[VtR][Mature] Born into Darkness: Arc 1

[Graf]

The guy puts on a "tough guy" front but Beth thinks he's almost as confused and put off by her being here as she is.

OK. Well. I'm Nice. And I work for the law around here. And... and "Beth" doesn't cut it. When did you get to the city? Have you announced yourself to the Prince?

 

[industrygothica]

"Where exactly is here, I wonder?" Beth asks more to herself than the strange man in front of her.

"Yes, I'm sure you're very Nice, but I'm sorry, 'Beth' is all you get because that's all I have." She looks the man in the eyes when she speaks. "I seem to have forgotten a few things, I guess, and I've yet to see any prince."

 

[Graf]

Beth and Diego

The man scratches the top of his bald gray head. This makes him look less even tough and more flummoxed.

"Nice is a name. It's what I'm called. I'm called Nice."

"If you don't know where you are then how did you get here? The Prince is..." He looks over at the road and spots a man (Diego) standing at the top of the decrepit approach. He lets out a muted snarl when he sees him.

Beth knows why she's snarling. She feels it too. An instinctive primal reaction from something inside herto something inside Diego. She fights back the bizarre urge to charge at him and tear his throat out.

[sblock=predator's taint v Diego]
Despite vastly different die pools. Both get one success.[/sblock]

"Who's your friend?" Nice is back up on the balls of his feet.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

"Not her friend Kindred. Name's Diego. Who are you?" Diego stops as he talks, keeping a little bit of distance between him and the pair of kindred. "Nice scarf. Anyway, Vanderchild told me this would be a good place to go to and if it gets me away from his crazy ass, I figured I would check it out. What's this gathering all about?"

 

[Graf]

Beth and Diego

Nice takes a wary halfstep back. Watching Diego as he moves. They're separated by a healthy distance of 20 meters (~65').

"I'm Nice. I'm the deputy!" Diego can make out.
[sblock=Beth hears]
In a normal voice, that Beth can hear he says "There's no gather... Oh. Hell.[/sblock]

He bellows out "When were you embraced?"

 

[Graf]

Biggs

The vehicle sounds big. It takes Biggs close to the entire 45 minute car ride to get one of his thumbs free of the heavy chain covering it.
Eventually the vehicle turns onto an extremely bumpy road. It drives slowly, even with an impressive set of shocks the Biggs' coffin is slammed up and down.
The bumping and slamming gives Biggs a lot of opportunities to pull at his hand. As the vehicles come to a stop he's managed to free his entire hand.
The coffins are manhandled off the truck and into ground.

Biggs can make out a vampire with a red red scarf over his face (Nice) directing the men to move the coffins down into some sort of building and down into a basement.

He's getting ready to undo them.
A nasal voice says "20 bucks says they go all crazy on you when you unstake 'em"
"Oscar. You're not supposed to be here."
"Viper man. My names Viper. You know. Like the snake. Oscar's not a cool..."
"You're not here man."
"I know. That's why I got obfuscate up."
"It doesn't work if you're talking."
"It's cool. They ain't awake yet."
"No. But I'm going to wake them up. And when I do, you're not here."
"Cool. Yeah. I got it. I got obfuscate up."
"Good."
Almost a minute passes.
"I'll pop them as soon as they go for you man."
"Oscar!"
"Boom! I'll pop them good. I got your back."
"I'm working here. This s___ is really sealed. They put some sorta glue on the edges. Just sit tight. OK?"
Works for a little bit more.

"Blackcoat knows I'm here right?"
"Did we talk about it?"
"Yeah."
"And what did I say?"
"You said that you'd tell her that you was getting me to help."
"So what do you think I did?"
"OK. Cool. I was just asking." The voice is defensive.

"Did you tell the prince?"
"Oscar!"The man in the red scarf snarls and turns around stalking toward an apparently empty corner. "Did I say I was gonna tell the prince?"
"No." the voice from the corner is small.
"So do you think I told him?"
"You didn't say whether you did or not."
"Do you think I told him?"
"I was just asking."
"Stop asking me s___. I got a lot of s___ to do tonight."
"OK."

