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[mainiac]

((Binoculars would solve that problem.  I don't think the surprise is quite taken away by Kat mentioning everyone.  They still don't know which direction everyone is in.))

Not being able to get a clear look with the naked eye, Ethan pulls out his binoculars and sees that the machine gun is fitted with a large drum clip.

I assure you the odds are against you here. Don't think you're not zeroed in, friend-pull that trigger, you might as well pull the trigger on yourself. So, what are you going to do, Big-T?"[/color]

((Grapple check of 15>14 touch AC))

Big Tee hesitates for seconds that seem to draw along forever.  Then suddenly he moves swiftly, grabbing Kat by the neck and pushing the gun up against her temple.  He yanks her to her feet and sends her guitar clattering to the ground as he holds he in front of her in the classic hostage position.  Only problem with his plan is that he has no clue where Kat's friends are, he ends up standing with his back towards them.

Big Tee yells out towards Kat's friends whereever they are.  "I got your little girlie here!  I hear any shots and she's history!  You guys piss the fuck off!  We're taking her with us as a hostage!"

((Seeing as the attack roll was so close to your touch AC, I'll offer you the option of spending 1 action point to interrupt his action.))

[Caellath]

((Do we get to act first if we attack from hiding? I guess it may be time to get some melee action going, unfortunately. Not posting Ethan's reaction until Dwarmin decides on his action and calls for the weather.))

[Dwarmin]

((I guess that's a diplomacy fail. I failed at the only thing my character is useful for. Yeah.

Hmm. I honestly don't have any idea what to do now. Everything gets me shot to death in the crossfire. Or they'll kill the whole party in the fight. Or I'll let myself get taken hostage and tortured to death.

Anybody got any ideas?))

[Caellath]

((Did mainiac roll for the Diplomacy check? If not, we have to try it.

Also, I guess you'll just use that action point and we'll charge them into melee to deny their ranged advantage. We'll all die horribly, which is sad and everything, but it's mostly our fault. Hiding and waiting until they passed by us was a better option after all, but I don't know how we were unable to see a rocket launcher and a heavy machine gun through the binoculars the first time we saw them.))

[mainiac]

((Did I convey that diplomacy failed?  I'm sorry, I was just trying to up the drama of the situation.  Diplomacy hasn't failed completely.  Big Tee is pissed sure, but Big Tee isn't the only player in this situation.  Kat's has turned up some fracture lines in the group.

I never know quite how to handle situations like this because I never know if the players are seeing everything that I am trying to show.

If there were rolls then I posted them.))

[Caellath]

((Yeah, I saw the "fracture lines" part, with the other guy who seems pretty interested in being leader. Kat could keep nagging them until it devolved into in-fighting, but now that they're aware of a threat, I'm not so sure.

Kat dipomacy check go? We can always have the mule carry our loot.))

[mainiac]

((I probably should have mentioned that Gunther got left behind at Lockhart.  Rain doesn't need to be carrying valuable goods with no combat value into gang territory to be stolen.

There is a possibility for leadership rivalry in the gang.  There is also the fact that the gang's two big bruisers are very agnostic towards what the leader is doing if you can figure out a way to make use of that agnosticism.))

[Dwarmin]

((I guess I let him get me into killing position then, no action point spent
And generally gun to head, we're leaving or I shoot is the end of negotiations.))

Kat showed little surprise to the developments. She spoke loudly, so everyone could hear. She kept still.

"...do you think they care about enough not to shoot through me to get to you? They left me on the road alone to barter my group past you guys-think about it. You're honestly hoping for what-better human nature to prevail? Look around you, look at yourself. This is the Wastes. There's no better natures here. Only the living and the dead. You know that better than anyone.

All I do know is they'd rather shoot, than let you take me off to some sort of pleasure palace to get your stones off by raping me to death. They owe me a quicker end than that, at least.

If we don't find a solution right here, right now, they'll assume it's going to come to killing sooner or later-and they'll take the first strike-leave no witnesses, dismember the bodies to prevent identification, bury them in unmarked graves, that's our method of operation. But hey-Maybe some of you will get away, sure-stranger thing have happened. But we'll take our share of blood and pain in any case.

And then you'll be very dead Big-T, even if you don't go down in the fight-cause this group will need a new leader after that. Leaders who get their men killed because they were stupid and afraid tend to suffer sudden and severe drops in popularity...and better men, stronger men, braver men take their places. Better than you, stronger than you, braver than you.

...Heh. I can smell it on you, man-you're afraid. You've got a loaded gun on me, a young girl with nothing but a guitar, and you're the one afraid here.

How many people here will get a whiff of that fear? How many people here do you really trust not to shoot you in the back once that happens? You know the business. Once you slow down, once you show weakness, you move to the back of the pack-or they cut your throat and do it for you.

So why don't you stop and think a minute, Big-T, before you lose it all. You do have a minute, right?"

[mainiac]

((Damn that's a good speech.  Wish the dice roller hadn't given me a 5...  Even with a +12 to negotiations that's still only a 17.  Care to use an action point?

Replay might be a little slow in coming on this.  Gotta go move some furniture for a while but I'll ponder this while I do.))

[Dwarmin]

((Go action point!

And I won't thumb my nose at RP bonuses, either...))

AP Bonus
1d6 → [5] = (5)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3759018/

[Caellath]

Ethan gestured to the rest of the group:
The machine gun has a drum magazine, the seem to be packing real heat.

