Tale Weaver's Vampire: The Masquerade Game Board

[Tale_Weaver]

University of Denver

Koln
[sblock]You get a sudden vision in your head of a city on fire. Men with torches lighting buildings, lighting people. A big town square with people tied to stakes and a crowd standing around them shouting for blood. A woman with black hair licks the blood off of a knife and then the image washes away as if it was an oil painting that just got hit with a shower of water, first distorting the image the face before washing it away completely to a blank canvas.[/sblock]

 

[Strider_Koln]

OOC: ROFL!!!


in game:

Clover smiled and reached out to pet Socrates' head with a finger. Then she looked up at Koln with a tilt of her head and a mischievous smile, "So, you want to dupe the Prince? I'm not sure how smart that would be. Koln, we still know so little about vampire politics. How far does his reach extend? Do you think we'd easily be forgiven for trying to trick him? For succeeding?" Her smile dropped a margin, along with her voice, "I feel no loyalty towards him, but he's generously granted up help and sanctuary thus far. I'm surprised he allowed us to exist in Denver for as long as he did. I'm sure other young vampires haven't been as lucky."

Clover laughed darkly and reached out to take Socrates from Koln's grip, holding the diminutive mammal in her two hands. She suddenly became sad. Her words were edged with melancholy, and a bit of fear, "I know I can't stay here, Koln. If there's one last service I can do to my parents, it's to make sure they never have to know what I became. To make sure that they know I can't be retrieved. But also to give them closure. I know I need to leave this place. For them..." She handed Socrates back to Koln, avoiding the man's gaze, "But even knowing that, even hearing myself say it... I'm scared. It frightens me how fragile I still am. How easily I was hurt tonight. I'm too much of a liability to you and to Ruby. How can I do that to you? In good conscious, how can I continue to hinder you both? And Denver is all I've known since this change. I think I'm scared to venture further than it. At least we know what we're up against here. At least we're beginning to understand this city."

Backing up from him, she sat down on the edge of her bed and stared him straight in the eye, determination growing on her face, "If you want to leave, I can't stop either of you. Hey, I'll even help you. I'm not dead yet. I still have influence. Money. Contacts. Whatever you need. But just you, Koln. I don't want to go with you and Ruby. I can't."

"What I need Clover... what I truly and deeply need..." he says, and stops, as if forgetting, then remembering, and forgetting again, before finishing "I need someone to change the channel!" He shouts angrily, banging his palm against the side of his head until the images clear.

He sits down next to her and thinks for a moment, gnawing on the sleeve of his coat, then responds, "Well four leafy one, if that is how you feel, then I will happily stay with you as your moral compass and Catholic shield. At least I would, but our future selves have been created again and again, and we cannot see any of them. I do not want to give Princey ze syrups. He will make more us, I am afraid, and five of me is already more than enough, you see. Our only hope is to give him ze store band and make like a tree and split, no?"

"Besides, Clover, you have not hindered myself at all. Actually, I may not remember much, I probably remember more of what hasn't happened, than what has, but I do remember it being my fault you are in this situazione. I have made a deal with the Lord from that point forward though. If I could no longer lead my sheep to salvation, for I lost my flock, I can at least save your soul."

 

[izillama]

Clover smiled up at Koln, giving him a brief glimpse of the happy, confident young woman she once had been. The moment passing, she playfully nudged him with her shoulder, then shrugged, "No, I'm pretty sure my soul is beyond saving. But I'd like to at least make the most of what time I have left in this world. I think that would be enough for me."

Tossing her hair carelessly, she avoided his gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, "And I've never blamed you for what happened. I never want you to think that you need to shoulder that. We've both just been in the worst place at the worst time since this all began. So... we'll deal with it together. You, Ruby, and I. All right?"

And this time, her smile for him was more the look of the young girl she had once been, before the world lost all its charm and the dead had begun to walk.

"And Koln? Thank you."

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University of Denver

Clover smiled up at Koln, giving him a brief glimpse of the happy, confident young woman she once had been. The moment passing, she playfully nudged him with her shoulder, then shrugged, "No, I'm pretty sure my soul is beyond saving. But I'd like to at least make the most of what time I have left in this world. I think that would be enough for me."

Tossing her hair carelessly, she avoided his gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, "And I've never blamed you for what happened. I never want you to think that you need to shoulder that. We've both just been in the worst place at the worst time since this all began. So... we'll deal with it together. You, Ruby, and I. All right?"

And this time, her smile for him was more the look of the young girl she had once been, before the world lost all its charm and the dead had begun to walk.

"And Koln? Thank you."

