A Hazy Shade of Winter - Third Floor

[Hallowed Evening]

Sublime squinted against the glow, even with his dark shades on to blot out the sharpness of the offending light. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as something deeply primal crept up from within his bosom. A series of eye-searing images flooded his waking mind, imprinting themselves in his vision, and he was unable to blot out the strange bombardment from an ancient source. It was unlike anything he had experienced and his body felt as though it were on fire; every nerve and sensation was lit up, all screaming out to him at once. The visual of a face he'd never seen but knew the name, somehow more intimate than all he'd known in seven decades of existing, consumed his focus.

 

The world went black. 

 

When he awoke, Sublime was laying face down, his glasses right beside him and having been dislodged from his face. Groaning, he rolled over and picked up his shades, gathering himself until he stood. Looking around, he saw that others were also rousing. He replaced his shades back on his face and shook his head. There was something different now. A sense of strength, somehow finding purchase within him and his vitae. 

 

He moved toward Tammy and Vanessa, helping them recover. 

 

"What did you see?" he asked, offering a steadying hand out to each of them. He wondered if those elsewhere were also subjected to a similar bizarre vision and subsequent blackout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ArcaneDesperado]

Before either of the women could speak, a feral hungry snarl echoed through the second floor.   The Malkavian Primogen had leapt up on a table and was looking around the room like a hungry starving beast. His face had taken the most savage of visage. The Beast had full hold of him and he was in a state of Frenzy.  He lunged off the table and towards Vanessa.  Before he landed however the Assamite had rushed forward in a blur and knocked her out of the way. The Lunatic landing on Mostafa Raad and tumbling backwards through a number of tables and chairs.  Vanessa scream had been cut short from the attack and shove out of the way. She herself had fallen back into a table and sent a multitude of glasses crashing down around her. 

 

Ow.. huh? I'm....bleeding?  

 

She paused, confused by the pain.  Looking down her hand in a handful of glass.  Bleeding.  Almost like she was mortal.   The melee however quickly took the attention of those in the room.  The Primogen snarled, lost of all reason and sanity at the moment.  Starving for blood of any kind.  His head spun like on a swivel looking towards Vanessa again, her bleeding hand more specifically.  He tried to lunge once more, his leg being grabbed my Mostafa.   

 

Get her away from here.  All of you. If you wish not to assist in restraining him, then leave now.  I feel this will not end well.  He is lost to the hunger.  

 

Oh stop trying to be the hero all by yourself.  F'kin egomaniac.  No one here cares about Ahmed, stop trying to prove something.... 

 

The Ventrue Baranova had moved over towards the scuffle on the ground.  She reeled back and kicked Freddie in the midsection with such force that he went up and slammed into the ceiling. He came crashing back down with a bit of plaster raining down on him, stunned for the moment. 

[Thot]

Slowly making his way down from the fouth floor, John peeked a glance at the events proceeding here on his way, assessing the safety of going further down. There was some fighting taking place, and he would have none of that, so he resumed his walk down.

[ArcaneDesperado]

The chaos on the third floor was over shortly upon Stone's arrival.  Mercury lay with a broken wooden stake through his his open fagged mouth and exiting out the back of his skull.  Vanessa, Tammy, and Sublime had managed to escape during the brawl.  Baranova and Mostafa both sat in two of the few remaining unbroken chairs in the room explaining the earlier situation to the Sheriff. 

[Mick the Rogue]

Peter pokes his head in, along with Mary and his eyebrows raise. "Well... that's two primogen." he said looking back to Mary with a smirk. "You're next in line for power, love." he looked very amused. "Might be time to make scarce... enough folks looking to place blame 'round."

[Hannah Lane]

“He’s not alright.” She said deadpan. “Come.” Elizabeth called to her clanmate, hurrying down.

 

Freddie Mercury was laying on the floor, his mouth unflatteringly forced open by a wooden stake. The furniture has certainly suffered, tables and chairs lay upended, bloody glass shards were scattered across the wooden floorboards.  

 

If not for the stake, she would have guessed this was Mostafa’s doing. Under a thin veneer of civility, the Banu Haqim were trained and bloodthirsty murderers. It couldn’t be anyone but him as she didn’t see Baranova lasting long against the frenzied Primogen. But neither of them would have been able to bring a stake past Stone at the front door at the start of the evening. So it was likely to have been the Sheriff himself who had taken down her clan’s representative.

 

First Gonzalez, now Mercury. Baltimore had just lost 2 Primogen and the Prince was faced with a rebellious childe. There was opportunity in this, ways to profit. She didn’t know how yet, or when or with whom. She’d need time to think it through, but there were definitely ways.

 

“Mary, Jack.” Elizabeth called automatically. The pair of Malkavians stood a little to the side, watching the scene like a couple of rubberneckers. “Did you see what happened?”

[Mick the Rogue]

Peter at first doesn't respond. Then looks over at Elizabeth's expectant gaze. "Oh, right. We got here too late, unfortunately. My bet is old Fred there got affected by the blood moon, in a nasty way. A pity really, he died as he lived, with someone else's wood in his mouth." he gave a long smile.

