(The Hungry Dark) Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

[Edwin Bridges]

As two and two became four, Edwin already looked appauled.

"Get the fuck outta here? AnThem? Seriously?" Edwin said, gripping the bat harder as he took in the bus and the Reeve's words. He'd seen them several times a few years back but didn't exactly know them personally. Still, they had some awesome tunes.

"So, we get in, clear up and keep an eye out for anything looking to bring some pain? Check, check and check." Edwin was ready, eager.

He wasn't a closed book, instead wearing his heart firmly on his sleeve tattoos.

[Xander]

James listened intently. The name of the band didn't elicit a reaction, which was mainly because his taste in music never evolved past 1980. The fact that whatever happened happened to Kine and Kindred did get a perplexed look.

The Gangrel's gaze bounced from person to person, he eventually settled on the bus. Maybe we should move the bus now if it's needed. At the very least we should give it a quick once over before anyone else catches us out here."

He thought for a second and returned his gaze to Dillon. "Would it be possible for me to talk to the witness? If they saw what it was we might be able to ID it. It definitely sounds like the scaffolding was a diversion for something, but what is going to depend on what did this and why." He looks back to Edwin and Troy. "After we check out the bus maybe you two could look around for whatever it is?"

Of coarse James could help, but if he could weasel out of poking around for the Vampire killing something or other he was happy to take that road. It wasn't like the Barjot sired for muscle mass or anything like that.

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon urges the others along with a tilt of his brow, and begins to move off toward the bus first. Making sure the others are in tow, he nods generally at Edwin's attitude. Rip-roaring, and ready to go. The Reeve can use this.

"The witness is in another location, and an unreliable source of information at the very best. There are people presumably questioning him now. What they'll get out of his fractured mind is anyone's guess."

Dillon slips his phone out of his pocket again. "Speakin' of which..."

Thumbing out a quick message to Emma, Dillon figures if there's anything she or the other girl can tell them that they don't already know, that's knowledge they may be able to wield to their advantage. Plus, he needed to make sure they didn't accidentally freak out Regan.

After a glance around to make sure they aren't about to look terribly suspicious, the Gangrel Reeve pushes the bus' door open and probes around with a small LED flashlight. He only steps on with one foot, before looking around and stepping off again.

"Alright Benny Goodman," Dillon says, offering his light to James if he doesn't have one on him. They aren't anywhere near anyone who needs to hear a pseudonym, but he can't resist. "See if you can find some keys on there and get this thing moving. If you can, get as close as you dare to that door over there."

He nods toward the side entrance that's propped open just a crack nearby, where he is about to lead the other two.

"Even better: if you can find some large containers on board or in that trailer that's hitched back there, grab them and bring them to us empty."

Dillon pauses to see if things are clear, or if there are any questions or good ideas floating around between any of the other Kindred.

[Edwin Bridges]

Edwin remained quiet as James and the Reeve tossed around ideas, getting an understanding of both. Yes, he was Ventrue, but this wasn't a competition. This was a job that needed doing.

Right now, it was cleaning up this mess. If he was lucky, he might be able to get a souvenir of AnThem's while he's here.

"Have we got a timescale to get in and out?" Edwin asked, turning to follow the Reeve to the stadium itself. If anything, he'd like to know just how quickly this needs to be done. He was almost itching to take a swing at something.

[Xander]

James chuckled softly at the Priscus's choice of names. At least someone else was old enough to get it.

"Sure thing." He says confidently as he takes Dillons light to search the bus. Once aboard he pulls out a clean handkerchief, careful not to leave fingerprints as he searches the trailer for the keys. He starts in the obvious places, the key hole, glove compartment, sun visor, then moves to the rest of the bus. Granted, he had no idea where the keys could have been left aside from the places he would hide them, but maybe he could get lucky. Like he did with the Prefect bid.

Keys or no, the Carthian decided to keep looking to find any containers. He exits the bus and goes to search the trailer. Of coarse he still had no idea what he was doing, but if the witness wasn't an option he had to find something to do.

Rolls and actions

James is looking for the keys and containers. Buckets, tupperware, whatever can hold a liquid or sand like substance. -1 Willpower because James really didn't want to fuck up this early.

  1 suxx to search the bus, failure on the trailer

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-04-29 19:13:11		James Bolton rolls 1 to search the trailer (Wits-untrained) (10 Again, Chance)		9		failure
2014-04-29 19:11:23		James Bolton rolls 2 to search the Bus (Wits-untrained). (10 Again, WillPower)		9, 4		1 success

[Dillon Connery]

"Shouldn't take much longer than an hour," Dillon answers Edwin with a slight frown and shake of his chin. "Depending on how much we're harassed, and by whom."

