[ismilealot]

@ Marco  The gun toting men are almost gleeful. "You're worth ten times the old man. And it was far easier to take you."

@ Arc  NineLives  Looks at you and says, "The job is an extraction. There's a mage who's been working on cracking our wards. She's also the girlfriend of the Triad boss for this area. She's normally locked up tight. But, this week she's going to be traveling. She's be in an armed and armored truck with a full compliment of guards to escort her, so, count on at least two extra vehicles besides the main one. It'll be our best shot at getting her and finding out what she knows, as well as making damn sure they're not breaking our wards anytime soon. I know you know go-gangers who can handle this drek." he says grinning at you.

@ Yelena  Bella's skin is smooth and almost glowing. The little bit of sweat creating a sheen on her skin.

[SgtBoomCloud]

As Arc closed up shop and grabbed her control rig, she couldn't help but noticed the decker getting friendly with their new troll teammate.  Potential, girly.  She's untested yet, which I'll have to fix in a bit.  Also let Yelena know what kinda stuff we'll probably be wanting to ship over with us to Poland...if I go...  Boxing up the console and carrying it to the back of the car, letting it rest in the trunk.

<<@Yelena: Srui, it's a nix on our large friend moving in, but she thanks us for the offer.  Be safe>>

With that out of the way, she opened up the doors for the other two ladies to hop in, smirking a little up at the troll.  "Angel, huh...I'll be sure to pass that message along.  If he was botherin' ya, I know just what to say to him.."  Chuckling deviously, the mechanic zipped up her jacket just up to the bust before slipping into the driver's seat, opening the garage door and firing up the engine.  As she did so, she reached up to the base of her head, where the plating was, and pulled out a data cable, extending it to the interface seated between Arc and Firefly and plugging it in.

Remaining in AR to interact with the others, Arc pulled out seamlessly onto the street, the garage closing up and locking behind her.  The freshly fallen snow was a new touch, so she took a little extra care to get on the road, using Gridguide and her own map ARO to gauge the street boundaries as she spoke up to the others.

"Null sweat on making me late, chummers.  It's flex...I just gotta show up sometime tonight is all.  Tuska, you're closest, so I'm taking ya home first, then Firefly, wiz?"  With that in mind, Arc brought them onto the main road, the movements of the machine quite effortless to the untrained eye as she integrated with traffic.  Being a Saturday night, the social scene was out to play, but thankfully it was mitigated by the current inclement weather conditions.

Along the way, Firefly's question reached Arc's ears, the human's eyes darting over to the decker before she gave a little smirk.  "Sensei, huh?  That's a good question.  I knew NineLives from way back growing up on these streets.  Hailed as a Hopscotch champion...same kinda stuff Oorah and Slider7 do, yknow.  At least, until after he went big time and got screwed over, then nobody saw his hoop again.  At least till now.  He's a bit chunkier, but he's the same dude, and somehow he's now a quarter owner of the club Stardust."

She paused a bit, glancing back at Tuskaloosa, but got the impression that she wasn't one to spill drek.  "Since he knew me, he's providing me some work for cred.  Under the impression I got cred happy after the blood spirit deal and is broke.  He's my angle in to find out drek and get close, ya feel me?"  As they drove, the near Tuska's indicated drop off point, the human glancing back at the tall woman.  "You stay in touch and I'll do the same, aight?  Was a pleasure."

[Shaman_Yuri]

I can feel the car sigh and rise a bit as the weight of the troll is relieved from its suspension.  I sit in silence as the two riggers say their farewells and this "Tuskaloosa" fades into the snowy night looking more like a bison than the gazelle Yelena portrayed not long ago in a similar image.  Only when the Americar is moving safely in traffic do I break the stillness.

"You seem to have taken to this Tuskaloosa very quickly," I begin, trying to keep my tone casual.  "What makes you so certain about her?"

[SgtBoomCloud]

As they watched to make sure that Tuskaloosa would be fine, Arc glanced over at Firefly for a few seconds.  Satisfied, she kicked the car back into gear and slowly began to pull away.  The question was mulled over in the shorter mechanic's mind before she came up with a response.

"Hard to explain.  Instinct, think it's the best word.  I've had to develop a sense of whether someone will be a decent person or if they will be drek to me.  Helped me survive."  She trailed off, thinking while she rounded a corner.

