The Blue Room. A go-to gig for Brassavola? Not exactly, for a variety of reasons. She actually loved the ambience of the place, the dark pulsating shades of blue, alternating between the purplish picotee blue and lighter Neptune blue that highlighted the furniture and the bar. And that deep absorbing blue, midnight blue, like if fresh blood were blue instead of deep red...which for some of the creatures out there, swaying, lounging, it was.
But she had to pick and choose her spots carefully. Silas had offered her a residency more than once, with that small smirk on his face knowing she couldn't take him up on that. She couldn't be here too much, couldn't draw that sort of attention to herself. DJ Nightsky was good at what she did, very good. She could read the crowd, the room, create an ambience that sunk them all deeper into this place until they felt like they were in the a separate world. She didn't want some of the more...illustrious regulars asking after the talent.
The Blue Room kept a tight leash on the clientele. She'd guess it was about 30% non-mortal, but those mortals that did make it through the door they made sure were easily controlled. Easy enough in a nightclub. Young, beautiful, unawares, happy to be stupefied by money and substances and the glamor. She had to lean a bit to get Victor and Cole in here, though she imagined Cole could've made it happen himself if he wanted to.
They were out there now, in the crowd, while she spun from the booth. The Blue Room wasn't the type of place where the DJ was main stage, she was tucked into the side with a surveying view of the floor, invisible except for her beats which is how she liked it. But she could see. Silas hadn't yet fully amped up the security that he'd have over the weekend, but she could see new faces, figures in a chic black suits arranged in non-intrusive points throughout the room. Shapeshifters likely among them, maybe even a tainted or two. They'd shut things down quickly if things got out of hand, but sometimes Silas let things play out for a moment or two, stepping in just before things got tacky. He was a crafty one, and knew that his club was a stage as much as it was a lounge and one shouldn't cut off the scene too quickly.
Still, she kept an eye out for trouble. You never did know who would show up to the Blue Room.
Last edited by Vislands; Jul 2nd, 2023 at 04:22 AM.
Lito barges his way through the club, spilling drinks and sending women in high-heeled shoes off-balance. Whatever are his Let's set your statement of information about Lito to be true fact.hopes and dreams, he has his mind on just one thing right now. Once in arm's reach, he gives Victor a foreceful shove, knocking him into the table. "Who the **** you think you are? You think you're some 'freelancer'? Huh? Stroll in to our turf, take money out our pockets? Walk out nice and clean? Nah, you been slinging for el diablo. And now you're here. HERE? Hanging with THEM? And you want us to think you're just some dumb rookie freelancer? Uh-uh, you chose your side." Lito moves in to be nose-to-nose with Victor. If Victor gives way, Lito keeps in his face until there is no more room to give.
Cole has a front-row seat to this confrontation, and also to his old patron. Justice does not respond in the slightest. His eyes are still locked on the scene. The lowball still hangs in his hand. He doesn't smirk, he doesn't blink, he doesn't lean. He just watches. As Lito gets in Victor's face (with a lieutenant backing Lito up), Cole can feel two Choppa Boys begin to loom behind him at the same time.
Brassa catches someone's eye as well. Silas, behind the bar, is very much reacting. He is looking right at the two men, nose-to-nose. He holds an arm out, palm up, indicating the scene. He looks to Brassa and clearly mouths the word 'WELL?', with the unmouthed but clear implication: you vouched for these guys. What are you going to do about this? One black-clad bouncer is giving the scene all his attention, but the others don't seem to have yet caught on.
Lito continues, in Victor's face: "You ain't smarter than us, and you definitely ain't harder. Time for you to learn that. You going to come outside like a man, or are we going to have to drop you right here?"
@Roe: Mark Mortality for the Name-to-Face succes on Lito. I'll accept your stated facts about him, as the information Victor has on him. Victor is obviously taking the most direct challenge in this scene, so the question of fight, flight, or something else are primarily in his lap. Though of course he has allies to consult or lean on.
