Session Date: 7/27/2023
4 cigarettes survived the thing. All checks are -2 for Net as he hasn’t smoked.
Net was knocked on his ass with a sucker punch and Crack Pipe is over him saying “Never. Again.” Net checks to see if he’s bleeding and sure enough his nose is bleeding. He looks up at Crack Pipe and says thanks, not bothering to sit up or anything. As Net is lying there, Crack Pipe pulls out a rather large wrench, holding it. He tells Net that he needs to agree to these terms or he won’t have lungs anymore. Net slowly pulls out a cigarette and puts it in his mouth. Crack Pipe cracks the man’s face with the wrench. Crack Pipe explains that Net was supposed to agree before using them, and Net says he can fuck off, and Crack Pipe disengages. Net lights his cigarette and takes a long drag and is finally happy.
Emerick gives Garf her shotgun back and leaves the situation to go back to his room, away from the rest of the situation.
Garf takes her shotgun and then walks up to Net and asks if he is better. Net says he’s more than better and that he’s so much better. Garf offers him a ride to get more cigarettes and Net asks for five minutes. After the five minutes they head out and go to a convenience store and pick up sweet tea, chips (one of them multipacks with Doritos and Cheetos) and gets Net some more cigarettes so that he doesn’t go off the deep end again. Garf ultimately takes Net to her new apartment and says that her apartment is a safe place if he needs to decompress. Net says that he’s not a chain smoker and that he’s trying real hard to quit.
⸺
Cipher, for the past week and a half, has been bouncing between Tia and Mamá Rosa’s house. His drug addiction is presenting in such bad paranoia that he’s having paranoia-induced hallucinations, which is why he’s been staying with his mom more often. Cipher shows up at the safehouse after everyone disperses after all the drama. When he shows up all he can hear is the mechanic shop work and the sound of the band rehearsing. He can see Crack Pipe and Powder working in the garage. He politely waves at Crack Pipe and Powder, then tries to walk past them without acknowledgement. Crack Pipe asks if Cipher is looking for Net, and Crack Pipe explains that Net’s an asshole that’s been treating the others like shit. Crack Pipe explains he knows how blue glass works and it’s not something you take to get high.
Cipher is very clearly unhappy with the explanation. Crack Pipe explains a blue glass junkie is just trying to be normal, while a junkie wouldn’t be taking it in order to experience the high. He explains that Net called Garf a junkie and that he doesn’t know all the details, but it pissed him off. Cipher rubs his eyes and exhales in a sigh. Crack Pipe admits that he’s about to get punched and he won’t hold back: he gave Net a pack of cigarettes so he’d shut up. Cipher clenches a fist, then holds his hands up and says he won’t blame Crack Pipe. Cipher was stressed when he came in, but now he’s even more stressed.
Cipher asks where he went off to and Crack Pipe explains that he and Garf took off on his bike. Crack Pipe explains that Emerick is inside and that he is also stressed, with Crack Pipe explaining he was concerned about Emerick in the fight. Cipher says he’ll stick his nose around and see if they have any idea where they went. Cipher admits he respects Crack Pipe’s honesty. He goes over to the porch and sits down. Cipher texts the group chat asking where Net is, and Emerick explains he was last with Garf, and Garf says she is with him at her apartment. Cipher texts Omen asking for the apartment address. Omen offers to drive Cipher over to the apartment.
Omen arrives and finds Cipher distressed on the porch. He honks and waves Cipher over. Cipher gets in and warns Omen that he might go ape shit and Omen might need to step in and stop Cipher. It’s clear that Cipher is incredibly, incredibly stressed. Omen asks if it was a stressful week and Cipher says sure, I guess. Omen agrees and says it’s been six months. Cipher hopes his week was better and Omen says it could have been worse. Things aren’t going our way and it seems like things aren’t going Net’s way either. Omen says it seems like something really bothered him this morning and Cipher says he can never tell anymore. Omen says he thinks plenty of people get overworked and it tends to happen when you have a big family.
Cipher explains he’s super pissy about the smoking because they worked so hard to get over it and he gave in very quickly. He hopes that he can get the point across to Net how important this is and Omen thinks that they’ll get through this together. They get to the apartment building and Cipher heads inside the building to walk up to the door to knock while Omen climbs up onto the balcony to crash into the apartment. Omen breaks in first and Garf shoots her shotgun and misses Omen, who dodges beautifully. Garf asks why he didn’t knock on the door, and then Cipher knocks on the door.
