[Shaman_Yuri]

“He is terrifying, isn’t he?”

She's talking about Bruno, I'm sure.  All I can do is nod for a few moments as I think.

Bruno is one of the examples I've given Nagisa in the past to explain that being a whore isn't as easy as it might seem to an outsider.  Admittedly, it was nearly a decade ago, but the experience he and his two buddies gave a certain twelve year old little mouse could only be described as terrorized.  Still, I have clung to the belief that he's changed...or at least he knows that Nagisa is NOT to be classified as a whore. 

She's so much more than that.

"I bet you showed him that you are too," I coo back with a slight tightening of my embrace.

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos does not talk to anyone after surrendering his gun.  The ride to the holding cell area is new as he has never been in a helicopter before.  Thinking of the rotorcraft brings Lora to mind and he realizes that he is going to miss the lunch date and cannot even call her.  He sighs at the loss of what might have been a nice relationship.  At the prison, he is taken to an interrogation cell where he is subjected to various forms of interrogation.  He considers himself a tough guy, but the techniques used against him rattle his core.  He is left shaken and unsure of his manhood, even as he refuses to talk.  The Mafia code is too ingrained to allow that, but his psyche is damaged.

Roll Wil + Edge second chances: 8d6t5 0  Critical glitch.  Not even worth rolling the edge.

[gilga]

@Athos The hours pass by and it is getting worse and worse, you definitely do not want to submit yourself into this kind of treatment. Normally nobody would touch you, you will have the full protection of the Mafia but at this point you are alone without none of your physical possessions. At some point you mention Lora to yourself, only you did not say Lora, you said Deep Blue. This was the point where it all went to hell. The rest of the hours are only about deep blue, apparently they know she is in town but have no idea who she is. You decide to tighten your lips and endure. You are a survivor, but the pain and torture they leave their marks and you feel shaken and demoralized but one thing you do understand.

You are in a KE facility, and Deep Blue showed you a KE wasp, she is going to some facility probably this one... what is so special about the current one. This is the facility where the security order from your warehouse was supposed to be. It is some high security magic prison and one of these mages was dangerous enough that they wanted him instantly killed if he tried anything bold. The KE seems to be convinced that Deep Blue is coming here, but why? What is her endgame?

@Kynos You managed to open your restraints sometime during that night, of course you are not stupid and you keep them on just for show. There will not be many chances to escape this hellhole, and when opportunity presents itself you want to be ready. Sometime you have no track of time, it is all confusing but at a certain point they leave you alone and Max, no definitely officer Max enters with two glasses of water. “Here have some water” She said and as you drink (or not) she adds “Kynos “(she obviously struggles a bit with your current street name). “I guess we are not going to some spiritual picnic tonight.  I am sorry it has to be like that, I told them that it will not work. But listen tonight you are with the bad guys. There is this terrorist, Deep Blue she has many names actually but right now she is called Deep Blue. Where ever she pops up many people are dying, she is the kind to start wars between countries to assassinate high ups, she is nothing but troubles. We know that she is on Seattle but we think that she is on her way here, I have no idea why here but this may means that we are all going to die. I was am trying to stop her for a long while, she is pure evil. Please do not let your pride take you away from what’s right. She may be responsible to that warehouse and may just wipe this place off the face of the earth without blinking. Man up and do whats right, I am trying to save life.”

@Minnie
Nagisa say “I am sorry about that message, they were trying to flash you out and there was so much I could do. It was not without truth” She sighs “I did mace his sorry ass for taking me back, and I locked him inside the car. I was impressed I got that far” She sighs. “But he is so powerful, and scary and he seemed more amused by that even aroused. He jumped after me like a maniac and did not stop beating me even after I was at his mercy and there was nothing I could do to escape.  He was so aggressive and I was on the floor so quickly, so helpless “ She look at you. “Yulia, I was terrified this is so embarrassing.” she lift her shirt and show you some nasty beating marks. When you touch you notice that she is still in pain. “Yulia, I had to make him stop somehow, I did not think... I... I... I offered myself."
Her eyes are red when she adds.
I just wanted him to stop hitting me.  I did not think about it. It was an instinct”

She looks on the floor ashamed. “I hugged him with my legs and tried to kiss him.” she takes a deep breath “He was aroused and I could feel it. but he rejected me. He stopped hitting me and could barely contain himself. I could sense his struggle and he was ashamed more than aroused."
She tighten her grip over you, and finally lets go she say "He has a family and that he keeps letting down and he was so awkward that he could not look at me. He just took me to that safe house and remained silent, completely silent as the manager was speaking strongly towards him. ” She eye you, “It is silly, I should be happy that it ended like this... But I feel so dirty and so repulsive and even guilty.  If only I did not try to escape that night was a lot easier.  He risked his life to extract me tonight and despite everything he still could not look at me.”