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'Friends of yours?' Perhaps not. The man berating Victor didn't come across as wanting a simple chat. Cole wasn't having trouble following the precise complaint being levied, but the words 'el diablo' caught his ear and he flicked his eyes back to Justice for a moment. Is this your play? You don't want to come at me directly, so you rile up trouble for other people around me and see if I'll get myself hurt in the crossfire?
The tailor could feel an involuntary tightening between his shoulder blades as the two mooks stepped up behind him. How many times had he been in this exact scenario? Some no-name thought they could intimidate the herald with a couple of toughs? It was a ploy straight out of central casting. Pitiful. The guy on the right wasn't even paying attention, he wasn't watching Cole, he was watching his boss lay into Victor. It would be child's play to take them out. Ironically, you start with the other guy, the one who is looking out for it. Spin in place, feint for the knee, then crush the trachea when he ducks back. Take him out effortlessly while the guy who's supposed to have his back is still busy scratching his balls. Cole could already hear the pained gurgles coming from his victim as he turned to face his next target with malicious glee-
No. That wasn't him anymore. Instead, Cole just pivoted slowly as he felt the two thugs move into position, placing his back against the bar, but not making any sudden or threating movements. He caught the eye of the man with the intact windpipe and nodded. "Gentlemen."
Trying to push the muscle to the back of his mind, he focused his own attention on Lito as well. What was this guy's deal? Had he glanced in Justice's direction? What did the devil have to do with what was going on? Just a turn of phrase?
Move:Figure Someone Out. (Lito)
Dice mind:
2d6+1
(2, 5)+1
Total = 8
On a hit hold 2 + 1 because we're both Mortal.
Who's pulling Lito's strings?
How could I get Lito to postpone Victor's inevitable beating?
When you first encounter an NPC, you may declare them an old friend instead of Putting a Face to a Name and roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you comfort and aid, even if it exposes them to danger or retribution. On a 7-9, tell the MC why you owe them a Debt. On a miss, tell the MC why they want you dead.Old Friends, Old Favors
When you create something for someone using your Workspace, mark their Faction.True Artist
When you get caught up in a fight you tried to prevent, you get armor+1 and take +1 ongoing to seeing yourself and others to safety.Too Old for This S--t!
Victor is already on edge with the lighting, the completely foreign extravagance, and the whole anyone-could-be-a-not-human. Lito is one of the last people in the world that Victor would have picked to insert into such a situation. Lito is a whole deck of wildcards. On a good day.
Victor has no idea why he is surprised when Lito boils over. What was he expecting? Another one of the strange-as-hell late night business discussions? With Choppa Boys? Still, the scene somehow seemed less likely to result in the outcome that unfolds, so Victor is caught a bit unprepared. Leave it to Lito to make a huge mess of a young night by going nuclear and drawing all eyes in a room.
The shock only paralyzes Victor for a moment, though. He is on his feet in a blink, tagging the table with his thigh in his hurry. That is going to leave a bruise, but nothing like getting in a fight while still sitting down would have. Whatever Lito is alluding to escapes Victor, but a challenge is a challenge and he isn't about to back down. As soon as he is clear of the table, Victor steps chin to chin with Lito. Things have been pretty quiet lately. He's been doing his thing and both gangs have been around, but doing their thing. How exactly he crossed the Choppa Boys will have to remain a mystery for now.
It is as he feels Lito's hot breath blasting his face in short, choppy bursts that two things occur to Victor. First, if he had done really bad by the gang, he would have never made it to his feet, Blue Room or otherwise. So whatever affront happened is negotiable. And second, Cole is calmly hovering nearby. Victor catches the signs of a viper ready to strike, but restrained by … well, whatever Cole is restrained by these days.
Restraint. The red wave abates. Victor leans back slightly, not giving ground but creating a bit of space. Victor has to shout, but just loud enough for Lito to hear, "I got no idea what you about tonight. Settle it over a drink? If it ain't settled then, I'll go toe to toe with you outside, no sweat." Victor gestures to the table with a quick bob of his head.
All eyes are on them, so he smiles too. Perhaps to try to sell the ruckus as nothing. Victor isn't really sure. He just feels it happen.
