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 Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:36 pm
Doublespeak, and whole lot of it. Honsetly though, if you didn't expect that you probably know jack s**t about the two men involved.
"You know, I've made it point to make the Virus' business my business over the past few years..."
About there he was interuped by a buzzing sound and blinking light on his desk. Like most things that Joseph should have paid atention to he hit the proveberial ignore buttion and continued on.
"So, with my nose being the virus' business there's a strong posibility that I may be able to help you."
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:44 pm
"So your business is the virus' business. I can relate to that. Because, you see, my associate's business is my business, and his business is the virus' business, which means your business is my business."
"So let's do business."
He chewed gum.
"I'm here to see a virus about a man... you get the virus, I'll get the man, your secretary can bring up some smokes."
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:43 pm
"Quite an interesting little trade. I'm assuming that you're working on the theory that if we bring these two together we'll be able to find oppertunities for both of us."
"Y'know. That's clearly business for you, a sound investment that's well researched. It's more like venture capital to me since I only know one party involved. A big risk with hopes of a big payoff."
"So how can you make this investment more apeal..."
The doublespeak was abruptly cut off by one Claire Fontaine bursting through the door. She looked rather flusted as through this whole conversation Joseph had been blocking her atempts to message him. Even though the urgent button was flashing.
"Joseph, if you would have pressed a damn button you would know how screwed you friend is now." She obviously did not bring the smokes, "Stryphe is not responding and his signal has fad... Who's this?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:30 pm
"I'm an associate," James nodded, "of Mr. Brown and Mr. Epothos."
He wasn't wearing a watch, but he pulled up his right sleeve partly and glared at the back of his wrist anyways.
Turning to Joseph, he amended his earlier statement. "It appears 'that man' will be a little late."
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 9:38 pm
"It seems your man is my man too." Joseph didn't worry often, and when he did he usualy got himself good an soused. Now wasn't the time. He just needed to remind himself of that."
"And that means suddenly my business and your business got alot closer together," He shruged and gave a half laugh, "Some would say your business is now my business."
"That being said, statisticaly speaking "that man" is completly ********."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 2:30 am
"I'm a very logical man. I believe that statistics can be trusted," James said in reply to the newfound associate of his. "Experience, however, has taught me to never trust statistics."
There was a quick glance to one Claire Fontaine, and then a tap on the imaginary wristwatch.
"Any other man is completely ********. 'That man' probably just ran out of cigarettes and needs someone to send him a fresh pack."
Call it a metaphor if you'd like, even a euphemism, but whatever it was that was really meant by that statement it couldn't be summarized in so few words. Send the man a gallon of gas to get the engine running, lend him a few bucks for bus fare, or loan him a sherpa to carry the ammo he needs to take on an army singlehandedly. "That man" was not to be underestimated, even in defeat, and if he did require assistance it was only by a hair's breadth that he did.
It looked like someone would just have to go deliver him those cigarettes.
"Damn," James muttered to himself as a flick of the wrist seemed to produce a cellophane-wrapped box in his right hand; which he then tapped twice against the heel of his left, "and here I was hoping I could bum one off him."
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:06 am
"If it was anyone else I'd think you were full of it." Joseph eyed the cigs as they were produced, "But you know what, I know you're right in this case. I still think you're probably full of it, but hell, so am I."
With that Joseph arose from his desk, scratched his chin, and then looked towards James. Here was a man that had the resourses of a nation sized conglomerate at his back and here he was ready to jump into the midst of viral infected city to save an a*****e.
Joseph liked James.
"So," Joseph made a b-line for one of the offices mini-bars, "Should we take one of your deathtraps made by bored mad-scientists or one of mine?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:45 am
"I don't know you well enough to trust your choice in music," was the answer.
Apparently it had been decided without anything being said on the topic. This would be a joint-venture of Alpha to Epsilon corporation and Creation Industries conglomerate with the goal of taking on a city infested with viral mutants and twisted creatures that god never intended... so they could bring Stryphe his smokes.
James pulled another stick of gum out of his pocket and stuck it in with the first. The flavor had begun to fade, and he wanted to savor it.
There's nothing like exercising a vice before riding a flaming motorcycle straight into hell.
Metaphorically speaking.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:30 pm
There's nothing like exercising a vice before riding a flaming motorcycle straight into hell.
Which is why Joseph was glad to hear James was driving. One shouldn't drink and drive.
With that thought the CEO opened one of the cupboards revealing a selection of hip flasks of various designs, he seemed to know the exact one he wanted. It was a bigger one. Pulling it out he unscrewed the cap as he grabbed a metal funnel, that was fitting in quite perfectly with the stylised decor of his bar counter, at the same time. Plopping two and two together he kicked open yet another cupboard, and yanked out a decanter full of a brown liquid. The full filled the empty, the cap was screwed back on, everything went in it's place, and the flask went in his jacket.
"It's not that bad, I've got all kinds of good stuff on record and the computer." A joking pause, "But not a lot on CD, so we best go with whatever you're taking. So what is it? Flying battleship? Crazy train? Wooden tank fleet from world 8 of Mario 3? Wait..."
There was a not joking pause. Rather Joseph seemed to have trouble keeping his cool and hiding the omfgawesome.
"Dear lord." He spoke calmly and clearly, "Please say it's the blimp."
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:59 pm
James pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial.
Leave it to someone like that to have a billion dollar flying fortress on speed dial.
"Yes, this is Black. Good news, we've got the green light on that field test you've been waiting for." There was a short pause. "Yes, and bring the boys from the seventh R&D with their new toy. Green light on their unit 249, too."
