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Somewhere, in what was once Eastern Europe… Xeniaburg - home sweet home! Yo whassup, my name is Felicks. Gregor wanted I should go round and talk to everyone. I know you've probably heard this talk a hundred times but, if not, Welcome to Xeniaburg. We're a little town to the north of The Twins, and to the west of Ixma. Where you come from a town might be a big open space. In these parts, a town is a single building. To the north is wasteland, to the west is some poo poo that nobody wants to look at. Some roads. Rust. Pylons. Mass graves.  The Twins - Don't go here uninvited! Uhhh what else? Sometimes it gets hot and the snow melts and it turns into a desert out there. Oh! And sometimes everyone has the same nightmares for a while and it sucks so bad that everyone stops sleeping. What else? What else? Oh, yeah! Sometimes wolves come in from outside and just stand in the hallway staring in one direction until they starve to death. It’s all kinds of hosed up here, man, but better than living in the big wide open.  Ixma - You don't want to be invited here! . . . . . ... So, tell me about yourself (character sheet and a little bio, a picture goes a long way too) You making friends here? (Tell me someone you like, and why) You staying out of trouble? (Tell me someone you do NOT like, and why)      Everyday citizens doing their thang! Couple of last things, bro: I like to know what I'm letting myself in for. Strangers are welcome, but let's keep things straight. There's a limited amount of space in Xeniaburg, and only one person can be the best at anything. (Most picks will probably be Core, but Limited Edition is good too. Only one of any playbook will be picked.) You want to be a loving monster, go live in a cave. Things are pretty tough here, but we at least try to keep everything as humane as possible. (Violence will happen. Sex may happen. Don't be overly graphic about either.) Remember, there are people like Gregor in charge here. Before you start beef, maybe think long and hard. Things get ugly quickly.(Alternative Harm Rules will be in use) I'll come looking for you real soon. You got any problems or questions, I'm living in the room with synIRC #Xeniaburg painted on the door. Come hang out some time (I'll be making picks pretty quickly, probably only a couple of days, depending on interest. Come chill in IRC - it'll count in your favor.) Submissions Tollymain's Faceless - Mister X Methane's Angel - Valentin. X Zachol's Savvyhead - Jessica X Poultrygeist's Operator - Leeli X Benny Profane's Brainer - Viktor X Ghostly Gangsta's Skinner - Hide X Vulpes Vulpes' Maestro D - Zelen X Error 44's Battlebabe - Magda X Mr. Prockosch's Gunlugger - Aleksei X AlanWatts' Hocus - Foka X Captain_Indigo fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 15:48
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I'm so down!
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Feb 15, 2015 16:14
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The warriors of old were powerful, people of action. Never flinched, never showed weakness. Professionals in all things, to the end. I am the last of their kind, the last Professional. People here don't quite understand what that means, think I'm just delusional gun for hire. Not worth the trouble of correcting. pre:
 Bastard The name is literal. Gregor's, unclaimed. Likes my clothes. Think he might be different from the rest of the inhabitants of this mudhole.  Gregor Glorified common thug. Done work for him, a professional has to eat. Still won't be displeased when some lieutenant decides to usurp him. Tollymain fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Feb 16, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 16:32
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Mister, the Faceless
Look
man, old business wear, blank eyes, wiry body
Stats
cool +1, hard +2, hot -1, sharp +1, weird =0
Gear
dusty gas mask
magnum (3-harm, close, reload, loud)
kevlar vest (1-armour)
broken wristwatch (1-barter)
Unmasked
When you don't have your face, you are (choose 2):
- Vulnerable. Whenever you suffer harm, you suffer +1harm.
- Ashamed. You have hard=0 until you cover your face again.
When someone sees you unmasked for the first time, they take s-harm, in
addition to anything else that happens.
Pit Bull
Whenever you take a debility, name the person you hold most
responsible. Take +1 ongoing to all rolls versus them, forever. (All rolls
with them directly as a target count, of course. Rolls against their family
and friends, minions, or property may count, in the MC’s judgment. MCs,
remember your job is to make Apocalypse World seem real and keep the
characters’ lives interesting, not deny the PCs bonuses.)
Rasputin
Shot, stabbed, and poisoned, you just keep coming. When you
are being scary as gently caress and coming at someone, you get +1-armor. You still
get shot and stabbed, bleeding just doesn’t bother you that much anymore.
Juggernaut
Take -2 on all “when you suffer harm” rolls.
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Valentin, the Angel In ages past, healers took sacred oaths as part of their training, swearing to never cause harm, but only heal. I have no patiance for such foolishness. I weigh my options, and should death be the preferable alternative, then so be it. When visiting my infirmary, remember these things; One. My patients are mine, until such a time they are fit to leave, or it is clear they never will. Two. My assistants are off limits, any stray hands will be kept in storage until needed. Three. What happens with any parts left over is none of your business. If you have any complaints, take it up with Gregor. I'm sure he'd be glad to give some of his time to talk it over. pre:
 Abigail, my assistant. She came with me when I had to leave my last place of residence. Her mother passed away in my care.  Lovisa, my second assistant She was brought into my care about a year ago, as near to death as anyone I've ever seen recover. As she recovered, she began helping out more and more. She has been very wary of the people here, but I have not pried into her circumstances.  Sparebone, a man of great mystery. When I first came to live here several years ago, I met a most fashinating man. When I first encountered him, I saw only the savage he appeared to be. But as time went on, I aquired a great deal of respect for him. While his manners left something to desire, he was quite knowledgable in the healing arts, and we soon struck up a friendship. He claimed to have begun seeing patterns in the strange dreams affecting the townsfolk, in the clouds as they swirled around particular spots in the desert, in the animal blood he poured on the stones. Had I not receved many truths from consulting him, I would have doubted, but one must be open to possibilities. He has been instructing me in his methods, and I am reasonably sure that I am nearing a breakthrough. There must be something I'm missing...  Drainpipe, a complete waste of flesh. Though me and Gregor have always had an amicable relationship, I must question his taste in employees if this is the kind of man he has in charge of even a small group of men. Rude, lazy, and entirely too self-important, he is from what I've seen, a man entirely without worth. He bosses the townsfolk around, I'm quite sure he steals from them, and I shudder to thank what would have happened had I not heard Abigail shouting at him and come running. He is since barred from the infirmary, and should he require aid, Gregor can come over here and tell me so himself. Had I a full bladder, and Drainpipe was burning on the floor in front of me, I would save my urine for a worthier cause. Sax Battler fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Feb 21, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 19:20
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Valentin, the Angel
Look
man, aged formal wear, haggard face, hard eyes, spare body
Stats
Cool+1 Hard+1 Hot=0 Sharp+2 Weird-1
Gear
Sawed-off (3-harm close reload messy)
Angel's kit (6-stock)
Set of gold teeth (1-barter)
Bulletproof vest (1-armor)
Infirmary
You get an infirmary, a workspace with life support, a drug lab and a crew of 2
(Abigail and Lovisa). Get patients into it and you can work on them like a
savvyhead on tech.
