Everything World of Darkness Ever - Vampire: Blood Dawn

October 31st, 1999

Ira Armstrong - An Invitation

The Party of the Century. That's what people were calling it. In the penthouse of the Furio Tower, Ira had planned the Halloween party to end all Halloween parties. It was, after all, 1999. There might not be another Halloween.

The guests had already started arriving. The creme-de-la-creme of Chicago. The elite. The rich. The powerful. The influential.

Ira had a few last minute things to wrap up in his office before he arrived at the party, fashionably late.

Jo knocked on Ira's office door. She was working late, as usual, but was anxious to get to her own plans. She had a date, or so she said, with Steve Mitchell from accounting, a handsome enough fellow, if a bit meek and easily manipulated. She had steadfastly refused to come to the party, saying she wouldn't fit in with Ira's "crowd."

"Everything's all set, Mr. Armstrong. Harvey and Eliot are on security. Dana is serving drinks. Kevin is supplying the...well, the other stuff. I...I'd like to go now. I...I mean, if there's anything else you need, you have my number. But, the others should be able to handle everything. So...can I go?"


Angelina Rosetti - The Late Shift

Dr. Collins had called in last minute which meant Angelina was covering for him, again. It gave her an opportunity, however, to catch whoever it was taking blood from the patients.

Janice Leland, the nightshift nurse, smiled as Angelina began her rounds, "When they talk about residencies, I didn't think they meant you'd actually live here. Do you ever go home?"

Rhett Collins - Crime Pays

Halloween was always a good night in Rhett's line of work. Lots of fools out late, just begging to be relieved of their valuables. But that wasn't on Rhett's agenda tonight. He'd been promoted, so to speak. That's what Jameson told him anyway. The "Boss" wanted to see him, tonight.

Seeing the Boss was a big deal...you either came out of such a meeting with power and prestige within the "family" or you didn't come out at all...at least not until the cops found your body in Lake Superior weeks later with cement shoes anchoring you to the bottom.

Rhett had noticed a couple of women hanging around the family, Clara and Chloe, always together, new faces, at least to Rhett, though Grandpa Rick, the 80 year old patriarch of much of the family's operations, treated them like old friends, even though the pair looked to be in the mid-20s at the oldest.

Li Xu - All Work and No Play

The Succubus Club - the place to be on Halloween night. The Succubus Club was one of the best nightclubs in town, if one was into goth, punk, fetish, and latex. Normally a little on the macabre and dangerous side, tonight the club was a haven for the freakiest people Halloween had to offer.

Joshua had insisted Li come. How Josh had scored tickets to this place was a mystery, but the pair was woefully out of place amongst the vampire themed costumes and dance-metal mixed music. Currently playing live was a neo-goth band called Baby Chorus. Alternating between a saxophone and rhythmically screaming vocals was a young black man. The lead guitarist is a woman in a leather jacket, torn jeans, and combat boots. Rhythm guitar and back-up vocals is a another black man, though he appears to be no older than 14 or 15, despite his fetishized leather outfit. On bass and also providing back-up vocals is a heavily made-up young white man in red leather and wild looking eyes. The band is unusual in that there are no drums. The rhythm and beat are provided entirely by the bass and rhythm guitars. The band's sound is thus unique, almost symphonic, with a jazz touch thanks to the saxophone. The woman on lead guitar is making the instrument do things Li has never heard or heard of, her fingers a blur.

Rosanna Bettencourt - Life of the Party

Rosanna also found herself at The Succubus Club. She was underage but that didn't seem to matter - she recognized at least five people from school and the rhythm guitarist on stage had to be 14, if that. Felicia, the girl who kept trying to get Rosanna to come out of her shell, had scored tickets from the lead guitarist, Kathy Glens. Felicia was something of a groupie for Baby Chorus and was fully into Chicago's goth scene when she wasn't failing her high school classes. The past couple of weeks, Felicia had stopped going to school entirely so it was a bit of a shock when she showed up at Rosanna's house early Halloween night with tickets in hand.

Angie gave Janice a smile and shrugged. "I guess I just got so used to it during my residency now it's hard to quit."

"Besides, I like it when doctors owe me favors. And it's nice and quiet here after hours. I'll take this over evening ER shifts any day."

