Outside Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:53:28

"Couldn't tell ye Miss as I've never had such an opportunity nor do I relish the thought. But I trust in me brother's abilities, and me own should it come to it."

And that might come sooner than we hope if those things are truly shedim

Etain wrapped her arms around herself as a slight chill ran through her as she tried to look as confident as she sounded.

Outside Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:53:28

Carla impatiently awaited a response from St. Pierre - she didn't want to send her team in before she knew that the door troll expected them.

"Well, the less people we get into the club, the cheaper it'll be. I don't want to send anyone in alone, so at least two of you need to go in. But if one of you wants to stay outside with me, don't hesitate to speak up."

Outside Ground Zero, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:54:00
Krait - Hitting Ground Zero
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai offline

Taking the four-grand-credstick from Ms Johnson, the former full-time corporate ressource allocation specialist couldn´t help but wonder again how much was really in it when the job was compleated. As the discussion about astral manaces took flight, he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn´t like that kind of supernatural involvement at all, but since he could add little substantial information on the topic, there was no point in whining about it either. Still he kicked off a couple of searches for his expert program to do. Starting with 'shedim' and ways to deal with them, followed by more detailed information about the 162´s gang liaison Morning Star, ways to contact her, price-rate, responsetime and details on their mercenary activities. If Ghouls where good for two things with their unusal dietry requirements and dual nature, it was disposing of corpses and fighting astraly active entities. These two things combined made them the perfect shedim-fighters for all John could tell. Plus the 162´s where said to be cheap. The Heartbreakers wouldn´t like it if somebody called in the cavalery from their rivals turf, but if there rally was a shedim-threat around and the situation turned uggly, the paranoid ex-exec would rather have that option available then not and IF the two gangs could be kept from killing off each other at least untill the body-snatchers where dealt with, the girl-gang MIGHT even appreciate the help against a horde of zombies.

Krait: "If it´s negotiating a fare, I´m probably the man. If the two of you are cool to part, I´d be ok with any of you accompanying me." Turning to their leader again. "Anything else that could help us get a foot into the door or procede once inside?"

John wasn´t quiet sure which of the other elves he´d prefer to come along. While the girl seamed more cooperative, versatile and socially apt, she also was less known to him and less reliable for the habit she indulged in, even if only occasionally so. The boy on the other hand was not that easy to handle and comfortable to work with, even though he seamed to have enough self-controll, for his violent nature not to get the better of him and botch any dealings and of course his stated combat abilities -or else the distraction caused by his over-confident actions- would be invaluable if they faced violent opposition inside the club.

Outside Ground Zero, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:54:20


Just as Krait finished talking, Carla's comm buzzed again.

<<All is in order, Dona Carmen. Instruct your associates to present themselves at the VIP entrance. A troll named Ernst will be there, and he is expecting one to three elves. They should tell them they are Georges' friends, and they should be admitted free of charge. Please tell them to be careful in that place, Dona Carmen.>>

A few meters away, the group's Heartbreaker escort leaned against a grimy wall puffing on a cigarette.

Outside Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:54:30

"Well, since no one seems to object to entering the club, then we should get to work. Now listen up - I think I recognized one of the troll guards over by the VIP entrance, and if he is who I think he is, then he might be willing to cut us a little slack on the entrance fee. Go on over and wait in the VIP line and figure out whether there's a guard named Ernst there. If you tell him that you're George's friends, then he might be willing to help you out."

"I know all that might sound a bit strange, but perhaps I'll be able to explain the story behind it after you get out of the club. For now, though, I just need you to give the plan a try. If you get in the club, remember to ask around for info on Cat. And if I were you, I'd stick close together the entire time."

"Like last time, we'll maintain wireless contact with the same numbered code-names: One, Two, Three, and Four."

Outside Ground Zero - VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:30


Having received their marching orders, the three elves headed past hundreds of would-be revelers and got into the much much shorter VIP queue. Violet joined them, taking Krait's arm and shimmying against him.

Directly ahead of them was what appeared to be a group of six people - five men and one woman. Four of the men carried heavy-looking black metal boxes that looked like they contained tools or technical gear. They all wore black from head to toe - tight sweaters and chinos. They also all had bleached white spikey hair and wore opaque sunglasses with circular lenses. Datajacks abounded. The fifth man also was all in black - a long real leather duster over a T-shirt tucked into slacks. Though apparently human, his shirt bulged with the musculature of an ork bodybuilder.

The five walked protectively around the single woman, occasionally prodding her along. She wore a long black cape with a hood that almost obscured her features, but it was clear she was a human in her twenties. A streetlight caught a single tear working its way slowly down her cheek through heavily caked-on make-up. In both hands she carried a small holopic, and she was so engrossed in gazing at it that she simply would forget to move forward with the line until one of her party would nudge her. This process was repeated several times until they reached the head of the line, where a troll clad head to toe in black leather covered in stainless steel studs waved them through without a word or any obvious payment.

As the group went in and the shadowrunners' turn came up, Violet whispered to Krait, "Something's off - Ernst almost never works the VIP door."

Outside Ground Zero - Across street from VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:30

Carla followed her team along the opposite side of the street. She planned to keep an eye on them as long as possible to make sure that everything went smoothly. Once they got into the club, she hoped to find a somewhat civilized establishment nearby in which she might be able to take shelter. Otherwise, she might just have to pace the streets the entire time, trying to stay away from tough-looking crowds.

She typed a response to St. Pierre as she waited, thanking him for the assistance and promising him that she'd tell him anything she learned about Esmeralda's fate.

