Tanya laughs. "You should not be to sorry for not picking up on the idea that I am not what my image says I am. After all, I work bloody hard to maintain that image. You are supposed to see the shallow sort of social butterfly that would hire a stranger off the street as some sort of stooge or fall guy. I should have been more open at the beginning. As for you, no, I would say that you definitely do not match 100% with the information I have gathered on you. That is why I am here tonight. I hope to find out a bit more of just who you are. And I hope that you allow yourself to open up a bit. And baiting over the video game is a bit low. You know I cannot pass up a challenge like that. And don't expect to get home field advantage, I can kick your arse here as well as anywhere else."

"Before there is any game destruction of anyone, we should eat." Preston looks over what they've prepared and jokes "I'm pretty sure we can even eat this, instead of having to toss it and go across the street. Most days my cooking turns out, but not always."

Once they are at the table and have eaten at least a few bites, he suggests "You've told me a bit about your family and growing up, I might as well do the same. Obviously this is must my take on it all, they might recall things differently, but, well, that is the world for you."

"The key thing to know is that I grew up in a registered ethnic enclave in Edmonton. Each of the NAN came up with their own ways of dealing with the non-native population, and Athabaskan Council chose divide and conquer. They let a lot of anglos stay, under very restrictive conditions. But non-english speaking ethnic groups, they allowed them to organize their own enclaves, with schools in their own language -- the natives specifically were not being like Canada which had forced natives into english schools at one point. The REE don't pay as high taxes as the general anglos, and have some very small degree of self-governing authority, pretty much "Don't cause us trouble, and we won't look at you too carefully."

He put down his chop sticks as he got more into his story, eyes losing focus as he looked back over the years.

==============================

People all through the Canadian prairies and mountains either had to accept the deal that one of the NAN was offering, or move entirely, along with millions of other people, into Ontario or the Maritime provinces. So quite a few took the AC's offer. My particular ancestors came over from parts of the Ukraine, like a centurty before the NAN split off. But they'd originally settled together in certain areas and some still spoke the language, and they were promised that although they couldn't own land in the AC they could lease some farmland or set up small companies, so a bunch moved from all over the prairies to around Edmonton.

It could be worse, but the thing is that when the SIN system came into effect, we were never given those, only internal REE identification numbers. Which means we were pretty much trapped. Not slaves, but kind of captive, you know? And that meant we had no power, no bargaining advantage. Things started off pretty desperate, and only ever got a tiny bit better. I know a lot of old flat-trid shows and old dead-tree books, because people had those when the REE were set up, and they've been carefully cared for and shared around ever since, because few could afford anything new.

There was no real hope of anything better as a group, and little hope as a person. No matter how well you did you'd never become a citizen of the AC. The only real hope was to get a corporate SIN, but since they knew people were desperate to work for them, for the money, the Corps have been pretty shy about handing out SIN to the people in the REE. So no real hope. Some dealt with it by being bitter, my Uncle Oleg was a strong example of that. Some just worked themselves to the bone, trying to forget how pointless it all was, that was my Dad. Some tried to block it out -- my Mom was a somewhat functional alcoholic, for example.

Despite all of that, I started out as a pretty hopeful, idealistic, kid. I learned about the old Canadian 'Mounted Police' or mounties, and I wanted to be one of those. I learned they were now a subsidiary of Mitsuma -- Horseman Security, a pretty elite unit, so then I wanted to get into that, since I'd be a mountie AND get my ticket out, a corp SIN. I got into a technical college where I could get the training to hopefully get in, and my hope seemed real, you know?

But I'd become a Trid game addict -- I didn't realize it, I was sure I was in control, but you know how that was. I started falling behind in classes, and eventually decide to hack into a prof's computer to find out about an exam ahead of time. School security was drek, but the prof was more canny, and he traced me. I got kicked out, dreams dead.

I was already working part time for a bake & caff shop, so I got more hours, but really I thought I would turn pro as a gamer. Some of the teams had arranged SIN for people on things like a REE-ID in the past. I was probably never THAT good, but I didn't have anything else, you know? Then Fisher, my bounty-hunting mentor, showed up. He couldn't offer me a SIN, but he gave me a way out. And he saved me from burning out in hot sim, at least for a while.

So basically, I grew up in a cold, barren, land, where nobody around me had much hope. I managed to nurture my own hope and almost made it real, then pissed it away. Then I took the only way open to run away from the mess I'd made, even though I knew a lot of the things I did along the way were ... not good. Then Fisher got killed while I was gasping like a fish on dry land, later I realized that I was driving Sonya to her worst tendencies so broke things off ...

I've become more self-aware since then, got better control over my addictive tendencies, but, I guess I'm still pretty scared that anything I really want, I'll poison, destroy, or just generally screw up. If I can stay all professional, detached, I can be in control. But once I let emotion into it, my record isn't good.


"So that was probably really what happened this morning, me screwing things quickly, before it would hurt too badly. And ever since I've regretted it, and hope that maybe I can fix things, and that this time I won't screw things up."

"Sorry, this got away from me, went way beyond family and growing up. I just ... I don't want to be my Uncle Oleg, I don't want to just piss on everything and then complain that it smells. I really don't want to piss on you and ... " Preston slaps his forehead in frustration. "Can we forget I just said that? That metaphor REALLY got away from me."

Tanya smiles as she takes a few bites. "I think that we have worked up something quite edible, Peter. No reason to go across the street to the local unless you want a drink after dinner. I had plenty of time to scan the AR around here while I was waiting and the advert for the pub advertises a real dart board and I was wondering if your talent runs to anything except trideo games?"

She sits back and listens to your story without interrupting with questions. When you get to the end, she laughs. "I know what you mean, Peter, and I appreciate the sentiment. I, too, would not want to just toss the chance away without at least giving it a try. I have to say that I cannot really identify with your situation, well, mostly anyway. After the accident, I was changed so much physically that people did not really recognize me, although I was externally the same person, I was much different inside. A lot of cyber can do strange things to you if you are not prepared, and I was not prepared. It did not help that there was a time before all the scars healed that I was uglier than Frankenstein's monster. Almost every one of my friends at the time suddenly had other places to be. And that got even worse when it was made public that all of my father's money was not coming to me. Soon I had no one. Just me. So in some way, I can identify with being an outcast a little. That part did not last long. I was given some of my mother's money and a posh address and fell into drugs to help with the pain and with the loneliness, and suddenly I was not lonely any more.

Friends came out of the woodwork to help me spend my money now that I had some. I was so high on drugs or drink that I did not care. Until Monique came along. She is a thief, too, you know. One of the best pickpockets I have ever seen, and that is saying a lot. My right hand and my strength. I should be dead without her."

She finishes her plate and stands up to take it to the kitchen and begins washing up. At the sink she runs the hot water carefully so as not to use too much of Peter's allotment. "You know, Peter, I think there is a flaw in your plan to be emotionally aloof. You may think that it gives you peace and perhaps even strength and control. But I wonder if it really does and would think that the evidence bears against you. If you had strength, you could venture into the emotional world and slip back without losing control, but you seem to think that every time you enter the emotional world you lose control and do horrible things. This sounds completely like controlling your emotions is stunting you, not making you stronger. I am not a licensed mind doc, so all of this is just my opinion, mind you, but perhaps you need to enter the emotional world with baby steps, looking for the end result to be not losing control. I think that you might find that you can go for longer and longer periods in this world before needing to go back and hide in the emotionless one. Let yourself go and hang the consequences. Use me as your dummy, if you like. I have a thick skin and you can practice on me. I should have asked you to stay and explain yourself instead of abandoning you in the shower. I will try to not do that again." Tanya looks up from the sink and turns to face you. "Am I making any sense at all, Peter?"

"I, that is, ah ..."

* Coleman: Emotion is distraction.
* Oleg: Emotion leads to fear, fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.
* Eliza: That is such drek. That is exactly what Tanya was talking about
* Gamma: I do enjoy feeling happy, joyful, and so forth. Anger and hatred have motivated me in the past
* Monkey: And lust -- don't forget how wonderful lust is!
* Eliza: Love, love is what is wonderful. Lust is good within love, but lust can be bad
* Monkey: Nah
* Gamma: I still love Sonya. I don't know that I could fix that relationship, however.
* Eliza: I can love more than one person, and not all in the same way. One way has room for lust.
* Monkey: Yes!
* Coleman: Admittedly there would be strategic value in allying with someone with as many resources as Tanya has.
* Oleg: I don't need any fragging woman telling me what to do!
* Monkey: But sometimes that is fun!
* Eliza: 'Sometimes' is key there. In a partnership you negotiate, but sometimes yes one or the other takes the lead.
* Monkey: Yes, yes, and yes!
* Oleg: 'Lead' exactly, she'll lead me into being
* Gamma: Stop. I am tired of giving Oleg voice in my head, and am stopping that for now. I am sure Oleg will return, but here and now I can silence this voice.

"Sorry. Thoughts. Memories." Impatiently Preston gives his eyes a quick wipe, then continues, a little shakily. "Emotions! They can get unruly when given half a chance."

He takes a drink of water, a deep breath, then admits "I think you are exactly right. About the stunting and all that. And that it would be very good to .... start building strength in that area. I don't know how I've earned your patience and help and goodwill, but yes, yes, yes, a hundred times yes!"

For Mercy



Preston closes his eyes for a moment, explaining "Sorry, need to keep a bit of blood in my brain. Somehow my feminine ideal is rapidly coming to closely resemble Lady Tanya Marisart, So I keep getting these moments where my libido throws a high-priority interrupt into my thoughts. I should develop a partial immunity, eventually."

He opens his eyes, but gazes out the window at the building across the street as he continues "I'd hate to ask you to double down on your exercise routine, and you could just relax and wait for a bit, but I mostly try to stay in something resembling shape by use of various AR games and tools. Been working with a pirated Lone-Star training program for night-stick use a lot lately, but sometimes I just do something that will involve a lot of leaping around. I know it would do me good to work up a sweat for half an hour or so. Might be a bit rough right after eating, but sometime life works out that way, so call it adding realism to the practice."

He looks back at her.

* Monkey: those are the most perfect freckles ever!
* Gamma: there is probably no such thing as perfect freckles, but their current impact on me is far out of proportion to their impact on her overall looks.

