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[IC] New Beginnings DUSK

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Mercy Merchant

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« Reply #45 on: <09-23-16/0117:29> »
Snow's client must be a bit concerned about the meeting because his hand never really goes higher on her leg than the knee while they are in the limo, and he seems preoccupied with something or other.  She is wise enough to let him be.  The car arrives at the restaurant and she waits for the valet to open the door and assist her out as her client is helped out the door on the other side of the fancy car.  He comes around to where she is standing and offers an arm, which she takes, before heading into the building.  A man outside the door welcomes them and ushers them inside to the coat check room, where Snow checks her shawl but keeps her small clutch.  Her gorgeous gown is off the shoulder, but the upper arms are covered, concealing the Vory ink on them.  She gives her date a brilliant smile and walks with him to the grand stairway that leads to the second floor ballroom where the dinner is being held.
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Crossbow

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« Reply #46 on: <09-25-16/1615:35> »
“Chummer, I realize that you have a chip on your shoulder, you would be a piss poor runner if you didn’t, but you are really going to have to get that stick out of your hoop if we are going to business.  I need some traveling companions, and you wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t have confidence in the fixer, but if you take the job, we are going to be around each other a lot so I have an interest finding people I can stand to be in the same room with for more than five minutes.”  She looks around the group of you again, “You seem like some people I can work, but this missing hacker is definitely a concern.  If you take the job I am going to need to see her pronto, actually you all will if she is your medic, since you will need immunizations.” She glances at Torley, “The clock is still running on you, Stick.”

“I’ve been hired by a private antiquities collector, who recently lost an item from his collection. His only clue is this man, who has apparently been hired by a rival collector to find the item first. He’s an elf who goes by the name of Samriel Lockwood. One or both of those names are likely to be false.”

“We’ve been tracking him, but it now appears he’s gone to Lagos. We need to locate him quickly and trail him to the item. Now, normally, I work alone, but Lagos … well, it’s not exactly a safe city for a single woman. If you’re amenable, I’d like to hire you to accompany me as security, and also help out in my investigation.”

“As you can imagine, the trail grows colder with every hour, so I need to leave as soon as possible, that would be why this issue with your teammate is a concern.”

“I’m willing to pay 2,000 nuyen per person, per day, plus a per diem of 250 nuyen with a guaranteed minimum of five days paid upfront. I’ll also cover lodging in Lagos, plus the cost of travel to and from Nigeria. If we find the lost item, and you assist me in recovering it, I’ll also split the ‘finder’s fee’ with you—which would be 50,000 nuyen for your team.”

Mercy Merchant

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« Reply #47 on: <09-26-16/0035:04> »
A man in a very nice tux and a woman wearing a latest-style formal gown are waiting near the top of the stairs.  The man checks both Snow and her client against a list he is carrying then taps his right ear and speaks softly into the air before nodding to his associate. The woman smiles at her charges and asks them to follow her to the dining room, turning on high heels and walking down the hall.  Snow's and her escort follow the woman to a large dining room, filled with other early arrivals.  Their guide shows them to their assigned seats at one of the tables and motions to where the open bar is located.  Snow's client takes her to the bar, requesting a rum and coke for himself and a vodka martini for her.  Returning to their table, they stand, watching the room as it fills and greeting the others who are brought to sit with them.  In Snow's professional opinion, many of the woman here are filling the roll of escort, just as she is.  She even recognizes several, but none give any indication they know each other.  That sort of thing is just not done in this circle.  The women that are likely to be wives are universally older than the call girls present.
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Thvor

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« Reply #48 on: <09-26-16/0122:47> »
Nigeria? So much for asking if Lyra can come along, Sam thought to himself. However, he was happy that Queen Frosty was willing to move past demanding a boot-licking and start actually giving details on the mission. A moment's glance was all he needed to read each of his teammates' interest and willingness levels before he responded to the elf. "If that's your concern, you needn't worry about Snow--her medical skills are primarily field care, rather than holding office hours and such. We can obtain the necessary immunizations and be on our way; she will be able to follow us within a day or two, if you're don't mind her travelling separately." He knew he'd have to pay Dr. Halfmoon extra for the rush, but he was confident she'd be able to hook the team up.

