(IC 2) San Francisco by Night: A Requiem in Fog

[Thundercracker]

Anna

"I think it's a good idea," Anna said, "I could see a lot of people wanting to make use of something like that."

"So... I'm actually thinking of trying to keep this a bit quieter at first, so I'm going to try and see my sire about the blood first, and a few other things. He might be able to point us in the right direction. It's probably better if I go by myself, but I'll let you know if I find anything before I speak to Miho. Unless anyone has any other ideas...?"

[Erulasto]

Aisling watched the interplay between Karl and Anna – or at least, listened, as her gaze was fixed on the undead heart sitting before them. That was a curious development. Perhaps it was Mother Blackstar there. The urge in the back of her mind to rip it to shreds was strong, but the Gangrel managed to hold her Beast in check.

If it wasn’t Blackstar’s, then that would just cause them unnecessary complications.

”I have been learning the blood sorcery of the Crone…” Aisling began, ”And I believe I could use this as a…focus, perhaps? My skills are limited, for the moment, but if it does belong to Blackstar…” She shrugged, a small frown on her face as she trailed off.

”Your Sire, Anna, is a good start.” Aisling said at last, ”I could ask Alejandro, though he may make a claim to it if it belonged to the Crone Primogen. He is looking for anything he can to bring her down.”

The ideas that Anna and Karl had for expanding their power in the city were good ones. Money still, like it had when she was a child, made the world go round. It would certainly help with getting a stable, safe Haven back up and running.

What could Aisling do, however, to contribute? She still struggled with the transition to the modern world, and she didn’t have any particular skills that would be helpful to either Anna or Karl’s endeavors.

[Thundercracker]

With no objections, Anna took the sample of vitae and made for her Sire’s haven.

[Bennosuke]

Anna departs from her Coterie, contacting her Sire to arrange a meeting. Kenji Tanaka agrees to meet Anna at a small park outside of the The Wyrm's Nest on Octavia. The park is a small collection of grass and shrubbery with nothing more than a few park benches, low hanging trees, and a public bathroom.

Bathed in the light of nearby street lamps, Kenji Tanaka sits on a bench, dressed in a heavy tweed sports coat smoking a cigarette by a park bench. He inhales and exhales the glowing stick lustily, seemingly unphased by his proximity the small fire. He grins up at Anna as she approaches and asks, "You said you had something important to show me?"

Spoiler: OOC@Daishain and Erulasto

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So what is your character doing next?

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“Yes, thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” Anna said, trying to ignore the cigarette, “there were two things. First, would you happen to know if anyone who could, discreetly, identify an old vitae sample?”

“Second, I heard there was something unnatural happening at the nearby <insert name> mental institution, would you happen to know anything about that?” Anna asked.

[Daishain]

Karl turns to Aisling, "Has Gabrielle run off again? I'd expected her to come here with you."

[Erulasto]

Aisling watched as Anna swiftly set out to meet with her Sire, glacial eyes trailing after her. At the mention of Gabrielle, however, her gaze swept back to Karl and the expression on her face morphed into something nasty. One part frustration. One part petulance. She even shifted to cross her arms over her chest.

”She would have, I am sure, if she was answering her phone.” Aisling snarked, ”I am going to look for her at some point. A part of me worries she has come to harm, but Bernardo believes she was not taking the events of the last nights well. If it is just poor behaviour, I will need to correct it.”

The Gangrel practically growled. ”I do so like her, but she is becoming something of a liability.”

[Bennosuke]

Tanaka takes the zip lock with the collected blood from Anna between a thumb and finger and holds it up before his face to study it. His face remains unnaturally placid, unlike how a mortal's would scrunch up when looking at something up close. "Where did you get this," Anna's sire asks curiously, adding, "Lady Miho's skills with Auspex are likely your best bet. I have some proficiency in the ability... but she is obviously our expert." He continues to study the baggie, seemingly hesitant to give it back to Anna.

“Second, I heard there was something unnatural happening at the nearby <insert name> mental institution, would you happen to know anything about that?” Anna asked.

Kenji Tanaka looks confusedly at his Fledgeling and says, "Unnatural? No, I'm not sure what you mean. What have you heard my dear?"

Spoiler: OOC@ Daishain and Erulasto

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I assume that your characters are still discussing, so I am not moving things forward yet.

[Thundercracker]

“Would you be willing to try?” Anna asked, “one of my coterie brought it to me.”

“I met with the new Prince earlier,” Anna said, “he mentioned the Ordo might have an interest in one of the mental institutions in the city. As you know I’ve been looking into them.”

