station72 | OBJECTIVE: MAKE CONNECTIONS

Entry tags:

OBJECTIVE: MAKE CONNECTIONS

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: Concordia - VEN DIAGRAMS HQ + BOUT IT OUT PARLOR
WHEN: Day :022
SUMMARY: Plans are in motion. The hosts tackle their mission on two fronts - one group works to infilitrate the Ven Diagrams HQ in pursuit of hidden H+H1 information while another fights (literally) to get an audience with Bout It Out superstar and reluctant pro-synthetic activist Kun Adetokunbo. The only question is how will it all shake out?
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

YOU'VE PLOTTED, YOU PLANNED. Now it's time to do something about it. A last planning meeting is held late on DAY :021 in Bearings. Everyone's invited to submit any information or last minute modifications to the strategy for the following day; it's clear that though Nirad and Carata will of course be working with the other hosts, they are by no means leading these operations; in fact, at least one of the young hosts seems to have a specific goal in mind.

This is a team effort and everyone's expected to either help out or get out of the way because on DAY :022, the hosts will be dividing forces to pursue both the secure H+H1 intelligence on Ven Diagrams's secure servers and battling it out (with fists or wits) to make a connection with Kun Adetkunbo and - hopefully - gain a contact to the higher ups of the pro-synthetic organization, Mind Life.

Wish everyone luck; no matter which side of this you fall on, you're definitely going to need it!

OBJECTIVE: INFILTRATE VEN DIAGRAMS HQ
>Take a tour to scope out the HQ and/or acquire building blueprints off a (likely shady) source
>Acquire (borrow/steal/or hack the system to recognize your own ID as valid) ID clearance for high security zones in the HQ or plan a route that (mostly) avoids them
>Find and retrieve information
>Make your escape!

The VEN DIAGRAMS headquarters is a sleek 60-story building located in the ALPHA BLOCK of Concordia. It's one of the few corporate buildings in the block which maintains and enjoys a small circle of land around its building proper. In the front of the building is a pleasant fountain and a slate grey courtyard; the entry level of the headquarters is pleasantly sleek and minimal. There are a series of sitting arrangements for casual conversation and a number of cheerful looking plants, but it's clear that not much (if any) business happens on this lower level. The only truly notable feature in this lowest level is the security desk which is manned by a human in a uniform. The security desk dispenses temporary badges for visitors on the tour and watches over the three identical powerlift doors leading upwards. The guy behind the security desk is friendly enough, if clearly a little bored.

The scheduled TOUR runs at 9AM and 6PM today; it might be a good idea to hit the earlier one to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Every guest gets a temporary badge. The talkative and heavily modified young person (gender indeterminate) leading the tour will explain that the badges communicate with VEN's advanced security system and temporarily flag anyone wearing one as secure for up to mid-level security access. From there, the guide will lead guests up the powerlifts and through a series of levels. Most of the HQ's floors seem to feature the same smooth, polished aesthetic. The first level is a theater room where guests watch a production that gives the general overview of VEN DIAGRAMS's company history and goals for the future. It includes a lot of buzzwords like 'innovative' and 'synergenistic'. From here, they'll see the #18 Research & Development Lab which features a wide array of technical equipment, computer monitors and pieces of tech that's already on the market and is being repaired or modified. They'll see a few floors of offices and then stop briefly in the Level 50 OPEN AIR GARDEN at the middle of the building. The ten floors above the garden surround it on four sides with a number of office windows overlooking the garden. Sun is bounced down into the garden with what looks like a series of mirrors; it's not as claustrophobic as it probably should be. From there, the tour will wind back down through a few more offices and stop in at one of the HQ's repair levels to see a technician dismantle, clean and reassemble a synthetic limb. As a last stop, the tour will meet with the CEO of the company himself in a comfortably appointed boardroom. Ahtaliah Ven is in his early forties and disarmingly charming. He's clearly a people person (or is at least good at pretending to be). He's also ridiculously handsome. Go figure. He pretty much only has time to shake hands and answer three or four questions though, so it isn't long before the tour is escorted back to the ground floor. Their temporary guest badges will be taken from them at the end of the tour.

