Doubting her ability to pull out the sword from beneath her encumbering robes, Tori aimed a low kick at the blonde girl and barely missed.

The blonde female vamp did not as she landed a punch to Tori's mid-section.

"How do you like that girl?  I've got more for you."



Oh ****.  This is it. Brittany thought.

Looks like Billy's gadget was a success.  But it won't matter if the vamp kills him.

Figuring the vamp Billy just attacked was the most dangerous, she pulled back her bow string, aiming for the heart of that vamp.

THOK!  Her arrow missed and plunged into the ground next to the vamp.

Too soon.  Too soon!  Liam thought.  He was hoping Hopie would have more time to finish everything off first.  At least these were the only three in sight.  Maybe she got any others and would jump in at any moment.

Liam readied his sword and slid the padding off.  The tape that had held it in place easily came free. The wooden blade had a sharpened tip.  He absolutely couldn’t use it for Larping anymore.  He would have to make a new one before the next meeting.

The vamp faces made it obvious that any hope of something else was out of the question.  He moved in on the one Billy had aggravated and swung at the vampires leg.  Maybe he could crack it one good and it wouldn’t be able to walk well after that.

WHAP!  "UGGGHHH!!!" the vamp grunted as the flat of Liam's blade hit him.

Billy fumble with his sword in the general direction of the vampire he had "photographed"... from the feel of it twisting in his hand, he was very concerned that he might harm someone living rather than a vampire.

He prepared to defend himself with his hands rather than risking impaling someone with his slab of scrap metal.

The vamp looked in Billy's direction.  "You're useless with a sword kid.  You should stick to the James Bond gadgets."

He turned his attention to Liam who had just hit him, and swung a punch in Liam's direction, but Liam successfully avoided it.

The vampire then noticed the arrow in the ground and looked up in the direction it came, seeing Brittany on the roof.

"There's one on the roof!  Get her!"

The third vamp who nobody engaged this round took off running, circled around the back of the mausoleum and began climbing the tree, going after Britany on the roof.

OCC: Back to the combat thread.  Good guys have initiative.  Tori takes 10 points of damage.
Still three vamps, two in front of the building battling the trio.  The third is climbing the tree, going after Brittany on the roof.

Billy frowned deeply to see Tori hurt badly.  To the back of the vampire, he retorted: "And you're useless with that face, dope.  You should stick to paper bags."

He did think the vamp was right about his sword, though, so he dropped it and swung his fist for all he was worth for the vamp's right kidney.

WHAM!  "AARRGGHH!!" the vamp whirls around to face Billy.  "Not bad kid.  You're stronger than you look. Now it's my turn."

The vampire unleashes a punch to Billy's mid-section that lands.  Billy's punch was awesome, his defense not so much.

The lead male vamp on the ground is looking a bit shaky.

"Oof!"

Tori backed away, and struggled to both catch her breath and draw her sword.

"I've got more for you girl." the female vamp says as she aims a kick at Tori but misses this time.


Brittany saw the vampire climbing the tree to come after her.  She really should get ready for him.

But Tori needed help now.  Brittany loaded up another arrow and aimed at the heart of the blonde female vamp that hit Tori.

THOK!  The blonde female vamp feels the arrow pierce her heart from behind.

"UH OH." is all she says.

Then she explodes to dust.

Brittany turns to face the male vamp that just made it up to the roof.  He runs towards her, pulls his right fist back and landed a thundering punch to Brittany's left eye.

Liam was worried about Tori.  It looked like she got punched hard and suddenly she was trying to back away.  "Tori?"

He had wanted to believe this wasn't real.  That this was all a dream or better yet, just a game.  A heated sparring session.  Tori didn't look like she wanted any more of it and one was headed for Brittany too.  They didn't look like they were playing around.  Liam wanted to give as good as they had gotten.

Liam raised his stick and brought it towards the same vampire's collar bone that Billy was engaging.  He hoped to drop this one so he could help Tori.  WHAP! "Uhhhhh!!!".  His weapon connected and the vamp grunted in pain.

OCC: Back to the combat thread.  Billy takes 10 points of damage, Brittany takes 12 points.  The blonde female vamp is now dust.  One male vamp on the ground, one on the roof. 
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:30, Sat 31 Dec 2022.

Laying on the ground, Edward Hudson opens his eyes.  The watcher is awake.  He looks around and quickly assesses the situation.  Then he starts trying to free his hands from the ropes.


Tori was startled when the blonde vampire turned to dust before her eyes, then waved a 'thank you' to Brittany. Then she turned towards the remaining vampire on the ground and flailed at him with the unfamiliar sword.

SLICE!  Despite the vamp's attempts to avoid the attack, Tori's sword slices the vamp.


