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Gary Brooks was pretty sure he was being threatened right now.
How could he read this as anything other than a threat? Being given a black box full of creepy, dismembered dolls who looked as if they were covered in blood wasn’t exactly normal. And… was that some kind of weapon in there?
Gingerly, Gary picked up the object to inspect it, and yep, that was definitely a knife, covered in the same mysterious red liquid. He dropped it back in the box, a little unnerved.
Thankfully, Harry was there to say what he was thinking, “Well… that’s creepy.”
“Yeah, I agree…” Gary said slowly with a nod. “This was mixed in with all the other Valentine shit?”
Harry nodded, “Yeah. It was just among the packages.”
“And it had no name on it signaling who it was from?” Gary pressed.
Harry shook his head, “None that I could see.”
Gary had been surprised at how many packages he received for Valentine’s Day. Hell, he was surprised some vampires even still celebrated Valentine’s Day, especially the Anarchs. He could see the Camarilla participating in Valentine’s Day, if only to hold up the masquerade, and look normal in the eyes of humans. He could already envision Dante or any of the other cronies of the Camarilla crawling on their hands and knees in front of Prince Raveena to offer her a gift of some kind too.
But the Anarchs of Las Vegas seemed like a much more laissez-faire crowd. He would think that most of them would be too drunk or something to even remember what day it was. They didn’t seem like the type who would think of holidays as important events.
He was wrong about that though, apparently. It seemed the Anarchs loved celebrating the holidays. He’d gotten dozens of invitations for different parties to attend from various people, including Anthony Crinamorte and Miguel. He had yet to attend any of them yet, but apparently, they were crazy. His phone had been blown up with all sorts of pictures from Anthony’s party alone.
Apparently, Anthony had gone as far as to even dump rose petals and other flowers from the ceiling down onto the guests while they partied. It made Gary think vaguely back on his art history classes. He would have to ask Anthony the next time he saw him if he was inspired by The Roses of Heliogabalus painting, or with Emperor Elagabalus himself.
But that was beside the point.
Not only did the Anarchs acknowledge Valentine’s Day, but they also seemed to think it appropriate to give their Baron gifts and cards as a sign of respect. Gary was flattered but didn’t think it necessary. He had barely been Anarch Baron for long! He didn’t deserve to have gifts thrown his way.
But Crypt insisted that it was tradition and that Switchblade, even when he discouraged his subjects from giving him anything, would give him gifts anyway, so Gary supposed he would just have to accept that this was the way things were.
He would make it a point though to thank every single person he could find for their gifts, something he was sure Switchblade never bothered to do.
So, he called up Harry and the two of them sat in the Double Down for a while, with Gary opening the presents and Harry writing down on a piece of paper who gave Gary what so he could keep track.
Most of what Gary had received was pretty normal and nice. Cards, money, gag gifts, gift cards, miscellaneous items, and more. One vampire had even given him brass knuckles, something he would have to test out later.
It had all been going pleasant until he got this box.
“Do you think it’s a threat from the Camarilla?” Harry said, leaning over to say that more quietly to Gary and not cause a scene.
“I don’t know,” Gary said honestly.
To be honest, as much as the Camarilla sucked, this didn’t seem like their kind of deal. If the Camarilla wanted to send a message, he would think they would be much more passive-aggressively diplomatic about it, rather than send threatening art projects.
But then again, Chance and Willow seemed convinced that William was the one who blew up part of Circus Circus and threw Amicia’s head out of the building. So maybe he wasn’t above sending a morbid box like this to him. He knew for a fact the Sheriff didn’t like him.
“Crypt was the one who was getting the presents beforehand, right?” Harry asked.
“They were,” Gary said.
Well, that complicated things. Crypt was by far one of the more politically savvy of the Anarchs, and Gary would assume the Ministry vampire would be able to recognize the Sheriff of the Camarilla if they saw him. If William had been bold enough to actually hand Crypt the box and say it was for Gary from the Camarilla, Gary was at least ninety percent sure that Crypt would’ve said something to him about it.
