4627/Sensitive Information

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Sensitive Information
Date of Scene: 11 June 2018
Location: Oroku Saki's Office: StockGen Laboratories
Synopsis: Oroku Saki invites Andrea to his office and reveals that he has some delicate information about Andrea.
Cast of Characters: Shredder, Rage




Shredder has posed:
    It starts like any other day. Andrea got a request to meet from a man named Oroku Saki. Owner of a successful Biomedical and Robotics company. He would like to discuss with her a business opportunity. The wording of the request made it sound like a charity event of some sort, but the letter was not specific.
    The offices are clean, and look like many other downtown offices. The elevator went up several floors just to get to Saki's office, security check points along the way.

Rage has posed:
As always, Andrea does not travel alone. She is flanked by two heavily built armed men, Jameseon and Dimitry. They are wearing sharp suits with power shades on and holstered weapons on their hips. Both of them have the look of military training and perhaps special forces. The popstar is dressed in a pair of relaxed jeans and a simple NYU sweater that hangs off one shoulder. Her hair is pulled back behind her into a bit of a high bun. As they travel up the elevator, she taps along her phone as she texts with her mother about a few upcoming trips for a planned tour.

Shredder has posed:
    The issue of weapons comes up as they proceed, followed by several calls from the desk to elsewhere in the facility. Eventually, however, they are allowed to continue with their weapons after additional paperwork is filled out to identify them.
    The japanese young woman at the desk outside the large doors to Saki's office calls into the office, "Mr. Oroku, Miss Jackson has arrived." A moment later, "You may send her in."
    The woman looks to the guards, "You may have a seat anywhere here while they meet," she offers cordially as she stands to her feet, going to open the heavy wooden door for Andrea.

Rage has posed:
There is a look of discomfort upon Jameson's face as it appears the two bodyguards are not going with her through the last set of doors. He leans down to whisper in Andrea's ear as she gives a nod and steps through the doors. The pair of body guards take a seat, staring out from behind their reflective glasses alertly as they quietly speak to each other in Russian.

Shredder has posed:
    Behind the door is revealed a rather unique looking office. It looks very much like traditional Japanese dojo. The smell of incense hangs in the air, the floors are padded as if they were designed for sparring. Pillars along the side of the room are adorned with long thin oil paintings that have Japanese scripting upon them. The view should be amazing outside the window, but the natural sunlight is shielded currently by thin paper walls, allowing only the soft glow of the sun's light to filter through. Various stands containing traditional martial weapons are placed throughout the room, Swords, nunchaku, spears, ancient armor all give a very authentic feel to the office, as if it was part museum.
    The desk is low, cushions on the floor for seating, and a door leads to yet another section of the office on the back wall. A small clay teapot with gold inlays rests on the desk, and the host, dressed still in tan business suit stands up from the cushion on the other side of the desk. His asian features are hard, a deep slant in his brow that seems overly serious, his thin lips smiling
    "Miss Jackson," he says in a deep, unwavering voice. "I thank you for joining me today." He gives a very slight bow, and motions to the pot. "May I offer you some tea?"

Rage has posed:
Taking a glance about, Andrea pauses at the scene, then steps out of her shoes to reveal small ankle socks. "Good morning." She says softly as she brushes some of her bangs away, then steps forward to kneel before the table to get comfortable. "Thank you, sure, I would love some tea. The decor here is beautiful. It seems very peaceful. You must be Mister Saki? You were curious about a charity concert?" She asks with a smile on her face, brows raising upwards.

Shredder has posed:
    His eyes shift to notice her remove her shoes, then looks toward the table. "Oroku," comes the gentle correction as he kneels by the table and pours the tea. "In Japanese culture, the family name comes before the given name." He doesn't sound upset about it, and turns back to her, offering the small porcelain cup with both hands. It is an ornate little boul with no handle, inlaid with flowers that seem to give birth to a wolf which erupts from one of the blossoms.
    "Please, have a seat," he gestures to a cushion near the one he crouches on. "Charity. I suppose that is one way to view it." After handing off the tea, he pours another for himself, taking it tenderly between his fingertips. His own bowl has a man holding a dog on a leash. He raises the tea to his nose, almost ritualistically smelling it, then seems to do a certain rehearsed maneuver, rotating it around before taking a sip. "First, though, tea."

Rage has posed:
"My bad. Mister Oroku." Andrea smiles at him as she blushes at her error. Taking the bowl from him, she tilts her head down, giving a pause at the sight of the wolf that blooms from the flowers. A smile crosses over her lips for a moment, then pauses. Tilting her head upwards, she studies him for a moment before she leans down to take a small sip from the tea. "One way to view it? Like a fundraising event?" She places the cup down on the table, turning it slightly so that the wolf is in sight of her. "Usually my lawyer handles these types of business meetings and he talks to my agent. I just show up and perform."

Shredder has posed:
    "I see, yes," Saki answers. "I apologize if there was a miscommunication. It is not an event, as you would call it. This may fall outside your agent's normal responsibilties." He takes another sip of his tea. "You are a young lady of remarkable talent, I hope you realize this. Tell me, are you familiar with the Japanese Tea Ceremony?" he asks, a seeming departure from her subject.

