Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Stuttrboy on <09-25-16/1653:03>
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Tit's Up isn't quite dead but it's damn slow today. Half a dozen bodies sit on perverts row and there are maybe three occupied tables. The choking stench of cloves hangs heavy in the air. You don't know how people can stand to smoke those things. It's dark but the bright spotlights on the stage help wash out any blemishes on the skin and it feels warm on your skin a welcome relief from the chill in the air that the club owners sustain so people will buy more drinks. The music is new and it's been making the scene in clubs everywhere, an old school synth punk band named Idon. The lead singers voice is haunting and sultry and it makes you feel sexy as you writhe and strut on stage then punctuated by intense refrains that adds to the diversity of your act.
You might have lost yourself in the moment but for the hair-raising intensity of an ork who observes you from one of the back booths typically reserved for lap dances. Keeping an eye on him you notice one of the other girls come up to proposition him but he never takes his eyes off you just shakes his head, then thrusts a chin at you. The girl looks at you, meets your eyes and shrugs. Clearly you are wanted when your performance is over.
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Elena is a professional and actually loves the work. She puts real effort into each performance, not the normal remove-your-clothes-as-fast-as-possible-so they-can-see it-all routine that many of the girls do. No, dancing on the stage and dancing between the sheets, or any other place a client wants to do her, is about as close to any real emotion she ever feels or shows. Her personal life is blah and any relationship is completely non-existent at this time, but performing on stage or in bed is...............well, it is her. And the customers of the bar know the difference. This may be a shitty strip bar in a crappy part of the Barrens, and the people that come here might be the low end of wageslaves or even worse, but they know the difference between a good performance and the listless ones most of the other girls give.
Elena notices the back and forth between the Ork and the other girl, Cindy, and mentally shrugs. Cindy is probably the only other girl here that seems really interested in the work. She is supporting two kids and an invalid mother on the tips and wage she makes here and has seen that she can earn better than the norm if she puts real effort into it. She is also probably one of the few people Elena might call a friend. Elena stoops to pick up the scrip and notes with com codes from the stage, giving the slotters in perv row another good look at what she has to offer. She silently makes a quick count of the take, deducting the portions she will have to pay the music guy and the Bailey, and is pleased. There will be enough here to allow her to take a few days off and relax, if she wants to. Then there are those upgrades to her implants that she is interested in and she realizes that this will put her a bit closer to that goal.
She leaves the stage after blowing kisses to the audience and goes to get dressed even as the next girl is being introduced. After dressing, Elena stops by the "cage" and pays the music man his cut of the set's take and does the same with Bailey at the bar before heading over to where the Ork is still sitting. She can walk quite seductively when she wants to and this time she wants to. Elena stops in front of the booth and says, "Hello. Would you like some company for a bit. I can sit with you if you buy us drinks, or perhaps a lap dance?"
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You can feel the bass in the mans voice as he speaks. Those drink scams are for the house, I don't know why you guys ever bother offering those. I mean unless you really like watered down soy beer on ice. Lap dance please
He's still watching you intently. Your chrome ever put guys off? Or do you sometimes spring for the extra nice synth-skin? I think the chrome is sexy.
He lays out a certified credstick. Let's see what ya got.
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Elena gives the Ork a brilliant smile. "Good money was spent making these as realistic as possible and most people cannot even tell I have chrome. That you can tell the difference is impressive. Those that do know are usually too drunk to care and are more interested in other parts of my body. For 10Y you get a dance and my top comes off, 20 will let you see all of me up close and personal, 50 will let you touch me. Anything else is possible and we can negotiate the price for those services if you are interested. We can start out with the 10 and you let me know if you want to go farther."
Elena slots the stick in a reader she carries with her for such purposes and sets it at 10Y before hitting the send button. Putting the stick back on the table, she presses a small button in the arm of the booth, bringing up some music for her to dance to. The volume is low enough that any nearby bar customers will not be distracted from the music coming from the stage. Anyone that can push a credstick across a table here is probably well-heeled, so she decides to do her best for this client. She expertly gyrates to the music, teasing the Ork with peeks and glimpses of flesh and turning to sit on his lap and push against him. She can feel that he is getting aroused by her dancing and smiles, letting him know by her breathing that she is aroused as well. The really funny thing is that she really IS aroused. She genuinely likes the act of sex and loves the foreplay that leads to it almost as much. After a couple of minutes, she times the removal of her top to the music, exposing her breasts to the man. Facing him, she straddles his hips, sitting close to him where his eyes can feast on what he is paying for. She is aroused and some of that inflects her voice as she purrs, "Do you wish to see more?"
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The whole stick is yours I added an extra fifty for the lap dance. Gunderson sent me. The cred stick is a 500 dollar retainer for your services. Apparently the guild has had a few lowelies go missing and you seem to have the perfect cover and skill set to investigate, even though it's not your typical job we think you can see how appropriate your are for the job. Finding and eliminating the cause of these disappearances will gain you and additional 2500. The ork leans back, done with business he appears to be looking forward to you working off the rest of his fifty,
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Elena smiles broadly at the Ork. Gunderson is a frequent client for her other skill set. and she knows that she will accept his offered job. She will contact him when she has a few minutes, but right now, she owes the Ork in front of her his nuyen's worth. She leans forward, placing her breasts against the man's face, allowing his tongue to swirl and caress her very erect nipples. Standing, she returns to her dance, teasing him even more as she slowly removes the rest of her clothes to the beat of the music, finally exposing all of her to the hungry stare of the Ork. She idly strokes the man's obvious arousal through his pants and leans forward to whisper into his ear. "For what you paid you get to touch. Feel free to do so. For one of Gunderson's friends, I can suck you off for an additional 20Y. Interested?"
