[Jayde Moon]

Raining in Seattle, who’da thought?  At least the soykaf is good, for when you invariably need a late morning pick-me-up.  Watching the masses go about their day is enough by itself to bring you down, the gray skies and continuous spring drizzle just serves to to really drive the gloom home.

It’s generally nice not to have to rush through the wageslave traffic, but work’s been a bit slow lately.  Hard to pay rent with empty promises.  Still, maybe something will turn up.

@ Ravener

Friday night was a good time.  Maybe too good of a time.  A chance to open at the upstairs dance floor of Powerline in Bellevue was almost a dream come true.  Flamboyant gay men really know how to have a good time and appreciate a good dance beat and they showed their appreciation the dance floor.  To celebrate the gig, the afterparty took you and a few good friends to the Tacoma Style.

If your hangover is any indication, it was a damn good time.  Maybe some hair of the dog will stop that buzzing sound…

Or maybe just answering your commlink.  Taking a look down, you see it’s a message from Michelle Rampling.  That means work, and that’s good.

>>[Can you make a meet with Ms. Johnson at Club Penumbra in downtown?  Sure it’ll be worth your while.  Ms. Johnson expects you at 8 in the private room.<<

Club Penumbra?  If that’s not an auspicious sign for a night out on the town, then nothing is.


@ Cherie

Ugh, so boring.  People are just so boring.  Never up to anything amusing or fun, just rushing back and forth.  Just when Cheris thinks it can’t get any worse, her Metalink beeps.  Taking a look, she sees that it’s a message from Manny.  As humans go, not a bad sort, and with the bonus that he always finds something interesting for Cherie to do.

>>[There’s a place in downtown Seattle called Club Penumbra.  If you can be there by 8 to meet with Ms. Johnson in one of the private rooms, you could get a foot in the door of some real work, not the little half pranks and joke jobs you’ve been with so far.  Tryouts are over.  Don’t be late.  Good luck.]<<


@ Jujin Kai

It was taking a while to get used to the odd stares.  In Japan, the Oni security professionals were looked upon with respect.  Here in Seattle, a single no at a cafe was a curiosity.  Most folks weren’t extremely discourteous as to glare openly at him, but he was observant enough to notice the sly glances and double takes.

He sipped from the tea and pondered his next move when his commlink chirped.  It was his Yakuza contact, Satoshi.

Found you some work, omae.  There is a place known as Club Penumbra.  It is in the heart of Downtown.  Ms. Johnson is looking for real talent and wants to meet a team in the private room.  A chance for you to earn some red and pay down your debts, hey?  Don’t say I haven’t come through for you.  And don’t forget, end of the month, you need to drop off at least 3K.  More if you want to get into the principle.  Happy to help, but we expect our due.


@ Whiskey

It was dark in the old church, despite the time.  Whiskey sat next to the cot and examined the man lying on it.  He complained of stomach pain and pressure, twisting knots in his gut.  MatrixMD said it was cancer, but the diagnosis tool for the Virtual Doc was notorious for offering that single response.  Whiskey figured he just ate something a few hours older than he should have.

She offered him a few chewable tablets, nothing more she could do really, the clinic had very little, working off of the donations gathered throughout the community.  As she stood up, the door leading to the basement opened.  Whiskey rose as Ms. Nunn, known to the vagrants who sometimes sheltered here as Our Lady of Mercy, approached.  She looked tired, as if she had just woken from deep sleep.  It made sense, Ms Nunn often worked late into the night, taking care of those she had drawn under her wing.

“Whiskey,” she said, “as I told you, I put out some feelers for something you might be able to do.  A friend of my has returned a call and told me that you may have a place at the table of a Ms… Johnson.  At Club Penumbra tonight at 8.”


@ Raiden

Raiden lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling only scant inches from his nose.  Staying in the coffin hotel had been annoying, but he had few options.  He had next to nothing left and no immediate means of getting anything more.  Luckily, he knew a few people in Seattle and had put out some feelers.  His commlink buzzed, indicating a message from one of those feelers.

