Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [Open]

[detectiveofthewest]

The old Kitterick hotel, long since closed and abandoned, sat silently in its abandonment. At first it seemed that this night would be the same as any other -- one more in the long series of nights spent settling, creaking, slowly but surely marching toward the dissolution that surely awaited it. Yet as evening settled firmly over the streets of Greenwich, something changed in the air.

A long car, sleek and black, rolled up to the front of the building. A woman got out; two men aided her in doing so. Her long dress was bright carmine, spilling out behind her in a whispering pool. In the dark of night, the cloth looked almost black.

"This will do nicely," she said. Her whisper was full of promise.

[This, should you choose to use it, is a catch-all post for the Bloody Countess plot! It's for investigations, encounters, and so on leading up to the main event.]

Comments

[eyeforaneye]

His main strategy had been pretending to be drunk. Mid-day. In London. It had worked amazingly well, and now he's just partially slumped over as he tries to keep his head on straight. Damn, he's so tired... But at least there's Apollo here now, which alleviates one of his concerns.

And yet he manages a nod whether or not that question was actually directed at him. Walk it off, Sasuke.

"... they'll get killed. The cops." A pause. "Apollo, are you okay?" Did he already ask?

[detectiveofthewest]

"He's been askin' about you," said Heiji helpfully, you're welcome Apollo and Sasuke.

But yeah, no. Back to seriousness. "I agree. We can't tell 'em what's going on, so we gotta find the guys responsible. Before more people end up like that guy at the restaurant building."

He dug into one of his pockets and took out a torn bit of leather. There was a sigil emblazoned onto it, which he showed to both of them. "This look familiar to you?"

[apolly]

While Apollo's easy to anger, it's also easy for him to feel overwhelmed, and he's damn close to tears when Sasuke even asks a question like that. While the kid's barely conscious. This moron—

He blinks it back when Heiji holds up the paper, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and leaning in for a closer look.

"... No, I haven't seen it."

1/2

[detectiveofthewest]

Wow, was Apollo crying? Was he overflowing with manly tears...?

2/2

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji cleared his throat. "W-well, I found it on the guy I was chasin'. It looks like a family crest, so I was thinkin' about looking up who it belonged to. Probably some vampire family, right...?"

Apollo please stop crying...

[apolly]

Why are you looking at him like that.

Luckily Apollo doesn't shed one tear, but it turns into a glare right at Heiji instead before that's gone in an instant too.

"I mean, it's possible. Maybe you can make a copy and I'll bring it home with me? We definitely won't find him today..."

[eyeforaneye]

He clears his own throat, trying to keep himself from scratching his neck. Who knew it'd itch as much as it does, light-headedness and other side effects aside.

"Hillingdon. They'd know a lot about them too, the hunters anyway. I'll ask around." At least it'd help determine if this was an established group.

[detectiveofthewest]

DON'T SCRATCH, YOU'LL JUST MAKE IT WORSE.

"Okay. You need help gettin' back?" Like could Sasuke even take the Tube, maybe they should get him a taxi...

[apolly]

"I think you're better off taking a taxi, Sasuke." At least Heiji and Apollo had the same idea sometimes.

"... We need to tell the Night Council. They're not gonna take it well since it's a vampire, though." Especially since they tended to have certain privileges already.

kaia are you okay

[eyeforaneye]

He waves both of them off immediately, much more interested in the delegation of responsibilities and the discussion of suggestions than he is concerned with his own health. Hematopoiesis, right? He'll just make more blood. Problem solved.

"We should wait... At least until we've done a little work to figure out who it is. Could turn into a witch hunt." No pun intended. "They don't all deserve that."

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji didn't really care for vampires all that much; they liked fae blood even more than they liked human blood, so as far as Heiji was concerned they could all just stay in their vampire basements and play pipe organs or something, that's what vampires did right.

He made a bit of a face. "If it's got to this point, they probably already know." Though he wouldn't interfere if Apollo insisted on telling the Council.

"Still, two fledglings outta control in the same building? Their boss has got to be close by. I could track them down." After all, vampires had a rather distinct scent after a blood meal. "See where they're headquartered, at least. No storming the ramparts yet."

[apolly]

"... I hope you don't mean right now, by yourself." Apollo turns his head to Heiji, incredulous. "I don't want to call you stupid before I misunderstand something."

Whatever, Sasuke's fine.

