Things were starting to smooth out in Cleveland for Johnnie.  He was fixing up the warehouse, Aunt Rose and Uncle Vince were heading into town next week to set up shop to hire some people for place and to receive their nourishment...

Johnnie headed out of the apartment securing the door as he has been accustomed to doing, getting in the Jeep and heading to the RTA station on 117th, near the warehouse.  His drive was uneventful as usual and the scenario was becoming familiar which started to bore him lately.   He has taken this trip daily now and the routine was getting a fustrating...

Tonight Johnnie was excited, nervous, and eager to get to the RTA subway station because tonight, Johnnie was going to take action in finding others of his own kind...

Papa always said that if you wanted to find out were other rabble and vamps are, just ask... yup, just that simple - except for maintaining the masquerade.  He himself said he would kill me if I fucked that up.  

He once told me that the NOS were the keepers of secrets and the underworlds information superhighway - better and faster than today's modern internet.  For generations, NOS have traded and provided information with other kindred - for a price.  Well, it might be time to announce my presence to other vamps in this city.  It may be my undoing, but I can still find information while remaining anonymous, just like the internet.

Back in the day, when gangs used fists and pipes or bats to settle arguments, they also tagged their territory claiming ground and announcing their victories.  Well, tonight, Johnnie decided to tag various subway stops looking for info.  

Johnnie parked the Jeep in the parking lot, bought a season pass from the ticket booth and headed up to the loading terminal waiting for the next train with an army green backpack  containing a can of black and blood red spray paint and 2 jumbo sharpee’s, one black they other red.  He packed his trusty switchblade, which was tucked in his pants in the small of his back, tonight as he was not sure what trouble he may run into  . . . .

The train pulled up slowly and came to stop with the swoosh of the air brakes releasing.  An older afro-American woman with a shopping cart boarded on the train, with some black youth and 2 Latino’s.  Johnnie found a set up near the front and pulled out a book, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, to read until his next stop.  

He stayed on the train when he reached his first stop, but then exited at the 56th street terminal. He found a bench was waiting until the place was empty, reading his book, with trains coming and going and finally looked up from the pages to notice that he was alone.  He had to move quickly...

On the glass enclosure of the terminal waiting area, he took both jumbo Sharpee's out of his backpack and wrote:

Yo NOS... New in town, need to give props and cred to yo prince ....where he be at?

Johnnie then draws a long slender spike with the black sharpee and uses the red sharpee to enscribe an "S" around the spike as his signature.  Just as Johnnie was finishing his statement, the train pulled up and boarded traveling to the next stop.  

Johnnie writes this statemet on some of the terminal stops around Cleveland when safe to do so; and continues this for hours.  He takes the train back to 117th exited down the urine soaked stairs to his vehicle and heads home.  In a few days, he will visit those terminals to see if anyone answers his call...

There are eyes everywhere.  Everywhere.  At all times.  Small eyes, big eyes.  The city is watched and seen by a million pupils and irises.  And there is no telling, when and what those eyes see, who they go back to tell...

Roberto's fight sent Johnnie's blood on fire, bringing back the old days of surviving a street fight.  This gave enough energy to start checking the "tags" that he created around town in the various tram stops and sewer entrances.  He wasn't worried about finding any trouble, in fact, he almost welcomed it as stoked as his furnace was.  

He exited onto West 117th and turned right heading to the RTA station.  He passed the Lido Lounge and later thought he would visit Gina to quench his thirst...

As he pulled into the RTA station, he pulled bounded up the steps and stepped into the tram just as it was about to close. The tram came to the stop of his first tag and he exited searching for his tag eager to see if he found an answer to his question....

Johnnie will find, scrawled on the glass in what looks to be a black sharpie pen, E. 99th & Eternal, nothing more.  None of his other tags will have any responses to them, at least none he can see.

"Whoe...", Johnnie thinks.  E.99th and Eternal.  Johnnie pondered his situation for a moment, wondering if actually announcing his prescence was a good idea or will this decision  eventually cost him is unlife.  

I need more eyes and I need more people in the know of this cursed life who may have come accross father, Johnnie thought.  When I find him, he will get a serious beating or whomever caused his doom... will die....

With the logic developed into his mind, Johnnie decided to head to the location tomorrow night when he properly prepare for what may lay ahead at E99 and Eternal.  For know, off to the Lido Lounge...

