[IC] [Risus] -ish: Tales of the Old Continent

[Darkstorm]

Francesca makes her Big smile and welcomes all. She keeps talking around with people she didn't really knew about the festival and the weather.

Now, after a bath, she looked like a proper beautiful young fit scholar, in form fitting, if not revealing and daily clothes.

She motions Aleksander closer and starts a conversation as they wait for the others and Capitano.

[Chas Kramer]

The Capitano arrives (with a canonical Italian delay) and invites you in.

The inside of the cafeteria is that kind of cute that would make your girlfriend squeal. It is pretty small, and offers no more than five small round tables, each one of which is meant to accommodate three people, maybe four, if they don't have big plates. Everything is decorated in liberty/art-nouveau style, from the upholstery to the top of the tables and chairs themselves. Flower motives, color and vintage equipment (like scales and coffee machines) everywhere. The place indeed looks old, and "royal", but authentic, and not just wearing a "vintage" gimmick. You would expect this place to smell like an old closet and tobacco, but no...you smell chocolate and hazelnuts, with such intensity to make your head spin.

The people inside seem to have been selected exactly to confirm the "old-but-friendly" appearance of this place. One table is occupied by three energetic elderly men. They are discussing heatedly in their snappy and funny local dialect, something between Italian and French. You recognize the names of some political formation, but can't understand much more. They are responsible of 90% of the noise in the place.
As a contrast to that, the waiters and bakers (that you see at work in the lab behind a glass) are very formal, silent, professional, and elegantly dressed. They nod and smile in the direction of Capitano, as he enters with you, and after that immediately concentrate on their tasks. One of them has just brought a cup of hot chocolate to an elderly lady sitting alone. Other than you and the men, she is the only other customer. She tries and sip the chocolate and retreats as she feels it too hot. While she waits for it to cool a bit, she resumes the activity she was into before the waiter came: knitting.
She has a red yarn and is knitting what seems like a scarf....you can't tell, it's at the beginning. She looks completely self absorbed.

Capitano points you to a free table, then grabs an extra chair from another one to sit with you.

[Kaworu]

- Good day to you, Capitano – Alex greeted the man gently – Please, forgive me, I know only a couple of words in Italiano and almost no grammar. Is English good with you? - he asked.

- Also, the game was fun, with the oranges, I mean. But… I do not want to jump to conclusions, but I get the feeling you wanna talk about something else?

[Darkstorm]

"This a great place." says Francesca as she looks around.

"Fits the area. And I've never been here before. It's really nice and it smells great!"

She looks at the old lady and smiles and as Italian as possible asks if she recomends the hot chocolate.

[Chas Kramer]

The lady does not seem to even notice Francesca is talking to her. She does not seem rude or anything, but she acts as if nobody asked her anything.

Capitano answer that question for her.
"Yes, well actually the chocolate here is delicious. See those thingies here?" he points at a small bowl, at the center of every table, containing some light-brown, rounded tiny cookies. They look like Amaretto-type cookies, but way smaller "By themelves they are good but nothing special. If you add a handful of them to a cup of hot chocolate, the taste skyrockets. It's just divine".
He picks one and throws it into his mouth, then he continues, talkng to Alex directly.
"Well, I have no special business to talk about...only, since this year we won the contest of the best shooters, I just wanted to cheer a bit with some of the main actors of this success". He smiles and winks.
"It's something that I like to do, sometimes. You know, I participated to the carnival since I can remember, and I have been a captain in the clan for many years... but it gets repetitive overtime. Right now, for example, they are all working for the preparation of the ending ceremony...they know what to do, even wthout my supervision. I prefer to spend some quality time, in peace and quiet, having something sweet in good company...." he sighs "...I don't get to do this very often anymore" You see some sort of shade quickly passing through the normally cheerful eyes of the guy. Something like an intrusive thought, or a hard return to reality. But it's just a moment: whatever that thought was, he casts it away. "Alright, let me go and chose my daily sin" He stands up and walks towards a showcase, where several types of pastry are exposed.

A moment after he stands up, the red yarn falls from the hands of the knitting lady, rolls towards your direction, and stops next to where you are all sitting.

[Darkstorm]

Francesca finds it odd the woman doesn't answer. Not Italian at all.

But older people sometimes have their quirks.

She smiles and nods to the love Capitano has for the festival and the secret places of his city. She could relate with some of it.
Being from Florence she knew the joy of knowing the little places apart from the more touristic places.

The local secrets.

As the yarn rolls next to her she picks it up and and goes to the table of the old woman and gives it to her "You lost this."

