[b:13d70208f3][i:13d70208f3]Sunday January 4th 2004 [/i:13d70208f3][/b:13d70208f3]

The smoke tinted wallpaper and stained mattress in the small room she had once called her haven was a stark reminder of how much things had changed. She had been reasonably pleased with the place once. 215 Nixon Court was a place of her own; no parents, no Joe, no Jonesy. Now she was disgusted.
Dirty mirror, bare floorboards, a small sink with cold harsh taps complemented by the steel frame of the window of bullet proof glass.
She stepped through the door and dropped her case on the floor, pocketing the keys to the rental car sat amongst rubble in the bare wasteland next to the apartment block.
Nix sighed. There were advantages to keeping a haven in what she considered her home city while she was operating in Chicago. Not many, but there were some. A place like 215 Nixon Court meant that she could return quietly. No fuss, no frills. She needed it and it didn’t need to be nice.
Nix dug into a pocket of her chocolate brown suede jacket and brought out her phone. She quickly dialled a number from memory and tapped her foot, waiting for the answer.
"Sup?" The voice said on the other end.
"I’m back," she answered simply then ended the call.
Yeah she was back. She’d answered the call. And she wasn’t the least bit happy.


The small steel door of Acid swung shut with a heavy thud as Nora stepped out of the dingy nightclub. She nodded to the grunt off the doormen as she started off down the dark alleyway, heading home to her studio.
She was anxious to return to her haven after the night she’d had. The change Detroit had brought her was shocking and on the same level exhilarating. The city was mostly run down. People were desperate and dangerous. The sound of a gunshot followed by the wail of a siren was not uncommon. Yet the police cars tended to cry long after the shot was forgotten. Detroit was a city where Kine and Kindred alike got fucked up. Shit happens.
Nora’s heels struck the concrete in a steady rhythm reminiscent of the beats of the nightclub. Unconsciously, she found herself humming a tune in time of the beat of her shoes. This is usually how it came to her. She couldn’t sit and compose music. It crept up on her, a melody taking her when she least expecting it.
Rhythms were often taken from situations; the hammering of an automatic pistol, the footfalls of a fleeing burglar, the thumping heartbeat of a victim. It all inspired her.
Her three months in Detroit had made her attuned to the sounds around her. Her employer was pleased. The production of the debut record of Shady Record’s latest signing, ‘Konniva’ was going well. The prominent producer was delighted with her work. The news would delight her sire. And she would be rich, which would delight her.
She turned left onto one of the long straight main roads at the end of the alleyway, the odd car speeding past her as she continued to walk steadily.
It had been the first time she’d been to Acid, a favourite hangout for the darker Kindred of the city. Acid is populated with the type of people that you don’t want to be enemies with, yet being friends with those that frequented Acid wasn’t recommended either.
She’d been offered everything from cocaine to magic mushrooms and various substances she’d never even heard of. What the hell is ‘Lethal V’ anyway? The whispers from regular patrons of the club, however, told of a new drug on the scene. Apparently a drugs pimp had moved out of the area, leaving the skinny, slimy junkies to move in as amateur dealers, and they were pushing something new. Nora had refused all substances. She didn’t need stuff like that; the danger of the city did the same job.
She reached the end of the street, and turned in a small side road. Her haven and recording studio was at the end of the street. She quickened her pace, the tune she hummed changing to match the beat of her footfalls.
A second, slower thump of heavy boots joined hers, complementing the melody developing in her head. She smiled slightly as she glanced over her shoulder at the dark figure behind her.
“Nora!”
She stopped and slowly turned to face the person standing behind her.
"Yes?" she said quietly, curious about the stranger.
The figure took a step towards Nora, and thrust his hands in his pockets.
"I’m glad I’ve found you, Nora."
"Who are you?" Nora asked tentatively.
The covered head inclined slightly then the figure laughed.
The sound pierced Nora, causing her recoil from the stranger. Run.
Her feet were glued to the concrete sidewalk, disobeying the needful insistence of her thoughts.
The stranger that had stopped her laughed again.
"Run," he said in an inaudible whisper. "Run."
Her feet finally obeyed and she spun and fled down the street towards her haven.
The cloaked figure gave her a head start, then chased after her.
She never reached her haven.