One more pause... then throwing one hand up in the air and shaking a fist furiously at the ceiling. "Do I need to give you goddamn directions!? Here! Now!"
Beep. Call ended.
James turned back to the drunkard while tucking the phone away. "Wooden tank fleet."
"...so where did that guy get himself separated from a seven-eleven?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:05 pm
"Saint Aggrippina, a place that's less my fault than the media would like you to beleive." Joseph began to make his way to the door, "I'm not entirely free of blame, but there's other factors that I can't possibly let the public know of. You know, like the sentient death virus."
"Speaking of which."
"Claire, have the boys prepare two travel cases, one full of viral boster the other filled with V9 Barrier. Have Agent take them meet me and Mr. Black... Ummm..." He paused for a moment trying to think of a place, "Have him meet us wherever James here says. He knows what he's doing."
"Lord knows you don't."
"I'll miss you too Claire. Shall we go James?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:19 pm
James pointed up when Claire looked at him for some sort of direction.
"Meet us on the roof when you're ready."
And with a wiley grin and the kind of confidence that would make Tommy Lee feel inadequate, Mr. Black headed out the office door and towards the stairwell.
...elevators usually didn't have a 'roof' button.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:08 pm
Claire just nodded, ducked out the door, and got back to work. An excursion of the two most explosion worthy businesspeople on Gaia would undoubtedly require lots and lots of paperwork. It was a good thing both her, and the man known as Agent worked fast.
"The stairs, eh?" Joseph followed behind James and began to climb with them, "This is definitely gonna make me regret putting my office in the middle of the building, isn't it?"
Pause for an answer, and then back to business.
"Lots of time to talk then." Joseph said supriseingly businesslike, "I can't help but wonder what a person so well connected via CI wants to do with a washed up crime boss such as our man. Even moreso, what interest you have in the virus. Not saying that I haven't went to great lengths to hide most of my involvement with the Omnipraga Research Programme, but men like you and me have ways of finding things out. Am I right?"
There would be plenty of time for James to answer, there were a lot of stairs before the two emerged onto the roof. Only to see a pile of equipment and Agent, the becoated bandaged man, already waiting. People elevators didn't often have a roof button, but freight and service elevators often did.
"James," Joseph said between the breaths his smoked lungs would allow him, "This is R. Agent Five, my main man when it comes to missions such as these. If there's an expert on the utilisation and defence against the Omnipraga, Agent here is it."
"How do you do Mr.Black." Of course James would only see the bandages across his face move, as everything was hidden under hat, gauss, or goggles.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:49 pm
Joseph Brown "The stairs, eh?" Joseph followed behind James and began to climb with them, "This is definitely gonna make me regret putting my office in the middle of the building, isn't it?" Pause for an answer, and then back to business. "It's going to make you regret chainsmoking," James replied as he held open the door to the stairwell for Joseph. It was either a talk on the stairs or a talk on the roof. Either way it would take ten or fifteen minutes for a ship of that size to cross the city. James opted for the stairs... some of the most productive conversations happened on stairs. Joseph Brown "Lots of time to talk then." Joseph said supriseingly businesslike, "I can't help but wonder what a person so well connected via CI wants to do with a washed up crime boss such as our man. Even moreso, what interest you have in the virus. Not saying that I haven't went to great lengths to hide most of my involvement with the Omnipraga Research Programme, but men like you and me have ways of finding things out. Am I right?" James paced up the stairs three steps behind the business-man with the same casual smirk painted across his face that always seemed to show through in any situation. "Of course," the other man replied to him, "with the world full of men like us it's difficult to keep anything hidden for long." In the back of his mind a post-it was slapped on something with the word Omnipraga written on it; a term he'd never heard before now. Another was slapped up beside it with an arrow drawn connecting both 'virus' and 'Omnipraga' together. "We're just too shrewd to let little things like hush-hush and secrecy keep the juicy bits from slipping through our fingers... isn't that right, Mr. Brown?" Joseph Brown "How do you do Mr.Black." Of course James would only see the bandages across his face move, as everything was hidden under hat, gauss, or goggles. "Pleasure to meet you, R," James said heartily as he let the stairwell door slip shut behind him. "So... do I have to learn a secret handshake first or are you here to tell me about Omnipraga?" There was a pause as James leaned forwards with his thumbs hooked in his pockets, despite the distance between them; his mischievous grin widening as he glanced around at the 'supplies' that had been requisitioned for their little expedition. "Formalities, formalities. Need to know basis, I'm sure, right? So then... let's start with what we all need to know, and then move on from there. Judging by your field of expertise and the little emergency kit you put together, our vacation property is being rented out by your life's work..." It was amazing how much people let slip if you just paid attention. Especially if they thought you already knew their secrets in the first place.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:10 pm
themightyjello "Pleasure to meet you, R," James said heartily as he let the stairwell door slip shut behind him. "It stands for Roman, I'm not a dispenser of gadgets from a spy movie." His tone was light enough but it was hard to tell without any facial expression if he was kidding or not, "Though I'm not a fan of going by my father's name, as silly as it sounds Agent will do fine." Joseph had finally caught his breath. "Yeap." trying to regain his cool he straightened his jacket, "Defanitly regretting it James. Anyway, you're right, we do keep all the hush-hush secrety bits to ourselves, you only need to let people know what is useful and all that. The rest you can keep secret by not answering questions." Obvious segway. "Anyway, Agent will keep you up to date on all this when we start to unpack it. You probably know more than you think." Both the JBs were awfully fond of that grin, "You were just about to tell me what business you have with a certain crime boss, his obsession over a virus, and why it's worthy of the behemoth that's on it's way here. You know, all the details I need to know before getting those cigs to him."
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