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Maybe another time. Gunderson frowns on that while I'm on duty. Talk to Kat she will give you pertinent info.
Kat is the madam for the neighborhood, but she's more like an agent or a den mother. She gets a cut of everything, but she gets you jobs and she keeps the girls protected. Having some disappear is bad for her business model and she knows it, she pays Gunderson for protection so could his people have been slacking off? Not likely.
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Elena gives the Ork a final gentle squeeze and straightens up, nodding. She bends over to pick up her clothes and gives the client a few last looks at her as she dresses. She frowns a bit in genuine sorrow that she will not be taking care of the man tonight and pauses as she shifts everything back into place. "I understand. Come see me some time when you are not on duty." she walks away with a swish of her nicely formed ass and walks back onto the floor to serve drinks and do more lap dances as requested, although she refrains from accepting any offers for sex after she gets off her shift.
She takes a quick break during a lull on the floor to send a message to Kat. >>Kat. Elena. I hear that some girls are not showing up for work. Gunderson suggested that I look into it. I am on shift at Bailey's place right now, so can we meet after I get off at 2 AM?<<
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The response is almost immediate. >>Of course. I'll be at the Union as usual.<<
Your shift ends quickly business doesn't really pick up much as the evening turns to night. You make your way to the Union, the speakeasy slash club, slash brothel that is the hub of the prostitution network. No Pimps, no madams, just an actual prostitution union. There are dues, Kat is the current head but she is one of you, just with more connections and dues go to maintaining the infrastructure of the union and protection money from the guards at the union to the individual panic buttons given to each member. The union is a bar, with a dance club in the back and rooms to rent by the hour upstairs. The bar tenders are scantily clad eye candy that can mix a mean drink. They wave happily at you as you enter. There are a few people drinking and you can see the dwarf Mortimer lost in AR. Mortimer is a well known fence and is allowed to work here as his exchanged tend to result in money being spent on the amenities and lets the girls make quick cash off any "presents" they may receive. A troll bouncer named Malcolm leans against a pillar in the bar keeping an ever watchful eye on the girls. He may look fierce but you know he loves the girls here and is extremely protective. He thumbs at the door behind him the entrance to Kat's office.
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The Union is a good club and Elena supports the idea of a means to organize the prostitution in the area and pays her dues on time. She waves to the bartenders, letting her eye settle on a couple of them before turning to Kat's office. She runs a hand along Mortimer's arm as she passes him, throwing him a wink. Elena knocks on the door and waits for the call to enter before slipping inside and approaching the woman at the desk.
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Kat is typing in the air on what you suspect to be an AR console. Her trodes and glasses are both off the rack easily recognizable AR tools. She smiles warmly at you as you enter but goes right back to working.
I'm glad Gunderson got someone on this so quickly. I have files on the two missing girls. Their addresses, list of know clients. Some girls keep some clients off the books but they may have info in their homes. I don't usually worry unless it's obvious but this is one of the reasons we frown on that sort of thing. I didn't see any obvious overlap except for a few regulars. You can speak to them if you want but I doubt they would have anything to do with this kind of thing. She flings her hand at you and ykir comlink buzzes letting you know it got the data.
Let me know if you find anything. Neither one used their panic button, so either the went willingly or they didn't have time. I'm not sure which scares me more.
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Elena nods at Kat and leaves the office, pulling up the names and addresses of the missing girls. She heads over to the bar and asks the girls there who might have been their closest friends and if anyone knew anything that might help. "Did either of them keep off the books clients? Or talk about some special appointment? Maybe a new boyfriend?" Elena looks at the other girls and waits for an answer, hoping for a clue.
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The girls look at each other and shrug. Pretty much everyone does. Kat doesn't mind if it's just a few, says the brunette. Though she sometimes uses that as leverage for special favors, business as usual.
Kati had a boyfriend but they broke it off last month, adds the redhead. Kati said it was mutual, but I think maybe she hid what she did from the guy and he found out. Jessica was into girls and she was talking about a new friend...never caught a name though. I don't think it got serious though, Jessica hadn't made the "big reveal" yet and thought the chick was probably hetero, ya know? Jessica bad this way of convincing them to experiment though...worked on me. It was fun but not really my thing.
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Elena looks at the others. "So no special appointment for either of them on the day they vanished? Or the night before? Some special sugar daddy that could help them get out of this life. perhaps?" She knows that most of the girls are hoping for the big score; the guy who will put them up in some fancy house and come visit for a few hours when he is bored of his wife and she hopes that perhaps one or both of them had talked about something like that.
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Not that they talked about. It's kinda gauche to talk about it, since we aren't really supposed to do it. Sorry we can't be much more help than gossip. Have you checked their apartments?
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"Not yet. On the way there now. Leave a message at the bar if you think of anything, please?" After getting assurances that they will, Elena nods at them and leaves the Union for the first address. Fortunately, all the girls live in a short radius of the club and it does not take Elena long to walk to Jennifer's apartment. It is on the third floor of a ratty building and the lobby elevator has been out of service for six years. The owner used to pretend that he cared enough to have it repaired, but even he has given up that ides and the open car at the ground level has been converted into a sort of storage room.
