The Guitar Job
Wes Help Quest
Requirements
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Requirements
Danny: What’s up, Wes?
Wes: I need a favor, and I need it from someone who can be discreet. You in?
Danny: Uh, sure, I guess...
Danny: Just so I know, on a scale of 1 to grand theft auto, how sketchy is this going to be?
Wes: Relax, we’re not going to be stealing anything... Or blackmailing anyone... Or pulling any heists...
Danny: The longer this list gets, the more uncomfortable I feel...
Wes: I just need a ride, that’s all. There’s this pawn shop I need to hit up, but my truck’s in the shop. Can you help me out?
Requirements
You and Wes drive downtown...
Danny: So what’s so special about this pawn shop?
Wes: They have something I’ve been looking for, something I’ve been trying to track down for a while.
Danny: I fell like you answered my question by raising another, much bigger question...
Wes: It’s a guitar. A very special, very specific guitar.
Danny: Oh, I get it. Is this one of those Antiques Roadshow things where they think it’s just some plain old guitar, but you know it was actually owned by Taylor Swift and is worth a fortune?
Wes: ...something like that.
Time - 10 hours
You and Wes pull up outside of a shady-looking place called Pawn of the Dead.
Wes: You probably want to wait in the car. I’ll be right back.
Danny: You sure you want to go alone? That place looks like sketch-city...
Wes: Trust me, I’ve been to way worse. I can handle myself.
Wes heads inside...
A few minutes later, he comes back out, empty-handed, a furious look on his face...
Danny: Uh oh... they didn’t have it?
Wes: No. No, they did not. They had it this morning, but someone already bought it!
Danny: Does that mean you have to go buy a different guitar?
Wes: No. It’s got to be that one. I’ve been trying to track it down for years. And now I’m going to have to keep tracking it.
Danny: Do you know who bought it?
Wes: The clerk didn’t have the guy’s name. He just said the customer was a tall, blond man with a tattoo of a spider... There might be a way to track him down. But I’ll need some nerds to help me out. Let’s head back to campus...
Requirements
A little later, back on campus...
Danny: How’s it going?
Wes: Pretty good. I’ve got the nerds working hard analyzing all the security camera footage from the block and indexing it with the DMV database...
Danny: Is this legal?
Wes: Legal enough for the NSA, am I right? ...too soon?
Just then, Wes’s phone rings. He checks it.
Wes: And we’ve got a match! I know who bought the guitar!
Wes: The guitar was bought by a Jack Carver, who... Hmm. That’s not great.
Danny: What’s wrong?
Wes: Our friend Jack’s got quite a criminal record and some pretty shady ties. He lives down in Cooper’s Point.
Danny: Cooper’s Point? Isn’t that the place with all the muggings?
Wes: Yeah. If we’re going down there, we’re going to need to look like we shouldn’t be messed with. Can you find some tough people to roll with us?
Requirements
You, Wes, and your crew walk through Cooper’s Point. A few people eye you suspiciously, but no one says anything...
Wes: Just a little further...
You round a corner, where a blonde guy with a tattoo of a spider is hanging out. Wes walks over to talk to him. You and the others watch warily...
After a few minutes, Wes trudges back to the group.
Wes: Well, there’s good news and bad news. Good news is, he’s the guy that bought the guitar. Bad news is, he won’t give it up, even for a fair price.
Danny: What? Why not? Does the guitar have a dark and dangerous secret?
Wes: Actually... he bought it because he thinks it’ll help him get girls. And I don’t mean playing it. I mean, just standing on the street corner holding it. He thinks that’s all it takes.
Danny: So what do we do?
Wes: We convince him of the error of his ways, of course. I’ve got just the con for this. I’ll just need some people to help me pull it off...
Requirements
Wes: All right, we’ll be doing a hustle called the Cupid Shakedown. You know it?
Emily: Uh...
Sarah: ...I once did the Cupid Shuffle?
Wes: That’s okay, there’s a first con for everyone.
Danny: Is there, though?
Wes: Huddle up. I’ll tell you three the plan...
Time - 12 hours
A little while later, tough guy Jack Carver is hanging out on a street corner... when Danny, Sarah, and Emily approach him!
Danny: Excuse me? Sir?
Sarah: I’m sorry, we just have to ask... are you in a band?
Jack Carver: Uh, yeah, maybe...
Sarah: I just think guys in bands are so hot... don’t you, Emily?
Emily: Oh, they’re the hottest. When I find out a guy’s in a band, I just want to make out with him, like, then and there.
Jack Carver: Heh, oh really? Cuz, uh, I play guitar...
Sarah: Oh.
Emily: Yikes.
