Gabriel, Needles looks good now. His second contact will be Martin the fence, who he also works for now. Whenever Martin gets hot goods in, he hands them off to Needles to clean and sterilize them, both for sanitary purposes and to remove as much forensic data as possible. He's had trouble with hiring people for this in the past, because they weren't thorough enough, but Needles is a god-send for him. He'll get out the Q-tips and go through every little groove and nook with the rubbing alcohol. Martin is thrilled with it, although he still keeps him in the back room, out of sight of customers. Still, 1000 a month for 10 hours a week ain't bad, especially for a street kid. Needles finds it meditative anyway.

IcyCool, we are full, but I'll keep you in mind for the next go-round. Oh, as for character creation, you have it right -- 40 BP and anything from the books. No need to use any special program. It will probably be some months before we have an open space, but you never know. You can always make PCs just for fun. People have in the past.

I'll post something IC soon enough (but not today), moving things forward... I've got a plan to bring these people together.

--K

Sounds great, krishcane changed his totem to the african version of spider (anansi), and I'll stay tuned for the next installment!

Posted to the IC thread.... there's more to come, but feel free to interject as you like. If I don't hear any shopping or karma-spending intentions, I'm just going to roll the characters over into the next situation...

--K

Great introduction for Web, krishcane. He's going to scope the place out during the day, and preferrably try to find a hiding place somewhere close by.

The only major expenditure for Rat will be that, finally, he will upgrade to the previously near-unimaginable luxury of a Low lifestyle.

He will probably also blow a few hundred on clothes and assorted junk and furnishings. I haven't really come up with anything for him to spend his Karma on yet, so he might save it for just a little bit.

I'll post something in the IC thread later tonight, when I have a bit more time.

Aw yeah! I smiled, and then laughed out loud reading the posts to the IC thread. Sweet synergy, y'all.

Glyph, that was a perfect pass -- you picked up on the mechanism I'm using to bring the team together and ran with it. You also recognized the "send Martin to the backroom with busywork so I can talk to the new guy" trick. Thank you for your assistance there. And as usual, it was flavored with that classic Rat sweet-and-sour style.

Gabriel, welcome aboard with your first post! Hopefully, I've set up Needles to your satisfaction.

Dark Scrier -- you get the special SuperCool CrossRun Reference award for shopping at Outdoor Funtime! I burst into laughter when I read that. For those not in on the inside joke, the Scrier also ran in the only other online run I operated here, the Experimental thread. The team in that game spent a fair bit of the run in Outdoor Funtime!, a Renraku-owned outdoor sports equipment shop. Alas, I have only had time to focus on one run, if that, and so Experimental is on semi-permanent stall at the moment. Perhaps it will resurrect someday.

Nice posts, all around. Let's keep it rolling!

--K

Yeah, I liked the name from square one. Add that I needed somewhere for Blackout to shop, BANG: Outdoor funtime.

Oh, I'm also considering buying him one of those rubber practice guys.

Oh yeah -- those are called "Bob". Plural is "Bobs", I guess, though that sounds weird. They also have a short green one for children to practice against, called "Billy the Bully". Blackout might need that one for height purposes -- maybe they sell a dwarf target for dwarves -- Dirty Dan the Dwarf or something.

--K

"Bob" - Marathon reference? ;)

Krishcane, I loved the way you set up Needles. You did it better than I could have -- I rather like the quiet, contemplative air that I had thought of but never really been able to pull off. The references to his Master (or masters in general) were masterful.

[edit]
BTW, I've noticed that I'm calling Needles "Chen" more than "Needles" -- I think that I will try him introducing himself to the rest of the group as "needles", esp. after he meets Rat and Blackout (and realizes that street names are the identification du jour). I'm also trying to avoid using any contractions - a hint to his order-liking nature, I guess. Chen will head on over to the Rogue the next evening, probably around 4 or 5-ish (as long as it's before "sunset") - unless rat givs him a more precise time (doubtful). I'm sayingthis here since i'm not sure how to incorporate it into my IC post, and it might work out more smoothly if Krishcane weaves it in where he wants it. =)
[/edit]

Hey people - I have been experiencing some problem with seeing the latest posts in the topics, so if I seem to 'miss' something that may be it. I'm working on the problem though.

