Breaking the Veil

((This is Cyrus still.))

Well, now he's got bloody vamp organs all over his lovely shirt. Damn. Also, the waitress vamp still won't get off him. He attempts to slice her neck, but fails. Damn flimsy knife.

"Memories first then. We don't mind. Can't say the same for you." With that, he starts attempting to cut the waitressvamp's eyes~
Oh, wait. Is that Alexander? Oh joy...

"Alexander. How nice of you to come out here." He smiles ever-so-slightly, but it isn't one of fondness or joy. "We've been wanting to visit for awhile, but Cyrus hasn't let us. Regardless, this seems like a nice diversion before dealing with the outside."

He tilts his head, still trying to cut out eyes as he does so. "...You do know what's going on outside, don't you...?"

A low growl emits from Adam's throat. He grabs Larry's arm as the skinny kid starts to rise, and forces him back into his seat. One firm glance at Kay and Sam locks them in their seats as well, although Adam himself seems tensed to move, if necessary.

"Do you know what the hell this is?" he asks Rufus and Constantin, without taking his eyes off the mad Cyrus.

"Besides a psychopath with a knife?" Rufus looks shocked and shakes his head. Supernatural dick measuring aside, he's still a kid in a lot of ways.

Constantin blinks, poleaxed, before casting about for any breakable windows or other emergency exits.
"We're as lost as you are, Adam," he says quickly, still scanning the room.

((GM reminder to all players: there are only TWO ways out of the restaurant! One is the door to the kitchens behind the bar, and one is the door leading through a black doorless windowless corridor out to the street.))

((OOC: Is Cyrus in between the Summer Wolf table and the door to the street, or can they and/or those standing nearby chatting with them [i.e., Rufus and I] make a break for it? BECAUSE SWORDS AND GUTTING GIRLS AND WHAT EVEN IS HAPPENING WHAT?!))

((Question for the GM: What windows are there in the bar, and how easily could I make my way towards one?))

[Rush, whispering to Kalynn.]

RUSH:
Rush looks about ready to reply in kind, but freezes when Cyrus makes his move, watching Cyrus and the vamps out of the corner of his eye. He instinctively inches nearer to Kalyn, of the mind to side with a mysterious changeling over a freaking mage any day, and gives her a worried look.

"Wait, what did he mean outside?" he hisses.

((OOC response from GM to questions!

First: there are NO WINDOWS in the bar. I meant it when I said only two exits!

Second: Cyrus is not between you and the door, but there is a large gaggle of obnoxious loud American tourist vampires. And Jacob, Borogris, and Kat have fallen back and is hovering kind of confusedly around in your general vicinity.))

"Time to go, I think," Constantin murmurs, keeping a hold on Rufus as he tries to as unobtrusively as possible make their way past or around the obnoxious gaggle - to the door and out of this madhouse.

"HEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!1111!!!" says one of the Hawaiian-shirted vampires loudly as Constantin brushes past him. "You're that a-DOR-able vamp from town! I'm so glad to see you - we didn't think you'd find it! Isn't this place just the greatest?!?!"

{Note: poor grammar is fully intentional.}

Kalynn

She looks at the surrounding commotion and drops her voice low. "I haven't a clue. I'm not entirely sure I want to find out either..." Her eyes dart around the room, sizing up the situation.

(( To GM: Roll to plot best escape route? ))

((GM to Kalynn: No roll necessary. There is ONLY ONE escape route, out the door onto the street. This would involve going past the werewolves and the crowd of Hawaiian-shirted vamps. You could also try to go through the door behind the bar, but that actually leads further into the restaurant and is blocked by a mage and a whole bunch of vampires and waitvamps.))

Rufus comes up next to Constantin. "Yes yes, thank you for your directions but I just got an update saying our plane is running slightly /ahead/ of schedule if you can believe that and we need to get going as soon as possible. Come on Constantin." Rufus continues to try to push forward through the American Vampires with Constantin. This settles it, these vamps /must/ be blind to fail noticing both the rampage /and/ how horrible their outfits are.

((this is an interaction between Constantin, Rufus, and the American Tourist Vamps))

Constantin does his level best to bite back a bristling objection to being termed adorable as he and Rufus try to make it through the crowd. One has to maintain priorities.

