(Forever Kiss) Under the Sign

[Yumyumcrow]

You may have heard about them; maybe even seen them. A pair of luscious lips with comically bad fangs tacked on. Its a stencil of some kind, popping up here and there in South Sacramento. Now the markings are here, in the communal feeding grounds: a place where flats, detached homes, light industry and strip malls merge and clamour for equal space; a place that doesn't know if it wants to be a Rack or a Barren or something in between.

Fatty Adams has resurrected himself and got himself another club (exactly how is anyone's guess). Its not a big place, squeezed into a spot surrounded by parking lots, faded trees and with the muted roar of the Lincoln Highway to the left. Its got narrow frontage - probably a basement club - barely big enough for some posters and a heavy door. Thunderous bass pumps, drained of vitality from the door, watched over by two hulking and disinterested thugs. The raggedy crowd exude the scent of anger and desperation; they are hungry to escape their cares into the oblivion of meaningless release. The sigil cuts across the painted brick and mortar next to the door - a recent attempt to cover the latest graffiti that really had no effect. No one's noticed - so far: not the authorities; not the bouncers; certainly not the club goers.

But Kindred? A set of ruby lips with fangs splashed on a wall? A little too close for comfort.

Ashley Cohen and Harold Thorne are up Whisper Walker

[Ashley Cohen]

Fucking tacky...

Ashley could only hope that this was some twilight fan-boy's work. Someone with ideals of vampires being sexy, suave, and twinkly...someone with no clue to the reality that it was damnation. Problem was, Ashley had seen too much and had such little hope...

In the centuries, Ashley had seen some of the damned carry on fucktardedly short requiems and it was very possible that this was indeed one of those fucktards. On the off chance that this was indeed a poacher, then she could earn some brownie points. If it was a fanboy, then maybe she could give him a taste of damnation...

Ashley walked down the street with a bit of cash to grease the wheels and a camera slung over her back. The slight preparations did nothing to prepare her for catching sight of Harold. The beast raised up sharply pushing her towards the violent brink. She held tight, reminding herself of the agenda that would benefit her time in Sacramento. The feelings began to diminish, but they would not go away. They never did...

With the internal conflict subsiding, she took a chance to study the would-be poacher closer. She was amazed at how massive the well-dressed Kindred was. It was strange to her, though, as he did not fit the bill as a would be tagger. Part of her wondered if she was dealing with a coterie, which would...at least make the night more interesting.

Ashley swung the camera around and lifted it up to take a picture. It was going to be a blur...but at least it was recognizably, a big fucking blur...

*click*

Game on fucktard... She told herself as she swung the camera around to her back. The tiny blond made a straight beeline towards the unknown kindred, hoping she would not get caught in his gravitational pull...and banking on the fact that he wouldn't try anything in the open.

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley felt his words attempt to impose his will upon her own. She had half expected him to throw out the scary face, and the fact that he used the sanguine voice caught her off guard. She tried to quickly raise her defenses, a trick that came with years around Belle Cohen, the Dominatrix. The surprise caused her to falter in raising her defense. Even without the added defense, her will barely held out. Ashley tilted her head in defiance of the command as a smirk sprang to her lips.

"Cute..." Ashley's finger drifted up to her lip for a moment as she starred up to the imposing figure. Her crystal blue eyes locked with his, as she would not be cowed into submission.

"Maybe I can give you some instruction on that if you would be so kind to tell me what's with the tags..."

  Immutable Mind/Resistance

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-08-03 12:59:09		Ashley Cohen rolls 6 to Resolve+BP (10 Again)		5, 4, 9, 10, 5, 7, 1		2 successes
2014-08-03 12:57:12		Ashley Cohen rolls 6 to Immutable Mind (10 Again)		3, 3, 5, 4, 7, 5		failure

-1 WP

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley's hand lowered with her finger withdrawing from her lip, coming to rest on her thigh as she tapped it softly. She was gauging the validity of his claim wondering if his word carried as much weight as his Italian loafers. The formality to his words helped her decide to go along with what he was saying instead of forcing the truth out of him. She had been in the First Estate at one point in her Requiem and knew the song and dance...

"Well...Shall we?" Ashley held up her hand in the direction of the entrance. In no time, she was moving. If he wanted to walk next to her or behind her was of little concern to her as she made her way to the entrance. She expected the jocks, who did not have what it takes for college or pro, to be guarding the entrance, but would be surprised if the shithole even had velvet ropes.

Ashley undoubtedly knew she was going to have to slip the bouncer some money. She did not look twenty-one, and having died in Belgium over two hundred years ago, she lacked any form of identification. If the fucker wanted to take the high-road and not accept a bribe, she had something for that...

[Yumyumcrow]

The two hulking bouncers clocked Ashley's approach. How could they ignore the fashionable young thing moving so confidently in their direction. A few in the mangy crowd noticed too: slacked jaws, envious sneers, even one "oh my god", followed in the Ventrue's wake. The silence that followed spoke of the shock as big, rotund, Harold followed.

The bouncers stirred. One raised an eyebrow at the unusual pair. The other offered a predatory grin that spoke more of greed than of threat.

"Sup?"

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley glanced to Harold for a moment, figuring at this point, she looked like nothing more than a well paid escort or one with low standards. Normally she could care less, but with the nature of the work, she had to tweak perceptions.

Ashley's hands slid into her hoody pocket as she discreetly folded two hundreds. Closing one in her right and left, she pulled them back out.

"How the hell have you been?" Ashley went to shake the quiet bouncers hand first with her right, while she intentionally saved the awkward left hand shake for the one that actually spoke.

"Looks like a good turn out..." Ashley let her eyes dance down the line of people waiting to get in. At times...she wondered what that was like...waiting to get into a club...

"It has been a minute..." Ashley played the game of familiarity, and though she was no slight-of-hand expert...she knew it was the attempt at keeping it low-key that counted.

"I got this gig for snapping photo's of the Sacramento Night Scene." Ashley rotated the camera around for them to view for a moment. She knew where the power button was, how to snap a photo, and that it can take video...but beyond that...nothing...

"Be fine...right? Probably be good for advertising..." Ashley played nice for the moment, but part of her hoped for resistance to crush.