>>[Hey, chummer, I know it’s been a week, don’t think I forgot about you.  Looks like something’s come up and you have a foot in the door.  Club Penumbra at 8pm, private room with Ms. Johnson.  I called in a favor for this, so don’t be late..]<<

Well, he’d started from the bottom once.  He could do so again.


@ Redline

Lucky.  That’s the only word to describe the current situation.  Shit was so bad that the current situation could be considered a miracle.  Auburn was so different from Japan and everything seemed so dirty and dull… but she knew there were worse places.  She could have found herself in the Barrens, by all accounts a place where her family would have suffered.

But here?  Not so bad.  She didn’t dare let her parents work yet, they still had to lay low, keep to themselves.  Once her siblings grew up, there would be work for them.  By then, removed in time from the events of the last months, Renraku might not be looking so hard for them.  Meanwhile, Redline had to pay the rent.  She’d managed for the month, but it was going to be hand to mouth for the foreseeable future.  At least Willy had been true to his word, taking care of them.  He said he’d be on the lookout for something Redline could do.

The light on her commlink flashed.  Speak of the devil.

>>[Got a Ms. Johnson looking for your kind of talent.  Head to Club Penumbra, be there at 8.  Tell them you’re a friend of mine and you’re expected in the private room.  They’ll let you in.  Good luck.

—————

8 pm… nine hours from now.  Plenty of time.

[VegasRigged]

Raiden splashed freezing cold water on this face to snap some focus into himself. This whole place had the astral feel of lethergy and wasted lives. He wanted to take a shower or two but knew it wouldn't help. Getting back to work would help.

He looked at himself in the mirror. Cheap suit, not tailored. Hair looking a tad greasy, mild scent of sweat and sleep lingering. He put on his smile, he was a wilder version of himself, nothing to lose and everything to gain. He checked his weapons then adjusted his suit in the mirror a little more before saying quietly "I love my job." and heading to the meet.

[Forrest]

Cherie, yawned and stretched, pulling the hammock to its full length.  The thatching job she had done covering this part of the tree held out the rain and actually made for an almost  cozy feel.  She had gotten Jonesey's name from one of her girls back in New Orleans.  Jonesey wasthe manager of The Paladin and she had agreed to let cherie stay in the courtyard in back of the building and use the facilities on site in exchange the for an occasional set on the stage and a few new yen.  Cherie had quickly set herself up in the towering oak that somehow managed to survive in this part of Sylvestria, or whatever the locals called this eleven enclave. 
She popped into the showers that girls used got her ready for her first "meet" as a shadow runner.  Usually she was used to being the one coming up with the plan and making the shaking happen, but has he had had to leave and come to this cold gloomy backwater of civilization.  As she slipped on her armor "jacket" she stroked the faux fur collar and the plungin neck line remembering how Jimmy had Fashioned it especially to show of what he thought of as her best features. 
Being the cautious type, she called upon Papa Chango, a particular favorite Loa asking that he ride her and give her the powers of speed.  She set out flying for the club Penumbra with plenty of time to spare. Invisible to all she passed, she easily made it to the club where she made use of her diminutive size and Art and skill at sneaking to slip past the bouncers and into the private room where mr Johnson waited. 

[WillAsher]

Stretching to try and ease the kinks, I reach over and hit play.  As the music starts to thump I feel the creep of magic along my nerves.  The drip of the faucet slows and the texture of the music deepens.  "Time to fly?" I ask the raven now sitting on my deck.

"Silent wings and open eyes," Raven says, before he flaps his wings and flies though the wall. 

"On that note," I mutter as I head to the shower.  Fifteen minutes later, clean and with hot soycaf I sit down to check NeedleNet for any news.  Frowning at the latest on the missing fixer I send Michelle a reply letter her know I will make the meet.  Loading a stealth suite into my deck I spin it up on silent and grab my coat. I set retro vids to playing across my coat as I settle my pistol in it's holster.  My runner bag goes behind the seat of the truck and I let GridGuide drive me to the meet.  "Time to pay off some loans"

[Shaihulude]

Jujin read the message again more slowly. He was not happy about his current situation, and his contact was correct; he had debts to pay. The least of which was nuyen.

He paid his tab and headed to his apartment to collect his belongings, and prepare himself for the meeting.

