The Eighth Sin {CPR, IC}

[Lentrax]

Good Morrrrrrnig Niiight City! It's 8 in the A.M. and its time for First Shift! It's ya boy H-Town, and I am ripped and rarin' to go, getting your cold, soggy streetbutts to work! If you got a couple eddies, maybe grabba cuppa soycaf and warm that derriere to just under room temperature!

First order of business this morning: last nights body count! In case you're part of the office pool, or in the market for some fresh parts, last nights official body count was two-hundred sixty-seven! The bodybanks should have those parts stripped by lunch and sterilized for perusal by dinner!

Coming up after the first music break, everything you need to know about the NCPD response to the explosive gogang battle through the streets of Japantown, ending on the road leading up to North Oaks!


Morning in Night City is only different from night in Night City based on how hard you partied the night before, which determines how painful the sunlight is on your eyes.

None the less, it is morning, and you do have to get up and work. Whether that is legitimate work, morally grey work, or straight up illegal. You gotta make enough eddies to buy kibble.

Whatever the case my be, your heads-up chronometer says its 11:27 in the morning when your holo rings. Your identifier daemon notifies you that it is Curie, a fixer you know.

"Hey," the female voice says. "Got a job. Nothing big or flashy, but it comes with a decent pile of eddies and the client says good work will go far to getting the followup. If you're interested, flash me back and we'll meet at the Naughty Apple at noon."

You know the Naughty Apple. Its a decent bar, not quite a dive, but they make some of their own hooch (unlicensed, drink at your own risk). The bar is under the protection of the local posergang, the Court. The court is led by a woman who goes by Mal, short for Maleficent. Why? Because the Court have all made themselves appear, with cosmetic procedures and some implants, as royal characters from Disney movies.

Either way, you've got about a half hour to get to the Apple. Assuming you want the work.

[Inspector Valin]

"You know I'm down, C! Guess I'll... C-you there."

Raz laughs as she cuts the flash, grinning to herself as she starts getting ready. New job, new chances - she's met Curie before but it'll pay to create a good impression! A tap on her Agent's screen produces a beat as she makes for the wardrobe - the device pulling the name of the club to start some appropriate music going while she got changed, Raz joining in with gusto.

"They say I'm trouble
They say I'm bad
They say I'm evil
And that makes me glad"

Rainbow's at the Apple in twenty, rocking her traditional dark blue coat with the flare-trim dress pants and good shoes. She's opted for a slightly more formal shirt to complete the look, ruffled and lacy with a worked in faux-crevat - while she's not going to be mistaken for one of the Court, hopefully her vibe will blend in nicely with the club's usual aesthetic. She's muttering the words to the song as she draws closer to the front door, grinning.

"A dirty no-good
Down to the bone
Your worst nightmare
Can't take me home"

Raz strolls through the door with an easy confidence, looking around to get the lay of the land. She's a little relived by the choice of meeting spot - the Court aren't known for their augs, just their bodysculpting, so she's pretty sure the Inquisitors never singled them out. Always a chance someone had a bad run in, recognized her and she'd need to smooth things over but with a little luck this whole thing will keep going smooth as silk. She glances wistfully at the bar. A drink would be nice for her nerves, time be damned, but right before a meeting? Some things are too foolish even for Rainbow. Instead, she takes a seat in the corner, mouthing the words to herself and bobbing her head in time to the music.

"I'm rotten to the core, core
Rotten to the core!
I'm rotten to the core, core
Who could ask for more?"

[Volthawk]

Amir was a little worse for wear when the call from Curie comes through. Not too bad, he didn't push it too far last night, but it was still enough to feel it in the morning. Still, this was why mirrorshades were invented. "Yeah, I'm in." He was spending enough time in the city these days that he'd started renting a container in the outskirts of the city, which while convenient meant that he had to pay rent, so the promise of a job was welcome.

