One for the Money, Two for the Charm (Solomon)(COMPLETE)

One week.

There abouts anyway. Since that man had broken into her lab. Solomon Grendel. He had left an impression, and a desire to tighten the outter perimeter security. So she had. It would be much harder for someone to get in. She had replaced and recoded a new key pad for the front door. The windows had silent alarms on them, as well as pressure pads outside that would also trigger them. She had done a lot of improvements to the security she could not afford to hope that every criminal would be as understanding as Solomon had been when they ended up working together to bring down Nathan and his son Thomas.

Thomas had been fired less than 24 hours after his father was arrested for having illegal and stolen New Dawn inventions. Imagine his surprise when he had only been arrested for having the prototype. Blue had enjoyed watching Thomas' face when she still showed up with her pistol, in proper working order mind you. Not to mention, when the TG came in and arrested him for being an accomplice to his father's illegal activities.

No information could be found on the man that supposedly stole the device or how Nathan got it in his hands. But, the TG sure was happy that Blue had put a tracking device in the prototype because it made things a lot easier. Blue had explained the tracking device by saying she did so with all her latest prototypes just incase. And if they checked, all the pistol prototypes had them, just incase.

Mother fucker! Blue cursed as she sighed. From underneath a car. It was strange to see a car in her lab but someone in the complex had wanted it fixed up, and outfitted so that the bigwigs could ride in comfort AND safety. .. Pansy ass bitches! Al! I need a damned wrench, the third one.

A pale grease covered hand with a few bleeding cuts came out from under the car and waited as Albert headed off to the tool box picked up the tool that was needed and came back over to Blue droping the wrench in her hand. Blue caught it smoothely and the hand disappeared back underneath the car.

This think was a piece of crap! Who ever had bought this piece of crap for New Dawn should be made to drive it like this for a couple months see if they still think it was such a great deal. It wasn't. The work, the parts, the paint, the polish, AND not to mention the upgrades were going to make this bastard a true beast to get done. Luckily, she didn't really have a deadline but Blue liked to work hard and work fast, get things done and as quickly as possible. Keep her job, keep the bosses happy, and get on to other projects.

The hand reached out again and grabbed the oil pan and the body underneath, represented by a single pair of black shoes scooted over, and as she loosened the bolt to let the oil drain she slid the pan underneath so that the oil would drain and not stain her floor.

Don't know when I quit being a Lead Inventor and started being a fucking car mechanic she muttered to herself as she slid herself on the little wheeling cart back out from under the car. Wearing a basic pair of black jeans and a stained teal colored tank top showing more of her figure and some of her pale skin. Her hair was pulled back but it was a mess, she clearly wasn't expecting anyone to be coming over as she grabbed a rag off the floor and began wiping her bleeding oil and grease covered hands on it. Like it would do much good.

Solomon suspected there might be a bit of tighter security around the place he had visited a week ago, but really Blue went all out it seemed. He had his work cut out for him as he carefully made his way through the outer perimeter. He almost stepped on the stupid pressure plates three times before finally slipping up to the front door. Well, actually they were pretty good pressure plates, he barely caught those three.

He had left almost all of his usual gear out of his sub-space pocket this time around. There were more important things to fill it with. As luck would have it, he had what he needed when he got to the door. Took him almost ten minutes to get the thing open even with that, a lot of time to be out where others could see. But he managed to get through finally and slipped inside.

Blue was working on a car when he entered. He chuckled silently to himself as he slipped over to a desk that was reasonably empty near where the inventor was working. Quietly, he cleared a space and set out what he had brought in his pocket. That was the nice thing about his pocket, made stuff easier to carry and it came out in exactly the same state as when he put the item into it. Then he began to wait.

It wasn't long before Blue pushed herself out from underneath the car and began muttering about how the bosses were treating her it seemed. He waited a moment, just to enjoy the view before he spoke. "Well that is the problem with being so talented, everybody wants you to help them with your skills."

If Blue turned toward Styx, she would see he had set out dishes, silverware, a small assortments of food, a bottle of wine, a candle and a small gift wrapped bundle with the tag 'Blue' on it. Styx himself was leaning against the desk. "Now if I know you, you haven't eaten anything decent in the past 24 hours. So how about you take a break and join me for some dinner." He paused giving the car a look. "Unless you really want to keep working on that particular project, but if you wait to long your food will get cold. And don't forget to open your present."

What was in the package wasn't really that special. They were small plates of metal similar to the one he had destroyed the first time around in Blue's lab. A few because he had no idea what sort of metal it was that he destroyed or that different metals had so many different alloys and compositions and were metal plates really that expensive? Oh, he knew his friends in the black market had given him a discount from what they usually charged people, but it was unreal what they had asked for the one on the bottom. But it had sort of looked like the correct stuff.

Actually it all looked like sort of the correct stuff. Next time he destroyed something he was going to ask what it was, so if he had to get a replacement he knew what he was buying. Hopefully the one Blue had wanted was going to be in there so she could use it for... whatever it was she was going to use it for.

Blue jumped at the sound of his voice.

She turned to see him there leaning against one of her work tables with a grin on his face. Always with that grin. He had set out a whole meal of food that smelled absolutely delicious and a bottle of wine of all things. There was a package that had her name on it, that much she could see from here, and he was looking all very smug. Of course, he had gotten in but she knew that it hadn't been easy. And she could have made it impossible but she didn't want anyone accidentally walking by to trigger some kind of death trap.

And here you are again. That's twice now you have broken into my lab. I hope this time it's for more honorable intentions.

Blue hoisted herself up off the floor wiping her grubby hands on the rag that she had taken out of her pocket. He was saying something about bringing her dinner. How he was certain she hadn't had anything really decent to eat in the last twenty four hours and her brows rose. Spying on me again? It's really not becomming, this whole secretive stalking.

She chuckled as he asked if she was going to keep working on her project or if she was going to come have dinner with him. She walked over to the table, letting her eyes run over the work table as if she was trying to decide if it was worth her time. Her lips pursed as she tossed her rag onto the floor and tilted her head in thought. Her eyes ran over him as well.

Well I do have a box of creme filled sponge cakes over in my desk so... I don't know.... And then she looked back over at the car. She hated seeing that thing all together. There was so much work to be done he could come by next week and she would still be probably working on the stupid thing. She was over it all ready, she liked the smaller, faster, more precise projects. But still, she would do as asked, and it would be badass at the end.

But you brought wine, and a gift, I suppose I will wash my hands then.

Blue headed off towards the large industrial sized metal sink that she had in the corner and she pulled a mostly orange bottle of crap towards her and piled a good bit of it into her palms and began to run the gritty nasty spelling fluid on her arms. It began to clean the grease and things, but stung in the cuts that she had forgotten she had until right this moment. She then turned on the sink with the back of her hand and washed her hands all the way up to her elbows letting the pukey orange scent wash down the drain. She grabbed a clean towel off of a pile to the right and turned around making her way back to Solomon and the dinner he had brought.

What did you bring me? she asked as she grabbed up the gift. Afterall, it was right there, she didn't think it was something she had to wait til after dinner to open. She pulled open the box and she grinned. Metal. Metal sheets. Perfect. She pulled out the different ones that he had gotten her, and looked them over. They were virtually spotless. They must have cost him a fortune but oh.. at the bottom. Titanium she whispered, highly rare, very valuable, she grinned and looked up at him with her eyes sparkling. Best gift I've ever gotten from a man, thank you.

