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Raiderj
This time Vexboy had 5000 in his credstick... and had bribed a hobo in advance to guard his possesions outside so he could quickly change into his gear if need be. He took out his commlink and sent a message to Pytor.

>>>>>"Im bumping the cut to 2000 if you can place her tonight. I barely slept last night and I am willing to blow that much nuyen. I need to find this girl NOW. Please tell me you know where she is! Kids lives are on the line!"<<<<<
adamu
Wednesday, 20 November, 2075, 2353; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

The reply to Vexboy's plea was swift: <<All right, but I risk my life and that of my own small children to tell you this. I only hope that your payment is enough to buy their safety. The one you want is at your two o'clock in a black and purple leather combo. She has a dark-skinned man at her side.>>

Vexboy quickly spotted the woman and her companion. She filtered amongst the crowed, often stopping to trade busses and banter before moving gracefully on. The man with her greeted no one, and no one seemed very interested in him.
Raiderj
QUOTE (adamu @ May 4 2016, 08:42 PM) *
Wednesday, 20 November, 2075, 2353; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

The reply to Vexboy's plea was swift: <<All right, but I risk my life and that of my own small children to tell you this. I only hope that your payment is enough to buy their safety. The one you want is at your two o'clock in a black and purple leather combo. She has a dark-skinned man at her side.>>

Vexboy quickly spotted the woman and her companion. She filtered amongst the crowed, often stopping to trade busses and banter before moving gracefully on. The man with her greeted no one, and no one seemed very interested in him.



Vexboy nodded at Pytor and went up. And slotted into the tip slot with his credstick. He proceeded to track the two around trying to remain inconspicious and trying to get a gage on D-pop. He sent a message to Rave. "Found her. Ill track her and keep a good tab. If she books it ill send you the message "out". He saved "Out" as a draft then stalked D-pop.
DireRadiant
Wednesday, 20 November, 2075, 2358; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

DES immediately had to re adjust his AR settings to get sufficient contrast for his ARO markers as he followed Warrior Woman into the Watering Hole. A dangerous place where predators and prey shared life giving resources in an uneasy truce. DES wondered if it would last or if there would be blood in the water tonight.

As soon as Warrior Woman paused in her social dance, not really a pause so much as staying in one spot and posing rather than prowling through the crowd, DES let the fly spy slip out and crawl it's way to higher ground. He was going to need it's eyes to determine all the possible routes through this place. That was one thing he could do. Spotting trouble in advance was going to almost impossible, but when it happened DES and the Wind could act.

Till then DES was going to protect Warrior Woman's back.
Raiderj
Vexboy looked over at D-pop and started typing on his Commlink of all the things he could determine from her from eyesight.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 2075, 0006; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

As Rave observed what went on below, one of the two joygirls she shared the VIP space with said something loud and typically crass about needing to urinate. She tried to drag her companion along to accompany her, but the other young woman was too inebriated to have much interest in any activity requiring her to stand. So the girl traipsed out and along the balcony that overlooked the club and connected the various other VIP rooms, offices, and other facillities. Ever observant, however, Rave noticed that after emerging from the restroom she did not return to Ilia's room, but rather went to another of the exclusive private rooms, looked around carefully, entered a code, and went in.

Down on the main floor, D-Pop disengaged herself from a handsome man that was encouraging her onto the dance floor, then whispered to DES that it was time to go upstairs. They had to greet and exchange shouted pleasantries into the ears of a gauntlet of another half-dozen Eastern European clubgoers before they reached the steps. To DES, a few of them, those that D-Pop accorded the most deference, treated her with more than jovial familiarity - under the Euro-kisses and laughter were hints of respect and also pity in their eyes.

Finally extricating themselves from the press, the unlikely pair mounted the steps. Vexboy watched them move along the balcony and approach one of the VIP rooms. The same room, of course, the Rave had watched the joygirl enter. D-Pop knocked.
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 2075, 0006; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

It was too crowded. Too many things moving. Colors and noise everywhere. DES could only concentrate on the near space. Deal with immediate risks and plan on escaping. There weren't enough exits and going up stairs onto a balcony made it worse. Afterwards, if there was an afterwords, DES would have time to review what his commlink and drone was picking up, but right now DES couldn't process it.

