RP: YSS Kaiyō Mission 33: Usowotsuku

[Ametheliana]

Booth -> Neon Pink Hallway

"Wham bam thank you ma'am!" Aratani rolled the chip along her knuckles and looked towards the back room with excited amethyst eyes. She skipped to the bar top and slid a DA along it with the message to pass it along to Saxon. She found her seat back at the booth and took a moment to do what she considered "acting natural" as William and Rio got up from the table. The little Neko took it all in along with heavy sips from the pitcher itself. A little mustache of foam adhered to her upper lip and her thoughts wandered as she imagined taking her samurai girlfriend to the same bar. Some locales, even within her beloved Empire, gave her psychic damage but this was not one of them. She felt cozy and at home here, whether it be at the bar top or here in the booth. Her eyes even took in the patrons–Chandler Park's least upstanding citizens–as her digits moved the blue and cream chip between each of them. She felt a kinship to the chattering Nepleslians purely for inhabiting the same dive as her, making her feel almost forlorn that she would be passing in to the Gecko Room in no time.

Her light lavender cargo pants made swishing sounds as she hopped into a skip again, having made sure to let William and Rio get that head start that he had requested. She made her way past the supper club and stopped when she hit these pink neon light and held the chip up to the very cool guard like she had found a lucky coin on the street and was holding it up to inspect it.

 

[raz]

One More for the Road

"Negative," Aiko said back to Sif, reaching out telepathically in kind. "I am in control of my situation. Investigating a pair of promising leads. Standby for further updates, and continue your own search for Ramios until there is something to report."

The Gecko Room

Although William and Rio took the lead ahead of Aratani, everyone ended up in the same place. Having gathered up Molli and Sif before the duo could down some drinks, the Kaiyō crew found themselves at the end of that long, dark hallway only illuminated by bright fuchsia cast over black walls—save for the green light fizzling off of the eponymous lizard's neon tubes that hung over the closed threshold here at the end of the path.

On their way to the terminus, they proceeded past all manner of doorways behind which could have been any manner of vice. Catching a glimpse within any of the dozens of side rooms as patrons slipped in or out, the Star Army soldiers could see arrangements ranging from more opulent gambling chambers to smoky drug dens where hopped up Nepleslians were sprawled across plush seats. Some of the interiors were pitch black and only home to low, unmentionable sounds that crept in the air while others were glittering dance parties packed past capacity. One looked to be simply an empty white room being cleaned by employees wearing brown coveralls complete with a sealed rebreather mask.

Sounds from the myriad of activities happening behind closed doors combined at the entrance to The Gecko Room in an uncomfortable and overwhelming way. Opposing beats and the din of conversation mixed with guttural groans and jubilant partying collected in the spot where the Star Army team now stood and gave it undeniable pressure that each of them could feel in their cores.

The doorman Aratani approached was a tan man with a chinstrap beard and some form of horns. He wore a plain black suit and sunglasses indoors like Rook did downstairs, but had a big stack of gold chains off of which held shiny baubles that hung around his collar like a scarf. Taking the poker chip from Aratani with a toothy offset smile that stretched across his right cheek, he examined the coin between his index finger and thumb for a second and then slipped it into his jacket's interior pocket. Wordlessly, he reached to the side and pushed the door open for the Kaiyō team and silently ushered them inside.

Quickly, the door was shut behind them. It was much quieter here within The Gecko Room, apparently sealed off from all of the Nepleslian life occurring just inches away through the wall. No one here seemed to mind the break in their silence and continued what they were doing without looking up toward the Star Army infiltrators.

The Gecko Room itself was about 30 feet square with a high ceiling with art deco stylings throughout. It had a two fancy slot machines off to one side where a guy wearing a red velvet suit sat making DA5000 pulls, and a poker table nearby where a couple of aliens and a Nepleslian woman were quietly bluffing one another over cocktails and cigarettes. A bar sat to the room's right side and was done up with the same brown marble as downstairs, but it looked far less ugly because of the golden accents laid into the walls and well-kept hardwood stools that had low wicker net backs to them. Behind that and beside the wall of expensive spirits looked to be a small elevator with an accordion fence door. There was a lack of neon here, too, with the wacky colors from downstairs replaced with warmer natural hues that shone out from behind cream colored glass fittings.

Other than at the bar, where Saxon was apparently serving instead of actually going on any kind of break, the carpeted floor's brilliant mosaic gem pattern had few seats. If anyone looked close enough, they could see little geckos hidden between the design arrayed on the ground. Two high top tables with four chairs, a big fancy couch with gold fabric and three opposing cushion thrones that all shared a low glass table, and a single booth directly across from the entrance was all non-gamblers were afforded.

And alone at the singular booth sat a blonde Nepleslian woman. She was scarred across one cheek and had a silver one-half-inch cybernetic circlet inlaid into her forehead. After watching them for a few seconds, she beckoned the Kaiyō squad over with her left hand.

