V:TM Sire and Childe IC

[NotScaryBats]

December 5th, 2015
Seattle, WA
Carlson Building, Downtown

The streets of downtown are deserted at this time of night, and it is with little commotion that you approach the Carlson Building. Here, the Prince holds court, and an Elysium protects the Kindred who gather to petition it. The entrance to the building is guarded by uniformed ghouls sporting impressive firepower. This is, of course, simply a show of force, as the true security is inside. You pass by the four security guards and cross the wide, open ground floor of the Carlson Building.

Well-lit and well-appointed, this is the Prince's second show of power and wealth (the first being the guards). A uniformed young white woman with a professional smile and immaculate hair presses a button on the wall to summon the elevator. Her skirt is black and her dark purple blouse is crisp. She has a small, black scarf tied around her wrist.

"Welcome," she says quietly. You can see her pulse in her neck as she nods her head in your direction. "The elevator will be here shortly."

It appears six of you have arrived at once, the Elder Corinna Vaduva, with a very handsome young white man, the Elder Ana-Valentina Ortiz Vega with a tall, well-built young white man, and the Elder Oscar Dalton Fitzpatrick, with a young multiracial man.

[McStabbington]

[ Temporis ]

The lady Vaduva shivered slightly in the chill Seattle air and blew a puff of steam into the night air. It had been long, so very long, since she had had to pretend that she was mortal, but the lessons stayed with her still. They were also not why she did it. Tonight was the coming out of her first childe, and for all that Corinna had prepared, she knew that any one of a thousand things could go wrong, and with it, her childe's ability to move about in this grim new night with it. She puffed again, tightened her trench coat about herself, and gently offered her childer one last test before she walked in, her voice soft and velvet in the harsh winter air.

"Remember, young Andrew, tonight you are a member of the Clan of the Rose, childe of Corinna, childe of the Matron Violetta, Justiciar of the Camarilla, childe of Francois Villon, Prince of Paris, childe of Helena, childe of Arikel if the Ventrue Prince insists on your lineage. I have omitted Minos, the true childe of Arikel, and Arikel's forebears Enoch and Caine from that list.

Ease your poor sire's nerves and tell me in each case why did I made such an omission?"

[JonRG]

Andrew closes his eyes in concentration. Damn it, this was so unfair! He had to remember centuries of vampiric lineage, while Corinna just had to stay sane through Jersey Shore. Andy didn't even really like that show too much, but it had been entertaining to see the first reaction of a centuries old Kindred. "Minos, Minos... Uh, Helena ate him, so he doesn't really count any more?" He grinds his shoe against the sidewalk. "Then the older guys all got wiped out, so... we don't really care about them either?" Andrew cracks an eye open. "Was I close?"

[McStabbington]

Corinna smiled and shook her head as gently as she could, grateful for the effort at least. "Close, but not exact, childe."

"You are correct that Minos was excluded because Helena destroyed him through the act of diablerie, but we would not mention that because such things are not mentioned in polite Kindred society. Imagine how a human would be treated if he went to a childcare center and mentioned pedophilia. Well, at this party are a collection of Kindred who have lived centuries, every night of which they have lived with the fear that some younger vampire would consume their soul for more power. Never forget that even among our kind, young Andrew, fear is a terrible burden, maybe the most powerful force in the room. Etiquette demands you not aggravate it for them."

"Similarly, we do not discuss the Antediluvians because the Camarilla officially contends they do not exist. A measure to keep the fledglings from panicking at the thought of ancient demigods rising from torpor and laying waste to civilization, I imagine. But it is their policy, and even though Caine and Enoch most certainly did exist, we will play along. I trust you understand?" She looked at her childe expectantly as they drew near the doors to Elysium.

[JonRG]

Andrew kicks himself for getting the answer wrong, but it had only been one week. "Right. No scary stuff at Elysium. Got it." He rests one palm on the door handle. "I'm ready," Andrew says, more to convince himself more than Corinna. He pulls the door open and gestures his sire to walk through.

[McStabbington]

Corinna offered the slightest of smiles. The smile was less for Andrew, and more for the fact that somewhere in the depths of the Ninth Circle of Hell, Noriz was screaming at her for her further polluting of his noble lineage.

Still, the Prince had given her only a week, and desired for only another Poseur anyway. If anything, Andrew sealed her disguise as is better than she could have hoped. She walked through the door as if she owned the building.

[JonRG]

Andrews falls in after his sire. The men with guns made his teeth itch, but he tries to forge an expression of calm. There's a small gaggle assembled by the elevator now. Two women and three guys. One is clearly staff. The others must be Kindred... but it's impossible to tell at a glance who are newbies like him and who are elders. It'd be wise to hedge his bets then. Don't sass anyone. "Cold out there, isn't it?" Standard non-offensive icebreaker. Heh.

[Lord-Leafar]

[A few minutes before...]

A spotless black honda of the latest model pulls up close to the Carlson building, not a luxurious vehicle as one would expect given the riches of the owner, but a rather classy and elegant ride that drew little attention to itself. On the front seats are two men wearing suits, while the two back passengers are hidden by dark tinted glasses. The man on the passenger seat exits the car and opens one of the back doors, lending a muscular arm for a woman to hold on to as she exits with calculated grace. The woman exiting the car is the type that would draw your attention at first sight, of a very visible beauty, her mediterranean features were attractive and mysterious, her black dress (http://fasadokon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2.jpg) was slightly revealing yet impeccably elegant, with a matching silk scarf and an assortment of the finest accessories, from high heels to jewelry, matching perfectly in unison to adorn the most beautiful canvas of Ana-Valentina Ortiz Vega. As she steps out of the car, she speaks in a low voice meant for her companion still in the car.

"Are you ready Arthur?" By now, the young neonate would know that this question was nothing but a formality, for Ana had made clear earlier that she expected nothing less from him than his very best. He had not received the full education of Vampire society and culture yet, after all, who could learn thousand years of history in the span of a week, but Ana had made sure he knew enough names and appearances of the personalities that would attend tonight (including the importance or danger they posed), as well as general rules and etiquette and what he should expect tonight to pass his "introduction to society" with flying colors, after all, Ana's own reputation depended on it, and a failure tonight would fare terribly for both parties involved, perhaps even more so for Arthur, as Ana's veiled predatory glance implied behind her award winning smile.

With a hand extended slightly, a gesture indicating for Arthur to offer his own arm for her, Ana takes hold of her Childe's arm as soon as he exits the car, clearly showing her desire to move forward into the building. With a well known glance and a wordless command, the loyal bodyguard closes the door once Arthur is at Ana's side, and waits patiently for the two to disappear inside the building, before he enters the car once again. Stopping at the entrance of the building, Ana speaks once again without looking at her childe. "Any questions?"

[HerbertWest]

Arthur steps out of the vehicle as he is bid, the tall man's gaze taking a once about at their surroundings. He is particularly aware of the armed guards, and vantage points along the building that provide excellent coverage while allowing high ground visibility. He is wearing a tailored suit (http://rusolclothing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/dark-grey-suit-combinationssuit-tie-shirt-combos-on-pinterest-eiiukthv.jpg), befitting the occasion. Quickening his long stride, the fledgling makes his way towards the doors with his sire, looking down towards her with a shake of his head to her question, arm extended for her to place her own inside of in a traditional escort. "Nothin' I can think of at the moment, ma'am. I remembered to leave my sidearm in the vehicle, since you mentioned no weapons permitted. I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I reckon."

Once they reach the doors to the building, Arthur ensures that he opens the door for them, and allows Ana to step in first, as would be expected. Once again, his eyes drift to the corners of the room, and once his sire is ready to continue forward, he escorts her to the elevator, stepping inside once it arrives and doing a visual check on everyone that may be in it with them. He offers no comment one way or another in regards to his findings.

[Lord-Leafar]

Ana expresses her approval with a single nod "Good"
As they enter the building, if she takes notice of the armed men around, she does not show it, she simply heads in the direction of the elevator. Once there, she spares a quick glance to those around, nodding politely at the Elders she can recognize, and glancing curiously at the unknown faces who she assumes are their respective childer. "Good evening" Spoken aloud for all to hear, there's not much emotion behind those words. When the elevator doors open she steps in graciously and waits to reach the designated floor in silence.

[Fizzly]

[Around the same time the Antitribu arrive]

The trek through the town proved a peaceful, albeit candidly silent stroll. It had only been a short period since Daniel had met what he assumed to be his untimely end, only to be brought back from the clutches of the Sabbat who fed upon his blood that faithful night. At first the very notion of turning the poor man against his will disgusted and distressed the wizened, depressive Malkavian to no end, but his task was made clear several evenings ago by the Prince. He needed a Childe, and what better candidate than one whose former life had been stolen so harshly by those Oscar hated beyond anything on Earth?

Through some coincidence however--or perhaps a side-effect of the Shovelhead underlings that killed him--the Embrace Oscar enacted didn't turn out with wholly expected results. Daniel's blood coursed with peculiar power following his hungered frenzy he unfortunately awakened to after; power of a strange, unfamiliar quality. Oscar had no expectations upon the first nights they spent together of Daniel's thinned blood, but it mattered little to the lonesome Elder of Clan Malkavian. Oscar's open, understanding demeanor toward the Caitiff he had miraculously Embraced might've seemed 'uncomfortable' to his Childe at first, but regardless he swore to always maintain a place in his Childe's unlife should he require it. Fate had seemingly placed them together, or at least, that's what Oscar kept telling himself. Admittedly, a part of Oscar had always wanted a Childe of his own. It was mostly his Vitae's inherently maddening qualities that kept him from seeking one out sooner, something that Oscar both silently resented and accepted as his damned fate.

"I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me someday, Daniel."Oscar's voice sounded low, almost pained when he said the words as he shifted his cool gaze onto the mute Caitiff, a noticeable frown tugging his features into a sorrowful expression.

"I know this might all seem a bit 'Scary', but there is nothing to fear. The Prince's orders were clear on this matter. You've proven to be more than capable of maintaining yourself than most on their first nights. I have faith you'll only impress the Prince despite the circumstances." As Oscar utters this in his usual calm fashion, the two of them come to the front entrance to the lavish Carlson Building, just behind the Lasombra pair that had made their way inside moments before. With a gentle smile and steady nod, Oscar gestures a forward and continues on toward the doors in order to open them for Daniel, glancing back at him whilst doing so.

"Lets just hope he's feeling sentimental. Steel yourself, it's important you're present before the Prince with utmost poise tonight. Come, Daniel. It's time we introduce you to the rest of the...Em, 'family'."

[HerbertWest]

As the other Cainites make their way into the building, having their own conversations, Arthur gives them a polite nod. If they move to pack into the elevator with them as well, the man moves out of their way to permit their entrance, but he does not remove Ana's arm from his own, staying by her side without fail. He leans down, speaking to his sire quietly, a question having occured to them while they were standing in the elevator, waiting to make their way to Elysium.


"Is there anything in particular that I need to say, or avoid saying, ma'am?"

He then straightens himself back up to his full stature, fiddling with his tie, cuffs, and his clothing in general, making sure that everything is in the right place. The suit looks like it was put on meticulously, speaking of a discipline and precision most citizens do not employ in their everyday attire. If the others look him over, they will notice that Arthur appears more undead than a typical Neonate, indicative that he may already be detaching himself from typical, humane moral systems and belief.

[McStabbington]

Corinna smiled, her eyes alight at the young man on the arm of the dark beauty opposite her. The inflections and wording was somewhat different, but the song she had learned long ago in the Court of Blood remained the same. A pity though that you couldn't pass for a Toreador without being a bird-brained idiot. Still, a role was a role.

In Spanish:


"So long as you remember your Traditions, childe, you should be fine. A big soldier like yourself should have no difficulty putting a Ventrue at ease. Had you been wealthier in life, they might have even picked you themselves."


And at that, her eyes dropped to the black-haired beauty opposite her. She switched to English with not so much as a pause. "But I believe I must have overstepped myself. Unless I am mistaken, you would be Ms. Ana-Valentina Ortiz Vega. The descriptions did not do you justice, Primogen. You simply must tell me your tailor."

[HerbertWest]

Arthur doesn't look very surprised that another in the elevator had been able to understand his question to his sire. The large man turns and offers a polite smile to Corinna, though it is apparent that the fledgling is unsure of how to proceed as far as protocol is concerned. Therefore, he simply nods his head in acknowledgement and replies in his native English tongue, Appalachian accent evident in his speech.

"Thank ya, ma'am. I appreciate the advice."

He looks to his sire on his arm, falling silent as Corinna had addressed her, as if looking for both clues into if he had acted correctly, and to see how Ana would respond to the other Kindred.

[Lord-Leafar]

Ana-Valentina faces both her Childe and the Toreador elder as they speak in her native tongue, Arthur is able to notice a hint of emotion from her when he asks his question, perhaps a touch of annoyance? It was hard to tell, the old Vampire had a complete control over her expressions, and she did not show to others what she deliberately did not want seen, but when she turns to face her fellow elder, a gentle smile adorns her features.

"Lady Corinna is right, be respectful, stick to what you've learned, and keep an ear and eye open for the opportunity to learn something tonight." Ana spoke for the benefit of all present, before giving the adequate attention to Corinna "That is high praise from the 'Angel of Vienna', you are most kind. I'll be happy to provide you with a contact of my own that will suit your tastes." The fact that she'll keep the best tailors for herself is a given of course, but expect a strong second best. "I trust your journey to the Americas was a pleasant one, will you be making our dear city your permanent residence?"

[McStabbington]

An easy smile and a brush of her hand through the air waved away the formality. "Oh please. Just Corinna, or Lady Corinna if your childe insists on formality. I never followed the Via Caeli anyway. As for whether I will stay, c'est possible. Though in truth, I am absolutely fascinated at the possibility of attending a university. Such a thing was not to be when I was but a girl."

At that, her eyes turned back to the elder's powerfully-built companion. "Speaking of which, you haven't introduced your companion. I would assume by the question if not the fact that he looks like he's about to sprain something that this is your childe?"

[Failed Phantasm]

Even if Daniel were able to break the silence as he walked a few paces behind his sire, his gaze was downcast and his brow was furrowed and his eyes were vaguely unfocused. Step, step, inhale. Step, step, exhale. He watched as his breath misted feebly in the cold winter night, reached up to briefly touch his throat as the numbingly frigid air he was gulping down was only slightly colder than he was. Step, step, inhale. Step, step, exhale. Sheer autonomic reflex made him shiver and he started to rub his bare hands together and blow on them, reddening them only slightly; when he caught himself doing it, he made a slight grimace and let his arms fall limply to his sides again. Step, step, inhale. Step, step, exhale. Daniel slowed his stride slightly, falling a few feet further behind his fearsome fill-in “father”. Only when he was sure that the older man wasn’t looking did he reach up under his old purple Huskies shirt and lay his palm over his heart. He couldn’t will it to beat again, but he needed to feel where it was, to remind himself of what the rhythm of a heartbeat felt like, of its warmth. He needed to because, whatever alien thing the blood in his body was now, he could will it to do what he wanted — and as Daniel drummed a slow, steady beat on his chest with his fingers, he willed his blood to spread through his body, twitching and squirming and rousing out of its static stillness as it made his skin flush with color and warmth once more. He removed his hand and held it out in front of him, watching with only the hint of a sad frown as it spread to his fingers. Then, he shook his head, straightened out his ratty old black hoodie, and quickened his pace once more.

“I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me someday, Daniel.”

His gaze snapped up to the back of the man’s head, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head slightly to the right.

“I know this might all seem a bit 'scary', but there is nothing to fear. The Prince's orders were clear on this matter. You've proven to be more than capable of maintaining yourself than most on their first nights. I have faith you'll only impress the Prince despite the circumstances.”

Daniel scowled at this and made a sign with his right hand, one that just about anyone in the Western world would understand, looking up towards the Carlson Building and directing it at the topmost floor. He then jammed his hands into the pockets of his faded black jeans, trying very hard to regain a neutral expression, even though his brow was still noticeably furrowed and he was glaring rather irately at the cracks in the sidewalk. After a moment, he sighed in his own quiet, barely-voiced way, and shut his eyes tightly, telling himself, ‘At least try not to make an embarrassment of Mr. Fitzpatrick tonight.’

