Joe Q. Public

Mr. Jack looks slightly amused then a little non plussed at the two comments of force and anti social behavior. As such he smiles politely and sets down his menu.

"Ok folks, it is good to see a few old professionals mixed with some newer talent. Mr. Public speaks fondly of you Hector and Sylvie I know from a very close connection to be good, Nick I believe to be adquetly persuaded to remain calm and professional and you young miss," looks right at Lolly, "are on approval from a certain older gentleman that i have a personal stake in. So, since the young lady seems to have taken a powder and a certain gentleman hasn't made it in yet, lets start off by who I am and why we are here."

He takes a cool sip of the water on the table and focuses his eys a bit too much across the room. Stops for a moment and then smiles casually. "My name is Jack, Black Jack to those of you who only know of me by reputation and the rest of you have my card already. I am in reaquistion and personell trouble shooting. The topic of my job for you is to attend an event and see if you can find the trouble that has befallen one of the clients that my current propietor is in need of finding." looks across the room again, not really at anyone at the table tho- "This will defiantely need to be a finesse job at the beginning and has the potenial of going off with out a single infraction of the Chicago firearms laws. Being that I see that a few of you here at teh table have seemed to feel the need to push the envelope of these fire laws, I hope that you will always use discreation."

blinks eyes rapidly while scanning the room one last time as if noting something...

"What I need is a team of professionals without the gangsta hang ups. If you cannot priovide this, consider your brunch the payment for your time and I will send you to another table, if you can, figure out what you want to order and i will signal the waiter." Looks across to you all waiting for a response....

Slyv : the couple of young men that you met in the lobby are two tables to the left at 2 o'clock from yours. They seem to be meeting a like set of young men in the same state as them. The young man who caught your glance is talking comfortably with thier guest at the table. Both groups seem to be carrying a like briefcase.

As you are all recieveing your drinks, Xu takes a walk to the restroom. Two minutes after she leaves a gentleman in a purple sharkskin suit walks to the table. He sits down smiles at you all and holds up doth his hands in introduction (many of you remember him from last night.

"Good moring everyone, I am glad to see that except for one, you all have seemed to make it in. I am Jim, your propietor and you have all come a long way to get here so, has everyone met each other?" looks at Slyvaine in question.

"Well well now, let's all not be coy, you will need some familiarity with each other in order for this job to work." waves hand at waiter "Bombay Sapphire and tonic and, perhaps (looks at Hector) a scotch rocks for my friend here?"

"Slyvaine, perhaps you could get this ball rolling?" as he smiles and looks over the menu...

Wolfey, you back in then....?

Thwe Waiter smiles faintly, and hands over the wine list.

"It depends on what you are gettin sirs. I will be back soon for your orders."

The Matre "d take the lot of you (since he realizes that by profound luck you are al together) and leads you to a round table, with the off white cloth napkins folded in front of each place except for the chair with the silver napkin.

"Please ladies and gentleem, have a seat anywhere except the silver setting, that will be for your host. Here are the menus Drake Menuand teh rest is on the host, who will be arriving soon."

"Enjoy your meeting, I will have a server here shortly for your drinks."

The doorman looks at you, with a bit of what looks like surpirse, looks at your card and says "Down the hall onthe left, I will alert the matre 'd that you are arriving. Enjoy your time at the Drake." and goes back out the door.

At the Terrace: The Maitre 'd is an older fellow, possibly in his 50's, in a tuxedo and a peering look down his nose at the group coming in, he sees Sylvaine and his face slightly brightens up and says "Welcome tot he Oak Terrace, do you have reservations?" (tot he first person coming)

Corrie holds out the card that she was given, and says "yes, I believe this is the name of my host, thankyou." at which point the man looks at her, smiles warmly and says "I will get you to the table soon miss, your host has not yet arrived, but has called in to say he willbe a few minutes late and to get you started on your brunch." at which point he looks across the room, mumbles something under his breath, with his mouth closed no less, and a young hispanic man in a white jacket and slack comes to take her into the room.

OK then Rock, since this question has itched me too, what do yo feel like doing?

Step off to stage left, and pick her up at the second part of the job,

have me run her NPC style through the meeting until you are sewn up and back in commision.

]

Option C, well you tell me?

The Public

Xu; as they take your coat they hand you a card, blue with a button and a hologram of the city in profile. "just press the button as you are coming for you coat miss." the Coatcheck girl smiles and says, " the oak Terrece is over there" as she gestures toward the hall to the resturant. "may I tell teh matre 'd you are coming?"

