[X] Go grab the others- you're at least eighty percent sure either Achille or Finch is up right now. Daria and Vittoria... you'd, you'd give it a couple hours. Point is, go grab someone else to show off to Beedle. Maybe if you're super lucky, Finch'll be coherent enough to tell you what you can do with your loot.
[X] COFFEEEEE- Aside from grabbing everyone a cup of coffee, which will hopefully already be brewed, you wanna grill Beedle on some stuff. You have burning questions. BURNING QUESTIONS.
-[X] Can you provide details on guard rosters or defences of the Alliance base we're going to rob?
--[X] On an unrelated note, have you seen any stray dogs wandering around?
That perfect roll needs to be rewarded. Besides, any intel we can obtain on the facility is immeasurably useful.
[X] COFFEEEEE- Aside from grabbing everyone a cup of coffee, which will hopefully already be brewed, you wanna grill Beedle on some stuff. You have burning questions. BURNING QUESTIONS.
-[X] Can you provide details on guard rosters or defences of the Alliance base we're going to rob?
--[X] On an unrelated note, have you seen any stray dogs wandering around?
[X] Go grab the others- you're at least eighty percent sure either Achille or Finch is up right now. Daria and Vittoria... you'd, you'd give it a couple hours. Point is, go grab someone else to show off to Beedle. Maybe if you're super lucky, Finch'll be coherent enough to tell you what you can do with your loot.
"Hrm... Yes, yes, I recognise this place! The stairs on either side, leading up the rooms, and-" Beedle steals away to the stairwell with surprising speed for someone with a century and change under their belt, eyeing the bannister critically. "Yes! That stain!"
... What.
You look at the bannister yourself and realise what he's talking about. A large, reddish stain in the wood, a mistake with the varnishing, maybe, or just discolouration from something spilt on it.
You must have passed it... countless times. You could probably figure out exactly how many times you've passed it if you did the math, but you really cannot be arsed. At all.
"You... remember being in this place... because of a stain?" Cesare asks incredulously, an eyebrow slowly rising as he does.
"Ah, no, no, I remember causing it. I bumped into a lovely young lady, Josephine, her name was, and managed to knock a bag off her arm, it had a bottle of red wine in it, hit the bannister, and, well, shattered!" Beedle explains as if it's the simplest thing in the world. "I apologised, we got to chatting, one thing led to another, and..."
You watch his gaze unfocus, a wistful look come over his face, and he's lost in memories you're not privy to.
You fatigue clears its throat slightly, and you remember that you were gonna get coffee. Or, brew coffee. Whichever you needed to do.
"Hey, uh, I'm gonna go and make coffee. Either of you want a cup?" You ask, politely excusing yourself at the same time.
"Ooh, yes, please. Black with two sugars, if it's not too much trouble?" Beedle puts his order in.
"Mmhm, Cesare?"
"I'm good."
With that, you excuse yourself, walking to the kitchen without Pearly Gates helping you. You still aren't entirely sure you trust it for portals just yet. Hopefully you haven't, like, pulled a psychic muscle or something, but for now, you're just a normal person for a while.
... Little annoying, but you'll deal. Once you're in the kitchen, you hope that one of the other morning zombies got up and put a pot on, but you're not so lucky. Guess that's your job today. You walk your way through the kitchen, grabbing the various things you'll need for this- beans, grinder, coffee scoop, machine filter, sugar- and make your way to the coffee maker, the one luxury that Achille almost bankrupted you all for to get.
None of you regret it. You grab the coffee pot from its holder and fill it with water up to the six-cup mark, setting it to the side as you open up the machine and put the filter in. You plug in the grinder, uncap the beans- feel a bit better just being hit by the smell- put a few scoopfuls in the grinder and plug it in.
... You stop trying futilely to put the lid on, take a scoop or two out, put it back on. Guess you're doing it in batches.
It's a simple little blade grinder, and now you need to remember... you think Achille said it should feel like... coarse sand?
That sounds about right. You put the lid on, and hold the button down with your palm, waiting for all the crunching noises to stop. You wait ten seconds, then check, then give it another five for good measure. Pour that into the filter, looks like sand to you, smack the bottom to get the powder that, for some reason, always sticks to the bottom of the grinder, repeat with the second batch.
You close the filter in and press the button on the side of the coffee maker.
And now, you wait.
... And wait.
You absentmindedly drum your fingers against the countertop, beating out a rhythm.
... You think the water's started to boil.
...
"Eh, Gioia, the boss wants to know where you got this guy!"
Oh thank god you were going crazy-
"Hm?" You turn to see Number Three, keeping a respectable distance from you. "What d'you mean?"
"The old guy's been talking his ear off asking about us and Hamon- it's like an interrogation. How's that coffee coming?"
You blink, the question throwing you off. "Oh, uh, it's, it's coming."
