Picking up Chicks <Ashen>

[Dieter Helyanwe]

After popping out of the T-grid Dieter stretched and said, "hello New York. I'm sooo glad you're the city that never sleeps." He patted Ashen on his head. "You ready for your intense training session man. This'll be great. By the by, I'm not paying for your drinks. They're pretty damn expensive." Dieter walked out of the building housing the T-grid and noticed a display manikin wearing a new stylish suit. Dieter used an alter self spell merely to alter his clothes. He tied his hair back, worked to hide some of his weapons better, then looked in the mirror. The illusion could be perceived through the mirror. Alter self was one of the best spells Dieter learned since he stopped reflecting in mirrors. Unfortunately it meant always having someone do your hair.

Dieter turned toward Ashen, "you might want to dress in something a bit more ritzy for this bar. The people there are from Uptown East Side and pretty exclusive." Dieter then started guiding Ashen toward the bar.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter paused and saw the place from a couple blocks off. There was a long line to the bar. It was very popular for being in such a cramped area. There was a limited amount of space for dancing and a bar that served drinks. The place blared electro and techno as Dieter got closer and closer. This was perfect for throwing Ashen off his element. It would also do some good to catch onto this kind of music. Dieter had listened in on electro and techno's beggining. You could always count on Dieter to pick up and "get" a style a decade after it was at its height. It worked now because people seemed to call him retro.

Dieter hid his rope dart in case there was any trouble but this was a subtle game. Dieter lead Ashen to the front of the line and looked the bouncer in the eye. This was too easy, but Dieter never got bored of hypnotizing bouncers, bellhops, and bastards. Dieter looked the bouncer in the eyes and concentrated a little on the suggestion. "My name is Dieter and this is my assistant. We're here representing Lugossi, I know the name is funny but if you laugh I will break you. We were told to see if this bar would befit our employers and are here on the VIP list. Now please let us in."

The bouncer looked down at his list. Looked up. Of course Dieter's name wasn't there. However the bouncer believed very firmly that it was a great idea to let Dieter in. So great of an idea that the expressionless bouncer even smiled back at Dieter as he unhooked the velvet chain and opened the door for Dieter and Ashen.

The inside of the place was crouded, hot despite the best efforts of half a dozen fans and AC. There were fog machines, strobe lights, and free glowsticks which were well compensated for by the expensive drinks and an admission fee. A fee waved for the VIP's Dieter and Ashen. About fifty people crowded the dance floor. Another twelve sat in some tables which were close to a neon lighted bar with mirrors. The colors and lighting were designed to be dim and "futuristic" or something as neon green seemed to be the dominant hue of the place.

Dieter smiled, "perfect."

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter slyly responded telepathically, "well its a start. You've got some people to dance with good. Don't forget you've got to protect all the other girls here. I'll make this easier by making it just between you and me. Please work as hard as you can to keep any of the girls from leaving with any guys." Dieter made eye contact with the nice lady who greeted him. "I've been carded at the entrance and I'm looking for a drink. Any house specials you can tell me about." Dieter looked observingly around the room. There were two women presumably friends or possibly close siblings talking by the bar. The dance floor was a great place to get to meet someone but hardly a chance to get to know them.

The bar where people relaxed would be a good start. He needed to know the bar. Dieter also had a trick set up for Ashen. He just needed to make sure Ashen was dancing. The girls were the perfect distraction. Dieter ignored the girl as she prattled on drinks. He really couldn't care less. He could tolerate drinking alcohol but if it had too much other stuff in it, he'd get sick.

He sat at the bar and ordered a house mix. It tasted horrible, but then again Dieter's favorite drinks were sake and mead. He waited for him. The troubled guy who came to the club looking for women. A pathetic loser with inflated self esteem who'd had one too many drinks in him. He could tell the sexual advances he was making on the bartender, a rather attractive Irish girl with vibrant red hair who obviously wasn't above 20, were unapreciated. It was just a matter of time before he started screaming and doing something stupid. All it would take was the right guy to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

The guy swaggered toward the bar with slurred speech, "Hey you knowsh what they shey about Ishir women."

