Roleplaying
2004 Archive
2005 Archive
Seminars
| When: | 11 November 2004 ("Tears of God" Plot Event) |
| Who: | Andy, Arthur (NPC), Elizabeth, Ellen, Megumi |
| What: | It's not over yet at the University, as the man who was responsible for releasing the information about Nicodemus' mob ties reveals himself. A student named Arthur Harding helps to keep the pressure up on the university by distributing information about the corruption! |
The University - Austin
The campus of the University of Texas at Austin stretches over several square miles. The most striking area of the campus is the clock tower, which looms over the rest of the campus and glows depending on when the school wins a victory in something it considers important. The West Mall is also another large part of the campus, housing the school's Union and having an open grassed area in front of it with enough trees to give it suitable shading.
The southwest corner of the campus is where the Harry Ransom Center is. A massive library and archive area that has several rare books and artifacts that make it of special interest to Yves. Finally, the last place of major interest is a Tokamak reactor buried deep beneath the Math and Sciences Building; the reactor a source of constant interest by both servitors of Jean and Vapula.
The natives are restless.
Or rather, someone is making them that way, as a student who is already becoming infamous on the campus is surrounded by students. The student known to those who care as Arthur (last name Harding), is passing passing out pamphlets and flyers as he works the crowd, calling out to any willing to listen. "The man is fooling you all! Sure, he looks clean on the surface, but look at the truth!" He shakes a pamphelet in the air to emphasize.
Roll by Arthur: (1) (2) (2)
Megumi steps through the crowd, holding a 'NO BLOOD MONEY, NO BLOODY NICO!' sign above her head, "'Scuse me! Pardon me! Need to get more pamphlets, please move." Megumi says haphazardly as she pushes her way through, "Arthur!" She says cheerfully as she spots him, "May I please have some more flyers?", she smiles, charmingly.
Andy doesn't feel cut out for this. He's wearing his jacket, along with a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap, watching Arthur complain about Nicodemus. Not that Andy doesn't share his concerns, but... he shakes his head, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets irritably. "I gotta get a grip..." he mumbles to himself.
Ellen comes along the way, holding a bag of books and stuff. She pauses to look, scanning the scene with quiet interest. As she does so, she happens to catch sight of Megumi, and weaves her way through the crowd toward her, meanwhile keeping her eyes and ears open to what is going on.
Done with lecture, Elizabeth wanders over to the edge of the crowd, listening to Arthur speak as she watches the crowd circulate. For now, she doesn't actually step forward enough to be in pamphleting range. She spots Megumi chatting with Arthur and doesn't interrupt the youngsters yet.
Arthur grins at Megumi. "Sure! Take these, and I'll get some more. If you need any more, take all you need from the boxes over there. I have plenty." He hands over the handful of flyers he's holding, and gestures to a pair of boxes, three-quarters full of what look like home-printed flyers and pamphelets (some are even folded slightly crooked) with a variety of information... And Nicodemus' face with a big 'NO' symbol crossing him out prominent. He heads over to refill his supplies, and on his way back, he notes the well-dressed Andy, heading right for him with a pleasant, open smile. "Hi there! Are you interested in helping keep the University free from criminal corruption and influences?" He holds out one of his pamphlets as well.
Roll by Arthur: (4) (1) (5)
Andy blinks as he's directly approached by Arthur, perhaps a little startled by Arthur's forwardness. He recovers fast, though, nodding. "I'm always in favor of keeping the city and the university clean, in all manners of the term." He takes the flyer, then offers Arthur his hand to shake. "And it's good to see young people getting involved in their community, Mister...?"
Megumi beams! "Thank you!" She chirps, "You must be really dedicated to go through all this. I admire such dedication!", she takes the pamphlets and begins to help with the distribution. She shouts, "The University just wants the money! The University doesn't want to listen! But You Can Make Them Listen!" She shouts. She, perhaps surprisingly, doesn't move to intercede with anybody in particular, choosing to talk to the crowd rather than anybody else. "There are court testemonies stating he was participating in money laundering, but he had the information Stricken from the records!" She shouts. "He is interfering with the Justice System for his greedy ends!"
Ellen moves toward the place where the pamphlets are being distibuted, hoping to learn just who the 'he' is that the speakers are shouting about. Since Arthur is handing them out, he and Andy are in her path.
