21.9

January 4, 2070, at 2044
Jig-Jig Street, Megabuilding H8, Clouds

Crystal sauntered through security as though it was a phantom. The clucking chicken somewhat hampered the task in her arms, but the hiccup was nothing her Unseen Terror ability couldn't handle. She was there to visit a friend and wasn't inclined to play nice. Dolls gave her the heebie-jeebies, no doubt about it. People insisted their memories were wiped clean, but Crystal was skeptical. In her book, information was power, and who in their right mind would voluntarily forfeit power? There had to be a recording somewhere, somehow.

It was of little consequence, though. She was there to catch up with her favorite braindance buddy. Locating the barely legal tech wizard was as easy as bribing a loved one into aiding and abetting. Cheaper than hiring a human Netrunner to boot! Armed with the directory of customers, dolls, and tech staff, Crystal skulked through the exclusive club, an insubstantial specter.

The clientele was... intriguing. However, outing them would bring down an unwanted firestorm. The fallout would ultimately rebound to the dollhouse staff, Judy among them. Fed up with the voyeuristic charade, Crystal hacked into every available camera, filtering out footage that didn't feature Judy.

As she meandered through the club, her eyes fell on a few key players: Evelyn Parker, the top-tier Doll; Woodman, the janitor - in a place like this, that meant he dealt with dead bodies. Crystal’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of him. And then they widened in recognition - the man was in the Scav records from H2 that Fluff had procured. There was no way she would let a Scav associate anywhere near her Judy. Friends were a rare commodity in this city, and she'd be damned if she'd let Judy be an 'accident.'

“Fluff, my feathered friend, can you sneak a time-delay virus into that waste of space, Woodman? Make him flatline when he's alone, or if he even thinks about Judy?" Crystal's voice oozed with venom as she connected with her Netrunning ninja chicken via their spiritual bond. An affirming cluck from her poultry partner sealed the man's fate. As she moved, her eyes scanned the security footage and identified another potential problem. "Maiko Maedo, what a deplorable creature," Crystal said, icicles practically forming on her words as she reviewed the images Fluffyfeathers had dug up. A querying cluck and a flash of Woodman’s face on her spiritual link punctuated her discovery.

“Absolutely, Fluff. But make it painful for her. I won’t let someone who toys with my friends skate by. Drop a clue about the why before she flatlines,” Crystal coolly responded to the unvoiced query. With a flick of her On/Off switch, she breezed into a Staff Only section of the Dollhouse.

Judy was nestled in the third room on the left, her gear scattered about haphazardly. The rooms were blessedly soundproof, meaning her grand entrance wouldn't rouse the others. A devilish grin crept onto her face as she signaled her feathered sidekick. Sgt. Fluffyfeathers shot her a glance that read, "This is going to cost you a boatload of grubs."

Undeterred, Crystal nodded enthusiastically, and an ear-splitting hen squawk ricocheted around the room.

"Holy hell!" Judy yelped, peeling off her modified BD editing wreath, bereft of points and only circular caps. Her gaze fell on Sgt. Fluffyfeathers was the picture of innocence. Unthinkingly, she began to stroke the hen's feathers, cooing softly. Judy Alvarez had a thing for poultry.

A peculiar expression crossed Judy’s face, "Haven’t I seen you somewhere?"

Keeping up the charade, Sgt. Fluffyfeathers leveled her a gaze that read, "Seriously, chica?"

"Hang on. You're Crystal’s chicken!" Judy realized but was swiftly reprimanded by a pointed headbutt correcting her mistake. "So, if you're here... where's Crystal?" Her goggles seemed to fail her in locating Crystal. Once she yanked them off, though, she froze.

The spectacle of her donning and doffing the goggles a few times before she leaped from her chair, chicken clutched in hand, was pure comedy.

"That's rad! How'd you manage it? Can it be replicated? Did you score it from Arasaka!?" Judy babbled breathlessly. "I knew you weren't dead. All that faux evidence was as believable as All Food's finest adverts!"

"Reports of my death have been greatly inflated," Crystal quipped, borrowing an ancient punchline. Judy was a whirlwind of shocked delight, and it took some serious coaxing to get her settled back into her chair. Betrayal stung like a hornet as Crystal spied her feathery friend, Sgt. Fluffyfeathers snuggled contentedly in Judy's lap, basking in all the attention.

