Vampire: Bootleggers and Bloodsuckers

[TheCountAlucard]

Howard winces a little. "Actually," he admits, "I was speaking figuratively..." he glances at some of the others in the group. "I don't know these others well enough to know if the same is true of them as well."

[Benson]

Velma gave the prince a serious business look and put her hands on her hips. "No, mah lord, I didn't mean no alcohol either. I ain't stupid. Maybe Clayton, but he's as dumb as a post if you'll forgive him. " Velma recalled a horrible noodle incident throwing up her liquor during the beginning of her stint as a member of the undead. As good as it tasted, her vampiric body could only handle it for so long. It was a little bothersome when patrons would ask her to drink with them and she would find herself grinning and bearing until she could vomit it up later in private.

[Trobby]

"...so I take it that the offer isn't on the table?" Clayton says, sounding a bit disappointed. He had, genuinely, thought that he was being offered alcohol. Sure, he couldn't actually swallow it, but it had been so long since he had a taste...well, other than a taste vicariously, but it just wasn't the same thing.

"....Nah, never mind then."

[Mystic Muse]

"My response remains as-is." Evelyn says simply.

[Lycan 01]

"I see..." Prince Vidal nods thoughtfully. He then looks over his shoulder at his bodyguard. "Philip, would you be so kind as to fetch the lady her drink?"

The bodyguard nods, then looks over at Velma. "You want a glass, or the whole bottle?" he asks with a smirk.

Once he has the order, the bodyguard steps out. Prince Vidal then smiles politely at his guests. "Well, I suppose we should get on down to business."

The Vampire Elder leans back in his chair, and begins to thoughtfully stroke his beard. "I find myself in an interesting position. I owe someone a favor. A friend of mine, whom I value greatly. She is very influential, and a prominent name in New Orleans society and politics. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me with this favor."

"You see..." the Prince idly waves his right hand, "She needs me to orchestrate an art theft. There's a painting that will be going on display in a few days. The subject of the painting is, of all things, my friend. In a very compromising position. Two hundred years ago. Looking exactly the same as she looks today." He pauses, before smirking. "You see why this is a problem, yes?"

[Benson]

She was 'debating' it in her mind, and by debating I mean not really debating at all to go for the bottle, she enjoyed her blood, as much as she would rather not admit, and she was hungry afterall still.

"The bottle, please." She said in her most polite manner, putting on a little show of them there.

[TheCountAlucard]

Howard leans his head forward for a moment, closing his eyes. Breaking and entering. Theft. It's nothing you haven't done before, "Howard." Though his memories are muddled, the Nosferatu is sure that his true past was quite checkered; some of it, he's able to justify away, but "lesser evils" such as this no longer bother him anymore.

He opens his eyes, looking up once more. "Of course; such a work could be a threat to the Masquerade." Obviously the others know now of his ability to fade; he imagines that they will likely call on him to use it in this mission.

[Trobby]

Clayton gives the situation some considered thought.

"So she can't go passing it off as her distant ancestor, eh? Well, fine art isn't typically what I'm in for, and subtly even less so."

He turned to face Evelyn, to whom he deferred many practical business proposals, what with her having any practicality at all.

"What do you think, Ev? Could we pull it off?"

[Mystic Muse]

"I'm not particularly stealthy, and I'm not sure I agree this needs to be done. I'll be of no use in this mission." Evelyn states plainly. "I'm not sure whether you can pull it off. All he's said is that he wants us to steal a painting, he hasn't given us any sort of details." Evelyn says.

[Trobby]

"Right, what sort of security are we talkin' about here?" Clayton asks the prince, still clearly trying to broker the deal to his best abilities.

[Lycan 01]

The Prince smiles softly. "As you know, we Damned cannot change our appearances from when we were Embraced. She looks the same today as she did then. Even if it could be explained away as being an ancestor, the amount of attention and discussion it would generate would be... problematic. And it is a very... heh heh... unflattering portrait... heh..." he chuckles at a joke only he seems to know the punchline to.