Roll by Megumi: (1) (4) (2)
Roll by Megumi: (4) (5) (2)
Elizabeth spots Arthur approaching Mr. Chambers and purses her lips. She works her way around the crowd slightly, still watching and listening to Andy and Arthur's conversation but moving out of Andy's line of sight.
The flyer is well-made, but shows all the hallmarks of home publishing and some cash spent at Kinko's. It accounts in lurid detail information on recent activities in the businesses that Nicodemus owns parts of, how they are purchasing goods and equipment and selling them to each other, probably as part of a money laundering scheme, as well as transcripts of court testimony for two men recently found guilty of extortion, referencing Nicodemus as well. However, it also notes that the information was Mysteriously Stricken From The Records...
Arthur happily shakes Andy's hand back, nodding. "Just call me Arthur. I'm just a concerned student, and I want to make sure Nicodemus keeps his claws out of this campus. Did you know that the money for the bail on the trial mentioned in here can be traced back to Nicodemus?" Arthur grins and waves to Ellen as she approaches as well, holding out a pamphlet. "Hello! Are you interested in helping keep the campus clean from corruption?"
Roll by Andy: (2) (1) (6)
Andy seems to warm up a bit. "Arthur, hm? Well, I'm Andy. And like I said, it's good to see someone getting involved." He looks at the pamphlet, reading it a bit absently as he glances up to watch Arthur move along. Ah, youth.
The students, at the moment, are eating things up. A few of them shout in surprise and anger, talking animatedly with each other and arguing. It's not quite as dramatic as it might have been a while ago, though... Some still remember Nicodemus' rebuttals.
Ellen smiles at Arthur as she takes the pamphlet. "Certainly, if there is anything i can do along those lines," she responds to his question. She scans through the pamphlet rapidly. "So, who is this Nicodemus? Why is he important to the University?"
As Arthur moves on from Andy to Ellen, Elizabeth works herself a little further into the crowd, approaching Arthur's expected trajectory although not quite planting herself in it, yet. She still tries to stay out of Andy's direct line of sight, a task made easier by the pamphlet distracting some of his attention.
Megumi shouts, "We can't just protest, we have to take action if we won't be heard!", she raises her sign in the air and shakes it mightily! If they don't come to us, we come to them!", then just as quickly as she stepped into the spotlight, she slides out easily, slinking towards Ellen and Arthur. Her voice lowers as she gets nearer, and she says, "Hey, hey...Arthur? I just realized something...", she looks from Ellen, "Oh, hello Ellen! What a surprise! Would you mind holding onto my sign?", she lets Arthur answer first, however.
Roll by Arthur: (1) (1) (4)
"The University likes him because he donates a lot of his dirty money to the campus. He wants to do something with the place, and I don't like it at all." Arthur looks over to Megumi, nodding. "Oh? What's up, Megumi?" He glances over at the surrounding crowd as he waits for an answer, making sure to offer flyers and pamphlets to those he doesn't see carrying them.
"Ah. Sure, Megumi," Ellen smiles, and takes the sign, though she rests it against the ground for now rather than waving it in the air. To Arthur, she continues pleasantly but curiously questioning, "Do something? What would he want to do with the University? Also, I am wondering how you got ahold of this testimony, if it was stricken from the records."
Roll by Arthur: (1) (2) (6)
Elizabeth moves closer to Arthur and Ellen in the crowd, listening to their conversation with interest. Andy's eyes flick past Arthur, taking note of Megumi. His expression lightens a bit, though he frowns as the crowd is arguing considerably. Still, it hasn't gotten TOO out of hand, so... a little vigorous discourse never hurt anyone. He folds up the flyer neatly, putting it in his jacket pocket.
Megumi uses her time with free hands to shuffle the flyers to one arm and slink nice and close. She attempts to put an arm around Arthur's back in a 'let me speak to you quietly' motion. However, she speaks loud enough for Ellen to hear, "We've got a lot of people here, but as you said yourself, the University doesn't -want- to listen to us. I was just thinking about this, and I think that we need to get up close and personal. The Dean's probably having Lunch in the Cafeteria right now, it -is- lunchtime after all. We should take up the students we got here, go straight to the Dean, and tell him right up front, in front of -everybody-."