It feels like this might need a Keep Your Cool, so including that if needed.
Dice Keep Cool:
2d6+2sch7
(3, 4)+2
✔
Total = 9
definitely grabbed Mind instead of Spirit for the +roll ... should be a 7 instead, though it ultimately doesn't matter
Victor doesn't back down. He stands up, if inelegantly, and holds his ground. He tries to offer a peacemaking session over a drink, and a fight afterwards if necessary. Lito's eyes flick to the beverages on the bar, and to his compatriots flanking Cole. But then he purses his lips and hardens the lines on his face. This visit isn't for an honorable fight. It's for a beat-down. It's for a message. That's what the Boys are looking for, and that's what Lito is expected to deliver, to keep face.
As Victor presses nose-to-nose, Cole turns around and assesses the scene: Justice, now behind him, and the two heavies in front of him. The Answer to your first questionfirst thing he realizes is blindingly obvious: theres NO WAY that Justice would stoop down to work with these small fries. They are mortal, they are the essence of the hardscrabble DC streets. Justice, at least Justice as Cole knew him, wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole. Maybe Lito is working for some If you want this to be so, just name the name, and so it shall be.city-level gang leader. But just as likely, Lito is a nobody, trying to make a name for himself through some mix of willpower and seizing the opportunities he can find. That revelation has its own reliefs and puzzles, but it doesn't solve the immediate problem. Lito thinks his name is his own, and his rep is on the line, right here and now. I have a habit of answering these "how can I..." questions with multiple options. So this is the answer to your 'postpone the beatdown' questionCole sees two options. First, knuckle under. If they can convice Lito that Victor will never work in Anacostia again, then the message is sent and Lito's goal is achieved, without the need for a curb-stomping.
The other option is in line with Victor's Keep Your Cool roll says there is a solution with a cost. So here's a costly solution.Victor's current thinking. Raise the stakes. Make it clear that this won't be an easy message to send. Maybe Victor will take a beating, but in the process two or three Choppas - Lito among them - will be in serious pain afterwards. Lito was hoping for a clean and clear message, and a fun bonding activity for his crew. If Lito believes that the message is muddied and the fun is ruined, he'll likely bide his time. That's Cole's thought: strategic and experienced. Change the calculus, and the battlefield will shift. In Victor's mind, the bottom line is similar, but the thought process is different. If he can drop a Choppa right here, right now, sudden violent and unexpected, that will cause the others to back off. That will have all sorts of consequences down the road. In Lito's eyes, Victor will have chosen sides, and he'll be a target of the Choppa Boys afterwards.. But he'll also have their respect - Victor is not an easy mark.
"I don't need a drink," Lito scoffs at Victor's peace offering. "I need to see you crying and bleeding."
I think the answer to one of hafrogman's questions is plain in the game text, but to be clear about the second question: the ways to postpone a beating right now appear to be either 1) just absolutely capitulate and more-or-less swear to not run on Lito's turf anymore, or 2) convince Lito that the cost of a contfrontation right now will be too high to be acceptable. This second dovetails with my answer to Victor's move - a fast show of strength right now will have consequences for the future, but will resolve the immediate threat. Of course, there are other potential solutions (running being an obvious alternative).
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On indefinite hiatus from the site.
Victor is right there, front row seat. Lito's eyes say everything that needs saying. The words that follow are merely a formality. Victor's alternative had been a stab in the dark anyway. He shrugs as he takes a step back. Absolutely no reason to be quite so close – and intentionally cut off his own perception. "Right then. What's your plan? Gettin' kicked out the Blue Room forever seems like a smashing plan. You think that one up all by yourself, or you all sit around rubbing yourselves together to get a jolt big enough to make that thought?"
Victor pauses to assess Lito's reaction, but not too long. The goal is only to get the Choppa's all riled up and frothing at the mouth, not actually get them swinging. Not in here, not yet. Victor's eyes dart to where he had last seen Brassa. He is pretty sure she vouched for him or he wouldn't have made it inside. Least he can do is bleed outside rather than inside.
