Quick Fix Game 70: Infernal Affairs

[The Unknown Medallion he/him]

I will spectate please.

[Stick. she/her]

oh it does look similar to qf64

fun 

[Kasimir he/him]

8 hours ago, Stick. said:

oh it does look similar to qf64

fun 

Exactly

We can all Spiderman point to each other as being Evil and then find out that TKN is Evil again and we are actually all just confused Villagers 

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

I like this setup, probably.

I shall enlist as Marshal Drake

[Kasimir he/him]

54 minutes ago, DrakeMarshall said:

I like this setup, probably.

I shall enlist as Marshal Drake

Don't PM me  

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

2 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Don't PM me  

there literally are no PMs

[Kasimir he/him]

13 minutes ago, DrakeMarshall said:

there literally are no PMs

I don't trust u around PMs sir u r literally a menace  

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

Just now, Kasimir said:

I don't trust u around PMs sir u r literally a menace  

I would accept this judgement from literally anyone but you

[The Unknown Medallion he/him]

4 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Exactly

We can all Spiderman point to each other as being Evil and then find out that TKN is Evil again and we are actually all just confused Villagers 

Don't you just love those types of games. 

Actually, I recently did something similar in IRL mafia. Probably put a brief description of that in SEAcropolis.

[Kasimir he/him]

1 hour ago, DrakeMarshall said:

I would accept this judgement from literally anyone but you

You know what you did  

1 hour ago, The Bald Brandon said:

Don't you just love those types of games. 

Actually, I recently did something similar in IRL mafia. Probably put a brief description of that in SEAcropolis.

I think that's easily my favourite and Stick's favourite of all the SE games we've played  

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

13 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

You know what you did  

I have no idea what you mean

[Kasimir he/him]

12 minutes ago, DrakeMarshall said:

I have no idea what you mean

Wow that sure is the face of a guilty murderpuppy

[Ookla de los Cuervos he/him]

*sits in murders but only if neccessary*

[Amanuensis he/him]

Thread PMs it is then

[Ookla de los Cuervos he/him]

ill try not to be nosy.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

4 hours ago, Amanuensis said:

Thread PMs it is then

aye that's my plan too

[Kasimir he/him]

5 hours ago, DrakeMarshall said:

aye that's my plan too

 

Menace. Actual menace.

10 hours ago, Amanuensis said:

Thread PMs it is then

#ThreadPMBro

Expecting to be more sporadic than usual this game. NAs celebrate Turkey Day, East Asians celebrate Dragon Year (with China and Taiwan doing the full week/ten days short of the actual twenty-three), and it's going to cut into this game, but why let RL stop me from establishing a more healthy relationship with SE

[Kasimir he/him]

"Kowalski," the boss rasps. "Analysis."

Right on cue. I've been expectin' this. Everyone's been jumpy since Operation Lightsout became...well, the utter clusterfeck that "was a thing", puttin' it politely. Worse words for it, if you were minded to. I've known some of those plannin' that op as'd use harsher words for it. 

See, the problem in the Eighth Octant is the Octet. Truth to be told, I think the problem in Elendel is the Octet. We've ignored 'em for too long, so lads got too big for their britches. One way or another, any vice, any criminal activity in Elendel can be traced back to a tentacle of the Octet, and I ain't puttin' that lightly. Gold smugglin', drug dealin', kidnappings, murder-for-hire: scratch the surface of anything criminal goin' on in Elendel and you'll find someone affiliated with the Octet involved in it.

Money laundered through those spankin' new casinos in Bilming washes the funds clean, snuggles them into the pockets of some crooked coppers and Senators, and that's how couple of decades later, we gotta problem. Which is a nice way of puttin' it agan, of course. By this point, the problem's metastatised, if what we're lookin' at is right. 

See, Lightsout was s'posed to be the highlight of the Constable-General's career. Put an end to some of the more lucrative money laundering businesses goin' on in the Eighth. Criminals are all the same, Octet or otherwise. "Follow the money," the boss'd always say, back when we was coppers together. (Well, that's not really true. What he'd always say was, "Kowalski, analysis." Ain't saying that bothers me, though. Nice to know some things don't change, even now he's gone respectable and sitting behind a desk rather'n on the streets.

But thing is, followin' the money's half the story. What we wanted to be doin' was to be kneecappin' the Octet, and that meant cutting off the cashflow.

So that was Lightsout.

'Course, it all went to hell in a handbasket, didn't it?

So I tell it to him like it is.

"Eighth's crooked, Boss," I say.

I don't know if that harsh noise is a laugh or a cough. He quickly clarifies it by glaring at me, eyes narrowed to slits. "Surely you can do better than that. Of course Eighth's crooked. Are you crooked, Kowalski?"

I make a show of looking at my patchy coat. Kept me warm on many a beat, though. "Be better paid if I were, Boss."

"Then why are you giving me this sort of banal crap?" Boss demands, testily. "I asked for analysis, not the obvious!"

