Past! Let us get some deets about Ricardo's life!

Future--the most interesting option and the most likely to lead us into difficult and therefore entertaining situations

my vote’s for the future

future! no point in dwelling, you gotta keep moving forward

i vote past! our pasts shape our future, and are set, and our future is malleable by our actions. with our past, we know exactly what's happening and we might be able to use it to shape our future.

Past. Don't want to get too confused with things that might not even happen!

ouuuu i vote,,, past. it might give us insight into our future!

present

mmmmm present

Present; we're in immediate danger, we need immediate info

hmmm i vote past

past or present!

present!

Present!

past, lets get some lore

Future for weird cryptic dreams!

The future feels far too mutable to be useful right now. A glimpse of the present, given the danger we're in, seems prudent.

I vote present. Past could be too far back considering vampire ages that it may not be relevent anymore, especially in potentially a bad way. And the future vision sounds too abstract and mutable to be useful.

A vision of the present may give us useful information about what other vampires are doing and planning at this time. Might be good for planning what we should do next tomorrow.

i like the idea of present tbh!

past!

Present or past!

The future of the past, so like still the future just a bit less futurey

present! maybe we'll get a glimpse of who is actively hunting us, and some clues about how to avoid them.

present!

present!

Past! More ricardo content for the soul

we’re already going to get info on the people hunting us from minmin tomorrow. but more importantly, i think future will be the coolest-looking vision, so obviously we should do that

Present please

past!

vote for present

Present or future; I feel like an accurate vision of the next night will be more useful than an abstract vision of something that might not even end up happening, but both would be handy to know.

past or present! I'm split on lore vs. current info, which we're pretty short on, the former sounds emotionally intriguing, the latter more Useful for deciding our paths right now.

present! future is fun but present is more directly useful

future

PASCAL WASH OFF YOUR MAKEUP

hmm....future vision! present is cool but future will be the most useful, as long as we can interpret it right

Future! I agree that we’ll get plenty of info on the current situation from Minmin.

auuugh present; as much as i would adore ricardo lore, i think we need to think strategically abt the here and now.

is picking just for the audience and guided by the hand of g-d or does ricardo have an affinity for clairvoyance/mysticism? can you have more than one affinity?

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:45 No. 910022 ID: 270774
Audio present.mp3 - (2.49MB )

darkness - v.k.

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:45 No. 910023 ID: 270774
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The Staatsoper rises, imperious and white-columned, into the crisp Vienna night.

Within it, ringed by red velvet and gold railings, a high C rings out, pushed with force and passion from the strong lungs of the soprano standing alone in the center of the stage; and as her breath cuts off, there’s the sound of shattering glass from the VIP box closest to the stage.

“New York? NEW YORK?!”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:45 No. 910024 ID: 270774
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“Constantin, please.” The box is dark, and the second voice sounds equal parts bored and indulgent. “We’re in public.”

You’ve never heard this language spoken — and yet, you know it’s Hungarian, and you understand every word. Broken glass catches the light on the floor, and so do curls of heavy burgundy hair. “He has a particular talent for making me angry!” Heaved, obsolete breaths. The vampires lining the back of the box, standing behind the chairs, are pressing themselves silently back against the curtain. “He does it on PURPOSE! Did he learn nothing?”

“You’re spoiling the aria,” says the second voice, a bit more sternly this time. A sigh. “I’ve told you before. When you discipline your wards based on your whims, you can’t then complain that they’re as unpredictable as you are.”

“I want him back NOW. This is obscene.” Constantin slumps back into his chair, legs spread, heeled shoes dug into the carpet over a glittering layer of wine glass shards. “This is disgusting.”

“I told you already, I’ve sent wards. They’re waiting for backup as we speak.” The second speaker takes slow steps to Constantin’s side, but doesn’t sit. He lowers his voice, addressing the ward standing behind Constantin’s chair. “Can’t you see your sire is upset? Clean that up.”

The ward kneels, long-nailed fingers carefully plucking glass fragments from the wine-soaked carpet. “Backup,” Constantin scoffs. “For what? For a nest of urchins? Are your wards so useless, Cecil?”

“I don’t intend to empty out my toolbox simply because your toybox is missing a piece.” Cecil is dressed in white, and his hands twitch fitfully as he crosses his arms. “But if you’re going to be a nuisance about it —”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:46 No. 910025 ID: 270774
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When the ward kneeling under the chair stands up, his cupped hands full of broken glass, your silent heart leaps into your throat.

You feel sick.

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:46 No. 910026 ID: 270774
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You haven’t seen this skyline in decades. It’s changed, but it still makes your heart ache.

Two vampires are sitting on a rooftop — one standing, the other dangling their legs.

“Ain’t this a bite,” says the standing vampire. “The boss got us all cranked to come out here, we show up chrome-plated, and whadda we get for it? It’s deadsville. What’s he talkin’ about sending Cleve and Var out here for, anyway? He think we’re not up for it? That’s got me fuckin’ frosted.”

“Rex,” says the other vampire. They’ve got a keychain in their hand, and their phone out to illuminate the screen on it. “I don’t know what you’re fucking saying.”

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“Don’t be so cold, Specs.” He drops to a seated position beside them, peering over their shoulder at the keychain. “How’s Rex Jr.?”

“I told you that’s not his name.” There’s a long pause, punctuated only by the sounds of traffic below, and faint beeps as the smaller vampire presses buttons. The wind picks up. “He’s shitting like a demon.”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:47 No. 910028 ID: 270774
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“I don’t mean in any way to diminish the … intense emotional distress you’re currently feeling,” murmurs Cecil. The sheets shift under his tensed hands, and his face doesn’t change. “But —”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:47 No. 910029 ID: 270774
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“SHIT!”

Rex falls back against the brick, one arm instinctively flung out towards his partner — as if he could cover them from halfway across the alley. “Jonquil! You alright, buddy?”

“Aces,” Jonquil spits. The words leave their mouth accompanied by blood. They’re riddled with bulletholes. “I mean it. It’s not silver.” Their hand moves in one violent movement, and crushed metal casings scatter across the ground, thrown from their body in a wide, arced splatter across the ground. Rex hesitates. They look up and bark orders. “GO! GET THE DOORS OFF!”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:47 No. 910030 ID: 270774
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“No need for that, boys.” The vampire standing in the double doors flexes her fingers along the grips of her Tommy guns. “If you Cradle scum wanted to get inside, ya coulda just asked nicely for an invitation.”

There’s a rolling wave of chuckles from behind her, the metallic clicks of more guns being leveled. Rex is closing the distance, one arm held back and tense, and she cracks her neck. “So here’s a nice Brooklyn welcome for ya!”

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:48 No. 910031 ID: 270774
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“You have threescore wards who look exactly like him.”

Constantin’s fangs glint wetly in the candlelight. Cecil’s hand is firm and unyielding at his nape. “Why all this hysteria over ONE of them?” A punitive tug backwards. “Just kill him and be done with it. This tires me. It drains my resources.”

He takes a few hissing breaths before he can speak. The thumbnail of Cecil’s other hand breaks skin at his hip.

“Because, my dear duke.” Constantin’s mouth stays open, but it’s warped, now, into a smile. “Because despite everything, I feel —” A hiss, a sigh. Cecil’s eyes stay lidded and dull. “I feel that in his heart, however deep it’s buried — Pascal Cosovei still hates me.”

That, finally, gets a reaction. Eyebrows lifted a millimeter. Constantin is out of breath.

FRACTAL 2018/11/08(Thu)20:48 No. 910032 ID: 270774
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“And what could be more exciting than that?”

You don’t want to hear any more.

END OF CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO: https://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/910050.html