Match of the Millennium

Description: Across the world from one another, Rashid and Marz are unlikely internet contacts. And for Rashid, being in contact with a Shadaloo information expert means getting a skewed image of the world happening an ocean away.

[MARZ]
Location: Southtown, Japan,

Marz, Shadaloo agent embedded within Southtown in order to observe, document and report on the capabilities and tactics of the NOL. While her and the Shadaloo agents under her command have been steady at work categorizing and studying the movements of this upstart world power, Marz herself has more than a few irons in a few fires. All of them in the service to the Great Vega and Shadaloo.

However, the techniques that brainwashed her into her service has not subsumed her personality. She still takes to being on the internet and connected to the great streams of data and information that flow all around her at any given moment. While her other Sisters, the Dolls, are more capable combatants, Marz maintains that her information banks and her data is a strength all its own.

She sits in a café in Southtown, laptop open in front of her. A coffee cup and streusel sits beside her laptop. She taps and ticks at the heavy duty laptop. A fighting stream plays in a tiny corner, keeping track of the goings on in the Golden Angel Tournament for the sake of information on up and comers. She has her social networks open. A series of contacts, unaware of her true intents, people she's made it a point to talk to and keep tabs on. Talk to, that is, behind the safety and security of a computer screen.

She leans over and opens up her chat windows. An old contact she had. One that was important in her data collection. An Arab with a particular penchant for traveling. It would be useful to see if things were changing around the world. She sips her coffee and starts tapping out a message.

BewareTheIdes: Jetsetting? Where are you today? Thailand? j/k!

[RASHID]
Even before setting off in his search Rashid has always had a penchant for travel. Staying in one place too long was just boring and he enjoyed the sights and sounds of the big cities around the world. These days it is a mixed bag. His search continues as he tries to find any leads that may allow him to get more information on what happened to his missing friend. Other trips often are just ways for him to try and clear his head.

In this case the trip to Metro City was for information gathering. His meeting with Abigail was a bit of a bust. The big man is going to keep an ear to the ground, but from the sounds of it he has mostly done his best to stay out of the criminal world and go legit. The one promise was a mention of a Russian hacker who seems to work out of Metro. Someone like that might just have some information needed.

For now Rashid is just in a t-shirt and some shorts as he is settled in for the evening at the hotel he is staying at. Azam is off taking care of some errands so the young Arab has the television on for background noise as he idly fusses with his own laptop. He is mostly browsing through the news when the message pops up and it ends up being to someone has hasn't talked to in awhile. Even seeing the name brings a smile to his face.

HipbaDasSicalster8: I wish. Metro City for business. Not sure where to after that. Where have you been hiding out?

[MARZ]
A quick response. Excellent. Marz smiles to herself and adjusts her glasses. She peers down at the computer and takes a bite of her streusel with a pure look of self satisfaction. And then she panics to clear the crumbs that have gotten all over her keyboard. "scheiße!"

A few moments later and the keyboard is clean and the cake is put a distance away from the laptop. No more smug eating for her. The coffee is drank instead. She considers her story, looking outside and thinking of what she had been using with Hipba. A hum and a recall and she leans back over her laptop.

BewareTheIdes: Southtown. I've been here since the fighting. University did not recall us. Too dangerous. But things are calm now. Have you seen this?

A quick bit of typing, pulling up a file and sending it as an attachment along to her distant friend. A video of the APCs and NOL control agents corralling people up and checkpointing them. Marz leaves out the fact that all of this occurred because of her and Shadaloo provoking a Gear into attacking.

[RASHID]
Rashid gets up for a moment while waiting on the reply. He goes for the fridge to pull out a bottle of water as his attention shifts to the television for a moment. Days like this remind him why he doesn't even bother trying to actually watch anything. Cable is such a ripoff at this point.

The ding of the his laptop letting him know he got a message breaks his attention away from the television and he steps back over. He clicks on video and silently watches as he takes a drink from the water. His brow furrowing some as he watches what is going on. Is that stuff really still going on in Southtown? He knows Japan has been a mess which is why he has stayed away from the time being.

HipbaDasSicalster8: I haven't been since all that broke out. What the hell is going on there? Is that really still going on? I thought everything was settling down now.

[MARZ]
Sippy coffee and slip out the footage to get it into the public. She tacks at the keys.

BewareTheIdes: That should be out there. They're all over Southtown. Taken place of military and police support.

Marz smiles to herself, helping get the information that she needs out and into the open, even if it's not wholly accurate. It's al in the information. Marz sips her drink and places it aside. She takes a long, pained moment to eat the streusel away from her laptop before returning.

BewareTheIdes: Make sure to share. And if you come here, be safe. I never know with you. Your business doesn't come here, does it?

Some concern, a little interest. It's so, so much easier to talk to people when there is a screen between you and them and you can stop to think about what you're writing. Marz just wished she could do that in most cases. Especially at that given moment as a waitress waits patiently to be paid.

Marz just orders another coffee to pad out her time in the cafe.

