TRP is a post-Great War AU RWBY RP set in Mistral City and Haven Academy with no canons, no rank claims, no maidens, and no god interference. We offer a progression system and site-wide events that change the setting based on player actions.
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Dec 13, 2020 16:35:20 GMT -5
Vesper's dad was a prick, but her had his moments.
After standing her daughter up after so many times, he actually wasn't a complete asshole and picked up Vesper for what honestly was a decent night. Not a great night by any stretch, but considering he walked out on her for years, it was better than she would have hoped for.
First they went for burgers in the Wind District, and it was the first time in a long while she talked with Zuma for an extended amount of time without her mother also being there. He talked about his work a lot, and how he was trying to get her mother to live with him in the Wind District. He said that he had offered it to her many times. To get the both of them out of the Ground, and up the mountain. That it wasn't his fault that the two of them were down there. Vesper... kind of didn't knew what to believe about all of that. She should talk with mom about it once, but she didn't wanted to spoil one of the few moments she ever talked with her dad on arguing like mom did.
They talked about other things, like how Vesper was trying to look for a job and how she didn't really liked the Ground District and living there. When the topic of sports came up, because of course it did, Vesper admitted that she never bowled in her life before and wanted to try.
So her dad took her bowling.
And without even joking, it was a lot of fun.
Maybe because dad was drunk at that point.
He knew a guy who owned a bowling alley. Said that he saved his life once or twice. Whatever the reason was why the two of them were close, dad seemed to be supplied with enough alcohol as the night progressed. He started to get like... louder and less restrained, but he was still like... mostly in control. He didn't punched any other dads, or said inappropriate things. He could still hit all of the pins even after drinking so much that Vesper thought he was going to puke. Zuma winked and said that he was at his best when he was drunk, and that this was a little secret between them. Weird.
What also was weird was when they were almost done, he pulled Vesper close and placed a wad of Lien in her hands. Said that it was something just for her, and that she could spent it on something she wished. Said that he was sorry, and tried to be there for her as much as he could. But that it was hard for him to do that, and that she was a good kid.
Nothing that she hadn't heard before, but the money was something she never received before.
Vesper decided to buy a gun with it.
Sure, maybe dad expected her to buy like clothing, or some stupid video game. Vesper thought about that as well, but she honestly remembered all the times that her mothers said that the streets weren't safe. Hell, even her father said it. What if someone was going to mug her, or maybe her mom? They both said that the streets were dangerous, but like... didn't gave her a way to protect herself. Mom just said to stay in-doors most of the time if she was not accompanying her, but that was lame. Vesper had a different plan. Arm yourself.
There were some places she knew that sold guns. Mostly because they all had signs that said that they sold guns. Truth in advertisement.
Vesper decided to go to the store that had the least scary name. She wasn't comfortable with going to a place that called itself 'The Killcount' or 'Hurt-locker'. The store that caught one potential costumer with its name and branding was one she saw on a street that her mom said to stay away from. After they already went though it. Great parenting.
It was called 'Log and Loaded'. The logo on top of the store was an overweight beaver sitting on a log with a shotgun in its hands. The beaver was even smiling, so that was comforting. Even more comforting was that the store didn't had a sign in the window that said that they wouldn't serve Faunus. After building up the courage to enter, the Bratty Bat stepped inside the store and without really looking where to order spouted out the following introduction as she was still nervous as hell for entering a gunstore.
There was simply no other way to describe how he felt right now.
One would expect that a gun store on the most troublesome District on Mistral would be thriving with business. But nope. The store was as dead as it could be as it had been through most of the day.
Hell, he had even taken out the sign that forbade Faunus from entering. Not that the person he was covering, an old friend from his Army day, was racist or anything. But one of the local gangs was fiercely racist, and they tended to lynch business that served Faunus.
Ok, maybe he was risking his friend's business but, come on, gangster versus an armed ex-soldier? Yeah, though luck.
Leaning on the counter with a sigh, Escarlata let his gaze lazily wander around the store. Despite what the name may suggest, the store sold way more than just hunting gear and weapons. It had in stock everything from handguns for beginners, all the way to "under the counter" specialized military gear.
All of it provided by yours truly.
