[OOC] Word on the street

[Elanir]

Thank you! This certainly answers my question.

[Wynamoinen]

New scene is up! The most wildly-fictional aspect of my new post is that both of the PCs picked up unexpected calls from unkown numbers, lol!

I wanted two pretty distinct scenes, but I also didn't want to split the group, but I also didn't know how to split the group. So here's my solution: melodramatic coincidence! You're all in the same building at the same time. I've got some nudges for how you might group, but I'm going to let you self-organize. I'd really like to mix and match the groupings, but I'm not sure, for example, how to get Brassa and Andre together (nor that it would make sense in the current situation). I'm pretty sure I know which plotline Anne should get funneled into, but I also think it will be a painful choice for Elanir. I strongly encourage everyone to organize here in OOC to decide 'where' each PCs goes (and the extent to which you know that everyone is in the building together). This is especially the case for @jbear and @Roekahs, since the framing here requires your PCs to do some outreach.

I'm not sure where hafrogman is, in terms of being on pace to return to the adventure. What makes most sense to me is if one of the two scenes could do outreach to Cole, but he doesn't answer his messages. That gives us wiggle room to introduce him into the scene at a moment's notice, while keeping him out until it's time to re-integrate.

Oh, and with a new session, you should all feel free to make a session-end move. If your character learned something meaningful about a faction, you can mark that faction (and decrease another faction). And if there was any costly favor given that was not already compensated with a debt, we can give that debt now.

[Roekahs]

First, I kinda dig the setup, Wyn! I have no idea what I am going to do with it, but I dig it anyway (And if anyone says it was lazy, you just don't listen to them, like at all )

To get the planning started, does any player have a particular pull to one scene or the other? I think we can probably pull anyone in that may have a desire to be in one location or the other.

Beyond that, just a couple notes:
(1) Brassa is probably the one person Victor trusts the most through all the on-screen stuff, in part because
(2) Victor and Brassa have spent a lot of time together in game; I am perfectly happy to keep exploring that relationship as it has been quite interesting so far, but I guess I wonder if we should break up the band a bit?
(3) Anne is the absolute last person in the world Victor would call at the moment (cold clammy hands, you know); so Elanir, if you want to be in the Annie scene, you may have to be stalking Victor - maybe because you are still disgruntled and debating on doing more to him? - and find out about it indirectly?
(4) re: Brassa :: Andre - one option could be that Andre calls Victor, but Victor is caught in the Annie debacle, but he wants to help Andre so Victor calls on the one person he trusts the most right now: Brassa. This is just a thought on an opening to make that link happen if it is desired by the group

edit: oh, and I am NOT seeing the light at the end of my particular tunnel yet, but I am still hanging in there

[Elanir]

@Roekahs: You are absolutely right. The two haven’t exactly parted on friendly terms and Victor would probably be glad if he never encountered the crazy ghost again - not that it’s also going to happen!

@Wynamoinen: Anne is obviously more interested in Annie than in Vasili or Andre’s mother, so I was thinking she might have been stalking the girl instead of Victor in her unique eerily loving manner. Would she have witnessed what Annie did? Do you have another way to draw her into the scene? She could be acting as her “guardian angel” (demon?), but would still need the other PCs’ help to comprehend what is going on and find a way to help her.

[Wynamoinen]

@Elanir: You definitely said that Anne's thoughts were turning to Annie towards the end of the last scene, so I think it can make sense that Anne was watching, passive and creepy. If we go that route, I could whisper you the details of what Anne would have seen (I wouldn't keep the details secret from the group for long, but I think in establishing the scene, it's good to have a little mystery/on-screen build-up).

I didn't have a pre-chosen way of drawing Anne into the scene, no. But Anne is the one with the most direct connection to both parts of the action, and she's stalking 3 of the 4 other PCs at the hosptial, so I wasn't worried about finding a way to integrate her

[Elanir]

@Wynamoinen: Sounds perfect. Please, whisper away! Anne loves whispering.

[Wynamoinen]

Not a tragedy if wodine sees this, but Imma double-hide it so that he has the option to live in dramatic ignorant bliss.

 

[Wynamoinen]

I might have missed this first time. Sorry to hear things are still messy. I appreciate all the brainstorming for connections. Do you think your lack-of-light will hinder posting this week? That is, should we rely on others to post their own "invitation" from Victor, or do you think you'll be able to put a post up, once we've straightened out the connections (which I assume could take us a few days here).

Originally Posted by Roekahs

edit: oh, and I am NOT seeing the light at the end of my particular tunnel yet, but I am still hanging in there

[Elanir]

@Wynamoinen: Thanks!

