Colin MacGregor

Colin strolled down the corridor, no longer the nervous newcomer to Orpheus, but possessed with a confidence born of experience. Happy with his reputation as a bit of a maverick but damn good at his job, he was now, finally, in the works for a formal crucible assignment.

Although he'd done a lot of good work as a sort of free agent, skipping from one crucible to another as they needed his skill set, he was looking forward to being part of a regular group, and the bond that he had seen inevitably form among others.

I'll miss meetin' all the new agents, gettin' tae learn their styles, but I ha'e tae admit I've learned a lo' tha' way. And judging from wha' I've seen, it'll be worth i'.

The Hue turned from watching TV, some sports recap of American football. "Morning, Colin. What are you up to?"

He shrugged. "Kate wanted me tae observe some o' the new trainees since I'll be takin' one o' em out for a cake walk mission."

"Hey, that's pretty cool. You know which one?" Ryan grinned. "It's not that hottie from Alabama is it?"

Colin burst out laughing. "I dinnae know ye'. I'm jus' afraid it'll be a disaster. Ha'e ye seen this latest batch? I've seen drones with be'er control of their horrors."

Ryan smirked. "Well, we do need to give the meat some slack. All those messy bodily functions are distracting after all."

Opening his mouth to reply, Colin snapped it shut as Kate walked in wtih a frown. She picked up a coffee mug and began filling it from the carafe on the counter. "Give them time, Agent MacGregor."

She turned an evil looking half grin on him. "I don't exactly remember you being the shining example of your horrors when you first came to Orpheus, either. Nor being on time for training sessions. And do I need to mention the juggernaut incident?"

With an exaggerated cough, Colin assumed an innocent expression. "I figured ou' the basics pre'y well on me own. Can hardly blame me for tha' broken table when I did nay e'en know I could juggernaut."

"And as far as bein' on time, punctuality is highly overrated. Besides," he leaned forward and mock whispered with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "I am the late Colin MacGregor."

"Well, I figured I needed tae get tha' ou' o' the way." Colin was grinning ear to ear now.

"Just try to be on time for the training mission assignments this afternoon. Now, if you'll excuse me." Kate headed back out the door while Colin turned a hurt expression on her.

"Aye, but who's counting?" The young ghost stuck his head out of the door to shout down the hallway at her.

Colin just grinned and left it at that. "Morning, Sheryl," he nodded to the young brunette skimmer passing by in the hallway.

She smiled back and waved. "Morning, sweetie. See you at the assignments this afternoon?"

Colin nodded. "Aye, jus' hope I don' ge' stuck with Gregory." He rolled his eyes. "I dinnae know what his problem is."

She grimaced. "Yeah, that whole attitude of his is really disturbing. You know Kate's going to pair him with a PLE, though. Try and get him over that 'disperse first, ask questions later' perspective."

"I know." Colin sighed. "And she hates me, so she probably figures tha' whether he shoots me or I bring him around, she comes ou' ahead."

Sheryl giggled and clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I hate it when I do that!"

"Aw, stop it." She blew him a kiss. "Allright, hon, I need to run. See you this afternoon!"

Back in the lounge, Colin plopped on the couch, where Ryan was smirking at him. "You must have been a real ladykiller in school. You get half the cheerleaders with that accent?"

Colin winced. "Nay, somehow I never was able tae talk to 'em when i' mattered. Now tha' I'm dead, and nay go' the meat tae do anythin' abou' i', they bluidy well line up, don' they?" He grinned wryly. "Speaking o' hittin' on people, ye comin' tae the Masquerade tonight? Oakenfold is spinnin'."

"Oh, hey, I love him!" Ryan's eyes lit up. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Plus we can scare the bejeezus out of the pigment users."

Snickering, Colin did a rough imitation of Kate's usual imperious tone. "O' course, we're both model employees and would nay e'er do anythin' ou' o' accordance wi' company policies."

"All righ', lad, I need tae get goin'. Go' a quick session wi' Marcus before picking up assignments this afternoon."

"Laters, kid." Ryan turned back to the TV. "Find me when you're ready to hit the club. I'll be here, since I'm banned from the locker rooms."

October 11, 2003

Colin dropped down on the couch in the lounge and grinned at Ryan. "Tha' was too much fun las' night. I ne'er though' tha' the bartender would run wi' tha' whole 'Cocktail' bottle juggling routine once I go' him started on i'."

"And he was hot. I so would have gone for him when I was in my meat. And you can really dance - not just that jig you do, either."

"Tis in me blood, lad. Managed tae do a bi' o' good, too. I think we may ha'e scared tha' one pigment lass off the stuff for good."

"Turned ye intae a raving, leering, dirty, dead ol' man?" Colin snickered as Ryan grabbed a pillow and swung it at him, passing harmlessly through his form. The Hue snorted, but grinned anyway.

"By the way, what did you whisper to that red head in the tank top to get her to dance with you? And without manifesting?"

Colin shrugged. "I jus' said hello, tae see i' she could hear me. I though' she migh' be sensitive."

