it is a liquid...gases like helium can liquify, but by his knowledge can't freeze...

"I really don't know enough about this creature. I imagine it could be frozen...at a low enough temperature...but I am afraid you have me baffled."

[Jack Kruschev]

I walk outside and catch and glimpse of the mammoth being butchered. Slightly disgusted, I retread inside.

I grab a glass of punch and walk around, listening to the guest's conversations.

[Calithin Crest]

I stare at Dinari, who looks pretty disheveled and in general a little messed up... More so than usual, from riding the mammoth.

"That seems fair. You're like a modern day cowboy, Dinari. I'm happy I got to witness that intense show of bravery. Other than creating the universe, it's been the major highlight of the evening. Although... I'd have to be willing to bet I would have done a better job at taming the woolly mammoth than you did. You got thrown off pretty quick there, playa."

I make eye contact with Tuvi standing behind him and shake my head a little.

"You are a ridiculously patient person. I hope the dental plan is worth it."

[Frieda Artz Lehrer]

Frieda is surprised when a woman calls out to her. She glances her over quickly before slowly beginning to walk toward her. The man she is standing with walks off before she gets there.

The woman looked nice enough, with wavy black hair that Frieda liked. Still, she is wary of the woman. "Hello..." She offers lamely, unsure of what else to say. She doesn't know what the woman could want with her.

[Alonso "Alfy" Leno]

Alonso quietly seats himself, and adjusts the chair to face Kaschei.

"So, when can I see this Cuban Lab? I won't use this Priest teleportation pass to get there, you'll have to buy me a new one. I can't afford to be traced."

[Jack Kruschev]

I spot Kaschei and jog over to him.

Setting my hand on his conversation partner's shoulder and look to him to whisper in his ear, "All apologies for interrupting you."

Pulling my head away from the person who I had just interrupted's ear, I say, "Kashei, I've heard so much about, and its an honor and pleasure to meet you. 'Name's Dr. West."

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Hello..." I reply back. Max wanders off to get a drink or something, and I feel awkward and alone now near this hall. I look back behind me and see no one near. Everyone has gathered around the new entertainment it seems.

"I'm Hilja. Um...who are you?" I ask her.

[Dinari Dollar]

"I didn't get thrown off...I jumped off. I just landed badly. I have to work on the landings." Dinari says in his own defense. He doesn't think Calithin could stay on it longer. "And yeah, whatever, you'd get thrown off the merry go round at All-World." Dinari says of the amusement park in Florida.

He turns back to Tuvi and smirks. "Yeah, she's the best. And she doesn't just work for me for the benefits, although the oral policy is pretty good."

Dinari gets bored and starts tugging on Tuvi's shirt. "Let's mosey along!"

[Kaschei Bessmertny]

Kaschei turns to Anthony, who catches him by surprise. He is confused, but doesn't want to be too rude, since Kaschei is not on good terms with most of the Manalists and he knows this. Anyway, it could very well be a new connection.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Kaschei asks Anthony. "I regret that I missed the Genetech animal show. I had to escape the crowd for a while." Kaschei admits.

[Alonso "Alfy" Leno]

Alfy chuckles lightly, looking to Kaschei before speaking to Dr. West.

"From what I saw I might be glad I missed it. How long do you think it takes to cook a mammoth? I don't know many recipes for genetically created animals."

[Chris "The Patriot" Frost]

What would The Banquet be without celebrities? Frost steps up to the front door, with a small entourage, and enters loudly. Some fans recognize him immediately and cheer as he steps into the room, and Frost obliges the crowd by flexing his biceps and smiling widely.

"Fuck yeah, good to be here."

Frost's entourage disperses, so as to not block any photos and Chris begins to walk through the crowd by himself visiting a few others that he recognizes, and eventually walks to Max Alexander and drops a polite nod of his large head.

Chris didn't really like Max, and felt that his faith blinded his thoughts.

[Calithin Crest]

"Psh. D, you just don't know what you're doing. I'm more of a beast than that woolly mammoth could ever be."

I've actually spent an inordinate amount of time in places that sport mechanical bull contests. We all have dark patches in our pasts.

"It takes more than some old primigenius, or anything in a rusty amusement park to compete with yours truly."

I put my jacket on and straighten my tie a little with a smirk.

"The G-forces of this Crest are at a minimum 6 times that of gravity. Riders can rarely handle my kind of centrifugal push. The rate of change of acceleration alone is beyond kinematics. In fact, better not stand so close... You may get whiplash."

I take a step back on this point and slip both hands into my pockets.

"So, you may have your benefits, but... They know to come to my office for lessons in experimental Physics."

I'm like the Sun.

[Jack Kruschev]

I chuckle and look to Alfy. After a moment of examining him, I get out small piece of paper with some writing on it.

I glance up to Kaschei and say, "You've got yourself a smart one here, sir. No one's asked me that question yet."

I hand the piece of paper to Alfy and say, "Here you go, it's actually a recipe that my chefs came up with to cook a mammoth."

I moved to the side and pull up a chair to sit down, forming a triangle between Alfy, Kashei, and me.

"Any business that Russian Mafia and Genetech might be able to do, sir?" I say, facing Kaschei a little more than Alfy, not trying to be rude.

[Dinari Dollar]

"Awe, we shouldn't argue with each other. You shouldn't pick on me...we should be picking on people who aren't Blessed...like poor kids in Africa or disabled people." Dinari decides. It is petty to argue afterall, and he knows he has to try to be a bigger person than to care who is the better mammoth rider...although, he is pretty sure he is...since he already did it. But since the mammoth is now dead, nothing can be done to prove this anyway.

"What's the most un-Blessed person you can think of?" Dinari asks.

[Kaschei Bessmertny]

Kaschei asks the first and most obvious question that comes to his mind. "Why is Genetech interested in helping us?" He asks suspiciously. Genetech is heavily involved with the Manalists afterall. They created Scrag, Red Leaf, and manyother things used by the Manalists...which the Manalists not only have a monopoly on, but make illegal.

"Unless...is it you as an individual who is looking to work with us?" He asks.