IC: Working Days, Trapped between the Candle and the Star Options

[BishopMcQ]

Team
Finishing your preparations you find yourself in Capitol Hill en route to the Paradise O. Traffic on Saturday afternoon is moderate as tourists and locals come to enjoy the sunshine for a few hours and window shop at various boutiques with the virtual displays enticing buyers to come inside. Lonestar patrols frequently pass by and drones hover across the skyline, occasionally tagging passer-bys to ensure that no one is doing anything illicit. Community relations officers walk the area on foot, scolding youths for spamming the area with their commlinks and talking to local owners.

The Paradise O has a subtle AR presence and as you move inside the bar is quiet with only a few patrons gathered in a booth talking amongst themselves and eating pub chips. A large fomori leans against the bar drinking from a pitcher of water, keeping an eye on the door and casually talking at the bartender. She seems to be ignoring him for the most part as she goes through the motions of prepping the bar for tonight. There is an occassional hiss from the fiery red snakes that make up her hair.

For some of you, there is a flash of light near the door as you enter and the bouncer shakes his head. "Put 'em in the car and come on back."

[HeySparky]

Trying to decide if she looks awesome or ridiculous after her trip to Crossroads, Fade walks through the door of the Paradise O. Mother-of-Frag... never spent :nuyen: 157 on clothes. Well, not on one outfit. The MAD flashes, giving away the extendable baton at her hip. She makes eye-contact with the bouncer and obligingly opens her long coat showing the baton in its sleeve. He purses his lips and gives his head an economic shake.

Wow, tight security.

She slips the snap on the baton's sleeve and says, "Hey, I found this outside, you have a Lost & Fou--" Fade glances from the Formori to the bartender, voice faltering as she takes in the swaying snake headdress. Wow, that's some nice work, wonder where she got that done. She continues after a beat, "--uh, a Lost & Found? I'm sure the owner'll turn up."

She smiles to cover the lapse.

Fade puts the baton on the bar. She glances at the bottles lined up behind the woman with red snakes for hair. So lifelike. She glances at the row of taps. She sighs, "I'll take a kaf."

She pays, takes the cup and finds a seat facing the door. She drapes her coat across the back and settles in, taking a good look around the place.

[Penta]

John had done the smart thing and left his Predator in a maglocked case in his car, as well as leaving his other weapons there, so its a quick trip through the MAD before he sits at the bar. eyeing the Fomori and the bartender casually...the same sort of casual way as he'd eye kids while on patrol.

[Vegas]

::October 18, 2070 – 15:35::
::Capitol Hill – The O::

Having found a secure parking garage just around the corner from The O where the attendant was far too eager to “take special care” of A’ja’s car, she made her way quickly towards the party. She strode confidently towards the doors and was almost through security when the light flashed, imperceptible to most except those trained to watch for it. She watched the bouncer’s face harden as he shook his head at her, scolding her much like a small child telling her firmly to take it back to her car. She just smiled and amped up her charm as she slowly moved to unzip the leather jacket to reveal a long stretch of creamy flesh before a little pale blue fabric and finally the holster settled comfortably beneath her left arm.

“A girl can’t walk the streets of Seattle without being overly-cautious these days now can she?”

She made no move to unholster the Slivergun but let her eyes flicker from the gun and back to the bouncers face clearly inviting him to remove it for her.

“I promise I can make it worth your while if you’d be willing to look after it for me while I meet some friends for drinks? I’m feeling much safer knowing you’re watching the door.”

She sealed the deal as she leaned in against the bouncer, allowing him a cheap thrill or two as he removed her gun and stowed it away till she left. With a wink and an air kiss she slipped inside the bar and her countenance changed, gone was the giddy flirtatious smile and playful giggles. Instead she was all business and she had a gleam in her eye as she looked about the place while making her way to the bar.

She made her way to an empty stool a little ways down from the fomori who she offered a polite nod as she ordered an amaretto sour from the bartender and leaned back against the bar and took a closer look at the few patrons who were starting their happy hour a little early, more than happy to shift her sound spectrum enough to do some casual eavesdropping along the way.

[Mister Juan]

In a nearby parking lot, the young Russian woman was busy smoking her 5th cigarette. Arms crossed, she leaned against the hood of her car, deeply taking in one last draft. She had now walked twice in front of the Paradise O, scouting not only the front of the establishment, but also the whole block and back alleys. It wasn�t that she expected any trouble or any sort of ambush. Corps didn�t screw over their official employees. At least, that was what Ludmila had witnessed up to now. What was making her slightly nervous was the fact she would be working only with irregulars; deniable and extra assets Watanabe hired. It wasn�t Ludi�s first time working with elements outside of her own usual unit, but it always made her feel uneasy. Working with outsiders meant working alongside people you didn�t know. The success of any operations always rested in trusting your teammates, and working seamlessly as a whole.

