>>472493
"Piss poor way to make an example of somebody.
You want to make an example of 'em, wait till they have as many people as they damn well want and blow 'em all to hell at once with a big fuckin' bomb. Nobody'd ever touch Zozu goods again.
Does gettin' the gold back even matter anymore?

Actually, fuck that. This is like the third group of thieves to take the gold, right? Lets offer 'em a reward for its return that involves cash and us forgetting they were involved. Bonus if they rat out their buyer."

Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)15:26 No. 472506 ID: c4e5c2
File 135319477094.png - (21.40KB , 700x700 , 630.png )

"What are we gonna do with the mercs that show up with the envoy group that's coming here? Might be a lotta them, too."
>"Yeah, dunno yet. We might kill 'em too, but only if they show themselves. Which quite frankly, they probly won't, since as far as we know, the mercenaries are just giving protection from the roads, not the outposts." Malsen explains.
"So we probably won't be killing them, it sounds like."
>"Hasn't been fully decided yet, but the way it sounds like is that we'll kill'em if convenient, but no one's going to bend over backwards to end them if they stay out of our way.
"Don't suppose the new guys coming in would care for a reward for the gold, huh?"
>"The example we're tryin' to go for isn't 'steal our gold, we'll buy it back from ya. Anyway, let's get goin'. Too many gaps in our info, we gotta deal with that core group hanging around town no matter what we do.'

Looks like we may not ever know a thing about the escort group coming in at all, if they don't show themselves.

After Lamarra an' Jules cut off the deal with that other neumono, we move into the hotel that this core group is staying at. The hotel manager is paid off to ignore noise, and we've got some of Maklata's people hanging out the hotel's window in case they try to make a break for it.

>"So how do you want to do this?" Malsen asks while we start walking to the room.

>>472506
Kick the door in and storm in with guns. Take as many alive as we can.

Can we even change how we're going about it? Because we'd rather just steal the gold and leave then send a message. How can we be sure even the core group isn't technically an escort?
We should ask questions first. If we're guessing right, the core group that is passing the gold won't even know where the gold should go if this entire plan fucks up anyway. They'll have nowhere to go after this deal and the gold will be for easy pickings.

Like get a team to locate the gold and bolt with it. We distract the core group, incapacitate a few key members, ask them a few questions, and decide what to do with them later. We don't want to accidentally kill a higher up of Iron Cove or start a war with another family over a dumb message that not might even be sent. Who knows what connections our potential targets may have.

>We might kill the mercs too, but only if they show themselves.
>the mercenaries are just giving protection from the roads, not the outposts.
Problem. The trade hub group does go into the outpost to see the deal go down. And even if they wanted to- they can't decide to just leave the clients to their fate and walk away. By the time the meet goes down, most the 'clients' are actually the excort, under conver! The only client who actually goes in is Minil, and as I recall, she was blackmailed into this (and she was ex-Zozu! Meaning Malkata or Whiskers dragged her into this).

That means going for them will force a fight, and are only options are finding a way for Zozu to be prepared and win (killing Karri's group), or for our people to survive Karri's group curbstomping the barfight.

>What do?
What do we know from the guys who answered these guys job posting? How many in there, and what can we expect? That kind of affects our plan of action.

Hmm. Breaking down doors again. I almost miss Red.

...Can we just not try to murder them? Like, "Hey, give us the gold and we'll let you bugger off."

Well, you're essentially here to collect a large quantity of money that is yours, from someone who thinks it is still theirs. Isn't that just your regular job?

>>472510
For fuck's sake, don't do this. It might kill everyone, or the ones who know what you need to know.

Instead, head back down to the hotel manager, and rent rooms on opposite sides of the hall, towards the end of the hall the exit is from the room the targets are in. Put Malsen and yourself in one room, and Jess and Lammara in the other. Put Jules on lookout duty at the end of the hall.

Eventually one or two of the targets will have to make a food run. When they step out, Jules' notify your groups. Take positions at your respective room doors. When they're about to pass your doors, Jules'll give the signal, and Lammara and Jess will open their door suddenly and noisily. This'll startle and draw their attention to them. They'll apologize, while you and Malsen quietly open your door, grab them and cover their mouthes, and the whole lot of you rush them into your room and close the door.

From there tie them up, gag them, and relieve them of their weapons, comm-gear, and hotel door keys. Extract who's left in their hotel room out of them and how well they're armed, either by beating or talking; Whichever works.

When it comes time to breach their hotel room, send in Jess and Lammara armed with tazers, with you, Jules, and Malsen as backup. Pop the door with their key, quietly open it, and then storm the room.

>>472517
I like this, but we don't need to rent rooms to ambush someone exiting the room.