[Bennosuke]

"Very well my Childe," Tanaka says, still holding the the baggie with gelatinous red liquid up before him. He takes another puff of the cigarette, and blows a dark cloud out that obscures his face from Anna. Still she can feel the shift of power as her Sire draws on the dark magic of the blood to do his biding.

Tanaka hands the bag back to Anna and says, "They are Nosferatu, and old". The elder vampire shrugs adding, "The vitae is already degraded, its mostly a mix of mortal blood now. Sorry, but that is the best I can do for you." Kenji Tanaka's eyes are misted and dark in the yellow lamp light, hard for Anna to read into.

[Daishain]

Karl states, rather coldly, "Yes she is. If this keeps up, it's only a matter of time before she violates the masquerade or becomes a pawn to another Kindred who might use her against us. I suggest that we attempt to find her."

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“Hmm, Nosferatu...,” Anna said, “Thank you for trying. There is more to the story. It comes from a Kindred’s heart, I suspect it was removed somehow, and it was found on Gorman’s property. I’m not sure what to do now, any advice would be appreciated.”

[Bennosuke]

Tanaka raises an eyebrow in mock suspicion at the way Anna says, "Hmm, Nosferatu...,” and replies, "Were you expecting it was someone... of another Clan?"

In reply to her question Anna's sire adds, "I would be very careful about who you tell about this. Whomever that heart belongs to will probably do anything to get it back, and others might want it to use for blackmail, assuming this is the heart of an Elder. It may cause you more problems than it is worth keeping it." There was a certain hunger behind Tanaka's eyes; the same curiousity that Anna had seen in every Dragon's eyes at some point as they came upon a powerful mystery.

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“Just wondering who it could be,” Anna replied, “any thoughts?”

“I came to you because I didn’t know who I could turn to,” Anna said, “I’ll be careful, but I don’t want to hold on to this thing for long.”

Spoiler

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int / politics: (3d10)[8][4][9](21)
10 again: (3d10)[7][1][4](12)
Does Anna know of any elder nosferatu?

[Erulasto]

”We are in agreement then.” Aisling said, puffing up her chest a bit at the cold tone from Karl. He – sort of – reminded her of her father in some ways. Direct.

”It is possible she is out dancing or partying. It is where Bernardo and I found her last time.”

[Bennosuke]

Anna mulled it over for a moment. The first Elder Haunt that came to mind was none other than Father Benito Pedro Cambon, also know as Padre Calavera, the Primogen of the Lance et Sanctum. Anna had rarely been around the skull masked giant, but she and her coterie had been partly responsible for his Childe's capture by the mad biker Bruja, The Hell's Furies. The only other slightly old Nosferatu that came to Anna's mind at this moment was Carlisle in the Invictus.

Anna's sire shrugs at her question, and takes another puff of his cigarette. For just a moment, Anna's lizard brain conjured the image of the cigarette combusting into an inferno that swallowed Tanaka whole before engulfing the park bench that they sat on, and devouring her. The nightmare quickly passes. The fact that the fire-stick didn't seem to cause even a tickle of fear in The Dragon was maddening. Seemingly unaware of this, Kenji Tanaka says, "I mean, I can begin naming Nosferatu if that's what you want. But I can't really think of any Elders that were particularly friendly with the ex-Prince." The Shadow smiles at his progeny. Was there something more that he wasn't telling Anna?

************************************************** **********

Bernardo speaks up hesitantly, one hand going half up as if he were a nervous school boy with a question. "For what it's worth," he says, "while I haven't seen her much this week, I know last week she was pretty upset about the fact that Anna and you guys hadn't gotten around to the funeral for Estella." The Ghoul was clearly uncomfortable with this.

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“I’m sorry, how does that cigarette not bother you?” Anna asked, “I’m about to go tearing off out of the far side of the park.”

[Bennosuke]

This causes Tanaka to really smile, his thick lips pulling back to show his crooked and yellow teeth. It's not an ugly smile, just reflective of Kenji's time when he was embraced; in fact, it was quiet a handsome smile. "Coils of the Dragon my dear," he says calmly, "as you know, they allow us to move past many of the weaknesses of... our condition." As if to show off, he takes another pull on the quickly shrinking cigarette.

[Thundercracker]

Anna shuddered and looked away.

“Ugh, okay, I’ll learn that one too,” she said, “you’re enjoying yourself way too much for me not to.”

[Daishain]

Karl nods to Bernardo, "Sounds like it may be possible she's at the places she and Estella shared. You know her better than I, anything in particular come to mind?"

