View Full Version : [SR4A] A Fistful of Credsticks IC
RdMarquis
2015-01-11, 10:32 PM
Somewhere...
Two towering windows hung before Mike in his cluttered virtual workspace; one scrolling text, the other a series of images with correlating timestamps. Mike began to drift asleep as he watched the windows scroll by. Manually validating the software was too tedious for anyone to take, even the lead programmer. “Mr. Anderson?” said a disembodied voice.
Mike’s mind jolted alert, startled by the voice. He paused the scrolling windows and turned to a pile of data files. As he rummaged through the pile, an icon of a classic alarm clock popped out. He grabbed the floating icon: 16:55. S***, he thought. So close. Moving to another pile of files, he took a few and jacked out of VR to AR. In an AR window he saw his boss approach from behind. Mike swiveled in his chair to face Ghupta Dhoum, or “Doctor Doom,” as his employees called him.
“Ah, Mr. Anderson, how is the beta test going?” said Dhoum as he sat down in Mike’s cubicle.
“I’m seeing 82 percent recognition of objects for referencing.” Mike shared the files documenting his report. “But I think Jay needs to upgrade his sniffing algorithms, half the places User 8 and User 10 go to are unreadable.”
Dhoum flipped through the report on his commlink. “OK. I’ll coordinate with Jay. Hey, I was coming by because I had another question. I’m seeing extra query volume from LMG. Did we add testers?”
“We shouldn’t have. The test group was selected because of their limited interaction with other P2.0 users. Let me check.” Mike opened the LMG logs and ran an ad hoc filter. He found the new userids and referenced them with P2.0’s user-identified SIN. “Oh. S***. We got a problem. LMG has replicated at least twice more, and you aren’t going to like it.”
“Why?”
“Look at the name tied to this SIN.” Mike sent the results to Ghupta.
“S***!” Mike saw Ghupta stand and cross his arms into his decision-making stance. “All right, we need LMG to stop guiding her—do we have an option flag to do that?”
Mike opened up a soft copy of LMG business docs in a new window and queried it. “No. It wasn’t part of the requirements.”
“Figures. What other flags can we use?”
Mike went to the functional docs and pulled up the list of LMG flags. One caught his eye. “U56? It says ‘Do Not Contact.’”
“Great! Use that one.”
“There’s no code behind it.” Mike flipped through the links of functional docs. “And no specs.”
“Typical subcontractor work,” Ghupta grumbled. “All right. We’ll have to add functionality to that flag to prevent her from receiving LMG data.”
“That’s going to take hours, maybe even a day or so to work out all the bugs.” Mike writhed inside as it sunk in that “we” meant him.
“Better that than having this beta test get out of hand and blow up in the press. Call Jay and tell him to get his a** in here. I’ll order pizza and soda.”
Mike let out a plaintive sigh. “Sure. Can you make one pizza the works?”
“Can do. Ask Jay what he wants on his.” Ghupta walked off back to his office.
Another night’s overtime for the salaryman, thought Mike, as he dove headfirst back into VR.
OOC
Just a teaser. Whether you find out what this all means is up to you. :smalltongue:
RdMarquis
2015-01-11, 11:01 PM
Seattle, February 8th, 2073, 10:52 AM.
The story begins as it so often does. A gray, cloudy morning. Your favorite newsfeed displaying something depressing (today, the war in Amazonia). Work opportunities drying up for unknown reasons. Ways to change the first two are not forthcoming, but your commlink alerts you to a possible job offer.
<Howdy! The name's Slade. A lil' birdy told me you've been looking for work, and yours truly was hoping he could help with that. Why don't we talk about it over dinner? Meet me at Gray Line at 5 PM tonight.>
...Such as it is. How do you respond?
Big Easy shifts from his couch at the sound of the incessant ping of his commlink...
Eyyy...dat's my pers'nal one...
Swinging his to legs down, Easy seriously considers ignoring the ping, but the ring was echoing terribly between his ears...
Hhhhruff...too much hurlg las ' night...mebbe it's work,,,
Rising upright, Easy shambles over to the pesky comm
Alrightalrightalright ya daffy machine...I'm comin'...hrmmmm...jussa message...
Nestling the comm in place, Easy heads down the hallway careful not to wake his roommate; to the blinky, dim sodium light and closes the door to the bathroom.
Half an hour later Easy has showered and made some hot kaff. Sitting at the table in his favorite "happy face" boxers (da black ones, wit da yella smileys!), he mulls the upcoming meet. Coming to the conclusion that worrying about the meet wont help, he settles back onto the hefty Duraframe couch and keys up the trid...
<Three hours pass>
Finally resolved, he picks up the comm, fumbles the key into the message bin and sends a short reply...
I'll be dere...
Mtnoma
2015-01-12, 01:23 AM
In his low-end apartment Breakpoint is up and moving before the second ping of his commlink. Rising from his bed... well... bed is too strong a word. Futon was a better word, and a futon that had seen better days...
Sliding his comm into place he scrolled through the message, rummaging through his kitchen to find a clean cup and something to brew a soykaff in. About half an hour later as he put the pot on boil he smirked at the message and mutters a reply.
'You offerin to buy?... I'll be there'
Tossing the comm onto the bed he looked around his dingy apartment, trying to figure out where he'd thrown his digs. His gaze lingered over his spare clips, half of them were new and in the process of being tagged, he'd need to finish that before he moved to this meeting.
Break groaned, stretching his biotech out and walked over to grab his cup. To anyone else the 'cup' he was using would quality as a tankard or a jug of soykaff, but then again most people didn't have biotech that enhanced their metabolism to the nth degree. In one swig Break drained half the cup and sighed with relief as he felt the hot drink warm his insides, he then placed the cup by his clips and picked up a half empty can of red spray paint.
"Buisseness before pleasure" he muttered to himself as he picked up one of the taped over clips and started tagging...
Valdarno
2015-01-12, 04:26 AM
"Certainly, Professor. But the Van der Waals forces of the metal ions, when placed in close proximity to the disulfide bridge, might pose a problem, no?"
"Well... I suppose it's possible... but I'm not sure how you could know that, we haven't run the simulations yet."
Alexander sipped his tea, and smiled slightly, before noticing a slight vibration in his pocket. That was his personal commlink, too, the non-broadcasting one. Interesting.
"Well, I'm not certain, of course. But if you run the simulations, I assure you they'll tell you that your molecule's highly unstable. Completely unsuitable for a medicine. In any case, I have an essay to finish, so I think we should say goodbye here - thank you for the lunch, Professor, and do let me know how the simulations pan out."
"Yes, of course, Mr Aitken. I just wish you were in my class... what did you say you study, again?"
Alec turned, from the door, looking unexplainably sad.
"Politics."
His claimed proficiency changed with every professor who asked him, keyed to be one that the professor in question would be quite unable to hold a conversation in, and entirely unlikely to ask further questions about. It was a shame, really. One day, perhaps he would return... but not today.
In the corridor outside, Alec checked his commlink, and smiled. He wasn't sure who the little birdy was, but this "Slade" was undoubtedly correct; Alec had been feeling the pressure of unemployment rather strongly recently. Time to get to work.
"I'll be there, Mr Slade."
OOC:
Doc will go to the suggested restaurant immediately, to scope it out; he'll then return to it ten minutes before the specified time, armed with his Elan, find a place to sit, and order a meal.
Retrokinesis
2015-01-12, 04:50 AM
The quick, cold beeps of her commlink rouses Laurel from her slumber. She rolls carefully out of bed to avoid waking her roommate and silences the ringing with a touch. It was a bit early for her to be up but the message (and its attendant promise of a payday) was enough to get her brain working.
Well, almost enough. The coffee the apartment's CHN had automatically started brewing when it detected her footsteps outside the bedroom did the rest. The warm brew - real coffee without the slightest hint of soy - was worth the price for the aroma alone.
Right, time to work. She turns away from the brilliant sunrise shining through the window (an AR overlay, as Seattle was as wet and miserable as ever) and towards the commlink. <Sounds lovely; expect me there at five sharp.> The Gray Line was a fairly pricey restaurant so the trip wouldn't be a total waste even if the job fell through.
This message couldn't have come at a better time, really. Laurel hadn't had a job in a while and her creditors were starting to nip at her heels. As she stirs the crystallized sugar stick into her beverage, her thoughts begin to drift to what she should wear to the meeting and whether or not the Gray Line had any astral security...
After a couple of hours lounging around, Easy hoists himself up and (literally) suits up in his Actioneer armor and secures Dorothy in her holster.
"One las' check inna mirrer, aaugh...not lookin forward t' dis walk..."
Three hours before the meet goes down, Easy trundles out the door, headed for the nearest (operating) bus stop that will take him to the meeting
(I'll format this when I get home. My phone doesn't do color text)
Jyssika
2015-01-12, 01:42 PM
Fluff is up and awake; her radio blairing some obnoxious song from a time long past as she dances across the flat in just a towel. Her hair still wet throws water droplets everywhere as she shakes her head like a wet dog dancing and headbanging whilst attempting to sing along.
I am the one and only!!
The smell of sizzling, non synthetic, bacon fills her sensitive nose and her mouth waters in anticipation.
Nobody ide rather be!
*beep beep*
Looking around for her comms in her messy room she finally finds it, she wraps it round her neck, buckles it and quickly pulls on her suit ready to eat.
Mute radio, serve breakfast, play message, eat, listen.
Reply: meat, non synthetic.
The rest of her day is spent playing, for tonight she will have to work.
She pulls on her thick leather jacket over her suit and leaves, climbing into a taxi she contemplates what the job may entail.
Big Easy takes the bus downtown and hops off at Pine St and 2nd. Ambling slowly towards the dock he picks his way carefully through the crowds mindful that an idle swing of his arms could very well cause injury...
Sometimes, dis bone lacing is jus dangeriss...'bout an hour early too...
Sidling up to the bar on the upper deck, Easy orders a beer at the bar, and carries it to a table with a view of the gangplank and settles himself in for a session of "people-watching"...
RdMarquis
2015-01-13, 03:30 AM
A foggy morning gives way to a foggy evening. At Pier 63 you can barely make out your hand in front of
your face; the lamps along the pier turn the gray haze into a soupy yellow one. Just off the pier is what appears to be a building shaped like a harbor ferry, the restaurant in question. Disembodied voices, presumably the staff and customers, echo out into the harbor. You cross a wide gangplank to the upper deck. Most of the tables are empty under the dim glow of heat lamps; a few patrons smoke out on the deck.
For those of you who arrived early, you observe little aside from the beginning of the dinner rush. The upper deck remains mostly empty, but several dozen people are shown to their seats downstairs. A few minutes before the meeting, a lean elf wearing a bolo tie and cowboy boots enters the restaurant. "Wait, wait, don't tell me." He greets both of you with a grin, first turning his attention to the troll at the bar. "Big Easy. I'm guessing you're from New Orleans?" He then gives the human a slight wave. "And Doc. I've got a table for us below deck. Looks like you've already ordered, but I'll have them bring your chow downstairs."
