[Cynthia Rawson - 18:13, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Renee's Shop, Cajun Town, Seattle] #869

Taking the shawl, Cynthia spent a second caressing it, enjoying the feel of the fabric under her hand "Thanks."

At the mention of undressing though, when Sandy looked at her like that she open her eyes wide, once again blushing for all she was worth and shyly lowered her eyes, cursing herself all the way. Why was she reacting like that? It was just removing one dress and nothing else, it shouldn't be a big deal! Why was it that she was usually so sure of herself, not thinking at all about what others could think, but just a few words from Sandy, or about her, could have her react like that? She felt so silly. Still not looking anyone, she nodded, joining her thanks to Sandy's. When the other girl asked her question, she finally raised her head, blinking in surprise "Tell the world? I don't mind I suppose, but what for?"

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1814, Cajun Town, Seattle


Sandy nods and grins at you. "BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

From somewhere off down the road comes a man's voice. "WE KNOW!"

Sandy blushes and grins at you again before stepping closer and looking you dead in the eyes. "I love you, Cynthia. From this moment on you hold my heart and my soul in your hands. I couldn't be happier unless we were married." She puts her hands over her mouth and takes a step back. "Not sure I meant that to be said out loud. I was thinking it but did not meant to say it."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:14, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #870

For quite a few seconds, Cynthia was stammering, her eyes wide opened. She wasn't even embarrassed, or troubled, or whatever. Instead, it was like a bomb had gone off in her mind, leaving it completely blank. She glanced in the direction of the voice, finally blushing a bit - and starting to find that getting old - and said "But we didn't even get our first date yet!"

She shook her head "I don't know what you see. I mean, I'm smart enough, and I suppose I'm pretty enough...now at least...but..." She shrugged "I suppose all that matters is that you do but... Don't go too fast? I mean, dating was never really on my mind, much less marriage..." from the way she said the word, it was pretty obvious it was a really big deal.

She looked at the sky for a second or two, then back at Sandy "So I promise I won't run away afraid of what you just said...and maybe I'll hope that you say that again...and mean it...at some point, but...one step at a time, alright?" Even if she seemed calmer when she said that, it seemed obvious she was still pretty shaken. A bit more sombre, she added "I'm not so good at expressing my feelings, or even understand them." Pressing Sandy's hand, trying to be reassuring, she added "Doesn't mean I don't have them. Just that... Well..."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1814, Cajun Town, Seattle


Sandy smiles and squeezes . "OK, not too fast. I will wait a bit and see how this is going. Now, off to the first date?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:14, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #871

"Yep." Cynthia nodded, then cocked an frowned "Since we're going there under fake names, and fake identities in general, we'll have to think of something to say when we're asked where we come from." She grimaced "I suppose we could play the mystery and refuse to answer to most questions, but that would draw too much attention I think." After a slight pause, she continued, as if she were thinking aloud "Maybe we could go with something simple and later if someone we want to keep in touch with notices that we used fake names, we could pretend we didn't want to use our real identities since we're still minors and all that..." she snorted "I'm sure I heard plenty of classmates this year talking about doing stuff like that to get into Dante's or other clubs." She smirked "We just have more fancy tastes..."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1815, Cajun Town, Seattle


Sandy nods. "OK, I can go with the whole mystery woman thing. After all, I am pretty much a mystery to me right now. So much..................something.................running through my system. I feel all squiggly inside. Anyway, I called a cab when we first decided so it should be out at the lot in a few minutes."

The deputy nods and tips his hat to both of you. "Fine evening for a stroll, Miss Cynthia, Miss Sandy. You look might fetching in those gowns. You take care now and come home safe."

Sandy looks over her shoulder as you walk to the small covered bus stop/taxi stand. "You know, what he just said back their. I never really though of it before. This place does feel a lot like a home should. I never had a place like that before. My parents' house was just that to me, a house. Never was a home, if you know what I mean?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:15, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #872

"Alright, mystery woman it is." She gave an odd look to Sandy, then reached out, putting a hand on her belly, slightly stroking it. With a small smile, she asked "Oh, squiggly here?" As soon as she got a reaction she laughed and stepped away, preventing Sandy from doing the same thing.

To the deputy, she smiled lightly and answered "Thank you. Good evening."

She didn't answer straight away to Sandy's observation though, appearing melancholic. Finally, she nodded "Oh, I know perfectly what you mean." she seemed lost in thoughts for a moment "For the most part I was living there and that's all. I used to wonder if I was really my parents' daughter. My father never really paid attention to me, always busy and probably not knowing how to deal with a girl after three boys. My mother... Well, she wanted a doll, not a daughter. And my brothers are much older than me, so I barely know them. In the end, I probably spent more time with the maid than anyone else and she wasn't always all that nice. But mostly, I stayed by myself." she paused for a couple of seconds, then continued "All the others are blond, and me... Well..." she waved at her hair, to indicate its bright red colour "I looked once, and while not technically impossible, a red hair child from blond parents is very rare. That always got me wondering. And now..." Absent-mindedly, she rubbed one of her ears.

