Latest / Dubious Creatures Presents / The Vampire With No Name 1.10 - Fix Your Flint

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The Vampire With No Name 1.10 - Fix Your Flint · Dubious Creatures Presents

0:28
The. A highway wanders through the
1:21
desert. A tumbleweed drifts past a dusty
1:25
dive bar. A coyote shrieks out to no one
1:28
in particular. Someone's bleeding out in a
1:31
bathroom stall. The stars tonight are bright,
1:36
but not nearly bright enough. This place does not exist, and
1:42
yet here you are. Welcome to San Arroyo Kindred.
1:49
We here at Dubious Creatures present to you, the vampire with
1:53
no name. When we last left off, the
2:01
coterie had received some information from different
2:04
sources of varyingly threatening quality, but we last left off on
2:13
a phone call. On a phone call rather to a
2:20
well, how would you describe your relationship, or lack
2:25
thereof, to one Darren Shaughnessy Ash?
2:30
I gave him a black eye once like, but but that was like
2:34
consensual. We were, we were actually
2:37
fighting for like sport. So it, it was like a
2:40
legitimately consensual black eye.
2:43
But we went to different high schools.
2:46
He is fine. Brings out the worst of Ash's
2:54
stifled rich douche party dude aspects the stuff they've tried
3:04
to keep under wrap since going to college and coming back and
3:08
trying to be more professional, but brings out the bad side of
3:14
them. That side seems to be coming out
3:16
more and more lately, even before Darren was even part of
3:19
the situation. I'm just attending to my needs.
3:24
Indeed so as you call. Him for the first time.
3:29
In a long time, as you are leaving wreckage, I think is a
3:35
good term of Mr. Phillips's existence.
3:39
What do you say? Hey Darren, I need to talk to
3:44
you about purchasing something that I know you have.
3:49
Oh wow, I admit I was not expecting to hear from you this
3:54
soon, but. Yeah, but it's a small town and
3:58
your name came up and some of the work I'm doing.
4:04
Really. Well, maybe not your name, but
4:08
your general description. How nice to know that my adoring
4:13
public still thinks of me. There's only so many Nordic
4:17
giants that hang around San Arroyo.
4:21
I'm aware that you have a certain antique piece of heat.
4:26
Well, assuming that's not a euphemism for something, yeah, I
4:31
might have come into possession of something matching that
4:35
description lately. Interesting.
4:38
OK, I would be interested in acquiring it.
4:41
I would be willing to discuss terms, but as it turns out, it's
4:46
something that is that I need for a job.
4:51
Don't ask too many questions, but can we meet to discuss this?
4:57
You know, you called me at a pretty good time, although if
5:03
we're talking about the same thing here, it's not me you
5:06
gotta talk to per SE, but. You know, I just love bringing
5:11
folks together. That's how many you already sold
5:14
it. No, no, no, no, no.
5:18
Looking at it right now, as a matter of fact.
5:21
Oh, you're enigmatic, Bell. Not so enigmatic these days.
5:29
A lot's changed since you went off to college.
5:33
Yeah. It's Ash Crawford, babe.
5:36
Yeah, I know that. Ash Crawford.
5:39
I know, right? Give me a time, give me a place
5:43
I will swing by. Yeah, yeah.
5:48
Say switchyard, maybe in an hour or so.
5:55
Sure thing, I'm going to be bringing an associate of mine.
5:58
Just have him tagging along with for this.
6:03
Oh, don't bring all the associates please.
6:06
Belle would really love to meet the rest of your social club.
6:11
All right, well, I will see you in an hour then.
6:16
Thanks. Ash will disconnect the call,
6:20
feeling like this is the weirdest, this is the weirdest
6:23
goodbye they've ever imagined in their life.
6:26
And Jerry's like, this is a really small town.
6:29
I hope you understand that Jesus isn't weird.
6:34
Yeah, sure, why not? I mean, that's the worst thing.
6:37
Didn't they jump? Philip Yes, but that's why we're
6:43
going to get back up. OK.
6:47
Hopefully the girls have got whatever they they had over in
6:53
the Historical Society we'll all rally around and I mean
6:57
hopefully like for like show of numbers, we they won't pull
7:02
anything. Speaking of the girls in
7:09
question having just been ushered out of the Historical
7:18
Society with your new little artifact in tow, how is everyone
7:25
feeling after that particular encounter?
7:30
Kind of reminds me of a time I went to a party and there were
7:36
just some people doing not great things.
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And I just kind of had to stand there and watch because I was at
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the time by nobody and feel comfortable speaking up.
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And honestly, I think that the face of that person who died is
7:55
going to haunt my waking moments for a little bit.
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It's not that died. You're getting, unfortunately,
8:04
close to murder more and more lately.
8:07
It's that she drained him, cast him aside like a red solo cup at
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a party. Yeah, I don't like him.
