W2 🛸 PLAYER CYOA: HIGH ROLLERS (LOWE) 🚀 CHARLES, LOVELACE, SHOMA

[dropoffs]

Comments

[riverbeans]

We're not late, are we...? I didn't think saving me from, uh, dying took up that much time.

[peers...]

Maybe they're deeper in? We could just walk with extreme confidence and hope no one thinks we're out of place. [a beat] Not that that went well for us last time.

[solesuccess]

It would've gone well if we didn't stop to meddle with other things. [ friendly reminder. ] We already know Captain's clothes aren't the right uniform, so she might stick out even if we do walk confidently. But we can't keep standing here either. So...we can just walk really fast and hope they're busy? If we don't stop, we might reach the pagoda.

[ ...he will take a few steps forward like he's just passing through and seeing if that gathers attention honestly. he's dressed right? everyone seems busy so don't mind him... ]

[inequals]

[ Well I rolled for Tingtang perception and it's just a 10 so I guess maybe someone sees you doing the cartoon over here but doesn't think it's important enough to investigate. But at least one person does think you're kind of being weird. They're just going about their day, what are YOU doing.

If it helps, the casino is like, right there. It does seem like they just so happen to make their territory right in front of it, but it's not like you can do a big ol' loop around to avoid them just to end up trying to get in through the back end or something, and that would take some time.

When Shoma steps out though, someone calls out to him. It's just some rando Tingtanger. Let's name him Jimmibob. ]

Oi, you back from a job or what? The hell you doing, faffin' around the towers?

[thematics]

[ it's shoma's time to shine! they're talking to him, after all.

lovelace is not going to hide anymore, though. she'll try the 'just look confident and like you belong here' thing and just kind of wander out too. perhaps less effective after just having been spotted being a cartoon but it's. i'm sure it's fine. ]

[riverbeans]

[it's fine. charles will also just casually stroll out and head to the casino with the confidence of someone who didn't just almost die a moment ago (although he'll also look back to make sure shoma isn't about to get into deep shit or anything).]

[solesuccess]

[ hi jimmibob. this is fucking terrible. but he's fine with talking apparently, still continuing to walk to keep attention on him while lovelace and charles stroll over to the casino. goodbye friends. ]

The hell're you doing standin' around playing cards? [ said in a way of "what's it matter, you just asked a stupid question." ] Finished a job and was just headin' to Boss. Should I be explaining I'm late because you got nosy my shoelace came untied?

[inequals]

Tingtanger C (Jimmibob)

Huh?! The fuck you say... you little beansprout...

[ Jimmibob is very upset at you being so mean right out the gate. In fact. His voice immediately starts breaking. His feelings are evidently hurt.

Also, fuck it. We're just committing to this NPC text now, especially since I'm RPing more random Tingtangers than I expected to and I also don't expect the number of minor randos to actually go down anytime soon anyways. Does this for legibility and lessen the confusion on which minor rando is which. ]

Tingtanger C (Jimmibob)

Are you mad 'cause we didn't invite you last time? Ayo, I'm sorry, man.

[ The roaming Tingtang Gang members don't, like. Stop Isabel, really. They think it's kind of weird you're swaggering your way to the casino but they've seen all types of guests. Someone else calls out to Charles though because he's in 'uniform'. ]

Tingtanger D

Oi, you can't just leave to go roll some slots! Get this car cleaned out, dude!

[thematics]

[ well no one is hassling her, but she can't just go in alone. so she finds a car that isn't being used as a table already and hops up to sit on top of the hood. observing! ]

[riverbeans]

[GETTING REALLY TIRED OF THESE TINGTANGERS!!]

C'mon, really? All right, fine... How do I clean a car, though...

[but he will. wander over to this car? help.]

[solesuccess]

[ oh. oops. he just kind of seamlessly swaps to a little easygoing grin, a "bygones be bygones" kind of expression as he shrugs. sorry. no harm no foul my dude? just keep focusing on him and ignore isabel, though he's watching charles out of the corner of his eye like he's surveying the entire area. ]

Deal me in next time and we'll call it even.

[inequals]

[ Isabel... yeah, go on. You can enter the casino. Though security at the front gate will gruffly ask her who she's with or what's her business. Just checking her credentials or something.

Jimmibob just cries and nods. Yeah man. You're totally invited next time. Even though he is absolutely going to tear your babyhands up at the next gang-sanctioned game of UNO.

