Ho ho ho

And now the annual "checking the new DVDs and Blu-Rays work, by which I mean watching them" begins.

I can now confirm that The Woman In Black (the first TV version) works.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

i love you grogu don't go

From The Ashes 6

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes

Dalton held up his end of the deal, so he could hunt in the gang's part of town and Laura could get bags from a clinic near a college, fresh from poor students.

Ella took Dalton to meet Broughton, the backroom blood seller. He was a thin man with dark rings around his eyes, looking more like a vampire than they did. He jacked up the price for a new face. "Supply and demand, you know how it is."

Ella brought two bottles back to Laura, who drank from them after eating a barely warmed steak and some vegetables. 

"Nothing tastes quite right."

Dalton went into town to a club, meeting up with Rain to make sure he got in. And Rain spotted someone inside. A Camarilla loyalist, maybe looking around the gang's holdings after the attack the night before.

They discussed options. A show of force would mean someone from the Tower knowing Dalton's face. So they decided to follow at a distance.

Laura and Ella talked about how this had happened.

"I feel more alive than I did before. By which I mean I hurt a lot more. But... I hope I stay this way, so I can look after the baby."

"I'd heard this could happen. There was this travelling Church of Cain guy..."

"Caldwell?"

"That's the one."

"He's hunting me."

Dalton trailed the loyalist's car back out of gang territory, and followed further with more care. He went to another club - a much fancier club - and he figured an unfamiliar vampire going into what was probably the Rack wouldn't be a good idea...

From The Ashes 5

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes 

"So, was the idea to let them know this place was burned?" Dalton asked, deadpan.
"I think it was to find out what they were bringing in." Rain shrugged. He braced himself as Dalton sideswiped the pursuing car.
"Must be something valuable..." Dalton grunted as the pursuing car scraped along a road barrier.
"I'm sure these guys will have no idea." Bullets cracked the passenger window.

Ella looked around the restaurant to see if she could spot the woman. She was talking to the wine waiter again. And as she snuck around, she spotted the woman's companion coming out of their car, looking for someone. Could he see her?

The gang car pulled a U-turn and slammed into the car full of gunmen. Dalton could hear groans and smell blood. "They're done. We should move before all this noise gets us noticed."

Ella watched as the waiter handed the woman his car keys, and she stepped out of the employee door, her driver joining her. The woman looked around with bright, alert eyes, and Ella figured better hide even though human sense couldn't see her. All she could do was get the waiter's license plate.

Dalton burned the car out once they were out of town.

Laura, who had been sitting up watching the local news report a car accident and a search for a hit-and-run driver, looked at the new car Dalton and Rain returned in.
"So that was a roaring success, huh?"

Ella made her own way back.

"If nothing else, they lost some gunmen and a drop box."
"And does that lead back to us...?"