SL UPDATE 1 / 22 / 2012

Just when we were thinking we were safe till we gathered our forces, the Magister, via his agent @Nikita_Steel issues us another surprise, blowing up the front gates of the Russian Embassy. Determined to protect @Alexei_Romanov and myself, @Irina_297 ushers us speedily up to a safehouse complete with a panic room and armory in the hills around Los Angeles.

We made two excursions out from it, the first to pass on a packet of evidence to @NanVFlanaganX who had gone into hiding to be of aid to me out of @FyodorGlazunov's observation. She has returned back to Dallas with the evidence packet in hand of everything we've gathered on the Vampire Magister so far. It should be enough for Godric to move on him and we're working on bringing more.

The second excursion was after my SUV, which @Viktor_Chenko had brought in from AZ had been returned to me, via trip to the police station. He was chased across their lot, shifted, went up onto the building and leapt on my SUV's roof, doing damage that would cost us later.

Seeking help to remove the curse of seeing ghosts of his former victims, Alexei and I go to a witch in Los Angeles to see if she can break the spell.  She tries hard but fails but does give us a clue... that the ring Alexei is wearing, his father's cannot be removed or given up unless it is his will. ... We now have an explation for why the second vampire killed at the Arizona safehouse was so determined to get it and we know that Fyo knows this, too.

Leaving however, we discover that Fyodor's psychopatic agent Nikita Steel knows where we are, too. She attacks us without reservation, and we engage in a terrible firefight on the streets of Los Angeles that requires extensive cover ups to conceal vampire business playing out so dramatically. The witch who we went to see captures my attention as she steps out into the midst of it to cast wards and protect the innocent.

We flee, dragging our firefight with us, but are joined by Irina and are able to escape.  What escapes me, however, is the damage to the tracking scrambler on the roof of my SUV. Nikita has attached a double rigged tracker to the bottom of it, one of which drops at the safe house.

A few nights later, as Alexei and I leave to greet his incoming forces and Irina goes to check our armory, Nikita slips in, poisoning the blood Irina and Alexei are to drink and setting a bomb on the car we have been forced to steal.  When we finish greeting the troops, however, Alexei, safe in their escort, and I part company, he to take care of business at the Embassy and I to visit family. Irina returns shortly before I do to the safehouse and the bomb goes of moments later. To protect me after I'm stunned when the gas tanks blows, Irina takes me into the panic room and locks me in... and injured, needing to recover quickly, partakes of the poisoned blood.

Weakened despite her vast age, she is taken and I remain trapped.  Alexei returns with a small number of his guards to the bombed out car and signs of the battle Irina gave before being taken.  Hearing me call for help, he frees me from the panic room. I tell him what I have seen through the panic room monitors and try to calm him reassuring him that Irina will survive but be used as bait, not to let Fyodor into his head in this state.

However... in that regard, I am too late. Fyodor calls him, well aware of the situation at the safehouse because of the cameras that Nikita has left behind for his pleasure at our distress and when I am out prepping my SUV to leave, Fyodor calls and offers a deal... my life and my freedom from his fixations and Irina's life in exchange for the ring to control all the jewels. Hoping against hope, Alexei agrees, and calls Miranda to aske for a sleeping draught for me. Emerging he tells me he would like to go to her as he's called and she believes she has a means to help us. I share with him what I have found, that we were tracked  here but that I've removed the device that allowed Fyodor to do so.

We set off to Miranda's shop. Alexei asks me to go get him a blood from the store nearby and trusting Miranda, I leave. When I return, Alexei suggests that he drive and. still aching from my impact with the wall that stunned me, I agree and he slips into my coffee the sleeping potion Miranda has provided. I realize its effects before it can take me out completely, realizing what Alexei intends. As he explains he is doing this to return my life to me, I vow I'll find him and with a final kiss fall to rest in his arms.

