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We don't have Charm. We are leaders, and being leaders is a form of charisma, but it doesn't work on mass media usually (compare and contrast Patton and Skorzeny on being incredibly good at PR). While B is the choice of the heart, A is more for our interests: money and status for the real goals. Hell, if Skorzeny managed to lie his way to the "Most Dangerous Man in Europe" despite being a useless failure, we can do better.
I think maybe some version of D where we talk a bunch of big words and legalese (is our high intelligence of the booksmart variety or are we just a naturally clever boy?), or just go for A
Intelligence is a wide umbrella. Generally booksmarts are represented by Academics or similar skills like Mako Physics, Aerospace Engineering, and Monsterology. Raw Intelligence without being modified by skills primarily represents a quickness of the mind, grasp of memory, and awareness of one's surroundings, which I guess contributes to one's cleverness, certainly. EDIT: In this case, for a D) roll, Intelligence would be the operative stat and Bluff the operative skill due to lacking the Law skill, with possible penalties and bonuses being Exhausted status, knowledge of the contract in question or lack thereof, lack of the Law skill to know the right legalese, and so on.
"Well, the thing is, when I went up those stairs, the only thing that really kept me going was my Shinra training. I was just on autopilot. I wasn't thinking about my own safety, I just knew that if someone didn't stop those terrorists, President Shinra was going to be killed. I know it wasn't my responsibility as a soldier, since I was on leave, but it was my responsibility as a citizen of Midgar to do something," you say, speaking words with almost no basis in reality, but it's easy to just read off of the teleprompter. You think about your men who you failed to save, but then banish the thought so you can focus on keeping a straight face.
The audience erupts into cheers and shouts, and massive, deafening applause, of course prompted by the glowing signs that hang well outside the view of the camera to indicate when and when not to clap.
"Wow! That's incredible! Responsibility of a citizen of Midgar, that's just splendid," Dave, the popular TV show host, says with a wide smile as he crosses his legs in his big, cushy chair behind his desk. "You know, AVALANCHE was out to just totally destroy our way of life. So when you gunned them down, you didn't just save President Shinra. You saved the world! Where would any of us be without Mako technology?" Dave asks, looking over at one of the cameras zoomed in on him for a close-up shot of his suddenly very serious expression. "Well, I certainly wouldn't be on air right now, that's for sure. And the people at home? They wouldn't have air conditioning, or heat in the winter, or cars, not a single lightbulb or machine in their homes would turn on. The audacity of those terrorists to try to decide for humanity what's best for us? Absolutely sickening, folks. Just awful."
You keep your mouth shut.
No matter how degrading this whole media process is, all that matters right now is cooperating with the Company. You don't have anywhere near enough clout to make waves without consequences. Not yet, anyways.
To think that not even four days ago, you were just a trooper looking at an uneventful but successful career as a glorified security guard.
How jarring to have come so far so fast.
"So, Major Westmore, what do you plan to do now? Aside from the interviews, of course. You must be chomping at the bit to enjoy that vacation by now, eh?" Dave asks.
You glance over at the teleprompter.
"Well, Dave, as always I plan on doing whatever the Company needs from me. Nothing more, nothing less," you say.
"And I don't think anyone would ever ask for anything else," Dave says, and the audience laughs and claps. He reaches out, offering a hand. You move like a robot, taking it, and shaking it without any vigor, just getting the hollow emote over with. "Thanks for coming on the show, Major! Enjoy the fruits of your labors."
All the lights on all the cameras shut off. That very moment, Dave stands up from his chair and begins screaming, picking up the coffee cup with 'I ♥ Shinra' printed on it and tossing it across the room, almost managing to brain the small crowd standing around the coffee machine offset. "Hey, you stupid cocks gave me cold fucking coffee! You useless fucking retards! It's like I'm in a kindergarten! How am I supposed to work in a fucking shitshow like this? You have one job! You're all fired! Nobody talk to me, I need to take a shit!"
He storms off the set without even glancing your way. You're left sitting in the guest chair, uncertain what to do or say. Everyone in the crew is busy packing up the cameras or editing the footage to have the episode ready for primetime that night, and the live studio audience is quickly escorted out by the security guards.
