Happy Hogmanay

Plans for New Year's Eve are vague and depend on the weather. These are the best kind of plans.

Christmas

Presents have been opened! Some of a book has been read! DVDs have been tested to see if they work! Soup and chicken and potatoes have been eaten! Cake has also been eaten! A movie has been watched! Family have been phoned!

(The book is Blackwood by Evan Dorkin. The DVDs are The Expanse S1 and 2. The movie was Moana getting its first TV showing.)

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays, whatever form they take.

A long quiet night

Happy winter solstice!

Game group hanging out and gift sharing achieved! Game not achieved, figured it wouldn't be.

400 posts!

Hello world.

Star Wars

The Rise Of Skywalker was pretty fun except for a couple of bits which are really important.

Red Sands: Twelve

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Twelve

Louise kicks off her heels and the fresh polish on her fingernails cracks as they start to extend.

The leader of this particular anarch gang considers.

"Okay, guys, we're new in town and they knew where to find us." Simon raises hands for calm.
"Which is interesting in itself..." Jamie notes.

The anarch leader half smiles. "Okay, well, now you've heard that sales pitch, you should come by Mission Beach, Sunday night. See a proper town meeting."

The five vampires step away, all in different directions.

Jamie hands Louise her shoes back. Louise glowers but puts them back on.

"It's nice how everybody wants to invite us to things," Jacob deadpans.

At the hotel, the shoes go back in the box and the box goes back in Jamie's room. Louise showers, takes off her wrecked nail polish, gets changed, and goes to scout out the beach. She goes looking for anarch graffiti tags indicating where to go. She finds some and makes her way to look in on the nomads, and they point the way to an old scrapyard. Nobody there right now, but she can tell it's seen use recently. And one of the pits for getting under cars to work on them has been opened up, and it smells like it's been used for fighting. And there's a clear ring around it...

Red Santas

Not really an appropriate point for a Christmas special in my V5 game. Darn it. Because it's September in-game. And also the characters have been in the city for about four nights. And we did a fancy party episode last time.

Red Sands: Eleven

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Eleven

Elizabeth makes polite inquiries about each of them, and makes sure to introduce them to other local Kindred - and also to mortals that they might find useful, as a way of showing her useful contacts and the like.

One of the local Toreador knows Jamie by reputation, and his mask of polite disinterest slips for a moment.

Jacob is introduced to the court just like the vampires, though given a chance to talk to some of the clearly in-the-know mortals and perhaps ghouls as well.

Baptiste keeps an eye on all of this.

Jamie goes out for a "smoke break", and sees another vampire watching in the coffee shop across the street.

A band plays, and Simon asks Louise to dance. "Since we got all dressed up."

She smiles bashfully and takes his hand. Elizabeth and Baptiste observe. She doesn't really notice.

But on the way back out, Jamie casually mentions that the watching vampire is following them, and so are four more.

"Isn't this what these kind of parties are supposed to prevent?" Louise growls.
"I imagine they're here to prevent these kind of parties."

The five wait for them to reach the parking lot before dropping down to surround them. All of their eyes gleam reddish in the dark.

"So. Learn anything from the queen with no crown?" the leader asks, baring his teeth.

Hey, US friends, have a good day!

Red Sands: Ten

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Ten

Simon watches the ghost to see what he might do... not that he has any real way of stopping whatever that choice might be.

"So, come to steal blood from people who need it? Makes you feel less guilty than taking it from people directly?"

The lights flicker as the ghost moves closer. Simon backs up, towards a more populated ward, hoping ghosts have to hide what they do as well. The figure doesn't seem to follow, but he keeps a look out as he heads for the exit.

...

Returning empty-handed, he finds Jamie doing Louise's hair.

"So I guess we're going to this thing, huh?"

He foregoes a tie.

"So can I not wear high heels?" Louise asks Jamie as she wriggles in a little black dress.
"No," Jamie says as she adjusts her long silver satin.

Jacob does wear a tie.

...

The private gallery in Gaslamp is full of people acting like they admire the art. The three vampires can tell they're not alone, although there are still two or three people alive for every one dead.

Baptiste greets them, and brings them to an imperious-looking woman in white.

"My friends - " He ignores Louise's look as he calls them that " - may I present Elizabeth."

The vampire lady smiles not-remotely-warmly.

Yes I want to play Star Wars again.

Seattle By Night

From Jason Carl and Penny Arcade, Seattle By Night, a V5 game where the Toreador is by far the least stylish.

Red Sands: Nine

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Nine

Louise joins Simon and Jamie, with Jacob hanging back.

The vampire in the nice suit smiles graciously. "My name is Baptiste. I represent the Prince of the domain. Now, I understand that you have your grievances with Camarilla representatives in the cities you left."
"No shit," Louise says flatly.
"Quite. However, we are not our elders, and you have demonstrated your willingness to make a new start and your determination to succeed. We value such qualities, and we hope that you may be willing to hear the Prince's offer of an accord."

He leaves four invitations to an exhibition opening at the weekend.

Louise goes and picks one up. "Well gee, I don't have a thing to wear."

Jamie smirks.

Louise looks at her suspiciously, and goes to tell Simon about the clinic.

"Sounds workable in the short term, but we can probably find somewhere... friendlier."

Jamie rolls her eyes, making sure they see it.

...

During the day, Jacob scouts out the art gallery, looking over its security, ways in and out, and the exhibition site.

...

"Okay, why are we going to this Camarilla show? I mean, you're the one who ran out on the Camarilla, not just ran away from it." Louise grimaces at the boutique window.
"We want them to think we're open to the possibility." Jamie smiles winningly, and holds something black and shiny up to Louise. "Hmm. Maybe. Besides... you get to see Simon in a suit."

Louise glares at her, then takes the dress into the changing room.

...

Simon uses his knowledge of hospital procedure to scout around and look for cracks in security that haven't already been exploited by vampires looking for easy blood.

And finds himself being watched by a ghost.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is 15

Happy Bloodlines Night!

"You don't recognize me from the pictures? Gorgeous Gary Golden? Surely you didn't Pirate Town or Tap Hotel - "
"I love Pirate Town!"
"Oh, uh - "
"Can I get your autograph?"