He's taken me to my mother's home, where his guard is keeping a watchful eye. I wake to find myself home and listen coldly to the pleadings of the guard captain, speaking for Alexei, not to follow him. I ask if he's done, thank him for the attempt, and knowing Alexei would never let me be held against my will, leave,  going to Miranda to ask for her help.  Climbing in my SUV I see a blood stain and the blood is Alexei's which give Miranda a means to begin searching for him. We get a partial beaing northeast and recognizing her usefulness, I ask  her to joing me.  She agrees, understanding that she will be recompensed for her troubles and for closing her shop and we set off for Dallas, my new home, there to rejoin forces with Godric (@SheriffArea_9) and his wife (@Ari_RP) and Nan Flanagan (@NanVFlanaganX) and their powerful ties to the AVL.

TBC...

OOC Post: Thanks and on the subject of #FangtasicFollows

Greetings everyone,
Am enjoying one of those curse/blessing experiences and have sought out the advice of one of the more experienced RPers who has been a wonderful mentor to me here to figure out what to do.

It has been my blessing to have been gifted with a consistently growing number of followers to the current SL I am privileged to share. As a thank you to those who have joined us, I made a consistent effort to reccomend that each of my followers follow the other. Because I work kind of a crazy schedule, I took up calling them #FF or #FangtasticFollows since Friday is only an occasional option.

Given the substantial uptick in followers, I came to the realization that it would now take me well over 130 posts, at present, to maintain doing so and with a heavy heart realized it was no longer feasible. There are... #FangtasticFollows and there is spamming the list.  I would have to add to that that there is no way of knowing if some few of those accounts are still active, etc. or are simply the single-shot horoscope that is the extent of the existence of some folks.  I do edit my list so that Wal*Mart, rug cleaning companies, car rental agencies, airlines and etc who think a human detecive who works for vampires frequent them ARE deleted. LOL... The two REAL detective agencies and the P.I. legal services firm... I let them stay. I hope we're amusing the hell out of them!

In any case, I *WILL* continue to post #FF #FangtasticFollows to those you really ought to follow to have our SL make sense. Regarding the current one we have been planning a finale that will make the folks over at HBO sorry they don't have us on staff!

... and you will see them for the folks who have shared their talent and generosity by working with me storylining in the past to add to my ongoing learning experience here.

My thanks to the deliciously, maliciously malievolent @Nikita_Steel for late nights and DM giggles while we not only plan mayhem but keep it consistent. My thanks also to @Alexei_Romanov @FyodorGlazunov and @Irina_297 for doing the same of late as we turn Los Angeles into a vampire warzone.

We thank each and everyone one of you for following and look forward to sharing your stories and ours.

Best regards,
Cassie
@CassieCGibson  (follow my lighter side RP account @StellaMSutton )

MY Storyline as of Jan 4, 2012

... Hi all,
This post is, as they say, out of character. I had had the gift of a brilliant storyline assignment by my crafty and ancient boss and it went place I never expected and let me encounter some wonderful new characters who've just been an RPer's dream. I got SO involved that I was focused there and let here slip. Since dealing with the Fellowship of the Sun business, killing a human trafficker of my own accord, and hunting down to vampires who were the supplier of illegal  human immigrants as donor earned me some cred... my character ended up with the daunting to most other humans job of finding a missing Vampire Sheriff. Little did I know I'd get involved with something where the fate of country half a world away was at stake... hmmmm... let's say... at RISK.

My name is Cassandra Gibson, I work as a special investigator the @SheriffArea_9 – more personally known as Godric.

A few months ago, I was assigned the task of finding the missing Sheriff of Area 8, Herbert Montrcrief.

Looking at one of the only pieces of evidence, a photo of the sheriff and a human female companion, revealed that she was wearing actual royal jewels of great value. They turned out to be a massive ruby that is from the Jeweled Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and diamonds from the Diamond Diadem. They are the Romanov Family Jewels and I discover I am not the only one searching for them.

At @EricNorthmanSVM’s bar , @FangtasiaSVM , I arranged a meeting with the other person searching for the jewels: @AlexeiRomanov , the last tsar or prince of Russia, turned vampire to avenge the murders of his family. They are the last of the stolen jewels that he has tracked down around around the world. … but about these jewels there is something different, something that may have enable the Sheriff of Area 8 to have been taken - a curse that enables them to control all the vampires within a limited area.

