Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Watching the sheriff leave Claire bit her tongue, biting back from yelling at his back. She had to watch herself; she wasn't big cop on the block anymore and pissing the wrong people off would get her killed, not just fired.

She turned back to the firing range watching for a moment. Would Vincent find her here? Was she supposed to go looking for him?

With a shrug she found an unused target, raised the shotgun into her shoulder, pumped a round into the chamber, and squeezed the trigger to feel the old familiar boom.

 

[Copper]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Still, you stick to the areas that you know. Hence why I hang out on campus and that area, myself. Maybe it's the same for him. Or if he's newly a vampire, maybe the urge to check up on his family is still pretty strong. You know it's a bad idea but you want to do it anyway. At least I would." She rolls her eyes at Raven's bow, giving him a grin, though. "Wouldn't you just love it if I pulled one out of my pocket right now?" Turning before they fully see themselves out, she waves. "Nice to meet you, Cody. I'll make sure he doesn't go for that long between reunions next time."

As they make their way down, she lifts the address out of Raven's pocket to study the map. "Think we'll make it there and then have time to get back? It is getting kind of late, isn't it?" She checks her watch.

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Help you in some small way... What was that just now, then?" Fletch grumbles as Vincent drives off. "And what the hell was in that sack?" With a quiet growl, he heads towards the junkyard, unlocking it and closing it again behind himself.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

After some time of nothing but shooting from the trio in the basement firing range, Lee heads in to the side room to retrieve some more ammunition, leaving the other brujah alone with Claire. As Claire fires her last slug into a target at the end of the room, the other Brujah turns to her and says in an almost sheepish matter.

"Hi I'm Eric. Um...is it true that you told the Prince that you fucking hate him to his face? There aren't too many others who would do something like that. Well maybe Lee back before I was embraced, but he can't really do that anymore."
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You mean like this Raven says as he reaches in his pocket and holds up a magnifying glass in his hand. With a wave of good bye to Cody the pair exits the apartment and heads downstairs. After Izzy asks her question about making it to the other side of town Raven shakes his head.

"It'll probably be best if wait till we have more time to start the investigation. It's probably a better idea, though we have classes the rest of the week. It might give us a chance to think things over a little more."
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Fletch finds it fairly easy to follow Vincent's most recent footprints on the ground of the junkyard, especially after the rain on the previous night. Following the trail he finds they lead right to the edge of the hole in front of the old hippy van, the same hole he had died in.

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Fletch's growl strengthens. Fucking Tremere. He doesn't know what they can do with the soil he was buried in, but he bets his undead ass that they can, and that it's nasty. His hands curl into fists, and he smashes it into the window of the van, breaking it straight through. That felt good. Let's do it again. Again and again he hits the van with his fists, leaving sizable dents in the old and rusty vehicle. All the while he growls out in anger. If somebody saw him now, they'd think he's gone truly mad.

After a while he calms down and turns away from the old VW van in search of that old

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.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

After clearing her weapon to make sure it was truly empty, Claire turned to face Eric and let out a short laugh.

"I suppose news gets around fast. Yes I did tell him that I hated him, and it's true. But it's not like that means much anyway, I still have to listen... or earn a second death," came her response

She had told the prince that little tidbit in front of two others, meaning one of them had talked, or someone outside the room had overheard it. It seemed that anything one did would soon be privy to the entire community, something to keep in mind.

 

[Copper]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Get out of my head," Izzy laughs, giving Raven a playful nudge in the shoulder, the likelihood that that's an illusion pretty strong. "Yeah, we can rethink our strategy between study sessions."

She glances around once they're outside again. "Anything more you'd care to do, or shall we simply head back and bed down and wait for the day?"

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Searching through the yard Fletch finally comes across the old Defender he was planning to fix up, all four tires are missing and it's buried up to the chassis in the mud but it still seems in good condition for having been in the elements for so long. He figures it will probably take at least a month of work once he gets it inside where he can work on it properly. If only he had his tow truck he could at least pull it out of the mud and put tires on it right now.

Exiting the yard he enters unlocks the office and finds everything to be in order, a little more paperwork than usual but his workers have apparently been doing a good job without any real supervision. He leaves a note on the desk for his workers to do what they can during the day to get the Defender inside where he can work on it at night, and after making sure everything is locked up tight he heads back to his apartment. Hoping that he doesn't run into any of the other nightly denizens of Red Deer on the way.
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Eric nods his head at Claire's statement about news getting around fast, mentioning that there's only about 60 kindred in the area give or take. He also seems to hint that she's probably not the only one in the area to hate the Prince, who's been becoming more paranoid lately. He also hints that some of the others including his sire would probably congratulate her if it weren't for the Prince holding so much power over everything.

