Trenchfoot
2010-11-05, 08:16 AM
*~~THE OUTCASTS~~*
[The Contadino Estate]
We are now viewing a wide mansion on this cold night. The entire estate occupies a vast 16 acres of land, and was constructed barely a year in the past in this, our fine City. She is three stories tall, with a pair of wings stretching out to each side like an eagle in flight... Though perhaps it's more appropriate to liken it to an Albatross. It's bulky, cumbersome, awkward in appearance, and purely white. It's walls and windows and doors are shut tight against the outside world, one which would most certainly turn away in revulsion if this place did not do its job; that of keeping the business of the Contadino family hidden.
For the first time since its establishment, the Contadino Estate is failing this monumental task of keeping their activities secret, for a single man stands outside. The Estate had never had the best security... but then again, it had never had an enemy quite like the one now listening to their conversation. He was not along though; XXXXXXX of his compatriots waited in an unmarked van just down the street, ready to pick him up and drive away to safety at a moment's notice. Our mystery man is standing near the window of what the mansion's occupants call the 'Living Room'. The name started out as a joke in poor taste, considering this family's darker hobbies, but it stuck. Our mystery man listens intently as a meeting unfolds in the luxurious living room...
The leader of the discussion is none other than Violetta Contadino, the raven-haired Queen Bitch of the individuals assembled tonight. For now, she stands in the center of the room, wearing a white dress in mockery of what white is believed to symbolize. Violette is educated enough to know that it is in fact blue which symbolizes purity, but why not adhere to the most common perceptions? Besides, the low-hanging 'V' over the chest always distracted the males from what she truly intended... Her pastimes include gloating over the imprisoned soul of her dead harlot mother, clawing at the skin of another and then meticulously picking it out from under her long fingernails, and tormenting her favourite plaything; her younger brother, Edoardo Contadino.
Edoardo is not yet a Giovanni vampire, and cannot be until his elder sister deems him worthy. She makes it a point to remind him that his trembling constitution would be unable to handle the incredible pain of the Giovanni embrace. Should he ever be ready, she tells him, it will be Violetta who gives him this gift; none other. Instead, Edoardo is a mere Ghoul, commonly kept at a torturous breaking point of desperation for the vampiric blood of his sister, to whom he has ever been a slave. Despite his position under Violetta (both metaphorically and literally), or perhaps because of it, he entertains several secret, violent hobbies, almost all of which include some expression of holding power over another. We will allow your own imagination to fill in the blanks, if you dare to try.
In a corner of the room is the massive Colombo Contadino, who had rolled his personal punching bag into the room so he could be a part of the mandatory meeting and still continue his training. Many found it odd that Colombo was so obsessed with the pugilistic arts; even the least of Vampires could eschew training in lieu of their own unnatural strength. Why emphasize skill when raw power was more than enough? Still, there he is, shirtless, his jet-black hair flinging every which way over his sloping forehead. He is a cousin to Violetta and Edoardo by their father's brother. Having long ago proven himself incompetent with both paperwork and negotiation, the greater Contadino family sent Colombo to this particular mansion to assist his cousin Violetta. Many who know him whisper that his Embrace was a mistake, but he was now family. What else could they do with him but hope that he pursued his hobbies quietly?
We also have the shameless deviant Ernesta Cardinalli. A genuine genius in the necromantic arts, she still finds time for the living; slinking from nightclub to bar to dance hall to high school prom... She was a corrupter, and existed for the sick thrill of seeing another desire her for all the wrong reasons. Her family, just as much a part of the greater Giovanni clan as the Contadinos, sent her and her brother, who we will meet shortly, to the Contadino mansion as part of an alliance. She and her brother both were fantastic manipulators of the economic system, but lacked the decades of experience of the elder Giovanni. It was thus that the Contadino Estate had been built; to serve as a sort of 'training ground' for younger kindred. Of course, with no vampire among them any closer to Caine than 9th Generation, and none of them older than 40 in life and unlife combined, it was more of a party house than anything. As long as Ernesta and the others could keep the greater family convinced of their hard work, they could do as they wished.
