[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc was silent, eyes darting over directly towards Firefly after her comment and declaration of interest.  Head tilted slightly, it did not take a moment of magesight to determine that she was curious, cybernetic eyes scanning the girl curiously.  Asking for ownership of a certain very expensive piece of tech right out the gate?  She's either confident or crazy.  Both are good  For a moment, the tension seemed to rise as the rigger seemed to mull it over, until she broke out into a wide grin and gave a shrug.

"Think there was some translation lost, omae, but we find a good deck in that place, it's yours.  IF we find one.  Bear in mind this place is supposed to be a street gang's kitchen for cooking up a certain drug.  THAT was the sample I was aiming at, ya feel me?  But you said they had tech, so by that, chances would be pretty high, eh?"

Shrugging again, the girl leaned back in the seat, head falling back to rest against the back of the seat as she closed her eyes for a moment, suppressing a low yawn and trying not to betray just how tired she felt.  "Man..."  "Aight.  I will be asking for something from you directly though in exchange for that, eh?  Think in the next day or so you can dig up some info on these Green Goblins?  I can check my sources as well, we'll put heads together, see what pieces fall out, amirite?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

At Arc's response I nod enthusiastically.  Finding information is what I do for the Yak.  Adding whatever Arc wants to the shopping list shouldn't a problem at all.  I've heard enough about these Green Goblins in the conversation that I have enough to start with.  It's my first chance to impress these people with my real skills and by Allah I will come through!

Although maybe after some sleep.

Arcs yawn is infectious and I find myself with my mouth wide open even as I settle back down after expressing my assent.  I've been up eighteen hours and I'm still dealing with the mana backwash from my lesson earlier.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer before Arc calls it a night, but i certainly won't be the first one to suggest it.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena notes that several of those present are either yawning or trying to avoid it.  She finishes putting the rifle back together into its main parts and carefully places them in the case.  Shutting and locking it, she moves to Arc.  "Srui.  All tired from long day.  Yelena need sleep.  Arc need sleep.  Arc go home rigger man.  Say words of love and get rest.  Work with new gang later."  Yelena nods to the others, giving Firefly a bit of a longer look, then goes off to the bedroom for a well-deserved sleep.  All in all it was not a bad day.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I decide that despite Lexi being our leader, as the oldest I was in my right to direct the youngsters off to bed.  Anyway, there were even younger kids on our team than I had realized when i signed up.  If Lexi wanted to arrange shifts, that was fine.  But we needed to get moving to ensure everyone got at least a modicum of rest.  One advantage of the proximity of the winter solstice was that at last the nights were long.  It might be cold and wet, but if a cozy and dry space could be sound there would be darkness.

Not wanting us to outstay our welcome with the adults, I coax Bootstrap and Lexi out into the night.  I note the long look I get from the elf and wonder just what is passing through her mind.  I don't get the sense that I messed up more than should be expected of a kid, but who knows what someone like that thinks.  I certainly don't.  Someday I'd like to know...but again that day is not today.

I wonder if I'll end up back home tonight or not?

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc blinked twice, looking up briefly at Yelena at her suggestion of sleep, cheeks flushing a bit at the suggestion of sleep.  Shaking it off, she gave a little nod, hand darting up to catch the Russian by the arm before she left.  "...thanks, Srui'ken.  For everything.  Get in touch with me tomorrow?". Her voice was quiet, but the human let go of her arm and gave a nod, running her left hand through her hair before leaning forward and addressing her team.

"She's right. It's late and after last night I'm pretty best myself.  Thank y'all for being in on this drek.  Here's my comm if ya need to contact me.  Rabbit, you did good.  Here's what i promised ya for what you and yours did to this point... ." standing up, the mechanic stretched her back a little before slotting a feedstock, loading it with an even 600 nuyen before helping the others out, swinging the garage door open.  " Need a lift?  I'm heading elsewhere anyway...". She then pointed to the car parked on the side of the street, a sleek looking black Americar with four doors.

for the ride, Arc was mostly silent, but ready to answer any questions, and dropped them off a few blocks away.  "Best they dint see the car, just in case.  Less suspicion that way n drek.".  Regardless of whether or not they were dropped off there or elsewhere, Arc's final destination was the same: Jaime's place, her home away from home.  And this time, at a more reasonable hour, the girl finding her Vrukart in bed, but not quite asleep yet.  Her emotions of the standoff earlier let loose, she practically pinched on the man, forestalling her waking time for several precious and memorable moments before finally succumbing to a blissful, resting sleep in the other's arms, not yet worrying about the days to come...

