paris ♔ tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away

[necessaryevil]

♬ Facade (reprise) - Jekyll & Hyde

WHO || Faith Lehane, Max Rast, Lissa Dragomir, Helen Magnus
WHAT || The Knights investigate a string of vampire attacks in France
WHERE ||Paris, France
WHEN || April 11th, 2015 [backdated].
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

One vampire attack is cause for worry enough, but when bodies are found with telltale puncture wounds and heavy loss of blood become a recurring nightmare across any city, alarm bells are raised.  Such is the case recently in Paris, where Wynn suspects that either a careless clan has moved in, or some lone vamps are stirring up trouble.  With the locations of the bodies marked out in the eight block radius where the deaths have been occurring, the team arrives in the late evening, staring at the rows of apartment blocks, small businesses, and pubs that comprise this section of town.

Comments

[daredtobelieve]

[When Helen sees them, she all but freezes in her tracks.]

Rose? [She says quietly, still a block or so away, but quite sure that her mind isn't playing tricks on her. Stepping closer, Helen swallows hard and instinctively reaches for the bandages at her neck, knowing that there will be so many questions. And for a moment, her resolve in her decision to leave with Dashiell is a bit shaken, reminded of the responsibility she has to those she cares about.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose's own footsteps falter when Helen draws close enough for her to see, the Dhampir letting out a shaky breath as at least some of the tension eases from her shoulders.]

Helen... [Rose breaking from Dean to surge forward towards the other woman, already focused on the bandage that covers her neck.]

Are you... [She pushes that question down, trying to appear more stoic than she feels right now. (WS 18)] What happened?

[daredtobelieve]

I'm alright. [She reassures the young woman, glancing behind her at Faith and...oh Dean is here too. Guilt swims in her mind as a reminder of the things she would be running from come and slap her in the face.]

I assume you've heard what happened to the others? When I found them, I... They got the jump on me- the vampires. Thankfully, a friend was in the area and helped me get away, helped me dress the wounds as well. [It's not...technically a lie, but it's also not really the truth, is it? (Bluff 17).]

My phone shattered in the fight. I came back as quick as I could to look for you. [She directs over Rose's shoulder to Faith. She didn't mean to leave you on your own.]

[likedillinger]

[ dean looks not only concerned about this whole thing, but as if this is all too convenient, but he doesn't see a reason to mistrust Helen's word. ] Yeah, well, we're glad you did. They got to the others. [ dean, break that news more sensitively dude. ] We thought maybe they got you too.

[daredtobelieve]

They nearly did. [She admits, shaking her head, remembering just how close to losing her life she was.]

But from what I've been able to gather, the problem within the city is subsiding. Have you found any more of them?

[msattentionspan]

[Faith is relieved to find Helen, but it does seem a bit easy. It actually makes her feel a bit foolish for not just heading back to the scene and waiting for Helen to return - it just didn't seem like she'd just walk back of her own will. Frowning, she glances to the bandage at her neck and doesn't really like it that she got hurt.]

Yeah, Quinn and I found the group of them. I talked them into taking up with some code that these Elder vampires follow. They seemed pretty sure that if they didn't get taken back by them that they'd be dead... so I'm sure they'll stick with good behavior.

Now, that we have you and you're okay - I should call in. [She's careful not to mention Wynn's name, still trying to separate the Knights from what she's told Quinn.] We can try to figure out if we need to track down these Elders and make sure they're not something we should worry about.

[daredtobelieve]

I'm not sure we'd have any idea where to begin to find them. [Helen says, shaking her head.] From what I've gathered from the way these young ones talk, they're the ones breaking away from these... rules that the Elders set. I have a feeling the entire point of these rules is to keep them from being found.

[msattentionspan]

You talked to the vamps that attacked you? [That's at least what Faith is guessing, considering Helen just said 'the way these young ones talk'.]

[daredtobelieve]

I don't know about the ones you encountered, but the ones that came after me were quite chatty while they fought. Overconfidence does that, I think.

[msattentionspan]

Yeah, sounds about right. [Faith nods, because she can definitely understand the over-confidfence part. The ones she handled were pretty mouthy.]

Alright, well I'll still call in. I said I would when we found you.

[Faith'll step aside to make the call to Wynn.]

[littledhampir]

[While Helen and Faith talk, Rose closely scrutinizes the bandage on her neck, a hand coming up to touch her own as if she's falling into a memory.]

Did you get a good look at the ones who attacked you?

