[ there is a very high chance he sort of crashes into the back of a seat and grips the top to keep from eating shit. rude!! there's a startled sound, but he's back on his feet and he's following the others immediately off of the bus. he's also whispering under his breath: ]
Maybe the plan will be fine...? [ debatable. so we are in an alleyway. is there anything notable on their path as they walk and follow saude and effie? other people, landmarks, etc? ]
The alleyway is reaaally shady. And seemingly quite backstreets, to put it one way. The houses and streets are all extremely ratty. This clearly isn't an area for people with money.
Your guides will gesture you into a pawnshop. The interior is dim and kinda cramped, and there's an old man behind the counter who seems kinda jumpy. ]
Saude
Yes yes, well -- that's what the plan is for. We've been working on this for quite a while, specifically to make sure it goes as seamlessly as possible, so we're really counting on you, alright?
[ Firstly, the pawnshop. The pawnbroker will buy off any trinkets you have for some extra cash and tradearounds, and you can buy one extra thing while you're here -- another weapon, some extra bullets (if you look at bullet pricing, you'll notice that they are exorbitantly pricey, so you won't be able to get a lot), perhaps a smoke bomb or two. Effie goes around the back and returns with a croupier uniform, looking like he'd fit right into a casino. ]
Effie
The Golden Bough is under District 10's famous casino this time.
Your job as retrievers is to infiltrate the casino, make your way to the top floor where you'll act as one of the four Syndicates currently vying to get it, and beat them at whatever game they've planned to earn the rights to get down to the basement.
Saude
The four Syndicates will be the Tingtang Gang, Los Mariachis, Tieqiu Crew, and the Yurodiviye. You'll be impersonating the Tingtang Gang, for two reasons -- because they are one of the four Syndicates participating, and because they have a special mechanism that will aid you greatly at the betting table.
Questions so far?
Oh, this is definitely Gregor and Rodya's thing... Sure wish we had Rodya's luck here, then.
[rodya give them your gambling skill???
anyway he's listening as isabel asks proper questions, but also, can charles afford, like. a dagger or something to go with his sword. or to give to shoma, one of the two. dagger?]
I'm guessing we don't know "whatever game they've planned" is yet?
[ yeah that was my question was if we have enough money that we could buy a single dagger because he would like one in addition to his bombs. ]
Yeah...Rodya told me a little about this but not much. [ for. reasons. ] If we don't know the game, do we at least know the mechanism that they've got as an advantage?
[ So the cool thing is... if you ask, Effie pulls out... a company black card. Whoa. He can definitely afford a few things here and there, though he isn't going to go crazy with it on your behalf.
Isabel: +1 Smoke Bomb. It doesn't have a real trigger. It looks like it's meant to go off with enough impact, so be careful with it. Charles: +1 Dinky Dagger. It's not impressive, but it definitely gets the job done. There's a carving on it that implies it was once an heirloom to somebody.
Saude
Oh, it won't be that important. Gangs and ruffians, they all act the same anyway.
The important thing is that you don't act like you have no business being there, that's all. Oh, and you steal their clothes. The outfit is very important to the Tingtang Gang.
Effie
It's a casino, eh. It's probably a casino game. We're infiltrating as croupiers to guide you through the place and get you to where you need to go while being as non-suspicious as possible. It's probably just a regular game of poker knowing this place.
Saude
The Tingtang Gang is one of many gangs that extort in this District, but not everybody can pay with money. In that scenario, they will accept non-monetary payment in the form of "Wishpower".
[ hum. lovelace doesn't know too much about rodya's world except for the very concerning monster that was briefly explained to her???? so that's a new thing to be concerned about.
oh well. problems for future lovelace, maybe. ]
... Yeaahhh, one more question. Casinos generally have an age limit?
[ pocketing this dagger, thank you. anyway okay, they have covered the important-ish questions so he just decides that it's stupid at this point and turns to lovelace. ]
Captain, I'm eighteen. [ just. to get this out of the way. no further explanation, it's fine. anyway. ] If it's a card game, then we probably have to play a few hands. Right?
Yyyes, in some cases, or most. But it isn't certainly a crime to just walk around one to begin with! Beside that, not to worry, since we did get your paperwork beforehand and have confirmed you're all set to go.
Your presence alone shouldn't be raising alarms, unless you're doing something quite silly.
