The Unseen Servant forums

Calvin Beauregard

Thinks well at least the camera is close by if needed. He checks casually around at the other patrons and takes a seat at the table. When the waiter comes he orders a whiskey. Prohibition is not something that inhibits him.

He takes a look at the menu. "Big fish." he says, "I'm here for the big fish."

Thurston walks in with the others toward their table.

"I'll have a Hanky Panky please," says Thurston.

After sitting... "Thank you for the invitation Rene. What brings you down from Canada?"

Walking through the room, you pass a long bar filled with patrons. It doesn’t take long for Thurston and Rene to notice the quality of the decor, from the crystal chandeliers, to the rare mahogany bar top, right down to the expensive lush carpeting on the floor. Small’s is definitely the most opulent illegal booze joint any of you has ever been in. Calvin gets a few snobbish looks from folks as you make your way to the table, dressed in his very plain looking suit.

A large raised stage and an equally large wooden dance floor is surrounded by expensive tables and chairs, all of them filled with rich, rowdy patrons, nearly all of them white, blowing off steam, dancing, and shouting along with the band. Though the night is still young, this place is already in full swing. The band on stage goes into a rousing version of Paradise Wobble so loud you can barely hear each other talking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXeY6s4LDd4

The waiter stops at the last available table and nods at the lone sweaty Italian gentlemen there, his chair sitting closest to a plain wooden door in the corner, possibly leading to a storeroom or similar area. The heavyset man holds his hand over the chair next to him, but waves his other hand towards the 4 remaining chairs, apparently unopposed to the three of you sharing his table. “A double whiskey and a Hanky Panky then! Very good sirs! Be back in a flash!”

There are 4 chairs you can choose from to sit in, with #1 being next to the Italian man, and #4 being the one next to the chair he reserved. Please choose from chair 1-4 and take your action. If Rene is thirsty, he can catch the waiter on his way back. #13 is the coat check room. The occupied chair is the one to the left of the pair of chairs covered by the #2 (your table)
The rest should be self explanatory, but just ask if you have questions.

Calvin Beauregard

Thinking that courtesy would mean we take chairs 2-4, the journalist take the last one with his back to the wall and view to the right over the dance floor and stage.

He takes his glass of whiskey, raising it in a toast to the health of his companions. He will chat 'smalk talk' with any who greet him but generally keeps to a low profile while he studies the crowd.

6.00 please

René Vézina

René was busy surveying the place and missed the first service. He seems pleased when I sees the Italian gentleman. "Ah, let's join that table there" he says to Thurston and Calvin. René confidently walk towards the chair immediately beside the Italian. "Good evening good Sir! Interesting place this Small Paradise. So what are the big happenings here tonight?" he says, shaking his hand before sitting down.

When the waiter brings the drink, René asks for a double Whiskey.

So I think this is chair #1 or 12:00 if I understand correctly. (unless we need to convert to UTC and 12:00 CST means the bottom left chair )

Grognardsw wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:15 am
After sitting... "Thank you for the invitation Rene. What brings you down from Canada?"

Sorry for the delayed response, just responding to Thurston asynchronously but just a conversation that happened as we were walking and, I believe, should have no effect on the progress

"Ah, you know me. I am always on the look out for a new opportunity. I am in New York for business and I heard that this was an happening place that I should come and see. I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with you and try to convince you to fit a séjour at the Commodore in your busy schedule."

Thurston, seated at the 4:00 chair, takes a sip of his Hanky Panky.

"I'd be happy to play the Commodore," he answers Rene. "I can talk with my manager and schedule some time in Montreal."

Thurston has been thinking about a new promotion for his magic act. The competition was fierce out there, with the likes of Houdini and Blackstone and all the rest. The pulp magazines were gaining real traction among the common readers, and Thurston envisioned himself in a story of magical derring-do. Perhaps in Egypt, or deepest Africa, or even in hidden Atlantis or lost Lemuria. Thurston dreamt of himself as a recurring character, telling his adventures to enthralled readers. Gather them up in a book, like that Doyle fellow did with his popular detective.

“You see Calvin, I have this idea for a yarn for the pulps, a real page-turner, and I thought you have the ghost-writing chops to make it happen,” Thurston says after his first drink. ”It’d be a real humdinger. Attract readers to my shows. Maybe Argosy, Blue Book or Weird Tales.”

Thurston takes out a rolled up magazine from his jacket and lays it on the table.

The sweaty man at the table seems surprised when he finally realizes that he recognizes Rene once he introduces himself.

"My goodness. Rene! I am sorry my friend. I didn't even recognize you along with your other friends here. Please! Sit! And put your first round on my tab, sir." The portly man has the most pronounced black uni-brow you have ever seen, and he continues to search around the room with his eyes as he talks. "Thank you for seeing me here. I know this place isn't as quiet as my office, but I needed a drink and something to take my mind off things for a little while. And the drink here is as good as you will find anywhere in the city."

I would take a Spot Hidden roll from anyone at the table.

Thurston takes in all the sights and enjoys the upbeat sound of the bouncing piano solo, happy to discuss business with both men as he lays a strange looking magazine across the open spot between he and Rene at the table.

Calvin sits next to the empty chair Pete reserved with his hand, looking around the room and drinking his fine whiskey. He toasts to his new friends and spots his quarry across the room, sitting near the stage of course, surrounded by other excited and overdressed well-to-do's and a couple of rather large looking gentlemen in tight fitting suits.

Actions?

Calvin Beauregard

As the music hots up, so does his tapping feet. The hack checks around the room looking for some moll, oh so pretty in flapper dress and heels. He spots one and takes his leave from the table to cut in on some guy who has yet to take his escort to the dance floor.

