[Shaman_Yuri]

I hang by the books while the "adults" have their big people talk.  Don't get me wrong - the conversation is interesting but doesn't really add to my knowledge of any of the actors.  The sharing of credsticks piques my interest slightly, not because I expected to be paid of course, but because I was curious where the income originated.  Still, I am learning far more by examining the collection than I am from any of the sociable words.

And what a curious collection it is.  What looks like a vintage copy of the classically profane Les Fleurs du Mal almost side by side with not quite vintage but still old copies of Shakespeare's Sonnets and even Virgil.  Keats, Cummings, Kipling...clearly the man knows his poetry.

Oh my!  Scheherazade!  Burton's English translation, admittedly, but what a strange inclusion.  This Marco is a peculiar man.

And that's not all.  On the Origin of the Species vies with several editions of the Bible.  And the Bible isn't the only holy book represented.  Next to Macdonell's The Sutras is a later reprint of Sale's original English translation of the Noble Koran.  The same version that graced Thomas Jefferson's library in Monticello. 

Although few of these old texts are actually from the era in which they were composed, the trend seems to be that they are the first of their kind.  Little here was written after the nineteenth century.  As much as I still don't trust the man's intentions, I must admit a keen interest in coming to better know his mind.  If he's actually read all these tomes, he may be the first person I've met since Grandfather who could keep up with me in a conversation.

The call to dinner interrupted my thoughts and if it hadn't been two days since I ate a solid meal I might have demurred, preferring instead to nourish my mind by reaching out and opening one of the books before me.  But alas I am hungry.  I join the others, keeping to myself in the conversation and preferring to listen to the others.

There is one hiccup as I quickly realize the pasta sauce contains clams.  Definitely haram.  Fortunately, the meal includes some delicious bread and butter (real!) to spread upon it.  I take some linguine and place a dollop of butter atop it.  I eagerly watch the rare delight melt and find the pasta to be perfect.  The absence of the sauce is no absence at all.  As it is, with my tummy still uncertain, buttered bread, pasta, and water really is just my speed.

I am allowing the taste of real butter to seduce my senses when Marco's latest question brings me to reality.  “So Yelana how was your date last night? You had me and Firefly worried.”  I gulp down my latest mouthful both to focus on the others' responses and to prepare to explain myself if Marco says more to make it clear where I was last night.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena's brain is still a bit fuzzy as she sits down.  Looking at the food, her mind flashes to a slight remembrance of everything she had eaten yesterday coming back up last night.  With a slight moue of distaste, she gingerly tries some of the pasta in front of her and finds it delicious.  She takes a few bites, enjoying the savory dish.  She is a half plate into the meal when she finally notices that Firefly has not tried any of the sauce; she is curious but does not say anything.  Yelena shrugs when Marco asks his question.  "Yelena date not good.  Drug mix bad.  Yelena react bad.  Said things,  Hit security man when come help.  Yelena taken small room basement to sleep off.  Club shaman come see.  Treat Yelena nice."  She takes a couple more bites then continues.  Yelena notice room door very secure.  Very thick.  Very heavy.  Big lock.  Keep angry Troll if needed.  Probably use room before for people like Yelena."

It is then that the import of the question hits her.  "Why Marco, Firefly worry?  Not worry last time Yelena party."

[Shaman_Yuri]

I may as well come clean before Marco makes things even more awkward.

"Um..." I begin as my water glass suddenly takes on a whole new dimension of interest, "I was at the Stardust last night too..."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks sharply at the girl, realizing that there is more to the story than that simple phrase.  She arches an eyebrow and says, "And?"

[gilga]

Marco enjoys his dinner and is a little disappointed that Firefly do not eat the sauce but he is sensitive enough to ignore it and not make her awkward by explaining herself. I must have missed some religious law or she may not like oysters.  When Yelena tells her piece Marco look silently at FireFly she is obviously struggling so he might get it over with quickly before she turns all red.

“Well Firefly had her own night out at the Stardust and while she was doing own thing either due to curiosity or due to having some risky job in there she hacked their security system and saw you in that cell.  All I know that we were debating if to assemble a rescue and without Firefly’s calm and to the point description we might have placed us and you in danger.”

Marco then pauses and adds “I was in their basement and there were no such things in there, it must be a different basement. I heard Tammie talking about one but I never figured out where it is. I think they have three different basement and we only accessed a single one of them.”

[Shaman_Yuri]

Thank you, Marco...

