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Campaign Intro: Big N Wide!

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MrBright01

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« on: <03-28-16/2214:56> »
When writing up a campaign to run with my chummers, I tend to do a short piece of fiction to set the tone of the plot. I also use it to introduce the players to NPC's they will eventually meet, although in the case of employers and the like, I obviously keep the details scant. This got some good reactions, so figured you might enjoy.



"Annnnd ACTION!"

"Oh, honey! Did you rip your pants again?"

The big troll shrugged for the trideo cameras, giving it his best harmless and goofy smile as his carefully constructed "pants" exploded comically, leaving him in a pair of chilly but thankfully strong and thick underwear.

Ed counted himself lucky. His experiences as a troll on the streets mostly consisted of poverty, loneliness, and more than a little suffering, but for all his problems he had been blessed with a face even humans found outgoing, which meant that he managed to make a living as bit characters and the occasional background troll in acting. "For diversity," they often said, an insult and a paycheck wrapped into one package. Still, it had its benefits. His "wife," a cute little orc actress with her number in his pocket and her preferred positions on his mind, wagged her finger at the troll and made a tsk tsk sound in the back of her throat. The fact that it sounded like rocks in an industrial dryer did nothing to reduce how cute he found it, but he knew they would change it in post-production to be "smoother" and "more attractive" for their focus groups.

Producers, they're all the same, neh? he thought, keeping his smile fixed in place.

"Oh, dear," she said with a dramatic sigh, her voice still deep and rumbling. "That's the third pair this week. We just can't afford to keep buying those tiny human pants and altering them! But what else can we do? Nobody sells pants big enough for your big boy!" She shot Ed a wink as she said it, and he had to count backwards from ten to try and prevent his "big boy" from showing his approval and ruining the take.

He was saved from that potential embarrassment, because that line was the third actor's cue to smash through the thick but carefully designed wall of the set with a roar. The second troll towered even over Ed's large frame, and his big scarred fists made short work of the planks of synthetic wood. Ed turned to the newcomer with a look of shocked joy coming over his face that was more than a little real and said, "Wow! It's Urban Brawl legend Mike “Rugged” Thompson!"

"Ohhh yeahhhh! Hey, Dreckhead! Are you still buying that overpriced breeder clothing?" The big celebrity turned to the camera and snarled. Wonder how they'll make that appealing to the masses, Ed thought, doing his best to hold position. "Why not go to a place that sells our sized gear at their sized prices?"

"Where would that be?" asked the orc, putting on a face of cute and terribly excessive confusion.

"Annnnnd cut! Good take, Mr Thompson. I think this is the keeper."

As the camera crew began to shut down and the cleanup crew started to sweep up the fragments of synthwood, Ed turned to his childhood idol and held out a hand for a high five. But the big star was already turning away, talking into his commlink and carefully avoiding the eyes of any of his fellow actors.

His loss, Ed thought, turning to have a chat with little miss soon-to-have-fun and giving her a big and far more honest smile. Human or troll or dwarf, rich celebs are all the same too.



"Are YOU tired of those itty bitty teenie weenie humie clothes exploding with every flex of your muscles? Want a suit that will fit your frame with room to stretch? Sick of tiny toothbrushes, ties, and toilets? Big'n'Wide! The place for all your big ass needs! Big'n'Wide! A place made by us and for us! Big'n'Wide! Don't think we forgot you, ladies! Come check out our new Nightware section for some of the hottest Orc and Troll sized lures to catch your lover's eye! Oooh la la! Show 'em, girls!"



He reached out and waved his hand in the air, using the ARO interface to mute the volume down just as the shockingly-expensive-to-hire ork cheerleaders jogged into the video and began what he would describe as a dance only because nothing actually came off. When this particular ad had been released a month ago, sales had gone up nearly three percent in general and almost nine percent in regions with higher meta populations, and they had yet to fall again. Almost twenty new stores were opening in the next three weeks, rushing to fill new areas identified by the Grid ID data as potentially powerful markets. EVO stood to make a pleasant pile of nuyen. A big profit for such a small thing, he thought with a small smile. How unfortunate.

His commlink chimed, and he waved the trid off before answering. "What is it, Judy?" he asked, doing his best to remain patient. The girl had been fun, but she was rather slow for a receptionist, and he was considering giving her some money to play with and a pink slip to leave him alone. And if that didn't work, he could always get his "tech support" to install some .45 upgrades into her brainpan. Might want to anyhow, he thought, while Judy took her sweet ass time getting the message to him. Keep the wife from finding out about this one.

"A... Mister White is here to see you, sir. Something about a job?"

"Excellent. Let him in, please." Like she could stop him.

Mr White walked in and sat quietly in his chair, saying nothing. No small talk, no chit chat. They both knew he wouldn't be here if it wasn't time for a job. He appreciated the degree of professionalism he got from the man.

"We need to do soemthing about the Big'n'Wide brand, if I'm going to get that bonus..."