Our final kindred, and attendant of this meeting, is the brother of Ernesta. He is Teodosio Cardinalli, and contrary to the cultural norms of the Giovanni clan, he in fact prefers his nickname "Dose", pronounced just like a dose of medicine, a fact that he plays up when he takes the time to manage his nascent narcotics trade. His drug deals are a well-kept secret, even among his peers. Just as Violetta hides her locked-door violations of her poor brother Edoardo, Dose fervently delights in his own secret business. Should any of the others find out, they'd have an edge on him that could bring down the full force of the Giovanni clan onto his head; drugs were dangerous and dirty, and if Cardinalli fingers were found with a shipment, it could reach further up the chain than the family was willing to bribe away. Though the drug trade wasn't explicitly off limits, it was commanded that every facet of its organization had to have constant oversight by Giovannis experienced with it. Still, Dose is clever. He enjoys his independent pursuits, and he has a plan to buy the silence of any one of his fellows should they discover him. He has studied the vices and sins of each, for any wise drug dealer knew how to appraise the price of a soul.
Violetta is the first to speak, hurling her voice at the room as if addressing a massive audience of fervent religious fanatics. "It's been a while since we've done this, but damned if we don't know the reasons. We've all been pretty tied up in our own little games and dances, and that's fine. That's what we're here for. I know there's about a thousand different problems we could discuss, like the FDIC investigation, or the hotel buyout, or even that exciting little cover-up we're spending oh-so-much money on, Colombo."
The brute responds with nothing bore than a solid punch to his bag. Violetta ends her withering gaze and continues.
"Instead, we've got something big. The Mausoleum just gave us a call on the White Line."
As one, the group of Kindred freezes for a moment. It takes a second too long for Colombo to continue his punching routine. Edoardo shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"Who was it that called?"
Violetta twists her head over to look at him, her eyes focusing somewhere just below his neck. Her response is scathing. "The same boy-loving slime who's always calling us on the White Line."
Colombo's deep baritone cuts in. Unlike the others, he was never entrusted to answer calls on the White Line, and never paid attention when the identity of the person calling was revealed. "Who, that sick brother of yours, Violetta?"
Violetta grins wickedly. "No, your father, Colombo."
Ernesta titters away on the sofa. Colombo pauses again, perhaps reliving some poorly-repressed trauma. He recovers quickly though, not wanting to tell the others too much; not that they didn't already know. "Well what the **** did he say?"
"A Rapposelli mansion over in Chicago was hit a few days ago. Apparently one of the older ones still kept all of his contacts and business deals in an actual notebook, along with information that leads all the way back to the heads of the Rapposelli in Italy. I guess the damn thing was bigger than three ****ing bibles put together. She also took an undetermined amount of cash and a few paintings that we don't really care about. The paintings had GPS trackers, but they got tossed into a garbage can."
Each attending kindred slowly began to realize the extent of the loss...
"It's ugly. Very ugly. The thief hasn't done anything with it yet. If that information got into the right hands, the Rapposellis would never be able to come back to America again. They called in a pretty serious favor with the Chicago Nosferatu just to find out who it was that stole it. I don't know the exact details of how they pulled it off, but they know who the thief is, and what she drives. They've had street cameras and police stations trying to track her, but she's slippery. Couldn't get a damn bead on her until tonight... And guess where the little broad scuttled off to?"
Dose stands up and stretches. "Our own wonderful little city."
Violetta nods. "We aren't really friends to those *******s, but we're Giovanni just the same. Colombo's father wants an update from us before sunup, and we need to be able to say something. Directions haven't been too specific; I don't know if he wants us to kill her, or just get the ledger back, or what. As far as I'm concerned, it's in our hands. The Chicago Rapposellis were called back to Italy almost immediately, but as far as I was told, they don't know she's here If someone tells them, we'll have half the goddamn Rapposelli family flying down here to breathe down our necks."
The Contadinos and the Cardinallis share a moment of silence. There was an unspoken agreement that none of them wanted that to happen. Though family loyalty was paramount, more than a few Giovanni their age were jealous of the freedom of those in the Contadino Estate. Anyone could pull a few strings and dash their little dreamland to dust, merely out of spite. It didn't help that Ernesta concealed a passionate vendetta with the kindred wife of one of the more powerful Rapposseli sons; both Ernesta and the wife shared extensive carnal knowledge of the same man. It also didn't help that Teodisio had once enjoyed a passionate romance with a Rapposelli daughter until she grew too old. In his book however, 'too old' meant 13 and up, and when the little girl became a kindred to be reckoned with, she remembered her erstwhile lover. Granted, the whole affair was the fault of the Rapposellis, but none of those assembled wanted elder noses in their business.
Ernesta rises then and stands next to Dios, unable to conceal her unease. She folds her arms under her breasts, a 'comfort pose' for when she was nervous but wanted to appear confident. "Well what the **** is she?"
