It was around 4AM as a black Harley Sport Glide rumbled off the interstate under a beautiful full moon. Its rider had come south along I-87 from Canada with everything she owned on her back and within the saddle bags of her bike. The atmosphere was tense as the bike maneuvered into the sleeping commercial district off the interstate highway somewhere in rural Vermont. The machine under her had not been expecting such a run after being in the garage for the last year as its owner was overseas but once past the border and able to go at full speed the kinks were ironed out and it ran just as well as it did the day its owner stole it. Why was the rider running south with everything she owned? Well that was a terrible story and not one the rider felt the need to contemplate at this time… no she needed to put distance between herself and the Inquisition that had overrun the haven in Montreal. Even as she had arrived, wife in tow from their honeymoon in Sweden, things were in an uproar. The members of the Sect who hadn’t been drawn to the brewing war in the Middle East hadn’t been enough to hold back the violence that came for them. For so long the Temple of Eternal Whispers had only feared the encroachment of the wolves and maybe the fools in Toronto but no… it was the humans who put to flame and sword the bastion of Enlightenment. Revenge was not on her mind currently, nothing would bring back her beloved, her pack, her life… no right now she just needed to put the miles behind her and then reassess her options.

Checking her wrist for the time, the rider realized that she would need a place to stay before the damnable sun rose. Sure she could embrace her feral nature and just hide underground like a dog but no she had tastes and quite enjoyed not having to rough it so a motel it was. Thankfully America was the land of long haul drivers and interstate pull offs always had some sort of cheap fare for the non fussy traveler. So it was a ratty motel for her! Stopping at a light she looked at the dark streets as traffic was starting to wake up for the poor morning shift folks and she realized that this was her first time state-side in years. It was amazing how one could grow up on the west coast, die in Detroit, learn to live again in Georgia, travel to Montreal to join what was essentially a commune of high functioning psychopaths, get married in Scandinavia, come back just to run back across the border again. Life and Unlife was like sometimes. Though as she thought about it the images of her burning Wife… the screams of pain… being unable to save those that relied on her would have made a mortal shake and cry. Thankfully she couldn’t cry… she couldn’t break down yet as you never knew when the bastards would catch up or find her, if they were even looking for her. After all, what could a single broken Ductus even do?

Thankfully the light turned green before the dark thoughts could consume her and so she pulled off into the parking lot of a trash motel. Finding a spot to park, the rider checked her backpack to make sure the ceramic bottle was still intact safely in her clothes and then started her trip to the front door. Before then though she looked at an empty spot in space and whispered softly to something that wasn’t there. The air grew cold suddenly but that just meant that whatever heard the request agreed. Her bike would remain safe for the day while she laid in torpor… Nobody would be able to steal from her without consequences. Pulling off her helmet a pair of ears popped up before being hidden again underneath a beanie and then the hood of her black hoodie. Nobody needed to see that, though even if they did they might just come to silly conclusions like cosplay or something. The rider was absolutely not against playing up the stereotypes of a young Asian woman if they helped protect her inhuman identity. Frenzy was a bitch and when you ran with a rough crowd as a Gangrel you collected weirdness along the way. At least she had once been a Gangrel before her second rebirth. Her kind was almost extinct, the last one she knew having burned in the defense of the Temple. Even as they started to creep in, the unwanted thoughts were chased away by a growl that if a human had heard it might send their primitive monkey brains into panic. She was no longer one of them and hadn’t been for quite a long time and some things that were normal for her would cause unwanted reactions in the mortals. 

Shaking her head she stuffed the motorcycle helmet into the saddlebag before locking it up. Then she secured her backpack and headed inside to get a room before that hateful ball of fire came up. All it took was a sniff to know that only one human was in range and after turning her golden eyes in their direction she found the front attendant. Normal... boring... they looked tired which she could relate to. With a practiced breath to help keep the Masquerade she walked up to the clerk before pulling out her wallet.

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“One room for the day please…” She asked, testing her fake youthful voice and finding that her lack of an accent meant the clerk could understand her desires despite the fact that the clerk looked half asleep.

“60 bucks and you need to be out by 7PM or additional charges will be applied.” The response was with the same excitement that any 3rd shifter at the end of a shift would have. The rider nodded in acceptance before handing over cold hard American cash, signing in, and then taking the key card. The attendant had requested an ID but after a closed smile and a bit of supernatural pressure the topic died. Finishing with a nod the rider walked away towards the empty hallways leaving the attendant alone. Despite not seeing the reaction the rider could tell that the attendant had released a shaky breath, unaware of why the sudden fear had overcame them. The rider had that effect on people even when not using her powers, after all the prey always knew when the predator was looking at them. Silly monkey brains.

Eventually she arrived at her room and after entering was met with the smells of previous inhabitants. Wrinkling her nose a bit she lifted her hood back and pulled her cat eared beanie off before looking in the small mirror in the bathroom. What met her were golden eyes, a youthful face that wouldn’t look out of place on the streets of Tokyo, and red fox-like ears poking out of her head. Said ears were constantly twitching at the sounds of humanity waking up outside and their owner sighed. Attempting a smile only showed fangs that she had never been able to retract giving her a feral expression until she closed her mouth. Not having to breath helped and hopefully she could play her features off as eccentric and not supernatural. Having spent so many years with the Sabbat had really affected her ability to appear normal and if she wanted to survive in this new world she needed to learn again. Sadness threatened to overwhelm her as she turned away from the mirror and took in the small room. This was the first day she had slept along in what felt like years and despite torpor being dreamless she almost wished for a nightmare just to see her precious Astrid again. Not the nightmarish image of her burning but happy memories. Those of the young Cainite chasing a rabbit for the first time for blood… Those of the pair hosting drinking parties in the Pack house… those of the pair laying together in bed joined by blood and love. 

Crossing the room she closed the blinds and made sure to set up the blackout curtains before setting her backpack on the bed. Pulling out the ceramic bottle she sat down still fully clothed and checked the wax seal to make sure the contents were still good before puncturing the seal with a fang and releasing the sent of preserved blood into the air. While not thirsty she had been a Cainite long enough to know that keeping a full tank was good. Thaumaturgy was something she had been proud of and the ability to preserve blood was unique to her. It was a ritual stolen from a Setite, or were they called the Ministry or some shit now? Whatever, she didn’t care about the game of politics the other clans played. Without ever having to turn on the room’s lights she laid back on the bed and took a long drink from the bottle and sighed. It was a human reaction but now that their Sect wasn’t around she needed to learn how to pretend to blend in again. A fox among chickens trying to pretend to cluck and lay eggs. It was preposterous but now that the 2nd Inquisition was a thing she wouldn’t have a choice in the matter. It was time to plan… the world was more dangerous now than it had ever been and with the Sabbat off doing God knows what overseas she was alone. Taking a final drink she put the bottle away as it could be reused when it was time to bleed the chickens again and rested her head against the lumpy pillow. Not that comfort mattered during torpor.

“I’m still Yuiko…” She tested her voice again trying to prepare her will for what the next night would bring. “Crimson Eclipse might be gone… the Sabbat might have fled… my bloodline is nearly dead… and my options limited but I’m still here and I won’t be forgotten.” After the mantra she closed her eyes and let the new day still her mind and body. She would sleep but the world would not forget about her. She would start over again and even if the Inquisition wasn’t a valid revenge target the ones who hunted her sisters down would. All those years ago when she returned to the clan house to find it on fire and all of her sisters gone. She would find them, make them suffer, and then rebuild. The line of Muricia would not end with her. The Ivory Tower, the wannabe rebels, the Sabbat, not even the world coming to an end would stop her. Good morning World of Darkness...