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

[Ecclesiastes]

07:15:10 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

"Oh. Yeah, hey man." Todd pauses to yawn, "You're an early riser... Sure, lets do this. Want to get together for breakfast? There is a place down the street from where you dropped me off yesterday, Lenny's. Good eats."

[bclements]

07:15:16 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I do tend to get up early; old habits die hard. As long as they've got real coffee, I can handle it. Call it about 8:30?" Tony said, checking the time.

[Ecclesiastes]

07:15:20 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

"Sure. Gives me time to shower and wake up. See ya there."

Hanging up the line, Todd throws his sheets aside and plants his feet on the floor. Jerking a bit as the cold of the hardwood flooring seeps into his toes, he quickens his pace towards the bathroom.

08:18:23 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

An hour later, he is in front of the mirror, applying gel and drying his spikes. Grabbing his backpack on his way out the door, Todd makes his way down the block to Lenny's.

[The_Eyes]

19:20:03 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The wind howled, and Eyes shivered like a leaf. As much as he liked to think he was used to the cold, there was a part of Eyes that never really left the much sunnier Calfree, and times like this he really missed the way it would sometimes go days without a real cloud in the sky. He was surprised he actually made it on time for the meet; the freeways had cleared up remarkably in the past hew hours and he had made better time than he was expecting.

And now, of course, came the hard part. Eyes hesitated at the door to the coffee shop; he didn't particularly want to be here right now, as in a few minutes he'd have to be letting Jennifer know he'd reached a dead end. It was only a small failure, really, and such things had to be expected during something so involved. He couldn't help feeling a personal connection to the job, though; he really wanted to succeed at this, and not just for what seemed more and more a pittance, compared to what the job was worth. You do this to yourself every time, he thought ruefully, You sweep yourself up, enslave yourself to a cause, to the exclusion of gain, of safety, of good sense. What's gonna wake you up this time?

Eyes pushed open the door, and stepped inside. What else was he going to do?

[grendel]

19:24:11 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The coffeeshop is blessedly warm, filled with the aromas of dark Kona roast and biscuits. The clientele appears to be the same, only fewer students. Eyes orders a venti, just for the extra warmth the coffee will provide, and finds an open table where he can watch for Jennifer. He doesn't have to wait long for either, his employer walking through the door shortly after 1930. Seating herself across from him at the table, she unwinds the scarf around her neck and blows on her hands to warm them. Her eyes, though guarded, show a flicker of hope and interest.

"What did you find?"

[Slipshade]

21:59:30 Monday 08 January 2063 - In Front of the Paradigm Shift

Max opened his mouth to reply, but thinks better of it.

‘No need to show more of your naiveté, you’ve embarrassed yourself enough.’

So wordlessly Max follows the bouncer towards the club entrance. Aside from the astral security, The Paradigm Shift’s astral space was alive with color and emotion. The crowd outside was a turbulent mix of anxious waiting, excitement and adrenaline, with an undercurrent of frustration, boredom and restlessness at the snow that was falling faster and faster.

Max’s own aura mirrors much of the crowd. He is anxious and excited about his meet, but frustrated and restless about the events of the day. He needed this job, but he couldn’t help but feel that he should be doing something to help Keira.

‘Hopefully John is having some luck.’ He thinks to himself as he follows the bouncer into The Paradigm Shift.

[Sedna]

2005 Tuesday, January 9, 2063 - Land's End Magic Shop

Sam nods acknowledgement of both proviso and parameters, glances up when he hears the nuyen limit. "I have to be honest with you, Andie," he says after a moment. "Within that budget, detect/record is about the only thing you'll be able to do with any competent thief, and even that will be far from guaranteed. What you'll really be aiming to do -- what anyone really aims to do, anywhere -- is to deter the casual attempts and try to track down the more determined and skilled ones. Beyond that -- well, it gets expensive. It helps that you don't have any windows. I've got a few ideas and you've obviously got the connections, but -- you're tired? And you'll have an early morning tomorrow too." Unobtrusively Sam's drifted back with him to the main store area and then to the workshop; something Andie only really realises when the heavy curtain's moved aside a second time, allowing another icy draught in. "What're you making here, orichalcum?"