And looks away again. "I should have gone running and climbing with you this morning. I just don't usually have the luxuries of those things. Doing it early in the morning would make sense though, before the day gets in the way. Especially with your schedule. I should give that a try."

Tanya gives you one of her needs-to-be-patented smiles and says, “I have never been anyone’s feminine ideal before and I think I would rather that you never get an immunity to me, but I think I understand what you mean. If I have it wrong, I will let you explain it later. Very well, you spend some time leaping about and I can go for a run. It will help me figure out what is where in the neighbourhood.” She points to the bag she left by your couch. “I brought some things. May I use your bathroom to change in?”

She slides past you to get her strap sack and goes into the bathroom, emerging in a couple of minutes with her hair tied back and wearing running shoes, shorts and a sports bra and top. Placing the bag down near the couch again, she turns to look at you and says, “Thirty minutes? Depending on how I feel I might take a bit longer. I will contact you if I get lost. Ciao.” She pauses at the door, turning to you. "Unless you want to come along?"

While Tanya was getting ready, Preston had done more than just admire her -- although he hadn't been able to resist some of that, too. He'd popped into his room and changed out of shirt and trousers to baggy t-shirt and sweat pants, and had put on his sneakers. In fact, the exact things he'd do before doing an AR work-out. But he doesn't remove the waist harness holding his blackjack to the small of his back, and he does load his taser into the smuggling compartment in his arm.

But when Tanya headed for the door, he stopped her. "Look, this area isn't all that dangerous, but a gorgeous single woman out on her own, not known to the locals, not obviously armed ... maybe you'd just get some propositions but it could be worse than that. The mafia make sure that crime is pretty low around here, but that also means that you get a lot of the sort that feel comfortable in mafia territory, and a lot of them figure the law is 'what can you get away with.' And I really don't want anyone getting away with you."

Preston holds the door open for Tanya. "After you, and yes this means you'll have to put up with me plodding along and slowing you down -- I can't say that I'm much of a runner. Maybe next time or the time after, if there are such times, you can go on your own. Once you know the area and are a somewhat familiar face."

s he makes sure that the sometimes fussy lock had indeed secured the door behind them he adds "And please tell me that you have some self-defense tricks hidden in your cyber-arm, if not anywhere else? I admit that I'm down to my taser" he taps his cyber-arm, but admits "It is just loaded into a smuggling compartment, so not the quickest to deploy. And a blackjack strapped to my back, because sometimes that speaks a language thugs are more apt to respect. With two of us, I don't expect there will be trouble, but it never hurts to be at least a little ready."

You could swear that Tanya almost purrs in her response. “Thank you for the gorgeous single woman part. I am more than happy to have you come along. So, the Mafia provides protection out here, eh? Do you know which Don? I know a couple of them professionally, so that might help. And do not worry about keeping up. I do this only for recreation and to work on my athletic ability, and from what I recall, your athletic ability is pretty good. But, to answer your question more directly, yes, I have some self defense skills.”

Once downstairs, she goes through a stretching routine then sets off at a slow jog. You recognize several of the people you encounter and some even wave at you. Tanya does not seem particularly interested in sticking to the main roads, taking several alleyways on what is a recon of the neighbourhood. She asks you about the shops and other buildings you pass and seems to commit them to memory. All too soon, the storm that has been threatening opens up and water falls from the sky in buckets, but Tanya seems unfazed. She continues running, splashing through puddles like a kid. You are able to run beside her most of the time, but on occasion are forced to run behind her and you would swear that she looks almost as good from that view as from the front.

She stops suddenly after turning into yet another alley. She reaches out and pushes you against one of the walls, stepping quite close. “OK. Emotion time.” Wrapping an arm around your neck, she pulls you into a kiss. Your emotions surge to the forefront and the kiss seems to go on and on, even tough it is probably no more than a minute before she breaks and looks up into your eyes without stepping away. “Too much? Not enough? Just right? No one is watching us in this rain, so if you were to have any thoughts of a quick ravishment here in the alley I would not put up much of a struggle. You could consider it as picking up where we left off in the shower. Only without the soap.”

* Coleman: this would be unnecessarily risky

* Monkey: But it would be fun, right now!

* Gamma: Such risk taking is not normally my style, but it appears to be Tanya's

* Eliza: In a relationship, you have to give a little to get a little

* Monkey: Oh yeah, giving and getting is what I LIKE

* Gamma: It is odd not to hear Oleg commenting on my brute drives at this juncture


Preston pulled his eyes into focus, looked around. Spotting nothing through the rain, he acquiesced with a grin "Sure, why not?"

Tanya's passion seems to be heightened by the risk, while fear spurs him on to take care of things quickly so they can get back to a safer configuration. Oddly, this combination seems to work out just fine; his urgency leads him to take a more aggressive role than he might otherwise, which seems to be what Tanya wanted just then.

* Gamma: When I'm safe back in my apartment I'm going to have an emotional crash from this.

* Eliza: I just can't crash it onto Tanya this time. I need to tell her, no later than walking through the doorway.

Tanya grins back and her shorts and underwear are on the ground in seconds. She wraps her arms around your neck as you push her against the wall and her legs wrap around your waist as you push into her. Her mouth finds and presses hard against your lips, her tongue swirling at yours. She seems to enjoy your new aggressive behaviour and responds in kind. The rain slaps against both of you as hard as anything you have ever seen before, diluting the tiny rivulets of blood from the scrapes on her back and shoulders as you repeatedly thrust into her and push her hard against the alley wall. The pain does not seem to decrease her desire, if anything it just increases it. Her moans become too much to be contained by your mouth and she rolls her head sideways against the wall and cries out in ecstasy. You can feel your own release building and it seems to be coming on stronger than anything you can remember.

You push hard against her as you explode, causing her to increase her own pleasure and she responds vocally, the sound almost primal as it echoes in the narrow alley. When your own aftershocks have subsided, she turns her head to face you and you can see tears running down her cheeks. The rain might try to hide them, but you can tell the difference. She tightens her legs around you when you try to pull out. “No. Please. Stay this way a bit longer. As long as you can. I want to remember this moment forever. I want to remember you this way forever.” She returns her mouth to yours and begins kissing you again. These kisses are not nearly as aggressive as earlier, but the passion is greater. It is almost as if you can feel something passing between her and you. Her obvious passion ignites something in you and you begin to return the kisses with an ardor equal to hers. Your body reacts in a manner you would have thought impossible and you begin moving inside her again. Tanya gives a pleased sound, very much like a cat purring, and eagerly encourages your movement. The pace is not as frantic as the first time, but the pleasure is nearly as intense and soon the two of you are crying out into the storm as you use yourselves up.

When you finally break, she slides down the wall to sit on the ground, her shorts and underwear seemingly forgotten as she tries to recover, panting as if she has just completed a hard run. She turns her face up into the rain and cries out again then looks at you. “I am going to say something that you might not wish to hear, but I will say it anyway. We might never repeat that precise feeling of exaltation and ecstasy again, but I would rather face the rest of my life trying to duplicate it and failing than to have never experienced it.” She shakes her head. “People cannot share that and not feel it or not want to feel it again. At least I cannot and I dearly hope that you cannot. That was a bloody great shag, Peter, bloody great.”

She slips sideways onto the ground and stretches her arms above her head, letting the rain pour onto her body. Lifting her head a bit, she looks around. “Where the frag are my bloody knickers?” She laughs weakly. “Frag. I must be laying on them. Too weak to worry about it right now. I am just going to stay here for a bit, Peter. You fragging took me farther than anyone ever has before and I need to recover a bit.”

* Gamma: I'm crashing emotionally, and the words I'm about to say reflect that.

Preston choked slightly as he was caught with his mouth open, and rain had run down his throat. He realized that he'd been about to say "You can lay off the flattery: I know I can't be anything special, given all the lovers that you've had. Or maybe you never realized you have a fetish for slumming it."

* Eliza: That talk of total honesty in relationships is probably written by people who aren't in relationships.
* Gamma: I may not stop the next set of poorly chosen words before they leaave my lips. I think I'd be upset if I were to repeat he events of this morning.

Eventually Preston picks some safe words to say. "All things considered, if I'm going to be post-coital while being pelted with water, I think I'd rather it be in your amazing shower, than in this alley. But since I passed up on my chance for the former this morning, I am glad we took advantage of this. But in this downpour who knows who or what could be taking advantage of the bad visibility, so I'd suggest we head back to my apartment for a hot shower, hot tea, and maybe a warm bed."

After a moment he decides to add "I should apologize: I'm in an emotional crash right now, and am probably poor company. Given a bit of time, maybe a bit of food and caffeine, and I should return to being a human rather than a donkey. That sort of intensity that we just had kind of wipes me out for a bit, and I need a little while to rebuild, errr, something. Can't think of the word right now."

He gets to his feet, not without a slight stagger, then offers a hand up to Tanya.

It is only as they are exiting the alley that he thinks to ask "You will stay the night, won't you?"

Tanya remains on the ground for a few moments, still panting. She laughs, “Yes, right now there are a few words I am not sure I remember.”

She grabs onto your hand and lets you pull her to her feet. She looks around and murmurs something under her breath before bending over in front of you to pick up her knickers and shorts. Monkey almost has a stroke at the sight.

•Monkey: Oh! Ook Ook! I can’t………I can’t. Oh!

Tanya gets dressed and quietly walks with you to the end of the alley. She looks at you as you ask your question and smiles. "I would very much like to spend the night, Peter. I was rather hoping that you would ask. Perhaps we can work on getting past this emotional crash of yours. If you want help, that is." She goes with you back to your place. Both of you are completely soaked by the time you get there. As you stand on your stoop entering your code to enter the building, you glance over at Tanya. She is giving you an odd sort of look and smiles brightly when your eyes connect. Her hair is unbound and sopping wet and she has mud smudges on her face and body, but still manages to look amazing. She puts a hand on your arm and something passes between you before the door responds to the code and hisses open. Being the gentleman, you motion for her to precede you into the lobby, where three other men are standing, apparently trying to decide whether to brave the storm to go across to the bar or not. Their eyes follow her figure as Tanya walks over to the elevator, where she turns and puts an arm through one of yours and waits for the car to arrive.

