We get on our bikes and follow the route Derrick gave us, staying alert for trouble.
Neon, can you ride a motorcycle, or do you take a sidecar? If so, with who?
"F!$@ing ghosts?" Cruiser asks. "Christ. I didn't sign up for this," he says, slowing the vehicle to a crawl as he navigates around several cars stopped in the street, to the side of a parking garage still full of empty vehicles. He winces visibly, his eyes following as you pass one that's been scraped up, the windows broken. "COYOTES" is written along the side.
"Don't worry about them," 1dr0meda says while looking around. She coaxes Syzygy from her hiding place in her back back and gives her a few internal instructions to turn on her TAP and keep watch for threats, but to turn off her TAP when instructed to do so. The sim-cat crouches in the ledge behind the back seat, serenely staring without blinking at the world rolling away from her through the back window.
"I'll warn you if any are in the area. They're just fancy VR constructs. With your TAP off, they can't hurt you."
1dr0meda watches, turning her head rapidly to look down each side street and into each open garage bay or shop. She suddenly looks forward, concentrating. "I just heard a large engine start up near here. Look carefully. Now there are two." After a few more seconds, she adds, "Not sure where they are now but somewhere up ahead."
As Cruiser turns to look to the front, an entire truck barrels out of the second floor of the parking garage, crashing into the street and cutting off his route.
To his credit, Cruiser immediately whips his head around and throws the car into reverse, gracefully s-curving around vehicles, but by the time he's gone a few hundred feet, another truck drives in from a sidestreet. The paint is scratched and torn, pieces of sheet metal are welded to it at odd angles and a cow skull is affixed to the front bumper. A gaggle of a half-dozen teens stand up in the bed of the pickup, dressed in UrbanPUNK street clothes adorned with feathers and trinkets, carrying pipes and axes, and one of them has an honest-to-god bow and arrow. Not all of them are Navajo, but they all hoop and holler an enthusiastic "Ayiyiyi!" As they pour over the side of the truck towards you.
1dr0meda activates the auto roll-down button on her window and leans over the front seat to grab the cruiser's microphone and takes it back as she leans out the car to make herself visible, sitting on the door with her torso fully outside the car. She activates the loud speaker and adds her voice to the ululating gang before speaking in Navajo, "Mauruuru Estsanatlehi ko Tsohanoai kitea e ahau a koutou katoa. Hoa kai! Ko te pōwhiri tika mō te kotahi o koutou ake tenei. rapu ahau Hatałii Assún e ai utu ahau Giri."
Then she repeats the message in English, for those who might not speak Navajo, "Thank the Sun and the Seasons I found you all. Fellow Diné [Navajos]! This is a fitting welcome for one of your own. I seek Hatałii [medicine woman] Assún that I might repay giri.
Result: 5
Edit: 1dr0meda will spend a point or two of street cred if it will help her with the Coyotes. Not sure how spending street cred works, mechanically, so just let me know if points spent would help diffuse this situation. Maybe that only comes later when negotiations are made for something we need.
Ghiv hops on the bike and guns it. It's not his Harley, but it'll do.
Neon looks at the spare bikes, "Yeah, never picked this up. Kit, I'll ride with you." she says, indicating a bike with a sidecar attached.
Giving Derrick a look that all but says, "I'd rather be riding with you again.", Neon grabs her gear and settles herself into the sidecar.
As she does, the dossier she took from Nexxon pinches her where it lies folded under her armor. "Love a chance to read that file..."
Pointing forward, she let's Kitsune know she was ready to go....
===Coyotes===
The teens stop, the biggest one of them taking a few last lumbering steps, dragging a pipe along the ground. He mouths "What" to the others as he halts. Most of them look confused, but a few nod along as you finish speaking Navajo, and the others start to get it when you translate into English. The one with the pipe picks it back up again, like a baseball bat, striding forward, and a voice from the cab of the truck calls out "Suueeee! Concrete, step back!" And the big boy complies, still glancing angrily at the truck. His veins pulse--probably blitzed on tank-n-spank.
The cab opens, and a very, very long set of legs with chaps slide down to the ground. The man who steps out is rail thin, dressed like an old-school vaquero with chaps and a duster, but his underclothes are UrbanPUNK threads. "<Shannaro!>" He calls happily in Navajo, doffing a wide-brimmed hat, decorated with feathers and bones. You remember him--one of Asheén's lieutenants, a friendly old cuss named Jasper. "<It's been far, far too long. Shame we've got to meet in a place like this.>" Casually, without breaking step, he deadlegs the big boy with a knee to the hamstring, hissing quietly, in English, "She is a guest, you stupid f!~@in' tweaker." He crosses the distance, patting you on the shoulder if you let him, and turns to address the gaggle of teens.
"Bad news kids! No score today," He says, then points to the truck that fell from the parking garage. "Get the clunker out of the way and set back up again--I'm going to take our good friend to camp, then I'll come back around with food and firewater. Sound like a plan?" Most of the kids seem fine with this arrangement, the two or three who look like they've got native blood even smiling and waving to 1dr0meda. The big boy grumbles, but quails under another glance from Jasper, who turns back to you. "Shannaro! You gonnna introduce me to your friends?"
===Outside the Capitol===
Derrick waves as you depart, the other runners seeming measured and neutral, even a little unsure. A few of the young ones swallow hard as you get on the bikes of people who were alive an hour or two ago. Derrick's gaze lingers on Neon as the bike pulls away, and he gives her a nod, a slightly unsure look on his face. The streets are quiet now, the commotion you heard on your way in seeming to have died down. Dead and rusted, unused vehicles sit scattered around the road, rotting upholstery and ugly, peeling paint providing an assault on most of your senses save your ears. As you skirt around to the north, a loud, echoing crash booms off a few blocks distant, but otherwise nothing interrupts your approach to the camp. Derrick's directions were solid.
