Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

(All this time and no availability we share, ah well. Back to the thread!)

---------Some Time Later----------

The void opened up again, spitting River out forcefully enough that she had to twist in midair, rolling her landing to slow down before winding up on her feet again. "Well shit, that didn't go as well as I'd have hoped." She muttered to herself. She knew not much time had passed, but she glanced at her watch, listening for the sound of a shower as she dusted herself off, her breathing and heart rate starting to slow from the mile a minute they had been at a moment ago, a sheen of sweat starting to dry off her quickly.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Only a single minute had passed, a literal 60 seconds, her watch telling her true that time in the Void did not register here, that the alien planescape she drew power from was truly that, alien, both connected and disconnected from all the physical laws that were written as if in stone, enduring and undeniable, in this reality.

She could hear the other aspects of herself in a sense reeling from the trial, and a gnawing sense in her gut told her others would come, and her success would be even more important, that in that place, she would have to forcibly carve out her own right, or bow her head to the existing order. Not even John or higher angels would have the knowledge required of that place to give her an edge, only another being that had lived in it, or by it, would know it, though there was every chance there were mages or other creatures like Claire, long lived enough, to have tasted it.

As she came down from the endeavor, she was left with her own night to plan again, but the demon inside her whispered, while the telekine studied the interaction. We could always feed......

There was a depth of meaning in that simple sentence wafting through her mind, along with dredged memories of her experiences in hell. Jessica is available.... the whisper returned, and only now did her last fragment interpose herself, breaking the communication forcefully. Allies. Are not Food. and with that her mind grew quiet once more.

And still, her results with the nightclub known as The Cavern awaited inspection. What had Claire gotten herself into.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"What happened to all that Pride and Wrath you were supposed to be so into?" She asked her demonic side in an exasperated tone, flopping down onto the bed as she coalesced again, the other voices falling silent.

That was something to think about, though. She needed to gather back some of he strength she had spent in the Void. The nightclub seemed an easy way to do so, at least a bit. So she took the time to get changed, swapping out her casual and sloppy looking travel wear for some hung a little more exotic. A bra that would give her some support if it came to a fight (things usually did, nowadays), some simple panties for below, then she simply dressed the rest of herself in Darkness, creating an all-black corsetted dress that clung to her curves, stopping just above her knees and leaving most of her shoulders bare, short sleeves attached over her armpits and by a pseudo-collar around her neck, giving an ample view of her less-than-ample cleavage. There, let people gawk at that in this nightclub.

Glancing over herself to make sure everything had settled like she pictured it in her head, she gave a nod and knocked on the door to the bathroom, having heard the water shut off a few seconds prior. "Mind if we share a sink? I gotta do my hair if we're going to this club." She called through the partition.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Her demonic side only grinned wickedly inside her, she could feel it. Indeed, as she was now, her hunger was multifaceted. It had yet to cement into a stable form... She had not exclusively meant sex... and that sent a shiver through her bones before River set about dressing for the club.

Once her dress was in place how she wanted it, and hollered at Jess, she got a muffled Sure! before meaning she could go ahead and finish dressing herself up, Jessica grinning at her before looking her shadow outfit up and down and licking her lips.

That... Is Wicked. she said simply, drinking it in for a moment before shrugging, her towel being used to wring out her hair. I'll have to think of something to match. she said after a moment, heading out to set out some clothing herself from whatever she had brought, River free to finish setting up her queen of darkness ensemble.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Thanks. Figured it was more clubby than any thing i had actally packed." She smirked back, ignoring Jess' own nakedness as the vampire to welled herself off. "Just be sure to have me back before the stroke of sunrise, or I'm going to turn back into a very distressed and embarrassed pumpkin, eh?" She added with a laugh.

It took some effort to tame her usually wild hair, but after some good brushing, a fair amount of product, and even more cursing, she had managed to get the red locks into a semblance of straightness, letting one bang hang in front of her face, the rest flowing down her back. It wasn't quite the blood red that would really give her the queen of the damned look, bit she wouldn't want to run around for two weeks afterwards with dye in her hair anyways.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Jessica whistled appreciatively, but her own attire it seemed traveled in a different vein, Jessica dressed in full tactical gear, including Kevlar, and several straps of magazines for her sidearm, and for the semi monstrous appearing customized rifle she was screwing the barrel onto.

