[gilga]

Marco said, “Ginny you are amazing and I hoped that you had it in you. You moved so far in just a day. We should celebrate it and be happy. If I treated you nicely and told you what you wanted to hear, you me and Dr. Kwashgiri were having a threesome tonight. You wouldn’t like it. It would have taken part of your soul and destroy it forever. Especially since he would get the job you wanted the very next day. You’d have no dignity and no job, was that really what you wanted with your life?

Can’t you see that I really like you? Since we met, you are the only thing on my mind.  I do not want you desperate and dependent on me. I want you to be all that you can be. I want you to be happy. Maybe once you have a job you will not want me anymore. Maybe we discover that we have nothing in common and it will never work between us. But right here and right now, I really like you, you really like me and you only have three days in the city. Do you really want to separate right now?
Because I will be happier to enjoy what little time we have together.“

[Shaman_Yuri]

Realizing my error, I decide to show OohRah how to shake hands.  Reaching out a little more to take hers in a handshake I explain, "This is a way people meet new people outside the Barrens."  Once I'm done with the demonstration, I take my hand back and think a moment.  "I think we should check on a few things before we do anything.  They still don't seem to know Rabbit's in there, so until we have a plan the best thing to do is to lay low.  Let me see what Metalgirl says and I also want to see if I can find anything about who might be the Goblins' friends.  Trust me, everyone," I say looking particularly at Hoppy, "we're not leaving Rabbit in there any longer than we have to."

I jack into my Erika as I turn to Bootstrap.  "Take Hoppy and me back up to the rooftop we watched from last night.  I'm giving Metalgirl a call while we move and from the roof you and I can both see what is visible by magic."  Before we leave, I turn to Oohrah.  "You and SliderSeven make sure not to be seen no matter what.  if you see any more of these new goons, come up and let me know whatever you see.  No matter how little it might be."

As Bootstrap, Hoppy and I make our way topside I make a call to Arc through my Erika.  "Metalgirl, we have a problem..."

[Shaman_Yuri]

When Subaru reaches the roof and makes sure her body is protected and safe, she'll drop into astral and assense the warehouse looking for any sign of Rabbit's familiar signature as well as anything else different from last night when she last looked the place over.

[spoiler]Assense: 6d6t5: 0 [6d6t5=1, 4, 3, 4, 1, 2]

No glitch, but still not good... :-([/spoiler]

[SgtBoomCloud]

The evening....was great.  Tessa got to reply enjoy herself to say the least.  If anything, her only worry was that she wouldn't be fitting into her jeans if she kept having dinner at this family's home, which is a surprisingly trivial thing given Arc's nature...almost silly.  Not long after the girls had gone up to do homework that Jaime and Tessa opted to say their goodbyes, Henri promising to work up his designs in the next couple of weeks.  Hopping in the car, Tessa drove on manual and autopilot through the streets across the district to Jaime's place, ready to finish today with a real bang...

And then Arc's commlink went off.  The ID of the call registered as Firefly.   Drek....Arc could literally feel her expression drop as she looked over at Jaime, her pout and guilty look on her face as readable as a Trix article...something was up.  After a moment, she heaved a sigh and grabbed his hand, squeezing it before responding to the call.

"Arc here...talk to me Firefly, there shouldn't be drek going down...". Again she took a glance at her vruk, genuine worry on her face...

[Shaman_Yuri]

I cringe at Arc's tone of voice, imagining I'm inconveniencing her terribly.  But I know I'm right to do so and that she'd be far more vexed with me if I didn't bring her in on this.

But right now that doesn't make me feel any better.

"I wouldn't be calling you like this if it wasn't urgent, Arc-sensei," I begin with proper deference.  "About an hour ago six more goons arrived at the warehouse.  They weren't wearing Goblin colors and all wore masks.  They were let in and since then the guards have been doubled.  If it was just that, I'd have waited until tomorrow to let you know since it wasn't like we'd do anything about it tonight.  But Rabbit was in there when the new toughs showed up.  We don't think she's been caught, but she's overdue and may well be trapped in there."

By the time I'm done relaying this via mental text in AR, my body has arrived on the roof and I can get my first view of the warehouse from the bird's eye...

[ismilealot]

@ Subaru. The warehouse and it's surrounding environs are in almost complete darkness. Working streetlights are almost unknown in the Barrens, and what little moonlight cuts through the smog doesn't illuminate much. Subaru is at a good vantage point to see two windows on the second floor that are illuminated. And judging by the shadows that sometimes move across them there are definitely people in there, but, that's all she can tell. But, once she calls her spirit to sense in the Astral things go from bad visibility to impossible. The mana that is indicative of life is suddenly dancing, spiraling, shooting off in a bold display. Everything is so intense and so intermixed Subaru can't even make out Rabbits unique signature. Beside her Hoppy is fighting hard not to fidget, a battle Bootstrap loses as he paces back and forth trying hard to get a better vantage point to see from.

