[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1728  Seattle Chinatown Barrens


>>Demon as in a free spirit?  And Hell Hounds?  This could be interesting.<<

Sian walks down the alleyway a short distance and is joined by the large black creatures.  Without looking around, she says, "Business is always good.  There is no end to the need for drugs down here.  And I gave some thought to your question about the Barghests and am looking into getting a pair.  I need to come up with a crapton of credits, though, so partnering with you might be a good thing, after all.  So, this guy I am taking you to is named Lao Ping.  He will pretend that he knows no English, but he does.  He also knows about eight other languages with some familiarity, so be careful with what you say.  He is a small-time porn boss and farms his stars out on occasion for extra money.  He would like very much to be a bigger fish in the porn and brothel pond, although he will likely tell you he is satisfied with his place in the world.  I am no expert in the trade, but I would think part of the answer is a bigger building and some new talent in front of the camera as well as behind it.  He does not know it, but his current camera guy is skimming from him and is on the take from one of his competitors.  If the subject comes up, mention Sing Films and see what falls out.  Be prepared to deal with the guy and one of the starlets, who is also a plant from the other company.  I imagine that you are capable of dealing with this camera guy, but it does not hurt to have your thug nearby.  Do you trust him?"

[VegasRigged]

"I know enough not to trust anyone with everything, but my bodyguard will do as needed when the time comes." It would be an awkward answer if I didn't speak such as often as I do. I've been careful here to both imply that I keep secrets and not refer to Sylvia by gender, this I have not actually lied to Sian, despite the obvious deception.

"It shouldn't be too hard to encourage him, what does he provide in the way of money or muscle? I should know what I'm getting before I start making offers."

[Mercy Merchant]

"Remember, you said you wanted to go with the small guys looking to expand.  This guy qualifies.  He has five girls and two boys in his stable, all of them except one of the girls is a sex slave working off the passage from the homeland.  Sadly, it is almost certain that it will take them the rest of their lives to do that.  He employs one camera man, who we already discussed is stealing from him and on the payroll of another guy.  There are two thugs of dubious competence who provide security.  The guy pimps his stars out to help make ends meet.  His business plan is not the best, but maybe that is something you can help him with?  He is hungry and willing to do almost anything to expand.  If I could suggest........perhaps you could use him to take over the operation run by Sing and go larger.  Just be cautious that you do not step on any Triad toes.  Both of these guys are independent, but that does not mean the next fish up the line are."

[VegasRigged]

"Good advice, though I'd like to know your thoughts on this rival you mentioned, it would seem he has the upper hand, so why are we backing this pimp over the other?"

In truth I'd rather put both of them out of business. The sex trade produces misery that taints the mana around it with a specifically twisted feeling. The residual emotions from this sort of transaction are as sticky as the fluids it produces and I'm not looking forward to meet this man. I am looking forward to the days when I can own such men and do with them as I please. This coalition has a long way to go.

[Mercy Merchant]

"The other man is named Xin Sing and he is a brute of low intellect.  He relies on his thugs to do his work and knows little except how to use fear and intimidation.  I do not think that you can work with him as he would always be trying to find a way to shunt you aside.  Ping, on the other hand, is not much better.  He would be the more loyal of the two, but if you want my advice and are asking for it, I say kill Ping, the cameraman, the traitorous whore, and put the free woman in charge.  She is young, only nineteen, but she has talent and is smarter than Ping is.  He would be nowhere without her advice.  Offer her the small company and then give her Sing's as well." 

[VegasRigged]

"I will keep that in mind when I meet them, if this girl is as clever as you claim then she should be easy to pick out."

As a final precaution I summon a force 5 spirit of air. And now I'm ready to meet.

[Mercy Merchant]

This part of the Barrens is the worst you have seen so far.  The state of the buildings is just short of ruin and the many of the people here have already reached that stage................or worse.  You see a number of men and women, and even kids so looped out on one drug or another that all they can do anymore is sit or lay on the curbs, in doorsills, even the street.  Scroungers stalk the alleys, looking for the next person to stop twitching so they can strip the body of anything that might help them get their own next fix......the one that might kill them so that someone can scrounge from them.  The smells here are almost enough to wish that you had not eaten before coming out here.  It is obvious that others do not have the fortitude that you do and have already thrown up any vestige of what passes for food here. 

>>Marisa, what do you hope to accomplish down here?  What use can these people be to your plan?  Some of them would cut their own throat if you paid them in drugs to do so.  Are you sure that you are in the right place?<<

[VegasRigged]

I don't answer. Seeing the total destitution here brings into focus the difficulty of this task, the likelihood that this neighborhood will not in my lifetime see any sort of happy or productivity. Still, the resources of the low level porn dealer are a starting point, and while I see little or no chance of saving these dying forms, perhaps their misery can serve another purpose...

