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Personal Prep: 1 / Cash: 0 "A strapping cowpoke like yourself offering? How could little old me resist an offer like that?" Tsukino slides next to Lewis, then whispers, "Though maybe it would be better if there wasn't quite so much company?" She waits patiently for Lewis to get rid of his goons and get her a drink ("Two fingers of whiskey, neat, hon") and then, well, there's just the small matter of getting what they want to get out of him out of him. Ideally without having to spend too much time in her texasona. That drawl will be following her for weeks if she lets it stick too long, and clearly faux-Texan is not in this year. The witty repartee is truly embarrassing, on both sides, but at least Tsukino can play it off like she's just doing this to get the deets on why New Barons are so interested in Reg. Lewis is just living that life 24/7. After a carefully crafted series of overly Texan anecdotes to really sell her rustlin' cred, Tsukino takes a big pull of whiskey and then shoots for the prize. "So, hon, what's a bigshot like you doin' in this part of town? Space Town ain't exactly the hottest spot in this district, let alone the station proper." The trick with guys like Lewis is to just... let them jabber on about how cool they are, really. A careful poke and prod here and there to keep him on the right track, towards Reg, and he should be spilling his life story. Nothing she hasn't done a dozen times in her legit career, though admittedly never while cosplaying a Texan. First time for everything, right? --- 'a friendly interrogation over drinks (+2 clever, +1 gift of gab, +1 an actual lawyer, trendy wardrobe, friendly mood)', 14 ⟵ [6, 4,
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# ? Jun 16, 2021 19:33 |
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# ? Mar 28, 2024 18:55 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 2 Ronan finishes out his song, puts on the aw-shucks routine and plays an encore to give Tsukino more mood music. Once it seems clear things will keep going this way, he finishes up and sends out a quick text. ‘Once you’re done, get him outside. We’ll need to wrap this guy up so he won’t talk after.’ Pause, then immediate follow up. ‘I’ll handle it once he’s outside.’ Ronan has no desire to let Lewis brag to his friends after this and blow the mission…and also just really, really doesn’t like Lewis. Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Jun 16, 2021 |
# ? Jun 16, 2021 20:00 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 1 Outside, Condor notes the text and smiles a little. Not her first time doing this, not her last either. "Ok. I'll distract him once he comes out so you can come in behind him."
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# ? Jun 19, 2021 04:10 |
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Everybody Loves Ramen Athena starts to fidget. "Dang it... I thought something like that might have happened. He was helping a lady friend with a robbery... I told him to call the news or the Gendarmerie or something, but he didn't listen. I haven't seen him since then, but..." The maid glances around. "Uh... have you noticed anyone following you since you started looking into this?" --- The Cat's Meow "You got me there, little lady," Lewis says with a tip of his hat, "I got a soft spot for this place, but truth be told I'm more of a Neo Miami guy." "I'm a freelancer, y'see. Mostly I specialize in retrieval missions, a little bounty hunting. I've been gathering information for a client. Worth a lotta actual." He is definitely trying to casually draw attention to the idea that he might be getting a big payout soon. "Job's almost done. My boys and I were having us a hog-killin’ time to celebrate. There's a few loose ends to tie up, but I've got an ace in the hole for that." Lewis checks his watch—where the gently caress is Malapert Matt, anyway? gently caress it. "Enough about me though. You still thirsty? There's an unappreciated little saloon on White Plume Avenue with some interestin' android entertainment. We should be able to catch it if we burn the breeze." He'll follow you out!
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# ? Jun 20, 2021 18:16 |
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Personal Prep: 0 / Cash: 0 "Why, it'd be my pleasure." Tsukino looks charmed, finishing her drink and flipping it facedown on the table, "We'll shoot the lights out!" She demurely lets Larry take the lead on out, if only so that she could quickly message the others to be ready to jump him.
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# ? Jun 20, 2021 23:09 |
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"Following us?" Blake casts a quick glance around, shrugging to Athena. "Um, no. We have a lot of security-trained people on the job, so... One of us would notice, definitely." He nods assuredly despite knowing that this was not really a guarantee. "Do you know who this lady friend is, or what the target of the job was? Even a general description could be really helpful."
