North Town
Free had a very similar reaction, and he's just *REALLY HOPING* that Jackson has a similar sense of humor because this is going to lead to him getting *sooooo* much shit in the locker rooms of the NCPD. It's absolutely the sort of thing that a high-testosterone gung-ho MaxTac operator would *not* want to get out. The sordid bits with Free's pimps would look like the sort of thing that combined with the BD snippets would absolutely be a decent blackmail handle should Paz need the services of one of MaxTac's finest.

The resources from your personal vault are... definitely interesting. The thermoptic camouflage built into this netrunning suit and your skin is dizzyingly effective, and Nobu has quietly been reassessing what he knows as a result. This is a version of you that he hasn't seen before. It's a bit intimidating, and paradoxically a serious turn-on. The Freedom Filter gets run, as now is not the time... but it's a pin he's mentally putting in for later! If there is a later.

Nobu's not geared for physical access, so he's going to be running digital overwatch from the building across the way. At least while they did have access, that is... Fortunately, there's plenty of communications gear on top of the building to piggyback into.

"Agile is the only way we roll, Jellyfish. I gotta say that I haven't seen *this* side of you yet, and I *like* it. That trick with your hair has got to save soooo much on salon bills!"

The map we're both studying shows the twenty floors of NCPD HQ, formerly Night City Precinct 3. The rooftop is given over to air traffic control and landing pads for the fleet of AVs that the cops maintain. The actual garage for them is underground, but they have AV pads here for loading/unloading. Also, the rooftop contains the Air Traffic Control Tower and the NCPD comm section. The night shift is a little bit slower, but you never know when things are going to go nuts.

The AV lands and we step out. Nobu's followed by his sniper drone carrying the military grade recon bots, although they are staying in the case until he gets clearance to crack the NCPD's radar network and have them show as friendlies rather than "wtf, drone". There's a quick tight hug and a brief, intense kiss before he sets up the digital handshake.

You're in position, and he sets up a sniper post by an A/C unit. Hopefully there will be no need to deploy violence tonight, but better to HAVE the capacity and not need it than the other way around. The pixellation of your voice has him grinning tightly as he pulls his netrunning helmet on his head and attaches it to the cooling system hidden by the A/C unit.

"Check in routines are every twenty, but it's digital. Pick an AV pad, there's plenty of space to stow the perimeter walker underneath where it'll look like he's getting rack time. Jackson mentioned that Toadman on this roof has done it before so as long as they don't get too sus and run a tox scan he's just gonna get written up for being a lazy bastard. Dropping the quickhack package in five... four... three... two... Mark!"

And with that, the sniper scope zooms in on the NCPD walking that quadrant of the building before Nobunaga made digital contact with his systems and squelched the communication while telling Toadman's biomonitor to switch to heavy Delta waves for instant unconsciousness while you made your way from this building to our target.

xxx xxx xxx

coils

Inis Fail Coast
~With the passage of Time~

As they rode along the coastline, time passed in a gentle ebb and flow, the rhythmic sound of hooves blending with the distant crashing of waves. Xavier felt the cool, salty breeze caress his face, mingling with the warmth of the setting sun. The landscape around them gradually transformed, the rugged cliffs giving way to rolling hills and lush greenery as they moved closer to Blackstone Village. (heading inland to Dromberg Stone Circle View)

rope

tied

bow

bound

obey

command

Woo! Time to party drown under the perennial existential dread of multitudinous crushing tectonic pressures like [an exhausted teacher]!

instruct

makes some mental notes, waiting still

arms

educate

wide

spread

enlighten

disperse

awake