[Shaman_Yuri]

"I've known people like him too.  Well, maybe not exactly like him.  His...allure...is pretty unique.  It's just...back then...I was different.  I'm...not making sense."  I then do a double take and meet violet eyes as Yelena's words sink in.  "Woman?" I squeak with my eyes widening as I put two and two together and realize that not only is Marco's spellcasting for shape change nonsensical to my understanding, but it sounds like he's managed the impossible with it too.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena chuckles as she nods.  "Marco much allure.  Yelena feel.  Firefly feel.  Yelena much older.  More experience.  Marco has voice of convince others.  Marco seduce even when not try.  Hard to avoid.  Yelena think only experience protect decker girl.  But Yelena can tell Marco watch distance.  Marco not touch.  Will help?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I am surprised but grateful that Yelena chose to ignore my surprised outburst.  The realization is complicated and I need to think on it a bit.  I want to learn about Marco's magic...but that means getting closer to the man and all he represents.  Damn human nature...

"Maybe a little," I answer.  "Still, we do have to work together.  And Marco and I should learn to coordinate our magic if we're all going to Poland together and help you handle your past and present demons.  I think this is more my problem than his.  He really hasn't done anything wrong for a westerner.  You people and your nonexistent personal space."  I smirk at Yelena as I shake my head in a show of humored exasperation.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks at the girl.  "Decker girl wise to know own weakness.  And Yelena honest when say Firefly in West.  Live West.  West now home.  Not need give up Muslim, but need adapt to West."

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Muslim AND Japanese," I correct, my smirk never wavering.  "Twice damned in regards to personal space...and a desire for blood.  Still, I spent most of my life in the west or westernized places.  Berlin, Rio, Sydney, Dar es Salaam, Mumbai, Singapore.  As I showed last night at the Stardust, I can fit in when I need to."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena listens then softly replies.  "Yes.  Decker girl can fit in as role.  Decker need fit in out of role.  Yelena not expect all at once.  Firefly should not expect all at once.  This change take time.  Maybe much time.  Yelena give Firefly time need.  Tell Yelena what want.  What need. Yelena promise listen."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc had to admit, Marco was certainly a better shopper than her by a long shot, the elf man handing the mechanic outfit after outfit for Firefly to try out.  It didn't take a genius or someone with eagle eyes to see the little decker feeling all of it, and she couldn't blame her...Marco was by his nature a very outgoing and forward person.  Great for brokering the deal and dealing with people sure, but to shy types it can certainly overwhelm.  So when the teen took charge and sealed off the changing stall from him, leaving the two of them alone at peace.  Arc visibly sighed a bit, shrugging out of her own jacket but leaving her clothes on otherwise while Firefly spoke to her.

"Is he always so...insistent?  Shouldn't he be more focused on Yelena-sensei rather than me?  And why would Yelena-sensei encourage me to..." 

She gave a chuckle.  "Thinking people from his cut are a lot more open about stuff.  Like I said, he do what he do to about anyone, think it's his nature.  As for encouraging, wha..."   Arc was interrupted as Yelena slid in behind her, the rustle of the fabric the rigger's indication of a presence.  They then engaged in conversation that, while Arc didn't quite fully understand, she knew was some deep stuff and kept her mouth shut.

Yelena chuckles as she nods.  "Marco much allure.  Yelena feel.  Firefly feel.  Yelena much older.  More experience.  Marco has voice of convince others.  Marco seduce even when not try.  Hard to avoid.  Yelena think only experience protect decker girl.  But Yelena can tell Marco watch distance.  Marco not touch.  Will help?"

At this point, she couldn't help but bark out a little bit of a chuckle, nodding.  "Yeah I believe it.  He's put the moves on me too on the dance floor before too.  I get he's got the allure of it, but with how I grew up, he just ain't my type hm?"  She gave a reassuring smile.  "He's all bark with that point until you let him in, so null sheen aight omae?"

The conversation continued, and with a homebody like Arc listening, the concept of foreign places was still a bit hazy..but she got the gist of it.  Firefly is needing to adjust..I can respect that.  A new change in life can be a bit stressful, ah...  Picking up one of the suits, she looked it over before giving some apparel comments.  "Wiz stuff.  Something to note...I don't know how your getup works with jackets over, but if we're not putting you in front it'll be fine.  A resized jumpsuit like that might work with what you got...I'll admit that if you go with a stealth suit, y'all gonna have some trouble keeping that bedsheet on ya..."