Once in your room, she turns to you. “Your shower is a bit small and I am not sure that there is sufficient room for both of us at the same time. If you do not mind, I can wait in your bathroom and talk to you while you shower, then take a turn.”

Preston wondered why he was even awake at such a time? A quick check of his link said it was 3:56 AM.

* Monkey: this is not as comfortable as Tanya's bed

Apparently some parts of him were awake. As he shifted position he realized just how true that was.

* Oleg: At least here I don't need a resupply drop on the way to the fragging washroom.

And apparently Monkey was not the only part of him awake already, and obviously Oleg had recovered from the temporary silencing he'd inflicted on it. Well, it was probably for the best to let his mental grumbles happen now, and get them over with.

* Oleg: It still doesn't make sense that she is here. I say the vixen is up to something.

* Monkey: I hope that she is up for doing something, because I certainly am.

* Oleg: Bah, do I have to get distracted by sex everytime I'm near an attractive woman?

* Monkey: Yes, of course I do.

* Oleg: I'm mixing business and pleasure, and that is never good.

* Oleg: A man should keep his personal life and his business seperate! Letting them mix is just a recipe for disaster.

* Oleg: And she can't be trusted, the English are all weird with their druids and all that mumbo-jumbo, and to have the money that she has and still be stealing stuff? Sounds self-destructive to me.

* Oleg: And what am I to her? She can buy and sell people like me whenever she wants. She's had strings of lovers, how many did she tell that the were her best ever, that she wanted to be with them forever, that she had chosen them in particular? How long until she is telling the next man the same things?

* Monkey: Or woman, she is rumoured to like both.

* Oleg: It isn't natural, another reason she can't be trusted!

* Monkey: Isn't it better to be honest about your lusts, to pursue what you like, than to hide it all behind a curtain of supposed decency?

* Oleg: Of course it isn't, we are people, not beasts! We don't just rut with anything in heat.

* Monkey: That is right, meta-humans are one of the few mammals that don't go into heat, we are ready to go at any time. Like now, now would be a good time.

* Oleg: What, wake her up when I finally have some time to think?

* Monkey: Look at it this way, woken up in the middle of the night, she won't be very awake, I can see her in a less planned, prepared, state.

* Oleg: Sex as a way to disarm someone? I can't believe I can think of sinking so low!

* Monkey: But rutting just for pleasure is wrong? If sex is to be planned, what are the limits on it?

* Oleg: Frag it, I hate when my lusts get philosophical? This is wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway, aren't I?

* Gamma: (mental yawn) Yes, then hopefully I can get back to sleep.



Preston snuggled closer to Tanya, and began nibbling on her ear lobe ....

Tanya murmurs something unintelligible as you nibble at her, waking enough to open her eyes. “Mmmmmmm. Awake are we? Let’s just see…….”

Her hand idly brushes against your chest and travels down until she strokes your hardness. Her eyes open even more as she says, “I see that you are very awake.” She levers herself up on an arm and looks at your face. Her hair is considerably mussed from the bed antics of the night before and sleep. You may have known prettier women, even bedded some, but right now, at this instant, you cannot remember any of them and your mind tells you that Tanya is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. Her gorgeous smile brings light to the dim room and she stops stroking you, allowing her hand to work its way back up, where she uses it to trace your lips as she looks at you. Without saying a word, she lowers her face to yours and kisses you gently. And in that one, single kiss, gives herself to you completely. Your doubts are silenced, at least for now, as you are completely and entirely sure that this is where she wants to be, and that you are who she wants to be with. Oleg and the others might voice doubts later, but for now they are silenced as the kiss just goes on and on.

It is a different sort of kiss. Not the hard, passionate kind that presages frenetic sex, but a gentle kiss that somehow conveys so much about a person. The sort of kiss that story tellers mention as lasting almost forever or being THE kiss. Songs have been written about them and many people will only be able to dream of finding the sort of person that wants to kiss them like this. Your body reacts predictably and you experience a desire for Tanya that is much greater than it has been. That feeling could go away at any moment, but it seems to stretch through the length of the kiss and beyond. She moves to press her breasts against your chest and the two of you begin something that is so far beyond simple sex as to approach something far greater. Her movements are gentle and the lovemaking takes a long time. Eventually she cries out loudly as her body spasms in an extended internal explosion that seems to just keep going, finally bringing about your own eruption as you fall over the precipice and collapse on top of her. She wraps her legs around your waist and her arms around your neck and kisses you again, sealing the act of love as something that you might just remember forever.

Tanya cannot even talk above a whisper as she says, “Wow. What just happened here? Peter, that was immensely…………………something. Something wonderful. Something fantastic. I hope that you felt it, too, because, well, I do not think I can describe it adequately and so hope that you know what I am blathering about. I had thought against the alley wall yesterday was great, but this was so much better. I could get addicted to that, and to you. Frankly, I actually think I am already addicted to you and I do hope that you do not mind. I do not want to delay your recovery or make any sort of emotional crash even worse, but I am quite sure that I.............well, that I have fallen hard for you. Is that OK with you?”

"Mmmm, I hope not truly addicted, addiction is never as fun as it sounds ... but I know what you mean. It's. Very hard to have a thought that does not include you." He stretches languorously, then admits "I fell like I could stay up the rest of the night, just holding you and hearing you breath -- but I know we need more sleep, at least I do. Do you think you can doze back off?"

Tanya smiles as she puts her face into your neck and murmurs something completely unintelligible, one arm snakes about you and she shifts her body to get close to you, molding to fit your form. Her breathing indicates that she is asleep in seconds.

You wake to being alone in bed and for an instant might believe that you are alone, but then the memories of the previous day and night come rushing in and you remember that Tanya was here. The bedroom door is slightly ajar and you can hear what sounds like a woman singing as well as noises associated with a kitchen.

* Oleg: Hunh, she's learning -- leave me alone in the morning and make herself useful in the kitchen

Preston couldn't believe that even the crankiest part of his personality gave voice to that thought.

* Monkey: It would be far better if she was still in bed, if she wanted to make this a good morning I can think of lots of ways to do that ...
* Gamma: I have lots of things to do today, and indulging in more matress games would leave me too drained to be productive.
* Monkey: No, it would wake me up!
* Gamma: I have told myself such things in the past, but evidence shows that this is not how it works for me.
* Coleman: I need to be sharp to deal with Amanda effectively. I will need to extract maximum information from her without making her suspicious, but without bedding her.
* Monkey: What is wrong with beddng her? Look at Tanya's history, she'd understand, its just business after all.

It was apparently Preston's morning to be shocked about where his thoughts were drifting.

* Gamma: This is not un-typical. It was speaking such thoughts out loud that created the problem yesterday morning.
* Monkey: Who can expect a guy to be responsible for even his words, forget about thoughts, when he hasn't even had caffe yet?
* Coleman: Caffeine would raise my alertness.
* Gamma: Doing things before I have caffe often goes poorly.
* Eliza: Preparing and sharing a nice soycaffe creates a social ritual that can hold off deeper discussion while still being intimate in its fashion.
* Oleg: If she's messed up my caffe maker there will be hell to pay!

Preston slid out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt and pair of sweat pants, then padded out to the main room. Fortunately even Monkey was willing to limit his concern about Tanya's state of undress until after caffe had been obtained. He did manage a few syllables that hopefully resembled words. When she explained that she'd held off touching the soycaffe machine because she wasn't quite sure how it all worked his grunt of "good" had hopefully not been too rude. In case it had been he handed her the first cup, although it took all he had in him to do so.

Finally he was pouring back hot liquid bliss. He managed not to burn his tongue, and to hold off making a second one just yet, although he felt that his flesh hand was on the verge of trembling with the desire for more caffe. He forced his eyes and thoughts to focus enough to offer up "Good morning. Thank you for letting me sleep. And being patient enough for me to get some caffe in me. I'm almost human now."

He finally took in the varied pans and ingredients that Tanya had out and had to ask "Uh, exactly what is it that you were working on here? I mean -- thank you for getting breakfast going, but ... would you like some help?"

Friday 8 June 2075 Echo's Apartment


Tanya is dressed in a shirt that hangs far enough in front and rear to cover her, but exposes a good bit of thigh from the sides. By the swaying of her breasts under the thin fabric, you are fairly certain that she is not wearing a bra. She bends over once and you are definitely certain that she is not wearing any underwear, either. She has not done anything withy your fancy coffee maker, but has brought out several pans more than you would think necessary for what seems to be cooking. She smiles at your question and waves her hands about the kitchen. "I am not really sure, actually. I had brought a tin of ham with me and was trying to match that with something you have here, but somehow.................well, it sort of came out wrong." She laughs. "I am certainly not as good at this as Monique is, but I refuse to go running for her help and will try to muddle through. So, yes, the answer is yes. I could use some help."

As they eat a light breakfast and clean up--the latter taking somewhat longer than the former--they also talk about the coming day. When Preston expresses his need to learn to handle a rifle before the skeet shooting a few days hence, Tanya asks if he'd like her to book him in at a shooting range she has used, and he graciously accepts her offer.

* Eliza: there, that wasn't so bad, there is hope for us indeed!

Preston is a bit worried about his appointment with Amanda, so he carefully phrases it as a research opportunity. Tanya seemed amused by his phrasing, as best as he could tell--but she made no objection.

After that, Preston is open to suggestions from Tanya.

As the two of you eat and clean up, Tanya seems to be grateful that you are not making more of her lack of kitchen skills. "I am glad that you are taking the investigation seriously, but I would like to discuss something." She comes up behind you at the sink and puts her arms around you, her nipples pressing into your back and distracting you a bit. She lays her head against your back, saying, "I am very pleased at your progress and I think that you are harder on yourself than others are. Much harder. You are taking giant strides so far and I fully expect great things from you. I think that you need someone in your corner that is willing to do more than simply say they are behind you, but actually are behind you. I understand that you are going to see Amanda today. Take your research where it leads you, Peter, even if that is her bed. Have a great time. I will be here when you come home tonight, whenever that is. I might walk across to the pub and see if there are any rubes there that I can take in a game of darts or billiards. But I am not going anywhere, unless you say enough and send me away. But I warn you that you will have to say it three times, with at least an hour between times, before I go."