Eyeing up one of the rifles lined on the walls, Escarlata pondered for a second to just close off the store and vent for a while on the incorporated shooting range. But as quickly as that idea came, his eyes turned to one of the CCTV cameras.
But of course.
Surrendering to his fate, he dragged a chair to the counter and was about to sit down when, blessed be the heavens, a customer walked in.
"Good evening," he started with a clap of his hands without actually giving the person a good look. "Welcome to Log and Lo-" He was stopped short on his tracks by the customer. Tilting his head in puzzlement at what the client said, Escarlata finally gave the person who barged in a good look.
And couldn't help but sigh.
But of course.
It was a girl, a Faunus at that if the wings on her back were to be believed. And, if her spouting was to be believed, the poor kid was nervous as fuck. But that was not a problem. Most first buyers, she had to be one to be that nervous, tended to be nervous once inside the store due to them literally stepping into a store full of deadly artifacts.
The problem was, Escarlata couldn't actually tell if the girl was above the legal age. Sure, it's not like someone on the Ground District would stop to ask from where a kid had gotten a gun. But this was a legal business, and he liked to believe he was moral enough to not try to take advantage of a kid for a quick sell.
Leaning on the counter, he motioned for the kid to approach him and, with the softest voice he could muster, asked. "How old are you, kid? If we're gonna proceed with this, I'll need a sort of ID," before extending his hand.
If the girl handed him a legal ID that proved she was old enough or at least a hell of a fake, Escarlata would then return it, smile softly, and clasp his hands again.
"Very well, then. Welcome to Log and Loaded. What can I do for you, kid?" Cringing internally, he sighed on his head and decided to finish the greeting his friend told him. "Are you looking to protect yourself or deal some damage?"
His friend owed him a big favor. WC: 580/580
Last Edit: Dec 15, 2020 13:11:32 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Dec 15, 2020 14:28:02 GMT -5
The fact that there seemed to be nobody in the store besides herself and the person behind the counter was quite a comforting thought. She hadn't told anyone that she was going to buy a gun, and if her mom knew she would most likely not approve of the purchase. This was just going to be her and this hand clapping old guy.
He wanted her to come closer, and without suspecting there to be something wrong, she complied. He most likely didn't wanted to yell. Vesper leaned with her hands on the counter, as she heard herself being addressed as a child. She should have honestly expected this behaviour, but fine...
Vesper had a little handbag with her in the shape of a strawberry. She searched in it before she pulled out something more convincing than a fake I.D.
A real I.D.
Because she was a citizen... and not a criminal.
Even after arriving in the city dirt poor, they were legal citizens of the kingdom. They had to apply for a new I.D. and a new name, as her mom really, really was butt hurt about that. It took like... two months to get it done and Vesper believed that dad actually helped out with it, but she had one of the card I.D. with her new name.
Name: Vesper Dubonnet Human/Faunus: Faunus (Fullblood) Date of birth: 7 AV, April 17 Place of birth: Kushinachi Height: 162 cm Weight: 85 kg
Yes...that was a typo that Vesper tried to change.
According to her official documentation, that someone screwed up, Vesper was 20 kg heavier than she actually was. Sure, it was only the mistake of entering an eight instead of a six. Maybe it shouldn't be a big deal, but it honestly almost made Vesper want to go on a diet when she saw it herself on her documentation. Mom had to get the scales of the downstairs neighbours to reassure Vesper she wasn't that heavy.
Regardless, it was an official I.D. "I hope everything is in order. I am legal." Smooth.
Now that was out of the way, Vesper returned the I.D. to her strawberry handbag before she listened to the question what her actual purpose her was. She looked at her hands laying on the counter for a moment, before there slowly came an answer. "I am not looking for anything to rob a bank or shoot Grimm, Mister! I recently came to live in the Ground District and I want to feel more safe. The streets are scary, and I want to protect me and my mom. So uhm... something that I could carry in my Strawberry bag and can use for self defence, I guess. Like...I don't need to kill anyone. Just keep me and my mom safe, Mister!"
Knowing how these things went, she thought, she wanted to show that she was not going to be just some lightweight. Searching inside her strawberry bag, she took out a wad of lien and laid it on the counter. "I think this should be enough if you also need to know of I can afford something, mister."
