It's a risky play, switching up stories like this...

Stay Frosty w/ Ethereal 09:17, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Bailey, rolled 4 using 2d6+1.  boosted WEAK SUCCESS

...but it looks like he is buying it.

"Oh girl, he's a dog." Ruis says sympathetically. "But why do you need to get in the back?"

"There's some evidence," she says, leaning against a table. "I- He keeps all his private passcodes and stuff on this drive he takes with him to work. If I can get back there and grab it? I'll be able to out what a creep he is to all his friends." The vengeful, jilted lover. Ruis seems like a guy who enjoys a bit of drama.

Ruis is the kind of guy who enjoys a bit of drama. Hold 1

"You gotta do what you gotta do." Ruis says balefully, escorting you into the back of the clinic.

The door lets you through into a large open concept workspace where there are a couple of network terminals and a few plastic office chairs. Through a large glass panel you can see the surgical pods and a few medical staff, but its just you and Ruis in the office.

The office is pretty much paperless, which makes the envelope marked with a pink cherry blossom sitting on a nearby desk very noticeable.

"Oh my God, can you believe this?" Bailey's eyes roll as she walks to the desk and snatches up the envelope. "Hey, what're your social handles? I'd love to loop you in to the big reveal." She asks, already on her way out of the office.

Ruis spends a brief moment looking stunned before it dawns on him that he may have been had.  You're on the way out of the office, but he is right on your tail. "Hang on just a sec." he calls out as you are exiting, "I ... uh ... I could get into a lot of trouble for this."

"Bummer! Then you probably shouldn't tell anyone!" Bailey calls back over her shoulder. Eager to get out with her prize. "I know I won't!"

"Hey, stop! Ruis calls out loudly.

In the lobby, the receptionist moves a bit uncertainly to block your path.

The receptionist. Petite. Dark haired. Supposed to appear Japanese, though Bailey doubted that was natural. Bailey. Tall. Fiery bombshell. Oh, and ninja. Who will win? As the receptionist moves, uncertain and confused, Bailey simply steps to a side. She rolls past the poor young women with a twirl. On her way out the door, simply breezing past.

"Stop!" Ruis calls again fruitlessly, "Stop her!"

The receptionist seems like she is about to make an effort, but your side step has her completely outclassed. She twists and trips over her heels while you breeze past and out the door.  Ruis follows close behind, about to chase you out into the street.

Once they're outside, Bailey spins again. Her hand goes out, catching Ruis' on the shoulder. She smiles, "Sweetie. Think this through. What are you gonna do? Turn me in and you'll have to tell them what happened. And you'll definitely get fired. Like, definitely. Let me out, and I'm gone. I don't want to get caught. You just don't give them a reason to go looking. Tell your little friend in there we're fighting over a guy or something. Or," Bailey pauses, and looks the consultant up and down, "Maybe that he cheated on you with me? That feels more realistic?"

The cosmetic modification consultant struggles briefly, before coming to the quick realization that he is outclassed. The mental gymnastics take only a moment and you know that the fight is going out of him. "They'll fire me for this." he says dejectedly. "It'll be all over the office before lunchtime, I'm gone unless I can figure out some way to cover this up."

"Honey, seriously. Your options today were figuring that out or me breaking your leg. You got off light. And this shit? Is not my problem. You're lucky I'm the one who got hired for this," Bailey pauses, sighs, and sets a hand on her waist. "But I guess if you wanted, you could try to to convince whoever is watching the recording that you're more valuable to them being blackmailed than being fired."

Ethereal:
12:53, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Bailey, rolled 10 using 2d6+1 ((3,6)). STRONG SUCCESS

Ruis considers your words and seemingly concludes that his unbroken femur is precious and his options are few. "That's an angle." he says thoughtfully, "Plenty of dirty laundry in those files back there. We need to make it look like I made every effort to stop you." he adds hastily. "Hit me. Make it look good for the cameras."

"We all make compromises. Hold this," Bailey chirps, offering out the envelope. When Ruis lifted his hand to take it, Bailey's other hand snaps forward. His wrist in her fingers, pulling the weight of him forward, turning him around. But her fingers still keep his wrist in place. Whipping the young man to the ground, shoulder popping from its socket. "Thanks for being so cool about this, yeah? Caio, seriously, coffee sometime!" As she turns back and continues out of the building.

Scene ends, take +1XP.

Late in the afternoon, Ruis is having minor shoulder surgery and you are back at your apartment with a fresh bowl of microwave popcorn.  Your PocSec reads through the chip while you paw through an array of hard copy.

Matsume’s report reveals some notable discrepancies:

Surveillance footage: Just as Matsume revealed during your conversation, there is a long gap in the apartment’s surveillance footage. The security over-ride passcodes are a match for Uchicha’s personal codes. Everything is just like she said, the security cameras were disabled by Uchicha and as far as Matsume knew, there was no footage from the night of Sakura’s death.

