Note to self: send pascal a picture of your dick via snapchat at earliest opportunity.
Also yeah let's just steal the 5k to give to Minmin. Find some rich fuck, use hypnosis to get the money.

>>923936
Actually, yeah. We won that duel, and Minmin doesn't get to tack on extra rules just because we were a little late in collecting our information. That's not a part of the deal. No ifs ands or buts. We should also get Bunji's help in getting Minmin to get rid of the fee.

Still keeping my credit card fraud idea handy though.

we don't have any way to transfer minmin that money even if we could find a way to get it together. maybe if we refuse to send it, he'll respect the rules. i'm sure it wouldn't look good for him to refuse to fulfil the terms of a duel.

seconding playing on minmin's pride and also texting bunji, which are both things Ricardo Should Do and Not Pascal. it's not exactly like we can tattle on minmin to his sire (yet...lmao) but we can kinda try to with bunji. there isn't a good way to get the money and pay minmin for this info, and even if we do, minmin will know that that tactic works on us and will just keep asking for more money. OH also when ricardo texts minmin, he should compliment bunji. say he's cool and that they've been texting each other animal pics. that should win some friend points and Loving His Husband points

Lol, we're not paying that. Fuck that. Call bunji. Ask him for the info, it was a doubles duel, his reputation is on the line, too. Imply but don't state that minmin is being a fuck about it.

Also mention that minmin sent a picture of his pussy to Pascal.

Also imply that you think minmin might be covering for not actually knowing as much as he said he did, why else wouldn't he just fulfill the terms?

Tell Pascal you're going to play good cop/bad cop, then text Minoru something like "I'm sorry Pascal sent you dick pics, I'll get him to stop if you get us the information."

Hehe tell pascal to tell Minmin "that picture of my penis is worth at least 5k"

we are NOT paying. if you yield once youre setting a precedent and minoru will be more of a dick in the future. ricardo should totally get bunji involved

We should definitely try to sic Bunji on Minmin. about this. Send him a blurry picture of an animal as appeasement and subtly mention how shitty it is to walk back on duel terms. Pascal's right, we don't have any leverage, so appeal to his sense of honesty instead? As long as we're haunted by our own Good Boy Guilt we can try and weaponize his too.

im sorry everyone but obviously bunji will be on minorus side on this he loves him So Much and between honoring rules ricardo and pascal can't enforce and spiting the people who made his husband cry unfortunately he more likely will pick the latter one. maybe talk to bunji but not in a begging kinda way. chin up high. dont ask him to make minoru do things for us thatll end badly

>>923936
HONESTLY THIS

>>923980
sorry for the double post but i just realized. minmin is fucking LOADED, he said his relationship-divining costs like a million fucking dollars, he probably spends 5K on his fucking acrylics or whatever. he'll barely benefit from it in comparison, while we're broke as shit
so, like, its 100% a power play and a dick move, therefore, dont bite

Text Minmin to ask if Bunji knows he's sexting with Pascal, and then text Bunji to say Minmin's trying to reneg on the duel terms and if you both die you won't be able to text him any more good animal pics

Uhh I dunno about asking Bunji yall....hes probably definitely going to side with Minoru over us. Plus then he’ll tell Minoru that we reached out to him and he’ll be even leas willing to cooperate. Just because he’s more traditional doesn’t mean he won’t stick by his husband over us?? Especially since they’re Very Close like. I think it’s a bad idea to go to Bunji.

>>923989
yeah but bunji seems a pretty honest and straightforward guy. we've already seen that he's is kind of embarrassed by his husband playing fast and loose w/ things that are culturally important to vampires (the.. biting thing...) and he surely understands that trying to back out of duel terms is Shitty

It’s difficult to predict how Bunji would react, but I think one thing that’s very clear is Minmin is testing/antagonizing us. He doesn’t need $5,000. He’s trying to see if we’re easy to intimidate and push around. Even if appealing to Bunji’s sense of integrity is successful, it’s not going to do much to prove that we can stand up for ourselves.

I think we should try to have Ricardo make Minmin back down first, and only bring Bunji into it if that doesn’t work. Getting in contact with Minmin’s sire should be an absolute last resort, because I think doing that would make him VERY angry. No matter what, though, we shouldn’t pay, or we’ll lose face in Minmin’s eyes in a way we may never recover from.

>>924000
He's hitting Ricardo where he's weak so turnabout should be fair play.

'Have the fortunes of the Higuchi estate fallen so badly that a Lord must try and wheedle out a pitiful sum by disrespecting the terms of a duel?'

>>924013
OH YES LOVE THIS also make a mental note to ask pascal about his dick pic pro strats later on

>>924013
This honestly sounds like the best thing to say, it's polite but lets him know that we're not gonna be pushed around.

>>924000

But even though I think >>924013 'Have the fortunes of the Higuchi estate fallen so badly that a Lord must try and wheedle out a pitiful sum by disrespecting the terms of a duel?' owns very hard, maybe its not the best thing to say. It doesn't come off as polite to me, more venomous and challenging.

Whatever we say should sound more friendly/playful and leave it open for Minmin to back down gracefully, or else we're just going to embarrass him and piss him off.

Yeah, something more casual like "hahaha come on surely you don't need the money" works better imo

>>924066
Remember this is coming from Pascal who treats texts as letters, but I do think we could be a bit more delicate with how we approach and not immediately put him on the defensive (though I think this track is very very good)

Perhaps something more like
"Dear lord higuchi
You are truly a master of this century's humour. We are both aware your house has no need of such a paltry sum from the likes of us. Why, we saw that you receive american dollars in the thousands for merely a tip, and your memory is hardly in question— as if you could be as well connected as you are if a day was all it took for forgetfulness to take hold. Please fill us in and clear the slate between us.
Your companions in duels
Pascal and Ricardo"

This isn't the most pascal-y but the idea is flattery+calling his bullshit out in a way that implies he's too good to need money from us. Which is literally the case. He absolutely does not need $5k from us.

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:04 No. 924466 ID: 270774
File 155174066240.png - (134.24KB , 800x525 , 364.png )

Huh.

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:04 No. 924467 ID: 270774
File 155174068350.png - (156.28KB , 800x525 , 365.png )

Focus. Focus. “We’re absolutely not paying,” Ricardo says.

“Well, of course.” Pascal stops kicking the dashboard, finally. “If we do, probably he will never take us seriously again. We will be fools to him forever.”

“But that information is important, too.”

“Yes… ugh, what a situation we are in, Ricardo.” Pascal fiddles with his phone a little, then suddenly perks up. “Oh, I know what I will say! Ha! ‘Ah, have the fortunes of the Higuchi estate fallen so that the heir must try and wheedle out so pitiful a sum by disrespecting —’”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” says Ricardo.

