A Job from Mister Wright

[Drakeburn]

A brick building in the corner of a city corner with boarded up windows that have graffiti on them, and a sign above the door that says The Cheap Shot Bar. You came across information that a man named "Mister Wright" will be here. Apparently he's looking for base raiders for a job, and has accurate intel on the location of a secret super base.

The inside of the bar is a bit cramped; two or three people side-by-side could barely fit between the booths and the stools and bar counter. Past that is a hallway, with a door at the right before the hallway turns to the right.

The only person you can see in the bar is the bartender behind the bar counter; a man in his mid-twenties with shoulder-length brown hair and a black t-shirt.

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Drakeburn (see edit history)

[Sir Lazeabout]

 

Michellangelo Mills Damage 0 | Hero Points 1 Initiative +3 | Dodge 6 | Parry 6 | Fortitude 5 | Toughness 6 | Will 7   Michell rolls up to the bar with a dazzling smile and sits down. "May I bother you for a dry martini, my good man?" he says to the lone bartender. He glances around the empty room. "Slow night, huh?"

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Sir Lazeabout (see edit history)

[JubalBreakbottle]

Tom Freeman

Damage 0 | Hero Points 1

Initiative +4 | Dodge 7 | Parry 7 | Fortitude 5 | Toughness 5 | Will 6

---

Another guy enters the bar after Mitchell.  He has short dark brown hair with a beard and wears jeans, a Led Zeppelin tee shirt, and a light canvass jacket.  Over a shoulder, he carries a gym bag full of gear, which he slides into a booth before him.  He traded nods with the bartender when he arrived and selected the booth in the back.  He sits with his back against the wall facing the entrance.

Tom had spent hours scouting and staking out the bar.  He didn't want to be the first to enter the bar.  Although since he was so eager for work, he would be the second.  It has been months, since he had started to put out feelers for work.  He watches some decorations on the wall to keep from making eye contact with anyone.  Instead, he studies the rest of the bar with his peripheral vision.

[coreal]

Carl Conner

In through the door comes a third guy, Carl.  He's dressed in a red hoodie and has a small black backpack that he swings into a booth seat before he slides in after it.  He's chosen a booth just inside the door, like he's not certain he wants to commit to actually being deep in the bar.  But it's a pretty small place and so there's not a whole lot of difference between being at the bar and being in a booth.

He waits around for half a minute for his eyes to adjust to the interior lighting, then he slides out of the booth and over to the bar, standing so he can keep a side-eye on his backpack. "Beer and one of those bags of chips." He points to the rack of chips off to the side, probably installed to satisfy some liquor board code that they have food available.  Even in a dive like this ordering something to drink was going to cut into his budget.  He'll have to call this lunch and half of dinner, most likely, especially since he can't skip out on leaving a tip.

 

He glances around the bar and lets his eyes glance at the guy in the back booth, but the guy at the bar gets a little more eye contact and a slight nod of the head.

[cbenny]

---

Jennifer Jones

---

Okay. You can do this. Jennifer said to herself as she psyched herself up to enter the Cheap Shot Bar. She double checked the address written on a yellow sticky note before crumpling it up and sticking it back in her purse. Sure it's a bit dangerous, but people do it all the time. It's just a one-time thing. One big payday and it's back on easy street.

Jennifer tried to put on an expression of confidence she didn't really feel as she entered the establishment. It was just as seedy as she imagined it was going to be. She looked around at the other patrons to see if anyone obviously stood out as being the contact she was looking for. If not she would approach the bartender. "Excuse me, do you think you can you help? I'm looking to meet... a friend here." She stopped herself before saying the name of the person she was looking for upon realizing how stupid and desperate saying the name would sound. This whole thing better not be someone's idea of a practical joke. 

---

Edited April 10, 2023 by cbenny (see edit history)

[Drakeburn]

Michellangelo Mills

"Sure thing." The bartender replies, getting to work on making your drink.

"Mm-hmm. It's hard to compete with all the other bars around here, and it doesn't help that a fight broke out last night and ruined a few things here."

Tom Freeman

There doesn't seem to be very many decorations around here at all. And one thing you notice on the wall behind the bar counter is bare spot with a mount that appears to be for mounting a tv on the wall. And yet, not tv in sight.

Carl Conner

"I'll get that for you in a jiffy." The bartender replied.

