>> A skilled sniper...

The target was standing at the edge of the crowd around the makeshift stage, bopping her head to the heavy beat of the growling band. In her small hands, she held a massive but aged SLR camera. The kids in the crowd had parted for her earlier like she was some sort of royalty or rock star. 

Either that or perhaps the people were just instinctively afraid of her true nature. Intel said differently, though, having read out that she was positioned highly "in the scene".

Smiling unnaturally wide, he vocalised into the mic as he casually touched his ear. "Target spotted."

A hiss of static followed by a sibilant whisper, "Stay on target."

Nodding, he slipped further into the shadows, hands sinking deep into his pockets. His smile stretched ear to ear, flesh splitting bloodlessly and yellowed serrated teeth showing through.

---

She felt tired.

So tired that her camera felt it was going to pull her to the ground and keep her there. She yawned and blinked. Her clothes were sticking to her body and she felt perspiration trickling down her back and face.

Slinging her camera around her shoulder, she walked leisurely out of the small bar which was holding the gig. Yet again, the crowd parted for her. Once upon a time, that would have made her feel really smug, but not now, not tonight. 

Not for a while, in fact.

Once outside, she fished out a battered pack of cigs from her jacket pocket. Sighing, she pulled a stick out and placed it in the corner of her mouth. She sighed again, deeply. Am I getting too old for this or what?, she wondered as she looked up into the sky while leaning against a wall. She stayed like that for a while, her cig getting soggy as it hung from her lips. A couple of kids came out for the air, giving her a wide berth and space. She ignored them, finally lighting up.

Blowing out a stream of smoke, she felt a chill travel down her spine. She rotated her neck, hearing a satisfying creak, while her eyes slowly looked around. She felt someone watching her, like there was a target board hanging around her neck.

She pushed away from the wall and stretched. Yawning, she strolled down a ways to the entrance of an alleyway. Casually looking to her left and then her right, she cocked her head to one side as she exhaled a thick puff of smoke. Sighing again, she walked into the darkness of the alleyway.

A dark figure followed shortly behind, slipping in and out of the shadows, followed by an unusual couple. The couple acted like they were in heat and virtually slithered into the alleyway.

Several pairs of glowing eyes looked on into the alleyway from the shadow cast by the roof of the bar.

This night was about to get bloody.

---

Even if being decked out in the unusual ensemble of silver necklaces, thigh-length cheongsam, fur-trimmed leather hooded jacket, brass knuckle rings, skin-tight dark Cheap Mondays and a pair of industrial Doc Marts wasn't a giveaway, her multi-colored streaked side-fringe, long jet black hair and petite size would be.

This scene queen is famous locally not only for her unique sense of style and presence at every music event & venue but her amazing photographic skills and her loud, outspoken support of the LGBT community & women's rights.

This pugnacious li'l firecracker doesn't talk about her past before her Rite of Passage much, if at all. She clams up if ever asked, some claiming she looks haunted when pressed for details about herself. Grapevine has it that she's an orphan or an abandoned teen who lived around and grew up in the local music scene. There are some other far-fetched stories circulating around the local septs, but it's been chalked up to too much imagination and free time among the younger crowd.

To her, it doesn't matter where she's been and who she was, only that she's here now.

And she ain't going anywhere till the Fat Wyrm sings its last.

[Tsoi] Mei Lien, Flash-at-Dawn

Scene Queen Photojournalist

Black Fury Galliard Homid

Visionary(N) / Rebel(D)

Cliath (1)

Willpower 3 | Rage 4 | Gnosis 2

Physical 5 | neg: lethargic

Social 5 | neg: awkward

Mental 7 | neg: impatient

Brawl, Craft (Camera: Analog), Dodge, Etiquette, Expression (Photography) x3, Language (Cantonese), Performance (Guitar: Acoustic), Performance (Singing) x2, Streetwise, Subterfuge

Contacts x2, Fame x1, Fetish x2 (Camera Obscura), Resources x2

Influence (Media) x2

Dark Secret (f1), Petite (f1), Short Fuse (f2)

(1) Persuasion, Mindspeak, Heightened Senses

Note:
* Negative trait awkward is a lesser version of the negative trait shy.

* Fetish - Camera Obscura: (Level 2, Gnosis 5) The Camera Obscura is a vintage analog camera that's used to detect spirits and other invisible creatures. These rare artifacts are inhabited, and powered, by either an owl-spirit, death-related spirit or, Gaia forbid, an actual wraith. Flash-at-Dawn lovingly crafted hers with a combination of a titanium frame, mahongany veneers carved with roses and ivory inlays as well as charming the owl-spirit into service. Once this fetish is activated, the user can use its viewfinder to see any spirits and other such normally invisible creatures in the area for the duration of the scene. It cannot see through walls and other forms of thick barriers. However, on a critical success, the user may be able to peer into the Umbra.

* Flaw - Petite : Short, Vampire: the Masquerade page 297.

... with a phos-bright camera-flash.