So now what? If someone can pilfer or copy a temporary badge, Nirad says he can use it to access the HQ's security system and manually key everyone in for mid-level security clearance (weirdly enough, once he has the badge Nirad just... walks straight in past the security officer and into the powerlift.) He'll have to babysit the security terminal that he's jacking into so won't be able to maneuver away from it during the mission until it's time to go. Unfortunately, he also doesn't have the hacking ability to get anyone more the mid-level clearance which you'll need to access the top ten floors the traditional way. It'll be up to the rest of you to figure out how to get farther than that.

If you can manage to get higher-level security access, you'll be able to take the powerlift right up to whatever floor you want. If you don't get higher-level security access, you might be able to access the floors by an alternative method but an alarm will sound when you pass through any doorway. Once an alarm sounds it will take building security roughly six to eight minutes to reach your location.

The top ten floors of the HQ are a combination of form, function and comfort. Level 51 is the main security level. Above that is server housing, a series of top secret RnD labs, as well as the highest echelon of corporate offices. There's also a pool somewhere on Level 58. The server rooms are huge gutted floors with mazes of blocky hardware from floor to ceiling. They are kept purposefully uncomfortably cold. The super secure RnD labs, should you find your way into them, have swathes of prototypes. Most of them are highly stylized, crisp designs similar to what's already on the market; some of them are frighteningly real. In the very back of one of the secure labs is a heavy door which refuses to open. Meanwhile, the offices are a combination of stately and minimalist - traditional and cozy. Every office above Level 50 has a secure terminal with access to the HQ's data network, though they all have varying degrees of access. The surest bet might be find your way to Ahtaliah Ven's office when he isn't in it... which you know is going to happen at some point during the 6PM tour...

Alternatively, it's completely viable to get into the HQ after usual business hours. Please be aware that from 8AM to 9PM, the HQ is fairly well staffed and populated. In addition to an around the clock security staff, there are also a few technicians and employees who burn the midnight oil but any time after 10PM will see a significant drop off in the number of humans around to side-eye you.

OBJECTIVE: FIGHT YOUR WAY TO THE TOP
>Gain entry to the competition
>While host fighters duke it out toward the top of the competition, support hosts will pose as sponsors using their cover as Think Tank developers
>Get a meeting with 'Kun-Kun' and acquire a contact to the higher ups of Mind Life

Congratulations! You've bagged a slot for the Adetkunbo Exhibition Fight with a chance to go head to head with the esteemed Kun-Kun himself! ...is what it says when you manage to secure your slot in the BOUT IT OUT competition. On DAY :022, game parlors all over Concordia will be hosting brackets for BOUT IT OUT. The game parlors range from small, older, and more intimate spaces to huge, elaborate, and decked in neon. All of them are packed with a crowd. The most popular parlor is the REGAL STREET PARLOR GAMING where ninety percent of the competitive matches are planned to take place. Because of a few of Kun-Kun's personal reps at REGAL STREET, it's rumored this might be where the final will be held as well as opposed to simply being a match-up in Extraspace.

The other competitors are incredibly diverse, both physically and in terms of their BOUT IT OUT records. Some of them are hugely successful amateur fighters; there's one young man who's never fought a single match but clearly has an axe to grind with Kun-Kun. Otherwise they're every assortment of fully organic, semi- or highly-synthetically modified; roughly two-thirds of the fighters seem to be anti-Kun-Kun with only a handful of competitors as fans of the one time favorite.

Betting on BOUT IT OUT is completely legal and highly encouraged for this fight; 5% of all winnings will be donated to 'YOUTH SPORT OF CONCORDIA', a charitable organization that seeks to enrich the lives of impoverished children by making all kinds of sports accessible to them. Because of the betting and the high profile of the competition, the parlors hosting matches are packed. It wouldn't be hard to sneak around unnoticed, though of course the digital security of the matches are being carefully monitored and regulated. Any cheating (looking at you, Ilde and Petre) should will have to be non-tech based in nature.

Further, it's fairly easy to find conversation with Kun-Kun's representatives. The two of them are clearly there to foster good will and put up a good face for their client; one of them is running a merchandise table (all profit to Youth Sport!) and the other is announcing the matches that take place at Regal Parlor but will be available for conversation during the fights themselves. If you're going to schmooze your way as someone's sponsor with them, there's your opportunity. Carata will be accompanying the hosts to the fights and will happily assist with smooth talking (just about anyone) if you need it.

