Chapter 3: The Second Meeting with Dashiell/Simpleton

[Gremlin]

Skye

Skye notices she gets a message on her pocket secretary but ignores it without looking. She had been very clear to the rest of her team when she told them she was going to ask Simpleton some pointed questions.

Responding to the Johnson, she says, "That's probably the most sensical answer you could have given." She doesn't let it show on her face, but she's surprised he even admitted that's the reason. It weakens his bargaining position when there aren't any other options he can turn to.

"Pacman will be handling the actual negotiation but before we get to that I'd like some more information on the target, so we can properly assess the risk," Skye continues. "I know you can't give us all the details before we were to commit to the job since it would compromise the op if we were to walk away. However, I don't think it's out of line to ask for some broadly general information. The target's metatype, sex, and what age group they're in at minimum. Their family situation so we have an idea of the likelihood of bystanders. And the target's expected security, or at least an idea of their income so we can estimate their security situation."

She turns her head to scan her team and adds, "Then I'll shut up if that all sounds acceptable."

[shaidar]

{Revs}

As she speaks Skye notes that Revs aura turns from yellow to red, but he says nothing.

[Charybdis Richelle]

Skye

Skye notices she gets a message on her pocket secretary but ignores it without looking. She had been very clear to the rest of her team when she told them she was going to ask Simpleton some pointed questions.

Responding to the Johnson, she says, "That's probably the most sensical answer you could have given." She doesn't let it show on her face, but she's surprised he even admitted that's the reason. It weakens his bargaining position when there aren't any other options he can turn to.

{GM}

Simpleton nods. “As Headstone and I have briefly discussed, the shadows are buzzing at the moment. That means all of the top tier talent already has biz. So do all of the second tier teams that I would consider for this job and most of the more reliable third-tier groups and independent operators from whom I would have to build a team for a sole venture. This left me with three options: 1. Turn down the client, something I am unwilling to do. We have a decade’s long business relationship that I intend to keep intact. 2. Hire third tier or lower operatives who have a history of fragging things up. Or 3, Take a chance on some new talent who may or may not measure up, but who at least don’t have several failures to their name. As I mentioned to those who attended the first meeting I arranged with this team, I always keep my ear to the phone for intel on new talent.”

He looks around the table to meet everyone's eyes, save Pandora's whose, as usual, are drifting lazily in random directions. “You are one of several green teams I considered. Of those, you are the group I feel is most suitable for this particular job. You have a reputation for keeping your heads under fire and keeping cool under pressure. You are also known to have a code of ethics that includes staying bought once paid. Both are essential in a run in which the target must remain unharmed. I can’t have a team flying off the handle and killing the mark because he made a few rough remarks or setting him from because he makes a fair counteroffer. Yes, you are broke. All the more reasons for this venture to work for both of us. Yes, you lack transportation, but that’s just a matter of money. And, since I’m being brutally honest, any seasoned team would expect my client to foot the larger part of the bill for that anyway. Even if they own their own vehicle, they would expect my principal to pay for fuel, airport fees, border patrol bribes or the like. So, while you may find such costs exorbitant, I have a very keen sense of what the local shadow transportation market will bear, and balanced with the fact that no one will pay a new team prime runner rates, I feel that even without personal transportation, you remain a financially feasible option.”

"Pacman will be handling the actual negotiation but before we get to that I'd like some more information on the target, so we can properly assess the risk," Skye continues. "I know you can't give us all the details before we were to commit to the job since it would compromise the op if we were to walk away. However, I don't think it's out of line to ask for some broadly general information. The target's metatype, sex, and what age group they're in at minimum. Their family situation so we have an idea of the likelihood of bystanders. And the target's expected security, or at least an idea of their income so we can estimate their security situation."

She turns her head to scan her team and adds, "Then I'll shut up if that all sounds acceptable."

