(Old Tars) The Streets of San Francisco

[Yumyumcrow]

Billy finds the zone. Time, pressure, all melts away as the Gangrel ducks back into the network of alley's behind the building. He acts moving swiftly, checking the walls, the windows, and the buildings for anything he might use.

He finds it: a lean-to that covers yet another door into Madam Xe's lair. From the lean-to he can haul himself through an open window. For an average man, the task would have been difficult and testing. Billy is no ordinary man: he is a giant and easily leverages his height and strength to good effect.

Squeezing through the window, he finds himself in a plush room, cobbled from three smaller rooms judging by the shape of the walls. It appears like an office or audience room, with a big desk and bookcases projecting a business-like aura. A single lamp burns on the desk - a gaudy thing, out of place. Books and oddments line the shelves. Several stout stools sit empty before the desk. A single door, heavy with locks, exits the room.

The building creaks and groans, thrumming with life.

[Jokor]

RIght he was in, he looked around the room, inside a locked room it seemed. First things first, find the woman called gracie, if possible get some answers from either madame xe or that pirate, but that woman's safety was paramount.

He went to the door and tested the strenght of the locks, he knew he wasn't a thief and he couldn't pick them. But maybe he could try to rip them out of the wall if nothing else.

[Yumyumcrow]

Billy finds the door unlocked.

The door would be stout enough and the locks, should they have been employed, would have only added to the door's strength... protecting the room from the interior of the building. The plush room, part office, part audience room, also doubles as a strong room, it would seem.

For clarity: the locks would all be bolted from the side Billy is on

[Jokor]

The door was unlocked, pretty anticlimatic if you asked him. Why put so many locks on a door if you weren't using them? Still he wasn't going to complain, he carefully openend the door a crack and listenend for anything that could mean there were people on the outside of the door. Footsteps, talking. Anything.

[Yumyumcrow]

Billy carefully opens the door, finding it to have been well oiled, in addition to have been well provisioned with locks (even if they were not used). Beyond the door is a passageway lined with doors. Given their spacing, Billy can only wince at how small some of the rooms must be. The boisterous sound of dancing and merrymaking echoes from below on his right. On his left, the passage continues till it makes a right turn, confirming in his mind the shape of the building.

The light is poor and the shadows pool. The quality of the light brightens on his right, suggesting that the passage comes out onto a mezzanine or a landing of some kind. Apart from the sound pulsating from his right, the only other noise is that of a very excited man, emanating from two doors down on his left; and muffled tones (getting louder) from a door directly opposite.

[Jokor]

great, he ended up in a whorehouse. He ignores the noise of the very excited man, probably just a customer, gracia hadn't been a whore for long, so he doubted they would use her now. The muffled tones however more to his interestest. They were getting louder, were they yelling? He pressed his ear against the door. his beast let out a murmur, urging him to just unsheathe his claws and show whoever was behind eh door who was boss. He ignored it and tried to focus on the people.

[Yumyumcrow]

Can Billy give a [Wits + Composure] roll please?

[Jokor]

   5 sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-01-12 06:21:41		Billy rolls 6 to do something insignificant (10 Again)		9, 9, 3, 8, 9, 10, 3		5 successes

holy crap O_O

[Yumyumcrow]

Billy is evidently still "in the zone". He focusses on the muffled voices, tuning out the thumping, groaning, and sounds of singing, drinking, and general merriment bubbling up from below. Pressing his ear to the thin door, he even fancies he can make out a conversation.

"Poor Sal..."

"Poor Sal!? Sal should count her stars, Lou! She is on to a winner with that one. And Madam likes her. She got it made if she works for it."

"It ain't all roses Becky! Darius Tate got a mean streak. You know. We all saw it."

"You pays yer money, you takes yer chances. Darius might be a hard case. But he's a meal ticket out of here."

"Becky. Darius Tate ain't the kind of man to rescue... one of us!"

"Oh of course! There really are knights in shining armour aren't there!"

"Gracie..."

"Gracie is a lost cause. You think she has any hope now she's been given special duties? At the Rue Morgue? Girl, I just saw Gracie's brother make a run for Mr. Tibbs. How he made it past the front I do not know. They took him, Lou. You think any of the 'gentlemen' down stairs had a care? They cheered Tibbs on, some of them."

There was a pause.

"Ah blimey! Shut the hell up over there!" Fist bangs on wall.

"Lou. Darlin'. Gracie was such a rube. She actually thought Madam meant what she said. You. Me. We were born with our eyes open, darlin'. At least I was. Think, Lou. Madam is a boss. We're just her pawns. We take the money and take our chance. Maybe. Maybe - if we work it right we can get out with some cash. Maybe if you play the game you might get a protector of your own. But you'll always have to pay Madam her due."

"Will you two quit yammering and get ready? We'll be on soon. And Becky... if Gracie was lost, she wouldn't be down with the chorus girls would she? She'd be gone already. Gracie's got a way with words, girl. And a soft voice unlike you, you old harridan! Madam wants Gracie down at the Morgue because of her other talents..."

[Yumyumcrow]

KA-POW! Bump Jokor