Konrad Roth Glimpses

[Konrad Roth]

Everything had gone to hell so fast.

Konrad sits in the brush of a field in the barrens, still clothed in the swimming trunks and Hawaiian shirt he'd worn to the party. Why did Cody do this? he thinks, his head still swimming with the lingering fear from his Beast. But the why doesn't matter. The fact still is that Cody did it. His Ghoul attacked him, without a word of explanation.

"Think, think," mutters Konrad, knocking his fist lightly against his forehead. He has to plan for this. No time to get dumbstruck by the betrayal. He shared his Haven with Cody. He had to head back there, get his stuff and the van, and then make arrangements to leave.

He thought about lying in wait for the Ghoul to return. But how far ahead had Cody planned this? Had he already gotten help? Had hunters put him up to it? Again, his mind drifts towards speculation, trying to find a path of logic or reason to this madness.

No, if Cody had wanted to kill me, he would've done it during the day. He could've done it at any time. Something spooked him at the beach. But then why the firework? He should've known better than to bring that. Maybe he got confused when I told him about the party...

Regardless, Konrad would have to leave his Haven, find a new one. He could use the cargo space of the van, he supposed, or just sink into the earth using his Clan's Discipline. But he had Tenancy now. A second Haven isn't unthinkable, and the Movement made it easy for him to acquire them, especially since he'd acquired his forged papers to cement his falsified identity.

"Eerrgh," the pain in his hand is excruciating. It'll be tough to drive the van that way but he can manage. He makes his way back towards the beach where he parked the van. Hopefully Cody isn't waiting there to finish him off. The thought of witnesses crosses his mind, but there's nothing he can do about them now in his current state. He'd been lucky that the Barrens were so close by with its long stretch of farmland. But Willow Creek's residential community lay just next to it. He hopes he has a little luck in reserve.

[Konrad Roth]

The van drives up slowly down a lane of apartments where Konrad's Haven lies. The normally poker-faced Savage has a more surly demeanor after a night filled with scorched flesh, fireworks, embarrassment, and disobedience. His burnt hand is wrapped in a rag and he's changed out of his swimming attire into a pair of jeans and t-shirt.

Konrad's eyes watch the side streets and rooftops for signs of stalking hunters or police. He hadn't a clue what set Cody off but he wanted to be prepared for an ambush nonetheless. Upon reaching his Haven, Konrad parks the vehicle and exits with his bowie knife sheathed under his shirt, walking up to the building and turning his head this way and that for any sign of movement out of the ordinary.

Bringing out his keys he enters without issue. The lights are on and a figure sits there on the sofa. At Konrad's entry the figure looks up, the fearful wreck that is his Ghoul, Cody.

"Konrad!" he says, sadness and fear saturating his words. "Before you say..." he starts, but Konrad is already moving across the room at a charge. He brandishes his bowie knife and lifts it to the man's neck, forcing him to stay seated on the sofa.

"You tried to kill me!" he growls angrily, words seething out like a viper between his teeth. "You did this to me!" Konrad holds up his bandaged hand and pulls up his shirt with his free hand to reveal the secondary burns from when the roman candle went off. "And you have the balls to come back here like nothing happened?!" He keeps his voice from carrying so as not to wake the neighbors, the words coming out like a stressed hiss.

Granted, the apartment is technically in Cody's name. Granted, that the wound on Konrad's hand was his own doing from attempting to wrench the firework away from Cody. But such were minor details.

Tears form at the corners of Cody's eyes, fear for his life and something else.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I don't understand why I did... It wasn't a conscious decision, Konrad. Please, you have to believe me! I would never try to hurt you," he pleads, his bottom lip quivering from unfiltered emotion. His eyes stare into Konrad's and the Vampire gazes back, searching, probing for deception.

Konrad pulls the knife back but keeps it in hand as he says, "Tell me everything. You better start making sense."

