Path of the Vampire forum

It had taken a couple of weeks for the space to be completely ready. Robin had used every remaining cent he had, thrown it all into this venture that he hoped would work. The Necropolis had served him well, had paid him well, but it was by and large a nightclub. It was advertised as a nightclub. Those in the know knew what they could find there, that there were Blood Dolls scattered throughout. But they had to hunt them down. They had to know who to look for. And a vampire blood doll wasn’t the norm.

Hood Blood Services was going to be marketed properly. Much like Lincoln’s Bitr app, it was catering to those who wanted to be bitten – and who needed something to bite. The Bitr opening party had been a success and Robin’s idea had spun off the back of it. It had taken him months to get anything off the ground – given his bad luck, **** kept falling through. Finally, however, it was here.

The club was underground and located down one of the city’s notorious side alleys. It was in the middle of the busiest part of town, but out of the way. A partly neon sign buzzed over the door, reaching out into the alley. Anyone who glanced down said alley would see it, and hopefully be drawn to the light like a moth to a flame. The logo was of a hood, beneath which a face could be hidden. Instead of a face were the bold letters, ‘HOOD’, the H and the D bigger than the two Os in the middle, spikes protruding from the first stem of the H and from the straight line of the D. They were supposed to mimic fangs.

Stairs were taken down into the club, red strip lights lighting the way. The club itself seemed small from the front but it was long; the left wall was lined with about a dozen private booths, all of which could be blocked from the public eye by thick velvet curtains. On the right, the wall was lined with cushioned chairs with small tables scattered across the length. A place to wait, to mingle, to seek out the human or the vampire one had an interest in. There was also a bar, of course – if there were going to be humans visiting the place they’d need something to drink, wouldn’t they?

The premise was that there were a few blood dolls on staff – vampire and human alike. But it was also a place for regular humans to visit if they fancied a taste of the night life they’d been missing out on for so long. It was a place for humans and vampires to meet.

Each booth was fitted with a small, inconspicuous camera, with someone manning the screens in the back office at all times. No one was going to die, not on Robin’s watch. This wasn’t a slaughterhouse for vampires – this was a place for vampires like him. Vampires who liked the taste of fresh human blood but who didn’t fancy taking it from those who were unwilling to give. It was a place for vampires who had no interest in killing their prey.

It was opening night. Advertisements had gone out across all social media platforms, flyers had gone up all over the city. Robin opened the doors himself, waiting with the security staff at the front while the line of customers trickled in.

Yes, he thought. This is going to work.

There was a new club opening in town, she had seen it upon a website while doing her other nightly activities upon the internet. A little bit of hacking, investigating some police surveillance throughout the city, emails and a few other odds and ends, when Elizabeth accidentally stumbled upon the name of the club. The name was much to be desired, but there was something...different about this club. Something, scarily different. Something that needed to be observed, potentially.

Elizabeth had changed out of the skirt and blouse set she had been wearing while meeting with a client at the Flower Pot, and into something more decent for the evening. A nude coloured heel had finished her ensemble, before she was out of the penthouse and making her way to the club's location. Walking did not phase the blonde telepath, preferring that to taking a cab. She had the unfortunate experience of taking one back in Boston last year and it was not something she wished to take part in again. Ever.

The lines were long, but they moved quickly enough. Elizabeth spent at most, twenty minutes in line, waiting to get into this club known as 'HooD.' Once the woman was inside, her eyes flitted over the décor. Red was everywhere. Intentional? Or just a choice in colour preference? How easy it would be to hide just a little amount of blood.

Which left things to be seen. Just what sort of establishment was this?
She didn't wait to find out by standing near the doorway. No, instead Elizabeth moved into the club and headed to an almost empty booth right in the middle of the bustle. "Good evening. I need but a few minutes..." She looked over to the young male sitting on the opposite side of her. "I have a small problem with my heel, I believe..." She feigned an apologetic smile, while the woman glanced around to observe the inner workings of the club atmosphere.

Wearing

“What do you think about the club?” Blue irises turned to the male sitting in the booth beside her at his question. Briefly, they remained upon him, focusing and listening to the thumping in his chest, ignoring the sounds of laughter from a few booths down, the music playing, clanking of classes and other noises that could be randomly heard throughout the club. “I suppose it is interesting.” Elizabeth offered, not saying more than that. “What does one think about it?” She tipped her head, ever so curiously as Elizabeth slipped the 'problematic' heel upon her foot once again.

“Well, those two bartenders are hot.” He blurted out, before clearing his throat and looking around. “Not really a sitting kind of guy at a club, but I like the idea behind it. Hey, you ever seen a vampire before? A lot of vampire chicks are hot in the movies. Wonder if it hurts. To be bitten.” He looked directly at her, wondering Elizabeth's thoughts upon it.