He then nods to Evelyn. "You do not have to accept the offer. You're more than welcome to get up and leave right now, if you'd like. I'll bear no insult or ill will for it. I just thought I'd give you an opportunity to help me out a bit, and in return, get a head start on making a name for yourself amongst our blasphemous little family," he shrugs. "Though, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to keep a low profile."

"As for security," he looks over to Clayton, "Fences, dogs, locks, watchmen... What you'd expect from an art museum. I could be wrong, of course. They may have a crack team of vampire hunters with tommy guns lurking in the shadows, awaiting some foolish Damned to waltz right in. But... I sincerely doubt that is the case," he flashes a toothy grin.

[Lix Lorn]

"While I'm not sure if my own skills will be useful, I hope I can find some way to help, if we do accept." smiles Georgia carefully.

[Mystic Muse]

Evelyn, having absolutely nothing to contribute to this mission, and not particularly convinced it needs to be done, simply gets up and leaves.

[Lycan 01]

The Prince waves his hand at Evelyn, and smiles to her as she leaves. "Fair enough. Please, you're welcome to stick around and socialize downstairs. And you may come back and visit any time. I'm always willing to entertain my subjects. Farewell."

Once she steps out, Prince Vidal turns to the other Kindred. "Does anyone else wish to decline?"


---


Evelyn retraces her steps, walking down the corridors that led to the meeting room. While walking down one hallway, though, the Prince's bodyguard rounds the corner ahead of her. He has a young woman in a plain white robe thrown over his shoulder, and her hands, feet, eyes, and mouth are bound/covered by strips of white fabric. He immediately stops dead in his tracks; the woman slung over his shoulder occasionally writhes or makes a weak noise.

"Ah," the vampire acknowledges Evelyn with a lopsided grin. "Turning down the offer, huh? Most Damned would leap at the opportunity to impress the Prince. Job not your cup of tea? Or do you just not give a damn about politics?" he asks idly.

[Mystic Muse]

Originally Posted by Lycan 01

Evelyn retraces her steps, walking down the corridors that led to the meeting room. While walking down one hallway, though, the Prince's bodyguard rounds the corner ahead of her. He has a young woman in a plain white robe thrown over his shoulder, and her hands, feet, eyes, and mouth are bound/covered by strips of white fabric. He immediately stops dead in his tracks; the woman slung over his shoulder occasionally writhes or makes a weak noise.

Evelyn looks at the victim with distaste.

"Ah," the vampire acknowledges Evelyn with a lopsided grin. "Turning down the offer, huh? Most Damned would leap at the opportunity to impress the Prince. Job not your cup of tea? Or do you just not give a damn about politics?" he asks idly.

"A little of column A, a little of column B." Evelyn says simply, trying to gain back a little composure. She didn't particularly like the Prince's method of getting drinks, or being referred to as "The Damned"

[TheCountAlucard]

"Actually," Howard replies, "I think this is right up my alley, as it were."

[Lycan 01]

The vampire notices her look of distaste. He looks down at the victim, then back at her. "Wow, you really are new to this, aren't you?" he says with a knowing smirk.

He then shrugs at her response about her reasons. "Eh, can't say I blame you. I'm not really one for politics, either," he observes with a sideways glance. "But hey, the song and dance has its perks. A good way to gain influence, make allies." His expression grows serious. "And a word of advice? You'll want allies. The Prince is being nice to you, but that doesn't mean other Damned will. A bunch of young Neonates like yourselves might be seen as an asset to some, and an obstacle to others..." he warns.

[Mystic Muse]

Originally Posted by Lycan 01

The vampire notices her look of distaste. He looks down at the victim, then back at her. "Wow, you really are new to this, aren't you?" he says with a knowing smirk.

"I'm not stranger to drinking blood from unwitting victims, but kidnapping a random human, binding and gagging her, and I'm assuming killing her so that she doesn't spread word about this? That I have a problem with." Evelyn tells him.

He then shrugs at her response about her reasons. "Eh, can't say I blame you. I'm not really one for politics, either," he observes with a sideways glance. "But hey, the song and dance has its perks. A good way to gain influence, make allies." His expression grows serious. "And a word of advice? You'll want allies. The Prince is being nice to you, but that doesn't mean other Damned will. A bunch of young Neonates like yourselves might be seen as an asset to some, and an obstacle to others..." he warns.

