Vampire: The Masquerade ~ Berlin by Night

Dhani awoke from his slumber and roamed through his haven in the buff. It feels nice to be home again and to be able to do this. Remembering that Felix is suppose to be dropping by again. He decided to dress more appropriate for visitors.

He emerged from his bedroom in a black dress shirt and pants with a violet vest and tie. Once he was in the living room, he stopped infront of the mirror to admire himself and fix a drink or two. While staring in the mirror, Dhani noticed the frame of a man and a dog form in the doorway. "Nice, to see you again Felix. Care for a drink." Dhani smiled as he turned to face them.

M.G. tilted his head back replaying the scene in his mind. Remembering every detail he could, scrounging what he could from the little there was. "In Mitte I went to the site of one of the Vampire deaths. A mortal was there waiting, sent from the pirnce or at least I think. He showed my the place, the room where the act took place. A pile of ash, that was all. In a room with no windows, no light, and more importantly no signs of any fire. No sign f the ash being moved there or anything. He burned to Final death in the middle of his own haven. He was a Tremere, so I do not think it would be too much of a leap to say that this had something to do with magic...." M.G. was also waiting to hear from Erik, he had called before he slept, he talked about following up some of his own leads. Being a generous man he did not get angry with him, merely inferred that the information better be of some relevance or something unnatural might occur to him. "I do not know how much knowledge you have in the varying fields of magic, I myself have some though limited to....a very specific field."

"Little." It replied. "But the victim's state leads us to believe that you are likely correct." The disguised Tzimisce added in that thick accent. "Some sort of magic is likely at work. Perhaps mortal magic users, or perhaps other foes. In either case, those findings should be more than sufficient to aid in any search the prince may choose to implement."

As Ivan kept a firm hand within his coat, Drakon briefly paused before continuing. "So then, that simply leaves looking into the strange reports from Treptow. If you wish to begin tracking and seeking the whereabouts of the would-be mortal hunters in earnest, I am more than pleased than to look into Treptow myself." He offered, now sitting silently once again.

Felix

Felix smiled as he walked into the room, his dog padding along beside him.
"You are a sharp one I have to give you that, And Yes I would love a drink thank you." He said as he sat down on one of the sofas.
"So given any thought of the tasks set before you?"

Okay, French accent guy might have a valid point about suspicious behaviour, but there was no need to be so smug about it. Or was that like a vampire thing? Perhaps immortality made everyone a tad bit condescending after a while…

Anyhow, he was right, it was suspicious, getting pulled over was the last thing she needed. So she slowed down to a more law abiding speed.
Alright, done. Next topic.

….

“I’ll probably regret asking this, but where is all this blood coming from? It’s not mine, isn’t it? And I am not a bad person for hoping that it’s from someone else, okay, I just want to survive!” She started to panic. “And while we are talking about what is mine, would you know where VERDAMMTE SCHEIßE!!”
she cursed, punching the helm hard enough to put a dent in it.
“MIST! I left my dummen bag at the hostel, and my dagger as well. That thing was expensive!”

For a little while she was seething with anger, or rather trying to, getting freaked out when she noticed that she couldn’t seethe properly because she didn’t breathe anymore. Fortunately, she managed to not drive into anything. When she had calmed down, she timidly addressed Leontel:
“Sorry. Whole situation just got to me. If you don’t mind me asking, is there a destination, or are we just making things up as we go?”

M.G. chuckled a bit to himself. "I would rather look into the Hunters together. Although they are just mere mortals, hunters have a way of surprising you, I would like someone to watch my back as it were..." Of course not like M.G. could trust Drakon either but he would rather put up with a vampire than unpredictable mortals. Both dangerous but at least it did not catch you off guard when the former betrays you.

Leontel

He had only been half listening to her as he read the papers, mumbling a bit as he tried to make sense of what he read. It wasn't until she swore and hit something that he focused back on her again.
Oh right, through his wisdom he was now in a car with a vampire who didn't know her fangs from her ears. He sighed as she finished her little break down and tried to put on the best comforting face he could.
"The blood, most of the would belong to the hunter you saw me burn, I burned him because We could hardly leave a freshly dead but bloodless corpse around for proof of our existence." He stopped for a moment and looked at her.
"As for your things, they are outside the realm of us retrieving them at the moment, perhaps forever. If you are worried about the cost then we can scrape up some cash and get you whatever it is you need later. For now Drive to this address." He said as he handed her a small slip of paper. He would also be giving her turn by turn directions if she seemed lost.
He stared out of the window for a bit before turning back to her.
"You have never tasted human blood before have you? Tell me, how long have you been a vampire and what have you been trying to eat?"