They are joined by the rest of you shortly after. The lower floor is fairly packed. The smell of seafood permeates the room. The thick glass wall opposite the stairs gives an unobstructed view of the harbor beneath the waves. The dining floor affords a wider view, down to the muddy bottom. Outside, an octopus slowly moves by, searching the mud for food. Slade greets you with similar cheer. “Howdy! Take a load off; I’ll have ’em bring out the chow.”
He waits for everyone to be seated before continuing, “So I don’t know if y’all heard of me, but I’m Slade. I’m a courier out of Seattle to wherever my client wants their package delivered to. Here’s the deal: I need some security for my stuff while I’m here. I don’t know for how long, probably two days. I know, you’ve heard it before, when I say ‘It’s an easy job,’ but it really is. You’re just going to baby-sit my stuff while it’s being put into a movie.” Slade falters on the last few words, and a grimace crosses his face. ”Damn, cat’s out of the bag. That’s probably why I’m not usually Mr. Johnson. Are you still interested? It'll be a thousand per person per day.”
Valdarno
2015-01-13, 04:19 AM
"That depends, Mr Slade. What exactly does "being put into a movie" entail? And what quantity of material needs protecting?"
Doc shifts slightly in his seat, although his smile never falters as he glaces around the table.
<UPSTAIRS>
At the greeting from the faerie, Big Easy starts to reply, but it is an effort in futility as the elf just continues on in his conversation unimpeded..
Naww, I ain't from...New...
The elf has already invited him downstairs and headed down.
Oh dis is goin just poifect...
Easy treads lightly down the stairs, well aware of his immense weight. The stairs creak angrily at his passing, and he makes his way to a table already occupied.
Jyssika
2015-01-13, 02:30 PM
Fluff sits at the table eying her new would be running mates, her nostrils flare checking for any smells out of place in a restraunt.
still on phone but if someone could roll perception for me ide be really greatful! 9 dice pool + enhanced smell!
Retrokinesis
2015-01-13, 09:18 PM
<Earlier>
An hour before the meeting, Laurel throws her brown leather coat (discreetly armored, like all Vashon Island's clothing) on and tucks the Colt Government into a concealed holster. She had absolutely no skill with firearms but it was a useful prop for disguising her status as a mage. No reason to make it obvious who to shoot first if things go poorly. While she wasn't expecting any foul play, Laurel never went out without magically boosting her reflexes. Her bracelet warms very slightly as she finishes casting the spell and hangs it from the sustaining focus. Prospera steps out of her Beacon Hill apartment and into the cool evening wind of Seattle.
<Now>
The gnome arrived exactly five minutes early and now sits at the table with her potential partners. She tries to appear as neutral as possible, sipping her whiskey and watching the octopus stroll around the bay, until the well-dressed human asks about the details. "A good question, Mr... Doc, was it? You're also going to have to be a bit more specific than 'stuff', especially if it requires this many people to baby-sit". Slade was right about one thing; the job did sound too easy. Unless it turned-out to be smuggled organs or something equally dangerous, of course.
Big Easy pokes at the AR display ineffectually, mumbling to himself in frustration...finally he arriving at the conclusion he wanted. Looking up from his efforts he pipes in...
Yeah...why youse need alluv us? Whatcha hidin dere?
Presently the server comes around bearing a large wood and iron tankard filled with a drink that spreads the heady scent of nutmeg and hops...
An' when's dat food comin'? I'm starvin ova here...
Mtnoma
2015-01-14, 01:43 PM
Breakpoint's Apartment, Then
About an hour before Brekker was due to arrive at the Grey Line the clips had dried and Breakpoint started to prepare. He grabbed his black reflective sunglasses and jammed his wireless earbuds in. Next came the black gloves and the hidden arm slides and concealed holsters. The finishing piece was the armoured jacket, styled to resemble a segmented black trench coat.
Before he left Brekker grabbed his Colt 2066 and invoked the ritual of the Sky Father, as Old Ghorren had taught him almost a decade ago. It was a quick ritual of checking the weapon, popping the clip, thumbing the first round, slamming the clip back, loading the weapon and bumping it against his heart to ask the Sky Father to watch over him in the time to come. With the ritual complete he exited his apartment, walking out in the swirl of his coattails.
If it isn't obvious I'm trying to channel the look of Adam Jenson from Deus Ex
===== =====
The Grey Line, Now
Breakpoint purred into the parking lot of the Grey Line on his Harley-Scorpion. Finding a suitable place to park he locked the bike and strolled into the restaurant. The place was a lot more swanky than he was used to, but that didn't matter to him. The fact that he stood out a bit looking like a character out of The Spiral's Edge, if anything it gave him more confidence. He was a runner, and he was damn sure he was gonna look the part.
Though he'd missed Slade gathering the other's he noticed the group on his first pass of the lower level, a hodgepodge of differently dressed meta's stood out in any environment. Adjusting his earbud he caught enough of Slade's pitch and the other's questions to get the gist of what was going on.
He walked up to the group, coming up behind Prospera and tilting his head in agreement.
"Same question as the others then. A grand a day to babysit a movie has a bad smell to it. What's the catch?"
He then nods to the others and takes a seat
"Breakpoint, I believe I was called to this meeting as well..."
"Breakpoint, I believe I was called to this meeting as well..."
'Least we can agree onda foist few questions...
Easy eyes Breakpoint warily over his yellow-tinted glasses, then gives a slight upward twitch of his chin and points at a vacant seat
RdMarquis
2015-01-14, 11:09 PM
What Fluff smells is a lot of fish. Mostly from the kitchen and food storage, as well as their general surroundings. The Gray Line is sitting in the ocean, after all. It must be said that "out of place" is up to personal interpretation, especially for someone who grew up in the wilderness. But Fluff can tell a few patrons are armed, most notably their would-be employer. There's no mistaking the smell of a recently fired weapon.
"Welcome," Slade greets Breakpoint. The smile has faded slightly from his face. "Come on, now. I had a little slip of the tongue just now, but that don't mean I'm gonna keep slipping. I can't have the wrong ears hearing about what I'm holding onto. Hell, the right ears are even worse. All I can say is that I'm holding onto some props for the folks in this movie. Real expensive props that a lot of people would like to get ahold of. Which is why I need y'all to help me watch them. What do y'all say?"
Jyssika
2015-01-15, 03:06 AM
Fluff had seen a number of runner films since her few months in 'civilization' not to mention some horrible reality tv shows that for some reason the working class enjoyed...
"This int some sort of setup is it? Cameras hidden an stuff for a documentry on us gettin shot?"
Valdarno
2015-01-16, 12:21 AM
Doc suppresses a smile, and then focuses on Slade again.
"Fair enough, Mr Slade. Let's move on to the specifics, for now. How long exactly do you want us to watch this stuff, and is it transportable?"
The_Lowtide
2015-01-18, 12:21 AM
That morning, Senna had woken up at the cheery time of 8:30 AM, by her ever so friendly Renraku Manservant drone with a kale smoothie, a plate of soybacon, and a bowl of real, honest, juicy assorted fruits, including a single pomegranate fruit that Senna always ate first, despite not liking the taste much at all. It was the symbolic intent that mattered there, not the nutrition or taste. After breakfast in bed, she walked out of the bedroom, past her roommate and his bleary morning greeting, and into her Shrine to Izanami-no-Mikoto, casually setting her comlink to play her messages for her at exactly 10 AM sharp, when she was done with her daily observance and shrine duties. Her roommate hurried in after her, mug of soykaf in his hand as he stepped inside.
"You got time to put in a good word or two in with the spirits for me before I go into work today? It's the quarterly evals, and I could really use that promotion." Her roommate and friend, Andrew Gordon, begged of her. It wasn't terribly uncommon for him to ask her for stuff like that, especially back in Denver where they had first met and grown up together, but that had happened much less frequently when he had found out just which goddess Senna was venerating. That he was willing to risk it today showed just how much he really wanted it.
Senna shrugged, figuring that there wasn't much of a reason to say no, and honestly, she was still a bit too tired herself to care all that much."Sure, no problem." She replied, pointing him to a square mat after quickly glancing down to make sure he wasn't wearing shoes. While he sat down and started supplicating, Senna ducked into the room's attached walk-in closet, swapped out her pajamas for something a bit more devout, and stepped out to administer services.
When Andrew left ten minutes later in a hurry with a thanks, she waved him out with a smile, followed thereafter by sitting herself down in the exact same spot he had been earlier to start with her morning prayers. Izanami was, as always, within reach of her prayers, and she spoke to Senna in reply. My child, Senna... Make ready. Tonight, you have a job to do. Do not underestimate the occasion, and know your allies... Remember, the future belongs to those who plan for it today... Opening her eyes, Senna signed, but resisted checking her comlink early. She had to tend the shrine no matter what, and checking for a job was just going to distract her from her duties. So, she waited, tended the shrine for the next hour, and finally, when the clock struck ten, the first message, sent to her personal com, started playing.
The Grey Line... I suppose that means I'll have to dress up in business formal, then. Perhaps with a little bit of grey tossed in for the location...
==== ====
Seattle traffic as it is, Senna arrives at the meet a bit later then she would have preferred. Fashionably late doesn't apply to business meetings in the shadows. Nevertheless, she walks in, a flick of her head gets rid of the damp in her classic black hair and sets it to a rakish angle, and she takes a moment to eye the menu before ordering up a bowl of clam chowder, while asking for Slade. After getting directed below deck, she heads down to meet Mr. Slade in person, walking into the room just as Slade mentions the slip-up. Either he's terribly loose lipped, or whoever got him to talk is worth keeping an eye out on. she thinks, before stepping into view. She's dressed up in a green mini with a grey bow tied around the front, and her brown eyes glance from person to person as she tries to get a feel for each of them. A few moments later, she takes her seat with a smile. "Sorry about the tardiness." She says, giving no excuse for it. "With all due respect, if you wanted to just protect some movie props, expensive as they might be, wouldn't just hiring LoneStar be the better choice? What kind of trouble needed you to call on us instead?" She asks, unwilling to let Mr. Slade just rush them into a job without the right information. For extra points, she leans on her table inquiringly, chin in her palm, looking in his direction so she would have a good look at him in turn. The Specifics of the job could wait another minute or two.
RdMarquis
2015-01-18, 06:47 AM
The smile vanishes entirely as he looks Fluff in the eyes. "Ma'am, I realize we're in a dangerous line of work. But I ain't never sent anyone off to die, and I'll be six feet under myself before I do." Slade doesn't seem overly offended, though he is obviously uncomfortable. The elf gives Senna a wordless nod of greeting, and seems to contemplate her question before he continues.
"I'll admit, it is a film about shadowrunners. Just not one where you'll find the staff shooting at y'all. The director ain't that kind of guy. He is a stickler for authenticity, though. Hence what I've got hidden away." There is another slight pause. Slade is being a lot more careful with his information, now. "The props ain't illegal, exactly. More like in a gray area. But there are plenty of people you don't want seeing you with 'em, the Star included. I seriously can't even mention what they are until we have a deal. And even then, it'll have to wait."
Jyssika
2015-01-18, 08:47 AM
Fluff feels a little like she had been scolded; but if her bluntness had caused him to share a few
more details that was a good thing, she thought.
