16:12:44 Thursday 11, January 2063 – The Big Room, "The Bakery", Renton

Back in the hallway leading to the small room, Ludmilla walked slowly. She felt as though he whole body was shaking to a beat only she could hear; that of her anger.

Pain.

All she wanted at the moment was to inflict pain. It was the only true form catharsis she had ever known; the only mean to truly calm her-self down.
Before the day would be over; someone would feel pain.

Grabbing her hat with both hands, she pulled it on her head, just about her eyebrows. Both hands deep in her jacket’s pocket, her boots thudded heavily up to the small room. As she crossed it, Petr said something, but Ludmilla didn’t hear it. Her ears were still ringing from Sascha’s threats. She had to admit it; he had played his cards to perfection. For the time being, Ludi would have no choice but to play ball. She had seen her shares of blackmail operations to know that there was only three way for a mark to get out of it: to get something to blackmail the blackmailer; to eliminate the material; to eliminate the blackmailer.

Of all three alternatives, they could all be accomplished… to a certain degree. Finding some dirt on Sascha wasn’t impossible, but could be quite difficult. It was also within his ability to simply make Ludi disappear if she ever found something out. Capping Sascha wasn’t something very difficult to do. After all, Ludi saw him on an almost daily basis. But getting away with it would practically be impossible. Only one thing was left: eliminate the material. That was Yuri. Yuri would have to disappear. There was simply no way around it. With him out of the picture, there was nothing to link her back to the shooting. She had probably left some traces back in the apartment complex, but all those who had actually seen her were dead. All of them… except Yuri. Petr said something again, but it only seemed like a distant echo to Ludi. With her left shoulder, she pushed the door open and got back into the bakery.

Only 15 minutes had passed since she had entered the establishment… and yet, she felt as if she had just spent a lifetime confined within the big room. Her wired reflexes slowly winded back down. Around her, time started speeding back up again. Reality took its grip back around her.

Old men played chess. Others drank tea. A fresh smell of baked goods filled the woman’s nostrils, sending her stomach grumbling for some food. It was only four fifteen… if she hurried up, she’d have time to get back home before five.

She took a few crumpled UCAS dollars from her pocket and passed them across the counter to the young cashier. Pastries wouldn’t buy her daughter’s love, but it would make her happy.

17:11:02 Thursday 11, January 2063 – The Soren’s apartment, Renton

Maglock key in hand, Ludi stood in front of her apartment’s door. She was about to swipe the card but froze. Filtering thru the door’s edge was not only light, but also a faint giggle. Lana’s laugh. The child’s laugh carried over in the hallway and to her mother’s ears, stabbing at her hearth. Ludmilla felt as if the world was spinning around her, the cheap carpet slipping away from under her feet. She felt herself fall forward. The plastic grocery bag she had been holding in her right had came crashing on the floor as she caught herself in the doorframe. Her whole body started to tremble, as tears begun to cloud her vision.

Slowly she slid to the floor, crumbling to her knees, like her bag. She cried, silently, her shoulders bobbing up and down, following the beat of her sobs.

I lie. I cheat. I kill. What have I become? I want to be a mother… Not a monster.

Her right hand searched her neck for the small crucifix she always wore. Finding it, she closed her hand around it and started praying. She knew someone would feel pain today… she hadn’t expect it would be her. A few minutes later, she swiped the tears away and unlocked the door.

“Mommy!” yelled the young girl, in english.

Jumping off the couch where she had been sitting, the little girl rushed to the door, putting her two tiny arms around her mother’s thigh. Ludi ran her free hand throught her daughter’s hair, giving her a large smile. She shook the grocery bag in her right hand.

“I’ve got you a little surprise.” She said in russian, on a playful tone.

Immediately, the little girl let go to concentrate her attention toward the bag.

“What is it? Can I see? Can I see?” continued the child, in English.

“What’s the magic word?”

Lana slightly frowned, clearly annoyed.

“Plllleeeaaasssseee” she finally said, now speaking Russian.

With a smirk, Ludi kneeled down to her daughter’s height and got a little white cardboard box from out the bag.

“I got you some chocolat pastries.”

Lana threw her arms around her mother’s neck, hugging her with all the strength she had. From over the girl’s shoulder, Ludmilla crossed Zina’s eyes. She was sitting, in the living room’s corner, with quite a displeased look on her face. Ludi slightly tapped her daughter on the back.

“Could you put these in the kitchen Lana… I have to talk with Zina.”

Without a word, Lana grabbed the bag and almost skipped to the kitchen. Pastries were rare in the house… she couldn’t wait to savour one.. even if she knew her mom wouldn’t let her eat one until after supper.

Zina’s voice had the usual raspy, condescending tone.

“You spoil her too much.”

“Well, someone has too. It’s sure not going to be you…”

She took her jacket off, making sure her sweater still covered her Colt. She continued, before the old Russian woman could come charging back.