8:22
I really don't. One of the rest of you,
8:24
particularly you crow, seeing as I assume you're still clutching
8:28
the glass case that contains the bottle.
8:34
Yeah, I think it's a lot of mixed emotions with seeing shit
8:41
that was unexpected. The feeling of I don't like, I
8:49
I, I, I really want to talk to Sebastian to like, let him know
8:56
that she's alive and still here and that I guess he was under
9:02
the impression that like they were all gone and they're not.
9:06
It's just a lot of up and down emotion.
9:11
Or I guess they're really up and down.
9:12
Just a lot of a lot of information that I don't really
9:18
know what to do with in the moment.
9:21
The source of some of that information is you can feel it.
9:25
Like there's a vibration to the glass case that you're holding,
9:30
like the cracked elixir bottle inside is thrumming with some
9:36
kind of unseen energy. You're still not clear on the
9:40
why or the how of it all, but that was for a brief moment in
9:44
time. You were someone else.
9:48
You felt what he felt in that captured moment in time.
9:54
You've never experienced anything like that before.
9:59
Even after you died, you experienced something like it
10:02
once, but you're still not entirely certain if that was
10:07
just an after effect of your dying brain.
10:11
Part of me wants to chalk it up to I don't know the the the item
10:17
itself. Others.
10:19
Just like we all have crazy gifts like who knows?
10:25
I don't know. Astor.
10:28
Astor's actually kind of feeling great.
10:33
It's the first time she's met somebody who hasn't kind of
10:38
treated her like trash, so she's doing great.
10:41
He's concerned about Riley and Crow, and we'll talk about it,
10:47
or at least ask about it in the car.
10:48
But like, right now, she's actually doing all right,
10:53
surprisingly. Surprisingly, for a inhuman
11:00
vampiric archivist, she was very polite.
11:03
And surprisingly. Forthcoming.
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Yes. Like I didn't have to do any of
11:08
the jump around crap. It's starting to really get to
11:10
me, but like not answering a question with another question.
11:15
It's it's frustrating. And for better or worse, you are
11:21
one step further in the completion of whatever strange
11:26
sort of ritual this Rafe character is preparing on your
11:32
behalf. You have an item importance to
11:37
Masaf Ash. Who would you call or reach out
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to with the lead on item number 2?
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I think Astor because like not to say that Ash doesn't trust
11:51
Crow or Raleigh, but it's just, you know, maybe easier to to
11:56
explain the situations and go with the flow with Astor.
12:00
No. I get it.
12:02
Fair enough. Dara ask.
12:04
Dara ask if Ash has a ringtone. That's a good question.
12:10
Yes, Aster would have just let you picked it.
12:13
OK, it probably, it's probably Barracuda.
12:16
That's it's just, yeah. Oh, it fucking would be.
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What she picks up, Ash is going to say, hey, you done with that
12:24
thing at the Historical Society? Yeah, are you done with the
12:29
greasy person? Oh yeah, I'll, I'll, I'll share.
12:33
But right now we've got a lead on item number dose, we're going
12:37
to the switch yard, we're going to be there in an hour.
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I could really use all three of you as backup.
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Like, not that I'm saying that it's probably going to go badly,
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but I'm not saying. One of those gut feelings.
12:50
Yeah, it's the vibes are crazy. Cool, what do we need to know
12:58
about such situation? I don't necessarily want to walk
13:01
in blind. Well, OK, so the item is a
13:08
antique firearm and so already, you know, train yard gun deal
13:17
sort of does just seems just scream like terrible vibes.
13:21
But the people who are holding it are, I'm going to guess, at
13:25
least vampire, at least kindredically related, because
13:31
they jumped a weird little weird Michael Phillips and took it
13:37
from him. Weird.
13:40
OK. The situation is suspicious and
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I'm hoping that like just that the five of us here, they won't
13:51
try anything. Not to say that we are exactly
13:53
an intimidating group, but strengthen numbers.
13:58
All right, just send me the address and we will head over.
14:03
Got it, Ash heads up. Text the address immediately and
14:09
yeah. All of that was on speakerphone,
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so everybody heard it. I'll crack my neck and just say,
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OK, I guess my dance card has some room in it left tonight.
14:24
Ro are you OK with this? I mean, I'm not particularly
14:31
useful in a fight but but. You're driving.
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Yeah, I'm a great getaway driver.
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Clyde is still young and the switchyard is well, The San
14:46
Arroyo switchyard is not an actual train junction.
14:53
Once Upon a time, he used to be, but now the switchyard, or the
14:58
yard, as you might hear it abbreviated.
15:03
It's not quite a dead mole, but it's definitely on life support.
15:08
Once Upon a time, like so much of the city, it was a popular
15:14
destination for tourists and locals alike.
15:20
Almost 700,000 square feet of family friendly, fun and local
15:28
retail. But as with all good things, it
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was specifically the 2008 recession that truly spelled the
15:37
end for the yard when most of the larger retailers pulled out
15:40
and the rise of e-commerce hamstrung the reminder.