[Jack_Spade]

"Ah Max. Nice to see you here. So you finally understand that the ends justify any means. Even breaking the law and tarnishing your own ideals.
You are all afraid to die - so you do whatever is necessary to prevent it. Very commendable. Welcome to reality.

I have no information about Deep Blue. First thing I hear.
All you do by keeping me here is waste your resources - which I told your boss beforehand.

For your own sake, go home or into the field to investigate. Just don't stay here.
You still believe that you have a soul, so spare yourself the consequences of what your colleagues have begun. I sure won't look pretty if I leave this facility ever again."

He took a sip from the water cup - just to wet his lips. His decision was made. The next officer with his approximate stature would have to do.

[gilga]

@Kynos Max tells you "You talk to me about soul? Do you think I call the shots here? I know you are related to that warehouse.  You are involved in trying to ignite a war that can destroy this city. Not a gang war that will be limited to the barrens a Syndicate war that would involve politicians businesses and and its war zone will include every part of the city. Complete chaos and you are in the middle of all of it.

 So your precious soul is so sacred that they shouldn't press you hard to try and get you to talk? Some people think they can get anything out of anyone, they are idiots but idiots are everywhere. Do you know the kind of strings I had to pull to even get to talk to you? You do what you have to do and I certainly know what you are capable of - you will probobly tell me nothing about Deep Blue or about the warehouse. 

But tell me about this.  why did you do it?  were you bored or have you really reached that state where you just want to watch the world burns.  Out of all the scums in this city, why does it have to be YOU in here."

[Jack_Spade]

"I did not start a gang war. I investigated the warehouse for my employer whom you brought here with you.
As far as I can see, I was therefore doing the exact same thing as you guys.
Was I bored? Hell yes! I spent the last day down in your holding cells. I was asked to help investigate in a dangerous part of the city.
You know me - I am hired muscle and some boots on the street, nothing more. I have no horse in this race beyond that. I offered the same services to Winter but he declined to employ me.

And if you asking why I am here, it's simple: I declined to resist arrest while I was doing nothing more but providing back up for my employer as he tried to find out who destroyed that warehouse.

Am I doing that out of the kindness of my heart? Hell no! I have bills to pay - and yet again your employer sees fit to detain me on a mere whim.

I hope that answers your question.

Oh and while I would appreciate it if you where here out of concern for me, I can't help but think of section 2 paragraph 3 of the special forces training manual: Prisoners will have to endure physical and mental abuse. When their defenses are at a low point they will suddenly be presented with a friendly, maybe even familiar face. Kindness and understanding will erode their resolve to withstand interrogation and on account of a kind word they will tell freely what they wouldn't tell under torture.
I'm paraphrasing of course.

So if you are really concerned for me, you will withdraw your support for what your superiors do and go home.
You said it yourself, you can't do anything else for me, so why are you still here in this black site torture facility?
You are not the victim here. You are a perpetrator. And life is empty. You'll see, once this here is over."
Kynos smiled.


Is Kynos a dick? Hell, yes!
Intimidate(Mental): 12d6t5 2 [12d6t5=2, 6, 5, 1, 4, 4, 4, 1, 3, 4, 1, 2]
But also, he is trying to keep Max alive by getting her away from him.

[gilga]

@Kynos Max tells you "You do not have to intimidate me, you can believe what you want. You are in a maximum security prison, for mages and your 'girlfriend' that you presumably know nothing about is likely to try and release some of the prisoners.  People so dangerous that honestly they should not have been kept alive in the first place... but they have their "human rights" .

Whomever you are protecting if she is successful she is going to unleash such horror and such destruction. I do not like my current employer but no one is a saint. We are the good guys here despite everything.  You of all people should know it, but who exactly do you want me to side with ? A terrorist that is going to attempt a prison brake for some of the most dangerous people in the nation. Seriously ?!

I am out of here... if you grow some sense of morality or decide to become creepy-kinky you can always scream my name. "
 
You have no idea if your attempt worked or not, but unless you try to stop her Max is out of your room.

