Mission 2a - What's New Pussycat?

About a half hour of awkwardness as 3 dudes sit in the back of a car watching porn together, Tetsu wakes up and has no idea what is going on, his last memory being putzing around his apartment sometime this morning. After what is no doubt some comically uncomfortable explanations on the part of the 3 dudes watching porn, Akane also awakens to find you guys going through her commlink. She does not find the situation nearly as comical and begins screaming and reaching for the door.

Nobu slides close in next to Akane, hands on the back of her neck and securing her, forcing her jaw shut, head backwards and says "Hello sweetheart" (Applying pressure on the back of her neck)

"You scream, I break your neck. You spit at anyone, I break your neck."

(Leans in inches from her ear and in his most menacing bad guy voice says:)

"and if you tell a lie, I start breaking other things. Nod if you understand."

Akane glares but nods.

((When did I say I was spending 30 min watching porn?  Oh well, I hope we get the non-noob preparation benefit of the doubt.  Let's assume we have done all the stuff we discussed: restraints, mask, blindfold, privacy screen fully up to driver's compartment and Sato has put on at least a facial disguise))

Sitting across from Akane, Sato leans forward, hands on his knees.  His smile would be placating...if she could see it.  Just in case, his face has morphed into that of a half-anglo half-Desnan mixed man - not unattractive, but somehow wrong in subtle ways.  
  
"Hello there Miss Akane...or should I say ((shortened list of the more interesting of her pseudonyms)).  It is not our style to hurt people, so I was hoping you could help us out in tracking down a person we'd like to talk to."  
  
"We're looking to find a young artist who goes by the pen name Rokudenashiko.  You've no doubt seen her art."

"I have to admit, she's got a certain pluck and sense of style that I'm quite tickled by.  We are seeking to come to an arrangement by which she stops annoying the people who want to see her dead.  We have some ideas on how to accomplish that before they send the real goon squad."  
  
((remember he was disguised differently last time she saw him))

((Disguise check))

((It takes time to go through the footage and sort through faces. The footage is there in front of you on her commlink screen, regardless of whether you decide to take a close look at it or not. Pretty sure Sam isn't going full simsense into the footage as that provides full physical sensation and well, it's a LOT more awkward if he starts getting off in front of you. I took the liberty of assuming he wasn't going to do that.

As for pseudonyms, the only pseudonym Akane has is Aka-chan, which is just a shortening of Akane))

Akane says, "And this is not a goon squad?" as she glances in the directions of Tetsu and Nobu.

Sam does his best approximation of a friendly smile.

((This is where having IRL computer skill ranks works against me I guess.  Consider why Facebook is happy to store all your photos “for free.”  That’s me. Today’s technology can do facial recognition on hours of video in seconds))

GameMaster wrote:
Akane says, "And this is not a goon squad?" as she glances in the directions of Tetsu and Nobu.

Sato answers in a friendly, businesslike tone.  “Actually, we’re giving you a choice of what this is.  It could be a simple transaction.”

((Let me know if/when I need to make a check - I consider this the “establishing that we are serious” stage of the negotiation))

Akane says, "This seems more like a kidnapping than a transaction. A transaction involves you offering me something for whatever it is you want from me. So far the only thing I see on the table is possibly not having my neck snapped in exchange for... what exactly?"

"We have a client!" Sam blurts out. "A. Um. A rich client! Who wants to, you know, remain anonymous. And he. He, um. Or she. He might be a she. He, or she wants to, um commission an original Rokudenashiko piece! And, um... You were, uh. The only lead. We couldn't find her. Just you."
He finishes this outburst with the same best approximation he can muster of a friendly smile. It isn't a friendly smile. It is very clearly a person trying to imitate a friendly smile, and failing.

Akane says, "And you couldn't just walk up to me and ask like a normal person? I needed to be stalked, drugged, kidnapped and threatened?"

Sam looks panicked. He glances back and forth between Sato and Akane, silently pleading for help.
"We. Um. Client! Who, uh. Values... Secrecy?"
Big friendly smile.
The smile breaks as some gears turn in Sam's head as he considers what Akane just said.
"Oh," he says. "Yeah. Uh. Hm. Yeah that would have been a better idea. You would have, um. You would have just told us if we just asked?"
Sam collects himself again and remembers to give a big friendly smile.

Akane says, "Maybe if you could prove you were representing an actual investor and not some creep fanboy or an undercover stoolie for the police. You guys aren't exactly giving off a 'safe to introduce to women' vibe though."

Sam tries to smile bigger. And friendlier.
A person better acquainted with how to convey human emotion would have suggested he go smaller, rather than bigger.

Akane shifts uncomfortably.

((sorry on deadline at work last night))

Sato slowly turns and gives Sam the same look Sam gives Sato when he starts talking about computer things.  It's a mixture of Who are you and how did you get in my car? and When you chew gum, do you have to remember to breathe?.  

((unfortunately, because we've got no leverage, I don't see any alternative but to get dark...as a player this is not my preference at all.  Let's give the light side one last try))

"Akane, I think we should be honest with each other."

"We are looking for the person known as Rokudenashiko."  

"We will not be dissuaded from our mission.  We are men of focus, determination and sheer will and once we are set on a path, it becomes a matter of chuugii ((duty)) that we succeed in the mission.  Even if you don't believe that we will succeed, there will be more men like us, ones who are less willing to talk about options different than the simplicity of permanent silence.

"Fortunately, our patron has given us some leeway as to what constitutes success."

"We do not particularly wish her harm, but our patron requires that she change her current course of action.  We wish to talk with her about options where both of us can achieve a satisfactory resolution."

"We know you do business with her, but you also do business with many other people which you no doubt wish to preserve.  We ask that you weigh the options we have put before you."

"Perhaps she is your friend.  If that is the case, I hope that you recognize that working with us to convince your friend of another path is the least trying option for you both."

Akane says, "You talk a good game, but I can't in good conscience help a group of people who have threatened my life find a woman who has had her life threatened by the police on numerous occasions. Since you haven't denied it, I am going to assume that is who you are working for."

She holds her hands up and says, "But I also don't want to die here over some quarrel with the police I have no stake in. So if you give me back my stuff, release the restraints and drop me off somewhere near a busy train station, I'll give her a call to set up a meeting. Before you complain, I have no idea where she lives, so I can't tell you that. My only means of reaching her is by calling her. I also can't promise she will actually agree to show up because that's her decision to make. You can threaten me again if you like, but that's the best offer I have."

Sam will wait until they are ready to have her make the call to gain access to her commlink, for overwatch score reasons.