[Fic] Shadowrun - Five times Joshua... HAPPENED to the cabbie
Tuesday, 18 August 2015 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spindizzyI think this will literally only make sense to thebaconfat and squeemu, and even them I'm not 100% convinced about. I just really liked the cabbie in Shadowrun, because he kept being like "Aw, you're broke and incompetent. I'll take you where you need to go," and I like it when people are nice. And then my brain was like "... Yeah, but do Lone Star have their own Doc Wagon bracelets, and if Reckert's didn't work (Malfunction? "Malfunction"?), would Joshua do something stupid to trigger his own to make the HTR Team drag them both out?"
This isn't that fic, mind, but that was part of the thinking process leading into it.
Also I couldn't for the life of me work out how I was phrasing this fic until I just went "Fuck it, I like fake game walkthroughs, make it so." The other alternative was Marrs and the Cabbie just being like "FUCK. DECKERS." in a bar, which... Might be fun? Maybe? I don't hang out with Marrs enough though.
(FUN WITH FORMATTING: will the less than/greater than signs show up or will this be a horrible mess? LET'S FIND OUT.)
(I AM SO SORRY.)
Shadowrun - Five times Joshua happened to the cabbie
G | 418 words | The cabbie, Joshua, Reckert | No spoilers/warnings | Three times he made the mistake of picking up runners, and two times the runners were incidental.
<Your onboard computer pings. The barrens are under lockdown until further notice due to Renraku Strike Team sightings in the area.
You decide that today is not the day to break through barricades, and stick to the city.>
<An exhausted-looking runner tries to flag you down outside Seattle General. It's hard to tell whether his shirt is actually red of if he's just bad at his job.>
[A] "Hop in, chum."
[B] <Pretend not to see him.>
[C] "Slot off!"
[A]: <The runner stays awake long enough to give you a destination in the barrens, but is asleep long before you reach Stoker's Coffin. He manages to sleepwalk out of the cab and into the motel, but you're not sure he's ever going to make it out.
Received 40 nuyen!>
<A runner dives into the back of your cab, stuffing a package into his shirt and trying to hide in the footwell. His credstick flags up "Insufficient funds.">
[A] "Null perspiration, chum."
[B] "Neg on that, chum."
[C] <Throw him out.>
[A]: "You've saved my life, chummer. When this job pays up, I'll pay you back."
<When the taxi stops, he jumps out and is immediately lost in the crowd. You don't think you'll ever get that fare.>
<Your onboard computer pings. You have received a nuyen transfer with a message attached: "Thanks for the ride! Told you I'd pay you back, and a little extra for next time."
Received 80 nuyen!>
<You are trying to skirt a firefight when the back door of your taxi is thrown open open and a barely-conscious Lone Star officer is loaded in. A runner jumps after him and yells at you "Drive! We need to get him to the hospital!">
[A] "Null perspiration, chum."
[B] <Report them to Lone Star.>
[C] <Throw them out.>
[A]: <You drive like hellhounds and Renraku Strike Teams are chasing you, because they are. The runner alternates between laying down covering fire and trying to apply first aid to the Lone Star officer. You can't make out what he's saying, but it sounds a lot like "If you die, who's going to arrest me?!">
<An HTR Team meets you at the hospital and drive off the Strike Team while the Lone Star officer is carried inside.
The runner pays double, and doesn't even flinch when you add on the "Bloodstains" and "Bullet holes" charges. He promises not to ask for you specifically next time he calls for a taxi.
Received 1500 nuyen!>
thebaconfat and squeemu, and even them I'm not 100% convinced about. I just really liked the cabbie in Shadowrun, because he kept being like "Aw, you're broke and incompetent. I'll take you where you need to go," and I like it when people are nice. And then my brain was like "... Yeah, but do Lone Star have their own Doc Wagon bracelets, and if Reckert's didn't work (Malfunction? "Malfunction"?), would Joshua do something stupid to trigger his own to make the HTR Team drag them both out?"This isn't that fic, mind, but that was part of the thinking process leading into it.
Also I couldn't for the life of me work out how I was phrasing this fic until I just went "Fuck it, I like fake game walkthroughs, make it so." The other alternative was Marrs and the Cabbie just being like "FUCK. DECKERS." in a bar, which... Might be fun? Maybe? I don't hang out with Marrs enough though.
(FUN WITH FORMATTING: will the less than/greater than signs show up or will this be a horrible mess? LET'S FIND OUT.)
(I AM SO SORRY.)
Shadowrun - Five times Joshua happened to the cabbie
G | 418 words | The cabbie, Joshua, Reckert | No spoilers/warnings | Three times he made the mistake of picking up runners, and two times the runners were incidental.
<Your onboard computer pings. The barrens are under lockdown until further notice due to Renraku Strike Team sightings in the area.
You decide that today is not the day to break through barricades, and stick to the city.>
<An exhausted-looking runner tries to flag you down outside Seattle General. It's hard to tell whether his shirt is actually red of if he's just bad at his job.>
[A] "Hop in, chum."
[B] <Pretend not to see him.>
[C] "Slot off!"
