"No. Once you become our source, you gain protection. I won't force you to do that - it has to be your choice. I'm just warning you, that things are in motion already. Once Corinne is in power, I bet the people behind her will clean house. The next time KE picks you up, you won't be let go. No need for anything dramatic like a vat of acid. Just an officer with a malfunctioning body cam and a report about a violent citizen and gun use in self defense.

Once your daughter wins, it's over for you.

And why should Corinne contact you? You never seem to have taken any steps to get back in contact. I can't blame you - you were constantly harassed by KE, you had no allies. I'm not pretending that we want to help you from the goodness of our heart. We are no charity. You have something to offer that we want. And we have something to offer that you want.

Right now Corrine has to think she was abandoned by you.
If you go now, that's how it will be forever. We are offering you a chance - just a chance - to live and reconnect and make sure she learns about your side of the story."

Bobby stepped aside. "Choose wisely. We'll report our findings either way."

I am surprised when they have a waitress. I wondered where the AR menu is, but this feels so classy and old-fashioned. I order the clamp chowder because, well - if I can eat something real, it seems like an opportunity; home gardening has made me a bit of a princess regarding food. To Tamarind, I say, "I trust Bobby with this conversation, man to man. Men have intimacy with each other that we are not part of. Regardless, he is what you say... I say and then sigh.
...but it was a lot worse several months ago. " I frown at the dead end at the university . The university seems like a dead end unless we know what name to look for. She didn't attend with her father's name because she was adopted. If we think the current identity is recent, they must have made a new one.

<<Tuesday Noon - 12:34 - April 11, 2079 - SIS HQ - Redmond>>

"Why would I reach out to her??" Dennis asks, giving Bobby a look like he just doesn't get it. "I gave her up to free her from this." He gestures to your surroundings, which you take to mean Touristville and/or Redmond as a whole.

"Why would I reestablish contact? To drag her back into the crab bucket? No, I made my sacrifice. Now it's my job to make sure it was worthwhile."

He sneers at the suggestion that Corinne would feel abandoned. "She was old enough to understand. She recognized the opportunity. She was smart then; she's smart now."

The only thing that stops him from walking straight out is the mention of protection.

"Protection? What kind of protection? Like witness protection, new life, new identity, all that?" The tone of his voice makes it seem like the possibility is appealing.

"Get your story straight. Did they take her from you or did you give her away. I'll have to make a call to strike a deal for you. But only if you tell me the whole story - and truth only please. No exaggerations and no self pity. I'll prepare you a fresh cup - try to clean up the mess in the mean time."

With that, Bobby thrust a bunch of napkins at Dennis while he went into the kitchen.

<<I'm going to call our employer - Dennis is interested in a relocation with better living opportunities. I might have over emphasized in how much danger he is. But considering what he represents, there is certainly some danger to his life.

Anyone disagree about that course of action?>>

<<Tuesday Noon - 12:35 - April 11, 2079 - SIS HQ - Redmond>>

Dennis throws the napkins on the ground.

"Clean it up yourself. Until you have a deal to offer, then I'm the only one who has something of value.

"You know where to find me."

He will leave unless physically restrained.

"No wonder you can't hold a job with that attitude. Sit your hoop down. I already have our conversation recorded. No skin of my nose if you want to be gunned down outside. I'm getting paid either way. But if you play nice I'll go to the effort to make deal in your favor. Piss me off and we'll just hand over what we have so far, without any protection for you.

I have a soft spot for the downtrodden, but not for the willfully stupid."

Bobby had enough with the idiot. Didn't the man understand what source protection was?

Dennis leaves.

>> I agree, our employer would at least want the opportunity to decide if to provide him protection.

Bobby composed a message to the mayor while following Dennis with his gaze.

<<Greetings.
We have uncovered evidence about Potter's true heritage - her biological father. The material we have now is enough to dispute her claim that her parents died in the Crash 2.0 - though she could be referring to her adoptive parents, she was 13 when she was taken from her old family.

Would you want the biological father (her biological mother is deceased) to be protected? At the moment there is high risk he might be eradicated as a lose end.
If you value his ability to testify at a later date, we recommend offering him a kind of witness protection.

