[LTD-Tayseri-Peanut Gallery] Clusterfrak

"Turn on your omni-tool recording, I only want to do this once."

She waited until they were ready, then ran through an insanely detailed detailed description of each assailant, tracing out the tattoos on her face and speculating on the price of their shoes. She ended with a shrug, and by way of explanation, a sarcastic drell power salute.

"...Wait, are you talking like this has happened before?"

Michelle whistled in amazement.

"You drells are awesome. After Mr Snow and I got into an argument with some of those ruffians who were threatening the catholic shelter, all I could tell the C-Sec agent is that one was human, the other turian, and both were hatless...
So yeah the gangs have been a serious nuisance, they're not really cool with us trying to give an alternative to their future recruits... Sorry I put you in danger by asking you to come here Kayana, I didn't think they would guard that street over there. I'm happy you could handle them."

"You drell." Kayana set the computer to execute the next set of instructions, then stretched out her hands. "Wow, wrong noun. They were a nuisance 'cause I'm a veteran who does martial arts, they could have seriously fu..."

She took a breath. "They could have seriously hurt a kid. I'm not mad that I got 'put in danger', I just want to know that you're hiring some dudes."

"And where is the money going to come from drell? Last I checked you don't hire rent-a-suits with good intentions." Snow turned his attention to the pushy teenager who was trying to call the shots, letting his eyes level with hers. Not caring what Miss Rondor thought for the moment Snow decided to educate the drell on the facts of life. "Miss Rondor has a knack for understatement, as of right now, I have a bounty on my head, issued by those LTE fucks, and your bright idea is to 'hire some dudes'? Fucking idiot" , snorting at Kayana, Snow turned away, looking for Laykalar, hopefully the new LTD volunteer was having better luck.

"JULIAN!" Michelle snapped while standing up. It was telling that using his given name was her way of showing how mad she was. "Kayana here is just giving her opinion, something that will always be encouraged and appreciated here! So you will stop insulting someone who got jumped by freaking gangers just to come help us!"

After Snow left Michelle turned to Kayana.

"So sorry about that, this is a... difficult day. Tensions run high. What you suggest makes sense in theory but what Mr Snow was trying to say is that even if we had the funds for more security, the gangers would keep doing what they're doing now : just ambushing people right outside of our security grid. I'm afraid the problem will be solved in another way. And I really hope Mr Cavallius here can help us..."

Kayana's inner eyelids flicked open-underneath her eyes were seashell pink. She held his gaze as she stood, leaning on the table. "You get that I'm optimizing your databases and fixing your data security for free? Bite me!"

"If you don't have enough money to hire proper security-and like, every corp on this station hires security-you don't have enough money to do this work, period! Right now, they are close enough to your door to count who goes in and who goes out."

"You don't know shit about charity work! Comparing us to some goddamn corp like Titan or Single Order Solutions just confirms it. And assuming that two suits for hire will stop the LTE from snooping aroud shows you know fuck-all about gangs and 'the life'." Despite Miss Rondor's intervention, this know it all got Snow's blood up. Whirling around to face Kayana, the ex-salvager giving her his blank stare, yet his smile was a composite of indignant contempt,

"Tell you what little girl, you go back to your fancy toys, and leave worrying about the gangs to Officer Cavallius and myself."

"I'm comparing you to a convenience store. Which would have better security." Kayana crossed her arms, she was difficult to intimidate at the best of times. "I'm the one who got jumped. They thought I was a 'little girl' and it wasn't any of you that helped me."

Her brows climbed up her forehead. "...Wait a second, you think I'm rich?"

"A convenience store, just fuckin' great. Remind me, where in the hell do we keep the chips and dwickola drell? I don't give a shit how good you think you are, you think because the boss lets you screw with the computers it gives you the right and knowledge to tell me or Miss Rondor how to work. Fuck that and fuck you, little know it all shit". Snarling the last, Snow stormed out, heading to the landlord's apt, with all the bs, unwelcome guests, and everything else, the hanar still hadn't readjusted the temperature,

"That's going to change..."

Alex sat in the corner.
I wonder if anyone realises I'm still here?
He got his omni-tool out. He couldn't leave, Michelle would notice. If he just sat here, waited until people got distracted, he could cooly leave a note or something here and go back to the hotel.
He opened up a Omni-game and waited.

At least one person remembered he was there. But she remembered everything. "Hey cop, am I crazy?"

"... Is there anyway I can answer that without pissing someone off?" I asked in return.
Goddamit. The moment I open my omni-tool.

He stood quietly for a moment, listening to everyone while he tried to process Kayana's story. "I'll definitely look in to it, see if we can get some more patrols down here while I'm at it. Thanks for telling," he said, finishing up the recording on his omnitool and closing the interface. "I'm not sure that I'll be able to do much on my own, but I'll definitely mention the attack, see if we can get backup and reinforcement."

He sighed and looked toward Snow then Alex. "What's your opinions on all this? Got any ideas for how to deal with them?"

