@markus.manfred

[saviorexe]

As some of you may already know, discussion has been taking place in regards to moving to a new safehouse; I understand that this isn’t a small endeavor, yet it’s something that should be seriously considered in the wake of all that’s happened. And while losing a multitude of Morningstar contacts is a detriment in its own right, it makes sense to view this as a new opportunity for the displaced. To become autonomous, self-sufficient, and able to move in whatever direction we deem as best for ourselves and those who would join us in the future. To finally be able to rely on our chosen initiatives, instead of depending on the generosity of an outside group with their own causes, objectives, and priorities to tend to.

This wouldn’t be a complete severance from Morningstar. Gaby, El, and a few others will still be willing to assist us when they can, and what previous resources left behind in the city will be available for us to use. It would be more akin to a partnership, with the understanding to give aid to the other when reasonably needed. Quid pro quo.

I’m not here to make these decisions for us, only to open the floor to discussion and to provide information so we can decide if and how we want to proceed. El’s given us a shortlist of unoccupied sites that are best suited for setting up a new safehouse. I’ve summarized them very briefly.

[Each location comes coupled with an address to denote where in the city it’s located, for those who may be interested in checking out each site in person.]

SPORTS BAR — Long abandoned and located near the sports stadium. The amount of foot traffic in this area means that it’d be easy enough to come and go without issue, and without turning too many heads. But this comes with the expected downsides of somewhere busy — more people means more variables, more eyes, more chances to be compromised if we’re not careful.

HOVERBIKE SHOP — A more isolated site in a run-down neighborhood. Here, it would be easier to escape scrutiny as an individual coming and going. A larger group of the same faces might have more difficulty, and would have to fabricate a very convincing reason to do so. There are also the nearby squatters to account for, who would likely be reasonably curious about us no matter how we proceed.

COFFEE SHOP — Located in the financial district. Several business have tried to start up here over the years, but none have stuck. Considerations would include: history dictating that this is a difficult location to keep running financially, a higher-profile spot but with vacillating foot traffic reliant on normal workday hours, and if the many neighboring businesses would be a concern.

All of these locations have an underground space which would house the core of the safehouse. What exists above is not only a front, but will have to act as a means of financially sustaining ourselves to keep supplies stocked, facilities running, and to afford basic upkeep. Which means that we’d be running a business on top of everything else, and should consider which will be the most viable as venture; which also means that we’ll need capital to get started, several people willing to devote their time and energy to this project, and reliable individuals who can work as actual employees once things are up and running.

Needless to say, I’m willing to commit the time and effort necessary to see it through to the end. But this is a large project that won’t get off the ground unless we compile resources and ideas together — and the earlier, the better.

[Please discuss!!]

((OOC; This is an open post for everyone to discuss matters about the future safehouse! Markus won’t necessarily be responding to each tag-in.))

Comments

@margaret.carter

[revlon]

This is excellent, Markus. And I quite agree with the safehouse being self-sustaining — far more beneficial in the long run.

Having a business as a front excuses regulars frequenting the area as employees and patrons alike, not to mention bringing in supplies as deliveries. And of the three options, I wager the first and third have the most forgiving learning curves for those among us who wish to work there. Both are significantly more public than our current location, yes, but with drastically different peak operating hours too; so I suppose it could boil down to which schedule better suits our own.

[ She has experience with this, a great deal of it, but she can't weigh in with specifics. The front for the SSR in New York was a telephone company in a busy office building full of other businesses. The hours were flexible but it was incredibly public and in close proximity to civilians. The SSR's front in Los Angeles was an unlisted talent agency which still entertained tenacious walk-ins. Far more isolated but still with an element of unpredictability with the general public.

The cafe and the bar are their best bets. She knows which one she prefers but she'll likely scope them both out during her lunch break and after work to be sure. And watch this post for what the others think. ]

[saviorexe]

[Unaware of her expertise or otherwise, Markus puts solid stock in Peggy’s opinion.]

I’m personally in favor of the bar and cafe. I’m not sold on the practicality of the hoverbike shop, not quite, and we need something that would be cast the widest net in regards to learning how to run the business. It’s already going to be a complicated process… No need to make it more so.

[A repair shop is rather specialized, and also not very conducive to large groups consistently coming and going.]

