venice ♔ oh this town kills you when you're young

[rationalizes]

♬ Shoreline - Anna Ternheim

WHO || Gar, Kat, Myri, Buffy [Closed]
WHAT || Team Failboat investigates Angelo Nassi
WHERE || Venice, Italy; Notturno club
WHEN || July 6, evening.
HOW || Actionspam; SINGLE THREAD

It's a breathtaking evening in Venice.  Lights reflect off the canals that serve as the main thoroughfares of 'traffic' and happy tourists and locals amble about the streets, shopping, chatting, or just taking in the quiet air.   It's a pleasant 70 degrees and cooling for the night as the Knights make their way to the building labelled Notturno: the venue owned by Angelo Nassi, who they've come to question about the activities of Chad Becksworth and NOVA Records, hoping for a lead that will connect back to the Talisman they seek.

Dumage elects to do some 'digging' around the city in order to find out more information on the gnoll, so it's left to the four other girls to take on the task alone.  Gar once again makes sure to warn both Buffy and Myri of the potential perils of discussing their "Shadowkind" nature: here in Italy, there's a strong amount of prejudice against non-humans, or those from another world.

The club itself is located right off the river, which they enter through a winding alley after taking a vaporetto  from their hotel.   Gar heads up to the ticket booth when they enter the lobby, but comes back frowning.

"It seems they've sold out for tonight's performance," she says in a quiet murmur, casting a look over her shoulder as patrons move past, dressed in fancywear and conversing pleasantly.  "And they said we can't get inside without tickets." 

Comments

[witchwoman]

[Myri fails with a 14, so consider her a shrinking violet right about now.]

But we-

We... we heard...

[Yeah no that thought isn't completing.]

[rationalizes]

[ gar doesn't seem afraid either. this ain't her first gnoll rodeo. ]

We have it on good authority that you in fact sold samples of your genetic tissue to agents of NOVA Records. A strange transaction for a record company to be making, don't you agree?

[ despite her insistent tone, he just grins, which is awfully freaky with that mouthful of razor sharp teeth.

"Stranger still for somebody to show up on my doorstep asking about it." ]

[slay]

[ with a will save of 18, buffy just squares her shoulders and narrows her gaze, the opposite of intimidated. ]

Yeah, well, we didn't come all the way to your doorstep just to get told you don't know anything about it. What did NOVA want with your DNA?

[shootfirst]

[ "That's none of your business. Now how bout you fine ladies scram before I have to call security?" He reaches out to where his diamond topped pimp cane leans against the desk beside him, grabbing on to the top of it and leaning forward slightly. "I don't know who let you back here, but they're gonna get an earful."

In one ridiculously smooth motion, Kat's foot catches the door and yanks it closed, and as it slams, she slips her gun out of its concealed holster, leveling it right at the gnoll, who freezes in place, but doesn't stop grinning, though it adopts a more dangerous edge. ]

Better idea. How about you talk and we don't have to make a mess here?

[ gar's eyes widen, and she mutters "Kat" under her breath in disbelief but angelo just keeps staring at the blonde, beyond the barrel of the gun.

"Just who are you broads, anyways?" ]

[witchwoman]

[Seeing Kat in control makes Myri slightly less nervous. She steps closer.]

You should know that she's serious. [She gestures to Kat] I haven't known her long, but long enough to know that she's not exactly... patient.

[rationalizes]

[ gar nods, adding her own attempt at menace. it is... slightly effective. ] I have known her long. And I can attest that nothing would make her happier than you giving her an excuse to fire.

[ the gnoll looks between each of them in turn, and then raises his left hand in a gesture of surrender as he slowly gets to his feet, still holding the cane.

"Fine, fine. You want to know what NOVA wanted with my DNA? Something about experiments. That's all I know, swear to the gods." ]

[slay]

[ buffy eyes the can warily, taking a step forward. ] How about you put that cane down and tell me what kind of experiments? [ yeah, that's not good enough for buffy, whose sense motive check is 25. and a cane can be a weapon and she doesn't like him having it as he gets up in his surender. ]

[shootfirst]

[ his grin turns straight up feral, and abruptly he depresses two points on the side, and a wicked looking hilt springs upwards, as a thin sword comes springing out of the top of the cane sheath. angelo brings the sword around in one quick movement, right up towards kat's extended gun arm, but she yanks it out of the way just in time and the sword cuts through air instead. ]

Sonuvabitch!

[witchwoman]

[Myri's fast to act, trying to use the beast's own fear tactics against him. She casts a spell to fill him with a feeling of dread, but unfortunately, his willpower manages to win out.

Darn.]

[slay]

Okay, that's it. See, I only ask nice the first time. Welcome to the hard way. [ she vaults over the desk to swing a kick at his hand and knock his cane-sword away, grabbing it as she lands beside the desk and leveling the blade at him while she straightens back up (atk 28, dmg. ] I'm gonna ask you again. What kind of experiments is NOVA doing with Shadowkind DNA? [ intimidate check 9. she can't help it. no matter how badass the disarm, she's 5'3" and a buck ten soaking wet. ]

[shootfirst]

[ his shoulders slump as he glares between these blondes pointing weapons at him.

