Blocking Issue

("Blocking" meaning "moving people around in a scene.")

Players:

• Dimitri, young would-be revolutionary.
• Piotrowski, captain of a thuggish paramilitary organization.
• Karras, member of the paramilitary group, secretly another revolutionary.
• (Not present: The leader of the paramilitary organization, who Karras just assassinated.)

Scene:

Dimitri is in the town square, agitating a crowd. Piotrowski shows up and begins threatening him and pointing a rifle at him. Then Karras shows up and announces that the leader is dead. At this point, Piotrowski has to turn around and shoot Karras.

When I went to write out this scene, it seems odd that Piotrowski has his gun pointed at one person but then shoots another. He has as much cause to shoot Dimitri as Karras since they're both causing trouble, and him spending time threatening Dimitri just makes it seem weird that he would then shoot Karras with no warning.

Any ideas how I can make this work smoothly?

Once Karras arrives, he's gonna take up all attention.

It'd be stupid on his part to at least not LOOK at the guy. If Karras is also somewhere that is ripe for danger (maybe on a roof top, or amongst innocents) it might be a smarter decision to take care of the immediate problem.

Or, you could reverse it. Karras is in an open, easily aimed for, area. Dmitri is amongst a lot of panicky people.

edited 9th Jun '11 12:27:31 PM by MrAHR

Maybe Karras startled him? You do not want to startle an upset guy with a gun.

That's true; maybe Karras fires a shot into the air or something.

The one problem with that is if he has a particularly long message to get out, or specificness in general.

(counts)

It's seven words.

Well, you know the scene better than I do, I was just worried about Talking Is a Free Action, if that makes sense.