Unknown Armies - IC

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:25

Between Unit 16 and Unit 18, Fergusons Street

Nova

He bursts out laughing when you mention waking up next to witches and pats you on the back companiably.  "You're not wrong there either, pet.  And not just a witch, two hot lesbian witches."  He frowns for  moment and shrugs "One hot lesbian witch and another lesbian witch at least.  But hey, you take what you can get right?"

He stops outside a parked top-range BMW and looks up and down the street.  "Look, this guy still hasn't got back to me so I got some time to kill.  Don't fret there love, I'm not about to suggest what you think I'm going to." He pulls a small silver case from his breast pocket and sniffs - checking once again that the street remains deserted.

"Today's going to be one fuck of a taxing day and I'm thinking I totally deserve a little go faster powder."  He opens the case so you can see the contents - a razor blade from a stanley knife, a small vanity mirror, a tightly rolled fifty pound note and a baggie filled with white powder.

"That going to be a problem for you, pet?  Honestly, I'm willing to not if its gonna cause problems.  Feel free to powder your nose a little yourself if you partake.  No fucking point hiding it, not like the police can arrest me."

Nova

  Just so you're aware, Cocaine will, in game terms, give you a -20% shift to anything requiring concentration and also make some stress tests easier, some harder for a few scenes.  To save either of us a conversation neither of us wants to have you can read about the IC effects here

Tuesday 13th August 10:25

Back room of the King's Head Pub

Bran

As Alf slides a piece of paper in front of him and Rachel goes about cleaning then reattaching the letter opener Ronald speaks  "On your behalf isn't established yet, but.  Could be on your behalf, could be to you, like.  But that's yet to be found out.

We found your friends though, and its causing us a bit of a problem.  That fat wanker Tannen directed them to right to the guy we wanted you to piss off.  And he's not answering his phone.  So that changes things a wee bit, like."

He pulls out a battered leather wallet and searches through it as he continues.

"Won't lie to you lad, was hoping that wouldn't happen.  But it has.  You know my position - I want that cunt to swear allegiance to me.  I reckon he'll be able to tell you who did this, though, and I've made no secret of that, like.  But that's all he'll be able to do I'm thinking.

"I'm saying this to you so we both know where we stand, lad.  We've provided some information and we can provide more.  But if you're working with him then you ain't working with me.  Not saying I'll cross the road to avoid you and if you come in here you'll get nothing but the warmest of welcomes.  But you can't have this both ways.

"So what I want you to do is this.  Meet up with your friends.  Maybe this other guy. Talk it over.  I won't be stood over your shoulder, like, and I'll trust you'll stop him from doing the same.  You decide he can help you more than me then that's fine.  You're mistaken, like, but I can't make that mistake for you.  What I'd prefer is that you realise the King of Newcastle can be a lot more aid to you and yours than some burger flipper."  He shakes his head and puts the wallet back in his back pocket.

"Haven't got a card with me.  Thought I did like.  But as a sign of what I can do for you, and why I'm the right choice then when you get in that taxi you make sure you take down the phone number.  I own the company.  You need a ride round Newcastle, you just tell them you're on my business and your ride is free.  Not all the help I can offer, but its a good place to start.  You ever need me you ring this pub here, the number's in the book.

"Until I know where you sit though, lad, I think we're about done here, don't you?  Go chat with your friends.  Come to a decision and have the best of luck whichever way you go."

There's a beep of a car horn outside and you can see an idling taxi outside.

Bran

Gimme a Major Notice please, feel free to post leaving and your call in the taxi (if thats what you do) and I'll let you know what you notice in your reply.

Tuesday 13th August 10:38

Alley at the side of McDonalds, Northumberland Street

Miyo, Norm, Chris

He laughs, and his pocket beeps again.  "Like that Hogwarts stuff?  Nah, man.  Nothing like that.  Plus wands are a phallic symbol of the patriarchy, apparently.  There's a lass over in South Shields constantly banging on about it.

"But nah.  Nothing like that stuff.  There used to be, man, there did.  It's called..." he stares at you for a moment "...it's not coming.  Authentic something or other.  But not any more.  It's the sleepers, man.  The ones who hush it all up.  They closed all of that stuff down in the middle ages.  They were the ones who started the Inquisition, you know?  Now they're all up in the media, back then they were all up in the Catholic Church.  In Europe at least, obviously.  Back home they were behind the Mughal dynasty.  They're fucking worldwide man."