She lifted the box, heavy as it was, easily and moved it over to a different work table. She cleared off room by pushing some old crap off and into a box, for just that reason on the floor. Then she came back to the table so that they could eat. Bringing two rolling stools with her from around the back of the work station.

Let's eat shall we?

Solomon chuckled again lightly and made his best bow. "I'm hurt milady Blue, that you would think I had anything less then honorable intentions... this time." Besides, as a general rule you didn't hit the same place twice. And he had said that he would come and visit again. But he would understand if she hadn't believed him then. Now she knew better.

"It's not spying, it's tradition. Besides, how else was I suppose to figure out the layout of the new security. And I wouldn't want to damage your reputation by having others know your being visited by a known thief." He moved from his position on the desk and positioned himself a polite distance from Blue for a second meeting of getting to know one another. He didn't even bother saying anything when she mentioned the sponge cake. And the wait while she washed her hands was only to be expected.

Then she picked up the gift and his smile grew soft as she looked over the gift he had prepared. "Friend I know made me a good deal, since most people that want sheets of metal seem to want bigger sizes. And I did destroy that one here in your lab, only fair I replace it if I'm going to barge in like this." He laughed softly as she moved the gift out of the way and brought over two rolling stools.

"Well certainly, we have a lovely elven dish that I never could pronounce right, but it is lamb slowly sauteed with an herbal spice, stuffed tomatoes, grilled romaine salad, and Potato gratins. And for the wine we have a lovely red to compliment the taste. Would you like a sample?" Styx moved to the bottle of wine and picked up a corkscrew from the table. Opening it, he set the cork to the side and poured a small amount into Blue's glass before pouring the rest into the Decanter. Swirling the glass slightly, he offered it to Blue.

It was easy.

The way she could talk to Solomon. She didn't feel like she was fumbling over everything she said the way she did with most people, men more than women. Course, she also wasn't talking over their heads about some project the way that she tended to without meaning to. they were just talking, and since he was back for her and not for the gun this time she guessed he wanted them to get to know each other a little better. She had honestly never expected to see him again. He had done his job, probably got paid for it and went about his way

But here he was, again.

Not that she minded, she was actually very happy to see him. A welcome distraction that much was for sure. As she perched herself up on the stool he began to describe that he had brought an elven lamb dish that he couldn't pronounce but as he listed the ingrediants her eyes got wider.

You got the mil-ahl-susaoh, oh.. oh that's one of my favorites. There is this bistro, that this woman owns, I know. She's elven, and the bistro is set up in a large tree like structure with a huge back garden. I go there, and a lot of the times I order this.


The elven rolled off her tongue easily, a true native speaker of the language she grabbed one of the plates that had been set off to the side and she served herself a fairly healthy portion of the food considering that she was a thin woman. But she worked hard as a man, and burned a lot of calories most of the time skipping many means before she realized that she was famished and gorgued herself on whatever populated the drawers that she had filled when she sent someone out to shop for her.

Yes please. she said as he put a taste of the wine in her glass. She held it up and closed her eyes inhaling the rich aroma. To be honest she didn't get the whole wine enthusiast thing but it was always a good smell. She took a sip and it really did compliment the lamb very well. She held her glass out so that he could fill it up more for her since the taste had apparently gone very well.

So what have you been up to then? I have seen something in the news regarding you, but I never pay much attention to the television. So have you been behaving or are you on the run? she chuckled a bit as she ate the food that he had brought for her. It was heavenly and she had to admit that she was really glad he had come. He was here across from her like they were friends. Maybe they were.

"Mel-ahl... Mil-eh... Mil-aldamn it, I can cook the thing but can't get the name right for the life of me." Solomon gave the food a look a mock cross look before shaking his head. "But I'm glad I made something that you enjoy. Not often that I get a chance to make something for someone else."

He wondered how his dish was holding up against what she usually got at that bistro. Styx was fairly confident of his cooking skills, but sometimes it was nice to hear that from another. He had noted that Blue had elven blood in her from their last meeting, that detail just hadn't mattered much to him. While some might have held great importance in the species of a person, the thief had seen to often that when you got down to the basic levels humans and others generally wanted the same thing. They might say it differently or look at it differently, but generally they wanted the necessities and that little something extra that made them happy. Or maybe not so little in some cases.

When Blue announced the wine was to her tastes by holding her glass out for more Styx filled her glass from the decanter and poured one for himself. He finally moved to his own stool, sitting down so he was on the edge next to Blue instead of across from her. The topic about him being in the news came up and the smile on his face dropped a little.

"Some crazy came after me and some friends of mine on a little job I was doing. Not sure what she wanted, but she ended up killing my friends. I led her into the Gallows where I didn't have to worry about anyone else getting caught up in our fight and cut loose. Ended up destroying about a city block worth of turf." Shaking his head a little, the thief let his grin come back full force.

"Not really a good topic for dinner with a new friend. How about you? What have you been up to since the last time I saw you? I noticed the rust bucket obviously." He motioned with his thumb toward the car as he continued. "But any other major events happening in your life? I'll take minor ones even. And after the news we can talk about your security if you want and maybe I can give you a hand in pointing out how to avoid some of the gaps in it. You got a great system here, top notch really, but its got some of the same flaws a lot of people not looking at it from the side of the person trying to break in."

He wasn't as technically knowledgeable as Blue, he knew that for a fact. But he was a thief and a successful one. And Blue was a friend, if a new one. "If I do help though, remember that some of the stuff will be trade secrets. So keep them to yourself please." He made a shushing motion with his fingers before he finally relented and started putting food on his plate.

She had to give him points for trying to speak Elven, if he hung around her enough he would probably pick up some. Probably more curse words than not, but she would teach anyone that wanted to learn. But the Elvish language was not easy it had a lot of twisting syllables and silent consentants, and other things. It wasn't the easiest language and it didn't sound like it was written nearly at all. She paused in her eating for a moment and rose her brow.

You made this? It's fantastic.

The color of her cheeks probably gave away the fact that she had never, ever, had anyone cook for her. Outside of her mother of course. But that was given. Her mother had always been big on home cooked meals and taught both her daughters so they could hold up her legacy. However, only Neona had been able to keep it up Blue didn't have time for such things and she didn't really have a 'kitchen' per say here anyway.

This suddenly, became a much more initmate dinner in her mind as she ate, with a bit more care than the scarfing she had started with a few minutes ago. His face fell, and she knew that she had asked the wrong question. She felt bad immediatly as he answered and he told her that some of his friends had died because of a crazy girl that had done something that ended up in their deaths.

Oh.. I'm so sorry to hear that, I .. I didn't know. I am sorry for bringing that kind of thing up.

he changed the subject, and she was grateful for the new topic, except the fact that she had to talk about herself. Something she was only good at when it concerned her work and not her personal life. He pointed to the rust bucket and she nodded.

Yeah I'm suppose to turn it into some kind of armored assault vehicle for some big wig or something. I do not really ask questions, except what do you want.

She gave a little chuckle. She wondered what else she should tell him now. She didn't do very much outside of her little lab. She had been pretty much just hanging out here.

I met some girl, she was very strange. Claimed she was from Saint Louis. I have been spending time with my mother and father and sister. We have lunch together every Sunday. It's a thing. I have to set Albert to remind me when it's Sunday. I totally would forget otherwise.