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# ? Jun 21, 2021 04:19 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 2 Ronan lurks in the alley, waiting for the right moment - a good moment to grab Louis as he passes by, mainly. He trusts that Condor and Tsukino will keep attention away - they won't need to do it for long. He takes only a split second to grab Louis and drag him into the alley, slamming him against the wall of the building. He lashes out with a quick pair of jabs to the gut, aiming to drive the wind out of Louis so he can't shout. "Don't speak until I say so, or this gets worse. Clear? Nod." Grab: 12, thanks to Tough +3 and MMA +2.
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# ? Jun 21, 2021 18:02 |
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Personal Prep: 3, Cash: 2 "Like Blake said, we definitely weren't followed. You can rest easy about that at least, Athena." This was a lie, but Hikaru didn't feel the need to try to explain why she was almost constantly being tracked by an anime company. Since Blake didn't bring up the fact that they had brought a tablet with tracking software to Athena's boss, then that also probably wasn't of much concern. Maybe. "That said...it sounds like you have a reason to worry about being followed. Do you mind sharing it with us? If you feel like you're being stalked, I know of a few ways to convince creeps to give up."
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# ? Jun 24, 2021 09:35 |
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Everybody Loves Ramen Athena relaxes again. "Okay. Sorry. The friend is Alandra. She's one of the refugees. I don't really know that crowd, so I'm not sure how to contact her, but he said something about people stealing from the refugees." "As for the other thing... a couple guys came around a few days ago to ask if Reg left anything at the café. A handsome cowboy and some other guy. They said they knew Reg but nobody could vouch for them, so..." Athena shrugs. "We don't have anything of Reg's, but we didn't say anything. Ever since then I'm sure I've seen one of them hovering around here. Not the cowboy, the other one." --- The Cat's Meow Alley That beats his defenses! If this were some kind of quick-draw challenge, or a Wild West movie trivia night, or maybe a square dance-off, Ronan would be hosed. But this is a scrap in an alleyway, and he doesn't really know what to do there except nod.
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# ? Jun 25, 2021 17:18 |
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Blake nods along as Athena talks. He pulls out his cell phone and taps out a message to the group chat. TrashChild posted:Hey! Athena says that a few people were asking about Reg leaving anything at Evil Maid Attack a few days ago, and one of them was a "handsome cowboy." His friend has been hovering around here the past few days, too. "Mmm, yeah, it can be tricky to get in contact with the L4 people sometimes," Blake muses as he taps. "We'll probably be able to figure something out, everyone has a paper trail, after all. Unless they're really spooky and malicious, but I doubt that's the case here. I'll see what the others know. Do you have a description or maybe some security camera footage of the other guy?"
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# ? Jun 25, 2021 21:09 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 2 “Now, you’re going to tell me where you took the mechanic from the fighting ring. You know the guy, Reg. You tell me where you took him and who you took him to. Speak now.” Ronan cracks his knuckles. “And once I leave, you tell anyone about this, and I’ll be back. We clear?” Spending 1 Prep, Threaten: 13.
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# ? Jun 30, 2021 22:14 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 1 Condor leans cooly against the wall at the head of the alley, idly looking out into the street for cops. Or robbers. Both would be bad if they interrupted.
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# ? Jul 1, 2021 04:12 |
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Irma also takes a viewpoint within the restaurant to keep any strays from "accidentally" seeing things they shouldn't.
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# ? Jul 1, 2021 22:55 |
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Everybody Loves Ramen "Ziga might pull the footage if I ask. I can describe him too..." Athena basically describes Seeyanara. "He said Reg had the cowboy's work tablet, or something like that? I checked and we don't have any missing tablets..." --- The Cat's Meow Alley Nobody important is nearby! Just miscellaneous nerds, as far as you can tell, and Irma and Condor can easily steer them away from the scene. Lewis puts his hands up, cowboy style. "Easy, now. Reg is fine, alright? He picked a fight with me and my pardners. I sent him to a sort of... unofficial clinic to get patched up, along with a pardner he busted up real good." "If you really wanna know, clinic's in a basement under that Punko Bop store near Cross Cybernation. Look for the door with the symbol of... what's it called, one of the gaming gods around here, I think Jupiter? It's the door with the weird graffiti on it. Ask for Doctor Liebert. I'd be careful though, heheh."
