001 ☥ you cannot kill what you did not create

[socoolbrewster]

[Video -- Public]

[There's a worryingly pale and exceptionally filthy boy with black eyes and fangs staring at you through the screen, folks. He looks pretty annoyed. Or at the very least lost and miserable.]

Listen, I know I'm not supposed to be out yet, but...I need something. Just a little...It doesn't have to be much. I tried to find the girls but everything's all fucked up. I think...I think something's wrong. My head's splitting and it's not like usually. At least...not all of it; it's everywhere, not just in my head.

...God, I can't even think right now.

We're not in Kansas anymore, I'll tell you that much.

[He hisses, words more clearly irritated now but with an undertone of pleading.]

It hurts, Jerry; you said it wouldn't anymore. You fucking promised.

Comments

[valentineluke]

[Senses the distress; responds]

Describe your location.

[socoolbrewster]

[He glances around as if he hadn't already looked, and...this doesn't make any fucking sense. At all.]

A playground. There's like a really fucking weird slide and swings and shit.

[It's still dark; he would have found a better bolthole than under the wooden castle thing if it wasn't.]

Who the hell are you?

[valentineluke]

One of the locals. Welcome to the City - yes, that is its name.

[socoolbrewster]

Well it's a stupid name; there's thousands of cities, you can't just call it "the City" and expect everybody to know what you're talking about.

[He closes his eyes and curls up a little more; ffff he needs to eat something. Like...two hours ago. WHERE IS JERRY AND WHY IS HE TAKING SO LONG ON HIS STUPID ERRAND.]

[valentineluke]

[Vampires in extreme distress will sometimes 'call' for assistance from other vampiric beings in the area. Deep in the Underground, Luke is well out of range, but thanks to the device, he can feel the newcomer's 'broadcast'; decides to help.

There's a number of playgrounds, but only one with a unique slide. The boy's in Xanadu.

*downloads map and directions to Underground and the Raven*

Contrary to popular belief, vampires - at least the ones in Luke's world - don't mesmerize with their eyes. All it takes is to have the target's attention focused on them, even for a minute, and the power can take hold. This works just as well verbally. Luke's tone is soothing over the device. A subliminal attempt to calm the boy and settle his mind (pull yourself together/you can do this/everything will be alright).]

I'm currently far away. Can only assist via the device at the moment. Quickly follow the path I've given you. Don't deviate from it!

video:

[charring]

Didn't I tell you to get your ass underground and get something to eat?

video:

[socoolbrewster]

[All the side-eyeing. Who are you?]

...Whut. I was underground. I'm here because I was looking.

Except there wasn't a fucking park here before.

video:

[charring]

[What even.]

No. Underground. The City under the City. We spoke yesterday. [If you want to call what happened yesterday talking. It was more like very dangerous posturing.]

video:

[socoolbrewster]

[He curls his lip in a snarl; stop telling him things that never happened, whoever you are; it's annoying.]

...No, I'd remember. I've never seen you before.

video:

[charring]

[This is more in exasperated disbelief at the entire situation and not at the guy.] Really?! You were---son of a bitch. Fucking hate this City sometimes.

Well, just take my advice. Get to the Underground. You'll feel better there.

[signatures]

Oi, not more of you.

[socoolbrewster]

Oh, sorry, are we cramping your style?

[This face could not give less fucks.]

...How many more?

[signatures]

There's a bar for your lot in the Underground.

[socoolbrewster]

Great, thanks for the pro tip, but that's not an answer.

[signatures]

If there's a bar, there ought to be enough patrons to keep the business going, don't you think?

[orangetoughguy]

Sounds like you got a problem there.

[socoolbrewster]

Oh, aren't you full of genius comments. You volunteering a solution?

[Please say yes. He doesn't even care that eating a guy sounds a little gay; he's just so hungryyyyy.]

[orangetoughguy]

Maybe if you say please, damn.

[God buy him dinner first before you try to eat a guy out.]

[socoolbrewster]

[...What. He's a fucking horror movie monster, he doesn't say "please", he just goes for it.

A long pause, with some glowering thrown in for good measure.]

...Please?

[Shut up. He was sarcastic about it, it so doesn't count as serious.]

[orangetoughguy]

[Thinking thinking thinking thinking. He's probably some fucking horror movie monster or thinks he's LARPing one. Freddy'll make the right connections later.]

Naw.

action | Meanwhile, down in the Raven...

[never_very_good]

[Frankie could think of a dozen places he'd rather be than Underground, but having been tipped off to the situation his conscience won't let him stay out of it. So he's sitting at a table with a good view of the door, keeping an eye out for a vampire who looks starved and probably pretty confused.]

action | Meanwhile, down in the Raven...

[socoolbrewster]

[Ed follows the directions he's given to the letter, not so much because he wants to as he doesn't have any other option; he doesn't know where he is or why he's here, and at least if he follows the trail to the end he has a chance at answers.

But the trip feels like it takes forever; he's still not quite used to it all, and the empty pit in his stomach isn't helping anything, it just makes him more impatient and uncomfortable. But finally he gets to the door, and after a curious sniff at the doorway he slips inside.]

...Hello?

action | Meanwhile, down in the Raven...

[never_very_good]

[Maybe a few patrons glance up, but only Frankie leans forward in his seat and tries to catch his eye.]

You Ed?

[There's an open seat at his little table, and a big, sealed bottle sitting on it. The question's really an invitation, after all; Frankie's pretty good at spotting that particular look of hunger.]

action | Meanwhile, down in the Raven...

[socoolbrewster]

[He locates Frankie with little trouble, and while he's not sure who it is he's supposed to be meeting here it's a likely bet the guy looking at him's the one. He makes a beeline for him, stalking across the floor, and his greedy gaze doesn't shift from the bottle once he spots it aside from once, when he glances up to acknowledge the guy before sitting down.]

Yeah. Who're you?

action | Meanwhile, down in the Raven...

[never_very_good]

Frankie Dalton. Bar's mine,

[He says evenly, reaching onto the table to slide the bottle closer to the kid. First things first. The whole reason Frankie's down here is that he knows what a mess starving vampires can get into.]

Heard you'd need that.

[And he leans back, picks up his own glass-- club soda. For a human in a vampire bar, he seems surprisingly at ease.]