(Lambs) The Mistress

Dec 15th, 2014 12:45 AM

It didn't take long for the van into which Animus and the three friendly Awakened that he had met in a nice alleyway on his way home from the park to leave town and wend its way westward out of the city toward the less urbanized areas outside of town. Over the bridge, past the theatre where the Veiled Threats made their home, out through the district where, unbeknownst to Animus , the Kindred of the city tried their best to avoid. These were the Barrens.

And then there were trees and road and farms beginning to be covered in a light cover of snow.

The trio were silent as they stared at the Thyrsus. The woman had a small, pensive smile on her face. The man who had been standing next to her had his hands steepled before him like some sort of monk, and the crazy fellow on the rooftop kept a pistol sitting on his lap, held in one twitching, bouncing hand. His eyes were locked on Animus, and there was nothing nice about his horrible gaze.

Down one road, then up another, down another, left, right, turning around. It took them nearly an hour to get there, and there was little to make sense of it all*. A heavy metal gate opened, leading into a compound complete with a nice little rancher, a seperate garage, and a big warehouse.

The van stopped.

"Are you prepared to meet the Mistress, Ubermensch?"

Reverence. This was holy territory.

Animus may roll Intelligence+Survival-5 to get a good sense of where he actually is. roadnottaken

**Animus** · Dec 16th, 2014 11:25 AM

The shaman winces inwardly. Why did they have to keep calling him that? He wasn't anyone important. He couldn't be; too broken. It all was just creeping him out.

Still, if this was the only way he could get close enough to do anything ... nervousness cloys at him as he nods once. "I'm ready."

lost

Dec 17th, 2014 01:58 AM

"The Ubermensch is ready."

A horrible little titter of laughter from the crazy from the rooftop.

"He is ready."

Silence, from the bald, tanned man who was the stoic companion of the woman.

Doors were opened, and Animus was led from the vehicle into the rain. "You really ought to just tell us your Shadow Name. We're going to call you the Ubermensch all day if you don't. The Mistress won't, but she should know your Shadow Name, right?"

The woman glanced at the fellow and led on with the silent fellow at the Thyrsus's back. They reached the house door in no time, and she knocked thrice.

**Animus** · Dec 21st, 2014 01:40 PM

A low growl, almost inaudible. He didn't have to look around to know that he had almost no control of the situation. It irked, almost as much as the name they kept using.

The temptation, to relent and tell them what they wanted. But -- "Perhaps we'll wait on that one. I'm curious, just how much she does know."

Eyes flick around, registering his surroundings. The three guards are largely ignored in this survey. If they made any sudden movements, he'd sense it, and that was good enough.

Dec 23rd, 2014 05:11 PM

The silent man gave Animus a nod, then looked toward the house. It was enough communication for him - the fellow was plainly very good at non-verbal communication. The empathetic Thyrsus could easily determine what he meant.

Get a move on.

"The Mistress knows all, Ubermensch."

Nothing moved in the distance. Life, at least that which was in his range to feel, was limited to the three he was with and three lives inside the building near him, movement flickering inside as bodies made tracks past windows.

The trio led the Ubermensch up to the house, the silent fellow opening the door and leading Animus inside.

Once inside and past the entryway, two things were apparent to Animus. The first was that this place was not lived in. Sure, there was seating here, but it lacked that homey feeling and the knick-knacks and junk of a place that people lived in. It felt more like an office than anything - a place people came to do some sort of work.

The second was that the work they did here was not pleasant. Beneath the scent of bleach and cleaner was an odor that every animal knew. Decomposition. Decay. Death. People died here.

The female gestured to a couch that was still wrapped in plastic.

"Please, Ubermensch. Sit. The Mistress will be with you shortly."

**Animus** · Dec 27th, 2014 09:19 PM

Animus sniffs, almost involuntarily. Recognized scents. If he'd held even the slightest lingering thought that their claims could be taken at face value after all, that would have banished it. Even Scarlett, in the depths of her madness, hadn't killed her supposedly-ascended lover.