“‘— the terms of a duel —’ What do you mean whoa, Ricardo, I am a man, not a horse —”

“Don’t send that.” Ricardo drums his fingers against the wheel — in spite of himself, he’s started looking for a section of shoulder to pull over on. “We have to stand up to him, but we shouldn’t just mindlessly antagonize him.”

“He is mindlessly antagonizing us,” Pascal hisses.

“You’re the one who’s supposed to know how to handle all this passive-aggressive ‘spats between vampiric noblemen’ shit, but you can’t until you get your temper under control.” Ricardo hits the turn signal and eases onto the shoulder before putting the car in park. “So I’m taking over.”

“I do not have a temper — oh, you will let me drive?” Pascal’s protests dissolve immediately, and he’s perfectly cheerful as they swap seats. “Ehehehe. Beep beep!”

“Don’t beep beep.” Ricardo flops back against the passenger seat and pulls out his phone. “Alright. We’re going to try a different approach.”

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:05 No. 924468 ID: 270774
File 155174070408.png - (92.14KB , 800x525 , 366.png )

A quick google search pulls up a solid cat picture, and Ricardo sends it off. The answer is prompt.

FROM: BUNJI Cool

FROM: BUNJI Pet it

God. Vampires.

TO: BUNJI I can’t. I didn’t take this picture, I’m traveling. Just thought you might want to see it

FROM: BUNJI I did want to see it Beautiful cat

TO: BUNJI Yeah. Anyway were you aware your husband is being a bitch

Oops. That wasn’t really supposed to come out like that. Ricardo isn’t much better at texting than talking. He grimaces a little at his phone.

FROM: BUNJI He has been smiling at his phone a lot so I assumed he was

FROM: BUNJI He looks so beautiful Being a bitch makes him so happy

FROM: BUNJI Wait I’ll send a photograph

“Ugh,” says Ricardo, aloud. Pascal glances over at him quizzically, but he doesn’t feel like elaborating.

TO: BUNJI That’s okay Bunji I really don’t need to see a picture

FROM: BUNJI Look https://bit.ly/2IQPjzB

TO: BUNJI Okay. Anyway isn’t it really bad for your reputation for him to be trying to walk back on duel terms

FROM: BUNJI Is that what he’s doing Well that’s certainly wrong I believe in honor and integrity and respect between men

Ricardo lets out a little sigh of relief. Now they’re getting somewhere.

TO: BUNJI Cool. Glad you agree. So can you do something about him

FROM: BUNJI No

What.

TO: BUNJI What.

FROM: BUNJI I’m sorry Ricardo I do think that what my husband is doing is objectively wrong and it goes against my principles But look how happy he is

FROM: BUNJI He’s enjoying himself so much He was very upset after that duel This is cheering him up

FROM: BUNJI Wait I’ll send another photograph

TO: BUNJI No it’s okay

FROM: BUNJI https://bit.ly/2UjY32v

Okay. This isn’t actually going anywhere at all.

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:05 No. 924469 ID: 270774
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“How is it going, Ricardo?” Pascal asks, as if on cue. Ricardo notes, a little chagrined, that (on a straightaway with not too many other drivers around) Pascal’s driving has actually been fine so far.

“Well, I didn’t make things any worse.” Ricardo pushes his hair off his forehead, scowling. “Bunji is too blinded by love to help out, apparently.”

“People in love are so annoying,” Pascal declares. “Especially married ones. My husband this, my husband that! Be quiet! No one cares at all about your husband! Suffer this entrapment in silence like the rest of us!”

Pascal’s talent for immediately dragging things off topic is impressive, but unhelpful. “I’m just going to try to go right to the source,” Ricardo says, as he navigates through his messages. “I think if we just try to stay — I don’t know. Reasonable, but firm, and give him a chance to back down himself by showing that we aren’t going to be pushed around, it might work.”

“Do as you like,” Pascal sighs. A car slides into their lane, abruptly, and he mutters something under his breath in Romanian and makes a violent little gesture through the windshield before continuing. “Sometimes your way of talking is a little, euuuhhh … it is like you don’t know what you are doing, Ricardo, but sometimes also this can be disarming. It can be a little hard to be rude to you.”

“Really,” Ricardo says, raising his eyebrows as he taps out his first message. “Because you don’t seem to have any difficulty.”

TO: MINORU Hey - what is all this, man

“Well, you’re cute, Ricardo,” Pascal says. “That just means you become a little fun to tease.”

“Huh,” says Ricardo.

FROM: MINORU oh hi lol got bored of bothering my hubby??

TO: MINORU I wasn’t bothering him, I was sending him cat pictures. Anyway, come on. What gives. I know you don’t need the money

FROM: MINORU of course i dont need the money. oh my god. like at most that would b like a coupon 2 go get my nails done ONCE

FROM: MINORU but YOU two need 2 learn 2 keep ur shit in order and 2 never let shit like that go or u like, r NOT gonna survive other vamps lol. not everyone is as nice as meeeeee

TO: MINORU You are not nice


“Yes, there is a charm to you, Ricardo! I like you much more already than I thought I would,” says Pascal. “Really I thought I would spend this entire time feeling very spiteful towards you, or maybe resentful, or maybe hoping you would just die already and leave me alone! But actually I think I do not feel this way at all, so far.”

“Hm,” says Ricardo.

FROM: MINORU im nicer than the ppl ur about 2 meet lolllll

FROM: MINORU better stop being a crybaby. or get it all out of ur system while u have a chance

FROM: MINORU but u know wat? ballsy of u 2 try n talk 2 my husband abt it, shows u at least know how 2 try to work ur net. and ballsy of u 2 then just straight up text me like “hey stop it.” sometimes stupid and cute ARE enough

FROM: MINORU also bunji wont shut up abt the cat u sent him like oh my god it still has the stock photo watermark on it and everything but he like does NOT get that its not a cat u actually saw which is fucking hilarious. i love my little old man

FROM: MINORU plus like UGH he gave me that Look and the like blah blah blah minoru im happy ur enjoying urself but we are nobles from the most prominent houses in japan and must conduct ourselves accordingly bc we are reflections of our sires blah blah like whaaaaateverrrr oh my gooooood

FROM: MINORU so! fine! fine lol. u arent being SUPER annoying and u made me laugh so ill let it go just this once

FROM: MINORU next time ur screwed tho ;3c

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:06 No. 924470 ID: 270774
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Ricardo leans forward in the seat and gives a long, slow exhale of relief. “Did it.”

“Really?! Ricardo, wow! How skillful!” Pascal exclaims. “I really did not think you would be able to manage that at all! I was expecting of course for everything to be made much, much worse!”

“Thanks,” says Ricardo. His phone buzzes again, and he looks down and unlocks it.

