Chicago by Night - Midnight Waltz

0:00Diesel price is just hit a record high. There goes my margin. Not mine, brother. I switched to mudflap. But those other fuel carts just nail you with the fees. No, not mudflap. They don't have any fees. They'll monthly, annual, out of network. Not a, what I say, I keep. That's what's up. Mudflap has your back. Carriers like you save thousands per year with mudflap. Get $100 in pre-fuel credits after approval when you sign up at Muddy.com slash podcast. Spelt MUDDY.com slash podcast. Terms of restrictions apply to mudflaping.com. Mudflap lead artist issued by Celtic Bank or Community Federal Savings Bank. Resumé to a license from Diesel USA. With Cricket Wireless, you can count on reliable nationwide 5G. Because Cricket Wireless is on the AT&T network, which means you can start listening to that new album that just dropped at home while running errands and at the gym without any hiccups. Find plans with unlimited data for every lifestyle and price point. Switch to Cricket today. Well, I take so much. Hey, it's Kelly Rowland. You may not know this, but I have XM. So I get how it can steal your time. But why let XM take over when you can talk to your doctor about Ebglyce?

1:03Ebglyce, lubricism app LBKZ. A 250-mg per 2-mg leader injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older, who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kg with moderate to severe XM. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglyce can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you are allergic to Ebglyce. A allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. I-problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have newer, worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglyce. Before starting Ebglyce, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Paid partnership with Lili. Respect your time. Ask your doctor about Ebglyce and visit Ebglyce.com or call 1-800-LiliRX or 1-800-545-5979. Thank you for joining us wherever you are. This podcast episode is brought to you by the old ways Actual Play team. This Actual Play uses the fifth edition Vampire the Masquerade rules

2:03by Paradox Interactive. This Actual Play is performed by adults and contains several adult themes. There may be depictions of graphic violence, strong sexual themes, language, and other various horror elements, including loss of agency, all content, including names, places, events, companies, and etc., which may bear resemblance to entities living, dead, or prowling the alleys of Chicago, or strictly coincidental. My name is Michael Diamond, and for tonight's game, I will be your storyteller. The South Side of Chicago is home to an awful lot of history when it comes to the city. It has been for so many years the center point of commerce, shipping,

3:04receiving, but now is home, or soon to be home, to a few new kindred who've been gifted a little piece of land with a little building on it that they can have anything their hearts desire is within those brick walls. As a former tattoo studio, this building probably wants an awful lot of hopes and dreams get pressed from cash and to ink. Inside its walls, you can still see the remaining vestiges of art that used to hang on the wall. It is a brownstone building. It's shotgun style, as we would say, in the Chicago land area. There's two floors. There's a business floor and a residence floor. And I'd say the adjoining lot next to it is certainly large enough to grow a garden

4:07for someone who might ever walk through it. This parking space is on the side and in the back where there's a connective alley. And that is what has been gifted to our Windy City kindred from their benefactor, Annabelle, or a job well done. You think maybe if you get on the roof, you might get a vantage point of the skyline of Chicago. You're actually really only maybe ten blocks from Soldier Field, Millennium Park. This really isn't that bad of a setup to be honest. It's just small, but it's the start. As for checking out the new place, there are only three of you there because Ophelia has an appointment split off already. When you first arrive, Camila, is there anything specific that you're looking for in this location? Doing any targeted investigations

5:07of the building? Uh, yes and no. She's been like silently seething the entire bride here. Hence, walt up and fists, and they get there. She just looks to the other two. We should look around for cameras just in case. I don't know if you can think of anything else, but she might use, but we can't. Oh, necessarily, trust her. Turn on since unseen. Yeah, um, taking a look around just with that specific vampire accents up. You don't sense anything in your mind that makes it itchy that wants you to sort of dial in the focus more. There are two. Windows, long windows, I should say too long vertical

6:07windows on the west facing portion of the building. The building didn't have a business front. And so as the tattoo shop, it's got glass front. And then there's a outside the building. There is a door to not only the shop, but then to the left of it is just standing in front of it. There's a door which goes upstairs to the residence portion. I can probably get us some stuff to help. Outfit this place would probably going to have to cover those up. Just showing to the windows. Yeah, and reinforce the locks probably. Change them entirely, but yeah, I'm sure. Someone like you would be able to get us more things to outfit this place. Sort of looking Mara up and down and her very classy, clearly

7:11expensive outfit and shoes. Yeah, could do that. I could definitely help. How do you see us using this place? Well, I would make it easier to meet up. Obviously, I think it's up to everyone to decide how they want to use it. Would it be helpful for us to have like a holding style considering what we've been tasked to do? Yeah, actually, that's not a bad idea. This would at least also be a place if we can't make it home if we're out too late as well. Mm hmm. Virtusleep in my own bed, but I might be able to arrange having my bag or make a second. I'm not worried so we can more often than not have emergency rations

8:11or the rest of you just in case. Yeah, place to get out of the sun if you don't make it home place for us to meet up for whatever jobs the fancy bitch wants. And well, like I said, everybody's free to use it as they will. They want to stay here. Nightly or not. Not to do will outfit the place up either way. Would Mara have picked up on Camila's anger and seething in the car? Oh, yeah. I think as soon as we made it out of the club and into the car, it was just like not even tried to hide it. She's just like clearly like agrily muttering to herself. There's a couple of like mostly in Spanish, so like a couple of choice words that you're like, oh, that's a curse.

