[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena sees Marco standing in the doorway and holds out a hand to him.  **Thank you, Srui.  I know that you will get us home again.  You always will.**

[gilga]

Marco holds Yelena's hand and say nothing, He closes his eyes and enjoys the warmth of her hand wondering how it will feel once her skin is replace with a synthetic bullet proof one. 

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena grips Marco's hand in silence, grateful for the chance to just hold onto him.  She takes her other hand and places it on top of his.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc blinks and nods, a small smile forced onto her lips as the last words from the elf echoed in her brain.  No pressure...  She shook her head a little as she strengthened her resolve to make herself ready for this job in Europe.

She was about to speak up more when she saw Marco approach, the two elves holding hands and exchanging a silent gaze.  Arc raised a brow as she sat off to the side of this, a cable connecting her head to the Russian's as she cracked a chuckle.  "Ayy, uh...should I be giving you two a moment?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena smiles at Arc, **Marco and I will have a long time together, Srui.  I am still a bit tired and need some rest.  Do you recommend doing my upgrades here at the hospital or at the clinic?

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc shifted in her seat, then shrugged, speaking up, since she knew that Marco was in on this conversation as well.  "Aight then.  Ah...if my read on this guy is correct, he's gonna do all his drek on site.  He'll want to check you out first.  Especially for the degree that you're looking for...Marco, you got the commcode I passed to you, right?"  She flexed her cyberarm a little bit, going over the implants that Yelena was planning to get into her head.

"...when I get back from my own procedures, I'll get to work on your Scorpion's suspension systems...those bones are gonna add some weight, which will throw off the balance.  No sense to have you drive it if it don't fit you, eh Srui?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena smiles as she says to both of them, "So Arc say this make Yelena look Fat?  Marco still want fat Yelena?"

[gilga]

Marco is a bit surprised when the conversation moves to voice without previous warning he is distant for a moment and then say "Yes... I have it of course."
Marco said "I love you even in octopus shape silly."  He felt that the never ending obsession about body image became silly. After all, Marco could change his body to many possible shapes.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks up at Marco.  "Marco not get joke reference?  See, there is this..........  Her words are interrupted as she places a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.  "Yelena too tired explain.  Maybe Arc explain.  Smiling Henry O say PI man here.  Where is?"

[SmilinIrish]

Hearing his name, Jed steps into the room from the hallway.  I'm here Milaya.  I wanted to give you some privacy.  Marco, its nice to see you.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena looks over at Jed as he enters the room.  "Yelena thank Jedediah for music.  Yelena not know PI man know Smiling Henry O.  Good man on sax.  Thank for come visit."

[ismilealot]

For Jed, the day before yesterday.

Jed had gotten directions from Mike, and was here hoping that the man was legit.