She had two cups of coffee in her hands, and set one down in front of Janice. Angelina had learned shortly after starting her residency that it paid off to be on the good side of the nurses. There were a thousand ways they could make your life easier...or absolute hell. And when things got serious, they were the ones in the trenches with you.

With a nod and a quick farewell, Angelina got to work. One nice thing about graveyard rounds was that you saw a lot of patients...it was assumed you wouldn't be doing much else. She checked her clipboard; underneath the rounds list was a smaller sheet of paper with her handwritten notes on it. If she was right, Mr Cooper in 503 was due for an unexplained drop in blood pressure tonight. An old man in a persistant vegetative state from a stroke, who's kids were too busy fighting over his inheritance to come visit, Mr Cooper was in decent health with the exception of being completely unresponsive...he fit the pattern perfectly.

Fifth floor was on her rounds too. Normally it was something she'd be getting to later, but tonight? She'd make it a priority. Whoever was behind this had access to the shift schedule, and would assume that she'd start from the bottom and work her way up. They'd probably want to get to him before she got there. She'd just have to make sure she got there first, cellphone camera in hand, ready to document it all.

Angie's heart was beating fast as she got on the elevator and thumbed the '5.' It was scary and exhilerating doing this! She could almost believe she'd missed her calling as a police detective...she'd always loved a good police procedural drama, even if they routinely got their medical facts lamentably wrong. Not for the first time, she wondered if the Medical Examiner's office wouldn't like a fresh new pathologist on staff...

...but only until the elevator dinged open. Then it was all game face. Cellphone out and ready, Angelina slipped out of her shoes to stop them from clacking on the tiles, and headed for the corridor running past 503. She'd need to lie in wait in another room, where she could peek out and watch 503...and see what was really going on here.

The Party of the Century

Ira listens only disinterestedly, distracted by his reflection in the mirror on his desk. He's dressed as Dracula for the party, which more-or-less just means fake teeth and a cape over his normal business attire. Several long moments pass while he adjusts the strap of his costume. Finally he looks at Jo, only really noticing her now for the first time. He glances at the time on his watch - all gleaming silver and white gold - then looks back at his secretary. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

His eyes fall down from her face to her body, then to her legs and feet. His nose wrinkles. "A pantsuit? You're not Naomi Wolf." He looks back at the mirror and leans in close to make sure there's no residual coke left on his nose. "I want you in a skirt and heels tomorrow." It's clear he's serious. Satisfied with his appearance he returns his gaze to Jo. Once his point has been made he pops in his fake teeth and waves her out with both hands.

Never one to be early to a party (not even his own), Ira wastes time on his computer for a while before stepping out to join his guests.

After walking into The Succubus Club Li felt severely out of his element. Put Li in Lab and tell him to identify a compound or in front of a computer to type out code for a program and he felt unstoppable, but put Li in a Club full of costumed, intoxicated, angst filled youths dancing and he felt very aware on how inexperienced he is in this area of his life.

"I'll be right back!" Josh yells barely audible over the music.

"I'll find us a place to sit!" Li screams back pointing towards the area of tables just off to the side of where the band is playing.

Li makes his way over to the tables. Just as he gets there a table opens up as the people who were sitting there start making their way towards the dance floor. As he sits down he stacks the empty beer glasses and sets them off to the side.

"Here, drink these!" Josh said as he sets two shot glasses in front of Li and two in front of himself as he sits down.

"What is it?" Li asks as he picks one up to examine it.

"Free! Now drink!" Josh replies as he lifts his first shot glass to clink with Li's.

*Clink*

"Ugh" Li groaned

*Clink*

After both of them finish there shots Josh points to the band while leaning closer to Li. "I love these guys! They're the reason I got the tickets!"

"Who are they?" Asks Li.

"Baby Chorus!" Josh shouts.

"I can see why you like them." Li replies as he observes the band playing, particularly the female lead guitarist.

Not one for dancing, Rosanna migrates toward the stage where she could focus on the band rather than the overwhelming crowd a her back. Good music she thought as she found herself keeping time with the drumless beat. She particularly focused on the guitarist, the mystery friend of Felicia's. Amazing... She was entranced as much by her movements as by the music itself.