Andie nods shortly, checking the various parts of refinement and distillation as a matter of course. Good. It's settled down, and I'll hope the wards hold through tomorrow. I really have to get them back to strength before Sara notices. And she'll notice: even this guy noticed almost immediately. I know she asked me to do it, but I wonder if she'll object if they happened to have someone else's astral signature? At that he sighs: Probably she won't say anything, but I'll have disappointed her again. And then an odd thought: Do I even care? Sure, she'll expect it, but it's not like I signed a contract to do it or even really agreed to do it. My magical studies here are done. I'm no longer her student, I'm a businessman, well, working on it anyway. We've got the one business deal locked away, she'll buy a few units at percentage or take on commission and she's already agreed to let that second unit stand as the full cost of the tuition. I've got copies of the libraries, computers to pick up day after tomorrow, and a lot of spell formulae to learn. What else do I really need from her?

It's a logical thought, and a very uncomfortable one, and it's refusing to leave as he's settling in for another night. I finish this circulation, and what more do I want from them? I want my own store, but most of that's up to me, and it doesn't look like they'll help me much beyond what they've already done. Granted, that was huge, but now that I've already got it ...? I thought I wanted adventure, but not if it comes in the form of unnerving people who slam me down to the floor without reason. I really thought I was going to die. I was scared. I've never been that scared in my entire life.

Do I want them as friends?

In its own way, that thought is even more frightening. Certainly Sara had been acting much more like a friend, this past month, than like a business associate or even a teacher. And Solomon -- but that one's complicated. Be easier to understand if he wore a wedding ring on his hand to match hers -- I'll hope I can create a focus like that one, one day! -- but he doesn't. They understand each other to the point that they finish each other's sentences, sometimes. But their hands never touch.

And now there's a brother in the equation ...

My life seems to have gotten very complicated. And then, completely randomly, I miss spending time in the gardens with Abe. He smiles at that: Heck, I'm missing working at my parents' bar!

Andie wakes up suddenly -- must be close to midnight. He'd fallen asleep on that thought. The room's cold. And the rest of what Sam had been saying had suddenly registered. (He'd stopped really listening after the second acknowledgement: "Good. That means I can cover for you ...")

"... when you're dealing with the dog tomorrow" ?!?

Staring into the cold darkness, tired, listening to the quiet bubble of the crucible and the soft background growl of the oven, wishing he could just fast-forward the whole month and have his own shop established and at the same time that he could go back to when it was mostly just him and Sara and the occasional few hours at his parents' bar.

I don't know if I can handle being friends. I don't even know if I really want to try. Can't we just make trades for what I need without all these attached strings?

[bclements]

07:15:17 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"See ya there," Tony says. Hanging up the line, he gets out of bed for a quick shave and shower. I'm not used to rushing this early in the morning, but traffic is going to be killer getting out to Tacoma he thinks to himself, hurriedly running soap and hot water over himself.

08:28:13 Thursday 11 January 2063 - 5th St, Tacoma, Seattle UCAS
Thank God I took the quickest shower in my life Tony thinks, pulling off onto 5th Street in Tacoma, or else that traffic jam on I-5 would have messed my schedule up. Some commuter bus had apparently hit a stretch of ice, fishtailing and eventually filpping over and blocking all but two lanes of the Southbound traffic. Stuck with what appeared to be half of the Sprawl's communters, Tony was glad that the traffic didn't take too long to right itself. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be in one of the lanes that didn't get blocked he thinks to himself as he pulls up to the spot the Autonav said to go.

Getting out of the car, he walks into the cafe. Man, I should give a little more thought to how I dress he thinks, looking at the cafe's inhabitants. Although not as fancy as the Vashon Island outfit he had on yesterday, the fine clothing that Tony had on was better than most in this neighborhood, making him stick out in the crowd, as does his looking around for Todd.