Shortly afterward there is a knock on the door. It's Mindy. She's now dressed much more conservatively in a tshirt and pajama pants. The pajama pants with little penguins on them clash horribly with the solemn look on Mindy's face. She walks into the room fairly quietly and closes the door behind her. Sitting on the extra bed she says "Um, Angie can I ask you somethin'? Are you in some sort of trouble? What's goin' on?"

 

[Strider_Koln]

Shortly afterward there is a knock on the door. It's Mindy. She's now dressed much more conservatively in a tshirt and pajama pants. The pajama pants with little penguins on them clash horribly with the solemn look on Mindy's face. She walks into the room fairly quietly and closes the door behind her. Sitting on the extra bed she says "Um, Angie can I ask you somethin'? Are you in some sort of trouble? What's goin' on?"

Koln nods and smiles, "Anytime Clover. I will leave you two alone for now..." He briskly turns, kicks her door back open and leaves the room. Since he has some time, he wonders what Clover's peers are up to. Hopefully not sinning, not if he and the Lord can help it!

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University of Denver

Koln nods and smiles, "Anytime Clover. I will leave you two alone for now..." He briskly turns, kicks her door back open and leaves the room. Since he has some time, he wonders what Clover's peers are up to. Hopefully not sinning, not if he and the Lord can help it!

OOC: Haha, door-to-door confessions in the dorm!

Mindy watches Koln leave shaking her head. "So...is that Lacey woman his girlfriend or somethin'? Because from the way she was rattlin' on, I'd say they was made for each other."

 

[izillama]

"No, they're not seeing each other. They're just two eggs from the same basket."

Clover leaned back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. A crack ran through it, tracing from wall to wall in a jagged line. She wondered what had caused the crack, and why it couldn't just run straight? Why didn't chaos ever run in a straight line? Or life. Especially never life.

She looked back at Mindy and let her conscious "living" actions taper off to nothingness. Clover didn't bother to pretend to breath or blink. She didn't keep her emotions under control, and instead let her mind wander for a moment to her hunger. When was the last time she had fed? Who had it been on? Her lips parted marginally to allow room for her fangs, which slowly began to extend in anticipation of a feast.

Clover allowed whichever thoughts surfaced first in her mind to take over. She sniffed the air, trying to smell fear. "How can you sit there? So calmly? So relaxed? Aren't you afraid of what you see? Of what I've become? How can you be so accepting? I know. It's because I made you accept me. Made you want to serve me, against your will. You can't even feel the fear, can you? I could rip you to shreds right now. I could bleed you dry. You can see my teeth, my dead gaze. How can you not fear that?"

She found herself leaning forward with each question. Each accusation. "Because I made you, that's why. And where does that leave us? Either that makes you foolishly lacking a will of your own. Or me heartlessly controlling. And I know which of it it is. It's this."

Before Mindy could protest, Clover extended her own arm and scratched it with a hardened nail. Vampire blood beaded up on her pale skin, surfacing like lava at the edge of a volcano. Her own personal inferno. She watched Mindy's face for any recognition. For any emotion. She spoke quietly, calculatingly, "My blood, Mindy. This is what keeps you here. This is what keeps you coming back to me. It keeps you my slave. To vampire society, this makes me a genius. Get a day-dweller to do my bidding. No risk to me, right? Just feed you. Drug you. Keep you acting against all of your own instincts. Look at you! You can't even recoil from the sight of me? Of my blood? Of the monster in front of you!"

Standing suddenly, she began to pace angrily, her blood dripping haphazardly out onto the industrial tile floor, "You want to know the truth? Yes, we're in trouble. There are bad, bad vampires out there that tried to kill us tonight. There's a bad, bad vampire prince out there that holds our leashes. And you know what? Because I'm also another one of those bad vampires, now you're in trouble too! Because I was... selfish. Prideful. Because I took you and made you fall. Because I didn't give a damn about you!"

Abruptly, she stopped and faced Mindy. Slowly, she closed in on her former roommate, holding her gaze. She should cry right now. But she couldn't. She settled for a sad, sad look on her face, "And the awful thing is that... I do now give a damn. I didn't care at all when I did this to you. When I gave you my blood and forced you to follow me. I didn't. And now that I do... I'm so afraid to let you go because I don't want you to face me. Because if you stopped drinking my blood, you'd see the real me. You'd become the mirror I didn't want to face. You'd tell me the truth. And I'm terrified of that. And I'm terrified of the nightmares you would have to face. Of all the things you know we've done. Of all the things you've done while you've belonged to me. It's the worst... worst irony. I feel bad about keeping you. I feel worse about letting you go. And none of this is fair to you, Mindy."

