Created By: Pistons [View Previous Comments]

"I'll keep it simple an' short, I know we've got a job to get ready for. I can make a phone call or two, and turn this" he waves the credstick a bit, "into some names for us. Places we could hide out in Portland, where the Shadows lie a lil' deeper than the rest of that town. Maybe even arrange an emergency-ticket trip back to Seattle for us, if it came down to it."

He looks from team member to team member, genuinely wanting their okay on this before he dials the number. "I ain't gonna lie; it'll cost us. But I'll keep him as low as I can, an' none of us will fork up more than five thousand from our individual shares. I'd rather lose a couple thousand nuyen than be stranded in the Tir with only one contact... input?" ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (23:52:04/09-19-61)

>>>>>[ "Do it. I don't want to rely on a Johnson for an out. Especially after the job is done." ]<<<<<
- Adrian Quinn (23:55:57/09-19-61)

>>>>>[ Blue nods at Connor and lifts one shoulder in a lopsided shrug, "I'm already a little jumpy about what we have to turn over to her so early in the game... Definitely make the arrangements." ]<<<<<
- Blue (00:01:41/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Kes looks at the stick and frowns slightly thinking of the bite that would take out of her cut. Quickly she banishes that thought when she hears Blue's comment. She didn't relish turning over all her personal details to the J either, and having a backup plan or escape route might become more necessary once the job was done. "Ok.. I'm in for my share." ]<<<<<
- Kestral (01:13:27/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He nods, mildly pleased with their agreements, as one by one they grant him 'permission' to spend away some of their cash. "Better not-quite-rich than dead," he thinks as he turns his gaze towards Alpha, the only one who hasn't yet spoken up. ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (01:15:03/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "Go for it." Alpha's answers, as usual, were short and to the point. "If I'm dead, the money won't do me very much good anyway. And I sure as hell don't trust a nation of elves. No offense, or anything." He flashes a grin. ]<<<<<
- Adrian Zhei (14:30:31/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Blue rolls her eyes expressively and turns a laughing gaze to Alpha, "It's the ears. Pointy ears obviously make us treacherous and sneaky." ]<<<<<
- Blue (14:36:51/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Alpha laughs heartily, "I'll keep that in mind when they are shooting at me." He has no doubt that sometime in this run, elves will be shooting at him. Runs are never perfect. Never. ]<<<<<
- Adrian Zhei (14:39:21/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He grins, and nods once more. "If y'all wanna hang out in the bar for a bit tonight, that's cool. I'll just step outside for some fresh air and a bug-free environment, to make a few phone calls." ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (14:41:11/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "Do you realize how much alcohol it takes me to catcha friggin' buzz?" Blue strides toward the door, putting a little extra attitude into her strut and allowing the dress to clear the way. "I intend to drink all of it on the j's tab." ]<<<<<
- Blue (14:44:04/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Connor smirks, "I've got it measured to the ounce, actually." ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (14:44:31/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "You would. Try more charm and less alcohol, studly." She drops a wink over her shoulder and slips out the door. ]<<<<<
- Blue (14:45:20/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "I could actually go for a big mug of whatever dark beer might be on tap here. I think I'll join Blue." He rises slowly from his seat and tries to catch up with Blue. He curiously wonders for a moment if the smaller elven woman could drink him under the table. It was a question he'd have to answer sometime. ]<<<<<
- Adrian Zhei (14:46:06/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Connor grins again, and turns to those who haven't left. He slips back into 'Responsible Connor' mode, shifting back and forth as easily and smoothly as only the mildly insane can. Changing moods shouldn't be that easy, but at least he has fun doing it.

"Quinn, Kes... you guys gonna have the time it'll take, to get your stuff together on this one?" ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (14:47:07/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "Two days, tops, to get the summonings done. We have a week. I'll be fully ready when we fly." He nods. ]<<<<<
- Adrian Quinn (15:53:42/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He returns the nod, "Lemme know if you need a secure place to perform them, or someone to watch over you when you're working on it. You won't help us out any if someone wacks you while you're in a trance, or something."

He turns to look at Kes, "I figure all we can do for your end of stuff is get hope she gets as much of your 'wish list' as possible, right? Not much I could do to help out there, is there?" ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (15:58:41/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ "Each summoning will take about nine hours; but I've already got a place lined up where I won't need anyone to watch my back." He grins. "Besides, I don't plan on collapsing until after the job's done." ]<<<<<
- Adrian Quinn (16:02:28/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He grins back, and tosses his head towards the door. "Nine hours at a stretch, huh? Go grab a few free drinks while y'can, man." ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (16:10:30/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He shakes his head. "Need a clear mind for it. These are going to be fierce spirits. If I slip while summoning them, chances are, they'll kill me." ]<<<<<
- Adrian Quinn (16:13:47/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ Kes stands and shrugs in Connor's direction. "Not much you can do for me slick. I'll just head out, drink a few with Blue, and go home and twiddle my thumbs and hope I don't get totally screwed when we get there. Right?" Kes manages a slight smile and heads off towards the bar. ]<<<<<
- Kestral (23:08:55/09-20-61)

>>>>>[ He grins at Quinn, "Then get some nice bottled water. Anything, man, it's on the J's tab. Make her earn us."