15:45
It's still technically open for operation, but, well, it Rakes
15:52
in just barely enough each year to keep the lights on frequent
15:56
and during the daylight by lower income families, overworked
16:01
security staff and bored teens from the local high school.
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But after dark, well, that's a different story.
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Pulling up into the practically derelict expanse that is the
16:21
parking area, the mole itself rises up almost monolithic on
16:31
the horizon. Partially outdoor as so many
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Californian moles are, it's not technically open during this
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hour of the evening, and yet you do still see a few heard of
16:47
lights on within the superstructure, the somewhat
16:53
train yard styled archway that demarcates the main entrance
17:01
still lit, albeit barely, who all arrive in your separate
17:07
vehicles. Well, this place looks so jeery.
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Oh man, this would be such a cool set piece to use for a
17:15
movie. Also a great place to do drugs.
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I've got drugs here. Yeah, I can confirm.
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It's great. Same.
17:26
Well, do we know where we're meeting them, Crow?
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In point of fact, you might have actually gone to one or two
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events that have been hosted here after hours.
17:40
Go ahead and give me a call it Wits plus Streetwise or Wits
17:44
plus Medicine check. 2 successes.
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Yeah, you and Cass have definitely snuck in after hours.
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In fairness, though, it wasn't that difficult.
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There are security, but these guys, they knew you were there,
18:07
but they did not stop you. One of the best, one of the best
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places to get fucked up. It's the old children's outdoor
18:18
play area, another jackalope gym themed area, the Jumpin
18:27
Junction. I mean, I don't, did they say
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where we were supposed to meet or are we just making
18:34
assumptions here 'cause I mean, I know where they where events
18:40
have been out here before, but. I'm just going to straight up
18:44
text Darren to see where like, just like a we're here, where
18:48
should we go? It a text back that just says
18:54
just follow the tracks. Ash will like show it to crow as
19:02
as like and shrug. It's like, yes, we're following
19:05
the tracks then. I guess I will lead them to the
19:13
the the play area. Yeah, tracks are not hard to
19:18
find. The ITTY train ride that circles
19:22
through some of the central districts of the mall also
19:26
operates out of the junction. And again, you do see a security
19:32
guard, the small little kiosk just outside of the main area.
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He sees the five of you but doesn't do anything about it,
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doesn't walk out to you, doesn't make any seeming mention of you
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at all. But he's not distracted.
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He's not on his phone or reading a book.
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He just sits there and takes note.
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Doesn't get paid enough to care I guess.
20:05
Does make it easier? Yeah.
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I'm going to keep my head down no matter what.
20:11
They need to invest in like a ball cap for you.
20:15
I've got the hood on my my jacket pulled up so hopefully
20:18
that helps a little bit. The interior alternates between
20:25
indoor and outdoor locales. This strange, almost
20:29
architectural blend of Adobe, industrial post war ultra
20:34
modernism. Lots of colorfully painted cross
20:38
girders buttressing off white linoleum holes full of
20:42
artificial palm trees lining brick tiled walkways.
20:47
Murals of robust Stetson wearing individuals arriving in droves
20:51
off of smoke belching trains decorate some of the larger
20:55
facades, and large metal security grates or flake board
21:04
decorates most of the actual stores with tracks lead you
21:10
towards your destination and Bella.
21:14
Yes. Out of curiosity, is there like
21:17
a preferred type of music she likes to go along with these
21:21
particular get togethers? I feel like it's
21:25
straightforward, you know, just bumping house, the sort that you
21:28
can feel the bass in your chest. So you hear the EDM music before
21:36
you see the actual junction. The junction itself, well, it's
21:43
kind of, it's near the food courts, kind of buttressed in by
21:47
a bunch. Of elevated.
21:50
Walkways and balconies, probably.
21:52
So at one point, bored parents can keep a distant eye on their
21:57
kids. They frolic in a space that's
22:00
one part miniaturized Old West town, one part McDonald's play
22:05
place. There's a large a cluster of
22:09
individuals strewn throughout, but they're not children.
22:16
You recognize some of them, Ash. You recognize Darren's blonde
22:21
mane, and you recognize the girls he was talking to just
22:28
outside of your apartment complex.
22:34
Could everybody give me a wits plus awareness roll please?
22:39
Sure. Can't promise anything. 2
22:43
successes. Three actually 5 successes. 3
22:49
successes. One potential Peace Shield
22:53
failure from Jeremy. Jesus.
22:57
OK, so I imagine Ash should taking the lead.
23:04
Yeah. So as you cross towards it to
23:12
the tune of echoing house beats reverberating off of pretty much
23:17
every surface, and there are a lot of surfaces to reverberate.
23:19
Off of AS. Long as they're being subtle.
23:22
Suddenly you see something out of your eyes stir and animation
23:28
and you jump out of you nearly jump out of your skin as this
23:32
crackly voice suddenly sparks up.
