Who let the frogs out? (RP)

"That’s a good point but, whether we kill him or not, we’ll still have to think of some way to move him. We can’t just leave his body in the street for the police to find," Benji points out. "Maybe we could ask a friend with a car to help us transport him? I imagine it will be easier to convince someone to help us with that if he’s still alive."

- Emma -

Slippery Jim's eyes light up for a moment at the mention of getting him out of those clothes, but then he glances up at your flat... and your husband inside, and decides your intentions are pure.

"What's wrong with me threads?" He says indignantly, tugging at the lapels of his coat. "These are me best duds." He shows little interest in a change of wardrobe, though whether he will/can 'dress up' when you make your introduction is anyone's guess.

You will first need to befriend this new party so you can fulfil your part of the bargain, failing to make a proper introduction might be considered some form of breach of contract, and you are constantly hearing about that being taken rather seriously among supernatural and supernatural-adjacent societies.

"Young Sarah ran away to join the circus." He says... "Well... no, not really, but she got herself a job with an itinerant performing troupe that just came to town." Something about his invoking your aid to 'make an introduction' —I mean, he hardly seems like a great patron of the arts— let's you know that they are altogether 'normal', and knowing about a new player in town could have value, he sure sees it that way.

He gives you a name. No one has heard of them before their arrival a week or so ago.

• What is this new theatre troupe calling themselves? Have you heard anything?

What do you do?

While Max texts, Benji tries to pick up Nefydd’s scent. He was injured so hopefully it shouldn’t be too difficult. The mouth-watering smells of fresh blood and fear linger in the air.

Benji furrows his brow as he tries to take his mind back to those first few days and weeks after he was turned. Everything before that is lost in a fog but fractured pieces of the days after he was turned remain—bright, sharp-edged fragments, full of vivid colours and burning Hunger and the taste of blood. "I remember clawing my way out of the dirt," he says, slowly. "I think I’d been buried—sometimes it takes new vampires a few days to ‘wake up’ so that can happen. I remember being hungry and disoriented and then I remember the taste of blood. I… I think I killed someone. A lot of someones, actually, over those first few months. I didn’t know how to control the Hunger, so it controlled me.

"Over time, I learned though. I got better at managing it. I learned to feed without hurting people. There was this terrible guilt, of course, and I was horrified at what I had become, but there was nothing I could do to change it, so I just had to accept it. I decided not to dwell on what I had done or what I might do and instead to merely do the best I could in any given moment.

"And I found joy, too, in my new existence. I picked up my violin and started playing again. I made new friends. There are many good things in my life that I would have missed out on if I hadn’t become a vampire so I’m grateful for that. If you’re looking for advice, I think you should try to seek out happiness wherever you can find it and some sort of a purpose—something important, something that makes you feel like you."

- Emma -

"Oh, I'm around." Slippery Jim says by reflex, then remembers that this is less true than it used to be, and corrects to: "I'll find you." Without elaborating on how he will know when it is time.

According to their website, Les Marionettes are having their first show tomorrow... though it is rather difficult to find this information, their navigation is an absolute mess. This means they are probably rehearsing today, and also means they could surely benefit from a little extra publicity and help getting the word out.

What do you do?

- Persephone -

Viv's taxi pulls up outside and she crosses the road to get to you. She looks shy and awkward again, meeting you in public like this, she really wants to greet you with a hug and kiss (or two) but is working to restrain herself. Maybe it's just the dash to stay dry, but it could also be excitement that brings that flush to her cheeks?

"Where are your friends?" She asks eagerly.

What do you do?

As they move away from the place where Nefydd’s blood was spilled, the alluring scents of fear and blood become fainter and much more difficult to follow, muddled by all the other varied smells of the city and the people in it. The overpowering wild animal smell that’s been clinging to Max since her transformation doesn’t help much either and Benji mostly finds himself following Max’s lead rather than contributing to the hunt himself.