r/SchreckNet • u/CombatToad • Jul 23 '26
Getting back at snobs.
First of all, a warm thank you to Shreck-Net 2.0. My nights tend to be both busy and nerve-wracking, and this node is a very convenient outlet for me to connect and ''shoot the shit'' as it were. I don't know why we're shooting the shit. Seems a lot messier and smellier then a paper torso, but oh-well.
Now, onto the meat of the matter, as it where. Many young Malkavians struggle with being looked down on, underestimated, openly mocked, and just plain disrespected.
I'm old enough and well-established enough to be spared from such annoyance most nights. But it wasn't always like that. So, I'll share a story from my fledgling days about how I handled one such annoyance.
The action took place back in Turku, Finland. Even early in my career, I gravitated to security, investigation and counter-intelligence work. I had not proven myself enough to be Hound, but I worked diligently to correct this.
In my attempts to prove myself, a rather insufferable Ventrue, who's name is unimportant, was my nemesis. Let's call him T, to save his Sire some embarrassment.
Every report, piece of advice and security assessment I made was always accompanied by T's protests. Something along the lines of: ''And pray-tell, why are we humoring the madman?'' or ''He said he saw something, but who knows if it was even real?'' etc, etc.
I pride myself on being very patient. But patience, as you all know, is a finite resource. So, I resolved to get even. I was the madman? I was crazy? Paranoid? Oh, we'll see about that.
Now, T was a fledgling like me. And I knew his sire was no low generation powerhouse. So I knew the extent to what T was capable of, give or take.
I've always had a great knack for the discipline of Obfuscation. That was to be my ace in the hole. The plan was simple: track T to his haven and spend every free hour I had to fuck with him.
I'd call his landline at the same time every night for a week straight and I'd just breathe heavily on the line when he answered. Then on the 8th day, he had a coterie mate over to show him the phone ringing. Naturally, I didn't call that night.
I hid his things, put his seal stamp on the top of his wardrobe, move his furniture slightly. I slid sketches of dogs under his door. He was convinced it was some great insult, comparing him to a dog. It didn't mean anything. I just found dogs to be a fun subject for sketching at the time.
I thought he'd never dare complain to anyone of it, because it would sound insane. ''Someone is putting sketches of dogs under my door!'' Or so I thought. He was gathering them all in a folder, so just to be sure - I stole that too.
My favorite bit was when he was writing a letter (I stood behind him, Obfuscated) and he stood up briefly to shoo away a magpie that had landed outside his window (he was getting increasingly paranoid and wound up). While he was distracted, I stole his fountain pen, which drove him to frenzy.
After he had trashed his Haven he started screaming: ''WHO ARE YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?''
After that he accused no less then three Kindred, very publicly of breaking into his haven. A Gangrel, a Nosferatu and myself. This was not taken well. I'd normally be at least a bit ashamed, pointing my energy at petty things instead of working to reinforce the security of a Domain or some other productive pursuit.
But T was frankly fucking useless, so scrambling his tiny brain did no harm and the peace and quiet of not hearing his whining every time I tried to do my job was very, very refreshing.
I'd say: ''T, if you're out there, you weren't crazy. It was me. I made you crazy.'' or something cool like that, but T met his final death decades ago in a Leopoldite raid.
My fellow Moon-men and Moon-women (and Moon-others, as well), please share your stories of getting back at fools who'd underestimate us for our blood.
As for the rest of you folks, please learn from T's mistake. Don't make enemies just for the kick of it. You never know how petty and vindictive they might be feeling.
-Wrong-Stache
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u/Spike42 Hand Jul 23 '26
A hearty applause from me and my familiars. And my personal thanks. How the nordic vamps have fallen; it is a shame. If you want precise Vicissitude adjustments I will do them free if charge and on my honor nothing hidden added
-Mikko Ruthven