‘Blu Eyes’ and Kelvin made their way up the narrow stairs towards the sixth floor.
"Yo K," Blue said turning to start another flight of the stairs. "We gonna tell her everything?"
"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "Girl don’t need to know all the shit."
‘Blu Eyes’ stopped and turned to face her master. "You think that’s a good idea? I mean if the Serpent is behind it then she gotta know."
Kelvin shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets of his baggy jeans. "Look Blue, we don’t know it’s the Serpent. We ain’t got no proof."
Blue shook her head, continuing up the stairs, "If it looks like a snake, smells like a snake and sounds like a snake, what the fuck do you think it is K? A cake? Don’t give me that shit."
He grunted and followed her up the creaky stairs. "Look, I ain’t saying it’s not the Serpent. I’m just saying that we don’t know."
"A’ight K, whatever."
They entered the hallway on the sixth floor and made their way towards the door marked 215. The brass effect 1 was missing, the slight impression left from the dirt surrounding the numbers on the door.
‘Blu Eyes’ glanced in askance to Kelvin. He sighed and nodded towards the door.
The door flung open on the second knock.
"What the fuck is going on?" Nix demanded, turning her attention immediately to ‘Blu Eyes’.
"Shit, Nix, what the fuck has happened to you?" Kelvin asked running his eyes over the lithe frame of his friend. A fitted dark chocolate coloured jacket with boot cut jeans over a pair of suede stiletto boots. "Damn girl, you looking good."
Nix looked down in surprise at her clothing. "Stop talking shit and get in here Dirty K. Come here you," she said to ‘Blu Eyes’.
‘Blu Eyes’ grinned and nodded, stepping into her arms, hugging her tightly. Kelvin grinned and took out his cigarette packet.
"Damnit, Blue, I’ve missed you girl."
‘Blu Eyes’ nodded slightly then stepped into the room.
"So what the fuck is going on?" Nix said closing the door behind her.
Kelvin looked at ‘Blu Eyes’ then at Nix.
"Well?"
"Well, er… Nix," Kelvin said hesitantly, lightening up his cigarette, "we don’t really know. You want one?"
Nix frowned, her dark eyebrows creasing with suspicion as she took the cigarette. "What the hell do you mean, you don’t know?"
‘Blu Eyes’ shrugged and sat on a rickety chair near to the dressing table.
"Just wha’ I said, Nix," Kelvin said glaring at ‘Blu Eyes’, a silent command to stay quiet, an order not hard for ‘Blu Eyes’ to follow. She thought he was wrong, but she’d never speak against Kelvin. Never.
Nix folded her arms over her chest and leaned back on the dressing table. "You better start talking, cos if you’ve got me back for no damn reason…"
Kelvin raised his jewelled hand, stalling her mid-rant. "Look Nix, we don’t know what the fuck is going on. We just know that there is something going on. Fucking Cainites are going missing for weeks. I mean the goddamn recruits. The little shits that haven’t yet cut the apron strings you know what I’m saying?"
Nix ran her tongue over her upper lip and nodded. "Yeah I know. But what the fuck has it got to do with me? I’m doing my thing in Chicago."
Kelvin began to say something then hesitated.
"Tell her K," ‘Blu Eyes’ said quietly, the deep blue pools of her eyes intent on Nix.
"Phenix," Kelvin began slowly. "We think your mission is a fake."
"What?" Nix said incredulously. "A fake?"
"Nix, we knew nothing about the whole Chicago thing until Donavon slipped up and said something about you at Jonesy’s."
"Slipped up? What? Donavon told me that is was Jonesy’s idea!" Nix said, throwing her hands into the air. She shook her head and pulled hard on the lit cigarette. "Alright K, what’s he say?"
"That you were doing better than expected. Jonesy was outraged. Went mad at Donavon. Talkin’ ‘bout how you were his childe and it should have been cleared through him first. He didn’t know you were even gone."
"Jonesy was pissed, chica," Blue interjected.
Kelvin nodded, "Then Donavon started yellin’ that you’d gone for the good of the pack."
"What?" Nix cried, "I’ve been gone for three months!"
"Yeah I know Nix," Kelvin said, "but this was New Years Eve. Last week. That’s why Blue buzzed you. Something is going down here and I reckon its something do with you."
Nix sighed, digesting the snippet of information she’d been fed. She pulled her suitcase over to the mattress and hurled it open.
"Ah… What you doin’ girl?" Kelvin asked.
"Unpacking," Nix replied, pulling out her clothes. "Sounds like I’ll be staying in Detroit for a while."

