Alex squeezes her eyes shut and lays back on the roof. She lays there taking deep breaths for a few minutes. At length she speaks. "No... it's not what you said. I think anything would have set me off there. I'm sorry. It's It's just so much to take. ARGH!"

Her fist smashes a few roof tiles.

"We can't back out now though. I know what these things can do. I KNOW. I'd never forgive myself if I let them have free reign. It's probably part of what's fracking my head up, but if we can keep people from dying... I don't care. The good of the many after all."

She sits up and looks at Jiro. "Let's see this through."

Alex cracks a wan smile and then drops back down.

Jiro follows her down. "I do believe we can."

The vampire is just crawling to it's feet when Alex and Jiro drop back in.

"Oh. Crap."

Jiro pasted on a smile. "Sorry about that. We were just having a bit of a discussion. I think, at this point, you know about how this sort of thing could go." Keeping his stance and tone casual, Jiro moves between the vampire and the door into the house.

"Now, we don't really care that much about you and what happens to you. You're small fry; we want your boss." He gestured at Alex. "You know my friend, I think. I am much more reasonable. If you will co-operate with us; tell us what we want to know about your boss and his hiding places, it will go better for you." Jiro's smile did not reach his eyes, and no small amount of the frustration he felt with this situation was leaching into his voice despite his intention to try and play nice. Not much of a good cop, Koji, you sound like you want to tear him in half. But Alex might manage better...

[ooc: 17:03, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 12 using 1d20+8. diplomacy. It was an idea, at least...]

Alex listens for a moment, then scowls. "Frack this." she snarls.

The girls steps over to the backing away vampire, and shoves him into the wall. "Start talking. Tell me everything you THINK that I MIGHT want to know. Lie to me, mislead me, BULLSHIT me and I won't stake you. I'll burn your arms and legs off and lock you in a small box. I'll put that box next to the drain from a butchers, so you can spend the next ten years smelling something you can never have."
[OOC: 20:07, Today: Alex rolled 27 using 1d20+7. Intimidate. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:15, Wed 27 Apr 2011.

Jiro blinked, taking a half step back from Alex's display of rage. On the whole, I can't say I'm entirely surprised by this. He found his voice after a moment. "You might listen to her. I'm fairly sure she'd do it." Kamis... can I let her? It's a vampire, it's not human... but was it given a choice in being made into one? And how hard do I even want to fight to stop her from making good on that threat?

The vampire wets himself, collapses to the ground, and starts babbling. It's hard to make sense of things at first, but a few slaps from Alex manage to get him on track.

As best you can tell, this is the story so far - It seems that this is Johnny. He was one of the first natives to this world turned into a vampire, a few months back. He was never trusted by the leader of the newcomers, but he was valued as a source of information on this strange new world. The lack of respect, combined with his ego lead to him breaking off from the main group. He moved here and took over a former rival group of his.

This started a gang war, one that he has been losing. The experienced vampires of the other group are just to powerful for his lot to stand against. He was planning on a mass recruitment tonight.

From what you can gather, you've dusted pretty much all of the vamps loyal to him. There are only a couple still around.

Whenever he talks about the older vampires, he starts to get vague. It doesn't seem intentional, he just spaces out a bit and doesn't seem to be able to give more then the most general of information.

[OOC: 21:41, Today: Gamemaster rolled 10 using 1d20+8. Will Save VS Fear. ]

"Interesting. Very interesting. Mind-rape seems to be a habit for these... creatures." There is venom pulling through Jiro's tones by the end of the sentence. He pauses, collecting himself, before continuing. "Alex-san, I believe he has spoken all he can. I am no mystic, to break such a gaes... but I wonder..." The martial artist's eyes unfocused as he pondered the situation for a long moment, muttering in Japanese as he thought madly, then he dug in his pockets for a moment, coming up with a piece of chalk as he dropped into a crouch, turning towards the pool of sunlight streaming down.

For some minutes, he scribbled on the basement floor, a mix of Japanese Kanji, Mandarin, Spanish, and the occasional scrap of English, arrayed in a web of ideas and concepts that follows only a vague logic. From their earlier conversations and ramblings, Alex can recognize the kanji Jiro uses for Ki appearing several times.

