Game on. I'm going to start every IC thread with this information so it doesn't get lost:

Speech, thought, commlink, and matrix text formatting for this campaign.

"Speech" (always good to color that to make it stand out)
Thoughts
<< @<TO> [<FROM>] Commlink Communications >>
<< Matrix Actions >>


Example of dice roll formatting.

11d6.hits(5) = 4

Denver, Colorado
Friday, April 29, 2072 19:30 hours

Another day, another struggle for survival in the sprawl. The streets that used to be the one, unified city of Denver have become a hard place to earn a living, and you are no exception. It's raining slightly, the Zone Defense Force (ZDF) is running another high-profile "protect and serve" visibility campaign lately, and the pickings for jobs in the shadows have been lighter than slim. It really is a catch-22: how does one get a reputation without doing jobs, and how does one get jobs without a reputation?

You're awake this fine, drizzly evening pondering what you are going to do to get your name out to the right people - for the right jobs, of course - when a familiar holo-pic pops up in the left corner of your AR display. That big, toothy grin that could only come from Smiley, and the blinking yellow exclamation point next to his smiling mug tells you that, at the very least, he thinks why he's calling is important. You answer the call, and hear his very un-ork-like smooth voice dripping in your audio channel.

<<[<FROM>]Smiley
Yeah, I got a job for you. Looks like something you could handle. Meet Mr. Johnson - and the others that I think you should team up with - at 21:00 at Infinity. The meet will be in a private conference room, so tell the elf bartender chica that you're with the Johnson party. And do us both a favor and dress like you know what you're doing.>>

Smiley then does what you're accustomed to him doing - he drops the line without even so much as waiting for you to say hello.

Scarlet's Flat; Denver, Colorado
Friday, April 29, 2072 19:30 hours

He's definitely not wasting time... Scarlet thinks after the brief communication is over.

Still one and a half hours left to prepare for the meeting.

The next step is to get some more intel about the meeting place. Infinity.

Running a quick data search, the hacker looks for information about the place.
What is it? Where is it? What is the typical clientele? How to dress?

I hate it when he does that.

Apparently tonight will not be for stalking, but some work would be nice, nuyen's getting tight.

Finishing up the old movie he was watching, Nitwit threw on his jacket- forgoing his normal nighttime garb for this Johnson meet (Smiley's toothy grin pooped in his mind when he thought about his jumpsuit "and dress like you know what you are doing")- and popped a few choice items in his pockets. He slid the few other possessions he had under his bedroll and followed the directions coming up in his AR to the Infinity.

Sticking to the shadows as best he could, Nitwit looked for a place to get eyes on the meeting place a bit ahead of time and scope it out for an hour or so, keeping an eye on comings and goings out the front door- getting a sense of the clientele and looking for anything unusual.

Ocho's apartment
Friday, April 29 2072 19:30

"Sir, yes sir!" Ocho thought wryly as Smiley's icon vanished from AR. He saved the page of the AR 'zine he had been reading and closed it before heading for the shower. Account's getting kinda bare, though. Infinity...hmmm, where have I heard that before.

Bastet's Apartment
Friday, April 29 2072 19:30

Sammy stretches out beneath the faux-cotton sheets of her bed languidly, a slight purr catching in her throat; her friend had left just a short while ago, and the young woman was feeling lazy and content. The beep of her comlink catchers her attention, however. Not the plain Emperor sitting on her night-table, but the Airware tucked between her mattresses.

Letting out a little groan, Sammy rolls over onto her side, sliding her hand between the mattresses to fish it out, then unlocks it and lets it access the image and audio-links implanted in her body.



Knowing well how succinct the ork can be, Sammy doesn't bother trying to reply. Instead, she glances over at the time then sighs.

Crap. 90 minutes, give or take. Dress like I know what I'm doing? What exactly will I be doing? the neko ponders, frowning. Another little sigh as she sits up, then slips from between the sheets, tossing the commlink onto her bed before heading into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes pass before Sammy emerges wrapped in a towel, her neko-ears twitching and tail flicking slowly side to side as it drips water. without pausing she takes up the subdermal mic linked to her commlink and nestles it against the hollow of her throat. Once afixed comfortably, Sammy begins to murmur to it.

"Datasearch. Infinity, Denver. Check clubs, bars and restaraunts." she orders the commlink, then turns to get herself ready. As she begins to dress, Sammy frowns a little and lets her thoughts drift.

Infinity... the name seems familiar, but hell... I've been to clubs in half a dozen cities. she muses, trying to remember if she knew anything about an Infinity here in Denver.

Moo's Apartment
Friday, April 29, 2072 19:30 hours

Now let's see...the green 'ad a right good, beefy taste ter it, sort of like the perfect steak ter accompany a right good Shiraz. Gotta balance it out fough, too much of a meaty taste and this paintin' ain't gonna go anywhere. Right. Hmm...baby greens, then, squire? No...too simple, right, it wouldn't motch the complexities that were already present. But a nice Niçoise might do the bloody trick...yes. So the purple and just an 'int of orange...

The scene inside the apartment was at odds with its location. Bad part of town, crying babies and gunshots the common night noises, chipheads and the more stately substance abuse folks crowding around burning barrels. Inside the apartment, pure creativity as the hulking figure handled the large by any other measure paint brush with a gentle touch. The canvas in front of him was streaked with nonsensical patterns of color that were garish at best. But, at this point, it wasn't so much about the product as it was the process. The call from Smiley was an unwelcome, but not unwanted, interruption.

That lad right needs ter slow dahn. Maybe I should spot if I can rabbit and pork 'im into tryin' a Cool Wite one of these days, right, might 'elp 'is business. But...hour and an 'alf, gotta start 'ave a lookin' and feelin' ace. Is it worff slottin' an Intrepid Indigo for a bit before the meet, eh, mate? I'd 'ave ter have it gahn at the same time as the meet else I'll be a wreck of nerves...and 'ooever I'm bloody well workin' wiv is gonna wanna plan. Better play it cool for now. Take an 'alf 'our or so ter tidy up and cop over these glorious colors, ffen start 'eadin' towards this Infinity place.

