Mmmmm
not a perfect intelligibility.
No, it's probably close enough where you probably can pick up some of the words and intent.
But as the door opens and go ahead, Dindir.
Has Dindir heard this song before?
She's old as fuck.
So if this song was ever popular, then she'd probably know it.
It's possible.
It's possible. Maybe it does sound familiar to you.
Did you hang out in Brazil a lot?
Probably not.
Well, I mean, it could be, right?
Yeah.
So, you know, the second door is opened up and you get this burst of music coming through it.
Not really a burst.
I mean, it's the voice is very, very low and slow and just sort of melodic and harmonic.
But as the door opens, you see that it's just another dark hallway in front of you.
And at the end of it, you see some dim light filtering through what appeared to be some heavy red curtains.
And Nadia just keeps walking ahead of you.
I think Dindir is like almost on Nadia's heels, like probably annoyingly close behind her.
Nadia and Gal is going to squirrel up a little bit whenever they actually step into the main area.
She may temporarily de-manifest and just keep with the group.
How many patrons are there currently?
That's a good question.
Well, at the moment you're still in, you're basically, you're headed in, you're in this dark hallway,
which is empty aside from yourselves and these curtains ahead of you, which have the light from what probably sounds like the actual club area filtering through it.
Okay.
Are you waiting until you actually get into the club or did you have something in mind for this area?
No.
Never mind.
Scratch where I was saying to.
Okay.
As you enter this hallway and you're headed towards the curtains, the feeling of cold and damp that you got from the Seattle night or sort of disappears and the temperature starts to climb.
Obviously, the club is well heated and you start to pick up heavy smells of smoke and drink probably.
Various smells in the smoke.
You can smell tobacco and you smell incense.
And at that point, Nadia pushes the curtains apart and steps aside, ushering you into the club itself. And as you pass through the curtain, you find yourself in what is obviously a VIP area of the club.
And unlike maybe some of the other clubs where the VIP areas are placed for maximum visibility, this area is positioned off to the back of the club on the far side of the bar.
So as you come in, you're gazing down into the club past the patrons who are sitting at tables and towards the stage.
And on the stage, you see a woman in a long flowing red gown.
She's singing into a vintage chrome microphone.
She's standing under a spotlight that sort of casts the rest of a band into shadow.
The club itself seems fairly full and at capacity.
There are, like I said, there are tables around in front of the stage.
Everything is very dimly lit. The main light, the lights seem to be coming from candles on the tables themselves.
And there are booths lining up the walls.
There's waitstaff moving around.
The patronage is a diverse cross section of metahumanity.
And unlike a lot of modern bars and clubs that you've been to or heard of, there doesn't seem to be any kind of VR or other technological chicanery going on here.
It's just a bunch of people enjoying a night of jazz.
And otherwise, whatever the bar has to offer, anything, are you guys taking any other actions at this point?
And I recognize her dress.
Like the quality of it?
The red dress?
Or the one that Nadia's wearing?
Both.
Well, you've got the picture of Nadia.
It's not super modern or fashionable, but the quality is there.
And the dress that the woman on the stage is wearing, you recognize it as, well, give me a designer fashion label.
That might be around in the sixth world.
In the sixth world?
Let's say it's R.S.
Some R.S. brand.
AR.
We have an attitude right now.
Yeah, R.S.
Yeah, so she's, it's a fairly high-end dress.
Her hair color matches the dress color.
Oh, that's a very deep red.
Yeah, I think of her as sort of a, well, Jessica Rabbit kind of figure under the spotlight.
Jessica Rabbit.
I think D.M. Dre steps into this, like, basically retro at this point, the bar, jazz club, and like, she almost takes, like, a double take.
Like, almost as if she never expected something like this to be here.
Yeah, that would probably not be uncommon.
So, Cecil is sort of sizing up the dress situation.
And Grace, are you doing anything?
We're in the VIP area, right?
I'm looking for pro-crop skillful.
Okay.
And Boxer.
Boxer has been distracted by the bar.
She is eyeing it.
Okay, so as you guys sort of take in the scene and the details that interest are important to you, Nadia is turning and motioning you into the VIP area.
The VIP area itself is sort of encircled with these very deep booths, plushly upholstered in dark red leather.
The booths themselves are framed in a dark lacquered wood and are occupied by a number of metahumans, all of whom seem to be dressed in relatively dark colored evening wear.
But their faces and attitudes are hidden by the darkness of the club and the booths.
But you can tell that quite a few of them are watching you.
But at the center of the VIP area, centrally arranged, there's a low oval table.
Also of a lacquered hardwood.
And around it are several very comfortable looking shays, lounges in the same kind of red leather material as the booths are.
And on that table in the center of that VIP area, there's a large teapot made of some golden brown metal.
