Kazimir
Kazimir was tall, dressed well, and had a distinct enough face to tell he was from eastern Europe somewhere, though the exact location was far more difficult to pinpoint. What stood out most of all, however, was the way he walked. He moved almost clumsily, his footsteps never quite keeping a proper rhythm, occasionally stumbling in his steps just a little. His walk made him look... Well, to put it simply, like an easy target. Of course the keen eye, the practiced eye, would realize the entire thing was a well trained, and extremely clever ruse on his part. Everything, right down to his walk, was intended to give others a false sense of security, to lull them into thinking he was no threat physically... Leaving the foolish in the uncomfortable position of making the mistake of assuming he was an easy target, and the experienced with the question of just how dangerous he really was.
Elysium called to him tonight. Curiosity, the promise of something of interest, something pulled him here tonight and so here he was, wandering on his way up to the "castle" with that odd little walk of his. A warm heavy coat keeping him covered, any weapons he might have locked away safely. Though, it's not as if a lack of weapons is going to make people feel all that safe among one of the Children of Haqim... Their reputation wasn't exactly one of compliance and cooperation with the Camarilla.
Still, his kind were not exactly unwelcome. The Camarilla had lost a large number of their soldiers recently, and just at the point they needed it most the Assamites stepped in to fill the void. It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement that has gone rather well for both sides so far! It is certainly Kazimir's hope that it will continue!
Kali
Things have been relatively quiet among the undead over the last couple of months, and to say that came across at the perfect time for Kali is an understatement. The Ravnos had decided to get a new business up and running, and as things settled down it gave her the chance to get Rapture through the first couple of months of preparation; it is now open for business.
During that time, Kali has had Bo largely handling their drug empire. The vampire assured Bo that should she feel like she's in over her head, Kali would be only a phone call away. And certainly there were probably a few bumps along the road, but the quieter times mean that there has been no disasters so that Bo could get things down. She's considered Kali's trusted lieutenant by their men at this point and probably even capable; what few of them might be suspect in their respect, they're not dumb enough to think that they shouldn't fear Bo. She's Kali's companion and right-hand woman, and that means that she's dangerous and not to be fucked with.
With all that accomplished, Kali has decided that it's time to introduce Bo to the larger world of the Camarilla. And thus they head to the Elysium together. Kali doesn't dress up exactly; she rarely does, except for that one time. And that one time turned into an all-out battle with the Sabbat, complete with fire and szlatcha and headless Elders. So she's learned her lesson, but she doesn't slum it on purpose. She's rocking one of her favorite corsets tonight, a black strapless one with red lips imprinted around it in various spots. It is complemented with a short black mini-skirt, a pair of stilletto heels and a black duster over it all. That trademarked Kali combination of liquid sex, camp and bad-ass.
Kali had told Bo before they'd arrived that this is the Camarilla proper. Thus, the people here may look down on her for being a ghoul, and there's someone who is sure to be a snotty cunt or stick-up-the-ass dickhead. The key is knowing how far to push the attitude without crossing the line, because the people here can and will use their power to their detriment. But most importantly...to have a good time and enjoy.
And that's how it is when they're let in, the Ravnos' heels clicking on the floor as they head into the sumptuous main hall.
"Welcome to the Spider's den, Boberino." She grins a bit to the ghoul.
Bo
Oh how times had changed, how dynamics had shifted and worlds realigned, at least for the young woman striding along next to Kali, she'd moved from quiet almost ignoble beginnings when the two had crossed and with a flash of personality and gumption she had..at last, found herself here standing beside Kali as an immortal youth, forever full of life and energy and a heaping helping of attitude to boot.
Becoming hardened was unlikely to be something Bo could ever manage, it wasn't in her to shut down and shut off parts of her personality, but times had changed her regardless and where before there had been an almost childish exuberance now strong a springy and spritely confidence. Big bright green eyes surveyed the castle as they moved within the hallowed [and recently refurbished] halls.
Kali was dressed, well lightly for the weather, it was not surprise given her undead status, warmth was only a necessity to blend in, or when one wished to feel human. Bo on the other hand still felt the cold, still felt its icy bite and so she was dressed more appropriately for the weather. She wore a black biker inspired hip length coat with what was either faux wolfs fur, or perhaps even the genuine article framing the neckline and as if to play off her master at least a little bit, she had encased her legs in a pair of leather pant's shiny and new. All this black was accented by two spots of blood red, in the woman's platform boots, all strappy and fun, and her hair which held bands of red in amongst the raven black colour that was her natural.
"Its quite lovely, to bad the Mantis has nothing to fear from Spiders." She offered with a smirk back as they strode along. "So is there something going on tonight? Or are we just hear from kicks and giggles?"
Kazimir
He wandered into the Foyer with a little smile on his face. He took the time to examine the decorations he found there curiously, attention moving from one item to the next rapt with curiosity and fascination. The man seemed rather quiet and patient to onlookers, and spent a surprising amount of time in the Foyer, but he eventually slipped into the main hall, and even found himself a seat... Where he would be seated when Kali and Bo made their way into the room.
His attention drew towards them immediately, and a smile crept it's way to his face. Civility was not an art that was lost on Assamites, despite what one might think, and he rose to his feet to greet both women with a polite nod of his head.
"As-salamu alaykum ladies." He says this with a bow of his head. The greeting was atypical of his apparently Russian, or Ukranian background, but seemed to come out of him comfortable enough. Certain aspects of the culture in which he had spent so much time still remained it would seem.