As she hit the send button, she noticed the strange woman and her entourage waiting in line just ahead of her team. Just what kind of people were VIP's at a place like this anyway?

One to Two: Who's that up ahead of you? Carla sent a message to Krait. Don't forget that you're the new guy, so no harm in asking.

Outside Ground Zero - VIP Line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:35

Etain strategically opened her coat, revealing the more “appropriate� outfit beneath as she carefully paid attention to the group of five in black and the solitary woman. From a distance it may have appeared she was admiring each and every one of them but in reality she was too curious for her own good and actively trying to get a better look at the cloaked figure beneath the makeup and the tears. Whenever the group would part just the right way she attempted to catch a glimpse of whatever had the woman’s attention riveted.

She was only momentarily distracted by Violet’s words and managed to flash a slight smirk in her direction.

"We might be 'noobs' as ye want to call us, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have friends of our own." She raised her brows for an instant as her smile brightened slightly. With every shuffle of the line she kept looking forward at first, watching the group before them approach the doors and tried to again make sense of the situation.

Outside Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:53:28

Conall a move as if sliding his lower jaw from side to side. It made a little popping sound as it cracked from side to side.

“Well Miss,� he started unzipping his jacket, slipping it off his shoulder to wrap around his sister's “ye deal with such things the same as with others. Ye just kill em deed. Pummel them with extreme prejudice until nothing moves or breathes.�

His strong hands when on his sister's arms as he rubbed them up and down, visibly trying to warm her up.

Outside Ground Zero - VIP Line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:35

As they approached the club's entrance, Etain shrugged off the jacket and handed it back to her twin... which Conall was more than happy to slip back into. It wasn't that he was cold. Far from it. Or that he minded showing off his arms and tattoos. It was more that the felt rather comfortable with the heavy ballistic lining wrap around him. He could smell the scent of the hunt in the air. They were finally getting close... and judging by the surroundings, this was the sort of place where trouble could easily come to them. The young shaman was both excited and scared. Excited by the chance he might be given; the opportunity to put his own skills as a fighter against the urban and decadent predators of Seattle... but scared that such evil might prey on his own sister.

The door was now only a few steps away. Conall reached up and popped a small wireless ear piece into his pointed ear. At the same time, his left hand clicked on the commlinked attached to his belt. The tiny throat mic clipped on the inside of his collar would hopefully pick up his voice in the noisy and crowded club.

He gave a long look to his sister, trying somehow to reassure her.... even tho she far from looked worried. It was more like he was trying to reassure himself.

Outside Ground Zero - VIP Line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:55


By the time the party ahead of them had gone in, Etain had managed a good look at both the woman and the holopic she held tenderly. The image her gaze was riveted on was of two small children, a boy and a girl, obviously siblings. Like the woman, both were white with fair complexions. The woman's bangs confirmed that both she and the children were blond.

Then the other group was inside, and the moment Etain had finished her brief exchange with Violet, the studded leather-clad troll called Ernst was peering at them speculatively - "You four might seem familiar to me..."

Outside Ground Zero - Across street from VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:55:55


Watching the progress of her team as best she could from across the red-lit street, Carla was distracted by the approach of a woman clad in translucent pink tights from neck to mid-thigh. Like Violet, she also wore a red duster. And like Violet, she wore the distinctive Heartbreaker symbol tattooed on her cheek. She was a variation on the dozen other girls flashing their wares at the cars weaving their way past the Ground Zero line and through the gauntlet of flesh for sale. The thing that set her apart was that she was now addressing the former medical student.

"Name's Trix. And after a long night of nothing but trigger-happy manboys that don't know a working girl's got the same needs as anyone else, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, sister. I'm half price if you play me fair, and the state I'm in, that won't mean much work on your end."

Outside Ground Zero - VIP Line, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:56:00
Krait - Talking in Ernst
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

When the party stood before the towering metahuman and the giant spoke to them, John cast him a smile and replyed, with his arm casually wraped around Violet´s shoulder where he had placed it to put her at ease when she spoke up, thus gain the added support of her familiarity with the place and it´s people.

Krait: "Then you might know someone we know... We are George´s hombres, please great him from BT & DC! Zaphyr recomanded your place to us, saying we could find anything we are looking for in here."

In his mind, a couple of possible paths for the conversation to take where layed out allready, as usual. When they got in -and as well, if they didn´t- hed have at least two qestions before they dived deeper into the place and lost contact to the Troll Bouncer: 'Who where these guys infront of us?' - 'Well the thing we are looking for is very specialized, is Cat around tonight?

Outside Ground Zero - Across street from VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:56:00

Carla considered the prostitute's offer for a moment simply for the sake of getting a private room for the duration of the mission. Krait had her credstick, though, and she didn't have much cash on hand.

"Good evening, Trix," she replied. She flicked her eyes back towards the team as she spoke. Wait a minute - was Violet going along with them? What if Ernst didn't expect a group any larger than three elves? Trying not to worry too much about that detail, she turned back to Trix and opened her mouth to speak. Carla had virtually zero sexual experience of any kind - she hadn't even discussed it with anyone before (aside from purely clinical discussions in school), so the only behavior she knew about these kinds of situations was the kind she had seen in novels and 'trid videos.

"You know, sister, you look pretty worn out. It looks like you could use a bit of relaxation, and it just so happens that I'm not the passive type." She stepped closer to the hooker to whisper to her.

"How's this sound: We go to some nice, private little room. You lie down on the bed and close your eyes while I give you a nice, relaxing massage." Carla had read a bit about massage therapy in school, though she had never actually given one before. Given this woman's lifestyle, however, Carla doubted that the hooker could tell a professional massage from an amateur. "Maybe you get yourself a little beauty sleep, or maybe you can get high if you got the right stuff. I pay you a small fee when we're done, and you'll be feeling better than ever. It'll be good for both of us."

