Tale Weaver's Vampire: The Masquerade Game Board

[ladyphoenix]

'Ew. It smells like week-old slurpee in here. And my shoes keep sticking to the floor... When was the last time they cleaned this place!?'
Clover herded Ruby quickly around the convenience store, the two of them shuffling about she shelves rather hurriedly. Clover kept an eye on the store clerk, an Eastern-looking man who eyed them rather suspiciously; as though two young girls in a convenience store were probably up to no good at this time of night.
There was so much (and so little) to root through! Yes, there was a whole display of lighters. Maybe matches? Some lighter fluid. Nothing of consequence. And, she thought suddenly, maybe nothing that they could get away with buying if the clerk had any say about it. Her and Ruby alone in the store with the man made her suddenly uneasy.
*ring ring*
She jumped over so slightly and found her head snap around to eye the door. A short man had made his way into the store, but he had quickly high-tailed it for the back.
She didn't like it. Not one bit.
She look a sideways look at Ruby and nodded her head towards the man to tell the Amish girl silently, "Keep an eye out. Might be trouble."
Quickly, she picked up a couple of girly pink lighters and made her way to the counter, producing her ID (she's 18, remember!). She placed everything on the counter, pointing for the clerk, "And two packs of Virginia Slims, please?"

Ruby and Clover noticed the short man swiftly enter the store, heading towards the alcohol. Ruby hoped he was only a mere lush rather than trouble. Despite that, Clover's nod sent her instincts crawling back up her spine. She immediately turned in the direction of the stranger, standing herself straighter as if she were a personal bouncer to Clover. Meanwhile, Clover grabbed a few lighters and made her way to the clerk. Ruby folded her hands neatly in place politely, but kept an eye on the man just in case. She was the marble statue between him and Clover at that moment.

 

[Strider_Koln]

Koln tilts his head confusedly and nudges the clothes with his heel. "Feh, it would seem that the Lord was gracious enough to spare me the trouble... Nietzsche-quoting dirtbag." He takes his hand off of his whip and sighs, leaning back up against the store, watching the girls from outside the store through the corner of his eye. "Hm, a pretty girl like Clover shouldn't smoke, it's bad for her health, vampire or not."

 

[Tale_Weaver]

Downtown Denver

'Ew. It smells like week-old slurpee in here. And my shoes keep sticking to the floor... When was the last time they cleaned this place!?'
Clover herded Ruby quickly around the convenience store, the two of them shuffling about she shelves rather hurriedly. Clover kept an eye on the store clerk, an Eastern-looking man who eyed them rather suspiciously; as though two young girls in a convenience store were probably up to no good at this time of night.
There was so much (and so little) to root through! Yes, there was a whole display of lighters. Maybe matches? Some lighter fluid. Nothing of consequence. And, she thought suddenly, maybe nothing that they could get away with buying if the clerk had any say about it. Her and Ruby alone in the store with the man made her suddenly uneasy.
*ring ring*
She jumped over so slightly and found her head snap around to eye the door. A short man had made his way into the store, but he had quickly high-tailed it for the back.
She didn't like it. Not one bit.
She look a sideways look at Ruby and nodded her head towards the man to tell the Amish girl silently, "Keep an eye out. Might be trouble."
Quickly, she picked up a couple of girly pink lighters and made her way to the counter, producing her ID (she's 18, remember!). She placed everything on the counter, pointing for the clerk, "And two packs of Virginia Slims, please?"

The short man darts around the back of the store glancing at Clover and Ruby through the shelves but never approaching either of them.

The store clerk i talking to some figure of an elephant man when Clover approaches him.

"Oh Ginesh, please let this night pass peacefully, I'm tired of being robbed from by young punks." He looks up and sees Clover standing there pushing the lighters across the counter towards him.

"And two packs of Virginia Slims, please?" The clerk eyes Clover's ID and nods pulling down a pack of cigarettes and ringing Clover out. "Thank you come again!" he says in a heavily accented voice as he gives Clover the bag.

 

[Strider_Koln]

His attention then shifts to the odd individual by the drinks. Just to be safe, Koln takes a peek at the aura of this mysterious individual.

Koln sighs as the clerk gives Clover her change. "Idol worshipper... they're all the same..." He meets the girls outside of the store. "Good... now follow me, I think I know the way, my little adventure took me all over Denver, and elsewhere... God willing we will make it there and put an end to this mess I got us in once and for all."
As they walk, Koln watches Ruby, almost expecting her to start chasing cars... He also keeps a cautious hand on Socrates, still in his pocket.

"You know Clover, I hope you don't actually plan to smoke those... I'm French and I've never even smoked. I will avoid the obvious 'smoking heretics' pun here."

 

[izillama]

Clover smiled warmly at the clerk. Living in NYC, she had had her share of multicultural run-ins. But she found the man's loving devotion to Ganesha rather comforting. They had better keep Koln out of here, before he decided to burn the poor guy for worshiping idols...!
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man peeking (almost comically) up from behind the shelves. For once, Clover hoped to God that this man was some sort of creepy perv who just wanted to get a peek up hers and Ruby's skirts. However, she couldn't help noticing that it was just a little too convenient.
They were on the run.
Someone was tailing them.
'Hm... he could be innocent enough. Pfft... innocent. Or, he could be a problem. Better get back to Koln.'
Clover grabbed Ruby's hand, saying almost unnecessarily, "Come on. Father will begin to worry if we don't go meet him outside!" She laughed good-heartedly, gave one more hasty glance over her shoulder, and pulled Ruby back outside.
'I dare him to follow...'

