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[IC] Vampire: The Masquerade | Southern Hospitality
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"Patience is a virtue, Joseph. But you're right, of course. Must be that animal instinct." He paused again, this time to glance at both men before him. "My proposal is simple, and unique in the fact that you will not be doing something just for me, but yourselves as well."
"You mentioned it yourself." Stojka eyed Joseph with a grin. "You heard the Prince; incidents of an unusual nature are happening, which says much considering the company we keep. And me, well..I have an unhealthy obsession with the unusual."
"I suggest we join together for the moment, and earn our keep."
That couldn't possibly be his entire pitch, could it? He waited another moment, then just looked at Caleb, gauging his response before saying anything himself. If Caleb didn't step up and say something, Joseph would, but for now, Joseph'd rather see where Caleb stood on this.
Better to get to know your new... friends.
With a slight flounce of almost irritation, she headed over to join the growing gathering of Joseph, Caleb, and Strojka.
The frustrated look in her eyes disappeared as she came up to the three men, or rather male figures, and offered them each a smile.
She might have been spending an awful lot of time with Caleb tonight, but she had tried to socialize.
She smiled at the three men and inclined her head in greeting, green eyes falling on each of their faces, keeping focused on their lips.
Curious to know what was being spoken in such an interesting gathering.
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"Join up together? For what, exactly? We have no idea what strange events are occuring, much less some discernable course of action. Getting together for little reason seems the purpose of elysium, not some super-hero taskforce. Besides, you said this would be beneficial to us;I hardly see benefit in chasing ghosts..."
Note to self: Stop ranting
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She watched his lips moving, and then she turned her eyes to Joseph. Caleb hadn't been clear on who he was addressing, and she hadn't given a name to whom he was addressing. Joseph did not seem to be the type to suggest such a venture. She slid her eyes to the other one in the gathering, she had not caught his name yet.
A taskforce.
What an interesting thing to suggest. Slowly Tristan moved her eyes from Joseph to Strojka, and then back again. She wanted to be sure to catch which one would speak next, or first, or seventh, whatever the order was at this point in the conversation.
Caleb always had the most interesting conversations....
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His laughter echoed against the decrepit walls of the church.
"Caleb, I like you already." His lips curled into a grin as his laughter died down. Now he had a proper audience, with the arrival of Caleb's mute friend, a woman he had seen only a few times, and one he had never the chance of entertaining.
"Ah, Tristan. It's a pleasure." Another smile as he turned to face the woman. "I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself. My name is Adrian Stojka, and I was just proposing to these fine gentleman that we take the proper initiative in these troubling nights."
"Perhaps you would understand more of the rewards gained in such a venture.." His eyes flickered back between Joseph and Caleb, before returning to settle on Tristan. "Like I said, I propose we earn our keep. And by keep, I mean we have the right people on our side."
"We investigate these unusual occurrence's, unusual enough to garner the attention of Natasha.." His voice dropped slightly as the name left his lips. He wasn't yet ready to speak with her. "Unusual enough for her to speak of it in Elysium, rather then deal with it in the usual fashion."
"The nights are lean and a whole lot darker from what they used to be." He continued, not skipping a beat. "Like I said, it pays to have the right people on your side. Call it a matter of leverage."
"Of course. I will keep this offer in mind, as I will expect you to keep your observances until you feel they can be better shared. ...If you'll excuse me?"
The Hispanic had returned from the shadows, and she glanced over in his direction.
"They're looking into it." With no acknowledgement of the Doctor, Natasha was the only recipient of the male's attention.
"I should hope so; they certainly haven't accomplished much else. We need results, and soon."
With a glance back to Mettin, she gave an indicative gesture to the Mexican. "My Seneschal, Daniel."
"I'll get on it." There was no response to the introduction beyond that. Moving down the aisle and past the small gathering, Daniel headed for the door, and departed.
"He isn't one for formalities, but then, not all of us are." On that note, she glanced off towards the shadows lining the walls.