I just nod in agreement at Marco's description of events, letting the elf's honeyed words hopefully get me off the hook for going off on my own last night.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Once again, Arc found herself a bit out of her element in the nicely furnished apartment.  Then again, she was one that was raised owning very little for herself, being bounced around by the various Howlers in their care.  The fact that she has a full place of her own, even if it is starting to feel small, is a huge achievement to her, and this makes it all look cheap.  Hands in her pockets, the mechanic girl shuffled a bit until lunch was called, gesturing over to Tuska who seemed to be more of a wallflower than she was to join them, shrugging off her jacket in the meanwhile.

The credstick was another surprise, the flash of silver on the handle the quickest visual indicator of the amount and confirming his totals.  A brow raised, she flipped it twice before pocketing it.  "I can use it, thanks.  Oh, hey, Marco.  I did some looking up on that question you brought to me, and I have an answer for ya."  As they were all sitting down, Arc had decided to get that order of business out of the way, her cyberhand picking up a fork and picking idly at the pasta as she formed her words.

"That place you're talking about setting up shop in, it's run by a branch off of the Night Howlers.  Happened a couple years before I was brought into their drek, when the current leader passed and there was a dispute between Lupo and this other hoop.  Night Howlers have most of the south Barrens for sure, but these Wild Howlers are in this hood here.  And for that spot specifically?  There maybe thugs all around, but if you want peeps in charge, you're callin' on the Pink Ladies.  All she-troll squad, you can't miss em.  Tryna bring that rockabilly trend back or whateva.  I wish ya luck...I'd talk to them, but the fact I'm Night Howler, a slitch, and a breeder, gives me three strikes against em, ya feel me?"

As she dug in, she blinked a few times, eyes widening at the complex mix of flavors.  She opted for a soft drink with her meal...wine was never really to her tastes, she remembered that from the last meal Marco had them on.  All the while she listened to the banter, pausing a bit as the conversation turned to Yelena's time at the club, and her remarks of them being worried, and..wait, FIREFLY was there too?  Her fork came down to rest on the plate as Arc looked between all of them, eyes darting over each one in turn before she let out a little sigh.  Her smirk returned a bit.  "Seems like we were all pretty busy last night, huh.."

"Yelena.  Srui.  You just tell us you had a fragged up mix of drugs and then wonder why we got our panties in a bunch?  Drek girl, you're going way in deep to get this job done, and at this point getting you back out of it might take just as long.  Frag yeah, we worried."

The human gave a little sigh, holding her head as she sorted through her thoughts...she needed to compartmentalize..be professional.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks between Marco, Firefly and Arc as they cover each other.  Given what was said, she is actually surprised that the Troll is not chiming in as well.  Looking one to the other of her friends, she says, "Yelena thank for worry.  Was very sick.  Embarrass self.  Maybe lose Bella and husband as friends.  They not return apology call.  Three basement make sense.  We know Ambrose kept someplace different.  "

She focuses back on Arc.  "Srui.  Yelena think need something for when alone no gun.  TriggerT  have mono whip?  Maybe know person put in finger?  Then train some."

Mentally cursing her still fried brain, Yelena goes back to trying to focus on what was important.  She spears Firefly with a stare then smiles, although the warmth does not really get past the lips.  "So what decker girl do club?  Bad place.  Much drink.  Much drugs.  Much sex.  Why go?"

[Duck N. Cover]

     Tuskaloosa could almost hear the doorman's next bar conversation: a horns, a keeb and two humans—all of 'em slitches—walk into an apartment highrise downtown...

     Should have put on the boots.  Britches too, maybe.  She had taken her lead for clothing based on Arc, but felt very conscious of the oils from the morning's toil.  Even downtown, there were places where two different sneakers could be written off as a fashion statement.  This was not one of those places.
   
     With Yelena conscious and sobering up on the way to the door, Tuskaloosa lacked even the distraction of moving a body.

     It took some time before the door opened. I will trust Arc to know which door is his.  I will trust Arc to know which door is his.  I will--
     When the door finally opened, Marco ushered them in with an apologetic  “Sorry I was dancing... Do you like traditional disco?”

     As she stepped through the entrance she could see why:  everything about the guest areas oozed with decadence. The wall of paper books whispered bibliophile and scholar of a bygone age.  The polished bar proudly announced gentleman.
   She doubted this was truly his home: a place of his making perhaps, but it was a place to wine and dine clients of an adult, cultured nature.  It was too perfect to be where he actually hung his hat.