That decided on, the junkie dialed the chip down to about half of its potency and started running the shower in the vain hope the water would heat up and, just maybe this time, not be tinged with rust. Shampoo, deodorant, a splash of cologne, some toothpaste and his one nice working suit later, the tripping artist was transformed into the very picture of professionalism.

Time ter make some brass.

Scarlet
You run a simple data search, and the amount of information returned almost knocks you over. Infinity is the latest up-scale dance club that all the wannabes and club kids like to hang out at, hoping that they can get entrance to look cool in front of the posers who stand in line for hours. Typical music being played at the club, according to the information received, is a combination of underground industrial and techno-synth, all pumped together with blasting neo-grunge bass. Just the kind of music that makes you wonder why you listen to it at all. And you gather from the information that typical attire is, of course, the latest in form-fitting body suits with neon face and hand paint optional, but recommended.


Scarlet, Sammy, and Ocho
Based on your area knowledge (Sammy and Ocho) and your data search (Scarlet), you find that the club is located in the CAS zone, near The Hub. The Hub is what used to be old downtown Denver, and is where the ruling governmental council has their offices. It also houses a lot of upscale restaurants, bars, and clubs, as well as shopping and other upper end/high scale housing and businesses. You are also thanking your lucky stars right now that Infinity isn't located inside The Hub because, as you are all in CAS, getting in would be a pain in the ass: You'd have to either enter through the single checkpoint from CAS (which is always heavily guarded and EVEYRBODY in the station gets stopped), or you'd have to go through a checkpoint into UCAS or PCC and then through a checkpoint into The Hub. Damned ZDF really makes things hard on runners, don't they?


Nitwit
You make your way to the club, staying to the shadows, well before the scheduled time of the meet (it's close to 20:00 hours, about an hour before the meet when you get there). You can see, across the parking lot - which is well lit, by the way - a line forming near the large, red double doors, complete with velvet rope and 2 very large, very ugly, but well-dressed troll bouncers. Each of them has a small wand in his hand, which is being used to scan people as they enter the joint. Your best guess is some type of MAD scanner, but you notice that some people are being allowed in after a litte palm-greasing is done to avoid the scanner. The longer you stand there, the longer the line gets. At the present time, the line is about 5 minutes long. By 20:15, the line will be about 15 minutes long, and by 20:30 the line will be about 20 minutes long.


Scarlet, Ocho, Moo, Sammy
You are able to make your way to the club easily, even though it's Friday night, and you arrive early enough to make sure you can get in (about 20:30 hours). Traffic isn't that bad driving through CAS, mostly because a lot of people still have a tendency to avoid CAS at night. It's not unsecure, but the ZDF doesn't have much of a presence in this sector and in some portions of the sector crime is pretty bad. Bad enough that even some runners won't set foot in parts of the sprawl. When you arrive - individually, of course - you see the same scene in front of the door that was described above for Nitwit - 2 large, well-dressed but ugly troll bouncers are using a MAD scanner on most people standing in line before letting them in. And the line is about 20 minutes long, give or take.

Ocho's Apartment
Friday, April 29 2072 19:35

Ocho shivered a bit as he rifled through the closet for appropriate clothing. The rationing had barely put the water temperature above freezing, and with it still being spring on the FRZ that meant a short shower to avoid the chills. Still, the cold had at least jogged some details free about the club. He took an dark green collared shirt unadorned but for a small eagle, anchor, and globe emblem embroidered in a darker green centered just above the pocket, charcoal slacks and matching sport jacket from the closet. Not high-key enough for the Actioneer, but too good an area for anything grubby. This should do fine. Before donning the shirt, Ocho pulled one of the locked totes from under the bed and took out the slim armored vest from it. It was a little tighter than it was last month, but not so snug that breathing would be painful. Never thought I'd miss morning PT...wonder if there's a gym around here. Ocho grabbed the Airware loaded with Javier's persona from the top drawer of his nightstand, synched it with the contact lenses he placed in his eyes, made sure there was some CAS scrip in his billfold (just in case), and locked the multiple deadbolts behind him as he left.

Outside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:26
SIN broadcast: Javier Saborío | PAN mode: Passive

Ocho glanced at the growing line as he cruised into the parking lot. Hmmm...cutting it a little close, should have left a few minutes earlier. Glad I left the steel at home, don't think I've got enough to bribe my way past those two. He peered again at the people in line outside. And it appears that I badly misjudged the dress code. Damn. Not that I'd wear that shit in the first place... He set a countdown timer in the top corner of his vision for 21:00, and hoped the line moved a little quicker than it appeared to from the car.

Hmm, front door is an option. But I will stick out like a sore thumb in that crowd, and I don't need any unnecessary attention. All I need to do is find a way inside and talk to the bartender...

Waiting around for more people to get in line is just increasing the chance to get noticed. Keeping his options open, Nitwit leaves his spot at 20:20 and attempts to make quick circuit around the building looking for side entrances, utility exits, loading docks, fire escapes, etc, while leaving him time to get in line by 20:30 at the latest if he doesn't find any other way in.

Outside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:29
CMT Clip SIN broadcast: Darvic Hid | PAN mode: Passive

The line of wannabes at the door is nothing new. Most J's seemed to always want to meet at whatever the latest hot club in town was or some run down bar because it was gritty and made them feel like the J from the latest Chrome Knights episode. Of course, most weren't hiring runners for some altruistic job that would be to the benefit of metahumanity. It was normally greed, C.Y.A., or vengeance. All of which were okay in Moo's book.

Excuse me tart, right, comin' frough. Out of the bleedin' way divvy, right, I'm bloody well important and yor not. While not exactly pushing his way through the crowd, Moo makes his way towards the front of the line like he owns the place. Buggers like this, right, it's ninety percent attitude and ten percent intimidation. Since I'm bloody well bigger than most of these blokes, that ten percent is no problem. And I know I belong 'ere, and these tossers don't.

Once he reaches the front of the line, he sees the person just before him grease one of the troll's palms before being waved through without even a cursory inspection with the MAD wands. Chuckling internally, he gives the two a small nod and changes his voice to a tone that demands respect and expects to get what it wants.

"Wotcher fella, let me in," he says to the troll on the right.

