Mickey hauls himself out onto the rusted fire escape. The safehouse wall sweats grime, and the city below churns in a haze of smog and brake lights.
Vicky stands near the landing, pacing in a tight loop, jaw set like she is biting back a whole speech. Nikki leans against the rail in the shadows, cigarette glowing faintly between her fingers.
Both of them stop the second they spot him.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
About time. We need to talk business, and nobody downstairs is answering me.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
If this is about Dad’s little project, I am not doing another run.
Vicky cuts Nikki a sharp look, then turns back to Mickey, waiting for him to take the lead.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
So, Mickey, are you in this, or are you going to stand there and let it rot?
✓ Quest Accepted
Keep the Capozzi sisters from turning on each other
“"I just came out here to smoke with my favorite sisters. Maybe something a bit stronger will calm your nerves?" I say as i offer them each a Marijuana cigarette.”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Mickey’s offer slips into the tense air like a truce flag. He hands over the joints, one to each sister.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
You are unbelievable... but thanks.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
Yeah, okay. This beats arguing about errands.
Vicky takes hers, still frowning, while Nikki studies the paper for a second before pocketing it instead of lighting up.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
I am trying to keep this family from splintering, and Don keeps piling more on us.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
And I am trying not to be the one stuck cleaning up his mess again.
For a moment, the edge between them softens, then Nikki gives Mickey a crooked look and taps the unlit joint against her palm. The lighter in Mickey’s pocket clicks once, and both sisters glance at him at the same time.
Quest Complete
Keep the Capozzi sisters from turning on each other
“You do both know that the easy solution is just not doing what dad wants you to, right? He loves us too much to kill us sp there's nothing he can do if we just don't do his dirty work.”
FAILURE (Good Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
You both know the easy move is just not doing what Dad wants, right? He loves us too much to kill us if we just stop doing his dirty work.
The words hang there between the rust and the brick, blunt enough to make even the fire escape feel smaller.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
That is not how he thinks, Mickey.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
Yeah. That is adorable, though.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
He does not punish with love. He punishes with pressure, with guilt, with everybody else getting dragged in.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
And then I am the one smiling while it happens, like that makes it easier.
Vicky looks away first, jaw tight, while Nikki stops smirking and studies the joint in her hand like it has suddenly gone stale.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
I am not saying obey him. I am saying walking away is never just walking away.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
So what, we just keep being good daughters and hope the mess gets bored?
“Look at the end of the day, dad's still our dad, snd he's a businessman. So just make a fucking deal with him, reach terms everyone can agree on and stop being so over dramatic.”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
Look, Dad is still our dad, and he is a businessman. Make a deal with him. Reach terms everybody can live with, and stop acting like this has to turn into a war.
The argument tightens, then shifts. Vicky stops pacing the landing and actually considers it, while Nikki lowers her chin and lets the joke die on her mouth.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
That is the first thing you have said that sounds like a plan instead of a shrug.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
A deal beats martyrdom. I hate that I am agreeing with you.
Vicky exhales through her nose, the edge in her shoulders easing. Nikki gives a small, unwilling nod toward the stairwell, like she can already see the shape of a compromise.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Fine. Terms. But if he starts turning it into a loyalty test, I am done.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
And if he wants us to smile through it, he can choke on the smile.
The peace holds, thinner now but real, while Vicky reaches for the joint and the ember drops a fleck of ash onto the rusted step.
“Tell him how you really feel. It worked for Toni. Dad used to see her as a useless screw up and now she's got her own office.”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
Tell him how you really feel. It worked for Toni. Dad used to see her as a useless screwup, and now she has her own office.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Her mouth tightens, then softens. Toni did get somewhere by refusing to stay small.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
Nikki looks away toward the brick wall, chewing on the idea like it tastes strange but possible.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
So you are saying I stop trying to sound like the good daughter and just say what I want.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
And I stop pretending I am too tired to care. That might actually be honest.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Huh. Maybe Dad listens when we stop talking like we are asking permission.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
He may hate it. But he will hear it.
“Exactly. Dad appreciates honesty. Just be honest and he'll be reasonable”
FAILURE (Good Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
Exactly. Dad appreciates honesty. Just be honest and he'll be reasonable.
The words hang between them with the cigarette smoke. Vicky gives Mickey a long, flat look, like she is measuring how much of that is hope and how much is fantasy.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Reasonable is not the word I would pick for him.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
But honest might be better than performing.
Vicky exhales through her nose, then glances toward the stairwell, thinking it over. Nikki’s shoulders drop a fraction, and she takes the smaller risk of being the first one to nod.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Fine. Honest. We go in with the truth, and if he hates it, at least it is ours.
That lands. Not as confidence, exactly, but as a plan they can actually carry. Nikki looks back to Mickey, a little less guarded now, as if he has shown them one door instead of a wall.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
If we do this, you stay nearby.
“This isn't my problem, why do i gotta come with?”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
This is your thing, not mine. I am not going in there with you.
The refusal comes out plain, and the little triangle on the landing shifts with it. Vicky’s mouth tightens, but she does not snap. Nikki watches Mickey for a beat, then lowers her eyes to the ember.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Fair. I did not ask because I thought you wanted it. I asked because it is easier with you near.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
And because if he starts in on us, you can at least tell us whether he is bluffing.
Vicky gives a short huff that is almost a laugh. She rubs ash off the rail with her thumb, then lets the hand fall, softer now. The joint burns down another inch, and the smell of it settles the moment instead of sharpening it.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
I can handle him. I just do better when someone else is in the room and he knows it.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
That is the nicest way anyone has ever said they want a witness.
Nikki smiles despite herself, and Vicky finally looks between them with the edge gone from her shoulders. For a second, the fire escape feels less like a staging ground and more like three siblings sharing a bad joke under bad circumstances.
“I sigh and tell them I'll join them but i ain't doing the talking”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Michael "Mickey" Capozzi
Alright. I’ll come with you. I’m not doing the talking.
The words land easy, and neither sister pushes back. Vicky tips her chin once, like she is accepting terms in a business deal. Nikki exhales through her nose, half relief and half laughter, and shifts her weight toward the stairwell as if the path is already chosen.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
That works. I can do the talking. I just wanted you there.
Nichole "Nikki" Capozzi
Good. Then if he gets difficult, you can at least look difficult with us.
Vicky gives Nikki a sideways look, then lets it soften into a grin. The ember in Nikki’s hand dims to a dull orange point, and the three of them stand in a loose triangle that finally looks less like a standoff and more like a pact.
Victoria "Vicky" Capozzi
Come on, then. Let’s not make him wait for our courage to run out.
They start toward the door together, shoulder to shoulder on the rusted landing, with the muffled weight of the house waiting inside.
✓ Quest Accepted
Go with Vicky and Nikki to confront their father