Bright Lights, Bloody Nights, Big City: Vampire Game Thread

[imperfect vision]

The boards creak under her weight, perhaps a little more than they should, but they hold. The sounds of paper being rustled is soft at first, a footstep here..there...again.. it all becomes deafening to the predator within.

A door is already open, the scent and stink of mangy mortal flesh with its blood and pulse and warmth is overpowering. And that's just one. The footsteps draw closer.

"Say, I thought you were back too soon." A voice calls out before visual contact is made.

[Bratty]

The preditor steps back with her back to the wall, and waits in the shadows, allowing the darkness to enfold her. THUMP THUMP THUMP!!

She will take, yes. She is not even hungry, but it does not matter. This is her place. HER place. She will teach a lesson.

[imperfect vision]

Holden flattens against the wall, not having the power to bend the shadows or sight to his will, he does the best he can.

The person rounds the corner to the hallway, and pauses. Dressed in a tattered shirt, but with a nice silk vest, he scratches his head covered with a fedora. "...Tommy, you out there? Bring back the dames yet?" He starts walking down the hall slowly.

[Bratty]

Without a sound, a hand reaches out from the darkness and snaps the human's neck from behind with inhuman strength. No fan fare. This was not for fun or food. This was personal. It did not deserve to know the Truth.

[imperfect vision]

Hearing that sickening crunch of bone, Holden almost smiled. He paused a few moments more, before moving down the hall and seeing the rag-doll of a mortal in the paws of the predatory Mary.

"Well done, Mary. Well done indeed." Eyes were red pinpoints in the darkness, watching, definitely amused. He bows only slightly to her. "You have accomplished much tonight."

[Bratty]

She tosses the rag doll aside, and looks at Holden, a growl underlying her words. "Save your praise for Cassie. She actually gives a shit what you think."

Rosemary sighs, and says quietly. "We should get some rest. Sun will be up soon."

[imperfect vision]

"Cassie has performed, and now you have as well." He nodded, and started peeking through the hallway, through another door....where one would imagine leads to a room, instead leads to shambles. The walls really aren't walls, but time, water, and fire have eaten them away to nothing. Roaches and termites crawl along the doorframe as it is opened, disturbed for the first time tonight.

"Mmm. need to be thorough. I say the cellar for t'night, 'n we can block everything off and be safe. He pokes around rooms, finally coming across a door with stairs. Most of the other rooms are like it as well, as if the house had been caught in a blaze of some sort and shoddily fought off.

Musky, wet smelling, but it will do. He pauses, and would offer a hand to the lady, but that isn't practical to a cause, and so he descends into the water-damaged but concrete covered basement. Bugs aplenty down here, but for the most part sunlight and fire won't be a problem.

[Bratty]

Rosemary distracts Cassie, keeping her occupied in the mind. Mary will have the body tonight. Cassie could not handle these conditions.

They all retire for the evening.

[imperfect vision]

Holden takes a few pieces of wood, picking off choice pieces, and shoves them between the door and the frame to section it off. Followed up with a box, some gardening tools, all set in a manner to not allow the door to give way, all tested with his vampiric strength. He goes down the stairs, and retires himself.

[Cynical Cat]

It walked into the basement and bowed. It's original gender had been lost somewhere in the flesh and bone sculpting that had made it a warmachine. Blades protruded from its hands and ringed its neck. It's chest had been rebuilt as a thick cage of bone armouring the heart and spine and as the attachment point of altered muscles. It's legs and hips seemed somewhat masculine, but there was no bulge at its crotch. Its face was the war mask fronting the helm of its skull. "Mighty Zhupan," it hissed.

"Childe," came the reply from the darkness, "know that your are beautiful."

"Zhupan, I beg you for instruction."

The darkness seathed like a nest of snakes. "Childe, in what do you desire instruction?"

"I wish to restore myself, to be something else."

"You have tried?"

"My efforts only make it worse."

"Ahh, they you are in need of instruction in the ways of weaving flesh and bone. The power to make them flow like water is not so useful without the skill. Normally, I refuse instruction without payment. Knowledge should be taken or discovered, not thrown out like a piece of meat to a dog. But the young must walk before they can make such discoveries. Yes, I will instruct you."

The zhupan stepped forward, tentacles writhing. The younger Fiend did not flinch. The darkness had hidden nothing from it. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes."

"You are burdened by too much baggage from your mortal life," said the looming nightmare. "Fear and compassion chief among them. One cannot be thinking of considering mercy while one sculpts flesh and get desirable results. You must conquer emotions. We shall start with the most primal one. Pain."

[Cynical Cat]

Dawn fell and the day passed. Sunset became twilight which became true night and the predators stired in their lairs.

[Josh]

And back he went to Samson's lair. Time to start laying the stages for the next big moves.

[Bratty]

Mary awoke from her slumber with a start. She was inside the cage again, but so was Cassie and Rosemary. All three of them, the triplets as Holden was want to call them, were inside. Who was outside? With lightning speed, Mary grabs Cassie's throat, lifting her off the ground. "What the hell is goin' on around here, puss? You split again? Too much pressure for you? WE ARE TAKING ON YOUR LOAD, YOU BITCH! STOP FUCKING AROUND!"

Cassie struggles with her hands clasped around Mary's which are holding her up, trying to grab some air.

Rosemary says calmly. "Save your strength. You are going to need it."

Mary tosses Cassie to the side like a ragdoll. Cassie gasps for air as she clutches at her throat. Mary nods in single motion and feral regard to Rosemary. "What's the gig?"

Rosemary smiles, knowing she is in control, despite Mary's muscle. "No one is out right now. We are collecting ourselves, for single mind."