FROM: MINORU ok so the two ppl kel talked to in boston were def babenburg wards. there’s babenburg sleepers all over the us which is like…. kiiind of smart but not when it gives me a rly clear picture of whats happening when they all move at once lmaoooo!!! idiots! anyway every stationed babenburg i know of mobilized as soon as the misinfo started to spread, that’s 5 teams of 2 rn bc a bunch of them got recalled 2 europe earlier this year for shit i still havent managed to ferret out

FROM: MINORU that does NOT mean im bad at my job btw i just have a lot on my fucking plate and babenburg is slippery. hes got his creepy spindly fingers in almost as many pies as me except w/o the advantage of being universally beloved by everyone

FROM: MINORU anyway. i think the 2 u should b worrying abt are obvs the ones who got rly close before, which again is the ones kel talked 2. got profiles incoming

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:06 No. 924471 ID: 270774
File 155174077904.png - (205.36KB , 800x525 , 368.png )

The first picture sends, and Ricardo opens it up.

FROM: MINORU babenberg wards have numbers + aliases but the numbers are used mostly internally and arent like, important. this one goes by rex. turned mid 1950s in the midwest. power type, been one of the duke’s most trusted for a while. like i said, babenberg’s slippery but u cant hide patterns over time. this guys been spotted on scene at 4 of the last 10 “misfortunes” involving major vampiric political houses in the past 60 years and im gonna ask u to please contain ur total shock when i tell u that all those incidents ended up in the house of babenberg receiving power and/or money lol

FROM: MINORU hes been paired w different other bb wards on and off but i can only start finding stuff abt his most recent partner like 20 years ago and even then not a lot

FRACTAL 2019/03/04(Mon)15:06 No. 924472 ID: 270774
File 155174080115.png - (227.08KB , 800x525 , 369.png )

Minoru sends a second picture.

FROM: MINORU goes by jonquil according to kel but there is NOTHING on this bitch. im talking NOTHING. i only found this picture by going thru pics rex was in within the past 20 years, then going and finding the orig photographers plus any other photogs who were there that day, then tracking down their negatives/etc and going through the bgs of each one. its the only way i even pinned them as being in the same place as rex on the same dates. but any other vamps i found in the photos (barely any lol) i could place, and they werent babenbergs, and listen: BABENBERG! WARDS! DO! NOT! WORK! ALONE! EVER! so i knooooooow this guy is rexs partner. but thats all i know for sure. i cant even confirm gender lmao, not that it matters. this pic was digital and the photo smudging isnt that bad so theyre young, i wanna guess like not even 30 years turned

FROM: MINORU anyway. oldest confirmation i can find of them working w rex is 20 years ago, 20 years ago babenberg lands a couple huge diplomatic partnerships presumably under pressure and makes some pretty big leaps in cradle society INCLUUUUUUDING getting into constantin bathory’s silk lined pocket lmaoooo. whoever this one is, like, i get that this is all theorizing at this point, but like? competent. maybe scary competent. gets shit done, makes the duke feel confident. could b a specialist w some like, bonkers nasty ability or w/e

FROM: MINORU i put eyes out on their description and got a ping last night but uhhhhh last night is outside the duel terms lol! all i had to tell u was what i scraped together abt them at baseline. but just so u know: theyre out there ;)

And would that ping happen to be $5000? Anyway, thanks for the help. Don't appreciate the run-around, but whatever, you wanted to teach us, I guess.

Thank him for paying up, then show the photos to Pascal. Aside from being useful information this is confirmation that info from the dreams is at least partly accurate, which is good to know.

first of all, let’s thank minoru for all the work he put in digging up info. then let’s tell pascal what we know, and see if he knows anything about babenburg/his wards?

god bunji is a GEM he’s so in love with minmin. it’s adorable. let’s negotiate for the ping info - *that’d* be worth paying for. “if we survive you’ll probably get to laugh at us more. and i’ll take some cat pics myself for bunji if we see any. that enough for a discount at least?”

hey heads up — there’s an error! minmin says “vegas vamps” but he doesn’t actually know where you guys are or where you’re headed, i was just spacing out while writing. putting in a request for an edit but until then — totally disregard that, please!

Thank Minmin for the information by telling him to shift into a tsuchinoko (idk if Ricardo knows the name of it. perhaps the "round snake thing from Japan") for his husband. Ricardo knows Bunji likes cute animals and holding Minmin as a snake, so its reasonable to say. Whatever occurs from that is far more worth it than $5000 whether Minmin has ever shifted into that before or not.

Definitely show Pascal the photos, and bring up the topic of possible clairvoyance again. That first dream featuring these two very much proves there is something like that going on.

Thank minmin, he could have dragged that on for much longer even with bunji being disapproving. Also thank bunji and send him a pic of Pascal driving like "he's happy now 2"

Then download snap chat. And check undead boner status?

If there's an opportunity for casual conversation get Pascal to teach you to swear in Romanian

Not much to do about Rex and Jonquil for the moment, but good to know about Battenburg wards working in pairs.

thank minmin. ask bunji about the names of his cats

I think Ricardo deserves a nice reward for solving things so well so fast, Pascal...

>>924472
wow i am so in love with them already. I think it's worth at least asking what he wants for the newest information, we need to know if their close to finding us.

Thank Minmin for the info, and ask Bunji about the name of his cats because we need to build up a connection with them.

Also download snapchat but DO NOT permit Minmin or Bunji to know Pascal's or your usernames. If Pascal already spilled the beans to Minmin do not permit him to take pictures that could reveal his location.

Also remember to get Pascal glasses because we don't want another dick pic cat incident on our hands.

Also download Pokemon Go but also do not permit Pascal to make friends with other vamps on it. Pascal might enjoy the cute little pokemon.

Trade him Pascals Zodiac sign for it.

Thank you Min. Also thank Bunji he really helped even if he didnt mean to. Send him another cat pic.

>>924472
Thanks Min, if I can manage to find a reliable source of income and secure way to transfer, I'll buy that info off of you if it's still worth it in that time. Probably won't be, to be fair, if they're as large a threat to us as you say they are. We'll meet them soon enough.

Jonquil sounds like a spook. Wonder if some vamps work for the government as spec ops if they wanna play human politics. I've heard of a few who fought in WW2 when they were already turned.

a. that’s quite the reflection, on snapchat.... and I think Ricardo should get it.

b. Pascal is so happy to drive! Beep beep! I’m love Pascal’s enthusiasm and joy!

c. Bunji loves Minmin so much, and that’s So Good, and ahhhhhhhhhhh, those bonus pics of him being happy, oh my goshhhhh. Defos ask Bunji about the names of their cats. And maybe ask if all their cats are Sphinx cats? Is that both of theirs favorite kind of cat?

d. Pascalllll, running his mouth about how he thought he’d hate being on this trip, lmao.... it would definitely be good for his personal development and connections to learn how to give compliments without pairing them with insults.... he’s being sweet in his own current way, though.

e. go Ricardo, talking down Minoru from being a jerk! And bless Bunji not getting that it’s a stock photo.... my goshhhhhh.

f. I really cannot impartially react to this information about Rex and Jonquil. All I see is those puppy play pictures and other similar ones from your nsfw twitter, and I just want that to happen. Let’s.... get them on our side, somehow, when we do run into them................

g. definitely checking undead boner status sounds like a reasonable measure.

