Vampire: Bootleggers and Bloodsuckers

[TheCountAlucard]

Howard sighs. He's not going to drop his invisibility with the mundanes in the bar. Still, when the words "Princes' orders" are spoken, he knows it's serious business; Howard takes his hand off the crowbar and hopes to himself that the others get the hint.

[Lix Lorn]

The Prince!?
Well that saves time.
"Oh!"
Georgia steps forward, and executes a curtsey.
"I was just hoping to ask where I could find the prince." she smiles disarmingly.

[Mystic Muse]

Evelyn knew what they meant by "Prince" since her sire had given her some degree of information about vampire society.

"Clayton, Velma, I really hate to say this, but it'd be best to listen to these men. They or I will explain once things are less likely to be....easily overheard." She said, shooting them a look that indicated that they did not want to mess with these men.

[Trobby]

Clayton gives Evelyn a look of concern...but reluctantly nods to her. "If you say so, Ev."

[Lycan 01]

The suited man shakes his head at Clayton and Velma's ignorance. "So much to learn, I see..." He then gestures at the patrons. "Well, get to it. We can talk more once the kine are gone..."

[Trobby]

With an upturned lip threatening a snarl, Clayton grabs a hold of his drying rag and throws it into an empty ice bucket, making a light rattling noise as it lands.

A few of the patrons look up, and recognizing the signal, begin to file out of the speakeasy. Once they start, the rest of the patrons start to recognize the situation, and also begin to file out - some in more of a hurry than others.

When running a disreputable establishment, it pays to have a simple, easy-to-understand signal that everyone should clear out, without explicitly telling them. And throwing in the towel was a simple enough signal to understand.

[TheCountAlucard]

Once everyone's gone, Howard takes only a moment to let his mental invisibility fade. "You'll understand my not appearing earlier," he says to the bearded fellow, the undertone of a growl in his voice.

The vampire stands just under six feet tall; he looks strong, but more on the wiry side, with intense, deep-set dark eyes and tousled black hair. He is dressed in worn leather shoes, brown trousers, and a dark blue work jacket with "Howard" stitched over the left breast, worn over a black shirt.

He looks to the other proprietors of the speakeasy. "By the way, name's Howard," he says, smirking. "Didn't feel like introducing myself earlier."

[Trobby]

"...When the hell did you get here?" Clayton asks. He's pretty sure he would've recognized someone like that hanging about.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Pretty recently," Howard replies. "I'm new to town."

[Benson]

Velma frowned, this was turning out to be a surreal night and it bothered how a few in here were acting so calm about it. Also, damnit, those jerk offs that just appeared made Clayton have to get rid of her dinner tonight, how inconsiderate. She glowered and fumed for a moment.


She stared at the three men and dropped her polite behavior. "Well ya jerks, the patrons are gone, explain yerselves? You vampires? Whadda ya want with us?"

[Mystic Muse]

"Gentlemen, I must apologize for the ignorance of my two Colleagues." she says, making clear she's referring to Velma and Clayton. "They are rather ignorant of Vampire society as a whole, and are not even aware of who the Prince is, or what a Prince is." she explains. "I shall let you sum up as I'm sure you know far more about it than I, as I only have a rudimentary understanding myself." she says, trying to keep a diplomatic air about her the entire time.

[Lycan 01]

Once the patrons are gone, the suited man speaks up. His voice is stern and authoritative, and his expression serious. "Before we begin, introductions are in order. You can call me Mister Wolf. I bear the title of Sheriff in the Princes' court, and all the power and responsibilities that come with it." He gestures to the blonde man, and then the bearded man. "Vince and Hiram."

The blonde man gives a halfhearted wave. The bearded man continues to stare into space blankly, though a wistful smile did cross his face when Howard materialized.

"Now, lets get a few things straight, so we are all on the same page..." Mr. Wolf states factually. "You haven't made your presence known to the Prince. You're not only moving around and hunting within the confines of his city, but you've set up a bar and placed yourselves in plain view of human society. That is not good, in case you didn't realize it," he frowns. "But you don't even know who the Prince is, so that should help your defense. But you..." he turns to Georgia and Evelyn, "You both know who the Prince is, and what he does. And yet, you've never gone to see him, or at the very least made your presence known to the rest of us Kindred. The Prince wants to know why."