He mentioned her security and her brows rose, she looked around her place. She knew that she had done fairly well but he was right. If she had the inside scoop on how people like Solomon got in she might actually get him to knock on the door or call her at some point. It wasn't like he didn't have her number, she had texted him that night to let him know everything was ready. Well she had tapped into a computer that had texted him, but still.

I would like to go over my security after dinner. But tell me first, what have you been up to since we last spoke? I am sure that you lead a more interesting life style than merely one of stealing things from me.

Grinning at her compliment, Styx gave a small bow from where he sat. "Well when you got five younger siblings you had to help your mom with you end up picking up a few things. Besides, it's a nice way to relax. Ease the mind and saves money in the end, especially if you can do something like this yourself instead of having to order out." The thief chuckled as he thought back to before he had taken up his life of crime. Solomon was one of the better thieves around, that he knew for sure, and he probably knew as much about taking care of babies and toddlers as most nannies. He wondered what people would say if they found out about that particular skill set.

He waved off Blue's apology about bringing up the topic of his friends. "No harm done. It happened and it's a risk of the life we lead. End up loosing a few friends each year to the work to be honest. One day it will be my turn to pay the piper. But not yet, still manage to step fast and quick. Plus I got a few tricks left up my sleeve." He chuckled as he tugged on the long sleeve of his coat.

So the car was going to be for Blue's bosses. That wasn't too surprising he supposed. Corp drones were about the only ones that could afford private cars. Though maybe he shouldn't think such things with his present company. However the inventor wasn't the usual image he got when he pictured the usual corper. "Honestly seems like more trouble then the thing is worth. And if it is going to be armored transport couldn't they have started with a surplus military vehicle?"

He didn't have much to say about the strange girl Blue met, didn't know enough about that situation to comment. He hadn't even known Saint Louis had survived the war. But the fact that Blue met with her family every Sunday surprised him. "Before I start on that, keep in mind that you can just tell me to step off if I'm out of bounds. But that Golem that I ended up creating in your lab... well the distraction really. I'm not really sure how that spell works, but it takes a little of something from the mind of the people it's targeting. The something is an item that will draw their attention, like for you it was a creature made from your work and talking about your connection to your family. And... well everything alright there?"

Besides the news about her family, there was also her accepting his help with her security. And questions about his life since she had last seen him. He chuckled a little. "Well I got an... interesting job so to say in the last week. After the little incident that got on the news, well I was stepping quick to keep from being arrested. I then got a call from a friend of mine that said someone wanted me to 'retrieve something for them. Now with my current state in mind, the first thought going through my mind is 'Trap'. I was tempted to say no at first, but then my friend gave me some of the details and it didn't make sense if it was the police. So since it might be legit and part of being a thief-for-hire making rep a major part of how I earn my daily bread I accepted."

Solomon paused to eat a little and take a sip of wine. "Now obvious I was being careful, had to be with a live warrant for my arrest. But as I was going in, I noticed there was a pattern to the security. That is actually one of the things I was going to talk to you about. Every professional has a pattern, a way of doing something. Like I said before, your stuff is top notch and your quite detail oriented. But you like to do everything yourself and your way, probably because it usually more effective then what other people come up with. But half of breaking into a place is seeing the pattern of the security and figure out your own pattern so you never really come into contact with the security. So a thief will form a pattern to counter-act the pattern the security is making."

Taking another sip of wine, Styx continued. "So, if you know a thief is coming, you can tailor the pattern of security so he takes the path of least resistance so to say. Kind of like water running down hill. The place I was breaking into had a good amount of security since it was a high end place, but I found a really easy gap in the pattern. At first I thought it was just a lucky break, but as I was going in I got a tingling in the back of my neck that told me something wasn't quite right. It was too easy and I was worried that it was someone trying to get a bit of fame by catching someone that had just been in the news. So I broke out of the route I had been taking and started a much more difficult route that was taking me like three times as long and was about five times harder then the one I had been on. Now I thought when I got to my destination I was going to find a bunch of armed thugs or something ready to take me down. Want to know what was really there?"

Styx grinned as he raised his hands. "Apparently, my client and target were one of the same. The 'Lady' of the house was in the room on a bed with barely anything on and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket, watching the door I would have entered that room from if I had stayed on the path she had set. Now she wasn't bad looking or anything, but really that is not what a professional does. I ain't a high paid escort or call boy and I don't just start thinking with my other head at the drop of a hat. So I snuck into the room from the path I had found myself on and snatched the 'Target' I had been hired to get and ducked out."

Solomon started chuckling a little. "Next day I get a call from my friend laughing his ass off because the client that had been so discrete before literally came storming into his office complaining how I had stolen what she had hired me to steal and she had to pay to get her own property back. He told her that if she wasn't satisfied with the results she could always call the police. But since she had hired a thief to steal from herself, well actually no crime was committed since that is technically a technique some people use to check their own security. And the item in question could be considered the collateral for which insures that we get paid, plus there was no proof it was me that did the theft. The woman ended up paying for the item and leaving in a huff."

Solomon was still chuckling as he ate a little more of his food, though in hind sight he wondered if that was really an appropriate story to tell Blue. He had just met the girl after all and he didn't know how she felt about some of those things yet.

I didn't realize that you had so many siblings. That is a large family. I did not picture you as a large family man. What was it like to grow up with so many people?

She had no idea what it would be like. She had grown up with two siblings, one of which died when she was very young. And then everything in her family had changed. Her parents had withdrawn. Her sister had run away. And Blue was just left Blue. In fact, she somewhat marked that as the moment she went from being Niara Tiran to being Blue. She didn't get the nickname until sometime later, but she still felt it.

He mentioned the car and her eyes shifted back over to it.

I would think that it would be best. Yes. But they want something indescrete. I suppose. By the end, it will have to be reinforced, and it will be heavier than hell. But it will serve it's purpose I suppose.

He then began to tell her of a job that he had been asked to go on. How at first he thought it might be a trap and he was sure that he would get caught. But instead, he decided to just give it a shot anyway. So he was telling her about the whole process of getting there and thwarting the security. All the while she ate, but slowly she was engrossed in his story. He told her about the woman, how she was scantily clad when he got there, but she had expected him coming from a different direction. So he had actually gotten in and out with the target.

She chuckled. Blue couldn't help herself as she picked up her wine glass and took a sip. It was nice, and rare, that she was able to sit down and talk to someone. Solomon was a great person, even though, he had broken into her lab with the intent to steal something of hers. She had found out that he wasn't really all that bad. He wasn't a bad guy he just got his money by means that weren't the best way. She wondered if she could change that for him. Get him a better job. Probably like a security job. Something setting up the security like he was trying to help her with.

Wow, that's crazy. I can't believe it, so she seriously just wanted to hire someone to bang her? That's insane! My God. You can get a escort out of a phone book why would she want you. Must have been the kink factor. She took another sip of her wine and then picked up her plate again eating some more of the lamb that he had made her for dinner. So, I am curious how you got into this line of business. What made you say "I'm going to steal things for a living".

"Yeah, first born so it was my job to make sure they stayed on the strait and narrow. So far all of them managed to make some pretty bright futures for themselves. Arco and Tiffany are just coming into their own. Arco is 18 and has gotten accepted to The Academy of Great Enlightenment. And Tiffany is only 15 and colleges are already competing to get her to apply. She's going to have a bright future ahead of her whatever she chooses. Though there is the matter of her new boyfriend. I think I'm going to need to go up to Bastion soon and put the fear of the gods into him." Solomon chuckled, then paused. "I said five siblings didn't I, I meant four. Parents had five kids, but I can't count myself as a sibling."