He takes a last drag from his cigarette and flicks the end at a bin.

[Rook Seidhr]

GM

You didn't have anyone tell Bran where he's actually supposed to go, so I'll assume the cabbie's been given a destination already.

Bran gets up and nods to Ron. "Thank you, sir, I'll think it over. Rachel, all of you, thank you. Good day." He walks out of the privy council chamber, nods to Mabel and heads for the idling taxi.

As the driver whisks him away, he calls the number from his email. "Runningfree here. Meet me at—" He mutes the phone. "Excuse me, sir, where did Mr. Percy say to take me?" When the cabbie tells him, he repeats it to the man on the phone. "I'm wearing an RGS windcheater and carrying a Newcastle United messenger bag. That should cut it down to two or three people…"

[Blythe]

Miyo frowns again, wary now, especially after Patveer saying that he did 'remember you telling it, but not a single thing about what you said.' She's irritated by that, unsure if he's just blurring through so much info so fast that he's not keeping up with what he's been told or if the weird memory problems seem to have affected him. She crosses her arms and asks, "Patveer, can I ask you a question? People don't seem to remember the place we told you about, Honer's, that vanished. And I wanted to ask if the, ah, Sleepers, as you term them, have anything to do with people not remembering a place affected by major mojo?"

[Remiel]

"Someone must have really had a grudge against Honer's," mutters Norm.  "Not only did they appear to wipe it completely out of existence, but they appear to have gone to great lengths to wipe it from everyone's memories as well.  Which begs the question--"

He glances at Miyo.  "I can remember it.  She can too."  He jerks a thumb at Chris.  "I think he can too.  So what makes us special?"

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:25 -> 10:36

Back room of the King's Head Pub -> Taxi -> Toon

Bran

There are muted "goodbyes" and "see you later, lad"s as you leave, but no conversation of substance.  However you quite accidentally don't close the door fully as you leave the back room and catch the start of a conversation they were clearly waiting for you to leave to start.  Alf had been studying a piece of paper and speaks up:

"As a canine to our Lord,
or leg joints to the keen:
So is that aged quidnunc
to the source of that lad's teen"

"Aye.  I spotted it too.  Chances of that being a coincidence are fuck all, like."

You realise that if you stay much longer it'll be obvious and hurry out to the taxi.

The taxi is idling outside and beeps again just as you exit.  The driver, a tallish man with "NUFC" tattooed across the back of his neck gets out and opens a rear door for you, a level of chivalry and respect you've never had from a taxi driver before.

He also manages to spare you the standard borderline racist taxi driver nonsense as well, just putting the car into gear and pulling off.  Apparently knowing where's he's heading even if you don't.

'John', you see no reason to assume that's not his real name but the day has been weird enough that it might not, answers with a clipped "John Anderson" in a cultured accent and sounds overjoyed to hear from you.  He quickly agrees to meet you at:

"Heading in to the toon, like.  You're headed to Maccy D's on Northumberland but I'm going to have to drop you off at Haymarket."  The pedestrianisation of Northumberland Street is a sore spot with taxi drivers even years later.  He gestures at his satnav, as if he's not sure you'll know where to go.

'John' agrees and says he'll try to get 'the lass' to come along with him, then hangs up quickly.  'Short and sweet' is the best phrase to define his telephone manner - give the information, get off the line.

You head down Percy Street, doubtless a remnant of the same family Ronald claimed descent from and he pulls up in front of the Haymarket.  Once a great spot for local skaters now, thanks to Jean Nodshorns, not.  Although the rain would probably have kept them away today anyway.  Once again he gets out to open the door for you and apologises for not having an umbrella to offer you.  There's a slightly desperate note to his voice when he tries to confirm that "You'll let Ron know I got you here safe and sound, but".

Bran

Feel free to post your arrival in the scene with Miyo, Norm, Chris and Patveer.  Patveer is wearing a McDonald's uniform and a turban and will abruptly stop talking and look up at you suspiciously when you arrive.  Miyo and Chris you recognise easily, Norm it takes you a moment to confirm its him - you'd forgotten what he looked like a little.  They're in an alleyway beside McDonalds, easily visible from the main pedestrian street.