She still didn't breath or blink. Instead, she sank down in front of her former roommate, level with her eyes, "So you decide what you want. I don't think you've had anything from me lately to keep you in this state. Tell me what you want. Do you want to keep this up? Do you want to keep drinking the drought of illusion? Or do you want to sober up... and face reality? Because I don't think Koln and Ruby and myself are going to be around much longer. Do you stay here and go cold turkey? Do you give it up now and see me for what I've become? Or do you decide, even after everything I've done to you, forced you to do, that you want to stay with me? Mindy, you're one of my only friends. But I won't force you to be. What do you want?"

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University of Denver

She still didn't breath or blink. Instead, she sank down in front of her former roommate, level with her eyes, "So you decide what you want. I don't think you've had anything from me lately to keep you in this state. Tell me what you want. Do you want to keep this up? Do you want to keep drinking the drought of illusion? Or do you want to sober up... and face reality? Because I don't think Koln and Ruby and myself are going to be around much longer. Do you stay here and go cold turkey? Do you give it up now and see me for what I've become? Or do you decide, even after everything I've done to you, forced you to do, that you want to stay with me? Mindy, you're one of my only friends. But I won't force you to be. What do you want?"

Mindy stares at Clover shocked, tears start to well up in her eyes. "Angie look, I-I haven't fed from you or anythin' since before the winter break. I'm here 'cause I want to be. You showed me that I can be more than what I was. I was a party gal, I didn't take life seriously and even my grades were sufferin'. After you...changed me...things were different. I felt better at everythin', I started doin' better in my classes too! I'm not angry at what you did to me Angie, I'm grateful! I want to stay with you. But, where are ya goin'?" Mindy's eyes trail down to Clover's bleeding arm. The wound is starting to close but there is still a collection of blood there.

 

[izillama]

Mindy stares at Clover shocked, tears start to well up in her eyes. "Angie look, I-I haven't fed from you or anythin' since before the winter break. I'm here 'cause I want to be. You showed me that I can be more than what I was. I was a party gal, I didn't take life seriously and even my grades were sufferin'. After you...changed me...things were different. I felt better at everythin', I started doin' better in my classes too! I'm not angry at what you did to me Angie, I'm grateful! I want to stay with you. But, where are ya goin'?" Mindy's eyes trail down to Clover's bleeding arm. The wound is starting to close but there is still a collection of blood there.

Clover followed Mindy's gaze down to her own arm, and she watched the dark liquid continue to drip. Slowly, she raised her arms to place her hands on Mindy's shoulders. She shook her gently, as though trying to placate a child. She met her eyes, "So this is what you want? Even after everything you know, you're not scared?" Clover smiled grimly, "And I believe you, too. Everything you just said came from you."

Seeing that Mindy was still glancing at her arm, she shrugged, "Take it if you want. If you need your drug, you can have it. But I won't force you anymore. If you want it, you ask for it. That's the new condition. As for where we're going?" She shuddered dramatically, the perfect theater actress professing the greatest of horrors, "The most vile of destinations, my dear Mindy. The land of valley girls, ruthless paparazzi, and..." another shudder, "sunshine. California." If Texas was anything like New York, Clover expected a similar reaction to what she felt.

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University of Denver

Clover followed Mindy's gaze down to her own arm, and she watched the dark liquid continue to drip. Slowly, she raised her arms to place her hands on Mindy's shoulders. She shook her gently, as though trying to placate a child. She met her eyes, "So this is what you want? Even after everything you know, you're not scared?" Clover smiled grimly, "And I believe you, too. Everything you just said came from you."

Seeing that Mindy was still glancing at her arm, she shrugged, "Take it if you want. If you need your drug, you can have it. But I won't force you anymore. If you want it, you ask for it. That's the new condition. As for where we're going?" She shuddered dramatically, the perfect theater actress professing the greatest of horrors, "The most vile of destinations, my dear Mindy. The land of valley girls, ruthless paparazzi, and..." another shudder, "sunshine. California." If Texas was anything like New York, Clover expected a similar reaction to what she felt.

Mindy stifles a laugh *snort* "You're gonna be a California girl? Like, in that song?"

Mindy's eyes trail back to Clover's arm "I hope I don't live to regret this. I love the bond we have Angie, it's strange an' part of me is repulsed at how easily I give myself up to you, but I really think you've changed me for the better." Mindy takes Clover's arm and presses her lips to the wound almost kissing and drinking at the same time. Clover can't help but feel a slight tinge of pleasure from the touch of Mindy's lips.