Rage has posed:
"I am not familiar, no. But I can Google it and catch up on it I'm sure. You want me to perform for a team ceremony? Um.." Andrea pauses. "That sounds kinda peaceful and my music is kinda high energy and in your face." She rubs the back of her neck a bit as she gives another glance down into the wolf bowl, finding her eyes drawn back to it. "But I can do something more low key for you if you need be. I'm good with a piano and a violin. I play a range of instruments. If you have any songs picked out I can make sure to memorize them and play them to whatever set list you desire."

Shredder has posed:
    Saki smiles quietly. "In Japan," he explains, "and for several centuries, there has been a tradition that a person is invited to a tea ceremony as an equal. During the time of the ceremony, the people of that ceremony have no status, and have no rank according to their social structure. It is a very special thing. The tools are selected with careful precision." He places the bowl on the desk, and picks up the tea scoop, made of bamboo. "All things are in growth, like the bamboo, and so I have chosen this scoop to represent that." He places it on the table, and then motions to the tea pot. "All people can be molded," he explains, "And so for the teapot, I have chosen a clay pot. However, there is a value that does not change, so there is golden inlay upon the pot." It may be more clear that what they are doing now is a form of the ceremony.
    He picks up his own bowl, covering the image upon it with his hand. "The bowl is selected to represent something that reflects the person who shall drink from it. Do you find your bowl fitting?" he asks.

Rage has posed:
As she listens, Andrea gives a smile at the story and the details that were put into play for such a meeting. Her eyes move along the tools as they are presented to her as she takes another sip from her own bowl. "Wow. That's incredible. I'm always amazed at how beautiful the Japanese culture is and the stories that are behind everything that you do. I loved visiting the few times that I went on tour. Then I come home to New York and it's rather depressing how noisy and cluttered everything is here. I have been thinking about spending some time there after school for a vacation and maybe see if I can find some inspiration for some new music." The last question gives her pause as she glances down at the bowl with the wolf again. "It's a beautiful bowl." She says softly.

Shredder has posed:
    "I do love my homeland, and appreciate the compliment. I am glad you think the bowl is beautiful," Mr. Oroku answers. "The image is less a metaphor than most people will recognize, don't you think?"

Rage has posed:
There is a nervous fidget in Andrea's posture for a moment as she slides her fingers around the bowl to cover the image of the wolf. "Maybe." She pauses. "Can you tell me more about the charity that I'm going to perform at? I would like to know who it will benefit. Usually I make a donation to a cause that I perform at." She transitions topics smoothly, showing that shse has some technical training in regards to negotiations. A trait one needs to survive in Hollywood.

Shredder has posed:
    "The 'charity' is not for another, Miss Jackson." Saki's hand reaches beneath the desk, and preses a button which causes a screen to lower. "It is mine toward you." He glances at the dark screen. "I have been able to do you a kindness," he examines, the image of the coffee shop security camera comes up from a few days ago, the slightly choppy images of Andrea transforming into a wolf, and then tearing to shreds the cyborg, the blood flying.
    "I do not fault you for your actions," he explains. "I may be in a minority in that view should that have become public. I assure you that there is no danger of that information leaking now."

Rage has posed:
Squeezing the cup harder in her fingers, Andrea watches the screen, then sucks in a deep breath. She puts the cup down and pushes up to her feet. "It was self-defense. Anyone can see that. Those .. /things/ attacked us .. and they were Terminators. I don't even think they were human. I saved people's lives.. " She trails off slowly as she looks back towards him. "How did you get the tape?" She says as she looks nervously towards him. "Are you going to delete it?"

Shredder has posed:
    "I do not know that how I accessed them is particularly important at this juncture," Saki observes. "And if you were so confident, you would not be nervous right now." He takes a drink from his bowl, the stylized japanese image of a man holding a dog on a leash visible, and then places it back on the desk. "I do not disagree with you on any particular point, Miss Jackson. I am not the one you would need to explain the matter to, but these images are not in the hands of the police, nor the fickle media hounds. That should be comforting enough to you. The charity I would appreciate from you is simple. As you may be aware, StockGen specializes in biomedical research to help humanity. I would like to simply ask if you would be willing to donate a sample of your blood for the benefit of research that could save even more lives."

Rage has posed:
"So .. you are black mailing me and if I don't cooperate, I take it the tape will suddenly find it's way in the hands of the media to destroy my life, huh?" Andrea says as she taps her fingers a bit together a few times nervously in thought. She gives a glance to the door, then back to him. "Is that what this is? Let me give you a counter deal in return."

Shredder has posed:
    "Oh?" the japanese man says, an amused look. "I didn't make any threats. I have done you a kindness," he says. "I understand that you have a desire to help people. This would allow you to do that. But please, do share your 'counter deal.'" The footage continues to play, the figures that Speed intercepted seeming to just fall to the ground, his movements far too quick to be caught, the disappearance of the innocent bystanders, and Mason's sudden tearing free of the countertop to strike the attackers only a moment too late to stop Pierce from stabbing the wolf through.

