i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

Comments

[persistingly]

That's our location.

( Hold for good or bad while he assesses, peers around them. )

And exit. There must. I couldn't see them sealing off catacombs. Think of the permits required and the religious backlash.

( He rips the table top away in a flourish as it slams a few feet away into the wall with a large boom. He then turns in the opposite direction. Turns back and then looks back over to Melanie. )

The only question that remains: forward or back.

[indurare]

I say move towards the exterior.

[As much as she needs to feed, the idea of feeding off the dead compatriots does feel a bit gauche. She'd much rather find her way to another blood source if she can.]

We were facing an exterior wall before we fell. We can't be too far from one here.

[persistingly]

( He agrees, holding a hand out to get her to stand up, if she can. )

Then we head in the direction of the exterior. Maybe find a terrorist for you to rip open.

[indurare]

Wouldn't that be delightful.

[She takes the hand up, and glances around, before turning to point.]

Head that way first?

[persistingly]

I will follow you into the dark.

( He gestures for her to lead the way. No commentary about his love for the alternative sad boy bands. They speak to him! He does still have his classic sensibilities, but who doesn't like Death Cab For Cutie? )

[indurare]

[Melanie would never judge him for his taste in music. They all have their guilty pleasures.

Fortunately their being vampires comes with a bit of dark vision. Perception check for Rhett please.]

[persistingly]

( (18) for Rhett's perception. He's vigilant after being blown up and Scarlet/Wes missing! )

[indurare]

[Melanie is also keeping her eyes peeled (16), her growing hunger perhaps keeping her on edge for sounds that might be food. They both pick up the scuffling of footsteps coming from a distance and she grabs Rhett's arm and raises an eyebrow, not wanting to give themselves away just in case they're not friendly.]

[persistingly]

( (18) as he nods and hides, blending in with the shadows of the catacombs. )

[indurare]

[Melanie, unfortunately, is not as stealthy as Rhett (1). It's not her fault, necessarily, the blood loss doesn't make this easy and she misses a step against a concrete step in one of the alcoves and a small cry of pain as her knee hits the ground.

The footsteps in the distance stop. Or at least one of them does. Unfortunately Wes is also smart enough not to speak and give himself away, but there isn't enough of the sound for him to recognize it (4), but he does stare into the darkness, waiting to see if something else is coming.]

[persistingly]

( Rhett is beside Melanie in an instant, kneeled down. Wordlessly, he asks if she's okay, checking her leg.

Damon and his ( PER 21) recognize that cry of pain and calls out from around the corner. He doesn't move, though, just in case.

"Mel?" )

[indurare]

[She's fine, just clumsy, though coming down on concrete hurts, regardless of how sturdy you are. But her head does snap up at the sound of her name in a familiar voice.]

Damon?

[persistingly]

( Damon heads forward, Wes hopefully behind, but he doesn't -- check. He drops down next to the both of them.

"Your leg?" )

Dinner exploded on us and we were dropped down. She took wood through the chest. She needs to feed.

[indurare]

I'll be fine until we get out of here. We were searching for the exit.

[Wes does follow, sagging some with relief when he sees that Rhett is alongside her.

"I got Scarlett on the phone. She and Bonnie are safe outside the castle." At least last he checked.]

[unforgivably]

That makes six of us.

( He and Rhett give her a hand to stand her back up.

"What was that way?" )

Wine cellar-slash-bomb shelter. Our escape route. What's in the other direction?

[indurare]

A giant hole where we came through the floor. But it's possible the way out could be past that.

[Back tracking is annoying but at least Damon and Wes found them before they got too far.]

Have you heard from anyone else beyond Scarlett?

[unforgivably]

Stefan didn't answer when I called.

( And that's enough of that. He will not worry until he has something to worry about. Should she need it, Damon and Rhett will be at her side to keep her going, but if it feels like she can stand on her own two feet, Damon takes up the lead with Rhett staying closer to his family.

(12) for Damon to keep stealthy next to (10) for Rhett. Both are more worried about finding the exit, especially now that they're a four pack and are quite formidable.

They head back in the direction Melanie and Rhett came from, stepping over the debris from the initial explosion. )

[mojitos]

[Wes (13) and Melanie (15) are averaging about the same, and as they inch through the catacombs, things are quiet for the most part. There hasn't been a light at the end of the tunnel yet, but they're not finding a dead end either.

However, there does reach a point where four sets of vampire ears pick up on a collection of voices coming from the other end.

"Wait, did you hear that. Someone's coming?"

