GM: Combined Effort
Players: Nightshade, Raggedy Annie as Boom-Boom Elena Boxwood, Mr.Terrific as George Boxwood.
Synopsis: Nightshade recruits two new contacts, offering them a pair of SINs and a place to stay in exchange for their services.
Date: September 11, 2010
OrkTown District
Poverty is apparent in this district, the worn and overflowing tenements filled with thousands upon thousands of disenfranchised orks, scratching out a sustenance lifestyle and seldom having enough to eat despite goods and money funneled in from orkish gangs. Even so, there is a sense of community here and among the smaller neighborhoods of trolls that reside here as well. They have meager power and water, provided by the grace of the Sons of Sauron, and while that gang lies in ruin after a mysterious illness wiped out their leadership there is still the hope that the amenities will continue.
What is missing most in this district is leadership, a true sense of order amidst the chaos. Without that, all of the strength and numbers of the metahumans here mean little, their advantages blunted by mismanagement and apathy. Still, the numbers grow every day as more and more displaced orks and trolls travel to what they hope is a true 'Goblin Nation', adding to the stress in the district.
OrkTown - The Big House
The first thing one becomes aware of in The Big House is the sheer size of it. Most metahumas will experience life from the perspective that is usually reserved for dwarves. The tables and chairs, are all made of industrial strength molded plastic or padded metal each the size suited for a troll to comfortably sit in. A row of booths rest along the side, heavy synth-wood benches with backs give groups a place to gather and talk privately while not having to mix with the general population. One booth that sits in the corner is listed as "Reserved," the word stamped into the side of the metal table.
In an attempt to make the converted warehouse look more like a proper bar the walls are decorated with framed printouts of some of the larger prisons throughout the history of the UCAS. The cracked concrete floor has old oil stains that have stubbornly refused to be cleaned out negating the effect of the pictures. A huge orange prison jump suit is held under glass, positioned so as it appears to be strangling a human sized KE uniform. Invisible combatants locked in a never ending struggle.
A dart board can be seen hanging on the East wall across from a Bonk Cola machine that has a bulb that's struggling to keep from burning out. Beside the drink machine is a door that is clearly the only restroom, its listed as "Large," with a plastic troll symbol on it. While troll thrash metal is pumped through crackling speakers its never set too loud that one has to yell to be heard. The bar itself is unique, several crushed and cubed cars have been placed in a row with a slab of concrete resting on top it. Behind the bar is a fairly nice set of taps and bottled hard liquors. Next to the bar is a heavy metal door with the word 'Warden,' stamped into it.
«Auto-Judge[]» Nightshade (#3173) rolls Etiquette for "Setting basic difficulty of this encounter…higher it's easier on Nightshade, lower it's harder. No results below 4 is fail. (KP may be employed.)":
2 4 4
«OOC» Nightshade says, "Success but not great, here's the scene. Annie and Mr.T are a Metahuman (Troll) couple that currently subsist in orktown, you do not have SINs but you do have some minor skills. Make them up as you go, basic stuff. Nightshade has spoken to several folks in orktown and you're known as a somewhat reliable couple trying to make good in the Warrens (you'd like eventually to have a family) You know of nightshade as a higher grade of criminal than the regular thugs, but that's about it. You agreed to meet because she's promised you 100 cred."
«OOC» Nightshade says, "Nightshade is going to present you with a proposition, she should (eventually) be able to talk you into it, feel free to make it harder or easier as you like."
There's a big, and I mean *big* female troll sitting at one booth. She's not big as in 'fat', though she's not exactly thin, either. Still it's easy to say that she's built like a brick shithouse, actually, and puts most 'average' trolls to shame with her raw size and bulk. She's known as Boom-Boom, and she sitting with her squeeze, George. "What you want?", she asks when Nightshade finally shows up.
George is the sort of fellow who arrives places ahead of time. It's hard to describe a troll as 'mousy' but on a scale of 1-6, George does rate a '2'. His hands are not delicate, but they are exacting, and oil-stained, and he does wear glasses. He's probably the reason the two of them got here early.
Nightshade nods to Boom-Boom and George as she takes a seat, "In short, I want to give you a way out of here, out of the Warrens and into real life. Both of you." She's a decent looking troll, and the pair of blades she's takes off her back harness and sets into the bar are sizable enough to make walking around in orktown go smoothly.
George gets all eyes-widened at this. "You mean.. a permanent gig somewhere?"
