[gilga]

@Minnie Strawberry caught you like wildfire, no preparations were needed as your foreplay started yesterday already. One thing led to another and your night was amazing, you and Strawberry are heavily panting when the door opens and Nagisa enter the room clearly embarrassed. She seem shaken, lost and confused. "Yulia? what is going on in here? Artie came and there were gunshots and I thought I will not make it. This entire night I was constantly thinking about you, this is what kept me going. What is that? who is this woman? Where is this Strawberry that rescued me? I would storm out but I have nowhere else to go. My life are ruined chasing a dream. The Mafia will kill me, just for being out of their control... I know too many secrets.  Why did you bring me here?" You can tell that she is trying hard not to cry.

[Shaman_Yuri]

Nagisa is always high strung, but I am a bit shocked at the level of her distress. Still, this may have been the first time she's been shot at. I only have to think back a day and remember how exhilarating it was to be in a life it death situation. And I had my fate in my own hands.

"Nagisa, this is Strawberry," I say with a smile indicating the woman in whose arms I currently lounge. "So you got my message?  I'm so glad! It's Strawberry who made that possible." I look up adoringly into the elf's eyes.  "Thank you from both of us."

[gilga]

Athos laughs, "You mean the one where the halfer, the keeb, and the trog all walk into this bar and........?  Yeah, I have heard a million jokes start off like that.  But, no, this is not one of those jokes and I am deadly serious.  Someone tried to kill my boss in that warehouse, and I want to know who.  Despite the fact that I was standing in for her, she was the target.  And now she is hiding for her life, and so am I.  There is word on the street that I might have had something to do with the thing, which makes my life worth less than yours right now.  So I hope that you know something that can help me."

Athos sips at the still hot caf and idly wonders how these cups are able to keep things hot so long.  The burrito is surprisingly good, given its doubtful pedigree, and he takes a bite to give the halfer a chance to consider what he had said, then continues.  "From what I have heard, you were sent to the warehouse with Kynos to blow the building up.  But you could not have had time to set up the rather elaborate system of security doors and explosives hidden behind freshly painted drywall that were waiting for me when I made my tour of the building.  So, my main question to you is whether or not you were hired by the firm that did the renovations to the buildings.  Or if you know or can find out who was?"

Another sip and another bite.  "This trog was not born yesterday.  I was smart enough to stash reserves in various places and have access to quite a bit of money.  I have already spent some, but enough remains that I am willing to pay you very good money for your help.  Right now, there are rumors or a great gang war about to explode and it will be fought all over the sprawl, not just in the Barrens.  The fallout from a Yak and Mafia war will leave many people dead, even the innocent.  This thing could be dissidents within either group looking for advancement, or even the Triads trying to set this up to be able to move in on the wreckage.  At this point I really want to know who and why, and gather enough evidence to take to the Family to get my boss back in business.  If I cannot do that, then all of her direct underlings, to include yours truly, will be finished."

"If I can get you to the site of the explosion, can you look at the wreckage and see if you can identify the bomber by the bits and pieces of the bomb?"

Look Athos "I already told Kynos anything that I know. I did rig the place up, and I did steal the rockets and sold them to some gangs... You can hear on the news that war is my doing. So I combined 3 different agendas yesterday and made some very big pile of yeltz. I blew up the rockets, sold the rockets and started a gang war. Busy night!  - the thing is I was set up I feel that my explosion was somehow set up to cover for the assassination now Mafia jerks raided my safe houses and the Yaks are looking for me. I did not try to kill your dona Valentina, not yesterday and I'll be happy to have a look at the warehouse, I'll need some decent disguise tough I'll try and contact one of the mages I know... IT will not be cooperative after she figure out just how I played her yesterday."

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos thinks, "Yes, it does sound like you were set up. especially if you were doing this at someone's request."  He considers the beat-up halfer closely then reaches into a pocket, pulling out a credstick.  "OK.  Here is a 'stick with 1K.  This is to cover expenses and act as a small retainer.  And this is a comm code for a burner I will use for you.  Go see your mage friend and get a disguise so you can get to the ruin and try to figure out who set that larger bomb up.  Please call me if you find anything.  Remember that this is just to get you started.  I have more where this came from if you can help me. Do we have a deal?"

[gilga]

DemoX doesn't even look at the cred-stick he say:"Keep your money Athos,  perhaps later when I have something of value."

He quickly leaves and enters a neighboring house about 200 meters than Kynos' place.

[gilga]

@Minnie Strawberry is looking at you and suddenly she is fully dressed, but how? when? Darn mages and their illusion spells. “I am so sorry that this is your reception Nagisa. I am Strawberry and like you notice you will not work for the Mafia again. From now on you are working for me.”