If informal recordings and database entries are enough for your purposes, we already can deliver what you need.

Please advice on your preferred solution.

Best regards

Robert Walker, Investigator at SIS>>

<<Tuesday Noon - 12:45 - April 11, 2079 - SIS HQ - Redmond>>

It doesn't take too long for Bobby to receive a response, maybe 10 minutes.

<<Interesting. But perhaps not a scandal. A lie of omission on the candidate's part, but it's unclear whether the omission is nefarious or merely convenient. She has a tidy narrative and I doubt she wishes to disrupt it simply to be comprehensive.>>

<<Bring him in and we'll interview him. If there is a clear and present danger then relocation and protection can be arranged. But if he is in danger then one wonders why the loose end hasn't been tied off yet.>>

Bobby replied: <<We had to go to great lengths to obtain a DNA sample from Potter. Without it there would have been no connection. Now that we have used public databases, we can't guarantee that we haven't inadvertently tripped some alerts.
We'll ask him to come to a meeting.>>

Bobby sent to the team: <<Can someone come by and pick us up?>>

He then made his way out into rain - after cleaning up the mess - all the while grumbling over Dennis' a-holish behavior.

Heading for the bar, he looked for Dennis again, dropping a card with a handwritten note in front of him, before leaving again.

'Our employers are preparing to offer you witness protection - but first they want to meet you in person. This is a one time offer. Be at the office at 1345h sharp or don't.'

<<Tuesday Noon - 12:45 - April 11, 2079 - Downfall - Redmond>>

Bobby returns to downfall. Steel Rat and Cyclone see him and immediately stand up. Bobby does not immediately see Dennis

Steel Rat is the middle-aged dwarf with a bushy beard and all dressed in denim. "You got a lot of nerve," he growls at Bobby. "Dennis told us what you tried to pull."

Cyclone is the middle-aged human human who has the barrel-chest of a dwarf. He also has a big beard, and a decided blue collar look to him, like a mechanic or a lumberjack. Between the two of them, they make a formidable wall.

Cyclone points at the note. "What are we doing, passing notes now? What is this, middle school? That better be an apology or an offer, sealed with a kiss."

"Dennis can't read," Steel Rat adds. "What's it say?"

Bobby stared at the two men. Finally he answered:

"I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing. So why do you think you can talk to me?"

He wasn't sure if Dennis couldn't read - possible in the sprawl - but if so, he could ask someone else to tell him.

"Get out of my way before I make you."

With a sigh Tamarind says to AM "So much for lunch, I'd better go provide wheels to Bobby. Get my lunch packed into a to-go box once it comes, will you? I'll get to eat it sooner or later. Sorry to leave you with the final slogging through things without me, I hope it doesn't take too much longer."


Meanwhile she's sending directions to her van on the closest place to pick her up. Then she'll head back to Touristville as efficiently as she can

Bobby sees Cyclone returning his gaze on the astral.

They are both formidable but not Bobby's level (Magic 6). Cyclone, the taller one, looks like he might be some sort of street shaman. There's a talisman around his neck that glows green when Bobby assenses it. Steel Rat, the shorter one, has ki tattoos that glow bright blue on the astral.

Bobby sees Cyclone take a big gulp, perhaps intimidated by the prospect of going up against a powerful initiate. He's suddenly joined on the astral by a spirit of air (F6) that's clearly one of his summons.

Steel Rat is a dwarf, and like most dwarves he's stubborn. If Cyclone reflexively takes a step back, Steel Rat reflexively takes a step forward.

"Ha, that's rich!" he barks with laughter. "You really are world-class drekhead, just like Dennis said.

"Let me lay the situation out. This is our place, not yours, and we look after our own." This is true, and Bobby is reminded of the low background count that may favor the locals.

He juts his thumb over his shoulder to the troll bartender. "Toothpick there has a shotgun underneath the bar, a brand new Krime Boss that he's itching to use." The troll pulls out a terrifying shotgun custom-made for larger metahumans. It has a drum of extra rounds for extended firing.

"So we're giving you two options: you can leave by the door, or you can leave by the window."