Two of them. Two people keeping her here. One male. One female. She could hear their voices. She could hear their laughter. She could hear their footsteps on the floor above her.
The basement they were keeping her in wasn’t the damp, bare brick room Nora would have expected. The walls were a clinical white, blocks of multi-coloured stripes breaking up the bare walls. Furnished with a bed and a desk, lit with up lighters on the walls. A safe haven without windows so the lethal rays of sunlight would not reach her. Fashionable and practical, it was much like a lodger’s room, yet a prison by any other name is still a prison. The door leading to the main house was locked on the outside and it was never open.
She had no idea what day it was. She felt like she’d been unconscious for days, weeks. She had no idea where she was. She could be anywhere. She’d come round about an hour ago, completely stripped of her clothing lying on the double bed. The last thing she remembered was running, faster than she was capable of. The heel of Nora’s left shoe had broken, causing her to stumble to the ground. She’d scrambled to get back onto her feet, but the stranger had her. He’d grasped her by her braided hair… then, then… the memory evaded her.
Then she’d woken.

‘Blu Eyes’ was surprised. Nix was unusually quiet on the walk to Acid from her haven.
"You ok chica?" ‘Blu Eyes’ asked quietly.
"What?"
They turned into the small alleyway that led to the underground nightclub, their pace quick and steady. ‘Blu Eyes’ and Nix usually walked when they were together in Detroit. It was surprisingly safer to do so when you were with company. If there happened to be some shit going down, Nix and ‘Blu Eyes’ would run in different directions. Split up then meet ten minutes later. They had used this strategy many times and it had never failed.
"You ok?" she repeated.
Nix shrugged. "I’m fine."
‘Blu Eyes’ looked at her sceptically. "You sure chica?"
Nix turned her gaze from the floor to ‘Blu Eyes’ and nodded, the blank expression on her face betraying to ‘Blu Eyes’ her real thoughts.
‘Blu Eyes’ had seen it before. Nix was frightened. Well she wouldn’t say ‘frightened’. Uncertain was probably the better word to describe how Nix felt.
But however frightened or uncertain she might feel, Nix always masked the dark feelings with a certain stoic expression. Her lips thinned and clamped tightly shut. Her brown eyes became glazed and cold; a barrier between her inner self and the deadly world beyond. A professional face that betrayed none of her hidden thoughts and feelings. Yet the unreadable expression Nix often clothed herself in, said more to ‘Blu Eyes’ than any poetic speech could.
The expression was a reaction to the loss of control, and ‘Blu Eyes’ knew that control was everything to Nix. Control.
Nix had been controlled all her life. Her parents had controlled her. Even her boyfriend had controlled her and she could do nothing about it. The embrace had liberated her. The embrace had freed her from the restraints of those that would control her. Power shifted from the master to the servant and Nix revelled in it.
‘Blu Eyes’ had seen the expression many, many times. She was attuned to her friend’s volatile mood and feelings, and she saw the signs long before Nix often knew how she was feeling herself.
She saw the familiar expression now. The thin lips, the harsh cheekbones and distant eyes. Nix had lost control and she knew it. And ‘Blu Eyes’ could see it.
They were recognized before they arrived at the small steel door that was the portal to the popular nightclub. The doorman grinned as when he saw Nix.
"Hey Phenix! Blue!" he yelled as they approached the door. "I haven’t seen you in ages. Glad you could visit us again Phenix."
Nix stopped suddenly and turned her stare onto the enormous bouncer. He winked at ‘Blu Eyes’ then said, "The club has become a lot cleaner since you left us, Phenix."
Nix took hold of the man’s black tie and jerked his face down to become level with hers. "Fuck you," she snarled then spat in his face. Nix released the doorman with a shove that sent him reeling into the wall with a thud.
Nix spun on her heel and threw open the door to the nightclub.
‘Blu Eyes’ sighed, and followed her into club. It was going to be a long night.

She didn’t feel hurt; there was nothing physically wrong with her, except her head throbbed. The pounding rhythm a persistent reiteration of the thud her heels had made as she’d fled from her attacker.
Nora heard the footsteps above her head for the door at the top of the stairs. She tensed.
The sound of a metal key being placed in a lock came from the entrance at the top of the stairs. Hinges on the door whined as the door swung open.
Nora scrambled into the far corner of the room, tucking her legs underneath her, using the duvet to cover herself. Somebody was coming down the stairs.
With them came death.

