[Thursday, September 2, 2004.] [You're in Shi's Imports and Pets, an import and pet shop in Chinatown. You haven't found any mogwai yet.] (I first read that as "import and export pet shop") [You're here because Sun-Niang's uncle went and disappeared, and it might be Tabby's fault, and Christy wanted noodles.] [Presently, it's evening, and you're fishing around in the back room of the shop for clues! It's a mess. Christy put the plastic skull back, too.] [Present: Luke, Veronica, Christy, Tabby, Sunny, and a demon. Er. Forget that last one.] [Session Start.] * Veronica keeps ruffling through random stuff for clues, tilting her head towards Sunny as she does so. "I hope you don't mind me saying so, but your uncle seems like one creepy person." [Sun-Niang looks up from the books she's skimming. "Huh?"] * Luke scans the books for any in a language he can read. This is his room, right? ["It's the back room. He doesn't sleep here."] I didn't say that. Who else comes back here then? ["Dude, some of this stuff is so cool," Christy says, looking through some of the crystal balls and statuettes. Tabby glances her way.] Christy, you think goldfish in shoes is cool. ["They are! Especially when they bite your toes." Sunny can't help but snerk a little. Tabby just sort of blinks.] (Luke find anything at all?) (It's all in Chinese.) Yeah, those ravenous carnivorous goldfish are killer. "Sun, can you read Chinese?" ["Yeah," Sunny says back to Luke.] "What are these books called?" [She leans over and looks. "Powers of the Zodiac."] * Luke nods, waiting for her to continue. [She picks up the one on top and flips through. "This one's about the Rat, I think..."] (Wait, ALL the books are Powers of the Zodiac? I thought that was just one.) Wait, powers of the what? Like astrology and that? (There are a few others that look similar. But if you're curious, not twelve.) "Aren't there twelve symbols of the Chinese zodiac? It looks like some are missing." ["Yeah," Sun-Niang says, still skimming the book. "Uncle doesn't have the complete set yet."] * Veronica looks over Luke's shoulder. "How many are there? What ones are supposed to be missing?" [Tabby looks up curiously. Christy seems to be amusing herself with a bronze phoenix statue.] ["Um." Sun-Niang sets the book down and looks over at the others. "He has Dog, Rooster, Monkey, and... Snake."] [Veronica notices that when Sunny puts the book down, its pages fall to a different spot - apparently, it's been opened to that point a lot before. A section of the squigglies are circled.] * Veronica tilts her head and then takes the book in hand. "Hey now, what's this?" ["What's what?" Sunny asks, looking up from another book. Snake, by her indication.] * Veronica brings it over to Sunny and points out the circled words. "These. You recognize these words?" [Sunny takes it. She looks it over, slightly puzzled. "Not... really. No, wait. I think..."] [Sunny knits her brow, and then she starts sounding out Chinese syllables haltingly, one after another.] * Luke listens. * Veronica waits patiently. No small feat for her. [Luke notices that a few cracks in the floor start to glow a very faint burnished orange. Also, in his peripheral vision, Tabby's eyes widen.] * Veronica is watching Sunny, oblivious to what's going on. * Luke turns to look at the glowing cracks. He starts backing up slowly. His left hand clutches the handle of his briefcase more tightly, the knuckles whitening. [The floor brightens even more, and Sun-Niang keeps chanting, oblivious. Tabitha jumps to her feet, dropping the plate she was holding with a crash, and Christy looks up. "I didn't do it!" she yells. And then everything vanishes in an orangey flash.] [When it fades, you see spots, and when you blink them away, you see... rats. Lots of rats. The place looks just like the back room of the shop, only without the junk and the inclusion of rats. EVERYWHERE. Paper lanterns stayed, though; they light the place.] [And in the middle of the entire mess, probably jumping up and down and kicking, is an odd, old Chinese man.] * Luke's first move after appearing and blinking away the spots is to look, not at his surroundings, but down at his briefcase. * Veronica yelps and jumps back, though it does no good. "What the hell?" (Luke's case is still