Without truly knowing the worth of money yet, the bat just placed down enough money to buy a high-end sniper rifle with all the bells and whistles if she wanted. Way too much for any kid her age to just casually place down and certainly enough for her to get a simple handgun and a lot of change.
Though that all depended on how honest this storeclerk was going to be, of course.
Taking the ID presented to him, Escarlata quickly scanned it for veracity, and was given a positive result.
'Yup, it's real. She's above 18,' He quickly glanced towards her. 'Even if she didn't look the part.'
Giving back the kid her ID, Escarlata leaned on the counter with his forearms after his cringy introduction as the girl explained why she wanted a gun.
And, to be honest, he wasn't surprised. Besides the wannabe gangsters and muggers stupid enough to buy traceable guns, the biggest customer base for any gun store was the common folk just wanting to protect themselves or those they loved.
And he was more than happy to provide for that.
But there was something about what she said that bugged Escarlata... About how she didn't need to kill someone. And at that moment, Escarlata wondered if she would ever be willing to pull the trigger.
Because even in life and death situations, some people simply could never pull it if they knew the result would be the ending of a life. Even if the one dying was willing to kill them.
Ignoring the cash, he looked at her with a soft gaze.
"Look, kid, if you say don't need to kill someone to protect yourself or your mother, then I have no idea if you will ever be willing to actually use it. I cannot sell you a handgun if I don't know if you ever will fire it protect yourself. An unused gun is the same as having no gun."
He reached into the drawers below the counter and presented her with a handgun. But one that didn't fire bullets, but steel pellets.
"So why not you better get a BB gun? They're really cheap when compared with a regular gun," He offered. "It doesn't actually kill, but at the range you will be most likely firing it, it will still hurt like hell and stop anyone not drugged on their tracks." He chuckled. "Hell, aim for the eyes and you'll stop anyone. Drugged or not."
With his offer made, he looked at the kid and waited for her input. WC:350/915
Last Edit: Dec 16, 2020 22:12:06 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Dec 16, 2020 18:30:36 GMT -5
The store-owner not looking at the money while she placed it down was not comforting. Did she needed to bring more? She didn't had a whole lot more. She thought that it would have been enough for a gun. Did they really cost more than this? Could she get one cheaper if she didn't bought one at a store? Off-brand weapons like how you got off-brand cereal.
Being fully attentive to what the supplier of guns was saying, two things irked her the wrong way. The way she was being called kid was the first. The second was that he... seemed to make sense. What good is a gun if you wouldn't make use of it. Vesper didn't liked guns. They were loud and they could kill people. Sure that was their intended purpose, but it wasn't something Vesper wanted to do. She only wanted to defend herself and her mom. Not more than that.
It was kind of silly... but when the store-owner reached under the desk, her semblance kinda betrayed what he was grabbing.
And it caused Vesper's heart to jump.
HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT ME!
For a moment that thought raced through her head. Her semblance, as it was called she believed, honestly kinda sucked at times. She got 'pings'. That was how she called them. Images in her head every few seconds of her surroundings. Even if she closed her eyes. She got a ping when the drawer was opened, and when it was, she could finally sense there was a gun inside of it.
Even though she was in a gun store, and she asked for a gun, him just going for a gun just like that was kinda scary. The base instinct of someone going for a gun unnerved the girl. Stupid, maybe. But it was what happened. All the more reason that Escarlata was speaking at least some truth.
The bat seemed to be mildly shaken up as he explained what it was he was handing her.
A BB-gun?
She listened to what he had to say, and she slowly lightened up at the thought. A way to be safe and not kill. He could see her thinking about it, eyeing the BB-gun but not yet reaching for it. She was about 90% convinced, though Escarlata planted the seed of doubt himself.
What if she had to face a drugged-up person?
...
What is she needed to face someone who was protected by that aura forcefield thing she herself had just a little bit? Her dad told about it after he said he 'unlocked' it in her. She didn't understand it, but she knew that her dad had been shot by way more than a BB-gun and could still fight. He boasted about it when drunk. And he was that often enough that even the limited time Vesper spent with him. she knew about it.
What if it was one of those high-powered terrorists? The kinds who can take out whole crowds of people without even blinking?
Doubt crept on the features of her face.
She seemed to look at the BB-gun for a last time, before she looked up at the grizzled veteran. She cleared her throat, and the wings on her back seem to shake of some nerves of her own, before she finally spoke. Long-winded and filled with uncertainty.