She shook her head, and with a small sad smile shrugged "But anyway. Yeah, it feels like it could become home. It's...nice."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1830, Cajun Town, Seattle


The cab arrives and the door opens after Sandy slots a stick. It is one of the auto cabs, so there is no driver, but a realistic sounding voice comes from a small grill in the compartment and within seconds, you are being whisked to the hotel. Sandy sits back in the seat and takes your hand in hers, just sitting there and looking into your eyes but not saying anything. As the cab rolls to a stop, she smiles as the door is opened by a uniformed doorman, who offers an assist to both of you in getting out of the vehicle. The dresses you are wearing are very definitely not the current style and you get more than a few stares and fingers pointed at you. At first, Sandy is very self conscious about it and squeezes your hand tightly, but she starts to loosen up after a few minutes.

She leans over to you and asks, "So, do we call another cab or something?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #873

On the way to the hotel, Cynthia seemed distracted at best. First, because she obviously wasn't used at all to sit in such clothes, and sometimes picked at the garters under her dress. But second and mostly, it was because after calling a limo service to have one pick them up at the hotel soon after they arrived there, she started to "massage" the cab to make it look like it never went anywhere near the Cajun Town (or at least not nearer than its previous clients did), and instead took a couple more clients instead of just one. Of course, that meant altering past journeys, and introduce new ones, but nothing really difficult for her.

Up to now, she had always scoffed at the idea that she would need assistance to get out of a car, but she had to admit that between the gown and the heels, it was welcome. She nodded her thanks to the doorman, and got into the hotel. Maybe surprisingly, she didn't seem to care at all about the way people looked at her. In fact, she probably didn't even notice it as they went to the lobby. She appeared perfectly comfortable, very self-assured, not giving a damn about what anyone else would think and doing her own thing. A far cry from the way she behaved barely a few minutes ago with Sandy, when a few looks or words would have her blush and be all embarrassed. It was however her normal behaviour, the other one being pretty new and something she only did, completely unconsciously, with Sandy.

Answering the question, she shook her head "Already done, a limo will pick us up in a couple of minutes. In the meantime, I'll make sure the hotel thinks we're guests here." Not bothering going into VR - even if she would have preferred to - she did just that, altering the register to add them - or their fake identities anyway - to the hotel's clients registry, in a room that didn't exist: she didn't care if someone checking would find that strange and it went well with the mystery woman thing anyway. Plus, she didn't want to create troubles for the hotel, and this seemed the best way to proceed. While she did that, she called Tanya >>Tanya [Cynthia]: Hey, we're on our way. You got the SINs we needed? What are their numbers?<<



Forgot two dice on the hack on the fly rolls, but since I hit the limit both times (6), it doesn't matter.
Hack on the fly, Computer (edit file): 15d6t5 7 13d6t5 6, for the cab (good thing I had 6 successes on the edit file, considering that there are a few things to change)
Hack on the fly, Computer (edit file): 15d6t5 6 13d6t5 3, for the hotel (3 should be more than enough considering that it's a simple change)

Etiquette: 9d6t5 3, to give the impression that she belongs.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1835, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Tanya's response is almost immediate. >>Cynthia [Tanya]: Very good. SINs are attached. I look forward to seeing you soon. Ciao.<<

Sandy seems to take some of your confidence and quits looking around. She does lean sideways a bit and whispers. "I have never really stayed in a place this fancy before. I do hope our rooms were nice."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:35, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Impreza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #874

Cynthia loaded the SINs, checking which is hers and which is Sandy's and sent hers to Sandy "They were the best. Of course, they don't exist but if they did they'd be nice. By the way, I sent you your SIN, you should check what is your new name. And we should use those names from now on, to get used to it."

After that she spent a bit of time looking at resources to learn the language they needed, discussing what she found with Sandy. In addition, she also looked for stuff for the house.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1835, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


"Hmmmm. Looks like I am Margot. Wow, I can get into that, I guess. Margot." She shakes her head a bit. "Anyway, it's cool that the room was nice, even if we never saw it. It would have been our first time." She sniggers a bit and looks over at you. "I hope it was as good for you as it was for me."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:35, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Impreza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #875

Cynthia, her ears red, coughed "Uh... Yeah... Maybe... I guess?" After a moment, she added "Margot." A bit embarrassed, she switched subjects, coming back to safer subjects.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1835, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Margot goes a bit serious in her look at you and her breathing becomes shallow, as if she were panting as she manages to whisper, "Do you have any idea how sexy you look when your ears go that color? I think I had better go ask that cute bellboy over there where I can get a drink of water. A few more seconds like this and we might have to get a real room here. You are amazing in what you do to me." She looks at you and nods her head before moving off to go talk to a rather handsome young man in the uniform of the hotel staff.

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:35, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #876

Cynthia first reaction was to cover the offending ears with her hands, like a child wanting to hide something. Quickly realising how stupid that was - and looked - she put her hands down on her lap, on top of her shawl while grumbling "They become red far too easily..."