{GM}

Simpleton shakes his head. “As I mentioned during the first meeting, my principal has deemed this a ‘need-to-know’ operation, and in his opinion, I myself did not need to know much. He provided me with the target’s name, a 2-D image of the target, and the fact that the target lives here in Seattle. So, I really don’t have that information to give you. I supposed I could bend my client’s rules just a little to give you what I can discern from the photograph as it won’t narrow down the field much. The man in the image is a human, Caucasian male. I would guess he’s of Irish descent. In the image, he appears to be in his early twenties or so.”

He spreads his hands wide, palms up. “I do not know much more about him than that – other than his name, of course. Legwork has always been a large part of shadow work. But you have already demonstrated that you know how to do that. I expect you can dig up as much on him with the promise of a credstick as you did on me for free.”

[Gremlin]

Skye

Skye decides to not press Simpleton on what she sees in his aura. Instead, she simply nods. "That tells us enough for me to be relatively satisfied. I'm sure all the transportation and other incidental costs have already been calculated on that counter proposal, but that's well outside of my wheelhouse."

The shaman sits back and resumes nursing her drink and watching the proceedings.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“I’m glad to have somewhat eased your mind, Skye,” Simpleton says. Then he picks up the invoice Pandora prepared and looks it over again, more carefully this time. “This is all quite detailed. Well thought out in principle if absurd in asking price.”

He steeples his hands, considering for a moment. “Let’s take this one piece at a time and handle the big rocks first, shall we? Four times my client’s opening offer will not fly. Not even close. My principal will never agree to paying above prime runner prices to a green team, no matter the necessity to engage one. So, let’s move into the realm of reality, neh? Try an extra fifty percent, maybe – 7500¥ each, that’s sixty-seven thousand five hundred for the team. Let’s call it an even sixty-eight, so I don’t have to deal in small certified credsticks.”

Simpleton looks around the table, taking everyone in. He glances back and forth between Headstone, Skye, and Pandora several times as they have done the most talking so far, but his eyes do finally land on Pacman, who Skye said would handle the actual negotiation.

[Stirling]

He turns his gaze on Tears in the Rain and says, “That means if ya want somethin’ from behind the bar, ya come ’n knock, neh? No one goes back there but me, ya slot me, omae?”

She just shrugs, slurping the ale poured for her, figuring not to retort with any saloon sarcasm. Must be professional.

"Are we number two or three on his choice list?" she whispers to whoever is nearby.

If offered a glance at the photograph of the sanction, she will look, commenting "Never seen him before". even if she has any faint recognition. "How old is this image?"

[Charybdis Richelle]

He turns his gaze on Tears in the Rain and says, “That means if ya want somethin’ from behind the bar, ya come ’n knock, neh? No one goes back there but me, ya slot me, omae?”

She just shrugs, slurping the ale poured for her, figuring not to retort with any saloon sarcasm. Must be professional.

{GM}
Bruce nods his acceptance.

{Tears}
"Are we number two or three on his choice list?" she whispers to whoever is nearby.

{GM}

“Probably more like 10 or 12,” Pandora whispers back. Her keen hearing having caught Tear’s words.

If Simpleton or his bodyguards hear these whispers, they show no sign of it.

If offered a glance at the photograph of the sanction, she will look, commenting "Never seen him before". even if she has any faint recognition. "How old is this image?"

OOC: The photograph has not been handed out yet. That won't happen until the team accepts the job.

[Ozgood13]

{Bone Biter}

After sitting quietly during the negotiations, he says, "I am in this with the team, Headstone, Pac, BB, and Sky. I will follow your leads and do whatever I can to keep the flesh off our tails, "

Bone looks hard at Simpleton making sure to fix the face into his memory. This way, he can describe the face to his contacts in case the job heads sideways.

