IC: Pain Avenue, The IC cool thread that lasts. Options

[G.NOME]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:01
The Green Fairy

"Now then... in appreciation of your eagerness to begin the job, I must ask you this. What do you know about coffee?", Leon says, his eyebrow raised.

Spec glanced at Chiller and then Halo.

Chiller looked perfectly calm and controlled, which probably means he had already figured out how to snap the Aziz's neck in the fastest way possible, Spec decided.

Halo looked like she just ran into an old boyfriend that she'd been trying to get ahold of for years.

"The best stuff is grown down south," Spec said.

He glanced at this Aziz warily.

< [Aeryn] A problem? >

I don't like where this is headed, he thought.

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:23
The Green Fairy

Aziz nods. "Yes, down south. It all grows in the torrid zone, between the tropics. And Mr. Shen summed up many of the common problems nicely.", he says. "In South America there's a small farm. They produced high quality for many, many years, up until the Awakening, sixty-some years ago. Their coffee producing plants themselves awakened, and since then, they haven't produced anything. Until, of course, now. Through trial and error, they figured out how to properly grow, dry, roast, and pack it. And they're ready for sale. Their entire crop, after sixty years. Its not much, something around one hundred pounds. They have a buyer lined up in the Tir, but with tariffs, legality, and the like, they decided to smuggle it here overland. Thats where you come in. Are you interested?" He pulls a silver cigarette case out of his breast pocket, and produces a short, brown cigarette with a gold filter. He lights it, then looks to each of you, waiting for a reply.

[Critias]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:23
The Green Fairy

Billy flashes that smile again, takes another harsh drag off the nonfiltered to buy the team a second, decides he'll have to talk to buy them a few more. While he's content to negotiate for them, he's not going to completely make up their minds for the rest of the crew; especially not if Halo and their Mr Jay -- Aziz, he corrects himself -- have a history that could complicate matters.

"Interested is a loaded word. Speaking for myself, it depends on three things. How much pay, where's point A, and where's point B?" Smoke chases the words out of his mouth, his hands do a little talking for him, variously pointing as he rattles off possible point A's, possible point B's. "We talking somewhere in South America to the Tir? South America to Seattle? Seattle to the Tir? Even just the 'South America' part leaves a pretty big land mass. Smugglers charge for distance traveled and difficulty of border crossings. There's a big difference in going rate, depending on where exactly pick-up and delivery are supposed to take place."

And, in the meantime, the question for Aeryn hangs just at the edge of his field of vision, displayed on the inside of his glasses...waiting for an answer. It could always turn out Halo answers that "problem" question just wrong, and this whole gig could turn into a shoot out instead of a conversation about coffee, road trips, and customs manifests. Billy's determined not to let that possibility show, though; he's all smiles, curious questions, friendly body language, and professional courtesy.

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:45
The Green Fairy

Aziz looks puzzled for a moment, and takes the cigarette out of his mouth. "Point A? What do you me- Oh! Oh.", he says, then cracks a grin and begins laughing. "No no no no no, you misunderstand me, Mr. Shen. I apologize for not making myself clearer. I don't need you to smuggle it. It's already on its way here. I need you to steal it."

[G.NOME]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:47
The Green Fairy

"...I need you to steal it."

Imperceptibly (except maybe to Billy), Spec relaxes.

[Vegas]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:23
The Green Fairy

Halo slowly let go of the breath she’d been holding for what now felt like 10 minutes in a slow silent stream. Her body language relaxed and as soon as Aeryn’s question popped into her vision she could honestly answer.

< [Aeryn] A problem? >

< [Halo] No, no problem. Just past history. Someone I ran with 6 maybe 7 years back. Hadn’t seen him since is all. >

She left it at that, there would be more time to fill the team in on details later, but she could feel the way Chiller and Spec had immediately gone on edge and on the defensive at her surprise so she needed to take the tension out of the equation.

Her brow arched pointedly as she listened to the details of what could become their next job. Her interest was only minutely dampened when it was realized they wouldn’t be headed to South America after all and they wouldn’t be bringing it in themselves. When it’s clear that they’d be stealing it however, a slow sly smile spread across her lips.

