Log started on Thursday, 30 Mar 2000, 10:37 PM EST by "Greywolf" at "Holodeck2"

Dawn Alert Station House Break Room
This is the home of the Dawn Alert Civilian Protection Service, and where these men and women (and creatures) in blue have their base of operations protecting this part of the Perimeter. It's also where a number of them sit around and do nothing in particular when they're on break. The break room is a mostly spartan affair, with some high-set windows that open out into the adjoining hallway that passes by, but no windows actually opening to the world outside. A ceiling fan lazily churns the air and makes an intermittent hum with each rotation, while a Jingo Cola bottle vending machine rests against the far wall with the other vending machines, and its refrigerator mumbles irregularly thanks to a loose fan. An occasionally burbling coffee maker joins in the mechanical jamboree. A couple of tables strength most of the length of the room, lined by a mismatched assortment of chairs, most of them with torn or missing cushions. Some dirty ashtrays, old newspaper sports sections and empty paper cups decorate the tables.

Duffy riffles the deck-- not the smooth hand-to-hand fluttering of cards where a thread seems to link their edges, but a slightly clumsy ham-handed chunky shuffle. "Heh, Jimbo. You see the news? They don't seem to believe you could interrogate your way out of a paper bag. What's the score on that?"

Sitting across from the detecting, Jimbo shakes his head, the curls of smoke from his cigarette rising above him in a wreath-like shape. "Nah, man ... after the reporters started showing up, I bugged out. I can read the station reports whenever I want, and those guys just give me a headache."

A woman with close-cropped, dark curly hair and a newspaper tucked under one arm saunters into the room. "'ello, Duff, Watterson," she says by way of greeting. "Still waiting for more warm bodies to fleece?"

Duffy squares off the edges and puts the cards back down, then snags a cup of his usual fruit juice as he glances about the break room. It looks like the usual mix of officers taking ten or on their way through for a cup of joe. Alas, the mix seems to be minus a couple of other card players to make the poker game more than trading money back and forth. Wait, there's one. "Well, they blamed solving the Tanaka thing on me, Jay, and I hate to take credit for your sharp work. They'll start making me out to be a miracle man." He chuckles and nods to Jet. "You in?"

Jimmy grins lazily, taking his cigarette from his mouth and gesturing at a free chair with it. "The charitable fund for caffeination of ... a-heh ... me ... is always ready for new donors. Step up, take a load off."

The newcomer pulls out a chair with one hand and flips it about, then sits with her legs to either side of the chair's back, facing the table. "Sure thing, deal me in." She slaps the paper onto the tabletop. "Didjou two ever decide on a motive for Hikaru to off his old man, by the way?"

"Seriously, Jay," Duffy says, leaning forward. "I did my best to make sure they knew you put in a lot of good think-work on this one, but if you don't take a little credit, well, you want to stay on beat work all your life?" He shakes his head and starts dealing out hands, five to each player. "Ah, money, the girl. Maybe he couldn't wait to take charge. What do you think?"

Jimbo shrugs his plated shoulders, and reaches up to adjust the goggles on his forehead. "Search me, Jet. Near as I can tell, when Tanaka announced he was staying on a few more years, the kid got impatient. I've been trying to find records on that Sakura gal; she struck me as the odd constant. The paper trail went right back to Mishima, and dead-ended in a mountain of red tape."

The dark-skinned woman points to the paper -- an edition from a few days ago -- which has been folded to display the article at the center bottom of the front page. "I dunno if it matters much now, but maybe he wasn't just trying to cash in on his inheritance, but protect it." The words " a legacy for my children,' said Tanaka, prompting speculation on his mental stability, since he has only one surviving son" have been highlighted on the page.

Duffy puts a tenth-crown into the center of the small rickety table. "Don't forget to ante up, folks. No one's out for blood here, but a little bit keeps things interesting, eh?" He chuckles and rubs his chin, considering Jet's suggestion. "And I guess a little 'blood' there was keeping things interesting too. Wonder if there's a missing Mishiman heir?"