@ Arc. Jaime looks at you questioning, "Something wrong babe?" When he hears your response he tries hard to hide his disappointment. "S'ok. I know you got drek what needs you sometimes." He glances away then

[ismilealot]

@ Marco. Ginny looks at you and she can't help herself. She flies into your arms. She wants all of you. And she wants it now. Her hands stroke, tease and caress and everywhere her hands go her lips and tongue follow. Your lightest touch sets her on fire and she begs you for more. She takes you right there on the couch removing just enough clothing to make it possible and then she says. "I want you on the balcony. I want to ride you with all the stars in your eyes. I want to remember how you look by moonlight every time I look at the night sky." Once she's pulled you out onto the balcony she's completely uninhibited, stripping despite the cold and possible voyeurs. Her nipples are already hard and the heat from her body everywhere it touches yours is a sharply sensual contrast from the cold. Once again she's on her knees before you, devouring you like she can't get enough. Her hands stroking and kneading every part she can possibly reach. She climaxes while she's riding you with her mouth. But it still isn't enough and she positions you against the balcony so that she can take you into her, sliding down to surround you with that part of her that demands the satisfaction only your thrusts in that hot, soft wetnes,s can give. Her head thrown back she makes no attempt to quiet her moans when she climaxes and she is radiant in that moment.

[Shaman_Yuri]

Holy drek!

I'm not very good at assensing, I know.  Magic came to me late and my education only really took off last year with grandfather when I chose to submit to Allah.  Still, I wonder if even grandfather would be able to make any sense of this?

It appears Arc is pondering all that I have told her, but I remember her mentioning that this drug she's concerned about has both mana and matrix components.  Perhaps this is her drug?  While I wait for Arc's reply I slip into AR see see what is to be seen in the virtual world...

[spoiler]Viewing the warehouse in AR: 12d6t5: 2 [12d6t5=3, 5, 4, 4, 5, 1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 1]

What gives with rolls these days?!?  Anyway, no glitch and I got some hits.  But I should have gotten four at least... >.<[/spoiler]

[ismilealot]

@ Subaru  The digital world is certain and reliable. After the kaleidoscope of her astral sight the familiarity of AR is welcome. Thisis the world she knows. No this is the world she rules.[/¡] She sees the SIN's and the 'ware. But, no Lexi. But, Lexi is SIN'less. And can't even afford a poor fake. And by the count of the SIN's and 'ware some of these are as well because she only counts ten altogether. There are ten just with visitors and bodyguards so the warehousemost certainly had more of the Goblins in there.

[Shaman_Yuri]

Dammit!  I need to go in there and figure out what the drek is happening.

"Arc-sensei," I add into the silence on the comm and explain what I just saw via magic and AR.  "Should I go astral and take a closer look at the warehouse?  Maybe find Rabbit and at least talk with her to find out where she stands?"

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc's frown deepened at Jaime's reaction... he's so easy to read for her that she doesn't have to guess his feelings.  Sighing, she activated the Americar's autopilot and let go of the wheel, her body twisting and arms darting out to grab him by the back of the head and front of his shirt, pulling him over to her to lock him into a heavy kiss, her stress converting into the occasionally seen passion she has had before.  She held there for a moment, breath coming in light and quick as she let go before she held him there, pressing her forehead to his as she trembled.

"...I know ya worryin'.  I know we talked on this, but you gotta feel me, Jaime.  This night work I'm doing...I'm not doing it to avoid you, and to be honest, if I didn't feel I needed to do sumsomethin', I'd leave it all behind.  But I do feel I need to, because if I don't, then bad things will keep happening to people who don't deserve it."

At that moment, the explanation from Firefly showed up in her vision, her eyes flaring wide as she stared at Jaime's.  "oh drek..." she mouthed quietly before composing herself.  "...and this is somethin' I need to do, because someone else is doing something for me, and is in trouble now because of it.  Her blood's on my hands if things go south, Vrukart...listen.  Your Vruken will be fine.  She took on a blood mage and couldn't be killed, remember?"  She cracked a little smile, kissing him again before letting him go, taking a seat proper at the wheel.

Chuckling, she turned onto the street of his...no, their...place.  "Swear above, man, if you like this when we have our kids, you gon' go gray faster than a devil rat on garbage day..."  Hugging the man good night for a lingering moment, she promised to check in with him and be back that night if at all possible.  As he departed, Firefly's comm message came in, the human opening a link to the decker.

"Yeah, I'm here.  This ain't good.  Sorry, was with my Vruk, couldn't speak details and he's worried as drek, heh...as for that mojo stuff, if you think you can do it.  Y'all said you didn't see any mojo slingers last time, amirite?  Sit tight, send me the coords, I'll park up a couple blocks away and meet you there.  Keep this line open..."

With that, Arc was in the car and gone, the whimsical identity of Tessa put aside for the tough Arc exterior, the stout girl swinging into gear and taking off down the street.  Fishing through the front console, she found her microtransceiver and fitted it into place on her body, linking it to the commcall and disconnecting her link, rebooting it and flipping it to silent.