She looked at Sandy's back then sighed and resumed her work on her lists, her head moving to the rhythm of some music only she could hear. One of the perks of being a Technomancer. Realising they forgot to talk to LaBoeuf about the interior decorator she grumbled some more, making a note to be sure she didn't forget the next day. Bored of working on those lists - and not really seeing anything to hide anymore for the time being - she switched to other interests, like retrieving the day's intercepts of Tanaka's communications, adding any new information to her files.

While she wasn't in VR for that work she was completely ignoring anything going on around her, absent-mindedly stroking the shawl on her lap, neatly folding it a few times. Unless someone came really close to her obviously wanting to draw her attention anyway. And even then, she would probably need a moment before she realised someone was there for her.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1847, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


You actually find a primer on French Creole that you can access and you quickly determine that it does not require that you are conversant in French, but it certainly helps. Tanaka's comm record is maddeningly similar to the one from the day before. He seems to talk a lot about the money coming in from the various vice parlors he is in charge of.

>>Cynthia [Margot]: I forgot to ask your name, sorry. I have been standing behind you for about ten minutes to make sure that no one bothers you, but I think the limo just pulled up. Are you ready to come back? I hope that it was not something I said that sent you wherever you are.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:47, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #877

Once she had checked she didn't have anything on Tanaka's front, Cynthia took a moment to think about how she could best use all that data...and how to acquire more. That last question was pretty easily answered though: she would just have to do the same thing with the other two lieutenants, which shouldn't be that difficult since she knew where they lived. Plus, she would have to anyway, to be sure that her hunch regarding the absence of links between them and the real board members of Samspon was confirmed.

As for how to use it...she could probably sell it. There were certainly a lot of people who would love to get their hands on what she had. Most of them wouldn't be any better than the Yakuza though. Maybe she could send all that to the FBI, but that would certainly create its own set of troubles. If they took action, it could create a power vacuum, with who knew what consequences. And they might just put surveillance and do nothing, maybe figuring that the devil you know and all that... She probably would have to ask someone more likely to know...

Getting Sandy's messages, she jerked a bit and looked behind her with a small smile >>Sandy [Cynthia]: Oh, it's Florence, same as with the invitation. And no one bothered me, no. But you should have come back you know...<< She shook her head >>Sandy [Cynthia]: And no, that's not anything you said. I was looking for...well...data for a project. Oh and I found some resources to learn Creole, I sent that to you. I think I'll learn a bit of French too, can't hurt. And shouldn't be that hard, right? There are lots of resources for that.<< standing up, she put her shawl back in place. Holding her hand out, she asked "Shall we then?"

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1847, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy smiles and walks with you to where the driver of the limo is waiting with the door open. He tips his hat and makes sure that you are the passengers he is expecting then helps you both into the car. The driver closes the door after making sure you are both in and goes to the driver's side. His voice comes over the intercom once he is in. "Good evening, ladies. As I said outside, I am Marcel and I will be your driver tonight. There are refreshments in the small refrigerator as well as some snacks. Feel free to use anything in the auto. Now, where would you like me to take you?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:47, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #878

With a nod, Cynthia greeted the driver and answered the questions asked. Once again, despite not feeling too good about it, she was glad she had some help to get into the car. While she probably wasn't in danger of flashing anything anytime soon, getting in and out of cars was a pretty involved business when wearing skirts or dresses and heels, something she was far from having mastered. And probably wouldn't any time soon, assuming she ever did.

Once inside, she looked in surprise at the driver's voice sounding in, but answered simply enough "Well, good evening Mr. Marcel." she looked around to find the mini bar as she continued to answer "We're going to a gala." she stopped then grimaced "Uh sorry, here's the address."

With a grin to Sandy, Cynthia opened the mini bar, and explored the car in general, pretty curious. As she did, she asked with some concern "Wait, for the evening you said? Does it mean that you'll have to be waiting bored out of your mind for as long as it takes us to decide to go back?" as she listened to the answer, she grabbed one of the snacks, and still looking into the mini bar, held another snack behind her in Sandy's direction, almost to her lips.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1847, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


As the limo pulls away from the curb, Marcel answers you. "Thank you, Miss. And, yes, I will be parking close to where I drop you off and will be on call for when you wish to leave. You are paying for this, so sit back and enjoy the ride."

When you reach back to hand Margot the snack, you feel her take the snack then lick your fingers before sucking them into her mouth. "God, Florence, you taste good."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:47, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #879

"Oh. I would tell you that you'd be free to do whatever you wished while you wait and that we'd warn you a few minutes before we'd need to go back, but I suppose you'd just answer that you're perfectly fine and will just wait for us. So I guess I don't need to say it." she snorted lightly, but didn't say more on the subject. She had other...problems...anyway.

A weird sound came out of her mouth as Sandy licked her fingers, a cross between a yelp of surprise and a moan of pleasure, as she turned in the other girl's direction, her remaining hand on her chest and her eyes wide. She looked at her fingers in Sandy's mouth for a second or two, trying without much success to say something. Finally, aiming to appear nonchalant and failing miserably, she said "You know, the snack was in my fingers, it wasn't my fingers themselves..."