"Great work, just great work, my man," the agent in the suit, who eventually revealed his name to be Tom when he gave you his card, says, strolling up to you with two thumbs up. "Now let's get to the next studio. It's a ten minute car ride to Sector 2 from here so we're already twenty minutes late and they're getting cranky. I got donuts, you want donuts?"
You glance at the box of donuts that he opens up before you. Plenty of colors and flavors. You're so hungry you rip the box out of his hands and just devour them one by one.
===
Tom spends the car ride going over the slightly different questions you'll have to answer for the next show. While the wording is different and there are some new questions in the mix, the overall gist of what you're going to say is identical. It's pretty much pointless either way, since you're just going to be reading off of the teleprompter with the same artificial smile Tom taught you on the way to the first show. Just chuckle at the host's jokes and the people at home will think you're a swell guy, Tom says. Doesn't matter how dumb they are.
"Oh, and by the way, I got you front row tickets to the execution," Tom says. "Not on me of course, they're with my secretary. We can sit side by side as we watch that eco-terrorist fucko die. And just between you and me, the corporate grapevine is saying they're gonna go with a hanging instead of the electric chair. Fun, huh?"
Unwilling to say anything, you just give Tom the same fake smile he taught you to give, and you think you see in his expression the barest flash of actual, knowing amusement. Maybe he understands you better than you think. You wonder how he feels about all the crap he's saying. Maybe under his lawyerly face and hip, casual phrases, Tom is even more disgusted than you by this whole process. You're both pawns of the Company, in the end.
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Marcus. Actually, let me call you Mark. Mark, my man, sometimes you can get further in the world by faking it than by making it. Work a little on your people skills, yeah? Only soldiers respect the tough, quiet leader types. Outside of that, you need charisma to get anywhere in life," Tom says, and though he says it with the same annoying intonation as usual, he stares directly into your eyes the whole time. It seems to be genuine advice. You're just not sure whether you want to take it, or spit it back in his face out of contempt for him and everything he does. Do you really have to compromise on yourself to win the hearts of people?
===
"Welcome to the Evening Digest, sponsored by Shinra Electric Power Co.! I'm your host, John Alvarez, and with us tonight is the man of the hour—or should I say year? The Steelwall who stopped the AVALANCHE, Major Marcus Westmore!"
Applause and screams.
Steelwall? Is that the best Shinra PR could come up with for your new nickname? At least it's better than Maverick.
You just want to get this over with so you can eat more donuts and then get back to your hospital room in HQ. Mmm. Donuts. But then you remember you have two more interviews left that you have to deal with. This is worse and more exhausting than any full kit march in PT you ever had to put up with.
"We got our hands on a real head-scratcher, one of the weapons AVALANCHE was using in the attack, folks!" John announces, signaling with a hand for the crew to wheel it in.
You sit there and watch as they roll the tremendously oversized sword the ex-SOLDIER was using in on a cart. John immediately jumps out of his chair and strolls over to it, his mouth exaggeratedly wide, throwing out his arms in shock. "Whoa whoa whoa, how the heck does anyone even lift this thing? Are you kidding me?"
Applause and screams and laughter. The mob roars in incredulous entertainment. They never saw the crazy son of a bitch who was using it as an actual weapon, never saw good men bisected cleanly by it. Just looking at it makes those memories flash back through your mind. You, too, were very nearly slaughtered with that thing. You realize your fake smile is gone, and put it back on. Can't let your pleasant facade slip too much.
John tries to lift the sword, and makes a show of how hard it is. He's not that small of a man, and the sword itself isn't too heavy for anyone to lift by any means. It's just that trying to use it in a fight would be like trying to swing a refrigerator around. But people are idiots, and laugh raucously at the host struggling with all his strength to even budge the weapon a little bit.
"Hey, Major, come show the audience at home what a hero you are!" John says, pointing at the blade with a smile.