Regardless of whether it's by brawling or a little charm and saavy, the hosts will manage to get a meeting with Kun-Kun. After a grueling competition, one of the host entries will finally face off with Kun-Kun live in the Royal Parlor. Afterwards - regardless of the result of the fight - the host fighter and their "sponsors" will be able to meet with Kun-Kun on less competitive terms in one of the parlor's VIP rooms for a friendly post-match chit chat slash photo-op.

((OOC NOTES: This is the catchall log for both prongs of the mission activity on DAY :022. We've done our best to compile the plans built by you, the players, in the OOC plotting and planning post. While the groundwork is set, it's up to you to determine how it goes from here on out! We'll be keeping a close eye on things for places where it makes sense for Concordian-native NPCs to show up, but if we miss something or you have something specific in mind you'd like to do, don't hesitate to contact us about it! That said, feel free to autopilot NPCs if you feel you need extra rando's to populate your threads!

For both objectives, we've made a poll to determine an important facet of those missions. For the INFILTRATION OBJECTIVE, please GO HERE TO VOTE whether the hosts manage to gain higher level security clearance or if they set off the alarm. For the BOUT IT OUT OBJECTIVE, please GO HERE TO VOTE whether they meet Kun-Kun by fighting their way to the top or by schmoozing their way into a backroom meeting. The votes are in! You've voted to obtain high level security access for the Infiltration Objective and to reach the final round versus Kun-Kun in the Bout It Out competition.

If you have any mission specific questions, direct them to the OOC post here.))

NAVIGATION • SETTING • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( i. ) __ C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!

[ A generous patron soul has assisted him in gaining entry to the BOUT IT OUT tournament, so here he is. The move is bold, and rather sudden for a man who has been flying juuuuust under the radar since his arrival to the Station. Eventually, he would have made the rounds to deal with the other Hosts, but as there are more pressing matters (such as acquiring this much-needed audience with "Kun-Kun")... he's skipping to the mission at hand.

The other hosts involved with this half of the mission will find him among the crowds at the Regal Street Parlor, appropriately dressed for actual combat, let along imaginative combat, while he sizes up the competition - picking out the threats from the try-hards. Beyond reviewing their competitors, he seems to be coming to terms with the battlefield they'll be upon, during the tournament itself. Something retro-futuristic, with fanciful avatars and the use of one's mind rather than one's fists. It'll be interesting, to say the least. Much like the youth who has a chip on his shoulder, he also has not set foot inside of the BOUT IT OUT ring, hasn't fought one fight. Yet, here is is, out of the shadows and in the neon glow of the city lights.

(Seriously. How's everyone feeling about that?)

Until the tournament begins, he's available for strategizing, comparing notes, and for other Hosts to potentially question his reasons for picking the fight over the infiltration. ]

( ii. ) __ C O M P E T I T I O N!!

[ During the tournament itself, it's a little more clear why he's chosen to fight: he's fast, and he's brutal.

The avatar he's created for himself is - not as imaginative as some of the others that step into the ring. In fact, he's no-nonsense. The avatar looks like himself, and he focuses the rest of his time and energy on brutalizing his opponents through a combination of unrelenting blows, intense focus, raw speed, and the habitual usage of what seems to be an unending barrage of small, wicked knives that quite literally cut away at his opponent's avatars. In those moments, there is a sense of raw delight that the other hosts might feel escape him. It's sadism, at its most subtle, to be fair. The longer he competes, the sharper his fights become. The more cruel he becomes towards his competition, and the raw delight he exudes seems to twist and warp into something more embittered.

He can be caught up with, between the fights, taking a breather and getting something to drink. When asked about his particular fighting style, he can be overheard saying the following: ]

While the imaginative freedom of this competition is what people so love, I have no intention of losing a game.

[ Emphasis on the derision in the word "game", in fact. Someone ought to intervene, before he says anything more. Or pull him to the side to let him know his fights are becoming more and more wicked. People might even be getting hurt. Admittedly though, he's playing a very good "heel" character in the grand scheme of things. ]

( ii a. ) __ C L O S E D TO KYLO REN.