She settled down, finally taking her hand back, the other one resting on her belly, trying to to soothe the butterflies flying around in there. Deciding she couldn't let the teasing be one sided, she then licked Sandy's saliva out of her fingers while holding her gaze "You don't taste too bad yourself I think. Though I would need more to be sure of course." after a quick lick of her upper lip, she pinched it between her teeth, slightly cocking her had to the side.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1847, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Margot looks at you with an expression you are not sure you have seen on her face before. Her eyes are wide open, but there is something about them that is a bit..................seductive. Yeah, seductive might be the word. She stretches out her hand with two fingers extended. Her mouth is slightly open and her tongue flicks over her lips, wetting them a bit. "Try this, Florence. You might just like it."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:47, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #880

"I might?" she seemed to consider the question for a moment, then took the hand, playing with the offered fingers with her own "I think you would like it even more..." she lightly kissed the tip of the offered fingers "In fact, I'm pretty sure of it." slowly, she flicked her tongue on them "I don't know if we can have that..." Finally, taking her time, she put the fingers in her mouth, playing with them with her tongue, and slightly sucking at the dame time.

She didn't break eye contact all the while, appearing completely fine and in control, ready to go as far as necessary. But judging from the way she was slightly shifting on her butt, it quickly became clear that she was nearing her limit, almost at the point where she would crumble and, once again, emulate some kind of crimson...well...whatever. Crimson thing. Teasing was probably not a game she would win anytime soon, not consciously anyway. In fact, it probably only made things worse...

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1849, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Margot breaks first. Her eyes close and her lips open a bit more as she moans softly at the sensations running through her body. As her body starts to quiver a bit, her eyes pop wide open and she pulls her fingers free. She is panting like she has been running hard and she sits back in her seat, fanning herself with her shawl. It takes her about a minute to be able to talk again. "OK. Enough. Enough. Any more of that and it will be obvious to everyone at the party that I am in heat. Frag, Cy....Florence, that was great. My mind was working overtime trying to imagine what else you could do with that mouth. Wow!"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:47, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #881

Cynthia laughed lightly, happy to have won that round "Well, you started it, I was only giving what you wanted, wasn't I?" she put her hands back on her lap, spitting image of innocence...as long as no one was aware of her body's reactions that is. Thankfully, besides a slight redness at the tip of her ears, everything was hidden by her clothes: the nipples, hardened like never before for one or the thousand butterflies flying around in her belly for another. To say nothing of what happened even lower than that, with that part of her body tightening almost painfully and leaving some traces of that activity on her panties. It almost made her want to do something about it. Not that she had never done it - who hadn't after all? - but never in conditions even remotely close to the current ones. Maybe that was why she had never really enjoyed the couple of times she had?

As she thought about that, she was still looking at Sandy, with her small smile still on her lips. The way she looked at her girlfriend though changed a bit, as some measure of anticipation appeared "Who knows... Not even me at least. Maybe we'll find out." She didn't want to go too fast. She wanted to take things slow. But... She also wanted to go farther, to feel everything that what just happened seemed to promise. Looking by the window, she said "Maybe we'll have a nice good night kiss later. If you behave." She still didn't look at Sandy, appearing completely focused on the road. But her ears betrayed her, again, adopting their now familiar crimson colour. Something she tried to hide by disappearing under her shawl.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1849, Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle


Margot just nods and pants for a bit then finds some words. "Yes, I started it and yes it was what I wanted. Wow, it was what I wanted." She obviously wants to say more but shakes her head and remains quiet for a bit, warring with herself about something. Finally, she nods then speaks. "Florence, I am going to ask you a question and you can say no. I do not know any way but the direct way, so here goes. Would you allow me to lift up your dress and taste you?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:49, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Imprezza Hotel, Downtown, Seattle] #882

Cynthia jerked upright, dropping the hands holding her shawl and looked at Sandy with astonishment "What!?" She blinked, pressing her hands on her lap as she was trying to make sure she had heard right. She started to slowly shake her head, then a bit more vigorously "No!" Before Sandy could even be disappointed or react in any way though, she added something more, something that made it pretty clear there might be some other problem than anything Sandy could have ever thought of "It's ugly and dirty!"

At some level, she knew it was stupid. Hell, she was perfectly aware it was a very common practice. Some of the girls at school had even bitched about their boyfriends refusing to do it. Or not doing it right when they did. Worse, she...kinda... wanted that too, and her body's reaction left no ambiguity whatsoever as to its opinion: it wanted that, more than just a bit.

But she couldn't shake the idea that it was dirty. Part of it certainly came from her own misconceptions, not helped by the few infections she had through puberty. Another one, certainly the most important of the two, came from her education in general and her mother in particular to whom sexual things were taboo at best. At some level, she knew it wasn't right. She had thought she'd be able to just ignore it, but put in front of it she just couldn't. There were a lot of dirty stuff taking place down there after all, right? Pee for one, periods for two. Even if those weren't planned before sometime next week, if her new nature didn't mess that up at least. One could also talk about sweat and that clear liquid that...Well... Anyway. She could consider a penis going there. They were made for that after all, right? Fingers probably. Toys certainly. But someone's tongue? And if she got even lower... As it was, she wouldn't even have to, to see everything, to see her...her... Turning pale, she shook her head once more.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1851, Limousine, Downtown, Seattle


Margot looks at you for a few seconds then nods without saying anything and settles back in her seat again. Her face is non-committal but she keeps her eyes on your face and smiles, mouthing "I love you".