[Kaworu]

- Maybe she's deaf? She an elderly woman, after all. Perhaps you should try some gestures? - asked Alex, still sitting in his place.

He was thinking about Capitano. It was nice that he wanted just to talk about their victory, but actually, it was not a victory of Aleksander, so he felt a lil bit... inappropriate? Like he cheated on an exam and got the best grade?

It was, of course, not an exact analogy, but who said that feelings were going to make sense? They rarely did, in his own experience.

[Chas Kramer]

The lady inhales as if she suddenly woke up from a dream, although her eyes were open. She looks at Francesca giving the yarn back to her.
Her expression is of utmost surprise...for a long moment she stares at the young woman, literally scanning her from head to feet. Then her expression changes into something else...a smirk... an "aaaaw sweetheart" expression, as for a grandma taking care of a child who fell on the bike. Still, she doesn't utter a single word...at least until she notices Francesca's company.

As soon as she sees that the girl is not alone, but she is part of a trio, she is baffled, stupefied...scared even. She points her finger at Francesca, then at Alex and Cassidy, back and forth, trying to articulate a question. "b..b...but....h...how... you.... this...this has never....." is all she can say.
Finally, she sighs and relaxes.

"No, child, you must keep it" she starts. Her voice is now quiet and she sounds like a younger person. You now realize it is difficult to define her actual age. She is wrinkly, small, hunched, dressed and combed like an elderly lady. Yet, her eyes are lively and her mind sharp. If you had to guess, you would say something between 65 and 100 years old.
"You have to, you really have to keep it. And keep it safe!!!" She closes your own hands around the yarn, her touch is warm.
"You ALL have to keep it. The fact that it's THREE of you is so strange... strange calls for more strange. and after all some burdens need joint effort to be carried. Perhaps is was meant to be so."
She cuts with a pair of small scissors the red thread of the yarn, that was still attached to her unfinished scarf, and she finally stands up.

One last sip from her chocolate cup, and she approaches your table.
"Keep it! Follow it!" she whispers....and she surprisingly repeats the same sentence in Polish and Irish.

In that very moment Capitano comes back at the table, with a small tray containing several small pastries. He heard nothing of the conversation.
"Sandro, they are coming for you. You need to bail" She says calmly, just before leaving the cafeteria.
Capitano's face turns pale. "Ma porca putt..." He fires a long volley of deadly insults and swearwords. At the end of it, he leaps towards the patisserie lab, and quickly whispers a couple of words to the elegantly dressed waiter, who is polishing a cup. The waiter simply nods, in the direction of a back door. He hastes through it. He is gone. The waiter keeps polishing, as if nothing happened

[Kaworu]

Aleksander blinked, like, a lot. He was so confused. Was the lady crazy? She didn't seems so, but her words were so strange and did not made sense... some kind of dementia, maybe? Or, hm, religious upbringing?

She was so hard to read. And where did she learn Polish? and Irish, seemingly?

Alex looked at his companions, trying to make some sense of all this situation. Maybe they did understand? Was this some kind of a local custom?

So many questions, so little answers.

[Darkstorm]

Francesca was taken aback by the woman. Not her crazy words. Not even the way she seemed to know several languages.

It was her look. She had an ageless feel that made Francesca skin cawl. She wasn't the best judge of age but... Never had happened to feel so confused.

She breaks out of her inner thoughts about her capability to judge age, and her body starts to react without her knowing. She goes midway to store the yarn in her pocket but then stops and looks at it.

What was she doing?

"What do you mean?" She asks at the old lady as Sandro arrives. Her question lost as the gentle Capitano storms out of the café.

Even more Dumbfounded she looks at her companions and the lady and asks "What happened?"

[Chas Kramer]

As you sit on the table, baffled, with an untouched tray of pastries and a red yarn (which looks absolutely ordinary, maybe a bit old), you take a look at your surroundings.
Not much has really changed, from before, and nothing at all in the attitude of the waiters. Only the three men don't talk loud anymore: their heads closer they mumble and whisper to each other, clearly trying to figure out what caused the guy to run away in such a haste.

Their answer comes right in from the main door. Two more men enter, both tall and athletic, with hair cut short and clean-shaven. The younger one, in his thirties, is chewing some gum without much elegance. The older one is probably around 45, well preserved, and wears some manly, good quality perfume. They wear normal, civilian clothes, but their attitude and outfit just screams "cop".
The older of the two says a quick "Buongiorno" when they enter, then goes straight to the waiter and shows a badge.
One of the three men may have taken a peek, because he whispers to the others: "DIGOS...".
The waiter is unimpressed. You cannot overhear the questions, but you can easily imagine who are they asking about. You cannot help admiring the poker face of the waiter. He answers all the questions with mono-syllabic words and shrugs. It is obvious that, if he knew anything, they would have to torture him to get the truth out.

