[D6 MM] Seeing a man about a ronin

[Soshi Kazumi]

(expecting)

Kazumi leaned against a wall in the slums waiting for his partner for this assignment to show. tracking down a wayward ronin wasn't his idea of a good morning but they had a job and he actually needed to do stuff besides rub shoulders with celebrities and meet people.

Kazumi had a few good ideas on where to start asking about this guy but he would wait for his back up that might be able to ask the spirits for additional leads before tracking him down.

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D6 MM Lore underworld/int looking for a ronin unknown tn | 5k4 ⇒ 36 (TN: ?)

[Boogiepop]

Kazumi or his partner needn't consult the spirits as it just takes asking a few people to be directed to what looked like an old factory just past the slum markets. Not exactly entirely abandoned as many parts of it are being converted for use by the locals, albeit not exactly in a glamourous way as one would expect in a loft or the like. Cheung's workshop would be a set of stairs leading down to what looked like would be the utility tunnels. They could have proceeded further if it wasn't for the magistrate's office tape and a yoriki standing about.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Snip

Kazumi got tired of waiting and messaged updates to the Yogo as he tracked down the shop that they had told the man might be at. Seeing the tape and the Yoriki Kazumi frowned behind their mask law enforcement tape was never a good sign.

Kazumi approached the yoriki and bowed "Good morning Yoriki-sama, mind if I ask what's going on here? I was coming looking for the owner of this shop." The curiosity and concern in their voice was only amplified not really feigned.

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

It was easy to catch the yoriki's name on her uniform without much of an introduction, reading 'Nanbu Ji-He'. She popped a piece of gum into her mouth and chewed it just as soon as she was approached by Kazumi. Almost by instinct, she was going to tell the Scorpion to buzz off when she realized it wasn't one of the many heimen who approached her earlier.

"Mornin'," she greeted back with a lax accent. "Which owner? There's a buncha shops around 'ere. There's been a shootin', pretty open and shut. Ronin attacked some Lion and paid for it. Eta draggin' the body as we speak. Hope that wasn't your guy."

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi shook their head "No, I doubt that. Man I'm looking for doesn't sound like the type to attack a Lion. I'm told the man's name is Cheung a ronin I believe, runs some kind of shop here."

Kazumi thought for a moment "any chance I could sneak past and see if I can find anything to help me locate him?"

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

The Nanbu chewed her gum a few times as she looked them over with narrowed eyes. "If you have to do any sneakin', you'll have to sneak through me, Soshi-san. Shosuro-sama is gonna have my head on a pike if I let just anyone walk into basic magistrate procedure. What's it to you about some ronin body?"

[Yogo Ono]

Ono was fashionably late. It dawned on him that when he asked Jun how long it would take to get to the slums, the stupid heimin used public transportation speed, not skateboard. He didn't find the Soshi where they had agreed.

Crap.

"Jun has Soshi-sama sent any communication?" He asked and was satisfied that the Soshi appeared to be a practical and resourceful samurai.

Following Jun's directions, he soon found the Soshi talking to some Shosuro Yoriki.

[D6 MM Stealth/Dexterity remain unnoticed by the other samurai present that he knows of, Contested roll | 4k3 ⇒ 34.]

He stayed back and from afar watched the exchange.

[Soshi Kazumi]

snip

Kazumi sighed a little "listen Nanbu-sama I'm just looking into something on request of the new magistrate Bayushi Tenma-sama. it seems like a delicate matter and honestly I'm not important enough to know why she doesn't want to go through official channels. You know how higher ups can be neh?" Kazumi said with that tone of resignation that only those low on the totem pole understand

"I promise, I'll be careful to not touch anything, I'll see if I can find any clues to where my guy went and then I'll be out of here. I'll even put in a good word for you with Tenma-sama can't hurt to have a full magistrate owe you one I wager."

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

Ji-He crossed her arms, chewing on her gum more as she sized them up as she talked. "Oh, yeah? If that's the case, I'm sure Bayushi-sama can talk to Shosuro-sama. Tossin' just a bunch of names gets pretty easy in the city. One magistrate's business doesn't make it the business of another. How do I know you're not a Bayushi-sama's bad side anyway?"

(Do you wish to contribute a Social skill roll?)

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi let their exasperation show a bit "Oh Come on Nanbu-sama, you know how these higher ups can work. I'm not sure why they don't do this through official channels but all I know is they asked me to look into this and that it was of some importance to our efforts during the court. People like me don't ask why, we're given a task and we do it."

Kazumi gave the yoriki a pleading look "I can't go back empty handed who knows what'll happen to me. I swear no one else will even know I was there I'll be in and out after a quick look around for something that'll give me a clue where to look next. Please help me out here."

(sure perhaps a courtier to convince her to let me in?"

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

"I'm sure your magistrate has a few dozen doshin and yoriki she could have spared. Heck, I'm only here because I drew short straws. So you're saying that she doesn't even have enough straw then." Ji-He snickered at that idea.

(Sure! Courtier(Manipulation)/Awareness should do the trick. The TN is 25.)

[Soshi Kazumi]

Lazumi Gabe her a look that implied a tired smile "hey look, I get it, you're just doing your job. Admirable when it's a job you don't even want to do. But you and I aren't so different I'm just here doing what someone else told me to do too."