"Good." You hear static from its general direction, and it pulls a walkie-talkie out from one of its pockets. "Yeah? Uh-huh. ... What. I- aight, aight, I'll do it." It puts the walkie-talkie away, turning to you again. "Yo, the boss wants to know what size cup you're giving the old guy. Something about his heart."
... Right, yes, 111-year-old man. Probably can't handle the heart-stopping coffee you and yours are used to. You grab and hold up a teacup-sized coffee cup for the Stand to see.
"Aight, got it. Welp, see you in a while, I guess." It says, turning walking out of the kitchen. You note that the door doesn't move as it walks through it.
... It finally hits you how weird that was. You just talked to one sixth of your friend's soul, and it's apparently intelligent enough to hold a conversation by itself. What does that even mean? Does each member of the Goon Squad represent a different part of Cesare?
Like, what would that make Number Three? His lungs or something?
A buzzing sound causes you to jump, and you find yourself with a brimming pot of coffee for consumption. You pour out two cups, adding sugar to both, and place them both on saucers after emptying the filter into the bin.
As you leave the kitchen, Pearly Gates opening the door for you, you find Beedle and Cesare and Goon Squad lounging around- well, they're mainly standing around, it's just the guys who are sitting- and Beedle watches you, eyes widening slightly.
"... I'll be damned. She actually is using a small cup."
"I thought that radio on Six's back was there for a reason."
"We told you, boss, we talk to each other."
You sit down, placing the drinks on the coffee table, shifting Beedle's towards him.
"Ah, thank you."
You take a sip of your coffee, not quite scalding your tongue, and feel a little better for it. Beedle does the same, and you can see he approves of your skills as a pseudo-barista.
As you enjoy your coffee, and the fatigue takes its leave, questions begin to float to the forefront of your mind.
"Beedle?" You ask?
"Hm? Yes dear?"
"Could you tell us a little more about the place we're gonna be breaking into?"
Beedle stops to think for a moment.
"Well... the thing about that, is... well, to be perfectly honest, you're spoiled for choice compared to a lot of people who try to steal Masks. There are actually two Masks in Naples right now, one kept by the Alliance, and one kept by... a person of looser moral standards, shall we say?"
You blink, unsure how to go with that.
"So... we have a choice on who to rob?"
"Pretty much, yes. One's being kept in an Alliance base, the other in the personal establishment of a woman who, in honesty, scares the shit out of me." He finishes, the fear apparent in his eyes.
"... You... only want us to steal one, right?" Cesare asks.
"Hm? Ah, yes, just the one. Can't exactly use them twice, you know." He smiles widely. "Besides, I couldn't pay you to do it twice, I don't think- not immediately, anyway. But, yes, one Mask will do me just fine."
Huh. Good to know you have options.
"So who's this lady that you're so scared of?" You ask, causing Beedle to grimace.
"Ugh. Demetra Amaranta. The owner of Naple's finest, and only, casino-hotel, and the various pits of decadence and debauchery you can get away with putting in the basements when you pay off the police."
Neither you nor Cesare recognise the name.
"Uh... I, can't say I know her."
"Nobody cheats in her casino anymore. That's because they caught a man cheating at poker, once, and the next day, they found him and the family torn apart in their own home. Literally, torn apart limb from limb, like a wild animal had had its way with them. I just... he had kids."
You feel your coffee turn to ash in your mouth. That's... geez.
... Well, you know your choices. (This is NOT choosing who you're going after- this is just asking him for more information on the actual places themselves, to give you a certain overview of how each plan can go down; the pros and cons are just Gioia's opinion on the pros and cons of each option, almost none of which are based in concrete fact. Take them with a pinch of salt.)
[] Ask about The Alliance- see what he actually knows about the Alliance. Yes. Robbing the military somehow sounds like the better option now.
Pros:
- Sounds safer now.
- You can surrender probably.
- Maybe find some blackmail material or something? Some cool weapons or some shit?
Cons:
- Very well guarded.
- May very well have Vampires and Stand Users on stand(heh)by.
- You will become the most wanted girl in Italy, most likely.
[] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
Pros:
- You will legitimately be doing the world a favour.
- IT'S A CASINO. CASINOS HAVE MONEY. THAT MONEY WILL BE YOURS.
- Probably no Alliance-trained guards to worry about.
- Can do the world another favour by hospitalising this bitch.
Cons:
- You will get double-tapped in the head if you're downed. Maybe worse.
- Everyone you have ever loved will get double-tapped in the head if you're downed.
- You will become the most wanted girl in Italy, most likely.
Adhoc vote count started by Prok on Jul 20, 2017 at 4:21 PM, finished with 467 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
Seeing as we intend to leave Italy once Beedle has the Mask, this looks like the better option to me.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but you want to know more about this bitch.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but youwant to know more about this bitch.