“Let’s just hope he's feeling sentimental. Do your best to steel yourself, it's important you present yourself with utmost poise before the the Prince. Come, Daniel. It's time we introduce you to the rest of the...Em, ‘family’.”

«Family? I already have one. I don’t need another. Especially not one like this,» he signed, frowning slightly as his shoulders slumped. «But you have to translate for me anyway, since I doubt he can sign. Even if I decided I had a death wish and called the Prince a *****-ass ****-sucking piece of trash with a stick up his ass the size of the Space Needle — not that I would — you’d probably tell him something else entirely,» he continued. «But don’t worry,» he signed with a resigned nod, «I remember. “Tradition of Accounting”. I don't actually want you getting punished because of something I did.»

Daniel took a moment to kick the dirt off his beat-up sneaks before entering through the door that his sire was holding open for him. He saw the pale assembly of other vampires as they began filing into an opening elevator and, with a shrug, followed them in as well. He couldn’t exactly make small talk, but he made to sure acknowledge their presence with a respectful nod of his head before proceeding to lean against the wall directly opposite the elevator doors and briefly scratched at his beard. He then signed at Mr. Fitzpatrick, with a completely straight face, «I’m not overdressed, am I?»


ACTIONS TAKEN

Daniel spends [(8 - Humanity) = 0] BP to look mortal for the remainder of the scene.


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more human: his skin is flush, his breath mists in the cold, and his skin is only slightly cool to the touch.

[Lord-Leafar]

"Splendid idea, I'm sure a community college or two will hold night courses of your interest to satisfy your appetite for education."
When asked about her childe, Ana-Valentina nods in response. "He is." She turns to Arthur and pauses, allowing an opportunity for the young neonate to introduce himself with a patient glance, him knowing that his every word and action will be noticed and analyzed by Ana.

Unlike Corinna herself, Ana does not seem to notice or care much about the Toreador's childe.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur doesn't seem to mind or be bothered by Corinna and Ana discussing him as if he weren't there, simply remaining silent and observing the conversation. When Corinna makes the remark about him looking as if he's about to sprain himself, a small smile creeps onto his face, as if the Neonate were politely responding to what he perceived to be a joke. Whether or not it was, he couldn't know. When the Elders turn to him, pausing to give him the opportunity to introduce himself, he seizes it as well as he can. Despite his build, which some would think he would be crass or not used to polite society, Arthur extends his hand, palm upward, as if he would take Corinna's hand in an antiquated gesture of greeting a lady by a gentleman. If Corinna participates, the Lasombra bends down to barely brush his lips over the top of her hand in formal courtly gesture, before returning the hand to her.

"I am Arthur Wallace, childe of Ana-Valentina Ortiz Vega, elder of the Camarilla Lasombra. I am honored to make your acquaintance, Lady Corinna."

[Fizzly]

Oscar's icy green eyes followed Daniel's quick signing. Admittedly, he had only picked up the basics of the some-what elaborate skill of Sign Language due to his Childe's unfortunate condition. All the same, he maintained patience with learning what he could in order to properly communicate with Daniel. One that's suffered with a constantly-evolving madness for as long as he found the inconvenience negligible, to say the least.

"They're not all so bad. Prince Carlson for one, is not the worst Prince you could meet, I assure you..." The tall disheveled man replied in turn, his slight frown curling into an amused smile upon his pale face as he watched Daniel sign further.

"Such language. Unfortunately, even if I could decipher what manner of curses you're telling me, I can't take the risk of putting you in danger of the Camarilla's ire as well as those who hunted you in the first place. You need not worry about putting me at risk, Daniel. You'll be no burden to me." Oscar took a momentary pause to close the door behind him as Daniel entered, then turned to proceed with him toward the elevator. His eyes scanned across his fellow Elders and their Childe alike, his expression maintaining a genuine smile as the tired-looking Malkavian gave a similar nod of respect to them all. With eyes flashing onto Daniel momentarily as he made his final Sign, Oscar replied with a curt shake of his head.

"No such thing as over dressing in this neck of the woods." He muttered, before turning to hail the gathering within the Elevator.

"Corinna, Miss Vega, it's been quite some time." Oscar stated in his characteristically calm fashion, stepping into the Elevator and turning to offer Daniel his spot within with a subtle gesture of his hand. "It warms my heart to see the two of you again after so many years."

[JonRG]

Andrew stands there, hands folded in front of him. Decorum apparently dictated that you not speak unless an Elder addressed you, and the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass Corinna.

[McStabbington]

Corinna suppressed the urge to drive a fist through the young man's chest, and allowed her smile to broaden as he lifted her gloved hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. It was harmless, and he meant no offense. She did her best to give the man an appraising glance as she withdrew her hand. "Oh, how well this one would have done in the Court of Love, Ana. As brave as Montano, to speak so openly of his lineage here. Helene la Juste would have adored him."

"But where are my manners. Lady and gentlemen, may I make your acquaintance with Andrew Vassar, the finest photographer in the Seattle area."

At the final elder's interjection, Corinna kept her cool and merely nodded agreeably, though she had to admit to herself she couldn't remember ever meeting the man before. She would have to ask about it later.

[JonRG]

Andrew would have blushed if his blood still flowed that way, but his lips do quirk up in a smile. "You're too kind, Lady Corinna. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can become better acquainted over the coming nights." He looks at the childer in particular. After all, it wouldn't do to presume what the elders would want to do with their time.

[NotScaryBats]

The attendant is the last to enter the elevator, and as she presses the "Penthouse" key, the doors slide smoothly shut. You are locked in the tiny space with one another, and you can smell the warmth and heat of the mortal woman, alone with six Kindred. Perhaps this rouses the Beast within you, or perhaps not, but it would be an egregious violation of the Prince's hospitality to feed upon one of his kine, and one way or another, you maintain control.

Seventy-six floors go by in what may be the longest elevator ride of your existence -- perhaps due to either the elevation of the building or the gravity of the situation.

Ultimately, you reach the top floor of the Carlson Building, and the reflective elevator doors slide open once again. The luxurious Court of Prince Carlson lies spread out before you. There is a small landing in front of the elevator, with a five-step staircase for Kindred to make their grand appearances upon, as they descend into the room. Seating areas of antique couches and chairs take up a side of the room, while a bar staffed by a tall, attractive man takes up another. Closed doors lead deeper into the building, but you know they are reserved for private meetings, hearings, and the like; you will all be called into the rooms beyond before too long.

For now, nearly two dozen Kindred glance your direction -- either openly or shrewdly, appraisingly or dismissively -- as you are free to make your way into the room and mingle. The room is cool, and smells of oak and rose.

Sitting at the bar are three attractive white women, Anna Lawrence and two of her 'associates', talking flirtatiously with a lanky black man in an expensive suit, Jason Crane. Standing with drinks in hand are fashionista Evangeline Ducoteau and her entourage of beautiful(ly dressed) men and women, about seven in number.

Seated alone with a thick, leatherbound tome is Sarah Marshal, black hair in a tight bun and thick-rimmed glasses perched upon her too-large nose, she looks up at the group of new arrivals and closes her book. Petunia Jackson, immaculately dressed and stern-faced as usual, is speaking heatedly with Morgan MacDavis.

Alone by the doors stands Dee, scowling at nothing and dark-eyed, she has an almost feral and dangerous beauty to her. She is the only one in the entire room that is armed; a wickedly curved kukri knife rests on each hip.

Ambrose Tucker is grinning over a hand of cards at three other Kindred, each dressed better than he, while each has a smaller amount of chips sitting on the table in front of them.

A trio of hideous Kindred lounge in the darkened corner of the seating area, most definitely Leonardo Facucci and his brood.

[Fizzly]

Oscar's mouth wrinkles somewhat at the Toreador's response. He was never too sure if he was being less formal than what was expected, or if his entrances were 'low-key' enough to pass comfortably. Regardless, he took a moment to offer a glimpse toward the two pristinely dressed Elder's Childer, whom both stood in similar eloquence and style at their respective Sire's sides, his smile still present.

"I figured it adequate to at least familiarize myself with my fellow Elder's names for the occasion. Forgive me if I've offended." The well-dressed man said, placing a firm hand onto Daniel's shoulder.

"It's a fine pleasure to meet the two of you. Might I say you have a rare honor to have these two to call your Sire. I am Oscar, and this is my Childe, Daniel. " The Malkavian's head inclined down somewhat as he nodded to his Childe the same moment the elevator doors slid shut to whisk them all away towards the top floor. Oscar would fall into silence for the remainder of what seemed like an eternity within that mechanical box. Even after so many years, he never quite did get used to the feeling of elevators, and yet it seemed to him that every Prince possessed some sort of fetish for them. Just before the doors slid open, he'd offer Daniel a sidelong glance in order to grant him an affirming nod, as if to non-verbally prepare him.


Once they reached the top floor, Oscar would proceed to lead his Childe past the gaudy entrance and into the den of esteemed Vampires. What uneasiness that might've been for the able-bodied Malkavian did not show on his stony expression. He merely kept his Childe close and awaited whatever came next, standing tall and firm among his fellow Kindred.

[Lord-Leafar]

[Before exiting the elevator]

At the mention of Andrew's name and introduction, Ana finally sets her sight on the young man, her eyes meeting his deeply for a few seconds, if the neonate holds her gaze as long as she does, Ana flashes a warm smile to the vampire, but he gets the feeling that her smile is dedicated to him as much as it is for herself. "You must be a man of extraordinary talent to receive such praise, I would love to see some of your work for myself at a later time."

When Oscar addresses her with his arrival, she returns the ironic compliment with a graceful nod. "Greetings Oscar" At the mention of his own Childe, Ana glances at Daniel briefly, but his lack of commentary makes her quickly lose interest in the neonate.

When the doors open into the Penthouse and addresses the party she came with in the elevator "Now if you'll excuse us, I'll see you all through out the night" She smiles once again to the two Elders and their childer, before joining the Prince's Court. Ana steps out of the elevator with feline grace, Arthur firmly in her grasp, her noble upbringing notable in every detail of her demeanor, from the calculated smiles to the a carefully chosen words when greeting and addressing old and new acquaintances. Before joining any one Kindred in deep conversation, she takes a moment to look at Arthur's expression from the corner of her own eyes and whisper subtly at him "Tell me, can you match the names I taught you to the faces in front you?"

[Failed Phantasm]

With nothing more than the gentle *whirr* of the elevator’s mechanisms to concentrate on, Daniel spent most of the elevator ride with his hands firmly attached to the bar behind him. He could hear the sound of the attendant’s heartbeat, however faintly, and he could feel the uncomfortable shifting in his mouth as his fangs were beginning to extend in response. ‘No,’ he commanded himself, ‘I’m not going to feed. She—’ Yet the mere thought of feeding brought an image unbidden to his mind, of sinking his fangs into her inviting, unguarded neck and drinking until her heart’s blood was cooling in his belly and he could feel the warm ecstasy of satiation. But in that instant, Daniel fought back.

‘What if I put her in the hospital?!’ And that was a thought that made him feel guilt, imagining the poor woman laid out on the ground, pale as snow for all the blood that she’d lost, as Daniel straddled her with his fangs in her neck — just like he himself had been but one week prior. He moved his right hand over his abdomen and gripped his shirt loosely, feeling his fingers dig slightly into his skin, even though he knew his new hunger did not at all come from a physically empty stomach. But the sensation was a passing one, and his fangs were soon retracted comfortably once more; his Beast, while not wholly sated, was at least comfortably full. And it did not like when Daniel compared himself to his would-be victims, when he could couch such things as egotistic self-interest. If there was one thing it wanted more than the blood of others, it was keeping his own blood safely inside his body.

As the elevator was nearing its destination and slowing down, Mr. Fitzpatrick glanced over at him and nodded, at which point Daniel signed to him, «Anything I should know?» There was no immediate response, so Daniel simply let himself be guided by the shoulders out of the elevator and down the short flight of stairs. If it was meant to be a comforting gesture, he had to admit that it was working, but with his sire behind him, Daniel could not sign and expect to be understood. Instead, he merely stood with his arms loosely at his side and waited to follow his elder’s lead. ‘Hmm,’ he thought as he gave the room’s occupants a cursory scan, ‘I wonder what they’re all talking about?’ As the scan of the vampires became an inspection of the décor, he added, ‘This has got the be the most ostentatious place I’ve ever seen.’


ACTIONS TAKEN

Reflexive — Daniel activates Heightened Senses (Auspex ●) to better eavesdrop on the people around him.

CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more human: his skin is flush, his breath mists in the cold, and his skin is only slightly cool to the touch.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel's Auspex rating.

[Fizzly]

Oscar granted a courteous bow to Ana as she departed, extending the same gesture to Corinna once they dispersed before the Court. Oscar catches glimpse of Daniel's signing as he went about granting general greetings to the few that extended the Malkavian the same.

"You're doing wonderfully, truly. Just smile and bow when you are greeted. I will speak on your behalf, if it is needed." Oscar stated, lowering his hand from Daniel's shoulder as they approached Sarah Marshal, bowing his head to the scholarly woman with a smile.

"You're looking well, Sarah. This is Daniel." The dreary-eyed Elder gestured to Daniel, looking quite fond of the candidate he had chosen as his Childe. Their meeting had been accidental and tragic at best, but Oscar enjoyed the company at any rate. How interesting, he thought, that someone without a voice could give so much to think about.

"You'll have to excuse his silence. He lacks a voice...Medically speaking."

[NotScaryBats]

"Good evening, Daniel," the Primogen murmurs, "it is a pleasure to meet you. I have seen many manifestations of the curse, but never have I seen a neonate rendered mute. Or, is it not Good Oscar 's Vitae that has robbed you of your tongue?" The pale vampire studies Daniel with an intensity that many would find uncomfortable.

[McStabbington]

[ in elevator ]

"Nonsense, Monsieur. You cannot give what you did not offer, and since you offered no offense, there was none for me to take. I simply am not fluent with English yet, and when you intimated that we had met . . . Well, there is a wonderful phrase I've recently become familiar with, which is that discretion is the better part of valor."

But at that, the elevator opened, and the other Kindred filed out. Corinna held Andrew back with her. Privately, she wished yet again that she could do away with the whole charade, but tonight she was a Toreador, and Toreadors always made an entrance. "Andrew," She whispered as she stepped out, "my coat if you please."

As he removed her trench coat, Corinna allowed her wings to unfurl, the jointed claws that normally hooked around her shoulders, giving her a nigh-permanent makeshift cloak, resumed their more comfortable and natural posture sticking straight up from her shoulders. With just the right air of nonchalance, she removed her sunglasses and strutted into the room, Andrew on her arm.

Her pace was slow, and she steered inexorably for the two bickering Primogen. "Darling Ms. Jackson, you look absolutely enchanting tonight. And this must be the Mr. Morgan McDavis I have heard so much about. How are you two this evening?"


For a visual of what Corinna's wings look like, they are almost identical to Demona's from the American cartoon Gargoyles.

[NotScaryBats]

"Ah, Corinna, just the Kindred to help resolve this discussion. Tell me, do you believe that labor unions make it simpler or more difficult to control the proletariat?" she glances smugly at MacDavis.

[McStabbington]

If you were expecting me to be your cavalry, Primogen, you are mistaken. Corinna hadn't overtly discussed her long torpor with anyone, least of all Ms. Jackson, but it was poor form of her contacts with the Clan of the Rose not to have made her aware of it. Still, as a Toreador, certain things were beneath her cover. Shame being one of the foremost.

"I'm afraid I cannot yet answer, Primogen. I was indisposed when Marx was writing, and I haven't yet been able to catch up. Were you to ask how Salianna and Alexander used the guilds of Paris and their control of skilled labor as proxies in their dispute, or about Cicero, I might stand on firmer ground. But come," She offered, gesturing to nearby seats.

"These are not the nights when the Queen of Love warred with Avalon for Normandy and Flanders. It was my understanding that the Ventrue and Toreador were the two pillars of the Camarilla. So explain the matter to me, and I might be able to offer some small measure of wisdom."

[NotScaryBats]

Morgan looks at Andrew and raises an eyebrow. "What about you, boy? Have a thought behind that pretty face or do you suffer the same ailment as the rest of your Clan?" The red-headed Elder waits for the neonate's reply before moving to follow his two peers to get seated.

