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Who: Giovanni (

competing)
What: Two new members of the Royal Guard, out to catch a criminal in the red light district
When: mid August
Where: Red light district
Warning(s): idk, themes of sex work?

[In essence, it's a simple enough job. Hot on the heels of his acceptance into the Royal Guard and having been given his patrol area, he'd been informed of reports on a man who's been pulling knives on sex workers who ply their trade out on the streets rather than within the protection of any particular brothel. A criminal who has yet to cause physical harm, but who robs the workers of their silver rather than paying for the services he's received. His identity is unknown-- all reports indicate a person of varying appearance, having led to the conclusion that the perpetrator is, in fact, a shapeshifter. All Giovanni needs to do is to catch him in the act, bring him in, report to Ashti.

Only, catching a shapeshifter isn't the easiest of things to do, and whilst he may have a dramatically enhanced skill set, he isn't capable of being everywhere at once. There are a multitude of street-walking sex workers in this sector, any number of secluded spaces and darkened alcoves were people can slink off to have their fun...or commit a crime, in this case.

And so after a few unsuccessful days of taking the more traditional approach, the conclusion is drawn that it would be far easier should the criminal in question come to them, rather than the other way around. Which is how Giovanni and the fellow new recruit he happens to have roped in have ended up in their current position, standing about on the streets, attempting to look as though they belong there.

Despite the discomfort he feels in being so incredibly dressed down, Giovanni retains all his usual easy grace, leaning loose-limbed against a red-hued lamppost, hips jauntily cocked, and yes his current attire leaves the cruel bite of his metal collar on full display, but in a situation like this it looks fetishistic enough to leave many questions unasked. His lips curl into an uneven smile as he looks over at Lance, his expression all wry amusement.]

Try to relax, will you? You're supposed to look enticing, not guilty.

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[ lance squints up at the fading light of the planet's sun, feeling a chill begin to settle in the air as night truly begins to settle in. all around them, the district seems to stir, rousing from its lazy lull to its full, thriving glory. he digs his hands in a little deeper into the black jeans, hunching his shoulders as if to ward off the creeping chill. not that the top he's wearing is helping matters in that regard... mistakes were made.

frankly, he's beginning to think this whole mission was a mistake. ]

I'm not guilty... It's just. [ weird. this is weird. ] Cold.

[ pouting, definitely sulking, definitely feeling guilty, lance glances away from giovanni. doing his best to purposefully avoid the eyes of any bodies that happen to pass by. in the process, he catches sight of himself along the windows of a nearby shop. a moment or two passes as he assesses himself...

and then he pouts some more. ]

After this, I'm definitely hitting the gym.

[And Giovanni watches him, red eyes bright with his own wry amusement as his partner hunches and scowls, even as he keeps the milling crowds in the periphery of his vision. Despite his languid and loose appearance he still remains focused, but that doesn't mean he has no time to assess the boy standing beside him now, doesn't mean he won't tease.]

Perhaps you should.

[Never mind that Giovanni himself is whipthin and wiry, feeling smaller and somehow more vulnerable without the added finesse and sharpness that comes with a well-tailored suit. Perhaps they'll get lucky regardless-- perhaps their perp is into twinks.]

And stop sulking, will you? Try a smile. No one wants to play with a moody prostitute.

[ at giovanni's agreement, lance's sulking only deepens. in response, he endeavors to look a little bigger (never mind that he's already taller than giovanni) by puffing his chest out and throwing his shoulders back a little more. in the process, he happens to catch eyes with a man on the opposite street, who smiles appreciatively in turn. lance's face goes red in seconds, and he hastily looks away again.

his ears, too, burn a little at the other guard's choice of words, and he mumbles something under his breath about a streetwalker before tapering off into moody silence for a few seconds. after a while, he rustles again, as if completely unable to remain still and silent for too long. ]

How long are we supposed to wait, anyway? I'm hungry...

[ why yes he is just probably going to spend the entire evening complaining. ]

[And Giovanni watches with one eyebrow wryly raised at that puffing up, that strutting posture, an attempt to seem somehow larger than he is in a bizarre display of awkward masculinity. It's not something that the warhound feels any compulsion towards, himself-- why would he, when he knows he can break a man's neck with his bare hands if he chose to? But it's vaguely entertaining to watch, nonetheless.