Rhett pulled up to the massive family estate just after dinner, careful not to intrude. The estate itself surrounded by a wall and only one gated entrance with guards patrolling all throughout the compound. Rhett was greeted by the guard at the gate who said nothing but offered a nod and opened the gates allowing him to enter.

After parking his SUV, a gift from the family of course, he approached the front door and knocked.

Ira - Invitation Only

Kevin Jackson, Ira's principle supplier of illicit drugs, is the first one to greet Ira upon his arrival. Kevin, who seems to live the life of a hip hop star and is always dressed to kill, is wearing a costume designed to make him look like a 80s gangster rapper. His entourage is not far behind, but Kevin's voice is only for Ira's ears.

"Hey man, make your rounds and then meet me on the balcony." He gives Ira a fist bump, but his eyes and tone are dangerous. Kevin, who is usually all smiles and, "what can I get for you," is giving Ira a command. Ira had heard what happened to people who refused Kevin's commands.

Angelina - Ambushed

Angie waited for several minutes...nothing.

No sounds, no movement, not a hint of anything happening in Mr. Cooper's room.

Then, from behind her, in a room Angie thought was empty, a woman's voice comes out of nowhere, "Hello, Dr. Rosetti. It seems our little game of cat and mouse has reached its conclusion."

Rhett - The Boss

An armed guard opens the door and ushers Rhett inside. The place was a luxurious prison. No expense spared in furnishing and decoration, but set up like a fortress. Grandpa Rick had a reputation for being paranoid, but this went beyond that.

Clara and Chloe greet Rhett at the entrance to the main dining room, both of them smiling dangerously. They were up to something. Anticipation practically radiated from them. Clara, the taller, more aggressive one, put a hand on Rhett's shoulder as he passed, whispering, "We are going to have so much fun tonight." Chloe, the smaller, quieter one, smiled wider. Was it Rhett's imagination or did her canines seem to grow a little?

Inside the dining room, seated at the far end of the table, with two armed flunkies to either side was the Boss.

Al Capone.

Li - Nothing Else Matters

Baby Chorus finishes their set with a cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, the lead singer/saxophonist setting aside his instrument to focus on vocals. His voice is melodic and hypnotizing as he seems to lose himself in the lyrics.

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters

As the band finishes, the handsome black man's eyes meet Li's. Josh nudges Li with his elbow, shouting over the noise of the club, "I know him! He wants to meet you!"

Rosanna - Enter Sandman

As the band did their cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, Rosanna noticed that the lead guitarist was visibly bored. The song was apparently much too slow for her as she sat on a stool and casually strummed while the spotlight focused on the lead singer. The guitarist ditches the stage as soon as the song is done, heading in to the back of the club.

Felicia shouts to be heard, "That's her. Kathy! I want you to meet her!" Felicia grabs Rosanna's arm and starts dragging her to the back of the club. Rosanna notices that Felicia's hand is cold, almost painfully so.

The casually dressed Kathy is sitting in a booth, embracing and kissing another woman, a 20 something goth with dyed black hair and a corset/latex ensemble with high heels that look positively lethal to walk in.

Away from most of the noise, Felicia is able to whisper, "That's Bloodnymph. No, I don't know her real name."

Kathy looks up as Rosanna and Felicia approach, "Come to join our little club, eh?"

Felicia's face betrays a bit of anxiety, "Well, uh, I haven't told her about that, yet."

"Oh holy hell!" Angelina jumped and whirled around, her heart leaping into her throat just about. She managed a weak, embarrassed laugh at her own expense. "You scared the wits out of me there."

Then the words sank through the haze of adrenalin and her eyes widened. She stepped away from the wall to get a better look at the speaker.

"It was..." Abruptly frightened again, and for far better reason, Angie tried to do what doctors did; stay on top of the situation.

"Just in case you're thinking of turning a relatively minor crime into something far worse, you should know that I've been documenting my steps. Any investigation made into my affairs will lead back to you."

Rhett smiles as the ladies approached, did Grandpa Rick get him a couple of hookers for the special occasion? When they get to his side he puts his arms around them,

"Ladies, how are we doing tonight? I heard someone mention fun?"

Rhett says, patting the tall one on the ass. Once they get to the dinning room Rhett can't help but turn his attention from the attractive females under his arms to the man sitting at the head of the table.

"Who're you? Where's Grampa Rick?"