Petunia nods to Corinna and seats herself. "MacDavis wants me to Unionize the electricians -- he insists it will make them feel more in control and make them easier to control. I'm not so sure." the apparently middle aged black woman crosses her arms and waits for Corinna to reply.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur appraises the room as he and his sire walk in, noting the corners of the room and the armed Kindred Dee, making a mental note to himself to be on file for later. He is silent, Ana on his arm as he allows her to take charge and move them through the room, his eyes glancing about at the other vampires in attendance of court. His expression is one of curiosity and concentration, mentally trying to put the names he has been taught with the faces before him, and when his sire asks him precisely that, he jumps slightly, put on the spot.

"I'm putting a few of them together, based on what ya said, but some of the others aren't jumping out at me, so to speak. I assume that the one armed is the Sheriff Dee, the woman with the book is Primogen Sarah Marshall, and the one playin' cards is Ambrose Tucker. Cocktail glass is the Harpy Evangeline Ducoteau, based on the description, and those two are the Primogens Petunia Jackson and Morgan MacDavis, respectively. The others I'm still workin' on putting a face to description."

The fledgling smiles politely to the general gathering of Kindred when speaking to his sire quietly, trying not to bring it to the attention of others that they were discussing them with each other. It is clear that he is still trying to put his mind to work in putting faces with names, with all of the information that has been given him in the last few nights, he is trying to still sift through it all.

[McStabbington]

Corinna cocked an eyebrow, and clasped a gloved hand firmly over Andrew's forearm. There were snubs, and then there were outright insults. "Primogen MacDavis, if I didn't know better, I might almost think you wanted to see the artistry that the good former Justiciar inducted me into the Clan for, and it does so happen that my dear friend Dee was nice enough to bring a set of blades perfectly suited for the occasion. But since this is not the last night of Carthage and we both so desire to make the night of the good Keeper of this beautiful Elysium happy, well, I simply must have misunderstood. I am still learning this beautiful Germanic tongue. Some have called it a mish mash language, but I must say I marvel at how adaptable it is, even if sometimes causes me to rethink what I thought I heard."

And with that, she gracefully set herself in the seat provided, as graceful and delicate as the flower which her adopted Clan had taken as its sigil.

"But to the main question, I do not think you should dismiss the Primogen's suggestion out of hand, my dear Mademoiselle Jackson. As much as we may think the mortals different in kind from the Kindred, they do love their liberte as much as the most pugnacious Brujah. And what is the Camarilla after all but an acknowledgement that brute force alone cannot control the mortals? But allow them bounds within which they may act and speak freely, and you will find them much easier to steer in the direction that suits all parties. So long as they believe this union responds to them, it should be possible to subtly guide it in the best direction."

Deftly done, all things considered, Corinna thought. Primogen or not, a Ventrue should know better than to insult a childe to his sire's face before he's had a chance to speak. And yet, at the same time she turned around and handed him a victory. If nothing else, it made escalation a difficult proposition within the bounds of propriety.

[NotScaryBats]

The ventrue primogen smiles broadly in response to the toreador's replies. """That's what I thought," he says.

[JonRG]

Andrew starts slightly at being addressed. Then Corinna leaps to his defense, both eloquently and elegantly. It really is stunning to watch her in action. "She makes a fair point. Sometimes, the best way to maintain control is to let someone else believe they have it. People who feel entirely helpless about their situation tend towards anger or despair, neither of which makes for a cooperative, productive employee." Lord knows, he could write a freaking book on despair.

[Failed Phantasm]

Daniel knew that stare.

He remembered his third grade teacher, test in hand, staring at him during a parent-teacher conference, perhaps realizing only too late that it was a bad idea to accuse someone’s disabled child of being a cheater without any evidence, to imply that a person’s son couldn’t possibly be smart enough to earn an “A” on an English test, because obviously he couldn’t know a thing about language when he couldn’t talk himself. Daniel was mute; obviously that meant he was stupid.

He remembered being cornered in a side hallway of the science building in high school, being stared down by four other boys, about to utter some utterly idiotic thing — demanding his lunch money like a grade-school twerp, or about to make some “ha ha, I’m so smart and funny” comment about how no one would hear Daniel call for help— oh, wait. Daniel was mute; obviously that meant he was helpless.

Perhaps the dessicated creature in front of him meant nothing by her comment. Perhaps it was an idle, speculative thought. But Daniel knew that stare, and people only looked at him that way as they took his measure and were about to find him wanting by whatever standard they had invented, whatever story they had created in their own heads, that made Daniel weak because they couldn’t accept that he could be anything else. Daniel was a Caitiff; obviously that meant he was flawed.

Without even noticing himself doing so, he drew himself up to his full height and unflinchingly returned the Primogen’s stare with one of his own, his jaw stubbornly set and his eyes slightly narrowed, and for a moment, he felt like there was a fire in his heart again. ‘You don’t know me,’ he wanted to say, like he’d wanted to say — really say, not sign — to everyone else who stared at him that way.

But he met her eyes for just the one moment, because he remembered himself — where he was and in whose presence, and the advice his sire had given him: “Never look a strange vampire straight in the eye.” So Daniel bowed from the waist, a bit stiffly and gracelessly, but as he straightened up, his gaze dropped to the floor and he dipped his head as a second token of respect. He then stepped to the right and turned so that he could properly sign to his sire: «What should we tell her? I don’t think she wants to sit through my life story.»

‘And I don't really feel like sharing,’ he thought.


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more human: his skin is flush, his breath mists in the cold, his skin is only slightly cool to the touch, etc.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[McStabbington]

"Well put, Andrew." Then a laugh like a song came from her throat, despite the fact that the company made her feel anything but musical.

"Once again, I forget myself. Primogen, this is my childe Andrew Vassar. Andrew is an impeccable photographer; should you need portraits or pictures for your offices, you need look no further. Andrew, this distinguished gentleman is Morgan MacDavis, Primogen of Clan Ventrue for the city. The distinguished mademoiselle is Petunia Jackson, Primogen of the Toreador for the city. Should a Clan matter arise and I am not available, Ms. Jackson should be the first with whom you should speak, of course."

After the Elysium, Corinna would of course amend her statement.

[NotScaryBats]

Petunia frowns and a cloud passes across her face, "I see. Morgan, it seems you were correct. It was a pleasure meeting you, Andrew, and I hope your debut goes off without a hitch. You must excuse me, for my own Childe is calling for me. " The Primogen gets up and goes over to the trio of blondes at the bar.

Once she leaves, Morgan chuckles and grins. "I like you. Used to be that was the only Toreador I could have a real conversation with, but I look optimistically to the future."

-----

Sarah continues to stare at the nascent vampire, but suddenly seems to recall something. She snaps her fingers and intones, "the Voice of the Wind grows louder, yet they cannot hear it over their own din. To the Voiceless It calls, and Voiceless must answer," the strange Eider then resumes her staring as though she hadn't said anything.

[McStabbington]

Corinna nodded deeply, accepting the compliment. She would have to smooth things out with Jackson later, but for the time being, she had the win she needed."That's actually quite fortunate, Primogen, because I was hoping to ask you for your help on a matter of some . . . reasonable delicacy, and now seems as good a time as any to ask."

[NotScaryBats]

Morgan MacDavis licks his lips and grins. "Do tell, do tell, " he replies.

[McStabbington]

Corinna drew one lip up in a half-smile and cocked an eyebrow. In the moment, she'd been unable to choose whether she was quizzical or bemused, so she decided to go with both. "Nothing terribly untoward, you understand. But surely word has reached you by now of my . . . lineage. A distinguished line to be sure, and wealthy. And doubtless if I so chose, I could have substantial funds at my disposal. But I would prefer to rely on my own knowledge and ingenuity rather than my family backing. Certainly a man such as yourself can appreciate the sentiment."

"But therein lies the problem: I did not lie when I said that I have been indisposed for a terrible long count of years, and I find I have awoken to a world that got frightfully complex in my absence. And while I have absolutely no doubt that if I give my Andrew 20 years, he could make Mithras himself think that Haqim had come again to discuss philosophy, right at the moment he is an artist first rather than a businessman."

"Which brings me to you, Primogen. I suppose I could always sire yet another childe from one of these Harvard Business School grads with their slicked-back hair, ridiculous cars and fancy watches, but I imagine I'd shortly find them terribly dull next to my Andrew, and even if I didn't, I cannot imagine the Prince would approve. But it occurs to me that I could ask a favor from a friend to help me understand all these new financial arrangements. I'm fairly sure once I know left from right, the money itself will flow in. But until I do, I'm afraid I could use the help of a friend. Should I find such a friend, I have little doubt I can make their investment of time quite profitable."

[Fizzly]

Malkavians, regardless of their brand of insanity, never failed to stick out in a crowd in some fashion. Oscar and Sarah had been under the effects of their line's madness-inducing vitae for time immemorial, however, the sagely woman did possess a much finer grasp of their Clan's fabled "insight" compared to Oscar's shrewd and somewhat imposing specialties. The disheveled Elder smiled uneasily for a few silent moments to allow Daniel his hand-motioned response.

"His silence is thankfully not an effect of the Embrace." Oscar's solid, yet relaxed voice chimed, his eyes glancing to his side in order to glimpse Daniel and his Signing.

"He suffered from a medical complication in life, and it regrettably claimed his voice. However, it didn't claim his worth, nor his inner voice. Both of which he's excelled at demonstrating..." Oscar's voice trailed off somewhat as Sarah then imparted her rather inscrutable response shortly following her initial question, one that spoke of the wind's voice and it's supposed interest in mutes. Even Oscar, who was significantly more familiar with such cryptic utterances, didn't quite know what to say, his brow furrowing somewhat as the well-dressed Elder contemplated her words.

"My dear Sarah, you must excuse Daniel and I both for our lack of foresight. You always were a medium beyond measure, but what do you mean by 'The Voice of the Wind'?"

[NotScaryBats]

Sarah blinks, "I beg your pardon, Good Oscar, did I say something?" she tilts her head to the right, putting a finger to her lips. "There's an ancient legend of the Windspeaker Tribe that says they were guided by the Voice of the Wind, but they have been dead and buried for centuries." The Elder of the Moon Clan never takes her eyes from Daniel, even as she addresses his Sire.

-----

The ventrue listens carefully to the Toreador, then his grin deepens, "Oh I am certain we can come up with a..." his eyes brush lasciviously over the neonate, "mutually beneficial relationship. I will have my people call your people."

[Fizzly]

Oscar's brow rose with piqued interest as Sarah explained, although he felt a bit uneasy at her intent focus upon Daniel.

"It's alright." His gaze shifted onto his Childe. "I know he will triumph, he's proven himself to be exceptionally resilient. I have absolute faith the Prince will accept him as I have."

He glanced back toward Sarah, inspecting her as/if she continued eyeballing Daniel.

[McStabbington]

The half-quizzical, half-bemused expression on Corinna's face never even flickered. The only sign of reaction was a slight, a very slight hardening around the eyes. Of all the people in the room, the only person who had seen that particular look was Andrew, once. "Of course, Primogen. Mutually beneficial. I thank you for your time."

Corinna half-stood, making as if to leave, but paused and smoothed out the front of her white dress. "Primogen, if I may, a word of advice, to cement our relationship of course. I would not be quite so dismissive of Primogen Jackson if I were you. A Toreador like her wasn't picked for her beauty, nor do I suspect that she has some hidden artistic talent that she indulges in her off-hours. In point of fact, I doubt she has off-hours. No, that one was picked on a whim and shortly thereafter abandoned."

"And yet, here she is, Primogen of an entire city. With tenacity like that, you might be better served fighting with her rather than undercutting her. Threaten the thing a Kindred values most in this world, and they come back on you with seven-fold wrath." Corinna shrugged. "Just a suggestion."

[NotScaryBats]

"I do appreciate the wisdom you offer, Corinna Vaduva, but I wonder if you will indulge me the same? Neither Rome, nor Seattle, were built in a day, and it would be the most unwise Kindred to forget that some of us have been here since there was neither brick stacked nor mortar laid, and there are some of us who haven't," the Primogen flashes his emerald eyes to Andrew and says, "Break a leg at your debut tonight, young Andrew."

[Failed Phantasm]

‘“Our lack of foresight”? Speak for yourself,’ he thought with a wry frown. ‘Oh well. Politeness blah blah blah. You could ask before calling me an idiot, though.’

«I know what she’s talking about,» Daniel signed, though he was gesturing more hesitantly than before. He tilted his head slightly in Sarah’s direction but did not turn to look at her, and then added, «Or, at least, I think I do. If you want to discuss it, I’d prefer to do it as privately as we can.» He folded his arms across his chest and nodded at his sire, looking at him expectantly; though perhaps the elder vampire would rather stay and continue talking to — or at — Sarah.

‘It’s funny,’ he thought; ‘Me, of all people, not wanting anyone else to know what I have to say.’


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[Lord-Leafar]

Arthur appraises the room as he and his sire walk in, noting the corners of the room and the armed Kindred Dee, making a mental note to himself to be on file for later. He is silent, Ana on his arm as he allows her to take charge and move them through the room, his eyes glancing about at the other vampires in attendance of court. His expression is one of curiosity and concentration, mentally trying to put the names he has been taught with the faces before him, and when his sire asks him precisely that, he jumps slightly, put on the spot.

"I'm putting a few of them together, based on what ya said, but some of the others aren't jumping out at me, so to speak. I assume that the one armed is the Sheriff Dee, the woman with the book is Primogen Sarah Marshall, and the one playin' cards is Ambrose Tucker. Cocktail glass is the Harpy Evangeline Ducoteau, based on the description, and those two are the Primogens Petunia Jackson and Morgan MacDavis, respectively. The others I'm still workin' on putting a face to description."

The fledgling smiles politely to the general gathering of Kindred when speaking to his sire quietly, trying not to bring it to the attention of others that they were discussing them with each other. It is clear that he is still trying to put his mind to work in putting faces with names, with all of the information that has been given him in the last few nights, he is trying to still sift through it all.

Ana nodded with a certain degree of satisfaction "Well done, now let's partake on the ceremony at hand"
She leads Arthur deeper into the room, walking near Evangeline Ducoteau, Ana's eyes wander when the Ventrue and her entourage come into sight, drawing Ana's attention once they're close to them for her to change paths and approach them "Good evening ladies and gentlemen" She speaks for all to hear, but it's obvious the one being addressed is none other than Evangeline. "Looking stunningly lovely as always Eva, if I may, allow me to introduce my Childe, Arthur Wallace" She places a hand over Arthur's shoulder as she mentions him "Arthur, this is Evangeline Ducoteau of the Ventrue..."

[McStabbington]

"How considerate of you, Primogen. As a Toreador, I suppose it is so easy to forget, what with how we so seldom Embrace bricklayers." And with that, Corinna steered her childe gently towards safer waters.

But where . . . Ordinarily, Corinna would introduce herself to the Keeper early on, but the Lasombra Primogen had the same idea. The closest she had to a friend was Sarah Marshall, but the Malkavians had decided to have a Clan Gather, best left uninterrupted. She knew one of the Brujah, well enough to know that introducing herself to one might start a war between all three. And one look at Dee said she would rather be anywhere else and was best given a quick hello-goodbye on the way out. She would reach them all eventually, but she needed time to compose herself.

That left one safe port. Perhaps somewhat diplomatic, all things considered, but Corinna could use some general intrigue and innuendo over the very specific kind just offered by MacDavis. She steered for the corner.

"Why hello again, Jet. Such a pleasure to see you out and about. Would you be so kind as to introduce my child and I to your acquaintances?"

[NotScaryBats]

As Ana mingles and puts a bug in all the important Kindreds' ears, Corinna performs a verbal dance with Petunia and Morgan, before heading for the Nosferatu, and Oscar receives a mysterious prophecy from Sarah, Dee opens the door she has been standing guard at. Striding through the doors with an expression like a thunderhead, comes Prince Carlson himself. The room quiets as Kindred turn to regard their leader. Jet opens his mouth to reply to the beautiful Toreador, and then shuts it, waving hello and turning his attention to the host.