Pulling up outside the bar, he pauses before getting out of the car to consider the issue of appearance. Not in terms of clothes and look, of course, that was sorted already, but the important part - hardware. The Apple was the kind of place where you might be able to get away with going in unarmed, if you had faith that the Court could handle any trouble, but at the same time you wouldn't get kicked out for bringing your own protection. So it was a question of style and appearance - if he wanted to go as someone who had good weapons and knew how to use it, or as someone more low-key.

When he put it like that, it wasn't really a question that needed much thought, so when he walks inside the Apple, he's armed - his shotgun slung over his back and his blade on his side. There was a chance that the Court would still take offence, but that was the kind of thing that was their problem unless they tried to make it his. Scanning the room for Curie, he gives Raz a nod of recognition when he notices her. It was a good omen for the job - he'd worked with her before, and she was a damn good shot with that rifle of hers. If he doesn't spot Curie, he walks over to Raz to wait with her.

[davyjones]

Johnny's in the middle of dictating the previous day's session notes to his agent when the call comes through; with a sigh, he tells the agent to pause the recording and answers. Curie's a good fixer in his mind; she rarely gives out crap jobs and has a good mind for finding the right job for her crews and solo, so he's always happy to work for her. She's not the only fixer in his contacts, but she's, by far, his favorite.

The medtech marks his notes and recording for later completion, grabs his windbreaker and ball cap and heads out the door to hop on NCRT. Thankfully, his agent says the Naughty Apple isn't far, so a half-hour is plenty of time to get there. He knows little about the place, although he remembers helping a member of that posergang...the Court, he thinks. Yes, that's the one. The girl was on the edge of cyberpsychosis, and he was able to coax her back to this side of reality, at least for a while. He never had an opportunity to follow up with them to see how she was doing, although, in retrospect, that was probably for the best. Johnny's not sure they liked him all that much...

The jaunt from the NCRT to the bar is short, thankfully, and Johnny slips inside. He spies Rainbow and Amir almost immediately, but not the Madame herself just yet, so he joins the pair where they've gathered.

"Hey, choombas. How goes it?" he asks.

[Inspector Valin]

"Jay! Ahy!"

Rainbow mimes raising a glass to the pair as they move to join her. At least Curie's putting her in good company. She moves further into the corner, making room for the pair and nodding to Johnny's question. "Pretty good. Been weighing buying a body lotto ticket. Just 'cos we don't have an office, doesn't mean we should miss out on the game, right?"

She glances down to her agent, looking over the announced stats for the week so far pensively. "What're you thinking for Sunday? High or low?"

[Lentrax]

Amir was a little worse for wear when the call from Curie comes through. Not too bad, he didn't push it too far last night, but it was still enough to feel it in the morning. Still, this was why mirrorshades were invented. "Yeah, I'm in." He was spending enough time in the city these days that he'd started renting a container in the outskirts of the city, which while convenient meant that he had to pay rent, so the promise of a job was welcome.

Pulling up outside the bar, he pauses before getting out of the car to consider the issue of appearance. Not in terms of clothes and look, of course, that was sorted already, but the important part - hardware. The Apple was the kind of place where you might be able to get away with going in unarmed, if you had faith that the Court could handle any trouble, but at the same time you wouldn't get kicked out for bringing your own protection. So it was a question of style and appearance - if he wanted to go as someone who had good weapons and knew how to use it, or as someone more low-key.

When he put it like that, it wasn't really a question that needed much thought, so when he walks inside the Apple, he's armed - his shotgun slung over his back and his blade on his side. There was a chance that the Court would still take offence, but that was the kind of thing that was their problem unless they tried to make it his. Scanning the room for Curie, he gives Raz a nod of recognition when he notices her. It was a good omen for the job - he'd worked with her before, and she was a damn good shot with that rifle of hers. If he doesn't spot Curie, he walks over to Raz to wait with her.

No one says anything about the weapons as you walk into the Apple. Elsa gives you a look that lets you know that she is watching you, and Snow White sizes you up and down as you walk in, but no one actually says anything to you.


Johnny's in the middle of dictating the previous day's session notes to his agent when the call comes through; with a sigh, he tells the agent to pause the recording and answers. Curie's a good fixer in his mind; she rarely gives out crap jobs and has a good mind for finding the right job for her crews and solo, so he's always happy to work for her. She's not the only fixer in his contacts, but she's, by far, his favorite.