But Crypt hadn’t. Crypt hadn’t even reported that anyone strange or unknown had handed over a present, which suggested that the Anarch had seen nothing but other Anarchs when they were receiving the presents.
But that didn’t rule the Camarilla out. Ever since it had been revealed Dante had been a Camarilla rat all along, Gary had been somewhat jumpy with others. After all, if the Camarilla had one rat scuttling around, who was to say they didn’t have several others. Perhaps there was a Camarilla rat amongst the Anarchs who handed this over to Crypt.
The thought made him frown. Well, if that was the case, they needed to be ousted as quickly as possible, especially with tensions running so high.
But what if it wasn’t a Camarilla anybody and instead it was just an Anarch who wasn’t pleased he was Baron or something? What exactly was he supposed to do about that? He couldn’t exactly punish someone for going against him right? That wasn’t very diplomatic… but this could be considered a threat…
Part of him considered calling Willow or Chance and asking either of them their opinion on what to do, but he had a feeling they were spending their Valentine’s Day with each other
Deciding that he would figure out what to do once he figured out the circumstances leading up to this, he got up and carried the box, telling Harry, “I am going to ask Crypt if they know who the box is from. You’re free to leave. If something goes down, I don’t want you to get involved.”
Harry nodded and said, “Okay man, sure. I hope it’s nothing way too big anyway. Maybe it’s another gift from Anthony? It sounds like the guy likes the artsy and macabre every now and then.”
Gary murmured agreement, but he highly doubted it was Anthony. If it was from Anthony, Gary was pretty sure that he would know. Anthony had already gotten him a gift, and the redhead had done practically everything in his power to make sure Gary knew it was from him. Red wrapping paper that was flawlessly wrapped and complemented with a black bow, an expensive cologne inside that only a richer Anarch could afford, a fancy-ass card with a calligraphy signature inside, and a condescending note saying that this cologne would do Gary wonders compared to the cologne he currently wore.
Anthony liked being public about everything he did. If Anthony was the one who sent the box, he would’ve probably spelled his name in blood with a winky face or something. Besides, there didn’t seem to be enough red for it to be Anthony’s gift.
He said goodbye to Harry and then padded over to Crypt who was hanging around in a corner of the Double Down, eyeing everyone carefully. When Gary approached though, the Ministry vampire gave him a small smile and said, “Oh hello, Gary. Have you enjoyed the gifts you have received from your fellow Anarchs?”
“Oh yes! Well, er, mostly,” Gary said quickly, trying to not seem like he was being ungrateful.
“Mostly?” Crypt asked questioningly. Then noticing the box in Gary’s hands, he said, “What is in there?”
“Er, a threat? I think?” Gary said, trying to make his confusion clear. “I was kind of hoping you would know what it means, or at least, who it is from?”
“A threat?” Crypt said, clearly confused. “That doesn’t sound good, let me see…”
Crypt padded over and leaned over to look at the contents of the box for a moment. Smirking, they said, “Wow. This is creative. I would’ve thought Anthony if it had more red or his name emblazoned on it.”
“That’s what I said!” Gary exclaimed, glad someone saw it the way he did. He tried to ignore the way that Crypt seemed strangely fascinated with the box. He knew that they had darker inclinations, but they were an overall cool person so he wasn’t going to call them out on it.
Crypt gently pulled up one of the blood-covered dolls to inspect it, before dropping it back in the box and saying, “I am afraid I don’t remember exactly who gave me which boxes, as there were a lot of them. I can however ensure that every person who gave me a gift was a certified Anarch.”
Gary frowned. So even Crypt didn’t know who gave him the box. Sighing, he said, “Well, thank you for letting me know that no one strange gave me anything and-”
Crypt interrupted him, “Before you give up, Gary, I was going to say that while I don’t know specifically who gave the box, I think I can narrow the suspects down quite a bit. I would suggest asking Blemish about this. This seems like him and his Clan’s kind of deal…”
If Gary hadn’t been holding the box in both hands, he would’ve slapped his forehead in realization. Blemish! Of course! If there was some creepy ass shit going on, he probably was getting himself involved, or at least, would know what the scary stuff meant.