If anything, the guy certainly was a calm person, she doubted her own ability to be as patient had their roles been reversed. Reminded her of her parents, actually. Perhaps that guy was some sort of teacher as well. In any case, considering her former encounters with other vampires, she seemed to have gotten rather lucky with this one. And while she was still reluctant to share her full story with a stranger, he had saved her, trust had to start somewhere, and really, what alternatives did she have other than trusting him?

“I am not entirely sure on the exact time, but I would say thirteen to fifteen days, well, guess at this point I should say nights. Anyway, in the first days, after puking up that pizza, I first tried all different kinds of food, to find something against this burning hunger, and while the raw meat didn’t taste as bad as the rest, it didn’t stay inside for long either. Then people started to smell more and more… tempting, so I tried to stay away from them. Probably for the best, because one night I had a blackout. One moment I am walking through the park, the next I am in some alley nearby, the bloodless corpse of a dog in my hands, and the thirst less painful.”

She sighed.

“That was like three days, eh, nights after I became… this. Since then, I’ve sucked dry all kinds of animals I managed to catch, pets, homeless dogs and cats, rat, ducks… typical town set I guess. Either duped them in the river, or at the bottom of a trashcan. That never made the thirst go away completely, and usually it was one animal every two to three days because I suck at catching them. But apparently until now, it was sufficient to avoid any more blackouts. Granted, my throat was still burning all the time, but I am used to ignoring pain.”
After two seconds, she realised how that last statement sounded, and hastily added:
“Not because I was beaten at home or anything, I simply dislike to complain.”

"Very well." The masked tzimisce replied, giving a small bow of the head for a moment. Briefly adjusting its hat, it slowly stood from its seat. "Will you be accompanying me to Treptow, then?" Drakon inquired in its heavily-accented and polite tone. If this Giovanni preferred to wait and felt Treptow's reports were beneath it, Drakon would be more than pleased to deal with the task himself. However, if he came along, it wished to complete the task quickly. Preferably well before this night came close to ending.

"If you please, I am prepared to depart for there immediately." Drakon stated conclusively, Ivan now turning to face the two immortals though his eyes continued to watch the surrounding area in a hawkish manner.

Leontel


She was only two weeks into being a vampire? By all the...
Leon shuffled in his seat a bit, he was unsure if this was lucky or unlucky, though words of his own sire rang through this head, 'Luck is what you make of it' True enough, He might as well see how far he could take this, while he had little care for the politics of most vampires It often got lonely on the road, Mortals and ghouls were fun enough but maybe teaching this girl would add a little spice to his unlife.
He leanded back a bit, relaxing as she drove.
"Well, that's because no matter what you need human blood, Going two weeks without ever tasting the stuff..." He shook his head.
"If a vampire runs low on blood he does not just get hungry, they go mad with the thirst to the point of attacking any living thing. You are lucky that you have only done this to a dog and not to a human, Mauling them in such a way would draw some really bad vibes from the Cam onto you." He scratched his chin, a mortal habit that he never was able to kick.
"Also, to a vampire blood is everything, to learn how to use and control it, for both skills and more subtle uses. I am using a tiny amount of blood right now to bring some color to my cheeks and to get my lungs going, even though I do not need to breath the motion is good as to not make you stick out."

M.G. nodded, "Let's go to Treptow" he stood up and motioned for Drakon to lead the way. He turned his head to regard the mortal servant. He had considered enlisting a ghoul or servant of some sort, though he had not enough favor with the family to even be considered for acquiring one. Rules rules rules, sometimes he wondered how his family survived their own internal politics. Of course he knew how, only the most ruthless and smart survived or got things done and that was what he needed to be to rise above his station.

Lea gave him a disbelieving look before focusing on the road again.
“Sooo, does that mean I can move shadows through burning blood? Huh. Usually, I would question the logic behind that, but seeing how we have fangs, let’s just go with it. But I will question the breathing. I mean, I did notice that I’ve gotten a little paler, and it seems logical to appear more… alive I guess than we are. For the paleness I could use makeup, hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if vampires use makeup to appear younger and older than they actually look, to fake aging or something. But is the breathing really necessary all the time? As far as I know, most people don’t look out for that kind of thing, and you NEED to breath when talking.
And, more important, is it by any chance possible to... feed on People without killing them? Admidettly, I have already entertained the Notion of Of walking through dark alleys while wearing a skimpy outfit and appear helpless to feed on the first scumbag who tries something, but didn’t want to risk said scumbag knifing me, or me teeth knifing him. Or her, whatever.”

