Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

[Ranger Princess]

It was getting on closing time at Bennigan's Pub and Grill, always the slowest time of night when everyone wants to go home and rest after a long night's work. Of course anyone who's ever waited tables knows that closing time is flexible. There's always that one group of stragglers that just refuses to stop sipping coffee and chatting like they own the place. As luck would have it, tonight they just happened to be at Sarah's table. As straggler groups went, at least this one seemed nice enough. They'd included her in their conversations a few times and even complimented the chef. Besides, the two guys were pretty scrumptious looking. Even the girl was pretty attractive. Maybe Sarah would at least get a nice tip out of it.

The manager had long since gone. Why would he do a silly thing like manage the place anyway? So as usual, it was just Sarah and her partner waitress, Holly, wrapping things up for the night. Being the lucky one with no tables left to wait on, Holly had just turned off the music, letting her long brown hair down as she pulled on her peacoat over her black t-shirt and pants. She smiled sympathetically, glancing in the direction of the three stragglers at Sarah's table as they hung out in the server's area.

"Looks like you drew the short straw tonight eh? I'm gonna try to hit up the clubs before the night slips away. Maybe find myself a boy if I'm lucky. You gonna be okay here sweetie?"

Spoiler

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

"Yeah, I can handle it." There was a twinge of sadness in Sarah's voice. She always hated being the last one out. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it though, more of just dreading the loneliness that came with closing the place alone. At the very least this was a polite group. The night seemed to bring out scumbags sometimes.

As Holly left Sarah went to the table with her standard big smile. "Anything else I can get you guys?" She really wanted to leave too, but never had the heart to even try and hurry along customers in the slightest. Though there was one thing she could say that was both being helpful and maybe would prompt the group to decide it was time to move on. "I'm afraid most of the staff are gone now, so if you want something warm it'll have to be in the microwave." There was more to it then that, but she didn't need to blubber on to make the point.

Spoiler

Sometimes I wish some bars in the US looked like that.

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

"You know it baby," Holly smiled, pinching Sarah's cheek and giving it a pat with her palm. "I'll see ya tomorrow." She said, twirling around and heading out the door with a skip in her step.

When Sarah was approaching the table, the three customers were enraptured in a conversation.

"Think of all the stuff you could see if you could live forever though," said a short haired man on the left side of the booth. "I mean the world is so different just since 1800. It must be amazing in 2100."

The man on the opposite side with long black hair and dark eyes smirked. "Well yes Johnny but you couldn't just snap your fingers and live for a hundred years. Remember in our scenario the immortals can die just as easily from violence than anyone else. It's a dangerous world out there even for gods among men." He turned to the pretty woman with ebony hair sitting next to him with a smirk that almost looked evil. "They'd have to protect all their precious treasures just as hard as everyone else."

The woman smiled dreamily, seeming not to notice. "I think it's beautiful if you think about it. So much power but yet so delicate. We could have so much fun, but we'd never get bored because we know it's not guaranteed."

That was about where they were when Sarah approached with her big smile and woeful story of microwave cooking. The man with the long black hair turned to her and smiled, seeming to just notice her.

"Oh hi Sarah. I think we're fine here, though I'm sure whatever you made for us with be just ravishingly good," he added with a wink. "You heard us right? What do you think it would be like to live forever... a goddess like Aphrodite or Artemis. You certainly have the look for it, heh."

The woman rolled her eyes at that. "Psh she isn't interested in you Seth. I bet she'd be more interested in a romp with Persephone, wouldn't you sweetie?"

"In your dreams Seph," Seth finished with a wink.

Spoiler

Seth and Seph

Johnny

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Sarah blushed bright red at the flirtatious remarks, but didn't address them right away. Her mind was desperately racing to recall what these names were reference too. She knew she knew, but it had been awhile since she had to think about it. Not using that college education on a regular basis made her quite rusty it seemed. Still, she'd rather try and sound intelligent right now then like a fool.

"Ah, well..." Sarah stalled a little bit more before deciding what to say. "I guess it would be interesting. There would have to be something to do though, because most people would probably get bored quickly just doing what they always do." She kind of dodged the flirts by switching the conversation to that. To be honest she kind of liked Seth's dark hair more than Johnny's, though the more she looked she actually wasn't sure. She wasn't used to just instantly sizing up strangers! It was pretty awkward. She was sure that they were all nice enough though, and they certainly weren't UNattractive. Even Seph, and weird as it made her feel to admit it. If Sarah wanted to be as unbiased as possible, Seph was probably the 'hottest' as it was, though it made her blush even harder! It was a very good thing Sarah did not mention any of this, or her tongue would be very much tied!