9:12I've heard that word before. So once we're inside, I think Mara would turn to you and be like, so are you upset that. You were attacked. Are you upset that we're working with Annabelle? Where is this coming from? The attack I. That is nothing. You're not attacked anywhere. Everywhere for doing just about everything. Anything. Not doing anything. We live different lives. Clearly and Donabelle. Working for her. Helpful for me. Not to leave. Still that's not. It's just her. That makes me so rationally. Angry. Such a self-important bitch. People like her that make me agree. She refuses to get her hand sturdy, but still wants to

10:13reap the rewards as if she did it the work herself. You know, she's just using us so she can gain a modicum of ground on the sanishal and the others who undermine her. It's such a stupid, pissing contest. And well, the assumption that she can keep us under control. She wouldn't have offered us all this if she did it. Think she could. Honestly, I'm ready to letter keep thinking that until I'm nice and ready, giving me protections while I build myself up. Such an arrogant bitch. And it'll be too late for she realizes what she actually did. But all in all, we're in a pretty good situation here. Information really has power and just like she

11:16probably won't tell us everything she knows. There's no reason why we have to dive over. Absolutely everything. I there. So you're saying that animals doing all this so she can get a leg up as well. Why does anybody do not even not everyone's motivation is I is moving up. I suppose but you're not going to tell me didn't notice. And the yellow her and Alan. I'm talking over her feeling. She wants to do something about it. And it's. Well, it's a lot easier to figure out what people are going to do next to and you know their motivations. Exactly. That's something I definitely agree with. And something I'm also hoping to learn more about her while we are have

12:17this arrangement. Yeah, I said I don't think she really realizes what she did here. I really wonder how much she's managed to clean on the obvious background tracks she's definitely done of us since she sent us on this job. Nothing to find in mine. I don't think there would be a lot of people willing to talk to about a losomber. Why do you have a lot to hide? We always have a lot to hide. I don't think there's anything in there. Would it be necessarily interesting? Can I top the secret vein and see if they're like an insight as to whether or not Camilla has something in her past that would be interesting. She just said that there is in anything that would be

13:18particularly interesting. But I want to know if she's lying about that. I think you've been talking long enough and yeah, I think you can certainly try. Okay, so two diabonus here in safe. Yeah, Winston site. That's three successes. Nice. Yeah, you'd be able to tell but everything. She said she genuinely believes to be true every insult. She's thrown Annabelle's way. The reasons she thinks. She's doing all of this and. What she said about herself as well, you would with three you would definitely claim that. It's not. Her past definitely. Or at least Camilla thinks it doesn't hold anything that would be of interest. And you would be able to tell

14:20that she's a lot more. Interested about keeping her future plans out of Annabelle's line of sight. Camilla genuinely doesn't think there is anything interesting about her past to anyone. But she definitely talks a lot about the things she's going to. Mm hmm. Fascinating. And then Mara is going to turn to both of you and be like. Also you both didn't need to share. All of the things that we found about that group of thin bloods. We could have bargained for more. She was only asking for us to turn in. Jacks. We didn't have to tell. About the rest. You gave it up for free. A famed sign of good faith.

15:24She believes she can control us and that we will keep giving her a free thing. Gives her a lot less of a reason to out that we would. You'll make it a lot easier to conceal things. I'm now on. If we bargained for the information right off the bat, then she didn't know we were probably holding back every single time we spoke to her. Mm hmm. Just sets precedent that again. Her making assumptions that I'm not going to correct. All right. I see that it was a smart decision. I try. I see we are all very first at making different kinds of deals.

16:25Perhaps we'll be able to play to each other's strengths. I'm not in the room while they're having this conversation. OK. While once their backs were turned to me, the lotion had slipped out of my bag and I was putting it on. As I worked my way to try and find a bath. There's definitely a bathroom on both the first and second floor, which I yes, step, which I stepped into and closed the door and turned in the water. And at which point I had found myself crouched on the floor curled up in a bowl having a pan, equivalent of a panic. Yeah, the running water does help muffle the crying, which is advantageous for you. Exactly. I will leave the three of you there to review in conversation another one of you in a various state. And I will go to Ophelia who has returned to her haven to get ready

17:26for an appointment. Ophelia ran home. Originally she was going to ask a gone for a ride, but they wanted to go check out the new place. So plans changed and fleetness is a thing. So you actively using fleetness? Then hell yeah, she is hauling aspect to her haven because she is cutting it very close. Very to make a rouse check for me. We good. All right. I love when my beast agrees with me. Yeah, so you are hustling at probably Olympic runner speed. You hustle back home and you get in the door and as you pass into the door close up behind you, your

18:28sire is sitting down on the main level sort of waiting. Standing there. She acknowledges him, but also as a while she's acknowledging him is actively stripping. So like as soon as the door closes shirt comes off pants shoes like everything underwear and she basically with the same sort of speed. Runs upstairs jumps in the shower real fast. Showers and gets dressed. You get dressed. What are you wearing? Well, there was there was a specific instructions, right? For yes, there was an ask. The ask was to have an outfit which included leather.

19:28There's not something Ophelia wears very often. However, she has done performances before that requires required her to wear leather. So she kind of goes into the back of her closet and pulls out this. Mint green number. It is a swayed leather. Mint green Elizabethan cut corset that is high up on the hip with ruffled details. There is a pattern that has been sort of riveted into it in gold rivets and it looks like this really intricate filigree pattern. And underneath she is wearing a sheer sort of foggy gray blouse button down blouse that is tight on the wrist and has like a little flare of a detail. Just over her hand with over the

20:30knee cream platform boots. Okay. She walks gracefully walks down the stairs. This transformation took all of probably 20 minutes if that. You meet Nikki back downstairs. Ready? Like smile softly. He doesn't say anything to you. He walks out the door. Good. She's going to follow silently. Her head is down. She is trying not to ruin her white mascara. By crying. You get into Nikki's car and you drive. Back down to South South. And then eventually. Back down into what looks like.