Making sure that she can see his face when he talks to her, he asks, "I'm sorry, were you trying to tell me something earlier? I got lost in thought for a moment and lost track of what was going on around me. I apologize for this and I meant no slight to you madam."
She looked between Caleb and Joseph and then finally back at Adrian. A glimmer of a smile came over her lips and her fingers flashed a few signs, mostly speaking to herself, as she was certain that nobody around her even had an inkling of how to read the motions of her fingers.
Well, perhaps Caleb had picked something up back in the Old Country, but it was doubtful.
But her hand opened her clutch purse and pulled out her notebook and pen and she scrawled a note that was visible to all three men.
"And just who would you consider to be the right people?"
She made certain that they all read the note, but then, Zeke appeared and she folded the note quickly within her hand, turning to face him with a flutter of her eyelids and a smile over her lips. She wrote him a small note as well, concealing the first.
"It was a simple good evening message for you. Small talk. Nothing truly important."
For as quickly as Tristan scrawled the note, her penmanship was nearly flawless, and perfectly legible.
Ah, such is a Lady.
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He levelled his eyes on Adrian Stojka, though he was damn careful not to look into Stojka's eyes. That had been one of Christian's earlier lessons, and one of the more humiliating. Never look into the eyes of another Kindred you don't trust, Joseph. Why not, he'd asked at the time? Stand. Walk towards me. Give me your hand. Sit on the floor. Crawl. Beg. That's why. Joseph suppressed the shudder that threatened to come out at the memory and glared Stojka down without meeting his eyes directly.
"Well, I guess I must've missed my Cammie World News today, Stork, because I still don't know what the hell Princess was going on about. Unusual occurances? What the hell does that even mean? You want to make friends in powerful places? Good, fine, great. But you want help, too, so howzabout you quit playing Cryptic Motherfucker and tell us exactly what it is you want? Or, wait, let me guess. You want me for digging, Caleb here for his snappy dress talents, and... oh, yes, her, the girl with the notepad because she can write."
Joseph glanced at Tristan as she showed the note around, his right eye twitching a little.
"No offense."
Joseph looked back at Adrian and shook his head again, then went on, though he'd taken a little tighter control of himself.
"You're doing an awful lot of dancing around the point, so here's the score. Tell me what you want, and then I'll decide if I'm in. Deal?"
Natasha gave the interior a pensive glance, before looking back to Mettin. "The whereabouts of our representatives for Toreador, Ventrue, and Gangrel are presently unknown. I've heard no word from them in days. Disconcerting, to say the least. It is being looked into, however. You're welcome to lend whatever assistance that you can."
______________________
Elsewhere, one of the few remaining Kindred that wasn't new to the region approached the small gathering. Despite that the 'proposition' did not seem of import to her, she could not help but be aware of it. Stojka himself received a momentary, appraisive look from behind her thin lenses.
Whether the woman wanted their attention or not, the chill that all felt upon her approach typically resulted in that effect.
"Your proposal has merit, sir, but mere strength in numbers may not avail you against the threats that await in the darkness."
It was to Ezekiel she next looked to from her diminutive build.
"Do you have business with this 'gathering'? There are pending matters of greater import, otherwise."
A sidelong glance to the outspoken Joseph. Someone to watch, that one.
He offered that his comment was to no offense. And truly, what could a... Kindred... so to speak, who knew only what he saw with his own eyes, know about her?
No, Tristan did not appear to be the most.. advantageuos an ally, but appearances could be deceiving.
Most Deceiving.
And then, the gathering was joined by the other female, and the chill that Tristan felt at the woman's approach caused the Ventrue to turn her eyes to the woman, watched her lips and offered her a slight, thought very slight, nod of agreement.
Her second nod, one of respect for the more senior Kindred, was much deeper, and much more obvious to the gathering.
It was a good thing to be respectful of one's Elders....
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"h..........good evening"
Cool green eyes looked him over as he moved closer, and then, stumbled, at least from what she could tell, over his words. She offered him a tender smile and a nod, moving aside slightly to allow him a place within the ever growing circle.