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Bedsheet!" I retort, slightly incensed before I break out in giggles.  "More like a pillowcase," I counter in a pouty voice but with a grin I hope takes and sting out of my response.  "I guess there aren't many outwardly practicing Muslims in the Barrens," I shrug as I explain, "so this outfit must be as strange to you as gang tattoos are to me.  Don't worry.  Allah is merciful and understands there are times when the needs of the moment require...flexibility."  I reach out for a particularly fetching armored gray and black jacket and slip in on over my jumpsuit, adjusting the jumpsuit's color to match.  I still maintain my charcoal-colored hijab, but settle the folds elegantly around the shoulders of the jacket.  "If we could get my jumpsuit adjusted a bit around the chest before we head off to Poland, would something like this work?"  I twirl around to show myself from all sides both to my audience and myself in a nearby mirror.  The jacket covers my bust and derriere as well as any abaya would and my legs are sheathed in the jumpsuit's fabric.  "Practical halal," I declare with satisfaction.  "My jumpsuit is rated against fire, cold, acid, and electricity.  What is this jacket rated against other than bullets and blades?"

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc watched as the girl slipped into the jacket, noting how she carries the weight and integrates it into her attire.  Giving a smirk, she nodded as she leaned back up against the wall, arms crossed.  "Given I never heard the word Muslim before meeting with ya, that maybe a pretty safe bet, heh..ain't judgin' though"  A few days with Arc would denote that when she says stuff like the bedsheet comment, she isn't trying to insult: it's something she is unfamiliar with, rather, and throws out rough humor like that to make light of it.

As for the jacket, she gave a nod.  "Yeah, that might work.  We can keep it around for heavy situations, or you can ditch it when needed.  Works..."  Approaching after a moment, holding her hands up to indicate she was going to check the jacket, Arc waited for the okay before adjusting the fit on the shoulder, the plating shifting over her as she checked the tag as well.  "Hmm....looks like a flat mod rating to the deal with this one..but that's chill.  We can pick up mod kits later if we don't find any here and I'll slip em in for ya, how's that sound?  I've had to kit out a few Howlers back when I was still with them, it'll be null sweat.  Same with the jumpsuit."  She gave a smirk as she patted the girl's back.  "No need to have ya unable to breathe on us, eh?"

[gilga]

Did I use my invisibility spell without noticing? There is no way to tell, my illusions never work on me. It is clear that I am an outsider in this group now. I take my space and leave the girls to gossip on whatever it is they are gossiping on. There is this new dynamics and I am just not part of it. I felt it at Blake, and I feel it again now. When firefly says that she needs help shopping, she means Arc, Yelena anyone but me. She barely even look at me, despite of my best effort of figuring out what she wanted. There is my gig that is closing on me, and I was not even comfortable enough sharing that. Perhaps I am just alone for my destiny, surrounded by people that cannot possibly understand me.

After a short while I just leave the girls to browse their stuff and go find a corner to study my art, I need to become a different person in a few days and instead of studying I am entertaining and shopping.  It comes so naturally for me, but it is not what I should be doing right now. I do some breathing exercises calm my mind until it is all gone. Even my own emotions are magical and I mastered the art of placing them someplace else when I need the focus. When my mind is completely open , I flood my visuals with information about my mark. Videos history, job. Career highlights anything else that Blake prepared for me. He worked very hard and my silly games almost took this plan apart. Eventually, I know that they will make their mind and the invisible Marco can work his magic for getting a good price.  Perhaps it is a lesson I can learn from as good spies do not attract much attention to themselves, I just hope that I attract this kind of interest also Tuesday morning.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I like the outfit I'm wearing now enough that I walk out of the changing area with the jacket on and my abaya over my arm.  Since Marco was the one who chose the jacket out, it just seems fair to get his opinion about how it looks on me.  I must admit, he has very good taste.  It flatters me without being ostentatious or showing skin.  Its muted colors make sense for the ops I'm likely to be carrying out in it.  Not a gillie suit, true, but more flexible in an urban environment.

It takes me a little bit to find Marco, and in the end I cheat and peek in astral space where Marco's aura stands out among the mundane objects filling the room.  I approach him to find him standing with his eyes closed.  Meditating?

"Marco-san, what do you think of your choice?"