Nick : The doorman smiles slightly, as you offer up the clips and says "actually sir, you can store you weapons in this locker, in thier entirety sir" as a section of the facade opens up to reveal a lock box on the outter wall. As you (I assume) put you guns in the locker, the doorman relaxes a bit and reaches into the facade and pulls out a red card with a tommy gun hologram and a button, "Just press teh button before you leave and we will cue up your vault sir..." at which piont he opens the door and says ,"thankyou and welcome to the Drake."

Hector : A young man in a formal paramilitary-looking outfit steps by your door, and looks for a handle to open it for you. Slightly perplexed at the lack of said handle he smiles and says "Meeting, visit, or guest sir?" There is a blue Script D on his right breast.

Corrie: You see teh unwashed vagbond exchange his gun for a card as it enters teh wall vault. Funny things those vaults, come out of nowhere and your piece always seems to come out cleaner than you left it... no matter.

Slyv :Well they are coming down the hall your direction...

EVERYONE: descriptions of how you look as you are going down the hall/ coming into the door (you all are within seeing distance of each other.....

8:42 am

Nick: The doorman looks disapprovingly at you as you approach the door he is standing in front of at the momment, having just let an asian lady dressed in black in.

"Sir, welcome to the Drake, you will be checking your weapons the the concierge'?" he looks right at you, as if almost through you. The looks are a variety of aggression, service and likely veiled distaste with you. Definately not friendly. No, not at all...

Corrie: Mubatu Frances #1423789 South Shore Taxi. You see the gentleman step out of the cab, swing a Steyr Aug under his arm as he loads the magazine into the assult rifle. Could be bad. Defiantely one of those freelance unwholesome types...

Hector: do you valet park at the Drake or search for parking (street, garage?)

Xu: (the asian was you) You step intot he Drake's marvelous front lobby. Noting you coat the concierge assistant looks to you and says, "welcome to the Drake, are you staying the night? May we take your coat?"

AND THE BEAT GOES ON....

Nick:

The door, strangely enough, has do internal door handles, just armrests.

The cabbie laughs wildly, "Excuse me sir, it will be sixty five dollars or it will be a drive to the police station. If you shoot at the glass you will only be hurting yourself sir. Now what will it be?"

The doorman steps away and takes a group walking in toward the door instead, quick-like but not nervous.

Slyv: still no sign of your host, but the young courier smiles back and poiints and winks at you as his comrade slaps his arm and they enter the resturant.

Corrie: youir cab pulls in behind a cab that is rocking and rolling, it may be the one yoyuu saw inthe distance just a second ago...

8:38am. The Drake

Nick:

Off the freeway on onto Lake Shore Drive, a fast left and you slam intot he glass as you pull into the front of the Drake.

The Meter reads $65.54. The little hindi shit of a driver pulls a lever and the window slides out a drawer.

"Cash or chop sir. We are at the Drake."

there is a doorman at the curbside door....

Xu: You step off the train unharrassed and walkk up the flamboyant section of fashion and cash. Past the Baybury clothing shop and into the front gardens of the Drake hotel.

A taxi flies past you and the doorman quiclkly hops up tot the front of it. The passager looks quite disturbed by something...

Hector: as the traffic slugs by the intersection halsted and North avenue, the traffic opens up as people hop ontto the expressway. cruiseing down the road to make up time you round LSD and pulll past the Drake on your left as a crazy taxi screams off teh Drive and into the drop off...

Slyv: You don't see Mr. James but you do notice a nervous looking pair of young men, one carrying a silver metal breifcase and the other sporting an obvious buldge in thier second rate suits. The carrier looks at you and blows a kiss off his liips as the other nervously scans the room and a newly appearing Palm device to look something up. They seem to being heading to the Oak terrace...

Corrie. You see a cab scream off laskshore drive and head for the Drake. YOu are one light away so no details are immediately visible...

Nick: The driver looks appreciatbly irate at you as you approach the I 55 on ramp. The meter clicks over to $18 as he accelerates t about 90 mph flying onto the expressway.

"I going to take he expresslanes, please to not speak to me chief." as he slides the cab between the two concrete walls with barely a foot on any side of you. The cab approches 105mph...

Hector: Pulling onto North avenue you see teh signs of the morning commute in full splendor. No one is going much more than 20 mph, most are either reading a screen, watching a show on the monitor in thier car, or doing thier morning eblushions. The start and stop of gridlock gives you that warm feeling that is only experienced by prisoners of war and motorist trying to get to a meeting on time...

Sylv : Roll a d10, gimme the number and I'll get back to you.

Corrie: Th large african looks back at you in the mirrot, and frowns slightly, turns on the meter to $5 and starts it chugging along. "Yes mistress. We will be on our way..."

