[gilga]

Marco said "Have faith in me love, no matter what follows, no matter what darkness come you remember that darkest hour is just before sunrise. One day need to end for another to start, and endings are always difficult. These life are temporary, they are not real they are but an illusion, an illusion that cannot continue once you understand its true nature. Please, do not use violence in my place of worship, some things change but the fundamentals remain the same, I am not dangerous I may be losing my mind but I would not hurt a fly. Your heart is in the right place, but your emotions are making you weak, do not feel, do not understand, believe! You know the truth in your heart. This road that I took, it is a path that I must take alone  but in the end, we will meet again.

This is why I gave you my comb, it will do wonders to your hair. It is my most valued piece of earthly possession and normally I would never leave home without it.  Good hair builds confidence and confidence builds strength, you will need your strength when you leave so brush you hair everyday and things will get better, I am certain of it. " he made no attempt to resist Yelena's grab.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena releases Marco's neck and turns him around to face her.  She lowers her forehead to his and speaks softly as tears pour from her eyes.  "До свидания Марко. Елена будет помнить вас как вы были. Вы вероятно никогда не знают, что я сказать вам, но не изменит смысл. Вы вдали от любви и переход на месте я не знаю и не хотели бы перейти к. Удачи и хорошей жизни для вас, Марко."

Yelena takes the comb he offers her and turns away, leaving the church as fast as she can, almost careening into three old ladies in her hurry.  Outside, the sting of the cold air causes her to wipe the tears away and she retraces her steps away from the man she used to love.  Every step widens the gulf between them and pushes her that much farther into the shadow.  She eventually makes her way back to the bus stop and takes the buses back to where her bike is parked in the public garage.  She pauses at the bike and thinks of everything Marco had meant to her, what he still means to her, and shakes her head.  She will have that part of him for as long as she lives, but that Marco is gone and she does not know how to get him back.  She could have drug him from the church and......and......and exactly what?  He does not want to be with her and whatever world he is not living in is not for her.  Love was not enough for either of them to give up everything to be together.  She shrugs as she mounts her bike and heads off back to the garage. 

Goodbye Marco.  Yelena will remember you as you were.  You will probably never know what I am telling you but that will not change the meaning.  You are turning away from love and going to a place I do not know and do not wish to go to.  Good luck and good life to you, Marco.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena parks the bike in a row of other bikes and takes Firefly's hand in one of hers and approaches the bar.  Loud music can be heard even from outside the door.  Yelena squeezes the younger woman's hand.  "Decker mage OK this?  We here have good time.  Forget Marco.  Be friends.  We leave when Firefly says leave."  Two large bikers are standing on the wooden porch near the door but do not appear to be any sort of threat.  They are smoking cigarettes and getting some air.  The women pass into the bar and Yelena smiles.  The place is not like Josie's jazz bar, but is more like a cross between a biker bar and a honky tonk.  The wooden floor is littered with sawdust and peanut shells and the stools that line bar that stretches almost all the way across the large room are filled with patrons, as are most of the tables and booths.  Several pool tables occupy the left end of the room and a wooden dance floor is to the right.  Both of these areas are full of people having a good time.  A three-person live band is playing from a small stage near the dance floor, but the music from the instruments has to compete with the twang of country music through the tinny speakers of an old juke box near the pool tables.  Strangely enough, none of the customers in the packed bar seem to care.  All are dressed as if going somewhere or coming from somewhere, but the garb could hardly be termed even remotely consistent.

Several customers look up as Firefly enters the bar and a cute waitress points to a booth.  "Or there is room at the bar, honey.  Take your pick and I will be right with you."

Yelena looks at Firefly.  "Decker mage want booth?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

"This is your outing, Yelena-sensei," I remind her as I look around and get my bearings.  "If you'd rather sit at the bar, that's fine although..."  I try to keep my gaze from lingering on the booth, but I can tell Yelena's too perceptive for me to hide the furtive glance in that direction.

[Mercy Merchant]

The waitress glides over shortly after Firefly and Yelena are seated in the booth, which is closer to the pool table and jukebox end of the bar.  She looks at Firefly and says, "New here?  I don't recognize you and I never forget a face.  What'll you have, dear?  Just about anything is available."

After taking Firefly's order and Yelena's order for Vodka, the waitress disappears.  Yelena reaches over and tentatively takes Firefly's hand.  Decker mage let Yelena know if want leave.  Yelena not mean make uncomfortable.  Place like this is real life.  Real people.  Can meet new friends.  Can make new enemies.  But is life.  Not cloister.  But maybe Yelena move too fast?"