"Lovely evening we are having, no?" He asks them calmly enough. Vampires were social creatures, and while the Assamites weren't exactly the most sociable of them, he understood the need to establish long lasting relationships with those he might one day come to depend upon. So he greeted them, even asked them about their evening, it seemed as good a place to strike up a conversation as any. He was, first and foremost, a businessman of a sort, but he was smart enough not to skip straight to such matters without first offering proper introductions.
Kali
Truth be told, even if the temperature bothered her Kali would be unlikely to change her clothing. There's something to be said about making an impression and while the Ravnos may not look any older than Bo, she has a long history which includes a lot harsher experiences than steeling herself for the chill of a Denver winter night. When you walk down the streets in an outfit that is completely anomalous to the weather surrounding you and you act like you couldn't care less, people know to leave you alone. Because you're either tough as nails or completely batshit insane.
(Or you don't have a susceptibility to cold weather, but mortals never consider that.)
"Ahh, they're smart little black widows though," she says with a chuckle. "They play weak and friendly to lure you in. Sort of like ScarJo with Loki in the Helicarrier, except that Norse gods have nothing on the Kindred for arrogance."
The Ravnos looks over at Kazimir as they walk in and he stands, offers a greeting. The corner of her mouth curves upward and she walks on over. She recognizes him from their last, brief encounter in this place, as well as possibly seeing each other on and off since (Kali is an Elysium regular, after all). "Kazimir, right? We've had a brief run-in and I've seen you since. Kali, of Clan Ravnos."
She gestures to Bo now, without stepping away from the ghoul. Kali is sticking close to her girl in this place. "Kazimir, this is my ghoul, Bo. Bo, this is Kazimir of Clan Assamite."
Bo
Bo had opened her jacket now as the warmth of the Elysium's internal heating reached her skin revealing a camisole of deepest red, the fabric shimmered slightly and the neckline of the fabric was deep, perhaps intended to distract, or maybe Bo just felt like wearing that tonight.
Its not five minutes in to their walk about that the verbal repartee begins, its slow right now, but given to what Bo had heard of this place and gatherings like it, it would pick up quite quickly. She listened as Kazimir spoke with a russian accent but offered his middle eastern welcome, a matter which did have her raise one fine brow ever so slightly as she watched Kali offer in return, both had been courteous, polite and outright politic with their answers, something that Kali usually didn't do, so Bo did what made sense in their dynamic and left the politics at the door.
"What's shaking Tall dark and Russian?" She inquired with that smirk on her lips as she inclined her head in a greeting her face lively and utterly expressive as she allowed good humour to rest across her features.
Kazimir
He nods his head in response to Kali's question. "That is correct..." He says softly back to her in that well practiced voice. He did his best to wash the accent from his voice, it made things easier, especially when one didn't want to leave behind too many identifiable traits. It was a smart move in his line of work.
He gave a smile of greeting to Bo. He was polite enough to provide that much, and her greeting forced a soft little laugh from his lips as he examined the woman curiously. "Things have been well, life has been quiet since my arrival..." He says this with a certain degree of pleasure in his voice. "Quiet is always good. Gives me time to catch up on my reading." He says back to the Ghoul.
His eyes do, however, drift back to Kali. "You have been well since we last spoke I take it? There has been no trouble in your neck of the woods?" He was curious to find out what she's been up to, what she's seen or done. He doesn't expect that the threats to the Camarilla have packed up and moved away, in fact he is certain that they're planning something... What and when, however, are things he can't be certain of. So it seems smart to ask around!
He wasn't the most expressive of individuals. Even his smiles seemed a little forced, but what does one expect from the dead?
Kali
While Kazimir's smile may seem a bit forced, Kali's the other end of that vampiric perspective. She has to suppress her smile when Bo calls Kazimir Tall, Dark and Russian, but she only vaguely tones it down so that it's a smile and not an out-and-out grin. Her ghoul never fails to provide her with a measure of amusement; it's Bo's refreshing look at the Kindred world. Some might call it naivety or ignorance, and perhaps there is some of that. But it's also the girl's irrepressible attitude. It's infectious.
She looks back at Kazimir then and shrugs a bit. "It's been quiet enough. Too quiet, is the way that they usually refer to it. This would be the point when Keyser Soze reveals himself or the box shows up and I'm left asking in screams about what's in it." Despite the ominous words, she's at ease right now. At least, outwardly; whatever's percolating in that dead brain is kept to her own council.
"But hey, for the moment I'll take what I can get." She gestures for Kazimir to sit and moves to settle in on a couch opposite him where she and Bo can both sit down. "How are things in the city for you? Other than quiet, that is. I know what it's like coming to a new city, always has its ups and downs..."
Bo
Kazimir responds to Bo, which she seems to consider a plus as that smirk set upon her lips started to pull into something more akin to a smile. Perhaps she had expected to be treated like the wallpaper, or window dressing...perhaps she still would be but from the look of it few individuals were fully capable of ignoring the young woman for very long.
She rests one hand on her hip as she regarded the older man, her eyes tracking his as they shift once more to Kali. Listening as the conversation moves onward and so do they, heading for a pair of couches which seemed to litter the inner lobby like cockroaches in a greasy diner. Bo seats herself, it isn't positively elegant when she does so, its a bit of a mix between a reclining flop and a poised lowering, but she seems pleased with the result as she let one arm drape up onto the couch back as she stretched out her feet before her.
