You know, I've never been much of one to curse--never saw a reason for it. But God dammit! You let a few friends come over to hang out and talk, and nothing but trouble ensues.
I guess I ought to start at the beginning. Adrian asked if she could use the basement of my bookstore for a meeting. She said it would only be a few people, so I said sure. She let us know that she wanted to be Prince of Washington, and no one had any real objections. Well, I did, but that was only after she started talking about diablerie like it was no big deal and perfectly fine to do. And Benedict, that weird Tremere, was there, and I had a little flash about him standing over charred bodies. Yup, he is definitely weird AND creepy. Anyway, I went back upstairs to the bookstore, and Vampires just kept coming in left and right. It got really crowded up there for a while. I kept letting Adrian know what was going on, but she took her sweet time with letting them all down there.
After everyone was downstairs, and the upstairs was locked, I went down. Adrian was asking people their names, and most people were telling them. But the weird guy, the one who kept asking about books on the Catholic Church in Aztec times, was so engrossed in his book that he didn't answer, even after the big guy who called himself the Scourge started clawing off his face. I tried to keep the weird guy from leaving, but he just shoved me out of the way, ran upstairs, and got shot to death by the Scourge. Well, there wasn't much else I could do. I told Adrian to get everyone out of there immediately, gave the money in the cash register to a man named Cullin, and watched him pistol whip Mark (Adrian's ghoul) to give some credibility to my story. I told the cops that the store was robbed, and had to go fill out some paperwork. Actually, a lot of paperwork. More than I filled out to get into Berkeley!
So after all that was said and done, I went home to see what I could clean up. But Adrian had left me a message, so I called her back. She wanted me to come to where she was, and she told me she would send the Nosferatu to retrieve me. That was the first fruitful thing I got to do all night. I talked to James and Mr. Bot, and we made an agreement about the sewer entrance in my bookstore. James said he would teach me about the sewers if I would keep the entrance open to the Nosferatu, allowing them to come and go as they please. He also said that nobody else would be using it for travel other than the Nosferatu. Then we headed to the Zoo, which is where Adrian and the others had gone. She just wanted me to make sure that some people were telling the truth, so I did, at least on the people she could find. Nice to be used, I mean useful...
At any rate, I met a few other people. Gaius, a Ventrue, seems like he knows what is going on. Wonder why he's not trying for Prince? There was also another freaky Tremere, named Anton, who did something to Jack (I had a little flash about him too... what is it about these Tremere?). Jack is strange, I think he's lost. But with as strange as everything has been so far, I can sure see why he would be confused. Oh, and to top it all off, I think I'm going crazy. Alexander said I wasn't going to go crazy, that my blood was too thin, but I think I am...
August 27, 2000
I like it so much better when I can understand most of my dreams. I saw six pillars standing, and one that had crumbled. People were taking the pieces away from the crumbled pillar, while two people stood and watched. Alexander was kind to teach me so much before he died. I still wonder why the Gangrel quit the Camarilla though. Must have been something they really didn't like, because most of the Gangrel I know are really laid back.
August 30, 2000
Nightmares suck. This time I saw a dragon coming up out of the earth and breathing fire on people, which (of course) killed them. Dragons aren't real, and I only know of one "dragon" I might ever dream about. They say Vlad Dracula is one of us... they might be right. But why on earth would I have a nightmare about someone I've never met? And why can't I find anyone else who understands what I can do?
August 31, 2000
That was weird. I had another dream and I'm not sure if I should be scared or pleased. I saw children in a field, cutting down wheat or some sort of grain, and a really big menacing guy watching over them. As he walked through the field, one of the children attacked him from behind, and all the rest joined in and took him down. I don't know what to make of this one. I'll have to think about it some more...
September 1, 2000
Well, I'm back from another fun and exciting night at Elysium. Things went better this time, but then, I didn't have to worry about people needing help finding books and putting bullet holes in my walls. At least the store is mostly cleaned up now.
Anyway, not much of excitement happened in Elysium. Some Archons showed up--Federico di Padua, and someone else whose name I didn't hear. But since they were talking about Cock Robin, I can only guess it was Lithrac. Washington being the place where Archons come to die, I was a bit surprised to see them! But they wandered around, talked to Crystal's ghoul about having played with the Sabbat or something, and then left. I guess they made it out of the city okay, but who knows! They didn't bug me, which was good, but I didn't get to talk to them as much as I wish I could have.
Speaking of people not bugging me, Harun, who is the Sheriff and the Scourge, actually likes me, and could care less that I'm Caitiff! In fact, they're actually letting me hold status in the city (although no positions, go figure). Harun, Lisa, Isabella, and I got sent to find out what had happened to Mark, who used to be Adrian's ghoul, and this Gangrel Seamus, who Adrian hadn't trusted when he first showed up. So Harun took us out to the woods, to see what I could find out. Well, they're both shovelheads now. Twice dead, thrice born, hungry for death...
In other happy news, I am officially not going crazy. The Malkavians told me that they all talk to a giant head. Well I don't. So I'm not crazy like them. But sometimes when they talk, it makes a funny little tickle inside of my head. Sometimes it hurts, but mostly it's just an annoying tickle or itch that I can't scratch, because it's buried in my brain. They said they would stop though, and even Nicholas, who seems to be the most rude of them, said he wouldn't do it. Lisa and Dr. Jimmy are interesting. Lisa kept telling everyone about amulets that let you go out in the sun, and then she came up with one that turned people into a Smurf (whatever that is). It worked on James the Nosferatu, twice. Weird! I read the cards for Lisa and Dr. Jimmy. Lisa's cards were good, but Jimmy's cards were not so good. He's on the wrong path, and he needs to get off it soon. But he's interested in seeing my bookstore, so that's promising.