Krishcane, Web's plan is to stake out the Red Rogue first and then use Camouflage and Gecko Crawl to make an impressive entrance (first casting a Gecko Crawl, sustaining it to get rid of the probable drain while he waits in, or outside, the bar - then cast a Camouflage once it's 'time' to make an appearance)

Acknolwedged -- more when I have time to post.

--K

Snowraven, you might need to hit "Refresh" on your browser.

Thanx Glyph, but I tried that... atm it seems to work perfectly, but otherwise the only 'remedies' I have found is to either post something myself, or keep trying the different methods of getting to the latest post; usually works after awhile.

Haven't tried dumping the cache file yet, but I think that might solve the problem temporarily.

I am watching both topics now though, so I at least know when I am missing something.

DigitalH, sorry for the slow introduction! I got you set now ... anything you want Jimmy to do before the Rogue, let me know. Then we'll get started.

To all, apologies for the slow pace... real life yada yada. I try to make up for it with good writing.

--K

Sheit I feel like a heel... been spending most of the last of my leave for the next six months lounging and playing X-Box, so I missed the thread changes... alright, Jimmy being called a real decker's gonna have him stoked as all hell, so he's probably not gonna do much in the way of readying himself... he'll slap his deck into his backpack, along with the Streetline special, and beat feet the the Rogue... then again, I could be posting that couldn't I... *eyes IC thread, eyes laptop which has character sheet on it* Hell, I can wing this one for now ICly...

Good post! I enjoyed it!

Once leave is over, I presume you won't be able to post again for some time? How long do we have until that happens? Maybe you can warn us just before you go so we can put Jimmy somewhere safe until you're back.

--K

More posts to come as I have time... Web and Blackout are in the bar, at least.

--K

Actually, odd as it sounds... I'll be posting more regular when leave's over... if only once a night during the week...

I guess that's not too odd, from how I hear the service can be. Well, if you can post once a day (or night) that's great. That's enough to keep things moving quite well -- now I just have to get back to where I post once a day!

--K

Finally figured out how to move the plot forward. Grooming a new batch of PCs into a coherent plot is always such a challenge. Thank you for your patience!

--K

Everyone is at the table... feel free to post at will!! Yay!

I plan to post daily on weekdays from here forward. Weekends I may or may not post.

--K

Web is going to drop his spells now, and will take a few peaks at the aura's of the others around the table when he gets the chance (and can summon his attention away from the treasure in his glass... )

Needles will translate the answers he gets, of course, for the rest of the team. In his haste, he has forgotten to tell the other team what he asked for his second question, but he will tell them what he asked when he hears Mr. Sowei's answer.

As for Mah-Jongg ... now that I've looked it up online, it seems like showing any tiles might not be a good idea (hehe); I was trying to think of a scenario when a bluff is possible, or when you are trying to fake out your opponent by showing them false information...

Needles will discuss this more in-character when it is time for us to be making plans. Other questions that come to mind (which Needles won't ask, unless no one does -- didn't want to deluge Mr. Sowei with questions before others get their two cents in) include,

- How early can we get into the Junkyard to set up (hiding places, ambush-able places, get Jimmy into the security system..), or at least get a sense for the layout?

Rat, or some other scrounger, might be able to get in and scout it out during business hours under the pretext of climbing over stuff to find some "needed part".

I just realized that it might not be open now, since it's evenign gametime. So this might be never-mind. But might we make a scrounging check, or something related, when we find out what junkyard it is, to see if we rememberanything about it ("It's shaped like an L, there's a gate at that end, but it's a dead end", etc)?

Good questions! Let's see what the other PCs ask so there's a little interaction, but we'll get them all in, for sure.

Oops -- Looks like we both replied. I have edited the first-part of my post to reflect that he's already told them stuff. Needles is not going to mention that Mr. Sowei has asked that he not be one of the front-line bodyguards, unless someone in the group specifically asks him to.

Needles kindof expects that he might end up as a guard, despite Sowei's wishes (doh).

I expect that Blackout will want to be a guard. He's all Slam! like that.
I suspect that Rat will want to Not be a guard. (though this is OOC knowledge at this moment)
Web seems to recognize the comforts of the shadows, and of staying hidden (And that would be clear ICly to Needles, given his entrance and generally low-profile).
Jimmy will, as Rat said, probably be able to work wonders with the security system.

I feel like I'm forgetting someone. In any case, Needles will want to stayout of the front line (since his focus, at least mentally, is more on healing), but I think he will recognize the need for a second bodyguard, and accept the duty should it be needed.

