Bad Moon Rising

"I see, a bad moon a risin'... Do, do doo de de doo do..."

Shouldn't be singing on the comchatter.

"Well, whoever's listening can kiss my hairy a... Hey! Team! How are we doing? I may have forgotten how to turn off my broadcasting thingie..."

Did he just ask why they bring us along?

"That's a good question, chummer! One I've been asking myself since... uh... at least since we started? It'd probably be hard to ask about before we started..."

Wait, did someone just hear gun shots? GET DOWN!

"Down? Why would I want to WOAHTHAT'SALOTOFBULLETS!"

Alright. Don't panic.

"I never panic!"

I think it's time for magic.

"Of course it's time for magic!"





...

"Some time later..."

You can't just segway yourself like that!

"I can! Look, The Rabyte is gone, and my other chummers are pretty shot up. I need solutions."

Why are you talking to me? I'm you.

"Because you're the smarter part."

Thank you. I think.

"What do I do?"

Well, if the Rabyte is down, we need to contact a new decker.

"A Decker? I know the BEST decker!"

No, you've already gotten her in enough trouble... Don't you dare go...



"Some time later... At Scarlett's house..."

STOP DOING THAT!

"Hello? Anyone home?"

The sickly, green neon of the virtual cat she affectionately referred to as Luci (short for Lucifer) danced across her face, IC hadn't managed to turn off the comforting pet before sleep had overwhelmed her and she'd drifted off, face first into her search for a new job. It hadn't been going well as Renraku wasn't exactly going to give her stellar recommendation, mostly she'd been doing to bit 'mostly' legal work, as the old days would have said the ol' nuyen in hand kinda deal. It had been getting her by for now but rent was fast coming up and she needed a serious injection of in the old financial pocket if she was going to continue to have a roof over her head.

Scarlett groaned as the first knock sounded at her door and then jolted awake, momentarily disoriented, frowning at the cat looked up with her with its large eyes and spoke, "Hello? Anyone home?"

Wait. No, that's the door.

She blinked, rubbed her eyes as she stood and went to answer the persistent knocking. Her voice hoarse from sleep as she called out, "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..." The door opened and there he stood, all trench coat, smiles and questionable sanity. "Requiem? What the heck...?" She checked the time and blinked again as her eyes adjusted to the soft glow coming from the hall, "It's like 2:30am?"

Wait.

"How do you know where I lived?"

"2.30 am? Is it?"

How do we do this comm link thing?

"Team? We're behind schedule!"

Woah! That's some loud yelling. Let's shut that back off.

Wait, how do we know where she lives?

"Magic. Look, there's this doohickey... Where is it..."

Pocket.

"I know that! Which pocket?"

How could anyone ever know with you?!

"Aha! Here. Data, is in there somewhere. I don't know what a Data looks like, but it's there. Encrypted data. And IC. And other stuff."

Rabyte.

"Right! The teams decker, Rabyte, he byte the dust."

... Lame.

"So, I think it's dangerous in there. Anyway, how are you? Lovely home you've got. Can I come in?"

Scarlett leant against the door and rubbed her eyes once more, trying to wake herself up fully as the man she’d known for a grand total of a few days rambled across his comm. Truth be told, she was already kind of becoming accustomed to it. Whether that be for better or worse, she had no idea still. Whatever he was tripping on seemed harmless enough besides who was she to judge, she’d been known to have a hit or bliss or two on the rare times she felt like hitting the town, she just wished it didn’t hit quite so early in the morning.

Her main problem was, since they first bumped into one another, he seemed to have taken a shine to her. Managing to find her desk after his high-dive stunt was one thing but now stalking to her own home? She’d never admit it but she secretly enjoyed his bumbling attentions and thought he was kind of cute but the way he choosing to pursue it was beginning to border on creepy. “Look Requiem, I’m flattered but…” she moved close the door on him and politely shoot him down once and for all when he shoved a data stick in her face.

"Data, is in there somewhere….Encrypted data. And IC. And other stuff."