Preston can't stop a snort of laughter, then a guffaw, and then he entirely loses it, laughing so hard he can barely breath. At Tanya's concerned expression he eventually manages to gasp "It's OK, it's good, it's just ...." but then he cracks up again.

When he finally manages get himself back under control he looks more relaxed than Tanya has seen so far, and he says "I can't remember when I laughed that hard. It was just ..." he has to take a moment to make sure he doesn't start giggling again "You nailed me so perfectly, so dead pan, and in that accent." He shakes his head, and elaborates "I think you may know me better than I know me, somehow. But to know me .... and accept that .... isn't something I ever expected, from anyone really. I never knew what sort of confidence and peace it could bring. But to have it said that way, it was" he clamps down on more laughter.

"I'm really sorry I cracked up like that, what you said was serious, and I appreciate it, but I think it was the relief of tension as much as anything? Anyway, I thank you so very deeply for that."

* Eliza: and what else do I need to tell her?

He takes a deep breath and adds "And I will endeavor never to send you away, and to be at your side when you need me." After a moment he adds with a grin "And to give you honest competition on matrix games."

OOC: sounds like the right sort of moment to finally spend the karma on boosting charisma to three.

Tanya smiles and gives you a hug. "Thank you, Peter, for the vote of confidence in yourself. Just remember that there is someone who cares about you and also has a great confidence in you." She breaks the hug and walks toward the bedroom. "Now I am going to get dressed. You may join me if you like. I would like to know where a laundry is as I only have two spare sets of clothes with me. Oh, and good luck on that matrix game thing. You will need it."

Washing the smell of the shooting range out of his hair, Preston had to admit that tapping into Tanya's knowledge, contacts, and connections made life more pleasant. Sure, he'd paid a bit more to use the shooting range she'd suggested, but the instructor had not only been a good teacher but an experienced skeet shooter. Plus they had clean and comfortable change facilities, including a shower that was at least a couple of steps up from what was in his apartment.

* Monkey: This shower is good, but Tanya's shower is great! When Tanya is in Tanya's shower it moves up to spectacular.

Probably just as well not to have had Tanya here for his lesson. Not just for the sake of his pride but also for lack of distraction. How a woman that toned managed to curve so much he still couldn't figure out.

* Monkey: I'll just need to keep studying her to figure it out.

He really needed to change his train of thought, given that he was in a public shower. Plus he needed to get himself dressed in the nice shirt and slacks that he'd brought along, then go meet Amanda. Given his current situation with Tanya, it seemed that 'teach me how to be a good companion' was no longer just a front for learning about Howard, but an actual need in his life. Not that his relationship with Tanya seemed anything like Amanda's with Howard, but then again his was new and hers was old. On the other hand, Howard was apparently married while Tanya wasn't, the genders were switched around, and Tanya certainly wasn't the same sort of personality as Howard.

Still and all, it seemed like useful skills to acquire, even they weren't the sort of thing one would list in their qualifications.

He paused in the middle of washing his face -- for some jobs, would those be qualifications one would want to bring up? Somewhat disturbingly it seemed to him that yes, there were infiltration type jobs where these would make perfect sense.

Soap getting into his mouth reminded him to rinse -- and to focus on getting out of the shower and on his way, but flirting around the back of his thoughts was the question of whether he really could and would learn such a skill-set.

* Coleman: I will consider the value of learning this, versus time and other resources invested in it.
* Gamma: I'll keep touch with these thoughts, on whether I could be effective at the skills under consideration.
* Eliza: And I'll mentally roll my eyes at my self-doubts about such things. If I can schmooze people and I can disguise myself to present what people expect, do I really doubt that I can and should aquire more skills at selling myself as what others want?

Well yes, maybe he could and should master this skill set.

With renewed focus he finished his shower, dried, applied a light analgesic cream to his shoulder, dressed, strapped on his taser, and then stepped into a bathroom stall to install the the hidden carriers for his blackjack and hold-out away from prying eyes. On the way out from the range he paused to book additional lessons -- fortunately it seemed that the instructors were not in high demand first thing in the morning.

* Monkey: But this means no lingering and snuggling with Tanya!
* Coleman: She wouldn't be the woman she is if she didn't understand about training to play a part. We'll both live.

And with that it was time to climb back into his car and head off to meet Amanda.

You leave your apartment with a slightly jauntier step than you have had in a while, but it does not hit you until you are at your car in the parking garage. So just why are you feeling a bit more…………….something better. The sex? Perhaps. But you have had good and great sex before and have not felt this way. Perhaps it was the last words Tanya said as you walked out the door. You were already shutting it when she said “I believe in you, Peter.” Something in the tone of her voice had imparted to you that she was completely sincere. So is that all it takes? Having someone really believe in you? Maybe that was the secret.

The shooting range is crowded this morning, with lots of people trying to get in practice before the big charity match on Monday. How you got an instructor slot is a mystery, but you got a good one. Karl Janson seems to really know his stuff and you learn quickly under his artful hand. The sounds of shotguns firing and the smell of cordite fill the air. Your first morning is not bad and you are even scoring some hits by the end of the training period. Karl says you have the mark of a natural and congratulates you on wanting three shorter training periods instead of one longer one, as that will allow your shoulder to recover a bit from the pounding it gets from the gun. No amount of recoil compensation can completely remove the sensation that your shoulder has been hit repeatedly with a small sledge hammer.

Friday 8 June 2075, Double-Pike Cafe

* Gamma: I am staring at her cleavage again
* Monkey: It isn't like she really minds!
* Coleman: Her breasts are a dangerous distraction, as her face is more apt to show her true intentions.
* Monkey: I don't know, she could be hiding a pretty big weapon in there, perhaps I should investigate more closely, just for safetyy's sake?

"Sorry, did you just say 'Everett' or 'over it'? I, uh, lost my focus for a moment."

Amanda really did have a nice laugh when she wasn't putting on a performance -- or maybe this one was also performance, but a different one than she'd used the other night? Either way it took the sting out Preston's embarrasement, as did her words "You are too adorable, you know that? You are trying so hard, but I think you're fighting a losing battle."

* Monkey: See, I told you she doesn't mind

Amanda winked -- and Preston's eyes were on her face to see this -- and continued "Should we go somewhere more private so you can get it out of your system?"

* Monkey: YES!!!!!

"No ...."

* Monkey: I suck!

"...I think I'll just pay particular attention to your lovely left ear for a while."

"My ear, eh?" teased Amanda, brushing her hair back to make it more visible. "You just keep your eyes on my ear ...." Then she did something. A bit of a shrug, some sort of roll of her chest maybe, and Preston's peripheral vision saw enough that his eyes snapped back to Amanda's shimmering cleavage.

Preston sputtered "Blast it, you don't play fair!" as he wrenched his vision back to her face.

Eyes dancing Amanda shot back "Fair? Sweety, the world doesn't play fair. I got dealt a pretty cheap hand except for one ace, so I play that ace for all its worth. Like I told you, I developed young, and ever since I've been mastering using them. There is a song one of the girls I used to dance with used in her routine, no idea where she dug it up from, but it said it well."

Amanda leaned close and sang, voice a throaty whisper, almost indifferent, but eyes and body speaking much more intently:

"You gave me these weapons
I feel free to use them
You gave me these weapons
How could I refuse them
You gave me these weapons
And I'm gonna use them
You gave me these weapons
To control you

You put me up on the pedestal
My arsenal is flesh and blood
My lips, my breast, my body
Keep you at my mercy
You want to worship me
Like a Madonna
You want to slap me around
Because you fear me"

She stopped and leaned back, looking almost self-conscious.

* Monkey: *wild applause*

"Holy hell woman, why aren't you in some dark night-club breaking hearts? That was incredible! Shivers right down my spine." Preston gulped some soy-caff, barely noticing that it had already grown tepid. "If HE doesn't appreciate what he has, then he's deaf as well as blind."

As Preston released his mug, Amanda took his hand in hers and looked him in the eye. For once it was easy to keep his eyes up, as she explained "It is nice of you to say that, but of course I'd not sing to him like that -- It would threaten him too much. He doesn't value what he has, but he hates for others to get it. For just my body he won't care much if someone else gets his 'sloppy seconds' as he sees it. But if he thought I had other talents that other's would value? No, that wouldn't be good. And I'm not really that good, not good enough to do any better than I've done without singing."

She release Preston's hands and eyes, gave a sort-of-smile, and added quietly "Besides, it matters to have one thing you won't sell."

* Gamma: What do I have that I wouldn't sell?
* ....
* Gamma: Perhaps I should figure that out then.

Amanda gives you a thoughtful look that seems to bore into you. “I should have said, there should be one thing we don’t sell, until you find the right person. Now, for that person, if you think it is THE one, you should GIVE everything away to them. Hold nothing back for the right one.” She will wave her hands, which sends her cleavage moving in a very enticing manner. “But then, who am I to give this sort of advice? I am not sure there is a Mr. Right for someone like me. Way too many bridges burned and too many strangers that paid to be in my bed for anyone to really want to settle down with me. But if I ever found him, I would never let go and I would give him everything I am. I hope that does not disappoint you. I have lots of advice if you have the time to listen.”

She leans forward across the table and takes your hands in hers again. She feels warm and comforting. “Listen, I am going to be blunt here. I was really looking forward to having sex with you this afternoon. I am talking of a no frills ride to orgasms; no scars, no holds, no strings, and no promises. Just simple, mind-blowing sex between two people that certainly need it.”

*Monkey: Yes, yes, yes!

*Gamma: No. Think of Tanya. What would it mean to her?

*Monkey: Tanya said it was alright! She gave permission.

*Gamma: I am not sure she an give permission for this sort of thing.

*Monkey: Why not? We all heard her.

*Coleman: Yes we did. I am not sure I believe I am saying this, but it might be a way to get better results from our recon.

*Monkey: See? Yes, yes! Let me recon those monkeys on her chest.

*Gamma: It might work to loosen her up a bit.

Amanda turns one of your palms over and begins tracing circles on it as she looks into your eyes. She has had to lean forward a bit to reach your hands and this gives you an even better view of what is barely concealed by her blouse. And it in not just her cleavage that is worth looking at. The top of her table is made of some sort of see-through resin and you notice that the already short skit she is wearing had moved up her thighs just a bit from sitting down, exposing quite a bit of nice leg.

*Monkey: A bit more of those legs, please. Just a bit more.