He took another sip of his martini before continuing, "However, I'm confident you appreciate the fact that each of us have obligations which will have to be postponed, meetings which have been scheduled and which will have to be cancelled, and so on. Such an abrupt departure will be disruptive." He knew Queen Frosty expected him to dicker, and would be prepared for most of hist lines, so he cut to the chase. "5,000 expedition fee up front, 3,000 per day, plus the per diem. Each." He hoped that her desire to move quickly would work well in his favor.

[spoiler]
Negotiation: Skill[4] + CHA[6] + Improved Ability[2] + Kinesics[3]: 15d6t5 4

...well, that sucked. No glitch, but I could've done about as well buying hits. Sigh. Though if she's really worried about time, that should either give Sam more dice or take some away from her pool...
[/spoiler]
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HydroRaven

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« Reply #49 on: <09-26-16/0250:11> »
*I like what she is saying so far* thought Clem as she was listening to the Johnson, and it seemed Torley had picked up what the ork's intentions were without her wilfully communicating them. Even Clementine knew she wasn't skilled at negotiations, but she knew the timeline proposed and the fact their potential employer was short on time all worked in the Heaven's Devils' favour.

Clem nonetheless found herself thinking *Who is this fixer she's talking about, that may or may not know Torley and Starlet?*
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farothel

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« Reply #50 on: <09-26-16/0251:19> »
Sammy's mind was going at full speed.  Lagos of all places.  While she didn't know much about the city, all the rumours she had heard indicated it was a place to avoid.  And while she had grown up in a place to avoid, there were levels of avoidance.  And how was she going to tell Marcus.  Their relationship was just starting to thaw out a bit, and now she would be gone for quite some time again.

For now she would keep quiet, letting Sam do his tricks.  She did make a mental note to get an extra respirator if they were going to take this job.  In fact, try to get two of every important item she could bring twice, just in case.
"Magic can turn a frog into a prince. Science can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with." Terry Pratchett
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Necrogigas

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« Reply #51 on: <09-26-16/0356:36> »
O'Connor didn't bother to supress the wolfish grin that spread across his face despite the discomfort the hearth brought him. If even half the stories about Africa where true, then it was the perfect place for him to go. Supposedly it was a continent spanning Barrens that made Redmond look like Bellevue. It'd be the perfect place for him to get back to basics and gain some perspective.
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Crossbow

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« Reply #52 on: <09-27-16/0041:50> »
"Yeah, no, I don't think this is going to work out for you Stick, you are brave enough, asking for something like that, but you are way behind the curve at this point.  First off, you couldn't get your friend to Lagos in a day or two if you had started trying last week, and I am not using anyone that I don't see face to face on this side of the ocean.  If you are taking the job you need to get her here right away and the lot of you need to get prepped."

"I am not even going to discuss how bad it is to ask for premium pay and then call yourself a part-timer, but let's just assume that didn't happen.  I am not in so much of a hurry that I can't get another team if I need to, so if a 20K + payday and the right to put Treasure Hunter on your resume isn't good enough for you, I guess I need to make some phone calls.  Enjoy your drinks, I will send the girl to get you folks a meal for the trouble, I hear they make a nice scallop here." She gets up and offers the face her hand.

She is perfectly clam and friendly as she closes negotiations. 

(Astrally she is a mundane, healthy and calm)

farothel

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« Reply #53 on: <09-27-16/0313:04> »
"I have a few questions if you don't mind," Sammy interjected, "and a remark.  For starters, if you say that you are not in a hurry, at least not so that you can't get another team, why do we have to rush so much?  From what I heard before it sounded like we would leave tonight, tomorrow at the latest?  Also, if you want to see our hacker's face, just give me a second."

She quickly searched on her commlink for a picture of Snow she had taken somewhere in LA, and showed it to the Johnson.  She found it a bit strange as meets with one member absent, while maybe not the norm, were not unheard of.
"There you are.  And lastly, if you want to see her in person, we will have to contact her and she had to come here, all of which will take some time.  I have no idea where she is right now, but I don't think it's right next door."
"Magic can turn a frog into a prince. Science can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with." Terry Pratchett
"I will not yield to evil, unless she's cute"

Crossbow

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« Reply #54 on: <09-27-16/0835:01> »
"I have to meet her, I have to decide if I can go into one of the most dangerous places on earth with her as protection, and then you all need to get ready to leave."