Her ears burned red with embarrassment and her eyes widened faintly. He needed something. He wasn’t interested after all. 'Of course, Scarlett, as if anyone would be interested in a geek like you. Shut the door, just pretend none of this happened…'

But the decker in her was too interested and before she knew it she’d plucked the stick from his hand, “Yeah? I’ll see about that.” She said as she backed back into the dim shadows of her home and waved to the couch and offhandedly remarked. “Make yourself at home.” She went back to her desk and sat, inserting the chip and began to cycle through the strings of data. As she began to work on the encryption, glancing his way every now and then. “I can break this, easy stuff, your decker must have been an amateur to have tripped this – give me a sec.”

OK, so it wasn’t quite as easy as she’d made out but hell she needed the appreciation after he’d deflated her ego upon revealing he wasn’t a ‘secret’ admirer but rather an opportunist. Still, White IC hadn’t met a code she couldn’t break.

…

15 mins later she clucked her tongue, triumphantly and punched the air. “Done and dusted.” She lazily began to scroll through the data she’d uncovered, curious why it wouldn’t have been so heavily protected. “This looks like someone’s personnel file… Oh wow… if I were them, I’d hate for someone to find that out about me….” She whistled under her breath and chuckled, shaking her head slowly as she went into the kitchen to get herself some caff. The work had woken her up, nothing like a spot of hacking to make someone feel alive. As she poured herself a fresh cup, it dawned on her finally and she whispered to herself, ‘No, it can’t be… he wouldn’t do that… would he?”

She poked her head back into the lounge, kettle and cup still in hand and asked with a faint, hopeful and bemused smile.

“….. Requiem. What team?”

"Hello couch! I think I shall make myself at home."

OUCH! Pointy!

"Who's couch has a pointy bit? That's a bit uncalled for."

Well, maybe standing isn't so bad? I just wanted us to sit, because before you know it you'll be sneaking around and getting into things.

"Who, me?"

What is your hand doing?

"Opening a drawer. That's what the drawer is designed to do."

Uh huh. Look, sit and behave, for on... Wait, wait, where are you going?

"I smell soykaf."

You don't drink soykaf.

"I don't? Are you sure?"

... No?

"That doesn't sound very sure. Let's investigate!"

Oh let's.

"Woo!"

Are you still broadcasting?

"Oh! Sorry team."

Can we just wait 'til she gets back?

"Is she back yet?"

What? No. She only just left.

"Is she back now?"

You literally only just asked that.

"How about now?"

Oh how I wish I could escape you.

"Me too! I'd love to escape me... Oh! She's coming back!"

Well, that will mean, hopefully, she has the data that we're loo... oh...

"... wow. You're pretty."

She blinked, her cheeks stained red as she was taken aback for a moment, did he just call her…
No! he must have been talking to the voices in his head again, or maybe he was trying to distract her from the question, which meant he had something to hide.

“Okay..”

She dragged the word out slowly as she calmly put the kettle down on the kitchen bench. What had she gotten herself into? She knew he was a little scattered but she had to know if he’d dragged her into something illegal. She brushed her hair back from her eyes, pacing the kitchen slowly. What was the best way to approach this? Maybe she should call Lone Star and explain, she was mostly innocent so far after all but then… they didn’t really have a rep for believing the innocent, especially if they didn’t have a bribe to back that innocence up.

She sighed faintly and the went back into the lounge. He was still there, looking as ruffled and childlike as when she first met him. “Okay..” she said again as sat slowly on the coffee table in front of him, looking him directly in the eyes and spoke very slowly. “I need you to really focus for me, you can do that, right?” She paused for a long second, letting those instructions sink in past whatever drug he was always tripping on.

“What team are you helping out? Why do you need the information on this data stick?”

Don't stammer.

"I... wh...the tea... data? What stick?"

Don't swoon. I said don't swoon!

"Oh, hello floor. Nice catch..."

Get up. You're looking like a fool.

We do not want to embarrass the gorgeous woman.

"Who was THAT?"

Who was that?

"That's what I said!"

Wait, she said focus.

"Right! Focus, sorry. You're really... and I mean like, REALLY, pretty."

I think she meant about the data stick.

"OH! That. Right. The team are some friends of mine, and sometimes we go places and do things, and then they give me money. At least I think it's money. What do we use for money these days?"

The credsticks are money.

"Right. Anyway. We need the information for the game to end and so we get money."

That... does sound a little odd, now that you say it out loud.