"A double-crossing chicken. I've seen it all now," Crystal grumbled, trying to ignore the pain of abandonment. "Been doing some recon for the Padre, me and my treacherous avian friend here," she continued, nudging the topic onto work. "Seems I inherited this nifty trick from the folks. They might be dead and buried, but they know how to gift."

Judy winced, her words heavy with concern, "On my end, things are less than peachy. The Tygers brought in this new clean-up guy. Real sleaze-ball." Crystal shrugged dismissively, “Well, darling, shady characters tend to attract shady circumstances. He's probably just here 'cause they can't trust him with anything important.”

Judy responded with a nod, her tone hardened, “Clouds is becoming their most lucrative cash cow. We offer a service that keeps appreciating after the first taste. Hiromi’s cluelessness doesn’t get what he's got his hands on. If only they'd install someone who understood the potential here...”

A wicked grin danced in Crystal’s eyes as a compelling idea unfolded in her mind. She shot a coded message to the Padre, confident that Sgt. Fluffyfeathers' encryption would shield it from any unwelcome eyes. As always, the signal carried through without a hitch, and soon the Padre's affirmation flashed on her screen.

Clouds was a perfect fit for the Valentino's reputed motto: bedding the crème de la crème of Noir City. Becoming silent partners, appointing a manager to ramp up profits, all within their M.O. No one would bat an eyelid if they proposed this as a minor clause in the alliance. Both gangs were on the verge of ruling the roost, after all. A deeper connection only served them both.

Crystal also knew that this positioned the Valentinos to snatch up a hot property later. If her dear friend happened to benefit in the process, well, what a happy accident! The Tyger Claws weren't exactly known for their respect for women. Judy's presence in their territory was a ticking time bomb. While Valentino territory had its issues, at least they had a stringent code of conduct. Mama Welles didn't turn a blind eye like what happened in Tyger territory.

Mama Welles hadn’t acted on the BD evidence Crystal sent her, but her response was loud and clear. It said that without solid proof, Julio would walk off with a wrist slap. He could easily claim he got the corrupted software from any old place. With that kind of excuse, he'd easily dodge any severe consequences.

“Been trying to get my mitts on a piece of real estate in MB-H2. How much space are we talking about here?” Crystal segued, looking to learn more about Clouds. Judy paused, thoughtful, before responding, “Three floors, I think. I haven't checked recently. But things are looking up. The expansion's coming along nicely. The job's a hit - clock in, earn eddies, clock out, all with a clean slate.”

"Sounds like a dream come true for some," Crystal admitted, reminiscing about the less ambitious classmates of her past. “So, this memory wipes, it's full-proof? Just seems odd to let such valuable info go up in smoke.”

Judy let slip a little more than intended, “Well, the chips are cleared, but there are some... lingering traces in the brain.” Crystal snapped her gaze towards Judy, intrigued. “Oh, fascinating. Good to know the dolls don't carry any mental baggage.” Judy relaxed visibly, her misstep seemingly unnoticed by her friend.

Crystal's mind whirred into overdrive, sizing up the Scav Den and overlaying it with a new Valentino clubhouse's blueprint. The prospect of having the three-story building emblazoned with Valentino's iconic sign was enough to make any flatline fuel think twice. After a hearty clean-up job, recreating the Dollhouse layout would be a cakewalk. Her ownership dreams didn't seem so far-fetched with the Padre and Mama Welles' backing. The steady flow of eddies would mean more choices and more freedom. In this city, you were nothing without a fistful of eddies.

As Judy began to zone out, engrossed in her fluffy endeavor, Crystal reclaimed her traitorous chicken decisively. Resuming the interrupted petting, she watched with glee as the bird’s annoyed expression melted into bliss. “Seems like stealing Judy’s technique worked," Crystal internalized before she said, "Time for me to hit the road. Got a job from the big boss. But we’ll chinwag later, ok?” she said, forwarding Judy one of Fluff’s encrypted messages. “If you see a message like this, it's likely from yours truly. Don’t go sharing it around, though.” With Judy’s nod of understanding, Crystal exited Clouds just as quietly as she entered.

The Scav Den in MB-H2 had just shot up from 'whenever I feel like it' to 'prime real estate that needs eviction, stat!' Crystal was sure Judy would jump at the chance to move and assist with the new club if only to wrestle back Laguna Bend from the clutches of the corporate thief who had made off with it. A sly grin spread across Crystal's face as she nimbly navigated the bustling Jig-Jig Street. The Monroe Street metro would drop her right into Charter Hill.