Carla imagined that no sane person would mind getting paid to take a break. However, given the neighborhood she was in, it was possible that this woman's idea of a "good time" was much different from Carla's.

"Well, what do you say?"

Outside Ground Zero - Across street from VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:56:10


The whore eyed Carla suspiciously, as if what she was offering was too good to be true. But she wasted no time with her counter, rubbing herself up against the young New Yorker, caressing her neck with fingers tipped by long, scarlet nails, and whispering, "That would be just what the doctor ordered. It'll just take us fifty to get into the room."

Outside Ground Zero - VIP Line, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:56:12


"You know Georges and Zephyr? You run in some wild circles, omae. But that's all you, and yeah, you'll probably find what you seek in here - maybe I can help."

"Well," Krait replied, "the thing we're looking for is very specialized. Is Cat around tonight?"

"Cat...Cat.....Cat. Real skinny girl, never wears no makeup?"

"That'd be her."

"Easy to remember. Made sort of an unexpected splash. Ain't been in fer a month, though. Maybe two. Anyway, the only rule we got in this place is 'no cameras under penalty of my fucking fists' - and I don't necessarily mean that figuratively, if you take my full meaning." The ork beside him, also covered in studded black leather, guffawed. "Now get in there - yer holdin' up the line and makin' me look like a softy."

He pulled back a heavy sound-damping curtain, beyond which was pure blackness and a tangible wall of whatever music they played in Hell.

Outside Ground Zero - Across street from VIP line
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:56:15

Not wanting to offend, Carla tried not to pull back too much as Trix made contact with her. She gently grasped the woman's hands and brought them back down to her side.

She frowned momentarily when she heard about the room charge. The only reason she was going through this scheme was because she thought the hooker could provide a place to stay. If Carla had known that she still had to pay for a room, she would have just rented one by herself. It seemed a little too late to back out now, though, and besides, maybe she'd be left alone if she was seen in the company of a Heartbreaker.

She tried stalling the woman while waiting for her friends to get inside the club. Once they disappeared behind the door, she let the hooker drag her away towards the nearest hostel.

One to Team: I'm moving to a safer location; I'll let you know my whereabouts once I get there.

Ground Zero - VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:57:00
Krait - Entering the Place
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

John gave Ernst a sly smirk, as he made the remark about looking soft and turned his face to Violet, softly caressing her shoulder, while he moved the two of them along, slowly into the location. Timing the other question that hung in the back of his head, so that it would sound like a sideline inquiery out of innocent curiosity -and it wasn´t realy much else- he asked the bouncer off-handedly without taking his eyes from his companion´s face.

Krait: "Say, who where those guys just infront of us? They looked kind of .. interesting."

He shot the troll a last short glance, to judge his reaction. At his electronical fingertips, he held back his BedroomTrasseur contact-address, that he had used to stay in touch with Belinda. Ready to beam it over to the huge metahuman in a moment of minimized signal-range, he just held it back a bit longer, waiting for the last possible moment, to make it look a tad hasitant and also make it a bit more memorable.

Ground Zero - VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:57:05


"Never mind them," answered the troll, suddenly irritable, "they's artistes. Now go in or take off but quit crowdin' the doorway."

Flophouse across from Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:58:15


As it happened, the prostitute led Carla into the very building they were standing in front of, although she would never in a million years have taken the lightless hulk for a going commercial concern. Past the front doors, however, there was some semblance of a lobby - a large room with odds and ends of mildewy furnishings. At the far side of the space a dim light escaped some sort of service window.

"Give me the cred, sugar, and wait here while I go get us the room." The tattooed woman forced an obligatory smile and wriggled her shoulders. "I feel like I'm in heaven already, and you're my own personal angel."

Flophouse across from Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:58:15

Carla reluctantly handed the woman the 50 nuyen for the room; she was a bit nervous handing the stranger money and letting her walk away with it.

Once the woman turned her back, Carla typed a quick message to her team, letting them know that she was just across the street.

Inside Ground Zero - past the VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:57:09
Krait - Entering the Place
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

Krait: "No offense, chummer. In case you see Cat..."

The elf gave Ernst a respectfull nod and accellerated his pace a bit to get past the bottlenack of the door. Meanwhile, he fired off a short message towards the bouncer´s PAN, along with the contact-info for his BT account.

BedroomTrasseur @ Ernst: ... please give her my new contact-address.

Flophouse across from Ground Zero - 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:59:15


The woman kept her back squarely to Carla while dealing with the person at the window, and then they went up a single flight of stairs to the second floor.

The room was small and dingy, and smelled old, but it did boast a modicum of cleanliness, and the electricity worked. A heavy shade was pulled over the window, and peeking out, Carla was pleased to confirm that it looked out directly onto the club entrance.

The other woman tossed her coat on a chair and tugged down the zipper that ran down the front of her bodysuit. As she started to shrug the suit off of her shoulders, she said, "So - are you really only wanting to give me a massage? Or was there anything else I could help you with?"

Inside Ground Zero - past the VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:57:11


Once the first curtain shut behind them, shutting out all light, the quartet faced another identical curtain. Pushing this aside, they lost its audio-muting qualities and their ears were assaulted full-bore by a frigid hybrid of trance and death metal.

