Chapter 36: Old Friends & Lost Humanity
I stepped out of the cab into the falling rain.
It wasn't too bad, but it was enough to soak through my clothes if I stood around long enough, so I sought shelter, if only to light up a cigarette. I looked up and saw the Asylum looming ahead of me, and I couldn't help but shudder a little. Last place I want to be, after what happened last time I visited. God, it's been so long... I wonder what Therese is up to these nights? Not that I'm that desperate enough to know that I'd go in and ask her. I'll go ask Tung if I'm really curious. Still, it was kind of funny thinking over how much Therese had terrified me. I'd dealt with far worse over the last couple of nights. The Sabbat were the worst, but Pisha had been formidable, and the situation with the Anarchs was starting to really worry me. They would kill me without a second thought. Still, though... she's terrifying in a different way. I still don't know what that weird ritual did. But I can imagine what that drop of blood did...
As I sat down on a bench, next to a tired, freaky clubgoer, I had a comforting sense of familiarity and security settle on me. Santa Monica was far less dangerous than downtown LA had proved to be. As I pulled out a cigarette, the guy next to me asked, "Hey, can I bum one?" Right as I was about to tell him to buy his own pack, I pulled out my zippo, and thought back to a few nights ago when I had bummed that very lighter and never given it back. It made me smile, and decide to engage in a small, insignificant act of generosity. I pulled out a cig and handed it over. "Thanks, man," the young twenty-something in jeans and a white t-shirt replied. "Can I get a light?" I made it a point to light his cig rather than hand over the lighter, in case he accidentally took it like I had. As the light hit his face, I saw he had dark circles under his eyes, hidden by low hanging black bangs. I sat back and tried to relax. The guy, however, felt like being social. "Thanks again. I spent the last of my money on drinks tonight. Payday's tomorrow, so I'm broke. Bills are a bitch."
I smiled. I almost forgot about such mortal concerns. Haven't had access to a bank account, haven't had to worry about paying rent or bills or anything. Of course, I've had plenty of other things to worry about... Still, it's one aspect of being human I've been separated from. It's only been... what, five nights of being a Kindred? Feels like forever. Feels like I can barely remember what it was like to work a regular job and worry about such mundane things. "Yeah, bills and rent can take all your money some months," was all I could think of to reply.
"Yeah, man. I try and get out every so often, just to keep from going crazy, but it's expensive."
"Well," I replied, "if you're trying to keep from going crazy I don't know if The Asylum is the best place."
The guy laughed. "Yeah, well, I guess you're right. You come here often? You from around here?"
Great, personal questions. I took a drag before answering, "I'm not from around here, but I used to come here often. Not so much any more."
He took a drag before replying. "You too, huh? Everyone's been saying the club hasn't been the same since Jeanette left."
Oh, I can imagine it's a lot different. "Yeah, I bet. It's not why I haven't been coming, though. Never really liked her that much, anyway."
"I hear you, man. I never went in for her lunatic sexpot act, anyway. It's just that... well, her sister – I don't even know her name – doesn't really give a fuck about the place. She runs the numbers or something, I guess, but since Jeanette skipped town everyone says this place got boring. Say what you will about her, she knew how to party."
I nodded, finishing another drag. "Yeah, it was one of the few things she was good at." As curious as I was about what was happening in my old neighborhood, I realized that I was supposed to meet with Mercurio, and he could tell me far more about events around here. So I just told the mortal, "Hey, I gotta go meet up with someone, but I might see you around." With that, I got up and walked away into the rain.
I didn't have to stay wet too long – I ended up in the parking lot that headed down to the beach. As I wandered along, I became comforted by the simple normalcy of the place, by its familiarity. Lately I had been wandering through so much that was new and unfamiliar, strange and dangerous, I had started to just become disoriented and jumpy, paranoid about threats jumping out from any corner. There were a few familiar places – the Chantry, the Confession, but even then I'd had to be on point, paying attention to every detail, figuring out how to play my hand. I realized I'd been really high strung ever since I'd come downtown. And soon, I'm going to finally be around a person I don't have to be paranoid about...
There he was, right in front of the stairs that led down to the beach, leaning against the wall, smoking a cig. He had improved vastly. He was standing upright, in a nice new gray suit and purple shirt, and his face was a lot more handsome, now that the lumps and bruises were gone. I finally got to see what he looked like properly – a somewhat large chin, high cheeks, and slightly sunken and blue eyes were framed by smooth brown hair neatly parted down the middle of his head. My face lit up as soon as I saw him. I realized how much I'd missed what might very well be my only friend. "Mercurio!" I shouted, walking over to him.
Mercurio smiled and moved away from the wall. "Lucius! C'mere, you tough bastard!" He pulled me into a hug, something I'd rarely done while alive and never done while dead. The feeling invigorated me, made me feel alive and human again. For a moment I felt true compassion. We separated and I smiled back at him. "Uh, sorry if I was too familiar there. I don't normally get that way with you types, but, uh..." I waved away his concerns, laughing. He looked me over. "You look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you. Nice suit. Told you my guy would hook you up."
I chuckled. "Speak for yourself. Last time I saw you your face was mass of lumps and you were being wheeled around on a stretcher. You healed up fast."
Mercurio shrugged. "That blood you guys got is an amazing thing. Closed up all my wounds, after our in-house doctor put everything back in its right place. I needed that beating. Good reminder not to overestimate my ability. Last time it's gonna happen."
I nodded and smiled. "I hope so. I like having you around. How have you been?"
"I've been great. By the way, thanks a million for covering for me."
I waved away his thanks. "It was nothing. Least I could do after all the help you gave me."
Mercurio shook his head. "Nah, man. It's not nothing. It means a lot. I mean, what can I say, you preserved my ass. I truly appreciate you not saying anything, and I want you to know I take care of those that do me favors. So from now on, you need equipment, info, or just a place to hang out and drink and talk, you come to my apartment. Don't hesitate."
I felt almost overwhelmed, knowing a had a true ally I could count on, a true safe haven. How long have I been forced to watch everyone, never feeling safe? And I know I can trust him, I've earned this. "Thanks, man. It means a lot. Downtown has been... rough. It's good to know you've got my back."
He looked a little worried. "Yeah man, I got you. Just, uh, don't bring too many pissed off Kindred to my door, yeah?"
I shook my head. "I won't put you in any danger. I'm just saying, it seems like everyone is trying to play with my head, or get me to join their cause, or use me, and those are just the ones that make sense. I've been dealing with some insane supernatural shit lately. Which I'll also keep out of your place," I said, holding my hands up when I saw the look on his face. "I'm working on getting my own place where I can mess around with that and hole up if I need to. If I come out to you, it's gonna be to get away from that, feel normal, and hang out."
