Vienna, during The Week of Nightmares

Vienna. 1999. 2 minutes to midnight.
The man have been sitting there in the same bench since sundown, thinking.
This man is one who's been battling for his entire life, and his unlife had been no different. the first thing he did as one of the damned was claw his way out of a coffin and 6 feet of dirt driven by the hunger he, and all of his kind, always felt. Tonight he fought another battle, although this one was not gonna leave any scars, at least not on his skin.
His mind went back and fort in time recalling memories of days long gone by and some other more recent, he thought of himself and his sire. He loathed that man, the only thing that gave purpose to his existence was the need he felt to kill him, Andrea di Montisello, the Cainite that created him.
The last time he saw his sire was the night he betrayed him. He could remember that night in Marseilles. That night Andrea di Montisello had performed the Amaranth.
Marko asked "Why have you drained him? They will hunt you now! And this man was your friend, he saved your ass more than once, you've said so yourself!!".
The answer was "Why? You of all people should know Marko... Gehenna is comming and I DO NOT want to be the meal of someone more powerful than me. The time will come when you'll have to the same: it's eat or be eaten! You ask me why I did this? It's because of who we are... We are monsters!".
He never saw him again, and he's been hunting him since.

His mind kept wondering.
More recently he stood in a plaza in Vienna looking at a girl whose type would be considered EMO years later. The woman, Paula, was depressed to her very core, her mind was set on ending her existence - she also was one of the damned. Just a couple of hours before Marko gave her a lesson on who she was. He had stolen a child from the arms of his mother and gave him to Paula, put a gun to her head and said "Drink Paula".
After a few seconds of hesitation, she drank a little. He said "That's not what I meant, suck him dry. Feed. You too must feel the hunger".
"I wont do it Marko, he's just a kid, I refuse to!" Said her.
"FEED DAMN IT!! I know you work on the hospital so you can feed on the terminal patients, but that is not who we are! 'The merciful death' huh? Just like Louis... Let me let you in a little secret you pathetic waste of meat, we're Vampires, we're the damned! There's no good in our souls, we are monsters!" He made emphasis on those last 3 words, as if trying to get her to understand.
His words drew Paula into a rage, controlled by the beast within her she slaughtered the boy in her frenzy while Marko laughed as he saw what was left of her humanity slip through her fingers like that child's blood.
"We are monsters".
Andrea had told him that in Marseilles.

Finally he thought of a little girl. She was 8 years old, or so it seemed. She was Marko's new childe. He was forced to embrace her, there was still innocence in her. He thought of Andrea and realized he had become the same monster he had been trying to kill for such a long time. Rage almost took a hold on him, the park was full with people, his vision turned red, he began to lose it as the beast took over and then, then he thought of that little girl again. That thought made him calm down little by little until he was in full control once more.
He was going to kill Andrea, yes, but he wasn't gonna let that girl endure the hardships of having a monster for a sire.

He got up and walked away thinking one last thing: "I am not like you, you son a bitch, I'm not gonna die a monster".

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In case you're wondering
The Week of Nightmares
Amaranth
Louis

Checkmate

The man's shirt read "The Ed Hunter Tour" along with a setlist of songs.
The man was on his knees and his flesh had been cut open several times by the claws of the ultimate predator, however he was not in danger of dying. Vampires don not bleed, they hardly feel pain at all, but this was different. His enemy was very much like him, and his blood could power the beast within to manifest in his body... These claws burned him, like only the sun and fire could burn his flesh.
The man looked up as his assailant grabbed him by the neck and said "Any last words comrade?". His accent was definitively from Russia.
The man said "Yes.... Checkmate comrade"
The sound of a gunshot could be heard in the room as a woman dressed in red stood behind the Russian and blew his brains with a chromed Mark XIX Desert Eagle.
Only a few people in the room had seen the woman in the room. Her blood could charm people's minds to ignore her until she draws attention to herself. She pushed the Russian aside with his feet, helped the man up and said "Are you ok Marko?"
The man saw a little girl a few feet away from him stand up with nothing more than a couple of bruises and said "Never better"

__________________ (fill blank with title)

I really don't know what to say, I cant even come up with a decent title; I'm just gonna write about what I am and what I'm not.