The medtech marks his notes and recording for later completion, grabs his windbreaker and ball cap and heads out the door to hop on NCRT. Thankfully, his agent says the Naughty Apple isn't far, so a half-hour is plenty of time to get there. He knows little about the place, although he remembers helping a member of that posergang...the Court, he thinks. Yes, that's the one. The girl was on the edge of cyberpsychosis, and he was able to coax her back to this side of reality, at least for a while. He never had an opportunity to follow up with them to see how she was doing, although, in retrospect, that was probably for the best. Johnny's not sure they liked him all that much...

The jaunt from the NCRT to the bar is short, thankfully, and Johnny slips inside. He spies Rainbow and Amir almost immediately, but not the Madame herself just yet, so he joins the pair where they've gathered.

"Hey, choombas. How goes it?" he asks.

You aren't entirely certain, but you think you see the girl you counseled. Ariel, you think it was. But you can't be certain, because she hurriedly turned around and went back the way she came, out the back of the bar.


"Jay! Ahy!"

Rainbow mimes raising a glass to the pair as they move to join her. At least Curie's putting her in good company. She moves further into the corner, making room for the pair and nodding to Johnny's question. "Pretty good. Been weighing buying a body lotto ticket. Just 'cos we don't have an office, doesn't mean we should miss out on the game, right?"

She glances down to her agent, looking over the announced stats for the week so far pensively. "What're you thinking for Sunday? High or low?"

"Take the smart money," a woman's voice says, coming from the bar's backroom. "And hold onto your eddies. Guessing the body count of Night City is a sure way to lose it all. NCPD rigs the numbers anyway. It's all to make them look good."

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSXEgvqCmwS426dS9xQMiWgcjP9v3Vpb 7RCNa9sv7WCIrpHMo5qcR4Q7If8DN2QjLZiaEA&usqp=CAU

She steps out from the bar and over to your table. She slides into the open seat, and gives a nod of her head to a slightly more cybered version of Hercules. He nods back, and one of his eyes glows with a inner bluish glow, a visual cue to those around him that he is accessing the local Net.

Curie turns her attention back to the three of you and slides three datashards onto the table with a calm, "Slot them in."

You do so, and in your virtual vision, your mind's eye, you see a woman in her apparent mid-twenties.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/35/54/6c/35546ced3b806cca90dfe35ae14e739e.jpg

Curie starts speaking. "This is one Miss Ashlynn Verasti. Daughter of Mrs. Ceralee Verasti, one of Biotechnica's chief researchers. Miss Ashlynn has a problem. For the past five months, someone has been breaking into her apartment and trashing the place."

Pictures of various crime scenes begin flashing across your vision, and you can select and go back and forth between them. "No theft has been reported, but after moving four times, and the pattern repeating itself, she is convinced that she has a stalker. Now I know what you're thinking. Why not call in Danger Girl. Simple. She doesn't want the publicity. She thinks it is a hardcore stalker of some kind and doesn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to her."

At the end of the file list is a simple text document.

"Also attached is a list of some of her more.... ardent soc followers, as well as a couple of folks she has had relations to in the past who may have developed an... attachement."

You hear the click of a lighter. When you look out into reality again, you see the Curie has lit up a cigarette and the various chemicals are reacting with her sythhair implants, causing them to subtly shift colors.

"Any questions?"

[Inspector Valin]

"Free advice! I knew you were the best, C!"

Rainbow grins as the fixer approaches. Unlike her friends, she has to slot the shard directly into her agent, studying the tablet screen with a pensive look, her mood visibly draining as the assignment's explained to them. "Parasocial BS. Somedays I'm sure happy I'm nobody."

For a second, Raz loses herself staring at Curie's shifting hair with an oddly awed look. Finally though the ex-Inquisitor brings herself back to reality with a rap of one hand on her forehead, nodding to her fixer. "Got a few. First, what's endgame here? You want an ident on the perp? Motive confirmation? A handoff to NCPD with an evidence file? How far are we taking this?"