[ Her energy truly is don't. But yeah she also gestures to Shoma revealing his age so you guys should be fine. She also hands you guys a pamphlet that's all about District 10 and its creature comforts, which mostly revolves around betting and all.
"District 10 is known as the Nest of Gambling, and is owned by J Corp. People living in District 10's Nest devote themselves to gambling and thus, there are many casinos. One department of J Corp. tasks employees with checking the security cameras placed in affiliated facilities and spotting anyone who cheats. The lines are flooded with calls all day, and the employees are overwhelmed because they must keep track of dozens of calls and screens at the same time."
Furthermore from this pamphlet, you will learn that J Corp's Singularity specialises in locking technology. ]
Effie
You could also call it "luck", to put it another way.
You pickin' up what we're putting down, or do I need to get more specific than that?
[ okay, well, that actually immediately puts him in a sour mood so never mind, he guesses!!! thanks for the reminder!!!! ]
Best we can do is pick up cues and pretend we know what we're doing. [ ... ] Rodya told me really early on that with enough confidence, you can get away with almost anything. So if we can do that, we can work with the game.
Yes. Please do act confident.
Nervousness will eat you alive in a place like District 10 after all.
[ Or even the City at large. Anyway enjoy your sorta-shopping, because it doesn't last long. There's an annoyed banging at the door and a gruff voice shouting. ]
Oi, old man! It's time to pay your damn debts!
[ Said old pawnbroker, who is most definitely trying to sell you more wares, freezes up and looks terrified. Effie seems to lack any sympathy on the other hand. ]
[ she can do confident! for example: she remains unaware she upset shoma. it's fine. off to a good start. and this pawnbroker's problems are not her problems, so! ]
[ mm...well. that's also a fair point. he doesn't exactly have time to be thinking about this anyway.
Do you really think anyone would undermine you? I mean... anyone here, anyway. Everyone was relying on you a lot today. They didn't even question that you'd be capable.
similar sentiments from two people he trusts, at least. it's enough to push aside the agitation that was starting to brew and he nods. ]
[ The old man... he is being abandoned. His face goes entirely pallid at this. ]
Wait! I sold you my wares, the least you could do is --
[ And in enters a man, huge, totally decked out in tattoos, and most importantly: he is in a Hawaiian shirt. ]
Thirty million Ahn, gramps! Pay up, and we mean to collect this time. You know how else you can pay if ya ain't got the cash, right?
Effie
Sorry old man, but dealing with your debt isn't a part of our contract right now.
Feel free to contact our higher-ups if you ever need our services separately.
Saude
Ah, by the way. Those tattoos and shirt style indicate he's of the Tingtang Gang.
I suppose it's convenient as a preview of sorts of what kind of folks you'll be walking up to soon.
[ And thus, if you are set on this, they can indeed leave... ]
[ lovelace's instinct is to abandon this man. they spent money here, that's practically the same as helping him with the debt. they've done their part and they have a different mission!!!
however she will linger a moment to see what the other two want to do really observe his outfit. ]
Oh my god. [ this is mumbled to himself both at the outfit and at charles just fucking off on sidequest hell. though he does kind of linger back to observe this, too, primarily studying the behavior of the tingtang member. ]
Yes. It's just an outfit.
Think of it as a costume... we will be dressed as croupiers as well, so it's not as if you'll be the only ones dressing up.
[ Please don't ruin their plan just because you don't like Hawaiian shirts, is the vibe she's putting out. Even though their croupier outfits are probably better.
The old man is cowering behind this counter, stuttering in his words. ]
Th-this fucker took all of it! I only needed a little bit to get my business started, and then the interests came... and every time I paid back, they asked for more! I can't, being a pawnbroker doesn't make that much in a place like this!
[ The alleged Tingtang member with his radical Hawaiian shirt seems unamused. ]
You knew what you were gettin' into. You can do basic math, can'tcha?! And if ya ask me, we were being real lenient, 'cause you say the same thing every single damn time! 'Oh, I'll pay you back, I swear!' Well, Boss isn't gonna like me wastin' precious time teachin' you how 1 + 1 works.
'Sides, what's with the insult, eh? Oh well, makes it even easier for me if yer mad! And ya know, your wishpower'll pay back more than all your stupid lil trinkets.