Or, of course, feel free to talk to the taxi driver, go somewhere else, or whatever.  Don't want to railroad you too much.

Tuesday 13th August 10:38

Alley at the side of McDonalds, Northumberland Street

Miyo, Norm, Chris

"Course they can, man!  Course they can."  His voice has dropped down to a whisper, a highly emphatic whisper granted, but a whisper nonetheless.  He looks around him suspiciously as if expecting to see someone listening in and all but jumps out of his skin when his pocket beeps again.  "Fucking thing" he curses, presumably at the mobile as opposed to anything else.

"That's what they do.  You seen that, ah fuck, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.  Men in Black!  You seen that?"  He mimes zapping Norm with one of the memory erasers "Poof, it's gone.  That's how they keep control, man.  Or one of the ways.  Honestly I thought at first you guys were part of them.  But I don't think you're lying to me, are you."  His pocket beeps once more and he takes out an iPhone, turning it off without glancing at it.

"So why not you?  A lot of options, a lot.  But you want the Patveer Patwel top three?"  He holds up three fingers.

"A new entry at number three with 'You guys are doing the memory removal thing for some reason of your own'"

Drops a finger.

"Holding steady at number two is 'There's something special about you guys that makes you resistant."

Drops a second and converts the remaining raised finger into a circular point encompassing the three of you.

"And for the third consecutive week at number one, put your hands together for 'You guys have a guardian angel'"

"Whether they're keeping you safe or fattening you up for Christmas I don't know.  But that's my guess."

[Rook Seidhr]

On the trip, Bran mulls over the crossword clue thoughtfully provided by Alf. Dog to God, knee to keen, anagram of Jean Nodshorns is—J. Honer and Sons! Bloody…what does it mean though?

Bran nods to the driver as he gets out. "Yeh, I'll tell him all that. Thanks mate." Wondering why one of the King's subjects would sound so desperate for approval—is the old man such a harsh master?—he trots toward the McDonald's, taking a sudden turn at the alley as he recognizes Miyo and Chris, and eventually Norm.

Right, he thinks, sync up with Miyo, Norm and Chris first, tweak the other chap's nose later. Assuming I think Percy's lot can be more helpful than his anyway.

"Gentlemen, Miyo. I went to see the other fellow, he gave me a little info but not so much. You finding anything out here?"

[Blythe]

Miyo winces at the realization that there might be someone watching over them....and not necessarily for the better. She sees Bran and welcomes the return of a familiar face that recalls Honer's. She gestures and says, "I hope what you have is handy, even if it's not much. Long story short here--magic is real, someone used a bunch of mojo to magic away Honer's, and that same crud is interfering in people's ability to remember that the place existed at all. And we are probably either being specifically given the ability to recall for purposes unknown. Of course, could be that we're resistant to the memory loss or we're somehow doing it ourselves. But I'm thinking reason number one." She looks to Chris, to Norm, to Bran, and she says uncomfortably, "What now?"

[Rook Seidhr]

"Well," Bran says to Miyo, "we could get a fish and a tank and a knife and find out whether the one who's protecting you from the memory loss is the same one who's protecting me. Introduce me to your pretty friend here?" He jerks a thumb at Patveer.

[Blythe]

Miyo grins and rolls her eyes, saying, "Well, Norm likes him better than I do. I'd wager he's Norm's friend. At any rate, this is Patveer, the guy Tannen told us to see and ask about this stuff. Honestly, it looks like, considering how Patveer explained 'magic,' or whatever you want to call it, that the person who vanished away Honer's might have taken some sort of issue with them or otherwise been pissed. I think."

Miyo looks to Chris and says, "What do you think of all this? You've been pretty quiet."

[Rook Seidhr]

In for a penny, in for a pound, Bran thinks. No time like the present. And other trite aphorisms. I may not get a better leading line this week. Percy, you doddering monarchical wreck, you better do right by me…! "Hey Patveer, are you Norm's friend? Were you looking to be Norm's friend? Shiny as you are, I'd think you were out of his league."

