The Thief's Back Pocket

An English pub, right here at home in Seattle, on the border of Everett and Bellevue, and barely even a stone's throw away from GMTown. Authentic in some ways and inauthentic in others, the Thief's Back Pocket (or more commonly referred to as just 'the Back Pocket') boasts a wide selection of imported English Ales and beers on tap, and a warm, cozy atmosphere modelled after the classic pubs across the pond. Of course, the beer is mostly the same soybeer swill you'd get anywhere, just re-labelled, the playlist is whatever music the bartender feels like listening to, and the British-ness of it all is not shared by the staff, who are all just Seattle locals trying to make ends meet.

Here, the screens are constantly set to run reruns of football matches (meaning FOOTball, with feet), and there are pool tables, dart boards and even an honest-to-god old-school pinball machine with physical balls in the hallway in towards the bathroom.

The food served here is all the good-old English pub faire, cooked by the only current member of staff here who has actually been to England, Amir the Hobgoblin. On the menu are classics such as Soysteak & Kidney Pie, Cornish Pasties, Soychicken Tikka Masala, and the house special - Krill 'n Chips, a deep-fried brick of krill atop a bed of thick cut fries, slathered in malt vinegar with mushy peas and a homemade remoulade sauce on the side.

The clientele on a typical night is an eclectic mix of faces. The basement access to GMTown means most of the customers on the lower floors are rough and tumble types, with some gangers preferring this place to the usual dives, while the atmosphere and 'authenticity' tends to lure in regular Joe wageslave type clientele through the street access on the upper floor as well. Most trouble is dealt with by the security, but it still tends to happen, as the different classes find themselves intermingling on the middle floor.

History

The titular 'Thief' is none other than the Shadow Legend Ruben 'Greenfingers'. A gentleman thief hailing from Birmingham, UK. Greenfingers was well known for his Robin Hood-style antics, stealing from the deplorably rich and giving back to the poor. He made his living right here in Seattle, operating mainly in and around Bellevue, sneaking into the homes and offices of the corporate elite, and throughout his years, law enforcement never had enough evidence to pin any real crimes on him.

In 2042, Ruben opened the doors The Thief's Back Pocket for the very first time, his very own English pub in Seattle. The vibe was much different back then, mostly attracting ne'er-do-wells. The pub area was only on the top floor, but the atmosphere felt more real, in spite of being an absolute dive. The other floors were mainly used as his private quarters and his crew's safehouse (Complete with a garage at the bottom for his vintage car collection!)

About a decade and a half later, Greenfingers mysteriously vanished, and soon thereafter the place was purchased by none other than Ruben's own long-time rival, Shane Eustace Lowe, a now-retired Lone Star security Major of the Bellevue Eastern district. Lowe's purchase of the place was not taken too well initially by both staff and regulars, as his first order of business was to make major renovations to the place, to change its image and attract less riff-raff.

The renovations took a little over a year, and in 2058 The Thief's Back Pocket reopened, with all three floors available to the public, as well as a member's only lounge for a more exclusive client base.

Naturally, between the pub's vicinity to the Redmond Barrens and GMTown, the old customer base not wanting to give things up so easily, and the new owner's Laissez-faire approach to management after the renovations had been completed, and the efforts of the members of staff who stayed on after the purchase, the less than reputable customers did not stay away for long. Instead, the pub is currently at its peak in popularity, becoming a nexus for the different societal classes, as well as a hub for fixers and shadowrunners alike.

Staff

• Former Owner/Founder: Ruben 'Greenfingers' McVale
• A Shadow Legend, mostly active in the 30s and 40s. He was born and raised in Birmingham, UK and moved to Seattle in 2027 to study for his Master's Degree in Economic Sciences at the University of Washington. It was there that he met his wife-to-be, Maria Fanciullacci, who became the reason he decided to stay. When the Crash of '29 happened, the corporation that he had just been employed at went under, and his university credentials had become completely wiped, lost to the Crash Virus. With the UK shutting its borders (so he could not return home) and his bank accounts purged, Ruben was put in an intensely desperate situation. This is when he fell in with what became his crew, through a cousin of Maria's. Doing petty crimes to get by, he discovered that he had quite the natural talent for thievery. He enjoyed the thrill, and before long he and the crew started going for bigger and bigger scores, targeting those at the top who he felt deserved it. Law enforcement eventually caught on that he was the 'Green-fingered thief' pulling off all these high-profile heists around Bellevue, but they never had any substantial evidence to back up their suspicions, and so Ruben never saw the inside of a prison cell.
• In 2036, Ruben purchased the land where The Thief's Back Pocket currently resides, where GMTown's metro station was initially slated to be. He spent the next few years developing the land and funding construction of a safehouse for him and his crew, before opening the top floor to the public as an English-style pub. One of his initial hires was Buckshot Betty, who he eventually took under his wing as his protege.
• Ruben and his crew remained active until his sudden disappearance in 2056. When he vanished, the property rights fell into the hands of Shane Eustace Lowe, an unprecedented move at the time. This caused what remained of the crew to go their separate ways.

