Madingley is the site of Cambridge American Cemetery, a designated US Government World War Two Monument and the site of a large collection of US Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines graves.  It takes just over an hour for normal folks to walk there (about three and a half miles) but you guys are not normal are you?
This message was last updated by the GM at 12:21, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

>>> From Arjuna Grocery Store >>>

Ann was first to the rendezvous near the cemetery, and she looked about nervously. Her clothing wasn't exactly ideal for vampire hunting: a purple jumpsuit with wide flares. She had more serious clothes but could think of no excuse for being out this late on a Saturday other than heading to the disco. So fashionable clothes would have to do. At least she'd look good while she fought.

Her handbag held the sharp length of wood she'd broken off earlier that day at the grocer's. She'd practised staking with Miss Casey, but she still got jitters at the thought of actually going toe-to-toe with a vampire. Forcing herself to breathe deeply, she tried to calm herself while waiting for the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

"Hi Ann" Elissa's voice said very quietly from a bush. Said and not whispered because whispers carried in the night air. She emerged from behind the bush, moving utterly silent even in the still night. Moving slowly so as not to attract attention. Not a twig breaking.

Dressed in a dark grey tracksuit, with a balaclava on hiding all but her eyes, and her hair was tied in a knot under a scarf. There were really large black socks over whatever she was wearing on her feet. On her back she had what looked to be a stuffed rucksack (probably her clothes) and a scabbared cavelry sabre strapped to the side of it, a wooden box just visible out of the top of it. She had a stake in her gloved left hand: it looked like she'd snapped a branch recently... just a piece of rubbish if she dropped it. When she stopped moving she became just a hole in the night...

"Only been here ten minutes. Not checked it out yet. Nice night to go ... vampire... hunting" she didn't know whether to hope this was a man in a tux with facepaint and false teeth or the genuine deal. Neither option ended well. But sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had to do. "I like the outfit. I guess you are ... bait?"

"Over the wall or through the gate?"


Stealth: 19
Notice: 16   (18 for danger)


This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Alice didn't keep Ann waiting long, having arrived early as well.  Elissa made contact with Ann before she did, which gave Alice a chance to see who Ann's 'friend' was.  Despite the 'burglar outfit', the girl looked oddly familiar...

"Psst, over here.  Nice to see you ladies made it.  Ann, can you make some quick introductions?"

Alice herself had opted for a pair of dark trousers, a purple Parker jacket, a blue beanie, and some low heeled boots.  Inside her pockets was a crucifix, two stakes, and a vial of holy water.  Underneath her jacket was a short fencing blade.  Alice offered a gloved hand to Elissa in greeting, although whether the young woman returned the greeting was up to her.  There was also the matter of tonight's objective.  Alice wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page.

"Do we all know what we are here to do?  Hunting can be quite dangerous, but if you trust your instincts Ann... we'll find prey before becoming it.  Remember, I'm here to assist... but this is your test Ann."

Elissa was sure she'd seen this new comer ... of course... the woman in the Grocery store when Ann had said 'talked to my Watcher' and then at the fencing club.

"Evening" Elissa retreated into the shadow of a tree so that she could hardly be seen Her voice was still quiet and little deeper in tone now that Alice was here. "No talking please." In general Elissa was most polite to the people she didn't like. The please was easy for her   "No names, no packdrill. Mr Vampire first"

Elissa studied Alice carefully from her shadow, glad she'd worn the balaclava. She'd done it in case they met anyone, but she was gladder now. She had no idea how the evening would turn out, and it might be much more complex than the simple options she and Ann had shared: were they labrats or were vampires real. If Elissa was going to be running, she wanted as little contact with 'the Watcher' as possible.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:10, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

At the gates of the cemetery is a sentry box occupied by a single, bored looking but wide awake United States Marine in dress uniform and carrying a rifle.  The Cemetery behind the gates is well lit but there are no signs of any more guards although there is a concrete block behind the sentry box which may or may not contain more guards.

This message was deleted by the player at 15:32, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

"Freeze" Elissa breathed in her normal voice but so very quiet. Her hand moved just the slightest to reinforce the message "Don't fucking move"

Perhaps twenty seconds went by.

"Sorry Ann. Sorry I doubted you. I thought the whole thing was nuts."

"But fuck me, a man on a flying horse just went around the wall that way. I don't know if there are vampires inside. Jesus on a flaming pogo stick that wasn't normal. That wasn't super conspiracy making us into lab rats. He'll be here soon. We have to fucking move"

"I'm El, Alice. I'm like Ann. Now let's get out of here and decide what to do. Because a man on a flying horse isn't a fucking vampire. We don't know each other. And we need to. Need to know our capablities and trust each other before we even consider talking to a man on a flying horse"

Edit: Corrected the info on the man. He didn't fly over the wall, he's flying around it
This message was last edited by the player at 15:52, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Nobody except Elissa could see the man on the flying horse.

The Guard notices Alice and calls out. "Excuse me Ma'am but are you okay?  Can I help you?"

Alice looked a bit skeptical when Elissa mentioned a rider on a flying horse... especially because she saw no such thing herself.  But if it was one of the Fae, there could be a logical explanation.  So Alice was willing to suspend her disbelief and trust in Ann's new friend.

"Describe the rider... did you see any symbols or heraldry?  Vampires aren't the only thing that plagues this area, but that's something I'd hoped to tackle later."

And then the guard was calling to her.  That somewhat committed them to attempt entry into the cemetery.  Alice quickly murmured something to the girls.

_{"Maybe I can bluff our way in.  If I cross the fingers on my left hand, assume its not going well and we'll leave.}

Alice then strode over to the guard and shot him a pleasant greeting.  She played up her Irish accent so it was a little harder for the man to parse her words.  If he had to think about what Alice said, he might not dismiss her out of hand... while she was fast talking him.

"Oh, I was wondering... I be tutoring some students and wanted to show them actual grave plants.  Daylilies and Coral-Bells mostly.  Library books don't do them justice in terms of texture and scent.  I was hoping to get it done tonight, but if its not possible, are we able to get day passes?"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
03:23, Today: Alice Casey rolled 14 using 1d10+5 with rolls of 9.  Int+Influence: bluffing guard.

---

The Guard remains gazing forward with the traditional thousand yard stare but out of the side of his mouth he said.  "You can look but don't touch Ma'am.  You'll have to leave any digging materials and bags with me.  If that's acceptable then fine but be back out in twenty minutes, which is Oh One Hundred.  Otherwise I'll have to write you a day pass and you can collect it at oh nine hundred."

Ann was torn between running with Elissa or staying with Miss Casey. Once the guard agreed to let them in, it was easy. One would be superpowered and outside the cemetery if she didn't decide to enter too, the other would be an ordinary human in the middle of the danger zone. She moved up beside Miss Casey and handed over her handbag to the guard.

The bag with the stake in it. She hoped there were trees or something in there to fashion a makeshift stake from.

Ann shivered, though it was a warm evening. It was time to see what was really going on here.



This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Perhaps only a minute later a shadow drifted from behind a tree, staying in its slight shadow "It's me. Super cool moves Alice. " the voice was if anything quieter than before. She was still berating herself for letting the surprise of a flying man break her stealth enough for the guard to hear her. This time she'd waited for the other two to get some distance from the guard before saying anything

"The man and horse ... jeez... they kept going. Not coming in here. They ..." she stopped in mid sentence as the reality came crashing down on her again She wasn't sure she would feel safe ever again. Flying men. If they could fly what else could they do? Her hand still held the stake, but she wasn't feeling that a large splinter of wood was going to help very much against what she'd seen "Later"

Even while quietly talking, Elissa looked around. There was supposed to be a vampire in here. And now she wasn't expecting to see a man with a tux, white face paint and false teeth. She didn't know what it would look like... but she wasn't looking forwards to it. Still she couldn't leave these two in here.

Notice: 17, 19 vs danger and stealthy things

The stars are bright tonight and the cemetery is under arclights on top of that.  It's hardly the sort of place where one would expect to find a vampire tonight even though it is a cemetery.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:48, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Ann looked about for anything to use as a weapon, be it stake or simple rock.

"There's something here. I can't explain how I know, but I feel it."

There is a large pool of water beside you, reflecting the sky above.  It's about twenty feet wide and fifty feet long.  The nearest possible weapons are a relatively small flagpole bearing the stars and stripes and a laurel tree from which you could easily tear a branch.

“We’ll be quicker than an ale going down.  Thanks be to you, sir”

Alice had to leave her fencing blade behind, but was able to keep some things in her pocket.  As soon as she was inside and out of sight, she passed Ann one of her pocket stakes.  They were small, but good enough.  As a Watcher, it was standard equipment… and she was expected to carry them for the Slayer.  Alice kept one hand in her pocket, holding the crucifix.  It was also prudent to collect Elissa as well.

“Here you go Ann.  As we’ve discussed, focus on that feeling and follow it to the source.  I’d rather we fight out of earshot, so our gate friend doesn’t come running.

