Shepards Vampires 11

Marynote: Holy cow, it's its own session now! I'm so proud of all my players. ;_;
[21:28]	<[GM]Mary>	Vampires Session Ten EX!
[21:29]	<[GM]Mary>	(The EX stands for "extended". But doesn't it look cooler like that?)
[21:29]	<[GM]Mary>	Anyway!
[21:31]	<[GM]Mary>	After Judith and Leticia's conversation, Joule reenters the house with Shepard trailing behind moments later. Judith goes to... somewhere else.
[21:32]	<[GM]Mary>	Phrine is...
[21:32]	<[GM]Mary>	(Mister Owen, where's Phrine?)
[21:32]	<Phrine>	"Umm...wasn't I...talking a walk outside...or something...?"
[21:33]	<Phrine>	"I forget where I am sometimes..."
[21:33]	<[GM]Mary>	Phrine is talking a walk outside.

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@@Scene One: Joule and Phrine
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[21:37]	* [Tess]Joule	exits the house again, carrying some sort of antenna.
[21:39]	* [Tess]Joule	raises the antenna while walking around, looking at a gauge in her hand connected to it.
[21:40]	* Phrine	wanders around semi-aimlessly in a grassy field outside of town.
[21:42]	* Phrine	palms her lucky egg back and forth between her hands, occupying her body while her brain works on other things.
[21:42]	* [Tess]Joule	wanders around, progressively heading out of town and sometimes stopping to write a number down.
[21:46]	* Phrine	, in her aimlessness, thinks she spots a figure off in the distance closer to town. Is that important? She doesn't really know...
[21:48]	* Phrine	more or less wanders in the vague general direction of the figure. What will be will be, she supposes...
[21:50]	* [Tess]Joule	folds the antenna up, then puts the device in her shirt pocket. Adjusting her glasses, she takes a look around.
[21:55]	* Phrine	is now closer. Oh. It's the sparkly Jewel~
[21:58]	* Phrine	glides closer, somewhat reserved. She'd be putting her hands in her pockets right now, but miniskirts don't really have those.
[22:02]	* [Tess]Joule	finally notices Phrine, and turns to face her as she approaches.
[22:06]	* Phrine	is a little busy being lost in the maze of her own brain, so she doesn't exactly register that she didn't say "hi" to Jewel upon reaching her.
[22:07]	<[Tess]Joule>	...Hey there.
[22:10]	* Phrine	pulls her ability to have a conversation back into the real world.
[22:10]	<Phrine>	"...oh...? Oh. It's a sparkly Jewel. Hello, sparky Jewel."
[22:12]	<Phrine>	"I think I was just walking around by myself...I got a little lost, though."
[22:14]	<[Tess]Joule>	Hm, then it's a strange coincidence I ran into you. Out here for the fresh air or space to think or something?
[22:16]	<Phrine>	"Yeah...think...I like to think a lot. Except Sheppy gets annoyed because he thinks I think too much. Or, err, not about the things he'd think about...I think..."
[22:18]	<[Tess]Joule>	Thinking's some of the hardest work there is... perhaps that's why so few people do it of their own volition. What kind of things do you think about?
[22:19]	* Phrine	scratches her head. Grr, this Letty-hat is getting itchy. She takes it off and stuffs it in her waistband for now.
[22:21]	<Phrine>	"A lot of things...I don't always remember all of 'em, though..."
[22:21]	<[Tess]Joule>	Well, thinking is always quite enjoyable anyway. Would you mind if I walked with you?
[22:23]	* Phrine	bobs her head from side to side. If up and down is yes, and left and right is no...then what's side to side?
[22:23]	<Phrine>	"...Meh."
[22:27]	* Phrine	starts walking again. If Jewel does too, then okay. She's not picky.
[22:28]	* [Tess]Joule	walks alongside her, wondering whether or not to strike up a conversation.
[22:31]	<Phrine>	"I was thinking about before, before..."
[22:31]	* Phrine	says suddenly.
[22:33]	<Phrine>	"...before I went into that sleep...It's all kind of fuzzy...tryin' to figure out just what happened..."
