[gilga]

She replied "Guns do change everything."  to bnc's question she answered "Well... I was a weakling and had no technical skills. I did not even know how to read. I was good for nothing, but I had a natural charm and agility. I was good at singing, playing the guitar, and I could pickpocket. So I did what I could my part to support the family. Whatever, I could hide from bullies that often robbed me, and I was powerless to resist. I kept what I could hide on my body..." She grinned as if remembering a joyful memory. 

"Well, one day my no good brother and I get caught with our hand in the cookie jar. A suit probably augmented one. He caught us pickpocketing, and pulled out a gun, running after us. Not just a gun, an Ares predator! "

She took a bit of sushi, in and paused for a moment.  "My brother kept running, but I stopped to surrender, and offer the man his wallet back. It was not a matter to get killed over. Asshole shot me regardless, he was furious and out of control..."

Her smile widened "but the power balance changed when I was laying there, bleeding out, and playing dead. The man got nervous and called his lawyer which yelled at him not to call her from his regular link after he murdered a girl. He dropped his gun and link into a nearby trashcan and left me laying there.

... Even my brother left me there. I was wounded, and alone. I stood up on my feet, and instead of getting help, I started digging up the gun and link, while steel bleeding out. It was the first time I touched a firearm. Then I went to some "do-gooder" clinic and collapsed.  People like Flatline that I never understood. I was cursing Larry for leaving me there the whole time."

She sighed "When I got up I was a different person, and I had a gun. So naturally, I took less shit from people and was robbed less frequently, and I practiced for hours with that gun. Larry stayed, his coward self, but I evolved...

So once I awakened, I knew that I'd develop the skill one day. I learned how to read, and everything even though I had no idea that I'll end up in university. "

[Volker]

bnc nods in what could be appreciation. "A nice story. I honestly was sure that you sucked someone's dick to get your first gun."
She turns away, showing an odd uncomfortable expression for a split-second.
"Where did you get the money for tuition, and a SIN?"

[gilga]

Anna replied, "A strange way to appreciate my oral skills, I was a virgin at the time, my family is conservative... They'd rather I wait until marriage." 


"Follow the money, clearly you are a good detective. Getting the money was easy, The Finnigans paid for my tuition and SIN. The tricky part was paying them back... to your disappointment, that part did not involve dick sucking as well. Initially, I did odd jobs for the Mafia, but then I realized that rich brats would pay to succeed with the ladies... Or to be the light of the party, improve charisma spell paid for much of my tuition. That and sustaining it for hours, while other people are enjoying themselves. "
(Finnigans are Seattle's Mafia family)

[Volker]

"You didn't cocksuck yourself to success because your mommy didn't want? Whose mother would?
Who are those Finneys?
I'm not disappointed ... just ... surprised. You seem the kind of girl who would use their body if they must, and in the beginning, until they have some capital, I guess most girls do that."

[gilga]

She seemed a bit repulsed from the idea."I do not sleep with people for money... Except if that money is like a million nuyen, and they are insane Blood mages. "

"It is complicated with my mother; I am one big disappointment. I can barely screw a bolt,
I awakened, turned bisexual, went to university, got in bed with the Finnigans, and I think that their car stealing business is stupid. "

"Don't call them that to their face, Finnigan is Mafia - they control a lot of the criminal activity in Seattle. My parents pay them a cut from their loot, or else we get our home burned down, murder Larry and me and force them to watch. "

"I had to work for these people for a while, doing all sort of questionable favors to pay off my debt. I don't want any further interactions with them. Though, my parents are in bed with them, and they might appear on my doorstep with demands because of something stupid they did."

[Volker]

"Well ... I did it."

[gilga]

Anna's smile widens, and she says "You are such a badass", she reaches for bnc's hand, and gently strokes it.

[Volker]

bnc pulls back her hand.
"No. I just wanted something very, very badly."

[gilga]

She says "That you did...", and then takes the last of her sushi.  "So, do you want some desert before I take you dancing with a bunch of orcs at the Underground?"

[Volker]

"You mean a dessert?"

[gilga]

She explained, "I mean chocolate..."

[Volker]

"Uhm. If it's light chocolate, I'm okay... as long as it is lactose-free but that shouldn't be an issue."

[gilga]

She asked the waitress for some lactose-free chocolate flavored treat...The young human seems perplexed and went to consult with her superior. When she was back she offers the chocolate souffle.

Anna happily orders it. "One souffle... two spoons."

[Volker]

# I actually believe that chocolate is lactrose-free by default as in SR, it's usually made of soymilk. Also, if they have it on the list, she doesn't need to talk to her superior. If they don't, he can't just decide that they have it.

"That's a kind of chocolate cake, isn't it? I'm not sure I ever ate a souffle, and I love the way you Americans pronounce the words. It's as close to rape as you can come."

[gilga]

#Perhaps the ice cream that it often comes with has some lactose in it?

"It is a cake... very comforting." she snorted "You have the most outrageous metaphors... Whats in an accent? A souffle is as sweet, whatever name you call it. Does it matters if we pronounce it differently than the ... French?" The last word was a question as to the origin of the word.