IC: Emerald City Nights, This Ain't no Oz... Options

[Glyph]

Viper, trailing along behind the other two, has been uncharacteristically quiet, perhaps because she has been observing Steve's outburst with morbid fascination. She hums tunelessly as she follows him and Johnson, interested in meeting this new guy. As she follows their conversation, she finally feels like interjecting.

"I have no problem with you taking an advance out ot the expenses credstick. But this is Kai's fault. After the job, he can pay you out of his share."

She smiles faintly at Steve's surprised look - after all, she and Kai are pals, while she seems alternately amused and indifferent towards him most of the time.

"Hey, I like the little mouse, but he's got to learn some limits, now, or the next time, he'll frag with the wrong person, and get himself geeked."

[Bastard]

"My thoughts exactly," Johnson agrees. He pushes open the breakroom door to find a very slender elf sitting at the far end flipping through the pages of a tattered magazine. His hair is white and long, falling so that it slightly covers his face when the group first enters.

"Seta? Hoi, Im Johnson." After the others enter he quickly introduces them, "This is Steve, and this is Viper. Welcome to the team."

[Digital Heroin]

Seta's vivid green eyes look up from the magazine, a Maxim he'd scrounged from the otherwise biker-centric fair in the breakroom and he nods to the collected three. Odd, this workplace. If this group is any indication, it would seem for once he isn't in the minority, metatype-wise. The thought brings a phantom smile to his lips, which soon enough breaks into a wide grin, a trademark of his.

`Greetings, I hadn't known what to expect when Hermes gave me the call. I must say, I'm pleased so far.`

His eyes are upon Viper as he says this, though he does well in not leering. Instead he pushes the hair back out of his face, and looks to Johnson, canting his head a touch. Intriguing, to find a genuine suit in with this lot.

`I trust our malodorous friend wasn't out of line calling me in today?`

He could spare the time, of course, Katie is staying with Mamma Zen for the night. His manner of dress fits in well with the crowd at ECN, as it is for the most part urban sport, but the sheathed katana at his feet speaks of a different manner of employment than delivering packages.

[Bastard]

2100 hrs, ECN breakroom

"Unexpected, but not out of line. You're not the only one on the first day with the team, so dont feel out of place. Speak your mind, do your job...and dont steal Steve's keys, and you'll be ok."


2100 hrs, Abandoned roof near Redmond, overwatching target
Glide and Kai

A slow flow of warm air pushes its way out of the vent and onto your backs, keeping you from getting too cold. The sky is overcast, but no rain or heavy winds, so all and all, you find yourselves somewhat comfortable. Minus the rough chafing at your seat from the buildings roof.

Your position provides you with a good view of the warehouse in question, while still keeping you at a distance. All the adjacent building are empty and about the same size, so that should not comprimise your position. The target lies almost straight ahead, just a bit off to the left. It is about 100 meters away, across an old parking lot sprouting up more weeds than cement, and a small clearing, also full of weeds and litter. You can see the main door, but it is at a small angle, around 30 degrees, so if open, you would not be able to see all the way to the back, but could see most of the interior.

For now the lights remain off, and the only thing near the building is a few squatters making shelter out of an old dumpster and some boxes. You've been watching the building for a while now, and come to realize, its a good thing the roof is so rough on your hindside, or you may have dozed off by now.

[Digital Heroin]

`Never drove a day in my life. Don't much intend to any time soon.`

Seta says this in a manner which could be for sheer levity, or a greater truth. Sometimes the distinction is hard to make.

`What're we in for?`

[Glyph]

Viper checks out the new guy - with the combo of the urban sport look and the katana, she is reminded of Glide a bit - muscle, but maybe bringing some other skills to the table. At least he's not one of the poetry-spouting Tir-phile types - the long hair had her worried for a bit. She gets enough of that "Alfheim uber alles" drek from Alfric. She raises a mental eyebrow at his choice of reading material. Maxim? Isn't that just for kids who are too young to buy real porn? She'll withold judgement for now, though. Maybe he only picked it up because it was marginally more interesting than all of the ten-speed gearhead mags littering the place.

She answers Seta with a dimpled smile. "Nothing too interesting, I'm afraid. Just a snoop job, to find out what these people are using a warehouse for. And we have to do it without them being any the wiser for it. Right now, the first shift is taking a look-see."