[0zee]

Redline's eyes flickered open, shifting to the barred window which let a smelly, cool breeze and steely grey overcast of morning light through. Eiko worked herself up into a sit, breathing hard as she was reminded that the day after a run always hurt worse. Her mother's bed sat empty across from her, blankets tucked cleanly around the mattress. She glanced at her comm link, running a hand over her face as she calculated her rest at over nine hours.
   She wandered down the hall to the kitchen in a fog, favoring her healthy side as she made for the family's tea cabinet. Sasushi sat at the kitchen table, faraway gaze remaining unmoving as he peered into the otherworld of the matrix through his deck.
   They didn't speak as she made a cup of tea, rubbing at her forehead, sipping, gazing out a window; finding herself. A few minutes passed, and she spoke softly, eyes cast downward.
   "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
   A few seconds later, her brother leaned back, jacking out from his deck and leaning into the fold out chair he sat in. His eyes moved to her after a pause.
   "Aren't you supposed to be on a run?"
   That made her stop, looking at him with a sideways glance. She thought about dismissing the question, using the old excuses. But she knew he knew, and he deserved better than to be lied to by his older sister.
   "No," she offered simply, looking away as she retrieved a cigarette from her pocket, lighting it. She looked out the window, searching for the right words and sipping at her steaming mug of kabusecha. "It's my day off," she elaborated.
   He replied more quickly this time. "Seiji doesn't know, but I do. I know what you do."
   Her brow leaned upwards, ruby eyes staring at him from behind the trail of her cigarette.
   "What do I do, brother?"
   "You steal things. You kidnap people. You kill people."
   Her eyes shifted to the depths of the murky green tea, the mug again meeting her lips. She was silent for a time, but his eyes hung on her. Eventually, the fiery flicker of her gaze returning to his was enough. She didn't disagree.
   "Why did you take us here? Seiji misses home. Mom, too."
   "This is home," she injected flatly. The boy rebounded.
   "Fuck that. This place is drek. This whole city is shit." His eyes remained on hers, unrelenting. "Why did you make us come here?" he repeated.
   "Because home isn't safe anymore, Sasushi."
   "Why?"
   She paused, returning her view to the smudge-covered kitchen window as she let clouds of smoke fill her chest before releasing it with a relenting exhale.
   "Because things go wrong sometimes." She paused, eyes shifting back to her brother. He stared at her hard, waiting, wanting, angry. It wasn't a stretch to assume that he blamed her for it all; that he hated her. Some of it was the squalor around them, the meals that were too small and the arguing from behind doors that was too loud.
   Some of it, she knew, was justified.
   "You hate us. You think you're better than all of us and brought us here because you can. Just because you were born a big freak you think you can boss us around."
   Eiko stamped the cigarette out, finished her tea and leaned against the kitchen counter. She crossed her arms taking in a deep breath before speaking with a softness belying her brother's words.
   "Lets go for a drive."
   Silence reigned again, punctuated by the distant scream of a Knight Errant siren. Sasushi's eyes locked with hers until he rose from the table without speaking, collapsing his deck into a flat rectangle and sliding it into a backpack. He opened the front door and stepped out into the stairs.
   Eiko pulled on a thermal patterned with the colors of Renraku and grabbed her holdout, slipping it beneath her belt before stepping out after him. They piled into the Gopher in silence, and with a pair of experimental revs she sent it skidding up the ramp and into the street, west, towards the water.
   Yesterday's rain had given way to broken clouds, lances of sun spearing through cracks of blue to reflect off puddles and dripping buildings. They rode in silence, Sasushi's eyes looking at the the baseball-sized bullet hole in his door once before looking on without question.
   A few minutes later the pickup came to a stop at the Sound's edge, chemical-choked water lapping against the rotting ferricrete of a disused dock. The pair stepped out, Redline instinctively reviewing their surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. It was Tuesday morning; Tacoma was dead save for truck trains and wage slaves late to the day's toil.
   "Why take me here?" Sasushi inquired lowly. His nose wrinkled as the wind kicked up a waft of Tacoma aroma into them, but he didn't complain. Rainbows of petrol glimmered in the fleeting sunlight, the last of the day's fog burning away in a slow-dancing vapor.