The topic shifted to the car, any mention of her family pushed to the side. That was alright, it was only their second meeting and family matters were always... personal. She mentioned that they wanted something a little more low-key then a military vehicle and Styx shook his head. "Well, despite being the heads of a major corp, can't say they have much common sense. Though it is you that is on the job, so it probably will turn out great. But one would think they had better projects for you to work on. One that isn't nearly so..." He was at a loss for words of how to describe the project at that point.

He gave a laugh at Blue's reaction to his story. "I know, I think part of it was I was on the news and I was 'dangerous'. But seriously, while a little kink can be fun sometimes, that woman most likely had a few screws loose. And as I said before, I'm a professional. I do the job that I'm paid for. And I don't accept jobs to be a gigolo." The woman had a nice body though and a great rack. Maybe if he hadn't been on the job. But that wasn't really something to bring up in a conversation. Especially with another lovely young lady. Not that he had any idea what Blue meant to him or he to her. He did what he felt like and tonight he had felt like visiting Blue like he had promised. So far she had proven good company and someone nice to talk too, but who knew what the future held.

"As for how I got into this business... well..." He hesitated for a couple of moments, but honestly if Blue was going to do something to him she would have already. And he doubted she was the type to go after people other then the one that pissed her off. "Back when the war was going on dad had to get into black market dealings to keep the whole family fed and clothed with a roof over our heads. But he got sloppy once and got caught. I was fifteen at the time and the family had just lost its provider. Mom had to look after the kids and my other siblings were too young. So I went and found the only job I could that paid enough to keep our family fed and in our home. Had to drop out of school as I worked and been on the other side of the law since. By now its a little too late to cross back to the other side of the fence. Especially after that last news story played." Sad little fact, he lived as a criminal and would probably die as one. But that didn't mean he had to mope about it.

Four kids out of five were going to make the world a better and brighter place. Fair trade in his eyes, even if it meant his deck was short stacked because of it. He understood what he had been getting into and he had no regrets. Now he just lived as he chose, enjoying whatever he had left of life till he eventually slipped up.

The first born of five, with four brothers and sisters. That was no easy life, she was sure. A family that large required a lot of taking care of. Food, clothes, and other things that were necessities. She was interested in his situation, how he ended up in the life style that he had apparently gotten himself into. He was very proud of his siblings she could tell. Just the way that he talked about them. She couldn't help but let a small smile cross her face. Blue went to visit her family every Sunday, but she still didn't feel that close to them.

The years after Nathan's death had altered a young Blue in a deep way.

Wow, four brothers and sisters. I had two. Nathan and my sister Neona. But my brother passed during the war. It is just my sister and I now.

He was right, the car would never be as safe as an armored military vehicle but they didn't want something that was ugly and bulky. They wanted something that could be stylish and slightly more indescrete when it came to being an obviously armored vehicle. Still, she blushed at the compliment that he was certainly she could make it work and continued to finish her plate, putting down the empty plate and just holding her wine glass now. He was probably right about the woman, women tended to like to 'toy' with things that were dangerous but at the same time somehow regulated and safe. Like the women that wanted their husbands to role play situations of break ins and what not.

Blue didn't really get that thrill.

But then she was also still a virgin so... that probably didn't help things.

He explained that his father had been doing what he did now back in the day. But apparently, at some point had gotten caught and tossed behind bars. The family still needed to be taken care of and thus he had turned to his father's work. Since then, he had been doing that.

I don't see it as too late to turn your ways to the good. It would not be easy, but I think it would still be possible, especially if you could find a half elven hacker.

She gave a shrug.

That .. in a way.. is kind of like my story. But not really. My father and my brother were soliders. I am the youngest in the family. I was very young, only a teenager when my brother died in the line of duty. I was always into creating things. Taking things apart. Figuring out how things worked. But when Nathan died, everything changed...

It was really the first time she had ever talked about it. She didn't tell her family how it had been for their youngest. What had driven her into the depths of her room to barely ever come out. Why she had thrown herself in her work and found that the feelings of accomplishment and praise could be gotten a completely different way. That she turned from her family and into herself.

Neona, my sister, ran away in grief. My parents, were so beside themselves they seemed to forget I existed at all. Mother barely came out of her room. Father was just not really there. Neona and Nathan were both gone. They seemed to stay that way. For a while. I pulled into myself. It was the only place to be. Working with my things. Creating, hacking, building, designing. My inventions had already started gaining the notice of the people at New Dawn. Six months after she had run, Neona came back. Somehow, she had been turned into a were. My mother was a healer, and Neona breathed life back into her, which breathed life back into my father. The world around me seemed to move on, happy-ish once more. But I felt as though I was still stuck in place. I stayed where I was and they moved on. Neona and my mother are very close. But I am not, really, close to any of them. It is not that I do not care for them, but I do not feel as though.. I belong with them. If you understand.

It was true, that was how she felt. She felt that she did not have a place among them. So definatly not elven, and so definatly not human. But more human than elven. None of her family understood her creations, her love for inventions. How she could lose herself for weeks on end in a creation and that if she didn't have Albert set she would miss Sunday brunch all together. She had gotten many angry calls about it from her mother and then her father so much so she had started to set Albert as an alarm to wake her up on Sunday morning so she could get dressed and go.

Solomon finished his own food slowly while he listened to Blue. She told him she had two of her own siblings and how one had fallen in the war between the races. That must have been hard to deal with, loosing a family member always was, no matter how that loss happened. Then there was the offer to help him clean up his act. That was unexpected and touching really. There weren't a lot that were willing to help one they had just met nowadays. Especially not someone like him. Shame he couldn't accept.

"First off, thanks Blue, that offer does mean a lot to me. But people tend to have long memories about certain small facts like my involvement in criminal activities. And even if all records of me disappeared it wouldn't change the fact that my face was plastered all over the city for a while in addition to those that know me personally. Besides, I still got a few things to take care of before I could even consider trying to go strait again." After the words were out of his mouth he regretted that last part almost immediately. The police had a pretty complete file of what they suspected about him and what he had done, but they didn't have everything. Some of those things not even Delvin or his other friends knew anything about.

He listened carefully as Blue told him what happened to her family after the death of her brother. He reached out and gave her free hand a squeeze as he offered her a gentle smile. "Loosing a family member, no matter how it happens, is hard. I know when dad got locked away mom was overwhelmed. She didn't know what to do or how to handle keeping all of feed and safe while still dealing with the fact dad wouldn't be around to help any more. I had... already started to deal with the fact that the world ain't a nice place. We lived in the rougher part of town and I was use to the fact that someone that was here today could be gone tomorrow. When it came down to the fact that dad couldn't help us anymore I moved on quicker then the rest of my family because of that. But I know everyone deals with grief differently when it hits them. And while it ain't right, sometimes it is hard for people to see the pain of others while they are dealing with their own."

Maybe Blue wanted the advice he could give and maybe she didn't, but he had been the older brother and then the man of the house way younger then most. His mom had done the best she could, but holding a family together wasn't just one person's job. "You ever tell them that? How you felt I mean. I know when my other siblings had a problem or seemed to be growing distant from the family I sat them down and had them talk about what was going on. It helps in a lot of way. Sometimes it hurts more at first, 'specially when it is dealing with something that painful. But it is painful in the way removing something from a wound or setting a broken bone is painful. Its something you need to do before things heal right."

