Living in the Shadows: IC, Jan 8th-14th Options

[DeliciousD]

14:19:13 Monday, 08 January 2063 - 24/7 Pawn Star, 3035 W 140th St, Renton, Seattle

Fragging kids these days, don't know the value of a dollar...nuyen, whatever.

"300." Joslyn counters "And that's me being soft coz you remind me of someone I used to know." Joslyn lets a smile play across his face as he remembers the pig farm that his father used to keep outside the hotel. "Hell, you get me in a good mood and I might feel like spending some money in your fine establishment too."

Joslyn casually surveys the goods in the store as the shopkeep decides, a mildly dented trumpet catching his eye for a moment before he turns back to the fat man expectantly.

[grendel]

15:15:23 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

The machine revealed is at least thirty years old, well-cared for but dusty and worn. The dwarf makes a great show of tidying up the numerous wires snaking across the back of the machine before turning it to face Remy. The first thing he realizes is that the brand name etched into the metal cover is for a corporation that's no longer even in existence. The second is that he has no idea what, exactly he's looking at.

"This is a piece of history, my friend," confides the dwarf. "You won't find any of them around anymore. It was a limited run by Novatech, state of the art when they were first produced. This is one of the first ever simsense recording decks!"

[grendel]

14:21:46 Monday, 08 January 2063 - 24/7 Pawn Star, 3035 W 140th St, Renton, Seattle

The man drops the mag on the counter again, clear avarice in his eyes. "All right, I suppose I can settle for three hundred."

He holds out his palm.

"No money until I know what you've got," says Joslyn.

"Cash first or no deal," replies the shop keeper, reaching for his mag.

[Mach_Ten]

15:17:37 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

Reaching out slowly to run a light hand over the smooth anodised alloy of the outer casing, Remy gives a low whistle as he draws breath over his tusks in the time honoured tradition of any workmen of any technical devotion around the world.
Shaking his head gently, he looks at his hand, held low above the counter and rubs finger against thumb sloughing off flecks of alloy gained by just the softest of touches on the ancient machine. the specks glisten like tiny gossamer winged bugs in the harsh light of the store lamps as he lets them flutter to the floor.

"Does it works 'den?" He enquires of the dwarven client and is instantly rewarded with another bout of bluster and red faced accusations of besmirching his honour in broadest daylight, as if someone of his heritage was beyond reproach and could be trusted as far as he could be thrown.

Remy steps back holding his hands up in mock surrender at the outburst, turning around he grabs a ring binder from the shelves sagging under the weight of many similar tomes, opening it on the counter he flicks through old volumes of "Decks & Dreams" Magazine looking for sales advertisements that scream in neon colours about each product of the time and how it offers one hundred and twenty percent improvement over last months tech!

Eventually and after re-attaching some of the aging sheets of real paper back into the magazines with sticky tape, he finds what he's looking for

[ Spoiler ]

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The advert is blindingly atrocious and shows its heritage in a time forgotten age, but it lists a price in NuYen for an original in pristine condition which this seems to be.
The wires and cables streaming from the top and rear all seem to be in decent repair or at least easily replaceable for someone able to find non-fiberoptic wiring these days.
Opening the back, Remy finds the storage mechanism to be free from "DCD" Dirt, Corrosion, Damage, the chip slots themselves are an older form, larger and more vulgar in their manufacture but there are still places to get converters and adapters so that's not a concern either.

The Dwarf hops impatiently from foot to foot on the raised platform, occasionally almost losing balance as he tries to keep his interest in an item to his right or while staring directly into the gaping maw of the PAC over their heads.
"Well? What's it ta be Chummer? I ain't got all day here ya know!" He eventually breaks and Remy knows he's got him where he wants him now, the guy isn't going to just wrap it all back up and trudge back through the awful weather conditions with it to his car to go and try another place that doesn't cater to the same kind of 'ware as Danny's place does.

"okay Sir, it seems in good condition but there's just not much call for these fings no more, Soooo, I gives you fifty for it, cash or creds"
he crosses his arms in a That's my final offer stance and continues examining the machine as if looking for defects to bring the price down some more.

[grendel]

15:18:08 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

The dwarf is outraged at Remy's offer, his face red and the prominent vein at his temple throbs.

"FIFTY NUYEN?! Don't insult me, boy! This is a museum quality piece! History, right here in front of you! There are collectors worldwide who would be falling over each other to own this! I won't accept anything less than five thousand!"