“I’ve got a little job for the next few days, so I won’t be able to come into work.”

“What about your responsibilities to your clients? You can’t just drop them?”

“Come on Zina, Varya is more than able to cover for me. Plus… she could use the extra work with all the sick days she’s been taking this week”

Zina permitted herself a short-lived smile.

“You better noy be going off with that…. That man.”

“No… I’ve just told you, I’ll be working.”

Ludmilla knew she had to close the topic, and fast, before things got out of hands.

“I’ll have almost two grand on the table in less than a week. We’ll be able to get a new couch… and Lana needs some new clothes.”

Zina opened her mouth, probably to protest against one thing or another, but once again, her niece cut her short.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous.” She threw over her shoulder, as she walked into the kitchen. Lana was unpacking the groceries, humming some song to herself.

As long as I don’t get caught.

“Can I help you cook mommy?”

“Of course!” she reached over to open the cupboard over the sink. “Here, you can do the sauce.”

21:32:12 Thursday 11, January 2063 – The Soren’s apartment, Renton

As she poured herself a cup of tea, Ludmilla kept replaying the events of the day in her head. She simply couldn’t help but feeling guilty. Sascha was sneaking behind Mikhail’s back… which made her feel very uncomfortable. Not only because of her feelings for Mikhail, but also because he was, after all, a sovetnik. A powerful figure not to be toyed with. What would happened if Mikhail ever learned of the operation Ludi was about to take part in? Would he cast her off like some dead weight? Would he have her killed? Would he be understanding and go after Sascha?

She blew on the hot cup of tea, trying to cool it off.

On the kitchen’s table, in front of her, stood a small holographic projector unit. Above it, floating in the air and slowly rotating, were the blueprints Sascha had given her. The job wasn’t particularly difficult. She had done that kind of operation for the Vory a dozen times over. But every mission she had ever been on, from the army to the shadows, had some risks. This one was no different. Ludi had no idea who owned the restaurant, or what kind of security would be on site. She’d have to start her day early tomorrow: morning exercises, get Lana to school, do some shopping, start the work at the workshop… and call Zeyda. The fixer was Ludi’s only outside contact… the only one she could go that wasn’t somehow connected to her comrades. Maybe he could give her some info on the place…

Ludi took a slow sip of tea.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

13:16:46 Friday 12 January, 2063 - Waterfront, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The kid just grinned at Eyes, the cocky little bastard, but he stood there saying nothing. A tug on his sleeve caused him to lose his focus on the kid for a split second as Angela said worriedly, “Who are you talking about James? Are you talking to me?”

Looking at her in confusion, he answered, “No Angela, I’m talking to…” his voice trailed off as he turned back to where the kid had been standing not a nanosecond ago, intending to point him out to Angela. The only problem was that the kid was gone.

Quickly switching his vision to astral, Eyes saw absolutely zero trace of the kid. On the physical or astral plane. How the frag can someone disappear like that? I swear I saw him standing in front of me! He was right here, and now he’s gone!? Where did the little punk go?

Pulling him a little closer to her, Angela said, “Forget about it James. Let’s just get going. It’s cold out here.”

With no clues, no evidence, and no kid, Eyes could only nod in agreement. As they continued walking through the snow towards the aquarium, Angela asked lightly, “So tell me, what have you been up to since the last time we talked?”

22:25:58 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Standing there, sipping from a glass of good añejo Tequila that he’d spotted collecting dust over in the corner of a bar that had no right to have it, he waited for Reign. Savoring the smoky, distinctive taste of the liquor and wishing the warmth in his throat would spread to the rest of his body, he went over in his mind how he’d tell her that this would have to be a short night, how he didn’t want to see her hurt over a cult’s sudden interest in him, how it would be better for him to stay away from her and her from him.

Tony looked out over the crowd from the upstairs cable-tie railing after he’d worked it out, not seeing her, thinking that she’d left early. Half of him was relieved that he’d never have to see her again if he didn’t want to; the other half that wanted to tell her to her face, to have at least one more night with her wanted another drink. Giving in , he made his way back to the bar and ordered another glass while finishing off the current one.

As the barkeep poured another measure from the antique corked bottle, he saw the commotion at the stairs, then saw her, parting the crowd, walking toward him. For a moment the motion of the club seemed to freeze, as if she and him were the only two in there, laser- and strobelight pouring over them Then, she began to dance…

Everything else was forgotten in those moments for him: associates, friends, people that he’d have called family had he been asked. Everything but her, and if any of the other people that he was peripherally aware of staring at her so much as made a move toward her, he’d have happily tossed them into the bottle rack of the bar and dared the others to come on.

“Hiya, stranger,” she said, after the kiss and relaxing in his arms.

