((Continued from "The Vagabond Moves In"))

For another hour he meanders his way through the maze of streets, alleys, and avenues, following the scents of the city like any animal.  The "dog" follows him, more or less, breaking off occasionally and loping off into some sidestreet, joining back up a few minutes later.  

He comes across several small park areas, but most are no more than grassy patches left for playgrounds, more weeds than actual soil.  He's disappointed.  He was hoping to at least find some large central city park, someplace where'd he have some "leg room," so to speak.

And then, he seems to stumble upon it:  a large enough park indeed.  Shaded, tree-filled stretches, a few trails it would appear.  Yes, a nicely large enough spot to make do for the next few days...or however long it is he chooses to stay.

((so...ummm, if anyone wants to jump in and join me...late-night mortal wanderers, homeless, Kindred stalkers, whatever))

 A man in a trench coat and fedora comes walking out of the park on a trail. His face is shadowed and he seems fairly thin. He has on gloves covering his hands. You can see that there are dark patches on his coat, either he is a very messy painter or he is a messy killer at this time of night you probably assume the later.

He nods at you as he approaches, he will be passing you to exit the park.

The man pauses as the stranger approaches and examines him.  He sniffs, tasting the air for any unusual scent coming off this man.  In the moonlight his sharp eyes scan over the man, trying to see exactly what sort of stains adorn this figure's clothing.  The "dog" sidles up beside him and he reaches down, resting his hand between its shoulder blades.

For all intents and purposes, the figure looks like a young man in his late teens, though there is certainly something older about the eyes.  He wears grimy clothes as though he's been living out on the streets for some time.  The animal at his side is a large sandy-haired dog with long legs and a pointy snout...it looks more wild coyote or wolf than domesticated animal, in truth.

2008-08-24 12:04:05 Daniel rolls 6 dice to Perception + Alertness 10,10,3,7,4, 7 (4 successes) *trying to determine any other details about the figure...using Auspex 1 to heighten the sense of smell, and Daniel has the Acute Sense (Eyesight) Merit*  

--Last edited by Daniel Forrester on 2008-08-24 14:13:01 --

 You smell something rank and foul about this man, though your senses are confounded. He smells like vermin strongly, rodent feces is pungent and almost overpowering. As for your vision the mans face looks scarred or possibly leprous having many legions upon him. The stains are blood both by smell and sight, some are fresh, with a metallic taste that is unmistakable. Your eyes do notice something under the mans trench coat moving, a bulge that corresponds to no muscle you have ever seen. It shifts and moves slightly before disappearing into an area that can not be seen.

The man glances at you and moves off the path, trying to give the two of you clearance. Your dog seems hesitant and wary of the man.  

He is both troubled and intrigued by this individual.  And his own, perhaps misplaced, sense of justice demands of him to get to the bottom of this mystery.  He takes a step forward, but not threateningly.

"Excuse me sir," he says.  His voice is soft, with a very slight twang to it.  "Are you hurt?"  He holds off on any further action, though he prepares himself if need be.

 "What?" he says, his mind seeming like it was far away.

"No, I am fine," people at this hour rarely question me anymore, but this one seems a bit different. Perhaps its dog sensed something amiss, or the fact that as I look down I realize I am covered in blood. Yes, that will surely bring attention.

"I am he that has been shown the path, for I the mouth is opened," testing to see if he is a syndicate agent. No one moves at this hour, in this area of the city, no one that is not here for a reason. I shall bring witness to the glory of my mind and test his mettle should he be deemed worthy.

He's very confused now.  The man is clearly...not right.  If the blood wasn't enough to clue it in, his strange speech was.  The wanderer has met up with his fair share of religious nutjobs, tripped out weirdos, and just plain crazy folk.  And this man sounds like he might well be one of them.  Normally he'd just leave them to their own delusions.  No use in riling up the already unstable.  But he doesn't like the "vibe" he's getting from this one...and those blood stains are even more pointed.

"Excuse me again sir...?  Are you alright?  Is there something wrong?"

 "Everything is fine," of course it would be they are always watching me.

"Are you one of those that besot me with your eyes, that keep trying to usurp my visions? I am the mouth to infinity, through my hand the will of gods are known," he must know whom he is in the presence of.

"I can see the taint in your breath, feel it writhing under your skin," looking madly.

You can clearly see that he is becoming agitated. The lump that stood out before has grown in number, as if under his jacket he was literally writhing. At that moment one of the lumps move upward and you see it move toward his neckline, as what you are watching and assuming will emerge out of his neckline continues on, you notice that whatever it is lies underneath his skin.

The young man crouches into a readied posture.  Obviously something is very, very wrong here.  His instincts tell him to back off, to flee and to let this uncanny stranger be.  But his intellect -- and his conscience -- is telling him that, from the looks of things, this man may have done something wrong and awful.  