21:32The motor city road districts here by like McCormick place. This is a this is a nice area of town. I would expect nothing less from the trim here. He stops at. So it looks like a high rise. It's mostly. Glass fronted high rise. Some dark blues some light blues. It sits on the skyline. It's lit up beautifully at night. And it is. Seemingly just across the way from soldier field. Interesting. She turns to Nikki. I'm assuming that he's given her any sort of like building instructions. What not. And she doesn't say anything, but she does.

22:32Sort of. Lean over in the seat and kisses cheek. He looks he looks down at you. And he says. We have to talk about. That blood study. Do you want to talk about it now? Thought I was. He had to do something else. We got to get it going. Green. You're talking about with with valid rate. Mm hmm. Yeah, I would I would like to get that going. Money's getting tight. Do you need. Keep your appointments. Go on. Go. She'll kiss the cheek again and sort of get out of the car. And take a moment to sort of. Setty herself. Before flicking back her hair.

23:33And walking in. Seemingly with confidence, even though it is a forced fake confidence. Mm hmm. You walk into a absolutely gorgeous building. Well appointed. And. Has a luxury front to it. There's a dormant that opens the door. And. He directs you towards the directory or the elevator. And to pumble your needs are. I'm I'm feeling she knows where she's going. So she will just go to the elevator, hit the floor. She's done this a thousand times. Not here though. This is your first visit here. Well, yes, but. I'm sure she's been in buildings like this before. Oh, no question. You get in and you ride up to the 21st floor. Oh, real up there.

24:34The elevator dings and the doors open. And. To your left and to your right. There are benches like leather plush like leather benches that sit along the side of the hallway here. And from them to people get up. They're dressed in will say. Business casual. Dark colors with maybe some burgundy's. And they look at you. You can have pat me down. So what's happening? They just look at you for a second. And look into the elevator. And they motion you further in. So. You've been in a ton of different residential structures, multifamily, multi-tenant stuff in Chicago. You've been in skyscrapers, et cetera. This looks like someone has taken over a large portion or percentage of this floor because this doesn't look like a hallway for residents to go in and out of and access 20 different doors

25:38in this place. This looks like it's been completely retrofitted. Mm-hmm. Yeah, she'll sort of casually walk in her steps or are light, but they're not as confident as they normally are. Anyone listening to them could probably pick that up. You walk deeper into the residents here when you pass a familiar statue, a graceful and large gargoyle sits at attention here. There's a water feature below its feet. There's no water coming out of it. It's massive wingspan on display. It's proudly crossed its arms and waits there, motionless.

26:39And that's when you see David, who is crossing the floor. He has like a phone in his hand and he's doing something out of tucks into his pocket. You made it. Great. That's how I've been really. It happens. Business sometimes goes longer than we expect. It was like gallery business. Was it? Yeah. It should sort of like cross the floor to meet him. Yeah, he meets you halfway. He takes your hand and kind of spins you left and right to examine the outfit. She lets it happen. And she will put on a show sort of like twisting her hips a little extra to flare the ruffles out. So the gallery business is completed? Fun now?

27:40Oh, for now. Yeah, when we got a building and apparently a job. It's always nice to have work. Yeah, work outside of, you know, dancing is different. I suppose it depends on the kind of work you're doing. She kind of looks at him. She's like, well, technically I'm doing work now. That's true. That's very true. No, I got to admit, I was kind of shocked that you, for people who want to, I don't really know what you want. What do you want? That's a good question. I think it's important to understand when you work with people, when you have people under you or people above you. Communications is really important. But beyond that, I think what my time in politics taught me

28:42was it's not just that you communicate. It is what you communicate. And I have taught every student under me to be sharp into the point. And so what I want from you is a dance. Blinks out on. You have to pay for my time to get a dance. I did, though. It's not for me. She just tilts her head and has the most confused expression on her face. He gives a typed smile. It's very slight. There are those of our society which cannot be active and seen outside. You would commonly see this within Klan Nosferatu.

29:43Many of them, their viseges are apport. They break the masquerade. They call eyes to the monsters that some of them are. He sort of reaches forward towards you. Not in a menacing way at all, but he in a slow way and sort of puts a hand on your shoulder and he says, I promise that while he may look different, Solomon is no monster. Solomon? Are they here? The statue in the room moves. Oh, oh, I, holy, her. David would feel Ophelia's entire body stop. And as if it has turned stone itself, she was not expecting the statue to move. It moves off of the day I said it's on and clears the water feature area in a single stride.

30:48It's powerfully built body and wings sort of tuck in behind it. And David's voice, while your eyes are transfixed on Solomon, David's voice is in your ear and he says, there is little in the way that I can offer Solomon to create your comforts. But when he's good, I like to offer him what I can. He saw you at the gala sitting there. He patiently watched you and he expressed to me that he would be interested in seeing you. And on that Ophelia's body sort of relaxes and she's like, oh, oh, this is a fan. Oh, okay, I can work with that.