[ Saude flaps a packet of documents btw while this happening. Inside are loads of info on how they're going to go about this, as well as an intricate casino map, as if she's reminding you all what they've gotta do. Not that you have to listen to her. ]
Saude
The Backstreets have their own rules and systems.
We'd only make a bigger deal out of it by getting involved.
[make a bigger deal out of things by getting involved? sorry, saude, but guess what charles's specialty is!!
he just gives isabel a quick smile because honestly yeah? before he turns to the tingtang member.]
C'mon, my good fellow. If your demands are unreasonable, this poor man won't be a repeat customer of yours. Plus, word spreads. Who's going to want to take a risk with the Tingtang Gang if you're so quick to resort to extremes?
[
despite the seemingly pleasant demeanour the vibe is also that charles just kind of wants to beat this gang member up]
[ well. he was watching, and then he was suddenly actually listening and paying attention to the conversation and there's a very complicated sort of expression on his face as he seems to mull over a few things. there's also a semi-vacant look in his eyes as the two continue to argue.
and then there's charles and isabel both speaking and he sort of blinks slowly as he takes a step or two back. ]
This is the opposite of blending in. [ this is still mumbled mostly to the two of them to not be overheard but uh yeah he's busy thinking about something else so he guesses this is just going to happen. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Maybe the plan will be fine...? [ debatable. so we are in an alleyway. is there anything notable on their path as they walk and follow saude and effie? other people, landmarks, etc? ]
no subject
[ You're doing great.
The alleyway is reaaally shady. And seemingly quite backstreets, to put it one way. The houses and streets are all extremely ratty. This clearly isn't an area for people with money.
Your guides will gesture you into a pawnshop. The interior is dim and kinda cramped, and there's an old man behind the counter who seems kinda jumpy. ]
[ Firstly, the pawnshop. The pawnbroker will buy off any trinkets you have for some extra cash and tradearounds, and you can buy one extra thing while you're here -- another weapon, some extra bullets (if you look at bullet pricing, you'll notice that they are exorbitantly pricey, so you won't be able to get a lot), perhaps a smoke bomb or two. Effie goes around the back and returns with a croupier uniform, looking like he'd fit right into a casino. ]
Your job as retrievers is to infiltrate the casino, make your way to the top floor where you'll act as one of the four Syndicates currently vying to get it, and beat them at whatever game they've planned to earn the rights to get down to the basement.
Questions so far?
no subject
Yeah, first question: how are we supposed to act as people we know nothing about?
no subject
[rodya give them your gambling skill???
anyway he's listening as isabel asks proper questions, but also, can charles afford, like. a dagger or something to go with his sword. or to give to shoma, one of the two. dagger?]
I'm guessing we don't know "whatever game they've planned" is yet?
no subject
Yeah...Rodya told me a little about this but not much. [ for. reasons. ] If we don't know the game, do we at least know the mechanism that they've got as an advantage?
no subject
Isabel: +1 Smoke Bomb. It doesn't have a real trigger. It looks like it's meant to go off with enough impact, so be careful with it.
Charles: +1 Dinky Dagger. It's not impressive, but it definitely gets the job done. There's a carving on it that implies it was once an heirloom to somebody.
The important thing is that you don't act like you have no business being there, that's all. Oh, and you steal their clothes. The outfit is very important to the Tingtang Gang.
no subject
oh well. problems for future lovelace, maybe. ]
... Yeaahhh, one more question. Casinos generally have an age limit?
[ looking? at shoma?? ]
no subject
If that's a problem, we'll just pass Shoma off as a tiny, baby-faced adult.
[smiles. also,]
... "Wishpower"?
no subject
Captain, I'm eighteen. [ just. to get this out of the way. no further explanation, it's fine. anyway. ] If it's a card game, then we probably have to play a few hands. Right?
no subject
Your presence alone shouldn't be raising alarms, unless you're doing something quite silly.
[ Her energy truly is don't. But yeah she also gestures to Shoma revealing his age so you guys should be fine. She also hands you guys a pamphlet that's all about District 10 and its creature comforts, which mostly revolves around betting and all.
"District 10 is known as the Nest of Gambling, and is owned by J Corp. People living in District 10's Nest devote themselves to gambling and thus, there are many casinos. One department of J Corp. tasks employees with checking the security cameras placed in affiliated facilities and spotting anyone who cheats. The lines are flooded with calls all day, and the employees are overwhelmed because they must keep track of dozens of calls and screens at the same time."