Violetta is no less uneasy. "She's a Ravnos." A collective groan resounds throughout the room. "Yeah, exactly. The Nossies gave the Rapposellis a picture of her, though it cost them an arm and a leg just to get it. Cost them even more to get a name; Kathryn. We'll get a copy of the picture on the computer shortly. She drives a silver Tesla Roadster, California plates. The license plate is UR5-M1N3. There isn't an official APB on her in this city, we don't have enough pull to get that right now, but one of our boys at the station spotted the car, and what he thought was her handing the keys to a valet. She had a blue dress on, and she was at the Metropolitan nightclub. This was an hour ago. That's the best he got. We need to be out there, directing this as it goes down. I've already got a few Marionettes out there, and a few clean guys too. We're boosting security around the mansion from here on out, too. Get used to the dogs and the patrols."
As one, the Cardinallis and Colombo exited the room. Edoardo was in tow until his sister called out to him. "Edoardo, you stay here."
The ghoul, bound by her commands as surely as a dog by a chain, complies, shrinking slightly as the others left. He positively cowers as she approaches him.
"Jesus Christ Violetta, now? You just said there was something important going on..." he whines.
"Oh, there is my little Eddie." she purrs, sliding one of those deadly nails under his chin. "Your sister is ever so tense, and you're only good for one thing... You know that..."
Edoardo pulls away slightly, but the feeling of a nail sliding into the flesh underneath his jaw stops him short. It always did.
"Come on Eddie. I feel like either pulling on something until it rips off, or twisting until the skin tears. I just can't decide which...."
**********************************
[The Van]
The van, waiting for the mystery window watcher, is an aged Quigley E250 4x4 van, complete with a sliding door on the side. Within, XXXX occupants have been chatting to pass the time.
**********************************
[The Metropolitan Nightclub]
The nightclub isn't as much jam-packed with people as it is with Ego and Style. The dancing is all angular suit jackets, sleek dresses, and easy laserlights bouncing of thousand dollar diamonds and powerful watches. It's a dance of wealth; a visual bonanza for those who know high fashion and high prices.
The main floor of the club is in the center, which leads up to the wide bar in the center back. The left and right wings are a honeycomb of half-walled tables where couples and groups can sit for a while. Up against the walls on the left and right are actual booths, that still allow the occupant full view of the club, and that allow the club full view of the occupants. The easy purple lightning and dazzling laser show might give on the impression of an electronic club, but it's all designed to show off the dazzle and sparkle of accessories.
There is one person in this club paying a decidedly different kind of attention to this dazzle and sparkle...
[The Contadino Estate]
We are now viewing a wide mansion on this cold night. The entire estate occupies a vast 16 acres of land, and was constructed barely a year in the past in this, our fine City. She is three stories tall, with a pair of wings stretching out to each side like an eagle in flight... Though perhaps it's more appropriate to liken it to an Albatross. It's bulky, cumbersome, awkward in appearance, and purely white. It's walls and windows and doors are shut tight against the outside world, one which would most certainly turn away in revulsion if this place did not do its job; that of keeping the business of the Contadino family hidden.
For the first time since its establishment, the Contadino Estate is failing this monumental task of keeping their activities secret, for a single man stands outside. The Estate had never had the best security... but then again, it had never had an enemy quite like the one now listening to their conversation. He was not along though; XXXXXXX of his compatriots waited in an unmarked van just down the street, ready to pick him up and drive away to safety at a moment's notice. Our mystery man is standing near the window of what the mansion's occupants call the 'Living Room'. The name started out as a joke in poor taste, considering this family's darker hobbies, but it stuck. Our mystery man listens intently as a meeting unfolds in the luxurious living room...
The leader of the discussion is none other than Violetta Contadino, the raven-haired Queen Bitch of the individuals assembled tonight. For now, she stands in the center of the room, wearing a white dress in mockery of what white is believed to symbolize. Violette is educated enough to know that it is in fact blue which symbolizes purity, but why not adhere to the most common perceptions? Besides, the low-hanging 'V' over the chest always distracted the males from what she truly intended... Her pastimes include gloating over the imprisoned soul of her dead harlot mother, clawing at the skin of another and then meticulously picking it out from under her long fingernails, and tormenting her favourite plaything; her younger brother, Edoardo Contadino.
Edoardo is not yet a Giovanni vampire, and cannot be until his elder sister deems him worthy. She makes it a point to remind him that his trembling constitution would be unable to handle the incredible pain of the Giovanni embrace. Should he ever be ready, she tells him, it will be Violetta who gives him this gift; none other. Instead, Edoardo is a mere Ghoul, commonly kept at a torturous breaking point of desperation for the vampiric blood of his sister, to whom he has ever been a slave. Despite his position under Violetta (both metaphorically and literally), or perhaps because of it, he entertains several secret, violent hobbies, almost all of which include some expression of holding power over another. We will allow your own imagination to fill in the blanks, if you dare to try.
