[Hellgate, Montana] Darkest before midnight

BcAugust

BcAugust

Advisor to the Queen of Cats
Location: The Rocky Road, tavern and former Speakeasy, downtown, Basement meeting room


Time: Two hours after sunset, Sept 21st


The smokey air on the way to this meeting bites deep into unprotected flesh. The summons, by the prince with written notes brought by dogs and owls less then an hour ago. The stairway down, which is watched by one of the Sheriff's ghouls, who doesn't speak, but just gestures uneasily downstairs to the room lit mostly by the old fashioned wall lamps and the floors still smelling like cheap whiskey.


Surprisingly, the first here is Dr. Thorton, who seems to be studying a glass of the whiskey with intent as he sits at one of the three tables, looking like a man who desperately wants a drink. He doesn't look up for more then a brief glance when the others enter the room, his sire oddly not there.
 
It is not uncommon for kindred to have dark lines under their eyes, looking for all the world is if they are still half-sleeping. James Mason has it worst than most vampires, and though his walk is as elegant and certain as one would expect from an immortal predator, his eyes are heavy and his warm face does not look fully alert. He dresses as he always has, with an eye for practicality rather than fashion or tradition. His pants are durable and littered with pockets, his jacket is made from old, thick leather and would be of serious impediment to even bullets and blades, to say nothing of wind and rain. His earthy brown hair is cropped short and only faintly moist despite the heavy rain outside.


"Doctor," he greets the childe with the faintest of nods, more courtesy than he strictly speaking needs to show the junior vampire, but flattery is cheap and you never know when a favorable impression may come in handy. James gives a quick look around before sitting down in a booth and pulling out the night's edition of the Financial Times.
 
Dr. Thorton looks up, but seems a bit relieved when James sits down, eyes drifting back to his drink and his own thoughts. Shortly after James is settled, the sound of the stairs down being shaken by a heavy trend down, Ethan shouldering his way into the room, a glower around it that dismisses the young childe, and focuses on James for a long moment, almost making it a challenge before he moves over to another table closer to the door, and sits heavily as he looks around the room. Grudgingly, the words pulled out of him almost. "Message from the Chief too? Wonder what's up with Nathan, then." A small smirk as he's obviously imagining trouble for the Sheriff as he directs the question to the only one in the room he acknowledges.
 
James puts down his paper and returns Ethan's challenging look with an untroubled expression, almost, but not quite, smiling at the Ventrue. He nods at Ethan's words, "yes," he affirms. "And I'd think the Sheriff's dealing with whatever the Chief wants to see us about. That's pretty much what he does, isn't it?"
 
"It could be another Sabbat invasion, I suppose. Haven't heard anything, though." A frown, a hand moving to rub the back of his neck. Dr. Thorton flinches slightly at that, but Ethan doesn't seem to notice. "Still, odd that Nathan didn't at least use the phone."
 
"The Sabbat's being damn subtle about it if that's the case. And if it were, I think the chief would have found a way to tell us to get ready for a fight in the message." He trails off a bit, "yeah, Nathan calling would have made sense," a shrug, "but there could be any number of reasons. There's no way to tell before they show up."
 
As Jean arrives he kneels next to one of his companions and whispers to the badger. "Go around back, I'll have them leave out some meat. After that stay warm I'm sure this won't take long." A smile and a scritch behind the ears then Jean enters the bar. Talking to one of the bar tenders he knows will make sure Rocky is taken care of. A wave as he heads down to the gathering. His eyes scanning the area before moving to a corner and pulling out a pipe. Best to wait for what the old Chief has to say before worrying.
 
Vlad


Vlad sweeps into the meeting room in an old, but well-cut black suit from which the splash of violet cravat quite stands out.


"Good evening all," he says, nodding to the doctor, Jean, and James. "Did mine ears deceive me, or was someone accusing the Sabbat of subtlety?" He takes an empty seat and makes himself comfortable. He's wearing his public face - handsome, but nondescript. Maybe even what he really looked like, once.
 
James chuckles, "on the contrary, Vlad, I was pointing out to our friend here that I find it rather unlikely that we are currently facing a Sabbat invasion." He gestures for the Tzimisce to sit, "we were speculating as to why our honored Prince," he manages to say the word so that no one is quite sure if he was being ironic or not, "saw fit to summon us by, frankly, archaic means."
 
Vlad shrugs. "There's a certain charm in such a personal touch - and who would believe any kine unfortunate enough to stumble upon it?" He allows himself a grin. "Can you imagine; some peasant desperately insisting to the constabulary that he saw wolves carrying letters?"
 
The Brujah chuckles again, "I don't think they'd use those words about themselves and each other any more, but the picture is much the same. Still, Nathan usually makes these calls on the Chief's behalf, and the change in their pattern is... potentially worrying."
 