As you pull in to the location he provided, you're able to size up the headquarters from a distance. It's a low-rise, low-rent apartment building with a crude fence hammered together from tin, planks and plywood surrounding it. A couple trails of smoke give you the impression they've got fires lit inside, and the just barely-present posts rising above the fence give you the impression they might have honest-to-god tipis. The gate inside is open, but flanked by a group of teens passing a long wood pipe arouund and giggling. A few feet away, a rotting corpse is nailed to the wall with an arrow, with fading red graffiti reading COYOTES--STAY OUT to it's side.
When the leader of the Coyote raid starts telling everyone to stand down, 1dr0meda--now Jannaharo, Navajo sister--exits the window all the way and stands by the police cruiser, saying to those inside, "Looks like they recognize me. Stand down and let me do the talking."
"Jasper! Glad someone in this party recognized me. We have trade goods we can give you for putting us up for a short." She gives the man a Navajo salute and accepts Jasper's pat before looking into the car and gesturing for Allana and Cruiser to exit to meet Jasper.
"This is Allana and that's Cruiser. We have got a few other friends around the city somewhere, getting intel on what went down here. I promised I'd check on Assún for Asheén. We got some much needed assistance from the followers of Moses at the zoo. Promised them I'd see if we could maybe discuss truce with them. I also got some intel on what you call ghosts are and perhaps how to defend against them. Let's roll. We have lots to discuss and I want to see Assún. Last time I saw her she was a skinny teenager who made a mean cornbread goat pie."
Since we're riding motorcycles, Kitsune is not surprised when the teenagers stand up and take notice of their approach. Coming within about 30 feet of the open gate, she motions Ghiv to stop, as she pulls to a stop herself.
Getting off the cycle, she shouts to the teens "Greetings! We have business with your leaders! We are also here to meet a friend of ours who belongs to your tribe - have you seen or heard of her? She's an android, slender, about 5'6", dayglow lipstick and a tattoo of a spoked wheel on her forehead. Calls herself '1dr0meda'."
Neon steps up out of the side car and stands at Kit's shoulder, helmet still on, rifle cradled in her arms...exuding a willingness to commit terrible, terrible violence...
"Pleased to meet both of y'all. Glad to know Jannaharo has some friends outside the tribe these days." Jasper just about wrenches Cruiser's shoulder enthusiastically shaking his hand and then delicately grasps Alanna's and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "God, we're always obliged for goods," he says, loudly cutting in and talking over you for a few seconds when you mention Moses. Quietly he adds, "We can talk about the big fella in the car." He gestures, taking the back seat with 1dr0meda. At her mention of the cornbread pie, he grins, lopsidedly, and taps 1dr0meda's stomach with a hollow tung. "Ingredients for that might be a bit scarce these days--not that'd make much difference to you."
He motions for Cruiser to pull away, and directs him back around the way you came, and then north. "We make people drive the long way around if they want to come see us proper," he says. Once you're a block or so away, he doffs his hat and his demeanor noticeably shifts. The lines in his face seem to deepen, and much of the smile fades. "As you might have gathered from that sorry display, things have changed a little." He licks his lips, scratching under his chin before continuing. "Miley--Sorry, Maji, Assun, whathaveyou, she started going off the deep end after the Mess. She started bringing in kids like that, giving 'em drugs and feather headdresses and telling 'em they're Indians now. Runnin' myself ragged trying to keep 'em all in line. There's no respect for the elders, no respect for the..." He trails off, looking at the window, then rolling it down. He leans his head out, then in a smooth motion, rises, pulling his torso through it and drawing a gun.
The gaggle of teenagers out front look at Kitsune, almost ready to square up at the sight of her and Ghiv. Neon's stand and flex makes them quail. One of them mumbles about putting the peacepipe away and hightails it back into camp. The rest step back, putting two of them who look stoned out of their minds, but holding weapons as if they were supposed to be on guard duty out in front. They glance back and forth, then sizing up Neon warily. "We don't know any droid f+#!s," says one of them. "Native Americans--" he looks very pale and very blond "--don't like toasters much. Or furries for that matter."
At precisely that moment, the crunch of uneven, broken asphalt under four wheels alerts you to a familiar vehicle. Alanna's cruiser pulls up not far from the gate, though you don't recognize the rickety gentleman with the long black hair levelling an antique pistol at you from the back window. "Who the f*$$'re you three?" He asks, then switches his gun to the teen at the gate. "And what the f#&@ did I tell you about getting high on the job?!"
Seeing that this is obviously a man in charge, and even tho it's Alanna's cruiser, because she can't yet see who's inside Kitsune shouts the same thing that she said at the teens : "Greetings! We have business with your leaders! We are also here to meet a friend of ours who belongs to your tribe - have you seen or heard of her? She's an android, slender, about 5'6", dayglow lipstick and a tattoo of a spoked wheel on her forehead. Calls herself '1dr0meda'."
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Alanna's face goes through a fast serious of mixed emotions once 'dr0meda's "people" show up, from a fast, but extreeemely awkward attempt to mount the main gun when the truck crashes in front of them, to a rapid retreat back to her seat when 1dr0meda starts talking that may or may not have resulted in a wardrobe malfunction, to a surprised/hostile/friendly face at the friendly greeting, to outright passive acceptance as kisses start being handed out. (She awkwardly tries to kiss his cheek back, but then aborts the attempt and just runs her hand through her hair.)
Still unsure how she could actually assist matters, and sort of confident that, were the places switched, she would want her to shut the hell up and let her handle the talk with her own people, Wraith contemplates the meaning of "silent as the grave" because she's never understood it since most people that she's seen die do so with loud explosions, but it keeps her quiet all the same.