Not that her other actions hadn't been horrific.

And yet here he was, caught in the web. Even worse that he'd thrown himself in willingly. Would his presence even be able to affect the outcome?

Left without immediate recourse, the shaman gingerly eases himself into the couch, and waits.

Dec 30th, 2014 02:05 AM

Time passes. Animus knows it to be at least fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. The woman leaves him with the crazy-eyed fuck and Silent Bob until finally returning, a glass of water in her hand that she idly sipped.

"Ubermensch. The Mistress will see you now."

All three stand and she gently gestures toward the stairs, leading the way up the flight, then down a hall to the right. The door at the end of the hall was open, and a dim red light poured out through it. Quiet music could be heard from within. Was that Gregorian chant?

The door is opened, and all three bow to a woman sitting lotus on a black yoga mat. There is a mat before her, and between the two is a bowl of clean, clear water tinged red by the light. She wore a lovely dress, and was positively serene, as though she worried not about the dangers of the world. All was well, here in her sanctuary.

"So. You are the special one. I am so glad you came."

She looked up at him, flashing him a beautiful smile.

"Did they offer you anything to drink? I would hate to hear that my acolytes did not offer you the appropriate hospitality."

The Mistress - Presence 4 (Serene) - Striking Looks 4 (Aged Pretty Damn Well!)

**Animus** · Jan 3rd, 2015 08:55 PM

A shiver runs down the Thyrsus' spine. Nothing here seemed right. Even the bowl of water earns its share of suspicion. Most likely he could fight off anything they might have added to it, but taking anything here for granted involved risk. "They offered hospitality enough, given the circumstances." Circumstances which could no doubt have included much more stringent coersion.

A moment's pause, as he attunes more strongly to the sense of the living surrounding him. There were far better times for surprises. "Your acolytes spoke quite highly of your facility with knowledge-gathering." A slight lilt at the end, turning the statement to a query.

Jan 5th, 2015 12:16 AM

The serene, handsome blonde's smile remained squarely in place, as though he were an old friend. And wasn't he? Such a powerful being could only be enlightened enough to understand.

"Well, they are so kind, aren't they?" She beamed at the others for a moment, causing a big, crazy smile to break out over the kooky dude's face even as the woman and Silent Bob remained stoic and observant of him. "Yes, I know a thing or two. And I know you, sir, better than you might think. I've read about you in the portents."

Her finger swirled in the bowl of water.

"The so-called Ubermensch. But that doesn't describe you correctly."

Deeper now, slowly.

"A being of great Supernal understanding."

Speeding up, whirling the water around clockwise, her finger a center in the midst of a growing tornado of water in the deep bowl.

"A warrior. A healer. An Arrow, but one plagued with doubts. A broken man, who has lost much to this world, to this Lie that we all live in."

Suddenly, she stopped her finger, and the whirlwind of water in the container slowed, then stopped.

"Isn't that right, Animus?"

**Animus** · Jan 11th, 2015 06:17 PM

Dread. He knew how people were supposed to act. The types of subconscious signals they sent. And everything about this woman was wrong. And yet, perhaps most disturbing of all ...

"Truly, you are every bit as knowledgable as they claimed." It was all there. The zeal, the unshakable certainty of her own correctness ... People like her were far and away the most dangerous warriors of all. "And you think that I can help you, that my presence here serves your plan. Perhaps that one so torn apart by the lie would do anything to be free of it?"

A feed. Nothing useful could possibly happen, unless he could get her talking.

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-16 11:24:50		Animus rolls 1 to Int + Surv - 5 (10 Again, Chance)		8		failure

(Lambs) The Mistress

Members who have read this thread : 1

Similar Threads

(Lambs) A Fly on the Wall

(Lambs) So Metal

(Lambs) Just Jokin' Around

Phone Paging Mistress Stamford...

Asylum The Mistress and Her Disciple