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Limousine, Downtown, Seattle] #883

Cynthia looked pretty ambivalent. One the one hand, she was relieved Sandy had dropped the question. On the other she was disappointed. Maybe more than that, she was feeling angry. Not at Sandy of course, no, at herself. When she saw Sandy smile it off, and profess her love, she seemed to take a hit. She looked by the window, without seeing anything, her mind in a mess and her shoulders hunched.

After a minute, she turned back to Sandy, tears in her eyes. A lump in her throat, she said "I'm sorry, I know it's... I mean... There's nothing... It's just... You didn't mean... I thought I..." She sniffed "I'm stupid, I'm sorry..." Leaning towards Sandy, she buried her face in the other girl's dress. After a second, she mumbled "I love you. I want to... To... But... But..." she stayed that way, her hands convulsively gripping her shawl.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1851, Limousine, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy puts one hand on your back and rubs it while the other goes to stroke your hair. "Shhh, it is all good, Cynthia. I am as new to this whole love thing as you are and I am making mistakes. I love you and hope that you can overlook my mistakes. Just look at the two of us.............nearly total emotional wrecks. Just think; some day we will look back on this day and shake our heads in great wonder that we even made it through it in one piece. If you want, we can tell the driver to drive around a bit while we pull ourselves together and maybe talk some. We can be fashionably late."

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Limousine, Downtown, Seattle] #884

With a low whimper, Cynthia tilted her head slightly into Sandy's strokes. Lightly shaking her head, she mumbled "It's not you making mistakes, it's just me. I'm...I'm a mess, sorry." She sighed, and appeared to want to fuse with Sandy as she laid on her, her eyes closed. After a while, sounding calmer, she said "It's a good thing I don't have makeup, it wouldn't have gone well for your dress..."

She paused for a minute, then shook her head "We can't get there late. Maybe it wouldn't be a problem, but if those I want to find leave early, or there's more to do than I thought, we can't lose time." She rubbed her eyes, removing the unshed tears. Obviously feeling better, she joked, even if it was half-heartedly "Looks like Elven-Cynthia is more emotional than Human-Cynthia... Anyway. We'll talk about...that...after? For now..." she looked up at Sandy's eyes "Can you hold me? Please?"

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1851, Limousine, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy nods and moves to the seat next to you, putting her arms around you. She doesn't talk, but she begins to softly hum a song as she puts her head against you and holds you.

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Limousine, Downtown, Seattle] #885

Lying on the side, Cynthia put her head on Sandy's shoulder, nose close to her neck. She had a leg extended against Sandy, while the other one was folded on the other girl's thigh, and one of her hand was resting on Sandy's belly. She didn't try anything though, didn't even think about it. Instead, she had her eyes closed, enjoying the situation.

After a minute or two, she sighed of contentment, finally looking at ease, peaceful. Sleepily, she said "I could stay like that forever..." As if on her own accord, her hand started to move slightly on Sandy's belly, as if she were a cat kneading. After maybe another minute, in the same sleepy voice, she added "I love you. I want to make you happy, by any way I can. If..." she stopped there. For a moment, it seemed she wouldn't say anything more, but she finally continued "If you want it, then...then we'll try. Just...not here...Alright?"

Depsite the question, she didn't seem to wait for an answer, instead griping Sandy more tightly, burying her face in Sandy's neck, now almost lying on her more than against her.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1851, Limousine, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy stops humming long enough to reply. "Yes. Not here is fine. Later, if you want to." She goes back to softly humming the song and letting her body react to your touch and just holds you against her.

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Limousine, Downtown, Seattle] #886

"Okay." After that, Cynthia didn't say a word, merely enjoying the moment, until Marcel warned them they were about to arrive at their destination. At that point, she kissed Sandy's cheek and with a smile sat back up, making sure she hadn't messed Sandy's appearance. After that, she got ready to exit the vehicle herself.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1851, Limousine, Downtown, Seattle


It seems all too soon that Marcel lets you know that he is pulling up to the drop off point. A uniformed man opens the door and assists both of you out of the car and Marcel moves off after making sure you have his commcode. A red-carpeted walkway leads to wide steps up to the large doors and the two of you seem to garner quite a bit of attention from the gathered media and others here just to watch and maybe catch a glimpse of a current music or trid star. You get several questions from people beyond a rope barrier about your gowns.

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - Limousine, Downtown, Seattle] #886

In the last minute or so, Cynthia's attitude and appearance changed slightly. From the vulnerable young woman of moment's ago, she went to someone pretty sure of herself, completely at ease and who knew exactly what she wanted...and not taking no for an answer. The young girl wasn't far below the surface, as Sandy could see her when Cynthia kissed her on the lips with a smile.