Outside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 20:33 hours

Since her tight-fitting, leathery armor-suit should fit the dresscode well enough, Scarlet dresses in that, making sure that she is properly styled (but without the neon-trash). And since she probably won't get in with her guns, anyways, the hacker decides to only take the light pistol, just in case, and leave the others in her cabinet.

Then she hops on her snow-white motorcycle and drives to the club.

What a bunch of losers ... she thinks upon seeing the crowd. Hopefully this doesn't take too long.

While in the parking lot, Scarlet pulls out one of her tiny Fly-Spy drones to keep watch here.

Outside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 20:34 hours

Sammy ponders what little she knew of Infinity while getting dressed, humming and hawing a little over what to wear, letting her fingers run over various articles she has spread out on her bed.

Smiley suggested I dress like I know what I'm doing, but... well, I know how to do a lot of things, lol. I could blend in with the crowd a little... not a bad idea for a 'runner to be able to do. Going in armour, even if its just my coat, might make me stick out a bit much. On the other hand, that could be what the Johnson is expecting. So many decisions!

Finally, Sammy settles on blending in with the crowd. Let them under-estimate me a little... she muses, squirming into her most recent acquisition, a slinky Zoe Second Skin cocktail dress. Linking the dress to her PAN, she adjusts the rutherium-polymere coating so that it appears tasteful yet alluring; backless and strapless to show off her rosettes but remaining at least M-rated.

I might not look threatening, which is pretty much the point.

Satisfied with the dress, Sammy dons a pair of tasteful heels, easily removable in an emergency then takes up a matching purse. Within, her shadow-commlink, while her 'public' commlink gets tucked into the dress itseslf. A pair of tinted, wire-framed aviator glasses completes her ensemble.

"Alright, Bastet. Let's do this."

One cab-ride later finds Sammy standing in line outside of Infinity. Casually, she takes a look around at those nearby, studying them surreptiously. A rather big troll.. no, minotaur? Shoves past her rather rudely, commenting something in a rather heavy accent. A frown, but she refrains from shoving back, instead letting her tail lash side to side in agitation, cat-ears dipping back slightly. "Oaf." she growls soflty under her breath.

As she nears the front of the line, Sammy eyes the bouncer-trolls, a touch of worry filling her. Somehow I don't think my spur will make it past the MAD... I should have gotten it constructed of something non-ferrous. Dammit! Still... it looks like they might be... amiable to some sort of arrangement... the flirty neko muses, absently popping an eX past her lips and swallowing it; Sammy smiles faintly to herself as she feels a wave of giddyness overcome her.

Once at the front of the line she offers the trolls a coy little smile, brows raising a little. "'lo boys.." she purrs, tail swishing slowly behind her. Hand on hip, Sammy tilts her head, meeting both of their gazes, while using her PAN to fade the color of her dress just a little, allowing the trolls (and likely other nearby onlookers) BRIEFLY a nearly-intimate view of herself before glancing to the MAD wand.

"Mm... do I look like I'm hiding anything? I'm sure there are... more interesting things you could do with your time, hmm?"

Nitwit
You easily make your way around the back, and even though this is a better part of town, the alleys still suck. Garbage is strewn everywhere, even though the bins are open and half-empty, and the lighting is really poor. You look around the building and see an open door that you can hear music pumping from. As you approach the door, you can see a pair of orks dressed like bus boys enjoying a synth-otine break, the smoke billowing in the air around them. You can also hear them talking about some recent sporting event, with the two disagreeing on some controversial call during the match. They are so distracted that they don't even see you slip through the door and into a dark hallway near the bathrooms inside the club.


Ocho
You stand in line for about 20 minutes, watching all the neo-trash in front of you get pumped about their new outfits and face paint. You can feel the bass lines coming from the walls, the beats so deep they make your hair shake slightly. You finally get up to the doors, and one of the trolls takes the MAD wand and runs it over you. The light on the wand blinks green, and a readout shows that you are clean. Clear, the troll says, and he waves you into the club.


Moo
You push your way to the front of the line, making the impression that you are both in a hurry and very important. You stare the troll bouncer down, demanding to be let in. He looks at you briefly, then looks over to the other bouncer - who just shrugs his shoulders and looks blatantly stupid about the situation - before standing aside and waving you into the club without so much as a second thought about it.




Scarlet
You get to the front of the line, faster than you anticipated, hoping that your light pistol doesn't set off the MAD scanner. You really hope for this after seeing the large minotaur push his way through the line and then (what you believe) intimidate the bouncer into letting him in. The troll bouncers don't look too happy after this, and they really start cracking down on everybody after this. When it's your turn, they run the scanner over you, and while it does pick up a lot of your cyberware, it fails to read the pistol, and the bouncers have no choice but to let you through.




Bastet
You swish your way to the front of the line, swaying your hips suggestively, with your tail playfully following you. When you fade the color of your dress slightly, it almost seems as if everybody stops doing whatever they were doing, and they all begin to stare. The troll bouncers both have to pick their jaws up off the ground, and if it weren't for the thumping bass beats coming from the club you'd probably be able to hear their heartbeats speed up. They just both stare at you longingly as you make your way through the doors without hassle.




All Characters
Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 2045 hours

You have all made your way into the club, and some of you might now be questioning why. Patrons wearing the latest club fashions, most with various shades of neon face paint in a multitude of designs - although neko seems to be the most popular - writhe in time to the beats of the music, not even stopping their dancing as they drink, smoke, and...well, do what mostly naked emo vampire-wannabe clubbers do when pressed up against 30 members of the opposite sex from all directions at once.

The club itself has 2 large dance floors, stacked one on top of the other, one featuring a live band and the other with a DJ pounding out the tunes. It's hard to even tell which songs are being played as the music from both dance floors intertwines with the other, creating an almost new sound that's enough to make all but the heartiest of club-goers want to throw up. You cannot even breathe in the club without your body subconsciously doing so in time to the music.

For those of you who have AR...you are in for a real treat. As soon as you step through the doors your commlinks - whether Passive or Active - are assaulted by requests from the club to subscribe to their network, with holo-pix, holo-trids, and advertisements for the club promising nothing but the best AR experience a club can offer: Animated menus, virtual dancers, instant communication with anyone - for any reason - who is also subscribing to the network, unadvertised specials...basically, the ads promise that you'll be on the "inside track" with the club by being on their AR network.