[Remiel]

"And what do you mean by that, Junior?" pipes up Norm, who had been keeping quiet up until now; if he didn't think that cigarettes were a fiendish ploy by the Government to kill off, Logan's Run-style, everyone over the age of 29 with lung cancer, he would have been using the time to light up a fag.  So much less cool-looking to stand there and brood with your hands in your pockets, but that is, in fact, what he does.

He narrows his eyes at the youth, suspiciously.  "What did you mean by the fish tank and the knife?  What did you find out, exactly?"

[Kythia]

Tuesday 13th August 10:38

Alley at the side of McDonalds, Northumberland Street

Miyo, Norm, Chris, Bran

Patveer had been standing, watching the conversation with intent suspicion.  At Bran's comment he started to say something but retreated into silence when Norm spoke up.  Preferring, apparently, to watch the interplay between the two of you.  He licks his lips and delves in his pockets for another cigarette, shields the flame from the lighter for brief moment then takes a long drag.

"Yeah.  What did you find out exactly?"  The friendliness and excitement that had been in his tone was, if not gone then certainly greatly decreased.  "Odd, you just showing up.  Knowing where to find us and apparently with loads of new information."  He blows a long plume of smoke in Bran's general direction then half turns to address Norm.  "Odd, if you ask me.  Keeping an eye on things are we?  Making sure we only find out what you want us to find out, dropping new information on us to keep the conversation from revealing too much?  Odd, that's what it is."

[Rook Seidhr]

"What did I find out exactly? Why should I tell you? Bugger off, go fix your makeup, and I'll tell the people who matter what I found out." He turned back to Miyo and Norm, including Chris by proximity. "Got another chap who can see what's not there, told him to meet us here. He doesn't have anything much to share, yet, I don't think, but he sounded pretty damn desperate on the phone and I figure we ought to stick together."

[Blythe]

Miyo sighs as she watches the sudden tension between Norm and Bran. She notices even Patveer getting testy...and no wonder. It's not exactly the most normal of situations. She says to Patveer, “Bran is sort of with us. Pardon him being rude; he's young.” She rolls her eyes at Norm and says, “At least let's talk to this guy Bran knows before you try to deconstruct what he said about the fish and the knife, okay?” She squirms a little and looks to the rest of the group, saying, “Look. I'm kind of interested in what we're going next. Are we going to go see Bran's contact? Patveer, do you have anything else you can tell us that might give us an idea of what to do?”

[Kythia]

Patveer takes an aggressive half step towards Bran but stops when Miyo speaks up and seems to consider her words.

Miyo

Gimme a Major Charm check please, Blythe.  That's d100 aiming to roll under your Charm skill.  Just send me the roll through the dicebot. 

[Kythia]

Miyo's attempt to calm the situation proves more temporary than she perhaps hoped.  Patveer seems to be barely listening to her question as he stares with narrowed eyes at Bran, he does give a quick shake of his head but honestly no one is convinced he even heard what he is refusing.  Instead, fists clenched at his side and face paling as blood moves to protect vital organs, he stands in front of Bran and demands:

"The fuck, man?  The fuck is your problem?"  He's geared up now and repeats himself, adding a little shove to Bran's chest for emphasis.  His eye twitches quickly and you don't need to have Chris' skill with micro-expressions to see he's gasping for a fight.  Bran's phone beeps with a received email and he jumps in shock then lashes out, catching Bran across the jaw with a fairly solid blow.

A large dent appears in the dumpster next to him, as if his blow had struck that instead although there has been no contact with it.  Patveer spins at the noise then whirls back to Bran.

"Oh, you little shit.  That's what all of this was isn't it.  You" this is backed up with an aggressive jab of his finger at Bran's face "you are going to get fucked up."  He looks quickly between everyone present and settles on Norm.

"Gullible little fuck, aren't you.  Fell for all that shit hook, line and sinker.  So fed up of your pathetic little life that you're desperate for some massive conspiracy, right?" he says nastily as a bruise begins to form on Bran's cheek.

For those who care.

Patveer has a Struggle/"Temper Tantrum" skill of 35.  I gave him a ten per cent shift as its a surprise attack, meaning he needs to roll under 45.  He rolls an 83 but activates his rage passion to flip flop it to a 38, meaning he hits Bran. 