[Digital Heroin]

`Shift work? Nice and professional.`

Seta nods as if to approve of the action, though there is no need. He is fairly green to the organized world of the shadows, though he has had an odd mixture of training which leaves him well suited for it.

`Whereabouts are we talking? I've an associate or two who keep their ears to the ground...`

[Bastard]

"Near the barrens. About your associates," Johnson pauses, "we need to keep this quiet, can they keep a closed mouth?"

Johnson looks over at Steve and Viper, giving them the we dont need any more "friends" look. Thinking of Liddy, one of Kai's "friends all ova da city."

[Slipshade]

After taking in the sights for a while Glide gets up to stretch her legs a bit. She knew casing a place could be a drag and if the boredom was bad for her, it must be killing Kai.

"Hey Mouse," she breaks the relative silence while stretching from side to side. "Why don't you and Pike take a look around the wharehouse. Not to close but see what it looks like from other areas. Maybe you can get a straight look into the back from a different angle. If Pike can help hide you so much the better. Whatcha think?"

She asked the question more to make him feel part of the descision making process than anything else.

[Sedna]

"I's helpin' both o' you out," says Pike softly, odd counterpoint to Kai's natural exuberance, interrupting whatever he was about to say. "Kai says yer a team, yer a team. There's tonnes o' places 'round here, scope it out from all kinds of directions. Don' worry, Glide, mebbe ya won' see me, but I got ya covered."

Kai shrugs, but bounces to his feet with a quickness that suggests Glide's suggestion could safely have been made a lot earlier. "We'll scope 'round th' back an' then go all 'round," he decides quickly. "Get th' doors, windows --"

"Yer stayin' away from windows an' roofs, this time?" asks Pike quietly.

"Hey, no fair Pike, that only fragged up once!" protests Kai, to which the spirit answers, "Once's all ya'd need, here. Ya wanna git paid, ka?"

"Kuso shite shine, gutara," retorts Kai with a slap upside the head as he takes off to do Glide's bidding, but there's no heat in it and Pike don't take it personal: Glide gets the impression this is normal casual interaction for the two of them. There's obviously a story behind all this -- and maybe Pike will tell her, if she asks -- and maybe even gleefully. She's not that sure about Mouse: it feels like it's touching into those few places about Kai that always felt personal.

[Slipshade]

"So what's up with you and Kai?" Glide asks after Kai moves out of earshot, though she doesn't take her eyes off of the wharehouse.

[Sedna]

"He's a chummer," says Pike, settling down beside Glide. "Gets into my end of town, we hang. 'Course he ain't bin in town all that long, an' neways he ain't stayin' long. Gots too much o' th' Quest, he." The spirit smiles a little to itself as he adds, "I'll miss him."

[Digital Heroin]

Seta smiles a rather subdued, though mirthful smile when Johnson questions how quiet his people can keep things. He shakes his head a touch.

`You don't have to worry. Xion isn't the type to go talking to just anyone.` The lithe elf laughs softly. `Not that they would understand him if he tried. Might be he'll know something about who's turf we're looking at, though. Taggers tend to know things, or they can read the signs that'll tell them what they want to know.`

[Thomas]

Steve speaks softly, to protect his painful throat: “We need to decide who’s going to relieve Glide and Kai, and when.”

[Bastard]

ECNights

"That is up to you guys. Hermes has me holding down the fort here...fat bastard."

[Digital Heroin]

`I can make a few inquiries with Xion and pick up a night shift.`

He shifts, and retrieves the katana, standing and stretching a moment.

`Shouldn't be much trouble at all for me.`

[Thomas]

“Ok,” Steve croaks, “there is a coffin hotel a few blocks from here; I’m going to turn in. Buzz me if anything comes up.”

Steve returns to his locker and washes down some pain-relievers with the liquid antacid, transfers his pistol to his waistband and locks up.

Deciding that his bike will be safer at the dispatch office he chooses to walk – letting the cool night air take the heat generated by his anger. Within a block his mood is changing. At least it was only Kai, not someone intent on harming me…

By the time he slides into the sleeping chamber his stomach has settled and the sharp pains from his temple have subsided to a dull ache.