Sixth sense
When you open your brain to the world’s psychic maelstrom, roll+sharp instead of roll+weird.
History
Leeli Hx+0
Zelen Hx+0
Aleksei Hx-1
Foka Hx-1
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Looking good. Remember, tell me someone you like, and why, then tell me someone you do NOT like, and why. These people should be NPCs. This is your chance to tell me about the world and its inhabitants. Feel free to name more than one NPC in your explanation.
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Feb 15, 2015 19:38
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They never stripped the copper. I don't know why, it's like... gently caress, the whole building is still wired up. Somehow. I mean now, nobody cares, because they're idiots, but also because nobody buys copper anymore. I read about that, they had hungry people who would strip out the copper from old buildings and sell it for food, that's why most places only have little bits hidden in the walls, most of it torn out. But here? This place? It's still all there. All running in the walls, looping around, all connected to itself, one big loving antenna. I mean, gently caress, man. pre:Jessica the Savvyhead  Actually everyone just calls him Salt because that's his name. So, when I first came here, like a couple months ago or whatever, I didn't really know what was what, I've kind of always been an abrasive fuckup who can't watch her mouth, and after I bribed my way past the guards and started freaking out about how the wires that I thought I could feel hanging around the building actually were here like I thought, I ran into Salt. Salt's the guy who fixed things before I got here. Actually he still fixes most of the things, because I've got a reputation for breaking poo poo, because I don't know what I'm doing, and Salt does. Like, he actually knows mechanical engineering and stuff, deep, and he has a loving high-end lathe that's still calibrated right. Some poo poo he can't fix, things with circuit boards, later model radios and poo poo, so that falls on me. So I was mucking in the basement, losing my poo poo, and this guy comes over and asks what the gently caress I'm doing, since I'm by the generator that powers his lathe. I tell him to gently caress off, and say some poo poo about how the wiring's hosed that wasn't really right, but I just assumed he was an old protective fart who didn't really know what he was talking about and was conservative and worried about me breaking something he couldn't fix. He just stares at me, slaps me, and points away from the generator, and I kind of scurry away, shocked. I ask around, and it turns out Salt's the rear end in a top hat that keeps this whole place running. He's also responsible for what little copper stripping there has been, and I'm lucky as gently caress that he's decided to just leave most of it in the walls until he needs some instead of gathering it all in one place. He doesn't deal with weirdness. And, uh, since he knows how to fix stuff the right way, he can keep on like that as long as he pleases, because gently caress that is loving hardcore. I would give up a lot of poo poo to be on his good side, be his apprentice, y'know, learn some deep tech. Jim  Big Jimmy G to idiots who try to make stupid jokey nicknames once and never again, Jim to everyone else. Jim's my buddy. He's, uh, not really all there, worse even than Mitch, Andy or Norm. His head got fried by the weird once. But, now at least, he's got a connection, and can intuit poo poo. Like a canary in a coalmine, he knows when things are going to go real bad, long before I get a feeling myself. Plus, he's got the knack with machines like I do, just a little bit. Stuff works in his hands. Also he's a mute. So, uh, there's that. I mean I think he's my buddy, he follows me around and does what I says, but I have never seen the fucker smile or really do anything without being told, just get twitchy before a storm. Before I got here, Jim and the other three were the ones who cobbled together poo poo that Salt couldn't get running. None of the other three really have the knack that well, they were just sort of Jim's handlers and parts runners. Mitch used to learn from Salt but he got pissed sometime a while back and kicked Mitch out. Andy and Norm just kind of hang out, picked some things up from Mitch and Jim by osmosis. Also Norm is the designated guy who keeps the well pump running and clean, since like five years ago, and everyone likes him. Which is good, I guess, kind of helps keep the heat off me when I gently caress up. Also he's a pretty chill and nice guy, relaxed. zachol fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Feb 15, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 19:50
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Woman; scrounger wear plus tech
plain face, appraising eyes, slight body
Cool=0 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird+2
Gear
zip gun (2-harm close reload loud)
drywall saw (2-harm hand)
old busted up flak jacket (1-armor)
oddments 3-barter
Bonefeel - at the beginning of a session, roll+weird.
On a 10+, hold 1+1. On a 7-9, hold 1. At any time, either
you or the MC can spend hold to have you already be there
with proper tools and knowledge without explanation.
On a 1+1, take +1forward. On a miss, the MC holds 1, and
can spend it to have you already there but trapped.
Reality's Fraying Edge - the complex's wiring grants +augury.