*Gamma: First boobs and now legs?

*Monkey: Just being an equal opportunity starer.

“Why don’t you take my left ear into the bedroom and show it just what you like about it? I can help with the rest.”

Friday 8 June 2075, Double-Pike Cafe

* Oleg: I don't even know what is normal and proper anymore. I'd say that is no way for a woman to behave, but if Lady Tanya is not much different ...
* Monkey: It is part of the job, I have to charm her, ook-ook!
* Gamma: Keeping up with the women is going to leave me aching and exhausted
* Monkey: No better reason for feeling that way!
* Eliza: This is probably how she knows a man appreciates her. Not how I'd want to live my life, but it would probably be insulting to turn her down.

Preston pins his gaze on her left ear, and teases "Well, it would be rude of me to say I was going to focus on your left ear, then refuse to give it further attention. I wouldn't want your ear to be mad with me, so I suppose that really I have no choice in the matter." He meets Amanda's eye and does his best to give a goofy grin, to let her know he is playing along.

Then an idea hits him -- she seems most comfortable with physical contact, so maybe prolonging touch time would make for better opportunity to gain knowledge about his target -- besides being a pleasant duty. "I know we only have so much time, but I there are enough stores near here that it should only take a minute to pick up some massage oil. I'm no expert on 'ear massage', but I'm sure you could guide me with regards to what you like."

Preston tosses back the last of his soycaff, then stands up and offers Amanda his arm.

Amanda smiles at you. "I have plenty of massage oils here, in several scents or unscented. Which would you prefer to try?" She stands and takes your offered hand. "Come on. Do you want me to give you a good massage while we talk and then you can look at my ear up close after?"

Massaging Amanda makes his cyber-arm obvious. A calculated risk; if she does spill all to her patron then a possible small advantage goes away, but exposing a confidential thing like that also shows trust and create a bond.

* Coleman: I still think this was a tactically unnecessary and foolish move
* Eliza: This is strategy, not tactics
* Monkey: this feels good, the way the oil tingles as it warms up, and I'm already tingling just from having Amanda naked and oiled up. Definitely a good decision!

While Amanda plays up the sensuousness of the massage, it is also clear enough that she appreciates having her back worked on. Preston kicks himself for not anticipating such a desire on her part; it would have been more surprising if her back didn't get tired from supporting her bust. Her legs are surprisingly hard with well worked muscle and as he works on her calves she laughs and admits that he's not apt to encounter too many legs with quite the pattern of development that she has -- "Years of dancing in high-heels shape your legs." She teaches him things he never knew about working on calves and feet, apparently from years of trading foot rubs with other women at the clubs where she had worked.

When he's done working on her they trade places, and while she does tease loose a few knots that always form near the anchoring of his cyber-arm, her massage is more of a soothing, teasing, affair, leaving him gradually more relaxed in general and excited in specific.

* Monkey: I highly approve of being lightly brushed by well oiled breasts while being massaged.
* Gamma: Obviously.

Gradually massage becomes foreplay, foreplay becomes languorous sex play, and that fades into a post-coital torpor that leaves Preston fighting hard to simply stay away, forget about questioning her.

* Coleman: alertness is critical; I need soycaff
* Monkey: soycaff would be perfect right now!
* Oleg: should have had refreshments before playing around, that is the civilized way
* Gamma: we had just come from having 'caff
* Eliza: regardless, asking for some now would be not perfect manners, but would be reasonable.

Amanda laughs at the request, then explains "Afterwards some men want a sandwich or something else to eat, some just fall asleep, I guess you are kind of splitting the difference: refreshments to keep you from falling asleep."

Preston asks "What do you want afterward?"

"I'd kill for a smoke, but I got off that stuff -- ages the skin too much, and I'm already fighting father time. Besides that? I don't know, really. Usually I'm still trying to please the guy I'm with, letting him have what he wants. I guess some cuddling and snuggling and talking is nice. I guess I like the sandwich guys better than the falling asleep guys, at least we can talk some while he's eating, even if it isn't so good for the cuddling and stroking."

* Coleman: Bingo!
* Eliza: yes, time to be tactical.

"Talking is good, if I have caff -- good on you for getting off smokes, I got off some stronger stuff but I just can't kick caff so far. But I'm thinking we could bring mugs back to bed and curl up, drink, and talk?"

And so a few minutes later they are back to bed, and Preston blatantly leads the conversation "Time for me to pick your brain a bit. I'm still trying to figure out this whole 'being a companion' thing. I think we both agree that Tanya is different from your patron, but still -- tell me about how you keep him happy, or try to. I mean, besides being gorgeous and talented, which obviously helps!"

Amanda smiles at you. "I do not know how different Howard is from Tanya. They are both from the elite sector of society and they are paying for us to service their personal and sexual needs on an on-demand basis. Howard is a very trying man, a very demanding man, and a very selfish man. I do not know enough about your employer to know her personality. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that she came to talk to me and even knew my name. That is not normal in my experience and could mean that you are very lucky."

She sips from her cup and continues. "Now, about Howard. It is pretty easy to keep him happy, especially if you know anything about ancient Chinese pottery. He is a super nut on the subject and even has a collection in his house that is amazing. I had studied a bit about the stuff after I found out he was interested in it and he took me down to some sort of secret passage from his living room. Huge set of display cabinets and niches and stuff, but it was all very well lit and displayed and it was turning him on just being in the room. I blew him while he was talking to me about the collection and it was just about the biggest O he ever had with me. I am talking more than I could swallow at once and I can suck dick with the best. Go figure. Anyway, the lesson learned is that you should try to pick up on some sort interest she may have and learn about it. I hear that she sits on the boards of several charities. Learn about them and at least pretend to be interested and you will reap good benefits."

"Howard is also into gambling and will be going big at the races tomorrow. If you can download some information on the horses in the race and something about Chinese pottery you might just be his new best friend."

Listening to Amanda, Preston has a real mix of feelings -- admiration for her professionalism, sorrow for how that profession played out, dismay at the thought of having to fake enthusiasm for something he wasn't interested in, surging hope because he in fact finally had a lead that pulled in Howard, Tanya's interest in Howard, and how to better engage with Tanya. And of course, sheer sensual enjoyment from lounging in bed with caff and Amanda.

* Oleg: I don't even know if I'm cheating, and if so on who?
* Monkey: Then such worries are a waste of time, I should just enjoy the moment
* Coleman: It is important to pay attention to the moment one is in, but forgetting consequences and longer term plans is still not wise.
* Eliza: And this is part of why we are here, to have awareness of the thoughts of the moment. Amanda seems quite open right now, also enjoying this moment. Which makes it a good time to solidify our relationship.
* Gamma: And I shouldn't dawdle about that, in about ten minutes time my need to go to the washroom is going to become distracting.

"I love talking with you -- you are so honest, by the sound of it including honest with yourself which few people are. It is refreshing, and grounding. Without committing or expecting this" Preston flips a hand at their bodies cuddled up together, "I hope we can talk sometimes, at the very least. What else beyond talk, well, I guess we've both had lives of having to figure things out as we go along a lot of the time."

"But talking about time, I think you had a deadline to get back before Howard expects you to be available?"

While he waits for her response, Preston goes into his commlink to set reminders for the following week to contact Amanda -- he is entirely sincere about wanting to stay in touch.

Amanda smiles at you and trails a hand down your side. "Peter, this has been the most enjoyable event I have had in a long time. The sex was very enjoyable and I, for one, would like to continue seeing you in my bed from time to time. I also enjoy just talking to you, which I am surprised about, to be honest. I don't know if I have been very helpful at all, but if I have, please feel free to come ask questions of me. I would call first to make sure that I am available, but right now, that seems to be the case more and more. I really think Howard is on the verge of ending the relationship and it is possibly back to the dance pole and the beds of strangers to get by. Too bad there is not some market for an adviser to paid companions. I have a lot of experience there."

She nods at your reminder about Howard and gets out of bed with you to shower and dress. She walks you to the door and looks you in the eye. "I know that you are going back to her. Let me recap my advice into as few words as possible. Satisfy her sexual and other needs. Convince yourself that you are enjoying your time with her. Make her feel special. Learn about something she is interested in. And admire her shoes when you go out. If you can do all of those things, you stand a good chance of being a successful companion. And thank you so much for coming to see me. I really needed you here for a bit."

Not ready to go look for Tanya immediately after leaving Amanda, and wanting to some continue to do some work, Preston drives up to Howard's house -- or at least, he tells the car to take itself to the parking lot of a restaurant near Howard's house, following a route that will cause him to drive past the house.

On the way he fires off some more searches for information about the man, with focus on three things: his professional life, references to him and horses or racing, and references to him and chinese pottery. He doubts he'll get anything to rival what Amanda has told him, but it never hurts to have names and dates if any are available. That done he goes back to his notes from Tanya's party, taking time to better absorb all the material he'd saved at the time.

Once he has cruised past the house he does a matrix query for businesses in the area, and one for houses for sale. He programs the car to take him around the neighborhood to see the few local businesses and the couple of houses that are publicly available for sale -- Preston is thankful here for how much he pays for grid access each month, as these listings were certainly NOT on the free public grid!

That info filed securely in his headware, he finally stops at the most expensive chain caff shop in the area, and calms himself down with a Grande Vanilla-Chicory soy-latte caff. It was a tough enough drink that it allowed him to chat with the barrista a bit, getting a feel for the sort of orders they more commonly see in the shop. His heart is pounding by the end at the blatant violation of Fisher's prohibition on him doing the talking, but it seemed to have gone OK.

When he's done he soothes his nerves with the serviceable caff, while discreetly checking out the place's few patrons -- although traffic was getting heavy with the evening rush, not many seemed to stop for caff on the way home. He doesn't come to any grand conclusions, but he does make some mental notes about clothes, hair, general appearances -- and even manages to take one discreet video sweep of the shop on his way out the door, so that he has some reference images.

He doesn't know that he'll need all of that, but if he ever needs to blend-in while in this neighborhood, he has the information he'll need.