[A]: <The runner stays awake long enough to give you a destination in the barrens, but is asleep long before you reach Stoker's Coffin. He manages to sleepwalk out of the cab and into the motel, but you're not sure he's ever going to make it out.
Received 40 nuyen!>
<A runner dives into the back of your cab, stuffing a package into his shirt and trying to hide in the footwell. His credstick flags up "Insufficient funds.">
[A] "Null perspiration, chum."
[B] "Neg on that, chum."
[C] <Throw him out.>
[A]: "You've saved my life, chummer. When this job pays up, I'll pay you back."
<When the taxi stops, he jumps out and is immediately lost in the crowd. You don't think you'll ever get that fare.>
<Your onboard computer pings. You have received a nuyen transfer with a message attached: "Thanks for the ride! Told you I'd pay you back, and a little extra for next time."
Received 80 nuyen!>
<You are trying to skirt a firefight when the back door of your taxi is thrown open open and a barely-conscious Lone Star officer is loaded in. A runner jumps after him and yells at you "Drive! We need to get him to the hospital!">
[A] "Null perspiration, chum."
[B] <Report them to Lone Star.>
[C] <Throw them out.>
[A]: <You drive like hellhounds and Renraku Strike Teams are chasing you, because they are. The runner alternates between laying down covering fire and trying to apply first aid to the Lone Star officer. You can't make out what he's saying, but it sounds a lot like "If you die, who's going to arrest me?!">
<An HTR Team meets you at the hospital and drive off the Strike Team while the Lone Star officer is carried inside.
The runner pays double, and doesn't even flinch when you add on the "Bloodstains" and "Bullet holes" charges. He promises not to ask for you specifically next time he calls for a taxi.
Received 1500 nuyen!>
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(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-19 01:28 am (UTC)omg, omg this is amazing. You've captured the tone of the game perfectly, especially this:
It's hard to tell whether his shirt is actually red of if he's just bad at his job.
aaaaaa
and I laughed out loud multiple times and I HAVE SO MANY HEARTS FOR THIS CABBIE AND FOR JOSHUA AND FOR EVERYTHING. SO MANY.
I loved the escalation here and how the first one is just. Joshua single-handedly disrupting the traffic in the sprawl. I just want to read all the things about Joshua ruining everyone else's day now.
He manages to sleepwalk out of the cab and into the motel, but you're not sure he's ever going to make it out.
This is so perfect. All of this is perfect.
stuffing a package into his shirt and trying to hide in the footwell
amazing, amazing. just. omg. ugh. I cant handle this.
he jumps out and is immediately lost in the crowd. You don't think you'll ever get that fare.
I CAN'T EVEN with how perfectly in-character for the game this is. I want to read so many fics in this style. Written by you.
"If you die, who's going to arrest me?!"
I CAN'T. HANDLE IT. Also I love the detail that the Bloodstains and Bullet holes charges are a) a viable selection to add to the bill and b) separate charges.
Also I am ridiculously delighted at the thought of Marrs and the Cabbie complaining about runners without realizing they're talking about the same one.
would Joshua do something stupid to trigger his own to make the HTR Team drag them both out?"
Also I want to really, really want to read this.
Oh man, this was fantastic and made my week. Thank you so much for sharing it.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-19 01:28 am (UTC)aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
*SPARKLES*
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-19 01:41 am (UTC)And! I'm always a sucker for "five times x happens" fic and you did an amazing job of it and
I'm so charmed by the options the cabbie has! And I have hearts for the cabbie being a decent person and hearts that Joshua paid him back extra for taking him in on faith
You decide that today is not the day to break through barricades, and stick to the city.
This captures the tone of the game so perfectly, I cannot even. It makes me want to go back and play it immediately.
It's hard to tell whether his shirt is actually red of if he's just bad at his job.
ALSO PERFECT
I AM SO IMPRESSED AT ALL THE SITUATIONS YOU THOUGHT OF.
"You've saved my life, chummer. When this job pays up, I'll pay you back."
This is also such a line from the game. Susan, you need to just write me a sequel or an entirely new adventure or something
Also, you did such a good job of describing scenes in a really evocative but concise way. It's one of the reasons I love the game so much -- they give you little tidbits that just make my imagination go crazy coming up with reasons for what's going on, and you captured that so well. (I was going to say "perfectly", but, uh, I think I've used up my right to use that word for the rest of the night.)
You drive like hellhounds and Renraku Strike Teams are chasing you, because they are.
"Because they are," omg. Joshuaaaaaaaaa what have you done <3 <3 <3
"If you die, who's going to arrest me?!"
AUGH I CAN'T HANDLE IT
IT'S PERFECT, SUSAN
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
He promises not to ask for you specifically next time he calls for a taxi.
Hahahahahaha yes.
I would totally read Marrs and the Cabbie hanging out, though. To be honest, I would read Marrs and anyone hanging out, although... --
Baco just randomly snapped her fingers and I don't know what's happening anymore. So confused.
ANYWAY. Marrs and Reckert hanging out would not be a good combo and Joshua would have to step in and save them from getting into a giant firefight. On the other hand, Marrs and Flick would probably be delightful.
...I just remembered that Flick doesn't actually have any dialogue in the game and I have made his personality up entirely. Shhhhh.