Section 3: Ace’s Wild

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

[El Cid]

"At least come have dinner with us. Or breakfast, or whatever the frag time it is."

"I'll be fine."

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

''I'm so glad hearing you say that. In that case, I shall remain here as well.'' relieved hearing BB isn't so easily swayed by Ace's honeyed words either.
He turns to El Cid ''That actually sounds pretty tasty, but no need to worry about us. I feel a lot better knowing there will be at least two Gumberoo left behind, still fully geared. Besides, it saves me from getting you all in trouble by opening my big gator, offending some drek he chuckles showing there really are no hard feelings about the situation. He already accepted it as is.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

"Fat lot of good being geared up under a lake will do ya." El Cid says with a grin. "Suit yourselves."

"You up for some tacos, Tears?"

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs exits the cockpit.

"ETA is 15-20 minutes. Basil will let us know."

He heads over and sits next to Tears.

"What did I miss?"

As he asks he's sending a message on his phone.

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

''Ace convinced the crew to go outside and enjoy the day, followed by spending the night at some hotel. You will have to strip yourself from all communications, weapons, the works if you plan on leaving the plane. So it will be up to you if you want to go along with them. BB and I will stay behind.'' Headstone says to Revs getting him up to speed.

[shaidar]

{Revs}

"I suppose there's no escaping from where we're going. They have us by the short and curlies, but it's better than falling 45,000 feet to our deaths. As for a hotel, how expensive are we talking here? Our funds are... limited."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Headstone}

Headstone stares at the message he send earlier, reluctantly seeing his prediction come true.
Gazes across the room, realizing he should really step down from trying to lead this crew after the run is over. He is once again completely outmatched by the powerful natural charms each outsider they meet possesses.

’’I was afraid this would happen, but fair is fair. I have to hand it to you Ace. After not even a full day of meeting each other, you got em nicely wrapped around your finger. A port of your choosing, with people only you know, while dismantling the entire crew of all their weapons and gear. Not in a million years could I have pulled that off. Must be those pro tier one skills you were on about. You genuinely win this one. If I was rich enough to own a hat, I’d tip it to ya’’ he say with a smile while very impressed by the social skills of the man.

{GM}

Ace inclines his head as though accepting a compliment. “What can I say, omae?” he asks. “I’m a charming chummer.” He takes a slow breath before continuing more seriously. “I know you don’t believe me. Only time will prove it. But I am a man of my word. I won’t give you any trouble in Nuevo Refugio or anywhere until you hand me over – unless I fear for my life or my person.”

“In fact, in Nuevo Refugio, I’m doubly sworn, to you and to El Brigadier. I have put my life on the line to vouch for you while we’re there. If any of your team makes trouble, I am responsible for it.” He shakes his head. “If I live through whatever your principle has in mind, I’m going to be spending the better part of a year at least making amends for letting the 9 of you, Basil included, know New Haven even exists. I’m not making waves here.”

{Headstone}

He glances over at BB.

’’Chances are, if given the choice, Revs is gonna stick with his new friend too. Looks like a majority vote to me if there ever was one. Fancy beds it is’’

{GM}

“Sorry to disappoint,” Ace says, “But the hotels here aren’t that fancy. It's not the Laubenstein. Not even a chocolate on your pillow.” He shrugs. “Beds are clean, though, and free of bugs, so… Yeah, there was a time when that would have counted for me, too.”

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Tear}

Tears rummages through her pouch and grabs Ace's cred stick then walks out and gives it to him. "As far as what was or wasn't negotiated, I wasn't at the meeting, so I have no clue what or how much if any we got ."

{GM}

“Thank you,” Ace says, sliding his credstick into his right front pants pocket. He raises an eyebrow when Tears says she doesn’t know how much the team is going to get paid.

Speaking to the plane at large, the spider says, “I won’t ask you for particulars about what you are getting paid over all. That’s none of my biz. I will simply ask you to pay whatever portion of dinner and hotel room is coming out of your J’s or your principal's pocket. I’ll cover the rest.”

“Baby Blue, Headstone,” he offers. “If you want, I can bring you something back. Doesn’t have to be Mexican. Real food-wise, they have an adequate steakhouse, an excellent Elven place, halfway decent Thai, and a good barbeque place. I can’t speak for any of the soy places. I don’t even set foot inside.”

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Revs}

"I suppose there's no escaping from where we're going. They have us by the short and curlies, but it's better than falling 45,000 feet to our deaths. As for a hotel, how expensive are we talking here? Our funds are... limited."

{GM}

“I can’t say exactly. It's been awhile,” Ace says. “But usually about the same as a mid-priced hotel back home in Seattle. 150¥ a night or so, I think. But don’t sweat it. Your crew’s only paying what your per diem covers. I’m slotting my stick for the rest since I’d like to sleep in a bed, and that means at least some of you will feel obligated to stay close, even if it is unnecessary.”

[shaidar]

Revs}

"OK, we should be fine then."