After about three minutes of drawing, Jiro sat back on his haunches and considered the array of ideas before him. After another thirty seconds, he found his voice. "There may be a way. I know a small amount about wounds of the mind; not enough to be confident of healing you, Alex-san, or even if that is what you need; but enough that I might, might, be able to break the spell shackling your mind, Johnny-jukeisha. Then those who violated your mind could be unveiled, as well as their places of hiding." He grins, and there is a manic edge to it, the wild light of inspiration in his eyes. "What do you say, Johnny? Want to let me help you help us fuck over the ones who have disrespected you, crushed your gang and raped your mind?"

[OOC:19:14, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 22 using 1d20+8. knowledge arcana: undoing a mental gaes.]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Tue 03 May 2011.

Alex stood with a hip thrust forward in a jaunty manner throughout the interrogation. She casually flipped her stake in her hand, and frequently stared at the vampires chest.

"You should say yes. It will hurt less then how I will help you remember."

Johnny looks back and forth between Alex and Jiro, panic in his eyes. "Okay... whatever you want. I can't stop you anyway... just please... please... don't let her do what she wants to me."

"Then let us begin."

Jiro took a long moment to steady himself and prepare for the effort that was to come. He concentrated, gathered his ki. Breath in. Hold it. Two. Three. Four. Exhale. Breath in. Hold it. Two. Three. Four. Exhale...

Jiro sat on his haunches, eyes closed, hands shrouded in silver-blue ki as they reached for the vampire. His left hand, two fingers together and the others curled into his palm, touched Johnny's forehead lightly. His right hand, open, fingers together as if to cup something, touched beneath his chin.

His eyes opened, for a brief moment seeming aglow with the same ki that shrouded his hands. "Mind before me, throw off the chains upon you. Throw off the traumas and gaes. Be free."

The aura around his hands grew brighter, flaring in intensity and flowing into Johnny.

[OOC: Power Stunting off of the array to Nullify 10: mind control. Continuous duration.
18:12, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 29 using 1d20+10. power stunt nullify.]

Jiro's power fills the room with light. It wars with vile darkness that seems to spring from the vampires body. Back and forth they go, the light driving back the darkness only for the darkness to surge again to consume the light.

Jiro grits his teeth as he powers more and more of himself into the fight, but the darkness in an ancient evil and will not bow before a tyro of the arts of mental healing. It takes from it's host with reckless abandon, and Johnny's screams echo through the building.

There is a final surge of darkness that fills the room utterly. When it passes, Jiro is flat on his back feeling like he just went ten rounds with Centurion and Johnny is curled up in a ball on the floor.

[OOC: 18:02, Today: Gamemaster rolled 30 using 1d20+10. Power. ]

For a long moment, Jiro just lay there, head at the edge of the pool of sunlight, breathing heavily. His hands burned, feeling as if he'd stuck them into a jet of steam. The lingering feel of the mighty darkness he'd warred with left him feeling vile, tainted. His hands especially felt filthy. Brilliant idea, Koji. Let's pit a half-brained understanding of mental magic and our very life force against the sorceries of an immortal monster from another world. Fine plan. Just brilliant. You're lucky you didn't explode his head. Or your own head. Or something.

"That... did not go as I planned." Jiro tried to sit up, failed, slumped back down, feeling drained. "Now you see why I do not think I am able to help your own... issue... directly, Alex?" Another pause. "And hell, I don't think that sort of thing would help you, even if it did work."

The second try, he managed to sit up. "You still with us, Johnny?" Or did I just really screw up? Kamis, given the kind of energies I felt wrapped around him, they might have even put something in their gaes to fry him if someone tried to undo the spell anyway...

[OOC: Bugger.]

Alex looked sick to her stomach. "What... what was that? The darkness, I could feel it." Alex shudders, and rubs her arms like she's trying to scrape something off.

"I can still feel it. That wasn't normal vampire stuff." She says definitively.

She pauses and takes a deep breath. "If I ever host to something like that... don't hold back. Don't worry about breaking my mind or even killing me. I do not want to live with evil like that in me." Her voice was soft, little above a whisper.

