Charm City [IC] Options

[Thanee]

<< @Bongo: We should probably seperate once we are inside, which might offer more opportunities to talk to people, and maybe learn something interesting. >>

As they are getting closer to the entrance, Selina switches to her astral perception, to see if there is any noteworthy astral security. Fiona is accompanying her in her astral form for the time being.

The blonde elf is dressed in a cute silvery dress, complete with some vintage accessories, like a headband and a white feather, and fitting high-heel pumps. Definitely ready to hit the dance floor and see if she can manage to keep up with the Charleston routine. It's such a fun dance.

The Agent sofware on her commlink is busy looking around for any nodes and analyze them, just storing the information for later use. Obviously, only whatever is openly accessible. Maybe that would help Angel somehow to get an idea what the inside looks like from her point of view.

[pbangarth]

Much as Bongo would like to keep Selina nearby, he acknowledges the wisdom of her plan. Once inside, and they see the layout, He suggests, "I'll swing by the band, well, because, and then I'll see if I can find a way upstairs. As I go, I'll commit to memory the layout."

He tries connecting to the team as a whole as he explores. <<We're inside. Anyone receiving this? >>

[sunnyside]

Switching over to astral perception outside shows the vibrancy of activity, crowds, and emotion. (OCC: The inside of the club will have a background count of 1 and there's a lot of that going around where people are clustering and partying etc). There seems to be nothing for wards or external magical defenses in the downtown area, and only signs of a couple wards uptown, seemingly to protect some sensor nodes hanging from the "ceiling" here that is also the floor of the Ares arcology. There are definitely astral forms on patrol up there, hanging close to uptown but mostly looking down, scanning the crowds, floating through grid like routes.

It can be hard to tell intent, but downtown astral forms seem to be minding their own business, much like Selina herself looking around and Fiona staying nearby.

Once inside her comlink starts collecting a list of open nodes in the area, which seems to be many of them.

---------

(OOC: Was hoping that Seth would reply to your call)

As Bongo approaches the band his comlink would pop up that they're they go by "RetroStack" it seems they don't exclusively do this time period, but like doing historical covers. He could cyberstalk them if he'd like, or tip, buy an album, or get some merch which is what their augmented reality site is tilted towards.

Bongo can see that there isn't anything barring access to the stairs, but getting access to a table on the second floor requires paying for the table and a bottle, which starts at 500 and isn't free like entry and that first free drink, though that's for the table and bottle, having more guests from there is free. Bongo can see guys and dolls starting to buy tables with a view and are apparently starting to scan the crowd for just such friends to invite up.

Getting into the third floor costs a similar amount. The augmented reality interface seems designed so that you can't miss the option to pay, but acts like it's hidden, and doen't have any details except a vague indication of adult entertainments and that the bouncers might know something.

[pbangarth]

Bongo passes on the current info. << 500 to get a table upstairs, and they are filling, especially the ones with a good view. Might be something we want if we want to scan the area for our persons of interest. There's a third floor, with similar cost and bouncers and a suggestion of adult entertainment. That too could be important to check out for our target.

Do we have an expense account with our benefactor, or would this be on our dime? >>

[Koekepan]

Tubesnake settles onto the scaffolding in a comfortable sitting position, and latches onto the scaffolding with safety lines so that he won't fall to the ground if something big happens. Then he slips off his helmet long enough to don his ballcap-style trode net, and puts the helmet on over that. What the hell, it's a typical look for a worker anyway.

With this set up, he links into the comms cables going to his drones and starts the housekeeping; arming the toxin sprays, activating all sensors, subscribing to the two flatworkers in front and two shankworms following them. The other flatworkers hang back as reinforcements; to them he issues orders to just follow along so that they're ready if he should call on them. Then he stops the team so that he can send a message of his own.

<<I'm ready to start a little pest control. Last call for any objections? It'll make things easier all round, I figure.>>

[pbangarth]

Bongo gets the sense that Tubesnake is in seventh heaven right now. <<Fill your boots, chummer. >>

[sunnyside]

(Ooc: No "expenses paid" clause for expensive booze. Though maybe if you have a good enough time I might count it towards lifestyle, but you have options.

