@Nyx Tony said "Well of course... Top floor is where I live, just show up if you want to talk. I assure you that it is going to be an interesting talk. I do not carry a comlink or anything of that sort." Tony is usually the guy that interrogated would be cheaters.
...

When are you down the Elevator Finestra looks at you and asks"That was brief, whats next girlfriend? Is there anywhere else you would like to be?" She is a bit too happy that you'd expect but did not have another whiskey glass since your comment.

"Kind of the same here, magic isn't really my forte but if you are here with us and not down there with them summoning their mother or whatever I assume they were somehow mistaken about you, right?"

Nyx nodded "Thanks." And got into the elevator.

Back with Finnestra, she shrugged "They wanted to know if they could trust Strawberry, and since given what happened there and that maybe-kidnapping thing, I had no other answer but I don't know, they didn't think my contribution was all that important at that point." She didn't seem really concerned about that though "Strawberry will get to see the farm then be brought here to hammer out the terms, something I've been invited to watch. Until then I guess we're free to get some sleep."

She grabbed her 'link then, and sent >>Team [Nyx]: Discussion between the Finnigans and the Alliance are taken care of, the farm is secure. Strawberry will visit tomorrow and negotiations will take place just after that. We'll have hard numbers for our share at that point.<<

Finestra shrugged "Sleep... yes. Safehouse is no longer safe. So I guess you would prefer to stay here in your room? I will go find somewhere to crash, probably the cat's apartment I took you to before. It has been a long night."

Kynos replied to Nyx:
<<Good to hear. The real Sovereign is back with us. We are just now discussing what we should do next. There is the option for vampire or bug hunt on the menu.
By the way, take Ayato and Irris from this list until one of them contacts us again. Ayato is pretty certainly a traitor and we don't know if Irris is one of his victims or his helper.>>

>>Team [Nyx]: Well, if he's a traitor, let's hope he's not interested in making trouble for us tomorrow...<<

"Hum. Yeah probably. I'll need to be here tomorrow anyway." She shrugged, then frowned "But you probably should stay here too, I'm not sure it would be prudent taking your bike tonight..."

@Nyx Finestra replied "Not your brightest pickup line princess... " She stood up and generously tipped the bartender. "Lead away then... Next date I'll take you somewhere with fewer vampires and pixies and spirits... and with more dancing and live music.".

The sounds of the tires on the road and an quick bump as the car passes over some minor obstruction jostle me awake. I don't quite come out of it until I realize the last thing I remember doing was taking a shower. I switch to AR as I see that I'm in a confined space and realize I'm in the trunk of a car. I can see my gear next to me and I wonder "what kind of kidnapper would leave me with my gear once I woke up. I'm not sticking around to find out."


Apparently the car is driving around in the middle of nowhere. I grab my deck and attempt to take control of the vehicle. I also begin playing back my files from when I was grabbed off my sim rig. To try and get a bearing on how long I've been out and who might have done this.

@Kernel You hack into the car's interfaces. It is an entertainment system of some sort:
When you get your mark it says:

>>> Good morning, Irris
Please select one of the items from the menu.

The menu has the following item.
1. Apology
2. Where you are
3. Why you are there
4. How do you get out
5. Yellow Submarine

I read them in order. Gathering my gear and clothes as I read.

Apology:
>>Irris - I had to leave due to conflicting interest. Some of our team was wanted by the Yaks. So sorry, Ayato.
Where you are:
>> You are currently on your way to Vancouver, I told them you run away so try not to have me kill you if you get back.
Why:
>>Why... I owe a bunch of $$ to Andu's organization cannot refuse them especially when this gig has failed.
How do you get back:
>> When you are in Vancouver ask for Jackson Love - contact attached he'll get you where you want to go. Car is a rental on your name - so you may be followed.
Yellow Submarine:
>> Yellow Submarine - starts the famous Beatles song. Ayato has a strange sense of humor.

Well... That wasn't really what Nyx had in mind. It really hadn't been pickup line of any kind. It really was late, and Finnestra had had more than a glass of whisky...plus the events of the day with Strawberry, it probably really wasn't a good idea for her to take her bike at this time. Maybe she could disappear in the shower until Finnestra slept... She nodded and turned away to walk to her room.