HydroRaven

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« Reply #55 on: <09-27-16/0951:01> »
"Alright, we understand your conditions. If you can give us a few moments, we need to reach our team member and find out exactly when she can get here" said Clem to the Johnson, giving her a polite smile, inviting her to either leave them to themselves for a while or guide the group to somewhere they could talk.
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Necrogigas

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« Reply #56 on: <09-27-16/1823:52> »
O'Connor seized the opportunity to leave the room and stood quickly, "I'll call her and let her know she needs to get down here." He then all but bolted from the room, and made his way outside. <[Recipient: Snow | Commcall]: "Snow, you need to get your fine hoop down here pronto. The Jay wants a face-to-face with everyone, and she is pissed you aren't here. Hurry, Torley's about ready to call the whole thing off.">
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Crossbow

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« Reply #57 on: <09-27-16/2054:28> »
Johnson is somewhat startled by Con's quick departure.  "Is he ok?"

"I don't know what you guys really need to discuss, I would have jumped at a chance for a job like this when I was new to the game.  We have all got to be comfortable in this scenario, so what are your concerns?  Is it me giving Stick so much grief?  You have to admit, it's kind of fun to poke at him.  Despite what I said before, you have to know the offer is pretty good.  If I wanted a bunch of meatshields, I could get as many as I wanted for a third of the price without splitting the finder's fee, so it can't be the money."

Looking at Sammy, "I am on a timetable, so if I have to find another group I will have to move quickly, I want your group, but I have a job to do and I mean to get it done."

HydroRaven

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« Reply #58 on: <09-27-16/2237:45> »
"To borrow an expression from our last employer, said Clem, "this isn't our first rodeo. We work as a team, and we speak as a team. I'm sure you can understand that. Now we will just step our for a short while and see what we can do on our end to accommodate your conditions."

With that, Clementine stood up and motioned for the rest of the team to follow her out of the room. Once outside she says to O'Connor "Can you reach Snow?" After a slight pause, she turns back to the human, asking "And what the drek is wrong with you?!? Do you need a fix?"
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Mercy Merchant

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« Reply #59 on: <09-28-16/0208:37> »
Snow is in the middle of the first course of the meal when the message comes in from Con.  She is surprised at the content and a bit disturbed.  Between bites, she fashions a response and sends it off.  >>Con, Snow.  That is not convenient just now.  How important is it that I be there?  If it is critical, I will try to think of something, but I cannot really risk pissing on my bosses shoes.  Let me think.  I will be back to you.<<

She wriggles inside to the looming dilemma, trying to work out a solution.  The really hard truth is that this job for the J is just a job and there are others out there and she has Obligations, with a capital O, that she cannot just ignore.  She moves a hand under the table and places it on the thigh of her companion, rubbing it gently.  This certainly gets his attention and he shifts a bit in his chair to give her a better reach.  Snow can read her man better by now and senses when he is nearing the point of no return and lets off from her hand movements long enough for him to recover before touching him again.  The expression on his face is priceless as he tries hard to keep still and refrain from calling out.  Snow decides to have mercy on the man and removes her hand form his thigh, thus removing the immediate need to find a private room.  At that moment, a waiter moves forward to present a paper note to Snow's client from a silver platter.  Several others around the room get the message as well.  Snow watches as the man reads the note and blanches.  Almost as one, the men who received the notes turn to their companions and say something. 

Snow's client looks genuinely unhappy as he says, "I am sorry my dear.  I have to go to another meeting.  A conference call is being set up in another room here.  I do not know how long this will last, but a good couple of hours is likely, so I think it best that you return to the hotel.  I am sorry to ruin the dinner, but I have no choice.  I hope that you understand."

With that, he and several other men rise from where they are seated and make their way from the room.  Snow looks quite disappointed and frowns as if she is displeased about being abandoned.  As she makes her way to the cloak room to fetch her shawl, she sends a second message out.  >>Con.  Snow.  I have worked things out, sort of.  In any case I have probably a couple of hours to meet the J and talk to her.  Not sure how long I can stay but I am on the way to you now.  Will you be waiting outside for me?<<

Snow collects her shawl and has a taxi brought around for her and gives the address of the club the team is at.
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