You glance at the teleprompter. It tells you to do it. So you do. You rise out of your seat and walk over to the cart and John. John gives up with feigned exhaustion, slaps you on the shoulder and says, under his breath, "Make it look impressive," before turning and walking back to his seat. You look down at the sword, rubbing your hands together. They're still a little bit sore from the ropeburn three days ago. But they should be able to handle some light manual labor.
A drummer off-camera starts rolling his sticks on his snare drum. You bend down, wrapping both hands around the long, long handle, and test its weight with a few light tugs. It's not light, but it's not too heavy for anyone in shape either. You squat, grit your teeth, and heave. Oh, it's heavier than you thought. You were never much of a powerlifter. You feel tendons in your neck bulge and you have to really put your back into it. The oversized sword slowly lifts off the cart.
Applause turns to cheers. Drumroll gets louder. Cheers turn to screams. It's a great roar, truly fine work by the studio audience. Drummer is doing an excellent job.
But then you hear the sharp, echoing cracks. You could recognize it even above the din by the crowd and crew, because it's the signature sound of a firearm. Rapid fire.
You whirl, the Buster Sword only half lifted in your arms, and see the men in balaclavas rushing into the studio, cheap assault rifles in their hands, firing into the ceiling. The audience is already turning to flee, but there's men at all the doors and they gun down a few of the herd to stop them all in place.
"Sit down!" the assailants shout at the audience. "I said sit down!"
"Get down! Hands on your heads!"
To emphasize their authority, they blow an old man's brains out because he's too slow to hobble away.
"Get those cameras!" one shouts, and the camera crew is ripped out of their seats. You glance up, and see the control booth overlooking the studio get its windows painted crimson as rapid-fire light bursts through each pane.
"Get us live, right now!"
John is grabbed and dragged with a pistol to his head back into range of the cameras. He had tried to bolt through an emergency exit, but those were always chained up.
You become keenly aware of the fact that one of the attackers is charging at you with his rifle zeroed in. "You get down, Shinra scum!" he screams at you. His finger is on the trigger. "Get down right now!" He comes within reach of your sword. Suddenly more gunshots, shouts from security guards now engaging the gunmen in a fight with their own submachine guns, throwing the whole studio into mayhem. The situation is too crazy for anyone to control it yet—it's chaos, and your training and instincts inform you that your only chance to escape lies in exploiting that havoc before the assailants secure the room. They're all, with the exception of the asshole coming towards you and yelling in your face, busy with the guards. But not for long.
What do you do?
A) [Swordsmanship] Charge at and kill the guy coming at you with the Buster Sword, take his gun, find cover
B) [Hand to Hand] Drop the Buster Sword and grab for the guy's gun, wrestle it out of his hands, shoot him, find cover
C) Imitate what the ex-SOLDIER did, shield yourself with the flat of the sword and wait for a chance to attack him
D) Drop the sword and surrender; better to be a hostage than dead
E) [Coward] Try to get to an exit by kicking the cart into the guy coming after you and then running; you could bust those chains easily with the sword
F) [Coldblooded] First A, B or C, then try to blend into the audience or show staff, using them as shields in case bullets fly at you
G) Any combination of the above, or any alternative.
Character Sheet
Name: Marcus "Maverick" Westford
Class: Ranger
Profession: Major of the Shinra Co. Peacekeeping Corps, Department of Public Safety, Military Police Division
Age: 23
Inner Nature: X
Dominant Inner Nature: None
Health: Fine
Status: Exhausted
Oooof. Being Exhausted is starting to look worse and worse.
Depending on the range, B or.... well, B. If he's close enough to us and we manage to grapple the rifle we are surely better trained and then we can die trying to go full Die Hard on the terrorists.
Oooof. Being Exhausted is starting to look worse and worse.
Depending on the range, B or.... well, B. If he's close enough to us and we manage to grapple the rifle we are surely better trained and then we can die trying to go full Die Hard on the terrorists.
The terrorist is staying a few feet outside the reach of the buster sword. It would not be difficult to reach him whether with the sword or bare hands. Your Agility and his Agility will be compared, and the one with the higher Agility will get to 'act first.' That's no guarantee of success in whatever you try to do, of course.