Mr. Wolf then looks over to Howard. "And what about you? Are you blissfully unaware, too, or do you know what's on the up-and-up?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Howard lets a smirk slip past his hostile countenance. "I know what's what, but I just got up from a dirt nap, and I haven't even finished shaking out all the dust yet." He pantomimes brushing out his clothes as he speaks, and then extends a hand as he says, "Good to meet ya, Wolf. If you'll take us to see the Prince, I'd be happy to make his acquaintance as well."

[Lix Lorn]

"I only came to the city today." explains Georgia. "I was hoping I could ask someone who seemed local where I could find the Prince, but possibly this wouldn't have been the place to ask regardless." she laughs a little, trying to make it seem like an amusing mistake. Of course, this is all true, so it honestly is, from her perspective.

[Benson]

"I'm damn confused here," Velma simply muttered shaking her head, placing her hand on the side of her head.

[Lycan 01]

Mr. Wolf doesn't accept Howard's handshake. "Right. Just woke up from Torpor. How convenient." He gives a slight tilt of his head. "Though, its up to the Prince to decide whether your story check out or not." His gaze shifts to Georgia, and then the rest of the Kindred. "That goes for all of you."

Mr. Wolf then turns and begins to calmly stride back towards the entrance. "Well, come along. The Prince doesn't like to keep things waiting. If we hurry, we might get there in time for Mass."

"He'll be in a better mood if you attend Mass..." the blonde man winks to the rest of the Kindred.

[TheCountAlucard]

Howard frowns as Mr. Wolf ignores the offered hand; the dark-skinned Kindred's mannerisms felt strangely reminiscent to the Nosferatu, and the faintest trickle of a memory brought to him a previous meeting with a Sheriff...

He shakes himself out of his recollection, and merely nods in reply, falling into step behind the head vampire's enforcers.

"Trust me," he says, giving a quick turn of his head to look back at Velma, "you'll want to come along." A brief expression of anxiety on his face flashes through his normal intense expression, and for a moment, Howard sincerely hopes for their sake that the neonates will join him.

[Mystic Muse]

Evelyn follows. She finds the idea of attending mass pointless though. She already went Last Sunday!

Yes, I'm aware they mean something entirely different.

[Lix Lorn]

Georgia will follow closely.

[Trobby]

Clayton shifts a little uneasily, not all that comfortable with the idea of going to church. His last experience in the house of the lord involved a shotgun...

But seeing Evelyn accept this invitation set him at ease...slightly. So he slid himself over the bar and hopped in line next to her.

"So this..'prince' fella...what should we know about him, Ev?"

[Mystic Muse]

"So this..'prince' fella...what should we know about him, Ev?"

"I don't know much about this one. I just know what the position means, and it means be as nice as you possibly can unless you want horrible things to happen to you." Evelyn says, deciding to not go into detail on the kind of things an angry prince might do to Clayton.

[Benson]

"Why though? Why do we gotta do this? We've been doing just fine before comin' to knowledge about this so called 'Prince', ain't this country supposed 'ta be a democracy anyway." She crossed her arms not liking this change of events, they, to her, have been doing plenty of fine. Keeping low of their vampiric nature, keeping to their little diner for feeding. Never doin' anything so outrageous that announced to the world "Hey I'm a vampire!"

[Lycan 01]

The five Kindred are escorted out of the bar - after being allowed to lock up behind them, of course - and out into the rain-drenched night. A pair of cars are waiting for them, parked along the street curb. "You two," Mr. Wolf points at Clayton and Velma, "Go with them," he points at the blonde man and the creepy bearded guy. They both get in the backseat with Mr. Eyepatch between them, bearded Kindred in the passenger seat, and a nondescript chauffeur. "You three, with me," he gestures to Georgia, Evelyn, and Howard. The trio take the backseat, while Mr. Wolf takes the passenger seat.

One the way there, Mr. Wolf keeps an eye on the trio, clearly on the lookout for any tricks. "You probably know what to expect. I don't have to tell you to be on your best behavior..." he growls.

In the other car, Clayton and Velma's traveling companions are even less talkative. To them, at least. "Angels..." the bearded man whispers, staring out the window at people on the sidewalk. "I saw an angel..."