'Alright now THIS is more like it!' she thinks as their new beau looks to want to start a shootin' at sumpin', but it just turns out to be the rest of the group and what the hell are they doing here???2?
"Hey! We found you!" Alanna cries as she hops out and runs up to give N30N and Kitsune a great big hug. "But what the hell are doing here? Aren't you supposed to be stuck in some boring board meeting room meeting a bored board talking about dumb things like ROIs and PEs and Iras? Like, who the frag is Ira? I've no idea who the butt she is, but a LOT of people seem to give her a LOT of money. If I ever find this Ira chick I SWEAR Imma find out what she does and how she does it! I don't know if she just has an amazing pair of knockers or what but damn, dude. Everyone's can't shutup about how much money they're stuffing in Ira.
Um, yes, Kits, 'meda is right there, next to our overly-concerned-yet-sort-of-helpful guide. Hey! Guide! I didn't catch your name, but don't take any offense, I usually don't know the names of people I start kissing, as a rule.
So, anyone thirsty?
What?"
Neon feels a rib or two pop as Alanna gathers her into a huge bear hug, one she returns in rather limp fashion, her arms not really working correctly in Alanna's tight embrace.
Her eyes kind of blank out as Alanna's mouth runs on, but when she finally stops, Neon says, "We got to Nexxon just as they were attacked by another interest here in Phoenix. They agreed to get Kit here to her corporate HQ, in return for us dealing with the Coyotes here."
It seems she's about to say something else, thinking about quipping, "Derek says hi", but decides against it.
Instead, she turns to 1dromeda, "We thought these might be your Coyotes...so here we are."
Ghiv takes in the exchange. He stares at the nearby Coyotes for a few seconds, locking eyes with several.
1dromeda eyes the approaching bikers skeptically, since the last she knew, her fellow runners were in the company of a corp that hard seemed the types to ride bikes through Phoenix. But she quickly spots Kitsune and then recognizes Ghiv and Neon's gear and says to Jasper "These are friends of mine. Seems they've had some adventures since we parted ways. Let's talk.
"Ah, friends of Jannaharo's," says the rickety man, lowering his gun and stepping down from the cruiser. He off-handedly gestures with the pistol, the teens half-ducking away, and says in a rumbling undertone, "We're still gonna be having a sit-down about the pipe." He crosses the remaining ground, giving the ladies a half-hug and a kiss on the cheek (as allowed) before giving Ghiv a handshake and nod. "Name's Jasper. Welcome to the Coyote camp."
"Hey," he says, snapping his fingers to the teens and waving. "Red-eyes, stoners, these five are friends. No harm comes to them. Spread the word." The stoned teens nod, nervously sizing you up before he turns back to Kitsune. "Any friend of Jannaharo's is a friend of mine, but our..." He pinches the bridge of his nose, holstering his pistol, "...Medicine Woman may not be as amenable." He steers the five of you inside--shacks and tipis surround the apartment building proper, rugs and dirty blankets forming a scattered patchwork over the asphalt of a dingy parking lot. Scattered teens sit on benches and around fires. The most sober among them back up when they see Jasper coming, and a quiet murmur goes up at the sight of outsiders.
Jasper holds open a tent flap, gesturing inside to a larger and more spaciously-constructed tipi. "Get in," he says, hushed and urgent. "I'll go find Maji and try to..." He trails off as you hear the rapping of a stick on the asphalt. He sighs, straightening up and letting the tent flap drop. The scattered teens go dead quiet as a woman in her mid 30s paces across the parking lot, a long, crooked stick in her hand. Her clothes are more traditional than the teens, and her head is covered by a hood. She casts it back as she approaches, showing a shaved head with black and red warpaint across her eyes and forehead.
<"Well hello there, Jannaharo,"> she says in Navajo, smiling. <"So nice of you to join us."> She turns to each of you, her smile a static hold, and then saying, in lightly accented English, "My name is Maji, the Medicine Woman of the Coyotes. Pleased to meet you."
Ghiv shakes hands with the man and nods at him respectfully.
He decides to keep his mouth shut, and let the ones who know these people do the talking. However, that doesn't stop him from peeking into their minds. Always a good practice to avoid the doublecross.
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Alanna's eyes rise as N30N describes what sounds like a typical double-cross. "Huh, that's odd," she replies. "What, so, you had peaceable discussions with your best besties but they got curb-stomped by a third party who just -happen- to be totes okay with y'all doing what you're doing so long as you make the talking with yet a different fourth patty?"
Alanna pouts. Still cutely. It sounds like there's something she isn't telling her.
"It sound like there's something you aren't telling us. That's a mad-crazy turns of events. I mean, mad respect that you were able to turn into a pos an' walk away, but still, kinda odd, aff?
Huh. Too bad you guys didn't run into Derrick in your Gulliver's travels. Wouldn't that be wiz!" She starts frowning, and her thumb idly starts flipping the safety on her gutterpunk on and off. "I mean, I'd have to kill every last mother-fragger between here and him, of course." Then the storm passes and a smile blooms back onto her face. "But you didn't, so who cares! Come on, let's go meet this "medicine woman". Probs some crusty ol' birddie that'll tip over at a stiff wiff of firewater, amirite?"
As Alanna sees the remarkable young medicine woman she gives her a standard once-over.
She's the first to advance and offer a hand for shaking. "Magi? Whoa, cool makeup! Ya, like Jasper the Friendly Guide sez, any friend of JenniHero is a friend of mine!
Good to meet you. I'm Wraith."
"Maji? So much has changed since last I saw you. You were Assún then. You're all grown up. I am happy to find you at all and impressed that you are now a leader. When I had an opportunity to get into Phoenix, I contacted Asheén and she wanted me to find out if you were all right. We ...," Jannaharo tilts her head to indicate Alanna, "made contact with Moses, leader of a kind of amalgamated gang. He treated us well, gave us some important information about Ghosts and in return, he asked us to try to negotiate a peace, or at least something like a ceasefire between the coyotes and his gang."
