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]

Yeah. The job didn't pay what I was hoping for, and I needed to find another way to scrape up something to make it worth the trip.

[ a beat ] Maybe hustling vampires at pool wasn't the best choice. Hindsight, 20/20.

[msattentionspan]

[Faith smirks, shaking her head.] Yeah, not the best plan. See, you should'a just called me for that spontaneous vacation thing. It seems, I could do with a bit of time off.

[littledhampir]

[Speaking of spontaneous vacations...

The light that spills from the building where Faith and Quinn are smoking, illuminates two figures as their footsteps mark their approach. Tension visibly radiates off the brunette as she fishes her phone out of her pocket, about to make a call.

When she spots the two in question, Rose comes to a stop a safe distance from them, gaze shifting from Faith to Quinn, then back to Faith again. The female Rose at least recognizes from around the Castle (Know: 16) but as for her friend?]

Who's he?

[msattentionspan]

[Faith turns at the sound of the door and when Rose appears she tips her head and then glances to Quinn with the question.]

He's Quinn. I know him and when I needed help finding a spot for Max and Lissa he provided. He can hold his own and at the time I was a bit short on back-up.

[likedillinger]

Yeah, well now the cavalry's here. [ he looks quinn over, as if to say that means he doesn't have to stick around anymore ]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith drops her cigarette and pushes the toe of her boot down over it.]

What are we gonna do with Max and Lissa? [She's not exactly keen on dropping their numbers down to three, but she also doesn't want to put Quinn into anything that might get him killed.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose doesn't even try to disguise the once over she's giving Quinn, a hint of skepticism in her dark brown eyes but the names that pass Faith's lips lock her gaze back on her. For just a second, Rose looking like she'd been stung.]

Nothing. [Something off about her tone.] They're dead.

[Pulling in a deep breath, she looks back to Quinn. (Wis 18/WS 23)] Can you keep them here until we can take them home?

[roams]

They'll be... safe here, so to speak, until you're ready to go. [ he shrugs, eyeing both of them up in return for the scrutiny he's being placed under. ] So we can focus on findin' your friend.

[msattentionspan]

[Faith picks up on the 'we' that Quinn tossed in there and can't hide the smirk that hits her lips. She did tell him that the people showing up might not be keen on him tagging along, but the unstated part here is that Faith kinda likes the thought of Quinn coming with.]

We might not want to drop our numbers down. I handled the vamps that were playing Murder Mystery Party, but they were talking about these Elders and I'm not so sure they'd be so helpful. [Granted, she isn't the one that should make this call... she is the last one standing of her team in the moment.]

[likedillinger]

[ dean purses his lips a second, exchanging a look with rose like ARE WE REALLY ACCEPTING TAGALONGS but doesn't push it. yet. ] Why don't we check out the last place you know she was again, then. Just in case you guys missed somethin'.

[littledhampir]

[Rose's eyes darken and it doesn't take a killer sense motive to realize she's with Dean on this one but she gives Quinn another hard look.]

If you come. You follow our lead and you don't do anything stupid. Can you deal with that? [ (Sense Motive... lmao Nat 20)]

[roams]

Last I checked, I come and go where I choose. Faith wants me there, I'm going with her.

I don't do well with orders. [ it's clear that while he's not trying to be antagonizing, he also isn't about to fall in line, either. and there's a rebellious spark in his eye she can read only too well that says he might be the type to attract trouble. ]

[msattentionspan]

[Faith isn't even .... yeah, she is just going to push ahead and not waste anymore time discussing her ... Quinn situation.]

We should head to Le Vin Cafe. Local vampire bar and where Helen's busted phone ended up.

[She'll start to lead the way there (navigate 14) or try to. She'll also try to conveniently leave out the part where she ... left her team to die and get kidnapped.]

[littledhampir]

[While Rose doesn't look like she's done with this debate, she can also read enough from his words to realize their choices were limited here. (Wis 17).

As Faith starts to move, she takes a moment to make her position clear to Quinn.]

If you do, anything, to put us, or Helen at risk? I will take you down myself. [Lingering for only another moment before peeling away from the building to head for the cafe.]

[roams]

[ he raises an eyebrow at her, and then moves to catch up with faith, slipping into step beside her and making no effort to lower his voice as he remarks ] Charming friends, you have.

[msattentionspan]

You must have high standards. [She counters. She's not going to really debate this, either, because for the moment she has help to find Helen and she has Quinn with her - which she thinks is better than just the three of them going after Helen.

Regardless, she's going to try and fill them in as they walk.]

We got the lead on the bar off of one of the bodies, but the vamps that I ran into said they were still missing one of their own and that they couldn't reach them. I thought Helen might be with the missing one, but there's a chance someone else got to her.

[littledhampir]

[Rose falls into step with Dean, keeping both an eye and ear out on her surroundings as she's not sure if her early warning system is functional or not. (Spot 29, Listen 37)]

There were two. [Rose supplying some information without the benefit of context.] The ones who killed Max and Lissa. She could be with them but... [But what's she's not saying is; Why wouldn't they just kill her rather than take her?]

[msattentionspan]

[Two... the math doesn't add up. "Tristan" said there were six of them and she saw five of them, which leaves one missing. Unless the missing one found that Henry guy that told them not to find him. Frowning, Faith continues onward.]

Why take her? [She shrugs.] Leverage, bait - boredom? She's smart, maybe she talked her way into it. Offered them something so she could get more out of them.

[littledhampir]

Maybe... but I don't buy her going off on her own, not unless she had to. [Lips pressing into a grim line as Rose's pace quickens.] When you found her phone... Was it near the alley where Max and Lissa were?

[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.