Hold It In (RWBY/Transistor)

[Chlof]

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be worth a lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

We literally have the Just trait, there's no way we wouldn't pick this option. Juane is a gud boi.

 

[ADeshantis]

Alrighty, folks, it's write-in time. I'd say this is taking the third option, but... Well, it's more like the fourth, maybe fifth if we count Plan Bounty Hunter but that plan was based on incomplete reading of the post so I'm not.

Here's what we do.

One: We deal with Weiss. Ash over there isn't going to be any help, and we aren't going to be able to get our money without crossing a moral line and, even more importantly, torching a bridge with another future Beacon student.

Two: We are very careful not to insult Ashford or the SDC, since as much as I love Pink Mohawk Shadowrun we just aren't that good.

Three: The money is gone. Forget about it. We have the 8000 from the installation and we can slowly accrue funding for anything else we need. What we're angling for now is far more valuable. We're fishing for connections.


Our new goal is to maintain at least Neutral renown with both Weiss and the SDC. We're going to score points wherever we can.

Assessment 1: Ashworth wants to maintain plausible deniability, as well as maintain surveillance on Weiss. He thinks he's better than us, that he's the smartest guy in the room, as evidenced by his trying a Chinese Fire Drill to get us out.

Assessment 2: Weiss wants Independence and privacy. She's a teenage girl with all the emotional flexibility that implies. Given how she's combat trained she probably doesn't want a knight in shining armor, so we won't score points for acting like she needs defending. Instead, focus on the fact that she needs her privacy and it's not Ashworth's business how she uses her Scroll.

[X] If we can Turn() without provoking anyone, since we already have the Transistor nearby and have used Aura and Restore(), do so. We need time to think if we're going to pull this off. Having the time to actually think through our argument instead of flying by the seat of our pants is useful.
-[x] "I've been hired to fix her computer and Scroll. Miss Schnee views this spyware as undesirable, and, since she is the owner, she has the right to request it be removed."
-[x] "That said, I do appreciate your desire to keep her safe, but a grown man hijacking the webcamera of a young woman?" Leave off exactly here because going any further belabors a point.
-[x] "I'm sure Miss Schnee is perfectly capable of bringing outside threats to your attention, as her bodyguard." Again, leave it alone. Bodyguard is obviously not true but it's what Weiss said so it's probably what they want people to think.
-[x] Write down your contact information for Weiss. "If you need me again, feel free to call."
-[x] Exit the room as politely as possible.
-[x] Pet Cell. It's adorable and needs pets.
-[x] Locate Umbrella.

 

[Nerowolf]

[X] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[X] You've done, and will do, what they actually agreed to pay you for. Oh, you still aren't expecting them to follow through... but they're the ones who'll have broken the agreement, not you.
-[X] "I'm sorry Mr. Ashford but my integrity is not for sale."

 

[What A Day]

You Only Live Once!


[X] Now... hear me out here. He hired you to fix her Scroll, her laptop, and to keep silent about what was on them. Spyware was never mentioned, doesn't factor into the original agreement. You've done steps one and two, but let's be honest, he's paying you 200 grand for step 3.



I can't resist red text...

 

[Darik29]

Why does nobody want to give Weiss our number so she can call us later just in case?

Seriously!

 

[Captain Clever]

Two: We are very careful not to insult Ashford or the SDC, since as much as I love Pink Mohawk Shadowrun we just aren't that good.

Click to shrink...

Split the difference and go Mirrorshades? B)

[X] If we can Turn() without provoking anyone, since we already have the Transistor nearby and have used Aura and Restore(), do so. We need time to think if we're going to pull this off. Having the time to actually think through our argument instead of flying by the seat of our pants is useful.

Click to shrink...

IIRC the reason this doesn't work is that Jaune still has problems talking under stress. So like, we could come up with a perfectly arranged argument to let Weiss off and gib lien plz and Jaune'd still choke after Turn() ends if he fails the Willpower+Charisma composure test.

