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]

[ 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. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he meets bo's gaze with a steady one of his own. ] Protection from local thugs who know not to mess with anyone under our watch. That kind of protection, lady.

You're tryin' to tell me you girls are in the business and you don't get how this whole thing works?

[succubestie]

[No, she just hates assholes and those that prey on people weaker than them. And she just tells it like it is and is really bad at keeping her mouth shut.]

Considering you're the one sending an arsonist after them, you'll have to excuse me for not buying it.

[trebond]

Your reasons matter little. It's the end result that concerns us. If it pleases you, I'd see to preventing it.

[ aka hurry the fuck up let's get on with it. ]

[killmypatience]

[Kate's with Alanna on this one. But she's also more concerned with the "Chem" in Chemright. If this is going to end in some kind of chemical explosion, they need to know what they're getting into in advance.]

What kind of chemicals do they process here?

[behindcloseddoors]

A variety of chemicals, for industrial and commercial clients alike.

[littledhampir]

[And nobody was shocked, Rose was Team Bo, the brunette shooting daggers (just not literal ones, though... she wasn't ruling that out), at Antonio as she slides out of the car.]

Wow. That was really informative. [Sarcasm is go.

Though Rose doesn't really appreciate the potential dangers because, that meant thinking that far ahead. Nobody invited her to join the Knighthood for her brains which is exactly why she's happy to fall into line and follow the leader until her skills are required.

She will however, happily provide the sarcasm as we go.]

[trebond]

[ alanna looks mildly amused at the snarking, sparing a glance back at the car, but she surges ahead toward the building without another thought. there'll be time for chatter later - they've no idea when this fiery specter plans to make its visit, and she'd rather they didn't get ahead of their foes only to fall behind shortly after. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ scant light from outside manages to illuminate what looks like a reception area through the main doors. if she tries them... they're unlocked. ]

[trebond]

[ she will try the handle and see if it's open then wait for the others before actually opening it. ]

[succubestie]

[Bo follows closely behind Alanna, trying to peer through the windows of the doors as the other woman tries the handle. (spot 29)]

[killmypatience]

[Kate's hanging back a bit, still unsure about the chemicals in question.]

When was this place supposed to go up?

[littledhampir]

[Rose attempts to check things out as well but she's apparently not that interested or concerned (SC 12) as she brings up the rear.]

[trebond]

[ k good all these ladies got her back IN WE GO, eyes peeled (spot 23). ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ antonio saunters out of the car, shrugging ] As soon as possible. Like I said, he's been off the grid, so we haven't been sure when he intends to do it.

[ bo notices it first through the window - a hidden video camera mounted in an upper corner of the room, scanning the reception area within as well as the entrance doors. the wire leads from the camera into the office next to it. ]

[succubestie]

Well, if this place goes up before we can get to him, I'm haunting your ass forever.

[She pauses near the threshold of the door.]

Camera, on the wall near the ceiling. 11 o'clock.

[trebond]

[ alanna comes to a clean stop. she doesn't know much about this world, but she knows camera. she follows bo's line of sight. ]

We've reason to be here. Should we really worry that they record us?

[succubestie]

Unless there's a fire and we're the only one recorded being here.

[Just saying.]

That could get messy. If we care about messy, anyway.

[trebond]

[ ... fair point. alanna tilts her head in acknowledgment and holds up her hands. alanna uses obscuring mist! it's super effective!

20 ft around her in every direction, the air condenses into fog that's thick enough that it's hard to see anything beyond 5 ft in front of you. the spell is disrupted by fire, so she has to figure it won't inhibit them from finding their little arsonist. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ antonio raises an eyebrow. ] So now we'll be groping our way through the fog, is that it?

[trebond]

Fire dispels the fog.

[ she turns to him. ]

Our arsonist will not be difficult to find. We are, however, on something of a timer.

[ since alanna got a spot 23 before the fog went up she will head in the general direction of WHERE A DOOR FURTHER INTO THE PLANT WAS. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ antonio stays close behind her then as they cross to the door on the other side of the reception area. opening it leads to a completely dark hallway - so between the mist and the lack of lights, it's not easy to see where one is going. alanna's spot means she can make out that the hall runs right and left, at least. she also hears the distant sound of metal scraping metal, coming from beyond the wall in front of her. ]

[littledhampir]

Man. You guys have really gotta show me how to do this stuff.

[Between Bo's sexy touch and Alanna's mystery fog? Good thing Rose had a great right hook.]