Do we have to arrange our own transport or is there an arranged route and transport?
If there was one thing Fluff knew perhaps better than the others it was the land, already owning Mapsofts
covering almost the entire of the continental mainland.
She gets a momentary surge of adrenaline thinking of the prospects of cross country travel.
Do we leave the city?
She palms her snout... nose, with her gloved paw... hand, and a shows a toothy grin.
Mtnoma
2015-01-20, 05:35 PM
Breakpoint gave Big Easy a nod as he sat down, though he kept his eyes hidden behind his shades. At Fluff's question he smirked and glanced at the girl, "Don't think it is. If it is a documentary they've left me out of the loop too"
At Slade's mention of a runner movie Breakpoint leans forward a bit, interested in this new tidbit.
"If we do accept this job how close are we gonna be to the actual set? In the wings or way out in the back?
RdMarquis
2015-01-23, 06:18 AM
"Operative word there would be 'if', feller. Sorry, but a man's gotta have a few secrets." Slade actually does look apologetic as he shakes his head. "I can't say much about the operation until I know you're the team for this job. It's not just the security of my stuff that I'm interested, you know?" He glances around the table. "So, how about it?"
Easy puts both of his meaty paws on the table and leans in...
If dere's da chance I might get my b'yoo-tiful mug onda trid, den count me as in'trested.
Valdarno
2015-01-23, 02:29 PM
"I agree to your terms, Mr Slade. We have a deal."
Jyssika
2015-01-23, 04:17 PM
When Slade looks to her; she nods ... not entirely convinced
but willing to follow her tennants confidence.
Retrokinesis
2015-01-26, 12:44 AM
Laurel taps her fingers on the table and suppresses a sigh. The payment was barely worth it... but she needed the nuyen and couldn't afford to pass it up. Oh, well. At least it will be over quickly. "It's not much but I suppose I could use a break from the tough jobs. Count me in as well".
RdMarquis
2015-01-26, 01:44 AM
"Great! Ben'll be glad to hear it, too. That's Ben Howard, or "Big Ben", as you probably know him. He's the man who's putting us up to this. I’ve secured the gear at a safe house of mine. Remember, what I want you to do is to protect my stuff when moving it to and from the house and while it’s on set. That was my agreement with Ben. Tomorrow, meet me at this address and I’ll give you IDs to bring my equipment on set."
A mischievous smirk crosses his face. "Go ahead and walk in through the front door with all the other big names. And hey, I’ve heard that Pandora is the leading lady in his new film. Maybe you can get her autograph, eh?” A few minutes later, your respective orders arrive, along with a few trays of shellfish and drawn butter. Slade grabs a napkin. "Now go on, help yourselves. I've ordered enough for everyone."
-----
Your next meeting is bright and early. Well, gray and early. At least the fog is gone. The safe house turns out to storage unit at a rundown looking lot. The owner isn't around much, and doesn't keep very meticulous records, which has earned him a fair bit of business from the shadow community. "Good morning!" Slade is undaunted by the early hour. With some eagerness, he unlocks the storage unit and pushes up the door. "In case y'all were still wondering just what I need you to keep an eye on..." As he speaks, he wheels out four large black cases. "...wonder no more." Slade opens one with a slight flourish.
Inside is a modern take on the armor of the medieval samurai, combining old designs with the most durable of modern materials. The suit is blood red and pitted with the type of damage that could only be caused by the battlefield. Sheathed beside it is a katana with a hilt and wear to match the armor. "Hope that answers any further questions y'all been harboring."
Valdarno
2015-01-26, 03:38 AM
Doc looks sideways at Slade.
"...out of curiosity, where did you get these? And are there any trackers that we should be worrying about?"
So....waitaminit...we's watchin' a coupla sets uv dinged up armor? What makes dese suits so special?
Easy ambles up to the box and (very lightly) raps the armor with the knuckle of his index finger. A dull metallic thud can be heard.
(OOC: I'll format this when I get home from work)
Jyssika
2015-01-26, 10:47 AM
Fluff pays no attention to their cargo; shes already doing her thing.
[roll0] Looking for anybody watching from a distance. 5 Hits
[roll1] Smelling to notice if any of her fellow runners are suspicious. 5 Hits
RdMarquis
2015-01-26, 06:22 PM
Slade raises an eyebrow, but avoids gaping at Big Easy. "You mean you've never heard of the Red Samurai?" He shakes his head softly. "Dunno whether to call y'all lucky or unlucky. Long story short, the Red Sams are elite corpsec. The best Renraku has to offer in terms of their military forces. They're well armed, violent, and completely loyal to the company. No one to get on the wrong side of."
Slade glances at Doc. "These are technically antiques. Retired after 2057, but still better than any gear your average runner can find. My team and I got this armor from a museum in New York. Still easier than taking it off a dead Samurai."
He smirks. "You'd need to make a dead Samurai, first. But antique or not, you can bet the company's gonna try to reclaim their gear and kill anyone involved in the theft. Matter of honor. It's why my team and I went over these with a fine-toothed comb, twice. Unless we missed something big, the only way anyone's hearing about these babies is by word of mouth." Slade holds a finger to his lips. "So, let's try and keep these our little secret." He closes the case to emphasize his point.
As far as Fluff can tell, they are the only ones in the lot. In any case, the tight spacing of the units and narrow pathways would make it difficult for anyone to spy on them without being spotted as well. As for her teammates and Slade, little has changed from yesterday, though the latter has cleaned his guns.
Ey...jus cause I don' reco-nize da suit don' mean I neva hoid o' dem.
Easy looks around sheepishly...feeling a little foolish and self-conscious...
So dey t'ink it's a matter o' honor yeah? Jus make sure my name aint on dose credits at da end o' da sim...got it?
RdMarquis
2015-01-27, 12:32 AM
"With you there. I'm not lookin' to get my name on this thing, either."
After very securely storing the cases in your transport of choice, you make your preparations for the delivery tonight. Slade also provides you with IDs to show the security staff and the time and place. The first shoot for Big Ben's film is at the Space Needle, 7 PM tonight.
-----
Shadowrunners often work under the cover of darkness and out of the public view. Some have even come to expect these conditions on a job. Not so in this case. When you arrive at the Space Needle, you find the base cordoned off and surrounded by screaming fans. Apparently, you resemble someone famous. On your way to the door, a few of them ask you for an autograph. The IDs pass inspection, and you are permitted entry.
You take the elevator up to the set. Upstairs, the doors open onto a busy scene. Several field technicians are cleaning, moving items around, and adjusting the lights for the cameras. Big Ben sits at the far end in a troll-sized director’s chair. He lives up to his nickname. Big Ben is almost as tall as Big Easy, though the latter is considerably more muscular. The director spins his traditional baseball cap in his fingers as he talks to a technician about where the cameras should be placed. He stands as he spots you with the cases.
"All right! Are these the suits?" Ben gives you a tusked grin. “Open one up. Let’s see if Slade lives up to his word.”
Valdarno
2015-01-27, 02:31 AM
Doc seems slightly put out at all the attention on the way in, although he remains reasonably calm and steadfastly polite. He's dressed in his standard slightly faded suit.
"Pleasure to meet you."
He drops to one knee, and opens one of the cases.
Jyssika
2015-01-27, 06:32 AM
Fluff fits right in on the runway; presumably the reason for a great deal of their attention.
She walks in the middle of the pack; still wearing her Second skin and a beat up leather jacket,
dressed like this in day time makes her look like some strange neo-punk star.
On her face she wears a pair of mirror shades and her comm-collar.
In the car she had made a point to ask anyone if they could tell her who the Red Sam's where;
to make Easy feel better about him not knowing and so he would know in future who they
were if infact he was bluffing as to having heard of them.
---
At the meet Fluff sits at the back once again; her eyes darting from person to person
behind her shades.
Mtnoma
2015-01-27, 02:07 PM
At the Grey Line
At Slade's reply Breakpoint smirks, then nods
"Fair enough, you've got my attention. I'm in"
Whatever else Brekker is thinking about disappears as the food arrives, and he tucks in with gusto. His advanced metabolism allowing him to match Big Easy plate for plate in a slightly unnerving spectacle.
The safehouse, early morning
At the sight of the armour Breakpoint let's out a low whistle, obviously impressed with the haul. He was moving to take a pic of the suit when Slade mentioned the wrath Renraku would bring down on them if discovered, at which point he decided against taking such an action. Aside from that he is fairly quiet during the meeting.
Now
As Breakpoint moves past the fans there is a sly grin on his face. Though he's not used to these kind of working conditions it's obvious that he's loving the attention of the masses, at one point he does stop and signs an autograph for one of the screaming fans. Though the recipient looks slightly crestfallen when they realize that the sig isn't from a star, Breakpoint doesn't notice and continues into the space needle.
Once introduced to Ben he nods towards the director, moments later he starts scanning the set. The fanboy mentality is obviously bubbling under the surface as he tries to catch a glimpse of any parts of the world he had spent so much of his childhood living in.
At the Needle (Outside)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Easy spies the gathered crowd and seriously considers getting back in the van
Oh geez...I'm gonna bump sum'body and dey's gonna get all broke...den we all gets fired, and prolly 'rrested t'boot
Easy reaches out and softly, but firmly drags Fluff closer, placing both hands on her shoulders
Stick close'ta me dere little sistah...we gots'ta push our way troo dat throng, an' I don' wanna hoit nobody on accident-like...
Carefully, Easy forces his way through the crowd, mindful to make no sudden moves that might cause injury. After his initial nudge on Fluff's shoulders, he keeps both arms to either side of her, preventing the jazzed up fans from grabbing a handful of the shifter.
For what seems like an eternity Easy navigates the crowd, finally making it to the cordon and through into the building.
At the Needle (Inside)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Upon seeing the director is also a troll, Easy's mood lightens immensely.
Hoi dere Ben, we's ta make sure dese suits don get up and walk off on dere own hehe
(OOC NOTE: Big Easy is in his favorite (and only) Actioneer Armored Suit (Gray suit, maroon shirt and tie) with his bulky Predator nestled safely in its built-in holster. He's also wearing his Smart glasses with the lenses polarized)
RdMarquis
2015-01-28, 01:00 AM
"Nice. Very nice!" Ben carefully draws one of the swords and examines it. "Even has some wear-and-tear." He replaces the weapon. "Your help is much appreciated. Thank Slade for me too, next time you see him. Sean!" Another technician nods and walks over. Sean is quite young, definitely old enough to drive, but possibly not to drink (the minimum age in the UCAS is still 21). He's wearing a t-shirt with the desert logo of Pathfinder Multimedia. "Sean. Could you help our guests bring these over to the stuntmen?"
"Sure." You're guided past the waiting scene, improvised from the restaurant normally on this floor. The star of the show can be seen using her commlink. Perhaps stage names are in vogue now, or shadowrunners have become even more popular in the movies than before. Likely the latter, as Rebecca "Pandora" Oswick's choice of attire is stylish, but cliche, a red leather jacket and pants, thigh-high black boots, and mirrored shades. She's stunningly beautiful. Standing nearby is an elven gentleman with a blond ponytail, wearing a gray suit and green tie. He appears to be fielding questions directed at Pandora from various staff members.