@Nyx Finestra accompanies you and she is under the influence. Disturbed from what happened, frustrated from her lack of control and of her useless and violent last infiltration. When the two of you arrive in your room she takes he shoes off and crashes on your sofa. "You are a good person, Nyx. Good luck tomorrow. I'll probably only be up by noon. I'll let myself out quietly, or just throw me out when you wake up - if you are the paranoid kind. Thank you again, you are a good friend." She said. It was not long before she begun falling asleep.

"A friend?" Nyx had never been a friend. Not since... Well, so long it may as well have been never. She took a moment to consider that word, before finally noticing Finnestra was falling asleep on her sofa. She nudged her and firmly said "Get up, out of that dress, and get into the bed. It's large enough for the two of us. It won't kill me."

@Nyx Finestra obeys, revealing some very nice black underclothes and a muscular body. It is evident that she is very serious about physical exercise. Finestra's tan body is free of any sort of body art and has numerous scars, as well the signs of a more recent abuse, but she does not look like a victim. She radiates strength - what spoils the illusion of a tough woman is her somewhat over the top behavior. She grins widely and then happily embraces you"You are the best princess. Your bed looks really comfortable...".

@Always Overkill.
It is night, late you are a tad under the influence and you get a com-call from your fixer: >> I know that things are slow lately, there is a milk run for you with a modest pay. Best I could do, how bored or tight on cash are you?

I stop the car and pop the trunk as I get dressed. Then I send a message to the team minus Ayato while I get the car turned around and head back to Seattle.

I hope you all aren't dead. Ayato gassed me and dumped me in the trunk of my car. Anyone have a sitrep for me?

@Kernel - You'll need to cross an international border to get into Seattle, would be difficult to do so with your illegal equipment and explain how you left Seattle in the first place, or you need some coyote. That is, you stop the car at the side of the road, traffic is sparse and the road is dark. There is also light rain that you can hear tapping your car.

Simone looks at Kynos after they receive the message from Iris. "Should I send a reply or are we still concerned that she is working against us? I think we should talk to her and see if she needs our help."

"Sure, can't ask her about the alleged abduction if she isn't here." Kynos replied

Nyx glanced at the scars, old and new but didn't comment on those. "Yeah, well..." Nyx shrugged "It's a bed." Though she had to admit she had slept on much less than that which made the bed kind of a luxury. She undressed herself too then, and in just her panties, looked for her nightie on the bed.

@Nyx Finestra watched Nyx undress with some fascination, but she did not say much. She entered bed and said "Sweet dreams princess.", she seemed happy, but a bit restrained as if holding back.
She looked at you for a while and then closed her eyes. Sleep would come easy, perhaps the best one you two had in a long while. Though the dreams are going to be vivid and full of passion. They could be the remainder of Pan's influence o perhaps that somewhat unexpected situation of intimacy.

Nyx finally found her nightie under the blankets and put it on, then lied down on her bed. It took her a bit of time to get to sleep though, unused as she was of sharing her bed, especially considering that while it wasn't a small one, it was far from king size too. Still, after a few minutes, the events of day caught up to her and she fell asleep.

(I'll move on for tomorrow, with your permission. The negotiations with Strawberry and everything to conclude the farm stuff).

@Nyx Sleep is the sweetest one you had, in a long time, and when your link buzzes, you feel taken away from paradise. When you awake Finestra (or should you refer to her as Fabiana?) is spooning you, perhaps a bit cold during the night. She mumbles something and then rolls to the other side of the bed. The sheets are all messed up, she must have rolled from one side to another quite a lot during the night.

The message is from Tony, >>Nyx Hi, farm meeting went well - we are ironing the details right now. You might want to be there.

Nyx looked at Finnestra for a few second, then stretched and got out of bed. She glanced at her 'link and noticing the message typed an answer >>Tony [Nyx]: I'll take a shower and be on my way.<<

She wondered for a second if she should wake Connectors up, but decided to wait. She was not invited to the discussion and it looked like she needed the sleep. She might wake up when she took her shower anyway...

She grabbed a change of clothes and hopped into the shower, regretting she couldn't take her time. It probably was best to not make anyone wait for her at this time...

@Nyx Finestra yawns when you leave the bed "Morning already... but I had such a sweet dream" She said half to herself half to you. As you grab your clothes she asks "Care if I take a shower as well...?"