[22:33]	<[Tess]Joule>	Sleep...
[22:34]	<Phrine>	"Oh, wait no, no, yeah, no, you wouldn't know..."
[22:34]	<[Tess]Joule>	You haven't told me much about you. So I'm guessing you went into a lapse of sleep, from which before you can't remember clearly, but how long ago was that?
[22:36]	* Phrine	wracks her brain. All that time spent with her lucky egg these days makes it tough, but her mind is a lot clearer tonight than it usually is.
[22:37]	<Phrine>	"Can't...No, I think it was...Sheppy might have said, forty years?"
[22:37]	<[Tess]Joule>	I see. That's quite a while.
[22:38]	<[Tess]Joule>	He told me something similar, so I suppose it makes sense. Can you remember much?
[22:38]	* Phrine	's face slowly grows serious. For someone as carefree as Phrine, a serious face is actually kind of disconcerting to see.
[22:40]	<Phrine>	"No...no, it...it wasn't sleep, was it? A kind of sleep, but...no, that'd be lying."
[22:40]	* Phrine	talks to both herself and to Jewel, trying to sort out the pieces.
[22:41]	<Phrine>	"No, I...I really did die there, didn't I...? I was dead. Dead, except...well, I can't die."
[22:41]	<Phrine>	"...so I just slept, slept in death, for forty years..."
[22:43]	<Phrine>	"How did I die again...?"
[22:43]	* Phrine	rubs the egg in her side-pouch as a reflex, trying to remember...
[22:47]	* [Tess]Joule	listens intently, wondering what it must be like to be in stasis for that long. 40 years... that's long enough to develop entire fields of research and establish theories!
[22:48]	<Phrine>	"There were men...men and women too, I think...all bad...I think I knew one or two of 'em...maybe..."
[22:50]	<Phrine>	"I must not have been very lucky that time...normally I know what to do when bad things happen..."
[22:50]	<Phrine>	"Do you ever get that...that feeling? Like you really KNOW when bad things are going to happen?"
[22:54]	* Phrine	waits for a response, but gets tired of waiting.
[22:55]	<Phrine>	"...Hey? You know?"
[22:56]	<[Tess]Joule>	Sometimes... I've taught myself not to trust hunches and such, but I know the feeling. One knows with certainty something is wrong, something will go wrong... perhaps by the time one can only watch it come and strike.
[22:56]	* Phrine	nods.
[22:58]	<Phrine>	"Well, for me...it's stronger. 'Cause with me, it comes in time for me to do som'thin' about it. I don't know why...it just does. And...it's never wrong, neither..."
[22:58]	<Phrine>	"Nobody believes me about it. But...But I know. I may look stupid, but...I know."
[23:01]	<Phrine>	"And that night...That night I knew. I knew it was all going to go wrong. I knew I had to run away. Except...I..."
[23:01]	* Phrine	kicks the dirt apathetically.
[23:01]	* [Tess]Joule	looks over curiously.
[23:01]	<[Tess]Joule>	Except?
[23:02]	<Phrine>	"Somehow...still got caught...even though I followed the little voice in my head...still got caught."
[23:04]	<Phrine>	"And they knew how to hurt me. It hurt...I know it hurt...I tried to imagine that it didn't hurt, like I always do...but it hurt."
[23:07]	<Phrine>	"I forget what happened between the middle and the end...I'm always forgetting those little things..."
[23:08]	<Phrine>	"But, in the end...Mom was there. Judith, I mean. I just call 'er Mom because."
[23:11]	<[Tess]Joule>	Did it help?
[23:12]	* Phrine	looks at Jewel pitiably.
[23:12]	<Phrine>	"Calling her Mom? Not really; 's just a cute nickname."
[23:12]	<Phrine>	"Her being there? No...no, it didn't help..."
[23:13]	<Phrine>	"...if she wouldn't have been there...then maybe it just would have been me they killed..."
[23:14]	<Phrine>	"Maybe they wouldn't have even killed me, you know?"