In a corner of the room is the massive Colombo Contadino, who had rolled his personal punching bag into the room so he could be a part of the mandatory meeting and still continue his training. Many found it odd that Colombo was so obsessed with the pugilistic arts; even the least of Vampires could eschew training in lieu of their own unnatural strength. Why emphasize skill when raw power was more than enough? Still, there he is, shirtless, his jet-black hair flinging every which way over his sloping forehead. He is a cousin to Violetta and Edoardo by their father's brother. Having long ago proven himself incompetent with both paperwork and negotiation, the greater Contadino family sent Colombo to this particular mansion to assist his cousin Violetta. Many who know him whisper that his Embrace was a mistake, but he was now family. What else could they do with him but hope that he pursued his hobbies quietly?
We also have the shameless deviant Ernesta Cardinalli. A genuine genius in the necromantic arts, she still finds time for the living; slinking from nightclub to bar to dance hall to high school prom... She was a corrupter, and existed for the sick thrill of seeing another desire her for all the wrong reasons. Her family, just as much a part of the greater Giovanni clan as the Contadinos, sent her and her brother, who we will meet shortly, to the Contadino mansion as part of an alliance. She and her brother both were fantastic manipulators of the economic system, but lacked the decades of experience of the elder Giovanni. It was thus that the Contadino Estate had been built; to serve as a sort of 'training ground' for younger kindred. Of course, with no vampire among them any closer to Caine than 9th Generation, and none of them older than 40 in life and unlife combined, it was more of a party house than anything. As long as Ernesta and the others could keep the greater family convinced of their hard work, they could do as they wished.
Our final kindred, and attendant of this meeting, is the brother of Ernesta. He is Teodosio Cardinalli, and contrary to the cultural norms of the Giovanni clan, he in fact prefers his nickname "Dose", pronounced just like a dose of medicine, a fact that he plays up when he takes the time to manage his nascent narcotics trade. His drug deals are a well-kept secret, even among his peers. Just as Violetta hides her locked-door violations of her poor brother Edoardo, Dose fervently delights in his own secret business. Should any of the others find out, they'd have an edge on him that could bring down the full force of the Giovanni clan onto his head; drugs were dangerous and dirty, and if Cardinalli fingers were found with a shipment, it could reach further up the chain than the family was willing to bribe away. Though the drug trade wasn't explicitly off limits, it was commanded that every facet of its organization had to have constant oversight by Giovannis experienced with it. Still, Dose is clever. He enjoys his independent pursuits, and he has a plan to buy the silence of any one of his fellows should they discover him. He has studied the vices and sins of each, for any wise drug dealer knew how to appraise the price of a soul.
Violetta is the first to speak, hurling her voice at the room as if addressing a massive audience of fervent religious fanatics. "It's been a while since we've done this, but damned if we don't know the reasons. We've all been pretty tied up in our own little games and dances, and that's fine. That's what we're here for. I know there's about a thousand different problems we could discuss, like the FDIC investigation, or the hotel buyout, or even that exciting little cover-up we're spending oh-so-much money on, Colombo."
The brute responds with nothing bore than a solid punch to his bag. Violetta ends her withering gaze and continues.
"Instead, we've got something big. The Mausoleum just gave us a call on the White Line."
As one, the group of Kindred freezes for a moment. It takes a second too long for Colombo to continue his punching routine. Edoardo shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"Who was it that called?"
Violetta twists her head over to look at him, her eyes focusing somewhere just below his neck. Her response is scathing. "The same boy-loving slime who's always calling us on the White Line."
Colombo's deep baritone cuts in. Unlike the others, he was never entrusted to answer calls on the White Line, and never paid attention when the identity of the person calling was revealed. "Who, that sick brother of yours, Violetta?"
Violetta grins wickedly. "No, your father, Colombo."
Ernesta titters away on the sofa. Colombo pauses again, perhaps reliving some poorly-repressed trauma. He recovers quickly though, not wanting to tell the others too much; not that they didn't already know. "Well what the **** did he say?"
"A Rapposelli mansion over in Chicago was hit a few days ago. Apparently one of the older ones still kept all of his contacts and business deals in an actual notebook, along with information that leads all the way back to the heads of the Rapposelli in Italy. I guess the damn thing was bigger than three ****ing bibles put together. She also took an undetermined amount of cash and a few paintings that we don't really care about. The paintings had GPS trackers, but they got tossed into a garbage can."
Each attending kindred slowly began to realize the extent of the loss...
