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

[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.

[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.]