31:48And seemingly all the confidence that had seeped from her body is now back. She steps past David and continues to walk on, dropping his hand. And she walks up to Solomon. Hey, Solomon, Ophelia, it's nice to meet you. He has this method and and and seeming countenance, which almost looks cold. And I'll save you the statue metaphors. But he looks rather dour. He looks when he looks down on you, it looks like a an object of a stone mason's desire to stare us down at you. His gaze is penetrating, powerful.

32:50He's also enormous. He's easily eight feet tall, proportionally built with a powerful upper body and two massive gothic wings. It doesn't frighten her. In fact, she's kind of fascinated. And then we'll turn to David and be like, I didn't, how does this all work? Where did, was that a secret? I can't share with you where Solomon came from. I can't divulge his creation. Think of him as my son. I'll look back to Solomon and, yeah, I feel his feeling brave tonight. And we'll sort of like reach out a hand and like touch his forearm. When you touch him, his arms animate.

33:55They move and he does something you're not expecting. He steps into a waltz posture. And so he brings you close, like he puts a massive hand on your back and then like moves with your arm positionally. The proportions between the two of you are all wrong as he's enormous and you are not even in the boots. And his deep and gravely voice comes out. I'll read. I expected. She will, her posture will change. Her shoulders sort of roll back. Her neck straightens. Her arms stiffen. And she assumes a posture of someone who is about to do a waltz. At night, you waltz with a gargoyle on a parquet floor while David watches.

35:04While the waltz is not endless, nor is your time here. There is some satisfaction it seems that David gets from watching it. It wouldn't be the first time Ophelia has been watched in several aspects of being watched so performance like any other. During the waltz, you become airborne. Shut up. Like, you mean like we're waltzing in the air? Well, he's using his wings. That's so special. Why that's so cool. Yeah, Ophelia is totally mystified. She is very content and happy in whatever world this is. It is, there are some nights where Ophelia wishes she was still mortal. She holds onto it pretty hard.

36:07But moments like this are why Ophelia delights in being kindred. After a period of time, Solomon eases you back down to the ground and then he gives this strange sort of bow. It's not deep by any means, but it is to you. She will bow back out of respect and like, because that was actually pleasant. Out of some of the dates that she's had, this is definitely in like the top 20. The waltz music turns a little solemn. And Solomon steps back onto the dais and becomes motionless.

37:08Oh, before he does, she would absolutely hug him or at least try to like try attempt to hug him. The size difference makes it hard, but she will hug him. Yeah, I think he accepts it, but he doesn't reciprocate. He sort of pauses unless you hug him and then continues on until he turns face to face the room and is suddenly frozen in space. And after watching him sort of go back to where he was, Ophelia will turn to David and be like, just her eyes are massive. And just what? There was something else. As an artist, I'm certain you can appreciate the difficulty I have in only being able to show my

38:16masterpiece off in private. Yeah, I can see how that's fresh, right? I tried to do things for Solomon when I can. Like bring him out to an art gallery. It gives people the opportunity to appreciate him. I certainly did. Yes. Well, I believe that's all I need from you tonight. Of course, you know, you still didn't have to. I would have done this. I didn't pay for the dance. I paid for the secrecy. Done that too, but I appreciate it. She'll like touch this arm, as you appreciate it. Of course, it's important. It's very important. You have no idea how important it actually is for me personally.

39:21I feel I make an intelligence resolve check. Oh, fuck. No. No. Not intelligence. No. No. Are you sure? Yeah. I mean, it's intelligence plus resolve because that's what the resistance role is to manipulation dominate. Well, that is zero successes. Sounds like a bad time. One, two, three, four criticals, so eight. Very good. Oh. I'm about to get kidnapped by a trimir son of a bitch. Okay. You wrap up your evening with David from what you remember. It was a splendid time. You had a wonderful dance. And he treated you to dinner, which of course was perhaps a fine vintage of blood.

40:26And then he walked you out. Okay. Well, that's better than being kidnapped. But she'll head back to the cars if nothing really major happened. Because of course it didn't. Of course I'm a standard. So what I want to do now with our coder members is I want to advance the clock a little bit. So everyone has things that they'd like to get done the next week or so. But I'd like to go and talk to each one of you and drill down a little bit on some specifics of what you're doing with your time. So I'm just going to start from the people I see here on my screen. I'm going to start with Camila. So what is our clan Lassamma remember up to? You know, just shady things as usual.

41:27Yeah. Yeah, right. After procuring some things for our new place to make everybody comfortable, she is done what she said. She was going to do and asked, asked Brandon to make a second trip whenever he could. Obviously, this isn't as important as her own personal stash and won't be depleted as quickly as her personal stash either. Just have something there for emergencies. And if he doesn't have any for this delivery, then just setting that up so that, you know, he knows he's going to need to be grabbing extra. Are you giving him access to the building or? No, she would just add the extras to her delivery, but have him pack them in a separate cooler

42:38room. So that she can take those herself. She is also going to be going back to that pool hall where we did our investigations to that very nice man tenting the bar, who had told her about being, knowing potentially you're being able to link her with the people that were making the weaponized reviews essentially. Okay. So she'll be going back to ask for more information and to try to set up a meeting. She knows you had been told that the cook was potentially another thin blood. So she is going to attempt to pretend like she's doing this because he is a thin blood

43:40and that is now something she has to look poke around in as opposed to making it obvious that it's a very personal matter. So when you go back to the bar and you talk with the bartender and sort of re-engage them, something that you learn early on in that conversation is that that cook has not been back to work since the night that you were on lower whacker. Okay. It is possible that they're working someplace else. They haven't seen them. The person would also inform you that the news is getting around that Jack's is missing. What does he think about that? I think his reaction is sort of mixed. Because other news from the Gala has after a week or so he's starting to sort of hit the streets and filter out. His general opinion is is that being stupid enough to get his nose dirty in a place with