The younger of the two cops has been looking at you all the time, though. He comes at your table with decision: "Your documents!" he orders.

[Kaworu]

Alex looked all around in puzzlement. First the crazy (?) lady, then Capitano escapes, then cops? What was it about? Was Capitano a criminal and on the run from police? Does that mean that they had problems with the law?

He was feeling insecure, a bit, but mostly lost. There were so many missing pieces that he could not comprehend what was happening.

- Of course - he said to the younger policeman, grabbing his Polish ID card from his wallet - I also have my passport, but have left it in my hotel room. I presume it won't be necessary? - he asked. Both Poland and Italy were in Schengen, but his passport was much more detailed, with biometric data on a chip and other stuff. Plus as an alien he felt the need to show his passport, even if it was only his feeling.

[Darkstorm]

Francesca gives her Italian citizen card (carta di identità elettronica) and asks the policeman using her Italian charms "So what's happening? Who are you searching for?"


Then she picks the red yarn and puts it on her pocket and choses one of the pastries and eats it. "Want one?" she asks the police officer.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

She'll try using her Italian Blood perk for trying to apease and get some info on the cop.

(2d6)[5][4](9)

[Chas Kramer]

@Alex

"Mmmh, from the Poland? Why you are here? what you do with Alessandro Conenna" His English is very basic. He is obviously trying to subdue you psychologically, but he is not very good at it. Plus, your passport is perfectly valid: in this sense you have nothing to fear. Your association with the Capitano however, might have put you in trouble. It is obvious that this is the aspect the cop is interested in.

Spoiler: Negotiations

Show

Ok, so you got [5],[4],[1] = 10

Let's see how the guy reacts

Rookie bad cop (2)
(3d6)[3][4][3](10)

Ok, you win two and you lose one.
The total is 10 for both. It's a tie, but in this case player wins.
Since you get the higher total (so to say) you get to chose how to continue this conflict. If you continue, you will roll only 2 dice (cause you lost one) and the cop will roll only one (cause he lost two). You can chose to disengage if you want.

"I am the one making questions here, miss Bardi !" he starts, with the grumpiest facial expression he can pull off. However he is a rookie. He cannot help staring for a moment at the delicious sweet being offered to him by the cute girl. Accordingly, he cannot prevent his gaze to indulge for a moment on her cleavage and her smile.
"Not when I am in service, thanks". He gulps. "What is your business with Alessandro Conenna? And where has he gone to?" He is inquisitive again, and for sure he has his metaphorical lie detector turned on. His question is addressed to all of you

[Kaworu]

- Capitano, you mean? - Alex just wanted to clarify - Well, you see, we had this famous orange-throwing party today and we have won, so we had a little, hm... after party, you might say? And then there was this, um... - he stopped for a moment, thinking how to call the lady - interesting old lady - he was not lying... not openly, at least - who apparently speak Polish and Irish in addiction to Italian. She, um, excused herself and not long after the Capitano also ran away. I thought that maybe he recognized the lady or something she had said, for you see... - another pause - she was not very... clear? I mean, I still have to understand what she was talking about, but maybe this was some kind of local custom? So anyways, the Capitano just went off and not long after you came too... when I think of it now, this could be related? - it was an open question.

- Anyways, this was something not very easy to understand at the moment and it is getting more clear now? I assume that Capitano had some kind of... disagreement with the local police? This could explain why he had run away, but still, I do not know how the lady was related? Was this just a coincidence? - another open question.

Spoiler

Show

(2d6)[4][4](8)

[Darkstorm]

"Alessandro? If you mean Capitano, We just met him at the festival. But please eat one or it will spoil" she says getting excited and curious "Why are you searching for him? Is he a wanted man?".

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Let's keep rolling (2d6)[9]

[Chas Kramer]

Spoiler: OOC Cop interaction with Alex

Show

You rolled:
(2d6)[4][4](8)

Cop rolls:
(3d6)[6][2][4](12)


You lose one and you tie the other.

The cop is somehow confused about what you say. He doesn't see the connection with the lady, and arches an eyebrow as you speak about her. In the end, he shakes his head, somehow convinced that you are confused as well.
His attitude towards you is quite neutral, but at least, he doesn't think you are a criminal. He doesn't trust you either.

Spoiler: OOC Cop interaction with Francesca

Show

You rolled:
(2d6)[5][3](8)

Cop rolls:
(1d6)[4](4)

You beat him.