The bus dropped Jed and Joshua off at a Safe-Mart in Snohomish. From there it was still nine blocks down some quiet streets until they finally came to a road that looked more like an alley. Still, his GPS was saying this was the place. And at least it looked quiet. When they got to the address Jed went into a shop that looked, and turned out to actually be, a tiny barbershop, but, they directed him to a small door on the side that led up a flight of stairs. And even before they reached the door Snowden had stopped and was sniffing the air confused. He looked at Jed puzzled and said, “I’ve smelled that before. But, I can’t remember it.” Jed smiled and
took a deep breath.  Dust, the cedar from the walls, smell of some herbs often kept by talismongers, the soap Joshua had chosen for himself the last time they went shopping..What does it smell like? Jed asked as he slowly opened the door.  He felt hopeful.  I need him to remember who he is before I can help him find another mentor. Joshua paused and thought hard before he said, “It smells like the memory recall potion. But, they’ve added too much dream dust. Unless they’re going to use it to make a lucid dreams potion or nightmares potion.” He looks at you. “But, they used silver ghost plant and that’s what makes me think it’s memory recall with too much dream dust. They’re probably trying to compensate for the lack of brain juice. It’s expensive and harder to come by than the herbs.” He looks at you expectantly.
What job did you do that you would know the smell of a memory recall potion? Jed asked nonchalantly, as he pushed through the door.  Joshua had a thoughtful look on his face as he followed Jed into the store. “My mentor taught me all kinds of uses for plants. My mother was a mage and she taught . . . . “ Joshua stops dead behind Jed, and when Jed turns there’s a strange look on his face. His eyes meet you and says, “My mother was a mage. And so was my father, and so is my mentor. But, not like them. They taught me all kinds of things. But, I don’t know what they are!” Joshua starts crying. Tears running silently down his face. He looks at you and says, “I don’t remember her. Or any of them. But, I know they were mages.” He stops outside the door and leans against the wall. “I, I, need a minute.” Jed nods recognizing Joshua’s need to be alone to process this new memory. He grips his elbow and gives him a quick, awkward hug. “I’ll be inside. I’m going to leave the door open so that I can see you ok?” Joshua nods, tears running down his face, and leans against the wall just outside the door. A small bell rung above the door as Jed walked in.  The counter appeared to be at the rear of the store.  Jed didn’t see anyone as he walked between rows of shelves and bins.  He spied a small section of minerals, an area of short pieces of various types of wood, some of surprisingly bright colors.  Over there, a section of vinyl records of all things, over here, shelves of religious objects.  Several shelves of actual paper books were lined along one wall.  An area of pots, copper, cast iron, other unknown alloys.  Several closed cabinets were lined along another wall.  Jed shifted his vision over to the astral.  Several spirits hovered near the ceiling in the astral.  A particularly stout one “nodded” at Jed.  Jed felt that he glimpsed an aura fading out of sight as he shifted his vision back to the physical. 

Jed was running his hands over the spines of several books as he heard footsteps behind him.

