synflux | WELCOME TO THE AUCTION [ OPEN LOG FOR ALL ]

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WELCOME TO THE AUCTION [ OPEN LOG FOR ALL ]

WELCOME TO THE REDD ROOM

Neo Tokyo is a glittering and shining city that still prospers despite continuous kaiju attacks and natural disasters that plague it. However, there's more to Neo Tokyo than what meets the eye. Below its sparkling surface, there is another world that also flourishes out of sight for most. The people who live in this version of the city meet in the shadows and deal under the table, using cunning and power to secure their means. Instead of papers and feeds, this world receives news in the form of whispers and connections.

Rumors have been flying for months. They talk about long lost masterpieces, valuable information, and a certain recently discovered sword. The shadows whisper and share their opinions, making it known if they believe there's any credibility to the stories and if there's really anything to gain. While plenty is still unknown, what is known is that these rumors are beginning to converge and soon a name, a place, and a date will be chosen.

Those with enough money to live well in Neo-Tokyo rarely earn it honestly, and those with strong personalities all know who is the best broker of deals: Madame Redd. A divorcee who’s always found wearing a red-fox stole, she’s a wealthy arts dealer known for her keen eye, and propensity to occasionally sell fraudulent paintings to the unobservant client. She’s a sharp, witty woman who always seems to have a scheme up her sleeve, and hosting an event like this truly is where she’s at her most comfortable.

In a world where everything is done with technology, Redd opts for something more traditional. Securing an invitation means obtaining a simple, nondescript red card. With no name, address, or information on it, it's clear that having an invitation doesn't mean you'll be able to find the venue. However, by scanning the card with the right settings, a microchip embedded in the card will provide them with the information they need before wiping itself clean. Arrive to the venue, show your card, and pay your entrance fee.

To enter the gala, you need to pay a fee that proves you're serious. After all, this isn't a child's game. This is where the adults come to have fun and spend their hard won earnings. You will be prompted to scan your eye so they can read your implant and extract precious personal information. After uploading and submitting your identity as collateral, you'll finally be let in.

You are formally invited to the auction.

The gala

The Entertainment
Upon entering the venue, the invited will find themselves in a large, dimly lit room. The lights are low, obscuring corners and leaving plenty of areas out of sight. There's a veil of smoke in the air that occasionally flickers as lines of holographic light activate, displaying hologram menus and programs for the guests to peruse. There's plenty of plush and comfortable seating, chairs, and even private alcoves and rooms for any attendee to make their way into. Madame Redd runs a high-class establishment, that's catered toward any taste one can imagine.

At the front and center is a stage where a virtual singer with teal hair sings original songs and takes requests, providing vintage and modern tunes. As she sings, she dedicates her music to her fans and it's almost like her likeness shifts. She's the perfect idol, able to become the exact person you admire and love down to their appearance and voice. Even their mannerisms are the same and their songs draw you in, like a siren, making you want to devote yourself to your idol.

The Libations
The Bar is one of the few places that is brightly lit. Spotlights shine on the liquor shelves, showing off a wide array of spirits ranging from common and popular favorites to rare bottles that probably cost more than what the average salary is in the city. Be careful, but feel free to peruse the menu.

— Menu —

SONIC BOOM. Makes your hearing better, like you could hear secrets shared across the room. A fat-washed bourbon old-fashioned

THIRD RAIL. An electric lemonade that fills the drinker with the feeling that they need to yammer on incessantly. Like lightning on the tongue

LET'S DO THE MIND WARP AGAIN. A spicy tequila drink, it makes you more perceptive of the emotions of others to the point that you can get a sense of them empathically.

FATHER WINTER. Makes the area around you drop several degrees, to the point that glasses are frosted. A boozy mint hot chocolate.

VAMPIRE'S KISS. Makes consumers want to drink blood, and tastes of red fruit juices (and alcohol) (real fangs not included, but the drink comes with a pair of plastic fangs)

MOTHER EARTH. A red sangria that makes you feel like you're basking in a too-warm summer's sun.. It also makes you feel more impulsive and violent. Oops!