When Warrior Woman knocked on the door DES knew this was the moment of greatest peril, when two great predators met. The result of this would affect everyone.
Raiderj
"Frag. She is in a private room! Now what?" Vexboy messaged Rave. "Gonna have to get clever kid. Something tells me you can't bribe your way into the meeting..." Vexboy thought for a second. Then he messaged "New idea. You try and get in the room or keep tabs with D-pop and I try and find her car. I think its time to set a trap."
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 2075, 0006; Chalka, Downtown Seattle Seattle Metroplex

Maybe the mysterious Russian woman sensed DES preparing himself, because as she waited for the door to open she whispered to him - "Don't worry my friend, things will be simply horrific here."

And then the door opened. Rave and Vexboy saw the joygirl on the other side of it. She stood aside. D-Pop and her companion walked in.
Raiderj
Vexboy went upstairs to see if the door would remain open.
Vegas
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Chalka, Downtown Seattle

Rave had watched and waited amidst the subdued chaos that was the VIP Balcony. She cross-referenced and cataloged interactions with the woman in purple leather with her own mental notes from the comfort and vantage point the plush chair she had be occupying as D-Pop had made her entrance.

The kid’s countless messages buzzed on her wrist like an annoying gnat, and she let them stack up after reading them before she replied. She gave herself some credit if he had made it up to the VIP floor and still hadn’t spotted her yet, it meant the rotating looks were keeping at least the new prospects on their toes.

She was certain she knew the code to the door, but she wasn’t as clear as to just whose room she could be tiptoe’ing into should she use the code, and she still hadn’t seen Ilya. While it looked like the room was only occupied by the trio for all she knew, he was sequestered away inside as well. She had to finesse her way inside the room if that was her only option, and just barging in, even with the door code was just as likely to get her shot in a place like this. She preferred to keep her options open and lingered with the best sight lines of the door D-Pop had just entered with what Rave assumed was her muscle for the evening.

She put on the bored socialite face made an obvious show of sending messages on her commlink as she fired off one to Ilya that was to the extent of being grateful for his invite and his tab but how she was bored and lonely without him. She hoped it would be enough to get him to come out of hiding. The second message went to Vexboy.

I have eyes and I am upstairs. No easy way in without causing a scene.

She erased her messages between herself and Vexboy and sat back down in her chair and nursed her drink and made small talk with those that mingled with privilege.
Raiderj
"Upstairs too. But I don't wanna be. If you can keep tabs on her out here I can find her ride and track her to her hideout. I have... ways of being unseen. You have only seen me in this setting where I am a dead fish. You simply won't see me on the streets. Please tell me you can track her from here on out while I find her ride. I have an idea but I am gonna have to call a favor from Knight Errant." Vexboy said.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Inside the room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

No sooner had the door closed than the two women embraced, then pulled back to arm's length to look at each other. The other woman reached up to touch D-Pop's face. "You made it." Then she looked at DES.

D-Pop said, "This is my warrior. He is one. You can speak. What do we know?"

The other woman shook her head. She looked about twenty-two, her cosmetics expensive but abundantly applied. Her outfit strained the lines of modesty, though it was hardly out of place in a club like this. But the sadness mixed with frustration in her face carried a weight that belied her party girl exterior. "I fear you risked coming here for nothing. We still don't know exactly when or where."

"Bethan?"

"She is working, but of course she is too visible to move freely. She is prepping a new one. I have my doubts, though."

"She knows what she is doing. How are you Bronwyn?"

"Our enemies are getting closer, D. We have been hurting them, but of course they are legion."

"Are you safe?"

A pause. "I am not sure. There is a policewoman here. She masquerades as a sort of Vor groupie, and they do not suspect otherwise. But I am sure she works for Knight-Errant. And she is here tonight. Staying close to me. I hope it is coincidence."

"There are no coincidences, dear. The question is begged, however - is she against us? Or is she one we seek?"
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Outside the room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

Both watching the room, Rave had to endure various passers-by blocking her line-of-sight, while Vexboy had to take care just to remain on the balcony, between the buffeting of passing clubgoers and the sense that people were wondering what he was doing up here in the vicinity of the VIP rooms.

Almost everyone was intoxicating themselves in one way or another, either with chemicals or one another's flesh. Closest to the door in question were two very attractive men, tall and in jackets cut to the latest style. They were leaning against the wall by the door, smiling and making sultry faces at one another, occasionally shoving the other, or passing a finger along a clean-shaven cheek. Inevitably, they rolled along the wall into a passionate clinch, mouths joined fervently, hands pawing at each other as they used the VIP room door for support.