He glares at Remy, who bites back the snarling retort he's prepared and employs one of his uncle's most powerful weapons: The Stare^TM. The dwarf glares holding Remy's gaze for as long as he can until the reality of his position sinks in. He grumbles to himself, trying to find some way to maintain the high ground and failing.

"Fine," he snarls at last. "A thousand and it's yours."

[Mach_Ten]

15:18:08 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

"A Fousand ? you finks I just woke up from cryostasis and fink it's da year two fousand again ? " He exclaims in another practice show of utter shock and horror ™ Uncle Danny be so prouds, I keeps practisin' dat one
"... sheesh... any collectors wanting 'dis are falling over cuz dey got broken hips Chummer.."
Remy comes back at him in the passive aggressive mode that his Uncle has tried to teach him.

"museum piece is about right too... " He takes a breath and glancing around as if being overheard, gives the customer a conspiratorial nod of the head, beckoning him closer to whisper
"last offer, or I has to disturb da boss ! .... two hundred fidty .. " He glances fearfully over his shoulder into the rear office as if invoking the name of some great evil slumbering there..

[grendel]

15:18:55 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

"Unacceptable! I will accept nothing less than five hundred for this prized piece of machinery!" The dwarf folds his arms over his chest resolutely.

[Mach_Ten]

15:19:05 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

"Okay DEAL, and I's cuttin' me own froat here...!"
Remy tries to hold back the excitement at his purchase, which suddenly becomes a much easier task, as he considers that Danny might not be so pleased at the sudden expenditure.

"So, if yous fills in dis paper work here and signs in black ink in triplicate, I gets yous da bill of sale and we is done, easy"
with the papers signed the dwarf almost gleefully hops off the step counting his cash on the way down with a great grin on his face ...
Wots dat all about I wonder? Remy's eyebrows knit together in a momentary contemplation
but it passes like a cloud across the sun and he retrieves the deck to lug it back to his workbench, trying to look casual and not alert his Uncle to anything untoward.

Setting it down gently he returns to his seat and pushes Mrs. Akiras VCR out of the way and begins preliminary checks on the deck, all seems in order and the trodes don't seem to have industrial adhesive on them, thirty years possibly dulled the sticky-ness. Remy lets himself be absorbed into his new and exciting task, so much so he doesn't even take his usual afternoon snack from the refridgerator.

[DeliciousD]

14:21:46 Monday, 08 January 2063 - 24/7 Pawn Star, 3035 W 140th St, Renton, Seattle

This surly fragger needs to learn to respect his elders

"Oh?" Joslyn feigns surprise with a grin "You don't want the money then?"

He turns and takes a few steps towards the door before stopping to inspect a row of electronics, he spends a few seconds looking at them before turning his head slightly, back towards the counter.

"I have other leads to follow up," he seems to ponder this for a moment before continuing, smile still on his face "Of course, if they don't pan out, I'll be back."

His characteristic joviality instantly drops from his expression, replaced with a menacing glare

"And my next visit will be a lot less pleasant." he growls the last sentence and starts walking for the door.

[grendel]

14:41:37 Monday, 08 January 2063 - 24/7 Pawn Star, 3035 W 140th St, Renton, Seattle

"I hear you talking, street grease!" snarled the shop keeper. He seemed disinclined to stop Joslyn from exiting, which made the slim security specialist think that the shop keeper had no information to sell in the first place. Angry and frustrated, he stomped back to the Spiral. Keying the ignition, he spun the wheel and hurled the vehicle down the block at a speed twice what was sane for the road conditions. After a couple of blocks he dialed it back a bit before spotting an Astrobucks. Pulling into the parking lot, he took a moment to steady his breathing before heading inside. A venti mocha was just what he needed right now. With two shots of espresso.

Ensconced at a corner table with his drink, Joslyn stared at the drifting snow outside, running down a mental checklist of what he knew and what he'd found out. It was disturbingly short, although to be fair he hadn't been given a lot to work with in the first place. He had one more store to check out, and if that didn't pan out he'd be out of luck. At least as far as the legwork went. If he ran this to ground without a hit, he'd have to bring Andy into the mix, get him to start hacking security cameras around the stores to see if he could catch a glimpse of his erstwhile Mafia soldato.

One more stop to make.

Joslyn eyed the snow outside before pausing to take another sip from his cup. He decided that the bitter cold could wait ten minutes for him to finish his coffee.