23:36
Howdy, they're there. Cow hoax and cow bok head.
23:39
Oh, you all haven't jump. Jolly jumping.
23:41
Good, good, good, good time. Does this animatronic Jack
23:45
rabbit wearing a cowboy hat suddenly stirs to life and then
23:52
collapses into disuse again and sheer a couple of Snickers from
23:58
a few people further into the playplace?
24:03
God I hate that freaking rabbit. Yeah, you thought you
24:07
decommissioned that guy back in like the 90s?
24:12
No, you have to keep this God burned to hell.
24:17
All notions of vocal pride. Stupid jackalope thing.
24:24
Ash rolls their shoulders and just like, puts on the fakest
24:29
smile they can. It's like, all right, everybody
24:33
come forward. Jeremy.
24:38
No. You swear for a moment when that
24:44
thing sprung to life. It casts a long shadow in the
24:49
half light, and you swear for just a moment you saw something
24:51
detach from that shadow and scuttle back into the darkness.
24:56
You're not sure what it was a flat 2 dimensional shape more
25:01
like, but you know you saw that and now you can't stop looking
25:08
for it. Consider yourself under the
25:10
paranoia compulsion. Why not?
25:13
Yeah, totally. Yeah, He puts his headphones in.
25:17
Meanwhile, a bit further away and Bella the Codery may quill
25:25
his eyes roll back into his head and it gives you a look.
25:29
Something wicked this way comes. Yeah, I told Aaron to bring
25:37
friends. Did he bring enough to share?
25:42
Well, we'll see, won't we? If you'd like to describe
25:46
Ambella. Sure, Ambella has dirty blondes,
25:52
sort of sun kissed WAVY hair, freckles, A pudgy sort of nose.
25:57
She's fair skinned and is wearing just way too many
26:01
necklaces and bracelets. So by this very bohemian
26:07
crochet, free spirited. But some pieces look like she
26:12
pays like way too much money to look this eclectic.
26:19
Will meanwhile, blends right in because he is a mall goth
26:24
surrounded by a mall long dark hair guy liner, lots of
26:32
piercings glinting in the half light.
26:36
He gives you a fanged grin before, in suitably dramatic
26:42
fashion, quite literally fading into the darkness.
26:49
Well, fine, if you're not going to greet our new guests, I will.
26:54
And indeed, as your new guests kind of enter into the main area
26:58
of the play place, you can see indeed it's quite a crowd here,
27:03
maybe in all your visual range. 910 people all told.
27:10
Some of them look like they I've started to have a good time pre
27:16
emptively. It's telltale glassy gazes
27:21
lounging about. Well, some of them.
27:27
You see one of them, this very Butch Latino kid, close cropped
27:37
hair, very tight shirt, reaches down to one of the coeds you
27:42
remember from. Earlier.
27:43
First you think they're just helping him up to her feet, but
27:47
then you watch as he very delicately positions them in
27:52
their lap. And then you watch languidly,
27:56
almost casually, from behind. He bites into their carotid
28:02
artery just out in the open. Nobody so much as bats and I.
28:08
Astery's going to lead over to Crow and be like and you said I
28:12
was sloppy. Darren at this point has taken
28:24
his place right at your side. And Bella the rest of your
28:30
coterie, they're around, but no need to show your hand just yet.
28:37
Well, except for Jesse. He's clearly decided to pregame
28:40
a little. Can I see Ash at this point?
28:49
You can, although they look a little different than last you
28:55
recalled them. Oh.
28:57
My God. Wait, Ash Crawford, get the fuck
29:02
over here. So Ash like looks over Bella
29:10
sees how she is dressed and there is like a momentary like,
29:16
well, this like there's a disconnect before they like
29:23
shrug and walk over. I think initially like extends a
29:29
hand like for a handshake and then like like offers a boat for
29:34
like like not sure, hug, handshake.
29:37
What are we doing? Like like doing that whole
29:40
physical routine. Oh.
29:42
My God I'm so sorry. Do you do hugs?
29:44
I forgot, it's been so fucking long.
29:46
Yeah, yeah, you know, I'll do that.
29:48
Yeah, let's sure. It's been a while.
29:50
It deserves that. And so Ash, like, you know, like
29:57
after the hug separates a little bit, backs off and says, so
30:02
you're running this now. I mean, like, not exactly, but
30:07
also not no. Technically this is Freddy's
30:09
place, but he lets me throw ragers all the fucking time, so
30:14
that's what we're doing. I'm so glad you could come.
30:18
Yeah. Did Darren mention what we were
30:23
here for? To see me, obviously.
30:28
Yeah come on man, like don't harsh the vibe.
30:31
Hey you and your friends want some hygiene is around you
30:34
somewhere to get some fresh L I'm some of our thin blood
30:38
friends. Hey Lark, where you at?
