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I tell Aesop we'll be back in a minute before following Peter silently. I'm especially alert, taking care to note unsavory types and other nuisances, as we enter the alleys. I do not do or say anything unless prompted, much more interested in seeing how Peter navigated these oh so unfamiliar waters.
Peter glances over to his new companion. "No one like us... Aesop has the right idea. There's no back entrance we can get in without causing a problem. When we get to the doorman, we can see about a bribe."
With that, Peter gives one last scan of the building to see if there's anything he missed, and slowly walks back towards his clanmate in line.
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I nod my silent agreement and follow Peter back to the line, glad to be away from the darker areas of our society.
Still, I wondered if maybe I did not kept part of that darkness with me still. Peter talked of the bribe with notable levity. Was it cynical of Peter to assume such transactions occurred with frequency? Or did this show an acquaintance with the rules of this seedy world that made my own naiveté stand out in painfully obvious fashion?
With some reluctance I decide I should not look a gift horse in the mouth and trust in the guide fate had provided me.
Aesop waits in line patiently, as far as he was concerned this mystery could not get any colder. It was important, but not urgent. Had he been alone he easily would have slipped inside, but he felt he needed to know how it was done the proper way at least so he could know for future reference.
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The line moves slowly, but eventually the trio of vampires finds themselves at the front of the line. The burly bouncer furrows his scarred brow as he looks them over - especially Aesop, in his threadbare and faded clothing. Finally he snorts. "Sure, what the hell. The boss likes variety. Cover's $10 a person."
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I carried $23,57 with me tonight and as such ten dollars was within my ability to pay for my entry into the Inferno. I delay volunteering money for Aesop's cover until he asks or hints at his expected lack of funds. It seemed strange that the number that had felt so right wasn't enough to buy safe passage for both my guides, I wonder what that meant. Would only two of them return from Hell?
Aesop took a long glance at the bouncer, despite what he looked like he understood the concept of money, even though he did not endorse it, the same way he understood the concept of names but did not endorse them. Aesop planned for emergency situations such as these, and from some of the people he'd mugged... in the name of justice of course, he produced a wad of cash never having taken the time to actually look at the bills to learn their value in this time period. He hands it to the bouncer letting him decide what, if anything, he was going to give him back. Either way Aesop didn't care.
Ooc
Peter hands the bouncer a $50, telling him to keep the change.
Who knows... if I ever have to get in here again, he may remember me.
With that, Peter prepares to enter the establishment with his little group of supernatural detectives.
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Even before the three vampires enter Club Inferno, they are assaulted by its sounds. The heavy bass throbs in their bones. Upon entering, they experience a greater level of sensory assault: visual, auditory and tactile.
The place is close to packed with people, so much so that it's hard to go very far without bumping into someone or being bumped into. The dance floor is so packed it's hard to tell who is dancing with whom. The overall murmur of people is drowned out by the loud, fast, percussion-driven music. Most of the club is dark, save the areas by the exits and the bar, which are lit with dim red lights. Lights flash onto and from the dance floor, mostly blue or red, occasionally a glaring white spot or a strobe.
The patrons are mostly younger adults, representing a variety of different tastes and styles of fashion. Many people are dressed in a very risque manner, a few stopping just shy of nudity, while many others are dressed, in part or in full, in fetishwear, mostly leather or vinyl. Many of the patrons sport tattoos or body piercings, ranging from the mild to the extreme.
It's really hot and humid in here, so much that most of the people are sweating, and the clothes of many are soaked through with sweat. There is a haze in the air over the dance floor and all across the ceiling.
Club Inferno is split into two levels: the main level, and an upper half-level, reachable by a single staircase and lined with a rail. The bar area is located in the back of the lower level, beneath the overhanging upper level.
The bartenders wear tuxedos and full-head rubber devil masks, red, with horns, pointed ears and goatees. At various spots in the club, including over the dance floor, are suspended iron cages. Within each cage is a woman, nude except for the briefest of g-strings, decorated with red body paint and small horns.
Note that use of Auspex to boost hearing in here can be problematic; those attempting it need to roll Stamina; with a failed roll indicating the character is stunned for a number of turns = 10-Stamina. Using Auspex to boost vision is not as risky unless one is facing the dance floor, in which case they need to roll Wits + Stamina to avoid being blinded for three turns by a sudden flash of light.
Peter surveys the place, walking in a bit so as not to block the door or anyone coming in behind them. After scanning the mass of people, he turns to his companions. "THIS SHOULD BE EASY!!" he yells, trying to be heard over the din. If either vampire heard him, the sarcasm wouldn't be lost on them. He looks back into the masses, and then take a moment to fiddle with his cellphone. He turns to Eleanor, holding up his cell phone, where she can see the words "Cell? Number? Texting easier than talking here."
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