   "Because it's as close as you're ever getting to home again, Sasushi." Her red eyes bore into him, unapologetic, uncompromising. His head turned to her, waiting expectantly for an aside, or some reason that never speaking with his old friends again the flesh was acceptable. But as they looked into one another without words, the boy gradually realized there would be no comforting lie, no redeeming detail.
   This was their life now.
   Sasushi sat at the edge of the dock, legs hanging lifelessly over the soup as he stared westwards, as if with enough effort his eyes could track Japan through the mists and be there. But he was stuck in the plex from what might as well have been a force of nature. Any attempt at boarding a cruiser, bullet train, jetliner, sub-orbital - whatever the method - would trip wires. Wires Renraku would follow back to her, then to her family.
   Redline explained this to her brother steadily, slowly, methodically. She talked about why they'd lived so well in the past, and why they never would again; why mom was acting like the time they lost dad all over again; why things wouldn't change soon.
   Things don't get easier. If anything, they get harder; nobody lends you a hand without pulling you in for a favor; no offense ever forgotten. You woke up each day ready to fight for your life, to pull all the stops and push your capabilities to the limit. On a good day, you made it back with a story to tell. On a bad day, you had one more friend who has just a phone number that'd never pick up again. On the worst day, you were gone.
   That was that: life in the shadows. No glamor, no heroes, just survival.
   Sasushi didn't talk for the entirety of their visit to the Sound, but Redline knew he listened to every word. By the time she'd finished, the northwest gloom had reached its whitest, like a hap-hazarded declaration of noon. It was then that her commlink pinged her, an AR window flickering into view. She stepped away from her brother, turning back towards the industrial wall of Tacoma.
   "Willy-san," she intoned with as much warmth as she could muster. "Hello."
   "Hoi, Redline. Got a job for you - a Ms. Johnson looking for your kind of talent."
   She paused, a hand distractedly running over her bruised, bloated side. If she told anyone she was even operating at 90% efficiency, she'd be accountable for self-slander.
   "Had a run last night, Willy." She looked over her shoulder to Sasushi, his head turned back at her with pallid interest. "Still doing some housekeeping."
   "I know how it goes, chummer. Your guy Gravesong told me you were a fresh off a job, but he said you'd still be available." He waited, adding offhandidly, "Said you'd need the money, too."
   Redline brushed an errant lock of hair behind a horn, turning away from Sasushi once more. "He's right."
   "Solid. Head to Club Penumbra, be there at 8. Tell them you're a friend of mine and you're expected in the private room. They'll let you in."
   "Penumbra, 20:00," she echoed, tilting her head in a faint nod. "I'll be there."
   "Good luck." The voice left her senses, and with a blink of her eyes a layout downtown Seattle radiated into view, complete with routes classified by time, distance, the security ratings of neighborhoods and more. The meet was in nine hours.
   Redline walked back to her brother, finding him staring out over the water again. She pet his head lightly, sharing the view for a few seconds before offering simply, "We gotta go."
   He peered up at her from the corner of his eye. "You're going on a run, aren't you?"
   She looked down at him, hand resting on his head. She waited, thinking for a few moments before nodding wordlessly.
   "Take me with you. I've been learning a lot with skillsofts - even with my scrappy deck I hacked into -"
   She nudged his head to interrupt him, shaking her own. "Is you name Sasushi?" she intoned flatly.
   "...Yeah."
   "Are you my brother?"
   "Eiko-"
   She clicked her tongue with a tssk at him, giving a mock sigh. "Sorry, panku, that invalidates your place on the team."
   He began protesting, citing myriads of reasons why he was ready for his first run, how she'd underestimated him and more. She hefted him up by the arm without effort and pulled him back to the Gopher, shutting the door behind him before sitting at the wheel.
   His arguing died down as they made the drive back, the deep thrum of the truck the only sound for blocks.
   "You missed our exit," he observed bitterly.
   "I didn't miss drek, otōto. You're going to school."
   "What? No, no way! There's only three hours left anyway."
   "Yeah," she replied flatly, the edge of her lips curling in the shadow of a smirk.
   They pulled up in front of the school, and Sasushi asked one more time to be taken home. His request was dismissed another time with just as much emotion.
   "Are you gonna be home tonight?" he asked, brow raising with a faint hope.
   Her fingers flicked at the cigarette between them, a common twitch for her to relieve tension. She looked from the dash to him and shook her head lightly. "Just to get my stuff."
   His eyes hung on hers, and she could feel the pool of unspoken words rattling in his skull. He'd heard a lot today, none of it spoon fed; it'd take time to digest. But he was good for it.