All conversations turn into circles.
Literally, and figuratively.
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"It's nights like these that I wish I'd gotten lost in places I've never been weeks ago."
He let out a harsh sigh, and resigned himself to getting stuck in the middle of a mob that he couldn't extricate himself from without serious trouble. He spoke up.
"All right, look, apparently everybody here except me knows something that nobody's bothered explaining yet. So out with it, people. And I swear to Christ, if I get some of this 'not in public' bullshit, I'm gone. This is as private a place as I intend to be with any of you before I get to know you. What the hell am I missing?!"
She sees too damn much..
But the smile reappeared as quickly as it dissapeared.
"Too true, madam. The darkness holds many secrets, and if I were a fool, I would blindly plunge it's depths with an army at my back. But I have a certain pride of thinking myself the opposite, and my experiences have taught me I am not wrong in my thinking."
Elder or not, his audience had grown. He lived for moments like these. Looking at Zeke, who drew the attention of the mysterious woman, he waved a hand, almost dismissively.
"He is here on my invitation, another cog in the machine, as it were." With a wink at Zeke, he turned to the other new arrival. "And here is yet another part of the grand puzzle of my design."
"You ask me to speak plainly, Joseph, but I'm afraid that I can't, but perhaps.."He glanced at the woman once more, the strange woman who made his skin crawl. "She can explain what goes bump in the night."
When Stojka, once again, refused to mention what he was talking about, Caleb was fed up. Joseph was one of those people who wore their heart on their sleeve, and said it like they wanted to. He had the same reservations about his kind as the rest of his clan, but he admired that about his kind. Organization and egalitarianism was important, but damnit, it would feel good to just say what one wanted to once in a while.
No, he did what he normally did in these situations. Once the attention was off of him almost completely, he simply walked away. He didn't want to fuck around with power playing situations, when he was as clueless as anyone, or seemingly moreso. He would have to fix that little problem. He glanced towards the prince's direction, seeing she was still talking with the cripple; Well, he had a cane anyways. He was hardly about to assume a kindred was weak. He had her attention since she had finished her small tirade, and it was time for some fair play.
He walked over the prince and the cripple, and simply waited for them to take note of him, at least in the smallest. When he got a chance to speak, he humbly said "My prince, I would like to speak to you when you have a chance. I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, however, I do have some concerns." He said, then taking a step back. If the two went back to talking, he would go out for a smoke, and bide his time. Hopefully, though, the cripple would be polite.
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Following Caleb's interuption, Mettin said "Disconcerting indeed. I am certainly at your disposal if I can be of help in any way. However I have taken up too much of your time already, I believe another guest wishes to speak to you. Please though, when your business is concluded with him any further information you can give would be most helpful. If I may be excused, Prince. "
Mettin left the prince to her own devices
"You want help, you tell me what you need. You want a fucking audience, you go play with the Toreador. I'm told they just love masturbatory plays to be the center of attention."
Joseph shook his head, and stepped back from the group. He didn't walk away, but the movement made it clear that he didn't care for what he was hearing. Too much creepy in this room for me... He wasn't making himself unavaiable to the others... he could still hear them, and wasn't so far away that he couldn't be spoken to, nor did he make himself seem aloof or uncaring. Just... annoyed.
This was not a good night for Joseph, and now Caleb had run off and taken yet another place in front of him to go see the Prince, all because of this Riddler shit that this guy was pulling. And then there was the really creepy chick who quite literally made his blood run cold. As if it weren't cold enough already, being a corpse and all.
Still, this Caleb guy seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Joseph would absolutely be looking him up. Despite everything, it never hurt to make friends, as long as you made the right ones... and there were two kinds of right friends. Powerful friends, and trustworthy friends. Joseph had an idea that, with some effort, Caleb might be both of those, with the added benefit of not being a eunuch when it came to getting shit done.
