Greenville
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It's totally dark, and all that jazz. The vampire community has been awake for ages, or eons, or for just a very long time. Whatever they want to say it's been. They're awake. They're out in the night. They're getting their vamp on.
Except for a slightly crazy, decidedly 80's vampire who's been skating through the Greenville area all evening. Back and forth. Twirling around trees. Hiding in between the large homes. Twisting her way down the boulevard. Hopping over puppy doggies, just looking to see if they might be Frankie-George.
Once, she even crashes into a tree.
While she can't be past the big iron gates to get into see Wil Wheaton and apologize for what she did at the gym last night, she can stand in front of the estate.
So there she stands, dancing in front of the gate on her skates. Singing to herself, "Dark in the city night is a wire… Steam in the subway earth is afire… Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodooooo~!"
~
The Whip has a single responsibility, and in that, his 'work' takes on many, many aspects. Kinder people would refer to it as maintain a good PR, and those who actually are 'in the know' would simply say… Marius is well suited for his position.
Coming down the street from one of his more recalcitrant of.. conversants, Marius' gaze is fixed forward. He hears the singing first.. and focusses on the distance and the not-so-familiar form of someone on rollerskates at the outside of the wrought iron gates.
It's only a step, then, that brings him from his place some distance away to being virtually beside the rollerskating.. vampire.
"What are you doing?"
~
"Straddle the line in discord and rhyme, I'm on the hunt I'm after yoooou~! Mouth is alive, like juices of wine, and I'm hungry like the —"
Suddenly, there is someone right upon her, and Ronnie does the only thing she can.
She flails backward on the rollerskates and lands on the sidewalk on her rear end with a shriekish, "EeeeEEEEK!"
Recovering from her "fright", she grabs onto the gate to roll back up to her feet.
"I'm uhmm… like, totally singing and dancin' and like, waiting for Wil Wheaton to get home."
~
Marius stands and waits as if he fully expected the reaction from Ronnie that he receives. Once the other vampire regains her footing in those wheeled contraptions and speaks, his expression remains deathly impassive. "Wil Wheaton? There is—"
He pauses a moment, his words ceasing in the middle of his statement as pieces are put together, albeit it slowly for him. "I know of you." The words, while simple, may very well strike an ominous chord. "You are one of his.. special ones." One that he's supposed to take with a grain.. no.. an entire lick of salt. "What are you called?"
~
"I brought him bunnies!" Grabbing the carefully hidden basket she shoves it toward Marius. Totally using it as a shield. "They're like totally yummy. Not as yummy as Corey Hart, but like, you know, not beige either!" Beaming a bright smile as though she's just made the newest, bestest friend ever she waits.
Until he says he knows of her. Those four words? They never ever EVER bode well for Ronnie. If she had color in her face, now would be about the time it all drains away.
"I didn't do anything wrong!"
The shield-basket starts to drop, and her lip wibbles. "I didn't mean to like, shove him that hard, I didn't! I was just acting out one'a the videos from MTV and then the mean men chased me outta there." Sniffle.
Through the sniffle, and the oddly human tears that form at the corner of her eyes she manages to say, "Ronnie."
~
"Bunnies." The word is flat and sounds odd in the german accent. Marius moves quickly to intercept the basket shoved at him, not taking it, but undoubtedy giving the small furry creatures within something of a jolt.
The effect is something that he's looking for, and as she begins to threaten tears, he remains stoically unmoved. "I do not care about a small altercation. What I have heard, however, is something that has to do with this.. 'Corey Hart'. Your Own?" There was some muddled message about a Claim, but there were more words..
"What is it that you have done?"
~
"Evil bunnies," Ronnie confirms. Demonic bunnies, with big teeth and floppy ears. Ones that must be drained and buried to get all the evil vileness out of them! "Way better than the beige," she says with a nod, all signs of tears and sniffling gone.
"Ohhh, Corey Hart!" Ronnie does drop the basket then, twirling around and clutching her lace gloved hands to her chest. "He's like a total babe-o-rama. A hottie. I had to stop that mean old vampire from omnomming him so I called the Ice Lady." Stoutnod.