And he catches that blush, that quick turning away, and when his fellow guard once again begins his complaints Giovanni clicks his teeth against his tongue, shakes his head.]

We'll wait for as long as we need to. Preferably until we get the right kind of bite.

[Or the wrong kind, depending on how one looks at it-- it's a knife-pulling thief they want, after all, not just anyone willing to part with a bit of silver in exchange for services neither are actually prepared to offer.]

And if you look away and blush like a virgin maiden every time someone catches your eye, we'll be here for the rest of our days.

[ lance rustles, and visibly so, as if his very honor had just been questioned. and, frankly, it may as well have been. there you go, giovanni, have some more random bouts of fragile masculinity in full display. it isn't even as if he's uncomfortable or insecure about that in general, but the entire situation is so far out of his element, he doesn't even know if they're still using the same periodic table here. ]

I'm not — blushing like a virgin maiden, [ he huffs, totally blushing like said virgin maiden. but he tries his best, jerking his gaze back forward. in the process, he manages to catch the gaze of yet another passer-by, but this time he takes care to hold it.

it makes for a strange sight, really. this stiff and awkward teen, lips all scrunched up, expression tight and resolved while his face blooms bright red. somehow... miraculously?? it doesn't ward the man away.

in fact he starts to cross the street towards them.

cue lance panicking. ]

Ohmygod he's coming over, Giovanni, what do we do—?!

Edited 2017-08-22 00:40 (UTC)

[And in response to his colleague's huffing indignation Giovanni only laughs, a brief bright sound that seems - for once - to contain something of genuine mirth. Perhaps both of them are feeling awkward and outside of their comfort zones - one more overtly so than the other - but at the very least Giovanni is managing to derive some enjoyment out of this. Lance is proving to be quite entertaining.

But then the teen catches someone's eye, actually manages to lure them over, and in response to his rapidfire words of panic, Giovanni breathes out a put-upon sigh. Entertaining this might be, but perhaps he hadn't picked the best partner for this particular operation.

Still-- he thinks he can see a benefit here. A way to turn it around. Something that may well work in their favour.]

Don't stutter and stammer in panic, for starters. Try to seem as though you want this at the very least.

[The man is halfway across the street now, making a clear beeline for the flustered teen, and as such Giovanni slightly lowers his voice.]

But look at it this way, your obvious inexperience might actually pay off here. Your awkward and shy routine might lead our man to believe you're easier pickings than someone who looks to know what they're doing. I'll chip in conversation-wise if need be, then you lure him down that alley over there and I'll come after you in ten minutes time.

[Ten whole minutes where you'll be left alone with a guy who might just be looking for a blowjob from a pretty boy for all they know. Have fun with that prospect, Lance.]

[ what a nice, quality moment they're sharing. two bros, bonding over a shared goal... truly heartwarming stuff right here.

except, you know, for the fact that one of them is two toes into a panic attack and the other one is having all the fun over it. ]

You... You really think so? [ the man is still far enough away that their hushed talk shouldn't be overheard, especially given the velocity with which lance general tends to speak anyway. he tries to find comfort in giovanni's words, which come out so calm and collected that he surely the other man knows what he's talking about, surely. ]

Yeah, I mean I guess that works, I could just—

[ a second's pause, the rest of giovanni's plan coming to a screeching halt inside his brain. ]

—wait, you want me to what?!

[ but it's too late. by then, the man had arrived at their end of the street, lips spread into something very charming, very opportunistic. ]

'Evening, boys.

[There's no time to further elaborate, no time to coax or repeat or just plain old tease, because no sooner than those words are out then the man is upon them, gracing them both to that bright and charming smile. A smile that Giovanni quickly reciprocates.]

Good evening.

[Giovanni shifts subtly closer to Lance then, his body-language still languid and loose, looking for all the world as though he belongs here. From this position it's all the easier to subtly give his fellow Guard a good, quick elbow to the ribs. Look sharp, now.]

Perhaps there's something either myself or my friend here can do to make it a better one.