When Kat was taken as a hostage, the young man's muscles tensed and he prepared to act if she said the phrase. The tense feeling was replaced by a smile as he watched the girl use her wits once more. Girl was like a ferret, for the lack of a better comparison.

Both Kat and Paprika made him wish he had a bit more brain to add his brawl, and even if he wasn't stupid, he he was more on the intimidation side of the spectrum.

((Well, Troy and Ethan have 16 Str, resilient backpacks and some inventory space to spare, I guess we'll be the pack mules for any heavier loot that comes out of this.))

[mainiac]

((I guess I let him get me into killing position then, no action point spent
And generally gun to head, we're leaving or I shoot is the end of negotiations.))

Kat showed little surprise to the developments. She spoke loudly, so everyone could hear. She kept still.

"...do you think they care about enough not to shoot through me to get to you? They left me on the road alone to barter my group past you guys-think about it. You're honestly hoping for what-better human nature to prevail? Look around you, look at yourself. This is the Wastes. There's no better natures here. Only the living and the dead. You know that better than anyone.

All I do know is they'd rather shoot, than let you take me off to some sort of pleasure palace to get your stones off by raping me to death. They owe me a quicker end than that, at least.

If we don't find a solution right here, right now, they'll assume it's going to come to killing sooner or later-and they'll take the first strike-leave no witnesses, dismember the bodies to prevent identification, bury them in unmarked graves, that's our method of operation. But hey-Maybe some of you will get away, sure-stranger thing have happened. But we'll take our share of blood and pain in any case.

And then you'll be very dead Big-T, even if you don't go down in the fight-cause this group will need a new leader after that. Leaders who get their men killed because they were stupid and afraid tend to suffer sudden and severe drops in popularity...and better men, stronger men, braver men take their places. Better than you, stronger than you, braver than you.

...Heh. I can smell it on you, man-you're afraid. You've got a loaded gun on me, a young girl with nothing but a guitar, and you're the one afraid here.

How many people here will get a whiff of that fear? How many people here do you really trust not to shoot you in the back once that happens? You know the business. Once you slow down, once you show weakness, you move to the back of the pack-or they cut your throat and do it for you.

So why don't you stop and think a minute, Big-T, before you lose it all. You do have a minute, right?"

Kat can feel Big Tee's unease with every fiber of her being.  Here he had been thinking everything was nice and dandy and now he doesn't know what the hell is going on.  For a moment it seems like he might just shoot and let the chips land where they fall, his grip tightens on Kat ever so slightly... but then he stops.  Did it have something to do with the accusing glance that his sister just shot at him?  Wait... how the hell did Kat know that Big and Lil Tee were siblings?  Never mind that though, this little stroke of fate might just have saved her pretty little head.  Kat talked onward, letting Big Tee know the hell that would rain down on his whole crew, sweet little sister included.  His grip loosened and she could feel a drop of sweat fall onto the back of her neck.  This guy was scared shitless now.

Following Kat's words there was a long, long pause.

...

...

...

Then the minute sound of a safety being turned on.

Big Tee shoved Kat away roughly and without warning.  She tripped over the guitar as she went, ending up with a taste of that lovely American dirt.  Big Tee speaks but not to Kat. 
"Lil Tee, you head on back to Three Corners now."
"Like hell I will!"
"Like hell you wont!  You go tell Deadeye about these people we found.  Real tough crew.  That's a fucking order, Lil Tee."
The girl gives a scowl but trudges away all the same.  Big Tee holsters his gun (or rather, it vanishes into his baggy pants without a trace) and points at Kat.  At least this time it's an accusing finger, not a gun.
"Look... lady.  I'm really touched you want to keep us alive and all but what you are peddling is grade-A bullshit and we ain't buying.  This crew's got orders, we ain't supposed to be letting people in.  So I ain't exactly gonna go rolling out the welcome mat for you here.  I let you in without a fight and they'll just shoot me in the head next time they see my face.  So how about you and yours turn your asses back around and get outta here.  Cuz I aint letting you in without a fight, you got it?"
Well he was still aggressive but shooting people didn't seem to be on the agenda anymore.  The two toughs seemed to have decided that too.  They had lowered their weapons.  In fact muscles even handed his machine gun over to the rocket gal (who staggered a little under it's weight) and was starting to loosen the straps on his armor...

[Dwarmin]

Kat made a motion of standing up and slowly brushing herself off, then re-casing her guitar after gently checking it for damage.

She faced him, crossing her arms.

"...That's fine with me. Me and mine will circle around and come into the city another way, outside of your territory. It's clear you lot mean business-so we'll leave you to yours, and you leave us to ours. Deal?"

[mainiac]

Big Tee looks surprisingly less then satisfied with that reply.  "Well if you want to head all the way round the city and come in at Sicilian territory, that's not our problem.  But if you are saying that you are trying to get into 77 turn then you ain't gettin' in without a fight.  I don't back down from a fight, got it?  So are you looking for a fight or are you backing down?"  Muscle guy keeps removing his armor in the meantime.

[Dwarmin]

Kat wanted to mention that he had, just literally, backed down from a fight not a 60 seconds ago-but diplomacy required grace, and Big-T needed to posture a bit to regain his confidence in front of his gang. She allowed it.

"I already said we're not looking for a fight. We'll steer clear of 77 turf. Maybe you'll get lucky and we'll kill a bunch of these Sicilians for you on our way in, hmm?"