[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc smirked as she listened to him, visibly smiling as she touched her hair when it was commented on.  Throwing the soymeal into the microwave, she set the timer and let it cook as she responded to him.

"Why thanks.  Felt like a change or two, yknow?  Heh.  Yeah, I shouldn't have anything major until that job a couple weeks from now.  Will let you know if I can't pull dinner off..you saw what happened last time I cooked, haha.  I don't see why we can't go to Henry's, I'd love it.  See you tonight....love you"

She wasn't certain if her conversation was overheard, but she wasn't that worried about it as they hung up, her cheeks flushed as she looked off towards a section of wall.  That's going to take some getting used to, saying that...  She thought idly as she pulled the now hot bowls out of the microwave, mixing in the flavor packets as she hummed softly.

"...frag, I need to get some new wheels..."

[gilga]

Marco transfers 250 nuyen to Cain for expenses next week. At his current life style it should support him and his girl for a week with a little extra on the side.
He then said "You do that, it should pay for expenses. I'll verify your information and there will be more for you if it turns out useful. " With that he is done and on his way to his next meeting, with Sophie.  To reach her Marco orders his limo service.

>>Sophie - on my way to pick you up kisses!

He then texted to Firefly >> Could you meet me right now? In spirit that is? GPS attached.
And then to Lady >> Dearest Lady, I want to make a meeting with some local factors that affect our renovation process -  When are you back in town? Inside the Limo Marco changes clothes to something more apropriate to down town - It feels good to wear some quality fabrics again.

[Mercy Merchant]

Firefly falls back asleep after stirring a bit.  Yelena brushes the hair from her face and traces the curve of her jaw with a finger and sighs.  Then, smelling soycaf and breakfast, she carefully gets out of bed and pads to the kitchen.  She comes up to Arc and hugs her.  "How Arc?  Oh.  Yelena like hair.  Very dramatic.  Think work for Yelena?  Yelena ask Marco later.  So, Yelena need know.  Think in love.  How know?  So different, but Marco say in love.  Yelena think in love, too."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc turns herself around from the trio of bowls in front of her as she heard Yelena approaching.  Girl's sneaky even when she ain't trying to be.  Heh  Reaching, she wrapped her arms about the taller elf, wincing a bit at the embrace.  "Nnh, careful, still kinda sore.  You like it?  Good, cuz I ain't going back.  Didn't want burnt hair on me anymore, heh.  You?  Up to you, girly, been getting used to ya braid"  Grinning, she reached and grabbed one of the cups of soycaf, handing them to the Russian.

At the questions, the human paused, heading over to the couch and leaning against the back, chewing her lip in thought about how to answer it.  "Wow, just start the morning off with the heavy questions, don't ya?  Frag, Srui-ken...I don't even know if I'm the one to answer that..."  She thought about how she felt with Jaime, feeling her stomach do a little flip at the thought.  "Hrrm...you just...you just kinda know it when you are.  When even you're doing nothing, your thoughts drift to that person...you're missing them...it's like...ah, frag, this some poetic drek...but it's like your heart or some drek gave a piece of itself through an invisible jack.  And the only way you get it is if you with the one holding it...I unno...make sense?"

She was ignoring her caf as she said this, rolling the cup in her hands.  "...only thing I know for sure is that this slitch is out a ride, and gotta get up to south Snohomish by 13:00.  The things we do for the right thing eh?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods at the answer that is no answer as if it makes complete sense. After a few moments, she nods and says, "Yelena thank Srui-ken.  Arc use Scorpion for meeting.  Yelena use cab for spa.  Then Yelena go party with cab.  Yelena not good drive home after party."

"Maybe talk after club done.  Get other car.  Maybe nice van."

[SgtBoomCloud]

The mechanic looked up at her friend, her blood sister, and gave a nod.  "ya don't need to thank me Srui.  Frag, the thought about being in love, it's kinda new to me too.  What a pair we make huh?"  she nodded at the plan, a hand checking her ribs and giving a nod.  "I think I can swing the bike.  Thanks for the offer."

She grew silent as the elf went over her plans...the human knew too well what she would be partaking in.  Looking uo, she sighed.  "Blake told me that our part with the Dust is pretty much done, and once Marco does his gig we will be fo sure.  We gonna get paid maybe today even.  So don't go crazy on me okay Srui?"  Arc's expression was serious as she finally took a drink of the cheap soycaf.  "this growing crew we got here needs you, and if we getting a van, I'm making Hella sure there's a spot for you.  Don't leAve it empty aight?"