"Mister..." She looked him straight in his eyes. "If... your mom... or... whoever you cared about was in actual danger... like..." She had trouble speaking it out loud. "Actually wanted to kill them... and the attackers were... armed, or highly powered... would you be... comfortable, with having that to defend yourself... or having a real gun?"
It was a rhetorical question.
The best kind of question.
Because the both of them are supposed to know the answer already.
She seemed sure about what she was saying next.
"Give me a real gun."
And even more certain about what came next.
"And call me Vesper. I am a customer. Paying customer, mister." 670 words;2042 Thread Total
Letting out a sigh, Escarlata felt an uncomfortable weight settling down on his soul as he stored the BB gun. He had tried his best, but if she still wanted a real gun after all that. Well, in the end, it wasn't his job to dissuade her.
"Your choice, Ms. Vesper," He said, a slight sigh leaving his mouth. Quickly eyeing the girl with an inquisitive gaze, Escarlata quickly started to ponder about what she would need.
She needed to defend herself on the streets, so that would mean a small gun, with enough stopping power to drop dead an armed thug before they got a fighting chance, while also being concealable.
Had this been a cartoon, a lightbulb would've appeared above his head.
"I think I may have what you need," Doing a quick glance at the counter storing the pistols, a groan left his lips after not seeing the handgun he was looking for. Had his friend not refilled stock with the ones he got for him?
Ah, well, better head up to the warehouse rather than complaint. At least that way he would be able to fetch everything he needed immediately.
"Give me a second, Ms. Vesper. I have to go to search for it at the warehouse. Uhm... Feel free to look around while waiting. Oh, and which is your dominant hand?" Nodding at her answer, he opened the door to the warehouse and started to look around.
A couple minutes afterward, he finally returned to the counter with what he was searching in hand.
"Considering what you're looking for, Ms. Vesper, this would be my recommendation," He placed the gun in the counter, alongside a concealable hip carrying holster for her strong hand, and a box of ammunition containing 500 rounds. "A Sig Sauger P320 RXP XCOMPACT. Its 9mm round has enough stopping and penetration power to compete with other self-defense calibers while being cheaper and lighter.
The gun itself is also light enough to carry without you actually noticing it with every step you take. And it should be easy enough to control. And this," he placed his hand on the holster. "Should allow you to carry it everywhere without turning you into a prime target for anyone wanting to shoot someone."
He cleared his throat as he once again leaned on the counter with his arms, and spoke to Vesper with a more conspirational tone. "The thing is that you would actually need another permit to be able to conceal carry legally. Which should take a couple days to have done.
But, let's be honest here, we both know not a lot of folks will care about that here in Ground. So unless you're planning on going to Wind with it, I won't bother you with the permit."
"Now," He continued, straightening up. "In terms of ammo, I would recommend buying five hundred for a starter," He raised his hands. "I know, I know, it may sound like overkill. But you need to practice a lot to be able to use a firearm reliably in any real-life situation. So those rounds will disappear fast."
Clearing his throat a final time, he turned towards the computer and started to count. "So, if this is to your liking, and the background check comes clean, the gun would cost nine-hundred Lien, the ammunition would be two-hundred-thirty Lien, and the holster ten Lien. Coming to a grand total of one thousand, one hundred and forty Lien."
Clasping his hands, he turned towards Vesper with another smile. "Due to the amount of your purchase, it would also come with five extra free magazines alongside enough ammo to fill them, totaling seventy-five rounds, and a free lesson to guide you through the basics of maintaining your handgun and firing it.
So, do we have a deal?" WC: 630/1545
Last Edit: Dec 16, 2020 22:16:59 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Dec 17, 2020 16:55:03 GMT -5
Ms Vesper? How does he know I am not married and a Mrs?
Beyond that, the bat seemed to at least be somewhat happy that she was not getting addressed like she is a kid. The store owner seemed to consider the right gun, which he couldn't find the particular type near the counter. Well, at least he seemed to consider the right weapon with enough care at least. As he informed what Vesper's dominant hand was, she had a thought to say something cool and interesting like being left-handed or even ambidextrous. Interesting people were always differently handed.
