Session 2 – Shit Happens – 02.01.2016

This session was pretty heavily focused on Sarp (Pete Robbie), you will have to read the next session to see what the others did.

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Pete Robbie

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After the fight I walked towards the street, air smelled of ash and blood. “Filthy Sabbat cockroaches. They can’t even die cleanly.” I said out loud and then pulled my phone out and called Gabriel to let him know that I have completed my task successfully. After appeasing my sire I called the Sheriff and informed him as well. Once I returned, I found Thomas in the process of severing the limbs of our attacker.
About 20 minutes later at most a black van appeared at the entrance of the blind alley we were in. I, and judging from the orb of flame in his hand, Dante were startled by this. Four extremely ordinary looking men got out. This agitated us futher, I was about to shoot one of them when Thomas gestured us in a sharp manner that implied we should calm the fuck down. Apparently these were the Prince’s men.

After a short exchange the man closest to Thomas went back to the van and brought a plastic sheet. The man wrapped the vampire with no limbs in the sheet and carried him to the van while Thomas limped behind him.

“Are you two coming?” he asked.

“My superiors asked me to investigate the scene further.” Dante replied.

I had nothing better to do and was mildly curious about what would happen to our attacker so I joined Thomas in the van.

The man, I suppose he was ghoul, drove towards one of the  less reputable and somewhat industrial part of the city. 15 minutes later we were parked outside an unmarked warehouse.

Our driver got out and carried the torso of the vampire wrapped in plastic to the entrance of the warehouse which had a device or a padlock similiar to thouse found in spy movies near it.

[Me: Sarp roll me an alertness + perception if you are staying in the car.
Sarp: 4 successes.]

I faintly heard Thomas whisper to the lock “The night is a demanding mistress.”

The doors opened to reveal another set of doors, this one belonging to an industrial class elevator. About 10 seconds later those doors opened as well, 2 man dressed similiar to our driver got out, got the vampire we captured from Thomas and headed back in. After the doors closed Thomas limped back to the black van along with our driver. Once we were inside “Where shall I drop you?” the ghould asked.

“Drop me by the Lux.” Thomas said non-chalantly.

“I will direct you to my house after we drop him off.” I said.

My house is a few miles out of the town, a distance of half an hour from the Lux.

Home sweet home. While I am no stranger to danger I usully prefer others to do such menial jobs but I could not refuse Gabriel could I? One way or another I have to either find Arjen to make Gabriel leave or to rid myself of Gabriel.

I went to my basement which is a not so fancy name for  my luxuriosly decorated real bedroom. I checked my watch to realize that sun would come up soon, so I went to rest.

Upon my awakening my housekeeper informed me that one of Gabriel’s men came while the sun was up and left a message, a letter. How old fashioned, he could have texted me. I suppose flexibility of mind isn’t the strongest suit of the night’s older horrors. Opening the letter, I was greeted with a simple message written extremely delicately.

“Tonight. My place.”

I changed into a new suit, grabbed one of my guns from my stash and left for Gabriel.

This time, he was playing violin instead of cello.

I am not much of a classical musical person but this was… simply beautiful. He realized I arrived only when he stopped playing. I noted that none of ghouls dared to disturbed him as he played.

“I hope you can excuse the hasty summons.” he said.

“First of all I am extremely satisfied how quickly you guys have handled that situation with the Malkavian Primogen. It is sad, really, to lose a favourite ghoul.” he continued.

“For our sake… what was here name again?” he asked.

“Ambrosia.” I replied.

“For our sake Ambrosia gets over it quickly. In my unlife if I learned anything it is that an agitated Malkavian is bad news. An extremely agitated Malkavian Primogen is a reason to leave the city for few decades.”

“Enough idle chatter though. I want you to keep looking for Arjen starting from now. Inform me immediately if you find anything new. You are dismissed.” he said.

I turned my back and left. I suppose first step would be to check one of Arjen’s old offices. I owned most of them now but a few remained scattered nearby. The biggest, and the one most likely to have a clue about his whereabouts, was somewhat nearby. I got into my car and left.

Stupid Brussels traffic, it was almost 1am when I reached the office building. It was a tall one who matched the gothic look of the nearby Brussels Town Hall. My first time in this particular office I thought. I wonder which shell company of his were here and for what purposes, even if I can’t find Arjen that is no reason to not to do business, right?

Mortals are funny in some ways. As long as you can project a sense of confidence in yourself, a sense of charisma, they rarely question you or your motives or whether you are allowed on a property after midnight.. As I waltzed in a peculiar guard greeted me with a sharp gleam in his eyes.

“Good Night, sir. The building is closed between 12-6.”

“Good Night and hello…” I replied and looked at his name tag with its slightly rusted corners “John.”

I glanced at the floor plan with the name of owners on it and could not see Arjen’s name, which was expected he most likely used another name and then after a moment’s hesitation continued.

“I work at ATLAS Translation on 4th floor, apparently I have forgotten my phone there I came back for it and I really need it tonight. ”

[Bleda: Roll Manipulation + Subterfuge. Dif 5.
Sarp: *picks 7 dices up* Damn. No success.]