"She gives off a good vibe.  Someone who commits to something, and loves that bike.  She couldn't pay me for it, so something that wasn't cred would have had to do.  When something is yours, truly yours, you don't wanna lose it, ya feel me?  but I have some practical drek in this noggin too.  I'm gonna spend a day or two here soon to feel her out, test her stuff.  If she don't measure up, I'll be straight and figure somethin' else out, eh?"

She chuckled a little bit.  "heh...took to you pretty quick too, didn't I?  Just a few days, and you now moving in to my solo bed is what I"m hearin?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I nod at the answer, including the acknowledgment of my own quick acceptance into the group.  "I'm honored and more than a little shocked at Yelena-sensei's faith in me, I must admit.  You've seen what I'll risk for those on my team, but your "srui" is it?"  I pause a moment for Arc to confirm I have the term right.  "She wasn't there and yet she's taken me as her student and invited me to sleep in the same room with her.  It's...a little unnerving considering how distrustful she seems about other things.  She herself has admitted that she's been the victim of terrible betrayal.  That's the basis of why we're going to Poland."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc gave a little nod, smiling at her use of the foreign term.  "hai hai.  Full term is Srui'ken kal.  It's Or'Zet, means sister of blood.  She and I nearly died together recently, fighting for this place.  Hella bond to make."  She instinctively touched at her right arm, brushing against the cybernetics before continuing.  "Yelena, she's...I think she has some instinct like that too.   And your drive and will ain't that hard to spot, omae, but that ain't a bad thing.  Either way, I don't think that sixty-something keeb is as dark as she says.  She's making a home here, so that's somethin'."

She trailed off, looking ahead with a hardened expression of worry.  "It's why I'm starting to hate this Stardust job.  Y'know how I'm working that angle with Ninelives?  She's working it with their hostess or some other drek.  Partying, gambling, hard drugs...a lot of drek she left behind before she knew me she's falling into.  Thinking half the job will be knocking that back outta her before Poland, yknow?"

Sighing, she rested her head back as she glanced over at the young decker.  "Seems we all got our little troubles, you mentioned the same if I remember right, huh?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

I listen intently to what Arc is telling me.  Her sense that Yelena isn't as dark as she says fits with my own assessment, and it appears I was spot on to be a little skeptical of the elf's hard description of what I would need to become.  If Arc can remain who she is and stay close to and useful for Yelena, then so can I.  The rigger and I bring different things to our relationships with the murasaki-me akuma.  Perhaps between the two of us, we can help Yelena finally place roots that nurture and last.

I just need to figure out where Marco fits into that.  Is he a good influence, or will he destroy all Arc-sensei's and my best efforts.  I need to find out...and soon...

Very soon.

"Yelena-sensei isn't the only one haunted by a past, that is true.  Unlike you or Yelena-sensei, I was corporate until just two months ago.  Renraku through and through.  My father is a third generation scion of the founding family and was on track for the top C-suite at least...until he and my mother were betrayed by some they considered friends.  They both committed seppuku in disgrace.  I was spirited away from Singapore just before the assassins came for me.  My clone was burned in my bedroom along with everything I owned except this jumpsuit, my deck included.  The Yak set me up here in Seattle as their last service to my father.  Since then, I've been on my own paying for everything through debt or service."  I pat my tummy where my Erika is safely nestled between my skin and the jumpsuit.  "My deck here barely deserves being called that and getting it took a big loan with my organs as collateral."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc listened, closing her mouth and making extra sure not to interrupt.  It didn't take a genius to spot personal stuff being shared.  As she went through her tale, the mechanic's suspicions proved true.  She is fresh...still, she ain't gonna die that easy  Sighing a little, she gave a nod as she eased back into her seat.

"Think my own parents were corp...my real ones, that is.  Too young to remember, not important now.  So a novahot decker, huh?  Makes sense on how you handled the GGs...even with tools of the quality you claim, you did more than I could have, and i have experience blowing drek up"  She gave a grin, glancing over at her before her face grew serious.

"It may not seem like it now, but you're lucky to land in the Barrens how you did.  You're on your feet, and running, which is a hella lot more than most can say.  I was nine when I had my old world taken from me, and it took me ten years under the heel of the Night Howlers, being their skinny little pet and slave pretty much, before I could crawl to my feet and establish myself.  No one deserves that..."