Stojka, on the other hand, was not coming off to Joseph like someone who could be trusted at all... and he'd been playing with them, Joseph felt. That didn't bode well. People who liked to play mindgames were typically either insane, powerful, or bored, pick two. No matter how you looked at it, Stojka was one to be watched. Joseph, honestly, might even lend him a hand, if he could ever figure out what the fuck the guy actually wanted from him. But then, that was mostly because the more someone owed you, the safer you were from them.
Joseph wasn't certain about these perceptions of them, naturally. For all he knew, he'd gotten them both mixed up, or backwards, or something. But in the end, Joseph could only go with what he knew, and what his gut told him.
And after all, like those old commercials used to say... you never get a second chance to make a first impression...
Returning her attentions to Stojka, she responded in a fairer tone. "The show of confidence is appreciated, but I would rather leave you to your own course of action, whatever its design may be. New blood can offer an enlightening perspective on matters, as I believe you are intimately familiar.
If our goals remain the same, I'm certain we'll have an opportunity to share our findings... hopefully towards a greater good. Good evening."
With that, she made to depart, doing so in a far quieter manner than those who had left before.
___________________
"Of course. I will welcome whatever insights you may offer, Doctor."
With a cordial nod of parting, Natasha then turned towards the other visitor.
"Ah, Caleb, I don't believe you've been in attendance as of recent. You seem to be doing well. I wish I could say the same for your superiors. These 'concerns' of yours. Would they pertain to the whereabouts of your Primogen, I wonder?
It isn't like him to be so out of touch. You'll understand if I've begun to presume the worst."
She watched for his response with a steady look.
"Do tell me whatever you know of the matter."
Difficult man.
Tristan watched Joseph as he flew off the handle and then slid away from the gathering. She then turned her eyes to the conversation between Stojka and The Elder. Interesting that.
Placing a tender hand, merely a smile and the simplest of kindness on the arm of the large Mirshaan (i know i spelled that wrong... i think sorry), and then she drifted off after Joseph.
Sticking as best she could to between the shadows, her green eyes found him, having already written out a small note for him, she pressed it into his hand, those clear green eyes on his face, she did not hold his eyes, she had seen how he had avoided that so studiously back in the circle.
Assuming that he read the note, Tristan tilted her head a bit for the reply, keeping her eyes on his lips.
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A moment later, the red faded, as he flickered his gaze back up to Tristan, frowning. He gave her the simplest response possible, a slow nod, and motioned for her paper and pen, then scribbled something back, just three simple words.
"Tell me more."
Still raining.
She reached out and pulled Joseph into an alcove, it was lit by a candle, so that he wouldn't need to write back to her, he could speak and she could see his lips. To show him this, she held her fingers in front of her eyes and then in front of his lips, nodding slowly.
And then her pen was scratching on the paper again.
"My Primogen would have normally been here at Elysium tonight. He would have been in touch with me when these fires started, when the strange things began happening. But he hasn't."
That piece of paper was placed in his hand, as she moved to start another.
It was a small notebook.
"There have been seemingly random fires around the outskirts of the city. The human police don't think they're accidents, and neither do I. Only thing is, I don't have access to any way of getting an aerial view of these fires, to see if they are in any sort of pattern. It's the best lead that I can come up with at the moment...."
That piece of paper was also handed to him, and then she pointed to the candle between them. Burn the notes.
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"Arson. The shithole I live in hasn't paid their cable bill, I've been missing the news. Shit."
He slammed his fist into his palm again and shook his head, then very carefully took control of himself.
It wouldn't do to have others assume he was threatening the woman in Elysium.
He glanced down at her notebook for a moment. how intersting. And not a bad idea. Some of the Kindred he'd met had heightened senses... he knew better than to assume they'd never overhear... but she had something, there...
"And the sudden change of Elysium makes sense all of a sudden..." Realization dawned on Joseph, and he suddenly glanced around, the twitch in his eye coming back.
"Fuck. Princess there had better have security under control..."
"As for my primogen, you probably know as much as I would. I saw him a few days before my trip, it seemed unimportant at the time. He did seem a little... uneasy, but he said nothing about it. I ran a small errand for him, and haven't seen him since I returned to the states." He paused for a second, to make sure he could properly word what he wanted to say.
