2024.01.13 A Bloodless Discovery
| 2024.01.13 A Bloodless Discovery | |
|---|---|
| A quick check of potential hunting grounds turns up a bigger problem. | |
| IC Date | January 13, 2024 |
| Players | Azel, Silvana |
| Storyteller | Tillie |
| Location | Dive bar off the Freeway |
| Prp/Tp | A Bloodless Night |
| Spheres | Camarilla |
Tucked under the freeway is the Brick House is nothing fancy, a building seemingly made of cinderblocks and bars over the window. The rock bottom of a dive is a bit of a no-man's land, territory claimed by nobody in particular seeing as most the people to be found here are the sort that are perpetually passing through. But if you need a drink and don't want questions asked, the Brick House will provide that cheap, with lights kept low enough most won't have to look at any bad decisions until they're already made. The combo of bad lighting, desperation, and ever changing crowd make it a potentially promising hunting grounds as well...
Azel is usually one to employ the gargoyle-unique hunting style of circling from the sky, rendered invisible by their combination of disciplines, and grab those in isolated spots. But there's one weakness there... no getting to those inside of buildings. They know it's best to go to the palces of least resistance to minimize risk to themselves, so a place like this is perfect to stake out. Of course, it takes more effort to bend Obfuscate into crafting a human facade for them, but it's worth it, on occasion. And combined with the Visceratika invisiblity? Cameras won't even see they're there. So they walk in, still tall in their androgynous looking human form, looking around the bar.
Cameras? What Cameras? Security system at Brick House consists of One Baseball Bat installed right under the register...
Silvana would have asked Azel if they wanted to accompany her. She steps into the place moving to the bar to get a drink.
Plus, too, escorting Vegard's Ghoul to stake out the territory is another grand reason on its own to come out here. Azel exudes confidence as they stake out the place with her.
It's a small bar, mostly bar and only a few tables about. There are a couple of stools free near the end closest to the exit out back. Somebody's got the jukebox set to a country western classic. The bartender slings a few drinks to the regulars that had already camped out before working his way down to the newcomers. There's no words, just a silent head nod of inquiry for what their orders might be.
Silvana might try to dress down but she still sticks out quite a bit. She smiles at the bartender "Beer please" she looks around checking to see who is all here and where all the exits are.
Azel approaches the bar, nodding to the bartender as they take a careful seat at the end. `Shot of vodka.` they say, simply. Something easy to hold in their true, giant mouth to pretend to drink until they can dispose of it later. The Ghoul being there certainly makes this part easier, though.
The bartender grunts out an affirmative and tosses a can of Blue Stripe Lite to Silvana and gets to work on the vodka but is distracted by some sudden movement from the back exit. Sure, it's normal for folks to head out back there seeing as California regulation doesn't allow for smoking inside the premise but normally when people come back in, they're not //running// back in. A haggard looking blonde woman stumbled in, walking backwards and keeping her eyes back in the direction of the door, hands seeming to shake. This... is odd enough to get actually a word out the bartender, a grunt of "Beth?" an inquiry for one of the few regulars this place has.
Silvana tries not to wrinkle her nose at the beer that she was given. She looks towards the door as Beth comes in looking the woman over with a curious expression.
Azel's eyes peer over to the strange sight as well, watching. Waiting.
The bartender had abandoned Azel's order to start getting another blue stripe out, but Beth continues to shake her head. The consumate barfly keeps on heading right out the front door, her hand digging in purse for her keys. There's a narrowing of the bartender's eyes as he looks the direction Beth left and then back door. "Huh..."
Silvana looks towards the woman that left "So.. that isn't normal?" she looks to Azel then back to the bartender.
Azel stays silent for now, letting Silvana's question be answered first. But they do look at the bartender unflinchingly.
"Naaaaah..." The bartender drawls out. "Normally gotta push her out of here after last call. Never seen her pass up a drink." He wiggles the blue stripe he'd already cracked open for Beth that wasn't taken.
Silvana looks thoughtful then stands up "Excuse me a moment" she moves to the back door to go check out what might be out there.
`Hm. I see.` Azel says, flatly, in resonse to the bartender's words. They wait a bit, then stand up wordlessly to walk in the direction Silvana went... see if there truly is something scary out there.
<OOC> Tillie says, "Can I get some alertness rolls for y'all please?"
<<OOC>> Silvana says, "just alertness?"