FRACTAL 2019/03/06(Wed)23:46 No. 924909 ID: 270774
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>check undead boner status?
All of the things happening in Ricardo’s head right now are not cancelling each other out the way he thinks they should. In the end, horniness prevails, leaving his undead boner status MILDLY DISTRESSING.

FRACTAL 2019/03/06(Wed)23:46 No. 924910 ID: 270774
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>I think Ricardo deserves a nice reward for solving things so well so fast, Pascal…
Ricardo thinks so too but he is not going to fucking say so.

FRACTAL 2019/03/06(Wed)23:46 No. 924911 ID: 270774
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In a moment of spiritual weakness, however, Ricardo downloads Snapchat.

To distract himself from this lapse, he turns back to his messages.

TO: MINORU Thanks. Didn’t appreciate the runaround but at least you came through

TO: MINORU Any chance I could actually negotiate that last known location off you?

FROM: MINORU what, for less than 5k? loooooool. this info is actually USEFUL and VALUABLE so dream on. u dont have enough money for what it’s worth and u wont be able to get enough before it’s obsolete

FROM: MINORU in terms of intangibles, since thats the only way u could DREAM of negotiating w me rn lmao…… ummmm lets say, like, u tell me something pascal doesnt want me to know :)?

FROM: MINORU and dont try 2 get together w him and come up w a little lie. i promise im better at this than u and ill be able to tell and ill fuck up your whole life for trying it lol

Hm. Yikes. Ricardo decides he doesn’t want to spend any more time talking to Minmin right now.

Instead he relays the information about the two pursuers that he’s received from Minmin to Pascal, who listens attentively.

“Well,” Pascal says, with a surprising amount of levity in his tone. “If they are Babenbergs, we have less to worry about!”

“What, really.” Ricardo has the pictures pulled up, and he flips back and forth between them. “Because Minmin was making them sound pretty bad.”

“But the Duke Babenberg is close friends with my sire! So certainly they would not harm us. I mean… of course I still would not like to be caught, when I do not know what my sire will decide about you if we were brought back to the estate,” Pascal admits. He has his head tilted and his brow furrowed in thought. “Still I think the best plan is for us to stay away from them until you can fend for yourself, and then I can go back to explain things on my own, to be safest, because otherwise I am worrying that they will not give you a chance. But still, like I say, at least we do not have to worry about Babenbergs harming either of us. It would be worse to be caught by someone with no affiliation at all, like, euuuhhh, an American den’s bounty hunter, or something like this.”

Ricardo… doesn’t feel convinced. There’s more to discuss, though. He leans over to show Pascal the photos one at a time, and Pascal gasps when he sees them.

“The same as the dreams!”

“Yeah. So it looks like they’re —” He can’t make himself say clairvoyant. It feels stupid. “It looks like they’re something, after all,” he finally says.

“Ha! Something indeed.” Pascal has his eyes on the road, but he looks rattled. “How scary. Ahaha!”

“I can still ask Kel about it, if it would make you feel better.”

“Yes, I —” Pascal drums his fingers on the wheel, erratically, before lifting one hand to make a vague gesture in the direction of Ricardo’s phone. “I think I would feel better. And it is better to know more, anyway.”

FRACTAL 2019/03/06(Wed)23:47 No. 924912 ID: 270774
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Ricardo pulls up Kel’s contact and shoots off a message. He realizes she’s already in Vegas by now, which is odd to think about when the two of them are still so far away.

TO: KEL Hey. Do you know anything about sires and wards sharing dreams

In the time it takes him to send that, Pascal has already grown antsy about the silence in the car and fiddled with the radio til it starts blaring some upbeat pop song, which he mumbles along with, distractedly, in the manner of someone who doesn’t know the words but has heard it enough times to guess. Kel’s response is relatively quick.

FROM: KEL ARE YOU REALLY A PSYCHIC AFFINITY? DAMN ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

He’s halfway through typing a denial when his phone buzzes again.

FROM: KEL WAIT PASCAL IS A HYPNOTIST SO IT DOESN’T MATTER. YEAH. IT’S RARE, BUT IT CAN HAPPEN, IF ONE OR BOTH HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR PSYCHIC ABILITIES. HYPNOTISTS MAY BE SHIT IN A DUEL BUT AT LEAST THIS BALANCES IT OUT ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL BALANCES IT OUT ON ACCOUNT OF THE FUTURE SIGHT AT LEAST. IF YOU CAN EVEN GET IT TO NARROW IN ON ANYTHING USEFUL ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

TO: KEL Ours are kind of all over the place. Just got confirmation that there’s SOMETHING to them, though. Stuff we couldn’t have seen if they weren’t accurate

Ricardo hesitates for a moment, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

TO: KEL Is there a way to make them stop

Kel’s response is immediate, and he swears the notification buzz is almost more robust than usual.

FROM: KEL STOP? WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO STOP ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL YOU JUST TOLD ME THEY’RE CLAIRVOYANT ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL THAT’S A TACTICAL ADVANTAGE YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO GIVE UP ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

Ricardo sighs. He knows that, technically. And Pascal echoed a similar sentiment when they talked about it earlier in the evening. But…

TO: KEL Pascal doesn’t like it

TO: KEL There’s no privacy

TO: KEL He wakes up upset

FROM: KEL FUCK’S SAKE ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL LISTEN. I WILL SAY THIS. I’M NOT A FAN OF THE WAY SHARED FUTURE SIGHT INCENTIVIZES SHIT TREATMENT OF PSYCHIC WARDS. YOU ONLY SEE THE MOST DIRE WARNINGS IF THE VAMPIRE WITH THE PSYCHIC AFFINITY IS STRESSED, SCARED. SO SIRES KEEP THEIR WARDS UNDER PRESSURE TO FARM VISIONS FOR THE SAKE OF STRATEGY ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL CAN’T STOP YOURSELVES FROM SHARING DREAMS AT ALL, NOT WITHOUT PLENTY OF PRACTICE ON HIS PART, BUT I CAN AT LEAST TELL YOU THAT. YOU WANT FEWER NIGHTMARES? MAKE SURE HE’S RELAXED BEFORE HE FALLS ASLEEP. IN A GOOD MOOD. NOT WORRIED ABOUT UNPLEASANT SHIT ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL I’M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE THAT MUCH OUT ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL LOL ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

"gee wow no i really can't why don't you explain this to me in incredibly involved detail"

ok first off: jesus fucking christ. second off: nnnot worth negotiating with minmin. we need info but not badly enough to risk pascal's trust and happiness. thank kel, because even if this is horrible, we know more than we did. umm ... let minmin kno we won't need that info i guess since it was a potential business transaction? and, next time we're about to sleep, u can tell pascal u downloaded snapchat and see if he gets happy!