Sitting on a sort of frame under which several small candles are lit, as well as what appears to be a smoldering cone of incense.
There's an ornate tray next to it with several small handleless glasses engraved in an ornate geometric pattern that matched those on the teapot, as well as plates of cookies and biscuits and an unlabeled bottle of clear glass filled with an amber liquid.
And two of those shays lounges are occupied.
And one of them sitting stiffly and upright as a rather large human male.
He's dressed sort of casually.
Cecile, you think you recognize sort of fashions that might have been popular in the 2050s.
So 20 years ago, this man's blonde hair is cut extremely short in a very military fashion.
And his broad face is weathered.
It seems like he's lived a life outdoors.
But what really strikes you guys as you see him is the pale blue gray eyes and these faint blue spirals that have been tattooed on his cheeks, on his cheekbones and on his forehead.
And he's watching you guys with an open scowl.
And next to him is another human male lounging far more comfortably.
And he has a cigarette dangling from the left corner of his mouth.
And he's observing you with a slight smile.
He's sort of the opposite of the other man.
He's not large.
And his black hair is sort of carelessly tossled.
He's wearing an evening suit that is both expensively tailored yet appears to be slightly rumbled.
And he's holding a glass of what must be the same liquid that's in the bottle on the table.
And his although his face seems to be in the shadow here, his eyes seem to glow at you almost in a blue with a blue color.
And then there's a third figure in the VIP area that's of interest to you.
There's a tall woman and she's standing behind the man with dark hair.
Her hand is sort of resting on his shoulder possessively.
Her hair is black like his artfully arranged, you know, with a in a style desired to frame her face.
And there are violet highlights in her hair, which match the color on her lips and eyelids.
And that in turn sort of make the an olive the olive complexion of her skin really pop.
Her dress is immaculately fashionable.
It's black leather has a high collar and exquisitely stitched detailing and she's staring at you sort of hotly.
Her eyes rest on grace for a moment and then come to a full stop on Cecil.
And you get the sense that for a moment there, she's she's you get the sense that she was surprised by you.
He goes ahead and makes eye contact with the dark haired man and gives a coy smile.
Looking at where the woman's hands come to the man's shoulders.
Obviously, this is a person that she has some kind of affection for love.
The question is what kind of love is that? Is this are they co-workers and friends?
Is this his lover? Is this his daughter or mother?
The want to share a picture of her.
It might be a little bit spoiler-ish and then a picture of him.
Her hand is resting on his shoulder in what can only be described as a somewhat possessive manner.
Not firmly, not sensually, not anything other than sort of a, like I said, sort of a possessive way.
So is there not affection in it? It's more business than that.
You can't tell. You wouldn't say that there's affection in it.
The dark haired man speaks unless you guys wanted to do something else.
Nyanigal will approach herself and say, are you pro-crop skillful?
Just to the group, not looking at all of them quickly, just in case she gets wrong.
I think D'Andere follows pretty quickly behind Boxer and then does a slight bow and then addresses them using the most polite term for a non-elf in spirit heal.
Which is like an idiom that means you put this on my plate.
What the fuck is wrong with elves?
They're all vegans. That's no red meat makes you crazy.
Ah, that makes sense. All of them are larkers.
Boxer, are you still standing slightly back from the rest of the group that has now sort of moved forward?
It's approached, but she's not saying or doing anything. She's watching.
Is there like a seat in front of the dark haired man?
Yeah, like I said, there are several of these sort of really plush, upholstered, chaise lounge-type seats.
So it goes ahead and sits down right in front of him.
He's watching all of you with a slight smile on his face and he says, welcome to Samovar.
My name is Broca. He motions to the blonde man.
He says, my friend Ice and a lovely lady standing behind me is my partner Talia.
He motions at the seating arrangement and says, please have a seat.
Cecile was already moving towards the seats.
Oh yeah, Cecile, I think Cecile was already sitting at that point.
Yeah, I think Dean D'Arnaud can sit right next to Cecile.
And like, Deandre almost kicks Cecile under the table and gives her a rude look.
Oh, that's not right. Professional.
So Cecile and Deandre, you're sitting on this seat to Procop's left and to his right is the blonde man, Ice.
And so...
Oxer is going to sit nearer to the blonde guy.
Okay, so you're on his right and Grace is going to sit down.
Yeah, if there's enough space between the seats, she can literally just kind of like...
She can like basically sit down so that she'll be more or less on level if everyone at the table,
but not actually need a chair because she's astral.
Right.
She doesn't obey gravity. She only respects it for the comfort of others.
And Deandre says, would you like some tea? Some Russian tea?
Absolutely, sir.
It is strong and sweet, but it is very good.