She looks next at Ghiv, Kitsune, and Neon. "We have had a relatively uneventful trip, considering the situation. What happened to you? Nexxon turns out to be connected the the ghost phenomenon. Did you encounter anything like a VR construct that can harm people and machines through your TAPs?"
"I mean, I'd have to kill every last mother-fragger..." A second later, Alanna says it again, this time out loud. In the split second before her eyes glance over to you, you realize she was reading Alanna, and then she reads you. For a moment, you hear Maji's thoughts--"Tidy thing. Looks like he's trying hard to give off the right impression. Hiding something?"--before you hear your own, a second time. There's an unpleasant jabbing in your brain as you read her, reading you, reading her... She jerks her head abruptly, severing the connection.
Maji smiles warmly as she takes Alanna's hand, saying aloud Pleased to me--" She jerks her head abruptly, flinching, and then coughs a second later. "Apologies. Pleased to meet you." She coughs a second time and her eyes study Ghiv for a long moment before she drops Alanna's hand and takes his. "Pleased to meet you as well, friend." She puts an unpleasant emphasis on the last word, and her grip on Ghiv's hand looks a little tighter than necessary. Whatever subtext is there, the rest of you are missing out on, though she lets it hang in the air pointedly for a moment before moving on.
"Oh, quite a lot has changed," she says conversationally to 1dr0meda, letting Ghiv's hand drop. "But the old ways keep us strong in times of trouble." Behind her, a sour expression passes over Jasper's face, but he keeps his thoughts to himself and lets the medicine woman continue. "Spirits above, that's what he told you? Moses hasn't sought much peace around here--he just wants everyone to fall in line with his little fiefdom. But..." She considers for a moment before waving you inside the larger tipi. "...We can talk a little more quietly inside. I'm assuming he gave you terms."
The inside is sparse, but with a low and smouldering fire in the center. She sinks to the floor, kneeling and facing the tent flap. "We've seen something like that," she says in regards to the ghosts. "But it's hardly as violent as you describe it. More... People, people trapped since the Mess." She gazes upward at the smoke from the dwindling fire. Jasper sets a log on it, though it's still fairly warm out, and Maji sets a little battery-operated kettle off to the side. "I'll make you all some tea. What sort of agreement was Moses looking for?"
Kitsune speaks up at this point, saying "Actually, *we* also want to come to some agreement with you. Once we were at Nexxon, a terrori...a group attacked the building and blew it up. They were willing to help us get out of there, so we went with them. Their leader...says that you are raiding and hurting his refugees, and wants you to stop."
She manages to think better of mentioning Derrick's name, given what Alanna said. And she also doesn't mention that Derrick sent them here to destroy their camp and take their drugs and other goods as payment for their services.
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Alanna blinks politely as the conversation goes on, idly wondering why she's here.
As Kitsune speaks up, she starts, suddenly coming to and remembering something about Moses and a really long word.
"Oh right!" she blurts out without preamble.
She digs around in her ammo pack and eventually brings out a Signed Document.
"Um, ya, Yes! As you can see in this Signed Document, I Alanna Whiteangel, have full, comprehensive, and unadulterated," 'teehee. 'adult', "powers to negotiate as a fully recognized -plenipotentiary- of the party of the first-part, heretofore known as "Moses", with yourself and all known members of the Native-Indigenous tribe known as the "Coyotes", hereafter known as the party of the second-part, to negotiate an immediate cessation of all hostilities, raiding of supplies, parts, and foodstuffs, and to enter into a mutually beneficial Non-Aggression Pact.
Pursuant to an Agreement herein, the party of the first-part is prepared to offer recognition of currently-held borders, mutually favorable trade terms, and a full disclosure of currently held knowledge of the enemies of the party of the second-part, along with common alliance against the hostile forces known as The Court, as well as the forces currently known as "Ghosts", along with a working relationship of expansion of lands into enemy territory, and Hereditary Title."
Most of this she just heard in some movie. Especially that last one. Some historical documentary about some Scottish guy.
"Of NOTE! This Signed Document is MUCH more professional than the total LACK of a signed document that these guys are not having, and whatever ignorant, knuckle-dragging, Communist gaijin BASTARD they claim to work for. I mean, with us, you know that for whatever Moses is, he's a man of his word, as long as it's in his best interest.
And, you know, and I know, and you KNOW that I know, and I KNOW that you know that I know that you know, and you KNOW that I know that you KNOW that -I- certainly MUST know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you KNOW that Moses knows that it would be much much cheaper to simply have an alliance with you, than to go to open war, wherein rocks fall and everyone dies.
And, all you know about -them- is that they work for a dirty, dirty America-hating TERRORIST that won't even tell you who they are. So let's make this agreement with Moses, and then you can ask -them- about how much they're scary Dr. EVIL wants to bend you over a barrel."
= 9(!)
Alanna had no idea if she was competing with N30n's people, but it kinda seemed like a competition, so it seemed the safe play.
1dr0meda knew from experience with Navajos that such meetings were traditionally conducted after some pleasantries were observed, such as serving tea, smoking some Naakai Binát'oh or Mexican Cigarettes, to use an old slang term. So she was taken off guard when first Kitsune blurted out the issue from whoever they allied with and then Alanna launched her 'document' and 1dr0meda was tempted to put her hand to her face as she had seen many humans do when dismayed by a surprising turn of events.
Instead, she tried to give Maji proper respect in hopes of heading off an indignant dismissal. "It sounds as if there is no shortage of people you are making enemies with. Your warrior ancestors would be proud. What are you trying to establish? Street cred? Control of an area of the city? Revenge for past injustice? You've made yourselves enough of a problem that two groups are willing to negotiate. What can they give you that you can't get by just attacking people and taking what you find?"