BURN DOWN FOR WHAT. Like having a redbull and a Celsius at once. Hyper enough that you might feel like you're moving faster than everyone else — and you might be! Several liquors topped off with LILITH-brand energy drink, served on fire with a high-proof float.

RIFT CORRUPTION. they SAY drinking could affect you in any number of random ways – truly dangerous! Really, it’s a virgin mocktail.

BEE POSITIVE. Will be able to communicate telepathically with other people who'd drank the same drink, a honey and gin concoction.

PLANTS DOWN. The aphro one, made with smuggled pollen. It’s a sweet and fruity drink that makes you think about lying down and having fun on the beach.

GILTTER. A drink with iridescent shades of purple, blue, and green. The bartender may challenge you to a round of dice to pay for drinks for everyone at the bar before serving.

coding

The menu contains some surprises

High Stakes Games
At some of the tables, you can put down your bets and play a round of cards or throw some dice. The stakes vary at each table, with some betting cash fortunes and others are more creative. At certain tables, people play for the thrill. They make dares that losers have to carry out and invite everyone to take a bit of risk. Some of these tables have clear shots lined up in simple glasses. After each loss, losers have to take shots, and while this might seem like a mere drinking game, it's more complicated. The shots have a sharp, tingly taste and a strong burn when it goes down. Not long after consumption, the loser will temporarily lose a sense.

However, it is not limited to the traditional five senses. You might also lose more metaphorical senses. You're playing a drink roulette and there's no telling what you might lose.

Traditional senses: Touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell
Perceptual senses: Balance, pain, space (spatial awareness), time
Abstract senses: Humor, justice, duty, honor, belonging, purpose, urgency, direction, judgment (common sense)

Effects can stack, so playing too long could be disastrous. Fortunately, the effects are also temporary and will usually wear off after a short amount of time. Every person is different so it depends on each person. Still, a lot can happen in a short period of time, and this is a dangerous environment to be vulnerable in, so it's best to drink responsibly.

The Back of the House
In contrast to the shiny, chromed-out and minimalist curves and neon lights up in the club and VIP section, the back of house or the alleyway and loading docks behind Madame Red’s club is darker, betraying the seedier underbelly of her establishment. Outsiders who feel uncomfortable in their skin on the best of days, and even worse when asked to polish up for an event can still make it in.

However, if Outsiders go that route, they will be informed that they’ll also need to keep their eyes and ears peeled in case of danger. Madame Redd has been helping with the rumors of this legendary missing Muramasa for months, and people are very interested in it. She’s not certain that there might be an attempt to steal it, but she is concerned, so Outsiders will need to listen in on conversations as they serve or act as security. However, if you’re acting as security, you’ll be required to wear a fox mask, to remain anonymous to everyone.

And in fact, while some members of the party are busy playing the game on the floor, the Outsiders helping out with the back of house will start to hear rumors from some of the rougher-looking staff members. From the rumors, they’ll discover that some of the staff corridors are being used by certain entities to get closer to the treasure being auctioned off tonight. After all, some elements want to keep the mystique, and what’s more exciting than a recently recovered ancient sword, than if it goes disappearing. So several of Neo-Tokyo’s crime syndicates are vying to steal it. Outsiders can choose to pit them against one another, redirect them using their positions as staff, coordinate with their fellow outsiders in the party proper, or even just straight up fight them! Anything goes, but Madame Redd’s directive was clear: This should not impact the Auction itself. No bringing the fight to the main floor!

THE AUCTION

The Auction
And what a main floor! The organizers clearly have gone all out for this special art auction – there’s holographic displays of everything from paintings to jewelry to the swords themselves, each identifiable with an ocular implant stating the object name, providence, and current bid. Much of the bidding is happening anonymously, but there are signs amongst the crowds on the floor of who might be attempting to outbid who. Outsiders are, of course, welcome to bet their Kryptos on just about anything under the sun, though the rarer and finer the object the more likely they are to be outbid. But there are some small art pieces that are feasible for Outsiders to win, should they choose to try.