Koln sighs as the clerk gives Clover her change. "Idol worshipper... they're all the same..." He meets the girls outside of the store. "Good... now follow me, I think I know the way, my little adventure took me all over Denver, and elsewhere... God willing we will make it there and put an end to this mess I got us in once and for all."
As they walk, Koln watches Ruby, almost expecting her to start chasing cars... He also keeps a cautious hand on Socrates, still in his pocket.
"You know Clover, I hope you don't actually plan to smoke those... I'm French and I've never even smoked. I will avoid the obvious 'smoking heretics' pun here."

Clover looked sideways at the priest, "I don't smoke. This just gave me a reason to buy lighters. What clerk in his right mind wouldn't be suspicious of two young girls who wander into a convenient store at midnight to buy a source of fire?"

 

[Tale_Weaver]

Downtown Denver

Clover smiled warmly at the clerk. Living in NYC, she had had her share of multicultural run-ins. But she found the man's loving devotion to Ganesha rather comforting. They had better keep Koln out of here, before he decided to burn the poor guy for worshiping idols...!
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man peeking (almost comically) up from behind the shelves. For once, Clover hoped to God that this man was some sort of creepy perv who just wanted to get a peek up hers and Ruby's skirts. However, she couldn't help noticing that it was just a little too convenient.
They were on the run.
Someone was tailing them.
'Hm... he could be innocent enough. Pfft... innocent. Or, he could be a problem. Better get back to Koln.'
Clover grabbed Ruby's hand, saying almost unnecessarily, "Come on. Father will begin to worry if we don't go meet him outside!" She laughed good-heartedly, gave one more hasty glance over her shoulder, and pulled Ruby back outside.
'I dare him to follow...'

Clover looked sideways at the priest, "I don't smoke. This just gave me a reason to buy lighters. What clerk in his right mind wouldn't be suspicious of two young girls who wander into a convenient store at midnight to buy a source of fire?"

Now that everyone is together again you all start your search for a building to burn. Abandoned buildings are not a rarity in Downtown Denver and in about a half an hour walk you find a rather desolate area with a building that just might do the trick.

The building before you looks like it was once an apartment buillding in a secluded area. But now all of the windows are either broken or boarded up and the building itself is merely a ghostly shell of the house it used to be. The door is boarded up as well but there is an escape ladder hanging down that leads up to one of the broken windows.

 

[ladyphoenix]

Ruby walks around the abandoned building and becomes more scared of the though of Koln being in danger once again, even if this is staged. She turns back to Koln. "Now you do realize that this is faking your death.." Her eyes became pleading in her next words. "Please don't take this opportunity to leave us for good Koln. We need you here" she bows her head. Part of her thinks that his Malkavian side would convince him to stay in the flames as if they were merely dancing fairies.
She started breaking parts of wood for the ignition off of the floor boards. Staring blankly at the floor, hoping for this all to be over soon, so they can move on.

 

[Strider_Koln]

"Here at last... Soon it will all be over, and we can all rest, at least I know I will."

"Please don't take this opportunity to leave us for good Koln. We need you here"

He stops at Ruby's words, turning to her he is surprised, although he doesn't show it. He merely laughs and takes the bag. "Don't worry, I won't leave you two, well not for good. You two run off now. I will set the building ablaze and put some of my personal belongings in the house, namely wallet, phone, and teeth, er a few of the nonfanged ones of course. I will be sure to scream as I enter to alert onlookers. While you two are on the way back to the dorm, this is important now, make an anonymous call to the police, claiming you saw your beloved pastor, Father Koln, running into a burning building to help some kids."

Before he turns to the house he hugs Clover, and then tightly embraces Ruby, an embrace that is more than telling of his feelings for her. "Goodbye, I will see you both again though, do not worry about me, I can and will take care of myself."

 

[izillama]

"Goodbye, I will see you both again though, do not worry about me, I can and will take care of myself."

Koln's hug had taken Clover by surprise. It was the first friendly bodily contact she had had in over a week, and she had the feeling that he wasn't one to hand out hugs freely. She felt blessed. His subsequent hugging of Ruby stung her a little (if only because, in comparison, the one he had given Clover had seemed almost forced) but the vision of the two of them intertwined, even for just that one second, set Clover's ashen heart ablaze with a passion that she rarely seemed to feel anymore. That there was hope in the world yet: Even for the damned.
She was suddenly apprehensive. As though Koln's final words boded ill. He liked them too much, didn't he? He wouldn't do something silly like really kill himself, would he?
Koln was already walking away when Clover found herself catching him by his shirt sleeve and tugging him back gently. He turned, and she wasn't sure what she saw in his face. Resolution? Remorse?
Regret?
It suddenly seemed imperative that she do something. That she say something to make him promise to not do anything stupid! But she merely stood there and held his sleeve. Something made her deathly afraid to let go. She felt her lips part, "Don't..."
And then the words were gone, as intangile as the veil of smoke they were about to place over downtown Denver.
She hoped he saw the pain on her face.

 

[Strider_Koln]

Koln starts towards the ladder but is stopped by Clover's firm grasp on his sleeve. Her words hurt, stung deeply. They both somehow knew... He knew he shouldn't have hugged them both, he should have just what he normally does and attacked some inanimate object while raving about Stephenie Meyer's Amish Conspiracy.
He looks back at her reassuringly. "Clover, you have to let me do this, I know what must be done. Now go, do what I said, I will see you both again, I promise! Time is short..." But it is of no use, Clover and Ruby just look at them, both hurt, both with pleading eyes... did they have any idea what he would have done to both of them if he wasn't a vampire?! Realizing that he's stuck, he finally says what he has to, "Look, I am not going to slay myself, alright? Now go, quickly, and call the police, I will see you both at the dorm."