30:43
And a fourth person enters in. You can see very young Asian
30:50
woman, maybe around Crow's age, dressed for the weather, let's
30:55
just say, dressed similarly to the rest of the partygoers, but
30:59
with a very distinctive tattoo on her neck.
31:01
Looks like a Pintagram surrounded by Greek lettering.
31:05
Kind of pops her head up like Jesus.
31:09
Darren, wait your turn. A lot of papers.
31:13
Fucking expensive. Oh, hey, hey, wow.
31:21
OK. I'm pretty sure I got enough for
31:25
everybody. You guys only got preferences on
31:30
vessels, Gender resonance. We get all types here.
31:35
That like Ash was prepared to like, do the like, Oh no, we're
31:38
dead. But that is like wait.
31:42
Blink a couple of times and just be like internally like, those
31:47
are words. I might know what some of those
31:49
words mean. I don't know what they mean in
31:51
this, this, this scenario. Oh, wow, you got hey, hey, it's
31:56
all good. It's all good.
31:57
Nobody here but those licks and, well, the fine graduating senior
32:05
class of Strider University, But they're not going to fucking
32:08
remember anything. Yeah, come on.
32:11
Are you, Are any of you hungry? Oh, and if you haven't tried
32:16
Elle before, you absolutely have to.
32:19
Come on. Not my type, but I appreciate
32:24
the offer. I'm certainly tempted, being
32:29
still at Hunger 3 and still feeling that gnawing ache.
32:35
Right there with you, actually. Yeah, yeah, real quick, quick.
32:39
Let me just hey, hey, Jesse. Jesse, the one that appears to
32:45
be feeding on the open, she actually slaps on the back of
32:49
the head and immediately looks up, bangs exposed, lips still
32:55
red with blood, says hey, babe, that.
33:01
Oh, hey, sorry. Kind of peckish after the whole,
33:08
you know. Yeah, well, don't be rude.
33:10
We've got guests. Yeah.
33:13
Yeah, I think. I mean, I'm pretty sure they're
33:17
all lit up already. You got more?
33:19
Of course I got more. Yeah.
33:24
Just real quick, some ground rules.
33:28
No means no, obviously. And we trust that you can handle
33:34
your shit, but we also aren't responsible for anything you may
33:39
or may not do. When you can't handle it, get it
33:44
OK. Straightforward.
33:46
Yeah, yeah. I don't know how these drugs are
33:49
different than the ones I've done plenty of times before, but
33:54
I could mostly handle my shit. Oh, this is the craft, sister.
33:59
This is the kind of thing that fucks us up and we're dead.
34:04
Good to know. I think I might need something
34:07
after the last couple of nights. Hey, that's what we do here.
34:11
And we're in a celebratory mood. You know, we hell let him Bella
34:15
tell you about it. But, dude, do I know you're from
34:18
somewhere? I feel like I know you're from
34:19
somewhere. She's the one that can miss you.
34:25
Raleigh. She's looking at Pastor.
34:27
Oh. What I'm used to it being
34:32
Raleigh. I'm also used to it being me, I
34:36
swear to God. Yeah, no.
34:40
Something with an R. She works at a sacred mercy all.
34:49
Right. Tell her.
34:49
Do I know anything about that? Sacred Mercy is a hospital.
34:54
Are you talking about my sister? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:58
But Rachel. Rachel.
35:00
Right, you didn't see me. Oh wait, does she not know?
35:09
No, no. Not oh, wow, that's.
35:13
I mean, I only know because I work.
35:16
I'm one of the few people here who has a day job, she says,
35:23
looking at Jesse, who appears not to have gotten a memo about
35:26
the person he's feeding on. Yeah, so I ran into her a couple
35:34
weeks back. Oh, that's cool.
35:36
Small world. Small, funny little world.
35:41
You have a day job? Wait, how do you have a day job?
35:45
Thin bloods, duh. No, I didn't get that.
35:50
That's cool. I miss the sun.
35:53
Oh honey, you can't day walk. I'm so sorry.
35:56
Don't, don't worry, we got. Shit to get around that.
35:58
But look, look, let's get lost in the sauce before we get lost
36:02
in the sauce, OK? I can, I feel that.
36:09
I guess whatever this is, the humans present seem very
36:16
amenable towards it. So who's hungry?
36:21
I certainly AM. Bucket when in Rome.
36:25
Ash is going to abstain courteously.
36:30
All right, so for those of you who are feeding, no rule
36:33
required, but how much are you feeding?
36:38
I would like to feed enough to sleep to hunger.
36:43
I would also like to do too. All right, you do feed ended
36:50
well, they go through the motions.
36:55
Mm hmm. This Hygeia individual going up
37:01
to one of these college students, offering them what
37:05
looks like a tab of something, looks similar to the kind of
37:10
tabs you might say, get LSD. They almost greedily put it on
37:17
their tongue and immediately their expression changes to just
37:21
this relaxed, almost beatific expression, their pupils
37:27
dilating, there eyes going glassy.