[23:16]	<Phrine>	"Nah...they wouldn't have. I'm not an idiot, just......spacy's a word, right?"
[23:17]	<[Tess]Joule>	Yes, yes. Easily caught up in your own thoughts... I also exhibit that from time to time.
[23:18]	* Phrine	looks up at the sky.
[23:18]	<Phrine>	"Yeah...spacy...'cause my head's always in space. There's so much more up there than down here..."
[23:19]	<Phrine>	"That's how I got through being a kid, you know~?"
[23:20]	<Phrine>	"Just...imagined a better world..."
[23:22]	<[Tess]Joule>	What's...
[23:23]	<[Tess]Joule>	Well, if I may, what do you think of this one?
[23:30]	<[Tess]Joule>	It is of course flawed, but do you find more good or evil where you look?
[23:32]	* Phrine	wonders...
[23:34]	<Phrine>	"I just...sort of...find, I guess."
[23:34]	<Phrine>	"Never really thought about that before. Or maybe I just forgot..."
[23:39]	<[Tess]Joule>	Well, if it's any help, I don't think the world to be good or evil either. Objects, in my opinion, don't have standings without sentience, and moralities are far too subjective in the first place to attribute universally. My background would make it... hard for me to see anything without will as good or bad.
[23:42]	* Phrine	looks quizzical.
[23:43]	<Phrine>	"Umm...hey, Jewel~? I'm not stupid, but...I'm not smart either."
[23:43]	<Phrine>	"That made all of no sense."
[23:44]	* [Tess]Joule	pulls the instrument she was using earlier out of her shirt pocket.
[23:44]	<[Tess]Joule>	Well, I'll approach it differently. Is this good or bad?
[23:46]	* Phrine	pokes the device. Doesn't do a thing.
[23:46]	<Phrine>	"How should I know~?"
[23:46]	<[Tess]Joule>	Is it either?
[23:48]	* [Tess]Joule	, to toy with Phrine, unfolds the antenna and activates the device. A needle on the gauge jumps to a position on a circular dial, and stays around there but moves erratically.
[23:50]	<Phrine>	"Ooo! It does things~..."
[23:51]	* Phrine	is intrigued. What a fun device!
[23:51]	<Phrine>	"Well...give me a hint. What's it do?"
[23:55]	<[Tess]Joule>	It is actually quite simple. What I'm using this for is to measure a kind of invisible force in the air. Right now it's diminutive, not nearly enough for you to notice it, but this shows me it's there and how strong it is.
[23:58]	<Phrine>	"Hmmm...."
[23:58]	<[Tess]Joule>	But, as you can see, it is only a thing. By itself it cannot do anything and what it does means nothing without an observer to interpret. Do things like this, with no will of their own, have standings of good or evil? I don't think so.
[00:04]	<Phrine>	"Yeah, but...Oh, I don't know..."
[00:05]	<Phrine>	"My head hurts..."
[00:06]	<[Tess]Joule>	I do hope that isn't from all the ideas and questions I put in front of you.
[00:07]	<Phrine>	"No, it's not you, it's me~"
[00:07]	<Phrine>	"I was thinking really hard before you got here, so it was already hurting. Thinking's hard compared to imagining, you know."
[00:08]	<Phrine>	"So I like to do that better~"
[00:09]	<Phrine>	"Can we go back to the house, now? I feel like lying down, I imagine..."
[00:10]	<[Tess]Joule>	Yes, why don't we. If you want, I can show you some more of my devices there~.
[00:11]	* Phrine	claps her hands excitedly.
[00:11]	<Phrine>	"Yay, funtimes~..."

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@@Scene Two: Shepard and Leticia
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[22:08]	<[GM]Mary>	Letty: After your conversation, the night goes on. A while later, Joule makes her way out of the house, and Shepard makes his way in. Finding you alone, he sits down and asks you a question.
[22:09]	<Shepard>	...So, did you find out anything?
[22:10]	<[huh]Letty>	About Judith, you mean?
[22:10]	* Shepard	nods.
[22:12]	* [huh]Letty	thinks for a moment before answering.