[CoyotesLuck]

{Pacman}
Pacman takes drink of his "cocktail" and shifts in his seat to show that he is giving Simpleton his full attention "We understand. Better to gamble on an unknown than trust known screwups. That is not great for the ego but it does make solid sense. Thank you for your candor." Pacman pauses to finish his drink in one go. "Going with the old saying, the devil is in the details, so let us get to it starting with the first big rock. You have a job you want done and we are the team available to do it. The up front costs we itemized include gaining access to items your A list teams would already have lined up as part of what you pay for when you hire them; things that any team taking this job would either have you pay up front or would roll into their final payment using resources they have on hand. Would your employer be irritated if their cargo was damaged because you negotiated cheap shipping supplies? For the up front costs, based on our research and the reporting from our accountant, we can't shave down much from 180k.. maybe down by 10k, not without risking the cargo integrity. Can we agree on this part and move on to the next?"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“You do make a fair point,” Simpleton says with a nod of his head. “The safety of the package is paramount.” He takes a sip of his ginger beer, pausing to consider. “However, your team is completely untried on the international scale. I can’t justify that sort of expenditure to my client when he had never heard your names until I mentioned them.” He steeples his hands. “I'll tell you what. You are at least committed to the primary intention of this delivery. I’ll double my original offer. That’s 10k a piece, 90,000¥ for the team. I think I can sell that to my principal without completely ruining my reputation.”

[Gremlin]

Skye

Skye takes the opportunity to check the message she received a little earlier. After reading it, she sends a reply to Headstone. -Wasn't negotiating. Asked the questions I said I was going to ask.-

Then she sends a message to Pacman. -Sorry if it's backseating but don't forget about the hurricane that might be hitting Houston.-

[archolewa]

Baby Blue

Baby Blue remains standing behind Pandora, a hand on her shoulder. She watches Simpleton's companions carefully, especially the mage. She's studying their body language, watching for any signs of tension or hostility, and the mage for any sign of weirdness or something that might hint he's trying to work some magic mumbo jumbo.

[CoyotesLuck]

{GM}

“You do make a fair point,” Simpleton says with a nod of his head. “The safety of the package is paramount.” He takes a sip of his ginger beer, pausing to consider. “However, your team is completely untried on the international scale. I can’t justify that sort of expenditure to my client when he had never heard your names until I mentioned them.” He steeples his hands. “I'll tell you what. You are at least committed to the primary intention of this delivery. I’ll double my original offer. That’s 10k a piece, 90,000¥ for the team. I think I can sell that to my principal without completely ruining my reputation.”

{Pacman}
"So your employer would approve of setting us up to fail due to having to hitch-hike to Houston with a caravan of nomads, and with a major storm about to blow in?" Pacman pauses to push his hair back out of his face. "150k up front to cover costs and ensure safe transport for the cargo, 100% on medical for anyone injured, 20k per person if we die, and a lucky 13k for each person in the team on completion."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Simpleton snorts. “You are getting a little ahead of yourself, Pacman. We haven’t even settled your base fee yet. I will not start negotiating the… benefits… until we have established that much. As I said, I want to take each section of your…” He gives a snort that is a half laugh. “...invoice… in turn. But I can see that the transportation issue is what has you worried most. So, let’s handle that and then return to the subject of your base fee, shall we?

Simpleton glances down at the invoice to confirm the numbers and then nods. “Let me break it down for you exactly as it is on your wish list. Honestly, 110k for the airfare’s not bad,” he says with a hint of approval in his tone. “Assuming that covers ground and tower fees, radar misdirection, and fuel, that’s a pretty good deal. Whoever did your negotiations there did well. I’ll agree to that without adjustment.” He snorts. “Just don’t go thinking you’re going to sheer my principal that short. I will not let him get fleeced.”

“The ground transportation’s a little high, it’s not like your drivers have to take their vehicles across all the borders. At least I am assuming you have separate drivers in mind. Or does your Seattle driver have access to a vehicle in Houston as well?” Simpleton asks. “Either way, I can give you half of that. 5000¥ for ground transportation on either side.”

“But 20k hazard pay?” Simpleton shakes his head. “That’s not going to fly. It doesn’t even scan. Whoever you’re hiring has to know it’s a shadow job and have already incorporated that into their fees. And a team of 9 with 8 on-site to bring in one man doesn’t really count as an unusually high threat level. As for the storm, that’s highly speculative. As of yet, it’s not even named, and its projected path has it headed for the Yucatan. If the storm is named and actually hits Houston with the eye, then we can discuss hazard pay.”

