Entry #A-9: "Albatross" [Audio, Action for Employees or Anyone who would drop by ]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L sounds pretty calm and detached, as per usual. Rather than sounding natural, though, there's a vaguely forced quality to that calmness.]

Unfortunately, Espresso Yourself will be closed for the next few days, to reopen on Thursday of next week. I regret the inconvenience for employees and regular customers.

[He finishes recording the message, lowering his phone and staring at what happened to his business over the course of just one night. The espresso machine is smashed to pieces, and the cash register is open with the empty drawer chucked across the room. The mural painted by Solana is tarnished with anti-numbered slurs and threatening graffiti asserting the control of "Albero's Family" within Locke City.

Glass from the broken windows and the vandalized bar crunches under the soles of his converse sneakers as he drags a chair across the floor, grappling with a pair of wire cutters. It's enough of a problem that his grip is clumsy, but his hands are also shaking; though the features of the mannequin hanging from a noose in front of the mural are blank and generic, the large letter "L" carved into its chest is a message that's difficult to miss.]

Comments

Action

[radiantchicken]

[Torin doesn't waste time replying to that post. He immediately sets out for the shop, and when he arrives, he's carrying a tiny broom and a tiny dustpan. They look like he got them off a doll somewhere.]

I'm here to help as much as I can!

Action

[dead_black_eyes]

[At the moment, L is continuing to grapple with the hangman rigging. Whoever put it up didn't want it to come down easily, and he won't be able to remove it alone. So, Torin will arrive to the sight of him balanced precariously on the chair, leaning against his unfortunate mannequin stand-in as he attempts to use the wire cutters to bring it down.

At Torin's voice, he turns, and an odd expression, between pain and deep gratitude, briefly crosses his features. He steps down from the chair and sets aside the wire cutters.]

Oh... are you? It might not be safe...

[radiantchicken]

That doesn't bother me. Far more important to make sure that you are unharmed and to assist in cleaning this up.

[Torin's a very brave parrot, after all. He sets his tiny dustpan and broom down and flies up to see if he can assist L up there with the wire cutters.]

Though perhaps I should have brought my sword--I think I would have been able to cut this down with my finishing technique.

[Video]

[scramasax]

[Oh, dear.

Writes in his number - he would lock the connection if he could, if impulsively, just in case, but he never memorized L's number visually. Either way comes stammering in.]

What, what --

What...

What happened...? Uhmm.

[That last "uhmm" was to catch himself in case that was a bit too cutting-to-the-chase, but he's failing to think of how he could improve it. Save...]

-- Did something happen?

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

[There's a pause before L answers. When he does, he sounds slightly breathless, like he's been exerting himself.]

Yeah. Something happened.

It's nothing we can't work through, though. Just a minor setback.

[Saying that enough will probably allow him to believe it; that's what he's banking on, anyway.]

Voice

[icy_heavens]

[... Yeah, that doesn't sound quite right. It's a bit off. Or whatever constitutes being off for L, because . . . well, he's L.]

... What happened over there?

Voice

[dead_black_eyes]

[He pauses, but answers honestly.]

I guess... what it looks like is that someone broke in and trashed my coffee shop. It's bad, but it's not really anything that's...

[Another pause as he mentally wills himself to keep it together.]

This will not hurt us, in the long run. I won't allow it to.

action;

[saviorsoul]

[ Alexi doesn't bother asking for anymore questions after he hears the message. The other day's creepy visitor is enough for him to guess what probably happened so he tosses the phone he'd been listening to into his sports bag and heads for the coffee shop immediately.

When he sees the destruction upon reaching the shop, his mouth hangs open a bit and he feels a shiver run down his back. Someone had really wanted to impress a message and had done a damn fine job of it. He didn't even know how much they'd be able to salvage the mural, if at all. Shit, he'd try to tell himself that he was probably overreacting over that mafia thing too. They're supposed to be in Vegas, not Locke. What the hell is going on?

All of those questions are put on hold though when he spies the mannequin that's L's struggling to cut down from the ceiling. He drops his bag and hurries over. ]

L, wait. I can do that.

action;

[dead_black_eyes]

[Whoever put together the hangman rig hadn't intended for it to come down easily; it's mounted with fiendish skill and thoroughness, and though L's been trying for some time with a wire cutter, he's had no success.

