30

[somekindofsin]

Today's curse is peculiar.  I can't help but wonder if the curses, no matter how random they appear to be, might tell us something about the City itself.

Not incidentally, I've often thought of the City as something of a circus.  I'm not entirely sure who the attractions are, or who the ringmaster might be.  Are we the caged sideshow oddities, or

Comments

[somekindofsin]

Which? Guides pertaining to shopping?

[somekindofsin]

Oh, thank you! I had begun to fear that people within the City were more concerned with petty entertainments than understanding our temporary home.

[mechaeonical]

This is a...metaphor, Carl-san? Referring to the City as a circus.

[somekindofsin]

I meant for it to be a metaphor, yes, although I'm not entirely sure that it isn't entirely applicable.

[mechaeonical]

I comprehend. Solid associations can be made between the capricious events of the City and the limited data I possess on "circuses," although it would not have occurred to me to do so.

[somekindofsin]

I suspect most people wouldn't care to associate their home with a circus even if they thought to do so. Are there no circuses in your world, Aigis?

[haroine]

These guides are indeed very helpful, sir! Thank you very much for your diligent work.

[somekindofsin]

Wonderful! I do hope they help someone, and thanks are entirely unnecessary.

[haroine]

Oh, but I would still want to offer my thanks, because that is the only thing I can give in return, right?

I am Lacus Clyne. May I kindly ask how I should address you, sir?

[somekindofsin]

I can't argue with that, can I? Thanks are more than enough, and you're most welcome!

It's a pleasure, Lacus. Or perhaps Clyne? I'm Carl, and Carl will suffice as a form a address.

[discessum]

That's quite remarkable work, actually. Just how long have you been here?

[somekindofsin]

Thank you!

That... is a very good question. Five months, I believe. No, very nearly six. Admittedly, I don't have as much time to research as I might like, but I certainly hope to make some kind of contribution to our collective understanding of the City.

[discessum]

Seems to me that you've made quite the contribution. It would be a shame if that research wasn't included in the latest guide. Though the statistics are likely to change quite rapidly given how many people enter and exit on a weekly basis.

[somekindofsin]

Oh, I don't put much faith at all in statistics. While the averages tend to remain the same over time, each census would likely differ from the next.

...We've spoken before, haven't we?

Police Filter: Private: Voice;

[elevatorwarrior]

Hey, Carl. I was meaning to ask you no you CAN'T take a picture about- I said no- Marishka.

You're from her world, right? What do you know about her? Could use a detailed history and - goddamit, hands off the dress - and what she's been up to in the city. Other than she's obviously insane...

Police Filter: Private: Voice; (1/2 because he talks too much)

[somekindofsin]

Are you having some kind of trouble? dress?Er... right, yes, I am--from her world, that is. And she's entirely insane, even by vampiric standards. Powerful, as well. She was sired by Dracula--or Vladislaus Dragulia--himself, who made a deal with the devil and effectively became the first vampire. Marishka is one of Dracula's three brides... I suspect she's the middling one insofar as age goes, but you must understand that it's difficult to know the history of a vampire who has been undead for centuries. I would guess that she's approximately two hundred and, given her accent, I believe she was born as a human and transformed into a vampire in Transylvania. It's likely that she's from a line of Romanian gypsies; I've heard her sing the odd gypsy tune over the network

Police Filter: Private: Voice;

[somekindofsin]

I've tried to avoid her, really, although I've kept an eye on her--from a safe distance, naturally. I'm actually quite surprised that she yet to kill me, considering how simple it would be. Perhaps she considers it a game? Not that I mind, but it's puzzling.

Marishka hunts between two and six times each month, and I believe she claims more than one victim on at least half of her hunts. Most vampires will kill only to feed--one to two people a month, on average--but Marishka is unique in that she enjoys murder. All vampires from my world delight in death, of course, but she's exceptionally vicious. I know she may not seem it at times, but she may be the most blood-thirsty vampire in the Order's records. Purportedly, she's the most child-like of Dracula's three brides; she relies on simplified speech patterns and feigned innocence to lure her prey to her. Marishka also has a long history of seducing before killing, so not all of her games are childish

Police Filter: Private: Voice;

[elevatorwarrior]

She sounds like a giant cat, in a way.

I want to hear what you suspect of Solomon, any information would help on. You know these types of vampires better than we do and what they respond to.

And if she's as bad as you say, then there's got to be past victims willing to come forward of her attacks. Know where to find them or who they are?