“Welcome to Sam’s Second Chance Knick-Knack’s. May I help you?” A low pleasant feminine voice says behind him. And when Jed turns he sees a petite dark skinned woman dressed in pants and a heavy sweater, her dark red curly hair swept up into a ponytail. Jed smiles and says, “I need a few knick-knacks to add a little life to my apartment. It’s pretty bare right now. Mind if I look around?” He’ll have to tread carefully. There is no license to sell reagents outside the door. So this place is illegal. Still, all of the good ones were. They almost had to be with the taxes on reagents being so high. And government paperwork on every item and customer was not only very time consuming, but it was also ridiculous given that reagents could be found in almost any second hand store depending on a mages tradition.
Jed smiles politely as he notices her eying Joshua through the door which had been left ajar.  “My friend recently suffered a loss, and emotions get the better of him at unexpected times.  The smell of silver ghost plant triggered some memory for him” Jed threw in casually.  “I’ve been looking for a knick knack store for my own use for a while now. I hate those corporate big box knick knack stores. Too much paperwork.” She eyes you carefully and says, “Yes, it’s far more satisfying to poke around old shops like this and just wander around. But, I never knock the big corporate stores. They have things I’m unable to afford in my tiny little shop.” She’s studying you carefully. After all, there is a reward for turning in her shop, and since the only ones who would be capable of really knowing what it was are mages, this is going to be a slow dance not a race. She looks at Joshua again, “I do have some tea on. Perhaps your friend would like a cup?” Jed has a momentary flashback to the last time he had tea with a lady.  “I’ve not had much experience with tea, coming from my area of town.  I’ve always been more of a whiskey and coffee type, but I’ll try some tea, thank you for offering.”  Jed glances back at Joshua.  Maybe he should have a few more moments alone, but Jed was unlikely to get her to relax and accept him if his buddy was peering inside through a partially opened door.  Jed pointedly glances up, then calls back to Joshua “Josh, this nice lady is offering us some tea.  Would you like a cup?”  Jed smiles reassuringly at Sam (antha?).   “It is always best to take a moment to get to know the people you want to do business with.  That’s another benefit you don’t get at those other places.”
      Joshua had already wiped the tears away and had been struggling to try and remember. And when you offer him tea he grabs at it like a lifeline grateful for the distraction. “Yes please.” he says. “I’ll have the Sprite’s Dance Oolong.” he says looking at the shopkeeper. Her eyebrow raises at his request. And then she looks at Jed and says, “And what would you like?”  Jed looks back and forth between the two, wondering what the meaning of that tea was.  “You know what, since I’m not a tea drinker, I’ll  have to trust the hostess to choose something for me, unless...”  looking at Joshua he adds “you have a recommendation Joshua, based off of Fiberachi ratios?”.  As soon as he says it, he realizes that he said it wrong. Joshua says, “Fibonacci.” Then he looks at you and says, “That would be Pineapple.” He looks at her and says, “Do you have Pineapple Tea?” She looks at him and says, “No.” and then she looks at you and says, “But, I do have coffee.” Joshua looks at you and says, “Pineapple tea isn’t as good as pineapple juice.” She turns to go make the tea,  and then looking back says to Joshua, “Do you want to come with me?” He quickly goes to her side and says, “Yes please.”
Jed’s first instinct is to go with them.  Although that is usually because he is afraid of what Joshua will say or do, but suddenly he realizes that it has turned into a protective instinct for Joshua.  Huh.  Didn’t expect that.  Half out of his chair, Jed hesitates, and forces himself to sit back down.  “Thank you for the coffee ma'am.  I take it black”.  Jed lets his eyes wander the room.  He is here for a couple of spells, and maybe a text on the theory of focus crafting. From the other room Jed can hear the sound of Joshua and Sam(?) talking. And the clatter that denotes the tea making. Soon he is lost in looking at the variety of things in the shop. The small space is extremely well organized. And it makes finding anything quick and painless. Or it would be except for the fact that Sam’s knick-knacks has the largest collection of really useful reagents Jed has ever seen. Everything is usable. Everything. And when he see’s a collection of well worn books Jed can’t help himself. He stops and starts looking at the titles, and as his hands run over them he can feel the love their owners had for them. Unless that’s his love. And when he spots a battered collection of the Martian Chronicles he can’t help himself. He opens his favorite and starts reading a few lines. And is suddenly pulled out of his reverie a few pages later by singing. Singing! Wait, there’s been singing, but, it was Joshua’s. Over the past few days Jed had grown accustomed to his voice singing to the plants. But, this was male and female! He hurries over to where Joshua disappeared and goes through the open door to encounter a bright kitchen with a lush green wall. Joshua and the shopkeeper are standing near it, turned three quarters of the way from him and they’re both singing. The shopkeeper is looking to Joshua and he is singing and she is repeating. And that vibrant hue Jed has learned to associate with Joshua’s enchanting is spreading outward on the wall of plants.

[ismilealot]