"No, no, you can." Nyx stepped into the shower, and spoke loudly to be heard as she started to wash herself "I don't know if I have anything that can fit you but you can check if you want." It wasn't like she had anything hiding in her closet anyway. Hell, she didn't have much at all, so...

@Nyx Finestra is gone for a short while and then returns and said "Your closet is depressing... like you never got settled up.". She did not raise her voice, but instead slightly opened the shower's door to be heard.

"Yeah well..." Nyx shrugged "I never did. Never intended to." After a small pause spent washing her face, she added "Nothing here is mine anyway."

@Nyx Finestra replied, "Yet, you have nowhere to go, you seem to own nothing." She entered the shower and closed the door behind her. "You are running and you are alone. I get that - I am far from home too. But, while you are here - why not allow yourself something real? Just a tiny bit of happiness...". Finestra seemed calm and confident, but she kept to the corner of the shower and made no additional move. Her body language was indecisive as if her own intentions were not entirely clear.

Maxwell had been mentally gearing up for the next phase of his saga. He thoughtfully laid out the bones of his tale's narrative and spiced the meaty bits with his own blackened style. It wasn't often he was given a rapt audience to excite and entertain. He would relish the opportunity for as much as it was worth. Well, he would have if his thoughts weren't again disturbed by an outside force. This time from Simone and Kynos discussing Kernal's whereabouts and the likelihood of her being a turncoat. The mage sighs, put-off and frustrated. So much forethought put into a tale that he'd never be able to tell. He covers his mouth to loudly clear his throat. "Ahem! It seem we have multiple issues confronting us me thinks. We have an ant nest quite literally beneath our feet." Maxwell points down at the ground with a slim, bony index finger for visual effect. "We have a gang of vampires free-roaming at night. Sinking their teeth and shafts into whatever they can get their hands on. Then there's the Yakuza, specifically Andu's branch of Yakuza, that are trying to weaponize insect spirits for their own gains. After that we are still owed for the job we did for the Mafia. Unless we got paid while I was knocked out cold, I think we should pay them a visit tomorrow at the Gates. Last but not least, Kernal was spirited away like yours truly."

He looks at Wheely, then Simone, then Kynos again. His blanched, gaunt face slowly moving like clockwork from one shadowrunner to the next. "Let me summarize, for your benefit. A delusional dryad sorceress aided by a mouse changeling tried to execute me after I destroyed the elf's home. More like cursed I should say. My curse is an enforced spirit pact. A magical, spiritual contract. In exchange for my life and freedom, I must offer sapient awakened souls to the ants as a sacrificial host every full moon. Mages... Shamans... Adepts... Hell, even pixies and vampires would technically suffice. I don't need to do this forever. Only until I give them ten in total. After the we run we just did I'll be able to finish this off in a week and a half from now. But, that's not important right now. We have vampires and zombies and alien inter-dimensional insect monsters that sorta take precedence at this given moment. Also Kernal might need saving." Maxwell gazes at Simone, the field medic. "Like I said earlier, can you..." He hesitates slightly as if he was considering it unnecessary to even ask. "Can you run a few quick medical diagnostics on me? Also... a word in private." The magician's voice carried an undertone of something indiscernible towards the end. Almost suggestive with the way he phrased it.

Simone listens to Sovereign talk and struggles to fully comprehend all of it, although she thinks she has the basics down. She nods at him as she says, "Sure, scary mage, I can give you a look. Step into the van and let me get my equipment ready." She turns to Kynos and Wheely. "We should be done in a short while. I can always drive out to meet Iris somewhere if it will help her get back."

She joins Sovereign in the van. "Take a seat there, please, and remove your shirt. You can talk to me while I do this." She pulls out her medkit and begins hooking its leads to the man.

Nyx shook her head "Creating roots hurts even more when it's time to leave. Why would I inflict that to myself? As for owning nothing..." She shrugged "Same thing. Makes it easier to leave, nothing to worry about but where to go. And how to get there."

@Nyx Finestra remained silent, after a short pause she said "I won't argue Nyx but I still want to take you out tonight."