Now, we’re talkin’…

[Critias]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:23
The Green Fairy

"Well, then." Billy's grin had seemed cheerfull enough for the entirety of the last few minutes, but now he really does mean it. It might be the fact he won't be driving an off-roader bike through the humid jungles of Amazonia, it might be Halo's message, either way a weight's off his suit-clad shoulders. "That's a bit more exciting, isn't it?"

"That handles the point A and B business, allright. And, to be honest, it sounds a bit more up our alley. Unfortunately, it opens up a few new questions -- expected security, who exactly we'll be pissing off for swiping their stuff, that sort of thing. And, of course," he pauses for another mouthfull of smoke, another smile, "It does still leave the question of pay, before we can say yes."

[DireRadiant]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:23
The Green Fairy

Colorful images of machetes slashing through animated tentacled coffee pot wielding plants followed by jumps off of high emerald green mountain ridges into deep blue whirlpools of waterfalls followed by long mountain treks with mules loaded with rugged denim bags filled with jumping chirpy coffee beans melted away when the Johnson explained it was a theft. Not a continent spanning smuggling adventure.

< [Halo] No, no problem. Just past history. Someone I ran with 6 maybe 7 years back. Hadn’t seen him since is all. >

Billy chattering again, hard to ignore really, but better to do so and pay attention to what everyone else is doing. Chiller could hear perfectly well to the conversation with his head and body turned away and looking at the rest of the room.

In the corner of his vision on a scan Halo's grin triggered more doubts. It might be she was relaxed a bit, but in his experience all the worst fights were started by people who thought they knew each other well. There were often a lot less misunderstandings between strangers, because you knew you were dealing with a stranger, and had to be careful with what you thought the other person knew. Amongst the friends, or regulars, you could get into some really bad misunderstandings, like the time Hardcore Malone had finally made his on move on Kinky Kelly only to find out that Kinky wasn't either kinky nor a guy. It had been very messy and bloody, but the subsequent reattachment worked, Hardcore Malone claimed it worked better then ever, and the pair of them had taken to prowling together figuring at least one of them would end up with their target of the evening.

Chiller continued running mentally through a series of scenarios and threat priorities.

left end of the bar is most exposed to the room, if mass shootout starts that spot will give me the most access to targets, light cover... I can make it there in three steps and a long jump and spin...

[Thanee]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:32
The Green Fairy

< [Halo] No, no problem. Just past history. Someone I ran with 6 maybe 7 years back. Hadn’t seen him since is all. >

< [Aeryn] Good for him. >

The ambiguity in the message reply is certainly no coincidence.


Aeryn's smirk vanishes as Aziz explains the intended run a little further, and she nods her head twice. “To answer your question, Mr Aziz, I'm interested to hear more about it.”

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:52
The Green Fairy

Aziz nods slowly. "Ah yes, the question of pay. At this moment, I am prepared to offer you, say, ten thousand nuyen each. It should be more than adequate, seeing as how I've done most of the legwork, and you'll only need to handle the security detail."

[Critias]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:52
The Green Fairy

Fifty thousand nuyen, Billy thinks, bringing the cigarette to his lips again, for some coffee. Five hundred noo a pound. Expensive coffee. Let's see just how bad he wants it.

"Five of us, one a Talent, two of us known heavies with combat experience, for a no-brainer cross-town snatch? That must be quite a security detail, Mister Johnson, and some very, very, nice coffee. Ammunition is expensive, medical care doubly so, and from the sounds of things we may need plenty of both. Two thousand apiece, up front to handle expenses, another ten each on delivery?" The smile he gives takes any sting out of the negotiation, the little gestures with the smoking cigarette accentuate his points. Billy's such a reasonable, likeable, guy, doesn't twelve sound fair, after all? He lets the counter offer hang in the air like the rich smoke he exhaled with it.