"Excuse me my lady, this song is meant for you. Come in, let your hair down." he entices her with a turned on charm and snappy foot shuffle.

Calvin Beauregard 'Fast talk' skill check vs 60/30/12 [1d100]=6

At least on the dance floor he may over the gal's shoulder, get a good look at other patrons.

OGRE MAGE wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:08 pm The sweaty man at the table seems surprised when he finally realizes that he recognizes Rene once he introduces himself.

"My goodness. Rene! I am sorry my friend. I didn't even recognize you along with your other friends here. Please! Sit! And put your first round on my tab, sir." The portly man has the most pronounced black uni-brow you have ever seen, and he continues to search around the room with his eyes as he talks. "Thank you for seeing me here. I know this place isn't as quiet as my office, but I needed a drink and something to take my mind off things for a little while. And the drink here is as good as you will find anywhere in the city."

René Vézina

"Thankfully my club doesn't have to worry about alcohol supply." René says with a smile and after a small pause, continues,"That said, there might be a competitive advantage for a place that can get supply. Even more if they can get high quality supplies reliably."

René surveys the room trying to figure out what Italian is searching for.
Spot Hidden Check vs 60/30/12 [1d100]=75and apparently sees nothing

"Could I dare asking who is this seat reserved for?" he asks politely.

Thurston looks around the room admiring the flappers. He identifies the prettiest one who is unattached and has the waiter bring her a White Russian, with a message that it is compliments of Howard Thurston.

He introduces himself to the portly man. "And your name is?"

You see Calvin, I have this idea for a yarn for the pulps, a real page-turner, and I thought you have the ghost-writing chops to make it happen,” Thurston says after his first drink. ”It’d be a real humdinger. Attract readers to my shows. Maybe Argosy, Blue Book or Weird Tales.”

"Certainly. I can take your idea and twist it to tease and enthrall the masses. Let me see the
first manuscript or ideas and I will see how I can turn it into literary opium. Make the readers want more." he responds before the dance.

Rene and Thurston converse with the man at the table while Calvin convinces a nearby flapper girl to have a dance with him. While out on the crowded dancefloor, the hack reporter inches ever closer to his mark, spotting the less than honorable Mayor drinking heavily and laughing loudly around his table of fancy rich friends and hired protection. Once the song is over, the young girl exclaims nonchalantly, "that'll be 2 bits fer the dance, honey!"

As introductions around the table are made, the nervous looking heavyset man nods at Thurston, offering his clammy, sweaty hand for a shake. "I'm Pete Manusco, a business friend of Rene's. Your name sir....." he says to Thurston, "where have I heard it before?"

Pete looks even more nervous when a smartly dressed African American man walks past the table on his way to the bar, watching the trio at the table closely but not in a threatening way. Distracted by Rene's comment and question, Pete is about to answer when the plain looking door behind him suddenly opens.

Walking through the door is a tall, slim black man in a wrinkled brown suit. He appears young, possibly in his early twenties, and sways slightly as he approaches the table, apparently trying to squeeze between Pete and the wall behind his chair. The sad looking man carries a brown case with him and addresses Pete loudly over the blare of the music as he approaches. "Skews me suh, if ya don't mind. I musta got lost backstage on my way to the bandstand. Do ya mind terribly letting me pass by this way, suh?"

Pete looks at the young black man with disgust, clearly unwilling to move his chair. "Find some other way around boy, before I have ya thrown outa here!"

Charlie

Charlie will drift back towards Pete and the tall African American with the case. He is mentally preparing himself to act in case he tries to open the case, thinking there could be a firearm inside or it could get violent either way.

Does Charlie recognize the tall African American as being from the band or playing here before?

Rex wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:51 pm Does Charlie recognize the tall African American as being from the band or playing here before?

Sorry, I should have mentioned this to you.

Charlie gets the impression that the case likely contains a horn of some kind. He has never seen this man before, but he does know that the band has a special guest preforming with them tonight, though he isn't sure if this is the guy or not.

René Vézina

René's plans did not include getting into a fight five minutes after sitting down, even before having a drink. A disagreement with Manusco at this point would not be constructive either so observing on the ready is the best course of action, he decides... or maybe just change the subject. "Now where's that waiter!", he says out loud, shifting himself a bit on his chair as if looking for the waiter but also getting ready to jump up if necessary.

René will also check if the the man seems suspicious, looks like carrying a weapon or something looks abnormal with the case

Thurston nods at Calvin's response. "I'll put together some ideas and outline for the story."

The stage magician sips his drink and decides on which chippy dish to send a drink to, once the waiter comes back. Ah yes, that brunette - those gams!

"Nice to meet you Mr. Manusco," replies Thurston, shaking the portly man's perspiring hand. "You may recognize my name from the marque - I'm a stage magician by profession. You know, like Keller, Blackwell and Houdini."

Thurston, in a night club for relaxation and drink, thinks nothing of the black musician passing behind their table.

Calvin Beauregard


Guffaws at the cheek of the lady.
"Takes two to tango miss. If that was entertainment, you're exiting stage left."

He returns to the table in time to see the exchange between the case carrying person and the seated ignoramus. "Say sonny. Let me escort you the long way round." he gestures the brown suit.

"So backstage that way? You ever get a look through the rear curtains at the set up? Helps calm nerves if you can see how the crowd vibes afore you enter." he tries to shepherd the man on his way but fishes for information. Perhaps another vantage point can be had later in the evening to view 'the entertainment'.