I'm disappointed
I'm hurt
I'm not surprised
I'm angry
I'm not ok
I'm unhappy
I'm calm

agh, there's no point in this, fuck it...

Interesting Times - Chapter 2: Shadows from The Past

Asako Shiori opened her eyes and found herself in another unfamiliar place. This time her meditation had taken her to a dark place, a place underground. Alone in this cave Asako Shiori begun to walk aimlessly knowing that the Kami have sent her this vision for a reason. It was almost pitch black, she placed her hand against a wall, it was moist, and resumed her walk. She saw a light ahead, it seemed a like torchlight, so she quickened up her pace. After a few seconds it was bright enough to see her handmaid, Yuriko, lying on the floor with one hand pressed against her face, as if weeping.

Shiori came to her; she knew that she could not talk to Yuriko, however she wanted to find out why was it that Yuriko was crying. When she came close enough she realized it was because of the pain. The skin from her face had been peeled off, all of it, including the eyelids; in shock Shiori gave two steps back and stood there for a moment saw in awe how Yuriko's face lied on the floor next to her. Shiori, horrified, started walking towards the light again and on her way she found that her Yojimbo's corpse lied mutilated on the floor; it seemed as if Shiba Tenkai had been blow apart somehow. Shiori was now running, her heart pounding in fear and disgust, when she heard Bayushi Bijomaru's voice in the distance...

"Monster?! How is it that I am the monster when it was YOU who did this?", there was anger in his voice.
Then a second voice answered in a very relaxed tone "You and your friends did this to yourselves when you first met me 40 years ago". It was a woman speaking
"40 years ago? What is that supposed to mean? First of all I'm not that old and you are barely 20 winters old!"

In that moment Asako Shiori came close enough to see Bijomaru; and saw him standing next to a woman of the Phoenix's Clan Asako family.

"I am much older than that" said the woman as she lunged forward. Her speed was unbelievable and Bijomaru was not able to evade the blow; the woman's hand had pierced his chest.
"I've finally got my vengeance on you, and now it is time for me to go forth and kill again, Seppun Ichihiro" said the woman, removing her hand from Bijomaru's chest and, as he fell to the floor, Shiori could see clearly now the face of that woman.

Her eyes widened, and she let out a scream, when she was found face to face with herself.

Asako Shiori opened her eyes again, and she was inside her room in Kyuden Toketsu.

Diaries, Part I

How to bring down a Gaijin barbarian, by Bayushi Dokusatsu.

It have fallen into my duties to see that a certain Moto meet his demise.

The Unicorn have their leaders in the Moto Family, and this family have 2 mayor characteristics and are well know by them:

1.- They are brash, hot headed people, even to Matsu standards.

2.- The Moto, more than any other family on the Unicorn Clan, have a reputation of being Gaijin Barbarians.

How do you bring down the Unicorn? The same way you bring down everyone else: Through their flaws.

My plans involve the use of Shinobi and my new friend: The Lady Doji. I need the Lady Doji to bring me a gift of poruvora from the ranks of the Daidoji Iron Warriors, then the Shinobi will plant it inside the Gaijin fortress.

This seems simple, but simple plans are the kind of plans that are simple to crack, so it will take a little more planing, a little more time and a little more action.

Finding a Shinobi friend would have been a little more difficult, however, my masters decided to provide me with one of my own. I made him play the part of an Emerald Magistrate and commandeer half of the ronin that I have captured in town and order them to attack a heimin village not far from here under the impression that the heimin are workers of Maho; their reward would be freedom AND payment. The next day my Shinobi servant will come to Kenson Jakka playing the part of an injured hemin escaping from the ronin that are slaughtering the heimin village. I then would take comand of the troops that serve under that barbarian and take them to the heimin village to make an attack on the ronin along with Akodo-Gunso, one of my companions. None is to be left alive.