44:49such high-powered socially-powered vampires like that is probably a dumb idea. And it makes sense why Jack's is gone because that's the way the prince wants things. Could you send me a Chicago at least from your time here spent? The landlords tend to stay low. They don't make noise. They stay out of people's way because the prince has a nasty habit of just killing them. He doesn't ask questions. He just gets rid of them. It sets very much like he did that to himself by being loud. Okay. Well, that's... I mean, she would try to figure out what the general sentiment to what Jack's did and

45:50Jack's being. I think the general opinion of the place and probably some of the people who run through here, gangles, etc. They probably cheer it on a little bit given their... In our ways now, they're not necessarily a huge fan of Prince Jack's either. And they think the system sucks too. But do you get a lot of the same sort of fuck around and find out mentality from them? Like, hey, you're going to go into a place and cause that kind of a stink. Something's going to come after you. And that's what happened. One through line though that Camila notices is that no one is sure how Jack's got disappeared. That so far has not broke. Mm-hmm. Good. She obviously doesn't give anybody any clues about that.

46:50I can't imagine you would. No. Okay, she takes that information. Then thinks it's very good, but they haven't been connected to it. That would make her job a little bit harder and asks the bartender to keep an eye out if the drug, very seller for it, comes back or another pops up. That makes it sound like she wants to get her hands on the drug as opposed to, you know, making it obvious that she wants the person that makes it. It might be a little bit easier to stomach giving one up as opposed to the other. Yeah, I think that it's easy enough to lay down the understanding like that you're still looking to score it. Yeah. And the bartender tells you that you're the first person to contact when it comes available.

47:54Why you're anything, you're going to know first. She's a little bit missed at that. She was really hoping to just be able to take care of this as soon as she could. And as she's thinking that it might have ended up being either one of the other people that were there or somebody else that was also around the warwacker, or nearby, that is now obviously they're all scattering to the wind and that makes sense. She'll probably go around sniffing, probably send somebody to go see me. Well ran away and if there's anybody that didn't. Okay. Yeah, I think that you probably get back from that person that the place they checked out is empty. That looks like they packed and left. If they go through the place with there have been any sign that one of them had been like

49:00one of Jackson's cronies specifically had been making the drugs in there. I mean, if you're asked them to do more than just walk around and take a look, if you ask them to actually investigate, I can make a investigational for them to see what they might be able to clean. Yeah. Okay. So obviously telling them like, you know, don't get into any trouble and just leave if you think you will, but she doesn't want to risk herself for something that might not actually bear for it. It's worth a shot though. Certainly worth a shot. So five days they got three successes. It's pretty good. They tell you that there was probably some pharmaceutical stuff going on there, but all the equipment is either smashed or not being used at this point. Some of it's been lifted. There are certainly missing pieces.

50:02Unfortunately, Camila doesn't know a whole lot about them blood alchemy, so you would know what you're looking at. And they also mentioned that there's a lot of stuff there that just doesn't make sense. Like they had a tub of acetone and you have no idea why they would have it. They just have a bunch of random shit. Like there was a gallon jug of antitrease. I mean, that's thin blood. Sounds about right. But it doesn't get any further on the whole drag thing. Yeah. She would tell them to stop working around and do that. Probably got everything we could have gotten. And after all of that, try to go around her, as this, as usual, like buying and selling stuff and pretending like, you know, work is gone uninterpreted and there's nothing going

51:02on. Yeah. Do you do your regular resource maintenance? So that way you continue to have resources? Yeah. Right. You say pretty low key for the most part. Yep. And that's where we will leave you after a week or so. So Agon, you have a week of time. How are you spending it? Well, after I left the others at the new building, I returned to the cafe and dropped off the blood bag with $300 in a note, apologizing for what happened in the... Paving and that Jackson fucked up and best bet, get yourself out of town. After which return home and the next night, try to find Kaya. Hmm. Okay. Yeah. You can certainly track him down. It takes you actually a couple of nights too. You track him down at a bar.

52:06This is actually a club. It's a club you haven't been in before. It's a industrial, goth club. There's a couple of them here in Chicago. And the sucks of it's club isn't necessarily a goth club, but this one definitely is. This is industrial features, lots of iron piping and raw iron staircases and the music fits the mood. I'm look out of place dressed as I am. When you approach him, he looks cautious. And I will gesture him to talk and cry. Nod steps away from the bar. The bartender starts nods at him and you step outside where you can actually hear one another.

53:08He walks around the side of this club and into the parking lot and then posts up by a relatively safe spot here in the parking lot away from the light. It's been days. I wanted to talk to you sooner. What happened? They fucking thinned a chowed up and tried to blow us up. I think there was no chance of getting to the police. I was supposed to drop the package. What did you do with it? I wanted to live for it to the tainted party. That's not what I heard. Oh, well, whatever it did, the item in question landed at their feet. Yes. Yes. I heard. I heard a very particular person had a accident. Did you ever consider that the package wasn't intended to be used on?