[RASHID]
Rashid finds himself watching the video a few times. It does seem legit and he is a bit wary of sharing things when he isn't sure about the whole story. It is something he will have to sit on. Maybe even share it with a few friends to see about just how legit the video is. He doesn't feel like his friend would share a fake video, but he rather not cause unwanted conflict without knowing everything fully.

HipbaDasSicalster8: Not at the moment. I am finishing up in Metro and not sure where the winds will take me. If you are hanging out in Southtown maybe we can meet up if I do pass through. Maybe get some coffee and a pastry.

He does consider for a few moments after sending the message. All this stuff feels so shady. He doesn't know the full extent of what is going on, but it does make him decide to ask a question. His missing friend as far as he know wasn't around Southtown when she disappeared, but yet....

HipbaDasSicalster8: There haven't been any rumors or reports of kidnapping of scientists and such has there?

[MARZ]
Marz stammers through Japanese ordering before looking back to the screen. She's literally bought herself a few more minutes of privacy to talk with the sources she has around the world. And Hipba is one of the more interesting ones. But a potential for having to do a face-to-face meeting. She's already fairly pale and blanches all the same.

BewareTheIdes: Meeting? Perhaps. I could I am not too busy with studies right now.

Marz takes up her coffee cup and sips a little. She needs time to think. to buy time she needs to figure out a way to make it. She finds a wall in her thinking, focusing instead on the coffee. But then she is saved! Saved by the arrival of a sudden additional message, that is. She leans closer to the screen and adjusts her glasses. Oh, oh this could be interesting.

BewareTheIdes: No reports. Rumors, yes. But it could just be head-hunting. Science is big business here. Still. . .

She doesn't have any rumors, not really. But it doesn't hurt to be the one to start some rumors. Especially if the person in question my be hungry to have a few rumors come their way.

[RASHID]
Rumors. Always nothing but rumors. Still sometimes there is some truth to them. Rashid leans back with a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. His gaze shifts to look out the hotel window and down at the streets below. Rumors have him possibly chasing a Russian hacker already. Rumors will probably send him somewhere else. If that video is legit maybe Southtown is somewhere he should go.

It seems Marz buys herself a bit more time to think because Rashid is more pondering what to do. Should he just ask what rumors are going around? should he just wait until his current leads are exhausted and he needs new ones to follow.

This gaze shifts back to the laptop and his fingers lightly drum on the table it rests on. Finally he straightens back up and he starts to reply.

HipbaDasSicalster8: Maybe it is something I will look into once I am done here in Metro. Might be making a quick stop in Sunshine City depending on if I hear back from someone. Going to stick around here for a few days. Don't be a stranger and if you hear anything interesting again pass it on.

[MARZ]
Rumors will always persist. That is the power in information. It is difficult to kill once it is inside of the mind. And people enjoy the first things they learn. Marz is certain that most are not as quick to assimilate new information and adapt themselves in the same was she is. Though, considering her servitude to Shadaloo and how that came to pass, a considerable amount of salt should be taken with Marz' beliefs.

She stops to finish up her streusel and pushes the plate to the side of the table. Her coffee taken up like a shield, she cups the mug in both hands to read what Hipba says in return to her suggestive talk of rumors and missing scientists.

BewareTheIdes: I will! If anything at all comes up I will make certain to send the information along to you.

Marz will certainly find something soon enough. She already swaps the screen to start hunting for any news stories or reports involving disappearances of scientists or related incidents. She also digs up any kind of information on disappearances in Southtown. There will be some form of problem going on in Southtown. Even if she had to alter a few of these news reports with bits carved from others. Her internet friend will find reason to look into situations so long as he desires to find reasons at all.

[RASHID]
It was a good little talk. If anything it was good to exchange a few messages with someone he hadn't seen online for quite some time. It seems he is doing well, though he can't imagine someone like her living in a town where so much chaos was taking place.

HipbaDasSicalster8: Thanks. Getting a bit late over here. Might go for a evening run and call it a night. Keep in touch.

With that he gets up and reaches for his water bottle once more. Maybe when he has more time he will look into that video a bit more and run it by some other friends. Maybe somehow his friend got caught up in that whole gear mess and was being forced to work for one of the sides unwillingly. "Tomorrow." he tells himself and he tosses the now empty bottle away. For now he will go do some laps and climbing. Get himself a workout and a clear his head.

[MARZ]
BewareTheIdes: Stay healthy and safe, Hipba! I will make sure to look up good places for coffee and pastry when you arrive in Southtown.

Marz leans away from the computer and smiles at her handywork. Yes, yes, it was much more effective to just talk to people and sow the information when there were screens and the gulf of miles between the people talking.

Marz looks more than a little pleased with herself. She would have to inform the others about this friend of hers, able to jet about the world and search for some scientist friend. This type of determination and monetary solvency could be made use of for the purposes of Shadaloo.

And then Marz chokes on her coffee. She just made a possible plan to potentially run into someone in person. "scheiße!"

Log created on 13:26:26 01/20/2018 by Marz, and last modified on 15:48:05 01/20/2018.