And we can also arrange any other refreshments that you would like.
You would be lovely. I appreciate your hospitality.
At that point, you see Talia sort of makes a motion with her wrist like she's shooing somebody away.
And you see Nadia bow in sort of a subservient manner and leave, broke up, leans forward and takes one of the glasses from the tray
and fills it from the samovar and hands it to Cecile.
Cecile takes it graciously.
Please help yourself to any cookies or biscuits.
They are very good. All natural ingredients.
Expensive. They're a man of fine taste.
Natural boxer, Rizzo's and eyebrowhunt takes the cookie nibbling on it.
It's extremely flavorful with a sense of cinnamon, cardamom, buttery, flaky. It's extremely good.
He looks at you. Would you like a glass of tea as well?
Pass. Thank you.
He looks at Deandre.
I thank you for your hospitality, but I will not partake.
Something besides tea perhaps.
Do you have a soy calf or a coffee?
Of course. Coffee. He makes a motion and at some point rather rapidly one of the weight staff brings you a mug of steaming black tea or coffee.
Sorry, got tea on the brain.
Soy calf?
It is definitely not soy calf.
It is coffee.
The aroma of coffee is intense and you can tell immediately it is not soy calf.
I think Deandre almost savors it. She's afraid that if she takes a sip of it, it'll be gone.
At that point he looks at Grace and he smiles somewhat regretfully and shrugs and does one of those hand motions.
Well, I can't offer you anything. You are not physically here.
I'm not. And Deandre, I'm not. And she leans on to the table and props her head up with her forehoops.
Very well. Shall we get down to business then?
I do have a question before we start. Proc Ops, if that's not too informal for you.
No, of course not.
It wouldn't happen to have any conflicts of interest here, would you?
Conflicts of interest.
No, you know.
Previous employers?
No, not that I can think of.
Good, good. I just wanted to clear the air. You never know. Always good to have those things be out in the artist, right?
Well, as I understand it, you are not currently employed.
Sadly, me and my previous employer had a disagreement.
Yes. You have been somewhat of a fixture on the nightly news lately.
However...
I think there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Keep chuckle slightly and you can see the man next to him ice sort of frowns and looks at Procop.
He says, Procop, can we just get on with this silliness? Wasting our time here.
Procop reaches over and pats ice on the shoulder sort of affectionately and says,
Ah, yes, my friend is not very patient and he does not understand necessarily what is happening here.
So let me explain some small things.
I am well aware currently of what is happening. I do not have all the details regarding your situation, Cecile.
But I have a grasp of why the things that are happening are happening.
And interestingly, coincidentally, maybe myself and my friend Procop here are similarly enmeshed with the same people in the same situation.
In fact, you might say in some ways we are responsible for the situation in which you find yourself.
He sort of smiles apologetically and then he looks at the rest of the team.
He says, that being said, there are other reasons why I have asked you to come here.
I know I am a fixer and I am always looking for new talent.
And as I was looking into our friends Cecile's problems, I found that she was in the hands of a fairly good team with strong potential.
And I was wondering if you would be interested in some employment.
I cannot speak for my compatriots, she side-eyes everyone.
But I would need to know more first.
Of course.
I have in the few short days that I have become aware of you.
I have obviously been able to have my own organizations develop something of a picture of each of you.
And just informally, of course, you understand professionally it's important in my line of work to understand who I'm working with.
So what I would tell you is that you've probably done your own research, Cecile.
Oh, well, a lady doesn't tell.
I've been a fixer in Seattle for many years, close to 30 years.
And I have a strong reputation, I believe, for operations that tend to be, well, let me say, I don't like to run what I consider unethical or immoral operations.
I don't, I don't condone what work from my team members.
We don't do kidnappings and that type of thing.
My aim and goal is always to improve the lives of the less well off of Seattle.
So that's sort of the high level story.
The other thing is working with my organization has benefits, I believe, for you.
In your case, Cecile, I believe that we may be able to find a solution to your situation.
Although that may be very, very difficult to do.
I don't know if you fully comprehend the difficulty you find yourself in.
I find few do.
She really doesn't.
He looks a little bit sad and he says, indeed, you are in grave danger and you are putting other people in danger as well through your actions.
He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a hard copy and lays it on the table and forces Cecile.
Paper?
Like actual paper.
Like there's a photograph printed on it.
We'll look at it then.
You pick it up and look at it and it is a picture of Kirsten's orc friend.
He is hanging from a rope by his wrists and he appears to be dead.
Blood has spilled from his mouth down his shirt and there is a large wound in his chest under his left armpit.
Regrettable.
Ninety-Gal leans over to Boxer and whispers, what was on that thing?
And then she might just lean back over to the right back over to Cecile and ask the same question.