there and intact?) (Yes. It's chained to him.) (I know, but it might not have been teleported...) * Luke grins at Veronica. "Never been teleported by magic before?" [Sun-Niang's with you, too, and she jumps back a little and steps on a rat. It squeaks at her, and she lets out a little shriek of her own. "UNCLE!"] * Kuai-Hong is shaking his fist at any one of a dozen rats, kicking rats away from him periodically. "Why you are doing this, I cannot fathom! I do not even remember what it is I owe!" He notices Sunny. "Ai-YAH! And now you have kidnapped poor San-Niang as well!" * Kuai-Hong is a wrinkled old Chinese man in a pair of Dockers, some Birkenstocks (no socks with the sandals), and a tattered hawaiian shirt. He looks peeved. (/me awaits answer from Ard.) (Wow. It's San-Niang. So, uh... I need to change massive logs!) [If you care to glance around, you notice Christy and Tabby are both absent.] (That, or change the one mention here. ;P ) (Yes, but it should be San-Niang, and I feel bad. :() (NPC dumping!) (Actually, screw it.) (Sun-Niang it is.) * Veronica rubs her temples. "I must be dreaming again." She tries to grabs Christy by the shoulders. "Tell me I'm dreaming again. I got knocked out, ri--" She blinks and takes a slight step back, paling slightly. [A rat chitters up at her.] * Veronica looks at Luke and starts to shake him. "What the hell did you do to Christy?" [Sun-Niang ignores both you crazies and starts making her way to the other crazy. "Uncle! Why are you- get off of me!" She shakes a rat off of her shoe.] * Luke is shaken. There is a surprisingly lack of effort on his part to fight his way out of her grip. "Please stop that..." he says, without his usual confidence. No! I won't believe it. There's no such thing as magic, there's no such thing as demons, there's no such thing as monsters who want to kidnap my friend and bite my fucking neck off. You hear me? Nothing! (She's still shaking him?) (No, but still holding him.) I am in back of my shop, minding my own business, when the blasted Rat appears, demanding payment! Aiyah, how he whines! Then he drags me here, and I do not even know what it is I am owing! (Could you throw in a pose that says that?) (Luke's reaction here is very different depending on if she's still shaking him.) * Veronica isn't shaking him at the moment, but is still very much holding him by the shoulders. * Luke takes a deep breath as soon as the shaking stops, regaining his composure. "Fine. There's no such thing. You're still back in the shop. You probably passed out and this is just a bad dream." Shut up. Now you're just humoring me. You have no *fucking* idea how my dreams are. * Veronica leans in close and gives Luke a menacing look from about an inch away. "So help me, I don't care if you're a teacher, I WILL kick your ass." ["Payment!" Sun-Niang calls. "What'd you do *now*?" She kicks a rat out of the way. It squeaks loudly and goes flying towards the pair of you, vanishing in a puff of smoke before it hits Veronica.] * Veronica finally lets go of him, shoving a little harder than need be and turns back towards the scene of Uncle and Sunny. [Veronica gets smoke in her face.] * Veronica coughs and waves it out of her face. "Hey, watch it!" * Luke takes a step back. He reaches up with his right hand to straighten his shirt, which Veronica pulled askew. "Veronica, if I tell you the truth, you attack me, and if I don't, you accuse me of humouring you. I'm frankly leaning toward humouring you, at the moment." I did nothing now! It is what I did then that has gotten me into this fix! ["Well, what'd you do *then*? Why don't you just pay him!"] * Veronica looks over her shoulder. "Mister Mendel, for a teacher, you've got a REAL piss-poor method of settling someone's nerves." I asked for information, but I do not remember what I was going to pay! * Veronica takes a step forward. "Uh, excuse me... Someone mind filling me in?" ["THE PRICE IS GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE." This booms all around the room. Maybe Rat installed a subwoofer.] * Veronica looks around. "Uh...that doesn't sound good." "Yes, Veronica, I'm sure Ms. Balen would know just how to calm you. It's her soothing manner. Sadly, I'm here instead." Bah! If your mind could keep up with your stomach