Not knowing about the drama Bobby is handling, I am surprised that Tamarind drives to pick them up rather than telling the car to go there and pilot it remotely while in Redmond. Maybe it is an age thing or a security thing. Perhaps it is an excuse to get out. I continue eating my dish without hurry, though it feels strange to be in a restaurant with an actual waitress and dine alone. I am suddenly trapped by my chowder, which takes a while to eat, so I take no particular hurry and enjoy my meal and the atmosphere. It is not like I have anything interesting to return to afterwards.

"And you two would go to war with me about me handing Dennis a hand written note? You are certainly loyal, but not particularly clever.
How unfortunate that you aren't wearing your brown pants today."
Bobby suddenly put back his head and roared like a tiger and a lion combined, making the transpex windows rattle.

"The tea sounds great, thanks!"

After taking a sip, Rachel ponders what to answer for a moment.

"What I do? Oh, a lot of things. A lot of research. Sometimes I get to travel even. Was down in the southern parts of the CAS recently, in fact. It's a lot of odd jobs, basically. But anything that puts food on the table, am I right?"

She will steer the conversation more towards harmless smalltalk, until it is time to get back to the archives and finish their task there.

As promised, she will pay for the food, and she won't take no for an answer.

<<Tuesday Noon - 12:45 - April 11, 2079 - Printing Office - University of Washington>>

Stan tries to pay but Raven insists. She wins, because she is very convincing.

They walk back to the office together, where they meet up with AM.

Raven and AM conclude the last hour of their work. Their result: there is absolutely no evidence that Corinne Potter (or McDermott) graduated from the University of Washington between 2050 and 2069. There are some other folks with the surname of Potter and McDermott, but they are easily cross-referenced and confirmed to be different people.

It's possible that Potter attended UW but didn't graduate, but there's no evidence of that either. You've checked all the records that weren't wiped by Crash 2.0 and can't find a trace of her.


<<Tuesday Noon - 12:46 - April 11, 2079 - Downfall - Redmond>>

In the bar, all hell breaks lose.

A couple in the corner overturn their table in their haste to leave. Dishes and AlmostEgg go crashing to the ground. Soykaf spills everywhere.

Toothpick, the bartender, drops the shotgun. He runs through the swinging door to the kitchen so fast the door is knocked off one of its hinges.

Dennis blasts out of the bathroom and runs for the back door at top speed.

Cyclone and Steel Rat both cut and run. They spin and sprint for dear life, following Dennis' path.

Cyclone's spirit bobs on the astral, looking at Bobby curiously and contemplating him silently before turning and following its summoner.

Calmly, Bobby left the bar through the front. He had hoped, that Dennis wouldn't be in range, but he couldn't say that it hadn't been satisfying on a primal level. He still found it suspicious that Dennis had such high powered friends while being - for all relevant purposes - a waste of space and oxygen.

He went for an alley, got rid of the flats and turned into a crow. Dennis would hopefully have stopped running by now. He flew above looking for the man while making sure that his aura looked and felt like that of a mundane crow.

Bobby turns into a crow and starts to circle the block.

It actually takes him a while to find Dennis, who is much further away than expected. Perhaps one of Cyclone's spirits assisted his escape.

Cyclone and Steel Rat are nowhere to be seen. Dennis is leaning against the corner of a building. At first he's dry heaving, but eventually it becomes wet heaving. He empties his guts into the alley.

Dennis wipes his mouth while he pants for breath. He scans the streets for Bobby in pursuit, but of course doesn't look up (and it wouldn't really matter even if he did).

He tries to run again, but it's clear he has a stitch in his side so it's really more of a fast limp. The cirrhosis probably isn't helping either.

Bobby closed stealthily, tipping the man's head slightly with his beak and pulling back up again. With the mental link established he sent Dennis his message:

'Relax. No-one's hunting you. Come 1345h to the entrance of the detective agency. A car will bring you to the people who can give you protection. Bobby won't be there. But you should if you know what's good for you.'

Dennis is a slow-moving target who is not expecting the contact, so tapping him is trivial.