[ismilealot]

@ Marco. The Lady comms you, >>Marco, I have the list. But, it is nine people in seven agencies and a computer. I feel that this method will be to slow despite your considerable skills and generosity. I'm working on a politician of my acquaintance to try and bypass all this. But, they are very accustomed to seduction of all types. Far easier to get a theif to steal the permissions than to get a politician to be a benefactor in a non-election year. Still, I'm new to this country. I know a politician and seek to work within the system.  So, I try this and perhaps there will be a way you can help. I will hope. <<                                                                                    

[ismilealot]

@ Jed  Snowden looks at you frowning, puzzled. "It was mathematically imprecise!" He begins getting slightly agitated at your disapproval. You recall the spartan surroundings of his home. And the geometrical prescion. Hoo-Boy. I would have put it in the hall. But the door was locked. But, the balcony wasn't locked." He says pointing. "But, I only put the bar and the second bed there. And the two chairs in Jacobian style. Jacobian always has dust. And the painting with the Gothic Renaissance theme. The ratios in the background were incorrect and the frame had dust." He looks at you and straightens up, "I fixed it! Now everything is placed exactly in Fibinacci ratios." He's looking at you desperately seeking approval.

Closing your eyes and pinching your nose you access your bank account knowing the jobs aren't going to pay to replace all of this. And you are relieved to find that your cred is at least positive. The 13,125 from the Ancients will allow you to pay Escher and Ambrose  and still have 1,107. With that you can afford a cab to get Snowden out of here double quick time before he does any more damage.

[ismilealot]

@ Yelena  You get into bed to find something cold and hard in there. It's a dagger. Nicolai. You lost the equipment to decode it long ago. And dead to the Vory as you thought you were. You had not sought to replace it. But, the equipment is not hard to replace, nor expensive. It's a matter of does it need done tonight?

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena locks up and goes to bed, hoping for a nice sleep.  Sadly, such is not to be the case as she finds the dagger in the sheets.  *Nikolai Fyodorovich.  What did you leave me?  I cannot read this thing any more.  Frag.**  She calls Mike again.  >>Mike.  Is Yelena.  Need more help.  Have coded dagger.  Not know code.  Yelena need contact with Vory to get.  PI man can make happen?<<  There is nothing she can do about it tonight so she crawls into bed and goes to sleep.

She awakens and feels refreshed, looking forward to the day.  Her comm has a message and she plays it during her short shower.  Marco sounds like he needs to talk.  As she dresses, she sends a response.  >>Marco.  Is Yelena.  Meet for breakfast?  Say where and when.<<  She hopes Mike calls back soon as she is sure that the dagger means something. 

[ismilealot]

@ Marco for Blake  >>Marco, Arc tells me you weren't able to attend the meeting because of work. I can respect that. But, I can tell you honestly that in order to continue working, Stewart, your Sam's plan, I can't do it without you. I'm not going to lie. This world is dangerous. But, it's not less dangerous by quitting. It's just hiding until the danger overtakes you. And these people will absolutely overtake you. I can tell you that your part in this job was Sam's part. And it's the job that actually poses the least danger as we could never afford to lose him. And we are still looking for him. Both through official channels and far more effective unofficial channels. The best decker on the planet is also Sam's oldest friend. The best Ghost you will ever meet has officially taken a leave of absense in order to look for him. We will find him. And we will complete this job for him. And when we do it'll be because of everything he taught all of us and the resouces he put into place. And one of those resources is you. ShadowSong tells me that he's been grooming you to replace him for over a year. That you are the best and brightest he's ever seen. And whether you believe it or not, I know he's never tried to groom a replacement. So, you can quit now. Or, you can do one job. One job to see if his faith in you was correct. And, while I know that if you do it it'll be to find out for yourself if you can become even more. I can also say that as this job calls for you to be a filthy rich lawyer. I can offer you the clothes and at least enough cred to look and act the part. Sam was a cheap bastard. But, in order to do this job I can't afford to be.<<

[ismilealot]

@ Yelena  Mike's comm is swift and welcome, >>Yes. Tell me where to pick it up or where you want to drop it off.<<

[ismilealot]

@ Subaru  The ride from Arc is short. Lexi pipes up and says, "Here Mtlgurl." Arc nods and pulls over. Dropping y'all off near a raucous bar on one side and a Stuffer Shack on the other. Lexi goes to the Stuffer shack and buys enough food for three people with the cred Arc gave her for the job. Then she and Bootstrap lead you through the streets for another 20 minutes until they return to the warehouse. Once she's there she goes to the positions of each of the remaining watchers whispering, "Pay!" She splits the food six ways so that you each get some and the others devour theirs quickly and happily. Then she says, "All need sleep and watch. Hotspot on caf bar. Firefly and HoppyBunny first. NoShow and Bootstrap. Rabbit and FlyingSquirrel." All of them nod as she gives the instructions to each. Then you find that the small face you saw peaking out at Rabbit's back is connected to the thin body of a girl who looks to be about nine. She leads you almost silently to the top of a nearby 24hr caf bar. Although the steady business done in the alley behind the bar shows the real reason why it's still open in this neighborhood. Still, it has a couple of vents in the roof to get rid of the heat from the kitchen. And the roof is weak. It keeps bowing under you, you have a feeling that's why there's no one else there. Because it really wouldn't take the weight of someone heavier than 35-40k. You hear a pop under your foot when you step. Hopefully take the weight. But, the small girl pulls out a small dirty blanket and curls up near the vent to sleep. Her even breathing telling you she's out almost immediately.

