[inca1980]

Cast:
Rat - Hydroraven: ork, adept, tortured by AAA, cut-throat, budding street sam.
Werner - Gradivus: Ogre, Austrian, budding adept martial artist w/ sensei.
Chaim - rednblack: elf, face, budding adept, has a protective jewish mom.
Xem - Poindexter: elf, budding mage.  Loner, wannabe runner.


"Hey Rat, you in there?  Wake up."

Junior's thick city-speak is almost drowned out by the rain-patter on the tarp covering the little lean-to a few of you call home on bad-weather days.  When it rains like that you can count on everybody holing up together for the night.  Pez, Itty-bitty, and even Gundan are still asleep right next to you but Xem woke up too.  Chaim and Werner live upstairs in the once abandoned Isle-of-View apartments and ever since you started hustlin' with them here and there, they started letting a few of you roof-less kids stay in the alley outside.  They'll even bring you down the occasional loaf of buttered bread or smokey-treat when they can.  Aside from a few run-ins with the Cutters or Chaim's mom kicking you off the corner for being a "bad influence" on her boy, for the most part you and the kids can squat in peace.  Everyone in the Plastic Jungle is squatting in the technical sense of the word, just some squatters have to squat a lot lower than others.

Junior lifts the tarp up and bends down to peek through the entrance, his hooded poncho completely soaked.

"Kubiak wants to know if any of you did the heist on Sarafin's.  Four kids pepper-sprayed the fool and grabbed what they could.  You know I wouldn't be here unless I knew Kubiak was gonna go easy on you.  He always does, just wants you to return the goods and say you're sorry.  I already spoke with Chaim and Werner upstairs and they didn't have anything to do with it, so I assume you p-p-p-p-probably didn't either, but it doesn't hurt to check.  If you didn't do it, you at least got a lead?"

Ever since Junior, the one-eyed stutterer, left the corner to work for Kubiak you haven't seen much of him.  Sarafin, the cranky old bastard who owns the Kiosk on the southern edge of the Jungle, wants an apology?  Somehow that doesn't fit.  You've stolen the occasional trid-chip from the Kiosk, but not this time.  For christ's sake, you been holed up with Xem and the other kids since the rain started.  You'd have found out quick if Werner or Chaim knew anything about it too.  Leads?  Fuck, it could've been anyone.  If there is one thing you know about Sarafin though, he'd have shot dead any kid caught stealing from him.  Kubiak's justice was fair, but Sarafin wouldn't want fair, he'd want payback.

Sun's still down.

[rednblack]

"it's no problem, ma" Chaim said dismissively as he tossed on his ratty tennis shoes, the laces of which had practically rotted apart.  He went room to room, looking for his book bag, with Binah close on his heels. 

"I just don't see why you need to go out with those boys.  They are not nice boys, Chaim.  Your place is not with them.  Your place is at school.  I talked with Mr. Monroe yesterday, and you know what he told me?"

Having finally found his bag, Chaim extracts a few 20th century textbooks, Biology, Trig, and leaves his copy of The Complete Nietzsche on top.  He was aware of the irony, but loved how it bothered his mom.  Today, though, she was on a roll, and even old walrus mustache wasn't going to dissuade her from how many absences Chaim had racked up this week alone.

"Yeah, but what about my grades, ma?  You worry too much.  Monroe's all talk.  'Sides, he needs me on the roster cause I keep his percentages up.  Imma go out with the boys, and I'll swing by the school after lunch, null sheen."

"You're not listening to me, Chaim," she replies.  "These street rats are nothing but trouble.  They don't love you like a mother, Chaim.  They will not rest until you're locked up like David."

"You know they can hear you right?" Chaim asks, pressing his finger into the paper-thin wall and leaving a divot where his thumb sat.  He's halfway out the door when he stops, turns around, and gives Binah a quick kiss on the cheek.  "Everything's fine.  I'm just gonna see what's what."

On his way out the door, Chaim kisses two fingers and touches the mezuzah he'd made for their "house" in primary school, and hears his mom call after him, "You're breaking your mother's heart, Chaim.  You'll never know the pain of a mother."  After a short pause, she adds, "And see if you can find Micah.  I haven't heard from him in days.  Be a good boy, Chaim."

Chaim tents the book bag over his head as he runs downstairs to see what's up with Rat.

[Poindexter]

It has been a foul morning for Xem. He doesn't really like the company of others and sleeping in such close proximity to them bothers him endlessly. But is IS raining and the food is good, so he tolerates it, but just barely. Then Junior comes to bother them.

"Kubiak wants to know if any of you did the heist on Sarafin's.  Four kids pepper-sprayed the fool and grabbed what they could.  You know I wouldn't be here unless I knew Kubiak was gonna go easy on you.  He always does, just wants you to return the goods and say you're sorry.  I already spoke with Chaim and Werner upstairs and they didn't have anything to do with it, so I assume you p-p-p-p-probably didn't either, but it doesn't hurt to check.  If you didn't do it, you at least got a lead?"