Elizabeth inched closer to the table they were sitting at, a smile fixed upon her features. “Anything that is worth something, is a little painful. Do you not agree?” Her head tipped to the side a little, before she sighed, slightly bored with him and the topic. As Elizabeth scooted away from him, there was the scent of something...strong that assaulted her from the side and front. No longer did she hear just the sounds of the conversation or the male's beating heart, but she heard everything going on within the club. Both a benefit and a curse, but primarily the latter. Her hands went over her ears, as a hand came to her right shoulder and the muffled sound of a voice asked her a question at the same time.

Had Elizabeth just been able to...focus, she would have known that he had only been asking her if she was alright, but with all the different sounds and smells...she reacted. The candle in the center of the table was grabbed and smashed against the guy's face without hesitation. Hot wax scorched his skin, causing a strong burning smell to drift to the immediate booths around them. Quite a few choice words were all but screamed by the male, all of which had been ignored as Elizabeth grabbed the next thing that could be used. People, kindred and other supernatural creatures were short sighted and minded when it came to defending themselves. Or even attacking someone. They possessed swords and guns and carried them wherever they went, but not her. In-fact, it was very rare for the woman to carry a true, man made weapon upon her persons, unless it was a short blade that could be used for many of things. Not just killing or maiming someone or something.

The rope from around the opened curtain was grabbed as Elizabeth moved in the direction of where the smell was growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. She was not trying to be a heroine, not at all. But the human populace could not afford to see or read about the potential of scenarios that had been running throughout Elizabeth's mind at the time. More blood could be smelled as she drew closer, a frozen, yet empty smile upon her features as if nothing were wrong. The rope had been wrapped around her right wrist, as if making some sort of strange fashion statement, instead of Elizabeth holding it in a taut fashion within both hands. That would draw a crowd and that was something she was trying to avoid. There were two booths, the far back one and the one next to it that both had closed curtains. She hadn't pinpointed where the smell was coming from exactly, but there was an easy way to figure it out. She turned, put both her hands to her lips, almost cupping her hands, before making the offering most would not refuse.

“A free round on me!” She had heard that a time or two in her early vampire years while 'observing' things, or tracking for other things. And thankfully, as to be expected, it drew people away from around her and to the bar. As well as the couple in the curtained space before the last booth near the back. With as many people out of the way as possible, Elizabeth moved to the last booth, one heel being removed with each step she took towards it, before the blonde haired woman 'popped' her head in to see six men total, five that were armed. A heel was thrown at the heads of two of the males furthest from her (dead smack across from Elizabeth and the one being used as a pin cushion). It wouldn't do anything other than startle them, but that was all she needed for a few seconds. The rope upon her wrist slid free and opened with a quick shake of it, before both hands had secured an end of the rope as Elizabeth climbed upon a booth and wrapped it around the throat of the assailant closest to her. “Now, I think we can all agree the evening has not ended in the manner in which we wished to see. I am also hoping that those of you with the only potentially impressive thing upon your persons, will put them away and leave. Or, I shall snap his neck and then do the same to the rest of you.” Not a single word held any emotion to it, as her cold blue eyes bounced between the other two that were not assaulted in return by the petite, blonde haired telepath.

Robin couldn’t say that he had any idea what was going on. He was far too aware of the numerous blades piercing his skin and organs; he coughed, spluttered, tasted it in his mouth as it entered his lungs and gurgled up his windpipe. It was hard, in that moment, to remind himself that he was a vampire and that he didn’t need to breath. Even vampires could die. Hard for one person to kill a vampire without some effort, but five of them, stabbing him over and over? They could have it done in minutes. Less.

Three more of the blades had lodged themselves in Robin’s body before the assailants were interrupted. By shoes. Had Robin imagined it? He didn’t think so. The owner of the shoes swiftly climbed up onto the table and one of the knives was released, still sunk to the hilt in Robin’s torso (this one had ruptures his spleen) as the man gouged at his own neck in order to try to gain purchase on the rope now wrapped around it.

But these humans weren’t all what they seemed. They weren’t all just plane Janes with nothing to their name. Shoes could not keep them back, and at least one of them was a sorcerer. How did Robin know this? Because said sorcerer lifted his hands and joined them at the fingers; he took a deep breath in and, as if filled with potent magic, a powerful force radiated from palms that were thrust toward the woman on the table. But her presence had been unexpected and the sorcerer was unprepared; he missed, and the full force of the magic push slammed into Robin’s chest. The Allurist was sent flying back into the hard brick wall, head slamming against it hard enough for his brain to rattle disconcertingly in his head. He felt his skull crack. He heard his own skull crack, and it was sickening.

