[misterjoshua]

Haha. No, not just a taxi.

I used to play a lot of Cyberpunk, and I’ve recently watched both Bladerunners (which are awesome btw). I weren’t really sure what the Shadowrun equivalent was, but that’s what I was going for.

I’m also reading Altered Carbon, which is amazing. 😀

[misterjoshua]

@John
[Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle]

You leave the room through the back exit, clambering over debris and the odd body. There are bits of the Rick-a-like all over the place, and a foot stands proud in front of you, missing a body but retaining the shoe. The room is a bit of an office, presumably Ving’s, sporting a large ornate oak desk and a leather chair – expensive materials to be sure. The blast is clearly evident. The wall separating the two rooms is gone, and the heavy desk embedded with shrapnel. The office door is open and leads to a reception area. It’s smaller than the main lobby area and has two sofas and a coffee table. To your left the door to the fire escape is shut, the corridor leading away in front of you bends to the left and presumably leads to Ving’s quarters. You can’t see the Oni yet. He was evidently more prepared for the explosion, and has used the seconds of disarray to take a lead.

@Tanya
[Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle]

You hear Ving stumble to his feet behind. He points at you and starts to speak before his face explodes. The force blows you through the door you were guarding, back out into the lobby, fragments of skull impacting on your skin. It’s a smaller explosion than the first one, but you’re much closer to it. You’re on the floor with the men you were fighting. Blood is swimming around you. You haven’t seen sign of Fu Shing yet. Above the chaos and confusion, sprawled out amongst enemies, you get a sense that the creaking ceiling may be about to collapse.

@Al
[Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle]

You hear the satisfying pop of a cortex bomb as you key in Ving’s ticket. The microwaves explode in turn and you instantly regret adding more percussive force to this scenario. Cracks are clearly evident on both walls. The men who met with microwavable death aren’t followed up, but you know the rest are just waiting it out. You believe with certainty that blowing your wall charges would be the final nail in this building’s coffin. Whether that’s something you want to do is another matter. It might not hold on anyway.

@Glo
[Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle]

You feel the building lurch a good half-a-foot as two more explosions echo up from below. The VTOL is approaching visibility. It seems to be coming in hot, weapon pods open. You don’t know how much longer it’ll be safe to stay on the roof, for a number of reasons, but it’s where you are and there’s no easy way down…

[misterjoshua]

@Aria: You don’t know too much about the VTOL as it’s only just started heading back. I’m trying to keep the timings in sync so it’s only been a few seconds, but it was parked a little while away and you heard it lift back off and head this way. It’s only due to VTOLs not being common in the area that it isn’t lost in the noise.

From it’s last visit, you’d get it probably has rocket pods or a gun, but is mainly a transport. Only the drivers were present when it flew away. You’d summise that something has triggered it’s signal to return and collect it’s passengers.

[misterjoshua]

Apologies again for the slow pace. I moved house on Wednesday and now have no internet at home. I’m back at work today so should get something up soon.

[misterjoshua]

Spoiler for Read the IC first!

Have fun!

I’ll leave it to you guys to determine the immediate aftermath, and what state you’re all in 😀

[misterjoshua]

@All
Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

You can only wonder how well things would have gone if everyone stuck to the plan. This version of the plan though, this isn’t going well at all. A number of things happen in the space of seconds and fractions of seconds. Enough things to make your head spin.

First it’s the autofire. SMGs spit and rounds scream through the air, tearing into your clan. Fu catches one in the chest and tumbles backwards, gasping for breath. Several of the less fortunate take them at head height and blood sprays through the air like mist. Tanya takes a couple in the back as she attacks the guard by the door, the force knocking her off balance. John takes a dozen as he rushes forwards, the only man heading towards the gunfire, rounds pinging ineffectually off his hard carapace, wrecking his illusion of humanity.

Second is the gas, dampened slightly by the sprinklers but high-pressure enough that it’s gonna cause problems. It bursts out of John’s valves like a jet propelling him across the room.

The third thing to occur is Al noticing movement at the ends of the alleys surrounding the club. He struggles to make it out as he brawls with three ineffectual cooks he completely outmatches, but it seems to be a group of people and they seem to be heading this way.

Fourth is the comms. <<@Tanya[Rose]: Babe, I’ve lost most of the drones and all the internal cameras>>

And the fifth. The fifth is a biggie as John crests the table like a gazelle, honing in on his target at the head of the table. The Oni is gone through the door, buying John’s feint and diving for cover. Had John spent time to think about the situation this may have seemed strange, but this wasn’t a time for thinking, this was a time for acting. The last thing he sees as he tears into ‘Rick’ is a brief smile flick across the man’s face. Then everyone’s world went white. John’s sensors scream at him as the man he’s sitting on explodes, hurling him back across the room. This was a bomb vest, and a big one. Near everyone catches some of the blast, blowing them back out into the foyer and shattering the walls. The whole building shakes. Glo feels it on the roof. The cooks Al is playing with stop stunned, and then flee, glad to be on the outside. The whole things is orchestrated perfectly.

——

Time has passed. Probably only seconds. The deafening scream of burst eardrums is all most people can hear. As the fog begins to clear from your vision it’s clear that a sizable proportion of the people in the room are dead. On the roof, alone, wondering what’s happening below, Glo hears the distant sound of the VTOL returning.

[misterjoshua]

Cool. Although I enjoy some of the random factors of a mechanical approach, I think I too would prefer narrative. I’ll try to get something up later today.

Though with the house move my activity is spotty at best atm. Apologies

[misterjoshua]

Well, it’s not just up to me. Which way would people prefer? I can do either. Should we vote?

[misterjoshua]

Question then: does going narrative remove the threat of character death?