I think that walking right now leaves Jaune still neutral with the SDC. Papa Schnee will not be happy, but when he gets the AAR he's going to hear "Weiss came back early" and likely will write off the operation. What might happen is that this gets the SDC's attention as they try to find out how Jaune knew about the spyware. Contractor who can overhaul a mainframe? Interesting. Contractor who can notice spyware on an uninstalled OS? "Interesting".

-[x] Pet Cell. It's adorable and needs pets.

Click to shrink...

Yes it is. Pets it.

Before I make my vote, I have some questions. What can we - Jaune - actually do with the 200 Grand? What kind of resources can we get with it to upgrade everything we have? And would it bite us back in the ass if we even pursue getting that sweet money?

Click to shrink...

Oh, meant to answer this. Right now lien is used for Jaune's various friendship meetings, but there's also the "town" option which rolls the random encounter table. What does that do? Well, do you want to meet Ruby? Or Yang? Or cross paths with Torchwick? How about the Beacon professors, any of Jaune's OC classmates, pre-Cinder Amber, Cinder herself, etc etc. And it's not just people. Maybe he'll get into a fight with the White Fang, or find an upgrade part for the Transistor, or a programming book that gives 100 points to any Function we want... and that's just now. Later on there'll be training options, equipment, consumables, high-end coffee, upgrades...

What does 200,000 lien do? It lets Jaune ignore jobs and focus on training, socializing, and programming. For the rest of the quest.

Why does nobody want to give Weiss our number so she can call us later just in case?

Seriously!

Click to shrink...

Because doing that in front of her "bodyguard" is a great way to get on the SDC's shitlist. Capture her scroll number and text her later.

 

[BBBence1111]

200k is way too little to sell our morality for. Change that k to m and I'll think about it.

 

[Redshirt Army]

200k is way too little to sell our morality for. Change that k to m and I'll think about it.

Click to shrink...

Honestly... This is probably more right than you'd think. Hacking skill on the level Jaune has, combined with constantly having a supercomputer on tap to crack most security like an egg, combined with Transistor bullshit making it far easier to ignore air gaps and separated networks with just a bit of legwork... If Jaune was willing to be the Bad Guy, then 200k lien would be peanuts. It's the price of a new car - how many cars could Jaune steal if he really set his mind to it?

He's always been able to become rich if he compromised on morals, and he's never chosen to do so. Why start now?

 

[nmWarden]

Lolwat?

This wasn't a targeted hack. The virus that bricked Schnee's laptop was installed by her. There's a slight risk that whatever data was on it was vulnerable, but Weiss's personal laptop isn't exactly filled with the SDC's most secret projects either.

The people who wrote the virus have literally nothing to do with the current situation.

Click to shrink...

weiss downloaded the virus to try and brick her computer. I don't know where your getting the idea that this is white fang related the spyware is pretty obviously papa schnee spying on his daughter.

Click to shrink...

The White Fang was just one possible group that would benefit from online sabotage. I agree that they weren't brought up as a possible origin for the malware. I know Weiss did this intentionally. I made that plan because the canon show has critical moments centered on Atlas tech failing. She certainly didn't make the virus or set it free to ruin other peoples's lives thought!

Remnant has enough problems. Cleaning up the Internet in this small way is:
1) an out of the box solution to our current predicament, 2) a better way to make money than game coding, 3) a way to potentially make contact with people that are more experienced programmers than Jaune (which he would benefit from if he is going to restrict The Process), 4) teach his AI an alternative to violence that helps society, and 5) take down a potentially sociopathic cybercriminal.

That one could be a stretch. Assuming the illegal content is something as terrible as snuff films, then Jaune is the most capable person to make their internet safe. Jaune can always use another opportunity to be a hero. Those problematic programs could ruin innocent individuals' lives by storing that illegal content and damage far larger sections of society if they steal or ruin confidential business info. Cleaning up the internet, whether it is this single case or taking national steps, does not need to be another rebellion-provoking oppression on citizens' freedoms.