The girl looked up and seemed unimpressed. She didn't give him a very polite response. "Hey don't look down on me b*tch I'm a paying customer. I just want to have a conversation."

Dieter knew better to be a hero. To make a scene would be like trying to announce you're doing a good thing. Too be too violent would be scary. Dieter took what he viewed as the most unexpected option. When the man made to jump the bar Dieter took his left foot and kicked the bar stool up a good distance. The barstool caught on his legs and forward momentum caused him to land flat on his face.

The Irish girl seemed to be a bit startled by the man making an attack and even more startled that the man had surprised her. Bouncers came over and grabbed him off the floor, his nose bleeding. This drew some attention and the red head looked oddly as Dieter picked up the stool, placed it back in it's place, then sat in it.

"I suppose I should thank you." The bartender said in a thick Irish accent.

"I didn't come here for gratitude Miss...." Dieter let her fill in her name.

"Roxanne, you can call me Roxy." Roxy gave a polite handshake.

"Dieter, well Miss Roxy I came here for a drink. What do you take." The music had returned to normal and the glowsticks left interesting trails. Not much changes at bars. Even the entertainment is reminiscent of the past. Dieter wish he'd be the one to throw said village idiot out.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter flirted as he had Roxy serve him drinks. "So what brings you to work here." Roxy then gave him some story of trying to make it as an actress on Broadway. Dieter would make conversation as he got to know her. Dieter kept being polite and answering questions as feebly as he could. Roxy seemed to have some interest in Dieter personally. Dieter just as soon made up a story involving him being a traveling martial artist and being raised by Chinese foster parents. The fact that he spoke Chinese that was older and actually knew martial arts gave him the one up anyone who tried to come in on the conversation. Dieter excused himself politely after having a bit to drink and stated that he did indeed come for a few dances. "If you get a break Roxy I would love to dance." She seemed delighted at his proposal and said, "I've got more dancing plans after I get off. You could meet me out back."

Dieter smiled. Excellent. This was probably Dieter's favorite tactic for feeding. Pick up a nice girl. Get back to her place and get invited in. Even better he'd set a rendezvous. This meant he could go to the dance floor give a feigned tactic to Ashen. Make Ashen think he was serious, win the game, and then of course get the girl. All wins there and through it all Dieter though that Ashen might have a little fun.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter was an excellent dancer. Every generation or so he made sure to learn some new dances that were popular for the time. Which meant he learned 80's grung dancing, sixties hippie dancing, and 1920's flapper dancing. However he got the gist of the glowsticks. Moving something fast and at the end of rope was kind of a specialty. He got to the middle of the dance floor and started twirling four glowsticks that he had tied into a row. Sure they ballenced horribly. But with the practice he had with his rope dart and a little bit of telekinesis making subtle vector changes to maintain the show. These changes were so subtle that most people would think of them as either mundane talent or sheer luck.

When he was done he gave his glowsticks to the girl that seemed to be staring at him with a bit more enthusiasm than the others. This girl will soon be coming with me tonight if you don't find a way to stop it. Dieter waggled his left hand behind his back and concentrated on a Dawn Charm on the bartender. Ashen wouldn't know it but its better to hedge one's bets.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter had been probing some of Ashen's thoughts since he went to the bar. He chuckled, so Ashen was going to fight a little dirty eh. Well two could play at that game. Dieter couldn't reflect the spell without some reprecautions and Ashen would certainly get the idea before then. All Dieter was wearing at the moment was his pentogram ring that had metal alloyed with some of his blood. It made the focus on his spells some what easier and the vessel was quite good for it. Of course he kept his dragonskin gloves around. He wouldn't be caught anywhere without them. He was good at slinging spells with just his ring but he was a maniac when he had those as his vessel. Not to say he was entirely defenseless without them.