Considering that she herself needed to use the gun, she answered truthfully. "Just... boring old right-handed!" She gave a slight smiles afterwards, before being left alone in the store.
...
...
...
*tap tap*
Vesper tapped the counter with her hands and a thought went through her head. Could she like... take the cash in the registry and run? Sure, it was a crime and stuff, and she wasn't going to do it... but could she do it? The bat looked around the counter for a moment, before she forgot the plan. She was never going to rob a store.
Walking away from the counter, Vesper looked around the store. Her eyes were drawn towards one of the sidewalls that had something very impressive behind very thick glass.
It was honestly just about as long as she was tall, and it was most likely more expensive than anything she owned. Vesper looked at the price, and she whistled for a moment. Yup. She didn't even have enough on her to most likely touch such a thing. Perhaps the apartment was worth more, but that belonged to her mom. Or well, Hinata's mom. They rented it.
Looking around the other prize tags, she could buy a lot of the other things. Not that big gun though. Who would even need that kind of gun? What were you going to kill? Armored wolves? Planes? Who would even need to spend that much on a weapon? Vesper tried to figure it out in her head before she heard a ding from the left of her as someone else entered the store. It was a guy who the Faunus would describe as a 'thug'. The two made eye contact for a moment, before his 'friends' seemed to join him in the doorway. A bunch of the same dressed 'thugs' were now looking at her. The bat opened her mouth.
"I am buying a gun." She said smugly.
...
"Shhiiitttt..." The first guy said, throwing up 'gang-signs' that the bat didn't understood. "You lost, freak?" All of the other guys seemed to be either laughing or making the same kind of hand movements. The lead dude spoke again. "Is Squiby here?" Vesper seemed...rightfully confused. The 'thug' continued. "If you see Squiby, tell him the Dragonflies want a word! We come back in a few with Big Boss. You be gone by then, if you know what be good for you, freak!" And then they just...walked away. Vesper could feel with her aura that all of them had some kind of weapon on their body. Hell, she could even see a few of them with her eyes. Not even that well hidden.
Weird. But apparently Vesper was 'on point'... That was good right?
It shouldn't be hard for anyone to figure what was going on right here. A Faunus customer in a store where Faunus were blacklisted, in a street they were unwelcome, controlled by a gang who were notoriously racist. Hell, Vesper was a smart enough kid to connect the dots if there was a sign in the window or in the door that said that Faunus aren't welcome here.
...oh wait! Someone removed it because they were bored!
Soon after Escarlata returned again, and Vesper was all the happier for it. She walked over towards the counter again as she leaned on the surface. The store owner had a new gun for her and explained a lot of things about it. She nodded along and gave 'hums' as she listened. He explained about the gun, ammo, licenses and that she was getting some magazines extra. When all was said she had a simple follow up question: "But... does it shoot when I pull the trigger?"
She gave a smug smile towards the shopkeeper, indicating that she was at least not that clueless. "I think I followed most of it, but I want to discuss one thing. The permit." Vesper scratched behind her ear for a moment, before she continued. "I want that permit. I am a citizen. I want to protect myself no matter if I am in the Ground District or otherwise. Honestly, I am kind of..." She wanted to say that she was shocked that he would even suggest waiving a required permit like that to someone he didn't knew. What if she was a very cute safety inspector? Still, she didn't wanted to antagonize this man, so she ensured to rephrase her sentence. "I just want to do this right. Even if the permit costs some extra, I got enough money. There is about 1400 Lien in that stack. I guess that is enough for the permit as well, right? I can wait a few days. That isn't the problem..."
She hesitated.
"What is the problem is that I don't want my... roommate..." She should have said 'mom', but she didn't even though he knew she was being it to protect just that. "To find out about this. She doesn't need to be informed even if I get that permit, right?"
Vesper kept leaning on the counter as she said a final thing. "For the rest... I think I will take it, and that lesson."
...
Wait, she was forgetting something.
Oh, yeah!
"Mister, when you were out some people stood at the door. Looking for someone called...uhm... 'Squiby'? Said they were the Dragonflies? That were armed, so maybe they want to buy weapons as well? Talking about upgrades..." Vesper seemed to be fully not aware that the Dragonflies were a street gang who had this street as their turf. A turf that they didn't wanted any Faunus to shop in. Something that was happening right now.