Before getting out of the car, she said a few things to the driver "Thank you Mr. Marcel. We'll call you as soon as we know when we're going to leave." After a slight hesitation, she decided to call one of her Sprites, the Crack one, Al. She didn't want him at full power for now so didn't take too many risks. When he was here, she asked him to make sure no one Marked either Sandy's 'link or herself, and to squash any Marks as soon as they appeared, and to be discreet about it.

With a nod, she thanked the uniformed man for his assistance, while she sent a quick message to Sandy >>Margot [Florence]: Frag. That's a lot more than I expected... There are even some medias out there... I should have done my homework better than that... Why are there so many people looking at us? I hope they don't try to absolutely find out who we are... Whatever we're paid is not enough... And since we're not paid, next time I have an idea like that...just kill me please...<<

Despite her dismay, she kept a small smile on her lips, as she lightly nodded in the direction of anyone talking to her or asking questions. She didn't pause to answer though, first because she was pretty sure no one really expected her too, second because she didn't want to say anything more than she absolutely had too. In fact, she looked perfectly in her element, as if she had been on a red carpet a lot of times before and that it was nothing new. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth since not only was it the first time obviously, but also because she didn't enjoy that much attention.

Glancing at Sandy, she looked like she just thought of something funny >>Margot [Florence]: So, tell me, are you fangirling about anyone in particular? Anyone we could meet here?<<



Composure, Etiquette: 13d6t5 6 9d6t5 4

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1853, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy smiles as she receives your text. >>Florence [Margot]: Yes, there are a lot of media people out here trying to get the names of everyone they see. Hey, relax and have a good time and you might find that you like it. Now if I could only sell that line of BS to myself I could enjoy it as well. I am not really fangirling anyone, but I hear that MM is going to be here. She does not do much singing anymore, but she is into charities that try to reduce BTL dependencies. I would not mind getting her autograph if she is in the mood to give them.<<

A woman in a very fancy gown is standing at the top of the stairs with two tall, handsome men right behind her. She takes your SIN information and nods as your invites come up on her tablet. Smiling, she motions to the large double doors off to one side. "Welcome to the gala. I am sure that you will have a good time." A short few steps later and you are inside the building and almost immediately swallowed up in the crowd of rich and famous. Margot turns and gives you a "What Now" sort of look.

[Cynthia Rawson - 18:53, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #887

>>Margot [Florence]: Enjoy myself?<< While her smile didn't waver, she sounded doubtful >>Margot [Florence]: You're asking a lot... And Mercurial, eh? Well, could be worse I suppose.<< For a couple of seconds, her smile appeared genuine, amused.

Once the woman had confirmed their invitations and welcomed the two of them, she nodded her thanks "Thank you Ma'am. Good evening."

When they're through the door, Cynthia stopped for a brief moment, as if she wanted to make sure everyone was able to notice them. Of course, the main reason for that pause was that once again she didn't expect that many people >>Margot [Florence]: Frag, so many people... Looks like once again I should have paid more attention to all that... Anyway, for now, We'll have to look like we belong. And the easiest way to do that at the moment, is to have a goal. And as a goal, I suggest we look for the two most important places of the evening: where's the food, and the toilets. I doubt we'll reach one or the other before we're intercepted but... At least we won't give the impression we're just lost little girls. Even if that's exactly what we are. With that many people though... I'm afraid the odds of meeting our dear old parents increased rather substantially.<< After a slight pause, she added >>Margot [Florence]: Give me a few seconds, I'll see what I can do to make all that better.<<

At that, Cynthia once again went into the Host of the gala. Not to change anything this time, but only to find the guests list. Once she had that, she retrieved pictures and short bios of those guests on the Matrix, as well as those of the most likely person to accompany them. All that in hand, she then tried to match everyone she saw with a picture and short bio and titbits of relevant and recent information, enough to start, or place in, a conversation if needed. Once she had a couple of them identified, she tagged them with AROs and shared that with Sandy.



Hack on the fly: 17d6t5 7, as always limit of 6, but should be more than enough to get the guests list.
Matrix Search (find pictures, bios and likely +1s): 3#15d6t5 7 3 3, I rolled three times in case the first roll wasn't enough, but I suppose that (even with the limit of 6), it's more than enough to get everything I want given that anyone here is probably well known and at the very least a public figure.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1910, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy gives a soft gasp a couple of minutes after you pass on the list of expected guests. "My parents are here. Or, supposed to be here, anyway. Damn. Well, there are a lot of people here and they may not see me."

The two of you do seem to stand out in your gowns and you get a lot of attention from people who want to know where you got the clothes.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:10, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #888

"Oh?" Cynthia cocked an eyebrow "Then we'll just have to try to avoid them." She grumbled "Which would be easier if we didn't draw that much attention." While she didn't really want to know, she checked if her own parents, or any of her brothers for that matter, were here too. She wasn't worried at all any of them would recognise her but she was a bit curious.

