Home Alone

Ragweed/Paracelsus 'Paris':

I find the club quite empty and it makes it very hard to 'watchover' / creep on Hope when it was so short staffed and empty. It was easyer years ago when it was a swinging busy place.

The door was unlocked and some teens were trying to steal booze, the bartender is in the corner. I think he drank it all because nothing was left to loot.

I come in with a dark expression and the teens run out.

"Excuse me is this ..place open?" I ask the man in the corner. I forsook him as the bartender but mayhap he was another urchin squatting.

Rukbat (Echo):

I follow after my brother to that sad bar he enjoys visiting so much.

The place looked like shit.

I turn to leave but Paris keeps on going.

*Sighs.*

This is about that girl. 

It is always about a girl..

I turn around and join him at the counter to see its keeper in the corner looking like hell.

He looks darkly at us before getting up off the floor.

(Adrian) "Seems to be."

He makes a smart aleck response about the unlocked door.

(Adrian) "What can I do you for?"

He throws away a few empty bottles as our presence here seemed to snap him out of his stuber.

He throws one of his empties near the children that were trying to loot the joint and the crashing sound scares them away.

Paracelsus:

I ignore his question as I walk around taking in the place.

"I hate to admit, but I liked your pirate theme better... it had a lively energy. I am not sure what the new owner is going for here?"

I look at the golden winged chandelier with eyeballs. Someone spray paint tagged the golden tube that I believe was a sort of lava lamp if it was turned on.

"....and you have no more aquariums?" I tap the lavalamp thoughtfully.

I did not attend the grand opening I'm afraid, far to busy with other matters at the tower.

Adrian:

The man had a sort of dark presence about him which snapped me back into reality.

He does not take me up on my drink offer but instead critiques the decor.

I had to admit that chandelier was frightening.


He then mentions the aquariums  and my eyes glaze over for a moment before I snap myself out of it.

"No, afraid not."

I keep a neutral tone while the other pretends to show fascination with the empty bottles.

Paracelsus:

"What happened to all the sea creatures?"

I ask casually and glance his way.

I wonder...

"Did you eat them?"

Echo:

The barkeep snickers humourlessly.

(Adrian) "Eating them would have been a mercy, they all left to join that Queen bitch el' Martyr in her little castle of horrors."

He goes to the back for a moment and brings out a few full bottles to stock the shelves.

(Adrian) "Drink?"

"Surprise me."

I respond smelling something off.

It smells alot like fish 

Paracelsus:

The unkept barkeep said the aquarium girls all left to el' Martyr. It made sense since she used to be one herself. Not many lived this long to remember but I did. I am not sure why he said 'horrors'? She seemed like a roundabout character. If she did in deed have Hope I would have to investigate but she did not.

She was listening over there behind a golden curtain. You could scent her.

"They are ALL gone you say?"

I did not really have to see her in person. She looked nothing like her mother and only reminded me of her father. Maybe if she looked more like Olga I would have kept her all those years ago.
I just couldn't bare it, the birth, her mother's death only hours after Beolan's horrid end that we all watched under Rapce's vile shield.
No one was making rational choices at that time. She was alive, thats all the mattered.

"Whose this then?" I pull the curtain back pretending I did not know her like I always do.

(Hope): "I'm not a pretty mermaid like her! So I did not go.. " she snapped, directed to the man at the bar, as if she was upset with him over something..(silent treatment)

I cant help but notice all frizzy and course her hair looked then normal. Vyrwolf like.
as she stormed away.

Well thats not good..
I did not think I would have to deal with gyspsy dribble again, weren't they all dead by now?

Adrian:

I lean against the counter not certain what this bloke was on about.

Creepy fuck probably has a mermaid fetish..

He asks if they were all gone.

I think about the blonde dishwasher in the back but kept myself from outing her just in case he wasn't friendly.

"I believe so?"

He spots Hope anyways and I play up my drunken state.

"Oh right! I forgot about that one."

I laugh and "fake" stumble sideways.

Hope snaps at me about not being a pretty mermaid and I try not to laugh.

What?

*Echo raises his eyebrows at the scene and quietly sips his drink.*

Paracelsus:

"Shame, guess your stuck with a ...dud."

I say nonchalantly to the man but wonder what that was about.
I'll have to investigate this more.

"Say whats your name again?"
I turn to the barkeep now grilling him and what he knows.

Hope:

Adrian wont talk or acknowledge my existence after the sharkhead. He's the one who pranked me first!
I don't know why I was so upset about it either, like I need his companionship. He drank himself in a stooper.

I just felt very angry about everything lately.

Constantine was gone and I was stuck with someone who wouldn't even speak to me. It was driving me crazy!!

I pace around the empty office seeing that stupid sharkhead Adrian put there.

