<@Brett> [Date: Monday, March 27th. Time: 8:00 a.m. Location: over the far eastern end of the Mediterranian.] <@Brett> [Last we joined our heroes, they were sitting in a castle in Romania, having rescued Cathanza and unzombified Sonia, as well as learning more about their adversaries, including one who looked younger than Alysha, who apparently is both her aunt and dead for 20 years. She didn't much want to talk about it, so instead you got a long vacation instead.] <@Brett> [But now the vacation's over and you're flying to the Middle East for some reason or another. And Nigel and Montana aren't there! You could ask Alysha about it, but be warned: she's currently reading a comic book. Also, the TV's on the Family Fued channel. Easily the most popular gameshow of all time, it now has its own channel and pits families from around the world against each other.] <@Brett> [Start!] <@Brett> [Alternatively, with Nigel and Montana gone and Gordo in the cockpit, you could do some female bonding.] (I assume I actually know if Montana knew, since we were in contact over the break.) (What he was doing.) <@Brett> ( Possibly! ) * Sonia` actually is watching the TV. This is one social phenominon she apparently gets. Although how they do the surveying across the whole world is a strange question! * Gordo is flying the plane, because holy crap do you want to be paying attention to what's going on around you while flying in the mideast. <@Brett> ["Name something that fits in your pocket." "A spatula?" "Survey says...! You're an idiot."] Can't believe there's a whole channel for all this. It's a good show and all, but a whole channel's a lot of vid. * Shiho squints her eyes at the screen. "I think I know that idiot. Told me he wasn't married, hah." Reruns could probably last you months alone. How many channels does this thing get, anyway? <@Brett> [If Shiho's question is directed at Alysha, it's totally lost over the excitement of Space X-Men. Of course Wolverine is on the team.] * Shiho waits a beat for Alysha to answer, then shrugs. (Which team is Wolverine, Wolverine, Wolverine, X-23, Dakken, and Wolverine?) <@Brett> ( Nah, it's Wolverine and a bunch of really minor characters who are only there so the copyright doesn't run out on them. ) <@Brett> ( Oh, thought you meant that one :o ) <@Brett> ( There probably is a team full of Wolverine-related characters. ) <@Brett> [Alysha snickers as she finishes the comic. "Oh, Wolverine. How you manage to find time for 17 super teams, I'll never know." She looks up at Shiho and Sonia. "Soooooo.... I should probably address the elephant in the room. If you don't already know, Nigel and Montana are on a special assignment for me. They'll join us once they finish."] * Sonia` nods a little in acknowledgment, adjusting her glasses. "Right. So what're we doing?" <@Brett> [Alysha folds her arms and pouts. "Someone else's job."] <@Brett> [She pulls out her holocomputer and boots it up, opening up a file. In it stands a tall man, dark-haired and with a thin nose. "Meet Hassan Ford, our rep. in the Middle East."] 'Hassan Ford'? Mixed ethnicity? <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "He's not a muslim, but he plays one on TV." She frowns. "He's good at his job, I won't deny that. Or at least he gets sales, better than I would ... It probably has more to do with his heritage and gender than anything...."] Don't get yourself down, boss. You have plenty of clients. And enemies. <@Brett> ["That's part of the problem. Apparently our efforts in Tanigia and Granbia were successful enough to cause MMO to rethink their target audience. Hassan's been complaining that MMO's activity in his region has increased, and he's blaming us." She sighs. "So the boss is sending us to help him deal with them."] * Sonia` shrugs slightly and says, with a slight smirk, "If the boy can't handle the heat, maybe he should find a flower shop somewhere." <@Brett> [Alysha nod. "That's what I said, right? I mean, sorta. But the thing is, American Middle Eastern men fluent in Arabic and actually wanting to get into this business are hard