   She ruffled his hair and gave an earnest smile, tilting her chin towards the school "Bye, Sasushi."
   With an exhale, he popped open the door and stepped into the street. He shut the door and watched her through the smudged glass, and after a time, nodded at her knowingly.
   ---
   She drove straight home, skipping the Gopher's sad excuse for a sound system in favor of the earthy tones of a dwarven dowbeat station in her cyberears. The Gopher returned to its parking spot, she walked up to the apartment. Her mother sat at the kitchen table, clicking at a commlink and looking up at her as Redline entered.
   "Sasushi went to school?"
   "Hai," Redline answered, walking down the hall to their bedroom and then to the closet as her mother's expression reflected sincere surprise.
   "You're not going out again?" she called after her daughter. Redline slipped off the thermal and eyed her limited wardrobe, tired brain working through potential outfits, weighing their respective degrees of formality, combat capability, subtlety and nondescriptness.
   "Hai, okāsan," she called back. She pulled on an armored vest, tightening the straps to grip her form without any give before slipping over black synthleather top, form-fitting, unhindering. She finalized the outfit with a loose-fitting halter top and a short "laser symphony" skirt that refracted light in dazzling neon colors.
   The skirt detracted from the subtle but present armor vest; the leather shirt and armored vest were practical pieces if the meet got messy. Blend in until someone calls your bluff, then survive long enough to get out.
   With some soygel, she slimed her crimson hair into flung back spikes, aiming for a popular style from the 2050s, hoping to blend in with the club's vibe. Not her look, but it'd do.
   She secured her holdout into the inside of her boot. If the club had decent security they might still scope it, but she hoped Willy's name would be enough to get her in. That, and she knew Penumbra had a reputation for a meet spot. She trusted that anyone who noticed the cheap piece would rightly dismiss it as the least amount of self-defense a woman would pack.
   She left her longarms and automatic weapons in the safe before striding back down the hall, preparing to depart.
   Her mother eyed her outfit, looking between it and Redline for a time before guessing, "Meeting a man somewhere, Eiko?"
   Redline shook her head. "Maybe. But for work."
   "Again? You were just gone yesterday."
   "We need the money.  Sasushi is old enough to help take care of Seiji now. You're fine without me."
   The look her mother gave insisted that she didn't agree, but she didn't argue either. She rose and embraced Redline tightly, taking a deep breath.
   "Be careful, musume."
   The two released one another after a time, and Redline turned to leave. Her hand on the knob, she turned to look back at her mother.
   "I'm taking Sasushi to a Mariners game this weekend. Maybe it'll make up for me forgetting his birthday."
   Her mother shook her head, scoffing once humorlessly. "We don't have the nuyen, Eiko."
   Redline nodded before looking back to the door, turning its handle. "After tonight, maybe." She looked back once more.
   "Sayōnara, okāsan."
   Her mother resigned, smiling faintly without discarding the worry from her features. "Sayōnara, musume. Call if...call us."
   Redline nodded, shutting the door behind her. She lit a cigarette and was soon once back in the shit-seat of her gopher, aiming the truck northbound on I-5. First, she'd see Dr. Gravesong to get healed up. She didn't have the cash to burn to heal herself up after runs, opting for asprine, green tea and time to heal wounds.
   Not tonight. She'd spend the extra nuyen to be at the top of her game, ready to go for whatever it was Willy had lined up for her. She trusted him, not to avoid selling her out or cheating her, but to put give her a chance. She had learned quickly no price could be put on an opportunity.
   Afterwards, with a few hours to spare, she'd get takeout and clean her smaller, mobile pieces in the backseat of her truck. Anytime a meet went south, the first place she'd turn was to the Toyota grab a piece one size up, just enough to quiet things down.
   A cup of green tea later and she'd look for a place to park the Gopher, close enough to the club to get to in a flash, hidden enough so that passers-by wouldn't peer through the windows for valuables, obvious enough so that if they did, they'd be seen.
   Night fell over Seattle, and the city exploded in LEDs, hard-partying suits, drugs and neon. She cased the spot with a casual walk around the block, making an effort to look like a girl just a little lost before finding her way to the club's entrance.
   19:47, she'd get in line and work her way to the front, limiting any responses to bouncers to 'hai,' or 'Īe,' unless bothered for more. In which case, she'd mention Willy and the private room.
   The rest was up to fate, for good or ill. That was how the shadows were.