It was that moment that Jed realized he had misjudged something about Joshua. He had assumed that with all his talk of Fibonnacci ratios that he was one of those damned University mages who believed that mana had to be constrained by formulas and that everything had to be standardized and quantified.  But watching him now, Jed realized that if he had lost his memory, and couldn't even admit to himself that he was a Mage, there was no way he could be doing what he was doing. This magic came from his heart, from his very soul. All this other talk may just be some kind of Feng Shui techniques passed on by his mentor. Jed stood there in open wonder, admiring the magic that poured from him and suffused the plants in front of him. For once, Jed opened himself up and allowed his soul to feel.
It was a moment of perfect peace. Both of them stood there and sang back and forth. Joshua teaching her the song. And the room was filled with life and then the shopkeeper turned and handed Joshua a cup of tea and still singing he turned to a blossoming white flower and gently tapping it’s stamen, he allowed the pollen to fall into the cup. He finished the song and then said, “You sing very well. The plants are very healthy. It shows how much you love them. But, adding more dream dust isn’t really going to compensate for the lack of brain juice. But, if you sing a bit of morel with ginseng and dried blue fish brain it’ll work without the expense.” The shopkeeper had tapped a bit of pollen into her own cup and had sipped it carefully listening to Joshua. She nodded and said, “I’ll try that with the next batch. I’ll have to get the mushroom. Is it the same song?” Joshua shook his head, “No, things that grow in the dark need the Moon’s Luster song. I can teach it to you.” The shopkeeper’s eyes had brightened when she tasted the tea. “Mmmmh, this is as good as in the Tir! Now I know how those damned elves did it. Harvested under a full winter moon my ass!” She laughs then and says, “I’d love to have you teach me. And in exchange I can teach you what I know since we share the same tradition.”
“Hey bud, that was beautiful. Are some of the pieces fitting back together?”  Jed wanted to ask him directly about being a Mage, but felt he was wise to be more discreet. He had not asked him directly since the first time he had denied it. Jed accepted the cup of coffee. Oh wow, it was from real beans. “Oh, wow that's good. I haven't had anything but the extract concentrate in so long. He held the cup to his face and inhaled. Not the sniffing smelling kind of inhale, but the same kind of inhale you did when a woman's head was on your shoulder and you just breathed in the essence of her. easy buddy, it's coffee.
Joshua looks over at Jed sipping his tea. “Pieces? Is something broken?”
Jed just smiles and shakes his head dismissively. “Just a poor attempt at wit”. He sips the coffee, savoring it. “My name is Jedediah Early. I would be honored if you called me Jed, as that's what my friends call me. This is my friend Joshua.”  Smiling, he sits back, holding the cup with both hands. The shopkeeper smiles and says, “I’m Samia Soleymaini. Joshua and I have already met.” she smiles at him. He smiles back at her and says, “Jed and I have to eat dinner later. Would you like to come with us?” Samia smiles back at him and says, “I think that would be nice. We could discuss the applications of plant essences in pharmacology and the adaptations of single, double and triple step distillation methods as they apply to end product applications.” Samia turns and looks at you and says, “Joshua tells me that you’ve been helping him and that you’ve been taking him to different gardens and that he’s been working on ways to make your garden more efficient to make room for more specimens. I’ve promised him some of my cuttings. Is that alright?” Joshua cuts in, “Yes, it’s alright. We’re going to come here lots. Jed likes it here.” Joshua gives you a bit of a pleading look over her head as she looks back and forth between the two of you.
A genuine heartfelt laugh bursts from Jed as he sees the anxious face pleading with him. “I do indeed like it here. In fact, I would venture to declare that I love it here. And as far as you adding cuttings to my garden, I wouldn't presume to tell you that you can't add anything you want to that garden. I had a box that was growing some basil and some weak little tomatoes. Now look what you've done with it. That garden ceased to be my garden when you started working on it and will forever be our garden, for as long as you like. I would be delighted for Samia to join us, although I'm not sure a bowl of noodles from Samurai Noodle is fitting fare for so boon a companion.” Jed blushes as he realizes how ridiculous he sounds.  “How long have you had your shop Samia?”
Samia smiles and says, “All my life. It was my fathers. He was Sam. I inherited it two years ago when he passed away. I spent my childhood in this shop learning history, sociology, mathematics, you name it.” She smiles and says, “My father was a frustrated college professor. He knew more about everything and anything than anyone I’ve ever known.” She laughs then, “Except for organizing. I was forever needing to put things in their proper order. Once he passed I was able to finally change the layout of the shop, install more shelving and a more efficient method of cataloguing and still install the aquaponics system for the herbs in the kitchen I’d always wanted. I did a few updates of that as well.” She looks up at Joshua and says, “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as talented as you. I can believe it when Jed says he had one small plantar. I’m already looking forward to learning the methodology for increasing the yield of non-magical plants without stressing their root systems or destabilizing their essences with artificial methods of fertilization.” She looks at him. “And I’m really impressed at how much you were able to do without a focus. My minor was in artificing. I can help you make a focus if you’d like?” She looks at Joshua expectantly and then adds, “And I love noodles.”