On that note is there any etiquette here on how long I should give Seth from my last PM until I allow his char to do some hacking NPC style?

As for Tubesnake with melee dhankworms and short range sprayers combat could essentially be considered to be going. You could roll for initiative, but you'd have a chance to use delays to adjust.

The bugs are agitated and moving around. You could try and rush one, or wait for one or more to charge in on your drones. All of that in slow motion of course.

[Thanee]

<< I don't think, we got anything in advance, so expenses are on us, I guess. Anyways, do we have any idea on what floor that picture was taken? Something from the comments or anything in the picture itself? As for getting there, looking at how these tables do not seem to be taken over by large groups, my plan is to just show off a bit on the dance floor and check out the second floor from there. Maybe someone will consider it a good idea to invite me up to their table. That way, they also won't be too suspicious about me asking questions. >>

Selina will drop her astral perception, so she can fully concentrate on dancing. Fiona stays in the astral and keeps looking around.

[ Spoiler ]

Selina has 8 dice for dancing, so I would just buy 2 hits here, I suppose.

[Koekepan]

Tubesnake marshals his drones on two parallel, fairly close beams of scaffolding so that the flatworkers can spray across the gap to back each other up. The two flatworkers in front slither along with their spray nozzles raised and ready to open up once in good firing range. Right behind each one crawls a shankworm. The other flatworkers crawl just slightly behind the shankworms, but down along the flanges of the scaffolding so that they have some shielding from whatever goes on until they're needed.

His plan is to keep them in formation until they're close enough for a reliable spray range (3m), then actually jump into one of the flatworkers and target the nearest beetle with coordinated sprays. If however the beetles get too active before that range, he'll play it by ear.

[ Spoiler ]

Initiative: 6d6t4 5

5 rolled plus his base 6 is 11. Once he jumps in, he'll have three inititative passes.

[sunnyside]

(OOC: So, first, you accidentally set the target number to 4. Also just as a heads up the rule is that if you gain initiative passes as a result of an action in a turn, you don't get them until your next turn. However in this case you can avoid that by simply already being in hot sim before you jump in (which you need to get three passes unless you get a bonus somewhere else I missed so I'm assuming that's what you wanted the +2 to actions will be nice too). So your initiative score would drop to 10 if you had used a tn 5, but once you go to hot sim it rises by 4 to 14.

Due to how SR divides up movement the bugs are having to delay their actions until a later phase to attack. It's easy enough for Tubesnake to observe how things are shaping up and can jump into the flatworm that will be contacted first and then still get to go before the bug on the next pass. So you could go ahead and take your action. Though on the pass after that the other flatworm will get double teamed. )

----------------

The band shifts into a rendition of "Rock It For Me" by Caravan Palace. Nearly 100 years out of the period, but it sounds like something you should Charleston to.

(OOC: Yup, looking it up people do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsan_COiD0 )

As the woman starts singing she looks at Bongo. Though Bongo suspects that's because he came over to check out the band and so is the closest. Also everybody else seems much more intent at starting at the other dancers.


And one of those started at is certainly Selina. The appearance, dancing, and VIP flag from the club for anyone scanning her in AR make for quite a package. Since they split up she also looks entirely single.

Looking around Selina is able to scope out the table that was in the picture. It's now become occupied, but checking out the folks their Selina is pretty sure they weren't anywhere in the photo or trideo clip. This is a young professional looking male human sitting with a troll, both in period appropriate suits, right down to the gilded watches and jewlery. The troll substantially blocks the staircase down from the second floor, and is tall enough he could probably look out over the second floor just by standing up or can view the first floor by remaining seated.

The human had been looking around the floor but brielfy catches Selina's eye as she scans them. Moments later she gets an alert that a watress in inbound with a drink, and she has an invite to join the human at his table.

Alternatively an Ork managing a friendly half smile and a suit tight enough some spandex is probably involved is moving in to holler at her.