Very nice, I however, will not be dancing. I'll be playing guardian angel if you like, I don't like the Vatican presence here, so I wont let any of them get into the club one way, or another. she said simply, shoving a long bladed knife into the wide belt, as well as fishing out cavalry sword, a sabre, and hanging the weapon across her back, hilt down.

You're a big girl right? Can melt anyone that gets too grabby? she asked seriously, raising an eyebrow as she screwed a suppresser the size of River's head onto the end of the rifle barrel.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Heh. Yeah, I doubt I'm going to have a problem with your standard grabby asshole." River answered easily, watching her companion suit up for a war. "Sure you got enough there, Spunky?" She teased, reaching for one of the mags she hadn't fitted et, checking the rounds. "Good thing we didn't go through airport security, yikes."

Leaning back against the wall, she let Jess finish, glancing at the time again. "I assume you're just gonna do your superspeed thing so nobody notices you're a walkin armoury. Got a place in mind? We gonna be on earpieces, or should I use my mental mojo to keep in touch?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The rounds in the magazine, for the rifle, were large rounds, probably the upper 30 caliber range or higher, but the tips were all a deep dirty gray, the very tips pointed sharply in a shining silver.

Anti-material rounds. No bullshit this time Jess commented idly as she checked herself over. And yea, it's the easiest way to move. As for keeping in touch? Nope, don't bother, that only makes us both easier to find. Just trust that you have a pair of eyes on your back. If one of us doesn't turn up, the other rescues them right? Easy shit. But I doubt either of us is gonna go easy on an ambush. We're deep on the wrong side of an old war here. Don't leave enemies breathing, diplomacy be damned. If no one is left to talk, it can all be buried under the acts of other monsters with short tempers. The Vatican wouldn't argue since it'd make them look weak, which is the last thing they need. Jess said, getting the address from the card, before handing it to her.

Hey if nothing comes of it, you get to enjoy a club, not a bad way to spend a night. she finished, laughing softly as she headed to the window.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Indeed. Well then, enjoy your camp out." River answered with a chuckle, watching Jess head out the window, moving for the door herself.uch as she'd love to go for a proper run, it probably wasn't the best idea, dressed as she was, and trying not to attract the wrong sort of attention.

Locking the door behind her, she went back out through the lobby and hailed a cab, getting the man to drive her to the Cavern while she reclined in the back. She didn't have to be a mind reader to spot the constant glancing she was causing from the driver, his eyes on her from he rear view mirror. But the Demon loved the attention, and it certainly let her know she had done herself up well, so she pretended not to notice, paying the man with a decent tip when they arrived, and checking the entrance out, curious to see what the place was like.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River garnered more then a bit of attention from the driver, who seemed to have trouble not openly gawking, and she could certainly feel his eyes on her ass for a moment after she got out. The Cavern was, as it's namesake suggested, underground.

The sign betraying it's existence was hung on the wall of a large ornate building that rose 3 stories tall, and likely just as deep or more underground, 3 bouncers holding back a line in front of a large warehouse basement door. The others their were dressed in every manner imaginable for Rome, but her own outfit was unique compared in it's darkness and hinting extravagance, her hair offsetting the black of her dress along with her pale skin, she was quite the sight, and her inner demon purred at the open attention as she waited in line.

She could feel Jessica nearby as well, a familiar presence, nothing more, from somewhere above her, Jessica likely already in some good position with her rifle, waiting for trouble.

It took some time, but eventually River was admitted, stepping down the stone stairs, rough and uninviting, into a low tunnel with very little lighting, the only source being dim soft orange squares set near the ceiling, shadows playing everywhere towards a set of burgundy double doors.

The sign above the doors was large, ornate, and also a deep red, it's swirling letters saying in Italian "Lascia il tuo Dio al di fuori"

Leave your Gods outside...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The line was expected, as was the attention she garnered. It did surprise her that nebodys else was wearing anything similar in style, but she chalked hat up to fashions being different here. Oh well.

