Uriel's Plotlines

Istanbul Smith
From the moment they met, there was a sexual tension between Midori and Istanbul Smith. Both worked around it in wary fashion, since Izzy is not a confident fellow in social settings, and Midori can be quite direct and intimidating, but has her own concerns—with her vast natural strength, she has accidentally damaged people before. After several weeks of tentative 'courtship,' which included jogging together and Izzy feeling out the waters and Midori restraining herself, she finally jumped him.
    Outside observers were unsure whether the relationship is just a mutual release of passion, or if there was an actual foundation there. The passion continues for several months, with Izzy getting warnings from Lazarus concerning potential dangers. Finally, Midori accidentally discovers what Lazarus and Levinson already knew: that Izzy is an Alpha class variant with metal molding powers. She stares at him ass if he were an abomination and stalks out. Izzy fears for his life, and Midori refuses to discuss it with anyone.
    Currently, she is still speaking to him only circumstances demand it, despite Izzy's later attempts to reopen communication. It is clear that Midori feels betrayed, but lacks anyone in particular on which she can safely to vent her aggression. In the period just after the break up, Midori became more violent as Uriel, especially when dealing with Variant opponents. This is, of course, more violent than her original 'Violence against Variants' level, which was high to begin with. It is shortly after these events that Apollyon removes secondary tactical command from Uriel and gives it Zachriel.

The Crystal Dragons
Finding a reason to stay in Los Angels, Midori opens a branch of Olafson Landscaping, cashing in on the growing Asian influence in the city. She throws herself into the office and the hiring and staff, and quickly receives her first offer. The Takimani Corp wants her to design the interior part of their new complex. Only one thing that concerns her: they're offering her 10 times what she should be paid. When she contacts her parents for advice, she discovers that her mother has just returned to Japan to see her ailing grandparents.
    Midori accepts the assignment, after making very certain that there are no unexpected clauses or stipulations in the contract. While working on it, she realizes that she is being carefully watched by members of the Takimani Corp security, specifically a small wizened Japanese executive. She has two of her brothers, the twins Ari and Akira, come down from Seattle to help. Finally she discovers that her mother and grandparents are missing.
    After several weeks of fruitless searching, she is confronted by her current employers ­ actually part of the Crystal Dragon Yakuza clan. It seems that her mother was once on of their assassins, trained by the westerner Luther Kensington. When she left the clan she was Kensington's apprentice and Kensington apparently died thereafter. The Crystal Dragon's agreement with Kensington was that he could have Midori's mother in exchange for one of her children. They insist Kensington is alive, the contract is valid, and Midori will work for them.
    She leaves their offices, knowing that she is still being followed, and makes contact with the Host. She loses her followers and convenes with the rest of the team, telling them of her current troubles. She is unprepared for the intense reaction from Lazarus, who, it seems, has had dealing with Kensington in the past. The Host leads an assault on the Takimani corporation buildings, finding and rescuing Mrs. Olafson. In this they are aided by AriAki, whose powers prove useful for defeating the little Japanese man, actually an extremely powerful and sophisticated robot, as was the "Luther Kensington" they produced.
    The Crystal Dragons disappeared like smoke in the wake of this incident, presumably reassessing their strategies, while Midori completes her assignment for Takamani, all under the veneer of extreme civility that is the hallmark of Crystal Dragon dealings. They will no doubt return, but how?

AriAki
Midori has a second variant problem: a series of asides reveals that he youngest brothers, the twins Ari and Akira, have variant powers. They can merge they bodies into a single unit, doubling their mass and squaring their strength. They are practicing this up in Seattle before they are called down to LA to help their sister.
    When the pair use their abilities in the attack on Takamani, they are noticed by the Crystal Dragons, who, we see in asides, abandon their desire to take Midori and set their sites on claiming the young variants for their own. Their plans have not yet moved forward.

Chandler Prentice
Upon discovering the full nature of her mother's past and the foe she shares with Lazarus, Midori insists on becoming involved with this mystical battle. Forcing her way into a meeting between Lazarus and her mother, she meets the third member of the Cabal, Chandler Prentice. Prentice offers her a way to be useful in this fight. He will bond her as a familiar, giving her physical and mystical enhancements for the duration, if she acts as his body guard. Midori rushes to agree, and is taken aback when she discovers the price: if Prentice dies while she is bonded to him, she dies as well.
    Too deep to get out now, she works with Prentice (detective, illuminator and manhunter) and the pair enter Los Angeles' magical underground. Kensington, it seems, has no physical form, but is a ghost in the Twilight. They find that Kensington's plans are somehow involved with the Mayan leaders Señor Q and the Frog Prince. Their investigations bring them center stage into the conflict between the two, which Prentice realizes that Kensington is somehow manipulating from the Twilight.
    After the death of Kensington (again), Chandler frees Midori from the familiar bond, and she swears off having anything to do with mages or magic again. Midori's mother feels that's for the best, as she simply lacks the spiritual aptitude. Mrs. Olafson returns to Seattle at the end of the affair.

   

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