I sigh. "Face it, Boss," I say. "The rot goes all the way to the top. This was the Constable-General's peak, his throw of the dice, his major ops. He played it close to hand, carefully picked every single copper as was in on it. Textbook ops planning. But it got royally bollicked, didn't it?"

The Boss nods, toying with the letter opener on his desk. Seen him stab a ganger with it, once. It's dull nowadays. I ask myself if he's lost his edge, this long on the desks. I don't say it aloud, though. Wouldn't be respectful.

'Sides, I'm pretty sure Weizel's as sharp as he's always been. Hard to put one past him.

"What I'm sayin'," I say, warmin' to my topic, "Is that I'm pretty sure the Constable-General's probably solid but at least one of the guys he thinks is clean ain't. The Octet's got someone on the inside, someone clean, someone high up."

The Boss sighs, relenting. He sets down the letter opener, point-first. He smiles.

I've seen wolves with a nicer smile than that.

"Why, Kowalski," the boss says. "I was just coming to that conclusion myself."

I hesitate. 

The boss lights up, offers me one. I decline. Ain't much for the stench of smoke myself. Man's gotta have other vices.

"This one's top secret," the boss says, dryly. "So naturally I'm telling it to you."

"I appreciate the trust, Boss."

"...So if I hear word gets out, I'll shoot you myself."

There's the boss I know so well.

"Sure thing, boss."

"We got a man inside the Octet," the boss says. He glares at me when I can barely hide my scoff. "What, you think it's funny?"

"Boss, sure we got a man inside the Octet. Sure we been tryin', since everyone knew the Octet meant business. We ain't good at keepin' them inside the Octet, though. Octet roots them out quickly."

"Well, believe it," the boss says. 

I find myself thinkin' about Bilming now. Among others. Never really expected Weizel and I would've become friends, truth be told. I wonder about why they never reassigned Weizel, when they reassigned Vex. Don't feel particularly wise, to me. But I've never been one of those higher-ups now, have I?

"So we got a guy on the inside. What's he say?"

"Constabulary's infested," the boss says, with relish. As though he's thinking about the size of the problem ahead, unflinching. "And the Octet, they got someone deep. Someone so deep, they paid for that inside guy to go through University and all that."

I chew on that. They'd need their insider to be clean, of course. Squeaky clean, with the occasional vice that makes you snort and dismiss 'em. Boring. The sorta guy the Constable-General'd tap for Lightsout, without realising.

"All of Lightsout is compromised, then," I say.

"Looks like," the boss grunts. "'Course, that includes you, Kowalski."

"I'm flattered," I say. "So, how'd we find 'em?"

The boss gives me that squinty-eyed glare again. "You're the detective," he says, bitingly. "I'm just the captain. You figure something out. We need the Constabulary clean, or the Octet owns Elendel, Kowalski. No two ways about it."

I take my time about it. "Way I see it," I say, slowly, "There's only one gang callin' the shots in Elendel, and that's the blue gang."

That smile, again.

"I like your attitude, Kowalski. Now get to work."

[neil the beguiled]

meow.... in as a player....... meow

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

8 hours ago, Kasimir said:

 

Menace. Actual menace.

#ThreadPMBro

blatant partiality that's what this is

[Kasimir he/him]

1 hour ago, DrakeMarshall said:

blatant partiality that's what this is

I'm not GMing this I'm allowed to have bros who don't make 777+ message PMs phishing smhhhhh

[Ookla de los Cuervos he/him]

10 hours ago, Kasimir said:

"Kowalski," the boss rasps. "Analysis."

Right on cue. I've been expectin' this. Everyone's been jumpy since Operation Lightsout became...well, the utter clusterfeck that "was a thing", puttin' it politely. Worse words for it, if you were minded to. I've known some of those plannin' that op as'd use harsher words for it. 

See, the problem in the Eighth Octant is the Octet. Truth to be told, I think the problem in Elendel is the Octet. We've ignored 'em for too long, so lads got too big for their britches. One way or another, any vice, any criminal activity in Elendel can be traced back to a tentacle of the Octet, and I ain't puttin' that lightly. Gold smugglin', drug dealin', kidnappings, murder-for-hire: scratch the surface of anything criminal goin' on in Elendel and you'll find someone affiliated with the Octet involved in it.

Money laundered through those spankin' new casinos in Bilming washes the funds clean, snuggles them into the pockets of some crooked coppers and Senators, and that's how couple of decades later, we gotta problem. Which is a nice way of puttin' it agan, of course. By this point, the problem's metastatised, if what we're lookin' at is right. 

See, Lightsout was s'posed to be the highlight of the Constable-General's career. Put an end to some of the more lucrative money laundering businesses goin' on in the Eighth. Criminals are all the same, Octet or otherwise. "Follow the money," the boss'd always say, back when we was coppers together. (Well, that's not really true. What he'd always say was, "Kowalski, analysis." Ain't saying that bothers me, though. Nice to know some things don't change, even now he's gone respectable and sitting behind a desk rather'n on the streets.