The bouncers let her pass with no issues, though she was left to wonder why they didn't house the line indoors, if there was this much empty space to walk before the club proper. She found herself at the double doors soon enough though, smirking at the inscription, this close to the seat of holy power. Probably made the place seem more risqué, for those that cared. She tried the doors, striding through if they were open, and knocking if they weren't, glancing around once she was inside for the bar, and then a decent place to sit, once she had a drink in hand.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As she touched the door, she found the message above was likely more then simply a catch-phrase to make others feel edgier, a touch to her mind and along her body playing along her nerves for a moment. She noticed no one had come in behind her either... That was the reason for the line, everyone entered this place alone...

The touch withdrew quickly however, and she was left wholly unscathed, before the doors opened as if made of clouds, so light they seemed, and the lancing lights, and patterns, as well as several hundred minds, and the pounding of deep base music rushed down the tunnel, passed her.

A doorman was standing just the other side, who smiled at her, saying in perfect English. Not often, we host a creature from the states. Welcome and be at peace. he said, the last statement in heavy Italian as he bowed and gestured for her to enter, the doors closing behind her.

The bar, indeed there was one, was a large island in the flood of people, many human, who likely wouldn't even notice the strange pseudo-inspection at the main door, and several more that had more... complex flavors, dancing and moving along with the rest. You'll find we cater to All tastes here... At all hours. Call it an Oasis, in a desert of intolerance. the doorman said smoothly behind her, before turning his attention back to the door, and likely the next person to be tested.

The bar was surrounded by a large open ring before being surrounded by 8 others, the outer one, where she was standing, being the thinnest, the Italian word for Purgatory under her feet, with each of the 9 circles being labeled at small stairs that led deeper towards the bar, the bar noted with a large glowing blue sign above that read Treason. The rings and the island labeled, and staffed, in the style of Dante's Inferno.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Sounds like fun. Thank you." She responded to the doorman with a little dip of her head, figuring the place out somewhat. "And if I were looking for another patron, by chance?" She added. This place appeared to be something of an open secret. Made her wonder if there was a previous check back at the doors she missed, or what they did about the normal people that tried to gain entrance. There were a bunch here, maybe the various supernatural cre-beings, she corrected herself, just made a point to stay quiet.

Once she got her answer from the doorman, or the lack thereof, if he would only speak at first, she made her way down towards the bar, noting the rings and their names as she went. Pick your sin, it sounded like, but not the usual ones she was familiar with, or not exactly, at least.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The doorman smiled in response, his eyes flashing. The only people found here, are those who want to be found, in every possible meaning of that phrase. he answered softly, almost... maliciously. His voice was literally dripping with intent, though to what she couldn't put a figure on, and his eyes flashed a deep crimson from their usual blue for the barest of moments.

The sins on the floor had an older, more subtle, or perhaps, more specific feeling to them. She had no doubt the cardinal seven were represented here, but it seemed at least one of them had been split up. The why was unknown.

She noticed marked differences in the rings themselves as well, color, patronage, furniture. Gluttony had tables for dining, and an expansive menu, Greed had open gambling of every kind. Only Fraud and Treachery were open floor, for the dancers, and easily the largest of the rings in sheer square footage. Fraud itself holding several meanings as well as beings other then the humans around them, passed themselves off as otherwise, unnoticed.

The air hummed with power, and hunger in a thousand distinct flavors her senses could pick up on, but the circle that made her hairs stand on end, was Heresy, and because it stank so heavily of magic. There were no humans in this ring, indeed, it seemed hardly populated, and the humans seemed to pass it by without clearly seeing it, the pall of a glamour hanging in the air over it.

But Treachery Called to her, a pair of silver eyes at the bar already seeking her out and holding her gaze with a coy little smile beneath platinum blonde hair that fell to the shoulders of a well kept man dressed in a very similar style. Black on Black, heavily gothic, and with the satin of his suit shining under the various lights.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River glanced over each of the rings as she passed, her eyes almost skipping over Heresy twice before she could focus on it long enough to see what was going on. Treachery was her distinction however, at least at first.

She noticed the silver eyes on her from a ways off, the man they belonged to dressed not so differently from herself, which made her raise an eyebrow in return, moving to sit at the bar beside him. "You look at every new arrival like that? " She asked in a friendly tone before ordering a drink, her standard rum and coke.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The man grinned widely at her question, leaning back against the bar and holding out his hand for a drink, clear save a single cube of ice and a mint leaf in the glass.

