The King of Tel Aviv

  • The King of Tel Aviv

    Posted by gilga on November 6, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Foxglove is drinking alone in a nice International pub named Mike’s place. She is waiting for a friend, one of the few she acquired in the last few weeks she is in Tel Aviv. The pub is right next to the beach, and i is a lovely evening with a striking sunset, on the meticulously clean white sands.
    Tel Aviv was a happy and well-maintained city buzzing with activity, and with people from all over the world coming and going. Mike’s place is one of the few places foreigners could feel at home as the language is English. It is a prime meeting location to embassy and corporate employees of many nationalities.

    Fox’s evening suddenly takes a change, when a middleaged shady looking man bald man, boldly seats next to her. The man orders two clean Finlandia vodka’s and pushes one toward the exotic lady. While he may appear to be flirting with her, something in his mannerism and his eyes indicates that he has darker plans for that night.

    foxglove replied 5 years, 4 months ago 2 Members · 29 Replies
  • 29 Replies
  • foxglove

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 3:20 pm

    Tourist Town.

    Every country had one. Why What’sTheirFace had decided on meeting here, Foxglove couldn’t fathom, and the constant ebb and flow of out-of-towners in the place had set her on edge. This was why she had decided to rent a place in the shady side of town: less chance of running into someone who was looking for her.

    But Buckethead here had wanted to meet in the tourist trap so there she was, sitting at a small table in a corner far out of the way with her back to the wall, her cybered eyes watching the patrons of the room. They locked on to a particular movement, an interest from one of the crowd that was more than just passing, and she watched him head over with the two drinks to sit down without even a nod toward one of the chairs for permission.

    Apparently her resting slitch face and “don’t bother me” vibe weren’t enough for this guy.

    Fox rose a single, pink eyebrow as the drink was pushed toward her, glanced down at the Gin and Tonic she had been sipping, back to the vodka, then pushes it back toward the man with two fingers. She made a single response, “No thanks,” she said in English…then in Hebrew, Arabic, German, and Japanese, just to make sure all her bases were covered and to hopefully drive the point home so that her implants didn’t have to do it for him.

    #01-/

  • gilga

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    The man stands up and walks away and moves to the bar. His eyes seem to be questing the room. Shortly after her friend, a young waitress named Sharon arrives all excited. Eyes bright and everything, “Foxy!” she cries as she seats by the grim woman.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    Foxglove watched the man leave, eyes narrowing slightly. She had a feeling this one was going to be trouble.

    Her attention was drawn away, however, when the bouncy waitress came into view and rushed over to the table. Her hard expression softened slightly, and she gave a nod to the woman. “Sharon,” she said in greeting, shifting in her chair slightly and raising the glass to her lips for another sip.

    A moment’s flick of the eyes scanned the room again before they were back on the chipper girl, though she made sure to keep watch on the other patrons out of the corner of her eye.

    #02-1

  • gilga

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 4:16 pm

    The bald shady looking person seems to be chatting an augmented orc now, the same routine as he approached you. Vodka, cheers and then business. Foxglove can tell that they moved to subvocal to continue discussing their business in relative privacy. Rest of the patrons are unremarkable, some mid-ranking diplomat from the UCAS embassy and a bunch of some Ares cooperates that seem to be chatting up some investor. Rest of the people are just there to chill out.

    Sharon says “I was just tipped a thousand Shekels (about 250 nuyen). the guy didn’ even order anything. Check it out…” she pulls out a platinum credstick of her bra. and adds “All he asked was that I use the money for partying.”

  • gilga

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 11:14 pm

    The credstick seems to be a normal credstick, perhaps what survived shopping. However, as Foxglove inspects the credstick, it seems alright – though why would someone just hand her a credstick…? It is not the kind of credsick used by Shadowrunners though, it does not actually have money. It is more of a prepaid card whose balance is 1,000 shekels. Not that Sharon planned on doing anonymous purchases, but she couldn’ with that card.

    What is even stranger, is the amount of attention Sharon is getting. About three men with short military style haircut enter the bar and seem to imminently check her out. She is an attractive young adult, but she is definitely not the most attractive there.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 6, 2018 at 11:50 pm

    The elf sat relatively still as she listened to Sharon speak, almost perfectly still with the exception of her hands which constantly turned and fiddled with her gin glass. Her attention darted to the credstick when it was revealed, and in a lightning fast motion she snatched it out of the waitress’ hands. She did some quick math, mentally cursing and wondering who the hell used the term “Shekels” anymore to refer to currency, then furrowed her brow as the math clicked.