54:13All I was told is deliver the package to a certain office, which was this person's. That's what I did. If it was meant for somebody else to be resulting in it, somebody else screwed up whatever spell they did. I have never seen Papa mess a spell up. Well, then maybe he actually was intended for that person. Well, our side of the graveyard is buzzing. Great. But right now, I've got a primogen looking at me. Yes, I bet you do. He looks around again. Oh, I'm sure the spirits are happy right now. They've got all their commentary. So there's still the odor of my feet, whatever it is. I'm sure it's probably going to get deducted from all of this. No, I'm going to pay you. You did your job, even if it wasn't the person we were looking for, at least I don't think. He reaches in his coat and takes out an envelope and serpitiously sort of passes it to you.

55:21Thank you. We always pay our debt. Well. I hope there's something in the near future that can also in paying debt resolve this situation with the primogen and the keeper of allegion. Because right now, if I don't play too nice with her, I lose any of the act that says I have had to make deliverance for you and a lot of other people. Hmm. Well, play nice, then. Which includes questions about that gal. She's not going to let this go. So if you guys got a clue of how I can give a false direction, I welcome that. And maybe that comes up with a few more deliveries on the house. Least three. I think you'll find that your favorite primogen is going to have her eyes drawn somewhere else soon enough.

56:23As for the deliveries, I do have something you can do. I'm listening. Too nice from now. I'm going to have you pick up a little pottery. Think of it as a, um, think of it as a donation to a nearby church. Do I need to get another suit this time? Something more religious? No, not at all. You just need to pick it up and enter something I can't do. Okay. And please be very specific with the details this time so that I don't have to find myself making a force to delivery. Well, don't break this jar if you know what's good for you. I try not to break any of them. I was caught in an unusual situation. How does it feel though? Hmm? I mean, do you think about it?

57:25What happened there? Do you think about the death? I think right now my, the answer that I always give, I'm just looking to survive. I thought you might be pleased maybe. I thought you might have by now thought of all the time that clan looked down their nose at you. Hmm? Toad are amongst the worst. They judge everyone. Yeah, all of them are. And as I've thought before, I got that every single fucking day at that church. I got it every single fucking day I walked down the street and see a cop car. I walk that way every time I see one of the gang members laughing at me because I wanted to go to school or that I wanted a job. The fucking world has been looking down at me for a lot longer and so did the legal system with the church. Given time, we can make do and get our reparations.

58:30Good. Good, I just did. Try and keep my head. Hmm. Answer it. I'll have the package for the food for you in two days. Very well. And I will stalk off into the night. Anything else you're doing with your week? After that, I am going to see Micah. Okay. You're going to go see Micah for something specific or catch up or catch up. It's been a bunch of things since the gala and our barbecue dinner with Kaya that. I'm sure there's some details they'd like to get their hands on and I might need to ask and change the nature of our relationship to start getting some more information for myself. Yeah. I mean seeing Micah is a great opportunity really for you to decompress. That's what's useful about the relationship itself.

59:31He can certainly help you process and when it comes to changing the nature of the information that gets passed before, basically, you're good enough associates with friends with Micah that you can probably make an ask here or there based on what information you need. I think he's going to want to know what are you looking for? Leverage. And if I have to blow something up, it's got to be good to keep myself alive. And against who? I have push comes just of if I have to hand anabell something. And the eyes get super wide. More than just a name, probably be useful to have a reason. I don't like getting anywhere near that pitch. Oh, I know. How do you think I felt? I watched your nearly slice and dice a thin one that I then later delivered to her.

1:00:37Well, it sounds like here at least on her better side. She's caddy as fuck. And there is a kindred I know in this city that's not a little scared of her. Right. But I equally, something that keeps the Sundays as well off my book and keeps me in their good graces. Maybe something about her. Again, I am trying one not to start a war, but neither way. Take my head and cut that. If you want leverage against her, my understanding is that years ago, when Jackson took power, Annabelle suggested a few names of tradition breakers for his purchase. Most of them were guilty. A few were political thorns in her side. She wanted to be rid of that list.

1:01:40That lady's list is a mile long. If it could be located, it would be a massive piece of leverage. In other words, fine Annabelle's hit list. I mean, if you're trying to insulate, it's a big insulator. She's arguably one of the three most powerful kindred in the entire city. I mean, the Somdi and the rest of Klanikata can do what they can, but he sort of shrugs. They're not going to forfeit their time at Alicium. Keep that in mind. In her and Alan, they can bar the whole clan. Yeah, which would be easy for them to just hand me over. Which is exactly what they would do. Just be careful. There are plenty of vipers around me.

1:02:42What are you hanging out with, ministry now? Oh, I'll share the information of who was in this court of codeery. Oh, he certainly becomes very interested in that. What else do you share with him? The business card. William Thomas III. Oh, OK. And his untimely demise. Oops. Interesting. Well, demise by his new wife. Well, he's the idea of it. And his connection back to the succubus. He finds it pretty interesting. He tells you that there's been an awful lot of gangrel movement out west. And there's rumors that some of them are going to start making sort of midnight runs down to the south side of Chicago and into Indiana.

1:03:44And that Damien and his hounds aren't very pleased about it. And there might be some mutual territorial disagreements between the two. Between Damien the Hounds or the hound dogs and the wolves. The hounds and the wolves. Oh, lovely. So if you're on the south side at all during the night, just keep your eye open and ears open for motorcycles. And if you hear them, get the hell out of the way. All right, I believe you there. Mara, you have about a week. Pray tell. What will you be up to? A couple of things I think after getting this new place, she's going to do what she said and look into investing in some security for it. She's got the finances for that. She wants to take some time to look, do some personal research into Ballard Industries.

