Seras little snippet thread

Alice turns out to be a little grabby in her sleep. It was sweet.

I awoke before her, and so I adjusted myself and used the remote to restart the last episode of Sailor Moon I had been on.

Not too much later Alice stirred back to unlife, and rose up pulling the warm blankets off her with some regret as she blearily looked around.

"Good evening." I greeted and she nodded back at me silently as she rose to her feet.

"I should… Get this task done." She muttered, and I frowned remembering just what task that was.

"Task?"

"I need to return this stuff to Therese, so she can banish the uh… Ghosts."

"I see… A word of advice if you like?" I offered and Alice stilled from where she was about to walk out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Therese and Jeanette are Malkavians. You know about that Clan now right?"

"They're crazy?"

"That's right. All of them, and Jeanette and Therese especially, a pair of cats trapped in a bag those two. Wild and feral for each other, love and hate mixed together… If Therese is the one who gave you that task, make sure you return it to her. The two will certainly attempt to interfere with each other, despite everything. Maybe you can help them in the end. To work together. It won't last forever, but getting them on your side will do a lot for you in the future." I finished and nodded, pleased with my advice.

And slowly Alice nodded and headed out.

I mean, I wasn't a huge fan of Therese, but I could get behind banishing the damn ghosts.

I decided to head out as well. As much fun as binge watching anime was, I probably needed to stir up some trouble to get more xp.

I still had the two points for now in case I needed a new Discipline or something.

Rising up I got dressed in my witch outfit just without the hat…

So it wasn't a witch outfit anymore.

Feeling sad I trundled my way out of the apartment and then onto the street.

I hummed as I saw people wandering around. I was hungry, and I couldn't help but adapt and accept that they were my prey.

But it wasn't like I had to or should kill them. I wasn't preying on them as such. I was just… Okay I didn't really want to think about milking humans, but it was kinda close.

I was just farming them. Plucking a few strands of blood from the fertile soil and leaving them mostly unharmed, and in exchange I would be around to help keep the big bad monsters away!

Yeah. I was after all fighting evil by moonlight.

Following a rich looking man through the same alley behind the hospital I smirked as I chased him down in the same way as my prey on the first night. Making sure we were alone, I struck and fed.

And struggled to pull away.

Fuck. Blood was really tasty.

—--

After eating I was just walking back onto the street when a very nice car pulled up in front of me.

A window rolled down and I quirked an eye… Which I realized with my eyepatch cloth didn't work very well.

But the definite Kindred driving the very nice modern looking Jaguar was definitely looking for me.

"Might I have a moment of your time." She requested politely, and I felt myself relax a bit.

"Sure." I agreed stepping closer and leaning in.

"Tremere Primogen Maximillian Strauss is requesting an audience at your convenience at the Chantry." She offered, and I looked her over realizing she had a very familiar symbol on a necklace around her neck. The Tremere symbol.

"Well finally someone has some manners." I snarked, but I smiled at the young Tremere. "Care to give me a ride?"

"Of course." She agreed and I walked over to slide into the passenger seat.

"I'm Vicky, which I'm sure you already knew." I greeted her, and she nodded, keeping her eyes mostly on the road.

"Carolina. Nice to meet you." She greeted me back, but I could sense her tension. I suppose if I was a young kindred asked to drive around some random kooky Elder that no one was sure about I would be a bit nervous as well.

"You can turn on your radio if you like. I won't force you into an awkward conversation." And my offer was met with a thankful silence as she reached out and turned up the sound.

I winced.

Classical music.

"You don't like it?"

"Oh not exactly. It's perfectly fine." I offered vaguely, even if I could tell it sounded like a lie.

It's not that I disliked Classical music, it's just that in this life my mother really wanted me to learn the Piano, and I'm garbage with any instrument. Tone deaf. I just couldn't admit that! It's embarrassing!

Quick Vicky, come up with a reason an ancient vampire wouldn't like old as fuck music.

"I saw the composer naked once. It wasn't a welcome experience." I decided. Nailed it.

"Y-you met Mozart!?" She gasped like a girl hearing someone met a rockstar. "Can you tell me about him! He's my favorite composer." Fuck this was Mozart? I always forget which composer did what… Uh think of something!

