2020-12-15

INVOLVED PARTIES

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INCIDENT REPORT

Backstage Pass...

• Aradia snaps out of her vision. She's no longer in Hollywood, and it's no longer 1947. She is still on Staten Island, backstage at the Théâtre de Douleur. Mere seconds have passed since she caught Baron de Troyes' gaze, the apparent trigger for her vision. Suzette's thin lips curl into a lopsided grin as she asks "Did you see anything you liked?"

• Leah, still upset with the onstage murder, slaps Suzette. Baron de Troyes cackles and returns the favor, smacking Leah back. She's never seen a Camarilla Sheriff with enough gall to strike her in her own domain, and considers the gesture nothing short of a standing ovation. As for the onstage feeding, well, "art without pain is a product."

• Josi attempts to defuse the situation by joking about how uncivilized Americans can be. She then explains the status of her investigation into the final death of Carson, the Nosferatu. Her sources says that while he may have been Nosferatu upon death, before that he was Thin-Blooded. The Camarilla, it seems, greenlit the diablerie of an anathema Nosferatu, thus giving Carson entry into the clan.

• Suzette is disturbed by these allegations, and agrees to do more to include the Thin-Bloods of her domain in Kindred society. This would hopefully negate any appeal that Nicodemus' "Academy Eternal" might have. In exchange, Suzette is welcome to consider Brooklyn open hunting grounds. All part of an Anarch armistice.

• Suzette offers what additional information she can, knowing that Amelia will have fuller knowledge of the local Thin-Bloods. She's intrigued by the offer of an Anarch alliance, though insists on meeting with the other Barons to hash out the details. She also suggests that otherwise unaffiliated parties be invited — whether Thin-Blood, Independent, or even Camarilla.
  

• Taking their leave of the Baron, the coterie heads toward the dressing rooms. Josi is intent finding her friend, Étienne, who portrayed Van Helsing during the show. Étienne is thrilled to see Josi, and the two are quick to catch up. He mentions that Nathaniel is "involved" with their set designer, Leland. Him and Josi make plans to catch up over dinner at Sam's Kosher Delicatessen.
  

• Trekking deeper into the labyrinthine theatre, the coterie is accosted by an extremely excited Amelia. She's thrilled that everyone came, and is still enraptured by Josi's accent (which is, after all, not dissimilar to Suzette's). Leah tries to play this up with an accent of her own. Though it doesn't seem to quite intrigue Amelia as much as hoped, she does seem amicable to the idea of catching a show at the Mosh Pit some time.

• When asked about the Thin-Bloods, Amelia indicates that she parties with random groups of them from time to time. Though they have little in the way of a structured society, some of the Thin-Bloods can be found routinely meeting at the Sunrise Cafe. They hold a regular support group there.

• Out of the corner of her eye, Josi catches a familiar face — it's Kaiya Futaba. She recognizes her from The Day I Died, a long-running soap opera about a detective's ghost. Josi isn't much of a fan, but her "father" Pius is. Kaiya is more than happy to indulge a fan, and offers to send her some signed memorabilia. Josi gives her a business card with the address to the Center for Thanatology.

• Kaiya introduces the gentleman that she is with as Jacob. He's not involved in The Day I Died with Kaiya, instead fancying himself a stage actor. The conversation turns sour when Josi comments on his role as Renfield in tonight's production. He equates ghouls to slaves, seemingly unaware of the vampiric presence all around.

• Joshua interjects, mentioning that they too are friends with Kaiya's TV costar, Cassidy. In fact, they all have a common enemy in the form of Valentino Rose. Unfortunately, the intensity with which Joshua speaks kind of freaks the two mortals out. They all make a polite exit.

Breakfast of Champions...

• The coterie takes the limousine to the Sunrise Cafe, with hopes of gleaning some information about the Thin-Bloods. Initially the plan is to send Dave in posing as a newly minted Thin-Blood himself, but the instructions seem to confuse him more than they help. Instead the coterie accompanies him in, while Alter, Emily, and Camilla wait in the car.

The same faded sign has hung from the cafe facade since opening in 1921.

• The waitress inside directs everyone to the back of the cafe, figuring that they're there for the so-called hemophiliacs' group. They find an open room with folding chairs seated in a circle. Maybe a dozen people are there. Leah accompanies Dave into the room proper, stating that she is his "sponsor" and it just there as an ally.

• The man moderating the group introduces himself as Doyle. He asks the group how old they think he is, to which he answers that he is actually 68 years old. His point is that "it gets better." He then opens the floor for others to speak.