Finely crafted silver bracelet with a heart charm from maker “Theophania”
A corner of Van Gogh’s “Scream” - something’s off about that
A certificate of ownership for a digital png of… you’re not sure, a monkey? Or is it a grape with a bored expression? Someone tells you that you can use it as an ‘icon’. (People have not used digital icons in at least 100 years)
“Girl with A Pearl Earring” – closer inspection reveals that the pearl is a red and white orb from a popular children’s cartoon from the beginning of the millennium, but did you look that closely at it before you won?
Colorful folder with a wild cat design, comes with a set of matching stickers
A hand crafted statue of a woman in a compromising pose and very little clothing. She looks heavily stylized and more like an animated piece
A glass rose
A nice lacquered box with a real pearl inlay of a nice ocean-related design
A pair of thick plastic shoes in something called ‘sport mode’
A painting with rectangles of color
Three smaller tantos (one listing for each)

Time for a Bidding War!

When someone wins an object (ten minutes go by without any bids), the staff will bring the individual into the back room where the real items are – proudly displayed and very securely guarded. No one is taking any chances. Well, there is one object that seems to be gaining a lot of attention, including significant press in the lead-up to the auction itself.

The one item not tucked away is the one that several Outsiders have been checking in on: Muramasa, Aventurine, and Silco, namely. It’s in the center of the main auction area, with appropriate mood lighting giving the blade a dangerous glow. A pressure-sensitive railing surrounds it, and if any Outsider so much as touches it, they and anyone around them will be ushered into a small room to be grilled by security. Yes, even if you accidentally did it. Getting out of questioning proves to be a time-intensive process, especially if you’ve indulged in any of the unsavory options of the evening.

Good luck!

The Heist Begins! (And where did Asaboo go??)
The highlight of the night is the betting war over the star of the show – the genuine “reclaimed” Muramasa sword, perfect and pristine. Madame Redd stands next to it as she tells the story of how it was found and brought to her by a secret faction within LILITH, as evidenced by Asaboo guarding it as well. She adjusts her fox-fur stole and expresses that it’s a great honor for her to present it tonight to auction to the highest bidder, someone who truly appreciates art, and history. The bidding commences, with several clearly Yakuza types offering increasingly large sums for the item.

That is, until a woman stands and offers an exorbitant amount, with a striped stole around her neck, her tone is laid back and belligerent. Madame Redd hisses out a soft oath to any outsiders who are nearby, but the woman laughs when one of the bidders folds, and she offers him a loan to keep going, if he’d like. A few escalations later, however, and the sword is indeed taken by the notoriously wealthy loan shark and arts dealer (and Madame Redd’s ex) Tammy Nook.

As the auction concludes, it’s time to indulge in the rest of the night's festivities – except the power flickers – and as the lights lift again, the sword is missing – along with Asaboo, who wouldn’t let go of it. Everyone will have to track down the thieves, since they can’t have gotten far, right? As Outsiders start spreading out to find the thieves, they’ll encounter new security that hadn’t been there before: humanoid machines that shift and jerk...until they project holograms of other Outsiders over their bodies. They’ll have to determine friend from foe, as those uploaded identities are now a danger, and they’ll have to fight their way through these false outsiders to try and keep chasing after the thieves! Someone had better save the sword (and Asaboo!) so it's time to fight your way through!

CODING BY

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

o1. The Sheer Gala of it all

[ Not really known for being more than a recluse on base who occasionally exits his well to insult other outsiders, seeing Silco be part of a lead on something is unusual at best. To be fair, he stands to make a lot of money off this sword, so maybe that's an appropriate amount of motivation to draw the man out and to help organize the event. He's even dressed to play along, complete with his own sheathed blade to complete the look, although his expression is a Silco classic scowl.

He certainly sticks to a strict routine around the main gala area. He occasionally makes his way towards the display where the sword is, as if his unblinking eye is going to offer additional security for the sword on display. He keeps his hands behind his back, and his eyes occasionally dart away in a long sweep. If you end up in security after hitting the alarm, Silco might even be the one to come by and question you — bail you out? Don't be ridiculous, he isn't that nice!

