Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Music Journey

Main Theme: Pretty Girl
Mentality Theme: I'm Gonna Show You Crazy
Fighting Theme: This Is Gonna Hurt
Mortal Theme: Inner Demons

People:
Sire Relationship: Church and Black Vow
Party Relationship: Theory of Happiness
DJ Sharp Relationship: Little Talks and Safe And Sound
Igor Relationship: Partners in Crime and Somebody Make A Move
Jeb Montana Relationship: I'll Be Good and You're Gonna Be Okay
Tammy Loughlin Relationship: Hit and Run and Somethin' Bad
John Doe Relationship: It's Been So Long

The Factions:
Camarilla Relationship: Die in a Fire
Sabbat Relationship: I Can't Decide
Anarch Relationship: Wine Red and Ceasefire

The Personalities:
Jennifer: Meet Me On The Battlefield
Elizabeth: On Your Knees
Jessica: Dark Enough (TW: Suicide)

New Strings

To allow both to live, Jen had convinced Jack to sire her. Together, they fled Washington and moved to the city of Anarchs, Los Angeles. There, Jack returned to his duties to the Malkavians of the region, keeping his head low and out of sight of the Camarilla and Sabbat. Jennifer was gathered by the local lord, Durmont, along with several other new bloods. Though she had spent most time hiding, they had been called and she knew not to risk Jack's life by disobeying. Showing up to the mansion is where she met the new group who would become her allies in this new life.

DJ Sharp, a strange Toreador with a desire for music. Loud and obnoxious, she felt the frustration already building in her as he spoke several volumes too loud and too fast. Ranting on about nothing in particular. He was energetic, optimistic, and eager to learn more of his new life. Little did she know, he held no memory of his past, or the trouble he would cause going forward.

Jeb Montana, was the other who met her at the doors. To call him a redneck hick would be putting it lightly. He was a Gangrel by Sire, but seemed to be a walking sterotype of the gun toting, blunder headed rednecks that media would mockingly depict of those from Alabama. He, for the most part, had been quiet beyond playing his banjo. She'd come to learn he was proud, and not overly intelligent, but was amusing and optimistic. Where he lacked intelligence, he more then made up for in strength. Bronze over brains.

The trio spent most of their first mission searching for a ghoul named Alex. Their only clue being a bit of gossip dangled above them by a set of sisters, who would only give them the information after they had done her a favor. That favor would be both bonding and frustrating. It started out poorly as Sharp would end up forgetting the important rule of feeding- Lick the wound. This would cause it to seal and vanish, but the drug addicted musical wannabe had forgotten it in a moment of high. When Jen had tried to cover what he had done, they found themselves caught by the local police and having to fib their way out and explain away the wound. Once they had begun their little side mission, they were sent wandering through a haunted hotel and stuck until they freed the spirit residing there. It involved a lot of hi-jinx and shenanigans. Namely Jeb causing the spirit to facepalm or DJ to shout at the ghost in moments of fear. With the spirit free, the trio returned to The Asylum to report the place clear, only for the sister who had asked to be gone. DJ had fallen entranced by the woman Tammy, and was left to be watched by Igor until the group was ready to return to Durmont.

It soon turned out, these were two more to add to their little gang of misfits, to help aid in following the next lead. Jennifer.. was not excited.

Tammy Loughlin was an up and coming singer, known for playing on the Vegas Strip and now in LA to continue to grow in fame. Turns out, she is a Daughter of Cacophony.. Meaning she only sang. Given that there was DJ who was enthralled and braggadocios about music, and Jeb who was a banjo player, this just added more music to give the ex-officer a headache.

Igor was strange. He didn't speak much beyond mildly threatening DJ when he wouldn't listen. He had the ability of flesh crafting, which would be a lot more useful in the future given the groups ability to somehow get in trouble. Unlike the other three, he was more quiet and broody- a welcome change.