"Yes, thank you, but must dash. Enjoy your stay here," he lies, through gritted teeth.

Some of the younger wolves start to get up, following Rufus and Constantin, but Adam puts up a hand to stop them. "Eve's meeting us here. We can't just ditch it as soon as things get wierd."

He doesn't say anything more, but his eyes also flick suspiciously to the crowd of aggressively 'harmless' vampires blocking the door.

"Just stay calm," he says, his voice pitched low. "The last thing we need is to get involved in a panicked rush for the door."

Nevertheless, the four of them move a little closer together, and a little deeper into their corner, creating some empty space between them and the rest of the room.

((OOC GM NOTE: Sorry this took so long! I way overslept this morning/y'alls night))

((This is an interaction between Cyrus, Alexander, and the waitvamps))

Alexander doesn't respond immediately to Cyrus's words, instead taking a second to look around the room, and gesturing to two more waitvamps to take the rest of the knives off the bar. Then he moves forward slowly, carefully, staying well outside the reach of the pinned magician. He speaks in a light, slightly sibilant tenor, with a strong Chinese accent.

"Cyrus hasn't let you visit yet? Interesting. I assume I am not speaking to Cyrus, then? May I ask who I am addressing?"

((This is an interaction between the Random American Touristvamps and Constantin and Rufus))

The Americans fall back a little, looking disappointed by Constantin's statement (and vaguely repulsed and offended by Rufus). The one who addressed Constantin nods sadly.

"Oh, ok. Well, if you've really gotta go, you should totally catch up with us whenever you come stateside!!!11!! You look like you could use our help, and we would totally LOVE to meet you again!!!!!" He passes a small white card to Constantin, and then envelops the reluctant Constantin in a brief and very smelly hug. This hug goes on for some time.

Fortunately, before Constantin (or Rufus) can do anything about it, one of the other Americans interrupts, staring wide-eyed at their iPhone, which is open to a BBC news site.

"OH mY GOD, YOU GUYS!!!!!11!!!!!!!!" The touristvamp screams. "Stewart's dead! There's been, like, terrorist magic or something at Heathrow!!!!111!!!!!!!!!111!!!"

((This is a conversation between...well, cat's out of the bag now. Harvester is the one running the show right now. Anyway, he's speaking with Alexander, and then sort of addressing the whole bar in general.

Oh, also, bit of gore here. Just so you're trigger-warned, in case anyone needs it.))

The pinned mage, still trying to cut out the waitressvamp's eyes, responds with, "We currently refer to ourselves as Harvester. As we said, Cyrus has not allowed us to visit yet, but he's temporarily...what do you call it..."

One of the waitressvamp's eyes is sliced open, its contents spilling onto Cyrus--er, Harvester's--face. He smiles slightly as he finds the words to speak. "...Freaking out, I suppose is the term you would use. Such a strange term. Perhaps we can find a memory to explain it to us."

At this point, the touristvamp started screaming about the "terrorist magic." Harvester chuckles at the assumption, then raising his voice so more of the bar can hear him. "You're upset by the death of one man? We advise you not to wander outside, then." He waves his gore-covered hand. "It stinks of death worse than all these vampires. Trust us, we're going to be quite busy tonight."

((This is an interaction between Cyrus and Alexander, although anyone who still isn't paying attention at this point REALLY SHOULD BE))

A flicker of something that might possibly maybe be surprise flashes for a fraction of a second over Alexander's face at the name "Harvester".

He gestures to two of the waitvamps, who move in to help the now half-blind waitressvamp hold Cyrus down, and to another, who moves behind the bar and into the kitchens. A fourth waitvamp starts trying to get the knife away from Cyrus, while a fifth, standing around on the restaurant floor near Rush and Kalynn, changes direction to head for the American touristvamps at the back of the room.

"I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Harvester," says Alexander politely. "May I ask what 'work' you plan to do tonight, that will keep you so busy?"

((this interaction involves NPCS, Rufus, and Constantin))

Stiff and startled in the hug, Constantin is nothing but glad when this hulking beast of rotten flesh and lack of culture lets go. "Sympathies," he tosses out, as he grabs Rufus' hand and gives up any pretense of subtlety and blatantly goes for the door before these knife wielding schizophrenics and waitresses block it off.