    Foxglove turned the credstick over in her fingers, looking from it back up to the woman. All manner of alarm bells were going off in her head, by this time, but apparently Sharon had the survival instincts the gods gave a moth and couldn’t see the possible danger. “And you don’t think that’s shady? This,” she said, holding the credstick up between her fingers like a cigarette, “goes for 500 nuyen. The man didn’t buy anything. Then he specified what it was to be used for. No normal person does that.”

    She paused, frowning slightly as her peripheral vision picked up the new patrons and their unusually strong interest in the moth at the table. Foxglove gave a sigh. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with, right now. It was far too soon to go loud.

    This was why she hated places like this.

    “Sharon, please tell me you haven’t used this, yet.”

    #03-1

  • gilga

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 2:08 am

    The Israeli New Shekel is the legal currency of Israel since 1985, where it replaced the old Shekel. The currency is named after a biblical currency with the same name. It is often called to simply Shekel.

    Sharon says “It is strange I agree, but he could have just ordered and tipped me if he wanted to be less suspicious. I wouldn’t mention it then, some people like to spread wealth, and it is not like I am not filthy rich myself. Well, my family is anyhow. So why would a man want to tip me in the strangest way possible, and even tell me what to do with the money? He could have just tipped me the normal way, right? I think he wanted me to think about it.

    Isn’t that exciting?” When the waitress passed by, Sharon quickly, and somewhat aggressively gained her attention and ordered a sex on the beach cocktail. Sharon was usually very passionate, though perhaps it was over the top.

    In the meanwhile, one of the military style young men, approached the table and asked “Sharon?” Sharon looks at him, noticing him for the first time and cries”Roy! what have you been doing, I haven’t seen you in years…” Explaining she said “Roy and I served in Combat Engineering together, I was his fitness instructor. He makes the most creative explosives…”

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 10:26 am

    Foxglove watched Sharon as the girl agreed that each of this man’s actions were suspicious, and she nodded in the way a teacher would when watching a student figure out a problem they were working on in class. And then Buckethead decided to completely ignore the warning signs and ordered a drink.

    Foxglove’s forehead connected with the table with an audible THUNK!

    With a sigh, the elf straightened herself again and slid the credstick across the table back to the girl. With her other hand, she fished out a pack of Italian cigarettes from her leather jacket, flicked it open with her thumb, and twitched the pack to free a single smoke. She was raising the filter to her lips when “Roy” came to say hello.

    She kept her face neutral as she was introduced. Though, “neutral” for her looked more like “pissed off” to anyone else. She said nothing, only pulling the cigarette free of the packaging, flicking open a Zippo lighter, lighting the flame, and drawing on the white cylinder until the tip glowed. Her “neutral” gaze fixed on Roy all the while.

    #04-2

  • gilga

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 10:48 am

    Sharon laughs “Of course not… I wanted to give it to you instead. You are tougher” She pushes the credstick back to Foxglove offering it.
    She was going to say more, but then Roy interrupted them. When Foxglove light’s a cigarette Roy comments, “You can’t smoke in here…” feeling a bit bad for being the bearer of bad news, considering Foxglove’s icy attitude toward him.

    Despite her emotional state, and the fact that Foxglove can assume that Sharon is a little high. Which is not uncommon with her, she excuses herself to the toilet, clearly to keep the conversation with Foxglove going, and she does not want Roy to participate in that discussion. She seems fond of Roy but the credstick interests her much more right now. “Will you join me Foxi?” She asks.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    Foxglove took a long drag of her cigarette, then deliberately blew out the smoke toward Roy’s face to show him just how little she cared about his comment. If the staff didn’t want her smoking, they could tell her themselves.

    She didn’t get the opportunity for that, however. Her lips pursed slightly when Sharon asked her to join her in the ladies’ room, and she reluctantly smothered the cigarette coal with her thumb and forefinger, then downed the rest of her gin and tonic. “‘Fox’ or ‘Foxglove.’ Not ‘Foxy’,” She corrected as she stood.