There's a second voice, older and drier, that draws Wes to a stop. Rhett would find it familiar too. "Multiple someones." There's a pause and followed up in a tone that conveys an eyeroll. "Oh, relax. That's what the minions are for."

More footsteps begin to shuffle in their direction and Wes says quietly:]

Brannigan.

[persistingly]

The Ivory Tower?

( Why would they be involved? They stay out of politics, usually, and they don't mess with Slayers. They keep to themselves and their ancient traditions. He exchanges a look with his son.

Brannigan is older than all of them. Possibly combined.

Rhett brings a finger to his lips, indicating everyone they need to be quiet.

Rhett gets an (8) to hide in the darkness, Damon gets a (nat 20), grabbing onto the rock above them and swinging himself over to hold himself up against the ceiling. it's fancy. )

[indurare]

[Melanie (13) and Wes (15) melt into the shadows best they can and wait as the minions sent forth to investigate. Brannigan doesn't come himself, hanging back with his witch, but two vampires venture into the darkness to find them.

One catches the shine on Rhett's shoes. Two other catches a glimpse of Melanie's face (13). Two snatches forward to grab her by the arm (18 vs. 17), and as she stumbles into the light and he blinks.

"Wait. I know your face."]

Very shortly, you're gonna wish you didn't.

[And she slams the heel of her hand up into his face, cracking his nose (19 vs. 14).]

[persistingly]

( There was a time Rhett Butler, skeptical, but grateful, entertained the company of Brannigan. He purported himself to be the soul vampire that put Scarlett O'Hara back together after the war. It was one of his progeny that brought Scarlett in. Brannigan liked the pretty and he liked the broken.

Brannigan said one thing to Rhett's, Melanie's and Damon's faces, and made attempts at poisoning Scarlett toward them. He prayed on Damon's weakness and his inner hatred for what he was. He prayed on Melanie's pathological devotion to a family where she would always come in third. He prayed on Rhett's jealousies and foibles. At the end of it, Rhett was only a man.

Brannigan was the kind of leader that believed he was above everyone, that he could do anything. He was big on physical touch. Idle threats. Subtle disrespect.

Scarlett liberated herself. The three of them don't know how, or why, but she came to her senses. Realized she was above the manipulations, petty jealousies, and superiority. And brought Wes with her.

The three of them, Rhett, Melanie and Scarlett had developed a soft spot for the boy. He was a favorite of Brannigan's and not in the way anyone wanted to be anyone's favorite.

Her final quip was about the Ivory Tower hiring a fashion coordinator.

They were not hunted, or followed. The Ivory Tower wanted loyalists. When you no longer were one, you were out.

Initiative for mine follows:

Rhett (8)

Damon is hidden well with his nat 20, he will drop down when he's ready. )

[indurare]

[One and Two 17
Melanie 12
Rhett 8
Wes 7

Damon can join whenever suits his fancy.

With Melanie breaking the stalemate, One goes for Rhett, fangs bared as he tries to reach for the other man's neck (17). Two turns on Melanie (3 vs. 15), but Melanie twists out of the way and retaliates by borrowing a move Bonnie used on a compatriot of his (4 vs. 5), but he just barely manages to twist out of the way.]

[persistingly]

( Rhett barely leans back as a snarling mouth snaps at him.

Instead, he attempts to grapple the vampire who's lunched at him, (5), but in his haste at avoiding teeth gnashing out at him, he likely misses the vampire altogether. )

[mojitos]

[Yeah, One turns that grapple on him (nat. 20), taking the arm and wrenching it behind his back. But, since Melanie seems to be handling well enough on her own, Wes zips up behind One, and reaches up to snap his neck (19 vs. 3). One has no hands to defends himself, and the arms holding Rhett in place immediately go slack.

Two glances over at the sound of a snapped neck, and shouts back towards the mouth of the tunnel. "Boss! We're kind of outnumbered here!" He then attempts to grapple Melanie similarly to how One had had Rhett (17 vs. 10), using her as a vampire shield between him and the rest of the group - at least the ones he can see.

Somewhere in the distance Brannigan sighs. "Come on, darling. Seems we have to do everything ourselves."

Melanie tries to wrench herself free (3 vs. 5), slamming her foot down towards the instep of the other vampire's and he growls. "Stop that!"]

[persistingly]

( Damon drops down, (15) to land a hand into Two's chest cavity from the back. Like Wes, like Damon today. And (13) as he adds himself to the initiative line-up.

Rhett nods to his son, thanking him, and charges forward, speeding to tackle not Brannigan (21) )