Cody's hand moves to his neck automatically, checking to see if he'd been cut before breathing hard and then looking from his hands back to Konrad. "I...we were at the Beach...and I was wondering what the other Vampires were going to look like, if I would notice them for how they looked or...anyways, as soon as I saw that one you introduced me to, I lost it. I don't know why but I knew I had to do everything in my power to destroy him. It was so compelling, like a voice in my head taking the wheel. You've told me a little about the Beast, how it lurks there in the mind. Maybe it was something like that? Maybe your Vitae has grown a Beast inside me and I...frenzied, I don't know..." His hands move to his head, his voice filling with fear again at the thought of losing his mind.

Konrad scoffs, his mouth a sneer. "Ghouls don't have Beasts. You don't know what you're talking about. Sounds like a lame excuse you might've come up with. I know you've got your sick tastes. You probably got it into your head that if you scared off the others that you'd have me all to yourself or something crazy like that."

Surprise and confusion cross Cody's expression. "No, no, what? I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't be so petty. I want you to do well, I want to serve you, to see you succeed! Please, Konrad!"

"Stop calling me that!" growls Konrad. "What's so hard about calling me 'Master'? You keep forgetting that I'm on top in this arrangement. You need me, I don't need you. I could've killed you back then and been done with it. And now you're not good for anything. I can't trust you not to stake me or throw me out in the sun. So, you know what, you don't get to call me 'Master'."

Konrad raises the knife again and he sees Cody's eyes go wide. The tears crest and fall down his cheeks. "What are you going to do?" he asks, paralyzed from uncertainty.

The moment stretches out. Konrad wonders that himself. He wonders if Cody is considering calling out for help or trying to run. It'd make it easier if he did try something. But he just sits there expectantly, his breath quickened, staring.

Finally Konrad lowers the knife, sheathing it. "If you want to live, you keep quiet. The Kindred know about you so they'll be looking. You're a breach in their eyes."

Cody gulps, trying to clear his throat to speak clearly. "And not yours? I don't care, I want to stay. I meant what I said. I want to help you...Master."

"Too little too late. I told you you don't get to call me that. I'm not staying here anymore either. You'll find out soon enough that the years will catch up with you and then you'll be just like every other Kine out there."

Cody protests, "Please, Master. I'll do anything if you'll forgive me. I promise I don't know why I did it. I didn't mean to attack you. I didn't mean to attack that Vampire. I wish I knew so I could tell you..."

It's pitiful, and the man that remains in Konrad rolls his eyes at himself for sparing the Ghoul. Even after all that's happened Konrad can't believe that Cody really meant to hurt him. But then what could have it have been? If it were the work of a rival Kindred manipulating Cody's mind then when could they have gotten to him and what had they to gain from it? Embarrassing the Carthians? Well mission accomplished. The party was a bust and they'd be hearing about it for months if not longer.

But Konrad can only think of the now, about known dangers. Cody is a liability until Konrad can get to the bottom of this.

"Rrrgh, fine. Just keep your head down until I figure things out. I'll make some excuse for you to keep you from being hunted down by the others. If you really mean it then you'll earn back my trust and stay quiet and out of sight," answers Konrad as he turns way.

Konrad spends the next few minutes gathering his things and hauling them out to his van. Cody looks on helplessly, as if they were a young couple breaking up. And then the Gangrel drives off into the night in search of a temporary spot to rest for the day and recover from his wounds.

[Konrad Roth]

The trailer is smaller than his old Haven. But he's by himself there, no Ghoul to share it with. It's a rinky-dink piece of trash and flimsy windows and doors that he's modified with black tape and insulation to block out sunlight. The van is parked behind it on a tiny slab of payment. Konrad has the hood propped up as he looks through the engine. It's a fine machine for what he uses it for but it's still no better than his trailer. Just a different box but on wheels.

It's not all bad though, all things considered. But the pain in his hand and chest continue to ache. It's been tough to horde enough Blood to spare to heal it. The process is slow, spaced out over the course of several nights. Everything is a reminder of the mess he's in with Cody. But it could've been worse, he tells himself. He had stood in front of Marco, not to protect his fellow Carthian, but to protect Cody. If only he had been quicker and grabbed that firework before it went off. But then the others would still have known of Cody's betrayal.