"Most of the things I say sound odd."

Don't be so proud of that.

"..."

Just do something else. Let me think.

"Here. Scarlett. I got you something. Where is it? Credsticks, no. Pistol, where did that come from. Aha! Flower. For you!"

As he slumped to the floor she drew her feet up onto the table and peered at him, a somewhat concerned frown creasing her forehead as she did. What on earth was this guys deal? I should just kick him out, she mused idly to herself as she soook her head and repressed a soft laugh. Almost immediatly she then paused, internally questioning herself as to why she didn't. He was just some random guy and she'd let him in her apartment, in the middle of the night, alone. So, what? She reasoned against her logical side. He seemed harmless enough and besideshHe made her smile and was... cute.

NO! Scarlett, don't go there.

She shook her head and glanced sideways out the window, watching the lights of the traffic pass and sighed. He was obviously trouble, whether he intended it or not and he'd just pretty much confirmed her fears. He was a shadowrunner or something akin to it and he'd brought this right to her front door. "Okay, so logically the data was for a client then. I am glad I cover my tracks by default then since I was fired... maybe you should go meet your te..."

She blinked as flowers were suddenly shoved under her nose, cutting off the rest of her words. They were slightly wilted but vibrant and beautiful none-the-less. She could not help but smile in delight, "No one has brought me flowers before..."

"That's not true. I have!"

That's not what she meant. Stop beaming like an idiot.

"Oh, before me. Right. I knew that."

Just keep waffling. I'll find a vase. Give me the hands.

"No."

Give me the hands!

"Fine."

Stop pouting. Keep talking.

"Well, I can see why. Intelligence combined with beauty can be a very daunting thing. If I didn't have a few other voices in my head to give me confidence, I'd probably be intimidated too."

You? Intimidated.

"So what if I jumped out of the thirty-third floor without flinching, I could be intimidated."

You.

"Yes me! She's... looking right at me. Excuse me."

All you did was turn around.

"She's pretty, and smart, and kind. She's the kind of reason we... we..."

All you did was turn around. She can still hear you.

"... right."

Are you blushing?

She arched a brow delicately. He was sweet but increasingly...odd. Was this something she really ought to be encouraging? She smelled the sweet bouquet of the flowers once more as he turned his back to her, once again continuing a steady stream of conversation with someone other than herself. It was a small gesture but an endearing one.

For a long moment, she didn't know what to say in response. The tips of her ears were turning red the more he sung her praises and she unconsciously tucked her hair over the burning to mask it. Despite being a little... cooky, he did make her feel good about herself, which was a nice change if she was honest.

She smiled shyly and looked around, she didn't have any vases to put them in and that stumped her for another moment before she noticed she still had one of those tacky, thermos things that Renraku had given all its employees as a token Christmas bonus the previous year. She tossed the pointless lid aside, filled it with fresh water and carefully arranged the flowers into it. To hide the branding she put the holo-cat in front of it and seemed satisfied enough with the effect as she once more turned to Requiem with a faint smile

"I'm the kind of reason, what?" She tilted her head, watching him softer eyes now, having completely forgot the reason he came to visit in the first place as she questioned him with innocent curiosity.

"No, you're not The-Kind-Of-Reason-What. He's taller, and more he. You're Scarlett."

I don't think that's what she means.

"Oh shush you. Oh look, someone got you flowers!"

That was you.

"It was me!"

Way to sing your own praises.

"I can't really sing."

Why are we pacing?

"We're not pacing, we're strolling. We're having a nice stroll with Scarlett."

In her living room?

"HA! Not in her living room. In her kitche... wait, it is her living room. Damn it! I'll get you one of these days..."

Not likely. Why are we vibrating?

"Bzzzz. Bzzz? Bzz bzz bz. Bzzz?"

You can't talk with the vibrating.

"Are you sure?"

Give me the hands again.

"You already have the hands! HA! Got ya that ti... Ooohhh! What is THAT?"

It's your commlink.

"That's a commlink? I thought a commlink was some kind of wild cat?"

Ask her why it's buzzing. I think it means someone's trying to contact you.

"Scarlett? Do you know why this is buzzing?"