Jack Carver: What? What did I say?
Sarah: It’s just... guitarists? Not hot at all.
Emily: I’d never, EVER make out with a guitarist! Talk about gross and sleazy!
Sarah: Have you SEEN their finger calluses? Ick to the max. Maximum ick.
Jack Carver: What? Naw, that’s crazy! Girls love guitarists!
Sarah: Nope.
Emily: Not even a little.
Danny: You know what I heard girls like, though? A guy who plays the drums.
Jack Carver: Seriously?
Sarah: Oh, absolutely. There’s nothing hotter than seeing a drummer just go to town, all passionate and aggressive and sweaty...
Emily: Mmmm, drummers are the hottest...
Jack Carver: What?! Then why did I just buy this guitar? I wasted all that money...
Danny: Oh, I’m not sure that’s true. See, I happen to be in the market for a guitar...
A bit later, you meet up with Wes back on campus and hand him the guitar.
Danny: There you go.
Wes: I can’t thank you enough, Danny. After all these years... I finally got it back.
Wes turns the guitar over in his hands. It’s a plain, acoustic guitar with nothing particularly exceptional about it. On the back, you can see a pair of initials crudely carved: W.P. and M.P.
Danny: So are you going to tell me what’s so special about this thing? You went through so much trouble to get it...
Wes: Let’s just say that it’s going to make someone I care about very, very--
Wes is cut off by his phone ringing. He glances down and answers it.
Wes: Hello? Yes, this is him. I... What? Are you serious? What do you mean he didn’t get parole? No. No, there’s got to be some kind of mistake. There’s... no. No!
Wes angrily kicks over a trashcan and storms off.
Sarah: Uh... someone should probably check on him, right?
Requirements
You pull up to Wes’s house. It’s an old, worn-down trailer in the middle of the woods. You walk up to the door and knock. It swings open, revealing an almost entirely empty room. Wes sits alone in the middle of it, the guitar in his hands.
Wes: Danny. You really don’t want to be here right now.
Danny: You were pretty upset back there, Wes. I wanted to make sure you were okay.
Wes: I’m not.
Danny: Do you want to... I don’t know... talk about it?
Wes: Not really. But I get the feeling you’re not going to give me a choice.
Time - 16 hours
You sit down opposite Wes. He glances at you, then down at the guitar in his hands.
Danny: So... do you play?
Wes: I was trying to learn a long time ago. Not any more.
Danny: Why not?
Wes: Why? You couldn’t begin to understand.
Danny: How could you know if you don’t give me a chance?
Wes: A chance to what? To hear about how my childhood was incredibly rough? To hear that the day the state took me away from my parents was the best day of my life?
Danny: Wes...
Wes: My brother Matt... he was the only one who ever looked out for me. The only one who ever treated me like a human being. The happiest memories I have of my childhood are hanging out with him, singing along while he played on this guitar.
Danny: The phone call you got earlier about someone not getting parole... that was about your brother, wasn’t it?
Wes: He was my big brother. He tried to look out for me, even though he had it worse. He made some choices... bad choices... but he made them for me. And because of those choices, he got locked up. He was finally up for parole today.
Danny: You got the guitar to surprise him.
Wes: He pawned it right before he got put away, so I could have some money to get by. I’ve spent the last two years trying to track it back down. I figured it’d be the best way to surprise him. I figured he’d be so happy to see it. And he just got denied parole.
Danny: I’m so sorry, Wes...
Wes: Yeah, well, it was a dumb idea anyway, a sappy sentimental gesture that wouldn’t change anything. The only person who cares about me is locked away in a cage. And I’m stuck here holding this stupid guitar.
Danny: He’s not the only person who cares about you. It might be a small consolation... but you’ve got me. You’ve got Autumn. You’ve got a whole school full of people who care about you... People who will go out of their way to have your back when you need them. I don’t know much about your brother... but I think if he knew you had friends like that, he’d be happy.
Wes: ...heh. Yeah. He always had this crazy idea that I was too much of a loner, that I should let people into my life or something.
Danny: We’re here for you, Wes. We always will be.
Wes: Thanks, Danny. I know my brother will get out someday. Maybe even someday soon. And when he does... I’d like him to meet you.
Danny: I’d like that.
Wes stands up and shakes your hand.
Wes: Thanks for stopping by, Danny.
Danny: Any time.
A few minutes later, you walk out of Wes’s trailer, heading back towards your car... When you hear a soft twanging, the unmistakable sound of someone playing a guitar.
Danny: ...
- Have 1 Slacker Hangout
Danny: What’s up, Wes?
Wes: I need a favor, and I need it from someone who can be discreet. You in?