While Ashen prepped his spells. Dieter poured energy into his ring and focussed a will to harm on Ashen. Even disabling curses took a lot of will to harm. A desire to hurt, maim, disable, and inflict pain. Pretty much every living thing could muster the feeling. One had to make sure they could do it right to be great at curses. Dieter then used the old elven word for poison. He focused the spell on Ashen as a person. There would be no physical effects of the poison being absorbed other than Ashen fainting. He had his back to Dieter at the moment which made him vulnerable. Dieter then looked at Akane and looked into her thoughts. She might be necessary on the next part.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

((I checked this all out with Ashen's PC))

Dieter then made a show of pushing his way through the crowd and over to Ashen's unconscious body. "Brother. Did you take your medicine." Dieter looked at the bar over at Roxy. "You know you can't exert yourself too much Ashen, you know you have a condition. He looked over at Akane. He'll be fine, he just has a little bit of anemia and sometimes he'll feint. He didn't hit his head." Dieter put his fingers to Ashens nonexistent pulse. "He's fine he's got a good strong pulse. I'm Ashen's brother Dieter." He extended his hand.

"I'm Akane." She felt relieved that Dieter had shown up to help the guy. He looked young and was cute. She didn't know him that well but he seemed very nice. She had never met someone with a spontaneously feint disease. She hoped he wasn't a sick cancer guy. That'd just be creepy.

"You'd think its that he's got cancer or something but no. He got this anemia from volunteering as a medic in the Army. He was on detail in Kenya and he got a rare blood disease from this one villiage he was providing aid too. He was just thankful he didn't get tuberculosis. Brave guy. He looks a bit young but he's been serving all last year." Dieter paused, "He got discharged once they found that the blood disease caused him to be anemic and the feinting started. We've got medicine that does wonders and I had to get him to New York to get treated. I mean they say they can get rid of it real easy if I see this Doctor (Dieter muttered an old German name that just popped into his head. Designed to be perfectly unrepeatable by an average aquaintence.), we'll get him cured quick enough. Here can you help me carry him."

Dieter slumped a limp hand over onto Akane's shoulder. She couldn't help but feel obliged to help Dieter carry his admirable brother. Dieter knew it was good to frequently visit cities and see what happened in modern times. Dime novels helped him to come up with the explanation. Akane smiled as she carried the bravest and most honorable man she knew. Once they got outside Dieter rested Ashen on a trashcan patted his pockets, pulled out his apparently empty wallet, Hallucinate had it's place for that.

Dieter looked down, "Darn no money for a cab. I can't carry him back to the Hotel." Dieter knew it was Akane's last night in new York. What he couldnt' tell from his mind reading was that she was traveling with her mom but she got called away and the room was rented for two more nights. So she spent these two nights sightseeing, shopping, and clubbing. The hotel coincidentally happened to be across the street from the club. When that thought popped into her head he had the most insidious idea strike him. He didn't even have to do any work for this either.

"Well, my hotel's across the street if he just needs a little rest I can have you gentlemen stay there until he wakes back up and feels better." Akane couldn't believe she was saying this. She didn't just ask men to come over. She saw a military ID in Dieter's wallet, again Dieter thanked his clever use of Hallucinate, and so she felt that these guys weren't making up a story just to get into her hotel room. I mean how would they know she was in New York alone.

Dieter feigned great relief and thanked her graciously. He made polite conversation and pocketed Ashen's cellphone (Dieter never could figure out his own but Ashen's worked well enough for him. More often than not the spell more than sufficed.), and Ashen's wallet in case she was going to check for it. They made casual conversation up until the room as Dieter talked Ashen up and talked about his martial arts career after his service in the army. It even fit with the lie he gave Roxy. Him and Ashen brothers hitting the town for a night of fun.