[Ecclesiastes]

08:28:20 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Todd can't help but chuckle at how Tony was dress, but the guy was cool with him either way. Raising his arm, Todd waves Tony over to the booth he managed to grab. As the bodyguard steps up to the table, Todd smiles and motions to the seat across from him.

"I already ordered some coffee, it should be here in a sec. How's the last few days been treatin' ya?"

[bclements]

08:28:44 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Not too bad, considering that Seattle is now in the Arctic Circle. How about you? How's that project you're workin' on going?" Tony says, removing is jacket and taking a seat opposite of Todd

[Scrapheap]

14:01:07 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Ah, Rosie. I told you to send someone else! Your "couple of minutes" are long gone, and still no word. What the frag do I do now?

John sat in the front seat of the van, smoking the last cigarette of the pack. In the back the kids were keeping up a constant stream of taunts and pleas, trying to get him to provide details. He'd been ignoring them as long as possible, trying to keep some semblance of a watch, trying to keep from dwelling on Rosa and Nora, but finally he could take no more.

He turned to look into the back as Megan said, "C'mon! Just tell us already! Why'd ya stand her up? Stringin' two chicas along at the same time or somethin'?"

"Enough! Holy fraggin' drek! Don't you guys ever shut up?"

"We can be really quiet, chummer," Tyler smiled slyly, "When someone's tellin' us a story."

Ignoring the giggles that Tyler's crack produced, John sighed and said, "Trust me, you guy's don't want to hear my story. It's long and depressing and don't have no happy endings. As far the woman I was talking to, she's the one who is currently risking her life to help us find our friends. Remember that?"

"Aw, c'mon! We ain't askin' for your day-to-day, chummer. Just tell us who she is and why she got mad at ya!" Megan looked to the others for support, as Tyler added, "Yeah, man. I heard her yellin'. You don't get that drek from friends; just family and lovers...and we know it ain't your sister."

Sighing again, John briefly hung his head. "If I tell you a little, will you promise to be quiet for a while?" He looked up in time to see them all nod, and Megan sit forward. "Ok. Her name's Rosa, and we were engaged a long time ago. It didn't work out, and she left. I don't blame her. It was totally my fault."

As the painful memories surfaced, John paused to decide how to continue. "Couple of years ago, I'm going through AA, trying to stay clean. You guys know anything about AA? Well, there's these steps you have to do, right? One of 'em is to apologize to everyone that you've done something bad to." He finished the cigarette and tossed the butt out the window.

"I thought about it, and decided that there was no way that I could apologize to everyone. I mean, I was a pretty fraggin' bad guy for a long time. I needed to prioritize; only do the people that I really wronged. That list was still pretty long. Rosa was on it. So I told her I was sorry and after talking for a while we decided to keep in touch. She comes into town on business every so often. When she does, we get together and catch up on what's going on.

"We were supposed to get together last night, get some coffee or something. Then this deal with Nora comes up and I have to bail. I don't know why she got so hot."

He turned back to his watch, looking for any sign they'd been spotted, before glancing over his shoulder. "Satisfied?"

[WinterRat1]

22:00:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

As tight as the astral security was, it was quickly apparent that the owners hadn't skimped on physical security either. Walking through a fairly small lobby, the bouncer led Max to a security checkpoint that made no efforts to hide the MAD detector in front of the entrance to the club, nor the two razorguys flanking it. An attractive woman stood behind a counter and smiled at Max while placing a plastic bin on the table.

"Please leave any weapons you have in the bin. They will be returned to you as you leave the club. Thank you and enjoy your stay." Her smile and practiced speech sounded polite and unthreatening, but then again, Max supposed that was what all the muscle was for.

"Don't worry chummer, you'll get your stuff back. Just leave your weapons and I'll take you to Mr. Fan." The bouncer leading the way paused and looked at him expectantly.