[22:12]	<[huh]Letty>	No, nothing.
[22:13]	<Shepard>	Nothing?
[22:15]	<[huh]Letty>	Nothing.
[22:15]	* Shepard	stands up and slowly approaches Leticia. His face shows he's both scrutinizing and concerned, but appears totally motionless, like that of a stone statue.
[22:18]	<Shepard>	...Hmm. What did you talk about, then?
[22:22]	<[huh]Letty>	Various things. Lovers' nonsense, you know.
[22:27]	<Shepard>	Hmm. Really.
[22:28]	* Shepard	thinks about something for a long moment, staring a hole into the floor beneath Letty's feet.
[22:29]	* Shepard	slows paces up to Letty, leaning against part of the wall next to her, and bumps her lightly, though intentionally across the shoulder. He grins a little.
[22:30]	<Shepard>	Don't suppose you could share any of that with me now, could you?
[22:31]	<[huh]Letty>	Master...
[22:34]	<Shepard>	Hmm?
[22:35]	* [huh]Letty	shakes her head.
[22:35]	<[huh]Letty>	It's nothing.
[22:37]	* Shepard	sighs, and slouches against the wall a bit.
[22:38]	<Shepard>	Can't even entertain me with a lover's thoughts, hm? Oh well...
[22:40]	<Shepard>	I'm glad that you still take good care of each other. But I'm still convinced that Judith has a problem. It's probably something I could council, if I knew exactly what it was. The minds of us creatures are complex indeed, but from my experience, always seem to follow a pattern... but I digress.
[22:41]	<[huh]Letty>	A pattern?
[22:43]	<Shepard>	Yes. Though perhaps not true from person person, or vampire to vampire, but in broad sense.
[22:44]	<[huh]Letty>	What kind of pattern?
[22:44]	<Shepard>	Sort of the way you lot react to things.
[22:47]	<[huh]Letty>	I don't really understand, but I guess it's not important.
[22:51]	<[huh]Letty>	But, is there any reason you're asking?
[22:51]	<Shepard>	I call it a pattern because the lives of some vampires reflect my own time as an immortal.
[22:51]	<Shepard>	Asking? About your love life, you mean? I believe you know why I ask about Judith.
[22:52]	* [huh]Letty	nods.
[22:53]	<[huh]Letty>	I'll tell you if she tells me anything worrying.
[22:53]	* Shepard	smiles.
[22:53]	<Shepard>	Curiosity.
[22:54]	<[huh]Letty>	I see.
[22:55]	<Shepard>	I understand if you're unwilling to talk about your lovemaking. A shame, though, something so precious missing my senses.
[22:57]	* [huh]Letty	looks away from Shepard.
[22:58]	* Shepard	chuckles.
[23:00]	<Shepard>	Judith's problem, on the other hand, worries me. You seem best suited to deal with that, so I'll leave it up to you. Please do take care of it. If something were to happen to Judith now... if something were to happen to any of you, it may quickly lead to our end once again. We're in a vulnerable position right now, we must be very careful.
[23:00]	* [huh]Letty	nods.
[23:00]	<[huh]Letty>	I understand, master.
[23:02]	<Shepard>	Mm... There's something else I have to show you.
[23:02]	<[huh]Letty>	What is it?
[23:03]	* Shepard	drops his cloak to the floor and pulls back his sleeve, fully exposing his right arm. Nothing unusual, other than being a little pale.
[23:04]	<Shepard>	My body still has this... problem.
[23:05]	<[huh]Letty>	The paleness?
[23:05]	* Shepard	shakes his head.
[23:05]	<Shepard>	Watch.
[23:07]	* Shepard	bends his arm at the elbow and flexes. In a few moments, sheer muscle bulges from nowhere, easily comparable to that of a professional weight lifter. It keeps for a few seconds, but then quickly dies out to Shepard's prior build, hardly that of an average man's.
[23:08]	<Shepard>	Nngh... I can't seem to keep my strength. No matter how much blood I drink, I can only hold this for a little while, then I'm back to how I was before we returned.
[23:10]	<[huh]Letty>	Do you know what might cause it?