To the questions about the clothes, she evasively answered to most that it was a small craftsman near Seattle. Not that she thought there would be any danger saying more but she didn't want that information to come to the ears of the people she was after: she didn't think they knew she went to the Cajun Town, but she couldn't exactly take that chance, for now anyway. Still, maybe she could do a little something for Renee. To those that really seemed interested, more than by just curiosity, she told them she could get their contact information that she would give to the craftsman, but that she couldn't promise anything after that.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1925, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Your parents do not seem to be on the list of attendees you pull from the host.

The answers you give seem to satisfy most of the people who ask about your clothes, but you do get several commcodes from women who are interested in where you got your gowns. Something in your memory reminds you that you had wanted to stand out and you do. Like you, Sandy is very nice to those that ask after her dress and she has taken your cue about how to answer the questions. At times, you do see her scanning about, looking for her parents.

Almost a half hour after arriving, you get a text from Tanya. >>Florence, Margot [Tanya]: How are you two doing? You seem to be attracting a lot of attention. You look very nice in those dresses.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:25, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #889

"Well, at least my parents aren't here. Not that it would have been much of a problem, but I suppose it's better that way." Cynthia smirked "Want some help looking for yours? It's simple enough if you give me their commcodes. After that I'll tag them with an ARO, and you'll be able to avoid them or find them as you wish." She frowned "Speaking of which, I suppose I should look for the two I'm here for..."

She barely had time to start though that she got a message from Tanya >>Tanya, Margot [Florence]: Yeah... Next time I have an idea like that, shoot me please. There hasn't been a single person yet who wanted to talk about anything more interesting than what we're wearing.<< With a grimace, she added >>Tanya, Margot [Florence]: Though we didn't go out of our way to talk about anything else either I suppose.<< She shook her head >>Tanya, Margot [Florence]: But we didn't see anyone really interesting anyway so... Of course, interesting people are probably surrounded by swarms of fans, and I have better things to do than play the groupie. Oh and no, it's not a good idea to introduce us to anyone right now, we don't want to give the impression we know each other after all.<< She frowned >>Tanya, Margot [Florence]: And with all that, I forgot to look for the two places I was interested in. I need to eat...<<

While she talked, she quickly went through the list of devices present in the vicinity, filtering out all of those that didn't match the commcodes she had of Jason and Connie Woods or their daughter, Katherine. In fact, she proceeded to do the exact same thing for anyone related to this whose commcode she was able to get one way or the other: the two Yakuza lieutenants, from Tanaka's 'link. The Probus and the Franklin from her previous investigations. Hell, she even went as far as checking for Roger and the captain assigned to the security of the Goldstein Building. She also checked once more to see if that "Grand Marquis" guy's commcode was registered in the backup of the call to the Probus she had obtained. She doubted most of them would be here, but it didn't hurt to check. And if they were, it would make some things much easier. Especially for the Yakuza and that Grand Marquis dude, but she doubted they'd be here.



Matrix Perception (+2 TM): 15d6t5 7, limit of 6 as ever, but should be enough even if they're trying to run silent. I hope anyway...

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1930, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy will give you the codes for her parents and you can find and mark them. All three of the Woods' are here, but they do not seem to be together. Both Franklin brothers are here but none of the sisters. None of the Yak guys nor Roger or the security captain are here at this time.

The buffet tables are easy to find, as are the three bars placed at strategic locations around the room. The people near you gravitate to the celebrities in the room and it does seem that your minutes of fame might have passed.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #890

"Here." Cynthia shared the AROs for both of Sandy's parents "Now you know where they are."

Now that people went away to go pester the VIPs, she seemed far more comfortable, as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders. She didn't plan on getting famous, but if she did, she didn't want it to be because of what she wore. Now, she took the time to look around, interested in what was around her. She didn't seem interested by the bars though, except maybe to pick some soda, but she paid a lot more attention to the buffet, really hungry by now. She picked a few things here and there, tasting a couple of the most tasty looking things on display, obviously famished and not caring at all about a diet.

>>Tanya, Margot [Florence]: Alright, I've found what I'm after. So unless there's something urgent, I'll take care of that now and it'll be done. And who knows, I might get other interesting things to do after that.<<

Glancing at Sandy, with a glass of soda in one hand, she said with a small grimace "I really have to go to the toilets now..." Going there was of course to find some place where she would be able to work on her targets without anyone wondering why she was lying there unconscious. But... She also really had to pee, so two birds, one stone and all that.

At the same time, she sent >>Margot [Florence]: I never understood why the other girls went to the toilets in group but... Can you come? I'll need to go into VR, and it could be awkward if someone tries to talk to me or whatever while I'm busy...<<

Once in the stall, the first order of business was...well... to take care of business. Something she found far more difficult than it should be, the dress making things once again more complex. Still, it wasn't exactly rocket science. Once done, she made sure she >>Margot [Florence]: Alright, I'm starting, I'll try to be quick.<< After a small pause, she added >>Margot [Florence]: I made sure no one would be able to listen in but... If someone did, it would be funny to watch their face just now... 'There's a girl in the toilets telling her girlfriend she's starting to pee'...<<

Making sure she wouldn't fall, or drop her dress or whatever, she slipped into VR then. Before she did anything more though, she looked at the devices she was interested in, to get an idea of what she was against, and how hard it was likely to be. At the same time, she made sure nothing was paying undue attention to those devices - like a monitoring Agent for example - and that, much like Tanya, there were no hidden secondary 'link.