In a short moment the bartender has made and given a dry martini to one of the patrons at the bar. The bartender then gets out a bottle of beer and grabs a bag of chips. He walks out from behind the counter and puts them on your booth's table.

"Here ya go. Enjoy!" The bartender says before walking back to his post.

Jennifer Jones

Mister Wright is said to be a tall man with blonde hair and glasses, a description that nobody in the bar matches.

Upon asking the bartender as he gets back behind the bar counter after serving one of the bar patrons, he answers: "Sure. Whats your friend's name?"

 

[Sir Lazeabout]

 

Michellangelo Mills Damage 0 | Hero Points 1 Initiative +3 | Dodge 6 | Parry 6 | Fortitude 5 | Toughness 6 | Will 7   Michell looks up at Jennifer's question. "Not a Mr. Wright, by any chance?" he says with his most winning smile. "I, too, am here to meet that elusive gentleman."

 

[cbenny]

---

Jennifer Jones

---

"Yes, exactly." Jessica said in response to Michell's guess. She gave him an appraising look before turning back question the bartender. "Any idea where we might be able find him?"

She was wary of getting too close with Michell but tried not to let it show. She knew that this job involved joining a group and didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with a potential ally. "I take it you're also here to talk with our mutual friend about his latest... business opportunity?" She asked Michell.

---

Edited April 15, 2023 by cbenny (see edit history)

[coreal]

Carl Conner

*chomp chomp*

*glug*

Half the bag of chips and a healthy swallow of beer later, Carl finally clears himself for verbal action and raises his voice just a little bit to join in the conversation in the small bar, "Given what kind of bar this is, I wouldn't be surprised if we're all here to meet this guy.  I mean, this kind of dive really is an after sunset kind of place."

He glances over towards the bartender, "No offense intended to your.. fine establishment here, but you know what I mean.  Not exactly the business lunch spot."

[Drakeburn]

Michaellengelo, Jennifer, Carl

”Ah, you’re here to see Mr. Wright.” The bartender says. 
“The guy is a regular here, but I don’t think he’s here yet.” 
The bartender then turns to Carl.
”Eh, none taken. This is the kind of place is part of the norm in The Fens.”

[JubalBreakbottle]

Tom Freeman

Damage 0 | Hero Points 1

Initiative +4 | Dodge 7 | Parry 7 | Fortitude 5 | Toughness 5 | Will 6

---

Noticing the lack of decorations and empty TV mount, the hairs on the back of Tom's neck raise.  While listening to the conversation near the bar, he starts to look at the bar more closely.  Seems like Mr. Wright has many clients today.

 

[coreal]

Carl Conner

Well, guess it's time to see how long one beer will last me...

"Yeah, at least these chips aren't stale, so there's that.  Give us a high sign when he shows up?"

He looks over the others in the bar, taking in a measure of what kind of people get drawn into this kind of desperate enterprise.  Hopefully some that are out to make some money, and not take reckless risks.  Don't want to be mixed up with someone that will just get them all killed pushing some shiny button for fun...

[Sir Lazeabout]

 

Michellangelo Mills Damage 0 | Hero Points 1 Initiative +3 | Dodge 6 | Parry 6 | Fortitude 5 | Toughness 6 | Will 7   "Well, at least we have company and drink while we wait, eh?" Michell says. He raises his glass in a toast to the others. "I'm Michell - bon vivant, entrepreneur, and flotsam on life's mighty stream. Nice to meet you all!"

Edited April 16, 2023 by Sir Lazeabout (see edit history)

[cbenny]

---

Jennifer Jones

---

"Can I see a wine list?" Jessica asked, not sounding very hopeful. Regardless of what the bartender said she acted as though it weren't good enough and just asked for a glass of water instead. Her intention was to make it seem as though she just had high standards and not let on that she didn't have enough money to waste on non-essentials.

"Jennifer." She said simply in response to Michell's introduction. "It's probably better if we don't share too much about ourselves. Suffice it to say, I find myself in need of some money and this seemed like the best way to get it."

---

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by cbenny (see edit history)

[coreal]

Carl Conner

"I go by Carl"  comes from the guy in the booth with a beer and the now forlornly empty bag of potato chips.  

"But you're right Jennifer, we probably don't need to know too much more than that... at least till we're convinced that one of us isn't ... here for purposes other than making some money." He breaks off from going into any real details about what they're expecting to do with or for Mr. Wright.