[grendel]

00:19:53 Monday 08 January 2063 – Outside 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

The drive to the other side of Renton had been rather uneventful. Along the way Mac could see the lights blazing over the Knight Errant Training Facility which seemed to be full of activity 24-7. Pulling her longcoat tighter around her, the one piece of clothing she had on that was actually hers, she quickly did an inventory of the zippered pockets. Grateful, she pulled a pack of both Haukodo Clove Cigarettes as well as Simple Panda Mega Cherry! Bubblegum. Deciding she shouldn’t light up in the back of David’s pristine and spotless Towncar she settled for unwrapping a piece of gum.

Chewing caused her stinging pain and yet calmed her at the same time. She sat staring out the window silently as the city flashed by outside.

As David pulled to a smooth stop in front of the address she had given him, nerves tingled in the pit of her stomach, making her on edge as she stepped out into the street. Taking her things with her as she made her way to what she believed to be the front door. As she took in the neighborhood around her she looked around for a camera security system, and intercom or a bell so that she could announce her arrival.

”Please be here. You have to be here, you just have to.” She frowned softly, her disappointment growing as she waited for someone to answer the door. ”Damnit Kovacs open your fraggin’ door!”

Patiently David remained with the Towncar idling in front of the building.

00:21:04 Monday 08 January 2063 – Outside 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

It was a long, cold two minutes she waited before she heard the bolts click back on the door's maglock. The panel swung open, revealing a hall that was cast in the same shadows as the wintery street outside. Only the pale sodium orange light from the corner streetlight reveals anything, and even that is just half of Kovacs' face.

He's wearing a pair of sweatpants and a black muscle t-shirt with a gym logo silkscreened on. His chin is dusted with stubble and his dark hair is mussed. Mac feels the floor drop out from beneath her as she realizes that it's after midnight on what's probably a work night, and that she has most likely woken her rescuer from much needed sleep before he starts his week. Behind her, she hears the town car accelerate into the night, ruining any possibility of a retreat from this point.

"I've been expecting you," says Kovacs, "come in."

Standing aside, he lets Mac slip past him into the foyer of the house, closing and locking the door behind her. To her right is a small living room, with a couch and recliner in front of a pricey trideo unit. In front of her and to the right is the dining room that she can see also adjoins the kitchen, most of which is hidden behind the hall that leads off to her left, down which she assumes are the bedrooms and bathroom. She shifts awkwardly, unsure as to what to do or say.

Kovacs walks past her, through the dining room and into the kitchen. After a moment she hears water running, then what sounds like a pot being placed on the stove.

[Vegas]

00:23:12 Monday 08 January 2063 – Inside 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

”Expecting me hmm… Lovely.”

She chewed on her lip for a moment in thought as she peered into the kitchen following Kovacs’ until he turned the corner out of her sight. She continued to keep her guard up, Linda’s words still ringing in her ears, her “warning” of sorts about the man that saved her life. She walked almost sliently forward and leaned as casually as she could against the doorframe to the kitchen trying to avoid pressure on the worst of her bruises. She raised a brow as she studied the back of the man in front of the stove.

“Coffee?” She said a little too eagerly. "And what do you mean, 'expecting me'?"

[grendel]

00:31:49 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

"Tea," replies Kovacs, reaching up to the cupboard next to the stove to retrieve a pair of plain ceramic mugs. The infusers hide in the drawer by the sink. He packs them with loose leaves from a clear glass container before letting them rest in the mugs to wait for the water. In the clearer light of the kitchen, Mac realises that he's armed. The butt of a heavy pistol rides just behind his right hip. His right arm is a synthetic replacement, a dark matte gray limb that makes no effort to pass as organic.

"Linda called earlier, asking if she could give you my address. There were only two reasons why you could be asking for it."

He glances back over his shoulder at her, looking at her for the first time since she walked into his house. Mac took in the look and the weapon on his hip and began to rearrange a few of her assumptions about this man called Kovacs. He was in that strange age that men arrive at, sometime after thirty five and sometime before fifty, when one year blends into another. She guessed somewhere mid-forties, but it was impossible to tell. His dark hair was sprinkled with gray, as was the dusting of whiskers across his cheeks and chin. He still carried the dense muscles of an active youth, but a layer of fat had robbed him of what had probably been impressive definition.