    On their way to the loo, she tossed the partially-smoked cigarette into a trashcan. A damn waste, she thought as she watched the perfectly good smoke join the rest of the rubbish.

    #05-2

  • gilga

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Sharon says “but you are so cute and cuddly in this purple… An ice-cold tough teddybear” she does not says it as an insult, but she seems to find it harder to focus as the drug kicks in. Shaking her head and washing her face she says “Fox… This is my chance, I am 25 daughter of one of the more powerful people in the country and I am a fucking waitress, nobody takes me seriously, and my own daddy won’t spend his money on me. Or give me any responsibility in the family business. It is my addictions and the fact that they think that I am stupid…

    Don’t you get it? If someone is trying to get to me, it is probably due to my family. Perhaps they wan ransom, perhaps my daddy pissed off someone. If I show them that I was smart enough to avoid the trap and figure out what they planned, I get some standing in the family – and I get to introduce you to my daddy as a shadowrunner. He does hire such people… and you realy don’t have any fixer in Israel. We both win… I’ll pay you if you want — but please, walk into this trap for me?

    I’ll go home and fuckmyself or something… I’ll be miserable but safe. What do you say?” She laughs at the thought.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 2:58 pm

    “Cute”?

    “Cuddly”?

    “Teaddybear”?

    Little did Sharon know, but she had just made what was probably one of the worst insults Foxglove had ever received, and the elf’s silver eyes darkened. The only thing keeping the girl from dangling two feet off the ground by her throat was the fact that Fox had a good idea it wasn’t meant as one…and the fact that Sharon was That Man’s kid.

    Then came the proposition to willingly walk into the trap for Buckethead Moth.

    Her first inclination was to tell Sharon to slot off and never speak to her again. But this was the whole reason she had decided to make nice with the broad: her connections to her father. This would probably be Foxglove’s best chance to get in with the rich family and finally some decent jobs after a bit of a dry spell.

    “I hate traps,” she growled, allowing some of the anger from the unintentional insult to slip through to show just how little she liked this situation. “If I do this for you, it will be a job, do you understand? Payment. Information. The works. Got it?”

    #06-3

  • gilga

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    Sharon giggled “You are the best, find out who is behind it and I’ll pay you 10k nuyen, like my dad does on a first job. I have some savings from before he cut me off. I am not completely stupid… If I wasn’t so darn high dammit… The one time when I need my wits the world is spinning on me. I feel emotions now Fox- e., (she made an effort to say Fox).
    Looking at the ceiling she asked “Any chance you are helping me home before you go partying…? Or get Roy to do so… he is so hot. I always had a crush on him. Funny he showed up today of all days.”

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 6:50 pm

    Foxglove had to correct herself: Sharon’s survival instincts weren’t that of a moth.

    They were somehow less.

    But, a moth she would stay in the elf’s mind, because she couldn’t think of anything in nature that was that instinctually dense. And besides, it was helping her to formulate a plan in her mind. She wasn’t about to let her biggest asset go home with a bunch of buzzcuts…she had a suspicion about “Roy.” “Yeah,” she said flatly to Sharon’s comment about Roy’s sudden appearance, ” ‘funny’.”

    A pause for thought, and then: “Okay, I’ll take you home. But first, some questions.

    “The job: Find out who’s behind the credstick and the inevitable trap that goes with it. The pay: 10,000 nuyen. Is this correct?” Foxglove waited for an affirmative or negative answer before continuing. “Next, tell me everything about the guy that gave you that credstick; what he looked like, how he acted, who he was with, if he had any notable symbols on him. Anything that you know, anything you remember. Did he say where to party with this credstick? Was he augmented? Spooky? And finally,” She said, setting her hands on both of Sharon’s shoulders so that she could look into the girl’s eyes, checking for dilation of the pupils or bloodshot vessels, “what drugs have you taken?”

    #07-3

  • gilga

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    Sharon nods in approval and then says “He felt like a mage, I… am not sure why I say that. When I approached him something tingled me, I did not suspect anything at a time. Though the Bliss never had such a strong effect on me, I take it to party harder, but right now I can barely control myself. It is never so strong… ” Struggling she continues shortly after “No augmentations, he was definitely not friendly, he was black – wearing very funny clothes like he was some tribal witch doctor. Dreds… I took a picture. Gosh, must you be so beautiful? Do you think I am sexy Foxglove?” she hugs Foxglove perhaps finding it hard to stand, and perhaps as she is too lusty to care. Then she leans for a kiss, her eyes glazed and wide. Foxglove knows that she cannot get anything else out of the young woman.