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# ? Jul 8, 2021 17:14 |
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"Hm..." Blake taps out another message to the group chat, nodding. Trash Child posted:Looks like Seeyanara is working with the cowboy, and the cowboy's the one who wanted the tablet. "Okay, the others know. And yeah, that's a good idea! Can we pull footage later? Thanks!" He pauses to cram a large portion of noodles into his mouth. "Was there anything we could help you with in the mean time? How do you like working at the cafe?"
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# ? Jul 9, 2021 04:33 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 2 “Reg gets in a fight with your boys, and out of the kindness of your heart you pay his medical bills? Convince me-“ Ronan stops, annoyed, and pulls out his buzzing phone. He glances at it. “Hang on a sec. There’s definitely something you’re not telling me.” He puts the phone away. “Because I’m hearing he was working on your tablet? So - clear this all up for me. What’s Reg working on for you, and why is it so important you don’t care he busted up one of your friends? Oh - and what kind of muscle has Liebert got? I think you tell me that, and we’re square. Don’t, and I break your legs and drag you with me to see your pal.”
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# ? Jul 21, 2021 19:29 |
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The Cat's Meow Alley "I can set with that," Lewis says. Ronan's guess seems to have been off enough to bug him into talking, anyway. "But he ain't working for me, pardner," and boy you gotta admire Lewis' habitual dedication to the cowboy bit given the circumstances, "he stole that tablet from me. That's why we crawled his hump in the first place. It's my work tablet too. Been trying to figure out where he put the drat thing ever since." "As for the Doc, yeah, it ain't out of the kindness of my heart, but it's best for everyone. If we went all hang-and-rattle about it, he'd be explaining himself to the cops why he drove his geese to our market and I'd be acknowledgin' the corn with my boss. This is win-win, if you ask me." (Translation from Cowboy: Reg stole Lewis's work tablet for reasons Lewis doesn't know, and the fight happened when Lewis and his boys caught up with him. Lewis sent his friend (plus Reg) to this Doc guy to get patched up, because he doesn't want his boss to find out his work tablet is missing and assumes that Reg, as an L4 refugee, doesn't want to have to explain himself to the cops either. (In his defense, he's probably got a point there.) "Oh, and the Doc gets extra protection from these metal fellas called the Wire Furs. Pretty tough customers, I'd say. There's usually about four of 'em." Law Zero: The Wire Furs are a minor gang of androids who object to most commercial android frames being humanoid, and redesign their bodies into all kinds of weird stuff. They get into a lot of fights, but not because they're trying to become apex predators or anything, they're just assholes. They hang near Space Town because they draw less attention when people assume they're cosplayers or something.
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# ? Jul 28, 2021 18:00 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 2 Ronan nods. "Okay. That makes sense." Pause. "Or at least as much as anything that comes out of your mouth. We're square." Ronan pauses. "...but you know I have to put you down for a bit, right? You'll wake up in the alley in twenty minutes. No permanent damage. You talk to anyone about this and I hear about it, I come back and I'm not so nice." He strikes with a quick gut blow to double Lewis over, then quickly chokes him to sleep. He's almost gentle about how he stuffs the man behind some trash and doesn't even steal his wallet. He does, however, make a point of putting the hat under some of the trash, because it is not a good hat. Then he heads out of the alley and sends the info to the others. quote:I've had a chat with our cowboy. He's got no idea what Reg wanted with the tablet but I think we want to find out. But we need to chat with the last guy to see him - street doc named Liebert. He's got Wire Fur muscle, though, and I doubt he'll be forthcoming. This might get rough.
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# ? Aug 9, 2021 20:26 |
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Personal Prep: 0 / Cash: 0 Tsukino, having had to endure no less than three stories about cattle rustlin' between drinks and the alleyway, does not show that same restraint: she does steal his wallet.