You find that Howard's house has a gated driveway that is currently closed. You would need to try it to find out if it is locked, but that is likely in a neighborhood like this. Your quick drive past the place does not reveal any human security, but you do detect a roving camera on the wall near the gate and another on the wall further down. Your research into his public professional life tells you that he has been practicing law for about twenty years, the last several of which the Seattle Yakuza Oyabun has been his sole client. He is married but apparently goes through mistresses like they were water, even stepping out on them for a fresh conquest. Most mistresses last only a few months before being recycled. His great grandfather apparently began the family love affair with old Chinese pottery, starting a collection said to rival that of many museums. Howard likes to back horses in the local racing circuit and is known to have dropped about 200K Y on the Seattle Cup last year when the favorite came up lame during the race.He is a habitue on the social party loop.

The barirista is cute and seems to think you are, too. She puts her name, Joan, on your cup, along with a com code. As it is slow just now, she seems willing to talk about the people that come into the shop, and will mention the rich guy at 221 Lanye Drive (Howard's residence) , who has come in on occasion as being a nice man who tips very well. You get the impression that she knows him a bit better than barrista to client.

* Monkey: I'm on a roll!
* Gamma: I'm dressed and styled quite corporate, to better fit the neighborhood. I'm probably within her extended age range for partners. I'm being friendly. It is not entirely surprising.
* Coleman: I should have adopted a more flawed image, having her remember me leaves a potential back-trail. Killing her would probably draw more attention, however. Best would be to bore her away from me.
* Monkey: OR I could charm her enough that she wants to protect me. Apparently I'm good at pleasing women lately, ook-ook!
* Oleg: Can't trust anyone who is so willing to lift their skirt, she'll be even looser with information. Best to put the fear into her.
* Eliza: Or I could treat her like a human being rather than a playing piece. Think about how Amanda responded to Tanya.
* Coleman: That is not a tactic I have much practice with.

Preston is surprised to feel that the whirlwind of the last few days has left him numb enough that he doesn't even feel tongue-tied in talking with Joan. He admits that he's hoping that his barrista days are behind him, but that this looks like a better location than the mall coffee shop where he once worked. "There were the other mall staff, who were nice, but too broke to tip much. Shoppers who mostly just needed a caffeine lift and didn't expect to be regulars so didn't tip well. And a few old timers who came to the mall to walk around out of the weather, who tipped OK but would talk your ear off. Nice neighborhood like this, do they tip decent at least, or are they too good for that?"

They progress from talking about tips to talking about equipment (this shop has the latest machine from S-K's "Venice" line, and Preston doesn't have to fake admiration and lust over the amazing piece of machinery), shift work, how to fake it on three hours of sleep, and by the time Preston leaves the store he is half tempted to call her back sometime soon -- it was a nice, normal, conversation with a normal, healthy, attractive, young woman.

* Coleman: Normal may not adapt well to my profession, which could turn into a distraction and hindrance.
* Monkey: What she doesn't know won't hurt her. And maybe she likes dangerous men.
* Gamma: I don't generally seem dangerous, this is part of why I can be effective.
* Oleg: Teach her how dangerous I could be, then she'd be too scared to talk about me.
* Eliza: She seems bored enough that she might want an adventure, but probably only a small adventure. I should be careful with her.

With a sigh Preston accepts that there is probably a reason why he's never had a relationship with a healthy, normal, woman. But he perks up as the 'flat white' he'd had later on in their conversation starts hitting his blood, and as he considers what the evening of the day could hold. The prospect of holding Tanya was reason enough to cheer up, but he was disturbingly pleased by the thought that the evening would probably not be boring.

Hmmmm, he shouldn't be boring. He had some research to do before the races tomorrow, but that didn't mean he couldn't make things happen tonight. He scans his memory for things he's heard about in the neighborhood, and does some matrix searching too.

Right, Auburn IS boring -- that was why he chose to live there.

Widening the search he hits a possibility. Of course, Tanya might not like it, so perhaps it would be better to not

* Eliza: I should just ask her, and accept her decision -- not try to make her decision for her.

Preston suppressed some anxiety at the thought of such a shot in the dark, but finally he head messages Lady Marisart.

"If you don't have other plans for tonight already, 'Sissy's All Trog Percussion Review' is holding a pig roast and performance of their latest simcording, in Pioneer Park across from Puyallup town-hall. We'd need to pay at least double to get in unless you have contacts in the Trog Rock scene, and they are mostly a local band not some big-name Horizon act or whatever -- but I've heard their release events are quite the party."

There, he doesn't know if this was a good or bad idea, if Tanya would like it or not ....

* Eliza: and that is the point -- I don't always have to be right.

Joan smiles. "Ah, familiar with the barista scene are you? I worked a mall location for a couple of years then got posted here. So yeah, I know what you mean about tippers. Got to say, the tips here are actually pretty good, and some of the customers are willing to pay extra for special service. Some of the gents from these big houses all about here are all about getting something and I have always found that two buttons down and a slight bend can work wonders on the tip jar. Sadly, most of them are already married or have mistresses, but I am young enough to have a good time doing this and watching the bank account grow so I can get into the U without worrying about tuition. A couple of guys give me the creeps, though. That fellow I mentioned, from 221 Lanye? One of the creepiest. I always get the impression that he would rather see more than what gets exposed with two buttons undone. He just.........ogles, you know? And talks about Chinese pottery. Even offered to show me his collection, once. I can bet what else he wanted to show me. I am not against a bit of fun, now and then, but...........well, I should not talk so much about the customers. I get off here at about six. Call me if you would like to go out some time."

It takes only a couple of minutes to get an answer back from Tanya. "Hey there, Peter. I am at the pub throwing darts and earning food money. I could probably do well enough here to at least help hold up a family. Sissy's All Tor Percussion Revue? Sounds good. I am in jeans and my sweatshirt, so do I need to change for this? If not, just swing by the pub and pick me up. We can eat here, unless you have other plans for that. I did buy a few things for the fridge and could go make something to be ready when you get home, if you prefer?"

Preston responds " Nothing starts till later, really. Might as well grab or make food first. Your clothes sound good, we can grab some cheap rain ponchos if you worry about being dry, but mostly be comfortable, probably best not to show too much flash or flesh."

* monkey: we have time for more than food.

"And, depending on your mood, we do have time for more than food ..."

Tanya responds immediately. "Really? That is just too good to pass up. Let me finish this guy off and I will be waiting at the flat for you. And the flesh I flash is only for you right now, Peter, no one else gets a peek."

By the time you get home, you can smell food cooking, but you do not see Tanya. When you call out, she walks out from the bedroom, wearing only a smile. She motions to herself as she walks to you. "The food is on warm and can sit for a bit. It did cross my mind that you might not have meant this when you said we would have time for more than food, but I thought that I would just take my chances and be prepared in case that is what you meant."

Preston steps forward to wrap his arms around Tanya, murmuring "Why Lady Marisart, I think that" then, while holding onto her with his cyber-arm, he uses his meat hand to give her a firm spank on her backside. At the same time he murmurs into her ear "this is more than just a training exercise -- ancient Chinese pottery, eh?"

He backs them into the bedroom, despite whatever Tanya says, and informs her, firmly, "I think I'm owed a little bit for that touch of misdirection. All I ask is that you tell me what you want, emotionally, from the Howard job -- if it all works out what are feeling at the end. But we only have so much time, so I'm very sorry but you'll have to do it while I'm going down on you." With that he gently pushes her back onto his bed, and adds "So no squeezing your legs over my ears, or I won't get to hear what you have to say."

Tanya makes no immediate response except to squeal softly at the spank you give her. Her resistance to being maneuvered into the bedroom is token only and she collapses onto her back on the bed as you push her. "OK. I would say that you have passed the first part of the test and deserve a bit.....yes, right there......more information. Howard's family has been collecting Chinese pottery for several generations and he has a rather impressive collection in a room hidden in his house. God, yes! Like that. Keep doing it like...........ok, like that is good, too. Anyway, I want to steal one of the pieces of the collection. Borrow actually, because I intend to give it back. I have arranged for others to find the location of the room and get me some information on the secur........security. Oh, that was nice..............frag I.........God! Oh fuuuuuuck, yes." She stops trying to talk as she arches her back and pushes against your face. Her legs tighten around your ears and threaten to pop your head off your neck but you can still hear her screams of pleasure. She loosens her legs and continues, but her breathing is in pants. "Oh, please do not stop. I wanted to see if you could work out what I am doing and it.............oh, please do that again, whatever you just did...............seems that you have. I am very pleased. Would you like to come with me when I break into the house?"

Her talking falls off as you continue your ministrations. Her breathing and movement on the bed tell you that she is about to explode again. Seconds later, you are left in no doubt whatsoever that she has reached a second orgasm, followed shortly by another one that is even stronger. "Oh, frag, Peter. Where have you been all my life? Come up here and fuck me. I need to feel you inside me. Please?"

--Friday evening, Preston's apartment--

“Actually, not right now, sorry. And I am really sorry to be selfish this way.”

* Monkey: What!?!

"I don’t think I'd be good company this evening, if I did more right now. Afterward, with the drums still echoing through our heads, I hope you will still have the energy and desire, because then I should be rather desperate I suspect."

He adds a bit of explanation: "I think I've figured something out about myself this past couple of days, there is an energy from wanting and an energy from getting. What those are like for different people is all different, I think, but for me the 'wanting' is better for dealing with people, the 'getting' may be better for being in my own head after.

Tanya props herself up on her arms and looks at you. She opens her mouth to say something but shuts it without uttering a word. Nodding, she gets off the bed and pads out of the room to the shower, where she uses up only three minutes of your hot water ration before returning to the bedroom to get dressed in the jeans and sweatshirt she had taken off earlier. She stands in front of the mirror and.....................changes. Her hair lengthens and straightens to hang to the middle of her back while the color changes from its dark red to a brilliant blonde shade. In the mirror, her features change as well to be someone you do not recognize. Even her breasts change, adding a cup size under the sweatshirt. Turning, she reaches into the bag she brought with her and takes out some bangle bracelets and drop earrings. She adds a nose ring and some makeup and in less than five minutes from naked to now, she is a completely different woman.

She turns to you and holds out her arms as she spins slowly. Stopping to look at you, she says, "Peter, I will not pretend to understand you or what sort of mental issues you might have that seem to prevent you from wanting to be close to me. I happen to think that you are a the right person for me and would give my life up to show you that, but you are not yet convinced, which means I just have to be patient and keep trying. If you think that you have figured something out about yourself, then that is a positive step and I look forward to more positive steps. To directly answer your question, yes, Peter, I will still be here tonight and I will still want. I will want to be with you. I will want to sit and talk with you. I will want to laugh with you. I will want you make love to you in such a fashion that you will remember me, no matter how many other women you have sex with."