Furthermore from this pamphlet, you will learn that J Corp's Singularity specialises in locking technology. ]
You pickin' up what we're putting down, or do I need to get more specific than that?
no subject
[ this is irrelevant to whether or not lovelace believes that. ]
... I guess that's enough. I'm good at games, so. Should be easy. [ no? ]
no subject
Kind of yes, kind of no. Can't say I know how to extort people for luck?
no subject
Best we can do is pick up cues and pretend we know what we're doing. [ ... ] Rodya told me really early on that with enough confidence, you can get away with almost anything. So if we can do that, we can work with the game.
no subject
Nervousness will eat you alive in a place like District 10 after all.
[ Or even the City at large. Anyway enjoy your sorta-shopping, because it doesn't last long. There's an annoyed banging at the door and a gruff voice shouting. ]
Oi, old man! It's time to pay your damn debts!
[ Said old pawnbroker, who is most definitely trying to sell you more wares, freezes up and looks terrified. Effie seems to lack any sympathy on the other hand. ]
no subject
Let's just go.
no subject
charles just leans down to whisper to shoma,]
Don't worry, they'll believe it once they realize you won't take any crap.
[question mark. it's fine. anyway, back to business—]
I think we can all do confident, at least. [smiles!] Yeah, let's go.
no subject
Do you really think anyone would undermine you? I mean... anyone here, anyway. Everyone was relying on you a lot today. They didn't even question that you'd be capable.
similar sentiments from two people he trusts, at least. it's enough to push aside the agitation that was starting to brew and he nods. ]
We're ready.
no subject
Wait! I sold you my wares, the least you could do is --
[ And in enters a man, huge, totally decked out in tattoos, and most importantly: he is in a Hawaiian shirt. ]
Thirty million Ahn, gramps! Pay up, and we mean to collect this time. You know how else you can pay if ya ain't got the cash, right?
Feel free to contact our higher-ups if you ever need our services separately.
I suppose it's convenient as a preview of sorts of what kind of folks you'll be walking up to soon.
[ And thus, if you are set on this, they can indeed leave... ]
no subject
however she will linger a moment to
see what the other two want to doreally observe his outfit. ]That's how we have to dress?
no subject
unfortunately charles's busybody nature is kicking in, so he's actually going to talk to the pawnbroker.]
What are you in debt for, old man?
no subject
no subject
Think of it as a costume... we will be dressed as croupiers as well, so it's not as if you'll be the only ones dressing up.
[ Please don't ruin their plan just because you don't like Hawaiian shirts, is the vibe she's putting out. Even though their croupier outfits are probably better.
The old man is cowering behind this counter, stuttering in his words. ]
Th-this fucker took all of it! I only needed a little bit to get my business started, and then the interests came... and every time I paid back, they asked for more! I can't, being a pawnbroker doesn't make that much in a place like this!
[ The alleged Tingtang member with his radical Hawaiian shirt seems unamused. ]
You knew what you were gettin' into. You can do basic math, can'tcha?! And if ya ask me, we were being real lenient, 'cause you say the same thing every single damn time! 'Oh, I'll pay you back, I swear!' Well, Boss isn't gonna like me wastin' precious time teachin' you how 1 + 1 works.
'Sides, what's with the insult, eh? Oh well, makes it even easier for me if yer mad! And ya know, your wishpower'll pay back more than all your stupid lil trinkets.
[ Saude flaps a packet of documents btw while this happening. Inside are loads of info on how they're going to go about this, as well as an intricate casino map, as if she's reminding you all what they've gotta do. Not that you have to listen to her. ]
We'd only make a bigger deal out of it by getting involved.
no subject
I mean... he's got the clothes that we need, right?
no subject
he just gives isabel a quick smile because honestly yeah? before he turns to the tingtang member.]
C'mon, my good fellow. If your demands are unreasonable, this poor man won't be a repeat customer of yours. Plus, word spreads. Who's going to want to take a risk with the Tingtang Gang if you're so quick to resort to extremes?
[
despite the seemingly pleasant demeanour the vibe is also that charles just kind of wants to beat this gang member up]
no subject
and then there's charles and isabel both speaking and he sort of blinks slowly as he takes a step or two back. ]
This is the opposite of blending in. [ this is still mumbled mostly to the two of them to not be overheard but uh yeah he's busy thinking about something else so he guesses this is just going to happen. ]
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