Gangs of Texas [PG-17]

Here's a group of gamers who also have been working hard and display great ability with roleplaying and writing on the boards.

I'll be writing an synopsis of the events, but if you want to see their words and actions before then please check out this thread.

This is the thread where the game is played.
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36858

This is the thread for comments.
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35771

This is the thread that displays the characters.
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36016

The premise of the game is a group of characters from all walks of live are connected by the events happening within this ghetto. At first it appears to be something simple - gang warfare- but as the characters get deeper into the mystery, something more sinister begins to dawn on their minds.

Each major phase of the game takes place on a day by day basis. They are just finishing up the second day. I will be posting the synopsis of the first day soon.

Thanks!

Gangs of Texas

The setting is Houston, Texas post-Enron. All the PCs begin as ordinary citizens (with heroic potential) who live in or are somehow associated with the most dangerous ghetto in the south's largest city. Even though it appears to be action-packed with gangs and the violence that goes along with them, this is primarily a gritty political drama and an inherent mystery. Each day begins with a newspaper in which global themes eeriely foreshadows the personal events in what had been ordinary lives.

The game is self-rated PG-17 for violence and mature themes. Reality is a dark, dark world.

*There have been cast changes, this is the most recent cast. Retired Cast Members are Ferris Buckler, Misty Morning, and T-Bull.*

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

Houston Chronicle - Wednesday, December 18, 2002

Business

Newly released documents show Enron Corp. planned to duck Canadian taxes and report higher earnings on its paper and pulp business in 2001, lawmakers said Tuesday. The chairman of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said an Enron deal known as Slapshot was created solely to evade taxes. At a recent hearing on the issue, J.P. Morgan said the lawyers who reviewed the deals said they were legal. It said it put up $1 billion for one day to help the Canadian division of Enron's paper and pulp business create an elaborate deal; that ultimately allowed it to deduct interest and principal on a $375 million loan. The deal produced $60 million in Canadian tax deductions and boosted Enron's bottom line by $65 million.

Metropolitan

Area Gangs have become more active lately. Today a six year old child was accidentally shot at playground just outside of Fifth Ward when tension between two gangs, the Lobos and the Panthers, erupted into violence. The child is in Herman hospital with critical wounds. The child’s mother declared to reports that she would seek help to move out of this neighborhood immediately. “It’s just not safe here anymore,” one resident declared in tears when he heard the news. “We just got to get out before we can.” Fifth Ward a very proud neighborhood with an incredible history wracked with both tragedy and triumph has seen the latest in the series of gang outbreaks in the last two weeks.

Health

More outbreaks seem to be happening around the bayou area where the mosquitoes are breeding on the Bayou River. West Nile is now a round-the-clock threat to Harris County residents after the discovery of the virus in a hard-to-kill mosquito that bites during the day, often chasing down its prey. The potentially deadly virus was previously found in Texas only in the meek, nighttime-biting Culex mosquito. It's now been detected in a pool of Asian tiger mosquitoes trapped south of Hermann Park. The discovery is particularly worrisome because people are 100 to 1,000 times more likely to be bitten by an Asian tiger mosquito than a Culex mosquito, said Ray Parsons, head of the Harris County Mosquito Control Division. The Culex more or less drifts from one meal to the next at night, but the Asian tiger aggressively zeroes in on its victims during the day. In addition, conventional spraying methods that control the Culex don't work against the Asian tiger. Pesticide-spraying from trucks or planes is impossible because high daytime temperatures force the chemical mist to float up, not down where it can reach mosquitoes. Spraying for Culex occurs at night.

Sports

The Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets square off tonight at Compaq Center with the Pacers coming to the game after a disappoint loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Film

The Lord of the Rings sequel debuts today with much anticipation.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm



The noise in the restaurant was almost deafening. Plates clanking, glasses clinking and the drone of musical languages echoed throughout the small café nestled in the heart of Bellaire Chinatown. It was the afternoon and in the corner a few seniors from Saint Agnes Academy, a private prep school just a couple blocks away, were giggling about school work and who knows what else.

All kinds of smells drifted over the tables, exotic and mundane, aromatic spices, and the hint of ice tea. In one corner, a young man had just started dumping the empty dishes and wiping down a table. A rather dirty white apron decorated his waist, but his clothes appeared a little too well-made for a cleanup boy in a Chinese restaurant.

Ferris Buckler picked up the plates on the table, wiped them and put them into his grey bin. He carefully dried the insides of the glasses and placed them top down in the container. Repeat after repeat of the same old thing – day after day.

What boring work...At least I do it well and get paid for it, Ferris thought as he wiped the table down with his white soapy rag in small circular motions.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm

Working alongside Ferris, a darker-skinned young man with a smile that never seemed to leave his happy face winked at his friend. “That lady is pretty, Ferris-o, no?” he spoke with strong Latino accent as he gestured to the young woman just entering the café, one elbow digging into Ferris.

Striking in more ways the one, the woman had a confident air about her that just begged for immediate consideration. An exotic tilt to laughing eyes and a friendly mouth, she couldn’t help but command the attention of the restaurants patrons even as her gaze swept through the room, apparently searching for someone.

