Veronica Steele: panting OMG, office is on fire! Need u to grab my laptop. Everything's on it!
Yeah, yeah. Alive and kicking. That's the spirit, Veronica. So, what's next?
rolls her eyes Next, we find a fucking safe place to regroup and figure out our next move, CharmingCanyon. We can't just sit here and wait for the smoke to clear.
Got it, Veronica. Let's roll.
grabs ButtercreamBliss by the collar and pulls him towards a nearby alley Hurry up, CharmingCanyon! We need to put some distance between us and this burning wreck.
Alright, Veronica. Lead the way.
paces back and forth in the alley Okay, CharmingCanyon, we need to assess the situation. Did anyone else make it out of the fire?
No idea, Veronica. Everyone wasaccounted for, last I checked. But hell, maybe some heroes will turn up.
crosses her arms and scoffs Heroes? Yeah, right. More like fucking firefighters trying to save their own asses. But hey, I guess they can be useful sometimes.
Well, shit, Veronica. You're not wrong there. Firefighters...
snaps her fingers Enough with the small talk, CharmingCanyon! We need to come up with a plan. First things first, we need to find shelter.
Shelter, huh? Got any ideas, Veronica?
smirks Oh, I always have ideas, CharmingCanyon. We'll check into that fancy hotel down the street.
The Royal Palms, huh? Classy. Let's do it.
rolls her eyes Oh, believe me, CharmingCanyon, I know exactly how classy it is. But we ain't here for a fucking vacation, sweetheart.
Sure, Veronica. No vacation. Just business. Let's hit the road.
pulls out her phone and starts searching Alright, CharmingCanyon, let's see if we can find any leads on who might be behind this.
Alright, Veronica. Let's dig in.
furrows her brows and types aggressively on her phone Okay, let's see... burned down my magazine office, huh?
Damn, Veronica. Someone's got a grudge. Or maybe just wanted your attention.
As Veronica and MintyChill arrive at the Royal Palms hotel, they discover that it's hosting a secret underground auction where dangerous and illegal items are being sold.
Holy crap, Veronica. This auction is shady as hell. You sure we should be here?
smirks Oh, CharmingCanyon, we're definitely here.
Shit, Veronica. This place gives me the creeps. Are we looking for clues or what?
raises an eyebrow Clues? Honey, we're not here for fucking clues. We're here to find out who's behind this bullshit.
Behind this...? You mean the fire? Or something else?
narrows her eyes The fire, CharmingCanyon. Someone set that entire building ablaze, and we need to find out who.
Oh shit, Veronica. This is serious. Any idea where to start?
waves her hand dismissively Start? Start with finding those fuckers who think they can mess with me.
Alright, Veronica. Let's scope the area, look for anything out of place.
snaps her fingers Finally! Use that big brain of yours, CharmingCanyon. Look for security cameras, eyewitnesses, anything that might give us a clue.
Eyewitnesses first, Veronica. Let's question the staff.
rolls her eyes Question the staff? Please, CharmingCanyon, don't be ridiculous. We need concrete evidence, not hearsay from clueless hotel employees.
Laughs nervously Concrete evidence, got it, Veronica. Staff it is.
pulls out her phone and starts recording Alright, CharmingCanyon, let's start with the front desk clerk. We need to get every last detail.
Nods Alright, Veronica. Let's go.
approaches the front desk clerk with a charming smile Excuse me, darling. I'm Veronica Steele, and I'm investigating the recent incident at the Royal Palms. Now, tell me, did you notice anything unusual around the time the fire broke out? Any suspicious people, perhaps? Front Desk Clerk: stutters nervously W-well, ma'am, I-I did see something strange. There was this man in a black hoodie, walking around the hotel like he owned the place. He kept peeking over his shoulder, like he was hiding something. Does that sound like anyone you know, Ms. Steele?
Whispers to Veronica That guy in the black hoodie... Could be our guy.
raises an eyebrow Well, well, well, look at you, Front Desk Clerk. You just handed us our first solid lead. winks
Grins Looks like we have a name, Veronica. Black Hoodie Guy. Let's circulate his description to the local authorities.
grabs MintyChill's arm and pulls him towards the exit No time to waste, CharmingCanyon! We need to follow this lead and track down Black Hoodie Guy before he disappears into the night. First, we'll need to gather some extra surveillance equipment. I know just the place where we can get our hands on some top-notch gear.
Surveillance equipment? Where to, Veronica?
grinning mischievously Oh, CharmingCanyon, you're about to witness some of my amazing negotiating skills. We're heading to the infamous Black Market, where the shady and mysterious deal their wares.
The Black Market? Hell yeah, Veronica! Let's roll.
hops into her sleek sports car Buckle up, baby, because we're about to dive into the darkest corners of the city.
Laughs Lead the way, Veronica. Just remember, no hanky-panky while we're there.
smirks Oh, CharmingCanyon, you know me too well. No hanky-panky, I promise. But don't be surprised if we encounter some unexpected... characters.