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

[Charon]

Marcus rose with a start. For a second he thought he heard someone trying to get into his basement. He prepared himself for a fight. But nothing came. Without a motion that would betray humanity the creature got out of bed and dressed himself. Heading upstairs he noticed that Wright was already gone. Good, hopefully he'd find a new home and get the hell out of Marcus's hair here. What was more likely however was that the moron was going to get his head torn off by the Gangrel, then his heart removed by the Brujah.

Marcus locked the door to the basement and headed out to his car. The anarchs were on the outskirts of Gary but he had time to deal with that. For now he had to go to the trainyards and see about an errant ghoul.

[imperfect vision]

"Probably other 'business' types. Other slices of the pie that Wright's eyeballin'." A brief pause..and those eyes light up, a slow smile noticably creeping on his face in the darkness. "Cassie, you are an incredible help. All sides of you are full of surprises. I shall have to find some way to reward you soon. Come now, we need names 'n we need numbers starting with the railyards."

[Bratty]

Cassie says meekly, "Holden, I already know what I want my reward to be. Can you get me out of here?" She sounds very feint and almost whimpery. "It smells and there are bugs."

[imperfect vision]

"Yes, ma'am." With that he thrusts aside the blockade he had created for them to secure the door and tosses it open. The air from inside the house is not much better, but it is indeed an improvement.

He stretches as if liberated and allows Cassie to walk out first, in the gentlemanly manner.

[Bratty]

She walks out of the condemned building, breathing in the air, and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Holden. I don't want to go back to that Elysium place. They don't seem very friendly at all." She looks back at him, not even realizing her body is exposed without any covering to her deformities.

"Where do you think we will find this...Cargo? The rail yards?"

[Cynical Cat]

The industrial town of Gary was a fiefdom of Chicago. It was a rough, vibrant place with jobs and industry, but not a whole lot of money. The retainers of the wealthy and powerful maintained the machinery for their masters.

The cabby took Wright to bar on the outskirts of the town. The brick building had a sign with a skull and beer stein. Inside was a thin, smokey haze. A few people hung around at the bar, nursing their drinks. At the back of the room, several people sat around a table and several others shot pool. The man lining up a new shot was Samson, who was dressed to blend in.

[imperfect vision]

Holden sighed. A shame that she had to be embraced by Nosferatu.

"Yeah, more than likely. I wonder the best way to get over there. Sewers would put us back in that situation, 'n we can't use the same thing we been using for the past few days." Holden looks around, pondering how to cover back ridges and gnashing teeth with what they have at hand.

"May as well rely on good ol' brainpower."

[Bratty]

Cassie looks at Holden, her eyes a bit wary. "Rosemary said she was taking the night off, so I think it's just you and me. I don't know how much I can be in brains department, but I will help ya as much as I can. " She looks around. "You know how to start a car without keys? Maybe we could drive instead of walking all the time. I know it ain't right to steal, but it ain't stealin if we put it back isn't it? Especially if you put some of those diamonds in its place." She offers.

[Josh]

Muting his presence, he stepped to the bar to order a drink. Let Samson choose how to make an approach, if he was willing to talk.

[Cynical Cat]

The big negro that Wright had seen at Samson's haven got up and walked to the bar. A stocky woman with short hair wearing a battered leather jacket and jeans followed him. "Didn't expect to see you here Wright," said the negro.

[imperfect vision]

"True.." Hmph. Morals again. But they made the woman what she was, and will continue to define the girl, in a way. "Yeah I s'pose I could set us up with a set of wheels, if anything for a night."

He leads Cassie through the fence again, and onto the street. A jalopy would be found nearby; some blood-powered strength would bend the lock of the door to his will, and he leans inside to play with the electrical components, and then out front to the mechanical. Some whirring sounds later, the engine leaps to life and strains against the brake.

"It's alive." Holden chuckles to himself. Nothing to it really. "Ready m'dear?"

[Bratty]

"Don't forget to leave the payment," She reminds, as she slides into the car. Uncomfortable to her body, but better than walking all the time. "Next stop, the railyards!"

[Charon]

Marcus stopped his car in the railyards and stepped out. He began checking through the place. Asking the local bums if there'd been a new kid hanging about, blond hair, maybe crazy. He made it worth their while with small bills, if those didn't work threats and broken bones followed.

[Josh]

He toyed with the drink in front of him. "Why not?" he said, flashing a grin. "I go where I gotta go, do what I gotta do."

[Cynical Cat]

Marcus was pointed to two blondes. Too bad they weren't the guy he was looking for.

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"You ain't exactly a popular person right now," said the negro. "Not cleaning up our business, letting it into the public. Certain people at the high end thinking that all of us can't be trusted to take care of shit. The man's got an excuse to take what's ours."