Convinced by Alex's speech that you must not be criminals, and somehow won over by Francesca's charms, the cop ends up revealing a bit more than he actually should "Well yes... why would the DIGOS* look for him, if he wasn't a dangerous terrorist. I don't know why you were hanging around with him, but you shoul..."
Esposito! Report ! The other cop, the older one, has been looking at the situation from the background. The moment that the younger cop hears his surname called by his superior, he IMMEDIATELY (like...in a hundredth second ) becomes serious and rigid. He goes towards the older cop, and whispers something. As he speaks, the older one does not move his gaze away from you. He doesn't even blink. He is perfectly relaxed and at ease, not tense, just attentive. He he answers to the younger cop loud, so you can hear "If I had one Euro for every time that I heard 'They looked nice and not involved' , and then turned out to be criminals, I would be a billionaire. I wish I was, so I wouldn't have to spend so much time tracking down filthy terrorists and kick their sorry asses into jail, after teaching them a couple of things about respect." Even as he threatens, he is calm, as if he was talking about the weather.

"I don't know what your business is with Conenna, and why you call him Capitano (the captain), but I can imagine, and I will find out. Now, you have two choices. We will have a chat in private, 30 minutes from now, after we finish one thing that we need to do. We will meet on the staircase at the entrance of the cathedral, make it friendly and informal. After all, you are not under arrest or anything. We just value any information you may have. Or, if you choose, I can make it by the book, invite you at the police station as "people informed on the facts", do everything formal and unpleasant "

Spoiler: OOC *DIGOS

Show

It's the anti-terrorism division of Italian police. They operate a lot undercover and are known to be particularly tough

[Kaworu]

While hearing about Capitano being a dangerous terrorist, Alex closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Didn’t help him much, looking at his shaking hands, but it was obvious he was trying to act tough.

“OMG, OMG, OMG! I have aligned myself with a dangerous terrorist! There’s no way out of that, I am going to jail! For the God’s sake! I just wanted a nice winter vacation in Italy and to throw some oranges! I do not want a life sentence! What to do, what to do…” was his thinking.

He just nodded, listening to the older cop. Half an hour and informal meeting. Great, just what he needs.

- D-don’t you know a local pharmacy? And s-some shop where I c-could but some w-water? – he asked his companion, his voice shaking a little.

[Darkstorm]

Francesca steels her eyes and her mood changes like quicksilver. In Italian she says to the older cop "If you think you can intimidate me you're mistaken. I am Francesca Bardi. I am an University professor." but quickly she adds "But if that man is a Terrorist and a danger to Italy I want to know more about what he did."

Turning to Aleksander she says "Don't worry. We're in a UE country. We have our rigths!"

[Kaworu]

- Still, a p-pill for nerves w-would be nice - was all Alex had to say in that matter.

[Darkstorm]

Francesca smiles before eating a bit of the cake "So it's a deal. First a pharmacy, then the Church."

She collects the red yarn and examines it. "This is one of those days." she adds as if it was normal.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Normal yarn?

[Chas Kramer]

Oh, yes, miss Bardi, you have your rights. Everybody has their rights. The right to be safe, among others. It is my job to make sure that those rights are respected. He speaks a decent English. The other cop, Esposito, does not look like he's understanding much of what his superior is saying. He just stares at you with renewed suspicion.
Anyway, no one of you has anything to fear. As I said...just an informal talk, we want to know what you know. We'll see you there

A quick "Arrivederci", and they are out

[...]

The yarn looks kind of ordinary.
It is regular spun thread, wrapped up in a spherical shape. It is of a beautiful scarlet red, and feels like wool. It is not held together by any type of wrap or band.
It looks quite old...it has lost nothing of its color, but you can see that in some point the wool is a bit fuzzy.
You feel strangely attracted by it, as if it felt...important. Maybe it's the color, or the softness, or the peculiar situation in which you got it... probably that. You might as well being projecting the whole experience into it, and see more in this yarn than it really is. You cannot really tell. It just fees special, in some way.

[Darkstorm]

As the police get out Francesca stores the red thread and says to herself "For luck"

Turning to Aleksander she says "So let's finish eating, and go to the pharmacy."

She takes a small bite of the cake and starts talking with the employee "Does this happens a lot over here?" loud enough so the other groups (oldman) can participate on the talk if they want.

[Kaworu]

Aleksander was just sipping his hot tea, which was helping him to get a little bit more secure. He was not participating in the talks for now but was listening. He should probably start heading to the pharmacy, but it would be a waste not to finish his drink.