 

[Gles]

The Gecko Room

With the crew reunited, sans a certain headstrong princess, Molli should have felt more at ease walking shoulder to shoulder with her comrades in the neon-lit darkness of the hallway, but with how the mission had gone so far, she expected danger to leap out at them at any moment. It took restraint to stay her hand from her shoulder holster, which wasn't helped by the cacophony of noises from the rooms the crew passed that ranged from familiar to inexplicable. Molli's head felt like it was about to burst, no doubt a result of stress, worry, and liquid courage sloshing around her stomach. Her retinas, which lit the way in front of her, dimmed and brightened erratically. The Nepleslian wasn't sure what to expect from the Iromakuanhe bouncer, but when he pushed the door open, Molli stepped in with relief once the sounds started to die down.

That is, until everyone else entered and the door shut, which made Molli jump with a look of alarm writ on her tired features. Closed off rooms in strange new places were dangerous in Funky City, and experience taught Molli to fear the sensation of being trapped -- a sensation that was screaming out in her thoughts like an air raid siren. She stepped closer to Sif, trying to steady her breathing, trying to keep up the veneer of a professional soldier. Molli's eyes shot around the room, assessing threats, identifying potential weapons, and hoping, praying, to find possible exits. Her eyes rested upon a blonde Nepleslian bearing a nasty-looking scar, which contrasted heavily with the stunning circlet augment that you'd see from celebrities -- or posers that wanted to look like royalty. She was beckoning her, no, beckoning everyone, to the booth.

Molli peered to each member of the squad, wondering if they'd seen the gesture, before relaying what she'd seen telepathically anyway. Then, with small, timid steps, she approached the woman as requested, her cool expression decidedly forced and betrayed by the beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. She wondered if this woman had anything to do with Aiko's unwelcome escort. Despite the princess's reassurance, Molli couldn't help sparing no small amount of worry for her well-being, given all that happened to them tonight.

 

[Nameless]

The Gecko Room

'She's got things under control,' mentally speaking to Molli, 'Seems like she's looking to get some additional information. Fingers crossed that doesn't go south.' Before the barman could take an order, the rest of the team regrouped. There was a slight disappointment at not having had time to taste some Nepleslian specialties, but this was ultimately a mission, not a vacation.

As they walked along with the rest of the team through the hall, Sif could feel the constricting atmosphere. While it wasn't the tightest of hallways, the oppressing cacophony of noises felt like it was the drumming musical accompaniment of tension before a trap in an ancient temple was triggered. Perhaps it was the presence of nearly all of the squad that made the hall feel more claustrophobic, or if it was just the heavy noise. The horned humanoid at the end was a far cry from that ID-SOL that stopped her and Molli's advance, which called into question if that room was not what she thought. Suppose in hindsight, being so close to the restrooms would be undignified.

The silence within the room when the door was shut should have felt uncanny but she was fully thankful for it. She could actually hear herself think now. Immediately she began eyeing the room, seeing if she could find other points of entry. It was important to map out potential reinforcement points and exits, should things get lopsided. She just hoped that the woman with the circlet put more stock in her reputation than that ganger they dealt with in the apartments.

When she felt Molli inch closer to her, Sif wondered if the oppressive atmosphere was getting to her. Part of her wanted to pass one of her knives to the Nepleslian, but given the company, she might set off a chain reaction that would put everything they worked towards down the gutter. To help set her friend at ease, Sif shifted her weight to one foot, making her lean towards Molli as a silent gesture that she was there should the Nepleslian need support, a gesture that only stopped because they were beckoned. Of course, Sif would move with the herd, intentionally lagging a step behind.

 

[Ametheliana]

The Gecko Room

With the welcoming chip pocketed deep in the jacket of the horned guard and no longer on her person, a seed of nervous worry that Aiko wouldn't be let in planted itself in the Shoi's mind. Having regrouped with everyone but one, Aratani wired Aiko to apprise her of the situation. She let a hint of her nervousness over how Aiko would get to Ramios now into her message. Despite her unease, she played it cool to the plethora of strangers with an icy exterior she let warm when she saw Saxon. Both sides of her smile pulled at the edges when she gave a Nepleslian style two finger salute their way and then turned her face, still smiling, to the beautiful but marred woman. Aratani stepped forward with Molli, taking her in even as she slid into the booth. Her white hair bounced in front of her, creating a liitle veil between her and the formerly sole occupant of the booth.

"Should I keep this brief?" With a bit of deference, she looked from under her white lashes to William before driving her attention back to the seated woman, to whom she gave a curt nod as if in answer to her own question. "We're looking for the location of the old PNUgen factory in this part of town. Buried by years of cultural explosion, it should be five layers deep by now. But we hear you're the one to ask."