"Eh, don't sweat it, Duffy. I have pretty much everything I want. No need to complicate things," says Jimbo. He touches his hand to his mouth, then stares at his fingertips in puzzlement. After a few seconds, he snatches at the tops of his goggles, and looks relieved to find the glowing cherry still on the end, and not in his hair. Taking another drag, he nods at Officer Danzwyck. "That's a good point. That didn't occur to me. I wonder who else ol' Hiroshi had in mind."

Jimbo flips his tenth into the center of the table, scooping up his cards and squinting at them.

After flicking a tenth-crown into the center, Danzwyck fans her cards out before her and studies them for a moment, then sets them down on the table before it. "That's what I was wondering, Duff. Might be one of Tanaka's other kids didn't die after all. Or maybe he's got a bastard kid that Hikaru was afraid he'd recognize."

Duffy examines his cards. His tail doesn't wag very much, and it tends to be a fairly good gauge of how he feels about his hand; the "poker face" is not one of Duffy's best skills. "Eh, I'll stay. Over to you, Jay. Hmmm, you find anything else out about Sakura then? She seemed awfully willing to play hatchet-woman for Hikaru's plans."

Jimbo flicks his smoke over a handy glass ashtray, and studies his hand thoughtfully, nudging his rough whiskers with the back of his knuckles. "Well, it seems to me like this... I tried to get information on Sakura back from Mishiman agencies, but they pretty much just stopped me cold. They haven't got anything against us freelancers, but I think they tend to keep to their own, especially with higher-ups... or if they're in bed with Triad."

The man tosses a couple crowns into the center of the table. "I'll raise two crowns."

Duffy whistles. "Rich man. You covering that action, Jet? Hmm, I hear people who work Triad get little tattoos; you see it, you know what gang they work for. Seems like a silly idea, what if you want to quit, huh? They peel off a pound of flesh?"

Danzwyck riffles her cards lightly with her left hand, lifting just the corners towards her, while she rests her head against her right hand. "'Fraid I don't know anything more... Dark, Jimbo, you love your hand, and mine's wishy-washy about the 'let's be friends' part. Fold."

Duffy chuckles. "I'll fold too." He puts his cards back down and sits back so Jimbo can scoop up the pot, three tenth-crowns richer. "Your turn to deal."

"You wanna quit the Triad gangs, they take more than a pound of flesh." Jimmy grins and lays his hand back on the table, scooping the pocket change back toward himself. "You berks are no fun. I didn't even have time to work my way to a full house."

"Anyway," the woman resumes, pushing her folded hand towards Jimbo and the rest of the deck, "I don't know anything about Sakura, either. You thinkin' she might be Triad, Duffy? Did she have a tattoo?"

"Hey, you gotta keep from scaring the fish you're trying to hook," Duffy chides. "Nah, I didn't think to check, and I don't think Jimbo did, either."

"The Tattoo Man," comments Taro as he walks into the room, mug in hand. He makes his way towards the coffee machine after nodding to the table where Duffy and the others sit.

Puffing smoke from his nose, Jimbo gathers the cards together and straightens them out. He begins shuffling them efficiently, though not in any fancy manner, eyeing Taro and smiling. "Hey there, buddy. You here to buy my coffee too?"

Duffy looks up and waves to the Kitsune. "Come help us before Jimbo sharks us for donuts too!"

Duffy wags, chuckling.

The female detective leans back and waves Taro over, too. "C'mon, join us. Poker's not much fun with only three. And did you have anything to add on our discussion of Sakura's possible illicit connections?"

The Kitsune puts his cup under the spout and begins pouring, before he glances back over his shoulder directly at Jimbo. "I should think I might have reason to be upset with you." His ears flick and he nods once. "Just a moment, I fear I won't survive a hand without my coffee."

"Upset with me? I haven't even won yet," replies the blondish man, grinning good-naturedly. He begins flicking cards across the table to Danzwyck and Duff, dealing himself as well.

Duffy raises his eyebrows. "What'd Jay do, park in your spot?" He tosses in his tenth-crown for an ante.

"I only did that once!"

Jameson wanders into the break room, and heads over to a soda machine. He puts in his crowns, pulls open the door, and pulls out a bottle of Jingo Cola, then pops the cap off on the bottle-opener built into the front of the machine.

The dog-man looks over his cards and fails to wag much. "Sure, so you moved on to parking in other people's spots, huh?"