*has urge to eat it but stops self*

Euwwwwww!!!!

I pick it up and run crazily to the garbage disposal and shove it down there violently screaming trying to destroy it all*

Adrian:

"I guess?"

I pour another drink and pass it to the one with the empty glass.

The guy asks for my name.

I was not sure I wanted to give it to him, but then again, half of the drunks in this town already knew who I was so it would not take much digging on his part.

"Adrian.. yours?"

I ask before I hear screaming in the background and was that... a garbage disposal?

*Looks out the window.*

Crazy bitch was destroying the evidence!!

Paracelsus:

"Mr. Crowley." I gesture a nod to Adrian before hearing such a clamor.

....

Now thats more like Olga!

"Well I think we should be going?" I look at my brother to tell him I am done with my visit.
I do apologize to him for how dull it must have been for him. Previous visits this place had much more going on to be worth his wild.

The 'Golden Antler' was very disappointing and I did fear for Hope's future here. But inviting her to the tower felt a little too... much..

I think back to the priestesses and all they endure.

Echo:

I set a few coins on the table for the barkeep before we leave. 

He nods his head at the both of us in response.

Once out of the very sad establishment I turn to Paris as he apologizes.

"What exactly is your interest in the young woman again?"

I pry.

After being present for that entire little interrogation of his, I only thought it fair he provide me with at the very lease a hint of his intentions.

Paracelsus:

I frown, not sure I wanted to really tell him because it was... weak. I've dragged him along all this time with the idea I fancied the aquarium displays.

But if Hope is befalling into the gypsy game I may need his help if I am to save her.

"I have not the intentions you think I do. She's the daughter of my first wife, she died having her but I did not have the means nor the will to raise the girl myself. I just check in now and again."

I pause and add to clarify " I'm not her father either...unfornatenly. "

Echo:

Paris' response was surprisingly.. heartwarming.

I smirk at him amused.

But choose not to tease him further about it.

It was understandable why he was keeping this whole thing a secret.

I change the subject.

"So has father disclosed to you any more of his plans?"

I question quite worried of his mental state of late.

Paracelsus:

I appreciate Rukbat not running me through the mud over Hope.

He tires to direct attention back on our father.

I assume he meant the little soulsucker himself father just lets do as he pleases..

"About Constantine? No.. I don't know why he humors him the way he does.. the underground community is kept humbled for his sake perhaps father is just flaunting it now to mock them...."

Everyone seemed to be amused by him, like a court fool, a very interesting spectacle and oddity. Passing fad surely. But father was not so trivial like the Moores and such. Surely he has a long term idea for Constantine.

Rukbat:

I think of the young man currently struggling to keep his new bar afloat.

Who his family and friends were and why he left.

How at any moment he could mess up and give father the opportunity to destroy the underground once and for all.

It was a shame really, what else will we have then? This ongoing war kept a sort of unexpected excitement in the air did it not?

Once the underground is gone who else will we turn on out of shear boredom?

“Have you met him?”

I question.

Paracelsus:

"No..."

I gesture back to the club.

"By the state of that I wonder if he went home already..."

If so that was sure a short lived attempt at.. whatever he was trying to accomplish.

Echo:

Paris hasn’t met him either.

If he does show back up I will make it a point to visit the boy, at the very least to satisfy my own curiosity.

“I need to make a bit of a side trip.”

I respond.

“Meet you back at the Tower?”

I suggest.

Paracelsus:

Echo did not want me to join him on his little side trip.
I tilt my head but say nothing.

"Alright."
I agree to see him back home. I head off down the alley to see if I can locate any news of gyspies in the area.

Such a shame Noomi is useless now...

I brood and take out my annoyce on a homeless man to see what he knows.

Echo:

Once Paris leaves I head straight to the garage which had the majority of my "projects" stowed away.

Once inside, I grab an old bag in the corner of the room and fill it with a few items.

My bike was still in shambles but I would get to that later.

I pick up Roo and shove him in my bag too.

Mother would enjoy him, if not I'm sure a few of the priestesses will.

Heads back to the Tower.

Paracelsus:

After roughing up the park's homeless squatters I run out of leads to a secret gypsy community. I would imagine such people would be outside in the snow with their hag pets.

So why was Hope being effected...

Noomi may be hiding from me but there was another girl from our old crew out here I can harass..

I head over to a semi middle class apartment complex, though to be frank the middleclass looked like a ghetto now. It was really only a thin line between stinking filthy rich gold clad elite and impoverished urchins. Things used to have a balance to them.

It would be nice if my father could get things back to how Havenland used to be. Flawed of course but suffering was less seen. More for the tunnels.

"Leafe! Leafe!"