Yeah tell minmin we're not doing that but thanks anyway.

Also holy shit, no wonder pascal only ever had nightmares when sleeping with his sire, fuck that guy

well this isnt helping the boner situation, is it...

also, politely tell minmin thanks for the offer, but no.

>>924918
oh and thank kel for the info and tell pascal what she said.

Yeah, make sure Pascal knows what's up, and thank Kel of course. Also tell her what your affinity is!

And tell Minmin that you aren't betraying your sire.

I think we should tell Pascal what minmin was offering to trade and let him decide. Minmin said it had to be something he didn't want him to know, not that it had to be without his consent.

Seconding tell Pascal what kel said. Try not to think about the antics which might help him chill before bed. But actually do talk about that with him because you're stuck dreaming together for the next couple of days while you're on the road. Would having sex right before sleep (no cuddling, even though cuddling would be nice) help at all?

If you get flustered/the undead boner meter gets higher gruffly mention that you're thinking about how nice he felt under your hands as you ate his ass.

tell minmin thanks but not today!
holy shit, kel... thank her, tell pascal what she said
contemplate how pascal wants to go back to his sire, who was doing terrible things to him. maybe nows not the best time to talk about it but uhhhh
no??? absolutely not????? "pascal. kel said our dreams ARE clairvoyant, so if you go back to him, the ... future, part of the dream will happen. its not a good idea ..."
god and you know he is so, so devoted, that it won't matter to him. god, christ. how do you un-stockholm a vampire send tweet

okay i guess if that's how minmin operates i guess we're NOT going to be relying on him. tell him no thanks.

thank kel because kel is cool and is actually decent.

Thank Kel. And now Snapchat Pascal a picture of your penis.

>>924956
how about we ask pascal first? it's nice to be polite, after all.

I think letting Pascal know about Minmin's 'offer' - with phrasing something like, "he was only willing to bargain for information I wouldn't give him" - and if Pascal asks, clarify it would be something about him, and only send it if he willingly gives something up and says you should send it - be clear that you don't want to take that path, but also don't Decide for him, if that makes sense?

presuming that you're not going to do the trade, text Minmin something like "thanks, but no thanks. not worth it."

Thank Kel for the tips! and hey........ this means.... bedtime routine.......... talk with Pascal about what helps him feel calm and secure, to form a routine out of, and.... does Ricardo know any lullabies or comforting songs to hum as they fall asleep? maybe something his mother sang to him, from Brazil?

(fooling around can, of course, be a part of that some nights, but I don't think having it part of the Established Routine would be that good - don't want you or Pascal to feel like it's Required at Certain Times or anything like that! So a routine based purely on, okay, time to be moving along to sleep in a cozy way, is really important, I think.)

>>924912
Thank Kel from the info, very good to know.

(this is such a fanfic tactic but also makes a lot of sense and i love it so fucking much)

>>924911
Also highkey Pascal is too trusting of his sire, and that these vamps won't hurt y'all, definitely keep that bias in mind

>>924912
Thanks Kel, it means a lot. I'll relay the advice to Pascal.

thank kel a lot and share the information with pascal. also share the info you got from bunji with kel, maybe? i'm sure kel would keep an eye out for rex and jonquil if we asked her to, she seems extremely cool and also not scared of the cradle (i am 100% sure she could take the whole cradle in a fight)

Kel has a point - these dreams DO give us an edge. and we've already blocked off the most invasive stuff about Pascal's past. i don't want to intentionally stress Pascal out, but we've got scary black-ops vampire goons bearing down on us - i'm *already* stressed. although come to think of it we just had sex and still had the dreams, so Pascal's probably gonna keep having them until he's, like, comfortable enough to cuddle. i'm overcomplicating this. i'm sure fucking will not compromise our tactical advantage.

thank Kel, send her the pics Minmin sent us and ask if she knows anything about them. decline Minmin's offer but don't bother being too polite about it.

as long as we're on a long stretch of road with no immediate needs, ask Pascal about how Babenburg operates, what he wants and why he's allying himself with Constantin.

Ricardo has been doing a lot. He needs a sexy break.

1/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:10 No. 925433 ID: 270774
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“Hey,” Ricardo says. “Minmin’s being a piece of shit.”

“Is it in a way that is new and exciting, Ricardo, or are you just telling me things that I have already known?”

“He says he knows where Rex and Jonquil were last spotted. As recent as last night.”

Pascal squints a little. “Who?”

“The Babenberg wards.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“But he only wants to trade it for information I wasn’t going to give him,” Ricardo continues.

“Ah, what information? See, already you are being more clever about him! Good job, Ricardo!”

“Uh.” Ricardo fiddles with his phone a little. “He wants me to tell him something you don’t want him to know.”

“Oh!” Pascal scoffs, tossing his hair out of his face. “It is the same as the five thousand dollars!” Ricardo looks up up at him, and he keeps going. “He is trying to find what kind of man you are. Before, he wants to see if you are easily pressured. Now, he wants to see if you are easily bought.”

“Well, I’m not,” Ricardo replies heatedly.

“Of course! But do you want him to think you are?” Pascal executes an awkward half-shrug, complicated by his grip on the wheel. “It can be useful for him to think so.”

Ricardo only thinks about it for about two seconds. “You know what, no,” he says, pulling his messages back up. “No, I don’t want him to think that.”

TO: MINORU Thanks but no thanks

“Woooow, Ricardo, how cool.” Pascal’s tone is light and sarcastic, but when Ricardo looks back up at him, he’s smiling out at the windshield. “A good choice, I think. After all, the more I turn it over in my mind, it must be true we are not in real danger yet, yes? If those two were anywhere near to us already, wouldn’t it mean everything Minmin had done is useless? I may not like him, but I do not think that could be true. If there is one thing I trust, I think he has done well in buying us time.”

2/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:10 No. 925434 ID: 270774
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The next message he sends is to Kel, wrapping up loose ends. He ends up attaching the two photos Minmin sent, to follow on the lead Kel had already given them two nights ago.