Mercurio smiled. "Sounds good. You got a good head on your shoulders. Just had to make sure. I just got my shit nice and secure, not trying to have it fucked up."
"I figured. Wish I had things that secure. How have things been in Santa Monica since I left?"
Mercurio puffed on his cigarette, then answered. "Quiet. I've been put in charge of connecting Therese's operation into the big Camarilla conglomerate. First order of business was streamlining the blood donations. Just worked out a big deal with LA city hall to funnel money into this hospital. Wasn't hard, what with the one downtown being blown up. We've been organizing a community wide blood drive for the victims of the latest disease outbreak."
I puffed on my cig, a little put off by having the insanity in the hospital brought up. "Yeah, I saw the downtown hospital firsthand. I've been investigating the plague."
Mercurio whistled, impressed. "Damn kid, you've been busy. I wouldn't want to wade into that mess. So it's supernatural?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Group of Kindred are intentionally spreading it. Some sort of apocalyptic death cult. The one Plaguebearer I took out claimed they weren't Sabbat, but then again, they were playing head games with the Anarch I was working with."
Mercurio eyed me sideways. "You're working with those nuts? Be careful. They're... unpredictable, from what I've seen."
I snorted. "More like unreliable. I was working with them on the advice of LaCroix and my clan. Said I needed some muscle. Instead, the guy got played, staked, and I barely survived to kill the psycho."
Mercurio smiled. "Hey, at least you're still here. I gotta hand it to you, kid. You don't let anything get in your way. You're turning into a real powerhouse."
I chuckled and turned down my eyes, a little embarrassed by the compliment. "I guess. I'm just trying to get by and stay alive – well, keep existing. Anyway, we're closing in on the source of the disease, but we got more work to do."
Mercurio shrugged. "Well, I'm glad someone's working on it. I'm especially glad it's someone who knows what they're doing. I do gotta say, though, the plague is good for business right now. See, LaCroix suggested sending the victims into Santa Monica, what with it still having a working hospital and all, but Therese was definitely not about that. I actually managed to get between those two primadonnas and come up with a solution. Ballsy move, but I had to do what I had to."
I whistled, impressed. "Did it work?"
Mercurio nodded and smiled. "Hell yeah. I just brought up the fact that if it's a supernatural disease, nothings gonna cure the victims anyway, so why ruin one of the few places with clean blood? Instead, we could milk the crisis and make money off it. I helped work with the city council to organize a massive blood drive for the victims outta the Santa Monica Hospital. But instead of giving it to the sick, we sell the blood, and just send the sick to some podunk hospital out of the city, to be quarantined and die off safely away from everyone."
I shuddered a little at how harsh that was, but I'd seen too much death to really be bothered. "Makes sense. Nothing we can do for them anyway. May as well save those we can – those who are still healthy. And by selling the blood, we keep any Kindred downtown from becoming disease vectors"
"Huh. I didn't even think of that last angle. I was just trying to keep the plague out of Santa Monica while making Therese and LaCroix money, and if we save some lives, hey, good deal. Key thing is to keep most Kindred out of Santa Monica, don't advertise that it's clean except to a certain clientele, and just sell the donated blood downtown. It's worked so far. I think the warehouse you blew sky high has everyone jumpy about coming down here, and Therese joining the Cam and getting rid of Jeanette is still on the down low. So most Kindred just think it's nuts out here. I think the announcement of Therese making Santa Monica Camarilla turf to the bigwigs will be tomorrow, making it official and everything, but they'll want to keep it to themselves, since if they know where to go to score clean blood, they aren't about to fuck that up by letting the rabble flood this place."
I furrowed my brow in thought, confused. "Wait, why don't they just have the blood delivered?"
Mercurio shook his head. "They want the fresh stuff, straight out the vein. They're coming here for the whores – or, for the especially picky ones, mortals at The Asylum."
I nodded. Donated blood for the masses, fresh blood for the elite. Of course, Tung will get word out to the Nosferatu, but it's not like they can show their faces outside the alleys anyway. It's not a bad system, except... "I heard The Asylum is going downhill without Jeanette to run it."
Mercurio nodded. "Yeah, I've heard that on the street, too. Damn, kid. You're sharp. Yeah, Therese managed the books, but Jeanette kept the actual party going. Not much I can do about that – it's Therese' personal domain, her haven, not gonna step on those toes. I'm not really worried, though. See, I've kind of been put in charge of managing the whores. It's been... fun."
I laughed. "I'm sure. Just make sure you, uh, don't catch anything."
Mercurio laughed along with me. "Kid, I knew to use protection when it was illegal in most states. You don't live this long being stupid. I mean, as a Ghoul, yeah, I'd survive anything, but I'm not trying to spend eternity with my junk burning. Besides, it's been more business than pleasure."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? I'm sure it's been such hard work, being a pimp. What exactly does being a pimp entail, anyway?"
Mercurio rolled his eyes. "Really, it's just making sure there are no issues with Johns. Had to fuck up a few assholes who thought they could treat the girls like shit. That felt good. The other side of the coin is making sure the girls don't rip off Therese. Apparently Jeanette had the girls scared out of their mind. I use a much more humane method. See, most pimps just beat the girls if they short 'em, but I used to work for one of the New York mobs – which, despite its reputation, is pretty decent and honorable. See, what they did, and what I do, is make it clear that if the girls don't do right by their employer, well, we control the local cops, so the boys in blue – who normally look the other way – will suddenly start arresting you for prostitution. That simple. No violence, just pay up or you can't do business in this town. I mean, they could always move downtown and risk catching death, or they can just pay up and stay where it's safe. It's pretty simple. Even a dumb whore could figure it out. And most do."
That struck a chord. I thought of Hannah, of Sherry. "That's a little harsh, man. Most of those girls don't have any other option."
Mercurio looked at me with surprise. "Yeah, I mean, you're right. I was just trying to be funny. Didn't expect you to be so soft. Most Kindred... it's hard to keep them from killing the whores. I guess you got more Humanity than most."
Do I? After all I killed Sherry in a fit of hunger... On top of that, I've been through so much. I'm so far beyond human, I've explored the absolute limits of what a supernatural being can survive. I've seen beyond the veil of death and am so disconnected from normal human life... but I've also experienced so many lives, I just can't discount their life experiences. I guess... "It's more that you're being inaccurate. Don't underestimate the intelligence of the girls who work under you. They might be able to play you if you think of them as dumb whores. And some of them might be useful in ways you didn't expect. But also, you know, they are complete humans with stories and stuff. For what that's worth."
Mercurio nodded and thought for a second, finishing his cigarette with a final puff and throwing it away. "Fair enough. Anyway, let's get back to the mission I'm supposed to be helping you with."