His own husky voice is low, almost gruff. As though there is something nagging on his mind, while he leads Edwin and Troy to and through the open door. The room they enter is dusty, and apparently used infrequently. The lights are still off, and they will have to make use of their flashlights to proceed. Dillon, having relinquished his to James, pulls his phone and uses the back-light from it to see them through.

Though he probably only thought to do so because he'd just checked to confirm that he'd not received a reply from Emma, yet. He'd give it another few minutes before prodding her to respond. He'd like to know a little more about what he's walking himself and the others into, on the off chance the thing that made this mess is still hunting.

They cross the forgotten storage room to another door which is lacking a knob or locking mechanism altogether. Which Dillon recently removed when he found a key broken off in it. Just beyond is a hall, equally dark and abandoned. A short walk down the hall, and they come to a stairwell.

Footprints in blood create a collage all outside the doorway to the landing. It's not just one size or tread, either. There have been three or four people, at least, going to and fro. Likely Dillon, and the Kindred who escorted away their 'witness'.

Once they actually get within sight of the landing, the full measure of the horror assaults Troy and Edwin. It even deepens the scowl on the Reeve's face, who has seen it already. And the like, but not as many times in his Requiem as one might think.

[Wolven Pryde]

It's a grisly sight. At least half a dozen human bodies, but likely more, are simply... discarded here. Or humanoid, might be a more accurate term, due to the fact that a neonate might not have crumbled to ash just yet. What remains of them appear to be surprisingly bloodless, given all that there is on the floor. None of them are identifiable by any means of facial recognition, because they are missing their faces.

Each and every one have had the front of their skulls removed in a way that's left the rest looking crushed. Some have a lower mandible, and most still have their ears and the back of their scalps, but nothing forward of that.

The notion strikes: A bachelor's pile of empty beer cans in the corner. They'll make it to the trash someday, right?

A sweet, sticky smell of pooling blood is thick in the air. Overpowering even Troy's stench, for the moment. There may be some left that is even drinkable.

@Forn Clakes - @Edwin Bridges is hungry. Confronted with the smell of blood, he must acquire 2 successes on an extended Resolve + Composure roll at -1 to avoid Wassail.

[Edwin Bridges]

Entering the scene, Edwin pauses as the smell hits him. He's not ever been witness to such...carnage before in his time in either his First or Second Descents.

For the first time since his recent arrival in the Domain, Edwin briefly realizes just how hungry he is each night. His Beast rears up, trying to get to the blood pooling on the floor of murders. For a moment, Edwin grips the bat harder, holding back the Beast.

Then, the leash snaps. The bat clatters to the floor. Edwin lunges for the blood, teeth bare.

  Oh, Hel...

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-05-02 12:46:42		Edwin Bridges rolls 3 to Resisting Wassail -1 (10 Again)		4, 1, 4		failure
2014-05-02 12:46:22		Edwin Bridges rolls 3 to Resisting Wassail -1 (10 Again)		7, 9, 4		1 success

[Dillon Connery]

  E-suxx! HEEL!

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-05-04 00:58:16		Dillon Connery rolls 10 to Leashing the Beast; Manipulation + Empathy + Animalism (10 Again)		4, 6, 1, 3, 3, 10, 9, 1, 8, 8, 8		5 successes

Dillon isn't particularly surprised at Edwin's reaction. Having felt the swell of the Beast at the mere scent of blood himself, he certainly understands the temptation. The desire. But the reeve hasn't been what he would call hungry in quite some time. It makes situations such as this a lot easier to resist.

What also makes situations such as this one much easier, is the near-total control of the Beast his Blood offers.

Fortunately for Mister Bridges, that masterful control extends to any Beast around him as well.

"Easy there, slugger."

The Gangrel lifts one forestalling hand in front of the opening to the gore-soaked stairwell landing. While it might be both amusing and efficient to allow the young man to do some of the cleanup by swallowing it, that would leave him a mess to hose down as well.

It's also frightfully undignified. And Dillon intends to spare the fellow that, if he can.

Dillon spends one Vitae to invoke Leashing the Beast on Edwin Bridges ! Forn Clakes , the Resolve + Composure + Blood Potency roll to resist this is reflexive, so swing away!