"Oh I uh.. I'm not the best for that sort of story." I decided, looking anywhere but at her. "It was only the once, and it's not like we spoke… There was uh.. Nevermind. He's quite good. Yes, let's just leave the music on, and stop asking questions now." I decided, reaching to turn the music up a tad.

Whew. Totally saved it there… Except now I'm listening to Mozart on full blast.

—--

The Chantry was beautiful. Protected to hell and back as well. Thaumaturgy five gave me a strong knowledge of what to look for with blood magic. It wasn't Auspex good of course, but I could still make out all the little signs that told me this building was heavily defended.

It was so cool.

"This way, please." She offered, and I followed into the Chantry and then into the warm upholstery of the old home.

We walked down a hallway taking a few different paths and I smirked as I remembered it was a maze to confuse invaders.

And I was led into a warm smoking room, where Maximillian Strauss was standing before a fire, his back to the door.

He definitely knew we were coming and picked that position. It was the only thing I could think of as we walked in.

"Primogen, your guest."

"Thank you Carolina. The book you requested is on your work table." He offered and the girl perked up in eagerness as she bowed and made her escape.

"Primogen." I greeted basically casually as I walked over and joined him at the fire. Holding out my hands for the warmth, even if a part of me was uncomfortable at how close I was to it.

Stupid Beast.

"Victoria. Thank you for accepting my invitation."
"What can I say? I do love proper manners. So you have my attention."

"Then please allow me to be a gracious host." He asked, waving at the comfy looking chairs in front of the fire. There was even a pair of mugs, on the end tables full of blood. Smiling I claimed my seat as he took his own and then we both semi faced each other.

"Normally I would not reach out in this way, but your arrival and lack of direct relationship with the Anarchs opened a unique possibility."

"Oh? Does the Primogen have some sinister plot afoot that the Anarchs won't like?"

"Nothing of the sort, but your sudden appearance in LA has opened some interesting layers. There are many questions about you as I am sure you are aware."

"Every side is yapping to themselves. That doesn't change no matter the Millenia." I offered arrogantly as I looked towards the fire.

"Quite. As a new member of our domain, I believe you find yourself lacking a proper Haven?"

"Ah. That would be the carrot. What is it you want Max."

"A simple task, not something worthy of your personal attention I am sure, but with your actions you would assure the Kindred that you are one of us, willing to act towards our collective benefit."

"I am very sure no Kindred will think that, but you Tremere always do have a wicked tongue. Go on Max, I would like to hear about this task." I prompted, wanting to know what he had in mind.

"Stolen knowledge." He spoke simply tapping at his thigh. "The sire of the Fledgling Alice, that you are taking under your protection? He was one of ours. When he met his Final Night, there was an issue. His Haven was cleared out before the Chantry could move in and collect our resources."

"Ah, Of course." I offered with a smile. "What else would get the Tremere moving besides personal embarrassment or lost knowledge… Or perhaps just the risk of spreading knowledge?"

"The latter. He had a set of common enough discourses on a wide range of subjects. We need them recovered."

"And so you ask the random Kindred off the street?"

"And so the Tremere wish to learn. We set a task before a mysterious Kindred that has proven herself more than she appears at first glance."

"Why Max! That was almost blunt." I faux gasped, and the Primogen nodded his bald head.

"If you refuse, then the Chantry loses nothing, but the time of our hunters to seek the lost paraphernalia."

"Alright, alright. I'll do this task. Mostly because it sounds amusing. I bring your stolen junk back and in exchange you offer me a better Haven. It's not inside the Chantry is it? I doubt that would end well."

"No, it will be an upscale apartment here in the Downtown, not far from here."

"Well." I added smiling back at the fire. "I suppose I must put on my Deerstalker then. The address?"
"Here." He offered and I took it and nodded. Not an address I remember from the game, but that wasn't unusual.

"Max, as always it's a pleasure to speak with the Tremere. Honestly you mages are always so fun. Good evening." I said chuckling, having never touched the blood.

"Good evening." He offered back as I almost felt like whistling as I left the Chantry.

I got a quest!
—--

The apartment Alice had been turned in was run down and shitty. To my surprise her Sire had a nicer apartment. I had honestly expected to be heading back to Santa Monica, but that wasn't the case. This was Downtown, and nice-ish.