Then suddenly they moved quickly away from each other, stopping short distances from the door on either side, backs to it, hands reaching for their ears.
Raiderj
QUOTE (adamu @ May 17 2016, 03:08 PM) *
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Outside the room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

Both watching the room, Rave had to endure various passers-by blocking her line-of-sight, while Vexboy had to take care just to remain on the balcony, between the buffeting of passing clubgoers and the sense that people were wondering what he was doing up here in the vicinity of the VIP rooms.

Almost everyone was intoxicating themselves in one way or another, either with chemicals or one another's flesh. Closest to the door in question were two very attractive men, tall and in jackets cut to the latest style. They were leaning against the wall by the door, smiling and making sultry faces at one another, occasionally shoving the other, or passing a finger along a clean-shaven cheek. Inevitably, they rolled along the wall into a passionate clinch, mouths joined fervently, hands pawing at each other as they used the VIP room door for support.

Then suddenly they moved quickly away from each other, stopping short distances from the door on either side, backs to it, hands reaching for their ears.


"Got a feeling about those two. Just instinct but a feeling. Keep eyes on them." "What about D-pop?" Vexboy thought. "I don't impede your free will but I am just giving my two cents. Those two are acting too weird to be good guys. Probably got cyberears...Not like I am some flawless deity myself. Even the wisest spirits can give shit advice from time the time and masqurade it as the followers faults." Vexboy nodded. He sent a text to Rave. "They with you?"
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Inside the room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

DES was not strong, agile or smart, but he was very very quick. DES was also realizing in retrospect he could have done more. In the past few hours he could have empowered a spirit companion, Wolf or Owl would have been useful. Now was not the time for regrets. He noted this option for the future. If he had one.

DES hadn't even been paying much attention to the conversation. He'd been monitoring the feed from the fly spy and idly mapping exit routes. And now it appeared they may need it.

DES blurted "Marvelous!" and stepped aside from the door raising two fingers on his left hand and indicating each side of the door. With his other hand DES tapped his right ear.

DES hoped Warrior Woman was ready, because he wasn't prepared at all for the chaos that might ensue.
Vegas
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Outside the room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

As Rave watched the door she couldn't help but see the pair of men as they moved into her field of vision. It wasn't their sampling of each other that caused her eyes to widen slightly, but their sudden break from an otherwise passionate embrace and their almost tactical stance on either side of the door.

Her body was moving off the chair on a trajectory diagonal to the door without conscious volition, but from years of drilled training and instantly the room seemed to suddenly slow around her as her wires responded to an instinctual command.

There were more than a few parties interested in D-Pop, this pair for the moment seemed the most threatening.
Raiderj
Vexboy primed himself. If they even looked hostilely at anyone he would pounce. He felt the Dragonslayer urging him for a premptive strike. He ignored it but smirked.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Chalka, Downtown Seattle

Things were moving very fast.

Sometimes that made them seem very slow.

The hands that had been moving towards ears completed their journey, clapping themselves tightly to the sides of their owners' heads.

Rave and Vexboy saw a small flash, almost lost in the club's kaleidoscopic light displays. There was also a loud crack - probably quite loud by the two men, but almost completely lost within a few yards as it blended with the musical cacophony of the sound show. The door swung open, lock shattered.

Inside the room, D-Pop had flipped over a table to face the door and moved behind it as Bronwyn started muttering something. The door came open and then the room was filled with a crash of dust as someone blew another doorway into the exterior wall opposite.
Raiderj
"Now THIS IS A PARTY!!!" Vexboy yelled gleefully and snapped his fingers. Two Fichettis appeared and he shot at one of the intruders.
Raiderj
"Gonna be one of THOSE days...""Damnit..." Vexboy said with a shrug as the jacket crackled. He jumped off to the side and dodged the SMG's fire. "Hey Vicky! Im begining to think these are the bad guys!"
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Inside the VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

Inside the VIP room was aswirl with placrete dust and before anyone had time to react a dull-gray metal sphere came through the new hole and the wall and dropped quietly on the floor. D-Pop sprang for the aperture and tossed the grenade back.