there would be no problem! What is your price, Rat? (Oh yes. Gail is the master of calm.) (She's a veritable little book of calm.) (LITTLE BOOK OF CALM) No. She'd speak to me like I'm an idiot. Frankly, she may realize that more than you do. (That Veronica is an idiot? :P ) (Yes.) ["THE PRICE IS..." Dramatic pause. "WHITE SWEETBREAD STUFFED WITH PORK, ONIONS, PEPPER, AND A LITTLE BIT OF SHRIMP."] "We got teleported here by magic, probably by the spell Sun read aloud. Believe it or not, but I'd appreciate you not beating me up just because you don't like it." [Sun-Niang pauses in her rat assault and stares at the air. A rat jumps up and starts nibbling on her jeans. "*Meatbuns*?" she squeaks, indignant. And then she whirls on Kuai. "You forgot to give him MEATBUNS?"] * Kuai-Hong stops kicking rats for a moment. "... a meatbun? You drag me here for a meatbun?! You greedy little ...! If I were twenty years younger I would ...! Oooh! San-Niang, never deal with rats!" "Although if you don't want to believe that a magic rat is angrily demanding meatbuns, I won't entirely blame you." * Veronica smirks at Luke slightly. "Relax. I need a better reason than that to get suspended." ["ACTUALLY, HE WAS FORTY YEARS YOUNGER. APPROXIMATELY."] * Veronica then blinks. "Actually, I think that sort of thing makes it more believable." She pauses. "Wait, you're angry about meatbuns from FORTY YEARS AGO?" * Kuai-Hong shrugs. "You see? How am I to remember such a meatbun? Ai-YAH, so long ago!" ["IF YOU DEAL WITH MYTHICAL BEINGS, YOU OUGHT TO KEEP YOUR PROMISES."] Wait, if you're a mythical being, how are you, uh, talking to us and all? "Send us all back home and I'll give you five meatbuns and an order of ginger beef on top of it," Luke says. He sounds serious. * Kuai-Hong finally looks over at the newcomers. "Sunny, who are these new children? (Actually, only Veronica's the "child." Luke's in his..mid twenties wasn't it? Or thirties? (Yeah, but to the geezer?) (And Luke is 29.) (I'd guessed that, actually. It doesn't appreciably change Kuai's response much. ^_~) (Right.) * Veronica snorts and looks at Sunny. 'I'm assuming the old fart's your uncle?" [Sunny looks a little embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about-" And then she stiffens. "HEY! He is not an 'old fart'!"] * Veronica blinks innocently. "He's certainly not a young fart..." Such ill-mannered children! There will be no cookies for you when we return! [Sun-Niang frowns at Kuai-Hong. "*Uncle*. That's not fair. They helped find you."] * Veronica stares at Kuai-Hong, blinking again. "I didn't ask for cookies." "I didn't either, but I wouldn't say no if they were offered." ... maybe one cookie. But not two! Two cookies is too much for ill- mannered children! And we *did* hrlp find you. In fact, I found those passages in the book. What were you trying, anyway? [Right about now, you hear Rat clearing his throat. "IF I MAY INTERJECT, I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND MR. MENDEL HOME BUT FOR THE SMALL QUESTION OF INTEREST..."] * Veronica looks up and stares at the voice. "Wait, you know his name?" "That's what the ginger beef is for." (Flip those?) ["I'M RAT," Rat says, slightly piqued. "OF COURSE I KNOW HIS NAME. AND YES, BUT AT THE AGREED UPON RATE, HE OWES ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO MEATBUNS."] [Sun-Niang's eyes widen, and she whirls on her uncle again. "You agreed to *that rate*?"] Interest, Sunny. He said interest. Forty years is a long time. ["But it's over a hundred thousand- where are we going to *get* a- we're not that rich!"] * Veronica rubs her head. "Musta been compounded daily." "What was the original agreement?" Ai-YAH! How was I to know? One meatbun, not so much! And you call me ill-mannered. You're the one stiffing a mythical ungodly being for so long. You try to keep track of credit with beings who do not have post office boxes or fancy fax machines! (Waiting for an answer...) ["IN EXCHANGE FOR NAMES AND THEN CURRENT LOCATIONS OF SIX PEOPLE I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DISCLOSE AS PER OUR AGREEMENT, KUAI-HONG - HE PUT HIS NAME HERE - AGREED TO GIVE ME SIX MEATBUNS: ONE FOR EACH PERSON."] ["NOT THE SMALL ONES, EITHER."] * Luke nods. "That it?" ["BUT IN THE EVENT THAT HE SHOULD NOT