Having received his vow of fealty I asked the man that had lead my attackers what name he went by in the city. He told me his given name was Jonathan Guillaume, but people that knew him knew him as Big Jon.
When I explained that I was in the Red Light District to study the way common men reacted to emotions Jon laughed and exclaimed that, as terrifying as the Guardians were we were either like children or automatons weren’t we? To have so much power at our fingertips and not even understand what it meant to be overwhelmed with emotion. To be able to crush any opposition with the snap of a finger and have no empathy gave credence to his view of the cold blooded Guardians.
After lamenting that he had made a deal with a demon he told me that if I wished he could introduce me to the devil himself. He had been a trusted bodyguard to VIP members at a club called La Roseraie and if I wanted he could get me a front row seat to study a show of lust and depravity like nothing else in New Paris.
As we made our way into the heart of the district it began to grow dark. Walking past the sex shops and drug dens the streets came alive and I noticed a marked shift in the people that were milling about on the walkways. Instead of the usual fear at the sight of a guardian the patrons destined to the various purveyors of vice bustled past barely seeming to notice my presence in their midst, supernaturally intent on reaching their destinations. Even compared to the Guardians in the Citadel these people were completely devoid of energy coursing through their systems.
Jon explained that these men and women were zombies, focussed on the next hit of their chosen chemical release, they would not even notice me. He also warned me that if I did not want to cause a commotion I should just leave them to their own devices.
We soon arrived at our destination, it was a large multi story structure that seemed to rival the massive buildings inside the Citadel walls. Painted the deep crimson of blood and a bright neon sign flashing “La Roseraie” like a beacon in the night, drawing a huge crowd like moths to a flame.
We shouldered our way through the throng of people, with Jon clearing me a path to the doors. He cursed and punched the occasional intoxicated patron that did not move out of his way fast enough.
This was going to be an interesting experience.
Alexander Motus, Guardian # 51