“Well I guess if we’re ever going to eat dinner I should conclude my business portion of this visit. Samia, I'm not a typical Mage. I don't learn magic by formula. I feel it out. Casting for me is like drawing mana together and shaping it, creating with it. Consequently, I can't always find spell formulas that work for me. I need a spell to increase my awareness, and a ritual to create Watchers. Also, I'm hoping to pick up a primer on artificing. Can you help me?”
She frowns as she thinks about your request. “Well, maybe. I do have a spell called Ghost Vision. It’s not quite what it sounds like. It superimposes a sort of bubble like aura over your head and it sharpens the senses in that area, so, seeing, hearing, taste and touch are all heightened. But, it can be very difficult for your tradition to learn spells as you don’t parse the data in the same way. Even watching someone else cast it is often not helpful. As for the Watchers I have several spells. You can look at them and see which one makes sense to you. And the primer on artificing is easy. I still have my old college books. You can come here everyday and study it and I can help you by explaining what doesn’t make sense. I’ll charge you for every hour of the actual  tutoring and reduce it by every hour Joshua tutors me.” She smiles at Joshua openly and as he looks at her he smiles back. Joshua has a nice smile, it lights up his face. And seeing that Samia responds, her eyes light up as she looks at him and then she looks back at you. “So, let’s see about those scrolls.” She finishes her tea and takes the cup to the sink to rinse it and then turns to go to a small cupboard. Turning back she says, “If you’ll return to the shop I’ll meet you there.”
Jed and Joshua went back into the main shop. They didn't have long to wait. Samia came back into the shop carrying several scroll and a few books. She laid everything down on the counter and smiling said, “Take a look and see if you are able to use these. As I said your tradition makes spell use and learning new spells more difficult.” She unfurled one of the scrolls, “This is the only  spell I have that increases awareness. There are other spells that might help you, but I'd have to order them.” As Jed looks them over he notes that this spell use a very different type of notation and calls for reagents in the casting.
Jet begins to study the scrolls as he considers his needs versus what is available. He's never encountered a spell that requires reagents, and he realizes he intends to buy this spell even if it's not something he wants to put in the time to learn yet. “I've never seen a spell quite like this, this is interesting. Does this person regularly provide spells to you?”  One of the scrolls contains the Watcher ritual Jed was looking for, and he sets it aside as he continues to examine the awareness spell.  The spell is an arrangement of Kanji characters on a page of actual parchment.
“Yes, he does. If you count 3-4 spells a year regularly.” She smiles at Jed. “Given the rarity of material I do. And, his spells tend to be easier for some mages to cast is it gives them an additional focal point for the casting. And almost impossible for others given the notations system and lack of specific protocols from any one tradition.”  Nodding, Jed continues looking over the scroll. Samia looks at him with a bemused smile on her face. “You're looking at it wrong” she says softly. Glancing up at her, Jed turns the page 90 degrees, the 90 degrees again. He lets his eyes unfocus, he looks at it at a sharp angle with his eyes squinted, but he still doesn't see the spell. Samia shakes her head and returns to Joshua's side. Jed hears the two of them happy discussing horticulture. “So nice. He is beginning to heal.”  But how much. Jed shifts his vision to the astral, to evaluate Joshua's aura, and the gray, “static-y areas of his aura are lessening.
As Jed is looking away from Joshua he sees the page in front of him and actually jumps. There is a 3-D astral image projecting up from the page. It's a series of odd geometric shapes. Jed picks the page up. The sheets are static relative to the page and as he turns the page so turn the images. “Spirits!  It's a puzzle.” He isn't sure it's exactly what he's looking for, but it's too interesting to leave behind. Adding it to the Watcher ritual, he walks over to the text books that she had indicated. Looking at them, he quickly sees that they’ll do the trick.
He walks back to Samia “I would love to come here to study. But I'm not happy to trade Joshua’s time for yours. I think Joshua would be happy to tutor you, but I'd rather you give him the credit for his time. I’ll get by for now. I do have a friend however, that may be willing to purchase time tutoring with you.  His name is Marco.
She smiles, “I’ll take that as a compliment that you feel confident enough in me to recommend me as a tutor.” She smiles at Joshua, “And I’m really looking forward to learning from you. What do you say?” Joshua looks at her and then down, and then up again and looks at her intently. “I want to come here.” he says simply. Samia smiles at him and Joshua blushes and looks down. And Samia smiles even bigger.
Well, this was an interesting development. Jed had to think carefully about how to handle the knowledge that he possessed that Joshua had forgotten. He'd had the spells he needed, had arranged for access to pick up a new skill. Jed took a quick turn through the store, make a rough mental catalogue of what was available here, before returning to Samia and Joshua, who were still alternating between smiling and blushing. “Shall we head out for noodles?”
Samia hands Jed the balance of his items and smiles and says, “I think we should.” Once Jed slots his cred stick she picks up her keys and following them out the door locks up.

