Vampire: The Requiem - Vasiliev's

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Vampire: The Requiem - Vasiliev's

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Please post in here for Stories relating to Vasiliev's Bar.
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Post by Loredoctor »

Ivan ascends the plush stairs and enters a wide, exquisitely furnished lounge. Expensive couches and chairs surround a raised platform, covered in dark blue velvet with a large sickle and cross symbol in gold leaf at the centre. Narrow corridors, faintly lit with rows of heavy doors to either side, radiate out from the lounge in three directions - north, south and east. The west wall has only an iron door with red curtains hanging to either side of it. Two burly men stand to either side, hands crossed in front of their pants, guns holstered.

Almost all of the seats are occupied. Maxim sits on a couch with two men on either side, a wine glass filled with cooling blood held in his right hand. Across from him, on the other side of the platform, is Pyotr Kudryavtsev, as well as several Carthians. His covenant allies talk heatedly, while their notional leader sits quiet, evidently disturbed by something. Other Kindred, many of whom Ivan fails to recognise, occupy the remaining seats.

Maxim looks up from his glass and smiles at Ivan. "Come over here, mister Karpenku," he says seriously. "We were just about to start the entertainment. Find a seat, hey."
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

Ivan nods greeting to Maxim, the gesture coming off more as a military salute to a superior, though Ivan's hand stayed by his side. One imagines that his heels clicked together, though he was still stepping from the stairway to the level floor of the room. Ivan glances around the room, looking for a seat that would allow him to "find a seat" as well as "come over here" given that most of the seats in the room are occupied.

... I'd expected a quiet meeting, not a public forum. But at least most of these here are external threats.

Does that mean Maxim has already included me as "internal"? Does it mean he's including me as "threat"?

Oh God... there's going to be Politics, isn't there? All of this prancing around, posing and posturing... never sure if your enemy is really your friend, or if your friends are really your enemies...

It's like going to a whorehouse, paying top price, but only getting to sit in the viewing room with all the whores. Everyone trying to decide which whore to choose, which room to go back to... but in the end, nobody ever DOES anything.

And somehow, at the end of the day, they'll all go home thinking that they were all great warriors and that great battles were fought here, without so much as lifting an arm or firing a shot, and we still don't even know who the enemy is.

Fucking Cold War all over again.


Ivan tastes blood, and then notices the red haze starting to drift into the edges of his vision. He licks the drop of blood from his lips, and retracts his fangs before he slices his whole lip open again.

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir." He walks around the edge of the group, using the movement as an excuse to hide his hands unclenching and his slow and steady calming breaths. He takes a seat close to Maxim, but one that doesn't automatically throw him into conversation with some American Cold Warrior.

He begins to listen to the conversations, while moving his eyes around the room.

... Which of you is an actual warrior? Who holds himself ready to comit violence, and who is simply strutting like a peacock?
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Image

Maxim smiles at Ivan, bearing his fangs, as he leans forward almost conspiratorially. "Business first, and then pleasure. The way it's done in the home country, hey? First, allow me to introduce mister Karpenku. Ivan Karpenku. He's new to this city; been here a week or so, and already has impressed some of us. The vampire is a fucking soldier from the Cold War, and a mean one at that. Seen him shoot, and he's not bad. So I asked him here tonight to bring some food for us - real test, hey. Plus, got him a job to do.

"Which brings me to the second item. I have problems with some a-holes on the docks. Union thugs who think that they can tell me what I can bring into the city. Now, that area is not my domain. The docks is run by some Gangrel vampire who looks the other way if you let him suck the blood from your cock. So anything goes, and now we have these dicks thinking they can charge me whatever they want to let my goods bypass customs. Let me get this straight; I do not do business with those who try to dictate prices, and I do not do business with mortals who think they are bigger than me. They want a slice of my pie? Fine. They can have it when they are begging for mercy. I'll give them a slice of mercy if I feel like it, but not before they are shown a lessen.

"So that's where Karpenku comes in. I want this neonate to show us how good he is. He deals with the union dicks, he's in our club. I want it nice and neat so I won't have to pay the police chief another visit; he's becoming greedy, and I only have so many cheap girls and drugs to placate him.

'What do you think, Karpenku?"
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

... Oh HO! I won't have to sit around here for hours trying to convince myself that EVERYONE present somehow is not my enemy...

Ivan mutters under his breath,in Russian, "At least SOME-body isn't afraid to take action when it's called for." Then he sits up straighter, and says in a louder voice:

"I can do neat. You has a plan you want me execute, or should I improvise? We teaching the docks guy the lesson... or maybe teach lesson to replacement guy, using this one as very strong example? And you want me hide all this from Gangrel, or just hide from police chief?"

"As for the food... I got a kid from Old Town gonna show up in the alley behind the club a little after midnight. He thinks he's doing me a favor, delivering some stuff. I wasn't sure how you'd like me nabbing someone from the dance floor, or from the neighborhood, so... I had to get subtle. Subtle isn't my strong area, so... perhaps this thing with the docks will be my make-up test."
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Post by Loredoctor »

Pyotr raised an eyebrow when Ivan mentioned 'kid', but he sat still and said nothing. The Vozhd smiled and nodded to one of the men guarding a door. A man walked away and down one of the corridors leading away from the central area.