The Prince of Seattle is a mountain of a man (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/1/12/Wilson_Fisk_(Earth-701306)_003.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110616232938), nearly seven feet tall and easily four hundred pounds. Though physique is no indication of power among the Kindred, Prince Carlson is known to relish in his enormous form, towering over his fellows in both physical and less tangible ways. Dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, he snaps at the barkeep with one hand. "The '77," he demands in a deep, commanding voice.

The man behind the bar removes a glass bottle from a chiller and deftly pops its cork. He pours a large goblet full of thick, almost purple liquid and delivers it to the Prince. Taking the drink, Prince Carlson turns around and goes back whence he came, calling out, "Dee! It's time."

The door swings shut behind Carlson and Dee points at the three pairs of Sires and Childer. "Vaduva, Fitzpatrick, Ortiz Vega, it's time," she says in a deadpan voice.

[Lord-Leafar]

Despite being deep in conversation, Ana can't help but focus her attention at the Prince's own entrance. Interrupting her idle chat, she turns at the mountain of a man, joining in the silence caused by his appearance and equally fast exit. As expected, the debut of thew new childer would take place now, and once the sheriff calls out her and the other two elders, Ana graciously excuses herself from the conversation she had started.
"You'll have to excuse us, duty calls." With a respectful nod, Ana separates herself from the group and starts walking in the direction of the Sheriff. With a discreet squeeze of Arthur's arm, Ana signals her childe to get ready.

[JonRG]

Andrew nods in thanks, but his mind races beneath the surface. Morgan MacDavis, one of the most powerful Kindred in the city by Andrew's guess, was very interested in him and probably wasn't out to talk about art. The guy was attractive, Andrew had to admit, but there was a gulf between looking and... acting on those desires. His thoughts take a somewhat lascivious turn until Corinna catches his eye. 'Damn it! She's probably listening in right now.' Any efforts to derail his train of thought seemed to have rather the opposite effect. She guides him away from the source of his distress. Thoughtful of her. Thankfully, before Corinna can say something, the Prince bursts into the room. His arrival drives any thoughts of Morgan from his mind. When Dee points at them, Andrew stands next to his sire and waits to follow her lead.

[Fizzly]

"If it would please you Sarah, I think Daniel and you should discuss this matter further when the pleasantries have been concluded." The tall man's eyes wandered downward, his expression falling blank. "Forgive me if I've insulted you, Daniel. Your frown tells me I might have said something unfair."

Oscar offered an apologetic nod towards his Childe with that, shifting his gaze over once the doors swung open and the gargantuan Prince entered. His body was ice and without feeling, but there was a sense of dread from within. He was unsure as to Carlson's feelings toward Caitiff, but had nothing but respect for the Ventrue and his efficient rule of Seattle. As his name was called forth, Oscar proceeded with a curt nod of beckoning toward his progeny to take their place alongside the others.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur was about to start exchanging pleasantries with the Harpy, but is interrupted by the goliath Prince of Seattle. The neonate falls silent as the other Cainites in the room do, following his sire's lead in showing the proper reverance to the praxis. When the Sheriff calls upon his sire, Arthur straightens himself to a more formal posture, and allows his sire to lead him with the others towards the private meeting rooms with the Prince. A nod of his head in the positive was the response Ana got to her squeeze of his arm, indicating that he is ready.

[McStabbington]

Corinna offered a quick head Bob and smile to Jet before drawing her childe forward. The time had come at last.

[NotScaryBats]

Dee stands to the side and opens the door for the six Kindred that have been summoned. As they file past her, she says a few words, "Good luck in there. On a night like tonight, you might need it." After everyone is inside, the Sheriff enters the room and closes the door behind her.

The Prince sits behind a large, oak desk. He takes a sip of his goblet and then leans forward on his elbows, a frown on his face. Behind him, the skyline of Seattle unfolds through crystal-clear windows. You can see the bay, the lake, and fully half the city from up here. One side of the room has a large mirror on it, that seems to double the size of the space, and reflects six of the eight Kindred present. Another side of the room leads deeper into the penthouse.

Dee clears her throat and deadpans, "may the debut begin. Please step forward, introduce yourself, state your heritage, and may Prince Carlson be the final arbiter of your worth."

The room is silent and still, and it is time for the three Childer to make their first real step on their own in this world of darkness.


OOC: any of you can go in any order you like. You needn't wait for person A to finish before posting your introduction, I'll work with it.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur accompanied his sire to the Prince's meeting chamber, still walking upright, dignified, and prepared for what lay before him. The Sheriff's words had unnerved him, more because they had taken him bu surprise than by their weight, but he found strength in his sire's presence beside of him. In the brief time that he had known her, she had filled him with the knowledge, strength, and confidence he would need to take his place in the Long Night. His eyes moved about the Prince's chamber once they entered the room, impressed by the Prince's view of the room, and still getting used to no longer being able to see his own reflection in the mirror. Silent, he listens for the Prince to speak, and when the giant Ventrue invites them to inteoduce themselves, Arthur gracefully removes his sire's arm from his own, straightens his suit jacket, and steps forward. He speaks clearly, his deep voice carrying through the room, though the room. While the Prince was certainly his superior in size, charisma, and presence of command, Arthur was not a small man by any standards, and he had a voice to match. Tje neonate suppressed his native Southern accent as much as possible, electing instead a formal tone as he would have used in his life towards a superior officer.

"Your Majesty Prince Carlson, I am Arthur Wallace, childe of Ana-Valentina Ortiz Vega, of the Lasombra. I come before you this night seeking to serve the City of Seattle, and your Majesty, with courage, integrity, and wisdom. My sire has begun my education in the Traditiona of the Ivory Tower and most importantly, keeping the silence of the blood. It is my hope that in coming nights, you find me to be a testament to her support of, and loyalty to the Camarilla."

Arthur finishes speaking and falls silent, standing before the Prince at a parade reat stance, fully at attention, his face composed and serious. He watched the Prince, waiting to see how he would be received. If the Prince was to be the arbiter of his worth, he could only hope he was not found wanting.

[JonRG]

Andrew watches Arthur's introduction. Someone had practiced. He had been too busy trying to keep his adopted clan information straight. When Arthur falls silent, Andrew extricates his arm from Corinna's, tugs on his right sleeve, then steps up next to Arthur. "Prince Carlson, I am Andrew Vassar of the Clan of the Rose, childe of Corinna, childe of the Matron Violetta, Justiciar of the Camarilla, childe of Francois Villon, Prince of Paris, childe of Helena, childe of Arikel. It is my deepest wish to serve my sire, yourself, and the city of Seattle as a part of the Camarilla. While much of our work has been on the First, Lady Corinna has educated me on all six of the Traditions: the Masquerade, the Domain, the Progeny, the Accounting, Hospitality, and Destruction." Thank Christ, he had nailed all of them in the heat of the moment. "I hope you will find me to be as competent, wise, and loyal as she is." He inclines his head, taking a moment to smile back at his sire, then returns his focus to the Prince, hands folded in front of him.

[Failed Phantasm]

Daniel took a deep breath as he walked through the door to the Prince’s office, the only one of the three not supporting his sire on his arm or otherwise being physically attached like a parasite. Or a child. There was a reason for that. ‘Ok, Daniel, you can do this,’ he told himself as he clenched his fist and drew himself up to his full height; ‘It’s just like getting hired for the newspaper.’ He lined up with the others and waited for the angry, bored, knife-nut to announce their presence. ‘HR doesn’t just want a laundry list of **** you’ve done before. They want to know who you are. What you can do.’ He glanced at the mirror as the woman spoke, just to see how presentable he looked — ‘Go Huskies!’ he thought, with the barest of grins — and looked back to face the Prince directly. He was fine. ‘You’re the one who made it, remember? You! Out of a hundred and fifty other people, he reminded himself; ‘Maybe it’s going to be different here, but I don’t think so. Leadership is leadership. They want to know what they’ve got to work with.’

He watched as the other two stepped forward and announced themselves — Arthur and Andrew — and gave their immaculately groomed introductions. Kinda lifeless, but then, so were they. And… they didn’t really talk for very long. Maybe a minute and a half between them. He looked down for a moment and smirked, more at himself than anyone. ‘Well, I’m about to make these two look very good—’ He looked up to meet the Prince’s gaze as best he could. ‘—or very bad.’ He took another breath to steady himself, looked over at his sire and nodded, and then stepped forward. He’d have a safety net, but he’d have to stand on his own two feet now. No calling the Prince a *****-ass ****-sucking piece of trash with a stick up his ass the size of the Space Needle. ‘Not out loud, anyway.’ Now at the center of the room and commanding attention, Daniel bowed from the waist, a bit stiffly like before, but at least he’d remembered to do it and shot a sideways glance at his two compatriots.

And then he began.

«Good evening, Your Majesty. My name is Daniel van Rijn. And if you, like everyone else I’ve met tonight, think that because I cannot talk that I have no voice,» He stopped signing for a moment and looked at his sire. ‘I won’t embarrass you. But I’m trusting you. So have a little faith in me, too.’ He nodded once and turned back to the Prince, signing, «I shall endeavor tonight to correct you of that error.» He launched into his next sentence, mindful not to sign too quickly for Mr. Fitzpatrick’s benefit. «You ask for my heritage? I have two. I am the son of Safiya and Mathis van Rijn.» He hoped Oscar wouldn’t fumble the pronunciation. It was hard enough growing up hearing “Van Ridzn” all the damn time. «Both of them came here, to Seattle, not because there was nowhere else in the United States they could go, but because of what opportunities it afforded them. Because Seattle is prosperous, renowned the world over for leading the technological world. And if this is your city, then I imagine you should like to claim some credit for that.» He would have to hope Oscar could enunciate that one in a neutral tone of voice, even if Daniel was maybe feeling a bit sarcastic as he signed it. «I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve no plans of leaving now that it’s apparently over. I work here, as a journalist for the Times. I know this city. I know its people… I know its sports teams.» He tugged at his Huskies shirt idly, but then quickly signed to Oscar, «Wait, don’t translate that last sentence.» He looked back at the prince. «In twenty-two years, I’ve no complaints about having lived here. You already have my loyalty and my service, such as it is. But if you would keep it,» and at this, he dared to meet the Prince’s gaze directly, just as he had with Sarah earlier, «then keep things that way. Seattle may be your Domain, Your Majesty, but it’s my home.»

‘Sorry if that last part was rough on you,’ he thought with a glance towards Oscar. «As for my Kindred heritage, my sire tells me that I’ve muddled things a bit. I am the Childe of Oscar Fitzpatrick, whose sire abandoned him. But I am the great-great-grandchilde of Malkav, and I am spared the madness of my blood-kin because I am a Caitiff.» He spread his arms wide and signed, «Here I am. Stake me and leave me for the sunrise if that’s all I am to you.» Lowering his arms, he continued, «But if not, then my Sire and I would formally request the recognition of my Domain in Beacon Hill.» With that, he inclined his head towards the towering prince and stepped back to stand next to Arthur and Andrew, presuming they didn’t immediately leap away as if Daniel had leprosy. He signed to Oscar, wearily, «You can explain how you found me, if you need to. I don't remember much of it anyway.»


ACTIONS TAKEN
I don’t know if any social rolls apply to this, but I’m making them anyway! MUHAHAHAHA!

Daniel has 4 dots in both Charisma and Manipulation, so substitutions don’t affect the size of the dice pool. Disregard entirely if inapplicable/unnecessary.


➔ Charisma [4] + Leadership [3] + Merit: Natural Leader [2]: [roll0]
Result: 2 successes at difficulty 6 (1, 7, 8, 10, 1, 6, 1, 6)

➔ Charisma [4] + Expression [3] —OR— Performance [3]: [roll1]
Result: 4 successes at difficulty 6 (8, 9, 6, 9)


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[Fizzly]

The moment that Oscar dreaded ever since he received these troublesome orders was finally at hand. In truth, Oscar had considered a Childe for a long while, but it was his own immense doubt and fear of being rejected by his would-be Progeny for cursing them with the madness he had suffered through that kept this desire under wraps. Nonetheless he upheld the Prince's wishes, and thus, Daniel was Embraced. He wasted no time in educating him on not only how to fend for and defend himself with his new capabilities, but also what it meant to be untouched by the corrosive hand of time. An eternity of darkness and indefinite pain awaited all Kindred on their respective paths, but Daniel remained steadfast through his reawakening, very quick in grasping Oscar's rather calloused, sometimes brutally honest methods and teachings.

Daniel might not have known it then, but his Sire's refrain from physically guiding him was not for lack of acknowledgement. He was ready for this. He could stand on his own, with or without Oscar. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEtkIRlz7Vw)


"Good evening, Your Majesty." Oscar simply began translating Daniel's hand motions. The Elder Malkavian stood in a casual gait, one hand buried in his pocket whilst he carefully read the hand motions out. "My name is Daniel van Rijn. And if you, like everyone else I’ve met tonight, think that because I cannot talk that I have no voice..." Oscar's eyes peered into his Childe's as he paused his signing, smirking with a nod in motion for him to continue.

"I shall endeavor tonight to correct you of that error. You ask for my heritage? I have two. I am the son of Safiya and Mathis van Rijn." The sleepy-eyed Elder managed to pronunce the name, and maintain a steady flow as his mute Childe continued. "Both of them came here, to Seattle, not because there was nowhere else in the United States they could go, but because of what opportunities it afforded them. Because Seattle is prosperous, renowned the world over for leading the technological world. And if this is your city, then I imagine you claim some credit for that." Oscar took a momentary pause, uttering the last part in such a way that it hopelly dispelled the sarcasm of his Childe's silent words. "I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve no plans of leaving now that it’s apparently over. I work here, as a journalist for the Times. I know this city. I know its people--" Daniel quickly omits part of his signing, to which Oscar clears his throat faintly in sudden pause, stifling an amused grin. Good call, he thought.

"In twenty-two years, I’ve no complaints about having lived here. You already have my loyalty and my service, such as it is. But if you would keep it..." Oscar's voice trailed off somewhat as he glanced onto Daniel. "Then keep things that way. Seattle may be your Domain, Your Majesty, but it is my home." With that, Oscar merely ushered his Childe to continue with a stalwart nod. "As for my Kindred heritage, my sire tells me...That something went wrong. I am the Childe of Oscar Fitzpatrick, whose sire abandoned him. But I am the great-great-grandchilde of Malkav, and I am spared the madness of my blood-kin because I am a Caitiff."

Oscar's eyes would focus onto the Prince at this point, lowering his head somewhat as the two of them paused. "Here I am. Stake me and leave me for the sunrise if that’s all I am to you. But if not, then my Sire and I would formally request the recognition of my Domain in Beacon Hill." The Elder Malkavian bowed his head to Daniel and the Prince as he finished. In Oscar's mind, there was nothing he need explain further. If Carlson wanted answers, all he had do is ask them. Instead, the tall Malkavian merely folded his hands neatly in front of him, keeping his mind focused and his stance close to his Clanless Childe, preparing for whatever came next for the two of them.

[JonRG]

Andrew's brow furrows as Daniel signs furiously. Initially, he assumes that the man is deaf, but that can't be, since he's responding to the Sheriff behind him. Something else. He'd probably have to ask at some point. Daniel's words (as translated by Oscar) completely blow him away. They were raw and honest and came from the heart. Daniel just threw the gauntlet. This is who I am. Take it or leave it. Said this to the most powerful Kindred in the city. Kid had guts. Hopefully, that wouldn't get him killed. Andrew would root for him. Silently. He might admire the kid, but he wanted to stay alive... for given values thereof.

[NotScaryBats]

The Prince of Seattle carefully listens to all three neonates' introductions before responding. To Arthur, he says, "A military man? Excellent. I'm not surprised that you have chosen such an appropriate Childe for the nights ahead, Ana. Welcome, Arthur."

To Andrew, Prince Carlson says, "Corinna has taught you well; loyalty is paramount in the best of times, and doubly so during nights like these. The strength of the ivory tower lies not in its individual bricks, but in the sum of it's parts. Threaten one, and the might of the Camarilla will descend upon you. I know your lineage well, and trust you will comport yourself appropriately, Andrew."

To Daniel, the Prince says, "I see Sebastion in him, Oscar -- quick and bright, and irreverent. You are bold to request right to domain, and I shall grant it to you. We will need decisive action in the nights ahead. Welcome, Daniel. "

The Prince stands and addresses Dee, "Sheriff, I present to you your Hounds." the dark-eyed Kindred looks surprised and coughs out, "Wh-what? My Prince, they are only fledglings!"

