“he consorted with thieves and coiners and knew the mysteries of their trade”

[epigrammatical]

(Yes I know that quote refers to Dorian and not Harry but bear with me here.)

So our Victorian bad ideas generator is running into a tobacco shortage. Being a selfish bastard, he is now determined to acquire as much for his own personal use as he can, but at times like this, it's only a gentle sidle from there to providing it to others to fund, in turn, one's own habit. And as one ill-gotten good leads to another, one may soon find oneself deep in the black market without having intended to do so.

(Ordinary trade and commerce is terribly common, but this is a matter of acquiring life's finer indulgences through under-the-table skulduggery. An entirely valid pursuit for a gentleman of means.)

So: who else wants to be a player in the black market: customer, seller, or something else? Lord Henry's starting with tobacco, with a single initial NPC contact by way of a bookseller in the Wood sector, who Knows People and is his current employer friend. He will soon be looking for someone (a PC) who can act as a delivery person, and may also personally contact any friends of his who are smokers to let them know that should they find themselves lacking, he might be able to help.

Subsequently, given incentive he will coordinate with anyone else doing business on the side—if you can offer wine, he might exchange for tobacco, and so on. And I am not at all averse to him getting busted at some point. Because that can only be hilarious.

Chime in if you're interested, and let's see how much trouble we can get into here.

ETA: As noted downthread, I am completely okay with people hearing Vague Rumours about people who Get Things, and using this as an excuse to sidle up to Henry (you might think that he would know about Those People, not that he actually is one, for instance). Whatever facilitates the advancement of shenanigans is fine with me!

Comments

[cynisme]

R is in. He'll be withdrawing and desperate.

[beganwithamask]

Oh gosh I kind of want to get Bucky in on this because black market shenanigans. When he was young (12-15ish) he kind of ran a little contraband business himself on an Army base (cigarettes and girly magazines mostly). If he needed a younger-than-his-age looking delivery boy who is well practiced at not getting caught... :|a Bucky would be up for that if he got paid decently.

[epigrammatical]

Harry will be glad to help you get your fix. Once he figures out his own (though his desire for booze is decidedly less acute).

[epigrammatical]

You're just the kind of fellow Henry will be looking for. How to do this ... I think he might put up a post asking if someone can do him a favour, delivering something perfectly legit—and then basically screening the applicants to see if any of them could be trusted with contraband.

And then Bucky might have himself a job.

[storm_warning]

Ororo canonly toes the line of the law and could get in on this. She's not hardcore into vices, but, let's face it, a woman her age needs CHOCOLATE in droves during certain, a-hem, cycles and that rationing is just not going to cut it.

[epigrammatical]

Excellent. Chocolate definitely falls within the remit.

I'm fine with the idea of Vague Rumours of people who can Acquire Things circulating around not long after Henry starts moving tobacco around, if that makes getting people together on this easier.

[beganwithamask]

That would work, a delivery job would probably catch his attention and get them acquainted at least! With rationing going on he's looking to make some acquaintances and some extra cash anyway because he knows vaguely what to expect and he's got to look after himself and his friend. :V

[epigrammatical]

Super! Stay tuned; I'll have a network post up soonish when work is no longer beating me with sticks.

[beganwithamask]

Awesome! I'll keep an eye out!

[depicted]

Let's literalize that metaphor.

And in a certain amount of seriousness, if not much, he's probably going to only be a buyer, and only so much of one (less dependent on narcotics and the temptations of the flesh etc etc) but then it's Dorian so I'm leaving the door open for getting stupidly involved in some capacity at some point.

[epigrammatical]

Let us not rule out the possibility that Dorian may one day wake up to discover his fixer has been thrown in jail, as well...

[depicted]

Dammit, Harry! You have to learn how to do the crime without doing the time!

[epigrammatical]

And up!

[aloadeddie]

Arthur would be all over getting into some black market stuff, though his tastes run more to food, tech stuff - maybe chemicals, idk. He'll probably start working his own contacts in Metal sector but I'd love for him to brush elbows with Henry at some point!

[notamachine]

Tobacco, not so much. Other things...yes. Yes. Things. That are necessary for functionality and such.

[epigrammatical]

If Arthur has contacts who need tobacco, he and Henry can arrange a swap, maybe? Some kind of "I know people, you know a different set of people, let's make a deal" thing.

[epigrammatical]

Eventually somehow he's going to start moving booze around, I think, so there's that!

[chiot]

I'd love it if Gavroche can help run the goods--people are less likely to stop a little kid, after all.

[epigrammatical]

This is a great idea. Henry might actually stop him and ask him if he could do a favour for a few juulan, in fact.

[chiot]

heheh, excellent.

[aloadeddie]

That could definitely work!

[storm_warning]

That would make it easier. Ororo is going to be asking around on the sly to see where one might acquire such a thing as chocolate. Once she secures a supply through him, she'd be willing to help keep the trade alive.

[epigrammatical]

Cool; sounds like a plan!

[trainwrecked]

... and one more Bucky for this. Come on, he grew up during the Prohibition and was out in the streets getting into trouble for it. >.>

He's in Wood Sector, and fairly busy with the additional work... which gives him plenty of contacts?

[lostundercover]

Forever late in reply to this, but I'd love Costigan to help with deliveries or something. He smokes and has been pretty open about needing more work. He's in Wood sector.

As a note, he has friends in the police here (not that he would ever admit to it), so, while he's less likely to get in trouble if he gets caught, he may potentially report some people if they started trading worse things, etc. (With player permission, of course).

Let me know if you would like to exclude him for that reason.

[epigrammatical]

Actually I have an idea!

Would you be interested in having Costigan be someone who happens to hear that Someone in the Wood sector has tobacco, and having him approach Henry? The better to facilitate IC word-of-mouth, that sort of thing?

[epigrammatical]

Excellent, I approve.

And Henry can be slightly confounded at having two Buckys at his call.

[lostundercover]

Sounds good.

[trainwrecked]

Buckys are special like that! ;)

[animalhats]

A bit late to the party here, but if he notices Molly around, she's tough, little, and used to keeping as low a profile as possible (since she and her friends are kind of dodging both all other superheroes AND Child protective services/the cops/etc). She can run deliveries/errands/etc, it's not like she has anything better to do and I think she'd enjoy the kind-of-secret aspect.

Though I already know you have a handful, so, just throwing her out there for your perusal should he require more.

[epigrammatical]

Depending on how things go over the landfall and thereafter, there will probably be a Phase Two for Henry's operation, so there's definitely an opportunity for Molly to get recruited.

[animalhats]

Score. >:D