OFFER THEM TO ME WITHIN A WEEK, THE NUMBER INCREASES BY DAY ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF SANDS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS TIMEGLASS."] [An ornate hourglass pops into existance at the side of the room. It doesn't look like sand is falling, but there's quite a pile at the bottom, and far more at the top.] Did you ever think to contact him EARLIER about this agreement? ["I WASN'T HUNGRY."] * Luke walks over and inspects the hourglass. Then why'd you agree to the agreement in the first place if you weren't hungry? * Kuai-Hong has folded his arms and is tapping his foot idly. And kicking rats. [The hourglass isn't that big; maybe only a foot tall. The glass is clear, and the sand white. One of the rats has decided to perch on top of it, and it chitters up at Luke.] * Luke picks up the hourglass. (Can he see why the sand isn't falling?) [The rat chitters and jumps onto Luke's clothes, clinging to his shirt. The sand... just doesn't seem to move, even when he picks it up.] *Luke doesn't seem bothered by the rat clinging to him. He idly flips the hourglass over. [The sand moves very quickly until it looks like the same amount he was studying a moment ago.] ["WELL, I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GET HUNGRY."] (It went backward?) (Yes.) "Right now, it seems to me that you have a debt you can't possibly collect on." Rat think with his stomach, is what! So you just waited until the moment that it was impossibly large to summon him here. He's right. You *are* greedy. ["IF HE CAN'T PAY, THEN HE'LL JUST HAVE TO STAY."] [Sun-Niang looks cross. "I can't believe you let this happen, Uncle."] "How about I buy his debt?" (I want to influence roll that suggestion.) (Was just going to call for that. Intelligence + Influence.) 1d10+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Luke (1d10+11) and gets a natural 1 for a result of 12. * Kuai-Hong shrugs. "What? I did well to remember when I had bigger debts to pay..." He trails off and looks at Luke. (Damn dicey.) Yeah, but you're the all-powerful being and he's just the lowly human. Isn't it up to you to remind him of his obligations earlier? ["I'M NOT HIS SECRETARY." Brief pause. "YOU'RE WILLING TO GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO MEATBUNS?"] "No, that would be *paying* his debt. I'm offering to *buy* his debt." Actually, can you really eat that many? Wouldn't they get cold and go bad before you could finish them all? ["WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?" Rat asks, ignoring Veronica.] * Veronica doesn't mind. It gets her mind off of the fact that she's technically talking to thin air anyway. "You've got a debt you can't collect on. Its value is calculable by factoring in the size of the debt, the probability of enforcing it, and the cost of enforcing it. It's a marketable commodity. If I buy the debt, I pay you what I think it's worth to have him," Luke points at Kuai, "owe me 100 262 meatbuns. And what I do with that debt is then my business." ["I SEE. I'M LISTENING."] (Luke explains choses in action!) (You always learn something from 2S.) * Veronica just turns and watches Luke. [Sun-Niang, too. She looks... a little confused. But interested.] [The rat is now crawling down Luke's arm and makes a jump for Veronica.] * Kuai-Hong also looks a little confused. "Now, the size of the debt's a good selling point. I could do a lot with that many meatbuns. It's the probability of enforcing it that's the problem here. I mean, let's face it, the odds here are pretty long. I might as well buy a lottery ticket." * Veronica slams her fist and forearm at the rat's face, keeping her eyes mostly on Luke. (remove "here" from "the odds are pretty") [The rat poofs away.] ["BUT THAT IS HOW MUCH HE OWES."] I think what he's trying to say is that if you're hungry enough, you'll take what you can get. "I know, I know. But look at it from my perspective. I'll have to try to get him to pay up 100 262 meatbuns. Try to put yourself in that position, okay?" ["I AM IN THAT POSITION." He sounds a little upset. "I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THEM, TOO."] "See, that's my point. That'll be me, looking forward to all those meatbuns, and odds are, just ending up with nothing. Sad, isn't