Mary growls, "UH UH! FUCK that!! I am not sharing my mind with that bitch." Her head gestures to the panting Cassie. "Besides," Feral grin. "I like being myself."

Rosemary clarifies, "I am not suggesting unification of minds, but of common interests."

Mary tilts her head.

Rosemary continues. "The time will come shortly for us to find The Shadow."

Mary growls, "No fucking way!! We ain't ready for him! Especially with tweedle the wonder girl," Gestures again to Cassie, "Being all God this and God that."

Cassie protests, "I don't want to ever see him again. Please, Rosemary, there must be another way."

Mary adds, "'Sides, if I see him, there will only be two ways this can end, and neither of them involve both of us coming out alive."

Rosemary holds up a single hand. "Cassie, childe, Mary and I will protect you. We are your family; the only ones you can rely on." She then turns to Mary and says quietly, "You want a war, but have no causes you fight for. Maybe we should find out what you are fighting. Do you think we will find Truth past the point of obedience with this Ventrue? Do you really want to be a henchman for the rest of our existence; a monster to be turned on and off as the whim takes you?"

Mary growls under her breath, "Im listening."

Rosemary continues, "We pledge allegience with no one. Our survival depends on nothing more or less than reliance on ourselves. We will glean what we can from this Ventrue. Then, we will glean what we can from our Maker. When the time is right, Cassie, you will not need to run any longer. And Mary, you will know what you are fighting for."

Cassie nods very demurely. She doesn't feel really good about this. Holden is so very nice to her.

Mary vocalizes her displeasure, "I don't like this. Not one bit."

Rosemary says calmly, "Do you see any other way to freedom and power?"

Mary grunts in acknowledgement.

Rosemary nods and smiles. Everything is going according to plan. It really is for the best. After all, knowledge is power.

The three of them are abruptly broken as Cassie feels the gentle push of Holden trying to roust her.

[imperfect vision]

Holden's gentle rousing is actually tugging and on the verge of smacking her around.

When she opens her eyes, she sees him apparently exhausted, panting, fangy. He falls back and pushes his hair from his face. "Damn woman, the hell's the matter?"

He has a seat and starts getting ready for the evening in the darkness, smoothing out his only suit now, apparently preparing his plans for the evening in his head.

[Bratty]

Cassie moves over to Holden, a claw resting on his shoulder in concerned fashion. "What's wrong? You okay, Holden?" Her sweet voice is genuine in its naieve concern for his well being.

Rosemary smiles. Even better than expected.

[imperfect vision]

"Am I alright? Just like a pig 'n shit, that's me. But you[/]! Been screamin' for two hours, made me rise before dusk 'n now I'm all irritable." He rubs his face, and peeks through his fingers. "Yer trailin' the grave behind ya, Cassie. I ain't doin' much better myself. We need a place for a bath. After stayin' down here, we both could use it."

He takes a few breaths, the musky scent searing his lungs..but he remembers smelling worse.. and cracks his fingers.

[Bratty]

Cassie stands up and holds out her claws to Holden. "Come on, Holden. Maybe we can find Wright or Marcus. They could put us up until we got some dough."

She seems oblivious to her own stentch...or her own deformity for that matter.

[Cynical Cat]

Wright made his way into the hotel. One of Samson's goons was present outside his suites. "Samson isn't in. He instructed me to tell you that he could be found at the Old Bones Bar in Gary."

[imperfect vision]

"Mm, Marcus. Prolly knife us with them black tentacles of his.." He looked around the room. Sure, with a little time and some influence... "Better 'n layin' in snot though." He takes her hand. They both stink, it isn't going to matter who touches what for how long. "They prolly got a place in the warehouse district, li'l ways away from where Wright's place was, I'd imagine. Lasombra go for posh, usually."

He begins to ponder options to discover where the lairs are, where to go, who to grease.

[Bratty]

She helps Holden up. "Why didn't you mention the Lasambra earlier? When you were talking about the clans? What's wrong with them? Marcus seems very nice to me. I think he is just trying to help us. Ohhhhh...do you know where we need to go?"

[imperfect vision]

"Mm. Lasombra 'n Ventrue don't get along; normally you see 'em in the Sabbat, just as gung ho about tradition and sect as we are. 'Cept they get the crazy idea they're right. Blackest souls get to manipulate the shadows into tangible things - I seen 'im do it when we got jumped at Wright's warehouse."

He observes Cassie for a moment, trying desperately not to rant on and on and get on the high horse. "Maybe someone down at Elysium has an idea, but I don't wanna go there - too many people get ideas when asking that route. Know of anyone when you were stayin' at Wright's club, where they might be holin' up at?"

[Bratty]

She considers for a moment, "Well, I remember Wright talking about a 'Cargo' a lot. Do you think he may know?" Hesitant smile. Why does he look at her like that now?

[imperfect vision]

"Cargo, huh? In a positive light or otherwise?" Mm. Cargo, huh? Sounds immediately like someone who does transporting. Probably rum running, something to invest in.

"Maybe that's where to go. Prolly somewhere in the railyards then. Yeah, makes sense." He rubs his chin in that manner he does when he thinks. Planning. The blood taking hold.

[Josh]

He proceeded to catch a cab for Gary. What the fuck was Samson doing in that dump Gary, anyway?

[Bratty]

"Well, I don't know really. I mean, he also mentioned 'the Mick', and something about a daego, but Im not exactly sure. I was quiet so I wouldn't get smacked around or made to leave when they started talkin' business. Marcus, Wright, and that guy...the guy with Helen. The strong stalking one. They all mentioned "Cargo". He must be important. Either way, we should find out something." She smiles, somewhat beaming. She gets the impression she did something good.

Rosemary smirks within with bemusement.