Dennis yelps in pain or surprise or both. He swings his hands above and around his head like he's trying to ward away a bee or other bothersome insect. He has a look of genuine surprise as he stares up at the crow once it starts 'talking' to him.

Bobby can see the emotions roll through Dennis quickly: fear, confusion, curiosity, concern. He shakes his head rapidly, like a dog shaking off water. Perhaps he is trying to get the intrusive thoughts out of his head. He blinks rapidly, as if the blinking might wipe away the crow.

He starts to walk away, never breaking eye contact with Bobby. He runs into a lamppost, then another pedestrian, all the while looking up and over his shoulder. His aura is a muddled mess, but Bobby can confirm that the message got through.

Bobby flew back to the office and once inside returned to human form.
After that he went for a hot shower and pulled a new set of flats from the storage cupboard.

<<Slight complication with Dennis - his two friends just tried to stop me from handing him a message. I had to clear the room and inadvertently made Dennis afraid of me. So don't be surprised if I have to wear an illusion for the ride.>>
He them spent the next half hour cleaning up the conference room and securing the recording as well as the other information in a convenient data package.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, I helped Raven share the findings about the organization's methods and the different databases, did some geek talk, and then apologize . "We need to get going... Thanks for the hospitality; perhaps I'll see you around, guys.". Well, perhaps if I had ever had a formal magical education. I allow myself a brief moment of fantasy and get a silly smile, imagining myself as a graduate student. Still a bit dreamy, I Look at Raven and explain "Tam took the car... but perhaps you want a ride on the Mirai?" I suggest. Riding with another passenger would make the race bike less agile, but I did not exactly expect to pass the speed limit. As cold as it is, riding a bike is just fun.

Tamarind spends a chunk of her day trying to catch up to Bobby. After his indication that he'd need wheels he ended up not needing them and changing location. She feels bad about leaving the others, but has to admit it is nice to have some quiet driving time.

Once she's at the agency she offers to drive Dennis wherever if he shows up. "I'm not the charmer that the other two ladies are, nor as intimidating as you, but maybe in this case that would be for the best? Just offer him a sympathetic ear, from someone closer to his age, and see if he relaxes at all?"

<<Tuesday Noon - 13:44 - April 11, 2079 - Touristville - Redmond>>

Stan is grateful for the work you did. Between free work, free lunch, and pretty ladies, he's pretty pleased with how the last two days went.

Everyone makes it back to Redmond in time to discuss next steps. The burst of bad weather has passed and there's now some sun and blue sky. Puffy cotton ball clouds roll by and it starts to feel more like spring.

Just before 13:45, Dennis shows up. He's extremely skittish and wary and will refuse to come inside, but he will accept a ride to City Hall.

Bobby decided to take on the form of Jawsey, so he could accompany the others to the mayor.



He shuddered under the enhanced strain of mana passing through him for the slight increase in durability of his disguise.
He answered Tamarind:
"I'm sure you'll do fine. At this point, we only have to bring him in and let the client decide if investing in him is worth it. Let's get this over with. The guy gives me a headache."

Then he strolled out to help Dennis into the car, all the while smiling and emulating Jawsey's style of walking and gesturing - as best as he could.

Tamarind grabs a bottle of water on the way out to meet Dennis, and perches Beauty on her shoulder. She already has the Aunties and Uncle (fly spies) rolled under her seat in the van, where they shouldn't attract attention for now. The rest of her drones she has moved out to the HQ building, giving Stitch firm instructions to keep the others out of trouble.

When she meets Dennis she does her best to relax, and introduces herself. "Hi, I go by Tamarind, because my Mom thought it would be fun to give me a first name that is hard to pronounce. You must be Dennis, thanks for coming. I'm your driver, and while I've driven people with fancier titles, none were doing anything tougher than you."

She causes the van to give a 'bloop' noise as she unlocks it, and gestures Dennis to the front passenger seat. "Come sit up front with me, where you can see things." She gestures with the water "I brought this for you, I don't know about you but I always get nervous when I'm thirsty, I mean thirsty when I'm nervous. Pfah, listen to me babble. Don't worry, I'm better with vehicles than with words." She gives him time to see that there is no hit squad in the van, but tries to get him inside fairly quickly.

