A quick slot into Midori's commlink was all it took to give Tina a generous tip for her information, and the credstick quickly disappeared into the ork's cleavage again. She thanked both girls with a broad smile, seeming to be warming up to them. "Thanks. I get by alright on scrounging and what work I can find, but I'll admit I'd be in a much worse state if not for generous..." She trailed off for a moment as her eyes, roaming over the open back of the van, came to light on Saiyako's "generous" bosom. She bit her lip for a moment, then coughed and shook her head as if to clear it. "Generous folk like you. It makes a difference."<br/><br/>Soon enough, the hot food was all gone and the packaged goods had been distributed, and the girls could close up the van and send it back to the shrine. The mood among the locals ranged from indifference to gratitude, and people were definitely talking about the generosity that Sony, Horizon and the shrine had extended to them, so the trip was certainly a success on that score.<br/><br/>By the time the girls were ready to look into the Big "O", it was about 7 pm, and night had well and truly fallen. The streets bustled with people moving home from their jobs, or setting out to start other ones. Bars and restaurants were lighting up and becoming active, and the Big "O" had seen a steady stream of patrons entering. When the girls stepped inside, a wall of lights and music hit them - not quite the intense blare of the high-class dance clubs the girls frequented, but still a stark contrast to the dimly lit streets and quiet bustle outside.<br/><br/>The club consisted of a large central area, with a mezzanine floor running around the perimeter. There was a central stage lit with moving, coloured spotlights, on which a dark-skinned elven woman danced and gyrated around a pole with expert grace, with a few scraps of fine silk occluding her impressive bosom and hips. Patrons sat in a row of seats around the stage, cheering and waving their hands, and sometimes holding up slips of paper for the dancer to scoop up and stuff into her lingerie. Smaller stages with their own poles were dotted around the edge of the club, where dancers of diverse metatype and sex entertained smaller crowds of patrons. There were booths set off from the main floor, some with curtains, where individuals or small groups could have more private shows, or just enjoy a drink and the ambiance.<br/><br/>The bar took up one entire side of the building, with a range of drinks covering a wide price range. A dwarf man tended the bar, serving up cheap beer and expensive cocktails with equal expertise. At the entrance, a huge, gorgeous and apparently unarmed troll woman stood guard, looking over the patrons as they entered. She gave the girls a quick glance, bowed her head to them in a crude approximation of a proper greeting, and indicated a sword stand behind the bar, where two katanas and wakizashis already rested. A large crate at the foot of the stand contained less culturally significant weapons, including several knives and clubs, a pile of pistols and submachine guns, and an oddly decorated Ares Alpha assault rifle.<br/><br/>The Matrix inside the club was as chaotic as meatspace. AROs flashed all around the club, displaying drink prices and advertising the various dancers. A payment ARO hovered near each stripper pole, accepting donations from those patrons who had online bank accounts and were willing to leave an electronic trail of their visit. There were options for calling a particular dancer for a private show, or to purchase trideo footage of their previous dances. Beyond the club's own virtual decorations, the patrons' own personae filled the digital space around them.<br/><br/>A few patrons caught the girls' eyes as they entered. A middle-aged Japanese human man in a moderately expensive suit sat in one of the private booths, ostensibly watching a muscular, androgynous elf shake both bosom and cock at him, but he was clearly out of his element and marking time until somebody joined him. A young ork woman - Awakened, to Saiyako's expert senses - sat by herself at a table, alternating between watching the dancers and paying attention to the glass of orange juice in front of her. A tall human man in an armoured jacket sat in another booth, enjoying a show from two ork girls dancing together very sensually on his table. His Matrix persona - a blue-ringed octopus holding an electronic gadget in each tentacle - flared every time he sent a tip to the girls, which was often.<br/><br/>But most prominently, they noticed a Japanese human woman in an grey armoured kimono, leaning against the bar near the door, sipping from a cup of what looked like sake. Her obi clearly had space for a daisho, and a faint Matrix trail connected her persona to two of the swords on the stand. She looked the girls over and rolled her eyes contemptuously. "You two here to dance for us, Sony-<em>sama</em>?" she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "'Cause we ain't got the fun you're looking for, out here in the real world."