"Wien ist anders" [Shadowrun, IC]

[Liliedhe]

An old city full of secrets and plots. Intrigue, love, conspiracies. Quaint customs, old fashioned people and colourful facades. Environmental destruction, depression, magic that doesn’t play by the rules. A young woman with too much money and time on her hands right in the thick of it. It doesn’t a genius to figure out there will be trouble. And when you have trouble you want to keep out of the headlines, who you gonna call?

In the Sixth World of 2058 the answer is quite easy: Shadowrunners. They don’t come cheap, but they are probably discreet. Competent. And definitely disposable if they disappoint.

Welcome to life on the edge. Welcome to the Shadows. And…
Herzlich willkommen in Wien*. Have fun.


*No, we don’t have kangaroos.


Seattle, 04/25/2058

A bleak, rainy day in the middle of summer. Is there anyone who isn’t on holiday, if they can help it? A pity such freedom does not come easily to those who run the shadows... On the other hand it would have been a pity to miss such a wonderful offer, too: “Paid vacation in Europe, just look for a rich girl who ran off with some goodlooking bad boy and decided to spend daddy’s money. No problem, right? And you will get 25K Nuyen as well. Just meet Mr. Johnson today, 10pm, in the Space Needle.” Maybe your fixer shouldn’t be grinning so broadly, but you also know the saying – ‘If somebody wants to meet you in the Space Needle restaurant, you have made it.’ So, is there anything in your wardrobe that you could wear there without looking totally out of place?

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Spoiler

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OOC-Thread can be found here.
Character descriptions are there as well.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
20:30

Having laid out his best suit, Frank took a moment to log on to the Matrix. Wandering over to the Space Needle's host, he politely checked with the maitre-d' to ascertain Mr. Johnson's table. It took a little negotiation, but between his credentials and his winning smile, he was able to convince security he was legitimately going to meet the man as scheduled. That done, he thanked the restaurant's decker, and logged off.
A quick shower later, he was strapping on his armored vest. Even if it was the Space Needle, there was still getting to and from, and you could never be too careful in any case. Cotton undershirts were expensive, but they reduced the chafing of the kevlar. After buttoning his dress shirt, he carefully tied a stylish silk tie around his neck, then re-tied it when the ends came out the wrong lengths. That was the disadvantage of wearing clip-ons on a daily basis. Sure, it kept your neck a bit safer in a dust up, but you lost practice with the real thing. Before putting on his suit jacket, Frank connected a discreet fiber optic cable to the datajack behind his left ear, and threaded it down to his shirt pocket and the tiny router he deposited there. It's wireless connectivity would network together his pocket secretary and other pieces of kit.
As he put on his suit jacket, he was glad he had sprung for the tailoring. Even after 47 years of metahumanity being on the scene, he still couldn't buy anything off the rack. Even the big and tall stores didn't carry garments for his slim build. Slipping his pocket secretary and several other pieces of electronics into various inner pockets, he took a moment to make sure they didn't look too awkward. Deciding they did after all, he put everything but the pocket secretary and chip jukebox in the attache case with his cyberdeck. That done, he straightened himself in the mirror one last time, then took a look out the window. He'd intended to wear his long coat anyway, but the rain offered an even better reason to wear it. As the cab pulled up outside, Frank turned off the lights and headed downstairs, attache case in hand.
A short cab ride later, he found himself at the Space Needle, just a few minutes early. Doffing his coat at the hat check, he declined to hand over his attache. A quick scan and credential check allayed security's concerns, and they let it pass. After being led to the table, Frank ordered a 'Presidential' martini, and sipped it slowly while he waited for Mr. Johnson.

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I'm tweaking Frank's description a bit. Putting the datajack behind his left ear makes more sense in his line of work, I think.
Slotted chips: German, German R/W, Unarmed Combat, and Stealth. Everything else is in the skillsoft jukebox.
Worn: Armor Vest with Plates, "Fine" Quality Suit, Secure Longcoat
Electronics: Pocket Secretary, External Router, Skillsoft Jukebox, Scanner, Bug Scanner, Transceiver, Cyberdeck

[leperkhaun]

Seattle, 4/25/2058

As William walks into the vault he nods at the security guard and signals him to leave. Taking out his key William punches in his security codes to open the panel to the lock. With a smile he opens the box and slowly takes out one of its contents.

Opening the plastic cover William's smile grows bigger. It cost him a lot of money, well back then it did not seem like a lot of money. Just as well, the style of the suit has actually come back into style.....old money.

With a sigh William closed the safe deposit box and signaled the guard his mood less than happy, "Not much then, but its worth more than everything else i own combined," he thought to himself.

