(IC III) San Francisco by Night: A Requiem in Fog

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

"Karl, I know you're German, but there's this thing called tact..." Anna deadpanned.

She turned to Aisling.

"Long story short, my mortal cousin was kidnapped and would certainly have been killed or sold into slavery across the border," Anna said, "Karl helped me recover her just about dawn; and we captured one of ones who kidnapped and tortured her, he's in the basement now, or at least he should be."

"I am sorry for this Aisling, I would have asked you, but you were already sleeping, and the dawn was already breaking," Anna said, "please don't tell anyone I have mortal family in the city, someone would definitely threaten them to blackmail me."

[Daishain]

Karl shrugs at the reprimand, forcing the angry Beast to settle down. "The details can wait, right now we need to make sure everything is okay."

Key codes for the stairs, making its way to where had left the gang member and the ghoul. Hopefully Gabriel had the presence of mind to come back and take over, but he couldn't remember if he had instructed anything of the sort...

[Bennosuke]

Aisling listens as Anna and Karl explain, her territorial anger giving way to a vicious sort of curiosity, a smile playing across her girlish face. "Very well," she says with a wave of her hand, "we can smooth things over with Bernardo later. Let us go see what has become of our... captive." She lets Karl and Anna take the lead down the stairs.

The three vampires come into the dark first floor room; an industrially unornate and unfurnished space. The young gangster is exactly where Karl and Anna left him, chained to pillar in a position ironically similar to Katie's the night prior. Duct tape covers the boy's tattooed face so that he cannot speak. Bernardo sits on the floor nearby, slumped over in a fatigued and defeated posture, with Gabe standing over him, one hand on his pistol.

The senior Ghoul has for whatever reason gone and gotten a haircut, his normally unruly brown hair trimmed and combed, and he is wearing unusually clean and professional clothing. As the three undead approach, Gabe turns and smiles. "I see you three finally awoke." Bernardo startles at Gabe's words, clearly having fallen into a light slumber prior to everyone's arrival.

The room smells sharply of fresh urine, and the sweat of mortals.

[Daishain]

Karl sighs as everything appears to be in order. The odds of something going wrong had seemed low, but rushing a job before the dawn with death clawing at his mind was never the most prudent way to handle a sensitive task.

"No trouble I take it. I am sorry, once again, for making you two deal with this,"

Hmm, it might be best to distract Anna from perhaps taking her revenge right this instant and take the time to think through, but how to...? Ah, yes.

Karl turns to the others and speaks up, "Since it looks like there are no immediate problems to address, and while we are all here, I should mention that we have something to discuss other than the prisoner. It looks like Gabriel has not reconsidered the request he made last night."

"Gabriel has asked to join us as a kindred, and suffer the embrace. Given his long years of service to me, and his determination in spite of being made aware of the costs, I have no compelling reason to refuse. Everyone else with any right to weigh in on the decision is here. So, what do you say?"

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

Anna turned to Gabe, incredulous.

“Are you stupid?” she asked, then turned to Karl, “you told him everything, and he still wants it??”

She turned back to Gabriel.

“You’re thirsty, _all_ the time, and you can never be _not_ thirsty; it never goes away,” Anna said, “but that’s not even the beginning of it. There’s this... Thing, living inside of you.”

“You told him about the Beast, right?” Anna asked, turning to Karl for a second rhetorical question before looking back at Gabe.

She placed her hand on her chest just over her heart.
“It makes you want to do things, that you wouldn’t normally want to do, horrible things, like killing and making people suffer or abandoning your friends and... it’s just terrible, and it’s always there, you can never get rid of it,” she said, “it’s called the Beast.”

She paused.

“That’s not all though, like yeah the Kiss is nice, but it means nothing else compares, you won’t even enjoy food, or sex, ever, you’ll never be happy, just temporarily satisfied,” she said, “you’re going to have to make excuses for why you’re never around during the day, and eventually fake your death and watch everyone you know mourn you.”

“And that’s not to mention trying to avoid getting yourself killed by some Elder or other on a whim because you looked at them wrong, it’s a **** **** existence, just trying every night to stay one step ahead of the Thirst, the Beast, and the Danse. You’ve got the best of both worlds right now, why would you want this?” Anna asked.

[Daishain]

Karl stays silent, he'd already said his piece on the matter.