"The gym… I pushed a swampy away from a machine like in the video. He hurt his wrist I think…"
~
From the direction of Glencoe Park, the posh park of Greenville comes a twenty-something man in trendy clothing. He's running as fast as he can, occasionally stumbling on the street's pavement, looking back for a pursuer which is nowhere to be seen. He's clutching a backpack as he runs for dear life, well, you get the picture. He tosses the backpack as if it's nuclear waste, perhaps hoping that will slow down the seeming pack hunting him. Panted "Oh, god! Oh, god!" shouts come from him. A blur of speed comes to those who can see, and Giacomo stands in the man's path, holding up the backpack he dropped with a look of anger and annoyance. "Oh, shit!" shouts the pursued as he spots G in his path, tripping and tumbling before backing away in a crab-like fashion as he mumbles pleads for mercy. This all by happenstance occurs near the other two. "You sell trash and you don't even have the decency to pay the garbageman. In this neighborhood!?" Giacomo says as he blurs to the other man, dropping the backpack at his feet.
~
'Mean old vampire'.. and the phone call.. Ice Lady?
Hottie? Omnomming?
Marius has a pretty good grip on the English language, he really does. For the most part. After all, he's been around and has seen the evolution, for the most part, of the tongue while others have died out along the way. But, he's working hard to catch the meaning and intent behind the words.
Ready to put two and two to get four, at least in terms of who the potential players are in Ronnie's little drama, Marius is interrupted by the altercation that comes up swiftly. He pauses, still as a statue, and watches before his voice lowers in soft warning, words canted low for only a vampire's keen hearing, "Away from the breathers eyes."
~
Whether the message is meant for her or not, Ronnie watches the scene for a moment. Then she glances at the gate. She could hop over it easily enough but not in front of the swampy, right?
So, the crazy 80s vampire wiggles her nose back and forth. Then decides to duck behind one of the stone driveway statues. It's the only thing she can think of without, y'know, flying or whatever.
"Psst. Grab the bunnies," she whispers back in an almost conspiratorial manner.
~
Giacomo reaches down towards the babbling prey who promptly shrieks. The vampire grabs the other by the shirt and hauls him to his feet effortlessly. Endless babbles and closed eyes as Giacomo seems to weight what to do to the poor soul. At the low tones from Marius, a superhuman snap of his head turns in Marius' direction. He returns in the same low manner, "Si."
Turning back to his quarry, Giacomo says flatly, "Open your eyes or I'll tear out your heart." As soon as their gazes meet, the babbling stops as Giacomo holds the other in his glamour. "You will leave here, quietly, and meet me at the standard drop tomorrow. You will ask about Daemon's whereabouts among your colleagues." Once the man repeats the words back to Giacomo, he literally picks him up under his arms and spins him around like a four year old playing with his uncle. Setting him on his feet, he gives him a slap on the behind which seems to start the man walking leisurely away down the street. "Bunnies?" Giaocmo mutters aloud, his right eyebrow raised in confusion.
~
Note that Marius does not and would not seek to still the other vampire's hand. He merely requests that anything that must needs be done be done behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of the lambs. He's been warned about the elections coming, and rather than attempting to understand it all (James the Parliamentarian understands it more!), took it as his missive that any activities should be dealt with away from public scrutiny. Apparently there is some concern regarding a Zane Wright.
Once 'si' is given as a response, Marius no longer has any real concern regarding the outcome. Vampires are vampires after all, and most have that instinctual, tacit understanding. Most, that is. Not all.
Instead, the Whip returns to Ronnie and her attept at hiding behind one of the driveway statues. "They are safe." For the moment. As to their state of well-being? He answers Giacomo's question, "This one feeds on them," before his attention comes back around. Marius won't attest to their continued safety… "Come out, and speak of your encounter with the older vampire.. and of the Lady."
~
"The Ice Lady?" Ronnie's lip-wibbles again. Someone obviously scares her even though she knows to turn to the Sheriff and all that when in more serious trouble than gym attendants looking for her!
"Okay, so like, Corey Hart was like eating a hot dog, and then like we were talking about Frankie-George…" The basket gives a little lurch, and Ronnie dives toward it to keep the bunnies from breaking free. "Shush, evil. No one asked you!"