She'd hazard a guess a 'nice, well bred' corpo like Ash Verasti probably wouldn't be making this a hit job, but... hey, you never know. Raz continues, "Next. If we're snooping, we might end up digging up more info on the Verastis. It'd sure be nice if we could just work down the namelist and find our target, but it sounds like the stalker thing is basically a guess. It's a good guess, if I had to it's the one I'd make too but we can't be sure of that just yet." The Solo lets out a long breath. "Hopefully I'm worrying over nothing, but I like to cover bases. This okay? If not, any firm 'leave it alone' limits?"

Her third question, 'how much does this pay?' can go unspoken for now. It's important but mission parameters come first. Don't set those out right, piss off the client and you can end up with a big fat zero payout. Not something an Edgerunner can afford easily.

[Volthawk]

Amir looks at the photo thoughtfully. Good-looking woman. "Daughter of a chief researcher, huh?" He knew more than most people what effects the corporate lives of the parent can do to the child. He glances over at Johnny - he was like Amir in that regard. "If her mother's work is involved, is the priority getting the job done or leaving Biotechnica business alone?" Corpo types could get funny about things if it looked like it could mess with their meal ticket. It was worth knowing the lines now rather than it causing problems between them and the people paying them later on. "Who's paying us, anyway? Her personally, or her parent's eddies?"

Rainbow had already asked the other main question that came to mind - what exactly they wanted done - but unlike her he was expecting a more violent endgame. Team like this felt like the kind you put together if someone was going to get hurt. "What about the people on the lists? Any conditions for how we treat them? Girl might not be happy with some of her followers getting the heavy treatment, want us to take a softer approach, or maybe she's fine with whatever happens. Worth knowing which it is."

[Lentrax]

"Clients paid me for the anonymous treat," Cutie says, blowing out a stream of smoke. "So, you don't get to know where the eddies are from. But I vetted the client in person."

"Endgame on this job is ultimately going to depend on what is the cause of the break-ins. Going into Biotechnica biz is a no-go. Ceralee has agreed to a short interview, long as you are discreet about it. And I've been able to tell you that if you can manage to pull the job without media blowback to Biotechnica there is a bonus."

She takes another drag on her cigarette. "Which brings us to the brass tacks. I'm authorized for three grand up front. An additional four grand upon successful resolution. And, the possibility of the bonus."

[Inspector Valin]

"Oh, you know we're hunting for that bonus, Cee." Rainbow grins with a confidence she doesn't quite feel. Seven k total for three runners? It's not crazy but it seems too good for the job as outlined. No firefight, no extraction, no opposition, just basic investigative work and discretion? It was a red flag, and an anonymous client rather than the daughter herself was another.

But... Curie was a good fixer. Friendly, helpful and upfront. Raz liked her a lot. She was cool, effortless and collected in a way the ex-gang kid could still only aspire to be. And it's not like she could afford to turn down that many eurobucks. With one final glance to the other two, she nods. "I'm in."

She takes a breath at that, glancing down at the spot where her drink would've been (if she'd ordered one) before returning to Curie "Do the Media have any clue that something's off yet? Do family members at this level get watched closely?" She glances over to her friendly local cyberpsycosis therapist with an apologetic frown. "I'd usually suggest you be the one for that interview Johnny - you know your way around corpo stuff and questions are what you do. But if you're seen talking with Ceralee, and a watching Media or Netrunner tags your profession..."

She might be worrying unduly - Johnny had given her the whole speech about client confidentiality before when she signed up with him. But back then Rainbow didn't have an unspecified bonus riding on the therapist's skill at keeping his work anonymous. At least if she or Amir did it they'd be anonymous strangers, right?

[davyjones]

OOC: Meta moment...I was reading the last posts while my screen was loading between CP2077 scenes. ;)

"Let's not be so hasty with the stalker angle," Johnny counters. "While some elements of these crime scenes could fit a stalker, the fact that nothing has been taken gives me pause. A superfan, someone who wants a piece of Miss Verasti, would likely keep something...or even leave something - speaking of, Curie, was there any evidence of bugs being planted, cameras or the like?