I call seeing her on the balcony watering some plants. I harass her every so often, she must like it if she still lives out here. I think her excuse to live out here was because her children were Moores and thus could expose the tunnels. Her being Ettie's apprerience and Thomas being Beolans, one would think they would have some sort of big place down there. But they live here. Sometimes they do help though. There were pathways in the apartment they have smuggled people out before.

(Leafe): "How old are we now? Why do you keep coming around..crow" She stops pouring on the plants and sprays me down below the balcony.

....

"This is about Olga, do you remember the gypsy game?"

(Leafe): "Your not going to make me pity you..."

"What if they do it again?? Have you seen anything? You have some sense left don't you. Do you sense something fresh?"

(Leafe): "No, that kind of thing isn't done anymore..if theres anything perverse going on its at the Tower. You should know.."

She leaves and I pop the door open with a hand gesture from afar.

"Leafe. You better not lie to me." I hiss.

(Leafe): "You better leave before my husband throws you out.."

Yes Thomas.... who has the powers of Desmond AND Blythe. imagine what my family could make him into..

I was keeping his secret only because I'll save him as my trump card. One day. I could make Leafe do whatever I want.

"Goodnight..."
I walk around the apartments for awhile harassing and find out nothing more. It was already very late now. I completely ditched my brother but I was too upset about Hope to care about his toys.

*Doesnt come back tonight instead lurks the goat stables for CLUES*

Raquel/Lourdes:

Father took me on his rather boring work day because there was a blood opportunity for us to feed at some charity bloodbank luncheon.
He doesn't want me making any mistakes in front of the public lecture again.

As if I haven't been a vampire for decades now...

"What do you got there little brother?"

I bother Echo since he came back with something he did not take with him.

Echo:

Lourdes approaches me on my way inside to ask what is in my bag.

"So nosey."

I tease her.

Pretending like it is a secret.

"You smell like blood."

My ADHD kicks in and I keep walking.

Lourdes:

It was rather sad he was stronger then me now, or I would just take it from him.
I would wreck that little brat back in the day.

"Fine I'll tell father you lost Ragweed, you left together and you come back without him. You failed."

I humm and show no more interest in his toy bag.

"He will kill all the goats again and maybe the horses too and it will all be your fault.."

Echo:

I grin at Lourdes' threat.

"And since when am I Ragweed's keeper?"

Should it not be the other way around?

Lourdes mentions Weedy going on a little goat kiling spree.

"And why exactly would he do that?"

I question concerned.

Lourdes:

"Because your the good son."

I reply simply as if it wasnt so obvious.

"I don't know, maybe it keeps him from going to town on the city folk instead of the livestock..."

I reply thinking very low of Paracelsus.

He was on his own too long I suppose.

When we were young he was far too sickly to do much harm.

Echo:

I look at Lourdes shocked and offended.

I am not the good -

*Thinks of the vacuum cleaner bot I brought home for mom.*

"Well, now I am definitely not going to show you what is in my bag."

1) Because she will judge me now; and
2) Apparently I need more blemishes on my record and her tackle tale will do exactly that.

But also..

(To Paris) ((Leave the goats alone))

Lourdes:

"Your the whittle baby no matter how old and wrinkley you get, we all love you more."

I say all cutesy before letting him go with the bag.

Whatever it was. It was probably not worth seeing if he did not want to show it off.

Echo:

Lourdes continues to mock me which I suppose I should take offence too but that voice was pretty funny.

*Walks away to go find mom and on my way up the stairs the robot beeps at Lourdes goodbye.*

Constantine:

I have a nose bleed after my 3rd transport of the night, coming back into town.

....and the easiest way to extract some energy from someone is to just walk down the alley and get jumped! Completely self defense and all.

I go down a dark alley that smelt like goat. Oh someone let some out of the pen again. This town was a MESS.

I look around waiting to get jumped by some fiend. There was a tall dark shadow.

I wait for it but nothing happens.

"Hello? Aren't you going to try to rob/kidnap/kill me?"

(Paracelsus): "No? Why are you waiting for someone to attack you?"

"Uh, I have a fetish?" I excuse and keep walking.
"I think there's a fight club for that, but I got the wrong alley silly me.."

(Paracelsus): "Your Rasal correct? Or Constantine. whichever you prefer."

"Yes Rasal Constantine."

I'm obviously not using Sulez in town. Grandma named me Rasal when I was 'born' Mum did not like it though.

(Paracelsus): "You dont look so special."

"I never said I was special.."

I walk faster trying to find a alley with criminals who wont talk to me.

Adrian:

I clean up the broken glass, scrub off the graffiti and try my best to make this place look presentable again.

And there were still no customers.

Well, I hope Constantine has some business ideas up his sleeve or we are all going to be out of the job real soon.