A Hazy Shade of Winter - Fourth Floor

[Valsai]

When the bag calls out in pain after it hits the table, Cate chuckles in surprise. "That's a neat trick..." she murmured softly, mostly to herself. "Can't say I've ever seen that one before. Wonder how he managed that..."

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Valsai (see edit history)

[Mick the Rogue]

As the group piled up to see what there was to see, Jack slowly migrated behind. He would hear well enough, and was not keen to be in the 'line of fire' if anything were to happen. The incident with Casimir was enough to bolster his confidence on the issue.

[ArcaneDesperado]

Robert stood in front of the slowly increasing group of Kindred.  He muttered something along the line of "should have locked the door" but in the need to get upstairs he hadnt really considered the idea that so many would follow.  

 

There was movement now from within the pillow case. The wet popping sound of flesh and bone could be heard clearer now. The disturbing noises causing a few of the closer court members to take a step or two back from the unknown "thing" within the bag. 

 

Cut my head off... then.. shove me in a sack... now I'm being thrown... F'kin...c**s***..   

 

A spider claw like leg suddenly erupted up through the sack and tore at the fabric.  There was more wet cracking sounds, like a shoulder being ripped out of joint. An then another claw came into sight and ripped more of an opening. 

 

Gah! That hurts! 

 

The claws stretched a bit more forcing a hole wider still. Then emerging from the bloody soaked sack was a severed head of a blonde woman. The yellow locks were caked and matted with crimson. Her pale face was also smeared with what was likely her own vitae. Several of the spider like claws had formed from what was the bloody stump of the neck in what could only be described as some twisted Tzimisce like Vicissitude crafting of flesh and bone.  They now tapped lightly on the wooden table as her eyes darted around trying to figure out where she was and what was going on. Her eyes locked over upon seeing Belmont close by where she had been tossed. 

 

Oh...schite..

 

Meanwhile a bright reddish hue seemed to start to take over the night sky outside through the side windows of the building. 

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by ArcaneDesperado (see edit history)

[Mick the Rogue]

Jack glanced and saw the red and blues. He knew those. "Cops. Time to go, now." he said to the group around him. While interested in the Sabbat head, he was much MORE interested in keeping himself out of police, illuminati or corporate hands.

 

He made his way down and started looking for exits...

[Thot]

John had followed his orders just in time to watch the head rip his way off the pillow case and he couldn't believe it. He knew firsthand the powers of the Tzimisce, and what they could do to a body as resilient as the Cainite one, but that went beyond his imagination. Was it an Elder's power at play, or something else entirely ? How could a severed head still be alive ? It was fascinating in itself, and John craved more information about such things, so he dared not even blink.

 

Jack's reaction beside him was sound, and he couldn't blame the man, but the Nosferatu wanted to believe that Corbin had more sense of self-preservation than to have brought the cops here, and he chose to stick with the Court for the time being.

[ArcaneDesperado]

Belmont muttered something under his breathe and grabbed for a chair, snapping the leg off into a makeshift wooden stake.  He started to move towards the monstrous head on the table in front of him. Corbin like a blur shot across the room and stopped in front of the Prince as he had lunged at the woman's spider-head abomination. The wooden chair leg impaling him in the upper shoulder. Belmont stopped and blinked in surprise. The head meanwhile shrieked slightly at the sudden attack attempt. 

 

Ah! Trevor! 

 

The younger Brujah grunted slightly as the stake pierced his flesh but otherwise seemed more cocky as the situation was developing, if that was even possible for his ego to enlarge further. 

 

What's wrong "Pops" ?  Rather quick to try and end her before the Court has gotten a chance to be introduced.  I mean she was a guest staying at your house after all. I'd think you'd be thrilled to present her to your friends here.  I mean... She even just now used your first name. 

 

The Prince growled at his childe before him. 

 

I need not explain anything to you... 

 

Quickly the spider-head woman leap from the table behind Corbin and across the room onto the bar in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the quarreling Brujahs. 

Edited September 20, 2022 by ArcaneDesperado (see edit history)

[Hannah Lane]

Don’t let it loose! Was the first thought in her mind as the monster dropped onto the bar. Elizabeth, Nokia mobile in hand, jerked back, just managing to keep in a squeal. For a moment it looked like the thing had overshot and might slide off again. Its thin legs slithered everywhere, fighting for purchase and smearing blood all over the wood.

 

Monsters in the night. The spawn of Satan. The Beast running rampant. Those were words she thought of when someone mentioned the Sabbat. Elizabeth’s thanked the Lord that she hadn’t seen much of them over the decades, being content to let Princes, Scourges and Sheriffs deal with them.

 

The spawn of Satan. The Beast running rampant. Seeing the nightmarish thing, all of it seemed too true. She blinked once looking at the phone screen, fruitlessly trying to clear out the bustle in her head. The buzzing was like TV static turned all the way up.

 

Finally done, her thumb pressed SEND. This is the message Elizabeth shot towards Sheriff Stone.