Bran now has a bruised face and a cut on the pam of his hand.  Noone else is injured.  This isn't going to combat unless people make it so, Patveer isn't going to attack again though for some reason he does seem to be trying to aggravate Norm.

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran falls back a couple steps, shaking his head and rubbing his cheek, but makes no aggressive moves toward Patveer, nor says anything further. In fact, he's smiling. That was actually fun, he thinks. Like a jump I wasn't sure I could make. Next time'll be harder, he'll be expecting it, armored really. Maybe I can get one of the others to step in for me? No, then he won't talk to them either and we could all use whatever info he can dig up.

As he watches Patveer try to antagonize Norm, understanding of Percy's granddaughter's explanation drops into place. Right, so his gun's empty and he's too insecure to walk around with no ammo. Maybe I can use that against him…

[Blythe]

Miyo moves away from Patveer and yells, "What is your problem?!" She's in shock that things seem to have escalated so quickly; the only thing she can think is Did we skip some levels here? What the hell just happened? She looks to Bran and says, "Are you all right?"

She casts a glance at Norm, but she trusts him to handle himself. She hopes that he won't play into whatever reason Patveer has for antagonizing him, but Miyo doesn't want to exacerbate the situation by interfering further; it's obvious trying to calm Patveer didn't help much the first time around.

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran moves over toward Miyo, hand still on his cheek, eyes still on Patveer and Norm. "I think I've got the idea now," he whispers. "Your friend there, he's a gun, right? And anger is his ammo. He loses his temper, all the bullets fall out. He doesn't like walking around unloaded, so now he's got to make someone else angry to get a bullet back in the chamber. Watch out, he'll be trying you on next, or that other fellow—Chris, was it?"

Bran starts marking his exits mentally in case Patveer goes all-out on him. "Look, Miyo, can I have your number in case I need to flee an angry shift manager or whatever? I was lucky to find you this time."

[Remiel]

The sudden explosion of temper from the Kasmiri, especially towards himself, has Norm narrowing his eyes.  He's about to snap off an acrimonious response, when suddenly he remembers the bit that Patveer had said about loopholes, particularly anger.  The light seems to dawn, and his eyes widen again.  "Yeah, something like that," he murmurs in response to the turbaned man's accusation.  "Something like that," he repeats.  He backs off, giving Patveer his space, keeping one eye on him--despite his initial positive reaction, he's not stupid enough to go around blindly trusting people--and crouches to inspect the dumpster, running his fingers over the large dent that mysteriously appeared.

"Loopholes, remember?" he reminds Miyo.   "Probably trying to provoke us in order to channel his mojo or whatever.  Look, kid," he sighs in Bran's direction, "of the four of us here, you're the one acting the most suspicious.  You run off for a few hours after all the weird shit starts happening, and now suddenly show up babbling something about a fish tank and a knife.   I think we should all best come clean with each other, starting now.  Let's start with this: are you really the son of Mr. Davies, the head of Finance?"

[Rook Seidhr]

"Yes, I am," Bran says. "And everything I'm doing, I'm doing to get me Da back safe and sound. The fish-and-knife thing, that's something someone else showed me—remember Tannen sent us in two directions? I went the other way."

[Remiel]

"Who showed you?"  says Norm, keeping his tone civil and polite, no doubt to Patveer's dismay.

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran sighs. Didn't want to tip my hand to the other fellow this early, but there's no help for it. "A woman by the name of Rachel Percy," he says. "I think she's Ron Percy's granddaughter. And, ah, Mr. Patwel? There's a message for you from him."

[Kythia]

Patveer is glaring at Norm and for a moment Bran isn't sure he heard him.  Eventually though the tension drops from his stance and his easy grin reappears.  He flicks his eyes over to Bran and flashes his eyebrows in a "go on".

[Rook Seidhr]

Bran takes a deep breath. "You'd better tell us who magicked Honer's away, or at least what kind of power they used, and swear allegiance to the King, or someone, maybe me, maybe someone else, will keep doing what I just did, and you'll never have a moment's peace. He, ah, knows where you live, metaphysically speaking."