Once they are in the van she asks "Like I said, I do best with vehicles. Drones are OK too. People are hard for me. How about you, what are your easy and hard spots?" She's always so much more at ease in a conversation if she can get others to do most of the actual talking, and she can mostly contribute sounds of agreement, disbelief, and so on.

<<Tuesday Noon - 13:50 - April 11, 2079 - City Hall - Redmond>>

Dennis utterly fails to see through Bobby's disguise.

He still smells of beer and vomit. His pants don't smell great either; perhaps he messed them when Bobby shouted.

Dennis is quiet during the drive to City Hall. He stares forward with tunnel vision. He has the haunted look of a dead man walking.

"Everything's hard," he says quietly when Tamarind asks him. "I'm bad at everything."

There's a robust Knight-Errant presence at City Hall, mostly because K-E's Redmond HQ is next door. There are plenty of cops milling around outside and not really doing their job, unless their job is to stand outside, lean against their cars, laugh and joke, and soak in some spring sunshine.

Some of the officers laugh and wave to Dennis when they see him.

"Hey, come visit!" one shouts.
"Tenth night is free!" another one adds, and they laugh.
"Are you turning yourself in? That's City Hall."

When they realize that Dennis is headed into City Hall, they stop joking and start wondering what he might be doing in there.

City Hall is busier than usual since it's the middle of the weekday. The employees are a curious mix of idealistic rich kids from nicer districts and cynical old folks who are locals. They're pretty easy to tell apart by the clothes they wear and the light in their eyes (or the lack thereof). You're greeted by a security checkpoint. Tamarind gives the name of the agency and says the mayor is expecting them. The old dark-skinned guard cocks and eyebrow and gives a skeptical look, but passes along the message anyway.

After five minutes, the Mayor's elven assistant comes walking down the stairs into the lobby. She's tall, lean, pretty, and looks like she was poured into her pencil skirt. She wears glasses, which must be a fashion statement since corrective surgery and cybereyes are relatively inexpensive and widely available. "Right this way," she says with a professional smile. Her nose twitches as Dennis approaches, but her polite demeanor never falters.

Dennis still has the look of a man marching to the gallows as he follows her up the stairs. If he's surprised to be at City Hall, he doesn't show it. In fact, he gives little indication that he understands where he is or exactly what is happening.

You enter the Mayor's office. She's busy finishing something with another City Hall employee. This one holds his nose as he passes by Dennis on the way out. And, as always, there's a man in an expensive suit sitting in a chair in the corner. The light seems to dim around him, as if he's sitting in a shadow, even though there are no obstacles to block the light. His aura still suggests that he's a monstrously powerful dracoform.

"Well?" Mayor Sonja asks as the assistant closes the heavy office doors behind you. "What do we have?"

Bobby nodded in his disguise at the mayor and the draco long in greeting. He then put the data chip on the desk, waiting for the mayor to slot it in:

"This is Dennis McCormick, biological father of Corrine Potter.
This daughter was taken from his home at age 13.

As far as he could surmise, a not yet identified corporation identified her magical aptitude and offered to take over her education. Since then he never had any contact with her.

You'll find her DNA profile in the files as well as Dennis' match.

Dennis here can speak to the details, but he wants protection from retribution through the corporation and the Technocrats."

"Sure! Sounds fun!" Rachel nods to AM.

"Let's see what the rest is up to!"

Even with two the bike still was fast enough to get back before Tamarind and Bobby were leaving, so they could ride along with them to City Hall.



Rachel, still in her casual clothes, as there was no time to change, shrugs off the slightly dismissive look from the assistant. "Love the glasses!" she says in appreciation.

When they are at the Mayor's office, she adds what else they have figured out so far.

"I was able to pierce Potter's magical protections, the masking of her aura, to get a glimpse of her real one. She is definitely awakened and quite capable. Not a full mage, though, an adept. There was a strong feeling of confidence. She also has, but you probably know that, a wealth of magical resources at her disposal, being accompanied and protected by numerous spirits frequently, all from different summoners. There must be someone with considerable resources backing her."