[Roekahs]

Yeah, I should have probably given more information; trying to be vague and keep the violin in its case, but also not surprise anyone if I am a bit delayed. So. I expect to still post this week, but timing is sort of going to depend on when groupings get sorted, and then if everyone is waiting on me it may not be a true "week turnaround". In short, weeks like this push my stress level up, which pushes posting back, which then maybe pushes me more toward a Sunday post.

 

Typically, the way spring time goes: many people take "use or lose" for the month of December, then return in January and hold EVERY meeting that should have happened in December AND January in January, which of course is impossible so it spills over into February; this year is pushed back a couple weeks due to the way the calendar fell. Which was even worse because it gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe - just maybe - things were different this year as January wore away, but nope, just delayed.

Right now, the target survival date is 14 March. Quite honestly, Wyn's schedule sort of helped and things are actually in a pretty decent place for the big meeting that day. But I am still stressed? Yes. All that other stuff doesn't take into account the bigger problem: I am an idiot. There are some opportunities to make some meaningful changes opening up right now after a fairly long courtship. Yep, this month of all months. So I am just straight up overbooked, but still trying to hang on to that work life balance, which this game is a big part of (so I am holding on as tight as I can!).

Today was the last terrible day as far as having zero control over my schedule until that survival day, so at least we are past that. There was a significant amount of that "opportunity" thing that fell out of today, though, so that is fun. And by fun we are talking the awesome-but-horrible kind of fun.

On a grouping note: I was also looking at Farhad, and I am not sure that Victor would have a specific there aren't any strong ties between Victor and Farhad; they have some background in the debt, but it is curiously enough a little muddyin-game reason to call him for help. Which ... puts our groupings as Andre/Farhad and Victor/Anne/Brassa ... again. How is everyone feeling about this? On one hand it is an interesting continuation of previous heavy-interactions; on the other, we aren't exactly building in reasons to not have these pairings forever (e.g., Victor and Farhad aren't really building an in-game relationship, so we will be kicking that can down the road a bit longer). Note: I am not pushing for anything here, just analyzing where things stand.

[wodine]

Okay, well, first of all, Wyn, I LIVE for drama.

Second, Victor may not have a reason to speak with Farhad, but Farhad has reason to speak to Victor. Oh yes. And that reason is a very angry witch that he has grown quite fond of.

Third, Farhad has many varied interests, perhaps he is seeing to the needs of one of his many clients at the Medstar, hmm? It is a short 20 minute drive from his establishment, perhaps someone was in need of rare chuan bei mu root from the Qinghai mountains or an obsidian mask of Ixtlilton to bring quiet sleep and good dreams to the pediatrics ward. You don't know. He has hobbies.

[Wynamoinen]

@wodine: if you REALLY want to crank up the cranky, the story could be "early in the day, Andre called in his manager. But after waiting in a lobby for a few hours, Farhad got sick of it. He heard that this other client was in the hospital, and so took his leave of Andre and paid the client a visit. Then as Farhad is finally about to go home after many hours in the hopsital... on the other side of the revolving doors: hey isn't that the hoodlum Victor coming into the hospital?"

Something like that has the advantage of providing some connective tissue between the two sub-scenes. At least one of you would know about the other crew.

[jbear]

Struggling to envision who Andre would reach out to other than Victor. His only other debt to call in was to Anne and she ... kind of paid it ... (Andre isn't entirely satisfied it was properly paid) but he wants nothing to do with the crazy ghost.

Doesn't seem like a 'call Farhad' type situation but Andre could certainly send an apology text that mentions the hospital situation so he's aware of something happening.

It might be easier to have one of the others perhaps reach out to Andre wanting to call in the debts he owes and Andre have to put it off cos of the situation with his mum's disappearance. That might also serve to give some foreshadowing to their main concerns.

Operating with the normal world at night time is also kinda tricky for Andre given he changes every night. What time of night is it? How long until he transforms?

Ending moves: I think I would increase my knowledge of whatever faction the Missionaries are and as Andre missed the whole Fae event during the match, he would decrease that faction in exchange. I don't know which these factions are though.

Also happy to owe Farhad a debt for preventing the Buzzard's murder and giving him a wad of cash after the match.

[Roekahs]

@jbear: it seems like there is a reasonable path to get the scene with Victor to encompass Anne and Farhad, which would leave Brassa to help Andre. I think one connection here (without looking to see exactly how Brassa and Andre are connected) could be to reach out to Victor and he calls in help from Brassa since he can't escape his current duty, but he would want to help

[Elanir]

@Wynamoinen, Roekahs: Thanks for the update, Wynamoinen!

For my part, I think that Anne wouldn’t immediately approach Victor or talk to him, neither would she leave Annie to see what is going on with Andre and Farhad. I will wait for Victor to address Annie and respond accordingly, if that’s OK.