Elena walks into the building and heads for the stairs, noting the whiff of something acrid coming from whatever the loser behind the counter is smoking. She does not even stop to say hello because what is the point. He is the eighth desk clerk the place has had in the last six months...............almost a record. Some of the working girls have started a pool on how long he will be here. Elena has money on four days from today, so she hopes he is at least that tough. The best money in on a week, but Elena does not really like to gamble where the good money is. She starts up the creaky stairs, headed to the third floor.
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You reach the room and tap in the 6 digit code to enter the room. As run down as the apartments are the unit is fairly spacious, a main living room and an adjoining bedroom and bathroom. The furnishing are worn but clean and the closest thing to a mess is a small pile of clothes in the corner of the bedroom. It appears Jessica was a fairly tidy person.
You rummage through some drawers until you find a PDA that Jessica seems to use as a "little black book" some have different numbers of asterisk in some sort of rating system and one of the more recent entries has three little heart emoji after it. You'd guess this must be the "friend" the girls were talking about. There's an address and a name Nikki Web.
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I have a name and an address. I also have Jessica's black book. I look at the PDA to see if she had an appointment with anyone for just before she left.
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There are no appointment dates listed but the last two addresses are time stamped within minutes of each other.
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Elena leaves the room, taking the PDA with her. She ensures that the lock is reset and makes her way to Kati's apartment. On the way, she looks at the addresses to see if she can identify them.
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A few look like they might be familiar. You may have had johns in the area but nothing really stands out, they are all within walking distance, though some might take a bit of a trek.
Kati's apartment is much like the first. There's no doorman but a few of Gundersons men live here so it tends to be relatively safe. The elevator supposedly works but the groans and squeals it emits when you call it convince you to take the stairs yet again. Thankfully it's only on the second floor. You tap in the key code and the door opens in welcome. Kati is clearly messier than Jessica was. Food cartons lay on the desk and clothes are all over the bedroom. This is going to be tougher to search than Jessica's.
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Elena shakes her head as she begins searching the room. She goes through the clothes, placing some off to the side as she finishes with them. She looks for and finds a picture of Kati, recording it onto her comlink like she had done with one of Jessica. It turns out that Kati is quite close in size to Elena and the two could easily swap clothes. Elena had been a bit disappointed to find that Jessica is about an inch taller than herself, but such issues can be dealt with if necessary..
Elena is hoping to find some sort of comlink or PDA here similar to the one she had found in Jessica's place. It would be interesting to see if they share any common clients. It would be golden if they both know and like Nikki Web.
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Picking through the clothes you find a piece of old electronic paper. Who uses this stuff anymore. The interface contains a few names and directions to their homes. While there are no addresses listed you could follow the directions then compare them to the PDA. Although a trip home with some of the nicer clothes may be in order.
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As she puts the paper on a counter to be picked up, the thought crosses Elena's mind that some of these clothes would look good in her own closet, but she does not want to steal from another working girl if there is a chance she is coming home. She sighs as she puts the last article of clothing to the side then begins looking through the furniture for anything else that might be of help, still looking for some sort of record of Kati's activities or clients.
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Your thoroughness pays if with the discovery of a few doses of bliss and a vibrator. You also discover that the trid has about 100 hours of recorded soap operas on it, but nothing else to determine her possible whereabouts.
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Before leaving the apartment, Elena pulls up a mapsoft to check on the addresses she sees on the piece of paper. She is looking to see how many are within walking distance and then cross-references the address with those from Jessica's PDA.
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unfortunately the mapsofts aren't quite as particular as green house about halfway from the corner, but it takes a bit to cross reference all the addresses in the PDA with those names' estimated locations. Two of the three names on the list are within a block of the PDA addresses one of which is one of the recent ones in Jessica's PDA. They are both within walking distance.
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Elena nods to herself. That address bears checking out first, then the second one. She neatly folds the paper and puts in a pocket then leaves the apartment after securing the door behind her. On the way to the first address, which seems to be common to both girls, she ducks in an alley to change her face, hair, and bust size. In about a minute, she looks completely different, even the clothes she is wearing are a different color to match the new, shorter blonde hair style she is sporting. Emerging from the alley, a different girl heads to the first address, where she intends a casual walk-by to see what the outside of the place is like.
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This house is actually pretty nice and sure enough it matches both the address and directions from both the PDA and the e-paper, the client is listed as one Elizabeth Locke. The house is very nice for the area. It has an honest to god yard and wrought iron gate around it. The yard is only about a meter wide but it's a yard, in the Barrens. It appears to be an old converted brownstone one of the 4 unit buildings you see around but it's fairly well maintained. This person clearly has some connections in this area. You can't tell much more than that in your walk by and you'd probably need to get inside the gate to gate anything more useful anyway.
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Elena is impressed by the house. In this part of the Barrens, there should be a bar or strip club on nearly every other block. She goes to the nearest one and slides through the door into the interior, looking for a place to sit at the bar. She orders whiskey and sits back to observe the clientele and paying attention to the bartender and waitresses. Perhaps one of them can be a source of information about the house down the street and its occupant.