Nodding, half-smiling, he follows the woman to her vehicle and sits himself down on her bed. He places his gear and clothing behind him for safekeeping. At Simone's request he removes the brown shirt he'd been dressed in by the bugs. Unveiling Maxwell's white sinewy torso. Years of malnutrition, endless scavenging, restless dark nights, eschewing of sunlight and near constant exercise had forged the man's body into what it is. His ribs poked through his sides. Lean stringy muscles rippled up and down his back and entire midsection. Looking almost like a skeleton with skin and flesh stretched taut over him. With just enough strength and muscle to make himself not appear to be an escaped Auschwitz prisoner. The toll his magic takes on him, and more importantly, his metabolism, didn't offer much help to the mage's figure. Rarely do you see a fat mage.

Maxwell allows the woman to hook up her devices to his chest. The metal prongs on the ends felt cold to the touch. Making him shiver uncomfortably and causing his nipples to erect themselves. He lets out a painful exhale, followed by another painful inhale. Whilst the woman started up her machines he took the liberty to fetch his old commlink hidden amidst his stuff. The mage turns on the device and looks through his texts. He finds Simone's sex text on screen and with it in hand, he lifts it towards her. With the screen facing Simone. Maxwell still wore that half-smile he'd been brandishing since he left with her. "I don't know if Vixen is bi. I don't think she is but I'm not sure if asking her to star in a threesome would be fair to her anyway. I could maybe try and find out but... no promises. She's had a hard time this past month and I'd rather not be a dick and destroy her self-confidence. If I can avoid it that us." Said the magician emphatically. His care for the vampire is genuinely benign. His concerns real.

He tosses the commlink aside again. The discomfort from the medical probes now gone. As if they were never a nuisance to begin with. It was now his time to compliment the french medic the best way he knew how. With brutal honesty. "I'm glad that I could bring you a few hours of happiness. I'm happy you came as much as you did. You're fun to go down on. You taste like vanilla, for whatever reason. Not that I'm complaining, I like vanilla. And I love the oral service you give in return. I love the way your lips and throat feels. Hopefully it didn't hurt too much when you started riding and sucking me. I could go on but I don't want to make you feel anymore awkward than I already have. I'm going to be needing a place to stay until I find a new home. Would you mind if I crashed here for a couple of days till I do?"

Simone blushes a bit as she re-reads the words she had sent to Sovereign earlier. Still, she had meant them and she was not interested in any take-backs. She ran the scan and nodded as the medkit recommended a certain cocktail of medications. She pushed the buttons and the kit delivered the drugs and she began releasing the leads, returning them to their resting place in the kit. Done, she stands in front of the man and looks at his face as she puts her hands on his chest. His words of how he had enjoyed her were still ringing in her ears.

"You can stay here for as long as you want scary mage..................as long as you share the bed. That girl I saw you with, the really beautiful one, is that Vixen?" At his nod, she thinks for a bit then nods as well. "OK, I am very much bi and would not mind testing her out, but would you wish to fuck me anyway if she is not? I am not asking you to do it behind her back, so feel free to tell her. Arrange a meeting if she wants to talk to me, or ask her if you can fuck me silly when not with her. Of course, things change if you do not want me that way. If that is the way it is, I will not stalk you and we can still share the bed but without sex. It is up to you now."

"I do have a question for you, though. You just said that you are happy that you brought me a few hours of happiness, but did I not do the same for you? Bring you a bit of happiness when you needed something?"

Nyx opened and closed her mouth a few time, before finally nodding "Ok. No promises though, so don't expect..." She didn't finish her sentence then, merely shrugging.

@Nyx Finestra smiled "Well... I'll plan us some fun date and you make sure that we have a reason to party."
She seemed to have gained plenty of confidence from how you saw her yesterday. Perhaps it took some time to shake the negative feelings of her last infiltration. She begins washing in parallel to you and waves when you leave shower for work.


@Simone there is something wrong in Maxwell's blood. You do not have an equipment to witness it - but the composition is wrong. There is some foreign material in that blood. You repeat the test multiple times to make sure it is not a glitch the result is the same. There is something artificial in that blood. Perhaps something he was injected with - tracking tags or perhaps something far more sinister - you need a hospital to be certain.

Nyx merely nodded, and finished her shower quickly. She didn't know how long she had, but probably not that much: it was best to not take too much time. In front of her closet, she hesitated for a second: she could put on the uniform of the casino, but that would give the wrong impression. Instead, she took the nicest pants she had - which wasn't much - and a blouse.