"Untold years, a planet to explore and your preference in a city in this situation is to read?" She inquires with a raised brow, her features startlingly focused for a moment before she grins once more. "Just tell me it's not twilight and were all good alright? Otherwise, I will have to go all Van Helsing on you." She chuckles as she relaxes, almost as if she didn't expect a proper response to her statement, her gaze searching the room for other intriguing parties.
Kazimir
He nods his head in response to Kali's assessment. His attention wanders around the room, and then back towards her. "I'm used to being put to use a little more regularly than this. I was a bit of an investigator, if you will, within my clan... I may not look like much, but a keen eye and a firm grasp of reason aren't exactly physical traits now are they?" He asks the woman curiously. "My work is my..." He pauses to think of how to phrase his words. His eyes drift over their heads for a moment before falling back upon Kali's own. "Passion, if you will." He finishes with a little smile.
"I have to admit, while silence is, indeed, golden, the thought of getting back into the swing of things isn't exactly unappealing to me." He says back to her. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who might need something or someone found? Would you?" He asks her calmly enough, making certain that others knew he was there, out there, and he was, in fact, for hire. Not a mercenary, though, not entirely... He was a member of the Camarilla, so his services came specifically to his allies.
"I am sure you can understand how frustrating it can get knowing you have talents that could be useful to someone, only to find no one seems to have a use for them." He smiles well enough before turning his attention back to Bo.
"The Children of Haqim have long attempted to keep their distance from the other clans and politics. By achieving a degree of impartiality we can better assess the situation and do what needs to be done." He says with a slow nod of his head. "Patience comes easy to us I suppose." He says with a nod of his head. "I fear I may be far more boring than the rumors and stories you have doubtless heard of my clan."
Kali
Bo makes a Twilight joke and Kali rolls her eyes good-naturedly. She gets it; she's run through all of the various vampire pop-culture jokes through the years. And there aren't many that have been better fodder for derision and mocking than that series. Well, maybe Ultraviolet. But most people don't remember that mess anyway, thank Ravnos.
She nods a little bit to Kazimir as he says that it can be frustrating having talents that can't be put to use. "Yeah, I get that. Luckily, there's always someone who needs a little chemical alteration so I'm like a 7-11. Even open on Christmas." She winks. "But that's not always been the case, and I know that your Clan does best when war's on the horizon."
She shrugs. "We're in the calm between storms right now, but don't you worry. I'm pretty sure it's gonna pick back up and we'll be picking Sabbat brains out of our hair in no time." And it's not that she is opposed to that...but really, look at her hair. Intestines wreak havoc on a dye job.
Bo
"Silence might be golden it doesn't buy a whole lot." Bo offers with that smirk returning as she slowly brings her gaze back to Kazimir and Kali, those bright green eyes attentive as they settle upon the two vampires. She shifts slightly, pulling herself out of her jacket and laying it on the arm of the couch next to her leaving herself in simply the camisole and her leather pants, her hair now falling to just above her shoulders as she locked those eyes on Kazimir and blinked slowly.
"From what I know, and not about your clan per say, but usually the cerebral one's are the ones you have to watch out for, the big guys with guns and swords you can ussuually spot a mile away, usually being chased by the cops, interpol, and any other nutjob in the area. Big and bad just makes you big and easy to target."
She looks around briefly and sits up, her gaze looking over at Kali in inquiry. "There a vending machine around her somewhere? I could use a drink, hopefully without becoming said drink."
Kazimir
There might be a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He was rather hoping she might have had something she needed done, it would seem. Still, there was nothing that could be done if his services weren't needed so he offered her a polite smile back. "Of course... War, as they say, is good for business..." He says with a nod of his head. "I suppose in the time between then, and now, I will just keep my eyes and ears peeled for any suspicious movement." He says back to her with his polite little smile showing.
He gives a smile at Bo's assessment and his head lowers slowly in a nod of acknowledgment as well as a soft laugh of amusement. "You'd do well not to underestimate the loud and obnoxious ones either... Many of us are incredibly ancient and complex in our behavior. Just as easily as that madman may appear as little more than a violent psychopath, he could also be luring you into a trap all his own." He says softly enough back to her. "I'd say it is safest to keep your eye on any of our kind you might meet." He seemed pleasant enough, that too could also be a ruse... His clan is known among the Camarilla as Diablerie Addicted Assassins... That was, of course, a misconception on the part of the Camarilla, and gravely misunderstood, but there WAS some truth to it, so he certainly wouldn't put it past someone for assuming he was dangerous.
His eyes go back to Kali. "I'd also be interested in work with Mortals should you have any need in that area. Just remember, my services are offered to all, and if I take up a task I offer nothing less than my absolute best." It was his way, perfection, to pour every ounce of himself into the task at hand. He'd fight his way through an army, burn down villages, cut down forests... All to save a kitten from a tree, if that is what he was hired to do. Of course, before one can prove their reputation for perfection they first have to earn one, and that means finding work!
Jack
The Nosferatu are not known for their presence in Elysium salons. The former Nosferatu Primogen (so long ago, before Gotfried, and as for the militant Sewer Rat, the unwavering scourge of the Sabbat until [Hush]) hung out as a slow-ly ashing to ash gruesome decorative sculpture for a time, or her head did. Henrietta in rags. Henrietta in pieces. Henrietta the traitor, and no wonder so many of the Toreador she despised fared poorly over the winter siege with that creature moving whole war packs around invisibly. The Nosferatu have never been known for their presence in the halls of Elysium, preferring their warrens, their nests, their hidey-holes and their alley-ways. Elysia prefers it that way, too, for the most part. Go to your foul oubliettes, Curse-wearers. Stinking, fetid Rat-creatures, sloughing-off skin and warped by who knows what misdeeds: Foul is the word. Also, hideous.