She would still help him, if he ever wanted it but she wasn't one to push. Blue would like to help him clean himself up, get his life back on the straight and narrow. She was certain he could make it, but ultimately it was up to him and she wasn't involved enough to even think about pushing him. She nodded softly, she didn't want to tell him how to live his life any more than she wanted anyone to tell her how to run her life. That just wasn't fair to her, or anyone else. She lived her life the way she wanted, she was happy with her life. She didn't need her family to make her happy, she loved them, but she was not dependant on them.

What kinds of things? I mean, if you feel like sharing.

As she told him about her family she was surprised to feel his warm hand coming over to her own and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Her eyes looked up. Locking with his. For a split second, and then back down. He seemed to understand, she could imagine that it was tough. Losing his father to prison and having to support four siblings and help his mother raise them. He had to grow up as fast as Blue had, and it was nice to have someone that really seemed to understand that.

Then he asked if she had ever talked to her family. She shook her head. She hadn't been able to talk to them. She had felt shunned. She had felt as though she was not the kind of person that they wanted to be around. When Neona came home everyone was so excited to see her that they forgot that they had shunned Blue and expected everyone to embrace Neona and her new wolf side.

I do not know, if there is a time. My mother would be heartbroken. My father would probably tell me I was being selfish and Neona... she has a hard enough time. I think the time for talking about my feelings has passed. But I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. Perhaps one day. Or perhaps one day I will get passed the feelings that I have kept within for so long.

She looked back at the table and she reached over topping off her wine glass and pouring a bit more in his own as well. She was not one to let good wine go to waste. Besides, she didn't get to indulge herself very much with something that was so good. So she figured that tonight she would let herself live a little. Besides she had company.

So, you cannot be all work and no play. Certainly, you have not been just working. And turning down rich women that want you in their bedrooms so bad they will pay for it. she chuckled. I want to know about the man inside the thief. What do you do when you are not planning your next hit.

Solomon looked down at his hand, then took it away from Blue's for a moment as he held it up. It only took a moment of concentrating and his magic came forth. A ball of pure Chaos formed and he looked at it for a moment. The swirling energies felt as solid to him as the metal plate did to Blue. But anything besides himself that touched the sphere would be destroyed. "Part of that is because of this, my magic. I don't know what it is, not really, but my magic always made it wiser to work on my own. And... it makes me wonder about myself sometimes. Whether I have this sort of magic because of my nature. Or if my magic affects my nature so that it matches my magic." And there was what he had heard from other supernatural beings, but he didn't think he should tell Blue about that yet. No need to frighten the girl with something he didn't even understand himself.

"And the other, well I tried to go strait once before when I felt that my family didn't need me earning my living as a thief anymore. And... well I earned my nickname during that time. And one does have to earn being named after the river of the dead as one might expect. When it was all said and done, I was still a thief and still dealing in the black market." Shaking his head slowly, Styx closed his hand and the orb of energy collapsed into nothing. "Besides, I just got to be me. Never was one to hold much value to authority."

Styx barked a laugh and gave Blue a grin. "And if I wasn't a thief I wouldn't be having dinner with a lovely young woman and having a wonderful evening."

His gaze softened a little when Blue mentioned how she thought her family would react. "I ain't going to say you have to do what I say. You got to do what you got to do. But I just want you to think about it and consider that maybe, just maybe, your family would be more concerned with you being a part of their life then you think. I believe they would listen, especially if you listened to what they had to say in return. Because from the way your story went, I wonder if any of them had a real chance to talk with the other about that time. It wouldn't be just about you you know, because in the end the death of your brother affected them all. So if you don't want to be selfish, maybe instead you could ask them about what they went through at that time. And if you feel its right tell them what you went through. They're your family Blue, and family is something that is much stronger then people realize. People will do for family what they would never consider for others. I know I did."

Reaching out again, he took Blue's hand. "But no matter what advice anyone gives, always take things at your own pace. Don't push yourself to far out of your comfort zone. While a little bit out of the comfort zone is sometimes good, you don't want to force something because that is usually when things stop helping. And that goes for dealing with family, relationships, and even work. Try to take things at your own pace, cause haste makes waste as the saying goes." He gave Blue another grin before taking his wine glass and draining it in one go. He then filled it again, noting they still had a good bit of wine left.

She watched as he pulled his hand away from her and conjured up his magic. She could understand him being worried that it effected him some how. Made him what he was. Or something. She could understand that. She often wondered if certain things had made her the way that she was too. She was very withdrawn. She had her own issues of course, but in the same breath she wasn't really that worried about it because she was who she was. And she liked that person. Sure, she could use more friends... or a man... But in general she liked what she had turned her life into.

I wouldn't let it bother you that much. Your magic. Yes, it is dangerous, but so is all magic in it's own way. If used in the wrong way. Think about what I can do. I don't just take crap cars and make them into tanks. I can communicate with every electrical device in a very large radius if I want to. Your cell for instance. Sorry about that by the way. I should not have pryed, that night, but, I was trying to gain the upper hand.. somehow. But the point is, any magic could be used for darkness, but it doesn't have to be that way.

He explained that he had tried once. When his mother didn't seem to need the money as much and he thought he wouldn't have to support himself that way. He had earned his nickname because of the River of the Dead and her brow rose. So he had killed then. Blue could only imagine the way that it had weighed heavily on his soul and shoulders. She could tell by the tone in his voice he wasn't too thrilled with what he had done. Not that he was about to cry or anything, but there was something about it that said, he wasn't really happy.

As always he brought it back to light heartedness making her blush with a small chuckle as he mentioned that if he wasn't a thief he wouldn't be having dinner with her. She bit her lower lip, she wasn't sure if he liked her, was flirting with her, or if he was just a player. She hoped it wasn't the latter, she really didn't need that kind of thing in her life. He took her hand again, and Blue swiveled on her stool so that she was looking at him and he could clasp the slender fingers on both of her hands while he told her that it might be healthy to try to talk to her family. Especially, if she could find a way to bring it up without hurting anyone's feelings.

But to not push herself because if she was out of her comfort zone she would not be the best person to talk calmly to someone, a fact that she knew all too well. She blushed, as their eyes locked and she bit her lower lip again. She didn't know what to do with men. Sure, it seemed to come so easily for others but for Blue she felt so out of her element. It seemed now would be a good time for a kiss, take their minds off the serious subject matter and he had just downed a glass of wine but in the same breath, she wasn't even sure what he thought about her and she totally didn't want to take a trip to awkward land.

Um, so, the security, you promised to show me how I could make it better. she said clearing her throat and looking down. She slid off the stool and topped off her wine glass after he had and took a few steps away from the table waiting for him assuming he would have to show her what he wanted to tell her.

As they discussed magic Solomon listened intently to what Blue was saying. He had suspected she had some way to communicate with machines other then the way most people used, but to hear her say it still amazed him. He wondered what it was like, to be able to talk to machines like that. Considering how many of them were all around the city it was a pretty powerful ability. She apologized for hacking his cell, but he chuckled and waved a hand. "No harm done, besides I was the one breaking in if you remember. Can't blame a girl for defending her own place now can I. Well, I suppose I could, but I'd be an asshole to do it."