For a team of modern samurai, the stuntmen wearing the armor look a lot like the cast of a surfer movie set in California. Still, the helmets will conceal their heads and most of their faces. They suit up, admiring the costumes. "You're sticking around, right?" Sean points to an AR marked area next to the director's chair. "You can watch from over there."
In the meantime, Big Ben is laying out the scene. “This is where Jenny Freelance—Pandora over there—meets up with Agent Johnson, who wants to hire her to track down the Piri Reis map. Suddenly, a unit of Red Samurai busts in to take ‘em out. Lots of cool martial arts in this scene—Jenny wipes out the Red Samurai and accepts the job.”
Valdarno
2015-01-28, 03:25 AM
Doc looks uncomfortable, but forces a quick smile and then walks to the indicated area, where he stands with his arms folded, clearly counting down the minutes until he can leave this overly noisy and flashy environment.
Jyssika
2015-01-28, 08:15 AM
Fluff wasn't quite sure if 'Easy was protecting her earlier or simply
borrowing her skills of getting through crowds by putting her first.
She was after all a predator and could easily deal with a few wild crowd
members; for a moment she wondered just how big 'Easy would be
if he was a Wolf Shifter... it amused her thinking of him as a 12 foot
long wolf... She felt better knowing he had her back, even if he did
occasionally treat her like a pup.
---
This feels too easy.
Fluff motions to 'Easy, a little hand wave between the two of them
that was clearly intended to mean.
I am going for a little snoop around; be ready if someone tries to
shoot me.
She still wasn't really used to using Comms... prefering to not rely on
technology when simply eye contact and body language could do the
same job.
With that she wanders a few steps away from the group, testing the
waters to see if anyone objects... if no one causes a fuss she will go
to whatever she believes is the best vantage point leaning casually
on railing or wall somewhere she can get a good look at the whole set
and as much of the cast and crew as she can.
[roll0] 5 Hits.
More Perception. She is basically gonna try get a good vantage
point to see as much of everything as she can and take her time
to inspect every person in turn thoroughly.
(probably taking a few minuites to do so)
Fluff wasn't quite sure if 'Easy was protecting her earlier or simply
borrowing her skills of getting through crowds by putting her first.
She was after all a predator and could easily deal with a few wild crowd
members; for a moment she wondered just how big 'Easy would be
if he was a Wolf Shifter... it amused her thinking of him as a 12 foot
long wolf... She felt better knowing he had her back, even if he did
occasionally treat her like a pup.
---
This feels too easy.
Fluff motions to 'Easy, a little hand wave between the two of them
that was clearly intended to mean.
I am going for a little snoop around; be ready if someone tries to
shoot me.
She still wasn't really used to using Comms... prefering to not rely on
technology when simply eye contact and body language could do the
same job.
With that she wanders a few steps away from the group, testing the
waters to see if anyone objects... if no one causes a fuss she will go
to whatever she believes is the best vantage point leaning casually
on railing or wall somewhere she can get a good look at the whole set
and as much of the cast and crew as she can.
[roll0] 5 Hits.
More Perception. She is basically gonna try get a good vantage
point to see as much of everything as she can and take her time
to inspect every person in turn thoroughly.
(probably taking a few minuites to do so)
'Easy ambles over to the marked AR spot and crosses his arms over his chest, briefly tapping the side of his glasses. The polarization fades to transparency as he winks and nods to Fluff, then they gloss over to the polarized mode once again.
Stay frosty champ...dis is wut youse was born ta do...jus keep yer eyes an' ears open...
Standing over the opened cases facing away from the filming, 'Easy scans a roughly 45 degree arc, keeping an eye on the doors leading into this room and its immediate environs (Is there a map or something?)
RdMarquis
2015-01-31, 10:49 PM
The most obvious thing to Fluff? Everyone working on the movie is surprisingly...healthy. Medically and metaphysically. There are very few augmentations among the staff, and no signs of drug use, even smoking. Sean might be considered an exception, depending on who you ask. Bioware was spiritually less damaging than cyberware, though both his arms had been replaced. Fluff can also tell he has a couple of burn scars. So long as she makes to effort to impede anyone, the shifter is not bothered during her observations.
Both she and Big Easy overhear the staff talking. None of it would likely be personally interesting to them, however. The elf standing next to Pandora is apparently spitballing ideas about sequels to this film ("...the Phiastos Disk, then a 2 part conclusion about Shantaya's Compass and the ritual. Collectively, we can call them the Artifacts Saga..."), while Howard is talking about the next scene ("...Lagos, just like the actual run!"). The two runners can also hear the crowd of fans outside. Apparently, the noise is growing louder and...angrier?
Jyssika
2015-01-31, 11:17 PM
Fluff takes a walk towards the entrance; listening as she goes for any tell tale signs
of danger before sticking her head outside the door to have a look whats going on.
She wont go outside if she hears guns shots for example... :p
If Doc isn't watching the door already, Easy will delicately tug at his sleeve then nudge his chin toward the door...
Dere gettin' louda out dere. I don' like it...Stay frosty chum. Where's dat otha' guy...tell him too
Easy looks at the door and shifts uneasily, shuffling his feet while watching Fluff.
RdMarquis
2015-02-03, 03:12 AM
The only sign of danger that Fluff observes is the noise of an angry crowd, getting louder all the time. When she looks into the hallway, she finds it empty. Momentarily. She has hardly been watching for a minute when the doors to the stairway and elevator both open. Several of the fans from outside begin crowding through, and none of them look happy. "WHERE IS SHE?!" They shout as one.
Jyssika
2015-02-03, 11:18 AM
Fluff doesn't really want to show whether she is here to stand
in their way or help them, she fears she is probably going to
have to stand in their way...
Whilst checking the doorway discretely for any form of
lock so she is ready for when she probably has to
slam the door in their faces she replies:
Who are we looking for?!
She shouts back, immitating their angry shouting.
If the crowd do anything other than shout back a name
Fluff will simply slam the door and run; locking whatever
lock she might have found if she did infact find one.
Easy hears Fluff shout but it just doesn't make sense. Who is who looking for? Any question he may have is rapidly lost in the din of a mob streaming from the elevator and stairs.
Oh no...
RdMarquis
2015-02-05, 03:10 AM
Fluff doesn't receive much in the way of a response. Some of the crowd don't notice her. Others simply repeat the demand. However, she can hear a few of them shout, "We want to see Pandora!" All the while, the crowd moves steadily toward her. As Fluff moves to shut the door, she notices the crazed fans are quite coordinated for an angry mob. There is little pushing or competing to be the first down the hallway, even as they rush forward. Unfortunately, Fluff doesn't have the key to lock the door. As soon as she runs, the door slams open, allowing the crowd into the filming.
They make a beeline for the actress in question, knocking aside equipment and furniture. Noise fills the improvised studio as they do. Retreating staff members call for security (who are conspicuously absent) as the mob repeats their demand, seemingly even louder than before. One voice manages to catch the team's attention. "HELP!" The elf with Pandora is leading her away, waving his arm at them.
Mtnoma
2015-02-06, 07:33 PM
Breakpoint had been trying to see some of the more intricate parts of the set when he heard the noises and yelling coming from the hallway. Snapping around he pulled out his Yamaha Fubuki and quickly performed his ritual to the Sky Father. Extracting the clip, flipping it in his hand before slamming the round home, loading the chamber and thumping the gun against his chest to invoke the Sky Father's protection and ask for him to watch over him and bless his actions.
As soon as he finished activating his Geass Breakpoint turned to the others and spoke through his runner's comm (as opposed to his public one).
"We need to plan some moves right now. Someone has to check on the stuntmen and make sure the packages are still secure. I'll try and cover Pandora but one a ya should check in with Ben and make sure he's safe. Hopefully this is just some whizzed out fans goin nuts but I wanna make sure we don't get caught with drek in our hair...""
As soon as he was done Breakpoint started to move towards Pandora and the blond elf, his gun arm pointed at the hallway while he waved with his other to get their attention but also to indicate they should keep moving .
"We need somewhere to get you two till the drek blows over. Where's a safe place you can go?"
RdMarquis
2015-02-07, 03:54 AM
The actress looks around briefly, then turns to Breakpoint and her colleague. "Dressing room. They're blocking the entrance to the kitchens." The suited elf responds, "Right. You sure you can handle this?" He pulls a taser from his jacket. Regardless of the answer, he begins herding his charge toward the back of the room.
Before you start posting for the encounter, can you each make a visual Perception test?
Easy feels the tension growing as the situation rapidly spirals out of control. Don't hit em...you'll kill em if y'do... Easy points in the direction of Breakpoint, yelling,
GET HER OUTTA HERE, I GOTS DA SOOTS! NAH KILLIN'!!
Easy wipes away massive beads of sweat from his brow, resolving to push the crowd away from the suits if needed.
Fluff...fall back here...if dey grabs ya hit 'em but don' cut em...now where's dat lil girl?
Jyssika
2015-02-07, 09:42 AM
Fluff; caught in the crowd of charging people
finds her natural instincts kicking in, she spots
the smallest and weakest member of the crowd
and notices a slight limp...
No, I am not hunting!
She shakes off the urge to shift and rip the jugular
the the young boy she had singled out in the crowd
only to realize her slight lapse had allowed Breakpoint
to steal her thunder as he was now escorting their
target from the room.
A moment later and Easy is shouting at her; something
about not killing them... She had already had that
moment but perhaps he knew her better than she had
realized... That troll never stopped suprising her.
Taking a deep breath she hones her senses; attempting
to spot something important then she would act.
Easy shoves his way over to the armored stuntmen and women, careful to only push (and not slap or smack) the crowd of psychotic fans.
Dese kids is really tryin' ta get at Pandora hard-like...how'd dey get pas'da guards? Eh...figger it out lata ya big lunk...gotta cover dem soots foist!
Not seeing or hearing any gun-play, Easy will gather the stunt-people behind him and make ready with bare knuckles to fend off any obvious attackers. Watching the crowd filter past them he'll shout over his shoulder to the partially-armored stuntpeople
Form up a soycle (circle) aroun' da cases lookin' outward-like. Call out if'n ya grabbed! Punch 'em back if ya gotta. Don' hold back, dat armor'll leave a nice lump if'n y'gets a hit.
Everything slows to a crawl as Easy's synaptic booster kicks in, a warm flush rampages through Easy as adrenaline flows...his eyes twitch frantically as he surveys the mob, desperately trying to pick out potential threats.
RdMarquis
2015-02-07, 07:18 PM
The milling crowd might have been a herd to a hunter's eyes, but Fluff sees a different situation when she takes the time to assess what is happening. Her eyes are drawn not to the weakest person in the mob, but arguably the strongest. A pale, muscular human with tattoos covering his shaved scalp lingers near the rear of the group. He is fingering the stun baton at his belt and apparently watching the mob's progress. The man gives someone a curt nod.
Or rather, several someones. Three more figures break away from the crowd of fans and duck behind the filming equipment. Using boxes and machines as cover, they head to the storage area for the suits. Big Easy beats them there. In this case, the direct approach was the best. Also, the other competitors in this race were watching as he practically waded through the crowd. It was a sight to give anyone pause.
