The Bodyguards, IC Thread Options

[Street Wyze]

The phone wakes you up, nearly causing you to fall out of bed as you reach for it. It's your fixer. Amazing, no matter what time of day it is, whether you're drunk, hung over, or feeling fine, you just never mind seeing that mug on your telecom screen...it's payday.

"You awake?" your fixer asks. "You better be, cuz I got some good news for ya, but you gotta act fast. You're s'posed meet Mr. J in two hours if you want the job. He was a little shady on the details...when aren't they...but it's some kind of bodyguarding job, right up your alley. He's promised 2,000 in advance with six grand on completion, along with possible bonuses." Your fixer gives you an address, an apartment in an upper-middle class section of town. "Like I said two hours. Johnson will tell you more about the gig and if you don't like it you can let it go then. If you take it I'll be expecting my usual finders fee." With that your fixer hangs up and you are left to your own devices.

It's 10:00 AM, the meet's at Noon. Better get movin' cuz it's gonna take about 45 to an hour to get there.

[phelious fogg]

Bear wakes up, takes a nice hot shower (one of those rare mornings the shower works) Gets out, drys off, and slips into his "Sleeping Tiger" Outfit full with Hardliner Gloves. He puts on one Conceled Holster Under his left arm, and the other behind his back. He the holsters his sliver gun under his arm, and puts his Gaurdian behind his back. He slips his knife in his boot and puts the TMP in another holster and slips that into a small breifcase with his pocket secratary and a stimpatch. He then runs downstairs to his Americar, driving off to the meet.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Baron wakes as the telecom chimes out. Recognizing the "work chime" he picks up the reciever and half shouts "Timmy!" After getting the info he rolls out of bed, jostling the woman laying there awake. "Sorry, gorgeous. Biz calls." He calls her a cab and starts to get ready. He doesn't rush...he's never rushed. He showers and combs his hair, enjoying the view of himself in the mirror. "Damn, I look good," he says as he gets dressed. He steps into his Actioneer suit...with the longcoat option and admires how the cut settles on his frame. he loads up his Morrisey Elite with regular ammo and pops it into the concealed holster, pocketing an extra clip. He hustles the girl out when the cab arrives and doesn't even watch her go. She served her purpose reasonably well, he supposed. He Headed out of his penthouse, thinking about the money he'd be making...noone ever paid him what he was worth. Of course, noone could afford what he was worth except the big boys...and he was still too new to the shadows for them to pay him interest. He flagged a cab, told the driver the location...several blocks from the actual location (He'd walk the last few blocks and get a good look at the erea) and hauled out his pocket secretary, setting it to vibrate on a call. 8K would serve him well for a few weeks pocket cash. Bodyguard work was usually easy...quick cash was always good.

[Fenris]

William has risen at 5am, as usual, part of the instinctive routine of needing to plan the day before most clients awoke. His morning routine is remarkably similar, even here in America. However, the lack of a client allows him to double his normal workout time, and perform a leisurely inspection of his equipment instead of the rapid, terse verification he's used to.

He's sifting through the days news when the call comes in, startling him from the oppressive silence that usually fills the small flat. He answers with audio only, still put off by the exuberant face that fills the screen, although it's recognizable as the 'fixer' that Felina had introduced him to several nights ago.

He responds to the offer with an initial affirmation, needing rent and food for the next month if nothing else, time to seek information, and time to establish himself among the semi-legal world that prevailed in the streets here in Seattle.

He steps from the doorway of the apartment complex 30 minutes later, cursing the lack of forethought that's left him without normal clothes, sticking out like a sort thumb in the middle class neighborhood, his custom tailored clothes naming him a mark to the predators that roamed the local streets, few though they were.

He hails a nearby cab and leaves for the meet, fully intending to arrive early enough to scout the location, his training requiring nothing less.

[Herald of Verjig...]

Ah, business. When the rich and scared pay me to keep them alive another day.

George rifles through the closet a bit.

Maybe I should get a smaller gun to carry on meets like this...hmm, this should fit in well, and should hide the body suit...

Once dressed up, George departs for the apartment, it never hurts to be there a little early watchig before you walk in.

[Glyph]

A slow grin creeps over Dirk's face as he hears the news. It's about time he got work again. He gets up, does a few stretches, then takes a quick cold shower. He dresses in the one suit that he has, a dark Hong Kong suit with a dark grey shirt and a crimson tie. He puts on his shoulder holster under the suit jacket, along with his gun, then adds his black duster and matching fedora. He carefully checks his grooming, making sure he looks good, before heading out the door to catch the tube. As he approaches his destination, he mentally rehearses for the job of selling himself to the client. He should get there 10 minutes early or so.