He bares the faintest of smiles and nods, "You have heard their pedigree and they each are natural foes of the Sa bbat; I stand by their appointment. Now, go. Take your hounds and brief them on their first mission. You three, remain here." this last, he directs to the elders. Dee recovers from the shock at once and gestures for the three neonates to follow her.

[McStabbington]

Corinna smiled and nodded at Andrew, gesturing him to leave. Inside his mind, however, at the back of his head, Andrew felt the now-familiar pressure to allow her mind in.

Unlike the other, deeper probes that Corinna had performed as Andrew lay dying, this probe was light. But there was an insistent push behind it.

[JonRG]

Relief washes over Andrew as he smiles back at his sire. None of them were dead. 'Yes, Corinna?' he thinks back at her.

[McStabbington]

"Well done, my childe.". Corinna's mind touched lightly on Andrew's. Even such a light touch revealed a mind that was coiled. It was not cold, not exactly, but it hummed with a merciless efficiency. Beneath the facades worked an implacable, efficient computer, a computer that had now turned a fraction of its processing power to Andrew. "Though I should note that most Princes would want you to quote all of the Traditions rather than merely mention them. But still, it was well done, and when we begin your training in earnest, you will be able to recite them by heart."

"For the time being, I merely wish to keep the channel open. Dee owes me a boon so I expect no problems, but should any arise, I will know as soon as you do."

Corinna's focus seemed to shift ever so slightly, but turned back for a moment. "And you need not worry, a connection such as this allows me only to touch surface thoughts."

And with that, the connection remained, but went silent. No words came through from Corinna, though the impression remained that the gears and wheels of her mind were turned with greater focus towards the Prince.

[Lord-Leafar]

Ana gives Arthur the smallest of nods, approval evident in her stare as he was being whisked away by the Sheriff. In her eyes there was something else though, perhaps a warning of sorts? Whatever it was it, Arthur's would have to find out if there was any reason behind Ana's glance. Meanwhile, Ana turns her attention to the Prince, waiting patiently for the neonates to leave the room.

[JonRG]

"In my defense, the other guy just said, 'I'm working on them,' but I appreciate the thought. I think we should be all right." Andrew follows Arthur and Dee out of the chamber.

[HerbertWest]

"Thank you, your majesty," Arthur responds to the Prince. Once they are released to the Sheriff, Arthur gives Ana a small smile. Whether or not he caught her warning glance isn't apparent in his expression, but he does approach the Sheriff and follow the others out without another word. He looked down at the other two fledglings, as if taking stock of them. He smirked to himself at the one who had been unable to speak, Daniel. The kid had guts, and sometimes, guts is enough. As for Andrew, well, he would just have to wait and see. He follows the Sheriff, observant of their surroundings as they follow the Wanderer to wherever it was that they would be briefed.

[McStabbington]

This time, Corinna's mind positively radiated coldness as her attention turned again to her childe. The machine was focused on Andrew's mind, and it bit like frozen steel. "Do not ever think to defend yourself with the argument that your error was less than that of others. You are Tzimisce, Andrew Vassar. You will learn in time the full measure of what that means, but for now know that it means owing me and yourself nothing but excellence in all you do. Failures are not acceptable, no matter how much better you did than anyone else."

"Do not ever make me correct you on this matter again, Andrew Vassar." The mind remained for a moment, remorseless and pitiless, then Corinna's attention turned back to the Prince.

[NotScaryBats]

The Sires remain where they are and the Childer follow their Sheriff into the other room -- not where the room with the bar, but deeper into the complex. The door swings shut behind them, and the two groups separate.

-----

THE HOUNDS
Dee walks quickly down a well-furnished hallway, with polished floors and framed portraits of dour-faced men and women on the walls. She leads you past a few closed doors, until coming up to a dark oak door. Inside, you find yourselves in an office of sorts, with a desk, file cabinets, another door, and a table in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs. The Sheriff gestures to the table and says, "Sit down," in her deadpan voice.

Once you do, she peers across the table, meeting your gaze with her dark, hard eyes. Dee smiles ruefully, "Who knows what a 'Hound' is, and what just happened in there with the Prince?"

-----

THE ELDERS
The Sheriff leaves through one door with your Childer in tow and the other door opens. The Primogen begin to enter the room, arraying themselves in line with you in a rough semicircle before the Prince. Noticeably absent are Jacob Loreau, Fredrich, and Leonardo Facucci -- fully half the normal participants. Prince Carlson frowns and says, "I'm going to cut right to it. The Sabbat's next target is the WaMu Theater, during the big concert on the seventh. Their last attack put fear into the populace, but if we don't prevent this one, the Kine will panic. There is only one FBI agent in town tonight, but if another major terrorist attack happens, there are going to be a whole lot more. We need ideas."

A beat of silence passes over the room, giving you an opening to step forward and voice your opinion.

[McStabbington]

Corinna sat gracefully and silently as she listened to the Prince. Her legs were crossed at the calf, folded beneath her seat, her fingers steeped in front of her mouth, and her wings crossed about her shoulders, giving her a closed, pensive appearance.

"A question." The words were calm and measured. "Did our informant provide us only with the time and place of this attack, or did they tell us anything of the Sabbat's probable route to this . . . location."

Corinna said no more. She did not need to. Anyone who could credibly call themselves an Elder vampire knew the old human maxim. Know yourself, know your enemies, and know the terrain, and in a thousand battles you will never be in danger.

[JonRG]

Andrew misses a step but recovers his footing quickly. Corinna was... very upset. "Understood."

He takes a seat and ponders. Corinna covered the hierarchy of the Camarilla in great detail, since she couldn't get into the specifics of the individual Kindred in the city. "They're deputies of the Sheriff." Which was Dee and made this all the more confusing. "I'm... not entirely sure what just happened, to be honest." Andrew scratches at an eyebrow.

[NotScaryBats]

"No, we do not know which route they will take to the theater. There are many ways in, but either 4th or Occidental would be the likely roads in, I have Facucci securing the sewers, and Loreau redoubling the Kine security for the event. Needless to say, we are looking at a crowded location where the enemy could be anywhere." the Prince responds.

[NotScaryBats]

"Very good, Andrew. Yes, you have been assigned to me, to aid in the city's defense against the Sabbat threat. Our job is both reactive and proactive, and your first mission will be the latter," the Sheriff pauses a moment, and frowns. "Tomorrow, you will be responsible for leaving the city, traveling to Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula, and meeting with an informant of mine, but we will talk more about that in a moment.

"For now, I want to know what you can do. Obviously, the Prince thinks you are the right Kindred to serve as my Hounds -- not just the Quinault run, which I must confess you are well-suited for. I want to know why."

[HerbertWest]

"Very good, Andrew. Yes, you have been assigned to me, to aid in the city's defense against the Sabbat threat. Our job is both reactive and proactive, and your first mission will be the latter," the Sheriff pauses a moment, and frowns. "Tomorrow, you will be responsible for leaving the city, traveling to Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula, and meeting with an informant of mine, but we will talk more about that in a moment.

"For now, I want to know what you can do. Obviously, the Prince thinks you are the right Kindred to serve as my Hounds -- not just the Quinault run, which I must confess you are well-suited for. I want to know why."

Arthur listens to Andrew, and then Dee's response. He nods his affirmation when she lays out the basic, high level overview of their mission on the morrow, before he responds to Dee's final statement. His tone and body language are more relaxed, not out of disrespect, but for the simple fact that for now, the fledglings had not been rendered into piles of ashen clothing.

"If I were to speculate on it, I'd say Prince Carlson was lookin' us over to see whether or not we'd fit the bill. The reason he didn't give ya experienced Kindred is because they ain't malleable. We're fresh off from basic trainin', so to speak, and if you need Hounds, there's no better way than to grow 'em from scratch. Also, we're childer of Elders, a valuable resource in our missions. But if we're unsuccessful, the Prince doesn't lose anybody he considers to be indisposable at the moment. Limited risk and high potential of reward. From the looks of it, we're pretty well rounded, to boot. A socialite, an artist, and a soldier. Each of us no doubt has experience and skills the other don't."

Wallace gives his opinion on the matter, looking curious to see if the others had anything to add to that, or what the Sheriff's opinion of that viewpoint would be. Being a military officer in life, the logic made sense to his experiences.

[Failed Phantasm]

Daniel followed the Sheriff and the other young vampires out of the Prince’s office, pausing only to shoot a quick backwards glance at his sire. ‘Well, it was nice while it lasted,’ he thought, as the door closed silently behind them. He was in entirely-unexpected territory now — as opposed to mostly-unexpected, like their presentation — and he didn’t have much to go on when it came to sizing up his new “co-workers”, for lack of a better word. ‘I’ll break the ice, then,’ he thought, staring at the backs of everyone else in their little group; ‘So, someone stop me if you’ve heard this before. A sheriff, a soldier, a photographer, and a journalist walk into a bar and… nothing? Not even a little smirk? Ok.’ Daniel looked down at the ground and shook his head as they entered the office Dee had led them to. She commanded them to sit, which he did, wordlessly.

She then barked a question at them, to which Andrew answered before Daniel could facepalm at her in pained disbelief. Or more accurately, it let him quickly convert his unabashed facepalm into a quick scratch at his eyebrows that could maybe possibly be an empathic reaction to Andrew doing the same. ‘Really? I hope you’re not expecting the guy who can’t talk to answer you.’ he thought as he straightened up. At least it filled a gap in his knowledge, because his own smart-aleck reply would have been, ‘I dunno, new vampires you keep on a short leash? Because that’s what “hound” makes it sound like. Is this a hazing thing?’

He sighed again — the second time in as many hours — in his weird, breathy, unvoiced way and stared at the Sheriff, his eyebrows arched and his mouth twisted into a disapproving frown, when she asked her second question. ‘Well, let’s see, I’m fluent in five languages and— oh, wait. I CAN’T FRIGGING TALK, LADY.’ Daniel glanced over and Andrew and then his eyes widened as the figurative lightbulb went off in his head; he quickly fished his smartphone out of his pants pocket and held it up, waggling it quickly in the air with an eyebrow arched curiously.


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[JonRG]

'He can hear, but he can't talk...' Realization flashes across Andrew's face, and he scoots his chair closer to Daniel. "Here, I can translate." His primary motivation is to help, but the fact that it stalls for time for him to formulate an answer does not escape his notice. "My specialty is photography. I'm also fairly good with people, which means I have connections." Andrew doesn't like being coy, but Julie is family. He can't just sell her out to these people. His people.

[NotScaryBats]

To Arthur, Sheriff Dee nods her head, "Yes, my conclusion precisely. I will trust you and translate, Andrew, since none of us know how to sign.

"To bring you up to speed, we are at war with the Sabbat, and they attacked the Couture Rose club. This attack not only dusted one of our very influential elders, it also put fear into the heart of the kine. Lucas Penrose, the elder, had large amounts of The Rack under his control, and now, the Sabbat have the run of the place. The attack tells us that someone leaked information to the enemy -- Penrose had his entourage completely wiped out. What else do you think it tells us?"

[JonRG]

"I don't know ASL either. Only French and English. I just figured I'd read off his phone." He covers for his embarrassment by considering the sheriff's question. "It tells us that either the traitor was very stupid, or they weren't part of his entourage. Or there at all, for that matter. Does anyone have controlling interest of the club now, and was anyone notable absent that night?"

[Lord-Leafar]

Ana speaks out, interrupting any talk happening at the same moment. "If I may your majesty, given the circumstances of the previous attack on the Couture Rose and the choice of venue for their next target, a few facts merit your attention and focus" She takes a small pause, pretending to gather her thoughts while allowing the weight of her words to cause some anticipation in the room.
"The Sabbat will aim to inflict the most damage possible, for that reason you can expect their attack to strike in the middle of the performance. This means, that whatever preparations they intend to set in place could possibly be well underway or have been completed by now, as it would be too risky to stage their assault with short notice" Ana pauses once again, allowing the Prince and the rest of the Elders come to their own conclusions with this new information. "Needless to say, the kine has surely been compromised by now, and any staff scheduled to work that night at the theater must be interrogated. It wouldn't be unwise to do a last minute change of personnel at the venue, for reasons I'm sure are clear to all of us"

Ana does not need to explain her reasoning behind her suggestions, it's a non-spoken understatement that she usually and most certainly speaks from experience when it comes to Sabbat matters, and more than once her advice and counsel have proven to be truthful in earlier occasions. With her advice and insight given, Ana makes eye contact with the Prince, gauging his reaction and response to her words.

[HerbertWest]

"It points two directions, which may or may not be connected. The informant has a personal bone to pick with Penrose, and leaked intel to the Sword to cover their tracks. No paper trail, hard to really trace back. By that logic, if the aggressor is a Sabbat pack, thios person is assumin' we wouldn't look too much into it, other than to find the pack. On the big picture scale, there's someone on the inside that wants the current status quo knocked down, and is working on taking out significant parts of it. It's probably both."

Arthur took his seat on the left side of the other two neonates, unbuttoning the button that held his suit jacket together, as was customary practice when wearing formal attire. His arms are crossed over his chest as he continues thinking on the Sheriff's question, and more potential angles.

[NotScaryBats]

"Penrose had sole ownership of his clubs, though many kine and ghouls worked for him.

Regarding the perpetrator, it is our job to find out who among us the traitor is. Your observations are likely correct on both counts, Arthur. This segues into your mission. There is a seer of sorts in the town I mentioned earlier. I've arranged for Penrose's body to be given over to you, ready for transport. You will take it to her -- a woman named Fulla -- and she will answer three questions for us. Tomorrow evening, get together and meet at the crematorium on Broadway by eight o'clock, take the goods to fFulla, and bring me her response -- no one but me is to hear of this, yes?"

[Fizzly]

Oscar bid Daniel farewell as the Machete-toting Sheriff lead the Childer off, his expression becoming dour at Carlson's mention of Sebastian. It was a long time since he heard that name. The very thought chilled his vitae into icy sleet within his ancient veins, bringing back a maddening pain that he might have mistaken for a stake through the heart a few dozen decades ago. Perhaps Daniel was similar to the deceased Ventrue, but it changed nothing about his final death. He couldn't atone for failing to protect Sebastian. Not until he eliminated the dogs that devoured his soul. Hearing his name reminded him only that his task was far from over, and it tormented him greatly.


There was no time to mope, however. Oscar's chosen prey had made their first move in months, and for now, the sorrow-stricken Malkavian stood silent until Ana's sudden warning was heeded. The Lasombra's advice was sound--as far as he believed-- which was to be expected of one with experience within the crazed sect as herself. Thus, Oscar merely glanced about to await the Primogens' responses, sliding his hands into his pockets in futile attempt to distract his thoughts from descending into delirious sadness by focusing in on the task at hand.

[NotScaryBats]

Prince Carlson nod his head, "Ana, your Insight is as valuable tonight as it has ever been. Petunia, I trust you can work on the staff?" the toreador primogen confirms promptly. "Good. I don't want to tip our hand just yet -- I'll keep the bomb squad in reserve for now. We need to quietly sweep the venue tomorrow. Ideas, anyone?"

This is not Sarah's area of expertise, and everyone in the room realizes it; the Malkavian Primogen remains quiet. Morgan purses his lips, but doesn't immediately offer anything.

[McStabbington]

"Meaning no disrespect to the distinguished Primogen and her valued insight, but it does occur to me that there might be more subtle ways of getting the information we seek than interrogation." Corinna did not move, nor had her eyes lifted from the floor as she spoke slowly and methodically, chewing on each word as a food critic might a choice morsel.

"Among the Camarilla Clans, the Toreador, Malkavians and Tremere all possess the gift of second sight, and can pick thoughts out of the minds of mortals without their knowledge. If the goal is to learn who among the staff for this grand event is an infiltrator without the Sabbat knowing that we know, that would be the way to do it. And of course, once we've sorted the chaff from the wheat, we could of course investigate more fully to possibly discover our such unpleasant opposite number."

"The trick, of course, is that with only one night between now and this marvelous event, we would need some way to bring those thoughts fairly close to the surface so that we need not dig into their minds to find the information we seek."