What was on that?
Cecile ignores the horse.
What was on that thing?
Oh right, the guy strung up.
Boxer to her.
Her friends had an unfortunate encounter with her as the orc.
How bad?
Existentially.
Ah.
And that's an audible and out loud reaction to that.
Her ears prick and she only slumps even more.
Slumps over.
Before looking back up at Procrop and the humans that they're here to meet.
Procrop is looking at Dindir and he says, Dindir, you are looking for your brother.
Yes.
Seems I've run into several, several dead ends on that front and the shadows might prove opportunists to that.
I have extensive contacts on the streets and I would be happy to put them into motion to see what I can find out.
I'm, I'm joyful.
I do have one question, however.
I have a history of working on my own.
So why call me with that?
I most certainly am fully prepared to do the work that is needed.
But I must satisfy my curiosity.
Well, as you can see, the rest of the potential team is just three people and the potential for success is raised with your skill set.
I understand.
Also, it seemed that you would be open and amenable to employment at this stage in your search within the investigation.
This investigation of yours in the Metroplex area.
So it seemed merely seemed opportune.
You were looking, you have a certain skill set and potentially would be at a stage where you would be interested in employment and you would be beneficial to the team and the team would probably be beneficial to you as well.
Yes.
And yes.
You had a job for us.
Indeed.
The job is a minor situation.
I've been approached by a small man who has a problem with a love interest of his and he would like to clear it up for him.
You say us.
Does that include me?
He smiles again.
Indeed it does.
I'm not sure.
If you are familiar with my skill set, I didn't study that sort of magic.
This woman is not a runner.
She's a job.
She is here because leaving her.
Actually, this is a question.
Why is she here?
You are aware of her lack of background.
It chuckles.
You say she's a job, but I ask you, has she paid you yet or have you been paid for this job?
That's to admit I was rather confused by criminals would be so cheap.
Usually they ask for quite a lot of money, at least in the trends.
You can't trust everything you see in the trends.
The point I'm trying to make is that while you portray yourself as rather mercenary, you are actually acting in the similar vein that I do within the Metroplex.
You are helping a person in need.
That is one of the reasons why I have contacted you.
He looks back at the seal and he says, I do know what your skill set is.
I have retrieved your dossier from the Washington University in Evo and you are correct.
You are not yet a fully fledged runner.
However, at the moment, my friend, your life takes place in the shadows.
And this is how and where we make our money.
Nightingale raises her hoof like a school child.
Nightingale, you will have noticed that while you were watching these, everybody from your vantage point, you're directly across from Procop and Talia.
And Talia has been staring.
There's probably no other way to put it.
She's been staring at the seal this entire time.
Did that count?
Talia, the woman behind Procop has been staring at you this entire time.
Grace, you raise your hoof.
What is that stare?
What is the emot behind that stare?
The forward way to say it.
I'm just so that I know.
There is a mixture of both fear and greed.
So you raise your hoof as if to ask a question.
And Procop looks at you and says, indeed.
And she loathes it.
That's great and all.
But maybe I was naive or too hasty.
I didn't think this was going to be quite as crazy dangerous as it was.
Yeah, at first I was definitely just helping this woman here because it just seemed like a good thing to do, both for me and her and in general.
But I'm pretty sure that there's someone powerful after me at this point.
And I'm kind of at a point that I don't know if even staying here, she's very nonspecific with that, but kind of like taps the table.
Her hoof resounding with a psychic little knock is a good idea.
Anymore.
The job you propose, is that going to get me security and the funds I need to ensure myself?
Yes, Miles, these are very good questions.
Obviously, the nature of your existence here places you in danger.
Indeed.
The connection with myself and my organization would provide some measure of protection and information and opportunity.
The jobs which I would probably be able to direct you to would increase your wealth and standing as well within the shadow community,
as well as giving you access to things that are otherwise inaccessible or hidden by becoming friends with myself and my organization,
the umbrella of our information network and other assets comes to play in your favor.
It is good to have strong allies.
Two knots are ahead in agreement.
I am amenable to entering into a business arrangement, but I do have to ask, what exactly is it that you expect me to do on these criminal enterprises of yours?
Information.
You will be able to gather information through your matrix abilities.
You are an accomplished mage.
You will benefit from practicing those skills and you will be able to grow those skills.
And the money that you earn will enable you to pay the people who have rescued you, for example,
and also potentially reestablish yourself in the life that you miss.
Although I will warn you, Cecile, in my opinion, it is very unlikely that you will ever rejoin that life.
I think that's my concern.
I'm going to just break up.
That seems amenable, however, I will say I feel underdressed for the occasion.
Chuckles.
Indeed.
Well, I don't believe anything will be happening tonight in this regard.