[Street Wyze]

Arriving ten to twenty minutes early, you take a drive aroud the block. The apartment building is a large one, about 25 stories or so tall. It's block is also occupied by large appartment complexes. To the south, accross the street from the building's main entrance, there is a decently sized park. It's a good day in Seattle, about 70F on a Sunny Sunday and many children are running through the greenery under the watchful eyes of their parents. East of the building is another block of apartments. The block north of the meeting place has several other apartment complexes along with a large public parking garage. West, there is a large strip mall with several retail stores, resturants and a large grocery store.

William- You take a look around for anything that would make you overly suspicious when you leave your doss and keep the watch up as you ride to the meet. There isn't anything you see that trips any inner alarms.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Not only does Baron circle the block, he circles the building to take a good astral look. He jams his senses into the astral and stalks around the complex, kicking in his vision magnification. Once finished, he does it again with his senses shoved back into the mundane. He mentally notes anything worth noting, then enters the building. He walks the entirety of every floor, familiarizing himself with it as best he can in the limited time, then, as his retinal clock clicks from 11:59am to 12:00pm, he knocks on the door while he puts on his emotionless game face.

[Fenris]

William spends the few extra moments making himself familiar with the layout and the area around the building, including obvious entrances and exits. He commits it all to memory, focusing until he can recall each and every detail about the building, it's exterior layout, an area 'round it.

[phelious fogg]

Bear is going to arrive on time and sit down to meet the Johnson.
Nothing Fancy

[Herald of Verjig...]

George takes his time getting to the door, not so long as to be late, but long enough to look at the stresses of each person in sight of the apartment building (and George hs some very good eyesight). Noting any deep discrepancies between appearance and truth, he chuckles to himself at how many people live in an endless lie. When the meeting time nears, he walks to the apartment building and enters.

[Glyph]

Dirk enters the apartment building after only a cursory look at his surroundings, and heads straight for the meeting place, still early, and mentally rehearsing for the interview as he walks to the door.

[Fenris]

William pauses some distance from the door, trying to look unobtrusive and observing as several individuals pile through the marked door in succession several minutes before the meet is scheduled to begin.

Shaking his head to himself and smiling, he steps forward, in the lions den.

[Street Wyze]

You all arrive and are ushered inside in turn. Everything you witness feels normal for a meet of this sort. Everyone looks like a professional, and is feeling roughly the same mix of excitement and anticipation, and even a little bright because of the unusually sunny day.

Your host seems to be the only person in the apartment. The tall elf leads you into a large room with several couches and chairs. The furnture is nice, and the apartment well decorated, but the apartment just feels uninhabited.

Once you are all seated he offers you anything to eat or drink, and serves those who request something, then he stands at the front of the room and faces you as he speaks.

"Thank you all for coming. As you can probably guess, I am Mr. Johnson. I now ask that you introduce yourselves to each other. Once we have all been aquainted, we can get down to business."

With that he sits down in a large white leather easy-chair and clearly waits for you to comply with his wishes.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Standing with his arms crossed in front of him in his black Vashon Island Actioneer line clothes and sunglasses, his hair short and neat held in place with Nerps™ brand hair shellack, he stood his full imposing height and looked down to everyone and said simply in his moderately deep voice, "Baron." He looked at all in the room, expecting his name to be enough. He waited for the rest to introduce themselves, wondering if any of them would be up to "his standards."

[phelious fogg]

Nearvosly Bear introduces himself. "I'm Bear." He says. Not sure how the rest of the introductions will go, and not willing to let out anything more than nessassary.

[Glyph]

Dirk, looking relaxed as he sits on the couch, lifts the brim of his fedora to glance around with piercing grey eyes. "I'm Rent", he says, in a soft but rumbling voice. Rent is a whipcord-lean troll with slicked-back dark hair that has sideburns and a little bob of a ponytail. He is dressed in well-made dark clothing - under his black duster, he is wearing a charcoal grey, slightly conservative business suit. Despite his relaxed posture, he still seems alert.

[Herald of Verjig...]

"Interesting, only short names, quick to say and of few letters." He pauses for a moment. "'Kull' is enough of a name for these purposes."

[Fenris]

He acknowledges each in turn as they speak, smiling and nodding pleasantly.