A few seconds later, now fully dressed, she raised her voice to be heard from the shower "I'm going, don't forget anything in here, you wouldn't be able to get back in without my keycard."

@Nyx the top floor table has a limited crew, Tony and a lawyer named Mark and on the other side, you see Nagisa, Strawberry, and Yulia. Strawberry is wearing an expensive business suit, which is very different from the next to nothing she wore the other night. The most radical change is in Yulia, which seems completely serious. The girls happily greet you and Tony introduce Mark.

Strawberry opens "My man has checked your commitments and assets and reached a conclusion that the fair value of the farm is nothing. The expenses due to collateral damage take much of the property value and the draconic contract you signed with the Alliance kind of restricts your ability to profit. So basically - you are in bad shape and sort of admitted that yourself when you sent me your lovely Nyx and Finestra through to confront a great spirit and cross a vampire-infested forest just to talk to me.

Now there are things that I want from you - but clearly, the main deal is to quantify how much I value Nagisa's health - and I don't like how irrational she became lately. Thank you for turning off her implant - if only temporarily. I appreciate it very much, so well - here is my initial offer.

1. You free Nagisa.
2. Yulia is mine, exclusive. No side quests and no sharing her with wealthy Finnigans.
3. In exchange, I pay you 500k nuyen.

Now about the farm,
1. I suggest my own services as a mage to Valentina.
2. I can pay an additional 500K nuyen.
3. Alternatively, I am willing to manage the farm in exchange for 50% of its profit. "

She feels different, confident and hyper-focused and less seductive. Though her voice still carries its seductive aroma." Having resisted that same voice just yesterday, Nyx is in no danger of taking her blouse off, but even so she cannot deny that this voice is a very nice one.

Tony replies "Well there is plenty I can say - but Nyx here represents private investors owning 30% of the farm -or at least eligible to 30% of its profits. I'll let her talk first."

Ready or not - all eyes turn to Nyx.

Kynos had waited patiently for Sovereign to get his medical tests done - at least he hoped this was about medical testing. He knew that there situation here was precarious - either they attacked the ants or they moved on.

To while away the time he sent a message of his own to Irris:
<<Say, you said that you record everything, all the time. Would you happen to have recorded Ayato's attack on you by any chance?>>

He sighed. The whole ordeal seemed to turn more and more into wasted effort. The Yakuza boss Andu had to die, but it didn't look like anyone was willing to pay him and the team for this. Ant spirits roamed freely and Firewatch didn't care. A psychotic dryad mage went around possessing people as she saw fit and his employers thought this was an excellent basis to offer her a job as a gardener. Worst of all, the percentage for which they had liberated the farm turned out to be pretty worthless thanks to the spineless negotiation that the Finnegans' lawyers pulled of. Based on that performance he doubted that they would fare any better against the mad dryad. And now all rested on Nyx and her less than encouraging loyalty towards the team.

The only tangible thing left seemed to be that little vampire hunting gig - although 10.000 Nuyen total divided by four would barely suffice to pay for ammo and gas. On the other hand it would allow him to kill something right now - which was worth quite a lot in his current state of mind.

<<@Team: Since we don't have a safe house right now, we can use the remainder of the night to shoot some vampires and use the bounty to pay for some nice hotel rooms.
Sovereign, Simone, when you are done playing doctor, meet me at those woods. Wheely, if you don't mind, I need a ride.

Nyx: Good luck with your negotiations.>>

Mildly stunned by the woman's sexual audacity. Maxwell places his hands onto Simone's hips and holds on to them. He looked up at her long and thoughtfully. Trying to form the words to properly express himself in a way that's psychologically satisfying for her understanding. "Again, I don't know if Blue Vixen likes girls that kind of way. Or if she's comfortable with the idea of sharing me with another woman. She might think it's cute and kinky and she could be interested. She might feel betrayed and heartbroken. She might not even care at all. Honestly I don't know. So, I'll ask her later when I get the chance. Please don't think less of me if she's against it and forces me into an ultimatum between you and her, and I pick her. It would just be awful that I shun my girlfriend after a night of wanton behavior with a stranger. You understand, right?" Asked Maxwell soothingly. His hands moved on their own accord and eased behind her back to grope the samurai's butt. Grabbing and squeezing handfuls of her fit bouncy bum. Physically prepping her for the answer to her question.

