[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks at Arc in silence for at least two minutes.  She finally responds by calling for the others to come to where she and Arc are standing.  Once everyone is present, she looks each in the eye and says, "Yelena not lie to Srui.  Yelena not lie others.  Nikolai Fyodorovich very bad man.  Yelena think he man from film with dead bodies.  Soul dark like Yelena's.  And no.  Cannot trust man for after kill woman.  Nikolai want her dead, but more.  He want her place.  Her power.  Yelena only want woman dead for justice.  Not need base.  Not want her power.  But Nikolai might not believe Yelena.  Might think Yelena and others are competition.  Will need be careful.  Very careful.  Man kill for fun.  Yelena not want old friends or new friends hurt.  So Yelena ask again.  Still want come Yelena or stay.  Yelena not think less if stay.  Yelena think insane if come."

[Shaman_Yuri]

I listen attentively as Yelena-sensei shares the danger we face.  I glance around me and see the others are similarly absorbing the elf woman's words.  I chime in first since for me it's easy.  "Yelena-sensei, I said it before.  I'm already dead and everything else now is bonus.  If I can't survive...if we can't survive this then any hope I have of claiming my own justice with the bastards who killed my parents is for nothing.  I'm in."

[gilga]

A tough cookie, “What is the matter? You came all the way and not even look? perhaps something for stealth? I think I saw a Ghillie suit over there. It is modest and you seem to be the kind that can do her job without moving. Perfect if you want to disguise yourself as a bush or a rock. They are not expensive and may make dodging unnecessary. With all the army phrases octopuses and hacking... I bet you could use some smart disguise... Come I will show you.”
I say and try to sweet talk Subaru to try the Ghillie suit...”If you don’t move nobody is going to notice you, it is brilliant. Will keep you safe when you hack that van.”

I say to Yelena "We still have some dangerous stuff to do before our day trip... let's focus on the more urgent stuff. We can discuss your poor life choices and naive view of politics while commuting after we finish the current job.  You are planning on finishing the current one right? Because I sort of implied to Blake that we are all in, this is why we get the candies."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena listens to Firefly and Marco, nodding a thanks to the decker and laughing out loud to Marco's choice of words.  "Poor life choices?  Naïve politics?  Yelena not understand Marco.  But Yelena in for club.  But want give as much truth as have.  Yelena think Nikolai Fyodorovich contact today for list of people going.  And friends deserve make choice."

She looks over at Firefly.  "Decker girl not get armor yet.  Old stuff look small.  Get new that fit.  We outfit team.  What helps Firefly live helps team survive.  Corp book not say that?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I was prepared to argue with whatever logic people threw at me, but having the book thrown at me was unexpected.  I open my mouth...and close it.  I then just nod.  "What should I get, then?" I ask looking straight at the white-haired woman.  "I've always had people outfit me so I'm not the best person to choose until I learn things more for myself."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods at Firefly.  "Decker girl smarter Yelena.  Yelena not know armor much.  Ask Arc.  She know more.  But get good.  Money left over not good if Firefly or others die when could have spent to help survive."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc was silent through the whole telling of Yelena's deal, confirming her suspicions of her contact's nature.  It wasn't until Firefly, the youngest of all of them by the look of it, spoke up with a surprising amount of resolve, and then Marco chimed in as well with an almost chiding tone to it.  Hmm.  Cracking her neck, the girl stood up...which still left her shorter than everyone.  Taking a second to let Tuskaloosa say a piece if she wanted to.... She just got into this too...hoping it won't scare her off, Arc spoke up.

"You already know my answer, Srui.  Born blood or no, family take care of their own.  I'm in this with you to the end.  We take care of what we got here, and then we go....wait..."  The mention of the genocidic video, as hurting as it was to think of, jogged some memory.  Video related to club...maybe Nikolai there...Nikolai going to Poland for job...no way, cannot be that deep  Shaking it off, she let out her breath.  "Nevermind...now then..."  She turned to Tuskaloosa.

"You want what the bikers wear around here then, huh?  An armor jacket with the mods you want will do it.  Don't get the stuff labeled biker gear...that's just in the trids, most of the drekkers here stay practical.  Find something like that, take it aight?"  Winking, the human then turned to Firefly, sizing up the decker a bit, chuckling to herself at Yelena's eagle-eye comments.  Nothing misses her watch...

"Hmm...Yelena's right, y'know.  You rolling with us, we gonna make damn sure you ain't dying on us.  Nobody be gettin' geeked.  Don't worry about price, if it ain't no high-corp titanium suit, we can likely swing it.  Take a look around, they got some wiz drek here.  Somethin' outta scream you.  Hmm..."  She started to filter through a few crates and stacks, looking for options that would fit the younger girl...jackets, vests, a few suits of some sort or other...