Xem had been sitting cross-legged facing the corner, but he turns his head full of wild raggedy hair that shoots out in all directions to face him. He wears an expression of disgust as he speaks. "I have robbed no one in the last week. I have no leads." He then turns his head back to the corner, listening to the rain pounding outside, and imagining each little thump is one of his enemies' lifeless bodies, hitting the floor.

[inca1980]

Junior just stares at the back of Xem's head with his single eye that sits quite unsettlingly  in the center of his brow.

 "Listen Chummer, I don't like being out here any more than you do, but at least you're dry.  Kubiak could help you out man.  He helped me.  Maybe if you fixed your attitude someone might give you a shot one of these days!"

He looks back over at Rat. 

"Help me out a little Rat, if I do a good job finding some info they'll start giving me more work."

[Poindexter]

"Listen Chummer, I don't like being out here any more than you do, but at least you're dry.  Kubiak could help you out man.  He helped me.  Maybe if you fixed your attitude someone might give you a shot one of these days!"

Still staring into the corner, the strange little elf boys thoughts run cold as the rain outside.

No one helps anyone but themselves in this world, you fool. Opportunity, like all things, is not given but taken.

Sadly, the man behind him continues speaking, much to Xems irritation.

"Help me out a little Rat, if I do a good job finding some info they'll start giving me more work."

OH! It's help this one needs. Hadn't Sydney said that "Helping people can sometimes make them your pawns, and for minimal effort"? Yes, she had said that..

"Well..." he says to the corner, trying to force himself to look friendly for a change, and instead looking more than a bit manic. He uncrosses his legs and lays back down on the floor, crossing his fingers below his head before looking up at Junior with the best smile he can muster. "If I were to help you find your little muggers, would that make you..." The filthy, scrawny little elf rolls over on his elbows before continuing. "My friend?" Junior inhales to respond, but before he can, Xem has popped up to a crouch, then up to both feet, speaking quickly. "Cause if so, then count me in."

I wonder if I know anything about Sarafin? Have we met?

Do I know a Sarafin? (Area knowledge:Jungle 4 + Int 5): 9d6t5 2

[inca1980]

@Xem:

You know Sarafin, but only from his store.  He is a cunning dwarf that has one of the most successful businesses in the Jungle selling mostly groceries but he always has a lot of other knickknacks. The Jungle produces most of its own food since it was originally built to be an agricultural bio-environment and that is why it is one of the few places in all of Seattle where poor people can eat natural food.  Due to the pollution of the ground soil though it still is quite contaminated and the yield is still too low to feed everyone.

Sarafin's opens at 6:00am and their fresh bread usually goes very fast.  They close around 8:00pm.

[gradivus]

Werner pretended he couldn't hear Chaim's mother through the thin walls. It's the only way way to stay sane around here. You don't know anyone's business at the same time you know everyone's business.

I wonder what father would say if he was around to see me sharing a domicile with a Jew. Heck, a Jew who probably doesn't know the definition of the word 'domicile'. He would have been appalled no doubt. A stupid hangup that. Who cares which version of the uncaring invisible almighty thingamajig someone worships. As far as I can tell, they all ignore their worshipers equally. My mother goes to Church as often as she can, and it didn't help father and it most certainly isn't getting us out of this hellhole. Wish I could take back every time I said i was bored when we were living at the arcology. F this drek. Let me go make sure Junior isn't bother Rat and Xem.

Werner walks downstairs and joins Chaim, Junior, Rat and Xem.

[HydroRaven]

Rat was used to waking up at a moment's notice, but he didn't like to be woken up by someone like Junior. Especially when Junior was asking for a favour, with nothing in return for Rat.

"Sarafin got robbed? I've been here all this time!" answered Rat, trying to get his bearings straight. The news angered the squatter, but he didn't want it to show. He was furious someone else had hit Serafin and gotten away. Missed opportunities like these were doubly hurtful; he didn't get any of the loot, but, more importantly, he wasn't the one who had done it, who had had the guts to think of a plan like that. His street rep would certainly take a hit, but not if he downplayed it. "Besides, Sarafin's junk ain't worth much anyways. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole!" said the young ork, giggling and looking at his peers for support.

[gradivus]

Werner just caught the tail end of what Rat was saying.

"Junior- I already told you, it wasn't us. Why don't you go ask the Red Skulls. Of course, if it was them and they figure out you want to snitch them out to old man Sarafin, well, they'll probably cut off what little thingie you got in your pants and turn you into a girl. A fugly girl, but a girl nonetheless."

Werner does the front lat spread to accentuate his already impressive muscles while giving Junior his toothiest grin.