>>472513
There is an easy way out. Itcher can be present with Jess when the exchange happens, and we can have him call out Karri's unusual behavior. If he spots that they aren't legit (by noticing that she's wearing bio armor, or spotting that she doesn't actually care that she's not handing off the gold to the right people), then we can avoid a shootout. Remember, Karri is expecting to just face a few thieves, just like we are. If we can correct her on this, and she corrects us on it too, then we can avoid fighting them. We can strike a deal with Karri to recover the gold and hand over the thieves, and we'd actually be following orders! Remember, they said we don't need to kill the escort if they stay out of our way. I'm sure if we pay her enough she'll even hand over Piles.

Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)16:28 No. 472525 ID: c4e5c2
File 135319852120.png - (11.58KB , 700x700 , 631.png )

>Well, you're essentially here to collect a large quantity of money that is yours, from someone who thinks it is still theirs. Isn't that just your regular job?
Normally the large quantity is rent for a few hundred z, while now the money is at least a million in gold. Aside from other circumstances.

>What do we know from the guys who answered these guys job posting? How many in there, and what can we expect? That kind of affects our plan of action.
>"Shitall." Malsen says.

"I'd rather just steal the gold back. Who knows what kind of people they got in these core groups. Could be pretty high profile guys."
>"I'll toss in that notion to command. Let's learn some knowledge first."
"Let's do this a bit more cautiously. They'll have to make a food run sometime, right?"
>"Right."
"And we're not in a rush right?"
>"Alright, fine. Let's back off and I'll give them an update. Yeah, Malsen here, we're wanting to ambush when they make a food run. Oh. Hey, guys, they've been ordering food service, rarely leaving their room."

Forcefully and calmly. Tell them they will be detained for a few days. You want information. Don't kill them, for the love of god. We don't want everyone fighting to the death and witholding information because Zozu kill everyone no matter what.

>Shitall
Geeze, thanks for the help, fellow Zozus. That scouting through jobs plan really didn't work.

They've been ordering room service? That gives us an in, doesn't it? We just intercept the next delivery, and use that to get in the door, surprise attack.

Then we'll impersonate food service.

Any women? We could flirt our way in, or pretend to be a surprise gigalo from a friend or something.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)16:43 No. 472530 ID: c4e5c2
File 135319942429.png - (11.25KB , 700x700 , 632.png )

>Impersonate room service

Half an hour later...

>"ROOM SERVICE"

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)16:44 No. 472532 ID: c4e5c2
File 135319945567.png - (19.70KB , 700x700 , 633.png )

Turns out they're a bunch of wimps anyway, but they know better than to scream for help or somethin' like that.

"Lamarra, where are you?"
>"Bathroom, some guy's in the tub."
"Jules?"
"Girl leapt in the closet."
"That makes four, then.

Impersonating food service? Classy.

However, if food service is the same every time, they'll probably notice someone different.

Bugging the real food service people may be the way to go. That gives us intel.

Also, poisoning the food may not be a bad idea either. Not something deadly, but enough to put people to sleep or incapacitate them. You should be able to get more intel on their numbers, species, etc. just by talking to the staff.

Right. First, restrain and disarm the prisoners. Then do a once over on the rest of the room. Look for anybody else hiding, or clues there might have been more of them. (For instance- look at the food. If there's stuff for a certain species, and none of the prisoners are of that species...).

Once you're pretty sure the room is secure, we can start grilling these guys.

She either jumped in there because she can get to another room through it, there's a secret exit there, or there is a weapon stored in there.

>>472532
Alright, start the interrogation. Do it separately so we know they're not making shit up. Ask them how the drop's going to go, and how many people we'll expect to be there picking it up.

Also, if we're replacing them then one person needs to stay behind. You and Jess should stick together, so one of the other guys is it.

Make sure they aren't doing something like dropping evidence down drains.

Strip 'em to their skivvies and gag 'n bag 'em for transport to the command tank for interrogation. Sweep the room for hidden stuff, using your tax collector instincts. Then pack all their stuff up and cart it to the command tank.

Once they're at the command tank, don't torture them right away. You might be able to convince them that they'll get out of this alive if they spill the beans on the meeting. If their info is correct, they get out of it. If they lie, they're dead.

>>472541
Yes, killing the people that have the info we desperately need to save our own lives is a wonderful idea.

Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)18:19 No. 472548 ID: c4e5c2
File 135320516303.png - (17.77KB , 700x700 , 634.png )

>She either jumped in there because she can get to another room through it, there's a secret exit there, or there is a weapon stored in there.
I take a look, but one thing I've learned on my job, is that when a freakishly huge dude busts down a door without a warning, the people inside often do some pretty silly things.

>Sweep the room for hidden stuff
Nothin' real fancy, just some hidden guns and a bit of zeny that we take for safekeeping probably forever.