it. Meanwhile, here you'll be, eating those six helpings of sweet and sour pork." [Silence. Then... "I DON'T KNOW... THEY'RE JUST SIX."] "Okay, eight. Plus the six meatbuns and the ginger beef." [Sun-Niang stares at Luke, and then she sidles up to her uncle and half-whispers, "What is he *doing*?"] "And all I've got is some debt I can't enforce. But that's just my bad luck." Six is better than none. * Kuai-Hong half whispers back. "Bartering like a with Rat, niece." (That word: tricycle.) [Sun-Niang ohs.] ["AND NOODLES. I CAN'T HAVE A MEAL LIKE THAT WITHOUT NOODLES. FIVE ORDERS, PAN-FRIED, WITH BAMBOO SHOOTS." Pause. "AND A PEKING DUCK. WITH THE HEAD. I LIKE THAT PART."] "With the head?" Luke repeats, sounding obviously reluctant. He looks over at Kuai-Hong, as if appraising the odds of ever getting 100 262 meatbuns out of him. Then he turns back to the rat. "Okay, but keep it to yourself, please, or all the zodiac animals will want one." [There's silence for a bit, then Rat says, "VERY WELL. I EXPECT PAYMENT WITHIN TWO DAYS, OR INTEREST WILL ACCUMULATE ACCORDING TO THE GRAINS OF SAND IN MY TIMEGLASS."] "How do I make payment?" ["PRESENT THE FOOD ON A TABLE AND CALL MY NAME. I'LL KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. I DON'T WANT IT COLD, EITHER."] (Do I need an occult roll to clarify that I know the thing's actually named "Rat"?) (Luke can ask if he wants to make double sure, but no.) "Put the food on the table and call 'Rat'," Luke repeats. ["YES. DON'T FORGET THE GINGER BEEF."] "You drive a hard bargain." ["I TRY," Rat says modestly, but he sounds pleased. "WE HAVE A DEAL?"] "We do." ["KUAI-HONG SHI, I TRANSFER YOUR DEBT TO LUKE MENDEL." Your vision's filled with burnished orange, and then you all reappear in Kuai-Hong's back room, which still looks like a tornado hit. Tabitha is standing where you were, trying to make out what the book says, and Christy isn't anywhere to be found.] * Kuai-Hong looks over to Luke. "Aiyah, maybe I was wrong! You are very polite, to help out an old man!" * Veronica stops and looks around, then stares at Luke. "So how many years of teaching do you need before you earn your degree in bullshitting?" [Tabitha looks up at the Chinese word. "You're back!" At this, there's some crashing in the store - the front part - and she looks over that way.] "None. I got it first." Must come with your credential. [Christy comes running in and she squeals, hugging the first person she sees... which happens to be Sunny. Who almost punches her in the face. "GAH."] "If only my students were as easy to convince." ["Oh my God, we were so worried about you guys!" Christy lets go and runs over to hug Veronica, too. "Because you were, like, gone! Poof! And Tabby said she thought it was magic or something but we can't read Chinese!" Now she hugs Luke!] You mean they're not? What about Matt? * Luke looks over at Kuai-Hong. "You owe me one hundred thousand two hundred and sixty two meatbuns," he says serious, then grins. "But I'm sure we can work something out." (seriously) * Veronica then oofs at the hug. "Hey, watch it, Christy. You know how tender I am." [At the grin, Luke gets hugged by a Christy.] * Kuai-Hong smiles. "You can have a free Mogwai!" (Mogwai! XD) (Just don't get it wet!) (OR feed it after midnight.) * Luke looks down at Christy. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I think being hugged by a student violates Lakeview school policy." (right) Mogwhat? ["Oh, uh. Okay." Christy lets go and coughs into her hand. "Sorry."] "That's okay." Mogwai! I will tell you later. ["You need to tell us about everything. We were worried!" Christy looks at Veronica. "Super worried!" Tabby nods.] * Veronica rubs her forehead and looks at Christy's shoes. "You're sure I'm not just knocked out again, right? I mean, I really disappeared?" ["In a column of light and everything. Straight out of Power Rangers."] (Last poses, please!) Straight outta-- Christy, don't tell me you still watch that... [Christy just starts laughing.] * Kuai-Hong looks around. "Aaah, so messy! I will go make tea!" "If you'll excuse me, I need to go buy some Chinese food. Don't forget to study for the quiz." Luke heads toward the door. ["Thanks for your help, Mr. Mendel," Sunny says before he leaves.] [Session End!]