[gilga]

Sometimes you lie in order to say the truth, emotions need to be carefully controlled and manipulated the script is the script is the script and it is the only reality. Not even love, breaks the mask... What sort of mage hands over his power focus? What sort of man breaks the heart of a lover out of love? Love gives courage, it gives generosity, as long as Marco is alive that comb is connected to him, Firefly and Yelena are close, too close for Firefly's sake but Marco believes that Firefly would be smart enough to figure it out. It is with her he places his trust, he will get to Poland and will try to follow them but how far can he go without them finding him?

Would they want anything with Marco once they do ?

They may want or they may not work, it is no time to wonder, the script is for him. It may be fueled by love, but at the end of the day Marco does not plan to ever be predictable. To ever be himself, the open roads are his way now, the life of fugitive are his share. His face will be masked every morning and once his magic matures  and evolves so will his aura. That innocent but naive mage that Yelena fell in love with is gone forever, in his place there is what is left.
A cynical, cold and result driven person, one that follows his lover to hell, even if she is his lover no more.

Poland is the last place they will look for him, murder and atrocities are the least likely place for him to go to. Yet, the smell of Yelena's body as she talked to him. The feeling of her hand on his neck, that is his last memory of her. The one memory on Marco's mind few days later when he followed the script to the hardest feat of his life. To jump out of a building and allows himself to fall all the way to the floor, without trying to grab anything, without changing into a bird and without levitating. What possible mage can fake such a suicide? Only one with an absolute control over fear and reason. It is faith that kept him going, faith that it is better to die than to accept being a mere tool. No more being the tool of evil men, from now on Marco would pursue his own agenda.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I watch the waitress depart after taking the order for my green tea.  Yelena's question comes to me as I'm looking away, so I turn back to look into her face before I speak.  "I...I'm okay.  I used to go clubbing back in Singapore.  Aside from not having my detail and my team mates with me, this isn't all that different."  My eyes wander a bit before settling on the table in front of me.  "The surroundings haven't changed.  It's me that's changed.  You're right, I was in a cloister and didn't even realize it.  I have a lot to learn," I resolve as I look back up to the elf, "but I'm ready.  I thought I'd left my old life behind me when I spent that month on the ship to Seattle, but it was George's words that really cut the cord to my parents.  This path is my own.  Not the one my parents set for me.  Live or die.  Succeed or fail.  It'll be due to me.  That's both terrifying and heady at the same time."  I straighten up as I finish.  "I'm ready to do whatever it takes to become strong my own way."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena smiles.  "Then ignore Yelena talk of shadow.  Yelena still have much learn, but Yelena know making own way.  Decker mage need much strength.  Strength of character.  Strength of purpose.  Strength of drive.  Yelena believe shadow is much help to Yelena.  Maybe something else for Firefly.  But single truth is Firefly not alone.  Firefly have friends.  Have team.  And team give strength.  Not like corp drek with decker mage in middle and guards for safe.  Corp guards protect because paid to.  That still leave Firefly alone, even in group.  Now have friends.  Friends protect because want to.  That is strength.  If Yelena not believe, then Yelena go Poland alone, but Yelena does believe.  Much stronger with Firefly.  With Arc and Tuskaloosa and PI man Jedediah.  Marco not see truth.  Get lost on way.  Not trust team to help with problems.  Marco go solo and Marco now dead by own hand.  Weakest of the weak is die by own hand."

"So truth time?  Decker mage ever sleep boy?  Or girl?  Yelena learn Muslim talk after meet Firefly.  Yelena know not supposed have sex.  But Yelena know many good religious people have sex.  So, Firefly have sex or dream of sex?"

[Shaman_Yuri]

Sex.

It wasn't like the topic was unexpected.  I knew it was no big deal to Yelena-sensei and, given the events between her and Marco, probably high on her mind.  Still, I could feel the heat in my cheeks and i looks around self-consciously to see if anyone was watching me.

"Um...I...uh...told you already I'm a virgin.  I do...have...dreams though.  That's normal, isn't it?" 

I actually meet Yelena's eyes and try to match her gaze.  I have nothing to be ashamed of...right?

