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

Entry tags:

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

[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.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[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!

[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...

[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?

[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.]

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.

[He's wincing a little bit - that could be either exasperation or a sign that this is plain a bad time, but he'd best not use up an excess more, in any case - ]

Do -- you think that there's anything I could do, uhmm. I could - see if it'd be possible to -- come by tonight... Or - tomorrow night.

If -- ...

[If, on the off-chance, there'd be anything he could possibly do.]

It would be very kind, Anthony. It just might not be...

[He clears his throat. Takes a sip of something.]

It might not be very safe, right now.

[... 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?

[L's breath catches; he'd meant to reply, but his voice seems stuck, somehow, as he watches the parrot flutter around the grisly rigging.]

It might be best to leave it for now...

[He croaks. Then clears his throat. His voice doesn't have permission to wither up and die just because he's had a... small shock.]

I think I'll focus on the glass first, and then maybe... see if I can lift some of this graffiti off the mural without damaging the paint underneath. I don't suppose you know anything about such matters?

Sir, I can't even -- get hurt - normally - usually -- I... wouldn't mind.

[He's trying to sound as little as possible like he's pressing the issue instead of just humbly stating the fact. If L would still mind, of course, well, he'll need to resign.]

[Normally? Usually? L wonders just how much that covers, and how far it might extend.

Eventually, a selfish streak wins out. The shop isn't a very happy place to be right now and he's practically crawling out of his skin, with evidence of danger and hatred smeared everywhere.]

How soon do you think you can be by?

[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.

I -- have to ask Mr. Burkhardt -- [But ideally:]

As soon as you'd like me to, sir. If -- you'd like me to.

[Let there be no mistake in the mental rushing along!]

[ 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.

[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.

Yes. I'd like that.

[For all the things Anthony is and evokes, danger and hatred are not among them, and L's a man sensible enough to appreciate this.]

What, so they trashed it because they know it's staffed by Numbered, or something? [At least, the Numbered are the "us" he assumes L is referring to. He could've just meant the shop in general.]

["Like" that, now.

That gives him an inexplicable flicker of a relief. He twitches and releases a smile and then lets his head drop a bit for a pseudo-bow.]

-- Okay. [Which is really noncommittal for any kind of justice.] - yes, sir. Should I... uhhm. Let you know when I'm. -- Arriving, or - is that not necessary...?

[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?

[ 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... ]

That's why I came, stupid. I didn't wanna leave you here by yourself after the way that guy was talkin' the other day. And I actually have skills that could help if anyone comes back.

[ The affectionate insult slips out before Alexi can stop it. More of his other's mannerisms making themselves known at inopportune moments. But he also wants L to understand that, even if he's more than a little afraid himself, he's not going to just abandon someone who went out of his way to help him when he was really struggling. It's his chance to return that favor now.

He leans down to collect the cutters, trying hard not to make it too obvious that he caught the anxiety in L's movements. ]

Besides, it's a lot harder for people to do a lot of damage to me now. I can help.

Actually... you know, a heads-up would be great. I guess being a little jumpy is more than understandable, under the circumstances, but it's still not particularly convenient.

Given the nature of the damage, that's a likely assumption.

[That mannequin specifically targeting L hints at other reasons, too, but he's not anxious to talk about his recent, aggressive investigation of the Mafia. It betrays too much.]

Yes, sir - I'll -- [Swallows, voices a hard throat-clear.] -- be back. Here. On-on the network when I get dropped off. If -- that's okay.

[Another bit of compulsive re-insuring; hoarse and drying up as it's acknowledged it's probably not strictly necessary.]

[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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 7

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

Action

Action

[Video]

[Audio]

no subject

[Video]

[Audio]

Voice

no subject

[Video]

[Audio]

Voice

[Video]

action;

action;

[Audio]

Voice

[Video]

[Audio]

Video

Re: action;

[Audio]

Voice

[Video]

[Audio]