Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: BestTeaMaker on <09-25-13/0145:19>

Title: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-25-13/0145:19>

The Shadow Sessions

---

>>Logging in...
>>Receiving message...

>>Once upon a time, there was a prince and a princess. The prince was a talented violinist, playing his wondrous melodies for the royal court. The princess held a blessed voice, singing for the people of her kingdom. Everyone wanted them to be wed, for they were sure they would make the perfect couple.
>>However, the more time they spent together, the more they began to feel jealous. He had the hands that could entrance the world. She had the voice that could captivate the people. At first, they devoted their time in bettering themselves, spending hours practicing their musical skill. But it wasn't enough. They tried sabotaging each other's performances to the point when people became afraid to approach them, lingering instead from a distance to listen to their songs. But it wasn't enough. The prince found his own voice to be wretched and cacophanous, and in jealous rage he ripped out the throat of the princess. The princess felt numbness in her wrinkled, dirty hands, and in envious fury she tore the hands from the prince's arms.
>>The next morning, they were found in the middle of the royal court, finally united in one sanguine pool. All those witness to the scene could swear they heard a haunting tune in the air, the dischord between a string and a voice.

---

OOC (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238106#msg238106)

---

Sessions

An Overture for Strangers (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12965.msg238834#msg238834)
A message is sent to those who accept. A test will be done to prove their worth. Only the shadows know what will become of this beginning.

---

Cast

Dacre Jordan (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238118#msg238118)
Human Cat Burglar

Knockout (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238125#msg238125)
Troll Boxer

Cross (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238225#msg238225)
Human Combat Medic

Johnny Two-Step (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238280#msg238280)
Elven Cowboy

Pepperface (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238340#msg238340)
Human Anarchist

FlashGiTz (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238484#msg238484)
Elven Smuggler

Daisy (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238572#msg238572)
Troll Bouncer

The Frenchman (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=12924.msg238620#msg238620)
Human Socialite

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-25-13/0655:24>

An Overture for Strangers

---

[Wednesday 11:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | ? | Downtown Seattle]

Faster...faster...

She could feel her heart beat with every hurried step she took down the empty alleyway. The adrenaline coursing through her body numbed the pain in her chest, and yet she could feel raw fear with every labored breath.

Faster...faster...

She didn't dare look behind her. She knew they were coming. They would always be coming as long as she held the package. She could feel its weight in her bag slung over her shoulder.The damn thing was heavy. So heavy.

Faster...faster...

The end of the alleyway was fast approaching. The streets. She could hide amongst the crowd. She was good at that. It was the only thing she was good at. It was her last hope.

Faster...fast--

An outstretched arm quickly halted her momentum as she was swung into the wall. Trash scattered and cans clanged as she made contact, held against the wall. The next thing she saw was an ork leering at her, his pierced tongue moving in suggestive ways around his tusks. She upturned her nose in disgust as he released a putrid breath. He turned and shouted eagerly, "Oi! Lookee what I bagged m'self today! A pretty little girl." He slicked his green-tinted mohawk back with his other hand as two other orks sporting ragged shirts and the same hairdo joined him.

"And where were you running off to on this lovely day?"

She pursed her lips, tightly gripping the straps of her bag. One of her captor's friends widened his rotten teeth into what he thought was a grin. "Lovely little red-head elf lost on the way to her granny's."

"Ooh, watcha gonna do wit' her, Boss?" The third ork pipped in a surprisingly high pitched squeal.

The ork who apparently was the boss smiled. "Oh, there's lotsa things I have planned. But not here. Let's bring her back to base, boys."

At this, she relaxed. If any of the three orks had any muck in their heads, they would've realized something iffy. Instead, they roughly pulled her by the arm. "Walk," commanded the leader. "And you two! Act natural. We're escorting the lovely lady to our home."

As they dragged her out onto the streets, she looked back for the first time in a long while. She sighed with relief. She was safe for now. Well, as safe as being held captive by three go-gangers can be.

---

[Wednesday 11:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Fairmont Olympic Hotel | Downtown Seattle]

The flames flickered, casting moving shadows from the weathered fireplace. The warmth permeated the room, lit by the glow of the fire. It was a simple room filled with a complicated history. Famed figures had stayed in this once opulent suite: presidents, actresses, entrepeneurs. Now, only dusty furniture wreathed in ghostly sheets remained in the dark, light blocked by worn, heavy curtains. Only two pieces remained uncovered: an oaken side table with a tumbler of fine liquor, and an ornate velvet armchair, where a wizened old man sat, basking in the warmth of the flames.

He sat there, as if entranced by the flames, his golden eyes showing a glazed look. His body was completely still, his arms fixed ontop of the armrest and legs crossed. He was dressed in a long crimson bathrobe that draped across his knees. Slippers of the same fabric adorned his feet, withered with age. Every now and then he reached for his glass, raising the amber liquid to his mouth. He would then bring an oxygen mask to his face, inhaling deeply and releasing a heavy sigh that bespoke his weariness.

A soft rapping on wood interrupted his thoughts. He didn't turn, but he knew who was there. A deep, hoarse voice addressed the darkness in the doorway behind him. "Tell me, Inglewood. Is everything prepared?"

A figure stepped into the warm glow. It was a tall elf, a wiry creature exuding nimbleness and grace, his age belied only by his white, carefully trimmed goatee and combed-back hair. He donned a simple suit and pants, an old-fashioned outfit for an old-fashioned elf. He took a deep bow before he answered the older man. "Yes, sir. We are ready to receive our guests."

"Good, good." A slight pause hung in the air before the older man continued. "I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, old friend. I can hear the final moments of my life drawing near. Soon, all of the suffering I have experienced will have been worth it, all for this moment."

"It has been a long time coming, sir." The elf maintained his stoic pose at the doorway.

Another pause filled the space. "Tell me about them."

"Sir?"

"Our guests, Inglewood." The elf could see the older man lean back into the armchair. "Tell me, what are they like? What are they doing right now?"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: JackVII on <09-25-13/1104:23>

[Wednesday 11:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

The deep, rhythmic thumping meant the heavy bag was getting a solid work-out. Even though the Evo MegaPunch! bag was designed specifically for the enhanced strength of large metahumans, it swayed wildly as each blow landed. The big troll working the bag didn’t seem to notice. Shirtless and gloveless, the man rained blow after blow on the bag; sweat gathering on his chest and soaking the old black trunks he wore. His muscles bunched and released explosively as each punch landed like a heavy piston.

Bruno’s Lights Out! Boxing Gym was empty that morning. On Wednesday nights, the gym hosted a series of exhibition matches and was normally closed during the day. The workers would arrive shortly after noon to start setting-up the extra bleacher seating and cleaning-up before the crowds arrived for the main event that evening. Empty is good, Knockout thought to himself as he rocked the bag with a particularly heavy blow.

“Hey now, what did that bag ever do to you? You're making me regret letting you come in here when we’re closed.”

Recognizing the voice, Knockout stopped his workout and steadied the heavy bag. Looking behind him, he saw the gym's eponymous Bruno grinning at him. Picking up the levity in his voice, Knockout knew the grizzled old ork wasn’t really angry.

“Bag said something about Mother. Was defending honor.” Knockout replied deadpan in a deep, heavily accented broken English. Only a few years literally off the boat, the troll had yet to make headway in mastering anything more than the most basic of English. For his first years in Seattle, Knockout’s fists did most of his talking for him.

Checking his commlink, Knockout realized time was running short and he needed to hit the showers before the work crews showed up. Grabbing his towel, the troll wiped the sweat off his body and started peeling the tape from his hands. Glancing at Bruno as he wiped himself and the bag down, Knockout asked, “How does card look tonight?”

“Not too bad,” Bruno replied, “the undercard looks like it should be pretty entertaining with a pair of kids from Tarislar going at it. The main looks pretty good too, ‘Steel Shanks’ Simon taking on Bobby ‘The Bomber’ Berlusconi. I hear there’s a lot of mob action on that one. But enough about tonight, how are you doin’ champ? Any good news?”

“Da. Is good,” Knockout replied perfunctorily. Bruno sometimes reminded Knockout of Dmitry, his boxing mentor. Granted, Bruno hadn’t sold him out to an organized crime ring. Well, not yet anyway. “Still looking work, but not dead yet. Could be better, could be worse. Had better get going. Thanks for letting spar, tovar.”

Shaking Bruno’s hand, Knockout headed to the shower and checked his commlink one last time. If I am lucky, perhaps there will be a message from the Matryushka about work once I finish cleaning up.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: reyjinn on <09-25-13/1231:18>

[Wednesday 11:30 am - Oct 23. 2075 | Daisy's Room | Redmond Barrens]

Looking at Daisy in his 'apartment' would not give you the idea that he is an undersized troll, there is just enough room to take a really deep breath.  Daisy is sitting on his sofabed wondering what to do with his day off.  I really need to save up some nuyen and get a bigger place, I'll develope fraggin claustrophobia if I live here much longer... maaaaybe after I get done with changing Bítur [Biter] into a focus.  Daisy is obviously just getting up from sleeping as all he is wearing is his birthday suit, he is far from bulky even though he, being a troll and all, could never have adjectives like slender or lithe describe him. His torso and arms have a myriad of tattoos including one of a classic Thor's Hammer between his shoulderblades that seems to be of a better quality than most of the others.

Daisy brushes his hands back over his horns letting his fingertips running through his short black hair and sighs.  I should get out of the smog for a bit, maybe head north to Snoho.  Some fresh, well fresher, air would do my lungs a lot of good.  I really don't feel like having some crackerjack farmer pull a shotgun on me again though.  I'd better just head off to Reggie's dojo and get in a workout.

With that Daisy gets to his feet and starts his day.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <09-25-13/1506:21>

[Wednesday 9:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Some Stranger's Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Remy LeBeau opened his eyes to an unfamiliar place. The room was smallish but nicely put. Morning light bathed it with a greyish tone, a result of Seattle cloudy sky. Clothes, both male and female, were randomly scattering the floor. On his shoulder laid a woman, her naked body giving warmth to his side. He tried to remember her name, but realized she probably never gave it to him. Since his 'rebirth' he had made a point to remember as much as he could. It wasn't easy. But when you have none, memories are precious. He nimbly removed himself from the bed, careful not to wake the lady.

