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Twenty Questions; Scene One, Take Two

  1. #1
    West's Avatar

    Magical Chinchilla
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    [banner]asa[/banner]

    Ruthven regains consciousness again, with the taste of Vitae still in his mouth*. Again the same man is sitting in a chair, and again he is bound as before.

    "Best two out of three?" Asa asks conversationally.

    *
    Don't hate the player, hate the game.
    The Zeroth Law & the Burden of InteractionThe Devil is in the DotsGreat ExpectationsPlaying MagePlayer Run Plots
    If you have a question about your character, please post it on your character sheet

  2. #2
    J
    Jak

    Ruthven groans before he opens his eyes. The same man was asking him questions again. Oh... sure. I don't know who you are, but you seem to think you're a big-shot. I think-- Ruthven interrupts himself with another groan. He hurts everywhere.

    What was it you wanted to know?

  3. #3
    West's Avatar

    Magical Chinchilla
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    Asa sighed, audibly. "You've got quite a mouth, Mr. Ruthven. It doesn't matter what I think of myself. This is your last chance to understand that I am the singular most important person in your Requiem."

    Asa stood up and placed the stake over the hole in Christopher's chest.

    "Now, look at me, so we can move on. If you attempt to use any gifts upon me, it will be the last thing you ever do."
    Don't hate the player, hate the game.
    The Zeroth Law & the Burden of InteractionThe Devil is in the DotsGreat ExpectationsPlaying MagePlayer Run Plots
    If you have a question about your character, please post it on your character sheet

  4. #4
    J
    Jak

    He was right. Ruthven did have the feeling that the man was quite important. Looks like he woke you up himself, Ruthven. With his own blood.

    "No tricks, no gifts. You got it."

  5. #5
    West's Avatar

    Magical Chinchilla
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    Asa leaned forward, shifting his weight until simply relaxing his calves would cause him to fall forward with the stake.

    "Mr. Ruthven, tell me why you've come to Sacramento, what you've done while you've been here, and what your plans were, taking particular care in detailing anything you would not want an official of the domain to know." Asa asked, making eye contact, reaching out with his Blood to chain the other man's will.


    Resolve + BP vs. 6 successes on Mesmerize
    Don't hate the player, hate the game.
    The Zeroth Law & the Burden of InteractionThe Devil is in the DotsGreat ExpectationsPlaying MagePlayer Run Plots
    If you have a question about your character, please post it on your character sheet

  6. #6
    J
    Jak

    Feeble Resistance


    Ruthven knows what's going on, and he feels his mind resisting. But his will is not behind the effort. He should just answer the man, whoever he was.

    "Ok, boss man. My name's Christopher Ruthven. I came here from Las Vegas. I was out there as long as just about any of us, but I jumped the gun in killing my sire. Without his backing, I didn't have as much influence as I would have thought. So I hit the ceiling there. The Prince and other local officials hired me for a job now and then. Some breaking and entering, grand larceny, con jobs. That kind of thing. Made good money, but no prospects for advancement.

    So I hear that you got trouble in Sacramento, and that the Prince isn't that strong or entrenched. I figure that's an opportunity. If I started building up some allies, bought some businesses, I could go to the Prince and tell him the score. Claim a personal domain. I thought the Broadway-South Sacramento area would be best, so I head there and see who I can meet. I was trying to start getting in with the gangs. Hire some thugs as muscle for a job at a jeweler's on Broadway. Not my favorite class of criminal, but it's a start. And they're damn tough in a pinch, for Kine. I start doing the bare bones of casing the jeweler's. Then I get a visit from the Stake Fairy.
    "

  7. #7
    J
    Jak


    He's perfect.


    Asa sat back down and considered what he'd been told. It had been expected, to see fortune seekers enter the city.

    "Are you aware of the city Laws, Mr. Ruthven?" he asked rhetorically. "What you have described is Treason against the Prince of the Domain, and subject to the Lex Taliosis. If I were to keep what you've said between the two of us, you would owe me your immortal existence. Fortunately for you, at this time, I find that a useful prospect. Tell me, Mr. Ruthven, would you prefer to dedicate your Requiem to me, or visit the Reeve of Sacramento?"

    Yes, well, I never said I expected the Prince to be happy about it.

    Ruthven doesn't take much longer than a few seconds to consider what the man says.

    "Not much of a choice, is it boss? Of course I'll work for you." Now Ruthven does pause. "Who are you anyway?"