Right. Task at hand. "So, what's the deal with the Dane?"
Mercurio went right to business. "Basically, I got a boat on the beach, you take it out to the docking point on the Dane. Heinz is our contact guy, a cop on the take. He thinks you're a journalist, and he's doing some newspaper a favor in exchange for a payoff. Play that role. He'll get you in, you grab the info, you get out. Nice and simple. A lot better than that business with the warehouse." Good. About time things went smoothly. "But, there's a problem." Of course. As though it would be that easy. "See, there's a bunch of Kindred down on the beach. They were staring at me something fierce when I rolled up with my boat. I booked it up here and basically was hoping to God they wouldn't follow me up here. I don't know what they're all about, but they seem like trouble."
Wait a second... they wouldn't be... "Was one of them shirtless and ripped?"
Mercurio did a double take. "Yeah. You know them?"
I laughed. For once, no bullshit to deal with. "Yep. They're Thin Bloods. No threat to anyone. We could probably take them. But we don't have to. I helped them out. They're cool with me." God, it's been forever since I saw them. They were the first Kindred to treat me decently. I wonder how they're doing?
Mercurio let out a breath and relaxed. "Thank God. I thought shit was about to go down."
I laughed a little at his comment. I don't know if he even exists to thank. After what I've seen of the afterlife... but, hell, who knows. Whatever. Task at hand. "Nah, we're good. I'll go down with you and talk with them." I tossed my dead cig and gestured down the stairs with my head.
Mercurio smiled. "Man, you're getting more connected than me. Let's go, kid."
We walked down the stairs and came out on the beach. The Thin-Bloods were huddled around the same fire, keeping warm and dry. The rain had slowed to a drizzle.
"Oh my god, Lucius!" Lilly exclaimed as soon as I came within sight of their fire. She was wearing a yellow hoodie now, and under it a t-shirt with some complex geometric design. I guess she was done with the tye-dye. She came running over to me and pulled me into the second embrace of the night. The action revitalized me again, reminding me of what it was like to feel genuinely compassionate, to feel human again. I squeezed back before she let me go. "It's been forever! How are you?"
I smiled as the group walked over to me, glad to feel appreciated and cared for. That's worth more than I ever realized. E looked the same, still shirtless. Rosa was still staring off into space, and was wearing the same clothes, the same patterned brown leather jacket. Julius still had the mowhawk, but was sporting a black shirt with 'The Cure' written on the front. Copper was wearing another nondescript t-shirt, and still looked pained and nervous. I replied to Lilly. "I've been alright, I guess. Things have been dangerous and difficult, but I've been surviving... barely. Kindred politics is insane. You're kind of lucky you don't have to deal with it. How have you been?"
Lilly shurgged. "Just been surviving. We've figured out how to find blood – barely. But we're about to get out of here. I've been talking with my parents, and E and I are about to move out their place. Um... who's your friend?"
I turned to Mercurio. "Oh, right. Guys, this is Mercurio, a good friend of mine. He's actually one of the best people to know in Santa Monica. Mercurio, this is Lilly." They shook hands. "This shirtless Australian is E."
E extended his hand. "G'day, mate."
Mercurio took his hand. "Huh. Can't say I've ever met an Australian vampire. Good to meet you."
"This is Julius, and this is Copper." They each shook his hand in turn. "And the young woman staring at you so intently is Rosa."
Rosa walked up to Mercurio, staring him in the eyes for a moment before telling him, "You are one he can trust absolutely, no matter what path he chooses."
Mercurio pulled back his hand and stared at her. "Nice to meet you, too."
"D-d-d-don't mind her," Julius stuttered. "Sh-she has v-v-v-visions."
"Huh," was all Mercurio replied, looking Rosa over.
Rosa blinked, then seemed to come to. "I... forgive me, I know not what I say. I am Rosa."
Mercurio took her extended hand and shook it, still looking at her askance. I should try and end the awkwardness by changing the subject. "So, Lilly, you're all moving in with your parents? How's that going to work? I mean, you can't tell them what you are. You sure you can keep up the Masquerade? Because if it breaks anywhere, we're all screwed."
Lilly's eyes went down and to the left. "Well, see, we aren't all going out there..."
"Yeah, and what are the rest of us going to do!" Copper exclaimed. "We're getting evicted tomorrow night, and we have nowhere to go! You've gotta help us out!"
Lilly sighed. "For the last time, Copper, I just can't take you all. It was tough convincing my parents to accept E, but they know I really love him, so..."
"Still," I interrupted, "even with just the two of you, it's gonna be tough. Will you be living in the same house as them? How will you get blood?"
"Oh, Lilly and I thought of all that already," E replied.
"Yeah!" Lilly interjected. "See, I've got it all figured out. My parents have this place out in the middle of nowhere in Oregon. We should be okay out there. As long as we're together." Lilly turned to E and smiled at him before turning back to me. "They have a small house, and I figured they would be uncomfortable with E and I living under the same roof with them. But they have a lot of land, and they have this structure out there in the middle of it. Not a full house – more like a shack. No power, but it's got a well and a septic tank and we could run a generator out there. It's real rickety, needs some work, but it's suntight. We're gonna live out there. See, my parents, they're getting old, and need help with the land. They've been asking me for awhile, but you know, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life on some freaking farm – I'm young, I wanted to see LA, get out there and live life!"
"Well," I remarked, "I guess you're done doing that."
"I, what? Oh. Ha. Funny." Lilly's face fell a little. E laughed at my joke, though. "Yeah, anyway, they're ecstatic that I'm finally coming back. I told them I found the love of my life and wanted to settle down with him, that I was done with LA. All true, just leaves out certain details. So we'll fix the place up, live out there. They've got animals out on their land. Sheep, mostly. We'll live off animal blood – either the sheep or the wild animals around the property."
I nodded, approving. Dunno if it would work for most Kindred, but I think Thin-Bloods can live off animal blood only. "Makes sense. Still, how will you deal with it when your parents wonder why you can't come out at night?"
"Well..." Lilly turned her eyes to the right, scratching her head, "I mean, I've got this skill, where I can just sort of get people to believe what I say. I think it might have something to do with the Vampire blood, I don't know."
"Presence," Mercurio popped in. "Was your sire Toreador?"
"I have no idea!" Lilly exclaimed. "Rolf just left as soon as I was Embraced. He just abandoned me! I don't know anything about being a Vampire!"
"Well," E interjected, "Lucius taught us the basics. Like the Masquerade."