[pbangarth]

Bongo considers the singer and her viewpoint. Hmmm. A singer on stage with full view of the floor and tables around it. Maybe she has seen our person of interest and knows ... something.

Noting Selina's performance and the interest it has attracted, he figures she will soon be on a fact-finding mission herself. He ambles back to near the stage and looks up at the singer. He gives her his brightest smile and starts singing along during the chorus which, having repeated, is fresh in his memory. Maybe a little Charleston move here and there will add to the projection of a talented groupie having a good time.

[Koekepan]

Tubesnake weighs the moment, and then flips the bit. A moment's adjustment, and he is the flatworker, slithering along the scaffolding. He rears up his headpiece just a little, and takes the shot, driving a concentrated stream of arthropod neurotoxins right into the head of the nearest Jauchekaefer.

[ Spoiler ]

Agility+Gunnery to spray: 5d6t5 4

[sunnyside]

(OOC: Ugh. I still need to pull references to manage stuff. That should get smoother and I should get faster. Also the bug got a critical gltich on it's dodge. I'll have it slip into an area of background count from the club. That hurts its magical toxin resistant. FYI most of the action is occurring on the old roof. Also I'll consider the spray to be roughly like a flamethrower, so single shot, Tubesnake could roll another die for aiming if they'd like or something else. Actually )

IC: Tubesnake seems to get an impressively on target stream onto the bug.....however he'll have to wait to find out how effective that really is as the chemicals try to do their work.

The bug lunges in wet an angry (OOC: only 1 hit, your roll drones response + your melee skill you can roll for your shankworm after that).

Nearby, two bugs move in on the other flatworker (OOC: Contact in the next combat phase of the same turn). The final bug takes to the air and heads towards Tubesnake's flatworker, but will take a few seconds to get there.
------------------


(OOC: The question for Bongo is how loud and ostentatious does he want to be in this loud and ostentatious setting? He could probably manage to sing and dance better than she does. Or more about subtly getting her attention? )

[Thanee]

Selina makes her way towards the waitress, once she can spot her, keeping up her dancing routine along the way. She gives the man at the table a quick nod, as she accepts the drink, then slowly moves towards the stairway.

[pbangarth]

Bongo accesses the club's matrix site and puts in a request for the band, one of the tunes he checked out earlier. The singer might not match the subject of the song perfectly, but the sentiment of the song should connect: "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue".

Given the security of the site, and the abilities of the team, he figures first there is already imagery of him in the system and second, Angel should be able to wipe what needs to disappear. So he adds an image of himself to the request, so the band (specifically the singer) can know who asked for the song.

[sunnyside]

Selina has to be wary not to have her drink spilled by the dancers on the staircase. Many keep one hand on or near the gilded birdcage like bars going up around the outside, especially if they're wearing heel, even with relatively broad stairs. They seem to be trying to make up for that limitation by letting the rest of their limbs go as crazy much more than most can in crowded club.

A pair of Orks in cheap but fitting stripped suits give her a glance in AR and then a slight smile and even a slight welcoming gesture from one of them as he unclips the velvet rope to let her in. The give a less friendly look at the Ork that had been approaching her from below as he reattaches the rope.


The second floor is still crowded in a sense. The limited floorspace the club is working with means they've packed tables in quite close. Not having windows on the second floor lets them have either table seating or stairs all the way around. Dividers should at least keep people from bumping into each other. The dim lighting and din of the music affords at least an illusion of privacy. On a far side some folks are standing around a trideo watching what seems to be horserace. A glance in AR indicates they are virtual horseraces based on simulated courses and champions of the past and throws up pop ups encouraging her to bet.

Selina could tell about where the stairs down to the box ought to be, but the troll is now up on the second floor and gives her a casual wave to head down the steps. Him coming up here also means she won't have to shimmy past his bulk to have a seat.

-----

Down on the dance floor Bongo has to wait a few minutes for his song to come up, but he's mostly left alone, even as this far side of the dance floor starts getting crowded as people diffuse this way from the entrance. He picks up some playful glances from women, but so far they're waiting on him to come to them.