After eyeing me suspiciously for a second or two he replied.

“Sir I think you will have to pick it tomorrow.”

Well, I had no time for stupid mortals and in a flash of anger I said.

“Leave me, now.”

[Bleda: I am only saying this as you have  common sense. Such vague and general use of Dominate is extremely dangerous and is bound to bite you in the back.]

Now that this is taken care of lets see where my wayward dire had set his office up.

5 minutes later, I had scanned all the floor from ground level to the 2nd foorl and was on my way to the 3rd floor when I realized that this building had 23 floors and this method wasn’t particularly effective.

Funny enough on the 3rd floor, against that peculiarly sharp guard’s statement that no one was allowed after 12, I found a place that was still open and occupied.

“Happy Hour Massage Parlor, Guaranteed Happy Endings”

“Massage Parlor”. Sure. I usually despise such filthy places, if I desire something I get it. Paying for “massage” is for the weak and for the hideous nosferatu who can’t get laid otherwise. Yet, I had 20 more floor to go and had to start somewhere so I decided to take my chances with the owenrs of this establishment to see if they knew anything.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

The door opened soon enough, I was facing this absolutely magnificent redhead.

“I have a question for you.” I said.

“Regular massage is 30$. Happy ending is $80. Cuddling 100$ any other stuff is negotiable.” she replied with a silk-like voice.

“I am afraid you have mistaken my intentions, I was looking for an office and thought you could hel-”

“If you are not here for massage, get lost.” she interjected and promtply slammed the door on my face.

I knocked a few more times to no avail, I might have screamed a bit and threw some idle threats as well, however  I stopped as  I heard footsteps coming from the direction of the elevators . *Ba thump* *Ba thump* Two sets of them. They sounded hostile, or at least belonging to some really huge people. Considering how my last couple of night have been going I decided to move to the upper floors and try a bit more.

A few more floors later I realized I was hopeless. I knew adress of the office but nothing else. I needed more information. I did the only sensible thing and started going down. Between the “Happy Hour”, the guard and the footsteps I’ve heard building was a tad bit too crowded for my taste and I decided that stealth was my friend. So instead of announcing where the hell I am to everyone by using elevator I took the stairs. I was ot the 7th or 8th floor at most, going down wasn’t going to take much time.

[Bleda: Roll me a perception + alertness.
Sarp: Failure.]

I was planning what to do next when the stairway led me to a surprising destination.I found myself in front of the Happy Hour Massage Parlor again. With a minor difference this time.

Minor difference being 2 angry, judging from the noises they were just making, Russian, bouncers looking at me as they kept their hand on the holster of their guns. They were huge, one had light brown hair that was cut extremely short, the other one had none. They were not big, they were tall and huge. 2, 2.10 meters each.

“No need to make rush decisions, I was just trying to ask some ques-”

The redhead I talked to earlier stepped out and murmured something in a language I did not recognized as she pointed me with her finger. The bouncers raised their guns. My mouth was still forming words as they shot me. I could heard the screams coming from inside, gunshots tend to do that, but I really can’t say it was my top concern.

2 bullets in my skull were and more were on their way. I started running away, I could take two mortals down but I was trying to keep a low profile. Not to mention Gabriel would be mad if I was seen in police custody. I could also hear the sound of police sirens drawing closer. I was thinking a way out, considering if I should call for backup (as if one can call someone in peace while being shot at) when I was hit by 4 more bullets.

2 bullets I could live with. 6 of them actually started to hurt. I considered my options.

a) Frenzy.

Not acceptable for someone of my breed.

b) Kill the bouncers, and the redhead and everyone inside and the law enforcement that is on the way. Too many witnesses. Too many possible complications.

Not acceptable.

c) Survive till police arrives. Surrender work your way out. I would lose some face but it is better than a fullblown masquarade breach.

This will have to do.

I healed myself and kept running for a minute or two. For the first time in my life (Regular and unlife together) I hoped for police to come. I am lucky that this building is a neighbour to the Town Hall. The Police arrived before the third minute.

I threw my gun away as I heard them rushing through the stairway in hopes that they would blame the russians for it. Hopefully I would be able to convince the detective or whoever responsible for the investigation that I was just an unlucky guy. You know, wrong time, wrong place. Happens all the time.

I got on my knees, put my hands behind my head and hoped for the best.

[All this time me and Kutalp are looking at each other (we both were thinking the same  painfully obvious solution) Sarp is asking “What else could I have done?”, barely stopping ourselves from interfering with his play. As soon as sessions ends.
Bleda: Kutalp, tell him.
Kutalp: Sarp, you are a vampire. You are dead. After the first 2 hits you simply could have dropped dead. It was probably the security guard you have so non-chalantly dismissed that called the police. Mobsters/bouncers would be arrested, you would have been sent to the morgue and camarilla, especially in cities like this, have ways to take care of such situations.
Bleda: See. This is why I always tell you guys to read the books.

We then had a big laugh about it and went to eat.]

End of Session.