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Seth smiled even wider, almost smirking as Sarah blushed. He laced is fingers together, seeming to contemplate her response before nodding. "A very good point Sarah, a lone immortal would be quite a sad thing indeed. Which points to the importance of friendship." He gestured to Johnny and Seph - who was still staring at Sarah disarmingly - before continuing. "Take us three for example. If we had to live out the rest of our lives as gods, I'm sure there would never be a dull day."

"I'm touched," Johnny interrupted, pressing his hand to his chest in a gesture of mock sincerity. "It looks like it's about closing time though, so maybe we should let Sarah be on her way?"

"Ah silly me," Seth replied, but didn't seem entirely apologetic. "We didn't mean to keep you Sarah. It's just that conversations like these can be so stimulating. Well c'mon you two, let's let Sarah close up shop then.

"Let me take care of the tip," Seph said, finally speaking up as the three got up to leave. She brushed against Sarah's side, sliding her hand right into Sarah's back pocket! "I'd make sure you never had a dull day sweetie..." Seph whispered in Sarah's ear, emphasizing her point with a tight squeeze on Sarah's behind before withdrawing her hand, where Sarah could feel she'd left the tip...

Seph went on her way, her hips swaying just so as high heels clopped on the hard floor, looking over her shoulder with one final wink as the group made to go out the door and into the cold night.

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Sarah kept blushing, brightest when Seph gave her her tip. Even for women that didn't really swing that way, some girls were just hot... And Seph definitely knew how to turn people on, especially those like Sarah... She gave the group a small smile as they left though, happy that her job was almost over for the night, but she really didn't mind waiting when the customers were nice. With a sigh she finally found something more intelligent to say in regards to the conversation.

"Well, don't have too much 'fun', immortal or otherwise. There are still police after all, and it wouldn't be much fun at all to be rotting away for all eternity either." She began to take the dishes back, and begin the routine of cleaning up, giggling a bit. "Well, maybe I'm just a pessimist, but just be careful of things that seem too good to be true!"

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

The only reply to Sarah's motherly warning was the click of the door, but she thought she could hear the faint sound of laughter outside, getting fainter before the only sounds were those inside the restaurant. It certainly paid to be wary of things that seemed too good to be true, Sarah thought as she went to work cleaning up and getting ready to leave. But then again, maybe that attitude was why they were outside having fun and she was alone cleaning dishes in her little cafe! Either way, it was an interesting night.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened the rest of the time Sarah was inside the restaurant. When she decided to leave though, she noticed something strange on the front doors. There was a ruby red rose tied to the door handle with a black silk ribbon. Next to the rose, there was also a note wedged inside the cracks between the door. On the note, was scribbled black ink.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Gods are gorgeous
And so are you.

Stop by Pier 71 if you want to be one.
PS: Yes, the rose is a bribe.
PSS: See you there.

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Sarah looked at the note with confusion. This never happened before, and she gathered it really didn't happen to anyone that often either. It was kind of creepy, in a way, but then again Sarah had always been overly cautious. In this case though she thought she knew who did it... one of those last three. They were a good group, so she didn't worry as if the note had shown up randomly.

She mulled over the decision as she finished closing up, which mostly consisted of locking the doors by this point. She was tired, but not overly so, and some people like Holly still had energy to party this late apparently, after all. Something to break the monotony didn't come along every day after all, and if this did have something to do with that group, the danger of being a girl out after dark and alone would probably be minimal. Part of Sarah still wanted to just go home and get to bed, but she would feel bad not playing their game. They had been such good customers.

Just in case, Sarah would of course be extra careful. In fact... she'd be the one sneaking around... The best way to throw off someone trying to get the jump on you was to get the jump on them. Two could play at that game. Sarah would go to the docks, but find some place in the shadows to look around first and see just who was waiting for her...

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Having stuffed the mysterious note in her pocket and taken the rose, Sarah locked the door of the local Bennigans and made her way out into the night. It was that time of the night when most people had already gone home from work, and a lot of the people out at the clubs had already made their way there. Of course it was a city, so there was still people on the sidewalks, but it was less so than most other times of the day.