    "Ah, but working for someone is altogether different than dedication," Asa said. A soft rustle accompanied his words as he rolled up his sleeve. He reached out so that his bare forearm can into view.

    "You will drink once more. If you do as you are told, that will be the extent. If I find out you are not, or are pursuing goals I don't approve of, I will either have you destroyed, or finalize the Vinculum -- so that you may complete anything you're in the middle of, and to keep you from contemplating any 'dead man's' switches. You understand, yes?"


    Great. Vinc'd by some lunatic who won't even tell you his name.

    Ruthven sighed. "Fine. Cut away."


    Asa didn't reply -- he merely pulled a sharp knife from his pocket. He cut, and let his Blood flow to fall in the bound man's mouth.

    He let the man drink more than was necessary; both to ensure the bonding, and because of the severity of his wounds from the staking. Once he was satisfied, he sat back down, and bandaged his arm.

    Asa spoke again, listening carefully with his enhanced hearing to the quality of the man's speech.

    "You seem familiar with the shadier side of the city, Mr. Ruthven. Are you familiar at all with the Brood?"


    Ruthven feels the blood fall into his mouth. As much as he didn't want to be under the Viniculum, and as distasteful as he found drinking like this, he needed the Vitae for his so wounded body. He shifts slightly to rouse himself, then answers. "Well, I'm not as familiar as I'd like to be with the dark side of this city. Not yet. But the Brood? I've heard stories. The Prince out in Vegas keeps expecting them to show up, since we're such and obvious target. You know, how could there not be Kindred in Sin City? But I've never seen them.

    "That the kind of trouble you got out here in Sacramento?"


    "That's what you're going to find out for me, Mr. Ruthven," Asa said.

    Because you're expendable.

    "I'm going to return you to your hotel, and in your room you'll find a few photocopies of signs that have been seen, along with addresses. You'll investigate those."

    "I'll also be checking up on you periodically, so there's no need to look for me," Asa said, with a smile in his voice.

    "I'm going to blindfold you before we return you to your hotel," he continued conversationally. "I would suggest you make getting Acknowledged a priority."


    "Go looking for Belial's..." This unknown man was handsome, wasn't he? And so admirably forceful. "Yeah, you got it."

    Ruthven is not at all unhappy to hear that the man would be coming to him again.

    "Get Acknowledged, sure. You must know some people. If you could put me in touch with the Seneschal or a Priscus, the Prince, even--whoever does acknowledgements in this town--I could spend more time checking out what needs checking."


    "You can probably find someone who can direct you to the Seneschal at an Elysia," Asa replied, beginning to undo the bindings. "The Elysia are Avalon, Ballo Della Notte, and The Sterling. Avalon is probably your best best -- although the Harpy has been seen at The Lily."

    Asa finished undoing the bindings and handed Ruthven the blindfold.

    "If you need to get into touch with me, in an emergency -- such as finding actual Brood, you may go to The Asylum. Find the manager, Ms. Muriel, and tell her that you have a message for ' Dupree 's friend'. Give the message to her, and she'll see that I get it. I'd also suggest you not pursue this idea of claiming a domain... it would make me very unhappy," Asa said, with a warm smile.


    Ruthven takes the blindfold. "Those all in Downtown or Midtown? Ok. I'll get acknowledged first, then I'll see what I can do." He had to admit it. As much as this guy had interfered with his plans, he was warming to the idea of playing underworld detective. He nods as he listens to the procedure for emergency contact. Having been part of the criminal sector for a quite a while, he's used to this kind of thing and has a good memory for them. "Asylum, Muriel, 'Dupree's friend.' Got it."

    He begins tying the blindfold on himself, but stops. "Boss. Can I pull this jewelry store job or not? Cut for you, naturally, if you want it."


    "If you don't think there's any risk of a Breach, and it helps fund or make headway into the business at hand, I don't see why not," Asa agreed.

    I suppose that's better than him asking me for money.


    Quite reasonable, really.

    Ruthven finishes tying the blindfold on as he replies, "Not a chance of a Breach. I've done this a few times, you know. Ruthven smiles conspiratorially and stands. "All right. Lead the way." Ruthven could hardly wait. First: acknowledgement. Then: Recon on the jeweler's. Next: Pull the job. Last: Go detective.

    Perhaps there was opportunity in Sacramento after all.

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