"We also went into the University's archives to see if there is any truth to her claim of having studied there before the Crash. We spent a lot of time there, thoroughly combing through everything, but there was no mentioning of her at all. I guess, this was to be expected, and unfortunately the lack of evidence isn't really proof of anything, but it does fit into the picture as a whole."

"Very well," the Mayor nods. "That's within the realm of possibility.

"I'd like to have a private conversation with Mr. McCormick here," the Mayor says.

"It's McDermott," Dennis says softly. His expression is still the same: a hollow-eyed, vacant stare.

"Mr. McDermott then. If you can give us a few minutes, please?" She gestures to the office door to indicate that you should excuse yourselves.

Jawsey-Bobby shrugged: "Certainly. We'll wait outside."

He got up and looked outside for a place to sit and wait.

'Hurry up and wait.' Seems it is as true in the detective business as it was in the military and as it was working for smuggling consortiums. Maybe it is some universal law? Tamarind has some vague feeling that the defining feature of the real movers and shakers is that they manage to avoid the 'wait' part of things, but that has not so far been her part in life.

Leaning against a wall she strokes Beauty, and thinks sorrowful thoughts about Dennis. What he's been through, what its done to him, and how his fate is likely not getting any better for having agreed to come in.

"First, Potter is awakened and masks her aura despite making everyone think she is mundane. We also know with high certainty that Howard Cannon was assassinated, and we identified the likely assassin. We have pictures of said assassin fleeing the crime scene and a sketch drawn from the descriptions of settlers who witnessed the scene. The getaway car had a spoofed license plate, which is way too sophisticated for a mad squatter. There were more witnesses - squatters who had seen the assassin. Based on their description, We formed a sketch and cross-referenced it to the Mona Lisa image recognition software. We came up with a match to a person we later identified as a known assassin. The chances of finding such a person in error when investigating a murder are very slim; there just aren't that many professional assassins in this city. Also, since Potter did not report being awakened, her testimony lacks senses that she very likely has. Also, We managed to get videos from the scene showing the assassins getting away from the scene and plotting their trajectory. These also show that the assassin is augmented due to supernatural speed. Strangely, Potter did not mention any of these facts, considering she was there and could have seen the speed or the aura. Also the videos clearly indicate a likely rigger as the getaway driver as it responds faster than we would expect a manual driver or auto pilot.



Second, there is no record of her graduating from the local university. We sifted through the old databases and reorganized things identically; many people graduated - it is not like the crush erased the data. Potter is not there, and while it could be a glitch, this is again not very likely considering the massive amount of data we found.


The Trix security of her matrix host is identical to that of Lucky Duck Phillips despite differences in style and perhaps personal rivalry. I am sure that the same person designed both hosts, and they have a unique setup that is not shared with similar members of the technocratic party. Also, the quality is a bit higher than I see on other politicians of identical rank in the technocratic party."

Finally, there is the father who raised her until she was thirteen; he testified that his decision to give her away might have been influenced by mind manipulation."

Rachel nods, when the Mayor wants to talk to Dennis McDermott alone, and heads outside with the others.

As you are leaving, the man in the corner stands. He's usually as still as a statue, other than his eyes darting back and forth. He does not return AM's warm smile; he seems to be the opposite of Urubia as far as sociability is concerned.

The man advances on Dennis, who looks up at him helplessly. As the heavy doors to the office shut, you hear a strangled cry.

The next minutes are awkward. There's the occasional gurgle or anguished groan that the solid doors can't quite contain. The elven assistant doesn't seem perturbed by it. In fact, she makes small talk with AM and Raven about their fashion choices, perhaps to cover up the background noise. She's friendly, pretty, and easy to talk to.

After five minutes or so, the assistant smiles and says, "You can go back in."

She opens up the doors. Dennis is sitting in the fetal position in his chair, rocking back and forth slightly. The silent man is back in his shadowy corner, scowling as he usually does.

"Very impressive," the Mayor says as you re-enter. "You better be careful: my expectations for you are becoming quite high.