Before, however, I can become fully invested in the search, I am summoned to New York City by the vampire magister, @FyodorGlazunov , purportedly because he is impressed with my work for Godric. I quickly discover that this wealthy, incredibly powerful vampire, who answers only to the AVL has an interest in me that has little to do with my work. Thinking I’ll be done with him if I let him feed and get the hell home, I allow him to do so and am relieved whe he passes out drunk from Fae blood and collapses back on the bed. Trapped by a staff that will only listen to him, I spend the night and bolt when the doors open again in the morning.

I return home and to my own surprise, shaken by being the prey instead of the predator for once, I call Alexei Romanov simply to have his company. To my further surprise, we are briefly intruded upon by my occasional partner, @Viktor_Chenko , a werewolf with a plethora of habits I would have arrested him for when I wore a badge and worked vice. The surprise is not his arrival but that he’s arrived only to check on me, even if he lies about the reason. So the were I often call “Roadkill” turns out to have a small, fuzzy heart.

Back home, Alexei Romanov and I begin working together to find the powerful Romanov Jewels, our work and joint determination to find them bringing us closer outside of professional lines. One evening, four vampires, arrived at the home of Alexei Romanov, one of them a vampire we’d seen before in photographs of the night the Sheriff of Area 8 vanished. Sensing they are are all older and a threat, Alexei, in a show of respect few vampires would offer a human woman, even with my track record, calls to report their presence. Arriving, I heard a scuffle inside, and killed the first vampire I saw. Working together, we captured two of the attackers and ended the other. On two taken prisoner we find a stylized tattoo of a bird of prey.

Following a lead, the only three illegal fences capable of having trafficked such large jewels into the country, we find the bird in the office of one of them again. Alexei - who it frequently escapes my mind is a prince, and I continue to travel west, stopping in El Paso. There, however, I am sent a package, a disposable cell phone and a warning from Godric that the magister is monitoring my communications in a way that has nothing to do with his job. I realize that something more is going on that Godric can’t tell me and there is a reason why he’s been demanding my reports in writing despite his almost impenetrable electronic security. The Magister may now be as much of a danger to me, to us, as our vampire-kidnapping and possibly vampire-controlling quarry.

Needing resources and safety, we head to AZ, to the estate of the Sheriff for whom I first worked. I send a message to @Viktor_Chenko to follow us as soon as he is able. Greeted as an old friend and a trusted new one, Alister Conrad, my Sheriff, gifts us with our selection of weapons— as much as we can take with us and refuge while we plan our next move. Viktor catches up with us and we are joined briefly by a former confidant of Alexei’s.

Our time of refuge is abruptly interrupted by two enemy vampires, one of whom kills Alexei’s long time confidant, briefly throwing him into a a tailspin but bringing us even closer.

Alexei takes on the second assassin, who opts to kill himself when under interrogation. He is foolishly carrying orders with him… that again have the seal of the bird of prey. Wondering who could have such power over vampires - I come to the realization that the person sending the attackers is Fyodor Glazunov. And since the last vampire, in the pitch of battle, attempted to take Alexei Romanov’s family ring, we now suspect Fyodor knows about the power of the jewels as well.

Godric also manages to get a message to me, that Fyodor’s fascination with me extends not only to a meal and sex but to becoming my maker.

Knowing we need to flee, we continue our journey west, our goal, California, to the Port of Long Beach where Alexei’s Royal Guard is due to arrive to reinforce us. Ahead of their arrival we have been joined while staying at the Russian Embassy in Los Angeles, my home town, by his trusted and able lieutenant @Irina_297 .

Fyodor’s intentions have followed us here already, however, even in the relative safety of the embassy where Alexei’s status as prince gives us resources and protection. Photos of long dead victims that still trouble Alexei Romanov have arrived by courier, disturbing him profoundly. Scouting out the Port of Long Beach I was attacked by the shifter agent of Fyodor Glazunov - @Nikita_Steel who I’m sure we’ve not seen for the last time.