Mercurio lit another cigarette. "Well," he said after lighting up, "that's something. Puts my head at ease a little. Cause if you fuck up in this town, I'm responsible for cleaning up the mess. Look, no offense, kids, but you need to take that seriously. That's why Kindred go around killing your kind. They're scared of a bunch of you Thin-Bloods wandering around with no idea of what they're doing breaking the Masquerade. You aren't careful, you'll bring hunters down on our asses."
"H-h-hunters?" Julius asked.
Mercurio nodded. "Yeah. Vampire Hunters. Some are just lone nuts, people who saw something they shouldn't have and are on a personal crusade. There's a government agency that investigates the supernatural. They're mostly ridiculed, Scully and Moulder style. But they find enough weird shit to keep themselves funded, and like the two agents in the X-files they keep looking for more, no matter how far-fetched. But the worst of the lot, the ones you really gotta watch out for, are the Society of Leopold."
"Who?" I asked. This is serious. I need to know this.
"Ah, shit kid. No one's told you about them yet?" I shook my head. "Damnit, why do they keep you in the dark so much? It ain't right... anyway, let me give you the low down. All of you, pay attention." They were, everyone's face dead serious. "These guys are an old order in the Catholic Church. They go way back, back to the Inquisition. They're true believers, all, and they know about Vampires and have dedicated themselves to hunting your kind down. They know your kind's strengths and weaknesses. They've killed stronger Kindred than any of you. You lot wouldn't stand a chance. Except maybe for you, Lucius. And even then, only if you get lucky. So keep your heads down and keep up the Masquerade. Or they'll come for you. And they'll burn you in your beds while you sleep during the day. And that's if other Kindred don't kill you first to keep those guys outta town."
There was dead silence after that. I didn't know what to say. I stared off at the fire, thinking. As though I didn't have enough to deal with. What if they're in town already, because of the plague? How thin is the ice we walk on? I shuddered, brought away from my connection to my friends, back to the dark dangerous world of Kindred I had hoped I'd escaped if only briefly. There is no escape. It's what I am.
E broke the depressing silence. "Well, I mean, I can actually help us keep up appearances. I've figured out I can go out during the day!"
Lilly looked over at him with worry. "We aren't completely sure, and I don't want to push it, E..."
"Wait a sec," Mercurio interrupted. "I've heard rumors about Thin-Bloods being able to do this, but only in conversations I overheard about your kind. Never had the chance to find out for myself. I'm curious. Can you all do this?"
Lilly shook her head. "No, definitely not. I pass out right at sunset, and sunlight burns like death. I'm not even sure E can," she said, glaring over at him.
"How'd you find out?" I asked. "What makes you think you can?"
"Well," E began, "it started at the end of last night. Lilly and everyone else passed right out – we all stay in Lilly's apartment, have been since I met everyone else. If she hadn't given me the key to her place, I don't know what the rest of us would have done!"
"We would have burned," Copper said. "Like we will when we get evicted tomorrow."
Lilly sighed, but E just went on. "Well, I wouldn't have. See, while the rest of them were sleeping like the dead, I just couldn't sleep. I felt tired, but my mind was restless, thinking about the move, about what we would do, and I... I just stayed up past the sunrise. I was inside, but I was curious, and I... I covered myself up completely in a hoodie, and I opened a window in another room, letting in a little sunlight. I was terrified at first, and it hurt, but I just stood there, and I took it, and... I think, if I'm careful and I'm not in full sun, I can go out in the day!"
Lilly shouted, getting hysterical. "I don't want you risking it! What if you get hurt? What if you die? What will I do without you?"
"And what if I have to to keep us from being found out? Mercurio just told us, we can get hurt if we aren't careful either way. I won't just jump into it. I'll train myself. Take a little more sun each day. But if I can, that helps us a lot. And I can eat food! It, uh, doesn't come out right, and makes me feel sick, but I can keep it down. I can pass as human if I have to."
"Huh," Mercurio said. "That's weird. And none of you can do that? I wonder why?" Silence stretched on for a bit.
"Maybe," I replied, "it's because E was embraced by Lilly, while Lilly was Embraced by a normal Kindred. I assume that's the case for the rest of you?"
Julius nodded. "Y-y-yeah. He was d-d-definitely superhuman. St-st-strong, fast... p-p-p-powerful."
Copper shrugged. "I dunno. I just met her at some party, and went home with her, and woke up like this, and she was fucking gone!"
"That's responsible," Mercurio muttered under his breath. "What about you, Rosa?"
Rosa stared up at the sky and spoke. "My sire, they came to me as a shifting shadow, a vision, speaking of the great beyond, of things unseen by mortals, things I had glimpsed. They spoke of destiny. They came and went as though a vision in a dream... or a nightmare."
"Uh huh. Sounds Malkavian. Explains a lot." He noticed the questioning looks. "They're, uh... the crazy Kindred. But they do have visions of things, though separating the truth from the crazy isn't usually worth the time. Anyway, this is all starting to add up. E is higher generation than the rest of you, so he's more human-like."
"Higher generation? What's that, mate?" E asked. Glad he's asking the questions. I hate looking ignorant. It was bad enough not knowing about the Society of Leopold. Funny, though, how Mercurio has told me more about being Kindred than any actual Kindred. Except for Jack. Goes to show who I can really trust. I mean, if Rosa's visions are to be trusted, it just confirms what I already know.
Mercurio sighed. "You didn't tell them much, did you Lucius?"
I shrugged. "I was in a hurry. Had to get back to you with the Astrolite and the painkillers."
"Oh shit, you met them that far back?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Rosa knew exactly where to go and who I needed to see. Then she came out of her trance and did her whole, 'I know not what I do' thing."
Rosa looked over, bewildered. "I still don't understand. The visions, they come on me. They are more a curse than a gift."
"Huh," was all Mercurio said. "Well, anyway, generation is like... okay, so clearly there was some first Vampire. Some people think it was Caine. You know, like from the Bible?"
Copper went wide-eyed. "So he's the head vampire? If we kill him, do we lift this curse?"
"Heh. Funny. A lot of Kindred think Vampirism is the curse from God in the Bible. I personally don't buy it. Seems like way too sweet a deal. Anyway, good luck finding Caine, if that's your plan. Lots of Kindred way older than you been trying for centuries. Plus, he'd be a powerhouse. See, the lower generation a Kindred is, the more powerful their blood. Whether it was Caine or not, someone started this whole thing. They'd be first generation. The Kindred he Embraced would be second, and the ones they Embraced would be third. The Third generation is supposedly the Antediluvians, from before the flood in the Bible. They supposedly started the clans, and have so much power they were worshiped like gods. Could toss around mountains and shit. Dunno how much truth there is to all this, most Kindred think all that's crap." Me included. "But, I will tell you, if Caine is real, no way you're taking him on. But hey, you want to waste your afterlife chasing a legend no one's found, trying to kill someone who could flick skyscrapers with his pinky, good luck. Just don't fuck up the Masquerade while doing it and I could care less." I smiled at that. Merc, you sure have a way of putting things into perspective. "But we do know that lower generations tend to be stronger than higher. Maybe it's just an age thing, and the whole 'generations close to Caine' thing is a way of keeping the young ones down. I've heard the Anarchs go on about that. But then I've also seen young fledglings way stronger than their elders, just because they were Embraced by someone lower generation. I kinda think that's what's going on with you, Lucius. Was your sire old?"