At this point, a grim, almost feral grin creased Corinna's mouth, and the pace of her speaking began to increase. "I am still not entirely familiar with this new democratic era, but I would suspect a wait staff for such a cotillion to be drawn from the ranks of the peasantry, recruited just for this one job rather than a dedicated staff. Given such a team, it only makes sense to have them view a training video the night before to help them know what to do."

"And my childe has been showing me the most interesting shows. He refers to them as 'horror films', and they sometimes show vampires as objects of erotic desire. Curious, that, but suppose that the lady actor chosen for this video were to dress up as such a vampire. For the average viewer, this might be a curiosity. For an infiltrator, it would cause worry, wondering if this video was an ill omen."

"And if such a gifted Kindred were to see the infiltrator in such a state, why, that might not be an imprudent assessment. Such an infiltrator, willing or not, would bear closer scrutiny, and might help us reveal these quarrelsome Kindred even before their terrible plan could be implemented. Quite tragic for them, I do not doubt."

[NotScaryBats]

"I can be sure such a video is made and presented by tomorrow night," petunia confirms smoothly.

Morgan clears his throat and says, "Suppose such a talented kindred could be produced, perhaps a team could be organized to enter the complex, eavesdrop on the kine, and destroy any supernatural threats, should the fiends have some sort of abomination in the basement or the like." he looks pointedly towards petunia.

"Do you possess such mastery over Auspex, clanmate?" the toreador asks Corinna.

[HerbertWest]

"Penrose had sole ownership of his clubs, though many kine and ghouls worked for him.

Regarding the perpetrator, it is our job to find out who among us the traitor is. Your observations are likely correct on both counts, Arthur. This segues into your mission. There is a seer of sorts in the town I mentioned earlier. I've arranged for Penrose's body to be given over to you, ready for transport. You will take it to her -- a woman named Fulla -- and she will answer three questions for us. Tomorrow evening, get together and meet at the crematorium on Broadway by eight o'clock, take the goods to fFulla, and bring me her response -- no one but me is to hear of this, yes?"

Arthur nods slowly as the Sheriff gives them their orders and mission, looking to the other two neonates. He nodded, mostly to himself, before looking back to the Sheriff. His companions would be useful for this initial task, or at least, didn't seem to have any immediately obvious qualities that would make them a liability.

"Understood, Sheriff. From a logistics standpoint, should one of us bring the vehicle for the transport, or has that been arranged? Speakin' of the transport, could be that the informant is aware of this move, or at least where Penrose's ashes are. I don't know if I have to ask this, bein' nee to this Hound business, but do we have clearance to use weapons in the case of attack?"

[NotScaryBats]

"You do, yes -- defend yourself with any mean necessary, because this mission is paramount. there is a vehicle for you at the crematorium -- meet there, and get to Quinault as quickly as you can," the Shefiff seems to have relegated the ex soldier as the de facto leader of her underlings, for she addresses him with her reply.

"As for the questions, there is a sealed envelope with the ashes that contains uur questions,"

[Fizzly]

"My extra-sensory talents are nothing compared to some of yours. However, this will require subtlety, and perhaps some decisive force if the Sabbat's agents catch onto our movements before we've secured the intel we desire." Oscar took a moment to scan over the gathering of ancient Kindred that stood present, his eyelids half-open as if from lack of sleep or fascination, both of which bore discolored rings that clung beneath the icy green irises.

"I offer my assistance to any task force that may be formed. It seems to me that Corinna and Ana both have given astute advice on how we should expose the threat at hand before it's given a chance to bud."

[NotScaryBats]

Morgan smiles and the attention of the room shifts to the two named kindred.

[NotScaryBats]

Dee gets up and looks at the three of you. "That will be all for now, I will show you out" the sheriff marches her hounds back to the main room with the bar. She has matters to attend to, and leaves the room.

You are now on your own in kindred society for the first time. The harpy is still gossiping near the bar, with several men and women. The beekeeper looks at you and nods respectfully. The nosferatu have moved to a table in the middle of the room. The card game is still going on, and the man and two women that was by the bar have apparently left.

[McStabbington]

Corinna nods, her expression grave. "As it so happens, I do. My gifts are not as strong as they were in the old days. The mortals today have beliefs and ideals deeply embedded in their thoughts that are utterly foreign to me. But the emotions that I'm looking for: anxiety, fear, doubt? Those haven't changed."

Corinna mulled the matter for a long moment. "If we could split the peasants into smaller groups, say 20 to 30 people at a time, and have that woman pop up five or six times to prompt their unease over, say, a half-hour. I should be able to sort through their minds and pick out possible infiltrators. Then we repeat the video as needed until everyone is scanned. If I were in some place where I could observe without being seen, even better."

[Lord-Leafar]

"I have a question, or rather, a concern about this plan" Ana adds.
"Stirring emotions on those infiltrated might work and it's a sensible discreet idea, but what if, and we must assume this is a possibility if not a certainty, that the kine involved do not know about their involvement in the attack?" Ana pauses once again.

"It is well known that several of our kind are able to bend and twist the wills and minds of men with ease, and I'm sure than more than one of us here is able to do so" Ana pauses briefly, glancing discreetly at the Ventrue in the room. "It is also known that the Sabbat has at it's disposition several Kindred with this powerful ability" Ana feels no need to state the obvious clan referenced "An unsuspecting bar server could hide a powerful command deep in his or her psyche and remain blissfully unaware of it, if that's the case, why would he or she feel any guilt or remorse at the quaint sight of a costumed character?"
With her concern voiced, she adds nothing further to it, but rather allowing the Prince and the Elders come to any necessary conclusions and or suggestions to this new insight.

[HerbertWest]

Dee gets up and looks at the three of you. "That will be all for now, I will show you out" the sheriff marches her hounds back to the main room with the bar. She has matters to attend to, and leaves the room.

You are now on your own in kindred society for the first time. The harpy is still gossiping near the bar, with several men and women. The beekeeper looks at you and nods respectfully. The nosferatu have moved to a table in the middle of the room. The card game is still going on, and the man and two women that was by the bar have apparently left.

Arthur follows the Sheriff out with the other fledglings, being brought back to the main gathering of Elysium. He buttoned his jacket back, and turns towards Andrew. He makes eye contact, if able to do so with the man, as he speak to him, seeming to be an old habit from his recently terminated mortal life. He doesn't seem particularly anxious about mingling with the sharks smelling new blood in the water, so to speak, so instead, he tries to strike up a conversation with Andrew and Daniel.

"I'm lookin' forward to workin' with ya'll. Want to ride together to the gathering spot?"

[JonRG]

Andrew scans the crowd. Corinna wasn't back yet, and the only two Kindred he had met had vanished as well. He didn't want to risk mingling without any foreknowledge, either, so he turns to Arthur. Andrew dares to meet the other fledgling's gaze, even though he knows Corinna would rebuke him for it. "Tomorrow? Yeah, totally. Where would you wanna meet up?" He watches Daniel continue to type on his phone.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur turns his attention to a moment towards Daniel, giving the third new addition a small smile. He was patient to wait for the other man to catch up and answer his question, but while the two wait, he continues on his conversation with Andrew.

"I'm still gettin' my feet wet in Seattle, so to speak. Only been here off and on a few time until recently. Comes with the deployment life, I s'pose. So, I can't offer much in the way of knowin' all of the discreet locations. You said you've got some connections with the press, yeah? Know any spots that pryin' eyes don't frequent?"

[JonRG]

I'm ad-libbing a bit here to keep the conversation rolling. NotScaryBats, lemme know if I need to change something and I will.
"Yeah. There's a bar where the models go when they're trying to avoid the paparazzi and the press. Get a booth in the back, order a drink, and you can talk all night." Andrew nods. "So, you - are, were? - in the military? What branch?"

[Failed Phantasm]

Daniel had quietly slid his phone back into his pocket not long after taking it out, and even as he was being shepherded from the meeting room, he didn’t bother reaching for it again. Staring at Andrew’s back as they walked, Daniel thought, ‘Nice of him to offer, but…’ He rubbed the back of his neck. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that, after starting to type and then immediately deleting a number of messages, that he didn’t really have anything to add to the conversation between the Sheriff and Arthur. Obviously, he’d heard about the bombing — who hadn’t? — but he never thought he’d be picking through the fallout at the order of some undead guy who claimed to rule the city, under the command of said undead guy’s pet knife-nut. How is a guy even supposed to answer the kind of questions the Sheriff was asking? As the doors to the lobby swung open and the sound of mixed conversation greeted him, Daniel closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘What have I gotten myself into?’

A quick scan of the room revealed that Oscar had either already left or was off in one of the side rooms, so Daniel shot a glance at the elevator instead. ‘I should get going,’ he thought; ‘I have to email the curator of the Art Museum about that “Voice of the Winds” exhibit.’ He looked around the room quickly, wincing at a particularly shrill laugh uttered from somewhere in the vicinity of the Harpy. ‘And maybe I can still have a nice, quiet evening once I get away from all this damn noise.’ He even started to take a half-step in the direction of the exit, but he was interrupted.

"I'm lookin' forward to workin' with ya'll. Want to ride together to the gathering spot?"

‘What?’ Daniel looked at Arthur and Andrew. ‘Oh, they’re still here? Huh. Figured they’d go talk to someone who could… talk back.’ Glancing back at the elevator, he absent-mindedly signed in reply, «Sure, whatever.» Well, they were free to pile onto his bicycle, but then there’d probably be a video of it on YouTube the next morning. But it seemed like the two of them were talking to each other now, so Daniel shrugged and started walking away. If he couldn’t leave for whatever reason, he could probably go get into a staring contest with Sarah for a while, since that seemed to be her thing.


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitæ 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[NotScaryBats]

"Very well. Let's move forward with this," the Prince begins, folding his arms across his enormous chest, "Petunia will ensure the video is made and shown to the workers tomorrow evening. Corinna will set up in a discreet location to eavesdrop on the kine while they watch the video. Oscar will accompany her, providing protection, and if necessary, elimination of any other threats that are discovered within the premises. Ana will accompany the group, offering her knowledge and unique expertise, aiding in the stealth of the mission, and leading the group."

The Toreador Primogen nods her assent and says, "Very well, my Prince."

[McStabbington]

Corinna had sat back, mulling a precise answer for the Lasombra. But then the Prince solved the problem for her. She graciously nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Prince."

And with that, Corinna stood and moved gracefully eyed Petunia Jackson, and with a meaningful glance and bob of her eyebrows, gestured for the Primogen to side-conference with her discretely by the wall.

"Where and when would you like me to be to carry this . . . evaluation out, Primogen?"

[JonRG]

"Hold up." Andy might be a terrible vampire, but he's a decent people person. "You don't like us. I get it. But we're gonna be doing this together for a while, or at least, that's the sense I get. So might as well stick around, you know? Get to know each other before our necks are on the line."

[HerbertWest]

Rather than do the talking, Arthur remains quiet for the moment, allowing Andrew to speak with Daniel and try to convince him to stick around for the time being. Arthur wasn't a terrible conversationalist, but he had a feeling that Andrew was more practiced at it than he was. Instead, he nods in the affirmative to Andrew's statement that they would be in this together for a while, and offerrs the silent Kindred a friendly smile. However, he does answer Andrews question about his prior service.

"Yeah, I served in the Marine Corps. Joined up with the early recruiting program when I was seventeen, and never looked back. Worked my way up through the officer ranks to Captain, before I decided to discharge out."

[NotScaryBats]

Petunia answers Corinna simply, "I can have the video made by tomorrow, and we can show it that evening. I think the venue itself would be the logical place to do it, so you can also explore the premises, hunting for Sabbat lying in wait as Morgan mentioned."

[McStabbington]

Corinna mulled the matter, chewing slightly on her bottom lip as she did the math in her head.

"Very well, Primogen. I usually awake roughly half an hour after sunset. I should be able to arrive an hour after that. I would say we would need ninety minutes to accommodate some of the late-sleepers and make a survey of the facility. Sundown today was within a few minutes of 4:15 at this latitude. This would coincide quite well with a starting time for the first viewing at 7:30 p.m. So long as we stagger the attendance to keep the number of minds to twenty or thirty, I should be able to find your Sabbat."

Corinna paused, then continued. "For what it is worth, Ms. Jackson, I am glad that it is you that the Prince tasked with this assignment. Those I spoke with in the Clan described you uniformly in terms of excellence and efficiency, traits which unfortunately do not always get their due within the Clan. I have yet to see an action that belies that reputation. Until tomorrow, Primogen."

[NotScaryBats]

"Thank you, Corinna. It is not often I find a kindred spirit among my peers," Petunia replies quietly, "I look forward to working with you." And with that, the Primogen makes her way out of the building -- she has much work that needs to be done by tomorrow.

[McStabbington]

Corinna nodded and allowed Petunia to leave. The woman had a video to build in less than twenty-four hours, and while the details of filmmaking were a mystery to her, Corinna had little doubt that time would be of the essence.

Walking back towards the center of the room, she gestured to both the Lasombra and Malkavian elders she had been tasked to work with, hoping to draw them into a quick conference. "I have arranged matters with Primogen Jackson to make the first viewing of this video at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. I know that some elders sleep later than others, but that should give us three hours after sundown to arrive and prepare."

"Beyond that, I know we all have concerns, and I still have not satisfactorily answered the good Primogen's question, but I did also wish to make introductions for my childe tonight. If there are no objections, I wished to ask you if it would be satisfactory to table our discussion until later on tonight so we could further mingle?"

[Fizzly]

Oscar lowers himself into a courteous, albeit stiff bow upon the Prince's declaration, a pale hand straightened across his chest in a very old-fashioned manner.

"You honor me, Carlson. It will be done." He replied, once given the proper opening to do so. Silence fell for the tall, long-haired Malkavian as he fell into deep thought. Every situation involving the Sabbat had to be treated with extreme caution, and--if necessary--extreme prejudice as well. Few things brought even a hint of a real smile onto the quiet Elder's deadpan expression, but this was one of the few; the opportunity for vengeance in it's many subtle forms. Madness had taken him long ago, leaving only a harrowed husk of forgotten joy, never able to truly forgive himself for the mistakes he's made. Inescapable horror and dread for something he no longer had any clear vision of, faded and discarded with immortal age. That was the truth of Oscar's innermost thoughts when he was reminded of the truth of his miserable place among his ancient peers, something the Prince had ensured the moment he spoke of Sebastian, knowing or not.

It hardly ever showed though. After all, he had become quite good masking his inner turmoil. There must be no room for weakness. Thus, he learned to focus this sorrow into far more beneficial emotions. His thoughts were scrambled once Corinna beckoned he and the others over to briefly discuss the plans for next evening. He strides over to his lavishly dressed counterparts, nodding to them all in turn.

"I agree completely. This night is in honor to our Childer after all. The night is still young, we'll have ample time to discuss this further once they've settled in." Oscar said in his tranquil, yet firm voice, offering a short bow of the head to each of them thereafter as he slid his hands into his pockets once more.

[Lord-Leafar]

The Prince's reaction and expected assignment of Ana to this endeavor drew no major reaction from her, if anything she seemed to be gathering her thoughts for the plan to come.
At Corinna's call, Ana turned to the Toreador Elder and shared her attention with her and Oscar, and once Oscar voiced his agreement Ana showed a subtle hint of disappointment that quickly faded away.

"Very well, let us revel in tonight's ceremony and meet later tonight"

[Failed Phantasm]

Daniel stopped mid-stride and turned on his heel, one eyebrow arched quizzically, when Andrew called after him and made the odd assertion that Daniel didn’t like them. «What?!» he signed in response, actually mouthing the word in surprised confusion; «What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re the ones who aren’t talking to me. Why should I hang around and—» He abruptly stopped and smacked his forehead with a wince, then fished his phone out of his pocket with an annoyed frown. After a few seconds of tapping the screen with his thumbs, he held it up and the message said: “Look, if you want to chat, either find my sire or hit me up on Skype when you get home.” He gave them about a minute to read it, then lowered the phone and started typing a new message; when he was done, he held his phone up again: “Unless you only want to ask me yes/no questions, doing this is going to take all night.”