Far as I can tell, no one's hiding, and there's no sign that there's anyone else is just out of the room. They got no documentation or notes or anything like that.

"Alright. We know you've got the damn gold. Listen to us, and we'll take that as helping us, and we don't kill people who help us. You understand?"
They all nod.
"Which one of you's the leader?"
They swish their heads to the belenos, so I take his gag off.

"Okay, okay! We don't wanna die, so... what?"
>"Who're you meeting?"
"We don't know BUT we do know that we're supposed to meet them at the back alley of a bar at 2 in the morning! We don't know which day, whenever they arrive really, so you have to check back each time at 2 am on the dot.
>"With what kind of signal?"
"They'll ask where the nearest candy shop is, and one of you has to wear a choker with a silver pin attached. You scratch your neck to show it, then they're supposed to show you to where their car is. Then they give you the keys, and they go on their way, and you take it to the next place."

>>472548
How many, and what rules should be followed for the meet? Guards? Weapons? Armor?

>>472548
Any old silver pin, or any specific shape?

>the signal
Hmm. Piles told Karri the signal was a silver spade pin, specifically. He didn't mention the choker either, but that is where alpha-timeline Jess was wearing it.

No money changes hands?

>>472552
This is the alpha timeline now, though, so details may have changed. Should we find a jeweler?

Ask if the pin has to be a specific shape, if there was to be any money changing hands in this trade, and what would happen if they had missed the meeting entirely. Also get the pin they were going to use from them.

Putting what this guy said together with what the other informant said, it looks like you're going to need a silver spade pin. If they don't have one, you're going to have to find some silver paint for the one you have.

Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)18:43 No. 472556 ID: c4e5c2
File 135320660505.png - (10.91KB , 700x700 , 635.png )

"Any silver pin, or a specific kind?"
>"Er, I'm sorry, it's a spade! A silver spade. I didn't mean to h-"
"How many can we expect?"
>"Anywhere between a few and... I wouldn't expect more than ten! Probably more like 5."
"Any rules? Guards, weapons, armor?"
>"Uh, if you show up with weapons or armor, I doubt they'll care unless you really look like you're going to slaughter them! And no guards. No one else is supposed to be involved in the meetup at all! Obviously that got messed up... I don't know who you guys are or what you want, but I swear we don't know what's in the cargo, we're supposed to keep it hidden."
"Any money involved."
>"No, no. I mean, not with them. They get paid, but not by us. They're supposed to know where a hidden stash is with zeny inside, but that has nothing to do with us! I mean, I think so, because we know where our payment is in the next outpost."
"What happens if you miss the meeting entirely?"
>"We don't know. I mean, we probably would get killed if we tried taking our stash without proper completion! Oh, um... in the interests of, uh, helping you, we do have that silver pin... in the dresser, top shelf."
"That's using your head."

>>472556
Pull out the drawer but don't stand in front of it when you do so. Could be booby-trapped.

So it really does just sound like we just take the gold and run. We're not paying anyone for anything.

We need to ask if they know if the group passing this cargo off was hired like they were or or what. Otherwise, this literally does sound like we just take this crap and run. Because that makes everything ridiculously easy for us and we should just take this chance before we fuck it up or lose men.

"We'll be holding you as guests till this thing is over, then let you go. You don't tell anyone about this whole thing or you die, plain and simple. Otherwise we'll let you continue on with your lives."

>They get paid, but not by us. They're supposed to know where a hidden stash is with zeny inside
Piles, you bastard. He lied to us. Again! You do realize now he took the money from the drop point and ran? Leaving us to get fucked over at the meet? Our new objective: don't let that punk leave the bar and make a run for it this time. As soon as Karri hears he backstabbed her and tried to welsh on the payment she'll gladly hand him over to the tender mercies of the Zozu, and no one else gets trapped in a clusterfuck.

>this is alpha
...is there clearly defined terminology for labeling timelines, actually? I was just going sequentially. So the original would be alpha, the new one (provided it doesn't merge back with the original events) would be beta, etc.

>>472557
Yup. Do this.

Then let's lock these guys up somewhere. We'll sit on them till we're sure their info's good.

Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)19:03 No. 472563 ID: c4e5c2
File 135320781210.png - (12.86KB , 700x700 , 636.png )

>Can we make the spade pin silver again?
I'm sure I can find some white paint somewhere in the next day or two, at worst case. Back alley meeting at 2 AM isn't the best lighting, and I doubt they brought out their handheld microscope for that purpose.

I open up their drawer with a shoe and, after no booby are sprung, nab the silver spade.