to come by, and next to Eastern Europe it's one of the most profitable regions right now. VA can't risk him resigning. Or dying. Or so I'm told."] * Gordo comms back. "Can't be having with that." * Sonia` nods a little and says, "If he's useful, he's useful. Tool's a tool." <@Brett> [Alysha nods. "And like it or not -- And I don't -- We're stuck having to deal with it." She smiles. "The good news is I heard rumors about you-know-what in the area."] No, I don't. I know what? <@Brett> [Alysha glances between the two. "The jewel things! You know, that Rowlins was so eager to tell us about. That Sebastian apparently has one of already. <@Brett> " <@Brett> ] Ah, was hoping it was something with wings. Where's the rumor say they're keeping them? <@Brett> ["Abu Dhabi, which isn't far from Dubai, where we're meeting Ford."] Why on earth is that a 'you-know-what' instead of what it is? Because madam Alysha doesn't think her life is exciting enough. <@Brett> [Alysha pouts. "Well I just thought you would know what."] * Shiho straightens in her chair. "Boss. Boss." <@Brett> [Alysha rolls her eyes. "Anyway, I asked Ford to pick Dubai since the UAE is probably the friendliest nation towards non-Arabs. At the very least, we won't have to hide our faces."] Dubai Mall. The largest shopping mall in the entire world, and it's in Dubai. I have to go. <@Brett> ["And it doesn't hurt that one of the jewels may be nearby. But let's not tell Ford that, okay?"] We've only got so much airplane Shiho. I can ship some of it back to my apartment! <@Brett> [Alysha snickers. "I'll go with you. This sounds fun!"] Just as long as you keep that in the back of your head. * Shiho hisses, "Yes!" excitedly. * Sonia` chuckles faintly. "Can't take it with you." <@Brett> [Alysha turns her grin to the cockpit. "You can come too, Gordo. Someone's gonna have to carry all this stuff!"] <@Brett> ( And we can FF when ready. ) I'll ring ahead for a pallet mover. (I'm good) (go for it) (Go ahead) <@Brett> [Time: 12:20 p.m. Location: Dubai] <@Brett> [Some time later the crew arrives at the fabulous Burj Khalifa, formerly the tallest building in the world, containing among other things: apartments, hotels and that mall. And then they drive right past it, because they got a different hotel instead.] <@Brett> [However, they do eventually end up at a fine restaurant with architecture of Persia. Or maybe Armenia. Or... the Selucids? If only Nigel were here.] (He'd have a lot of boring words!) (He wouldn't think they're boring!) (That's a personal failing.) <@Brett> [A waiter leads you to a back room, devoid of people save five. One is Ford, wearing a nice suit. Then there's two very large caucasian men. They could be identical twins, save one has blond hair and one is bald. They could be considered good looking or not. The third is a lanky guy who reminds Shiho of (but is decidedly NOT) her old collegue Benny. And the fifth is a cute, short Asian girl.] <@Brett> ( Thats werds. ) * Sonia` is still running with straight hair, and nods in acknowledgment to the other 'team'. <@Brett> [Ford is sitting at a large table (or maybe two tables pushed together). The big guys sit on either side of him. The woman stands nearby, and the lanky guy is over by a window, periodically glancing outside, periodically snickering.] <@Brett> [Sure enough, Ford's team sizes you up as you enter. Ford himself simply says, "Johnson," and gestures at the seat opposite him.] * Gordo stands at attention a little behind and to the side of Alysha. <@Brett> [Alysha slips into that seat. "Ford," she responds. There are more seats if you'd like to sit.] <@Brett> ( "Shepard." "Wrex." ) <@Brett> [Ford glances at you all again before saying to Alysha. "This all you got?"] <@Brett> ["For now. There's two more who couldn't come due to extenuating circumstances."] <@Brett> [And he immediately frowns. "'Extenuating circumstances.' As if anything could be more important than this."] * Shiho is standing by and behind Alysha, keeping an eye out. Just in case. <@Brett> [Meanwhile, the Asian girl sliiiiiides up to Shiho. "Hey."] <@Brett> [Alysha