37:30
It happens immediately, like the second they take it, and then
37:39
they don't even seem to feel you bite them.
37:43
And it tastes amazing. Good taste.
37:51
Not just the excitement, the bubbly energy, but something
37:59
else, something that immediately rums through your veins like a
38:04
shot of good liquor warming you on the inside.
38:08
And as you come away from the bite, you look around and
38:13
everything looks amazing. All the angles are somehow
38:18
sharper, all the colors are somehow deeper, everything
38:23
moving just slightly in slow motion.
38:30
OK, this is cool. Dude, lean my head back because
38:34
I'm looking and my head like the hood falls back and I'm just
38:37
like holy shit, yeah, this is awesome.
38:49
Damn, Pastor just kind of like stands there and looks around
38:52
and then like looks up Raleigh and he's like, hey, do you just
38:55
want to go dance? Yes.
39:00
Let's go. View of the guests.
39:07
Join you. The moment they see some sort of
39:09
dance impromptu dance party breaking out in the middle of
39:13
the astroturf. Although their movements are a
39:15
little slow and clumsy and those of you abstaining watch all of
39:20
this happen. Darren just sort of folds his
39:24
arms like. God damn.
39:29
I have never seen a group of people more in need of a good
39:32
time. It's been a rough couple nights.
39:38
Jeremy, where are you going, buddy?
39:44
He's slipping back out the way he came because a vibes not not
39:49
not great for the recovering alcoholic that you know is
39:54
Jeremy. And also something bad is
39:57
definitely about to happen, or so says his the shadows that he
40:00
sees moving. So he is just kind of fading
40:03
quietly back towards the way he came in.
40:06
Can you give me another wits plus awareness check?
40:10
Sure, I don't even take a penalty for this one because it,
40:13
you know, it's part of the paranoid convulsion.
40:15
So let's see if I can make this worse somehow.
40:18
Nope, 2 successes. Another flicker, a movement just
40:23
at the edge of your vision, and he's standing right behind you.
40:26
His indeed, as this straight out of the early 2000s goth core
40:34
icon quite literally emerges from the darkness behind you.
40:41
Leaving so soon? He will reach up and tug the
40:46
earphone that is blasting just the loudest music he can out of
40:50
his ear and say not my scene. May I?
40:57
He reaches out towards your headphones.
41:02
He'll kind of stare at him for a second.
41:06
He doesn't take them in his hand, in fact he seems to very
41:12
deliberately avoid touching them, but he does lean down
41:15
towards them almost at your chest level so he can kind of
41:18
focus in. It'll turn the value's on Max.
41:22
I'm amazed he hasn't blown out these headphones yet.
41:25
I'll turn it towards his ear. Huh.
41:28
I honestly wouldn't have taken you for that.
41:33
Loud. In need of distraction?
41:35
Are we? No, in need of not.
41:41
Whatever the hell you guys are doing here.
41:45
Music's all fucking wrong. Whoops around.
41:50
Oh, you hear the music of the spheres, don't you, my fine
41:54
fellow? No, I hear fucking tinnitus and
41:59
it is terrible. One man's tinnitus is another
42:04
man's unearthly messages. I should have.
42:09
It's the expression Malkavian, right?
42:14
He shrugs. I think you might have gotten
42:18
the wrong impression of our little collective.
42:20
This is a place of respite, you see.
42:25
No, it's a drug dealing party. Yeah, great.
42:28
Have fun. Well, well, it's that too,
42:31
admittedly, but purely for recreational purposes, you
42:35
understand. Doesn't matter.
42:39
You're not very fond of parties, are you?
42:41
Used to be great. Why don't you stay a while?
42:48
I don't think I'm just going to go.
42:50
You could or other situations may occur.
42:56
Oh, male threats. You're probably fun at parties.
42:59
Oh, I'm. Fantastic at parties.
43:01
Ask anyone why don't we head? Back the way we came.
43:08
Shall we emotions towards the Nexus of people?
43:14
Gary's just kind of watching him.
43:17
He you're not imagining this. The darkness is clinging to him
43:25
like a funeral shroud, like at any moment he could just vanish
43:29
back into it. And the music, The music isn't
43:33
the early 2000s goth Rock You were expecting.
43:36
The music is something truly gothic, something from a time
43:43
when that word actually meant something.
43:47
So to an extent here, Jeremy's waiting to see if it's going to
43:50
confirm his suspicions by this guy actually trying to make him
43:52
go back. So which is why he's lingering.
43:56
He's not stopping you, but he's not moving either.
44:00
Step to the side. Very.
44:03
Easy to get lost here. Well let it never be said we
44:10
weren't hospitable and then gone.
44:16
Yep. Definitely not helping the hey
44:18
want to stick around vibes. Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope.
44:20
We're he's going to keep walking towards the exit.
