Mother Knows Best

Mother Knows Best
Date 2082-08-18 GM Aurora Location U Washington
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Trans-Polar Aleut Nation Security
Absolute Zero Vip3r Harebuck
IG 2 for Zero

Summary

Absolute Zero's mother is in town for a conference. Unfortunately, so is a T-PA security force that would love to talk to Zero about the circumstances of her recent emigration.

Background

While out purchasing snacks in an attempt to cheer Vip3r up, Zero sees a news article announcing a conference on climate change taking place at the University of Washington, headlined by Dr. Eva Ashevak. This would all be well and good, except for one problem: Dr. Ashevak is Zero's mother, and all of the messages she has sent to let Zero know she'll be in town have been getting filtered to her spam folder. Zero runs home in a panic.

The Meet

Zero rushes by Vip3r and Harebuck in the kitchen, only stopping to drop off the pile of snacks before barricading herself in her bedroom to call her mother. Dr. Ashevak is excited to hear from her, and invites her to bring her roommates to hear her talk so that they can all get dinner together after. She seems happy that Zero is making friends. Zero is less happy, because she and her friends are career criminals and, already feeling like a massive disappointment in comparison to her mother's achievements, Zero would prefer it if she never found out.

The Plan

After the call, Zero invites Vip3r and Harebuck to accompany her to her mother's presentation, on the condition that everyone do their best to act normal. Or as normal as would seem reasonable to someone who birthed and raised Zero. The day of the talk, the three of make themselves presentable and proceed to U Wash.

The Run

Zero tries to focus on her mother's presentation, but struggles with anxiety, which is only made worse by the presence of a Trans-Polar Aleut Nation security force accompanying Dr. Ashevak. One in particular seems to be paying entirely too much attention to Zero, and it quickly becomes clear that he is assensing her. Viper reminds Zero that leaving is going to look suspicious and probably result in security descending on them, preventing her from making a run for it in a panic. Harebuck decides to distract the security guard during the intermission to allow the others to slip out unnoticed, and seduces the man so hard he ends up realizing that he is both gay and a furry at the same time and invites Harebuck back to his hotel room. Zero and Viper manage to evade notice as they leave, and Harebuck hears over the guard's comm that they have lost track of Zero and are sending guards to tail Dr. Ashevak.

Desperate to prevent her mother from finding out the kind of trouble she's gotten herself into, Zero sends her the location of KungBao '76 and convinces her that it's worth the long drive to buy them some time. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Zero is forced to come clean to Vip3r about her past and why she had to leave the T-PA. Vip3r uses the information to run a search on the incident and makes the discovery that the man Zero accidentally killed was named Gong Fang, a member of the Red Dragon triad likely in the area due to smuggling operations involving the shipyard where Zero was once employed. Now thrown into a panic over the potentiality of having accidentally pissed off a triad, Zero proposes the aggro solution, which is made worse by Illuktuk's uncharacteristic agreement and the idea that she may be corrupting her mentor with her own bad influence. Viper reminds her that they need to be keeping a low profile now that MCT has their signatures, which doesn't help at all, but manages to redirect the situation and calm Zero down by letting her know that Viper is here for her and is going to help in any way she can.

Zero calls Sarah Snow, who is shockingly sober, in search of legal advice, and reminds her that she won't be able to do any more novacoke off of Zero's fur if she winds up in a mage prison in the T-PA. Sarah agrees to help and sends a location file for a meeting place where they'll be able to make a legal case for Zero's innocence by way of self-defense.

Rewards

Vip3r:
10 CDP - 4 RVP
Analytical Mind - 5 RVP

Harebuck:
5 karma - 5 RVP
4 ranks in the knowledge skill The Power Of Love as an Interest - 4 RVP
That security guard's commlink number

Zero: SINner (National) (Phoenix Kelvin, Trans-Polar Aleut Nation)
Astral Chameleon - 9 RVP + 1 GMP (needed to put in)
2 CDP
IG Discount

Game Quotes

Harebuck: So...you wanna see how far down the spots go? T-PA Security Guard, suddenly realizing he's gay and a furry: ...Yes. Yes I do.

Vip3r: Okay, so what's your last name? The legal one. Zero: It's Kelvin. Please don't laugh. Vip3r: ...Oh my God, Zero-K, I get it now.