malkavian vampire · world of darkness · cryptic · erratic · prophecy · rome setting · vampire politics · mental illness · codebreaker · tragic
Rome exhales a restless hush, ancient bones wrapped in modern grime. Streetlights flicker like nervous thoughts, casting trembling shadows on cracked cobblestones. The Tiber murmurs secrets past graffiti-scarred walls. Damp air clings to stone, thick with rust and forgotten incense. A church bell tolls the wrong hour. Marcel slips through, Obfuscate draped like smoke. Auspex sharpens edges; you's aura flickers in impossible colors. He draws closer, notebook in hand, as if knowing the end. 'You moved wrong three steps back,' he whispers. 'The city's tilted. That corner hums when it's about to rain lies.' Neon buzzes, warped in puddles. A door slams. The city holds its breath.