Otherwise, he can be found hovering at the bar, though he clearly only drinks from the top shelf, and none of the cocktails are in his hand. He also doesn't pay for any of it. Go figure. You think Silco is going to drink those? Absolutely not, but given his reputation, it's quite likely he sourced the materials the bartenders used to concoct them. He'll even twitch his lips if someone questions what's in them, and blow a puff of smoke from his cigar into the air, before he leans over, and confides: ] You can find a great number of things on the black market, you know. Just don't ask about preservation.

[ After all, some of them seem to be themed around kaiju older than a year...

You already drank one of them, didn't you?

Or if you ask about the "Rift Corruption" drink's effects, Silco will bark out a soft laugh, and with a little mockery in his voice, say: ] That one isn't as formidable as it's advertised to be. Sometimes, all the bluster is for nothing.

[ damn bud let it go... ]

o2. A Heisty Exit

[ The problem with the entrance fee hadn't manifested until near the end of the night — not that Silco paid it, or anyone who works for him, mind — but as soon as the lights brighten, and the Muramasa (And Asaboo) is gone, he's already barking low orders to anyone he hired to start taking care of the issue. Some of them may be outsiders, but many of them are individuals from a local small-time gang as well.

But the "new" security is hostile to anyone who was here before — they shouldn't be — but as they start filtering through the crowd, wearing Outsider's faces, Silco slips his gun out from the holster in his coat, and levels it at... you!? You're not a robot, right?

However, they look like other outsiders, don't they? How can you tell the difference? ] Convince me.

[ Barring a few exceptions... uh. Good luck? ]

o3. Wildcard!

[ I'll be tagging around quite a bit, so feel free to link me your TL, or ping me on discord or at hundreds if you want a starter! Or just throw me what your character is doing if you're not TLing, and I'll roll with it! Since Silco's involved in the event, he'll be all over, even if he sticks to the sidelines a lot. ]

[ Well, since Silco’s not paying, then neither is Tezcatlipoca. Not that Silco has any say in this, of course, since as he’s being his usual dour self at the bar, a familiar hand reaches around and grabs his drink. Tezcatlipoca takes his sample with a grin as he slides in next to him, dressed for the occasion, naturally. ]

Mm. Not bad.

[ He sets the drink down again as he leans with his back to the bar to chat with Silco. ]

It’s always fifty-fifty with you. Either it’s good shit or it’s the worst swill I’ve ever tried. You’ve got diverse tastes.

[ And casually, he grabs one of the menus for the specials to read them over. Clearly, he’s just gotten to the event, so it’s Silco’s good luck that Tezcatlipoca had sought him out first, obviously. ]

[ Lucky him indeed.

His good eye narrows slightly when Tezcatlipoca slides right on in and takes his drink, though he only curls a finger in the direction of the bartender, who definitely hops to pouring another one for him. Because let's be honest, he definitely hired the bartenders, and they know who's paying them. ]

What can I say? Sometimes I like to be reminded where I came from, and sometimes I like to think about where we're going.

[ Kind of. Where he wants him and his to go, anyway. ]

You even cleaned up. Thinking about trying for the sword? Daybit might kill you if it starts escalating.

[ Tezcatlipoca was about to hand it back to him, but seeing the gesture and the bartender's hurried work to keep the boss happy, he just laughs. He raises the glass in thanks to Silco and then to the bartender before taking a healthier swig. Believe it or not, the first one was polite in terms of how much he actually drank. ]

Y'know, when you put it that way, fair enough. That suits you.

[ A chip on the shoulder and crazy ambition? Yeah, that's his guy alright. ]

And 'course I did. I like keeping it casual, but I dress for every occasion. This is a fancy shindig that you're putting on, so of course I'm not going to pass up at least seeing it for myself.

[ Though, since he mentioned Daybit himself, Tezcatlipoca definitely doesn't feel bad about bringing him up. He huffs out a laugh and throws him a toothy little smile where he knows his comment is about to get under Silco's skin... But it's not actually from him this time. ]

Actually tried to get Daybit to come with. Wasn't sure what you'd be selling, but he's got an eye for artifacts, believe it or not. Kinda his thing. But he still said "no thanks". Can you believe that guy?

WELCOME TO THE REDD ROOM

The gala

THE AUCTION

silco | arcane | brimstone

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"daybit said no thanks" well, here's daybit with wonderwall!; 02

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