[open] i would give it all

[secondnature]

CHARACTERS: Keith + anyone willing to help
DATE: From the opening of the upper levels to the end of the mission (with caveats that conditions will change depending on overall game plot parameters)
WARNINGS: None.
SUMMARY: A purple bounty! Keith has decided to rename himself Robin Hood. Or, more accurately, he's stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. (mood music)

[All his life, Keith had always preferred action over words. Associating with other people can be difficult. In fact, it can almost be impossible when the going gets tough. Becoming a Voltron paladin had been an answer for him. He could help people. He could fight. He wouldn't have to think too hard about it all, because he could follow Shiro.

And then ... things changed. Things changed back home and things changed here, most recently as a member of Hathaway. There's a lot of baggage associated with that change, so Keith has been keeping his eye on a single prize. He doesn't know how to set up a new government or do diplomacy, but he does know about providing goods to those who need it and helping them out of a bad situation. He knows what to do to survive. Not everyone has that strength or the ability to have someone help them. Simply put: not everyone has a Shiro to help guide them toward the right path.

He's not going to fool himself into believing that he can be "a Shiro"—that's the problem with being him, right? But he knows he can do good. So, he hatches his plan, and calls in for assistance from his guildmates. It's a three prong plan, with different actions needed.

To find out that Keith is doing this, there are two ways. One, he spoke about it on the magitek network. And two, he's doing some set up in the hotel, and is probably stealing some stuff from there, too. The robots won't miss it. Probably.]

a: theft of goods

[Keith plans on overseeing all of the thefts, in part because he doesn't want any of his teammates to be caught unexpectedly.

He shows up at every point of theft in full Marmora gear: a black suit with purple lights, as well as a mask that conceals his face and gives him a voice that sounds like Keith, but comes out through a slightly robotic filter. It also has a helpful hood, because of course it does. Would it look cool otherwise? Probably not.

His targets are specific when it comes to theft: food. Clothing and other goods can be gained through other means, and probably should be. But food? Food is something that he can see that the upper levels aren't doing without.]

Try not to hurt anyone. Take the food and bring it to the agreed upon location. And keep your masks on. We can't risk being fugitives.

[Of course, there are also other versions of theft. Not all of them are as scheduled or efficient.]

b: trafficking of stolen goods

[When it comes to "trafficking," the parameters remain the same. Keep on a mask. Make sure no one gets hurt so there's less of an excuse to follow someone. Get everything from the upper levels to the lower levels quickly, and use designated locations that have been picked out along the way. Avoid surveillance at all costs.

The "trafficking" involves a lot of backpacks and hoods, so that people can hide that they have a bunch of food on them that's being carted down. Anything that's perishable is frozen before it's brought down. Keith figures that "freshness" isn't measured by whether it was frozen first. Or, well, he hopes not. He's not exactly the guy who cares if something's been marked as "previously frozen."

There's a final designation just before the depths of the lowest levels. That's where other goods, like blankets or boots or jackets, are kept waiting. They don't need to be snuck down as carefully, because there's no chance of them going bad. Plus, they were probably mostly acquired "legally."

Emphasis on those quotation marks.]

c. delivery of stolen goods

[Charity is far from a common thing for the people of the lower levels. Charity that could seem suspicious and involves stolen goods is even more difficult. How to get things out there? How to offer help? This is going to be the most difficult task: convincing people to take goods, convincing people that they deserve it, and most importantly, asking what else they might need.]

Take note of anything else they might want. We'll come back later with it. Or, uh, someone will.

[ooc: this is a purple bounty, and the different prompts are loose parameters. I am looking for a thread of at least ten comments so I can meet my bounty, but I figured this would be a fun thing for people to do!]

Comments

[secondnature]

I—I don't know. We'd have to figure out if Lundberg is messing up because of his supplies, or because he doesn't know what he's doing. A lot of cybernetics got taken off the market because the government randomly decided it must be so—so there's gotta be a lot of spare parts. It's just—we'd have to look into changing the facility.

[Keith shakes his head. He looked into the business of taking cybernetics off the market, but that doesn't mean he has a solution for this.]

I—I guess that's why I was putting it off. Not considering it just yet.

[damnpire]

Lundberg may be opportunistic. He seems to value his science more than his clients based on his need for subjects to test injections. However, that is voluntary.

Giving him access to higher quality materials could focus his exploits. Some have said they know of surgeries with complications--but only after. Perhaps he is skilled in the execution, but lacks proper aftercare like many others.

[Personally, D still doesn't like it--doesn't like a man that would subject others to experimentation. He can't let that get in the way of other things, though.]

[secondnature]

His science ... [That sounds a lot like he's happy to use people as experiments, rather than someone who's actually inclined to help. Aftercare may be an issue, but he doesn't know that he wants to feed into that.]

If we come across supplies, let's store it for now. We can give it to the Rost before we leave. If conditions are better, they should be able to help. And if not—well.

[Then they'll have failed the mission.]