Benedict was back and kept asking me and Lisa about having some of our blood. I told him no. He told me about a book that he had been reading, that was very old. I asked if I could borrow it, and he laughed at me and said no. He didn't even tell me the title, but I'm sure I haven't read it. That's the kind of thing that bugs me. Later on, Adrian asked if she could have some of my blood, and she said it was for her, but then I found out it was really for Anton. Even though I'm sick and tired of the Tremere tasting my blood and telling me the same answer over and over again, I did it. Adrian has a way with people, as long as it's just one person. I don't think she likes being Prince.
At any rate, after all the talking and other stuff, we had a little meeting. There were a lot less people there than had been in my bookstore. Adrian announced the Primogen, and I asked who would represent me. She said I could represent myself, but Gaius said "Not on the council!" So I asked who would represent me on the council. Gaius said he could, then Nicholas said he could, but then James spoke up, so I took him up on it. The Brujah don't have a Primogen, I think because they're being antisocial. Everyone else has one, except for me, of course. I think I'm the only Caitiff. I wish there were more of us.
September 4, 2000
I haven't had any dreams so far... weird... read a really interesting book on numerology today. According to this, Miranda is a divine name. How weird... eh, life is weird, and unlife is worse! :)
September 8, 2000 (before Elysium)
When it rains it pours. Two dreams today, both rather odd. In one of them, Alexander came back and forced me to drink his blood. All of it. But he's dead, so that won't happen. In the other one, I saw someone I don't know, but he was crying blood, and a voice told me to save him. Sure, whenever I find him...
September 8, 2000 (after Elysium)
oh my god what have i done... dammit, I keep forgetting to start at the beginning...
I went to Elysium tonight, and thought I'd just hang out and have some fun, and head back to the store if things were slow. Well, they were anything but. Things started slow enough, just trying out numerology on my friends, and chatting. Dr. Jimmy was acting really strange, and freaked out whenever anyone talked to him. Finally, though, he told us things were better. Apparently he thought the squirrels were after him. But then he said what tipped me off... he had dreamed that they were after him. Then Lisa said that she had dreamed about the weavers coming after her. First we thought she meant people, but then she said the weavers and spinners. So spiders are out to get her. So I mentioned my dream about Alexander, and then Desiree, the Giovanni ghoul, who I guess can talk to ghosts and things, sat us down and was talking to us about our dreams. That is, until Martin showed up.
I didn't recognize him at first, mainly because I couldn't see him. Everyone in the city surrounded him almost as soon as he came in. But as soon as I saw his face, I ran over to help him. He was so messed up, with blood all over his face, and hands, and the burns all over his arms. He didn't even know what he was. I managed to get Adrian to let me take care of him, despite Gaius threatening me, and the Brujah chasing me, and everything else. He told me things that no one else understood, and I knew he was a thin blood like me, and that's why they all hate him. But I finally found someone who sees things like I did. Dammit...
Finally, James, Velvet and I got him out of there, and went to my store. We talked to him a while longer, and he told me things I could barely believe. I can't even remember all of them. Bad things are coming. He told me Gaius wasn't one of us, which barely surprised me. And then he told me about the children that had cut him down, just like in my dream. I almost fell out of my chair. I wanted him to tell me more, but we ran out of time. We heard people breaking in, so I had to get the others out of the store. Thank the gods for that sewer entrance. James took Martin and Velvet, and I was following them until Cullin shot me in the back. He made me go with him and his friends, but he apologized for shooting me. He also helped me get blood, which I thought was awfully nice, and then he told me that I shouldn't go back to Elysium, because people there had it out for me. So I went back to the store to see what I could clean up.
James stopped by a little later, and after assuring me that Martin and Velvet were safe, he told me something I couldn't believe. Adrian had captured seven Sabbat, and she wanted me to diablerize them, because I'm not supposed to exist. Blood running like water and all that. I couldn't think about it then, because I had to talk to the police AGAIN about my store being messed with. When I finally had the chance to think about it, I thought for a good long while, then called Adrian. I told her about Gaius, but she didn't seem surprised. She really does have a way with people, at least one on one. I told her I had to think about this whole diablerie thing. I mean, it's wrong... it's what the Sabbat does. Monsters we are, lest monsters we become... In the end, though, I did it. I had to see what would happen... can't learn what you never experience...
I think the worst part of it was that I didn't hate myself for doing it when I was done. I was pissed off, but not at myself, and not at Adrian. Just generally pissed off, like I've never been before... I had to burn it off, so I went back to the store and punched and kicked the broken door for a while. Put a little hole in it, but I don't care. When I felt better, I started writing. So here I am now. I'm selling this store. I'm gonna start boxing up some of the books, and look for an apartment tomorrow night. There's just something not right in this store, and I can't stay here any more. Maybe James will want to buy it...
September 13, 2000
Don't know what I was thinking on Friday. Probably just a little shaken up. I can't sell this place... it's much too nice... I'll just get the Brujah to help me fix it up, and find someone to help me afford all the nice stuff I want for it... then it will be okay...
September 15, 2000
Lots of stuff happened tonight, but it's kind of fuzzy now. I'm not sure why. I wasn't in a good mood when I went to Elysium tonight, but at least I took care of business. Cullin and his crew agreed to help me with the new doors, so that was easy enough. Then James introduced me to Thomas Carpanzio, a Ventrue, who was very interested in investing in my bookstore. He has a Brujah secretary... how weird is that?! But at any rate, he's practically given me a blank check. Wow!
The Prince was divvying up feeding grounds tonight, and left all of Central Washington as open feeding grounds. So I made sure I still had power over my bookstore, and said okay. Oh, she also made me Court Seer... we're still not sure what I do, but it sounds impressive, and it gives me more pull in town... all in all, not a bad night...
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