Prospera misses the people acting during the chaos. But she does note something unusual about the crowd. They've stopped. Or rather, they've stopped moving forward, far short of where the staff are hiding. The crazed fans seem content to shout at the film crew to show themselves and fling small projectiles (mostly pens) at them.
The stuntmen hurry to follow Big Easy's command. "Right, got it!" And it turns out to be the right call. Moments after they form a ring, three armed men dart out from behind a wall. "Hands up! Back away from the suits!" One of them, an ork, points a sawed off shotgun at Big Easy while the other two (humans) charge the stuntmen.
A look of faint surprise crosses Easy's face as he sees the working end of the shotgun. One eyebrow rises as a small smile struggles to crease his face.
Nodding, he whispers,
Right...Imma beat you like a bad habit...
Easy makes his move, using as much as his reach will allow, and connects solidly on the ork with a titanium fist sheathed in flesh
Jyssika
2015-02-07, 10:49 PM
Fluff is on the henchmens tails immediately;
Easy was big enough to look after himself
but Fluff wasn't about to charge the ring
leader whom she had spotted out from the
crowd all by herself.
She arrives just as Easy spots them;
knowing he will take a swing for the
one with the gun Fluff draws her Saco-LD's
and decides to take shots at the one with
a knife.
RdMarquis
2015-02-11, 02:16 AM
Your counterattack is swift, unexpected, and most importantly, effective.
As Big Easy hurtles toward the ork, he notices his target keeping pace with him in terms of movement. This runner must also have reaction enhancers. Nonetheless, Big wins this race against the opposing team as well. Redfoot, as the ork is known, actually becomes briefly airborne as a massive titanium fist collides with him. He skids after hitting the ground. "D-damn it. Sonofa..." To his credit, he manages to survive the blow. Redfoot is down for mere moments before attempting to stagger upright.
Fluff fires at the human runner charging the stuntmen, but her shots go wide, cracking the windows. The man turns on her, and is reaching for his own firearm when he is met by a different attack. Prospera's spell brings him to his knees. Almost simultaneously, his partner screams and crumples next to him. The man convulses as the bullets from Breakpoint's gun do their work. The improvised studio is still ringing with yelling (and now gunfire), but the adept can barely hear a faint, scornful chuckle coming from...somewhere.
The eyes of the tattooed man widen as he sees the fight quickly going against his team. Forsaking the cover of the crowd, he runs toward the kitchen. The man stops just short of the entrance to duck behind a crate and draw a pistol from his coat. A second later, a kitchen door opens slightly, revealing the bleary eye of a bearded human. He looks to be unarmed. This other man glances around the room, but does not move from his position.
Mtnoma
2015-02-12, 02:30 AM
Breakpoint glanced back at the two and flashed a grin.
"Damn straight. You suits wouldn't have hired us otherwise. Stay low, move fast and ring my comm the moment anything comes up"
Snapping back to the assailants Breakpoint immediately drew a bead on the man wielding the runed club, pausing for a moment to extend his geas and feel the power of the Sky Father flow through him. Exhaling slowly he flicked his Fubuki to burst fire and felt the slight kick-back as his gun roared and struck his target a dozen times. Smiling in grim pleasure as his target slammed into the ground convulsing Breakpoint snapped his attention to his next target, the bald man diving behind meagre cover.
With a grunt of power Breakpoint shifted his powers from enhancing to protection, feeling the Sky Father's mystic armour layering himself he snapped his gun around and fired off a pair of shots towards the man, hoping to keep him pinned more than anything. As he fired he called out to Nilsson, mindful of the fact that his target had just drawn a firearm.
"Drop your weapon and surrender or I go to lethal! We only need one person for questioning and we've already got two, so unless you feel lucky or expendable I suggest you consider your own mortality for a moment!"
Jyssika
2015-02-14, 02:14 AM
Fluff lowers her Saco's and concentrates
on just firing one, at this point the target was in
melee and shooting their allies probably wasn't
going to make them popular.
She takes a few steps forward as she does; into
point blank range and aims her weapon at the
back of the man-with-a-knife's kneecap.
Easy; we need them alive.
Play with them later!
She isn't scolding him, but knows he will only
listen to a certain tone of voice when hes this
riled up any softer approach might distract
him and leave him vulnerable to the large number
of guns that keep being drawn.
Called shot; to incapacitate, point blank range, into melee
[roll0] 4 Hits
Easy stalks toward the ork, who rises unsteadily to his feet. Easy attempts to spin the ork around and put him is a full nelson. As he maneuvers, he whispers to Redfoot:
Woyd onna street sez dis corp makes snuff beetles onna side...looks like dey foun' demselves a new star...
Clearly, Redfoot was more injured than he let on; readily submitting oto the full nelson hold Big Easy locked him in.
I gots dis one down...how we doin' wit da odder ones?
RdMarquis
2015-02-19, 04:22 AM
"Da odder ones" were gaining their second wind. While Redfoot was not escaping from Easy's hold anytime soon (struggle though he might), that wouldn't stop one of the ork's teammates from coming to help him. With a snarl, the scarred man swung his club wildly at the stuntmen, forcing them back. His weapon leaves a trail of sparks as the spiked head scrapes across the floor. He quickly rolls to his feet and charges the preoccupied Big Easy, aiming another swing at the back of the troll's head.
At the same time, Harris springs upright just in time for Fluff's bullet to glance off his armored clothing. He swats the gun aside as he darts close, stabbing with the knife in his other hand. Their apparent leader, however, is not feeling so aggressive. Nilsson collapses with a scream when Breakpoint's attack strikes home. As far as the adept can see, the tattooed man is trying to struggle to his feet and failing.
If any of the team spares the angry mob a glance, they will notice that the fans have stopped shouting and throwing things. Most of them are staring at the ground in a stupor. But there are a few who are looking around confused. "W-where are we?"
Utah connects soundly against an unsuspecting Big Easy...
YEAARRRggg...sonofa yer gonna pay fer dat...
Easy releases his hold on the floundering ork and unleashes a wild haymaker at the puny human!
Jyssika
2015-02-22, 02:59 AM
Fluff attempts to back off from her knifeweilding assailant
her entire body seeems to vibrate as the blade finds its
mark.
A deep growl grows in her chest.
Raising her gun to the mans chest she double taps him,
this time with the intent of reducing him to a bloody torso.
RdMarquis
2015-02-23, 12:01 AM
Utah was prepared for the counterattack. He had seen his teammate hurled into the air by one of Big Easy's punches, and had no intention of ending up the same way. The adept leaps backwards as the troll turns on him, managing to evade an arm the size of a log.
The moment Redfoot found himself free of Easy's grasp, he makes a run for it, pausing only to grab his weapon. Retreating to what he judges as a safe distance, he decides to leave the troll to Utah and open fire on Breakpoint. There is a veritable cloud of metal shards, most of which flatten against his armor, or are turned aside by his magic. However, enough find their mark to leave Breakpoint bleeding.
Meanwhile, the formerly angry mob seemed to be coming out of their daze, person by person. There were several screams as fans stumbled toward the doors or a hiding place (and at least one was occupied by a person they had been harassing).
Harris' eyes widen as Fluff only seems to be enraged by the gash his knife leaves. He is unprepared for her fighting back, and two bullets rip through his armor.
Mtnoma
2015-02-23, 02:27 PM
Breakpoint staggered back, growling as the flechette rounds impacted against his armour. As he rocked back he glared at Redfoot, his face contorting into a snarl of anger as the adrenaline surged through him. Dropping his Fubuki he pointed his finger accusingly at the orc.
"Fine, I gave you a choice. Remember that"
With a high pitched crack Breakpoint's Colt Goverment released from his arm slide and flew into the runner's hand with a casual ease. With a vindicated grin Breakpoint fired two shots at the orc, revelling in the dull cracks his gun made as the Hi-Ex rounds rocketed towards his foe.
Jyssika
2015-02-28, 06:29 AM
Move and I will put the next one in your face!
Fluff barks, her finger twitching away ready to pull the trigger if
Harris moves to stand up.
Easy recovers from his wild punch and takes a more measured approach to dealing with Utah. Kung Fu STRIKE!
RdMarquis
2015-03-03, 12:53 AM
Breakpoint returned fire faster than the other ork could even react. A huge spray of blood stains the floor as his bullets do their deadly work.
"Okay, okay!" Harris had jumped to his feet again, but Fluff was more than ready. And the elf had gotten the message with her first bullet. It didn't hurt that he had a full view of his teammate getting torn apart by Breakpoint's gunfire, either. Harris drops his knife to the ground.
That settled matters for their remaining teammates. Nilsson makes for the door, keeping his gun at the ready in case any of the runners decide to pursue him. Meanwhile, Utah executes a hurried, but effective combat roll as Easy's fist passes over him. He stumbles upright and follows the tattooed man.
Jyssika
2015-03-04, 05:32 PM
Fluff having delayed waves her gun at Harris,
Dont move, or I will be back for you!
Then she turns she is fast, very fast, and on the heels of
Nilsson in moments raising her gun she takes any shot
available.
A sudden snarl escapes Easy as the little man ducks under his powerful swing and makes a bee-line for the door
Oh no ya don't little pipsqueak!
As Utah tries to escape Easy lunges at him...
Mtnoma
2015-03-09, 09:29 PM
Breakpoint admired his bloody handiwork for a few seconds, then his head snapped around as Nilsson broke and tried to retreat. Crouching down Break grabbed the Fubuki in his left hand and swung it around to aim at the fleeing man, exhaling slowly he felt the gun crack in his hand as the bullet's whipped towards his new foe.
RdMarquis
2015-03-10, 03:27 AM
Utah hurriedly glances over his shoulder as he hears Big Easy pursuing. It saves him a lot of pain. The man flings himself aside, bumping into a pillar the size of the arm he just avoided. Utah pushes off it and continues his flight. Only to be interrupted again.
A salvo of bullets streaks past him and into Nilsson. There is a crackle of electricity, a bellow of pain that is cut short, then the sound of a body hitting the ground, mere feet from the door. As if to emphasize that Utah isn't going anywhere, several more bullets flatten themselves against the spot where Nilsson had been, courtesy of Fluff.
The last member of the opposing runner team is understandably unnerved. But Utah is prepared to fight for his escape, and he draws a pistol from his shoulder holster.
Mtnoma
2015-03-10, 02:31 PM
Refusing to let up the pressure Breakpoint took a half step forward and spun, his coat bellowing behind him in a move that seemed to be 10% tactical and 90% flair. As he did so Break brought his Colt around and took aim at the fleeing Utah. With a look of anger he bellowed at the man.
"Your buddy got the memo, so I don't understand. What drekking part of DROP YOUR WEAPONS was unclear to you?!"
With a double crack his gun sounded, whipping two Hi-Ex rounds towards his final foe.
Easy leans forward after his swipe, and lets his left fist touch the floor, placing his right hand on his right thigh, sizing up the fleeing intruder. In the blink of an eye, Breakpoint lets two rounds fly. Easy smiles at that,
"Time tah make dis crumbum pay...don nobody gets hits on me wit'out me answerin dem back.