Schedules will be less of an issue the more people we have on board to help. A larger pool of schedules to draw from.

@aranea.biggs

[merced]

[ As this is an Official Posting conducting Official Business, Aranea will be less lazy with her, uh, typing. Mental texting. ]

2 feels like a niche business. Good for keeping out of the way, less good if there's a sudden increase in foot traffic around the area. 1 and 3 will attract a more diverse clientele and it'll be easier to explain away why someone is there.

I'm working in a bar right now. Mixing alcohol and covert affairs can either provide a good over if things go south or blow up right in our faces if we're not careful.

[ That's not even getting into the possibility of sport hooliganism, if such a thing even exists in New Amsterdam. Soccer fans are no joke. ]

Personally, I'd say the coffee shop is the least risky.

[saviorexe]

[Bless you, Aranea, for putting on your Official Hat.]

That’s a second vote for 1 or 3.

Then let me play devil’s advocate and mention something I wrote: businesses have failed in that location, time and time again. The last functioning cafe was 25 years ago, and dredging up enough capital to start up a business revolving around coffee — more luxury than necessity, especially in this day and age — might be difficult. Do you think there’s an easier workaround?

@daisy.johnson

[evite]

i might have missed some chatter during my nap, but if i'm reading this right, i think the cafe's our best bet.

places like that tend to have tons of part-time workers rather than a small set of full-time staff, so having big groups over at odd hours is easy to explain as quarterly sales meetings or whatever bullshit we want to spin it as. we've been trying to figure out a reason to have everyone get together anyway, and meetings are always less conspicuous than birthday parties for grown adults.

i think the stadium's too risky, honestly. we don't know everyone's skill sets in keeping things confidential, and that area's way too busy for anyone to be careless. plus, aranea's right -- adding alcohol into the mix is going to make things even messier. for the bike shop, it'd probably be nice to have a garage for upkeep on whatever vehicles we eventually get our hands on, but i think the squatters and the area make that option a risk we're not ready to take on, and it doesn't offer the same cover story for big gatherings.

tl;dr my vote goes to coffee house. if we need volunteers to man the espresso machines, you can have my name there too.

[ wakes up, word vomits, the #usual ]

[saviorexe]

[Daisy, newly returned and going straight into business with no hesitation. Endlessly admirable, and it takes all manner of effort to keep this reply strictly on the official level.

For now, at least.]

“Birthday parties for grown adults”. So keeping up official and professional appearances might be easier, you think?

[Markus just believes himself here to moderate, mostly, and therefore his reply isn’t meant to challenge as it is to make other angles be equally considered.]

Alcohol might be an issue, but it’s definitely cheaper than coffee. The sports bar would provide even later hours, too, unless you’re thinking that we just make our own hours — given we’ll be running our own business.

@margaret.carter

[revlon]

More traffic does mean more eyes, yes, but I don't think being too busy is altogether a bad thing. People are less likely to pay close attention in a crowd. A quieter space is appealing but also carries the risk of making a scene in a different way.

[ Worse case scenario, she's thinking "a scene" at a bar could be easily dismissed as a drunken disagreement between sports fans. Someone staggering through a cafe bloodied like they all did in the wake of the last assignment? A little tricker to explain away. ]

@prom.argentum

[mercurio]

tbf i think having a number of reasons to meet up as a choice would be beneficial in the long run
it doesn't always have to be birthday parties

but meetings could be a bit harder to explain away when ppl with different jobs who work at different places get together all the time

so fair to say we should come up with various reasons to meet up
and even then, maybe work it out so it's smaller groups meeting at any one time? ones that would make sense hanging out based on age and occupation and hobbies

i've been keeping track of when the newbies have been dropped off and from what i've gathered it's twice a month, 6-10 people each time
our numbers are only getting bigger and "meetings" that big are tough to explain away too

..just a thought

@x'rhun.tia

[verflair]

If I may add mine own two gil, a couple of points I would like to raise: if these establishments yet sit empty, is there any reason that they must remain what they are? If coffee is difficult to come by, would not a different sort of eatery suffice?

Secondly, while there may not be any children in our ranks at present (at least, none that I am aware of), we would do well not to discount the possibility in future batches of arrivals. Were we to go the bar route, it would be suspicious to have the younger among us coming and going.