After awhile, the Kindred notice that the cars have left the city proper. After about half an hour, they notice that there aren't even many buildings around anymore. They're well into the suburbs, and many of the houses they catch glimpses of are large and majestic structures, several of which are obviously Antebellum. Eventually, the cars stop and pull up in front of a gated driveway. The watchmen open the gate after a moment, and the cars drive up the length of the winding driveway, before pulling up in front of a rather large, almost imposing Plantation home. The massive structure is three stories tall, with massive pillars and dozens of window. There are also a few smaller structures scattered around it - garages, storage sheds, and other such things, more than likely.

The five Kindred are ushered out of the cars, and led up to the front doors, where someone is waiting. "Ah, Mr. Wolf," an elderly gentleman in butler attire grins at their escort. "You're expected, and slightly ahead of the Master's estimates."

"Things went easier than expected..." Mr. Wolf shrugs.

"Well, they're just about to finish up with Mass," the butler observes. "The Master said you and any who accompany you are welcome to enter, without the fear of interrupting."

"Good," Mr. Wolf nods, before turning to the five Kindred he's been tasked to escort. "Don't do anything stupid..." he warns them with a frown. "You won't get a second chance. Well, lets go," he nods to the front door. The butler opens it, and Mr. Wolf steps through.

Once through the front door, the Kindred find themselves in a massive foyer, three stories tall and decadently decorated. Two massive staircases start on either side of the room curve up to meet in the middle on the second floor landing, which wraps around the room. The stairs to the third floor must be elsewhere, as there's no visible way to access the third floor landing, which also wraps around the room. Paintings, pottery, and other decor fill the room, and the walls and railings are covered in intricate carvings and moldings. The ceiling is arched, and several glass chandeliers hang down from it.

Several doors are set along the walls on either side of the room, but there is only a single portal on the opposite wall - a set of large, black double-doors, located beneath the apex of the stairs. Mr. Wolf strides towards it, heedless of whether or not the five Kindred are behind him. (Beardie and blondie see to that...) Once he gets to the doors, he pauses for a moment, and gestures his right hand across his chest several times, crossing himself. He then opens the doors, and leads the Kindred inside.


The vampires find themselves in a large room, probably a dinning hall of some sort. But rather than a table in the middle of the room, there's a podium. An aged man in religious garb (Catholic, for those paying attention) is standing behind it, his hands clasped in prayer before him. All around the room, chairs have been set up, though only about half of them are filled. There are two dozen people in the room, dressed in everything from business suits to 19th century Victorian ballgowns. Seated at the far wall, behind the elderly cleric, is a man who can easily be assumed to be the Prince.

The Prince appears to be Hispanic, with tanned skin, broad shoulders and sharp, Mediterranean features. He has long black hair, which has been slicked back and almost appears to be wet. He wears his facial hair in a Van Dyke goatee, and his eyes are almost equally as black as his hair. He is dressed in a black suit that is likely very expensive, judging from the number of gold buttons and fine embroidering it sports.

To the left of the Prince is a rather tall fellow, who also has olive skin and European features. He has short brown hair, slightly more aged features, and blue eyes that almost appear to be lost in thought. His black suit matches the Prince's, though it is of slightly lesser quality.

Both men have their hands clasped in front of their chests, just as everyone else in the room is doing. The old man at the podium is in the middle of talking, or rather, praying. Though what he is saying is anyone's guess - he's speaking Latin. After a few more lines of Latin, the aged priest concludes in English: "And in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, AMEN."

"AMEN," everyone in the room (which may or may not include the five newly arrived vampires) echoes.

Whispers and murmurs immediately fill the room, and the five newly arrived Kindred immediately feel the eyes of many upon them. And across the room, the Prince turns his gaze towards them, raises his right hand, and makes a small, subtle gesture: 'approach.'

"My advice, mates?" the eyepatched man whispers, "Bow, grovel, and kiss ass like yer life depends on it. 'Cause it does."

"Good luck," Mr. Wolf flatly states, before stepping aside to let them cross the room.

As the Kindred cross the room and pass by the podium, the elderly cleric flashes a toothy smile at them. "Ah, Neonates. God bless you, and may your Requim bring Glory to His Name," he cheerfully tells them, before shuffling off to speak with some of the seated Kindred.