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Your club is probably the closest strip club but there is a bar a couple blocks away. The chatter is the same as your club though some gruesome killings have been making the news and people have been talking about that some. Nothing much about the neighbors. Maybe you'd have better luck speaking to someone.
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After nursing the drink, Elena orders another and overpays the waitress. "Say, I am new to the area and looking for a bit of work. I noticed the nice house a couple blocks over. Seems that sort of place might be looking for some cleaning help or something. Know anything about the residents?"
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Yeah real reclusive types them folks. I ain't never seen anyone what lived there but I hear it's an old widower or a couple that don't get out much. I seen a couple of girls head in but I don't think they were there to clean if ya catch my drift. I don't pay it much notice. If you want some work my brother is a pig and he could use someone to clean up for him. You got a number? I can have him give you a call.
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Elena laughs. "Your brother able to pay well?" Almost as an afterthought, she asks the waitress another question, one with a fifty scrip note attached. "So what were those other girls going in for and did you see them come back out? And would you be willing to look at a couple of pictures?"
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The waitress eyes you for a bit, He pays well for cleaning...He may not be able to afford other services. Pretty girl like you probably knows what I mean.
I didn't pay much attention to the girls. I just remember they were girls, young, attractive. You tend to assume things being what they are and all, but who knows maybe they were selling folks religion, been a few of them around too. There some trouble I should be aware of though? I mean you're no cop and you are asking questions and showing pictures that's one of two things and I don't really want to be in the middle of either of them. I'll look at your pictures so long as you can assure me of that.
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Elena slips another fifty scrip along the table as she shows Jessica's PDA with the pictures she took of photos in Jessica's and Kati's apartments. "I never saw you. I am not police. I am trying to find out what happened to these girls and others who have disappeared in this area. That address is common to both girls and I am interested in knowing if they went in and did not come back out.. You would be helping people that might remember you quietly if you ever need anything."
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Yeah I seen both em around here, recently even. I'm sorry I don't know for sure if they were coming or going when I saw em. I don't really nose into peoples business like that. That's sort of a good rule of thumb around here.
Oh wait. I, uh, I don't know if this has anything to do with what you are looking into and it didn't have anything to do with those two girls as far as I know but one bloke came outta there with this card thing. He left it here, let me see if we have it in the back still.
After a few minutes she comes back empty handed. Looks like our lost and found was empties out recently. There was a picture on it with 3 circles bunched together into a triangle with three arrows poking out of the center between them. It said something tired of barely living let us raise you up to your potential or some such shit like that... we get a few of these cults now and then, I figured it was something like that.
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Elena smiles and nods at the girl. "Thank you very much. I hope I may see you again sometime." She finishes her drink then leaves the bar, heading back to the house. On the way, she uses her 'link to see if there is any public information on the design that the waitress has described for her. Pausing at the gate, she looks around as if nervous then shakes herself before boldly walking up to the door and ringing the bell. Hopefully she looks like someone not quite sure of herself or her reason for being here.
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You press the buzzer at the gate but receive no answer. After a few moments you start feeling a bit conspicuous and decide another angle may be better.
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Getting no answer, I lean closer to the intercom box and press the button again, this time saying, "Hello? I was at the bar and they told me some guy had been in and dropped off a card. It said something about rising to my potential if I was low, and I am just about at rock bottom now. Can you help me?" She lets go of the button and waits a bit.
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There is still no answer. Perhaps no one is home?
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Elena takes a look at her 'link and yawns. She has been up all day and now it is past four AM. She shrugs and heads back to the bar where she seeks out the same waitress and asks her for a pen. She writes her com code on two coasters and hands one to the girl. "I like you. Call me if you want company. No strings. I am going off for a bit. I will drop this coaster at the gate of that house down there then go looking for a place to stay. Any cheap places near here?"
Elena leaves the bar again, heading back to the large house, where she tries the gate button one more time before wedging the coaster in the gate where someone will hopefully see it. She has written on it that she is pretty fragging low and could use some help and included her com code.
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[spoiler]Your club is about half a mile from here. You could just go home. I'm assuming you don't want to go there for some reason.[/spoiler]
Aww, yer sweet. I'm very flattered but I ain't into girls. I'm sorry. she says. There's a coffin hotel a few blocks from here. If yer lookin' for a place ta crash.
She gives you directions and you find yourself at an automated coffin motel. It looks in pretty decent shape considering its location. 20 nuyen later you have a mark on the door of a portal three rows up. The pods are stacked 4 high with a dozen rows. You climb up and crawl into a pod. The room consists of a mat lumped at either end and a trid screen in the roof with speakers to either side. There's barely enough room to turn around or sit up in it, but you manage to lock the door and lay down to get some sleep.
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Elena smiles at the waitress and thanks her for the directions. She drags herself to the motel and grabs some sleep, thankful that she is not claustrophobic. Her mind wanders for a bit on what might have happened to thise girls once they got into the house and hoping that she gets a call back. Too tired to worry any more, she falls asleep.
In the morning, she checks for messages as she leaves the coffin and goes across the street to one of the every-present Stuffer Shacks to use the bathroom and grab a small soycaf. She is tempted by the food, but wants to give an appropriate sense of being hungry when she goes back to the house.
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A message pings on your comlink while drinking your soycaf. >>I don't know you and I don't know why you think I would help you. Why are you contacting me?<<
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Elena is a bit surprised at the message. >>I am sorry if I have the wrong person, but I was told that a man from your house dropped a card off at the local bar that said that you could help people that needed it. And I need help.<<
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I see. Well then. I suppose you had best drop by then. Can you be here about 1400?