[saviorexe]

[Oh, safehouse buddy friend.]

No, there isn’t any strict reason why they need to remain what the were once before. But it’s likely that what hasn’t already been gutted from each establishment lends itself what it used to be, making the transition easier in the long run. That being said, there’s nothing to say we can’t be creative; the coffee shop is going to require more than just coffee to turn a profit. At first, at least.

[Diversify, diversify.]

That’s a good point; one of the more glaring issues against the bar. Repurposing might be necessary in that case, which puts us at square one with that particular location.

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

We have the opportunity to introduce some new cuisine here. I won't be able to help, but I know people have different things where they come from that never existed here. We can use that market to our advantage.

@ignis.scientia

[cheffeur]

Coffee shop, absolutely.

[HE'S BIASED ADMITTEDLY......]

It would, of course, require more up-front startup cost, but would also require less labor and manpower to upkeep. From what I've seen, the markup on the beverages that would be sold there is also quite high, which could lead to increased profit margins.

I'd be willing to do what I can to assist, regardless.

[saviorexe]

Thank you, Ignis. As I stated, we would need all the help we could get, whichever location we choose.

There are a few proponents of choosing the hoverbike repair shop. What’s your argument against that, out of curiosity?

@anonymous

[wiccant]

I know I'm new so I don't have much experience outside the safehouse and what to expect outside of it, but:

I think the coffee shop might be the best bet? People have had difficulties sustaining business before, doesn't mean every person who starts one up there is going to.

The hoverbike shop doesn't seem like a safe location, considering the area it's in, and with the amount of people coming in and out of the sports bar, I'd be more concerned with someone stumbling in and finding the safehouse. Drunk people pull off crazy things sometimes.

And I don't know the legal drinking age here? But I know back home, I'm below it and there are a few others I've seen who definitely are, too. Might be suspicious for some underage kids coming and going from a bar.

@daisy.johnson

[evite]

just because you're new doesn't mean you don't have something to contribute
thanks for showing up

[ she's weirdly emotional today, leave her alone ]

i do agree on the drunk people doing stupid shit front, though

@keith.kogane

[secondnature]

Why are we ruling out the hoverbike shop? I've read what everyone's said, but it looks like we can control our traffic more there.

I don't know how to run a business. I don't even know if we should, but if we do, it should be a thing that doesn't require a constant flow of money.

[batricide]

[ FUCK. ]

For once we're in agreement.

@hafid.alghul

[batricide]

From the descriptions I have some thoughts.

SPORTS BAR — Sounds promising, but people may wonder why individuals come out and don't leave for days at a time if they're paying mind.

HOVERBIKE SHOP — In my experience the poor don't care about the goings on of businesses unless they're paid to. There's ample opportunity to pay them off and make allies. Given the area we're more likely to be accused of a drug den than a group of radicals. This is my preferred option.

COFFEE SHOP — This seems like a liability in all ways. I do not recommend using any location with upscale clientele. They're more likely to take notice of things being amiss and tell their friends, some of which may have eyes and ears in the wrong places. This only works out if you've got dirt on everyone around you and they're afraid of speaking out of turn.

I'd have to take a look myself.

@leo.fitz

[retravel]

A sensible analysis, Hafid. I agree with your points.
I'd say that the hoverbike shop carries the risk of being too quiet, even if the individuals frequenting the area are less inclined to pay attention. Markus' point about groups obviously coming and going here is a salient one.

Still, you're right that we could be mistaken as another entity entirely. Branding is a consideration for all of these sites.

@connor.resnik, private

[cyberlife]

(first things first, the worried boyfriend routine:)

I hope you're pacing yourself, this is a lot to take on after there was a lot of hot debate the last time (sorry about that).

Can I do anything to help? Tally each vote for you?

permaprivate

[saviorexe]

[As always, the concern is appreciated; and as always, Markus doesn't believe it's truly necessary.]

Nothing that I can't handle, I think. So far everyone's managing to stay on task and civil. Thank you, though.

It might be helpful to keep an eye on just what the prevailing opinion is. It's a little too early right now, but... at some point, we need to turn all of this into a coherent plan to approach Gaby with.

@connor.resnik

[cyberlife]

I'm personally interested in the sports bar the most, as the amount of foot traffic would come with extra eyes but more people to blend with - so long as people are careful about trickling in instead of arriving in larger groups, I'd think it doable.