Danny: Uh, sure, I guess...
Danny: Just so I know, on a scale of 1 to grand theft auto, how sketchy is this going to be?
Wes: Relax, we’re not going to be stealing anything... Or blackmailing anyone... Or pulling any heists...
Danny: The longer this list gets, the more uncomfortable I feel...
Wes: I just need a ride, that’s all. There’s this pawn shop I need to hit up, but my truck’s in the shop. Can you help me out?
Requirements
- Danny
- Wes
You and Wes drive downtown...
Danny: So what’s so special about this pawn shop?
Wes: They have something I’ve been looking for, something I’ve been trying to track down for a while.
Danny: I fell like you answered my question by raising another, much bigger question...
Wes: It’s a guitar. A very special, very specific guitar.
Danny: Oh, I get it. Is this one of those Antiques Roadshow things where they think it’s just some plain old guitar, but you know it was actually owned by Taylor Swift and is worth a fortune?
Wes: ...something like that.
Time - 10 hours
You and Wes pull up outside of a shady-looking place called Pawn of the Dead.
Wes: You probably want to wait in the car. I’ll be right back.
Danny: You sure you want to go alone? That place looks like sketch-city...
Wes: Trust me, I’ve been to way worse. I can handle myself.
Wes heads inside...
A few minutes later, he comes back out, empty-handed, a furious look on his face...
Danny: Uh oh... they didn’t have it?
Wes: No. No, they did not. They had it this morning, but someone already bought it!
Danny: Does that mean you have to go buy a different guitar?
Wes: No. It’s got to be that one. I’ve been trying to track it down for years. And now I’m going to have to keep tracking it.
Danny: Do you know who bought it?
Wes: The clerk didn’t have the guy’s name. He just said the customer was a tall, blond man with a tattoo of a spider... There might be a way to track him down. But I’ll need some nerds to help me out. Let’s head back to campus...
Requirements
- Have 2 Nerds at Level 6+
- Have 2 Upgraded Nerd Hangouts
A little later, back on campus...
Danny: How’s it going?
Wes: Pretty good. I’ve got the nerds working hard analyzing all the security camera footage from the block and indexing it with the DMV database...
Danny: Is this legal?
Wes: Legal enough for the NSA, am I right? ...too soon?
Just then, Wes’s phone rings. He checks it.
Wes: And we’ve got a match! I know who bought the guitar!
Wes: The guitar was bought by a Jack Carver, who... Hmm. That’s not great.
Danny: What’s wrong?
Wes: Our friend Jack’s got quite a criminal record and some pretty shady ties. He lives down in Cooper’s Point.
Danny: Cooper’s Point? Isn’t that the place with all the muggings?
Wes: Yeah. If we’re going down there, we’re going to need to look like we shouldn’t be messed with. Can you find some tough people to roll with us?
Requirements
- Have 10 Classmates at Level 6+
You, Wes, and your crew walk through Cooper’s Point. A few people eye you suspiciously, but no one says anything...
Wes: Just a little further...
You round a corner, where a blonde guy with a tattoo of a spider is hanging out. Wes walks over to talk to him. You and the others watch warily...
After a few minutes, Wes trudges back to the group.
Wes: Well, there’s good news and bad news. Good news is, he’s the guy that bought the guitar. Bad news is, he won’t give it up, even for a fair price.
Danny: What? Why not? Does the guitar have a dark and dangerous secret?
Wes: Actually... he bought it because he thinks it’ll help him get girls. And I don’t mean playing it. I mean, just standing on the street corner holding it. He thinks that’s all it takes.
Danny: So what do we do?
Wes: We convince him of the error of his ways, of course. I’ve got just the con for this. I’ll just need some people to help me pull it off...
Requirements
- Danny
- A Level 4+ Girl Actor (Sarah)
- A Level 6+ Girl Classmate (Emily)
Wes: All right, we’ll be doing a hustle called the Cupid Shakedown. You know it?
Emily: Uh...
Sarah: ...I once did the Cupid Shuffle?
Wes: That’s okay, there’s a first con for everyone.
Danny: Is there, though?
Wes: Huddle up. I’ll tell you three the plan...
Time - 12 hours
A little while later, tough guy Jack Carver is hanging out on a street corner... when Danny, Sarah, and Emily approach him!
Danny: Excuse me? Sir?
Sarah: I’m sorry, we just have to ask... are you in a band?
Jack Carver: Uh, yeah, maybe...
Sarah: I just think guys in bands are so hot... don’t you, Emily?
Emily: Oh, they’re the hottest. When I find out a guy’s in a band, I just want to make out with him, like, then and there.