Picking a point dead center of the running man's back, Easy pushes off his toes and thigh and charges into him, punching out for good measure just before he collides with the fleeing punk
RdMarquis
2015-03-14, 03:54 AM
Utah's eyes widen as several hundred pounds of troll come barreling toward him. He has time for one wild, inaccurate shot before Big Easy is upon him. As before, the punch has him briefly airborne before he smashes into the ground. Right in the path of Breakpoint's gunfire. Needless to say, Utah's end is messy.
A silence follows. Virtually everyone in the set is gaping at the runners. "I-is it over?" a small voice asks. "Oh, I'd say so!" Big Ben replies before anyone else can. "That was brilliant. No doubt about it. Those guys never even saw you coming." He walks up to Easy and offers his hand (anyone else's would be at risk of getting crushed). People slowly begin following the director's out of their hiding places.
Medical personnel begin checking on injuries, while other staff members try to repair the damage from the riot. Outside, the whine of Knight Errant sirens can be heard. Perhaps taking a hint from this, a group of employees stand by the doors to prevent anyone leaving, especially people from the angry mob.
Easy matter-of-factly shakes Big Ben's hand, the looks down forlornly at the bullet holes in his suit.
Dis wuz a bran' new suit ya bastard....he says, glancing at Utah
Then he kicks what's left of Utah in the midsection.
I'm glad yer dead
Jyssika
2015-03-14, 09:31 AM
Fluff calms, slows, relaxes, winces...
The deep burning in her leg grows to the fore of her mind and she sinks
to the floor a hand clenched over the the wound stemming the slight
seeping of blood. A moment later she removes her hand, the wound
once there now gone... just a tiny hole in her suit.
Forgot Fluff has regeneration! :D
She replaces her weapons in their slides and walks over to
Easy, she knew he was a lot tougher than her but he wasnt
so fortunate as to regenerate the way she did.
You ok?
Before turning to Breakpoint, the only time she had thus far
adressed him directly: her voice is very different to how she
asks Easy, but still seemingly concerned for his wellbeing.
You ok?
Easy looks forlornly over at Fluff, holding the lapel of his suit out with his thumb and finger.
Dirty lil bastard hit me wit a stick. Den he put a hole in my new suit...
Hawking up a lug, Easy spits on Utah's recumbent form
Dat's what you get fer crossin' me skinny...
Looking back at Fluff a big smile creases his face
Yeah I'm a-ok, nuthin' a bang-aid wont help tho'. Lil scratch an dat's it
Mtnoma
2015-03-14, 04:31 PM
Breakpoint exhaled slowly as the fight ended, allowing his bioware to turn off and stop the flow of chemicals and adrenaline rushing through him. Shooting a glance at Big Ben and some of the others his gaze shot over to the Harris "If you can have this one tied or restrained before the Errants arrive. Hopefully we can learn why he attacked us before the Knights take him away". He gaze hardened as he looked at Harris "You were smart to surrender, but try and escape or take anyone hostage and you'll end up like the others"
As Fluff approached, Breakpoint checked his clips and slammed a fresh clip home in his Colt and Fubuki. Satisfied he slid the Colt back up his arm holster, though he kept his Fubuki in hand. He nodded as Fluff spoke to him, though his eyes were still hidden behind his glasses. "Me? I'm whiz, nothing a good night's sleep won't fix up."
He paused for a moment as he glanced at where Fluff had been hit, then grinned as he looked back to her.
"I was gonna offer you a stimm for the wound, but it looks like you're all patched up, that's a pretty nifty ability for this biz"
RdMarquis
2015-03-15, 05:58 AM
As you might expect by now, the props department has a working pair of handcuffs ready. A stuntman secures them on a sullen, but defeated Harris, then glances at the team. "Is this gonna work?" He points at the cuffs. After receiving an answer, the stuntmen will also inform Breakpoint, "Big Ben can keep the cops focused on other stuff for a while if you need to ask this guy anything." In any case, the Knight Errant officers haven't reached the studio yet.
Jyssika
2015-03-15, 10:11 AM
She smiles at Breakpoint's remark.
Makes up for being small and weak.
Fluff moves over to Harris.
You are gonna have to pay for the hole you put in my outfit...
Do you usually stab a girl on the first day?
She didn't know much about interrogation, but she had watched plenty
of detective.mov's and questions like this always seemed to work!
Big Easy moves to stand behind Fluff, adding (a ton of) weight to her question as he eyes Harris murderously. Clenching his lips together in a grimace he squints one eye at the thug and smacks his fist into his open hand.
RdMarquis
2015-03-17, 02:41 AM
"Not usually." Harris' accent might have reminded you of Slade. "But you, girly? You, I had ta make an exception for." If the latter didn't know a thing about manners. The runner's defiant leer freezes on his face as Big Easy appears, then fades back into a sullen frown. "Look. Y'all got me dead to rights here. What the hell do y'all want, anyway?"
Mtnoma
2015-03-18, 04:54 PM
Breakpoint nodded "Wiz, the more time we get with him the better... also if he's overly resistant we might need to move him to someplace... quieter, if you can get back to me with some places that would work that be appreciated"
Moving away from the stuntman Breakpoint frowned as he reached Harris, tilting his head in mock bemusement as the man spoke to Fluff.
"I'd think that's obvious. You were obviously hired for this biz, and you've obviously got a Johnson or some angel who plugged ya for this. So to start: Who are you working for and what was your full mission here?"
Breakpoint spoke calmly, but there was an edge of ice in his voice, a hinting of a man who was holding himself back. He had grown up in the gutters of his hometown and knew his way around all the intricate types of "persuasion" the gangs in his home used to get information. Even if the others were against torture he certainly wasn't...
Jyssika
2015-03-18, 05:34 PM
Fluff was relieved the others weighed in to do the
questioning; it wasn't her thing and she certainly
wasn't good at it.
Easy on the girly, if we wasn't in public I would
have killed you and picked your meat from my
teeth with your bones.
As though to emphasize a point her stomach rumbles
and her mouth waters at the sight of the less fortunate
runners.
It felt so wrong to her to not eat the prey they had killed
she despised wasting good food.
Betta' get talkin' boy...I've already half a mind t' squash dat head of yers simply fer standin' against me. But now yer arrogant silence mocks me. I aint standin' fer dat...so speak an HOPE DAT YER WORDS MAKE ME HAPPY!
At the last, Easy grabs a generous handful of Harris' shirt and raises his fist murderously high
RdMarquis
2015-03-24, 01:00 AM
Harris' nerve fails him in short order. The runner's eyes dart around, apparently looking for someone who isn't about to hurt him (and eat him, in Fluff's case). "L-look. What do y'all want me to say? Ain't y'all runners, too? Mr. Johnson never told us nothin'. They never do." He squirms briefly in Easy's grasp. "All they told us was, "retrieve the armor and gear intact, wait for delivery instructions." A hint of accusation shows through his fear. "What, did your boss say more than "guard the Red Sam stuff"?"
Jyssika
2015-03-24, 05:03 AM
Well you are lying to us about one thing,
Fluff smiled a cocky grin.
they told you how much you was being paid right?
RdMarquis
2015-03-25, 12:39 AM
"Now that's just splitting hairs." He says defensively. "Fine." Harris gives the team a resigned scowl. "It ain't like I'm being paid for loyalty, anyway." With some difficulty, he turns his head to regard Fluff. "It was 6500 per piece, by the way. Nuyen. He paid for his drinks with paper, though. Couldn't tell you what kind of bills." Harris looks doubtful at what he's telling the team, but has no intention of withholding anything from them.
"Yeah, we met in this little bar. Johnson was pretty typical, too. You know the type. Thirty-something human wageslave. There's probably a million guys like him at every megacorp. Only thing that stuck out was his pair of shades. He never took 'em off. That, and..." Harris narrows his eyes as he tries to remember. "Johnson had the bartender take us to a private room. He gave some kind of password. Didn't understand it myself, but a friend who was listening in reckons it was a Nahuatl phrase. That's one of the languages spoken down in Aztlan."
"But generally by the priests of the state religion." A new voice cuts in. Pandora's elf assistant walks over, dusting himself off. "With a few exceptions." He gives the runners a polite smile. "Richard Fermin, Charisma Associates." He hands Breakpoint a business card (actual paper, at that). "When you've finished your chat, I believe we may have some business of our own to discuss." He briefly exchanges a look with Harris, then excuses himself.
RdMarquis
2015-03-29, 05:29 AM
After the team...finishes with Harris, he is turned over to a waiting team of Knight Errant officers. More than a dozen of them are present at the set, owing to the nature of the disturbance. They are accompanied by a similarly large team of DocWagon paramedics. Fermin leaves his charge in the care of the latter while he waves the runners over to an improvised office.
"I'd like to begin by giving my compliments on your performance so far. You handled yourselves well, and defused the situation almost as soon as it began. Given that, I have a business proposition for you. As you may or may not be aware, your colleague Slade is currently employed by staff in charge of this film. Myself included. But rather than continue using an intermediary, I want to offer you the chance to work for us directly." Fermin glances at the set.
"In approximately three days, this operation will be returning to Los Angeles for the next phase of filming. And I want your team present during that time, in case of future incidents requiring your particular skills. I can offer you a retainer during the filming of Big Ben’s new movie, plus I can set up accommodations while you are working for me." He lowers his voice slightly. "There is also another matter which I believe you are uniquely equipped to deal with. But we can discuss that in Los Angeles, once all the involved parties are present."
Fermin glances between the three runners. "You currently stand to earn 1000 nuyen for each day you provide security on set, is that correct? I'm prepared to offer you the same, plus expenses."
Mtnoma
2015-03-29, 02:03 PM
Breakpoint nodded as Harris spoke, making a few mental notes about what he was saying. It wasn't much, but it was about as much as Break had on Slate, so it made about as much sense. He nodded, placing a hand on Harris' arm as if to placate him.
"Whiz, we appreciate the info, and that your compliance allowed us from having to resort to more... primal means. Apologies that we geeked the rest a your crew, but at least you get to live another day..."
He trailed off as Fermin passed his business card, and though Break's glasses hid his eyes he raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, turning the card over once or twice. He nodded and flashed a smile at the elf.
We'd be glad to join you, hope Ms. Pandora's not too shaken by the... 'incident'..."
==========
In the 'office' Breakpoint sat near the front, he'd holstered his weapons and reminded himself he'd need to reinvoke the Sky Father's blessings soon. As he finished listening to Fermin's offer he nodded slowly.
"I'd say that for now I tentatively accept, and we can confirm once we discuss the offer in LA. Aside from that I'm more than happy to go down to LA, it'll be a nice change of scenery"
he finished with a slow grin.
Jyssika
2015-03-29, 04:06 PM
Fluff shuddered, she didn't know much about LA but she knew it was hot.
Wolves, or long haired dogs in general, didn't particularly get along well with
baking hot sun and ninety degrees in the shade.
Easy would know, she kept her bedroom window open even in the dead of winter
and they had to keep the home heating on almost full just to keep Easy's parts
of their house from being cool enough to chill beers.
She shakes herself a little, trying to throw off her minor concerns and see the
bigger picture; work was work... And she liked travelling...