The whistle of the teapot interrupted anything she might have said. Kovacs turned off the burner, filling each mug in turn. He carried both to the table, setting one down close to her while he slid into the end seat. Steam from the mug curls around his hands as he tents them in front of him.

"Coffee always gave me an upset stomach," he says quietly. "Tea helps me sleep."

[Vegas]

00:34:41 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

”I could think of more than two reasons I would have come over…”

It was obvious that the way her mind processed things and the darker of her thoughts hadn’t been damaged by her near-death experience. She wrapped her hands around the mug he set before her and reveled in the warmth that her cold hands leeched from its ceramic surface.

”Tea hmm… I would have had you pegged for a whiskey guy after Midnight.”

“I hope you’re not upset with Linda for giving me your information? I just felt like I needed to see you… to thank you for what you did… you know, in person.” She stifled a bit of a laugh at herself, for the soreness of her throat where Platt had held and choked her, made her words come out with more huskiness to her voice and much more entendre then intended.

[DeliciousD]

15:42:50 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

One last mouthful in the cup, Joslyn took it away from his lips and set it back down on the table, prolonging the moment of warmth as long as he could.

Taking his hands off the coffee, he picked up his commlink, idly flicking through his stored documents as he surreptitiously watched the other patrons, there were plenty of corp boys in the place. A moment of silent listening told Joslyn all he needed to know about them...the next promotion, the big account...it all sounded so childish these days, he'd lived the corp life once and he knew where it led for the small fish. He mentally aged the three (he guessed) middle management boys chatting on the table across from him; he saw them bent and broken, finally ripped from the corporate teat once their usefulness had come to an end, and left to fend for themselves with no skills, no support and no hope...he smiled again, the anger finally seeping out of him.

He felt a twinge of guilt for the pleasure he got from these thoughts, as he finally finished off his soycaf, but quickly dismissed the ill feeling by refocussing on his objective.

One more to go, fifth time lucky perhaps.

Standing up and pulling his coat back around him, Joslyn hurried back to his car, cursing the winter for the hundredth time today before starting the engine and heading to the final dot he'd programmed onto the Spiral's dashboard.



Parking up around the corner from the shop, Joslyn loaded the doctored picture Andy had sent him onto the commlink's screen and took a moment to get into character.

Missing friend, worried wife

Feeling prepared, he stepped out of the car into the biting wind, pulling his coat tight around him, he swore under his breath as he hurried down the street and burst into the shop, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"Hoi Chummer," he said to no-one inparticular as he took a moment to glance around the store, then changed his focus to his tingling hands, vigorously rubbing them together, he continued without looking up "I was hoping you could help me out."

[grendel]

00:36:15 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

"No, of course not. I was the one who told her she could pass the information on to you."

Kovacs paused to sip from his tea, finally looking at Mac straight for the first time. She can tell that his eyes are synthetic as well, the pale gray irises opaque to her questing gaze. He takes another sip of tea.

"You're welcome," he says, at last. "I'm glad to see that you're up and about. A little worse for wear, apparently, but clearly a survivor."

His eyes travel the room, less restlessness and more a constant surveillance, a constant awareness. Even now, at this relaxed moment, Mac can feel an energy to him, a readiness in his body language that speaks to action held just in check. His gaze finds her again, this time with a more physical presence. She can see a sliver of emotion through the armor shielding his soul.

"It's late. Do you have a place for the night?" he asks, his posture and his tone perfectly casual.

[Vegas]

00:38:42 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

Mac instantly nodded in response to the question out of habit before the realization hit her.

"Oh shit."

David was long gone with the Towncar, her bike was likely racking up fees with the Valet boys who knew her in the lot over by Shatter, she didn't have the cred to spare to call a cab and there was seriously no fraggin' way in hell she'd be calling Wayne for help out of this mess.

"No. Actually I don't, nothing easily accessible tonight at least." She couldn't help herself. She could feel this energy pulsing under the silence of the room, something about the vibe Kovacs was giving off as she tried to figure him out mixed with her own messed up head, wants and desires along with gratitude and suddenly she really didn't want to leave.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but can I crash on your couch? I'll be out of your hair after the sun comes up, promise."

[grendel]

00:45:17 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

Kovacs tilts his head minutely, a ghost of a smile flickering across his lips. "Sure, I don't mind the company. Not sure you're going to be able to leave tomorrow, though. The weather report tonight wasn't promising. We're supposed to get several centimeters overnight."