Dieter got to the hotel room and was let in by Akane. They exchanged pleasantries. Dieter gave her Ashen's cell phone number and then wrote down a few notes in german describing his now assumed identity. Dieter said he had to get to a pharmacist to get medicine for Ashen to take after he woke up and had a few errands to run and asked if Akane would be oh so kind as to watch Ashen. She agreed and Dieter was then off to meet Roxy.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Meanwhile Dieter had gotten a nice date with Roxanne set for Tuesday. He took a little snack when he bit her lip and then healed it over before she would know she was missing any blood. Dieter knew to keep appointments and would put it in his calendar after his morning workout. That's right morning. He did it because he was at his weakest and his muscles strained more on normal weights. The speed training wasn't easy either. Dieter used his games to keep his skills sharp, after all practice practice practice. Dieter smiled at the thought that Ashen would wake up with a nice woman and have to find his way back to Dieter. It was however after the sun was risen so he decided to give Ashen a call. Using the spell call.

He had taken Ashen's cell in case the girl wanted to reach Ashen. He thought it'd be best to call Ashen and give him a 411 and come to his rescue before he either ate too much, or passed out again. He wanted to make sure Ashen didn't do anything stupid out of instinct. Dieter called Ashen from the sewers the only place than Dieter really liked being this time except the subways, "Ashen read the note in your pocket you should know the language or be able to cast a charm to read it. Pick up the phone by the bed if you want to talk about anything. The paper should answer most of your questions. Stay put and get a little snack. I'll get you back to TI by tonight. I have a good place we can stay if you don't want to stick around Akane's place. She is sweet though."

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter came in through an air vent to the basement. Many of the old subway tunnels had vents that went to the surface that were neglected. Especially in these old well established hotels. Nobody really knew that the current hot air discharge actually connected to a subway tunnel. Dieter felt like crap because it was daytime. He'd done a good job of keeping away from the sun. It was also fortunate that the hotel didn't have windows in their stairwell which kept Dieter from having to worry about getting up some stories. Shields might stave off the sun a little but Dieter didn't want to have to rely on them. Dieter hated working during the day, especially without his thermas pick me up. The spell had lasted a little longer than Dieter expected it to. Dieter also got news of a plot on his life by some contacts who do wetwork. They said a group should be coming his way. Dieter also heard they were fairly new to it and taking any jobs no matter how stupid and had made a decent name for themselves. He didn't know anything about them except they were two goblins. They also were known for using hostages. Five goblins, three who were very proficient in their magics. Two who were more martial artists who would work in a couple paltry curses and charms. Their telekinetic abilities would also be second to none.

If Dieter came across them there would be no pulled punches in the hopes of keeping them alive. Those that survived would regret it. He did have a reputation to maintain and killing goblins seemed to be happening a bit too often. These guys would rue the day they took a contract on his life. The intermediary would be found and destroyed, and the one who called in the hit. Well Dieter had ways of making such mistakes reap lifetimes of punishment. Anyone who dared to attack Dieter and his friends would pay. Dieter knew himself to be hard to find and this news alarmed him, because Ashen was definitely vulnerable.

Dieter walked up the basement staircase part of the way and then he heard the running. Dammit I'm late. Dieter concentrated on being immaterial and floated under the staircase and up a few stories. Dieter knew that they would be hard pressed to use their magical advantage in a staircase. Keeping line of sight would be awkward at best and even then Ashen would be able to know the direction with no difficulty. Dieter waited in an overhang as the set of stairs changed direction. There was a convenient pillar which kept Dieter concealed. Dieter rematerialized and casted conceal.

Goblins made a habit not to look up during the sunlight. The stairwell was well to their suiting and the basement would bring them solice. Dieter guessed they would be very distracted by their quarry to notice him hiding there. Especially since all Ashen probably did was bolt. The goblins would be putting their efforts to maximizing their speed. Amazingly enough all five of them came running in a group all nice and clumped together. Dieter reacted faster than they could've ever expected.

CRUSH CRUSH CRUSH.