Alrighty, folks, it's write-in time. I'd say this is taking the third option, but... Well, it's more like the fourth, maybe fifth if we count Plan Bounty Hunter but that plan was based on incomplete reading of the post so I'm not.

Click to shrink...

If Jaune basically has superhuman/magical programing powers then why not use them (or tell someone with authority) when we see the risks clear as day? We can bring the realities of spyware to proper authorities and punish someone that is trying to ruin lives by putting viruses online.

 

[Redshirt Army]

If Jaune basically has superhuman/magical program creation abilities then why not use them (or tell someone with authority) when we see the risks clear as day?

Click to shrink...

I am totally down with Jaune utterly ruining some cybercriminals' days as a form of training Coding. You learn by pushing your limits, and I'll eat my hat if nobody on Remnant has a Semblance specifically tuned for hacking and the associated "S" rank in Coding.

Even the "downside" of potentially becoming known to Salem's Coven re: her subordinates Black Queen Gambit has amazing story potential.

That said... Doing it now seems hilariously out of place. Save it for next week's activity vote.

 

[nmWarden]

That said... Doing it now seems hilariously out of place.

Click to shrink...

Thanks! I think I see your point. So if we go with one of the plans to give Weiss our number and contact her later then the opportunity is still there. We don't have a sword at our neck anymore, so i guess this, uh, career option doesn't have to come up here.

 

[Captain Clever]

I am totally down with Jaune utterly ruining some cybercriminal's days as a form of training Coding. You learn by pushing your limits, and I'll eat my hat if nobody on Remnant has a Semblance specifically tuned for hacking and the associated "S" rank in Coding.

Even the "downside" of potentially becoming known to Salem's Coven re: her subordinates Black Queen Gambit has amazing story potential.

That said... Doing it now seems hilariously out of place. Save it for next week's activity vote.

Click to shrink...

And it looks like Prok added point values to the character sheet, so we know what it's going to take to get to S rank! 200 points for Function coding, 400 points for general computer skills. Unless that's "600 to go from A- to A", in which case urk.

White Hat!Jaune sounds like a fun hobby, in between training the Process and swording.

 

[Redshirt Army]

Hmm. We showed some interesting capabilities with the Transistor in the past few updates. Here's my idea of what happening under the hood.

Bridge(): You work with lots of different computers. But as it turns out, hypercomputers summoned out of pure math don't naturally fit standard I/O ports. This initially started as a simple means of using the Transistor to transfer data, but you've been continually iterating upon it for years. For simple magnetic drives or transistor {Lowercase!} chips, high fidelity scans combined with directed physical manipulation let you read and write arbitrary data to and from any section, without even requiring the device to be powered. Unfortunately, (or perhaps not, given the power it'd give you...) Dust based systems are far more difficult to manipulate in such a way. Still, the control chips of toasters everywhere cower in fear!

 

[ScorpioBot]

[X] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.

 

[Prok]

-[X] "I'm sorry Mr. Ashford but my integrity is not for sale."

Click to shrink...

I would like to note that your only response to finding out about Hyper Arcade's shady business practices was 'Oh. Wow.'

And then to immediately continue walking to your desk.

I get where you're coming from, but this Jaune is shockingly amoral if enough money is part of the equation. If you hadn't actually met Weiss, there's every chance he would have just installed it and walked.

What can we - Jaune - actually do with the 200 Grand?

Click to shrink...

Since lien, unlike lire, is a fictional form of money, I get to decide the exchange rate, and I decided a 1:10 ratio would do alright. Ten lien is worth one pound, meaning you've about £800 today alone, you've got around £1,700, and you're giving up £19,200.

Add all that up, £21,700, that's a half-decent brand new car there, or a decent investment if you feel like going into stocks, or just living comfortably at Beacon for quite some time.

Not exactly riches beyond your wildest dreams, but still a very comfortable amount of money for a college student.