"A superfan stalker is invested in their target's life, and wants to be more intimately involved in it. It makes me think the destructiveness of the break-ins is something other than that," he continues. "A jilted ex-lover, or perhaps a disgruntled ex-fan, would be feasible. But, we can't discount a more...professional reason, either. Ties to her mother's work, maybe, or rivals in her soc scene. Let's not go down so narrow a path that we miss the right one all together.

"We should meet with Miss Verasti first, then look at any surveillance in the area that might be useful - if we can access any, that is."

[Lentrax]

"Oh, you know we're hunting for that bonus, Cee." Rainbow grins with a confidence she doesn't quite feel. Seven k total for three runners? It's not crazy but it seems too good for the job as outlined. No firefight, no extraction, no opposition, just basic investigative work and discretion? It was a red flag, and an anonymous client rather than the daughter herself was another.

But... Curie was a good fixer. Friendly, helpful and upfront. Raz liked her a lot. She was cool, effortless and collected in a way the ex-gang kid could still only aspire to be. And it's not like she could afford to turn down that many eurobucks. With one final glance to the other two, she nods. "I'm in."

She takes a breath at that, glancing down at the spot where her drink would've been (if she'd ordered one) before returning to Curie "Do the Media have any clue that something's off yet? Do family members at this level get watched closely?" She glances over to her friendly local cyberpsycosis therapist with an apologetic frown. "I'd usually suggest you be the one for that interview Johnny - you know your way around corpo stuff and questions are what you do. But if you're seen talking with Ceralee, and a watching Media or Netrunner tags your profession..."

She might be worrying unduly - Johnny had given her the whole speech about client confidentiality before when she signed up with him. But back then Rainbow didn't have an unspecified bonus riding on the therapist's skill at keeping his work anonymous. At least if she or Amir did it they'd be anonymous strangers, right?

"If the media had any idea about this, then I would assume there would not be a possibility for a bonus to keep it out of the media."


OOC: Meta moment...I was reading the last posts while my screen was loading between CP2077 scenes. ;)

"Let's not be so hasty with the stalker angle," Johnny counters. "While some elements of these crime scenes could fit a stalker, the fact that nothing has been taken gives me pause. A superfan, someone who wants a piece of Miss Verasti, would likely keep something...or even leave something - speaking of, Curie, was there any evidence of bugs being planted, cameras or the like?

"A superfan stalker is invested in their target's life, and wants to be more intimately involved in it. It makes me think the destructiveness of the break-ins is something other than that," he continues. "A jilted ex-lover, or perhaps a disgruntled ex-fan, would be feasible. But, we can't discount a more...professional reason, either. Ties to her mother's work, maybe, or rivals in her soc scene. Let's not go down so narrow a path that we miss the right one all together.

"We should meet with Miss Verasti first, then look at any surveillance in the area that might be useful - if we can access any, that is."

"I assume this means you are in?" Curie points a finger at Johnny, and her eyes flash red. Instantaneously, the contact info for Ceralee Verasti appears in your agent. "One more thing. I got a contact, Jesslyn. They are one of my sources in the NCPD. They will be able to get you crime scene reports from the previous break-ins."

Curie puts the cigarette out in the ashtray. "Any other questions?"

[davyjones]

"I assume this means you are in?" Curie points a finger at Johnny, and her eyes flash red.

"Of course, I'm in," the medtech says, smiling. He looks to his friends for their confirmation.


Instantaneously, the contact info for Ceralee Verasti appears in your agent. "One more thing. I got a contact, Jesslyn. They are one of my sources in the NCPD. They will be able to get you crime scene reports from the previous break-ins."

Curie puts the cigarette out in the ashtray. "Any other questions?"

Johnny shakes his head negatively.

[Volthawk]

Amir thinks it over and nods. There was still something about this he couldn't put his finger on, but the money was good enough to overlook it for now. They could handle themselves if things went south, anyway. "Yeah, I'm in."