She looked back towards the room, where the younger human girl still lay.  "she just went through hell with me.  Same as us with that mage.  But she's strong.  Think she will be aight?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods.  "Srui not worry.  Yelena be here at end.  Yelena go Poland.  Decker mage be good, Srui.  Girl young but tough."

[ismilealot]

@ Marco  Cain looks at him, eyes widening a bit and then he smiles, a greedy smile. "Yes, I'll get you everything." He leaves quickly.

Sophie is pleased to see him and slides easily into the limosine, "Marco! Sweetie! This is lovely! I've had so many fun ideas about dressing you." She kisses Marco and then spends the next half hour going over ideas with him and then the next three hours paying attention to every detail of his clothing making sure he looks immaculate.

The Lady sends a reply through the dead drop that Marco receives later that evening. >>I will be back at the end of the week. I'm glad all is safe now and I'm looking forward to seeing how the renovations are coming along.<<

[gilga]

Marco is happy to meet Sophie. That was new, most of the time he was happy to meet her but it was never casual to Marco. He had to study every bit of her quirks and adjust his own personality to match what Sophie expected. She was a perfectionist and when they first met she gave Marco a list a very long list with the things she wanted. Following her lead, Marco managed to satisfy her - almost.  Then came Yelena and took Marco off balance by getting shot at in the middle of his date. Marco’s emotional control was briefly broken and Sophie caught a glimpse as to who Marco really was.

A shadowrunner? Atleast someone with friends that can get shot at the Barrens. Marco is enjoying himself with Sophie, he feels closer to her since the last time they met. It is just that once boundaries were crossed he is uncertain about the actual nature of their relationship. For example this afternoon is entirely focused at Marco and his needs - almost like an actual girlfriend would behave. Sophie and the clerks at the stores find Marco quite knowledgeable about Fashion and fabric a cuts. Marco is not aiming at his own taste - he tries to pick something that would also be a good match for his mark. Still, that afternoon was as close as Marco’s life get to ‘real’. Marco had so much fun that he actually spent more than the 10k Blake allocated to expenses, but it was fun.

The day got Marco to discover a thing about him, he liked expensive suits they made him feel better about himself. Stronger, with more confident and they made other people look at him differently. Getting your way seemed easier when you could afford a 5k nuyen suit and buy it in such a casual and natural manner as if money did not matter. As if, the only goal for such an expensive suit was to have some fun.

After the suit came a brand new and expensive comlink, a Transsys Avalon - improved firewall and data processing - whatever these things meant. It had very esthetic bottoms that felt good to the touch, supported AR gestures and could sync with his contact lists. This much Marco could understand. He was not happy to be such an idiot - a rich idiot by the appearance of it and he wanted to study a bit about computers.

There was a solution actually, tutorsofts and with his brand new comlink supported the best kind of tutorsofts, with a funky trid projector to display an actual interactive teacher.
Marco in an urge of shopping quickly purchased 6 tutorsofts of the most advanced kind: Sneaking, Gymnastics, Perception, Computers, Pilot aircraft and Cosmetics their price was: 14,400 nuyen and along with the comlink it was almost 20k nuyen purchase - just like that because Marco could having money felt so good - to bad it was just an illusion.

Marco negotiated on the price - still it was a very big purchase and tried to get a discount.
[spoiler] Negotiation: 15d6t5 5 [/spoiler]


When they were finally done Marco said to Sophie “Wow - it felt so much fun. I wish I could afford it all the time. I get to learn how to pilot airplanes, use makeup, notice things jump around, computers - they got tutorsofts for everything! So much fun, I never had the chance to actually study these things. Before we can go out, we need a tailor tough - there are some modifications I require.”

Luckily Marco’s measurements were similar to these of his mark and he used a dash of magic to make them a bit more similar in a manner that would not be immediately obvious.  Marco did not want to look exactly like his mark and therefore few adjustments were to be made, but it felt safer that way. In case anyone snoop around for a suit brought with the exact measurements of the mark. Cesare’s shop was nothing but a small one located in the parking lot of a mall, where rent was cheaper. There were few people in when Marco and Sophie arrive and Cesare is with them on the spot. Marco enters the changing chamber and changes his body with magic while inside to the exact measurements of the mark.