It had been a very long night, making it to the woman's apartment as the dawn was starting. Three hours of sleep and he felt pretty awake, thanks to his sleep regulator enhancement - a blessing for his profession. He simply cursed that the regulator didn't take care of hangovers! Obviously too much alcohol. Again. He got up and cautiously gathered his clothes and belongings; his forehead was aching, and his day looked as cloudy as the outside sky. He dressed and looked back at the woman. She was looking pretty hot naked on the bed, but he knew she wouldn't be able to wake up for another few hours. A smirk grew on his face as he recall the good time they had this night. So long, Beauté [beauty] he said, as he left the apartment.

[Wednesday 10:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Frenchman's Apartment | Downtown Seattle - close to the Tacoma border]
He had stopped the cab a good few blocks away from his apartment. The breakfast he had along the way hadn't been that fancy. The walk, fresh air, and probably a second cup of soycaf' would do him good to get rid of the remnant of the hangover. At least it wasn't raining. He was looking forward to a good shower.

His apartment was well lit; the modern style furniture and appliances, along the sterile decoration and prominent white color, made it look more luxurious than it really was. He liked it, though. But with barely a couple thousand Nuyens left in his account, he didn't know if he would be able to keep living here for long. He needed a Job... or a Run... Many in the neighborhood knew him as a Private Eye. And he had got a few job already, even if they had been pretty uninteresting at most. But it was a good cover for his more Shadowy activities. That had been interesting. The Doc Henry had been right. He felt he belonged to the Shadows. And in a way it scared the drek out of him. With no recollection of who he was, how he got his enhancement, nor where did he learn to use a gun with such proficiency, it automatically lead to some serious identity crisis. The Frenchman knew how to drift away from those thoughts...

[Wednesday 11:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Frenchman's neighborhood | Downtown Seattle]
The shower felt great. The half hour spent reading the news bored him. Now he was ready for a good run. The Frenchman had done away his dressing clothes for some comfortable sweat pants and sweater. He secured his commlink at his waist, plugged it to the datajack hidden not far behind his ear. He attached his Colt America L36's holster in the small of his back, checked the gun was fully loaded and hid everything under his loose sweater. Finally, as he stepped out again, he cover his head with the hood, and start what will hopefully be a good run. Jogging and parkour running was good for keeping him at the best of his game.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <09-25-13/1704:32>

[Wednesday 11:30 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Owen's Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Up, until arms are fully extended.  Breath out.  Down, until the bend of the elbows breaks a ninety-degree plane.  Breath in.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat. . .

Owen huffed as he finished his last set of push-ups and sat heavily on his bed, taking a swing of Vita-Orange as he did so.  The life of a shadowrunner was supposed to be filled with action, suspense, the constant threat of danger.  Instead, he was stuck waiting for a fraggin' phone call.  At this rate, I'm never going to get a job. . . which means I'll never find Faye. . .  He shook the thought off, shoving it to the deepest, darkest corner of his mind.  He had to stay positive.  Optimism was the key. . . despite everything everyone else had told him.  Only Vic had expressed anything approaching hope of finding her breathing.  He had to believe she was still alive, or all of this was for nothing.

Wearily, he opened the top draw of his nightstand and pulled out a small white faux-leather box.  He lifted the hinged top and stared down at the now-exposed contents in what was becoming a daily ritual.  The diamond wasn't exceptionally big -- a touch under one carat -- but it was as close to flawless as he could afford, and Faye had been such a huge fan of white gold.  He'd splurged on it, because he thought she was worth it.  He still did, thus his current predicament.  He wasn't a religious man, he didn't pray; but he hoped, and he hoped like Hell that he found her, alive and kicking, somewhere.  If she'd run from Seattle -- run from him -- he could live with that.  It'd break his heart, but at least she'd be alive...

Owen put the ring away, trying to shelve the whirlwind of doubt that always came with it.  Instead, he replaced the morose feelings with iron-hand determination.  Dead, runaway, captured, it didn't matter -- he was going to find her, period.  He got up and went to the closet and pulled out three black hard-shell plastic cases.  He opened the largest of them and pulled out his HK-227, an almost exact copy of the custom-modified rig HRT had made for him when he finally got the gig with them that he'd always wanted.  He proceeded to break it down, clean it, oil it, and reassemble it, then repeated the process for his Colt and his Predator.  He unloaded and then reloaded all his magazines, too; giving the springs even a short rest added months to their lifetime.

The whole time, he just stared at his commlink.  Soon.  He'll call soon.  Maybe today?  He has to...

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Silence on <09-25-13/1852:45>

[Wednesday 11:30 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Puyallup Flophouse | Puyallup Barrens]

Johnny sits around, doing his daily meditations, before standing and grinning, sliding on his duster and hat before heading out.  He might find a good time.  He might find a few secrets.  He might even find work.  It hardly mattered, at the moment.  Life was good, and there was a halfway decent act at the bar tonight.  They were a sort of mix between Johnny Cash and Alabama, which should be interesting.  And if they had sucked, well, there was a reason most of the crowd there went armed.  Mostly due to a string of really, really bad acts.

He slid the comlink into a pocket.  There might be a call today.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Nemo157 on <09-25-13/1958:29>

[Wednesday 11:30 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Honeypot Cafe | Sumner, Auburn]

Sipping at his soykaf Dacre hid a grimace. It’s been what, 6 years since I hadn’t even heard of soykaf; and now I’m pretentious enough to almost be unable to drink it? This time back in the gutter will probably be good for me, but godsdamn do I miss coffee. Turning slightly to watch a hot red-head wandering past he smiled. Although, these gutters are much nicer than my last ones.

Anyone looking in at Dacre would see a pretty generic early-mid 20’s human. Mid-length brown hair, blue eyes, slightly taller and thinner than average at 6’ 2”, 65 kg; but nothing that would stick in their mind. Currently dressed in his "shopping" gear he looked sort of like a street hood, baggy cargo pants full of pockets and a hoody 2 sizes too large, both in drab greyish, greenish colours.

Reflecting back over the mornings shopping Dacre felt pleased. He was forced to actually pay for these clothes with nuyen, but he had managed to "acquire" a pair of knives for his kitchen and a painted scroll to hang on the wall. The place he’d found was very cramped, but it would do until he was back on his feet.

Taking another sip he started making a mental list of what necessities he had to get. New safe house with commlink, fake SIN and go bag; better primary commlink and fake SIN, probably need to burn this one soon in case Troliod traced it somehow. Then I can start looking at finding a new place.

Downing the last of his soykaf Dacre headed out to roam the neighbourhood, he was probably going to be living here for at least a while so it would pay to learn his escape routes. Glancing at his commlink he hoped his fixer would call soon, it had only been a few days since he’d made contact but he could really do with some work. Setting up a brand new life doesn’t really pay for itself.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <09-25-13/2059:13>

Wednesday 11:30 AM, October 23rd, 2075 | Pepperface's Basement Apartment | Downtown Seattle

Pepperface leaned back in his chair and dragged his fingers through his hair, taking a moment to inspect the small galaxy of AR windows glittering before him. The first was filled with line upon line of source code for a new algorithm for his browser program. The idea came to him at 2 AM, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get any sleep until he had at least the basics down. Satisfied that he had at least a rough skeleton to work with, he discarded the ARO window with a flippant gesture from his AR gloves and brought up the next in the stack. This was a confusing smear of colors, sounds and leering faces; some weird new experimental animation out of Neo-Tokyo, designed be enjoyed with a dose of Zen. Drugs weren't Pepperface's style, but he liked having cartoons playing in the background while he worked, even bizarre ones. It was an old habit from college. Made him feel less alone.

He brought up his third ARO window, then his fourth, then his fifth. A new skin for his latest line of attack code, designed to perniciously slip through that hilariously well-documented loophole in the Hermes Ikon's firewall. The raw guts of a databomb he'd been working on for a file of no particular import. The latest adjustments to his custom-coded persona... it'd been a busy night.

With no small amount of trepidation, Pepperface eventually brought up his last AR window; a clock that displayed 11:30 AM in bold red letters like an insult. He'd worked straight through the wee hours of the night and into the morning, and he was now swiftly approaching noon. All this with little more than three hours of sleep to fuel him. "Guess it's time for soykaf," he grumbled, abandoning all pretense of actual sleep. He got up from his leather recliner, dismissing his AROs with a wave.

Pepperface knew his peers considered working in AR strange, but then again, his peers were idiot script kiddies that were lucky to live long enough to see the other side of their 20's before frying their brains on BTL or hotsim. VR was great for slipping past IC or bricking some ganger's ghetto-deck, but a seasoned hacker like Pepperface preferred AR for coding and creation. It gave him perspective, it gave him distance. It left a little science in the art of sculpting the Matrix, and if some pimple-faced wannabe decker called it old-fashioned, well, Pepperface would take that as a compliment before forcing the little upstart's gear to reformat and reboot.

Sliding out of his chair, Pepperface surveyed the organized chaos of his spacious basement apartment. The place had a bit of a musty smell and very little in the way of natural light, but its firm plasticrete walls offered a quiet sanctum in which to work... and a nice buffer for the innocent neighbors in case a bomb prematurely exploded. But that hadn't happened in years.

Spare computer parts and cannibalized hardware sat in labeled plastic bins in the living room area. "Living room" was a bit of a misnomer, however; the room was otherwise devoid of furniture beyond the leather recliner of Pepperface's "hacking throne." The attached kitchenette glowed with fluorescent lights and the promise of caffeine, and the weary hacker stumbled his way over to the tile countertop to fix himself a hot cup of coffee-like substance. As the soykaf spurted into the cup, he picked up his off-the-shelf Renraku Sensei and brought up an AR window to check his messages. Pepperface knew his credstick was light as of late, and he strongly preferred doing something more interesting than host design to earn his rent.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <09-25-13/2238:03>

Wednesday 11:30 AM, October 23rd, 2075 | Aeohion Weretheil Apartment | Downtown Seattle

Another nightmare, in fact it was the same, Toshiki was playing with the dead body of Sihadriel, he just stood there and did nothing, when the Chromed sadist finished with her it came for him... One punch likea roaring thunder and another, and another... And another. He woke up screaming and gasping for air, his legas and arms grabing the sheets and looking everywhere scanning the room he was in, tears form up on his eyes, and he covered his face in shame... In disgust.

