Vampire: The Requiem - Lordenshaw Opera House (Elysium)

[Loredoctor]

slightly taken aback, James looked the prince in her eye.

"Ah yes, of course. Damn your so powerful with all these people willing to do your every whim... so why aren't they hunting that thing? From where I was sitting it looks like the new little kids on the block are the only ones making any effort to stop it while you sat there shrieking. Really, you have far bigger things to worry about than me and you know it. Are you that insecure with your position that you must make sure that someone as insignificant as me takes it up the arse from you or runs a mile? And you call me pathetic? I fail to see your logic prince."

"No doubt you would have heard Callidia request that someone assist," Scythia said with scorn in her voice. "Some did. I seem to recall seeing not only those who stood on this stage, but others as well. Regardless of them, how better to prove to me their loyalty than for the neonates to show their mettle and ability in hunting down the individual who tried to harm me.

"You showed me . . . us all . . . how much of a coward you are."

The prince turned her back on James. "Get him out of my sight, my sister."

[James Randel]

James grinned a wicked grin.

"You called me a coward yet I stand here before the most powerful figure in the city." He paused, letting the words sink in. He sensed a bit of himself in this woman, that pure undeniable arrogance brought on by fighting your way to the top.

"I wont lie, I have no intention to bow to anyone. But I am willing to buy my freedom. You require any favours? Someone to hunt down and investigate the source of that beast perhaps? Or dig up dirt on your rivals." James spoke quietly now, so the others in the room could not hear. "Noone else is here, noone would know. A deniable asset is a valuable one prince. All I want is to live in the city in peace, so name your price. Surely you can see the mutual sense in such an arrangement. "

[Tatiana Ivanova]

Leaving the combat for those suited to it, either by abilities or temperament, Tatiana maintains her poise, remaining near the Prince, mildly amused by James' arrogance.

"No leader of any worth would tolerate half so much insolence from one so low as a neonate. Were he alive, I would call this testosterone poisoning, young males convinced of their own superiority getting themselves killed for their posturing." she though to herself.

She carefully kept her ears open, seeing an interesting opportunity here. Listening to what was said about James, his power base, his servitors.

[Loredoctor]

James grinned a wicked grin.

"You called me a coward yet I stand here before the most powerful figure in the city." He paused, letting the words sink in. He sensed a bit of himself in this woman, that pure undeniable arrogance brought on by fighting your way to the top.

"I wont lie, I have no intention to bow to anyone. But I am willing to buy my freedom. You require any favours? Someone to hunt down and investigate the source of that beast perhaps? Or dig up dirt on your rivals." James spoke quietly now, so the others in the room could not hear. "Noone else is here, noone would know. A deniable asset is a valuable one prince. All I want is to live in the city in peace, so name your price. Surely you can see the mutual sense in such an arrangement. "

The prince had started to walk away with Callidia, but when she heard James' words she stopped in midstep. Facing away from him she listened to the rest of his offer.

"Bow," she sneered. "That's all I want from you. Bow before me, right now."

[James Randel]

James laughed.

"Oh get fucked. I bow for noone. I offer my services but not my pride. Im going. No doubt you have the means to get in touch. My offer stands. If you can pull your head out of your arse long enough to see the merits then feel free to get in touch."

With that, James strode out to the foyer where people were still milling about. He stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. He knew he was in alot of trouble, but he had morals and no bitch would make him break them.

[Loredoctor]

Callidia walked down the stage ahead of her high priestess. When the prince stopped beside Tatiana, she raised an eyebrow but did not say a word.

"Forgive me," Scythia said. "I do not know your name, but I know that you are a member of the Chorus and thus known in spirit. I have a request for you, daughter. Find me Severine. Tell her that I want someone dead by sunrise."

[James Randel]

Taking a seat, James started to think.

Fuck.... FUCK... That bitch is probably right. Stepped in it now shit for brains. But fuck her. Jimmy bows to no one...

Then he remembered. A favour to any who kill that beast. Hmmm he probably couldn't do it. But would it be worth it. James sat there pondering the merits of such action.

[Khalida Mufarrij]

Watching the two other new arrivals/embraced to Lordenshaw proceed after the shadowed figure, Khalida moves with as much agility and stealth as she can towards the opposite side of the a/c vent than where the other two went, knife poised to strike and with hope the armed Invictus guard followed after her.

[Maddoc]

Maddoc gaze swings back and forth between Scythia and Randel; he watches as the leather-clad Kindred throws himself disconsolately into a seat.

Watching him, Maddoc cocks his head to one side, considering. Then with a start, he glides over to the vampire, seating himself next to the man.

"So, one death wasn't enough for you, huh? Sun will be up soon, you really want to end it." Maddoc says, absently toying with the wallet he found in the jacket up stairs. In the darkness of the auditorium, it seems to fade from view and then reappear as if by magic in the Malkavian's nimble hands.

"You wanta see another night, though, i might be able to help..." and with that, he tosses the wallet into Randel's lap.