They were in a modest space lit only by occasional flashes of lo-tech strobes and last decade's laser displays spilling in from both their left and their right. The lights were enough to see that the place's interior was pretty old and run down - the ubiquitous black paint was cracking and peeling from the walls, revealing more black paint. The floor, also painted black, was unfinished concrete. Ahead was a blank wall. To their immediate left was a woman with an impressive array of body piercings on display, leaning on a black, splintery slab of wood topping the bottom half of a Dutch door. She looked bored and an ARO above her head said she was the coat check girl.

Also to the left, a bit beyond her, was an opening leading to what looked like a dance floor. There was no door or barrier of any kind, and they could see plenty of leather-clad S&M types, all dancing or drinking or yelling into each other's ears.

To their right, the group of "artistes" was being allowed through a chain-link gate manned by another troll in the same studded leather as the metas at the front entrance.

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:59:20

"No, no," Carla insisted, draping her coat on a nail in the wall. "I'm not playing any games; all I want is you to relax real good." Ideally, the woman would drift off to a peaceful sleep, or fly as high as a kite if she had drugs on her. The more "relaxed" she was, the more Carla could pay attention to any messages she received from her companions. "I know that sounds unusual, but we all have our turn-ons, don't we?"

After looking around momentarily, Carla asked, "Is there a toilet or shower around here?"

Inside Ground Zero - past the VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:57:12

Conall had seen his shares of club in his days. Not that he had ever being a very wild teenager... or wild person at all. But the Tir did have a few “eccentricities� here and there. But never, in his whole life, had he ever seen, or even imagined anything like that.

The sight of so many orks, trolls and various other metas had brought disgust to his mind and bile to his mouth. It wasn't just a nasty and bad place because of it's twisted sense of aesthetics, or because of the low and primal acts that seem to be taking place everywhere.... it was even worst because the very garbage of the gene pool was going about it's business. This place was just awful. The fastest they were out, the happier the young shaman would be.

Conall felt as if the music was trying to invade his body. It pushed against him like an invisible wave, and he had to fight it to keep his wits about him. It wasn't good. Not at all. He hated it. It didn't even sound like any music he had ever heard. It felt like a cancerous virus trying to gnaw at his senses. He grabbed his sister by her tiny hips and pulled her close to him, reaching a bit down so he could put his mouth next to her ear.

“Don't ye let go under any reasons.� he half shouted in her delicate pointed ear.

His left hand slid down her arm and closed around her hand. He gave a quick peak over her frail shoulders, giving Krait a one second look. With a slight tug, he pulled her pass the coat check and to his left, close to the edge of what seemed to be a dance floor. At least, if that was what passed for dancing in this kind of place.

Keeping his back to the closest wall, Conall withdrew in one of the club's shadows, pulling his twin along with him, his hand still tightly holding hers. He closed his eyes a few seconds, doing his very best to shut out the chaos around him. The young shaman needed to concentrate... and he needed to do so now. He howled to the farthest reach of the Etherplanes. He howled to a place no man had ever been. Opening his eyes back up, Conall felt slightly dizzy, but steadied himself. He needed to work his magic, in all the sens of the word, now, and fast before his stomach covered the floor.

With his free hand, Conall reached slightly down; the tip of his fingers brushing against the rough coat of one of his companions.

Thank you very much for making it here. I need you to aid me in a task my dear friend.

He looked the animal right into his eyes, feelings and thoughts flowing seamlessly.

If she is here.... find her. And if danger comes fostering about, come back to me.

Inside Ground Zero - past the VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 21:57:33
Krait - Scouting the Location
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

The aural assault was handled without a problem by the whitehaired elf´s ears, restricting the volume to bearable levels to leave one of the noise´s anoying quality less to worry about and he quickly turned down the musik even further to concentrate on the maze of voices and unarticulated sounds covering the whole place.
After a quick once-over of the small lobby and the part of the dancefloor visible beyond it, John gave the Thugs guarding the VIP-only Area a nod and then turned to the pierced girl - or was it a woman? Hard to tell how many years where hidden beneath all that metall, but to the elf agelessly hovering between 25 and 50, everyone below age of 30 was girls and boys and peple that wheren´t yet 40+ where still considdered young.
He tryed to make an impression as if he belonged somehow. Though this would be tough, given his inappropriate atire, it would at the same time clearly mark him as a VIP and all he had to do to fit in was to make people beleave that he got in through names rather then nuyen, which was coincidentally true.
He checked in his backpack, wondering what exactly Paddy meant with the look he gave him, and as 'tingirl' beamed him the ID-code of his backpack, inqiered if any of Cat´s friends where around tonight. With his baggage stored away, he slung his arm around his local guide again - a gesture that seamed almost unnoticable considdering what people on the dancefloor did to perceived compleat strangers. Leaning over, he spoke into her ear, the volume of his voice carefully measured to supercede the faux-music, without causing additional discomfort.

Krait: "So, would you show me around a bit, Sweatheart?"

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:59:26


The woman was already naked and lying face down on the narrow bed. She pointed at what had looked like the door of a closet. "Ain't much, but the water's fairly clean." Opening the door, Carla found a browning toilet bowl wedged between the wall and a sink with a rusting faucet. On one wall were hot and cold knobs - the showerhead was in the ceiling - apparently the whole room was the shower.

Inside Ground Zero - past the VIP Entrance, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:59:33


Violet shrugged. "Not much to see on this side," she shouted into Krait's ear, not knowing his tech made it unnecessary. It had been the same with the coat check girl - "That witch didn't have no friends," she'd sprayed into the elf's face.

Despite her warning, Violet nonetheless led the way pleasantly enough onto the dance floor, leaving the twins behind, standing hand in hand against one wall near the entrance.

Moving through the place Krait took careful note of the lack of windows, the emergency exit, the location of the bar, the stage, DJ booth, and restrooms. The place was fairly full, and before long his companions were out of his line of sight.