The red haired elf put his white skinned feet on the cold floor, and rise on his feet still trembling from the nightmare, from all accords he had a normal build, the most impresive of his body was the massive amount of scar tissue, he looked at his body with his sorrowfull blue eyes and hated every scar, not more than he hated himself... He walked into the shower and bathe, he then put his suit, he liked the suit, maggots did not use suits, maybe he could become something better than a maggot if he weared a Suit. He took his comlink, and cheked his Fake SIN but maintained the Broadcast of hes legal SIN, then he went to the kitchen, oppened a drawer and looked at his gun, he did not knew the name of the gun, he did knew the basics point the barrel at Toshiki and press the trigger till he kills you... He took the gun and put it in the internal pocket of his suit.

He went down the elevator and he started his beautifull car Named Lola with his Commlink, oppened the door and sat on the drivers seat, he loved his car, then he took a cable connected to the rigger plug on his car, and then he plugged the other end behind his ear, the connection impromt tickled at him but before he cheked his Linguasoft were active an running, they were. And so he let himself become more than meat, he became his car, he was no longer a maggot, he accelerated top speed and took the freway he loved to drive with this new rig control unit. He did not waited a call he was driving to leave behind the nightmares... To be free.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-26-13/0416:34>

[Wednesday 11:35 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Fairmont Olympic Hotel | Downtown Seattle]

The old man smiled. "You have gathered quite an array of character, Inglewood."

"A bit of a disappointment compared to the last team, if I must say."

"Yes, yes." The old man's countenance fell at the mention of this. "But even the last team, as good as they were, failed. God rest their souls."

He grunted in exertion as he began to sit up. The elf started for him, but the old man raised an arm towards him. "No, no, stay there, Inglewood. I may be dying, but I still have the drive to stand, at least." He reached for his cane, a gnarled, curved piece of wood with an aura of history around it. Shakily, he stood up, clutching his cane tightly with one hand as his other aided with his rise. Inglewood could only look with a sort of sadness at this crippled form of a man.

The old man began to walk towards the elf. "Inglewood, I am going to change. I can't meet my guests in this bathrobe, as lavish as it may be."

"Of course sir."

"While I'm doing so, I need you to make the call."

Inglewood's stoic appearance suddenly faltered. "Now? Are you sure? But we haven't received her message yet! We don't know if she'll be--"

"Mr. Inglewood," interrupted the old man. There was a fire in his voice as he addressed the elf. "I am and old man, crippled and near death. But no matter what happens to me, this plan must continue! I trust my life that she will be there are the appointed time. Now make that call!"

The elf straightened at once. These were the words of one who commanded a commercial empire in the past. These were the words of a man who looked the future straight in the eye before he twisted it according to his will. These were words of power. And it awed the elf completely. "Yes sir, right away."

As Inglewood quickly made his way down the hall, the old man turned towards the other direction. He hadn't seen his faithful steward his excited for a time. It might be a sign of things to come. For good or for worse...well, time would have to wait. But one thing he knew.

The next eight calls would be the most important in his life.

---

Knockout
[Wednesday 11:40 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

Knockout leaned forward against the wall as streams of heated water poured over his head. Bruno's was one of the few places in the Puyallup Barrens that actually had a decent shower. The fatigue was practically lifted from his body as he soaked in the shower. He closed his eyes, and for a moment he was calm. A warm darkness filled his mind, giving him peace.

A ringing interrupted his quietude as it resounded from outside the shower. Knockout knew this sound. It was Korobeiniki, a classic Russian song of courting compressed into a familiar midi form. The song would only ring for one thing. The Matryoshka were calling with a job.

---

Daisy
[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Reggie's Kung Pao Dojo | Redmond Barrens]

"C'mon, ya wuss! Give me 170 kilos! Lift that 170!"

Daisy's muscles were bulging as he slowly brought the weights upwards above his chest. Reggie, his friend and mentor, was now screaming at him, spit and all. It was his way of encouraging his students, Reggie often told him.

With a final grunt, Daisy fully lifted the weights, then rested them against the bars. He could feel his blood racing as he released his grip. As he got up, he could see Reggie grinning. "Haha, now that's pretty decent for a little trog like you! Towel yourself and get ready for another set. Warm up's almost over."

Daisy moved towards the bench and grabbed his towel. Reggie's dojo was a great place to work out. Sure, it was in the middle of the fucking Redmond Barrens, but Reggie had a reputation that scared away the scummiest of go-gangers. It also helped that it was located on the edge of Touristville. He surveyed the room, a collection equipment that definitely showed signs of wear and tear, some by him, most by Reggie. The mats were in the worst condition, ripped, crumpled, and other signs of having people thrown against it, students and go-gangers alike. The man was an uncouth bastard of a human, but Daisy couldn't help feel some sort of pride in training under him.

A loud buzzing attracted his attention to the lockers across the room. He could hear the vibration against the metal, resonating the sound around the room. A louder sound erupted from the back. "Hey, Daisy-boy! Shut off your goddamn comm!"

---

The Frenchman
[Wednesday 11:40 am, October 23rd, 2075 | The Frenchman's Neighborhood | Downtown Seattle]

He rounded the corner that led back to his neighborhood. It was a rather nice place, a series of apartment buildings like something you'd see out of one of those old American sitcoms. There was much less laughter than seen in the trids, and the area was dirtier than pictured. But it was home. For now.

The Frenchman began to jog in place as a truck rolled out in front of him. As he planned another lap around the block, he could hear the ringing of his commlink. An AR window popped into his view.
   
>>Incoming call...
>>Caller ID: Eduardo Estevez
>>Answer? (Y/N)

As he contemplated answering his fixer, he saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned, and he saw three things. The truck that was blocking him began to pick up speed as it headed towards the road. A red car, possibly a Bentley, was speeding up the road. A red-haired female elf ran right into the road, where both vehicles would eventually meet her.

---

Cross
[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Cross's Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

The commlink LED light turned on and began to buzz. Immediately Cross grabbed for it immediately, scattering his guns and cleaning equipment around him. As he put it on, an AR window promptly popped into his view.

>>Incoming call...
>>Caller ID: Mr. Green
>>Answer? (Y/N)

It was at this moment a loud thumping noise thundered through the floor, catching Cross by surprise. He almost dropped the comm, which continued to buzz. He could hear the thumping getting louder. Outside his window, he could near noise. Lots of noise.

---

Johnny
[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Loveland | Puyallup Barrens]

Loveland, Puyallup's amusement mile. At night, it was quite the place to be, with call girls attracting men off the streets for a night of debauchery. Vendors wave and shout to passing people, selling their wares to meet the quotas beset upon them by Mafia and Yakuza. Lights, noise, and chatter filled the nighttime air.

In daytime, however, the place was practically a ghost town. Just as Johnny liked it. He strolled down the streets in his snakeskin boots and duster coat. Hell, he could've whistled if he were in the mood to. He chuckled. This was just like one of those western trids he admired so much. He began to fall in a sort of reverie as he imagined himself as John Wayne walking down the dusty streets as a modern urban cowboy.

It was at this time he felt his commlink vibrate inside his pocket.

---

Dacre
[Wednesday 11:36 pm, October 23rd, 2075 | Outside the Honeypot Cafe | Auburn]

It had only been a short amount of time since he left the cafe when he felt the commlink vibrate in his hands. He began to fumble the commlink in excitement as he made to put it on as quick as he could. An AR screen popped into view.

>>Incoming call...
>>Caller ID: Gerome Marcs
>>Answer? (Y/N)

Gerome? Who was Gerome again? Dacre furrowed his brow in confusion. He wasn't really good with names. Faces, he could do. But not names. This one sounded familiar, though. Who was Gerome again? He knew he had heard it recently.

((Roll for Memory(2): Logic + Willpower))

---

Pepperface
[Wednesday 11:40 AM, October 23rd, 2075 | Pepperface's Basement Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

<<GET YOUR PENILE CYBER-UPGRADE TODAY!>>
<<FEELING LONELY? xXx COME ON BY THE IRON CHAIN, WHERE THE LADIES WILL TREAT YOU WELL XxX>>
<<ONLY 20% OFF! COME NOW SEND MONEY BUY MORE! -m1tsuh4m4>>

Pepperface took a sip of soykaf. He reminded himself to get something to block all this goddamn spam. It was in unusually strong force today. He continued to scroll down his messages, shifting through spam, some bills, and family messages he didn't care to look at. He casually deleted these messages as he glanced through them. Spam. Bills. Spam. Spam. Spam. Bills.

Three thumps caused some dust to fall from the ceiling onto his head. A very loud, very cranky voice shortly followed. "Turn off the dern music, you techie scalawag!" Pepperface sighed. His upstairs neighbor was suffering from dementia again. Pepperface was tempted to shout back up, but at that moment, he heard a ringing tone, and an AR window opened promptly.

>>Incoming call...
>>Caller ID: GF Charlie
>>Answer? (Y/N)

Finally, something was happening. However, as he began to lean forward and accept the call, the thumping resumed. Does this guy ever let up? But...this wasn't the regular thumping he heard. It sounded different. It sounded...wrong.

---

Red-Haired Elf
[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

Nothing enthralled him like speeding down the streets, weaving and bobbing between cars and traffic. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, creating a natural high that only encouraged the elf to speed down the lanes. The raw heat radiating between rubber and asphalt coupled with the howling wind cut by ten tons of steel and electronics engaged him like no drug could. Lola was the freedom that he hoped would allow him to ride away from his past. To ride away from all his misery and pain at eighty miles per hour.

A message icon popped into his view. However, it was at this time another red-haired elf, a female, ran out onto the road in front of him. Further down the road, he could see a truck speeding towards him.

((Roll a Pilot Ground Vehicle test(2): Pilot Ground Vehicle + Reaction[Maneuverability+2],-1 for sudden action))

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: reyjinn on <09-26-13/0632:36>

[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Reggie's Kung Pao Dojo | Redmond Barrens]

Shaking his head and walking towards the lockers Daisy yells back: "Come on Reggie, you know that people that don't answer their comms don't get jobs.  And people who don't get jobs can't pay for the priviledge of working out in your glorious establishment!"  As Daisy yells that last bit he can't hold back the grin wanting to break free.  He stuffs in his earbuds and picks up the comm to see who is calling.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <09-26-13/0824:56>

[Wednesday Oct. 23rd, 11:40am | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Cross ignored the noises from downstairs for a moment, staring at his commlink.  This is it.  I answer this, I become a criminal...  His lips compressed into a thin line as he mentally accepted the call through his DNI.