Nick: The cabbie didges left and rigt thru traffic, whipping through a few stop lights barely missing the cars in the intersection while gesturing profusely with his middle finger and horn.

"You gonna smoke in my cab, i drive it the way i do in New Delhi. We get there soon..."

He smiles inthe mirror thru the glass and says "Hold on Chief, I gotta short cut" as he heads off the street and onto the sidewalk to cut the corner....

Eigtht Thirty, Morning is in full array and the traffic is bustling....

Nick: The cabbie looks back at the road, "Ack em dinktum tella," and screams around a car double parked barely missing it and the trudk next to him. The fare has just hit $10.00 and seems to keep rising."

Slyv: The other patrons seems rather cheery, if somewhat predisposed to thier issues. The walk tothe Oak Terrace resturant is a short one down the way. Would you like to approach the hostess at the door or peruse a magazine or art book on the side tables about the hallway?

Looking over the cabs for cleanliness and good working order she looks in and sees a cabbie, from the closest guess, that is nigerian. He looks blacker than coal except for the shine in his eyes and teeth.

"yes miss, the Drake, no problem. You on the meter?"

Sylv: But the way, yes there is a hologram on the back of the card, it is one of hte downtown cityscape on the lake in profile. the door man smiles and lets go of a single chuckle at your approval of the card.

"Just let us know when you need it madsell"

The Reception and coat check are, without doubt the finest you've been privvy to in a atleast a month. This must be where these colonials get their sense of how things should be done. The Coat check girl (Named Sam?) takes your scarf and cloak and smiles and asks "Will you be staying with us tonight miss?" as she too hands you another card, this one with a blue background, button and a hologram of the lobby.

The Desk clerk is a young woman that is dressed in a charcoal grey skirt and a double breated blazer. She is hooked to the terminal by an obvious link of fibreoptic that glistens gold and red intermittently back and forth from the beautiful mahogany and marble front desk to her wrist.

"yes madesell, the oak terrece is on the left, may I alert the matre 'd to your reservation?" and she looks right at you with a smile, but you can't get over the feeling that she is looking through to your soul....

Nick: Down the street in onto the throufares, the cabbie runs the car to and fro in traffic, barely missing at least two other cars and a pedestrian.

"i am goingk to take the expressway, then we will be able to make some good time yes?" as he looks back at you and slams on the gas.

"Please sir, not to smoke in my cab." he blurts back looking at you lighting up as you quickly approach the stopped traffic in front of you going about 45 MPH...

Nick: The driver doesn't seem a bit upset bythe pistol that he see as you swing the clip out of the Steyr, the door unlocks and you are invited into a cab that smell of incense and curry powder. the bulletproof glass of at lesast 2" sits in front of you.

"Thankyou sir, you said that you wanted to go to the Drake correct. i know a different route to avoid the traffic if you are willing?" a gleam of what maybe craft, may be genuine care, comes to his eye as he starts down the road.

Corrie: The cabstands in front of the shopping center are full, some drivers eating breakfast in thier cab, others out front having a cigarette, all hailing from the far flung corners ofthe globe by chance alone.

Who do you approach?

OOC: Free, um OK then...

IG:

Nick: as the cab you called pulls up, the cabbie in the driver's seat slows down, partially opens teh window onthe curb side and exclames through the crack.

"You Mister Nick who called for a cab? YOu need to take the clip and bullet out of your rifle and hand the rounds through the window to ride sir. Is company policy."

You notice a slight nervous look on the driver's face.

Slyv:

The front doorman greets you with the smile and bright look that you have grown accostomed to at establishments of this caliber.

"Good morning miss. I can take that for you." At which point he hands you a small card w/ a button. "Eating at teh Oak Terrace you said? A guest of someone I presume? You can check with the maitre 'd or the front desk to see if you host has arrived. Just press the button onthe card five minutes before you need your cycle madselle. And enjoy your time at the Drake."

Corrina: You go the the fox river shopping vcenter and find that besides the local mallbrats waking up and covorting around the food court w/ thier sources,, you see none but the old people 'power walking' and housewives picking up essentials they couldn't wait to have.

the clerk was helpful and put you into a charcoal w/ grey pinstripes model and sent you on your way after asking "You want to wear that out right?'

So two ways to get there, transit, or cab. It is 8:00., and the commute is in full swing...

Xue: The L see\ms pretty lively with the morning commuters. Two guys dress as mechanics, some children and a guy that is obivously homeless stand at the station with you. The mechics are hispanic and african, the children the algam of brown and black, and the homeless guy is from first glance, seems to be a white man in his 60's.

The train seem late again. Damn it is cold.