[Bennosuke]

Karl sighs as everything appears to be in order. The odds of something going wrong had seemed low, but rushing a job before the dawn with death clawing at his mind was never the most prudent way to handle a sensitive task.

"No trouble I take it. I am sorry, once again, for making you two deal with this,"

Gabe runs his tongue over his teeth, grimacing for a second before replying. "Well he doesn't look too healthy. I'm not sure how long this kid can keep it together," he says. He nods to Karl and says, "I take it you drained him a bit," before indicating Bernardo, "I think this one neglected to feed or water the plant. I think between the feeding and the heat, he's pretty dehydrated. May have to ship him out to the hospital."

Bernardo scowls at Gabe and throwing his hands up says, "You wanted him to stay quiet! How was he supposed to drink anything with the tape still over his mouth."

The scrawny gangster stays slumped over against the pole. His eyes scan the group as they discuss, but the fight is gone from them.

Karl stays silent, he'd already said his piece on the matter.

Aisling watches with fascination as Anna lets Karl have it, a grin spreading on her face. When Anna finishes and Karl does not reply, the Gangrel slinks herself in between the two and places a hand on his chest. Her long nails are more like a cat's than a teenagers, and they seem to preturnaturally dig through the gaps in the fibers of his shirt. "Oh Karl," she purrs, "you are going to turn this one?" She indicates Gabe, who watches with dark countenance, again avoiding Anna's gaze. "How exciting! Have you ever done it before? I never learned how to give The Dark Gift!" There is almost a hunger in the way she says The Dark Gift, and her eyes flit for a moment to Bernardo.

[Daishain]

Karl puts a hand up at Aisling's enthusiasm, "No, it is not something I've done before, my sire taught me, but this is not something to do on a whim. This is a serious issue, with nasty consequences. Please never consider it with anyone unwilling or not fully aware of the cost. Bernardo, you're young, see a lot more of life before you even consider this 'gift'."

"It seems that, aside from Anna's concerns about that cost, neither of you have objections to him becoming a part of our coterie as a true kindred. This is admittedly something of a sensitive time for us, but that is almost always true to at least some degree. Anna, yes I have spoken with him on these issues, both last night and many times over the years we spent together, he knows better than anyone in this world of the struggles I've faced with the beast."

"I also asked him to spend a day enjoying the life he would be leaving. If he has done so, and there's nothing else that needs to be discussed first, then we will find an appropriate time and place to do this. It certainly will not be here and now, in front of our foul guest. Whether or not Gabe would be comfortable with you there for the embrace, I would welcome your presence afterwards, for his first hunt."

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“You did good Bernardo,” Anna said.

“Yeah sure,” Anna said to Karl regarding the hunt.

“The Embrace is between you and Karl, I’ll watch if you want, but I still want to know why you want this, Gabe,” Anna said, crossing her arms and addressing the ghoul directly.

[Bennosuke]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Again, I just want to apologize for dropping the ball on this. It's been a busy couple of weeks trying to build a new department and even when I have free time, it feels like my attention is in a million different places. Thank you for the patience!

Anna turned to Gabe, incredulous.

“Are you stupid?” she asked, then turned to Karl, “you told him everything, and he still wants it??”

She turned back to Gabriel.

“You’re thirsty, _all_ the time, and you can never be _not_ thirsty; it never goes away,” Anna said, “but that’s not even the beginning of it. There’s this... Thing, living inside of you.”

“You told him about the Beast, right?” Anna asked, turning to Karl for a second rhetorical question before looking back at Gabe.

She placed her hand on her chest just over her heart.
“It makes you want to do things, that you wouldn’t normally want to do, horrible things, like killing and making people suffer or abandoning your friends and... it’s just terrible, and it’s always there, you can never get rid of it,” she said, “it’s called the Beast.”

She paused.

“That’s not all though, like yeah the Kiss is nice, but it means nothing else compares, you won’t even enjoy food, or sex, ever, you’ll never be happy, just temporarily satisfied,” she said, “you’re going to have to make excuses for why you’re never around during the day, and eventually fake your death and watch everyone you know mourn you.”

“And that’s not to mention trying to avoid getting yourself killed by some Elder or other on a whim because you looked at them wrong, it’s a **** **** existence, just trying every night to stay one step ahead of the Thirst, the Beast, and the Danse. You’ve got the best of both worlds right now, why would you want this?” Anna asked.