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena gives a small sigh and a bit of pain shows in her eyes.  Yelena only guess what normal for young girl who never has sex.  Yelena had virginity taken by force before I could even think about sex.  Yelena dram now, though, so maybe is normal.  Yelena protect Firefly as much as possible, but road to vengeance much hard.  Vengeance take hold of life.  Of heart.  Sex is tool, is weapon.  Decker mage may need use this tool for vengeance.  Should think about."

"But not here.  Time for relax.  Forget life.  Forget trouble.  Forget Marco.  Live."

[ismilealot]

@ Yelena & Subaru  The music had been loud and the drinks cheap and it hadn't taken the local clientele long to start buying Yelena and Firefly drinks.

@ Marco  The priest had tried to talk to Marco, had lectured him and told him to stop thinking only of himself and to do more for others, that that was the path to a more positive life. But, he'd said it hurriedly, all the while watching a beautiful woman across the church waiting for the priest to enter the confessional box. Marco noted with the eyes of a professional that she wasn't wearing anything underneath her dress and the confessional box she was waiting near was the one furthest away from the pews, the one with a completely blocked screen and a bit of soundproofing.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I know I can't take my liquor.  I'd learned that lesson back in Singapore.  I'd also learned how to handle boys...and the occasional girl...who wanted to get into my panties.  I needed to keep control of the situation.  Maybe I didn't have the detail I'd had when clubbing back home, but I still knew how to play the game.  I let my old self take over.  No more Muslim wallflower.  I'm Nihongin.  A child of the Emperor; proud and capable. 

お茶のみでお願いします

[Tea only, please] I say in Japanese with a smile but with eyes that suggest i'm more than I might seem.  By speaking only in Japanese, and suggesting I don't understand English, I manage to winnow away a lot of the crowd who find Yelena more approachable even with her somewhat choppy dialect.  Those left focused on me will be more manageable and I'll handle them in my milk tongue.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena is good at a party and it looks like this might become one.  Her Russian accent does not seem to turn people away and she mingles with the local crowd, taking a sip from a glass then putting it down on a table where either someone else will get it or it will sit forgotten for a while.  Her main attention is on Firefly, though.  She keeps an eye on the young woman, trying to make sure that things do not get out of hand for her.  She is unused to alcohol and what it can do to one's inhibitions and she does not want her friend to wake up in the morning with either a hangover or a new bedmate without understanding what happened.  As she moves to s stand next to her, she realizes that her fears are ungrounded.  The girl seems more than able to take care of herself.  Yelena smiles and says, "Yelena see decker mage do well.  Careful with drink.  Yelena now go shoot pool.  Firefly have fun."

[gilga]

Marco looks at the priest, and says "There is already sin in your thoughts a sin that would soon manifest as a sin of the flesh. The path you took does not ends well for you. Repent now before your soul is further damaged - if the shepherd is corrupted what hope remains to the rest of us?" He was speaking quietly, but confidently. Insanity had some comforts, having nothing has made Marco more perceptive of his surrounding. Marco felt like Jonah, he did not use charisma to influence his words, he left the choice with the man, just like Jonah - but from better motives. Choice need to be with the priest - he does not need the charismatic overwhelming talk to socially force his hand. Change needs to come from within, if the priest really wants to be a man of God, he needed to change. What else could Marco possibly tell him - that his sin was double because it was another priest in that confession box?

Some things Marco never could understand - one of them was why sex was so wrong - but these were the rules of the path that man has walked. These were the moral dogma's that Marco could not free himself from despite not making sense at all. He tried to be Catholic and he failed horribly. In almost any aspect of that faith.

[ismilealot]

@ Marco  The priest looks at Marco, his anger palpable, "You seek to judge others by your own sins and see evil in the innocent. I forgive you your error for you are lost. Go in peace my son." He leaves Marco then and goes to the confessional box, the woman's smile and body language as he heads towards her unconsciously becoming more seductive as she looks forward to her 'confession'.

@ Yelena  It isn't long before a few offers for a room, the back of a car and on a bike as you zoom down the highway are made to Yelena and the drinks flow freely. The offer for the highway comes from a young man who also passes her a capsule of Bliss when he pulls her close and kisses her, the capsule dancing on their tongues in the exchange.

@ Subaru  The waitress calls up a program to translate her order and frowns when she realizes it's just tea. Her tip won't be nearly as good. And the frown gets bigger when Subaru won't let other men buy her drinks either, Subaru's persistent Japanese doing much to discourage suitors. But, three young men take her language to be a challenge and insist on "helping her" by pantomiming and calling her "sweet" and "shy" ignoring her body language and pulling her onto the meager dance floor to show her how to dance.