[CENTER][@Nallore] [@Carlyle] [@Araby264] [@McNephelim]

[sup][h1][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/6fc4471f-b789-4b07-9d44-fadf23b8ef50.jpg[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] K E N  S H I M A Z U[/color]
[color=yellow]K E N  S H I M A Z U[/color][/center]
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[color=lightgray][sup][i]The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia.[/i][/sup][/color][/CENTER]

[indent]As soon as the door to the Lucky Noodle had opened the early lunch hour crowd filed in, and found their seats. [color=yellow]"Ah. Ms. Crane. A pleasure to see you as always,[/color] he bowed his head to the familiar regular, as well as newcomers to the shop. Within seconds the shop was bursting with activity. Hoshi and the other servers went to work taking orders. 

"Of course," she said to a first timer, a young man familiar from the streets, adorning a pair of sunglasses, asking for the restaurant's best dish. "The Chicken-Broccoli bowl is very much acclaimed; simple yet delicious. Seasoned to order as well."

As Hoshi hurried off to put in the first wave of orders, Shimazu approached the young man. [color=yellow]“Hello,”[/color] he bowed graciously, and extended his right hand. [color=yellow]“Ken Shimazu. I’ve seen you around town, but never here. So welcome. Feel free to ask myself or anyone else on staff for anything you might need."[/color][/indent]

[center][h2][b]Horace J. Wolfe[/b][/h2]
[i]Veridian Tech - Executive Suite[/i][/center]

[indent]With little more to add to the conversation, Horace simply nodded in affirmation. “Four o’clock will work for me. I’ll inform the security detail at the hangar that we’ll be executing these tests.” He rose to his as Maria made her exit. “I’ll have my reports done before I depart for the hangar.” As Diana made her leave he passed a professional nod to Dr. Michial, and something resembling a salute to Canis-V before exiting the conference room himself. 

As he boarded the elevator back to the Security Headquarters, he pulled out his phone and sent Diana a message. 

[quote]If I’m not mistaken, we have other matters to be discussed at a later time?[/quote][/indent]

[center][h2][b]Katherine Tran[/b][/h2]
[i]Veridian Tech - Executive Suite[/i][/center]

[indent]"Hi. I'm Katherine Tran. I'm here to meet with Diana Smith." KT had just arrived on the Executive Level and was checking in at the secondary security checkpoint. Things were definitely tighter these days; more than when her father had been around. 

"Yes. Ms. Tran. We got the call from downstairs. Just sign in on the tablet and wait out here. New policy is that all guests are accompanied by a Veridian employee at all times." 

"I understand." KT turned on the tablet mounted on the desk next to her. It was a bit of a process, filing her name and address, scanning her photo ID, thd reason for her visit... the only thing they didn't ask for was her social security number. When she was done, she sat herself in one of stock lobby armchairs and awaited Diana's arrival.[/indent]

[center][h2][b]Theresa "Toro" Torres[/b][/h2]
[i]70th Street Bank Heist[/i][/center]

[indent]Theresa stood over the hostages while Valentina dealt with the bank tellers. It was a bit of a bore having to babysit, and she quickly found herself wishing someone would at least have the audacity to make a move, or throw a punch her way. [i]As if.[/i] her reputation around Mapleview had preceded her well enough that no one in the bank could shed their self-preservation for heroics. The pragmatism was admirable… but lame.

As if in answer to her wishes, a sound of metal being torn apart echoed from somewhere in the back. Theresa looked to one of the 70th grunts, and cocked her head towards the sound. "Check on that... yes. Right now." The grunt hurried off. Seconds later gun shots rang out, followed by the agonized scream of the grunt. "Sounds like I've gotta deal with this one myself," Theresa said to herself. She looked around to the other 70th Streeters and ordered "keep these sheep in the pen," as she departed towards a back hallway. 

She rounded the corner in time to see the grunt she had sent in floored by a large, robotic... "What in the Hell are you supposed to be?" She looked up at the metallic figure that stood over her underling. "Can you move?" the 70th groaned in pain. "I'll take that as a no." Theresa stepped up, and stowed the downed grunt's gun on her person and looked back at the intruder. "Whatever you are, you're cutting in on the wrong business. Back off now and there won't be any trouble." She cut in between the machine and her comrade.[/indent]

[CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]https://media.tenor.com/A7WezvFdsBEAAAAi/rapid-eye-movement-simu-liu.gif[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color]
[color=6ecff6]Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color][/center]
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[color=lightgray][sup][i]The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia.[/i][/sup][/color][/CENTER]

[indent]As the early birds flocked into the Lucky Noodle, a black sedan with heavily tinted windows rolled to a stop along the curb outside. Glaring from the opposite side of the front passenger door, a pair of eyes scanned up and down the street and sidewalk. [color=6ecff6]“The old man’s certainly done well for himself.”[/color] Zhang Taiwu’s words seared out scathingly, fogging the interior of the window. He narrowed his periphery onto the car’s driver, nodding for him to bring the vehicle to a proper stop. Once the wheels settled, Taiwu cut a look over his shoulder, where Xiao Feng’s face would peer back, silent, and half-shaded. 

[color=6ecff6]“Don’t expect this visit to go down easily, boss,”[/color] he said. [color=6ecff6]“His body might have lost a step, but I’ll bet his mind is still sharp as a steel blade.”[/color] Of course, that was why Taiwu was party to this particular visit; nothing like a little heat to soften the steel. Reminding himself of that fact, he opened his door, and climbed out onto the sidewalk. Shutting his own, he pulled open the door behind him, allowing his boss to step out as well. As he shifted to make way for Feng, he felt the back of his neck prickle. Nine years in and the emblem of the Blue Dragons still burned where the ink had set in.[/indent]