Gabe watches with clenched teeth as Anna goes back and forth between his master and him. He flinches every time Anna turns her wrath on him, though he does his bets not to show his growing anxiety. When Anna finally finishes and gives him a chance to speak, Gabe's face darkens and his resolve returns. Through still gritted teeth he says, "Because no matter what, otherwise I will die." Gabe turns to Karl, and now addressing the entire room he continues, "The only thing keeping the cancer from eating out my lungs and my insides is your blood. And I'm scared one day it won't be enough, or you won't be there. And the only thing I can do is to stay your slave." He adds apologetically, "Not that I don't enjoy working with you Karl, but at the end of the day, no matter what our business cards say, I am still your servant."

Finishing, Gabe gives Bernardo an apologetic shrug, but the younger Ghoul averts his eyes, suddenly finding it very important to focus on something on the floor.

Karl puts a hand up at Aisling's enthusiasm, "No, it is not something I've done before, my sire taught me, but this is not something to do on a whim. This is a serious issue, with nasty consequences. Please never consider it with anyone unwilling or not fully aware of the cost. Bernardo, you're young, see a lot more of life before you even consider this 'gift'."

Bernardo keeps his eyes on the ground, his lip quivering ever so slightly. He struggles to maintain his composure and gives the smallest nod of acknowledgement to Karl.

"It seems that, aside from Anna's concerns about that cost, neither of you have objections to him becoming a part of our coterie as a true kindred. This is admittedly something of a sensitive time for us, but that is almost always true to at least some degree. Anna, yes I have spoken with him on these issues, both last night and many times over the years we spent together, he knows better than anyone in this world of the struggles I've faced with the beast."

"I also asked him to spend a day enjoying the life he would be leaving. If he has done so, and there's nothing else that needs to be discussed first, then we will find an appropriate time and place to do this. It certainly will not be here and now, in front of our foul guest. Whether or not Gabe would be comfortable with you there for the embrace, I would welcome your presence afterwards, for his first hunt."

Aisling shrugs and smiles, "It is a very interesting predicament. What does that make him? Will Gabe become one of our Coterie then?"

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“Oh, I didn’t know you had cancer,” Anna said, pausing and looking thoughtful for a second, “still, you’re going to need more than will to survive to actually make it. I guess we can work on that.”

She glanced to Aisling.

“He’ll have to stick around at first anyway, because he’ll have to stay close to Karl until he’s ready to be presented to the Prince and become a neonate,” Anna said, “then he can decide if he wants to officially join our merry band of misfits, if it makes sense that is.”

She turned back to Gabe.

“Not that I think you’d be a liability, because you’ve been great so far, but the Gift affects people differently,” she said, “let’s talk covenants after dealing with this.”

She nudged the gang member with her shoe, then scuffed it on the ground as if to get the scum off of it.

[Bennosuke]

“Oh, I didn’t know you had cancer,” Anna said, pausing and looking thoughtful for a second, “still, you’re going to need more than will to survive to actually make it. I guess we can work on that.”

Gabe simply shrugs, his hardened countenance finally softening.

She turned back to Gabe.

“Not that I think you’d be a liability, because you’ve been great so far, but the Gift affects people differently,” she said, “let’s talk covenants after dealing with this.”

"Sure," he replies noncommittally, "I wasn't really thinking that far ahead yet."

She glanced to Aisling.

“He’ll have to stick around at first anyway, because he’ll have to stay close to Karl until he’s ready to be presented to the Prince and become a neonate,” Anna said, “then he can decide if he wants to officially join our merry band of misfits, if it makes sense that is.”

Aisling grins at this, but instead turns to Gabe and playfully says, "You are going to have a lot to learn sir. You have no idea."

Gabe shrugs at this as well but says nothing.

Anna breaks from the conversation, moving over to the slumped over gangster and nudging him with her shoe... but he barely moves in reaction to the nudge. Anna's senses tell her he is still alive, and The Beast rages at the mortal's foolish insolence!

[Daishain]

Karl states, "Right, now that that's settled. Bernardo, you've had a rough day. How about you and Aisling go have some fun. Relax, take your mind off things. I have some cash if you want to go clubbing or something along those lines."

The old man won't continue until one way or another the boy is well out of earshot. He would have to learn just how ugly things could get associating with his mistress sooner or later, but it would not be today if Karl could help it.