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# ? Aug 16, 2021 17:50 |
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So! I had a busy September. Also, I started this game to identify some problems with the scenario I was planning, and then I had to fix some. I'm going to say you regroup at the maid café (since Blake has Regular Customer there it seems fitting), summarize what you've learned so far, and then we can go from there! Evil Maid Attack The evening is well underway, but Athena manages to set you up on a little table in one of the rooms they use when customers bring faulty tech they want looked at. It's nice and private, the coffee is flowing, and there are so many ports and charging docks. It's a great place to regroup and plan your next steps. Here's what you know so far: quote:
Also, Tsukino stole Lewis's wallet, so I think she should get 1 Cash.
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# ? Oct 9, 2021 17:38 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 2 Ronan is exceptionally out of place in Evil Maid Attack. It shows. "Swear to god, I have no idea how these folks put up with the outfits..." He sniffs his coffee as he pulls the machinery he grabbed. "Is this instant? You have a French press here? Moka pot? Anyway...found these at Reg's job. I have no idea what they do, guessed someone else might. What I do know, though...we're going to need to be careful when we go see the doctor. Last place I can say for sure Reg went, and the Wire Furs aren't pushovers."
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# ? Oct 10, 2021 01:48 |
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"The outfits are pretty comfortable, actually." Blake states, pushing his glasses up his nose matter-of-factly, before sipping his lavender latte. "They're all tailored and are usually made of nice materials with nice stitching! It's just some of the frill pieces can look cheap. I would say you should rent one to try it out, but, uh... Those ones aren't great, typically." He's busy watching Seeyanara's movements on his laptop screen before tabbing back into socials. "Anyways, guess we're paying the Wire Furs a visit at the clinic? Feel like it's our best bet. Maybe they saw Regdar's lady-friend-in-crime. Or failing that, maybe their security systems did. Any other ideas?"
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# ? Oct 10, 2021 04:12 |
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"Look there is much worst cosplay out there comfort-wise. The maid stuff is just best for ease of access, cost, and fewer slip-ups. Also you can hide poo poo really easy." "Wire Furs sound like the best lead we at the moment."
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# ? Oct 10, 2021 17:57 |
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Personal Prep: 3, Cash: 2 Hikaru shrugs at Ronan's comment about the uniform for Evil Maid Attack. "I think they look cute, personally. I'm sure they'd let you try a spare uniform on if you're curious about it. They're a lot easier to wear than you'd think. Anyways, while I'd like to go tell off this Seeyanara creep to help Athena out, something tells me it'd be a good idea to make sure all of us are present when we go visit these Wire Furs. We can deal with Athena's stalker afterwards."
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# ? Oct 11, 2021 22:04 |
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Personal Prep: 0 / Cash: 1 -> 0 Tsukino says, "So... about how rough do you think things will get with the Furs? Like if the Doctor is crooked, we could be walking into something where they don't much want us to be asking questions." Passing off that bonus cash to pay back Ronan (or at least placeholdering the surrender of Tsukino's share to him if he doesn't want fake texan cash).
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# ? Oct 11, 2021 22:15 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 1 "They're a nasty bunch," says Condor, personal bias dripping into her voice. "Not ones to shy away from some legbreaking, in my experience." She crosses her arms across her chest and leans back. "My H-S sources also say they smell terrible."
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# ? Oct 13, 2021 21:05 |
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Punko Bop Store, near Cross Cybernation, Space Town Cross Cybernation is a high-rise shopping center in the heart of Space Town, with stores for every geeky interest in orbit. The surrounding area is full of graffiti dedicated to the "gaming gods", which some geeks pray to for luck as they pass1. The Punko Bop store is in a side-street behind Cybernation, just far enough that you could get away with doing some shady bullshit underneath it. Dead-eyed clones dressed like pop culture characters2 stare at you from the windows. A steady trickle of people stream in and out, in search of reminders of things they liked. Some fuckin' buzzkill loser is complaining about how they don't like Punko Bops at a café across the street. Lewis told you to look for a door with a Jupiter symbol on it and some "weird graffiti". It looks like he meant the alley by the store, which is lined with weirdly horny anime graffiti. There's an alcove in the wall partway down, set slightly below the path, with a couple of steps leading to it and a metal gate over it. A ♃ has been spray-painted on the nearby wall in glow-in-the-dark paint; nerds have left offerings of faulty cables and mana cards beneath it. Androids with fake fur and modifications that make them look like furries are loitering in the area. The checkout in the store is being manned by one with a teddy bear head. 1: You're pretty sure this started as some kind of art statement, or maybe a scavenger hunt/marketing campaign thing. These days a lot of people take it at-least-semi-seriously and it's become a Space Town tradition. People are weird, man. 2: oh hey the limited edition Car Thief Bigfoot is out --- It's up to you how to play this! You're free to say you took actions on the way here and roll for those too.