The entire back wall of the club is taken up with the bar, which is stocked with every kind of alcohol and liquor - both real and synthetic - that one could possibly want or imagine. A small army of bartenders and waitrons keep up with drink orders, and you guess that, by some of their actions, they are not only doing this in real life but in the augmented version as well. Behind the bar you are able to spot the elf woman that Smiley told you about easily - she is the only female bartender (although their are lots of female waitrons) - and she is gorgeous.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 20:50 hours

Scarlet is bit surprised, that the bouncers do not even notice her pistol. She wasn't even adverse to handing it out, assuming she would get it back. But now she is actually happy, that she doesn't have to leave it in their hands. Those didn't seem professional enough to handle it with the required care.

Guess you can't expect much more from such amateurs...

Inside, she tunes down the noise to reasonable levels thanks to her cybernetic damper and after blacklisting most of the assaulting AR to keep it clean, Scarlet doesn't waste time and heads right for the bar to see about the elven bartender that Smiley mentioned.

Once she has her attention, Scarlet says: "Hey! I heard someone named Johnson is throwing a party? Where do the guests go?"

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:50
Ocho flips his PAN to hidden after a few seconds of the AR barrage and blinks for a second as the eye-watering cascade of data disappears. Sadly, the bass doesn't get any quieter. Hope this conference room has good sound dampening, otherwise this is gonna be a looooong night. It takes a minute to suss out the bartender he's looking for, and he can't help but utter a low whistle when he sees her. Too skinny by half, but damn...

He threads his way through the press with as little shoving as he can get away with, no sense in getting tossed out of the club before the meet. It still takes several minutes, with the numbers on the timer getting smaller with every shuffling step. He gets to the bar just in time to hear a leather-clad redhead ask the same question he was going to. He shifts a weedy-looking human aside to get to the bar next to her, places his hands on it and talks loud enough to be heard over the roar of people and "music."

"Hoi, looks like we're headed for the same party."

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:50

The thoom thoom thoom of the bass is a welcome thing. Between it and whatever privacy would probably be offered in this club, eavesdroppers would have a hard time getting wind of what Moo's likely employment opportunity of the evening was going to be. The barrage of AR scroll across his vision isn't as distracting as some spam zones he'd experienced, and with a shrug Moo went ahead and subscribed to the network. His preferred user name, CowMan Up, was even available. The night would prove interesting, if nothing else. A sly, I know something that you don't smile fixed on his face, the slab of walking beef made a beeline towards the bar and the elf working it.

Huh, Smiley 'adn't mentioned the bartender would be ridiculously pretty, right? Not the bloody type of girl I usually go for, 'ave a looks a wee too delicate, but easy on the bloomin' mince pies all the same. If I ever cop back into the bloomin' loryerin' game I might 'ave found me secretary. Moo idly scans the crowd, looking for likely suspects to be part of the meeting tonight. A troll here, a couple of orks there, even a human with an interesting scarred look going on seem like likely candidates. Finally, it's his turn after some human woman and a solid looking ork.

"Oi there lass. Shirley Temple, extra ice. Mind tellin' me where the Johnson knees-up is meetin'?" Moo asks the bartender, his deep voice blending in a bit with the bass from the music.

Stepping into the club, Sammy lets out a little purr as the throbbing baseline pulses through her body, filling her mind with its sounds. A grin, the neko steps onto the dance floor, slinking her way through the crowd towards the bar at the back, pausing occasionally to flirt with this clubber or that raver.

As she draws closer to the bar itself, Sammy sighs, spotting the big troll-minotaur-thing. Oh great, the oaf... I hope he's not one of the others.. she thinks to herself, perhaps a little over-disparigingly. Even still, the willowy neko sidles up, leaning forward to rest one arm on the bartop then offering the elven woman a wink.

"Bloody Greek Tiger, my lovely, hold the lime... mm.. might as well make it a double!" Sammy chirrups, then flashes a grin. "And maybe a sweet elven kiss to seal the deal, hmm?"

Regardless of the reply, Sammy provides the woman with a heft tip, and after taking her first sip of the tart drink, smiles smoothly once more. "I'm here for the Johnson party... can you direct me to it?" she asks, keeping her voice a little lower.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 20:51 hours

Scarlet glances over to the orc next to her, who has also asked for the Johnson.

"Looks like, yeah. Also looks like we are not the only ones," she replies, while raising an eyebrow in suspicion upon seeing catwoman and the walking cow-level, who somehow manages to come across quite sympathic on first glance, despite a somewhat intimidating figure.

Freaky

Coming out of the dark hallway, Nitwit makes his way to the nearest end of the bar and orders the cheapest synth-beer on tap from one of the bartenders. Spotting the wildly attractive elfish bartender, he observes her for a few minutes while sipping on his almost tasteless beverage. Noticing the interactions she has with three other people who look like they don't belong in this club...This is going to be an interesting mix.

After watching a catwoman flirt with the elf for a few moments, Nitwit catches her eye and waves his empty pint in the air to bring her down to his end of the bar.
"Help a fellow Elf out? I'm here with the Johnson party, could you direct me where to go?"

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:52

Ocho glances over (and up) at the minotaur, then down to the neko. "Mmmmm. Interesting. Wonder if the tall elf down there's part of the crew-to-be, as well." He indicates the elf in question with a slight up-nod of his head. "Almost seems like the start of a joke...'An elf, an ork, a minotaur, a changeling, and a human walk into a bar...' I'm Ocho, by the way." He offers his hand in greeting.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:52

Moo glances down at the catgirl and hides a grin behind his drink. Between her and the human, the run was looking like it'd be interesting to say the least.

The minotaur smiles as he finishes the joke for Ocho, "The first one 'its 'is 'ead, the second don't damage anyfink important, the bleedin' ffird keeps walkin' frough, the fourff grows a fifff arm, right, and the last one ducks. Blokes call me Moo, right good ter meet yer." He shakes Ocho's hand, then proceeds to drain the rest of his drink and signals one of the bartenders for another one. "So, right, Smiley tell any of yer anyfink more than where ter be and 'oo ter ask for, then, eh? Wouldn't mind knowin' a bit more about this Johnson we're meetin'," he asks the group.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:53

Sammy shifts her stance to take in the ork male and human female, then the minotaur; Ocho's comments draw a slight smile and a polite nod from the neko but when Moo replies she frowns just a little.