"I don't think I really wish to make an enemy of this Gangrel," Maxim said slowly and deliberately. "He's one of the witches, and I mean a Crone-boy. Make sure that this vampire doesn't have cause to take me to Her High and Mighty. But I do plan to have words with him myself, and deal with his antics my own way.

"So," he raised a finger. "Don't make the Gangrel angry and don't make the chief suspect a thing. But, teach the svinoi on the docks a lesson. Show then the Russian way of dealing with things, comrade Karpenku." He pronounced 'comrade' carefully and gazed into Ivan's eyes for a second or two. Some of his companions smiled."

The man who left the room returned a minute or two later, speaking into Maxim's ear. "Ah," the Vozhd said with a wide smile and spread his arms out widely. "The food's arrived. And it's on Ivan here."

A moment later a young boy ascended the stairs with two bouncers, each of them holding Ivan's guns. His face was pale and with wide eyes.

Pyotr stood up, glaring at Maxim. "Stop it, Maxim. I'm not allowing this. Not a child. No. This is a sick joke."

Maxim turned to Ivan, face still. "Well, comrade Karpenku," he said calmly with a hint of anger in his eyes. "What do they say in the motherland when a guest refuses food? You did bring food, did you not?" He cast a meaningful look in Ivan's direction.
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

"Back in spetznaz, they would say... how is it in horrible English? Ah yes. 'You don't want any, that leave more for rest of us.' Official party line would be 'Glorious Mother Russia provides food. Who are we to question if food is good or sick joke? Just eat and be happy you get anything.' I think typical American movie probably have everyone here forget he is blood drinking vampire, we all hug and laugh, then give lots of money to kid and send him home."

Ivan looks Maxim in the eye. "Do you want me to release this fish into the wild again? I brought him for food, but... I think he's the guest who's refusing." He points at Pyotr. "So, perhaps I have committed an insult on this man without intending one?"
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Post by Loredoctor »

Maxim looked at Pyotr for a long moment, tension building in the room. Two of the Carthians stepped closer to their leader, hands in combat position. Pyotr held Maxim's stare and then leaned forward.

"I cannot say I am surprised, Vozhd. I won't lecture you - you're used to my views. But I will not sit here and watch this. If you refuse, or your new killer, I will remain. Your choice."

Maxim laughed loudly and slapped a thigh, looking around the room at the gathered vampires. Several laughed with him. Most of the Carthians remained silent.

He relaxed into his couch. "It makes no difference if we dine off a priest, a prostitute or a youth," he said in Russian. "They are all food to me. Me, I'm a king here in the motherfucking US of A. I say we have some blood. Do we drain the kid dry? Maybe not. But nothing wrong with just some blood. We did worse during the reign of Stalin. How many villages we drained for General Kyotsev, or Svarog?

"Ivan, bring the youth here."
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

... Phew. His anger was with Pyotr, not with me...

Ivan relaxes somewhat, then walks over to the boy. He takes his guns back from the bouncers, and holsters them. Then he puts his hand on the kid's shoulder. "Well, kid? Looks like you get to live. Think of this as audition. You survive tonight, I have work for you, later."

Keeping his hand on the kid's shoulder, firmly but not yet roughly, Ivan guides him back to Maxim.

"Dinner is served."
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Post by Loredoctor »

Pyotr stands up suddenly, anger rising in his eyes. The Carthians stand with him, two of whom protectively move closer. Then, after a minute during which their leader stands tensely regarding Maxim, they leave as one. Maxim sits back with forced relaxation, a slight smile on his face. When the vampires vanish out of sight down the staircase, he rubs both hands into his face.

"He will back," Maxim says in Russian. "We've known each other for over sixty years, and he knows I know why he can't play the moral high horse with me. Well done, Ivan. You have shown me you have balls and ruthlessness. Now, that don't mean you're in the clear. We do business after pleasure, yes?"

The boy looks around. "Why don't you speak English? I cannot understand what you are all saying. I want to go home now."
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

Loremaster wrote:"Now, that don't mean you're in the clear. We do business after pleasure, yes?"
" 'Not in the clear'? I was just waiting for you to go first out of politeness. Is this another test? I can go first, then."
some kid wrote:"Why don't you speak English? I cannot understand what you are all saying. I want to go home now."
"Oh, so sorry little boy." Ivan grips the boy tigher by the shoulder, and with his other hand grabs the child's wrist and pulls it to his mouth. He sinks his teeth into the artery on the inside of his elbow and begins to feed.
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Post by Loredoctor »

The boy starts crying, and some Kindred move uncomfortably. Maxim leans forward with a slight smile on his face, and hunger smoldering in his veins. Ivan feels warm blood flood into his mouth, full of subtle flavours - none of the dull spices so typical of aged blood. Youth has added a hearty tang to the crimson fluid, and the vampire only wants to drink more of this liquid . . .

Resisting Hunger Frenzy (Resolve + Composure -2 [hungry]) roll: 2 successes.

He resists, lapping from the pale, trembling hand of a youth . . .