Despite the place's overtly sexual atmosphere, it could not have been more different than the place he'd been the night before. There, everything had been well lit - the patrons were there to see what was hidden from their normal experiences, and most of them were primarily aroused by visual stimulus. So the porn convention had been about copious visibility, about unveiling the otherwise hidden.

Here, all was dark and shadow. Even the music seemed designed to cloud the senses, to obscure left-brained communication. And although there were a few sex acts taking place here and there, it none of the overtness or goal-orientation of the Fort Lewis event. At the convention center, sex - or the presentation thereof - had been about obtaining as much penetration and completion as possible. Here, teasing, titillation, even frustration and delay of gratification seemed to be the order of the day. For many, it seemed that conventional acts of erotica were outside the realm of their interests, or perhaps such interests had faded into a jaded past.

There was blood - it showed up well when the UV lights were strobed around as part of the rudimentary light show - as flesh was scarred and pierced. Obvious displays of submission and obeisance. And over the haunting drone of the music, a whip-crack occasionally commanded the room's attention.

On the wall was a video, apparently shot here, of a naked and aroused man having his left hand removed with a chainsaw amid a cheering crowd. It was impossible to say whether his tears were of agony or ecstasy.

"See," Violet said as they completed their circuit of the room, "not much to see over here."

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:00:00

Carla had inquired about the bathroom with the intent of suggesting that Trix take a shower before getting started. She seemed to have no interest in doing so, though, so Carla ran the faucet for a few seconds to pretend that she was doing something in there.

When she returned to the main room, Trix was lying leisurely on the bed, waiting to be pampered. To set the mood, Carla switched off the lamp and adjusted the window shade so that only outside traffic lights and neon signs dimly illuminated the room. It also made it easier for Carla to see what was going on out the window.

Switching on her commlink speaker, she searched for available music broadcasting signals and tuned in to a cool, mellow jazz program. She lowered the volume enough so that the strums of the bass and the melodies of the synth-saxophone sounded as if they were far, far away.

"Looks like you're all ready to begin," Carla noted, placing her gloved hands gently on the hooker's lower neck and shoulders and beginning a slow rub. Her gloves - the same custom-tailored AR gloves she had worn since she lost her arm -- had a soft, fabric exterior that was comfortable to the touch; in fact, part of the reason Carla kept her hands in her pockets so often was to protect her gloves from getting dirty. Carla could only hope that Trix didn't ask for a bare-handed massage instead; she needed to keep the gloves on in order to quickly type messages back to her team.

"You're pretty tense," Carla remarked as she worked the woman's shoulders. "Anything on your mind you want to get off your chest?"

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 21:59:42

As the group got the green light from the bouncers at the door to enter Etain was relieved that she hadn't spotted any of the jellyfish like things again. Perhaps spotting them in the first place had scared them off, for now. Unfortunately her relief was short lived as she actually entered the club. Before she could switch her perception back to the physical, she was instantly aware of the change in feeling on the astral. While outside was hardly clean by any means, stepping across the threshold of the club made her feel like she was walking through a waterfall of motor oil. The dirtiness of the club and the acts that took place inside was tangible on the astral, she wanted to scrub herself from head to toe under the hottest water and she hadn't even gotten past the coat check yet. She quickly snapped her attention over to the physical and slipped her arm tightly around her brother's waist.

The very sea of metahumanity crowded into the dance floor threatened to swallow up the attractive Elves as the twins and Krait tried to press further into the club. The temperature inside the packed dance floor was quickly rising and she could already feel the heat building beneath her jacket, however the protection it provided was worth the discomfort.

She could barely hear her brother yelling into her ear over the body shaking bassline and screeching “vocals� but the way he pulled her protectively close to him and the vice-like grip he held her hand with made his point crystal clear. She nodded and stuck close to him trying to dodge and avoid various impromptu displays of S&M and “dancing� that was taking place.

As Conall slipped to the astral her physical senses heightened almost immediately. Sounds got louder and clearer, her low-light vision sharpened and for it she could feel the beat of the music worming its way into her skull and taking residence in a most painful way. Trying to shake off the pain she started to doubt that anything was going to get accomplished in this hellhole. They already knew from the bouncer that supposedly Cat hadn’t been seen for a while around these parts.

As much as she didn’t relish the thought, she did realize to be successful it might require their “team� to split up and make more discreet inquiries about Cat’s possible whereabouts. Barreling up to the bouncers and the bartenders in a pack of three and a well-known whore might not be the best way to make friends and or get information. The girl on Krait’s arm was obviously only motivated by money and in reality Etain believed their money would go further with the club’s staff than with the whore as the middleman.

The certified credstick rubbed inside her front pants pocket as she shifted her weight reminding her that while Miss J had given Krait the funds for this endeavor, she wasn’t completely left without her own means. She squeezed her brother’s hand and raised up on her toes a little bit to appear to whisper into his ear while via their hand holding she set up another mindlink between the twins as it would be far more dependable in a place like this.

“Maybe we oughta get right with the barkeep for some information. Ye know they know everything and see everything in a place like this. Either that or we need to get in next door where the blokes in black entered with that woman.�

The heat in the room was becoming unbearable and as the tangy iron scent of blood wafted past her nose it took everything she had not to be sick on the floor. Turning her head towards her brother to breathe in a familiar scent she slipped the jacket from her shoulders and folded it over her arm and revealed the shiny purple corset-like top and the leather she wore on her legs. Time to get down to business.