Sneaking through 6th Street territory during the night would be a trivial matter. She ordered a Delmain cab to pick her up at Charter Hill and ferry her to the Trailer Park situated on the outskirts of 6th Street territory. Thanks to one notorious entity, a lot more caution was needed here compared to the Voodoo Boys’ turf.

Arasaka Industrial Park.

The Tyger Claws' assault had the NCPD's approval, which meant it had the blessings of the corporate bigwigs and city hall. But that didn't mean Arasaka wouldn’t guard their turf with everything they had. Crystal had a hunch that a gang in the middle of a global superpower's territory must be in cahoots with them.

She expected some agreement to be in place. They wouldn't openly shield the gang, but the industrial park would likely be fortified with additional security. Drone patrols, tanks, and a standby team of cyber ninjas seemed probable.

Saburo Arasaka would settle for nothing less, in Crystal’s opinion.

The ride to Trailer Park was a breeze in the Delmain cab. Once there, she picked up an unoccupied trailer and let herself in. The resident was presumably at work, and the door log indicated they wouldn't return for hours. Settling into a cushioned chair, she checked her stats.

Level: 9

Name: V (Crystal Moss)

Age: 18*

Race: Vampire

Rank: Fledgling 2/100

Attribute Points: 5

Skill Points: 5

Warlock Level: 9

Cash: 27,000

Residence: Parque Del Mar Apartment #317

Eldritch Invocation Slots (4/5)

Five attributes, five skill points, and one new Eldritch Invocation to pick. She deliberated between two disguise options and something else.

Misty Visions.

At first glance, the illusion might seem trivial, a mere fifteen-foot cube devoid of scent, sound, taste, or touch. But Crystal saw endless possibilities in this trick. Need to hide? Instantly create a ShellShield box amidst other crates. Want to blind an enemy? Summon a box of darkness on the fly. Need to project the layout of a multi-level building? Easy as pie. Planning an assault? Piece of cake. The fact that it doubled as holographic tech was a bonus; no one would give it a second glance.

After mulling over her options, Crystal finally opted for Misty Visions. Its versatility was too good to pass up. She had three more Eldritch Invocation slots, and two were earmarked for Face and Form. This left her with just one wildcard she needed to choose wisely for the upcoming Combat Zones. Sgt. Fluffyfeathers settled in her lap as she considered the last cantrip.

Her final cantrip was a no-brainer: Eldritch Blast. Given the extent to which a Warlock relied on it for ranged attacks, it was as obvious as a neon sign in a dark alley. She would have to tweak her passive choice, switching Eldritch Sight for Eldritch Spear. As for detecting magic, her vampiric senses would have to pick up the slack.

“Don't forget, darling, Feats open at level ten," Nota piped up, finally deciding to contribute. "We had to delay it to let the world acclimate to your fabulous presence. But at ten, you'll have three tantalizing Feats waiting. They pop up every five levels, starting at one. So, one, five, ten, and so forth." Crystal’s eyebrow twitched at the revelation. Navigating blind with unexpected curveballs was not her idea of a good time. "Would you be a dear and provide a list of these Feats, Nota?"

A ticker tape of dense text unreeled in her mind’s eye. Sgt. Fluffyfeathers, or F.F. as she now fancied on the comms, tore through the list with a flurry of clawed toes, highlighting five feats that would complement her current build and elevate it from excellent to legendary.

With a Feat popping up every five levels, the first had to be Spell Sniper. Its allure was undeniable; the prospect of a staggering 1,920 feet range when paired with a Hex-boosted Eldritch Blast was too good to pass up. She reached this astronomical figure by connecting the dots between the Investiture of the Chainpact and the Feat. This meant that her invisible chicken, courtesy of the Shadow Touched Feat providing invisibility, could be soaring above, spotting targets and raining down a hail of lethal beams, amplified by Eldritch Blast at levels five, eleven, and seventeen. Each beam, laced with Hex, was a fatal cocktail of necrotic decay, rust, and magical damage courtesy of Investiture.

Invisible chicken airstrike, engage!