Matrix Perception (+2 VR, +2 TM): 5#17d6t5 6 2 3 4 5, in order for Jason, Connie and Katherine Woods, then Franklin brother 1 and 2 (between Luke, Matthew, Mark).
The three rolls at 2, 3 and 4 are really bad, so I'll try again, with -1d:
Matrix Perception (+2 VR, +2 TM, -1 retry): 3#16d6t5 6 6 6
Which is much better.

In addition to possible hidden devices around the ones I already found, I'm mainly interested in device rating, Firewall, Data Processing.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1930, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


>>Florence [Margot]: Don't worry. I got your back. Stay safe, please.<<

Jason has an expensive 'link that is on but you also see a hidden burner 'link as well. His wife and daughter each have an nice 'link but you do not detect any hidden icons on them. The two Franklin brothers are using decent 'links and also do not appear to have any secondaries.


OOC:

Jason: Main: Transys Avalon R6, F6, DP6 Secondary: Meta Link R1, F1, DP1
Connie: Main: Hermes Ikon R5, F5, DP5
Katherine: Main: Hermes Ikon R5, F5, DP5
Luke: Main: FTL Quark R4, F4, DP4
Mark: Main: FTL Quark R4, F4, DP4

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #891

>>Margot [Florence]: Safe? Ah, wouldn't be interesting if it were too easy. Uh, that's weird...<<

Cynthia looked at the "hidden" meta-link. While a backup 'link was good and all, using that model was a weird idea. The thing was so...so...simple...that anyone looking would find it. And given its security...or more like the lack of security...using it for anything confidential would be like shooting one's own foot: a pretty dumb idea.

She didn't like to see that. While she didn't think much of those people, she didn't think them stupid. Assholes, certainly, But stupid probably not. Which meant there was another reason behind the existence of this secondary 'link, one she didn't understand. And that worried her. Well worried her and intrigued her of course. Maybe it was slaved to a high end Host? That would be almost smart...

She left that mystery for last though, instead starting to work on the other four 'links. While it would probably be far less interesting than Jason's, at least there, the risks were lower. Still...before doing anything go them, she checked to see if those devices were 'linked to a Host, which would make for a nasty surprise if it came as a surprise. Once sure there wasn't anything of the sort, she changed her Persona for a generic one - albeit on the high end spectrum of such things - and then proceeded to look into the 'links.

She successively Marked each of them first, then immediately installed a slightly modified version of the program in Tanaka's device: the only modification was done to make sure it was well hidden among the programs already installed and running, to appear completely innocuous if it were ever looked at.

Only then would she look a bit more in depth at what was hidden in the 'links, starting with the directory of which she made a copy. It probably wouldn't do much by itself, but you never know. After that, she went looking for encrypted files, the ones most likely to he interesting.



Hack on the fly (+2VR), defence Connie, Katherine, Luke, Mark: 4#19d6t5 7 8 9 8 2#10d6t5 1 3 2#8d6t5 0 3
Successfully marked each time (even with the limit of 6). Note that for Luke it's a critical glitch.

Software: tweak & install program (+2VR): 4#15d6t5 5 5 4 7. It's pretty much the same thing as for Tanaka's, it logs the activity on the 'link and sends that to a secure Host from time to time (when the 'link is in use to mask the activity).

Matrix Perception (+2 VR, +2 TM): 4#17d6t5 5 5 6 6, to look for interesting files in the 'links.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1930, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The Franklin brothers both have several encrypted files on their 'links, as does Jason's Avalon. His burner seems to be new and does not seem to have any files on it at all. You do not see any encrypted files on the 'links of either woman.


OOC:

Which are you looking at first and are you looking at any files in particular?

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #892

Once she had copied the directory of each 'link (and performed a little cross referencing to spot interesting contacts), Cynthia started to pay attention to the encrypted files on the three men's 'links, starting with Luke, then Mark, keeping Jason for last.



I'm mostly interested in conversations logs, as well as bank documents and receipts first since those could tell a lot once correctly analysed. Anything related to the Franklin company (past deals, what is going on at the moment on their side, what's the deal with Sampson, etc.), details on Jason's "shady deals", anything related to the Grand Marquis. Any blackmail material would be interesting, even if I probably won't use that, it helps to understand their weaknesses.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1930, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Luke has three encrypted file folders on his 'link. Two of them are fairly easy to crack. One seems to be a list of his investments, which shows that he is doing quite well. It is just a list and does not give access to the actual investments. Each file in the folder represents a different month. The second folder is a list of names and contact comcodes, but there is no indication as to the reason the names are in the folder. The third folder resists your initial attempt to decrypt it.