[imperialus]

As if on cue you hear heavy footsteps approaching from the bar and a grumbling voice says “No, you are not late.”  Turning to look you see a massive tank of a man approaching.  At a glance you’re sure this is Tinman.  He’s wearing a camo patterned T-Shirt with a “Desert Wars 2057” logo on it, bluejeans and combat boots.  He doesn’t look to be wearing any armour, which seems unusual, but then again judging by the plating you see outlined against his T-Shirt he’s probably better armoured wearing nothing but that shirt than a normal person wearing a the full body armour of a MCT strike team.  He also doesn’t seem to be armed, but the spirits only know what sort of stuff is built into his ware.  His head is shaved, but both his jaw and his scalp have a three-day growth of stubble.  The light reflects off of his chrome arms as he sets a bottle of synthetic Shochu down on the table along with six tumblers.  He bows towards the group and pours a good 3 fingers of the hard liquor into each glass passing them around the table before taking a seat and downing his drink in a single gulp.  “I am Tinman.  I have been hired to put together a team for an investigation.  Tanaka-Sama wishes that I handle all negotiations on his behalf for now.”   Once introductions are out of the way, he pours himself a second drink, lights a cigarette and says.

“As I am sure you understand, the integration of metahumans into our society has been… challenging.  Oni, Trolls, Koborokuru and even Elves continue to face great difficulty in becoming accepted within Japan.  Many who strive to gain acceptance and live without shame are even killed.  You know of the ‘unfortunate incident’ on the subway earlier this evening?” he pushes a brief newsclip of the suicide across your PAN’s

“Tanaka-Sama does not believe that this was a suicide.  The Oni who died was named Kusbana-San.  She was a leader among the Oni and the other meta’s in Tokyo and owner of a cleaning business that employs many meta’s.  She was in Chiyoda to visit the metropolitan government buildings to sign a contract for her company to begin cleaning the Tokyo sportsplex after hours…  On her way home, she died…  The police have already closed the investigation ruling it a suicide, but it makes no sense… This was a great day for her and her company, and Kusbana-San was never ashamed of who she was.”

Tinman pauses for a moment to take another drag on his cigarette.

“Now Tanaka-Sama requested that I hire humans who are not known to be associates of the meta community for this job.  The officials have already ruled it a suicide and would resist any meta’s who might attempt to say otherwise.  As humans you are more capable of getting information from those who may wish to sweep this under the rug.  As far as payment goes I am to offer you five thousand nuyen up front for accepting the job.  If you are able to find evidence proving that there was foul play involved then I am authorized to provide an addition two thousand five hundred as a bonus.  If you are able to identify the perpetrators then I can provide a further bonus. 

[Operator]

Operator reclined in his seat, watching the heavily chromed man approach his party's table with a neutral expression - one groomed by several years within the Japanese Imperial armed forces and sanitized megacorporate halls. Tinman easily qualified as a senior figure in regards to fighting experience. CalFree must have taken a severe toll from him. He dexterously scooped up the offered drink, returning their host's gesture by downing the contents of his glass in one gulp. The alcohol burned down his throat, prompting a sharp breath; Tinman certainly liked his drinks to be as hard as his chromed body.

He waited patiently for Tinman to explain the job and its details before speaking. "I saw the story earlier this evening. Even without the details, I suspected foul play; metas are vulnerable to abuses on both sides of the law."

[Scarecrow71]

When Beth sits down, Aishuku flashes a brilliant smile in her direction.  He is about to make several innuendo-laden comments when Tinman approaches and puts the drinks on the table.

Our time is not to be now, my dear.  Business first, pleasure later.

He bows his head towards Tinman, then scoops up the proffered drink.  He salutes the table by slightly tipping the glass towards the middle of the table, careful not to spill any of the drink, then quickly downing the beverage.

Wow, Tinman.  Is this stuff rated for de-greasing engines or killing brain cells?

He listens intently to Tinman's story about the Oni, and he reads the news brief when it is pushed to his PAN.  He silently curses himself for his thoughts on the Oni on his drive to the bar.

I am sorry, Oni.  I was dishonourable.  I shall not make that mistake towards you or your kind again./i]

He continues to listen to Tinman, letting him finish his briefing about the job and the offer...

5,000 up front, 2,500 upon completion, and a potential bonus - man do I need the creds!

...all the while trying to ascertain if Tinman is being honest or if there is a little deception being put forth.

Judge Intentions, INT 5 + CHA 4 = 6 hits

[Kozak]

Taking the offered drink, Kozak downs it, not without trouble as the liquid burns all the way down.

