[adamu]

"Okay, lemme see here, so you improve your spiritual connection by disconnectin' other folks' spirits? Now that's a new one on ol' Al...but crazy religions one-oh-one later. Halfer here got the best idear: we go straight fer the proprietor, have a friendly chat, don't take no fer an answer, an' we'll have ourselves the key ta the back an' the run o' the place lickety split."

He took a moment to ogle Tiffany, the the troll's talk of conjoined relationships made it a lot less fun.

"Owner's name is Lenny Blackmun, used ta run monster truck shows down in South Tacoma till he got nailed scammin' the insurance on the drivers. Did three years, an' joined some crazy cult while he was in. Word is they backed 'im fer the club, helped him hook the hipster crowd from up Capital Hill way an' so forth. He's hands on with the management, an' also with some o' the treats they sell under the counter. There ever' night. Lives above the place. Likes his cigars thick an' his women thicker. Don't know where he's at with ice cream though."

[Beta]

Vish smiles and rubs his hands together eagerly "Very good, very good:  he knows how to work around rules, he has authority over the club, the success of the club matters to him  -- it isn't just a job -- and he has reason to understand how bad being on the bad side of Knight-Errant could be.  We should be able to find ways to put pressure on with that.  Maybe even work with his taste in women. Of course those who overly enthusiastic about their beliefs can be ... difficult.  But we should be able to work around that if we can get a handle on his beliefs, so we aren't working against them."

Suddenly the dwarf frowns.  "Unless  his beliefs are that we should all get possessed by bugs, that would be tricky, very tricky."  Then he shrugs "We will find out; if this is the case then we kill him quickly and work out a new plan."

"As for taking gear in, do you have any empty ice-cream tubs?  They wouldn't be tall enough for swords or an assault rifle, but they would cover taking in smaller weapons, which might be enough to make sure we take control of the club, and from there bringing in the larger gear should be easy enough."

[gilga]

"My plan exactly" said ICE.

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos had finished his shopping and while he was riding his bike to the club shot a quick message to his chummers: <<I'm about to enter the club. I'll give you a sit-rep when I'm in, but I can tell you there is already a long line - which probably means the club is quite empty at the moment.>>

Finding a space to securely park his bike, Kynos straightened his synth leather jacket and crossed the street. He didn't actually get in line but instead made a trip around the building to take a look at the back entrance.

As promised, there was a trapdoor for a loading elevator next to a back door leading to the trashcans. Right next to that where bared windows - the toilets he presumed. Loud music came from inside and Kynos witnessed a surely looking teenager come from the building and throwing a large trash bag into the bins. The whole alley smelled of urine and refuse. Kynos fervently wished he'd had his full body armor with him or at least a gas mask.
When he came back, the line had moved a bit but also grown a couple or two. Resigned he got in line behind two girls that looked much to young for a club and had way to much make up on their faces to conceal that fact. It didn't take long before they noticed him and started giggling. The giggling stopped once they had looked at his eyes only to be replaced by a whispered conversation.
Kynos ignored them.

[adamu]

Al's boots splashed into a wide puddle outside the ice cream truck. Chocolate sauce was drying in the coarse stubble on his chin. He'd left his shotgun in the vehicle for the moment.

Scanning the line, he saw that the big elf had made his way pretty far down the queue. He didn't take the keeb for the sort of chump that did a lot of waiting in lines, but figured he didn't want to draw extra attention right away. Never hurt to have a quiet ace in the hole lurking around somewhere.

Addressing the others as they gathered, he nodded at the long string of would-be clubbers and started to speak, but broke into a violent coughing fit instead. Once he'd hacked out what sounded like a lung and looked like something toxic, he caught his breath with some difficulty and said, "I know the door guy, so I'll git us in lickety split an' then make the introductions with Blackmun. After that I'll leave the social engineerin' ta y'all yahoos. Ya ain't gon' learn nothin' if ol' Al does it all for ya. But reckon I'll be standin' by with my Master Thespian skills if'n ya git sideways somehow."

He set off across the wet pavement with the others that had nominated themselves to chat with the club owner. Gave the finger to the pissed off college punks that cursed at them for walking to the head of the line. Said to the doorman, "Buenos noches, Slick. Got biz ta talk with Lenny."