He nods to Kes before she leaves, "Sounds like a plan, then." After a moment, he heads out with the rest of the team, but doesn't stop inside the bar. Instead he wades through the smoke and music, and heads towards the front entrance. Time to get out into the relative peace and quiet of the night, and make a few phone calls. ]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (18:34:47/09-21-61)

>>>>>[ "Bottled water? What do I look like, some kind of keebler elf?" He mutters to himself as he exits the back room. Easing his way through the crowd, he looks at the bar. Probably should mingle with the team a bit. But then again, I have a lot of work to do. He shook his head and headed out the front door, flipping his collar up against the ever-present Seattle drizzle, he slipped out into the night behind Connor's back as the elf jabbered into his phone. ]<<<<<
- Adrian Quinn (20:36:59/09-21-61)

>>>>>[ "Okay, hotshot," Connor thinks to himself as he slides out his pocsec and auto-dial's the Juggler's LTG, "Time to get down to it. Think for the Team, not for yourself." Connor cracks a grin as The Juggler's 'secretary' pops onto the pocsec's small vidscreen display. Even without the minor distortion caused by the fish-eye lens of a pocket secretary, it's easy enough to tell how the undressed woman got her nick-name...and it wasn't just because she worked for the 'Jugg'ler. It was a running bet, among The Juggler's shadow employees, how much nuyen had been spent on her breast augmentations. When asked why she had to work topless, The Juggler simply said it was so he could check her for bugs and listening devices easier.

"What's up Juggs?" Connor asks her with a smile, politely keeping his eyes on her face, through the vid-display. "Just got done with that Meet he lined up for us. Five-hundred nuyen ready to download, if you patch him through to me. And I'll leave it on open transfer, for the length of the conversation."

Connor slots the credstick into the sleek device, and punches the appropriate keys for the transfer of funds. A heartbeat after the nuyen dissipates -- leaving a blinking "29,500" in one corner of the screen -- the Juggler's sharp features fill the screen. A line of text appears on his display screen, and Connor simply accepts the fact it will be a one-sided conversation, as far as voices are concerned. The Juggler was like that, sometimes. "Evenin', boss. Thanks for squeezin' me into your busy schedule. We just got done talking to Miss J, and I had another proposal for you. We're going into Portland on this one, and I know that you can help us out here."

Connor doesn't blink as another five hundred nuyen vanish from the resource display. "Price of talkin' to The Man," he reminds himself, before he continues. "We need addresses, in Portland. Places to hole up, places to hunker down, places to sit tight in the shadows and cool off. Places the Peace Force doesn't go, places we can be left alone for a bit. Bars, hotels, whatever you got. Three or four places to lay low, and a number to contact you with, minimum."

Another transfer of funds, this one heftier. Fifteen-thousand nuyen, gone in the blink of a cyberoptic. In exchange, a line of text scrolls across the bottom of the screen. Connor quickly taps the Copy/Save keys, then keeps talking. "Thanks. And last thing, we may need a way back out again, from you. And I know no one but you could line it up for us, in the week or so we've got. We ain't picky -- pack us in crates with a bunch of AK's, load us into the back of an eighteen-wheeler, whatever. Just a way out, for four Elves, one human."

A brief pause, and another line of text slides across the bottom of the screen. In response to the Juggler's question, Connor simply nods. Another seven thousand nuyen scroll off the credstick balance display. "Fair enough. And another ten thousand on top of that, if we end up actually using that back door."

A two-word question rolls along, and Connor shakes his head. "Nope, Juggler. Nothing else, for right now. Thanks." But before the last word has even left his lips, the connection blinks dead. The nuyen had been his thanks, and that was enough for The Juggler.

]<<<<<
- Connor Hathaway (15:18:32/09-23-61)

>>>>>[ The rest of the evening goes by pleasantly for those who stick around for the show; the jazz is phenomenal, since tonight is a special live performance by a real up-and-comer to the scene. The drinks flow freely; whatever is asked for is provided, and since the runners 'behave' themselves, on the way out they get a smile from Carl as he bids them all a good night. He even hands Kes a business card, glancing at the rest of the team as he does so, and lightly mentions 'stopping by again'; the team gets the feeling that they might be welcomed back again on their own recognizance, either for business or for potential memberships.

All in all, a good evening. ]<<<<<
- Double Take GM (23:37:50/09-26-61)