[Jack_Spade]

"Good bye Max."
Kynos was pleased with himself. So a maximum security prison and they expected an escape attempt.
Deep Blue. Athos had mentioned that she was a contact of his.
Normally that would have been a classical prisoners dilemma: Can you rely on your fellow prisoner to keep his mouth shut and so avoid a harsh sentence or do you try to rat him out to get leniency.
Luckily in this case he could be pretty sure that a mafia member would honor the Omerta and not talk to the cops.

That left him to wait for the perfect moment to escape. Wearing a guards uniform would probably be a bad idea in that case. But neither did he want to accompany a bunch of high risk prisoners - those usually came with massive manhunts and/or military involvement. And not even his titan bones would withstand a dragon missile.

Instead he made himself as comfortable as possible and waited a bit more...

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos id indeed shaken and demoralized.  He has never had to withstand torture like this.  Fortunately he is a Troll and can take a lot of damage.  He has even had a laugh when the first interrogator actually underestimated his toughness and hurt his fist.  However, the second guy learned from the first.  The blows were the easy part; the drugs were unexpected and harder to resist.  Only his code of silence kept him from breaking.  He does not understand what they are saying about Deep Blue.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I cringe as Nagisa relates her tale, my grip on her spasming as she tells of her experiences with Bruno.  When the taller redhead describes what it took to get Bruno to drop out of bully mode, it was only her continued speaking that keeps me from storming out right then and there to rearrange the bastard's anatomy...or die trying.  But she does keep talking and my own tears start flowing as she gives her abuser the benefit of the doubt, describing the ork's remorse and the reasons for it.

The bastard has anger management issues, which is why he's so valuable to the Family.  He's a weapon with a loose trigger.  But he's been through Hell too.  I shagged that Humanis boy yesterday without thinking.  It's how I was brought up.  When I encounter a problem I seduce it, screw it, and bend it to my will.  When he encounters a problem, he beats it to a pulp.  We told Bruno to protect Nagisa's life above all else.  In the end, Nagisa herself endangered the ork's assigned mission and so he handled it the way he's wired.

No, it's not Bruno's fault.

"It's my fault," I say aloud to both Nagisa and myself.  "I was selfish to ask you to join the mission.  It was Athos' idea, but I should have known better.  He didn't know just how valuable you are.  I did.  Instead of bring rational, I thought it would be great to share an experience."  I look up into her green eyes as i say the hardest part.  "My selfishness damn near got you raped, Nagisa.  I am so...very...sorry."

[gilga]

Nagisa smiles at you. “shh Yulia this is not what you think. I saved your life and Bruno was a complete gentleman until I provoked him. I had it coming really, I know it rationally. How do you think the story of me wandering the Barrens alone at night, without a weapon, without armor and carrying a very expensive deck. How does that story ends in your imagination? It was a terrible experience but I have nobody but myself to blame for it.”

You can tell that she is in a struggle between her rational mind that thinks what she said but in some deeper and emotional level, she is not okay about it and is completely shaken. 

“The bastard came to rescue me today paying with his personal possessions to runners that will spare me the interrogation, risking everything he has for my safety. This is the most difficult part. If someone does that to me I want to hate him. I want him to be scum and I want him to die! Can I hate someone that risked so much for me? That I provoked into violence knowing very well that it might not end well? “

She stops and then continue
“But so many terrible things happened since then that it feels in a different life already. I got to the safehouse and not an hour later I was taken to isolation. I barely managed to wash his smell off my body. They kept questioning me and deprived me of sleep, it was terrible. This torture did not end in a few seconds but continued for hours until I was a complete mess and could do nothing but crying with insanity.

“Then came your dream and I felt safe and protected, but then I was woken up in the middle of the night to be transported somewhere and Bruno saved me from that fate, not without my share of gunfire and danger. The Finnegans tried to kill me. My own security preferred me dead over escaped. It was only then that I used my deck to protect myself.

She pauses and shortly after continue.

All of this happened because I cared about you too much and wanted to be with you without logic.  I was sure that the Yaks are going to kill you and I could not process that.  Did anybody really cared about me? I knew that you wait me at the end of the way. Finding you and that bitch together and having to wait outside and hear her pleasure you in ways that I never could. This was humiliating, but that only adds up to the general torture.

I have nothing left, no respect, no dignity and no friends. I do not even have anywhere to storm off to save what little dignity I have left. I even have to talk to you about how terrible you made me feel. ”

She can finally let go and holds you  tightly as she cries.

