Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-26130256-20150408000748/@comment-26130256-20150409063728

The Big Guy looked hurt. "Youse got us confused with some otha guys.  We're just messenger boys."

Azulius's brain finally hit on the situation. This wasn't a goon squad--the lack of big weapons and any armor tipped that off-- but a group of couriers. The Cardamom Family used similar tactics to deliver messages to their enemies. A smart guy to do the negotiating, and some muscle to be scary and break things as needed.

"Yeah," added Medium, as the three of them rose from their chairs and walked over to the bar. "We represent the Vermillion Syndicate.  Since crime around here's shot through the roof lately, we're hiring out as security.  And since you're a pillar of the neighborhood here, we figured we'd give ya a preferred customer discount."

At this, Azzie almost rolled his eyes. They were asking for protection money, plain and simple. And whoever these Vermillion guys were, they sure didn't feel like spending qualified soldiers on this job. Probably just some upstarts who didn't realize that this place was already squarely in Torchwick Gang territory. Finally out of sight, Azzie slipped on his knuckles and reached for Roaring Moxie. Thanks to Vermont's "cramped and cozy" aesthetic, it would be near-impossible to swing a glaive-guisarme well enough to fight, and any full-auto shooting had the risk of perforating something important in the bar, like the bartender. But by the Dust, Moxie was his weapon, and he wasn't going to just let her miss out on a good scrap. As Azulius thought this through, the shortest thug spoke up, agreeing with his friends.

"And since an entrepreneur like yourself understands the value of good insurance, surely you wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this..."