Blue listened in turn when he told her his advice about dealing with her family issue. He didn't know if she was going to take it or not, but that was her choice. He had taken both her hands into his when she had turned toward him. Toward the end of his little speech he noted that she was biting her lower lip slightly and he half wondered if she was just thinking about what he said or if it was another indicator. Well he wasn't trying to get into her pants here, at least not yet. Maybe if things went well as they got to know one another, but for now it was just about sharing a good meal and good company. She was cute when she did that though. The subject was changed to his promised help on the security and he chuckled.

"Alright then, lets take a look out the window." He moved up beside her and gently took her arm to move them to where they could see the approach to her lab. You remember what I said about patterns in my story earlier? When you look at the security system out there, what do you see?"

Raising a finger, he pointed out some of the open ground and cameras. First off it is well designed, and it would have almost no blind spots on its own. But you also had to work with the ascetics of the Corp's ground keeping and the fact they wanted everything to be subtle. So when the devices were installed they were slightly hidden. With the cameras you loose a bit of how wide an area they can cover and the sensors have to deal with the local greenery. That widened the small gaps a little, enough that one can find small cracks to slip through.

He then moved his finger along the grounds. Then there is the pattern to your cameras and sensors. You had them placed well so they cover the whole area, but you haven't layered them. I assume that's cause you don't want to have to deal with a whole bunch of false alarms, which are a pain in the butt for security I know, but when one knows that they will have a camera here, and a camera there and every other place that means there is a motion detector and pressure plate then even if you can't see the devices you know they are there."

Styx turned to Blue. "Now ascetics can't really be helped. Its a business thing I know. The government can afford to have facilities look less inviting for security purposes, but a business always has to put on a good front for the public. But if you can't change the grounds layout, work with them. Have sensors that are designed to blend into the greenery and such so instead of being a place to provide cover, they are in fact a sensor trap."

Grinning, Styx motioned to one of the cameras. "As for layering the sensors, you can have it so that any back up layer doesn't turn on right away. I know when I was coming in I probably had about a half dozen incidents where I almost triggered something, but not quite. For automated systems it usually is an all or nothing thing to help avoid false alarms. But if the system were to pick up enough small things in a certain amount of time that don't trigger an alarm, it could trigger the second layer of sensors and changes the entire pattern of your security grid and what a person breaking in would need to do. Basically like if you had a human guard that heard a weird noise, so he perks up his alertness.

Shrugging a little Solomon looked out the window. I know it's a balancing act between trying to make everything completely covered without having to deal with the pain of constant false alarms. But I'm confident you can tune your system well enough.

Solomon took her arm and lead her to a window that gave them a good view of the front of her place. New Dawn was very big on being discreet where their secret lab was. It wasn't obvious from the outside that the inside was filled with crap and parts. They probably thought it was just another part of the very large building and complexes. There was no way without some sort of inside information, which was probably something that Solomon had gotten from his contacts. She wondered if Thomas had been that mole, and now he was gone but the information was still known by two outsiders.

Solomon began to show her all the places that she lacked. It wasn't so much that there was much uncovered. But that nothing was really double covered which created small gaps here and there. Once you realized what the security system was and what to look for you could see the different areas where they needed to go across each other. So every inch was covered all the time.

She stood close to him, aware fully of being this close. Aware of his scent and the way that he stood beside her. Breathing, talking, and explaining. Blue forced her mind to concentrate on the things that he was telling her. He was right, and she could imagine there were many holes. She was going to totally hire Solomon to come try to break in from time to time just to see if he could.

Okay, well, I will work on that. And then I will hire you to see if you can get back in, or, entice you, so you will want to get back in. Not nude though, obviously, that won't work. she laughed

She backed up from the window. And looked over at Solomon. She wasn't really sure what to do with him now. The pretense of dinner was over, there was still wine, and she had gone and looked over her security system and now she was curious about what they should do next. She looked up into his eyes for a moment and then away. She felt awkward and yet comfortable it was a strange place to be that much was for sure.

Okay so, we have talked about stuff. And ate dinner. We have talked about my lack of security where thieves are concerned. So what should we do now. Do.. you like the stars? I have a roof top deck. It's basically impossible to see, or know it's there, and heavily guarded. Anyway, do you want to go up?

Styx looked back to Blue with a grin on his face. I don't know, if the point of the job is just me breaking in then when I'm inside work is done. What happens afterwards would be up to you." He gave Blue a wink as his hand gave her a light squeeze on the arm. "But in all seriousness we're just getting to know one another right now. No rush for anything besides what we feel like doing. If it came to anything like that, well it would be when it felt right and not before. Had no expectations when I walked in here other then getting to have dinner with a lovely and talented inventor and seeing where things went from there."

Solomon gave Blue a soft smile before she mentioned going up to the roof to look at the stars. "I would be delighted milady. Would you kindly lead the way? After I grab the wine of course." Gently tugging on Blue's arm, the thief steered the two of them to the table where they could get the wine and anything else they needed to take up to the observation deck. Noting what looked like a large blanket a little ways away, Solomon took a moment to walk over to it. Setting down the wine, he lifted up the cloth. "Can we take this up there as well?"

Whether Blue wanted him to leave it or not didn't really matter in the long run, he would still follow her up to where the deck was. It was always hard to see the stars in a city because of the ambient light, however enough of them were shining through that it still made for a beautiful sight. The moon was just a thin sliver in the sky, its natural light not competing all that much with the little shining diamonds that doted the rest of the night sky.

"Do you come up here often?"Solomon asked softly as he looked around the upper deck and tried to figure out where to set up so they could relax. They could finish the wine while looking at the stars and then... It would probably be time for Solomon to go. He had to sneak out of here as well, though Blue would probably be kind enough to disable the security for that.

So... he might be interested in her.

At least that was what she thought he said.

Blue's face turned bright red. She had never actually 'been' with a man. She had been kissed a few times. One of those were Solomon's the night he had broken into her lab for the first time. Part of her was scared that she wouldn't be able to give a relationship the time that it deserved. But she also knew that it would be nice to have someone close to her.

There was Jack. But she wasn't sure about Jack. They got along but she wasn't sure there was chemistry. With Solomon she was sure. But she didn't want to hurt anyone it would take thought. A decision not to be made rashly, but it made her body come alive just thinking that he might think she was pretty.

Blue didn't say anything, she just came with him back to get the wine so they could head up to the roof top. They walked to the table where the wine lay. He picked up their glasses and the decanter that still had some more wine in it. As they walked to the back of the lab, she had her hand on his wrist so that she could lead him there. On the way he paused, asking about a blanket, that was probably not the cleanest thing in the world. She had used it around the lab from time to time. But, it would work.

Sure, we can use it. Might make it warmer, or at least more comfortable.

She grabbed up the blanket and then lead him through the maze of her lab which was huge and filled with crap. Every shelf was bulging and over flowing with different parts, old broken down devices, and other things. They finally reached the back of the building and there was a door that one would think was a back exit but it was not. She stood in front of it for a moment, there was no decernable device to open it or unlock it. But it slid open moments later and she took his hand and led him up the stairs with the blanket draped over her arm. Upstairs, they came to a small hatch. She opened it and they climbed up the ladder and to the roof the panel opening much like the door downstairs had.

outside the breeze was nice and though the sky was not completely clear there were some clear spots. She moved away from the hatch and closed it after Solomon came through. They walked several feet away and she lay down the blanket with a flourish and sat down on it. Motioning for him to sit beside her. They got two full glasses of wine and she looked up at the stars.