"Shit...run!" bellowed a timpani-roll of a voice and four-hundred kilograms of troll in a tac-vest rolled himself through the hole and into the room, inadvertently crushing the mysterious Russian woman that was probably his target. In the corner, Bronwyn was muttering something and until a fresh blast accompanied by a blast of heat tore into the room through the hole, drowning out all sound, her incantation has sounded like a summoning to DES. He had already commanded his own companion to drive the attackers away, but there was no time to await its arrival on this plane - the troll had realized his unlooked-for good fortune and dropped his massive shotgun to pull a combat knife with a vicious serrated edge, eyes only on the woman squirming breathlessly beneath him.

And then a voice spoke into his ear. His face twisted in a combination of confusiona and defiance, but the former won and he awkwardly squeezed himself back through the hole...just as a being of living air headed into the other doorway...
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; Outside the VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

The moment the door popped the two men had long ammo clips in their hands and after pulling up their right sleeves were slamming them into apertures in what had appeared to be perfectly normal forearms.

Vexboy and Rave saw the move clearly because they had both taken advantage of the men's concentration on their room breech to creep up behind them. Just as the two men were preparing to fire into the room, the young cop and younger would-be shadowrunner struck. Vexboy fired sophisticated Stick 'n' Shock rounds point-blank into his target's back from twin Fichettis that had appeared in his hands as if by magic. Electricity crackled visibly around the man's insulated jacket. It wasn't enough to take him down even though it should have dropped a rhino, but it was enough to stop his attack on the room. He whirled, but the voltage slowed him down by about an eighth of a second - more than enough time for Vexboy, no stranger to a firefight, to guess his line of fire and get out of the way before the man's upturned palm spit a burst of lead into the crowd.

Rave was not as fortunate, at least not at first. She stabbed her man in the back, center mass - the body was a hydraulic system, and if you stop the pump, it can't keep moving. But a combination of armor and enhancements stopped most of the force and the blade sank in about two inches before stopping. The man roared and whirled, almost wrenching the knife from the undercover cop's hand. His hand reached toward her stomach as if to gut punch her, but instead of his fist a trio of bullets hit her, knocking her to the floor as she prayed the venlar sheath under her party girl clothes had held - she felt like she'd been slugged in the solar plexus by a troll, and she'd heard that's what being gut shot felt like at first, before the worst sort of pain imaginable started. But before she could even reach down to check, the man had stepped forward to stand astride her. His palm opened in front of her face, and she could see the smoking hole in its center, huge with the promise of death. A wind blew across her face and the next thing she knew, the man had vaulted the over the balcony railing, jumping down into the crowd below.

Senses amped by her implants, she didn't miss a beat seeing Vexboy facing the same sort of fate she had. No time to see who was winning, she scrambled forward across the floor and slashed at the back of the other man's leg. She was rewarded by a splash of crimson - not enough to hamstring him properly, but it wasn't the sort of wound anyone could ignore.
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

DES stayed down and stared across the floor at the struggling Warrior Woman as he spoke his will. The mass of flesh crushing her got up and left. DES ignored the chaos outside the room feeding into his ARO display. He had his blood and honor to defend. He would keep his Trust.

DES rolled over and grabbed the shotgun and stood up, careful to keep it pointed at the hole in the wall. For the chaos outside on the balcony DES trusted the Wind.

As long as he held the weapon, DES knew that was one less danger to Warrior Woman.

"Hold or hunt?" DES asked as he hoped Warrior Woman could answer.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:08; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

"Hold," she said, raising herself onto her elbows.

Bronwyn spoke clearly from where she was huddled among the cushions of the conversation-corner: "My spirit follows the flight of the troll and his friend. Our new friend's spirit secures the door. Our Russian friends approach. And it seems we have new friends without..."
Raiderj
Vexboy aimed his gun. "Nonconduct this." He fired a stick and shock into the last gunmans forehead and he shivered and slumped down off the balcony. "NO WAIT!" Vexboy said running to try and catch him. "Oh shit! Is he dead!?" "Doesn't matter if he is. Shame to say but thats just combat. If he is alive then you can catch him later. He isnt going anywhere. Get D-pop!" Vexbot gulped a bit but nodded. He went into the room. "D-pop I presume. I hear you have information about a group of children being trafficked into Seattle and I am trying to save them. I know your probably a hardened criminal but these are KIDS... Innocent... most likely innocent kids that have no control in this. I can pay you in nuyen or jobs or..." It was at this moment about a dozen armed gunmen rushed into the room. "Drop gun!" One shouted at Vexboy. He looked at them all and rolled his eyes. "Im not gonna drop the guns! You know how long ive spent polishing them!?" Needless to say this reaction took the gunmen by surprise as Vexboy tucked them into this sleeves. "If I was an enemy Id like to think I would have made it more obvious. I just want to parlay..." Vexboy explained. Internally he was in panic mode but he felt it best to fake confidence.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:09; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