Now with the fortress empty my Shinobi friend will infiltrate it and plant the poruvora, while at the same time Isawa-San and Mirumoto-San, my other 2 companions, will, by my order, perform a search on the fortress acompanied by the rest of the ronin in Kenson Jakka.

When Isawa-San and Mirumoto-San find the poruvora with MY warrant order I will take all the credit and I will be able to take everyone down without the word "Gozoku" ever being spoken in public.

Genius.

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Author's Note:

1.- Poruvora, or Gaijin Pepper, is gun powder; an illegal substance in Rokugan.

2.- Shinobi are NOT ninja, the work out of loyalty for the Clan, not money.

3.- Gunso is a military rank roughly equivalent of Sargent.

4.- Kenson Jakka (Humility Lesson) is the town in wich this story develops.
5.- Gozoku is a criminal organization.

Interesting Times - Chapter 1: The Host

A Little north of the Kaiu Kabe, the Great Wall of the Crab Clan, stood a state that once belonged to a merchant named Yasuki Toketsu. Kyuden Toketsu became the home of many people following the death of the merchant some 400 years ago, but now it was a home to a very dangerous person that has made too many enemies for his short life.
Bayushi Bijomaru, a member of the Scorpion clan and Topaz Champion on the year 1167, was sent there as a sort of punishment but also for protection. A lot of people sought retribution and he was not always clever enough to fool everyone; he was just a young scorpion, but avarice had led him to seek greater things with risks he was not prepared to take.

That morning he went to tend to his personal garden. No one was allowed to even speak of that place in Kyuden Kotetsu, only he could take care of his precious plants that were grown for "medicinal" purposes; and as he walked he saw a piece of paper laying in the wooden floor of the outdoor halls he walked to get to that place of secrecy. He picked up the piece of paper smiling under the veil he was wearing. Upon entering his private garden he opened the paper and it was blank, then he took a petal from a strange looking flower and rubbed it against the paper and, slowly, the message was revealed. In a writing style that he and very few others could understood were written very good news for him.

Asako Shiori, a Shugenja of the Phoenix Clan, was coming to Kyuden Toketsu to conduct an investigation regarding Maho-Tsukai. He was not to be informed; however, the Scorpion Clan has it's ways. His guest would arrive Kyden Toketsu tomorrow, so he thought to himself -I've been stuck here far too long, time for me to break free of this place-. He smiled to himself, rose to his feet and went to his room; about and hour later he came back out, still smiling and leaving piece of blank paper on the table of his writing kit.

The next morning he sat to drink tea, waiting. Around noon on of his servants came in the room
- Bayushi-sama there is a Lady of the Phoenix Clan's Asako family by the name Shiori that is requesting an audience with you.
- Interesting... - The sarcasm was unbelievable - ... is she alone?.
- No, she has come with his Yojimbo and a handmaid. Apparently her Yojimbo is wounded.
- I will go to them now.
He stood up, changed his veil for a wooden menpo and went to his audience room to meet with these "unexpected" visitors. He opened the screen paper door and let everyone in the room see him enter, unusual for a Scorpion. He looked at his guest. the Lady Asako was young and beautiful, and so was her handmaid; flawless, he thought, but then he saw her Yojimbo and he was sweating profusely. Finally he spoke
- The Kami ARE wise after all. I thought my stay here was for nothing, but they have given me the change to aid the needy. My name is Bayushi Bijomaru, at your service - and he bowed to his guest
The Lady Asako answered after bowing lower - Thank you for receiving me, Bayushi-san, I am honored - Yes she was honored, but she was also disgusted - My name is Asako Shiori; these people are my Yojimbo, Shiba Tenkai and my handmaid Asako Yuriko.
- I am honored to meet you. Would you like some tea, Asako-san?.
- No, thank you, there are more urgent matters.
- Perhaps your companions would like some...?.
- No thanks, and forgive my rudeness, but there really are more urgent matters to discus.
Taking a seat Bijomaru answered - I am all ears.
- This morning on our way here we were attacked by some bandits. Tenkai-san protected us, but he has suffered wounds that are beyond my powers to restore
Bijoumaru looked at Tenkai for a moment and said - It is most likely that he has been poisoned, many of the bandits in the area like to use such tactics on their victims, it is easier to fight an ill opponent.
- The growth and use of poison is illegal, do you haven any idea where they might be getting it? - said the Yojimbo
- I am afraid not - replayed his host, smiling under his menpo.
The lady Asako said to her Yojimbo - We will deal with that later Tenkai-san, now we must make haste for Kyden Hida so they can treat you.
- Asako-san, if I may - said Bijomaru - Kyuden Hida is far from here, Tenkai-san might not have that long, and I just happen to have experience dealing with such poison; perhaps you'd like to rest here in Kyden Toketsu for today while we treat Shiba-san's condition.
The Lady Asako stood quiet, thinking for a while about what she should do. The people of the Scorpion Clan had a notorious reputation of being manipulative snakes that twisted things so they could get away with their plans. Maybe Bijomaru was planing something, but the Lady had no choice, if Tenkai was indeed poisoned then he would need treatment quickly... so she said the most logical thing to say - I would be honored to be your guest for today.
Bijomaru, smiling again, replied while bowing - Then I will order the servants to prepare your rooms immediately.