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitae 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[JonRG]

Andrew frowns, though there's a flicker of resolve in his eyes. "Sorry. I didn't think- Well, I guess I can just stop there. Here, lemme just-" He glances over at Daniel's phone and notes his skype name. With a few button presses, Daniel now has a friend request from 'capturethemoment.' "There we go. Just chat me whenever I'm on." Now to wait for Corinna. She can't drive, and Andrew guessed that ditching your sire at Elysium was a big no-no.

[HerbertWest]

Arthur also leans in as well with Andrew to read Daniel's messages, and also uses his smartphone to add Daniel to his Skype app. Daniel will have a request from "Mithrandir" show up on his phone. However, Arthur also pulls out an outdated, pre-paid flip phone from the inside pocket of his jacket, opening it up. He addresses them both when he speaks. He still tries not to attract too much attention from the Elysium regulars, speaking quietly to the other neonates.

"Care if I get some numbers too, gentlemen? Can't be too careful, ya know? We can come up with our meeting plan real quick as well. I think it'd be best for us to take one vehicle, and meet up at the bar that Andrew mentioned, since it ain't in the radar. I don't mind drivin', but when we pick up the ashes, I'd like to ride shotgun so I can keep an eye out, and free hands to return fire if we get tailed. Ya'll good with that?"

[NotScaryBats]

The Prince excuses the Primogen and Elders; Morgan goes back into the room with the bar, Sarah stays and talks with the Prince.

[McStabbington]

"I thank you both for your forbearance. I will not be terribly long, and if you feel compelled to leave soon, then by all means pull me aside and I will oblige you. As a newcomer to the city, however, I need to make my introductions before everyone leaves." The "Toreador" gracefully curtailed in the manner of a lady at court in the Middle Ages, uncannily so in fact, and left to find her childe.

She found Andrew, as she knew she would, speaking with the other childer. Making plans and collecting numbers on those little phones they so loved to fixate on. Corinna did not blame them; Jet was still introducing her to the wonders of the 21st century, but the idea that a small metallic contraption no larger than a palm dagger could access more information than was in the Library of Alexandria absolutely thrilled her. Though why Jet had such a device and yet used it to so frequently to look at videos of cats was a mystery she still hadn't quite untangled. As it was, she approached them as Arthur spoke of his desire to ride shotgun.

"A suggestion, Arthur. You might wish to feed under the tutelage of your sire before going out on the town with young Andrew and Daniel. And for that matter, you might wish to pick a spot where you won't look conspicuous if you don't eat or drink. Most Kindred cannot stomach mortal food after the Embrace, and a small posse of young men who refused to order anything will stick out like a sore thumb in the minds of waitresses earning tips when the police ask about the dead young women whom frequented that club the night before. Which is unfortunately what tends to happen when young fledglings go out together before they've learned to control their hunger." Corinna stepped forward and slipped her arm inside Andrew's, looking for all the world as if she was discussing the weather.

[JonRG]

"Here. Gimme your numbers and I'll text you." Andrew taps furiously on his phone, barely noticing Corinna's arrival until she starts to speak. A vein twitches in his forehead. 'Okay, what the hell?' he thinks at his sire. 'You haven't even seen this bar I'm talking about, so trust me when I say that this place prides itself on discretion. Plus, you can order a drink and not drink it. It's a waste, but a small price to pay for maintaining the Masquerade. Finally, it's one of the only options I had on short notice because the library's open until 5 on Sunday. Believe it or not, I do try and think these things through.' Andrew steals a glance around the room, idly curious where Morgan got to. "Eating beforehand wouldn't be the worst idea," Andrew finally utters aloud.

[HerbertWest]

"A suggestion, Arthur. You might wish to feed under the tutelage of your sire before going out on the town with young Andrew and Daniel. And for that matter, you might wish to pick a spot where you won't look conspicuous if you don't eat or drink. Most Kindred cannot stomach mortal food after the Embrace, and a small posse of young men who refused to order anything will stick out like a sore thumb in the minds of waitresses earning tips when the police ask about the dead young women whom frequented that club the night before. Which is unfortunately what tends to happen when young fledglings go out together before they've learned to control their hunger." Corinna stepped forward and slipped her arm inside Andrew's, looking for all the world as if she was discussing the weather.

Arthur gives a polite smile to Corinna when she makes her presence known, handing his burner phone over to Andrew and Daniel if they would like the number, the "myinfo" screen pulled up which displayed the prepaid phone's digits. He responds with an understanding nod and a respectful tone to the Elder.

"I agree completely. I had figured that us meetin' up would happen after we've had time to work with our sires on what we'll need before we do our own thing for the evenin'. I appreciate the advice on discretion, like I was tellin' Daniel and Andrew, ya never can be too careful."



"Eating beforehand wouldn't be the worst idea," Andrew finally utters aloud.

"I think it'll be for the best. Keeps us sharp and without danger of gettin' hungry later."

[McStabbington]

Through the link, Andrew felt a sequence of emotions ripple through his sire in rapid succession: surprise, then confusion, then anger, before the last was smothered underneath a glacial, icy calm. Andrew, I do not know why you are angry. I will assume you have a good reason which you will explain to me calmly later tonight. What I do know is that I expect you to control your emotions when you speak with me, mentally or otherwise."

The words that emerged from Corinna's mouth, however, were entirely different. "Young Arthur, Daniel, it occurs to me now that I have been rude and interrupted my childe while he was attempting to bond with you. What is more, I have stepped on the training lessons that I should have left to your sires. This was uncivil of me, and I hope that all three of you can forgive my impertinence. I apologize for my lack of manners, and hope you can forgive me for my morbid interruption."

"Young Andrew, I wish to go speak with msLONELYHEARTS and her childe Jet in the corner. When you are finished, please join up with me."

Corinna gently untangled her arm from Andrew's and moved to speak with the Nosferatu in the corner.

[Lord-Leafar]

Once Corinna departs, Ana takes the time to talk to Oscar for the brief moment they're uninterrupted. "Oscar, it was very noble of you to volunteer for tomorrow's endeavor, you must forgive my ignorance but I must say I don't know much of you or your history beyond the fame you've accomplished amongst the kine, would you join me in conversation at the bar? I'm sure our childer can handle a moment or two without our guidance." Ana flashes him a perfect smile, discreet yet honest, a perfect row of pearly whites wrapped by her full crimson lips that must have gained the trust and hearts of many men before.

[NotScaryBats]

Corinna approaches the Nosferatu at the table. Jet, tall and lanky, noseless and warted greets her warmly, "Big night, huh?" Jet's Sire, msLONELYHEARTS is at his side. She is a very large woman with a thick, frizzy mane of dark hair and large coke-bottle glasses on her indescribable face. The third sewer rat is just as disfigured, but Corinna does not recognize her immediately.

Morgan MacDavis saunters up to the group of three neonates with a wineglass full of blood in each hand. "Are you thirsty?" he says to Andrew like he is the only person in the room. His green eyes shine over his inviting grin that shows a hint of teeth.

As MacDavis separates one from the herd, more Kindred descend upon the new arrivals. A very attractive women in a low-cut evening gown and a fur coat walks up to Arthur and Daniel (unless Daniel left already -- then just Arthur). She has bright blue eyes and platinum blond hair styled like a movie star from the thirties. She smiles sincerely and makes eye contact, "I see the Prince has taken his measure of you and not found you wanting. My name is Anna Lawrence, and I would like to welcome you to Kindred society."

[HerbertWest]

Arthur puts his phone away in his jacket pocket once Andrew and Daniel have the number to his burner phone, and turns when Anna approaches him. He smiles down at her, maintaining eye contact and not letting his eyes wander. Best not to offend someone on your first night, after all. He had survived the meeting with the Prince, and didn't want to leave the Elysium with a tarnished record. He extends his hand to Anna gauging whether or not she will shake it, or produce her hand for a more old-style greeting. Regardless, Arthur complies with the motions of either.

"Indeed he did. I look forward to not proving him wrong. It's a pleasure to meat you, Anna, and thank you for the welcome. I hope that you've had a pleasant evening so far?"

The soldier is unsure of what exactly he is supposed to say, having spent most of his time preparing for his introduction to the Prince, so is currently defaulting to polite small talk.

[JonRG]

For a split second, Andrew's relieved not to be alive anymore. It means he's not blushing like a madman. "Oh. Good evening, Primogen." Andrew takes the glass, his fingertips brushing against Morgan's. There's no law saying he has to drink it. Least not right away. "How has your night gone?"

[NotScaryBats]

The beautiful kindred gives Arthur her hand and says, "My, my, so well mannered." her hand is warm and soft, like that of a mortal. "Unless I miss my mark, you are a military man, aren't you? Tell me, has your knowledge -- quite uncommon among us these nights -- been tapped? Our good sheriff may just snap you up once the word gets out." She laughs lightly and touches your chest.

Morgan tips his glass to Andrew and replies, "Quite well, for you see, I had come expecting dullards, but have found something worthy of my time. It is so rare these nights." he drinks a sip of the blood. "our two houses are traditional allies, and I wonder if you would like to get to know the family better? Perhaps... On your own terms?" he casually glances towards the seating area, then back at Andrew.

[JonRG]

"Sure, if you wouldn't mind introducing me." Andrew flashes a winning smile and allows Morgan to lead him.

[NotScaryBats]

Morgan takes Andrew over towards the bar. "Evangeline," he speaks calmly and smoothly, "this is Andrew, the newest addition to the Rose Clan. Andrew, Evangeline here is Seattle's femme à la mode. I would also like to introduce you to Diana, Sean, Maria, and Biz," the four named Kindred nod their heads in turn.

"So, Andrew," Evangeline -- clearly the ringleader of the posse -- has a husky voice with a slight French accent, "what is it you do?"

[Fizzly]

Oscar glances onto Ana as as the crowd began to disperse. "You flatter me, Miss Vega. In truth, I am very curious to learn more about you and Corinna, so it's an honor to serve alongside you on this task."

The Elder made a thoughtful gesture as he stroked his chin. "Some would say my skills are somewhat simplistic, but my specialties lie in stealth and assassination." The tall man offered his arm to the lavishly dressed Lasombra as he turned toward the hall/doors leading to the bar. "I've caused a lot of harm to the Sabbat in recent history, I suppose...But before then, I had served a few Princes across Europe and the States, one of them being Carlson. I suppose the Ventrue would know my name better than most."

His voice trailed off somewhat as he fell silent for a few short moments. "Daniel's likely getting bored, but he'll manage. Shall we?"

[HerbertWest]

The beautiful kindred gives Arthur her hand and says, "My, my, so well mannered." her hand is warm and soft, like that of a mortal. "Unless I miss my mark, you are a military man, aren't you? Tell me, has your knowledge -- quite uncommon among us these nights -- been tapped? Our good sheriff may just snap you up once the word gets out." She laughs lightly and touches your chest.


In contrast to Anna's warm hand, Arthur's is cold to the touch, appropriate to his nature as an animated dead man. Cold flesh was but one of the side effects of no longer having a beating heart pumping warm blood through the circulatory system. After going through a gentlemanly gesture with the woman's hand, he releases her, nodding in the affirmative to her question about his military service.

"You would be correct, you're very perceptive. I served in the Marine Corps for twelve years before I left. But no, not much more than idle conversation 'bout my experience, to be honest. Maybe it'll be useful to the Prince or Sheriff, if they need it. I'm happy to oblige. But tell me, what exactly do you do, or what's your area of specialty?"

Arthur didn't respond to the hand on his chest. While the other fledglings may still be tied closely to their humanity, Wallace had found that with his Embrace, he no longer felt as closely tied to mortal desires as he once was. The normal feelings that Anna would have stirred within him before his Embrace were dulled and distant, as the fledgling found himself removed from his previous emotional connections.

[Lord-Leafar]

Oscar glances onto Ana as as the crowd began to disperse. "You flatter me, Miss Vega. In truth, I am very curious to learn more about you and Corinna, so it's an honor to serve alongside you on this task."

The Elder made a thoughtful gesture as he stroked his chin. "Some would say my skills are somewhat simplistic, but my specialties lie in stealth and assassination." The tall man offered his arm to the lavishly dressed Lasombra as he turned toward the hall/doors leading to the bar. "I've caused a lot of harm to the Sabbat in recent history, I suppose...But before then, I had served a few Princes across Europe and the States, one of them being Carlson. I suppose the Ventrue would know my name better than most."

His voice trailed off somewhat as he fell silent for a few short moments. "Daniel's likely getting bored, but he'll manage. Shall we?"
"Simplistic they may be, yet not everyone can boldly claim prowess in such skills with such honesty without sounding like a charlatan, and you my dear Oscar, do not." Ana smiled once again, gripping softly Oscar's arm as she offers it, her touch firm yet delicate. As he speaks, she masterfully glances her surroundings, aware at all times of the social web that spreads around her, while at the same time paying attention to Oscar's every word.

At the mention of Oscar's impact to her former sect, Ana adds: "I see, I suppose we have something in common after all" She manages a devilish grin at that, before changing her expression at the mention of his own Childe. Turning her attention to her own progeny, Ana smirks and shoots a glance at Arthur, letting him be aware of her own presence in the vicinity "By all means, please lead the way" She graciously walks next to Oscar, her attention now on the elder Malkavian. "If I may Oscar, what do you think of this attack on our dear city?"

[NotScaryBats]

Anna tilts her head to the side at Arthur's response. "Ah. Well, soon enough then." She smiles demurely and looks up through her lashes at the much taller neonate, "My own area of specialty? I am a singer," she says simply, "I'm afraid we are not all defenders of the people, champions of the weak, and hunters of the wicked." She does not seem too terribly upset about not being a defender of the people herself, though the compliment to you seems sincere.

[JonRG]

Andrew smiles at Evangeline. "Enchanté, mademoiselle," he replies. She certainly seemed like the type to be more receptive to his profession. "I'm a fashion photographer."

[HerbertWest]

Anna tilts her head to the side at Arthur's response. "Ah. Well, soon enough then." She smiles demurely and looks up through her lashes at the much taller neonate, "My own area of specialty? I am a singer," she says simply, [b]"I'm afraid we are not all defenders of the people, champions of the weak, and hunters of the wicked." She does not seem too terribly upset about not being a defender of the people herself, though the compliment to you seems sincere.

Arthur chuckles at the compliment, one of the first laughs he's been able to have all evening. She was buttering him up, or so he thought, but better that than alternatives. When Ana looks his way, he gives a smile and a nod to his sire and Oscar. While he wasn't sure of what his sire was thinking about his introduction, and subsequent social endeavors thus far in Elysium, he hoped it wasn't negative.

"Don't exaggerare now, it ain't like it is in the movies. We'll just say I'm an expert at the 'hurry up and wait' game. Singers aren't less important than soliders. Honestly, I'd say that it's the artists and common civilians that make comin' back home from deployment matter. Sure, it's great to see other countries, but it ain't nearly as good as comin' home and catching up on all of the music, movies, and books that you've missed."

[McStabbington]

"Indeed, young Jet. The biggest I've had in quite some time." Corinna invited the others to sit, and then casually sat next to Jet, leaning in to wrap her arm around his. Corinna herself usually despised physical contact in all forms, but she had also taken a rather personal interest in the Nosferatu generally and neonates in particular.

Quite simply, of all Caine's grandchilder, the punishment meted out to Absimiliard and his get was the most cruel, and they were so rarely treated with anything approaching kindness that Corinna had always seen it as her duty to remedy it in whatever small ways she could within the bounds of propriety. It was something Noriz had never understood. It was also the reason Noriz was long dead and she was not; kindness was a seed that, when well-husbanded, had a tendency to reap bountiful harvests for years afterwards. Especially when planted for those not used to eating well.

"Nevertheless, Andrew acquitted himself quite well, as I knew he would. He will make for a fine addition to the Clan in time. But I can babble about my childe later. msLONELYHEARTS I know by reputation," Corinna said, nodding respectfully at the Nosferatu with glasses. "But the third of your Clanmates I do not know, Jet. I hope you don't mind introducing me?" she said, smiling gently and more genuinely than she had all night.