Before adding it to the pot, Jet flicks her tenth-crown into the air with a practiced spin, then catches it neatly, lifts it to her lips for a mock kiss, then slides it in. "Your bet, Watterson," she says as she lifts her cards to review them.

After fetching his coffee, the black as night Kitsune begins making his way back towards the table. "I've heard rumors you were a bit rough with one of my favorite celebrities. Not only that, you didn't tell me she was around. I had no idea you were so cruel," he answers in a flat, even, deadpan tone.

Danzwyck waves to the newcomer. "You going to join us for a few hands, Jameson?"

Jameson chuckles. "Nah. I'm no good at cards. Hey, Danzwyck, I heard that you had a big gig coming up. Finally hitting the big time?"

"Gig?" echoes Duffy. "I didn't know you did gigs, Jet. What're you, um..." He surveys the sharp-looking woman and guesses. "Wedding photographer? They having you shoot a Bauhaus event, maybe?"

"Aw, c'mon, Taro ... standard procedure. I just made her get down, and patted her for weaponry." Jimbo eyes his cards skeptically after his own ante goes in, then tosses in another tenth before looking back up at Taro. "I feel a little bad about it, though, what with all that hullabaloo that was going on. Tell you what... I bet she's still at Chang's. Why don'tcha do me a favor, kid, and take a bouquet to her for me? I'll spring for a cheery little 'Sorry I made you lie on your face and frisked you' basket, or something. ... Your move, Duffy."

"Nah, Jet's next to bet; it goes around clockwise, see? 'sides, I want to hear about this gig," replies Duffy.

The woman turns back to her cards, with a shrug and a half-smile at the other officer's inquiry. "Maybe, but I'm not betting on it. You know how unpopular opening acts can be." She frowns at her cards. "I'm not sure I'm betting on these, either." She glances over to Duffy. "I do some singing in a band, Duffy." She pauses, then adds, "My group's Still Breathing. We're opening for Antonia on April 21st."

Before he can reach the table, Taro pauses at Jimbo's suggestion. "That's absurd," he says without giving reason as to why the idea might actually be absurd. He begins moving shortly after his statement and reaches to pull out a chair.

Making up her mind on the cards, Danzwyck tosses in a quarter-crown. "It was nice knowing you," she tells the coin.

Jameson chuckles, shaking his head, and wanders off. "I'd love to see the concert ... but it's a bit out of my range. Just like everything else Bauhaus. Enjoy the game!"

Duffy huhs, "Cheery name for a band, but I guess it's true. Didn't know you were the diva kind, Jet." He eyes Danzwyck as if trying to see her in a new light, then shakes his head, evidently not succeeding. "Guess I'm in for the quarter-crown, though. See ya, Jameson." He puts in a quarter crown, leaving it to Jimbo to match a tenth-crown and a twentieth-crown.

Jimbo whistles. "Antonia! Sweet deal, Jet, that's a pretty big name to open for." He scratches his chin thoughtfully, watching the money plink down. "I'll try to catch it if I can... It's been ages since I've seen anything classier than 'Gunhawks'."

After seating himself, Taro takes a sip of coffee and leans back. "I don't believe Sakura is with the Blood Rose Triad," he comments idly as he looks into his cup.

The sleepy-looking fellow tilts his head at the Kitsune, eyeing him from the deep hollows of his eyes. He asides to his gaming partners, "I'll see your tenth and a half-tenth ... and raise y'all another quarter." This done, he taps the ashes off his cigarette, and then takes another puff. "Why's it absurd, Taro? I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Duffy looks over at Taro, "The who what huh?" He draws in a bit of breath at Jimbo's raise. "Cruisin', man."

Danzwyck hunches over her cards, curling them in one hand and dragging the bottom one back and forth over the surface of the table. "Yeah, it is," she admits to Jimbo, looking a little embarrassed. "I don't know how Stephen managed to swing it." She grumbles at the raise, and clinks another quarter crown in.

Duffy folds. He mutters, "I never seem to have much luck with these things," as he puts his hand down.

