knightsoflegend | chicago ♔ give them all that they can drink and it will never be enough

[Dimitri does exactly what Rose expects, taking rear guard and entering the bar from further back, as if he's not with the other two. He doesn't speak, instead doing his usual checks of the building, looking around for any suspicious characters while locating all of the exits and listening for anything odd or useful. (Bluff 9, Spot 21, Listen 19)]

[ rose is a natural at sliding into the bar scene, but something about dimitri's intimidating bodyguard presence really sticks out here. luckily, other than a few sidelong looks, no one seems too interested in the newcomers, too busy going about nursing their own drinks or having muttered side conversations. both of them would hear quiet chatter here and there about the 'murders' that seems to be buzz over exactly what they're looking into.

they'd also hear some guy with a deep voice in a booth on the phone saying in a frustrated voice: "It's been a whole freaking week and nobody's got a lead on this ultimate monster of yours. But somebody's snacking on all these hunters, and it sounds like our guy. ... I don't know, but I kinda enjoy keeping all my blood inside my body, so you're gonna have to forgive me for playin' this one safe. If he's as big and bad as they say--"

they're cut off by the sound of the bartender addressing adrian in a familiar, albeit not very fond manner. ]

Look who's back. [ he nods at the others and adds wryly: ] Hope your friends don't share your penchant for ringing up tabs they can't exactly pay off.

Oh yay. A bar. [The driest of tones. Someone misses the castle where champagne at parties is not hard to come by and it isn't illegal for her to buy cigarettes, okay. But, lo and behold, if it isn't a 15 foot Russian bear walking in. (Spot 14, but seriously, he is huge.) Besides, if she can't flirt her way to a drink then kill her right then and there.

But don't.

She follows, somewhat impatiently, and instead of waiting for Eric to say something, like a plan, marches right up to Dimitri -- he is in the rear, okay, he's closest, and lets be frank, Lila doesn't give a shit about 99.8% of people, so whatever to the rest of the world -- and clears her throat loudly, twirling a strand of hair absently around her gloved fingers. Attend to her, peasants. ]

Buy me a drink, Belikov? Call if proof of life. [Yeah, she caught that last part. (Listen 19)]

[Dimitri isn't particularly surprised that another third of their little investigation ended up here, too. If anything, that's good. It means they're probably on the right track. The conversation he picks from the guy on the phone only further adds to that. It seems this Moroi wasn't kidding about this being a hunter hang-out.]

Hello, Lila.

[Though he looks somewhat amused, even if he doesn't quite smile. Buying drinks is something they'll have to do to fit in, anyway.

So he orders a round of cranberry vodka's for everyone, holding the cranberry for himself. And yes, he can totally pay for it with his shiny credit card.]

What did you find?

[Adrian gives Robin a personally offended look.] I'm hurt. Just because I may have failed to pay a few times doesn't mean that I'll continue to do so. [But Robin is saved from having vampire magic shoved in his face by Dimitri buying a round. So he just looks smug. This is more like it.

He does lean over toward to Rose to mutter:]

How rich is your friend?

[Rose is trying to catch more of the phone conversation but even her Dhampir hearing can't help when too many people are talking around her at once, a mild look of irritation that only seems to grow when she realizes they have company. Not that company is a problem in general, more the fact that one of the company appears to be flirting with Dimitri. Luckily for all, Adrian's predicament takes priority.]

That depends. How much do you owe exactly? [A hint of amusement in her tone.]

[ the bartender pipes back up: ] Enough for me to retire comfortably on, almost.

[Rose levels Adrian with a look.] Oh I hope for your sake that he's joking.

[With a sigh and a shake of her head she reaches into her pocket, pulling out a shiny credit card that appears identical to the one Dimitri had handed over early, Rose holding it out between to fingers.]

I'll cover his tab. [Pulling the card back.] If you'll agree to answer a few questions for me.

You and your friends really don't understand how commerce works, do you? [ he sighs and folds his arms ] Lucky for you, answering questions is also part of the job.

[Well this is boring as all get out. So... Lila will just be over here, sipping her drink -- thanks Dimitri, being bored and half paying attention until something snaps her out of her boredom. She really doesn't care about some dude's bar tab and the questions haven't started yet.

She at least looks like she's paying attention. (Bluff 22)]

[He clinks his glass against Lila's to grab her attention, which he assumes is on the interrogation.]

You never did answer my question.

[About what they found. Rose can handle questioning the bartender.]