<<OOC>> Silvana says, "Sil does havve danger sense"
<OOC> Tillie says, "perception +alertness. Not active danger. Just how much you might find on first glance"
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Azel rolls Perception + Alertness vs 6 for 1 successes.
2 4 +7
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
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<<OOC>> Silvana says, "I have -2 to all per rolls and if it's a vision I have Acute vision"
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Silvana rolls Perception + Alertness vs 4 for 10 successes.
+4 +4 +6 +6 +7 +8 +9 +9 +9 +10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
Even though it's night, it's clear as day to Silvana what in the alley sent the barfly fleeing. Azel may notice the dumpster is askew. For the more acute observer, a few black trashbags have fallen behind the dumpster and underneath? that is //clearly// somebody's arm just laying there.
<OOC> Tillie says, "And yes, the rest of the body is attached to the arm, it's just under the bags."
Silvana sighs softly and looks around as she makes her way over to the body and looks it over.
<OOC> Tillie says, "Sil, another perception roll. Your preference of Investigation or Medicine."
Azel walks out with Silvana, tracing where she goes before finally seeing the body. Their eyes narrow, and they kick their enhanced senses on on top of their night vision... something is afoot here, it is needed. `Need me to move the dumpster?` They speak, quietly.
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Silvana rolls Perception + Investigation vs 4 for 3 successes.
1 2 2 2 3 3 +4 +4 +7 8
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
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The foot is probably still further under those bags. As for the arm, keen eyes will notice that it is most assuredly a dead body, no chance of a pulse and already stiffened with rigor mortis. The skin is a palid white and there's a long slash at the wrist. It's a man's hand, but those nails are long and pretty clawlike.
<OOC> Tillie says, "Though Azel, give me a Wits + Lore Vampire roll."
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Azel rolls Wits + Lore Vampire vs 6 for 3 successes.
2 2 +6 +7 +7
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
<OOC> Tillie says, "pages."
Azel moves closer, looking down as Silvana examines the body. They grab the side of the dumpster, pulling it away, then lift the trash bags from the corpse to give a better view for the both of them. `...they have medium sized claws, jagged... a gangrel that's frenzied too much, perhaps? It is not easy to put one like that down....`
Silvana looks over to Azel and nods "I see" she looks around
Uncovered, the body wouldn't be one familiar to either as a face seen around the Praxis, but certainly wouldn't have seemed out of place inside the bar if he weren't you know... dead. somewhere in his late twenties, early thirties. Scrawny but wirey like he's done some labor jobs off and on. A concert tea worn enough so there's holes around the neck.
`I assume we have a system in place for cleaning up things like this, yes?` Azel says. `But what could have killed them so easily, so cleanly....`
<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Silvana rolls Perception + Empathy vs 5 for 6 successes.
1 2 4 +5 +5 +6 +7 +9 +10 10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
It wasn't a fair fight that got Vampire Doe here. It's never a pleasant experience gleaning the strongest memories left on a fresh corpse and Silvana's thrown into a first person view. Drop dead panic. Confusion. Thoughts of Damn That Bitch. He's held, tied tight to a metal folding chair as a couple of rough looking guys in a leather jacket with motorcycle patches on it close in. Try as he might, he wasn't able to free himself. The panic grows overwhelming, everything turning red even as Silvana can //feel// the bite of knives into each wrist before the memories fade out.
Silvana looks thoughtful as she looks back over to Azel and explains to them what she saw in that vision.
Azel thinks. `So... there is a gang that found him and cornered him. Seems this area is not as unclaimed as we may have thought. But those biker helmets are far too generic to sniff out... unless there were any specific symbols?`
Silvana looks over to Azel "Do you know your way around the streets enough to look into this gang?"
Azel glances between the body and the alley surrounding them. `My preference isn't the streets, it's above the streets looking down... but these outfits, they are indeed distinctive, and this part of town is small. I can surveil overhead over the next nights to see if they appear anywhere... such as to hide a victim in an alley. My wings do not tire.`
Silvana gives a nod "I'll see what I can find during the day" she looks around looking thoughful and checks for any Id.
Driver's license, cash and card have all been removed but there is a shopper's card for the local wholesale grocer. A Mr. Terry Finnerty.
Azel nods. `Will we be staying here until the cleanup arrives? Or will we be going? I can stay here if needed... re-hide him as necessary until they do. Then it will be time for surveillance.`
Silvana calls her clean up and will wait making sure no one else comes out here as her and Azel keep watch till the mess is taken care of.