[Duck N. Cover]

Tuskaloosa listens as Yelena says as much in less than a minute as she has heard the elf has say in the last day.
The weight of those words are not lost on her.
But...anyone who goes ya sure just because a friend wants to try out his Lovecraftian Magic trick, has no right to call me crazy.

"I believe I said it yesterday, but if you supply me the tools I need to help you, I'm in.  You're busy holding up your end of that right now, so if this Fourdoorwitch guy needs a head count, count me in."
" Fyodorovich."
" Gesundheit.  Yes, I'm making light of it," she said as the elf opened her mouth. "It's what I do.  Humor me."
Yelena closed her mouth, then nodded slowly.
"I will agree with Marco here--we have tonight to get through.  So R.S.V.P. us for that shindig, but let's remember to focus on tonight's party arrangements."

Arc finished the group out: "You already know my answer, Srui.  Born blood or no, family take care of their own.  I'm in this with you to the end.  We take care of what we got here, and then we go....wait...Nevermind."

That seemed to satisfy Yelena, so Arc  turned her attention to their rawest recruit.  "Now then...You want what the bikers wear around here then, huh?  An armor jacket with the mods you want will do it.  Don't get the stuff labeled biker gear...that's just in the trids, most of the drekkers here stay practical.  Find something like that, take it aight?"

Tuskaloosa nodded.  Not all biker gangs were that practical: quite a few took their fashion sense from the trids.  But if Seattle had the corner market on the realists, who was she to argue?

She wandered among the nearby boxes glancing here and there.  Unfortunately, all the tech and magic in the Sixth World could not help the perfect garment rise to the top of a pile, wave its sleeves and shout here I am!  There's got to be a rhyme and reason to this stuff.  Might as well ask for help...  As she looked around for assistance she noticed she had wandered close to  weapons territory: boxes of ammunition and cases of toys to use them in, all within tantalizing reach.

A few more things to inquire about impishly came to mind...

[gilga]

Yelena listens to Firefly and Marco, nodding a thanks to the decker and laughing out loud to Marco's choice of words.  "Poor life choices?  Naïve politics?  Yelena not understand Marco.  But Yelena in for club.  But want give as much truth as have.  Yelena think Nikolai Fyodorovich contact today for list of people going.  And friends deserve make choice."

I answer Yelena "But you asked me multiple times and I still think that it is a mistake going there. I am certain that it achieves nothing, your old Bratava is gone and there is nothing left for you in Polland despite how it must feel right now. I am spending my nights praying that you will finally see the light and embrace forgiveness into your heart. After all, out of all the people in the world - you could also benefit from forgiveness. What you are pursuing is not there. Your old comrades are long gone and killing Tsiana is not going to bring them from the dead. It will also not make your old comrade family again.

Justice just burns us all as there is not one person in this world that is without sin. Your justice only leads to a trail of dead bodies and more sins. Your new Bratava are the people loyal to you now. People that continuously approve that they will go to great distance to grant you the closure you need. I will come with you and will do my best that you return back - that we ALL get back.  Still, you will be a better person if you forgive Tsina and deny her the great effect that she still has on your life. I pray that you learn to forgive, let go and will tell mr. Fyodorovich that your strings are not so easily pulled and that none of us is ever going to Poland.  Not because Tsina does not deserve to die but because I want better for you. That said, if you have to make that mistake, count me in. I am no child and I can make my own life choices and follow them."

Yelena-sensei, I said it before.  I'm already dead and everything else now is bonus.  If I can't survive...if we can't survive this then any hope I have of claiming my own justice with the bastards who killed my parents is for nothing.  I'm in."

Dead? and that horrible word again, the same word Yelena used to justify killing Tsina. Justice... I wonder if Firefly's idea of justice also involves blood, death and destruction.  There is so much I do not know about her.

Her clothing appear very modest but in the context she is wearing them they reflect pride, they say 'I am not one of you and I am not part of your sins'. How important is modesty when the stuff we are going to do is so dark. When your future is filled   dead bodies? Just tonight, we are going to snatch an unwilling mage from some dangerous guys. We may kill people and is the Abaya really the proper dressing for that ?  ... and what does it say about me that I give this issue so much thought?!

I say:
"Firefly... how about a jumpsuit with gellpacks for extra safety some fire/electricity protection just in case. Electricity is very common in weapons. About Fire, you really do not want to handle burning pieces of equipment. Who knows... perhaps it will be useful. I think it is for the best, and buy something good that you can continue using. I am very good at shopping and fitting stuff... I can help you unless you feel more comfortable with Yelena.