    She also knows that Sharon is an undeveloped spark, she can sense the astral and has a limited proficiency in assensing but has only recently realized that she is awakened, before that she believed that she was delusional. Which is perhaps part of the reason she started with the Bliss, to begin with. Though, some of it is to be attributed to more mundane reasons like her personality.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 7, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Foxglove was liking this job less and less as Sharon gave her description of the man, each descriptor drastically shortening the list for what she might be dealing with. If he was what she thought he might be, he was a long way from home.

    Her thoughts were halted when Sharon suddenly became all hands and kisses, and the elf frowned in irritation. She pulled her head back just enough to avoid the incoming kiss, her left hand going into her jacket pocket, then back out and underneath the front of the girl’s shirt, the tip of her pinky trailing along the edge of Sharon’s hip to find her waist at her stomach. At first it would seem almost like Foxglove was getting into it…until the chill of the tranquilizer patch sticking to her skin registered, and the effects took hold. That should keep her out for a good six hours…give or take an hour, she thought with a small amount of relief.

    #08-4

  • gilga

    Member
    November 8, 2018 at 1:21 am

    Sharon collapses with a dazed look on her eyes, only standing because of Foxglove’s embrace. She can feel the meager weight of the young adult, the effect was so fast that Foxglove is not even sure if it is the patch or the drug. Sharon is breathing but is completely unresponsive. A silly smile hangs on her face…

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 8, 2018 at 10:22 am

    At the age of 41, Foxglove has been in the Shadowrunning biz for a long time. As such, she had a very good idea of how long it would take the patch to take effect, and so knew to catch the girl before she could split her head open on the bathroom floor. She then took Sharon into one of the bathroom stalls, barely even noticing the girl’s meager weight, closing the door behind them. Once inside the stall, Foxglove positioned the girl in front of the toilet as if she were vomiting, pressing her knees and hands onto the bathroom floor to pick up the grime that always collects there.

    Once she was satisfied with the results, she took them back out of the stall and over to the sink where she flicked water onto Sharon, slicking it over her exposed skin to look like sweat.

    This wasn’t the first time she’d done a smash-and-grab from a bar.

    With that done, Foxglove scooped Sharon up to carry her bride-style, tossed her pink hair out of her face, and walked back out into the bar. “Sorry, Roy,” she said as she passed him on her way toward the door, “not feeling well.”

    #09-4

  • gilga

    Member
    November 8, 2018 at 11:58 am

    Roy seems a bit worried, but only says “ahm… okay.” None in the bar has given them more than a strange glance. Foxglove can carry Sharon home, or whenever it is she wants to carry her.

  • foxglove

    Member
    November 8, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    Well…that was easier than she expected.

    Foxglove was counting on the fact that they were in a tourist bar to make it easier to get out with the unconscious girl, but she had expected Sharon’s “old friend” to have at least a little bit more to say on the matter.

    Whatever his reason, she wasn’t going to worry about it at the moment. She payed for their drinks with the credstick Sharon had given her, then made her way outside to hail a cab. Being evening in tourist town, there were already a few outside waiting for possible fares. Foxglove chose one, slipped the girl into the back seat, gave the cabby the address to her home and some rather firm direction for the man to make sure she got inside safely. Knowing that cabbies were all part of a union with rules and regulations, she was confident the man would do as asked. To make the job a little sweeter for him, Fox used that same credstick to pay for the fare, along with a very hefty tip.

    With that taken care of, the elf began a tick-down timer for 200 seconds in her cyberware, watching it in the corner of her right eye as she made her way to her own vehicle nearby, keeping an eye and ear out for anyone leaving the bar that might be following Sharon’s cab. “Hey, Baby.” She said to the car, patting the top as she opened the door, “It’s time to get to work.” Foxglove slipped into the driver’s seat of the black, manual transmission GMC Phoenix, to watch and to wait. If there was any suspicious activity that was headed in the same direction of the cab, she’d take off after them to follow. If there wasn’t, Foxglove would wait until there were 30 seconds remaining on her timer before starting the car, revved the engine at 3, 2, 1, then took off after the cab to see who had taken the bait.

    #10-5

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