Well, for Rat, his personal preferences and the reality of the situation kind of come together. He's best at long range (with his Roomsweeper, he can actually be pretty effective), and other than Web he's about all the long-range offense the group's got (that I am aware of). Sadly, his mock-regret wasn't feigned - he really does consider himself the "Face". Even more sadly, for this group, he might be!

Even more sadly, I'd almost started considering him as such. No idea on the skills, and stuff, but Rat sounds like a leader in the making -- he seems to be really working hard to build a team, and keep them together.

BTW, I'm assuming that I don't need to reiterate a summary IC for what we've decided so far, and can move on to asking about other questions.

I like the Gollum-like imagery on Web there... kinda creepy. I hope nobody tries to take his amulet at some point.

Rat is as close to a Face as this team has, and yes, that is right in line with the 40 BP flavor -- that is to say, sad. When your Face scratches himself at the table, well... yeah. But, despite being an uncouth Face, Rat is a hustler with vision.

I'm happy that everyone's been able to post regularly and add lots of character flavor. I like the sound we've got happening.. good groove.

--K

If anyone wants to say or do anything with the group before everyone scatters to run errands before the meet, post it now. Also, post what you'd like to do in the intervening 2-and-a-half hours before the meet. I know Rat is buying 3 radios from Martin -- the rest of should fill me in on your vision. My next post tomorrow will start people moving in their various directions.

--K

Actually I didn't realize I was doing a Gollum-thing with Web until I had typed that, but it seems to fit him well. I agree we seem to off to a good start - looking forward to tangling with Arleesh

As I posted IC, Web wants to eat something, and then he's looking to head out to the junkyard and try not to get lost while checking the place out. Hopefully he can convince Needles to go with him, just in case.

I'll assume by the long delay that no one had any shopping to do at Martin's, so Rat's 3 cellphones will be the only purchase.

--K

Sorry I've been out. My internet gateway's video card died, followed by the modem, twenty minutes after the video card was replaced. Posting is going to be slow.

I understand completely, Scrier. You'll do your best, we'll do our best, and then we'll clean up the mess.

---K

(also sorry to have been so ... slow.)
Needles spent his last (!) nuyen at the soy-dog stand, so he wasn't really going to make any purchses.

And now I'm the slow one again... always something!

--K

More posting from me to come, when I get time... feel free to keep posting yourselves, of course...

--K

Hrm. Apparently the modem wasn't dead, so much as dial-up accounts work better when the phone hasn't been disconnected. Go figure. Back I am? Yessss?

Welcome back! Jimmy is in place. I figure he might want to do some pre-arrival hacking... Feel free to post away.

--K

Edit: Duh! I just realized, you're not Jimmy. Sorry! Okay, Blackout is also ready for action.

I've been rolling Intelligence for the PCs here and there, to pick up on details and think of plans. I'm pleased to announce the following skill awards (based on my "Skill inspiration" house rule for excellent rolls):

Web: Tactics 1
Rat: Tactics 1
Jimmy: Matrix Tactics 1

--K

btw, please let me know if I am misrepresenting Blackout's behavior (though, judging from pastreadings of this thread, I think he WOULD be acting as I wrote). Apologies to any who feel toes have been stepped on, I can edit accordingly. =)

krishcane - excellent! Web is updated accordingly

gknoy -- I just wonder what Blackout does when he "mummels" people.

--K

Blackout, Typo Avenger. He's short in statue, and in temper for bad spelling and grammar. His blue shirt has a semicolon on front, and his billowing red cape strikes fear into the hearts poor writers everywhere...

I'm enjoying that image perhaps a bit too much.

--K

His player will kill me ...

Edit: Woah. You know it's too late when you're defending someone else's typo, thinking it's yours.

Post removed.... mostly.

It's not late! It's 10 o'clock in the morning! <shakes head> Crazy Australians... can't tell what time of day it is....

--K

Oh, we can tell the time all right.... All the way to the bank.

Okay people... on Monday I leave for Texas, and I don't know how frequently I will be able to check in until I get back home (March 9th), so y'all know why I'm not posting

Thanks for the heads up. I'm in Manhatten myself, after visiting the Dalai Lama's family in Indiana, and then I'll be in Pennsylvania before getting home next week.... so I might be a little sporadic myself. Hopefully, we can keep some momentum, however.

--K