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

[Cynical Cat]

"Haakon's easy to get a hold of," replied Samson. "Convincing him to help us is a different matter. Cargo's masters are unknown, but it is increasingly likely that they are out of town, probably New York."

[Josh]

"You let me handle that. I need to meet him without twigging the Blue Bloods or anybody else to my meeting him. As for Cargo, well, fuck, I was hoping that somebody around here had their hand up his ass. Or at least was one of the hands up his ass."

[Cynical Cat]

"They would have stuck knives in someone local if he had been running Cargo. They were perfectly willing to let him get away with violating domain and destruction to go after you, as long as he had some deniability. Same thing about you wacking him, as long as you could muster some excuse. But none of them like each other. If they could tag someone with any part of a Masquearade breach they would. And don't get all starry eyed over Haakon. You don't know him or his history. He's known the Sherrif since the Thirty Years War and he got his ass in a Primogen's seat almost the moment he showed up. The Tremere are still waiting. What does that tell you?"

[Josh]

"That I might be wrong. But I don't think I am," he said, confidently. "Tell me, Samson, what does a fucking tree-humper want in life, anyway? What does a guy like Haakon chase?"

[Cynical Cat]

Samson shook his head. "Gangrel aren't what two minutes talking with some self-centered Toreodor neonate will tell you. He's a warlord and old. He's a lot like the Ventrue used to be. Does he like the wild? Probably. Does he like power? Almost certainly. He's an old hand at treachery and politics, but his tools aren't money. He's got muscle and if the Ventrue and Toreodor move against us, which they are, they are going to need it. They might have enough to handle us, if they all work together, but they need at the minimum to bribe the Gangrel to stay out of the way. Helping would be even better. So Haakon knows he's got weight to throw around."

[Josh]

"Power how, though?" he pressed. "I never heard of any really going to be Prince. So what, domain? That's the sort of thing you'd want to secure for muscle. Visible tokens, turf. He's a fucking hunter."

[Cynical Cat]

"You don't know shit about him Wright," said Samson. "He's been active for a thousand years and you think that knowing his clan and one conversation makes you an expert. Too much booze in your blood. He told you what he wanted you to hear."

[Josh]

He waved his hand in the air. "I know he'll fucking eat me in a second if it serves his purpose. I know you'll fucking eat me in a second if it serves your purpose. I know we're all a bunch of assholes who'll eat each other. Look at it this way... if I don't try to pull him our way, what are our odds?"

[Cynical Cat]

"We've already lost," says Samson. "So we lose, with poor grace. That's when we'll have our chance."

[Josh]

"You're accepting a loss already, huh?" He shook his head, standing up. "There's not a fucking inevitability out there, Samson. Nothing's fucking written in the goddamned stars."

[Cynical Cat]

"Think Wright. Use your brain. What happens after we lose? There's a lot of spoils to fight over and they are all rivals. And Haakon will have already been paid off. They expect us to fight tooth and nail and lose. So we will put on a convincing show. And we wait until they're unity goes to hell and take it back."

[Josh]

"More actually, you throw the asshole who gets blamed for being the root of this to the wolves, namely me. Either to the winners, or to the assholes downstairs, so you can explain why the great revolution got pissed on again. Lets you make an object lesson on why it's bad to freelance... stop me if I'm hitting any key points here... in the end, we lose, I'm fucked. But even if it wasn't that way," he said. "I don't go in looking to lose. We can take them, Samson. This city is fucking hopping. Shootouts every fucking night of the week. This plays to our advantage better than anything we're going to see for another fucking century."

[Cynical Cat]

"If I was going to throw you to the wolves you would already be dead. I'm sick and tired of dealing with your bullshit Wright." Samson's eyes blazed. "

"You're a fuck up who doesn't know the players or the game. You might have an idea of what's going on if you actually spent some time with other Kindred instead of boozing it up with humans every night and playing bootlegger. Do you think that Black isn't ready for violence? You dumb motherfucker, do you think its a coincidence that his Sherrif is old Ventrue and that he has a fucking Turkish bodyguard? We do it my way, because you may know bootleggers, but you don't know shit about vampires."

[Josh]

"So stop fucking jerking me around," he shot back, not giving an inch. "What the fuck do you want from me? Really? This leader bullshit? What? You're always on about what a fucking worthless asshole I am, then you turn around and give me shit about not tossing me to the wolves. Fine, you want me to get on your fucking team, then let me know what the fuck I'm supposed to be doing? Elysium fucking circle jerks?"

His fangs were bared. Go ahead and kill me, fucker...

[Cynical Cat]

Samson barred his fangs. "I am sick and fucking tired of building something only to have morons like you tear things down and shirk any fucking responsiblity!" He was roaring now. "I want you to fucking think, but obviously that's too fucking hard because no knew thoughts enter that fucking skull of yours! You worthless piece of shit, you're too stupid to even clean up after a fight! Your stupidity has cost every other fucking Kindred in this building! Do you want to know what I want from you? I want you to howl and scream and curse as they take it all away from you. I want you to suffer and I want to fucking step up with the rest of us when the time is right." The Brujah's fury and power was awesome to behold.

