[VtR][Mature] Born into Darkness: Preludes and Nocturnes

Archer gave the shotgun a second glance, trying to determine its make. Sometimes they tended to look similar from a distance, but he wasn't about to go over and grab someone else's gun. Huge no-no. Mossberg? Probably. Maybe. He decided to ask Frank when the time was right.

The steak smelled good, but it wasn't quite right. The smell appealed to him intellectually, or rather, to his memory of what good steak smelled like. There was no actual compulsion to eat it. It worried him.

"Don't worry about wasting your steak on me, Frank. I learned last night about wasting good food on the dead. Not pretty. There wouldn't happen to be any tobasco sauce around here would there? Chilies? Chili sauce? Lemons? Garlic? I'm looking for the most powerful things I can stuff down my throat- wait, is garlic a problem for me?" Archer coughed, and withdrew a tissue from his pocket to clean the blood off his lips.

Supressing his dislike of the moaning voice, Biggs moves in it's direction. If it's one of them, he can't risk letting it get between him and his exit route.

Archer's Prelude 3

Wedged back in the pantry it was hard to make out the gun clearly, but it looked well worn. Slight discoloration on the handle suggested someone had held in a sweaty grip more than once.

Oh. Well if you feel that way sir. Archer thinks that Frank looked genuinely disappointed.

Garlic?" Frank chuckles aimably "Not that I'm aware of. I've heard about ah, unstable Kindred who sometimes develop a psycological reaction, but nothing physical."

"Something strong... sir?" He picks up one of the roots he's been using in his cooking. It looks pickled, a lot like kimuchi. "This has quite a kick to it. You can absorb it with a bit of effort I think."

As he holds it in front of his nose Archer doesn't smell anything.

"Ah, breathing sir might be a suggestion. So you can smell. I'm afraid that will take a bit of thought now; won't happen naturally anymore."

Archer notes the ghoul is right; he hadn't been breathing. As he takes an experimental wiff his nose is assaulted by the smell of something like ginger, but with a pungent acrid flavor.

Bigg's Prelude 3

Biggs leans against the door. He knows the ghoul is close. Sliding a sword from it's sheath and pushes the door open. Mercifully the there is no creeking sound.

The room inside is filled with a pale white smoke, and some sort of smell, sickly sweat smell fills the air. Diffuse white light comes from two urns and from a green exit sign at the far side of the room. Biggs mind quickly registers images

Jefferson is about 20 feet from the entryway (and Biggs) the girl is maybe 5 feet further away; the thick haze in the room and the weird lighting makes it hard to make out details

Cole Braddock

“Well, it’s as good of a job as any for now. And that would be a no.” He states. “And normally I would be very much inclined to meeting new acquaintances but give the current predicament that I find myself to be in, I think its best for the time being that my undivided attention is spent else were.” He says with a small nod of his head and quick glance to the exotic women.

“Curious, what city in America is this and is there someone I can get in touch with so I can make arrangements for myself?”

Complications, complications. Thinks Biggs as he draws his second blade. He didn't like this setup. It stank. But he couldn't allow an innocent to suffer. Justice needed to be done, and the ghoul would suffer for his actions. He'd make sure Jefferson felt the fear and helplessness of a victim before Biggs sent him on to hell. Better make this fast. I wonder if anyone will notice a difference between his howlings and the screams he'll be makin while i'm slicing him to ribbons.

Biggs attacks.

[SBLOCK=OOC]Wish i knew exactly what that entailed. Guess i'm about to find out.[/SBLOCK]

Judas looks a little embarrassed and scratches his head, "Heh, thanks Frank. You know, you don't have to call me 'sir' or anything, Judas or Archer would do fine."

He actively tries to sniff it, and an optomistic smile crosses his face when the scent hits his nose.

"If I'm able to taste this then I'll have to take you up on that offer of a bite of steak. After all, my other senses have only felt keener since I... err, died, perhaps there's a way to unlock a heightened sense of taste. It only makes sense, right? Well, that's the hypothesis anyway," Archer extends his hand, "If I may?"

Hold on now. Can't have you thinking we're uncivilized.

This here's my get Giselle," he gestures to the woman, "she's religious. She worships some old hag called Baby Yaga.
Giselle's eyes roll up in silent exasperation.

Reggie's too " LB jerks a thumb at the Indian man in the corner, "but he's believah in Drrraaacuullaaa." As he says the name LB curls his over-sized hands into a claws and bares his fangs slightly.
If the Indian is irritated he doesn't show it.

"Reggie'll show you around." "Reggie" nods and moves toward the door.

"Futures a wonderful place mah friend. We've got fantastic new things. Mini-skirts! You'll love it." He waves as you're led out.

Beth's and Biggs' Prelude

I'm going to go crazy now

The scary dude was getting closer again.

Beth's eyes are numbly locked on on the knife. Following it's every move. He'd cut her with it before, and she realizes that she's dimly aware that will probably happen again.
not crazy yet, if I was crazy I'd be less scared she thinks.

She'd thought she was going crazy when he fed her that stuff and she started seeing all the little bugs, or when he told the security guard to go to sleep and he did, or when he started all the screaming and dancing hours ago, or when he cut her and poured the stuff in her wound.

But she's not crazy yet. A crazy person couldn't be this scared.

