Jiehong walked out of Praline's office. He wanted to yawn. He waited until he walked a few paces out-of-sight, though, so he could roar like a boar.

On a deserted side-alley, Jiehong yawned, stretched, and looked to the sky. No Slipstream. So, no magic. But the stretch and yawn kept him refreshed enough. He had to decide what to do with his day. He could return to the library, but should he? No, I need to review the documents they gave me.

Jiehong found a public bench and flipped through sheets of papers so thin, they were practically translucent. Paper like this was a new creation. Very different from the thick-hide parchments Jiehong's family had always possessed. That kind of parchment was thick enough where one could sheer away a whole layer to write anew underneath. This paper would tear from handling it even slightly more roughly than the air does on a feather. Jiehong had an impulse to shred it and toss it to the wind, but he merely re-read the contents then stuffed it into his bag.

As he knew he would, Jiehong signed on with Praline as an At Large member. This gave him the freedom to move through the country and help people but without the obligation to do so. Putting his hand to his gut, Jiehong felt the crystalline entity within. Yeah. I have enough obligations as it stands, he thought.

Only having removed the papers to confirm his position was a paid position for those days he would be around and helpful, Jiehong now wondered what he should do. Only one thought came to his mind. "I'm going to bed," Jiehong said, feeling drained from the day's heavy reading and socializing practices. Early it might have been, he wanted nothing more than to sleep in and deep.

Jiehong was walking back to Marsha's flat when he heard the ping in his ear. It was Zan.

"Guys. I am going to meet with Colonel Winters now. Expect news of your rewards soon," was all Zan said.

WHISKEY heard Zan's message sometime in the afternoon. She did not know exactly when. For, she had been too busy talking up a storm with the group's many performers. And the writers.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The performance: the thought which went into each skit, from the shape of the street to how a performance needed different spaces, and how the actors imbued their roles with drama (or lack of, therefore, she thought about in regard to at least a couple of the performers). It fascinated her. Energized her, even. She often found herself pacing back and forth at the depot's break area, still chattering with the troupe mates as she did so. Whiskey had to pace. Her mind was on fire and she loved it all.

The morning was spent with Whiskey tagging along for another of the group's day actions. Lean told Whiskey to tag along with Elbow and another troupe member called Tilt.

Tilt was among the leadership core. They wore a yellow marked shirt and were classified as a skit organizer. After a writer wrote the actual script the actors followed, people like Tilt brought the skit to life. Tilt brought them to an intersection where they taught Whiskey about the basics of placements.

"You need to be aware of your surroundings. As a hunter and a warrior, you already do this. If you are not aware of your surroundings, you will miss opportunities to engage with the crowd. If you face opposition from the crowd, then knowing how to control the situation will help the effectiveness of your work," Tilt said, beginning a curt but informative lecture on the art of crowd control.

Continuing, Tilt said, "Control the street. You have where your stuff is stashed -- a mini-depot is the first thing you should look for when scouting a location. Next, an exit. If the crowd becomes belligerent, you are going to need to know the quickest way out, and fast. And trust me on this, Whiskey. I do mean fast. Finally, after you have your depot-away-from-home and you are setting up, think before you set up! Don't let your mind get away from you because all your feet can speak about is getting a move-on, you know? Before you lay down a single prop, ask yourself, how can I best inflect the scene based on my location?"

Pausing to take a breath, Whiskey took the time to ask, "It sounds like a lot to keep in mind. Any tricks?"

"It is a lot to keep in mind. But no tips. All I can say is this process gets better with practice. The more your start using your mind analytically, the faster you will adapt to new situations. Before mastery comes practice. Which is where you will cut your teeth. Endless practice. You ready?"

Looking at the intersection, thinking analytically, Whiskey said, "Yeah. So, for our mini depot, how about over there? By the corner? No, the other corner. Not the one infested with dead rats, of course."