Hmm. We showed some interesting capabilities with the Transistor in the past few updates. Here's my idea of what happening under the hood.

Bridge(): You work with lots of different computers. But as it turns out, hypercomputers summoned out of pure math don't naturally fit standard I/O ports. This initially started as a simple means of using the Transistor to transfer data, but you've been continually iterating upon it for years. For simple magnetic drives or transistor {Lowercase!} chips, high fidelity scans combined with directed physical manipulation let you read and write arbitrary data to and from any section, without even requiring the device to be powered. Unfortunately, (or perhaps not, given the power it'd give you...) Dust based systems are far more difficult to manipulate in such a way. Still, the control chips of toasters everywhere cower in fear!

Click to shrink...

Sounds good.

... Yoink-

 

[mort]

[X] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.

 

[Redshirt Army]

Note that your only response to finding out about Hyper Arcade's shady business practices was 'Oh. Wow.'

And then to immediately continue walking to your desk.

I get where you're coming from, but this Jaune is shockingly amoral if enough money is part of the equation. If you hadn't actually met Weiss, there's every chance he would have just installed it and walked.

Click to shrink...

Hmm.

In the interests of maintaining a consistent character, here's a slightly different take.

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be worth a lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

 

[bigpianist]

[X] Now... hear me out here. He hired you to fix her Scroll, her laptop, and to keep silent about what was on them. Spyware was never mentioned, doesn't factor into the original agreement. You've done steps one and two, but let's be honest, he's paying you 200 grand for step 3.

Gimme option three! On top of the money, ticking off Weiss is a desired bonus, even if it's not guaranteed like the second choice! Ashford can get bent for his failed attempt to double-cross.

 

[Captain Clever]

this Jaune is shockingly amoral if enough money is part of the equation

Click to shrink...

this Jaune

Click to shrink...

Transcripts man. Canon!Jaune would absolutely consider it as well, if he had the skills.

Hmm.

In the interests of maintaining a consistent character, here's a slightly different take.

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be worth a lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

Click to shrink...

I'd add that he stands a real good chance of walking out of that hotel with Weiss Schnee's scroll number. That's worth a lot to a teenager's ego, especially if Transistor!Jaune has any of the canon self's crush.

 

[DreamerGhost]

[X] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.

 

[Wyxlan]

What is exactly the requirement of getting Ashford's job done? If it's Weiss can't know of the spyware, then this stupid idea I have of working both sides is not going to work, But I'm willing to put it out there so we can discuss it.

Also, won't getting Weiss' scroll number be weird for her because of our current situation or is it just me?

 

[Tiypo]

[X] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[X] "I'm sorry Mr. Ashford but my integrity is not for sale."

 

[Moonis]

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be worth a lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

 

[Sir Loin]

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be worth a lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

Option one seems like the choice least likely to cause us immediate problems, especially given that, IIRC, Jaune told Ashford that he would walk if he saw anything shady, so it's not like it's a choice that will be completely surprising to the guy.

In the end, I suspect that this will be a minor annoyance for Papa Schnee at worst, so unless we meet the guy face-to-face, I doubt he'll go out of his way to inconvenience us. Weiss, on the other hand, will be going to school with us, and, given her personality, I imagine that she would go out of her way to make problems for us if she had to be in the same general area as us after we stuck a bunch of spyware on her computer.

Beyond that, I just like the characterization from the write-in. Though I'm not entirely certain how indebted she would feel to us, the important bit, to me, is that Jaune thinks that she'll owe him.

 

[Aliya]

[x] Take your return to poverty like a champ. Fix her stuff up sans spyware and walk. Gain the gratitude of the daughter of a very powerful businessman, at the cost of pissing off the businessman himself, maybe.
-[x] In the long run, having Weiss Schnee in your debt is probably going to be wortha lot more than a new car. The warm fuzzies are a nice perk too. It's certainly more than you were expecting when you arrived at the hotel either way.

Seems like the most IC vote.