"Alright. I'm thinkin' you guys'll come with us. We'll feed you and all that, just gonna sit on ya to make sure your info's good. If it is, then after this is all done and over, you guys'll just get released and go back to whatever it is you do. That good, Malsen?"
>"That's good."
"Just one question for you guys, then. Who hired you?"
>"Uh..."
He takes a look to his companions, but they don't seem to protest.
>"Whisker. Just applications, but we weren't hired by Whisker, we swear, and won't be working for him at all after this!"

>>472562
Well, usually the alpha means the main X. Alpha male, Homestuck alpha timeline, so eh.

And yeah, we should check the drawer for traps, then find and beat the shit out of Piles.

Ask what the application process is like. Did they meet Whisker? (obviously not)

Place Pin on hat.

Remark to Jess about matching now.

>>472563
"Whiskers already knows you won't be able to do the pickup. She's watching us right now. And we know she's involved, so you have nothing to worry about blabbing anything.
She's not a crimeboss, she's an eccentric. She probably WANTS you to blab because it's funny. She doesn't make profit, nor does she establish power. She's in it for the fun, so feel free to spill everything you know fellas. She's really just a cat burglar extrodinaire, I don't think she even kills anyone directly with intent, it just happens sometimes during her heists."

"Heh. Ok, let's go. Is there a back way out of this place?"

Ask for whatever the hell you guys were being held in. May want to stay with them and make sure that fucking bitch doesn't get her hands on them...... You know what? Let's not put them there. Ask where you can find some secure place that doesn't have miss psycho fuck neumono bitch.

>>472569

She was under orders bro, if it wasn't her it would have been one of the others.

Do we actually want them not to lose the pin? After all, the trade hub group's reaction to it not matching is a good hook for Itcher to notice that they aren't the intended delivery source and intervene before shots are fired

Pat the guy on the cheek and say they'll all live nice, long, safe lives that way.

This lot has paid up for this hotel room, so may as well use it to keep them on ice. Take rooms on the same floor nearby so your crew can watch over them.

>>472566
This

>>472578
and this

>>472573
Maybe? I think our plan of action would best be:

(1) Itcher notices all the related looking, big, dressed to conceal bioarmor neumono in the bar- points this out, makes sure the Zozu in the bar don't go into a suicide fight.
(2) When Karri asks about the money- Itcher spills. Tells her she's obviously the mercs, and that her clients are lying to her- the money is at a drop point, not the at the handoff. That'll be the last straw for Karri- she'll turn on Piles, everyone else gets out alive.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)19:53 No. 472588 ID: c4e5c2
File 135321082001.png - (12.86KB , 700x700 , 637.png )

"Now we match." I say to Jess.
>"Mine's black." she answers.
"We'll fix that. You guys, we're already pretty confident Whiskers knows you failed. I don't think we'll hold any Whiskers relations you had against you. I don't suppose you met him, though?"
"No, we never did." the ungagged one says.
"What's the application process like, anyway?"
"We once had a chunk of cash stolen by him, and we did a lot to try and chase it down. We didn't find it, but apparently we impressed him, and he said he'd come by with a test for us if we wanted to work for him. That was obviously a mistake..."
"Alright. Gonna leave you for holding."

May as well leave 'em in the hotel room on second thought, so some of Maklata's guys take over this room for the time being. They may take 'em to the tank, dunno, don't care, but Malsen makes sure to let them know they're to be kept alive so long as they continue cooperating.

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)19:54 No. 472589 ID: c4e5c2
File 135321084098.png - (17.57KB , 700x700 , 638.png )

So with that done, I go and get some silver overpaint, since this outpost doesn't have a jeweler that can make an authentic sorta thing like hat. Doesn't take long before Jess's pin looks silver again, or at least close enough. We only got 2 or 3 people per room in our hotel, so me and Jess head in, what with it getting late, and our informants being real confident there won't be a pickup tonight, at least.

>"So... what now? Do we just wait?" Jessica asks.

>>472589
Seems like it. Wait, and imagine nightmare scenarios like their escort taking over the gold transport and showing up to the trade to find out who's behind it.

Get in bed with her and cuddle. Really. Or spoon, whatever.

>We wait?
I guess. Not much else I can think to do, unless there's some way to prepare.

>application process
>once had a chunk of cash stolen by him, and we did a lot to try and chase it down.
>test for us if we wanted to work for him
I'm starting to wonder if we're being put through an application, ourselves.

>>472591
Yes.

Yeah, pretty much. Well, unless she'd rather stay up working ourselves into anxiety riddled messes bouncing thoughts of how this could go horribly wrong off of each other. As it stands, you'd prefer to knock back a nightcap and get some sleep. You can let your paranoia run wild in the morning.

>>472591
Eh, maybe not that far, but you could still share the bed for old times sake.

