rome ♔ watch your worlds fade to black

[behindcloseddoors]

♬ three in the morning - homestuck

WHO || Alanna, Kate, Bo, Rose [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a strange series of fires
WHERE || Rome, Italy
WHEN || Jan 15th, evening, almost 6pm [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The Knights arrive at the scene of the fire several hours after the fact.  It's clearly gutted the building, located in a commercial district of Rome.  Only one fire truck remains, along with several police cruisers and a van marked 'Arson Investigation Unit' in Italian.  The police team seems hard at work combing over the scene.

A small sign in Italian hangs half-legible over the door.  Though the fire is out, the building still smolders, even as water drips from the blackened timbers and stone.  

Comments

Flight Threads

[behindcloseddoors]

[ please place any threads that take place on the flight here. flight time is 2.5 hours. ]

ota

[killmypatience]

[Kate settles on her seat on the plan, reading up on the news reports regarding the fires. It's more than likely that there's information missing, but the more they know going in, the better. She also may glance over at her teammates every once in while, because out of all of them, the only one she knows is Bo, and even then it isn't that well.

There is something about being part of a team that she likes, though. Possibly that she's even missed, but she has no idea why.]

On the Scene

[behindcloseddoors]

[ a woman steps out to greet them as they approach, with caramel skin, brown eyes, and long, fine black hair. she has a flat nose and a softly shaped jaw and is dressed in a dark pantsuit. ]

Simone Billox, Chief Arson Investigator.

[ she holds out a hand in greeting. ] Are you the... special unit requested? [ the hesitation seems to be in case anyone is listening in, given the glance over her shoulder. apparently she's the only one in on the Knights' real identity here. ]

[killmypatience]

[Kate's instinct is to take the lead, why she isn't entirely sure, but it feels right so she goes with it. Even if she is a squire and should probably let the senior knights do it. Oh well.

She's basically all business, though, so she doesn't give it much of a second thought as she nods and reaches to shake the arson investigator's hand.]

Kate Beckett. We got here as soon as we could.

[behindcloseddoors]

You'll have to forgive me, if I ask for some identification? Just to make certain you're from the... Karther Institute.

[trebond]

Of course. [ alanna will pull out her id and the credit card provided by the knights idk does that have a logo or something on it and hand them over. simone is an upstanding lady ok she's not worried about her identity being stolen here. ] Our leader said you had observed a pattern in the fires. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

[littledhampir]

[Rose too flashes her ID, hanging back given this sort of thing really wasn't her strength though she had been mulling over Wynn's words and already had a theory... it just seemed too stupid/early to share so she'll be at the back listening in and pretending she understands half of what's being said.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ simone seems satisfied and nods ]

I have to admit... I'm baffled. I've been investigating fires for thirty years, but I've never seen anything like this. I didn't know what to do, so I called Lieutenant Dioli to see if she had anyone who could help... and was directed to your, erm, employer.

The start points of the fire appear to be the interior surfaces of the walls. The ignition points are lined up straight, from one wall to the next, as though a large fire source had just moved straight on through the building, starting from the back. And we haven't found any trace of an accelerant anywhere. Come have a look.

[ she motions for them to follow her into the remains of the building - but at that moment, an assistant approaches and says something in Italian. simone translates. ]

They found a security tape in the back room that was undamaged - miraculously. There's something on there they want me to see. We may as well all see it together. Come on.

[ with that, she moves into the building ]

The Grocer's

[littledhampir]

[Thanks to Rose's Nav Check of 17, the group manages to end up at the Grocer's and not picking coins out of the Trevi Fountain.

She parks the car several blocks up from the Grocer's just to play it safe, letting it idle as she turns to the rest of the group.]

Shame we don't have Tia. She could have mind-whammied us so I could still check things out. [But anyway.] Try not to have too much fun without me.

[Read: Save the fighting for when Rose is around cause that's the part she likes about being with the Knights. Otherwise, she'll be out here waiting for them to return, or for something to happen.]

[succubestie]

[Actually, on the ride here, Bo had an idea. Which is usually code for not entirely smart and/or ethical, but she's probably going to do it anyway.]