Johnnie woke up the next night in anticipation of the shit he might get himself into with the Cleveland kindred... He could be walking into a death trap, but he needed to establish a base in Cleveland without pissing everyone in the Cam off.  In this way, and only way, could he peacefully look for his father and establish his empire.

He put on a long sleeve black tee shirt, his trademark color, and headed out the door making sure to activate the usual security devices as simple as they were.

Johnnie jumpled inot the jeep, pulled out his blackberry and found the mapquest site to search for directions to E.99th and Eternal.  As  the screen provided the directions, Johnnie noticed the listing for E.99th but no listing for Eternal.  Johnnie found this strange, but decided to drive up and down E.99th. He figured he eventually find something resembling the site.  Johnnie headed through Little Italy and past La Dolce Vita.  With the site of the restaurant he realized he hadn't heard from Gabby yet.  He made a mental note to contact - if he survives this meet.

As he followed the directions, he noticed how the city breathes in the night and could feel it's hardship and pain... he hoped to provide the city the relief it deserved ...

E.99th... Johnnie's fate lied in wait. He took a right onto E.99th driving south looking for Eternal.  He wanted to carry his piece, but that might get him kicked out of this city before he could establish roots in it.  He opted to keep a switchblade tucked into his inside right boot.  

Johnnie took some deep breath's, trying to ease the excitement and anxiety of meeting another kindred and drove up and down E.99th looking for Eternal - or a sign...

Driving up and down E. 99th you see the usual signatures of urban decay:  boarded up windows, dark shop signs with letters missing from their facades, vacant lots, and cracked sidewalks.  Nothing comes across to you as an immediate marker of the location for the supposed meeting place.

And then...

Looming out of the darkness, glowing white as with a residual light of some long-lost purity is a large cross.  As the car pulls closer, you see the cross is attached to a low concrete building.  Dead white lights announces the Eternal Light of Hope Church and Mission.  Apparently the Light of Hope wasn't quite as eternal as it claimed to be.  The windows are cracked and boarded up in places, the building looking as if it hasn't been used in quite some while.  

Hmmm... clever Johnnie thinks...

This type of building looks like a haven for any Rat running in town.  Papa always indicated that Rat's have a way hiding so you need to be extra careful otherwise you could end up with your throat slit and drained but the sewer dwellers....

Johnnie slowly pulls into the vacant parking lot keeping the lights on in the vehicle and pointing them at the church.  He pauses for a minute, eyes ever attentive for any movement.  This is a dangerous game for him right now... he normally woundn't enter into unkown territory without some back up.  

Johnnie pulls the switchblade from his boot and palms it in his hand.  He parks his Jeep, holding the closed blade and locks and shuts the door. Exiting very slowly... eyes watching for movement.  He walks towards the building and slowly circles around the outside looking for anything that could potentially hurt him...

The place does indeed seem abandoned.  The perimeter of the place is scattered with accumulation of trash and refuse, broken glass, cigarette butts, and a few old planks of wood that have fallen or (perhaps) been pried off from the windows.  But there is no sign of habitation, mortal or otherwise.

The place seemed abondened, Johnnie wanted to still be cautious, especially when it comes to another kindred's turf.  He looks for the front entrance and slowly enters the building testing the flooring for any sign of weakness.  In addition, he is looking for anyone thta is inhabitiing the place...

Before Johnnie verbally announces his prescence, he uses every sense he knows to determine if someone is there..
((2009-09-20 19:02:29 Johnnie Sin rolls 4 dice to Perception Check 1,10,4,3 (failure) )).

Not sensing any danger, Johnnie walks into the building announcing his presence...

"Hello..."

Johnnie Slowly states...

((I'm actually holding off on this right now until the events on the Waterfront are resolved.  If you get involved in a fight there and spend blood it'll effect how much blood you may have for any combats, disciplines, etc. here))

((( that's what I thought.. thanks for the clarification.. still getting used to the forum bit...))

((Generally posting in more than one thread at a time is cool, but when one thread involves the possibility of conflict I usually hold off on other threads))

(( this post is going to have a problem now that I basically abondened the jeep at the waterfront.  It will probably be towed.  I have a way to get it back and get Uncle Vince and Aunt Rose into Cleveland to run the warehouse operations)).

((Since you found and identified fellow Kindred in the Waterfront thread I'm not sure if you'd like to continue with this scene since its main purpose has already been accomplished))

((I could use this as an option to meet the prince.  However, I will be taking the direct approach in meeting Mikhail.  shall we close this loop and pretend it never happened?))

((Sure))