Elissa didn't have any funky 'I can feel him' powers. Or at least she didn't think she had, and she didn't feel anything. But she did have two mark 1 eyeballs, and she knew how to use them. How to quarter a scene. How to find the shadows that should not be shadows. How to find movement that was trying to look like a shadow moving in the wind. And she had put those mark 1 eyeballs to use. And she found something.

Elissa's heart rate tripled in about a second. A surge of adrenaline so big her kidney's ached flooed her. But she didn't move. She was a shadow in the night too. And when she spoke her voice was even quieter. She didn't want to alert what she'd spotted. Crawling took time. The best response to an ambush was a counter ambush. That moment of surprise when the instead of being the hunter you were the hunted... that could be crippling

Did these two know how to read hand sign? What the hell was she doing here when she didn't even know that? She couldn't take the risk "Man. Seven o'clock. Crawling. Has knife. Is trained" she murmured as she stayed absolutely still, but poised and ready to move. Maximum information, minimum noise. Was this guy a fucking vampire? Or ... jesus he could be anything. A ghost. A ghoulie. Or for all she knew a Roswell alien with a Mission Impossible rubber mask. She'd seen a man on a flying horse for fucks sake. And this guy had a knife... and probably meant to use it. So what would she do if the guy attacked?

Keep to the basics. She could hear Dad's voice now. It had seemed like a game when they played out these scenarios. What are the basics, El . At the time it had seemed so simple.  Stay alive. Keep your team alive. Do what you have to do to make that happen. Mission priorites last If you thought about the problems before hand you didn't need to think about them, when like this you just wanted to throw up with the tension

Of all the things she was afraid of in a fight... it wasn't a gorilla twice her weight. It wasn't some jock with a baseball bat. It was a small nimble guy with a knife who knew how to use it. Knives didn't miss. And the guy had a knife. And it looked as though he wanted to use it...

"Seven o'clock? That's not for ages."

Ann thanked Miss Casey for the stake. She was still scared, but it felt a little better to have a weapon to hand. Moving away from the gate sounded like a fine plan, but not if there was a man with a knife waiting to ambush them. Oh, and "Vampires. There are vampires about. I don't know how many, or if the man Elissa sees is one, but they're here. I did what you taught me, Miss Casey, and reached out with The Force, or whatever it was you called it."

And what were the chances that the bloke with the knife was human, hanging around at night in a cemetery?

"Let's move along the water. It should get us away from the gate and nobody will be able to attack us from that direction." She scanned the darkness, looking for threats.

Ann sees the man that Elissa mentioned. He is on the other side of the water, he is well camouflaged and moving in a stealthy manner. He's dressed like an extra in a war movie.  It's not entirely clear whether he's seen you yet. Either he's trying to cut you off and drive you deeper into the cemetery or his prey is not you, but the Marine at the gate.

"Fuck" Elissa's voice drifted over the night air "I think he's going for the marine." What were the odds? Her paranoia was kicking in again. What were the chances that in the five minute window they were here a man dressed as a WW2 commando was going to try and stab the marine guard. Was this a set up? Were there film cameras around that would watch them. Camera's that would make a snuff movie with the guard or the commando in starring roles, and themselves in a frame job that would lock them in forever.

But then she remembered the man. That... if anyone could do that, they didn't need to do this complex a setup. And Ann had mentioned fate. Elissa didn't beleive in fate, but she didn't beleive in flying people either...

Ideas went through her head. If the commando was a normal man ... there would be no problem. She'd done so many of these scenarios before it was second nature. She'd toss a log that attracted the eyes of the guard, the guard had a gun. The man had a knife and was crawling. That fight would go one way. She'd melt into the background and be gone. Ann and Alice would be 'helpless citizens'.

But what if it was a vampire. Did guns work on vampires? They didn't in the movies, and Ann was carrying a stake not a machine gun.

And what if it was just an exercise? Testing the efficiency of the guard. Sheesh.

Focus on the basics. Stay alive. Keep your team alive. Mission Priority: Keep the marine alive. She had to get the marine to react, see the commando's response. And if it was supernatural... she'd know what to do. And she had to be in position to do it.

"I'm moving closer. Ann... throw a log at the crawler in twenty..."

With that she started to circle round. More bothered that the sentry didn't see her. The crawler she knew would almost certainly be tunnel visioned...
This message was last edited by the player at 10:51, Wed 05 Jan 2022.

Ann saw a suitable piece of wood, but when she moved towards it, she noticed that she'd started holding Miss Casey's hand in her fear. Letting go, and hoping she didn't look too cowardly, she picked up the log and carefully lined up her shot while she gave Elissa time to move into position. Hoping her training would pay off, she launched it towards the creature's head.

OOC:
13:44, Today: Ann Winters rolled 15 using 1d10+9.  Aiming. – 15
That's 4 success levels

13:47, Today: Ann Winters rolled 24 using 1d10+18.  Throw branch. – 24
That's 7 success levels

Ann threw the branch directly at the soldier's bonce.  Since he was wearing a beret rather than a helmet, it smashed into pieces against his skull.  His face changed to something different, something strange, with a heavy and wrinkled brow and sharp elongated canines.  He stood up and faced you.

Yes, that's definitely the vamp's game face.

Elissa had been ready for this she'd thought. Ready for the moment when the log landed. She'd not expected an attempt at a killing blow from Ann, but the shock of horror that ran through her from that, was as nothing compared to the shock of seeing the vampire face. That hadn't been make up. He'd had a normal face. She'd seen him hold the knife in his teeth. And now this... she felt as sick in the stomach as when she'd seen the man fly.

Elissa froze. Not out of any particular strategy just a reaction to the realisation 'oh my god someone's going to die'. She'd been in lots of fights. Every saturday night behind the Apollo until she'd changed for a start. But they weren't like this. No one had a knife... or if they did they didn't for long. A few bruises and contusions were the worst. But now there was a marine with a gun, a vampire with a knife, and she and the other two girls just had a couple of lumps of wood to help them.

OOC
If the vampire charges the marine Elissa will intercept, otherwise wasted go

Ann took in the horrific shape of the vampire's face. Words didn't do justice to how it felt to face it in the flesh. As her knuckles tightened on the stake, she stepped back and glanced towards the sentry, wondering if he had heard anything.

But this was her mission now. To put a stop to monsters like this preying on the innocent. Hiding the stake behind her back, she tried to look as frightened as she could, too shocked to scream. Would the vampire choose to attack an apparently defenceless woman and girl? If he did, he was going to get the surprise of his unlife.

The vamp looks from Ann to Elissa and then back again.  He considers ways to reach his target but then sighed.  He needed another target.  He looked from Elissa to Ann. Did he want to go for the one who had run to block his path to the Jarhead at the entrance, or did he want to go for the one who had thrown the rock or whatever it was that had hit his head and was now pretending to be scared.

Well he would give her something to be scared about.

He ran toward the water, accelerating into the jump and sailed across the twenty feet between him and Ann, slashing and trying to cut her with the knife.

18:29, Today: Alcuin, for the NPC Vamp Soldier, rolled 21 using 1d10+12.  Cut Ann.

Panicking, Ann wavered between staking the vampire through the heart like she'd been taught and simply getting out of the way. In the end, she tried both at the same time, trusting to her Slayer speed and grace.

OOC:
21:27, Today: Ann Winters rolled 14 using 1d10+12.  Stake through heart. – 14 3 successes. If it hits, I think it does 75 damage if that's enough to kill the vamp. If not, it only does 15.

21:41, Today: Ann Winters rolled 17 using 1d10+13.  Dodge. – 17 5 Successes.

A look of shock passes over the vamp's face for a moment and he rocks back even as his knife cuts Ann's arm.  The combination of the stake and the sight of such delicious blood causes him to teeter on the edge of the pool, his gaze fixated on the delicious red slayer blood welling up from the place he cut her.

21:01, Today: Alcuin, for the NPC Vamp Soldier, rolled 20 using 1d10+12.  Dexterity to remain standing.
Damage to Vamp = 15
Damage to Slayer = 4

Elissa felt a huge sigh of both relief and fear. The Marine was probably safe. Given that he'd been armed with a gun, she suspected the vampire would have made short work of him... But ... her worries about the knife had been real: she could see the blood coming from Ann. Less than she'd feared: the girl obviously knew how to guard herself and take the little hits instead of the big

Charging towards to the vampire she was striken with a problem. What would work? If he'd been a man... well ... eyeballs or testicles... they were the targets. But would that even work on a vampire? Did they need to see? Did they even feel pain?