Workspace - The complex contains
- a junkyard of raw materials
- weird-rear end electronica
- skilled labor (Mitch, Jim, Andy, Norm)
and can be used as a workspace ("sure no problem but...")
Augury - When you use your workspace for augury, roll+weird.
On a hit, choose 1:
- reach through the maelstrom to something/one connected to it
- isolate and protect something/one from the maelstrom
- isolate and contain a fragment of the maelstrom
- insert information into the maelstrom
- open a window into the maelstrom
By default, this lasts only while maintained, reaches shallowly
and locally, and bleeds instability. On a 10+ 2; on a 7-9 1 of:
- it'll persist without maintenance
- it reaches deeply into the maelstrom
- it reaches broadly over the maelstrom
- it's stable and contained, no bleeding
On a miss, whatever bad happens, your antenna takes the brunt.
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Leeli, the Operator Oh heya Felicks, good to see you still walkin' the beat after that raider nastiness. Not to be a bitch about it, but Gregor really shouldn’t have tried to squeeze us out of guard detail. Ya gets whats you pay for, just sucks that everyone else had to deal with it. Nah, I don’t hold a grudge. My own father didn’t give me the biz since I’m a girl, I’m used to it. Father and Grandfather had built up the family reputation so much, when I was the only child to survive they were horrified. Its just a thing, ya know. People think I can’t hold my contracts ‘cause I’m a ‘weak woman’, and then they’re all gratitude when I swoop in and pull their asses out of the fire. Iza  Not that I would have left you guys to burn, I got friends here and Iza would never have forgiven me. Her and her little bar on 3-west have been the closest I’ve had to a home in along time, I intend to treasure that. 9-Ball  Speaking of Iza’s, can you do something about that little Friz-freak 9-Ball? He and his little druggie buddies have been hassling 3-west, and people are starting to get hurt. I could take care of it myself, but I know Gregor doesn’t like people making GBS threads where he eats. Well, I gotta go Felicks. Lexxi’s got a lead on some prime scrap, maybe we can finally get water pressure back up to 5. Later my man. quote:Leeli, the Operator PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Mar 22, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 21:26
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Lexxi: tunnel girl of unknown age, knows the secret places
Torque: Giant dude, knows alot of ways to hurt people
Magda Old lady, keen eye and quick trigger finger
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Some nice dudes coming in, like what I'm seeing so far. Just remember, Eastern European setting means Eastern European names. Naming people after things is fine, we'll presume it's a translation, but names like Jim should probably be Jakub.
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Feb 15, 2015 23:11
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In another life, Viktor swore an oath to do no harm. He set that oath aside many years ago. A gatherer of secrets and seeker of deep knowledge, Viktor sees little separating the people of Xeniaburg from its cockroaches: crude assemblies of cells, chemically stimulated into inherently predictable behaviors. He remembers the day that he realized this, that he truly came to understand his human condition; he felt like Gregor Samsa, who woke one day in the form of a bug and remain trapped as such forever. But unlike Samsa, Viktor believes he can escape, and that the key to his cell can be found encoded in the minds that come beneath his scalpel.pre:Viktor the Brainer Luisa is one of the regulars. An icy woman with a scarred face with rough, calloused knuckles. Viktor has always assumed that she is one of Gregor’s people, although she has never said as much directly. But she knocks on the door, knocks at all hours, always with an unconscious body, beaten and bloody. “Find out what they know,” she always says. She pays well, and Viktor knows better than to ask questions. Jakob In Viktor’s line of work, certain reagents are of special utility in concocting chemical coercion agents. Unfortunately, these chemicals are not without their recreational applications, and this creates shortages that interfere with Viktor’s work. Jakob is a chemist in Xeniaburg with a diverse clientele, and as his business has grown, Viktor’s has faltered. Viktor is a patient man. Jakob has not made many mistakes yet, but this cannot last. Profane Accessory fucked around with this message at 02:29 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 23:14
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Man, clinical wear, pale face, soft eyes, awkward angular body
Cool+1 Hard+1 Hot-2 Sharp+1 Weird+2
Gear
scalpels (3-harm intimate hi-tech)
violation glove (hand hi-tech)
receptivity drugs (tag hi-tech)
oddments worth 5-barter
Moves
Deep brain scan: when you have time and physical intimacy with
someone — mutual intimacy like holding them in your arms, or 1-sided
intimacy like they’re restrained to a table — you can read them more deeply than normal.
Roll+weird. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. While you’re reading them, spend your hold
to ask their player questions, 1 for 1:
• what was your character’s lowest moment?
• for what does your character crave forgiveness, and of whom?
• what are your character’s secret pains?
• in what ways are your character’s mind and soul vulnerable?
On a miss, you inflict 1-harm (ap) upon your subject, to no benefit.
In-brain puppet strings: when you have time and physical intimacy with someone —
again, mutual or 1-sided — you can plant a command inside their mind. Roll+weird. On a
10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. At your will, no matter the circumstances, you can spend
your hold 1 for 1:
• inflict 1-harm (ap)
• they take -1 right now
If they fulfill your command, that counts for all your remaining hold. On a miss, you inflict
1-harm (ap) upon your subject, to no benefit.
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Will be apping a Maestro D' as soon as I can find the right picture.
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Feb 15, 2015 23:20
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Thinking I'll app a battlebabe, maybe.
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Feb 15, 2015 23:41
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updated with npcs.