And if it feels so familiar, why don't I remember where from?

Johnny is non-responsive.

"I have no idea what it was. It left me feeling... filthy." A pause. "I hope it will not come to that, but if it does, I will honor your request. I ask only that you would do the same for me." For a long moment, he shuddered convulsively, then he pushed himself to his feet.

"I think we would be well served by retreating. With all the commotion, and the gunfire, and the screams, the police will likely be here shortly." A pause as he took another breath, tried to steady himself. Pointless though the gesture was, he wiped his palms on his pantsleg, trying to shake off the feeling of filth.

Another breath and, while still drained and tired, he felt himself steadied. He crouched again next to the curled-up vampire. "Please tell me I didn't kill him by accident.... That'd be far too sloppy, and we still need what he knows..." Pop quiz! How do you check an undead's vitals...


[OOC:
19:38, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 11 using 1d20+8. Arcane lore - vampire vitals.
19:38, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 18 using 1d20+6. Medicine to see if Johnny's still undead or if he's shuffled off this mortal coil...]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:39, Thu 12 May 2011.

Alex nodded, her face grim.



"I think you're right." The girl said as she knelt alongside Jiro.

The Vampire jerks away at the touch, and looks up at the humans. When it opens it's eyes, they are treated to a disturbing sight. There is nothing within the sockets, instead what looked like an endless pool of darkness. The same can be seen when it opens it's mouth.

Alex springs back, coming to her feet. "What the frack?"

"Kuso!" Okay, this is just ridiculous... and forget pumping him for info, it's time to let him burn.

Reacting as quickly as he can, he shifts his thinned ki and grabs for Johnny's collar once more. "Time to burn, vampire."

[OOC: Array is in Ki Strike
17:15, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 22 using 1d20+10. Grabbing Johnny to try and throw him into the sunlight.
17:17, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 20 using 1d20+11. grappling Johnny.]

The sunlight has the expected effect on the Vampires body, and it bursts into flame quite nicely. It begins to collapse into ash, but as it falls away it leaves behind a human shaped darkness that seems to absorb the light.

Before anyone can react, the darkness explodes outwards. It coats the walls and floor for a moment then sinks out of sight.

Jiro and Alex are left feeling unclean. Like some of that evil is still clinging to them.

The sound of sirens can be heard in the distance.

Why do I have the feeling that that thing's going to make our lives miserable in the future?  Oh right, I've been paying attention. "There's something you don't see every day..." Jiro muttered tiredly as he pulled himself to his feet, feeling soiled and drained. And that would be the sound of Emerald City's finest coming...

"I think that is our cue to leave... if we are quick, we should be able to get clear before the Law arrives." A pause, as he glances into the sewers. "This does not feel like a good time to stumble through the dark to me. I vote we head for the hotel, and figure out our next step from there."

[OOC: Barring any protest from Alex, Jiro will start skill mastery acrobatics and stealth-ing his way out of here, aiming to roofhop clear of the neighborhood and proceed at street level back to the hotel once they're clear of likely police sweeps.]

"The only thing I want more then sunlight right now is a shower... and I somehow don't think the later will help any. Let's move."

In this city, the cops really aren't trained to deal with roof-hoping superhumans and don't even think to look for the pair.

Jiro and Alex manage to get back to the hotel without incident.

Walking into the room, Jiro felt weariness overtake him. Pausing to dig a bottle of water out of the fridge, he slumped into a chair. "First shower's yours, Alex-san. I'm just gonna sit for a few."

Merciful kamis I'm feeling drained right now. Cornering vampires in their dens... mind magic... some kind of nasty spirit infesting Johnny... At least we rather thoroughly broke the back of Johnny's bunch, and his gang.

Drinking deeply, he sagged back in the chair and sighed. We're gonna need to talk to a wizard bout that spirit... or maybe Alex can work his magic on the internet and find something... I should know something, but I'm too tired... my mind's turned to clay...  He settled in to rest, and hoped Alex wouldn't be too long in the shower... but he wouldn't begrudge them taking their time; not after what it seemed like had happened to them today.