>>Mr. Green?  It's Cross.  What do you have for me?

As he answered the call, he cleaned up his mess and started packing some of his gear into his Contrail's detachable saddlebags.  Tactical vest, grenades, and Predator went in one side, HK and medkit in the other.  He strapped his Colt America in its shoulder rig and pulled on his jacket.  It never hurt to be prepared.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: JackVII on <09-26-13/1020:04>

[Wednesday 11:40 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

Knockout was grateful that Bruno knew that working shower facilities were a must for a boxing gym. He didn't want to remotely consider what the ork had to pay in fees and bribes just to keep the water running, but he appreciated it none the less as the hot spray of water soaked the troll's aching muscles. Knockout always pondered the strangest things in the shower. Today, he simply thought about the water raining down on him and how he missed some of the benefits of nanotech. He didn't know much about the stuff, but he had heard stories. Ever since the stuff started going haywire, it wasn't used as much. Case in point, Knockout knew the water that was hitting him was relatively clean, but not as clean as it had been when the little machines had been doing their thing converting waste water to clean water. It wasn't that he could taste or smell the piss or drek that this water had once been a part of, but he could certainly imagine it a lot easier now. His wandering thoughts were intrerrupted by a sound he hadn't heard in some time.

The Korobeiniki was the calling card of the Matryushka. The classic Russian song had gained a rather remarkable level of popularity after it was featured in an old video game involving blocks falling out of the sky. That was a game? Knockout thought as he quickly turned the water off and dashed out of the shower. People in the 20th Century were crazy.

Grabbing his Renraku Sensei and a towel off the bench, Knockout checked the display just to make sure.

>>Incoming call...
>>Caller ID: The Matryushka
>>Answer? (Y/N)

Thumbing the "Yes" indicator on the commlink, Knockout said "Idti"
[spoiler=Translation]"Go"[/spoiler]

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Silence on <09-26-13/1058:57>

[Wednesday 11:40 a.m, October 23rd, 2075 | Loveland | Puyallup Barrens]

Johnny fished out his commlink and answered it "Two-Step School of Dance.  We can get you ready for that special evening.  This is Johnny speaking, how may I help you?"

It may have started out as a joke, but he'd actually gotten some people to help out with the bills with that gag.  Someday he might actually have to learn how to properly teach people, instead of faking it.  Not much money, but then, his needs were usually pretty simple.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <09-26-13/1352:43>

[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

He was not an elf, not a toy for some Chromed Gangster, he was no more flesh, he was in all aspect an S-K Bentley Concordat, Bright Red, he was speeding trought asphalt, feeling the hot temperature produced by his tires friction which produced the speed he was now ejoying, and the wind course trough his aerodynamic frame, there were no problems, he could not hate himself he was a superior being, not a lowly maggot, it was this feeling that drived him onward, nothing could stop him he was Red and everyone knows that: "Red Goes Fasta!".

FlashGiTz engine purred like a kitty as he threaded the asphalt top speed, his VR display showing everything and anything of interest he with a tought dismissed the uninportant, a red haired elven woman put herself in front of his path, and truck that was coming his way, he imediatly left himself drift a bit to his left to avoid the elf woman and then pressed the peddla to top speed avoiding the elf and the truck neatly, it was a simple maneuver but he felt good, he slowed down and parket near the almost tragical inncident and answered his commlink withouth Jacking Out of his "True Body"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <09-26-13/1546:54>

[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

The advantage of being hooked up to your 'link was that DNI command were deadly fast. A blink of an eye and the call was answered. Another thought and his cybereyes' camera feed was broadcasted to his caller. That's all The Frenchman could think of to make the Dwarf Armorer Emilio Estevez wait a bit. How rude it was to put him on hold, might as well give him a show. Right now his full focus was on the redhead elf - not because she was pretty - maybe because she was the 'damsel in distress' - certainly because his first instinct was simply to run straight at her to get her out of harm's way.

When one suspects to have been a cold blooded killer, it felt good to know there was some compassion and heroism left in him.

He had to act fast and smart, the second not necessary his forte. The Bentley was going faster but much was more maneuverable than the heavy truck. Thus a better chance to avoid them. The Truck... They'd have to avoid it. He could help it. The Frenchman sprinted at the woman, and using all of his agility almost tackled her to get her away from the Truck's trajectory.

If his quick assessment was right, and the Bentley managed to get slightly out of the way, he should stand right in between the two vehicles as they passed by on each side of the two pedestrians. Might be a close call. If the Truck had the bad idea to also go this direction, he would do the only thing that was left to do: push her away from both vehicles and take the blunt of the impact. He braced her tightly ready to make that last moment decision, hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <09-26-13/1909:52>

[Wednesday 11:40 a.m, October 23rd, 2075 | Pepperface's Basement Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Pepperface cast an irritated glance at the ceiling as more plaster rained down on him. He wasn't going to let anything distract him from possible work, however. He reaches out with an AR glove and presses Y on the window in front of him.

'Well if it isn't my good friend Charlie. What have you got for me?"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Nemo157 on <09-26-13/2031:41>

[Wednesday 11:36 pm, October 23rd, 2075 | Outside the Honeypot Cafe | Auburn]

Gerome? That big orc that ran the dairy down the street, why would he be calling? How would he have even got my contact details?
…
No, that was Jeremy
…
Gerome
…
sz-ai-r-oh-m
…
Ah, my new fixer, that’s right! Has he got a job for me already?


Glad he’d finally made the connection Dacre stepped out of the flow of pedestrians, sheltering next to the stairs of a big brick building as he answered the call.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-27-13/0411:46>

Daisy
[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Reggie's Kung Pao Dojo | Redmond Barrens]

>>Hey, Daisy trog, you there?

Daisy recognized the rude voice of his fixer, Rhino. He was glad he didn't have to see the face of his fixer. There was a reason he was called "Rhino".

>>I'm right here, you ass of an ork.

>>Ha! Good to see ya still have some guts, kid. Anyways, as yer troll brain has already guessed, I've got a job for you. Johnson wants you to go to that new Stuffer Shack Max place Downtown at three today.

>>Johnson wants me to do his fucking groceries?

>>Stop interrupting kid, an' maybe you'll get some information ta stick in that empty space in yer head. Anyways, there's this elf chick that will be over there. Pick her up and escort her safely to the Johnson, where he's offering five thousand. It's just the first half of the job he needs ya to do. He'll negotiate prices when you meet 'im, and give you the second half of the job. Any questions?

---

Johnny
[Wednesday 11:41 a.m, October 23rd, 2075 | Loveland | Puyallup Barrens]

>>I'd like the special for two. For me and my idiot cowboy poser of a friend.

Johnny grinned. It was good to hear the voice of his fixer and mentor, Solomon Soaring-Hawk.

>>Only if you'll wear the bonnet I got you last Christmas.

>>Ever the joker, kid. So I got this job here. It's rather interesting, I have to say. Johnson wants you to pick up this nice-looking girl at three, an elf, over at the new Stuffer Shack thing. The, um, what was it...oh right, the Stuffer Shack Max one. It's a new place that opened Downtown, so make your way down there if you can. He'll give you five grand and more information about the job when you do it. Think you can handle this, cowboy?

---

Knockout
[Wednesday 11:41 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

A feminine voice replied back.

>>Oh, babushka, that is not how you talk. Now, start again.

Ugh, it was the eldest sister calling him. Out of the five sisters, he just had to have the human who had motherly issues.

>>Okay, okay...ahem, Hello, Mama, what do you need today?

>>Babushka, you make this old lady blush. Now, you got job. Johnson wants you to go to this new soopyermahrkyet Downtown, Stuffer Shack Max at three o'clock today. It's a nice place. Very clean. You will pick up krasivyy lady, an elf, like Baba, but much much younger. If you bring her back to Johnson, then you get five thousand and extra. Any questions, babushka?

---

Dacre
[Wednesday 11:41 pm, October 23rd, 2075 | Outside the Honeypot Cafe | Auburn]

>>Answer the damn comms when you're called, scrub. Jobs are going rather scarce lately, if you can believe that.

Dacre rolled his eyes. Did Danny really recommend this asshole? Sure, I'm new to Seattle, but I'm definitely not a fucking scrub. He felt it wise to keep his thoughts to himself, however.

>>So this one is a simple find n' escort job. Just get your ass over to the Stuffer Shack Max in Downtown at three. There'll be a female elf that you'll need to protect and escort apparently. Do the job right and it's five grand plus some sort of bonus afterwards. Not sure what it is. Honestly, I wouldn't give this t'someone like you, but the Johnson asked specifically for your name. So get to it.

---

Cross
[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct. 23rd | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Eagerly, Cross awaited the voice of his good friend, Mr. Green, to give him his first job. The hasty words that followed took him by surprise.

>>Cross? You okay? Ah whatever, I need to make this quick, so don't speak. This is a job, but it's a weird one. The Johnson wants you to pick up a girl, an elf chick. Ready for the weird thing? He said you'll find her right outside your apartment. Like, right now you'll see her. Johnson says to follow her orders and escort her where she needs to go safely. Five grand when you finish escorting her, and something more. Look, be careful, Cross. I have no fucking idea how he got your information. Watch your back on your first job, rookie.

As Cross listened, the ever-growing thumping sound was now accompanied by what appeared to be faint voices. A sudden screeching erupted from outside the window.

---

Pepperface
[Wednesday 11:41 a.m, October 23rd, 2075 | Pepperface's Basement Apartment | Downtown Seattle ]

>>Pepperface, how you doin'? That arm treating you well?

A grin crept up on Pepperface. Not many people had fixers who were also good friends and fellow ex-anarchists. He knew he could count on Charlie to get him something.

>>Good as ever, Charlie.

The following bout of paranoia caught him off guard.

>>So the job, I've got a weird one for you. Johnson wants you to go outside and find some elf chick. No, not just any one. Apparently she's going to appear outside your apartment. Did you hear that? The Johnson knows where you fucking live. I would go and barricade your doors, or maybe even just move somewhere else. I dunno. Anyways, he said to find this girl in your neighborhood, escort her to wherever the fuck she wants to go, then return her to the Johnson. Do that, you'll get five grand and something else. I'm not sure what it is, but considering the weirdness of this situation, I wouldn't stay around too long to find out.