“Hi yourself, cowgirl,” Tony said, running a calloused thumb over the top of her back. “You defiantly know how to make an entrance. Want a drink before I gotta kill one of these rubberneckers up here?” he drawled with a smile.

22:27:04 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign smiles, her eyes mischevious in the dancing light. She arches her back beneath Tony's hand, skin warm to his touch.

"Vodka cosmopolitan, if you please. I've been waiting for you."

She clears a space at the bar with a careless gesture, leaning against Tony.

22:28:12 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma
Giving the order to the bartender that appeared as the spot at the bar opened up, he sipped from his tequila, gently stroking the underside of her forearm as they waited on the drink.

"Sorry, duty calls," Tony said apologetically. “I was almost thinking you wouldn’t wait for me. I didn’t see you at first, then I couldn't miss you,” he said, as the cosmo was delivered.

22:28:49 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

"You know you're going to make it up to me."

Reign sips from her drink, the wicked smile once more caressing her lips.

22:29:32 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Finishing the last slug from his drink and motioning for another, he grabbed Reign and kissed her again, matching her ferocity from their earlier embrace and trying to ward off the impending sense of reality that was trying to intrude on him. None of that tonight he thought, downing half of the three fingers of tequila that appeared in his grasp as if to keep the present’s grip off of him for a few minutes.

Motioning her over to a suddenly empty booth, and giving another couple a go-to-hell look in the process, he asked conversationally, “You know I will. I just want to know one thing: how long did that dress take to get on?” punctuating the question with a wide grin.

22:31:37 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign slides into the booth next to Tony, chuckling.

"You're always so interested in how long it takes me to get dressed. I think it's just a thin disguise for your calculation of how long it's going to take to get me out of my clothes."

She paused to sip from her drink again, favoring Tony with soft smile.

"Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

13:17:07 Friday 12 January, 2063 - Entering Seattle Aquarium, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes frowned and glanced back at the empty spot where he swore he saw the kid. "Going insane, apparently," he replied absently, a dry chuckle escaping from his lips. Either someone had hacked his eyes and displayed the image of that kid directly on them, or he was seeing things. Ironically, Eyes was actually hoping that the latter was true and he was just going insane, considering how nearly impossible it would be to hack a pair of eyes that hadn't been connected to the Matrix since the previous evening and to display such an image on them.

Shaking his head, Eyes turned back to the person he knew was there. "Um, really I was just chasing a stupid idea," he said, to actually answer her question. "Remember that idea I had back in freshman year? That whole 'Opt-in Citizenship' thing where people only buy into programs they want? The others were all a bit lukewarm to the idea, but I figured it could work, better than this whole SIN system anyway."

"Well, turns out corporate America thought it about as stupid as everyone else did," Eyes said, shaking his head. "I ended up getting a job in IT. Never really got anywhere because I was always bugging the higher-ups, trying to change things, improve conditions, whatever my crusade-of-the-day was. So I never got anywhere, got my supervisors pissed at me, then got canned a few months ago as part of someone else's scheme to get a promotion. The end."

He chuckled. "I guess you could say I did about as well as a corporate visionary as I did as a freedom fighter," he said to Angela, giving her a sheepish grin. "So how about you? Is everything really as death-and-taxes as Carla made it out to be?"

22:29:55 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

“Hey, it’s an honest question,” Tony said, raising up both hands and leaning back in the booth in a mock protestation of honesty. “I just don’t want to spoil the joy of seeing you in an outfit like that by taking you out of it too early. And if last night’s any measure, it didn’t take you very long, now did it? ” he finished, leaning back forward in the booth and grinning broadly.

13:31:40 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

"Because if you were comrade," Ivan responds, "you would tell me, da?" Ivan took a few more steps forward, carefully putting the street to his back. If they were there to attack him, it was sloppy.

"What can I be doing for you?"

13:32:16 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

"Cross just said to give you this," the human in front said in a raspy voice, reaching into his pocket in a slow, exagerrated motion. Just as slowly and non-threatingly, he pulled out a small disposable cell phone.

"So, you want to take this, or do you want him to toss it over?" the ork said sarcastically, arms still held up as his partner held out the phone.

13:32:35 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

Ivan didn't appreciate sarcasm, and he let the ork know by walking up very close to him. Ivans height snuck up on people and they didn't realize it till they were looking almost directly up at him.

"Thanks comrade, I will take it," with a slow motion he let his huge hand engulf the orks smaller one and slip the cell phone into it.

"Anything else?"

2310.56 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Cooper's Firearms, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

With two golden pistols, freshly shined, Marq leaves the security of his weapon shop, and heads out for The Last Drop. Planning to arrive a bit early to make a once around the coffee shop, he fires up the Caddy and heads for the nearest freeway entrance.