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# ? Oct 25, 2021 15:00 |
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Personal Prep: 0 / Cash: 0 In life, as in most things, the most straightforward approach is the best. Acting as something of a locus for any immediate Wire Fur attention, Tsukino gamely browses the terrifying, soulless shelves of Punkos. It takes a few minutes to work her way around the shelves and dodge any latent curses collected in the shop, but eventually the lawyeress finds her way to the cash register with a goofy, but extremely trendy Car Thief Bigfoot in hand. She puts it down on the counter, grins winningly at the Teddy Bear Android, and says, "Just this for me today, thanks." A beat, then with a lower, more letting-you-into-a-secret tone, she adds, "Actually, is the doctor in?" Trendy Wardrobe is set for Friendly. 'Charm (Action: Charm, Grey-Market Goods and Services, Trendy Wardrobe, Gift of the Gab)', 18 ⟵ [6, 6, Tricky fucked around with this message at 07:37 on Nov 1, 2021 |
# ? Oct 25, 2021 16:30 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 0 “Why would I want to wear one?” Ronan is deeply confused by the idea, and frustrated that he’s even getting asked. He takes the cash without complaint - he may have left Lewis his wallet, but he’s not actually going to object to using it. “If they get rough, I’ll get them focused on me.” He makes a call as they head out, taking a brief detour to pick up an armored jacket. While he is confident, it’s always best to be prepared, after all. Once he arrives, he sets up in front of the alley, near the offerings, with an open (and very beat up) guitar case, playing the blues and keeping an eye on the graffiti door. He’s pretty sure the Wire Furs will want to drive him off, but that means they’ll be paying attention to him, not anyone else. Acquire Asset to get covert armor, 'Cool vs 7 to acquire asset', ` 9 ` ⟵ [4, 3] 2d6 + 2 Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 13:01 on Oct 31, 2021 |
# ? Oct 25, 2021 16:46 |
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Blake was content (not really, he desperately hated Punko Bops, viewing them as the lowest of low-tier merch) to browse the aisles with Tsukino, barely able to contain his disdain for the store and every product he laid eyes on. "This place is like a bad horror movie dollhouse," he grumbles at one point, rambling about how they should paint the eyes something other than soul-less black, before making a very judgey comment about Car Thief Bigfoot. He does manage to shut up as they arrive at the checkout, at least, and puts on his very best Headpattr smile for show.
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# ? Oct 31, 2021 06:31 |
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Tuskino rolled really well, so the guy at the counter is successfully charmed into thinking she and her companion(s) are familiar with Doctor Liebert. This ruse might stop working when you meet the doctor, but they have no problems letting you in. Teddy Head sizes Tsukino up for a moment, then shrugs and rolls with it. "You mean the "janitor"? Yeah, he's in. What do you need?" Meanwhile: Nobody is fool enough to just walk up and hit Ronan, but he draws out the aboveground Wire Furs! A couple linger nearby while one of them casually greets him and tries to at least get him away from the alley front. They try to do it without causing a scene. "Hey, mate," a fuzzy android says. "Mind shifting over a little bit? We're moving store supplies from that door soon." He indicates the graffiti door as if to suggest it is where Punko Bops come from.