If D-Pop had been surprised by the assassination attempt, she was downright flabbergasted by the almost comically earnest speech of the young man that had come through the door. Not initially responding, she looked at one of the gun-toting Russians that had rushed into the room and gave a short nod. They took their weapons off of Vexboy. She got up off the floor and looked quickly around the room. She spoke to Bronwyn but her eyes were on Rave - "Is this the one you told me about?"

"Yes, the cop. I don't know the kid."

"Their appearance is no accident." She looked at Rave and Vexboy. "If it's trafficked children you want to know about, come with me and you'll hear more than you ever wanted to know. Or don't." She turned again to the lead Russian. "These are not my enemies. I would guess freelancers. Could you do me a favor and find out you can with this one?" she asked as she stepped out onto the balcony and nudged the fallen attacker with the toe of her boot. "Text me with what you find?"

Then she started walking rapidly toward the stairs that led to the dance floor, not looking back to see if she was followed. Flanked by Bronwyn and DES, she turned to the smuggler and said quietly, "Thank you. That's twice you've saved me. Now, can you get us somewhere relatively safe without being followed?"
Raiderj
"Huh. I didn't think pulling a Luffy would work. I was begining to think pulling the Gandalf would have been better." Vexboy thought to himself. He walked up to DES and D-pop. "My handle is Vexboy. Im an adept of the Dragonslayer. So uh... Where we going? I have a ride and some gear stashed outside."
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0010; on the way out of Chalka, Downtown Seattle

"Well, Vexboy, adept of Dragonslayer," the woman responded without slowing her step, "you'd better go and fetch it. If you want to catch the bus, that is. As for where we're going, only my friend here knows, if he's even decided yet. And we're going to keep it that way until we get there."
Raiderj
"Gotcha. I'll be outside. I'll be watching the back and i'll stay out of view for now. What are you riding? Unless we have to take the same ride id rather go on mine." Vexboy asked DES.
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 00:11; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

"Now, can you get us somewhere relatively safe without being followed?"

DES considered the question carefully as they walked out of the club, ignoring the guarded looks from the other club goers. Another few moments reviewing the access logs and activity history on the van and fly spy reassured him slightly.

"We are safest in the Wind. As for following that depends on who goes with us."

DES gave a look at the young man who named himself Vexboy, surveyed the club, then spoke to Warrior Woman, "This is not the place for children."


adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:11; leaving Chalka, Downtown Seattle

D-Pop listened to DES and looked hard at the young gunslinger. Several emotions played across her face, then she decided. "Go and fetch your own wheels, then. If you can keep up with my Warrior, then you will be with us."

Once the boy ran off, she turned to Rave. "I know you are a cop." Bronwyn stood in the background sheepishly. "You I would definitely like to have with us, if you want to help children. Come along if you will. In any case, I'd suggest you not discuss my or my work with your superiors. They may be compromised by the forces we oppose. And...there are other reasons they must not be involved. If you'll trust me I'll show you what I mean. Now, DES, we must go."
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 00:13; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle #31

DES took advantage of his original survey of the club and picked out a direction before sending commands to the Van. IT was a very distracted walk, as he monitored the AROs from all the devices and experienced the murmurings and swirling colors he could never quite see. DES was trusting Warrior Woman to control the immediate environment.

Outside the Van arrived, doors sliding open, and he entered, glad to finally stopping worrying about maneuvering his own body and able to dive straight into a Drone and have time to pay attention to everything much much better.
Vegas
Thursday, 21 November, 00:14; Chalka, Downtown Seattle

She had been helped to her feet by one of Chalka’s security team that looked like more beef than brains and she had managed to nod her head surely enough to dismiss him to check on other patrons and secure the chaos that was happening in the VIP balcony.