I nodded, suddenly understanding my nature in a new light. If her blood was potent, then mine would be, too... "Yeah, older than the country, apparently."
Mercurio's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. "Damn, now there's a badass claim to fame. I knew there was a reason you were still alive, aside from how clever you are. Makes sense." Yeah, it really does. This is really helping me put my whole afterlife into perspective. "So anyway," Mercurio said, turning back to the Thin-Bloods, "you guys are on the opposite end. You're all high generation, far from the first Kindred. But E is the highest, higher than the rest of you. I bet you E can't even Embrace any more Kindred, since it looks like he's barely Kindred at all. No offense, E. But, hey, look on the bright side – apparently, when you hit the absolute bottom of that barrel, you start to get some benefits. I guess there has to be some kind of upside. So you're more human than the rest of these guys. So, hell, work with what you got. If you think you can pull off being in the sun, do it. Be careful, test your limits, but do it. Hell, there's plenty of Kindred that would kill for the chance to see a sunrise. Some have even died for it. Mostly Toreador."
Lilly looked up at that last word. "There's that word again. What's it mean?"
Mercurio shook his head. "Ignorant kids, and I'll be damned if they don't end up being my problem..." he muttered, before speaking up. "Toreador's a clan, like the Malkavians. They're, ah... the pretty ones. The artists. Was your sire, sort of, well dressed? Social butterfly? Super attractive?"
Lilly looked down, her face turning red. "Yeah, that's Rolf," she replied.
Mercurio lit a new cigarette. "Right, so, it makes sense even a Thin-Blood like you would have a little Presence, which lets you convince other people to do what you want them to. So, that's something to work with. Between the two of you, you might be alright."
"Yeah, and the rest of us won't!" Copper exclaimed. "What are we gonna do?"
"Look, Copper," Lilly replied, getting angry, "I don't know, but it's not my problem! I'm getting evicted, too, I have nowhere else to go, and I can't take you with me! And that's just how it is!"
Ugh. I don't want to be here for this. Time to focus on the task at hand. "Speaking of generations, I got to go from these high generations to go deal with what might be a real low one."
Mercurio laughed at that. "Hopefully not. I hear they wake up hungry."
I shuddered a little. "Well, I mean, it's full of cops, and none have disappeared yet... right?"
Mercurio shook his head. "Nah. I was just joking. You're fine. But still, be careful. I think there should be security footage of the sarcophagus, so, you know, just to be sure, avoid going near it."
I nodded. "Thanks. I'll definitely avoid it if I can. I've heard about the tastes of hungry elders."
"W-w-what's going on?" Julius asked.
I sighed. "Nothing you want to get involved with. I wouldn't be if I didn't have to."
"Hey man," Mercurio told me, "you'll be fine. I'm sure LaCroix wouldn't throw you into the lion's den."
I smirked at that. "Right. Because he definitely kept me safe with that Sabbat warehouse." Mercurio looked down and to the right. Man, I forget he's LaCroix's ghoul sometimes. "Hey, I'm just joking. I'm sure it's fine. That whole thing... it was a shitshow, yeah, but I don't think anyone could have predicted it or helped us. We handled it. This will be a walk in the park." I don't believe any of that, but I don't want Mercurio upset. He didn't create this mess.
Mercurio took a drag, looked up, and smiled. "Yeah. This is clear-cut. You remember the info on your contact?" I nodded. He repeated the info anyway. "Heinz. A cop on the take from Jacobson, a newspaper editor. You're playing the role of reporter. You look the part well enough. Nothing there but cops. If you run into trouble, talk your way out of it or Dominate them. The Dane's right there," Mercurio said, pointing out to a large shape on the horizon. "Just pull up to the back. There should be a way up there. Heinz will be there, he's on shift there tonight, had Jacobson make sure of it. You got this."
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I've got this. Thanks Mercurio." Turning to the Thin Bloods, I told them, "Well, it was good seeing all of you, but if you all don't mind, I have a job to do." I walked over to the small inflatable boat with an engine and propeller on the back.
On my way over, though, Rosa stopped me. She put a hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes for an uncomfortable moment before speaking. "What you seek, it is not what you think it is, but dangerous still. In ways you and the Prince and all others who play for it cannot understand until it is too late. Remember what I say before. Don't. Open. It." With those last words, she blinked and took her hand off my shoulder, then looked around, confused.
"Um..." What do I say to that? "Thanks for the advice. I wasn't going to, anyway. Um... bye now." As I was about to get in the boat, a thought occurred to me. "Hey, Mercurio, if you could, maybe..." I want to ask him to help, but... "advise the Thin-Bloods who are gonna be stuck here on how to handle themselves. You know, help them stay out of trouble." There. That helps them without asking that much from Mercurio. Making sure they're okay is important to keeping up the Masquerade, so it kind of points that out without being too obnoxious, without being too much of a burden on him. Before he could reply, I said, "I'm out of here," and hopped in the boat, firing up the motor.
… … …
I pulled up to the place Mercurio had told me to go, idling near the Dane to not make too much noise. Sure enough, there was a rope ladder there, waiting for me. Alright, time to do this. You've got this. You've dealt with far worse. Nothing to worry about. Hopefully. I climbed the ladder and swung over the guardrail onto the boat. I looked around carefully, and saw a cop standing nearby. Is that Heinz? Only one way to find out. I walked directly and openly up to him. He quickly noticed me, and whispered loudly, "Yo, pally, over here!" As I continued walking over to him, he asked, "That's you, right?"
I nodded as I walked up to him, telling him, "Yeah. Jacobson sent me. You're Heinz?"
He nodded. The cop was in a standard uniform, badge and gun and all, with slicked back black hair and bulging blue eyes surrounded with dark circles. He looked me over dismissively. "Ah for Chrissakes... tell Jacobson that if the plans on making editor-in-chief he's gotta start working with me. I can't keep getting him these scoops if he's gonna send in High School journalists who don't know enough to wear something that would blend in."
Great, yet again sent in without proper information. Play it cool. "Um... Jacobson said you could get me in. What was I supposed to wear?"