22:04:46 Tuesday, 09 January, 2063 - One Lincoln Tower

Checking his telecom for messages, Max finds that Robert has send him file containing the promised information: Medical reports for Cynthia, as well as a before and after picture. Additionally, all of his research on SURGE in general and his daughter’s condition specifically is there.

There is also a voice message. “Mr. Steiner, it’s Robert. I talked to Hideo, and he said he was supposed to be meeting with you tomorrow morning anyway, and the two of you could work out the details of your camp visit then. Let me know if that’s ok with you, and call me if you need anything else.”

He pauses. “Thank you so much for your help Mr. Steiner. Thank you.” The message ends, and Max downloads the files, browsing through them as he waits for John Silverbird to arrive.

As expected, nothing that Robert has found so far is really new to Max, who did a good job of keeping up to date with the latest research. It’s obvious that Mr. Wong is a very good scientist and researcher, but he was running into the wall everyone else was running into. There simply had not been enough time to do enough experiments to come to solid conclusions. Most of the research out there led only to more questions and speculation, and there were precious few solid facts to base even their experimental assumptions on. It would probably be years before anyone truly understood SURGE.

Shaking his head, Max knew the answers, whatever they were, would be some time in coming, and it would be even longer before they were of use to anyone. Of course, that was if Hideo and his team didn’t succeed, and suddenly remembering the purpose of the project Hideo hoped to hire him for, Max wondered if success would be a good or bad thing…

14:35:13 Tuesday, 09 January, 2063 - Buses and Monorails and Trains, Oh My!

Scanning through the documents provided, Alleycat notes the relevant facts and details, while mentally noting any areas for further questions or follow up.

23:53:18 Thursday 11 January 2063 - The Last Drop, Auburn, Seattle, UCAS

The tables and chairs that normally spill out onto the sidewalk for patrons to sit and enjoy their coffee are stacked against the walls of the small coffee shop, covered with a heavy mantle of snow. The lack of ready seating creates a warm but crowded atmosphere in the store, students in oversized UW:S sweatshirts jostling with night shift workers in heavy canvas jumpsuits and parkas. Marquis sees nothing particularly threatening about the shop or its neighborhood as he approaches, although it is something of an unusual spot to pick for a meet. He holds the door for a young couple to leave before stepping inside. A quick survey of the shop gives something of an answer to his earlier question. While small and crowded, the coffee shop seems a small haven of civility in a rough blue-collar neighborhood. The lady ork barista favors him with a smile before turning her attention back to the next customer in line. While coffee sounds good, Marq is more interested in the man leaning against the wall pretending to browse the headlines of the newspaper in his hands. With one last glance around, he heads in that direction.

22:30:09 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign's eyes flash dangerously, a tension rippling through her body.

"What, exactly, are you implying by that statement?"

13:33:20 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

The ork isn't intimidated by Ivan's movements, even though he's giving up close to a meter in height. “You fragging..” he snarls out before the human, who’s released the phone and stepped back can react, shutting him up with a quick backhand to the chest.

“We’ll be goin’,” the human rasps out. “Keep dat phone on you, Cross’ll call here in justa bit,” he says, moving back toward the car. The ork hesitates for a second, then backs his way to the car with a slightly frustrated look on his face.

As they reach the car, the phone, barely the size of Ivan’s thumb, begins to vibrate with an incoming call

22:31:01 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Does that foot taste good, idiot? Tony’s smile vanished, and he placed an elbow on the table and ran his finger around the rim of the lowball glass he had. “What I’m saying is that you’re a woman that knows what she wants and isn’t scared to go out and get it,” he drawled, fueled a bit by the tequila and by how he felt when around her. Don't push her away by being a fragging zurramato.

Stopping his hand and meeting her eyes, he continued, “I like that about you. It’s the reason I came back out here tonight to see you. That dress and the dance are just icing on the cake,” he finished in a low tone, still looking in her eyes.

22:31:29 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

"Good, because I'd hate to think you were implying that I was easy, or something like."

Reign tasted her drink again, eyes cast sideways, letting the tension of the moment stretch. Then, with a sly smile playing about her lips, she continues in the playful tone of voice that's marked the banter between her and Tony so far.

"I just don't think my fragile ego could handle it. You'd shatter my self-image, leave me broken in pieces on the ground. I do believe I might cry."

13:35:00 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

Careful not to smash the phone, Ivan activates it with his nail and then holds it to his ear. "Da?"

13:35:25 Thursday 11 January 2063- Ivan’s Apartment, South Seattle, UCAS

A clear hiss of static from the encryption hits the line. It vanishes a second later, replaced by another construct: a smoothy metallic sounding human voice.

"It's Cross. I just caught up with that courier this morning; scared kid was holed up out in some shack in Snohomish. I thought that your phone might be tagged, so I got you another one. What happened?"