"It's ugly. Very ugly. The thief hasn't done anything with it yet. If that information got into the right hands, the Rapposellis would never be able to come back to America again. They called in a pretty serious favor with the Chicago Nosferatu just to find out who it was that stole it. I don't know the exact details of how they pulled it off, but they know who the thief is, and what she drives. They've had street cameras and police stations trying to track her, but she's slippery. Couldn't get a damn bead on her until tonight... And guess where the little broad scuttled off to?"
Dose stands up and stretches. "Our own wonderful little city."
Violetta nods. "We aren't really friends to those *******s, but we're Giovanni just the same. Colombo's father wants an update from us before sunup, and we need to be able to say something. Directions haven't been too specific; I don't know if he wants us to kill her, or just get the ledger back, or what. As far as I'm concerned, it's in our hands. The Chicago Rapposellis were called back to Italy almost immediately, but as far as I was told, they don't know she's here If someone tells them, we'll have half the goddamn Rapposelli family flying down here to breathe down our necks."
The Contadinos and the Cardinallis share a moment of silence. There was an unspoken agreement that none of them wanted that to happen. Though family loyalty was paramount, more than a few Giovanni their age were jealous of the freedom of those in the Contadino Estate. Anyone could pull a few strings and dash their little dreamland to dust, merely out of spite. It didn't help that Ernesta concealed a passionate vendetta with the kindred wife of one of the more powerful Rapposseli sons; both Ernesta and the wife shared extensive carnal knowledge of the same man. It also didn't help that Teodisio had once enjoyed a passionate romance with a Rapposelli daughter until she grew too old. In his book however, 'too old' meant 13 and up, and when the little girl became a kindred to be reckoned with, she remembered her erstwhile lover. Granted, the whole affair was the fault of the Rapposellis, but none of those assembled wanted elder noses in their business.
Ernesta rises then and stands next to Dios, unable to conceal her unease. She folds her arms under her breasts, a 'comfort pose' for when she was nervous but wanted to appear confident. "Well what the **** is she?"
Violetta is no less uneasy. "She's a Ravnos." A collective groan resounds throughout the room. "Yeah, exactly. The Nossies gave the Rapposellis a picture of her, though it cost them an arm and a leg just to get it. Cost them even more to get a name; Kathryn. We'll get a copy of the picture on the computer shortly. She drives a silver Tesla Roadster, California plates. The license plate is UR5-M1N3. There isn't an official APB on her in this city, we don't have enough pull to get that right now, but one of our boys at the station spotted the car, and what he thought was her handing the keys to a valet. She had a blue dress on, and she was at the Metropolitan nightclub. This was an hour ago. That's the best he got. We need to be out there, directing this as it goes down. I've already got a few Marionettes out there, and a few clean guys too. We're boosting security around the mansion from here on out, too. Get used to the dogs and the patrols."
As one, the Cardinallis and Colombo exited the room. Edoardo was in tow until his sister called out to him. "Edoardo, you stay here."
The ghoul, bound by her commands as surely as a dog by a chain, complies, shrinking slightly as the others left. He positively cowers as she approaches him.
"Jesus Christ Violetta, now? You just said there was something important going on..." he whines.
"Oh, there is my little Eddie." she purrs, sliding one of those deadly nails under his chin. "Your sister is ever so tense, and you're only good for one thing... You know that..."
Edoardo pulls away slightly, but the feeling of a nail sliding into the flesh underneath his jaw stops him short. It always did.
"Come on Eddie. I feel like either pulling on something until it rips off, or twisting until the skin tears. I just can't decide which...."
**********************************
[The Van]
The van, waiting for the mystery window watcher, is an aged Quigley E250 4x4 van, complete with a sliding door on the side. Within, XXXX occupants have been chatting to pass the time.
**********************************
[The Metropolitan Nightclub]
The nightclub isn't as much jam-packed with people as it is with Ego and Style. The dancing is all angular suit jackets, sleek dresses, and easy laserlights bouncing of thousand dollar diamonds and powerful watches. It's a dance of wealth; a visual bonanza for those who know high fashion and high prices.
The main floor of the club is in the center, which leads up to the wide bar in the center back. The left and right wings are a honeycomb of half-walled tables where couples and groups can sit for a while. Up against the walls on the left and right are actual booths, that still allow the occupant full view of the club, and that allow the club full view of the occupants. The easy purple lightning and dazzling laser show might give on the impression of an electronic club, but it's all designed to show off the dazzle and sparkle of accessories.
There is one person in this club paying a decidedly different kind of attention to this dazzle and sparkle...