"One of my clubs, infinity, was broken into while I was abroad. The back door was ripped from its frame, however, thats not the strange thing. It happened during the nighttime, when most kine actually attend. Yet... nobody saw the intruder. Nothing important was taken, some money and a revolver I kept in my office, but... I think they were looking for me. I don't know understand why someone would want that, but I'm still concerned.
I can take care of myself, thats not what worries me. But with this break-in, the missing primogen, and everything else... I can't help but feel there is something bad going on. I... I fear someone is trying to take down the camarilla in the city. I notice the Toreador Primogen not in attendance either. I'm not going to assume its the Sabbat, for now at least, but it would make sense. The strongest supporters of the local camarilla have been targeted, and the fires that have been popping up seem like something they would do.
However, I've only been back for a couple days. Perhaps you have observed things I haven't?" Caleb had been holding in a rant all night, and it felt good to let someone know his thoughts. If he was on a completely wrong track, well, he had built good will recently. He would probably see leniency.
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She turned her attention back to Joseph, and saw him eying her notebook. What? Did he think it was some sort of game of hers? Some devious Ventrue trick to make sure that nobody knew what she had said? She sighed and shook her head, writing another note and holding it up for him to read before burning it again.
"I'm deaf and mute. it's the only way I have to communicate. Unless you happen to know sign language."
What a shame that emotions are so hard to convey in the written word. That last sentence would have been dripping with sarcasm had she been able to manage it.
Another note.
"The Prince, I'm certain, has things under control. But you understand now what the worry is about. The Torreador Primogen is also missing from tonight. Another one that would never miss an Elysium. Something is happening, and it has people on edge. Do you understand now what Adrian was talking about?"
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Stojka let the words rest for a moment as he absorbed the words of the Elder. All the while, he watched those around him, noticed how Tristan left the circle as well. God's gift to men - a woman who couldn't speak..He thought to himself in wry amusement, but something about her unsettled him. He could read Kindred like Caleb or Joseph, but Tristan's thoughts were her own, and he didn't like it.
As he watched the realization dawn on Joseph's face in the one-sided conversation with Tristan, he stepped forward, inserting himself in the middle of the circle. "Do you see now, Joseph?" There was only a hint of a smile on his lips. "She sees the truth, doesn't she. Scary bitch, that one.."
"Mutual protection, my friends, is what I propose. I have seen.." He paused, looking down for a moment, as if choosing the next word with delicate care. "..nightmares..come to life. I know things that would make you want to greet the dawn, make you wish that your Sires never removed the veil of ignorance. Forgive me if I talked circles around you; I'm an old raven still trying to steal the sun.."
"All I know is, I know what might be out there. What could be out there. Elders don't go missing. I don't plan on sitting idly by, waiting for my turn. I would rather have their blood on my lips, then mine on their's."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"That is an unusual development, but unfortunately, it does not match the symptoms of the more common troubles we've faced.
Unseen assailants... I advise conversing with the Nosferatu, if you can find them to seek their input.
They tend to expect a little much for services rendered, so do so at your own risk.
As to the fires, yes, that is our gravest concern, and the possibility of the Sabbat's incursion has not gone without notice. It is being looked into. I pray this proves to be nothing more than unwarranted fears, but that is a chance that can't be taken.
If they our indeed responsible for the losses we've suffered, they will repay us for them in full; whether the lost are recovered, or not."
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Although, once they left Elysium, that was another matter.
But then, she had to fight back a small smile. Scary bitch, eh? Well, that was nice to know. Being thought of in any mindset other than pity was a nice thing.
Her green eyes, however, did not leave Adrians face for a long moment, her stare placid and even,nothing betraying the fact that she was wondering what he would look like with one or two less teeth.
She nodded slowly, satisfied with the mutual benefit, and also with the mental image of Adrian with less teeth. And perhaps a bruise under his right eye. Which would, of course require blood to be present. But it was a pleasant visual.