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>>1400 is doable. And............thanks.<<
Elena remains in the 'Shack for the intervening couple of hours, nursing her caf and going over what she had picked up earlier. She concentrates on looking for anything common between the two missing girls. When the time approaches for her to leave for the house, she goes to the counter and purchases an envelope large enough to put the PDA and any written papers into, including some notes she has made. She buys a card and writes a note to Kat: >>Hey there. I have included all I have found out about the missing girls. I know that both were seen entering a house at the address below and that a man has been passing out a few cards in the local bars advertising some sort of service to help people that are down and out. Mu contact remembers the girls going in the house but is not sure if they came out. I have contacted the man and have an appointment there at 1400 today. I am sending you this in case I do not come out of the house. At least you will have an idea of where to have Gunderson look next. Give me a couple of days or so to make contact before you call him.<<
Elena pays to have the envelope delivered to Kat at the Union then leaves the 'Shack for her appointment, arriving a bit before 1400. She looks about nervously and rings the bell a bit tentatively.
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14:00 rolls around and you are pressing the buzzer at the gate again. This time it clicks and swings open at your touch. An Elderly gentlemen in tails open the door for you and asks you to follow him. He takes you into a sitting room and indicates that you should sit. Ms Locke will be down shortly. Would you care for a cocktail or some other refreshment? I am told I make an excellent martini and Ms Locke seems very fond of my cape cods.
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Elena follows the man into the sitting room and takes the seat offered, holding her small bag close to her on her lap and keeping her legs together and feet planted on the floor. She looks at the man when he offers a drink and opens her mouth as if to accept then closes it, shaking her head and saying nothing.
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Tea? Perhaps a bite to eat? Your stomach growls betraying your hunger. The old man blows out bone white impeccably trimmed handlebar mustache.
Ms. Locke was about to take tea. I will bring some refreshment. He disappears down the hall where you can hear the faint sound of dishes clattering.
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Elena nods at the offer of tea and gives him thanks in a soft voice then asks, "Do they really help people here?"
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The old man smiles warmly at you. Some, yes. After a few minutes of the dishes clattering he wheels a small cart filled with cucumber sandwiches, cashews and macaroons. He pours you teach Sugar? Ms. Locke likes her tea bitter. So perhaps a little milk?
Help yourself, the Mistress is vexingly tardy.
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Elena nods at the offer of milk in the tea and eyes the food hungrily. She is not really sure what a cucumber sandwich is, but takes one to eat anyway. The tea is indeed a bit bitter, even with the milk and she shudders to think what it tastes like without it. With her mouth still partly chewing, she reaches for a macaroon. "What do you mean by some? What would I need to do to be helped?"
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Some people choose not to accept her help, but I should let her explain. Here she comes now.
A young woman glides down the stairs in a stylish yet conservative dress. Her hair is done up like a 1920's moll and she's smoking a cigarette in a long holder. She joins you with a smile sits and crosses her legs. She taps the ash off the tip of the cigarette, takes a cup of tea and says, I understand you need some help. Please do tell me your story and I will see what can be done.
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Elena has a well-founded belief that as much truth as possible is a good thing when telling a lie. "My name is Elena. I came here from Russia a few years ago, hoping for a better life. Not much for skills so I work as a stripper and prostitute, which is not much better than family members using me, but it does pay enough to live here. I would like to have a better life than this."
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Surely there is more to it than that. How did you come to be in possession of the tract you mentioned? the one that brought you here. Do you have it? She says smiling and sipping at her tea.
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Elena frowns at the use of the word tract. "Oh, you mean the card? No, I do not have it. I was in a bar a short distance from here, asking about jobs. The waitress told me that a man had come from this house and left a card about helping people. She went to find it, but it was gone. However, she did remember most of what it said and told me. I was interested and came to see if the man could help me. I did not expect you, so are you working with him?"
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Locke appears pensive for a moment but her expression clears quickly. Those cards are invite only I'm afraid it should never have been "dropped off" and I find it hard to believe that one of the select would simply forget something quite so important. We are unable to help everyone you see and this group is rather secretive. Jealousy can be a powerful foe here and we must be ever vigilant. We can feed you and give you some money but I would advise you not to mention what you've heard of here.
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Elena puts a far from fake concerned look on her face. "Look, you can ask the waitress at the bar. She will tell you exactly what I told you. A couple of friends of mine disappeared from work and I was thinking that they had finally got their break and went off with some rich guy, but I was worried a bit and asked a couple of questions. The waitress said that she had seen them but could not remember when, then told me about the card when I said I was looking for a better job than what I have. Maybe I was not the original intended recipient, but I did get it and maybe it was meant for me. I am willing to do anything it takes to better myself and get out of here and away from this life. At least give me a chance.....please?"
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I'm sorry dear I wish I could but that's just not how this works, but I can have my people keep you in mind in the future. Locke appears distracted a moment, I'm sorry would you excuse me for a moment.
Locke leaves the room and the old man smiles at you. Help yourself to more if you'd like. She could take a little time if it's something important.
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Elena watches the woman leave and keeps her hands in her lap, even after the man offers more food. She gently shakes her head and mouths a "No" then looks at the man. "I had hoped........well, for more. I was thinking that if my friends made it out then so could I." It was not a question and she does not really expect the man to answer her and sits quietly, assuming that she is being monitored by more than the man in the room with her.