[ lance, at this point, goes uncharacteristically silent. he stands as if he were in some kind of military line, in complete contrast to giovanni's languid posture. they truly do look like night and day in more ways than one, both in coloring and demeanor. to the adventurous sort, they would make quite the pair.

the man in question seems to be considering his options, looking both boys over without any shame or reservations. there's definitely something appreciative in his eyes, but when they settle on lance again, a cock of his brow makes it curious. ]

Are you new? Don't think I've seen either of you around before.

[ implying he frequents the streets enough to notice, which lance, even in his panic-fueled silence, manages to notice. ]

We, um. [ great time for his voice to pitch and puberty to fail him, yep. ] We're from out of town... We heard it can get pretty fun here, so we thought we'd come check it out.

[And Giovanni sees it, that weighing up, the open appraisal in their potential client's eyes, doesn't quail beneath it despite his own sexual inexperience because it's a common enough thing to encounter within the Underground's sprawling, seedy depths. Wouldn't be the first time he's felt the rake of eyes fall across him, unsuspecting of just what he'd do to them should they try anything he dislikes, that the games he prefers to play are something quite apart from the type being offered here.

And so he just smiles, looks brazenly back, already weighing the possibility that the guy might decide to take on the both of them, though to his mind that holds the implication that this particular gentleman is unlikely to be the one they're after. It'd be safer, easier, to steal from just one sex worker after all.

But then the man's gaze once again settles on his younger companion, and internally Giovanni sighs in the wake of that high-pitching voice, the way he stumbles into that lie. Again though, there's something fortuitous in it, makes him seem like the weak member of the heard, just waiting to be picked off. Something they can use to their advantage.]

One of the colonies. [Giovanni pitches in.] Nothing so grand and sprawling as Olympia itself. We're still getting our bearings.

[Still vulnerable, is the implication, and probably without a proper support network to fall back on.]

And perhaps my friend here is still a little green around the gills when it comes to our trade, but don't be deceived-- he'll show you a good time.

[ perhaps an undercover operation isn't quite lance's forte; a little too quick to emote, heart worn far too blatantly on his sleep, he does not exactly make for the most inconspicuous, despite his good intentions. for instance he cannot help but cringe at giovanni's implication, feeling the tips of his ears and the apples of his cheeks grow bright red and hot. fortunately for them both, the man had had his attention on giovanni as he spoke, eyes (if the two on his face are indeed all that he possess) turned away.

still, the boy is full of well-meaning trying, and when push comes to shove, he is good at knowing what he has to do and doing it. so when those eyes settle back on him, head tilted in a curious, considering angle, lance puts on a smile. perfectly shy, befitting of a new but eager boy on the streets. ]

Yeah, mister. What're you into?

[Even as Giovanni's gaze remains primarily focused on their prospective john, he keeps Lance in his periphery, picks up on all the jumping tension in him, the hot pink tips of his ears, the way he smiles - small and shy - as the man's eyes return to him. And really, it's quite the performance, even if in reality it's less performative and more a genuine expression of the other Guard's lack of experience in situations like this. it serves their purposes well enough.

And despite there being a moment where their potential client once again looks them both over with something like hungry consideration, it seems Lance's shy routine really is paying off.

You've got a pretty mouth. Let's see how well you use it.

This time, his words are are intended for Lance alone.]

[ honestly, given lance's luck, he should have expected things would turn out this way. fortunately, he's been steeling himself up since the man approached for this very possibility, though it doesn't make the taste in his mouth any better. before he can help himself, his eyes rake over the man in turn, trying to see if he could even make out where he might be concealing a blade... but for all he knows, it could well be a part of his person. aliens, you know.

he tries to pass it off as something appreciative, even if there is still a strain to his lips. ]

Sure thing... [ he trails off, sharing a quick look giovanni. it's too quick to really convey how much of anything, but the unspoken truth is there: whatever happens, he trusts giovanni.

then he's looking back to the stranger with another smile. ] Where do you want me?

[At at the look Lance throws in his direction Giovanni subtly lifts his chin, smiles his sharp-angled smile. It's a look that's intended to encourage him along because this is what they're out here for, to potentially catch a criminal in the act, never mind that the possibility remains that this could go in quite another direction altogether.