Leontel

He listened to her go on for a bit, waiting for her to run through the thoughts in her head. He smiled, remembering when he had been a fledgling.
"Something that will take some getting used to is to stop approaching everything from a Kines, or well a mortal, perspective. Vampires have been around since the dawn of time if you believe history. How do you think we have remained hidden? It is quite simple, you find you pray, drain them till you are fuller and no more, than simply lick the wound and it will heal. I would suggest we go ahead and try this out, but in our current condition we are not fit to walk the streets." He said, noting the blood on her, he also turned his back to her and tried to glance over his shoulder. the back of his vest and shirt were torn up by about a dozen holes, his back still with some very fresh looking wounds.
"Tell me, how bad does it look back there? Cause It stings a might."

Okay, she really hoped that they’d arrive soon, all the times she took her eyes of the road now was making her nervous. Additionally, looking at a (un)living body riddled with holes right next to you didn’t really help matters.
After an uncomfortable gulp, she commented:
“Well, the bad news is that the jacket is beyond repair. The good news is, as long as we avoid street lamps or brighter sources of light, at worst people won’t see all the blood and simply assume you are a hobo with nothing better to wear.”
Now, was that an acceptable, mood upholding joke, or did she go to far and had offended him somehow? Was that joke even compatible with whatever standards they had had for humor back when he was human, whenever that was? Or was he adjusted well enough to the current times? This whole vampire gig surely wasn’t getting any easier….

Leontel

"This is Berlin, It is cold here. People might notice when you don't have a puff of steam coming from your lips." He shook his head.
"And if you are afraid of a mortal with a knife then your unlife might end up being a short one." He paused again to listen to her.
"A hobo, oh mercy me..." He said looking slightly dejected. He gave a shrug and scoffed.
"I Suppose that's what I get for acting like a built shield for you, oh turn here, this is the place." He said pointing to a slightly upscale hotel. They had Driven for a while and had just about entered Zehlendorf. He directed her into a nearby parking garage, once parked he stepped out of the car and stretched his back, wincing as he felt a few of the AK rounds that pierced his defense move around under his skin.
"Now then, we are going inside so please wipe your face so we don't scare the pants off of anyone? This places is right next to a casino so people are coming and going at all hours around here." He said, once again pointing to the handkerchif that he had pulled our earlier. That still left the problem of their very bloody clothing and all of his stuff being back in his room. He sighed, yet another human reflex he coulnd't seem to shake, still he felt like he had done more sighing tonight then he had in the last 30 years or so.
He was low on blood but he had enough for one last trick. A special skill he knew by mixing disciplines. He raised his hands and gave them a little twirl of his fingers. He could feel the heavier cost draning him to an almost dangerous level, he prayed that nothing else would happen between here and his room. He focused and in his hands two long trench coats materialized. He layed on down on the car as he put the other on, zipping it up in the front. He offered the other one to her.

“There is a difference between being afraid and being cautious, you know.” Lea grumbled, while mentally slapping herself for not taking the steam part of breathing into account.
She then pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her face clean, checking her progress in the rear-view mirror. Once she was happy with the results, she stepped out of the car, thankfully took the offered coat, put it on and then followed Leontel into the hotel.

Leontel

Leontel rolled his eyes, though his back was to her so she wouldn't be able to tell. Still he felt that she had potential. She was not as rash as some people tended to be after learning of having near super human powers. He walked into the hotel, nodding to the door man. He took the elevator up to the fourth floor. He pulled out his key and walked into room 406, showing the rather normal looking hotel room. He walked over to one of the dressers and pulled the drawer out, he checked underneath it and pulled out a chilled blood pack. He opened the cap and start sucking down on it.
"man that hits the spot, I used up way to much today." He looked at her while sipping the blood pack.
"So, I take it you have a few more questions no? well there is a little time left in the night, so ask them. Then we shall turn in for the day and I will teach you to hunt tomorrow."

Somehow, it felt like this entire night had been one drawn out game of Q&A. A game including hunters and the consumption of human blood, of course, but at the moment she refused to let herself think about that latter one, her freaking out about possibly killing someone was NOT needed right now.
So, more questions. Best something to occupy her mind long enough to actually forget about the blood sucking…

“Do vampires have jobs? If they do, what kind of jobs, and how do I get one?
Also, to avoid uncomfortable surprises in the future, are there other mythical creatures aside from… us, I guess, that are real as well? Like Werwolves, fairies, tengus, dshinni, and, of course, the abominable snowman.”