How about this? Kate and Alanna, you two go in the front, do some talking, see what you can find out. Rose and I can check for a back entrance, and use your info gathering to do a little bit of the same of a different kind?

[Aka go through their shit. Besides, if anyone sees them she has...things she can do. <.<]

[trebond]

This store pays to the rogues we're after. I don't expect you'll find anything rifling through his office that we won't hear from his mouth. [ alanna pushes open the car door, shrugging as she does. ] But you're welcome to do it. Just know that if goes awry, we can't be connected to either of you, or this mission is lost.

[succubestie]

That's if they decide to talk at all.

[Which is debatable. You pay the Mafia and they usually expect you to keep quiet about it.]

[littledhampir]

Well... I'm Team Bo on this but, that's mostly because anything beats staying in the car.

[Lets be real. She would last five minutes in the car before she did a little solo snooping. Rose Hathaway sucked at sitting still.]

[trebond]

That settles it, then. We're your teammates, not your general. [ aka alanna is here for the adventure and that doesn't always equate responsibility. she forgot the time she learned that lesson. ] We'll meet back here when we're through.

TO THE BACK DOOR

[succubestie]

[While the other two ladies head inside, Bo and Rose head to the back of the building. Bo moves slowly, taking lead, and looking out for anyone who may be taking some kind of break back here (spot 25).]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the back alley is empty, filled with debris here and there, and an overflowing dumpster. graffiti in italian peppers the walls. bo would notice, however, that the back door is very slightly ajar, as if whoever pulled the heavy door behind them hadn't fully latched it. ]

[littledhampir]

[Rose's spot 26 probably has her noticing the same sort of things that Bo currently is, her eyebrow raising as her eyes settle on the open door, exchanging a silent look as she lifted her shoulder in a shrug.

Sure, it was a little too easy but it beat the hell out of a fight before they even had a chance to break in.

She motions to the door, hinting she plans to head on in if Bo's down.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ make listen checks too ladies, while you're at it~ ]

[succubestie]

[lol Arden you read my mind, aka her next move.

Bo holds a finger up to tell Rose to give her a minute, and she moves to the door, waiting just outside the door and listening inside. (Listen 23)]

[littledhampir]

[Rose stops, confused a moment before catching onto what Bo was doing, impatience to be doing something probably not helping on the eavesdrop front but she still tries to hear the sounds of movement inside (Listen 17) while waiting for Bo to give the greenlight.]

Chemright Inc.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ they arrive at the chemical plant after dark, in the heart of the city's industrial district. only one car is in evidence in the parking lot when they arrive. antonio dirisio sits in the backseat, frowning out the window at the dark building. the front door is visible, along with four windows along the front of the building. a large chemical tank is secured to the side of the building. ]

[trebond]

[ as the plant comes into view, alanna realizes just how out of her depth she is here. the tank itself is massive and disarming, but she can't imagine what fits in a building of that sort or what this plant is and why it would be targeted. kate, rose and bo, she's certain, have more extensive notions of this, but alanna bites her tongue. she'll just be further on her guard to account for the error. she leans over to gaze out the window. ]

It doesn't look particularly special. Why target such a building? [ the question is directed over her shoulder, at antonio in the backseat. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ antonio lolls his head back toward alanna, shrugging. ] The company's owner owe us a substantial amount of money for the protection we've afforded them. They've fallen behind enough that it was time to send a message they wouldn't soon forget.

[succubestie]

[Bo rolls her eyes.]

You do realize it's not protection if you're the ones they need to be protected from. I think the word you're looking for is threats.

[trebond]

[ alanna turns fully to raise an eyebrow at bo. gurl are you trying to save him from his life of crime because it's not going to happen. alanna pushes open the car door when it comes to a stop and just gets out - a rogue's a rogue. take him as he comes and get what information you need from him. catching and converting him isn't the mission they've been called for, so she climbs out of the car and begins to size up the building before them, pulling her sword out of the space in front of her seat and fixing it around her hips. #subtlety. ]