I come up here when I need to clear my head. Sometimes it's easier than leaving the lab. Sometimes when I'm stumped on something, or I'm lost on my idea. I find that coming up here, helps me. It isn't so much that there is inspiration, but I suppose just that break from staring at plans or some sort of device, and being able to let my brain take a break it is better. Allowing me to think in different ways.

She lay back on the blanket. Her eyes lifted to the sky and she curled one of her arms behind her. Resting her head in the crook of her elbow. Her hair was still a mess, still up she hadn't taken it down, and hadn't really thought about it. She didn't do that often anyway.

What do you do? I mean, when you aren't thieving.. when you aren't trying to break into top secret labs and woo the Lead Inventor of a huge organization.

Blue really was fun to tease, the blush on her face lighting up the room after his little comment. She obviously wasn't use to such things being said to her, which was a shame because she was beautiful and kind. Styx knew she got caught up in her work, that much he had seen each time he had visited. But there was a big, wide world out there and so much more to see then just the lab. To be dedicated to what one does was good, as long as the person didn't let the rest of the world go by without a thought.

Up on the observation deck, his companion set up the blanket and took her seat. Joining her on the blanket, he sat close enough that their hips just touched and slid an arm around her waist. The slight chill of the night air being held off by the closeness to another. His own body handled heat better then it did cold. Its naturally elevated temperature just noticeable even before he used his magic. With the spells he had used when he had been pulling out dinner from his subspace pocket his temperature was hovering around 105 at the moment. In such close proximity Blue would probably notice it as well.

The inventor told him that she came up here to help clear her head when she had a problem or just needed a break and Styx could see why. "It is beautiful up here, thank you for sharing this with me." It seemed before that her lab had been her personal sanctuary and it probably still was. But this place was somewhere where no one besides her had a reason to come up here for. Even the thief had only broken into the lab originally because of work and probably only members of her own Corp had the rare chance to visit the lab besides Styx. So to be invited to this little secret garden was a special privilege.

Looking over at Blue, he noted her hair was still sort of up. He took his arm from around her waist and gently removed the clip holding it up. Gently the thief ran his fingers through her hair to help straiten it a little. "No moving parts up here my Mistress of Machines, time to let your hair down." He grinned, his teeth shining a little in the night. Once her hair was reasonably strait he would slide his arm back around her waist.

The next question Blue asked him was an easy enough one to answer. " Well if I'm by myself I like try cooking different dishes. Burn a lot of calories in my line of work and cooking is cheaper then eating out all the time. Plus the food is better then the instant meals that they have in the convenience store. It is also a good way to relax the mind and body. Besides that I enjoy reading, a lot about mythology and philosophy. But I got books about other things as well. I try practicing magic occasionally as well, but I can never get past the basic exercises. The one that confuses me the most is the one that has you create a small orb of your magic that is basically just you making a small amount of your aura visible. I always try doing it and end up being sick for about a day, so I don't make much progress with it."

Sipping his wine, Styx continued. "As for when I'm out with the guys we just sort of hang out. Though we do try to get to the Ley Line races whenever we can." He chuckled as he looked back up at the stars. "Now those are something. You get on a caravan out into the wastes where they've got a whole temporary camp set up. You have to bring your own gear because your going to be out there for about three days since it is usually to long to go there and back each evening. Shops with all kinds of gear and souvenirs are set up, the place is almost like a small city that springs up overnight. And then the races themselves, 20 guys piloting what are basically supped up sleds going over 200 miles per hour and held up just by magic and machines. It is something to see as they go zipping pass and the way your breath catches when one of them almost brushes against some of the barriers. Of course you know there are safeties in place for the pilots, but still when a crash almost happens it sort of pushes those thoughts out of your mind. And when one happens it seems like the whole crowd holds its breath until you see the guy get up or get helped up and off the track."

Looking over to Blue, the thief grinned. "If you haven't gone I recommend it at least once. I know New Dawn sponsors a couple different racers and have their own team as well, so if you asked you probably could get out there relatively easily and your Corp would take care of the gear and such. I saw some of the Corp temporary structures they set up for the races so you wouldn't be roughing it to badly I think."

"Now how about you Blue, what does the most talented inventor of our time do when she is not busy changing the world in her lab?"

He pulled her closer.

Blue's eyes caught his as he reached back and undid the clasp that had held her hair up for too long. Blue knew, that she should probably cut it all off, it would be so much easier to deal with. But to be honest, she was attatched to her long hair. As it tumbled down her shoulders and her back his fingers raked through it and Blue's breath caught softly in her throat as he did this. For her, it seemed like a very intimate thing for him to be touching her hair. But in the same breath, she was glad that he had taken the chance to do just that.

He pulled her close again and Blue felt herself snuggling into his warmth. Either it was quite cold out here or he was really warm. But she was comfortable against him. Her head softly lay on his shoulder as she looked up at the stars that she could see. Sometimes, she wished that she had the magic that would enable her to move the clouds a little bit and give them a clear window to the stars. But she did not, and she actually liked her magic. Even if it was very unelven of her. She had no idea how her magic had turned out to be so very unnatural, but she really liked the things that she could do.

As Solomon told her about what he did in his spare time she listened. He cooked, read books, and practiced his magic. Trying to make a presentational orb. A representation of his aura in a small orb form. She had never tried it, and she didn't think she could. Her magic wasn't physical like his was. Her magic was mental, she connected to computers and other machines with ease. Then he told her about how he went out and did leyline races, she smiled. Somehow she could easily picture that. She could picture him on one of those sled like devices skating through the ley lines and racing against others.

Well, some day I will have to see that. I never have, but then I have never had a reason to go either. Perhaps I will come and watch you one day.

He returned the question with her and she 'hmmmed' as she leaned back into him more. Her blue and green eyes shifted to look up at the sky again. The clouds filtered past the stars with a beautiful way that was both mysterious and a bit romantic. Traveling across the soft quarter moon that shone slightly down on the roof top couple.

Sleep she laughed and gave a shrug. I really don't know. Most of the time I work until I pass out. Al keeps my schedule for me so I don't miss important meetings. Sometimes I go out to the dump. To salvage. I do that about once a week. It's not pleasant but you can find the best stuff that people thought were broken or crap, that I can use here. Sometimes I get in my car and drive out to the budding forests. I like to go to the park sometimes. But I haven't been since that time I got attacked, it isn't that I"m scared, it is just.. I don't know.. I'm aprehensive. I had a gun, but there were four of them, and even with my gun, I couldn't do that much. Shoot one or two before they got me down. My powers can't help me in that sense. I'm the safest I can be here. Except when random robbers come in to take my things.

She chuckled and looked up at him again.

I do not lead a very exciting lifestyle. I wish I did sometimes. But I am always so busy, and the few times I am not making something for New Dawn, I am working on something for myself. Or for someone else. My sister said she was going to turn my name in, as to help get the City Celestis back in the sky again. I am looking forward to that. A big project, would be nice. Sometimes I wish I had a distraction. I feel like my mind is always racing, always creating, and thinking, and straining for that next big idea. It isn't hard to think of them, but sometimes I am just tired and I cannot sleep because I have so many ideas, or big deadlines, or things like that. But I love my job. I would not trade it away for anything.