[James Randel]

It took James a second to realise just what Maddoc had given him. As realisation set in, he looked up at the crazed Malkavian.

"Thanks man, I owe you one. You ever need anything let me know."

James then proceeded to search the wallet for anything of use.

[Ivan Karpenku]

Racing ahead of the others with his boost of speed, Ivan runs past the vent, hoping to get through the ambush point before the injured man can react to his presence.

... it's only "foolish" if it doesn't work...

Ivan tries to catch a glance to his left as he goes past, to find where the quarry is hiding or fleeing.

... where are you, little bunny? Ivan is very hungry, now. I don't want to play anymore.

Then he comes to a halt behind the next vent, so he can react to what he saw, and perhaps communicate it to the rest with him.

Perception roll to spot the target.

[Jonathan Belmont]

Seeing the pale kindred with the guns run to the right of the air vent at an astonishing rate, Jonathan draws on his own reserves of blood to increase his speed. He races to the left of the vent, hoping that he and his fellow neonate will close like jaws on either side of the wounded creature.

Spend one vitae to activate Celerity.

[Loredoctor]

Ivan races around the right side of the vent, a blur in the night, and is matched by the equally fast blur of Jonathan on the left side. Khalida follows Ivan, and the Invictus thug runs to catch up with Jonathan. Moments later they all stand facing each other, and between a man in faded jeans and a torn, blood-stained shirt is caught in their vice. He pirouettes slowly on one boot, appraising his assailants. His face is long and gaunt, and his gray eyes dart about. Smiling widely to reveal long fangs, he cracks his neck to both sides and rolls his shoulders back.

"Got me, huh?" he says with a Southern accent. "Well done."

[Loredoctor]

It took James a second to realise just what Maddoc had given him. As realisation set in, he looked up at the crazed Malkavian.

"Thanks man, I owe you one. You ever need anything let me know."

James then proceeded to search the wallet for anything of use.

Both Maddoc and James notice a group of Kindred glancing at them from one side of the foyer. One of them is a well dressed African American male wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He is talking without gesticulating to a group of four vampires. He then stares at James. A male and a female then leave his company and walk over to the pair.

The female stands before James, and her companion, a well dressed man in his early forties, stands a few feet behind her left shoulder. "Mister Randel?" She asks politely. "I believe that your motorcycle had to be moved so that master Nwoso's car could park in his usual spot. We have it just outside, cleaned and filled with gas to pay you for any inconvenience." She looks at him with a meaningful expression.

[Jonathan Belmont]

Infuriated at the man's cocky demeanour and self-congratulatory tone, Jonathan cuts him off.

"Why don't you skip the fucking pleasantries and just tell us why the fuck you decided to attack a bunch of newcomers and neonates as they stood before their Prince!"

As he speaks he slowly inches forward with Mina's serrated knife held ready in front of him. Ready to strike if he doesn't like the bastard's answer, or if one of the others tries to get in first.

[Loredoctor]

The man glances at Jonathan's blade and licks his lips nervously. Flicking his eyes around, he finally looks back at him. "Oh, you don't know what's going on do you? Ha! This is so much fun!"

[Khalida Mufarrij]

Continuing application of Awe upon the cornered man.

Keeping her knife firmly grasped in a loose weaving grip, Khalida looks directly at the wounded man and replies in a quiet voice, "I know I don't have any idea what triggered this. An explanation would be welcome."

[Ivan Karpenku]

Health: [/] [/] [/] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Blood: 2

"The Hierophant will grant one request to whoever KILLS that . . . thing!"

... I have enough blood to do this only once. I guess I'll have to do it the old fashion way...

Ivan uses the chatter to aim his pistols carefully at the southerner's head. Spending the last of his reserves, he stops all movement in his body again, to improve his shot. When he feels the shot is right, he fires both pistols.

World of Darkness, p154 - Possible Modifiers
* Aiming: +1 per turn to a +3 maximum
* Specified Target: ... head -3 ...

I'm hoping the chatter continues long enough that those two factors cancel each other out.

Spend one vitae on dexterity (leaving only 1), just before pulling the trigger.

[Tatiana Ivanova]

Tatiana steps out into the foyer, looking for Severine, to relay the commands she was given. She accepts her mere messenger duty with grace and aplomb. "I'm new, at the bottom of the ...what is the expression?....ah yes, totem pole. I'll not be staying there for long, of course" she thought as she smiled slightly to herself while looking around.

[James Randel]

At first James was shocked. Who was this woman and what the fuck did she mean about a motorcycle. Was the prince so keen to get him out of the opera house to end his life? He was about to tell her where to go when he paused. What if this woman was a chance to his salvation. He couldn't be sure either way, but what choice did he have. Like it or not he was becoming a pawn in a vast political game.

"Ah right. Fair enough, show me the way will you? " He smiled at the woman, standing yet staying on guard. "And please, call me Jimmy"