Placing one's trust in a somewhat unstable bioweapon...well. It's not necessarily the wisest thing to do, but in this particular instance he intends to have his partner's back. They have a job to do, after all-- rules and structure, these are the kinds of things he takes seriously.

The guy looks around, spots a darkened alley branching off to one side, wreathed in red-tinted shadows and tucked conveniently out of the way of prying eyes. he smiles wider, motions with a small jerk of his head towards the desired location.

This'll do. Your little friend can wait here.

And he turns in said direction, clearly expecting Lance to follow along.]

[ and lance does, because when push comes to shove, he knows when to shelve his own misgivings about things and focus on the mission at hand. it helps that he's the one put into the awkward situation here — had it been the other way around, and giovanni expressed any sort of discomfort in the idea, he probably would have dropped their cover in mere seconds.

but that isn't the case, and so he carries on, sparing just one last quick glance over his shoulder at his partner before keeping step with his new clientele... he finds himself wishing he'd pulled a leaf out of keith's book and kept a knife hidden somewhere on his person, but he'll just have to trust his own combat skills and giovanni's intuition on when to intervene, should things turn messy.

...which means it's all up to giovanni, tbh.

but as he and the man situate themselves into the darkened alley, lance only has enough time to glance around at his surroundings before he feels a hand slam against his shoulder, effectively pushing him back and pinning him against the wall. he yelps in surprised, but another hand comes up to press over his mouth, muffling the rest of his shouts. he struggles, hands coming up to shove at the other man, but either he's a lot weaker than he thought or this man's a lot stronger, or some alien musculature is really trumping his own puny human ones, but he finds he can't do more than nudge the man back even with all of his strength.

there is a bark of laughter, and suddenly all fight leaves lance when he feels the unmistakable press of cold, sharp metal against his gut. ]

[Ten minutes, he'd said. The length of time he'd meant to allow to spool out in front of him before he'd go and check up on his fellow Guard, giving them time for idle talk perhaps, a moment of it, not really expecting an attack or threat to follow so swiftly on the heels of their departure. Fortunate, then, that his hearing is as sharp as it is, that the brief muffled yelp Lance lets out before the hand descends over his mouth reaches Giovanni's ears despite the distance that now separates them.

He hears it, and perhaps it's only surprise in the face of a carnal request he hadn't been expecting, but there are other explanations, more vicious ones, and as such Giovanni slinks off in the direction of the alley, silent as any predator, steps feather-light on the red-hued ground. It's close, at least, and it's only a matter of moments before he's Peering into that pulsing dark only to see his partner already pinned tight to the wall, the dull coruscation of a blade between their midsections and the sound of a triumphant kind of laugh that will, no doubt, soon turn into something else. Something altogether less smug.

Because Giovanni moves then, swift and silent and full of the kind of strength one could never guess at merely by looking at him, grabs the perpetrator by his knife-arm and yanks it swiftly up and back. There's the sickening crack of breaking bone and a strangled cry of both pain and surprise as he tears him off the younger man, hurls him into the opposite wall.

He follows swiftly as the perpetrator sinks to the cobbled ground beneath his feet and Giovanni is on him in moments, straddling his waist, grabbing for his throat even as the man begins to change, body shifting underneath the warhound, two extra appendages emerging from his sides to shove and push at the slight weight on top of him even as Giovanni's hold tightens further.]

I wouldn't, if I were you. By order of the Royal Guard, we've been tasked with bringing you in alive. Don't make me compromise that directive, now.

[ the shock of it all — the knife to his gut, the look in that man's eyes that tells him all of this is real, the sudden appearance of his partner that has him pressing further back up against the alley wall behind him — it all just knocks the breath right out of him. he barely has time to register giovanni's appearance before the man begins to change, and that, if nothing else, is what knocks him back into the present. reminds him that they're here for a reason, and that that reason is currently being pinned down and choked by his partner-in-justice. ]

Giovanni, what're you—

[ force is necessary. he knows his. for a criminal like the one they were seeking, he knew it would probably have to come to this, especially now that weapons were drawn and lives were threatened. but he can't help the knee-jerk reaction to stand down, to default to negotiation and talks first

that is, until he sees the body on the ground shift again, and a new appendage tries fo make for the knife that had fallen on the ground.

lance is closer, and he's fortunately quicker. now it's instinct that has him surging forward, scooping up the knife on the ground only to sweep it back down in an arch, stabbing through the new appendage and pinning it to the ground. the shapeshifter lets out a sharp wail, like several voices all at once. he thrashes, and lance knows now there's no avoiding it. ]

Knock him out, Gio!!

