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

[roams]

[ the girl dodges the blow, while the spanish vamp takes another sock to the jaw. she wheels away, and then her arm comes for faith's head, but the slayer manages to block it easily, while the vamp in front of her is too dizzied from taking all these hits to the face to get anywhere near her. FINALLY fringe gets a nat 20 touch attack on her, so they'll have to make opposed grapple checks as he tries to pull her head aside so that he can sink his fangs in her neck (its a d20+bab+str mod, and she has to beat a 17).

at that precise moment, however, the door busts open and... there's quinn standing behind the red-coated vampire. he takes all this in with raised eyebrows for half a second, and then raises a hand, flame rising up in his palm and dancing there as he eyes up the vampires. ] Glad I didn't miss the whole party.

[msattentionspan]

[Faith gives Fringe a look as he tries to reach for her. EXCUSE. YOU. Whatever, these vamps are so adorable. She's sort of amused that Quinn burst onto the scene like he's got amazing timing, but really - these guys haven't gotten a single hit to land. It's like she's just knocking them around trying to get them to sit down and shut up.]

Nah, it's kind of a lame party anyway. [Another punch to the face for you Mr. Trouble-Maker (atk 35 | dmg 15) and an elbow to the gut for you Miss Mouthy Vampire (atk 30 | dmg 14).]

See, [She'll address Mr. Trouble-Maker directly.] you might want to re-think your current aggressive behavior. Cuz' I can go all night.

[roams]

[ the spanish guy snarls: "Get him!" to the man in the red coat, as his fist actually gets a little closer to faith (atk 23). purple bitch yells something in french at not-tristan, finally backing away, but he stares at her like AHAHAA no. fringe tries to swing at her again, but her arm comes up to knock him aside once more, and his frustration grows. ]

Nice friends you've got. [ quinn takes the time to quip, before the vamp in red turns and lunges at him, with a hiss of fangs. he grabs hold of him, but quinn's eyes widen further and with a nat 20 strength check of OH SHIT NO, he shoves him off into the wall and sends an electric charge into his chest (9 dmg) ]

[msattentionspan]

[See, proof that females are superior. The girl backed away. Too bad for this guy, though. (atk 34 | dmg 17) comes at him with a punch to his nose and (atk 31 | dmg 16) as repeats that same hit.]

That's a bit of a stretch. I mean, Tristan didn't even tell me his real name. [And then Faith will watch as that happens.] That's new.

[roams]

I like to keep a trick or two up my sleeve. Apparently, you do too. [ he raises an eyebrow as she CASUALLY DODGES A MILLION VAMPIRE BLOWS.

spanish vamp finally connects (14 dmg), and in frustration, the woman starts running down the hall, and tristan hesitates but moves to go with her further into the building. ] Just for the record, are we letting them get away? [ quinn manages to just dodge the onslaught of the vampire in the red coat, and abruptly a blade of energy manifests out of his knuckles and he swings it around, cutting the vamp across the face (dmg 11) ]

[msattentionspan]

[Darnit. He actually hit her. That's okay, she has SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE so he's just going to add to her attack and damage now. Sucks to be him.]

I was trying to get them to talk, but they decided they liked this way better. [She watches "Tristan" and the girl dart off into the building and decides to try and just bring this guy with her and drag him down the hall (atk 32 | grapple 26) to follow them.]

I should probably try to keep track of everyone, though.

[roams]

[ he fails his opposed grapple and as such gets dragged away with her down the hall, cursing and trying to sink his fangs into her arm, unsuccessfully. the purple haired girl glances back over her shoulder, sees them coming, and curses, jumping right out the window, a crashing sound accompanying the splintering glass.

behind, quinn stays locked in combat with the red-coated vampire, barely escaping his grip again with another nat 20 strength check on his opposed grapple, where are these coming from??? he's been eating his wheaties. he rams the blade home into the vamp (16 dmg) ] I'll be along in a moment.

[msattentionspan]

[Faith sighs at the sound of glass (listen 26) and glares at Tristan to STAY THE FUCK PUT. (intimidate 20)

Once more, she tries to reason with the vampire that she's just dragging around.]

I'm gonna give you one more chance, because that guy over there is kinda banking on you guys at least telling me something. So I'll give you three options. Speak - Stake or I see how good I am at finding that Elder group you guys are so keen on going against and let them decide what to do with you. [Diplomacy 24]

[roams]

[ he'll be a good little vamp and do as he's told tbh.

the other speaks up as the sounds of quinn and the other vampire fighting continue down the hall.

"Fine, fine! I don't know who the hell you are, but I haven't seen anybody like who you're talking about. I don't know where your friend is, alright?!" ]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith cants her head, trying to see if the guy is lying or not (sense motive 22).]

They were killed by vamps - and unless you think there's another wild n'crazy gang just trolling that bar you were at and killing people...

[a beat]

Was it the threat of death or that Elder group that really got you talking?