She stops and runs a hand down the side of your face and steps in to kiss you. "You are special and I will always want you, even after you get tired of me and my antics and tell me that you do not want to see me any more. I met you and.............and, well, probably enough said about that. I don't want to upset you more than I have already." She steps back a bit and when she talks next, her voice has changed completely as have her eyes. "Now, don't be surprised to hear that I have looked these wankers up and now know more about them than I ever really wanted to. They do some pretty nice rough music, though. Some of it is can even be danced to. Are you interested in taking me to the floor when we get to this place? And how do we get there? My bike or.....?"

“Obviously I screwed that up. My intention was to tease and tantalize, build anticipation for later, but,” Preston blew out a long, frustrated breath before finding a way to explain where his thoughts are “It is like I know how to make pumpernickel bread, and I tried to make angel food cake with those same instincts. I shouldn’t try such advanced techniques yet. I’ll try to stick with simple declarations, those I seem to do OK, most of the time.”

He gazes off into space, or more likely the matrix, for a couple of seconds before continuing. “So. Three things I was trying to do or say, I think.”

“One, if I had sex now, I wouldn’t not be a fun companion at a concert/party thing tonight. I’d be more withdrawn into my thoughts, impatient with the external world intruding. But Sissy and Co are playing tonight, it is Friday night, neither of us had other plans, so a good opportunity that I would like to go make the most of.”

“Two, that I don’t want to get my rocks off right now doesn’t mean that you couldn’t. On the one hand I thought it would be good to pleasure you even if I didn’t want the same right now. On the other I probably wanted to tweak you a bit for the pottery thing. And on, umm, I guess an implanted third hand, I hoped that it would make you all the more eager for the more complete affair later on tonight. Oh -- and for what it worth, I loved getting you off, and hope to be allowed to do so in the future, under better agreed to terms.”

“Three, I did want to give you a bit of a rough time, in a teasing way, about the pottery. This seemed like a way to do it.”

After a moment he thought to add “So, see, none of this was about lack of trust, it was me … trying to do ballet in steel-toed work boots. Wait, scratch that, I saw that one time and it was impressive. So, just me trying to be clever and subtle, and not doing so well.” He shrugged awkwardly and mumbled “Any wonder I haven’t had a lot of relationships? Sorry you are having to put up with this.”

Brightening a bit he gestures at Tanya’s body and comments “You have ALL the cool toys, stuff I’ve only read and dreamed about! I have to do things the old fashioned way – speaking of which I should also do something for tonight, so that I don’t become the link bypassing your changed appearance. If you don’t mind let’s step into the spare room for a few minutes, feel free to talk while I get my face on.”

Entering the room Preston commands lighs, cameras, and monitors to come to life, then sits down with his cosmetics to quickly lighten his skin and eyebrows, add a fake faded scar just above his lips, and pop in his contacts which he sets to a light hazel tone. He briefly returns to his bedroom to pull on jeans and a t-shirt over his armored vest, then back in the spare room he digs through a rack of odds and ends of clothes before choosing worn denim shirt that he wears open and with the sleeves rolled most of the way to the elbows. He finishes it off by putting on his wig and setting it to a tousled and short pale-brown, and donning imitation cowboy boots.

He comments on the boots “They look kind of stupid, but that is the point, give people something to remember that is easy to change, since I don’t have time to mold modifications to my ear or jawline or whatever. Also give me a bit of extra height, and I can put my sap down the back of one of them and that generally gets through this level of security. Speaking of security, no weapons that a pat-down is apt to pick up, unless you want to lose them. Forever Tacoma is doing security, and they are happy to take donations of whatever people try to bring in, so they are pretty thorough. Whatever you have in your arm should be safe enough, however.” Matching deeds to words, he slide his sap into his boot, and his Fichetti into his smuggling compartment.”

Tanya listens to you talk, absorbing, or trying to absorb all that you say. When you are done, she moves closer to you and says, “I would like a chance to say a couple of things before we go too far past the moment. Please. First, I was very much teased and tantalized and my anticipation for might come later is sky high right now. Yes, it would have a bit better if I had known that you were doing that on purpose. The way it came out was pretty much that you had suddenly lost interest. I felt that was not correct, so I did not say anything immediately, giving you a chance to figure out your words.”

“As to your three things? Well, I do not understand number one, but if you plan on retreating into your thoughts after sex, we might need to work on that…….together, I hope. If we work together, we might be able to fix both of us. Second, I am fine getting my rocks off in that fashion. You had me going. Again, a bit of advance notice of your intentions would have made it even more enjoyable. And third, I need to know what you are capable of. I wanted to see if you could divine that Howard was my intended target or if you would flop or give me some drek of an analysis. And, really, I did not mind the tweaking, so if you see a need to spank me once in a while or punish me by driving me to another bloody tremendous orgasm, feel free.”

“And I never thought it was about a lack of trust. I did feel that you would come talk to me about it when you were ready to. I am not sure that you have a monopoly on realizing that clever and subtle does not always work well in relationships. I am certainly no relationship expert, having a grand total of zero in my life, but I think we can work on it together, if you want to.”

“I am working as part of something very large, Peter. I was serious when I said that I want you in as my direct assistant and partner. Stealing things is just a hobby compared to what I am doing, and Howard is a part of that. I would like you to give some consideration to coming with me to break into his home when I go. I want to see that part of you in action, and I want you to watch my back, because the number of people I can trust in this is pretty bloody small.”

She stands aside and lets you lead off to the extra room, where she sits off to the side and watches you work without commenting. When you are done, she nods and says, “Very well done, Peter, very well done indeed. Yes, I have toys that do some of that, but I did not always have them. Much of it has been implanted since I came here and saw what I needed. Much of my money for some time has gone into the drek I have in my body. Before that, it was me and Monique in a room much like this one. She is a real wiz at it. Used to be some sort of backstage person for an actress and knows more about makeup and hair than you or I will ever know. We still do that a lot as a reinforcement to the implants. You should talk to her and get to know her. She is my best friend and will tell you all about me if she believes that you have my interests at heart. Just don’t cross her or she will be relentless in hurting you.”

Tanya nods at your advice about weapons and makes sure that she is set. She remains sitting and motions for you to take a chair across from her. “Listen, Peter. I have just talked some about not being clever or subtle, so let me start things off with some straight out talk, just in case I have not been clear for you. I am here for because of you. I am not some knight in shining armor, but I am someone who wants to work with you to help us both. I think that whatever or whoever you have been talking to before me has not seen the real you. I am not trying to say bad things about your former girlfriend, but I think that she was not really seeing you. I am certainly no expert, but I see things in you that others may have missed. Maybe you push people away. You certainly did a good job of trying that with me and I fell for it. I walked out and let you go away alone. I should have stayed and let you lash out at me as it was obviously very important to you and I let you down. I am very sorry for that, Peter, and will try not to do that again.”

“I went to get your address from Monique and she refused, the cheeky git. She flat out told me that she was not sure I was right for you. Not that you were not right for me, mind, but that I was not right for you. She set me on my heels and told me that if I was really interested, I could just go and find you myself. So I did. I really want to be with you, to work together on………frag, on anything and everything. Monique does not need to ask me why, but she knows me better than I know myself. But others might not see it. Even you might not see it. So, in the interest of not trying to be clever and subtle, let me clarify it to make it perfectly clear. I love you.”

With that, she sits back and waits for your response.

Preston slowly slams the heel of his hand -- his meat hand -- against his forehead while explaining "I. AM. SUCH. A. FRAGGING. IDIOT."

When he is done, he expands on the statement. "You, one of the most amazing people I have ever met, is suggesting that you should have let me treat you like crap? No, no, NO that is not a relationship working out properly. I'm screwing things up, AGAIN!"

Apparently fascinated by the sight of his knees, he continues "Look, I don't know what is wrong with me. I've never been to see a head-bender, maybe I should. But basically I get highs and lows, and in the lows I don't have the focus or energy or something to control my impulses, so often I'm short tempered, caustic, sometimes downright deliberately nasty. Well, or other times I'm just stupid horny but again in a kind of nasty way, although if the other party wants to screw until neither of us can walk maybe it goes off OK, but it could be bad, too, you know? I don't know if everyone has that ugly side, or if I'm just an especially awful person at heart. Most of the time I can control those negative parts of myself, know they are there, hear them, but decide to be better than that."

"But when I hit a low, I'm not a good person. And I'm an introvert, so I re-charge my energy by being in my own head. Usually even in a low I have enough control to know to get off by myself, let my thoughts run loose, do something abstract, until I'm recharged and can be a reasonable human being. But if I'm stuck around people, it can be hard to get away, in a relationship, it is hard to find quiet time."

"So I try to avoid lows, try to keep my energy up, you know? Matrix games can give a boost, caffeine helps. Once I was hooked on the Jazz, because it could keep me going for hours .... or days if I chained it. But the crash after that ...." He scratches the back of his neck "That was why I had to end things with Sonya, she was messed up still by her Father's murder, had started taking the Bliss to get through the roughest patches. She used the Bliss to deal with me at my worst, I'd feel bad and pop more of the Jazz to get out of my low .... it was a bad cycle."

"So here I am again, trying to avoid the low, and fragging everything up because of it. Or not communicating properly, like that first morning, and abusing someone who doesn't deserve it. I'm a fragging idiot."

He finally looks up at Tanya and says "Run. Seriously. Why get yourself tangled up with someone who is so screwed up, and so stupid he keeps finding new ways to make the same mistakes? I don't want to pull away from you sometimes, and I don't want to treat you like drek sometimes. But it is going to happen if you stay. I don't want you to go, but I don't want to hurt you, either."

Tanya listens to you talk then when you are done, she stands and walks to the door, where she turns the latch to lock it from the inside. Turning to you, she says, “OK. I know that locking the door would barely slow you down if you decide to run, but it is symbolic. You have it wrong, Peter. I am not asking you to abuse me, I am asking you to help me. And let me help you at the same time. You are not treating me like crap; you are treating me like you care and are afraid of what you might say or do. Have you ever talked to anyone else like you are talking to me right now? Have you ever explained your issues to anyone? I rather think not, and that means that you are taking steps to fix yourself.”