One thing was clear: Ann had training. She knew what to do. Elissa hadn't... so it was back to basics again. The basic essence of Tai Chi. Absorb, resist, immobilise... survive and control until you could get the enemy in position for a singe unavoidable strike. It wasn't her favourite style... too passive... and she liked to get the hurt in first, but for this it was perfect

Elissa dove on the vampire, grabbing for the elbow, boths hands pinning it to the vampire's side with her body weight and strength for just a second. Most people would go for the wrist... but the elbow was easier... much easier.. Her right hand slide up the arm grabbing and immobilising the wrist. A quick sliding pull, so simple it was almost as though she and the vampire were dancing...

Grapple 22
Edit: forgot multiple attacker rule. Actually grapple 24
If succeeded actions using limb at -2

This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Wed 05 Jan 2022.

Elissa made no attempt at stealth and as she went for the hold, the vamp tried to resist, the thing is though that Elissa was stronger and held his arm to his side, leaving him fairly open to whatever attack Alice or Ann may try.

22:30, Today: Alcuin, for the NPC Vamp Soldier, rolled 16 using 1d10+12.  Avoid Elissa's grapple.

Grabbing this guy was like grabbing a Gorrilla. It was tough to hang on... but now she had him it was time to ground and pound. There were two of them... and Elissa was sure Ann knew what to do, even if she didn't.

The arm was a lever, and the vampire seemed to have human legs. A brutal stomp to the back of the knee combined with her own elbow over the vampire's arm, and her whole bodyweight slamming ought to do it... if he wasn't so seriously strong ... "Wish... I'd... brought ... my shitkickers" she snarled as she started to put the hurt in. "Get him girl"

Takedown 19
This message was last edited by the player at 07:36, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

Alice stayed out of the fighting, not through fear but through choice.  She did however circle around to hem in the vampire soldier... cross at the ready, in case it made a run for it.

"You'll need to soften it up before the staking, wear down its defenses.  Nice grab!"

Ordinarily Alice would have used names, but not in this combat.

OOC:  Rule query, is there a way to assist another (like with skills, in this case Ann?  An encouragement roll so to speak...

Ann looked at the wound on her arm where the vampire hat cut her. It didn't hurt as much as she'd expected. Was that adrenalin or did Slayers not feel pain in the same way?

But more importantly, her sleeve had a long slash with blood in it. She looked back up at the vampire. If looks could kill, Elissa would be grappling a pile of dust.

"This. Was. New."

Miss Casey was telling Ann to soften its defences, and what had Elissa told her? Eyeballs and testicles. Ann chose the latter, kicking upwards with all her strength.

OOC:
09:10, Today: Ann Winters rolled 16 using 1d10+14.  Kick groin. – 16 If Alice gets to add more than just 2, this will increase, but it's 4 success levels for 17 damage. Plus he needs to make a test for it being a groin hit

And if the vamp should attack her, she'll attempt to dodge:
09:11, Today: Ann Winters rolled 18 using 1d10+13.  Dodge. – 18

Ann you have another attack this round.

OOC:
OK, Ann will add a spin kick too. If I understand correctly, she doesn't roll again, but uses her original attack roll of 8 and a penalty of 2, giving her a total of 13 for 3 success levels and 21 damage.

After Elissa grabs the vamp, he in turn tries to return the favour, seeking to enjoy some of that delicious hot human blood but unfortunately for him, Ann got HM good in the groin and then added a spin kick to send him over the edge into the water.

Unfortunately for Elissa, the vamp had a firm grip and she went into the water with him.  For just a moment, she struggled with him before the water began to bubble as the vamp burned (but not Elissa).  This water is sacred to the memory of four hundred brave American war dead whose sacrifice made it Holy.

The a splash brings the guard running. "That's it you two. Out!  I don't know what you just threw in the water but this is a sacred site."

The girls made her proud, but the guard was on them before Alice could do much of anything.  Instead she quickly pocketed her cross and bullshiited an explanation… in a thick Irish accent.

“Thousand pardons, my student slipped and cut her arm.  We better get it tendered or I’m in a heap of trouble.  Hold on Lass, some Dettol’ll make it better.”

Alice began to wrap Ann’s arm with a clean handkerchief and escort her out.  Hopefully Elissa could use the distraction to disappear.

It seemed to take an age as Elissa flew through the air, everything in slow motion, the salivating vampire trying to suck her life blood, only held off by her grip on him. She could see the enormous teeth reaching for him... the hunger in the mutated eyes... This even more than the flying man convinced her that this was actually a real vampire.. and it was fixated on her...

As they landed in the water there was an oomph, but the water broke the brunt of the fall. And then everything got worse. A lot worse. To say Elissa was 'unhappy with the situation' did not describe the sheer terror of being in a death grip with flaming vampire under water when an angry trained man with a gun was racing towards them.

Snarling and perhaps as enraged as the vampire she let that anger out. The anger that she tried to lock up. The anger that took her into the mosh pits, that meant on Saturday nights she used to go cruising for a bruising. She already had the vampire grabbed so with a huge surge, unleashing all of her inhuman strength she tossed the flaming vampire back 'somewhere over there'. Over there was at the point of the triangle made by the Marine and Ann, and then she leaped out of the pool the other way and ran into darkness, hoping the distraction would stop her getting a bullet in the back.

Elissa kicked out at the vampire but her kick collided with his already crumbling skeleton, with empty water and last of all with the side of the pool because the vampire had exploded into dust.  She flew into the bushes as if she were a supernatural creature herself.

It is one o'Clock in the morning and one by one the stars go out, soon enough the streetlights follow as fog arises from the ground and thickens around you.  Those who are awake feel a sudden cold, not a September cold but a December cold.  For those who remember, it's a December 1963 cold, an 1816 cold, a cold that sinks down through the bones and kisses the marrow.

None here are sleeping.  Elissa is freezing in wet clothes, while the Marine and the Watcher and her Slayer shiver hard as the ground frosts around them.

Ann hadn't meant to send the vampire into the water, but she was pleased with herself nonetheless. She let Miss Casey tend to her wound, acting the innocent, injured civilian for the guard. It might be worthwhile having him wonder whether he'd let a child get hurt on his watch too.

"It hurts a lot, miss. I hope this doesn't mean I have to miss any school. I'm sorry I stumbled, but it's so dark here."

Elissa shooting out of the water caused her to turn, wondering if the vampire was back for another round. Seeing her friend briefly instead, she simply did her best impression of being surprised.

"Did you see that? Are there foxes around this area?"

And then she shivered as the cold hit. She wasn't dressed for cold weather, so there was no need for acting this time.

"I think we should be getting ourselves somewhere warmer, miss."

I'm going to die... That single thought dominated everything. The unnatural freezing cold was going to kill her. She had minutes at the most... It didn't matter where it had come from, it didn't matter that she might get arrested... she was soaking wet and there was now ice on the ground.

There was no way Elissa could survive this on her own. There was no enemy to fight, no one to persuade, just the biting cold....

She had to strip. Had to get the clothes off. Had to light a fire... She could maybe do that in time... maybe.... But she had nothing to replace the clothes with so she would still die. Even if she met up with the others... it would be too late... She would die in front of them.

Remember the basics. Stay alive. Keep your team alive. Do what you have to do to make that happen. Mission priorites last. To keep alive she needed warmth and clothes. And if that meant she would get arrested... well you had to be alive to get arrested

Still she could do something to maybe help. Ripping off her balaclava as she run, Elissa jumped over the wall. The balaclava was stuffed in the sack, the socks ripped off her feet, the tracksuit removed... leaving her in her jogging outfit and still soaked. Stuffing the rucksack behind a bush she tried as hard as she could to race to the entrance, the run turning into a stumble as the cold begin its evil work. There was a man with a radio at the entrance. Maybe with warmth. Maybe she would live...

"Help..." she called out as she approached the entrance of the graveyard, the weakness in her voice not faked... she wasn't even sure she'd make it.. "Please Help".

“Sorry for all the fuss, good luck with the foxes.”

Getting Ann out of here (and finding Elissa) was Alice’s goal and she hoped the gate guard would let them.  He did just ask them to leave.

Assuming nothing else occurred, Alice picked up her things from the gate and led Ann to a place where Elissa had originally met them at.  When Alice saw that the girl was soaked and shivering, she gave up her Parker.

“Let’s get you both inside the first place we can find.  Once we get warm then we can talk about that scuffle.”

Ooc:  any lighted buildings or homes in the area?  What about telephone booths?

Elissa's lips were blue, her body was shaking violently. It was hard for her to speak through the cold. "Need... clothes... off" she pulled her T shirt off, showing a plain sports bra under it, shaking even more, and used it to try and brush the water off, but her hands were too cold and she dropped it. Shuddering she pulled the parker around her and squatted on the ground holding her hands under her armpits rather than putting them through the arms of the parker. "Can... can you get my stuff... Ann" she asked "The bush. Just round... the corner." More shuddering "Need ... fire.. "

Evidently, Elissa's powers didn't extend to shrugging off cold weather. She looked terrible, and Ann wasn't sure how long she could last. While Miss Casey put the coat on her, Ann pulled Elissa's shorts down and off. Then she rubbed her hands up and down Elissa's legs, but was worried at how cold they felt.