"Anna, Gabriel and I request permission to interrogate this one for any useful information he might have while he is still capable of answering questions. That said, as I promised last night, this one is yours to do with as you please. I will not interfere."

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“By all means,” Anna replied, “I’ve got a few questions myself. How long do you think it will take?”

[Bennosuke]

Karl states, "Right, now that that's settled. Bernardo, you've had a rough day. How about you and Aisling go have some fun. Relax, take your mind off things. I have some cash if you want to go clubbing or something along those lines."

Bernardo nods his head, a sigh of relief escaping before he can stifle it. For a moment it looks like Aisling is about to protest, but she stops herself a sly smile spreading across her face. "Very well," she says, "We'll... go upstairs for a little bit; though I'm sad I'll miss the fun." She wraps an arm around Bernardo, her touch seeming to awaken the exhausted looking Ghoul. She whispers something into Bernardo's ear as they start to disappear into the stairwell as a timid smile spreads across his face.

"Anna, Gabriel and I request permission to interrogate this one for any useful information he might have while he is still capable of answering questions. That said, as I promised last night, this one is yours to do with as you please. I will not interfere."

"Go ahead," Gabe says with a shrug.

[Daishain]

"It should not take long. In his condition he should be fairly pliable. It's possible we'll get what we want out of him simply by offering some water to drink. If he proves to have a particularly stubborn disposition, we won't spend much time persuading him, we do have other options to get the information in question after all."

Spoiler: ooc

Show

How do you want to handle this? We are not talking about a torture scene here, but a rough interrogation can still be... sensitive.

[Bennosuke]

Gabe shrugs, looking nervously at the restrained but flaccid thug. "I leave it up to you two... boss."

His gaze moves over to Anna.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I think it depends on how you two want to go about getting the information out of him, but we can keep things to rolls and vague descriptions.

[Daishain]

Karl shrugs and walks over to the gangster, nudging him to alertness if need be with a toe.

"Right, lets get straight to the point shall we? You're boned in so many ways it is almost funny Pendejo. Your friend is dead, killed by your gun, and the girl you were guarding set free to talk all she wants about your little familia. Both the cops and your former pals are on the hunt for you, and both want your head."

"But if you think you might be safe here away from them? Oh no, out of luck there." His hand snakes out to grab the prisoner's head and twist it towards Anna, "You see that scary woman with the sword? It was her cousin that you were torturing, and she already has a habit of using that sword on people like you even when they don't harm her family."

"Your only hope is to prove yourself useful. The only reason you're alive right now is we happen to have an interest in the local MS13 branch and we figured you might have some information worth learning. Start by telling us everything you can about the big names you know."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Karl would slap this guy around if needed make a point, and offer water as a reward for talking, but not taking things further than that. Karl is relying on this guy being weak, confused, and afraid to break his will, not pain.
I'm thinking manipulation+intimidation, and rolling as such. (4d10)[6][9][2][7](24)
ten again (4d10)[9][9][5][3](26)

[Thundercracker]

Anna waits impatiently for Karl to finish with the ganger, she wanted to find out exactly what they did to her cousin. In the meantime, she crossed her arms and watched him work.

Spoiler

Show

assist, manipulation + intimidate: (3d10)[3][6][5](14)
Additional successes: (3d10)[2][10][7](19)

10’a again: (4d10)[7][7][3][6](23)

[Bennosuke]

Karl's slap barely earns a moan from the kid, his head whipping sideways limply. He doesn't rouse or seem to notice anything Karl says, his lids heavy and mouth slack.

Gabe touches the boy's forehead and checks his pulse, saying uncomfortably, "Uh, I think he might need medical attention... or perhaps some... well some blood may wake him up." His gaze skips Anna, catching Karl's before dropping to the ground.

(OOC: Save your roll results for when you get him awake)

[Thundercracker]

Anna tries dumping a cup of cold water over the kid, and offers him one more to drink from.

[Bennosuke]

The water splashes hard across the kid's face, throwing his slack head back and washing down the front of his dirty tank-top. He groans with the impact, his eyes fluttering open for just a moment to look up at Anna. His dark hard eyes are glazed and distant, almost inhuman, and then his lids fall over them.

[Daishain]

Karl frowns, "Perhaps I misjudged this one's stamina. Its been what, 14 hours of just a little initial blood loss and dehydration? I endured worse in the Wehrmacht. All right fine, lets get him awake."