Boom-Boom laughs, slapping the table. She clearly thinks the idea's funny. "Who ya think ya are? Some corp recruiter coming to hire us up? Ain't no corp really wants trogs like us, anyway, no matter if Georgie's smart and all", she says, after her laughter subsides. She sounds serious, too, about George being the smart one of the pair.
Nightshade nods, "Corps don't hire the sinless, what I'm offering you is a clean SIN for you Boom-Boom and a fresh start. George you'll be riding on credstick for a bit. I've found a base level job that I think George can handle, but the SIN is for a female troll, and I don't think you can pull that off even tucking it back." She nods to George, "I'll help keep things smooth for the first bit, and there's some pay involved, but you two need to commit to keeping your noses /clean./"
Boom-Boom nods her head. "Yeah… I don't want no trouble. Trouble's no good for what we want, anyways", she says.
George does get that distant, calculating air, his fingers going through some motions as he talks-with-his-hands-to-himself. "I mean, we could get chipped at any time, get a beginning SIN, but then they'd check us over, scan us out, and they'd have all our data if they wanted to manufacture something and just pin it on us to make up their numbers. That happens all the time down here." And as his mind wanders, he finishes up with.. "But what is it? I mean, I fix up cars and bikes for people and I gotta flash the proms clean to do it, if you know what I mean. I could stop, but I gotta know what it is to do."
Nightshade shakes her head, "To start with George, your job is just going to be monitoring a data feed. It's a work from home kind of thing. Once Boom-Boom's ID is a little more solid, then we'll get a SIN app as a resident marrying a legal, but that'll be a few years from now. Till then I'll be supplementing your income. This is no charity though. You're my cover story, and if that cover ever gets blow you're going to get a phone call from me that says get the hell out of Dodge, and I suggest you do it."
Boom-Boom nods her head. "What if trouble comes to us before you says to go?", she asks.
Nightshade shrugs, "It shouldn't, I know when I use my covers and you're only one of several. If things go sideways they'll probably be chasing me anyway."
George does grin meekly at this. "Waitin' years to maybe get a phone call. This sounds like one of those 'work-from-home' scams that hit pocsecs every minute." George says "I mean, I ain't against it, but it's not the most exciting thing to do. It WOULD let me get going on that 'special project' I mentioned…" George looks hopefully to Boom-Boom.
Nightshade chuckles, "Work from home programs don't set you up all expenses paid in a good hotel just for keeping your nose clean. You're only at risk if I frag the pooch, and if you're any good with vehicles, you might be able to make yourself a nicer living keeping my whips in working order."
Boom-Boom returns George's look. "I ain't the smart one. I'm just the face she wantsa put on the stick, Gerogie. What do you think?", she asks, clearly out of /her/ element.
George cracks his knuckles. "You bring me rides to fix so I can keep updated on what's hot and what's new, yours, maybe your friends, and you got a deal. I mean, otherwise, I'd go crazy just sitting in a room with a plug in my ear."
Nightshade nods, she pulls out a credstick and a poc sec. A few button presses later she's called up a view of the Mountain Hills in CAS. "Alright, here's the details. I've got a room rented for you in Mountain Hills, nice place." Another few presses and she calls up the specs on a van, "That's my CAS whip, you think that'll keep you interested?" (Black van with great mods), "We'll see about more, you need to keep your nose /clean/ so no illegal mods for anyone other than me for the time being, square?" She then pulls up the basic info on SIN file, "Boom-Boom, you're going to be using this credstick in basic mode only, PIN number and body type. Everything else is keyed to me. If ever I need to use it I'll call you so you know not to use it for a few hours. Then I'll give you the all clear. I don't want them think we're in two places at once. It's linked to a bank account that I'll put money into and that George will get paid into under your name."
Boom-Boom nods her head, picking up the stick. "I think I gets it", she says.
George lookits the specs on the van. "Oh baby. No, with something like this, you keep it legal and clean. Well, except for the license plate, but everyone has those."
Nightshade adds, "Yeah, it's nice to meet you Miss Boxwood, hope you like being called Elena, cause Boom-Boom is dying the moment I get you across into CAS. If you folks want 'out' at some point, I'd say wait till George is good and SINed, then we have him get divorced and take a new wife. By that time you'll have done what I needed."
"Hey!", Boom-Boom says, slapping her hand on the table nice and loudly. "He's mine! Ain't no one gonna be his new wife!", she all but yells. Of course, loud voices aren't at all uncommon in this place, thankfully.
George whistles the tune to "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life," and awaits retaliation. George looks terribly innocent as he takes off his glasses and protects them.
Nightshade rolls her eyes, "Boom-Boom, I meant you, with your own SIN free and clear…" She sighs.Nightshade looks at George, "You'll keep her out of trouble right?"