[ismilealot]

Jimmy's has a variety of goods but to Arc an Yelena's experienced eyes TriggerT  has a much better variety of weapons, ammo and explosives. And for all the different armors mo stealth armors. But, Jimmy overhears Arc and Yelena lamenting the lack and says, "Bella mia! Such gloriously beautiful women should not hide from the world. I would pity to much all the men who would never have the opportunity to behold and woo such loveliness. But, if you would insist how can I say no to such beauties. I can get you such suits though it breaks my heart for the men who who will never see you. And I can have them for you in two days though I would have to add a 20% charge for the rush. Not for me understand. It is payment enough to serve you. But for the ones who must rush in my hurry to fulfill your every desire."

@ Marco Jimmy tells you, "Marco, it my pleasure to help an old friend, but, I would be remiss as a father if I allowed friendship to come before a roof over their heads.." Marco knows Jimmy's children are all grown and work with him and continues bargaining with Jimmy until he has a 15% discount for everything but the stealth suits.

@ Marco Cesara tells you, >>Jimmy is to kind to recommend me, and he knows I will move the heavens for him and any friend of his. I can alter the suit and have it by monday But you will have to spend a half an hour with me for the fittings and to discuss with me any changes and special features you would desire.<<

[SgtBoomCloud]

When Firefly departed from the changing room, Arc followed suit, nodding a little in approval of the look.  She doesn't stand out nearly as much as before...that's a good thing  Closing her eyes for a moment, she blinked as she was stopped by Jimmy, who had interrupted her and Yelena's conversing whilst the decker went around to see Marco's opinion.

The colorful Italian man's vocalizations of his opinion on stealthware for such "lovely" women forced a quiet snirk from the mechanic as she leaned onto one hip, arms akimbo as she sized him up, giving a little wink at her rebuttal.   "Oh, my man would see me just fine, thanks much, oma-e.  We'll take an order for three..one for me, one for the snow-haired fury next to me, and another for the little one we was with.  We don't need the rush though, so we keep it fair, aight?"

Shaking hands with the man, Arc nodded and left Yelena to go over the details with Jimmy, the human shifting her attention to their troll companion, seeing the weapons and such she was eyeing.  Looking over the stuff, the short human picked up one of the odd-looking knives she was eyeing.  "Huh...this ain't steel, omae.  Wouldn't this drek snap off in a bad shot?"  She looked up at the taller one, gauging what she's trying to get...the jacket was enough for armor, so the rest was weaponry, and to Arc that made sense, given how the biker could potentially be getting into a mess at some point...

[gilga]

"Marco-san, what do you think of your choice?"

Firefly is there hidden by the AR feeds, I wish I was fluent enough with them to just shut them off,  but everything stop automatically if I take off the glasses. "My name is Marco" I say and add ... ... and I think it suits you very much.   I am careful with my words as I am not sure how the compliment is going to be accepted.  I add "I know that I am probobly the least experienced, but just be safe alright? You quote these rules, as if you did it many times before and Tuskaloosa with her military slang, Arc grew up in a gang and Yelena is Yelena.
... I just hope that the night does not turn into one big battle. To be on the safe side, I'd go against fashion and take a ballistic mask or some helmet just in case. "


To Yelena I then Say "Yelena, would you like to use my chameleon suit tonight? I mean it is not exactly the same size but I think that it not that far, might fit you "
I am then negotiating with Jimmy and feel in my element, one of the perks of shopping with me is that I also get the good prices, but honestly, it is all about the challenge I feel that Blake paid us very handsomely and I am a bit excited to get to spend an extra 10k on fancy clothes and comlink, it is harder to argue to a man in an expensive suit. Clothes shape how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. To some degree a very expensive suit can augment my natural abilities when it is socially appropriate to wear one. Then again it is an arms race because the people I am going to be talking with will also wear nice suits. Still, owning a very nice suit is a milestone and 5-6k buys some very high end clothes along with a new comlink there are perks for sticking my head for Blake.

I answer Cesara >> No problem and thank you very much!  I'll drop the suit tomorrow after I buy it and will stay as much as needed, and again sorry for the rush job. I'd give you more time had I known I'd need it myself.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks at Jimmy after Arc hustles off.  "Friend mean not need rush.  How long if no rush?"  She pauses; in her opinion TriggerT has a better selection of weapons and ordnance, but she is here, not there.  She then asks, "Jimmy.  Yelena look for Monowhip.  Have one or get one?"

From where she is standing with Jimmy, Yelena can see where Marco is sitting.  She is surprised to see Firefly walk up to him and model the clothes she selected.  The poses seem a bit provocative and Yelena shakes her head.  The young girl will eventually work out her feelings for the handsome Keeb.  Yelena just hopes no one gets hurt in the process.