[WinterRat1]

02:04:09 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

The kids look at each other for a moment, as if they're puzzled by something. Finally Tyler breaks the silence. "Damn man, are you stupid or something? She's glitched because you bailed on her, and she's still got feelings for ya. It don't take no corp scientist to figure that one out."

"OK kid, you don't know what you're talking about, it's..."

"Aw geez, leave him alone Tyler," Megan unexpectedly spoke up, defending him. "I mean, he can't help it if he's getting senile in his old age and can't see what's right in front of him no more!"

The kids all sniggered at their jokes, but John could pick up the faintest hint that they really were concerned and trying to help him, albeit in a very roundabout way.

Luckily for him, before the conversation could go any farther, his phone rang. Looking at the ID, he noted with relief that it was Rosa.

"Cole, it's me. Listen, sorry it took me a while, I decided to go through some extra preparations before I actually set out, just in case it got heavy, you know? Anyway, it was easier than I expected. No astral security, nothing. Bunch of people inside, all mundanes, no one with any unusually heavy or out of place cyberware. If this place is as shady as you think it is, they must be keeping a really low profile."

Rosa paused for a moment, then continued, "So what are you going to do now?"

[The_Eyes]

19:24:11 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes shrugged lightly. "Nothing useful, I'm afraid," he replied, "I followed the clue you found, and it led me to a bus station locker with an OCC inside. I took a peek, and it looked like it was going to be a frame of some kind--sort of a helper program--but it was never finished." Most of that was true enough; of course it didn't tell the whole story, but Jennifer didn't need to know anything more about it. "It was elegant code, worthy of a master for certain, but it doesn't really help us out at all."

"So I guess we're stuck with the original plan," he concluded. "Did you bring it along with you?"

[Scrapheap]

14:08:35 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

As he answered the phone and heard that it was Rosa, John breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Listening to her story left him confused.

"Wait, that's it? No awakened types, no razorguys, nothin' out of the ordinary? Did you see...hold on a minute." Covering the phone, he turned around and glared at the gangers as they made kissing-noises and fake baby-talk. They'd started the minute it became obvious who he was talking to. "Do you kids fraggin' mind? Or do I need to step-out of the van?"

As they all collapsed in a fit of laughter, Megan responded, "We'll be good! Promise!"

Fraggin' kids. Don't they realize how serious this is? ... Wait. They probably do, right? Everyday is life or death on the streets and you know that first hand, chummer. They're just takin' their fun where they can find it. They're just razzin' you like you was part of the group. Who knows, maybe you are now?

Putting the phone back to his ear, he heard Rosa say, "Cole? Is there a problem?"

"No, Rosie, everything's fine. Just some of Nora's friends giving me a hard time. Anyways, I was about to ask how many people did you mean by a bunch? Also, can you recognize people when you're astral like that? I mean, I guess I'm asking if you saw Nora. I was hopin' that this was the end of the line, but it sounds like just another fraggin' step."

[Slipshade]

22:01:30 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

Wordlessly Max pulls the Remington Roomsweeper from his jacket and hands it over to the woman behind the counter.

“Thank you sir.” She replies handing Max a claim ticket in return.

“Your welcome.” He smiles back. While he may be out of his element he knew it never hurt to be polite. Turning back towards the bouncer he motions forward with his gloved hand. “After you.”

Max follows the bouncer through a heavy curtain into the club. It was busy even considering that it was a Monday night and Seattle was in the middle of a snowstorm. The first floor held the main dancehall, while booths line the outside of the second floor, for those wanting a more intimate place amid the noise and chaos of the Paradigm Shift. Catwalks crisscrossed the upper level allowing full view of the lower level of the club. Max continued to follow the bouncer through the press of bodies near the bar and towards a waiting elevator.