Fey Touched, as her third Feat, would also grant her access to the uber-handy Misty Step second-level spell in Conjuration and the invaluable first-level divination spell of Comprehend Languages. This was a godsend, ensuring she wouldn't get caught out when using Face and Form to disguise herself. The Shadow Touched perk allowed her to use Disguise Self, modifying her entire look from clothing to height. The body shape was the only constant. Infiltration was now a breeze. She could mimic the face, the form, the attire, the accessories, and even the language to perfection.

If she couldn’t waltz in undetected with that setup, it was high time to hang up her boots.

With level ten only a tantalizing 0/6880 points away, Crystal knew it was high time to go hunting in 6th Street territory. Ten was just too juicy a milestone to procrastinate. She pinged Padre, inquiring with all the subtlety of a neon sign if she could take down a few VIP targets ahead of schedule. Unlike the Voodoo Boys, 6th Street boasted a sturdy leadership and a structure echoing the Militech hierarchy. A thought struck her like a lightning bolt. Could it be that 6th Street kept Arasaka in check at the behest of their arch-rival?

"Now, that would clear up a heap of mysteries," Crystal mused, deciding to poke around for clues. Even if her hunch proved correct, the Tyger Claws would surely step into the void, mirroring function and form. She was well aware that shared Asian roots did not make them bosom buddies—quite the opposite. Padre approved, stipulating that she had to be as immaculate in her dealings as she was with the Voodoo Boys.

Grinning at the unintended humor, she affirmed with a thumbs up. Her targets wouldn't know what hit them. “Well, at least not in this world, right, Fluff?" she chuckled to her therapeutic hen. Bringing along her feathery friend was a risk, albeit a calculated one. While Sgt. Fluffyfeathers couldn’t be killed due to the Chainpact, her restoration would demand some peculiar resources. Nothing some hefty eddies couldn’t solve, but it was still a drain on her finances. Best to steer clear of harm's way.

Her chat with her family member left her eyebrows creeping up her forehead. The pudgy rat from earlier had formed a minion pact with Fluff. It seemed Nota had intervened, speeding up the Eldritch AI's dormancy, but the intel was priceless.

It turns out rats make effective spies, saboteurs, and cleaners.

"Fascinating that you'd partner with a rat, but who am I to judge Fluff?" Crystal mused, shrugging. The image of a flying rat clarified how the critter had made it to the Voodoo Boys' turf. Flying certainly solved a lot of rat-related problems. What blew her away was the mental image from her hen of a sniper rifle—the shot traced from her on a building to Fluffyfeathers, then to Roundrat. The implications were staggering. Her range with Eldritch Blast was just over .7 of a mile.

"Can we recruit more?" Crystal wondered, envisioning strikes from miles away. Sgt. Fluffyfeathers promptly squashed her dreams. There was a Rule of Two in play, whatever that meant. The bitter pill of not getting an infinite-range sniper rifle built from eldritch magic was a tough one to swallow, but hey, she still had the 6th Street hunt to look forward to.

Pondering her choices for allocating Attribute and Skill points, it was clear ten was the ceiling without leveling up her Bloodline Rank. If her instincts were right, it probably bumped up two points for Commoner, Noble, and Ancient. Sovereign would double that because what self-respecting ruler offers less than their underlings?

Taking that into account, she needed to cap her stats and forge ahead. Her current build was heavily melee-focused, so leaning into that seemed like the smart move. Once she hit level Ten, the integrating range would send her lethality skyrocketing. It might be more prudent to hold onto her Attributes and only allocate Skill points.

"Let's shake things up," Crystal decided, her eyes flashing a devilish red. She channeled five points straight into Fluid Grace, transitioning from a sword-wielding warrior to a hand-to-hand combat ace. "Just as I thought," she smirked, as the sense of how to maneuver her body seamlessly expanded from hand-to-hand to swordplay. Instead of a simple addition, it was a non-linear growth that defied Euclidean boundaries.

With the pleasure of allocating points draining away, Crystal took a meditative rest to wait for deeper nightfall. Her mind drifted in peaceful bliss until midnight struck. Within the darkened trailer, a flash of two gleaming slits of darkened red appeared before being covered. Shadow Armor flowed over her form. Sgt. Fluffyfeathers turned from a white feathered being into one of shadows and darkness. Flying was merely an act of thought for the hen, and she took to the air like a bird born to it. Even though standard chickens couldn’t fly, it was proof of her superiority.

Crystal swiftly exited the trailer before starting a light jog towards the Rancho Cornado, North lights.