Pinching the cigarette with two fingers, she pulled it out from between her lips and flicked it through the air.

A few minutes later, she was pushing the door of the Paradise O opened with her shoulder. As she walked in, the MAD scanner built in the door chimed in her entry, making it quite clear that she was packing. With a furrowed brow, the bouncer approached and made the establishments policy quite clear. From his tone of voice, he sounded strangely annoyed. Guess he was getting tired of repeating himself�

In any other usual situation, a simple broadcast of Ludmila�s corporate ID would have been enough to allow her to carry almost any kind of gear in any kind of place. But today, low profile was the word of the day.

Sighing heavily, she motioned the bouncer to come a little closer. The sigh wasn�t because she felt naked without all her hardware� it was more because she should have known the place would be equipped in such a manner.

Ludmila spoke slowly, making sure she would be understood through her thick Russian accent.

�Can I leave my things with you?� she said in a midly impatient tone.

[krayola red]

Stepping out of the taxi and dusting himself off, Juan looks up to appraise the exterior of the O. It's been awhile since he'd ventured into the kind of hangout where a fight doesn't break out every two minutes and troublemakers are kindly escorted to the door instead of having half their bones broken and tossed out back next to the dumpster. The old horns n' tusk did mention that he was likely to encounter those of his kind in this venue, so extra precautions are in order. A few seconds spent masking his aura to deceive the untrained third eye into seeing a mundane human, and he was good to go. Impeccably dressed, Juan strides casually through the front doors and under the MAD scanner posted right above them, clean, smooth, and without fuss. He nods amiably at the bouncer, who seems to be mildly surprised to find someone walking through the doors without packing some killing iron, and makes his way through the tables, sight set on the bar counter.

Upon arrival, he leans on the counter, smiles at the bartender, and says, "Greetings, madame. Much to my regret, I am here on business, rather than pleasure. My interview is at 4 o'...would you be so kind as to direct me?"

[BishopMcQ]

Esther
The fomori takes the extendable baton from you and places it behind the counter. Without saying anything the bartender debits your account via your 'link and hands you the kaf poured from a pot behind her.

Glancing around the room, your eyes are constantly pulled back to the slithering snakes around the bartender's head. One of them seems to notice your staring and hisses aggressively. Taking the clue, you turn and look over the other patrons in time to see a man with the bearing of an off-duty Star walk in.

John
With a seat at the bar, you quickly take in the large Fomori, his black t-shirt and utilikilt, as well as, the bartender with her simple blouse, blue jeans and roiling snakes. You note the glint of poison on the snakes' fangs and remind yourself to stay out of reach. Listening to the conversation around the bar, you can hear patrons in the corner talking about Urban Brawl, though it probably is minor league stuff. Cleveland took a huge beating from Denver last night. Denver lost the game, but only after putting have the Cleveland line on the disabled roster.

A'Ja
At first the large troll doesn't seem to realize what you were insinuating until the bartender calls out.

"The whore wants you to feel her up while you take the gun, Golice."

He turns several shades of red as he takes the slivergun and heads over to the bar to put it in the locked case. The bartender seems to not hear your request as you come over.

Leaning against the bar, you hear the patrons talking about sports and notice the cop and BAMF leaning against the bar further down. The man seems to be waiting for someone casually, as the tall, lean and muscled troll female drinking coffee as black as her skin.

Ludi
"Last one. No more people with guns."

You're unsure why, but the bouncer seems to have a heavy blush receding from his face as he takes the shoulder rig with pistols, clips, and grenades. He doesn't seem to think about making you walk through again.

As you come into the area, you see a disparate group of individuals strung across the bar.

Juan
You pass by the bouncer without any concerns. At a glance you see Esther further down the bar, drinking coffee and trying to not look at the bartender even before her outburst.

Arriving at the bar, the bartender seems irritable and obviously ready to take it out on somebody.

"Do I look like a info-terminal to you? Would everyone meeting with Mr. Esperanto raise your fucking hand!"

[krayola red]

Juan winks at the bartender and says, "Oh no, in my experience, info terminals tend to be very polite. Well, you know what I'm here for."

[Penta]

John grins at the bartender's outburst, doing his best to not look like an off-duty cop. Mostly because he wasn't one...Anymore. But old habits died hard, and he knew it.