The car... it's dirty. It's dusty. There is probably blood on the hood. Welcome to your first close-up of a modern death machine. You don't actually have to commit to cleaning a car, and yet you are here. ]

[thematics]

Oh, I'm meeting some friends here in a minute. Don't mind me, I'll just wait for them out front.

[ she is loitering just outside. trying to keep an eye on shoma and charles! ]

[riverbeans]

[makes some attempt at cleaning this car but is also definitely on the lookout to see if the tingtangers stop paying attention to him so he can sneak away]

[solesuccess]

[ cool. he's just gonna clap jimmibob on the arm before turning to walk toward where isabel is, trying to also collect charles. good work, man, let's go back to what we were doing.

where the FUCK are saude and effie, actually? he's back to looking for them as he goes. ]

[inequals]

[ Someone from inside the casino exits -- you hear the loud sound of fun music from within, and the beautiful and almost gaudy interior of the first floor of the casino, fully lined with slot machines and more. Briefly... if you squint hard enough... you can see Saude anxiously at a table dealing cards, glancing towards the door, brows rising as she sees Isabel.

The security guard just huffs meanwhile, and waves Isabel away. No loitering at the entrance, it's a nuisance. Go play cards with the Tingtang Gang if you really want to waste time outside, etc.

Charles. The Tingtanger that went to annoy you has returned back to fucking around and is not paying attention to you in particular. You can sneak away from the job with Shoma in tow if you'd like, though I'm not sure where you wish to go from here.

Shoma. You are now also looking at a car that someone definitely died on. Saude and Effie are not outside it seems, they moved in for their shifts while Charles was dying. ]

[thematics]

[ she makes eye contact with saude but then looks away so as to not be suspicious. and will continue to loiter. ]

I'll be heading inside in just a second.

[riverbeans]

[well okay. charles will just confidently walk up to the casino and gesture at isabel.]

She's with me. Got business inside.

[inequals]

[ Just to keep this rolling since it's pretty minor development;

The security guard will look Charles (and presumably, Shoma) up and down with a little bit of disdain, but will gesture them inside. ]

Name

Tingtang Gang. Access allowed up to the third floor; guest only allowed past the first floor with a gang member present.

[ And so, you can enter the casino. The music, of course, goes hard, and so does the interior. Whaddya wanna do, play some slots? Just walk around? You can practically hear Saude's voice echoing in your head, telling you to not be suspicious, etc. but honestly? The world is your oyster. ]

[thematics]

[ once they're inside, lovelace will wander over to saude's table and sit down! ]

You're working tonight, too? [ spoken like a person who comes here a lot and knows the regular workers... in theory... ]

[riverbeans]

[charles did say isabel was with him, so for now he will follow her over to saude, though he'll remain standing by her chair.]

Hey.

[solesuccess]

[ also following! he will just trot along behind the other two as normally as possible and stand on the other side of isabel's chair. he doesn't say anything though because he's busy looking around the casino itself. didn't the documents say there was a lot of security? how are things looking right now? ]

[inequals]

[ She's smiling. Saude is most definitely smiling, but you feel a rather thick tension in the air coming specifically off of her. She tilts her head ever-so subtly towards Isabel. ]

Saude

Of course~, if it pays the bills!
Interested in a round of poker today, ma'am, dear guest, dear regular guest???

[ Security is teeming! They look immensely suspicious for some reason because the game said they're all dudes in suits and hats that make them look more like they came out of a film noir than anything. They're just roaming about, especially near the stairs leading up to the higher floors. They seem especially alert today -- might have to do with the whole Bough bet going on later. ]

[thematics]

[ hey? she's being a regular guest right now??? ]

I'll play one round. Just to get warmed up. [ mostly because it would be suspicious to come over here and then immediately walk away. ]

[riverbeans]

[keeps hanging around, but also, he bends down to whisper to shoma,]

So, how do you think we can get the Captain an outfit?

[solesuccess]

[ these dudes sure be suspicious. but it's okay, shoma is still observing and they're basically letting isabel work with saude. ]

Once we find a target we can steal from, best idea I've got is lead them somewhere isolated, knock 'em out like we did at the shop and then lead the Captain to like a bathroom or something to change. Security's tighter than I thought, so we can't cause too much of a scene.

[ actually, in looking, are there any people on this floor they can even try to steal an outfit from? or at they going to have to keep moving after this brief debriefing? ]