[eyeforaneye]

"Start with the sigil. If they realize you're there following them it could blow up fast." Besides, going it alone doesn't seem wise and he doesn't see Apollo getting ready to volunteer.

And Sasuke himself has learned his lesson on chasing down vampires today. "We could research and--" Annnd he feels like he's going to vomit, head hung momentarily between his knees. He even holds up a hand to signal he's not done.

"Meet back up later." Sasuke wipes sweat from his brow as he sits back up again, clearing his throat. "We should work out a spot and a time. Do either of you know anyone else that could help?"

[detectiveofthewest]

"It's not like they'd noti -- " began Heiji, before Sasuke started wobbling like someone about to ride the Vomit Comet.

"I do know someone. Maybe a couple someones. I'll text you the details for the meeting later. Right now, we gotta get you a taxi."

[apolly]

— Wait, oh no, Sasuke is definitely not fine.

Apollo's already on it, whipping out his phone again and scrolling down the screen for a taxi service. He'll pay for it and everything. Man of the day, right here.

"Well excuse us for being worried after we say a body drop from a building, Heiji!" Apollo's not letting him get away with that one, though he finally lets it go once someone answers the phone and he starts giving directions.

[eyeforaneye]

It's not easy to be aggressively dismissive but he's definitely trying.

"Maybe tomorrow at one in front of the Institute... It's safe and neutral and Apollo and I will be on lunch. I'll go to Hillingdon tonight and see what I can learn."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Vampires don't care about animals much," said Heiji by way of explanation to Apollo, which probably sounded weird because Sasuke didn't know he was a fox.

"Alright, one tomorrow. I'll ask around, too. Someone's gotta know somethin' about these guys."

[apolly]

Apollo's done with the phone call soon enough, another frown on his face but it looks like he's not going to convince Heiji easily on this one. A dead body happened, after all. Heiji would be all over this case.

"... Fine, sounds like a plan and I'll do some research tonight. Do you want me to take the taxi with him instead then?"

[eyeforaneye]

"I'm right here. Stop talking like I'm not. I'll take the taxi alone and meet up with you both tomorrow." And as a sign of his determination he prematurely gets to his feet, even pulling out his cell to check it.

"I'll phone before I show up."

TIMESKIP, SASUKE IS NOW A NINJA DAD

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji arrived at the Institute on time, with the bit of leather tucked into one pocket. He wasn't dead, either, so clearly Apollo's worries were entirely unfounded and there was nothing to worry about, definitely not.

emily i'm not deleting that tag and you can now consider it blackmail

[apolly]

Relief passes over Apollo's face, then irritation as he places a hand on his hip. Lunch time as promised, though he was here instead of actually eating.

"Well, I see you're fine. And Sasuke's feeling better." As you can see.

"What do you have there?" He gestures to Heiji's pocket.

you're assuming I have any pride

[eyeforaneye]

Sasuke for his own part is armed with a gyro from a street vendor they'd passed on the way here and is shamelessly eating. He needs this more than you do.

"The sigil? I asked around at Hillingdon as I stated before; no one's familiar with it. I'd assume we're dealing with a discreet new group or one from out of the city."

[detectiveofthewest]

Disgusting. Who brought a gyro to a strategy meeting. Heiji reached for a piece of lamb absently and pulled the sigil out of his jacket with the other.

"Someone on my side said it resembled the insignia of one of the old vampire clans. One of them that ain't play by the rules, but we already knew that. Unfortunately, they haven't operated in London for an extremely long time -- makes it hard to nail down their exact identity. I think we should nab one of them fledglings and then..."

He made a wobbly mind-powers gesture with his fingers at Apollo. "You can do your thing!"

[apolly]

WHY IS EVERYONE ELSE EATING, THIS ISN'T FAIR.

"That's pretty much what I found out from the books, so we have to find out exactly what made them pop back up again." Impossible, it seemed like.

... He imitates the gesture, confused, before his eyes pop open wide. Oh yeah! "My perceiving, you mean? You want me to interrogate a vampire?"

[eyeforaneye]

Wow that better not be my lamb, HE IS TAKING A STEP BACK.

For his own part though he's trying to figure out if 'resembled' means it was identical or if it's a group simply adopting an older clan's mark, but if Apollo's powers are indeed fully effective in this scenario then they'll be answered questions in short time.

"Sounds wise, though we'll have to be prepared to move quickly before they realize that member has been caught. They might retaliate or make themselves even more difficult to find.

I'm willing to help in capturing them. I'm not going to sit idly by after what happened before."