One more complication has befallen us, however. I lost Alexei’s coat to the shifter and in the aftermath, he has beome afflicted with visions of those victims whose lives he so regretted taking and we suspect witchcraft is now one of the weapons we are facing.

THIS…. is our story so far and thanks for following…

Guess Who's Here... NOT

Originally published Sept 5, 2011

can only assume you knew nothing about all this but Bethanie showed up at my door the other day, let herself into it when I wasn’t here and I nearly blew her head off when I came home.

When I sent her a spare key I thought she’d have the sense to at least tell he when she was going to show up and not send some half-assed teasing text about thinking about it just because she had one.

I get shot at, occasionally bitten not of my choice, been drugged, almost raped, hit over the head and was recently attacked by a malicious grove of trees but you’re braver than I am… you’re raising kids. I have to track a few leads in New Orleans in a few days and I have no choice but take her with me, in the company possibly the were I bitched about down the page - though he recently opted not to let my ass blown to kingdom come - but we all know I’m going hell anyway.

If she didn’t tell you she got mixed up with some now pissed off were and called in a few favors from a couple of vampires to cover herself and now she’s been spotted with some shifter already. You know what the story will be, he’s different or she’ll fix him as far as weres and shifters go - if only there was a real spay and neuter program put into effect - vampires with rules, give me that any day.

As for the rest of life… let’s just say I had a bitch of a last few days but Tara proved she’s the kind of friend you don’t make a summer camp and never hear from again. We shared some crazy crap in those past few days. Mostly I wish she’d been with me though to hold up the exhaust system while I jury-rigged it with a measuring tape. Road repairs where I ended up the other night are not a big priority. I think it’s to keep the riff-raff… IN.

Later when it’s worthy. I’ll let you know how our little sister is doing and and try to teach her some taste about WHO she’s doing - sorry, but it is me. Vice Cop: No Filter.

Love to you all. Cassie

Dreaming a NOT so Little Dream...

Originally published Aug 29, 2011

DREAMING A NOT SO LITTLE DREAM…

Well, Sis, I’ve done this so long I can now post about not posting about my work in detail! LOL  Hope all of you are great.

Rave reviews on the first job with one lingering side-effect.  I’ve felt fabulous for days but for the dreams.  Quick tip from your older sister: NEVER feed from an ugly vampire - especially not one over a thousand years old  ( @EricNorthmanSVM ) and this one could make a 90 year old nun give up her vow of chastity on her deathbed.  

I mean, it was all business but you know me, total gift for saying the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate times.  He’s six-four, blond, looks that would get him on the front of a building in Times Square, and a body that would make Cover of the Decade for Men’s Health.  So… let’s just say, the blood has help.

Luckily this vampire has a sense of humor yet and thank goodness for that because he’s also engaged to a woman my friend Tara ( @Tara_T_SVM ) told me can read minds.  If he were the local horny fanger blood bank I ‘d not feel so bad, but he told me that I earned the privilege of being the first human he’d let have his blood for years.  I hope his bonded and now fiancee’   ( @SookieStack_SVM_ ) knows why he did it, that was working to protect the vampires threatened by the Fellowship in the my bosses’ ( @SheriffArea_9 and @Ari_RP ) territory.  I’m going to keep reminding myself of that the next time I see her, beats the hell out of “Hi, guess what your fianee’ and I did in my sleep”.  Of course, half the women in the bar he runs are probably actively hoping for it all around her.  The woman must be as secure as a bridge piling… wonder what that’s like?

Speaking of which, I had my mind read for the first time and found out it can work both ways.   Hell of a shock but I was working when it happened so I adapted fast.  It’s going to be a hell of an advantage at some point and I’ve seen enough Star Trek to assume that people who can do that don’t go running about doing it randomly.  They’d be bonkers in day. Gene Roddenberry was right about my 5G cell phone and the doors at Whole Foods so he’s probably right about this… and I like knowing that they know I won’t betray them.  It adds a level of protection for me.  Every other vamp I work for always had to be suspicious and when you’re 1000% vulnerable soon as the sun’s up… who can blame you?  I’m surprised the vampire who healed me doesn’t sleep at Fort Knox.  