"Ooph, by my ancestors.  Your liver must be made of pure steel."

He quickly activates his microphone and recorder as Tinman explains the story, in case he needed to review it later.

Hmm.  I had an inkling this could not have been actual suicide.  Though it makes me feel no better to proven right.

As Tinman finishes, Kozak speaks up. 

"Is there anything at all you could tell us about who might have had a hand in this?  I confess I haven't been in Japan that long, much less Neo-Tokyo."

[imperialus]

Wow, Tinman.  Is this stuff rated for de-greasing engines or killing brain cells?

Taking the offered drink, Kozak downs it, not without trouble as the liquid burns all the way down.

"Ooph, by my ancestors.  Your liver must be made of pure steel."

Judge Intentions, INT 5 + CHA 4 = 6 hits

Tinman gives you a slight smile before tapping his chest so you can hear the ring of metal on metal.  "De-greasing engines.  Most my guts got pulped when my truck was hit by an IED in LA.  Liver's one of the things they replaced."

You're pretty sure he's being honest, at least as far as he knows.  However, if it was a murder, and the authorities are involved in covering it up who knows who you might end up pissing off by investigating it.

As Tinman finishes, Kozak speaks up. 

"Is there anything at all you could tell us about who might have had a hand in this?  I confess I haven't been in Japan that long, much less Neo-Tokyo."

In response to your question Tinman shrugs.  "Not much I'm afraid.  You could take your pick really from a pretty long list of people and groups who might want to see an Oni who's actually advocating for her people dead.  Hell, it could just be random.  Someone didn't like the idea of an Oni on 'his' subway and decides to send a message.  It could be the Yakuza, but killing random meta's is quite far removed from the stuff they're normally interested in.  I don't belive that Kusbana-San wasn't involved in organized crime other than paying protection money, so unless she was behind on that, or the Yakuza were hired by someone else there's no motive.  Beyond that though it could be anyone.  Even the Metropolitan Police have a stake in this.  A lot of them are convinced that if meta's start working in the core, they'll start living there, and then crime, anarchy, and impoliteness will rule the streets..."  Tinman pauses for a moment, swirling his drink in his glass and thinking.  "Personally I'd be eyballing the corps.  It was pretty messy by their standards, but I wouldn't put it past them.  If the government starts hiring meta's to do work like this then it could hurt the market for cleaning drones.  I doubt they'd have done anything directly though.  That means you're either looking at runners, or Kigyo-Zoku."

[Kozak]

Goodness.  I should probably call a doctor to see if that drink will have any effects.  And it probably is titanium, looking at the ware he's boasting.

Japanese - "I see.  I wouldn't put it past corporations to do this kind of thing.  I think the first thing we need to do is investigate Kusbana-San's home, maybe speak with some of her associates.  Do you have her home and business addresses?"

[Scarecrow71]

Aishuku laughs when Tinman taps his chest.  He listens to Tinman, making a mental note of everything being said, and raising an eyebrow when Kigyo-Zoku is mentioned.  He is about to speak when Kozak speaks up, so he waits his turn.  When Kozak is finished, Aishuku chimes in.
 
I agree that we should search her house.  I'm also curious about what may lie in her office, as well as the details of the contract to clean the Tokyo sports-plex.  As far as runners or Kigyo-Zoku...we could be looking at both.  Runners with corporate ties, maybe?

[LeighFox]

As she settles into her seat, Beth eyes the others at the table; Aishuku's brilliant smile in particular draws a curious look, although her glance is torn away when Tinman sits.

I could have problems with that one... that smile had 'womanizer' written all over it.. she muses to herself as Tinman begins to speak, wrapping her fingers around the glass but not drinking from it just yet.

"I agree with you, and the others... this doesn't feel like a suicide. Even still, Oni are fairly strong are they not? I wouldn't think some random racist would be able to do that, especially with the safety doors." Beth brings up as people begin to push around ideas and theories. "Is there any way we can get access to the camera footage of the platform?"

Leaning back in her chair a little, Beth raises the cup to her lips and takes a swallow; having seen the others reactions she was expecting something strong, but wasn't prepared to be seeing stars! Coughing softly against her hand, she sets the cup down and gives her head a shake. "Jesus." she slurrs, tongue rather on the numb side.

Beth listens for a few more minutes, letting her tongue regain its feeling before speaking again. "I'd put my money on Corps as well, for the same reasons... with your Emperor trying to make metas more accepted, the Corps have been pretty heavily opposing it."