While maintaining a reputation meant having people know who you were, the disadvantage was that you presented yourself as a target. The three mages collapsed in place. Dieter held onto consciousness and a little slower than usual threw two well placed kunais that he made sure was coated with neurotoxin. They struck true, one in the neck, one in the eye. Dieter was pleased. Dieter then fell on top of the remaining mages and threw the clothing they were wearing over their face after inserting a gag. Natural casters could still cast even with their limbs crushed. Although the pain caused concentration to falter for the most part Dieter was a precautous fellow.

Dieter drained one of them of all their blood after tying off the other two making sure that all they could do was writhe in pain.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

"Bring her down to the basement. Hold off on eating one of these Goblins before we get this guy awake. There's a special place for these gentlemen." Dieter didn't leave room for Ashen to get a question in. Dieter then struck each of the remaining goblins at the nape of their neck. Knocking them out cold. "I believe there was a table and an overhead light. That'll be a great place to start. If you tell me you're not going to feed on the goblin while you're this hungry and during the day. I'll have to remind you that," Dieter adjusted a goblin to his shoulder to point at Akane, " That girl will be at great risk."

Dieter looked back at the bodies, "get some food off of those guys while their blood's still warm. I've been eating well today. You have not. You've failed on two accounts. That was fun. If you constantly refrain from feeding its going to affect your performance Ashen and I don't want to see you fail when it matters, like now." Dieter's face which usually carried a smile now had a scowl. Dieter's scowl would make a mad meth addict who had asaulted four officers, been arrested, and had his scowl immortalized in a mugshot run away in fear. One reason Dieter was so good at his curses was his ability to feel and want to hurt. Dieter's desire to protect overrides this but when someone attacks his friends or his allies. Well there was nothing for them but pain in Dieter's mind.

Dieter didn't like being serious except for when it mattered. Now it mattered. Now he would get the answers from them. It didn't matter if he got a slap on the wrist for torturing them later. He didn't care. He could claim self defense and he'd dispose of the bodies himself. It wasn't really his job but he'd done wetwork before. He got the two living goblins to the basement. There was a single table in the room, several boxes of equiptment, and a lamp that was being stored there. Dieter set the table up, grabbed some duct tape from one of the boxes, found a box of cheap plastic pens with the hotel's logo on them, and then duct taped the goblin's heads still as well as keeping the rest of their body supported. He got the lamp plugged in. The lamp was light and had a removable shade. Dieter loved these lamps and positioned the lamp just over the goblins resting eyes.

Dieter casted silence then healed the goblin's arms some so that they would still cause lots of pain and be ineffective for spellcasting, but they could hurt more. Crush was as devistating as it's name lived up to be. Dieter took a couple minutes to recuperate. He snacked on one of the dead Goblin's body to keep up his strength. With a bit of healing the goblin woke up and then hissed as the light flooded his eyes.

"A man is nothing without his reputation isn't that true Kubali squad." Dieter then started writing a couple of symbols on the goblin. It'd be easier to channel certain curses through the markings but they also would do to scare the Goblin.

"I know you guys were a great up and coming hit squad. It seems some guys you know knew well enough to let me know of this. They knew that I'd have them on the table right next to you if they didn't. Now I am a man that lives true to my reputation. There's a reason badasses like The Numidean fell before me. I've done this kind of work longer than you dream." Dieter kept his voice even and still. The stillness implied methodology. In the goblin's position methodology equaled bad. It meant they wouldn't accidentally kill you before you got what you wanted.

"Well we're going to start on some of your accomplices in a moment. Of those of you left I think we can get the information. It depends on who lasts longest." Dieter circled the room and threw his voice so as to confuse the goblin. He might try a last ditch spell. If that was the case he would surely miss.

"Now sir I think it's time we began." Dieter removed the gag and ten held the goblin's eyes open, exposed to the bright light. "Well, who was it that contacted you for the job. If you give me that I can heal you up and stop the pain. How long and how far do I have to go to get the answer?"