[gilga]

It was a long day at the hospital and Marco kept busy with logistics there was something there and Marco could not finger out. Something drew him to that place it had a music, emotions hope, despair pain and mercy and they changed the ER somehow. Sometimes, Marco felt that if he focused he could sense something if the emotions were strong enough. At one point he fell asleep or dozed off for a moment on the chair. He was only aware to Yelena’s comforting hand and he embraced that feeling.

Yelena was not alone in her bed, there was something else with her, something that touched him now. It was a contrast to Yelena’s warmth it was cold and non comforting 

“You are some odd rebel...” 

“Yelena?”... no she did not talk or think about it. It was a different voice, there was no judgement in that voice. It did not even speak, it was more of a reflection than an actual voice.

 “I am Marco, who are you?”  He thought.

“You are not Marco... “ 

“I am not? what am I then?” Marco thought but got no reply
...that conversation was odd.

“You are Shadow... at least my interpretation of Shadow. You are strong around Scary lady - in a way you are what makes her scary.”

The voice remained silent, either it approved or it was silent and did not care.

“I am Odd rebel, this is what you call me, like I call Yelena Scary lady and she calls you Shadow. It is not about what we are called it is about what we are.”

Silence.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing”

“What are you?”

“Nothing”

How could Shadow want and be nothing. It was as if he was a black hole. Unchanging, non interacting and not nice. He was not like Eagle or Agrat that talked like people.  Unlike them, Shadow did not say much at all and Marco felt that even the little he said was his own interpretation of things.  Marco was not even sure if it actually was Shadow - perhaps that too was just his own interpretation.

Shadow was empty and offered no hope, no redemption and no salvation -  just power. Marco could feel that following him inevitably leads into emptiness. That was what frightened him. Marco did not want to become nothing, he wanted things to matter. Did it matter what he wanted? Perhaps life were just like Shadow... we are something and then we are no more. Perhaps embracing that truth had some comfort, some appeal and some strength in it.   Marco woke up terrified. -  “Did you feel that ?" he asked Yelena.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena had slept and woke several times as the day passed.  Arc eventually left to go about her business, as had Jed and Smiling Henry O.  Marco remained.  He would walk about but always came back.  During one of her awake periods she received a text from Blake telling her that all was set up for the surgery if she still wanted to go through with it.  Prices were provided and Yelena talked things over with Marco, trying to work out what she could afford and what her priorities should be.  The dear man was silent for a bit then told her to get everything and he would help cover the costs, bringing Yelena to tears.  At first she refused but he wore her down and ultimately she contacted Blake and transferred the credits and he made the arrangements.  All would be done tomorrow as long as the doctor gave his approval.

She went back to sleep, waking again as the nurses came in to check on her.  Even in the middle of the night, Marco was still there in the chair next to her, his hand wrapped in hers.  One of the nurses whispered to her how sweet it was that her man would stay with her.  It was something she did not see often.  Early in the morning, she woke up as he tugged at her hand and asked if she had heard anything.

"Hear what?  Yelena not hear."