We could of course go on a combination of D and B, of course, dropping the sword and feigning surrender before engaging. If the fuck is just 2-3 meters away (curse you, Imperial System!) he already did a basic mistake and he's showing poor training (never get close even to an apparently unarmed target).
Also, if we survive this: Request Carry Permission. I don't care if we get a goddamn Shinra ZiP 22, we need a gun.
We could of course go on a combination of D and B, of course, dropping the sword and feigning surrender before engaging. If the fuck is just 2-3 meters away (curse you, Imperial System!) he already did a basic mistake and he's showing poor training (never get close even to an apparently unarmed target).
Also, if we survive this: Request Carry Permission. I don't care if we get a goddamn Shinra ZiP 22, we need a gun.
"Later tonight" has an eerie tendency to become "later the night after tonight" if I'm not careful.
The Hero Returns, Part XI
You make your decision in a split second, more off of instinct than any sort of coherent thought.
"Okay! Okay, I surrender," you say, throwing down the Buster Sword and holding up your hands. [Bluff]
As hoped, the terrorist marches right up to you, and you remember to keep your eyes on the ground instead of on him. Old animal trick, makes people think you're submissive. You keep him always in your peripheral, waiting for your chance—and then you strike. You lunge at him when he's within arm's reach, and you must have caught him right off guard because his trigger hand wasn't even around the grip, he had taken it off his rifle to take a ziptie from his vest.
It's almost too easy to swipe the rifle out of his grip since he's only got one hand on it, and he freezes up the second you make your move, caught like a deer in the headlights as you turn the cheap model rifle back on him. [Hand-to-Hand] He only manages to get his hands around the barrel before you pull the trigger three times, triple tap point blank to his chest. [Marksmanship] His grasp of the gun becomes immediately weak, and he makes little hollow sucking noises from the fresh red holes in his lungs, no longer able to breathe right. Only his grip on the stolen rifle keeps him standing upright, so you yank the weapon clean free from him and let him topple over by his own weight.
You whirl, no time to consider the dead or dying. You obey what years of drills and training hard-wired into you: finding cover first before anything else. You scan your surroundings, and as one would expect, there wasn't much that could be considered valid cover in a place like the studio. Shit.
"Stop! Don't move, asshole!" one of the terrorists shouts. It's the one standing up on the set with John in a chokehold and a pistol pressed to the TV host's temple. He seems to be a leader, or something like one, given the fact that he's got another man beside him with a rifle pointed at you. "Give up now or I'll blow his brains out!"
You're probably only still alive because you thought to aim your rifle at this guy ASAP, before his crony could aim at you. As the guards and terrorists continue their showdown in the hallways outside the set, your heart pounds. It's a stalemate. Neither you nor the other side is willing to pull the trigger and risk getting themselves ventilated like the guy bleeding out beside your expensive shoes. But if the other terrorists finish off the security guards and get back into the set, you're done. You're on a timer, and you need to act fast. But what will you do?
What do you do?
A) Throw down your rifle. They've got you dead to rights. Better not push your luck. You don't want this guy's blood on your hands either.
B) [Bluff] Try to threaten and intimidate them. You might be able to make one of them slip up or panic. At the very least it's important that you don't back down until you have no other options, so you need to buy time first and foremost and shouting at the enemy will at least keep them occupied with a discourse.
C) [Marksmanship: Hard][Heroic Impulse] Shoot the man holding Dave hostage so he can get away. Then shoot the other terrorist. You may not be able to hit the leader with Dave being used as a human shield, and worse, shooting the leader first means risking getting yourself shot full of holes by his flunkie. But you have no chance of saving Dave if you don't do something right now!
D) [Marksmanship: Easy][Cold Blooded] Flick your rifle to full auto and just blow them all away before anyone can react. Much safer than trying to line up a clean shot, but you'd be a murderer. Can you live with that?
E) Flick your rifle to full auto and just shoot and run, suppressing fire rather than intent on taking out enemies. You should be able to buy enough time to get to an exit — though you'd definitely run out of ammo doing so. You'll also need to bring something along to break the chains with, like the Buster Sword.
F) Any combination of the above, or any alternative.