 

Sabbat near Prince. Floor 4. Come now.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Hannah Lane (see edit history)

[Valsai]

This was a far more interesting night than she could have hoped or expected for. Familial rumblings amongst the royals, a talking head growing spider legs that has some connection to the Prince -- what in the actual f*** is she? -- and now 'ol Jack is talking about the police being here? Weren't they in the pockets of at least three different people that were present tonight? Seemed that he was being a bit jumpy...well, jumpier than usual, she supposed...and probably making too much out of that. Wait to see what the big ones end up doing, at least those that weren't caught up in the father/son drama.   When the head broke off and ran to go hide behind the bar, Cate paused for a moment to see if anyone was going to go after it. Deciding that everyone else was far too slow, she sent a rush of vitae throughout her body to launch herself back towards the bar, hoping to grab the head by the hair. While she kind of could appreciate the brashness that Corbin brought up the issue, just the fact that there was an obvious connection between the head and Belmont -- and the Prince being very hasty to hasten her destruction before anything could be said -- was enough to warrant jumping in there and securing it from going further. She didn't really want to be in the middle of the ensuing pissing match, but she was damn sure there was something worth finding out about from this woman and just had to hope that enough of the big wigs would back up her move.   ((Spending a BP to activate Celerity, running back to the bar to find and snag the spider-head, and aiming to grab her by the hair to avoid getting potentially poked/scratched/bit/etc.))

Edited September 20, 2022 by Valsai (see edit history)

[TheRealSife]

Carlo Luciano

---

The red light coming in through the window had Carlo double-checking his watch to confirm they were well away from dawn. It was somewhat strange, but there was no way he was missing the show just because of that. being ignorant of the kind of information that was being revealed here could get you killed a hell of a lot easier than a few cops.

 

He also wasn't interested in getting involved in the drama though. Brujahs weren't typically the most rational of folk once their blood got heated and it would be too easy to get caught in the crossfire unnecessarily.

[ArcaneDesperado]

Cate appeared behind the bar in a blur of speed, powered by the vitae in her body.  The spider-head woman spun a bit in surprise, having been mostly focused on the Prince trying to send her to a quick final death. Her long blonde hair that was still on her hair had become a hinderance in this instance.  Dispite her speed on the spider like legs she found herself being grabbed by the blood matted blonde mane.  The legs claws and scratched in the air. 

 

Let go of me! I swear if Bistri hears of this, you will be turned into a coat rack! 

[Valsai]

Ugh. Of course the Tzimisce was involved in this little freak show. You didn't have to be deep in the Court to know one of the upper Sabbat members, a cardinal or bishop or whatever. Not a fun name to get dropped, that was for sure. Nevertheless, though, Cate gave a big smile after those words. "If they hear of it," she smirked coyly, placing a none-to-subtle emphasis on the first word even as she knelt down behind the bar to have a bit more of a private conversation with the head/arachnid combination. Her voice dropped quieter as she continued. "Then I guess all I need to worry about is making sure it doesn't back to them, yeah? Pretty sure I can just toss you back over to the Prince," she rocked the head back and forth by her hair in emphasis, "he looked soooo thrilled to see you, after all! Unless you want to tell me what's going on, that is." She left the threat hanging, a hardness coming to her eyes that belied the placating smile.

 

[ArcaneDesperado]

She glanced over towards Belmont and Corbin as the two looked to be ready to start to come to blows again. Corbin had ripped the chair leg from his shoulder and was now holding it himself. He was crazy enough to try and stake his sire, the Prince right here in the room too.  The Tzimisce looked back to Cate, the spider legs helplessly clawing in the air. 

 

Okay, look, if you get me out of here alive. I will tell you whatever you want.  I can promise you safety. I can even probably get you some sort of title... And titles mean power... money... easy access to blood.  If I'm killed here... Bistri...my SIRE... will come down on this city like a sledgehammer.  

 

Her eyes were wide. The little spider-head was the childe-spawn of the Bishop of Annapolis. Bistri had stayed out of most of the recent conflict, letting her equal from Townson. Belladonna be the main source of trouble for the Camarilla of Baltimore.  If this little Fiend was killed here it would give Bistri a solid reason to enter the war.  Was that the point of Corbin bringing her? Why though was she allegedly at Belmont's haven then? 

[Nordal]

The lady feels some excitement while she observes the Drama tonight. She hasn't experienced anything of the sort lately. 

 

The position of the Prince is certainly in jeopardy with the recent events. The Prince or the tarantula will have to explain themself. 

 

She observes the rest of the scene in silence and would likely ask the head should she was closer. .. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Nordal (see edit history)

[Valsai]

The response from Bistri's childe narrowed Cate's eyes, her expression darkening and going flat. Her voice grew cold while still keeping it quiet. "Lèche-chul! You think I give a shit about titles and power? Tell me why the hell you're hiding out with the Prince before I pop your twice-damned head like a f*@#$*% zit, ensuing war or no. Might just do it for fun if you keep pissing me off."   She hated sycophants and bootlickers; a waste of time, the whole lot of them. Can't even face the possibility of Final Death without pissing their pants.

 

 

[UTasteSoSo]

Benji had only one thought as the sabbat-spider-tzimsce cainite did its thing. SUZANNE. If this was really some sort of sabbat creature than it might know what happened to her. He remained quiet as the others hemmed and hawed over the incident and the tow brujah compared egos. He just watched the action and waited for an opportunity.