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:01:00


The woman rolled over and faced Carla. "Hey, sister, don't worry about me. I got problems a nice lady like you never wants to hear about. If you want to take care of me like this, I got no complaints. But don't go thinking you're gonna save me or anything like that. What, are you some kind of priest or something? I thought at first you were some kind of virgin dyke or something, but now...almost seems like you've got something you want to get off your chest. Girls in my line of work, we're used to getting talked at. So it's your dime - you wanna rub my back, that's all good. You wanna talk, that's cool too."

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:02:00

"I'm not into saving lives," Carla assured the woman while rolling her back onto her stomach. "I just have a thing for making people feel good, physically and mentally. Call it a fetish, if you will."

Carla moved her hands towards the midsection of the woman's back, kneading out what felt like tense muscles, as she imagined a professional might. About a minute of silence passed while Carla cooked up a story in her head.

"And I ain't a virgin," Carla lied, "To tell you the truth, my girl disappeared down here a few weeks ago. I keep visiting these parts, hoping to find her, but...it's probably useless. I'll never see Cat again."

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:03:00


The Heartbreaker immediately sensed an opportunity - Carla felt it in the woman's muscles - but the whore had enough business savvy not to jump on it too eagerly. She paused and enjoyed her massage for half a minute, then said, "That's tough. But while you may have been lookin', you sure haven't been askin', or I'd have heard. I don't know anyone named Cat, but sister, if she's been around this turf, then someone's seen her. You got a picture? Why don't you let me go out, ask around. We got people on these streets every night, and they're all smart enough to keep their eyes and ears open." She paused, wondering whether she should state the obvious. "Of course, if we DID have anything for you, well, girls have got to eat."

Inside Ground Zero - main dancefloor, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 22:00:00
Krait - Scouting the Location
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

After getting a basic impression of the place, the technician shot his teammates a message. If he where on his own, he´d tap the staff and regulars in the public area first, but the twins could do some talking as well. John would prefer to spend no more time then necessary in this place. It would probably be easyer, or at least cheaper to get him into the VIP area, so he´d suggest leaving the main dance floor to his companions.

Two @ Team: I suggest splitting up, double risk but double chances. You hit the front, I check the backroom? If you need cash, say it now or get it back later.

In the cramped environment of the dancefloor, John necesserily kept closer body-contact to Violet then before. He was carefull not to lose Ms. Johnson´s credstick in the crowded place, unbuttoning the middle of his shirt, to slot it into the com that was hanging around his nack underneath, then closing the buttons again. The hot, used air that filled the place made him want to put off his suit-jacket and unbutton the shirt compleatly, but as a long-time corporate-employee, he was used to allways ware formal atire, even if the climate called for something else. He stroked his hand up his callgirl´s back, to gain her attention.

Krait: "How do we get to see the interesting stuff?"

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:03:00

Damn, Carla thought. Esmeralda better be alive or I'm going to end up spending more money on this gig than I earn.

She lifted woman's foot and rubbed her sole and toes. "I would appreciate that very much," Carla answered, trying not to put on her business demeanor. "How much do you need?"

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:03:10


The woman moaned and wriggled as Carla worked her feet. "Well, in principle you pay for what you get. But fronting me a little cash to spread around will make things go faster. Up to you. The big question is whether you want me to get out on the street now, or if you, um, need more time to get your 'make me feel good' fix..."

Inside Ground Zero - main dancefloor, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:00:10


Violet rubbed her breast against Krait's arm and yelled into his ear - "Well, if you really are up for anything, you've got to get past the chainlink gate. Shouldn't be too hard, the way you sleazed past Ernst."

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:00:30

Just as Conall's vision started to adapt to the new colors of the plane of existence he was now looking at, the hand he was brushing against the beast's coat caught something. The usual thickness of the fur wasn't there. Every hair felt bristle and with broken ends. Looking back down at the animal, Conall registered how sick it looked. Well, maybe not sick, but damn sure not as well and healthy as it should have. Something was wrong.

Slightly letting for of his sister's hand, the young shaman kneeled down to something only he could see. The wolf looked at him, cocking it's head to the side as if trying to convey some sense of confusion.

My dear friend....

He grabbed the animal gently by the side of his face.

My dear friend... it pains me to see you like this... forgive me . Return and rest, I beg you...

Closing his eyes, he got his forehead against the animal, who returned the gesture. Under his rough hands, he felt the wolf's form dissipate back into the flow of mana.

Straightening back up, Conall's grip immediately went back to his sister's hand, and seconds later, he could hear her thoughts mingling amongst his own. She could clearly feel his growing sense of alarm.... the place was making him not simply uncomfortable... but creeped out and uneasy.

"Aye.... This place is tainted with corruption.... Even the companions Wolf has granted me are weakened. Simply allow me a few seconds sister... I need to call out for stronger aid. "

Pulling Etain closer to him, he wrapped his second arm around her; getting her into a tight embrace. His head found a resting place into at the base of her neck, right on her shoulder. Conall slowly closed his eyes, hugging his sister tight against his own body.

Wolf..... Hear me.... Lend me one of your pack to aid and guide my own.
Help me.

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:05:11

She could feel her brother’s fear growing beneath the surface of his disposition and it only compounded her own. His voice echoing inside her head as his lips didn’t move confirmed to her that there was plenty of dark things flowing though this place that were unseen to most who partied and participated with careless abandon.

As Conall drew her back against him their breathing automatically fell into synch, her eyes never stopped moving over the crowd as his head rested against her shoulder. For an instant roles were reversed, he was momentarily vulnerable and she was to be the strong one. When he finally lifted his head and let go of her only enough to join her side again, she knew he must have been successful in his endeavors to call forth a stronger ally to his side. That thought alone gave her confidence the needed boost to make the next move. She started towards the bar, her hand firmly gripping her brother’s as she stalked across the floor with all the carriage her former nobility had instilled in her and squeezed her way in at the bar.