As Pepperface listened to the spiel, he could hear the thumping grow louder. In fact, this thumping sound was definitely distinct. It was the sound of boots. Many heavy boots.

---

The Frenchman
[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

The Frenchman was warmed up, so a sprint across the road towards the elf was a simple task. As he reached her, the incoming Bentley had swerved deftly out of their way. However, there still was the matter of the truck. The truck that was now accelerating towards them.

"Over here!" He quickly grabbed the elf girl's arm and pulled her towards him. As she quickly fell into his chest, the truck came careening by, barely missing the two by a hair.

>>Shit, Frenchie, you okay?!

He ignored Emilio as he quickly attended to the damsel in distress in his arms, who was now visibly shaken.

"Wha-what the fuck was that truck doing? And that car? And.." She suddenly cleared her throat and straightened herself. The Frenchman could see a blush forming on her cheeks. The red-headed elf looked up. "Thank you. Thank you very, very much."

>>Well, fucking hell, you damn prince. You just nabbed yourself quite the princess. Wait...that face...

The elf began to tug on her bag, as if making sure it was still intact. "Well, anyways, I've got to get going. I need to meet someone."

>>FRENCHIE!

The sudden volume almost caused The Frenchman to wince.

>>That girl! She's your Johnson, I mean, your job! Johnson called up just now. He wants you to escort and protect this lady wherever she needs ot be. Goddamn, are you one lucky sonavabitch.

---

FlashGiTz
[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

WOOOO DAMN That's a crazy human!

FlashGiTz had been watching the feed in VR space, his Bentley parked about twenty feet from where the guy had ran across the road to reach the elf chick. FlashGiTz himself was able to maneuver out of the way just fine, but that truck worried him. It was fucking accelerating!

>>Son, please be more careful.

The icon, which revealed itself to be his fixer and "father", Father Santiago, had been watching through a VR stream.

>>I dodged them just fine.

>>Well, in any case, I got a job for you, since you're just freewheeling on the streets right now. Johnson wants you to escort this woman, an elf, to wherever she needs to go to. Protect her, my son, and you'll be awarded five thousand and some bonuses that the Johnson will detail later after you return her to him. I'll send you an image right now.

As the image loaded, FlashGiTz simply wanted to get moving again. He looked over the picture. It was a female elf, young, red hair, slim build...and looked like an awfully lot like the one he just avoided crashing into.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Silence on <09-27-13/0456:22>

[Wednesday, 11:42 a.m. Oct 23rd, 2075 | Loveland | Puyallup Barrens]

"Gettin' a cab now, partner.  Anyone else on for this gig, or am I lookin' to call this filly Tonto?" Johnny chuckles as he waved down the cab.

Solomon wouldn't be sending this his way without a reason.  Might be because it was a great opportunity.  Could be because there was something about it that might help him grow the way the old man thought he should.  While he let Solomon fill him in, he thought about it for a moment.  The money was easy.  The second half might be a lot less easy.  But it could also pay for that guitar he'd had an eye on, too.  Somewhere, n the back of his mind, he thought of his sister, and decided that the girl's safety was the priority.  Job be damned, if he was going to shave come morning, he'd need to be able to look in the mirror.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <09-27-13/0836:00>

[Wednesday 11:41am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

>>Thank --  The commlink clicked as the fixer hung up.  "-- you."  Ignoring the crashing sounds from downstairs, he went to the window and saw what appeared to be the aftermath of an almost-crash between a Bentley, a truck, and. . . No.  Can't be.

He grabbed his saddlebag and pocketed his commlink, then rushed for the stairs.  He pounded down both flights, ran through the lobby and out the front door.  The Bentley was still idling in the street, but all he had eyes for was the dark-haired and bearded man helping a flame-haired elf to her feet.  He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, took a deep breath, and crossed the street.  I just need one look at her face...

"Hey, are you two ok?"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: JackVII on <09-27-13/0844:00>

[Wednesday 11:41 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

The job sounded easy. A little too easy. But he could handle "a little too easy" for 5,000 nuyen.

>>Da Mama, a few. Please forgive so many questions... What is address of soopyermahrkyet? Do you have image of pretty lady? Is woman expecting be picked up or must convince her? Also, where is drop off?

For some reason, Knockout generally didn't like to work with the human Matryushka. Considering they were all so similar to one another, it was probably just a latent prejudice.  Finished drying off his horns, he placed his commlink on the bench to hear his fixer's response and started to dress: underwear, undershirt, armored vest, socks, dark grey suit pants, wingtip shoes, white dress shirt, black braces, "throwback" Hammer & Sickle cuff links, black tie, dark grey vest, and wrap-around mirror shades. Shrugging into his massive coat, Knockout buttoned himself up, completing the look of a typical wiseguy. Tucking his Hardliner Gloves into his pocket, he grabbed the commlink off the bench, clipped it inside his jacket, and secured the subvocal mic to his throat.

Checking himself out in the mirror, he nodded. Pretty lady can't help but say yes!

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Nemo157 on <09-27-13/0950:56>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Outside the Honeypot Cafe | Auburn]

>>Great! I’ll be there. Although, any clue as to how this Johnson knew my name and that I was in town?

While waiting for a reply Dacre pulled up the Metro Transit Company’s route planner to work out how to get there. 2 hour trip to downtown, 40 minute walk to the Stuffer Shack Max, next bus leaves at 12:15… shit, that only leaves half an hour to get ready. Leaving the shelter of the stairs Dacre starts jogging back towards his apartment to get changed into more appropriate gear.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-27-13/1146:00>

Cross
[Wednesday 11:41am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Cross' Apartment, 2nd Floor| Downtown Seattle]

Before he reached the first floor, the combat medic ran right into a person going up the stairs, causing them both to nearly tumble down.

"OOF! Watch where you're going, citizen!"

"Sorry, I'm..."

Cross picked himself and his bag up from the stairs and looked at the person he had run into. He was wearing full body-combat armor emblazoned in a green and black deco. The words PD were stenciled in large, white letters on the front. He could see another person at the bottom of the stairs with his back turned to him.  The letters KE were on the back.

Shit. Knight Errant.

"Sir, do you live here? Please return to your room as there is a dangerous criminal on the loose."

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <09-27-13/1204:46>

[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Shit.  Knight Errant.

Owen's mind raced, punching through the adrenaline-induced fog of fight-or-flight syndrome.  Maybe appealing to their concept of the public good would help?

"Did you miss the two-car pile up outside?  I'm an EMT, and those people might be hurt!  Let me check them out and get them away from the building and whoever it is you're looking for, please."

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <09-27-13/1343:34>

[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

Thanks for short dance, Milady. The Frenchman loosen his embrace but didn't let go of her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a polite kiss. His eyes, however, quickly focused and zoomed on the truck trying to find any identification, physical or broadcasted. With today's modern collision warning there was no way the Truck driver would not have noticed the girl and at least try to get out of the way. It took up on speed instead...

A mental note sent the following message to the Dwarf Emilio Estevez :  <<I take it I've just started my run. Message me details. Gotta go.>>

Let me take you to that 'someone' then. Those streets aren't safe apparently. Never letting her hand go, he scanned his surrounding, and stopped on the Bentley, glad to see it hadn't flee the scene like most punk would do. Lucky us, our ride has arrived, he said to the Elf with a warm and reassuring smile. Come!

The Frenchman approached the car. One hand holding the Elf's hand, the other reaching for the grip of his gun on the small of his back after knocking on the car's window.
Open up, my friend. Is everything ok? Are you hurt? The Frenchman didn't really care, nor the person inside was any close to being his friend, but he needed to get inside the car fast, one way or another.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <09-27-13/1409:57>

[Wednesday 11:40 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

He was thrilled with the maneuver until two things happened, first Father Santiago called, not that he was a bad person or that he had anything agains't him, its just that he still couldn't figure out what the father wished of him, and the fact that it looked like the truck intentionally speed up like if he was trying to ram the Elf Girl, when her photo appeared on his VR display everything took a diferent tone, if she was to be protected then that truck did not accelerated by chance that was an intentional raming attemp, the rescuer and the rescued girl was aproaching in his direction, he smiled in Full VR, he also had a lot of questions for the run but apparently the Run had alredy started...

>> Bless me father i may have to sin, target is on sight, as you tend to say father: There are no coincidences everything is in god's plan, but this plan is just to perfect... FlashGiTz out.

The physical body of the elf was resting on the driver’s seat completely out, when the Human knocked on his windows three things happened simultaneously first all of the windows of the car polarized themselves making everything inside the vehicle disappeared by reflecting it like a mirror everything surrounding it, secondly the vehicle stopped transmitting any wireless signal, effectively cutting communication to the outside world (and Father Santiago Included) and stopped transmitting plate, License and SIN. The last thing to happen was that the door behind the driver’s seat opened and a voice sounded trough the internal sound system at top volume.

You have three seconds to enter, Miss I’ve have just been contracted to be your driver and bodyguard, Hero i don't know who are you, but you saved her and that gives you a free ride! Two seconds! Time is ticking!

His voice was sure, and the engine was already pouring, he was completely in focus his electronic senses at top output (sensors) and he was actively scanning for trouble specially but not exclusively from that truck. He was being naive of course, but he had seen what he believed was an action his meat flesh would never be able, maybe he found someone worth something in the sprawl, who could say maybe this man could actually live up to the name Hero…

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <09-27-13/1519:00>

[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

The Frenchman frowned upon hearing the voice from the car. Putain! Things can never be simple! Grand Scheme of things in action.
He ushered the Elf girl inside, then followed suit before the stupid countdown would finish.

Just tell me you didn't try to play chicken with the Truck...Epic Fail! Now Drive!

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: reyjinn on <09-27-13/1911:08>

[Wednesday 11:41 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Reggie's Kung Pao Dojo | Redmond Barrens]

>>"Sure I got questions. Is this a solo gig? Are we talking protection or 'extraction'? Do you have any idea about what the opposition might be?  I'm assuming that you'll send me a pic of the target."

Shit, 3pm.  I'd better get a move on if I want to make it in time.  Should I use my good SIN?  Too big a chance of some drekhead KE asking about it, no way I can take the risk of using my throwaway.

Daisy mutes his mic and yells at Reggie: "Yo, Reggie.  I've gotta split, job in the works."