Yeah uh, Itcher isn't into neumono apparently so I don't think he's gonna be doing a lot of cuddling. Speaking of... Itcher, you're not staring at her boobs are you?

Oh! You could spend the next couple of days planning on how to kill Red. Or planning on some general exit strategy in case Father Zozu lets his son off the hook. We've been told that the turrets will 'malfunction' to kill us on our return... how are we going to avoid that? Maybe we can use that to fake our deaths? Make it look like we were in the van that gets shot, but not actually be in it?

Heyyyy. If the gold-transporting thieves happen to be the same species as our 4-man in-the-shit group, we could use them as body doubles after they're executed. Have their corpses in the van that gets shot. I'm assuming the turret is strong enough to render the corpses unrecognizable, considering it would have to be strong enough to guarantee a neumono kill, right? All we'd have to do is plant some recognizable personal affects on the bodies. Malsen is probably in the clear; he wasn't threatened at all, was he? Malsen can probably deliver a copy of the info to Zozu for us. Or we can have the info delivered anonymously somehow?

Spy on Malsen in case he's actually in league with Malkata and only pretending to be nice and loyal mainly to Zozu while he works for Malkata? Or spy on some other goons of our team?

>>472600
I'm pretty sure he's looking at her face, much to the disappointment of my as-of-yet unwritten slashfic.

>>472604

..write it.

>>472606
Oh, I will. I have nothing better to do for the next 8 days. I'm currently trying to think of a funny and plausible enough way for the two to hook up. It's probably going to be "something something, Whiskers decides to break up but doesn't tell anyone, invites Jess and Itcher to drink, spikes their drink with conveniently specific drugs, leaves, clumsy drunk sex, waking up, round two (naturally), story cuts off before the awkward "what the fuck just happened, what the fuck do we do now" part.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)22:02 No. 472612 ID: c4e5c2
File 135321853334.png - (13.01KB , 700x700 , 639.png )

>Not into neumono
Ain't sayin' I think they're ugly either. 'sides, I trust her judgement that she's not crushin' on me or somethin', so no harm in sharing body heat. Fuck knows it ain't any more intimate than a lotta the things we've done while piss drunk.

>Spy on Malsen/other goons
I'm hardly subtle. I doubt I could do much without gettin' caught, and then I'd really have it comin'. I'll mention it to Jules in case he's up for it.

Lot of other stuff to plan for, but shit if I know how to go about it. How to kill Red is gonna need me talkin' to some contacts at home, and the whole turret issue... well, maybe corpses would be unrecognizeable, maybe not. Depends on luck of the draw and how hard they hit.

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)22:02 No. 472613 ID: c4e5c2
File 135321854818.png - (14.59KB , 700x700 , 640.png )

The next morning, I wake up to find Jess still asleep, but a piece of paper pinned under the alarm clock. I go ahead and read it.

Meet me behind the Drunken Goose at 8 PM tonight.

Start thinkin' about the Drunken Goose and how I dunno where that is offhand before I start realizin' someone was able to come in and out durin' the night.

What did you leave unlocked and how is everything set up now?

>How to kill Red
If you decide to leave Zozu, then uploading those tapes somewhere and waiting for Rokoa to crash in after him is a lot less dangerous.

>I start realizin' someone was able to come in and out durin' the night
Well, it's not like you're dating a goddamn master thief or anything.

Any clues in the note? Anything special about the the handwriting, the color of the ink, the paper it's written on... etc? I wouldn't be surprised if there was some additional hidden message at this point.

Someone who was good at picking locks, and fairly quiet. I take it Jess is settling into being a not-light sleeper, now? Look around for any evidence they were here. Use your nose (sniff the note?), look for footprints. Then ask the others if they saw anyone. Maybe ask the front desk, though I really really doubt you'd get anywhere with that since they either saw nothing or got paid to say nothing.

Next time we sleep in an insecure location like a hotel, either outright jam the door or put something noisy right in front of it.

...may as well ask at the bar if there's anyplace named that nearby. Or better yet, the post office, as they deal with ALL addresses.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)22:37 No. 472621 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322063383.png - (12.60KB , 700x700 , 641.png )

Smells like... booze. Similar scent to the Cat Dive.

This isn't some five star hotel, but the electronic lock isn't a joke and the deadbolt isn't made of lead. Between the smell, and the quiet bypassing of the electrical lock and cutting of the deadbolt, it isn't a mystery of who this is from.

>How is everything set up now?
Cept for the note, everything looks like it hasn't been so much as breathed on.

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)22:37 No. 472622 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322064455.png - (12.83KB , 700x700 , 642.png )

My getting off the bed does wake up Jess, though.

"Hey, Jess."
>"Morning."
"Ever hear of the Drunken Goose."
>"Uh.... sounds familiar.... oh, wait, yeaah, I remember seeing that while we've been walking around this place. Why? You want to go there or something?"