"Yes. You did. So much so, that I'm relieved I didn't split you apart when we fucked. As hard as we did." The magician was earnest in his declaration. So was the goofy grin he began to sport. He sees his comm light up in the corner of his peripheral vision on the bed. Letting his hands slide off of Simone's ass, he goes to pick it back up. His overextended grin relaxes into more of an intrigued smirk as he read his new message. Eagerly, he texts the elf back.

@Kynos - <<Cool. See you there. After we get paid the hotel's on me. My treat. You guys went through the trouble of trying to find me after I had been captured again. It'd be the least I could do.>>

Maxwell shows Simone his commlink's screen again after he finished off his text. Happily, he says with a wink on his last statement. "Let me get out of these rags and back into my regular digs. We have some vampire hunting to do. Once we get done I want to see what your butt tastes like. If you don't mind of course."

Simone looks at Sovereign and nods. "I already expected those answers so it hurts lots less." She takes his hands off her ass. "And not denying how much your offer tempts me, I think you ought to wait to sample my butt until after you talk to your girlfriend. One afternoon and evening of passion might be forgiven as a mistake due to weakness, but something else might be considered with far less forgiveness. Talk to her then talk to me if you are still interested, scary mage. Besides, you are not well."

As she moves away, she gets on her 'link. >>Team. Sovereign's checkup is not clean. There is something wrong with his blood. To me, and with the equipment I have, it appears that something may have been added to his blood. I would be able to check better at a hospital, which is where I would suggest we go. I would hate to miss a vampire hunt, and I am sure the scary mage would, too, but I am concerned for his health. My guess is that the vampires are not going away, but I do not know yet how serious the problem with Sovereign is. Advice?<<

Kynos replied:
<<Take him to a hospital at once. Ayato may have added some kind of Kill-Switch/Tracking-Device combo. Or the ants gave him a delayed drug so they could ensure his compliance if the tried to work against them. The hunt is on hold until he is clear. I don't want him abducted a second time. Therefore we'll accompany you.>>

@all (but Nyx) Finestra texted >> Well hospitals take credentials and real medical insurance. Face it Maxwell is hot, and admitting him there would surface him out. We need a shadow clinc.

Irris recorded her collapse in the shower if she was willing to disclose it, it would show a neuro stun grenade rolled over into the room obscured by the curtain. There is a figure there as well but it is impossible to say who it is exactly.

Simone shakes her head. >>Team. Thanks, Kynos. I could use the support as the scary mage does not seem too inclined to go to a hospital. I have contacts at several street clinics, but my equipment here is almost as good as some have and better than others. I need access to a better place and better instruments. I will ask a contact, but does anyone else here know a place we might be able to use? FInestra?<<

"Well… shit." is pretty much all Wheely can offer to the mage after his explanation. While the mage and the medic go to their examinations Wheely stays silent while Kynos does his thinking and does some of his own while sorting all the data he got, notably those he gots on Eggs before the host got down.

"A ride? For sure, don't think I have a weapon that can take down a vamp though, are they sensible to Stick-n-Shock? If only my drone was online I could spray them with some APDS…

By the way I still have some data from Eggs the host that was taking care of the farm. It might have gained some value now that it's done, any idea for a buyer? Before I would have said the Finnigan but given their latest commercial feats I would rather find an other."

@Wheely the orders Eggs! had including some undelivered ones - most of them are Eggs! which is extremely useful to whoever is running the place but some of them are probably the dens of powerful vampires... These can be important to whoever has pixies, or the desire to say bring said vampires down.


@Simone Finestra replies ->> There is this cyber clinic at the sewers - if they do operations they may be able to test stuff right? it might still be in the same place. We need to return the sewer map to there... To the very least I am certain that there is a real-life doctor with questionable morality making the operations... Just saying. Perhaps you can bribe him to get Maxwell's blood tested no questions asked. I am kind of busy though. Can't talk right now.

Kynos interjected in Simone's and Finestra's conversation: <<Underground sounds good. Irris, I think you still have the bio-hazard suites in your trunk. Do us a favor and pilot your car to the place where we entered the sewers last time.>>

Simone responds to the messages with one of her own. >>Sure thing. Finestra, can you send a location and commcode, please? I will take care of the rest.<<