The vampire might have thought he’d passed out except that he could still hear the struggle – the men who would not just leave without a fight. He still heard Maddison’s voice through the fray and, riddled with holes and suddenly blind, Robin managed to push himself up from where he’d landed.

”YOU WILL ALL STOP!” he shouted, hand reaching out to find balance. As always, a little too late to tap in to his own abilities – each and every one of them coming to the fore, now, kicking in with the instinct to survive and protect. At the same time as his voice penetrated their ear drums, and they all looked on as if he were Christ risen from the grave, terrified and confused, insects swarmed from the air ducts, their buzzing a vicious, violent war cry, their stingers barbed and prepared to jab.

The allurist was doing everything in his power to make the men leave without having to pick up a single weapon.

Robin Little Other NPCs/Objects Moderate Reactionary/ Awareness Swarm of bees attacks his enemies Succeeded
Robin Little Other NPCs/Objects Moderate Reactionary/ Awareness Robin confuses his enemies Succeeded
Robin Little Other NPCs/Objects Easy Reactionary/ Awareness Robin succeeds in intimidating his enemies Succeeded

What was going on?

The voice from behind and around her asked, Elizabeth not certain what it was she stepped into, but felt the need to try and stifle something that could be potentially explosive. The male that was trying to break free from the rope Elizabeth had around his neck was scratching, pawing and clawing at the rope, and with each attempt to break free, Elizabeth only tightened her grip on the rope.

The male that was being attacked suddenly shouted and the thought...'so much for subtlety entered and vanished from Elizabeth's mind. She couldn't blame him, but she had hoped things would have went a little more discreetly. The blonde haired telepath had no idea who it was he was speaking to, so she took it generally and dropped one end of the rope, and then yanked it with the other. A quick burn smarted the skin of the human assailant that Elizabeth was more than fine bringing to the edge of death until he passed out (or worse), but it would serve, in Elizabeth's mind as a reminder of how to act in places and around people they did not approve of.

Bugs of the flying sort appeared and started to encompass the bulk of the 'group,' causing the male she had almost killed running out of the club, followed by a few clangs and clunks of glasses near the bar area as the flapping wings and soft 'bzzzz' of bugs grew louder with each bug that gathered. "I think it was time you took your friend's example and left." Elizabeth said at the other four, who swatted and flicked bugs away from them frantically. After a few more swats, two others left, leaving two brave, or very stupid men, remaining; swinging their knives around frantically.

"Good luck." Elizabeth stated to the blonde and the male who had taken a 'few' stab wounds and knocks to the head. He had told them to stop and so, she would. Elizabeth jumped off the cushioned couch, opened her clutch and put three hundred dollars on the bar's counter, which seemed empty of patrons and most the staff. Must have been the commotion in the back booth.

A sudden, "HEY!" caught Elizabeth's attention-the owner's voice familiar. "You're a vampire, right?" He asked, scooting from the booth that he had been sitting on the edge of. She laughed, while still walking, the male stumbling and trailing after her. "I've got money. Five hundred bucks." Elizabeth stopped abruptly upon her heels, turned and tilted her head. "Five hundred, did one say?" She asked, watching him approach her. "Yep, that's right. Just...bite me. Please. I want to know what it's like. My friend Jordan says it's better than...well, ****. Anything he's ever experienced."

A brow raised, as her lips puckered together in thought. "Is that so?" She waved both her hands in her direction before once again finding Elizabeth's way out of the small club and into the night time atmosphere. He had caught up with her very easily, trailing behind her just a little, as Elizabeth intentionally took her time to ensure that he was still with her. Once they reached an outlet to an alleyway, she turned down it and then pressed her back to the wall. As soon as the material of his bright green shirt caught her eyes, both hands reached out and yanked him by it into the alley with her. "Now, now. No need to be getting rough, sweetheart. I'm all yours."

She blinked and then laughed, as his back slammed up against the wall. "Where is the money?" She asked softly, blue irises upon him as her hands released their hold upon his shirt. "Oh! Right. I'm sorry. This is my first time-" He trailed off to get his wallet, pulled out five one hundred dollar notes, then handed them over. Elizabeth took them at just about the time he turned his head, offering her his neck. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his bottom earlobe. "Do not go back to that place, if you value your life, pig." Both hands found their way to the money and she ripped it in half as best as she could, before tossing it into the night air above their heads. "Consider it a warning." And before he could say another word, Elizabeth disappeared before his very eyes.