1:04:46Okay. How would you like to look into Ballard? She wants to do this without her sire realizing she's doing this. She's kind of doing this on her own because he was particularly interested in this company and what they're doing. And even though he said it's good to know this information when she asked about it, this was a really risky gamble. He took for this information. So there's more that he's not telling her. I think she's just going to try and research. She knows that they were trading properties back and forth. I think she's just going to try to use her research skills. She was good at writing reports and doing research and back in school. Research skills is just try to see the mortal business interests, some public companies, some other companies, whatever she can leave.

1:05:50Go ahead and give me an intelligence investigation. Okay. It's four successes. So this takes you to the better part of the week. This is sort of the main driver of what you're doing because of the intensity needed in the investigation. What you find with the names that you have of the Ballard buildings is a series of shell corporations that get set up to transfer ownership back and forth between these business entities over a period of what you initially think is 20 years. What you eventually find out is more like 80 years. And they've been bounced back and forth. And there are 15 of these buildings at least. You have records for about five of them, but you know of about 15. And sometimes they're owned and operated as a Ballard Industries building.

1:06:51And other times they're operated as a totally separate entity. Yeah. I think she's going to take that information and start building her own knowledge database on Ballard. Okay. Based on the time, if that's going to be your focus, are you going to use just mortal investigation techniques? Are you going to attempt to utilize kindred contacts like what's the, how exhaustive do you think Mara would be? I think she would choose to one of the nights visit red number five. Okay. And see if she could just start working on the relationship with Bennett. She already had a positive relationship. She's not sure if she can like go directly to ask him anything about Ballard yet, but

1:07:51she's working up to bringing that up casually in conversation and seeing his reaction, anything he might know about Ballard. Well, because I'm your storyteller, I'm just going to say nothing ventures, nothing gained. So if you're not actually going to approach the topic with him, then hard to get information. I think she's working on the relationship to eventually get that there. Okay. So here's what I'll say then. How about you give me a, I would take it me a charisma and persuasion role. And this isn't necessarily to persuade information. This is a role to see how the relationship cultivates. Mm-hmm. Three successes. All right. I am going to make a wits and subterfuse role. And the reason why I'm going to make that is I'm going to see if he picks up on what

1:08:51you are trying to do. Mm-hmm. Okay. He seems to be reasonably affable. He's happy to either lead or listen when it comes to conversation. You realize he's a couple of different things. He's a very flexible businessman. And he is very focused on his position at the head of red number five. He actually has some business acumen, which you find perhaps a little bit intriguing. He is somebody who you learn has really always felt like most of the camera look society has been against him from the beginning.

1:09:52And they don't like it because he's clandeless. But it hasn't stopped him. It hasn't stopped him from rising to the place he needs to be yet. Yeah. And she respects that. For sure. I think if the relationship starts feeling like positive to her, she's going to find a way to casually drop a ballerid's name into a conversation and then gauge his reaction. She's not going to lead with just asking what she wants to know. She's going to slither her way there. I think he picks up on your name drop. He'd probably make a remark akin to her ratio ballerid being a pretty influential member of Clanventure. And he sort of chuckles and makes a joke about ballerid that catches you maybe a bit by

1:11:01a surprise. He says, there's anybody in this town that's been akin to DATM. It's that fuck. What do you mean by that? No. You know, his industry, his real estate and construction business has always been a cornerstone of his financial power. He's got connections at every level of the government. Hell, I bet when the Bears build a new stadium, they'll have to do it with ballerid's permission. I think the thing I find curious about that guy is that unlike a lot of us, he really embraces technology. He's very technically forward. That's always risky when it comes to the masquerade. Very definitely been a concern from the blue bloods. I don't want their special fund meetings pride upon, you know.

1:12:03There's only so long you can stay so public without others starting to notice, especially in this age of technology. Yeah, I mean, if you're not working on your next mass, then you're not doing it right. Anybody can get found out at any time. Your time with Bennett is positive. It's a net positive. Definitely tracks the business talk with you. Never veers into anything that would be non-business. He stays totally above board. And Mara reciprocates that too. If he does catch like, why are you asking or anything like that? If he has any curiosity, she's going to give him just as much information as he needs to feel satisfied as a response. But she's going to reciprocate that sort of business relationship with him. Yeah, I mean, I think that he would ask about, he'd probably would ask about, you know,

1:13:07your own personal goals here in the city. What are you trying to cultivate? What are you trying to work on? He seems very, you focused rather than, doesn't ask about the ministry. He doesn't ask about Damien. She just answers that she came to Chicago initially for her own personal success to rise up in the ranks as a business woman. And now that things had have changed for her since becoming a kindred, her goals are mostly still aligned. I mean, he does ask if you are willing to part with the information he does ask about your sort of verticals specific verticals that you work in. Oh, yeah. Talking business, she loves that. So she'll talk a little bit about Orchian. And she won't go into detail about her own mask, but she will mention a little bit about

1:14:16working in wellness products and that industry and how that's going for her. Yeah, he seems genuinely interested. The week nets you a lot of insight into Ballard and the week nets you positive relationship work with Bennett Stedman, which could certainly pay dividends in the future. I'll say if you would like, after time spent, if you want to spend XP for Bennett as a contact, you could do that. And then I will pass to Ophelia to see what the falls are the answer afterwards. So the night with David is a little blurry the next night. There are some key points that you do remember. You remember being with David in a big room with a parkave floor.