Default penalty: -2
Result = 4 - 2 = 2
Completely shocked and taken aback by Alanna's rantings (in Kitsune's mind) and for turning this into some kind of insane competetion, she jumps in with "Forgive me, I merely started to call them 'terrorists' because they attacked Nexxon, but I'm sure they had good reason. And as far as I can tell, *everyone* in Phoenix is acting like a terrorist, attacking others instead of co-operating in these trying times.
In addition, there's no reason that you can't come to a mutually acceptable agreement with *both* groups, this is *not* an either-or situation." She says this last bit glaring at Alanna.
"Finally, I have no idea what 'bending you over a barrel' means, but the name of the leader of our group is not 'Dr. Evil', but Derrick." She looks at Alanna intently, waiting for her reaction with something akin to revenge/satisfaction.
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In addition, there's no reason that you can't come to a mutually acceptable agreement with *both* groups, this is *not* an either-or situation."
A light seems to go on inside Alanna as Kitsune makes what, in hindsight, seems both reasonable and obvious.
"Oh, well, ya, when you put it that way, I guess we can all work toward something mutually agreeab--"
But Kitsune isn't finished.
"I have no idea what 'bending you over a barrel' means,"
"You see, when a man and a woman -reallllllly- like each other, but the woman wants something new and exciting, you turn a barrel on its side and--"
"the name of the leader of our group is not 'Dr. Evil', but Derrick."
"..."
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"Ha ha. Ha. Ha ha. Ha. Ha. Yeaaaaaaaaaah, hey, um, I used to know someone by that name! Ha, what a crazy coincidence!"
Alanna's eyes seem to stare everywhere but actually at any other person in the room, and her hands are possessed by what can only be described as the ghosts of epileptic spiders with ADD as they roam over her body in a random ever-moving pattern.
"But, I mean, I'm sure _lots_ of people have that name, right? Ha ha, ya.
I mean, it's not like _you're_ Derrick is a particularly attractive man with epic streetwise competencies and a natural leader of men and seducer of women, the kind that can engender either loyalty or passion in the barest of looks or the mere promise of a touch, huh?
I mean, sheyeaaah, I bet your 'Derrick'--if that even is his real name, is probs like some reallllllllllly old overweight old dude, amirite here?"
Alanna starts bobbing on her feet like her shoes are too hot.
"But that Moses, huh? What a guy is that, yeah?"
Neon allows the skinny man to 'kiss' her helmet's cheeks then shakes the Coyote's leader's hand firmly.
She gives Alanna a steady stare as she fiddle with her weapons while talking , reminding herself not to reveal Derrick's presense until later.
She follows the othesr into the compound, her eyes moving , checking out defensive positioning , bottlenecks, number of personnel and how they're outfitted....generally looking for weaknesses.
She ducks her head to enter the tipi, taking a position just to the left of the entrance, watching the discussion, arms crossed.
She winces a bit at Kitsune's undiplomatic approach and watches, with amazement, the stream of nonsense that spews from Alanna's mouth.
Not sure what Alanna had just said, she winces more obviously at Kitsune's response..."Oh, Boy....
Neon watches Alanna stand there for the longest time, Breathe, Alanna.....breathe
When Alanna does finally speak again, Neon can only shake her head and say, "Yeah, he's a total fatty...."
Turning she regards Maji, "Seems you have two parties whom have the same claims against you...claims you probably can make against them as well. Truce? For the benefit of all? "
Maji nods to Kitsune and Alanna's initial explanations, her hands busying themselves with the kettle before her vision alights on 1dr0meda. Smiling serenely, she responds to her, seeming to ignore the others. "Well, we don't hurt much for resources, I can tell you that." She says. "We have drugs and alcohol and food and water, all the things I imagine that little camp down in the Capitol building is hurting for. Moses does a little better for himself, but if he's willing to bargain, then I would imagine you're right, Jannaharo--he's not in a position to stand up to me and mine."
She studies Alanna's reactions, and the conversation between her, Kitsune and Neon carefully, letting the kettle whistle for a long moment when Alanna pauses at the mention of Derrick's name. Wordlessly, she begins to pass out chipped, hand-pottery cups full of herbal tea, even as the conversation continues. She takes a small drink of hers, and Jasper drinks half his cup at once. She studies Neon carefully when she speaks, but doesn't reply.
Instead, she takes out a little wood cigar case, opens it, and withdraws, then begins to grind a couple of green buds. To cover her silence, Jasper speaks up. "Forgive us, we know not all of you know our ways. Business is usually reserved after we take some pleasantries." He nods to 1dr0meda and gives her a knowing half-smile. "What I think the Medicine Woman means to say, is that while we respect Moses' offer, he can only afford us supplies, of which we already have enough." He pauses, draining the rest of his tea as Maji begins to roll a joint. "What we need, I doubt he can provide, or would be willing to if he could. This Derrick is no doubt in a similar position, though perhaps more desperate." He turns to Maji, who nods as she lights up her joint off the smouldering log. There are a few moments of awkward silence as she inhales deeply.
"The favor of the Old Gods," she says, her voice deeper and breaking around a lung full of smoke. She snorts slightly as she restrains a cough, then exhales. She passes the joint to Jasper and sips her tea. "Drink your tea and smoke with me in peace, and consider your response carefully. I ask: How does an alliance with that bastard son and his gangsters or that white knight and his starving village help me curry favor with the Gods of my people?" She studies each of you again in turn, though her eyes seem careful to avoid Ghiv.
Result = 6
Result = 7
1dr0meda started a subroutine to collate what information she had on Navajo religion, hoping to get a clue about what Maji was fishing for. To buy time, she waited for the cup to pass her way. Since she couldn't drink, she merely held the cup, contemplated the view of the steam rising from the amber colored water, as her Roshi in Japan had taught her to do. When the joint came around, she held the cigarette up and watched the vapors curl and drift. Then she passed on as well.