[spoiler]
How well - Marco knows what kind of things he should wear for the job.
Fashion knowledge skill: 7d6t5 4
to change his body to the mark and tailor the suit accordingly, make it fit well.
physical mask: 12d6t5 3
Drain: 11d6t5 4

[/spoiler]

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena eats breakfast in companionable silence then helps clean up before returning to the bedroom.  The decker is still asleep and Yelena's heart goes out to her.  The girl has had a large shock and a horrible night.  Yelena showers quickly as she wants to leave a little water for Firefly.  For a few moments, her mind slips to Marco's suite and the limitless hot water ration he has.  When finished and getting dressed, she composes a text to send to Firefly.  >>Decker mage.  Is Yelena.  Firefly sleeping and Yelena needs to leave for day.  We talk when get home.  Yelena want tell decker mage she becoming true runner in shadows.  Firefly already know life not fair.  But shadow life less fair yet.  Most not survive.  Harsh life.  Harsh reality.  Quick death.  Evil people. Evil demons.  Life can be short here.  Decker mage must see runner life as is.  Not nice place.  Bad things happen.  Firefly is strong.  Must be stronger.  You can do this if want enough.  We talk later.<<

By the time she has finished the message she has already told arc goodbye and left the building to walk to the nearest cab stand.  She frets over the message during the walk, editing it a bit and completely unsure how to get her point across.  The girl needs confirmation, but she also does not need coddling.  Coddling brings a quick death in the shadows and will not help Firefly.  Still not certain that she has worded it correctly, she sends the message as a cab pulls up.  She gives the address to the spa and slots her credstick before sitting back to enjoy the ride and consider the evening ahead of her.  She files the events of the previous evening away for later and focuses on the pleasures to come, allowing her body to adjust to a party mode.

[ismilealot]

@ Marco  It was a powerful, heady feeling having everyone listening to everything you wanted, giving you everything you wanted and eager to please you. And Sophie, aggressive, perfectionist Sophie was impressed. Marco could tell she saw him in a new light, not as an equal, perhaps never that, but, definitely more desirable. He could tell she was more attracted to him as a strong, confident man than she had ever been as a pleasure 'bot catering to her every need. She smiled at him as she looked him up and down on the way to Cesares' in the limousine. "I'm looking forward to our massage. As good as you look in those clothes, you look even better out of them." Cesare was quick, and very impressed with Marco's new suit. "This is beautiful fabric Marco. And looks good on you. But, I will make it look great. When I am done, everyone will think you had this hand made to your measurements." He works quickly. With what you're paying him for the rush job on this suit he's cleared his schedule to make sure he could meet your needs. And when you come out, no one could tell the difference between you and your mark.

@ Tuskaloosa  Chesh pokes her head into the office. "Oy, last load and I could use a bit of muscle." Alyce grins at Chesh and says, "And you talk about me abusing the girl!" Looking back at Tusks he says, "You ready for you're last job as a strong back and a weak mind?" At her assent they all head out and finish getting the last load off. Chesh gives her a brief hug and says, "Thanks, and thanks for being honest about the threat and not leaving us to hang. See you in a month, maybe."

@ Yelena  The torturous treatments that are known as 'a spa day' remind Yelena of the pain she will experience tonight, and the drugs that will make her more than pliant and willing to experience more, and her body trembles with need and desire.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena submits to the beauty treatments, putting herself in the hands of the personal masseuse that Bella's husband had arranged for her.  She finds some of the regimen to be quite nice and soothing while others seem to be a waste of time and others just downright painful.  Her compartmentalized mind is focused on the party and she allows her will to lapse and accept that drugs will be involved.  Precious, life-sustaining drugs that will help her get through the night.  Already her body is humming to the need and she soothes that need with promises to her body of getting high as soon as possible.  The thought of having sex with the men brings up the question of whether there will be other people there.  It certainly promises to be an extraordinary night.

[SgtBoomCloud]

As Arc ate, she idly thought about how much better food she has had over the past week or so...especially from Henry and his family's place.  Still, it was some form of nourishment, so she wasn't going to complain.  Finishing up, she took the empty bowls and cups from her friend and hastily washed them up, taking her time to do so...no sense in overexerting her already taxed body.  As Yelena went to shower, Arc nodded and exchanged a look with her...while cybereyes made reading expressions difficult, it was clear that Arc was justifiably concerned for her Srui'ken, but wasn't going to say anything more on it.