Vicky drew the attention of a few people on her way to the tavern as usual, her looks standing out somewhat from the common sights of the city. Pedaling her bicycle, wearing a green leather jacket one size too big for her, blue jean shorts, a pair of non-matching long socks and non matching sneakers, she arrived at the designated place mentioned in the message.


Holding the written piece of paper tightly with both hands, she slowly made her way to the stairway leading down the basement, waving her goodbyes to the ghoul guarding the place. Once down, she could feel the looks on her from the people present the moment she entered "H-hi.."


With a timid wave towards the group, she scans the place before finding an empty seat.She approaches the chair, and just before seating she addresses the group once more. "Is... this seat taken?"
 
James smiles at the new-commer. Truth be told, he considers her somewhat a waste of vitae, but what's done is done and she's mostly harmless so a little kindness is a cheap investment. "Hello Vicky, no, it isn't. Please, join us."
 
Vicky smiled back at James, with newfound confidence she takes her seat amongst the group. She raised both feet on the chair for her to hug her knees, and looks around the room curiously at every other person as if it was her first time meeting them, which wasn't the case. She took a moment to observe everyone's faces, clothes and shoes, an ever present look of confusion on her face.
 
Thorton winces slightly at Vicky's entrance, surprising, given that he's rarely met her, but then again, his growing tension as the others enter the room suggest an internal countdown as he looks back at his glass again.


Ethan ignores her as beneath his notice, a wary look at Jean, and an acid smile of appreciation at Vlad's wit. But he looks around the gathering with a growing frown. "True, it's unlikely they'd be subtle...but it looks like we're missing a fair amount of useful people." Who the bite in his words is meant for is easy to tell, with his look at James carrying an edge. "Some of us have work to do, after all."
 
Vicky glanced around, oblivious to the mixed feelings of the Kindred around, before she settled her eyes on poor Thorton. His anxious demeanor brought a concerned look from Vicky "Are you alright mister? Do you need a hug to make you feel better? Hugs usually cheer me up, do you wanna try?" Her big purple eyes shone with childlike innocence, her pouty lips giving him a faint smile.
 
Thorton winces slightly at that, but his look over at Vicky softens a bit as he takes in her apparent age and moderates his initial reaction to shaking his head no.


The footsteps barely heard coming down the stairs are covered by the snort from the Chief as he enters the room, a look around the room that's disturbed as he takes in everyone there, one of Nathan's ghouls, the police detective Karen that he was so proud of following at his back. Those observant notice her slight shaking as she enters the room, a slight bit of sweat odd for the cold weather.


"So, this is what's left." A comment delivered flatly, even as the Detective moves to the table, laying open a file folder. "Anyone notice anything in the day?"


The statement is backed up as pictures of different rooms spill out from the folder, black ash drifting over shredded bedding and other furniture, something written on walls pictured from different angles The detective flinching as she tries to cover her slip at them spilling out.
 
Vlad


Vlad raises one fine eyebrow and tilts his head.


"I am afraid, Chief, that I slept like the dead."
 
James shakes his head, "nothing from me either, Chief. I can ask my ghouls if they were more alert, but they'd have told me if it was anything spectacular."
 
Vicky looked at the chief with doubtful eyes, a look of confusion flickered in her eyes as the pictures came into view, and very slowly, she shook her head. "N-no"
 
The photos, for those close enough to look past ash and the blood written on the walls, seem oddly peaceful, one of Nathan's place, another two in stone walled rooms, another with odd symbols across the floor and the fifth a cheap hotel looking room.


The Chief shakes his head at the quiet and the nos, as if he was hoping to find something. "So, we're going to have a few issues to sort out. Like who gets what." And waits to see the response.


Ethan frowns at that, a gaze back at the Chief, a challenge broken off as he looks back at the detective.
 
James looks at the pictures with an unreadable expression, and when he speaks, it is with far less certainty than he usually projects. "Those... Those were all kindred?"
 
Shock and fear shines in Vicky's eyes, a very light tremble takes hold of her lower lip for a brief second. "What happened?? Who did...this?"
 
Karen nods to James question, as the Chief steps back slightly, a hint of being uncomfortable. "Yes. A couple that were off most people's radar too, one that just got into town last week that Nathan is...was looking at. No signs of forced entry, a couple of dead ghouled animals, but other then that, nothing I could find."


She shrugs at that. "Then again, I don't have Auspex, or know much about magic, and I can't even figure out how to get in Mr. Ryon's locked rooms."


A look to Vicky that is a bit nervous, as if not wanting to deal with the emotions. "There's a few other urgent issues too." As she dodges it, looking very nervously at Vlad, then around. "I...know most of Nathan's group, but the others they had on retainer, I don't."
 
"If you don't, then someone who does should have a look," James says. His gaze passes over his fellows, urging those with useful skills to step forward. "Once we have someone, I'll be more than happy to make them talk, but, well, dead things don't speak to me," he says, frowning slightly at the irony.
 
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