{V:tM - IC} New York by Night

[KitanaVorr]

Caitlyn’s Current Theme

Adrift to Crown Plaza Hotel
Wednesday, December 11th, 2003

The cold bit into her, a million frosty mosquitoes running their icy pricks along her skin despite the layers of warmth. It was a long walk to the Crown Plaza hotel even with taking the subway part way. The motorcycle had quickly become a non-option when Caitlyn realized jeans wouldn’t be too appropriate for the first lesson.

High black leather boots rubbed against each other as she walked, adding to the warmth at least. Dark wine colored cashmere skirt with a matching wrap top, elegant but still comfortable and her insulated leather overcoat. Her mind had played briefly with the thought of wearing a suit or something, the formality of the family heightening that idea for the briefest of moments…well specifically the archaic formality of Nathaniel Montague in particular.

Freezing wind blew color into her cheeks, nearly bring tears into her eyes, but still she trudged onward, letting her thoughts drift more and more. From songs still waiting to be written to the family she now moved inexorably closer to with every step.

Who were they? What kind of secrets lurked behind their decorous manner…because there were always secrets. That was the trick, the swift flick of the wrist that those like them held over others. That was the secret to power…not money, nothing but blackmail…insidious strangulation of another human being until they had nothing left to bleed other than the blood of their souls.

Her fingers clenched in her leather cashmere-lined gloves, arms wrapped around her body for more warmth that the overcoat and vibrant red scarf could not provide. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, black lashes pressed lightly against porcelain cheekbones.

I can’t live like that again.

Deeper into the cold darkness went the echoing of her footsteps inexorably toward the Crown Plaza hotel and its mysterious owner.

 

[reapersaurus]

Gabriel and Nikolai have at least shown willing, providing Qadir with skills he doesn't possess in his task of keeping the masquerade. Gabriel's Dominate affinity and Nikolai's investigative prowess have melded well with the sheriff's social and physical skills, and eased his task in the last few nights, to the point where a professional relationship is developing. So far, Qadir has not alluded to ambitions of becoming Prince, but keeps his own counsel much of the time when not working.

The scene sees the pair waiting to meet with Qadir in a downtown diner, their usual pickup point when working with the sheriff. The place is deserted, save for the waitress, cook and a clearly homeless man taking advantage of the refill policy to stay warm for just a few hours longer.
_____________

Nikolai leans back in the booth of the diner, trying to look nonchalant and patient, waiting with Gabriel when he'd rather be out in the Night, at least scouring another section of the city for both Qadir's efforts and perhaps to catch sight of his Beast.

He had prepared for the evening's outing by performing his rituals (Extinguish + secret), and creating another blood token (5 total in his possession, which he's created since Elysium, at the cost of slightly-higher feeding rate the past week+.
12 blood pool currently).

He's wearing his Kevlar vest under a charcoal grey trenchcoat (OOC: would it be appropriate to be packing weaponry for this scene?).

He turns to Gabriel after looking at the breeze blow the trash by outside the window and asks, "So what do you think may be on the schedule for _tonight_?"

 

[Vychtorya]

Hugging the child back, ”I had hoped you would like it.” Then Vych hears Carrick’s words of caution echo lightly in the back of her mind and releases the little girl gently.

Following Sabrina’s gesture, Vych places the necklace around Sabrina’s tiny neck. ”There you go,” Vych says with a friendly smile. ”I do wish that someday you, Jemal, and I will become close friends.”

”I had hoped to talk to your brother more at the party, but time and situation did not allow me such hopes.” Vych smiles wide eyed at Jemal hoping he will look up from his work.

”So do you have any games you would like to play Sabrina? Maybe the three of us could play one. I’m not sure how long I will be here, but we could always start one and if we don’t finish it tonight we could always get together later,” Vych says remembering how she loved to play games when she was young.

 

[Shalimar]

Wednesday December 11th, 2003
Crown Plaza Hotel, Montague family suite

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." the child exclaims excitedly trying to show off the pendant to her brother. She grabs onto the toreador again hugging her in thanks once again for the expensive gift. "But you are my friend already miss Vychtorya." that childs says in answer to the woman's hopes. She leans into to whisper conspirationally in the womans ear, "I think Jemal wants to be your friend too, I 'm sure he wants to talk to you too."

She looks at her new friend seriously for a moment before smiling again, dimples once more in evidence, probably because she wanted something. "Miss Vychtorya, will you come to my birthday party? Its my birthday on Friday, and Jemal and uncle Nathan said my friends from school couldn't come because I'm a vampire now." she sounds a upset about this quite a bit. Its obvious that the party was rather important to her, and she probably been planning it for awhile before it get nixxed because of her embrace. She looks rather upset, probably since she was told her entire geust list wasn't allowed.

She thinks about it for a moment before answering her games question, "We do have monopoly, if you want to play that, but I wanna be the puppy. And Miss Cate is coming over soon too, for lessons." she says swelling out her chest to show she is important too. "Hey, do you like Miss Cate? I really do, she is so nice to me, I'll invite her too."

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Wednesday December 11th, 2003
8:45 PM, Claire's Diner

Gabriel sat quietly, his dark leather coat wrapped around him, and his cane resting on his legs. He could still feel the warmth coursing through him from the blood he had recently taken from a hooker on the corner. That was his preffered prey. Hookers, bums, petty criminals... Gabriel hunted from the scum of the world. He moved silently through the night, removing those who wouldn't be missed.

They where society's sickness, and he was a cure. At least, that's how he justified it to himself. Maybe it was God's will. Was it their time? Had he not taken them, might they have died in a car wreck? It wasn't the first time he saw the irony in his name. Like the angel of death, Gabriel descended upon the mortal world and delivered those of his choosing unto God.

Nikolai's voice focused his wondering thoughts. "I don't know." Gabe was obviously unhappy about this little assignent. He had better things to do. He had no desire to hunt Sabbat and rogues. As long as they didn't interfere with his own plans, he didn't care what they did. Well... the Sabbat could be a threat, but anarchs were little more than a pests to the Prince and Primogen council.

He sighed. "So tell me Nikolai. How did you get involved with Qadir in the first place?"

OOC: Gabriel has 5 little blood marbles created from Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion. He has max blood points.

 

[Catulle]

Somewhere on the streets of Manhattan
Wednesday, 11th December 2002

The chill of the wind caught Caitlyn full-on as she was walking, billowing her coat around her, seeming to insinuate itself right through the seams of the garment. Cars rushed past in the street, creating gusts within the swirl, a storm of neon bringing thunder and cloying smoke.

Perhaps it was a trick of the wind and her expectations for the evening, but she found herself moving, stepping in time with a meter unhead, a rhythm that stole the bite out of the wind and the chill from the air before she realised that she was humming along with her motion. In that second, she heard the melody she'd been listening to all along. An adagio swirl, that faded swift as realisation into the discord of the streets. Unforgettable, yet forgotten.

The blare of a car horn snapped her back to sharp reality, as did the hand that she found clasped around her arm, dragging her back out of the street. The rush of air about the car brought disorientation back, before the vinegar-stink of the man who held her assailed Caitlyn's nose. He released her arm, muttering into his chest as he did so, a large unshaven bear of a man limping in sneakers that couldn't keep out the cold for a second. He took a step backwards, then another alternately making and breaking eye contact, as if unsure of something.

 

[Catulle]

Carnegie Hill Tenement, Foyer
Wednesday 11th December, 2002

The lift came to a halt, the metal doors pulling slowly open, perhaps too slowly for Max's comfort. The confined space opened up into the drab faux-marble of the tenement's ground floor, wall-mounted uplighters cast as much shadow down as they threw light towards the barrelled ceiling. What the architect had been trying to achieve, he couldn't be sure but in that moment the effect was almost akin to a church.

A figure, broad-framed and dressed in black from his tight, high-necked shirt to slip-on boots was poised opposite Max's point of egress from the lift, perfectly placed to intercept the young Brujah should he attempt to break past to the main door. He was leaning, almost-but-not-quite casually against the wall, one hand thrust deep in his long wool coat's pocket, the other cradled a glinting gold pocketwatch in its palm. He seemed rapt in its face.

Suddenly, the stranger looked up to catch Max straight in the eyes. Intense, penetrating scrutiny washed over him in that instant. Max heard the sharp <snap> of the watch's case folding closed, finality echoed in his ears, the other spoke;

"Maxwell Freigardt. Come with me."

(OOC - Aura Perception diff 8 - 10,8,6 - 2 successes; what's Max's current mood?)

 

[Catulle]

Crown Plaza Hotel, Montague Family Suite
Wednesday 11th December, 2002

Jemal glanced up from the ledger briefly, the light casting a warm glow on his normally pale features. At first incongruous, the reading glasses he had on now added a degree of gravity to the youthful face and hinted at a hitherto unnoticed mystique. He looked over the narrow lenses at the pendant hanging from Sabrina's neck, forehead furrowing in appraisal. "Mmmm."

The familiar lopsided grin flitted across his features, throwing the veneer of seriousness straight into the fire. "I like it. Beautiful." In the dim light, Vychtorya wasn't entirely sure where his eyes were focused at that moment. "Maybe Uncle Nathan's got something extra special planned for your birthday, pet. You can tell."

Jemal laughed aloud at the mention of a board game, before he raised his brows and looked to Vychtorya with a shrug "Well, what'd you expect from Ventrue?"

 

[KitanaVorr]

Caitlyn’s Current Theme

Somewhere on the streets of Manhattan
Wednesday, 11th December 2002

So torn from her melodic thoughts, Caitlyn had to take a moment to reorient herself to her new surroundings, and her new threat. Those dark eyes, wide and deep, focused on the man with an almost questioning air from a face that looked much younger than her twenty years…the blessing and curse of Asian genetics.

Is he a mugger?

She faced him with her head straight, eyes unwavering but inside, her body shook like a thin branch unsheltered from the winds.

What does he want?

“Can I help you?” she spoke in a gentle voice, loud enough to be heard over the traffic noise and keeping well aware of her surroundings should escape be necessary.

Would any one hear me scream?

It was New York City…of course not.

 

[Catulle]

Somewhere on the streets of Manhattan
Wednesday, 11th December 2002

The eyes fixed on Caitlyn's, watery, weathered orbs recessed deep into leathery pockets in the bum's skull. He took another step back from her, "Stay outta the traffic, lady. You wanna die?" His teeth were yellowed, one prominent one missing. She knew how his breath would smell, even though she was mercifully far enough away to miss out on that experience.