Elissa asked Ann to get her things, but it seemed that Ann could do better than that. "Miss Casey, can you get her things?" she asked as she put Elissa over her shoulder. Then she took off at a run, looking for the nearest warm-looking building. As she ran, she blamed herself for knocking Elissa into the water, even if it hasn't been so cold at the time.

"Jesus it's cold" Elissa said still shivering. But the Parker was doing it's thing. She had hardly any wet things on now, shivering was a thing your body did to get warm, and with the warmth of Ann's body... admittedly in a new way for Elissa... she was starting to feel better. Her unnatural physiology able to cope much better now that she wasn't dripping wet in the coldest weather she'd ever felt

"What the fuck happened. Dude on a flying horse wearing armor. Weird bars stopping him get into Cambridge stopping him no matter where he went. A vampire. A for real no messing exploding into dust vampire. And now this" she was still shaking violently, but it wasn't as bad. She no longer felt she was going to die.

"Alice is your Watcher right" she could now get words out without her teeth hurting, and maybe she could stand, but she couldn't run... not like this... "Thanks Ann you're a life saver... God it's cold... will Alice know why it's so cold?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Sat 08 Jan 2022.

Ann wasn't sure about the man on the horse. She'd not seen him herself, but Elissa had mentioned him before she'd got cold enough for hypothermia. She'd be sure to ask Miss Casey when she caught up.

Speaking of which, there was no way that Miss Casey could keep up with them if she ran home. So instead, Ann made for a nearby college. It was fairly dark, with most of the windows darkened, but the wicket gate was ajar with light spilling out. Ann headed in, then made her way into the nearby lodge, surprising the porter as she put a wet and half-naked woman on the ground.

"Do you have any hot drinks?" she said. "Or blankets or towels? She fell in a pond and it's freezing tonight."

She made sure to stand in sight of the road, so that Miss Casey could find them.

Sculley nodded toward the hot drinks machine and slid three fifty pence pieces over the counter.  He's not a young man, but neither is he old, or perhaps he is from the point of view of teenagers.  He has all his own hair although it is white, he has wrinkles around his eyes but few others.  His complexion is florid and he wears a white shirt and a brightly coloured waistcoat with a matching tie.

"I recommend the oxtail if she's that cold."  He says, "But it's really not that cold is it?  Anyway, help yourselves, I'll call the nurse and get her to bring some blankets."

A moment later, he picks up the phone and dials a single number.  "Miss Gladstone", he says, "Sculley here.  I've got three young ladies in the lodge and one of them looks like she's suffering from hypothermia and frostbite.... "oh.  Right."... Ta."

He puts down the phone and says, "Hold off on the drinks until she's a bit warmer.  The best thing is for the two of you to hug her between you and use your body temperature, apparently,"

Alice remained behind to collect Elissa’s things and caught up with the girls later on.

Eventful… traumatic even, but hopefully the girls pull through.  I’ll go easy on them but some lessons for later need to be arranged.

Meeting Sculley, Alice took the advice and was grateful to not be bombarded with questions.  She’d already been thinking of a story, just in case.  Most of it would be the truth… minus certain bits.  Alice wrapped Elissa in her arms and shared what warmth she still had.

“Thank you, sir… would it be possible to borrow a blanket?  As soon as the girls are warm I’ll call a cab.”

Alice, please see the post above yours, toward the end of the first spoken line

Ann sat on the opposite side to Miss Casey and put her arm around Elissa too. She was careful to keep her bloody sleeve out of sight and hopefully avoid any questions about it. She was worried about how cold her friend felt, though she thought she was beginning to feel warmer.

She had questions about the man on the horse Elissa had seen, and she also thought that Miss Casey should know about Elissa's powers. But not in front of Sculley. There was nothing to do for now but wait for Elissa to recover.

After a little while, she thanked Sculley for his help and got some oxtail soup which she held to Elissa's lips. "Try to drink a little of this."

At last, Miss Gladstone arrives and wraps a blanket around Elissa, saying, "Well done ladies, you've done very well indeed.  This youngster seems to be recovering quite nicely, but you should probably sit here for a half an hour with the blanket on her before I call you a cab.  Would you mind telling me what you were doing running around dressed in Summer clothes at this time of night?  It can get cold out on the fens and sometimes it blows into Cambridge."

This would have been plain awkward if she wasn't so cold. Elissa hadn't suggested it earlier because she thought they would take her to the marine, and he would have a fire. And then... well .. she'd been too cold to do anything other than shiver. Not that she minded a pretty girl, or a handsome boy putting their arm around her and holding her close... it would just usually be for more 'making out' reasons. Rather than trying to avoid Hypothermia. And she didn't want to give Ann any funny signals.

"Thanks Ann" the soup was really helping. As was the warmth. And the blanket

Elissa rarely got on well with authority figures and Miss Gladstone was already getting on her wick, but given how much she'd needed the help, Elissa kept polite. "I was just out running, right. Those were running clothes, not summer clothes. But I'll be more careful in future" She wasn't quite sure how she could be more careful, given she'd been fighting a frigging vampire when she got dumped in the water, but hey the Bossy woman wouldn't know that

What surprised Elissa the most was that none of the people here: not Sculley, not Miss Gladstone... none of them were commenting on the extreme cold. Why not? Something to think about...

She wanted to talk to Ann and Alice. A lot. But there were people around. This so wasn't the place to have the chat. She'd just wait until they got somewhere safer

It was perhaps an hour later in Alice's rooms. Elissa looked to have recovered although she was still under a blanket and not wearing many clothes. The recovery a testimony to her unnatural physiology.

She'd been biting her tongue all the time: in the college, in the Taxi and waiting until they'd had a chance to sit down. "Any chance I can borrow a T Shirt" she'd asked on the way in

"I guess we need to talk, right? A flying man stopped from entering Cambridge by f-ing magical gates. Vampires are real, no kidding. And fucking hard bastards at that. And explode. And Jesus, Supernatural cold that comes out of nowhere"

"But more. What do we do now?"

"If we're going to do stuff together... you've got to talk to us Alice. Tell us who you work for. And what kind of shit are they into? Ann trusts you, and I... I trust you a bit. Especially after the vamp. But Jesus it doesn't all add up. And I hate things that don't add up"

"I can work some stuff out. It's obvious you or yours can do magic. Like how come you know about Ann: did you make her or find her? If you made her it was magic. If you found her.. well it's a big fucking world and Ann didn't take out an add in the Daily Mail. I mean if there are a million Anns, you didn't need magic to find her, but if there were a million Anns everyone would know"

"What I don't know... is ... are you the good guys or the bad guys. Not you: Ann trusts you, and you seem nice enough. But the gang you work for. Do you know? You probably think you are the good guys... but who told you and are you sure you can trust them? Why? Are they open and honest with you? There's some serious shit flying around here and as Dad said 'Ass-u-me makes an ass out of you and me'"

"We can play 'I'll tell you a bit, you tell me a bit'. Or we could skip the crap and just put cards on the table. I've already told Ann everything important about me"

OOC I asked the GM and he suggested Alice's rooms. If this is awkward Alice let me know and I will edit.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:28, Sun 09 Jan 2022.

Alice's ROOMS, Elissa.  I think she lives onsite at Emma. I'm sure Alice will correct me if I'm wrong.

OOC:  Alice is fine bringing the girls home.  If she can live onsite at Emma that would be ideal... because its safer for her and her Watcher gear.

Alice chit chatted during the cab ride, but it was unimportant stuff and not a word was said about the cemetery adventure.  Only when the trio was safely home and settled did Alice 'get down to business'.  An Emmanuel College sports T-shirt was passed to Elissa upon the request for clothing.  Some warm tea/coffee and dipping biscuits were laid out for all of them to enjoy.  If the girls needed other things, Alice did the best she could to provide them (like some proper dressing for Ann's arm).  Elissa it seemed had a lot to say, so Alice just decided to let the girl talk and talk... until she could get a word in.

"Actually, I know precious little about you, Elissa.  Ann preferred to keep your secret, like a good friend would... and I had hoped that you might confide in me too.  In the spirit of co-operation, I will share first.  Our organization are indeed the 'good guys', trying to safe guard the world from monsters... with a specialty in vampire hunting.  Do we always get it right?  No.  Its the best solution available in an imperfect world.  We are not a cabal of wizards or geneticists who 'make' people.  Just flesh and blood people, guided by a prophecy... that one girl per generation inherits the power to be a champion.  Our role is to find, train, and assist this Chosen One... and that girl is Ann.  Long may she reign."

Alice periodically dipped and ate biscuits as she talked.  She found it a soothing gesture and hoped that Elissa might also appreciate the informality of it all.  Ann also deserved a bit of re-assurance.

"I believe its your turn, Elissa.  Perhaps you could tell me where you received your 'abilities' from... and the hardships you have since faced."