It was 4 am, things were getting weird, and I needed to wrap it up while I was still coherent enough to recognise that the stuff I was writing was edging into the ramblings of a mild mental break. Besides, asking about the stray would most likely be an afterthought, anyway, compared to getting info on your targets. Don't worry, next update'll get you the quest proper and then you can go and find the dog.
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but youwant to know more about this bitch.
... huh.
I was wrong. The mafia boss with the mask isn't Giorno.
On one hand, we don't have to face GER. On the other hand, Giorno probably wouldn't go to the extreme lengths this lady will.
Actually, speaking of GER... has anyone found Diavolo? I mean, is there just a tourist attraction in Italy somewhere of some guy repeatedly dying and coming back to life?
[X] Ask about The Casino Boss- No. You wanna know more about this. You don't know if it's sick curiosity or a burgeoning sense of morality, but youwant to know more about this bitch.
... huh.
I was wrong. The mafia boss with the mask isn't Giorno.
On one hand, we don't have to face GER. On the other hand, Giorno probably wouldn't go to the extreme lengths this lady will.
Actually, speaking of GER... has anyone found Diavolo? I mean, is there just a tourist attraction in Italy somewhere of some guy repeatedly dying and coming back to life?
From what I understand of the end of Vento Aureo, which is to say not quite nothing, Diavolo was... essentially trapped in a never ending hallucination. The flesh is dead, but the mind and soul live on in a never-ending hell. At least, that's the best way I understand it considering he doesn't go through the same death every time. No, he gets put through a variety of wringers.
Besides, Giorno was actively helping the Speedwagon Foundation destroy Masks by the time of Purple Haze Feedback, which, even if not canon, I feel is in-character enough for the general attitude towards vampires and Masks, in general, to bleed over, and it's not like he'd need one. Gold Experience Requiem pretty much ensures that Giorno's gonna outlive the heat death of the universe, assuming he doesn't go crazy first.
So I just listened to Ken Ashcorp's new single, no links, it's very NSFW, and it's... it's not his best work, that probably has to go to On The Rocks or Wear, in my opinion, but you can definitely tell he had a lot of fun making it, and I respect that.
|||
"... Could you tell us more about... Demetra?" You ask after a moment to decide which of these deathtraps you want to hear about more. After that moment passes, you find yourself honestly curious about a person who scares...
Beedle. Like, he's a hundred and eleven, and he has a Stand, you don't know what he could possibly be scared of except his hip giving out. You're morbidly curious if nothing else, about the woman and her establishment. You sip your coffee, enjoying the taste just a little too much.
You make a damn good coffee, and nobody can tell you otherwise.
"Well... what is there to say? She runs The Plaza. Biggest casino cum hotel in Naples. Blackjack, roulette, cage fights, brothel, enough drugs to fuel every three-day weekend bender on the planet, the place is... decadence incarnate." He shakes his head. "She's followed around by two bodyguards, big wall of meat types. They use Hamon, I'd say they're a fair bit weaker than...?" He trails off, looking at Cesare with a rising eyebrow.
"Cesare."
"Cesare, thank you. From what I've seen of them, apart, they're weaker than you."
"... But they're never apart."
"Exactly. Apart, they're probably weaker than you, but they work so well together that it's as if they were made to fight alongside the other. They're always seen with Amaranta, no matter where she is- it's as if the three of them are joined at the hip. Aside from that, there's general guards and bouncers around the place, probably not as well trained as the Alliance guards, but they're also not as concerned with being gentle with you. Chances are if you're caught, you're either leaving in a coma or a body bag. But, you know, they're mafia guards, they're morons. They don't know what Stands are, they won't know how to deal with someone who can create portals and punch through walls."
"So you think they'll be too confused to attack us if I use portals?"
"Oh, no, no, they'll still be shooting at you. They'll just be... less of a cohesive force. Uh, what else- ah, yes, the pits." Beedle spits the word from his mouth, disgust twisting his weathered face. "Ugh. If you ask me, it says something about the things that go on in there that the cage fights and the brothel are on the same general area as the casino, but the things that go on in the basement... there's a point where an act stops being debauchery and just starts being sick."
"... What kind of... actually, no, no, I'm good." You decide against asking for specifics as you notice Beedle taking deep breaths to settle his stomach.
"Good choice. Aside from the casino floor, the brothel, all that, there's the vaults, where they keep all the money and chips, you might be able to swing by there if you really feel like pissing her off, and the hotel rooms. Last I checked, Demetra lives in the penthouse, and if she has a Mask, that's... probably where it's going to be."
You frown, giving Beedle a sidelong look.
"You... seem to know a lot about this place. And about Demetra."
He returns your look, before sighing.
"... I'm her father."
You swallow the coffee in your mouth wrong, and just barely manage to put the cup down before it comes back up in a mighty cough.