Crap, looks like he's one of us. Ah well, I'm sure his strength will come in handy! I hope the accent is affected, else communication might be a problem.. Sammy muses, her thoughts jumping from one topic to another as rapidly as the flick of her furred tail.

Offering Moo a lazy smile she offers the big Minotaur her hand, and after he shakes it, she offers it to Ocho and Scarlet as well.

"Ocho, Moo... I'm Bastet, though Kittykat works too.." she replies, a slightly vapid giggle escaping, followed by a sharp hiccup. "S'cuse me!" the neko apologizes, blushing faintly. "Nu, I don't know anything 'bout our Host... hell I don't know much about Smiley either.. flyin' blind here!"

It's fairly easy to tell that Bastet would easily fit into the crowd here at Infinity...

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 20:52 hours

Scarlet offers the other runners a smile and a handshake as well. Despite her figure, the woman's grip can match the minotaur's strength, obviously augmented or otherwise enhanced.

"I'm Scarlet. Nice to meet ya'll," she says.

"Hope this Mr. Johnson knows how to throw a party. Nonetheless, it might be useful to hook up our comm's for some, ya'know, private discussion."

The hacker follows her proposal by creating an encrypted private channel for the yet-to-be-assembled team and invites the others in and sending them an encryption key to use.

<< [Scarlet] There we are... >>

All Characters
After getting to the bar and attempting to speak with one another, you realize that you'll need to speak sub-vocally via the private chat being set up as the music is so loud that you can barely hear yourself think, let alone hear someone else trying to scream at you. It isn't a big deal, and you are all able to get communicating and shaking hands rather quickly once the private chat is set up.

Moo subscribes to the club's network, and the assaulting AR spam stops. However, the resultant barrage of AR from the club and its patrons is almost worse - you are sent every detail that you never needed to know about the club, to include menus, parking, where the restrooms are, a map of the club itself, complete with which music is playing on which dance floor, and for how long. If you look over the dance floors, you'll see AR imagery above them that reminds you of a visual video equalizer, with the lights moving in time to the music, with the artist, song, album, release year, record label, band members, and a scrolling version of the lyrics displayed just underneath it for your viewing pleasure.

Moo is also assaulted (via AR, of course) with a barrage of requests from half-naked neko wannabes throughout the club to join them for some "private time" or to "make like the wild beasts we are". The requests come with both written request as well as holo-trids of the potential suitors performing some solo acts in an attempt to entice you into their arms.

Eventually, you are able to get the attention of the elf bartender, and after sweet-talking her (especially with Bastet's attempt to give her a kiss, which is really paying a great compliment to her), she pushes a new map of the club to Moo's commlink. Looking at the map, you can see (in between even more requests for clandestine capers and virtual waitrons asking if you need anything) a new room showing up in blue on the map. Up the stairs, follow the hallway, enter the code '17-HGW', she tells you, and then walks away, her job done.

Making your way up to the room is no issue at all. The stairs are easy to find, and the directions on the map are nice and simple. You pass several groups of clubbers in the hallway, each group busy involved in various activities, with amorousness the top seller. You find the door you are supposed to go to, enter the passcode, and enter into...a blue room.

The room is a standard conference room, with a large wooden table with several fine chairs around it. On top of the table is a white, mushroom-shaped device sits in the center of the table, with a troll of medium height sitting in one of the chairs. He is not young, but not quite middle-aged, and he's handsome in a rugged kind of way. He's wearing a purple and chartreuse suit in the latest style that would look nasty on someone else, but seems tasteful on him, and he has a lit cigar in one hand with a drink of some sort on the table in front of him. You close the door behind you, and you realize that the noise of the club seems to melt away, letting your brains relax without the pumping bass beats.

Welcome, he says, smiling. Please sit down. I am Mr. Johnson, and I trust that the Smiley sent you. An interesting bunch by your looks, but we've a few moments before 2100 hours, he says looking down at his watch so let's enjoy the company for the next few minutes before we get down to brass tacks. Might I be able to get any of you something to drink or eat while we wait?

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:57

The riot of sensation and hooking up with the team had kept the monkey on Ocho's back quiet at the bar, but it hopped around and screeched when the privacy screen dropped away the noise and the offer of a drink came. Steady, chief, steady...we'll have a few later, it's all business now. Besides, they always end up coming out of the paycheck later... Ocho wiped away the slight sheen of cold sweat that appeared on his brow with a handkerchief he produced from a pocket inside his sport jacket. "Nothing for me, thank you." He slipped his jacket off and placed it over the back of a chair across the table and down two from the Johnson, allowing him a view of both their employer-to-be and the door out of the room.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:58

Following the rest of the group in, Nitwit grabs the seat on the far end from the table. His stomach was a little knotted up so food didn't sound very appetizing, but a drink could probably help calm the nerves.

"I will have a beer, something local if its not too much trouble"

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:58


<< @Trancetastic50 [DaddyBeefCakes] I like wot I see, right, but I'm meetin' wiv chinas. Maybe some uvver time. >>

Moo grinned as he flicked the message window closed with his mind, and dialed back the AR to the minimally required emergency exit and club floor map. Required if you were going to be subscribed to their network at least. Fortunately for Moo, the grin was timed to coincide with the Johnson's offer for refreshments. He'd been following the meat conversation, a few digital ones, and appreciating one of the racier vids one of the club goers had sent him without too much trouble. The joys of being able to properly multitask...

Come his turn, Moo rumbles, "Well, depends on 'ow much of a bill yer would like ter foot, Guv. I could go for a taste of me family, right, well...the chuffin' appearance related family. Turns out, right, us minotaurs ain't actually related ter cows. Real burger, rare as they'll serve it, and chips if they can swin' that. Soydog and sumfink crunchy ter go wiv it if they can't. Oh, and a Roy Rogers, right, extra ice," he adds as an afterthought as he finishes his second drink off. He considers crunching away at the ice, but decides against it. After the meet, he might be able to let loose a bit, but for now it was manners manners manners.