"You have me at a disadvantage when you talk of favor of the Old Gods. Are these the gods of the Diné? Or have you discovered something else? I wouldn't think the old gods would want you doing anything in a husk of a city. Would they not want you to return to the old ways, living off the land?"
While waiting for the joint to come to her (which she has never tried before), Kitsune asks "What about keeping your people alive? Would not a battle between your group and *two* others cause you significant loss of life among your people? Do your gods not think that *all* life is sacred?
And, just exactly what is it you *do* need?
Finally, it is my understanding that we are not trying to come to some *trade* agreement, or even an alliance, but simply an agreement to end hostilities between the groups. What more is there to do than simply agree to stay within the bounds of your territory, and not attack the others?"
Ghiv flinches away from Maji and keeps his eyes away from hers. However, now he's onto her and watches to see if she continues her readings. He needs to let the others know their minds aren't safe...but how to do that without letting his own secrets out.
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When Derrick the OldFat is revealed to be their "secret" employer, Alanna is like a boiling pot taken off the flame. Within moments her serene--if fluttery--demeanor again reasserts itself and she calms down to moderate level of chill.
When the tea comes to her she sniffs it and takes a small sip. She only half hides a grimace and covertly pours a stiff bolt from her flask into the cup. Taking a longer swig, she sighs contentedly, the earthy tea apparently making a good drink mix base.
She takes an obligatory drag on the offered bud, but her super-hyper enhanced biology is quick to counter the thing. She passes it on and quickly forgets about it.
Alanna frowns as Maji starts saying the exact wrong things. "Um, no. No no. A world of no. Once upon a time there was a little boy named No. Eenie meanie minnie no. Let me tell you a story about a man named No. SuperPowerRangers No.
That...that isn't why someone negotiates. An offer of peace is not a sign of weakness, it just means he wants stable boarders so he can get on with the serious business of making obscene amounts of money. Hell, or making money at all! Last I saw, this little town ain't got what one could call a liquid durable-goods market.
You got rice an' water. Super. How about a Chernobyl Cherry? Girl, you ain't lived 'till you had a hot cuppa N'oodL mixed with a C-Cherry an' vodka. I mean the good kind, not the crap the Mandarinate tries to sell outa Soviet-used-to-be-Land."
"So like Kits sez, let's start with some acceptable boundaries an' go from there, yeah? Surely peace with your deity would be more betterer if you didn't hafta worry about yer kids getting shot up, yeah?
And, while we're on it, ya, what -do- you need to get closer to Up On High? Is it...is it live sacrifices? Because if you need sheep4sacs I can totally get you a good deal.
What? I know a guy who knows a guy."
Maji stays quiet as she finishes the joint, ignoring Jasper as he snorts in spite of himself at Alanna's "no" tirade. He nods apologetically to Kitsune at all of her reasonable objections. The Medicine Woman seems to ignore both of you, however, replying to 1dr0meda in Navajo, <"There are powers even older than the Gods of the Diné.>" She takes a long drag, then continues. <"Older than the Gods of our brothers and sisters in the First Nations. The Old Gods, True Gods, who have revealed themselves to me.">
Jasper grimaces, and says aloud, to clarify, "What Maji is looking for isn't a human sacrifice. There are people with..." He hesitates, glancing to her. She nods, but begins muttering a long and drawn out chant under her breath. "...Abilities. They're not terribly common, but Maji says they represent a glimmer of the power of the Old Gods trying to reach us." He speaks more deliberately than he did before. He seems to be trying to avoid stepping on Maji's beliefs, but you get the feeling he's not on board. "She believes we need to find them, and bring them together to bring back the Old Gods. But many of them don't know what they are, and even the ones that do might not believe the way she..." He makes eye contact with Maji, and grimaces, "...We do."
"Tell me," says Maji in English, leaning forward. She tosses the last of the joint into the fire and lets it smolder. "What do you know about Zeeks?" Under her breath, she resumes her chanting, her eyes looking upward into the drifting smoke.
From outside, you can faintly hear one of the teens say, "Whoa, a cyber cat? I thought they all ran out of juice a long time ago."
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Wraith feels an eddy of irritation flow around her like a low tide. For someone used to being the center of attention...or at least a prime mover, this whole not being talked to directly is making her chips fuzzy. Maybe someone of more patience and greater gravitas would be able to play a dignified second-fiddle, but such is not her style. Besides, it seems like 'dr0m has this well in hand.
At the cry of the teens outside she loses her ability to focus. "Ooo kitty!" she cries and walks outside.
1dr0meda remembers researching a little about so-called zeeks, people with psionic powers. She choses her words carefully, not wanting to insult Maji but not wanting to encourage the notion that there was any connection between psionics and any deity, new or old.
"You are not the first person to seek power in such people. But if we had access to the GDN, I could show you research reports that confirm such people exist, but nothing to suggest they are a conduit to anything supernatural. I believe there is a rational basis for their powers. Consider how the Diné once believed gods controlled the thunderstorm and the earthquake and that we needed their blessings to grow crops, now we can explain all those things without reference to Tó Neinilii, Yoołgai Asdzą́ą́, or Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehé. In any case, I'm not sure how raiding gangs on the streets of Phoenix gets you closer to finding such 'zeeks' and even if you find them, how will you persuade them to help you if your first interaction with them is with weapons and attacks?"
Neon can't help but roll her eyes as Maji waxes eloquent on the divine source of her gifts, waving away the offered blunt.
She fights the impluse to put a bullet in this woman's brainpan, if only to silence her self-righteous pie-hole.
However, she restrains herself with great effort, allowing 1dr0meda to question Maji further on her claims.