"Who are you...what are you?  Have you hurt someone?"

 He calms himself swaying and shaking his head as if to clear his vision.

"Hurt? No, I was just hungry and needed something to eat. Are you with them? Watching me, like those in the sewers? You will never silence me, you know this, I have dispatched your agents before, take that back to them," and he begins to cough, spitting up a foul smelling infectious brown substance.

"I'm not taking any message back to anyone, for I know not who or what you speak of.  But if you have caused any harm to anyone, I will find it my duty to bring you to justice."

 After he finishes he wipes his mouth leaving a smear of blood across his face.

"Justice? What sort of justice are you speaking of? You are in a crack infested park well past midnight. Sell your story elsewhere, there is no innocence here. As for the death you are so willing to avenge, the pedophiles corpse is just over that hill. I have the wisdom to see reality. Do you? How many have met death at your hands, I have seen you in visions. I am aware of those that sulk in the shadows brandishing their justice on the wicked, do not fall for their ruse, it is only an illusion. The Hydra has many heads, you are so far removed you do not realize the master you serve nor your purpose, willing or not."

The young man eases himself for a moment.  The stranger is...certainly demented.  And more than likely dangerous.  But this is none of his business is it?  And if he's slain a pedophile...well, he is but another angel of vengeance and mercy.

He's still wary though.  Obviously this one knows something more than he can perceive with his eyes.  In his long travels, the wanderer has heard tales of other supernatural beings with strange powers.  He'd never much believed in it.  But maybe this was one such outsider...

He begins inching away, casting a wary glance back at the fellow, but still ready for anything.

 He turns walking away, as he is leaving you can hear the faint sounds of rodents. He does not turn nor deviate from his path.  

Reina watched and listened to this strange exchange from a spot in the shade of a nearby tree (Cloak of Shadows).
She is truly beginning to realize just what kind of a prank the Prince pulled on her by granting her this domain. There is no rest to be had here, not if she wishes to enforce her right.

((2008-08-25 14:57:23 Reina rolls 6 dice to sift through mumbo-jumbo 6,5,9,8,8, 7 (5 successes)))

Woven into the bizarre words and seemingly insane mumbo jumbo the man with the rodent smell has been speaking, a phrase stands out to Reina.
"The pedophile's corpse is just over that hill."

Wait, what? All she needs is for this place to be crawling with cops. She's gonna have to move that body out of her domain.

She begins quietly making her way towards the hill that was pointed out (Unseen Presence). She will deal with the other stranger if he is still here when she returns.

 You crest the hill when the stench hits you of a fresh corpse. You have seen them before, but nothing like what you find under the brush.

Whoever it was they were young probably 13 to 14 in age, you would guess female by the purse lying beside the body and the pink Nike shoes covered in blood and gore. It appears as if she were eaten, and gaging by the wounds, by rodents, lots of them. Not much is left of the corpse, only the remnant third mostly consisting of gristle and bone remain.

Reina suppresses a gag at the sight that awaits her.
"Pedophile, my entire ass!" she swears loudly, breaking any obfuscation she had up.
"Fuck! How the fuck am I going to clean this shit up, with a fucking spoon? Does that guy have rats in his pants or some shit and he feeds them human flesh? Shit, I thought the Fiends were fucking sick. Shit!"

As soon as the stranger disappears into the bushes, Daniel begins following the trail.  He turns to his companion and points to the ground.  "Can you follow that Jacob?  See where he's been.  We need to find that body."  He doesn't need to use any supernatural commands; the gesture and words are easy enough for "Jacob" to understand.  Hell, with his own senses heightened as they are, he could probably follow the unmistakable reek of the individual with little problem himself.

Jacob turns and puts his snout to the ground.  He begins sniffing, snuffling, moving back and forth and steadily forward as he follows the trail of the strange, scarred man.

As he moves, following the tracking dog, he reaches into his  jacket, wrapping his hand around the smooth, worn wooden grip there.  He creeps through the bushes, steps soft, hand gently pushing away underbrush.

2008-08-26 10:39:22 Daniel rolls 5 dice to Dex + Stealth 5,7,10,3,10 (3 successes)  

--Last edited by Daniel Forrester on 2008-08-26 12:36:30 --

((2008-08-27 11:43:49 Reina rolls 6 dice to Per+ Alert 4,3,5,3,9, 2 (1 success)))

Reina is so completely pissed off at the fact that it was a kid killed in such a hideous way, and at the mess she's going to have to clean up, and is swearing so loudly that she does not hear Daniel's approach.

"Oh goddammit! what the fuck am I supposed to do with this? Who the fuck is that sick fucker who fucking did this? Fuck!"