Outside the store, some already saw that trouble was brewing. Sending Vesper out into the streets now, was most likely not going to be any prettier than having her indoors. There was going to be a fallout.
It took every single bit of willpower Escarlata had for him to not roll his eyes with a big sigh at the kid's comment. Instead, he simply allowed him a quiet sigh for himself while rubbing his nape.
"Yes, Ki-Vesper. It does fire when you press the trigger."
Silently hearing her explanations about the permit, Escarlata merely nodded at her. Very well, then. If she wanted the permit after all that. He wasn't going to say no.
"Very well. I'll need some data for the required checks. And no, the permit is fully electronic. I'll only need a Scroll address so it can be mailed to you once it's approved. Afterward, you can use it to get a physical permit to carry in your wallet."
"The permit would be an extra 100 Lien then. And regarding your le-"
Escarlata stopped dead on his tracks after Vesper opened her mouth.
'Fuck...' Was the first thing to go through his mind.
Slightly moving his eyes towards the glass door, a soft curse left his lips. They had moved in fast.
Leaning on the counter, Escarlata's face turned as serious as it could as he looked at Vesper. "Vesper, I need you to follow what I say to the letter." He waited for her response before continuing. "Right now, we're in a pretty bad spot, like, deadly bad. So, I need you to go to th-"
His eyes drifted to the door once again at the sound of it opening. It was too late now.
"Fuck," He turned to Vesper for a second before straightening up. "Stay calm. Act normal. Stand where I can easily see you."
"Gentlemen," He said with fake cheer as the thugs walked in. "What I can help you with?"
The one who seemed to be the leader, a tall bald man dressed in a long, blue coat with fur on its upper edges and wrists, a leather vest, and white pants, didn't bother in replying. Instead, he took his sunglasses off and merely looked around the store.
"Excuse me for answering your question with another question, but," He turned towards Escarlata, towering over him. "Where is Squiby?"
"He is not here," Escarlata replied. His friendly demeanor completely lost, as his face hardened into silent anger and focus.
"I see," The bald man replied with a nod. Once again looking around the store. "I'm not going to lie, he does a nice store. I suppose it was time for him to actually hire staff, considering how his business is booming with my boys."
Silently going to one of the walls, he picked a rifle off of it and weighed it on his hands. "This is really good stuff. Really good. Almost military grade."
"I'm not staff," Escarlata replied. "I'm just a friend doing a favor by taking care of his store."
The leader turned to Escarlata once again, a tinge of curiosity in his eyes. "I see." That was all he said as he returned the rifle. Walking towards the counter, he eyed Vesper as he leaned on the counter. "Let me get something straight, to make sure we aren't doing this solely because of a misunderstanding since a friend of Squiby's is a friend of us. When you arrived at the store, there was a sign on the window?"
"Yes."
"Who took it off," He asked, his face slightly hardening as his boys started to slowly move to their positions.
"I did," Escarlata replied, silently following the thugs' movements with the corner of his eyes.
"I see," Was the bald man reply as he straightened up. "Did you know why it was there in the first place? Did you know what would happen if you took it off?"
"Yes."
A scowl appeared on the leader's face. "Why did you took it off then?"
"Very simple," Escarlata replied, as he softly reached into his waist and pulled a concealed pistol he was carrying. Placing it onto the counter with his hand atop it, he let the threat linger before continuing. "Because there's nothing you fucking racists may do to scare me into being one."
A couple minutes passed by without a party doing any move. Until Escarlata, already fed up with their presence, finally made his move.
"And now," he grasped the gun, readying it to be raised and shot if necessary. "I would really like it if you and your goons left the store with your life still intact. Are we clear? Friend?."
WC: 706/2,251
Last Edit: Dec 21, 2020 17:21:16 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Dec 21, 2020 19:04:47 GMT -5
Having the permit send home might be a problem as she and her mom shared a scroll, but considering that Vesper was in the apartment most days while her mom worked, she could most likely get this all to work. After she had the physical permit, she could delete the digital message without a problem.
None of that mattered when the shopkeeper leaned over the counter, causing Vesper to take a step back. She got massive bad vibes from the man's words and seriousness. Was this a threat? Was he suddenly depressed? What the hell was going on? She remained curious but anxious when the door opened, and Vesper saw five men enter.