Before long Lee returns with some more ammunition and they spend the rest of the night releasing their various pent up feelings on the target dummies. When they go to leave Eric stays behind to wait for his sire who has apparently been there the whole time attending to some business. When Lee parts ways with Claire he says he'll probably see her at Elysium later in the week, which will apparently be held at the alternate banquet hall on the far side of town this week. He also says it would probably be a good idea that she at least shows up for it, though staying through the whole thing probably won't be necessary.
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Raven smiles as the magnifying glass disappears saying that apparently great minds really do think alike, when they get outside he seems more interested in just heading back and bedding down for the rest of the night. After they feed that is since he figures they're both about due for a snack. Using the same set-up as they usually do Izzy manages to seduce a local into an alleyway while Raven keeps an eye out for trouble. His feeding goes by much easier as he simply calls his meals to himself rather than hunting them.
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The rest of the week goes by fairly uneventfully though each of the coterie is visited at some point by either the sheriff Jack or the scourge Vincent. Both of them apparently deep into their investigations as to who amongst the local Camarilla was embracing without permission. Slowly the days go by with little happening accept for their nightly unlives till finally it's time for the next Elysium. As they have all learned from various sources this week it will be held in the banquet hall on the western side of town, which is not all that uncommon for the area.

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Eve takes a break from the Sunrise painting she'd been working on all week, very pleased with her progress. Painting by a picture wasn't nearly as easy as painting out in the sunset, but it was still turning out to be beautiful. Smiling a little she cleans up her brushes and dresses in a nice button up longsleeve, and a pair of dark blue jeans before heading out to the banquet hall.

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Fletch casts a look at his wrist-watch and grumbles as he turns off the welding equipment. He was busy cutting large sheets of steel out of other scrapped cars to replace the windows of the old Defender, but it seems it's time to get cleaned up and go to the banquet hall. He snorts as he stashes the sheets in the back of the Defender. Now there's a place he wasn't invited to often. Wonder if I should head back home to put on a dress shirt... nah, he decides as he pulls down the zipper of his overall and finds his usual clothing still clean. They'd have sent fucking invitations or something if we should dress up.
Taking a moment to wash his hands and face, the large man then takes his denim jacket and leaves, walking off towards the banquet hall.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

As soon as any of the others arrive they probably spot Ronny waiting outside the banquet hall, leaning against a wall. He looks his usual self though for once he's not wearing his jacket instead just wearing a light brown t-shirt.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Claire walked up to the banquet hall, wearing her usual leather jacket (which once again smelled of dirt and leaves) with a faded black tank-top underneath. Her cargo pants and a pair of hiking boots completed the familiar ensemble, all covered in dirt and grass stains once again after they had been cleaned for her.

She nods at Ronny, a rather quaint greeting as they haven't seen each other since the incident at the house a week ago.

She felt slight pangs of hunger; probably should have fed before arriving, but there would be time for that afterwords. A whole night to seek, stalk and strike.

Her hand reaches for the door, but stops and she looks at her fellow kindred.

"They letting us in?" she asks, for once stopping to consider if there might be any rules she's forgotten... or ignored in the past.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Ronny nods as he answers. "Oh yeah it's fine to go in, if you don't mind listening to that Alexander guy argue about art shit that is. They're serving cocktails if you're hungry, too."

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Eve stepped up just in time to hear Ronny's words about Alexander. "He's arguing again?" She wrinkled her nose unhappily and waited until Claire had either gone in, or moved out of the way. She really wanted to hear what was going on.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Cocktails sounds inviting... wonder if they've spiked them," she said, the last part muttered almost to herself as she stepped inside the hall, pushing the door open far enough that it wouldn't slam back in Eve's face, but not going out of her way to hold it.

Striding casually inside she took a quick look around at who was already there before looking for the promised drinks.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Ronny nods at Eve as she walks up as well. "Yep, most of the Torries are arguing I should say. Though it's more between Alexander and that really hot broad, Alice er Alize or something like that. If I had a clue what they were talking about I might have stayed to listen, but art's not much my thing."

Just inside the door Jack is waiting and shooing people into the main room once they arrive. Inside they find that the banquet hall is very nicely decorated with many paintings hanging along the walls. Along the far side a podium is set up probably for when the Prince arrives. The rest of hall is set up much like a banquet hall would normally be, with a bar along one side where a few of the gathered kindred are drinking.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Claire raises an eyebrow at the elaborate decorations, and can't help but let out a short, gruff laugh.

"Well well, I'm not the kind of person usually invited to these things," she said, before making her way over to the bar. She ignored most everyone else for the moment and leaned against the counter. A server glanced at Claire with what looked like disgust, before handing her a drink. Possibly afraid of the Gangrel causing a scene more than anything; she had earned a reputation.

Taking the champagne glass, and holding the stem between two fingers she brought the drink to her nose, sniffing. Her lips parted in a smile, revealing her fangs, before tipping the glass back to taste it.

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Eve shook her head. "They're always arguing..." she muttered, before following behind Claire and inching around to where Alexander was presumably still arguing.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

The chilled blood is a bit flat in taste, but still hits the spot quenching any hunger Claire has for the time being (2 BP's gained). From across the hall Claire notices Renee waving her over as she stands talking to Lee and one extremely pale looking man who she recognizes as the other bodyguard.

As Eve edges over near Alexander she notices that the group seems split roughly equally. Two of her clanmates backing up Alize and two backing up Alexander, leaving Alana standing quietly between the two groups quietly as they discuss the merits of the painting they all stand before.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Catching the wave, Claire drained the rest of the glass and shook her head, stretching her mouth as she tried to push away the taste. It just didn't feel natural. Playing with her tongue she moved over to Renee, but as she passed by Alexander's group she took a single look at the painting and muttered "overpriced" and kept moving to her... caretaker.