The Nosferatu who is called Jack is not like all the other Nosferatu. He is rather a social fellow, all things told, all Masks included, and he has always made himself available to the Kindred Society of whatever city he happens to be in. He has made himself available to the Kindred of Denver. He has been less visible since August, at least where 'visible' means 'hanging out at Richthofen Castle.'
He happens to be there tonight.
He's not in the same front room that Bo, Kali, Kazimir have all found themselves in, but in the next room over. Entirely because of the piano. There was a piano that died here by fire and the last song that was ever played on it was played by a clansman of Kazimir's: the last song that was ever played on that piano was a broody classical piece, and it was played wonderfully, and then the fire came and played a less tuneful song.
The piano in the drawing room that is one room over from the room of Ravnos, Assamite, and Ravnos' Saucy Ghoul is not fire-played or dead; it's quite alive. Jack was playing it until --
Why, until just now, which is when he stops. Kazimir is saying something about not underestimating the loud and obnoxious ones when the music stops. The music was probably loud and obnoxious, although Jack couldn't hear the conversation through walls; he's no Auspex-user, has no preternatural senses along those lines. It's a trick of timing.
He scrubs his face, our hero-Jack, scrubs it with the palm of his hand, pushes back what passes for a snarl-mane of lustreless hair (it grows just so to be horrifying), and then he stands up, our hero-Jack, stands up and closes the piano, this courtesy might well coincide with the entrance of a pair of Ventrue neonates he knows and exchanges nods with, but no, no, time to not flee but cede the musician's stage.
And so does Jack the nosferatu quietly creep (they do nothing but quietly creep, the Nosferatu - don't they? Stick to shadows, even when they're safe, as in here. As in Elysium. Safe-haven, this place - right?) from one room to the next.
The next is more interesting than a room with just a piano and two Ventrue neonates.
[I roll for music-making of the Char+Perf variety. Then I roll for stealth-room entry, just for fun.]
Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) ( success x 4 )
Jack
[I'm not creeping into the room like a creeper creep! Dex+Stealth+ Specialty.]
Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 4, 4, 7, 8, 10) ( success x 3 )
Kali
[[Per+Alert]]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (6, 7, 8, 10, 10) ( success x 5 )
Kazimir
[Do I see someone creepity creeping?]
Dice: 8 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7, 9, 9, 10) ( success x 4 ) Re-rolls: 1
Bo
[Per+Alert?]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 5, 6, 7, 8) ( success x 3 )
Kali
Here's the truth about Kali. She plays nice and has fun in Elysium. She's in here often and she cavorts and laughs and jokes with whoever she talks with, just like any hobknobber might. She's there so often that some people might be tempted to forget that she's nothing more than a Ravnos, seeking refuge where the whole of her clan has refused membership and less than any of the other clans as far as the Ivory Tower is concerned.
Tempted to forget, but they don't. And Kali never forgets that. This is why, in this place, she never stops paying attention to what's going on. This is a beautiful place that is designed to put people at ease, get them to let their guard down. Kali never lets her guard down in a place like this, as much as she might act otherwise.
And thus, when Jack slips quietly into the place, her eyes and ears pick up on it. Kali was listening to Bo and Kazimir speak with some level of interest, seeing how her ghoul would interact with this new person. And maybe it's the whisper-light fall of feet on a soft rug; maybe it was the unlucky instance of a chandelier twisting as she looked up and just managing to catch his appearance. Whatever it is, she notices Jack and her attention directs his way. There's a little grin and the tension that had immediately (and invisibly) built up of being snuck up on slips away; she raises her hand and wiggles fingers his way.
"Jack, Jack, Jack. You slippery little devil, you." She rises and gives Kazimir a little not in response to his offer to deal with mortal problems--it's noncommittal, but not a no--and grins as she turns her attention to the Nosferatu. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in so long, I started to get worried."
Kali
"I don't think there's a vending machine, to be honest," she says to Bo as she rises. "There's a bar over there though. With actual alcohol. Might be some kind of sodas."
Bo
Bo's question is waylaid, waylaid by the appearance of an individual who Kali called out to, a thrice repeated name that Bo had heard more times then she could remember, but then Jack was a common name and as she looked over in the direction Kali was looking the 'man' who Kali was heading towards certainly didn't look like the Jack she knew. The look of surprise and, perhaps momentary shock was easily seen on Bo's face, her features rarely able to contain such strong emotion as she regarded an unmasked Nosferatu for the first time.
"Uh....right." She says slowly tearing her eyes from the creature like a rubbernecker trying to pull their eyes from a car wreck. "I'll...I'll be riiight back." She said as she rose up and started for the bar. Now she REALLY needed a drink.
She nodded to Kazimir before she moved off, not yet waving to the creature that was also named Jack, she worked her way towards the bar, skirting any cluster of kindred, she so didn't need to get dragged into one and disappear.
Kazimir
He tenses a bit when he finds himself picking up a few noises in the air. He isn't sure where the noises were coming from for a few moments until AFTER Kali begins to take notice. His eyes soon seek Jack out and he hones in on the Nosferatu's Location just about as readily as Kali had.