22:31:57 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

“Ha fraggin Ha,” Tony deadpanned, trying not to roll his eyes either in self-embarrassment or from just not getting the joke. Last time I fall for that from her he thought, relaxing and finishing his drink. The tension from a moment ago was threatening to interrupt the onset of a good buzz from the tequila.

“You cry? You mean you can do that?” Tony said, mock-incredulously. “Before your ego gets shattered, you could give me some dance lessons,” he drawls, smirking and trying to defelct attention from his semi-heartfelt statement earlier.

22:32:13 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign laughs.

"I don't think it would be my ego that was shattered if I gave you some dance lessons. My toes, maybe, but not my ego."

She stands, a faint ringing as the coins on her belt and choli jangle against one another. Almost subconsciously her hips find the rhythm of the music, swaying back and forth like the hypnotic dance of a cobra.

"But if you'd like to dance with me...." She lets the statement hang, holding out her hands to Tony. She's already dancing, though, twirling first her left, then her right, shoulders rolling in counterpoint to the snap of her hips.

22:32:35 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

“Sink or swim?” Tony said with a raised eyebrow as Reign began gyrating in front of him. The beat she was dancing to was hard and quick, but very regular at the moment and easy to pick out.

Doing his best to try and not slam one of his booted feet on her sandaled toes, he got as close to her as he could and still maintain some space and tried to match her rhythm. The tequila loosened his muscles enough to attempt to keep up, for the moment, he only succeeded in keeping a steady half-beat off from her hip movements with his own hips.

Watch her hips, watch the toes. Watch her hips, watch the toes he kept repeating to himself, waiting for the next stanza to try and catch up, looking for all the world like a drunken half-statue caught on-stage with a concert ballerina.

22:32:47 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Smiling, Reign swaps the rhythm of her hips for her shoulders, matching Tony's movements on the off-beat. With a sinuous flutter, she captures his hands in her own, pressing them down until they rest just around her waist. He can feel the warm flush of her skin against the cool web of fiber optic wire, and she twists seductively in his hands. After a moment, they're swaying in time with the beat, while she's moved her shoulders back off-beat. The counterpoint is breathtaking as she arches her back, winding her arms over her head, laserlight dancing across the naked skin of her torso.

23:53:35 Thursday 11 January 2063 - The Last Drop, Auburn, Seattle, UCAS

Marquis heads over to the now familiar stranger. "Reading the funnies?" Marq asks the man, as he grabs a piece of wall next to him.

23:53:48 Thursday 11 January 2063 - The Last Drop, Auburn, Seattle, UCAS

The man folds the paper in his hand, his strange pale eyes sweeping across the occupants of the coffeeshop before coming to rest on Marquis.

"In a manner of speaking. I appreciate your flexibility in this matter. I have a simple delivery task for you. The drop off is an office suite, 10441 Pacific Court Way Suite 104. The package is a simple duffle, thirty five by thirty five by sixty centimeters, weighing twenty five kilos. The package must be delivered inside the office suite. It does not matter to whom, the occupants of the office will know who the delivery is for. Payment is fifteen hundred nuyen, all up front."

22:33:01 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma


Tony, now momentarily caught up on the hip rhythm, can’t seem to match Reign’s smooth shoulder movements. His seem rougher, less practiced, more utilitarian than her graceful and planned moves: every attempt he makes just doesn’t seem natural to him, and he gives up after a few tries to focus on his feet. Now though, the whole effect seems less like the drunken statue he was before and more like someone being led in a dance. Someone really good leading someone with two left feet in a dance, but it still didn't look as bad as before.

As she arches her back, he gets caught with the same white-indigo afterimage from the fiber optics catching the laserlight. This time, he’s a little more prepared for it and places a hand a couple of centimeters from the small of her back, just in case she wants to fall back.

23:53:58 Thursday 11 January 2063 - The Last Drop, Auburn, Seattle, UCAS

Without even contemplating the job, Marq replies, "Is there a time limit?"

23:54:17 Thursday 11 January 2063 - The Last Drop, Auburn, Seattle, UCAS

"The package is to be delivered on Saturday at ten a.m. It must be as close to ten as possible as the office does not stay open long on the weekend. We will deliver the package to your place of business tomorrow night at six p.m."

22:33:01 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

There was something elemental about Reign's movements, as if her dance had tapped into an undercurrent of raw emotional power. Tony had felt it that first night in his apartment, how it seemed that she'd drawn in energy from the ground, from the very air that surrounded her. Her eyes shone like torches through the smoky dimness of the club, her skin was bonfire hot. She was a portal for ancient energies, pouring through her like a cataphract. It was intoxicating, infectious. Tony could see the other dancers responding to her as well, eyes and bodies drawn by the blazing wraith in their midst. Bystanders abandoned their poses of affected disinterest, leaning forward in eager anticipation.

