Priest, Sou-rat and C-span arrive at the Vulpez chop shop 35 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.  A recap of the description of the place and the neighborhood:



Those three can decide first what they want to do upon arrival.  The nomads (Vulpez) are alert, armed and ready, expecting trouble.

Priest looked around and gave a nod as they arrived. "Looks 'bout the same as last time we were here." He glanced at Sou-rat with a raised eyebrow. "Got a plan for this, or we just winging it and looking around?"

Then he climbed out of the vehicle and stretched a little. He looked at the nearest nomads and gave them a nod of greeting. "Hola again!" Small pause. "You know why we're here already?"

"Plan? The meeting was the plan," Sou-rat counters. "I just wanted to get an idea of what we were up against before Mr. Matsudaira arrives."

He steps out of the car with Priest, fastens the button on his suit jacket (as propriety dictates), and surveys the area (this being his first time at the shop).

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OOC: He's not a tactician by any definition; Sou-rat is just hoping to get a general idea of the number of nomads (and guns) they're facing if things go poorly. Happy to roll Perception, if required.

One of the nomads approaches the gate as Priest and Sou-rat get out of the vehicle.  "Yeah, we know.  You're early.  That's not fashionable," he says irritably.  He stands just inside the gate making no move to open it, though he does give C-Span in the car a nod of acknowledgement.

About five minutes after they arrived the car they've been looking for all day pulls around...

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CUE: enter Fennec and team
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:28, Mon 12 June 2023.

"Given the principals involved, 'on time' is considered 'late,'" Sou-rat answers flatly as he straightens his sleeve cuffs. He rounds the car to stand next to Priest. The exec continues to survey the scene before the arrival of "the car" draws his attention.

"It's more garish in person," he muses.

Fennec was almost biologically opposed to being on time, so when the unique vehicle approached the meeting place 35 minutes before the agreed time, the nomad radiated a certain discomfort. The car arrived smoothly and stopped a little ways off from the gathered punks, but well within the fenced bounds of the Vulpez’ patch. Even if Fennec didn’t know her pack like family, she would be able to distinguish those they were to meet with, with ease.

Fennec looked at her compatriots. “Looks like the big man ain’t here yet. Ready?” She asked.

The Nomad driver exited her vehicle. She was a clash of leathers and loose fabrics and moved with an evident dexterity and grace. Her hair ran wild down her back and a myriad of bangles chimed with the movement of her arms. A heavy pistol hung unbidden upon her hip. She greeted her Vulpez brothers with open warmth and then turned her attention to those waiting.

“So, which of you is Priest?” She purred, a warm if a tad challenging look held in her eyes. She was taking in every detail she could of these other punks, obvious armament, stance and alertness.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Tue 13 June 2023.

The thin dark-haired Arabian in the tailored suit is probably the polar opposite of the querying nomad in style and punctuality, and he cast a glance at the medic, shifting his weight slightly away from his companion as a subtle hint of an answer.

Priest reached across his stomach to point a finger at Sou-rat when the first nomad mentioned being too early. "His fault." He let out a chuckle. Then he waited patiently.

When the others arrived, he looked them over with interest. When the woman asked which of them was Priest, he grinned widely and gave her a nod. "Me. Hola. Nice to put a face to the voice."

Badge was pleased to see the advantage in numbers their "side" had for now. Not that the frown on his face would let on as much. The Caucasian man in a ragged brown leather nomad coat stepped out of the car. Holding a grim expression on his face and adjusting the shotgun strapped across his shoulder, he gave them a look full of distrust.

His clothes showed marks of a semi-recent fight. Particularly when he turned sideways to close the door, there were several visible bullet-holes and dried bloodstains on his back, along with cuts and scratches on the front of the man's light armorjack. With a heavy pistol in a holster on his hip, he clearly came prepared expecting more trouble.

Finally slowly walking up to join Fennec, Badge's cold demeanor and ironic scowl was a brutal contrast to her warm coquettish ways. Stopping with his arms crossed over his chest, he eyed both of the men in turn, before snorting off-handedly, "Suits are always trouble. I want the goods safe in the shop, before the corpo cavalry arrives. Can do?" His cold blue eyes moved to his female pal and then the Vulpez punk behind the gate.

The Vulpez guy by the gate nods.  Turning to face C-Span and her ride, he says, "Back it up, across the street, would ya?"  As he waits for her to pull back from the gate three more Vulpez approach armed and armored (shotguns and rifles mostly) to back him up.  If/when C-Span pulls away from the gate he will roll it aside to let Fennec and her team pull in.

Evie was quiet in the back of the car, doing her best to channel her inner Ai after all the time she'd spent around the younger woman in the last few days. When the other two got out of the car, she stayed put trying to minimize her presence around the other crew until she had to be visible. She did still have her own heavy pistol held against the passenger side of the car in case Badge and Fennec suddenly found themselves in trouble. When they pulled the car around inside, she whispered to the others. "I'll stay in here as much as possible, try and minimize the chances of getting called out for as long as possible."

Sou-rat steps out of the way of both vehicles, but positions himself to get a clear view of the garish car's windows (without looking like he's trying to look into its windows..."surveil casual," as it were). Given the vagueness of the 'troubled' huscle's statement, he's starting to get the feeling Priest, CSpan, and himself are the only three even attempting to negotiate in good faith.

Maybe it's time to be proactive in that regard.

"Whatever you may think of us, corpos in general, or anything else for that matter," he says to Badge and Fennec, "we are only here to arrange a peaceful meeting. None of us -" he gestures to Priest and CSpan "- want to see any bloodshed, on either side. Not yours, not the girl's, not my client's.

"I'm probably the least dangerous person here - I'm not a tactician, and don't even sport chrome," the exec continues. "Allow me to see the girl, face to face, confirm she's here - whether in your ride or in the compound. I'm happy to disarm and leave my agent in the car."

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OOC: I swear on my father's grave I was already formulating this idea in my head before Evie posted. :)

Ref, I don't recall if it was mentioned (or noticeable in the photo we saw of it) if Fennec's car had opaque or clear windows. He's still going to position himself the way he is either way, but I'm not sure of what's possible to see within the cabin.

The guy at the gate rolls it back into place after Fennec pulls in.  Sou-rat tries to get a look in the car and sees that there is a woman with black hair in the right length, but not much more.  The windows of the car are definitely bullet resistant based on the thickness of the glass.

---

There is a thread with pictures of Ai, Mrs. Matsudaira and the son, Hajime Matsudaira.  There another such thread for Group 3 as well, if folks want to refresh their memory.  You have about 10 minutes game time before something else happens.

Fennec folded her arms and leaned against the bonnet of her car. She ignored the man's request to see Ai.

"We've got no hunger for violence, especially not on home ground. Can you truly vouch for your boss-man though? My experience is those drowning in creds tend to do what the fuck they want just about whenever it pleases them. You a good friend with your employer then?"

So there were three, she figured, these two blokes and a driver.