An eyebrow raises as Alanna makes her sudden cat-driven exit, sharing a look with Kitsune,thinking Good thing we diverted her away from thinking more about Derrick, could have made an already interesting situation much more interesting...
Ghiv responds Zeeks. They are treated like soldiers in the Republic ...and witches in the NAC. There's really no safe place for them. Except maybe Pheonix.
Zeek, formerly a pejorative term for a psionic, now used colloquially with no negative implication. Based off an internet meme of a Russian vlogger mispronouncing psychic as zeekic. Quite rare in most countries, and stated to be a myth in some dictatorships. Psychics have varying levels of potential, ranging from subtle to catastrophic. They're frequently used as scapegoats for any problem, and the alleged perpetrators of most conspiracy theories on the Mesh.
Jasper winces at the conversation, spreading his hands placatingly towards 1dr0meda. His eyes say "I've tried this conversation before" and his hands say "What're you gonna do?" If it's any consolation, Maji's focus seems to be making him exactly as uncomfortable as it is the rest of you.
"Zeeks are quite rare, and they don't always develop until adulthood" says Maji finally, trailing her fingers through the smoke, "More common to find them amongst younger people. There's a rational explanation for that one, since you're interested in that sort of thing--many world governments round them up and kill them." She lets that hang in the air for a moment before she nods to Ghiv. "Yes, exactly. There's a safe place for Zeeks in Phoenix, where they can be with their own kind. They're glimmers of the Old Ones' power. If you got enough of them together at once, well... Who knows?" She smiles, putting her hood back up over her head and observing the fire for a moment.
"Jasper," she says, "Go check on our cyborg friend. I don't want any of our flock to give her any trouble." Jasper sucks in a breath, and seems to wind up to say something, when she adds "Now, Jasper."
Jasper looks at her, hesitating for a moment before rising in a fluid movement and leaving the tent. Maji takes another sip of tea and glances up. "So I suppose our pleasantries are done. My people are cared for, and I need Zeeks," she says. "Can your Derrick or her Moses offer me that?"
"I doubt it, but can you not see that your need for Zeeks is independent of getting along with your neighbors? All we are asking for is an end to the inter-gang conflicts - what does it cost you play nice with your neighbors? Or, to put it more bluntly, why should you be *paid* to play nice, when it's obviously to everyone's advantage to do so?"
Kitsune's frustration level with this woman is rising as well...
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Alanna scratches and pets the cyber-cat with all the feeling as if it were a real kitty. Perhaps more. "Who's a cuuuuute? Who's a kitty? Who's a little warm-soft soft-warm? Who's a fuzzy? Who has a tummy? Who wants their cutey little tummy rubbed? Yes you do! Yes you do!"
As Jasper walks out Wraith falls silent. Her eyes slide over to him like a combat turret acquiring a target.
"You here to give me a talking to? Tell me 'how things work 'round here'?" Wraith makes a show of looking around. "Seems a little public for that, don'cha'think?"
She gets quiet again, as if she's pondering something. Or just inserting a pause into something she's already decided. "You're cute. Why don't we go somewhere more secluded? I can,"
She turns back to the cat, stroking it's head, "show you my pussy."
"Yeah, sure," he says blankly. "No need to do this in front of the kids." His fingers trace lightly along the grip of the antique revolver, before they drop. He takes another step towards you, gesturing over to the apartment buildings.
On the watch for Ghosts, you wait calmly on the dashboard of Alanna's cruiser. At first, the camp is quiet, a deadzone just like the rest of the city. After a while, when all of the humans have disappeared into the tent, the skies begin to fill with holotags. Jumping from the car and rapidly stalking your way into the camp, one of the teens grabs you. "Whoa, a cybercat?" He asks. "I thought they all ran out of juice a long time ago..." You wriggle free of his grip and jump almost directly, into Alanna's. You try to warn her, but she seems to ignore it, or perhaps it's to do with that wizened older human--Jasper.
You cast your gaze skyward and you can see the holotags have taken shape. Ghosts. Two of them, long and lanky and many-limbed, like metal insects, start to lower and surround the tent. Jasper steps toward you. You jump from Alanna's arms, skirt underneath him and arrive in the tent. The insect-like ghosts are poised behind Mama-1dr0meda, Neon and Kitsune. More tags start to form in the sky, coalescing into the shape of descending people--dressed in tattered baggy clothes that hide their faces. Everyone's TAP but yours and the old womans are still off--they can't see the ghosts.
"Everyone's advantage except mine," says Maji curtly to Kitsune. "Why should I play nice, when I already have everything I need? Ridiculous." She rises to a standing position, stepping over the fire and striding to the exit. "Jannaharo, you are family, of course, and welcome to stay. The man--" indicating Ghiv "--may stay as well, if he wishes. The rest of your friends, I must ask to leave. Tell Moses and Derrick I refuse their offers. If you have nothing else to add, they have no power over me." She glances down, as a simpet cat--Syzygy--skirts under the tent flaps, heading towards 1dr0meda.
Maji lets out a low breath, and stretches a hand out toward the cat. She stops, shaking her head, and then curling her arm up and flexing her fingers. "Hm," she says quietly. "Another friend, Jannaharo?"
Neon shrugs at Maji's refusal, not terrible surprised. As she turns to leave she passes infront of Ghiv, with her back to Maji and mouths the words, "Find out how many..." and gives her best impression of someone trying to read another's mind.
She steps over the entering kitty and with a quick push, opens the tent flap and exits the teepee.
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'Wha?? Stupid cat. No one here has their TAPs on, WTF do we care?' she thinks as the robot-feline scurries off. She shrugs and turns back to the business at hand.
She follows where lead. Any old place will do. An abandoned room in a decript building would be most thematic.