When his song does come up he finds that the roll of singer switches to the guy. From a distance he'd seem to be quite good, but this close Bongo can pick out his actual voice, and he's definitely getting some digital help with those low notes.

The guy is focused on performing, but freed from singing for the moment the woman, Mary, manages to spot Bongo in the audience and gives him first a perfunctory smile, but then a more quizzial look as she sees he's singing.

[Thanee]

"Thanks, fellas!" Selina says to the two ork bouncers accompanied with a friendly smile as she quickly slips through before the other ork can reach her.

Carefully holding her glass as she goes up, the elf admires the dancers along the way, making a few comments about their attire like "Cute dress!" or "Oh, I like your shoes!". So far so good. She made it to the second floor without spilling too much of her drink. As she looks around she quickly spots the big troll, hard to miss that one. With a smile, she approaches him.

"Hello there! That is so nice of your friend and you to invite me here. The view must be really cool from up here."

Taking the steps down into the box, she raises her drink a little in the direction of the man who invited her.

"Thank you for the drink, sir! I'm Kim."


Selina then mentally communicates with her ally spirit. "Fiona, dear, why don't you take a closer look at the two guys here, and let me know what you can discover about them."

"Of course!" Fiona complies and starts assensing the two auras, starting with the big one.

[ Spoiler ]

Fiona assensing the troll 1 hit (that should be a Glitch as well; guess the information is going to be a little weird here)
Fiona assensing the man 6 hits

Background Count of 1 removes 3 dice, basically, correct? -1 Force = -1 Intuition and -1 Assensing, as well as the visibility modifier of -1.

[Koekepan]

Tubesnake writhes and twists as he tries to avoid the Jauchekaefer's sharp jaws.

[ Spoiler ]

Dodging a pissed-off bug: 3d6t5 2

Tubesnake knows that he isn't much better at fighting this sort of thing than the drones themselves, so after this round he will drop the VR link on that flatworker and plan to go to AR piloting. After all, this is technically a diversion.

[sunnyside]

(OOC: Since the drones don't have autosofts, Tubesnake is definitely better at spraying. The drones are defaulting to pilot. 2 die for spraying, sometimes 3 for melee since the bugs have negative reach. But the bugs sling 6 dice. Case in point after the drones pretty good performance last time the other flatworker rolls snake eyes on the spray)

IC: The other flatworker starts spraying as the bugs approach, however it's unstable with the detrius around and hoses down the area it's moving around, flipping around on its back. On of the bugs continues on to attack it, while the other seems to regard it as down and moves to the protecting shankworm.

The flatworker flails its legs but still takes a nasty (5 boxes) of damage from a bite. The shankworm manages to fend of the bug attacking it, but doesn't manage to land a hit either as they lock jaws and horns.

Tubesnake had managed to dodge the bug he sprayed, but this shankworm isn't having any better luck against this bug.

(OOC: End of first turn. At the end of this turn Tubesnake will find out how well the spray worked. Tubesnake still goes first. The drones do get a lot more actions than Tubesnake in AR mode or the bugs, which they'll be able to bring to bear this time. The last bug, wounded and flying, will arrive in the first pass.)

------------------------

(OOC: Yeah. Background count kinda double dips on spirits)

IC:

The troll pauses a moment at being spoken to, seeming to not have expected it. After a few beats he nods his head and rumbles. "Yeah. It is. Jobs and all, but this is a pretty fun place and a great table. I suppose I do have a good time too."

The man is all grains and welcome for Selina, he's scooted to the far end where the bench curves, so he's facing the stairs. Selinas comlink noted that he'd been looking at her file, but apparently not finding anything to work with conversationally there (OOC: You could let me know what "Kim" puts out there for the world if anything)

"Hi there. No problem. Maybe you can help me with this bottle, they make you get a whole one with the table you know. Come on over close so I can see that dress. You know most ladies here don't get fitted clothes since the fashion is a bit odd. I don't count just squeezing into something undersized as having it fitted. "

He continues more than a little proudly

" I'm no fashionista exactly. But I'm head of development for a new line of armored clothing for Ares under the Victory label. The old globetrotter line seemed to try to deliberately not fit as part of cammo asthetic. But if people are going on an adventure, they're going to want to look good doing it right? What were they thinking? "


In the astral Fiona picks up that the troll seems healthy, but then, not paying attention, she bumps into an astral projection, who also wasn't paying much attention where they were going. They think a quick "sorry" and flush embarrassed and zoom out straight through the wall.