Give her the note and see what she makes of it.

Posted that slashfic, if anyone cares. Wasn't sure if it belonged in fanart, since it's not really art at all, so I put it in the disthread.

Pff. She cut the deadbolt? Sloppy. I would have expected her to have put all the locks back behind her.

>You want to go there or something?
Got a mystery invitation.

>>472624
She didn't weld it back up? Either she's a filthy casual thief, or it's a trap. Either or. Take a gun. And flowers. A bunch of flowers with a gun inside.

Hold the note up to Jess' nose, text facing away, and ask her what she thinks it smells like. Then flip it over to show her what's written on it, and tell her how you found it. Say you'll both have to go to the appointment, since you're not absolutely sure it's just for you.

Check the edge of the note to see if there's gum residue that indicates it was pulled from a pad. If so, get a pencil and make a rubbing over it to see if there's any indentations from a previous note written on the pad.

The both of you get dressed (double-checking that all your stuff is still there and hasn't been messed with) and head down for breakfast with the rest of your crew. Show them the note, share how it showed up, and ask Malsen if he can cover for you and Jess going to the Drunken Goose at that time.

>>472624
It was most likely one of Whisker's crew who delivered the note, not her herself, so it's not the "magic trick" break-in and -out she can pull off.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)23:30 No. 472635 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322380229.png - (8.76KB , 700x700 , 643.png )

"What's it smell like to you?"
>"Heaven."

I show her the text.

"Guess we'll both need to go, for all I know it was for you.
>"... why she'd want to see me, I don't know."
"Yeah, unless it's just a coincidence. She cut the deadbolt, and I'd sooner have expected her to not just undo it, but lock it back on her way out. Then again, coulda been a sloppy cohort of hers."
>"Heh, well, still, we'd better go. I guess we just relax till then."
"As much as we can anyway."

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/17(Sat)23:32 No. 472636 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322395333.png - (267.55KB , 700x700 , 644.png )

I ask Jules to spy on some of Maklata's guys and maybe even Malsen, and Jules says he'll do it lightly, not enough to risk himself. Fair enough I say. Otherwise the day passes just fine, I avoid mentioning the note to anyone else, till 8 PM when Jess and I go.

>"... I hope this is the right place, this alleyway is the creepiest fucking place in the whole outpost. Cold as hell, too." Jess says.

>"And well out of the way from earshot! I'm glad you came with only trusted company at most, dear Tax Accountant!"

Is it her?

Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)00:11 No. 472645 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322630050.png - (364.75KB , 700x700 , 645.png )

"Don't make me guess your talking."
>"Oh come on, who calls you tax accountant? No one."
"Hello, Whiskers."
>"Hi, Whiskers." Jessica says.
"... gotta note to myself that second impressions are a lot tougher to impress with. Don't make many of those."
"I notice you got sloppy with the deadlock."
"Consider it my calling card."
"... right. So why'd you have us meet you here?"
"I've seen your stuff, and you're not half bad! Not perfect, but not bad! I'm inviting you to join me as one of my inside guys. May as well get something out of this fiasco. It's pretty sudden, but I figure it'd suck to come this far just to get yourself killed by Maklata or an indirect decision of his. The way I see it is that you're good in my eyes, and you've got nothing going for you back home. What do you say? Abandon this dump right here?"

Something seems...off, maybe because the silhouette doesn't have horns? Could just be an art error.

Anyways, we can't rightly do that, abandon our family and friends while they are still hanging in the wind on an unknown fate, even if we got the data to Father Zozu, our defection would reflect extremely poorly on them if it became known.

Just my 2 cents.

Ask Jess what she thinks about the offer. Her included.

What is going to happen to the rest of the crew if we up and leave?

>>472648
Itcher's horns aren't very noticeable, and to be meta, her text color matches, but still yeah.

We've been far too trusting. Ask her... what color and pattern cup was she holding on our first date? Pink with darker pink hollow inverted triangles around the middle, no?

No deal. We can't abandon our friends just like that.

Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)00:48 No. 472657 ID: c4e5c2
File 135322851240.png - (200.01KB , 700x700 , 646.png )

Art error: Missing horns in last panel

"Don't think I can rightly just up and leave when I still have my friends around."
"Sweet."
"What do you think Jess?"
>"I, uhh.... this is sudden. But, you know, we've been danging off the end of a thread for a long time now with Maklata holding the scissors about that. He could snip it at any time, and we don't really need you. Just the four of us would be good enough to meet that other crew. So... if you like Whiskers, then... I say go."
"... I was expecting you to say no."
>"Eh?"
"Even if you did come with me, Jules and Lamarra shouldn't be abandoned like that. Plus, it's not like I don't have friends back in Zozu home. Maybe not many, maybe not even good friends, but I'm not readily gonna walk away from now."