Victor's attention snaps back to Lito. "Outside then. You take your pound of flesh, yeah?"
Victor isn't particularly excited about the way the night is about to be ruined, but Lito seems hellbent on sending his message. He glances to Cole, catching the other's eye. It is a small gesture, just a quick shake of the head, but hopefully Cole catches the meaning. No need for you to get tangled up in this. Victor means it too. Cole had something he wanted with Brassa tonight and Victor was just a third wheel, no reason for everyone's night to go to crap.
Victor can feel the presence of the Choppas on all sides as he follows Lito. Lito isn't particularly gentle in clearing a path to the exit, but Victor takes little notice. He is distracted. A weight tugs at his mind … and his waistband. It had been an interesting revelation at the time, what with the sport jacket concealing most of his waistband. Just a little thing, a little thing that Victor rarely goes anywhere without. And the jacket had given him all the excuse to not change anything tonight.
Of course, the problem with such a little thing is that it can turn an interesting situation into an even more interesting situation. The other problem is that you can't just have the little thing, you have to be prepared to use it. The other problem, which Victor starts to realize is just another one on a completely non-exhaustive list of problems, is that Victor is perfectly willing to use the thing.
So as they walk, Victor is distracted. The worst outcome is the appearance of an unexpected little addition to the night as it flies out from concealment during one good bloodletting. The two most prominent options floating right in Victor's periphery to mitigate such an event – both close enough to reach out and snatch – are both simple. The first is simple in intent, but perhaps a bit more complicated when it comes to Victor's emotional stability. Step out the door, draw down, and put as many of the Choppas in the ground as possible. Bang, bang, bang, bang. Just a few pounds of pressure four times. The second is just as simple in intent, but way more complicated on the emotional response. Step out the door, draw down, and make sure they know they could have all been dead. Loose grip and hand it over.
The predicament rages on as the exit sign nears. It isn't like this would be the first street justice Victor has ever gotten tangled up in. Then again, the previous engagements had not exactly left memories that were on the 'To Repeat' list.
Just a bit of narrative flair for now. Victor really just wants to move things outside to prevent the repercussions of a fight inside.
Also, I did check around and didn't see anything explicitly stating that firearms were confiscated/banned from the Blue Room. If either I missed it, or there was an intention for a no firearms rule inside the club, I did hedge a bit to make it narratively plausible that Victor could have had a weapon on his person, but I can always backtrack as well!
From her perch in the booth, Brassa saw the beginnings of the confrontation, and her hope, that the nose-to-nose posturing would fizzle into nothing more than a show of force didn't manifest. Silas had given her the look, which meant that anything that happened was on her shoulders and he expected her to solve it. A fight, even outside, could jeopardize her position here and she couldn't afford to lose out on that especially not before the big event that was to come.
With a few practiced flicks of her wrist she set the deck to spin something groovy, sexy, soothing and then like a ghost she was down on the floor. Victor was set to take one for the team it seemed, and was trying to lead the threatening thug and his lackeys to the exit. Before they could make it far, Lito felt a cool touch on his wrist.
"Come on sugar, why waste the night on a fight when you can buy me a drink?" she said, her voice deep for a woman, beautiful and sonorous. Lito spun to see who would dare touch him, and Move: Faerie Power (Bedlam) - Marking 1 Corruption to put Lito in a specific emotion state Lust and 1 more Corruption to make Brassa the specific target of that emotion.their eyes met.
No... This wasn't Justice's style. Lito seemed to be no more or less than he presented himself. Maybe a little bit less. He brought two guys along to kick Victor's face in? What did he not think he could manage it himself? Maybe that was the key, draw off the two and try to make it a fair fight at least. Victor seemed up to try... or too get hit butt handed to him. Cole was just about to open his mouth when Brassa oozed up to the gang leader and spoke. The tailor may not have been the intended target of her words, but he knew enough to recognize glamour when it was unleashed in front of his eyes. He shuddered involuntarily, then switched tack to embrace the new development.