While shifting to sit atop the basket, she looks at the stranger (well both of them!), and before continuing she locks her eyes onto Marius' face. "Well first, who're you to be asking? I mean, like, I should totally tell Wil Wheaton, but you're way not Wil Wheaton. For one thing, you're way older. For another, you don't have that flippy thing going on with your hair… 'sides, he like, totally generally tells me to shut up or whatever…"
~
Giacomo snags the rucksack the dealer dropped and slings it over his back. Once he's satisfied the glamour has held and his former prey is going to walk away, he speeds over to Marius' side. "I had no idea you'z could feed on rabbits," he says flatly in his thick New Yorker accent. When he's forced to do street tough work, sometimes his grammar suffers, too. When he sees the confusion between the two, he forms a slight smirk on his face. "Marius here is…Will's, uh…agent. He works for him." G smiles at his own double entendre. Technically true, the Whip is the agent of the King and his subordinate, the Sheriff.
~
Giacomo is more correct that he knows; Valentinus had suggested that Isobel take Marius as Whip, and neither Will nor Isobel is under any illusion that the german vampire won't do as the King orders. Marius works for his brother-in-arms as well as her Ladyship.
"You can if you are addled." In order words, he wouldn't suggest it.
His attention comes back around, "Wil Wheaton.. Will.." Valentinus.. "He is my elder." In other words, the King is certainly older than Marius. Though once again, the Whip gets completely lost in the words. Holding his hand up at Ronnie, there comes a hissed, "Silence.."
Shut up.
"I would have you come speak with me at Medieval Times.." In the secret arena.. where it is quiet and they are unlikely to be interrupted. That, and well, the sand does serve as a pretty good sop.
"Do you actually understand her?" Marius may require a translator if James is not available.
~
"I'm not addled," Ronnie argues, fighting with the basket of bunnies. "I'm totally fine." Sure, she believes it's 1985, but there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that!
Reaching beneath her, she yanks out a bunny. Then she twists it back and forth, giving it a quick flick to snap its neck. Lifting it up to her mouth, she starts to nibble at it until she can get the blood out. When it's all drained, she shoves it back into the basket and nods.
"Yes! Wil Wheaton! They left me here for him." When she's silenced, she just stares at the bunny blood dripping off her hands.
"Uhm… well like, do you mean me at that place? I don't think I can totally go back in time that far… or like, at all."
~
There are many things intrinsically wrong with thinking it is 1985. Reagan, AIDS, leg warmers. Giacomo watches the woman crack open a bunny like a walnut and is visibly disgusted, his hand holding his mouth. As if Vampires could vomit. Not so much disgusted at killing a bunny, but as to stooping so low. "Not particularly. I've just worked for some people who weren't all…together," Giacomo remarks to Marius. "Yes, just go with his agent. I'm sure he can work something out. Will's got a busy schedule, you know…" He says in that helpful, yet patronizing customer voice to Ronnie.
~
Marius has had more than a few centuries to steel himself from things that disgust him. Honestly, vampires treating lambs as equals bothers him a great deal more than playing at twisting a cap off the top of a bunny, as it were. "Yes," he begins slowly, making sure he is understood at least. "You will meet me at the restaurant, Medieval Times. That is its name. I will be waiting for your arrival later this evening." Or morning. "Then, we will speak at longer and greater length."
For a brief moment, Marius considers exhaling simply for the sake of doing so, but resists the all too human expression of annoyance. He turns to Giacomo, "I extend the invitation to attend." Not a requirement. "If you have pressing matters to continue to carry out our Lady's desire, then do so."
That said, it's time for Marius to take his leave, if only for a little while. Pressing against the gate, it opens to allow him entrance. "I will be waiting." And if she does not do as he asks, there will be one less vampire in the City. "Until then—" and he departs for the Estate within the enclave..
~
Noting how sick Giacomo looks, Ronnie reaches down to wipe the blood on her bright yellow leg warmers. "What? It totally tastes better than beige, and Wil Wheaton said to only eat the bunnies or the beige, which is fine by be 'cuz I totally don't like the swampy."
Still, the stranger is eyed warily. She doesn't believe him in the least. Not about Will having a busy schedule. Not about going with this other stranger to the past. Pulling out an old-fashioned brick phone from seemingly nowhere she starts to dial a number.
It almost looks as though she's going to jump into the gate, but then she stops.
"Restaurant? Got'cha! Totally! I'll be there!"
Then she, and her basket of bunnies are hopping down the street like a demented 80s version of Little Red Riding Hood.
~
Giacomo watches with a slight smirk as Marius orders the woman to go to Medieval times. In response to his invitation he retorts flatly, "I do. I must go follow up with this scum so he might lead me to more valuable scum." He adjusts his newly-acquired backpack on his back. "Buona notte," he says before turning into a blur of speed down the street and away.