[misterjoshua]

I thought it was entertaining 😛

As for narrative vs dice, hmmm I dunno. I prefer narrative, but don’t want you guys to get off too lightly as can often happen in a narrative situation. It’s a bit of a sticky situation and should be suitably represented

[misterjoshua]

Tuesday, 26 November, 21:01; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

Although obviously suspecting something to happen, the guards seems a little shocked at just how sudden and brazen the attack is. “This is dialogue is it, Fu? And Honour? You’re finished” the large Oni shouts from the far end of the table before, somewhat unexpectedly, charging back towards the door they came in through. The guards around the room open fire immediately. Fully automatic fire sweeping left and right across the room, strafing Fu Shing’s men and everyone with them. The sprinklers in the roof kick in almost immediately. The man you came to meet remains seated at the head of the table.

[misterjoshua]

Sorry for the delay. We’re moving house this week so I’m snowed under. I’ll get back on it soon!

[misterjoshua]

@Jack
The Oni isn’t wearing FBA. You can see that both his arms and head are exposed currently. Glow-tats, bald head, horns. 🙂

[misterjoshua]

@Tanya & John
Tuesday, 26 November, 21:00; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

Led by Fu Shing, you enter a dimly lit meeting room. It gives the place an ominous atmosphere. You aren’t sure if it’s meant to set you on edge or obscure your view of Rick’s entourage, but it serves both. At the head of the table, the throne is filled. You imagine this is where Ving usually sits, but not today in this company. The entourage stand behind, apart from the Oni with the glow-tats who looks like he’s been sweeping the room. He returns to his usual position at his boss’ side. There are eight of the Social Club guards in here, standing in each corner and along each wall, like the points of a star. No-one says anything as you enter.

@Al
Tuesday, 26 November, 21:00; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

@Al[Danny]: Fuck. That was close. We’ll have to do this tomorrow>>

[misterjoshua]

Sorry for the delay. I’ll try and get an IC up today

[misterjoshua]

@Tanya & John
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

“Hah! Honour and tradition… tradition is done, like your generation. You’re looking old and tired Fu. You should retire yourself before someone does it for you. We’re in the fucking 70’s, Fu. Our Lodgemaster is a technomancer for fuck’s sake. Honour and tradition were left behind a long time ago, and you with it.” He grimaces and pulls at his trousers, before trailing off and indecisively heading for the meeting room. Before he gets there though his anger rises again and he turns back. “…and. And. Fucking Head of Security? She’s a whore, Fu, one you’ve known for two goddamned weeks! She’s using you, taking you for a ride. Why the hell d’you think we’re having this meeting? You think Rick wants to commend you on a job well done? When was the last time your cock was in her mouth? You’re a blind old man and it’s time you were put out to pasture.” He’s shouting by the time he finishes. You feel he would go on longer, but We Lin stands in front of him to intercede and leads him away.

Tanya notices that Ving’s words hit Fu hard. It’s not that he hasn’t thought it before, of course he has. Some of his own staff had told him, in private. But to air it now, in front of all his men was shaming. Was he being taken for a ride? It must be in the back of his mind…

John, to his credit, doesn’t seem to have attracted any attention.

<<@Tanya[Rose]: Casino looks clear to me hun, so far anyway>>

<<@John&Al[Jan]: Hah, I’m not that close toaster. You’re lucky I’m in the UCAS way this been going. Whole situation befok. Al, unless you got some new indestructible meat parts I don’t know about you’d do the same>>

@Al
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

Danny looks unsure for a second, like he’s caught between wondering why your stories don’t match up, and the trouble he might be in for letting you hang around here. “Yeah, delivery schedule… soon as you can Al, yeah?” he adds, deciding that was his best option at the moment and attempting to sell the story. You think it may have worked, if you make a hasty exit.

[misterjoshua]

@Tanya & John
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

We Lin leads you out of your comfortable holding area and towards the room where the meeting is to take place. There are a few triad guards lining the route, although probably not as many as you expected. You pass three or four on your path. You hear the distinctive low tone of Ving shouting from a distant room you can’t see. “Rick’s here? WHY HAVEN’T I BEEN TOLD!?!” there is a loud smack followed by a whimpering sound before Ving hobbles down the corridor and stops dead when he sees you. He glowers for a second at Fu Shing, then at Song Ai before unexpectedly letting out a short laugh. “This is the end of you, bitch. At least something good can come from today.”

@Glo
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

The roof is clear and the door clicks closed, leaving you alone. If any sensors or spirits detected your presence, they didn’t acknowledge it. The wind is bitterly cold laced with the mist like rain.

@Al
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Hai Sung Social Club, Chinatown, Seattle

As you wait by the doors, one opens and a well-dressed man from front of house pokes his head through. “Danny, our guests are being seated….” before with a pause he turns to Al and loses his manners. “Who the fuck are you? DANNY, who the fuck is this? It’s a closed shop tonight, shit-for-brains.”

Jan
Tuesday, 26 November, 20:58; Foo’s Noodles, Chinatown, Seattle

<<@Al&John[Jan]: You guys are fokkin’ crazy showing your face there tonight. I wanted out of Triad politics, not neck deep in the shit. I’m local if you need an emergency evac. If I don’t hear from you, well, it’s been nice knowing you dickheads>>

[misterjoshua]

Not really, no. Mercy posted that Ving was on the roof to meet Rick, but that was never my intention so instead of getting into another back-and-forth edit loop I just had Tanya receive a message that she was mistaken and Ving was still downstairs. I suppose one of the men could be fat, to help sell the mistake, but I never mentioned it (I don’t think) and up close you never thought Ving was present. Tanya was looking through a small drone at a long distance.

[misterjoshua]

Currently no-one. 3 from the VTOL. 3 came to meet them. All went downstairs

[misterjoshua]

Dammit! Edited them all now