22:33:29 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

As the dance ended, Tony felt Reign’s hot skin next to his, contrasted nicely by the cool fiber optic mesh of her clothing when she gracefully leaned against him as the DJ switched to another track in his arsenal. Whatever this crowd was on do they spike the drinks with Kamikaze or something here if you ask?, he felt it as well, bone deep desire along with a sense that he couldn’t take his eyes off her for long. Apparently a chromed up razorguy enjoying the show felt the same way, and while the look he was giving wasn’t exactly calling him out for a fight, Tony thought it best to get both of them back in the booth and away from the freakshow that was gathering around them before all hell broke loose. The tension in the crowd was palatable as he led her back to their seating place

Sliding into the booth and taking a slug of tequila, he leans over toward her. “Thanks for the lesson. Where did you learn to do that to people?” he says, trying and not entirely succeeding in keeping an aura of cool around him.

22:34:03 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign downs the rest of her drink, dabbing at the base of her neck with the small square napkin.

"Do what to people? Oh, the dance?" She shrugs, glancing back to the floor where eyes still seek her out.

"People see what they want to see. It's really the music that does it, you just have to open yourself to the beat."

Her smile grows wicked and teasing.

"Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a good set of hips, either."

22:34:47 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Tony waives for the waitress to bring both him and Reign another round. Lifting her hair from her neck and quickly fanning the back of her neck to cool her off and damn, she is hot he thinks, feeling the heat radiate from her and looking at the teasingly skimpy outfit she has on, he looks appraisingly at her, eyebrow raised.

“Yep, they are nice,” he says with a straight face, just before the waitress brings the next round, almost spilling the cosmo in her haste to get to the next order from a couple at the end of the row of booths overlooking the dance floor. Although the DJ is well into his set and the freaks (some in outfits even more outrageous than Reign’s) are out dancing, a few eyes still linger in this direction gazing wantonly at her. Tony picks them out, classing them mostly as posers except for a gillette, not a razorguy that is still eyeballing them. What spell did she have on them? What does she have on me? he thinks, taking a sip of tequila to drown out that intrusion of reality.

Tony smiles broadly, released from his straight act. “The outfit doesn’t hurt either. Where did you learn how to move like that?” he asks in his drawl, still fanning the back of her neck while she holds her hair up.

13:19:33 Friday 12 January, 2063 - Entering Seattle Aquarium, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Angela looks at him a little funny when he snaps back to reality (assuming that the kid was just a figment of his imagination), but shrugs her shoulders at his explanation, and listens attentively. After he's finished, she answers, "In some ways, it's actually worse."

Eyes raises his eyes at this, but she looks ahead and continues, "Think about it. In today's world, how idealistic do you think people are anymore? How many people really believe in something worth believing in, and then go work towards it? It's too easy to quit, or get killed, or scared, or tired, or burned out, or too jaded and cynical, or just flat out bought off." She says the last without a trace of venom, but then again, she didn't really need to. He got the point.

"There's not a lot of us left who really believe enough to lay our lives on the line for our principles James. Carla might be bitter and angry, but it's only because she cares. And there've been too many people who've abandoned us over the years for her not to feel hurt. Friends, lovers, family, you know how it goes."

She wasn't exactly twisting the knife, but her words hurt nonetheless. Probably because they were true.

Abruptly changing the subject, she asks, "So what have you been up to since entering the shadows? Becoming a shadowrunner had to entail more than just saying, 'the end' of the corporate life and starting a new one. What's it been like running the shadows?"

22:35:04 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign smiles.

"Weren't you ever young? Didn't you want to be something else when you grew up? A firefighter? An astronaut? An explorer? I wanted to be a dancer when I was young."

22:36:15 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

"Belive it or not, I wanted to be a farmer when I was a kid," Tony
said, looking down at his drink and smiling. "It seemed like a fun thing
to be when you're still a boy, playing with all the machinery out in the
fields," he said, remembering how he used to love watching a combine or
tractor wheeling in a bright green soybean field. He took a hit of his drink
before Andie could intrude, but he felt her weight on his feelings nonetheless.

Tony looked up again, still with a smile but tinged with a bit of nostalga.
"At least one of us got to be what we wanted. Or a little bit of it. You seem like a better dancer than I would be a farmer,"

13:21:19 Friday 12 January, 2063 - Seattle Aquarium, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes sighed again and gave Angela a dead, unblinking, emotionless stare. It was his game face, the same stare he wore on every 'job' he'd done for the University, the one he learned back in grade school to never show people anger or fear. Most people saw that look and saw only the mechanical eyes, thinking he was as soulless as those machines, but he knew Angela would see it was a deeply hurt look, a glare to ward off pain.

Abruptly, Eyes turned away to feed money the aquarium's entrance. "You're probably the only one who's called me that this week who knows how much I detest it," he said, staring resolutely away. "Shadowrunner." He spat the word out, dirt on his tongue. "Fools who think they're bucking a corrupt system, all the while propping it up on a pile of dead bodies."