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <09-27-13/2127:15>

Pepperface's eyes widened as Good Friend Charlie spilled the details. "Drek. Thanks for the warning, Charlie. I'll give you a call if I live longer than ten minutes."

Finally placing the thumping sounds upstairs as a rush of boots, Pepperface sprang into action. As he felt the familiar, crackling hum of his wired reflexes kicking on, he tried to figure out who could possibly be coming for him. Knight Errant? Neo-anarchists looking to snuff out a traitor to the cause? Or maybe this was just some very heavy-handed negotiating tactic on whoever decided to "hire" him? Either way, Pepperface wasn't about to take this lying down.

He rushed to his closet and assembled his hidden arm slide, stuffing his Predator in the slot. He barely felt the stiff metal against his synthetic cyberarm. He then threw on his armored suit, his taser already secure in its built-in hidden holster. While he prepared his meat body for action, he quickly configured his built-in cyberdeck. First things first, he made sure it was still in silent mode. Then he powered down his attack programs, diverting the excess processing capacity toward his firewall. He needed to keep a low profile, at least for the time being. Finally, he booted up his Encryption, Signal Scrub and Exploit programs.

As he finished getting hastily dressed, he booted up an AR window and directed it toward the ceiling, trying to get a sense of who his new guests were.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Nemo157 on <09-28-13/0057:24>

[Wednesday 11:49 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Dacre's Apartment | Auburn]

Rushing in the door Dacre starts ripping off his clothes. Grabbing the armour vest from under his bed he straps it on and pulls a long sleeve shirt over top. Next comes the concealed holsters, one strapped to his inner thigh, the other in his right armpit. One of his Streetline Specials goes in the holster on his thigh, along with a spare clip attached to the edge of the holster. Then his Ares Light Fire 70 goes in the other holster with 2 spare clips and its silencer. A grey jacket and dark jeans completes what Dacre calls his "anywhere, anytime" outfit; with the right mannerisms this same set of clothing could fit in perfectly from "smart casual" right through to "raving street lunatic". Although that last one normally required rubbing refuse all over it to give it that lived in look, which was hell on the cleaning bills.

Hovering over his shock gloves for a second Dacre shakes his head, bit too conspicuous when he has no idea where in Downtown he may be going. Grabbing his commlink and subvocal mic on the way to the door he rushes back out and down the three flights of stairs two steps at a time. Turning back north he jogged along 1 block then across 3 to the nearest bus stop to Downtown. Finally pausing for the first time since getting the call Dacre forced himself to mentally slow down, there was no need to get the adrenaline pumping hours before the run was to begin. Checking the clock in the top right of his vision he sees that’s it’s only 12:05, still ten minutes till the bus was due to leave. Beginning the Pranayama breathing he’d learnt at his adept circle he attempted to bring his heart rate back down and recenter himself while waiting.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <09-29-13/2142:00>

Johnny
[Wednesday, 11:42 a.m. Oct 23rd, 2075 | en route to Downtown | Puyallup Barrens]

@TheDude [Hawk]>>Nothing else. The Johnson was strangely tight-lipped. He did say to follow whatever the lady says, so if she decides to have some friends tag along, I'd suggest to go with it. I'm not saying that you won't be alone, but I have a feeling that this will involve quite a number of people.

@Hawk [TheDude]>>What makes you say that?

@TheDude [Hawk]>>Not sure. Guts and experience. You'll understand the more jobs you go on. Just be careful, and don't go full cowboy on her. It's gonna weird her out. Gods know it weirds me out.

@Hawk [TheDude]>>Thanks, Solomon. Glad to hear you're on my side.

@TheDude [Hawk]>>One last thing, I'm sending over a pic of the lady. She's pretty nice looking. Anyways, good luck, cowboy.

Johnny watched as the image loaded in an AR screen. A ginger female elf, probably in her mid-twenties, was looking at the camera with a somber look. Her complementary reddish eyes seemed to almost sparkle. And so, Johnny sat in the cab as it made its way out of Puyallup into the metropolitan Downtown area.

((Roll a Navigation test to determine how fast you get there: Navigation + INT))

==
Knockout
[Wednesday 11:42 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

@UrsaMinor [M1]>>So many, questions babushka, but I'll answer them bystro. The soopyermahrkyet is on 4th Ave. The krasivvy elf will be waiting for you there. I will send picture to you. I think you will like.

Knockout watched as the image popped in front of him. The lady was quite the looker. Red-head with light skin and soft reddish eyes. The troll tightened his tie as the Matryoshka continued.

@UrsaMinor [M1]>>Drop off? Johnson never told me. I think the elf will know where she wants to go, so just follow her, ya. Anything else, babushka?

==
Daisy
[Wednesday 11:42 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Reggie's Kung Pao Dojo | Redmond Barrens]

"That don't mean you get our of the workout! 180 will be waiting for you when you return!"

Rhino contined as Daisy hurried about.

@DazedT [Rhino]>>It's protection, probably with other people. Johnson didn't make it clear, but it sounds like you'll meet up with some people. I'll send the pic of the elf girl. She's pretty hot.

Daisy watched as the image of ginger elf popped into view. She looked young probably in her mid twenties. Her red-tinted eyes complemented her hair quite nicely.

@Rhino [DazedT]>>Thanks, Rhino.

@DazedT [Rhino]>>No prob, Daisy-trog. It should be an easy job. Don't muck it up.

With that, his fixer hung up.

==
Dacre
[Wednesday 11:51 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

The bus arrived, and Dacre jumped in. For now, he would have to wait until he arrived. But sure as heck he was gonna be jittery the whole way.

((Roll a Navigation test to determine how fast you get there: Navigation + INT))

==
Cross
[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct 23rd, 2075 | Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

The Knight Errant stared at him momentarily, then turned to his friend at the bottoms of the stairs.

"You, escort this man outside. We'll get the building secured." He turned back to Cross. "Make it fast. Lives are at stake here."

Cross relaxed. He had somehow managed to convince KE to let him out. Whatever they were doing here was most likely not good. In fact, why were they here in his apartment building in the first place?

The second officer saluted Cross as he arrived.

"Sir! Let's do this quickly. I cannot move away from this post for long."

Cross nodded then headed out, KE following him closely. Out in the sun, he began to scan the area. He finally saw a red Bentley parked with a couple standing besides it. It seems that they were in deep discussion.

==
Pepperface
[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Pepperface's Basement Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

@KEBeta1 [KEAlpha]>>Beta1, do a sweep of the host to make sure it's clear.

@KEAlpha [KEBeta1]>>Right, sir. Also, Beta2 just left the building with a civ. Is that alright?

@KEBeta1 [KEAlpha]>>Yeah, some EMT heard about the almost accident outside. Just keep watch. We need to secure the area if we're gonna to bag her.

@KEAlpha [KEBeta1]>>Yes, sir. Scanning area now.

Pepperface's thin-man icon was nicely hidden as it spied a bulkier icon, a "man" dressed in riot gear. Emblazoned in large letters were the letters KE. With a blip, what appeared to be two flying cameras flew out of the icon and began to search through the apartment's host information. For now, it seemed that they weren't looking for him specifically. However, Pepperface was a cautious man. With a few keystrokes, he had his own icon "point" to the other icon, probing for more information. An AR window promptly opened in front of him.

>>Scanning icon...
>>Scanning complete
>>Identity: Knight Errant
>>Processing: 3
>>Firewall: 3
>>Current running programs: Signal Scrub, Toolbox

==
The Frenchman & FlashGiTz
[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

"Excuse me! Get your hands off of me!"

When she was in her savior's embrace, she was quite taken aback. He looked cute, and he did save her. However, the elf was truly taken aback as she was dragged to the Bentley by the man who had just saved her.  Her suspicions went on high alert when she saw him take out the gun and bang against the door of the car.

"Open up, my friend. Is everything ok? Are you hurt?"

"What are you doing? What's with that gun?"

"Milady, just please stand by me, ok? I was called to help you, ok."

"What?"

She became frightened as his grip tightened on her arm. "Milday, please just stay he-"

The Frenchman had been slapped in the past before, but the elf stung him on the cheek hard. He doubled over towards the polarized window, where he saw a bright, red mark on his face in the reflection. The elf tightened her grip on her bag and dropped her voice to a growl. "You let go of me. I don't know who you are, but I am not afraid to fight back and--"

Immediately the car (not the driver, the car) began to speak. "You have three seconds to enter, Miss. I've just been contracted to be your driver and bodyguard. Hero, I don't know who you are, but you saved her and that gives you a free ride!"

The Frenchman, still smarting from the blow, began to exchange words with the car. The elf stood still, trying to process the situation in front of her. These two men were told to protect me...then...that must mean...!

"Where are the other two?"

The Frenchman turned. "What?"

"The other two. This is Fourth, right? And both of you said you were contacted to protect me?"

"...Yes."

"Then I cannot leave yet. There are supposed to be two more who are meeting us right now!"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: JackVII on <09-29-13/2211:34>

[Wednesday 11:43 am, October 23rd, 2075 | Bruno's Lights Out! Boxing Gym | Puyallup Barrens]

@M1 [UrsaMinor]>>Spasibo, Mama! Please forgive, simply trying be professional'nyy.Tell Johnson am on job. Proshchayte!

Killing the connection to his commlink, Knockout checks himself out one more time. He takes the gym's side exit to the adjoining alley and fires up his comm one more time to see if he can get an actual address beyond what the Matryushka had provided him. She had seemed a bit annoyed, so he hadn't pressed the issue of an exact address. Once he zeroed in on the location, the troll checked the bus schedules before attempting to secure a taxi, not always the easiest thing to do in Puyallup...

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Silence on <09-29-13/2222:14>

Johnny watches the roads as he rides in the back of the cab, and frowns as the guy drops him off in a spot swarming with KE personnel.  "Pard, I sure as hell do not think this is where I asked you to drop me.  for one, I don't see a damned Stuffer Shack anywhere"

The cabby looks around, and peels out when he sees all the KE personnel around.  "You worthless piece o' drek fraggin' moron!  This ain't where you were s'posed to drop me!"  And for a bit, starts cussing the cabbie up one side and down the other in Sioux.