Heinz sighed. "Look, you look fine for a black tie event, but Jeez, what kind of Woodstein don't think to at least show up dressed like and investigator, a coast guard guy, somethin'... Didn't you ever see 'Fletch?' What, are they just handin' out diplomas these days?"
I was offended by his attitude, but at the same time... I guess I should have thought of that. Paul would have. Wonder what he thinks of all this? I put him out of my mind. Not the time to be talking to invisible ghosts. "My bad," was all I could say. "But look, I'm here now, so lets just get this handled as fast as possible. It shouldn't matter, since I'm good at going unnoticed. That's why I'm here. Can you help me? Where do I need to go?"
Heinz looked me over again, then sighed. "Alright, look, I got you a copy of the initial report. Here." There we go. Progress already, I thought as I took a clipboard with papers on it. "I can get you into the cabin, but you gotta make yourself real scarce after that. Anybody catches you, I don't know you. And no goddamn flash photograpy, brainchild."
I nodded. "Do you see a big camera on me? Grainy cell phone pictures are fine. Though security footage is better. Where do I go to get that?"
Heinz waved my concerns away and grabbed a walkie-talkie. "Hold up a sec – Heinz to Marsh, Heinz to Marsh. Marsh, they need you up in the bridge, over..."
I heard the walkie-talkie reply, "Copy, over."
Heinz released the button on the device before looking back at me and saying, "There, the security room should be clear."
I nodded and smiled in appreciation. One less thing to deal with. What else should I worry about? "How do I get there?"
Heinz was all business now, pointing behind me. "Head down the stairs behind you and stay low. When you get down there, wait for me to call off the guy guarding gangway A. As soon as he leaves, get your ass movin'. And don't let him see you. I'll give you a couple of minutes but don't dilly-dally. In and out, okay?" I nodded again but it wasn't enough. "Don't forget to stay out of sight." Duh, been there, done that. ""If anyone sees you, you're on your own. Take the stairs up to the security room – there'll be a a computer in there. The password is lighthouse. Lighthouse. All one word. You getting this?"
I nodded. "Got it. I'll be in and out, fast and unnoticed. Appreciate the help, and so does Jacobson."
Heinz sneered. "Yeah, well tell Jacobson I expect twice my usual cut for this one."
Yeah, whatever. You probably won't be paid anything for this. But whatever makes you happy. "Will do." And with that, I walked past Heinz, putting him out of my mind.
I immediately started stalking carefully through the ship, acutely aware of my every move, making sure I didn't make a sound. Auspex heightened my senses, and I looked around for any sign of a cop, any small detail that might be important.
As I walked down the stairs past Heinz, still out in the open deck of the rusty metal ship, I immediately noticed a huge amount of blood splattered over the floor. Whatever made that was powerful. Looks like someone was torn limb from limb. Which... hold on, think a moment. Something doesn't add up. Why would a ravenous elder waste this much blood? I mean... maybe it was so hungry it just started getting messy, but... I snuck into a nearby hall, and found another huge bloodstain, this time with blood splattered on the ceiling. Okay, one messy feeding I could understand, but this... something isn't adding up. I couldn't help but think of Rosa's words – 'What you seek, it is not what you think it is, but dangerous still.' So what am I dealing with? Doesn't matter. Doesn't change what I have to do. I just need to stay away from the Sarcophagus and get the info I need. Task at hand.
The hallway ended in a doorway with a cop standing in it, though thankfully his back was turned. Still, no way to sneak past him with that narrow doorway. And who knows how long until he turns around. I carefully opened a metal door to my right, praying it didn't squeak, then checked around inside the room. No one. So far so good. I stepped inside and silently closed the door behind me. Feeling a little safer, I looked around. I was in a simple room, with three doors leading out. One said 'records,' so I figured it would be as good a place as any to start.
I entered the room, and there was nothing there but a table with scattered documents. I looked through them until I found what I was looking for – the Ship's manifest. I added it to the clipboard Heinz had given me with the preliminary police report and took a moment to look them both over. The report was just what I expected – a description of the various bloodstains, the lack of any sort of crew – the strangest part was how there was no sign of any bodies or even body parts, not a bit of skin or hair – just blood. Weird. Like something took everything except what a Kindred would want. The manifest didn't have anything of note on it but the sarcophagus – just various pottery shards from some archaeological dig. Looking through the papers on the table, I found one particularly interesting document – the captain's log. At first they headed out of Istanbul on October 10th, with some doctor worrying about the safety of the artifacts. It was uneventful for about a week, although some crew members started telling ghost stories and getting spooked for no reason – until things started getting weird. First two crew members went missing, presumably fallen overboard. Later, when the radio stopped working and the crate holding the sarcophagus was ripped open all at the same time, the Captain came to the conclusion that some sort of sabateaur was on boarde. Funny, how humans will grasp at any explanation that lets them hold on to their small little realities. Soon most of the crew was missing, blood was splattered all over, and the radio operator was gone. A particularly superstitious crew member, who had been telling ghost stories earlier, was curled up in his cabin chanting prayers. Good luck with that, buddy. Obviously didn't help. The last entry was the captain claiming the ship was cursed and hoping it would sink to the bottom of the ocean before.. and then the last entry ended. Before what? And cursed? That's strange. Nothing about a monster, or a walking corpse, or anything like that, just cursed. Why censor yourself, if you are going to admit the supernatural is real and tell the world that you want your ship to sink? It's... confusing. I added the log to the manifest and the police report on the clipboard, tucking everything away neatly.
I thought to myself, Well, I guess I need to examine the sarcophagus directly. Yeah, directly through a camera. Let's get to the security terminal... I exited out of a different door, and stopped dead in my tracks, realizing this way led back to the outer deck – and into lots of cops. I quietly closed the door and turned around. I looked around. There was another door up a set of stairs. I walked up there and carefully opened it, looking around for cops. No cops, nothing in here... except for a computer with security footage on the screen. Jackpot. I walked up to it and entered the password 'Lighthouse," accessing the security footage. I cycled through the various cameras, until I reached the one I needed. And there it was. I peered carefully at the screen, trying to pick out any details that might be important. The crate containing the sarcophagus was huge – and one side had been ripped to splinters like it was nothing. Whatever did this was insanely powerful, even by Kindred standards. Looks like that wood is half a foot thick. The sarcophagus itself was sealed and intact. I immediately noticed bloody handprints on the outside, around the lid, along with various bloodstains all over the sarcophagus. Huh. Why would there be prints on the sarcophagus? If something was coming from the outside, wouldn't people be trying to get away? This looks like someone was trying desperately to open it... Stranger and stranger. Whatever. Just download a screenshot and be done with it. I accessed the options in the security console, and took screenshots from all the cameras, deciding it would be helpful to have images of the bloodstains throughout the ship. I then inserted the flash drive I had taken from Simon when I cleared out his apartment after killing him. Right after I began to download the picture, I heard... it sounded like subtle whispering. Curious, I burnt some blood to activate Auspex and listened carefully. And what I heard chilled me to the bone.