Kazumi shrugged "Bayushi Tenma-sama is brand new here and I figure I help her out she looks favorably on me, I tell her you helped me it's a win-win here." Kazumi gave her their best earnest look that tried to establish a shared bond of the ordered around.

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D6 MM please let me in Courtier/awa tn 25 | 7k4 ⇒ 41 (TN: 25)

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

Ji-He frowned for a moment as she considered in her head and after a moment, she relented her stance with an annoyed groan at the Soshi. "All right. All right. You were never here and I never saw you. Don't you dare touch anything either!"

She gave a shake of her head, already chastising herself for probably making the bad decision here. After some heimen passed by and there were minimal witnesses, she lifted the tape and waved them in.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi nodded in a mini bow "I am in your debt Nanbu-sama" Kazumi said ducking under the tape. They looked back quickly "and I have to say you're probably the cutest Yoriki i've had the pleasure of working with" They added at a volume for her ears only giving a quick wink before darting quietly into the workshop.

[Boogiepop]

Nanbu Ji-He

That comment got an awkward blink from her, perhaps she wasn't used to being complimented on.

The old steps would lead down to a double set of metal doors, taking Kazumi down to what looked like a factory utility/access hall. It was long hall with concrete walls that would curve off to the side. The various rooms here were converted to either cheap offices, fringe shops, or just storage space. Rent was plenty cheap here and kept certain attention away as most people going down here already have a good idea of what they're looking for.

There was a particular room where a wheeled gurney was being set up and two eta around, made obvious by the rubber clothing that they were wearing. They had just finished putting the corpse into the body bag but quickly stopped what they were doing when they saw Kazumi approach, quickly bowing and making themselves scarce from the room as they ran out in unison. The interior of the room they were working was a computer hardware workshop of sorts, filled with various old pieces of hardware and some of them considered relics. It looked like the place was turned upside, either it was thoroughly searched or trashed.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi hardly noticed the leaving of the eta but was instead scanning the room for anything that might be useful a clue as to what happened or who tossed the shop. Possibly a personal terminal among the cluttered technology.

[Boogiepop]

The various hardware and computers here weren't so much trashed but they seemed to be flipped over to look for either something specific or whatever secret they might have under them. Whoever did this job didn't seem too concerned with using any of these computers and the place is a whole mess of them. It might take a bit for Kazumi to find a working terminal, which might be like finding a needle in a haystack among them to find any personal information.

(Please make Investigation(Search)/Perception vs TN15 and if successful, make a Computer(Hacking)/Intelligence vs TN25. Raises might be useful for the Computer roll.)

[Yogo Ono]

Apparently, the Soshi knew how to talk his way in. He was starting to like the kid. On the other hand the Shosuro... such a waste. He shrugged beneath his mask as he watched them get in. Then he approached but stayed well away from the tape.

[OOC: Is there a way to discern what type of kami are most active in the area? I intend to cast commune.]

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi picked through the mess taking a bit longer than it should as they would get distracted looking at interesting computer parts some of them older than they knew about. Luckily Kazumi was primarily interested (obssessed) with newer computer tech. Eventually though they did find a terminal that seemed to be in working order.

Cracking their knuckles Kazumi smiled and got down to what they knew best. The system had a decent encryption but nothing a few commands and a copied version of the OS couldn't handle and like that they were in!

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D6 MM needle in a haystack investigation/per vp +1k1 tn 15 | 4k3 ⇒ 20 (TN: 15) success!

D6 MM lets see whats inside use comp(hacking)/int shosuro slicer tech 1 raise to hide activity tn 30 | 10k4 ⇒ 56 (TN: 30)

[Boogiepop]

[OOC: Is there a way to discern what type of kami are most active in the area? I intend to cast commune.]

There is certainly plenty of concrete and metal in this area, which may be receptive to some questions posed to the earth kami. Of course, there is also the air kami everywhere but they do travel frequently. Most of the rain from the previous days had finally drained out of the district.

Kazumi picked through the mess taking a bit longer than it should as they would get distracted looking at interesting computer parts some of them older than they knew about. Luckily Kazumi was primarily interested (obssessed) with newer computer tech. Eventually though they did find a terminal that seemed to be in working order.

Cracking their knuckles Kazumi smiled and got down to what they knew best. The system had a decent encryption but nothing a few commands and a copied version of the OS couldn't handle and like that they were in!

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D6 MM needle in a haystack investigation/per vp +1k1 tn 15 | 4k3 ⇒ 20 (TN: 15) success!

D6 MM lets see whats inside use comp(hacking)/int shosuro slicer tech 1 raise to hide activity tn 30 | 10k4 ⇒ 56 (TN: 30)

After some searching, through the trashed workshop, Kazumi managed to find what looked like an old portable terminal. It looks like one of those Crab surplus terminals that is built to withstand a radiant shot (but don't bother testing that claim) and a horrid UI made of only green text and lines, at least it seemed personalized with a lot of chibi Starlight Miko Crusader stickers. Going through the terminal, it seems to be where Cheung kept his daily planner, sales ledgers, and contact information. There is a lot of useful information here but parsing might take some work.

(This will require a cumulative check of TN50 with either Investigation/Perception, Lore: Underworld/Intelligence and/or Commerce/Intelligence. One roll per time slot, starting from now.)