[gilga]

ICE dismantled his assault rifle and and stashed the parts in ice cream boxes.  He answered Al - "Let's see if we can BS our way in there..."  As if reading his mind, Monica and Tiffany materialized next to ICE and the trio followed Al carrying numerous ice cream boxes. The two magical ladies were gliding few inches above ground and only pretended to be walking, but the attention they got was more related to their revealing outfit. As they approached the line Monika said "Make way... we are part of the entertainment."  and Tiffnay added "And we brought Ice cream." and smiled a devious smile. Between these two stunning magical ladies, ICE seemed plained, he said to the doorman "...we are, with the band" and signalled the two ladies.

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos watched stoically as his chummers arrived and bypassed the queue. With curiosity he noted the reply of the bouncer:
"Al? Seriously? You know that Lenny is still cross about that stunt you pulled with the custard and the shotgun shell. He still can't get the smell out of his carpet. Eh, whatever, it's your funeral. Go on in."
Finally, the two girls arrived at the bouncer who looked pretty skeptically at them but finally shrugged and let the young meat in. Kynos took the opportunity to just walk on behind them as if he belonged with them.
"Hey, not so fast buddy..."
Kynos just glared at the bouncer and rasped: "You think Don Ignatio let's his daughter go into a nightclub without protection? Think again."
Ignoring the outstreched hand Kynos shouldered his way past, before the bouncer could think to much about that statement.

It mainly worked because right than ICE with his assistants drew the guys attention away.
"What? Since when do Razorblade Abortion order catering? Ah, never mind. Say, is that peanut-banana flavor? I love that stuff."

[Beta]

Vish really liked having his truck with him, but since he didn't really have a drivers license -- or any training on traffic laws -- it had seemed best to tag along in the ice cream truck.  He'd been going to take an ice cream tub, but when he looked at their size versus his size he realized that he'd look ridiculous and not be able to see over it.  Fortunately he'd been able to add his Uzi to one of the tubs that others were carrying, and he'd found a tall box in which ice-cream cones had once come, but that he could hold sideways so that it wasn't as obstructive or silly looking.

Investigation revealed that there was still a couple of dozen stale cones in a bag at the bottom of the box -- some didn't make it to the cub as Vish didn't see that it was likely that they were going to get any other supper, but  it felt good to have a real prop when they went to talk their way in.  Which made it almost disappointing when the bouncer barely even noticed him him tagging along with Al and Ice.  The pluses and minuses of being short.

For that matter, the women in line didn't seem inclined to notice him either, for all that he'd made sure to trim his beard and slick his hair back.  Definitely the minuses of his height.  On the other hand ... he looked at the typical level of clothing on those oblivious women, and figured that  he might enjoy the view if the gig allowed time for a stroll around the dance floor.

As they got into the club and got a look around, Vish eyed the mountain of mean holding up the wall next to the door marked "Private: employees only. Yes, this means you, fragger!"  He called out to his companions "Straight back to the office?  Looks like the next guard woke up on the ride side of the bed this lifetime."

[adamu]

"Awww, Francis? He's a pussycat," Al reassured the dwarf. "Nothin' ta fret about."

Al strode up to the gigantic man butched out in studded black leather and said, "Heya kemo sa..." Which was all he got out before the guy's hamlike fist slammed into his already-black eye.

The smaller man swayed back, but then came upright, feet never moving. Head bowed, one hand holding his eye, the other held up in a placating gesture, he was still for a moment, then said, "Peace out, Francie baby. I'll allow as ol' Al may've had that comin' fer the thing with the conjoined..."

"No, that was for the bum tip on Hathawaye's Fortune in the fifth last Tuesday. This is for landing me in it with the pawns over them underage twins." And the same fist drove deep into Al's abdomen at the solar plexus, sending the little man into a frenzied hacking fit. But he still managed to rasp out a few words between coughs.

"S'pose...this means...we can't...see...Lenny...tonight..."

"Au contraire, Al. I never let my personal beefs interfere with my professional responsibilities." And keeping himself at arm's length from the ongoing coughing fit, he swung the door behind him open for the small group.

Once they were in the back corridor and the door was shut again, Al straightened up and smirked: "What'd I tell ya? All bark an' no bite."

[Beta]

Vish started sauntering along behind Al, but suddenly a tennis racket sized palm was blocking his way.  Francis rumpled down at him “Al’s taken too many punches to the head.  Food got to go to the kitchen before you go back here -- boss wouldn’t be happy about puddles of melted ice-cream in his office.”

Vish was hoping not to use the same concussion-inducing tactics that Al had gotten away with, not least because a punch from the troll would likely toss the dwarf out onto the dance floor.  Going for his slickest voice that would carry over the music, he yelled up to the troll “Chummer, you got it all wrong!  Ice cream is supposed to go to his office to soften up for a while.  What I heard is he’s going to be having some hungry ladies back there later, wants to see how much they can suck back or something.  That part might be rumour, but the instructions were to make sure these got to the office, and make sure nobody took them to the kitchen.”