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Author's Note:
For all those who aren't familiar with the setting:
- A Yojimbo is a warrior assigned to protect someone that has not practiced the way of the sword, such as Shugenjas and Courtiers
- A menpo is a mask. Usually it only covers the lower portion of the face, from the nose down, but some times a full face menpo is used.

Interesting Times - Prologue

Asako Shiori opened her eyes and found herself in a place she has never seen before. The walls were made of stone, there were no sliding paper screen but wooden doors, and in front of her stood a young lady no older than 20 winters. The girl had her knees tied together and a knife in her hands; it was obvious that she was about to commit jigai, a form of suicide often committed by the females of the samurai caste in which they cut the jugular vein to archive a certain and fast death. The knees were tied together to ensure that she would be found in a dignified pose.
Shiori could not recognize the girl, but from her clothing she knew that she belonged to the Isawa Family of the Phoenix Clan. The girl lifted the knife and placed it against her neck, and when she made the cut Shiori's eyes widened to see the blood that came out, for it was black as night. This could only mean one thing, the girl carried The Taint of The Shadowlands within her. The reason of her suicide was clear to Asako Shiori, who closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, Shiori was meditating in her house; she was a Shugenja. In Rokugan, those belonging to the Samurai caste went to dojos to be rained in different things; those trained in the art of courtship and diplomacy became Courtiers, those trained in the art of war and the way of the sword became Bushi, and those trained in the art of the kami and magic became Shugenja. They are the priest and scribes of the samurai caste; they can also cast powerful spells by offering prayers to the kami. The word "kami" have 2 meanings. If capitalized, the Kami are the sons and daughters of The Sun and The Moon: Akodo: Founder of the Lion Clan, Bayushi: Founder of the Scorpion Clan, Doji: Founder of the Crane Clan, Fu Leng: Master of the Shadowlands, Hantei: The first Emperor of Rokugan, Hida: Founder of the Crab Clan, Ryoshun: Protector of the Spirit Realms, Shiba: Founder of the Phoenix Clan, Shinjo: Founder of the Unicorn Clan and Togashi: Founder of the Dragon Clan.
If not capitalized, the kami are the spirits of the elements present in every thing on the land.
From the smallest pebble to the biggest mountain, from the tiniest creek to the great sea, every sword, every plant, within everything that is made of at least one element resides a kami; and they sometimes interact with people, more frequently with those willing to listen, like the Shugenja.

Following the steps of her honorable father, Shiori became part of an order dedicated to the hunt of Maho-Tsukai, workers of tainted black magic which draws power, not from the kami, but from the blood of living beings. Because of that she travels a lot and she is rarely home, so she tried to enjoy herself as much as she could, but this time it would not be so, for in her meditation she had a terrible vision of a tainted member of her Clan commit Jigai. She was convinced that it meant something, so she made arrangements to leave town and go to Kyuden Isawa, the capitol of the Phoenix Clan lands. There, she would find answers, or so she believed.
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PD: For more information about Rokugan go here