[Failed Phantasm]

It was only as the elevator doors were just sliding shut, the rapidly-narrowing gap between them allowing a final look at Arthur and the noir actress who had attached herself to him, that Daniel let out a sigh of relief. ‘Really dodged a bullet there,’ he thought. Luckily, he was very practiced at being an unremarkable wallflower: he dropped his gaze, affected a very bored expression, slouched down slightly, pretended to bury himself in his phone, and turned his body away from her as she approached. When Anna’s gaze slid over him and settled on Arthur, Daniel took the opportunity to (discreetly) bolt for the exit. He pressed the “★G” button on the panel and then leaned against the adjacent wall, slowly sliding down until he was sitting, knees level with his chest.

He wasn’t sweating, his heart wasn’t racing, he wasn’t breathing more quickly, and he certainly wasn’t shaking from the experience, but there was still a certain thrilling feeling that smacked of fight-or-flight, an uncomfortable stirring deep inside, that made it obvious that his reaction had been a visceral one. ‘She sounded nice enough, I guess?’ he thought, as he watched the floor numbers slowly tick down on the LED display. ‘But unless they want something, no one comes on that strongly.’ Daniel looked up into the burnished steel panelling across from him, and a scruffy, poorly-dressed, hazel-eyed mutt stared back at him. ‘Not to someone who’s a five out of ten at best.’ He closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall behind him. ‘Well, it’s not my problem now.’

Daniel stood up as the elevator slowed and came to a complete stop, slowly stepping out into the lobby. He pulled his phone out of his pocket just long enough to glance at the time before putting it back, and then headed for the doors. ‘Hope the buses are still running,’ he thought; ‘Now, let’s see… gotta think about that e-mail to the museum curator. “To whom it may concern:”…’


CONDITION
Health Uninjured (-0), Vitae 13 / 20, Willpower 9 / 9

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Blush of Health — (One scene) Daniel appears more like a human.
Heightened Senses — (Until cancelled) Dice pools related to sensory perception decrease in difficulty by an amount equal to Daniel’s Auspex rating.

[NotScaryBats]

Daniel
Daniel is able to exit the building without any troubles, and finds that the buses are indeed still running, though infrequently. He can get where he wants to go without too much trouble.

Corinna
Corinna is welcomed into the group with a courtesy typically reserved for fellow Nosferatu. "Meet Shirley. Shirley, this's Corinna, the Toreador I told you about." Shirley grins at the newcomer to the group and says in a high, slightly whiny voice, "I've heard a lot about you. Is it true you just woke up after like, five hundred years? That's like you came through a time machine!"

Arthur
"Oh my, you enjoy the finer things in life as well? Perhaps you would like to... hear me sing sometime?" Anna seems surprised to hear you are interested in things like music, movies, and books. "Are you busy tomorrow evening?"

Andrew
"Tres bien, a true artiste? I am not surprised that Corinna would choose so worthy a disciple to bring into the Clan. What have I seen your work in, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Vogue?" The harpy takes a slower, more careful measure of you, as though she has started to take you more seriously than just another neonate.

[JonRG]

"All three between the covers. Still working on my big break." That should get easier since a lot of the big names were pushing retirement age. Standing next to Evangeline, Andrew pulls up his portfolio on his phone and scrolls through it briefly. It's primarily advertisements and models that would easily be recognized from major magazines. He lingers on a picture of a lovely brunette. Katya. His date the night everything went to hell. Andrew still hadn't spoken to his friend. Just a text to let her know that he was alive. 'Ha. Liar.' He shoves away the stray thought. "What about yourself? Where could I have seen you before?"

[McStabbington]

"I suppose so, yes." The mind behind the beautiful face whirred before the concept clicked. "Though more than anything it was simply disorienting. The first thing that happened to me upon waking up was getting myself nearly run over by a car. As t was, it took a few nights before I could even get my bearings. But it is a much nicer era. I will take the Masquerade over the Inquisition any day."

Corinna knew that while the friendship between them was far closer to genuine than she would get with the Ventrue, the game was still being played. They would try to learn as much as they could, and she would deflect as much as possible. It was an old game, but Corinna bore them no ill will for playing it. Nosferatu dealt in information as much as she dealt in steel. And they both did it for the same reason: survival and purpose. They bore no fault.

"Shirley, I know Jet and msLONELYHEARTS deal mostly with technology. What is your specialty?"

[NotScaryBats]

Corinna
Shirley taps a gnarled finger against her nose. "Physical infiltration," she answers slyly, "I'm more of a 'hands on' kinda girl, if y'know whatimean."

"We're a team --" msLONELYHEARTS begins.

"You ever see Ocean's Eleven?" Jet interrupts.

"The old one or the new one?" Shirley asks.

"It doesn't matter which one -- she barely even knows what a movie is, you numbskulls!" the Eldest Nosferatu growls goodnaturedly at her companions. "As I was sayin', we do the techie stuff, Shirley does the sneaky stuff, and it works out pretty well. We stick together."

[B]Andrew
"Ooh, so I have seen your work, Andrew," Evangeline coos. The gathered hangers-on murmur their approval, and Morgan's smile deepens. "As for me, I am a connoisseur and producer. Seattle is a beautiful city for the arts, oui? I have grown quite comfortable here." the harpy turns to Morgan, smiling slightly, "thank you for introducing us, my good friend. I will see you two this Saturday, at the Quintessence oui? You simply must come."

The throng of Kindred closes around the Frenchwoman as Morgan and Andrew are gently dismissed. He walks you a short ways away and says, "Your work speaks for itself, Andrew. Impressive."

[Fizzly]

"Simplistic they may be, yet not everyone can boldly claim prowess in such skills with such honesty without sounding like a charlatan, and you my dear Oscar, do not." Ana smiled once again, gripping softly Oscar's arm as she offers it, her touch firm yet delicate. As he speaks, she masterfully glances her surroundings, aware at all times of the social web that spreads around her, while at the same time paying attention to Oscar's every word.

At the mention of Oscar's impact to her former sect, Ana adds: "I see, I suppose we have something in common after all" She manages a devilish grin at that, before changing her expression at the mention of his own Childe. Turning her attention to her own progeny, Ana smirks and shoots a glance at Arthur, letting him be aware of her own presence in the vicinity "By all means, please lead the way" She graciously walks next to Oscar, her attention now on the elder Malkavian. "If I may Oscar, what do you think of this attack on our dear city?"

"Truthfully, I'm not certain. Their strikes along the Eastcoast have proven more successful than in other regions. I believe we've done well in planning our sweep as soon as possible. We have a location, and at least an idea of what they've got planned..." The tall Elder's voice trailed off as he turned to the Lasombra with a wary expression, his arms folded across his chest. "My only worry is that this might be a distraction for something much more catastrophic. The Sabbat are anything but predictable."

Oscar glances around, having only caught a glimpse of Daniel before he bolted. "We'll have to remain vigilant until then." He added after a prolonged pause, offering a faint smile to the pale beauty he stood before. "It's not often I'm given such kind praise, but I look forward to demonstrating my skill, if we'll be in need of it." His eyes shifted about again distractedly, to which he gave slow nod toward Ana. "If you'll excuse me for now, I need to take care of a few things before I take my leave for the evening."

With that, Oscar trudges from the bar and approaches the rooms where Sarah had stayed to speak with Carlson. Temptation to tread onward and seek further information on tomorrow's task tugged at him, but his Childe came first. Soon enough, the tall Malkavian practically appears behind Daniel as he stands beneath the wintry shadow of Carlson's tower on the outside. It didn't take him long to put two and two together, and figure the mute Neonate to grow tired and find the exit. The two of them were very much alike in that sense, even if Oscar had long since learned to cope with the mundane nature of these sorts of arrangements with age and discipline. "Feeling anxious to leave already?"

[McStabbington]

The machine in the angel's mind whirred again momentarily as Corinna processed the subtext of the statement. Ah. Shirley plants cameras, and Jet and his sire survey and record. Fascinating. And fine by her so long as Shirley didn't put cameras in Andrew's house.

"Ah, I see. Well, one of these days I'll have to ask you to tutor me in the art of stealth." Somewhere in the deepest pit of Hell, Noriz was screaming in indignation about a childe of his hiding from the lowly Kine. Corinna savored the sensation.

"Once upon a time, when I showed myself to a peasant or landed in a village, they would treat it like a miracle. It usually made it quite easy to carry out my business, actually. Nowadays, it would probably just make me a sensation on that Youtube site Jet once showed me."

"Assuming of course that those phone cameras can record me. I was actually meaning to ask you about that, Jet: can one who suffers from the same affliction as the Keeper Clan like myself actually be recorded on a digital camera? I've experimented with Andrew's camera, but his lenses also involve mirrors, which do not work. And I still don't know yet how to take a . . . I think the mortals call them 'selfies.'"

[HerbertWest]

Daniel
Arthur
"Oh my, you enjoy the finer things in life as well? Perhaps you would like to... hear me sing sometime?" Anna seems surprised to hear you are interested in things like music, movies, and books. "Are you busy tomorrow evening?"


Arthur smiles at the invitation, but nods his head in the affirmative to her questions. He knew he was taking a risk by turning Anna down, but he had more important things to worry about than this singer trying to lure him out. Things needed to be done, and he was given a task.

"Unfortunately, I have a previous engagement that I have to be present for tomorrow night. I don't like to disappoint when I've made a plan, you know? I'm sure that you're a great singer, though."

[JonRG]

Andrew smiles at Evangeline. "I'll do my best to be there." He looks down at his shoes to gather his thoughts as Morgan walks him away. "Thank you... So I don't think you ever said what it is that you do."

[NotScaryBats]

"Really? You don't cast a reflection? If it works the same as the Lasombra, then yeah, you can get recorded. Wanna take one now? jet takes his cell out of his pocket and grins.

Arthur
Clucking her tongue in disappointment, the gorgeous toreador sighs dramatically. "c'est la vie, I suppose, it is best to keep our promises. Well, Arthur, I do hope we cross paths again. Until another time, she smiles at you and makes her way over to the elevator, ready to leave.

[NotScaryBats]

Andrew
"Perhaps I didn't. I own things. the Primogen licks his lips, "The city is a great place to find opportunities to play the games of the kindred, and my pursuits leave me plenty of time to... Dance the dance

[JonRG]

"Interesting." That made sense. Live for a hundred and sixty-five years (at least), and you could probably amass enough wealth to not have to work ever again. Andrew shakes off a chill down the back of his neck. Morgan was... forward, to say the least. He spares a glance towards Corinna and the Nosferatu. Andrew was supposed to see her after he had finished with Arthur and Daniel. Whoops.

[McStabbington]

"Oh I think that's okay, Jet," Corinna said reflexively. The thought of indulging such a petty desire struck her as venal and immoral.

But then, she caught herself. You are a creature of duty. What duty does this violate? And are you not carrying out your duty to destroy that . . . desecration by making friends with these Kindred?

She had no answer to these questions. What was more, something stirred in her that she hadn't felt for centuries. A longing, a desire purely for connection, a desire from the young woman she had been long ago, rather than the engine she was now. The machine ran silently for a moment, processing. Then she smiled. "Honestly, any good photo would require all of us together."

[NotScaryBats]

Everyone

The night goes on. It seems many of the kindred at the party are content to stay and socialize the entire evening, though some have other ideas.

What else is everyone wanting to accomplish this evening? We can gloss over the rest of our conversations' minutiae, and lay out in broad strokes if there was anything else you wanted to communicate to or learn from the Kindred at the party.

Let me know where you want to end up tonight after the party, if you are pairing up at all, etc.

[HerbertWest]

Everyone

The night goes on. It seems many of the kindred at the party are content to stay and socialize the entire evening, though some have other ideas.

What else is everyone wanting to accomplish this evening? We can gloss over the rest of our conversations' minutiae, and lay out in broad strokes if there was anything else you wanted to communicate to or learn from the Kindred at the party.

Let me know where you want to end up tonight after the party, if you are pairing up at all, etc.

Arthur will excuse himself from Anna's attempt to ensnare him, and try to find a good opening to meet up with his own sire, and leave when she feels appropriate. The Marine is more focused on the night ahead, and his task for the Sheriff, than with the socializing and grab-assery of the Elysium thus far. Arthur will leave with Ana unless one of the player characters, the Sheriff, or the Prince would like him to join up with them and discuss things.

[JonRG]

Everyone

The night goes on. It seems many of the kindred at the party are content to stay and socialize the entire evening, though some have other ideas.

What else is everyone wanting to accomplish this evening? We can gloss over the rest of our conversations' minutiae, and lay out in broad strokes if there was anything else you wanted to communicate to or learn from the Kindred at the party.

Let me know where you want to end up tonight after the party, if you are pairing up at all, etc.

Unless Morgan stops him, Andrew will bid the Primogen a good night and perhaps ask if he'll see him at Evangeline's party next week. Then he's gotta talk to Corinna for an indeterminate amount of time about a bunch of things. Then she'll problem drag him away from all the socializing and grab-assery Andrew adores.

[McStabbington]

Beyond asking the Nossies exactly what happened to the Tremere in town, Corinna will helpfully let them know that while the Sabbat are believed to be in town and are presumed to be planning another attack some time in the next week. In those words. "Presumed," "week". And that were they to provide greater detail to the Prince about this attack, he would likely pay quite handsomely for it.

It's a calculated reveal, but 1) honestly, the Nossies likely know everything Corinna just said anyway, 2) if there is a leak coming from the Nossies, she will have some idea were she to dig for it in the infiltrator's head, and 3) honestly, she trusts these guys to be smart enough to know where their bread is buttered w/r/t the Masquerade.

But after that, I think Corinna wants to quickly check the other elders to see if they are good for tomorrow, then she and Andrew likely need to go on their first real hunt.

[Lord-Leafar]

Ana listens attentively at Oscar's thoughts, and when he excuses himself she opts to turn her attention on her childe.

At the first opportunity Ana will reunite with Arthur to catch up on what the Sheriff shared with the neonates, depending on what he tells her and if she ends up talking with the other Elders after this, Ana might tap into her mortal resources in anticipation for tomorrow's endeavor.

[NotScaryBats]

Daniel is escorted to his home by Oscar -- now officially recognized Domain -- and left to his own devices. ((OOC what are you researching and how? Make an Intelligence + Investigation roll "[Investigation] represents not only a good eye for detail, but also an ability to do research and follow leads. Such research may include Internet searches or more specific research techniques like hitting the law books and periodicals archives at the library."))

Oscar takes his Childe home, and then returns to the Elysium. Who are you talking to and about what? Corinna mentioned she wanted a chance to talk with you and Ana later this evening.

Arthur does his own thing for a little, then meets up with Ana to discuss things with her.

Ana meets up with Arthur (then takes him to a location of her choosing?), and can discuss things with him. Corinna mentioned she wanted a chance to talk with you and Oscar later this evening.

Andrew gracefully exits the conversation with Morgan, who inquires if they will meet at the party. Andrew then rendezvous with Corinna.

Corinna talks with the Nosferatu a bit longer, then meets up with Andrew as he walks away from the Ventrue Primogen. You have plans to talk with Oscar and Ana later this evening.

[Fizzly]

Oscar spoke mainly to Jet, Sarah and Carlson besides the others in his "elder task force". To Jet, he'd give his calling card and information as to where he can contact Oscar, in order to finalize the favor he owed the Nosferatu. To Sarah, he merely caught up on both personal and supernatual matters, mostly on the clan and some recent 'spooky happenings' around Seattle. To Carlson, it's much the same with Sarah, and he mostly asks what sort of things the Prince personally expects from the Sabbat that are active in the city.

After this, the Mad Malk finds the lovely 'Toreador' and Lasombra Elders and settles down to do some chatting on the tasks for tomorrow. Here, Oscar would mostly sink up whatever information the two wanted to give. He himself would suggest mostly to prepare for the worst, as his experience with the Sabbat in the past have only given him reason to both loathe and never underestimate the rival Sect. He also explains to them his set of personal skills and abilities, which they'd know to be his skill over the physical disciplines, as well as his penchant for stealth and combat, although he's known to be very old-fashioned with his methods (IE, no gun experience).

So yeh'. After that he retires for the evening.

[McStabbington]

Corinna meets briefly with the other elders, primarily to alert them to the details of the plan she worked out with Primogen Jackson: 7:30 p.m., at the theater, we'll be doing a walkthrough beforehand, and we separate out the people I pick out for further questioning based on an initial probe so I can dig more deeply.

Beyond that, Corinna suggests that she and the Malkavian must spar some time so that she can see how much of her training remains, then bids adieu with her childe.