TO: KEL Thanks. I’ll pass that info on to Pascal

TO: KEL Also. Aren’t these two the ones you described talking to the other night. Minoru says they’re Babenbergs. Does that mean anything to you

FROM: KEL YEAH, THAT’S THEM. MAKES SENSE. BABENBERG’S DEFINITELY BEEN BALLS DEEP IN BATHORY LAST I HEARD. AT LEAST THAT MEANS THEY WON’T KILL YOU ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

TO: KEL That’s what Pascal said too. I thought he was being overly trusting.

FROM: KEL WELL. HE MIGHT BE THINKING OF IT DIFFERENT. BUT BATHORY IS GOING TO WANT YOU TWO DELIVERED IN ONE PIECE. MOSTLY PASCAL ACTUALLY. HE PROBABLY DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU. BUT PASCAL. HE’S GOING TO WANT TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH PASCAL HIMSELF. IF BABENBERG IS SENDING WARDS OUT TO APPEASE BATHORY, AND I’M GUESSING HE IS, BECAUSE WHY THE HELL ELSE WOULD HE CARE, THEY’RE PROBABLY UNDER ORDERS DELIVER YOU ALIVE ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

TO: KEL Thanks, that’s horrifying. Do you know anything else about Babenberg and his wards that I should know

FROM: KEL I MEAN WHAT IS THERE TO KNOW. GUY’S A HACK. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT NOBILITY OR BLOODLINES BUT I KNOW OTHER CRADLE HOUSES LOOK DOWN THEIR NOSE AT HIM. NO BACKGROUND OR SOMETHING. ONLY ACTUAL NOBLE IN HIS HOUSE. HE’S BEEN CLAWING HIS WAY UP THE LADDER THOUGH SO THEY CAN’T KEEP SNUBBING HIM AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO. PLUS HE’S SIRING WARDS LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW. PRACTICALLY CHURNING THEM OUT LIKE A FACTORY. ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL BABENBERG WARDS DON’T DO THE “UNDYING LOYALTY” THING THAT BATHORYS AND OTHER CRADLE COVENS DO. THEY DO “MY SIRE PAYS ME MORE MONEY THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD WOULD SO I GUESS THIS IS MY JOB NOW, UNLESS YOU HAVE A BETTER OFFER” ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL YOU ARE NOT GONNA HAVE A BETTER OFFER. MONEY CAN BE A STRONGER BOND THAN FEAR FOR SOME PEOPLE. DON’T UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF BUT I’VE SEEN IT IN ACTION ENOUGH TO KNOW IT’S REAL ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

FROM: KEL THOSE WARDS ARE PRODUCED UNDER SUBPAR CONDITIONS, AND I DON’T KNOW HOW WELL THEY’RE ACTUALLY TRAINED, BUT YOU BETTER NOT UNDERESTIMATE THEM. CRADLE SPAWN IS CRADLE SPAWN, NO MATTER WHERE THEY’RE ACTUALLY FROM ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

TO: KEL Okay. Well. All of this is awful. Thanks, Kel

He pauses for a second, looking down at his phone.

TO: KEL I thought you didn’t care about Cradle politics. Why are you up to date on who Constantin Bathory is allied with

FROM: KEL MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS YOU SNOTFACED LITTLE SHIT ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

Well. Alright.

3/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:11 No. 925435 ID: 270774
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Ricardo leans back against the seat, exhaling. Pascal glances over at him. “Good news?”

“Uh. Well. Some of it, I guess. The rest of it is that we’re as thoroughly fucked as we already assumed,” Ricardo admits.

“Well, I don’t care about that part!” Pascal laughs. “Give me the good news!”

“Kel says you could learn to control whether you share dreams with me. With practice. She kind of made it sound like it would take a long time, but it’s possible, at least.” Ricardo runs his hand through his hair, shoving his phone back into his pocket as best as he can. “But in the meantime, the dreams will be worse if you’re stressed or upset when you go to bed. So we just have to make sure you’re in a good mood when you fall asleep. Really relaxed, and not worried about stuff.”

“Oh, a bedtime routine?” Pascal snorts, and even though Ricardo doesn’t look over he knows an eyeroll when he hears it. “Yes, let’s make sure I am tucked in cozy, and not afraid of monsters! Will you sing me a lullaby, Ricardo?”

Ricardo suddenly wishes he hadn’t put his phone away, so he’d have something to look at. Something to do with his hands. He shrugs. “I could.” Pascal makes an odd, startled little noise in the back of his throat, and Ricardo shrugs again, aimlessly. “I know a couple.”

“I —” Pascal shifts his weight in the seat, restlessly. “That’s silly.”

Ricardo has to admit — there’s a little bit of satisfaction in Pascal being the one who seems sort of at a loss for once. A little humor creeps into his voice. “I’m not an awful singer.”

“I know you aren’t,” Pascal replies, sounding vaguely agitated.

Okay, he’s had his fun. “Or we could fuck,” Ricardo adds mercifully.

Even out of Ricardo’s peripheral vision, Pascal seems to visibly deflate with relief. “Yes! Or we could simply fuck. Until I am exhausted. That would be fine.”

4/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:11 No. 925436 ID: 270774
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There are a few minutes without words, pulled thin and taut. The radio is tinny and distant under the blanket of silence.

“Can I send you a picture of my dick?” Ricardo asks.

“Ricardo,” says Pascal, “I am driving.”

“Yeah.” More silence. Pascal reaches over to turn the radio up, then changes his mind before he’s even released the dial. He shifts, again. Ricardo clears his throat. “Do you want to —”

“I am pulling over,” Pascal says.

“Yeah. Just. Right up there, you could —”

“I am pulling over already, Ricardo.”

“Yeah. Could you use your turn signal, or —”

“What is ‘turn signal?’”

“Jesus —”

5/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:12 No. 925437 ID: 270774
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To say that a dam had broken, or floodgates had opened, now that the two of them had already had sex once — well, those are both clichés, and the imagery is also a little on the nose for Ricardo’s taste.

6/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:12 No. 925438 ID: 270774
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animated

But sometimes that’s how it is.

7/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:13 No. 925439 ID: 270774
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A little while later, when Kel asks for a sitrep, Ricardo has to tell her they’re running a little behind.

8/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:13 No. 925440 ID: 270774
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It’s not by much, though, and by the time the sun is starting to rise they’ve still made pretty good progress, and they’re still more or less on track.

They find a truck stop with showers, and it’s nice to be able to pull into an actual parking lot for the day rather than just being on the side of the highway. Once they’ve gotten back to the van, blacked out the windows, and settled in, Ricardo pulls up his phone to show Pascal the progress they’ve made (the closest city to show him is Topeka, and he spends about ten minutes laughing at the name).

He looks good when he laughs. Ricardo doesn’t know what he himself looks like when he’s laughing, can’t quite imagine his face in that arrangement of shapes, and hopes it at least isn’t bad — especially since Pascal is having less and less difficulty making him laugh, too. Or maybe he’s just having less difficulty laughing. It’s stupid.