Elissa was actually surprised at Alice's approach. She'd expected secrecy and mistrust and doubt. And actually ... well ... only a little info had been give, but she liked the way it was given, and it showed in her body language.

"Sure" she said, and took a few moments to think through how to explain. She'd only done this once before, with Ann, and that had been different.

"Right... I guess... I don't know when it started. But when I was 16 I still didn't have boobs. Or a period. The doctors were fucking useless... what do you expect. Then around my birthday I started having these night terrors. And the doctors... well they weren't a lot of good" she nodded to Ann, as she'd spoken about this with her "One of them said 'keep a dream diary' and I did. For about two...three weeks I kept dreaming of these terrifyingly beautiful shining figures. And I put on about 6 inches of height and grew boobs... All really fast. The doctors were still fucking useless... said the 'puberty growth surge' should have taken six months and it took less than one."

Ellisa's voice was far away now, like she was reliving it. "I hurt ... hurt all the time... Everywhere. Growing pains the quacks said. Jesus it was horrible. But what they didn't know was I got fast and strong "

"I was so alone..." her voice faded even more "It... I ... I mean who could I tell, right? Couldn't tell my teachers. I didn't know what the fuck was happening to me. Couldn't tell Dad's friends. God knows I couldn't tell mum. Like I told Ann I did research. I read comics. I talked to librarians. I couldn't tell them why I was asking.... " she looked at Ann "That's why... That's why I took the risk of talking to you. Because I didn't want you to go through it too. I didn't know about her" a nod at Alice "and her gang... or I'd have stayed quiet"

"It changed everything. I nearly killed a guy. He was dissing me, called me a dyke, so I kicked him in the nadds. Only... I didn't know... Didn't know how strong I was... He survived right... Only 'cos I was pulling it anyway... But Jesus it was scary. And it's hard to train. I get in the ring with the Muay Thai World Champions... and like I told Ann... they are like children and I'm the grown up. I used to go behind the Appollo, you know...right? Saturday night. It's where you go for a blarney and there's nothing like a little punch up to finish a saturday night out. But... but now I can't go because I'd kill someone"

Elissa shrugged "But no vampires. No monsters. No super scientists. I thought I was alone until Ann wasn't sleeping, told me about her dreams and then she got strong. Mind you... Ann had her boobs a week ago, so it's not the same"

"Even money I am a super soldier project. Fuck knows why I'm not in a lab being vivisected... that's what I worry about every night. And if not... maybe your group's prophecy is full of shit and there's more than one Ann. Or there's more than one prophecy Who knows"

She gathered herself together

"What I do know Alice. What I do know is that I don't trust your group. They send teenage girls out to kill vampires and do fuck all to help them. I'll trust you. You went in with Alice. Respect" she raised her drink and toasted Alice "But you need to take a good look at your gang. My Dad would rip them a new pair if he saw how they were running their outfit. We ain't behind enemy lines: it's the UK for chrissake. Security's a joke. Where was our medical support? Where was our strategic reserve? Where was our reconnaisance? Where was our overwatch... We didn't even have a fucking bicycle and a blanket"

"So what's your outfit's plan? To keep sending Ann in again and again without effective support until she dies, and then you wait until the next generation and find a new chosen one? Does that sound like the good guys to you Alice? Because it sure as fuck doesn't sound like the good guys to me"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:20, Sun 09 Jan 2022.

Ann had listened quietly to the others, her legs tucked under her on the sofa while drinking her tea and eating biscuits. But she judged it was time for her to speak.

"I don't think my breasts matter." She turned a deep red. "I mean, me having breasts before I got strong." Her face turned even redder. "What I mean is, it sounds as though you went through something different. I was a normal girl a month or two ago. With breasts, because that's normal at seventeen. Until I was chosen."

She took a deep breath. "The choosing is something mystic. From what I understand, nobody knows how the next Slayer is chosen, but it's often a girl near a source of evil, somebody in the right place to fight it. Which makes me wonder what is going on in Cambridge."

She got a far-away look in her eyes as she continued.

"And the 'in every generation' thing is wishful thinking. There's always exactly one Slayer. It's a bit like having a king or queen. When one dies, the next one becomes monarch immediately. It's the same with Slayers. Except sitting on a throne is a lot safer than fighting vampires. A Slayer is doing well if she makes it a year. I haven't asked about the last Slayer, and I don't want to know, but her last breath was at the same moment that I drew my last breath as a normal human. And one day, I'll fall just like her, and then another girl will get the call. Of course, I could ignore my destiny. But if I'd done that, the guard at the cemetery would be dead now. Or worse."

She poked her finger through the knife slash in her sleeve. "Blood and a knife slash. I'm going to be so grounded when my dad sees this that I'll be drawing my old-age pension by the time I'm allowed out again at night. You might have to send the vampires to my house to fight, Miss Casey. But one advantage of being the Slayer is that there isn't much need for medical attention." She ripped off the dressing from her arm. There was no sign of the wound or a scab or scar, just dried blood. "Slayers heal fast. Real fast."

She put down her tea. "You wanted to see if it was real. Vampires and demons and whatever you saw flying on a horse that we didn't. I'd like to hear Miss Casey's ideas on that one. But now you know. Things that go bump in the night exist, and you can ignore them or fight them. It seems to me that however you got your powers, we don't both need to do this. Perhaps just one of us can continue the slaying. Perhaps the other one can build a normal life. And I thought Miss Casey was the bravest one there. She didn't have the super strength or speed to fight, but she was with us. I trust her."

Alice sat through the entire rambling story with all the patience she could muster.  And she was careful not to express any disproval or disappointment.  Elissa needed to get this off her chest (especially the boob fixation)… or so she thought.

“Boobs aside, you seem a mystery… but I could do a little research.  You could have an inhuman ancestor and not all are horrible monsters.  Is there a history of religious miracles in the family line?  Science is another alternative but not my field of expertise.  If you still have the dream diary, it might help.”

Alice took a break to replace the drinks.

“In defense of our group, I believe the idea to hunt a vampire on such short notice wasn’t my idea.  And we aren’t a group who can flex authority like the military or MI5.  There is no backup, save the allies we can befriend.  Think of us as concerned occultists, trying to stay out of the limelight.  The prophecy is set and if we could have more Slayers, we would.  Instead we train other girls in the hope that they become the Slayer… but more often than not, the choice is random.  I admit that some ‘traditional’ viewpoints support the Slayer operating alone.  My opinion is that there is safety and success in numbers.  Ideally, the next hunt… whenever that is, should utilise research and preparedness.  Vampires have banes, as do other monsters.”

When Ann piped up and said her piece, a look of happy approval formed on Alice’s face.  This deserved some chocolate.  She fetched a packet of wrapped eclairs and put them on the table.

“Well said, Ann.  Nobody is forcing you to do anything Elissa, but regrettably the monsters are still out there.  In time I hope we can clear out the predators and force the rest into exile or coexistence.  And I’d prefer it on the back of a team.”

Elissa was doing a lot of listening. There was a lot of information coming in. Most of it disturbing. None of it nice. Except when Ann blushed. That was nice. She nodded in agreement, it did sound different what had happened

"Your traditionalists can go fuck themselves" she snorted at one point "They know that if the slayer dies another one pops up. So why bother trying to keep her alive. Bastards. And if there are enough of you to have factions Alice. Then there are enough of you to do a proper job. So tell them to get their fat asses down here and help. They like getting girls to do their work don't they? That way they can feel smug at home, and not take any risks. Not like you Alice... you stood up to be counted. Like Ann said"

Alice's idea on the source of her power was interesting. "Sure. Loads of Religous Miracles. We've got family records going back to 1066, and a few bits before that. Mum's the expert. You can look the stories up in the House of Lord's library or maybe closer ... Cambridge University probably has a decent libary" Elissa said thoughtfully "I remember being told about Gerard St Claireaux... the name was different then. He was trapped in Jerusalem during the first crusade and there was a solar eclipse and an earthquake, and he was freed. Then ... I'm not good at this history crap but Mum is... there as a thing during the 'hundred years war' when one of my great-great... great grandmothers retired to a nunnery and grew stigmata then claimed that the pope was the anti-christ. Tons of similar wild and wacky stories." she shrugged "Maybe that's it. But it all sounded like people on LSD to me... or the medieval equivalent"

She listened a little more then "Alright so it's like this. Ann, girl, you have a new hobby. Monster hunting. It's a dangerous hobby. So you need to do it safely. It's your job to stay alive girl, and not let the traditionalists dance on your corpse as they get the next fresh and shiny slayer. Do you want to be alive in ten years, or do you want your dad to bury you... in a closed coffin funeral... 'cos you went heroic"

"The main keep alive shit is 'never ever do a dangerous hobby alone'. Like fucking never. Which is what you are saying Alice... If you have to stay at home because you're on your own, Ann. Well life sucks sometimes. So the marine dies. But if you die girl... then a hundred marines die, 'cos you aren't them to stop them the next day and the next day. If you die the job doesn't get done. And your dad gets to go to your funeral"

"I might be in. We'll see. But if I am, we ain't doing no hero shit. We're staying alive because that's the only way to get the job done. Dead heroes save no one. If you're right about the 'source of evil here', girl. Then we have to be alive to deal with it"

OOC I tried to address all the points... but there were a lot. So if I missed an important one, just raise it again in the conversation and we'll talk about it

"The Watchers, as we are called do mean well... but any collection of people will hold different viewpoints, especially when we try to spread around the world and draw on different generations of scholars.  While hunting is a part of our charter, so is training and knowledge gathering.  It is impractical for every Watcher to be out in the field.  As Ann's designated trainer, I'm more valuable in a support role... and there are combat situations where I cannot keep up.  I do what I can."