Adjusting his tie William waited for the elevator doors to open. Walking with the confidence of someone who was used to money, he walked straight to the bar and ordered tonic water with a lime. Nodding to the skinny elf at the bar, William set his back against the bar and waited until it was time.

[Dirk_Loechel]

Waking up in the barely lit hotel room, a quick glance reveals he's alone in bed. 11:31, according to the slightly dated wall-mounted digital clock featuring the Majestic's Logo. She's off to work, propably. Not that they'd really shared much information about each other last night. Oh well. Better that way. The less she knew, the less could be hurt for.

Getting up and heading tot he shower, he notices his cell signalling two missed messages. One from Park avenue, reminding him of this quartal's routine checkup, and one from Shy's main employer, the man known as Black Cat. Curious ...

When he had read the message left for him in the safe deposit box at the neadby Monorail station the cell text message had informed him about, he was smiling. Nice to know when you have friends ... thanks, Shy, he thought silently, for introducing me.

After a quick check-up on the Needle, he was also glad to have brought his made-to-measure Armanté suit. You really never knew when you had to look all nice and corporate.

Later, in the evening, he glanced at the Seattle Skyline while riding the elevator up the iconic tower that was Seattle's third most recognised landmark, astonished about the eerie Aztechnology pyramid that looked quite out of place in the steel-and-glass jungle of Central Downtown Seattle (number two) and the giant black monolith of the still off-limits Renraku arcology, site of this century's worst non-wartime atrocity, as Time had put it last year. Quite the difference to Boston, with it's Novatech Spire dominating everything else, and wolds apart from the place he once had called hoe and would never, ever see again. Oh well. He shook his head. This is a job, he reminded himelf. Act it.

Putting on hs usual cool, confident poker face reserved for such occasions, he left the elevator, at exactly 9:51 pm, went to the Bar, ordered himself a soft drink, and waited for the team and Johnson to show up, clancing over the other customers and wondering who of them might turn out teammates.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
21:58

.....Frank slowly twirled the remaining olives in his drink. The olive brine and top shelf vodka complemented one another nicely, and the blue cheese stuffed olives were the perfect garnish. The only drawback to drinking the martini slowly was that it warmed up. Mentally checking the time, he sighed into his glass, and took another sip, resisting the urge for more. When the waitress walked by, Frank politely asked for a glass of ice water with lemon. The waitress smiled and nodded once, then strode off to comply.
.....Frank's eye followed her to the bar, where he took note of a tall elf and a human in an old-fashioned suit, right down to the waistcoat and watch fob. "Brooks Brothers?" he thought to himself. It contrasted oddly with the elf's cutting edge Armanté. Both showed excellent taste in tailors, though. Frank made a point to avoid the avant garde in fashion, relying on a conservative style nearer the human's than the elf's. Fortunately, men's suits didn't change too much as the years wore on. And as Frank was discovering, neither did elves. His suit still fit the same as it did the day he bought it 20 years ago. The fact that it wasn't worn spoke to both it's high quality construction and how few occasions he'd had to wear it.
.....The thought was interrupted by the waitress bringing his water. Frank smiled and thanked her by name. She smiled back and asked if there was anything else she could get him. He chuckled and replied, "Well, my business associate, but I don't think they're on the menu."
The waitress laughed quietly and said, "I'll see what I can do."

[Battlecat]

Standing in this elevator woke unsettling memories. Though the premises were completely different today, as was her attire - and even her bearing - she felt strangely reminded of the job that took her to Seattle for the first time, and of the team that had met in just this elevator. A strange kind of people to invite into the fine restaurant at the top of the famous building, and yet she hadn't anticipated the way things turned out in the end...

With a small shake of the head, she displaced the memories and forced herself to concentrate on the impending meeting. As always, she was curious about the other team-members. Curious and hopeful.
A soft chime announced they had reached the top floor and the orc stepped out of the elevator, checked the fit of her suit for about the hundredth time and entered the restaurant, first of all glancing around to take in the scene. Seemingly, nothing had changed since she'd been here the last time. With a friendly smile, she approached the maître d' and asked about Mr. Johnson's table...

[Liliedhe]

The Maitre d' shows you to a table for seven in the hindmost part of the restaurant, laid in exiquisite detail for what looks like to be a 7 course dinner. A pale, darkhaired elf is already seated. He wears a flawless dinner jacket in dark green and a creamcolored shirt. His tie is held by a stickpin of red gold, showing a flying miniature bird with a gemstone on its breast. Green eyes inspect you critically but don't seem to find a fault - he bids you all to take a seat.

