Christian was sitting up, slowly recovering from his fit when Sarah and Sydney walked back into the shop. Christian's vision cleared to see thier eyes bug out at him. He did not see Becky walk up to him, and gently poke him, whispering 'is he allright?' softly to Sarah, but he did hear the murmured response of "I don't know."
Christian blinked and instinctivily replied "I'm allright." He watched the collective groups' muscles relax.
"That's good." Sydney nodded, offering Christian a chair. "Now can you please explain what happened, why you were on the floor, why Will has lock himself in the VW bug, and why you, sir a holding a rather large sword in my bookshop?" he finished his last line by motioning to Talbot.
Christian opened his mouth to speak, but Talbot beat him to the punch.

"She pulled a knife. I defend myself." He accented his words with a sharp downward nod.
"Don't get angry Syd, I think he's here to help..." Anique said in her lilting voice. It was quite possibly the most enchanting voice Sydney had ever heard, and it was by far the most eerie. ~But if he's here to help, why did you pull a knife on him? Why can't everyone here be normal like me?~ He mentally whined to himself.
The conversation halted for a second, and Christian proceeded to explain his dream. At the end, the four Malkavinas and the Ravnos were gravely silent.
"You're the prophet, what do you think it could mean?" Sydney asked, not unkindly.
"I'm not sure yet. I need to know more about Remington . . . or Ellison. Maybe if I--"

The little chime attached to the bookshop door rung ominously. Six pairs of Vampiric eyes riveted onto the lithe figure that was strutting into the shop.
Blonde hair, dyed to yellow perfection, deliberatly ruffled and styled to appear as if it wasn't deliberatly ruffled and styled, pale cheeks, long fingers, tight blue leather pants and a loose cotton poet's blouse with a tiny black vest with polished gold buttons, Jason Ellison walked in as a man bored with the clutter that surrounded him. He affected a yawn, and turned to smile at the motley band assembled before him.
"Ahhh, the Duckling are back in the pond again. How nice. Well, well, well. I was in the neighborhood and I decided that I would pop in. There's a big to do tonight you know. Remember that the prince has called everyone to the elysium at midnight sharp." He smiled, his voice dripping with coagulated honey. "Now, I just wanted to make sure that you all were going to be there. Very important things to be announced tonight. It really will be a terrific time."
"Who the hell is that?" Talbot queried in a low tone.
Ellison raised his long finger and 'tsk'ed in a mocking tone. "Impolite to be speaking behind one's back. Who am I? Well, you must either be new or of base stock to not know me." He turned to Talbot, offering him a saccharine smile. Talbot's face darkened, and his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Hello little one. Let me introduce myself. I am Jason Ellison Esquire, your fashion commentator and judge of taste."

Everything was finally starting to go smoothly. No more weapons were being pointed at Talbot, the crazy guy was off cowering in the corner somewhere, and this lady was trying to introduce herself. But now, this guy is down on the floor, twitching and shaking in some horrible convulsions, and Talbot is debating whether to drop the sword and help, or to maintain his defense when Syd and Sarah get back to the store.
"What did you do to him?" Sydney rushes to Christian's side and kneels down to check for injuries.
Talbot raises his hands in pseudo surrender, "Nothin, man! He just dropped and started twitchin'!"
"Well, if you would, help me escort Christian here to the couch, please." Sydney drapes Christians arm over his shoulders and awaits Talbot, who is sheathing his sword and approaching cautiously. Meanwhile, Christian is shooing Sydney, insisting that he is alright. "Let me go, Sydney. I can make it there myself. I just need to sit down a sec."
"Are you sure, Christian? Are you hurt?" Finally stepping away, but still surveying his body for damage.
"I'm fine, I had another vision." Christian slowly moves himself over to the couch and takes a seat, sprawling his legs out, keeping a wary eye on Talbot all the while.
Sydney walks over with Christian, "Well, why don't you tell us about it?"

Sick Stomach

IC: Sarah Stood there watching Sydney trying to straighten out what had happened in their absence. Becky was almost glued to Christian's side worried that he might be hurt. As Christian told of his vision Sarah's stomach began to churn a little wondering if it had to due with the mornings events. As her mind began to wander the bell above the door rang...