says, "Actually, I can think of quite a few things."] <@Brett> [Ford doesn't respond well to that. "Johnson, this is the most dangerous part of the world. You have no idea how hard I have to work just to get these people's attention, much less win their bids over our competition. And now on top of that, I have to deal with goddamn Melnik because of YOU and YOUR team. And you bring me two women and a guy who looks like he can use a few laps on a treadmill."] <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "You have something against women?"] * Shiho looks over at Asian girl. "Hey?" <@Brett> [Ford frowns. "You know they won't take you seriously. I don't give a damn how well you speak Arabic."] * Gordo shrugs, "Yer concern is noted." <@Brett> ["Or Persian," Alysha folds her legs. "Luckily we're here to deal with MMO, not your clients. Whom I'm sure you get along with quite well." She pauses, then looks at Sonia. "Is it whom? Or who?"] <@Brett> ["I'm Rebecca Chang," She says. "And you're Shiho Yamada. Come outside with me for a bit?"] * Sonia` half-shrugs. "That one, I'd go with who." <@Brett> [Regardless of whether it's who or whom, Ford slaps his hand on the table. "Do not mock me!"] <@Brett> [Alysha pouts. "You started it." And Ford stands, holding his head. "They sent me a kid. An ignorant kid."] <@Brett> [Alysha grins again. "A kid who's bested MMO twice already. I'll get them off your back, Ford. You just keep your clients happy."] * Shiho glances over at Ford when he slams his hand down. "Can't leave the boss right now," she tells Rebecca. "Maybe after?" <@Brett> [Rebecca nods. "Alright." She slides back over to her side.] <@Brett> ["You have a plan?" Alysha asks, to which Ford responds. "No. No, I don't."] <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Didn't think so. We'll handle that, too. Where are they at?" And her grin only widens when he answers: "I think they're based in Abu Dhabi."] <@Brett> ( And I think we can actually FF here if you'd like. ) (Seems good.) (Sure) (Go for it) <@Brett> [And so over the next several minutes you ate some spicy Middle Eastern cuisine and listened to what Ford knew, which didn't seem to be much: MMO moved into a factory in Abu Dhabi and has begun production. Already they're starting to sweep up clients all throughout the Middle East, apparently brokering pitching some too-good-to-be-true deals with many of VA's clients.] (Ah, the old 'underbid and undersell'.) <@Brett> ( Pretty much. ) <@Brett> [Ford seems convinced they're doing it just to push VA out of the area.] <@Brett> ["So what do your guys do?" Alysha asks, nodding to said guys. The big man with hair speaks: "Harold McCaul. I handle the guns, Robby handles the bombs," He nods to the bald guy. "Louie is a sneaky guy and Rebecca's our Kung Fu chick." Rebecca sighs and rolls her eyes. "For the last time, it's Krav Maga!" She looks at Shiho. "You ever get that? People expecting you to know kung fu and eat nothing <@Brett> but noodles and rice and speak a second language just 'cause of how you look?"] <@Brett> ( Lots of words o.o ) My last team at first, but we ended up being really good friends. I've had really good luck with my current team. <@Brett> [She sighs. "Better luck than me, then."] But seriously, the guys back at the home office? Kept repeating things loud and slow so I'd understand. * Sonia` says, somewhat flatly, "I known some weird people in my time. Skin don't enter into it." <@Brett> [Alysha coughs into her fist. "ANYway..." She looks between Shiho, Gordo and Sonia. "A gunman, a bombman, a Krav Maga chick and a thief. What do we do with them?"] <@Brett> ["Really I'm more of a knife expert," says Rebecca."] * Sonia` glances to Rebecca, then back to Alysha, before saying, "Sounds like we make MMO look like they can't handle their shit like good Arabian men." That depends on your plan, if you're going to go loud takes the guns and the bombs, if you're going crafy the other two. Either way we leave Mister Ford with able bodyguards so he can continue what's left of his busness. <@Brett> [Alysha cups her