(IC) - The Meet @ The Muscovite Lounge

[Jadefox]

Jade follows Satchel to the Pushkin room, waiting at the doorway, holding it open for Firethroat, she slowly looks around the interior of the room hoping Clu is getting a look inside and a glimps of the Johnson through her link before she crosses the threshold. After Firethroat enters she will follow him and close the door behind her.

[Abschalten]

You all walk into a dining room of exceptional opulence. The long, conference style dining table, made out of real wood no less, is covered with a white linen tablecloth, fine china, crystal glasses, and silver cutlery. Braziers, pitchers and ice buckets are neatly arranged on an oak sideboard against a nearby wall. The only illumination in the room is from the silver candelabra on the table and a pair of tapers on the mantelpiece. Thee portrait of a curly-haired young man in the prime of his life hangs above the mantelpiece. The plaque on the gilt frame identifies him as Alexander Pushkin.

Sitting at the head of this conference table is the man you assume to be the Johnson. He's not a large man. He's a human, but rather lacking in stature for one. The man's salt-and-pepper hair and weathered appearance puts him somewhere in his late 30's or 40's, and he looks at you through lightly tinted spectacles. The Johnson's suit is of an immaculate, old-fashioned cut that adds to his aura of power. While he doesn't loom with his size, the set of his shoulders, the unflappable calm he portrays on his facial features, and the soft smile, amused shile he wears as you all enter mark him as somebody confident and completely in control of his surroundings.

The man gestures at the empty spots on the table, and in a heavy Russian accent, he says, "Please, be seated."

As this is going on, Clu gets a little surprise. In the virtual security room, a little red speck appears in the distant, obscure blackess above him. The speck grows larger, and it whistles faintly as it begins descending. And then at the speed of terminal velocity, a red-coated Russian honor guard, complete with a fur-covered cap and bayonet-equipped rifle, slams into the ground with a tremendous crash. He stands upright unharmed, then brandishes his rifle menacingly, looking to Clu. "Nyet!" the guard icon says absurdly, and then charges him.

(Clu, roll Matrix Initiative.)

[Satchel - JD]

Satchel scans the room, and nods to the man at the far end of the table.

He walks to the chair that is closest to the man. Thinking to him self, "At least if this goes bad I'll be able to get my hands on him and give us some bargaining room."

He takes a seat and waits patiently for the Johnson to explain why they are all here tonight.

[orionsfire]

Smiling at Jadefox's confusion/frustration Firethroat gets up eloquently and follows satchel through the door ignoring Jadefox as he walks through the door with very erect and controlled posture. Standing in front of the next chair he stops and slowly scans the room astrally (360) stopping briefly at the the man at the end of the table, bowing with hands down to his sides respectfully and sits fully erect with back straight staring at the man straight in the eyes, while expressing no facial expression. After Jadefox makes her entrance and we are all settled, Firethroat says:
We are gathered here for a reason sir and I would like to express my appreciation for your playing a part to that end. Please allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Firethroat, please call me Fire. Fire waits a moment for the others to continue while continuing to stare the gentleman in the eyes.

OOC:
Assensing Test [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6] [rand=90747644621454272009805709141657786456105421050915777509170415129]

[Kagi]

Drek...

OOC: Matrix initiative roll
[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][rand=6416651077981221062698342756367478883316742008424149163802617477]

[Satchel - JD]

Once it appears FT has finished Satchel will introduce him self, "I'm Satchel, nice to meet you."

[Abschalten]

The gentleman smiles as you all are seated, nodding to those of you that offer your needs in greeting. Both hands are folded over the pommel of a cane, the point of which is pressed onto the floor. He clears his throat and then begins the pitch in his calm, smooth, accented baritone...

"I am so glad you all could gather on such short notice. I have a little bit of work I would like for you to do. It should be a very simple job."

He pauses to chuckle, and then continues...

"There's this new pet store in Tacoma called PetFactory!, and that's where you'll be going. See, owners take their pets there sometimes for grooming, care, vaccinations, and the like. A man named Richard Murray will be dropping off his beloved little Miffy there tomorrow about noon for grooming, and he will leave her there for two hours. He loves this animal more than he loves money, and this says quite a good bit." The Johnson's face darkens a little bit, and he continues in a colder tone of voice. "If Mr. Murray were to find his pet in, ah, uncaring hands, he might be a little more amenable to certain business deals we have in store for him. He seems hesitant to meet us halfway on them. The job is simple. You will pick up Miffy from the PetFactory! outlet and hold onto the creature for a few hours. When he has, ah, made us a reasonable offer, then we shall arrange for you to remand his beloved Miffy back into his loving auspices. For this, I will give the each of you five thousand credit. I think for a couple nights of work, this is a generous sum. So... there you have it. Are you all amenable to the job?"