Crystal slipped into the 6th Street territory like a shadow, her footfalls soundless and her silhouette no more than a fleeting mirage. Every back alley and dim-lit corner, every fire escape and drainage pipe were her playground. Her eyes glinted like blood-clad embers, taking in the territory's anatomy, assessing its pulse, and sensing the streets' heartbeat.

6th Street was an urban fortress. High-rise buildings loomed over her like watchful sentinels, their decaying frames adorned with surveillance cameras and armed patrols. Checkpoints were dotted along key junctions while snipers waited atop the crow's nests of decrepit buildings, their scopes glinting ominously in the night. The entire district was like a war zone.

Crystal moved stealthily through the labyrinth, leaving no trace of her presence. A pair of guards loitering outside a gun shop were her first targets. Silently, she drew her dark blade dagger, their blade reflecting the no light, an indifferent glint in her eyes. She surged forward, a blur of motion in the grimy darkness.

With ruthless precision, she slid her blade into the gaps in their body armor, severing arteries and puncturing lungs. The first guard crumpled without a sound, his lifeblood pooling under him. The second only had time for a choked gasp before Crystal's blade found his heart. Two down. Clean removed all traces as their bodies were shifted into the dungeon.

Next, she turned her attention to a high-ranking officer overseeing operations from a nearby warehouse. Crystal stalked him. Her movements were fluid and catlike. With agility belying her lethal intent, she scaled the side of the warehouse, taking advantage of the shadows cast by a flickering neon sign. She reached the rooftop unnoticed, her silhouette blending seamlessly into the night sky.

Crystal was no more than a whispered secret in the wind as she shadowed the officer, her footfalls hushing the gravel rooftop beneath her boots into absolute silence. When he slipped out to savor his cigarette, Crystal appeared like a spectral apparition from the dense veil of darkness. Swift as a lightning strike, her blade cleaved the air and slit his throat in a fluid arc, severing his carotid artery. His life force misted the air in a scarlet spray, adorning the rooftop in a macabre mosaic of impending death. His eyes bulged in silent terror, clutching vainly at his throat, groping for breath that would never come. Third one down, her tally grew. Utilizing the Clean cantrip, she erased every trace of the unfortunate encounter, following the same rigorous method of body disposal she had perfected over time.

With an ethereal grace, she slipped into the office, bypassing the electronic sentinels effortlessly. On her signal, Sgt. Fluffyfeathers, her trusty therapy hen, descended onto the officer’s computer. In the room's silence, they orchestrated a symphony of digital infiltration, the clandestine melody of her feathered accomplice weaving its way into the depths of the 6th Street network.

Just as she had dealt with the Voodoo Boys, Fluffyfeathers left behind a net of insidious logic bombs, snares, and viruses, primed to cripple the enemy at her command. The effectiveness of her digital trap hinged on the competence of the adversary Netrunners.

Crystal's night unfolded like a deathly ballet, her lithe form dancing through the maze of shadows, leaving a wake of death in her path. A silenced gladius halted a conversation in a dim alleyway; a precise thrust silenced an officer in the sanctuary of a secure room; a calculated plunge from a fire escape extinguished the life of a lone patroller.

By the break of dawn, Crystal had swept through the whole 6th Street territory like a spectral apparition, weaving a tale of blood and shadow. She had scrutinized the key defenses, recorded the patrol patterns, and, most significantly, fueled her surge in power. As her level jumped, the announcement blinked: 0/7160.

Level Up!

5 Attribute Points gained!

5 Skill Points gained!

Warlock Level Gained!

One with all Shadows passive acquired!

Final Cantrip slot acquired!

Feats opened with three slots available!

Crystal slid into a waiting Delmain cab, brushing off the exhaustive information flood. As she wearily leaned into the plush seat, she sent the meticulously constructed layout to Padre with Sgt. Fluffyfeathers' help. The hen clucked in clear annoyance, feeling the strain of her efforts. "Hang in there, Fluff," Crystal soothed, her voice a silky murmur on their private spiritual channel, "We're on the verge of becoming mightier than ever!"