[Bennosuke]

Kenji shrugs and says in reply, "It's not the same as when I was alive, but it is somehow still comforting at times. Besides, it's not like the habit can kill me or anything." The vampire flashes another charming smile, showing just the hint of fangs, and then stubs out the spent butt. Rising from the bench, Kenji turns to his childe and says with a renewed seriousness, "Anna, if I may advise you a little; please don't forget your studies in The Dragon's Tail. Things are finally starting to settle down. I would like to see you take advantage of your great potential, not waste it on foolish Kindred politics. Our journey is the most important part of our Requiem, we are Dragons after all." While he was not admonishing Anna, there was a sternness to Tanaka's words. This was more than just advice.

************************************************** *****

Casting his gaze downward Bernardo says, "That wouldn't be a bad place to start I guess. But you can't be too hard on her. You have to understand how hard it is for us to... be with you guys. There is something more than just power in the blood you keep feeding us. It's like a drug... it's like we are addicted to you. I can only imagine how crushed Gabrielle was when Estella went missing." The young Ghoul casts a longing glance at Aisling despite himself.

[Daishain]

Karl looks to Aisling and asks in a somewhat surprised voice, "You haven't spoken of this with him? Did you not know of the full impact?"

Turning back to Bernardo he bluntly states, "It is a drug, and you are addicted. Managing it can be hard, my own Gabriel struggles from time to time. But that is the price of the power and the advantages it offers. We can help with managing it, but you need to speak with Aisling and decide if such is truly what you want."

"As to being harsh with Gabrielle, it may be hard, but she needs to understand that she's putting us all in a great deal of danger with this behavior. Know this Bernardo, as dependent as you are on us, so are we on you. Gabrielle can easily be used against us."

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

“I won’t, Kenji,” Anna said, “I still have lessons with Lady Miho, and I will develop my own techniques and experiments, once I have learned how and opened the hospital.”

[Bennosuke]

Bernardo's face becomes stricken with a mix of surprise and discomfort. It is clear that Bernardo was not aware of these things, and he is suddenly unable to speak. The Ghoul simply casts his eyes down, lids dark and heavy with the weight of this new knowledge, or perhaps simply struggling not to look back at Aisling.

************************************************** *****

Tanaka nods, smiling with satisfaction. He offers Anna a "Good," and a curt bow of his head, before turning and walking back towards the Dragon Nest.

(OOC: So where to now?)

[Thundercracker]

Anna Wu

"Thank you, Kenji," Anna said.

Anna requested a meeting with Lady Miho. She still had some of the Vitae in a Ziploc, and she could request her teacher to try to divine more information from it than her sire had been able to.

[Bennosuke]

(OOC: So that I am not co-opting your character, how is Anna going about this? Is she walking across the street to the Dragon's Nest and going to her lab? Is she texting Miho? Is she doing something else?)

[Thundercracker]

(OOC: So that I am not co-opting your character, how is Anna going about this? Is she walking across the street to the Dragon's Nest and going to her lab? Is she texting Miho? Is she doing something else?)

Anna is going to text first, requesting to meet, unless she has a lesson later the same night. It would be rude to show up unannounced.

[Erulasto]

"I...had never before given my blood to any save my Sire. Bernardo saved me from Blackstar, and in return I have given it to him for his...protection." Aisling said while casting her deep, dark gaze down shyly. The Gangrel shuffled a bit closer to Bernardo, and reached out to take his hand in her own cold grip.

"Gabrielle is very willful. But there are enemies out there and we need to make her understand." Aisling said after a moment, then paused for a moment before finally looking back up to Karl.

"Will...my blood hurt him in time?" She asked softly.

[Daishain]

Karl emits something that sounds like it might have been a sigh, "Hurt? No, not in the sense you mean. But the longer he lives with it, the harder he will find choosing to live without it. How best to explain this... The more he partakes of the vitae, the more a part of his life that substance will become. This will never be a major problem if he never wishes to part with you, but it can cause pain and difficulty if he does make that choice later in life."

"Bear in mind the both of you that this is not some one sided bargain, the strength and healing that the vitae gives to humans is considerable. Bernardo, you could live for centuries if careful, without the ills that plague most mortals. My partner Gabriel would be dead in a gutter several times over without it. He was dying of incurable cancer when I found him, and, well, our business is dangerous enough that he's taken several bullets since then."

[Bennosuke]

It is not long till Anna gets a reply from Lady Miho reading, "I would be happy to meet with you later to night. Still have a lot to do. We have much to practice. If you come by the lab in an hour or so Autumn will let you in until we are done with our project."

Miho was of course referring to her Ghoul and second in command who she treated as highly as any Elder vampire.

**************************************************

Bernardo eyes Aisling's hand hesitantly, though he does not draw away from her approach.

(OOC: Is Aisling being honest here. If so, please give me Presence + Empathy, if not please give me Presence + Subterfuge)