Speaking of which… I’m drifting off myself.  I need to hunt for one more thing to finish of my security here at my new place (pics later, I promise) a very large, furred and clawed door guard who can’t be unplugged.  Going to rescue a Shepherd and train him myself. 

… and one last thing; you know how cousin Richard was doing that genealogy thing.  Tell him to send me whatever he has and if he’s not gotten 5 or 6 generations back to see if he can… just a little something that came up when I was… laying down.

Take care, tell Clint and the kids Aunt Cassie’s playing with vampires again,

Love Cassie 

WERE OH WERE

Originally published Aug 21, 2011
 

Discovered the true meaning of the sublime to the ridiculous, went from being recalled for early success to given a contact number for an associate who managed to have found the most offensive balance possible between eau de Jack Daniels and essence of roadkill. 

I have to assume he knows what he’s doing because my boss is very likely one of the ten cleverest strategist alive or undead on the planet.  Hell, he hired me so I should take that into consideration but when the new guy tells you money hires him not loyalty… I don’t see a red flag, I see May Day at the Kremlin.

About the only good thing I know so far is there’s no record of his doing V but record mistakes happen and there’s a first time for everything.  Unless he tries something, and he’s been warned, I’m trusting the boss and working with him but if it comes time to take him out… well, that’s part of keeping myself and the boss safe, too.

He’s already informed me he’s the old fashioned kind of were who would tear me to pieces and kill me - which makes him number 453 on the list of people I’ve worked with who I knew could do the same or who offered.  Just think I could find some nice accountant, settle down, and be the one to go downstairs when the burglar shows up… all of which would drive me to shoot my own self.

Anyway, he was suitably respectful after our first conversation, understood I had the upper hand to date and probably took a good lock at my ass when I left him.  My boss’s bonded has the same opinion of him as I do… but when you’re working for a vampire who might give Alexander the Great a run for his drachmas, you shut up and do as your told with whom you’re told, until self-preservation means more than a paycheck.

Originally published Aug. 19 2011... and oh what a great time I've had since!

Dear Sister Deprived of My Presence, 

Hope you didn’t find the encryption to hard to deal with.  If you ever do, track down Chelsea - she can  hack anything. Just be aware that if I don’t post up here to let you know what’s going on it’s because I’m undercover.  If it’s gone altogether at some point, I’ve instructed my new potential boss’s people to delete everything if certain circumstances occur, a wide variety of them, so don’t assume the worst.  If the worst happens, I’ve made arrangements for you to be told by better than Cassie’s blog being gone, I promise.

As for the new boss: 

Well, whoever expected this so fast. I feel like one of the jokes my roomie comedy team back in L.A. used to tell: An ex-cop in a low-cut dress walks into a vampire bar looking for a job…  Except the joke would be on Roy and Dennis - the ex-cop got one… and for a vampire that was around when the giant sequoias were seedlings… and interest from another one who, according to Tara, was around when Vikings weren’t just sports teams. Business only, I fed him and he fed me, and I found out what flash menopause feels like in Valhalla. It took two double shots of scotch to bring me down enough to drive home.  Tell Mom I apologized to her in the middle of it… or better yet … Don’t.

As for the business involved - I’ll have to see if I get on contract because of the job I just finished, giving the local Fellowship of the Dumb eventual reason to feel dumber.

Seriously, I think they learn what they know about vampires from cartoons, at least that’s what they teach. I sat through an afternoon of it and would have expected a laugh track except they were using this BS to draw in recruits. 

The photoshopped Powerpoint presentation was the most ridiculous part. Vampires are predators and I know they are dangerous but at least very few of them are flat out fucking stupid. I’ll take my chances with them any day.

I think as long as I’m around Vampires this area is interesting enough for a big city girl to keep her sanity and dangerous enough to keep me employed. Humans NOT addicted to V who will show a vampire the kind of loyalty their existence demands, with skills they find useful, have little to worry about in terms of finding work. We’re a rare commodity has been my experience.

Hope you and Clint are doing fine. Keep L.A. warm for me and for God’s sake send some dry air!

Cassie