He glances over his shoulder as a group of trailer trash punks walk along the street, hooting and hollaring about some joke between themselves. They don't pay the Savage any mind, they're off a ways winding down after returning from evening plans. Maybe one will split off on their own, an easy mark for an evening meal. But he's already fed and the daystar isn't all that far off from reaching the horizon. He doesn't want to feed too close to home anyways.

Konrad shuts the hood and locks up his vehicle. In a way it's more secure than the trailer but also a more tempting target to break into during the day. He reminds himself this is all temporary. Soon he'll figure out the problem with Cody and be back on easy street.

He goes around the trailer, checking the windows and doors before going inside, locking the door behind him and checking the interior in the same way. He wants to make a crawl space through the floor at some point, a precaution in case he needs to get to the dirt ground below the raised structure.

Finally he opens a cusion-lined box against the wall in the bedroom, for all intents and purposes a coffin, and crawls inside before shutting the lid. As he rests he directs the Vitae in his system towards the damaged parts of his body, instructing it to reconstruct the blackened flesh. A few more nights and he aught to be fit as a fiddle again...

-3 Vitae towards healing Aggravated Damage upon waking

[Konrad Roth]

Konrad stares at the text he received from the Bishop. Quadragesima, eh? he thinks with a silent scoff to himself within his Haven. The Savage has surprised himself for how far he's put up with this religious dogma. He had only intended to play along a little while in hopes of getting some questions answered. Like what was the Lancea Sanctum really about? Why did it hold such faith in Longinus and what secrets does it hold still? The answers came readily, without all that much secrecy. The Lance is always about spreading their beliefs and ideals, waving it proudly like a banner on the battlefield.

So why does he still subscribe to their traditions? Why does he still wear Cody's cross around his neck each night? For appearances? Alliances? The Reeve, Josephine, and the Bishop, Gilory. Powerful, knowledgeable. What else is there to gain?

He thinks back to his first nights here in the city. The partnership with Rina, spying on a faceless enemy. It was only supposed to be a simple job, to watch each other's backs until the other lost their usefulness. But Ashley and the Movement had surprised him. He'd played the role long enough where he was no longer sure where he stood. He held more influence there than he would had he remained unbound. The Movement needed allies and Konrad opted for the Lance, seeing them as few in number and eager for support.

But the deaths of Kindred and Kine weighs on his mind. The senseless slaughter. It scares Konrad, how detached he feels sometimes. Forty-seven years a Vampire and he's managed to keep his hands relatively clean. The shakedowns, the drug trade, he'd been part of all sorts of criminal activities. But murder seems like a pretty big line to cross. Would the Konrad before his Embrace have felt differently? He thinks about his Sire, Bruno. The Stain, they called him, for the bloody trail he left in his wake. But then that's why their Clan is called Savage. Bruno never seemed to have an issue with it.

Even if the Testament ended up being bullshit, even if there were no God or Devil playing with their Requiems, something about it still gives Konrad some reassurance. An excuse for what is left of his conscience. His Ghoul didn't have to die. But there is some comfort knowing each death could mean something and serve some greater purpose. He'd never been a part of anything great before. He knew himself to be scum, willing to sell a person out without batting an eye. Willing to drain a man until he is ill and then rob him blind. Willing to sell out his Clanmate in a duel. Willing to turn his back on a Covenant member should they not suit his plans. Marco. Graves.

Konrad sighs and starts to kneel on the floor of his modified mobile home. He clasps his hands in front of him. And despite feeling like a fool he says aloud, "God, or Satan, if you're listening, I've got a lot of baggage I've been holding in. I've done a lot of bad things. And maybe that's good, cause Longinus says its part of your plan. But I didn't do those things for you, or for those Kine you plan on saving. I did 'em for me, cause I'm selfish or whatever. Maybe that's also part of your plan, like with Longinus. I ain't figured out this world yet, or what's my place in it. Maybe that's why you sent Sister Sterling and Brother Gilroy to guide me. Or maybe I'm just looking for the things I want to see. For now, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. But I figure I'd say hi at least."