[Inspector Valin]

Raz raises a hand at Curie's put-down. "Just means they didn't know about the break ins. Not that there's no one watching. The discretion clause implied that we had to pay attention to appearances, right?" The Solo smolders a little in her corner, trying to rein herself in. It's a bad, bad idea to argue with your fixer but... dang it, she'd wanted Curie to think she was cool - she can't just let that slide without some self defense.

[Lentrax]

“Look, kid,” Curie starts.

“You’ve got some talent, maybe even what it takes to make it in the big leagues someday.”

She pulls out her cigarette case again. She takes out a cigarette and taps it against the case as she keeps going.

“But you simply must start using the grey matter. Think about it. A figure in such a standing? Daughter of a corpo research bigwig. You really think this wouldn’t be all over N54 if they had any idea?”

She sticks the cigarette in her mouth and pulls out the lighter, clicking it to life.

[davyjones]

In the middle of the exchange, Johnny opens his mouth for a moment, then closes it, wisely deciding not to get into the middle of this scrap.

"We'll be discreet," he says. "Is there somewhere or way we can interview Miss Verasti without being seen with her?"

[Inspector Valin]

Raz looks more than a little put out but doesn't offer further commentary on Curie's words. It's not like what she's saying is wrong, she just...

Uuugh. Doesn't matter now. Just do the job right - nothing builds bridges better than that.

[Volthawk]

Amir glances over at Johnny partway through the conversation and decides to follow his lead on not getting involved, particularly once he sees Raz not taking it further. Johnny was better at dealing with situations like this than he was (his tendency always being the kind of head-on response Rainbow was showing here) and she could complain about it and explain her side on the ride out of here, but best to keep focused while they're here. "Any chance of getting a look at her place, or is that too close and we'll have to just use the reports your contact can get us?"

[Lentrax]

“All of that is going to be between you and Mrs. Ceralee. That’s why I was authorized to flash ya her deets. I don’t have any pull over her that way.”

Elsa walks over and whispers something into Curie’s ear. She nods, and stands up.

“Times almost up. Any last questions?”

[Inspector Valin]

"What's the record for fastest job a team of your runners completed without screwing up?"

Raz makes the question about as innocent as she can muster, a little of her confidence returning with a smile. She's already getting to her feet though - they're as good as done here.

[Lentrax]

Curie doesn’t even bat an eye at the question.

“Five minutes. Hit job.”

[Inspector Valin]

"..."

Raz blinks at Curie, not entirely sure if she's bluffing and feeling any little self confidence she had ebbing away. After a long, painful second the former ganger recovers as best she can, pulling herself up. "Well, we'll still be quick! Just... probably not that quick. Unless the guy is waiting outside the bar or something."

[Lentrax]

“Alright, then. I’m off. Places to be, deals to make.”

She drops her cigarette in the ashtray. And then a blue glow appears in her eyes.

“Bank transfers done. Should look pretty good in a minute or two.”

She gestures to Hercules, and the two of them walk out the door of the bar.

[Inspector Valin]

The sudden exit of their fixer, as she was trying to exit herself leaves Raz to do a rather undignified twirl to return to her fellows. With an embarrassed cough she tries to meet their gaze with a smile. "So... Amir, can you get us a ride?"

She gestures towards the door. "It'd be better to talk in there than here, right? None of us are Netrunners but we can at least do a basic look at the social feeds and see if any of the names are people we recognize. It'd help keep whatever we say to Ceralee private too."

[Volthawk]

Amir nods as he gets up. "Car's outside, we can plan once we get in and you two can do some research while I get us moving."

[davyjones]

"Preem."

Johnny stands and walks with his friends to Amir's ride. When all three are within the closed doors of the compact, he adds, "So, we can scour the scream sheets and other media for repeat offenders in the backgrounds; check her social media channels for disgruntled fans and other detractors. An interview with the client...I do get your concerns about me being a known quantity in corporate circles, Raz, but they actually go to great lengths to ensure I'm nowhere near media-types, especially in proximity to an incident. We should be okay in that regard, but, given her own fame, I agree we should still try to be as discreet as possible when meeting with Miss Verasti.