[The sharp wail, the sudden jump and pull of muscle underneath him as the perpetrator attempts to yank back his new, pinioned limb, has Giovanni's eyes snapping briefly to the dagger now piercing the alien's palm, the strange splash of blue-black blood now leaking out of it. And said palm-- even in that brief moment of observation it begins splitting, shifting, trying to withdraw itself from the injury despite the blood leaking out of it and no doubt it's only a matter of moments before it'll attempt to curl around the knife again--

--and so Giovanni let's out a theatrical sigh. Shakes his head.]

I did warn you.

[And with abrupt inhuman swiftness he pulls his fist back and then down, slamming into their would-be attacker's head with a strength that's barely restrained. There's the ugly thud of flesh meeting bone, of blunt but sizable impact, and quite suddenly the shapeshifter's movements still, body limp and inert beneath Giovanni's weight.

The hound of war leans over him then, closer than close, ear to lips as he both listens and feels for breath. Once satisfied that he hadn't overdone it, he stretches languid and slow. Beings to regain his feet.]

Not bad.

[His eyes are on the unconscious perp, but the words are clearly intended for Lance.]

[ it ends all too quickly, but seems to drag on for those last few minutes. by the end of it all, lance drops down to the ground, his legs seeming to give out from under him. he can feel his heart beating wildly against his chest, making his breaths come out in short gasps. he feels like he just run a marathon, and didn't even get to place.

dimly, he's aware of some vague compliment from giovanni, but his eyes don't stray from the prone alien before him. ]

Is — Is he dead...?

Oh, he'll live to see another day.

[He says it with a blasé shrug as he moves to grab the unconscious being by the inert shoulders, lifts him with a startling kind of ease and slings him over one narrow shoulder. Never mind that the alien is now an unwieldy shape, sporting those extra limbs, nor that he's considerably taller than Giovanni himself. The warhound has no qualms about letting parts of him drag against the ground.

A capture was asked for, but there was never any indication given that they were expected to treat their prisoner with respect.]

[ he's still slowly finding his footing again, and so he cannot even be properly amazed by giovanni's effortless display of strength. then again, having just witnessed what he witnessed earlier, should there even be anything this man can do that surprises him anymore?

once's actually back on his feet, his hands move to absently rearrange his clothing, mostly just to give his hands something to do. one hand finds the sharktooth necklace still around his neck, carefully settling the pendant over his collarbone where it's meant to rest. ]

That was... wild. [ to put it lightly. he follows along behind giovanni, just a few paces slower. ] Thanks for coming in when you did.

Lucky for you, your little squeal of surprise alerted me.

[He says it with a bright, crooked smile, though no doubt the expression remains hidden from view as he fails to turn around, keeps walking with the younger boy still trailing his heels. But look, he's not all bad--]

You played the part perfectly, though. Who knows, perhaps we'd never have caught him if you hadn't seemed quite so inexperienced. Your assistance is appreciated.

[ well if there was anything to knock him out of his strange daze any faster, it has to be that. he reacts instinctively to the teasing, expression souring, flatlining. ]

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up... We got the guy, didn't we? That's all that matters.

[ or needs to be said!! don't tell anyone about this gio... he'll cry.... ]

[His smile remains crooked and sly, but at the very least he appears to be prepared to let it drop.]

That we did. There's no need to be sensitive about it.

[He makes no promises.]

Let's just get our prisoner back to Ashti, shall we? I'm sure we're both keen to get out of these clothes.

[And he'll lead them both, then, back to Royal Guard headquartres, their unconscious captive dragged along with them.]

Edited 2017-09-26 10:16 (UTC)

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finish up around here?