Twenty minutes.  That's how long it took her to get there.  By the time Firefly saw Arc, she was out of breath from running up to her location, the human girl regretting her dinner choice as she quieted down, slipping up by the girl, her armored vest and jacket on her body, Predator at her back and a bag of gear at her hip.  "..any changes?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

It takes all my efforts to keep Hoppy and Bootstrap from rushing the place by themselves.  just sitting here watching while we wait for Metalgirl isn't making me fans, but it's the right thing to do.  I can sympathize with them.  I itch to go astral and check on Lexi right this minute, but instead I wait for backup from Arc.  When she slips up beside us on the roof it's all I can do not to hug her.

"Nothing's changed since we last talked," I answer the woman.  "I'm ready to try checking the place out myself in astral, but I wanted to wait for you first.  Assuming Rabbit is still hiding, twenty minutes didn't make much difference."  I see Arc nod and understanding lights Bootstrap's if not Hoppy's eyes.  "My plan is to go in myself.  Bootstrap, you stay here and watch for me in mojo.  If something looks like it's gone bad, tell Metalgirl but do NOT come after me for anything, you hear!"  I do my best to emphasize the point while staying in a whisper.

"If I find Rabbit, I'll let her know to stay low and that all she needs to do is sit and hide.  We have things covered out here and WILL get her out.  We just need time."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc let Firefly say her piece, nodding to each of the other younglings while the strangely dressed teen said her piece.  She gave a nod of approval, cracking a little smile as she was clearly impressed.  Her right cybernetic hand came to rest on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly before speaking up.

Barrens take care of our own, so damn straight we gettin' her out.  Do your thing, Firefly, and we'll work out our plan of action then.  I brought my bugs with me to keep eyes from above after if we need to hop in there to get her, ya heard?  Be safe, find her, and come back, aight?" taking a seat on the roof, she held out her arm for the decker.  "I'll take care of ya meatsuit, wiz Firefly?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I nod to Arc's approval.  I slip my line to my Erika out of its jack (no sense risking a 'trix attack while I'm astral) and settle myself as best I can to keep my body from cramping up while I'm out.  I let go of my senses and find myself hovering above myself looking down on my sleeping body.  It's been weeks since I left my body in astral, and months since I went very far.  I'm not very good in astral space and the risk never seemed worth it.  Not since before Mom and dad died and I was safe in training.

The risk is worth it now.  Lexi has been the best thing that happened to me since that terrible day when they arrested mama.  I owe the little urchin everything and now's payback time.  I nod to Bootstrap who is visible to me as perceiving but not projecting astrally and then head off.

Lexi would never forgive me if I wasn't sneaky as a bunny, even in "mojo" as she calls it.  Rather than fly down to the warehouse in a straight line, I look for trees and bushes.  Even large weeds.  Anything alive that can obscure my signature.  I don't stray too far from the warehouse because I don't want to draw attention from some mage not even involved in all this, but I still keep some distance as I fly from living thing to living thing.  Before long I'm making myself as small as possible in a corner of the warehouse fairly far from the lit room.  There's a large shrub here and I merge myself into its signature as best I can.  From here I try assensing the warehouse again...

[spoiler]Assensing from ground level: 6d6t5: 0 [6d6t5=4, 1, 4, 1, 1, 2]

Dear God what is it with Orokos!  Still not a glitch, but this makes zero assensing hits and five zeroes with twelve dice over two rolls.  Gah!!![/spoiler]

[ismilealot]

@ Subaru. As you slip into the Astral the world goes silent. The quiet sounds of the night disappear as your consciousness leaves your body and the world of magic and mana manifest themselves. To say that sight is different in this world is an understatement. Nothing is sharp and clear like the meatspace world.  Instead it glows. Mtlgurl is shadowed from her many pains. And her right arm is missing, her eyes dark lifeless sockets. But her heart glows, it's the strongest thing about her. Bootstraps aura is familiar to you. It's the beautiful dancing of the Northern Lights. Hoppy? The small figure next to Bootstrap almost certainly has to be her. But. . . .children are usually a more pure glow. She is shadowed. Not as much as Arc, but, certainly more than Lexi. The Barrens itself is very dark. It must place it's shadow on its children. Perhaps. Still she has a job to do. And floating here isn't getting it done. Subaru reorients herself to her surroundings and quickly floats to the warehouse passing through the walls as easily as the air. As she searches for Lexi she is also trying to get an accurate idea of just how many gangers there are. And in the astral that's easier. Two of them have so much metal they're almost invisible in the astral but one. One startles her. Here's is the bright glow of a mage. Right now her back is to you and the flow of mana around her man's that she is casting.

@ Arc. Jaime kisses you back, holding you against him molding your body to his as he drags you from your seat into his lap. "I ain't starting drek babe. You need ta go, you go. But, I wouldn't be your Vrukart if'fen I didn't worry. An I been thinking maybe we name our first Henri if it's a boy. An maybe his momma can teach him how 'ta chop his first tricycle." He smiles at you trying hard to make light of his worry. "She's just gotta makesure she lives through all this." He swallows and looks you in the eye. "You're always sayin' you survived a blood mage an 'nothin can kill ya. But, you lost an arm in that fight. People don't get  that lucky twice. I guesswhat I'm trying to say is be careful. Come home. I'm ok with it not being tonight. Just so long as you come home.