He sipped from his tea, nearly finished with the mug.

"I really don't want to impose," started Mac, working her way through the maze of feelings in her head. The pain from her injuries was resurfacing as well, fighting through the blanket of adrenaline that grew thinner with each passing minute.

Kovacs shook his head once and finished his tea. Again the smile turned the corners of his mouth up, a mouth that had nicely full lips she noticed. Mac knew what he was saying, that it would be inhuman if he left her, literally, out in the cold. She was unused to generosity, though, in the past there had always been a price to pay for a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over her head. Something about Kovacs made her hesitant to use the one currency she always had. He was different than just about any other man she'd met before. In the end, she simply drank her tea, waiting for him.

After a minute he stands and drops his mug into the kitchen sink before disappearing down the hallway. Mac can hear a closet opening and the sounds of him rummaging through something for a bit. He returns with an armful of bedding, pillow, and a sleeping bag. Unrolling the sleeping bag on the couch, he unzips it before settling a sheet inside, then a thin blanket over the sheet. Fluffing the pillow, he tucks it beneath the blanket.

"The bag's Arc'teryx, rated to minus five cee. It'll keep you warm enough but might be too much for inside, so you've got the blanket. Bathroom's down the hall, first door on the right. Towels are on the shelf above the toilet, you can use whatever you want except my toothbrush. Turn the kitchen light out before you go to sleep."

Turning, he heads down the hallway. Mac stands as quickly as her bruised muscles will let her, making it to the hall as he reaches the bedroom.

"Kovacs?" she called. He turned to look at her, his face unreadable, his body masked in shadows.

"Thanks."

He inclines his head, a gesture of elegant simplicity. "Sleep well."

He disappears into the bedroom, the door closing quietly behind him, leaving Mac alone in the silent house.

[Mach_Ten]

15:43:15 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

This must be da busiest drekkin' day I've seen in this place! Remy muses as the door buzzer sounds and sets items on shelves around the shop to rattling and vibrating, for the seventh time today he is forced to extract himself from his current work after first looking at his uncle for confirmation that it's Your turn Kid!.

Nearby, Danny is head down, deep in a frantic conversation with someone on a call, the subvocal microphone is of little use, his emotions escape him and certain words or phrases are spat out at the recipient, Remy knows better than to intrude or try his luck in getting him to answer any customers approaching right now, so begins disengaging with the ancient tech that he is so engrossed in.

He gingerly extratcs his hands, now covered in small sticking plasters to stem the crimson tide of his injuries and keep the blood from staining the entirety of the innards of the VCR he is still working on,

he imagines it like a game of Auto-Doc 2070™ where you try to avoid killing your patient as you rip vital organs from the patients still warm body,
the VR version out now rated certificate 21. the decision to not buy it now firmly cemented in his mind by the accidental passing of another 'hot' capacitor, the *snap* of electric discharge into his flesh sends a puff of smoke into the room, smelling of ozone and rib-eye steak,

the injured digit quickly posited into his mouth for natural medical attention. He decides there and then that the next piece of 'ware he will get is going to be pain editors!

Stepping into the shop area he retracts the stinging appendage and gives the new customer a cheery "Hoi, yourself!... welcome to Danny's Pawn and Loan"

while eyeing up the guy before him and making as many snap judgements as he can to guage the level to set his sales pitch,
Not the usual type dis one! dressed nice, making eye contact, not trying to hide, not looking over his shoulder every two seconds or fiddling uncomfortably with a package ... let's go for .... late birfday present for his mistress, doesn't want da wife to knows ... easy target for da fake jewels Danny keeps under da till

"I got's dese just in this weeks for a gent likes yourself sir," He drawls trying to affect a posh Bellevue accent over his Orkish accent over his normal voice, not particularly effectively.
He reaches into the glass container and pulls out a small tray of diamonte ear-rings and matching necklaces, setting them on the counter top.

[Vegas]

01:03:52 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

She was conflicted on so many levels. Half of her wanted to grab her things and make a run for it, convinced through her nineteen years of experience that there would be one hell of a check to pay for all of Kovacs' help and generosity. The other half was curious and that's the piece that got the better of her as she tip toed around the silent home, trying to get inside this man's head and figure out what 'made him tick' so to speak.

"Daddy issues, isn't that what the pseudo-shrink called them?" she mused as she poked around the living room, taking in her surroundings and looking for any clues as to just who this man really was, or who he used to be at least. That much she had picked up on, what he was and what he had become were two separate things.