<< @Team [DaddyBeefCakes] If some bloke offers yer a meal, take them up on it. But make sure yer give them an out if wot yer want might not be covered by their boss. If they can't expense it, right, ffen it comes out of yor check. >>

<< @Team [Moo] Oh damn, right, forgot ter change me name back. >>

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:55

Sammy accepts Scarlet's handshake, raising a brow at the strength but also offering the lovely red-head a winning smile, her cat-ears twitching forward slightly. "Defintely a pleasure, Scarlet." she murmurs. When she recieves the invitation to join the private chat, the neko accepts, sending a brief greeting to the others to acknowledge their presence.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 20:58

Sammy's vapid, party-girl sort of demeanor vanishes almost instantly once they step inside the Blue Room, taking on a distinctly professional air. Barely two paces in, she pauses momentarily to survey the room before continuing on, making her way over to the chair opposite Ocho and settling into it.

Unfortunately that professional demeanor is broken as she giggles abruptly, blushing a little and shooting a grin at Moo.

<@Team [Bastet] DaddyBeefCakes? Oh wow! This is a story I HAVE to hear...!>

That done, the neko clears her throat a little, looking to the Johnson once more and offering a curious smile, appraising him for a moment before nodding politely.

"I notice you don't have a waitress on hand... do you want us to provide you our orders directly?" she asks, the question half-serious, half-teasing. "

Inside Club Infinity - Blue Room
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:00 Hours

All Characters
Mr. Johnson takes all of your drink orders, as well as Moo's request for a steak, and then pushes them out to the club through his commlink. When Bastet asks about if she should give her order to him directly, he simply replies "Well, you don't see anyone else here, do you?" After several moments, all drinks are delivered by a tall, thin waiter, who deftly sets the drinks down and begins to walk out. On his way out, he stops by Moo and says "Your meal will be ready when you are finished up here." He then leaves quickly.

Once the drinks are in hand, Mr. Johnson leans forward in his chair, pushing several buttons on the mushroom-shaped object in the middle of the table. He then leans back and gives you all the once over before beginning to speak.

"Well, let's get down to business, shall we?

"Someone has stolen something from the people I represent, and they would like to get it back as quickly as possible as they believe - as do I - that this person is going to attempt to sell it. What you are going to be looking for is some music-related data that is highly important to my employer's business. I don't know who stole it - my employer's home was broken into a couple of days ago, and the disk that the data resides on was taken, along with several other items that we currently have zero interest in retrieving. Your best bet is probably to keep your ears open to whatever channels you think might be appropriate - if the thief is going to sell it, word will have to get out that it's available.

"The object is an old-style optical disk, similar to an old compact or digital video disk from the early 20s or 30s. We want both the disk AND the data recovered, in the eventuality that one no longer resides on the other. In case it's not clear, my employers don't want the disk's data getting into the hands of anyone but themselves, so if the data gets out, we expect you to track down and eliminate any copies.

"Once you've located it, the second part of the job is to track down the person who is offering it for sale - probably not the same person who is offering the information, since the thief will probably be working through intermediaries - and get the disk back. You can do this in whatever way you see fit: if you can get it back by making an offer for it, my employers can cover the arrangement and take care of getting my money back later. If you'd prefer something a little more larcenous, that's fine too, so long as it's discreet and doesn't compromise my or my employer's identity. Just do it as quickly as possible, and make sure that the disk and the data are not damaged.

"I'm authorized to to offer your team 10,000 Y for the job, half up front and half upon the return of both the disk and the data to me. Do we have a deal?"

Mr. Johnson looks at the lot of you, waiting for your reply.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:00 hours

Scarlet was a little undecided when it came to ordering a drink, so she just got herself one of those Roy Rogers, too, which sounded decent enough, after a quick Matrix search for the ingredients.

Not being a negotiator, the hacker simply fires up her Empathy software to check on the Johnson, recording his facial expression with her cybereye camera.

When the results are coming in, Scarlet offers them to whoever might take up word, nodding here and there while the troll explains the details of what he wants to hire them for.

<< [Scarlet] Well, if anyone's going to take it up with him going for a raise, maybe this will come in handy... <live-link to Empathy data attached> >>

Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:05 hours

Taking a couple of long pulls on his beer to get his nerves under control, Nitwit gets the matrix notice on his com...

Damn chipheads think the matrix is the be-all end-all for everything, at least she looks deadly enough to be competent in the real world

The job sounded like it would have a good amount of physical legwork, which suited him just fine. The nuyen sounded good, but not having been in Denver long Nitwit wasn't sure what jobs like this could pay. Not that he was one to speak up about it, he was fully aware that he probably wasn't brought on to this job because of his communication skills.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:01

A disk? Old style, isit? Do blokes even use them fings anymore? Wonder wot sort of info's on there that 'e's willin' ter drop ten fousand nuyen on. And that's just the startin' amount...wonder wot I can sweat 'im for...

Moo sips idly at his Roy Rogers while watching the Johnson as he lays out the job. It sounded simple enough, find the stolen item, make sure no one else had a copy. Which meant it was a whole lot more complicated.

<< [Moo] Empaffy software, isit? Damn, that's better at readin' 'im than I am. This will definitely come in 'andy, right? One these days I'll need ter have yer cop us a copy Scarlet. Let me spot wot I can do ter get us a bit more bread and honey out of 'im. Fink yer can snap a shot of 'is face and spot wot Fourcorners turns up wile I'm bloody well goin' on at 'im, eh, guv? Wouldn't mind knowin' wot pies 'e 'as 'is fingers in, and wot sort of info we're likely ter be gahn after. >>

<< @Bastet [Moo] It's a good story, I'll tell you some time. >>

Moo rubs his chin for a second after the Johnson finishes talking, then speaks up. "So, any idea wot sort of music info it is that we're 'ave a lookin' for, eh? Not that I like ter pry, but a bit of folks are sellin' a bit of fings evry day. An actual disk, right, I'll admit that's rare, but we're gonna need a bit more ter separate yor client's item from any uvvers out there. As for the chuffin' pay...seems a bit low if yer don't 'ave any sort of a lead for us ter follow beyond some bloke's sellin' sumfink. Wiv the amount of folks and information we're gonna 'ave ter get 'old of, right, between palm grease and favors, yor gonna need ter at least triple that offer.