Fiona manages to regain composure and focus more on the human. He seems healthy and confident. A mundane, she can pick out some alpha grade headware, eyes, and also some male enhancement.

[Thanee]

"Then enjoy your time as much as you can," Selina says to the troll as she heads down.

Listening to the man and his compliments about her dress, the elf lightens up.

"You have a good eye. Thank you! I actually made it myself."

She puts her glass down, then sits on the table's edge and slides down a bit, resting her heels on the bench, and stopping just out of arm's reach to strike a bit of a pose there, so he can get a good look at her dress (there might be some other distracting features, however). She says, also to answer his question: "Who doesn't like to look good." Being in the club, she is obviously in a flirty mood.

"Nice suit, by the way." Her eyes size him up as well. What does he look like? What is his age? He obviously knows how to dress, and his manners are also there.

Gleaming mischievously, she mentions: "So, you are one of those uptowners, then. Coming down here to relax and party?"

She leans a bit closer, whispering conspiratorially: "... and always leaving with a new girl?"

Then she pulls back again and asks: "Do you dance? I actually practiced that Charleston a bit, but didn't have much time. It's really hard, those flapper girls had some skill! Might still be a bit clumsy there."

[pbangarth]

Bongo ignores the male singer and directs his singing to wards the woman. In fact, he Controls his Voice and casts his voice so that she hears him as if he were right there in front of her.

[Koekepan]

Tubesnake leaves the pilot programmes doing their good work on the front lines, and orders the backup flatworkers forward. Fortunately, because the flatworkers are shaped like flatworms or leeches and don't actually have legs, while the shankworms are annelids along the lines of velvet worms with sucker action at the tip of each foot, the flatworkers can cheerfully travel on and over the others with the additional bonus that they're quite immune to the arthropod neurotoxin cocktail they all spray. With this, it's a veritable fog of neurotoxins awaiting the advancing jauchekaefer.

[sunnyside]

The man looks to be about 30 and is mostly Caucasian but probably mixed and is the sort of good looking that almost certainly cost money. His features just a little too symmetrical, skin a little too clear, and eyes a little too blue to be natural. But still, it makes him easy to look at. His hair is slicked back and he has a short dark beard timmed to be more geometrical.

His suit....actually leaves something to be desired to Selina's eyes. It fits the period, and she guesses it was expensive by materials and , using her glasses abilities, the stitching, but the fit is off. She starts noticing potential reasons why. The looseness almost makes it impossible to spot the gun and armored vest underneath. (OOC: one net hit)

He smiles wryly at the line in inquiry "Yeah, I'm from the uptown. Not directly above here. It's a pain to deal with the security up there with guests anyway, and I'm pretty sure those bodyguards are there as much to make sure employees don't get any ideas about leaving. My place is just to the north and much more accommodating, inviting even.

And I'm single if that's what you're asking" He says it playfully enough to hint he knew that wasn't actually what she was asking.

"I can manage to dance when the need arises. But first you say you made the dress yourself" He raises an eye a little skeptically. "Hmmmm, here, turn around so I can see your back, and let's see if you can describe it without looking like someone who made it."


------------

(OOC: Schockingly Bongo manages a glitch, but he doesn't realize anything went wrong though maybe his performance while being jostled isn't quite as superhuman as usual....except for the projecting part)

IC:

As Bongo projects to her she at first looks upset, but then notices that nobody else seems to be reacting to someone singing loudly in the crowd and slowly seems to start realizing what's going on. She gives him a sly look and a somewhat disdainful look at her partner. Just for a moment, and clearly for Bongo's benefit as her hands up in the air as she dances would have blocked the partners view, if he was looking at her, which he wasn't anyway.