Roll Results
Bluff roll to lure the terrorist closer:
Roll: 1d20 + Intelligence 7 + Bluff Lvl 1 - Exhausted status effect = 13 + 7 + 2 - 2
TN for success: 13
Final Result: 20
Great Success!
Hand-to-Hand roll to steal the gun:
Roll: 1d20 + Strength 4 + Hand to Hand Lvl 1 - Exhausted status effect + Enemy Flatfooted = 12 + 4 + 2 - 2 + 4
TN for success: 1d20 + Strength 3 - Hand to Hand Lvl 0 = 9 + 3 - 2 = 10
Final Result: 20
Great Success!
Marksmanship roll to kill terrorist:
Automatic success due to point blank range and enemy's low stats
Character Sheet
Name: Marcus "Steelwall" Westford
Class: Ranger
Profession: Major of the Shinra Co. Peacekeeping Corps, Department of Public Safety, Military Police Division
Age: 23
Inner Nature: X
Dominant Inner Nature: None
Health: Fine
Status: Exhausted
I really don’t want to toss the gun and our bargaining position away after having wasted one of their guys. Mexican standoff seems to be the way to go; they can bluster & threaten to kill that civilian guy all they want if our weapon doesn’t go down, but are they really willing to trade the leader for him?
D) [Marksmanship: Easy][Cold Blooded] Flick your rifle to full auto and just blow them all away before anyone can react. Much safer than trying to line up a clean shot, but you'd be a murderer. Can you live with that?
Hard means the target number is 16 or higher. Easy means the target number is 10 or below. Marksmanship Lvl. 2 grants a +4 bonus to the roll. Every level is a +2 bonus.
Do note that a failure does not guarantee complete failure and a success does not guarantee complete success. It's degrees of success and failure.
Yeah, put me down for C, then. Marcus had a spiritual renaissance last night, so it is fitting for him to try and play the hero right now.
Agility 7 + MM 2 - exhaustion puts us at 9 points before even rolling. I am comfortable with these odds.
The only reason stopping me from D is not so much the spiritual renaissance, but the fact that a hero murdering hosts in cold blood on live TV is probably going to hit Shinra's reputation pretty hard... and they might get back at us and make us take the fall for it.
...how is E on the table when we dropped our Buster Sword? Are we going to try picking it up?
If it is viable, I'll probably going to vote for it.
B) [Bluff] Try to threaten and intimidate them. You might be able to make one of them slip up or panic. At the very least it's important that you don't back down until you have no other options, so you need to buy time first and foremost and shouting at the enemy will at least keep them occupied with a discourse.
The only reason stopping me from D is not so much the spiritual renaissance, but the fact that a hero murdering hosts in cold blood on live TV is probably going to hit Shinra's reputation pretty hard... and they might get back at us and make us take the fall for it.
...how is E on the table when we dropped our Buster Sword? Are we going to try picking it up?
If it is viable, I'll probably going to vote for it.
B) [Bluff] Try to threaten and intimidate them. You might be able to make one of them slip up or panic. At the very least it's important that you don't back down until you have no other options, so you need to buy time first and foremost and shouting at the enemy will at least keep them occupied with a discourse.
It’s not live, right? They said they were going to edit it beforehand, so I’m pretty sure this is prerecorded unless they have some sort of wizard in charge.
"Get those cameras!" one shouts, and the camera crew is ripped out of their seats. You glance up, and see the control booth overlooking the studio get its windows painted crimson as rapid-fire light bursts through each pane.
"Get us live, right now!"
John is grabbed and dragged with a pistol to his head back into range of the cameras. He had tried to bolt through an emergency exit, but those were always chained up.
D) [Marksmanship: Easy][Cold Blooded] Flick your rifle to full auto and just blow them all away before anyone can react. Much safer than trying to line up a clean shot, but you'd be a murderer. Can you live with that?
If the Hero shot is doable, go for it. Otherwise, if it even borderline difficult for our situation now.... the spin doctors will work on the end result and a dead journo (particularly a dead talk show personality) isn't a huge loss. For us at least.
Bluffing.... isn't our style, I guess. C , failing that, D.