"I told you, I don't know. I needed the cash, and Becksworth approached me with the offer. Said it was revolutionary stuff. Medical. I figured it was for a good cause." he shrugs. "What do you care?"

kat glares back at him, before frowning and looking at the others. ]

I think he's telling the truth.

[witchwoman]

We care because we think they're using it against those like you.

[Because even when she's talking to someone who just tried to stab them, Myri tries to connect.]

And we want to put a stop to it.

[rationalizes]

[ the gnoll grinds his teeth for a moment, eyeing myri warily.

"You have some kind of proof of that?" ]

Not yet. But that's what we're attempting to find. If there's anything further you can tell us, Mr. Nassi, it could save lives.

[ He shakes his head.

"That's all they told me. I didn't think to ask anymore. Chad Becksworth has Shadowkind in his employ. I figured a guy like that would be on our side." ]

[slay]

[ sense motive 14. she doesn't lower the weapon, suspicious. something isn't adding up here. ]

A guy like you doesn't need cash. If you really don't know anything, why the jump to violence?

[shootfirst]

[ actually, he seems to be telling the truth??? wacky. but he does scowl and add:

"You clearly have no idea what things are like in this town. People start asking questions about what you're doing, it's only a short time before you wind up dead or worse." He rolls his shoulders, and cracks his neck, glancing over their brandished weapons. "And don't act like you know what I need. How do you think a guy like me operates a legitimate business in Italy? I'm paying out my ass to every mob shill, government spook, and terrorist hate group who looks my way. And I still gotta watch my back in case somebody shows up at my door waving a freaking gun at me." He shoots Kat a glare, and she sort of lowers her weapon, as well as her eyes, sufficiently chastised. ]

If it's that bad, why don't you just move?

[ He rolls his big ol' hyena eyes at the suggestion. "I got family here. And more than that, it's about making a stand. We let 'em start just runnin' us off with their scare tactics, it ain't gonna stop here in Italy. It'll reach us, wherever we go hiding." ]

[witchwoman]

[gdi, Myri is relating too much to this guy's story. She can tell that Kat is getting the idea to not be so brash, but she's not so sure about Buffy... And since Buffy is the one voted Most Likely to Kill Someone With Her Bare Hands, she steps over to her friend, hoping to be a quiet and calming presence for... well, everyone.]

Sometimes you just get tired of running.

[slay]

[ sympathetic, she lowers the cane-sword slowly, sparing a glance at myri and catching that look of over-identification on her face. she purses her lips a little and then shifts her grip on the sword to hand it back to him by the hilt. ]

Know anyone else who needed the cash?

[rationalizes]

[ He shakes his head, even as he grasps the end of the cane, and takes it back from Buffy, returning it to its sheath. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but this was a private deal they pitched at me when I was out in the States a few months back. I got no clue who else signed on, and even if I did, it ain't the kind of thing we'd go around chatting about. Sorry you came all this way for nothin'. Hope you at least got to enjoy the show." ]

No, we're sorry, Mr. Nassi, for our, er, poor manners. We'll see ourselves out. [ Gar draws the door open sheepishly and holds it. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri lingers for a moment, giving the gnoll a small, sympathetic smile and a nod before she turns to leave out the door Gar is holding open. At least they were able to get through that without a fight.]

[slay]

Thanks for your time. [ buffy gives a quick, thin-lipped smile and then backs off, turning away and heading out the door. she lingers in the hall, though, looking to kat and gar for direction. ] Back at square one.

[shootfirst]

Well, that was a bust. [ Kat slumps against the wall, arms folded. ] Didn't even get to keep that sweet sword cane.

[rationalizes]

At least we've... learned a bit about where Chad Becksworth's interests lie. And that these people involved aren't all complicit with whatever he's experimenting with.

I truly thought this would be a more fruitful lead. I suppose there's... nothing more to be done than return to America.

[witchwoman]

[Myri is feeling kinda odd-man-out. Because NOT fighting is a success in her book.]

Mister Becksworth is involved with music, though, isn't he? [She turns to look back the way they originally came- back towards the stage.] Do you think the man... the singer? Would he know anything?

[shootfirst]

[ that is because myri is the best person here, clearly. kat follows her gaze, clearly having forgotten about all that. ]

Oh yeah. The Italian job. [ she looks to gar, and shrugs ] We do have an invitation to dinner. Might be a good chance to subtly make with the asking if he's ever had anything to do with Nova.


[ because kat is a master of subtle ]

[slay]

Let's not leave the subtlety to you, huh? [ it's accompanied by a good-natured smile at least as she glances at kat. ] But, it's a good plan. I mean, we're here anyway. Might as well see if there's something to make it worth our while.