Gary also remembered that Blemish used to be a member of the Sabbat. Blemish would constantly insist that he has long since moved on from those days, but, as far as Gary saw it, old habits die hard. Maybe a box of dismembered doll parts covered in blood was a gesture of kindness or something in the Sabbat. He didn’t know much about them so…
Fortunately, Blemish was also still here in the Double Down, playing cards with some other Anarchs. Gary wasn’t surprised. Blemish didn’t strike him as the type who would go to parties.
Thanking Crypt for their help, he padded over to Blemish and said, “Uh, Blemish?”
Blemish actually looked a little annoyed at the interruption, growling, “What is it, Gary? No disrespect but I kind of need to concentrate. No way in hell I am letting these fuckers win.”
“Oh, uh, sorry,” Gary said sheepishly, “I’ll be quick though. I was wondering if you knew who gave me this box? It’s full of these cut up dolls and a knife and blood and-”
That actually got Blemish jerking back and looking at him. Slapping his cards face-down on the table, he exclaimed, “Oh geez, did she actually give you that fucking thing?”
She? So it was a girl who delivered this to Crypt. Slowly, Gary asked, “Uh, so you do know who it is from then…?”
Blemish ran a hand through his hair and growled, “Yes, it’s from Selene. She told me in advance she was going to give it to you and I kept telling her you’d find it weird. But does she listen to me? No. She just goes ahead and does it-”
The Baali shook his head, picked his cards back up, and said, “I am sorry about that, Gary. I get that we are Baali and all, but I think she forgets the fact that the other Kindred here don’t really get our customs. Hell, I am not even entirely used to them. But for all I know, she might’ve given her brain to the demons at this point so who knows what goes on in her head-”
Blemish continued to rant as he laid his next cards down on the table, but Gary had stopped listening.
Selene gave him this box? That did make sense in retrospect. The woman could be a bit odd, with her whole unprompted training sessions and stuff.
He wondered what this box was supposed to mean. Blemish had made it clear that it was some sort of Baali thing. He supposed he could ask Blemish himself what everything was supposed to represent, but for some reason, he found himself wanting to hear it from Selene herself.
So, waiting until Blemish had at least paused in his rant and didn’t seem to be busy making a decision with the game, he asked, “Do you know where Selene is at the moment?”
“I dunno, I am not her babysitter,” Blemish grunted. Gary was going to frown, before Blemish finally said, “But I can text her if you want.”
Gary grinned, “That would be great. Thanks. Tell her I want to meet up with her, wherever she is at the moment, and discuss something.”
“No problem,” Blemish said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He typed something quickly, sent it, and then, after a few moments, he put his phone back in his pocket and said, “She says she’s in Lorenzi Park. She says she is fine with talking to you.”
“Thanks, Blemish!” Gary said, getting ready to head straight there. Before he left though, he added, “Good luck with the game by the way.”
“Thanks,” Blemish said, giving him a two-finger wave, not looking up from his cards.
And with that, Gary promptly left to go meet Selene, box in hand.
It wasn’t hard to find Selene, as they were the only ones at the park this late at night.
She was even nice enough to stand underneath a light for him. He didn’t know if it was a Baali thing, but she seemed to blend into the night in a way even other vampires couldn’t. When he was in the dark with her, it was like she melted into it partially, only the pale of her skin really being visible. So he was thankful that, for right now, she was making herself seen.
She was crouched when he approached her. Her eyes were so black and dark that it was hard to tell exactly what she was looking at, but he assumed it was underneath a nearby bush.
“Is something there?” Gary said warily as he approached her. Or even worse, someone? He’d gotten a lot more paranoid ever since he became Anarch Baron.
“No,” Selene sighed, sounding vaguely disappointed. “I was hoping my trap would catch a rabbit or something tonight, but it seems nothing has approached it.”
“What do you need a rabbit for?” Gary asked, suddenly curious.