He smiled, polite enough, but there was some part of him that didn't care for being snuck up on, and unlike Kali he was not familiar with Jack, so the tension did not fade for him, it certainly didn't melt away and disappear. However, Kali seems to know him so he can at least relax a tiny bit in response.
He gave another nod in Bo's direction to see her off and a smile as he found himself returning into the seat he was in. He was a bit uncomfortable on his feet, it appeared, so it was only natural to assume he was more comfortable sitting anyway.
Jack
Jack of the nosferatu is not so stealthsome tonight. He isn't stealthsome and he isn't creepsome and he is caught-out glanced-at illuminated by Jack, Jack, Jack. He's conjured by his own name. Jack: He goes by many names, but there's usually something of Jack to them. I'm Harold, but call me Jacky. Jacky from jackpot. I'm Jacques. I'm Jaclyn. Jacko. Jock. Jackson. He's always a Jack. And Jack of the nosferatu is, in Elysia, a hideous creature to behold. He is uglier than uglier. He is uglier than sin, really: no hyperbole. His face is a curse that nobody'd wish on their enemy. Beast that Beauty isn't going to be singing songs and teaching the joy of reading to any time soon. That's this Jack: a nightmare-creature, worse because there's still a recognizable man there, diminished, transformed, transfigured and disfigured.
Hey, mortal. What'd you eat today? Taste it in the back of your throat yet?
Now, give Jack credit. He is caught-out but he doesn't look put-out by being caught-out by the Ravnos, or her sharp-eyed conversational partner. Kazimir of the Children of Haqim. He smiles at her (wish you wouldn't), watches Bo stammer herself off toward the bar in need of some liquid courage and perhaps his face is a study (no, guys, seriously, it is never a study unless one's practicing a gruesome form of masochism). He doesn't stop being so-so (not-enough) quiet but he does come over to join the Ravnos.
The smile has dissolved; becomes nothing more than a spark that could be a star, the memory of a star, in his eyes. He is a good-humoured Nosferatu, our Jack. He is courteous when he says, "Worry? I'm touched, Kali." He puts a hand (crabbed claw) over his heart. "The ground hasn't swallowed me yet. Though I pry and poke it. The ground is altogether merciless.
"Forgive me, but yours isn't a voice I've had the pleasure of hearing," says Jack, so courteous, to Kazimir. "I'm Jack, at your service." He doesn't bother giving his clan, a subtle indicative gesture enough for him; and he glances at Kali, as if expecting her to do a fuller introduction.
They're always so ready to be at one another's service, the Kindred. Better to have one's backstabbing knives in place, right?
The bar is, as it happens, probably stocked quite well Lucille often has mortal musicians at Elysium - ready to dazzle the ears and polish up undead hearts. And the ghouls need their sustenance, as well, don't they?
Kali
Bo's reaction doesn't surprise the Ravnos, because---well frankly, how could it surprise anyone. Kali told Bo about the clan's horrible visages, but everyone has a bad reaction when meeting their first Nosferatu. Even (especially) the Nosferatu. And truth be told, Kali's reaction on seeing her first was worse. It left her and her sire fleeing a small village in the Black Forest with a whole warren hot on their tale.
But that, my friends, is a tale for later.
The point is, Kali's expression is not unsympathetic when she sees Bo stammer and skitter away. But it doesn't linger there long; she looks back at Jack and her expression reads, clear and simple, Kids. What're you gonna do?
"Yeah, well, I hear the ground tends to do that these days. Or did." She says it with a grin, the phrase clearly humor-tinged. "Still, warn a bitch before you go all quiet, eh? We're running out of decent Licks in the metropolitan area."
And then Jack introduces himself to Kazimir and Kali takes that opportunity to slip away, over to Bo. She settles a hand on the other's shoulder, speaks quietly.
"You okay, chicky-doo?"
Bo
By the time Kali finds Bo at the bar she already has something purple and smelling alcohol and fruit in her hand, the woman drinking it down, thankfully she is doing this slowly, and her hands appear steady. So when the hand settles on her shoulder she only looks up before nodding.
"Yeah fine, just...well I wasn't expecting to see an acid bath victim anytime soon. I'll get over it." She smiles and gestures back to the others with a turn of her head. "Get back over there and kick some verbal ass. I'll get back there after I finish this and prepare myself for the non gawking."
She manages a grin, wane as it was but growing stronger.
[Sorry guys but im outta juice, seems im not feeling that well :/ So this is where I part ways, thanks for the scene!]
Kazimir
He watched the Nosferatu with caution, not suspicion, to take him in quietly from his position just a little ways apart from the rest of the group at this point. He wasn't a terribly sociable creature to begin with so being out of the spotlight was actually rather nice for him. It gave him time to observe the others... Familiarize himself with they way they moved, their mannerisms, their behavior. Studying people was something he did well, and so those eyes of his were quick to take them all in and put what knowledge he could glean from their behavior to use.
He isn't left to his own devices for long, however, as Jack turns his attention upon Kazimir and the man smiles softly back. "Forgive me..." He says, taking a little work to get himself up, and out of his seat, before standing awkwardly on those legs of his, and he offers out a hand, just a little shakey, "My name is Kazimir, it is a pleasure yo meet you." He says politely back to the man. "You will forgive me, I haven't familiarized myself with many in this city, and I fear I haven't been as sociable as I should have been." He says with a regretful little smile.
His grip was soft enough, not particularly strong.
Jack
"I'll try to text you the moment I feel myself about to disappear," he tells Kali.