Francis grumbled something about "... probably that fragging Heather again..." but he withdrew his paw, so Vish hurried past without bothering with further lies.  Al's blithe reassurance that the troll was more bark than bite didn't do a lot to slow the hammering of the dwarf's heart.  He was a decent talker, but a situation like this was always stressful.

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel parks his bike near the club and walks up to where he can see what is going on.  He notices the arrival of the ice cream truck and nods as the rest of the team seems to have no trouble getting in.  ICE's two assistants provide all the distraction necessary as Steel moves into the alley.  He wrinkles his nose at the odors assailing his senses from all directions and moves carefully past two old men sitting at the mouth of the alley passing a bottle of something back and forth between them.  They barely look up at the moving mountain as he passes by them and he makes his way to the rear entrance to the club.  He stands there for a couple of minutes, pretending to be adding to the urine puddle behind the dumpster when some surly punk kid comes out of the club to deposit another couple of bags in the dumpster.  Taking advantage of the open door, Steel just walks into the building, his mere glance cutting off the kid's complaint that he can't just do that.

[Aria]

[Wednesday March 6th, 2075; Anarchy Nightclub, Tacoma, Seattle]
 
Dern’s text sails briefly across the AR interface of the Firewatch tacnet that Grace had supplied you with limited access to, those of you who use AR at least…
 
>>On station, go on your word
 
***
 
#03  PP/1

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos had sauntered over to the bar to get himself a glas of synthehol with wiskey flavor. He snatched the glas away before the barkeeper could add ice to the mixture that smelled vaguely like paint thinner.
The flashing lights and the hammering bass reminded him a bit off the short campaign during the Carpathian offensive. 'An exploding artillery shell would be exactly what this club needs...'

He kept an eye open for any bugs or other insects around, but only saw a few dead flies that had ended up in corner where the cleaning drone had missed them.

He was just at his second round around the dance floor when the message from Alpha Team came in.
<<Acknowledged, I'm taking position in the corridor at the cellar door.>>

The noise was decidedly more bearable in the corridor and the air cooler. Only the smell was due to the toilets a few notches worse than in the main rooms. Kynos waited for a second to be sure that no-one saw him, before he tried the cellar door.

<<Cellar door is closed and locked - there is probably no-one down there at the moment. You can go in - don't forget to stash my gear.>>

With that he changed the channel and called his chummers <<I could use a bit of company in the corridor - standing here alone is mightily suspicious. Also ICE, have you found any spirits or thralls with your mojo vision yet?>>

Meanwhile Al and his entourage had reached Lenny's office. The door stood open a bit and the irritating high pitched, indignant voice of Lenny could be heard: "I don't care. Just get them out of here, I don't have time for this bulldrek. And send the new girl up - she hasn't been explained the law of the land yet."

[adamu]

Al heard Lenny's voice, but there was no light coming from the cracked doorway. He knocked.

"Yeah, who's that?"

Al forced a deep, resonant belch.

"Guthrie? I'm busy, you slag. Come in and make it quick, whatever it is."

Entering the room, Al could barely see a thing - the new retro lava lamp array Lenny had recently spent a fortune on was lifeless. Lenny was a shadow behind his desk. He flipped the wall switch, but nothing happened.

"What the hell, Len? Didn't pay yer 'lectric bill?"

"Nah, Al. I just like it this way. More peaceful, right?"

There was a skittering sound in a corner somewhere. Maybe to the left. No, to the right.

"Sure Len. Your world, amigo. So listen, we got a proposition fer ya."

Heavy footsteps outside the office door. Then quiet.

"Really? Well that's a hell of a coincidence, Al," said the voice of the shadow behind the desk. "Because now that you're here, I've got a proposition for you, too. But you first."

Al paused, then kicked the leg of his nearby co-worker. "You heard the man. You first."

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel stalks through the kitchen like a man.........well, more like a troll, I guess.........on a mission.  The handful of cooks and cook assistants in the large room seem to mostly ignore him, moving around his bulk as he walks to the door that leads out to the hallway.  Ducking through, he sees Kynos standing there and moves closer, smiling a welcome.  "Hey.  Great night to be sending some demon minions back to hell.  Just the two of us back here so far, eh?"  Steel moves his massive arms and draws his two swords, flicking them on and smiling.  "I love the hum they make.  So, what is the play here?"