[[All entries are assumed to be written in Russian. For the sake of this Journal the entries are translated into English so the players can follow the story as it progresses.]]

March 12…

Four mouths to feed.

The day started off pretty quiet. Still others were pouring in now that the Dollhouse was open again. After going through the records and papers of the old owner, I had a better idea what I’m working with. Woman seemed to have her ducks in a row for a while, but when she left, she did so without any sort of closure. Maybe it was for the best, as it was letting me come in and pick up where she left off. Lists of suppliers, what she charged for services, and other things. I will be making some price changes to be sure. Some of these are just completely unreasonable. I may be requisitioning the Founder for some sort of formal attire for the girls, something to wear in the building to signify that they are actually working, and not just loitering around. I have a few ideas on how to draw in a crowd. This will take time, but at least I know who I’ll be working with, and where to assign these women if things go sour for them.

Someone of note did come in though. Woman with blonde Dreads. Kindred spirit? Nah, her dreads were probably by choice.. where mine.. Well, we didn’t exactly have a stylist on the ship. Maybe we can find a way to comb my hair back out.. who knows. Anyway, she came in, she gave up her weapons, and then.. out of nowhere, I saw who was towering behind her. None other than the Reindeer man himself. I probably won’t let him live that down. The man sang the fucking song when he introduced himself after all.. If he didn’t like the name, he probably shouldn’t have done that. Still, he didn’t want to give up his gun, so had him wait outside. He chose to wait in the doorway. Anyway, she seemed to be asking about supplying the weed for the parlour. While I didn’t care much for the strands.. even though i have my own plant I keep, she seemed to be adamant about supplying her product. I’m sure I’m not the only one she’s selling to, why would I be? Point still stands, that she caught my interested when she guaranteed the addiction almost.

Other started pouring in, and she didn’t seem to want to discuss the price of it in the open. Smart woman. If she gave me a different price than anyone else, and they knew about it, it’d definitely cut into her profits. I can’t remember what the big guy said to me to make me respond to him, but when he walked in, he did so with a bit of purpose, as if he was sure of himself. Got right up in my face too. Yep, this guy had balls. He made some comment about me not being able to do my own Dirty work, and rely on people like him to protect me. I would have laughed if he wasn’t so far from the truth. He obviously didn’t her about Marcus. I didn’t want to shoot the man, but I’ll be damned if I was going to take a shotgun to the face. Point being, in my line of work, relying on others for protection is not an option. When you’re in the field, your protection is your own ability. I’ll let him keep assuming this though, it seems to make him feel better about himself. What he did next however, took me aback.

The man kissed me on the cheek. Haven’t seen or partaken in this gesture since the outbreak. Pretty sure my family is dead. If they’re not dead by now, they just haven’t been able to find me.. and why not. I’m on the other side of the fucking ocean. Still, I was raised in that family, despite my… heritage.. The gestures, customs and mannerism couldn’t leave me if I wanted them to. Needless to say I returned the gesture and kissed his cheek. Likely only two people in the room understood what that meant. Rudolf, the Reindeer man, was secretly a made-man, despite his.. quirks. He did have that redeeming quality to him. I could feel the confusion of the others. Didn’t matter. Its the Mafia. You see a man, you kiss him. Like a man. Doesn’t matter sees you. They’re supposed to see.

Getting back to the point, they left soon, and I finally went out to get that air i needed. Explained a few things, dealt with a few people, including that bitch that pulled a shotgun on me in Coach’s and demanded I leave the pub. Yeah.. she walked in like she owned the place, and likely was surprised to see that whatever privileges she had were no longer existent. She didn’t stay long.. not surprising. Given how she acted with the guy from Coach’s I can tell she’s a mooch. Trying to get close to business owners, so that they would give her discounts or special privileges that others don’t have. A leech in a way, wanting benefits with no return. That is not going to happen. After she left, I left Ashes with a job, to spread the word to the staff about a meeting in the coming week. I was gone.

After eating, and scavenging and walking around the city, who did I managed to run into? A lost Kitten at the diner getting food. The woman she was with, likely saw that she left with me willingly after telling her I wanted to talk to her. We took a walk around the park, and I chose a place where I had the vantage. No one was going to sneak up on us. I explained to her the game she was playing, and I offered her a chance to up her bid, or cash out of the game. She would help me deal with a certain boy that has become more trouble than he’s worth.. a male version of Evangeline, or she’d just say out of my business. Maybe it was my cologne. Maybe it was my hand in her pants. Maybe it was my finger inside her, or maybe she understood a good deal when she heard one. She pushed herself against my fingers, using me like I was a pole and she was the dancer. In all that, she told me, she was in. She was in, just as she came on my hand. Yet she wasn’t satisfied.. not yet. Her leg went up, she held fast to me.. I pulled it out, and she told me it was what she wanted. So.. I gave it. Did she beg? Not this time… I didn’t tell her to. Unless she was begging to be mine, she didn’t need to beg. We’ll see if this changes. Needless to say, I have information that would have been a bit difficult to obtain otherwise. That was beside the point. Woman was a damn good fuck.. and I learned something new.. She was like me in more ways than she understood.

I swear the sun beat us awake, before we were finished. In fact, I just got home when I started writing this. Maybe with a smile on myself. Perhaps if everything works out, she can be more than just a temporary source of information. More than just a one night stand. More than just a means to an end. I’m not getting my hopes up, but I’m not closed off to the possibilities either. Still, one thing at a time. Once that boy is dealt with, we’ll call it even, unless she wants to buy into the game further.

The wheel is spinning and the ball is rolling.