She felt like there was an elephant sitting on her chest. She tentatively brushed her fingertips where the bullets had flattened and embedded themselves against the imperceptible body armor she wore as if it were the needed validation that she was still alive. The armor had done it’s job and her breath hitched in pain as her fingers moved over the most tender parts beneath the impact, the places the deep bruises were already starting to form. As she glanced down to her chest, she could see where her fingers and smeared angry lines of someone else’s blood against the stark white fabric of her outfit. A string of curses in Russian escaped her lips about the same time D-Pop turned her attention upon Rave.

She had been outed as a cop, but her face betrayed none of the thoughts that flashed through her head, nor gave away the difficulty she was having breathing at the moment. Rave’s eyes flashed towards Bronwyn for a split instant before returning to watch D-Pop and even DES in the corner of her vision.

Trust. D-Pop was asking a lot of her in that moment but she knew if she let this opportunity slip through her fingers, she might never get another one. She once again nodded her assent and put her effort into following the small crowd as they navigated their exit from the club with DES in the lead and her on their six.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 00:20; on the road, Downtown Seattle

DES and the three women rode in silence for a bit as the smuggler worked to confirm they had no tails. Then D-Pop's commlink chirped. She put it to her ear and listened.

"Yes, thank you for calling. We must meet. I am on the road now. I'll text you back once I've confirmed our destination."

She broke the connection and went up front, put a hand on DES's shoulder.

"I need our destination, my warrior. One of our agents has obtained one of the critical bits of intelligence we've been waiting for."

DES spoke quietly and she sent the text.
Raiderj
Vexboy got changed into his gear in an alleyway and came out to get his Suzuki. He got on and followed DES. He felt tense and excited to finally get some info.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0124; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

It was obvious that the big RV was trying to sterilize its six, and more obvious that whoever was driving knew how to do so.

Vexboy, however, though naive to many things, knew the streets. He kept a discreet distance, but managed to stay on the tail of D-Pop's vehicle for an hour of switchbacks and sudden exits to a rundown neighborhood near the Tacoma docks. So when D-Pop, Victoria, and the other man and woman he didn't know got out, he was able to glide his Mirage right up towards them. D-Pop smiled at him in a mixture of surprised and not surprised. The one other man, the obvious Tribal, led the way into the house.

It was as new to DES as the rest of them - he'd known Gwen maintained safehouses, but had never needed to borrow one before. She'd been happy to help when he'd called her, though the safehouse was all she could offer, being out of town on a job. The five people quickly took in the layout of the modest house, including the functional but less-than-appetizing rations. Lights worked, water ran, and the furniture didn't look like it had rats living in it yet.
Raiderj
Vexboy took it in and looked around. "May I use your bathroom?" He asked the man.
DireRadiant
Thursday, 21 November, 0133; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

"Go ahead. We are all guests here." DES hooked into the house system and started capturing feeds from the internal and external monitors.

"Though if you leave the seat up Standing Heron will break you."

DES started making arrangements to switch vehicles out.
Raiderj
"I don't know who that is but i'll take your word for it." Vexboy went off to the restroom. Afterwards(and washing his hands)be came out. "Is this everyone or are we waiting for someone else?"
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0133; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

Seated on a threadbare sofa next to Bronwyn and across from Victoria, who sat in dusty armchair, D-Pop answered, "We are expecting others, the first of which, I'm assured, should arrive momentarily. He will have critical information for us. So please. I don't have a picture, but I'm told he's a big, bearded elf. So please don't shoot anyone like that who approaches."

She took a long swig from a bottle of water she'd liberated from the small kitchen.

"in the meantime, now that things have calmed down slightly, if anyone has any questions...."
Raiderj
"Yes. I was told that a bunch of kids were being moved. Though pedophidila comes to mind, there could be other motives. Blackmail if the kids belong to someone, one could keep a few of them as easy slaves for Blood Magic, werido cult. Any ideas what we are up against?" Vexboy said sitting down.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

Bronwyn looked at D-Pop, and the latter thought for a moment. It didn't have that sense of prevarication that accompanies someone coming up with a story. More like a careful consideration of how much of the truth to tell. Finally, "Yes, a bunch. We think about a hundred. And yes, many of the buyers are freaks. We need to intercept the transaction. The first step is to find it. We're right now expecting to hear news on that front at last. The second step is to determine when it will be - we're quite vague on that right now."