[ Funny enough, one of the fights is a grand display. A coveted two-against-two skirmish by a partnered pair of semi-synthesized siblings, hailed for their wondrous ability to quite literally read one another's mind.

See. It's funny. ] I'm pleased to be partnered with you for this one.

[ Seemingly calmed down, after a number of sadistic fights involving his utter humiliation of some of the more powerful opponents in the parlor, he addresses his cage-fighting partner with open amusement, stepping to the side of one of the sibling's greater blows, directed at him like a streak of lightning that splits the battlefield. His derision is saved for the siblings they've been challenged by. What he's said is true, as well. He's made sure to bear witness to a number of the other Host's skirmishes, including Ren's. ] ( Do we toy with them for show? Or end them swiftly? )

[ Unwilling to call across the field, he plays the game that the siblings do. The sharp edge to his smile suggests he defers to Ren's judgment either because the other Host is "older", or because he wants to see what he decides. Losing is absolutely not something he's considered, because he is far too prideful to consider losing. ]

( iii. ) __ D E C O M P R E S S!!

[ There's time to while away between matches, the longer that the competition goes on, and the more rivals that are removed from the proceedings.

a. Nursing water and a bite to eat at one of the tables, he has the time to reconnect with the other hosts present - to determine how well they are holding up, how confident they are in their progress, how effective they have been so far. He also takes the time to connect to those that he knows are involved in the infiltration of Ven Diagrams HQ. Not to name names, but he cannot shake the need to check on RHYS, and his two broodmates: BELLAMY and CLINT.

(There also seems to be a mild undercurrent of mistrust that he has allowed himself to feel, and it's primarily directed at LEXA, oops.)

b. As for Kun-Kun's representatives, he doesn't seem wildly thrilled about the idea of schmoozing them for their favor. Which is a shame, because he is a very, very skilled courtier. Someone should get him involved in that. ]

( iv. ) __ W I L D C A R D!!

[ come at me!!! ]

Edited 2016-07-01 22:12 (UTC)

[The scent of dried blood and salt sweat circulating through cool, filtered air, the hoarse cheers of hungry crowds - it's intoxicating. A dizzying rush that would threaten to overtake his senses if not for the Nestmate at his side. Something— someone— that keeps balance where he'd otherwise fall to instinct and hunger. Strange, relying on someone else for so much.

And yet, it works.]

As am I.

[Don't end it quickly. Don't put on a poor performance and draw the ire of the crowds. It's like a mantra in his skull, one not meant to act as a response to the Darkling's question (dimly aware of it as Ren is in the moment) as he catches the first opponent in a brutish hold just when they aim to recover from their swipe. One twist of his arm and the man— shorter than Ren only by an inch at least— tumbles fitfully into the cage at the edge of the ring, a tangle of electronic noises and heartfelt cheers echoing overhead.]

[ The last time that he had ever performed for a crowd had been in a royal court, and it had been neat, precise. Articulate. Every step particular, every gesture - artifice. There is no lie in this arena, with someone baring teeth at his side. There is a freedom, in this violent dance, to be nothing and no one at all beyond an extension of might and power.

Someone is flung aside. The arena is awash with light and noise, electrostatic and increasingly familiar to his ears now. The clangor of cups at the bars and tables, pounded upon the table surfaces in a beat that steadies. And there - just out of the edge of his peripherals, the abnormal sound of someone stepping closer. An attack at the ready. He drops low, and silently hopes he can forgive himself for such a useless, showy defense. Transitioning - quite sinuously - into one hell of a kick, smashing the flat of his leg against their skull.

The arena goes off in sparks and light once more, as his opponent's head bounces off the floor, and he moves to his feet.

So long as the crowd favors the proceedings, they're doing exactly what they need to do. ]

SORRY FOR BEING LATE TO THE PARTY thanks work

narcissithstic - 2016-07-11 23:29 (UTC) - Expand

the darkling | at the BOUT IT OUT parlor.

CRASHES IN HERE

SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKING

decompress-ish

aggressively chinhands

ii

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iii.

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iii a million years later

ILDE | BOUT IT OUT | 'SAFFRON'

a million years late...

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lexa | bout it out

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schmooozing, since I didn't get around to tagging her initial announcement??

sam 3.0 | bout it out

walks in late with starbucks

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