As Firethroat assenses the man, he reads the aura of a man in good cheer, who is as calm within as he appears to be on the outside. He is mundane, and insofar as can be told, completely without any cyberware whatsoever. There is a small jolt of pain that flashes throughout his aura from time to time. Further assensing brings attention to the area where his hands should be, which in his meat body are slightly gnarled and arthritic. He is also diabetic. His Essence equals Firethroat's own.

Meanwhile, Clu just got a visit from the Russian Guard, but Clu's Resonance-driven digital avatar outpaces the subpar code-form before him, giving him the first action.

(Clue 14, 3 IPs; IC 7, 3 IPs)

[orionsfire]

Looking and smiling at Jadefox then Satchel, Fire places both hands on the table, fingers interlocked with the same posture. Then looking at the gentleman with a slight smile:
Well, Mr. Johnson (emphasizing the Johnson) before agreeing to a sum for our.... services, I'm sure you can appreciate our need for caution-it is the nature of our business. Could you clarify for us this beloved 'Miffy'. . . exactly what sort of ... pet is it that you are speaking of?

[rand=9893142932404404673328976117396581592679925100056213646072106345]

[Kagi]

Drek! I've got to distract this ICe and get some of the heat off of me... Clu thinks to himself.

OOC: Complex action, compiling a rating 3 Fault sprite (p.234) between me and the ICe. Resonance+Compiling+2
[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]
Resist fading Willpower+Resonance+2
[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][rand=223562677552050483743735302887571879556459449049682653803334819]

[Abschalten]

The Johnson clears his throat and looks a little abashed, but quickly regains his composure. "We are...not sure what type of animal this Miffy is. We only have it on reliable information that Miffy is one of Mr. Murray's most prized and beloved posessions, and that she would be useful as a bargaining chip. Now, I need to add that all you are going to do is hold onto the animal for a little while, and it is NOT to be harmed in any way. That is, of course, unless Mr. Murray decides not to play ball. In any event, you will be given a call with instructions, such as when the animal is to be returned, or what is to be done with it. We do not anticipate you needing to hold onto it for very long. As for your caution, this is a commercial pet store in a very busy business district in Tacoma. I do not think you will be picking up any barghests, hellhounds, or dangerous creatures here." The Johnson chuckles at that final statement.

Meanwhile, Clu has reached through the digital gestalt and dipped his fingers into that further world, just out of reach, from which he draws upon the Resonance. As desired, a Fault Sprite (R:3, 1 task, no Fading) appears next to him, bearing the guise of a floating, animated skull covered in heatless flames. "Yeeeeeees?!" it screeches.

Before Clu has the chance to command his new protector, the Russian Guard icon has raised his bayonet and taken a virtual stab at Clu's icon.

(Roll Cybercombat Defense: Firewall+Response)

(See OOC Thread for Comment, Clu.)

(1st - Clu 14 - *IC 7*
2nd - Clu 14 - Sprite 12 - IC 7
3rd - Clu 14 - Sprite 12 - IC 7)

[Kagi]

Clu brings his disk up in an attempt to deflect the bayonet charge, while he side steps...

OOC:Responce+Firewall+2
[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][rand=01506272233182715154812012551751146338307301223908866951666188073]

[Jadefox]

Jade sits in silence during the meet with the Johnson, never offering her name. She give a nod to the J indicating her interest in the job.

[orionsfire]

Chuckling a bit.
Yes, well you'd be surprised what one may call a pet these days, Honestly they all tend to taste the same though hell hounds do have a bite...
What can you tell us about the nature of his business? What resources would he have available to him to recover said animal? Do you have information for what kind of vehicles he owns and which he will be arriving in? Is he awakened or trapped in a meat body's linear existence, aching from arthritus pains and worried about his pancreas - checking his sugar levels every hour? (Fire raises an eyebrow before he says this last line)
There is one thing that you really need be aware while considering what I am about to say: noon. Thats right, noon. Not under the cover of darkness... noon. Even if you have all of the facts regarding your future business partner, you can not change the time of day it is to take place.
Let us just get past the details, to render our services a small 9,000 per member - up front for all four members. and of course all the additional expenses- costs for narcojects, vehicle rental, and so on. Know that the most important thing you are paying for is a peace of mind.
Now, here is the account number to transfer the funds...
Fire looks at Mr. J waiting for him to take the digital paper with the account number.

OOC: Fire asks these questions assuming the normal response is to answer each question after they are asked.

[Kagi]

OOC: I'll be using an edge point on that last roll, to re-roll my failures.

[dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][rand=024924907591096786014967234144172390459769740926212420192706944033]

[Satchel - JD]

Satchel leans back in the chair and listens as the elf lays out the reasons the Johnson should pay more for the job. Thinking to himself "I knew we put up with his sh@# for some reason." Satchel lets a small smile through as Fire mentions the amount hes determined to start the negotiations at.