As I walked inside there was an elevator, so I headed for it. Instantly I noticed the issue. The elevator had a pass code to be able to call it.

I glanced at the pad noticing a path forward, it took only a few seconds and then I pressed 1119. Not it… 9111? That did it.

I snorted. The smudges on the keypad only had two numbers completely smudged out, and the one was really really bad. Terrible security honestly.

The elevator opened and I checked the note Max had given me. A moment later I hit the fourth floor.

I walked over to the apartment, and once again came across an issue. I didn't have a key. I checked the door, and smiled as it was already unlocked.

Stepping inside the apartment was trashed. Absolutely destroyed. Someone had gone through a nice looking book shelf pulled every book off it and onto the floor and then destroyed it as well. The whole place had been flipped.

I hummed, as I thought about what to do. Someone or a group of someone's had definitely gone through the place. Unfortunately I didn't have any real tracking skills. I decided to keep looking, checking every corner, and part of the apartment.

Old couch, with a ritual circle peeking out from under it… "Defense of Sacred Haven." I muttered, it would keep sunlight from inside the apartment as long as the caster was home. Not a clue to what happened.

Moving on from the living room, I checked the kitchen. It was empty of course. I went into one of the bedrooms, and finally found something interesting.

A computer.

It was broken. Purposefully.

Interesting.

Unfortunately whoever had done it was probably a Kindred, or an old Ghoul, or just not very smart. All they had done was smash it a bit. The Motherboard was split in half sure, but the Hard Drive was fine. I took a few minutes to get it free and tucked it into my bag.

Might be able to get something useful from it. This room was obviously an office. Book shelves now broken, a big desk, and I could smell old herbs and things.

This was where Alice's Sire did his magic work.

But while I looked around I didn't find anything that would tell me who had broken in.

Sighing in frustration I moved on. His bedroom… Well it was what I would expect. The stink of sex was there. The guy obviously didn't mind Kine.

Again most of everything was thrown around. There had been a plastic container under the bed full of some more materials. Candles and things.

I looked through it just to see if there was anything interesting, but nope.

No easy clues.

I finished looking through the closet, mostly moving aside the pile of clothes that had been torn from the hangers.

Whoever had been in here had been complete.

Other than a few specific cheap things, anything magical seemed to have been taken out of the apartment. At least I found no books or artifacts.

Heading back into the main room I settled onto a chair near the kitchen counter and looked around for a while. I had one potential clue with the hard drive, but I kind of doubted Alice's Sire was the sort to write a daily Diary that explains who broke in and stole all of his Tremere paraphernalia.

So I had a few choices. Check the Hard Drive. Contact the Nosferatu, which I already knew would be a pain in the ass. Stupid Tzimisce. Or burn some points to figure this out.

I tapped my fingers as I checked my Character sheet.

I had two points, and considering the situation. I would likely get more once I finish this up. Spending points to gain points wasn't entirely a bad idea.

I sighed and dropped a point into Auspex. Mostly because I knew I would be double dipping again.

My Character sheet updated, giving me two powers just like I had gained from Path of Blood.

Auspex in the TTRPG was mostly about the senses, and then doing things like Scrying. But in the Game it had been a Progressive Discipline. Giving Aura sight right at the start, and boosting Wits, when Active. The aura sight alone was massive, something only gained much much later in Auspex normally.

I wanted both. Enhanced senses were ridiculously good, and being able to tell whether I was talking to a Vampire or a Ghoul, or just a Goth would be incredibly useful.

I shivered as the power flowed through me, as Knowledge on how to twist my blood to activate the effect I needed.

My eyes fluttered as the power activated, as blood was spent, and when I opened my eyes my senses were heightened.

"Ewww gross. Didn't need to know that about Alice's Sire." I mumbled looking away from the… Splotches on the couch. Really glad I had sat at one of the bar stools by the kitchen instead.

Shaking it off I looked around, instantly noticing some very interesting things.

For one. Some of the paintings on the walls that were knocked askew had more of the magical circles hidden behind them.

But there was another magical aura. The apartment's television had been thrown aside, but it had originally been set into an indent in the wall. Atop a a cupboard.

The aura was behind the cupboard.

Walking over I crouched down and looked inside. The VCR inside was mulched against the side of the cupboard, somebody had smashed it, but behind it, in the dark? I was just squeezing myself in when the Aura sight ended abruptly.

