The young elf of mixed racial heritage moved through the crowd quickly, seemingly at random. He didn't want anyone to think he was there for any particular reason apart from just passing through. His eyes were, however, already fixed on his mark. The wealthy-looking gentleman was getting away from him... and he didn't like that even one bit. He had a job to do and debts to pay. He had it on good authority that the datastick the man was hiding contained secrets wanted by some... interested party. And Baron intended to acquire it. Sure, he could probably track him down later since he had already taken a look at the man's astral aura and committed it to memory. But why do it later when you can do it at this very moment? He reminded himself the teachings of the lwa. Live in the moment and seize the opportunity.
Whispering a prayer to the lwa under his breath, he looked about and realized that there were simply too many people here. He needed a distraction. The elf moved faster, maneuvering through the crowd as he closed in on his mark. His hand reached to his pockets filled with Fifth World coins. He wasn't even sure if they were worth anything. He usually used them as offerings for the lwa. Some lwa liked it shiny. Other times he used them for the other kind of magic that he did. More... mundane but equally difficult.
"Wanna see a magic trick?" he asked loudly at no one in particular... but he really was directing it at the man just passing him by. "A moment of your time," he added as he played with a coin in his fingers. Seeing the unwillingness on the man's face, he knew he needed to up his game. The coin found its way into the man's hands despite his protestations, while his other hand found and palmed the datastick. This... was not the best he could do but he was in a hurry. Normally, he'd have more preparation and would not force anyone to view his prestidigitation tricks. Normally he'd convince them with his honeyed words. But this time, that would have to do.
Astrally, Baron's aura faded and became in tune with the background count of the place, even as the mana flowed from his body into the man's mind, rewinding his perception of time. As the man was leaving, he looked at the coin in his palm, wondering where it came from. He had no recollection of getting it. Must have picked it up somewhere. No matter, he shrugged, as he continued on his way to his meeting.
Baron's commlink rang not a moment too soon. He was safely out of the crowd, having acquired what he needed. He clicked on the bracelet and his sound link relayed the message from Akuro. He remembered her. Pretty, intelligent, Cowboy's assistant. He didn't really know much about him, the guy seemed eccentric, but the word was he was trustworthy and could get good jobs. Jobs someone in debt desperately needed.
"Anything for my favourite fixer." Baron smiled in response as he sent the message.
Back at his place, he quickly stashed the datastick. Looking at his... spiritual workplace, he put a couple of shiny coins on the eerily syncretic altar as offering to the lwa. He sent a command to the commlink's speakers to play. The air was filled with his favourite, if a bit unorthodox, ritual music. Elias, or at least that's the name he was using nowadays, grabbed his gris-gris as he sang his prayers. "Oh great spirits, accept my sacrifice and look into my soul, bestow upon me your blessings one more time, for the times ahead so I could seize the day in your name and with your breath on my skin!"
His body danced with joy as his spirit felt a lower lwa entering his astral presence. A spirit of ancestors, surely, led here by his song. Elias smiled as he welcomed his astral guest. As always with beings such as these, he was polite, generous, almost deferential. After all, they were the ones controlling the fate of the world, so why wouldn't he?
His ritual done, he forwarded the dossier he had prepared earlier. It was definitely shorter and probably brever than the usual.
"Baron. Stage magician. Illusionist extraordinaire. Conjurer, both mundane and spiritual."
He wrote no lie, but he was always very careful with the information he let others know about himself. An intelligent person would be able to decipher the actual meaning of these descriptors. And shadowrunners didn't tend to be stupid. Or, at least, those who wanted to survive in the biz shouldn't be.
His appearance was just the usual Baron-style. An immaculately clean and elegant suit, with a white shirt, black vest, black trousers and black coat. He took his bag -- you never know when you need to put on some last minute changes to the persona. He checked his gris-gris, fingering its contents and thanking the lwa for it, then hid his houngan talisman under his shirt. He had prepared an improvised vessel for the spirit to possess... if there would be a need. He didn't really have the skills that a proper houngan or mambo usually possessed, but he did his best. The spirit he had summoned stayed on the astral plane, watching with interest what the little elf was up to. Just before going out, he grabbed two last parts of the masquerade. His mask that he put in the bag and his hat.
He arrived at the place a couple of minutes before the time. He would usually try to be earlier, but he needed to thank the lwa and ask for their assistance. His astral eye opened as he pierced the veil between the worlds and noticed the wards. Rather powerful for a place like this -- but that's precisely why they were probably going there for the meeting. Less of a chance it's going to be astrally breached and compromised.
Just before he entered the building, his fingers touched his bracelet as he downloaded a raven lwa icon and substituted his own with the new one. "Here for a meeting. Maybe you can direct me?" He smiled at the receptionist.