Easy smooths out his suit as Fermin approaches, trying to present a professional appearance
Heheh yeah dat cred sounds noice. I'm good wit it.
RdMarquis
2015-04-01, 03:58 AM
"Excellent." Fermin replies with a polite, but very satisfied smile. "I'll confirm the new arrangements with Slade, and I'll see you in Hollywood. Incidentally," his expression becomes thoughtful. "If you were wondering about the Nuhuatl speaking bar owner, he happens to be an acquaintance of mine. And several others who would prefer that A Fistful of Credsticks never reaches an audience. Needless to say, I'm quite sure the production of this film will see further...difficulties. But with your help, I'm equally sure we can overcome them." With that, he returns to Pandora's side.
Later that evening, the team learn the covered expenses Fermin mentioned happen to include plane fare. All three of them receive tickets for a flight to Los Angeles, scheduled for tomorrow morning. There is also a message, presumably from your new employer. <A Desperado will be meeting you in LA, along with your new teammates.> The attached image indicates Desperado is a troll in his thirties with slicked back hair.
Jyssika
2015-04-02, 06:07 AM
Wait what... We have to fly??
Im a wolf, not a bird!
Fluff was is a little irrate as the news hit her, she
had never had to fly before. She had invited
Breakpoint for dinner that night at her home
with which she shared with Easy, feeling it
might be worth getting to know him if he was
the only person they would know travelling half
way across the continent.
Although, he hadn't replied to her message saying
he would attend or not... or maybe she miss sent it
or perhaps he hadn't even got it... she wasn't very
good with her tech...
Eitherway it was her turn to cook and as such
were basically having meat with random insta cook
sides, everything from coleslaw, pickled eggs, garlic
bread, suishi and a few other obscure ones.
The meat though, that was the focal point of most of
her meals.
For them a medium rare beef steak, a pork chop with
brown crisp crackling and a huge turkey leg with
deep brown blistered skin.
Hers ofcourse were much bloodier.
Expecting company Fluff was wearing her full outdoor
clothes, a slightly strange sight for Easy since she had
not so long ago grow comfortable enough around him
to show some of her fur but long enough ago for it to
be strange for her to cover up so much in her own home.
Mtnoma
2015-04-03, 01:24 AM
Breakpoint rocked back in his chair and grinned at Fluff, amused by her alarm.
"Don't worry fuzzy, so long as our luck stays the same as current I'm sure everything will be wiz..."
Like Fluff, Breakpoint was a bit nervous about flying. He'd never left the city but he'd heard stories about planes and flying from Old Ghorren during his training. For Break the chance to leave was exciting, it meant he was really making his mark on the world. Now all he needed was some hard cash and a boost to his rep.
As the day's work came to an end Break sped home for some much needed R&R... which for him meant a quick power nap and then a quick meal to sate his hyperactive metabolism. However shortly after waking he received Fluff's invitation, and after a moment of contemplation decided to head out. It was easy enough to find the pair's address, and Break showed up in exactly the same attire he'd spent the day in. Though thankfully from the smell it seemed that he had washed his uniform.
If Break had any questions about Fluff's attire he didn't voice them, instead he flashed Easy and Fluff a quick smile.
"Appreciate the invite"
He said flashing his comm to Fluff, as he picked up the smell of the meal his eyes widened and he nodded in approval.
"Damn" he murmured
"Either you folks found out about my tech', or you folks eat like kings!"
Easy comes out from the tiny lavatory wearing track suit pants and a white t-shirt.
Wuzn't my idea but she insisted...
Half smiling Easy jerked a thumb at Fluzz as he sidled by to shake Breakpoint's hand
Welcome to Casa de Fluff! Wanna beer? I t'ink we even got da real stuff dis time!
Jyssika
2015-04-04, 06:19 PM
Fluff shrugs, as to the comment about eating like kings.
You have to be a King to eat, real food?
She looks a little confused, expecting everyone to eat like this.
Taking a seat at the table she takes a beer from Easy, she didn't
particularly understand the concept of drinking but he was slowly
trying to teach her metahuman customs.
Sticking a fork into one of the side dish plates and pulling out a
pickled onion she looked at him.
What tech?
She starts eating but keeps her eyes on Breakpoint still confused about his
statement.
Mtnoma
2015-04-05, 12:26 AM
Breakpoint shook Easy's hand, trying not to flinch against the powerful handshake. As the pair started to eat he snatched up a half dozen sushi and one of the beer's Easy had offered, at Fluff's question Breakpoint chuckled, tossing one of the sushi pieces into his mouth. After chewing for a moment he glanced over to her.
"Not people from my style of life, that's for sure. Most survive off processed krill an soy products"
He paused to continue chewing, clearly Breakpoint was enjoying the 'true food'
"You get tired of the texture of krill after a while, least the flavours keep it interesting. This is a very wiz change of pace for me."
At her other question Breakpoint reached up and pulled down his shirt a tad, revealing his collarbone and a thin white scar-line above it.
"I'm a bit aug'd up, mostly rewards from old runs. This here is a supra... tyroid or something, don't recall what the full name was. Long story short it gives me an extra dose of adrenaline and reactive ability, at the cost of a hyperactive metabolism, but really the pros outweigh the cons, an krill is filling when you're always hungry"
He took a bite out of his turkey and chewed contemplatively before swallowing.
"Though this real foodstuff is a welcome treat"
Jyssika
2015-04-05, 03:19 AM
Fluff smiled, then chuckled and finally blushed as
Breakpoint complemented her food the first, second
and finally thrid time. He reminded her a little of one
of her former pack members, always so greatful when
she shared a particularly pleasant tasting kill with him.
Just keep eating as much as you like, there are plenty
more sides and cuts of meat if we finish all this and
it only takes a moment to cook the beef and a tiny
bit longer for the rest.
Throughout the evening Fluff will mostly listen, occasionally
adding to conversations she has something to add to but
smiling even if she has no idea what they are talking about.
Easy had gotten pretty good at recognising when she was
and explaining anything she might not entirely understand
without making her feel too stupid.
If plates were cleared she would offer more, returning with
another platter of meats whilst they enjoyed the sides, the
house was very open plan so she wasn't ever really out of
earshot and always tried to keep up with their conversations.
Oh youse wanna talk mods? See dis here? pointing to a long thin scar just under his bicep vat-grown and matched! I gots dese all over! Plus dey's braided and twined fer extra tensile pull, makes me stronger AN' more nimble! Den dey's da lil pin-hole marks all up an' down m'spine. Dats where dey amped up my reactions. Deres othah stuffs too...but deys strictly utilitarian Easy shuffles off to the kitchenette and pulls a large metal plate from the cabinet and dishes up some sushi, beef, and coleslaw
Mmmf, dif if fom good ftuff! Needf fom carbfs doe. <chomp chomp> Mebbe nexft time I'll make fom rigatoni wif a lemon-chile pefto and grated eggsf. As Easy describes the dish he holds up his left hand, palm upward pinching his middle finger and thumb. Jusft da way Momma made it haw haw haw!
Mtnoma
2015-04-13, 03:29 PM
Breakpoint cracked a grin at Fluff's words "Sounds wiz. I'll keep it in mind"
As Easy showed off his implants Break nodded, and a flicker of recognition passed his face. Though in his attire it wasn't as easy for him to show the similar scars under his arm he tilted his head at Easy's talk of his own cooking.
"Gotta say from the way you two talk I'm guessing you aren't from around these parts? Where about's did you come from?"
Jyssika
2015-04-17, 10:41 AM
Fluff eases back down into her chair at the table;
bringing back a few more sides, a second portion
of steaks for Breakpoint and some pretty rare
looking cuts of meat for herself.
Despite the rather... primitive... nature of her
choice of food she is eating quite civilized, certainly
more than Easy would be used to. Clearly another
effort she is making for their guest.
Her eyes watch Easy, she had never seen someone
tell anybody where they were from before, in person
anyway... She contemplated herself, where was she
from? The idea of Territory was a strange concept to
wolves, she was nomadic with her pack and stalked
herds as they migrated ... She had only really lived
in Seattle for a few months now, and she was already
migrating to a new city to follow work.
She still didn't know to trust Breakpoint or not, he seemed
genuine but he didn't appeal to her in the same way Easy
had done... It almost felt like Easy couldn't lie, like she
could trust him to be true to his nature... but humans
felt more coy, like they could lie to her... Lying was a very
civil thing, of all the new sapiant things she had learned in
the past few years lying was perhaps the one she disliked
the most. Wolves didn't lie.
She looked at her suit, head to toe her body was covered...
Concealed and hidden. Her hands held a knife and a fork,
she sat on a chair and spoke in English... She was a wolf,
and we was lying... She shuddered, and tried to put the
thought out of her mind.
RdMarquis
2015-04-17, 08:37 PM
Los Angeles, February 10th, 2073, 6:28 AM.
As it happens, there is a reason Mitchell called Remy before sunup. With that enormous grin unchanging, he informs the mage that the meeting and start of the proposed run is that very morning. 10:30 AM, at the El Toro Airport. A man named Desperado will be waiting for him at Gate 3A. The picture he sends depicts another troll with slicked back hair and chrome shades.
10:25 AM.
Mr. Fermin's travel accommodations are simple, but probably necessary. The cargo being guarded by the team can't be trusted to a commercial flight. They fly in a small chartered plane instead, which in all fairness, does provide a comfortable ride. The troll from Remy's picture greets the team as they dismbark, wearing chrome shades and a leather jacket, in defiance of the growing heat of the day. "The name's Desperado. Nice to meet ya. Thought you should know, your pal Fermin hired a couple of local runners to round out your team. They should be showing up any minute now..."
Desperado reaches for his commlink. "In the meantime, it looks like Fermin also got you some invites to P2.0. You’d best be installing that, given the crowd you’ll be hanging out with. Just don’t get too comfortable with it, unless you get a following like me. You’ll probably only get fifteen minutes of fame before losing your subscription. No worries though, it’s not for everyone." The devices of each runner indicate that he has sent them a file.
Opening and installing P2.0 adds a new icon to the commlink’s AR, consisting of three concentric colored rings, each one with a numeric value inside. The numbers represent how popular the user is and how connected they are down in California. The center ring shows how close they are to Horizon CEO Gary Cline, the next ring is for Membership, or how many people are on their personal network, and the outer ring represents their Subscription, which is the percentage of viewers.
“You’re probably asking yourself right now what these rings are all about,” says a recording of a man decked out like a parody of a movie agent, complete with shades and antiquated cell phone.
“Through each ring you can see in more detail what the value is made up of. And here,” the agent directs you inside the P2.0 network, “this gray stick figure, which you can personalize, represents you in reference to the rest of the network. Trifling, no? Well, fear not, there’s a placeholder for blogging and me-feeds, allowing me to manage links to other blogs and videos that reference you or your P2.0 ID." He taps a button on his phone, and many other stick figures appear around the user's.
"As for viewers, they’re the rest of the network who want to watch your P2.0 channel (me-feed and blog). I also handle the compiling of multiple videos on the P2.0 network to make for a more contiguous video feed. It keeps people from changing channels too often.” The lecture ends there, but afterwards, the agent begins asking permission to broadcast to other devices. Every commlink or drone within range, actually.