"Yes, this is the sort of thing we were looking for. And you solved a murder as bonus. Although MonaLisa, tsk tsk." She smiles wryly; technically MonaLisa is forbidden for public use. "Although perhaps not quite so naughty as the incursion into her apartment." The Mayor's tone is a funny blend of critique and compliment. On the whole, you guess that there's more approval than disfavor.

"The additional details about her education, or lack thereof, and her Matrix security are also welcome. Piercing her aura also helps solidify the case. The murder of Howard Cannon was always suspicious, but now we can assume that it was meant to clear the way for Ms. Potter's ascent. Yes, it appears that she is not quite what she seems. I wonder if the Technocrats know?"

This is more of a rhetorical question. The Mayor considers it for a moment, shrugs, and gives a small, "Hm."

She gestures to a credstick on the desk. "As agreed, ¥100,000, including the bonus. And, should Ms. Potter win the general election, you'll be eligible for the additional ¥25,000 we discussed.

"Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. And" - she pats the credstick - "your discretion.

"We'll take care of Mr. McDermott here. Now if that will be all?"

You understand this is your cue to go.

I feel like nothing, less than nothing, is a mere tool when the man does not even nod. Not because I am ignored; I am used to being ignored. It feels worse because he is visibly there. Taking the time to listen and watch. I guess I am but a pawn in a chess game; I have no perspective even to appreciate. Still, it feels bad - I wonder how Sonja put up with this thing. I'm not sure she has a choice, but it still takes mental effort, and she feels balanced.

It feels terrible outside the room, like outside a surgery room. Not knowing what happens inside, but fearing the worst. So I talked with Raven and the secretary a bit because this is what I do when nervous. "Yes, very nice outtake on the glasses... it gives good vibes." I agree with Raven. Trying to ignore the noises from the room and not let my imagination run wild.

When we enter, and I see Dennis so miserable in the fetal position, I feel bad. Not because of the man's fate; I am too cynical for that, but because I feel we tricked him into this unpleasant situation. Bobby nailed it with bringing him, and it got us paid. "I'll make him a sandwich," I recall how he replied that I'd do anything and asked for a sandwich. Classic Bobby, I guess. I wonder if he appreciates the pun. When I told Tony, "I'll do anything," it ended up with many odd jobs for his organization. People like to milk you when you are in their debt. I wonder if he appreciates the gesture.

I take the credstick and leave. "Pleasure doing business with you, Mayor Sonja." I say politely, and then. I keep silent on the way outside. "Amazing work guys" I say while outside feeling a bit high from getting paid.

"Pleasure doing business with you."
Bobby got up and left with the others.
Once outside, he dropped the disguise, but talked only once they were inside the car.

"We got paid and we got this done over the weekend - pretty good showing.
Don't be too sorry for Dennis. He gave up on his daughter - not because he thought it was the best for her, but because it was the path of least resistance. He isn't someone who corrects his mistakes, but runs from them and hides.

Likely why he was harassed by KE so much."

Rachel is happy to talk fashion with the cute assistant. Despite her casual appearance at the moment, she clearly knows her stuff. The pencil skirt isn't something, she would personally wear, but it works perfectly well on the tall elf. The glasses, on the other hand, would totally be her choice of accessory as well, if going for the secretary look. She has certainly done that in the past, just with a much shorter skirt.



Rachel tips her Seattle Screamers cap towards the Mayor and the weird dragon-guy. "Ma'am. Sir."

As she turns around to leave, she mentions: "Be nice to the poor guy. He sure had a rough enough life, already."

Despite Bobby's comment, she does feel a bit sorry for Dennis and what he must have had endured in his past. Having his daughter forcibly taken from him, as it seems to be the case. And the downward spiral he was in ever since. Of course he is broken. Rachel cannot help but wonder what might have happened to herself, if her own talent hadn't been hidden by the Crash. Or if she didn't have it in the first place, considering her situation back then. Looking at the present, everything turned out pretty well. She was lucky.

Tamarind cuddles Beauty and drives the van, but does not interact. Over the coming days she'll figure out what she was feeling, but for now the feelings are much too intense to process. She suspects that scheduling some crying time when the others are not around would be a good idea.