[CoyotesLuck]

{GM}

Simpleton snorts. “You are getting a little ahead of yourself, Pacman. We haven’t even settled your base fee yet. I will not start negotiating the… benefits… until we have established that much. As I said, I want to take each section of your…” He gives a snort that is a half laugh. “...invoice… in turn. But I can see that the transportation issue is what has you worried most. So, let’s handle that and then return to the subject of your base fee, shall we?

Simpleton glances down at the invoice to confirm the numbers and then nods. “Let me break it down for you exactly as it is on your wish list. Honestly, 110k for the airfare’s not bad,” he says with a hint of approval in his tone. “Assuming that covers ground and tower fees, radar misdirection, and fuel, that’s a pretty good deal. Whoever did your negotiations there did well. I’ll agree to that without adjustment.” He snorts. “Just don’t go thinking you’re going to sheer my principal that short. I will not let him get fleeced.”

“The ground transportation’s a little high, it’s not like your drivers have to take their vehicles across all the borders. At least I am assuming you have separate drivers in mind. Or does your Seattle driver have access to a vehicle in Houston as well?” Simpleton asks. “Either way, I can give you half of that. 5000¥ for ground transportation on either side.”

“But 20k hazard pay?” Simpleton shakes his head. “That’s not going to fly. It doesn’t even scan. Whoever you’re hiring has to know it’s a shadow job and have already incorporated that into their fees. And a team of 9 with 8 on-site to bring in one man doesn’t really count as an unusually high threat level. As for the storm, that’s highly speculative. As of yet, it’s not even named, and its projected path has it headed for the Yucatan. If the storm is named and actually hits Houston with the eye, then we can discuss hazard pay.”

{Pacman}
"I hear you, but I want to make sure the logistics are covered to avoid mishaps and upsetting your client with harm to the cargo. 110k airfare, 5k for transit on this end, 8k for transit on the far end. Zero out the hazard pay unless the storm hits or we encounter another team intercepting the same cargo. 5k for the storm if it hits us, 20k if we have competition or an opposing team." Pacman stacks one empty glass inside the other. "Can we agree on this part and move on to the rest of the details? Pacman turns to whomever is closest the bar. "Could you have our host get me one more of the same, please"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Simpeton steeples his hands, sitting silently for about thirty seconds thinking. Then he nods. “It’s a bit higher than my principal would like, but I can make him see reason. I will hand you certified credsticks for 123,000¥ for transportation before you leave and apprise him of the rest of the details should it be necessary for him to slot you hazard pay when you arrive. Done and done.”

He waits patiently while Pacman tries to get someone to go to the office and fetch Bruce and while the bartender makes Pacman another of his custom drinks. Once Bruce has returned to his office, Simpleton continues. “Let’s get back to the matter of your base pay. Your proposed fee is still too high, but I think I could sell my client 11K each. That’s 99,000¥ in total, which is more than double what my principal suggested and likely as far as I can push him. Can we slot and run on that much and move on to your proposed per diem?”

[CoyotesLuck]

{GM}

Simpeton steeples his hands, sitting silently for about thirty seconds thinking. Then he nods. “It’s a bit higher than my principal would like, but I can make him see reason. I will hand you certified credsticks for 123,000¥ for transportation before you leave and apprise him of the rest of the details should it be necessary for him to slot you hazard pay when you arrive. Done and done.”

He waits patiently while Pacman tries to get someone to go to the office and fetch Bruce and while the bartender makes Pacman another of his custom drinks. Once Bruce has returned to his office, Simpleton continues. “Let’s get back to the matter of your base pay. Your proposed fee is still too high, but I think I could sell my client 11K each. That’s 99,000¥ in total, which is more than double what my principal suggested and likely as far as I can push him. Can we slot and run on that much and move on to your proposed per diem?”

{Pacman}
Pacman takes a sip and swirls his drink speculatively. "Base pay, per diem, medical, and death. For the base pay, I worked with a guy who swore 99 was an angel number about humanitarian wholesome drek. That would not be good mojo for this work at all. Please humor me and round that up to 100,001¥ to make it something more fortuitous, then we can pin that and move on."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Simpleton actually cracks a smile here. Shaking his head, he says, “That has got to be the most ridiculous reason to sell a raise that I have ever heard.” He chuckles. “I can’t wait to sell it to my client. He’ll either laugh heartily or take it out of my cut. Either way, I think you’ve just made my evening. 100k. Done and done.”