He turned back to Angela, a softer expression on his face. "I don't know why you're trying so hard to insult me, or 'put me in my place;' whatever it is, just- just stop. Please. Stop. No matter how much you want to act like I owe you something, like my giving you years out of my life entitles you to the rest of it, remember this: you, came to me." They caved first, thank God. "That must've hurt, and I'm sorry for that, but please don't blame me for it. Frankly it's not my fault."

Eyes made a sound between a grunt and a sigh and glanced away at the nearest tank, which happened to be filled with sharks. "That's three times I've lost it today," he muttered aloud, "So much for a happy reunion, huh?"

22:38:28 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Emerald green eyes regard Tony with a piercing gaze, softened only by the small, bittersweet smile that plays across lushly painted lips. Reign nods, as if confirming a private observation, and takes another sip from her drink.

"It's not all that hard to believe at all. There's an aspect of the warrior mythos that deals with the origins of the perfect warrior. In more than one story, both modern and ancient, the hero is a simple man, a farmer. You remember the movie Gladiator X that came out, oh, eight or nine years ago? It was a remake of an older flatvid, but they kept one of the important opening scenes, when the General is talking to his first commander about what he'll do after the war is over. He talks about going home to his wife and son, to his farm, to live a good life. There's a lot of bushido literature about the concept as well, but it's become more and more difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction thanks to the popular media's fascination with all things Sino."

Reign falls silent, tracing the rim of her martini glass with a single manicured finger. When she looks up again, a complex weave of emotions dance behind her eyes, a shifting collage of sadness, lust, pain, curiosity, and regret.

"So, tell me why you're here with me, a warrior rather than a farmer?"

13:24:03 Friday 12 January, 2063 - Seattle Aquarium, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes had his reasons for responding the way he did. A lot of questions, doubts and issues long buried had been rudely dragged to the forefront of his life in the last few hours, and certainly he’d been avoiding them this long for a reason. That said, as soon as he turned to the aquarium away from Angela he knew he’d said the wrong thing. Actually, a lot of wrong things.

“How dare you?” Angela’s voice was low and taut with anger. “Insult you? Put you in your place? Act like you owe us something? I cannot believe that you have the, the nerve to speak to me like that!” Her hands clench into fists by her side, and for a moment Eyes wonders if she’s actually going to take a swing at him. When she speaks again, her voice is practically shaking.

“You’re the one who just up and left. You’re the one who never gave us any explanation where you’d gone or why. You’re the one who wanted to use our resources, which, I might add, we let you do, even though you left without so much as a goodbye. You’re the one who turned your back on everything you believed in to join the corporate rat race, and then when you decided you didn’t like that anymore, you’re the one who decided to become a shadowrunner. And now you want to play the martyr? You want to stand there acting hurt that we’re angry with you, all while taking some kind of smug self-righteous satisfaction that we came to you for help?”

Eyes wants to answer, to defend himself against the stream of accusations flowing from her mouth, but she refuses to let him get a word in. “You stand there acting like you’re so hurt that I ask you about being a shadowrunner, when all I’m trying to do is be polite and catch up with you. Did I agree with your choices? No. Do I respect your choices? No. Do I respect your right to make your own choices? Yes. All I did was ask you about what it’s been like since someone decided they didn’t want to talk to me anymore. And what happens? You want to claim all this pain and misery and sorrow and loneliness and hurt and suffering for yourself, but never once do you think about anyone you left behind, or how they feel!”

Her voice rises to almost a shriek, and she stamps her foot on the ground in complete disgust. “And you have the audacity to say it’s not your fault! Then tell me something James, whose fault is it?”

22:40:57 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Tony looked into her eyes, trying to gauge exactly how to answer her. Careful. Look too long and you’ll get lost in there he thought to himself, his inclination toward privacy clashing with his wanting to just flat out tell her, to try to unburden himself in some really odd version of confession.

In the end, he wasn’t drunk enough to lay everything out, but Reign had something of him pegged. Tacking close enough to the truth without giving too much away, while hard as long as he was around her and looking into those eyes, seemed a better path than either an outright lie or the truth.

“With you as warrior instead of a farmer? Ok, I’ll bite,” Tony said, sipping a bit of the tequila and savoring the downward burn, looking at her with a faraway look in his eyes. “Lots of things really, lots of reasons. Mainly, it’s just time and life: a fight on a schoolyard when I was a kid, got hooked up with a small corp ‘cause of it. Then I blink my eyes and I’m here in Seattle and being a farmer isn’t really an option anymore. Not much else is really an option either, ‘cept to do what I’d been doing. I can’t say that it’s a great life, but it’s my life. After taking orders for so long, it makes most everything else worth it,” Tony drawls softly in his low baritone, the accent and the alcohol pulling and stretching syllables.