After a while she realized she'd have to give up on her search for answers as there wasn't much more of the house she could explore without risking waking Kovacs. She stepped into the bathroom and got herself ready for bed. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she looked about the small room for toiletries and towels and her eyes landed on his toothbrush. The one thing she couldn't use. She kept her defiant streak in check as she gently washed her face.

Stepping back into the living room she made her way back to the couch and crawled on top of the sleeping bag and under the blankets. She was quickly wrapped in warmth which was so very welcome as well as the lingering scent of "man" that she actually found comforting instead of repulsive for a change. It wasn't long before she was drifting back off to sleep.

[grendel]

01:24:14 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

Mac stared at the ceiling, feeling sleep stealing over her, but still wrestling with what she'd found. Kovacs remained an enigma, a study in contrasts based on her snooping. On top of the coffee table was an expensive art book, a real book to boot, not one full of digital paper pages. The most marked page was a spread on a painting called The Night Watch by somebody called Rembrandt van Rijn. Mac guessed it was his favorite since he also had a large reproduction of it hanging on the dining room table wall. The rest of the artwork around the living room were prints of Japanese drawings depicting landscapes or samurai in action.

The solitary shelf in the living room also held a host of books, although these were all academic treatises. Economics, mechanical engineering, probability and statistics, ballistics, metallurgy, and industrial design were all well represented by at least one thick book. Mac shook her head, either Kovacs was showing off or he was one of those seven kilo braniacs.

A few nicknacks cluttered the shelf, a novelty bottle opener from somewhere, two carved obsidian figurines, a small dagger with what looked like a bone handle. A framed picture sat in the corner of the shelf, covered with a thin film of dust. It was a mostly in focus shot of a group of young men, eight in all, wearing a motley assortment of shorts and multi-colored hawaiian shirts standing on a beach somewhere. The men are all fit and muscled, their hair uniformly short.

Mounted beneath the shelf, out of sight of casual prying eyes, is a flashpak and an Ares Predator IV. The weapon is well taken care of, oiled and ready, with a full clip and a round in the chamber. Mac carefully wiped her fingerprints off it and slid it back into the kydex holster it lived in.

The kitchen was more than she expected as well, having pegged him initially for a bachelor used to eating out or getting delivery. But there is a healthy collection of cooking utensils, and the refrigerator is mostly stocked. A flatscreen display unit, well spattered with grease, opens up to a cook book when she powers it on, and she smiles at the annotations he's made in the margins that translate the cooking directions into something useful he can follow. Apparently the lemon caper sauce for the whitefish he tried recently did not turn out as planned.

She found an HK227 SMG stashed in the cupboard next to the stove as well, slid into a bracket bolted against the wall. In the drawer next to the sink were a pair of grenades stenciled with ARES MK43A1 DPHE. Mac left those alone. In the back corner of the kitchen was a set of stairs leading down to the garage she assumed, as well as a door that opened to the backyard. Propped in the corner was an aluminum baseball bat.

Out of curiosity, coupled with growing suspicion, she checked underneath the dining room table where Kovacs sat to drink his tea. Slung from a bracket was a Defiance T-250 short barreled shotgun. She glanced around. Everywhere he might conceivably be during the day he had stationed a weapon within immediate reach. She wondered what he had in the bedroom. She wondered if he slept naked. She wondered how he handled himself in bed.

Mac scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head. Thoughts like that would not be conducive to sleep. Thoughts like that would most definitely get her in trouble. She rolled over and pillowed her head on her arm, staring at the open page of the artbook and the shadowed figures in the painting until sleep finally did claim her.

[Vegas]

04:57:26 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

The silence of Kovacs’ house had the exact opposite effect on Mac as most would expect. The quiet made it harder to sleep, every strange creak or squeak of the house was amplified against the lack of sound and it made her jumpy and continually woke her out of her listless sleep.

Unearthing herself from beneath the cocoon of blankets, sheets and sleeping bag she had nestled into when she was able to sleep, she tried to shake the lack of sleep out of her fuzzy head. Seeing the bathroom door was open, she figured it was time to take advantage of another hot shower.

In the sterile light of the bathroom Mac peered at herself in the mirror, the depths of her bruises across her face were showing their ugliness. Deep blue and purple fingers snaked their way along her jaw fading to angry green and yellow marks along the edges. She turned away, disgusted with the view and didn’t bother to take another inventory of the rest of her body. She wasn’t about to be working anytime soon. At least not without a ton of body makeup and an extra gentile client.