[23:11]	<Shepard>	I have a clue to it.
[23:12]	<Shepard>	One, the one who killed you and sealed me away... I think he may have taken some of my strength somehow.
[23:16]	* [huh]Letty	's face darkens.
[23:17]	<[huh]Letty>	Insolence upon insolence...
[23:19]	<Shepard>	Two...
[23:19]	* Shepard	looks upon Leticia.
[23:19]	<Shepard>	Perhaps you contain a portion of it.
[23:19]	<[huh]Letty>	...
[23:21]	<[huh]Letty>	Excuse me for my rudeness, master, but I?
[23:23]	<Shepard>	Heh. Indeed. When I was still in other worlds, I had a small window of time to resurrect you. There was nothing left but your bones... I tried to collect them all, but time was running short, and I was missing one of your ribs.
[23:25]	* Shepard	lifts up his shirt, and presses his skin against his bones. He runs his fingers down his left side, stopping at a strange gap in his ribcage. He looks to Letty and grins.
[23:27]	<[huh]Letty>	You...
[23:27]	* [huh]Letty	feels her own ribcage.
[23:30]	<Shepard>	Sparing a rib for a companion? Where have we heard this tale before...
[23:33]	<[huh]Letty>	The beginning of man, huh...
[23:35]	<Shepard>	Hahaha... strangely ironic. But anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. You can keep it.
[23:36]	<[huh]Letty>	I am honored by the privilege.
[23:39]	<Shepard>	'Twas less a privilege and more of a necessity. I don't believe I would have made it back without your assistance, Leticia.
[23:42]	* [huh]Letty	nods.
[23:42]	<[huh]Letty>	Even still...
[23:43]	<Shepard>	Does it bother you?
[23:44]	* [huh]Letty	shakes her head.
[23:44]	<[huh]Letty>	Not at all.
[23:49]	<Shepard>	Good. I'll be counting on you, then. More than ever.
[23:50]	<[huh]Letty>	Understood.
[23:51]	<Shepard>	Hmm... After we take care of our current problems, what say you to a period of relaxation? I believe you as well as the others need it quite badly, as it is apparent to me that we're having trouble gaining our bearings. Is there any place in particular you would like to spend some time?
[23:53]	<[huh]Letty>	A quiet countryside would be nice, maybe.
[23:53]	<Shepard>	Quiet countryside...
[23:54]	<Shepard>	Hmm... What about America?
[23:56]	<Shepard>	The new world maybe be an interesting place to spend your leisure.
[23:59]	<[huh]Letty>	There was recently a war over there...
[00:01]	<Shepard>	Oh, is that true? Sorry, I haven't been keeping in with world relations lately. I suppose I'll have a talk with Joule later about such things.
[00:02]	<[huh]Letty>	It's one of the things I've managed to pick up since we awoke... it seems the new world has changed quite a bit during our sleep.
[00:04]	<Shepard>	Hmm... Who were they fighting?
[00:05]	<[huh]Letty>	Themselves. Humans seem to delight in finding new was to shed their blood...
[00:10]	<Shepard>	Ah. Inter-state relations gone bad, I may assume?
[00:10]	<[huh]Letty>	Or something. I'm not too sure on the details myself.
[00:11]	<Shepard>	Oh well. It's a big country, isn't it?
[00:11]	<Shepard>	Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me, I just want to get away from Europe for a little while.
[00:14]	<Shepard>	It's too... rainy and dreary. I'm probably naive for expecting different elsewhere, but it'd do some good to see a little more of the world. Actually, I might know a better place to relax...
[00:14]	<[huh]Letty>	Indeed?
[00:15]	<Shepard>	...Hmm. We'll look into that some other time.
[00:17]	<Shepard>	Talk to Judith about it sometime, will you? Speaking of which, where did she run off to?
[00:17]	* [huh]Letty	shrugs.
[00:22]	<Shepard>	Mm. Well, just remember the things I've told you.

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@@Scene Three: Sidney
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[22:24]	* Sidney	sleeps soundly. zzzzzzzzzzzz...