"Come to me. Set me free, and I will reward you with power beyond imagining. Ah, but it's not power you desire, but knowledge, which is the root of true power. Very wise. You will be a worthy servant. Knowledge you will have, of the true essence of creation, and the means of its unraveling. Come closer to me, that we might converse freely. These mortals, they are weak, they could not handle the power I offered. But you, you are immortal and powerful enough to accept my gifts. Simply move close to me, and I can show you all that I can give you. Come closer!"
I was frozen with terror. With those last two words, I felt a terrible compulsion enter my mind, twisting my will – it wasn't like Dominate, where I was simply forced to obey – this was different, it was rooting around in my mind, trying to read it, trying to break my will, which was more terrifying in a way, but I could try and fight it. I was trying, but its will was so strong...
"Begone!" And with that shout from my sire, the voice was driven out of my head. "Are you alright, Lucius?"
I had fallen to the ground when it was forced out of my head, I was so relieved. I pushed myself up. "I am now. Thank you, Serena. What was that?"
"I cannot say for certain. To get close enough to observe it properly, I would expose myself to it."
"Right," I replied. "What's that quote? When you stare into the abyss..."
"...the abyss stares back at you. I very much doubt you want this particular abyss knowing who you are and having a vendetta against you. You are as close as you need to be. Take what you need and leave."
I nodded and went back to the screen. The pic was downloaded, so I grabbed the flash drive and made my way out. As I walked back to Heinz, a thought occurred to me. What if LaCroix hears that thing – and takes it up on its offer? I shuddered.
"That very possibility is why I am here to try and see what this thing is. Well, that and to protect you. LaCroix must be kept from possessing the Ankaran Sarcophagus, from being alone with it, at all costs."
Well, I thought, deciding to keep quiet as I snuck past a cop, what do we do?
"Focus on getting off the Dane while I think."
I snuck around the corner, and there was Heinz. I straightened and walked right up to him. He noticed me and gestured me over. "You made it out just in time. The guy running the security room just made it back. You get everything?"
I nodded. "Yep, and without a hitch. No one saw me. Smooth as can be."
Heinz looked me over. "Guess you can't judge a book by its cover. You aren't as dumb as you look."
Thanks, asshole. "Um, well, anyway, I should get back. I'll be sure to tell Jacobson to give you double your usual take – this is a major scoop."
Heinz smiled and shook my hand. "You better. Pleasure working with you." With that farewell, I descended the rope ladder and hopped in the boat. After starting the engine, I drove off into the night, spray hitting my face. I contemplated what had just happened to me. Whatever that was, it was powerful. But it needs a servant to act, it can't wake up yet. And if it's trying to enslave a Kindred... it's either an incredibly ancient elder, or... or what? That's the thing, I'm all but certain this isn't an old Kindred, but then what has that kind of power, physically or mentally?
"You can't begin to answer that. Even I have only theories and conjecture."
Care to share some of these theories?
"No. There is only one thing that need concern you. Your report. Regent Strauss requested a report before you give one to the Prince, correct?" I nodded. "After giving Strauss the report, through whatever means you deem to be utterly secret, give the same report to the Anarchs by the same means."
I wasn't expecting that. Um... I'm not exactly getting along with them. Why-
Serena cut my thought off. "To keep LaCroix from getting the Sarcophagus, obviously. And to regain favor with the Anarchs. They are useful. And they will definitely appreciate this information. Don't do anything like this without consulting me first, of course, but it will be necessary to double-cross the Camarilla on occasion. Never the clan, however. Understood?"
I nodded to the empty air. Yes, I understand. I don't know when to wade into this dangerous game, but you do.
"Very good, Lucius. I'm proud of you. You are starting to learn, slowly but surely. We may get through the chaos of the next few nights if you keep this up. Now, get ready to go ashore."
I looked up and realized the beach was rushing up to meet me. I turned off the engine and turned the boat to the side, quickly creating resistance and stopping the boat just short of the shore. I hopped out, waded through the water for a bit, and walked out onto shore. Mercurio broke from his conversation with the Thin-Bloods, Julius in particular, and turned to face me right before everyone else did. "Good to see you, Lucius. How'd everything go?"
I smiled as I walked up to the group. "Perfectly, for once. Heinz bought my act, and I got in and out with no one else seeing me. Oh, by the way, Heinz says Jacobson owes him twice his usual fee. That was literally the only snag I hit. If only being a Kindred was this easy all the time..."
Mercurio shrugged. "I think if it was this easy, everyone would do it, and then there would be no blood for you types. So... what did you find?"
My eyes passed over to the Thin-Bloods. How much should I say? Hell, I probably don't have to be paranoid around this group – who would listen do them? Who do they know? And why would they talk? Still though, I don't want to talk about the voice much, so... "The crew was definitely killed violently, and the Ankaran Sarcophagus definitely had something to do with it. As for what exactly happened... I'll leave it to the big man to figure it out after I give him the reports and the security camera pictures. I'm not about to start trying to figure out what happened, that's above my pay grade. I mean, I have some guesses, but mine are as good as yours. As far as I'm concerned, my job is done, and so is my night."
"Nice work, man." Mercurio replied. "Still, you've got like an hour and some change left 'til sunrise, so, if you wanna hang out, we could."
Sounds good to me. "I definitely have time to hang out with you. Honestly, I need a break. I've just been run so ragged lately..."
Mercurio's face split into a huge smile. "I tell ya, Lucius, you're alright. One cool cat. Alright,let's head to my place, send the big man the report, and then get hammered!"
Aw shit, how am I supposed to send this to Strauss, let alone to Nines while I'm in front of Mercurio? Fuck, should have thought this through, I relaxed too much, got too comfortable. Julius saved me. He interrupted our departure, asking, "H-h-hey, wait a s-sec! Wh-what about that, that, that guy, with the j-j-job?"
Mercurio stopped and turned around, obviously annoyed. "Kilpatrick. Well, look, I can check in with him, see if anything has changed, but seriously, unless his bounty hunter came back, he's outta luck and kinda desperate. So yeah, I think you could get the job. Go talk to the guy yourself." Mercurio told Julius.
Julius' face was lit up with hope, unlike the melancholy which had defined him when I first met. But he was also desperate. I turned to Mercurio, trying to find a way to use this to send the reports alone. I liked Mercurio, and trusted him, but he was LaCroix's ghoul. "What's going on?" I asked.