[Jayde Moon]

[Saturday 201505110745L]

Everyone arrives at about the same time.  Being in Downtown, without a place to safely stow their gear, the most egregious of it was left at your respective doss.  The security at Penumbra is tight enough that you are fairly certain you aren't getting a sword past them, or even a hold-out without half decent palming skills.  Hopefully there will be time after the meet to gather what's needed.

The club itself is already busy.  It would be a stretch to call it packed, but there are a surprising amount of guests for the early hour.  It must get terribly hot when it gets later.  The DJ is playing a sort of neurofunk drum and bass, heady stuff for a crowd not ready to dance, but looking for a drink... or some other escape.

At the private room, you run into a very large individual, standing with his arms crossed.  It's obvious that this man is heavily cybered.  Hell, his skull looks like an obvious replacement.  he stops you from going in, asking your business.  Announcing that you are here to meet Ms. Johnson, he nods and allows passage.

Eventually, there is a small group gathered.  Everyone takes a moment to take stock of one another...

[WWind]

Whiskey dipped her head at the news.  "Thank you Lady.  I appreciate it.  I'll be back when I can to help ya out more."

Dressed in her standard "meeting suit", which was just really a set of well worn comfortable black leathers, she grumbled to herself as she made her way to the club.  "Need more damned supplies.  My stash just isn't going to cut it for a real job if the folks can't keep themselves patched for a few hours at a time".  Nothing really meaningful, just her usual grumble and bluster.  Hearing the thump of the music as she approaches the door, she stops for a moment taking a deep breath, thankful that she took care of her nerves before leaving the squat. 

After getting access to the back room, she sidles in, takes up a spot along the wall, crossing her arms as she leans back a bit assessing the others with a brief nod.

Anyone on the streets looking at her would see a thin dwarf with hard eyes, dressed in worn black leathers.  The few oddities that might catch their eye, a small feathered token, a few vaguely celtic looking metal bits in the leather, hair in various braids tied with various bits, an embroidered patch that looked like an old fashioned whiskey bottle, wouldn't change their original thought that she was just another drifter.

To the more observant or another runner, there would be a few other things they'd notice.  Always moving eyes, taking in everything.  The unruffled stance disguising a ready alert.  The bits in her braids more than just random material.  All of it subtle and not readily noticeable.  Further observation would register the military medic pin amongst the other metal bits, a small pewter bear pin, a few other military-esque pins carefully arranged. 

As they assess one another, she merely raises an eyebrow at any who catch and hold her eyes with their own assessment of her.  A very definitely look of "yeah, and? got a problem?"

[Shaihulude]

Jujin leans up against the wall, arms crossed in front of him. His muscular 6'2 frame is clad in a black and white yukata (traditional men's Japanese robes) and sandals. He nods to each person in turn. If introductions are made, he will say his name as Jujin Kai, and " it is an honor to meet you," in a thick Japanese accent. He seems calm, and seems to scowl even while being polite.


From his char description : He has vivid, bright blue skin, with 3 inch silver horns sticking straight out from his temples. His long silver hair is kept in a top-knot. His eyes are not quite so “bulgy” as other Oni, but they are the typical gold color. He has a little gold bell in each earlobe, and a silver loop at the top of each long and pointy ear. He has the look of somebody perpetually scowling.

[0zee]

Redline checked the holdout one last time before stepping into the line to enter Penumbra, fitting it snugly above her ankle, just high enough not to press outwards.