Two more people occupy the remaining chairs - a beautiful woman with gold brown hair and amber eyes and a darkskinned gnom whose long hair is bound in many braids, ending in metal beads. Unlike the woman who wears an evening gown made of copper silk, he is dressed in streetcloths and a leather jacket. Both make a point in not looking at you at all.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:00

Frank was surprised to see his waitress returning so soon, despite the time.

"Right this way, Mr. Keating. Mr. Johnson apologizes, but had to change his table at the last minute," she said, gesturing toward another part of the restaurant.

Frank nodded with a knowing smile, and gathered up his attache case and martini. Another water would be easy enough to obtain at the new table. As they left the first section of the restaurant, the waitress passed Frank off to the maitre d', who already had three others in tow: the oddly matched human and elf from the bar, and an orc dressed in an attractive pantsuit. Falling in behind the trio, Frank noted the chipjack at the back of the elf's neck, almost identical to his own.

As the others made their introductions, Frank set his drink and attache case down at the place next to the striking woman. When his turn came, he said, "Frank Keating, sir. A pleasure to meet you."

[Dirk_Loechel]

The faint ghost of a smile washed over the Elf's lips as the third man wearing a suit that looked far too good for it's age ordered himself first water and then his busienss asociate. At least someone whose humor wasn't yet lost to the line of work they were in ...

Patiently waiting for someone to tell him of Mr. Johnson's resceduling as well, he then followed the Maitre d', a sufficiently pompous, tall, dark-haired man who spoke with an Aztlaner Spanish accent, to the table, giving quick glances to the others invited there.

When it was his turn to make introductions, he identified himself politely, but not overly warm, as Connor Hawk, he then sat down besides the other Elf - Frank Keating - waiting for things to come. Even casual observers couldn't really have missed the irish accent in the few words he spoke.

[leperkhaun]

Approching the table, Juice, pulls out the chair for the orc and says in a low voice, "My dear, you look dressed to kill." As he reached for the chair the cuff of his suit slides up enough to reveal a plain braided bracelet, however a second glance shows that its not ordinary....unless one would consider orichalcum ordinary.

With a sly wink he addresses the table, "Hello, Mr. Johnson and associates," giving each person around the table a formal nod, "I am Juice."

[Battlecat]

Only the merest hint on the orcs face shows her surprise at Juice's gesture, before her expression turns to a pleased smile and she sits, nodding at him. "Thanks."

Glancing around, she gives everyone a small nod, briefly assessing each person. "Good evening", she finally says, "I'm called Battlecat, but Cat will do." A slight German accent reveals that English is not her native tongue.

[Liliedhe]

The elf smiles. "Thank you for coming. Do you want to get down to business immediately or have dinner first?" The Maitre signals a waitress to come and bring drinks, before he disapppears again.

[leperkhaun]

Pushing in Cat's chair as she sits, Juice takes his own seat next to her. Looking around the table Juice nods to the elf and says "Unless anyone has any objections, lets talk business."

Pretending that something out on the sky line has caught his eye Juice looks out the window. As he turns his head, Juice allows his perception to shift to the astral. Masking his astrally preceving aura, Juice brings his gaze back to the table and scans his companions.

After a quick glance Juice blinks his eyes quickly and rubs his right eye with the palm of his hand, when he opens his eyes again the world is back to the mundane.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:02

Frank frowned slightly as 'Juice' suggested skipping the meal. "Actually, I'd prefer to eat first. It's more polite, and prevents business from curtailing anyone's appetite," he said in a neutral tone. Not that his appetite was in any danger of being curtailed, but the point of etiquette was true enough. "More to the point, if our host had wanted us to hare off on business immediately, I doubt he would have invited us to such a fine establishment," he added, nodding to Mr. Johnson.

[Battlecat]

"I agree with Mr. Keating", Cat says, "Let's have dinner first, then talk about the important stuff."

[Dirk_Loechel]

The Elf calmly nodds agreeance with the Ork and Mr. Keating.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:05

"Well, that appears to be settled. Now that you know who we are, and we you, would you mind introducing your charming companions, Mr. Johnson?" Frank asked pleasantly, his gaze shifting subtly to the stunning woman on his right.

Spoiler

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mr. Johnson is sitting between his two companions, right? Then Frank is to the woman's left, and Connor to Frank's left.

[Liliedhe]

With a smile Mr. Johnson directs the waitress to start serving the dinner, after taking your orders for drinks. Frank's question is greeted with another smile that has a razorlike quality. "The Lady is Mrs. Beckett", he explains, "and..." Before he can continue, the gnome interrupts in a gruff voice "Deadlock." He sounds like he is not used to speaking a lot. He also neither eats nor drinks something, while Mr. J. is served a glass of champaign and the Lady drinks a strangely green wine. At least, it's served in a wineglass.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:05

"Thank you, sir. Charmed all around, I'm sure," Frank said with a smile. He asked the waitress for water with lemon now, and a refill on his martini later, when it "runs dry". That done, he returned his attention to their host. "So, how long have you been in Seattle, Mr. Johnson? I'm a lifelong resident myself, and unfortunately haven't had call to travel in any but the virtual sense," he said smoothly.

