Yelena climbs on the bike and places her arms around Arc as she lays her head against her friend's back. Something about the human was so comfortable and she instinctively knows that she can trust her new friend. Even considering what that level of trust might mean was disconcerting and a bit scary. Less than a couple of weeks earlier she had been working for the Ancients and was on watch at a meeting that Arc had been a part of. At the time she had been told to kill the human if she looked to be a danger and Yelena could not have been gladder that she had not had to. She chuckles a bit to herself as she thinks of the intersections of fate and how someone can affect another person. If Sam had not hired her to kill the Keeb mage, she would have simply left Seattle and never really got to know her friend.
Yelena notices the ease with which Arc glides through the traffic. Certainly, here is a true professional. What they had scarped together as a team had opened a whole vista to Arc. She is able to see some bit of the true potential she has inside her, perhaps for the first time. her self confidence and self worth had jumped considerably. For all intents and purposes, the Scorp really belongs to Arc and Yelena is only allowed to take it out after receiving the sort of talk a concerned father would give to the boy who dared to ask his daughter out. The truly odd thing is that Yelena is comfortable with the arrangement. There is an attachment growing between the Keeb assassin and the human rigger that defies common sense. Yelena smiles as she considers the reasons she does not try to seduce Arc. One, she is her friend she does not know how the human would react. Losing that friendship would be a devastating blow. Second, see the first reason.
After Arc pulls up to the small club, Yelena climbs off the Scorpion and grabs her sax. She waits for her friend to secure the bike and walks with her to the door, stepping through into the sultry dimness within. She exchanges nods with the man at the door. In French accented with her Russian she greets him and introduces Henri to Arc. The man bows over the human's hand and in English, offers to take them both to a special table. Yelena switches back to English and tells Henri that she is expecting another Keeb to show up and gives Marco's name and description to him. Henri promises to watch for him and guides them into the room. The dim interior holds about fifteen small tables with several semi-private booths line the walls. Yelena slips Henri something and he takes the women to one of the side booths. After seating them, he says, "Vodka for my friend Yelena, but what for you, mademoiselle?"
After taking Arc's order, he quietly vanishes. There is already a three man group playing soft jazz on the smallish stage. The soft melodies of the sax and piano mix with the snare drums. As Yelena and Arc wait for their drinks a huge troll emerges from a side hallway and looks around. This guy looks like he could give any of the Howlers a run for being the ugliest and meanest looking trog alive. He looks around and sniffs, almost as if her were tracking a scent. His smile is about as horrible as the rest of him, always assuming, of course, that he was really smiling. He makes his way to where Yelena and Arc are sitting and bends over. His cultured tones are so completely at odds with his appearance that the uninitiated are taken completely by surprise. "Yelena Petrovna. You have been missing from here and missed as well. My drums just do not sound the same when you are not on stage with me. I hope that you are here to play tonight? Louie is here for piano and Gil on horn, but it has not been the same without you." The huge troll looks at Arc and holds out a giant hand. "Pardon my lack of manners. Say, I recognize you. Arc, right? Got a garage not too far from here? Hey, you must be the girl that helped save the Barrens. Welcome to Josie's House of Jazz. I'm Josie, and before you get the inclination to ask, don't ask. Unless you want to hear a truly long story because I have no way to shorten it. But if you stick around after the show, maybe I can tell you part of it." He smiles at both of you and looks over to where Henri is back standing at the door. "Hey, Henri. Drinks for these two on me. And anything else they want, too." He turns back to the table and says, "About ten and then some practice, eh, Yelena? And nice to meet you, Arc. Any friend of Yelena is welcome here and you being a true hero is a real bonus for the club. I hope that you like jazz, because you will hear some great stuff tonight." Saying that, the mountain turns and moves through the other tables, stopping at one or another to wish the patrons a good evening.
Yelena chuckles, "Josie story really, really, really long. Not sure much true, but makes good tell. Arc should listen to it. I need to go practice a bit. Order lamb rack for three, unless you not like lamb. Best meal in house. Is soy, but taste like lamb. Not Marco food, but place makes up for it. I be back in thirty to eat. Get me more vodka, please." Yelena smiles at her friend, grabs her sax, and goes off through the hallway the troll had come through.