[daredtobelieve]

There was only one. [Her mind is a bit foggy. Also, I forgot it was only one until I checked back. Whoops.] Pale, dark hair. But she didn't survive.

[littledhampir]

[Rose's lips press into a grim line, hope fading from her eyes.]

There were two, the ones who... [WS 19] Lissa and Max. [Taking a moment to breathe in and out, steady herself.] Even if the one who attacked you was involved, there's at least another one still out there.

[Once again, no context theater with Rose Hathaway.]

[likedillinger]

Another one who woulda killed you. [ does it sound like there's any impending mercy in dean's tone about that? cuz no, there's not. ] Helen, you should head somewhere where a real cleric can take care of that, and we'll hunt this last vamp down.

[ meanwhile, wynn answers faith immediately, and asks for an update. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[After everything that's happened, she's not looking to scold Dean for not being merciful. Her mercy only extends as far as the lives of those she cares about. Killing Max and Lissa removed her compassion for these baby vampire assholes.]

I'm fine. [She insists, but there's something grateful in her glance. She didn't really expect Dean to be overly concerned for her well being, frankly. They've had a rocky start.]

Just what do you intend to do? Hunt down the last young one, and then?

[It's not condescending. She's just honestly not sure what the plan is here?]

[roams]

I'm going to go ahead and guess the answer isn't 'invite them for Sunday breakfast'.

[daredtobelieve]

[She gives him a flat look because that's not what she meant asshole. She just doesn't know if they plan to hunt down every fucking vampire in Paris.]

[littledhampir]

Kill him. [Her words coming on the back of Quinn's only Rose's hold no humor, no mercy, almost no emotion at all.]

And then we find every vampire associated with him and we kill them too. [A coldness to her words and voice that might at least surprise Helen.]

[likedillinger]

That sound like a workable plan to you? [ he asks, as if he really cares whether it gets an approved stamp or not ]

[daredtobelieve]

[she looks a tad hesitant. Perhaps because of Rose's tone. Or maybe there's more to her thought process. Either way, she's just going to give a short nod.]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith will give the update: "Rose and Dean have met up with me. I ran into a colleague," (legit Faith is only using that word because there are co-workers around) "and he helped me find a place for Max and Lissa to be safe until we're ready to leave. We went back to the alley where Helen had been taken, only to have her walking toward the group. She says she had been attacked, but then helped by a friend who aided and then treated her injuries. There are still some loose ends with vampires that haven't gotten the memo yet - and we're planning on tracking and handling the issue."

The narration assumes that Wynn would be good with this update and tells them to keep him posted... so she will hang up after he says that... and return to the group with all the info dump that I had been waiting to do.]

You said there were two... The group I met up with said there were seven of them in total that had been playing Murder Mystery Party. Henry [Faith doesn't know the fancy dude spells it with an I okay.] left them. Got scared off and left the city. Told them not to go looking for him. That left six of the group. I met with five of them and four of them agreed to terms.

One went out the window. Girl. Blonde with a purple punk streak - which was probably the smallest of that group's fashion troubles.

[She stops and counts them off in her head - Tristan, Fringe, Purple Hair, Spanish Guy, Dark Hair, Missing Girl Who Didn't Answer, and Henry.]

So we start with seven. Henry isn't in the city - if you can believe that, Purple Hair ran off, and another girl didn't answer her phone and they didn't know what happened to her.

Now, you say two and Helen says one. But, either way, I know there are at least three vamps in that kill party that are worth looking for and I'm good with moving on them.

[Damn and Faith is a high school drop-out, yo. That was a lot of counting. She also was on the phone with Wynn so she didn't catch when Rose said kill "him".]

[roams]

But your friend here also says the one she ran into didn't survive. So assuming that this Henry is even actually around, that leaves what? One, maybe two?

[littledhampir]

[And Rose just sucks at math so all that information is confusing the hell out of her.]

Assuming that the one who attacked Helen is the same one who attacked the others. [Just when you thought the math couldn't get any harder.]

Purple hair wasn't involved in what happened to Lissa and Max but I'm sure we can convince her to give us information on... [(Wis 6) She's forgotten his name already. (Int 20 tot.) At least she can count.] The other two, if we can hunt her down. [Rose's gaze sliding to Dean like, this is your thing.]

[daredtobelieve]

She-- [Helen hesitates, but seems to decide to push forward.] The one who attacked me referred to me as dessert. I get the impression she was a part of the earlier attack on the others.

[Better to clarify that much, at least.]

[likedillinger]

Gonna go ahead and make a bet that Mr. Outta Town is our mystery other vampire.