She found peace underneath the warm, almost scalding hot water for a good 20 minutes before she forced herself to turn it off and step out into the now steamy bathroom, grateful that the mirror was covered in condensation and her reflection wasn’t visible.

With no other options for clothing, she slipped back on the items Linda had so graciously provided her before stepping back out into the living room in her bare feet. She was still craving a cigarette like there was no tomorrow, but a quick glance towards the front hallway and the windows confirmed her suspicion that if she opened either of them, alarms would start screaming. She settled for her last piece of gum and padded her way into the kitchen. She was hungry, and since she was pretty sure Kovacs was ex-military, she didn’t expect him to stay in bed much beyond 5am.

She started to rummage through the kitchen, finding odds and ends in the fridge to throw together, finding enough ingredients to put together an egg-substitute scramble. There were at least a few things she could cook and luckily this was one of them. She alternated her jobs in the kitchen between prepping food, washing up the mugs from tea the night before, and starting a new pot of water on the stove. She felt it was the least she could do, to continue to say thanks.

”Either he’ll wake up on his own, or the smell of food will get him out of bed…”

A quick glance out the kitchen window showed that Kovacs had been right about the weather, a thin glossy sheet of ice glinted out from underneath a light blanket of snow as fat flakes continued to fall from the sky bathing the neighborhood in pristine white.

[DeliciousD]

15:45:10 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

Joslyn raises an eyebrow in mild confusion then lets out a short laugh.

"As...nice...as they look, I don't think they'd really go with this suit." he reaches into his jacket pocket to retrieve his commlink

"What I'm after isn't on your shelves or under the counter." he pulls up the picture of himself and Sergio's enforcer "I need information and I'll be happy to compensate you for your time if you can help me out."

Showing Remy the picture, Joslyn continues with his prepared spiel

"My friend here went looking for some old electronics yesterday and he never came home. His commlink's ringing out and he's not been seen at any of his regular haunts." Joslyn sighs and shakes his head "Shirley...his wife...is going mad with worry and the Star say they can't help, so I'm doing what I can."

Joslyn takes a moment to let the information sink in, glancing around the shop as Remy looks at the picture with his brow furrowed, wondering how this sale went wrong so quickly.

"Do you remember if he came in here? And if he said anything unusual?"

[grendel]

15:46:03 Monday, 08 January 2063 - Danny's Pawn and Loan, 15710 SE Newport Way, Bellevue, Seattle

Remy groans inwardly, sliding the tray back into the display case. Another useless information request.

His annoyance dies, though, as he glances at the picture Joslyn is displaying. It's a picture of one of the five men that Xade inquired after earlier in the day. He takes a deep breath, controlling his reaction, and steals another glance at Joslyn, trying to further analyze the stranger.

The buzz of the front door interrupts him, though, and both he and Joslyn glance at the group of newcomers who enter along with a blast of wintery wind. Now Remy's throat goes completely dry.

Standing in the entrance foyer are the other four men that Xade asked about.

One of them remains by the front door while another begins to poke through the musical instruments cached against the far wall. The remaining two approach Remy, halting just shy of conversational distance, clearly waiting for him to finish with Joslyn.

[grendel]

08:08:12 Monday 08 January 2063 – 35010 Von Schilling Way, Renton, Seattle

Contrary to her expectations, Kovacs doesn't emerge from his room, even after the omelette is finished and the toast has popped. Mac shrugs, eating quietly, her thoughts still disordered. Rinsing her dishes off, she drops them in the dishwasher, then gazes about the kitchen at a loss.

With nothing better to do she drops onto the couch again, powering up the trideo but muting the sound. Working through the menu options she turns on the closed captioning so she can at least keep track of what's going on. The cable package is a step up from basic, giving her the better part of a thousand channels to surf through.

Warmth and a full belly catch up to her, though, and she finds herself dozing on and off. Movement in the house finally wakes her, and she glances at the clock on the trideo to see that it's just after eight. Kovacs emerges from the bedroom wearing a goretex running suit and sneakers. He steps into the bathroom and after a minute Mac hears the toilet flush. He spares her a glance as he heads to the front door, pulling on a neoprene facemask as he does so.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Make yourself at home."

He keys the alarm off before stepping out the front door and into the morning wind.