Brittany recoils from the vamp's punch to her eye area.

Her rage overcomes the pain.

"OWWWWW!!!!!  You mother ******!!!!!  That's going to be a black eye!  I've got cheerleader tryouts tomorrow!!!!" Brittany screams loud enough for everyone in the cemetery to hear.

Standing close to the edge of the roof, Brittany does a judo flip on the vampire which sends him off the roof and crashing to the ground below.

WHAM!  The vampire lands on his back on the ground in front of the mausoleum with a loud thud.


“Brittany jump!”  Liam called up hoping she could get down to them where they could help.

He once again clubbed at the vampire that just hit Billy, aiming at it’s head. The vampire managed to avoid Liam's attack.  Liam then readied his stick to defend against any counter attack.

But the vampire showed no interest in attacking Liam or Tori.  Instead he pushed past them, beginning to make a run for it.


Billy stumbled back from the body shot from the vamp, his face looking grave.  He quickly felt around his outsides to make sure none of his insides were out where they shouldn't be.  Everything felt okay... or at least fixable.

His hopeful look returned when Brittany tossed the vamp off the roof.  He pulled his stake out and plunged it where the vamp least wanted it - straight into the heart.

THOK!  FOOM!  The downed vamp vamp burst into dust.

OCC: Back to the combat thread.  One vampire left and he's about to make a run for it.  He's standing about 2 yards away from Liam and Tori with his back to all of you. Good guys have initiative.  He's pretty weak. A piece of wood in his heart would finish him.

"He's getting away!"

Tori dropped her sword and dove at the retreating vampire, trying to bring him down.

WHAM!  Tori slammed into the vampire's back bringing him face first into the ground.

The vampire has no time to react when:

"No you don't!"  Liam lunges after Tori and the vamp and drives his weapon through it's back into it's heart a second after the vamp hit the ground.

FOOM!  The vamp turns to dust.

No vampires left.

On the ground in front of the mausoleum, Edward is still trying to free himself.

OCC:Back to the episode thread.  This fight's over.  All vamps are dust. Nice work troops.  Somebody should probably untie Edward.

“Is everyone ok?  Help him and let’s get out of here.”  Liam kept his weapon at the ready and scanned the darkness expecting more to show up at any moment.  He stood guard so they could get Edward free.

"My stomach's gotta be bruised all the way to my spine, but other than that, I think I'm good."  Billy responded as he rushed back to his sword, put it in its sheath then set to untying the librarian.

"<DarkGreen>Brittany, you okay up there?<DarkGreen>"  He called.  He had been worried about Tori, but seeing her body-tackle a vampire set his heart at ease.

"I'm coming down." Brittany shouted back.

Brittany then descended the roof by climbing down the tree at the back of the mausoleum and joined the the group.

"I brought ice bags to pass out once we get out of the cemetery."

Brittany touches her now swelling left eye area.  "At least you guys got punched in the stomach and can cover it up with a shirt.  I'm going to have to explain a black eye to my mom in the morning."

After Billy finishes untying him, Edward jumps to his feet.

"Bless you young people and thank you.  Liam is right, we need to get out of here quickly, lest more vampires appear."


Edward begins to lead the group out of the cemetery.  He quickly takes a count of who is here and who is not here.

"Where is Esperanza?"

“She was supposed to be here.  Our plan was to keep them talking and give her time to take out as many as she could.” Liam offered as explanation.  He hoped that since they only met three, she had been successful in taking out any others.  He expected her to walk up at any moment but was worried she wouldn’t.

"This is odd."  Billy commented, as he started to try to remove his robe.  "Very odd, for her to miss out on a chance to use her abilities - or to leave us hanging. Luckily, these neck-biters weren't... biting.  Well, that and we have some unreasonably skilled people in our group."  He tried to gesture at Brittany and Liam, but was somewhat tangled in his robe and ended up spinning around briefly and exposing his badly bruised stomach before finally extricating himself.

Tori stumbled as she stepped on the hem of her monk's robe, and awkwardly pulled it off.

"Thanks", she said, folding it and returning it to Liam.

She retrieved her sword and returned it to its crude scabbard.

"I hope nothing's happened to Hopie. Has anyone called her?"

Liam left his costume on.  He was a bit disappointed they were disrobing as it brought the experience to an end.  He liked that they had joined him in his little plan.

He looked out at the foreboding darkness, “Try again?”  He followed Tori’s comment on calling her.

Liam was good with them all getting out of there but didn’t want to leave Hopie behind.

"I have her phone number.  I had to call her about an overdue library book before.  I'll call her number as soon as we're out of here and safely on the more well lit streets of Sunnydale." Edward said as he continued to lead the group out of the cemetery.

"Don't sell yourself short Billy." Brittany said.