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

“Baby Blue, Headstone,” he offers. “If you want, I can bring you something back. Doesn’t have to be Mexican. Real food-wise, they have an adequate steakhouse, an excellent Elven place, halfway decent Thai, and a good barbeque place. I can’t speak for any of the soy places. I don’t even set foot inside.”

Baby Blue stares at Ace for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Finally, she turns to Revs. "Revs, if you can pick me up some food, I'd be grateful. Nothing fancy. Low mess. Compact. Filling. Conducive to storage. Sealed if at all possible. Couple of water bottles too."

[shaidar]

{Revs}

"I love mexican!"

{Baby Blue}
Baby Blue stares at Ace for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Finally, she turns to Revs. "Revs, if you can pick me up some food, I'd be grateful. Nothing fancy. Low mess. Compact. Filling. Conducive to storage. Sealed if at all possible. Couple of water bottles too."

Revs looks at Baby Blue "Sealed? So you want nutri-bars and bottles of water?" he shrugs.

[archolewa]

Revs looks at Baby Blue "Sealed? So you want nutri-bars and bottles of water?" he shrugs.

Baby Blue nods.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

"Passing up real food?" El Cid looks at BB. "Pretty sure you weren't hit on the head. No concussion." He shakes his head.

[Juramenta]

“I know you don’t believe me. Only time will prove it. But I am a man of my word. I won’t give you any trouble in Nuevo Refugio or anywhere until you hand me over – unless I fear for my life or my person.”

{Headstone}

"Let's not kid ourselves here; you don't fully trust me, either. Which, honestly, is just good sense.
Look, if someone on this crew gets hurt because I made the mistake of trusting you, that's on me. Can't let that happen.
So for what it's worth, know that it’s nothing personal. I treat any outsider the same way during a run. It's not just my own skin I'm responsible for.

But yeah, time will tell. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll be standing side by side, shooting dreks together. The only thing you'll have to worry about then is wondering why your kill count is lower." Headstone grins but gives him a respectful nod.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

El Cid takes a moment to ponder if Headstone's distrust of Ace is a personal insult given that El Cid has vouched for Ace and said Ace keeps his word. Does that mean Headstone doesn't trust me? El Cid mentally shrugs it off and decides its no skin off his nose. If the Orc wants to live his life that way, well, it's his loss.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Revs}

{Baby Blue}
Baby Blue stares at Ace for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Finally, she turns to Revs. "Revs, if you can pick me up some food, I'd be grateful. Nothing fancy. Low mess. Compact. Filling. Conducive to storage. Sealed if at all possible. Couple of water bottles too."

{Revs}
Revs looks at Baby Blue "Sealed? So you want nutri-bars and bottles of water?" he shrugs.

{Baby Blue}

Baby Blue nods.

}El Cid}

"Passing up real food?" El Cid looks at BB. "Pretty sure you weren't hit on the head. No concussion." He shakes his head.

{GM}

Ace shrugs. "No skin off my hoop," he says. With a chuckle, he adds, "Besides, I can appreciate a well-honed sense of paranoia."

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

}El Cid}

"Passing up real food?" El Cid looks at BB. "Pretty sure you weren't hit on the head. No concussion." He shakes his head.

{GM}

Ace shrugs. "No skin off my hoop," he says. With a chuckle, he adds, "Besides, I can appreciate a well-honed sense of paranoia."

Baby Blue watches the exchange, but doesn't respond, her expression stoic.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Headstone}

"Let's not kid ourselves here; you don't fully trust me, either. Which, honestly, is just good sense."

{GM}

Ace shrugs. “You did kidnap me,” he says, “Using a chummer as leverage, even if he was in on it. That does tend to put you on the suspect list, neh?”

{Headstone}

"Look, if someone on this crew gets hurt because I made the mistake of trusting you, that's on me. Can't let that happen. So for what it's worth, know that it’s nothing personal. I treat any outsider the same way during a run. It's not just my own skin I'm responsible for."

{GM}

Ace nods. “I slot you,” he says. “I might be tempted to say something about them all being adults, responsible for themselves, but…” He shrugs and chuckles.

{Headstone}

But yeah, time will tell. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll be standing side by side, shooting dreks together. The only thing you'll have to worry about then is wondering why your kill count is lower."[/dialog] Headstone grins but gives him a respectful nod.

{GM}

“Stranger things have happened and generally do in the shadows,” Ace says. “But I don’t measure my value by kill count. Didn’t even when wetwork was my rent and rations. Killing is, at best, a means to an end. I may not value life the way Cid does, but I don’t take it lightly, either. Killing’s not a sport or a reason for pride. When I was starting out, it was to afford to eat and to make a rep. Now, it’s to protect myself or others or to make the world a less awful place. But it's nothing I keep count of.”

[Gremlin]

{Skye}

Skye snorts a laugh. "For someone who claims to not value life lightly, you sure do threaten to end it freely. Speaking of which, so you hear it from me first. I talked to Chance again after you left the bar. Not about the topic I had asked about earlier. I asked him to walk me to the Metro station to make sure he wouldn't stumble onto something he shouldn't. It's why I wasn't at the first ambush. You gonna kill me for that? Since I had to talk to him. I'd like to know so I can get my affairs in order."