Their new tip? The Sabbat. Which proved awkward as Tammy's fame allowed her to gain them all entrance to meet the woman leading the warehouse. Why was it awkward? The woman leading it was Igor's sire.. who hated him. Through vague threats from Igor, polite request from Tammy, and the irritation of DJ, they had managed to be allowed to see the Archbishop of the Sabbat for the region. This would prove.. bad. The ancient vampire was a 4th Gen, easily 8,000+ years old. He was very pro-Sabbat and demanded the gang of newbloods decide which faction they'd join in the war. Camarilla, Sabbat, or Anarchs. They also discovered that Alex, the Ghoul they were seeking... Was his. They had been sent to gather a Ghoul from an opposing faction.

Jennifer had felt the familiar pull and tug on her consciousness, as one of her other personalities slipped out: Elizabeth. Liz had joined the group as they debated on what to do. The Archbishop was clear, if they did not join Sabbat, then next they met, they would be killed. Tammy wanted more time, DJ was in full panic, Jeb had little understanding of what was happening. Liz spent the debate analyzing the best path for survival.. For attack. Too many Sabbat around to merely kill their way out like she wanted. Igor was the one who left to buy more time then take the crew back to Anarch territory and out of danger. With Liz in control, it led to a bit of a stand off. Jeb as always, had begun to play his Banjo. Liz had no patience for the music the group was fond of playing. This lead to the woman accidentally dropping the instrument and breaking it. Jeb had to fight his rage and keep from a frenzy, but tension was high. DJ, the ever optimistic, had tried to settle things but couldn't. With a slam on the breaks, the trio went tumbling in the bus. Tammy was quick to musically laugh at them while Igor scolded them and forced them to sit so they could get to their destination.

Once at the unmarked bar, in a rather shady region, the group escaped the confined vehicle and considered what to do. Igor went towards the biker bar as it was their next stop. Liz had turned to leave, wanting nothing more then to kill. DJ got in her path and tried to talk her down. Fortunately, a minor missionary had been preaching across the street, and his words had given Jen the strength to regain control. Confusion abound as she found herself in an unfamiliar area. The group had gone into the bar where they met the former pirate, Jack. The music inside was loud and overwhelmed Tammy, and even Jeb and DJ were unimpressed. Igor seemed a lot more at ease and friendly as he went to talk to this Jack and inform him of the newbloods. Jen found the music surprisingly relaxing, probably because it reminded her of the songs her brother would play whenever he would visit before her Embrace. That's when they all learned of the others clans, and Jen was caught up on Liz's actions. The woman made note to find a repair shop for the Banjo and make sure to make ammends with Jeb.

Then came feeding time. The others had been using their clan powers throughout the night and it had left them in a thirst. Unlike the others, Jen had been conscious to conserve and keep from needing to feed more then necessary, so she went to assist DJ in his drug fueled feeding. Once more, it seemed to be a struggle for the man. She began to wonder how recently he was turned, given how much he suffered when he messed up. Having nearly killed his victim, Jen had to comfort and calm him enough to send him back to Jack's Bar to regroup. She made sure to set up the alibi that the victim had overdosed and called the police to handle it. Jen then went to find the latest addition, Tammy. Tammy had gone to feed on her own, resulting in a civilians death as she had eaten much of the person, not just their blood. Heart, throat, many things were gone, yet the woman was mainly pristine clean. There was little Jennifer could do to cover, but with the savagery that the person had been killed, any normal person would assume it had been an animal. The two women went to meet up with Igor and DJ. Igor having gone off to feed on his own, and being 8th Gen, had far more control then the ragtag group of 13th Gens. That's when trouble was noted. Both Jack and Jeb were still missing. Jeb had gone off to find prey of his choice, but fed off someone else which resulted in the built up frenzy. The woman was massacred and none of the others had known. So much so, Jeb had run off and his Gangrel side had begun to show as his right hand remained permanent with claws.

It seems the clock was ticking. Igor had offered the group to stay in his part of the territory, to ensure the Sabbat would not come and hurt them. Tammy had offered DJ to come to her studio to both help aid his addiction and allow him to improve his music. For the time, Jen's worry was on Jeb's location and whether she should inform her sire- Her Jack, of what trouble she had gotten roped into.