[damnpire]

[Again, the hood nods in acknowledgment very slightly. Parts he can scour for easily, and with an eye not unlike Keith's, not unlike those who live in Drakstaden, he should be able to find a few things that may help.

He had abandoned his idea of getting Lundberg and Gunnar to work together, but... maybe he should give it another round of musing.]

If I find any, I'll let you know.

[secondnature]

Do you know if people ... need the cybernetics? I know it's—people here like them. But it just seems risky when you might not have the appropriate antibiotics.

[Among other things.

Keith still has a hard time associating positive things with someone installing such a thing on their person. He thinks of Shiro's lost arm, and of everything he's gone through with that.]

[damnpire]

[For a moment, D is quiet, but his eyes don't stray very far from Keith. When his head tips down slightly, the hood casts a shadow over his eyes.]

Here, it may be more of a necessity than in the higher level. Those above are afforded augmentations which enhance aesthetics or longevity. Some are almost androids.

The people here, instead, take what will allow them to work. Arms, fingers, legs, eyes. A few may be able to replace failing organs, but not many.

[secondnature]

Sounds like they wouldn't need them if the conditions were better around here. [Keith is suddenly reticent about this knowledge. He wishes it were as simple as someone just wanting to have a stronger arm, but it isn't. Of course it isn't. He wonders if that's why Rhys has a mechanical arm. Did he lose his previous one, or ...?

But really, Shiro was his bar on this. Shiro became stronger, but he wasn't happy for it. Are these people happy they have a solution for their failing everything? Possibly, but it would be better if they didn't need them in the first place.]

If we can get them a varied diet, it'll help in the long term. But let's keep an eye out on what we can do. Maybe we even have a surgeon on our team and we just didn't know it.

[Keith ... doubts that. But hey.]

[damnpire]

[Like before, D is quiet for an unusually long time without it being awkward. His eyes are thoughtful, and they finally turn away to look out toward where most of the city would be.

Keith may not be wrong.]

I can talk to someone for you.

[secondnature]

[Silence is something that Keith takes to easily. He can say and go on at length about what's important, but he doesn't mind stretches of it, either. He nods when D speaks again. That sounds like he has someone in mind. That's better than Keith—he tends to figure out people's skills and then ... keeps returning to them.

It's better to have a network in place of some sort.]

Let me know what you find out.

[damnpire]

[D nods gently in affirmation. There is someone in particular he's thinking about, and he's sure the offer won't be turned down. Hopefully. It'll benefit Keith and the other both, he thinks.]

Do you want me to distribute those lower?

[secondnature]

Some of these—yeah. Can you take some extra blankets? [Keith indicates where they're stashed away, packed tightly in cloth bags. The blankets pull out to something much larger, but having them like this makes it easier for them to be brought through the levels.]

[damnpire]

Yes. [His eyes follow Keith's indication. Blankets should be easy. Honestly, for all of it, the shipment should be easy.

Before he turns to gather anything, he dips his long, pale fingers beneath his jacket and emerges with a peculiar set of goggles. This he offers out to Keith.] I don't need these. [Keith won't be able to tell if it's from arrogance or the inability to utilize them, not with his voice so calm and monotone.]

You can have them if they would be useful to you.

[secondnature]

[Spoilers: Keith probably wouldn't be able to discern D's tone if there had been one. Because Keith.

He reaches out to take them, his hands already moving to the different settings. They're nothing that he needs right now, but he bets that someone else might. His own gear makes up for it.]

They'll be useful to someone. Not everyone has the same gear coming into this, and it's not like Hathaway made any great improvements to the uniforms. [That's mildly judgmental, but also ... secret alien organizations are just better at uniforms.]

i feel that

[damnpire]

They increase night vision. I have no use for them. [Now is when he goes about gathering up the things for pack muling, motions easy. His own eyes are fine in the night, about as good as wearing the goggles. Whether Keith uses them or knows someone else that could, D doesn’t mind. Consider it a gift.

And while he makes no open comment on the uniform, D agrees. The aesthetic uniforms don’t seem to serve much of a purpose with their work. As a Hunter, he kind of values his materials.]

My name is D. [He stands as still as stone after looping the bag over a shoulder.] If you need me.

[secondnature]

I'll remember that. If I need someone to work when it's darkest, I know who to call. [There's only one Keith, one D, and one pair of goggles. They can probably do a lot of the darkness lurking themselves, but it might help to bring in someone else once in a while. Hence: the goggles. Really, though, if he could replicate these, they would help in missions beyond this one.]

And ... uh. Thanks. For the help.

[damnpire]

[D is an inventor, if Keith ever felt so inclined. Keith need only ask, then give him a few days to learn the logistics of that pair specifically. Goggles for days.]

You don't have to thank me. [Keith receives a small nod of D's head.] I'll see you again.

[It sounds old fashioned and strange, but he is kind of old fashioned and strange anyway. Without hesitation, he simply turns around and leaves almost exactly the way he came: quiet, steady. Keith may be able to hear, distantly, an odd sort of voice speaking, though he won't be able to make out what it says. It doesn't sound like D, and D doesn't respond.]