Garf opens the door and Cipher is staring daggers at Net, who says hi. Cipher full names Net as Nathaniel and steps into the room and closes the door. He removes the mask in front of Net and sets it down on the table as he walks into the room. Net is annoyed that Cipher used his real name and Cipher says that they had an agreement about cutting habits. Cipher explains that he’s aware of what’s been going on and Net says he apologized to Garf. Net says that Cipher has every right to be angry and he’s just trying to set the record straight.
Net explains he talked to his uncle and it was a bad conversation and when he poured his heart out to his uncle and he gets a text from another gang member saying he gets one measly favor.
Omen covers Garf’s ears and recommends they should not be hearing this. Net says that this is a conversation that doesn’t leave this room and it is definitely a threat and not an ask.
Net explains he hadn’t had a cigarette in nearly two weeks and he was withdrawing. He said he can’t quit cold turkey. Cipher explains that he just wants to be told these things and Net says he wished Cipher would just talk to him. Net couldn’t tell Cipher what he was going through all week. They discuss their lack of communication and lack of being there for each other and Net ultimately says that sometimes Cipher doesn’t understand what he’s going through. Cipher apologizes to Net and says that they’re a mess, and Net says everyone in this room is a fucking mess. Cipher says he isn’t going to say that he forgives Net because that would be lying, but he understands. Net pats on the couch for Cipher to sit down next to him and play games with him, and Cipher admits he’s not a big fan of games. CIPHER IS AN AWFUL PERSON WHO THINKS VIDEO GAMES ARE A WASTE OF TIME AND HURTS LITERALLY EVERYONE’S FEELINGS EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T HERE WOW WOW WOW WOW.
When Cipher denies the controller, Net tosses it to Omen and puts an arm around Cipher. Cipher and Net have a conversation while Omen and Garf play video games.
In the group chat with Phoenix, she sends out a message saying we need to get together and discuss things and do final preparations.
Cipher, Net, Omen, and Garf get up and Garf mentions she hasn’t gotten programs yet. Cipher says that she has somewhere they can go, if they don’t mind a little detour. Cipher explains that this is a reliable source to pick up new programs and Garf admits that she doesn’t actually know where to get new programs so she’s down.
They’re headed to The Thinkers.
Torrent is in Katchya’s place. Phoenix sends a text in the group chat that she’s ready for final preparations for the group. She calls Emerick and asks for a ride.
Emerick leaves his room to head out of the safehouse. On his way out, Seo stops him in the kitchen. Seo asks if he’s okay and Emerick takes a moment to realize what he’s asking about, then smiles and says everything is fine. Seo doesn’t want to keep him, but reminds him if he needs anything to just ask, and Emerick nods with a smile and says of course. He calls a cab, heads out, picks Torrent up, and they go to Phoenix’s.
They arrive at the Thinker’s Workspace and Josh is outside. Net walks up to Josh and gestures for him to hold his hands out. Josh does so and Net dumps a tiny jerboa bot in his hands.
Cipher introduces Omen and Garf to Josh. Garf wants the shotgun and Net says absolutely do not under any circumstances. Josh says we should leave firearms outside of the safehouse and Garf and Omen agree to the request. They go inside.
Harper greets everyone after the appropriate introductions. Harper asks what is going on and says out loud that she didn’t think Cipher didn’t have friends, which makes Cipher indignant. Garf explains she needs programs. Harper says okay and leads Garf back so that she can pick what she needs. There’s some back and forth between the two.
Omen asks Net for TTS installed in his helmet and Net agrees whole-heartedly to do so.
Garf takes the following programs:
- Kraken (Stinky — she renamed it Inky)
- Dragon (Bob, Garggahmesh the Destroyer, Spyro — she takes Garg)
Garf thanks Harper for the programs and Harper ultimately extends an invitation to Garf to join the Thinkers as they are short-handed and need more net runners. Net is clearly unhappy and Harper glares at him.
Vail also shows up at some point but I fell asleep for a moment so idk what happened. Net encourages the group to get their asses to Phoenix’s.
Upon entering, Emerick and Torrent are chilling on the couch with Phoenix in her chair. Phoenix immediately stands up and locks eyes with Net and Garf and asks if they fixed their problems today. Both of them reassure that everything’s taken care of. Phoenix asks how Omen will manage, he says he will, she asks how, he says he will, she says she won’t take chances and she doesn’t have a week. Phoenix says he will re-dose or he will have to figure out something else because she is not going to take any chances. Essentially, she can’t afford to fix all of us and she can’t afford to fail this job because they refuse to re-dose.
She confirms that the website and everything is done on that end and Emerick says yes. The van has been prepped but needs to be painted.
The last thing that Phoenix expects is the people still addicted to blue glass need to work their shit out so they don’t glass out on the job. All affected parties take their required doses and we move in to start the job.