[Kozak]

As he listens to the group, he quickly orders some coffee, as to counteract whatever effect the alcohol Tinman poured would have.  He nodded when Beth brought up the fact of Oni strength.

"I think the young lady has a point.  We'll need the security footage to confirm, but I don't think anyone could have physically forced her onto the rails.  Whoever is behind this either had something incredibly damning to blackmail her with, or they employed mages.  In either case, this seems more and more like something the corporations would do.  And corps are corps no matter where you go.  If they stand to lose on their bottom line, they'll go to great lengths to ensure that doesn't happen."

[Operator]

Operator sipped at his remaining glass of the house's special, considering the different angles of their investigation. “I wouldn't discount the 'anyone' so soon, Kozak; the right augmentations could match her strength. My interest lies in the fact that this deed was done in a crowded public place. Mages? That's a sure bet. Hackers are also possible. Have you ever met a person willing to bribe so many pairs of civilian eyes?”

He glanced around the gathered inviduals, flashing a self-assured smile. “I'm Ken Kurosawa, or Operator if you prefer to work on a codename basis. I'm looking forward to the job, if only to get some bills paid and determine if this was a question of greed or racism.”

[imperialus]

Tinman leans back and crosses his arms across his chest.

"So you accept the job then?  Good.  Here is a link to the escarow account containing both your retainer and the bonus should you be able to prove it was a murder.  The password for the account is 'Oni'.  Also I have the address for her company, and her home.  I would suggest calling ahead.  Meta's can get a little nervous when a bunch of humans show up and start poking around.  Her husbands name is Jojin-San and her business partner is a Koborokuru named Akio."

<<Tinman>>
<<Macco Financial Acct# 8070-873459>>
<<Simply Clean:  Yokohama, Sigasaru Ward, Block 4871, Hiragachi building Suite 713 >>
<<Residence: Yokohama, Sigasru Ward, Block 7532, Building C, Suite 432>>

"If there are no other questions, I will leave you to your work.  I will pay for your tab.  Buy some dinner if you desire.  The tempura fish from next door is actually quite good and you can order it from the bartender here.  It's krill, but they have the texture right.  Thank you very much for your time.

If no one speaks up to interrupt him Tinman will stand up, taking the bottle of liqour with him, approach the bar say something to the bartender while gesturing at your table and walk out the front door.  Anyone who checks the account and provides the password "Oni" sees a balance of 7500 nuyen with a 5000 nuyen available balance.

[Scarecrow71]

Aishuku, not wanting to be greedy but at the same time not wanting to let his share of the creds just sit there, punches the account data into his commlink, and then transfers his shared to his own credstick.

5,000 nuyen...5 of us...that's 1,000 each...

He then adds the 2 addresses to his commlink, storing them for future use.

In case we get separated, at least I'll still have the details so I can try to finish this job.

He sits back in his seat, that brilliant smile still flashing across his face.  He looks the group over, still trying to calculate the next move with this job.

I am going to assume that we shouldn't split up as there is safety in numbers.  If what Tinman has told us it true, this could get very dangerous very quickly.  Where do you think we should start first?  Personally, I'd like to start with the business.  That contract with the sports-plex could have been very lucrative.  And money equals rivals.  But that is my opinion, and I would like to hear your thoughts before we set off...

[Operator]

“I'd vouch for splitting to cover these two leads at the same time; one group of two, and one group of three. Since we are dealing with a grieving widower, I'd suggest that our group of two visit him while the rest of us gather details about Kusbana-san's company.”

Operator downed the rest of his glass, sharing glances with each other person. His gaze lingered on Aishuku for an additional second before he addressed the table. “There is merit in not letting any one person go alone on the streets, but I also think that a full group of five will draw attention or cause undue stress. Should we hold a more private discussion about our individual talents?”

[Kozak]

Kozak checked the account quickly, confirming the 5000 nuyen available balance. 

This will come in handy if we need to grease some palms.

"I think that's a good idea, Operator-san.  Would everyone be comfortable continuing this over dinner, as Tinman suggested?  Or shall we retire to a more private place?"

[Scarecrow71]

For the first time all evening, Aishuku's smile faded.

Your suggestion to discuss talents has merit, but I fear we are lacking the proper time.  The longer we wait to get started, the more time someone else has to cover up the truth behind the events we are investigating.  If you must know, I'm a driver and chemist, in the simplest terms.  I would love to go into more detail, but I believe we should get moving as quickly as possible.  I volunteer to go to Kusbana-san's business.