Boom-Boom blinks her eyes, looking confused. "I don't get all this stuff, Georgie", she says. "Whatcha think?", she asks, waiting for his word on it.
George nodnods to Nightshade. "I'll remind her. I keep the memory." George waggles his fingers like a hypnotist, "You… are… Elena.. Boxwood…. ELENA BOXWOOD!" George says "Shazam!"
Nightshade nods, "Alright, then here's what's going to happen. You go get together whatever you want to take with you. We'll cross over into CAS next week. George, you're still going to be SINless so keep your head down and…" she watches George's little magic act. "Don't tempt me George…"
Boom-Boom elbowchecks George in the side. "remind me of it, don't be a pest!", she says, rolling her eyes.
Nightshade nods, "You got anyone round here you care about leaving behind?"
George oof thuds. George takes notes on his homebrew pocsec.
Boom-Boom shakes her head. "Only Georgie, but he's coming with me, right?", she says.
Nightshade nods, "Yes, George will be coming with you." Nightshade looks over to George, "Anyone you care about other than Elena?" Nightshade stares at Boom-Boom making sure she understands the name use.
George shakes his head. "I gotta break ties with anyone in the biz, so no."
Nightshade nods, "Right. How much do I need to get across the border for you? The place is furnished and you'll have new clothes so only bring stuff you can't live without."
Boom-Boom reaches over and grabs hold of George by the arm. "Got it!", she says, then chuckles low as if she's trying to be funny.
George discusses with Boom-Boom, aka Elena, then responds, "Just a bag full of my tools."
Nightshade nods, "Alright then, we'll call this a deal. Elena, I expect you to do everything in your power to tear me to pieces if I screw this up for you and George, I hope you understand I'll do the same to both of you if you screw it up for me."
Boom-Boom nods her head. "Yeah… tearing drek up is about all I'm good at. Georgie's the smart one…", she says.
George says "I'll be more sly with your wheels."
Nightshade grins, "Elena, If I'm reading your little boy-toy over there right, I'm think he's hoping you'll also make a good mother." She looks over George, "Eh, you know what, too many kids these days born Bastards. George, is that what you're scheming about? If it is I'll see what I can do to get you two legally hitched right off the bat."
George blushes furiously.
'Elena' grins. "Yeah. I like how you think!", she says. "Now you'll be all mine for sure, Georgie!"
George almost seems to shrink in on himself. "Ah, well," and then stops digging, being very interested in the workings of the barbot, or the table, or something.
Nightshade nods, "Alright, gimmie a tic." She pulls out a cell and puts in a call. "Yeah yeah, I know." She waits while the phone squeals at her as the line is rerouted a few hundred thousand times in the blink of an eye, "You know you could mute that retarded howling noise while you do that." She comments into the phone, "Elena just got married, make it so. He's taking her maiden name, yeah pick a tradition where they do that. Just the basics, male troll, Named George, auto mechanic, we'll work out the rest later."
«Auto-Judge[]» Nightshade (#3173) rolls Etiquette vs TN 2 for "Rating 1 SIN for George from Nightshade's Fixer friend.":
3 4 4 = 3 Successes
Cost will be 1000 nuyen
George compresses his lips together. Now he feels all forced and obstinate. "I guess I'm George Boxwood now."
'Elena' grins at what she hears, nudge at George with an elbow. "You hear that, Georgie? Now yer really all mine! I get ta beat you up if I find out you have a fling!", she says, laughing as if that's funny.
Nightshade waves her hand at George, "Only on the books, you're not getting credit without a ceremony done up proper. Elena if he tries to cheap his way out of it you break his knees."
George says "Now I'm gettin' all excited."
Nightshade talks into the phone, "One sec."
Nightshade looks over at George, "You want me to make it engaged instead of married? You're the one that has to explain it to her…" She points to Elena formerly known as Boom-Boom.
George says, "Nah, married is good. I just, you know. Gotta get the ring and everything, find the preacher-man." He scrapes his foot. "Sometimes I need a kick."
"I'll kick whene you need kicking", Elena says to George. "I don't need no stupid ring, neither. I just needs to know that's what you want", she adds.
George mildly says, "How long we been together? I'm thinking it's about time. And here I was thinking I'm gonna surprise you or something."
Nightshade grins, "I'll leave you two to sort that out yourselves, George, that ID isn't going to be worth drek for a few months, so don't use it for anything other than buying groceries at the stuffer shack till my guy gives the all clear…" she laughs at George. "Only reason I picked you two was because you'd been nosing around on the topic, George. You just gave your girl a real life, how much more of a surprise you hoping to spring on her…you're not like an elf in disguise are you?"