Perhaps he could procure me something so I could prepare.
Of course.
I shall need, let's say, 1200 million in a handgun.
Thank you.
I believe at this point, he looks at Boxer specifically and then glances at Dien D'Air.
At this point, we would be entering into negotiations on cost, and I would be telling you more of the story.
Absolutely.
However, one detail that I have neglected to advise you of, he looks at ICE.
My friend ICE will be joining you.
ICE does not seem all that pleased by this, and he is continuing to scowl rather fiercely,
and is still sitting on his chaise lounge as rigidly and inflexibly as he was when you first entered.
I understand.
That will be fine.
Oh, wow.
Sorry, I just saw the token.
I just looked at all of you and he says, well, ProCopPure says he's got a plan.
I'm going to tell you guys right now, the last time I let myself be talked into one of ProCop's plans, things went south really well.
My friends are dead, and I've been on the run ever since.
Sounds like better work than brown dog offers.
ProCopPure runs back.
It can't be worse than sitting here.
What ICE says is true, and that run that went south is also the one that has now ensnared our friend Cecil.
But we will get to resolving that issue later.
Let's talk business.
So as I said, I know I've been approached by a little man who has a problem with a love interest.
He would like you to meet him tomorrow night in Renton at a club called the Murdered Mime.
Certainly a name for a club.
I wonder if any clowns frequent it?
I should warn you, it is a bit of a Yakuza front.
This Mr. Johnson that you will be meeting at the Murdered Mime will be acting as your employer for this job, and it is with him that you will be negotiating your pay.
My motivations tonight were mainly to meet you face to face, to talk to you, to get a sense of you, and to give you an idea of what I had to offer you as a team,
and potentially, hopefully incentivize you to work with me.
Well, we're with you as to be seen, but I'm sure I can maintain associate status.
Let's call it consultation.
As you wish.
Now then, shall we discuss details?
I think you'll be able to give them to us to discuss details with Mr. Johnson.
No, not about the job.
The way I see it, Prokop, you have admitted to us causing the situation which has severely hampered my life, yes?
I did not cause it.
Perhaps that is the wrong word.
Certainly, but you are certainly admitting to at least a minor amount of fault, no?
I would say that the situation existed and you placed yourself in it, unwittingly, of course.
However, you do have a tendency to search in places where potentially you are not welcome.
People do seem to think that, don't they?
Yes, there is a file on your comlink.
Did you know that?
I have many files, Mr. Prokop.
Yes, there is a file that is there that will tell you, explain some of what is happening.
You are being vague intentionally.
Well, at this point I think what Prokop here is trying to tell you is that you were snooping around somewhere in the matrix and you found something you weren't supposed to see and somehow the darn file attached itself to your comlink.
That's how they've been tracking you around, girl.
That's how they got that orc there.
That is concerning.
Does that mean they've been tracking us this entire time?
Like, as in they know everywhere we've been in the past little while?
They know everywhere that you've been until Cecile changed your com codes.
Not our com codes, but there's a code within the comlink itself that when you connect to the matrix identifies itself.
But Cecile's changed that in the meantime. That's out of character now.
Me and Paul had a talk.
I forgot something because it was like a single sentence in the book.
It's a whole thing.
But it's not a game.
Don't worry.
I have not been leading a Brightcom Trail to the SpecOps team.
Okay.
Thank you.
I only did that once.
I swear.
But now they definitely know that my van is my van.
So.
Yeah.
Procop looks at Boxer and he says, probably your safe house in Puyo Loop is compromised.
Wonderful.
At least my actual house isn't.
Then he sort of shrugs and he relents and he says, he looks at Cecile again and he says,
yes, many years ago.
Close to 30 years ago now, there was a Procop or Ice myself and Ice's team were set up to be the fall guys in a minor corporate struggle.
Involving Yamatetsu.
Exactly.
He smiles in an acknowledgement.
Involving Yamatetsu.
I don't know.
Involving Yamatetsu.
Some of the players in that corporate struggle that set Ice and myself up still exist today.
The files that you found were thought lost in Crash 2.0.
Ah.
They were lost or corrupted.
I don't.
I'm not a matrix person myself, but I do have people on staff who do that type of work.
And so I am now in possession of very dangerous blackmail material.
You have information that while, which has been, which confirms something which has been
suspected for a long time, but enough time has passed where most people are happy to
let it lie.
If the information came back to light, it would create problems for some very influential
people.
I see.
The problem that you have is that they know that you have it.
And there's no way to put that genie back in the bottle.
Quite.
Oh, how unfortunate.
Hmm.
So we will talk again.
Obviously, there's more detail there.
And he looks at Ice and then back at you and then at the rest of the group.
I will tell you this as well.
This little job that I am sending you may seem minor and important.