Alice's demeanor turned a bit academic.

"Shining figures in your dream do point towards a religious source, Elissa.  Perhaps this is their way to protect or save your family?  Some past favor, either owed or being collected now.  If your dream diaries had runes, symbols, or objects... that might narrow things down.  Perhaps you still recall those things without the diary?"

While Alice did not want to scare Ann or suggest disobedience, she did highlight some shared points of interest from Elissa's words.

"It seems Elissa and I can agree that hunting should be done with smarts and that its better to pick your battles.  As the Slayer, you have a degree of influence Ann... and in time you can use it.  I'm on your side, but I do have obligations and concerns of my own.  If you will both indulge me, I'd like to talk about the tonight's hunt..."

For this, Alice helped herself to a chocolate Eclair.

OCC: same as Elissa's ooc note :)

When Alice talked about the religous imagery "Sure. Could be. You know... I'm not sure I'm bothered where they came from. I'm bothered about how I live with them. And is there another f-ing prophecy that's going to send another bunch of misogynistic traditionalists down on me. I don't need to dig, because if noone has hassled me for two years, the last thing I want is to get on their radar"

Elissa looked unimpressed for the excuses as to why the 'Watchers' sent teenage girls out to fight their battles without any sensible support structure. Especially after the discussion about the 'traditionalists'. But given Alice wanted to change the topic

"OK sure. The 'hunt'.. I guess the first biggy for me, like, was when I saw this shadow. Kind of ... you know ... out of the corner of your eyes. Kind of ... if you looked at it you couldn't see it, but if you looked away... shit it's hard to describe. Any way in the shadow... or maybe it wasn't in the shadow, but was the shadow, right?... there was... a fuck off  Black Knight. The full Monty Python deal. Black armor on a horse. His shield though... even in the dark I could see colour. The shield was grass green. And on it was ... like a sword. A picture of a sword. A two handed sword, 'cos it the two hands were painted on the shield coming out of the bottom of it. One came from the left, one from the right. The sword pointed upwards, and on the top was like this golden dragon's head. So that was crazy wierd"

"He was riding down that road into Cambridge when fuck me if he wasn't stopped by a set of iron gates. And there aren't any gates there, right. But there were for him. And you know... we ... later there weren't any gates right? But then... when he was there... there were gates. So he fucking rode off into the sky, around Cambridge. Looking for a way in. And whereever he went there were more iron gates"

"So colour me shocked"

"The rest... well you know the rest. You were there"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:18, Mon 10 Jan 2022.

Ann helped herself to an eclair. "Being the Chosen One and almost certainly dying young isn't something I wanted, but if it comes with eclairs then I think that's a fair bargain."

After a sip of her drink, she said, "I agree that having a group to help out would help. But where could I find them? I can hardly put an ad in the paper. Even though Elissa and I knew each other, neither realised there was anything unusual about the other. I'm not likely to bump into someone who can help at school."

"Can the Watchers find out about the man on the horse and what that means? And is there a way to work out just why Elissa is the way she is without tipping them off that she exists? It seems that we're up against the unknown here, and that means we can't just walk into its lair and put a stake in its heart. Maybe you could lend Miss Casey your dream diary, Elissa?"

Between bites of her eclair, Ann had been playing with the tear in her sleeve. "Do you have a sewing kit, Miss Casey? I think I can repair it fairly well. Then I can take this to a laundrette once they open in the morning and wash the bloodstains out. I'll tell my parents I'm staying with a friend."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:22, Mon 10 Jan 2022.

Elissa nodded at the dream diary request "Sure. I'll have to dig it out: it's still packed in the bottome of a box from when we moved here. You know" she continued "You are both being pretty awesome about this. I... I've been alone with this for a long time. It's nice of you two to care, and not treat me as a freak. And... I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to get on with.... So ... thanks. "

She gave a laugh at the 'cleaning' request "I might have had to do that a time or two in the past. I'll show you girl. You'll have to get used to it. The rules are easy. Cold water... for fucks sack don't use hot or it will bake in. Then you just scrub it with soap." she made a gesture of rubbing her knuckles together "Mum says 'soap flakes are the best for blood'... you have to look for them because the modern Persils and stuff don't cut it. I've got some at home and mum could show you or we could just use Fairy Liquid. I can't help you with the sewing though.... or rather I could but it would look utterly crap. Like a three year old did it..."

Elissa thought a bit more about the man and the horse "You know...if this was a comic... It would be a 'he's magically protected from getting into Cambridge. So that begs a few questions... how long has he been trying to get in, why does he want to get in and who wants to keep him out. 'corse it could all be crap and be something else..."

"And it also begs another one... only maybe a minute after I saw him we had that cold. Do you think it's related? That was magical too. So maybe he got in. Or maybe whoever was keeping him out saw him and told him to fuck off."

"That's assuming it's a who and not a Doctor Doom magical device." she shrugged "Guess that's up to the 'traditionalists' to show they aren't total fuckwits and let us know. Sun Tzu has it right. If we don't know our opponent, though we fight a hundred battles we can't win. Someone's gotta do that knowing"

Upon hearing the description Elissa relayed, Alice's expression darkened.  Her tone of voice was also harder... but it wasn't directed at the girls.  Alice's hate/loathing was towards other beings.

"This knight is likely one of the Fae and before you roll eyes at 'real fairies', they are dangerous, possibly vindictive, and not at all 'cute'... despite whatever beguiling forms they might adopt.  I've had a run in with one before and it wasn't pleasant.  However as they are an unknown group and the Watchers don't want a new war... live and let live seems to be the accepted policy.  *I* have reservations, but until I acquire actionable proof... the best thing to do is to keep the iron wards in place.  That keeps them out for now."

Then Alice turned to more palatable conversations and her warmth returned.

"In terms of adding to our little strike force, I was at a Fencing club to see if there were any 'friends' we could recruit.  I plan to visit other martial gatherings too.  Some of the people we help or save might also enroll.  And there are other outcasts that might be worth recruiting.  We just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled."

Alice briefly wandering into her room and returned with a sewing kit.  It looked pretty new as if it hadn't seen much use.  She also pointed out where her telephone was, in case the girls wanted to call home.

"I don't think a small bout of book research will alert anybody.  Talking to other people or snooping around has a greater chance of tipping our hand... and for now, lets not risk that."

Elissa's offhand comment of 'Someone do that knowing' brought a cat's grin to her soft features.  Alice felt exactly the same way.  It was nice to find more common ground and perhaps an ally to pursue some intelligence gathering on the Fae.

Ann thanked Miss Casey for the sewing kit. Of course, she couldn't sew it up while wearing it, so was forced to strip to her white underwear to repair the damage.

"So we try to recruit members of this fencing club. We also try to find out where Elissa's power comes from. But what then? I can't fight chilly weather or a knight I can't see. Though that makes me wonder. If only Elissa could see the knight, is her power somehow linked to his?"

She held her sewing up to the light. It wasn't great, and the blue thread didn't match the purple of the material, but it would do. She bit the thread off then looked up.

"How do we even go about figuring out the answers to these questions? Do the Watchers have everything they know written down? I'm guessing that the local library won't have much to help us with. Should I keep patrolling that area, in case the knight returns? And what can you tell me about the fae? Do stakes work on them, or is it something else?"

She looked down at her bloodied clothes. "And do you have some Fairy Liquid in your kitchen?"

"So are you Watchers the people that set up the 'iron ward's" Elissa asked curiously. That implied a great deal of either knowledge or magic or both. And there were even more factions in the Watchers... Elissa wondered which side the 'traditionalists' were on.

"Cambridge has one of the best libraries in the world" Elissa responded to the 'local library won't' "We were told about it in the 'what's great about Cambridge' leaflet. Along with a load of rah rah about punting"

The talk about the origin of her powers was interesting. Especially the implication that it might be 'fey' in nature. "You know I'm tempted to say 'wrong sex darling'" she gave a camp gesture as she did so.

"Come on Ann. Soonest done the better" she headed into the kitchen. She didn't have a lot to offer on this part of the planning, and Alice had said it was going to be book work for a while.

Alice laid a hand on Ann's shoulder and smiled, seeking to calm her.