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter continued the torture. Dieter knew that the subject was likely to produce false answers. However this is why vampires with a great amount of telepathy were great at interrogation. In order to think up the correct lie one would have to think of the truth. As time passed mental defenses fell due to the sheer physical exhaustion. Dieter would have this goblin screaming the answers in his mind within an hour. No matter how well trained you are to withstand physical pain there are actual physical limits to how much pain one can feel. Doing any more usually sends even the hard core people over the edge. Multiply Pain definitely made Dieter's job go a lot faster.

Dieter wrote down the who, what, when, why and where of the Goblin's contract and his precautionary measures for revenge. He would submit copies of this information to both TI and the Coven. TI taking care of what legitimate means needed taking care of. It was also considered polite to give other vampires a chance to impress superiors. If they were to solve a problem for someone of Dieter's stature they could expect some praise and status. Dieter didn't have time to mess with them. Dieter's knew the person that hired the goblin hit team was an intermediary. Someone who called on guys like this had to be smart enough not to show up himself. It made you too liable for blackmail. Either TI or the Coven or both would get the answer of who called the hit.

Dieter knew how to maneuver to make the rest of their short lifespan of the person calling the hit very uncomfortable. Even if they were to survive Dieter knew there wouldn't be an incentive to try this kind of stuff again. Dieter got the bank account, the pin number and the goblin's signature to close the account. When Dieter turned these things in the Swizz Bank Account would be emptied and the Goblin would have escaped with much less than he had going into the mission. Now all that was left was to lecture Ashen.

"Ashen, I know you probably told her because I know you. You do know what kind of responsibility that entails?" Dieter kept his voice calm. The goblin was still writhing on the table. Dieter would allow him to live. He wouldn't allow him to live armed. Dieter reached underneath his shirt and drew a curved shortblade. Dieter sliced off one of the goblin's arms and then cauterized the stump with an iron he found in another box. Then the other arm was next to go. Dieter healed the injuries so that nothing would be able to regenerate the arms and then moved on to put out the goblin's eyes. So long as he could talk he could get the message out that you don't trifle with Dieter.

One attack this week was no big deal. Two meant that there wasn't enough fear of Dieter. Which definitely needed to be remedied.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter was glad nightfall was approaching. It made moving so much easier. Dieter knocked the goblin unconscious and held him to his chest. Alter Self provided him with the prop of a baby carrier. Dieter wrapped the Goblin in some cloth and positioned the hitman so as to appear as an infant wrapped close to my chest. "Akane you will position yourself next to me and if anyone asks your my wife. I've had enough trouble for one day. This was my weekend to have some fun and I'm rather pissed this bit of unpleasantness interrupted our encounter leaving you with so few options." Dieter paused. "A little bit longer till nightfall, good thing those elevator thingamagigers keep a lot of people from using the stairwell."

Dieter planned to walk to the nearest T-grid station with Akane as his wife and the captured prisoner as a baby. The bodies were thrown in a dumpster and someone fromt he Shadows would undoubtedly take care of those. Ultimately Dieter wanted to get Ashen and Akane back as soon as possible. Dieter didn't have time for the disposal methods and didn't have a safehouse. He would've rather do this sort of thing on his own disposing of the bodies surreptitiously and moving a prisoner. However Dieter felt his primary responsibility getting Ashen and Akane back to safe ground.

[Dieter Helyanwe]

Dieter thought for a moment. Ashen was quite naive when it came to these sorts of things. It'd been several years or so since he had actually seen the place that Ashen stayed. In fact Dieter wasn't exactly sure Ashen had a place for Akane. Dieter figured that Ashen was the kind of guy who rents. Dieter couldn't attest to the cleanliness of the place but he figured spotless would be a good guess as Ashen did not eat nor did he keep prey around. Dieter's place was acceptably messy. The kind of mess that bellies a certain charm but isn't uncleanly. Mess that provides evidence to Dieter's residence but doesn't camouflage the floor or tables with clutter.


The girl always gets the bed. She'll probably say she doesn't want to take the bed but she does. She gets the bed and you get the floor or the couch. The girl gets the bed.