Selene waved him away, “Something that would take too long to explain. Besides, it sounds like you needed to talk to me about something, anyway.”
She stood up to her full, imposing height, her dark eyes now resting on him. Crossing her arms elegantly across her chest, she said, “What is it that you need me for? Is someone causing you trouble?”
Gary shook his head quickly and reassured her, “Oh it’s nothing serious like that!”
Selene arched an eyebrow, looking vaguely curious now, “Then what is it you needed me for?”
Suddenly, Gary couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious and stupid being here. He probably should’ve just asked her the next time he saw her what the box meant, instead of having Blemish set up a meeting. He was Anarch Baron now, he couldn’t just throw the word ‘meeting’ around willy-nilly now.
Oh well. It was too late now. He might as well commit.
Holding the box out in front of her, he said, “Blemish told me that you gave me this and I was just wondering what these all meant because-”
Suddenly, Selene looked vaguely annoyed. Clucking her tongue, she turned her head to the side and hissed, “He told you? Ugh. I oughta snap one of the horns off his head and stab him with it next time I see him for telling other people’s business all willy-nilly.”
Gary blinked. He probably should try to discourage acts of violence amongst his own members, but part of him couldn’t help but wonder if her violent fantasy had been inspired by what he had done to her own deer-demon.
He shook his head. Focus.
“But why did you want to keep it secret? What does this mean? Is it a threat? Blemish told me that it’s some kind of Baali thing, but like-” Gary rambled, trying desperately to put together in his mind what exactly this box meant. He didn’t know why Selene would threaten him, but then again, he hardly knew Selene or her motivations at all.
Selene shook her head and said, “It is not a threat. In fact, it was supposed to be a chant of good luck to you. It’s just us Baali pride ourselves on keeping this kind of stuff private. It is unsightly for our kind to show open displays of emotion like that…”
Oh, so it was a pride thing. Got it. It seemed every vampire Clan had a point of pride about themselves and even as strange as the Baali were, they were still Kindred. But that didn’t explain another thing...
“Good luck?” Gary questioned. “I hope it’s not offensive if I ask, but how exactly does this bring me good luck?”
The gory scene inside the box looked like anything but good luck to him.
“You wish to fight the Camarilla, yes?” Selene asked, her voice even.
“Yes. If I have to anyways,” Gary said slowly.
“Well, that box is to send good luck on your side when it comes to defeating your enemies,” Selene explained as if that made rational sense. “If you look you should see they resemble their likenesses.”
Wait, they did?
Gary hadn’t looked real close at the dolls other than seeing they were in a dismembered bloody mess… but it was indeed true… if he looked at the heads and clothes of the dolls, he could see that they were indeed various Camarilla members. One of the doll heads had long grey hair tied up in a ponytail, which he assumed was supposed to be Artorius. Upon further inspection, the other’s likenesses became clear. The rest of the Ventrue Siblings, William, Phoenix, and even Prince Raveena were in the box.
Finally, Gary picked up one head which he presumed to be Dante’s.
“I covered his doll in rat’s blood. I thought it would be fitting,” Selene said with a small smile, sounding proud of herself. It was then he realized what those animals she was trying to catch were being used for.
He supposed it was funny in a morbid kind of way.
And he supposed if he thought about it, it was a nice gesture from Selene in general. A bit fucked up, but nice. She was just wishing him success.
“Awww, Selene,” Gary said, giving her a smile. “You should’ve explained it in a note or something. That’s really nice of you. A bit… morbid, but nice!”
Selene’s smile grew a little more and she shrugged, saying, “Maybe I wanted it to have an air of mystery…”
The two of them sat in a few moments of silence. Gary figured he probably should come up with an excuse to leave. Go to one of the parties he’d been invited to, or see if Chance and Willow had finally disentangled themselves from one another… but for some reason, he didn’t want to do either of those things.
He wanted to hang out with Selene a little more. Get to know her better, figure her out more. His coterie was wrong about her. He knew they were.
So, looking at her, he asked the question he’d been meaning to ask her for a little while now.
“Would you like to go to Olive Garden with me?”