Life Before Blood (TW: Rape, Suicide, Mental Health, and Death)

Jennifer Sanders was a young girl raised with a righteous sense of justice. The girl graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, having studied criminal law. After going through the police academy, she became an officer and got to work. Her parents were supportive of her endeavors as she went through the trials of pain- both physically and mentally. Little did they know what darkness drove her.. and where that darkness would lead her to.

Having grown up with her sister (and later younger brother), Jen already had what she needed to grow. Her father worked in the fire station, and mother was an OBGYN at the local hospital. Jen and her sister, Sarah, grew with all the trials and tribulations that life could throw at them. While Sarah was the weaker of the two, Jen had been taught and raised to protect her younger sister with all her might. Several occasions she would be sent home from school for getting into fights with those who were bullying and taunting Sarah. Though the darkness began to fester, when her (Jen's) high school sweet heart raped her. It ended with charges being pressed, as the young girl did not want him to do it to others, or get away with his actions. Many people would go on to harass her and call her a liar seeking attention. Much of the harassment led to her stepping to the edge of suicide. Jennifer's sister having been the one to find her after an attempt on overdosing of antidepressants. It would take time, but she would recover from the negativity that had led her down the path.

Jennifer spent most of her college years balancing school, work, and her mental health. She would have regular therapy sessions to help keep the suicidal and depressive thoughts at bay. She saved up what money she could from her part time job while her parents helped put her through college. It was a struggle, but she made it out the other side.

Soon the young Jennifer would step into the world and begin training at the police academy. Though was in constant avoidance of any romantic advances. Despite her rather rough demeanor, she found good friends and continued in her career.

Then came the masquerade.

A wandering vampire by the name of Jack Miller had crossed her path, and entangled her future. The ragged Malkavian had been caught feeding in a local park, and the young policeman had been his finder.. and later keeper. The rules of the masquerade were clear: Don't get caught. And he got caught hard. With a lot of begging and talking, the man had managed to convince the young woman to not take him in and let him explain. Having taken his victim home to rest, she spent much time on the drive home, letting him ramble about vampires and why she couldn't tell anyone. Reasonably, she was skeptical but couldn't find any logical reason to explain the marks and blood she had seen. Soon she brought the man into her home, though remained wary of him and his purpose. Once off her shift, she had returned home, spending most of the night talking to the stranger to try and gauge what would happen. He was vague and flighty- for who's sake, neither knew.

The long chat had allowed her to lower her guard, and upon day break, she had come to accept the truth as he slept and it was nothing short of corpse-like. Most of the day had given her time to consider her new situation, often reaching for the phone only to put it back on the nightstand. She wasn't sure what to make of reality. She slept for the remainder of the day, only to be awoken in the evening when Jack had asked for her help. He had been given a task by the Malkavian Elders, and wanted someone to watch his back. News had stirred of missing asylum mates and guards. The two left for the home of an Elder that had gone silent, and they were met with horror. The Elder had broken the rules and sired many new Malkavians with no guidance. Frenzied, several had attacked Jack and lunged for Jen. The young human had shot and stopped the insane vampires and that's when they had found the Elder. Stuck in slumber, a stake through his chest. They freed the Elder, then grabbed the semi-sane new blood before fleeing. The Elder frenzied with thirst for blood. The trio escaping death by a thread. The darkness closing in on her future.

The inmate they had recovered was merely known as John Doe. He held no memory of who he was before his asylum imprisonment. The maddening voices he heard left him weary and shaken, but Jack and Jen had carefully brought him home with the promise that Jack would get him help. That was when the hatred for the Camarilla began. John slept out on the couch, and Jack- having been hurt and needing blood, had drank from a shaken Jennifer. He calmed her and the two slept until she had work the next day. When dusk fell and she returned home, she found it in disarray as the two boys were acting like children. Fighting and running from the other. John didn't want to go to the Elders for the visions he saw foretold his demise. Jenny, having had enough ordered them both to clean up the mess before she snagged John and sent them off to the elders. She went to sleep and awaited the news. It was grim. Jack returned and awoke her, informing her of what had happened. The clan had killed John for being sired without permission. The seed of hatred began to plant. Jack had also been given orders from his senior and close friend. Turn her into a ghoul or kill her.