[WinterRat1]

02:09:14 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Sorry Cole, I think it's just going to be another step. Let me check my notes...here we go. I counted thirty in the building you described, not sure if the whole place is owned by the Clinic or not though. It looked like a couple of labs and offices on the upper floors, examination rooms on the ground level along with the requisite waiting room. If I had to guess by placement, activity, and aura, I'd say about twenty or so of those thirty are employees, the rest are patients or 'others', so to speak."

"Everything's fine all right...now that I'm talking to you baby!" Tyler looked at Megan with big googly eyes, and the three of them all burst out laughing again.

"What was that? Did someone say something Cole?"

Glaring at the gangers and making the throat-cutting sign to knock it off only made them laugh harder, leading to an amusing (at least to them) imitation of him by Twiggy.

Looking at the ceiling for relief, as if there were any to be found there, John continued, "No, just Nora's friends being idiots. What about security again?"

"Like I said, security seems legit. No awakened types, no razorguys. Couple of people had some cyberware, but light, what you'd expect from the average person these days. There were maybe two to four security guards with light cyber, but nothing I would classify as anywhere close to anything serious. Comparable to a Lone Star patrol officer, if that. I hate to say it Cole, but I didn't see Nora either. Whatever you do here, it's going to be just another step no matter how you look at it. Any other questions for me?"

[WinterRat1]

22:01:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

The bouncer leads him through the lobby to the elevators, where an ork bouncer and his escort exchange nods of greeting. Stepping into the transparent elevator, Max rises above the crowds for a bird's eye view of the club. Loud sensations, auditory and astral assault his senses as he takes in the pulsating beat of the music and the raw emotion generated by the crowds.

Exiting the elevator, the bouncer leads him to a room along the back wall, knocks twice sharply, then opens the door. "Here you are Mr. Steiner. Enjoy your meeting."

Then he closes the door, leaving Max alone with an elderly Asian male sitting on the couch along the far wall.

22:03:00 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Nodding to Max politely, the elderly man gestures to a comfortable looking chair across from him and slightly to Max's right. "Please. Sit down. I have taken the liberty of ordering refreshments for us. Feel free to order a drink when the food arrives. My name is Mr. Fan, and I presume that you are Maximillian Steiner?

Max nods politely. "That is correct Mr. Fan."

"Excellent. Your reptuation as an academic and a researcher proceeds you Mr. Steiner."

Takinga sip of his own drink, Mr. Fan idly swirls the liquid in his glass with a small cocktail straw. "Tell me, how does a man of your credentials find himself working in the shadows? While I certainly confess it is none of my business, my client has expressed concerns over the sincerity a man of your distinguished stature would possess for such an 'off the record', if you will, undertaking."

[Slipshade]

22:03:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Mr. Fan’s question took Max completely by surprise. It was not something that he preferred to talk about even amongst friends and this man was a complete stranger. He clears his throat and gathers his composure before replying.

“If your client must know, my current appearance is the reason for my dismissal from the University. I have applied for numerous other positions, but have found those avenues to be blocked as well. Now I must fund my own research with moneys gained by investigation and research for clients that wish to keep their findings private in nature. This arrangement also allows me to pick my clientele and arrange time for my aforementioned private research projects.”

Max wasn’t about to go into detail about his family’s role in his walking the shadows, it still hurt to much to think about.

“I hope that explains enough to sooth any fears your client may have.”

[WinterRat1]

22:05:00 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Mr. Fan smiles apologetically. "I apologize for the intrusive nature of my query. However, you must realize that those who walk in the shadows follow an unwritten code of professionalism if only because to do otherwise would bring their careers to a quick and nasty end. Not being a regular or established denizen of those shadows yourself, my client sought assurance that you would nonetheless adhere to those same rules."

Max nods in understanding, and at that moment, the waitress comes in with their refreshments. After placing a drink order for himself, Max turns to find Mr. Fan gesturing to the refreshments she brought in. Helping himself, he listens as Mr. Fan continues. "Now that we have settled that matter, I will give you the general nature of the proposed job. My client wishes to hire you to assist in conducting research of a very...delicate nature. What that nature is, I cannot reveal too much of, for obvious reasons, I am afraid.