[gilga]

@Kynos and Athos. Your rooms are small 2x2 rooms, without windows the only exist seems to be the door. There is a ventilation system but you do not think that it can contain a meta human inside. Perhaps a small drone nothing more.  The door is heavy and sturdy made of some reinforced polymer and the walls are thick.  In the room there is a table and two chairs. Other than that the room is completely empty, Kynos room also has two glasses that Max gave him. The glasses are metallic and are filled with water.

As the hour passes you sense that something is happening, at first there is a complete blackout that means you are in complete darkness in the room. (This means that Athos can see and I think that Kynos cannot). 

@Kynos (I am assuming that you are temporarily blind correct me if I am wrong.) You hear massive explosive sounds that seem to be close. People are crying in horror, prisoners begging the KE to protect them. Screaming in horror, either the KE are killing the prisoners or something foreign is killing them.

@Athos You are alone in the darkness with your thoughts where your heat vision spots a little horizon flying eye drone that seems to barely manage to carry a high explosive grenade. It enters through the small ventilation shaft. You already flip the table over trying to get cover but when the flying eye spots you it seem to stop mid air. As if your presence there confuses it.

[Shaman_Yuri]

I stay silent as Nagisa tells her story.  She has a right to talk herself out without me trying to pose lame defenses.  Still, as she shares her feelings I gently coax my best friend down into a pile of pillows - a different set than where she stumbled in to find Strawberry and I in each other's arms.

No respect?  No dignity?  How can she think that, I wonder.  She's the most amazing person I know!  Just what have I done to her?

When it's clear she's talked herself out, I allow silence to rule long enough to be sure she has no more to say.

"Nagi, you know how long it took for you to understand that whoring was real work?"  I watch the look of confusion in the girl's lovely emerald eyes and quickly continue.  "You've had some amazing teachers over the years.  The Finnigans spared little expense investing in you in the expectation they'd make a mint with your skills later.  And whatever you may think of your respect, they were right because you're the smartest person I may ever know.  For me it was different.  Yeah, I had Tony, but mostly I was just tossed at clients and expected to figure it out on my own.  Other than Tony, the Finnigan pimps thought like you used to - lie down and it "just happens"."

I can see Nagisa is listening with real interest now so I continue.  "Well it doesn't "just happen".  Even more, with the right skills and mindset, you can create a world around you by bending people to your will through attraction."  I raise a hand over me head and swivel it to gesture around us.  "All this was built by Strawberry because of who and what she is.  It wasn't given her, she made it all herself!  Nagi, I want to learn how to do that.  Strawberry is as far above me as the stars.  She's never going to replace you even if I wanted it, which I don't.  Nagi, I finally have a TEACHER!  Someone who can teach me to use what I have to become what I want to be, not what everyone else wants me to be."  I take a deep breath before I take on the most difficult point.  "Will that involve the sheets?  Yes.  The past month has taught me that my body is to me what your deck is for you.  Just as you wring every little advantage from your deck, so must I from my body.  Strawberry will be teaching me how to do that.  With what she'll teach me, I'll likely end up in bed a lot less.  There is soooo much you can do without losing your clothes.  But I'll do what I must to keep the people who matter to me safe.  And Nagi, top on that list is you."

[gilga]

“Have you lost your mind ? “ Asked Nagisa “You know her for such a short time and you know nothing about her motivations. How can you trust her?"

The Finnigans wants me dead, our relationship ended when their goons opened automatic fire on me.” She looks at you, and delicately pet your naked skin as she adds. “What do you think they will do if they discover where I am ?

 Who do you think they will send to execute me?

And you have to be naive to think that they will just let you exchange fluids with Strawberry once they figure out how dangerous she is.”

She embrace you and whisper “I think that Strawberry is going to interrogate me herself tomorrow.  Her methods may be more delicate than the Finnigans but she wants me here for my knowledge,  just like any other employer would. It is the same knowledge that the Finnigans want me dead for now that I am not under their control." She stroke you gently and say "... and with the way her voice makes me feel I believe that I will just be compelled to tell her anything she wants to know.  After all, she already got you totally wrapped up around her in less than two days. ”

[Shaman_Yuri]

Wait what?  How can Nagisa think that?  Ridiculous!  But then again, Nagisa is a lot smarter than I am.  Still, I can't see why Strawberry would so that...

"But...but why?  She's built all this and just wants someone she can talk with who isn't totally affected by her charms.  The Yak only sent weak willed men with orders not to even look at her.  She hoped a change might bring more interesting people.  I...I'm not totally without charms myself and I think I'd see through her if she were lying."