(1604) Sacramento Safari

[Cabochard]

Caleb watches them all decide on a car, then nods when Konrad settles on renting them a Zipcar. The Savage isn't quite sure what those are, but it doesn't sound so bad. "We'll need an SUV at least, are you sure we can rent one out this late?" Or at all. He's never quite sure what will or won't be open and available in the middle of the night. Rental car services seemed like they'd be at the top of the list, but, hey, he's been bit before.

Caleb prepares to follow the others to wherever they were going to get a car. As long as he didn't have to drive afterwards, he was happy to walk.

[Martha Villiers]

Selecting a car was easy, arranging it just as easy. Smiling, she spends a few moments identifying the best vehicle. "I'd be delighted to act as navigator!"

Chirping merrily, she nodded to Caleb and the gang. "Let's go!" she chuckled and began to make her way towards the car. Gesturing with her cane in the general vicinity.

Turning to Alice and offering her hand, she added, "I regret I don't drive, so the offer of being navigator is gratefully accepted!"

Once near the car, Martha happily asks Caleb, but making sure to cheerily catch everyone by the eye, "To help break the ice, as a question to try to get to know everyone: which fictional place would you all like to visit, and why...?"

[Konrad Roth]

"Fictional place?" echoes Konrad curiously. The Savage wonders if the Shadow is nervous to make such idle talk, but he plays along, for lack of anything worthwhile to say out on the public sidewalks.

"What, like Sunnydale, California?" he jokes, referencing the parody. "Hmm, if I had to pick a vacation spot, how about a beach front in Atlantis, or a summer home in Shangri-La. I mean, if you're going to take a break from the real world, might as well be comfortable," he suggests, sticking with noteworthy Utopian legends.

The nearest car is surprisingly close, and Konrad is impressed by the new systems the Kine have in place for conveniences. He wonders if he might be able to get a Zipcard for his alter ego to take advantage of. He waits for Martha to unlock the car for him before getting into the driver's seat, inviting the others to follow suit. Once they're strapped in they can begin the actual tour.

[Robert Cross]

Cross follows the crowd toward the car, not letting a lack of response to his greeting bother him. Sometimes it's easier for others to ignore him, that way they don't have to look at the scars. Of course, that's not to say he'll forget.

Martha's ice-breaker isn't exactly up his alley. Cross has never been one to read, or to consume much media really. Still, there are a few books that he's returned to throughout his existence. One in particular is his favorite: Moby Dick. He'd first read it in high school, at the urging of his father, who was also a man who tended to eschew books. It's one of the few things the man gave him that Cross has held on to.

"The Pequod," is all the burned man says as he opens a door and slides into the back seat. He doesn't offer a reason. He doesn't really know why he'd like to board that awful boat, but he knows that he gladly would. Maybe it's because he's always had 'that that's bloody on his mind,' even before the embrace. He settles in and waits for the others to do the same.

[Alice Hart]

Alice gladly offers Miss Martha her hand, helping her along as they walked.

As Alice's gemstone eyes reflect her ponderings of Martha's question, Konrad's first answer startles a surprised laugh from the doll. "Oh! Sunnydale! That would be a riot!"

"Atlantis the myth? Or Atlantis the Stargate spin-off?" Alice asks, just for the sake of asking. She assumed that the savage meant the mythical sunken city.

Alice aids the petite shadow to the car's door, patiently waiting if she would need any help getting into the car itself, hearing Robert's reply as she did so. As she climbs in next to the burned man, the doll arches a brow. Why the hell would he want to be on that boat?

With a shake of her head, Alice set about seeing to her answer. A slow smile spreading across her face. "Maybe Wonderland, or Totoro's Forest." So what if they thought it childish, if they even knew what she meant.

[Konrad Roth]

We're all mad here.

"Er, the first one. Never really followed the show," answers Konrad to Alice.

As Crazy-eyed Jack asks about horse racing, Konrad fields that one as well. "You mean Cal-Expo? Yeah, they've got 'Harness Racing'. Spring Meet just wrapped up, sorry to say. Won't be starting up again until October. Shame they air the Kentucky Derby during the day."

Being Kindred they miss out on a lot of the Kine activities. It's a constant reminder of the Daytime they've been denied. Probably to keep them from getting too distracted or too close to the prey that populate the world. They are stalkers of the sinful and Satan's puppets after all.

Once everyone's in the car, Konrad pulls out onto the street, getting a feel for the new vehicle as they make their way through the downtown.

"Alright, folks. First we're going to do a pass of the Rack. I'm sure you've all mapped it out, but it pays to stay aware of your location. Prince Clarke doesn't take kindly to poachers, as some of you might remember from the last Court." He starts heading down 15th Street until he gets to Fremont Park, slowing down over the train tracks. "On your right is the Ace of Spades, which hosts some decent concerts. Went to see the Misfits a while back. Still off limits for hunting though. That's true for all this until you get to the Interstate. It's 'J' through 'W'. If it's after 'I' then that shit don't fly, and 'X' marks the spot to tell if you're through it or not."

He smirks at his little rhyme and turns along W Street, heading westward. "Farmer's Market is on your left here. The whole underpass here attracts a lot of homeless if that's your thing. On the right is Southside Park. Off limits, but you might be able to catch some folks coming back on their late-night jogging routes." He turns up along 3rd Street, making his way towards the iconic Tower Bridge that is lit up on the left of them. "The border here is along 5th Street. But that gives you a couple blocks of hunting ground within the Historical District. Lots of tourists along the riverfront. There's even an entrance to Sacramento Underground somewhere along here. I went on a tour a while back, pretty interesting. Tower Bridge will take you over to West Sacramento and Raley Field where the Sacramento River Cats play. I think they just played the Vegas 51's, so I'm a bit bias about the outcome." He'll continue up that route, slowing down considerably as he gets into Historic District traffic.

"And that takes us to the Sacramento Train Station. So there's lot of landmarks you can use to keep track of where you're at. So, any requests on where we head next? Discovery Park maybe? The University? Let me know if you want to stop anywhere to get a closer view."

[Martha Villiers]

"I think I too would enjoy Atlantis." she smiles and chuckles. Utterly happy to be holding Alice's hand. "I suspect Wonderland, for all its dazzling invention and features, would frustrate me. There might be tea parties, but there's too little consistency in that realm...and terrifying Jabberwocks..." with a chuckle, she belted in and took care to gently hold Alice's hand throughout.

Jack might not believe her, but Martha, all smiles, is clearly looking forward to spending time with everyone.

Taking her seat and enjoying the chat about fictional places, she nods often.

It was time to let Konrad do the chatting.

[Robert Cross]

Cross watches the city slide by outside the car, taking in Konrad's disquisition on its geography and landmarks. He's always liked watching the world pass from the window of a vehicle. That feeling of freedom coupled with relative safety, of watching without being observed yourself. Even when he isn't the one driving, Cross finds it relaxing. When the explanations stop, Cross seems to emerge from a trance: "You have an impressive grasp on the ins and outs of the city, Mr. Roth. How long have you been here?"