[DireRadiant]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:53
The Green Fairy

He was mid punch when he stopped his mental combat simulation and considered what was being said. Seemed like good nuyen. Enough to get a top notch commlink, maybe get it implanted so he wouldn't worry about it getting trashed like the last one. At the moment he was running a cheap Korean knockoff that someone had left at the Red Barn, a biker bar for older bikers. It kept reverting to default iconography at the worst moments. An implant sounded like a good idea, but he would really need to track down a good hacker to set it up with the right protections. An implant wouldn't have exploded when he accidentally drop kicked it in one of his practice moves. You had to admit it would be unlikely for Chiller to kick himself in the head, though he was certainly flexible enough to do it.

... heavy... I haven't been putting on weight have I?...

[G.NOME]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:02:53
The Green Fairy

At the mention of money, Spec's mind retreated far, far away from the bar. Briefly, the mental image of a figure lying in an oxygen tent and hooked up to dozens of monitors replaced the Fairy's gaudy interior. That image was in turn replaced by the image of a doctor, a look of sympathy and concern on his face....

Yes, Spec thought, his consciousness snapping back to the present moment, ten thousand is a good start....

Spec looked at the Johnson intently, wondering just what they were going up against this time.

[Thanee]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:07
The Green Fairy

The question about the exact payment was still hanging in the air, the tension was raising to tangible levels.

Putting on her best what-he-said face, Aeryn awaited the answer of their soon-to-be short-term employer.

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:07
The Green Fairy

Aziz looks at Billy, and takes a drag off his cigarette, then exhales a lungful of dark, pungent smoke.

"Twelve thousand total, you ask? How's eleven thousand sound, instead?"

[Critias]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:07
The Green Fairy

Billy shrugs as if it doesn't really matter to him either way, "Two up front, nine on delivery?"

[Thanee]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:10
The Green Fairy

“Looks like we got a deal then,” Aeryn says. “You mentioned the legwork you have done already before, do you have the gathered information compiled in some fashion?”

[G.NOME]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:14
The Green Fairy

Spec glanced over at Aeryn and then looked back at Aziz, trying to size up his new "boss."

I wonder whose coffee we're going to be stealing, he thinks to himself.

[Vegas]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:07
The Green Fairy

She was still in awe that Aziz was actually standing before her again, let alone that she was about to be "working" for him.

Ten grand buys a lot of tools

Her body language changed, she was relaxed and almost looked like she was enjoying herself as the negotiations for cash continued.

Eleven grand buys a lot of tools AND a lot of Bliss

As Aeryn all but seals the deal for the 11k, she nods her own silent acceptance of the cash offered and puts in her two nu.

"Or even just the basics? Who's expecting it, since we're gonna piss someone off when we get our hands on it. Also, I'm assuming that we're doing this in Seattle proper and not god forbid anywhere near the Tir. And most importantly when is this going down? How much lead time do we have?"

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:43
The Green Fairy

Aziz takes a final drag of his cigarette, and stubs it out in an ashtray on a table next to him.

"Well, currently, the goods are in a warehouse on the south end of the docks. Tomorrow morning they're to be loaded up into an armored transport, and taken through the city. As for who's expecting it, thats not important."

[G.NOME]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:03:48
The Green Fairy

Spec speaks for the first time: "I assume you know their route. What kind of security do they have; what kind of vehicles are they using?"

He speaks slowly and deliberately. His gaze doesn't waver.

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:04:14
The Green Fairy

Aziz nods. "Yes, we know their route. The vehicle they'll be transporting it in is a modified GMC Bulldog. As for the security detail, we've been informed that there will be eight guards armed with submachine guns. They'll be in the van, and also in a chase car what we're not actually sure will be."

[Thanee]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:04:37
The Green Fairy

“Anything about awakened guard personnel?” Aeryn asks.

[DireRadiant]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:04:40
The Green Fairy

The usual chatter going on behind him, Chiller concentrated on watching the rest of The Green Fairy. Despite all the questions everyone had, and the answers they might get from the J, he knew they would double check everything on their own before committing to any plans. Though it did sound like this would be a pretty hard hit, just for some coffee. On the other hand, Chiller had seen some crazy things people did for coffee too.

[Fresno Bob]

Friday, January 10th, 2070, 16:04:57
The Green Fairy

Aziz shakes his head. "No, as far as we know, there aren't any awakened guards."