"Now my friend that is what I call a knock out." Ferris said standing up straight and grinning along with his friend.

“Ferris, Hector,” a sharply accented voice barked at them from the back. A tough old lady frowned at them gawking at her customers. Pei-Pei Zhan never smiled much in her hard life and she wasn’t about to start now. “Clean tables now.”

Hector Morales rolled his eyes, carefully out of sight of who the two of them secretly called “the old she-dragon”. Gathering the bins from his own tables, he started lugging them into the back of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go help the girl find her table, man,” he whispered mischievously before disappearing into the back.

Taking his friend’s advice, Ferris put the bin down, wiped his hands on his pants and headed toward the lady. Now this is a good way to have some fun on the job. He bowed gallantly. "Bonjour, jolie dame," his perfectly spoken French echoed in the room, a smile at the end of the greeting. "This way to your table."

Although she wasn’t particularly tall, the young woman had soft delicate features, full lips and exotically tilted almondine eyes that glowed a warm chocolate brown. There was intelligence in those eyes and they sparkled for a moment when she first saw her sister. Long black hair that reached down to her waist, she was dressed comfortably in jeans and a red cashmere sweater but Ferris could tell that those clothes had the mark of Banana Republic, the shoes of Prada, and the simple leather purse of Coach…all reasonably chic labels.

“Oh,” the young woman spoke glancing at Ferris with wide clear eyes. “Thank you.” She smiled at him, walking beside him as he led her to the table.

“Ferris!” Mrs. Zhang barked from the back, clearly wanting him away from the customers. “Come in back. Bring dishes.” But he ignored her, easily done with a pretty girl beside you.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room - Carlos' table
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm

Over near the far corner by the window, a man sat patiently awaiting his meal with his dinner companion, a young Vietnamese woman with a serious expression on her face that never seemed to vanish. Their voices flittered in an out, one serious, the other flippant but either way the conversation never seemed to move beyond work.

“Carlos, I know this isn’t your area, but I really think that Dr. Harrison was wrong about this one. The outbreaks are getting worse. I’ve never heard of anything like that,” the woman spoke in an agitated voice. “If you would step into the emergency room, you would know what I’m talking about.”

Carlos took a sip of his iced tea and listens to Amy go on about West Nile. Virology has never been his...well...cup of tea. But she was cute, intelligent, friendly, and even conversational so he didn't mind the break from his usual routine. He strained to remember some of the details from the microbiology courses in med school so he can keep up with her talk.

That was when the sister walked in.

About to take Amy up on her offer, Carlos found the words lost on his lips as he noticed the woman weaving through tables led by one of the busboys. Catching himself watching her, he looked back to Amy, a little flushed before standing up a bit awkwardly as she approached, smiling.

Dressed equally well as the young woman, he sported square-toed Gucci shoes, tailor-fitted khakis, and a brown turtleneck a little too small for him. Beneath the shirt, his thin but toned upper body stood out, among another unusual addition that affected his gait…his prosthetic leg.

“Jess!” Amy Nguyen called out with slight reprimand in her voice though it was definitely affectionate. “You’re late! Again.”

“Sorry, sis,” the younger one replied with a laugh. “You know how bad traffic gets when school lets out.” Stretching her hand out to Carlos she afforded him a generous smile. “I’m Jessica Nguyen, her little and obviously absent-minded sister.”

“The one that goes to law school up east,” Amy clarified, remembering belatedly that she had two rather irritating younger sisters. Turning her eye toward Ferris she asked him, “Can you get her some water? And get the waiter to come get her order?”

Carlos took her hand, "Carlos Munguia, pleasure to meet you," he greeted, sitting back down, "A doctor and a lawyer? You must have quite a prodigious family. One stops bleeding, and the other's a bloodsucker."

He paused.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room - Carlos' table
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm

"Just kidding," Carlos chided, winking, perhaps even recognizing that Amy's sense of humor was always decidely lacking. "Is T still coming?"

“Oh no,” Jessica answered, slipping into a spare seat. “He’s not coming.” Flicking a stray hair out of place with only a slight glance to her right where a few teenage girls were squealing, she turned her attention back to Carlos. “Sis told me that you might know him. Did you grow up with him?”

Carlos looked genuinely disappointed when he heard T-Bull wasn't coming. He had been hoping to catch up with his old friend and already had a mental list of questions to ask. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table and held his iced tea between his palms on the table. He gaze went distant for a moment as he seems to consider how to answer,

"Ya we grew up together, " Carlos grinned, remembering something, " back at Wheatley, he used to always be the big hero. There were bullies, who most of us feared, and then there was the T-BULL, who the bullies feared. Deep down, he's a big softy, but I'm sure you already know that."

"Pretty much after you get past the 2-ton of muscle that he is," Jessica agreed with a laugh as she leaned back in her seat. Thunking her feet up on the chair beside her, she crossed her ankles while her sister frowned.

"He still lives at the same place I believe, with his mom," she added, taking a sip out of her sister's water. "If you want to see him or her, that is."

Amy sighed but didn't comment.