As the quintet of vampires approaches the Prince, the blue-eyed man steps forward, only for the Prince to idly wave his hand, gesturing for him to step aside. Once the five Kindred are directly before him, the Prince smiles politely at them. "Good evening. I am Augusto Vidal, Prince of New Orleans," he states authoritatively, with a thick Spanish accent. "Would you be so kind as to introduce... and explain... yourselves? My sources said there would be three of you. I'm curious to know why my sources are wrong..."

[TheCountAlucard]

"Quite right," Howard mutters darkly as he gets into the car. The vampire means Wolf no malice, but the Sheriff's own demeanor was none-too-pleasant for the easily-rankled Nosferatu. He then sits quietly in the car as the drive is made.

---

Howard does not speak unless spoken to initially; he remains silent during what little of the Mass remains, and crosses himself each time it is called for. When the prayer is finished, and he crosses the room with the others, Howard moves slowly, trying to offset any overt aggressiveness in his appearance with careful, deliberate movements. He nods respectfully in the direction of the priestly fellow who "blessed" the group, but continues to remain silent until the Prince calls for introductions.

The man then bows as respectfully as he can to the Hispanic Prince, and moves the air through his dead lungs to speak. "My apologies, my Prince; I have been in torpor for fifty long years, and upon my awakening, found myself in unfamiliar territory."

[Lix Lorn]

Georgia, at the Prince's words, moves into the best, deepest curtsey she can muster.
"Forgive me, great Prince, I only entered the city today, and happened upon their inn while searching for someone who could tell me where to find you."

[Benson]

Velma was annoyed throughout the ride, she did not appreciate being corralled like that for no reason she should care for as far she knew. Also, 'mass' was a boring pile of festering snores, who knew what the hell they were saying. She made up her own translations in her head, most of them on the negative side. She couldn't help it, she was just upset that they ruined her night. She wanted to have some fun, having had slept all day.
------------

Velma kept a sour expression on her face as the group was forcibly escorted to meet this so called prince.
------------


"Explain ourselves? Maybe you should explain who ya are," She said furrowing her brows and pouting angrily.

[Trobby]

"Er...yeah, what the hotheaded broad said. What's the big idea takin' us out here at our peak hours, huh? Are you trying to get a piece of our action?" Clayton is attempting to sound boisterous, but really he has no clue what he should say. He's not going to let Velma outshine him in the realm of confidence though. It'd be a cold day in Hell indeed before he'd let that happen.

[Lix Lorn]

"..."
Georgia attempts to shift herself further away from those two.

[Mystic Muse]

"Please....excuse their behavior dear prince." Evelyn says. "I must admit, their sires....and my own were not very...good about integrating us into vampire society." she says, trying to placate him.

[Lycan 01]

The Prince surveys the five vampires, and listens to their responses. "Do you have anything to back up your claims?" he nods to Howard and Georgia. "Witnesses, documents, or other verification? And from whence have you supposedly arrived from, ma'am?" he nods to Georgia.

At Clayton and Velma's insolence, the Prince merely stares for a moment. And then he smirks. "Ah. The carefree ignorance of youth," he muses, shaking his head. His expression returns to a neutral appearance, and he states: "My name is Augusto Vidal. I am the Prince of New Orleans. I am the leader of the Damned in this city and the surrounding areas; I ensure that political feuds and rivalries do not boil over into war, I ensure that the Masquerade is protected and risks to it are removed, I ensure that everyone is happy and plays nice, or else I crucify them in the bayou and leave them to either the sun or the alligators," he factually states.

"Last time it was the alligators..." the cold-eyed bodyguard casually adds.

"I got this position not through bloodline or royal succession, as you probably suspect, but through blood. My own, and that of my rivals and enemies," he observes, his voice chillingly calm considering what he's talking about. "If I want a 'piece of your action,' as you put it, I would not have invited you here for friendly introductions and polite conversation. Trust me, you would know if we were negotiating..." he smirks.

He then turns to Evelyn, and smiles kindly. "Ah, sticking up for your friends? Refreshing. And pray tell, who were your sires? I'd greatly like to know who's been Siring without my knowledge, and what their reasons for it were..."