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# ? Nov 2, 2021 17:32 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 0 "What?" Ronan gestures at his guitar case. "Gotta make some cash, man, I ain't got a place to stay tonight. Won't be in your way! This place's got great acoustics, you know?" He goes back to playing. "Come on, you like music? Give a guy a hand here. Name a song and gimme five bucks and I play it." 'vs Clever, listen to my song', ` 7 ` ⟵ [3, **1**] 2d6 + 3 Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Nov 3, 2021 |
# ? Nov 2, 2021 17:41 |
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Personal Prep: 3, Cash: 2 In response to the teddy bear's question, Hikaru nonchalantly turns around and moves her hair out of the way, showing off the piece of hardware she has attached to her brain. "I got a an aug that most people won't even touch for fear of all the legal bullshit surrounding it. Apparently this 'janitor' might be able to help me keep in maintained so it doesn't accidentally fry my brain stem." As she faced the man at the counter again, she held up her bag. "I can pay in cash, but only once I know the 'janitor' actually knows what he's doing. Deal?" Meanwhile, Hikaru's pet robo-snake did its best to stay perfectly still in the bag, to make it look like she had any money worth talking about. Like hell she could actually pay in cash, she just had to hope they didn't ask to see the money first.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 22:43 |
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Personal Prep: 0, Cash: 5 Blake makes a show of being bored and doing a little casual doomscrolling on Pulsr. Trash Child posted:Looks like we're almost in, how's outside going?
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 23:48 |
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Personal Prep: 2, Cash: 1 code:
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# ? Nov 4, 2021 00:35 |
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code:
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# ? Nov 4, 2021 17:48 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 0 pre:trst mr i got th4s h2ndle
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# ? Nov 4, 2021 18:01 |
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Teddy Head decides that the potential rewards outweigh the risks, and Tsukino is absolutely not a cop. "Alright, deal." After a moment to confirm Liebert is actually in right now, the group is sent around to the alleyway entrance. Ronan is cleared out faster than he expected, but they're still distracted clearing him, so it kind of works. Basement Clinic, Space Town This basement is a lot like the Ring of Coolant's workshop: a few basement rooms packed with industrial shelving and tool racks, like a dad's garage, only this time it's mostly medical stuff. Space Town has a few basement stores, and this place seems to be laid out in a similar way, but with curtains partitioning a lot of the front area and plastic sheets over the back doors. Someone down here likes kaiju, because the walls are covered in old tokusatsu movie posters. After a few moments one of the curtains pushes back and Doctor Liebert steps out. Normally a shady doctor who appears like this would be wearing a smock or wiping off blood or something, but nope, he is eating a bagel. Doctor Merlin Liebert, Back-Alley Medic "Juf a sec," Liebert puts the rest of the bagel in his mouth, licks crumbs off his fingers, slaps sanitizer on his hands, and wipes the excess on his face. "Alright, what's up?"
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# ? Nov 28, 2021 16:11 |
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Trash Child posted:Hacker Voice: We're in. "Hey!" Blake stops tapping on his cellphone as soon as Liebert looks up, and motions to Hikaru casually. "My friend here needed her aug fixed up. It's kinda one of those things that people don't want to mess with because they're afraid of getting sued and it's really tricky tech, so we're here. Mind showing us what sorts of specialized equipment you have? Sorry, just trying to not waste our time if you don't have something that can help." He gives the doctor the friendliest, most disarming smile a maid could muster. Rolling Bullshit to try and get him to show us what he has or at least tell us, so +3 Cool +2 Bullshit +1 Master Phisher (maybe?) rolled: 14 ⟵ [6, 3] 2d6 + 5 (or 16 if phisher applies)
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# ? Dec 8, 2021 06:13 |
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# ? Mar 28, 2024 18:55 |
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Personal Prep: 1, Cash: 0 “Hey, bro, get your hands off me!” Ronan isn’t going to make this easy for the Wire Furs - especially because as a worst case, he needs to make sure they can’t interfere inside. As he is bundled off, he drops the guitar, shifting around to grab his first assailant and shove them away. He follows up by quickly grabbing a handful of cables off the pile of offerings and whipping them around in a wide arc, aiming to tangle them in the fake fur of his foes. “Don’t loving touch me, man!” 'vs Quick or Tough as a Distract, targets two enemies at a time', ` 12 ` ⟵ [**6**, **1**] 2d6 + 5
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# ? Dec 8, 2021 15:51 |