[Josh]

He stepped back as the elder uncorked in front of him, turning away as if being pounded with physical force.

After the shouting was finished, he spoke in a small, quiet voice.

"Okay, now that we got that out in the open, you wanna go ahead and tear my head off?"

He looked back at the elder, a small, satisfied smile on his lips, a defiant gleam in his eye. He'd bent before the storm, but he hadn't broken. And he'd unmasked another asshole.

An elder asshole, to boot. What a plum.

He could die happy, now.

[Cynical Cat]

Samson's fist smashed Wright into the wall. Follow ups broke his collar bone and shattered ribs. Bones broke like twigs under Samson's fists. "I have had enough of you! You worthless fuck up son-of-a-bitch."

[Josh]

He laughed, blood spraying from his mouth, shattered teeth flying away. During any opportune lull in the beating, he spat a bloody whisper at Samson. "I got you, you motherfucker..."

[Cynical Cat]

Samson stopped, fist raised. His face contorted with fury. "So you did," he said in an icy voice. "You pushed me hard enough and proved that you're too stupid and too poisonous to permit a continuing unlife. Your last victory. Just the latest of mine." Samson's fist shattered Wright's skull like an egg.

The elder got up and went down stairs. Only vamps and ghouls left. Good. No need to mind whipe anyone. "Wright couldn't get with the plan. He didn't like being called on his bullshit. He got physical. I ended it."

[Charon]

Marcus gave up his search and returned to the recently dead body he'd left behind. He drained it as dry as he could, burning the blood into his strength to make room. He dragged the body to the outskirts of the railyard and after making sure the area was clear proceeded to tear it apart. Ripping off the limbs Marcus tossed them around haphazardly. Then he reached into the corpses chest and pulled it open until it looked like someone had planted explosives in the body. When he was done Marcus placed the head on something sharp and tall then headed back into the railyards.

That would get a little attention.

[Cynical Cat]

"So Wright is dead," said Lucas Black.

"Yes," replied Samson. "Your Masquerade worries are over."

"It does show poor judgement on the part of the Brujah," said Hans.

"Maybe if the Sheriff was actually making sure that the silence of the blood held with respect to masterless ghouls, this problem wouldn't have happened," replied Samson.

Hans glared. "As you say," said Black. "We have an additional case of Masquerade violation invovling Wright."

"What?" said Samson.

"A soldier of O'Banions saw fangs and lived. Fortunately he was running from a firefight and had been drinking, so no one took him too seriously."

"It wasn't necessarily Wright," replied Samson. "It could have been a member of his coterie or one of his guests. Including a Ventrue, if I'm not mistaken."

Black was silent for a moment. "Then we can consider this matter settled. Wright, the probably perpetrator, is dead and the violation is not believed."

"What about Cargo?" asked Samson.

"An interesting case," said Black. "I believe that a full council of the Primogen should meet on this."

[imperfect vision]

"Mm, payment, yes indeed." He almost heaves a sigh as he reaches into his pocket for a few bracelets laid with rubies, and leaves them in the former car owner's mailbox.

Holden slides into the driver's seat and tugs the door shut. "Railyards it is, hopefully nonstop." The gears take hold, the car jolts into motion, and rolls down the street.

[Bratty]

Cassie smiles, and even has the windows down, enjoying the night air on her face. It feels like it has been a decade since she has been out. Her twisted lips in smile.

This Cargo will give them some answers, in way or another.

Rosemary sits with her hands folded in front of Mary in Mary's cage. "You know what to do"

Mary nods. "If Cargo goes south, we take him out. You're the brains, Im the muscle, and " She grunts in disgust. "Cassie is the heart of this operation."

Rosemary nods. "Indeed. I do not tell you how to fight, or question your anger or drive. Do not question why it is important for us to learn things. When that day arrives, you will find me a formidable oppenent."

Mary rolls her eyes. "You know, if you was anyone else..." Mary considers. "You know, without Cassie around, we could get a lot more things done."

Rosemary smiles in a patronizing fashion. "The thought had crossed my mind. But the time is not right. Patience, Contrary Mary. All in good time." [/i]

[imperfect vision]

A little bouncing, bobbing, and near-stalling later, they arrive at their destination. He slows the car to a halt and looks around curiously, and sighs. "There has to be an easy way to find these schmucks. I'm losin' patience with parting with so much of my resources." He taps his fingers on the steering wheel in thought.

[Bratty]

Cassie is giddy from the ride over and the hope that she has been allowed to ingest. Quite a dangerous thing for someone of her situation.

"If you want, Holden, I can sing and make us some money. That way you don't have to part ways with your money any more."

She slides out of the car, her limp leg behind. The railyards look quiet...too quiet.