The Found Arcana - Eleventh Interlude - Seattle [IC] Options

[Gilga]

AM boosts Bobby's charisma for the con and otherwise stays out of sight.

[ Spoiler ]

4 dice for improve charisma: 4d6t5 2

[Tecumseh]

The call comes. As Cutty said, Steel Rat and Cyclone look deeply skeptical. Their brows are furrowed and they are frowning.

[Thanee]

While Rachel is waiting, she positions herself in front of a nondescript wall, for the background of the video call.

She has prepared some spells to appear as Dennis (using the appearance she knows from him at the meeting with the Mayor, cleaned up just a little bit, but not too much) and also bolster her Charisma even further. Obviously, she will not try to be smooth here, but rather immitate Dennis as good as possible. Acting a little nervous also seems fitting.

<< AM, I have another idea... how about a moment after the call starts you storm in through the door (not into vision, just so they can hear the door and your voice), asking: "Why is there a signal going out? ... Dennis!? What the hell are you doing? Calls can be traced. We are trying to protect you here!" and then talking back through the door, away from the call, while "Dennis" mumbles some apologies your way: "Cut that signal, now!" Well, and then we do that. >>

[Gilga]

I roll my eyes and say , "Fine, I'll do it..." still think it is silly. I should have known better than to try and deny a great spirit for its opening to cause chaos and mischief in the world. Can't go against the spiderweb, can't convince Bobby just to say the truth and not try to provide "proof".


I play my part according to plan.

[Thanee]

Showtime... 'Dennis' fumbles with the thing, the image shaking a little before it steadies. "Is this on? Hello? Oh, there you are."

Raven's goal is to keep talking most of the time, to give them little room for questions, and hopefully avoid not having answers to what they might ask.

And she has to talk in a way, that does not imply knowledge or lack thereof. Do they know about his daughter, or not? Do they know he went off to get this deal? If what she says works in both situations, hopefully it will be convincing enough.

AM is supposed to interrupt the conversation pretty soon. It won't take long to find the outgoing signal, if his 'protectors' are being vigilant. It makes sense. And talking for too long just increases the chances of saying something wrong, something completely unbelievable. They do not know the two well enough, so there is a lot of guessing involved.

"He told me, that this won't last long. They will not like it, but whatever. I'm in witness protection now. Will be for a while. Hopefully, when this is all over, things will be better. I am valuable to them and they are offering something in return. It is a chance, and I have to take it. It's not like I'm getting a lot of these. I cannot tell you much, you understand. It's for my little girl. All for my little girl..."

Suddenly his face turns to the side (where the door just opened outside of the field of vision).

[Gilga]

With my most badass voice, I don't have Badass; I have asertive. I interrupt and open the door. "There is a signal going out, quick! Kill the signal! We're compromised." I open the door look at Raven and say Dennis!? What the hell are you doing? Shut it off now! For god's sake, we're trying to protect you!"

While talking, I use my deck to generate noise and scramble the signal for dramatic effect. I gradually increased matrix noise, making the image flicker and the sound quality drop right before the call disconnected.

[ Spoiler ]

She uses the jam signals matrix action increasing noise by 5 which effectively ends the conversation since the improvised link has a device rating of 3.
jam signals: 11d6t5 5

[Tecumseh]

Word reaches back (via Cutty) that Cyclone and Steel Rat aren't exactly mollified.

"They think it was bulldrek," Cutty says. "They kept saying 'Dennis doesn't have a little girl!'

"Plus they didn't get to ask any questions, and I don't think they're going to be happy until they do.

"But there must be a flicker of doubt in their minds because they're not immediately baying for blood."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby was drinking an isotonic sports drink after another workout as Curry was telling him that.

Finally, he shrugged: "Well, I did what I could. If they insist in becoming my enemy, I'll oblige.
Thanks for your help. Keep me posted if they make noise or try to interfere with my work or my friends."

[Tecumseh]

Cutty tells Bobby, "I'm going to be honest: I'm just a trusted middleman, not an early-warning system. I'm not going to tip you off any more than I would tip them off if you were coming.

"They're good dudes. I like them. I think you'd like them too - and that they would like you - under different circumstances. Maybe we'll get there one day and can be laughing about it together over AlmostEgg, hash browns, and soykaf. But until then, I'll try to play the peacemaker."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby nodded: "You might have noticed that I didn't include myself in that early warning. I'm not going to hunt them - I just don't want them to go for my friends or my clients when they have beef with me.
I went out of my way to get Dennis a good deal and finish this feud peacefully. Hell, I risked getting shot by screaming at them instead of just taking down the one with the shotgun. They were the ones who didn't want to listen or let this go.
I'm all for burying the hatchet - it's entirely their decision if that's in the ground or in their skull."

[Tecumseh]

Cutty nods to Bobby's nodding.

"Look, I get it. I think it's a misunderstanding around asymmetrical intel.

"But look at it from their perspective. Let's say a stranger approaches AM, and tells her something that upsets her. That's concerning, right? And then AM goes back to talk to the stranger again, and then she disappears without a trace! Are you just going to let that slide? Are you just going to take the stranger's word for it that 'AM is fine' and 'everything is whiz'? No, man, you're going to do everything in your power to make sure that your friend is actually okay.

"That's where Steel Rat and Cyclone are coming from. Y'all are cut from the same cloth. They're good guys looking out for their friend, just like you would. And they're not going to just let the matter drop, just like you wouldn't. Neh?"

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby thought about that for a moment: "Yeah, I get that. But I wouldn't stop the guy appearing with a hand written note from handing it to AM. I'd get that intel before I go all out to scare him off - informed decisions, you know?
I'm not angry that they are protective, I'm angry that they are doing it stupidly."

[Tecumseh]

"You're angry all the time, Bobby. I've never known you when you weren't angry."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shrugged: "Fair. Then again, there's a lot in this world to be angry about - and you should have seen me a few years ago. Compared to then I'm downright chill.

I'll be back with the building materials to fix the roof. If AM and Rachel help us, we can get this done without scaffolding and within one day."