1:15:21You remember that you danced with him? Maybe what you definitely remember that there was another being in that room, a big shadow. When your brain tools around on it for a little while until it carves out the impression Solomon left you. And once the two brain cells that you got bumped together enough, you remember Solomon's name and that sort of unlocked some of his imagery. And there's this weird sense in your stomach that you floated around the room. Although you can't explain that. Again, weirder things have happened to Ophelia. She does remember the hurt about secrecy and discretion. So that's just kind of what she leads with and goes about her week.

1:16:25Okay. How does she spend her week? Ophelia is a busy, busy girl. So she's going to loop back around to Nikki and re-talk about the baller thing. I know they sort of touched on it while in the car, but she's antsy about it. There is deep, meaningful reason as to why she kind of means the fat walking pocketbook to shell out money. And then after that, she kind of also really recognized that Nikki is feeling neglected. Not that he is actually neglected, but he is starting to feel some sort of way about her. And even though that is in the long run the best for them to anyway.

1:17:26Her blood bond says otherwise. It sure does. I think that if you give Nikki more like relationship attention. Yeah. She would have planned a night out with him. I wouldn't say the normal circuit of clubs. Maybe there's a new club in town or whatever, but she would definitely spearhead a night out that is like a date night for them. Yeah. He seems to take to it. He's probably a little eluf at first, but eventually gets into the mood to go out and have a good time. And there's probably a good hour, maybe 90 minutes where it feels like it's you and him out together again. Just being in hot and doing what we do. When they get back to the house, Ophelia would initiate times, fun times, sexy times.

1:18:36You can call it a real life. We're all adults here. Yeah, she'd fuck the crap out of them. Okay. Yeah, I don't think he would turn it down. Certainly not. Once she had gotten him, you know, obviously engaged. And yeah. Beyond that, she would loop back around to work and set up that date for them and Mara to go out. Mara would receive just a calendar invite for a night out. There's a night in a hurry attached to it. So it actually has like the clubs listed that they're going to be heading out and like things that they're going to be doing and like a suggested wardrobe. Oh, if I could just as a point of order and record, you don't get out of that date night

1:19:38without taking more blood from your sire. Anything. So you can go ahead and increase your blood bond rating. Awesome. Thanks. I mean, I was hoping you can at least feel safe. Does he at least seem like satisfied? So when she inevitably goes off and does her own thing, he's not going to be a whiny bitch about it. I'll just say that you don't know until you take off. Does he seem sure? Does he seem sad? Sure. He's been made the focus of your attention. So of course he feels stated. Yeah, let's hope that lasts for like at least a week. So yeah, Mara will get just a calendar invite. A Google calendar invite? Like, yeah, like, I just love it. Just a calendar invite. Like here you go, beep. Very minimal contact. She's trying to keep, she realized like Mara needs very professional level everything.

1:20:43So of course, there's an itinerary. There is a drink list, not that it matters for Mara, but there is the drink list is available. There is also a suggested wardrobe with links to places that you can get them with items. She can be organized. After leaving bag and doing that, she will go to she will take time to visit as really A to you know, contact to contact. But be more importantly, she wants to play in a performance. Okay. Ophelia was like super excited about that. And if they're meeting at red five, Ophelia would probably invite a gone because she does want a gone and Bennett to meet as well. I think that is a really cool potential scene. And so I want to push it to its own space in place.

1:21:43Yeah, for sure. But yeah, you can certainly get the invitation out. And I'm sure that Bennett will be happy to host you and his really and and others. And then after that, she's going to take a no reason run down by the river. No reason at all. None. No reason in particular except for the fact that she is absolutely trying to turn Lucas from a stalker into a potential ally. Okay. So she is actively working on that relationship. She also there are things that she kind of wants to learn from him. Okay, fair enough. Are you going to run by what you think is his haven in hopes to coax him out of it or yeah. All right. And if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But she will definitely there's a night where she kind of goes and does something stupid.

1:22:43I'm fully in support of this. Unlike you doing stupid things, it's great. I think that is probably not the first night, but probably the second night is when the run becomes a bit more invigorating. Lucas seemingly locks on that you're around and chases you all over the place. Oh, she has fun with it. It's like she said, it feels like a game. So now it's just like a fun game that she plays with your stalker. You know, again, we're trying to work on friend here. Like, we're trying to go from stalker to like a friend, an ally. Yeah, I mean, it sure seems like a lot of fun. You probably spend a night in locked up somewhere because that's just sort of how Lucas does his thing. And he eventually lets you back out. Yeah. Because for him, it seems what's important is the thrill of the chase.

1:23:46That's why she went running. She kind of got that the first time, but it is still a goal that she is working on. She really desperately wants to turn Lucas into an ally. So what I'll say then is with cultivating that relationship, if you'd like to spend experience points towards cultivating him as an ally, I think you can do that. I think it is probably also likely that you are going to end up being another point bonded to him through all of your play time. Okay. That's fine. There is a thrill of being bonded to new people that excites Ophelia. Yeah. You know, his blood in your body sort of changes things. It really gives you a rush. Mm-hmm. Whether it's the type of blood or whether it's because he's bru-ha, you don't know.

1:24:49But you get a lot more physically extroverted. Mm-hmm. Yay. So when we pick up next in our tails from Chicago, a little time is going to pass, and we're going to see if our cultivated seeds sprout. So I want to thank you for joining us on this episode of Chicago by Night Blood in the Mile. And we will see you next time. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a wealth front client since 2011. When I set up wealth front, it asked me, what are you saving for? Buying a house, college for our kids, it worked really hard and did not want to waste it, or risk it all. With Wallfront, I could put money in and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified

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