However, it is an opening, a key that will get us further in resolving this issue and
us.
Certainly.
Let's hope this is a fruitful partnership at Brock Hop.
Indeed.
He raises his glass and takes a drink and then the gestures at the rest of, at the team.
And he says, you are welcome to join me here tonight for the show if you would like to
enjoy it.
Otherwise, I will give you the, as I said, you were to meet our Mr. Johnson at the murdered
mime tomorrow evening.
I think I'll stay for the show.
I as well would like to self-arouse it.
I have butonets matting to security and assets that must be handled.
Boxer.
That is your name, correct?
Do you mind telling Kirsten to leave my helmet, the spare one, on my bike?
I'll do this.
Thank you.
Boxer, did you come in on your bike or in the van?
Nope.
Okay.
She's calling her guide.
I'm going to ask before Nightingale leaves, which I think she'll want to be with Boxer if
Boxer will permit her.
She would.
Nightingale is going to ask for a thing of horchata.
Before she leaves.
You know, just bring it outside, please.
I'll grab it.
Thank you.
She would have to explain what horchata is or you would.
Sameer, I don't know what it is on you.
It's like a milk-based drink that mixes cinnamon, like whole milk and cinnamon.
It's Spanish and origin.
Before I go, would it be possible to get horchata for my associates?
Horchata?
I don't believe I am aware of what a horchata is.
Milk with cinnamon.
That's all it is.
Is it warm or is it cold?
Either way.
Which would you prefer?
Warm.
Definitely warm.
Very well.
One of the wait staff comes over and Procop gives the directions.
At that point, Talia leaves and you're there with Procop and Ice and the rest of the team.
Then the Deweyre brings a cup with the horchata.
She'll ask for it to be placed outside and probably go with the waiter to go back into
the ingravate and then wait for Boxer to come outside in her own time.
Yeah, at that point, Nadia reappears just outside of the VIP area.
It looks like she's waiting there to escort you back out through the back way to the loading dock.
Who's leaving?
Boxer and Grace?
Is that what I understood?
Nightingale?
I believe so if Boxer can confirm.
Sorry, I phase out for a moment.
Confirm what?
You're heading out?
You're leaving?
Oh, yeah.
Yes.
Okay, so Nadia escorts you guys, you and Nightingale out through the way you came in on the loading
dock.
The security personnel are spread out and other than that, everything appears to be normal there.
Kirsten is sitting in the van looking somewhat bored and dejected.
At a certain point, Nightingale would de-manifest, suddenly set up, look at Kirsten and say,
hey, can you go get the drink from them, please?
Pretty please?
I'd appreciate it.
I'll pay you two new yen.
Kirsten looks startled and then she's looking around and she sees Nadia and Boxer coming
out of the club as well.
She shrugs resinedly and opens the door and goes out.
Dianne there and Cecile, are you going to be doing anything in particular?
You're just going to be hanging out and watching the show or listening to the show?
I think probably just listening to the show.
Okay.
And if there's like an intermission, I think Dianne there would probably turn to Cecile
and ask her.
So if you were relying on them for shelter, shall we say, where are you going now?
Out of curiosity.
Are you talking to me?
Yes.
I shall have to speak to Proc cop about that.
Well, if you have need of it, I have a place.
It's certainly no safe house, but it will suffice.
Generosity is unexpected and suspicious, but thank you.
Yes.
At some point, probably just before the intermission, I said left.
And as you guys are finishing up your conversation, Procop hasn't really said anything others
and sort of to be sitting there watching the, watching the band.
And every now and then he makes, you know, some small comment or something, nothing of
any substance, but as you guys are finishing your conversation, a ice comes back carrying
a small case, which he hands to, to Cecile without a word.
What model ice?
Excuse me?
The pistol.
What model?
Oh, you said you want it.
You just said a pistol, right?
You didn't specify anything specific.
Correct.
But I am curious.
Okay.
It's a, it's an Aries predator.
Suitable.
Thank you.
And there is a, in the case there's the Aries predator, there are two clips, which are loaded
with standard ammunition and there is a cred stick as well.
Thank you, Ice.
He doesn't say anything.
He just goes and sits down next to Procop.
The guy's outside.
So Kirsten comes out and gets the cup of horchata that Nadia is holding and Nadia doesn't say
anything.
She just passes it to Kirsten and returns back into the club and the door closes.
So what are you guys, what's Boxer doing?
Once she's out, she is going to be, actually, her safe house.
She's going to call, okay, she's going to call a good guide to an area near the safe
house and then she's going to, she's going to nose around a bit before approaching.
Okay.
So that leaves Nightingale and Kirsten in the van, right?
Actually, didn't Nightingale want to come with?
Did she say it?