TheMightyQuinn
2015-04-18, 09:40 AM
Remy
*Accepting the data transfer with a smile, Remy checks the time and route with his mapsofts. 0600? Plenty of time to get ready.*
"Wiz. Mitchell, you're a saint among men. I will have to express my gratitude properly later, but for now, how about breakfast on me, eh?"
*With a couple mental clicks, he beams a couple hundred nuyen the fixers way and can't help but feel a twinge as his the cred balance plummets even farther. This job had better pay well, or he'd have to choose between paying rent and the ability to walk.*
*As Mitchels smile faded from view, Remy padded softly back out to the main room where his newfound friend from the night before slept, snoring loudly. He couldn't help but chuckle and held a steaming cup of 'kaf under her nose, the pungent smell almost as good as smelling salts.*
"Hoi, time to get up. I've got work."
"Mmmf? Don't you know it's rude to wake a girl like that? You got anything better than 'kaf?"
*With a snort, he moves over to the small closet and pulls a small black duffel from it, unloading his guns and cleaning equipment deftly onto the synthwood desk he'd pieced together.*
"Don't you know beggars can't be choosers? It was fun, but I said I have work. Get dressed, and go home."
*The big woman almost started to protest, but with a quick turn, Remy raised the shotgun up to look down the barrel as it's pointed toward the light, pausing to meet her eyes as he lowered it, letting a bit of the power he always felt at the back of his mind flow into his eyes, causing them to flash with barely restrained power and the words caught in her mouth.*
"It's rude to overstay your welcome. Get out. Now."
--
"Dumb goose."
*Slamming the steel door behind the woman, Remy slid the heavy bolts into place and turned his sound filters on to block everything out as he sat down to clean the guns, a small stack of metal tags on the desk as he works. One name after another, he slowly remembers lost friends, the words rolling off his tounge like a matra, but every one focused and intent. It was no mindless repetition.*
*Eventually, his ritual complete, Remy suits up and looks at himself in the mirror. Reaching out, he takes hold of his power and shapes it with a familiar routine, and a small expenditure of energy later, he stands wearing jeans and a thin hoodie with a picture of a nun kissing a shotgun on the back. With a smile and a nod, he grabs his duffle and heads out the door for the meet. A brisk walk would clear the last of the cobwebs from his head before the meet.*
*Stopping outside the el Toro Airport, Remy swipes a few creds to rent one of the storage lockers for an hour and stows his duffel there before trying to walk through the doors. It wouldn't do to get pegged by security in an airport packing heat, after all. He'd just have to pick up the gear before leaving. Flipping on his visual spotter software, he runs the picture of Desperado, and has a hit within five minutes - the troll sure doesn't care about being spotted. 'course the jobs were usually strange here. People were all focused on getting famous. It was all about apearance.*
*Sending a ping to Desperados comm, Seriously? What is he, a cowboy? Alright, Eastwood, he strolls over to the group and looks at the others with interest. Troll and a couple norms. Interesting.*
"Oi chummers. A friend of a friend said you were in need of some local hands. I'm here to help."
Jyssika
2015-04-18, 01:10 PM
Back in time.
Fluff goes about providing for the two men the rest of
the evening, Easy continuing to ply poor Breakpoint with
an ample supply of beer whilst his Troll physique absorbs
the ammount he drinks like a plant does water.
Breakpoint might have drunk it all, or maybe he poured it
down the sink when no one was watching... likewise he
may have actually have been a little tipsy, or perhaps he
was just loosening up as a show of familiarity to his two
companions.
Eitherway the night seemed to have been a success and
Fluff was happy enough when they bundled Breakpoint into
a pre-paid Taxi so he could go home and pack for their trip
the next morning.
Easy, come on! Get your ass out of bed!
Whether he was still in bed or packing, she had no idea...
They had agreed not to walk in on each other in their rooms
something Fluff did not yet understand about meta's is they
didnt particularly feel entirely comfortable naked in each others
company... Although from the number of reasurances she had
given Easy on the size of his reproductive organs he still didn't
seem comfortable with her for a few days after that incident...
She had a taxi booked, no idea where they were going or when
they should be there. On second thought perhaps 6:00 AM was
a little early, Easy liked to sleep in... but... Well she was a little
confused by the travelling thing!
---
Present.
Fluff tilts her head, not quite sure about this strange human-y
person greeting them... He smells wrong to be a human...
She pulls at her neckline, a little agitated there are even more
new people to lie to about what she actually is and
watches him intently, she already knew people with astral sight
could see what she was and she was looking for any strange
expressions to indicate anyone could infact see.
She didn't say or do anything, just stood at the back, Easy was
the talkative one... she let him do the introductions.
Mtnoma
2015-04-20, 09:53 PM
The Morning Past[b]
Breakpoint stirred with a low groan as he stumbled out of bed. His head felt like someone had used it to put nails into a wall and he blinked rapidly as he struggled to focus his vision. He could remember a few things from the night before, some laughter and being plied with booze. Getting a sense of camaraderie and... who had he hit on? Was it Fluff? Sky-Father he hoped it hadn't been on Easy. Scratching his head he spent a few minutes rummaging around his belongings to find a half empty bottle of decent scotch. Pouring himself a few fingers he slugged the drink back and felt it burn down him, after a few minutes of the spirit making it's way through him, the pain in his head died down enough that he could focus on packing and getting ready for his flight. He packed light, a casual outfit and another set of "work clothes" all stuffed into a shoulder bag and he was out the door...
[b]At the Present
Breakpoint squinted from the sun's glare, even through his shades. He was slightly regretting the fact that his work attire was a heavy black leather duster, but it did afford the concealment he needed. Trying not to sweat too much Breakpoint nodded to Desperado and the newcomers, then glanced down at his comm to scan the upgrade he'd just been given. Cracking a smile he glanced at the new team.
"Wiz, good ta meet ya. Name's Breakpoint, I shoot, and I shoot damn well. Hope we get on well"
RdMarquis
2015-04-28, 01:08 AM
A few hours earlier...
Discretion is the first rule when travelling with Richard Fermin. Not that a group of runners would be unused to the idea. As it happens, 6 AM was the perfect time for the trip to the SEATac airport. Though the place was always running, at that hour there are few people to notice the team being met by a Charisma Associates employee and led to a private runway. No dealing with airport security, either, aside from a once-over with the Horizon contact's commlink. It seems the team is trusted.
However, Mr. Fermin is not around to meet them in person. The small chartered plane is crewed by just two pilots, not counting the man who loads your luggage and directs Big Easy to a seat that won't unbalance the vehicle. Instead, the team's current employer has left a brief note (electronic paper) explaining what he and the company expect of you.
"Although you will be asked to continue providing security for Mr. Howard's film set, you'll recall that I requested your assistance in dealing with another matter. A certain individual is threatening to release certain information on a cast member, presumably in another attempt at sabotaging the movie. What I ask is for this data to be retrieved without anyone learning of it, especially through the Matrix. It goes without saying that you are to keep any knowledge of this situation to yourselves as necessary."
The note includes photos of two people. Desperado, the contact at the airport, and a dwarf in an expensive looking suit. He is identified as one Andre Giles. The team are to meet him later in the evening to discuss the second request further.
Cramped conditions aside, the plane ride is comfortable enough. There's even an in-flight movie. It's well and truly morning by the time it lands in Los Angeles. In reversal of their departure, they are quietly escorted through a back door and into the airport proper, where Desperado is waiting for them.
TheMightyQuinn
2015-04-30, 08:10 PM
Remy
"Breakpoint, eh? If you shoot half as good as you think you can, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. I hate it when I catch a round from behind because some skag thought they could get a trick shot over my shoulder or some drek."
*Reaching up to unconciously massage a spot on his right shoulder, he grins, giving the man in the black leather coat a confused look. Didn't he know where he'd be ending up? Who dresses like that in this heat?*
"'course, drek happens. I don't hold a grudge. You uh... you're gonna be miserable in that getup unless you've got built in fans or something there chum. I might be able to help a bit with that later."
*Looking slowly between the group, he makes small mental notes about each of them, and the talents they may have. The big troll had a hand to one ear, his mouth moving silently as he apparently had an arguement with someone over his comm.
It was just a wild guess, but Remy would put money on the fact that he didn't want to be within reach of the bruiser when he started swinging.
There was a woman standing with him. quiet, though Remy could see that she held herself unconciously alert. Balanced on the balls of her feet, ready to move, her eyes scanning her surroundings without haste. Interesting.*
"Seems like your rather large and intimidating boyfriend is a bit busy, miss. You gonna play the mime game? I don't bite. Never know what drek somebodys been in."
*Pausing a moment to hold his hands up to show that they're empty, he stuffs them into the pockets of his jeans and strolls towards the group. It was about as unthreatening as he could be.*
"Working with new folks ain't ever a good time, but I think we're all professional enough to keep our distrust at least civil, yeah?"
*Turning to face Desperado, he verifies the man with the image Mitchell had sent over and nods slowly.*
"Yep. Right guy. Right place. So, what're we waiting for?"
Jyssika
2015-05-03, 04:42 PM
Fluff gives Remy an edgy look; recognizably pissed at
his cocky attitude. She felt like an arctic wolf in LA, she
was an arctic wolf in LA...
Fluff... and I think my roommate would prefer a girlfriend
who didn't shoot people for making bad jokes.
TheMightyQuinn
2015-05-03, 07:14 PM
Remy
*Remy can't help but smile at the woman's attitude. He'd obviously done something that rubbed her the wrong way, but it was a necessity - standing around staring at each other would only draw attention, even in the modern Era of come links and AR.*
"I'm sure you would know better than I would..."
*Meeting her gaze without pausing, he stares hard and let's a small flash of light play over his eyes as he spoke.*
"But I do know that it's never a good idea to threaten people you don't know anything about. There are a lot of things in this world that bullets only piss off. Follow?"
RdMarquis
2015-05-04, 03:24 AM
"Right." Perhaps Desperado is trying to defuse the situation. Or he wants his responsibilities complete before this becomes one of them. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to where your stuff is being unloaded." He walks through another side door, to where a pair of SUVs are parked. One black and tricked out, another blue and basic in model. A pair of drones are loading the now familiar armor cases into the latter.
Directing them is a human girl in wearing the blue jumpsuit of the airport maintenance staff. Desperado calls out to her as he leads the team over. "Mal!" She frowns briefly and adjusts her glasses. "Mallory. But to you, it's Lilac." The troll turns to the runners. "You needed a hacker. And Lilac is one of the best. Touchy," he smirks, "but one of the best."
Desperado hands a set of keys to the nearest runner. "They budgeted you this sad little Jackrabbit for your stay here. Hell with that. Just make sure you bring the SUV back in one piece." He walks toward the black vehicle. "Now, I'm no tour guide, and your ride's GPS is programmed with directions to your hotel, and the movie set. But you can call me in an emergency." And the teams' P2.0 icons indicate you have a Member request from him. "Adios, and good hunting."
With that, he drives off.
Lilac clears her throat and offers her hand. "Good morning. How do you do?"
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