‘Blu Eyes’ wrinkled her nose in distain. The heavy dance tunes of Acid on a Sunday night were not to her taste. Ironically, ‘Blu Eyes’ couldn’t dance to dance music. She was more of an R’n’B and hip-hop girl. Her body responded more to the sexy images R’n’B created in her animate self; the part of her that thought it was still fully alive.
Yet you didn’t go to Acid to have a good time, and ‘Blu Eyes’ had never been one for sentimentality. Kelvin had wanted her for his ghoul because of her practical nature. She didn’t let unnecessary and inconvenient emotions get in her way. For a Brujah, albeit Antitribu, she was remarkably level headed. ‘Blu Eyes’ was the reining force for Nix. At times Nix and ‘Blu Eyes’ had been confused which suited Nix remarkably well.
“I’m gonna find out what’s going on,” Nix shouted in ‘Blu Eyes’ ear, before moving off into the crowd.
‘Blu Eyes’ nodded in response as her eyes became used to the twilight-like ambiance that was the interior of the club. Her cool bright blue eyes scanned the crowd that moved as one; one giant being pulsating in time with the music.
There are three main types of people that regularly visited the shady nightspot. The dolls, junkies and dealers. None of them had any class. The dolls; the human blood dolls of downtown Detroit. Many carried blood diseases, most didn’t make an effort to look halfway appealing but most weren’t worth the energy anyway. They were in it for money, not for the reputed pleasure the kiss gives.
The junkies; the V’s with an insatiable addiction. Usually drugs or sex… but whatever, a habit is a habit and these V’s do anything for their habit. These junkies had been ‘Blu Eyes’ and Nix’s bread and butter six months ago.
The dealers; the V’s that could get anything for anyone for a price. Six months ago, this was Nix and ‘Blu Eyes’. ‘Blu Eyes’ would distribute the surplus to the masses and Nix would get the shit. Naturally, it was deeper than that. Nix would set up the big deals. The deals that were different. Not run of the mill stuff. Yeah, they’d get the shit… For the right price. And the right price isn’t always a large sum of money.
Detroit is a place that thrives on information. Know the right people, have their ear and a rumour can spread through the city like wildfire. Such a rumour could make existence very difficult for a Cainite. Yet, on the other side of the coin, information is the key to influence in Detroit. Many junkies had used information as payment for goods and services provided by Nix and ‘Blu Eyes’. Someone in Acid is bound to know what the fuck is going on… or at least point them in the right direction.
‘Blu Eyes’ focused on Nix talking in the ear of one such Cainite junkie. Tandy; the wayward childe of a prominent Costello Toreador. She had a particularly distasteful vice. She’d do fine.
Nix nodded towards the ladies toilets then looked at ‘Blu Eyes’ and grinned. ‘Blu Eyes’ nodded in return and made her way to the toilets. This should be interesting.

The lights had gone out.
“Oh Nora… now, now dear… no need to hide down there…” The voice was harsh and strangely accented.
Nora lowered the duvet and tried to look over at the woman standing in the doorway.
“How you feeling dear? I hope he didn’t frighten you too much.” The woman chuckled. “He can be rather boisterous at times.”
“W-where am I?” Nora stammered quietly.
The woman chuckled again. “You’re a guest in my home, dear.”
“Why am I here? What are you going to do to me?”
“Calm down dear, you’ll find out soon enough.”
“Please…” Nora whimpered.
“You’ll be fine… just fine.”