[spoiler]Getting to the meet (5d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4240220/) Critical glitch.[/spoiler]

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <09-30-13/0105:26>

The Frenchman was taken aback a bit but then again, with what he was wearing he may have had given the wrong impression.
I was more hoping for a kiss darling, but I can adapt if that's what you're into. He said, more to himself that directly at her. Needless to say, that elf girl had a mighty punch, If he wasn't enhanced to withstand great amount of pain and damage, it may even have hurt.

 ..."There are supposed to be two more who are meeting us right now!"

So the run was quickly evolving, and now there were supposed to be four of them. Not unusual. Only the suddenty of everything was.

Once again, the Frenchman scan his surrounding, using all necessary vision enhancement from his cybereyes. 

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <09-30-13/0131:05>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

FlashGiTz was getting pretty nervous, things were to quiet... Except for the two passengers he had in his back seat, and silence was never a good signal, however he did not pushed on the throtel as he desperately wished, she was the boss so he would make an exception to his instincs, first of all he lowered his seat, making the couple a tad inconvined but lowering his profile, if bullets started flying he would not get hit by a bullet trough the windows. He kept scanning his surroundings, in search of anything wrong, but he informed his customer of some clausules about his services of course still speaking trough the sound system of Lola.

Understood Miss, i will wait as much as possible, however if bullets start flying, the police or the ancients go gangers appear, your other bodyguards will have to take a cab. Also i am not prepared to accomodate Trolls. So no ride for any Troll.

Suddenly he realized what the words of the elf girl meant, her saviour was contracted to protect her... That was not weird, nor a coincidence, could certainly be a plan of god but most likely it was a metahuman's doing, for the moment he had to play ball and be smart, but  he was making a list of questions he wished to be answered, as soon as the unnatural silence would stop... He spoke again trough the internal sound system.

Miss you can call me FlashGiTz, hero to your previous comment: Im a professional i don't play, i drive and im very good at that. Its a pleassure to meet you both.

He keept scanning the area with his electronic senses in full VR Hotsim, his engine keept making a very softly purr noise, it was ready to become a lion at a moments notice.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <09-30-13/1258:21>

"Drek. KE." The good news is they weren't looking for him. The bad news is it looked increasingly like this job was a complete and total trainwreck. When law enforcement shows up during the meet, things aren't exactly off to a great start.

Still, he had a job to do. And he personally did not appreciate the fuzz kicking down the door to his apartment and rooting around in its host. Invading his neighbor's Matrix lives was his job, thank you very much.

Tightening his AR glove into a fist, Pepperface's creepy persona extended its arm, tentacle-like, to brush up against the KE officer's persona, trying to scour a mark on it. Pepperface was always careful never to leave any traces of his hacking activities sitting around the apartment host, but he still didn't like the idea of some pawn decker on his home turf.

"Christ, listen to me, I sound like some idiot gang-decker. Home turf." Pepperface straightened his tie and made for the stairs, trying to head out to the street to meet this young lady that was causing so much trouble.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <09-30-13/1940:34>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Outside Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

Well, better than nothing, I guess.  Just going to have to beat feet...

Cross nodded to the cop and headed outside, jogging over to the Bentley.  Granted, having a cop following him wasn't exactly ideal, but he didn't have much choice at the moment.  The last thing he needed on his first run was to get on Knight Errant's shit-list.

"Hey, folks," he said as he jogged up, brandishing his medkit.  "Is anyone hurt?"

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <10-01-13/2301:57>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

He heard the muffle voiced from outside his car, and dam! that was a blind spot for him, he knew he should have bought that full sensor suite that he was offered, but with all the other modding he got installed on himself, an attempt to stop being a worm. The thing was that things where getting weird and dangerous at the same time, his seat lifted up again and he jacked out from Full VR and whent to AR, his meat body awakening and coming back to life, he saw trough the window and he sees someone coming to him with a Medkit, and behind him a KE, just his luck, he looked first as his passengers and talked softly and with confidence, more a tactic to calm them and himself than care.

No speaking unless extremely necessary, Hero prep your gun just in case and cover the Lady, also belts on.

He turned again to the window and with a tough he lowered a bit just to let his face be seen, he made everything possible to look shaken and scared, as would be normal after almost killing someone, he took a Sperethiel marked accent (more marked than normal) and spoke with simple words to the man with the medkit, his hand whent to the inside of his actioner bussines clothes, he did it slowly reaching for his gun trying to be as concealed as possible.

Yes... Yes... We... Ok, Almost not Ok, but Ok, We go to Hospital! Check in Case!

His right hand firm on the gun and his left on the wheel, he hoped that was enough but one would never knew, he was attentive of the stranger but even more of the KE behind him.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <10-02-13/0019:25>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Outside Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

He nodded to the driver of the Bentley.  "Actually not a bad idea.  We should probably take them as well," he said, pointing at the redhead and her erstwhile savior.  He looked over his shoulder at the Knight Errant.  "Just to be safe.  I can check their vitals on the way, and it'll get us all out of your way to deal with. . .whatever's going on inside."

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <10-02-13/1352:03>

[Wednesday 11:42 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | Outside Cross' Apartment | Downtown Seattle]

This job was getting more dangerous by the second, some unknow dude with a medkit and a bad case of "i will kill you, eat you and spit the bones" look wearing a leather jacket, he had seen scary, this dude had the aura but not the intention, not the black soulless eyes... Either way if said no then KE would get suspicious, if they weren't alredy, he took a choice and hoped he could live one more day. He spoke again in softly as if calming down, and whas quickly trying to make up a plan.

You Doctor?! Good! Come, we go to hospital!

With a mental command he raised the window of his seat closing it, and oppened the passengers door, in the interval of closing the window and opening the door he took his right hand from the grip of his pistol and tryed to signal the "hero" to "be alert about that guy" not that he trusted the hero more than the new guy but at least they in theory had the same job. Before the human with medkit entered the vehicle the Red Haired elf put his right hand on the Wheel of the car, and prepared to only drive trough AR. He was hoping he wouldn't be needing to clean blood from his real leather seats...

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <10-02-13/1431:02>

Easy Hotwheels, let's not make a mess of this situation.  The Frenchman told the Elf Driver.
The Door started to open and he moved his body so he would somehow hide the girl from the outside view. He didn't like the idea of taking the pretending to be Doctor. That's how you get innocent killed.... Neither did he like that Hospital idea, but he had to play along; good run succeeded with good teamwork. He held his arm at the wrist and up at his chest. With a discomforted face he addressed the KE cop from his seat.
Sorry for the disturbance Officer, I was jogging and didn't pay attention while crossing the road. This driver managed to avoid me, but I got scared and fell down, I think I broke my wrist. These people kindly offered to take me to the hospital. Can't say no being offered a ride in such a car, you know.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <10-03-13/1455:20>

Pepperface
[Wednesday 11:45 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

What was there to worry about?

Pepperface stood outside in the shining sun. Behind him in the building the two Knights continued their sweep of the building. He wasn't sure what they were looking for, but he was glad that they didn't really bother to stop him. It seemed that they were concerned with something else, something that piqued his curiosity.

Luckily, he had surreptitiously marked the KE techie before he walked out the door.

@KEBeta1 [KEAlpha]>>Beta 1, do we have a description of our perp?

@KEAlpha [KEBeta1]>>Yes, sir. Image is loading right now. Sending to all units.

Pepperface watched as his AR feed began loading a picture. Cute girl, he thought. Ginger elf, young, nicely tanned. Complete opposite of myself. He opened another window where another image loaded, courtesy of his fixer before he hung up. It was the exact same girl.

Now, who is this girl that compromised the safety of my home? Pepperface looked up and down the street. He noticed a red Bentley down the street to his left where several people were crowded, including a KE officer. There seemed to be some sort of confrontation going on. A young girl stepped out of the car. She was a ginger elf, young, nicely tanned...and looked exactly like the girl on his AR windows right now.

---

Cross, Flashgitz, The Frenchman
[Wednesday 11:45 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

The Knight Errant officer was no fool. There was no crash, no totaled car, no bodies torn apart, no grieving bystanders. He was almost disappointed.

And now, this guy, and EMT he said, was trying to fool him. Even better, this guy, a Frenchie in jogging shorts and a sweater, was trying to distract him with a broken wrist of all things. And this guy in the car? Totally suspicious.

Knight Errant 101. When people lie to you, then they are hiding something. And his favorite thing to do was to find out what with his trusty FN HAR, pointing the barrel at the two men.

"Don't try to fuck with me. You are lying to me, thus you are hiding something." Ha, I love this job.

The Frenchman and Cross did not experience the same enjoyment from the situation as they raised instinctively raised their arms up, their minds racing for a way out of this situation. Flashgitz froze in his seat.

The elf just sighed. These guys are supposed to protect me? And this third guy? Good thing his acting was bad.

She got out of the car and slammed the door. This immediately caused the men to turn their heads towards her. "Look, officer, these boys are with me." She pointed to a wide-eyed Cross. "We were just going to pick this guy up. He's a bit of a ham, so whatever he told you, just know that he was just nervous. I know I'd be when I see KE in my neighborhood. Can we just leave this alone, officer?"

A moment passed. Then the officer lowered his gun. Shit, there was a cute girl in there. Better make myself look like a man. "I'm sorry ma'am, I was just doing my duty." He turned to Cross and The Frenchman. "If you were here to escort this lovely lady, then you should've told me. I understand. Nice girl like her needs all the help she can get. And you, c'mon. Broken wrist? Really?"

Cross and The Frenchman relaxed. Flashgitz was just happy he wasn't called out on anything. The officer turned back to the elf and nodded. She smiled back. Score! "Once again, I'm sorry ma'am. I will be on my way and--"

Suddenly, he stopped. They could notice his eyes slightly moving, as if he was looking at something through an AR feed. His eyes then darted from his visor to the elf girl. Visor. Elf girl. Visor. Elf girl...

Man, I really fucking love this job.

"GET YOUR HANDS AGAINST THE CAR. ALL OF YOU NOW!"

The sudden command caught them all off guard. The officer raised his gun, but this time focusing his aim on the elf. Her eyes shot wide open, realizing was going on. He began to shout into his two-way. "SIR, I HAVE THE PERP RIGHT OUTSIDE. I REPEAT, THE PERP IS OUTSIDE IN A RED BENTLEY. I HAVE HER AND THREE OTHERS. I REPEAT, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF FOUR RIGHT NOW."