Wage mage report:  The corp brought in a wage mage from home office. Iwao Hotaka arrived early in the morning, completed a cursory report then caught a sub-orb back to Nippon on the same day. The mage conducted a site visit and concluded that all wards remained in place and that there were no major disturbances. The mage’s report details a thorough physical and astral inspection of the executive’s apartment.

Wait a sec… running both sets of footage side-by-side, you notice the angles are off just a bit; the camera from the Uchicha videos seems to be just a few inches higher than the Matsume footage. There must have been another set of cameras in the apartment that Matsume didn’t know about. But Matsume is a pro, there is no way she would have missed this unless someone removed the cameras before she got to investigate the apartment.

On top of that, during the time that the wage mage was supposed to doing a physical survey of the apartment, there is no one on the surveillance video. Hotaka says he checked the apartment, but the video and the corp cop access logs say the mage was never there.

Surveillance that Uchicha didn’t know about…

Someone tampering with the scene to remove the cameras before Matsume had a chance to start her investigation…

A faked mage’s report…

Looks like someone inside Genoform is going through a lot of trouble trying to cover something up.

Oh drek! Look at the time, you’re running late to make your meeting with Soares!

Can you remind me who Soares is? Is that Bailey's sister? I've forgotten this particular piece of fiction and can't hunt it down.

No problem, it’s been awhile!

Soares is the language instructor. Rumors abound that Sakura was having an affair with him.  Check msg #71-84.

"Oh, shit," Baileys murmers to herself as she waves away the display from her AR. Say whatever you want to about the Shogunate; they make sure the runs run on time. It was the only part no one complained about. Bailey hops from her bed, where she'd been watching the security footage from inside a brightly colored pile of pillows. A rush around the room to gather bits of an outfit. A rushed assortment of makeup poured into a handbag. She'd have to put it on during the train ride. Heels in hand, she scampers down the hall. Only getting her shoes on while she cruises down the elevator.

There is a sort of DMZ south of Geary Boulevard and East of Van Ness Avenue where the Imperial presence is noticeable, but more relaxed. It no accident that the trendy tourist traps of Mission, the Castro and Haight-Ashbury fall inside this zone. Billions in nuyen flow through the carefully maintained cafés, art houses and clubs. Affluent tourists from the home islands don't want to be reminded that they have created a police state while they enjoy a tea ceremony at Maison Blue, traverse the Vulcan Steps at Twin Peaks or tour the Clarke Mansion.

Elves and Dwarves enjoy a degree of freedom here, 'adding to the local color' to quote Hisaaki no Sanetomo, the Special Advisor to the CalFree First Minister of Tourism.

Soares is waiting in a small café near the University reading today's screamsheets and sipping a mug of kaf. Slat and pepper hair, neatly combed over a face that shows a few laugh lines; mid-fifties at most. Like most of the crowd here, his outfit is professional but casual. A khaki jacket (Vashon Island if you aren't mistaken) dark color dress shirt, slacks and real leather loafers (imported, Amazonian, very nice).

Bailey spent her time on the BART with one arm hanging from the cuff. The other shuffling through her bag to grab the parts of her change. Earrings and accessories pinched between her lips. Swinging when the train pulls to a halt. By the time she was at the meeting, Bailey was completely changed. Gladiator heels and short-shorts. Half-jacket slid down around her elbows. Star-shaped sunglasses slowly shifting through the hues of the rainbow. The very picture of street-fashion Runner.

"Hey, handsome," Bailey rolls up to the table. Sliding out a chair as she waves at a passing Japanese couple that stares as they continue on their vacation. "How's Brazil?"

”It’s home,” he replies giving you a long, slow once over, ”But I’m beginning to prefer it here.” he adds smoothly. ”You had mentioned learning Portuguese when we spoke, is that what interests you?”

"I'm thinking about it," Bailey says, grin on her lips as she leans forward. "I was actually thinking of traveling some, y'know? When's the last time you were back in Brazil?" Without missing a beat, she tilts back. Speaking her order into the AR menu display. "Ummm... Can I try the... Golden Gate Honey Latte? Does that sound any good?"

Bailey tilts herself back in, looking over the edge of her sunglasses as they shift from purple to violet. Trying to size up the man in front of her.

”It sounds very nice, probably light.” he replies. ”It has been many months since I was back home. Work here has been quite demanding but now I find I have more time on my hands. I may take a bit of a break in the New Year perhaps. Might I ask, what makes you interested in learning Portuguese from a native speaker? Most would simply slot a chip and get by with whatever the machine told them, no?”

"Oh, yeah, totally. It's just like..." Bailey shrugs her shoulders. Moving in, elbows on the table. "A recommendation? From a friend. Sakura? She spoke very highly of you." Just to test and tease out his reaction.

”This is some kind of sick joke?” he replies angrily as soon as you mention Sakura. ”You’re another candela mentirosa from the scream sheets? Didn’t get enough from smearing her name through the mud, now you want another victim.” he snarls as he gathers his things. ”You can go frag yourself.”