"A lot is possible Ann, but lets not tie ourselves up in speculative knots.  The cold weather could belong to the knight or be a symptom of something else entirely.  I will need time to research all of this.  Some of my own materials will be sufficient, for other sources I will check with my local superior.  As to the Fae, their main defense is that they are such an unknown and varied group.  Iron keeps them at bay, but would it cause excessive trauma?  We won't know until its battle tested."

As to Elissa's question...

"We maintain it.  I'm not sure if the Watchers originally set up the ward or merely had a hand in it.  I've not had the time to ask."

When the girls went to the kitchen for some sewing, Alice turned to her bookshelf.  Most of her occult tomes had been read several times, so she had an idea on how best to proceed.  The religion angle was her first preference, but Fae links were worth checking as well.  Alice jotted down references and specific sentences on a note pad... just to keep a track of her progress.  It would be nice to give Elissa some certainty, but her research could very well create more questions.  Nonetheless, Alice believed it was better to know than remain in the dark.

OOC:  For researching Elissa's possible heritage.  I only seek as much info or clues as Elissa would like to have revealed.... its her character :)
01:25, Today: Alice Casey rolled 15 using 1d10+7 with rolls of 8.  Alice researching Elissa.

Ann padded out to the kitchen behind Elissa, poured washing up liquid onto the bloodstain and scrubbed it under cold water. She looked over at Elissa as she worked.

"So what do you think about this set-up? It seems to me that the vampire we fought was clearly evil. You and me, we could do a lot of good, help a lot of people. Miss Casey can help guide us, a bit like Charlie in Charlie's Angels. Of course, I'd be Farrah Fawcett because I've got her hairstyle."

She rinsed the stain under the tap then held it up to the light.

"The Angels never had to clean and repair their own clothes. I guess real-life heroines have it a little less glamorous. But I think this looks OK. What do you think; will it pass when it's dry?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:10, Tue 11 Jan 2022.

"Her watchers have factions. The traditionalists I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire" Elissa said thoughtfully "The Watchers send you in, in a half assed fashion without proper support. No reconaissance not even a map. No primary second mission objectives. No regroup and recovery protocols. No overwatch. What the hell is that about?

"How long have they being doing this for? I don't beleive for a second they couldn't have a merc team on standby to support you if they wanted. They have magic and they aren't afraid to use it, so they have wealth.. If they can prophecy you, they can do the pools. My dad used to be a merc... it's not hard to find them and not that expensive if you have money."

"So I don't trust them as far as I can fucking throw them."

"But Alice isn't 'the Watchers' She went in with you. She didn't rabbit when the vamp turned up. She's alright."

"Then... there's the fact.. well look girl. We turn up at the graveyard. Within two minutes we spot a vamp about to kill a marine. How many f-ing marines die every year guarding that spot. I bet the answer is zero. What if we'd been ten minutes later? Or the day before? or the day after? So ... something arranged for us to be there at that exact moment. Or the vamp to be there at that exact moment. Which by the way was the same time as the patch of cold... and the Faerie knight"

"Maybe it was prophecy, fate, whatever. Or maybe it was the Watchers or someone playing silly buggers. Summoning a little test for their new shiny slayer and her sidekick. Which ever it is... fate ... humans.. monster..." Elissa sighed "I was there. I was noticed. I can't go back. Not unless I run far far away and that wouldn't stop a prophecy "

She nodded at the cleaned clothes "Looks good... I guess I was saying 'yes'."

Ann wrung out her clothes in the sink. A month ago they'd still have been wet to the touch after doing that; one bonus of having Slayer strength was that she was now able to fully dry them.

As she dressed, she asked, "You wouldn't do that, would you? Run again? You're the only person I know who knows what it's like to be different. It's not just the help fighting the vampire I appreciate; the moral support matters just as much. Oh, and I'm sorry about kicking you into the water earlier. I was only going for the vamp, and I am still getting used to my new strength. To be fair, it was still quite a warm night when I did that."

Zipping the front up, she nodded. "It is strange that the vamp was right there as we arrived. But we should ask Miss Casey. She chose that graveyard. Perhaps she knew that vamps had moved into the area. I imagine she'd know what time they come out to play too. So maybe she just got lucky with her guesses. Though that makes me wonder whether there are any more there for the guard to worry about. As for the cold and knight, I don't think anyone expected that."

She looked at her sleeve. The stitching was obvious enough when you looked for it, but the blood wasn't visible. "I think I'll get away with that. Do you think the Watchers would let me have a clothing allowance? I thought it was going to be fangs and kicks, not knives. And have you thought about whether you'd want the Watchers to know about you? Or will you stick to the shadows and let me take the limelight, like Spot and Hong Kong Phooey?"

"Haven't run away yet, girl. Ever" Elissa said looking a bit puzzled at the 'again' "But.. shit girl, if I had to run away to keep Mum and I alive... of course I would. If there's a crazy man with a gun in the street... then hell yes I'd run away. Pride isn't a great reason to end up dead. Let's say... Let's say some doctor can chop you up into a hundred pieces and each piece of you will save a life...someone who would otherwise die.... but you are dead. Would you say 'sure go ahead and chop me up'. Or would you run away?"

She shook her head at the 'sorry' "Nah. It was a fight. Shit happens in a fight. I grabbed Mr Vamp and put him on the ground. He grabbed me back: I should have stopped him doing that. You kicked him... He dragged me into the water not you... that's how it goes. Like you say, if it wasn't the for f-ing cold snap it would have been just funny"

"Yeah you're right about asking Alice... I know fuck all about vampires. For all I know you coming closer makes them rise from the grave. I mean... jesus we are talking about vampires here. And magic. And fairies. Kind of hard to do two plus two"

She shook her head at the idea of Watchers giving an allowance "They are fucking useless. Don't give a toss about you. If they did ... well we've been through that. You're just an 'assett' to the them. They want you to give, and they take. You're useful until you aren't and then they get the next shiny new slayer. Ask the 'traditionalists'"

Elissa looked pleased at the offer of staying the shadows but "Alice is going to tell them about me though, right? She's a Watcher, girl. Her first priority is the Watchers not you. But sure if that's possible..."

"Anyway the question really is 'what do we do about tomorrow'. One day at a time. I'll come patroling with you next time. But... we fucking check the place out in the daytime first. Spot a way in and out without having to chat up hunky soldiers, find out where the nearest phone box is, agree where we meet up if we have run, that kind of shit"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:05, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Ann considered what Elissa had said.

"I don't think that Miss Casey will necessarily tell the Watchers about you. I'm sure she would if you let her. But if you ask her not to, maybe she wouldn't. She knows that trust is a two-way street. If we can't trust her, we won't trust her, and she'll be left in the dark. If the vamps think they're just dealing with a Slayer, then having you to pull out as a surprise will give us an edge. Your being secret works in everyone's favour. Except the monsters."

"And if some of the Watchers are useless, why should we care? We've got Miss Casey to look things up and guide us. We did something good tonight. Something more than watching Top of the Pops or going to a disco. We can make a difference to real people. Like to that guard. And to the people who care about him. I wonder if he has a wife or children. If we hadn't been there, well... So yes, let's keep doing that. Make the world a safer place."

"And I agree, let's figure out how we do this in future. No more almost frostbite. And certainly no getting killed for either of us. I want to live long enough to see the '80s. Imagine how cool disco and punk will get in that decade. I already practice fighting with Miss Casey, so maybe you can join us. Let's get real good at this, because I don't want us coming up second best like that vamp did tonight."

Elissa nodded to Ann "Words of wisdom. Sure: I'll ask Alice not to tell her people. And hell yes it felt good to save a life. That guy was a marine, not a waster."

"Tell you though girl: you said something that made me think. You said ' If the vamps think they're just dealing with a Slayer'. Do we think that the vampires talk to each other? And ... hell .. how old are they? Are we going to find some vampire that was around for the frigging crucifixtion organising others? Sheesh..." she shook her head "If you don't know your enemy, even though you fight a hundred battles you cannot win I never thought 'vampire culture 101' would be on the agenda. Did Alice tell you any of this shit? Is there like a 'slayer instruction manual'... 'cos there's no excuse for the Watchers not to have that. Even the waster 'traditionalist' should realise that a 'quick guide' and 'here's what you have to know' would be good to have"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:28, Thu 13 Jan 2022.

"Vamps don't age. And unless they meet with an accident, such as me pushing a stake through their hearts, they don't die. So they can be very, very old. Most aren't, apparently. But they do talk to each other. Them and other demons. If we kill one vamp, another might see that, run away, then let others know. So sooner or later, word will get out that there's a Slayer in town."

She laughed at the idea of a Slayer manual. "Not even a pamphlet titled So You Think You're a Slayer?. But that's the point of the Watchers. It's not like hundreds of girls are learning this all at once. It's just me. Miss Casey knows all about this stuff, so she's bringing me up to speed. I'm getting the one-on-one tuition so I don't need a dusty book. And no book is going to help me learn to fight well, or exactly where to aim a stake. Or tell me who a particular vampire is and what their plans are."