[Digital Heroin]

`Alright, I'll catch you on shift.`

Seta nods to the three of them in turn, discarding the Maxim atop the pile of testosterone publications. He exits the breakroom, stopping by dispatch long enough to leave contact information, should he be needed. As he heads out, he secures the sheath for his katana across his back, and he heads off at a brisk run. Xion's doss is about an hour out on foot, but he doesn't mind the exercise. He just hopes his pal's there.

[Sedna]

On his own now, Kai has lots and lots and lots of time to do -- well, nothing -- so he fills it (a bit desperately) by discovering everything he can about the facility from the outside, trying to take his time about it and be as thorough as he can be.

But without venturing too near window, door, or roof -- not yet, not until Glide agrees that it's okay. It's not like there's anything vibrantly alive in here, after all. He'll note what he can through the windows from a distance -- there's enough light to see what needs to be seen -- but he's given his commitment to the group, and he can hold his curiosity at least that much in check. It's easy to keep a low profile when he wants to. (It helps a bit that the place is boring.)

[Slipshade]

Glide gives a side long glance at Pike. "Not stay'n long huh? Where's he going?"

[Sedna]

"He wants to see th' world," says Pike. "Don' aks me what he mean. He's a'ready bin t' way morra' th' world than me. 'Course money's a problem so he's allays savin' up, but there's allays sumthin' it gits spent. Won' keep 'im from movin' on when th' time comes. Not like he ain't usedta bein' broke."

Staring out at the warehouse: "He lookin', but he ain't found yet, an' mebbe it ain't like he's gotta find it somewheres that ain't here."

[Bastard]

Mouse moves like his name sake through the weeds, carefull to stay in the shadows and silent. Slinking through the high weeds around the front end of the warehouse, Kai finds himself with a good view. He stops for a second to take in all the visual information he can. Street lights pour into the warehouse through broken glass windows. The rays reflect a small amount of light off the dirt covered glass shards scattered across the cement floor. Its enough to get a basic layout of the warehouse, which appears empty, other than trash, dirt and weeds.

[Sedna]

Empty? thinks Kai. That don't seem right.

"Hey, Pike," he calls out almost soundlessly, knowing the spirit will hear and relay the information, "what's Glide say 'bout th' place bein' empty? Kin I checks it out closer?"

[Slipshade]

Pike relays the message to Glide, who thinks about it for a second before replying.

"Tell him to hold tight. There may still be security measures that we don't want to stumble into. Do me a favor and tell him to check out the squatters while he is down there. Lets make sure they are really just street people. Tell him we can let the next watch in on what he's found and decide how we want to approach this tomorrow."

[Sedna]

Check out the squatters? Like, she wan' me t' jives widdem? Then Kai shakes his head: Can't be, not iffn she want me keepin' low.

He's stuck for a couple of moments, pondering, while the night grows darker around him, leaving only the soft echoes of reflection from cloud base and a couple of surviving street lights. It's cool, that. He can still see just fine. Besides which, Kai's never minded the night. Nighttime things just eat you. It's day brings out the real vicious predators.

As he draws his longcoat a bit more tightly together it hits him suddenly and, as with all such things with Kai, with very nearly the force of a physical blow. 'Course I'll ken iffn they's ringers. They'd glue t' their stuff. Folks don' ditch their special stuff. Folks don' ditch their shoes! An' ain't no streeter got decent shoes like what Hermes or Johnson got.

He's not goin' close among them, he can see -- an' smell -- fine from the sidelines. Downwind: smell of alcohol? background or from the person? Weeds, stairwells, shadow of a building. As is always the case when he's running the streets with Pike, the shadows easily take him in. Frag, if he were to suddenly jump out from the shadows -- a light flutter of temptation there -- but a streeter'd react completely differently from a ringer.

Temptation quickly vanishes as he realises that if any of them really are ringers, that'd kind of not be the point -- and then besides he'd maybe be in way more trouble than he really wants to handle right now -- an' that's before Steve an' the others get their hands on him.

No, stick with what can be spotted/heard/smelled for now, stay out of sight, an' remember everything about the building he can, even the stuff he don't understand yet. Drek, wouldn't be all that hard t' boost himself up, just a tiny peek through those windows ...?

No. (Maybe later.)