"And so I was." A woman's voice startled both ghosts and they turned to see a neatly dressed woman with red hair in curls standing in the doorway. "Little did I know that when I met one of my future co-workers he'd be a PLE hitting on me at a bar."

Silly grin in place, Colin stood and waved. "I suppose i's nay been the equivalent o' a formal introduction. Agent Colin MacGregor. And me friend there in the snickering fit be Ryan McNaughton, another agent."

The newcomer stepped into the room with a crisp stride and offered her hand. Before Colin could say anything, she closed her fist and dropped it to her side. "Sorry, I forgot. Tires you out to keep manifesting for things like that."

Colin grinned and nodded. "Aye, glad ye remembered. Some folks ge' offended when I nay shake their hand."

"I'm Elizabeth Vance." She gave a half bow to both ghosts. "Just completing my initial training with Orpheus."

Ryan shook his head as he recovered from his laughing fit. "Dude, I warned you. My foreboding was telling me that we would meet someone we might have to deal with in the future."

Colin shot him a dirty look. "I notice ye always seem tae bring up these forebodings af'er the fac'. Besides, I dinnae think Liz minded the attention." He smiled at the woman.

Liz returned with a lazy smile of her own. "Incidentally," she cocked an eyebrow at Colin. "I don't think your behavior at the club was quite in line with company policy. Regulations state that PLEs employed by Orpheus shall not engage in unauthorized hauntings or posessions without prior permission of the company."

Smile frozen in place, Colin spoke out of the side of his mouth. "On the o'er hand, ye really need tae le' me know these future warnin's much earlier, lad."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for tha' bartenders behavior, lass." Colin waved one hand in a considering gesture. " He was prob'ly trying tae impress ye. And the o'er six girls drooling o'er him."

Ryan nodded quickly. "I've certainly done stupider things to impress a guy. And you don't have to impress men that much to get them into bed." He grinned at Elizabeth, who rolled her eyes.

"Now, of course, I couldn't do anything if I did manage to impress them." Ryan gave an exaggerated sigh of despair, and Colin snorted.

"Haven't you heard?" A new voice joined the conversation as Marcus floated in through the ceiling to perch on the arm of the couch. "Banshees generally are depressing. It's what they do." The goateed ghost grinned at all of them. "End of the world this, explosion that. Just do what I do and go terrorize some cows. There's something about a cow's reaction to manifesting that cheers me up every time."

Colin laughed, and even Liz looked amused. Ryan turned a grin on the dark haired spook and said "Marcus, you're a freak. Gotta love it.

"As far as being depressing, I get over it with this thought: Even dead I am prettier than most people in this city."

Colin and Marcus both snickered while Liz smiled indulgently. "And obviously modesty is only one of your many virtues.

"And it's not like the flesh is paradise", Liz pontificated. "It certainly isn't hell, but from what I'm learning, there are amazing things that can be done when you're operating on the first extra-planar level. I have to say I'm rather eager to test out the technology."

The three ghosts exchanged an incredulous look. "Lass, we may ha'e come tae terms wi' wha' we are, bu' I dinnae think any o' us would turn down the chance to ha'e our lives back."

"He's right Liz", Ryan chimed in. "Until you're dead and can't access the flesh, you don't know how great a thing it truly is."

"Granted", Marcus began in what Ryan and Colin recognized as his lecture mode. "There are advantages. We don't have to eat, sleep, get sick, or generally deal with any of the other routine nuisances. But they're right. Don't knock it, at least you've still got the choice."

"And there is tha' o'er nifty ability, as well." Colin grinned at Ryan as he walked through the sofa.

"By the way, Liz, is that Ralph Lauren? I modeled for him, you know." Ryan smiled as he looked more closely at her skirt.

"Of course. One of my many stunning features." Ryan smirked and struck a modeling pose.

Liz shook her head and smiled indulgently, then turned back to the youngest of the three ghosts. "Colin, I understand you must feel, oh, cheated in some respects. Maybe that's why you can bridge the divide, but you didn't miss much. There's pain, helplessness, frustration...you name it. Sometimes they outweigh the good things."

Colin chuckled wryly, but then turned a serious expression to Liz. "I'd take all the pain and frustration in the world for one day living again, lass. "

He lapsed into silence for a moment, and the others with him, all lost in thought.

"Och, listen tae me!" Colin suddenly burst out with a roll of his eyes. "Getting all serious and moody. Sorry, Liz, jus' easily depressed this time o' year."

Marcus gave him a thumbs up. "That's the spirit. It gets better with time. You're all, living or dead, here because you're strong of spirit. Use your talents and embrace 'Your so-called afterlife'. It's better than moving on to oblivion, that's for sure."

"Ye'll get no argument from me on tha' score, Marcus." Colin shuddered. "Which I'm sure ye'll find a pleasan' change", he finished with a grin.

"Now, I think we have a class to get to, Colin. See you two later!" Marcus gave a half salute to Liz and Ryan before dropping through the floor.

Colin rolled his eyes. "Aye, I'll catch up wi' ye bo' later. Ye still owe me a dance, lass." With a wink at the redhead, he disappeared as well.

DON'T LOOK BACK

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Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen

Chapter 3 - New Faces

October 10, 2003

October 11, 2003