I also have the chameleon suit that can help you being sneaky, the main usage is when you are wireless and it changes your image to fit the background. "

With a devious grin I add
"Very modest!...  and you seem the type to be able to handle wireless and remain stealthy. Do not worry about the cost, got to spend money to make money. I'll get us a nice price. You need to buy something good that will serve you for a long time. When you buy something that you really need, it is always worth it. It is only waste of money when you do not need it.  So don't worry about the money it is not THAT expensive, it is more important to maximize your chances and you can also take it to Poland. " 


I then help Arc to browse the shelves and find some very nice chameleon suit that is roughly Firefly size as much as I can tell from her height and legs, with that Abaya obscuring her features. I also pick a few urban explorer jumpsuits that I think are just comfortable and practical. When we approach Firefly we both are carrying several suits dresses and jackets and we take Firefly to some improvised messurement booth as if she is shopping in some high end mall and we are her personal stylers.  It is so much fun shopping when people help you pick.

...


When everyone are done with their shopping, I ask Jimmy about adjusting a suit specifically to my size on a tight schedule. Apparently, it takes a few hours of work and I will have to pay a rush fee but he knows a good tailor that can for the right fee just do it for me. 

I text the tailor
>> Dearest Cesara, Jimmy referred you to me, I am buying a fancy suit and I need it custom made to my own size in a few hours. I am deeply sorry for the late notice but do let me know if I can have the suit tailored for me on the spot  Monday night.


Once everybody have picked their things comes my favorite part, the part I live for, bargaining. I really enjoy bargaining with Jimmy. After all, practice makes perfect and I do deserve some cut in the price as I constantly bring new business.

[spoiler]
Negotiation: 15d6t5 7
[/spoiler]

[Shaman_Yuri]

Everyone's attention is so overwhelming.  Especially Marco.  Affection seems so natural for him, and he invades my personal space so smoothly it's like he belongs there.  I hate myself for finding it more than a little exciting to have him so near.  But he is a man, and I draw the line as he joins Arc in dragging me to be measured.

"Marco-san, I think Arc-sensei and I can take it from here," I insist before Marco can slip behind the curtain.

"Is he always so...insistent?" I ask Arc in a whisper when we're finally alone.  I slip out of my abaya as I speak, glad to have the extra layer off given how hot my flushing makes me feel.  Arc can see clearly the outline of my form beneath the armored jumpsuit I wear which is only moderately tight at the chest now and otherwise fits me like a glove.  "Shouldn't he be more focused on Yelena-sensei rather than me?  And why would Yelena-sensei encourage me to..."  My voice trails off as I realize I'm sharing something with Arc which she wasn't already privvy to.  My face somehow manages to get even more red...

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena was following Firefly and Arc with her own suit and just caught the last part of the conversation.  She pulls the curtain closed and turns to Firefly as she begins to disrobe.  "Why Yelena encourage what?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

"N...n...nothing!" I stutter at the unexpected voice behind me.  I turn to make sure it's only Yelena, relaxing just a little when i note that the elf woman carefully slips in and closes the curtain behind her in a way that didn't permit any peeping toms. 

Or Marcos.

Then again, who knows what spells he might have...but I might never disrobe again if I worry about that.  As it is, why would Marco care about me when he has someone as drop dead gorgeous and powerful as Yelena in his life?

"Wh...what should I try on?" I ask, praying that Allah is merciful and that the topic will change.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena pauses in the act of stripping to look carefully at Firefly, then shrugs and finishes.  She starts to put on the suit she is interested in, but stops to say, "Yelena not born yesterday.  Know something wrong.  Yelena cannot help decker girl if not say something.  Yelena want help.  Was something Yelena say hurt Firefly?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I find an intense interest in my feet at Yelena's relentless questioning.  Thankfully, she pauses as I gather my thoughts and Arc likewise allows me needed silence.  "In a lot of ways I was born yesterday, Yelena-sensei.  You haven't done anything wrong.  I...a lot has changed for me in the past two days and my head is just spinning, that's all.  Marco...Marco-san is...overwhelming.  He...reminds me of the world I once lived in...the person I used to be...or was on my way to becoming."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena zipped up her suit while listening to Firefly talk.  She then sat down next to the young woman, careful to leave some space between them.  She leaves a bit of silence between them as well then says, "Yes.  Marco much overwhelm if not ready.  Marco strange man.  Yelena believe Marco not know self.  Spend much time as woman then man then woman then man.  Much sex as both.  Yelena not understand Marco.  He nice man, but much in face and not even know.  Yelena not mind.  But Yelena know other men like that.  Firefly maybe not know much men. Decker girl want Yelena talk Marco?"