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

[behindcloseddoors]

[ voices drift out from the crack in the door, audible to both women, but they're speaking in italian. it seems to be two men, one of whom speaks in a calmly menacing demeanor as the other, an older man, protests, clearly intimidated and trying to offer excuses to placate the first. after a moment there's a crash, and they hear the old man wail, not from injury, but outraged dismay. ]

[succubestie]

[Oh, well, this isn't going to take long for Bo to...completely break away from the plan. Hopefully Rose is ready for this.

At the sound of the old man's outcry, Bo...walks up to the door and...kicks it open.

Hey, if it's not locked, and anyone can hear this from the street, then she's not breaking in or doing anything wrong, right?]

Is there a problem here!?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ it sure looks like it. the old italian guy who must run the store is braced against a counter, knuckles white, staring in horror at a tough with a baseball bat who just smashed in a TV screen. watching all this with a calm, tough guy in charge demeanor is a handsome young man in a suit, smoking a cigarette like it ain't no thang. they all look up immediately, and the store owner looks even more frightened somehow, as if being caught in the midst of this is even worse than having it happen.

the man in the suit takes a drag and then flicks his cigarette at the old man's feet, before answering in english. ]

No problems at all. We were just concluding our business here. [ he snaps two fingers like he's calling a dog, and starts towards the door where bo is ]

[littledhampir]

[Admittedly... Rose was already thinking along the same lines as Bo, but she feels like it should somewhere be stated on record, that she was not in fact the one to go in guns blazing...

She just happily followed, appearing behind Bo's shoulder as the man approached, her head tilts to one side and she levels him with a glare, as if to say; Oh please. I dare you. [Intimidate; Nat MF 20. Because of course Rose would roll that now instead of when she's IDK, hitting somebody...]

Really? Maybe we can help then.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the man in the suit stops dead in his tracks as rose glowers at him, staring back at her with slightly widened eyes, before shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. he reaches into his pocket and removes a fine italian leather wallet. ] What would you say that TV was worth, Louis?

[ louis, the squat man with the bat, looks surprised, and glances between its remains and his boss, saying: ] Uh... can't be more than 100.

[ james dean yanks out a bill and steps over to the grocer, keeping one eye very deliberately on rose as he slips it into the shaking man's breast pocket, and pats it. ] For your trouble.

[succubestie]

Now why don't you let the poor man walk away back into the store. Because he's not the one in trouble anymore.

[That would be you two shady motherfuckers. (Intimidate 24) Her eyes flash blue because, frankly, bully's piss her off.]

[littledhampir]

Oh and uh - don't forget to give him something for his emotional distress while you're at it.

[Rose doesn't even know what that means exactly but she's recently discovered Judge Judy.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ james dean motions to the door that leads back into the main floor of the store, sullenly, and the short guy opens it with a scowl, allowing the confused grocer to glance nervously between them all and head back out that way. as the door swings closed behind him, dean sizes them up, not making another move to leave. ]

I'm sure there has to be some way we can resolve this to everyone's advantage, ladies.

[succubestie]

Sure. You can stay right there and answer some questions for me like a good boy.

[She smiles, though it's anything but sweet, as she approaches him.]

And your buddy can kindly put that bat down.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he stares at bo for a moment, trying to maintain a clear show of defiance, but then raises his chin at the other guy. ] Louis. You heard the lady. [ uncertainly, the little dude lowers the bat to the counter. ]

[littledhampir]

[Rose however, is going to keep her post by the door to make sure they don't get any surprise visitors that block their only way out of here. She folded her arms across her chest and lent back against the frame, still doing her best to look intimidating (Intimidate +19)]

How about we skip the introductions and you can just tell us what that was all about?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he grimaces a bit, looking towards the ceiling with a disaffected shrug. ] Business. Just how things work around here.

[succubestie]

What a coincidence, we're here on business too. And I'm pretty sure you being here made this job a whole lot easier.

[She finishes crossing the distance between them, reaching to try and gently run the back of her hand down the side of his handsome face. (touch atk 24, suggestion dc 21)]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ and then bo made james dean her bitch.

he looks too surprised by her sudden approach to move back, and then the moment she touches him, he looks like that's the last thing he wants to do. his eyes droop and give her a very distracted once over. ] Oh yeah?

Anything for a belle donna like yourself.

[littledhampir]

You have so gotta teach me that.

[Yep, that's all Rose seems to care about. Bo and her weird but awesome looking compulsion touch.]

[succubestie]

[Bo just gives Rose a grin over her shoulder. They can chat about it later.]

First things first: Who do you work for, and why did you come here today?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ even whammied, he looks a little offended, and he sounds like he's bragging as he says: ] I'm Antonio DiRisio. My father is Benicio DiRisio. We own this block.

[littledhampir]

Let me guess? His payment was due?

[What?! Rose had recently discovered the magic of television and mob movies (Pop Culture Knowledge 17.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he answers without ever really taking his eyes off bo ] Like I said. Business.

[succubestie]

Sorry, I don't recognize it. We're kind of from out of town.

[Her thumb runs over his jaw again idly.]

What kind of business? Specifics, please.

[littledhampir]

[With a snort of amusement from the peanut gallery, Rose is just going to watch Bo do her magic because when she tries to control people by touch, bones end up being broken. Carry on. She'll make quips as she sees fit.

She'll still be trying to keep an ear out for anyone coming though (Listen 17)]

[behindcloseddoors]

My father decides who operates around here, and they pay for our protection. [ a smirk pulls up his lips as he leans closer ] You might call it a public service. [ meanwhile rose probably hears all that... kerfluffle going on in the grocery store... ]

[succubestie]

It sounds like a crock of shit to me.

[So eloquent, Bo.]

Does your father have anything to do with a certain string of arsons in the area?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ le shrug ] People don't pay up, bad things happen. Gets a message across.

/tries that again

[littledhampir]

Bo - [Interrupting this little interrogation cause yep - Dhampir hearing FTW.]

Do you have more people in there?! [Rose now pushing off from the doorframe to get close - but not too close cause sorry Bo the touch control reminds her of Lila and last time the little psycho touched her she made out with Faye - to Antonio, eyes moving from him to the doorway that led to the commotion she'd just heard.]