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Those we help don't tend to have friends, if they did, they wouldn't be coming to us. What were their names? He asks.
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Elena looks up at the man. "The names I know are Kati and Jessica. Last names are not really used that much in our line of work, you know." She follows the names up with a brief description and gives the man a hopeful look. "Do you remember them? Were they here?"
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Oh, yes. Ms. Locke's...entertainment. We did not assist your friend or rather we didn't assist them the same way we do with the chosen. Your friends left here with full pockets and a reference from Ms Locke for the Bishop, but not as acolytes. You are a prostitute then too? I wonder why you haven't seen your friends. I wouldn't expect his people to keep them this long. You stifle a yawn as it seems the heat has increased you hear a buzzing in your ears as a wave of fatigue hits you.
You look up to see Ms. Lock furiously whispering to her manservant. You shouldn't mention the Bishop. She won't remember any of this anyway. Still don't take chances...Look how long it's taking after all.
Realizing you've been drugged you attempt to stand but the world moves with you, then twists away and you collapse to the ground. The old man stands over you and looks down at you with a warm look Don't fight it dear. You are just going to forget about us. We aren't going to hurt you.
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Elena collapses to the floor, desperate to stamp their words into her memory before she passes out. She uses every memory trick she knows, hoping that she will be able to recall enough to continue her mission. Damn Gunderson, anyway.
-
You wake up your head is pounding you almost bolt upright but you catch yourself. You are in a coffin hotel. You don't remember how you got here or ever having been to one before but this tickles something in the back of your mind, like you've been here before. You have all your stuff and next to you lies a brown paper back with four sandwiches with honest to god real roast beef and fresh sauerkraut on two and roast carved chicken on the other two, A thermos of tea and a shiny new credstick with 2k nuyen on it.
You were looking for two girls...what were their names. The PDA and the computer paper, you can't find them anywhere. There was a bar and a house, you vaguely remember red hair done up in a bun with coiled strands hanging down. Also a bushy mustache...It's gone it's all gone.
[spoiler]You can make a memory test at -2 dicepool to remember, the number of successes will determine how well you remember things. Later things may trigger memories that you can roll again on for specifics modifiers will depend on the situation.[/spoiler]
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Elena shakes her head and tries to remember how she got here, wherever here is. She is ravenous and eats one of the sandwiches, washing it down with some tea. The pounding in her head does not subside right away and she lays back down to try to get some rest, hoping that her mind will clear some.
[spoiler]Memory Test (http://orokos.com/roll/460302): 4d6t5 0 Not so good on the memory test.
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The throbbing subsides but you still can't remember any specifics. You remember the general location of the bar and the house but their exact locations escape you.
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Elena leaves the coffin motel after her head stops feeling like it wants to spin on its axis. She eats another sandwich and places the other two in the bag she found them in and starts off to look for the bar and or house she vaguely remembers. She walks up and down several streets, trying to find something she recognizes, hoping that the air will refresh her memory.
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It's no good. It's just wisps. Maybe something to jog your memory will help, the bar or the house. They were around here you were sure of it, sort of. After wandering a bit the geography clicks and you find the bar and remember the house was just down the street.
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Bar first. Elena is still in no condition to go to the house yet. That must have been some drug they gave her. Idly, she wonders if the sandwich and tea have been spiked so as to prolong her condition. Looking around, she spies a refuse container and drops the two remaining sandwiches and the tea bottle into it. She wavers a bit then finds a seat, trying to see if she can remember anything about this place. She looks about to see if she recognizes anyone. There is a tug on her memory from a waitress, but things are all a jumble.
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Approaching the bar feels a little like the greyed out, cloudy picture in your head becomes sharp and colorized. It's a very disturbing feeling knowing you've been here before but unable to make the connection, the deja vu is nearly overwhelming. You scan the crowd and you get a similar tickle from both the bartender and a waitress.
[spoiler]Due to having your memory jogged you can make another memory test (3) 1 hit you recognize the waitress and bartender as someone you spoke with, 2 hits you can remember some snippets of the conversation with the waitress, 3 hits you still can't quite recall everything but you remember she told you about the pamphlet and a design it had[/spoiler]
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Elena plops down at the bar and orders a 'caf. The bartender looks vaguely familiar, as does the waitress standing next to her waiting for the man behind the counter to fix the drinks for her tray. Elena looks from one to the other and groans slightly. "Wow, I need some soycaf. Strong and black and keep it coming for a bit, please." After the first cup is down, she puts it up for another, motioning for a refill. "Do I look as fragged up as I feel?"
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You look okay to me. A little red eyed maybe. Rough night? The bartender says with a wink as he refills your cup.
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Elena nods her head. "Rough is a word for it, I guess. I actually do not remember much about yesterday except coming in here. I left and went.........frag it........I went somewhere but now I am not sure where. It's like I met a client somewhere or something and he used some sort of drug on me to avoid paying, right? Just cannot remember much and was hoping someone could tell me if I said anything about where I was going when I left here. I would like to find the fragger who did this to me and give him a piece of my mind...........and collect what he owes me. Any help?"
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Oh! Yeah I recognize you from yesterday. Fraid not. You asked about the house on the corner is all. I think you talked to Jeannie a bit longer than me though.