Dhani laughed "Of course and to answer your question, yes I have. Since I live here I will be starting here in tiergardenand make my way to mitte." He took a drink and tapped his chin as if he was thinking. "What really bothers me is the increase in hunter activity as well as their numbers. Could someone be alerting the humans of our presenceand if so, who?" Dhani paced the room as he thought to himself.

Drakon would later board the truck drove by Ivan. Whether the Giovanni would accompany the two or take his own vehicle was of course his own choice, but regardless the disguised Tzimisce would make its way in the direction of Treptow. At the current pace of travel, it would not be too long before they arrived.

"Will the three of us wish to operate as a single unit, or search this urban sector separately for anything of interest and then assemble?" It spoke in that eastern accent into the handheld radio, simultaneously testing its operation and also inquiring what Maximilian preferred.

Leontel

Leontel waited a moment, letting the information run through his head. She didn't know it but he was testing her as much as answering her. The type of questions she asks would show what kind of person she was, how she thought and prioritized things. So far the best thing he could think up is that she didn't have a lot of imagination, but was at least practical and can be cautious. So that was good.
He leaned back and shrugged.
"If you are referring to A nine to five job like most mortals have, well some vampires have those, though most that have human jobs mostly never go themselves as they need to be there during the day, so they get humans to do it for them, controling them through sevral ways. A lot CEOs of big companies really are blood suckers, or at least controled by them. On the other hand you could always get a position in a Prince's court, each one always has sevral positions and with those comes power and respect, but not with out its share of danger."
"As for your other questions; Yes, yes, Probably but I have never been that far east, yes and really they are not that abominable once you get to know them."



Felix

He smirked a bit
"Thats some dangurous thinking there, The prince was right to give this task to you."
He looked up at the ceiling and thought for a bit.
"Just about every vampire has a ghoul or some klind of contact with the human world, so chasing down a lead that way would be very difficult. I could use my own leads but that might alert who ever this is that we are on to him, Sorry my firend but looks like you'll need to do some ground work."

M.G. Rode in the same vehicle as Drakon. He was not going to waste his time hypnotizing or paying for another cab to take them to the say destination. He fiddled with the Walkie talkie given to him by the man. Radios have become more compact remarked M.G. He turned his attentions back to Drakon,
"I think we shall split up and get as much information as possible. Staying in radio contact of course with updates, also just in case one of us gets ito any sort of ....trouble."

Of course he was pretty certain that Drakon would be late to help him in any instance of an attack. He would do the same.

Dhani smirked and finished off his glass.
"Indeed it is my friend. I understand your reasoning as well. I shall make do with the cards that the twisted lady of fate has dealt me, so far Ive been lucky. "

Dhani grabbed his coat and stood by the door, "after you my friend."

Leontel and her continued their little chat of vampire politics 101 for a while, with the Ravnos giving her the basics about the three main sects and a bit more details about what was supposed to be her “clan”. It was way too much and complex information for her to understand everything, aside from the possibility that a Lasombra would have a hard time with this so called Camarilla. That naturally upset her, but the sun was rising, and there really wasn’t any more time for more talk or angst. So they wrapped up the night with a short argument about who should take the bed and who’d sleep on the floor. While Lea as usually for her insisted on not wanting to impose, this being his room and all, he was a centuries old gentleman most likely from a time where they had etiquettes already forgotten in this day and age, and had her conceding to take the bed before she knew what had happened.

Leontel

Leontel laid down on the couch with a bit of a smirk, one thing that never failed him was his ability to talk in circles. He pulled his fedora over his face and drifted into what vampires considered "sleeping" the next night should prove amusing, with the casino next door it would prove an interesting way to make a few bucks and give her a chance to try out some of her more discrete powers. Best case, they walk out of their rich, worst case.... Well best now to dwell on that.

Felix

He smiled as he walked out, as always his faithful black hound padding along beside him.
He reached into is pocket and pulled out a small card, turning he handed it to Dhani.
"I have other matters that need attending at the moment, Sherrifs work is never done. Here is a number you can reach me at though. If you find something of note just leave a message starting with 'Merry bell' then whatever information you have. Don't worry, I'll find you." He said with a bit of a smirk on his face.