44:24
As you head at pace in that direction, I think it's most
44:29
obvious to Ash and Crow, who are currently not having a good
44:36
time. Suddenly this figure that was a
44:41
moment ago speaking to Jeremy suddenly apparates right behind
44:47
and Bella's shoulder. One's done.
44:51
A runner. Should we be worried?
44:54
God. Ash, is your friend going to
44:59
fucking snitch? The bean pole with the
45:02
headphones. Yeah.
45:08
Don't worry about him terminal shyness and a lot going on.
45:16
I mean, I get it, he can find a quiet corner or whatever, he's
45:20
just missing the fun. Yeah, but let him be IIT has.
45:28
He's coming off a lot of stuff and he doesn't and from what I
45:33
understand was dealing with some stuff when got turned.
45:38
But don't worry, he'll be fine. He's not going to rat it out.
45:45
All right, keep an. Eye out just in case.
45:50
Thanks Quil, love you. But of course he doesn't move
45:59
though. He just kind of stands there for
46:02
a second and again, it's just a trick of the light, but you
46:07
swear that the shadow he is he that he's projecting moves.
46:14
Ash doesn't really know how to process that, but there's their
46:20
threat. Any who there is a there is
46:25
actually like a reason beyond just partying that I am here.
46:30
Did Darren mention? It's the, it's the, it's the
46:35
cold, babe. Oh, I mean, what about it?
46:44
She like pinches the bridge of their nose thinking about how
46:47
weird this. I'd really I I would like to
46:51
take that off your hands. It not not not like take it, but
46:56
fair trade I to require it for a job that is a matter of life and
47:04
death. That's that's kind of tough
47:09
'cause I kind of need it to make Korsen.
47:16
To make sorry to make what? To make the world a better
47:23
place. OK, well I am believer.
47:28
While I am a believer in armed revolution, it is a kind of
47:32
shitty revolver from the 19th century.
47:35
Crow. Yep.
47:39
Did she just say what you think she said?
47:43
Possibly. Probably.
47:46
Does she have any sort of reaction to that?
47:50
I feel like she tries not to can.
47:53
You please give me a call it composure plus subterfuge and
48:03
and Bella if you could give me a wits plus insight.
48:09
The difficulty you need to beat is 1.
48:11
Yeah, 1 success from Crow. Yeah. 5 successes from Anne
48:18
Bella. Well, she might as well be
48:23
wearing a sign. Oh, you know about Corazon?
48:35
A little. A little.
48:39
OK, well, what do you think about it?
48:42
Looks between the two of them. You want to fill in an MB here.
48:47
Oh, I mean I can, but I'm so curious to know what you think.
48:52
Also, I don't think I caught your name.
48:55
It's an interesting concept. I'm curious how you think a
49:02
manifestation of despair is making the world a better place,
49:07
But I guess it depends on who you're sending it after.
49:12
Well, sending it after the establishment, you know, I mean,
49:18
all these old families and their old ways.
49:21
I mean, Ash, you get it. You're fucking Crawford.
49:25
There's all these traditions and all these expectations that are
49:29
put on you and more so now that we're kindred.
49:34
Unless we maybe rocked the boat and maybe sent a certain
49:43
something after the establishment.
49:50
The Camarilla. When y'all say manifestation of
49:59
dread, we're talk like we're not we're.
50:02
I'm assuming you're not just talking about bad vibes.
50:06
The vibes are nothing about Immaculate.
50:10
I'm afraid this is Quill speaking.
50:14
Ash is going to turn to crow and like and like give a concert
50:21
look. What is this?
50:25
Ambella dearest, I don't think they've been told anything.
50:31
Yeah, like when did you die like.
50:34
A week ago. Last month.
50:38
Oh my God. Fledglings.
50:41
Babes in the woods. You have so much to learn.
50:46
OK, so Corazon is technically apocryphal, but that's how you
50:50
know it's the good stuff. It was supposed to be this city
50:54
that was inhabited by, well, this tribe of people that
50:59
worshipped everything. That was like bad and awful.
51:04
And the old guys, for lack of a better term, they were like
51:08
super mad about that. And so they just killed
51:12
everybody in this town, of course, and then turned all the
51:16
priests and tossed them into the pit.
51:19
And anyone that crawled out a proper kindred was considered to
51:24
have been purified of their evil and darkness and monstrosity.
51:34
So I feel like, well, the establishment has gotten a
51:40
little too comfortable with their own habits of monstrosity.
51:45
We just need another pit, you know?
51:51
I Crowe is really trying to decide how honest she's wanting
51:57
to be right now. So what exactly do you need the
52:02
gun for? Oh, I mean, well, we have to
52:08
take over power somehow. Yeah, but you can buy like a
52:14
shitty Glock that's way better than that old thing for like
52:20
pennies. Now it needs to be that gun.
52:25
See, she gets it. The gun has a story as well.
52:32
Oh yeah, I mean the way we got it and stuff.
52:39
By beating up a crazy old beating up a crazy old ghoul.