When she said that, Rave thought of what she'd uncovered in her search of the K-E files.

"The third trick will then be to stay alive until whenever the deal goes down. The enemy is getting proactive. And then the fourth will be seizing the shipment, which is certain to be heavily guarded physically, virtually and astrally by both sides of the deal - the seoulpas and the yakuza."
Raiderj
"Damn. Back during my vigilante days we made special care NOT to mess with organized crime. Me and my partner were small... You know... Damn..." Vexboy said with a sigh. He sat on a chair and smiled. "Then again Dragonslayer Adepts live for these odds. Bring it on."
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop smiled quietly in response to Vexboy's enthusiasm, and shared a look with Bronwyn.

They were quiet for a moment, then Bronwyn spoke, looking in turn at Vexboy, Rave, and DES. "There is something else you must know. The whys and wherefores are rather difficult to explain, but suffice to say that, although D-Pop and I will support you as best we can, when the time comes to intercept the shipment, only you will be able to act directly. We will have to remove ourselves from the situation completely. Fortunately, there are other chosen surrogates that will be joining you. Like you, they have been selected by us and the Fates with utmost care. So you are sure to succeed, provided you are willing to pay whatever price the Pattern exacts."
Raiderj
"Pattern? Thats some ancient terms there. The Dragonslayer said. Vexboy's curiousty piqued. "Whats the Pattern?" He asked aloud.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped. Her raised eyebrows conceded it was a challenging question.

Bronwyn opened her mouth, but also shut it again. She looked at D-Pop.

D-Pop looked back with a shrug that said don't-look-at-ME-that-one's-for-YOU.

Bronwyn took a deep breath. "Um, how about, it surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together?"
Raiderj
The Dragonslayer sighed. "Ok kid sit down... Vexboy looked like he was in quiet reflection for a few minutes. Then he spoke. "The Dragonslayer is confused how people are still using that termanology but he said its like the world is made up of patterns. These patterns define the form of the world, including the creatures, objects, and forces in it. Without patterns, things have no meaning.
These patterns are what define, and are defined by, magic. Essentially, magic is the art of understanding and manipulating the Patterns of the world. By studying an object's or creature's Pattern, one can understand that object or creature, and affect it through magic.

Every object or creature has a pattern that defines its place and behaviour in the universe. Objects or creatures who possess Names have stronger patterns, called True Patterns, which can affect the universe and magic more strongly. So kind of like the Force but replace bacteria with names?" Vexboy asked confused.
adamu
Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop and Bronwyn were clearly impressed. Vexboy had definitely come up a notch in their estmeem. D-Pop gave Bronwyn an I-told-ya-so look.

But Bronwyn had something important to say before the conversation could proceed. "Okay, first of all, kid, talk to the hand about bacteria. Six was shaky enough, but as soon as Lucas started laying bacteria and virgin births on us in one, Star Wars stopped being Star Wars. Nothing, and I mean nothing after the early eighties counts, got it? Okay. Now that we've got the ground rules straight, I have to say you know your shit! I apologize for not speaking at your level to start with. Thing is, even if you can know all that stuff, doesn't mean you can use it. Most of us - I mean those that actively manipulate mana - well, if we actually consciously thought about that stuff, we'd get nowhere. LIke trying to talk to your commlink in machine code. Even a lot of novahot deckers are merely operating just behind the iconography level. But thost that can get into the machine code - without getting bogged down in it - well, they're a whole 'nother level, aren't they? Same with magic, most of us operate on a more intuitive or symbolic level. I mean, when you took out that assassin an hour ago, did you take time to consider his place in the Pattern and yours, and how to twist that relationship to your will? But here's the thing. There are some who, whether by study, sacrifice, or talent, can operate at that level, at least in some arenas. Some that can see and, to some degree, anticipate the pattern. These are our guides."
Raiderj
"Im just a simple adept. That came from my Totem. He has practically raised me. I actually know very little about magic." Vexboy said. He looked a bit taken aback. "I do need to clarify though my condolances, Lucas was a sellout bastard. Horizion's shifting the properties to their Disney branch is just the death strike in your fandom's cuckholding to the almighty nuyen. Trekkies don't have to worry about such trivial matters fortunately. Our intellectual property isn't profitable." Vexboy said with a smile.
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