"Because ... " the Kitsune blinks as he finds himself at an unusual loss for words, " ... I, actually have no idea why it might be," he answers. His brow creases and he stares at the reflection in his mug that much harder. "I was thinking Sakura wouldn't be related to the Blood Rose Triad. More likely, the Golden Eye Triad."

Jimbo grins. "Better stick to playing linebacker, chief." He considers his poker options, then selects a single card and lays it face down. "Got anything to drop, Danzwyck?"

The dark-skinned woman turns her eyes from her cards to the fox, frowning slightly. "You feeling okay? ...I'll take one replacement, Watterson." She removes a card from her hand and slides it into the discard pile.

Duffy leans back in his chair. "How do you know, Taro? Aren't Mishimans supposed to be masters of disguise? So, maybe we just think she's not one of them, whomever they are, and she really is." He chuckles. "And asides from that, I think Jay's idea is pretty good, really."

Jimmy peels another card off the top of the deck, sending it sliding past some stale cheez-snaks toward Jet, and dealing himself a card as well. "Yeah, do tell, Taro."

"You really think Sakura might be Triad?" Danzwyck lifts the fresh card from the table and raises an eyebrow at it before adding it to the other four in her hand. "...Maybe we should try to get the Brotherhood to check her for tattoos," she continues thoughtfully, after a long pause.

"Nah, she's in Mishiman hands now," Duffy says a bit glumly. "They like to keep things on their side of the wall. Certainly wouldn't turn her over to the Brotherhood-- they'd say it's their business. Buncha tight-- No offense, Taro."

"They sure don't teach long-distance needlepoint at the teahouses," mumbles Jimbo.

Riffling her cards, the woman glances at Jimbo. "You betting?"

Taro blinks again before looking up and over to Jet. "Oh, yes, sorry. I suppose Miss Blue tends to distract me." His muzzle breaks into a smile for a moment before he turns to face Duffy. "She was sloppy. Too sloppy to be of the Blood Rose. And besides, you heard that she was referred to as being 'not a true geisha'. The Blood Rose Triad are courtesan-assassins. But I suppose we may never know. You'll likely never see her again."

"No offense taken, of course," says Taro with a nod.

Jimbo considers his hand, then shakes his head, tracing a zigzag of smoke in the air. "I'm feeling generous today, so I'll just pass the crown to you, detective."

Danzwyck adds a quarter-crown to the pot. "Zat mean you're folding, Watterson?"

"Heh heh. She's got quite a voice, yes. And by the way..." Duffy waggles his eyebrows at Taro. "The waiter mentioned that Miss Blue is, ah, still single. So hey, if you make a good impression..."

The pale fellow readjusts his goggles, and looks aside at Taro again. "Well, I've got no problem with that. They can keep her in the deepest pit on Mercury, far as I'm concerned. Hey, how 'bout I have you bring Blue one of those Mishiman floral arrangements? Whaddyacall'em.. icky-banana, or something."

Jimbo gives Jet an appraising look. "Well, if you're going to pass up my offer of kindness, then seems I have no choice but to see you for another tenth. What're we at now?"

"I never count the money while it's still in the pot, Jimbo." Jet smiles sweetly at the other human. "I'll see your tenth and raise you a half-crown."

Taro in turn raises an eyebrow and looks at Duffy incredulously. "I have more in common with Vicki Vixen down at Pizza World than I do with Miss Blue. I am sure she needs yet another person bothering her for her attention. No, thank you." His tail twitches some and he drops his gaze back to staring at his coffee. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, Jimbo, but no. I would feel too much the Mishima ambassador of good will from Dawn Alert."

"Pf! Never send a Kitsune to do a man's job, I guess," remarks Jimmy, reaching out to lightly knuckle Taro in the arm. "I'll do it myself, then, maybe off what I soak moneybags here for." He digs around in his current pile for another half crown to match Jet's with. "There y'go."

Duffy grins watching the card game. "You two like your hands, I can tell." Taro's exclamation draws a puzzled look, however. "What, you'd rather date a pompom-equipped animatronic gal than Miss Blue?"

Jet makes a little tsking noise at Taro's comment. "Poor Destiny Blue. No wonder she's still single. I'll bet all the handsome, intelligent Kitsune are put-off by her success just like you are. Probably no one but the occasional bold drooling fanboy even approaches her." She flips her cards over and spreads them onto the table -- all spades.