Alone, Arc checked her time and figured she would have to take off.  I don't want to leave Firefly alone...but if she's gonna sleep I'll let her sleep.  Okay, I'll give her an hour if she wants to tag along, otherwise I'm gonna have to kip out  Slipping on her synthleather jacket, she plopped a seat on the couch and killed her time with some tridwork, letting Firefly sleep.

If she didn't wake and wanted to come with, Arc would leave this message.  <<Firefly, Arc here.  Had to go to an appt.  Should be back in a few hours, sit tight>> And would leave the note in a datastick beside the human girl.

Regardless if the decker woke or not, Arc would get on the Scorpion and take it easy, letting the autopilot guide her up to her destination in Snohomish.  The timing was good...post work rush, pre-lunch hour.  Plenty of good space and not a lot of traffic.  Arriving, Arc would not the pristine nature of the little clinic...at least on the interior.  Approaching the receptionist, the mechanic cleared her throat as she spoke up.  "Hi, I'm Lauren Summers, I believe I have an appointment here?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena is relaxing with her eyes closed in the spa's hot tub when the masseuse comes in and kneels down near her.  She puts her lips close to Yelena's ear and whispers, "Your dress has arrived.  It is very beautiful and you will look extraordinary in it.  Truly extraordinary.  It is waiting for when you are ready."

The pretty woman stands and leaves the room, leaving Yelena to luxuriate in the heated water as it pulses about her body.  Soon, though, Yelena rises from the pool and towels off.  Slipping into the soft robe provided her, she pads out of the room and down the hall to a private dressing room.  The dress is hung so as to catch her eyes as she enters.  It is not a cheongsam, but it is beautiful nevertheless and its color perfectly matches her hair and complexion.  She walks around it, noting how it hangs and flows almost as if it has no seams.  The masseuse knocks and enters the room, commenting on how gorgeous the dress is.  Yelena steps out of the robe and into the dress, eschewing any sort of underwear as superfluous and a distraction to the dress.  Once the dress is on, she turns about in front of the mirror.  She has never worn any dress as nice as this one.  It fits her perfectly, as if designed specifically for her, and she expects that Bella's husband, Frank, had somehow managed to get her measurements during one of their trysts.  The masseuse brushes Yelena's long hair and says, "Your friend must like you a great deal.  Are you close?"

Yelena considers her answer before saying, "Yes.  Is close.  Is friend's husband."

"Ah.  This is a nice gift from the husband of a friend."

Yelena chuckles a bit.  "Is because Yelena very good at sex  Friend husband like sex with Yelena very much."

"Then the more power to you.  You go, girl.  Get what you can while you can is my motto.  Although I wish I had a friend's husband that gave me presents like this."

Both women laugh and Yelena is led out of the dressing room to have her makeup done.  Soon after, she looks in the mirror in amazement.  The artist had applied just enough to emphasize Yelena's natural beauty and the dress.  Smiling, Yelena nods and thanks everyone.  She is told that a limousine is waiting to take her away and she leaves the spa, slipping into the large automobile through the door held open by the chauffeur.  The limo pulls smoothly away from the curb and onto the street, headed for the Stardust.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena allows the chauffeur to open her door and assist her out of the limousine.  She stands on the curb at the priority entrance for a few moments, realizing that this may be her last visit here.  Part of her is glad that the criminal element will be taken down, but she is strangely saddened that a lot of innocent people will lose jobs and hopes that other investors will be able to pick up the club and keep it going.  In some manner, she wishes that........shaking her head she sends an encrypted text to a man she barely knows.  >>Blake.  Is Yelena.  We barely know each other.  Yelena has question.  Yelena sad for jobs lost at club.  Can government own club?  Yelena need job after finish something private.  Maybe run club for you with friends?  Please think about.<<

Yelena walks confidently up the ramp to the secluded VIP entrance and presents her ID to the bouncers, who check her name against a list before running a scan across her and letting her into the club.  A short walk later and Yelena is standing in front of the hostess, who welcomes her.  "Welcome, Miss Yelena.  I trust you are doing well this evening?"

"Yelena well.  Thank for asking.  Yelena is expected."

"Indeed you are.  Walter here will escort you to your room.  Be careful, please."

Yelena nods at the thinly veiled reference to her last visit and follows Walter to the private room to find that Frank is already there, but no one else yet.  Yelena allows him to take her stole and asks about Bella.  Frank looks genuinely concerned as he says that Bella is doing as well as she can, but they will not allow him to visit her yet.  When he turns back to Yelena, she puts her arms around his neck and kisses him.  He is taken by surprise for a moment, but recovers nicely, returning her kiss and letting his hands roam across her torso, eliciting small moans of pleasure from her.  She turns in his arms to present her back to him.  "Zipper, please.  Yelena not want ruin dress."