Rage has posed:
"You're a guy in a suit just like every other suit. I grew up around the best suits in the world for a company called Disney and Sony. I know that I'm just a means to an end, to make someone else rich. I understand the implied statements hidden behind such deals that are presented to me. You are doing me an act of kindness, but if I refuse to give you my blood to an unknown agency and an unknown company, you will make it go public." Andrea says as she watches the tape for a moment, then looks back to him. "My mother is also a Marine, so I grew up in a tough family." She points to the screen. "When you saw me tear that lady's chest apart, did you see any hesitation at all?" She leans across the table for him, taking a few 'sniffs' in his direction.

"So, let's cut through the bullshit. You are a man who can get things and I need something. Sure, I need the tape, but I need something else that is far more important to me, because in the end, I already came out public as a mutant and been atacked twice and I assure you, this will happen to me again. So, here is my proposition. You give me the tape, /and/ you use your resources to find out who it is that attacked me, where they are at, and then you give me that information. Then you can have my blood. Not every mutant has the ability to defend themselves against something like that and those things need to be off the street, and like any good wolf.." She motions to the camera. "She runs in packs, and a pack takes care of their own. We good here?" She asks, extending her hand.

Shredder has posed:
    Saki glances at the video, then glances back at Andrea's hand, a smile of mild respect crossing his lips. "Miss Jackson, your bowl I think suits you quite well," he observes. I do hope you will keep it as a token of good will."
    He stands to his feet, and idly paces, his hands folding behind his back. "I see that you have two things you want," he says. "So now if you wish to pursue, you will have to understand that I am a man of business." His voice becomes a little less gentle, a little harder in tone. "That said, I may be willing to enter a more formal arrangement with you. He gestures vaguely at the video. "Clearly, you have brought your pack around you there, and it was good that you did, it seems that you needed them," he points out her vulnerability at the end as the group huddles around the girl's body while Josh heals her. "I have no objection to you wanting to care for your...family? Is it fair to call them that?" He looks back at the concerned faces on the others. "I think that's fair," he decides with a frown and a nod, his hard features turning back to regard Andrea. "But if you want two things from me, I want two things from you."

Rage has posed:
"All mutants are my family. I am fighting a bigger fight. I'm fighting for equality and proper treatment of my kind. Just like anyone else should be treated." Andrea says as she shifts her feet back and forth slowly. "What is it that you want? Nothing that will involve any of my friends or family. That is not up for negotiation."

Shredder has posed:
    Oroku Saki arches his brow, "Family is a powerful motivator," he agrees. "You may observe that your family is biproxy already in this discussion. I will happily find and...deal with your ruffians," he nods back at the tape which has since become an empty room following the groups exit.
    "I would like to know more about your family of mutants. I give you my word of honor, I mean them no harm. It certainly would not be good for their positions if this video went public. Not with the anti-mutant sentiments so prevalent. Your disgrace would translate to all mutants. The cost of a celebrity lifestyle. By maintaining the secret of this, you see, I give you three things then. In return, I would like to know about your friends and give them the opportunity to be well paid for samples of their own blood which might continue their work. I would offer to pay you for your own sample," he says. "I don't think that would be particularly enticing for someone of your financial standing. For those with less financial opportunity, it could be very beneficial, though."

Rage has posed:
"I'm not including my friends in any negotiation. Not their blood, not their names, nothing. They're kids. I'm a kid. I'm sixteen. We just want to be normal and to go to school and get a job and get married like anyone else. We're not super heroes, we're not Avengers. We're just kids who wanted a coffee." Andrea pushes herself up to her feet and heads for the door. "Re-think your position on this. You got my number. You want my blood, you know what I want in return. I'll deal with it all on my own shoulders." She pauses by the door as her hand reaches out for the handle. "And if you decide to leak the tape.." She shrugs her shoulders upwards. "Then I will deal with that as well. I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, stuffed in a mattress somewhere. I didn't out myself as a mutant to gain a broader celebrity status. I did it to put a spotlight on mutant rights. If I have to become a martyr for my cause, I'm well prepared to do so. If you /really/ want to help people, you wouldn't have had to come at me this way. You could have just asked me. More bees with honey than vinegar." She jerks the door open. "James, Dimitry. Let's go." She says to the pair of large Russians as she steps out to let the door swoop closed behind her, leaving the bowl of tea behind.

Shredder has posed:
    Saki frowns, his amused demeanor evaporating as she storms out the door. Moments later, Kitsune enters from the back groom. "You forgot to let her drink first, it is customary.
    "I didn't forget," Saki answers with narrowed eyes, staring at the door she through which she just stormed. He walks over to the desk, picking up the bowl gently in his hands. "Have one of our men deliver this. I want it sitting on her bed when she arrives home."
    "What of the video?" she asks, taking the bowl.
    Saki considers for several seconds. "Put a copy of it in the bowl."