It took a little longer than she would have liked to get the bartender’s attention, but as soon as she did she wasted no time pouring on the Irish charm along with a flash of cash. She didn’t mix her words and made it clear that while she was getting a couple of pints for her and her brother she was more than willing to pay for other “services� that perhaps the barkeep could provide. Almost casually she dropped mention of looking for an acquaintance, specifically Cat along the way.

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:03:30

"Why don't we work on your feet a little longer," Carla suggested, "they must get sore after a full day's work." Carla hoped that she could instill a little bit of good-will into their relationship by not sending the woman back onto the streets immediately; by holding off on Esmeralda and choosing to focus on Trix a little longer, Carla hoped that the prostitute would feel slightly less like she was merely a tool.

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:03:40


"It's not my feet that get tired, girlfriend," Trixie moaned - she was either enjoying herself or very good at making her Johns (or Janes) think she was. "Anyway, how you handle the front money is your call. Just say the word, and give me some pix to work with, and I'll be on the street in a flash - just so you know that if I come up with something, honey, someone's gonna wanna get paid."

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:06:11


Etain easily caught the social rythym of the place, sliding effortlessly into the ambiance. Unknown to Conall, this was far from the first place she'd been in the past week that he'd have found shockingly degenerate - with the spell active, she would have to be very careful with the sorts of memories this place threatened to conjure up.

She found a bartender that was not only handsome, but appeared straight. Her combination of charm and lucre soon had the reply she wanted. "Yeah, I knew who she was. Tell you what, I got a break coming up in a few. Just hang for a bit okay, and we'll find a quiet corner," he said as her cash disappeared teasingly back into the cleavage of her purple bodice.

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:06:18

Etain nodded in agreement to the bartender's suggestion but highly doubted there was a "quiet corner" anywhere to be found in the place. Regardless, she was quite content to wait as she nursed the watery beers placed before her and Conall if it meant a chance at information to help find Miss J's missing friend and get out of these strange, disgusting and yet exciting places they'd been visiting as of late.

She had lost sight of Frank and the hooker a while ago after he had suggested that he would attempt to find his way into the other half of the club where the strange group with the woman had entered. Somehow, given the clientele of the place Etain thought that might be more difficult than he thought it would be.

As she pretended to sip from the plastic glass, her eyes moved up to the ceiling and for an instant the steel girders and lighting systems became a set of dirty skylights and she had to shake her head clear from the thought that any second Costello and Costigan could come crashing through.

She turned her full attention back to her brother and the two of them were able to speak volumes without uttering a word as the cacophony of "music" assaulted them relentlessly.

"At least the barkeep seems interested in being helpful. Hopefully the bloke can provide something that will get us some right solid information to find the lass."

Inside Ground Zero - Dom´s Restroom, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 22:06:20
Krait - Looking for a Slave
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

Leaning at the wall inside the Dom´s Restroom´s Exit to the VIP-Area, John had his hands full with Violet´s curves, to bland into the background, more teasing then touching her though. Beneath his blue sun-glasses, he watched the hallway that would be frequented by VIPs -and their Subs- commuting between the restrooms and the restricted area, but there where none that actually accessed or entered the VIP-Area. As he waited for a slave to dominate, his Agent presented the results of his shedim query. He quickly scrolled over the information, while the expert-programm went on, to collect information on the other topics.
Since he hadn´t seen anyone leave the restricted area yet, the elf considdered to try his luck with Ernst again, which was guarding the accesspoint next to the main entrance by now. He´d surely get in for less then 1 grand, but he wasn´t sure if he could make it without expanding any cash. While he still thought about it, he lingered next to the restrooms for a fewmore moments - if he could acquier a slave of his own, that could make entering the forbidden places of this location much easyer.

Ground Zero
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:11:18


Krait and his companion waited near the restrooms for a couple more minutes, as one person had at last been "let" out of that entrance to the VIP area by the troll there. His position on the inside of that gate was a clear message that it was not an entrance, merely a convenience for patrons to reach the toilets.

The woman that emerged was wearing a suitably revealing leather teddy, but Krait's keen eyes could tell it was not only expensive but had probably never been worn before tonight. The spike heels also screamed money.

Faced with the actual restrooms, the woman seemed at a loss as to which to enter. Then, seeing another woman enter one, she started to follow, but then retreated with a nervous laugh when she saw a man exit. After a few more uncertain moments, she asked a very overweight nearby woman which was the "women's" - the heavier woman didn't deign to explain, just said, "They're both unisex." The first woman gave a self-conscious giggle, as if to say, "How silly of me! What could be more natural?" and plunged into one after explaining to the disinterested fat woman that "she thought this was just a fascinating scene but this was her first time so her friend had assured her it would be all right to just watch.

A few moments later the first-timer emerged from the restroom and was let back into the VIP area.

Deciding to move back into the dance area in search of the sort of people he was looking for, Krait spotted several men with multiple submissive-looking companions, all in an attitude - whether conscious of it or not - of showing off. Any of them would suit the elven technician's purposes just fine, if he chose to pursue that course.

He also spotted his companions sitting at a table, and saw that they were joined by one of the bartenders. Although he stayed an unobtrusive distance away, his top-of-the-line ears made out the beginning of the conversation.