"Still down in the fifth is he? I thought he was going to be a pro football player for sure. Or a racecar driver. T loved his cars."

Carlos sat back in his chair and grinned at Amy, "Ya, I wouldn't mind stopping by to see him sometime. You know, if I don't get some of that chicken I'm smelling, I think I'll collapse, " he agreed, patting his stomach. He turnned his head to see what all the girls are making so much noise over.

Autographs? They must think the white guy with the bleached hair is Eminem. Hell, he might be -Carlos never liked rap music. He had always been true to his Latin roots until he got bit by the techno bug. Too bad his work kept him from clubbing as much as he used to.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room - Mike's table
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm

Not too far away, a young man sat with his father, the father apparently digging in the food set before him with relish. The young man in particular appeared to be the source of attention for all teenage girls and their squealing.

“It gets better every time I come here,” the older man declared to his son stuffing another chopstick full of rice into his mouth. He indicated with his chopstick at the giggling high school girls, especially at one really cute red head, that were whispering and pointing their way. “I think they recognize you, Mike.”

Michael Matthews picked up a fork as he spoke to his father. He'd never been any good with chopsticks but, like his father, he loved the food. About to take another mouthful he stopped and glanced over at the high-school girls, smiling slightly and nodding to them before he turned back to continue talking to his father.

"Yeah, that's been happening lately, it's kinda cool... when they the aren't always hasslin’ me or stuff." With that he swallowed some more rice, savoring the flavor and then continuing "That's why I like it around here, pop, people ain’t screamin’ or nuthin’ when they see me. I can actually do sumthin’, like have a meal with the old man, y'know?" He smiled at his dad as he continued eating and glancing around at the people in the restaurant.

A light shone in the older man’s light blue eyes. “Why don’t we invite them over here?” Mr. Matthews teased his son. “I’m sure they’d love to meet the famous rapper from da hood? Eh?”

Gesturing with his hands tanned and weathered from many years of hard labor, the older Matthews winked at the high school girls, trying to get them to come over. “I want to bask in some of my son’s fame. Not like you come home often enough for me to do that. And they’re pretty girls.”

At his father’s encouragement, three of the girls jumped up and rushed over to their table after digging into their backpacks for anything to write with and a spare notebook. A tall red-head, a brunette with bouncy curls and a pixie haired blonde all collapsed exhaustedly into the nearest spot closest to Mike.

“Are you….are you….Mike Mathers,” the blonde managed to squeal out without piercing any eardrums.

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room - Mike's table
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:20pm

Mike shook his head slightly as his father waved the girls over, and whispered humorously "Dirty Old man, you never gonna change, are ya?"

He then looked up to smile at the girls as they approach but he winced a little at the last name - People were ALWAYS misspeaking his last name... Who did they think he was, Eminem? He only WISHED he was THAT rich + famous.

"It's Matthews, actually." He said with an easy attitude, covertly checking them out. "Don't worry the records sometimes mislabel it, happens all the time." He stops smiling for a bare second as he feels something hit him under the table then glances at his dad. "Oh, yeah.. Ladies, I'd like you to meet the old man, this is Will Matthews, my dad." He gave a charming half-smile as he nodded at his dad, then looks at them expectantly, waiting for them to introduce themselves.

Will Matthews stuck out his hand but the girls were giggling and fawning over the younger man. Sighing his father, leaned back in the chair and watched the whole thing with an amused expression.

“Oooohhh, Mike, can we call you, Mike?” the pixie blonde breathed with wide brown eyes. “I think you are, like, so hot.” She blushed and then hid behind her notebook. “I’m Tootsie.”

“Oh yeah!” her friend with the curly brown hair agreed, shoving her own notebook and pencil in Mike’s face. “Can you please, oh please, oh please sign this for me? My friends will never believe it. I’m Sarah.”

“I listen to all your music and I know all the lyrics by heart,” the redhead added also shoving her notebook at him. “I’m Delilah. That’s D-E-L-I-L-A-H…”

FU KIM Restaurant, Front Room
Bellaire Chinatown, DIHO Mall
3:55pm

The food filled their stomachs with warmth and contentment. Carlos smiled and spoke with the women at his table, completely engaged in conversation while Ferris filled the glasses with water, catching Amy's puzzled look. Jessica barely noticed her sister, also absorbed in the conversation, but Amy turned her head slightly as if she heard something outside.

In the other table, Mike also caught Amy's look but his father was completely absorbed in the pretty girls. Will smiled and preened with them, telling them every story about baby Mike that he could think of, most of which were quite embarrassing.

No one noticed the brown-gold Toyota corolla streak down the driveway between the mall shops and the parked cars. As it came closer to the café the car slowed down and one back window slide downwards.

The Tec-9 machine pistol gleamed in the afternoon sunlight before letting loose a deadly round of fire upon the café, shattering the glass windows with a frightening crash. The bullets came extremely close to many of the patrons, some too frightened to even scream.

Carlos felt something knocking him backwards out of his chair, sharp indescribable pain filtering through the shock of the bullet’s impact. Jessica dove for the floor, trying to push her sister out of the way as the entire restaurant exploded in a hail of bullets.