Yeah.
I guess that's what I said.
I'm thinking because the plates on my van have been changed so long as like it doesn't,
the digital plates, you know, have been changed so long as it isn't involved in anything quirky,
let's call it.
It'll be fine, but I probably shouldn't use it anytime soon.
Kirsten is kind of a rogue variable here.
We can just, she can just get her own grid guide.
Okay.
So you basically kick Kirsten to the curb and tell her to take a grid guide home or
wherever she wants to go.
Yeah.
But before we go, I do want to ask the people at the back, Nadia, if it's okay if I just
leave my van here, if it'll be safe and whatnot, and like if not, please just tell me.
Nadia's already back in the club.
She just handed the horchata off to Kirsten and entered the club.
Would there be security here that I could just say that to?
There's a bunch of security.
There are about eight heavily armed security people standing around here.
Remember Nightingale gets out of the step van, she's going to call for them and just
express that, that, hey, is it going to be safe here?
Please, I just want to know if it is or isn't so I can plan accordingly.
Okay.
One of the security people, a woman with sort of, who carries herself with a bit of a frightening
agility and grace comes up to you and you can see that she's apparently listening to
something on some kind of cyberware or headwear that she's got.
Then she just nods to you and says, yes, just don't leave it here too long.
Don't plan on it.
I'll move it when I can.
We need the good, we use the loading dock.
The area is secure, however, the loading dock does get used.
If you move it a little bit out of the way, you should be fine.
Can I do that right now?
Is that?
Of course.
She's going to go ahead and just do that, move it some and then join Boxer and the Grid
Guide.
She's going to grab some of her stuff.
I'll decide exactly what she gets, but she's going to pack a bag with some of her stuff,
not all of it, she'll leave a good bit of it in the car because that's a very heavy bag
otherwise.
I need to use the restroom key.
I'll be right back.
Okay.
All right.
You pack a bag, you get the Grid Guide and you head off to Puyolup to check out Boxer's
safe house that Procop mentioned might have been compromised.
The drive to Puyolup is relatively uneventful.
The Grid Guide takes you within range of where you want to go.
Are you driving?
Are you going to get out of the Grid Guide and walk around?
Actually, you know what?
At this point, you're probably, Boxer, you're getting a message on your com link from Vicente.
She answers it.
Hey, Boxer, I'm glad you answered.
I thought there might have been some trouble.
No trouble.
And he had an opportunity.
What's going on?
You don't know.
Okay.
There was a bit of a fracas at your safe house that you had me drop.
I mean, have those guys dropped your gear off that.
It's compromised, isn't it?
Oh, I would say it's compromised.
It's probably more like a smoking wreck at this point.
Surely it would be firefight.
Firefight with whom?
Yeah.
I don't have a lot of details.
Somebody came in and cleaned up the mess afterwards, but it seemed, looks like maybe
a Corp security team and a group of mercenaries got into a firefight at your location or at
your safe house location.
Mercenaries.
I would say mercenaries fight over that.
Understand the Corps.
They are interested in us, but this is an intriguing development.
Thank you.
Yeah, I wouldn't go back there.
Like I said, it's a bit of a probably just a smoking wreck at this point, and I know
there were casualties, so it was heavy duty.
And fortunately, my main loss is a whole lot of food.
Well, stay safe out there, Boxer.
I will.
You as well.
He signs off.
So wait, remind me, what is her comms set up like?
It's something internal, right?
But does it make detectable noise outside of her inner ear?
Or is it even like a neural impulse?
Not unless she hops too.
Okay, so she kind of, Nightingale wouldn't have been able to listen to that conversation.
In that case, she would turn to Nightingale.
Well, we are having a change of destination.
It seems my safe house is now a slight bit non-existent.
Okay, well, that says expected.
I was hoping to pull something out of it, but there's another stranger development.
Yeah?
That's thrashing of the safe house.
It was in the middle of a fight.
Mercenaries and corporate.
I'm not sure.
Oh, okay.
Okay.
I think I know.
I think I know what happened.
At least roughly.
The corpos were probably EVO looking for Cecil.
With mercenaries, the Shadowrunners were probably hired by whoever kept my van out of the news,
and they were there for me.
Oh, and whenever a bunch of people with guns meet another group of people with guns, things
tend to go a little screwy.
Indeed.
Yeah, Boxer would know all about that.
Even has proof.
That is a very good theory.
What was that?
I said that is a very good theory.
You get karma for that?
No, just a pet on the back.
Plus one to morale.
Morale is not referenced anywhere else in the system.
Plus one bonus edge.
Sure.
I don't want to scream.
Yeah, she looks at Boxer and she says that and just looks straight forward again.
You may scream.