• Current Owner: Shane Eustace Lowe
• This long-time rival of the legendary 'Greenfingers' is certainly laughing all the way to the bank today. Back when Lowe was the Major of the Bellevue Eastern District, Ruben was the primary thorn in his side, constantly taunting him, as Lowe and his security officers could never truly pin anything on the Gentleman Thief of Bellevue. In spite of essentially being the law in the neighbourhood in his time, rumours say that Lowe was definitely on the take. The rumours are not helped with Ruben's disappearance coincidentally lining up with Lowe's retirement and subsequent purchase of The Thief's Back Pocket for a rather hefty sum, no less. Foul play is most certainly the suspicion, but much like with 'Greenfigers' whole career, it cannot be proven.
• Lowe's overhaul of The Thief's Back Pocket alienated much of the existing clientele, and many of the staff at the time quit. In spite of this, the newly-renovated Back Pocket soon became a hit, bringing in a fresher atmosphere and a whole new customer-base. Lowe had inexplicably turned the place into a melting pot, where corpos and thugs can intermingle, as long as they do not cause too much trouble.
• Today Lowe is happy to just keep collecting cheques, as the business runs just fine without him. He can turn up on occasion, but for the most part these days he is just as likely to be found on a tropical beach somewhere sipping Mai Tais and learning how to dance the Hula.

• Bar Manager: Buckshot Betty
• Betty was hired on as a waitress at the pub the year it opened. She got along well with Ruben and the crew, and before long she became part of the family, with Ruben taking her under his wing. She was taught how to manage the bar and the other staff, and on occasion even joined the crew on some of their heists, being one of their most trusted. Today, she is the manager of the entire establishment, and acts as the filter between the staff and the current owner. She runs the day-to-day operations and puts out all the fires, and Lowe is none the wiser.
• Bar Staff:
• Jim (Bartender) - A bastard and a son of a bitch, don't trust this guy
• introduced
• Yust ''jazz'' John (Bartender) - A smooth younger man, awakened-Alchemist, does mostly bartending tricks

• Head Chef: Amir Patel
• Hired on as part of the pub's overhaul process, Amir the Hobgoblin was born and raised in London. He moved to Seattle after graduating from the London School of Culinary arts in 2044, working long hours at many different restaurants, slowly climbing the career ladder as he did so. By the time Lowe was hiring, Amir had enough experience to be hired on as the new head chef of The Thief's Back Pocket, helped by the fact that Patel is a genuine Londoner, and hopefully this would attract customers to the place.
• His menu is probably the best part of the entire Back Pocket experience, with it being the one thing giving the pub any amount of critical acclaim. This has gone to his head, with him believing that without him, the place would go under. Quite the source of contention between himself and Betty at times.
• Kitchen Staff:
• Paul Plyzinski (Sous Chef) - An ex-convict covered head to toe in tattoos, never ask him what he went to prison for.
• introduced

• Miscellaneous Staff:
• Gunther - Wardrobe attendant drone at the Back Pocket Lounge. A floating hunk of scrap who asks politely for guests entering the lounge to leave their weapons on the counter. Failure to comply may result in immediate loss of life and/or a revocation of membership (if applicable). Please follow his instructions.
• Lacey 'Blackarm' Kelso (Topside Bouncer) - A cybered up, longhaired, constantly pissed off ex-military ork woman who usually stands guard at the main doors on weekend nights when the pub gets especially busy. Has no tolerance for bullshit, and will throw people who make trouble on the top floor out (or downstairs, depending on situation.)
• Boot (Basement Bouncer) - Ork war veteran, is there to make sure that nothing truly bad goes on. Part time bouncer, part time shadowrunner. ((Player character, played by Lord_Redonkulous (Sam)))