He kisses him to shut him up, and that’s stupid too, and then — well. They follow Kel’s advice.

FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:13 No. 925441 ID: 270774
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When they finally get to sleep, Pascal doesn’t dream.

10/10 FRACTAL 2019/03/11(Mon)23:14 No. 925442 ID: 270774
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Ricardo wakes up before Pascal, for once, and it takes a while to coax him sleepily into the passenger seat. The rest of the trip is easier, with no pressing gossip to attend to or information to negotiate, and nothing they can do about any of their circumstances until they reach Vegas — and this second half is the one where everything looks the same, everything out their windows an endless flat expanse, all dyed blue in the night.

They end up easily distracted.

Pascal is still adamant that Ricardo’s first time receiving shouldn’t happen in the back of a van, even when Ricardo mildly points out that the amount of combined time they’ve wasted on sex so far would have at been enough to at least try. Pascal won’t budge, though, and he has a point, so Ricardo drops it without pushing — besides, it’s not like he’s dissatisfied with the compromises.

On the third night, there are no dreams, either, and Ricardo isn’t surprised, given that he’d practically fallen asleep on top of Pascal.

They’re nearing the end of the fourth day when Pascal, sitting on his thighs, shoves his hand into the condom box and then makes a face.

“What.” Ricardo is sinking his fingers into the soft swell of Pascal’s ass, nosing up the line of his throat. “Hurry up.”

“Ricardo, we are out,” Pascal says. “No more condoms.”

Ricardo stops in his tracks, then snorts. “Sorry, what was that? Sorry? Who was making fun of me —”

“Oh, be quiet.”

“Who was making fun of me,” Ricardo continues, pulling Pascal closer on his lap, “for buying a twelve pack, as if that was a fucking ridiculous number, sorry, can you refresh my memory on who was mocking me about that —”

“Be quiet! Ricardo, sometimes you are so annoying! I thought you would be a boring man, when we first met, but instead you are annoying which is almost as bad — stop it, stop it,” Pascal hisses, swatting at him, because he’s started to grab at Pascal’s sides to try to make him laugh. “No sex without condoms!”

“I know, I know.” Ricardo relaxes and lets his hands fall to Pascal’s legs. “Til I get vampire tested. By a vampire doctor. For vampire STDs.”

“They are normal diseases, Ricardo, it is just you have them in a vampire way.”

“Do you listen to yourself, when you talk,” Ricardo asks, mildly. “I’m not saying you’re not right. I’m just wondering if you ever listen to how batshit all of this sounds.”

“Batshit, haha, you are a comedian,” Pascal deadpans. He stretches, arms straight above his head, and Ricardo admires the curve of his torso for a moment. “Ah, well. We are only a little while from Las Vegas now, yes? It’s just as well.”

“Yeah, we’ll be there soon.”

Pascal slips off his lap and clambers back into the front, and Ricardo follows him. “Are you ready? Kel will not be easy on you. Probably she will be wanting to start as soon as we arrive.”

Speaking of Kel, Ricardo decides to check his phone — and sure enough, he has a message.

FROM: KEL SILVER CROWN. ON THE STRIP. ALREADY GOT YOU A ROOM. YOU CAN’T MISS IT. ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

“Yeah,” Ricardo mutters, as he clicks his seatbelt. “You’re right.”

>>925442
Okay, time to think on everything you know about fighting, get used to the idea that she might not be impressed by your cool fog trick, and forget everything that movies have taught you. You'll probably be laughed at anyway.

And a kiss for good luck.

a kiss for luck PLEASE. this update is so good, it feels so satisfying... u can brace urself thinking of how you and pascal are maybe like - friends now, ricardo!! how do you.. classify intense emotional intimacy and fucking lol

>>925450
Seconding this, she's probably going to traon you sumo style.

That is to say, beating the crap out of you until you've learned true humility, no matter ow long it takes

>>925442
As soon as you pull into the Silver Crown's parking lot, you are Kel food. Prepare your butthole You're going to get jumped right away.

>>925442
Vegas arc!!
Definitely be prepared for anything once you enter the city, Kel will be trying to catch you off guard to see your skills I think.

also room means bed and bed means... ;)

Go to Philadelphia instead

Alrighty, just pull in there. Let's go and fuck in the room. Maybe not now but we gotta fuck in it somehow.

Yeah, even if you manage to dodge a blow by turning to fog, don't for a moment act smug about it. Ain't no bitch like a Gallowsglass bitch.

Should we ask kel what name the hotel rooms under?? It probably isnt just our names if everyones looking for us

1. Check into Hotel
2. Avoid Kel, get vampire tested
3. See Kel, get ass kicked / Train
4. Bone Pascal within an inch of his undead life

Stay on the lookout for weird vans with vanity plates that followed you all the way from where you started

>>925501
This but get boned by pascal within an inch of your undead life instead

love to see all these smiles and laughter! and that awesome heated passion of, "oh, hello, we are two totally touchstarved people who have super good chemistry and are Into each other"

Get ready to train!!! it's your Training Arc Ricardo, now that you've learned to Relax a bit!

I'm so excited for the girls girls girls~~~

>>925501
This but get TIED UP and boned within an inch of your undead life by Pascal.

1/8 FRACTAL 2019/03/16(Sat)00:30 No. 925953 ID: 270774
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Ricardo feels himself growing more and more tense as they approach the city. He’s scanning every car around them, suddenly wondering if they could have been followed — but nothing’s familiar or notable. To take his mind off of it, he gets Pascal’s attention. “Hey. Can you text Kel and ask her what name our hotel room is under? She said we’re staying at the Silver Crown.”

“Silver Crown,” Pascal mumbles, as he pulls his phone out. “Silver Crown… why does that sound familiar to me? Silver Crown… ah, look, she replies so quickly. She says — here, pretend I am yelling, because she writes in all capital letters — she says, ‘Under fake names.I would’ve put them under my name, but I’m not texting you ‘Please, enter room 723’ every time you need to go back to your room. With fake names the room doesn’t belong to anyone, so you don’t need an invitation to enter.’ Oh, how practical, Kel!”

Ricardo’s about to open his mouth to reply, but he’s cut off by an excited shriek from Pascal. He looks up, and —

2/8 FRACTAL 2019/03/16(Sat)00:30 No. 925954 ID: 270774
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There’s the sign, bright and buzzing. It’s shorter than Ricardo imagined it would be, not truly that far from the ground, and they’re past it in a flash; a little like dying, he thinks, with the kind of morbid sensibility inextricable from undeath. Built up, and built up — and then smaller and simpler than you expected, and over before you have a chance to really process it.

And then sometimes, after you’ve passed it, you’re a vampire in Las Vegas.