His voice seems to go with his appearance, light and cultured, and bearing a British accent. "Assez," he murmurs, giving the word a slight French accent. The slacks and shirt he wears under the simple overcoat look to be cut professionally for him and him alone. He looks more like a playboy then a bodyguard, with an easy smile, blonde hair and blue eyes completing the look.

[Street Wyze]

Baron takes a long cool look around the room, peering deep into each individual as only one opened to the astral plane can. As he looks he is surprised to see that two of the other five people in the room are awakened, but not in the same way as him. Their magic is turned inward, helping their bodies to become more. The others, Assez, Bear, and the Johnson do not seem to share this trait. Baron can see that their essence is not as strong, or as pure as his or the others. He also sees dark patches of their bodies, where the glowing of their souls has been darkened by cybernetic implants. After taking his look he settles down to listen to the rest of the Johnson's pitch. His truth sense, gifted to him by his magic, has not picked up anything he believes bears interest, of course, no one here is using their actual names, but that is to be expected. The final introduction is made and everyone settles as their tall elf host again stands and begins to speak.


EDIT- Continuity Effect

[Street Wyze]

Everyone watches intently as Assez finishes his introduction and sits.

"Thank you," your host says from his seat. "It is important that you get to know each other professionally. The operation for which I require your services will require teamwork. Lone guns will be a detrement and will be excused from the operation, and the payment entitled to those professional enough to complete it." He gives the room a cold, serious eye. "If there is anyone here who cannot live by this, then it is time for him to leave."

He waits for a moment, to see if his invitation is taken, when it is not he nods, then rises to his feet and presses a button on the small remote control in his hand. A panel on the wall behind him slides out of the way to reveal a trid screen. Another button press lights up the screen with a holopic of an attractive elf girl, apparently in her early twenties. She has dark brown hair and eyes, tan skin, and she is smiling for the camera, revealing alabaster teeth.

"This is Miss Johnson...no relation." Your perspective employer says with a slight smile. "She is arriving in Seattle by boat tomorrow morning at 9:30. Your mission is to provide her with personal security for the duration of her stay. The catch is that she cannot know that you are watching over her. For this I will pay you each 8,000 NuYen. 2,000 upon commencement of the operation and 6,000 upon it's termination." He pauses and returns to his seat. "I will now take any questions you may have concerning this proposal. I will attempt to be as forthcoming as possible, but you must understand that there are things about this that I am not authorized to reveal to you."

[phelious fogg]

"Wait a minute," says Bear, his voice boomming, "how the hell do you protect someone who cant see you." He pauses calming from his nervous outburst. "I mean, if you can see someone the rule is that they can see you. Also the general reason you have bodygaurds is so that people know better than to frag with you." Bear takes a deep breath. "The point is why does someone hire a squad of bodygaurds only to make them invisible."

[Glyph]

Rent smiles slightly. "Maybe she's the type who doesn't think she needs bodyguards, and she has buds who know better."

He looks at the Johnson, his face serious again. "The job is still doable, but I think we're going to need some more logistical support here. For one thing, knowing her itinerary would help. For another thing, it would let us start working on cover stories that explain our presense. Because sooner or later, as good as we are, she'll spot us. If we stay far enough away that she can't see us, we won't be near enough to help her when the drek goes down. We need a reason to be near her. And we also need to know what your priorities are. If we - absolute worst case situation here - can't protect the client without blowing our cover, do you still want us to do so?"

[last_of_the_grea...]

"One hires invisible bodyguards when the one being guarded is bait. I don't like this one allready." He turns to look at the man displaying Ms. Johnson on the monitor. "Here are the conditions of my employment. If you withhold information that I deem important and discover it, I walk away. Set me up and make sure I am dead or I will spare nothing to hunt down you and anyone connected to this job. The 2000 nuyen up front buys my silence. Once all has been said I will say whether I accept the contract, but the 2K Is to be paid immediately before the rest begins." He speaks in a noble manner, as if he's above all in the room. The way he carries himself leaves no doubt as to whom he thinks will be in charge of this operation (should he choose to accept). He maintains his analyze truth spell throughout the meeting, focusing it on his potential employer, but keeps an eye on the others, too, sizing them up to see if they are competition, underlings or the rare type worthy of being considered equals.

[Herald of Verjig...]

Looking at Bear: "Being seen and being noticed are two entirely different things."
"Baron's words are the basis of any proper agreement. I have to notice that you are vague about how long the job will last. 6,000 does not always buy even one day of protection. If the duration or difficulty goes too far, we will have to re-negotiate the payment."