"Well, I know which one I'd pick." He elbowed one of Lito's goons playfully in the ribs and flashed a stupid grin. It was technically a completely true statement. He'd much rather get in a fist fight with Victor than get romantically entangled with one of the fey folk. But that was neither here nor there.
Cole shrugged and addressed both of the guys now. "Looks like he's gonna be busy one way or the other. You two want a drink while we wait? First round is on me." He tried to catch the eye of the bartender, holding up three fingers.
Move: None for now.
Still Holding 1 on Lito
Lito still has one question from Cole (if he cares).
When you first encounter an NPC, you may declare them an old friend instead of Putting a Face to a Name and roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you comfort and aid, even if it exposes them to danger or retribution. On a 7-9, tell the MC why you owe them a Debt. On a miss, tell the MC why they want you dead.Old Friends, Old Favors
When you create something for someone using your Workspace, mark their Faction.True Artist
When you get caught up in a fight you tried to prevent, you get armor+1 and take +1 ongoing to seeing yourself and others to safety.Too Old for This S--t!
Victor decides to take his beating in the streets. Lito's expression does not change, but Victor can see just the barest hint of a nod. That was the respectable choice. Lito steps to one side, to let Victor walk himself out, with the Choppas following.
But before they can follow, Brassa slides in, offering another path. This path was unthinkable just a few seconds before. But something about the DJ is just so... charming. Lito's 'interest' is aroused. "You going to do all that for this herb?" Lito gives Brassa a slow up-and-down look that leaves no doubt in her mind what Lito thinks Brassa just promised (of course, Brassa knows as well as anything exactly what she said and what she did and didn't promise). After getting his fill of the view, Lito goes on "that's ****ed up. What's he got on you? But yeah all right I think I might just do that." Lito turns to be able to put an arm over Brassa's shoulders. Over his shoulder, Lito orders "Get him out of my face."
'Him' obviously means Victor. The pair to whom Cole just offered a drink shoulder-check the Veteran as if he is no longer of consequence. They follow Victor. Lito's wing-man slides away to one corner of the bar while Lito escorts Brassa to another corner. That suddenly leaves Cole without a dance partner! His gang thugs gone, Victor being given the bum rush, and Brassa suddenly having Lito around her little finger. Out of the corner of his eye, Cole catches Justice throwing a few dollars on the top of his table, getting up from his booth, heading out through the back of the club.
The two Choppas following Victor make it abundantly clear that he's leaving the Blue Room, regardless of what's transpiring. He goes out the door, and the two thugs follow. Out in the cool night air, Victor can see that they are not very happy with the fact that their leader just followed his dick, rather than worrying about the gang's rep.
One of them pushes Victor in the shoulder. "Get the **** on outta here. We see you again, you're going down. Starting in ten seconds."
I agree that nothing in the narrative indicated weapons couldn't be there, so you're good to have it. We'll just call this the advantage of being on the DJ's guest list and leave it for later to know if the masses are being patted down.
You're just going to have to surprise me, Frog, which person Cole decides to stick with...
__________________
On indefinite hiatus from the site.
Last edited by Wynamoinen; Aug 1st, 2023 at 12:06 PM.
It all happens in a blink. Or at least the important thing does. Victor still isn't exactly sure what he saw. Brassa said something to Lito but … it was more? Or there was more? Something was more, Victor is pretty sure about that. Then Lito is bobbing away and Victor is dismissed.
The trip to the door is quite physical. Victor can't help but think that getting felt up by the Choppa Boys is more action than he has gotten in … way too long. He puts up token resistance, but allows himself to be escorted out of the Blue Room without further incident. The cool night air feels so much better than the stuffy club, though the underlying hint of stale piss in the back alley he had been escorted to certainly dampens the ambiance. Still … Victor can't help but thumb his phone. Should he call Jade? Would she pick up? Could he convince her to spend some time with him tonight? Damn those Choppa Boys! Got his nerve endings all primed up with nowhere to go!