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Feb 16, 2015 03:43
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Actually, how do you feel about supernatural ish elements, because if you are I may do a Chopper
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Feb 16, 2015 03:49
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'Xeniaburg appears like a mirage, a palace jutting out of an otherwise desecrated and poo poo-stained landscape. That's why I'm going there.' Hide tells his lover Dawn, pointing across the horizon at the building. 'What will become of me then? Are you just leaving me here with these roaming brutes?' Hide takes the woman's hand and stares into her eyes, his invisible talons spreading false certainty throughout her will. 'You'll be better off with them. Our time together was sweet, but it's at its end. There is a place for me there, and your place is here.' He lets go of her hand and turns away, looking back at her one more time before setting off towards Xeniaburg. 'Too easy.' he mutters under his breath before donning his horned helmet. Sarcastic, self-centered and confidently delusional Hide is out to take his piece of what was left of the world. It had been months since he last took up roots anywhere, but Xeniaburg appealed to the arrogant youth. pre:Hide the Skinner  A strange fellow, but a charmer with some elaborate ink on him. I don't think he can actually see the future, but he's a capable conversationalist and quicker-witted than he appears. Vermin  Honestly, I don't know why anyone would want to associate with this... guy? woman? person? gently caress if I know. Perpetually swathed in a thin layer of smog and seemingly connected with some dirty looking devouts, probably junkies. I don't trust him, and frankly, I'm unnerved by his presence. Seems like he's been a bit too interested in my being here. Anomalous Amalgam fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Feb 16, 2015 |
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Feb 16, 2015 03:52
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Androgyne, Showy Scrounge Wear, Beautiful Face,
Arresting Eyes, Steady Hands, young Body
Cool: 0 Hard: 0 Hot: +2 Sharp: 0 Weird: +1
Gear
Ornate Dagger (2-harm hand valuable)
Antique Coins (worn valuable)
Long Gorgeous Coat (worn valuable)
Oddments worth 1-barter
Dressed in various animal skins and furs
Moves
An Arresting Skinner: When you remove a piece of
clothing, your own or someone else's, no one who can
see you can do anything but watch. You command their
absolute attention. If you choose, you can exempt
individual people, by name.
Hypnotic: When you have time and solitude with
someone, they become fixated upon you. Roll+hot. On
a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. They can spend your hold,
1 for 1, by:
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Interested. Possibly dropping a gunlugger up in here.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:52
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Thanks to Tolly for the original inspiration! (totes stealing lilith's concept  ) Luka Novak - The Terror of the Black Forest, Alpha of the Xeniaberg Werewolf Pack (Chopper) have a theme song quote:After the Apocalypse, strange diseases have been popping up all across the land. Including several thought to be mythical in nature. The Lycanthrope infection is brutal; mind-altering delerium, aggression beyond madness, along with the infamous drastic physical changes that the victim undergoes. Leaving behind a mostly mindless monster uncontrollably rampaging through the wilds and infecting or killing anyone they can find. Like a giant, hyper violent, tantruming child with fur. It's not common knowledge, but for the vast majority of werewolves, the capacity to actually think, plan, or hold a conversation is like a goddamn superpower. I'm what you might call an Alpha, I caught Lycanthropy, but it didn't leave me drooling, instead it made me stronger. So really, you should be happy I'm around to ride herd on the rest of these dumb bastards, better the monster you know, right? heh. Don't think of it as a threat, think of it as protection. Reasonably priced. My boys and I help guard Xeniaberg from various nasties, or raid some other fuckers and bring back the good stuff, and Gregor's been letting my pack and I use the basement as a crash space. Cheer up, it's a win-win situation, give or take the odd noise complaint or two. quote:Name: Luka Novak quote:ALPHA WEREWOLF MOVES:
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Feb 16, 2015 09:04
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Looking good guys. Error 404, I actually really like the concept, but I don't think it really fits with the idea I have for the game. It's up to you whether you want to try re-skinning it to something less supernatural, leave it as it is, or apply with something totally different. Don't worry about reskinning your bike to be more indoors friendly - a chopper can spend a lot of time outside and opening the world up a bit. Plus, the halls and stairwells in Xeniaburg are real wide.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:12
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Captain_Indigo posted:Looking good guys. Ok, I'll get sonething else written up tonight.
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Feb 16, 2015 15:26
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Long recruitments suck, deadline is going to be ~about~ 36 hours. There's a lot of work in Xeniaburg for someone with a gun and the hards to use it. Sometimes, though, its not about being hard, its about being cool. Mister, tell me about a time you solved a problem by stilling your hand rather than letting loose. Old time doctors said the hardest part of the job was having to make split-second decisions that could affect lives, especially when it looked like all the choices were bad. Valentin, what are you going to do about Gregor's neice? She's a 39er, and if you do the work for her, you're technically helping the 39ers instead of Gregor's gang. You ignore her, the big man might take that as a slight - she's family, after all. Things break and need putting back together again all the time. It's great work for a savvyhead like you, Jessica. But why don't you tell me about something broken that you couldn't fix. Something not made out of wires and plastic and metal. The world is falling apart, and sometimes it seems like Xeniaburg is leading the way. The world needs people like you, Leeli, doing the oddjobs here and there to let the specialists be specialists. You've got your health, your gun, your friends, some brews, what more could you want? No seriously, what more could you want? The human mind is a very very large map, and it takes a certain type of person to navigate it, wouldn't you agree, Viktor? Sure, you're an expert at reading people when they're strapped down to your chair and dosed up or down with whatever you have to spare - but who is someone you've always wanted to pry into, but never had the chance to? There have been kind of like you since man first stuck roots into the ground and stopped roaming, Hide. Sure, civilization is great, but why would you want to be part of it when you can just pop in once in a while and reap the benefits, right? So tell me, how come you've chosen to settle down for a while right now?