Shaking his head, Simpleton gathers back his professional demeanor. “Now, as I said, one thing at a time. The next item on your wishlist was the per diem. I’m not opposed to the idea in principle. However, your per diem’s more than a little over, though. 900¥ a day for hotels, a grand for meals, and a 100 for incidentals?” Simpleton shakes his head. “My client’s not paying for high-end resorts and 5-star restaurants. In total, you’re asking for 2 grand a day. I’ll give you 1250. 125¥ a day each, including the target. That’s about what a group this size of mid to upper-level executives would get. I think you can suffer through on that – especially since I expect your target will have to live on soy butter and synth jelly sandwiches and water. So the rest of you can split his share, too.”

Simpleton pauses a moment and adds, “And my principal’s not paying for more than three days. He’s not going to pay you to sit on your hoops living the high life instead of busting them to earn his bonus.” He chuckles, leaning forward conspiratorially, dropping his professional demeanor and his voice for a moment to a stage-whisper, “Not that I would know any group who did just that. Twice. Frag but we tried to keep that slot of a J from ever calling us again.”

Dez laughs. “Oh, come on, Sim,” she says. “Just ’cuz his biz always got us hoop-fragged nearly to death is no reason not to let him pay us 3 grand a day to sit at the pool and drink mai tai for two weeks afterwards.”

Spiff opens his eyes and pops up, “And he actually hired you back again?”

“Chip truth. And paid us what we asked, plus an after-the-fact, high-threat bonus – both times,” Dez says. “Sim’s good.”

“Well, I did have a little help on that one,” Simpleton admits.

Dez’s eyes widen. She opens her mouth to speak, but Simpleton flashes her a quick hand-sign, and she refrains.

Simpleton shrugs. “Fragger actually tried to hire us for a third run, but Thrasher said he’d rather slit all our throats himself than work for that son-of-a-slot again. Less painful that way.”

He flushes a pale salmon, shakes his head, and straightens his posture. “My apologies for the digression. To get back to the point. Sorry, but I’m quite familiar with that little loophole,” he says, refocusing again. “So, 1250 a day for up to three days? Split it up however you like.”

From her seat at the table, Pandora gives a tiny dip of her head. It’s really not clear whether she is nodding to herself over her estimates or trying to cue Pacman that she thinks the deal is good. She may not even be aware she’s doing it.

[CoyotesLuck]

{GM}

He flushes a pale salmon, shakes his head, and straightens his posture. “My apologies for the digression. To get back to the point. Sorry, but I’m quite familiar with that little loophole,” he says, refocusing again. “So, 1250 a day for up to three days? Split it up however you like.”

From her seat at the table, Pandora gives a tiny dip of her head. It’s really not clear whether she is nodding to herself over her estimates or trying to cue Pacman that she thinks the deal is good. She may not even be aware she’s doing it.

{Pacman}
"Yes, we can do that. With travel up front, we can agree to three days capped.. if you take the medical and death line items as our accountant put them in as is. Deal? I think everyone else present would like us to finish up and get on with the job itself.

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

He silently reads both messages as Simpleton and Pacman engage in a tactical war of wits to get the best deal out of this.
-We must have talked over you and not heard you. This is on me and I will be more aware next time.- Headstone writes back to Skye keeping his secretary under the table. He blames himsef as he is completely unaware she made those comments while he wasn’t in the room. Else they could have easily incorporated it into the plan.

-You did nothing wrong. I should not have dragged you down here. This is on me. And don’t sweat Simpleton. He and I are gonna have a 1-on-1 after we succesfully completed the run. No one ridicules our crew. Not on my watch- he writes back to Pandora who will be staying on overwatch next time.

Noticing they’re close to reaching a deal, Headstone remains silent. Ready to step back in when it’s his turn to take over as planned.