[roams]

[ "They're the ones worth being afraid of," he scowls. "I told you I don't know what happened to her. But one of our friends didn't show up here either, so maybe it has something to do with that. She didn't answer her phone either, so hell if I know where she wound up." ]

[msattentionspan]

[Aww, you wound her so, LAME ASS VAMPIRE.]

Yeah? You want to tell me about them?

[roams]

[ "What's to tell exactly? I've got no idea where she's at." ]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith frowns.]

No. The Elders you think are the 'ones worth being afraid of'. What's the 'sitch with them?

[roams]

[ he grimaces. "They're the vampires who've been around too long to know how to enjoy the gift that's been given them anymore, that's what. We take what we want off the streets, while they hide their nature and shun the hunt." ]

[msattentionspan]

Right. [She isn't really impressed.]

Because, frame-jobs are totally being true to your nature. I mean, I'm sure you think that it's making it all under the radar - but guess what. I'm the radar and I spotted you.

Hell, I got led here by one of your own. Kicked his ass, ditched him, then came back, lured the rest of you here and promptly kicked your ass too. I think you should reclassify being afraid of someone. If all they do is hide and not kill people? [She sighs. She thought maybe they were a secret cult that had been sacrificing babies or something. Nope. Apparently, they're living by Angel's code of life.]

[roams]

[ "Alright, we get it. You're watching - whoever the hell you are." his eyes burn with anger, but he's clearly intimidated. "We'll go back to the Elders and we'll do as they do. Will that satisfy you?" ]

[msattentionspan]

You think they'd take you back? [Faith seems genuinely curious. She kinda has experience with the whole 'team evil' aspect of trying to get back into the fold. You work for one evil snake (literally) and everyone thinks you're going murder happy. (okay, they have a point.)]

I mean, if you're gonna go back to their code or whatever and they tell you that they don't want you in their special club... are you still gonna behave? [Sense motive 19.]

You gonna make sure the one that ran off follows that rule too?

[behindcloseddoors]

If they don't want us back in their club as you say, that won't be a problem anymore. [ because, he clearly implies, they won't be walking alive. Or undead, as it were. ] But I don't see that you're giving us a choice. [ and about then... faith's phone rings. ]

[msattentionspan]

[FROWN. Look, Faith wasn't big into them killing people, but they're willing to play by the rules. They should -- eh. Not her problem.]

Alright. I'll -- [and her phone is ringing. She makes a face and then reaches for her phone.] -- hold that thought.

[She answers it and presses it to her ear then lifts her shoulder to support it.] Faith.

[wynn]

Sir Lehane, report.

[msattentionspan]

[Ahhh, the calming dulcet tones of the boss. She'll step away from her little rag-tag gang of vamps. They need a team name. Faith's Ange... no.]

I've tracked the group responsible for the murder spree down. They're missing one from their own ranks and one of them ran off, but they won't be killing and framing people up anymore. They're talking about some higher up group of vamps. Elders - some sort of underground society that plays by the 'vampires aren't to be seen or heard of' rules. They're going to return to them and keep by their code. It's either that or the Elders will deal with them. I still haven't found Helen, but the one that's missing might have to do with that. They say she didn't answer and they don't know where she is.

[wynn]

I'm glad to hear you have the vampire situation well in hand. Sir Winchester and Sir Hathaway should be arriving momentarily to assist you in finding Sir Magnus. Send them your current location, and keep me apprised of what you discover about her whereabouts. Understood?

[msattentionspan]

Got it. You'll be the first call I make when I find her. [Faith nods and hangs up with Wynn. She probably should have said when 'we' find her, but she's feeling a bit isolated with how her team crumbled apart because of her leaving them.]

So... this is your lucky day. I'm gonna leave and you're gonna do the smart thing and start acting like you're trying to co-exist with humans, not slaughter and frame them to get your kicks.

If I get even a whisper about blood loss and neck wounds, I'm gonna come for you and I won't be letting any of you go.

[She's a bit reluctant to trust them, but she figures she put the fear of SLAYER JUSTICE in them and she really has bigger problems in the moment. Like... how her boyfriend Quinn hid bodies for her and she's got two other Knights en route OH and Helen is still missing. Fun times.

She tips her head to Quinn, implying that they should head out of there and get somewhere to go have that 'talk'. She makes sure to send Wynn the location of the vamp "safehouse" just so they can have a more accurate location for keeping tabs on their activity. One of those tech guys probably can set up some sort of perimeter check thing. Maybe. (knowledge tech 13)

OH, but as she's headed to the door, these vamps might think she changed her mind, but she's got one more question.]

These Elders you guys are gonna go back to - they got a place like this? Some house they all go to? [She wants to say nest, but she's trying to be more vampire PC since they were behaving.] Maybe they can help me find the one that killed my friends. [Or her missing friend.]

[roams]

[ quinn glances over at her, before looking back at the vampire expectantly. he shrugs his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Most of them live on their own. They convene when they must, but you won't find them in one place. Most do not stay put for very long." ]

Helpful. Truly.