Ok. It was official, she had let a crazy person into her house. She studied him for a long moment as he totted back and forth, rambling to himself. She nodded, pretending to agree with him as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear and took him by the arm, leading him to the door with every intention of shoving him into the hallway and locking it behind him.

“Right… ok…. Well, as delightful as this has all been, its like 3am now and I have work in th…” She paused, her heart sinking a little as she suddenly remembered.  She’d been fired. She’d been escorted off Renraku premises, that wasn’t going to look particularly good on her resume. Oh, she hoped they hadn’t blacklisted her because she’d never work in tech again for any mega corp and it was such a cushy job, if you know, you didn’t mind being a sell-out.

‘Focus on the crazy at hand, then stress.’

She shook her head once, her inner voice was right and she smiled at Requiem of placated him, “As I was saying, I have to look for a job in the morning. Rent is due sooner rather than later and I’d rather not have to live under a bridge somewhere, so you’re gonna have too…”

That’s when the commlink was shoved in her face and her eyebrows. Did she know why it was buzzing? She scoffed lightly, it was low-end tech, disposable, easy to manage enough -- was he seriously that out of touch with technology or reality to use such a simple device? She shook her head as she adjusted the comm on her ear to answer call, commenting lightly as she did, "You must be on some hella BTL's..."

Just answer the call, maybe his caregiver is on the other end and they’d could come and deal with him.

"Ah... Requiems comm, how can I help you?"

She's answering your comm now? What is she, your secretary.

"No, she's my new friend."

Then why is she dealing with your responsibilities?

"They're not responsibilities, they're my team, remember? Besides, if she tells them what she found on the data-thingie, maybe they'll be happy? They've been very... shouty..."

Wait. Don't distract me by being nice and thoughtful. You're never nice and thoughtful. What are you doing with the hands?

"She said something about rent. Maybe she can trade these shiny things for rent?"

They're cred-sticks. With that much she should be able to pay her monthly rent three times over.

"Good! That'll give her time to look for her job. OH! Scarlett? Did you look under the sofa? That's where I find my job when it's missing."

That's a sock.

"Right, job, sock, it's the same thing, isn't it?"

"Why is she looking at us like that?"

Why is she looking at us like that?

The comm made a small sound as IC placed it slowly on the table. Her gaze focused on the credsticks for a long moment, her mind ticking over - what the hell had she gotten into? Her eyes travelled over the nuyen he so easily parted with and focused on the man himself, now on his hands and knees holding one of her socks. She blinked, her expression carefully guarded.

"You're a shadow runner."

It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. It made total sense and at the same time, it didn't. That was beginning to be a running theme with this Requiem, nonsensical logic, like algebra or shamanism. Her fingers gently touched the keyboard, sending the information over a secure network to the rest of his team for them to finish their contract. She'd been told to bring him and herself to a location, she could only imagine what for, the idea frightened her but not going was a more terrifying prospect. You didn't need to be a part of that world to know, you don't cross shadow runners and live to tell the tale.

"Okay... okay... I can handle this. This is fine. It'll be fine."

She glanced to Requiem again, grabbing her sock from his hand, "You...." She wanted to be angry at him for this, she'd met him and then suddenly her whole life fell apart. She's lost her job, her favourite noodle shop closed down and now shadow runners knew about her. She glared at him but somehow couldn't summon the anger, he just seemed like a lost puppy. She dropped the sock and sighed in weary resignation, "Come on. Your team want to meet me."

Listen. Smile. Nod. Agree. Be friendly. It's all good. She's kind of on board, I think.

"What's a shadow runner? Is it like a shadow writer, or a shadow boxer?"

What kind of question is that?!

"A valid question, I think."

She expects you to be this... whatever it is.

"Of course, we both know, it's nothing like a shadow writer. It's... far more athletic, for one."

I don't think this is working.

"Misdirection! That is a very nice job. I mean, sock. I like that it's a one of a kind. Where did you get it?"

You can't just yell 'misdirection' and change the topic!

"Why not?"

You can't... becau... I ju... Forget it. I'm out.

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"I think we're alone. That's... probably a good thing, right? Yeah. Alone is nice. I mean, I am assuming. I've never been alone before. But you're here, so I'm not alone alone, just, alone with you."

"Oohhh, the team? Are they winning? Is it half time? Let's go!"