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"Ahhh. Thank you very much. It is good to know that I at least remember coming in here. Do you think I could speak to Jeannie when she has a break? I can pay for the coffee and a good tip for her help."
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He raises an eyebrow at you. Did you not plan on paying for the coffee regardless? Well it's just her and myself right now so she can't can't be gone for too long but there aren't many people here in the mornings usually so she should have time to talk to you if you can keep it inside.
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Elena chuckles and slides some money across the bar to the man. "Of course I was going to pay for the coffee. What do you take me for? I am going to need more of it, too, so here is enough for several cups. I promise to keep my chatting with Jeannie inside and as short as possible. Thanks, you have been a help"
She takes the refilled cup and goes to an empty booth against a wall and sits down, closing her eyes for a moment to try to gather her thoughts and make sense of what has happened to her. She thinks she has been drugged, but cannot really remember who did it or where, and that bothers her. Opening her eyes, she sips at her coffee and waits for the waitress to finish with the other two customers in the bar at this time and come over to see her.
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Jeannie finishes her rounds and brings the coffee pot by to top you off. Freddy says you got more questions. I don't know much more I can tell you but go ahead and ask em, but remember our deal. I don't want to get involved, 'kay.
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Elena looks up at Jeannie with thanks as she pours the coffee. "Thanks, I need this. You have hit the problem square on the head, Jeannie. You see, I do not remember our deal. After I left here, I hooked up with some guy who drugged me and I have lost the last few hours of my life. Can you at least tell me where I was going and if I told you who I was going to meet? Anything would be a great help."
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She visibly pales when you tell her you think you were drugged but her eyes narrow quickly afterwards. She smiles and says Sorry sweetie, like I said I don't want to get involved. You came in askin bout them girls, I said I'd seen em around but couldn't help ya any further. No idea where you went after that, though ya did come back later and hit on me a bit, but you left here alone.
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Elena looks confused but keeps her voice low. "I was looking for two girls. Do you know who they were or what their names were? Look, I really need the help. Please?"
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Can't help ya. If you told me their names I don't remember them. Frankly I'm not sure I'd help ya if I remembered anything. If someone is drugging and robbing folks looking for them I don't want no part of it. She is clearly nervous and she is being careful with what she says, but you don't think she is lying about why. You do remember getting the job and asking about the girls jogs your memory enough to remember you had files on them on your com. With a quick check you find the info on your link.
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"Crap, I just remembered that I have something about them on my 'link." Elena turns the 'link to Jeannie. "It looks like I will have to start over. Look these are the girls I am looking for. They are missing and I was asked to find them. Will you help me in any way possible? Please?"
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[spoiler]OOC: Please check in the OOC thread periodically for important information. Like now for instance=P[/spoiler]
Sorry hon you just said you'd tracked em somewhere nearby. Sorry I can't be more help. Jeannie moves off to check on her other customers.
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Elena thanks Jeannie and watches her walk away while letting out a frustrated grunt. Unable to remember more right now, she hopes that the coffee and time will help her remember. At this time, she is not even really sure who she is to report back to and that frustrates her to no end. Perhaps a bit more time............................................maybe a couple more cups of caf then maybe go out to the house to see if that jogs her mind any.
[spoiler]What am I missing? I have answered the question and see nothing else. Perhaps our messages crossed each other.[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]OOC: it was just a reminder since no one was responding.[/spoiler]
You suck down a down a a few more cups of coffee and just try not to think so hard about things. You hear a new remake of one of the golden oldies from 30 years ago. Typical cashing in on a classic is a tried and true moneymaker. Idon has been really big lately they just released a second single in as many months. Horizon hasn't even been promoting them as hard as some of their other new talent though with their popularity rising that's likely to change.
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Elena listens to the music and actually enjoys it. She thinks that perhaps the lack of Horizon involvement is a good thing. After all, once the AAAs get their hooks into you, all of your freedom goes away. Much like her position with a syndicate...............................and suddenly, some of her past comes back to her. She knows who she is and who she is currently working for. What she does not know is why she was drugged. There must be something special about the girls that disappeared and she is certain it has something to do with that house. She cannot just go in there and burn the place down, so she must try to sneak in, and that means going tonight.
Elena grins to herself as she drinks another coffee. She will need to be free of the cobwebs from the drug before she goes in. In the meantime, she sends off a short message to her employer. >>On a lead. Attached is an address of where I believe they went when they disappeared. Just in case I disappear, too.<<
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You send a quick text to Kat and she responds a few minutes later thanking you for keeping her in the loop.
You suck down your 5th, or is it 6th cup of coffee and plan out what you will do for the day.
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Elena pays for the caf and leaves a nice tip for Jeannie and the bartender, thanking them for their help. She leaves the bar and heads off back to the coffin motel so she can rest until dark and set her mind on what needs to be done. Tonight will be a recon, at least to start off, with anything else depending on what she finds.
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You lay in bed but sleep does not come between the soy-caf and the drugged sleep you simply cannot keep your mind from wandering. You let your mind wander flitting at the edges of your memory and rest your body. After about two hours your com pings...It's Gunderson.
Good work. You've solved the problem...sort of. Your current avenue of investigation is no longer sanctioned. Come to The Next Round for payment and maybe some more work if you are interested.