Jerking in surprise at the sudden shift of my sight, I bonked my head right into the top of the damn thing.

"Motherfucking!" I cursed as I pulled myself free and rubbed at the top of my head. It didn't really hurt. I had mystical toughness, but it still wasn't fun! I got up to find a damn light. I didn't want to waste more blood. I forgot that Aura sight only lasted like twenty seconds. Stupid video game rules.

In the end I had taken one of the standing lamps that had been knocked over ripped off the cover and dragged it down so it lit up the cupboard. A section in the back was cut into, just a rough square like someone had taken a knife to it. The only reason it hadn't been noticed is because you had to be looking up from inside the cupboard to see it. I reached in, the magic I had seen wasn't dangerous.

It was an alarm of all things.

Not that it mattered anymore. Alice's Sire had reached his Final Death.

And I grabbed something that made my heart drop.

Pulling it out I stared at it, remembered that we were in 2004, not 2024, and stared at it some more.

Feeling super cursed I turned it around to make sure I was looking at what I was looking at.

"Who the fuck still uses Floppy disks?" I wondered in honest shock.

—--

The moment I had walked out of the Apartment, I had to my delight gotten an XP alert.

*1 Experience.*

The fact it paid for the use of Auspex was amazing in its own right.

Unfortunately, I didn't actually have a computer of my own.

After stopping at a store to pick up a cord I would need, I went home.

Alice wasn't home when I got there, which was unfortunate…

Because I walked into her apartment, and needed her laptop.

I quickly pushed in the floppy disk first, and as it loaded up I looked through the files.

I sighed as I found one called "Alice."

Leaving that one alone, I checked through a few other things. Mostly pictures of his… Targets.

It seems Alice had a Stalker for a Sire.

But not just that. The man had a tendency to take pictures of his ritual circles. Quite a few files were full of runes and circles smeared in blood on different textured floors or walls.

But then I found paydirt.

It was an image taken from his point of view, looking out over a ritual circle in his apartment, but he wasn't alone.

It seems the man had a Ghoul.

A dark haired Brunette, looking very similar to Alice. A woman that was in his apartment. I think I found a clue.

"Don't move!" A voice called out behind me, and I looked over slowly, to see Alice with a .38. She stilled when she saw it was me.

"Sorry. I needed to use your laptop." I offered and Alice slowly lowered her pistol.

"What are you doing? I almost shot you!"

"Coincidently? Looking through your dead Sire's hidden floppy disk and harddrive. And that's fine. It's only a .38 it wouldn't have hurt that much." I waved off as I rose up.

"My… Sire?"

"Yeah. He has some stuff stolen from his apartment. Turns out the man had a Ghoul." Alice hurried over looking at the image on the screen before looking at me. She opened her mouth to speak but didn't seem able to form the right words.

I hadn't asked how long she had known her Sire. Hadn't asked what their relationship was. Although I had assumed it was a one night stand turned bad.

Especially with all the stalker pics…

"I also have his harddrive here. I think I got what I wanted from it. I need to track down his ghoul… You can have the rest if you like. Just don't delete it or destroy it yet?"

She looked at the screen. A single tab over showed a picture of the man in question, taken probably from his Ghoul. His hands covered in blood as he slathered runes onto the wall of his apartment.

But it was him, and her eyes were locked on him.

"I don't… I don't even know his name." She offered out, and I blinked.

Oh my. It had been that kind of one night stand… Or maybe something darker. Tremere did have Dominate.

"It'll probably be on his hard drive. I bought a cord to look through it, but the floppy disk had what I wanted… How's the task with Therese going?"

"... I thought you were one of her goons sent to kill me." She admitted and I blinked.

Right.

"You okay? Need any help?"

"No. I don't think… I think I got it mostly sorted out. I just came back here to grab some more ammo, just in case."

"Okay." I assured her gently. "This'll stay here for you. If you want."

"Yeah. I want… I want to know."

"Okay. Just tell me if you need something. I have to go track this Ghoul down."

She nodded, but I could tell through her glasses she was looking at the screen still.

Oops.

Hadn't meant to drop a drama bomb on her while she was dealing with the crazies.

I headed out with an idea in mind.