     She left her Duster on the coat rack beside the door.  The troll suddenly felt over-conscious about the amount of weaponry she was displaying. I'm supposed to be among friends here...Crusader in a holster—ok.  Guardian on a slider?  She removed the gun and slipped it into an inner pocket of the coat, but left the slider on: a good compromise.  The knife?  She took the sheath off and thought.  The whole point was eating, so sitting down: upper leg not a good place, and calf hard to get to.  She tried tucking it down her back, but discovered she'd left the vest too snug: something to experiment with later.  Quickly, she settled on her left bicep: out of the way, shirt covers it a little and still within reach.
     Marco returned.  “Is something wrong?”
    “I'm good.  I just got new gear and I can't do a thing with it.”
     He gave her a puzzled look, but said nothing as he led her to the dinner table.
   
     For once decadence had it's uses: the long dining table would have usually been over extravagant.  In her case, it meant not being sent to the Troll Table.    The sofa made sitting feel a bit odd, but she accepted it with the sincerity of the gesture.
     She also suspected that if she ever came again the oversight would be rectified.

     The food was as much in place as the rest of the atmosphere:  rich clam sauce—with real clams?--over linguine.  Playing the host, the dapper elf offered her the choice of wine or a soft drink. “Not to be too demanding, but could I just have water and ice?”  She had driving to do later so the wine--although fragrant--was out.  She also didn't want to be overclocked from caffeine either—and she suspected the non-alcoholic fare more limited in quantity—so the soft drinks were also out.
     As she thought, even the water was blissfully tasty.

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Um...I was instructed by the Yak to hack the club's security servers.  Pull previous footage and leave a back door."  I hesitate as I try to assess how much more I need to share.  I feel like less is more at the moment.  "I...uhhh...had to be there to have a chance.  Go in straight using the club's own host rather than jump from grid to host."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena gives a warmer smile as she shakes her head.  "Yelena not understand matrix mojo.  So Yaks interested club.  Maybe want replace Triads?  Vory interested as well.  Big gangs involved.  Much confusion.  Not sure what mean, but all seem want new drugs.  Yelena see Bella look odd last night.  Yelena think she be taken soon.  Used maybe killed.  Can help?  Yelena like save if can.  Silly woman.  Too much money.  But not deserve die like that."

[Shaman_Yuri]

"I was planning on sharing everything I found with Arc-sensei.  I also haven't even started to examine the footage myself.  I'm not even sure what I am looking for...or for that matter what the Yak are looking for."  I look up at Yelena before adding, "although I have clipped you out of what I'll be handing the Yak.  They won't see you in the cell."

[gilga]

"That place you're talking about setting up shop in, it's run by a branch off of the Night Howlers.  Happened a couple years before I was brought into their drek, when the current leader passed and there was a dispute between Lupo and this other hoop.  Night Howlers have most of the south Barrens for sure, but these Wild Howlers are in this hood here.  And for that spot specifically?  There maybe thugs all around, but if you want peeps in charge, you're callin' on the Pink Ladies.  All she-troll squad, you can't miss em.  Tryna bring that rockabilly trend back or whateva.  I wish ya luck...I'd talk to them, but the fact I'm Night Howler, a slitch, and a breeder, gives me three strikes against em, ya feel me?"

My thoughts are going wild... so now I am going to piss in the pool of some Howlers, I hope they are not too friendly with the ones that Arc lives among.

"I will do the the talking this is my domain tough I never really dealt with gang leaders before. I spoke to a couple of halloweeners that wanted me to fund their atrocities against makeup... I gave them quite a scare but I never spoke to anyone higher than a street thug. What kind of approach would you suggest? Can I just come and talk to them or should I flex some muscle before I do?  What do these pink ladies value the most? "


A monowhip ? is she for real... nobody ever managed to kill her so she is attempting suicide practicing a deadly weapon? For a brief moment a shiver passes through my spine this is appalling, horrifying and insanely hot. If I could just have Yelena on the that new bar right now I’d do it... I got to remember the etiquette. It will not be very polite... people are eating so I will have to restrain myself.

“Yelena... Before you turn yourself even more deadly... I have access to a power that can prevent you from losing a limb while practicing. I know that danger flows in your veins but some magical luck is never bad.

And about Bella perhaps we can impersonate her or something, if we follow her we get magic drug. She is the key... ”

[Duck N. Cover]

The troll  listens to the conversation about Yelena's party night.  Notes Marco's comment about three basements in the Stardust.  Vaguely recalls Arc using that  name to Firefly on the drive home. Firefly comes clean about being at the Stardust on Yak business.

Tuskaloosa rubs her temples with a free hand.
"Just a question from the uninitiated, but does the Stardust have anything to do with tonight?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods.  Yelena thank decker girl.  No need Yak see Yelena weakness.  How long to look at data?  Firefly make copy for us?"