Frank unzips the gorgeous dress and helps her step from it, admiring the view of the pretty and sensuous Keeb.  He hangs the gown on the rack and takes her in his arms again.  She holds tightly to him and whispers, "Yelena not need drugs or vodka for this.  Frank make love to Yelena?  Just you and Yelena this time."

Surprised by the request, Frank bends to kiss her then picks her up and carries her to the large settee in the room and makes love to the woman in his arms.  The sex is not fueled by drugs or alcohol and is as real as possible.  At some point he begins crying huge tears that fall onto her breasts.  She reaches up to wipe them away and tell him it is alright to cry and to feel pain, at which he stops his actions and looks at her before continuing.  The sex is passionate and tender and both orgasm in immense waves that last for several minutes.  Both cry out in the pleasure of true emotion and Frank collapses on top of Yelena.  Frank looks at Yelena with a strange light in his eyes.  "Who are you and where is Yelena?"

Yelena reaches a hand to his face and tenderly traces his firm jaw.  "Yelena here.  Is real Yelena.  Yelena feel call of drugs in room.  Body want drugs desperate.  Body need drugs.  But not real Yelena.  Want Frank see real Yelena before drug control body and mind.  Want Frank make love Yelena before drugs.  Yelena need help.  Drugs very strong, but not real Yelena.  Frank kiss and touch and love Yelena before drugs.  Please?"

The man lowers his face to Yelena's and begins kissing her entire body, spending much time tasting her and pleasing her before recovering and mounting her again in a sexually pleasing and passionate manner that produces even greater cries from her than the first time.  This time it is Yelena who starts crying first.  This is real and she knows it will soon end in a drug and alcohol fueled daze as she has sex with anyone who comes near her.  She weeps for her lost childhood, for the people she has killed, for the people she has loved, for everything that will soon mean nothing to her as she feeds the monster that is her addiction.  A thought passes through her mind that the drugs here can be taken in such quantities as to render her to the shadow one last time.  That thought is tempting; so very tempting.  All her troubles over.  The great evil in the world that is Yelena Petrovna gone in a near instant.  Not the painful death she deserves or has expected for decades, but a quiet end and a cheat to the demons who haunt what little is left of her soul.  Something deep inside her begs for this release from her life, from all she has done and will continue to do to others.  For the first time in sixty years she sees the face of Father Koraly.  The priest is sitting with her in the small hiding space that is her home in the church.  She is three years old and he is reading to her from the bible, his Russian thick with the accent of his native Ukraine.  She has not thought for many years of the man who took her in and gave her life and a home for the first three years of her life. Certainly she has never seen his face so clearly before as he reads to her of the sin of taking a life.  And she has sinned many, many times in just that fashion.  And other sins pile upon that one, more sins than any one person has a right to commit.  Her heart is near to exploding as she hears the words of the commandments.  She will never be worthy of any sort of forgiveness, even if she believed in any sort of a just God. 

And she is tired; so very tired.  Tired of a life of emptiness and without meaning.  She has killed hundreds of people and the tree on her back bears witness to that.  She has murdered, oh has she murdered.  Her thoughts go to Marco.  Dear, sweet Marco.  He is clearly not meant for the shadows yet, but would allow himself to be drug there for his love for a broken woman with no soul left.  Her death would release him of that choice and he could return to his life.  His much safer life.  He deserves so much more than Yelena the Murderer.  She would not bring him happiness, but only confrontation, sorrow, and misery as he tried to mold himself to what he thinks she needs.  And she would let him do that for her.  No, is it not time for this to end?  A few of the right pills mixed with the alcohol here would do it.  The resolution made, she cries more tears, this time for the knowledge that it will all be done.  Yelena opens her eyes to look into the face of a man she could love but does not and her thoughts go out to the man she does love.  To him she composes a quick text and times it to be sent to him in four hours, which should make it impossible for him to rush to her and try to save her should he intuitively divine what she means to do.  >>Marco.  Is Yelena.  I love you......just in case.  Be you always.<<

Setting the text, Yelena smiles up into the face of the man in her arms and begs him to make love to her again.  She can already feel the siren call of the drugs and the vodka and wants one more time with her surrogate for the man she loves enough to not burden him with her evil.  The man obeys.