"I also want to contact this Jesslyn character as soon as possible, to get a look at that crime scene data."

[Volthawk]

Plugging into his car, Amir gets them on the road as he listens to Johnny talk. He doesn't have a precise destination in mind yet, but heads in the direction of Ceralee's neighbourhood. "Probably best to be as subtle as possible about any meeting with her anyway, even if fame and rep wasn't an issue. Way I see it, our guy's probably keeping a close eye on her in some way or another. Might have set up ways besides the ones the public have. Easier for us to work if they know as little about us as possible."

[davyjones]

"Good point. It's possible they've hacked her agent or her home. Well, we have to go through her mother, first, but it wouldn't do if we're blatant with her, either," Johnny ponders. "Find an out-of-the-way restaurant as the final destination, where we should be able to have our conversation without unwanted attention. I know of a slurp shop over at the Cherry Blossom Market, used to be a club or something or other at some point. It would do the trick."

[Inspector Valin]

There's a long moment before Raz realizes the others are waiting on her. She nods, coughing awkwardly. "I'm down." Still looking a bit awkward at the abrupt interjection, she looks bashfully towards the others. "Sorry. Trying to think what I can do to help, but this really isn't my AoE." Cyber-stuff, corp culture, social media... Raz sighs. "I... guess I can keep alert at least. Spotting people sneaking around is something I'm used to."

I can declare my combat awareness out of combat, right? Keep it on Perception to buff any rolls to spot someone sneaking around?

[Volthawk]

Amir shrugs. "Not my focus, either. Keeping watch works, if we want to keep this meet quiet and think our guy might be watching her. Might send trouble our way, feels better to have you watching our backs. And then I can take on anything closer to Johnny and the girl if I need to."

[davyjones]

"I think we can contact 'Mom' directly without undue scrutiny, but it wouldn't hurt to start looking at the daughter's patterns before we meet her. Ready for me to make the call, or do you want to do more research first?"

[Volthawk]

Amir nods. "Might as well make the call. Get the information she has sooner rather than later. You two can do some digging while we get to the meet and wait for her to be available - you know what corpo types are like - and then once we've talked to her we can focus our digging a little more depending on what she knows."

[davyjones]

With a glance at Raz, Johnny nods and dials up Mrs. Verasti on his agent, setting audio to the speaker.

[Lentrax]

A soft, feminine, and very artificial voice answers the call.

You have reached the agent software for Mrs. Ceralee Verasti. Please state the nature of your call and a call address for forwarding to her hold-box for a return call.

You do so, and when you provide the reason for your call, discreet though that reply is, the Agent is immediately cut off, and a mid-fifties raven haired woman appears in Johnny's virtual vision.

She has the no-nonsense tone of voice that you all recognize as someone long inured to years working in corpo politics and upper management. Cold, and precise, slightly clipped, like she wants to make sure you understand each word is a distinct thing, all of which needs to be spoken and understood by the listener.

I was told that someone would be looking into Ashlynn's situation. But a psychologist? Really?

[davyjones]

Johhny resists the urge to roll his eyes, instead deliberately shifting his gaze between Raz and Amir as he answers, "Madam, investigators come in many flavors, including those who can deduce the mental state of their quarry. I can assure you that my presence in this investigation in no way means we doubt your daughter's veracity or mental health.

"Now, we'd like to set up a meeting with your daughter, preferably alone and at a discreet location. There's a 24-hour noodle shop at the Cherry Blossom Market in Japantown, just north of Megabuilding H8. At 3, this afternoon," he continues. "We need you to deliver the message to her personally, marked on a sheet of mundane paper; nothing electronic, nothing verbal, just in case she's being surveilled. Will you do that for us?"

I'll happily toss in a Persuasion roll, if you feel it's appropriate.

[Lentrax]

And if she is being surveilled, you will be meeting her in the open, in public. That does seem to negate the purpose doesn’t it?