She did her best to approach any security with quiet confidence, but would never turn aggressive or uncooperative if they discovered the small gun. She wouldn't even attempt a bluff, just say that she was taking care of herself before mentioning Willy's name and the private room. The loss of a holdout wouldn't kill her - financially, anyway.

Moving beyond security, she'd move through the club, her eyes shifting around the lunar-retro interior with mixed wonder and discomfort. She'd been in the shadows for a few months now, but had kept runner culture at arm's length. Walking through the chaotic mix of not-so-secret runners, sceners, potential corp Johnsons made her quicken her step to the back room.

Redline approached a hulk of a man, and her eyes shifted over his form to consider the threat he could pose and appreciate what she'd consider a well-upgraded individual. She limited her words to the mention of a Ms. Johnson in the back room, and brokering no disagreement, headed in.

The oni entered the smaller room, not realizing how loud the rhythms of the main club floor had been until behind a door. She considered a dwarf woman standing alone, black leathers that seemed to have seen a long life on the streets adorning her figure. Not particularly subtly, Redline sized the woman up - no verbal interaction or chest puffing - but a sincere effort to determine what made this dwarf a danger in the shadows.

Just as the silent exchange might rise to acknowledgable levels of awkward, the oni would offer a simple nod, a stoic indication that the other woman's space would be respected.

Redline's eyes widened at seeing another oni in the room. Her hand would instinctively twitch for the holster that wasn't there and the holdout that might be before slowly relaxing. Could another Japanese at the meet - another oni no less - really just be a coincidence? Catching herself staring at the man, she'd lower her eyes and offer a simple, "Kon'nichiwa," nodding faintly at his name and replying again with only, "I'm called Redline," in Japanese.

She took a spot in the room where she could keep an eye on this other oni, struggling to focus on anything else. Part curiosity and part paranoia, she did a bad job at hiding her reaction. After a few moments, she'd nervously bring up an ARO and begin flicking through Needle Net posts, trying to appear casual.

When Ms. Johnson got talking though, the AROs would vanish and Redline would be all pointy-ears.

[Forrest]

While remaining extremely well concealed and hidden, Cherie watches the club for a short while.  She notices a side door used by the staff occasionally to take out loads of garbage or to leave for a short break.  When a waitress comes out to smoke a cigarette, Cherie makes a break from her hiding spot directly above the door to flit in.  She finds herself in the kitchen and immediately hugs the ceiling, flying to die behind the racks of pans hanging form the ceiling.  Making her way to the door to the dance floor, she waits for a waiter and slides out behind him and immediately launches herself to hide behind the lighting system.
Upon casting about for the private room, she noticed a series of unusual and potentially unsavory characters who stand  out.  When the second Oni walks up to the heavily polluted human, she decides to sneak in behind her. 
Upon entering the room, she quickly hides behind the largest of the other people, squeezing into a small space the way only someone of her extremely diminutive size could. 
She fervently hopes that she had heard correctly when the larger woman had mentioned a mister Johnson. 

[WillAsher]

Ravener moves up the line, bopping his head to the music in his headphones while sifting the local matrix for any undue attention.  Noting any potential problems, he lets himself drift up the line like any other club kid out for a night of dancing.  'Glad I checked their rules,' he thought to himself as the bouncers kicked some ganger kid out of line for carrying a Colt L36 under his jacket.  'Still, would be nice to have something more than my deck for this meet.'

After getting through the line, the familiar feel of the bass hits his skull and he smiles behind his mirror mask.  'Too early for this beat with this crowd,' he muses.  Stopping to bounce to the beat, he tries to scope the exits and muscle.  Noting a couple ways out, he sets up silent ARO's to ensure he doesn't miss them if things go south.  A loud chime echoes in his head, as his deck reminds him that he has business here and no time for dancing. 

Moving to the back room, he notes the huge guard and wonders how much metal there is in the man.  'Wonder if he can swim with all that metal,' he mutters as he walks up to the man.  The man starts to wave him off, but Ravener drops the vids from his jacket and quietly informs the man that he is Ms. Johnson's guest tonight.  The guard's expression doesn't change, but he nods and lets me pass. 