One was really tall and dressed in a way Vesper knew well. His 'friends' only completed the look. Like tacky earrings on an awful dress. Kuchinashi had enough criminals running around that you could spot the type. In the way the dressed, in the way they carried themselves, and in the way they talked.
She also knew that she should not intervene.
She took her money from the counter, hoping that she wasn't noticed as the goon boss was inspecting the weapons. She went to stand more towards the corner and out of the way. Out of sight, out of mind. Even if this store allowed Faunus, it was an unspoken or official rule in enough establishments that humans came first. The bat seemed to get away with swiping the money, as she was still soundly ignored by the bald baddy. The tiny thugs did keep an eye on her as she moved though, and Vesper just kept her head down.
The accessory muscle took strategic enough positions in the room. One went to stand in front of the door, two of them went to the corners opposite of the counter, and the last hung around the boss more like a lapdog than anything else.
Vesper's semblance gave her enough information to know that all of the mini-thugs had pistols in the back of their pants like it was the company's dress code. One also...either had an apple of a grenade as well. Hard to tell, it is a round shape. The head-honcho didn't had a weapon on him as far as Vesper's semblance could tell her. She could make two educated guesses with how much she knew about mobsters from her previous interactions.
Either he thought he had enough authority in his turf that he didn't thought he needed any...
Or he could easily kill someone without the use of a weapon. Crazy powers like Vesper's dad.
It could also be both.
The more the conversation progressed between the store owner...scrap that, 'Friend of store owner' and this obvious mob boss, the more vesper's face turned pale. The moment that Escarlata said that he pulled off the 'No Faunus' sign was the moment Vesper made a soft but still audiable yelp as he gaze turned towards the 'Friend of the store owner'.
She looked like he had just killed her puppy, driving over the animal a second time, before burning it, and using the ashes to make chocolate chip cookies to harm more puppies.
It was that bad.
Internally, Vesper was now freaking out.
How could that colossal dumb ass do that! This isn't just a choice you can make in a place that doesn't allow Faunus! You cannot just wake up one day and think: 'Golly, I am going to fix generations of institutional racism by not listening to the apparently local racist mob which had this street as their turf' He only endangered himself and even more importantly Vesper with pulling this little stunt. Hopefully he was not completely lost and would apologize and-
He placed a gun on the counter...
And he called the racists, racist...
...
IF RACISTS DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED ANYTHING, THEN IT IS THAT THEY ARE RACISTS! THAT IS THE ONE THING THEY HATE MOST OF ALL!
A small tear welled up in Vesper's left eye as he was now also threatening a group with superior numbers to leave a store that wasn't even his...
...
God, I should have told my mom I loved her more when I stood up in the morning today.
After Escarlata made his threat, all of the gangsters were naturally on edge. Luckily, thank whatever was holy and good and made of fluffy kittens, the goons seemed to be well trained enough to not go crazy just yet as their gang boss seemed to not be alarmed as of yet. He was angry, but he apparently wasn't intimidated. Still, Vesper didn't wanted this blatant display of 'Men with guns wanting to shoot up shit' getting her killed... So despite her thinking she was a goner if she didn't acted, she did what her mother thought her to do in this situation.
"Excuse me, sir..if I may speak up." Vesper spoke up quietly, still having the money in her hands as she approached. "I am deeply so- sorry. This is my mistake as much as it is his." She bowed her head deeply as she presented the mob boss the stack of bills. "I have here in my hands 1400 Lien. Please take it as a sign of respect. This idiot doesn't know what he did. I do, and I apologize for the both of us."
The grand gangster gave Escarlata a final smirk before he finally turned around to give the Faunus in the store even the time of day to look at her. He turned his body towards her and towered over her even more than he did towards Escarlata. Without a word, he grabbed the cash and glanced at it just slightly to see if the amount was in the right ballpark. He didn't really cared how much it was or if her claim was true. It was the tone that was more to his ears.
"Well, well, well. A bat flew into a gunstore and apparently knows more about the biz than the man behind the counter!" Said one of the goons, which got a chuckle out of the other meritless minions. The boss didn't showed emotions as Vesper rose, and turned towards the counter. She was trembling where she stood. She was softly crying as she spoke, her face as white as a ghost.