In walked Jason Ellingson and Sarah turned a little more pale than she already was. ~First Jack and now Jason, what is going on?~ Sarah really didn't listen much to him once he went into his usual rantings until he pointed his attention to the newbie, Talbot.
~Why does he have to pick on everyone? He's just a bully with no fashion sense who needs the *enter profanity* kicked out of him!~ Sarah stared at him with resentment and thought of ways to torture the harpy.

~"Sarah was up with that guy there? Is he good or bad?" Becky asked Sarah softly~
"Shhh" Sarah replied quickly as Jason focused his attention on her.
"Did you say something little girl?" Jason stood over Sarah menacingly with eyes that were staring thru her. Sarah stared back with eyes of anger but her body language became that more of a small child being bullied.
"Well freak?!" Jason asked again.
Sarah mumbles and tries to step back but trips over her feet and falls to the ground. Jason begins to laugh aloud at her.

Going Offensive

Talbot reaches out and catches Sarah as she trips over her feet, steadying her, eyes never leaving Ellison. "Alright then, if you're going to lecture on politeness, then you ought to know how much of an ass you are being trying to intimidate these people. So take your fasion pretending ass out of this bookstore, leave these people alone and if you feel like starting shit with anyone, you come and see me, huh? You think you have a sharp tongue, let's see what I can do to it with this." His hand relaxes on the hilt of the sword, bringing it up in a semi-offensive stance. "Now, I'm not in the mood today to listen to some rich bitch whine about fasion and shit all night, so get yourself and those ugly ass blue pants the hell out of here."

Ellison is escorted to the door at bladepoint, blabbering all the while about "how fun it will be to kill each and every one of the peopel in here..." etc etc. And as the door opens against the weight of Ellison's back-pedaling, Talbot's wrist flicks, sending the tip of his blade across the front of Ellison's neck. Droplets of blood well up under his chin as he whips a handkerchief out from his breast pocket. Ellison stumbles back a couple of steps, trying to stem the flow of blood before it ruins one of his nicer shirts. His mind was utterly unable to comprehend the fact that this new person in town would actually treat him with such disrespect. However, such a show of force was not at all common to Ellison, and struck a wellspring of fear in his soul. A thin sheen of blood moistened his forehead as his wide open, almost hysterical eyes darted here and there.
"You'll regret you ever did that, you hear me? I have friends! And believe me, they will hear of this! You hear? You're all going to die!" Talbot watched Ellison as he ran away down the road until he could no longer see him.
"Who the hell was that? A friend of you guys'?" Talbot looks over to Sarah, sheathing his weapon, "Are you ok?" After a nod from the girl, "Hey, listen. Sorry about all that a while ago. It's just, I get nervous when people have weapons pointed at me, call me weird. Anyway, you all seem to know my name, but aside from Sydney, I don't believe the rest of the introductions have been met." "Anique, right?" The pale blue eyes captivate him for a moment, and he momentarily loses the use of his vocabulary. "Uh, nice to meet you."

Introductions resume

IC: Ellison was in the shop again. Anique listened as he prattled on and on, his mocking voice dripping with sarcasm and his beady little eyes surveying them like animals in a zoo. How she wanted to kill him. She regretted that she had dropped her kinfe. The last time she had seen that bastard, she had imagined killing him. He was in front of her now, and her knife was not in reach. Damn it all. She wished it was in her hand, but instead, her precious knife was lying partially under a bookshelf. She could hear the cold steel sing as it ripped through his flesh, its resonant melody echoing in her head like the call of a vibrant songbird. Unfortunately, diving for the knife would give her intentions away. But she longed to sink the blade into his perfect toreador complextion. Suddenly, the stranger with the sword who she had been trying to introduce herself to before Ellison 'blessed' them with his presence began to threaten the harpy. Ellison was quickly shoved out the door, screaming threats at them as blood from the man's sword flowed down his neck , and his eyes flashed with anger and fear. Anique watched the blood dribble down Ellison's neck with relish, Its ferrous scent tantilizingly sweet in the night air.

As Ellison stormed off to undoubtedly change clothes, Anique began to laugh just a little, delighting in the beautiful humiliation of the harpy. Just then, the man who had cut the harpy tunrned to her. "Anique, right?" he said.
"Yes, you're right" she began. " I am Anique...what is your name? By the way" she added "I have wanted to slice that harpy bastard for such a long time...Thanks for giving him a run for his money...I hope he stained his shirt! Anyway, what brings you to the bookshop?" She extended a hand as she finished rambling at the stranger in an excited tone....