"And now you know that there is this crazy supernatural world out there, you can learn about it from her too. Because I bet you'll never go on a night out feeling the same way again knowing just what is out there."

"Just like the films..." Elissa said quietly "Hmm...we bashed that vamp and he blew into dust. In the movies... you can take the stake out and it all starts again. I think I like the real world better"

She gave a rueful shake of the head to 'never go out again' comment "I've been like that for two years, girl. Waiting for the boot to drop. Waiting for the fucking snatch squad, or a super villain to turn up. Or to make a mistake and be spotted. Or something wierd-ass to happen. But you can't live your life in fear... In some ways it's easier now."

"Come on it's getting late. Actually it's way past 'getting late'. I need my beauty sleep. Are you sleeping here Ann? or shall we walk part of the way together"

Ann looked down at her sleeve again.

"I guess I'm OK to go home like this. And if I did stay out all night, my dad would only worry that I was with some boy. Though if that was really what I was up to at nights, it would be so much safer than this."

She led the way back to the living room.

"I wonder if Miss Casey found out anything in her books."

Alice finds it unlikely that Elissa is a synthetic super soldier.  It seems more likely that she is either a human-demon hybrid, somewhat like the Nephilim, or she or an ancestor has somehow been inoculated with blood, serum or some other demonic substance.  Alice has no clue what kind of demon.

Casting a glance to the kitchen (to make sure the girls sounded OK), Alice pondered her findings.  There was nothing definitive, but some things could be safely ruled out.  Elissa might not like the news, but Alice thought she could deliver it well enough to only cause 'mild' annoyance/anger.  And then Ann returned... with Elissa mostly likely in tow (or close by).

"Ahhh good timing... and your clothing looks much better too.  I've checked a few references and hopefully Elissa will be glad to know the chances of her being a science experiment are very low.  I'd need more clues to work with, but she either has an enhanced ancestor, demonic heritage, or my personal suspicion... Nephilim ties.  And before anyone panics, there are many demons... not all of which are inherently evil.  Nothing about the Fae came up, but my books only cover so much about them."

"Ummm... Not being awkward. But you're a wizard right? A watcher? And you've been looking in magical books right? So in the magic books... is there are lot about how a super soldier might be made? You know Quantum crap and Chemical crap and cutting edge research that is only available in the secret labs?" Eliss asked curiously "'cos if there was a super soldier experiment it would be like a secret wouldn't it? So if you didn't know the secret... it would be hard to know that the secret existed. It certainly wouldn't be in text book, or a magic book would it?" It was clear that she wasn't writing that theory off, but also...

"I mean... mostly I don't care. Someone did it. They've left me alone for two years. I had some shitty dreams, but mow I'm mostly OK. I'd like them to keep leaving me alone... so let's not do any looking that will tip them off. On the subject of which... If it's possible I'd really like the Watchers not to know either. Because the fewer people that know the longer it will stay a secret. And given that if the secret gets out I spend the rest of my life in a lab... I'm keen to keep it"

Ann was full of questions.

"What are Nephilim? Demons? If it turns out that Elissa didn't get Captain America's super-solider serum, how do we work out what sort of demon she is? Can we test her blood in a lab or something like that?"

She turned to look at Elissa.

"Are there any other characteristics of Nephilim? Do they grow wings? Have green skin? Grow extra heads?"

A thought crossed her mind.

"You did dye your hair that colour, right Elissa? It's not some natural Nephilim colour coming through?"

"I'll skip the lab test, right" Elissa said amused for a moment, as much by the idea of growing another head "It's one of those classical 'it all goes wrong' episodes in things like the Tomorrow People or The Defenders... when the lab samples go missing... or the lab tech gets ideas.  Besides... I don't care. Like really."

"See, girl, being Punk is about being who you want to be, right? About not fitting in with the expectations. Not giving in to 'the Man'. Not being forced by parents into some cookie cutter existance running in a rat race. Not letting society's norms grind you down and giving in. It's about being who you want to be and being happy with it. My dad told me the first Punk was this ancient greek dude... Dio.. Diopheenes or something... I think... So it's been around for a while. And Dad was a great Punk"

"So all that just says ... I don't feel a need to be put in a box with a label. I am who I want to be. And ... unless I suddenly get a craving to eat brains... at which point I'll be back for those lab tests... I'm good with being who I am."

"Anyway ... you found me out" Elissa bent over and showed her hair roots "It's natural. Or unnatural. Saves me a fortune in hair dye. Changes color a bit occasionally... but I've not worked out the 'why or wherefore' of that." she patted just below her belly button "Could cause awkward questions if I get really friendly with someone, but I'd just say 'it's dye there too'"

Alice smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not a wizard and my books don't have spells in them.  We are occultists.  There is some overlap with rituals, but we deal in lore, prophecies, and legends... cataloguing as much as we can 'safely'.  Witches and warlocks do exist... some may be allied to people within our organisation, but that is above my pay grade.  If you find any trustworthy practitioners, Ann... I'd certainly not object if you wanted to recruit them.  And I'll do my utmost to protect their secrets... just like I'll do for Elissa."

Clearing away the dirty plates and cups, Alice returned momentarily.

"Nephilim are part human and part demon.  We don't view them as evil by default.  Because its a catch all term, its hard to ascertain what features Nephilim derive from their demonic parent... or in some cases, grand parent.  If Elissa is one of them, she'd only have to worry about an awkward family reunion."

She grinned as Ann deduced that Elissa's hair color might be natural.  This was the sort of smarts that would help on her hunting (and survival).

Elissa nodded realising that the super soldier option was still firmly on the table. Occultists weren't the kind of people that would know what was going on in government labs. And Occult books weren't going to have in them the research that hadn't been published. But which was the better option? Nephilim or Captain America. Or did it even matter? Probably not

"Well it wouldn't cost anything to get the family records and see if we can work something" Elissa said thoughtfully "That's not going to raise any alarms or result in embaressement if lab results end up in the wrong hands"

"You know this is the first time ... ever ... having a title actually helps. There are records going all the way back to 1066 and probably even more. I can get them from the House of Lords record office for just asking. Mum has been hassling me to do it for a while, but I never got around to it.  Thinking about I don't think Dad was 'supernatural'... He was good, right. But not much better than his friends... not in the way Ann and I are. Well not when we trained together... but maybe I couldn't tell ... or maybe he was just good at hiding it... Sheesh who knows. Still he didn't have blue hair."

"Thank for protecting my secret Alice. I'll do the same with Ann's. And your's. You know that right?"

She had to give a chuckle at the 'awkward family reunion'. "Yeah... Big family... There's books in the library... If you want to know the fifth cousin twice removed... that can be done. Only met a few of them, and they are all stuck up no-goodnicks."

"This has been the weirdest night of my life. I met - and killed - a vampire, almost froze a friend to death, and found out she might be part demon. Oh, and now I know what colour her pubes are."

She considered what to do next. "It's getting late, so I think I should head home. I'll look out for anyone else who can help, though how I'll spot them I don't know. I can't just recruit every punk who's dyed their hair and hope for demon blood. It'll be interesting to hear what you find out about your family, Elissa. I wonder just what details the House of Lords would have on something like that. It makes me wonder about other people too. Do you think the royal family has some demon blood in them?"

"And Miss Casey, thanks for letting us crash here while we recovered. I guess you'll want to see me for our regular training? Should I start patrolling now that I've seen some action?"

"Gotta remember how you get to be a King or Queen or a Noble" Elissa said "It's the politics of the broken bottle. Of smash and grab, brutality and might. My family weren't as good at it as others: we backed the wrong side in a royal family squable... you know the hundred years war. Actually we backed both sides ... 'cos all families did, but my direct line backed the wrong side. Having demon blood sounds like it might be a bit of an advantage ... so I guess I would be surprised if the Royal's don't... because otherwise someone with that advantage would have used it"

"It's the same thing in modern politics among nations: might is right, having a bigger army and nukes makes everything legal. Having a secret police force let's the government get away with anything they want. Worse than fucking animals all of them."

"If we are going to patrol... we should scout out the route in the daylight. You know... find a way in and out... get the regroup points sorted out... all that sort of thing. Maybe we could pick a cemetery ... one that isn't going to get us into trouble .. and sort it out"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Tue 18 Jan 2022.

"Just doing my job, Ann.  I wish I could say things won't get weirder... but they probably will.  You have a good head on your shoulders, lets keep it that way."

Alice escorted the girls to her door.

"Well, since you two together are a formidable duo... I think I can let you walk home.  As always be careful and alert.  We can talk about patrols later on... but Elissa has the right idea.  Start with the cemeteries, then maybe we'll see about the pubs and clubs.  I think we can take things gradually.  Well, good night girls."

END OF SCENE