• First up is a man who introduces himself as Carl. He's concerned that he's leading a double-life, and that some day he will have to chose. But how would he ever tell his wife? She'd feel betrayed, like he's been lying to her about who he really is, even if he only just discovered it himself. It's not like there were any signs, y'know? He's also worried for his children, and whether they're even safe with him in the house. After all, he could get hungry enough to eat one of them, truly making him the monster society claims.

• Leah interrupts, insisting that Carl is not a monster — that his very concern proves that. She recounts an incident she had recently, when while feeding, she accidentally injured a woman. She sought medical help, and ensured that her "victim" got home safely. But that little slip had shaken Leah, and made her question her humanity.

• Aradia follows up on this, assuring Carl that he's not a danger to his children — that they are, in fact, happy for him to be in their lives. She speaks to the fact that her own daughter, Lavinia, was the most important thing in the world to her.

• Another man, James, changes the conversation. It's his first meeting, but he's scared. He says that they all need a cure, not an excuse to embrace their demonic desires. He asks whether or not anyone has tried going to church, to pray the bloodlust away. Maybe even asking a priest or and exorcist — after all, they have to have conversion programs setup to handle vampires.

• Doyle interrupts, reminding everyone that they don't use the "v-word" here.

• A woman named Hannah is next. She's loud and highly animated. She rebukes Doyle's warning, stating they they all are vampires and need to acknowledge it. The question is, what to do about it? She doesn't like feeling sick all of the time. She's sore about being kicked out of her house, after her parents walked-in on her sucking her friend's neck and assumed she was gay. She doesn't want to be alone. She wants her parents to love her again. But she figures it's like in the movies, right? Kill the "master vampire" and everyone will be cured.

• Joshua (Kalliste) responds to Hannah. She speaks on the topic of consent, and balancing one's relationship with the "Beast" in regards to feeding. She mentions that Hannah is always welcome at her hotel-turned-group home.

• After group, the coterie speaks with Doyle. He knew Carson, though didn't know what had become of him. A lot of the Thin-Bloods are scared though, as so many have gone missing lately. Most don't know a thing about Kindred society.

• He shows Aradia that he too has the same spiral symbol that Carson did. It's a graduation mark from the Academy Eternal. He figures it makes him more of a target than anything nowadays, and wants it removed. Aradia is pretty sure that she could dispel the aura of thaumaturgy, but the mark itself seems somehow... deeper. She calls Camilla in to take a closer look.

• Camilla examines the marking, commenting that it might take a fleshsculpter to fully remove. Doyle is optimistic, and left to remunerate on an offer of Duskborn support and protection in exchange for future information.

• As the group is leaving, one of the quieter attendees approach. He introduces himself as Jack, and says that Doyle means well, but doesn't actually know shit. If the coterie wants to talk about what goes on in Staten Island, they need to speak with Juggler. He moves from between different squatter homes, but was at Jack's earlier. Jack offers to take the coterie tonight, before Juggler is in the wind again.

• The coterie agrees, but have to be quick — dawn is approaching. They send the limo back into the boroughs so that Joshua, Alter, Emily, and Camilla can get to bed. Leah calls into the Mosh Pit, letting Archer know what's going on.

Bringing Down the House...

• The remaining group and Jack take a taxi to an abandoned house. It's in extreme disrepair, but Jack takes little notice. Inside, several groups of people are spread throughout, all sleeping in various nooks and crannies, or loitering around burning cans. This hovel seems to be a safehosue for Thin-Bloods.

• Jack leads them through the kitchen, where four people sit at a table, and into the den. He tells the coterie to make themselves comfortable while he gets Juggler. As he steps out, he pulls the door closed behind him — it audibly locks.

• The coterie is immediately put on alert. The metal door which they came through seems to have a reinforced frame. Beyond that, the two east-facing windows have heavy bars on the outside. The small wooden door, when opened, reveals a brick wall. It's a kill room.

• Aradia senses remnants of a ritual in the center of the room.

• Leah gathers her Potence and punches at the metal door, bowing and bending it in its frame. Just as the door is torn from place, Josi empowers her Disciplines of Oblivion with the infernal mark on her arm, creating a decaying aura in the kitchen. It peels paint from the walls, rusts appliances, rots wood, and finally, ages the four occupants in a horrifying display of guttural pain.

• Fleeing from the now-crumbling house, the coterie hop into their awaiting cab and return to the Mosh Pit. They have just enough time before sunrise to contact their respective partners before going to sleep...

THE CONCLAVE

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