Nice comes back. He seems to be making progress. A thin shaft of light strikes Biggs' facewhen, "Who taught you Auspex?"
"What?" Nice spins around. He sounds surprised this time, not angry.
"You totally see me."
"You're. Talking. To. Me!"
"Yeah but I wasn't and I just moved and you turned around and you were looking at where I am now."
Nice turns away from Oscar's voice and back towards the case.
"Oscar..."
"I ain't gonna tell anybody. I just thought it was cool is all."
"Oscar. I can't teach you."
"I know. I was just saying that it's cool."
"Oscar... if I could..."
"No man. Obfuscate is cool man. Way cooler than Auspex. I'm just saying it's cool you know. You know?"
"Yeah man. I know. Listen..."
"I'll be quiet. You won't hear nothing from me all night. Brother's Word."
Nice stops, freezes really. You can see him staring straight ahead at the coffin.
"You know, the Brotherhood. We're brothers. All for one and all that. Brother's Word."

Nice savagely attacks the case with the crowbar.
After several minutes he manages to force the heavy metal. It clatters to the ground with a loud bang.

Biggs stays very still, the stake is partially lodged in his chest. Nice almost certainly doesn't notice that the vampiric vampire hunter is awake, because he turns quickly to the second coffin.

Biggs is dimly aware that he's not breathing. Now that he's a monster it's almost horrifically easy to stay completely still.

Then Nice stops. He freezes for a minute, head cocked to one side.
"Nobody supposed to be here yet." He sets the crowbar down on a table and heads out of the room.

The walls and ceiling are made entirely of unfinished concrete giving the whole place the feel of a post modern cave. There is a small table in the center of the room, another coffin to the right of Biggs' is still sealed. Light comes from an construction bulb, hanging from the ceiling.

The small room is very still.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

He bellows out "When were you embraced?"

"Couple of months ago I think. Some crazy old man." Diego stares confused. He didn't like not knowing exactly what was going on. Ignorance tends to get people into trouble. "Hey Deputy Nice. Don't mean to interupt whatever the hell it is that is going on, but I have no freaking clue what is happening here. Some crazy ass old man drank me dry, then I woke up. I know what I am, and I know what you are, but what in the HELL is going on?"

 

[industrygothica]

Beth's eyebrows raise at the mention of a gathering. "A Vampire party?" she asks quietly.

"I'm lost too," she says louder, so Diego can hear. "But you're going to clear all that up, because you're a Nice deputy, right?" she says to the red scarf, batting her thick, black eyelashes in a blatant over-the-top attempt to win the man over.

 

[WarShrike]

Uncertain wether the invisible Oscar is still around, Biggs continues to free himself, albeit as quietly as possible.

 

[Graf]

Outside Blackcoat's Mansion

I know what I am, and I know what you are, but what in the HELL is going on?"

Nice yells back "Not gonna keep yelling. Come over here and I'll explain."

Beth's eyebrows raise at the mention of a gathering. "A Vampire party?" she asks quietly.

"I'm lost too," she says louder, so Diego can hear. "But you're going to clear all that up, because you're a Nice deputy, right?" she says to the red scarf, batting her thick, black eyelashes in a blatant over-the-top attempt to win the man over.

Nice raises an eyebrow and gives her a sour look. He seems utterly unaffected by Beth's attempts to win him over.

After Diego approaches to within 20 feet he continues "OK. This isn't a "party". You're both in serious trouble. You're in the City but neither of you have been announced to the prince. That's bad, it's particularly bad for your sires; who should know better.
But you're not lost. You're supposed to be here. Which is.... whatever. The Prince'll decide."

Nice pulls a chunky cell phone from his pocket and starts to dial. Then he stops.

"You," he points at Diego "Were embraced by a Vander...uh ford? No," the Deputy manages to remember the name Diego originally yelled, "Vanderchild. Three months ago? Right??"
"You," he looks at Beth, "Were embraced, as in, made a vampire by who? When? And how old are you?"