Sit there, don't moveThe words are still curled around her forebrain. preventing movement.

When she realized she could still make sounds, maybe an hour ago (five? who knew) she'd started screaming. But creepy guy had just looked at her like her father did when he was on the phone and didn't want to be disturbed. So she stopped.

Creepy guy was working himself up into some sort of climax. She didn't really want to think about what that meant. Her eyes just followed the knife.

A short guy with a sword ran out of the cloud of white insects surrounding them and stabbed the crazy guy.

OK. I'm going to go crazy now.

*********************************

The haze had gotten so thick now it was like fighting in a fog bank. Biggs' had been dead on to nail the ghoul when the ghouls crazy dance pulled him out of the way of most of the swing.

The ghoul spun and jabbed at him with a knife. Biggs' momentum had brought him in too close. He grunted as the knife slid into his gut.

BIggs let out a scream and brought the sword down.
But he was swinging at the haze now. The ghoul had tumbled away.

Biggs felt a sharp pain in his leg. There he is the hunter thought to himself.

*********************************
Beth pushed her face up off the ground. The creepy guy had tripped over something during the fight and landed on her.

I can move again.

With clinical detachment she noticed creepy guy had to his feet and was stabing the guy with the sword in the thigh. Next to her a braizer filled with hot coals sitting next to her on the ground. Behind her, she knew, was the exit door.

[sblock=Combat]
WJ's roll to notice Biggs
Biggs could technically roll initiative now but he's "dancing with himself" so I put it off till next round. Biggs' speed in yards is greater than the distance to WJ, so he can run in and hit him.
BIggs' first attack
Initiative
WJ's unbeleivably lucky return shot.
Biggs' with another terrible roll.
WJ tags Biggs again with another 10.

Currently Biggs has taken 4 lethal wounds.
WJ (his opponent) has taken 2.[/sblock]

That is a very kind offer for you to make sir. Franky says agreeably.

He passes you the root. "Oh, well, I should say this could certainly give you a bit shock. If you put it in your mouth and concentrate on absorbing it you should feel something I think."

Archer places the root in his mouth and concentrates.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Archer is sitting in the sofa of the haven.

"Most excellent sir."

"What was that frank?"

There is no response.

Archer looks over. It sounds like Frank is sitting next to him. But Franks not there.

"As you say sir. Quite right you are."

Franks voice is loud and clear.

But Franks not there.

Archer can hear Frank's voice clearly.

But Frank's not there.

Frank doesn't sound like he's yelling.

Someone turns a page.

Like someone's holding a book up to Archer's ear and turning the page.

But no one is.

Archer stumbles back out of the haven, to the kitchen. Frank is there, thumbing through a book.

"Indeed sir. You've quite the right of it." Frank says to his book.

Archer wobbles through the door.

Frank turns.

"Ah, recovered our legs have we sir?"

His voice seems cavernous, huge.

"You were talking to me."

"Yes well you did seem to like that. Rather insisted I keep speaking."

"Why are you in here?"

"You very much insisted on that too sir. I think you were quite excited. About your new powers."

Archer squats down to pill out the Mossberg from the cabinet.

Frank hastily gets to his feet. His voice rises an octave,"Perhaps we won't be playing with the shotgun sir."

Archer is looking down at the weapon "The sights off."

Frank stands anxiously nearby. "Sir?"

"Something impacted the barrel here, it's twisted here, there's stress fracture here."

"Really sir?"

"Yes, yes, I can see it. It's very small but I can see it right here. It's why the sights off."

"Well, I must confess I don't really use the sight very much."

Frank gently reaches out and rests his hands on the shotgun.

"You could."

"Sir?"

"Use the sight."

"Yes, yes, you're quite right." Frank deftly pulls the shotgun from Archers grasp. "Capital idea sir. I will certainly take it under consideration."

Setting the shotgun down on the table, the ghoul begins to guide Archer out of the kitchen. "Perhaps we'll wait in the haven sir."

"Celeste is coming back?"

"No sir. I'm afraid she's still detained"

Frank eases the double to the inner area open. "I could feel the shells"

"Sir?"

"The shotgun. The shells. It was loaded, only two shells though. I could feel the extra weight."

"Quite right sir. Simply remarkable."

"And your heart beat, I can hear it. And your stomach it's making noise. Digesting the steak."

"Perhaps some more hearing practice sir?"

"Frank?"

"Music sir. Just what you need right now. A bit of music."

Frank eases Archer down into a chair and puts on some music.

Archer quickly finds himself completely immersed.

<><><><><><><><><><>

The rumbling of the door elevator door breaks through the music. He hears a soft tread of footsteps in the hallway outside. A distant creak as someone pushes in the kitchen door.

Archer is dimly aware of it. But he's drifting on a cloud, or resting on the sofa, or maybe the music is supporting him. He's not sure. Either way moving or cognition seems unnecessary.

You drugged him? Celeste's voice is level, but furious.

"Hardly ma'am. He volunteered."

"He's completely insensate."

"Yes well. I suppose he might learn some sort of lesson from that."

"I'm not happy about this."

"I'm sure that when you think about it you'll find it doesn't bother you as much as you think."

there is a long silence, or maybe the music just drowns out everything else

"How did our meeting with the Prince go?"

"It was a disaster. He's suspicious now."

"Really? How shocking."