The streets got even less populated by the time Sarah got to the docks. Pier 71 was far from the main harbor. Most of the docks around these parts had mostly rickety old fishing boats, and the buildings were largely abandoned and boarded up. Even the lighting was sub-par with a few having burned out and not been replaced, the closest of which was swaying side to side in the wind, making a low creaking sound. Creeeeeeekkkkk

The cool breeze went right through Sarah's working clothes too, fluttering her hair around lightly. She tried to be sneaky to get the jump on the note writers, walking along the side of the boarded up buildings and out of the lights of the dock. She was getting closer to Pier 71 now. It was only two blocks or so away.

Just when she was starting to think of a good place to hide though, there were two women, one at each of her sides, appearing almost out of nowhere. She'd never even seen them before! Each woman took one of Sarah's arms, linking it with their own. They quickly steered her around and headed in the opposite direction at a rapid pace.

"Come quickly Sarah," whispered the woman to her left with long red hair, and a long black dress, utterly out of place in a dock like this. "Terrible dangers lurk in these parts..." Instead of looking at Sarah, the redhead woman was looking all around, especially behind them as if worried what might be creeping out of the shadows.

"Oh hush Ember. You're gonna scare her," replied the woman to Sarah's right. Her hair was also strangely colored, long with platinum blonde locks in the front with black in the back, the two colors wildly mixing together in the middle. She had a scandalous leather top and a long flowing black skirt. "Kinda scaring me too. Grab the pretty little thing and get outta here. It's not so hard!"

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Sarah allowed herself to be moved along at first. This wasn't anything close to something she expected, so it took her brain a few seconds to process. Once it did though her reaction was quite explosive though....

"Hey, what are you doing?! Let go!" She twisted side to side, trying to take steps back. If these people hadn't been so far from the stereotypical mugger Sarah might have struggled even more violently. "How do you know who I am? For that matter, who are YOU!" She was quite loud, which would probably give them away to whatever they were trying to hide from, and even though Sarah picked up on their nervousness as her own, she had something a little more immediate to worry about!

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

"Ugh, pesky little thing ain't she?" "Just stop... kicking..."

The eclectic pair didn't have much trouble subduing Sarah, but they were forced to slow down to take control of her. They had just picked her up off the ground to haul away when a terrible shriek wrenched the air. Apparently whatever they were afraid of heard Sarah's complaining!

"Wraith!" Ember hissed, whirling around and appearing even more pale than usual. Ember and Cinthya glanced at each other than back to Sarah.

"You must get her to the master! I will hold it off." Ember immediately said to Cinthya.

Cinthya looked hesitant. "Ember... I.."

"GO" Ember replied, staring directly into Cinthya's eyes. The black and white haired woman staggered back slightly as if trying to resist some unseen force, but then nodded stoically and hoisted Sarah into the air, running in the opposite direction. As Cinthya was running, Sarah could see Ember over her shoulder. The redhead with the black dress was walking toward the shrieking sound. She pointed to a building, and it erupted into great big orange flames. The flames kept raging until they formed a wall in front of the woman at least three stories high. There was another loud shriek, and the flames seemed to wither then come back to life, but before Sarah could see what happened, Cinthya turned a corner, leaving Ember and the great conflagration behind them.

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

"Whoa! Holy shit! Hey, you can't do that, that's arson!" Of all the thoughts running through Sarah's head, that was the one she picked. The absurdity was just too much to register all at once. She completely skipped over how... crazy it was that the building just burst into flames simply by looking at it apparently.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me!?" Sarah's questions became a little more focused and conventional. Just how unorthodox this pair was kept her from actually panicking though. Well... that loud shriek actually had something to do with it too. It sounded A LOT scarier than anything two strange women could do, so even if Sarah wanted to fight a bit more, being dragged along seemed like the clearly better choice!

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Ember didn't seem to notice Sarah's complaints and admonitions, but then again she was pretty distracted at the moment, and it wasn't long before Ember, the fires, wraiths, and whatever other horrors were out of view.

"Taking you to the master. Didn't you hear? No time for questions!" Cinthya replied urgently as she hoisted Sarah up over her shoulder, securing her by the legs. The black and white haired woman darted through dozens of back alleys, snuck around corners, and stayed in the shadows. She avoided coming across any people the best she could and did a pretty good job of it. Sarah noticed that Cinthya ran faster than would be expected for someone of her build and she didn't seem to tire or perspire despite sprinting for long periods of time. Her body did have kind of a nice warm feel though.