Nagisa is angry, but she is not ready for Strawberry's voice, that voice moves her in an impossible combination of emotions, from erotic arousal, to anger and the pain of betrayal. Some of the emotions she feels have no words to describe them. Mainly she is confused.

Nagisa mumbles “That bitch!” and you are not sure which of you she intends - partly because both you deserve it.
“What do you mean working for you ? I came here to meet my girlfriend.”
 
“Indeed you did Nagisa, but doing so you made the Mafia your enemies, you are safe in my home and this room should accommodate you for tonight but I afraid that you can never go back to what you were. You were extracted willingly only death awaits you with the Mafia. But in time you will find me to be a sensible employer.”


Nagisa tries to respond but her cheeks are flushed. The words Strawberry are saying are making their influence on her and she is overwhelmed from the night she had. Strawberry is her boss now? This is hard to digest, that ginger lady that just slept with her girlfriend is the one she need to work with starting tomorrow? How odd is it to be completely turned on by this woman she tries to hate.  Nagisa is so confused and so lost, so overwhelmed and simply cannot respond.

Strawberry looks at Yulia and then at Nagisa and say. “I will leave you girls here to talk, I bet you have a lot to catching up to do.  Do not resent me Nagisa, your safety was among my most influential motivations.”  She gives Yulia an apologetic look and leave through one of two doors in this big pillow covered room.
 
Nagisa just stands there, aroused angry and confused. She looks at you and then at the space left by the ginger dyad. “Yulia... I am confused. I want to be angry, I feel betrayed. Strawberry is correct, when Artie mentioned you I lost my judgement I crossed the lines and helped them survive. I dreamed about you and it was the most amazing dream I ever had. It felt so real and I thought I love you, I just heard your name and hopped onbord like a teenager with no commitment and no consequences.

I should be angry about you sleeping with this elf while waiting for me. You do not deserve me, but I have nobody right now. All my fiends were taken away, anyone I ever knew.” She sobs

“Now... I only have you, and after hearing that voice of her... I... I... understand you for sleeping with her, she made me completely wet - but I still hate her for giving me this kind of reception. For making me share the only person I have left in my life. Please... just hold me.”
She say and there is great pain in her words.

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos finished his burrito.
"So, now, any plans? Because if not we could try to find out more about this Venom guy. He would be the fitting suspect if this was a conspiracy with Yak involvement."

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos nods.  "Yes.  Venom.  We can find him if you have a clue as to where to look.  And I have a meeting with a Yak contact for lunch.  The Yak boss required a favor for helping me replace my things and said someone named Deep Blue would contact me.  Well, that contact is lunch today.  I may be asking for help after I find out what I need to do.  Would you be interested?  Of course, this is not part of the original deal between you and me, so there would be extra pay involved."

[Jack_Spade]

"I'll tag along. In for a penny, in for a pound. I'd start looking for Venom by visiting that Yak Bar near the warehouse.
And I'm bored anyway otherwise, so I can as well help you out with Deep Blue - extra money won't hurt either."
Kynos added.

[Mercy Merchant]

"Good.  But I could easily be recognized at the bar.  I think that the security company that did the renovations is a good start for me.  Care to come along?  Or we could split the effort and you do the bar while I go to the security company.  Your pick."

[Jack_Spade]

"I'll tag along. It's always good to have back up." Kynos made a little ball from the wrappers, put them into his empty soy-cup and chucked it into the last intact bin.
"Only hand cannons, I assume."

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos nods and pulls out his 'link.  "Thanks.  The company is Digital Security Systems.  I am sending you the address.  Do you have transportation or do you want to share a cab with me?  And all I have right now is my revolver."

He stands and tosses his trash in the bin.

[gilga]

@Athos you arrive at Digital Security Solutions. Their only representation in the city is a small office downtown. The receptionist welcome you and asks "Hello there, How can I help you?" It is clear that they do not receive many customers in that office as most of the area is dedicated to a technical lab and you can see engineers testing and assembling some of their products.  There are still couple of freshly shipped dartboards right in the entrance and the receptionist seemed a bit surprised to see an unfamiliar face.  For a security company you are a bit disappointed as the physical security of their building seems a bit on the light side. Not even a guard at the door.

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos looks around and smiles at the receptionist.  "I am sorry to just show up, but I was nearby and thought to come see you.  Some associates of mine had some security upgrades installed by your firm and I was wondering if you might be interested in doing something for my partners and I.  Would it be possible to speak to the associate that oversaw the project?"

[gilga]

@Athos the secretary is a bit surprised "You do not seem like the cooperate client, we have a very limited selection available on the free market otherwise you'd need a government or a cooperate court approval for our systems.  What project are we talking about? "