Her ears fall down and droop against her head and press down to keep it from bursting
her own eardrums.
Then she proceeds to just scream.
She lets out her thoughts.
She's done rather quickly.
I'll just watch this with amusement.
I feel like both in some ways, interestingly enough, Cecile and Grace Nightingale are in
some similar situations, not quite grasping the magnitude of the danger to themselves
in almost an innocent kind of way.
If Cecile was security trained, she'd be like, oh fuck, this is serious.
But she's just like, I don't know.
There's no scale for people trying to kill you.
They're all just trying to kill you.
It's like, goddamn, they're trying to kill me.
Most people, when they get tried to be murdered, aren't like, well, you know, it could be worse.
I could have the United States trying to kill me.
It could be worse.
It could be the United States.
Because we're in Seattle.
They're stronger than the United States.
Except for Cecile, it couldn't actually be worse.
Unless maybe it was Cider Group.
Oh god.
Oh, that would be, or Astlan.
Because they would, they would make it fun.
Between Cider Group and Azlan, I'd rather go up against Azlan.
Yeah, but once they get you, it's not going to be pretty.
Cider Group will do it professionally.
Azlan, well, they have their own idea of prosessionality.
They'll do it professionally, professionally messy.
Apparently, EVO has fucking blood magic.
So I don't know.
Blood magic?
That's what I interpreted the dagger from what you described.
I realize it may not be blood magic, but I interpreted it as being magic from what you
were describing, some kind of weapon focus.
Which will be interesting if that ends up being confirmed.
I thought they were just stabbed.
It was described in such a way as to lead me to believe that there was something magical
going on with the blade.
I would either confirm or deny that.
I would see that in characters, so it doesn't matter anyway.
I list doing the GM's writing for him.
That's how most GM's operate.
We're just listening to you guys and basically ripping off your ideas and throwing them back
at you.
So, Paul, I would like to complain very briefly.
I figured out that you moved some pieces around during that tutorial mission.
It's the fucking ancient stuffershack one off.
I'm very angry I didn't figure it out sooner.
I was up at 6 AM and I was like, God damn it.
Yeah.
I prepped that mission.
Did the...
It was starting to be that time of night.
Deandre and Cecile, did you guys want to role play the you guys leaving the club at
all?
No.
I mean, I don't know where Cecile's going, but I have to figure that out.
I don't fucking know where I'm going.
I don't know.
I don't think Cecile doesn't know Deandre from anywhere.
Well, you just spent practically a week with a magical horsey with a horn on her head and
a cat lady that you'd never met before.
In Cecile's.
And they snatched you out of a moving car.
Yeah.
It's a little...
You don't usually try to get away from people that literally levitated you out of a moving
vehicle and got shot at to grab you.
That's not where her head was at.
It would be in the highest.
I don't know.
Can Cecile ask Prokop if he has an apartment somewhere for her?
Yeah.
Prokop can definitely put you up.
That whole building that the bar is in, that the club is in, is basically nothing but a
barracks safe house, warehouse facility for his organization.
Cecile would probably feel safe as to being inside of Prokop's compound for the moment.
And he actually, he extends the same offer to D&D'er.
And he basically says, you know, so you don't have to drive late at night.
I think that's dangerous, you know.
Yeah, exactly.
He says it was the slightest twist of irony.
She pauses for a second.
Is it like, should I go back to where I was, to my place or whatever?
And then she's like, I would love to accept your hospitality.
And does this like short bow from her sitting position, I guess, which looks kind of awkward?
He nods back sort of.
So you guys have arranged, Cecile, you've gotten your pistol.
You've gotten a cred stick and you've arranged your sleeping quarters for the night.
After the intermission, the band actually changes to sort of more of a blues rocky type
show, and it's a fairly interesting, you know, you're sitting there watching from the VIP
area.
And it's the dynamic that you guys are observing in there as you're doing this is interesting
because the booths around the VIP area are filled with people and you get the distinct
impression that these people in the VIP area and these booths are specifically Prokop's
people.
Whereas the people out in the audience are maybe to some extent as well, but mostly really
are just shadow folk.
But they don't pay any mind to the VIP area or anything like that.
And then after the show, everybody leaves and Nadia comes back and takes the two of
you upstairs, you know, through various hallways and takes you into what is obviously sort
of guest quarters.
So I guess next time we'll go meet this Mr. Johnson and get the story on his love interest
or whatever is going on.
So Prokop did tell you that you would be working with ICE and he told you that this job, that
this Mr. Johnson was going to give you, was going to be a tie-in or a key to unlocking
the issues that you guys are having.
And it sounds like Grace figured out what happened at Oxer's safe house.
Oh, you're just going to give it away like that?
I mean, it makes sense.
It sounds like it.
I see what he did there.
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