"You surprise me, Itcher! Alright, then. I think I'll leave you alone. I'll give you an updated copy of the recordings you've had, and slash or tell you where the nanoband is so you can remove it. Up to you."

So is this her way of breaking up?

Say it in a joking manner, whether it's true or not doesn't matter.

But, opt for her to tell you where' it's located so we can remove it at our own discretion later.

"keep the recordings. Those got us in some deep shit last time. I'm keeping the recorder. Don't use any of the info and get me in trouble. If I can manage it all of this is going to Father Zozu. And again, if I bite it, send it to him, ok?"

Before she leaves, ask her how well versed she is in faking deaths and forging new identities. Even if you're staying, it won't hurt to have a backup plan for you and you're friends. Also thank her for the booze for god's sake.

Smile and say that if you had the option to, you'd take a way to tap into and control your "personal surveillance" system. But since that isn't on the table, you'll take the knowledge of how to break it instead.

Tell Whiskers that, as before, if you kick the bucket before getting the recordings to Father Zozu, to send it along in your stead. Take the recording and hand it to Jess, jokingly saying that there's still space for this one.

Thank Whiskers for the grand pub crawl across the Asteroid, it was a the best time you've ever had. You hope that some day your paths will cross again, when the circumstances aren't so dire.

Oh, and before she leaves, ask if she will tell you the most important thing you'll need to know to get you and your friends through the next 24 hours.

Point out that everything's not over, yet. You don't want her to get the wrong impression - you might be willing to take her up on her offer later, but you've got obligations right now. Now that you've been sucked into this, you don't want to see anyone else get fucked over by Maklata.

Of course, trying to fix everything might go really sour. That's when you might need her help, if she's willing to give it. For example, faking your deaths and having copies of the recordings miraculously survive, or get mysteriously delivered to Father Zozu might cause at least a little bit of justice without putting you in significant danger.

If she can get all of you out of this, it's only fair that you pledge your service to her in compensation.

Ask what the masses of alcohol was about.

So... this is where we go off the rails? The point where the timeline changes? This is why original timeline Itcher wasn't there at the clusterfuck, and we passed it up.

>More recordings?
We don't actually need a record of anything we've done since last time, as amusing as it might be to have the drinking montage on tape.

Thanks for the booze run. Be seeing you, hopefully.

>>472657
Tell her that this doesn't mean we're not going to chase her down. We just need to finish this first, and set your things in order back home.

Tell her to come over and remove it; steal a kiss in the process. Oh! Also, ask for another cat pin for Jess.

Tell her you're a complex guy whose motivations can't be understood so easily over a hand full of meetings. Have her tell you where it is and get a good place, some kind of sound-proof box or something, to store it in, it could be nice having a way to send her a message later even if she can't easily respond to it.

1/2 Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)11:53 No. 472719 ID: c4e5c2
File 135326838871.png - (272.30KB , 700x700 , 647.png )

I head over to where she's standing, at least to look her in the eyes. Can't really see far in with all the smoke coming out, but I can tell it's warm where she is.

"It's not over yet, Whiskers. I'll pass on the recordings. I want to know where the nanoband is, but I'm not gonna remove it yet. Once this is all over, I may still come chase you. If I do kick the bucket, though, I still hope you'll drop off the recording for Zozu."
"I'll see I do, but don't think of me as reliable!"
"I don't suppose you could give us information that'll help me and my friends out? Maybe know stuff about forging identities or faking deaths?"
"Like I say, I'm not reliable! I'm not in the market for direct help. That said... Itcher, I'm damn good, but I'm not perfect. I threw in a load of stuff in that cargo van and sent it off expecting it to get lost at some point. There's more in there than just gold, and I'm just not sure how I feel about Zozu getting some of that stuff. I rolled the dice hoping it wouldn't land zozu side up. You guys are powerful enough already. That's not to say I'm going to steal it back, but... well, look at me, thinking to myself. Here, I'm going to give you some motivation to get out of this alive. Both of you."

She gives me a Cat Pin. I didn't even need to ask, she at least knows me somewhat well. Not that that's a difficult thing to learn about me.

"Thank you, by the way, for the way you gave us leads. It's been a good week."
"Quite welcome. The nanoband is in two places. Where a mustache would grow, and the back of your head, just at the farthest point back. No special locations. If you're going to chase me but not accept my invitations, Itcher, then I'm going to run. You'll have to take off that nanoband when you do."

I lean in to bend down where I'm pretty sure she's on some kind of elevator.
"I'd say goodbye, but I'll be watching till you take off your fur."
"Yeah. See ya."