[Charon]

Marcus let out his frustration with a dead blonde. He stalked through the railyards continuing his search, even word of a blond man having been in the area and leaving. Hopefully with a hint on where they went.

[Josh]

"It ever occur to you that I'm being deliberately targeted by on high as an excuse to move on us in general?" he said. "A fucking wrist-rag like that dipshit trader getting that kind of firepower on his own? Sure. You guys can leave me in the cold if you want, but I'll just be the first in line to go."

He didn't seem particularly disturbed by it. His tone was casual, his style smooth, the demeanor of a man who had a plan.

[Cynical Cat]

The negro laughed. "Well well well. The high and mighty Wright has gotten the idea that something exists besides perpetual parties."

"Reginald," said Samson, "knock it off. Wright, if you showed up and talked with your fellow vampires more than four times a year, you would know that getting his hands on Caitiff muscle was easily within Cargo's capabilities. And as for making a move on us, they couldn't do shit until you left that body in the open. Cargo did a good job at taking himself out of the running with that botched hit, but you didn't clean up."

[Cynical Cat]

Marcus continued to have no luck hunting down his former retainer.

[Josh]

"We've been over this, Samson. Look, you guys wanna flog me over shit that's done, have the fuck at it. It doesn't do anything for our situation. You wanna push me in front of the train, go right the fuck ahead. Hey, I'm right here," he said, spreading his arms wide. "I'm not fucking hiding from you. So any of you assholes wanna come at me, quit fucking yapping and take your goddamned best shot."

[Cynical Cat]

"I'll take you up on that," says Reginald. "Maybe I can pound some sense into you, you stupid goddamn-"

"That's enough," says Samson. "That's not helping."

A tall man sitting at one to the tables says, "who the fuck died and made you fucking king? You're just another goddamn cape."

Samson looks at him. "Your opinion will matter Jack, the moment you have something intelligent to say. Now how is beating the shit out of Wright going to help us when one of biggest remaining assets is the number of soldiers we can field? He's a fuck up, an asshole, and a selfish son-of-a-bitch. He's got a plan, which is better than most of you."

"You arrogant cocksucker!" shouted Jack. "Just because you got some years and your fucking housebroken, you think we should bow our heads? Fuck you. Fuck you and die!"

"Step up," was Samson's response. "We can settle this outside." Jack snarls and backs down.

[Josh]

"I'm not going to hide behind your skirts, Samson," he said quietly. "Any of you fucking pussies want to throw, you can look me up. After the war is done."

He smiled a nasty smile. He knew well there would be bullseyes on him from both sides in any fight to come.

"Now, I got a couple of plays to make, and then it goes down. And finally you assholes can actually fucking fight instead of sitting around and jacking off to how goddamned revolutionary you are!"

He unconsciously threw the presence into the last statement as he rose to his feet. "Samson, we gotta talk. Alone." He looked the elder in the eye. The fucking cuntrag wanted to see what he'd been like before? Fine.

[The Silence and I]

With an terrifying rush Nathaniel slammed into conciousness, frantically whipping his hands to his face to make sure--yes, it was still there. It still slumbers. He noticed he was breathing hard, he didn't have to of course, and gradually he let the reflex fade.

Still in this dump. Wasn't he going to go to that address for a job? Oh yes, he ran into the false priest. Exchanging a few words hadn't taken much time, but the thought of one of those creatures taking advantage of the trusted priest outfit for inhuman gain was--is--appalling. Feeling sickened the last thing he had wanted to do then was deal with another of the creatures he was forced to join. He had spent the rest of the night wandering the tracks before retreating to his little hovel.

<Maybe I should simply leave; find a city with fewer 'kindred'> He thought that last word with a kind of mocking disgust. < I don't see anything for me here, a kind soul in a den of backstabbers. Monsters of the worst kind. >

Sitting on his makeshift bed Nathaniel's silvered face bowed down in despondant misery. He didn't fit here, or anywhere. A sigh escaped his hidden lips.
"I wish it could just end."
Immediately he felt bad for giving voice to his thoughts; Nate would never have wished for death.

Nothing else for it; see about this job. Perhaps it is nothing to worry about; surely it could be an honest job? Brightening slightly he left the hovel and prepared to hunt down the address he was given.

He tightened his neat black coat in the front and consigned himself to facing the world.

EDIT: Minor tense correction

[Cynical Cat]

"Alright," said Samson in a measured tone. "Let's head upstairs." He headed to the second story room which contained little more than three round tables and several chairs.

[Josh]

He followed Samson in, and, eschewing the use of chairs, spoke as soon as the door was closed.

"I need to get in touch with Haakon," he said simply. "And I need to know specifically who was backing Cargo. And in about three nights, week at the outside, I'm going to need a very fast ride away from the Elysium."