He puts his drink down, and folds his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the table in front of him. "What I can tell you is that it will involve travel, on-site research, and expertise in numerous scientific fields I am told you are quite proficient in. If I understand correctly, I believe you are to play a consulting and analytical role more than conducting the actual research. I have also been instructed to tell you that the research may be of a personal interest to you as well. Additionally, the job comes with a confidentially and non-disclosure agreement as well."

Mr. Fan pauses and takes a sip of his drink. "If you are interested, you will speak further with my client personally. If not, I believe this concludes our business here tonight. Do you have any clarifying questions before speaking with my client? I cannot guarantee answers to them, but I will try to answer as best as I can."

[Slipshade]

22:20:01 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

The waitress returns with Max’s drink, a Mondavi coastal pinot noir 2043. It was a good vintage.

“I am interested in your clients proposal, Mr. Fan, enough to meet with him anyway. The only question I have for you is, do you know when your client would like to meet and do you know his timetable for the completion of his research?”

[Scrapheap]

14:11:44 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Just one last thing. You get impressions or whatever when you're astral, right? Did you ever get the feeling that anyone was up to no good?"

[Ecclesiastes]

08:28:44 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I've make a lot of headway. Actually, I need to talk to you about that... but first, as promised..."

Todd reaches into his pockets and pulls out a datachip and slides it across the table to Tony. "Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to get you as much as I possibly could. I think I even got a RTG number for the troll. Give it a look."

[WinterRat1]

02:11:59 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Even though he couldn't see her, he'd known Rosa long enough and well enough to almost feel her rolling her eyes. "For crying out loud Cole, most of the sprawl is up to 'no good' at any given moment. Hell, I could sense you being up to no good most of the time I've known you. To answer your question, yes, I sensed several people in there were 'up to no good', but what exactly that means is anybody's guess. Without a mind probe or something designed to gather more information, a cursory aural scan won't give me that kind of info."

[Scrapheap]

14:12:38 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Frag, Rosie, I don't know this stuff! I mean, I knew it was possible, but not how detailed it got, right? Anyway, thanks for the help. I'm sure you got to go, but I'll call if I find out anything new."

"It was easy, so don't worry. I just wish I could do more." She paused briefly before adding, "Cole? I...uh, just be careful."

Taken off guard, John simply said, "Yeah." before disconnecting. What was that? Are these fraggin' kids right? How could she still feel that way after all I've done? No way, chummer. Probably just worried about Nora. They always were tight. Maybe, though...

"So, when's the date?" Twiggy's voice, and the resulting laughter, pulled John back from his thoughts.

"You guys ever think of takin' your act on the road?" John shot back as he patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes. Frag! Smoked the last one. Guess I'll have to stop somewhere.

"Oooh, good one." Megan came up and sat in the passenger seat. "So? What did your girlfriend say? I mean about the clinic. You can leave out all of the mushy drek."

"She's not my...! She said that there were plenty of people in there, but no Nora. She doesn't know Keira, so she couldn't really look for her, but I think that she would have been able to tell if someone was being held prisoner. All-in-all, she said it looked kinda legit."

"That's what we said too. Man, were we ever wrong." John turned around to see Twiggy looking at the clinic through the window. As he watched, Tyler reached out to give the younger elf a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He then turned to John, "So? What now? We still waitin' on that other call?"

The old runner turned to look out the windshield before replying. "Nah, I don't think we should wait. He may not have even gotten the message yet. I'll go to him. I mean, I'm not going into this place alone, maybe not at all. I'll have to talk to my friend, and Max before that's decided."

He started the van and pulled away from the curb. "First though, I'm going to swing by my place and pick some stuff up, just so I don't have to go back later." He glanced over at Megan and added, "What about you guys? You want to stick with me for a while, or should I drop you at the shelter. Your decision of course, but I'm not sure it wouldn't be safer for Twiggy here to keep movin' around."