The mekhet gets more water and starts slowly feeding it to the prisoner.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Karl is probably letting pride fuel an exaggeration here, still I'm surprised its this bad.

[Bennosuke]

The barely conscious kid starts to drink down the water. He's still pretty out of it and a good amount of the water simply spills out of his mouth and down his already soaked chest. A few sips in he even gags on the water, suddenly going rigid as if he might vomit.

(OOC: Someone give me an Int+ Medicine to see if you can help resuscitate him to a state of reasonable cogency.)

[Daishain]

Karl gently prods the boy, trying to get him back to a state of at least near full consciousness.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Int+medicine (6d10)[7][4][9][2][9][3](34)
ten again (6d10)[5][4][1][4][4][3](21)

[Bennosuke]

Fortunately, the boy stops retching and takes another few small sips of water. His eyes flutter open. At first they are glazed over, but after a few minutes he begins to look around the room with a bit of purpose. He mutters something in Spanish, then after a moment struggles with his restraints. Finding he cannot escape, he stops struggling.

Karl shrugs and walks over to the gangster, nudging him to alertness if need be with a toe.

"Right, lets get straight to the point shall we? You're boned in so many ways it is almost funny Pendejo. Your friend is dead, killed by your gun, and the girl you were guarding set free to talk all she wants about your little familia. Both the cops and your former pals are on the hunt for you, and both want your head."

"But if you think you might be safe here away from them? Oh no, out of luck there." His hand snakes out to grab the prisoner's head and twist it towards Anna, "You see that scary woman with the sword? It was her cousin that you were torturing, and she already has a habit of using that sword on people like you even when they don't harm her family."

"Your only hope is to prove yourself useful. The only reason you're alive right now is we happen to have an interest in the local MS13 branch and we figured you might have some information worth learning. Start by telling us everything you can about the big names you know."

Spoiler: OOC
Hide
Karl would slap this guy around if needed make a point, and offer water as a reward for talking, but not taking things further than that. Karl is relying on this guy being weak, confused, and afraid to break his will, not pain.
I'm thinking manipulation+intimidation, and rolling as such. (4d10)[6][9][2][7](24)
ten again (4d10)[9][9][5][3](26)

At first Karl's questioning seems to rouse an internal strength in the boy. He snorts, his face twisting into a mask of scorn and he says, "Who the **** do you guys think you are, the cops?" Then his eyes lock on Anna's, and his gaze turns back to Karl's, and he seems to realize just how screwed he is.

"Big names," he asks with slight confusion, "like the bosses in the gang? If I tell you that you will let me go?" There was a desperate sort of hope in his words. He was young. He was scared.

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

"Maybe," Anna replied, "Depends how useful it is. Better start talking."

[Bennosuke]

The kid shakes his head in defiance. "No, **** that," he moans, "I'll tell you about my boss, if that's what you want; but that's it, and you gotta promise to let me go. The way you put it, I'm probably screwed even if I do get out of here, and I'm not sure I can even walk if you untie me, so promise me." The kid's face was screwed up in his best attempt at a scowl, but he was emaciated and sickly, and there clearly wasn't much fight in him.

[Thundercracker]

The kid shakes his head in defiance. "No, **** that," he moans, "I'll tell you about my boss, if that's what you want; but that's it, and you gotta promise to let me go. The way you put it, I'm probably screwed even if I do get out of here, and I'm not sure I can even walk if you untie me, so promise me." The kid's face was screwed up in his best attempt at a scowl, but he was emaciated and sickly, and there clearly wasn't much fight in him.

Anna was not in the mood to play games. She growled, a borderline inhuman sound.

"You are in no position to bargain," she said, "the only reason you're alive right now is because my friend asked me not to kill you for what you did to my cousin. Maybe though, if you're really helpful, there might be a spot for you on a bus to the east coast, New York, Miami maybe."

She slowly unsheathed her jain.

"You'd have to start over, and you'll probably always be looking over your shoulder, but it probably beats getting sliced to bits," she said, "so what's it going to be, am I scrubbing bloodstains again tonight or not?"

She used the tip of the blade to lift his shirt up and let the cool metal rest against his exposed stomach.

[Daishain]

Karl nods to Anna, "I can promise that we'll judge the information on its merits. The rest is up to you to provide something worth our time."