((This interaction involves the Maitre'd, Constantin, and Rufus))

As Rufus and Constantin run by, the Maitre'd bows to them, and says politely, "I hope you have enjoyed your evening, Domnitori, Sir. Please visit again."

((this interaction involves the Maitre'd, Rufus, and Constantin))

Constantin tries not to look incredulous as he calls back, "Oh, certainly. It's been... memorable."

((This is Harvester and Alexander, though he's loud enough that anyone who listens can probably hear him.))

As he tries to keep hold of his knife, Harvester says, "We are the collector of memories, the herald of the underworld. We send ghosts to what awaits next, and we acquire the memories of the dead, so nothing shall be forgotten."

When he finishes that explanation, he rips his knife away from the waitvamp trying to take it, stabbing his hand and cutting off the man's fingers. "Seeing as you are vampires, and as such, dead, we must collect your memories as well. Cyrus has kept us from our job too long. However, perhaps it would be more prudent to deal with the ghosts outside first. There are, doubtlessly, far too many for our liking."

With a raised eyebrow, Harvester actually looks Alexander in the eyes. "We must profess, however, that we don't know why so many have died...we merely sensed it. Care to enlighten us? If anyone knows here, you would be the first to ask. We may even delay collecting your memories, if we find them more useful to say here for now."

"Ce dracu a fost asta?!" Constantin hisses, defaulting in panic, the minute he and Rufus have escaped that... whatever it was. "Are you alright?" he asks quickly, turning adrenalin wide and worried red eyes on his mate.

((This is an interaction between Alexander, Cyrus, the waitvamps, and the American tourists))

"I'm afraid I don't know anything about that," Alexander says coolly, making imatient and surreptitious gestures at the wounded waitvamp, who stops whimpering in pain and starts to go for the knife again. Cyrus easily keeps it out of his reach.

"However, my people are in the process of finding out, if you would be so patient as to wait a few moments," Alexander continues. "Incidentally, you seem to know Cyrus rather well. Tell me, is this the only body you inhabit?"

Across the room, the waitvamp reaches the shrieking Hawaiian-shirted tourists, who are now making loud sounds of distress and waving their cell phones, and bows to one of them.

"Pardon me, sirs and madams, but you seem to be in some distress. Is there any way I can assist you? Perhaps sirs and madams would prefer a private room, in which they may more privately and discreetly express their grief?"

The only response is increased wailing.

"I think I'm having a relapse!!!!!111!!!" shrieks one of them, face transforming into a Buffy-the-vampire-slayer-type fanged mask.
"No, Darla!" yells another touristvamp, throwing his arms around her. "You can be strong!!!!!111!!!! What would Paris Hilton do?!?!?!?!!!!?!!"

"Sir," continues the waitvamp, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave the restaurant floor. I'm afraid you're disturbing our patrons." He gestures to the nearby Summer Wolves, who are, indeed, looking very disturbed. "If you would mind stepping to the side...?"

The tourists do not move, although they do eventually shuffle sideways toward the edges of the room once six more waitvamps come out to herd them, leaving only four standing around Cyrus at the bar, and the maitre'd watching the doorway. As they move, they continue shouting loudly, mostly about "must be Muslim terror-mages" and "completely obliterated!" and "they must be all dead".

"Dude," one of them finally manages, looking back to address the room at large, "who's your head vamp in charge around here, anyway? Malcom, right?"

The gore-painted, tuxedo-and-cape-wearing creepy Russian vamp in the corner steps forward at this, baring his fangs, with his eyes flashing red. "Black Prince Malcom is our Ruler, Kindred, over all the lands the human Kine call the United Kingdom. I am Rasputin, his lieutenant. Why do you dare to speak our Lord and Master's name?"

(The waitvamps start herding the Americans a little more urgently toward the corner when they realize Rasputin has noticed the tourvamps. Most of the Americans don't really move any faster.)

"Because I think someone's gonna need to get him. Or, like, his second-in-charge, or whatever? Because some big spell just blew up Heathrow airport and everything for, like, three miles around it, and the humans totally noticed. Dude. They've got, like, magic on the evening news."