[HeySparky]

That fragging thing hissed at me. Esther tries to work out which to be, angry or scared and settles for freaked out. One after another, an odd parade of people come in, all but one surrendering weapons to a more and more put out bouncer. She wonders which, if any, of them is the Watanabe rep. Surely not the oozing trollop. Maybe that one, over there, smiling at the barte -- Juan?

Esther's brow furrows and the kaf mug pauses halfway to her mouth. She startles as the bartender barks angrily at the young man. Her roommate. How very strange.

When Juan turns her way she smiles and gives a wave. She checks the time in the corner of her AR display. Almost 4:00. Surely he's not... what are the fragging chances? Naw... he's just here for a date or something. Or... yeah.

[Vegas]

For an instant A’ja’s eyes narrowed into slits much like the snakes in the bartenders hair. She bit back a harsh response in return as she had been called much worse before, and just chuckled softly at the childish games while she gave a slight nod to the other patrons along the bar rail. The guy who still screamed out cop while trying to hide it interested her, as much as the troll woman down the bar drinking coffee.

As the bartender unleashed her tongue on the next poor guy who asked a question she just shook her head, at first not realizing just who was on the receiving end of the tongue lashing. If there was ever someone in dire need of a drink, a high or a fuck this woman was quickly climbing to the top of that list. A’ja frowned inwardly as she kept her eyes moving over the room, this was gearing up to be such a pleasant job prospect.

What a fucking party this is turning out to be… I should have fucking stayed home, in bed.

With her hands empty of a glass she pushed off the bar and turned to face the bartender once again.

“I gave up raising my hands in grade school darlin’ but I am here for the appointment.�

[krayola red]

Juan turns away from the bartender, curious to see what the rest of the outfit assembled for this job will look like. Much to his astonishment, he immediately catches two familiar faces, in the last place where he would've expected to find them. Were they anyone else, he would've immediately been on guard - as such, he was merely surprised.

"Esther? Rosie? If this job is actually a surprise birthday party for me in disguise, I regret to tell you that it isn't my birthday."

He shrugs, and grins. "You could've also picked a more festive hostess, if I do say so myself."

[Mister Juan]

Crossing the room and heading towards the bar, every single of Ludmila’s steps were punctuated by the heavy “thud� of her combat boots. Like the spurs of the Old West, they marked her entrance. Reaching the bar, she leaned against it in a nonchalant manner, giving the place a quick once around glance. Her left hand started to fish around the many pockets of her baggy cargo pants, until it came out with a half crumpled pack of cigarettes.

Hitting the poor thing against the bar a few times, until one of the smokes dislodged itself, she pulled on it with her mouth, lighting it with her free hand.

She took one long drag, the tip of her cigarette growing a fiery red. Inside her head, Ludi kept playing different scenarios over and over. Fields of fire, line of sights and possible covers overlaid themselves as she ran through the instinctive motions. She let a few seconds pass, as she took another long pull from her smoke. In the corner of her vision, numbers only she could see blinked away.

Finally, when almost half of her cigarette was nothing but ashes barely holding together, she hailed the bartender asking for both a shot of vodka, and informing her that she had reserved their “meeting room�.

From her barstool, she glanced across her shoulder towards a small groups of patrons. Both of them had already made it clear they were here for a certain “job interview�.

Odds were, they were “her irregulars�.

[Penta]

John smiles at the chatter. When he can catch the bartender, he quietly asks for a beer - an inexpensive Samuel Adams, to be exact, he'd grown to appreciate them during college - and informs her that he is, in fact, here for a private meeting at 4 o'clock.

[HeySparky]

Esther's smile is puzzled. "Uh..." her eyes dart around the room. This is fragging weird. He knows two people here? Fade looks over at whoever Juan called Rosie.

[Vegas]

She nodded in Juan's direction fully acknowledging him before her velvet voice spoke a word.

"Kiddo, you could only be so lucky to have a party thrown by two women of our caliber."

She gave the dark troll woman a polite nod, making the assumption she was Esther based on the momentary look of confusion on her face.

[krayola red]

"M'dear, every day that I have the chance to hear your sweet voice is a lucky day."

Juan spreads his arms, palms up. "Esther, this is A'ja Rose. We were once business associates, until somebody turned craven (ahem) and decided to take to the white. Rosie, Esther, my roommate. She can kill a bull with her bare hands and make the world's most delicious steak out of him, all in the same day."

He smiles. "Now that introductions are out of the way, let's talk about what you two are really doing here."

[BishopMcQ]

Ludi
The bartender seems on the verge of biting into you about the vodka but when she hears you mention the meeting room cuts herself short. She hands you a shot glass, a half-filled bottle filled with clear liquid and points to the door marked "Private" near the restroom.