Victor stands for a moment just taking in the night. The Boys stand ready to unleash a good beating if he tries to push back in – or, more likely, if he does anything other than walk straight away. He is just about to turn and leave – the night mostly, but not completely, ruined – when he pauses. Victor's eyes slowly rise to meet each of the Boys. "You know. My night's for sure ruined. You two's night is probably basically ruined, unless you like watching Lito chase tail he ain't gonna catch. What if nothing's gotta be ruined, though? I still don't know what I did to Lito … I would assume this is above their paygrade, so I shall plow forward ...you two don't happen to know do you?"
Victor pauses. He doesn't really think that Lito would tell the goons the “why”. These two just showed up to crack open some healing rips in knuckles on whatever Lito pointed at. Victor shrugs after a few seconds, "Eh, me and Lito got to sort that – hopefully without the two of you next time. Anyway, why don't we use the time we both got to go make something of the night. I think I can get us a lead, just need a little backup. Come on, come with. I'll give you the bulk of the haul, I just need a bit to get by – how about 20 percent - and you can show Lito that you got initiative. You took the night to make something of it – FOR the Choppas!Yeah?"
Ok, I rolled to persuade the goons and hit a crazy lucky streak now with an 11, so I think they are in I am happy to roll for Hit the Streets to get a lead, but I decided it was worth checking things here to (1) see where Frog goes and (2) give you (Wyn) the opportunity to propose your own score if you want (through the goons of course)
And just like that, Cole found himself alone at the bar. The two thugs had stoically ignored any attempt to draw them into conversation or distract them from their target, but their boss had proven himself not carved of stone. Brassa had effortlessly lured Lito off into the club with honeyed words, and his two buddies were busy escorting Victor outside... although it no longer felt like a beating was imminent.
The tailor found himself at loose ends for a moment. It did not seem like Brassa needed, or would indeed welcome his assistance. She had Lito wrapped around one finger, and although the man's expectations of what was to follow would no doubt come up against the harsh light of reality before the night was over... the fae could more than handle herself. Victor... well, Victor's plan had primarily been to get his face smashed in? But in a manly way. That seemed to be on hold, and Cole doubted there was much he could do there either, other than potentially make things worse.
He quickly stood and tossed a few bucks on the bar near his glass. He didn't need the bartender showing up with three drinks he no longer had any desire for. A final glance around the bar showed Justice doing much the same, heading for the back exit. Somewhere to be? Dammit. Cole didn't like this one bit. He didn't like Justice being back in town. He didn't like not knowing why. He didn't like any of it. He'd tried to put the whole thing to the back of his mind, and Lito had been a welcome distraction is some ways. But now Cole was alone, with nothing but questions for company. Questions that demanded to be asked, even if answers were unlikely.
Moving through the crowd, Cole angled himself towards the same exit Justice headed for. Above the thumping music and the crowd, the veteran had to wait until his target was far too close for comfort before calling out. No pleasantries, no thinly veiled banter. Just the question. "What are you doing here?"
When you first encounter an NPC, you may declare them an old friend instead of Putting a Face to a Name and roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you comfort and aid, even if it exposes them to danger or retribution. On a 7-9, tell the MC why you owe them a Debt. On a miss, tell the MC why they want you dead.Old Friends, Old Favors
When you create something for someone using your Workspace, mark their Faction.True Artist
When you get caught up in a fight you tried to prevent, you get armor+1 and take +1 ongoing to seeing yourself and others to safety.Too Old for This S--t!
Brassa led Lito away from the scene, trusting that Victor would be able to handle the little thugs that insisted on escorting him outside. She'd rather the young mortal didn't have to leave, but it was better than the alternative. Her arms felt cool with the expenditure of essence that was necessary to charm Lito and she didn't intend to let that expenditure go to waste.
"Oh him- ?" she said of Victor, as the man on her shoulder asked why she felt the need to step in. "I never liked seeing weeds get pulled."
She let herself be led to the bar, where one of the bartenders gave her a knowing look. Lito made a big show of ordering for both of them, but she cut through his infantile order for her with cool assuredness. "A Last Word for me," she said, before turning her dark, glittering eyes on her captive. "Thank you for the drink sugar, but I have to get back to work. You're welcome to join me in the booth of course, unless you have something more important to do...?"