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Deaf. Is that even possible? That was freaky... Was it congenital, did it happen in an accident? He thought that once you were Embraced, all that shit went away and stayed gone.
Hm.
He looked back at Stojka, and kept his voice low.
"I wouldn't let Sabbat blood near my lips. And I'd lay my money that it's them."
Joseph shook his head, then took a deep, unnecessary breath.
"And I'm done with my emo days, thanks. I'm a goddamn vampire, I'm over it. So let's cut with the trying to scare me and assume that maybe I know a few things too. I, for one, don't have any love for the Black Hand, and if they're causing trouble here I'll gladly chip in to keep them off my doorstep. And if it is them... then you've found the right guy to look those sorry bastards up. If they're dumbshits, they'll stay in a graveyard somewhere. If they're not, they'll find a random motel room, torture or mindfuck the owner into getting the room free, and work from there every night. Follow the fuckin' bodies. If they're really smart they might do the same thing to some poor middle class bastards."
Joseph would have spat, if he'd had spit to do it with.
"Maybe we can get a line on where the biggest risks to breaches of the Masquerade are? Or, better yet, a line on where the Masquerade can be breached easily, but can also be cleaned up... they love that shit, making us scurry to clean up after 'em. If our elders are disappearing... and good fucking riddance to most of them by the way... then any of them who ain't fangfood is just being a chickenshit."
Joseph looked back at Tristan.
"You said the Toreador Primogen has gone missing, and so has your clan's... let me guess, Brujah." The sarcasm dripping off him was perfectly plain in facial expession alone. "Or Ravnos, maybe." He snorted. "Well, I may be the only guy in the room who doesn't have a Primogen, so I guess that's why nobody bothered telling me." He clenched his fists again.
"So, Stork, you're the one with the big ideas. Wanna share any?"
He let the word linger in the air as his smile fell. The word brought back a flood of memories, half of which still felt like the dream, and the other half a reality that he was still uncertain actually happened.
"You'll find we lack proper representation in the normal infrastructure of the Camarilla, and that is unchanged in this city. Nobody bothered telling you, Joseph, because it is a sign of weakness. The perfect machine that is the Camarilla cannot afford to let outsiders like ourselves know. But of course, there are other avenues.."
"My big idea? I think we follow Caleb's example, for the moment, as much as I am loathe to admit it. Furthermore, we turn our ears to the city streets and beneath those same streets. You asked before, what good the lady and Caleb were, aside from penmanship and fashion? They open doors, doors normally closed to vagrants such as ourselves."
And there they both go again, assuming that she was useless.
That was going to get annoying.
Tristan had many more qualities than just being a Ventrue. And they would both find out just how many of them she had.
If she had to stick an arrow in their throats to prove it.
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"If there is any sort of help, I could provide with these...investigations, I believe it would be found that I have some skills that would be quite applicable to our current situation."
When his head cleared, he tried to remember what it is he had just said, and decided it had to have been good.
"our ah, underground friends do not see me in the same light that they see you, or in any light at all if necessary, the same as any other of our more unscrupulous visitations-to-be may find out. And I find myself in a similar situation as in regards to representation at the moment, so I again offer my services within and without to you all as well as our esteemed Prince, together or separately."
"If only there were a 'right' direction, but at present, it isn't known; at least not to myself."
Another glance to the shadows, as if expectantly.
"It is being looked into, but for now, the only suggestion I can offer is to watch for anything unusual, especially any attempts at breaching the Masquerade. I'll be departing to follow up on some investigations of my own, soon enough, should all business here be concluded?"
She glanced to the sparse others who remained in Elysium. Most of the others had already departed to tend to her matters, or matters of their own.
Though she strongly suspected there was at least one unseen entity that lingered, that one was not the sort to bring matters to her attention. Certainly not in public.
____________________
The storm had long since faded off to a light drizzle against the stained glass. The shadows lining the walls seem to withdraw and expand with the flickering of the candles, as if the sole source of light could be snuffed out at any moment.
The dawn was mere hours away.