3/8 FRACTAL 2019/03/16(Sat)00:30 No. 925955 ID: 270774
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The palm trees stretch up towards a starless sky, every speck of light blotted out by the irresistible brightness below. Ricardo hears the whirr of the passenger side window and feels warm wind on his face, and when he glances over, Pascal has shoved himself nearly entirely out into the open air, still in the car from only the waist down.

“Oh,” he breathes.

“Would you — Pascal. Sit back down.”

“Oh, Ricardo,” Pascal says, ignoring him entirely. “This is different.”

Ricardo gives up and lowers his own window, enjoying the heavy burst of current. At a glance through the sunroof, he can see Pascal’s hair whipping around his face.

“Ricardo, this is so different than the last time I was here,” Pascal says again. He doesn’t have to shout to be heard above the wind, given Ricardo’s sharp hearing. He sounds breathless; they pass the pyramid of the Luxor, with its beam of light a clear blue streak against the night sky, and Pascal gasps, craning his neck to look at it for as long as possible as they whizz by. “Ricardo! Ricardo, did you see that? Ricardo, what was that? Ricardo —”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ricardo pulls one of his hands off the wheel, masking his smile by pulling his palm down over his mouth. He lets the hand rest there. “Come on, eyes forward. Plenty more to look at.” The MGM Grand comes up next, and Pascal’s head snaps around to the other side of the strip. “They’ve made some changes since the thirties, huh.”

4/8 FRACTAL 2019/03/16(Sat)00:31 No. 925956 ID: 270774
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Pascal has taken to gasping and yelping and chirping Ricardo’s name with every building they pass. He’s particularly impressed by Caesar’s Palace; he loses his shit when they stop at a light by the Flamingo, banging excitedly on the roof of the car, and Ricardo has to struggle through snorting laughter to order him to stop.

“Pascal. Come on. You’re gonna fall out of the car.”

“But I love it!” Pascal yells. “I love it! I want to look at it!”

The light turns green, they pull away, and Pascal swivels to wistfully watch as the Flamingo is obscured by layers of other neon signs. “I wish we could stay there instead…”

“Pink your favorite color?”

“One of them — oh! Ricardo! It’s here!”

5/8 FRACTAL 2019/03/16(Sat)00:32 No. 925957 ID: 270774
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The Mirage, the Palazzo, and the Venetian have all been passed, and that’s when Ricardo catches sight of another hotel breaking the skyline, all lit up in blue and white. The shimmering archways, lit from below, are the first thing that draws his eye; after that, the neon sign, in crisp art deco lettering, that sits below the center tower.

“Do you recognize it?” Ricardo asks. “You said the name was familiar.”

“No… but none of the buildings were as large as any of this, when I was here.” Pascal has finally slipped back inside the van, settling in his seat. “It seems everything has been, euuuh… built up, again and again. Renovated. Maybe I have just heard it talked about...”

The line of cars moving up to the porte-cochére is smooth and steady, and Ricardo checks his phone again. Sure enough, there are further instructions from Kel.

FROM: KEL TELL THE VALETS YOU’RE WITH THE GENERAL. LEAVE YOUR LUGGAGE. THIRD FLOOR BALLROOM. ANYONE ASKS YOU WHERE YOU’RE GOING, YOU’RE WITH THE GENERAL. ANYONE GIVES YOU A HARD TIME, YOU’RE WITH THE GENERAL. ---------- ~+*MOST VALUABLE RAIDER 804 AD - 1021 AD*+~ ..:: AINT NO BITCH LIKE A GALLOWGLASS BIIIITCH ::..

Okay, that explains… just about nothing. But sure enough, when they stop at the center of the porte-cochére, the valet that approaches the van is dead.

Ricardo leans across the center console, speaking through Pascal’s open window. “We’re, uh. With the general?”

“Of course! We’ve been expecting you. If you’ll allow us to park your vehicle, your luggage will be taken to your room.” The valet helps Pascal out of the van, and another has already started taking their luggage out of the back and lining it up on the sidewalk. “Please enjoy your stay.”

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When they enter the hotel lobby, the smell of iron hits Ricardo like a burst of wind. As he looks across at the others milling around, dwarfed in the yawning plain of the foyer, it becomes clear: almost all of the guests are vampires. The few that are alive stick out like beacons of scent and warmth, though they don’t seem to realize it; Ricardo is immediately aware of the way these outliers are followed around the room by many sets of undead eyes. No one pays much attention to their entry.

“We should move fast,” Ricardo murmurs to Pascal. “Kel must think it’s fine for us to walk around in here, but I don’t want to draw any attention.”

Pascal nods in agreement, and they move towards the sweeping staircase. As they walk, snippets of the conversations taking place around the lobby float to him, muffled and echoed by the vastness of the space.

“Well, I told him, you know, that my answer was no a hundred years ago, and it was still no now, and that when he asks again a hundred years from now I’ll —”

“But didn’t you hear? It was actually her wife’s sire who said that, and she was actually the only one who thought it, and they made it sound like it was some kind of popular opinion...”

“No, no, darling, I’m drunk. Ahaha. We’ll play tomorrow —”

Ricardo feels something brush his hand as they reach the first landing and startles, but when he looks down, it’s just the tips of Pascal’s fingers. Pascal’s not looking at him, instead looking around with detached interest at the decorative flourishes of the walls.

Ricardo wonders what he’s nervous about. He squeezes his hand, once, and then drops it again.

More snippets of conversation overlap and rise and fall as they climb the staircase.

“It’s so rude of him. I told him, Cesare, I came here just to see you, and still he gave me the line about being too busy — I mean, the nerve of him, when you consider his circumstances —”

“Well, I feel sorry for her. It’s not like there was anything else she could do.”

“Let’s hunt at the Aria. It’s too crowded here!”

“And that’s what I said, last time I was in New York, I said Jim, you have to let these things go, because otherwise —”

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The third floor landing is a mezzanine that overlooks the lobby, with vast hallways extending into the three opposing wings of the hotel. Silver placards posted to the walls guide them to the ballroom, and before long, they’re standing before a set of ornate double doors. Another sign, hung from one of the handles, reads “CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.”

Ricardo can hear voices, faintly, on the other side; then laughter. He glances down at Pascal.

“Hey.” He shifts towards him, just slightly, and touches his hand again. “Kiss for luck?”

Pascal’s smile is immediate and indulgent. The words were barely out of Ricardo’s mouth before he lifted up onto tip-toe, both hands reaching for Ricardo’s jaw. “Any time you like, Ricardo.”

It’s a little more lingering than he intended it to be. Maybe he’s stalling. Pascal is the one who pulls away, eyes still closed. “There. Are you feeling lucky, now?”

“Lucky enough,” Ricardo mutters, and he pushes the doors open.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE: https://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/925961.html