It took Alex a few seconds to begin to come up with a decent answer to that question.
It might've been sooner, had he listened better.
"... Depends, we are clearly dealing with hardened Criminals. I doubt that C-Sec is entirely willing to babysit this place for as long as needed, and the moment we leave, bam. Anyone who enters or leaves this building is a pontential target. Even me or you, Cavallius. They know your C-Sec, and that I'm some kind of Pig." Alex Replied.
"Most effective thing to do would be to scare them off, quickly, with minimal casulties. You people start packing heat every time you pop to grab some groceries and they'll be more then willing to pay in kind." Alex said.
"We have to act before they start getting their act together. They start thinking that Michelle has hired some Drell assasin, no offence Capice, and they'll kick off. Time is of the essence." Alex finally finished.

"Thank you, apparently I am not crazy."

"And no insult taken, I actually kind of was..." She crossed her arms. "The amount you'd have to pay me to do that work again, though...I don't think you can afford it. So we need to hit anyone who touches a kid, hard."

He listened quietly, nodding. "I agree. Even if we boost up patrols down here, it'd be a temporary thing. They're going to be needed elsewhere eventually…"

He fold his arms across his chest and shook his head. "There's one problem with that plan: gun regulations are very strict here, and I don't know how feasible it would be for everyone to get one. It's possible, but it's a huge amount of trouble and paperwork to go through for one. If you're willing to try, go for it. I don't know if that's the most possible option, but it is a good idea." He sighed. "At least it gives you some chance if you get attacked."

"Taking action against them directly is just asking for trouble, though… Too much chance for them to fight back against you, and it'd be you and Mr. Snow against an entire gang. If you're fast, tough and take a strong position it might work, if they're afraid to touch you… But what would have enough influence that they wouldn't come around? Do you know anyone like that could back you, make you dangerous to threaten, Ms. Rondor?"

Laykalar drifted into the doorway, pulsing contentedly.

"This one has concluded its discussion with the honoured Assemblyman's office. It is pleased to report it has succeeded in its task".

Taking note of the crowd, and the tense body language of many of those present, he perked with interest. How fascinating. Clearly some intense and ideologically sophisticated debate was in process, perhaps nearing its climax. He settled down to listen to the endgame.

Still furious, Snow was in no mood for bureaucratic double speak from the landlord as he rang the bell, "open up, we need to have words." A minute passed before the door opened, the hanar landlord looming over Snow, his pulses dark red upon seeing the angry charity worker, "Mr. Snow, what is the problem this time." A trace hint of contempt in the greeting as Snow barged past him, heading to the holovision screen was playing Vaenia. "You know full well what the problem is and yet here you are, watching asari on asari porn while the temperature problem hasn't been fixed. So I'm here to rectify that shortfall." Snow's voice was eerily calm, belying his cold facial expression and body language. Looking around he saw not just Vaenia memoribilia, but an autographed graphic portrait of the cast of the romance 'epic', Fleet and Flotilla XXX. An evil smile began to form on Snow's face as the hanar landlord began to key up his omnitool.

"This one must inform you that he is calling the authorities, if you do not vacate these premises. Be aware that this one will be filing a complaint with Miss Rondor." The hanar pulsing crimson at Snow, the ex-salvager reaching into his coat pocket, pulling out an antique lighter, smiling at the landlord the entire time. "Go right ahead, I don't give a shit, gives me just enough time to do this," flicking on the lighter, Snow let the flame touch the portrait, singeing it before putting the lighter out. "Here's the deal, you fix the goddamn temperature, or I'll burn all of the smut you own." The charity worker's grey eyes hard as the hanar fumed for a moment, "very well, this one will perform the necessary task, but know this one will be sending you a bill for damages inflicted Mr. Snow." The hanar pulsing becoming slightly less angry, yet more aggravated as Snow headed out. As the door behind him closed Snow retorted back while departing,

"Go ahead hanar, not as if I spend much of it anyway."

Kayana went back to the computer, checking her work.

"I think you should be really careful about having kids come here. As in, you don't, not till the security gets worked out.

Michelle had regained her composure, with difficulty. She would have a TOUGH talk with Snow later. Kayana didn't seem to mind too much that he had been incredibly rude to her. Michelle wondered if this was the effect of CDN, insults and rudeness were apparently considered the norm by many members, and the young drell had been on the receiving end of it quite a few times for her belief that the reapers were coming...

Michelle patiently listened to everyone about safety before finally talking herself.

- The thing with the gangs is that they're not that much of a threat to me, Mr Snow or Laykalar, because we're organized. We installed safety devices here, and we're very careful when we step outside in LTE territory. So apparently they decided to go after the kids who come to us... That's new indeed, but I don't see how private thugs could protect them. The LTE would just go -Congratulations Laykalar, excellent job- around them. And no officer Cavallius, I don't think I have such relations...

Actually Michelle lied about that. But she left it was too soon to play that card.

Her eyes widened.

- Officer, that may be a dumb question, but why do you have my tea maker stuck on your armor?