As soon as he took his first step out of the church, he lit a cigarette, and headed for his car. His drags were long and deep, and he propped himself against the lexus. He was a bit thirsty, but not to the point that he needed to feed tonight, if it wasn't convenient. Still, it would be a good idea to visit the clubs. Talk to his subordinates a little, ask if anyone had seen anything unusual, maybe pick up a girl for a bloody mary.
He'd wait for some of the others to leave first though. He wouldn't be surprised if Stojka wanted to talk to him again, saying everything while passing on nothing. Maybe he'd offer him a ride if he wanted, perhaps get some real information out of him, away from elysium and the others.
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There was, definitely something odd about the giant's speaking pattern, and for some reason, she was having a damned hard time following his lips.
She shook her head and then scribbled a note with an address on it and handed it to Joseph. It was for a small club that she frequented most nights, down near the docks. Where she hunted.
With a small nod to the men around her, Tristan drifted outside not long after Caleb. Green eyes followed him and so did her feet.
She pulled her own cigarette out of her clutch purse and forwent the long black holder. In fact, there was a decidedly...less... ladylike quality to her right now. How she held the cigarette, how she was standing, how she looked around at the newly rain-soaked grass and pavement.
She gave Caleb a look of amusement, licking her lips almost provocatively as her car rolled up to take her home. Or wherever it was that she was going. She reached out and patted Caleb on the chest, slippinga small piece of paper with the same address that she had given Joseph into his pocket. She smiled again and kissed him on the cheek, opening the door to her car.
She looked back and winked at Caleb, and then slipped into the car to head home for the morning.
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"Fine. I'm in. And Caleb's finally done with Princess, so if you don't mind, I've got a few bones to pick from her."
His right eye twitched a little again, and he spoke over his shoulder as he headed off for her table.
"You want to find me, look here, midnight."
Joseph'd make a point of showing up occasionally, and at midnight sharp, for those meetings. Until they found a better place to do so. But right now, he had... business... with Natasha. He had taken firm control of himself on the walk over... and when he approached the table, it was with a suitable air of calm that he asked his question as he withdrew his invitation from his coat and laid it on the table.
"What, exactly, was this all about?"
...Real smooth. Jackass.
Joseph took a steadying breath, despite not, you know, breathing, and went on, in a significantly more civil tone.
"I'm sorry if I'm a bit... upset. But someone, and I'm uncertain who, decided last night was a good night to break into my haven. Now, I understand that the Camarilla has six rather important Tradition, and that some are considered paramount... Masquerade for example."
He shook his head, and bit back his immediate swearing to go on in a still-respectful tone.
"Two of them come to mind. The Fifth, the tradition of Hospitality. I presented myself to you, requested your formal acknowledgement, my first night in this city. You agreed."
He tapped the baggie-wrapped invite.
"The other that comes to mind is the Second... Domain. I'm not so much an idiot to claim that I own any part of your city, but I had thought a Kindred's own haven was their domain. Yet, mine was violated. During daylight. To deliver this."
He took another breath, and there was that twitch again. He was fighting to keep from snapping at her.
"I hope my complaint is clear, but if not... someone sent ghouls into my haven during the day. To deliver a letter that could have been left in my mail. I won't speculate on who..." he didn't need to. He already intended to blame her for it in his head, though not out loud, "but in most places I know of, that sort of thing isn't just a breach of Domain... it could have been considered an attack."
Joseph crossed his arms over his chest, and continued, with a slight edge to his voice, but frankly nothing compared to what she probably heard from screaming and ranting Brujah every time she held open court and let them in.
"If the sanctity of my haven doesn't apply in Columbia, well, then, maybe that's something we should be told when we first show up. And if it does, well, then, someone did something they shouldn't have, and it's best it doesn't happen again. Because if it does, someone is liable to be missing a few ghouls by sunset. I don't condone breaking someone else's toys..." god he hated calling them that "but if they break into my personal space again, I'll make an exception. You might want to pass that along to whoever it is who's handling your invitations, and ask them to stick it in the mailbox next time."