Either way I am in this battle now, once I've created this coalition I'll be able to move through the neighborhood unhindered. Then I'll have to start focusing on the rest of Seattle. It will be a long road.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1846  Seattle Chinatown Barrens


Sian leads you through the desolation that is the Chinatown Barrens as if she knows it all too well, her Hell Hounds at her sides.  She makes a number of turns down narrow streets that are little more than alleys and you realize that there would be a real danger in getting lost down here.  Finally, she stops and points at a building front.  There is no sign on the door and to you it looks as much a ruin as any of the other buildings you have passed.  "That is our destination.  Ping has the entire second floor.  Do you wish me to come in with you and facilitate introductions or do you want to do this on your own?"

[VegasRigged]

"It would be a strange introduction since you still don't know my name. Thank you, I will return in a few minutes."

I head into the building and up to the second floor. My spirit is ordered to manifest nearby and be ready to swoop in and engulf anyone I indicate. I also give the place a once-over for astral security, trying my best to ignore the oily mana. Finally I give Syvlia the order to wait at the bottom of the stairs, if she's needed, she will know.

Time to get started.

[Mercy Merchant]

As you approach the building, you hear Sian speak softly behind you.  "Oh but I do, Marisa Coulter.  I have resources at my disposal that you are not familiar with."  You barely miss a beat as you continue into the squalid building, but the thought does cross your mind how she found out.  The short hallway is lit only from the ambient light from the street but you can smell what you cannot see.  The odors of urine, sweat, vomit and other facets of life in this sort of place permeate the air, almost causing you to gag.  Astral security seems to be non-existent here.  Sylvia's form nods as you give the order but her eyes ask if this is a good idea. 

The stairs are rickety and several of the old boards are only half there.  A door at the top of the stairs indicates that you are at the offices of Ping Arts, LLC.  You can hear a woman moaning in some semblance of sexual satisfaction from inside the room beyond the door and a man crying out in Chinese that he is about to cum.

[VegasRigged]

I raise my hand and for a moment sheer terror grips me. I'm in a dangerous place, surrounded by people who seem utterly amoral, about to walk into a porn studio and purpose business to a slimy bastard of a man who I've already been told will lie to my face. This kind of business cannot be mine alone, in fact it should never have been mine in the first place.

I let the pause hear the end of their filming, then knock, my covered face a mask of confidence hiding the knowledge that my plan, my real plan, slides towards madness with every moment.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1853  Ping's Studio  Seattle Chinatown Barrens


The door is opened by a large man who looks a little surprised as he stands aside to let you in.  The room you enter is large and open, taking up most of the entire second floor of the building.  A quick look around lets you see several different movie sets scattered about the walls, the one currently in use is of an office.  The girl stretched across a desk on the set could not be older than fifteen and the man just pulling out of her is probably in his early twenties.  There is some sort of striped uniform tossed across an office chair and the man is wearing a white lab coat and has a stethoscope around his neck and his pants at his feet.  Another man is moving around them, a camera in his hands and giving directions to the girl to slide off the desk and lick the man clean.  Another man is sitting in a comfortable chair watching the proceedings while another, slightly older girl kneels beside him, idly stroking his erection.  Two more girls in the same age range are sitting on a couch, wearing thin robes that are half open and so do not do much to conceal anything.  These two do not react to your entrance and are apparently drugged to the point of near unconsciousness.  The rest of the people in the room look up as you enter, but the cameraman barks out an order and the pair performing for him go back to work.  The kneeling girl starts to lift her hand, but the man in the chair puts it back where it was and says, "I did not say you could stop."  He looks back to you and continues.  Welcome to Ping's Arts.  What do you want?"

[VegasRigged]

I pull a chair up next to him and note the girl carefully, probably the one mentioned to me. She can't possibly know that one day this will all be hers.

"I want to give this company money, a larger work-space and more models to work with."

The oily mana here has s certain scent to it, one almost that of the actual smells of heavy perfume and sweat. It's something deeper. I've heard of such places, but never been in one and now that I'm astrally examining the space I can see, or perhaps feel, depravity. I should finish my business here and be out as soon as I can.

[Mercy Merchant]

Saturday  9 June 2075  1905  Ping's Studio  Seattle Chinatown Barrens


The man in the chair looks at you and smiles.  He makes no move to get up and you sense that he might be using some sort of drug, although he is nowhere near the catatonic state the two girls on the couch are in.  The girl stroking him, though, gives you a quick look from under her bangs then looks back down.  Still, the look was enough to tell you that she is not on drugs and her eyes were calculating and sharp.  The pair performing for the camera are moaning again, clearly faking attraction and sexual desire.  Ping is only half concentrating on you as the rest of his mind is on watching the performers and on his own pleasure, provided by the young woman.  "Sure you are.  But if you want to invest in a silent partnership, who am I to turn you away?  Give me a couple of minutes here and we can talk in my office."