[rednblack]

Chaim slides in past Junior, and tosses his bag to the side.  "Sorry 'bout my moms," he says, "but she's got her eye on you."  He kneels down in a squat, so he'll be closer to the level of Xem and Rat, and notes that Xem is uncharacteristically eager to do a "favor" for Kubiak's new errand boy.  Rat, of course, is more interested in his rep than actually making any money, and where the hell's Werner anyway?  He's got to be around . . . oh there he is, Chaim thinks as the Austrian squeezes in for the powwow. Chaim gives him a slightly embarrassed look and shrugs his shoulders while looking up, to where his mom is undoubtedly tidying up Chaim's corner at just this moment, but then Werner does his little dance and starts flexing. Chaim rolls his eyes, but can't fully suppress a smile and cough-like chuckle.

"Chip, rat, but something tells me this wasn't all radio-fruit and trolly girl porno AROs that got nabbed.  Meet me eye-to-eye, Junior.  what'd they make off with?  And when was this dastardly caper committed?  If ol' Xem here is willing to risk life and limb for the gift of you friendship you can count me in too, only I don't come so cheap.  You figure this out, you get more work for Kubiak, and that's great for you, but what about your best good chummers, the apples of your eye, down at the Isle of View?  You know the Jungle way, what's in it for us, Junior?" 

Negotiation v. Junior: 8d6t5 1

[HydroRaven]

Chaim had always had a way with words, and Rat respected that about him. Part of being a hustler was knowing how to talk your mark into giving you the goods. Rat simply sat up and said "Now we're talking! I'm sure your new owner has mountains of creds he could give us. If we have our stomachs full, we might spend less time looking after ourselves and more time looking into who did what." Rat liked the idea of being paid to do something he would have done anyways. If someone had pulled something this big on Sarafin, he had to know who it was and how they had done it.

Besides, getting paid made it sound like he was a shadowrunner, something Rat loved to fantasize about...

[inca1980]

OOC: Junior negotiate 8d6.hits(5)=3

Junior leans down and and enters the lean-to to get out of the rain letting the tarp fall back down behind him.  He pats down his poncho as if to emphasize that his pockets are empty and turns to Chaim.

"If I had something on me I'd pay you, but all they give me right now is food.  Listen, if you get me some info, I"ll make sure you get to speak with Kubiak in person and then maybe you can ask him for some kind of help. "

He pulls out two soy-bars and starts splitting it into little equal pieces for everyone there.  No matter who you roll with, no matter how much of a backstabbing motherfucker you may be,  when it comes to food, Redmond street etiquette always says, "where one eats, two can eat."  If you have food and are in a group, if you're going to pull it out, it has to be evenly shared.  Maybe it's the influence of ork family structure, or maybe it's just that little difference that characterizes the SINless and sets the wretched of the streets apart from the wretched of the corporate boardrooms and wage-slave enclaves.   

Itty-bitty, an 8 year old dwarven kid eagerly takes his share and starts scarfing down his breakfast. 

[rednblack]

Chaim's stomach grumbles at the sight of the soybar, and he starts to salivate.  Junior is an ok chummer, really.  Hell, he didn't even seem pissed with all the cyclops jokes Chaim had been throwing his way.  The young elf waited for Itty-Bitty to take his chunk, and then he picks up a smaller piece and gulps it down, gives Junior an appreciative slap on the back. 

"alright, Junior.  Wiz.  Don't know about these other degenerates, but I wouldn't mind a sit-down with Kubiak.  I'm down, but we still need to know what they made off wit.  We can't get all Nancy Drew up in this piece without knowing what we're looking for."

Outside, Chaim could see the first lights of a grayish dawn splashing through the streets on the backs of the steady rain.  Would still be at least an hour before the Jungle went into full swing.  Plenty of time for the boys and him to come up with some sort of plan.  Too much time really.  Hell, they may even be able to grab a soykaf or NERPs Limon before the streets started humming.  That was Chaim, already making plans for the money before he'd pocketed it.

[HydroRaven]

Rat immediately jumped on his piece of soy-bar and wolfed it down. "If anything, this story was good for a meal" thought the young ork.

Although he was a little disappointed about payment, Junior hadn't come empty-handed. The young delinquent wasn't interested in being associated with Kubiak, but he knew what an opportunity looked like when he saw one. A sit-down with Kubiak could be worth something, so Rat continued to listen to the conversation between Chaim and Junior. He did turn over to Xem, however, and asked him "What's a Nancy Drew?"

[inca1980]

Chaim's insinuations do seem indeed to fall on deaf ears, and Junior's face lightens up when you say you all might help him.  Many of the Jungle's street kids, especially the little ones,  already have a feeling that something is different about the four of you but they just can't quite put their finger on it.  You can tell by the way they treat you.  Often coming to you with their little squabbles hoping you can help resolve it for them, deferring to your opinions or even just staying clear of you.  Junior as well seems to feel that you four are more than meets the eye.
Junior rattles off: "Sarafin said that they made off with 3 boxes of Soreo cookies, a box of the latest shipment of new sim-chip movies and a few boxes of Gillette Mach 5 shaving razors.  I think that's it.  On top of that they smashed up the Kiosk pretty good."