RDR2 AU

[dog_eat_dog]

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CRIMES AGAINST PSLS

[dog_eat_dog]

She grins around that cigarette.

“Very handsome,” she agrees. “The jeans and button-up had a real charm too, though.”

She doesn’t care if she’s keeping him from something. To her experience, being a decently dressed woman standing around anywhere with a man flattens any suspicion.

[stand_unshaken]

"Where the hell did you come from, huh? Followin' me into a graveyard?"

He turns back to his task, quietly trying to open the lock.

[dog_eat_dog]

"I stepped out of a business meeting to have a smoke and saw you," she replies. "Thought I'd see what was going on."

She glances him over again once his back is turned. The tuxedo does him flatters him a whole lot, actually.

"What's the plan?"

[stand_unshaken]

"These dumbasses I'm workin' with want something a rival gang locked up in this tomb," he explains, in a low whisper, not looking back at her.

"Hope it's this tomb. Don't want to get cursed."

[dog_eat_dog]

“So why aren’t the dumbasses shouldering the risk themselves?” she asks, and she meanders down the row a little to glance down one of cross rows; the dim light of a lantern floats in the distance, carried by a patrolman.

[stand_unshaken]

Arthur sees it, and ducks down in silence for a minute or so. When the light has passed, he whispers:

"Because they're politicians. They'd make the papers if they got caught, and some nameless crook won't. Not by name."

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess leans against the wall of the tomb and taps a bit of ash off the end of her cigarette against the stone.

“Fair enough,” she murmurs. Amused: “Why the tux?”

[stand_unshaken]

"Because there was a party going on, clearly - are you just going to stand around and look pretty or are you going to help me?"

[dog_eat_dog]

"I can multitask," she replies, as easily as if he'd asked her to run some petty errand, and the stubs the cigarette out entirely. "What do you need?"

[stand_unshaken]

"This lock ain't budging. I gotta get it open another way- if you hold it tight, I can try and just shoot it open."

Which will attract a hell of a lot of attention. So: "Can you run in those shoes?"

[dog_eat_dog]

"I'm good," she replies. They're attractive boots, but boots just the same. She's never had a problem with getting caught, either, given she's never had a problem talking (or shooting) her way out of a situation.

She sidles in to support the lock. Remarkably trusting that he won't blow her hand off in the process, actually.

[stand_unshaken]

He showed her that first time: he's a crack shot. Even in the dark, he lines up, aims, and shoots the lock open.

It's quick from there on out. He whispers to her: "Keep a lookout," before ducking into the tomb. He looks behind the epitaph, behind the tomb, he looks for cracked stones--

"I can't find it," he says, urgently.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess nods curtly, stepping away from the tomb to glance down the long rows. The place is enough of a maze that it'll take some time for anyone to find them, but a gunshot is a gunshot, and it won't be long until someone comes to investigate.

"Better keep looking," she replies, under her breath. And then, spotting lights up a distant aisle: "And quick, too."

[stand_unshaken]

He sees a crack in the tomb, across the bottom. Maybe, just maybe, he could lift the lid up with some help, get the loot, get out of there and be safe.

But there's just something about real, actual grave-robbing, isn't there? Something in Arthur balks at taking that final step, and he ducks out. "We oughta--"

Go, as the lights get closer and closer.

[dog_eat_dog]

"What about your client?" she asks, glancing back into the tomb, but fuck it, it's not her client. She pulls the door closed behind him, and on a second thought, nudges the broken lock out of sight with the toe of her shoe.

[stand_unshaken]

"Fuck my client for putting money in with a dead guy," he says, like he hasn't ransacked bodies before. But they were still warm then, not-- whatever was in that crypt.

He puts a hand on her shoulder, then starts running. After that shot, he doesn't really care anymore about being heard.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess chuckles and picks up her skirts to follow. Running isn’t a problem as long as she has them up, but she’s not planning to be sprinting for long; getting out of immediate line of attention is all they need, then their outfits can do the rest of the work.

The moment they clear the cemetery walls, she catches his arm to slow him.

[stand_unshaken]

He's breathing hard, mostly from the excitement - he's in good shape, and a little run won't tire him out. But it's a good thing that she's slowing him down, because he would have liked to just keep running, steal a horse, and get out of this damn city.

"I hate this place," he says, mostly disgruntled.

[dog_eat_dog]

She laughs, unbothered, and she links her arm with his properly. There, now they're just out for a late-night stroll.

"It has its charms," she informs him. "Mostly just in how much money's floating around, but it is there."

[stand_unshaken]

He's still breathing a little hard, but he pats her hand mostly in an effort to calm himself down.

"Well, you'd have to show me, if you ain't got a stake in all of 'em."

[dog_eat_dog]

"Not all of them, no," she replies. Guns are, as always, her preferred business. "The Italian families are crazy, always screwing each other over, so I've been selling to them, but then there's protection rackets, bootlegging, brothels. Extortion's got competition, but you can't throw a rock in this city without hitting someone Black Hand gang has extorted, so rich people are real used to handing over money."

Extremely charming city, really.

[stand_unshaken]

Arthur grimaces at that - none of that is to his liking. "I don't know. Maybe I should stick to grave robbin', but that's none too pretty, neither."

[dog_eat_dog]

"The dead won't miss things, at least," she replies. She shakes her head with a smile. "What holds you back?"

[stand_unshaken]

"Robbin' poor people, shakin' down brothels-- I don't care for that. Fine with killin' and lyin' and all such things," he's not some fake outlaw, "but I don't know. We always tried to do right by the people who need it."

[dog_eat_dog]

"You're not shaking down brothels if it's your business," she replies, amused. "Just don't target poor people and it all works out."