"Hint acknowledged" Evelyn says.

[Lycan 01]

The bodyguard smiles wistfully. "Who said anything about killing her? Or that she was even kidnapped? But that's not really something I can get into with you, I'm afraid," he shrugs. He then resumes walking, and nods at Evelyn as he passes by her. "Good evening, ma'am."

Before he rounds the next corner, though, the vampire pauses and looks back over his shoulder. "By the way. You seem to have a pretty outspoken sense of right and wrong. Lancea Sanctum might be something you'd be interested in..."

[Mystic Muse]

"I'll take it under consideration." Is all Evelyn says and goes...wherever she's supposed to go. I'd assume back out to the main meeting place and wait for her clan head to approach.

[Trobby]

Clayton watches Evelyn leave. No, not in the same way he watches Velma leave. He knows better than to treat Evelyn like that, against all odds.

"Ah, do forgive me, Vidal, but I think I need to go have words with our employer." He then turns to address Velma, and for once he takes on a businesslike tone. "Vel, get the name of the place and the art that we're stealing, and we'll meet up downstairs."

With that, he makes to leave and follow after Evelyn.

------------------

Once he gets back downstairs again, he seeks Evelyn out to have his words with her.

"Hey, listen, I know you've got your reservations about certain things, Ev, but we might want to consider this. Y'know, gettin' on his good side's probably a mite better than finding out what he does to the folks on his bad side."

[Mystic Muse]

Originally Posted by Trobby

Once he gets back downstairs again, he seeks Evelyn out to have his words with her.

Has he been waiting to use "Begrumpled Haggersnash" All day?

"Hey, listen, I know you've got your reservations about certain things, Ev, but we might want to consider this. Y'know, gettin' on his good side's probably a mite better than finding out what he does to the folks on his bad side."

"Even if I wanted to go along with this, I have nothing to contribute to the mission." Evelyn points out. "You guys can get on his good side if you wish, but there's simply nothing I can do here. Plus, if you guys manage to get on his good side, I should be on it too due to the simple fact that we're friends and allies." Evelyn says.

[Trobby]

"...Just so we're clear here, because I'm not so good at the common understanding thing as you are, are you saying we should take up the job?"

[Mystic Muse]

"If you think we should get on this man's good side, then do it, but I'm not going to participate. Even if I wanted to, I don't have the skills necessary to pull this off." Evelyn says.

[Trobby]

"If it's a matter of not feelin' like you can contribute, I think you severely underestimate yourself, Miss Evelyn."

"But if it's about not wantin' to get involved...well I understand, sorta. I mean, I know it ain't exactly your scene."

[Mystic Muse]

Originally Posted by Trobby

"If it's a matter of not feelin' like you can contribute, I think you severely underestimate yourself, Miss Evelyn."

"But if it's about not wantin' to get involved...well I understand, sorta. I mean, I know it ain't exactly your scene."

"It's both. I don't feel like I have anything to contribute, and I'm against it. I should probably just go back outside, try to find the head/s of my clan, and talk to them while you go back and talk with the Prince." Evelyn says.

[Trobby]

"Hey, Ev, listen, if you wanna beat it on the whole thing, I'm behind you. It don't matter to me what a prince or a dame says, you're the boss of this operation, and what you say goes. Got it?"

[Mystic Muse]

Evelyn started thinking long and hard about this. While she definitely didn't want to do this, and definitely didn't want anybody in her group to do this, she realized it was probably a very bad idea to turn the prince down.

"The Best option would probably be to ask the prince for a task more suited to our skill sets. Neither of us are exactly stealthy after all." Evelyn says.

[Trobby]

"Perhaps we could let that Howard fella handle this on his own?" Clayton suggests. "He seems keen on the idea."

[Mystic Muse]

Originally Posted by Trobby

"Perhaps we could let that Howard fella handle this on his own?" Clayton suggests. "He seems keen on the idea."

"Yeah, probably a good idea." Evelyn admits.