Entering the room is like having someone shoot the speakers, the music drops out and the silence is more than a bit oppressive.  The presence of two Oni and a Dwarf takes a second to sink in.  Glad his mask covers his face, he ponders the two Oni.  Oni are rare outside of Japan, and with one of the Oni wearing Japanese clothing the other is most likely Japanese as well. Ravener forces himself to stand straight and bow properly towards the two Oni, but not more than the 15 degrees required.  'Konbanwa.  Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (Good evening, I look forward to working with you).  That bit of etiquette out of the way, he nods to the dwarf.  'Heya.  Nice to meet you.  Handle's Ravener.'

Finding the crowd a bit quiet for his taste, he puts some music on low in his headsets and turns up his sound enhancement a bit to ensure he doesn't miss anything.  The fem Oni's skirt keeps drawing his eyes as he thinks back to last nights fun.  'Should be an interesting night.'

[VegasRigged]

Raiden gets off the bus and walks a few blocks to the club, catching the music before seeing the place. Clubs like this were gold mines for a meet, so many people moving around and not a snowballs chance in hell of audio surveillance. On the flip side a lot could happen very quickly and unnoticed when the crowd got moving. He's seen an entire team knocked out in under a minute without anyone knowing until, all because of music and crowds.

He skipped the line, putting his new suit on trail as the bouncer looked him over before nodding and allowing entry. 'Still got my good looks at least' and he entered.

The bar was stocked well and he baught a drink before heading in, crossing his fingers that the Johnson was buying, cause there otherwise he'd have to skip out on the tab. Still it payed to look like he had money, so 40 nuyen for two ice cubes and just enough scotch to cover them was worth the risk. And it was damn good scotch.

He made a point to wait till almost the last minute, noting from the bar anyone who entered the back room through the wal of cyberware. When the fourth passed he followed, being sure to check his com link for the proper pronunciation of kon'nichiwa.

He entered and said a polite as much to the two Oni, smiled at the dread and the dude in the mask, then introduced himself as john Barrett, and sat down at the small table, his back to the door he'd come in through.

'Buisness time' he thought with a dose of inticipation.

[Jayde Moon]

@ Ravener

The matrix environment appears clear, the Club's own host is present and, by all accounts, not something you would want to tackle.  Of course, that makes it unlikely that it's holding anything nasty that the club doesn't know about and the club is rumored to be Shadowrunner friendly.  With the exits marked and hodgepodge manner of guests, you feel fairly comfortable.


@ Cherie

Before entering, Cherie notes that there is definitely magical security.  While she feels confident that she can slip by, the large spirit would attract attention, so she releases it.  She can always call another, after all.

Upon reaching the room, she settles into an out of the way corner, atop a shelf.  No one seems to take note of her.


@ all


After several moments, the door opened and the door guard nodded as an elf woman said something to him.  She was smartly dressed in Zoe's latest and exuded an air of professionalism.  Most striking about her was her skin and hair.  An utter lack of pigmentation marked her as an albino, rare in itself, that she was an elf made it more striking.  Make up was tastefully applied to give her a semblance of natural coloring.  She takes a seat.

"Good evening, I thank you for coming.  I am Ms. Johnson and I have a request to make of you.  This is an extraction.  The individual I want is a patient at a local hospital, under guard.  I would like him removed and returned, alive and as healthy as possible, to our own medical personnel.  For your consideration, I offer 8000¥, 3000 of it up front as well as a suitable vehicle to transport the patient."

[0zee]

Redline breathed an internal sigh of relief upon seeing the Ms. Johnson; not Japanese, might be corporate but unlikely Renraku. She actively listened to the Johnson, nodding her acknowledgment at details but otherwise remaining silent.

She wouldn't want to be the first to ask questions, but had two for Ms. Johnson that she'd pose succinctly, asking no follow-ups:

1. "Does the individual require aid while in our 'care?'"
2. "What type of vehicle are you making available?

Redline would listen to any questions made by the other runners, crossing her arms and watching the speaker from the corner of her eye. Any talking done by the other oni would receive a physical response from her though, a nervous shift of her weight or flick of the eye.