Only people with an open bounty on their heads. You were flagged by the Vatican the moment you crossed the border and o my are they losing their minds. he whispered, his voice holding a deep, smoky quality to it before he raised his gaze slightly, his eyes narrowing. And their heads, at least for a select few. Your friend is quite... Flexible. he said, raising his drink to his lips for a moment.

You know, it's astounding. First the old one, and now you. Corvinus needs better help these days, or mayhaps it's something a little more personal. Welcome to the Cavern River. he continued, keeping his gaze at something beyond her vision, following Jessica likely as a smile continued to tug at his lips.

So, what brings a true child of Darkness into my club. he asked after another moment, finally turning his gaze properly to her own.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River's eyes widened at mention of a bounty, though she wasn't all that worried. "Great. And here I thought using a private landing strip with no ID's was going to keep me off their radar for a while, damn." She said sarcastically, pausing to sip at her own drink. "She doing alright out there?" She added, seeing his eyes follow some imaginary point on the ceiling, and drawing a conclusion.

"I'm here to find a friend of mine. Old fox named Claire, she was here a few days ago, maybe up to a week." She answered, meeting his silvered gaze unflinchingly. "And I never did get your name. What should I call you, hmm? Since you seem to know me so well."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

I... he said, pausing for dramatic effect, his drink to his chest, before he took another sip. Am Pope Honorius the First, 70th in the line of the Holy Roman Empire, in the 7th century. he finished, smiling slightly, his silver eye watching her. But I suppose that sounds a tad ridiculous In this day and age. Suppose you could just call me what everyone else does. Honor. Not as strange as it sounds if it's in Italian, only sounds goofy in English. he continued, before popping an eyebrow.

Why? do you doubt your friends ability? The Harkness line is old, she's handling herself well, and as for old foxes well... That's my business isn't it. For now at least. As for your security measures? They did do quite well, but the problem lies in how unique you are. Telekines live on information after all. Some trade it for the right to live quietly in Rome. The Vatican, and myself, are the only ones who know your truths, and I know the truths of everyone on this soil, including your friend. To a degree anyway, I'm not omniscient after all. It comes down to roman history, and how this club was made. But you'll find a Vatican bounty isn't worth collecting except for human hunters, and the cardinals themselves. he finished, draining his glass and chewing the mint leaf thoughtfully.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Italian works, if you prefer." River answered, switching over. "You may have to forgive a few mistakes however, I just learned the language. Pleasure to meet you. And I do worry some. I was told to be very worried about attacks from the Vatican in general, so if she's dealing with one... consider it habit."

She paused for another drink, pondering what he said about Claire. "So, you probably know something, fair enough. I assume you want something from me first? Fair trade and all that."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Her question made Honorius turn his head and arch an eyebrow. No. You have nothing I want in particular, nor do I put others to work. I have a fortress here, allies, everything I need. Fresh meals wander through that door every night. But I will admit you are something of a curiosity. he said, having another drink poured for himself as his eyes started to wander the myriad people, harshly played violins and cellos screeching and crying into the club in a cacophony of sound that was both modern and as old as the styles they'd chosen to wear.

Let's say, that yes, the Vatican posed a danger, and they do. You've yet to trouble them to an open purging, this is good, and it should stay this way. But you see, while they know you're here, they don't know why. As I said before, your security measures weren't bad at all. They've lost so much over the centuries after my banishment, but what they've kept is both power, and arrogance. You have time to act before they move in force. What your friend is killing is not of their design. Human hunters, and another vampire it seems. They've not faired well against a creature as well imbued as a Harkness Vampire. Such a beautiful family... he said wistfully.

So long since the Void had a claw in this world... I'm eager to see how it plays out. Will I give you your information freely? Of course not, I want to see you struggle, and strive, and kill.... I want to see you as you are, not as others made you... You'll find someone here has your information, probably a couple someone's... Happy hunting. he finished, standing slowly before turning to face her, and bowing low.

And as always, Should you need something less valuable then Claire, you're welcome to ask. I'm nothing if not a Gracious Host. he said in parting, turning to disappear into the crowd of Fraud. Likely hunting for a meal himself.