It took quite a while with no sign of Ember, but eventually they arrived on the darkened sidewalk of a ritzier area of the city. Cinthya walked, Sarah still slung over her shoulder, up the sidewalk alongside a black cast iron fence. Within the fence was an old three story victorian home with towers and steeples. It looked kind of a like a castle, but one that might be found in a city. This was the kind of place that would have been home to a local wealthy family in the old days. These days, they were usually turned into museums or other places to make government operations look fancier than they really are. Sarah had never heard of such a place being here, but then again she really didn't get out much.

"Don't run away now silly," Cinthya teased Sarah and with a pat to the butt, she let Sarah down at the entrance to the big gate but held her hand so it would be harder if she wanted to run away. Then she turned to an approaching guard. "Vince! Quick, you have to let the master know Ember might be in trouble. There was a wraith attack and... and.. we're not sure if it was a trap set by the Giovanni or some kind of accident, but it didn't sound happy! I would have stayed to help, but I had to make sure it didn't decide to use Sarah here as a host..."

Meanwhile the guard nodded and made some hand signal to one of his companions. He wore a dark suit, had slick black hair, sunglasses, and the unfriendly look of a secret service agent as he walked up to Sarah and began coating her face with some translucent substance. "To protect you from the house enchantments," was all he said when she recoiled.

"Don't worry, it's only for a little while until we can initiate you properly.." Cinthya tried to reassure Sarah with a sheepish smile.

Spoiler

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

"Hey!" Sarah wiggled and tried to get free, but it was quickly apparent she was no match for someone that could carry her this way! This was getting a little too intense for her, but it seemed like her best bet now was to be on the look out for someone else outside, then yell for help. Her luck was bad tonight and that plan fell through, though when she was brought before a mansion rather than a vacant warehouse Sarah shuddered at the thought that things could be worse...

"Initiate me into WHAT?" Nevertheless, Sarah tried to wiggle her face away from the stuff being rubbed onto her. After it became clear that this too would be futile she stopped though. She really wasn't putting all her heart into it, she supposed, because it was just so weird. What kind of women just abduct other women! There could only be one explanation... "Is this some kind of elaborate practical joke?"

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

When the guard finished coating Sarah's face with the invisible enchantment repellent, he nodded to Cinthya then stepped aside. Instead of answering her questions, Cinthya pulled Sarah along, gently holding her hand. As they walked inside the walls of the big Victorian mansion, the guards closed the gate behind them with a creak.

"Why into the family of course. You'll see," Cinthya replied still smiling sheepishly when they went inside the black double doors. Inside, the floor of the main area was shiny hard wood with red carpets. A Chandelier hung above them and a spiraling staircase led up stairs over a hallway beneath it. "We aren't really known for our sense of humor... but maybe you can teach us Sarah." Cinthya added hopefully.

"And I will be looking forward to it with great interest," came a booming voice from a man standing at the top of the stairs. He was wearing a three piece suit with slick black hair and a penetrating gaze. In his hands was a thick leather bound book, which he closed as he made his way down the stairs.

Cinthya made a little courtesy as he approached. "Master."

"Hello Cinthya, my dear. I see you have escorted Sarah here safely. Where is Ember?" replied the master of the house who straightened up and frowned when Cinthya repeated the explanation she gave outside. If Cinthya could have blushed she would have done so as he turned and pulled out a cellphone. "Geoffrey. Find Ember immediately. Use discretion but disregard the masquerade if necessary. Report back as soon as you find her."

The master of the house smiled magnanimously to Sarah when he turned around around. "Apologies Sarah. We must take care of our own in House Tremere though. It is just one of the many ways it distinguishes us from the other... ah... families. I am sure you have many questions, but most importantly, you must be hungry! What does your heart desire? Cinthya here can conjure up just about anything."

Cinthya smiled and nudged Sarah as the two led her into an exquisite dining room. "Yep, that's me... renaissance woman extraordinaire. Only the best for my new sis."

Spoiler

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

As they went inside the realization was dawning on Sarah, as it should have long ago, that maybe this WASN'T a practical joke. After such a long shift, sometimes Sarah's brain didn't work all too well, and running out autopilot she'd assumed this was just something her tricky friends had come up with. She should have caught that it wasn't about the time they got to the mansion, but her brain had just been so locked in. Now this man's gaze, with deep red irises, managed to snap her out of it.