Quadragesima, eh? he thinks again while crossing himself. What would fasting get him? The Beast's fury, most likely. Or maybe there is something more to it, something holy in the rituals and traditions. Or maybe he'd just feel better for trying.

If that were the case then he better find someone to drink before the fast begins. Throwing on his jacket, Konrad set out from his Haven to find another victim.

[Konrad Roth]

The sound of the distant rush hour rouses Konrad from his daytime paralysis. Even through his makeshift coffin the woosh of moving cars and far off honking penetrates the thin walls of the mobile home. Several drivers return to the trailer park from their retail and food preparation shifts.

Konrad lifts the latch on the inside and pushes open the lid, his coffin disguised as furniture in the back corner of the small space. He shuts it behind him and flops onto the fold-down bed, left with the strewn sheets and pillows to make the place look lived-in. He stretches his stiff body out, feeling the Beast stir in him with early evening hunger. Things used to be so much easier with Cody on hand.

Allowing for his mind to clear, Konrad gets back on his feet and does his normal check of the perimeter. Few vandals and thieves try to knock over a place in the daylight hours, but he wants to know if there's any intrusions nonetheless. The check reveals an all-clear. He opens the blinds on the windows that keep a majority of the light out. His eyes linger on the Kine that are outside, sitting on wood porches with beers after a hard day frying burgers.

He goes outside and does an external check and then walks over to his van, a vehicle nearly half the size of his Haven, and checks that out too. Another fortuitous night, everything's where it should be.

He heads back inside and checks his phone charging on the nightstand. Several calls during the day. Most are numbers from his contact list, informants, fellow dealers, and people who either he owes money or who owe him money. It'll have to wait until he gets something to drink. He doesn't want to get irritated with business partners on an empty stomach.

Locking up, Konrad twirls his keys around his index finger and boards his van, taking off down the road onto the highway. His Herd ought to sate him. He has to be careful not to drink too often from them, considering their few numbers. Rachael is at the top of the list. After Johnny, she started dating Darren, and after Darren she realized Konrad was a convenient outlet, a casual lay between business partners. But Rachael is no longer the only fence that Konrad uses, so he can stand to risk keeping her enthralled.

She's all too happy to see him and they take care of business as if it were routine. Konrad shares the news he's gathered over the week. Two arrests when a chop shop is discovered and busted. A shipment that Konrad got in of knock-off purses, and offers to set a crate aside for her pawn shop. She tells him about her clientele, goods that certain folks are on the lookout for. She says that Johnny started hanging around again. It's not like Konrad cares.

And he's off again, leaving her feeling oddly tired again, deciding to close the shop early and sleep it off while Konrad is feeling energized from the feeding. He cruises downtown, entering the Rack and parks in an alley to start making calls. Everybody wants something from him. Fake IDs, getting rid of evidence, drugs. It's just business. And it happens to facilitate the faith. He's the devil in disguise, tempting sinners to their fate. Or something like that.

With his schedule worked out for the evening, Konrad goes on the move, stopping by shady apartments to pick up goods and dropping them off at other back-alley meetups. He's the savior of the downtrodden, the lifesaver they don't know what they could do without. It's all taken with a knowing smirk and an open palm awaiting payment. That's all he really is, a broker arranging informal trades, all tax free of course. That same cash goes to grease the wheels of his friends in low places, keeping them incentivized to continue providing his 'custom orders'.

Back in the van again, the Blush starting to fade on his skin, and Konrad gets another call. This time it's from one of his kind, and the Reeve no less. Curiously [url=http://nwod.org/forum/showthread.php?35457-Calling-Konrad-Roth]he answers[/post], quite certain he knows what this is about...