When the topic came up of her debt and the risk for it, Arc's eyes snapped right back to the decker, noting how her equipment was right at her midsection where Firefly indicated.  Her eyes narrowed a bit, and when she spoke up, Arc's voice was level and matter of fact, less indicating curious and more indicating assessment.  "...how much?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

Hmmm, she talks almost affectionately about the "Howlers" yet they treated her like she describes.  Strange.  Then again, my training put me through hell at times, even risking my life and sanity.  And I adore my teachers for preparing me for the real world despite the hazing and emotional torment.  Perhaps it's the same.

"...No one deserves that..."

Then again, perhaps not.  I shiver, doing my best to hide the action.  Then again, perhaps unsuccessfully as the rigger's eyes snap to me and I freeze.

"...how much?"

So Yelena-sensei didn't share with Arc what I told her?  I can feel cold sweat on my back at the unexpected gaze.  Unexpected given her nonchalance about nuyen with the troll.

"Forty five thousand, Arc sensei," I answer straight out.  No sense hiding it - I owe it and I'll need to deal with it if I'm to have the freedom to go to Poland and have any kind of life afterwards...assuming I lived through the experience.  "Ten percent interest a month."

[SgtBoomCloud]

A low whistle echoed out of the mechanic's lips as Arc made another turn, double checking her map ARO to confirm she was going in the right direction.  "...well that won't do.."  So far so good, and for a few tense moments, there was silence.  Any look at Arc's face could read that the wheels were turning, her mind processing something.  In her head, Arc could understand how debt like that could hold a person down...Lupo had made sure to remind her every day of her time as a Howler just how much she owed them for her rescue, and her first set of cybereyes.

Before Subaru and Arc could realize it, they were at the drop off point for Subaru's home, the repurposed motel with the dilapidated paint.  But instead of opening the door, the locks kicked in, and Arc turned to the other, speaking with the barest hint of a grin.

"So how you want to handle this, girly?  Do I just give you the cred to handle these yaks yourself, or am I gon be finna buying your loan off of em?  What's it gonna be?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

Wait what!  Paying?  Buying?

Huh?

I'm sure my face must be a potpourri of comedy right now as I process. She's offering to pay me off or buy me out!

"Um...that...are you sure?"  The woman nods with a grin. "I...I pay my debts, Arc-sensei. I'm good for it."  the human's unreal eyes just bore into me. "Okay, but I'll pay you back, sensei. I'm already working to wring more out of our pay data. Think evidence the Minister of Agriculture of the Tir was on the take for bribes by the Goblins would be valuable to someone?"

This time I return the woman's grin.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc simply watched the girl as she processed this revelation and turn of events, but grew attentive when the Goblins Intel came to light.  She waited until the end, but gave a nod.  "I'm sure the ones on the take would pay good cred to keep that in the dark huh.  But that might help us too.  Think you can forward me all that drek?  That big guy you saw with Marco is handling our Intel.  Worth passing along."

She smiled wide as she nodded again affirming her decision  to help with the debt issue.  "It's null sheen, I know you good for it.  Here in the Barrens, you take care of ya own, that's how you thrive.  Be a lot easier for all of us without that yak cred noose, huh?  Just lemme know when and how you want that to go down, aight?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

Hmmm.  The older human with Marco. Blake is the name. I don't know anything about him. He was very quiet and left early along with Marco. Someone else to understand better. Still, there's Marco again.

"How did you come to know Marco-san and what do you think of him?  Not everyone walks around with a 'library book' from the Papal States, Arc-sensei."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc gave a nod at her question, searching through her memories of the strange young keeb male.  "...Marco was set up with us by the man..woman, I dunno.  The person who set us up for doing this job on the Stardust in the first place, and the person who footed the hospital bills for Yelena and I after the blood mage.  And my new eyes. And my arm"  She sighed, taking a moment to let that process before getting back on track.

"Marco's first job was to pretty up Yelena and I for the first run into the club.  He's...I think the word he used was escort?  Hard to read him.  He's worn a few faces, good at disguises.  Decent mage, but an oddball as hell.  Very much absolute in whatever he believes in.  Biggest challenge is keeping him focused, otherwise he freaks and wants to bolt."  She let out her breath in an exhale.  "Think he and Yelena are an item...dunno.  That's about all I know about him.  Been too focused to dig more."

"Why, you think he's dirty, Firefly?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

"I...I don't know.  He's hiding something, but Yelena-sense just says we all are. And I suppose she's right. Still, he makes me nervous. But I don't have anything I can put my finger on.  Back in Renraku they taught me to never trust anything that seems too perfect."