As the cab raced through the dawning city, Crystal made the pleasurable changes and reveled in the display of her new, total status scroll:

Level Ten

Name: V (Crystal Moss)

Age: 18*

Race: Vampire

Bloodline Rank: Fledgling 2/100

Attribute Points: 10
Skill Points: 5

Warlock Level: 10

Cash: 27,000

Residence: Parque Del Mar Apartment #317

Attribute and Skills

Body 10

• Vampiric Bloodline (Annihilation) • Regenerative Might - The vampire's ability to regenerate intensifies with the progression of their Bloodline Rank. (5)

• Crystalline Bones (Athletics) • Skeleton of the Ages - The vampire's skeletal strength is augmented in correlation with their Bloodline Rank. (5)

• Vampiric Form (Street Brawling) • Flesh Shapeshifting - The vampire's physical strength increases proportionately to their Bloodline Rank. (5)

Coolness 10

• Icy Vein (Cold-Blooded) • Frostborn - With each rise in Bloodline Rank, the vampire becomes more emotionally detached. (0)

• Nocturnal Stealth (Ninjitsu) • Unseen Menace - The vampire's physical and mystical detectability diminishes as their Bloodline Rank advances. (10)

Intelligence 10

• Seraphim Insight (Breach) • Lightbearers - The vampire's capacity to process information accelerates with each advancement in Bloodline Rank. (0)

• Demonic Memory (Quickhacking) • Dark Custodians - The vampire's ability to retain memories strengthens with their Bloodline Rank. (5)

Reflexes 10

• Fluid Grace (Assault) • Artful Execution - Death becomes an art form, with the vampire's claws as the masterful tools. Their proficiency increases with practice and is limited by Bloodline Rank. (5)

• Sword Dance (Blades) • Blade Ballet - Death transforms into art, and blades become the maestro's baton. Skill enhances through practice, maxing out according to Bloodline Rank. (10)

• Hemomancy (Handguns) • Essence Drain - Death takes an artistic turn, and life drainage is the epitome. Improvement comes with practice and tops off based on Bloodline Rank. (0)

Technical Ability 0

• Blood Rites (Crafting) • Hematological Rituals - The path to unyielding power, escalating through practice and limited by Bloodline Rank. (0)

• Arcane Engineering (Engineering) • Blood Mana Theory - The road to limitless knowledge, progressing with practice and capped by Bloodline Rank. (0)

Eldritch Invocation Slots (5/5):

Shadow Armor
Beast Tongue

Gift of the Depths

Investiture of the Chainpact
Misty Visions

Weapon: Nanoparticle Athame (+2 Ability Score Improvements spent for Sharpening)

Spells

Cantrips: Clean, Prestidigitation, On/Off, Eldritch Blast (240 ft, 2 Beams)
1rst Level Spells: Disguise Self (Shadow Touched, Illusion School), Comprehend Languages (Fey Touched, Divination School)

2ndLevel Spell: Invisibility (Shadow Touched, Illusion), Misty Step (Fey Touched, Conjuration)

Feats: Spell Sniper (Doubles Cast Range, Cover Penetration), Shadow Touched (Grants Disguise Self, Invisibility), Fey Touched (Grants Comprehend Languages, Misty Step)

Cyberdeck Loaded with:

Angel’s Door (2m cooldown) (Angel)

Angel’s Guardian (Passive) (Angel)

Angel’s Executioner (15m cooldown) (Angel)

Sleeping Beauty (2m cooldown) (Demon)

Dark World (30s cooldown) (Demon)

Succubus’s Kiss (15m cooldown) (Demon)

Otherworldly Patron Bonuses changed to Eldritch Passives:

6thLevel Rune Eyes (Gained)

10thLevel One with all Shadows (Gained)

13thLevel Otherworld Leap

Otherworldly Arcanum Bonuses changed to Eldritch Passives:

11thDevil Sight

13th Eldritch Spear

15th Chain Master’s Whisper

17th Grave Whispering

Crystal's gaze reflected the cityscape blurring by a satisfied smirk curving her lips. She had shed the skin of insignificance, and shrugged off her status as a hapless speck in this vast urban sprawl. Oh, honey, she was no longer the ant – she was the anteater. She had blossomed into a fearsome predator, a looming nightmare waiting in the wings for those fool enough to cross her path.

In her feathery version of tough love, Sgt. Fluffyfeathers butted her head against Crystal, abruptly halting her mental victory parade. A sigh fluttered from Crystal's lips as she acquiesced to her family member’s implicit demand. Resigned to a peaceful interlude, she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position, intent on stealing a quick catnap before the end of their ride.