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Well, now that is an unexpected message. Elena does not even consider the option of continuing the investigation, even though it leaves a bad taste in her mouth to drop it at this stage. She has made a rooking mistake and had thought herself better than that. Oh well, time to go face the music. She packs up her meager things and heads off to the Next Round to see Gunderson.
Walking into the bar, she looks for and finds her employer, saying nothing to him as she stands in front of the guy.
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Well you solved our problem. Not quite in the way I hoped but you did.
We've received a promise to "recruit" outside of the neighborhood and an apology for sniping our girls. We'll have to reign in the off the books work for the girls to make sure for a while but it appears the problem is over. He slides a credstick to you.
So who are these people. You apparently scared them, so I hope you have some idea who these people are.
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Elena slips the 'stick into a pocket without checking it. She shakes her head at the question. "No, I am not sure who they are. I do know that they were not exclusively focusing on just our girls. They have money and influence and seem well organized. They have contacted you so they must know they were poaching and had been found out. That they did not kill me is interesting. They drugged me and took me to a place of relative safety instead, which I certainly appreciate and I think that shows that their actions with the girls are not.....................with evil intent. They could be exactly as they say they are and helping girls out of this sort of life to a better one."
"I am sorry that I did not find out more. I would offer a discount to a future service to atone for my partial results. Do you have anything else for me?"
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Gunderson scratches at the stubble of his beard and gazes up to the ceiling. These people are rather good at covering their tracks. Another missing girl this one directly linked to the two already missing would have made us look even harder. Do you honestly believe these people have good intentions? The world doesn't work like that in my experience.
I don't have anything for you right now. I might be giving you a call later though.
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Elena nods and assumes she is dismissed. She leaves the bar and heads over to the Tits Up, still feeling a bit depressed, but that will not stop her from adding the 'stick to her slowly growing pile. In her room, she accesses the music function of her 'link to bring up "Harlot's Song", the latest hit from Idon, a band growing in popularity. She strips and steps into the shower to use up her short allotment of hot water, emerging to dress in clean clothes before heading downstairs to check in. She heads to the bar, where Bailey is working on the work roster. He looks up and grimaces at her. "Wow. Look what the cat drug in. Where you been, girl?"
Elena looks over at the man. "I told you I was off for a couple of days. Now I am back. Do you need me tonight?"
Bailey pretends to study his sheet. He knows that Elena is a good earner for the club and there is almost always a way to slot a girl into the rotation. Still, he feels a bit miffed and wants her to know it. "Yeah, I can squeeze you in. I will post the roster in the dressing room. Welcome back and try not to just disappear again."
Elena nods and goes off to the dressing room to catch up on what has been happening at the club as she chooses the costumes she will be using in the evening. She nods to the three girls already in the room as she hits replay on her link so that she can hear the Idon song again.
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It's still pretty early and Tits Up is slow. It's just the four of you right now. You are the last one on the list and the only two customers are on perverts row. Looks like you have some time to kill.
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Elena nods to the other girls and spends time talking with them and getting ready. With three girls ahead of her, it will be at least a half hour before her turn on the pole. She sits back and lets her foot keep time to the music from out front. She is a patient girl.
When it is her turn, she strolls out to the stage as if she owns it. There may only be two customers in perverts row, but it would not matter if it was two or fifty. They have as much right as anyone else to see what they are paying for and she gives a great performance. She knows it is great because the two men are practically drooling as they watch her strip her clothes off, finally baring all for them to ogle. She reaches down to pick up the few bits of scrip the two could afford to toss her way and smiles at both men as if they were the most important man in the house right now. It is this sort of treatment that gets Elena good tips, even if not from these two. But they will remember and they will tell their friends that she did more than simply prance about and strip. And their friends might come in and see her and some of them might give good tips..............or pay for extras such as lap dances and sex.
By the time she changes and comes back out, there are three men in the audience and the new one waves her over to his small table. A bit of money exchanges hands and Elena takes him by the hand and leads him to one of the darker booths against the wall, where she gives him a private lap dance and oral sex. She puts as much effort into the extras as she does in her dancing and the man is left shaking in the booth as she puts her clothes back on and returns to walk the floor.
-
After about two hours of dancing and...other things you put your clothes back on and notice a text on your com link. I've got a project I'd like your help with. Next round at 2100 hours.
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Elena smiles. Something always comes to the ones who are patient. She takes her dinner break at the bar and watches as a few more customers begin to straggle in. It could be a good night once the after dinner crowd shows up and Elena is already looking forward to her next couple of sets. She will worry about 2100 when 2100 rolls around but now she is more concerned with her next stage appearance. She has something a bit new for here and hope that it goes off well.
By 2050, she is ready. The evening has been good for her and she gladly tips Bailey and the music man their share of the scrip that has been tossed her way.
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Have a seat, grab a drink we are waiting on a few other's
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At the Next Round, Elena takes the message and takes her drink to the table after smiling at Katy. The assassin would like to get to know the pretty waitress better, but understand that she is strictly straight............at least for now. Elena can remember when she was straight and smiles at what her life has become after that first time. Sitting at the table, she trusts that whoever is guiding this parade will let the others know which table to come to. She carefully sips at her fruit juice and waits for the next act. Her mind goes back to the earlier job, wondering if the girls that had disappeared were really better off where they were. She hopes so and lift her glass in a silent toast to them and their future. Hers is solidly here in the Barrens and away from the Vory.