 

"Same thing happened to Breka and Cho down on the 2nd. Poor Casimir blew up. And.. well Ms Wells went to pieces..." he said making a head motion over to the severed arm. He smiled looking into Elizabeth's eyes. "Are you a political student of Churchill? " he said with a grin. 'Never let a good crisis go to waste' was excellent advise for Kindred and Kine.

 

 

[UTasteSoSo]

Benji took the head and tossed it into the middle of the room towards the reaming kindred assembled there. The dull thud of it hitting the floor made him smiled as he turned on his heel and made for the stairs. He took the stairs down, two at a time trying to keep up with Elizabeth, but was quickly left behind.  When he emerged he found her already speaking with Mary and Jack, standing over Freddie's body

 

"I think I picked a bad event to make my social debut. This is really bad stuff. A talking head and multiple dead kindred, not to mention the prince's childe and the mass hallucinations. What the f*ck is going on? None of this makes any sense."

[Hannah Lane]

“I must say, Jack, given the situation it’s more the wise words of Magic Johnson I keep thinking of.” Elizabeth’s face twisted in a rubbery grin that was gone in a wink. Winter blue eyes stared back at him. Think about that, Jack.

 

“That’s … a long list of dead.” She began. “And Breka as well? That must have taken some doing.” And perhaps one of us next. Jack was in an especially good mood, joking and smiling. There was something odd about that, something off. But then those thoughts were gone in a wink as well. She was too jittery, too stuck between fear and dread amazement to think about small things. “Was it Stone as well?”

 

Mass hallucinations. At the words the sense of dread she felt crept up even higher. “Hallucinations.“ She scanned the faces of her fellow Malkavians. “Did any of you see … ,“ Her voice trailed off for a second there.

[Mick the Rogue]

"I was a fan of the Bullets myself." he shrugged "Hard to say who killed who down there... But I know who killed Casimir." he leaned forward. 

 

"HE did. The one who haunts you, me, all of our little band. A blood moon above, the Cobweb in pieces, and an old Lune moving about." he tilts his head, almost to a 45 degree angle. "Did HE bless you this night?"

[Hannah Lane]

Elizabeth looked from Jack to Mary and back again, not understanding. Bless? The night did not feel very blessed at all. More like doomed, cursed, hexed and whatever other fanciful word you liked.

 

Baranova and Mostafa were talking through each other on the other side of the room, their voices growing louder, each insisting on their version of events. Stone told them not to get riled up. Realization came slowly, unsure whether it was even true. They were talking in the background and yet she could make out all three of their voices clearly, just like that without having to pay much attention. The inside of her skull was quiet and had been for … 10 minutes, definitely. More than that perhaps. Come to think of it she hadn't noticed any noises since … the mass hallucination?

 

“I saw him.” She nodded, all of them no doubt realizing who ‘him’ was. “But bless? Did he bless you, Jack? Did he … take anything away?”

 

If this wasn’t just all imaginings, if anything was truly going on, all this being ‘his’ doing didn’t ring true. Not really. Removing the ability to hear people’s souls didn’t seem like ‘his’ kind of blessing. Quite the opposite.

[Mick the Rogue]

"He just let me and Mary out for the night." he said with with nod. He looked almost pityingly at Liz. "Enlightenment ain't for everybody." he looked over towards Benji.

 

"It's a bloody moon above tonight, you wanna come with? After this shakes out we're planning to do some urban exploring." he said with a mischievous smile

[ArcaneDesperado]

Stone looked over to the group of Malkavians that had flocked to the third floor.  

 

I am truly sorry about your Primogen.  Whatever is happening tonight had apparently sent his mind into a state of frenzy that seemed to be unable to be curbed.  In a means to stop him and protect the safety of other less than physically capable Kindred and providing them a means to flee... more drastic measures became unavoidable.  Or so I am being told at this stage.  

 

He glanced back at the two sitting back by the far wall before returning his gaze to the Lunatics. 

 

I assure you a full investigation of what transpired here will be conducted and full interviews of those not currently present will also be followed up on.  In the meantime with the growing carnage that was this now failed Elysium, I would suggest for your own safety and those of other Kindred here that everyone return to their havens for the remaining portion of the night.   

 

The Sheriff looked over them all with a serious expression.  

 

I can't force you to go home. Especially with this mess now to clean up.  However I will remove you from the building if required at minimum.   Get whatever you need from the coat check.  Randall or Charles can get your transportation if needed.  But you need to leave...  I will only ask politely this one time.  Thank you.  

[Mick the Rogue]

"You heard the man, party's over." he said looking over towards Mary. "Let's scatter..." he looked over to Benji and Liz. Four Malkavians on a night like this could cause all sorts of fun... That was on them though.

 

At Benji's hesitation, his interest was lost instantly and made his way out with Mary

[UTasteSoSo]

Benjj did hesitate but only for a moment. He shook off the haze once more and moved to follow the group. "Yeah, I wanna get out of here and we need to sort out what all happened tonight. I'll come with."

 

He hustled up to stay with the others, pulling his backpack tight around his shoulders and his hoodie up over his head. The techno was still thumping faintly from the heads phones around his neck. 

 

"You all saw HIM, too? I never gave that type of thing any real thought but I knew that it was him. Like there was no room for doubt." He paused as they walked and then spoke again, "What the f*ck is going on?"