Like me dad always said, shoot for the bleedin' moon, but be willin' ter settle for the horizon.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:05 hours

<< [Scarlet] Alright, let's see if I can dig something up... >>

Since she doesn't want to go all limp in her chair, Scarlet has to settle with the AR overlay for this task, controlling her second commlink mentally via her direct neural interface. Using the information she has, the fancy wardrobe, and the camera images, she starts searching for more information about their Johnson.

<< [Scarlet] Well, not a whole lot coming up here... probably needs some more time. >>

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:02

<< @Scarlet [Ocho] You wouldn't have a Limey-to-American localization program, would you? Beefy there is getting a bit hard to follow. <display_grin> >>

Let's see how Mr.J takes the salary adjustment... Ocho slipped his sight into the astral for a quick glance as Moo volleyed the financial ball back into the Johnson's court.

Inside Club Infinity's Blue Room
Friday, 29 April 2072 2110 hours

When Moo asks about what is on the disk, Mr. Johnson simply leans back in his chair. "The disk contains some music files that are of significant personal and sentimental importance to my employer. Beyond that, all I know is that it's an old-style optical disk."

When the negotiations truly start, and when Moo asks for a raise, Mr. Johnson leans in again. His eyes get a little squinty, and you can see the wheels working in his head. "10 grand not enough for ya, huh? I like that - never take the first offer. Ok, I think I can come up a bit. 20 grand - still only 5 up front, with 15 paid on completion of the job. That sit ok with you?"

When Ocho slips into the astral plane, Mr. Johnson flashes him a quick look out of the corner of his eye. "It ain't polite to stare, you know." And what Ocho sees is pretty much what you'd expect - a troll with no magical abilities and minimal amounts of cyberware. You pick up that he is in a hurry and pressed for time, but you don't get that he's panicked or desperate. In fact, you get that his attitude is that he's enjoying the present talks, even if he seems a bit rushed.

All this time, Scarlet is attempting to search Four Corners for any piece of information she can get about Mr. Johnson. She searches and searches, and finally she comes across some small snippet with an actual picture of the guy. The snippet gives his real name - Darius St. George - and the poster speculates that he might be involved with the music industry in some way (although the poster admits that he isn't real sure about the source of his information).

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:11

Ocho's eyes refocus as he closes his mind's eye to the astral and he drums his fingers lightly on his leg. << @team [Ocho] Mr. J's got places to be tonight, but he's certainly not letting it bug him right now. He's getting a bit of a kick out of the fencing-with-paychecks, Moo. >>

"Sorry, chief. Must have left my manners in my other jacket."

Ocho winced inside his head. Dammit, moron, don't be an ass to the Johnson. Just because he ain't got brass on his shoulders doesn't mean you can mouth off.

Moo's chat-message to her elicits a slight grin, the neko eyeing him with new appreciation; however, Bastet forces herself back to business, returning her gaze to the Johnson while listening and following the others via the chat. At the Johnson's indication that they are searching for an 'old style optical disk', Bastet has to frown a little.

"Are there any distinguishing features on the disk itself? Physically? Like a label or a serial number perhaps? Those style of disks went out of style ages ago, but even still most of them looked more or less alike without labels." she asks, leaning forward a little.

<@team [Bastet] Nice raise there, Moo... glad we got a good talker here!> Bastet sends, showing off her own cacology.

[b]Inside Club Infinity's Blue Room
Friday, 29 April 2072 21:12

Moo suppresses a smile as the Johnson doubles the offer.

Huh, got 'im ter double the bloody pay. Wonder if I can squeeze 'im a wee bit more on that...nah. 'e came 'alfway between me offer and 'is offer, right, and that four grand will definitely pay the rent this monff. Oughta spot if Smiley can find me anuvver Uncle Bob or two after this one's done.

<<@team [Moo] Any bloke got anyfink else they want ter add? If not, I'm gonna close the bloomin' deal so we can cop to work on this. The less time between that disc bein' nicked and us 'ave a lookin' for it, right, the chuffin' better. >>

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:12

Ocho nods after Bastet asks her question. "What were the other stolen items? Your client may not have any real interest in their return, but perhaps they might help us narrow down who the thieves were."

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:12 hours

After finding a name, Scarlet begins a new search with that name now, maybe that turns up something useful. She begins to suspect at this point, that the Johnson might actually be the client as well. It's just a thought, though, and could very well just be completely wrong.

"Two questions. One. As far as I can see, with such a special item we are looking for, there is probably no reason to keep the employer's name a secret? I mean, when we start looking for information about it, as part of the job, we will probably find it anyways. Will make our task a little easier, I suspect. Of course, in our business here, confidential is a given. And two. Can you give us a reason why this is not going through official channels? Is there anything confidential-related we have to keep in mind?"

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:12 hours

<<@Team [Nitwit] Nice raise Moo, I'm ready to get rolling with this job as soon as everyone is all questioned out. >>

As it sounded like time was of the essence, Nitwit was eager to get started. The longer they waited, the farther away and harder to track the disk and data would be. Still not familiar with all the parts of the city, he pulled up a map of Denver on his comlink and started to study it while he waited for the meeting to finish up. After a second of looking, he realized he didn't know where to start.

Nitwit waited for Scarlet to finish speaking and cut in with his question before Johnson could even open his mouth to answer her.

"Also, is there anything you could tell us about the location where the disk was stolen from? I'm not asking for your employer's address, though we would take that, but even what part of town the theft took place would help, give us a physical starting point if you know what I'm getting at"

Inside Club Infinity - Blue Room
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:15 hours

Scarlet, you perform your search on the name Darius St. George, and you come across several articles about the guy really quickly. Most of them talk about his being a producer in the music business, specializing in signing new, up-and-coming acts. One blog post by some anonymous hacker, however, lists him as being more behind-the0-scenes than in the limelight, and that he's connected to/employed by someone pretty high up, although nobody really knows who.

Ocho, you apologize to Mr. Johnson, who just glances over at you and winks. "Null sheen, chum. It kinda comes with the territory, if you know what I mean."