The youth has 5 vitae.

Maxim watches Ivan carefully.
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

[ooc] - How much vitae did Ivan have at the start of the scene?

Ivan stops feeding after one vitae.

"So, this is obviously a test of some kind. But I'm not really sure what you're expecting out of me, here. If this is a test of how well I can read your mind, I accept that I have failed. If I wanted to be inside people's heads that much, I'd get a girlfriend. And then probably rip my own balls off before welcoming the sun some morning."

"So, am I supposed to properly defer to you here, and let you feed first? Or prove that I'm willing to kill this kid all by myself? Do I pass the test by ripping his head off instead, and pouring the blood down my throat?"

"That 'Business before Pleasure' thing is a nice thought, but we both know that with our kind, it's ALWAYS business. And sometimes we get to take pleasure in that business. So, here's the message I want to get across in this job interview: I'm your man. I'll do what you want, and how you want it. You need a monster, I can do that. You need a message sent, I can do that too. You need discretion, I can even do that. If you want me to improvise, I'll improvise. But I'm probably not going to try to guess what you'd want, at least not until I know you a lot better, and you've told me in advance what you want."
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Post by Loredoctor »

Maxim looks around the room and laughs, his attendants and admirers laughing with him. Then he becomes silent, eyes flashing as his Beast rears up.

"Well done, Ivan," he says with a calm voice, like a dagger poised above someone's heart. "You are ruthless; anyone with the balls to bring a child for dinner is a man I can trust to do my dirty work. So you're in. I would have been disappointed had you chosen a drunk, angry if you selected a prostitute, and painfully frustrated had you found some businessperson off the street. All of those options would have seen you run out of my town.

"Congratulations, mister Karpenku. Do the job, and you become a lifetime member of my club."
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

"Lifetime member? Ho ho ho... I don't think retirement plan is so good."

Ivan looks down at the boy, who is trying to reconcile his fear with the sudden excitement and pleasure he felt from The Kiss. Glancing back to Maxim, he asks, "You want some? I hadn't thought he'd survive the night, but I got him from over near Gangrel's area. He might be useful doing job, later."

Hearing this, the boy cringes back, but doesn't struggle. The look on his face hints that at least some part of him isn't afraid of dying from that pleasure.

"The problem with feeding from boys this age; they all wonder if they're gay because they enjoy it. Maybe I should kill him anyway... don't want some kid with a crush following me all over town. Look at him; he's already starting to get bashful." Ivan laughs, and ruffles the boy's hair.
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Post by Loredoctor »

Maxim makes a motion for Ivan to bring the boy over. "I am rather hungry," he says in Russian, "and I am tired of feeding from hookers this week."

The vampires around him laugh again. The boy looks at Ivan with wide, round eyes, and rubs a hand over his mouth.
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

Ivan urges the boy towarxs Maxim. "You pass test, kid. Looks like you might get job after all." Then switching to Russian, "Enjoy. I'll take care of the body, if he doesn't survive."
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Maxim places a gentle hand across the boy's cheek, and moves his head to one side to better see the neck. "Good stock," he says to himself softly, as he pulls the boy closer with the other hand and leans in to bite the neck. The child shakes when his fangs pierce the soft, supple skin, and his eyes roll upward. A moment later two of Maxim's men crowd in and begin feeding. The boy's skin begins to turn white, and his veins stand out in stark contrast.

Minutes later, the boy is laid down on the raised platform. He is barely alive.
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Post by Ivan Karpenku »

Ivan smiles, and moves over to the boy. "I think I have a plan about how to handle the union's message without the gangrel finding out. This boy was part of a children's group. I wouldn't even call them a gang... they just skateboard in parking lots late at night, looking useless."

"They're invisible and non-threatening. Not even worth hunting, really. They know that part of the city. I think they'd make good lookouts, decoys, and scouts. Plus, I think I'd become very popular if I had a group of your boys as my herd."

"So, for this one, did you totally drain him? I'd rather he turn into a ghoul than a kindred, when I give him some blood just now."


Ivan uses one fang to cut open his left wrist and lets the child drink some of the liquid that poured out. He focuses his attention on the boy and his own blood inside the boy's body, and hopefully causes him to become a ghoul.

1 vitae spent into the boy's pool
If he becomes a ghoul, encourage him to spend that vitae to restore his damaged health from having lost so much blood.


"Was there anything else you needed to tell me, or show me? Otherwise, I'll get started on that dockworker's union, and try to get this one back into service. You want me to not let the Ganrel who owns that part of town know what I'm doing, nor let the local police chief get a clue what's happening. And you want me to teach a lesson to the dockworker's union about their too-high prices and disrespect to you."

"I assume I'm just supposed to scare them into showing more respect? Lowering their prices? Do you know if this Gangrel is involved in the running of the union, or knows of their arrangement with you in the first place? How long do I have to do this?
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Post by Loredoctor »

Although unconscious, the boy sucks on Ivan's blood as though he is but a babe.

(-1 vitae & -1 willpower point)

"No doubt the Gangrel has ghouls as members of the union or is a member himself," Maxim said. "I want you to bust that union up, and then I will deal with the fucker who tries to make me poor."
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