2/2 Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)11:53 No. 472720 ID: c4e5c2
File 135326840027.png - (11.65KB , 700x700 , 648.png )

"Here, Jess. Cat Pin."
>"You idiot... I can't believe you're staying in this hellhole. And we've got to be the ones to meet the other group? I thought we were going to be kept out of harms way, but now we're taking the most dangerous fucking job."

"If I took her up now, Id be blaming myself for letting you all get yourselves all killed."

>>472720
Tell her not to worry, you'll find a way to get our asses out of the fire. I mean, have you let her down before?

>>472720
Please, we just want to see Malkata's face when all his plans fall to and he feels the greatest shame of what he has wrought upon himself.
Want to show him how badly he is at these complex plans, maybe then he'll be actually become a decent fellow or leader, but then again that means Ziril will become the heir to the Zozu line probably. The next father, anyway. He might actually be a decent sort for all we know.

>most dangerous job
Well, naturally. Malkata wants us dead.

And even if it was an idiot move... I meant what I said back there. I couldn't just leave you guys to your fate.

>>472720
>"You idiot... I can't believe you're staying in this hellhole. And we've got to be the ones to meet the other group? I thought we were going to be kept out of harms way, but now we're taking the most dangerous fucking job."

Point out that's *exactly* why you're staying with them. You're not going to back out on your friends just because you had the option of a golden ticket.

Also, you want to make sure this whole thing doesn't go sour and end in a blood-bath. Out of all the people here, you're the one that has the most experience dealing with the underworld in face-to-face meetings. You have an innate sense for when shit's going to go tits-up, and you're certainly going to be a better negotiator than anyone else here.

Even though Whiskers says that she's not reliable, I'm pretty confident that she'll come through if you don't make it. I don't think she wants a douche like Maklata to gain power. All that's left is to make sure your friends make it out of this alive and in one piece.

Also, I'm sure you've been thinking - Do you *really* want to make an example out these guys? I mean, if they're anything like the guys you've captured, they're just bumbling thieves in training. Probably the, what, 6th or more set of those since this began?

If you REALLY want to make an example of people, you should backtrack this whole thing. Find EVERYONE involved, then make your move. Round up all the people involved. Don't just randomly pick *one* group and take them out.

Oh, and it should go without saying that these guys are going to be on-edge until the hand-off is complete. That's the WORST time to make your move. Get the goods, verify that the gold is there, and wait until the mercs and the targets part ways. Then go after the targets.

Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)12:59 No. 472737 ID: c4e5c2
File 135327238098.png - (11.20KB , 700x700 , 649.png )

"I meant what I said, you know. That whole danger bit is why I'm not gonna abandon you guys. Sides, I think I'm the best negotiator out of any of you."
>"Are you saying I'm mean?"
"Oh, you've been an angel cake around me, but you're a witch to strangers."
>"Heh."
"Still questioning this plan though. The other groups is gonna be on edge during the handoff, probably clutching their guns in their pockets. For what's probably just some bumbling thief wannabes to boot."
>"That's why I'm nervous about you going. All of us technically, but at least one of us should be out in case it goes balls up. And you'd know what to do best if it did."
"Well it shouldn't be me. Like said, I'm the better negotiator."
>"Wouldn't put it past Maklata to make shit hit the fan just so that we get killed."

I wouldn't put it past him either. I still like the idea of trying to avoid or stop that better than sitting out, letting it happen, and then going for revenge.

>>472737
We've got Jules set to find that out already. I'm thinking Malsen can be our guy on the outside, if he checks out, because he's been shown to be a smart guy and he's pretty good in a fight too. Plus, he's less likely to be suspected by the others of hiding something.

If Malkatta really is planning to make everything go tits up regardless of what we do... maybe it would be a good idea to find a way to just bail. They don't need us to find the gold, and if we can get back to Zozu with the evidence we'll be in the clear.

>>472737
Then we'd better try to be in the best possible position to influence events!

Asteroid Quest - Thread 3 END Itcher 2012/11/18(Sun)13:57 No. 472746 ID: c4e5c2
File 135327587049.png - (14.52KB , 700x700 , 650.png )

"Eh, we've got Jules to try and find out if any knives are getting sharpended behind our backs."
>"Jules? He barely has any experience with that. He sits in the sec room all day, he's no field worker. You know what he does while you sit in the gold room and make little gold pyramids all day out of boredom?"
"What's he do?"
>"Watch you make little gold pyramids all day. But fine, maybe he's a real secret agent. I guess we keep on waiting."
"Yeah. Drop might be in 6 hours. Or a day or 2 and 6 hours. Guess we just gotta wait, now. I'm still gonna be in the best place to influence matters."
>"I don't like it. But fine. Have it your way. We'll wait."