52:46
I mean, a little bit, but he was a career killjoy is all I'm
52:51
saying. Yeah, I know.
52:53
Terrible radio host now OK. I mean, more than that, he kept
53:01
shutting down all of our burner parties and he doesn't have his
53:04
fucking protection anymore. So we figured we'd send a little
53:08
message and we took a souvenir. So the Colt is mine.
53:15
Fuck yeah. You hear Jesse say.
53:19
You do know that his protection is still around?
53:25
Massaf is still around. Yeah, well, he didn't protect
53:31
him. Besides, he's just some shitty
53:35
retainer. They're very clear about the
53:40
rules when it comes to doing shit.
53:42
You know, Kindred. I'm aware I'm not.
53:48
I'm not disagreeing with you. What's your problem?
53:54
We need the cult to save our skins.
54:00
Why? Why do you need?
54:02
It because Masaf is a white. Shit.
54:07
That gets some reactions. Quill, Jesse, and even now
54:13
Hygieia all share looks with Embella.
54:19
You don't need any sort of inside check to tell.
54:22
This was clearly new information.
54:26
Wait, the the sheriff fucking is off his rocker.
54:32
Yeah, as in you, you, you hear about the New Year's party and
54:37
the the murder and the mayhem. Oh shit, Bella Bella shit you.
54:44
You know what this means, right? It's less than a major plot
54:47
relevation or the fact that the principal law enforcement
54:52
officer of the Camarilla is now cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
54:56
That means it's our fucking chance.
54:59
Right. Oh.
55:00
Wow. This is fate, Oh my God.
55:06
I'm willing to make a deal with you.
55:09
Will you help us? We need the Colt in order to
55:16
break the Saab's defenses and get him.
55:22
Gone. That being said, I have a book
55:27
that might be interesting to you and your plans.
55:34
OK, what's the book? Corazon, the Demon of
55:38
Dispersion. It's actually a pretty legit
55:44
grimoire from what I've been able to decipher out of it.
55:51
Shit, I mean Annabella kind of looks around at the rest of the
55:56
crew. We are the dispersed, so I could
56:02
be tempted. OK, OK, I gave in.
56:06
Maybe, just maybe, Hi Gia, this time your fucking snake God
56:13
might actually have a plan. And crows.
56:18
Froe's ears perk up again at the at the mention of a snake God.
56:24
IGA doesn't elaborate, but she does look around and say, Does
56:27
that mean we're not? Suddenly Quill looks off to one
56:34
side, like he's just heard a voice.
56:38
Oh, he's here early. Well, according to plan, I
56:45
think. Jeremy Yep.
56:50
Are you heading in any particular direction or are you
56:53
just trying to get the fuck out of the building?
56:56
He leaves the building and he's going to start walking back
56:58
towards the center of town. Just to pull right.
57:02
Propulsion hasn't faded. You swear the entire time you're
57:07
walking out of that complex you were being watched.
57:11
Yep, Yep, Yep. No, I I'm going to go someplace
57:13
home, someplace safe. And yeah.
57:17
If something catches your eye as you make it to the parking lot,
57:20
it would be hard not to. After all, there's barely any
57:22
cars out here. A rumbling noise, several loud
57:28
engines, motorcycles. You see them peeling into the
57:36
parking lot. The illumination from the street
57:39
lights is enough that you can see that tail tale.
57:45
Wolf skull on the back of their leather vests.
57:48
There must be 8-9 of them and they are heading right towards
57:55
you. You don't think they're they've
57:59
seen you quite yet, but they are directly between you and your
58:04
way out of here. Then I'm going to duck into the
58:07
nearest speed of cover and I'm going to include the shepherds
58:10
all. Right, give me just a Dex plus
58:13
stealth check to see how quickly, because unfortunately
58:18
there's not a lot of cover out here.
58:20
My own then I'm going to because obviously this is the beast
58:24
doing this. I'm going to search it.
58:28
Fair enough. Beast is all.
58:29
Beast is all for it. Apparently, yeah.
58:34
I guess not one success and potential again be she'll
58:38
failure if I fail. You could willpower it.
58:44
Yeah, for like one more success potentially.
58:47
Potential end. Yeah.
58:49
Well, OK, we'll see if it is in fact a beastial failure.
58:54
Unfortunately, it is a beastial failure.
59:00
Great. So not only do they see you, but
59:05
they start circling you like a group of bandits circling the
59:10
wagons, quickly cutting off any hope of a hasty retreat.
59:17
Yeah, loudly revving their engines.
59:22
Make it. He's gonna turn off his phone
59:27
and just kind of put his hands in his pockets and pull his
59:29
headphones out and stand there and just kind of like eyeball
59:31
them as they're circling him. Eventually the posturing ceases
59:37
as one of them gets off of their bike and oh, you remember this
59:44
guy from the? Bar.
59:48
Hey there, maybe you could point us in the right direction.
1:00:42
The.