“I do not know anyone who is particularly good company when they are low. I can be rather horrid when I am depressed, and might say the worst things possible to the people I care about the most and who definitely do not deserve the crap I tell them. You have not yet seen my low points because you have not been with me long enough, but this is as good a time as any to tell you what you might be getting into.”

“On my eighteenth birthday, my parents were hosting a ball for me. It was a sort of coming out party and an opportunity to shop me around to prospective husbands. We were all in the Rolls; Mum and Daddy, my two older brothers and me, along with the chauffeur. I was standing on one of the seats with my upper torso through the sun roof, waving a bottle of bubbly and generally having a good time. Believe me, good times with my family were practically non-existent and I wanted to celebrate. There was an accident. A drunk driver hit us. I was tossed through the sun roof to land on the pavement and did not even realize at first that most of my right arm was still in the auto. Now, Rolls makes a great auto and this one survived the immediate accident. I could see my father reaching for the door to get everyone out when everything blew up. I lost my family, my right arm, my eyes, my breasts, and several internal organs were in serious shutdown mode. It took months of some really fragging bloody expensive surgeries to make me look whole again and some top grade surgeons put some top grade implants in me. But I still have problems. I am sure that you saw me hesitate before getting into the Rolls for the theatre? It is exactly the same sort of auto I was in when my life changed. I requested it to be the same and I have to force myself into it every time. I get very bad flashbacks in the form of nightmares. Not every night, but enough. I will wake screaming and screaming from watching it all over again. My cousin hired a string of five, no six, personal maids to care for me when I left hospital. One lasted two days and the longest was three months. They could not handle the screams or what I said as I was screaming. Then I caught Monique picking someone’s pocket and challenged her to stay with me or be turned over to the bobbies. She stayed.”

“I think that you need someone to stay with you. To help you past the rough spots. If you want, I will be that person for you. I will argue with you and fight with you and scream at you, but I will also love you and help you and allow you to help me. The love I expressed to you just minutes ago would be rather shallow if I were to run at the first opportunity. You can try to tell me what you want me to do, but if your lips say anything like telling me to leave, or any sort of derivative of that, I will just have to ignore those words. I am here for the long haul, Peter, and right now there is precious little that you can do about that. So, do we have a really good knock down, drag out rumble right here in your nice dressing room, or do we kiss and head off to this concert?”

* Monkey: oh, those are both tempting!
* Eliza: we've had enough drama for now, time to party.
* Monkey: Kissy time, woohoo!

Preston bobbed his head and admitted "I was probably a little far up my own ass, like I'm the only one with issues. I guess I just really don't want to mess this up.". With a small smile he added " I avoided lip color, to make sure kissing was fine."

With that he took Tanya's hand and bowed down to kiss it, and asked "May I kiss the drek out of your ladyship?"

It is like Tanya was holding her breath and now she can exhale. "Oh, God, yes. You may kiss Her Ladyship as often, whenever, and wherever you like, Mister Preston. I could give a bloody rats arse if you were to come up to me while we are out and just snog the crap out of me, even in front of the most social elite people in the city. I give you complete leave to kiss me. I can endure the looks of pity and the whispers that I have lost my head, because I have, in truth, lost my head and my heart to the same man." She will lift her head to you and part her lips as she leans forward to kiss you.

Preston was used to his 'voices' speaking their opinions. In fact it was so normal that he felt lost when they were not doing their thing.

But humming? Humming was new.

He took it to mean that Monkey was content with how things were going. It wasn't annoying, more like a bit distracting, and somehow a bit comforting. Although it was a bit worrying when his voices surprised him, since he was pretty sure that they really all were him.

Still, the humming seemed to make his feet feel lighter as he and Tanya slipped through the tall and burly crowd, hand-in-hand -- she was so responsive that it was almost like they were dancing. And spirits could Tanya dance in so many ways! It wasn't just that physically she moved so adeptly, it was socially too.

Preston was pretty adept at not giving offense and sliding into the background, but Tanya's style seemed more to just fit in. Even without being Lady Marisart here, people seemed to accept her, and be glad that she was here. All from a few glances, a nod, maybe a smile. As far as Preston was concerned, that was a magic far more impressive than astral hocus-pocus.

* Coleman: Being allied with someone with such abilities is a valuable strategic asset.

Ah, Coleman, as romantic as ever.

* Eliza: there is much I can learn from her -- I doubt I'll ever be able to reproduce the effects of her lifetime of training in dealing with people, but I couldn't ask for a better examplar.

* Oleg: I can't tell if she is ignoring all the rules, or operating to a set of rules that I don't understand.

* Gamma: I am probably too besotted right now to make sound judgement about any aspect of her.

There, that was all of him having a say, and all happy in their own way. Well, except Monkey -- unless you counted humming as having a say? Preston cocked his head for a moment to better listen to the odd sensation, and concluded that really it did. Tanya gave him a glance, as if inquiring what he was doing, and he was about to natter on about how happy he was, but then a massive bang echoed across the crowd.

In the calm that followed the almost physical impact of the noise, Preston gushed "That would be Sis-" but the rest of his words were washed away by the next crash. When it faded the noise of the crowd returned, making conversation difficult.

The third crash was followed by a salvo of further percussions, and suddenly the whole crowd was in motion. Preston clung to Tanya's hand as they jumped and surged to the beat along with the larger bodies around them -- it was ride the crowd's motion or risk being trampled.

Randomly a gap opened at one point to give Preston a glimpse of a massive troll drumming on what looked like the bed from a pick-up truck. Preston thought of sending Tanya an ARO to the effect that it looked like Sissy was looking in fine form and ready for a long night -- but a glimpse at her face made him change his mind. Tanya looked so thoroughly alive, in the moment, and happy that he didn't want to bother her with trivialities.

* Oleg: Happiness like this never
* Monkey: Oh shut up, I'm too busy dancing to worry about tomorrow.
* Gamma: I think this is actually true. How un-typical for me.

Arriving at the venue, although venue seems like so much a finer description than the place really is. More an open space between some buildings with some scaffolding tossed up and some amps thrown around, than a true social venue, really. Anyway, as you arrive at the concert...........location.......you see a large crowd of people already here. Lots of trogs, of course, but a fair number of humans as well. Most of the humans are hanging out in small packs, perhaps for safety, but no one seems to really be paying them any more attention than anyone else gets. There is no security to speak of and Tanya takes your hand and pushes towards the crowd of Orks and Trolls, clearly passing by several groups of humans. It seems strange and a bit surreal to watch her move through the crowd almost as if it did not exist. A twist of a shoulder here, a quick duck to avoid an outstretched arm as wide around as her entire body is, a slide around an Ork large enough to be a small tree and she is gone. She simply disappears into the growing throng, slipping into it as if she were on a stroll in a park. Confused, you stand still and then she is in front of you, hand reaching for you and a smile in her eyes.

The din is enough to break glass in the nearby area, that is, it would be if there was any glass in the ruined buildings surrounding the concert site. Tanya takes your arm without trying to speak over the noise and guides you further into the pool of metahumanity. A warm up band is going at it and the noise is metallic and loud and Tanya seems quite at home as she finally stops and turns to look at you. You realize that you are an island of two humans in a sea of trogs and no one seems to care. Everyone is moving to the beat of the guitars and drums and Tanya joins them. Her body moves in ways you have never seen a woman's body move on a dance floor. She is passion and drive, and sensuality flows from her in waves, affecting everyone around her. She is mesmerizing and intense and she wants you. Her eyes are on your face as if for her at this moment there is no one but you in her life.

The set goes on for what seems like forever and Tanya seems to never tire out. Her arms go above her head and her body shimmies, arousing a desire within you. There is a look in her eyes that beckons you to fall into them and lose yourself, to let your inhibitions go. The first smash of the night interrupts the band's set and causes a roar from the crowd that seems to almost shake the ground. The audience goes eerily silent for a few moments then a second crash echoes the first one, and the roar starts building again. The third loud crash signals the beginning of a sustained cacophony of metallic music. The naysayers would say that it is just noise, and unwelcome noise at that. But there are no naysayers in this crowd tonight. There may be some who are here for a lark, drug to the concert on a dare or by friends, and there may be those who are simply curious. But the vast majority of the people here are in it for the music and to them it is music indeed. The beat and the rhythm provide the impetus for dance. And dance these people do; bodies jumping and moving in some secret, hidden style that would defy modern thought of dance. It is all in the mind and in the body and is interpreted differently by everyone.

Your chrono tells you that you have been dancing for almost two hours straight and the bad shows little sign of slowing down. Tanya smiles at you and takes your hand before starting back off through the throng of dancers and again you are amazed at how she seems to find just the right path and know just when to swerve or duck................something you really wish you were better at when a log that is a Troll's forearm clips your head, letting you see stars and forcing you to squint from the pain. The Troll does not even notice you and keeps on dancing as Tanya guides you closer to the edge. Once out, she turns ad tries to say something, but immediately stops and laughs as she points to her ears and shakes her head. You realize that all you can hear right now is some trog banging on the bed of a pickup truck and other trogs supporting her by banging on anything that can make a noise. Tanya takes your arm again and leads you out to the street where a number of vendors have set up booths for refreshments and souvenirs. She stops at one and points to a sweatshirt emblazoned with Sis' logo, looking as if she expects you to buy her one. You do. She grabs the sweatshirt and pulls her own off over her head, making factual what you had already suspected..........she is wearing no bra. The vendor laughs and gives her the once over......okay, so it is at least a twice over........as she puts the purchase on. Her breasts do the most amazing thing as she wiggles into the new sweatshirt and the vendor looks at you, giving you a nod and two thumbs up. Tanya takes you by the arm and walks over to one of the food carts and you realize that you are starving, having just danced through at least a day's worth of caloric intake in a couple of hours. After grabbing a couple of huge legs of something from a vendor and some rather large to go cups of caf, she walks to an empty bench sits and parks her ass on it, patting the space next to her.

She leans in a bit closer and your hearing has improved enough that she does not really have to shout. "This is nice, Peter. Thank you for thinking of it."