Acid had changed. Sure, it had never been a classy joint, but there was something different. Nix ran a hand through her hair as she pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring tentative greetings and jeers alike from those she knew well. She threw a disgusted glance at a couple leaning against a pillar in the middle of the dance floor. He was feeding off her, naturally. He also had his hand up her ridiculously short PVC skirt, naturally. Nix sneered slightly as she stormed past.
Damn V will have some damn disease by morning, Nix thought grimly.
Nix reached the toilet door at the same time as ‘Blu Eyes’. Her friend nodded once then swung the door open.
With one glance, Nix swiftly checked out the small room. Surprisingly, one of the three broken toilets had been replaced, yet it was still missing a door. The taps were still rusty, the sinks still dirty and the mirror that ran the length of one wall was missing another chunk; yet the toilet’s terrible condition neither stopped or hindered two female dolls preening themselves or giggling.
Nix gave a curt nod to ‘Blu Eyes’ as she turned to face Tandy.
‘Blu Eyes’, hearing the silent command, approached the two girls. “Move,” she said quietly, her azure orbs smouldered with anger, her jaw set and firm.
Nix watched with grim amusement as one doll threw a dismissive glance with her big, brown doe-eyes at ‘Blu Eyes’, then turned back to her friend.
The colour of her eyes deepened and suddenly ‘Blu Eyes’ stood next to the defiant blood doll. “I said, get… the fuck… out, of, here.”
The doll caught the lethal edge that crept into ‘Blu Eyes’ soft voice. Nodding to the second doll, she grinned spitefully as she sauntered from the bathroom, her friend shuffling behind.
A high-pitched giggle escaped from Tandy’s lips as the door swung shut behind the two dolls.
Nix turned her attention back to the nervous Toreador, and smiled.
“Well, Tandy,” Nix said, “how have yo been?”
“Um... very well ta,” Tandy replied walking over to look in the mirror.
“Glad to hear it.”
“Missing my chickens though, Phenix,” Tandy said straightening her black thigh length jacket with white trims.
“Maybe we can do something about that, Tandy.” Nix cast a sly glance towards ‘Blu Eyes’.
“You can?” Tandy said twirling on her heel to face Nix.
Nix nodded. “If you can tell us what the fuck is going on round here.”
Tandy frowned, black eyebrows framing her eastern eyes that were a stark contrast to her pure white skin.
“I don’t know what’s going on, Phenix.”
“Doubt it,” ‘Blu Eyes’ muttered.
“Look Phenix, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that shit,” Nix said crossing her arms over her chest. “Your daddy…”
Tandy’s hands clenched tightly.
“Yeah, yo daddy. Toreador costello bat. He know?”
“I’m, I’m not sure. Possibly,” Tandy stuttered, glancing towards the door.
“Something you damn costello fuckers thought up huh?” Nix said taking a step forward. “Take our recruits, drive them half mad, rambling about some damn juice, then leave them for us to find? That’s fucked up, even for us.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tandy protested.
“You sure?” Nix said, taking another step forward.
Tandy backed up to the sink unit, her black tipped fingers gripping the edge of a steel sink.
“Um I’m… no… he, he may know...” Tandy stuttered, throwing another glance towards the door.
“Well, you can find out, can’t you?” Nix said casually, stepping forward until her face was barely an inch from Tandy’s.
Tandy swallowed. “If… if I find out for you,” Tandy said tentatively.
Nix crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow nodding.
“Will… will you find me a chicken?”
“A chicken?”
Tandy nodded vehemently, her confidence growing. “Just a little chicken. I miss my chickens. Nobody gets me good chickens like you do Phenix.”
Nix grinned. “I’ll get you a chicken, Tandy. Thursday.”
Tandy beamed.
“ But,” she continued, “you gotta have what I want by Thursday too.”
“I, I will Phenix, I will.”
“And if you don’t,” Nix said shrugging, “I’ll have to tell yo daddy.”
Tandy’s eyes widened with fear.
Nix smiled coldly, and turned to face ‘Blu Eyes’. “Tell yo daddy, about your ah… chickens.”
“Ok, ok Phenix,” Tandy said.
‘Blu Eyes’ grinned and opened the door that led back to the club, flooding the bathroom with an anonymous dance rhythm. Nix walked to the door, then turned back to Tandy.
“Thursday. Ten pm. Your store. Block Clothing.”
Nix spun and went back into the club.

[b:fa18cd4733]Monday January 5th 2004[/b:fa18cd4733]

Editing

((Great so far! Sorry I've been away. The comp was fucked :/ I've been looking for my own place and seeing Jenny alot too tho.

I'll try and write Finn out of things for a bit before I move though :)

Great so far though Vick!

Ugh, I feel like I've been away forever!

Well, thats what I did to that.

I've got the writing bug, but I need some help to get going again. Ten days is a private thing, let me know what you think, please...

keep goning))))

wow this was a year ago. It was the last writing I did. Think I may print this off and take it home. Mull it over a bit and get back to it.
I don't like the start very much. Might have to change it.........