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Feb 16, 2015 23:58
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Captain_Indigo posted:The world is falling apart, and sometimes it seems like Xeniaburg is leading the way. The world needs people like you, Leeli, doing the oddjobs here and there to let the specialists be specialists. You've got your health, your gun, your friends, some brews, what more could you want? No seriously, what more could you want? *sigh* I could give you some bullshit about a heap of jingle and a boy to shine my boots, but you know me well enough to know that's a load of crap. I... I want motherfucking stability. I want to be able to go out on a gig and know that Iza and the rest of the jokers will be there when I get back. I want to know that Magda will be able to put her feet up somewhere safe once the arthritis gets too bad, that Lexxi will be able to settle down with a nice... person at some point. I want to be able to look Father in the eyes and say 'See Papa? These are my people, and I've done well by them!' I want Iza to answer 'Yes!' if I ever dare ask the question. *ahem* But as you say, the world is going to poo poo, so all that's just the dreams of a child. So I think I'll settle for making my little part of it less lovely than the rest. Soooo, another round? On me?
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Feb 17, 2015 00:38
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Captain_Indigo posted:Things break and need putting back together again all the time. It's great work for a savvyhead like you, Jessica. But why don't you tell me about something broken that you couldn't fix. Something not made out of wires and plastic and metal. Alright, don't repeat this story. Like seriously. So I got here a couple months ago, right? Well, there's a reason I wasn't staying at the place where I was staying at for the past, like, couple five, six years (the reason about the place before that wasn't my fault, that place just blew up on its own without my help and I was a kid anyway). So this place, let's just call it Scraptown because I don't actually trust you enough, but in Scraptown, you basically had the scroungers and the merchants, on account of neighboring Richsburg (also not the real name). Scraptown and Richsburg have like a parasitic relationship, because Richsburg is this fancy old military base that's still semi-functional and, at least according to them, the continuation of the old government and legitimate law of the land. The people there are the kind of rich that transcends high luxe, the kind of rich that rolls over into austerity and shine. Stainless. I been there once, it was loving beautiful. Anyway, point is, scientists in Richsburg still need scrap, because even they can't lay down new circuit boards fresh. Scientists pay real drat well to the merchants, in poo poo like gas and fresh gunpowder and machined parts, and the merchants pay the scroungers in food. The better merchants get a good eye for what's good board material and other rare and useful scrap, and then so do the scroungers. I, of course, was a scrounger, on account of having the knack and of being an outsider whose dad had to beg for admittance those five-six years ago. I'd comb the landfills, massive swaths of old broken phones, busted tvs, junk on junk on junk, shattered glass and twisted plastic like the hell for tech that had committed the most mortal sin of obsolescence. Years had already passed while scroungers like me had picked it over, so there was lots of digging, and in these years you'd have to have a real good eye and a real good feel to get anywhere, at least in the sections they'd let some skinny no-name girl with no backing look. So, setting the scene, there's me, the scrounger, and then there's Alexi, the merchant, and then there's Marrich, another merchant, and she's rounging in on Alexi's business. Alexi had bought from me for years, knew I had a good knack, and had been promising me he'd give me backing to start picking over the thicker patches with better scrap. This would be a big deal, for him and for me, and especially for him a big risk, since you can't just go giving everyone your backing. There's all this poo poo with shares and fortunes and dividing up the pie and the tragedy of the commons and blah blah blah, but basically the point was that Alexi was going to have a new share, so instead of having to give a different scrounger the boot to grant me backing (which neither he nor I were really that keen on, good way to make an enemy), he was going to have an all-new share to grant to me for backing. Now, Marrich is new in town. Like, newer than me even. She bought her way in with some real fresh high grade scrap in from a different town, she used to run a convoy but sold her share in that to settle in Scraptown. So, she's a good trader, good business sense, and she's got a good buy-in, which back two years ago got her a share and trading rights, but she's been straining at those limits, right? Always hitting her quota, stockpiling, flitting from one scrounger to another, acting like a shark. The new share that's going to get allocated, that everyone expects to go to Alexi, on account of some seniority issues, well she's got her eye on it, and she's been around long enough to know the straight rules but not long enough to know when there's some rules that are unspoken and still pretty strict. Like, don't gently caress with seniority. But, she wants to anyway, and there's a way to jump the line essentially, get a really good haul, like dramatically good, and she comes to me and says she'll give me her backing for a week and, if I can land this line-jumping placement, and me like an idiot says sure, I'll give it a shot. Long story short, I landed the haul of the loving decade. gently caress, if you talk about single-person runs in just a week, probably the best haul ever since Scraptown and hauls have been things at all. Marrich is thrilled, the council and the scientists over in Richsburg are ecstatic, it solves like three of their problems at once, and Marrich lands that new share, and Alexi is out for poo poo. Couple things happen in rapid succession. First, Marrich, who I guess thought what I did was a lucky fluke and had her eye on a full spread of two other scroungers from the start, laughs me out of her shop. Even if I was in her good graces, she doesn't have poo poo for reach, nobody likes or depends on her, so she couldn't have lent me help. Alexi doesn't say anything publicly, but everyone knows what I've done, what it cost him, and that Marrich isn't backing me. Even if I had any friends, they'd be avoiding me like a pile of dogshit because anyone helping me will get reamed by Alexi. I use up what little scratch I'd saved up, get hungry, go out and find some scrap, approach Alexi's shop. He just shows up at the door, stares at me, stares at the console thing in my hands, then slams the door. A day later, I'm walking through some streets kind of nearby, and a bunch of these younger shits who I used to run with just kind of show up and glare menacingly, so I head off the other way, and get a vibe that I'm going to get jumped if I stick around that territory much longer. Now, in retrospect, I think, think, that I could've maybe fixed the situation by approaching some third merchant, and one of them would've probably still been impressed enough by that haul I'd pulled to risk pissing off Alexi by taking me in. Or, I could've just sneaked around, stolen some extra food, and then snuck out and found my way here. Then, at least, I'd feel a little more comfortable actually using the right names and giving more concrete details. Instead what I did was blow up Alexi's shop. I'm a little hot-headed, and I'd been sitting on a loving wad of plastic for months now, knowing that it might actually end bad to bring it directly to a merchant. It travels up the chain poorly, guys in Richsburg already have all the plastic they need and don't like the idea of us "civilians" having it too. The catalyst was spotting some loving blasting caps when I'd gone near Alexi's shop again. I was going to filch some stuff to take on my grand adventure out, food and whatever, and had the plastic with me since it was still loving valuable and I was going to be leaving directly, and there were some loving blasting caps sitting right there for whatever reason and, well, I don't make good decisions.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:24