He's also as skittish as a cat on scissors, judging by the way he jumps at the sound of Alexi's voice. The wire cutters clatter to the floor, and he steps down from the chair, yanking on his brisk, unflappable demeanor. The last thing he wants right now is to appear vulnerable.]

You didn't have to come by today. That's why I sent the message... it's probably not safe here, at present.

[Audio]

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka wasn't a frequent customer of the coffee shop, but it still surprised her to hear that the place was closed.

She wrote down her number on her phone, leading to only her voice coming though, the curiosity, and slight worry, present.]

Did something happen?

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

[It takes him a little while to answer, if only because there is so much broken and defaced that he's utterly overwhelmed.]

Yes, something happened. It'll be taken care of by Thursday.

Video

[buildyourworld]

[ There goes his coffee fix. He has been stopping by lately but now he's going to have to find another coffee place on the way to work. ]

Did you make a police report?

[ He notice Albero's name in the wreck and is unwillingly reminded of the person whom he shared a mental connection to. Trying to get anything on the mafia hasn't been conducive but it's probably also due to Eugen's own lack of priority on the matter. He can't deny it, he's afraid of finding out the truth behind Reagan's disappearance... ]

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

No, I haven't. This is something I'd rather handle quietly, if I can; I fear that a police report would create more trouble than it would resolve.

[Because... yeah, anyone walking by can see the shattered windows and graffiti promising retribution to any who challenge Albero's authority.]

Audio;

[moreweaponsthanyou]

I'll have to head back to Starbucks for my usual morning dose of caffeine then.

What happened? Feel free to tell me no if it's personal.

Audio;

[dead_black_eyes]

It's not personal. I mean... It's very likely personal, but it's nothing I have to keep secret. It's better if people know.

The mob appears to have vandalized Espresso Yourself. It's being taken care of, so hopefully we'll have your business back by Thursday.

[wasthatmymom]

Bro, you okay? You sound like a ghost. Like, more than usual.

[dead_black_eyes]

Oh...?

[He sounds distracted. Too much even to comment on "bro" and whether or not it's appropriate.]

I'm fine. Just tired... the shop was vandalized, it was a long night and there's a big mess, so if we're opening again by Thursday we really need to work hard.

[onecream_fivesugar]

Why the close?

I've never been there myself but I've heard of it.

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

Mob vandals; apparently Albero doesn't like the way I run my business.

Have you? I'm glad that word's gotten out about it to at least a few nice people, anyway.

voice;

[ursoreckless]

Anyone get hurt?

voice;

[dead_black_eyes]

No. Not significantly, anyway, if Anthony is to be believed.

[Said somewhat flatly; he's not thrilled about his employee's behavior the night prior.]

[Video]

[allformii_ko]

It's closed?

[Does she sound... disappointed?]

I was looking all over for it!

[Video]

[dead_black_eyes]

It's just closed temporarily... we have to fix some things. After that...

[He pauses, unsure if it's a wise idea to aggressively pimp a coffee shop that has been officially attacked by the mob.]

After that, if you still want to come see us, I could give you directions.

action; now that we know he's not broken...

[oncedevil]

[Anthony hadn't even bothered to check the network. If L wanted to say something, that was fine by him, he wasn't exactly eager to announce his own involvement given his behavior the night prior.

That had definitely convinced him he needed to do something about it, before he went and got himself or someone else killed.

But he wasn't going to tuck tail and run, either, no matter how much he really wanted to right about now. No, instead he showed up for work anyway, and just picked his way across the destruction with care.]

Shit. What a mess. And I just mopped this floor, too.

[Mumbled as he made his way over to where L was to further survey the damage. Yeesh.]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L's been... decently discreet about Anthony's involvement. Not that he's been able to keep completely quiet about it.

He glances up, wondering if he should really be surprised that Anthony showed up for work today. He also wonders if it's more of a liability than a help, but he says nothing to betray his uncertainty. He's in a position to be grateful for everything, even from a certain young man who has difficulty controlling his blinding, destructive rage in the face of much stronger foes.]

It is certainly that. You didn't have to come in today... I expect no one to put themselves in danger through association with me, now that it's clear Albero isn't exactly a fan of my work.