But thing is, followin' the money's half the story. What we wanted to be doin' was to be kneecappin' the Octet, and that meant cutting off the cashflow.

So that was Lightsout.

'Course, it all went to hell in a handbasket, didn't it?

So I tell it to him like it is.

"Eighth's crooked, Boss," I say.

I don't know if that harsh noise is a laugh or a cough. He quickly clarifies it by glaring at me, eyes narrowed to slits. "Surely you can do better than that. Of course Eighth's crooked. Are you crooked, Kowalski?"

I make a show of looking at my patchy coat. Kept me warm on many a beat, though. "Be better paid if I were, Boss."

"Then why are you giving me this sort of banal crap?" Boss demands, testily. "I asked for analysis, not the obvious!"

I sigh. "Face it, Boss," I say. "The rot goes all the way to the top. This was the Constable-General's peak, his throw of the dice, his major ops. He played it close to hand, carefully picked every single copper as was in on it. Textbook ops planning. But it got royally bollicked, didn't it?"

The Boss nods, toying with the letter opener on his desk. Seen him stab a ganger with it, once. It's dull nowadays. I ask myself if he's lost his edge, this long on the desks. I don't say it aloud, though. Wouldn't be respectful.

'Sides, I'm pretty sure Weizel's as sharp as he's always been. Hard to put one past him.

"What I'm sayin'," I say, warmin' to my topic, "Is that I'm pretty sure the Constable-General's probably solid but at least one of the guys he thinks is clean ain't. The Octet's got someone on the inside, someone clean, someone high up."

The Boss sighs, relenting. He sets down the letter opener, point-first. He smiles.

I've seen wolves with a nicer smile than that.

"Why, Kowalski," the boss says. "I was just coming to that conclusion myself."

I hesitate. 

The boss lights up, offers me one. I decline. Ain't much for the stench of smoke myself. Man's gotta have other vices.

"This one's top secret," the boss says, dryly. "So naturally I'm telling it to you."

"I appreciate the trust, Boss."

"...So if I hear word gets out, I'll shoot you myself."

There's the boss I know so well.

"Sure thing, boss."

"We got a man inside the Octet," the boss says. He glares at me when I can barely hide my scoff. "What, you think it's funny?"

"Boss, sure we got a man inside the Octet. Sure we been tryin', since everyone knew the Octet meant business. We ain't good at keepin' them inside the Octet, though. Octet roots them out quickly."

"Well, believe it," the boss says. 

I find myself thinkin' about Bilming now. Among others. Never really expected Weizel and I would've become friends, truth be told. I wonder about why they never reassigned Weizel, when they reassigned Vex. Don't feel particularly wise, to me. But I've never been one of those higher-ups now, have I?

"So we got a guy on the inside. What's he say?"

"Constabulary's infested," the boss says, with relish. As though he's thinking about the size of the problem ahead, unflinching. "And the Octet, they got someone deep. Someone so deep, they paid for that inside guy to go through University and all that."

I chew on that. They'd need their insider to be clean, of course. Squeaky clean, with the occasional vice that makes you snort and dismiss 'em. Boring. The sorta guy the Constable-General'd tap for Lightsout, without realising.

"All of Lightsout is compromised, then," I say.

"Looks like," the boss grunts. "'Course, that includes you, Kowalski."

"I'm flattered," I say. "So, how'd we find 'em?"

The boss gives me that squinty-eyed glare again. "You're the detective," he says, bitingly. "I'm just the captain. You figure something out. We need the Constabulary clean, or the Octet owns Elendel, Kowalski. No two ways about it."

I take my time about it. "Way I see it," I say, slowly, "There's only one gang callin' the shots in Elendel, and that's the blue gang."

That smile, again.

"I like your attitude, Kowalski. Now get to work."

Riven stands outside. "The boss is crazy, aint he?" he stops and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Ill go next. and Ill come back. alive. I swear it on my life"

[Kasimir he/him]

On 2/7/2024 at 10:02 PM, TheRavenHasLanded said:

Riven stands outside. "The boss is crazy, aint he?" he stops and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Ill go next. and Ill come back. alive. I swear it on my life"

Riven, was it?

Hadn't known much of him, but I figured if Riven was lollygaggin' outside, then the Boss probably wanted to see him too. Last I reckoned, Riven was in on Lightsout, so maybe the Boss wanted to take his measure. Dunno. I wasn't bein' paid to speculate on the Boss's state of mind, and it wasn't worth my guts to spill what the Boss'd said—Weizel'd made that pretty damned clear, and he was in one helluva temper on account of the fizzlin' of Lightsout, as like courtesy of the Constable-General himself, so I wasn't about to tempt fate.

I shrugged at Riven and went on my not-so-merry-and-very-much-broody way. One way or another, he'd figure it out, if Boss wanted him in on the know. Wasn't my problem, that.

[|TJ| he/him]

A little under 24 hours till the sign-ups close!

[JNV]

Ill play um Ill figure out the character later