"As a... sign that he doesn't mean what he just said..." Vesper cleared her throat, pleading with her eyes as much as with her words. "He will of course put back the sign, I will leave this store and... uhm... this street... and not put his friend and his store in any more trouble."
It was as much as Vesper could currently portray that Escarlata really needed to do Vesper a solid and needed to not listen to his ego. Whatever small amount of pride he took in removing that sign, it in no way amounted to anything positive for Vesper, or this 'Squiby'.
Vesper wasn't even thinking about the immediate firefight. She had never been in one, so she couldn't relate. She could relate with how this would turn out regardless of who lived. Even if she hadn't been a Faunus, this was the most likely turn of events:
Squiby, the real store owner, would most likely be shot and his store would be ruined. You don't mess with gangs like that and think you will not be made into an example. In Kuchinashi messing with any gangs like this was basically a death sentence. Vesper knew that, and everybody who knew anything knew that. They would either shoot up the store, or take everything inside of it and the warehouse.
Vesper would not be certain of her life either. Even if this idiot could shoot these guys all in the blink of an eye, the moment Vesper took a single step outside of this store she could be shot just like that. Maybe it was right there in the street, maybe they would follow her home and shoot Vesper and her mom. You can't just think that a firefight inside of this building with these kinds of people would end without any repercussions. If they could get four people within minutes to back them up, there were more.
All of that would suck... but Vesper was a Faunus.
If it came out that a firefight broke out in this Non-Faunus store because of a Faunus, a mob could destroy and loot this store without the gang even lifting a finger. Enough would spin it in the Faunus either robbing the store, or just attacking people in a moment of insanity.
When Vesper would walk out of this store alive, she had no way of knowing what would happen on the street. Some humans might just leer at her, and shout that she needed to fuck off. Other might spit in her direction, or throw stuff at her. She didn't think that anyone would do anything more, but it wasn't unheard that Faunus didn't got attacked after trying to be serviced in a human only store.
She knew that she couldn't just walk into this street anymore. That was out of the question. At least for like... a month at least.
And that were the reasons that she could just think about on the top of her head before Escarlata was dumb enough to go and escalate the situation. Either he was an idiot and thought removing the sign wasn't a big deal, or he did it as an actual act of defiance. It didn't matter much. For him this was his little moment to 'kick the butt of some racists'. He could most likely go home and sleep soundly at night, thinking he was actually helping. Making a difference.
For Vesper, this was just one moment in a long chain that so many Faunus experienced. The racism that they lived through day after day after day while living among humans. The looks, the places they couldn't get to even enter, the slurs, the racist housing policies, the everything. Everything that made them remember that for so many humans, they would always be second class citizens. Some fought a war to the and change things, but many more just needed to deal with the fallout their actions caused. When they had their little fight, the Faunus got a continent to fuck off to and for many Faunus things hadn't exactly improved. Humans don't tend to think more kindly of you after your species just caused a war in which they lost a family member of a friend. It just made so many more humans actively resent Faunus.
No end of slavery would change that.
No war for rights would change that.
And no stupid dickhead not putting up a sign in a store window would change that.
The master mobster placed one of his big hands on Vesper's shoulder, slowly bur certainly pulling her closer towards him. Considering the size different between the two, she was more a human buckler than a human shield. It was more the thought that mattered as Vesper could feel her shoulder hurting under just a little bit of force from this show of force. Big, bald, and bad looked Escarlata straight in the eyes as he spoke. "And you will deny such a request? She might not be a customer, but she is really putting her neck out for you, for some inexplicable reason."
"Besides, this building isn't even technically Squiby's. He sold the lease last month. A deal among friends. To ensure that business remains booming, you see. Wouldn't want this little misunderstanding to get out of hand, right? He has made it into such a nice store." He said, veiling his threat just enough to get the point across.
Vesper's eyes kept pleading at Escarlata to do her a favor on this and don't let the big and scary mom pop her head like a pimple. 1991 words; 5121 thread total
Post by Vesper Dubonnet on Jan 24, 2021 15:03:59 GMT -5
Escarlata did as he was told, though reluctantly. Vesper was escorted out of the store and the street by one of the thugs, who pushed her into a puddle because they were being extra racist and petty. After telling her to never show her face around their turf again, the thugs returned to continue their little chat with the substitute gun-store owner.