chin. "Hmmmm.... I'm thinking the flashier, the better."] Yeah. <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Then it's settled! We'll finalize things later and hit them tonight."] Hmm, they have a demonstration or anything we could sabbotage? That'd hurt 'em most. <@Brett> ["They're a factory, right? Production line."] * Gordo nods. "Monty going to be back by then?" I'm going to take this opportunity to remind you again - futilely, I'm sure - that your bodyguards are not a hit squad, or your strike team, or whatever you think we are, despite the fact that you keep finding reasons for us to be doing things other than bodyguarding. * Gordo looks at Shiho. "I've 'bout given up on that." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Which is why it's going to work. Imagine how it'll look when their operation is crippled by a handful of people." She glances at the other bodyguards. "I'm thinking we can have the McCauls create a diversion. We can sneak in the back and sabotage the production lines."] I feel like it's worth saying often enough that she's ignoring it instead of forgetting it. That's an excellent point. Thank you. <@Brett> ( Tempted to end soon. ) (You still haven't answered Gordo's question about Monty coming back. He's going to ask for their theif to replace ours if he's still out.) <@Brett> ( Where'd he ask that? O.o ) <@Brett> ( Oh ) <@Brett> [Alysha shakes her head. "I don't think so."[ Ah, I'll change my mind then. Robby and Louie'd be best for giving them a hard time. What do the lot of you think? <@Brett> [Ford shakes his head. "Use them how you want, just get MMO gone."] (I'd be good with ending soon, given that doing anything else probably wants the team. That said, Shiho and Krav Magastress have some convo to do!) <@Brett> ( This is true ) (I can do the convo still) (Didn't Brett just confirmed that we're going in without Ard and Dre, which is why I picked NPC Theif to swap in.) <@Brett> ( this is most likely the case ) (Nod.) (I need to afk for a few.) <@Brett> ( Well then. ) <@Brett> [Well just fast forward to where the conversation dwindles down and Rebecca again approaches Shiho with a questioning look.] (And back) * Shiho waves a hand. "Hey. What did you want to talk about?" <@Brett> ["Not here," she says, "Outside." She heads outside after.] * Shiho reminds the others to keep an eye on Alysha and heads out after Rebecca. <@Brett> ( Unless anyone else has anything to say, I'm just going to follow Shiho from here. ) (Nah, we're just going to do planning small talk.) <@Brett> [Shiho heads outside, where she spots Rebecca stretching in the relatively empty parking lot.] So? <@Brett> ["You know there's only two Asian women who work for VA who aren't actuall stationed in Asia? You and me."] Ethnically, or are we talking original citizenship? Because hiring consistantly from within English speaking countries when the company's based in the US isn't so weird. <@Brett> "Either. Both. It's the same either way." Okay. Not to sound dismissive, but... so? <@Brett> ["So with only two of us, we're going to be compared constantly. And you were already something of a legend when I joined, so I did some research. How come there's like no record of you from before you joined the company?"] * Shiho blinks. "Well, that's certainly a compliment. And it's because I worked a really sketchy job and I asked Harry, my last boss, not to put it in my files when he hired me. Anything beyond that - and frankly, even including that - is none of your business." <@Brett> [Rebecca frowns. "Well, this isn't going how I planned. Can I make it up to you? Buy you dinner tonight?"] Oh. Sure, sounds nice. I don't mean to sound bitchy, I just really hated my last job. VA's way more employee-friendly. <@Brett> [Rebecca nods. "It's okay, I understand. And I didn't mean to pry, it's just.... Being compared sucks."] <@Brett> ( Guess that's a sign :o ) No, of course, I'm sorry. I'm actually really flattered. I'm always comparing myself to Pavla Novakova, so... yeah, there's no upside for me there. (Guess so) (Guess so!) <@Brett> [Session End!]