You all spit out all of your questions, almost all at the same time, to which Mr. Johnson puts his hand up to get you all to slow down and stop. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...slow down, chums. We just met, and I don't like having new acquaintances jam their feet in my throat, if you catch my drift. But I'm gonna be straight with you guys, ok?

"As for what the disk looks like...all I know is that it's an old-style optical disk. I don't know if it's labeled or marked up or anything. And the items that were stolen along with the disk are...inconsequential. They don't matter, and my employer is not interested in their return. They just happened to be kept near the object of importance, which made them easy to steal in addition to the disk."

Mr. Johnson stands up, straightening his jacket, withdrawing a cigar from one of the pockets and lighting it. He takes a long pull before continuing.

"As for my employer...they wish to keep their identity confidential for whatever reasons they have. So being under contract to them, I cannot divulge any information about them, such as their name or their location. For what it's worth, I personally doubt where they are located would yield any leads as to the why or the current where. Believe me when I tell you that when the theft was discovered, every possible measure was taken to find evidence at the scene. And as I have nothing to give you, you can guess how much was learned.

"As for why this is not going through 'official' channels...well, my employers are very private people, and they prefer to keep to themselves. And as the data on the disk is highly significant to my employers personally, it made more sense to 'hire out' than to contact the ZDF."

Mr. Johnson takes another long pull on his cigar, a great wisp of blue smoke coming from his nostrils as he exhales. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a commlink. He pushes several buttons on the commlink and then speaks.

"I hate to cut this short, but I have somewhere I need to be in a little while. I noticed that one of you...big boy over here...Daddy Beefcakes, is it?...has broadcast his PAN. I have pushed the account information for the initial payment of 5,000 Y to your commlink, Mr. Cakes. If the money is withdrawn, then we have an agreement, and I expect you to find the disk and the data. If the money is still there at 07:00 hours tomorrow morning, I will assume that you have declined the offer and I will find another team to do the job.

"For now, I bid you all a good evening. The room is reserved until 03:00 hours, so you may use it until then as you see fit."

At this point, the door opens, and a waitress walks in with Moo's meal, setting it down in front of him. Mr. Johnson and the waitress then both walk out, the door closing behind them. Moo, when you check your commlink, the following data is displayed:

<<@Daddy Beefcakes>>
<<From: Mr. Johnson>>
<<Acct AA-134ZZ2, UCAS Bank of Denver>>
<<Amount 5,000 Y>>

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:15 hours

"Fair enough. Guess we'll get to work then. Good bye, Mr. Johnson. See you soon."

< [Scarlet] Very well. Guess it's figuring out where this thing could possibly be sold now... >

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:15 hours

Moo sniffs in appreciation as the steak is put in front of him, and finishes the last of his drink. With a wave to Mr. Johnson, he picks up knife and fork and begins eating with small, measured bites that show a fair bit of high society polish.

< [Moo] So, right, how do we want ter handle the cash, isit? Evry geezer gets their piece of the advance and we work from there, then, eh, squire? Or do we set up some sort of pot ter dip into as we need? >

Moo sets his silverware down, rubs his chin for a second, then sends a second message to the team while picking the silverware back up and continuing his meal.

< [Moo] So, we're 'ave a lookin' for nicked goods of a musical nature. Any bloke know any musicians, eh, mate? 'ell, right, if we 'ave to, spose we could give Smiley a call and 'ave 'im put 'is ear ter the chuffin' ground. The bleedin' blokes I know...don't quite run in the right circles for this sort of Uncle Bob. >

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:16

Ocho leaned back in his chair and scratched idly at one of his tusks.

<< @team [Ocho] I say we split the money now, so if Mr.J pulls a stunt we're all at least somewhat compensated. And I've got nothin' for who to talk to, never been much for music other than cadences. >>

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:16

Bastet watches the Johnson as he leaves, her cat-ears twitching slightly; once he is gone however she frowns a little as she turns her attention to each of her new team-mates. "Doesn't give us a lot to work with, does he. I wonder if he realizes that the other objects stolen could have given us a lead?" the cat-girl murmurs, trying hard not to sound too annoyed.

To settle herself, she orders a stiff drink through her pan, along with an 'appetizer' order of spicy-seasoned chicken strips, the sort often seen on the menu regardless of the 'social level' of a given bar or club. Settling back in her seat, she also adjusts the Second Skin to greater opacity.

"I don't really have any preference on what we do with the upfront, although keeping it as a pool might be helpful if we have to facilitate our information gathering." the neko speaks up, leaning forward slightly. "I don't have any contacts in the music industry specifically, but I'll make a point of putting out some feelers... y'never know who might hear something useful, aye?"

With that Bastet settles back once more, gaze twitching from team-member to team-member, curiosity strong.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29, 2072 21:16 hours

Scarlet leans back in her chair in a fairly relaxed pose, when she seems to notice the drink in front of her. "Oh... guess I neglected you long enough now..."

Then she picks up the glass and takes a sip wondering for a moment whether she likes the taste or not.

< [Scarlet] I will take a look around the Matrix, what places there might be that specialize in auctions/sales/trades of such rare goods, and put up some surveillance measures to see if anything interesting pops up. Guess that is all we can do until we get a lead, then we can see how we will approach it. >

Relaxing in her chair even further, Scarlet's mind slips away, leaving her body in a state not unlike sleep, as she heads into the virtual reality of the Matrix.

Scarlet
Please provide a Data Search roll for scouring the Matrix for information.


All Characters
Please provide the name of any contact you are attempting to reach, along with why they might know something about this. Also provide a Connection + Connection roll for that contact. Add +1 dice if the contact is a Bartender or someone in the music industry.

Inside Club Infinity
Friday, April 29 2072 21:17

Ocho glanced over at the neko samurai. "Oh, I'm sure he knows that...probably also thinks that'll let us ID who his employer is, too. Whoever it is, they've either got a large pile of nuyen they're sitting on to pay 20k for a disc, or it's the lost master disc for that "epic" Dark Angel was working on back in the day that all the tinfoil hats mutter about." The ork shrugged. "So long as the nuyen in that account is good, I could give two shits which it is."

He flicked his eyes over as Scarlet went limp in her chair and barely restrained a shudder.