Solomon chuckled a little as he put down his glass and scratched the back of his head. "Well to be honest I'm not very good at racing yet, you won't find me at any of the big races they hold. While me and the guys go to those events we're just spectators there. The events we race at are usually the... unofficial ones, along with the qualifiers. Managed to come in fourth a few times at the qualifiers, but that ain't good enough to get into the big races without Corp sponsorship or someone else with a lot of backing. But all things considering that is pretty good for guys working out of a mechanics shop in their free time and can only get out to practice once in a while. Still, it would be something to be in one of the bigger races."

He listened to what Blue liked to do and nodded thoughtfully as she told him much of her life was centered around her work. Well he had known other people that were like that and there had been a time where he had been like that too in the early years when money had been his biggest concern. Still it wasn't the healthiest lifestyle."It's good to have passion about your work and enjoy it. But you'll burn yourself out if you keep up that pace Blue. Plus going out and seeing different things might give you some ideas about how to make something your working on better if its for everyday use and the like. As for the dangers of the park, next time you feel like going out there give me a call and I can walk with you. I'm pretty well known in the criminal circle and most thugs won't bother me or someone I'm with."

Thinking for a moment, Styx nodded to himself before looking over to Blue. "Hey if your interested then there is going to be another big set of races in a few weeks. I could look into getting you tickets and a spot in the camp grounds or you could talk to your bosses and see about going out with your Corp's teams. We could meet up for a while each day and I could show you around. Plus you'll get to see what the races are like first hand. Styx grinned widely. "I can almost guarantee you won't find it dull out there. And maybe a closer look at your Corp's racers would give you some ideas about other things. The mana converters in Ley Line Racers are some of the best out there, even if the simplest of them is expensive as hell."

He was right, she would probably burn herself up trying desperatly to keep up with the pace that she was currently keeping. It wasn't that she didn't like her job, she loved it, but she was definatly afraid of having some sort of mental block. That would be something she could never handle. If she lost her ability to create things she wouldn't even know what kind of person she was. It was probably a good idea to take more breaks. Especially, like this, with someone. Maybe even Solomon.

I would like that. You sure are trying to spend a lot of time with me in the future. Ley line races and park visits. she gave a little teasing smile as she turned her head to look at him.

She smiled a little. It was nice having someone around, that much she could easily admit to herself. She could see how some women could get lost in this feeling. Someone wanting to know about you, curious about you, wanting to spend time with you. It was addicting. She doubted it would last. Right now she was a novelty. A genius inventor, a novelty, she doubted he had ever come across one like her. But then again, he got around so who knew.

Well, I do not think I would want to go with the Corp. To be honest, if I started that, then the guys would be asking me to sup up their vehicles and come up with better exhaust systems or who knows what. I would rather it actually be a vacation type thing, I think my boss will shit himself when I tell him I want a few days off, I have never done that.

Blue chuckled. But she could imagine the fun she could have camping out with Solomon. She knew that she could probably show him all kinds of ways to make tasty food and the like with her prep and gathering skills and his cooking skills they would probably be the most envied people there. Blue was getting tired, she had been up for.. well she wasn't sure how long she was sure Al had a log he usually did so that she could know when she had overdone it. But the main thing was she was comfortable, warm, and with good company.

A rarity on all three accounts.

Either it's really cold or you're really warm. she said as she snuggled into his shoulder a little more. Her eyes closed as she relaxed a little bit into him. She didn't want to be tired, because tired meant he was going to leave and she would go down to her crappy little cot downstairs and get some crappy sleep so she could go another 72+ hours without sleeping while working. He was a welcome distraction for sure.

You know, I need to hack around and figure out where you live so I can break into your place. It's only fair. she chuckled softly.

Chuckling a little, Styx met Blue's eyes. "What can I say, I met someone interesting and decided to get to know them better. So far its turning out nice. Of course if you don't feel like spending time with me you can always say no." He grinned as he spoke. Solomon somehow doubted she was going to say no to his offer. But then again there was always the possibility.

His chuckle turned into a laugh as she mentioned how if she went with the Corp teams she would probably end up being a mechanic for them. "Oh that wouldn't do at all. If your going out for fun the only tinkering you should do should be because you want too. And as for your boss, can you tape his reaction? It will probably be hilarious to see. He let his laughter die down a little before he continued. "But since you would like to come with me I'll see about the tickets and gear and all. Then all you have to worry about is bringing your lovely self and a few changes of cloths. And I'll give you my word that I'll be the gentleman thief. Just remember it gets cold out in the wastes when the sun goes down, so bring something warm for the evenings. Or you can share a tent with someone warm." That last comment was just a little bit of teasing from the thief and he glanced over to get Blue's reaction.

"It's probably me, I'm guessing I'm about 105 degrees right now. Little side effect of my magic. I don't even notice something small like that other than the air is a little chillier then usual. Course I can get up to around 140 before I start to feel the effects too bad and at around 150 is when I start to have trouble staying conscious. Part of why I wear heat resistant clothing, be bad if I passed out from using to much magic and someone trying to help me burned themselves because I was to hot to handle." Noting Blue's closed eyes, he set aside his wine glass and took hers to set aside as well. He then laid back on the blanket and pulled the tired inventor gently down with him.

"As for trying to find out where I live, your welcome to try. If it was as strait forward as just looking up where my name is on an apartment lease the Librium Police would have probably found me long ago. Course you could probably do better then them. Maybe you will be the one that can track me down." He offered Blue a grin from where they now lay.

Like she was going to say no. She actually found herself hoping that he would come back. Again and again, and it wasn't like he had to bring food every time. They could even eat spongue cakes, or twinkies or whatever she didn't care. But she would like for him to come back. He told her that he would get them some tickets and a plot for their tents. She didn't mind sharing a tent. She figured it would probably be safer and better anyway.

I won't mind sharing a tent. It will be warmer and more cozy anyway.

She would probably bring her tools and stuff but luckily Jack had enchanted her satchel and tool belt to hold a lot more than one might think they could so while heavy, they would hold more than anything she might need. She kind of wondered if he was ever going to go visit his family. She would like to go there. Not because it would mean they had something serious. But because she could probably help them out too. Set them up, fix up the house, or whatever. She was good at that kind of thing.

He told her that he ran warm. That he could even increase his temperature beyond the 105 that he was probably going with right now up to 150 before he passed out. She looked over at him curiously.

That is a side effect of your magic? Being warm? Why do you need to heat up your body to the point where you could set your clothes on fire? Does it do anything specific?

He took her wine glass. She didn't fight him. He held her close and lay them down. She turned on her side so that her body was pressed more against his and she lay her head down on the hollow of his shoulder. Her eyes stayed closed, she was happy here. Comfortable and warm. She almost wished they didn't have to go back downstairs, it would be easier if there was some way to already be down there and yet up here at the same time. He seemed to think it would be hard for her to find his place of residence. She barked a laugh.

Please! You don't have to entice me more by making it a challenge! I will find you Solomon Grendel. I assure you, I will find you. I have ways you would never even fathom.

There were so many ways, and she wasn't about to tell him how. But she was certain she could have him located in the next few days or less depending on how long it took him to actually GO home and stay there for a little while. Blue left her eyes closed. Her hand lay on his chest. Her hair spilling over his arm and onto the blanket beneath them.

You know, I am very happy you came tonight. It has been surprisingly fun and relaxing. Blue didn't mean to fall asleep up there on the roof top with Solomon holding her as though they had known each other for a bit longer than just two meetings. But she did. Laying down, and being comfortable, plus the great food and the hours she forced upon herself sent the young Inventor into a soft deep sleep in his arms.