Refocusing on her and smiling slightly, meeting Reign’s eyes and feeling a bit of the curiosity and regret there mirrored in his own, he continues “Enough of my sob story. Tell me, though: Why are you here with a warrior as a dancer?” he said, wanting to hear what she would say.

22:41:19 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

"I'm no dancer, I only said I wanted to be when I was younger." Reign smiled, holding Tony's eyes with her unsettling gaze.

"I just move the way I feel. As to why I'm here with you? You already know the answer to that, much as though you've tried to hide it. You're a samurai, a veteran among these youngbloods. I see it in your eyes, where you look, how you move. Violence lives within you. It's exciting. Arousing. Intoxicating."

A small shiver rolls through her shoulders, and she slides her way around the booth, settling astride Tony's lap. The coins embroidered into her choli ring softly as she kisses him, her body warm against his.

22:42:45 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

For his part, Tony felt relieved at what Reign had said, once their kiss had broken up. She was certainly interesting, and probably some adrenaline junky or violence fetishist. Especially with her whipping up the crowd like she did. Probably wanted a fight, just to see it happen he thought, not thinking to be upset with her.

She certainly had part of him pegged, but it wasn’t like he was going out of his way to hide who and what he was; last night he’d all but told her, and someone that seemed as perceptive and worldly as she did could put two and two together. Her crack about being the veteran in here may have been a little off, though: the gillette from earlier was still eyeing them from the moving crowd at head of the stairs, and she didn’t look like this was her first rodeo.

As she laid over to the inside of the booth, leaving a leg perched over his lap as she lay next to him, he thought to himself Just who are you? Definitely not a sculpter. We’ll find out, though. “I’m just glad I didn’t break any of your toes,” Tony said, trying to instill some levity into the conversation. “You wanna go get something to eat? If you want to dance some more, I’m gonna have to beat off that razorgirl that’s been staring at us since my last lesson,” he said, tipping his drink in that direction before taking a sip.

22:43:04 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign smiles, levering herself to an upright position and staring across the floor at the gilette. The razorgirl returns the stare, blue chrome cybereyes glittering in the laserlit dimness of the club. After a moment, Reign turns back to Tony, a slight, dangerous smile on her face.

"Dinner would be lovely. What did you have in mind?"

22:43:37 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

"Hmm, good question," Tony said, having a sudden bit of inspiration to try to determine a bit about this woman. "Well, since I took you to a place of mine last night, take me to a place of yours tonight. Any place you want. Still my treat," he said, sipping his drink and noticing the bright blue eyes in his peripherial vision.

22:43:55 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma

Reign laughs, shimmying her hips so the coins along her belt jangle again.

"I'm not really dressed for it, but I suppose just this once they'll make an exception."

She glances over her shoulder, searching for the chrome queen. But the razorgirl is nowhere to be seen. Darkness flickers across her face, a raw, dangerous emotion. Her smile is back in a second, though, wickedly eager, and she beckons to Tony. Together, they descend the stairs to the main entrance, where Reign collects a dark crimson cloak. Draping it around her shoulders, she draws the cowl up over her head. The night welcomes them with an icy embrace.

23:08:12 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Alborz Restaurant, 2838 Westmere Ave S, Bellvue

The parking lot around back has only two other cars beside's Tony's, and the restaurant is totally empty save for the two of them. Reign throws back the cowl on her shoulders, but keeps the cloak on, glancing around the small room with a soft smile. Barely a dozen tables fill the dining room, while along the west wall runs a counter behind which hides the kitchen. Faux stone freizes decorate the walls, and a pair of winged lions stand guard at the doorway. She holds up a hand in pause to the waitress, a woman of indeterminate age dressed in a heavy black skirt and long sleeved blouse, giving Tony time to peruse the menu.

"Pretty much everything here is good, but if you're uncertain, the gyros plate is a perennial favorite." Reign smiles.

23:12:01 Friday, 12 January 2063 - Alborz Restaurant, 2838 Westmere Ave S, Bellvue

"That sounds great, I think I’ll take it. A carafe of wine to go along as well, whatever matches her choice," Tony said after a quick scan of the menu. Greek food wasn’t exactly his favorite, but this place seemed to him like the Spirit in its own way; some little place you never heard of and probably had to be dragged to the first time by a friend, only to discover an off the map gem that was packed every other time you showed up. As it was, the menu assumed a cultural awareness that Tony didn’t have, and he was happy to have someone point out an item.

The waitress took Reign’s order and strode off toward the swinging door to the kitchen to get the wine, plastic heels clacking on the faux-flagstone floor. “It’s a nice place. Great ambiance,” he said, smirking a bit. “And just how did you get us in here?” he said, raising an eyebrow.