Roll by Megumi: (4) (4) (4)
Roll by Megumi: (5 (1) (4)
Roll by Ellen: (1) (5) (6)
Roll by Arthur: (4) (4) (3)
Ellen strokes her chin. "Hmm. Actually, I don't think that would be such a good idea, Megumi. The Dean is unlikely to react well if his lunch is interrupted. I'd suggest making an appointment instead, and bringing the issue before him formally. What makes you think the University does not want to listen?" she inquires, still quite calm.
Roll by Megumi: (5) (4) (1)
Arthur shakes his head. "You may be right, but I don't think we have enough support yet to do that right now. We'd need to get the majority of the student body behind us, enough that he'd lose more money by punishing them all than the money he's getting from Lyman." Arthur looks back to Ellen, and chuckles. "I'm pretty sure he's going to want to start funneling people from here into his businesses to help bolster his criminal efforts. And as for the testimony... I'm in a journalism class. I happened to be there for the trial on one of my assignments, and took a recording." He winks at Ellen as he admits his 'sneakiness'.
Roll by Megumi: (3) (5) (2)
Roll by Arthur: (1) (5) (3)
Megumi coughs at Ellen's words, and actually seems to wipe a tear from her eye. "I...I suppose, Ellen, not now. I must have been getting overexcited. I'm sorry.", internally, of course, she's swearing up a storm. That bloody hurt! And it didn't even work on Arthur either. Sniff. It's so hard to be a good person these days. "Because, I talked to Elizabeth, and she said she couldn't join the protest because it would jeopordize her job.", she takes in a breath, recovering for the moment. Her head is still ringing from her resonance attempt, but she still has one trick left. She smiles even more charmingly at Ellen, putting extra effort into looking pleasant, and turns her gaze towards Arthur, "I am in awe of your wisdom, I totally didn't think of that, Arthur. But... All the same, a lot of people are feeling a little disenfranchised from Nicodemus's interference earlier. I think we should step up our 'offense' and get louder, or people won't pay attention.", she looks to Ellen, "Oh right, my sign, may I have it back?", smile smile.
Roll by Arthur: (5) (5) (1)
Elizabeth moves in closer to Arthur and asks quietly, "Pardon me, sir, but may I see your ID? No offense, but I'd like to verify that you actually are the concerned student you claim to be, and not an outside rabble-rouser." She smiles to take the sting out of the implied distrust. It may or may not work, of course.
"Ah, so you think Nicodemus intends to turn UTA into a school of crime, as it were?" Ellen inquires of Arthur. "That is indeed serious. I do think this matter bears more investigation." To Megumi, she gives a sympathetic look. "If this is as complicated as it sounds, it's best not to act impulsively, I believe, Megumi. I think we should have harder facts before attempting to convince the administration. The Dean will surely realise that if this results in a major scandal, that would cause far more damage to the college's reputation than the money would be worth." She goes silent as Elizabeth arrives with her query of Arthur, turning to watch the two.
Arthur nods emphatically, the milling students in the area seemingly split between apathy and interest proving to be a valid point to Megumi's assertion to the student. He drives his fist into his palm as he replies, "You're right! We need to spread the word and information farther and faster. EXACTLY!" He points to Ellen at that, gesturing. "You get it! Do we have any bullhorns? We can put up flyers and posters... Any ideas on if we might be able to get rad-" He's interrupted in the middle of his brainstorming as Elizabeth interrupts. "Are you just trying to boot me off? Don't tell me you're working for the Dean, are you?" He sighs, handing his pamphlets and flyers still in hand over to Megumi so he can dig in his pockets for his wallet, which he opens up to reveal his student ID. "Happy now?"
Elizabeth happily makes a note of Arthur's full name and student ID number. "Yes, thank you," she says, and steps back towards the edges of the crowd again.
Ellen remembers the sign, and hands it back to Megumi.
Andy cocks his head, regarding the group... watching how the discussion flows back and forth. Picking up on little things. And then he catches sight of Elizabeth, and his expression flickers for a moment before hardening into a stony mask, eyes going flat.