"Er," Mercurio started to reply, "well, I started talking to Julius and Copper about paying rent. It's hard for Kindred, ya know, can't really work a nine to five. Some got a clan to fall back on, a lot get involved in crime, organized or not, but these guys got to keep their head down, get a job off the books that's still halfway legit. I was drawing a blank, until I remembered something I'd heard recently from one of my contacts. I found them the perfect job."
"What?" I was genuinely curious.
"B-b-bounty hunter!" Julius answered.
Mercurio nodded. "The local bail bondsman, Kilpatrick and I were talking. Honestly, knowing the bail bondsman is a pretty big deal. Some Kindred gets arrested, needs to skip bail, you can make sure he gets paid off and lets the guy go. You find out dirt on everyone. Good connect. Anyway, I heard his bounty hunter went AWOL – and a bail bondsman without a bounty hunter is basically in business until word gets out he can't collect your ass if you bail on the bail bondsman. So he's kinda desperate for anyone. Thing is, since his last guy went missing hunting down someone, people are scared of working for him. The money is good, but not worth getting shot – well, not for normal humans. But for you types, getting shot is just kind of annoying. So I figured it was a perfect fit."
"Y-y-yeah! Sounds g-great. So... you'll ta-ta-take me to go see Kilpa-pa-patrick?"
"I mean..." Mercurio looked to the side and avoided Julius's eyes. "Look, just say I sent you, he'll give you an interview, he's desperate, you're good. Look, I haven't seen Lucius in awhile. We got things to talk about."
"B-b-but," Julius retorted, "I'm, like, suh-suh-socially awkward when I meet people. It's j-j-just my st-stutter, once people get past it I'm g-g-good. But you'd really help me."
"Yeah, and I'm not doing this," Copper piped in. "I don't care what you say, I'm not getting shot."
"I b-b-been shot." Julius replied. "It's not even that b-b-bad."
Copper just shook his head, muttering, "Fucking crazy, it's all fucking crazy..."
"So..." Mercurio piped in, "...look, you two figure it out, Lucius and I gotta go..."
I see what you're doing there. It's kind of nice, that you just want to hang out with me. And avoid dealing with them. They are a weird bunch. But, see, if I'm going to send this info to the Anarchs, or hell, even to Strauss, I have to get away from you for awhile. Sorry Mercurio, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up... "Nah, it's cool. See, I have to scan all these documents and send them off to LaCroix. So, tell you what. Why don't I go handle all that, you take Julius to Kilpatrick, and we'll meet back at your place in like... twenty minutes?"
Mercurio was kind of crestfallen, but he couldn't argue with my logic. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I mean, I had a scanner and everything at my place..."
I felt a little bad, but had no choice. "It's cool. I just really care about these guys. They're like... my little project. The first Kindred to treat me decently. And I can scan all this at an internet cafe. Um... where is the nearest internet cafe?"
"In an alley behind The Asylum," Lily replied. "I've lived here forever, and sometimes my internet went out because I got behind on my bills."
"But," Mercurio objected, "aren't internet cafes, I dunno, not secure?"
The young Kindred stared at him incredulously, but I was old enough to understand why he was confused. "Not really. They aren't secure, sure, but so many people use them that no one bothers watching them. Anything interesting would get drowned out in all the people doing stupid, pointless stuff, like a quiet conversation in a crowded train station. So, honestly, if you don't want to be noticed, an internet cafe is the way to go."
"Huh," was all Mercurio replied.
Yeah, anyone who was around for awhile before computers is kind of confused by the internet. They tend to have no idea what's safe and what isn't so they're just paranoid about everything. I bet it's weird for Mercurio to run into Kindred more hip to the modern world than he is. "Anyway, I'll head out, you hook Julius up, and we meet at your place in twenty, okay?"
Mercurio nodded, "You got it kid. See you soon." And with that, we parted ways.
… … …
Hey there readers, both old and new. I have a treat for you tonight. Three chapters at once! It was originally going to just be one – I figured I'd wrap up the Elizabeth Dane sequence and then put Lucius to bed. However, my mind got particularly creative, and I ended up writing enough that I had to split it up into what I'm posting tonight. I hope you all enjoy it.
Invinoveri – Lucius isn't helping out Mazoline, if that's what you're referring to by the random anarch vampire. Paul and Hannah are becoming his own independent allies. Don't expect him to share any of his necromancy knowledge with anyone – he'd have to be desperate or drunk to even mention he had these powers. As for Lucius being pathetic – well, some people really like the fact he isn't too overpowered, others wish he was more capable. Honestly, half the time he's making this up as he goes because it's all so new to him. Keep in mind, he was socially awkward before the Embrace, and it's only his fifth night as Kindred. I could only hope most of us would do as well as him. As for the formatting – it's strange, I don't like to go back and edit until Lucius is asleep. So I'll probably go back through the story again and edit all the chapters. I could have sworn the spacing of the italics was fixed, though.
Agd888 – if you like the way I incorporated Wraith, there's this side story I wrote about Paul and Hannah that is a giant Wraith fangasm. It's called 'Shadows of the Lost, Hope in the Darkness.' I worked really hard on it and no one's reviewed it yet, even though I mentioned it at the start of the last chapter... Feel free to become the first one to review it, I would really, really appreciate it!
Neoalfa – I wouldn't be at all upset if you wrote a story similar to mine. My story has elements in it from Rednightmare's 'Byzantine Black.' Which is amazing and you should go read it right now if you haven't. I mean, this is fanfiction. We're all borrowing pieces of other people's work. As long as you do something unique with it, go for it, have fun. I appreciate your appreciation for my characterization – that's the most difficult part of writing. It's hard to have realism in such a fantastic world, but that's what the World of Darkness is really about, I think, using the supernatural to explore inner human issues. Oh, and if you want to explore wraithly existence for your Necromancer character, well, there's this story I wrote that might help give you ideas, called 'Shadows of the Lost, Hope in the Darkness.' Maybe you should check it out...
Utuu – Well, you get 3 whole chapters at once!
Kanemi – Welcome, new reader! I try to add more to the original story as I go on – I'm trying to have it start from the game and organically grow out into its own creation, referencing back when necessary. I don't think I could write a character who was awesome incarnate – without struggles, both external and internal, where's the fun? Also, I'm a sadist who enjoys making Lucius suffer. :) As for the formatting... gonna start working now!
Rednightmare – Where are you? I miss your feedback! Is it because I've been incredibly selfish and haven't had time to review your work... or anyone else's? I'm gonna assume that's the case and go on a reading and reviewing spree now.
So enjoy! And then maybe go check out 'Shadows of the Lost, Hope in the Darkness.' Please?