"You can set the access code for the next half hour. Take the rabble with you."

John
After the almost peaceful exchange with the newcomer, she hands you a beer bottle. The glass is cold and begins to immediately build condensation along the outside.

"Be a man and drink it from the bottle."

All
Stepping away from the man with his beer, Maggie Mae raises her voice to be heard across the bar.

"Alright, everyone meeting with Watanabe follow the chica with the Vodka. Everyone else, sod off."

With that she steps to the end of the bar, lights a cigarette and mixes herself a drink which takes on a neon blue hue.

[Penta]

John grins at the bartender in his most charming way.

"Thank you. Bit much for work, but I'll take the advice nonetheless," he replies, taking the bottle with him as he approaches the chica with the vodka.

As he approaches, he smiles at her; he'd extend a hand for her to shake were both of hers not obviously full.

[Mister Juan]

Sliding the bottle off the bar, Ludmila made the plastic rattle against the bar as she pulled away. Bottle in her right hand, empty glass held by the lid in her left, she gave John a brief nod of acknowledgement.

As she spoke, the cigarette stuck to the corner of her mouth danced up and down.

“Follow me.” the woman simply said in a thick Russian accent.

He boots thudded heavily on the floor as she made her way toward a door marked “Private”, close by the restroom, which she swung open. Side stepping aside, she leaned against the wall and gave something of a nudge toward the opened door… obviously expecting people to file in before her.

[Vegas]

A'ja took her time falling into line behind the line of soon to be associates. She smiled at Juan's question.

"You know me, I'm all about the business, besides I doubt you're here for the atmosphere."

With a wink she started off towards the meeting room following the smokehouse of a Russian that would apparently be running this show. It was time to get her head back in the game of working for someone else calling the shots for a change. She had grown so accustomed to playing by her own rules for so long that being under another's thumb would prove to be interesting.

[HeySparky]

Ah, yeah. Should have seen that coming. Esther stands. "That's me." She looks at Juan. His attention toward the combat-booted woman is clear. "No way. You too. Small fragging world." She slugs down the rest of the kaf and files into the room. Should have gotten something harder.

She takes a seat far from the door and opens a window in the AR space in front of her. The timer on her locker ticks away in the corner. The woman is clearly a take-charge sort, so Esther sits waiting, observing the others as they troop in.

[krayola red]

Juan raises his eyebrows as he looks A'ja up and down. "You, I might've expected."

His eyes sparkle as he turns his gaze to Esther. "You, I never saw coming. This ought to be interesting, neh?"

He takes a moment to stretch his arms, then follows the rest of the group into the meeting room with long strides. Hooking his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans, he leans against the wall and waits patiently for someone to kick off the party.

[Mister Juan]

Once everyone had entered the small meeting room, Ludmila gave herself a push off the wall and strolled into the room, her boots scrapping against the floor. As she pulled the door closed behind her, the commlink implanted deep within her head subscribed to the room’s maglock. She wasn’t even fully seated that common sound of the magnetic field clicking in action chimmed in for all to hear. For the next half hour, they where all pretty much locked up in the tiny room.

Setting the bottle in the center of the table, her still empty shooter upturned and sitting on top of it, the Russian woman pulled herself a chair. Her smoke was still glued to her lower lip, as half of it had now turned into ashes. Somehow… she had managed to keep it intact. She exhaled deeply, sending two jets of grey fumes out of her nose and up towards the ceiling.

“First” she took the cigarette out of her mouth and reached for the shooter glass “I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to come here.”

She crushed her cigarette into the glass… just as she took her pack out of her pocket and lit a new one. Ludmila had never been one to beat around the bush. She could, when the need was there, be subtle and quiet about things. But situations like this one felt alien to her, and made her nervous. Ludmila didn’t like being nervous… She just wanted to get things done.

“I do not like sitting on my two hands in a crummy room in a crummy bar, so I will not take more time out of your daily life than I need to. The job is as follow: a certain outfit believes some of it’s property has either been lost or stolen. They want it back. They want to know who did it. They want it handled discreetly.”

She took one long drag.

“The operation itself carries little physical risk, and exposure should be minimal. The job pays 18 000, be divided amongst you four as you see fit.”

Ludmila kicked her chair back, expertly tipping it back on it’s two back legs and setting the sole of her heavy combat boot against the edge of the table.

[Penta]

4500 per on an equal split...Not bad, Penta thought.

Then, he asked, simply, "What kind of time constraints does the customer have in mind, and what sort of opposition do they expect?"