The coffee shop seems like the next best option, but everyone would have to be on their best behaviour in the financial district. Where there's money, there's security, and there'd be far more scrutiny.

In essence, I agree with Hafid's breakdown.

(no one ever expected to see this from connor, but there it is. they're astute observations.)

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

Discussions are looking good, but while we're debating which is the better option, we also need a sense of how viable this is in the first place. An idea of who would be willing to work on this in any capacity would be useful.

People willing/able to provide:

- financial backing
- time working in whatever front we set up
- time working in the safehouse proper

As Markus says, we're not going to be able to pull this off without operating together. And we need to start planning for that now, even if it's only in the vaguest sense. I'll also be focusing my time on making this happen, but it's not something a few people can manage alone.

I would like to stress the importance of looking at these locations as business ventures. Of course assessing the security of each is important, but they wouldn't have been offered to us if Morningstar hadn't considered them all to be workable potentials, and if we were just looking for somewhere safe, there are plenty of abandoned buildings in the city that would be both more straightforward and offer less risk than establishing a cover.

What we need is income and the possibility of self-reliance going forward. We're not always going to be able to rely on external support.

@rey.nolo

[forcevisions]

Caf is a riskier venture than a garage. It's more expensive to get our hands on and then turn around and sell. Fixing things is selling labor; that's cheap.

@kylo.ren

[warfares]

There are advantages as well as risks to hiding in plain sight.

And while I'd personally prefer the hoverbike shop, it is a business that would require a particular skill set to maintain it with any sort of competence. Similarly with the coffee shop, I expect ㅡ which has both the advantage and disadvantage of being in a higher profile area.

@rey.nolo

[forcevisions]

We have plenty of people who could do the work.

@jughead.jones

[drivein]

[ sadly, none of them are a diner, but he very surprisingly has some kind of experience with this. ]

Look, we've got some flexibility here. That's where these businesses used to be, but we don't have to follow that exact plan. Just beause something was a coffee house doesn't mean we have to make it a coffee house. It could be a diner. [ there he goes. ] Or something else entirely.

As cliche as it sounds, bars are a good bet. They have regulars, people get too drunk to remember what happened the night before, and they've got an excuse to stay away from the cops. No one cares about weird hours, and hey, if anyone shows up at a sporting event, we're already there.

That's just one opinion, but we should think of this as a whole chessboard rather than just a piece of it. Be creative.

@keith.kogane

[secondnature]

What if we turned the garage into a bar?

@prom.argentum

[mercurio]

markus... good luck

personally i'm okay with whichever choice we all end up putting our efforts into
i think it's a matter of what's easiest to kick start and which one will give us quicker financial independence without having to wait ages to break even

marketing costs are also a real thing to be considered
i offer to help out with any social media stuff like pictures or videos or whatever

maybe if we can get some faces linked to the project because of their connection to social media? like i know tommy mentioned something about wanting to use social medial here to become influential as his job or w/e.. it could be a good marketing strat although i think it'd work best for a coffee shop turned diner turned whatever type of hybrids been mentioned

just my two crowns on the matter

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

[ there's no like button, so: ]

👍

[ +1ing and thread tracking for dad men ]

@anonymous

[arkproject]

I'm putting in my two cents for the hoverbike shop so I can build assistive robots without drawing a lot of attention.

Though, really, I'll be trying to do that no matter where we end up, it'd just be easier there. And let me know what kinds of things you all think we would need -- I haven't been here long, but I want to contribute.

Oh-- since this isn't showing my ID yet... By the way, I'm Catherine!

@leo.fitz

[retravel]

[ on the one hand: hello, robotics. on the other: oh, god, robotics. ]

Hi Catherine. Fitz here.
Is that your specialty? Robotics?

@yalena.yardeen

[motivation]

i like bars

[ quality opinion, right there ]

probably less scrutiny near the stadium than in the financial district, too, from a strategic perspective

[saviorexe]

Less security than in the financial district, as well. That's consistently been one of the main arguments here.

@katelin.philips

[covertness]

honestly, the sports bar or the coffee shop sound the most sensible to me, but i don't have strong opinions on the matter either way

[saviorexe]

Is there a reason why you don't think the garage is as sensible as the other two?