[davyjones]

"A non-descript public place, where we can keep an eye on ingress and egress, and where the nature of our meeting isn't known," Johnny counters. "Further, we'll already be on site, so our connection to your daughter will not be obvious, either.

"Being seen going to her apartment at this time, or to your home or other secure location, or having her come to us at one of our offices, is what we're trying to avoid."

Result of 22. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25323910&postcount=41)

[Lentrax]

I see. Her voice has lost some of its edge. Then there is a pause.

I will get her to your meeting. But you will give me your word that nothing will happen to her while she is with you. And I will be allowed to remotely monitor your interview.

[davyjones]

"Her safety will be our paramount concern," the medtech replies. "And, once she arrives, we can connect you in via one of our agents, if that's what you need."

[Lentrax]

It will work. Now. What else will you be doing in this investigation?

[Volthawk]

"Well, we've got your list. Plenty of people to look into there. The police reports on the break-ins as well. Might be something of value in there. Talking generally, gathering information, seeing what of it's worthwhile, taking that with what we learn from talking to your kid to figure out where to go next."

[Lentrax]

In that case, I strongly suggest having a good ide of what you need to get from her before this meeting. She is very willful, as you will see for yourselves.

[davyjones]

"We appreciate the warning," Johnny replies. "Remember: Noodle shop. Cherry Blossom Market. Three PM. Annyeong."

He disconnects the call and looks at his companions. "All right. We have a few hours to do a little research and do a quick sweep around the market. Maybe even get a little lunch in before she arrives. What do you want to tackle first: Screamsheets and social net?"

[Volthawk]

Amir nods. "Alright. How about this. One of you two gets on the screamsheets. The other gets on socials. While you're doing that, I'll get us to the market, start having a look around. You two join me when you're happy your research is done."

[davyjones]

"I like it."

Johnny looks at Raz for confirmation.

[Inspector Valin]

Raz nods. "Sure, I guess." She starts futzing with her Agents, trying to take a look over things as best she can.

[davyjones]

"Well, that was less than helpful," Johnny says as he sets down his agent. "All I found was her manager and some of her friends. How 'bout you, Raz; anything useful?"

[Inspector Valin]

"Nada. I got the same."

Raz sighs, but brings up Valleroja's page, then that of his agency. There's always a chance this does tie into some kind of showbiz feud - it's at least worth checking.

[davyjones]

The medic calls Amir. "How's it looking? Anything out of the ordinary? How about the local 'fauna'?"

[Volthawk]

Walking around the market, Amir pauses for a moment when Johnny calls. "Pretty quiet. Nothing interesting yet. Usual crowd, far as I can tell, nobody's paying me more attention than I'm used to. Nobody here I can't handle if I need to."

[davyjones]

"Preem. Raz is looking up her manager and his agency, and then we should find our spot in the restaurant."

Disconnecting, Johnny looks at the Solo. "Do you need an extra pair of eyes?"

[Inspector Valin]

"It'd probably be best. This is all corp speak to me."

Raz places her tablet down with a sigh, rubbing her forehead. "I miss the barracks."

[davyjones]

The psych smiles sympathetically. "Let's see what we can glean from the 'greek text' together, then."

[Lentrax]

You begin going through the data you can recover on Antonio Valleroja. There is the ususal corpo BS, how many years experience he has had, some of the names he has been manager for. Testimonials.

All of it is just so bland and boring and nondescript, and Raz is about to give up on the data as useless, but that is when Johnny begins noticing something odd in the way the information circles on itself. In fact, all of the data loops together, with no real connection to anything outside the loop. It isn't something someone would notice at a casual glance. But something is definitely suspicious in this public biography.

Johnny suspects it may be fake, but can't quite figure out how to prove it.

[davyjones]

"Something isn't right," Johnny muses, and explains his suspicions (and reasonings behind it) to Raz. "Don't know how to prove it, though. We may need to bring in a hacker."

He checks the time on his agent.

[davyjones]

"We have 90 minutes or so; let's get a spot in back and something to eat while we wait," he says to Raz as he calls Amir on his agent. "Amir, we're heading into the slurp shop. Meet you there."