And Jack is a bright-eyed thing, is Jack, bright-eyed and curious, sharp-eyed and inquiring, see? Kali slips off to check on her ghoul (no sound of retching [no 'oh my GOD,' all told much better than Jack expected Bo to take any hypothetical glimpse of his True Face, the Face He Wears Beneath All Others, the Mask Blood-Given. He did not expect her to do very well; not that butterfly creature. But perhaps being a ghoul is honing her into a stronger thing, perhaps the night's world is changing her too --]).
As Kali hares off, Jack glances toward the bar once but then otherwise maintains a polite eye contact (more-or-less) with Kazimir. More-or-less because who knows what a strange vampire might try? More-or-less because it's polite not to stare. Kazimir starts to struggle up, and Jack, observing this, says, "No need," to stand, he means, or to forgive, something, but he takes Kazimir's hand when it's offered. His handshake is quite firm and even enthusiastic: a Mid-western boy's handshake, the handshake of a young man untried but ready to try. (Jack is an Ancilla. He's too old for this. He's just old enough for this.)
"A pleasure to meet you, Kazimir. How are you liking it? So far, this winter beats last winter, hands down."
Kazimir
He shakes his head, smile remains, calm and relaxed. "I fear the weather has never really troubled me all that much. Still, it is nice not to have to get out of your car and walk twelve miles in the snow, so I can certainly be grateful for that much." He jests, lightly, casually, humor might not come all that easily to the dead but there was still a hint of it somewhere in that empty expanse of a mind.
"So I suppose I am glad the winter has been better this year than last. Winters in Prague tended to be a little milder, but again... I'm not terrible worried about these days." He says with a slow nod of his head.
"Work has been slow for me, however, despite the presence of a threat just outside the gates. To be quite honest, I am surprised by that fact. Normally there is much more to do in a city locked in the midst of a war." He says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Still, should you find yourself looking, I am in the business of uncovering information, location people and objects... Other such things. I figure sooner or later someone is going to need me for something." He adds with a soft little smile. Yes he was growing anxious, he actually considered solving crimes for the police in his spare time just to eat away the boredom. Luckily he manages to maintain his composure! He wouldn't want people thinking he was too eager to get to work.
Kali
Bo says she'll be okay and tells Kali to get back in there, and the Ravnos smiles in response. She reaches out and squeezes the ghoul's shoulder and turns, slipping back to the two vampires. She slips quietly to where she had been sitting, settling in and letting the two converse.
"Oh fuck me," she says when Jack speaks up about last winter. "Last winter sucked harder than a Tila Tequila-branded vacuum cleaner, complete with nuclear reactor power core."
Jack
Oh fuck me, Kali says, and Jack -- Jack is an attentive listener. He looks, perhaps, a touch surprised when Kazimir offers him his services, but after the surprise fades he looks thoughtful rather than surprised. The thoughtfulness is true. The surprise was true, too. ("Thank you," he'd said.) But Kali's re-entrance into the conversation gets a snort and a nod.
"Have you been to many cities locked in war, Kazimir? You mentioned Prague. Did you, perhaps, come to the city under the auspices of our new Seneschal?"
In a rather sober tone, this directed toward them both, "I suspect that there won't be another major strike until after New Year's. The two-faced month seems ripe for bloodshed, no?" A pause, and, "I didn't know that tequila made vacuum cleaners..."
He sounds puzzled. Alcoholic vacuum cleaners? What will the kine think of next!
Kazimir
He nods his head. "In a manner of speaking I suppose. Wars are where we find ourselves witnessing the worst our kind are capable of. The Masquerade is endangered, lives wasted, these are terrible times for all of us. In the past I have worked to lessen the toll of these excesses." He says softly enough. "In the past, however, my Clan did not typically take sides. These are different times, however, and so it is the first time I have found myself on a side in the middle of a war you could say."
His features remained calm. He was honest, somewhat, it was an important thing to help carve away some of the mistrust that might exist between the Children of Haqim and the Camarilla.
"As long as it has been, I would not be surprised if we were hit tonight." He says with a shrug of his shoulders. "However, since there appears to be no direct sign of a threat coming from anywhere... We could certainly make the assumption that there will be no strikes made against us until the new year." He says this as he takes the time to seat himself once more and settle in.
"I would not rule out the possibility of a Christmas assault, or a New Years surprise. The Sabbat are creatures of habit and tethered to mindless ritual... Their enjoyment of making twisted mockeries of things others might find sacred is quite well known." He says with a slow nod of his head.
"I would assume... They're watching each and every one of us and will strike any second. To assume anything less could prove to be a foolish and fatal move."
Kali
Jack comments about tequila making vacuum cleaners, and Kali smirks in honest amusement. "Tila Tequila, Jackie Boy. She's a Z-List celebrity who keeps having sex tapes leaked. Seriously, read a supermarket gossip mag from time to time."
But things get more serious, because they're discussing Sabbat attacks. The Ravnos may have shown herself as useless as a neonate Toreador in this little tete-a-tete so far, but she sits up and listens. Jack doesn't thing that a strike will happen until after the 2014 has been rung in, and Kazimir warns about a Christmas or New Year's attack.
"Both possible, Kaz. But I doubt it." She frowns a little and shakes her head. "The Sabbat are more dynamic than I think you're giving them credit for. And the Sabbat here in Denver, more so. Yes, they have all their ritual and 'Oh look at us, we're satirizing the Catholic Church' bullshit, but I don't think they're strong enough for an attack here yet. They hit us hard last time and we took losses, but we repelled them, and that was with a pretty fuckin' serious war party on the attack. Right now, they're looking for more forces."