"Hey, thanks for waiting. Can I have you some fresh drinks brought over? Some of the better stuff we keep for special guests, maybe?" the bartender asked, pulling up a chair where the twins were sitting. He had very pale skin - but Etain could see that was actually make-up, hiding a healthier complexion. His hair was dark and slicked back, and he wore a black leather vest over a fire-engine-red T-shirt that showed off a very cut physique.

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:04:00

Carla hesitated; she didn't want to use her photograph of Esmeralda since it depicted her in traditional nun's clothing. In addition to probably not being very useful, it also added the risk of exposing Cat's "true" identity.

"I don't have a picture of her," Carla explained, "She's a fairly small woman - hispanic descent and speaks with a Spanish accent." Carla wasn't sure how much detail she was capable of getting into; after all, she was only really familiar with Esmeralda's face, and she had no idea how much she changed her appearance for her alternate lifestyle.

"She's also extremely thin," Carla added as a guess, "And I don't mean healthy-thin; I'm talking more like anorexic-thin. Don't be misled, though; she might look like a twig, but she's into some hardcore stuff." Carla gestured towards Ground Zero. "Cat was determined to get into this place for quite a while; she wouldn't settle for any other joint in the 'plex."

Flophouse- 2nd floor room
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:04:30


"Well, the plot just keeps thickening. Lot more to you than meets the eye, sister," said Trixie as she stretched and pulled her bodysuit back on. "So you're looking for a self-starved masochist that talks funny. Only one of those things'll be something you can see at first glance, if that, but I've had less to go on." She headed for the door. "Thanks for the massage. If I find anything, you'll hear from me. If I don't, you won't. Room's good for another hour or so."

Inside Ground Zero - Main Dancefloor, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednsday 8/14/70 22:12:10
Krait - Looking for a Slave
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 3), Moai offline

Although this location raised an even stronger sense of foreboding then most public places in the paranoid ex-lawyer, he figured he could spend a few more minutes on aquiering a slave. He could use Violet of course, but he´d rather find someone else, who might actually enjoy it and wasn´t just in it for the money. Somehow the ganger made John feel paternal to some degree, he didn´t want to cause her any more discomfort then was necessary to further his agenda. Besides, he allready knew that 'Cat' probably wasn´t here tonight, so he had less reason to hurry. In the long run it was most likely more prommissing to establish a more solid base of contacts in the subculture, to find the missing nun. Finally, he was happy to give the twins a few more minutes, to see what the barkeeper had to offer - saving him the effort and money to break into the VIP-Area, if it was enough.
So he took posture a small distance away from the group he had watched for a minute or two, softly stroaking V´s ear, as he asked the professonal, which of the submissive types she liked best and which would fit in nicely on a trip to VIP-Land. Making eye-contact with the one his guid indicated, he waited untill she returned his gaze for just a split second, before he easily made her turn her eyes to the ground again with his hard stare. Without paying her any more attention, he strode over to the one that seemed to be in charge of her and shouted into his ear, but barely loud enough to be understood over the loud soundtrack of the club.

Krait: "Your bitch was disrespectfull towards us - making eye-contact with me. You should show her the consequences of such unruly behavior! Or maybe, we could ..."

He gave him a devious smile.

Inside Ground Zero - Main Dancefloor, NE 126th Pl & Slater Ave NE, Kingsgate, Redmond
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:21:10


The didn't miss a beat - "Tiger, you have shamed us all," he shouted over the music. "Assume the position!" Tiger bent herself over a table, lifting her tiny schoolgirl skirt to reveal cellulite-covered buttocks. "Raven, administer the discipline!" At which point a frizzy-haired woman with too much make-up and no chin, wearing black leather biker cap, chaps and vest, began to spank her fellow slave.

The master turned to Krait, ignoring the spectacle he'd just orchestrated, and extended a hand. "Stud," he proclaimed proudly - and it took the elf a moment to realize that the man was giving him his name.

Violet was quicker to respond. "This is my overlord, Sir Rambo," she announced, playing right along.

And thus Stud and Sir Rambo began an earnest conversation about the difficulty of keeping good discipline among one's belongings. Stud tried to play it cool, but it was clear what he wanted, as he kept looking at Violet. In the meantime, Krait's data searches came in, and he scanned them effortlessly while maintaining a steady banter with his new friend.

Finally, Stud could contain himself no longer, and blurted out his proposition - "Tell you what - since Tiger was impolite to you, maybe you'd like to borrow her for a while, show he the real meaning of pain. I guarantee you, she will worship you unconditionally. And of course, while you are busy, I could look after your toy here." He leered meaningfully at the Heartbreaker prostitute.

Ground Zero, Tables on the Outskirts of the Main Dancefloor
Wednesday 8/14/70 22:16:03

Etain couldn’t help admiring the rather attractive bartender for a little longer than just a casual glance as he pulled up the chair to the table. There was a feeling of familiarity that Conall caught a quick sense of as the bartender reminded her slightly of BlueEyes but she quickly changed her train of thought back to the business at hand.

“A drink would be lovely, something better than a pint perhaps? Of course yer the expert love, I’ll leave the decision in yer capable hands.�

She flashed her best smile, a well-timed but natural looking toss of her blonde hair as the bartender nodded and told them he’d be right back. Etain watched him walk away with a n approving smile on her lips and kept her eyes on him as hee disappeared into the bar of the VIP section only to emerge minutes later with a couple of drinks in hand. He expertly slid the drinks before the twins, an amaretto sour for Etain and a healthy shot of Irish whiskey for Conall. The bartender kept an expensive bottle of imported beer before him as he sat back down at the table. She carefully took a sip of her drink and nodded appreciatively.

“Thanks love, this is perfect. Now ye said ye knew our friend Cat?