Aratani splayed her hands and let one set of fingers linger under the woman's chin, "So, I thought to ask."

 

[Gunhand4171]

The Gecko Room

For William's part, he was calm and collected. After his time in Nepleslia, this was a typically Tuesday for him. As the door sealed behind him, he smirked. 'Bad move' he thought as he walked into the room like he was the scariest man there. Noticing the woman's beckoning he looked back to the others and put on an easy smile, the. He looked to Molli and Sif and winked. "Come on." He said moving over to the booth behind Aratani.

When Aratani looked at him, he nodded urging her to continue. After she finished her explanation, he leaned against the wall. "We can make it worth your while. What's the going price for information like this?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. Then he had a thought. "And I'll pay double to give up anyone who asked about the facility already." He said with a smirk.

 

[raz]

The Gecko Room

When the motley team of Neko and Nepleslians arrayed themselves before her, the woman they assumed was finally the Ramios they'd been searching for looked them over with some measure of perplexity. The sudden barrage of questions and queries seemed almost unexpected to her. Then she smiled, revealing a stunning set of pearly whites that were etched long the gumline with a thin strip of pulsing neon purple, the small light from which made a hazy, transparent gradient in the air in front of her lips.

"Don't think you could pay that much, Captain," the woman said with some knowing amusement as she leaned back in her baggy double-breasted suit that had subtle green pinstripes darting down it, and rested both arms on the rim of her plush booth. "It'd cost you too much of papa's prestige — and this is their Empire's mission, not ours — so it's just not worth it to you, right? You aren't anywhere near twice as pretty as the competition, anyway."

She pulled her right arm forward and let something drop into her hand out from her sleeve. A cigarillo appeared between her index and middle fingers, which she pressed onto the table and then flicked forward. The crowned blonde had shot a data stick across the glossy marble table that glided to a stop and spun on its axis at the opposite edge near to the Kaiyō crew. Snapping the dull brass fingernails on her left hand together, she lit a flame and took a drag of her smoke.

"That tall bitch who brought you all here is settling the debt with Mister Ramios as we speak," this particular lackey revealed with a mocking wink. "She'll agree to a lot as long as we don't call her 'princess.' He wanted you to have this while that gets taken care of; part of the deal. Everything you're asking for and more. What's on there will go well with the Gumtrees gave you. Blowing them up was down payment enough for the boss, and what your fearless leader's arranged shouldn't cost too much extra. Especially when it's off the books.

"Now sit," she continued with a grin. "I've heard the IPG's looking for a herd of cats who burned down their favorite pawns in the downtown. Name's Valeria Ramios, and you're welcome at my husband's table while things quiet down in the neighborhood. Order whatever you want while you wait."

 

[Gles]

The Gecko Room

Bumping shoulders with Sif, Molli met her compatriot's eyes and felt part of her worries melt away. The Neplesian's metal digits twitched, brushed over her compatriot's hands, before pulling away quickly as she stared ahead with flushed cheeks. Sif's gesture, however small it seemed to the Neko, helped remind Molli that she wasn't an island, and that her feelings weren't unnoticed. She was still scared as all hell, but the beast of terror was shackled now -- she could handle this.

The insults to her princess and drinking buddy William made Molli exhale loudly through her nostrils. She leaned onto the table, an accusatory finger pointed at the woman, "Wotcherself, suit" she snapped, "S'my coves yer flintin'." Whoever this slag was, it was obvious she had an inflated sense of self-importance. Molli knew her type -- well-positioned underbosses with invaluable skills and the egos to match were a part of every major gang in the city, and more than a few corporations. Maybe Molli felt jealous seeing what she never was firsthand.

With anger as fear's close companion, Molli thought it best that she temper her attitude by acquiescing to the woman's request and sliding into a seat at the booth. "Wait, 'old on... Wot's 'arranged' fer us?" she asked with a quizzical expression, before running through the digital menu she'd downloaded into her cybernetic visual display. In just a split second, she'd ordered enough snacks to feed at least twenty people -- if they weren't paying, Molli figured she'd take advantage.

 

[Ametheliana]

The Gecko Room

Aratani raised a finger to her best friend the bartender and swirled it around the table. "Same thing as below," she mouthed to Saxon.

To Molli, she said, "Our girl got what we needed." Data secure and with word Aiko had worked wonders in some backroom, Aratani physically relaxed into the seat as she sent another communique to the Chusa about the development.

"You've given us all we could ask for Missus," the Shoi said with a giggle that was both aware of Mrs. Ramios' charm and her married status. But Aratani couldn't help admire women when they were admirable. Be it her Neko nature or her own, it was hard to shirk the smile that had risen on her pale face. "Anything you need besides our good company? We've got prettier ones than him if our 'SOL is to hard on the eyes for you. Bring it around and sit," Aratani motioned for Sif to relax as she said as much.