She looks between the two. "They're gonna fight smart, these ones. Do unexpected things. You can count on that."
Jack
The nosferatu called Jack takes a seat during this discussion. He doesn't want to loom. Jack was a tall man for his age, hale and hearty, but he is not a giant. Still. He doesn't want to loom, so he takes a seat. He leans forward, interested. He is not one of those Kindred who've been dulled by the passage of years or sharpened into a weapon quite. He is questing, constantly, isn't he? He is questing, questioning, watchful bright-eyed monster, winter-pale beneath the monstrosities. "Hmm," he says, when Kazimir says that this is the first time he has had a side in this war.
He doesn't offer his opinion on Kali's opinion quite yet. Perhaps because he's ashamed of the role that the Nosferatu have played in the Denver Sabbat's 'dynamism.' Instead, he looks between the Camarilla Ravnos and the Camarilla Assamite, and listens to hear what they think.
Kazimir
"Maybe we should test them?" He asks curiously, a little smile appearing on his face. "Offer them some sort of bait they couldn't possibly refuse... And see if they take it? It might give us the opportunity to assess their numbers or determine if they're brighter than we had expected... Whatever the case, we're not going to win a Siege against the Sabbat defensively. In a war of attrition the Sabbat will win. That is the kind of war we cannot win... A Pro-Active attempt to gain knowledge of their whereabouts, and numbers, will give us the opportunity to begin dealing with them, or at least preparing to." He says with a soft nod of his head.
"Individuals are much easier to deal with, as are inexperienced Cainites waiting to be pushed into use. The sooner we begin identifying them, and where we can find them, the sooner we can begin the process of systematically removing the threat. We might lack the muscle for an all out war, but we have eyes and ears, and when used properly those are the most dangerous weapons of all."
"Once we're aware of what's out there... Dealing with it is actually one of the easier parts."
Kali
Kali listens to Kazimir give his ideas and thoughts on the situation. Offer the Sabbat bait, go proactive instead of waiting for them to come to the Camarilla. And truth be told, there's something to be said for that. The Ravnos is no stranger in dealing with the Sword of Caine; they have been a thorn in her side as much as they have been any member of the Camarilla's, and more so than some. She tilts her head curiously, taking in everything he has to say, and then sits back in her seat on the couch. Goes quiet for a beat as she considers.
There's a lot for Kali to consider.
"What kind of bait are you thinking?" is what she finally says.
Jack
Kazimir finds no disagreement from the Nosferatu, who nods once or twice when Kazimir lays out his thoughts. His fingers tap against his knee: once, twice, three times. Beat, and then a fourth. And then a fifth, a smaller fifth.
"Mm. I'm afraid it would be difficult to manufacture another tempting Ventrue Elder," Jack says, but his voice is thoughtful. "For myself, I'd certainly like to see Rasmussen storm their safe-haven."
That he is echoing Kali's question is implied in his body language and his tone. If wishes were horses, and all that.
Kazimir
He looks back at Kali and nods his head slowly. "That's my problem... I am not familiar enough with them to know precisely what might tempt them out of hiding." His eyes pop open and a smile crosses his lips. "If there is one thing the Sword of Caine doesn't care for it is treachery..." He says with a slow nod of his head. "Perhaps, we should arrange for a...Traitor" He holds up his fingers to make quotation marks "To pass through the city? Perhaps someone moving from behind enemy lines?" He asks as he contemplates this.
"This would require a little bit of work, but I'm sure we could find a way to get the information we want them to know to the Sabbat... Perhaps to the Sabbat of another city, accidentally, so they have no clue the source of the tip." He is clearly rolling over ideas in his head. "We arrange everything, and even set it up to look like some of their own got to the target before they did... So we don't have to arrange for any innocents to be killed in the process."
He looks around. "Feel free to make suggestions, I am simply brainstorming at the moment... But news of a traitor being transported to us from another city does sound like a tempting enough target to lure them out. All manner of decoys can be arranged as well... The largest problem, I believe, is in getting the information fed to them from a source they can trust."
Kazimir
"If we can get an idea of faces, numbers... Things along those lines... Then the decoy will have done it's job. Killing them all at once isn't really feasible, I don't think, but luring them out long enough to identify them is all we really need to do."
Kali
Kali clearly has some ideas about this, and she smiles a bit as Jack suggests that it would be difficult to create a new Elder for the Sabbat to come after. But the thoughts she has, she isn't sharing in this instant. There are reasons...most of them involve the fact that an Elysium isn't the place to go discussing the ideas she has. If the wrong person is here, it wouldn't go over particularly well.
"The traitor plan is high risk, solid reward. That would take a lot to arrange, and it is dependent on a lot that's out of our control...but it could work."
And that's when the sibilant sounds of Carly Rae Jepsen echo from her pocket. Hey, I just met you/And this is crazy/But here's my number/So call me-- only to be cut off within the ringtone by the sound of a gunshot. She sighs and pulls out her phone, looks at her texts.
"Aaaand that's my queue to go. Work calls, a pharmocological freelancer's life is never dull." She smiles and rises.
"Kaz, nice to see you again...you too, Jack. I'll see you both around." She puts her hand up to the side of her face, thumb and pinky out like a phone and wiggles it. "Call me." And so she goes.