"What?!" You manage to choke out after clearing your lungs out until you're convinced they're ready to implode.
He immediately bursts into a wheezing laugh, before devolving into cackling like a moron.
"Hah- ahaha, no, no, I'm messing with you! No, I, ah, used to be a client, back when her father owned it. We didn't know each other, but she made appearances every now and then, when she was your age- learning the business, learning people, so on. That would have been about... 20 years ago, now?" He stops and thinks about it, before giving up and moving on. "On top of that, thanks to Black Crown, I am basically a ghost. How do you think I know so much?"
... That's... fair. Beedle lays his chin in his hand, thinking hard for one last thing to say.
"What else, what else... ah. There's rumours that she's hired Stand users."
You and Cesare take a moment to look at each other, before turning back to Beedle.
"Does she have a Needle?" You ask, the idea of your enemy being able to mass-produce psychic soldiers... somewhat terrifying.
"No, no- some people come into their Stands naturally. They're rare, but they exist. I don't have details off-hand, but if you give me a few days I can tell you a bit more about them."
... Huh. Ok, wow, that's a lot of information to take in. You take a moment to sort it out in your mind anyway.
- The Plaza Casino is your potential target, and consists of four main areas; the casino floor, including cage fights and brothel, apparently, the vault, where the money and chips are stored, the pits, where who the fuck knows what happens, and the hotel itself, with the Mask apparently being kept in the penthouse suite.
-Demetra Amaranta is the owner of The Plaza, and aside from scaring Beedle, is accompanied by two bodyguards who never leave her side, or each other's- as if the three of them are joined at the hip, to put it as Beedle did. Both are apparently capable of using Hamon, and together they're a credible threat. Aside from them, though, the guards are standard Mafia goons- less well trained than Alliance soldiers, but also less inclined to not shoot you in the gut. Apparently not used to Stand users, and thus... less, likely to present a cohesive response? You don't get that bit at all.
-Stay away from the pits. There be depravity in them thar basements.
-Apparently, there are Stand users around. Nothing is known about them, but apparently, Beedle can go and find out about them... somehow.
As you file everything away as best you can, Beedle asks if you have any more questions.
... No, you can't think of anything offh-
Ah!
"Have you heard anything about a stray dog around here?" You ask, the Carabinieri's question coming to mind and becoming your own.
Beedle blinks. Cesare blinks.
"Uh... not, offhand..." Beedle stops and genuinely seems to think about the question for a moment. "... Actually, no, I did, now that I think about it. I heard two men complaining about some animal going through their trash. They were hanging around... Piazzo Roffredo, I think?"
... Oh of course they were. You feel a slab of frustration lay across any ideas of adopting the dog as the name becomes familiar to you.
"Were they, by chance, wearing articles of green clothing?" Cesare asks as flatly as he possibly can.
"Uh... I, think so, yes, why?"
You hold up your handkerchief. Cesare holds up his.
"Rossi and Verdura don't get along well."
"... Ah."
Before the silence can settle in and make itself at home, a door opens upstairs, and you hear the plodding of feet. Two pairs of feet, actually. You look over to the stairs and see both Achille and Finch making their way down at a rate best measured in snail's paces. Eventually making it to the bottom of the stairs somehow without tripping up, before looking at the three of you.
"Oh, hey Gioia..." Achille mumbles, barely coherent as the sleep works itself from his head.
"Ssssuup, bi-hiiieeaaaaa..." Finch tries for an early morning insult, only to be defeated by an errant, jaw-poppingly wide yawn. After his impression of a snake eating its meal, they both seem to notice Beedle.
Based on their reaction, you're not entirely sure they believe he exists. Once they're done staring, they look at each other, and through some silent accord, plod off to the kitchen to get coffee in the hopes it'll make the ancient man disappear.
... Well, that happened.
Well, that's the guys up. One of whom you need to talk to about fencing stolen property. Yeah, you should, probably do that. You look like a kangaroo stuffed its pouch with potatoes.
[] Finch The Fence- A chance to get stuff valued, and annoy Finch in the morning? All your Christmases have come at once!
[] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
[] Keep Your Boss Talking- you're not done with Beedle just yet. You have some more questions to ask.
-[] ... Like what? (Write-In)
And before I forget:
Quest Unlocked- "Gioia's Best Friend (No, Not Cesare)"
-Investigate Piazzo Roffredo for the dog.
Adhoc vote count started by Prok on Jul 23, 2017 at 3:00 PM, finished with 475 posts and 6 votes.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
It's hard to go full Oceans 11 if we don't know what our team's skillset is.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
[X] Stand And Deliver- More than anything else, you're honestly more excited to find out what Stands they ended up with. Now that you've figured out the trick for helping them summon in the first place, it should be a breeze to find out what they can do.