When they get to where their going Alanna puts one delicate finger to her mouth. She sucks it gently, then moves her hand down, down crushing one firm, soft breast, down past soft, flat tummy, down to her lithe waist...before her hand moves laterally to the gutterpunk.
She starts walking the perimeter of the room, circling him.
Somwhere, someone starts playing a guitar.
"So what's yer play here, omae?
The way I see it, this ends one of two ways.
The first way, you go for that hogleg, try an' be a hero. But sorry, big guy. I'm the real deal. You ask the Wraith to do a thing, that thing gets done, hook or crook. I've seen what Big Poop looks like. You ain't it."
She keeps walking, her eyes open, just in case he wants to call more future-corpses to the dance.
"The second way, that goes a bit easier. We walk in there, holding hands an' swapping spit. I do three-rounds-rapid in a certain soon-to-be-ex-leader crazy lady. You tell everyone it's chill, an' to start calling you Boss Man. We leave an' tell Moses an' Big Fat Derrick all is frosty. Everyone lives ever after.
What's your call, chummer?"
Ghiv doesn't make any indication that he notices what N3on mouths to him.
I can't stay unless the others can as well. Ghiv says to Maji.
Kitsune considers trying to reason with the woman one more time, but then decides it's pointless.
Wordlessly, she gets up and starts to leave the tent.
"Zeeks are quite rare, and they don't always develop until adulthood" says Maji finally, trailing her fingers through the smoke, "More common to find them amongst younger people. There's a rational explanation for that one, since you're interested in that sort of thing--many world governments round them up and kill them." She lets that hang in the air for a moment before she nods to Ghiv. "Yes, exactly. There's a safe place for Zeeks in Phoenix, where they can be with their own kind. They're glimmers of the Old Ones' power. If you got enough of them together at once, well... Who knows?" She smiles, putting her hood back up over her head and observing the fire for a moment.
"Jasper," she says, "Go check on our cyborg friend. I don't want any of our flock to give her any trouble." Jasper sucks in a breath, and seems to wind up to say something, when she adds "Now, Jasper."
"How about a truce between you and Moses and Derrick while we share your offer of safe haven for zeeks? And if you will extend that truce long enough, I will return to the outside where I can seek to communicate your offer to zeeks outside of Phoenix. I would recommend you negotiate. I have seen Moses and how he operates. He always seeks a negotiated resolution of conflict before using violence. If we fail to convince you to establish a truce, I have no doubt that he could take your gang of drunk and stoned teens in a straight up fight. And if Derrick's gang is attacking a major corporate building like Nexxon, I doubt he would have any trouble with your crew if he chose to attack."
"Everyone's advantage except mine," says Maji curtly to Kitsune. "Why should I play nice, when I already have everything I need? Ridiculous." She rises to a standing position, stepping over the fire and striding to the exit. "Jannaharo, you are family, of course, and welcome to stay. The man--" indicating Ghiv "--may stay as well, if he wishes. The rest of your friends, I must ask to leave. Tell Moses and Derrick I refuse their offers. If you have nothing else to add, they have no power over me." She glances down, as a simpet cat--Syzygy--skirts under the tent flaps, heading towards 1dr0meda.
"You are a stranger to me. This place has nothing to offer me, in any case. I do not require drugs or al... " 1dromeda stops abruptly and looks into the area behind her, Kitsune, and and N30N. Two ghosts! More on the way! she yells, standing and pointing. "Syz! TAP off now!"
1dr0meda loads her TAP with the following programs:
*Firewall 4D security (1 AMS)
*Nonlethal Damage (1d4 + 1d10) (1 AMS)
*Skill Specialization Bonus +1 Hacking (Hyper Combat)(1 AMS)
*Neural Armor +1 (1 AMS)
*Knowledge(programming) Skill Specialization Bonus +2 (2 AMS)
*Hacking(Firewall Penetration) Skill Specialization Bonus +2 (2 AMS)
TAP Stats:
Firewall: 8 (4 + 1 programmer + 3 Firewall 4D Security)
AMS: 6
Neural Toughness: 6 (5 + 1 Hacker Edge)
Range: 10 inches (20 feet)
EMP Toughness: 7 (5 + 2 EMP shielding)
Syzygy watches with interest as Allana and Jasper exit the tent and approach her in the cruiser. She endures being treated like a cat that needs to be amused with baby talk and continues scanning the area for ghosts.
Alanna scratches and pets the cyber-cat with all the feeling as if it were a real kitty. Perhaps more. "Who's a cuuuuute? Who's a kitty? Who's a little warm-soft soft-warm? Who's a fuzzy? Who has a tummy? Who wants their cutey little tummy rubbed? Yes you do! Yes you do!"
As Jasper walks out Wraith falls silent. Her eyes slide over to him like a combat turret acquiring a target.
"You here to give me a talking to? Tell me 'how things work 'round here'?" Wraith makes a show of looking around. "Seems a little public for that, don'cha'think?"
She gets quiet again, as if she's pondering something. Or just inserting a pause into something she's already decided. "You're cute. Why don't we go somewhere more secluded? I can,"
She turns back to the cat, stroking it's head, "show you my pussy."
Syzygy watches the two walk away, somewhat puzzled. "Does she have a cat in her back pack?" The sprite starts a subroutine to evaluate possibility/probability of that and concludes it was unlikely. She begins to do a language search for alternative meanings of the word pussy when she notices the first ghost. She sends a warning message to 1dr0meda's TAP: "Ghosts on site." Then she leaps from the cruiser and scurries into the tent.
1dr0meda orders her sprite to turn her TAP off.
Result = 7
1dr0meda
Penalty -2 (default roll)
Result = 4 + 4 + 1 - 2 = 7
Syzygy wants to watch the ghosts and help mama-drama fight them, but something in the harmonics of the voice told her this was not the time to be willful, so she turns off her tap and moves to watch from behind 1dr0meda.