The hand of cards contains the Deuce of Spades, the Four of Spades, the Five of Spades, the Eight of Spades, and the Queen of Spades.

Duffy whistles. "Hard to beat..."

The other detective winks at Duffy, then returns her attention to Jimbo. "Whatcha got to soak me with, Watterson?" she asks him evenly, biting down on a smile.

Taro glances at his arm for a moment before looking to the source of the ribbing. "After considering it, I believe I will go. I can't very well have Miss Blue suffer you again." His statue-like expression breaks with a smirk at Duffy's comment. "Hardly, no. It was a reference to class. Miss Blue is, how would you say ... too good for me," he answers the dog-man.

Jimbo's own hand flaps to the table, a meager pair of aces. "Hushed by a fox, and flushed by another!" laughs Jimbo, grinning. "You got this round, all right."

Duffy swigs more juice. "Ah! That hits the spot. So you in for the next round, Taro? I'm going to get myself some of those cheezy-snaks."

The Kitsune smiles over at Jet for a moment before he shakes his head at Duffy. "No, I'm afraid my palace requires its monthly rent soon."

With a "pfft" at Taro's comment on the singing Kitsune, a smirking Danzwyck rakes in the coins, then holds out her right hand to take the deck from Watterson. She squares the cards, riffles them together smoothly, and begins to shuffle. "In for this one?" she asks the Kitsune, echoing Duffy's query.

The Capitol dog-man stands up to sacrifice some of his hard-earned crowns to the vending machine. "Well, give my respect to the doorman and the head chef, eh? I'm sure they're earning their pay," he says with a chuckle.

"Well good, Taro!" says Watterson, sliding the deck towards Jet then tipping back in his chair. "I'll setcha up tomorrow, or somethin'."

Duffy looks at Taro, "I dunno, with your all-black coloration, who'd notice if you got a little machine oil on ya?" He grins innocently.

Making a face at the fox as she shuffles, Jet switches tacks. "C'mon, Hidaka, anyone can afford to lose at these stakes. Look at Watterson, he's doing it."

Duffy pops the bag on his way back. "Ahhh, aged to perfection," he says as he starts munching away. "Want some, guys?"

"I trust you are enjoying my discomfort, everyone?" asks Taro before he takes a sip of his drink. He drops his gaze and watches the reflection across the black coffee. "I'm afraid I really must decline the offer, Jet."

The door cracks open, and a gruff-looking wispy-haired man with a bulldog set to his jaw barks, "All right, all right! Break time's over!"

"Hey, maybe it's not his sort of thing-- I think they play, what'd they call it, My Jones, in the Mishiman places?" Duffy suggests. "Aww, dark. I'll have to catch you guys later; they've got me doing legwork this shift."

"Yeah, I make losing look easy!" James starts to smile that lopsided grin, tucking his drastically shortened cigarette behind his ear so he can roll up his sleeve to look at his watch. "Breaktime's over already? ... Frak, I'm on duty on the west side in like... five seconds!" He staggers to his feet, gathering up his belongings. "Hate to cut my losses so early, but the loo's gonna bust my hump if I'm late. 'Scuse me, Sarge!"

With a shrug of surrender, Jet sets the shuffled deck to her side for Watterson to cut, and holds out one hand to Duffy. "Thanks, Duff. Proc--aw, drek," she finishes as Bork interrupts. "Yessir!" she snaps, slipping lithely to her feet and heading towards the door.

Duffy throws a salute to Jet. "Good luck with the gig, what d'they say? Break a leg."

After laying his cup down, Taro looks up and over to the Sergeant. "Ah, saved I see. Well it has been splendid as always. Good luck out there," he says.

Jimbo scrambles for the door and into the hall. A few moments later, someone says, "Hey, Jimbo, did you know your ear is holding a--" "... Ow!" "Nevermind."

*** GM Note: 2 hero points awarded per player. Totals: Duffy: 5; Jimbo: 5; Jet: 2; Taro: 3

Log stopped on Friday, 31 Mar 2000, 12:24 AM EST by "Greywolf" at "Holodeck2"