George makes like he's pulling off one of those impossibly perfect latex face masks with the same hand gesture that they always use for that in the trids.
Elena elbows George in the ribs. "Well, he done surprised me good, that's for sure!", she says, grinning. "You making me all 'spectable and stuff."
George gets a serious look. "But now we gotta pull it off, baby. We gotta keep serious and not let up. No running on the town, no throwing shit, no rifling through the mailboxes. All that's behind us now."
Elena nods her big, horned, head. "You got it. I want our kids to have better than what I had", she says.
Nightshade nods, "Yeah, though Elena, you and I will go a few rounds at the gym every once in a while, can't let George think you're going to go to seed just cause you're doing the houswife thing." She winks causing the skin around her horns to wrinkle, "And every so often we'll leave the hubby at home and go out and tear up the town…girls gotta have a girl's night every so often."
George reaches across the table for to make it official with a big 'ol two-handed handshake.
That makes Elena grin. "Well, we'll hafta let him go out with some of the guys, too, or he'll get bored and boring", she says. "But I still likes how you think! Let's do it."
Nightshade nods, "Oh, boys always find ways to get into trouble, but I'm sure we'll find him a playmate or two to roughhouse with while watching talking about football." She takes George's hand, and gives it a pump. "Get your last few beers in, cause you're going to be sitting at too small tables and drinking half-sized beers for a while, but you'll be sleeping safe and your kids will go to a real school."
George handclasps, looks sweet, then fist-pumps and gives the official 'woo-hoo!'
«Auto-Judge[]» Nightshade (#3173) rolls Stealth + 1 (comp dice for 2 in border crossings) for "Setting TN for border guard to detect. +6 for spirit concealment +4 for invis and cammo spells. (will make a plot out of it if fail or close to fail)":
2 4 4
«Auto-Judge[]» Nightshade (#3173) rolls 3 vs TN 14 for "Do the trolls get across clean? Each success = trouble in a miniplot later.":
2 4 5 = 0 Successes
Elena 'Boom-Boom' Boxwood Contact Type:Ganger gone legit
Boom-Boom is a big, and I mean *big* female troll. She's not big as in 'fat', though she's not exactly thin, either. Still it's easy to say that she's built like a brick shithouse, actually, and puts most 'average' trolls to shame with her raw size and bulk. She grew up in the heart of orktown and spent her 'wild youth' running with the Sons of Sauron. Her main squeeze is George, a gear-head who helped keep things running in orktown. It wasn't a comfortable way to live, but it was a way to stay alive. That all fell to pieces when the Sons suffered a loss of leadership and things started breaking down. Never the brightest bulb int he box she looked to her main squeeze, to find a solution. That solution presented itself in the form of Nightshade, a shadowrunner offering them a way out. A fresh pair of SINs and a place to live. The catch, she'd need to keep her nose clean, and if Nightshade needed the SIN, she'd have to lay low. Boom-Boom took the offer, and to her delight found that Nightshade shared some of her interests. Boom-boom now 'keeps in shape' sparring with Nightshade, and blows off steam accompanying her to some of the clubs and other amusements in the CAS sector. Boom-Boom has given up up the ganger lifestyle so she can no longer provide street level rumors, however she has not lost her skills, providing Nightshade with an excellent sparring partner and, as you might have guessed from her nickname, an experienced demolitions resource.
George Boxwood Contact Type:Mechanic
George is the sort of fellow who arrives places ahead of time. It's hard to describe a troll as 'mousy' but on a scale of 1-6, George does rate a '2'. His hands are not delicate, but they are exacting, and oil-stained, and he does wear glasses. George used to work for the Sons of Sauron maintaining the few vehicles they could field and keeping up the machinery that made the ork-town area somewhat livable. With the fall of the leadership in the Sons, 'mousy' trolls started having a lot of trouble keeping themselves out of trouble. If they weren't being blamed for something breaking down they were being 'challenged' by the type of folks that want to see brawn coming out on top of brain. George was looking for a way to get himself and his girl Boom-Boom out of the Warrens, somewhere he could start talking to her about raising a family. His inquiries caught the ear of the shadowrunner Nightshade who took advantage of it to recruit him as her personal mechanic. He holds down a menial data processing day job, and keeps Nightshade's rides in tip-top condition. George also acts as a SIN mule for Nightshade, his day to day activities slowly improving the 'legitimacy' of a male alias she keeps for emergencies.
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