He holds up his phone, where the BBC headline screams "MYSTERIOUS TERRORISM HITS HEATHROW" over a clear-as-day picture of purple light, arcing out and over the dead body of a huge winged snake, in the middle of a blackened crater that used to be the street where the Summer House once stood. The sub-heading under that reads "death tolls estimated in the millions, nonhuman bodies discovered".

"So," continues the touristvamp, "I think you guys have, like, a problem?"

((This is a post between Harvester, Alexander, and later, Rasputin.))

Harvester shrugs. "Yes and no. As Harvester, we only inhabit Cyrus's body, and only when specific circumstances allow it. But we stem from a much larger source, so no, we are not the only such personality inhabiting a mage." He frowns briefly upon saying this, as if he finds his explanation lacking, then shakes his head. "That is the simplest way we can voice what we are. Now, regarding your own lack of information..."

Harvester turns toward Rasputin--he's still pinned, yes, but he can look. As the touristvamp stops talking, Harvester calls out, "Perhaps you, sir, have an explanation? Surely, a lieutenant to Prince Malcom, someone he trusts so dearly, might have at least an idea of what might be going on? Especially tonight, of all nights..."

As he speaks, he's still trying to remove the other waitressvamp's eye. Since he's distracted, not much progress is being made.

[This is an encounter between Claire, Constantin, and Rufus.]

Claire

Claire pulls short and freezes in much the same way as the two teens she's currently facing. She glances toward either side of the alley--yep, just as creepy as before, though perhaps with fewer bodies strewn about. Still. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea...

She goes back to apprehensively eyeing the two strangers still staring at her.

"I...have...pepper spray?"

Yes, that sounded ever-so-confident, they're sure to take you as a threat now, mmhmm.

(((OOC: Sorreh, just a-followin' the e-mail intro I got, yo. Also, for reference for my character's physical appearance: shorter, pale, twelve-year-old towhead is the general description. Pretty sure that's all I put on her description page thingie, too. XD)))

(((OOC: It's totally cool! I'd heard you had something to do with out here! Lovely to finally meet you IC, lol!)))
((this is an interaction between Claire, Constantin, and Rufus))

"Er, hello?" Constantin broaches, a little awkwardly. He may not know a lot about kids, but this most emphatically does not seem a place for one to be wandering about alone. He crouches down, trying to lessen any intimidating factor of his height. "No need for that, ingerasul," he says, soft and trying to cover his accent some, bring his voice up a bit, and eyelids down, so... she's only faced with a tall dark stranger in an alleyway instead of a tall dark stranger with red eyes and a cartoon villain voice. Yeah. That'll help.

He should have let Rufus do this.

"I'm Constantin, and this is Rufus," he gives her their names, trying to make himself and his friend, well, human for her, not what PSAs warned her about. "It's not safe here," he tells her, worried, "Where are your parents?"

Yes, that sounded ever-so-reassuring and not creepy in the least, she'll surely not take you as a threat now.

[This is an encounter between Claire, Constantin, and Rufus.]

Claire

She purses her lips, looking first to Rufus then back to glancing rapidly back and forth between Constantin's eyes. She's not sure she's really supposed to talk to him, strictly speaking (quite frankly, to say that her mother drilled the 'stranger danger' rule into her head is an understatement of Such Very Large Proportions That I Don't Even). All the same, there's...well, he seems to be actively trying to seem less creepy in an already creepy situation, right? And that's a good thing, right?

Not to mention it's sort of exhilarating to be in charge of herself for once. But hey.

"That's why I have pepper spray," she answers with a solemn nod and backpack adjustment. False bravado, yes. "But, er, I sort of...lost track of my dad."

(((OOC: Hai~! Yes, I have had to wait for Le Ages to post, so stoked to finally be able to. :'D)))

((Note to GM: Should I roll to overhear what the tourist vamps are saying about the airport? Also, I have Quickdraw, so I'd like to pull my revolver out.))

[Rush to Kalynn.]

RUSH:
Rush's fin is already clasping at the revolver under his coat, his expression going from worried to downright frantic as Harvester keeps talking and it just gets worse and worse, doesn't it? He whispers to Kalynn again.

"You're the big shot... Do you need to get out of here? I gotta tell you, if I were on my own I'd be out the door to see the fireworks for myself, but I'll help you get away safe if that's what you need. For the good of England! Or something."