[leperkhaun]

Juice sits back in his chair and calls the waitress over, "another one of these" he says holding up his drink.

Taking another sip, he turns to Frank, "How do you like it here? Iv only been in the city for little over a year."

[Liliedhe]

Another of those business-smiles flickers over the Johnson's face, his eyes blatantly tell you 'Nice try'. "I'm only here on business. But I know the city very well and it is nice enough if you know where to look."

[Dirk_Loechel]

Hawk seemingly doesn't feel like interrupting Frank's attempt to fish Johnson for information, unlike Juice ... he rather orders himself another drink and quietly listens, observing the others on the table in the meantime.

[Battlecat]

Like Hawk, the orc doesn't join in the smalltalk, but rather leans back in her chair, following the conversation and sipping at her drink from time to time.

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:07

Frank smiled innocently at Mr. Johnson's responses, both spoken and unspoken. Even his brief repartee had revealed he wasn't a native, and that's all Frank had been trying to confirm.

"Yes, nice enough in places, I quite agree," he said. Turning to Juice, he replied, "I have to admit I'm rather fond of the place. Granted, it's changed quite a bit over the years, but it's still home, warts and all. If you haven't been, I recommend spending a day at the Pike Place Market. The variety there is quite amazing. The Science Center is another worthwhile day trip. Some of the exhibits, though old, are still interesting. The bell curve demonstrator in particular is nearly a century old, but fascinating none the less." Frank went on a bit about other sights to see in Seattle, trying to put Mr. Johnson and the others at ease, though he noticed Connor and Cat seemed to withdraw a bit. The whole point of a business dinner, after all, was to build rapport before getting down to the nitty-gritty.

When the waitress took orders, Frank ordered carpaccio for an appetizer, and the filet Mignon for the main course. At some point during the meal, he finished his martini, and asked for another. Frank paced his eating to avoid finishing first or last, and interspersed eating with continued small talk. He subtly tried to elicit a little more about Mr. Johnson, in the vein of where he was from, but carefully avoided any mention of the job until everyone was finished with the main course.

Spoiler

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Frank is only trying to subtly determine where the Johnson is from originally, since he's not a Seattle native.
Interrogation: (8d6)[1][5][1][3][1][2][5][5](23)

[Liliedhe]

The Johnson just keeps smiling and smooth, not telling anything at all. If he really is not a Seattle native, he sure knows the city very well. Dinner is served, a fancy affair on the lines of "big plate, little food, strange eating implements" [Like the dinner with the snails in Pretty Woman :D].

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:45

Frank pushed back his now empty plate slightly, and carefully arranged his silverware to indicate he was finished. He swirled his martini and took periodic sips while he waited for the others to finish eating. When everyone who was eating had finished, he said, "Mr. Johnson, thank you for a wonderful meal. I believe now might be a good time to discuss your invitation, if you're so inclined."

[leperkhaun]

Juice sits back in his chair and adjusts the cuffs on his suit. Finishing off his drink he places his elbows on the table and looks to the rest of the table, "Well its about that time i guess."

Looking to Mr. Johnson Juice glances around the room, "Do we have a white noise generator or something else to keep this conversation private?"

[Liliedhe]

Johnson indicated the neighbouring table, where people were obviously in animated conversation - but nothing could really be heard. "All conversations here are privat", he explained. His gaze wandered over the four runners and their empty plates, then he nodded.

"Business. As you have been told by your... managers, I have called you because I need you to find a missing person. A young woman of 18 years who disappeared in Europe. The circumstances don't point to a crime, except maybe fraud. But her father can't afford to have newsstories popping up about his daughter behaving disgracefully, so you are to look for her and return her to her guardians. Payment has already been detailled, so are you willing to do this?"

[Daryk]

Frank Keating
Seattle, 4/25/2058
22:47

Casting a quick glance around the table, Frank said, "Well, aside from 18 being old enough to make her own decisions, are we to 'return' her to a certain place, or merely to the presence of certain individuals who may or may not be able to travel to Europe and/or convince her not to press charges?"

[Liliedhe]

"Bring her back to her Guardian and her Bodyguards, who already are in the same city. After that it won't be your headache anymore. But be careful and don't draw attention to yourself or to her." Johnson explains. "Any other questions?"