[Mercy Merchant]

Ginny wakes up and stretches languorously.  She feels..............more.  More of everything.  More alive, more desired, more.  Mainly more alive.  Her body hums with the remnants of the sexual energy expended the night before.  Is this what love is?  Perhaps.  Maybe.  If so, it is great and she looks back at her life and regrets all the missed opportunities of her university days.  All those nights in the sorority house when she blew off the advances of her roommates and their friends.  On one level, the sexual explosion last night had been so real, but on the other she knows that it was really Marco she was making love to, not Marta.  The shell he used was real enough, but it did not change the fundamental fact that she had been making love to a man and had thoroughly enjoyed it.  Enjoyed it?  Frag, it had been the best, most exciting night of her life.  Her arm pats the bed where Marta should be and finds empty space.

Hearing the shower running, she slips out of the bed and pads over to the bathroom.  God, she had never, ever, done anything like this.  Or even wanted to.  Even just imagining slipping into a shower with a man is sending small shockwave of tingles through her body.  Unable to even consider not doing it, Ginny opens the shower door and steps in, wrapping her arms around the naked man.  "God, Marco.  You are so much more than I could have ever expected.  You have opened my eyes to so much in only one day.  I love what you have done to me.  My body is so alive.  I feel sexy and sensuous.  In some way, you have healed me and I was not even aware that I was sick.  I want to experience sex with you, I want to experience life with you.  I don't care what the future is anymore because I am not afraid.  Somehow I just know that you will help make things alright."  Ginny rubs her chest against Marco's back and loves the sensation of him against her hardening nipples.  She wraps her arms around him and pulls him close to her, reveling in the feel of his skin against her.  Dropping a hand, she begins stroking him and is amazed that she can have this kind of effect on a man.  The hardness of his arousal excites more than she had thought possible and she moves around him, dropping to her knees.  She looks up at his face.  "Let me do this."  She takes him into her mouth and enjoys the sensation.  Her body quivers in excitement as she realizes that such an act would have been completely foreign to her just yesterday.  She moves off him and says, "Tell me if I am doing this right.  I want to please you.  I need to please you."  She goes back down on him and the sensation of his hardness in her mouth is almost overwhelming.  The excitement she is bringing to him is transferring to her and suddenly the need to please him becomes as strong a need to please herself.  She had been coerced into oral sex twice before but it had been very unsatisfactory and her partners had just ended it and fucked her, telling her she was wasting their time.  But now.....but now it is different.  She can tell by the way Marco moans that she is doing it right.  His hand reaches for her head and pushes her onto him, making sure that she does not stop.  As if she had any intention of doing so.   His explosive climax is presaged by a large moan from him.  The taste of it is almost sublime and she tries to swallow all of it, but some gets lost in the shower water, a waste.  Still, the experience is so..........perfect.  His explosive release set up a similar volcanic reaction in her.  Her climax would have sent her to her knees if she were not already there.  Her core is rocked.  It is some moments before she stands and embraces Marco.  "Thank you.  Just, thank you.  Can you take me back to bed and teach me more how to be a woman.  With you, I feel that I can do anything.  And I want to do everything.  My body is thrumming in anticipation and I need you."

[Shaman_Yuri]

If I don't keep busy, there's no way I'll stay awake.

From the looks of it, I'm watching solo this shift. 

Looking at the peaceful little girl asleep on her threadbare blanket, huddling close to the vent for warmth in the cold Seattle night, I can't begrudge her the rest.  Given what she's living on, keeping vigil in this vile weather must be an incredible strain.  What for me just now was a snack must for her have been a feast fit for a queen.  It's no wonder she's out like a light.

I sidle close to the edge of the roof, both in the hopes the structural support will be better there and also to keep watch over the warehouse.  I find a position comfortable enough that I can maintain it but not so pleasant that I will doze off.  I realize that in many ways I'm the perfect lookout right now.  As long as I'm stationary, I won't make noise.  And from here I can keep watch in meatspace by the glare of the handful of streetlights in the area, in astral space, and in AR.  I do a quick visual and astral survey.  Nothing at all with my eyes.  Astral shows for the most part they're asleep too.  A few watchers are hanging around entrances, but nothing that's a threat to us tonight.  I make a note of their watch pattern so that I can share with Arc tomorrow.

I then switch to AR.  I scan the warehouse and the surroundings just in case I see anything unexpected in virtual space.  Nothing as I suspected.  I keep to AR so that I can watch the warehouse in meatspace, but off to the side I start moving myself to do searches.  These Green Goblins.  I wonder what I can find about the Green Goblins of the Redmond Barrens.  My initial search brings up a bunch of drek about some villain in a 20th Century comic book called Spider Man.  Once I sort out that chaff, I find some interesting leads.  It'll take a while to examine each of them in AR, but I have plenty of time...

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods when Mike's massage comes across.  >>Quick work.  Yelena thank.  Will call when free.<<  She calls up a new number and sends a text.  >>Firefly.  Is Razrgrl.  Have test for you.  Dagger with code.  Firefly want try crack code?  Say where when meet.<<

She finishes dressing and holsters the pistol before hauling the Scorpion out of the garage and firing up the engine to go meet Marco.