Edited 2013-06-04 01:29 (UTC)

What? Oh sorry. [Distracted by alcohol. She flashes him a smile and shrugs a little, digging around in her pocket for a pen and pulling a bar napkin toward herself. She starts doodling on it while she answers him.]

Well it turns out Aurelius isn't just around to be eye candy, he's cute and useful, I'm just surrounded by men like you. [If she's flirting now its only because it seems to annoy Rose.] Our crime scene was spotless, they totally knew what they were doing and they picked the girl on purpose. And, we found this. [One more scribble and she holds up the napkin, now with a vague estimation of the symbol on the wall. She's not an artist, but it's recognizable enough as the one both groups found. (Craft: Visual Arts 16)]

Do you know what it is?

[Because she does! And she looks excited to tell him all about it.]

Lucky you.

[He says with amusement, though his gaze still managed to be completely serious. He watches her draw with interest, and he recognizes it before she even completes the image.

He shakes his head 'no.']

I don't, though I saw the same symbol painted in blood above the remnants of the crime scene we investigated.

This is why I've always said you're the best bartender. [Adrian beams, raising his vodka cranberry in a salute. He loves when things work out in his favor.]

Oh he's not a friend. [She scoffs, refocusing on the bartender.]

The Hunters that come in here? You hear them talking about anything new in town since those bodies started showing up?

Its the symbol of the Mind Flayers, who worship this creepy ass god whose name I can't remember. Ills-something-or-other. [She looks to Eric like halp! but snaps her fingers and remembers before he or Aurelius can actually help.] Illsensine!

[...that might've been a little louder than she meant it to be.]

[♬ red right hand - arctic monkeys

sylar's spent enough time around the block to blend naturally into the bar scene, like a fox with a decently made chicken suit. (bluff 17) he's been here awhile — not "hey buddy do you even have a home to go back to"-awhile, but he didn't just show up, either. although he has his own deets he's been on the lookout for, his attention can't help but be piqued by the conversations going on at our intrepid heroes' end of the bar. he orchestrates the whole thing to look entirely coincidental, like all he'd planned to do was get up from his corner table and get another drink.]

Hit me. [he slides his glass over to the bartender, then looks over at rose.]

Terrible, isn't it?

[Dimitri is about to tell her to keep her voice down when the voice of the newcomer brings his attention back to Rose and the man talking to her.

You sure can bet he's giving him several once-overs, buddy, because your timing seems pretty shady.

(Sense Motive 21)]

[With a Sense Motive of 7, Rose was about ready to buy the ~~homicidal maniac~~ nice man a drink, head turning to acknowledge him, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a small smile.]

Hard to know what's worse. The dead people or how they apparently died.

[Hoping to see if he'll elaborate. (Gather Info 14 or Cha Check 12?)]

[all sylar cares about rn is figuring out exactly what and how much they know, so if anything he prob just comes off as a little too nosy to dimitri.]

Mm. So many Shadowkind, too. [he shakes his head.] But don't let me interrupt.

[Lila's sense motive of 26 means she is just judging the hell out of this guy. Maybe because she's a little annoyed she was quasi-interrupted.]

Except for the part where you already did. [And gently ingratiated himself in the conversation with such minuscule knowledge, that is still fairly important. Were they all Shadowkind?]

[ as robin pours sylar his drink and passes it across, he looks across the large gathered group. ] Shadowkind or people who were never exactly normal. [ he shrugs ] That part's pretty common knowledge right now. But it's not all of them - the activity's drawn more hunters than we can house in here through town, but they seem to be getting offed as quickly as they're streaming in. Someone's not happy about the traffic. [ he nods at lila's napkin ] One guess as to who. Everybody around here knows who that symbol belongs to.

The Corsone Syndicate.

[Well who doesn't just light up like the Fourth of July. Protip: it's Lila and she leans right up against the bar.]

A crime family?

[ as eric frowns in her direction, robin nods, working on another drink ] The crime family. As of the last few years, doesn't get any bigger, in this town.

Someone should probably go talk to them, if they're clearing out the hunters all by themselves then they must have all the information right at their fingertips.

[And leaving their little symbol at the sites is practically an invitation. Lila continues calmly though that hint of excitement is still there.]

Of course, that someone should probably have experience in that field. If they're the big player in town and all, you can't just send in someone that doesn't know the etiquette. [Diplomacy 29, she is just actively trying to sell this idea. She can build on the basics later.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject