{V:tM - IC} New York by Night

[Catulle]

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

"Whyever might you think so?" Carrick's expression melded into a genuine semblence of surprise, then mollified to simple empathy "She spoke most highly of your artistry, to be blunt." He walked in silence a few sparse moments, keeping his own counsel briefly. His attention was fastidious, yet avoidant at the same time. Concern tinged with discretion, perhaps? "Of course we might. I'd be glad to accompany your way there."

Or worse than foe, an alienated friend?

 

[Festy_Dog]

Frederick Douglas Memorial Cemetery, Staten Island
Wednesday 11th December, 2002

Max tilts his head to one side at the gruesome sight, trying to interpret the meaning of such a pointless and repulsive deed.

Well, not often you get to see this in real life. They have all of eternity to expand their minds and evolve into a higher state of thought and what do they do? They go digging up corpses and messing around with them! To think that we need permission to kill something that would do this... Heh, without the effect of movies and computer games I might find this sight disturbing. Kinda funny that, I wonder if I'd vomit if I was disgusted by this? Hmm, so many others cannot eat but why can I? Simple explanation: I got the ability from Morgan, but where did she get it? Something worth time studying. Anyway, back on task... That lone officer could very well be a sitting duck for any Sabbat here, which also makes him good bait.

Max keeps a firm grip on the knife, and looks to the others.

"We could wait for our culprit to reveal himself. Lie in wait around the perimeter here so we can nail him if he goes after the cop," He whispers, "I'm sure you people would have better ideas though."

He waits for other suggestions, flexing his grip upon the knife, anxious for the opportunity to open up a Sabbat.

 

[KitanaVorr]

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

While her footsteps took her to the music room and hopefully to her warm boots, Caitlyn remained silent with his silence, thoughtful with his thoughts until she managed to shake her own thoughts free of his allure if only for a moment.

Purblind doomsters strewing blisses as well as pain

"Perhaps, but she made her true opinion of me very clear earlier." Swallowing that memory again, forcing it behind her, Cate ordered her mind to different thoughts other then the cruelty of the woman's words. Was Carrick going to force her to speak about what had happened? She hoped not.

"So where is it that you two are whisking me off to tonight?" she asked with a smile, her own fingers resting lightly against his arm. "Some place fun and cheerful, I hope? Nothing too dour and formal?" Her pert nose wrinkled slightly at the thought of going to another formal party.

 

[Shalimar]

Sabrina Montague

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

Nathan's strong arm's lifting her up could never fail to make her feel safe and happy. It was like there was no way for anything to go wrong, he wouldn't let it. She knew she was safe from everything in his arms. He always was just so in control, he could do anything, and he really did love her, she just knew it.

Once Carrick and Cate had left the romm she gave him a curious look, "Uncle Nathan, me and Miss Cate were in the music room and miss Vych gave us a really mean look and miss Cate got very afraid, was that a vampire power too? Making people afraid just by looking at them, can I... can I do that too?" she asked curiously. The little girl leaned her head against her uncle's shoulder looking up at him from her perch on his arm.

"Ooh, and geuss what! Guess what uncle Nathan. Miss Cate wan't coming with us right away when Mr. Cooper said to, she wanted to clean-up first. But I said 'come' and just like that she did exactly what I said, and it was like she was in some kinda trance, it was very weird. Is that what you and Jemal do? Is it? Does this mean I can use that dominate thing on people too?" She asks rapidly sounding like a small semi-living machine-gun.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Gabriel dropped low at the sight of the police officer. What in God's name? It looked like some of the Sabbat's work. Though it wasn't like them to play with corpses. Usually it was the living they enjoyed tormenting.

He squinted his eyes to get a better look at the plaque. What did it say?

It was good to know that the Scourge was still with them. He wondered if he had ever seen anything like this before.

 

[Tory Adore]

Vych, sure that everything is in place after going over her mental check list, places a call on her phone as they roll up to the curb in front of Antiquities. ”Sasha, I am back and with a guest.”

The building itself is of a rather plain peach-colored stucco with no windows showing. There are two doors on the front of the building. If the doors were shut, one would see a single mahogany-stained door to the right side of the building front, and a double door out of the same wood but located dead center; both covered in a red Arabian style canopy.

The door in the center has an impeccably clean red carpet flowing down the steps along with the canopy to the curb of the street and three handsome valets await their duty at a small covered service desk. The other door is lined in red ropes and has two bouncers and a woman with a clipboard. Multitudes of people are slowly moving forward hoping they will be the next selected to enter.

Above the doors stands a grand, lighted, malachite-looking sign reading “Antiquities” in an ancient scroll type lettering with a red rose sprawling the length beneath it.

A fairly tall, striking blonde woman dressed in a short, black skirt with knee-high boots and waistcoat with beret is at the curb. Vych gives a slight gesture with her head and eyes for the woman to open Jemal’s door first. She opens his door and holds her hand out for the car keys,
”Sir, I shall be taking Vych’s car to the garage. Do enjoy your evening here at Antiquities.”

The blonde moves around the back of the Mustang to Vychtorya’s door and lets her out as well.
Vych says, ”Thank you Skye. I would expect Carrick as well as his guests to be arriving within the hour. Should any guest be early, please ring me in the penthouse immediately.”

Vych holds out her hand to Jemal, wiggling her fingers excitedly,
”Come on. I’ll give you a quick tour of my club before I have to change clothes.”

They walk the red carpet beneath the canopy to the center doors where a stocky, shorter man greets them. ”Ah Vych, and good Sir! Sasha advised me to let you know she has your wardrobe ready so please take you time with your guest.”

The large heavy doors swing open to the inside revealing the foyer. From inside looking back as the doors close, one would see highly polished brass-lined doors reflecting the light coming through the stained glass entrance to the club. A man and woman tastefully but scantily dressed in vaguely Egyptian attire open the amber colored glass doors with an inviting flourish to reveal the club and its music and merriment within.

 

[reapersaurus]

Nikolai's blood runs cold... colder than the grave... at the scene displayed before him - almost framed as if by a twisted painter, the boughs of the tree canopying the bodies twisted in the cold earth.

His senses revolt against the sight, his nostrils filled with the stench of The Thing's handiwork. He is overcome with thoughts of the Past, and how the object of his undying hatred may well be the perpetrator of this inhuman Work. The unwelcome memory of his Victoria's life being taken... her blood spilling from her as it stained the ground beneath him as he cradled her... wells up inside him. He fights to maintain control, setting his mind on the Here and Now - this chance to have his Revenge, after all these years of Hunting.

Hand on the machinegun in his trenchcoat, Nikolai concentrates his vision on making out the scrawling on the wooden plaque, while he delves deep inside his vampire nature to focus the Power of his blood in preparation of What May Come.

OOC: Higher Purpose edge in play for actions in this scene, I'd guess? Blood of Potency - one blood point spent, Willpower roll for successes (12 dice?)

 

[Catulle]

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

Once Caitlyn and Carrick had swept from the study, the hitherto motionless Mr Cooper trod carefully out, pulling the panelled doors shut with him. Despite the lack of sound, Sabrina knew the man would be waiting, patient as a statue, on the other side for just so long as Nathan wished him to do so.

The stay in her uncle's arms was a brief one, as he settled her down quickly in the vast leather hollow that was his study chair. The elder Montague perched himself on a corner of his desk, expression quite serious as the child related her news, his eyes bearing close scrutiny to every inflection in his niece's speech.

"Yes Sabrina. All of these things and more are part of the Montague blood. Ventrue blood, at least. Blood which you no longer share." His eyes studied, probed, and though his face gave nothing of his mood away, Sabrina was aware of a slight chill creeping into Nathaniel's tone, before he let out a sigh "But for that, at least, you bear no responsibility. The shame of the thing is done, but if what you say is true there may yet be hope for you." He paused to smooth back his loose hair from his scalp, though his eyes never left the girl.

"It is considered... crass... to use the blood's gifts so freely. It is akin to using a shovel to swat a fly, for it tells our kindred that you are not sufficiently controlled to accomplish your goals without brute force, be that of personality or physique. To do so on Elysium as you did that night Calebros spoke would be most dangerous. You, we all, were fortunate that you were noticed doing so only by your family... and their closest allies. Do you understand this, Sabrina? Or need I be more explicit?"

 

[Catulle]

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

Carrick's laugh, pure as a note rung from cut crystal, seemed to break the tension that was forming in the movement, dissipating the building cacophony. "She certainly follows the passion of the moment; I doubt any discord will be lasting. Then and now are such different things to her, you see, and the ghost of the past is easily banished."

His smile broadened at her reflection, one eyebrow crooking upwards in a mockery of surprise. "Yes. To more cheerful things; I think formality is the last thing you'll find at Antiquities."

They rounded the corner, and stepped into the music room. The percussion of the gentleman's leather soles on the wood parquet floor rang out to Cate as he strode across to the window. "The view's quite spectcular from here, isn't it? I always feel that from this distance one can sense the city as if it were alive itself; even beneath the patina of all of those who eke out their existance here - something bigger than all of us, but part of us all..."

(OOC - Carrick self-control - 10,9,4,3 - clan weakness overcome)

Carrick seemed to lose his focus for a moment as he stared out of the window, overcome by the sensations cast by the neon-lit metropolis, before turning to look at her with a rather appologetic crease to his forehead. "It's hypnotic, sometimes. I am sorry."

 

[KitanaVorr]

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

Caitlyn listened to Carrick speak while, withdrawing further into herself. His words about Vychtorya Farychyld unsettled her in many different ways. She wanted to please him...for some inexplicable reason...and her inability to do so distressed her but she remained silent. What more could she say on the matter?

Again she felt the distinction, the separation when she entered the Montague home. Of shifting into disparate identities, of becoming less than equal, a servant who could not speak freely. And yet plagued by people who on one hand demanded familiarity and yet dispensed condescension with the drippings of their words.

A grief without pang, void, dark, and drear...so stilfled and drowsy but she was passioned! Deep inside, the passion wanted to be let free but there was no outlet here in this cold world, no relief in word, or sigh or tear unless she was with Sabrina - the pure child whose motives she could trust.

Slipping on her boots, she ran her fingers against the length of the leather as if the cold could ease her troubles. Was it a mistake to agree to enter deeper into this world?

When he spoke again about the view, she answered him, but her voice held a note in it - a soft musical ring that seemed to echo across the lights of the city. The music touched her as she glanced out again, swelling within her soul and pouring into her voice the edge of passion, of emotion so wrought that it threatened to overpower her.

"The city is alive...with music. There's harmony in every sound from a whisper to the blare of every horn, art in the hollow cheekbones of a crack addict and in the perfect ones of a fashion model. The city breathes into us and we are a part of its vastness."

Then her voice dropped to a faint husky whisper with a hint of frustration in its depths. "I want to capture it in a song...but I can't seem to find the right words...the right melody...it all seems so infinite and yet so intimate at the same time."