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Zelen, the Maestro D'. "Hello friends, hello and be welcome. Would you like tea? Something to eat? Please, please, be seated and enjoy something. The pictures on the wall? I am pleased that you like them! I have curated every one, each picture from the Old Days placed for maximum R&R, yes? Believe me when I tell you that there is no finer place for maximum R&R as the Flower Shop!" Zelen, owner of the Flower Shop quote:The Flower Shop quote:
Vulpes Vulpes fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Feb 21, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 03:56
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Captain_Indigo posted:There have been kind of like you since man first stuck roots into the ground and stopped roaming, Hide. Sure, civilization is great, but why would you want to be part of it when you can just pop in once in a while and reap the benefits, right? So tell me, how come you've chosen to settle down for a while right now? Hide shifted a pristine glass, halfway filled with aromatic liqueur in his hands until the light above shone through it. An orange ray was cast across Hide's face. He leaned in towards Dominic almost with an aura from the light. "Frankly put, I'm an opportunist... or at least I like to believe I am. Maybe I go with that fumbling feeling deep down in the pit of my gut that says, 'Hide my man, this is fuckin' it. The people here want what you got whether they know it or not, and the fruit is ripe for the pickin'.' something like that. You make it seem so simple what it is I do, bastard." He drinks the beverage slowly, not breaking eye contact with his new friend. "People always want something, and it's my job to make them realize that whatever it is I have. Make them believe that if they hold on just long enough to glitzy stream of bullshit coming from my mouth that maybe there is hope for dreams a, b and c, or some decadent display, or another shiny rock pulled from the wreckage. The honest, unadulterated truth though is that I'm looking for that same thing. The almighty IT, and Xeniaburg looks like the start of the next chapter in Hide here's life." Hide planted the glass firmly on the table and leaned back in his chair hooking one leg over the other. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. "No matter where you go, you'll eventually run out of tricks. People will catch on and that's usually when it's time to move along, but I've been looking at the wrong picture, Dom. I've never been in a place like this. A place where a guy could really make a name for himself. Not have to worry so much about the necessities. Where he could put that energy to better uses, more lucrative and enjoyable uses..." He stands up and walks around the table towards Dominic, planting his hand on his shoulder as he perused the assorted wares of the so-called clairvoyant. "...that's probably all just bullshit too. The real truth is that I can't help who I am and what I want, meaning, I want it all. Getting my way once, twice, or occasionally just doesn't cut it. I have to stay satisfied. Gotta' stay fulfilled that's why I'll stay here as long as I can. Get as much use out of this place lest it get me. Then when my time is done, it's done. So how long you think I got Mr. Soothsayer?"
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Feb 17, 2015 05:11
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ROUND 2 CAPTAIN INDIGO! Magda Karofsky - Battlebabe have a theme song Life's not cheap, but it is competitively priced. You wanna buy my talents? put up a stack or keep walkin. It's the only truth left anymore. Regimes fall, faces change, and people die. gently caress, I've killed more than my share of them. But diamonds are a girl's best friend... quote:Name: Magda Karofsky quote:BATTLEBABE MOVES:
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Feb 17, 2015 07:39
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“I once killed a man for a moldy loaf of bread. I would prefer to kill men for more. I know I would kill for less. Those were bad times. I was young then. And foolish. If I was so hungry I would kill, why did I not eat the man? I had to kill another man soon after, because I did not properly use the meat of the first. I will not make such a mistake again. I liked Viktor.” Aleksei is a newcomer to Xeniaburg. He comes from the west, a place that was a lot worse than here. He doesn’t like to talk about the west. He’s a quiet, practical, hard man. He speaks with a heavy accent, but his comprehension is good. He got a job working for Gregor. He doesn’t seem to mind it. He doesn’t seem to mind much at all. quote:Aleksei The Gunlugger Friends & Enemies This is a good place. I make many friends here. Some I like more than others. I would prefer that everyone lives in peace and plenty. The world does not seem responsive to my preferences, so I made a list. I keep this list in my head. It is a list, where if I have to choose which one will live and which will die, I will just go to the list and I will see who is higher. I do not share this list, it is my list, and it may make people angry if they know they are at the bottom. I will tell you a person who is high on the list and a person who is low. Anastasia  I like this woman. She is very pretty. All must be tough to live this long in our world, but she is also pretty. This is a rare thing. Sometimes, she is not so nice. But that is a normal thing, so I forgive it. Bohuslav  This man, he is not a good man. He has taken things before. Gregor had me break his fingers for this, but still we allow him to stay. Gregor says he is useful, he knows traders from far away. I say that makes those traders very useful, but he, he is not so useful. I say we have him tell us the things he knows, and then we kill him. Times are good, so we bury the body in the garden and have better crops this year. But Gregor is the boss, and I am not a good leader. I know this. So I watch Bohuslav.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:01
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Even in these dark days, civilization is important, right Zelen? Without a little bit of culture, the world falls apart even quicker. So then, in this cultured little world of yours, how come you lost an eye? The world is in a constant state of entropy. Like you say, things shift and change and topple and grow. No way of knowing what world you'll wake up to tomorrow. So tell me, Magda, WHERE do you wake up each morning? Things out west are crazy bad, and now you've come east and found things to be a little better. Tell me, Aleksei, what was the final straw that made you decide that you were better off making a move?