[Chas Kramer]

The younger waiter answers with a set of hand gestures, that roughly translate to "I've never anything like this". The older one shrugs very much like he did with the two policemen, and adds: "Bah... we had a visit from the Guardia di Finanza, occasionally. Normal checks. Policemen or Carabinieri on patrol, sure... never had a visit by the DIGOS, but I guess they are doing their job, going around and asking questions."

"Yes but, come on, all of that action..." one of the sitting men comments, the one with scarce white hair and white mustache, speaking dialect.
Another shrug from the waiter.

"That guy knew that they were coming, and he had something to hide for sure" says the one with the sideburns and the "coppola" hat, stating the obvious. Unlike the others, he speaks Italian with a southern accent. By the way, who is that guy? is he the cousin of... ?

"No, no, he is the nephew of Gianni's " "Angelica's son? " "No, no Gianni who married Gina, Erminia's sister" "Aah, no, cause I thought he was someone with the relatives in Val Moglia" "no... no...maybe....but still he is the cousin of..."
***confused mumbling***

[Kaworu]

Alex drank his last drop of hot chocolate – very tasty, he had to add - and went to pay for that. Seeing the way the discussion turned, he supposed it was best to leave the old men to their “who is related to who” talking. He had to buy some herbal pills for nerves and meet with the policeman, so he had no time to waste. He nodded gently when he was paying, and then waved to everyone, before leaving the place.

[Chas Kramer]

As you open the door to get out of the cafe, a gust of wind almost pushes you back inside, and brings a sprinkle of snow to your face.
The cold air that enters is felt by everybody inside, and met with surprise.

You get out of the place, and notice that the weather has changed, rapidly. No clear sky anymore: it looks like a snowstorm is beginning. Snowfall coupled with wind is uncommon but not impossible, in this period of the year and place...what is strange is how fast it changed. At least, these are the comments you overhear from the people inside the cafeteria.

You leave the place and head towards the pharmacy, just as the generic "climate change" and "back-in-my-days" comments begin.

[...]

The pharmacy is just two blocks away, easily found. There is a quite attractive young woman behind the counter...petite, green eyed. Her slightly curly dark hair are cut shoulder length. She greets you politely.

[Kaworu]

Alex moved forward, against the icy weather outside. It was surprising – a snowstorm, so suddenly, in Italy? Seemingly the global warming was much, much worse that he had thought. As always, politicians will talk about money – just like the Polish ones who did not want to decarbonise the country (as the only ones in Europe, let him underline) – till it will be too late and all lands will turn into a permanent desert.

He sighted, walking towards pharmacy with grim thoughts of a planet-wide extinction.

- Boungiorno, Signora. Parla inglese? - he said to the nice lady in a pharmacy. It was the maximum of his knowledge of the Italian language. Then, in English, he proceeded to explain which exact mental illnesses he had and what kind of drugs his psychiatrist has prescribed him. He doubted that a simple herbal pills would have any kind of reaction with other substances he was consuming, but one could never be too cautious – especially while being ill.

[Chas Kramer]

"Buongiorno! Yes, I do, how can I help you?" She answers in English.

She listens carefully as you explain your problem. Then she stands in silence for a second, probably thinking about drug interactions. She then proposes you two things.
One, are some pills with some herbal content and mild anti-depressive action. Two, she gets a jar from over a counter, and extracts some mixture of leaves from it. Compared to the aseptic atmosphere of the pharmacy, and the other counters full of standard pharmaceutical products, the content of the jar seems a bit shamanic.
The young lady seems however more passionate about those herbs than she was for the standard pill. She advises you to use a small pinch of those to make a tea and drink it in the evening, for good-quality sleep. She puts the herbs in a paper bag. They smell both good and horrible... like herbal fresh and unwashed feet.

A gust of wind slams the door. "Wow! Could you kindly close that please?... What happens with the weather today? God..".

[Kaworu]

Alex eagerly went to the door and closed them – after all the lady could get a cold and he would not like that, wouldn’t he?

When he returned, he proceeded with explanation:

- You see, lady, there’s an issue. I was drinking a hot chocolate with some guy and the “BAM!” he escapes from the restaurant and “BAM!” in the next second anti-terrorist police appears and ask about him. It turns out I have been associated – even if only slightly – with a dangerous criminal and now the police is upon me. So you see, I kinda need something that I can get right now. Hm… - he went silent for a moment, thinking – maybe I will take one box of those pills so I can take them now and one portion of this herb? So I could drink it at night? What do you think? Are there any kind of undesirable interactions between those two?