"I... ummm... uh... well.... I think you have the wrong Sarah, I have no idea what's going on!" She gave a weak smile. These people did at least seem really nice, so while Sarah felt a pit form in her stomach she didn't exactly feel like she was in danger. Surely if there was a misunderstanding things could be sorted out quickly and without a problem. "I'm just a waitress at a small little place. But, umm... this is a really nice house you have...."

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

The master of the house gazed at Sarah with his deep red eyes for a long moment before suddenly laughing and clapping his hand on her back.

"Hahaha! No you are the one and only Sarah. The only one we could ever want as far as I am concerned." The master paused and gestured around to the hall before continuing. "This house will soon be your own home as well once you become perform the rituals to become the newest member of our family. Do not worry though," the master added sensing Sarah's worry. "All will be well in time."

The master guided Sarah into the dining hall, hand at the small of her back as he escorted her with Cinthya quietly following by her side. "We have followed your progress with great interest! Ever since one of my agents conversed with you in the Old Library of West Chester University whilst performing a sensitive research mission, we thought you might be our next addition to the family. You probably do not remember her, but she was quite impressed by your imagination and enthusiasm. The events tonight merely sped along the process. Really, while you have been struggling recently, it's through no fault of your own no? All you need is the right opportunity, some keen guidance, and a library full of inspiration and wonder. We have all of these and more within these walls, I assure you."

"Are you sure you are not hungry? Cinthya really is quite skilled. Perhaps a drink? What might we do to make you comfortable. I am at your service." The master added with a wide smile, but the look on his face suggested he didn't say that too often!

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Was this some kind of cult... abduction? Odd... but not unheard of, right? Right?! Sarah gulped, but tried to play it cool. Best not to provoke cults with unknown motives, even if it certainly sounded like they were going to try and do something to her!

She was just about to open her mouth when this man mentioned her college days. They had been following her this long? Oh.... maybe this was some kind of elite society for people who did well! They were kind of weird, and Sarah thought only places like Harvard had them, but this was a much more likely explanation! "Oh! I think I get it! Yeah, I've not been doing much lately, just a waitress, but I've just not been able to find any good breaks!" Despite new found enthusiasm, Sarah couldn't hide a bit of sorrow when she talked about where she worked. Not like it was a bad place, but it wasn't exactly glamorous. "I guess maybe a little something then. I didn't know I would be getting a meal, so I had a snack earlier..."

 

[Ranger Princess]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

The Master of the house called Tremere grinned widely, spreading out his hands when he heard Sarah's enthusiasm. "Wonderful. Sometimes it takes more convincing to show new members the ways of our House, but I see you seem to be a very intelligent young woman. This House has been much better off since we began welcoming more women into it. Just take Cinthya here. She is one of the most skilled in her particular art that I have ever seen." The Master smiled, gesturing to Cinthya.

Cinthya blushed a bit, getting up and standing next to Sarah as the Master continued. "Of course, once initiated, we will require an oath and demonstration of loyalty and for you to carry out some simple tasks from time to time, but the vast enhancement of your mental and physical prowess will be worth far more than we can ever ask for. You are already a great woman Sarah, but you can unlock the keys to something far more powerful within you. You can be sure your brothers and sisters in the House will always be there for you to help you through your quest for knowledge as well."

While the Master continued his explanation and welcome, Cinthya leaned over Sarah's shoulder, her long black skirt brushing against Sarah as she waved her hand around just above the table. When Cinthya pulled back again, there was a plate with a delicious chocolate mousse cake dipped in raspberry sauce right in front of her. It was like Cinthya conjured it out of nowhere!

"I hope you like chocolate. It's one of my favorites..." Cinthya cooed with a little smile. "If not, I can make something else for you too..."

"Ah!" The Master said happily. "Surely I'm boring you with these details. Eat! Cinthya is such a fabulous chef."

 

[OAMP]

Re: Holding out for a Hero: Sarah White

Sarah was slightly weirded out, but then again, she'd heard secret societies typically had pretty weird induction rituals. She couldn't imagine someone dressed like *that* was going to demand a small animal sacrifice. The way he referred to "enhancing" her was a bit weird too, but she was sure that there was some way they could help her get a leg up in life. All the concerns got pushed back again, though, when Sarah saw the cake.

"Ooooo. No, that looks very delicious! Thank you so much." She was slightly hesitant, but mostly because she was out of her element on etiquette here. Typically she was the one serving people, not the other way around! After awkwardly figuring out how to properly express her gratitude, Sarah looked back over to "the master". "So... what do I have to do first?"