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Feb 17, 2015 12:38
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Captain_Indigo posted:Even in these dark days, civilization is important, right Zelen? Without a little bit of culture, the world falls apart even quicker. So then, in this cultured little world of yours, how come you lost an eye? "How do you think I came to appreciate civility? Before I came to Xeniaburg to open the Flower Shop, I lived in The Twins. I was a much different man there. A much younger, much worse man, by all accounts. I had no Flower Shop, no pictures on the walls then. Only this knife. And when the only tool you have is a knife, you start looking for things to cut, you understand? So I cut, and cut and cut. And, in turn, I got cut myself, losing my eye. After that, I decided to leave the Twins. I came to Xeniaburg, where I opened my Flower Shop, and put my pictures on the walls. I concerned myself with maximum R&R. But I kept the knife. Because even in a state of civility, there will always be need of cutting."
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Feb 17, 2015 13:18
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Captain_Indigo posted:The world is in a constant state of entropy. Like you say, things shift and change and topple and grow. No way of knowing what world you'll wake up to tomorrow. So tell me, Magda, WHERE do you wake up each morning? A good question. I haven't been picky in the past, waking up under abandoned overpasses or in strangers' beds alike. But lately I've been solitary by preference, waking up in a modest room here in Xeniaberg, first floor, plenty of exits. It's been alright, I know as soon as I pick up Wolf's trail again I'll be off. Of course once that fucker's cold, I might just settle down here, maybe even wrangle an invite to the Twins...
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Feb 17, 2015 15:38
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Foka, the Hocus You smell it, the smell of rotten meat, the flashes of words and words and words and words and words and names and names and numbers. The sound of bells and bones and boxes and boars and bloody hell get this loving racket out of my head. You can see it, the plateau that this used to be stretched thin over the crooked concrete teeth that pierce the gum of this illusion and cause fountains of regret to gush forth like blood. For just a second you can almost see it. For just a second you can almost see it... For just a second you can almost see it past the walking wight glowing so white past the hallway. For just a second you almost forget that this happens every drat day, that this haunts you every drat day and will haunt you until you take that gun or that ice pick and just jam it to where all those people can't follow you, all those dreams can't claw at your chest and make you wonder if living is even worth it anymore if all it does is end up like this. And then it's gone. And then you really start to wonder why the gently caress you drank that last bit of vodka a few minutes ago and not now. Foka is a bastard. He always was, always will be until the day someone takes a swing at his head hard enough to make him forget who he is in the first place, and probably not even then. Doesn't really matter though, when you're from around Ixma you're lucky to be just a bastard. Hell, he's lucky he's not insane at this rate. Ever since he can remember, he's got linked directly to the hosed Up poo poo Upstairs, the grand cosmic joke that caused humanity to shoot itself in the collective foot. Every day he's haunted, little patchwork collections of whatever poor beings he has come across whispering in his ear, reminding him of how they used to live, or how they used to mock living. Makes a man surly as poo poo, I'll tell ya. At least he knows enough about it to tell others how to handle it, even if only for a second or two. It's about the only thing that's kept him alive most days, and not strung out for the useless waste of food he really is. Doesn't help that now he's wizened up and gotten himself his own portable mob. Hell, after all those times he got an entire town on his rear end, you'd think he'd have found one sooner. Or rather, you'd think one had found him sooner. But now we have to deal with the lot of them. Whatever The gently caress God Is Now, help us all. quote:Cool=0 Hard+1 Hot-1 Sharp+1 Weird+2 quote:Followers Members of Foka's "Scene" Tank Girl  Feisty little poo poo. First person to tag along with me in the first place that didn't just die off like a fly. I never did catch her real name, never thought to ask. I might've heard it once, but I was too busy holding onto the fickle bitch of consciousness to really pay much attention, and she didn't quite seem to like it anyways. Got me in and out of more scraps than I'd care to admit or be a part of, but hell, she's a good girl. To be honest, I like her a lot. Sometimes I even get all soft and wish I could sit down and have a chat with her, get to know her better. Like figure out what the hell is the deal with that arm of hers that she lost. Said she had to eat it herself, but I can tell that's bullshit. Didn't bother asking her the real reason. Figure she'll tell me in her own time. Bone-Carver  This lady scares me. I think the fact that her name is "Bone-Carver" ought to be an apt enough description. ------ Residents of Xeniaburg Nikita  Normally I don't take kindly to "artistes"; usually they're just assholes with a little extra crazy and a whole lot of delusion of grandeur to do bloody anything with. This guy though, this guy isn't half bad. Doesn't hurt that he passed a joint my way the first time I stumbled across him, and saw how good he was with a barber's razor the second time. Some dumb bastard made him slip a little, got a nasty gash on my face because of it, but hell, you should see the other guy now. drat, but he's cold with that razor. Makes me almost want him to join up. Nah, he's far too comfortable here as it is. Besides, he's been tamed by the place, kept his nose clean of the hosed Up poo poo, and it's kept him sane enough to keep his ear to the ground. "Father Grey"   ...YOU!!! You absolute FUCKER!!! You are supposed to be dead. I should know, I bloody saw you get shanked myself! But here you are again, after having found another hole to crawl into and fester with your petulant, manipulative, corrupting maggot-infested horseshit. Oh don't worry, I see you pretending like you don't know me, pretending like you don't loving remember what you did to that one town past the Twins. Sure, keep up that good Devout Orthodox act, just don't be surprised if I get the whole bloody apartment to burn you at the stake when it comes to Round 2...you loving owe me that much.