Jack
Jack steeples his fingers together, each to each. He still leans forward, his elbows on his knees. When he sat down, and he is dressed surprisingly well for one of his ilk (say not clan), dressed for Elysium, not stylish but clean, practically dapper, if somewhat old-fashioned -- when he sat down he hitched his slacks up a moment with the air of one long-practiced with it. He only unsteeples them in order to give Kali a deep nod. His eyes do not twinkle. They do not. But they do something close enough for Santa Claus (what a terrible Santa he'd make; not fat enough, not this dessicated body-twisted creature). "As always, a pleasure Kali. I will."
And that leaves the Assamite and the Nosferatu. Jack says, "You mean a defector from their Sect?" as if he is just making certain. "Because if you do, then these halls have a collection of them already. Have you met any of our Tremere?"
Kazimir
He nods a farewell to Kali, a smile is presented. He doesn't get up, instead expecting she will understand before letting his eyes drift towards Jack.
His lips pursed in thought and his head tilts. "I have not. The Children of Haqim and Tremere, I fear, do not have the most stable of histories. As much as I am sure they are lovely, I would just as soon avoid any unnecessary encounters." He tilts his head. "Why? Do you believe that I should speak to them on this matter?"
Jack
Jack appears to consider this. He is a considerate and a considering sort-of Jack is our Jack of the nosferatu. He appears to consider this and as he considers this he taps his thumbs together once twicethrice and then says, "I won't pretend to know the politics between your clan and theirs. They are what they are." Here, faint touch of humor, or something which could be humor. He really is good-natured, Jack, even when dealing with monsters, with other creatures of the world-under-darkness'-rule.
"But avowedly they came to Denver in order to lend the Kindred their knowledge of the Sword and their blood sorcery against that sword. The Sabbat do know that they are traitors. I don't know how much of what happened this summer you are aware of, but I'm afraid that secret is secret no more. Whether you should speak to them on this matter? Well, perhaps it would be beneficial."
"May I ask a personal question, Kazimir? You are, of course," see, he is practically gentile, our Jack, "free not to answer it."
Kazimir
He nods his head slowly as he listens to the Nosferatu, his eyes never going far from him as he ponders his words. "Well then it does sound as if I might have a reason or two to wish to speak to the Tremere. I thank you for your suggestion, had you not done so I might have been happy enough just never speaking to them as things stood." He says in a soft enough tone that implied jest.
"If you wish to ask, then feel free to ask." He says back to the man. "I will, of course, refrain from answering anything I do not wish to." He finishes politely enough. He does look curious to learn what Jack wishes to know about him.
Jack
Permission given, Jack is direct. He prefers to be direct, does Jack, though it may not seem like it; not from such a creepsome creature, not from someone so given to vanishings, to being Nobody, Nobody Worth Notice, Nobody To Look at.
"Are you personally glad to be on a side in this war?"
Kazimir
He ponders this quietly. It would appear he wanted to give the question ample thought, so he did just that. When he is ready he draws in a slow breath and gives his response. "The Children of Haqim have a place in this world, others do not always see that place as it is but rather as an outsider looking in on a group whose secrets they know little of." He says softly back to the man. "Until recently, the Camarilla believed that our Warriors composed the entirety of our clan, for example, and that we were a society composed, essentially, of hired thugs." He says softly.
"The Children of Haqim, with the exception of a very very few individuals, now stand divided. With those of us who feel that order can only be achieved through cooperation, and those who feel that order can only be achieved by violent means. However, the one thing that we do share is our mutual hatred for the Sabbat who would bespoil every principle we have sought all our lives to uphold." He says with a soft nod of his head.
"If our division has taught us anything, it was that we were foolish to ever allow ourselves to sit between Camarilla and Sabbat, when the Sabbat was so clearly our enemy from the very beginning." He says softly in return. "I would not say I am ever glad to be on a side, but the curse requires a degree of restraint and responsibility which the Sabbat simply is not capable of exercising. So I am on a side, and it is good that I am on that side, but I am not personally glad to end the existence of Cainites, no. That is, simply, a necessity, for the good of all."
Jack
They have eternity until something comes along to stop it. Jack doesn't seem impatient if and when Kazimir takes time to give the question (oh, apparently; always apparently; always Masks) ample thought. He's interested, the Nosferatu, and they have eternity. Until something comes along to stop it. Ash them. Dust them.
When Kazimir is done, Jack pats himself down as if searching for a cigarette. Instead of a cigarette, he pulls out a wallet. Battered wallet, thin-thing. And from the wallet, he pulls out a business card. The business card is shop-worn, creased, but he hands it to Kazimir anyway. The front says 'Jack,' and on the back is a quote from Socrates. There is an e-mail address, a phone-number.
"Good man," he says. "If you ever wish to contact me, there you are." A beat, a pause, and then - that presentiment of easy humour again, all a-glow. "I'm a mean pianist."
Kazimir
He takes the card, examines it curiously, and then looks back up to Jack, presents a smile to thank him for the card, already knowing what it was for. He reads the back, smiles briefly, and then looks back to Jack. "I will be certain to do so." He pauses a moment, and searches his own belongings for a pen and paper. He jots down a number and hands it to the Nosferatu.
"Should you ever need me, or those whom you think might need a pair of eyes to help them find something they can't seem to find themselves." He remains polite as ever.
"You have a pleasant evening." He says, assuming the Nosferatu was about to take his leave. It seemed a good place to part ways for the evening!
YAY!]