---

[spoiler]Preparation Order

Dacre
Johnny (Crit Glitch)
Knockout + Daisy[/spoiler]

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <10-03-13/2123:10>

[Wednesday 11:45 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

He was scared, he couldn't handle this... This was not his area of expertise, this was... they were... He saw Toshiki grabbing Sihadriel from the hair. He was angry at himself, he look for a second a the rear view mirror and he saw himself, weak, pathethic... Worm... Les than worn, he hated himself and fear was replaced by rage, wich he used to focus, this focus nurtured him, he first though of the problem in a fraction of a second.

THINK! First Problem: The client got out of the car, Second Problem: The KE, Third Problem: The Doctor was an unknown variable, Fourth: The KE had alredy tagged them. What to do?! THINK FOR FRAGS SAKE THINK! One: Get the client in the car, best solution the Hero, second disarm the KE, options He was alone he had a nice weapon but no support, he also hadn't considered him a factor, his mistake my advantage. The doctor had to become an asset, momentarely he would offer him nuyen if need be.

He was completely focused, he draw his light gun from his concealed holster on his suit while lowering the window of the pilot and pointing the gun at the KE head, his short red hair flashed, his attitude and corporal behaviour changed drasticly and he did everything in his power to imitate his personal nightmare: Toshiki, he tried to make his stare as soulless as posible, his tone got serious bording on dangerous, and he looked straight to the eyes of the KE, he spoke with authorithy and elegance.

Mr. Hero grab the client, and get her inside the car. You KE have two guns pointing at your head, think carefully, your support wont be here before we blow you a new breathing hole, drop your gun and kick it to my associate Mr. Doctor, or make us waste bullets in you, while achieving nothing. You have three seconds to comply.... Three...

For the first time in his life he was feeling ready to kill someone to hurt him, maybe it was the attitude maybe it was the intensity of his focus and sheer rage, either way KE had his face, a face that he hated.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <10-04-13/1518:36>

Ben voyons! The Frenchman wasn't too surprised of the outcome considering the bad con; actually quite satisfied to see there were still some professionals in the KE Force... until the lady got out and spoke! Bordel, didn't I asked her to stay in!. And now the cop was making a fool of himself.

The situation escalated. Precious piece of info: the KE cops are after the Elf girl to protect; that's going to make things interesting.

The Elf driver - Hotwheels, as the Frenchman was for now calling him - started talking and it was the moment to act. The girl was big enough to try to knock his jaw out of alignment and not listen to him when he told her to stay inside the vehicle, he was counting on her being smart enough to get back inside once the drek hit the fan. And that was now.

The Frenchman was a skilled marksman. Time to prove it. He set his smartlink on, keeping his eyes on his target: the weapon the KE officer was holding. The Elf speech was the distraction he needed.  He grabbed his gun, and shot one single time at the KE's weapon, aiming at disarming the lonely cop.

As the bullet left the barrel of his light pistol, he yelled: Get Inside! hoping both the girl and the amerindian guy would get the hint

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <10-04-13/2030:29>

Blinking in the light, Pepperface started making his way over to the Bentley, but his mind was only partially in the meat. His fingers tapped at an ARO keyboard hovering in front of him at well over one hundred words per minute. Walking and working was not an unusual sight, and to the average observer Pepperface probably looked like the average sarariman multi-tasking on his way to work. He saw the elf in front of him, and knew he had to make face-to-face contact. But for now, he had work to do in the 'Trix. Wired reflexes humming, he kept the AR window as he crossed the street.

Pepperface grimaced as the image loaded up, and he realized the elf he was protecting was also being actively hunted by KE. No, no, no. That won't do at all, little pawns. While others might've seen a disaster, Pepperface saw an opportunity. Only one of the KE officers had received the accurate picture. A quick edit job on the uploading officer could throw the remaning KE off the scent.

Taking a risk by swapping out his much-beloved Encryption program for his Edit suite, Pepperface got to work, corrupting the image Knight Errant dispatcher was preparing to transmit. The elf's red hair seemed to be her most distinctive feature, so he grabbed a pallette swap tool and began painting her tresses honeysuckle blonde. If nothing else, it would cause a little confusion in the ranks. With his work done, he decided to seal the deal. Using the fake authorization mark he'd scored on the Knight Errant device, he ordered the device to send out the faulty picture. Even if the Knight Errant dispatcher was saavy enough to catch the ruse and send out the correct picture (which Pepperface sincerely doubted), the KE officers on the ground would have two conflicting pictures; one red-haired, one blonde. Hopefully the radio chatter and confusion would give him and the client time to escape.

With the seeds of chaos sown, Pepperface focused on shutting the KE dispatcher down. Partly this was to keep the Knight Errant officer from correcting the spoofed image; partly this was sheer spite. Nothing rankled Pepperface like corporate goons kicking down the door to his apartment, virtual or otherwise. Typing furiously away, he tried to score two more marks on the Knight Errant dispatcher. From there, it was time for the classic re-format and reboot he was so very fond of. With a little luck, the dragnet's Matrix support would be crippled, and Pepperface could get this troublesome elf girl out of here once and for all.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: BestTeaMaker on <10-10-13/1304:23>

Pepperface
[Wednesday 11:46 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

"Sir! I my device, it's not working and-- huh, uh ok, it's working again, I think."

"Goddamit, I told you to get that shit fixed. Did you at least get the image of the perp?"

"Yes, I got it. Blonde elf and--"

Pepperface turned from the radiochat as he heard a shot ring out from the area with the Bentley.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!"

The two KE officers scrambled out of the doors as they ran towards the Bentley.

---

Cross, Flashgitz, The Frenchman
[Wednesday 11:46 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

The ginger elf could not believe what was going on. She thought she was in the clear, having run away from both the authorities and...them... But here she was, staring down the barrel of a KE rifle. Shit, these guys moved fast.

Her companions didn't really help either. The French guy and the medic were caught by surprise. The driver for some weird reason, had tried to threaten the officer, possibly unaware that thugs like him live on opposition. Ramming the butt of the gun on the window was more than enough to shut him up.

"You wanna try that again, tough guy? Oh, I am ringing you up for threatening authority, you little piece of shit! Now, get out of the car and-"

It happened in the flash. The French guy pulled his pistol, and by some luck, shot the huge rifle out of the hands of the officer. The rifle rolled across the ground as the officer stood, staring at his hands where he once was holding onto his gun. Slowly, he turned to the French guy, a mixture of hatred and surprise present in his twitchy eyes. Both the driver and the medic stared at him open-mouthed.

In the distance, the elf could see two more figures running towards them, both in full combat armor. In her mind, she couldn't see how it could get any worse.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: WrongConcept on <10-10-13/1659:42>

[Wednesday 11:46 am, Oct. 23rd, 2075 | 4th Ave. | Downtown Seattle]

Pain wasn't new to him, he received the butt of the gun on his face, he was not angry, he was ashamed, not because of the result of the attempt, because he was a worm, and he had tried to be something more than that. The shoot brought him back to reality, the Hero had shot the rifle out of the KE hands, if anything the red haired worm felt gratitude, he lowered his gun holstering it and trying to hold the tears back as the pain settled in, remembering him how weak he was. And suddenly he was not an Elf anymore, he was a Bentley, a bright red Bentley, his internal sound system spoke with bared anticipation:

Inside the Car now.

It was not an invitation it was an order. The engine purred in anticipation, the windows rised up and closed. The pain was in his meat weak body, he now was plasteel and titanium, leather, rubber and style impersonated.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <10-12-13/0013:57>

The Frenchman kept his gun pointed at the KE cop from the back seat of the Bentley.
Back off, officer. Slowly. And only your pride will be hurt today.
Red Skin, he said to the Amerindian EMT,  you've heard the car. Get in now. Last chance. You too Milady.

The Frenchman was really hoping to get away from here as soon and fast as possible. He'll handle the Truck issue in due time.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Bewilderbeast on <10-13-13/1710:04>

Pepperface's attention swiftly snapped back to the real world when he heard the gunshot. Did he really just shoot at a KE officer? Oh, man. This is off to a great start.

Pepperface had no idea who the driver or the other two men were. Either they were meant to be assisting him in getting the elf girl out of here, or they were kidnapping her and he was supposed to be rescuing her. He wasn't sure which was the worst case scenario; "allies" that brought on that much Knight Errant heat were more of a liability than an asset. One thing was obvious, however; Pepperface wasn't going to be caught dead in that Bentley. Or, more accurately, getting into that vehicle would most likely result in him getting caught or dead.

Crossing the street, Pepperface made for his C-N Jackrabbit. The beat, decade-old little two-seater wasn't quite as conspicuous, and hopefully he'd be able to follow the Bentley from a non-suspicious distance.  As he climbed into the cramped vehicle, he sent a command to his implanted cyberdeck to reboot. After his fast and furious bout of messing with Knight Errant's Matrix support, the last thing he needed was to attract the attention of the Grid Overwatch Division.

As the Jackrabbit's electric motor started humming, Pepperface's cyberdeck came back online. Before pulling away from the curb, he brought up an AR window and pinged a message request to the elf. If she accepted, she'd see the following message:

@Elf [Pepperface]>> Your Matrix support has arrived. Are the men you're with a danger to you? Let me know, but go with them for now. More KE are coming, and we need to get out of here. I'll follow behind, but leave now.

Afterward, he sent the following message to The Frenchman, Flashgitz, and Cross:

I have no idea what your interest is in the elf, but unless you want to end up in hand cuffs, get her out of here now. More Knight Errant pawns are coming. I've screwed their Matrix support up royally, and you have a small window to escape, but you must leave now.

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: Red_Cap on <10-14-13/1058:26>

Christ.  This is off to a great[/I] start[/I].[/color]

Cross got Pepperface's message at the same time the Frenchman spoke; Mr. Green hadn't seen anything about a team, but Faye had never worked alone, so joining these guys was probably the safest course of action.

Not hesitating any longer, he grabbed his weapons bag and slid into the back seat, drawing his Colt America from its holster under his armpit as he did so.

"Alright, I'm in.  Get her in the car, froggie, I think it's time to bail..."

Title: Re: The Shadow Sessions [IC]
Post by: obidancer on <10-14-13/1857:27>

The Frenchman read the message that appeared on his image link: ...must leave now
No shit! thought the Frenchman.

He made sure the Girl was inside and loudly spoke to the Elf Driver:
Aller, Let's go, let's go.