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Feb 17, 2015 18:31
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Captain_Indigo posted:Things out west are crazy bad, and now you've come east and found things to be a little better. Tell me, Aleksei, what was the final straw that made you decide that you were better off making a move? Why do I go from bad place to better place? Ah, I see. Always you want to hear of bad place, yes? It makes you feel better about this place. In the West. The bombs. The land. It is not as it should be. It is not as we were told it would be. We expected death and decay and poison in the earth. We got these things. But we did not know the land could hate. There, they do not say that the East is good, that it is better. They say that all places are the worst. That all places hate us. If there was hope... Hope kills. Those with hope, they are gone. But they also say, in the East, the land is dead. And I think, 'the dead do not hate'. This I know. The dead do not hate. I come here, and I find that the land is not dead, only tired. But it is too tired to be more than, how you say, irritated. It is much better. Oh. This is not good enough? You want to know the event that caused my leaving? I just had nothing left. No reason to stay. So I picked a place, and I walked to that place. Aleksei stares into space I am not a good leader.
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Feb 17, 2015 19:57
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Captain_Indigo posted:There's a lot of work in Xeniaburg for someone with a gun and the hards to use it. Sometimes, though, its not about being hard, its about being cool. Mister, tell me about a time you solved a problem by stilling your hand rather than letting loose. Vodnik rules the flooded basement. If he pays "rent", Gregor doesn't care. Vodnik got it into his head to hire me on as a bodyguard and try pick a fight. Hit him over the head and dragged him back downstairs. Kept him from getting himself killed. He didn't feel that way. Didn't get paid, but my reputation was only a little diminished. People still fear me, people still hire me. Vodnik's not been able to repeat the attempt.
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Feb 17, 2015 20:15
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Captain_Indigo posted:The human mind is a very very large map, and it takes a certain type of person to navigate it, wouldn't you agree, Viktor? Sure, you're an expert at reading people when they're strapped down to your chair and dosed up or down with whatever you have to spare - but who is someone you've always wanted to pry into, but never had the chance to? Viktor's prying into the minds of others, on account of its regrettably invasive nature, has on occasion led to permanent mental trauma. Naturally, this makes many people uncomfortable around Viktor, reluctant to share the workings of their minds, and thus Viktor has had to become somewhat opportunistic in his studies, preying on the unaware and physically weak. Viktor is curious about many of the inhabitants of Xeniaburg, but he reserves special interest for Kasia. She came to Xeniaburg from the East, passing through. She gave just enough respect to Gregor while she stayed in the area, but clearly had no interest in submitting to his will or offering her services. She left a couple days after she arrived, traveling further west, despite being told that there was nothing to be found out in that direction. She returned two weeks later, neither starving nor hurt, but her mind had changed. Something had happened to her out there in the wastes, something that changed her nature. She sits in silence, most days, and will not suffer others to get close to her. When she came back, Ivan brought her food and tried to wrap her in a blanket, but Kasia lashed out at him and broke his jaw. Viktor is almost desperate to probe her mind, to find out what it is that broke her mind, but he is forcing himself to wait for the right opportunity.
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Feb 17, 2015 20:22
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Captain_Indigo posted:
What do you mean? If she can pay for my services, she is no better or worse than any other. Gregor has priority, because he pays me for priority, and the last I heard, him and the 39ers were on relatively good terms. I might have to send him a message though. I'm running out of viable places to which to relocate. I really don't understand the question, but you aren't answering on IRC, so.
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Feb 17, 2015 20:29
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Viktor, let me be more specific. I know Irina's been asking you for something, even if I don't know what. The 39ers and Gregor's Gang are going okay, but they are still rival gangs. Irina is a 39er, but she's also Gregor's niece. Gregor might not like you stitching people up who might kill his dudes one day, but he also won't like it if you disrespect his niece. It's a catch 22 man. What's your plan. Sorry if it's not clear. Make up whatever details you need to in order to make it work. If it still doesn't work for you let me know and I'll give you a new one  Having lots of friends is real important Foka, tell me about a time you've had to kick some rear end inside your own ranks.
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Feb 17, 2015 20:46
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Captain_Indigo posted:Viktor, let me be more specific. I know Irina's been asking you for something, even if I don't know what. The 39ers and Gregor's Gang are going okay, but they are still rival gangs. Irina is a 39er, but she's also Gregor's niece. Gregor might not like you stitching people up who might kill his dudes one day, but he also won't like it if you disrespect his niece. It's a catch 22 man. What's your plan. I see. Well, as he has not specifically forbidden me from taking patients from that gang, I will simply plead ignorance if anyone complains about it. I believe I have built up enough goodwill that they will not do anything too drastic without me hearing about it first. Should it come to that, building up a rapport with the 39ers couldn't hurt though, and I can move most of my equipment on relatively short notice. Besides, if I start refusing service purely out of fear, it will be seen as weakness, and that is not something I can afford. Just ask Spitshine, I hear he used to be quite a fighter, before Carver Olga got her hands on him. Hard to believe, when you see him slinking through the halls on some errand for her. Now people can't even remember what he used to be called.
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Feb 17, 2015 21:26
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-nothing to see here- Edit: About 9 hours until end of recruitment. Get them in. Captain_Indigo fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 01:27
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Recruitment ended. Picks and thread will be up shortly.
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Feb 18, 2015 11:04
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Important People Valentin, the Angel Leeli, the Operator Zelen, the Maestro D Aleksei, the Gunlugger Foka, the Hocus The rest? Well they may well turn up someday. Thanks for the apps. Sorry to those who didn't get in. Thread is up Captain_Indigo fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 12:29
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Captain_Indigo posted:Important People Just to be sure, you mean Zelen, right?
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Feb 18, 2015 12:44
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Yes I do.
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Feb 18, 2015 12:46
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