Jack Carver: Heh, oh really? Cuz, uh, I play guitar...
Sarah: Oh.
Emily: Yikes.
Jack Carver: What? What did I say?
Sarah: It’s just... guitarists? Not hot at all.
Emily: I’d never, EVER make out with a guitarist! Talk about gross and sleazy!
Sarah: Have you SEEN their finger calluses? Ick to the max. Maximum ick.
Jack Carver: What? Naw, that’s crazy! Girls love guitarists!
Sarah: Nope.
Emily: Not even a little.
Danny: You know what I heard girls like, though? A guy who plays the drums.
Jack Carver: Seriously?
Sarah: Oh, absolutely. There’s nothing hotter than seeing a drummer just go to town, all passionate and aggressive and sweaty...
Emily: Mmmm, drummers are the hottest...
Jack Carver: What?! Then why did I just buy this guitar? I wasted all that money...
Danny: Oh, I’m not sure that’s true. See, I happen to be in the market for a guitar...
A bit later, you meet up with Wes back on campus and hand him the guitar.
Danny: There you go.
Wes: I can’t thank you enough, Danny. After all these years... I finally got it back.
Wes turns the guitar over in his hands. It’s a plain, acoustic guitar with nothing particularly exceptional about it. On the back, you can see a pair of initials crudely carved: W.P. and M.P.
Danny: So are you going to tell me what’s so special about this thing? You went through so much trouble to get it...
Wes: Let’s just say that it’s going to make someone I care about very, very--
Wes is cut off by his phone ringing. He glances down and answers it.
Wes: Hello? Yes, this is him. I... What? Are you serious? What do you mean he didn’t get parole? No. No, there’s got to be some kind of mistake. There’s... no. No!
Wes angrily kicks over a trashcan and storms off.
Sarah: Uh... someone should probably check on him, right?
Requirements
- Danny
- Wes
You pull up to Wes’s house. It’s an old, worn-down trailer in the middle of the woods. You walk up to the door and knock. It swings open, revealing an almost entirely empty room. Wes sits alone in the middle of it, the guitar in his hands.
Wes: Danny. You really don’t want to be here right now.
Danny: You were pretty upset back there, Wes. I wanted to make sure you were okay.
Wes: I’m not.
Danny: Do you want to... I don’t know... talk about it?
Wes: Not really. But I get the feeling you’re not going to give me a choice.
Time - 16 hours
You sit down opposite Wes. He glances at you, then down at the guitar in his hands.
Danny: So... do you play?
Wes: I was trying to learn a long time ago. Not any more.
Danny: Why not?
Wes: Why? You couldn’t begin to understand.
Danny: How could you know if you don’t give me a chance?
Wes: A chance to what? To hear about how my childhood was incredibly rough? To hear that the day the state took me away from my parents was the best day of my life?
Danny: Wes...
Wes: My brother Matt... he was the only one who ever looked out for me. The only one who ever treated me like a human being. The happiest memories I have of my childhood are hanging out with him, singing along while he played on this guitar.
Danny: The phone call you got earlier about someone not getting parole... that was about your brother, wasn’t it?
Wes: He was my big brother. He tried to look out for me, even though he had it worse. He made some choices... bad choices... but he made them for me. And because of those choices, he got locked up. He was finally up for parole today.
Danny: You got the guitar to surprise him.
Wes: He pawned it right before he got put away, so I could have some money to get by. I’ve spent the last two years trying to track it back down. I figured it’d be the best way to surprise him. I figured he’d be so happy to see it. And he just got denied parole.
Danny: I’m so sorry, Wes...
Wes: Yeah, well, it was a dumb idea anyway, a sappy sentimental gesture that wouldn’t change anything. The only person who cares about me is locked away in a cage. And I’m stuck here holding this stupid guitar.
Danny: He’s not the only person who cares about you. It might be a small consolation... but you’ve got me. You’ve got Autumn. You’ve got a whole school full of people who care about you... People who will go out of their way to have your back when you need them. I don’t know much about your brother... but I think if he knew you had friends like that, he’d be happy.
Wes: ...heh. Yeah. He always had this crazy idea that I was too much of a loner, that I should let people into my life or something.
Danny: We’re here for you, Wes. We always will be.
Wes: Thanks, Danny. I know my brother will get out someday. Maybe even someday soon. And when he does... I’d like him to meet you.
Danny: I’d like that.
Wes stands up and shakes your hand.
Wes: Thanks for stopping by, Danny.
Danny: Any time.
A few minutes later, you walk out of Wes’s trailer, heading back towards your car... When you hear a soft twanging, the unmistakable sound of someone playing a guitar.
Danny: ...