When Hisano told about the death of her friend, she could notice a subtle change in the gruff bartender's expression. A tiny furrowing of the brow, a subtle twinge in the corner of his mouth, a minuscule drop of the shoulders, a slight softness in the steely hard eyes. Was it disappointment? Sadness? Either way, it looked like the first genuine feeling Hisano had witnessed this entire long, long night. Only for a moment before Talesin gave a cross between a snort and a sigh.

"That's too bad. Tommy was a good kid. A stupid kid, but a good one." Talesin shifted uncomfortably. "I'm guessing that means VMT decided to cut him loose. I told the kid to get out while he could, running hits for Corps isn't like being security- you're not just expendable, you're deniable."

Talesin snorted as she explained how Tommy wanted her to come here. "He was probably trying to save you as much as he was trying to save his own tail. When you go underground you're supposed to drop everyone and disappear. Guess the kid didn't want to disappear alone."

The bartender's tensed shoulders finally seemed to relax- it looked like he was also debating a 'fight-or-flight' course of action like she was. He took another long drag of his cigarette before he snuffed it and crushed it in the palm of his mechanical hand, tossing it aside. The ash covered hand rubbed unconsciously against the rough beard. He looked like he was thinking half a dozen steps ahead, trying to figure out every possible angle.

"Alright. Well you're here, and you're a friend of a friend. You're okay for now-"

Before he could continue speaking, Hisano's phone started buzzing. Someone was calling her. Pulling out her phone, she could see the caller ID before she opened her phone.

>>Call From: Tommy DeGarro