"We made a pretty good team.  I throw them down and you finish them off."

Brittany reached into her purse, pulled out an ice pack and passed it to Tori.  "Here Tori, put this on your stomach."

She then pulled out another ice pack.  "Here Billy, we'll have to share this one since I only brought two ice packs. Put it on your stomach for a few minutes, then pass it to me so I can put it on my eye."

Billy held his hands up in a stopping gesture toward Brittany.  "Why don't you use it first?  Your face will probably warm it up less than my stomach, and will make it less gross."  He suggested. 

"Besides, I'm mostly better already."  He slapped himself in his stomach... then nearly doubled over in pain.

"See?"  He wheezed with a grin. "Barely died at all."

"Okey dokey."  Brittany said as she put the ice pack to her left eye area.

"Yeah, you're mostly better alright."

She didn't buy Billy's act for a second.

She looks over at Liam.  "Did you get hit Liam?  I didn't see you get hit.  If you did, you and Tori can share the other ice pack."

Liam was put on the spot.  He hesitated.  “Ummm, no.  I’m good.”  While the thought of pressing a cheek together with Tori to share an ice pack sounded great.  He knew it would never happen.  For one, he hadn’t been hit and lying was wrong.  Two, well they were from different social clicks.

He also felt guilty for not getting hit.  He was suppose to be the warrior and protect the others.  Walking away unscathed while each of them sported nasty injuries felt like he had failed.  At least everyone was ok.

He took a step toward the exit and quietly urged everyone to go without trying to ‘look’ like he wanted to be the first one out.  He would take rear and make sure they all reached safety first.  He just wanted them to get moving and make that happen.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Thu 05 Jan 2023.

Several minutes later, the group successfully exits the cemetery without encountering any other vampires.

They're now walking on a well lit street.

Edward pulls out his cell phone, which fortunately the vampires didn't think to confiscate.

"I'm going to call Esperazna now."

Edward dials the number from his contact list, then puts the phone to his ear.

"This is Edward Hudson.............oh hello.  I must have dialed a wrong number, I certainly wouldn't be calling a student after midnight on a school night.  I'm a faculty member at Sunnydale High School. While we're on the phone is your daughter alright?................Oh, I see.......I'm sorry for your loss."

Edward hangs up and then is quiet for a moment.  Finally he speaks.  "That was Esperanza's mother.  There's no easy way to tell you this.  Esperazna is dead. She was struck by a drunk driver on the street in front of her home earlier tonight."

Billy's jaw fell, and he stammered for a moment with nothing intelligible coming out as his lips looked like they were trying to make a smile.  It was as if he tried to make some kind of words to lighten the situation, but even the perennial joker couldn't find words here.  A tear formed in the corner of one eye before he turned his back to the group.

Brittany felt like she couldn't stand after hearing the news.

She leaned against the nearest wall, then sit down on the sidewalk.

She only knew Esperanza a couple of days, but somebody her age was dead.  And the twisted irony of it all was this girl had been granted the power to destroy vampires, but it wasn't enough to protect her from a senseless death that could have happened to any one of them.

Tears began to roll down Brittany's cheecks.

In reply to Brittany Foster (msg # 260):

"Thanks."

Tori tucked the ice pack under her sweater and held it against her rapidly developing bruise, and winced.

-----
In reply to Edward Hudson (msg # 265):

Her eyes went wide, and her stomach felt like a large cold stone had been placed in it and dragged to the floor.

"No..."

All the joy and relief of the last few minutes evaporated, and tears welled in her eyes.

Liam retrieved his bike.  He walked it over to Mr. Hudson while he was making the call.

When he heard the news, he didn't believe it.  "What?"  He didn't understand.  How could she be dead?  Maybe it would make sense if she had been jumped by 10 vampires.  A car?  It had to be someone from that group driving.  No way this was an accident.  Hopie?  He didn't believe it.  Liam just stood there and shook his head.

Edward reached out and hugged Tori since she was closest to him while keeping an eye on everyone else.

"It's very hard when someone your age dies like this.  According to her mother, the drunk driver was in an SUV going 80 miles an hour.  That is enough to kill a Slayer."

Edward is silent a moment then continues.  "While I was in captivity, I woke up and feigned unconciousness to learn what I could.  The vampires made no mention of a plan to go after the Slayer.  And vampires are a notoriously boastful lot.  We'll know more tomorrow, but I thinks this is exactly what it appears to be; a terrible senseless accident."

Moments later, the group continues to return to their homes.

Everyone makes it home without a problem.  The teenagers make it back to their bedrooms without their parents knowing they were gone.

Everyone is distraught over the news of Esperanza's death.  No one gets a good night sleep.


OCC: Fade to black.  Roll credits.