She's mostly focused on what's she's doing, but somewhere the in there she manages to get her comlink to send a wink back at Bongo.

[Thanee]

"Ohh, so you don't believe me, is that what it is? Alright, I can play that game."

She turns around and straightens her back, resting one thigh on the table, and pulls her hair to the side for unobstructed viewing pleasure.

Having the knowledge and actually having made the dress just earlier, she still has a good mental picture of it and no trouble describing it in detail.

"You know there are mirrors, though, yes? In fact, I actually have a drone so I can look at the pieces I am making for myself from all angles, when trying them on. This is not the dark ages."

"Speaking of which, is it really so dangerous down here, that you need a gun and a vest? One would think, that big guy out there can keep you pretty safe. That suit is purposefully just a tiny bit more loose than it should be, am I right? But no worries, most people won't even notice that." She turns her head around and winks at him.

"I like my clothes tight, which I am pretty sure you are appreciating right now."

Then she moves off the table and onto the bench, leaning back in a more relaxed posture.

"Satisfied?"

Realizing, that she hasn't gotten a name, yet, she also takes a quick look at his profile inconspicuously via the trodes hidden underneath her headband, and the image link of her glasses.

[sunnyside]

(OOC: That was a lot of rolls, modifiers, and tracking damage with a delay! Probably good to brush up. Didn't quite do charging right on some early rolls but maybe the bugs aren't so tactical. Also I still followed knockdown rules for the bugs. That turned out to be a big deal as getting up costs a simple action, which I understand to then prevent using a complex action to initiate a melee attack. another rule that proved a big deal was the penalty for defending against multiple attacks. It would drain their ability to defend, even against 2-3 dice. Drones rolled pretty well too. Eventual result is the bugs are brought down by concentrated doses of the chemical, overcoming their magical resistance, and on the drone side one Flatworker with 3 boxes of damage and the one that got hit first ended up with 8 boxes.)

At first the bugs seem so much stronger and surer in their movements, but with Tubesnake coordinating the backup flatworkers are in the mix with poison spraying all over. The bugs that double teamed the flatworker being close enough to both get hit by single flatworkers ( OOC: by a complex action per flamethrower rules). Besides being what eventually killed all the bugs, the sprays were horribly distracting, allowing shankworms to land their lunging attacks and flipping bugs over, often the bugs never really managed to hold their footing before the long second ticked past and the chemicals did their deadly work.

In the end that part of the roof is a nasty slurry of the combination of the effects of the bug's collections and judicious amounts of pesticide.

(OOC: Once Tubesnake doesn't have other things he wants to do, I think it would be appropriate for him to start coaxing along Angel, who seems entirely vexed with how to interact with the real world. Tubesnake can generally hack enough to be an advising bird on their shoulder. )

-----------------------------------

He gently touches her back to check the design and stitching to make sure it matches with her description, so far keeping his hands above the small of her back.

"At the risk of sounding narcissistic I do know how to use a mirror, but you don't have that or your drone now do you? I'm sure a buyer will look at what they're getting, but not that much attention. Alright I'm sold and impressed on your design ability" He gives her a literal pat on the back that turns into a very brief shoulder rub before he lets go, giving her a broad smile.

But then his expression becomes clouded and he backs off and plops back down in the cushioned bench and lets out a sigh. "Yeah, that's the problem with what I'm trying to do. Form, fashion, and functionality. Everyone wants everything. Now, these aren't my designs, Ares isn't in the retro party market, but it's the same problem." He then takes the bottle of absinth, pours himself some, and downs it as a shot. His eyes go wide for a moment and he can't help but smile at his discomfort and lets out a raspy "I forgot this stuff starts out over a hundred proof".

He then takes out three of the proper absinth glasses and fills up the lower reservoir in each saying "I could use something to calm me down and get my mind back on being fun to be around.


He then places one of the perforated spoons from the central tray over the top of the glassware, sets a sugar cube on the spoon with a pair of tongs, and starts dripping water from a cup over the sugar, relaxing as he watches the white and green swirl together.