"Got a cigarette miss?" the homeless guy approches you...

Nick: The cabbie, a brown guy that seems to be maybe 5 foot streched out on a table, pulls up the cab to you (DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU ARE CARRYING I WILL GIVE YOU THE REST <HINT> <HINT>)

7am, 4 below and the sun is just starting to cut through the overnight haze of the lake and smog. Busily getting eady (at least on the girls parts) they do not take time to notice the glow coming over the city. Looks like it will be a good day.

(guys, what are you doing, what are you taking etc)

OOC: Ok folks, details.

What are you caryying, how are you carrying it, what are you wearing.

6 am, March 16th, Wednesday. Forcast, cold and clear in the am, overcast and cool evening, 20% chance of freezing rain late this pm.

Right now, cold clear and dark.

Looking out the door/ window of wach of your respective places you seem to feel that yesturday was a bit surreal. A visit by a stranger. An offer for a meal in one of the most respectible places in town. A vague offer to a party in which you must attend to actually get paid. It's about 6 degrees below zero (farenhiet) and you can still feel the cold radiate through the glass outside.

Wednesday is hump day. Lets see if the hump will give us a better weekend or not...

Encata: The campus is as dead as a stone with only a few early lab students walking down the street wrapped up tight against the cold under the streetlights. The little one and hubby are still in bed. Looking out tothe east you can barely make out the night-shift where the lake opens to swallow the orange glow of the citylights.

Rocky: The plex is relatively quiet with the intermitteant sound of coughing and cars starting. There are a few lights on in the other units, and the branches ofthe trees are swaying only slightly. You hear you upstairs nieghbor grind the coffee and thump around blindly for thier morning routine.

Eraser: the barrio is quiet, and if you didn't know anybetter, you could almost say peaceful. There is the sound a a cat rustleing through the dumpsters after a rat. The paperguy opening the dataterms to feed them with new paper. SOunds of intermittant cars rolling down the street off to work or back for the night. Your streetlamp made it through another night, thank god for simple miracles.

StrawberryCream: The cold fromthe windows radiates wnough to kick the heater on. Now and again you can hear a person or two waling down the hall and the elvator kick in and out. Peering out the window you can see lake Michigan smooth as black mirror extended into the eastern horizon. Boy the floors are cold in the morning.

Freeplay: Thumping and creaking through your walls reminds you that you neighbors are awake and showing just how much they care. Every twenty minutes or so you've heard people hopping up and down the stairwell as quiet as skeletons on a hot tin roof. You have no windows out but can hear the forcast from someone a few rooms over's television blurk out the forcast before they can turn down the volume.

Snowgard: rustling of the trees outside the apartment show you that there is a bit of wind and looking out the window you see a rat climb up the tree with a bit of hamburger bun in it's teeth. Could've been pretty if it were a squirrel, but no, it had to be a rat. No one in the apartment above you is up yet, having goten home late last night from the comotion around 1am. The carpet under your bed feels cool and the world is alot colder outside your blankets and bed...

Update Update.

OK so let's get on the same page.

First, thanks to all who have waited and started, looking forward to it all.

Second, everyone has been offically pitched and so far has accepted the meeting, so we are on the way to the big Meet and Greet.

Now, as always there is a catch 22 to everything. What I need from you all:

1) check the Drake link for info on what the place is like and where you are going, the next run of post will be going fast and furious (hopefully) so I need everyone to know who is where and on first.

2) I need a relatively detailed account of:

A) What you are wearing/taking and where it will be kept.

How you are planning on getting there. The Drake is dowtown jsut before the Miracle Mile (actually it is the start of it) and therefore very Busy and hard to get parking on the street. There are several places to pay to park and such or there is always the other ways besides driveing to get there. If you choose these, let me know, I will get you the details.

C) The leway of insta-observations has offically ended. If ya don't say that you are looking, then you are gonna miss stuff. Not saying that you need to start everypost saying you are not staring into space mouth-breathing, jsut if you want to take note of different things, justl let me know.

D) and most importanatly, keep posting!!! let's ot let these great charcters die due to lack of response!!! Thanks for the pace so far and let's keep it good!!!

Thanks and as Always, Welcome to Chicago!!!

HEAR YE HEAR YE!!!!

BIG DEAL TO BE POSTED!!!!!!

There will be alot of description going on during game. As it should be.

There is one deal though that will get you blow through the braincase by the GM though

There will be no 'metagaming'

This means, what you character sees is what they see, what they know is what they know. If you cross over this line once you will be warned to pay attention. twice, you will get teh random GM affect table thrown at you PC

THAT WILL BE ALL