Ellen's eyebrows lift slightly at at Arthur's sudden acceleration. Too much caffeine today? "Well, actually, Arthur, I think that the best bet is to collect the facts first. Right now, you have one piece of recorded evidence. But, I think it would be best to review the exact words and find out the reason why the statement was struck from the record. It's possible that it wasn't admissible in court for some reason," she says reasonably, "and if a judge did not accept it, I do not see why the Dean should without further confirmation." She gives him a friendly, calming smile. "This could be a good way for you to demonstrate your journalism skills, Arthur, if you go about it the right way."
Megumi feels a little less incompetent. She beams, "You don't mind, do you Ellen? I am sure I can go find bullhor-oh hello," she takes the extra pamphlets. She has quite a few now. "I can find bullhorns if you aren't up for it, Ellen, but if you don't want to, I'll go look. But if you help us out, Ellen, I can go put these up right now. Handing them to people is one thing, but they don't have to take a poster with them.", her smile widens, "Please help us, Ellen? I would appreciate it.", she frowns however, as Ellen gets to work, "Come on, Ellen, we're doing the best we can. We have some evidence, but the important part is getting people involved so they can do their own research and help out too.", she looks to Arthur, "They have to have bullhorns somewhere in storage or something."
Roll by Arthur: (4) (5) (2)
Roll by Arthur: (5) (2) (2)
"Megumi, I am not a student here," Ellen responds with an affable smile, but a slight shake of her head. "I don't feel it's quite my place to stand around with a bullhorn. Although, I do admire your enthusiasm," she adds. "I engaged in a number of such activities myself when I was your age." She smiles fondly at memories of her undergraduate days.
Roll by Arthur: (4) (3) (4)
Roll by Ellen: (4) (4) (6)
Arthur stashes his wallet, looking between Ellen and Megumi. "Well, we can get something together here, I'm sure. We can pull together another protest, maybe, and I can get the rest of my evidence together..." He shiftyeyes at that. "I don't keep it all on me. Too dangerous." He then grins to Ellen, an amiable expression on his face. "You enjoyed doing it before? How about you just help us with some flyers or a sign or two? I mean, we're all friends here, right? Just for a little while?"
Megumi says, "You have?" she sounds surprised, "Then you definately should help out. I know you're not a student here, technically neither am I! But wrong is wrong, right? You can help us out.", she hesitates before adding, "And putting up a poster doesn't even take much effort.", she nods her agreement to Arthur. "I'm sorry, I just get so riled up about this."
Roll by Arthur: (5) (2) (5)
Andy gives the trio a slightly pensive look, before looking at the folded up flyer in his pocket. Shrugging slightly, he turns, walking off swiftly and picking up speed as he slips off towards the outskirts of the campus, away from the protest-slash-get-together.
Ellen mms, glancing over the flyer again. "As I've told Megumi, Arthur, I am a newcomer here," she smiles. "I prefer to study an issue more thoroughly before committing myself to it. I don't feel competent to judge such a complex legal situation before I've heard more about it." She then gives another encouraging smile, "But as I've said, I do admire your dedication and devotion to the work."
Elizabeth works her way around the edges of the crowd, until she gets to the boxes of extra flyers and pamphlets, where she helps herself to one of each publication. She does not read them yet, however, keeping her attention focused on Arthur, Megumi, and Ellen.
Arthur sighs disappointedly. "Ah well. I can't blame you though. Knowledge is power, the truth will set you free and all that." He looks over to Megumi, and smiles before looking back. "But I'll be glad to get all my evidence together for a more comprehensive compilation in the future that I can share." He looks back to Megumi, and rubs his chin. "Well, if you keep handling the pamphlets and the flyers, I can go try to get my hands on a bullhorn or two, all right? I'm not sure how much longer these students are going to stick around though." Indeed, some of the student body has already decided to move on, stirred up or no.
Roll by Arthur: (6) (2) (2)
Megumi Says, "Too bad, well, thank you, Ellen, I'll see you later, but I should get back to work.", she beams before nodding to Arthur, "Of course, of course, good luck. I'll make sure there's a wide dispersal," she smiles widely, "And ask that they pass on the good news.", and with that she steps off and starts to do just that!
Ellen smiles fondly at the two youngsters. "Good luck, both of you," she says. "And I'd like to see your report when you have it ready, Arthur. Take care." She leaves them to do their good work for the community, and ambles off towards the fringes of the crowd.
Elizabeth fades into the background as the crowd dissipates.
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